Makeup Reviews

The world scariest mascara ever???

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Hello my little buttons!

Welcome to the frightening world of Avons Mega Effects Mascara. I have been literally itching to try this for the longest time. The cute little brush and novelty of this mascara had me intrigued, I wanted to see how it would apply and if it was as fun as it looked. A good friend didn’t use hers to offered it to me, I bit her hand off!! 

I was surprised how small it was for some reason I thought it would of been bigger, which is a bit daft really as it goes near your eyes lol. After removing the grey lid it reminded me of a brush in a pot of paint, you give the brush a wiggle and out come the bristles with a flexible handle so you can get at the right angle. I thought this was awesome, in the same way you might like looking at a pointless little ornament or miniature dolls house furniture. 

I went straight the the mirror to try it out, it was then I realised how impractical this mascara is!! It felt as unnatural as pushing a new born baby back up yourself. From a young age you train you hand and eye coordination to use a mascara wand a certain way, it takes time, dedication and a lot of messy black dots on your face. Using this mascara felt like someone else was waving the wand near my eyes, I had to move super slow and couldn’t take my gaze off the mirror for even a second. Another thing that was irritating is there was no where to wipe the excess off so I was worried about big clumps but it was fairly easy to brush them through. I do have to say I did kinda like the end result, my lashes looked longer and the mascara itself was super black which is something I love in a mascara. I will definitely keep trying this crazy contraption out to see if I can get used to it but as it stands today im just baffled lol. 

I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts on this mascara! Please comment down below and subscribe if you’d like to read more! 

My HONEST review on Younique Moodstruck 3d fibre lashes + mascara! 

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Hello my little buttons! 

I was sent the brand spanking new Moodstruck 3d fiber lashes + mascara from a lovely presenter called Asia I met on Instagram, her account is @asiamwh. Asia started selling younique so she could stay at home with her 7 month old gorgeous baby, she has been selling since May 2015 and lives in the USA. 

I was really intrigued to see how this mascara would perform as like most people on the online beauty community I have seen it EVERYWHERE!! I was also rather sceptical as some presenters (please do understand I do only mean some) are incredibly pushy, and flood my page with ‘check out my new mascara!’ I almost didn’t want to like it!!! But as the open minded person I am I didn’t want to punish presenters such as Asia and the product itself because the actions of others. I also loved that the new formula is gluten, soy, paraben and sulphate free and is 100% hypoallergenic. The wand is now cone shaped to reduce clumping and it’s made in the USA.  

I really liked the packaging, the product was presented in a lovely black box and the two mascara tubes came in a soft black bag which is great for storage to keep them together and for travel. It’s a nice added little luxury that made it feel very high end. There was one tube of transplanting gel and another tube of fibres. The tubes had a rubberised feel and were matte black which looks awesome. There is also windows on both tubes to show what was inside and how much you have left. There was a handy instruction sheet of how to apply the mascara step by step with pictures. 

  

I had heard from several people that ‘at first it can be tricky to apply’ and ‘you’ll need a bit of practice’ but first impressions I was surprised how easy it was!! The transplantation gel even on its own looked great it felt like applying any other normal mascara and really lengthened my lashes. I then applied the fibres, which I was fairly nervous about as I didn’t want to get any in my eyes and wasn’t sure how they would adhere to the gel. Again I was surprised as they stuck perfectly on the gel, they were scattered all over my lashes with zero in the eyes. I then used the gel again to smooth the fibres over and to stick to my lashes and seal them in. I repeated the process again and was really impressed with the final result. They didn’t look like big chunky spider legs, it’s looked gorgeous! Adding volume and length and really lifting the lashes up. I didn’t use the fibres on the bottom, I added a touch of gel and I felt that was enough. 

 
The next time I used it I tried out one coat and was pleased with the natural look the mascara achieved. On lot of photos on Instagram I had seen huge built up lashes which for a dramatic or night time look is great but for day to day I prefere something lighter and wasn’t sure this mascara was up to the job but I was pleasantly surprised at how diverse this product is. 

  

For this smokey eye I wanted to added lots of volume to my lashes so I added 3 coats of the mascara. It layered up great with very little fiddling and playing about. The most time consuming thing is chopping and changing tubes but even then I think it is well worth the added few minutes. 

Now for some pros and cons, I liked the finished look it was better than I expected and I really liked that you have control on how big you want your lashes to go. Several times I was asked if I was wearing falsies and that’s a big thumbs up in my book. I didn’t notice very much eye irritation, although after maybe 10 hours or so I did have some fall out and my eyes did get a bit itchy but then again even with normal mascara my eyes get sore and tiered by the night time. On the odd occasion I did get a fibre in my eye it’s wasn’t painful and was easy to remove so this wasn’t an issue for me. I did notice that during the day I had to keep my hands off my eyes, if I accidentally knocked my lashes I was at risk of loosing the extention of fibres that were on the end!! 

Overal I think this mascara is a big win, I’m not sure if I’d wear it every day but for an event, big day out or night on the town I’ll definitely be using this when I don’t fancy wearing lashes. It was comfy to wear and you really can get the look you want with this product it’s not just for big crazy lashes, although it’s very good at that too!! I can see why it’s so popular and how several of my friends (in real life) swear by it. Such a clever idea that doesn’t take long to master. I can also see how it wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea as it does take longer to use than regular mascara but as I said before the final look far out weights the additional effort! 

If you’d like to give this mascara a go for yourself you can order it from: 

http://www.youniqueproducts.com/asiaholcomb  
  
Disclaimer: This was sent to me to review but that doesn’t remotely effect the honest review I have given I have not been sponsored or paid to promote this product. I would not sell my soul for makeup. 

My July favourites!! 

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Hello my little buttons!!

Here’s a count down of my favourite products from the month of July 2015. This month for me has all been about trying new things, as well as lightening up my makeup for the summer. I’ve been super busy with work and the kids so I’ve needed practical products that get the job done fast. 

  
The Pro Decadance Magic eyeshadow palette from Freedom Makeup London has been a staple in collection, I have done an in depth review on this on my blog recently so if you scroll down it should be there! To keep it short and sweet, fantastic quality all shades are pigmented blendable and just stunning I really can’t praise it enough. For £6 I was bowled over.

  
Blush highlight and contour palette from Makeup Revolution £3.50 I have owned for a while but rediscovered this month. Beautiful shades that are easy to work with, I would say use a light hand with the contour shade (I would use this more as a bronzer or for suble contour) as it’s highly pigmented. The highlight is pretty and also works very well as an eyeshadow, the shimmer is to die for! The blush is a dupe for the sleek blush rose gold, side by side there is very little difference. 

  
I might have found my Holy Grail liquid eyeliner, again a Freedom Makeup London product, the brush is perfection. It’s a rubber tip that is mainly firm to get your line straight but the end is flexible to get your wing on!! It’s really helped with my eyeliner application  and as you can do very fine lines with ease I can do for a lighter look without it going wrong and ending up super thick, you all know what I’m talking about!!!! 

  
I will have a review up soon on this product as I have bought a few other colours, this is the Bourjois Color Band eyeshadow and liner 2 in 1 pencil. I LOVE this pencil, the rose gold colour is so metallic and smooth to apply no matter how I wear it im always happy with the result. It’s sets really well and lasts most of the day even on my oily lids. Can’t wait to try more looks with the other colours they are quick and convenient, great for if your in a rush. 

  

Another Boujois product that I can’t believe I’ve not mentioned sooner in a favourites as it lives in my handbag and this is my second one!! Color Boost Lip crayon in Proudly Naked. Balmy, creamy this glides on the lips with just the right amount of colour. It’s sheer but packs a punch it’s my perfect pinky nude and the best thing is you don’t need a mirror to apply, it also goes with nearly every makeup look so it’s very diverse. 

  
 
I have an in depth review on this product too which I wrote recently. The swatch speaks for itself, if I could paint my whole body in this I would. Super affordable, the cream to powder formula feels good on the skin and works well over liquid and powder foundations. 

  
Last but defiantly not least is House of Glam Dolls lashes, here I’ve used the half strip. I’ve always struggled with applying lashes, mainly getting the glue tackiness correct. The glue that goes with these lashes is the bomb, it applies blue and is ready to be instantly applied. It also holds them in place all day with zero slippage. The lashes are made with natural hairs and are light and comfy to wear there is also a huge range of styles to suit everyone and anyone. At £5 a set these were my deal of the month! 

Freedome London Makeup Curl Mascara Review

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Hello my little buttons!

Here’s a quick review on Freedom Makeup Londons ‘Curl Mascara’ £2. There is also a volume mascara and lengthen mascara in the range. The first thing I noticed was the gigantic size of the wand, I photographed it next to a lipstick so you could see how long this thing is! I have big eyes but even on my peepers it wasn’t the most comfy mascara to apply, I really had to watch what I was doing so not to ruin the rest of my makeup. I do have to say though true to its name it did curl my lashes, really lifting them up and holding them up for most of the day. It’s super black and the end result was soft fluttery lashes that did look fairly natural. This would defiantly be a ‘no makeup day mascara’ as it opens up the eyes and isn’t chunky or clumpy.  This was a good few coats and as you can see its layered up nicely. Think I’m going to get the other two mascaras and review them all side by side. Might even try them all together for crazy huge lashes! Overal like this mascara for natural days and light summer looks, great price for £2 and oddly enough it smells gorgeous, just annoying the wand is so huge. Please subscribe for me reviews like this! 

Disclaimer: I received this mascara while on a Freedom Makeup London makeup course, curtesy of Freedom Makeup London but that doesn’t remotely effect the honest review I have given I have not been sponsored or paid to promote this product. I would not sell my soul for makeup. 

Makeup Revolution Pro Hygiene Anti Bacterial Brush Cleaner Review 

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Hello my little buttons!

For years I have used the Bare Minerals brush cleaner paying about £10 for 110ml, a friend recommended it and it seemed to be doing the job just fine. I then noticed one day on the Makeup Revolution website they sold brush cleaner, which was £5 for 200ml. I love Makeup Revolution so thought it was worth a try! I let my brushes get nice and dirty to really  test out this product. 

The first thing I noticed was the smell, it was lovely! Really sweet and pleasant I couldn’t smell the alcohol at all, nothing worse than a boozy smelling brush cleaner lol. The next thing I noticed was the spray, it was a fine wet mist which was great for covering all of the bristles. It also had a special top that made it possible to spray from all angles which was really handy. The first time I used it I could not believe how much product came off the brush , way more that would of come off with my bare minerals cleaner. As I went through all the brushes and more and more product came off it really got me thinking, how much was left on my brushes before finding this cleaner?! So gross the thought of rubbing half clean dirty brushes all over my face. I’ve had the bottle for about 2 months now and there’s still product left. Favourite brush cleaner ever, I just love it! 

Here’s the link to super drugs site of your interested in this product:

http://www.superdrug.com/Makeup-Revolution/Makeup-Revolution-Antibacterial-Brush-Cleaner-200ml/p/246410

Essence ‘soo glow!’ Highlight review!

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Hello my little buttons!

I bought this lovely little highlighter for £2.80 from the wilkos website, I’ll put a link in at the bottom of the review! Let’s start with the shade, I own number 10 ‘look on the bright side’ which is a beautiful gold shimmery light reflective colour. The formula is soft and creamy that once rubbed into the skin turns into a soft powder. It can be used with a brush or fingers it’s very easy to work with. You can either go lightly in for a real subtle shimmer or go to town layering it up. I love that there isn’t any glitter in this at all, but it is super shimmery so if you prefers matte highlighters this might not be for u!!  

 
Here’s a photo of the highlight in natural light over a bb cream. Ignore my weird eye lol! But had to use this pic as it shows off the highlight perfectly! I think this highlight is a bargin, for £2.80 you get 4g of product which is a nice big pan. I’ve been using it for weeks now and I’ve still hardly made a dent, whenever I wear this every time I catch a glimps in the mirror I do think ‘Ooo look at that highlight!!!’ It’s also a really pretty inner corner and brow bone highlight so it’s multi purpose, which is great for travel when you have limited space. 

To me this product is a big win! What are your favourite highlighters I’d love to hear below! 

If your interested to buy this product online heres a link to the Wilko website:

http://www.wilko.com/essence/essence-soo-glow-cream-to-powder-highl-10/invt/0410093

Freedoms Makeup London ‘Pro Decadence Magic’ eyeshadow palette review!   

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Hello my little buttons!

I received this palette while I was attending a makeup course at House of Glam Dolls in London. There is a review of the course just below this post if you’d like to hear more do have a read, now back to the palette. 

I want to jump straight in my saying Freedome have stepped up their game with these shadows. If your not familiar with my blog or instagram page I am an eyeshadow junkie. I love everything about palettes and really enjoy collecting and experimenting with texture, colours and different looks. As well as highend I do have a lot of affordable brand palettes, some of which are really big competitors against the more pricey palettes. This is one of those special palettes! I’m going to generalise slightly here, in most £6 palettes that involves mattes as well as shimmers there is always at least one dud that is just so disappointing. In this palette there’s not one single shade that’s disappointing, when applying on the eyes they are super pigmented, they blend beautifully and have very little fall out. Even comparing these eyeshadows to the Freedom mini palettes and 32 pan palettes these are defiantly a better quality, in the way they feel to the way they apply and last. I really think the colour selection has been very carefully thought out, you have your matte and shimmery highlights  base colours, matte crease colours as well as some of my favourite shimmers of all time. There are several shimmery shades I have not got in any other palette I own, and that is a rarity I promise you!!!! 

  

This was the look I was taught on the makeup course, it’s called ‘rose goddess’ I used a stunning shimmery pink all over the lid, a deeper matte pink shade in the crease, and a matte cream colour on my brow bone. I’ve tested this palette with several primers, patting on the shimmery shades then using my blending brushes for the crease and brow bone. 

  
I had so many compliments on this simple yet pretty eye makeup look, it’s like a goldy pinky creamy… Ok I can’t describe it but you have eyes so I’m sure you can see the colour for yourself! It’s not at all chunky or stiff it was smooth and really stuck to the primer lasting all day.

   
 
The next day I went for a darker look to test out some of the deeper shades, I chose this reddy bronzey brown. As you can see again it’s not glittery and chunky its smooth and shimmery and still I was impressed with the longevity with a primer. 

  
The last look I went for was using more bronzey browns, with a slighter deeper brown on the outer V, again loved this look really neutral but eye catching.  I find it interesting how each brand has different quality products within the brand, I’ve been happy with the other shadows from freedom but to me these are by far the winner!!!

  
Disclaimer: I did receive this item for free but that doesn’t remotely effect the honest review I have given I have not been sponsored or paid to promote this product. I would not sell my soul for free makeup xx 

My review on Freedom Makeup London ‘Rose Goddess’ makeup course @ House Of Glam Dolls!!!! 

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Hello my little buttons! 

The wonderful Freedom Makeup London offered me the chance to attend one of their makeup courses at House of Glam Dolls in London. Naturally I jumped at the chance. There were four courses to choose from, each offering step by step training on different makeup looks. I went for ‘Rose goddess’ as I love rosy makeup and was drawn to the face chart, who wouldn’t want to look like that?!

  
As well as the course I also got a nice big bag of goodies with key items for the Rose goddess look as well as other bits and pieces, which was very well received and a nice touch to the already amazing afternoon. I am not a makeup artist, nor have I had any makeup training so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would it be a ‘sit and listen’ kind of thing? Would it be interactive? Would I be so nervous i’d shake and couldn’t do my liquid liner? All these thoughts crossed my mind on the train journey up to London, but I really shouldn’t of worried. The building itself was fresh and modern and very easy to find using my trusted Google maps, and a phone call to the creative director, Chinyee Chu. Who, before I even entered the building made me feel so welcome and at ease. When I entered the space I thought I had died and gone to heaven, the room was STUNNING. Colourful, eclectic, vintage, modern, creative, imaginative… Incredibly well put together. 

  
Every nook and cranny was filled with beautiful interesting pieces, I could of spent all afternoon exploring and admiring, from the furniture to the wall art to the large cabinet of vintage and beautifully packaged special edition makeup, there was even a gorgeous unique shed/cabin! The space was designed and created by chinyee chu which to me made it even more personal to the brand.

  
  
Just being in the space inspired me, it made me want to get stuck in and be creative. I later found out this was Glam Dolls goal with the studio design, they well and truly hit the nail on the head. The space was spot on for learning and really pushing your creative boundaries. For a classroom it was freaking awesome!!! For those of you that don’t know im a nail technician who specialises in nail art, I was not expecting to come away from this course with a million nail art ideas but I’m already attacking my customers! This place is something special and a wonderful environment to learn in. 

The course was being run by David Horne, the other creator of House Of Glam Dolls. I’m actually going to insert a link here: http://www.houseofglamdolls.com/about.html   Which has all the back ground info on the super impressive chinyee chu and David Horne, as I could write a blog purely on what these amazing people have achieved in their careers. After hearing more from David about their history I knew I was in some of the best hands in the industry, and after seeing a framed article of him in VOGUE alongside Lisa Eldridge less than a year from opening their studio I knew I was in the presence of a legend! Have to say I was a tad star struck, which come to think of it I said out loud lol cring. 

  

The training itself was casual but informative. Sadly there was a group cancelation which took the group of four down to just me. Not that I was complaining! It was a relaxed yet professional atmosphere, my nerves melted away and I was comfy asking questions no matter how daft I thought they seemed. A real highlight was when David advised me how to create a wing that was flattering to my eye shape, something I had always struggled with. For someone that really is royalty in the beauty world and has achieved so much (honestly read the link!) he was down to earth and not at all a ‘makeup snob’ he was honest about the freedom products and very quickly I felt I could trust his opinions and guidance.

  
As David demonstrated on his beautiful model Dan Fitzpatrick, who was a student at the school and is now being mentored by David to co host the freedom makeup courses (jealous much?) I was applying my own makeup step by step with lots of tips, tricks and advice on how best to apply the products as well as how to get the most out of them. There were lots of options to really personalise the look too, for example I chose half lashes instead of full (house of glam dolls own brand, they were beautiful and easy to apply!) , I also had white liner on the waterline instead of black and with David’s recommendation I didn’t use mascara on the lower lashes. It really opened my eyes up making me look bright and awake!   

  
I was impressed with the quality of the Freedom products I used and received. Some of which are already staples in my collection others I had been itching to try. One favourite  product from the day has to be the eyeshadow palette, the colours were pigmented, smooth and easily blended. The range of shades work so well together I will get a lot of use out of this bad boy. The eyeshadow primer was already a favourite of mine as well as the concealer palette. The only item I didn’t think much of was the foundation as I like a really matte finish whereas it was more dewy, so I ended up using a Mac foundation instead. I also loved the blush and lippie, which for the price you really can’t go wrong. Another exciting thing I learned was that glam dolls will be working with freedom makeup to help develop more products in the future. I will be purchasing these as soon as physically possible!!!!

Overal it was a fantastic experience I would recommend to everyone and anyone, you can never learn too much about makeup! As well as being wowed with the quality of the Freedom products I was 100% charmed by House of Glam Dolls and am seriously thinking about signing up to one of their MANY courses they have on offer. If you would like to know more about House of Glam Dolls check out their page: http://www.houseofglamdolls.com 

If you would like to have a look at what Freedom Makeup London has to offer or to book onto a course similar to mine, check out their page: http://www.freedommakeuplondon.com 
Disclaimer: I attended the course to review curtesy of Freedom Makeup London but that does not remotely effect the honest review I have given. I have not been sponsored or paid to promote this product, I would not sell my soul for makeup. 

Freedom Makeup London ‘Far Away’ Lipstick Collection-not to be missed!

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Hello my little buttons!

I was sent these amazing Star Wars themed lipsticks by Freedom Makeup London who launched on June 5th this year (2015) the colours are crazy! When I swatched them I was hypnotised by the uniqueness of the shades, the grey/silver both have different coloured shimmers which sadly my cameras not picking up that well! The purple almost glows and the gold was so opaque it blew my mind. I realise how dramatic I am being but they really were eye catching! Today I tested them all out on my lips:

  
The first white shade is called ‘storm trooper’ I used a white eyeliner to line my lips and fill them in before applying the lipstick. The formula is so smooth and creamy and applied beautifully. It looks loads better with the White liner underneath to smooth it all over. The gold shade is called ‘space luxe’ this was a joy to use feels like a lip balm rather than a lipstick yet it’s so opaque and metallic in the light it looks awesome! The next shade is ‘sky walker’ same formula as the gold easy and smooth to apply with a beautiful blue/purple tone to it. Next we have ‘the sith’ a dark metallic grey also with blue/purple undertones, I used a black eyeliner to line my lips before applying which really gave it some more dimension. Needed a few layers but built up beautifully. The last shade we have ‘far away’ a metallic purple which I feel speaks for it’s it’s just gorgeous! 

Over all I’m amazed these are only £1 each, as well as feeling comfy on the lips they apply beautiful and I’ve never seen colours like it. If this is your thing or you feel like experimenting, go check out http://www.freedommakeuplondon.com