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Disappointing Makeup Products

I have been in a bit of a creative rut this week. I asked on Instagram stories what kind of content you like. Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to message me and fill my head with awesome ideas. I appreciate it so much. A big shout out to my lovely friend Sinéad aka The Beautiful Truth for giving me the Disappointing Makeup Products idea.

I generally talk about products I really disliked on social media. When I review products I try to be as logical as possible. I like to give the pros and the cons. I rarely dedicate a post to things I have and just generally don’t get on with. But it’s fun to change things up 🙂 Now this won’t be scathing. Everything is up for interpretation and just because I dislike something doesn’t mean everyone does. This is just my opinion.

First up of my six disappointing makeup products, is the Kiko Smart Cult Eyeshadow Palette in Matte Revolution. I did a post swatching this when I first got it here.

I bought this in Brussels after seen it plastered all over social media. The colours looked so cool and generally I am a big fan of Kiko.

This just doesn’t do it for me though. On first swatch some of the colours are grand, but trying to blend them on the eyes is way too much of a chore. They blend away to nothing. Yes, I can make it work if I need to, but this palette has just ended up lying in a drawer not being used. It wasn’t expensive, but still, it was definitely a waste of my money.

My second choice is controversial. So many people would declare this their holy grail. This is the Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer.

For me, this foundation is too thick. I don’t like the doe-foot applicator, and I just find it hard to blend.

I don’t mind a thicker foundation, but I would put this in the same category as Esteè Lauder Double Wear. Although I do say in my review it isn’t as thick, but it nearly is 🙂 It’s just too much for me. At least Double Wear stands the test of time on my oily skin, this only does an ok job. I find it grand, but I haven’t reached for it much at all since buying it.

Third up, is the LA Girl Pro Primer Eyeshadow Primer.

This just doesn’t keep my eyeshadow in check. I have relatively oily lids so I am generally a good judge of eyeshadow primer. This is in the shade Nude. I think it’s more yellow toned, so unless I am covering it completely on the lids, the tone will poke through a bit.

It just doesn’t cut the mustard. I like that it’s in stick form, it’s easy to use and super affordable, but not for me 🙁

The Zoeva Strobe Gel was completely bought on a whim because the jelly like texture intrigued me.

I have the shade Halo.

If you like a more subtle highlight, this might work for you. For me, it just looks like nothing on my skin, especially when applied with a brush. Applying it with your fingers is tricky though, as the formula just doesn’t allow itself to be picked up with your fingertips too well. I tried to incorporate it into my makeup and to make it work, but I just end up reaching for something else. It’s a cool concept, but gets a thumbs down from me.

My next two disappointing makeup products will again, be controversial.

I only have a travel size of the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. I got it within a PR pack.

Waterproof mascara is more my jam, most of the time. But I do try lots of non waterproof formulas and do review the ones that meet my extremely high mascara standards 🙂

So many people adore this mascara. I don’t! I deem it grand. It coats the lashes, helps a little with volume and on me, flakes like a bitch. If a mascara flakes after a long ass, productive day, I can live with that. But this does it a couple of hours into wear on me. For that reason, it’s made the list 🙂

Ok, my last disappointing makeup product is the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk.

Now hear me out because this is definitely a more personal disappointment. I am just not wowed by it. The texture is a bit drying, especially for the price. It’s also super super similar to my lip colour, so it tends to look more brown on me than pink.

I have the lipstick too . (I have a blogpost about it here). You can see both of them swatched in that. I reach for the lipstick way more, although I am not a huge fan of the fragrance, but I can get over that. I have the lip liner literally years, and it’s still very much in tact as you can see. Give me Rimmel’s Eastend Snob liner over it any day!

Do any of my disappointing makeup choices shock you? Are some of your holy grails in here? This is what I love about makeup, one person’s trash can be another person’s treasure 🙂

xxx

April 5, 2018/1 Comment/by Gem

Too Faced Makeup Look

I was lucky enough to head to the Too Faced Christmas launch in Debenhams a few weeks back. They sent home with a very generous goody bag. So, I thought I would use some of the products I got to create a simple Too Faced Makeup Look 🙂

I am not using everything Too Faced, but I do have their Born This Way Concealer, Brow Quickie, their Better Than Sex mascara, the Merry Macarons Palette and the Melted Matte Liquid Lipstick in ‘Bend & Snap’. I thought since I have just some bits and pieces, I would do a look with everything rather than individual reviews.

So, I figured that warranted me calling it a Too Faced Makeup Look 🙂

I didn’t really have much of a plan going into this video. I rarely do if I’m honest. I just kind of jump in with a rough idea of the products I am going to use and do my makeup 🙂 You could, I dare say call this a festive makeup look. I centered it around the Melted Matte Liquid Lipstick in ‘Bend & Snap’. I am in love with this formula and this colour. It’s super flattering and it will jazz up any makeup look.

Too Faced is available in store from Debenhams and from their website here too. The Christmas selection is awesome. Go have a look if you’re in the market for new makeup for yourself, or you want to buy some else a cool makeup related Christmas gift.

You can watch the video as always by clicking it up above or directly on my Youtube channel here. And sure if you like it give it an oul thumbs up and subscribe 🙂

I am fairly new to the Too Faced brand. When it first came to Ireland it was stocked in Boots and I used some bits and really liked them and then it just disappeared. I think it’s safe to say it is back now with a bang. Ok, so go on give me some recommendations. What do I need in my collection from them?

xxx

***pr sample***

November 13, 2016/by Gem

Makeup

Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer And Shine Lipsticks

These are some of the new Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer And Shine Lipsticks, that I am sure you have probably seen on your social media feed alot of late, if you follow lots of lovely bloggers like myself 🙂 I don’t mean I’m a lovely blogger I mean I follow lovely bloggers ha! Anyways…

Rimmel already have their Moisture Renew Lipsticks, these ones pack more of a colour punch than the new Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer And Shine Lipsticks that have more of a sheer colour.

The Boots description of them is:’Rimmel London Moisture Renew Sheer & Shine Lipstick, a moisturising lipstick with a translucent, luminous, vitamin-enriched colour.This gloss-in-a-stick moisturises lips, giving a radiant touch of juicy colour and energising shine.Added SPF 20 helps protect your luscious lips from the harmful effects of the sun.’

There are eight varying shades in this new collection to choose from. Boots Ireland only seems to have six of them available though. They vary from the general lipstick colours, red,pink,coral,mauve,brown,nude. The usual shades us lipstick junkies are looking for.

I have 3 of them to showcase for you today 🙂

700 ‘Better And Brighter’.

200 ‘Glow-rious Pink’.

300 ‘Pink Rules’.

On first swatch the Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer And Shine Lipsticks remind me alot of the Revlon Lip Butters we all went crazy for a couple of years ago. I loved them so much I bought colours on eBay that you couldn’t even get in Europe at the time, that’s makeup dedication right there 🙂

The Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer And Shine Lipsticks definitely have a colour to them, while feeling really comfortable on the lips. If you like a defined lip line I don’t think these will work for you as they are really soft and nearly like a gloss without being annoyingly sticky. They also don’t have the Rimmel telltale lipstick smell, they do have a very light kind of fruity fragrance to them, but nothing in comparison to what we would be used to with Rimmel of late.

Overall, I think the Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer And Shine Lipsticks have a very long name yep :). I think they’re really pretty, but I can’t say they’re anything new really.

If you’re in the market for a sheer glossy lipstick, the Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer and Shine’s will set you back €8.29, are on 3 for 2 instore in Boots or online here in Boots at the moment.

What do you think of them?

xxx

April 25, 2016/by Gem

Makeup

L’Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss Matte

First off, doesn’t the name L’Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss Matte just confuse the bejesus out of you? It’s clever though because it made me buy a couple of them when I was browsing Boots a couple of weeks ago 🙂

The L’Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss Matte do come in shiny gloss form too, so maybe that’s why they kept the name. They come in the same packaging as the ‘matte’ version, just in a whole host of other colours. There wasn’t as many colour choices for the mattes, so I only picked up two of the shades that I thought I would actually get use out of and wear.

The texture of the L’Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss Matte, to me is neither a gloss or a matte. I think they have a satin finish. You can however blot off the shiny layer if you choose and are left with a more matte appearance. This kind of gives us the best of both worlds. They are really pigmented and have the familiar sweet smell that alot of the L’Oreal lippies have. They have a sponge applicator that is curved in the middle and tapered at the tip, which is surprisingly handy for application. It kind of sits on your lip and you can let the applicator do the work.

The first shade I picked up is 405 ‘The Bigger The Better’.

It’s a bright pink shade. Here it is swatched applied normally to the lips.

And then blotted with tissue.

The second shade I got is 407 ‘Smoke Me Up’.

This is more of a berry shade.

Here it is normally applied.

And then blotted down.

Overall, I am digging the L’Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss Matte. As they are more of a creamy finish, they do move around. You will have transfer and you will have to reapply after eating or drinking if you want to keep the full effects of the colour. However, after wear they do leave behind a lovely coloured stain on the lips, so you’re not left without pigment completely. They feel soft and comfortable on the lips and not at all sticky.

You can pick them up in store in Boots or online here. It’s a bit annoying on the Boots website, because it seems they have the gloss and mattes in the one grouping, so make sure you know what shade you want before purchasing online. They will set you back €7.79 and are on 3 for 2 at the minute.

Be sure to let me know what you think 🙂

xxx

March 4, 2016/by Gem

Catrice Shine Appeal Fluid Lipstick ‘Better Make A Mauve’

I have been going a bit liquid lipstick crazy the past few months. I have never been fully on board with the lipgloss phenomenon. I don’t really do shiny lips without a purpose. Liquid lipsticks fill the colourful shiny void for me and nowadays they come shiny but not sticky which makes a glossy lipped life so much easier 🙂

This post will be dedicated to a new liquid lippie on the block. The Catrice Shine Appeal Fluid Lipstick in the colour 070 ‘Better Make A Mauve’.

She’s a pretty one right?

I have literally been wearing this non stop since I got sent it. It’s so easy to wear. Even though it’s very much the lip colour of the moment (the world is having a 90’s mauve moment), it’s a really easy to wear version of it. You can slather it on your lips without much to do, so it’s a great handbag companion.

‘Better Make A Mauve’ is of course of a dusky mauve colour, it’s pigmented with some shimmer running through it, although the shimmer isn’t hugely noticeable when the product is applied. I am personally happy with that.

It glides on really easily, has a sweet faint scent, lasts really well on the lips and one of the main things for me, is not sticky or uncomfortable to wear!

I rock it on it’s own most of the time, but when I want to dial up the 90’s intensity a little, I’ll add the NYX ‘Mauve’ lipliner underneath.

It’s a very similar colour just in matte form.

Together they are a match made in mauve heaven :p

The Catrice Shine Appeal Fluid Lipsticks are part of Catrice’s Autumn/Winter collection and have been set for release in the last week of August, which is pretty much now. So we should see them filtering into Penneys and pharmacies nationwide in the coming days. I cannot wait to see what else is in the collection 🙂

xxx

August 25, 2015/by Gem

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