Review: Fearne - Glossy Lips

Hi everyone,

One of the parts I love most about Christmas is all the beautiful gift sets that come out in the drugstores, one of which is by TV & radio presenter and UK fashionista Fearne Cotton. I am quite happy to admit that I am a big fan of Fearne, as she carries the torch for all the non-conventional girls, who have tattoos and listen to rock and metal music, whilst still remaining feminine and girlie throughout. Last year Fearne brought out a line of cosmetic gift sets with the UK drugstore Boots, and this year she has surpassed herself with another collection of beautiful products. I knew I was going to love these sets as I loved last years so much, so I put 3 sets on my letter to father Christmas and was delighted when I got 4!

The first set I would like to show you is the “Glossy Lips” set which contains 4 stunning and colourful lip glosses.

The first thing that struck me about this collection of gift sets is the beautiful packaging that it comes in. I know that Fearne is a very talented artist so it didn’t suprise me that she has clearly taken the time to think about what she wants her collection to look like. The boxes stand out with their monochrome colouring and their vintage rock and roll design, with elements of lace mixed with bold colour shapes like hearts and stars and photographic roses bringing the tattoo theme into play as well.

The glosses themselves come in beautiful packaging with the monochrome and lace effect running through the lids and the bottles. Each gloss contains 8ml which is a good amount and with a shelf life of 12 months there is plenty to see you though till next year. The colours themselves don’t have individual names so I am just calling them names which I think suit.   The 4 colours make a good selection of what is popular right now but also still classical, in that you have a colour which I think will suit everyone.

First is the baby pink gloss:

When I first saw this colour it instantly made me think of the 60’s and Twiggy with the bright but pale lip that was so fashionable then. When I looked closer I noticed that while being very bright solid colour it also contains a very subtle silver shimmer, which I think makes this gloss look more modern. In texture the gloss is not too sticky, and although it definitely applies slightly sheerer than if this were a lipstick, it holds its colour really well.

Next is the coral gloss:

Now coral isn’t a colour that a lot of people always think of when choosing a lipgloss or stick, but I think it is greatly underrated. It can be an alternative bright lip when you don’t want pink or red, and looks great with a tan or on darker skin tones. Much like the pink this colour feels very retro, but by adding the slight touch of shimmer it doesn’t look dated. It adds a lot of colour without being over bearing and creates a great impact on the lips.

Third is the rose gloss:

This gloss is definitely the shimmer out of the set, containing lots of pearl and tiny, tiny micro glitter particles to really catch your eye. The high shine in this gloss really catches the light when applied and the colour is incredibly sheer so it would go with any look you decide to pair it with. This is a great staple for a night out but maybe a bit too shimmery for a day look.

Finally the red gloss:

A classic red lip is very vintage and very rock and roll so it didn’t surprise me at all to find this colour in Fearne’s collection. It is a very deep red but not too blue and like the pink and coral contains the pearl shimmer as a subtle extra. I think this gloss has the highest pigment of all of them, which shows up as a great glossy red ont he lips. If you are a bit scared to try a red lipstick this is a great alternative as you can build up the colour to suit your style, whether it be just a hint of colour or full on high impact. This is going straight into my going out bag, as this is going to look great after work to vamp up my work make-up.

L-R: Pink, Coral, Rose & Red

Overall I’d say this is a great lip gloss set for someone who likes to experiment with colour or for someone more timid who is daunted by all the different colours on the make-up counters and wants a set they can rely on. These sets come out for the Christmas season and are now on sale at half price on the boots website.

Have you tried this set out yet or anything else from Fearne’s collection? Let me know if the comments below, as I’d love to hear what you think.

Love

Jude xxx

Day 14: Maybelline Cover Stick

Hi

A few weeks ago I went to London and on my way back through Liverpool street station I stopped at the Boots store and took advantage of their 3 for 2 on Maybelline make-up. One of the products I got was their cover stick concealer.

Maybelline Coverstick Concealer in Fair

 It is like a lipstick in all but colour, including the packaging. which makes it easy to carry in your handbag for day or a night out. It is creamy and thick in consistency and covers redness and dark area's well and blends into the skin easily.

 It feels my skin feeling soft and smooth, not dry like many others I've tried.  I don't think this would be heavy coverage but would defiantly cover most imperfections.

Overall a good concealing product well worth a try.

Thanks for reading.

Love Jude x

Day 7: No7 Instant Radiance Foundation

Hello again,

Day 7 now and I wanted to tell you about the new No7 Match Made Foundation Service which Boots are offering in stores at their No7 stands.

The use a strange little machine which they hold to both your cheeks and it takes a photo of your skin and tells you the perfect shade for your skin tone.

All the colours in No7's foundation goes across all the ranges. So no matter what type of foundation you like, sheer, matt, medium coverage, dewy they all come in all the colours. Making the collection so unique to you and your skin.

Well about a week ago I went to my local Boots store and I got my foundation colour match. The colour that suited my skin tone the best is called "Soft Rose" and is alot darker and pinker than something I would have picked for myself. Which just goes to show how wrong our perception of something so personal as our skin colour can be.

I prefer a dewy finish to my foundation, with a light to medium coverage as I can suffer from blemishes and redness.  The assistant recommended to me their "Instant Radiance  foundation which also includes an SPF 15 protection.

I really like the packaging for this foundation, its clear tube helps you clearly see the colour of the foundation, and the silver lid gives a somewhat upmarket feel to the product. The pump action allows you to get just the right amount out without wasting any, and also means you should get every last drop out of the bottle.

The foundation itself is a liquid, not too runny so that it runs off your hand, but not too thick that it is hard to blend into your skin.  Despite my first reservations about the colour being quite pink, I was delighted to see that it blended into my skin beautifully leaving a light dewy finish. The coverage was very good, not too heavy  so it removed all trace of my skin underneath, but just enough that it covered most discolouration but still let my skin show through.

At first this colour looks way to dark for my skin colour

I do like the light liquid consistency

Too my surprise it blended in completely leaving my skin looking great

I decided to wear this foundation for work today as I knew I would be going to the gym afterwards and I wanted to see how it stood up against a quite rigorous work out. Well the areas where I obviously sweat the most (my chin, forehead and around my nose) it does seem to still be there. I have sweated some of it off as I would expect of most foundations, but my cheeks and temples seem to have quite a good coverage.

Overall I would say that this is probably not an everyday foundation as its bit to heavy for that, but as a evening wear make-up it would do very well, and the colour matching systems is awesome, as it picks the right colour, not the colour you think your skin is.

Have any of you tried the match made service yet? If so what did you think? Where you surprised by the colour you were given? Let me know in the comments below.

Love

Jude xxx

Day 6: Real Techniques- Starter Brush Set

Hello

Firstly I want to apologise for missing yesterday's blog, not that there should be any excuses but my laptop ran out of battery and I didn't have a charger to hand, so instead I will be doing both yesterday and today's reviews today!

Secondly I want to let you know about a couple of ladies who I admire and look up to very much. Known collectivly as "Pixiwoo" Sam and Nic Chapman are sisters who have been making make-up demonstration video's on youtube for a number of years now and are amazing at what they do. Along with anouther couple fo lady vloggers on youtube such as "FleurDeForce" and "LisaElderidgeDotCom" they have inspired me to start this blog and to share my love of cosmetics.

So when I discovered that Sam had teamed up with "Real Techniques" to make some gorgeous make-up brushes I had to get them and try them out.  There are around 19 brushes to collect in total, including 2 sets that are available in the UK at Boots stores.


The two sets are called the Core Collection and the Starter Set, both names implying that the kits are essential, but I decided to begin with the starter set as this included the smaller brushes relating more to eye shadow which I tend to use more than the blusher and foundation brushes found in the core kit.

The kit includes 5 brushes, all with a gorgeous metallic purple finish.
The brushes are:

Duluxe crease brush - A round soft blending brush

This is one of the softest brushes I've ever owned and it works great for blending to make a gorgeous smokey eye or will also work well to add a light bit of shimmer.

Base shadow brush: Good for applying eye shadow or highlighter, but also
 works great as a blush to add concealer under the eye.

Again a very soft brush, I love the two tone bristles, they add to the sophisticated look of the brushes and allow you see just how much product you have picked up.

Accent brush: Small flat brush great for getting shadow under the eye

the side view to see the flatness.

This brush is so handy, it fits perfectly under the eye for adding colour, to a smokey eye or any other shadow design.

Pixel-point eyeliner brush

For an eyeliner brush I was expecting this to be a lot thinner. However when wet the bristles combine to make a great fine line brush, and when dry it makes a great soft smudgy liner.

Brow Brush: Stiff angled brush great for adding colour to your brows
or adding angles of liner

Over all I love these brushes, they will definitely be a staple in my everyday make-up bag. The carry case they come in is also really handy, it folds up to protect the brushes in travel but also folds down to make a great stand to hold them when your applying your make-up.

The case will fit more than just the brushes you get with the kit

It will also fold back and make the brushes easily available great for when your in a rush

These brushes are avaliable from Boots, Amazon and of course Real Techniques website, I really suggest your check them out as they are really popular and for good reason. They are soft, easy to use and beautifully made.

Let me know if you have any of these brushes already, and what you think of them. Maybe you've got the core collection or one of the other singularly packaged brushes. Let me know in the comments below.

Love

Jude xxx

Review: Barry M's New Magnetic Glitter Polishes

Hi everyone,

I have bought some new polishes and was so impressed I just had to tell you about them.

The Magnetics craze has been around for a while now in the world of nail art, and so many different companies have brought out their own version trying to outdo their competitors.  I as an avid fan of nail art and all its new styles and techniques have of course collected several of these different polishes over the last few months from big brands like Nails Inc and China Glaze to drug store brands like Boots 17 and Fashionista. However one brand has stood out for me amongst all the others and they also happen to be the brand with the most variety in colours and magnet designs.

Barry M is best known in the UK at least for its large variety of bright colours available through its make-up range and its nail polishes. Early in the year they brought out 4 magnetic polishes, in the classic silver, burgundy, violet and navy, each with their own magnet design.  I bought a couple of these colours and was instantly impressed by the strength of the magnets compared to any other polish I had tried. The patterns were instant and long lasting, and the contrast between the colour and the black which appeared (I am assuming this is some kind of iron to react with the magnets) was very stark and made the patterns visible from a distance and made a great impact on the nails.

From Index to pinky: Venus Sunset, Neptune Sea, Moon Dust and Super Nova

Well now they have added to this original range with what as far as I am aware is the first glitter magnetic polishes on the market right now (please let me know if I’m wrong).  They have added 5 new polishes, of which I have 4, and although the magnetic designs are the same from the original collection, I am not too upset as the fantastic colours more than make up for it!

This time the colours also have far more interesting names such as Moon Dust which is a metallic bronze base colour with tons of gold micro glitter. The other colours are Neptune Sea which is a metallic blue/silver base with bright teal micro glitter, Venus Sunset a coppery bronze metallic base with red and silver micro glitter, Super Nova which has a metallic gunmetal silver base with lots of holographic micro glitter and finally Cosmic Glow which is a grass green metallic base with a whole heep of bright green glitter (this is the only colour I don’t have...yet).  My only flaw with these products is that the names only appear on the website, on the bottom of the bottles the stick just reads “magnetic sparkle gold” or “magnetic multi sparkle” which defeats the object of the giving them these beautiful names int he first place.

From Left to Right: Super Nova, Venus Sunset, Neptune Sea and Moon Dust

344 - Moon dust  in the bottle

344 - Moon dust come with diagonal line magnet



345 - Neptune Sea



345 - Neptune Sea comes with cracked glass/union jack magnet

346 - Venus Sunset

346 - Venus Sunset comes with arrow lines magnet

347 - Super Nova

347 - Super Nova comes with horizontal straight lines magnet

On their own as normal glitter polishes these would be pretty gorgeous, however when you use the magnets the black contrast colour makes the glitter stand out so bright its mesmerising. When I first tested the super nova polish I wore it to work and have several of my female and male colleagues asking how I had achieved the design, which to me is the biggest compliment to a product you can get.

The packaging for the polish is very simple and the shape is identical to the traditional Barry M polishes, except for the outer lid.  There are clear instructions on how to apply the polishes and how to use the magnet but to be honest it’s a very simple process that anyone, even without any prior nail art experience could master.  I do find that the design comes out better if you apply 2 coats and let them dry completely before applying the final thick coat and hovering your magnet above.  The small ridge at the top of the lid allows for you to place the magnet and hover it above your nail at just the right place, and the size of the magnet is also quite big allowing for quite wide and long nails to take advantage of these gorgeous designs.

What I also like about the bottle is that once you have bought them you can peel off the bar code sticker you have a side to the bottle which is completely bare and allows you to really see the gorgeous colour and glitter inside. I get really annoyed when bottles like this are completely covered all over and you don’t actually get to have a real look at what’s inside.

In conclusion I think that Barry M magnetic Glitter polishes are the best on the market right now, in terms of colour range, magnetic strength and design durability. They are long lasting, full of beautiful glitter and are so simple to use it takes no time at all to get stunning designs on your nails.

They are avaliable from Barry M's website and in the UK from Superdrug and Boots stores or online at only £4.99 each!

Hope you enjoyed reading about these amazing polishes and I hope you come back to read more of my reviews.

Love

Jude xxx