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MUA Luxe Strobe & Glow Highlight Kit

I picked up the MUA Luxe Strobe & Glow Highlight Kits after they scrolled themselves into my life on the MUA Instagram page. Social media completely enabled me and I’m ok with it 🙂

MUA say on the Superdrug website, ‘A multi-formula compact, ideal for effortless highlighting. The cream and powder formulas in a light, luminescent shimmer allow for a perfect strobe & glow, iridescent look.’

The packaging alone sold me on these as well as me being on a mission to find awesome more affordable highlighters. It contains two compartments to house a cream highlight on the bottom and the powder highlight on top, along with a mirror in the lid, which is always handy.

There is two MUA Strobe & Glow Highlight Kits to choose from.

This one is ‘Pearl Glow’, and is more of a gold highlight.

This is marketed to lighter skin tones.

Then, there’s ‘Pink Luster’, which is of course more pink in colour.

Here is both of the cream highlighters swatched side by side.

Pearl Gold Pink Luster

The two of them have a really different formula. The ‘Pearl Gold’ is nearly wet in texture and has a light consistency, with lots of shimmer going through it. ‘Pink Luster’ is more mousse like to the touch with a more opaque colour finish to the skin and has more of a shine to it than a shimmer.

Here are the powders on their own swatched side by side.

Pearl Gold Pink Luster

The powders are nearly opposite to the creams in their compacts. ‘Pearl Gold is more of a matte powder with gold reflects running through it, whereas ‘Pink Luster’ has more of a shiny, frosty finish on the skin.

Then, here are the MUA Luxe Strobe & Glow Highlight Kits used together so the corresponding creams with the powders over top.

Pearl Gold Pink Luster

Used together, they are both very shimmery, frosty and not the easiest to blend on the skin. The finish of either of the creams, doesn’t lend itself to much to layering, in my opinion really either.

Overall, I think the MUA Luxe Strobe & Glow Highlight Kits look really swish and are affordable. But if someone asked me for a ‘drugstore’ highlighter recommendation, I would offer the Sleek Solstice Palette (full post about it here) over these in a heartbeat.

I picked up the MUA Luxe Strobe & Highlighting Kits from Superdrug online here and got them delivered to my nearest store in Tallaght. They cost £5, but they do have them on the MUA stand in store too for €7.50 each.

xxx

July 13, 2016/by Gem

Makeup

Maybelline The Blushed Nudes

This is the first time I’ve picked something up because I was asked so many times had I tried it before and what did I think about it. It’s a nice feeling 🙂 So we are talking here about the new (here in Ireland) Maybelline The Blushed Nudes Palette.

I’ve been talking about Maybelline alot of late, just because they’re really consistent with releases at the moment. Some of the releases I am liking, some are a little meh!

Within the Maybelline The Blush Nudes Palette you get 12 eyeshadows with the palettes total weight at 9.6 grams.

Without Flash

With Flash

The packaging is alright, just your basic plastic encasing. The colour does compliment the name and the shades. It has a clear lid so you see the shadows within it, and you get a dual ended applicator too.

Maybelline say of the palette: ‘This 12-shade eye shadow palette features dazzling colors infused with rose gold pigments. From bold beiges and sultry sands to brazen bronzes and tempting taupes, this makeup palette is perfect for creating versatile eye makeup looks‘.

The colours within are what you would imagine, complimenting blushed tones. All of them but one is shimmery. It is being compared to the Urban Decay Naked 3 online alot and I can understand why looking at it in the pan, although the one that was launched in America seems a little different to the palette we’ve finally gotten across the pond here.

Onto the swatching 🙂

Top Layer

Bottom Layer

The colours swatched well on my arm, but for me the shades don’t really vary alot when it comes to applying them on your eyes. I think any look you do with this palette is going to look very similar. For me, I would have to incorporate another, maybe brown tone palette (with a couple of mattes) into the look.

I can’t say I would call it a dupe for the Naked 3 really either. The shadow quality is definitely not as good as Urban Decay and you have to work harder with them to build up the intensity of the colour. What I will say though, if you want to get the same tonal eyeshadow look without forking out for the Naked 3, you can do so with The Blushed Nudes, it just might take a little longer.

I used the lightest shade here on my brow bone and inner corner, the matte shade in the crease, the last colour on the top row on my lid (and on the lower lash line),with a bit of the golden shade (the first on the bottom row) on top of it here, to show you some of them in action. The colours do blend and they are pigmented, although there is alot of fallout. However, you can probably see for yourself here, there is no real differentiation of colour after you blend them into each other.

You can pick up the Maybelline The Blushed Nudes Palette in-store from Boots or online here. It costs €14.99.

xxx

July 3, 2016/by Gem

Makeup

Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette

Ok, I finally gave into the hype and picked up the Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette!

There has been so much talk about this over the last few months about the Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette after people like Jeffree Star have gotten their hands on it and have been loving it.For some reason, even though it’s been so readily available here in Ireland I just never picked it up. But with so many people talking about it and loving it. I had to give it a whirl for myself. So here are my first impressions :).

The description on Boots.ie about it is ‘Sleek MakeUP’s Solstice Highlighting Palette instantly enhances the complexion with a radiant glow.This versatile face and body highlighting palette suits all skin tones and includes two baked powders, one luxurious cream formula and one silky shimmer powder. The highly pigmented metallic finishes add a radiant glow and a luminous sheen to the skin.Packaged in a stunning rose gold compact with a mirror and a mini powder brush, Solstice can be used on cheekbones, the cupids bow, inner corners of the eyes, bridge of the nose and can be swept across the décolletage to create a lit-from-within glow.’

The packaging of the Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette is really pretty and a little different for Sleek considering most of their products are encased in sleek (get it? 🙂 ) matte black. It has a magnetic closing too which I always appreciate, less stress on our perfectly manicured talons! It has a large mirror on the lid as well.

You do get a little brush inside, which isn’t the worst brush ever to come free with a palette, but I personally won’t get any use out of it.

The 4 shades have names which I always really like, it just helps us distinguish between them.

The first one is ‘Ecliptic’.

This is a rose gold shimmering cream highlight.

‘Hemisphere’.

This is a baked dusky rose powder.

‘Subsolar’.

A pale yellow gold powder. Probably the most subtle shimmer of the bunch.

And then finally, ‘Equinox’.

A baked peachy champagne shimmery powder.

First impressions are good! The cream and all three powders apply really nicely to the skin without too much effort. Ecliptic is probably a little too dark for me to wear as a cream highlighter or base, so I would probably use this on the eyes, but if you have a deeper skin tone than me, it will work really nicely. The colours are a bit frosty in my opinion so be wary of that if that doesn’t float your boat.

All Four Swatched Together

Blended Out On The Skin

They do apply better more opaquely with your fingers. I had a quick play with them on my mug (without any other makeup on may I add) and with a highlighting brush and they applied more wearable I think, and gave more of a shine to the skin than a frost.

I think I am really going to enjoy playing with this palette. I am sure I will be talking more about it on Snapchat and the likes, so be sure to be following me on there if you want to keep updated 🙂

I picked up the Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette in store from Boots, Henry Street, Dublin. It seems to be sold out at alot of stands, but they were fully stocked. Boots have stock online too here, the Sleek website here is sold out. Cloud10beauty is another place that’s great for buying Sleek here although they are sold out at the minute too. So keep an eye if you’re in the market! I paid €14.49 for the palette, it does vary in price by a couple of euro depending on where you get it.

So tell me, what do you think? Do you think it’s worth the hype? Have you bought it already? Let me know 🙂

xxx

June 14, 2016/3 Comments/by Gem

Archives, Bargain Buying, Makeup

Rimmel Magnif’Eyes Swatches

I was doing my usual weekly rummage through the Boots aisle last week, yep I go there weekly to see what’s new 🙂 I can obviously see the products online, but it’s nice to see them in the flesh too. I came across these new Rimmel Magnif’Eyes while on my weekly visit and they were on 3 for 2 so I had to pick some up to show and tell here on Beautynook 🙂

I would have picked up more shades of the Rimmel Magnif’Eyes but the Boots I was in literally only had three shades that hadn’t been open and messed up. I think there’s 5 shades in the collection to choose from.

In the words of Rimmel: ‘Rimmel London Magnif’Eyes Double-Ended Shadow and Liner.The ultimate tool for defining your eyes. Ultra long-lasting, waterproof, crease proof, transfer proof formula will stay put all day.Create endless combinations in 2 easy, mistake-proof steps with our highly pigmented double ended stay true shadow and kohl kajal liner; from matte to shimmer to pearly finishes.’

So they are basically a double ended pencil. One one end you get a cream shadow, that’s the domed shaped pencil.

Then, on the other end there is a kohl kajal, which is the pointy pencil.

Each pencil comes with a different colour cream shadow and kajal that compliment eachother.

Here are the three shades I have up close and swatched.

001 Back To Black.

003 Queens Of The Stone Age.

004 Dark Side Of The Blue.

On first swatch the Rimmel Magnif’Eyes are bloody lovely! They’re creamy and pigmented. The fact that they are deemed waterproof, I’m wondering if the kajals would be good for inside the waterline, I will definitely be trying that out, the blue one is calling my name 🙂

I can’t say if they are transfer proof or creaseless as of yet, they have yet to make it on my eyes. But I did swatch them on my arm together. Here’s a shot of them in natural light.

And then I try to wipe them away quite vigorously with some tissue paper. This is what I was left with.

They didn’t move too much at all. I ended up having to use an oil based eye makeup remover to get rid of them!

The retractable pencils are really soft so as you use them they will wear down, making me think think the obvious thought, the kajal liner won’t be as precise as that happens. I think on the cream eyeshadow end the wearing will be ok as you could probably be using it on a larger surface area….

They are available in store now or you can pick them up on the Boots website here. They cost 9.99 but are on 3 for 2 at the minute in Boots if any of them take your fancy 🙂

What do you think? Will you be picking any of the shades up? I would love to know your thoughts.

xxx

April 20, 2016/5 Comments/by Gem

Makeup

Flormar Triple Action Mascara

First up, how pretty is the rose gold packaging on the new Flormar Triple Action Mascara?

I have to be pathetically honest, this would nearly push me to buy it…don’t tell anyone I said that 🙂

I very luckily got given the new Flormar Triple Action Mascara at the Irish Beauty Show this year. The Flormar stand was mobbed but I managed to squeeze myself in 🙂

The mascara itself has an adjustable plastic wand, which is an interesting concept. In theory, you get three types of mascara in just one tube. The packaging itself is sturdy and easy to manoeuvre. The wand manipulates without too much persuasion. You just twist the top of the lid for your desired shape. According to Flormar it also contains Argan oil to help condition your lashes.

There are three settings.

Lengthening.

This is the wand in it’s full capacity.

Here are my lashes before application with no curling.

Then the Triple Action Mascara applied with the lengthening wand.

The setting for the curling spooley is one twist away.

You can see the shape of the wand has more of a twitsted centre.

Again, here are my natural (boring) lashes.

Then the Flormar Triple Action mascara applied with the curling wand.

You can see there is a slight difference in how the different spooleys deposit the mascara. The left is the lengthening and the right is the curling.

And the final twist on the top will give you the volume wand. The wand is twisted completely now.

Here are lashes with no product on them.

And here is the Flormar Triple Action Mascara applied with the voluminous adding wand.

I am a die hard waterproof mascara junkie. I have straight and not very long lashes.

For me the Flormar Triple Action Mascara is ok. If I curl my lashes it’s good. It has a wet formula, so you can build up the layers and it doesn’t clump too much. It didn’t flake on me either which is another plus. The changeable wand is a novel idea, and does change the way the mascara applies to your lashes. I think my favourite version of the wand is the lengthening, that gave me the most oomph.

Have you tried it? I’d love to know what you think.

The Flormar Triple Action Mascara can be found in all of the Flormar stockists around the country and you. If you head to their website here, it should have a list of stockists. It will set you back €9.95.

xxx

April 1, 2016/2 Comments/by Gem

Bargain Buying, Makeup

Makeup Revolution Rose Gold Lipsticks

When I saw these Makeup Revolution Rose Gold Lipsticks, I knew at first glance they had to be mine. I am a sucker for anything rose gold…it’s an illness really.

I went to the couple of Superdrug‘s in Dublin and neither had them instore which was a pain, but I eventually ordered them last week with their new ‘Fortune Favours The Brave’ Palette, which I have swatched here, if you’re interested 🙂

There’s Five in the Makeup Revolution Rose Gold lipstick range and I managed to get my mitts on all of them, which I was quite happy about as the nude shade had been sold out when I had looked on their website before.

Let’s start with how cute the lipstick bullets are.

Now I know they look quite similar to Mac lippies, they are lighter in weight though (which I don’t personally mind) and they have the colour of the lipstick on the bottom, which I personally love 🙂 Saves you having to open every one of them to find the shade you are looking for.

The five shades are:

‘Chauffeur’

This is the nude of the bunch.

Girl’s Best Friend’

This a hot pink.

‘Red Carpert’

Which is of course a classic blue toned red.

‘Diamond Life’

A more cherry red shade.

And finally, ‘Private Member’s Club’

A dark berry shade.

All of the Makeup Revolution Rose Gold Lipsticks have a shiny finish to them. As you can see the pigment on the lips varies from shade to shade. The nude, pink and red seem to have a richer colour pay off then the two darker shades. I can’t really give you any indication of longevity or anything as I have yet to wear any of them for a long period of time. I can say they are comfortable to wear on the lips though.

You can pick up the Makeup Revolution Rose Gold Lipsticks from their website here and they will set you back £3, which is not bad at all, right?

March 23, 2016/1 Comment/by Gem

Posts

I picked up the MUA Luxe Strobe & Glow Highlight Kits after they scrolled themselves into my life on the MUA Instagram page. Social media completely enabled me and I’m ok with it 🙂

This is the first time I’ve picked something up because I was asked so many times had I tried it before and what did I think about it. It’s a nice feeling 🙂 So we are talking here about the new (here in Ireland) Maybelline The Blushed Nudes Palette.

Maybelline say of the palette: ‘This 12-shade eye shadow palette features dazzling colors infused with rose gold pigments. From bold beiges and sultry sands to brazen bronzes and tempting taupes, this makeup palette is perfect for creating versatile eye makeup looks‘.

Ok, I finally gave into the hype and picked up the Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette!

First up, how pretty is the rose gold packaging on the new Flormar Triple Action Mascara?

When I saw these Makeup Revolution Rose Gold Lipsticks, I knew at first glance they had to be mine. I am a sucker for anything rose gold…it’s an illness really.