Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm in Enticing

  

I’ve had Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm, the new name for Just Bitten Kissable Stains, for quite a while now and I more or less where the colour Enticing everyday. It’s a fantastic red and particularly suited to the Christmas season.

Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm provides a good bit of moisture while giving a beautiful finish. Enticing is particularly lovely, it has a lacquer finish which means it’s very high-shine and an interesting depth to it. The colour is best described as a juicy red with cool undertones. Enticing is really pigmented so one layer gives almost full coverage. The balm contains ‘triple butter complex’ which makes them, well, buttery but they don’t feel heavy or greasy on the lips. Despite this I find that they last well on the lips. The shape of the crayon means you can also get good definition without liner or brush. The balm also doesn’t need sharpened which I think is a handy bonus.

Like Just Bitten Kissable Stains the Colorburst Lacquer Balm is scented with mint. It’s not overpowering and doesn’t really last long after application. There’s an array of colours to choose from. This is a really lovely lip product that provides great colour, moisture and good longevity.

Have you tried this new formula?

WISHING YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Makeup Revolution The One Fluid Blushers- Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blusher Dupes?

L-R Makeup Revolution Blusher in Desire and Pink Dew, Daniel Sandler in Cherub 

When I first saw these blushers by Makeup Revolution I wondered how they'd compare with Daniel Sandler's Watercolour blushers. Initially there's a lot of similarities and at only £3 a pop I was keen to give them a go. I went for Pink Dew, a very pale pink. This doesn't work brilliantly on me as a blusher, there's not enough contrast but as a highlighter it does quite a good job. I also picked Desire, a deep pink with some shimmer. This is highly pigmented, a tiny drop is all that's needed. To tidy up any mess or to blend I use any left over foundation I have on my brush. I use Real Techniques Expert Face Brush for this- which is brilliant for flawless base application.


So are they dupes for Daniel Sandler's Watercolour Blushers? Well, kind of. The packaging is similar but Makeup Revolution's is much cheaper looking and feeling, which is to be expected really considering it only costs £3 whereas Daniel Sandler's is £15.50.


Both blushers have a runny consistency but Daniel Sandler's is much easier to use. Makeup Revolution's is a bit unwieldy with quite a lot of slip. This means they take a wee while to set, especially Pink Dew which is quite oily. Both blushers need a good shake before application as there's quite a lot of separation in the ingredients but even more so with Makeup Revolution's. Finally, both have similar longevity but I think Daniel Sandler's wears better.


Makeup Revolution's The One Fluid Blushers are good budget buys with a nice selection of colours. They're not as sophisticated as Daniel Sandler's but for the price they're worth giving a go. If you don't want to part with £15.50 you can try samples of Daniel Sandler's  Watercolour Blushers for £2 here.


Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of them?


LINKS

Makeup Revolution The One Fluid Blushers

Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blushes

Current Favourites: Bourjois Rouge Velvets

Grand-Cru / Nude-ist / Frambourjoise 

I’ve had Bourjois Rouge Velvets for quite a while now but I’ve never blogged about them. They were covered pretty well by most blogs on their launch and have gone on to become a firm beauty favourite. I really get why. They’re easy to apply and last for absolutely ages. Nude-ist is the perfect nude for my lips, it’s just a shade darker than my natural lip colour, and it’s perfect. It’s definitely one of my favourite lip products that I’ll definitely repurchase. Frambourjoise is a beautiful red-pink and again I absolutely love this. It really helps brightens up my complexion. And finally is Grand-Cru, unfortunately it doesn’t swatch brilliantly but it looks amazing on the lips, it’s a stunning cool toned burgundy, the perfect winter shade. 

The only problem some might have with these is that they’re a bit drying on the lips as they set to a matte finish when dry. But if you can handle this type of product on your lips I HIGHLY recommend them. These are great lip products for a very reasonable price. Bourjois Rouge Velvets are very similar to Guerlain Rouge L'Extrait but MUCH cheaper.

Link:

Bourjois Rouge Velvets

Edinburgh Farmers' Market

Slowly but surely I'm starting to find my way back into the world. Giving birth almost 10 months ago really had knocked me for six. I've only recently started to feel like myself. It's taken longer than normal because I have a disability and we went through a traumatic labour. I have blogged about Edinburgh Farmers' Market before, but not framed by these circumstances.


The farmers' market is located in the shadow of the castle ( did you know Edinburgh castle is built on an extinct volcano?). It's at an ideal location for someone with walking difficulties as there's a car park right next to it. This is a God send in Edinburgh with all its winding, cobbled streets and surprise inclines. It really is a difficult city to navigate if you're disabled and the parking is extortionate. So the market is perfect for a little day out. It has an array of food and drink stalls, and other assorted goods such as handmade soaps. I bought ginormous meringues, brownies ( double chocolate, they defeated me) and feta cheese tarts. It's not the cheapest but it is always good.


The last photo is of what I wore. The jumper is from fashion union, under it is a mock shirt from Cos.


Oh and it isn't long until the Christmas markets start, woo!


Have you got a favourite market to go to?


Links-

Edinburgh Farmers' Market

Edinburgh at Christmas 

Makeup Autumn/Winter Buys From Topshop

I first saw Topshop's new A/W collection in their magazine and loved this look here- 

On the cheeks is cheek jelly in Sibling and on the lips is lip polish in Twin. It's such a great winter look. Sibling and Twin are part of Topshop's new gel based cosmetics and I really like them. Although Sibling looks a bit overpowering in the pot it goes on sheer, but buildable, to give a beautiful flush of berry. I think this would work well on paler complexions but if you build it up I reckon it'd work on darker skin. The texture is a delight, firm but a bit squishy. It applies beautifully and lasts well throughout the day.  To be honest you could probably get away with just buying the cheek jelly as it works well as a lip product too. The lip polish in Twin goes perfectly with Sibling but is more pigmented. It smells of vanilla, the nice kind of vanilla scent, it's gorgeous. Handily it's also quite moisturising making it even more perfect for winter months.


I also purchased nail polish in a Exhibit, a dark blood red. This isn't part of their new collection but I thought it would work well with the other colours. I love Topshop's nail polishes. I find them easy to apply and they're generally long wearing. This is no exception. I'm happy with all of these products but the cheek jelly is by far my favourite. It's a little bit different from other products in my collection.


Have you bought any winter makeup recently? 


Links:

Topshop 

Sleek i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette in Oh So Special

Oh So Special is my second Sleek eyeshadow palette. Oh So Special is a nice balance of mattes and shimmers. What initially drew me to this palette was the matte pink shades. I was looking for something to brighten up my eyes while remaining natural, God knows I need it. Unfortunately the mattes are a bit of a let down. They’re still workable though and some, especially the lightest bone shade Bow; needs a primer, I wasn’t able to get a good swatch on my arm of this shade at all.

The main problems with the mattes are chalkiness and fallout. The easiest way to deal with this is to build up colour slowly, this prevents too much mess. Thankfully, there’s no problem with the shimmers, they’re absolutely beautiful. The texture is slightly creamy, they’re deeply pigmented and blend easily. Wear-time is also really good, even without primer.

The sponge applicator that comes with this palette is useable but I’d recommend sticking with your own brushes. This palette should suit most skin tones, you get 12 different eyeshadows for £7.99 which I think is pretty damn good.

Have you tried this palette or any of the other Sleek palettes?

(links:)

Sleek

First Art Gallery Visit

(Jacket from Weekday / Top from & Other Stories / Jeans Asos)

Yesterday was Lewis’s first trip to an art gallery. We went to Generation: 25 Years of Contemporary Art in Scotland at the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art. It’s an impressive and varied overview of artists work over a quarter of a century. Identity was a strong theme, and the media rich and complex. I really enjoyed it, it’s exciting to see what artists are currently (or recently) producing in your own country.

Lewis thoroughly enjoyed himself too. The gallery attendants made a big fuss over him which of course he loved. Moar art for him in the future.

For more info about the exhibition see the links below:

National Galleries Scotland

Generation Scotland

Makeup Revolution - I ♡ Makeup Eyeliner

Eyeliner is the mainstay of my makeup routine. I've worn it all kinds of different ways from the incredibly smudged grunge look (yes, I am that old) to a sleek, defined cats' eye. I wear eyeliner most everyday and lately I've been finding it really difficult finding one that doesn't smudge or fade throughout the day. I'm actually going to put a post together showing you all the different liners I've been trying.

Anyway, this post is about, the quite frankly amazing, I ♡ makeup all day and night eyeliner pencil. I have Channeling My Inner ( bit of a typo on their packaging, oops). This is a beautiful rusty brown pencil that glides on easily, is soft enough to blend out but once it sets that's it, it really doesn't budge.

I've slept in it, had weepy eyes, and had a baby run his hands all over my face and it still didn't smudge or fade. And it's only £1.99! In fact it's a brilliant dupe for the much more pricey Urban Decay pencils.

I'm so impressed with these that I've just purchased a couple more. A great product for a budget price. *Thumbs up*

Have you tried these? Are you impressed with Makeup Revolution/ I ♡ makeup? 

LINKS

 I ♡ Makeup Eyeliner

L'Oreal Color Riche Blake's Pure Red Lipstick

When I first saw Blake’s Red advertised on the television I knew it’d be mine. It is the most stunning blue-red which makes it perfect for those of us with cool or neutral undertones to our skin. Everything about it feels more expensive than its £6.99 price tag. The packaging is sleek and sturdy and the lipstick itself feels really high quality. Despite it being a matte it’s easy to apply. The application is creamy and smooth, no pulling or dragging on the lips. One swipe gives fully pigmented colour. Typically for a matte lipstick this is long lasting. It survived a couple of meals and drinks on my lips before it started to fade. 

If you’re a fan of red lips I highly recommend this lipstick. It’s a striking red that I’ll get lots of wear out of, in fact I’ll probably buy a back-up, when they’re back in stock that is. There’s other colours in range to suit different skin tones if this one doesn’t quite suit you.

LINK & MORE INFO

L'Oreal Paris 

The Beautiful £2.99 Blusher

Yes, another blusher review straight after this post on cream blushes, I like blusher, what can I say. I look ill most of the time (mainly because I am but that's besides the point) and blushers are an excellent way of perking up pallid skin to look a bit healthier. I bought H&M's on a bit of a whim. I was buying some lovely clothes for my baby boy and decided to give myself a wee treat. And I'm really quite impressed with this blusher.


The presentation is gorgeous and the colours are all complementary. There's three matte shades and one with a bit of shimmer but not too much for day wear. It's surprisingly pigmented, I wasn't really expecting much for a blusher that cost £2.99 but it's really good. Not only is the colour great (which would suit most skin tones) but it actually lasts for ages on the skin too. I was expecting it to fade after a couple of hours but it's still on at the end of the day.


The packaging is also pretty good. There's a mirror and a brush contained within the packaging. The brush does a fine job at applying the blusher so it's great for popping in your handbag.


There's also another version of this blusher available, you can see it here. It has more peachy tones through it and had heart designs instead of hearts. 


I really recommend giving this blusher a go. For £2.99 you get a beautifully designed blusher with great pigmentation and longevity. Excellent.


Have you tried H&M's makeup? Any recommendations?


LINK:

H&M blusher

A Selection of Cream Blushes

Bobbi Brown / Bourjois / Three Custom Color / Topshop 

Tis the season for cream (or creme if you’re fancy) blushes. I usually stay away from them in the hotter months because they just disappear from my face. The four above are the ones I use most, and then out of them my favourites are Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Rose and Three Custom Color Marry Me Lip & Cheek Stain in Cool (c). Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Rose is a pretty neutral toned (although does have warm leanings) rose pink. It’s great for everyday wear. Three Custom Color Marry Me Lip & Cheek Stain in Cool (c) is ,surprisingly, a cool-toned red but it’s also available in a warm tone. I absolutely love this on both the lips and cheeks. It can be worn to give a light tint on the lip or if applied with a lip brush a more dramatic effect can be achieved. On the cheeks it gives the most beautiful glowing finish, very Snow White. 

The other two- Bourjois Cream Blush in 03 and Topshop Cream Blush in Afternoon Tea are both cream-to-powder blushes. This has a more matte finish than the other two which leave a more glowy look. Both are incredibly pretty. The Bourjois is a peachy-pink colour, while Topshop’s is a very flattering pink.

All of these are great cream blushes but the longevity of the Three Custom Color is definitely the best on my combination skin. To be honest, you can really get away with using your lipstick in a similar way and it would tie in the whole makeup look but marketing.

Are you a fan of cream blush?

Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in India Intrigue

I was so looking forward to trying this new offering from Revlon. Stains are one of my favourite lip products and one that offered moisture with longevity piqued my interest. 

India Intrigue is a beautiful deep pink with slight purple undertones but on the lips the colour is more muted. Application is easy with the doe-foot but for a nice pop of colour you need to apply it a few times. Unfortunately this isn’t a good product for me. I’m not sure if it’s down to the finish. It’s quite high gloss (although it does settle down and of course, eventually turn into a stain) and I prefer more of a matte or velvet finish. 

The longevity on my lips isn’t great either, it doesn’t stand up to a full meal although you are left with a minor stain on the lips after. This product just doesn’t work for me, which is a shame as a moisturising stain is quite a wonderful idea.

Have you tried these? have you had better luck than me with it?