Nars X Sarah Moon Holiday 2016: Mind Game Velvet Lip Glide Set Review & Swatch

Ok! I shared my crazy love for Chanel Rouge Allure Ink in my previous post, and I know everyone was comparing these 2 together, so I had to get my hands on these since they are only £32.

First of all, if you are not a dark lip lover, you might want to skip these, this set contains 3 permanent shades( Bound, Unspeakable, Toy) and 3 exclusive shades(No.675, Chez Claude, Plato's). Some of the shades are extremely similar on the lips, so there's a bit of disappointment there, but considering the full sizes are £22 each, I can't complain too much here, very good value if you only want to try the formula out. 

From Top to Bottom, we have :

Bound -- cool, lilac pink 

No.675 -- warm, brick red 

Chez Claude -- warm, fuchsia red 

Unspeakable -- warm, brownish red

Plato's -- cool, wine red 

Toy -- intense, deep plum  

Nars Velvet Lip Glide in BOUND

Nars Velvet Lip Glide in NO.675

Nars Velvet Lip Glide in CHEZ CLAUDE

Nars Velvet Lip Glide in UNSPEAKABLE

Nars Velvet Lip Glide in PLATO'S

Nars Velvet Lip Glide in TOY

The formula is quite strange, darker shades are like whipped cream, lighter ones are like gloss, however they are all lightweight and opaque, it has a slight sweet chocolate scent, sets to satin finish. I can get 2-3 hours wear out of them before they bleed on my lips, yes they do bleed! Darker shades like TOY are impossible to achieve an even look, it looks OK from safe distance, but any closer you can definitely see how streaky it appears, down below is a close up photo of me wearing TOY:

Nars Velvet Lip Glide in TOY close up

My thoughts? Well, I think they are comfortable on the lips, non-drying, the packaging is cute, however they are just not quite there for me, I much prefer Chanel Rouge Allure Ink!

Thanks for reading. xx

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink 140, 142, 148, 154 | Review & Swatches

When I first heard that Chanel was going to release a liquid lipstick collection, I wasn't interested at all, to be honest I hated liquid lipsticks! They are always so drying on the lips, I tried so many different formulas, but they just disappoint me every single time!!

It all happened when I went into my local Chanel counter to check the Le Rouge palette as I was on the waiting list, of course it was still out of stock, but instead they just had these delivered, the lady was kind enough to open the delivery and let me have a good play with them, and that's it, I instantly fell in love with them!

And here we are, I have 4 shades to share with you guys:

140 AMOUREUX -  pinky nude, prefect MLBB shade

142 CREATIF - fresh rose petal pink

148 LIBERE - bright warm red with a little orange undertone

154 EXPERIMENTE - deep red, my favourite!

This collection has 8 shades, retail for £26 each.

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink 140, 142, 148, 154 in natural lighting 

Rouge Allure Ink 140, 142, 148, 154 after blotting in natural lighting 

The packaging is stunning, frosty glass bottle, black with gold "CC" logo lid, it feels heavy and luxurious.

The application is quite slippery, some people find they always end up overdrawing their lips, but I find it easier to use the tip of the applicator to draw your lip line, then use the flat side to pack on the colour, I find lighter shades (140 and 142) require a second layer, but no problem with darker shades, such as 148 and 154.

The formula appears quite glossy initially, but after 4-5 mins I just smack my lips together gently, they matte down perfectly, it is extremely lightweight and comfortable on the lips, once it has dried down, it appears to have minimal transfer, kiss proof, no mark leaves on white mug neither. Reapplies really well, no weird texture problem, no streaky mark, no dryness.

Here's a picture of me wearing 148:

Rouge Allure Ink 148 

After 2 weeks of wearing them non stop, I have to say they have become my absolute favourite lip products. They caused no flaky lips, no dryness. If you are like me, didn't get along with the liquid lipstick trend, or can't find a lip product gentle enough on your sensitive lips, then you have to check these babies out! They are worth every penny in my opinion! Have you tried them yet? Do you love them as much as I do?

Thanks for reading. Until next time! x

Affordable Micellar Cleansing Water Comparison: Super facialist, Simple, La Roche Posay

Ok, we all love Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water, but it's still not available nationwide unless you order from Boots.com or Escentual.com, so what happens if you need an emergency replacement or you just want to explore other options? So with this thought in my mind, I started to test different micellar water cleansers from different brands and price tags.

Super Facialist Probiotic Micellar water By Una Brennan £6.99 / 200ml 
I bought this after watching Lily Pebbles' monthly favourites, she absolutely loved it. I don't think myself as a definite sensitive skin type, I do get a few episodes of sensitivity but not all year round, so listen to me when I say this is definitely not suitable for sensitive skin, whenever I use this I can always feel the stinging and burning sensation on my skin, and if I dare to use this to take my eye makeup off...actually, DON'T!  Or you'll cry like I did.  It also leaves a slightly sticky residue so maybe give it a pass if don't like the sticky feeling. Very sad this didn't work out for me.  You can find it here on Boot.com

Simple Kind To Skin Micellar Cleansing Water  £4.99 / 200ML
Oh my my...Why didn't I pick this up earlier? This is truly the holy grail for super sensitive skin, completely fragrance free, contains 2 types of Vitamin B to prevent stripping your skin's moisture away, and it leaves the skin super soft!! Chamomile extract to calm and sooth the skin, it's 120% safe to use on your eyelids, the best part is---it even takes off waterproof mascaras!!!! It's currently on offer on Boot.com, STOCK UP!

La Roche-Posay Micellar Water £14/400ML  £11/200ML
My all time favourite! I love it more than Bioderma!  This is the one I would recommend to every single person no matter what skin type you have, I have no other words to describe it, if you haven't tried it, go buy it now! You need it!  You can't do wrong with La Roche-Posay. Always look out for special offers, it's currently on offer on LookFantastic.com for £8/200ml  £9.35/400ml


Don't forget to find me on Instagram, I'd love to hear more recommendations from you all. xx

Shiseido Anessa Prefect UV Sunscreen Aqua Booster SPF50 PA++++

More and more girls across the world have become obsessed with Japanese sunscreens. Among them, Shiseido Anessa has been one of the best selling sunscreens in Japan for so many years. Now I finally got my hands on the latest formula of Anessa Prefect UV sunscreen.(Japanese products tend to change formula quite often, the older formula is PA+++)

Before I start, I just want to quickly explain that whenever you see a Japanese/Asian made sunscreen, the "PA" means the protection strength against UVA, the new formula is ++++, which is the highest protection on their market, you will normally see this level on beach appropriate sunscreens.

It contains 60ml, I paid roughly around £16 each. This sunscreen contains both chemical and physical sunscreen filters, the formula is waterproof which means prefect for beach, incredibly lightweight and runny, slightly velvety texture when you rubbing in, absorbs fast, leaves no residual on the skin, it says "Aqua booster" on the bottle, unfortunately I don't find it moisturises my skin, however it's definitely not drying throughout the day, nor greasy which again is prefect for hot sweaty weather.

I have tried on my face and body 3 times in a week, and each time it left me a few red itchy bumps/spots on my face, but my body is absolutely fine with it,  which I did predict would happen, because whenever I try Shiseido skincare,  such as Shiseido white lucenct, Clea de peau, IPSA, they all make me spotty and red, I don't know why I'm still trying... Oh well, it is a fantastic body sunscreen after all, I'll save them for my Barcelona holiday in Aug.

Burberry Full Kisses Review & Swatches

This month Burberry has released a whole new lipstick range--Full Kisses. This for me, has to be the most exciting new launch this season. Yes, I have been waiting for over 2 months! 

Official :

• Celebrate the Burberry Kisses collection with new Burberry Full Kisses for bold, long-lasting colour and fuller-looking lips.
• Designed to hug every contour of the lip, the unique flat-top bullet follows every curve as it draws, effortlessly defining, shaping and enhancing from corner to corner.
• Mistake-proof and ideal for on-the-go application, the formula coats lips in one vibrant stroke with a rich veil of bold, luminous colour lasting up to eight hours.
• Infused with active ingredients, the lip-contouring formula saturates lips with hydration, each shade delivering a smooth, intense and creamy finish.
• – Shaped and full lips
• – Bold, luminous colour
• – Lasts up to eight hours

Burberry Full Kisses has 14 gorgeous shades in total, retails for £24 each, you can find them here. I have No.529 English rose which is a gorgeous rosy pink on my medium skin-tone, and after 1 week of trying out, I'm more than ready to share my thoughts(good and bad) with you guys. 

Just like they claimed the formula is incredibly opaque and moisturising! One swipe is enough to provide rich colour pay off, it lasts around 6-7 hours on my lips without the need of touching up, it doesn't dry out my lips throughout the day, it's definitely not lightweight, but it's very comfortable on the lips, it feels like and acts like a heavy duty lip balm, so if you do not like lip balm feeling, you might want to step away from this.

Burberry Full Kisses Swatches

No.529 English Rose under direct sunlight

English Rose against sunlight 

bare lips

English rose in natural lighting

English rose under flashlight 

Next, let's talk about the packaging, the bullet top sticks out quite a bit, which means it's very very difficult to put the lid back on without scratching the bullet itself, especially when you are on-the-go! I made sure to pay extra attention when I used it, but still...well, you can see it for yourself in the photo down below. 

see inside of the lid

Overall, I think it's a great product, if you don't mind the packaging issue, then I'd say you'll love it! I love how nourishing it is, I love how long-lasting it is, I love how opaque it is, and the price tag is not ridiculous, I mean think about Tom Ford. ^-^ 

Thanks for reading. Until next time. xx

 

LET'S TALK ABOUT MASCARAS: DIOR ICONIC OVERCURL, YSL VOLUME EFFECT FAUX CLIS, HELENA RUBINSTEIN LASH QUEEN

I have very specific requirements when it comes to mascara, it has to be able to hold the curl, elongate my short lashes and be waterproof! If one can tick all 3, then I'm all for it! 

Today I have 3 high end mascaras to talk about. The reason I only talk about luxury mascaras is because whenever I use a drugstore one such as Maybelline or Loreal, I find myself constantly using eye drops to relieve the dryness and soreness it gave me, that's when I realised I probably should stop trying them for the sake of my eye health.  

DIOR ICONIC OVERCURL WATERPROOF: £25 
It has a incurved brush, fits perfectly on my eye shape, definitely holds the curl very very well, provides extreme volume if you use the hollow side and lifts the lashes from the roots if you use the raised side which is wonderful!  But it doesn't elongate the lashes much, the brush takes out too much product when its fresh so it can be very lumpy, you end up wiping the excess off which is a huge waste, and it dries out very very quick! It just doesn't worth the money, so I didn't bother to repurchase.

Helena Rubinstein Lash Queen Sexy Blacks: £24 
It's a pain to get hold of!!!!
HR definitely makes the best mascaras in the industry, they tick all my boxes, and that beautiful beautiful packaging! Ugh...I'm obsessed! Its unique 90-60-90 brush is truly amazing, it has 2 sides, i only captured 1 side which is above, but if you turn the brush around, it's flat, so it allows you to reach all the lashes, gives you the prefect control! The one in this picture is actually not waterproof, I ordered the wrong one, I don't love it as much as I love the waterproof version, so make sure you don't make the same mistake!

YSL VOLUME EFFECT FAUX CLIS WATERPROOF MASCARA: £25

This one is my all time favourite, it doesn't have a fancy brush, just a simple tiny brush, but it really does the job, gives me ultimate curl, doesn't provide as much volume as the DIOR OVERCURL, ultra waterproof, safe for crying, sweaty summer and even gym! But it means you have to use oil based eye makeup remover, micellar water won't work on this baby! 

OK, that is all for now, let me know if you have any recommendations you think I will like. 

Thanks for reading. xxx

Swatches and Review: Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Lipsticks

Guerlain just released their gorgeous adorable lips and nails collection last week, same line as their most loved fragrance -- La Petite Robe Noire!

La Petite Robe Noire Collection: 

•       Deliciously Shiny Lip Colour: 20 shades -- £21.5 each
•       Deliciously Shiny Nail Colour: 8 shades plus base coat and top coat -- £17 each 

The Packaging is to die for! Plastic Crystal clear shell with sleek black tube, a little heart on the bottom as a handle, it has a very similar feel as the Dior Addict Lipsticks.

The lipstick itself has a fruity floral fragrance with accents of bergamot, rose and raspberry. If you are not a fan of scented lipsticks, you might want to try it before you place an order, as it is quite strong, and you definitely can taste it if you accidentally licked your lips!

It was described as vibrant shades in innovative texture:

•    Light-weight texture, feels very comfortable on the lips!
•    Does not dry out lips throughout the day, reapplies really well!
•    Buildable coverage, 1 or 2 swipes for a natural wash of colour, 3 or 4 for a vibrant pop of        colour!
•    Ultra shiny when first applied, once the oil soaks into your lips, it settles down to semi-matte!

Here I have 061 Pink Ballerinas,  067 Cherry Cape.

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Lip Colours

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Lip Colour Swatches

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Lip Colour Swatches 

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire 061 Pink Ballerinas, Natural Lighting 

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire 061 Pink Ballerinas, Flash Light

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire 067 Cherry Cape, Natural Lighting 

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire 067 Cherry Cape, Flash Light

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and let me know if you picked up any.

Pai Skincare: Copaiba Deep Cleanse AHA Mask Review

I LOVE THIS MASK!!! I have tried at least dozens of cleanse masks, there's a few that I like, but from the price point and result wise, this Pai Copaiba AHA mask is definitely my NO.1.

Active ingredients: 

Copaiba Rich in Beta-Caryoplhyllene and regenerative Omegas, this Amazonian active fuels the body’s natural healing processes to prevent and clear the appearance of blemishes.

Pink Pomelo Sensitive skin-friendly fruit AHAs gently reveal new surface cells for an instantly brighter, smoother and healthier-looking complexion.

Full ingredients list: 

Kaolin - China Clay
Glycerin - Vegetable Glycerine
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate - Sustainable Palm Oil Derived Emulsifier
Cetearyl Alcohol - Coconut Derived Emulsifier
Aleurites Moluccana Seed Oil* - Kukui Oil
Carapa Guaianensis Seed Oil* - Andiroba Seed Oil
Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract*- Grapefruit Extract
Acacia Senegal Gum - Gum Arabic
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil* - Açai Fruit Oil
Carya Ovata Bark Extract - Hickory Bark Extract
Copaifera Officinalis Resin* - Copaiba Resin
Xantham Gum - Emulsion Stabiliser
Sodium Levulinate - Corn Derived Preservative
Boswellia Neglecta Oil* - Frankincense Oil
Glyceryl Caprylate - Coconut Derived Emulsifier
Sodium Anisate - Basil Derived Preservative
Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil* - May Chang Oil
Tocopherol – Natural Vitamin E
Lactic Acid - pH Stabiliser From Sugar Beet
Citric Acid - From Sugar Cane

Pai Copaiba AHA mask is not only an amazing deep cleansing mask, but also acts as an exfoliating mask softens your skin, removes any dead skin cells and brightens your complexion, non drying, non irritating despite the fact it contains AHA, very easy to wash off, if you have a steam machine, that'd be even better!!

Yes, with the £30 price tag, you may think it's a bit pricy, this little 75ml tube lasted me for over 3 months with 2-3 times a week, think about it, you get a cleanse mask and an exfoliating mask for that price, and you can be sure you are putting clean stuff on your precious skin, I'm already on my second tube!

Have you tried this? What is your favourite cleanse mask? I'd love to hear your opinions or suggestions!
Enjoy! x

Guerlain 2015 Winter Fairy Tale Collection: Ors et Merveilles palette

Guerlain 2015 holiday collection includes, 1 face palette, 1 highlighter, 1 bronzer, 1 pressed powder, 2 lipgloss, 1 lipstick and 1 nail polish. This collection has already sold out in most department stores, but you still can buy them on FeelUnique(click here), and best part is, it's 30% off at the moment!! How great is that?

Gloden case with black velvet pouch 

1 blusher brush, 1 sponge applicator 

Ors et Merveilles top tier: flash light 

Ors et Merveilles: top tier close up 

Ors et Merveilles: bottom tier 

Ors et Merveilles: bottom tier close up

eyeshadow palette indoor light 

eyeshadow palette with flaash light 

blush palette indoor lighting 

blush palette with flash light

The powder itself is extremely fine and buttery, it doesn't kick up any dust whatsoever, almost can't detect any powder residual on the skin, doesn't take any effect to blend in, big big big thumbs up! The pale pink in eyeshadow palette doesn't show much on my skin-tone, but I can see it would be a great base shade.  The 4 blusher shades are amazing, take a brush, give it a swirl, it'll create a very gorgeous blushed look.

Hope you enjoyed it. xx