Welcome!
Welcome back to this weeks blog post! Today I wanted to do a little review for you guys on the Revlon Photoready Insta-Fix foundation stick, as well as the Revlon Photoready Airbrush Effect Makeup (Foundation).
If you are like me and you live in the UK, Revlon is one of the "high end" brands at the drugstore. Mainly because their products cost considerably more than alternative brands including Rimmel London and Maybelline. Superdrug was recently having a buy one, get one half price (I think!) with Revlon products and I have been curious to see if their products are worth the price tag.
When I went into my local Superdrug, I had a little browse at the display stand for Revlon which pretty much had their entire range of makeup products. Where I have never tried anything from Revlon previously, I picked up the stick foundation and a liquid foundation, both from the 'Photo Ready' collection in the shade '002 - Vanilla'.
Photoready Insta-Fix Makeup (£9.99)
Firstly, I picked up their version of a stick foundation. I have been trying to get into the whole foundation stick trend so I thought it was worth trying out a drugstore version first before I splurged on a Anastasia Beverly Hills or Hourglass foundation stick. With this product, I went with the shade '120 Vanilla' where it has a golden yellow undertone which looked pale enough to suit my current lack of a tan. It costs £9.99 and you get 6.8g of product (0.24oz) which isn't cost effective where you get a minimum of 1.0oz in a bottle of foundation.
Right off the bat, I realized that this is a very light coverage product, however it can be built up to medium coverage. I did find that if you applied the second layer, it does need to be pressed into the skin rather than buffed, otherwise it goes patchy. I'm not sure if it is just the way it reacts with my skin, but it seemed to cling to non-existing dry patches. It also seems to sit on top of my skin rather than sinking in which means that you can see that I am wearing foundation which can be annoying.
I also noticed that it is more of a dry formula rather than creamy, this could explain why it clings to those pesky non-existent dry areas on the skin. I haven't tried it with an oil or a hydrating primer to see if maybe that will help with the overall appearance of the product, however once I have, I will update this review.
I do find that I tend to use this product to even out my skin tone before I go over the top with a pump of liquid foundation to give more coverage, but to also soty out the dry areas on my skin. I have tried it a handful of times on its own and whilst it does give a tiny bit of coverage, it fails to hide all of the redness on my skin. It lasts a decent amount of time on my skin (about 8 - 10 hours before oil appears), it sets nicely and other powders blend seamlessly on top without going patchy or chunky.
Overall I believe that once it has been used up, I will not be repurchasing as I want to try alternative stick foundations from the drugstore. (I rate it a 4.5 out of 10).
Photoready Airbrush Effect Makeup (£12.99)
This product really intrigued me as I have heard alot about this foundation from different YouTubers and beauty bloggers. The whole idea of having a flawless 'airbrushed' appearance to the skin is something that I am in need of; partly because my skin has random red patches as well as texture which nine times out of ten, tends to be emphasized with other drugstore foundations. I find that this foundation is really nice to work with (I use a damp beauty sponge) and wears beautifully on the skin. It feels lightweight with medium to full coverage (buildable of course!) and once it has been set with powder, it lasts around 10 - 12 hours.
I have found that it layers nicely over its sister, the Insta-fix foundation stick to add some extra coverage, as well as to even it out so it looks flawless on the skin. I have the shade '002 Vanilla' which I find is a perfect match, it has a yellow/olive undertone which melts into the skin and it appears to become one. It sits nicely on the skin with minimal creasing throughout the day.
The only issue I have with this foundation is the reflective glitter particles which in certain lights can appear more prominent than in others, whilst this doesn't bother me as I tend to like a glittery highlight anyway, it may not be your preferred foundation if you tend to stay away from glittery products.
Overall, I do really like this foundation. It mixes well with other foundations, it layers beautifully and it looks flawless so I would repurchase it once I have finished my current bottle. (I rate this product 8.5 out of 10).
Gallery
Where to buy
Revlon Photoready Airbrush Foundation - £12.99 (click here)
Revlon Photoready Insta-Fix - £9.99 (click here)
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Firstly thank you for spending some of your time reading this blog post, I hope you have enjoyed this weeks review. Let me know in the comments if you have tried these products and what you thought about them. Until next time.
Welcome!
Welcome back to another blog post! Today I wanted to do something different. I know my main goal for this blog is to provide affordable makeup options for those of you who are on a tight budget, however, I still want to show that some high-end products are worth their price point.
Please keep in mind that I don't have a massive collection of products which I deem to be high-end, partly because I do truly believe that drugstore makeup can be comparable to high-end. However, I also believe that you get what you pay for in terms of the quality and longevity of the product.
Overview
MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ - £19.00
MAC Matchmaster SPF 15 Foundation (shade 2.0) - £30.00
MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Soft Ochre - £16.50
MAC In The Flesh Eye Shadow x 15 - £49.50
Benefit Cheek Parade Palette - £49.50
Benefit Cheekaton Palette - £49.50
Charlotte Tilbury Instant Eye Palette - £60.00
Urban Decay X Kristen Leanne Beauty Beam Highlighter Palette - £22.00
Urban Decay X Kristen Leanne Daydream Eyeshadow Palette - £25.00
Urban Decay X Kristen Leanne Kaleidoscope Dream Eyeshadow Palette - £28.00
MAC Cosmetics
MAC Cosmetics is a brand which has been talked about a lot in the past, mainly because of their products. I have only recently gotten on the bandwagon when it comes to MAC, mainly because of the price point but also because I never found anything I was truly impressed with. For me, when it actually comes to parting with my money, I have to feel like the product I am getting in return is worth the money I am handing over.
The first thing I remember purchased from MAC was the matchmaster foundation (£30.00) in shade 2.0. I remember trying it and not being overly impressed with the actual formula of the product. I felt like it was emphasizing all of my fine lines and pores by sinking into them, I also felt the product sitting on top of my skin where it wasn't sinking in properly (not great when it transfers upon contact with clothes). I also found that it started to look cakey after about 4 hours of wear, even if you added powder on top to lock it in place. I can honestly say that I am not a massive fan of looking like I have a thick layer of foundation on top of my skin.
Whilst I have kept this foundation in my collection because of the price point, the shade I have is way too dark for me and whilst I am not the biggest fan of the product on its own, I do mix it with either the Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation (£6.99) or the Dream Satin Liquid Foundation (£7.99). By mixing these two together, I find that it makes the perfect combination with the coverage, colour and the actual longevity of the product.
I have also purchased the MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ spray (£19.00) which is a product that is used by 80% of the beauty community for so many different reasons. I find that I use this to improve pigmentation of my eyeshadows, to set my makeup in place and melt all the powders and liquids together, and occasionally I use it to dampen my beauty sponge if it starts to dry out whilst I am using it. I really like this product and it does last for a long time, I have had my bottle (100ml) for about a year or so and I still have about 20ml left which will probably last me for at least another month. I will continue to re-purchase because it is so versatile with its uses, but also because it is a staple in my daily makeup routine.
I picked up the 'Soft Ochre' paint pot (£16.50) which I was on the fence about because typically I don't actually use an eyeshadow base where I find that eyeshadows last a decent amount of time on my actual eyelids. However once I had watched some of my favourite YouTubers use it, I decided to purchase it myself and see if it was worth the hype.
As soon as I used it for the first time, I completely agreed with all the love this product receives. It glides on effortlessly, it gives a flawless base to work with, all eyeshadows blend flawlessly on top and the best part, it really does help with the longevity of your shadows. I do feel that this product is creamy and easy to use. I literally had to take the smallest amount on a synthetic brush - apply and blend on my lids and then I was able to either apply shadow on top (basically as a base) or set my entire lid with a neutral eyeshadow and then use it to cut my crease.
Lastly, I have the MAC 'In The Flesh' eyeshadow palette (£49.50). This is a 15 pan palette with a range of shades to create a flattering office eye, date night eye look or even a dramatic smokey eye. I really enjoy the selection of shades available in this palette, however, my go-to shades are 'Glam Gold', 'Nutrelle', 'Rustique', 'Sandstone', and 'Carbon'. I find these shadows to be creamy, pigmented, long lasting and really easy to work with.
Benefit
Benefit Cosmetic is known as one of the companies who know what they are doing when it comes to our brows. Whilst they have multiple brow products available, they also create limited edition face palettes which are made up of 5 full-size blushes/bronzer which are grouped into one palette and sold at a discounted price. The two palettes I own currently is 'Cheekaton' which I believe was released in 2016 and 'Cheek Parade' which followed in mid-2017. These are limited edition so they are not available on the market anymore, however, the shades in the palettes are sold separately (see below). They are priced at £25.50 per 'shade' which means that you would be spending a total of £127.50 for all 5, however, the palette is sold £49.50 which is a saving of £78.00.
Cheekaton - 'Rockateur', 'Dallas', 'Hoola', 'Coralista', and 'Dandelion'.
Cheek Parade - 'Hoola Lite', 'Hoola', 'Galifornia', 'Dandelion' and 'Rockateur'.
All of the Benefit boxed blushes/bronzers are beautiful to work with. They are pigmented, creamy, easy to blend and they really do bring the whole look together as though it was the missing piece. My favourite ones which are used nearly every day are 'Hoola Lite' and 'Hoola' for my contour/bronzer, 'Galifornia' and 'Rockateur' as my blush depending on the look.
Charlotte Tilbury
Charlotte Tilbury is a brand which a lot of people use on YouTube. They are known for their luxury makeup within the beauty community, partly because the products are flawless but also because they are worth their price point. I have always wanted to try out the 'Bar of Gold' highlighter because it looks absolutely stunning, however, it is always sold out!
I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Limited Edition 'Instant Eye Palette' which was released in 2017. This offers a range of complementary eye looks ranging from Desk to Disco with a shade in each eye look to 'Prime', 'Enhance', and 'Smoke'.
I can't even begin to describe how amazing these shadows are, they truly are impressive and they are worth the £60.00 you will have to pay. The shade range within this palette is pretty much everything you will ever need in order to create a beautiful eye look - there are your typical 'base' shades, 'crease' shades and finally shades to 'define' the look.
My go-to looks with this palette mainly come from 'Desk Eye' and 'Date Eye' because they have the perfect crease shades, beautiful lid colours and they have the best shade in order to define the outer V of my lid. It appears that I am all about the flattering eye looks because I prefer the look to be natural and feminine to match my persona more than a dramatic eye look would do.
Urban Decay
Urban Decay are well know in the beauty industry primarily for their Naked Eyeshadow palette range as well as their eye primer in 'Eden'. I have heard a lot of positive things about Urban Decay, mainly about the pigmentation and blendability of their shadows. There was one thing which put me off from buying any of their products and that was the price tag associated to the actual product, personally for a palette which cost over £35.00 could get me at least 6 products from the drugstore (if not more!) for the same price.
It wasn't until I watched Kristen Leanne swatch and discuss her collab with Urban Decay which made me want to pick it up. I am aware that it is limited edition and once it is sold out, it won't be returning but I just knew I needed to try out the actual products.
Firstly, I had to pick up the beauty beam palette (£22.00). As soon as I saw swatches of this palette I knew I wanted it, especially considering I am a highlighter junkie. This palette has three gorgeous shades, it has a soft rose gold, a white gold, and finally a warm gold highlight. The whole palette is 10.89g (3.63g per highlight) and has a mirror with the words 'stay gold' on the lower right-hand corner; the packaging is also pink cardboard which is sturdy and textured.
The actual formula of these highlighters is outstanding. They are pigmented, soft and creamy, super metallic and reflective - plus they have amazing staying power. On my skin they stayed reflective for at least 8 hours without fading, I applied them dry and without a liquid highlighter base so I am sure it would be super metallic and blinding if applied with these base methods.
I then picked up the neutral palette called 'Daydream' (£25.00). This compromises of 5 shadows which I believe are exclusive; the shadows range from your base colour to set your primer with to crease shades, to finally the deep dark definition shade for either your outer V or to create a shadow liner.
The shades include Lucy (a matte white), Daydream (a matte warm toned light brown), 12/12 (a matte coral pink), Subscribe (a matte medium brown) and finally Eight (a matte dark purple/brown). I find these shades to be creamy, pigmented and easy to blend, they also work well together or with other shadows without becoming patchy or hard to work with.
Finally, I picked up the star of the show - Kaleidoscope Palette (£28.00). This is outstanding. I was a little sceptical, to begin with because I feared that the colours would be out of my comfort zone and I wouldn't use it that much. I was really, really, really wrong because I use this pretty much every time I do my makeup.
I am extremely fond of the shade range in this palette because whilst they make look scary and slightly outside of (most) comfort zones, they are pretty wearable. They can be used as accent colours under the eye, they can be used as lid colours and finally, they can be used for the inner corner. The shades are all pigmented, easy to work with and they blend like butter. The formula is creamy with hardly any fallout, they also last for a good duration of time on the lids.
Photo Gallery
Welcome!
Welcome back to another post, today I wanted to do a review on one of the most recent launches from Makeup Revolution.. their Inglot Highlighters! These are already on sale and you can get them either directly from TAM Beauty, or they are in selected Superdrug stores and they are also available online. I haven't seen that much posted online (blog-wise of course!) related to them so I wanted to put something out there for people who are looking to purchase these bad boys.
Firstly, these little diamonds are £4.00 each and you get 12g of product. This is one heck of a deal where you are spending less money for more product, and it is easily accessible at your local drugstore (hopefully!). To give you a product comparison, a typical Maybelline or MAC Cosmetics highlighter ranges between 8g to 9g of product, whereas with these you are getting an additional 3g to 4g extra product for a percentage of the price.
The packaging of these highlights are similar to other Makeup Revolution products, it has their trademark black packaging with a clear window pane on the front which you can clearly see the product. It has their brand name in Rose Gold and then the product details on the back. Makeup Revolution has the ability to keep the packaging simplistic but also cheap to manufacture, this means that the vast majority of the money is invested into the quality of the highlighters.
They have released 3 variations of this product which is Gold, Rose Gold and Platinum. I picked up all of them to share with you today. When this is posted (11th February), Superdrug is currently doing a promotion where if you spend £12.00 on Makeup Revolution products, they are giving you a free 'Love Conquers All' Limited Edition palette for FREE. Who doesn't love a good freebie?
Review
Firstly, if we discuss the one which I know people are most interested in, it has to be 'Rose Gold'. Initially, it does appear slightly misleading especially when it is first swatched, it does swatch very pink and very dark. If I am being 100% honest, I did think that it would be too dark to work with my skin tone and it may have ended up being used as a blush topper instead of a highlight, as I really was not feeling the whole 'highlight stripe' on my cheekbones. Fortunately, this was not the case! When it is applied directly on the skin, it does appear to have more of an icy silver undertone rather than gold, which really does not make sense considering its name, but I do feel that it is flattering and very girly.
Anyway, the actual formula of this product is very similar to the 'Gold' shade (keep reading for more about this in a moment) which is one of the things which made me fall in love with it. It is so buttery and creamy to work with, it is super pigmented and I am not kidding when I say that whilst it looks like there is minimal product on your brush - there is actually a ton! It blends seamlessly with all the other powders on your skin and it is super reflective and metallic (perfect for those who love a good blinding highlight!). It is one of the best highlights on the market currently and for £4.00, it is worth the money.
Next, if we discuss the 'Gold' shade. I just want to get it out there and say that it does look a lot like 'Trophy Wife' from Fenty Beauty (£26.00) but it is, of course, a fraction of the price. It has that 'true gold' appearance but it does have more depth in terms of the golden colour rather than it having a yellow gold appearance. In a typical Makeup Revolution style, they have made something similar but still unique. This was a product which I felt could've been slightly too dark for my skin tone, that it would show a golden stripe on my skin which when used sparingly, it doesn't. I do feel that if you have a darker skin tone than me (NC20), it would look beautiful on the skin and you wouldn't need to use it carefully like I do.
The formula is identical to 'Rose Gold' in terms of its blendability, pigmentation and longevity of the product. It looks absolutely gorgeous on the skin and whilst it is a true gold, it does look flattering. I personally find that it does look slightly too dark and it gives me the stripe which I try to avoid, however, to make it work I do mix it with another golden highlight from Makeup Revolution called 'Extra' (review coming soon) which I layer on top of 'Gold'.
Lastly, for the collection, there is 'Platinum'. This is the only one of the three highlighters which I am truly on the fence with, whilst I appreciate what they were trying to accomplish by creating various variations to suit different skin tones, I feel that the formula on this highlight is different. It swatches horrible and clumpy, lacks pigmentation and it really did not impress me. I tried to remove the top layer of the product thinking that there was a film over it preventing the pigmentation from showing, however, this was not that case. It still swatches the exact same which was not what I expected, I thought it would make a difference.
Whilst it swatches horribly and it looks clumpy, on the actual skin it is a slightly different story. I used it today for the first time on my skin plus I used it as a base for 'Opal' highlight from Maybelline, together they make a perfect duo. It layers beautifully and it is truly reflective, it's icy and on the plus side, it adds dimension on my skin due to 'Opal' having a duo-chrome element as it reflects pink in certain lights. This one is nice to have in my collection however it probably won't be used as frequently as my other ones.
Overall, I do believe that these are worth the price. They are creamy, super pigmented and they last for a long duration of time on the skin (on me, they last for at least 8+ hours). For £4.00 they are worth adding to anyone's collection because they are high quality especially from the drugstore, therefore if you haven't tried them, go to your local Superdrug and pick them up. You'll thank me later for it.
Product Gallery
Where to purchase
Makeup Revolution Highlighter in 'Rose Gold' - £4.00 (Click Here)
Makeup Revolution Highlighter in 'Gold' - £4.00 (Click Here)
Makeup Revolution Highlighter in 'Platinum' - £4.00 (Click Here)
Makeup Revolution Highlighter in 'Extra' - £15.00 *part of a palette* (Click Here)
Maybelline Master Holographic Prismatic Highlighter in 'Opal' - £7.99 (Click Here)
Welcome!
I would firstly like to introduce myself to all of you reading this post. Hello, my name is Anneka, I am 20 years old and I am very passionate about all things relating to makeup, beauty, and home. I come from Dorset where near enough 80% of the time it's raining, the other 15% is cold and miserable and maybe 5% is when the sun is shining. I did previously have a blog, however, that did not work out as well as I would have hoped so this is attempt number 2! If you enjoy what your reading, please subscribe to post notifications so you are updated everytime I post new content.
Now, where it is the start of a whole new year and the majority of us love a good bargain, I thought I would post my top 10 products under £10.00; these are products which I think is worth you spending a little more on because they will change the way we do our makeup.
1 - Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation SPF 13 (£7.99)
I wanted to start with this product first, not only because it is one of my go-to foundations which I use on the daily, but because it is extremely worth the money! I absolutely love this product for several reasons, firstly it is the coverage it provides. This foundation has blown me away, it is a medium/full foundation but this can depend on how you build it up. It covers all the redness I have going on with my face easily, as well as covering up and smoothing out all the textured areas on my skin. This doesn't get cakey or cling to those hard to blend areas (nose, I'm talking to you here!) it just looks flawless. I have also found that it works magnificently with other foundations which may need a little shade adjusting, it mixes flawlessly and it makes your skin look like you are airbrushed.
The second reason I absolutely love it has to be the color range which is available. Depending on my skin color, I am either 10 - Ivory or 30 - Sand. Normally I would mix these two together (2 parts ivory, 1 part sand) to get my perfect combination. This foundation has 22 shades ranging from very pale (like me!) to deep, bronzed goddesses. For a drugstore foundation, that is pretty impressive. I know that a lot of Maybelline products have an extensive color range so I am positive you will find a color which is a perfect match.
Lastly, it has to be the longevity of this product. For me, the real test for a foundation is how well it wears during the day. I work typical office hours with a long commute daily and I feel that my foundation needs to remain airbrushed, doesn't get cakey or wear off in certain areas. I feel that this foundation does not do that with my skin. It holds really well during the day, it doesn't fade around my cheeks or lower half of my face and it doesn't sink into the small crevices on my face.
2 - Barry M Liquid Chrome Highlighter Drops (£6.99)
Have you ever looked at a product and thought "well, I know that we are going to make a perfect duo". No? Then it must have just been me with this highlight! I have recently just got on board with the whole liquid highlighter trend, initially, I convinced that it was a crazy trend and no one really wants a crazy highlight which beamed to outta space, but here we are. With this product that a very small amount goes a very very long way, I have found that if you blend it out initially with your fingers, then press it into the skin with a damp sponge it works the best because it melts in with your foundation and looks seamlessly blended.
I picked up three of their shades (they currently have 5 shades) in 'Beam Me Up' (a champagne gold), 'Liquid Fortune' (a bronze gold shade) and finally, 'At First Light' (a rose gold/pink). I currently have only tried 'Beam Me Up' which I found to be easy to blend, very pigmented and long wearing. I tried using it as a base for another highlighter I will be discussing later, which worked really well and helped with the longevity of the powder highlighter. The only thing I would have to say which would be considered negative is that they do dry relatively quickly, therefore, I would recommend doing one cheekbone at a time to prevent having a highlighter streak on your face.
3 - Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette (£8.00)
This is probably one of those things which I will continue to repurchase until I am well past the stage of needing to chisel out my cheekbones and make myself appear tanned. I purchased this well over a year ago (probably in mid-2016) and it has lasted me a really, really long time. I remember receiving it and thinking that I would become more efficient when mastering contour overnight, nearly two years later and I am slowly getting there. This palette comes with 2 setting powders, 2 bronzers, a cool tone contour shade and finally, 2 popping baked highlighters. For someone who is just starting out in makeup, this palette is all you would need for a super glam look.
I also want to discuss the pigmentation of these powders, when you first look at it in the pan you think it's your 'typical' drugstore contour powder which will not blow you away with the quality of the product. I would highly disagree - these powders are so creamy, so pigmented, easy to blend and they last a really, really long time the skin. The bronzers in this palette do not apply patchy or muddy, even if it is applied using a gigantic powder brush to basically apply it everywhere. I find that they blend seamlessly with any setting powder and it just looks like it was created by magic. The powders which are included in the palette are suitable for all skin types, preferences, and undertones in this little guy, therefore I would highly recommend checking it out next time you are in a Superdrug store!
4 - Maybelline Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter in 100 Molten Gold (£7.99)
Is it me, or has the drugstore been dramatically setting the bar for affordable highlighters? I firstly stumbled across this highlighter when watching one of my favorite YouTubers (Laura Lee) test out the product in a first impression video and ever since I saw how beaming it looked on her skin, I just knew I needed to get my little hands on it. I just happened to be walking past my local drugstore one miserable rainy afternoon and I saw it there on the display, just inside the door like a beacon of hope just out of reach, so I made a mad dash and grabbed it immediately. Since initially purchasing it, I can not put it down.
It is so buttery, so creamy, so pigmented and so blinding - you might as well say a little prayer and say goodbye to the rest of your highlighters. I really felt taken aback by the quality of this product from the get-go, for the price and the packaging I automatically assumed that it will more than likely going to be one of those 'meh' products. The moment my pinky finger swirled around the top of this product and swatched it on my arm, I instantly knew that was so not the case! Maybelline clearly took the cheap approach with their packaging and put all their efforts into creating this.
I have tried this on its own layered over a face powder, I have tried this on top of a liquid highlighter (ahem, number 2!) and I've even worn it without a stitch of makeup on! It looks flawless every single time, it's so metallic and beaming that you can see it from across the room I do find that it does have a golden tone but it just looks flattering on the skin. It is one of the best launches of 2017, especially from a well-known brand. If you haven't gone out and purchased it already, I highly recommend that you do! Now, GO! You will thank me later!
5 - MUA 6 Shade Palette in Matte Soft Suedes (£3.50)
Hello Bargain! I picked this up one day after hearing positive reviews on the MUA (Makeup Academy) eyeshadows. Normally I find their shadows to be either a hit or a miss, this, on the other hand, is a full YES, please! It is a 6 eyeshadow pan (duh!) and it comes with 2 base colors, 2 crease colors and finally 2 darker shades to deepen the outer V. I want to put it out there and say, that for the price (58p per shadow) they are pigmented and perfect for a basic office eye look, they are also buildable to the intensity you would like to suit everyone's needs, they apply nice and smooth and finally, they do not look patchy on the eye. I personally think that they are colors which will complement any eye look you are creating.
I typically use this palette if I am creating an office eye, nothing too dramatic but still flattering and feminine. I use the peachy color as a base for my transition, the light brown as my transition, the darker brown on my outer corner and then the off-white for all over my lid. Simple and done in less than 5 minutes.
6 - Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner 24h in 01 Black (£8.99)
Eyeliner can sometimes be like marmite, either you love it or you hate it. I know from experience that eyeliner can occasionally be something that we all are a little scared to do, especially when creating winged eye looks. Firstly, it can be that maybe the wing will turn out too thick and cover your entire eyelid, or that one wing is pointing towards the tail of your brow and the other is trying to greet the ceiling. The hardest bit is not always the application, but it's matching your eyeliner on BOTH eyeballs.
I have found that with this little gem, I do not have to worry about a scenario like this. It is creamy, easy to work with, extremely pigmented and it looks flawless on the eye. I mainly use this product along my lash line to add some definition to my eyelashes, this also helps to make my eye shape more defined as well as adding an additional definition stage to my eye look overall.
The packaging is in a frosted glass container with 'Maybelline New York' printed simply along the outer edge, the lid is a silver aluminum screw cap which is brilliant to keep the product creamy and prevent it from drying out. The overall feel of the product is more high end than drugstore, therefore I recommend that if you have not tried it out yet, then you really need to.
7 - Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette in Iconic 3 (£4.00)
This is a gem. It is one of those products that you did not know you needed until you had it in your collection. Everyone considers this a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked 3, whilst I have not tried the Naked 3, I know I love this palette. The colors are extremely pigmented, they blend flawlessly and they last a decent time on the eyelids. They work well with one another and they aren't the kind of shadows which turn muddy and mix into one awful shade. I really like using this for a more natural eye look with maybe the darker plum purple on the outer V to add definition, or the light brown in my crease and the gold over my lid.
On me personally, these last a decent amount of time. I can put them on first thing on a morning, go about my day and near 8pm/9pm they will still be visible on my lid. I feel that this has been a game changer for me and my palette has been well loved and used especially on those days where you want something on your lids but you don't want to spend ages creating a complex look.
For £4.00 you are getting 12 shadows (33p - 1.16g per shadow) ranging from your basic white to pinks, to taupes to deep dark colors for added drama. I think this will be perfect for someone who doesn't want to pay the £39.50 for the Naked 3, but still wants to see if the colors work perfectly for them, or even someone who has just started with makeup and wants to experiment with a diverse selection of colors.
8 - Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara in Intense Black (£8.99)
Have you ever looked at a mascara, and been really unsure of what it will look like once it has been applied to your lashes? That was how I felt when I was looking at this mascara, I heard so many people raving about how dramatic it is on your lashes and how long lasting it turns out to be. I know I am late on the bandwagon with this, but holy moly, this is a game changer!
My typical mascara is the Bare Minerals Lash Domination which costs £20.00, this mascara does give me full volume and drama on my lashes which is why it used to be my all time favorite mascara. Since I have been using the Lash Sensational, my opinion has dramatically changed. This drugstore version has similar results regarding the volume and lengthening of your lashes, it also has similar lasting power and its a fraction of the price. You are saving £11.00 when you purchase this version which means your not breaking your bank for a great alternative.
9 - Freedom Eyebrow Pomade in Dark Brown (£5.00)
If you are a beginner and just started out with filling in your eyebrows, sometimes trying to find a product which doesn't give you very bold, sharp and dramatic brows can be scary. Especially when there are so many different brow products on the market. As embarrassing at this is, when I first started out with filling in my brows back in 2014, I used to use a brown eyeliner which I found slid off my brows within a few hours, plus it used to give me two very lovely brown blocks on my forehead.
My first ever brow product was the makeup revolution ultra aqua brow tint in Medium Brown which worked like a charm and got me used to a creamier brow product, shortly after this, I proceeded to try a brow pomade. I absolutely love how you can tailor your brows depending upon an individuals preference, I do love a dramatic brow with a feathery inner part. It looks flattering and dramatic all at the same time, it's perfect.
This brow product is great because it's really pigmented, creamy, easy to work with and if you make a mistake, you can easily cover it up with concealer which means you can really define them after you have applied the product. It also has the ability to overline your brows to make them appear fuller than they actually are, I tend to do this with my arch and upper area of my brows where they can look uneven and sparse. For the price, I highly recommend that you try this out as it is my go-to product when I want a dramatic, overdrawn brow.
10 - L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper in Medium/Dark (£6.99)
This last product is a recent discovery for me, I have only just started trying out this product over the last few months but I am already in love. I never really understood the concept of Brow Gels, partly because I believed they were a gimmick and they didn't actually work. It wasn't until my local drugstore was doing a 3 for 2 and I picked this up at a reduced price and tried it out, I can honestly say now that it has changed my brow game dramatically.
I found that it added some extra dimension to my brows regarding the brown tones as well as keeping the brow hairs from flying all over the place AND to top it off, it actually looked natural (well, as natural as it can be). I found that this does have a small mascara wand which makes it perfect to access those hard to reach brow hairs, it also smooths them down and it feels like superglue for your brows. It does feel slightly hard once it is first applied but once it has dried down, you won't be able to feel any trace of the product which is great.
The shade range is great because it is tailored for everyone with different brow colors, tones, and shapes. I picked up the Medium/Dark shade where I do have brunette hair, this seems to works the best with the color of my brow. I really recommend this product if you are looking to try a brow gel, I know it seems pricey for what it is and there are cheaper alternatives available; however, I do believe that based off the market with brow gels at the drugstore, this is one of the best brow gels available.
Finally, I can comfortably say that all the products above are, in my opinion, some of the best products available at the drugstore priced below £10.00. Please let me know if you have tried any of these products and what your options are, did you love it? Hate it? On the fence? I would love to know.
Thank you for stopping by and reading this post. If you have any questions or comments please leave them below and I will see you all next week with a post going up on Sunday 11th February.
Overview of the Products:
Where to purchase the products above:
1 - Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation - £7.99 (CLICK HERE)
2 - Barry M Liquid Chrome Highlighter Drops - £6.99 (CLICK HERE)
3 - Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette - £8.00 (CLICK HERE)
4 - Maybelline Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter - £7.99 (CLICK HERE)
5 - MUA 6 Shade Palette in Matte Soft Suedes - £3.50 (CLICK HERE)
6 - Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner - £8.99 (CLICK HERE)
7 - Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette in Iconic 3 - £4.00 (CLICK HERE)
8 - Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara - £8.99 (CLICK HERE)
9 - Freedom Eyebrow Pomade - £5.00 (CLICK HERE)
10 - L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper - £6.99 (CLICK HERE)
Until Next Time.. *
