beautyblog

Kiko Extra Sculpt Volume Mascara

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Hello my little buttons!

I received the Kiko Extra Sculpt Volume mascara in my glossy box a few months ago. I had heard bits and pieces about the brand so was excited to try one of their mascaras. It’s priced at £8.50 and come with 11ml/0.37FL. The mascara came in a box which I think is a nice touch, the tube it’s self is rather different than your normal mascara tube. I’ll insert a photo here as it’s quite hard to describe, modern and chunky are the words that come to mind!

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For the price it is cool packaging I do have to say, it felt more high end than drugstore. I was then in for a shock when I saw the brush, it’s HUGE. Now, my eyes are big so they can normally handle larger than average mascara wands but this was a beast.

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I also thought it’s going to be tricky to apply as the end that coats you inner lashes wasn’t narrow and sleek to get right in there, but was also big and chunky. I tested it out today with a full face of makeup and was petrified of the wand touching any of it! The wand also had a crazy amount of product on it, as you can see in the photo.

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Wasn’t overly impressed on application, as predicted it was a pain trying to coat all my lashes due to the wand shape. I found it dried very quick so I couldn’t really layer it up, it also didn’t separate my lashes very well and there was far too much product on the brush. There definatly wasn’t any volume going on my lashes looked more whisby and crispy! It’s very rare I give a total bad review as what works for some people doesn’t work for others and I tend to find the silver lining in life in general…but I just don’t see how this could work for anyone! Apart from the cool packaging I didn’t like the brush, application or formula. Sorry Kiko total fail for me!! Looking forward to trying some other products in the future but sadly this was definatly not for me.

Love Becca xxx

Freedom Makeup London Dramatic Sensitive Eyemakeup Remover

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Hello my little buttons!

If you follow me on instagram or my blog you’ll know that I’ve been testing out the new range of skincare at Freedom Makeup London, so far I adore their moisturiser (review a few posts back) and will be blogging this week about their Oil Control Makeup Base.

Today, however were talking about their Dramatic Sensitive Eye makeup Remover. All the packing in this line is gorgeous, silver and sleek looks great on the vanity. What was quite different is that the product is pumped out of the bottle, which is very hygienic so I liked this feature. However I think I must of gotten a dud one as every time I pumped it squirted the product out sideways instead of straight down. This was easily solved by holding my cotton pad right over the pump so it couldn’t go anywhere other than the pad but was a little irritating. The product itself has a light fresh scent which you can smell on the skin afterwards. I have tried the product several times and I’m so sad as I seem to be allergic to an ingredient or two in it! It’s so disappointing as it removed my make up spectacularly quick, it felt cooling and I was really pleased with the results. Until maybe one minute later when my eyeballs virtually set on fire, they were streaming and stinging for hours. Even after washing them it was still painful, I wanted to really make sure it was the makeup remover that was setting my eyes off (as I was testing out other new products) I tried it twice more (crazy I know but I really wanted it to work lol). Sadly it happened both other times which ended in me taking an antihistamine tablet, so it’s definatly this! I do have to say my eyes are very sensitive so this isn’t the first time a product has done this, I have to be careful with eyeliners and mascaras as well as skin care products. Im not an expert in skin care or makeup ingredients so I have no clue what exactually it is my eyes don’t like about it. This was quite hard to review as although it didn’t work for me it could be someone else’s holy grail makeup remover as it worked really well until the reaction! It’s also very affordable, costing £5 for 30ml/1 Fl.Oz avaliable at: .Freedom Makeup London No matter how much you love a brand there’s always going to be products you don’t get along with, and this is sadly one of those products. Have you tried this remover? Did it work for you? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

Becca xxx

Products I can’t live without – Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

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Hello my little buttons!

There are several items I find myself rephurchasing over and over again, no matter what other products I try, I always have as a backup and always go back to. I really enjoy hearing/reading about other people’s “must haves” so thought I would start a mini series on my own must have skin care and beauty products.

I’m really enjoying my skincare at the moment and noticing a big difference in my skins completion and texture. One of my favourite cleansers is Garnier micellar cleansing water. Nothing fancy or expensive but I just love this stuff!! It totally gets the job done, it removes every inch of my makeup, even water proof mascara and gel eyeliner. It’s gentle on my skin and doesn’t irritate my eyes which is a big plus for me as they are very sensitive so I have to be careful what I use. It’s also fragrance free! Afterwards my skin feels clean, fresh and ready for the rest of my routine. It costs between £3.99-£4.99 for 400ml so you get lot of product for your money. It claims on the packaging there’s 200 used based on 2ml per cotton pad, I’ve not counted how many pads I’ve used per bottle as no one has time for that lol but it does last me at least a month using it twice a day. Sometimes just to cleanse, other times to remove make up as well. Because it’s so affordable I don’t mind going to town while trying to remove heavy makeup as it’s not breaking the bank. There’s nothing worse than finding a product you love but it being so pricey that it breaks your heart everytime you use it!

If your looking for a cleanser to remove makeup and gently cleanse your face without rinsing this might be the product for you!

Becca xxx

L’oreal Infallible Matte Foundation – is it worth the hype?

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Hello my little buttons!

I was in the market for a matte medium to full coverage fondation, I mainly use bb creams or lighter foundations but I do like to have something with a bit more coverage for events and bad skin days. One of the first products that came to mind was L’Oréal Infallible Matte liquid Foundation, I’ve read amazing reviews and from what I’d seen in photos it looks gorgeous on the skin. I ordered mine online so took a bit of a gamble on the shade, I went for ‘natural rose’ as I’m fairly pale and have a lot of pink tones. As I’m getting older instead of covering up the pink I’m just going with it! Turns out the shade was perfect, it blended in lovely with my skin tone. I love the packaging, it comes in a tube with a small nozzle so you have full control over how much product comes out and you can see how much you have left as it’s mainly clear packaging. The black and red writing/detail looks awesome together as well.

Ive been using the foundation for a few weeks now and I have to say I absolutely love it. I’ve been buffing it in with a foundation brush, no I don’t have a beauty blender I realise I’m the only person alive who doesn’t lol. That a side even with the brush it blends in beautifully with my skin and layers up really well so I can take it from medium coverage to full coverage. It doesn’t cake up and still looks surprisingly natural for such high coverage. Even though it’s matte it’s not drying on my skin at all and even after a whole day of wear still looks fantastic. I have been using a primer as I always do and a light powder to set the foundation and my concealer. I’ve not needed to powder through the day what so ever which is a new thing for me!!! It mainly stays matte throughout the day but what I actually do like is as it settles you can see a natural glow through it which I think is what makes it look so subtle and real-skin like. I would definitely agree it’s water proof and steam proof as even when I’ve been out in the hammering rain it’s all still been in place when I’ve got back.

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In the photo I had been wearing the foundation for around 6 hours and had been rushing round sweating getting all my jobs done, it still looks great! I highly recommend this foundation and at £8.99 it’s easily replaceable when you run out.

Here’s a few more photos of the foundation:

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What’s your favourite affordable matte foundation? Comment below!

Becca xxx

Freedom Makeup London Pro Studio Moisture Cream

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Hello my little buttons!

I’ve been on the lookout for a good moisturiser for some time now, I have fairly oily skin but due to the cold weather have started getting dry patches which my foundation is loving sticking to. I normally use really light products such as hydrating gels or mattifying creams to stop the oil slick thoughout day but this wasn’t helping the dry patches. I tried a few other creams that I had samples of and although it was helping the dry patches the rest of my face wasn’t thanking me for it, they were too heavy for my combo skin type. I noticed that one of my fav brands, Freedom Makeup London had a half price sale on so thought this would be a great opportunity to try some of their new skin care and hopefully find a moisturiser to be a staple in my collection. I chose the Pro studio moisture cream, normally £7 but as it was half price I paid £3.50. (the offer is still on at http://freedommakeuplondon.com) I was happy with the price as if I did like this product it would be easy to replace. There’s nothing worse than loving a sample size skin care product and finding out the full size is £50, I know you know what I’m talking about lol.

The cream came on a big glass pot, simple white and silver packaging, I liked it. Under the lid is a smaller removable lid that fits right over the opening of the jar which I have kept to keep out air and bacteria as much as I can. I usually go for creams in tubes so I’m not touching and contaminating the product inside, but my hands are clean whenever I apply my skin care products anyway and I don’t share them with anyone so it’s not put me off. The cream contains ‘skin nourishing’ ingredients such as ‘olive derived squalane and shea butter’ to ‘firm, protect and rejuvenate’ and you get 50ml/1.69Fl. Oz.

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I have been using the cream for a few weeks now and think I’ve got a pretty good feel for it. This cream is awesome!! I’ve been using it daytime as well as night, my dry patches have gone and i’m not a dripping greasy mess. I can wear it alone or under makeup, it’s a great all rounder! Even my makeup is going on smoother, my skin looks so much better than it did and the fact I’ll cream my face up before makeup is a testament to the brilliance of this cream. I’m so pleased to have found a cream that I can use everyday that is affordable and works with my skin, I’m 28 and I’ve not started wrinkling up yet but it is inevitable so the more I can do to help my skins elasticity and texture, the better!!! I also think it’s going to last me for ages, as you can see in the photo after 2 weeks I’ve hardly made a dent, a little goes a long way and it sinks in nice and quick too. Its got a lovely light scent to it, it’s fresh but not over powering. A lovely little cream I will happily recommend! 

Have you tried this cream? I’d love to hear in the comments below! I’ll be reviewing a few other Freedom skincare items I bought throughout the week so of you’d like to read more scroll down my blog until you see this:

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And sign yourself up for email notofications. You can also follow me on instagram ‘buttonnailslovesmakeup’ Hope your all having a fab weekend!

Becca xxx

£5 dupe for Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow?!

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Hello my little buttons!

Recently I purchased Anastasia Beverly Hills dipbrow in the shade blonde for £15, soon after that I found out Freedom Makeup London also did a blonde brow pomade for £5, naturally I ordered it lol! The past two weeks has been the battle of the brows, to see how these both perform side by side and if Freedom Makeups version could really be a good dupe for me to recommend. I blogged a first impression of the dipbrow and long story short I loved it, so easy to use, great colour, lasts litrally all day. It really does something magic to your brows, if you have used it you know what I mean! It is avaliable in 11 shades, you receive 4g of product and it has a 6 month expiry after opening. I ordered mine through http://beautybay.com and received free delivery (I’m in the UK)

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The first thing I noticed about the Freedom Makeup brow pomade in comparison to dipbrow was how similar the packaging is, both are cute little glass pots with sleek black lids. The next thing I noticed, that really shocked me was how similar the colours were!

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Freedoms was a hair darker (do you see what I did there haha) but the similarity is impressive. Anyone with blonde hair/brows knows that most drugstore ‘blonde’ products really aren’t blonde, and even if they look blonde in the pan when you apply them they seem far darker. Don’t get me wrong these are still a darker shade of blonde but thats perfect for my brows and I imagine if you had lighter brow hair it would appear lighter on the skin. Getting back to my original point it’s hard to find affordable blonde brow products but the Freedom pomade was spot on. They felt very similar in texture and throughout the day both swatches lasted equally as well on the back of my hand, once they had set they didn’t budge. I also thought it was fab that Freedom also carried 11 shades, which again for drug store is a rarity. There is less product though, you get 2.5g but the product expires after 12 months instead of 6 so if you didn’t use it every day it’s still good for twice as long as the dipbrow and it is £10 cheaper. I ordered mine through http://freedommakeuplondon.com

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Next up are the brow swatches, again super impressive! They both acheive a very similar result which I wasn’t expecting. I found the Freedom pomade adhered to the hair slightly more than the skin but after good comb through with my spoolie it evened out nicely. I found the dipbrow adhered to skin and hair more smoothly but I would still brush them through so really it doesn’t matter too much. With both products you can lightly fill in your brows or go full on defined “instabrow” depending on what you prefer.

In conclusion I think the Freedom pomade is a brilliant dupe for the more pricey dipbrow, both are fantastic and get the job done. They both wear well and last all day with no flaking or running all over your face in the rain (nothing worse than loosing your brows!). The shade range in both lines is unbelievable there really is something for everyone, what more could you want for your brows? What’s your fav brow product? I’d love you hear in the comments below!

Becca x

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Anastasia Beverly Hills ‘dipbrow’ first impressions!

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Hello my little buttons!

I finally gave in, after months and months of seeing the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow everywhere the hype became too much for me to contain… and I bought it! For those of you that don’t know, dipbrow is a  brow pomade that claims to be waterproof, smudge free, creamy, perfect for oily skin and as well as gliding on the skin it adheres to the brow hairs. Big claims for a tiny pot! Its also avalible in a whopping 11 shades and is priced at around £15.

First impressions of the packaging were good, it has a high end feel to it, simple but cute. I ordered the colour blonde, I would say it’s a touch darker than I though it would be but a lot more blonde than most of the ‘blonde’ products out there and it still look fairly natural.

To apply the product I ended up using a real techniques eyeliner brush as my brows are fairly thin, due to over plucking as a teen!!! (don’t do it girls!) I think for a first try it worked fine but in future I will definitely be using a stiffer brush for more control and clean lines.
True to its word the product was super creamy it applied smoothy and evenly, filling in all my brow gaps with ease. I was amazed how quick and easy it was! I like my brows fairly natural but it’s great to have the option, with the correct brush of course, to really shape and define them. What amazed me most is how well it lasted, it’s insane. Today was wet, windy, cold and just horrible. All my make up has either disappeared or is half way down my face,  but the brows are still perfect. Seriously, they look the same as they did this morning. Just incredible. I even had a few of my friends comment on how neat and tidy they looked, which as we know is in the top 3 favourite compliments of all time. Here is a pic I snapped earlier, sorry it’s not 100% in focus I didn’t realise until I uploaded it. So professional I know!

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In conclusion, if you don’t have this product you need it in your life, buy buy buy!!! I’d love to hear what you think, do you have this product? What’s your favourite brow product?

Becca xx

Starskin, my first sheet mask experience

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Hello my little buttons!

In 2015 sheet masks were everywhere, amusing photos of people ‘masked up’ flooded the beauty community as well as discussions of the benefits.
I love a good face mask, and without regular use I can really tell the different in my skins texture so for me it’s an important step in my skin care routine.

Recently I received a Skinstar sheet mask worth £8.50 in my glossy box so thought it was a great opportunity to have a play! I really liked the packaging, as well as being a cute pink colour it looked like a movie poster. In place of the star filled cast was all the things the mask boasts to do to do your skin, such as hydrating and firming. So far so good!

I ran myself a bath, and lit my woodwork candle to get the full ‘spa at home’ experience, I then cleansed my face and patted it dry. I moved the serum around the packet so it was evenly spread, I then opened the packed and tried placing the gigantic mask on my face. I thought I was going crazy, it kept slipping down my face and I couldn’t get it to stick all over. I kept thinking this doesn’t look right what is wrong with this mask how could anyone find this a pleasant experience?! How on earth will it stay on for 20 whole minutes?! I was then invaded by my other half and our 2 children, everyone got a lovely shock as I looked like I was wearing a hockey mask. I explained the dilemma to my other half, who then very sensibly asked “did you read the instructions?” to which I quietly replied…. “no” on further inspection turns out I haven’t removed the plastic around the mask!!! Once the plastic was removed it made a lot more sense lol it easily stuck to my face including the nooks and crannies around my nose. It did feel more like a second skin, made of jelly lol. After around 5 minutes my face started to feel freezing, I was also couldn’t relax as I was very aware how close the product was to my eyes and mouth. I managed to keep it on the whole 20 minutes was it was such a receive to take it off and try and heat my chilly face up. As instructed I rubbed the rest of the serum into my face and neck.

Once the product had sunk in I noticed my skin was very nourished and quite bouncy actually, it defiantly had a glow to it. After a few hours i did start getting very greasy,  I have combo skin but think this mask would be great for really dry skin as I do think it was a bit heavy for mine. One benefit I really did notice and enjoy was that my pores around my the next day seemed to have shrunk making them less noticeable.
Overall I don’t think sheet masks are for me, I didn’t like the cold slimy feeling as I suspected I wouldn’t and I didn’t feel the mask benefits were worth it, for my skin anyway. I can think of a few people that would love this mask it’s just a shame it made me so greasy!!! I’d love to hear what you think, have you tried this mask? What’s your favourite sheet mask?

My Top Ten Makeup Essentials I Can’t Live Without! 

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Hello my little buttons!

I love reading about other peoples holy grail products they can’t live without so I thought I would share mine! This required a lot of thought and consideration. There’re so many products I just love, narrowing it down to 10 was hard. In the end I chose items that if I lost or ran out of if be straight down the high street buying them again! As well as makeup products I added several tools that I feel are just as important as the makeup itself.

  
Here are my top 10! Granted it might not look super exciting but each item brings me so much joy and really does the job. The last item is not photographed but will be revealed at the end. 

  
1. So simple yet so essential, a spoolie. My brows are fairly sparse from over plucking In my youth but the hairs are so unruly I literally can not do my brows without one! I think this one came in a brush set from eBay but they are very easily available. 

    

2. Elf eyelash curler. Quite self explanatory, it curls your lashes. My lashes are straight and stick right out, without one of these bad boys to help they just look flat and odd. It also really opens up the eyes making you look more awake and ready for the day. 

  
3. Real techniques powder brush. This is my favourite powder brush ever! I literally use it every day. It picks up the perfect amount of product, you can either lightly dust your face or build it up. It helps distribute the product to avoid cake face! 

  
4. Makeup Revolution Ultra Brow. Since buying this I’ve not use any other brow palette which I find amazing lol. There are 4 powders, 2 waxes, a cream highlight and a powder highlight. As well as mini tweezers that actually work, a brow pencil and two little brushes. I love the colour selection I can go light or dark or mix up my own to suit what ever look im going for that day. 

  
5 & 6. Rimmel scandal eyes eyeliner pencil in black and nude. I couldn’t choose just one. The black is super dark, soft and creamy and lasts so well on the waterline. No matter which eyeliners I try I always come back to this because nothing compares! It’s the same with the nude it lasts better than anything else ive tried and really brightens up the eyes. Really want to try the other colours in the range they look fab. 

  
7. Bourjois color boost in proudly naked. This lives in my handbag, it’s the perfect nudie pink which suits nearly any look. It’s a chunky balmy pencil that is easy to apply on the go and feels so comfy on the lips. 

  
8. The Body Shop honey bronzer in light matte. I never thought I could find a bronzer that wasn’t too dark or orange. Until I found this! It blends beautifully on the skin I love dusting it all over or concentrating it on the cheeks as a gentle contour. I also have to mention the packaging, it’s stunning!! Love the honey comb effect as well as the pattern on the powder itself, such a nice touch. 

 

9. Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hr nude foundation with spf 20 medium coverage. Available in 8 shades. I’ve found myself reaching for this more and more. I love how it makes my skin look and how light weight it feels on. I tend to use my fingers or a buffing brush to apply, it’s nice and easy to build up, you can defiantly get full coverage with two light layers of the foundation and after using concealer and setting it with powder. You can matte this foundation or glow it up with highlight and bronze. When ever I wear it I always have people telling me how good my skin looks, I just love it! 

  
 

10. Ok this was a total cheat, but I couldn’t pick just one eyeshadow palette. I’m a total eyeshadow junkie I love every single one and use every single one. So I decided my number 10 is eyeshadow palettes in general! I love having colours already put together for me, only having to grab one item to do a whole look and playing with different colours I otherwise wouldn’t of bought on their own. I think they’re the best invention ever and I don’t think I’ll ever have enough!                        I’d love to hear some of your top products please do comment below and subscribe if you’ve enjoyed this article and would like to read others like it. 

My affordable mascara mission.. But who are the winners? 

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Hello my little buttons! 

For the past few months i have been on a mission, to find the best super affordable mascaras that nearly anyone can afford! While I have found some total duds I have also found four cracking little beauties I can’t wait to share with you. The high street really is the leader in the mascara fighting ring, some of the most popular being Max Factor, Maybelline and Loreal. With mascaras that meet every requirement (volume, length, separation, curl..the list goes on) there really is no need to spend a fortune anymore. Although most of the highly talked about high street mascaras are around £10, which don’t get me wrong, isn’t bad but I’d still be disappointed if I lost it on a night out!!  So I decided to see if there was anything out there that was more affordable, but still did the job.

So without future adieu here is my run down of my favourite bargin mascaras!

     Essence- Lash Volume Princess £3.50

Available in Wilko or at http://www.wilko.com 

This mascara has everything, it adds length, volumizes, the formulas not too wet, it’s super black, holds the curl and lasts all day. You can wear a few coats for a natural daytime look or really build it up for bigger badder lashes!   Also available in the the lash princess family is the ‘false lash’ version, which I am dying to try. The packaging is also adorable and so eye catching, hard to believe it’s only £3.50! 
  
Makeup Gallery-Plump Up The Volume          £1 (I know right)

Available at Poundland (seriously)

I wasn’t expecting to like this at all, I’m not a makeup snob but makeup from poundland? Even I was dubious, but I was pleasantly surprised. I like to have in my collection a mascara for light summery natural lashes or if I’m having a ‘no makeup’ day (wink wink nudge nudge) as something to add a touch of colour and length on my blonde invisible lashes. This is it! It separated my lashes beautifuly and I couldn’t believe it lasted all day. I took this photo after 7 hours of wear. For £1? You seriously can’t go wrong. 

  

 Gosh-Amazing Length’N Build  £5.99

Available at superdrug or at http://www.sugerdrugloves.com

This mascara is true to its name, it adds lovely length and is so buildable. This photo was using two coats but I easily could of done more. Love the fact it’s super dark, would be great to wear in the evening or for a big night out. I found if you comb your lashes through after application the result is spectacular. 

  

 Avon-Super Extend Winged Out   £8.50

Avalible through your local Avon rep, or shop online at http://www.avon.uk.com

This was released around the same time as Benefit Rollar lash, so I decided to give it a try as Avon claims ‘this fibre infused mascara lifts each individual lash for a winged out lifted look that lasts.’ Sounds like a dupe to me! I always curl my lashes, without curling they stick straight out or they curl up a bit and within an hour they’ve flopped back down again lol! In this photo I didn’t curl my lashes at all, the short rubber bristles really did lift my lashes and they stayed up all day. This is so handy in my handbag as I don’t need my curler it’s conviniant and I really like the natural look it gives.

So there you go boys and girls, I hope you enjoyed this mini guide and  I’d love to hear what’s your favourite mascara?