MUA Cosmetics A/W Collection : Velvet Lip Lacquer and Metallic Liquid Lips (SWATCHES)

A few weeks ago I won a little selection of th MUA Cosmetics A/W collection. Unfortunately (we'll sort of unfortunately) I was away when my parcel was delivered, so I had to wait a few weeks to open up my prize. But I can honestly say that it was so worth the wait!

You may have already seen my YouTube video ( http://youtu.be/lxuDu18PK9k ) but I wanted to pull together a little blog with some swatches for you! I wanted to first start by looking at the Metallic Liquid Lips and the Velvet Lip Lacquer. 

The Metallic Liquid Lips, as you may guess from their name, have a more metallic look to them. They are quite shimmery and the darker shades have a more obvious glitter in the formula. 

The Velvet Lip Lacquer on the other hand is quite the opposite. These glosses dry matte after a few seconds and are more a lip stain to be honest. They last a long time and even hold up pretty well against food and drink. 

So who wants to see some swatches!? Let's start with the Metallic Liquid Lips! 

Colours from left to right :

Twinkle

Glint

Blaze

Bedazzle

Flash

Flare

Luster

Packaging 

Velvet Lip Lacquer 

Colours from left to right :

Potency

Symphonic

Vivacity

Zest

Tranquility

Packaging 

First Impressions

Metallic Liquid Lips - The formula is also quite 'wet' so you really have to build up the product with this so get a nice opaque colour. The glitter is a nightmare to get off. Some may say this is good because it lasts longer, but I find it's a little too much. However, they do look really pretty on and that is their main purpose! They do smell really good though and I found that after wearing them my lips felt really smooth and soft. 

Velvet Lip Lacquers - I have used some of the Velvet Lip Lacquers in the past and the formula dried out really quickly and made your lips feel really dry. They have updated the formula on these new shades are they are really nice. They don't flake like the old ones did and they are much smoother. They have reignited my love for these products. 

I think the packaging on both of these products is really pretty, but my favourite is the Metallic Liquid Lips. It's quite different to most other lip glosses and just stands out nicely. 

You can buy these products directly from MUA Cosmetics (http://www.muastore.co.uk) or you can buy them from SuperDrug (www.superdrug.com)

Metallic Liquid Lips RRP £4 

Velvet Lip Lacquers RRP £3

At those prices, I suggest you grab a hand full and head to your nearest till!

DLJ

Xoxo 

Benefit Dream Screen

I'm pretty sure this mini sample appeared in one of my BirchBox's recently but I can't quite remember which one. Either way, thats irrelevant haha. What you really want to know is my thoughts on the product (well at least I would assume that is why you are here!)

So here goes...

I had been saving this little sample to use while on my honeymoon in the Maldives. The Dream Screen offers SPF 45 PA +++ Sunscreen for your face. FYI, SPF stands for 'Sun Protection Factor', this indicates the level of protection from UVB rays.  While PA indicates the level of protection from UVA rays. The more 'plus' signs you have after the PA highlights the more protection you get from your sunscreen. (1)

Now I don't know about you, but where I live in the UK, the chances of needing this type of protection for my face are pretty slim! So rather than try it at home where the sun doesn't seem to shine that much, I thought I would save it and bring it along on my travels.

The first thing for me to mention is that I hate applying sun screen to my face. Not because I don't want to be protected from the sun, but because I am so prone to breakouts. Sunscreen really is a double ended sword for me. Do I risk breakouts but protect my skin from harmful rays, or do I forgo sun protection and attempt to keep my skin spot free?

Let's face it, the last thing anyone wants is to look like a) a lobster or b) an ache prone teen on their holiday snaps! So when I received this little sample, I thought GREAT! I know that Benefit products don't give me break outs and I need to keep my skin safe. The Maldives is right on the equator, so even when it doesn't look sunny, your skin is still at risk of being damaged.

At the age of 24, my skin is still pretty up and down when it comes to spots. I try to have a good skin care regime to keep my spots at bay, but what can I say, no amount of skin care can keep hormonal ache at bay :(

While on honeymoon, my skin was starting to look pretty good. The warm weather and lack of make up seemed to be doing it's trick at helping my skin look young and spot free.

So what happened what I applied the Benefit Dream Screen? Nothing...well in terms of spots at least ;) My skin was left looking and feeling very soft and smooth and even quite matte!

The formula is quite thin and glides on really nicely. If anything, this is more like a face cream than a sun screen. REJOICE spot prone friends! Someone has finally come out with a sunscreen that doesn't make you feel greasy, yuckie and leave you worrying about whats being absorbed into your pores all day.

The light weight texture means that you can leave your room feeling fresh, oil free and most importantly protected from the sun. And what about the smell? Unlike most sunscreens, the smell of Dream Screen is not over powering at all. It smells beautifully fresh and light.

And it's protecting ability? I have been in and out of the water snorkeling and have been in the sun most of the day and have not had any issues at all. I have been applying a thin layer once or twice a day, depending on how much I am in and out of the water. This would also depend on where you are in the world and how much exposure you are getting.

Price

You can pick up a 45ml bottle of this for just £25.00. I really do think this is a great price. I know what your average sun screen can be a lot cheaper, but when it comes to your skin and specifically your skin on your face, I don't like to mess around. And for me, having a sun screen that protects and doesn't make me break out, is worth more than £25.00!

(1) http://www.dermatalk.com/blogs/skincare/spf-and-pa-rating-in-sunscreen-what-does-it-indicate/

Eylure : Tweezers and Brow Control and Shape Gel

To me, Eylure were always know for their lashes. However, it appears that as the beauty industry is more and more born focused, so too are Eylure.

Two of the products I have been using from Eylure when it come to brows are their tweezers and brow gel. 

Anyone who is keen to keep their brows in check needs both of these items in their make up bag. But are the Eylure products able to rival the top leading brow products on the market? For me, when it comes to brow 'maintenance' I think of people like Anastasia Beverly Hills (ABH), Tweezerman and Billion Dollar Brows. Being a frond lover of both ABH & Tweezerman products, the Eylure brow range had a lot to live up to.

I will admit, I have not used the ABH brow gel, but I have head lots of good things about this product. I currently use the ABH dip brow pomade, and even without a gel on top, this holds my brows really well. I have on the other hand use Tweezerman tweezers. They are amazing. Nothing more to say there! 

Let's first start with the Eylure Tweezers. 

Unlike most tweezers on the market, these have a brush on the end to help with brow grooming. Having this brush to hand also makes it easier when plucking to make sure that you are maintaining the correct shape. In terms of their usability, I would say that they are pretty good tweezers. I have really pale skin and dark hair, so I find that I need to pluck more often than most because my hairs show through really on. For me, it is important to have tweezers that can get the hairs when they have literally just come through the skin. These tweezers really do seem to do the job. I was really quite impressed! 

The only thing I would say I dislike about these tweeters? The direction of the brow comb. I know that sounds so weird, but honestly, the comb faces downwards so when I am plunking the comb digs into my hand and actually hurts by the time I am done. My advice to Eylure, face the comb the other way! Otherwise, a great product. 

Moving onto the brow gel. Like I mentioned above, I have't used the ABH brow gel myself, but have heard very good things. So onto a brow gel that I have tried and tested on many occasions. The Eylure brow gel does what it say on the tin sort of speak. It does help to control brows and is a shaping gel. 

However, if you need to go back in with brow product, like I sometimes do, I find that you can really easily brush this gel out. When you do this, it almost makes your brows a little 'fluffy'. You know like if you have hair spray in, then you brush it through and your hair becomes a bit puffy and static? This is what happens with this brow gel. But then, maybe its just me that goes back and re-brushes my brows after brow gel application? Anyway, if I have managed to do my brows correctly first time round and I don't need to re-brush after gel application, I find that this gel is okay. It does hold don't get me wrong, but I don't feel like it holds long enough? Again maybe I am expecting too much from my brow gel? Maybe I need to try out some other brows gels next to this one to get a really good feel for what else is out there and what I should be expecting? As it goes, I would buy this brow gel again. It does it's job even though I do feel like it could do it even better? 

Price is always an important factor when it comes to topping up my collection.

Brow Comb Tweezers : £12.50 (http://www.eylure.com/brow/brow-comb-tweezers.html)
Brow Control and Shaping Gel : £6.25 (http://www.eylure.com/brow-control-shape-gel.html)

In comparison 

Tweezermen classic tweezers : £20.95 (http://www.johnlewis.com/tweezerman-classic-steel-slant-tweezers/p430889)

ABH Brow Gel : £16.50 (http://www.beautybay.com/cosmetics/anastasiabeverlyhills/browgel/clear/?gclid=CjwKEAjwsvmvBRCT5ozK-dmY7D4SJACyIoJmvCuj9xc6a6B5XGcKhROCtAJwTAXklJ1uW0eNT5mKYRoCcJjw_wcB)

As you can see from the above, Eylure are a much more cosh effective solution to brow maintenance. Having used Tweezerman tweezers I would say they are worth every penny. They are steep, don't get me wrong, but if you don't loose your tweezers on a regular basis (come on, it can't just be me?) then they are a very good long term investment!

I would happily re-purcahse both of the Eylure products. I use their tweezers on a daily basis and have not had any issues with them (other than that comb pointing the wrong way!!) And the brow gel does do what it says it will. I would admit, I would like something that will hold longer, but when you look at the price, for just £6.25 a tube, you really can't go wrong! 

I know that most Superdrug stores stock both of the Eylure products I have discussed above, so head down to your local store to pick up some brow bargains!!

DLJ

Xoxo 

Travelling long haul? Here's my hand luggage essentials.

Travelling long haul? Here is my bag of essentials that I travel with when going anywhere over a few hours. 

      

First of all, the make up bag. As I'm sure you all know, you need to have your liquids in a see through bag to get through security. This Harvey Nichols make up bag is perfect for this. Not only does it looks super cute, it is still pretty see through when filled with your make up goodies. 

Face 

For me, when I'm travelling long haul, the two most important things are face wash and moisturiser. Still on a plane for a long period of time without 'fresh' air is not great for your skin. And when I go long haul I normally like to catch a few hours sleep. I wouldn't sleep at home with my make up on, so I wouldn't sleep anywhere else with it on, especially a plane. I use the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil for make up removal at home, so I packed a mini sample size to make sure I could have nice clean skin before applying my moisturiser. Which leads me onto my next must have. Creme De La Mer. Hydration is so important when flying. The recycled air on the plane can really dry your skin out, do I used my Soft Cream to keep my skin looking healthy. You can pick up these minis when you are getting your normal size products. I always like to keep them for then I am travelling. 

Around an hour before landing, I like to top up on a bit of make up so that I look reasonably human when I land. My Boots Foundation is the perfect size for my travel bag, so in it goes along with my Sigma Kabuki brush. I also added my ABH dipbrow pomade and Morphe brush to fill in my brows before I land as they just don't look right otherwise. I don't do them as well as normal, just filling in the patchy bits ;) 

I also added some Benefit Benetint and a lip colour from .... to add a little bit of colour. 

I've also got a spare brush from RealTechniques and a little sample of They're Real Remover just encase! You never know.

Hair 

Although my hair will be a little greasy, I put it up out of the way as soon as I get on the plane to try and eliminate as much grease as possible from my face transferring to my hair. But I've added my little BirchBix hair brush which was new in this months box. Perfect timing for my holiday! It also matches my make up bag hehe. 

So that's my long haul essentials make up bag. I will admit I forgot to put some mascara in, but found it wasn't really an issue. 

DLJ 

Xoxo

P.S. I was travelling from the UK to Hong Kong if anyone wants to know! Around a 12 hour flight 

Rituals Fortune Scrub Review

Sweet Orange and Cedar doesn't half smell good first thing in the morning. Although this scrub is only meant to be used once or twice a week, I found myself using it more because it smells SO good. And to be honest, it's gentle enough to use at least 4 times a week.

This tester size arrived at the perfect time for me this month. I was due to be having a fake tan a few days before my wedding and wanted to make sure that my skin was fully prepped to avoid any patchy marks. I used this for 3 or 4 days on the trot on the lead up to my fake tan and found that my tan was flawless. I have had a few spray tans in my life and I have never had such an even look and I put this down to the use of the Rituals Scrub.

Saying that, I also found that when it was time to get rid of any left over spray tan, the citrus combined with scrub also worked a treat.

Spray tanning stories aside, I'm sure you want to know a little more about this scrub other than the fact that it's great for spray tan prep and removal!

I touched on the smell of this scrub at the beginning and my oh my does it smells A-MAZING. I'd buy this scrub again just purely based on its smell. It is so fresh and sweet but not sickly at all. It leaves your skin with a subtle scent and feeling so smooth.

On application, the formula is almost like a gel which turns into a foaming exfoliating cream when it is mixed with water.

You can buy the scrub directly from Rituals for £10 for a 150ml bottle. Which I think is a great price. The once I received in my BirchBox is 70ml and although I have used it a lot, seems to have loads left.

Why I buy this? Yes! It smells great, leaves my skin feeling soft and goes a long way.

DLJ
Xoxo

Sigma Flat Kabuki VS Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

Choosing the right foundation is as important as choosing the right paint brush for an artist. If you want to create the right finish, make sure you fill in all the gaps and create the perfect master piece, you need to have the right tools!

For the last year or so I have been in love with the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. However, after daily use, my little brush is starting to look a little weathered. When it came to replacing this brush, my first through was to get the same brush. I mean, why wouldn't I? This little brush has lasted me the best part of year, given me great coverage and is well priced at just £8.99 at AllBeauty.com

    

But even with all of the above in mind, I was still really interested in trying out the Sigma Flat Kabuki brush. Why you ask? Well first of all, THE one and only Jaclyn Hill uses it and secondly, Jaclyn Hill uses it...so all in all, a good enough excuse for me!

I had been looking at this brush for a little while, but wasn't sure if I could get hold of the Sigma range in the UK, however FeelUnique.com, my god to for all the best product, had my back and were fully stocked with what seems like the who Sigma range.

And the price of the Flat Kabuki? £15.72 including postage!

Not a huge price difference between the two, so I decided to go for it and get myself a Sigma brush! I was just so excited when I put my order in and with a few short days, my beautiful brush arrived...(FYI got my eye on the Tapered Kabuki next).

So what are the differences?

Real Techniques
Bristle Type : Synthetic and 100% cruelty free
Function : Application and blending of cream or liquid
Head : Ultra firm
Unique point : self standing for easy storage

Sigma
Bristle Type : Synthetic Sigmax
Function : Buff out foundation
Head : Dense and flat

But which one is best?

It's a tricky one, because I like them both for different reasons. The Real Techniques brush gives a heavier covered because it has a smaller surface area. As I have spots, I find this adds more foundation and is great for hiding flaws.

Because the Sigma has larger head, and therefore a larger surface area, I find application is smoother and less obvious. It also leaves less lines and buffs your foundation out more for a more even texture.

So, it short, I think it is worth having both of these brushes in your collection. For days when you have break outs, I would reach for the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and for those good days when your skin does as you want it to, I'd happily reach for the Sigma Flat Kabuki.

DLJ
Xoxo

Lipstick Dupe

Every now and then, I come across a make up dupe, and this one is too good not to share. 

This morning I was sat at the Bobbi Brown counter while my sister in law to be had her make done. As you can imagine, it was impossible to resist having a little play with the masses of products that were surrounding me. 

By a random act of fate, I opted to use my MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer in the colour Halcyon this morning. 

I was quickly distracted by a beautiful lip colour called Pale Peach from the Bobbi Brown Creamy Matte Lip Color range. 

Both products offer a Matte finish when applied and their colour is match is so close. The MUA is ever so slightly darker is colour 

Price difference

Bobbi Brown Creamy Matte Lip Color is £20 (http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Bobbi+Brown+Creamy+Matte+Lip+Color/D366093,default,pd.html)

MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer is just £3 a tube from Superdrug. 

That's a pretty large price difference by anyone's standards. 

So want a cheap and cheerful dupe? Then I'd pop down to Superdrug and pick one of these babies up before they are all gone! 

DLJ

Xoxo