Review & Swatches; Mary Kay Gel Semi-Matte & Shine Lipsticks

I was kindly sent a selection of the Mary Kay lipsticks - a mixture of their gel semi-matte and semi-shine formulas.

This was a new brand to my makeup radar, so I was excited to give them a go.

The packaging is worth a mention - with the lipstick encased in a curvy black tube with a shiny silver emblem as the 'clasp' - it's all pretty elegant and sleek. I also like the feature of the lids having clear tops, so depending on how you store your lipsticks, you can see the shade through the lid.

From left to right (on the swatch photo) I was sent the shades;

Mauve Moment (matte) Haute Pink (shine) Powerful Pink (matte) Red Smolder (shine) Crushed Berry (matte)

I'm definitely more of a matte person when it comes to lipsticks and I found the formula to be very comfortable to wear, they were also highly pigmented and the colour pay off was impressive.
With them formula not being a matte matte, the wear time was approx 4 - 5 hours, but I'd rather sacrifice the wear time and have a lipstick that's comfortable to wear.

The lipsticks are priced at £14 each and available here

Have you tried anything from Mary Kay?

Lauren x

SHARE:

0 comments

Pink Parcel: Review

Ladies, we're talking periods today, and if you're anything like me, it's often a case of being unprepared, hormonal and Mr Makeup Maestro knows to give me a wide berth for a few days!

Anything that helps me get through those 4/5 days each month is hugely welcomed so when Pink Parcel offered to send me the November box, I was over the moon.

The box comes discreetly packaged and is slim enough to fit through most letterboxes, which is great - if I had to make a special trip to the post office depot for it, it might go against everything the box stood for!

Once opened, this is what greeted me;

Everything is neatly boxed / bagged up into sections which I think is a really nice touch - I popped the little black drawstring bag straight into my handbag as it's really easy and discreet way to carry what you need around while you're out and about / at work etc.

The "For Night", "For Now" and "For Later" all contain sanitary products, I was sent a mix of both pads and tampons - but this can be tailored to suit - more about that later.
The most exciting box is "For You" and it's packed full of those little pick me ups that we all need and just give us that virtual hug that we need at that time of the month.

The treats in Novembers box were;

Cuppanut Tea - Ginger & Tumeric flavour - erm, yum!
Cocoba truffles - Do I even need to comment? Anyone that sends / brings chocolates to me is a legend
Lipcote Lipstick Sealer - I did try this years ago- helpful for turning a non matte lipstick into one and making lipstick last longer
Swiss Clinic Cleansing Spray - I have been using these to keep my hands and beauty brushes cleansed and free from germs
Nail HQ All In One Oil - I've just had Shellac done, so this is ideal timing to keep my cuticles hydrated for the next few weeks.
The Beauty Crop Glamazon Stick - brightens, highlights and smooths - straight into my makeup bag!
Beautaniq Beauty Radiant Glow Face Mask - packed with vitamin C, this mask is exactly what my skin needs during the colder winter months.

I love the element of surprise with the "For You" box, and a mixture of goodies, skincare and makeup is perfect.

Having read the subscription details, Pink Parcel will allow you to completely tailor the box to suit you and your needs at that time of the month - you can choose to receive pads, tampons or a mixture of both. You can then even select the absorbency level and brand you want. These can then be amended at any point.
You can select the best shipping date to suit your cycle and best of all, you're not locked in and you can cancel at any point.
The cost of the box is £12.99 each month and this includes postage - I think it's really good value for money and to avoid getting caught short, to have had this delivered and know I'm covered is totally worth it.

It's definitely one of my favourite ideas for a monthly subscription box.

Have you ladies tried anything like this, do you think its a good idea?

Lauren x

SHARE:

1 comments

Feeling Fenty..?

I know I'm pretty late to the Fenty party, but late is still fashionable, right?

I waited until the hype at the counters had died down, the launch didn't excite me enough to be queuing, plus if you could see my foundation drawers, you'd understand why when I buy another one, its done so on a 'want' rather than 'need' basis.. all you makeup junkies know what I mean!

I had also been reading lots of reviews before I decided to purchase and had seen lots of mixed reviews - some raving about it and others saying it hadn't worked for them, it made me more sceptical but nevertheless, I really wanted to give it a go.

The foundation wasn't something I wanted to order online, with 40 shades to choose from - I knew it could be a risky, so I visited my local Harvey Nichols counter, where I was matched up with shade 150 - it's the perfect shade and blends in seamlessly.

Now, I'm never one to religiously buy the matching primer and foundation, but on this occasion I did. The two came to £50.00.

Since adding these to my collection, I've been testing them like I've never tested a primer and foundation before, i've literally scrutinised their every move.

Let's now get down to the nitty gritty of the duo.

Firstly, a shoutout for the packaging - heavy smoked glass bottles that look sleek, sophisticated and have pumps - huge tick!

The primer is very smoothing, moisturising and leaves a velvety base for makeup - I haven't tried it with any other foundation so can only review it on it's performance with the Pro Filt'r foundation.

The foundation has an extremely runny consistency, and I find you have to work pretty quickly with it to get it blended in. I found that the usual amount of foundation I would apply (2 pumps) got me a medium coverage, but I felt I needed more, it is buildable and never looked cakey, but I was surprised at much I needed.

Even with more foundation on my face than I would normally apply, it still feels lightweight and wasn't obvious that I had more on.

The lasting power, was hit and miss - for reference my skin is oily / combination - winter does leave me less oily, but I still experience a shiny T-Zone most days.
The duo seemed to work best for me on the days I experienced less oiliness - it looked flawless when I applied it, but throughout the day it didn't last as well and had started to start 'slip' in places and had exposed some pores on my cheeks too.

I think both the products are suited to more normal/ dry skin types (the primer is particularly moisturising) and it would be the perfect duo for someone with dry skin who still wants a matte finish foundation without looking cakey, or dull.

The duo aren't a complete fail for me, and I will continue to use them both, if ever there is a better time to use them it will be over Winter, but these will not be repurchases.

Have you tried the foundation? How did you get on?

Lauren x

SHARE:

1 comments

The perfect pout with Pixi...

It's no secret that Pixi is one of my favourite beauty brands, so the day I received this box of lip goodies, was a good day.

Their Matte lustre lipsticks have been on my radar ever since I visited the Pixi shop in London last year, they gave me a complimentary makeover and used the shade 'Honey Bare ' on me, then gifted it to me (along with a jumbo Glow Tonic bottle!) and I have enjoyed wearing it since...

I was sent 3 more shades of the Matte Lustre Lipsticks in the shades Rose Naturelle, Bitten Rose & Plum Berry and three of their Shea Butter Lip Balms in the shades Sweet Peach, Pixi Pink & Ripe Raspberry.

Let's start with the lipsticks first...

These are highly pigmented and extremely comfortable to wear. These apply like and feel like a balm and wear like a lipstick with a demi matte / satin finish.
With vitamins c & e these are super conditioning, add hyaluronic acid to the mix and you get nice plumped lips too.


Swatches from right to left; Rose Naturelle, Bitten Rose, Plum Berry

These are available in 11 shades and are £14 each, click here


Last but not least, the balms.
These are rich but lightweight, they add a good wash of colour to the lips and they are also very nourishing and soothing.

From right to left, we have Sweet Peach, Pixi Pink, Ripe Raspberry;

The balms come in 7 shades and are £8 each, here

What I love most about the makeup items I've tried from Pixi it that's it's fuss free, low maintenance and fab for those "no makeup" makeup days.


What's your favourite makeup item from Pixi?

Lauren x

SHARE:

2 comments