drugstore

Affordable Essence Makeup

- Vicki 2 Comments
Essence Makeup at Wilko

Affordable Essence Makeup-

Essence has to be my favourite affordable makeup brand, it is available in Wilko stores and my local store always has a fantastic well stocked stand. If you have never tried Essence before you’re missing out they do everything well and most products are under £5 oh and they’re Vegan and Cruelty Free.

I have been trying a few products that I think we more aimed at Valentine’s Day but hey you can wear a red lip / nail polish any time of year, right!

Essence Makeup at Wilko

Essence Longlasting Lipstick in Tres Chic 

I have to say these Long Lasting lipsticks from Essence are always a safe bet, great quality and they’re really pigmented on the lips. This Trés Chic shade is a brownish red, the colour is intense without being too vibrant. I like that this is a wearable red and this formula is creamy and comfortable on the lips, these are long wearing but I do like to reapply after I eat & drink just so the colour stays even and with these more bold colours I hate the thought of them going patchy. These are so affordable that I challenge you not to want to buy the whole collection (there are 12 shades) – I think my next purchase will be, 04 On The Catwalk

Essence For-Bidden Volume Mascara

Essence Forbidden Volume Mascara

I have tried quite a few Essence Mascara’s over the years and my all time favourite has to be their Plump No Clump (great all-rounder) but it’s no longer available. This For-Bidden Volume one I have been testing out is OK for Volume as contains fibres but I also like my mascara to give my lashes fullness and this I feel just gives them length. The formula is long wearing and holds a curl so I am not disappointed with it I just like my mascara to add thickness to my sparse lashes as well as volume. I think I will try their Rock nDoll Crazy Mascara next.

Essence Makeup Swatches

Essence 2in1 Eyeliner Pen

Liquid liner is my jam, I use it almost daily and have road tested super expensive brands, budget friendly ones and everything in between and I have to say this double ended Essence liquid liner is pretty good. I do prefer the standard pen nib end (thin end), simply because I find it easier to use and less fiddly to use. I can get right up to my lash line and create a very precise flick whereas the thick line I find to be more of a novelty. If you’re not so confident in applying eyeliner then it is a good way of almost stamping an outline for your wing / flick and then going back in with the thin end to join everything up but I do not see myself using both ends.

This liner is black but I do go over it twice to get that intense deep black colour and it stays put, make sure you leave it a couple of minutes to dry before curling your lashes just so the colour doesn’t lift off. Great addition to my makeup bag.

Drugstore Makeup from Essence

Essence The Gel Nail Polish in Do You Speak Love

If there is one thing Essence are well-known for it is their Nail Polish & Nail Care Products. Their range is huge and always expanding. I own so many of their nail colours and their top coat is my Holy Grail. I have had this beautiful red shade on my toes for about 2 weeks now and it still looks great. It’s a pretty deep, dark red and it is opaque in 2 coats.

Essence Gel Nail Polish

Let me know what Essence products you love and would recommend.

Essence Cosmetics is available in Wilko Stores nationwide.

 

Barry M Stain Paints

- Vicki 16 Comments
BarryM Lipsticks

Barry M Lip Products

BarryM Stain Paints

I was lucky enough to win 3 Barry M Stain Paints* on Twitter a couple of weeks ago and I have been wearing all 3 shades so much. I have tried Barry M nail polishes, blushers and eyeshadows but never their lip products. I’m really impressed by these new Stain Paints and really hope they add a few more shades to the line, because at the moment there are only 3 colours.

The first thing that stands out is the shiny silver and black packaging, it really catches your eye. It’s a little different to the typical lipstick packaging and I really like it.

As I said BarryM have only released three shades so far & they’re

Infinite Pink – A very pretty fushia pink

Eternal Coral – A lovely red coral

Absolute Burgandy – A deep wine toned red

All three shades are really nice to apply, they glided on with ease and felt quite creamy on my lips. I wouldn’t say they dried to a matte finish as they have a slight shine to them. The formula didn’t feel drying at all and all three shades are very bold. So if you like to wear more subtle lip colours these won’t be for you or you might want to blot the colour so it’s not so intense. These offer you the pigment of a lipstick with the staying power of a lip stain. BarryM have done very well with these, I like all the colours but if I had to pick one favourite it would be Eternal Coral – for me this is the easiest colour to wear.

BarryM Lipsticks

BarryM Stain Paint Swatches

All three shades are very bold so these have been pushing me to be more adventurous with my lip colour. They pack a punch & I was surprised how little the colour dulled throughout the day. Even after eating and drinking the product was still  bold on my lips and the colour wasn’t patchy or uneven. I would say these lasted a good 3 hours but after that they needed a touch up which on me is great as lip colours tend to fade & rub off so easily on my lips.

These Stain Paints are purse friendly but don’t compromise on quality. If you have a BarryM stand near you go and swatch these, they’re all beautiful.

BarryM Stain Paints £4.49 each 

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

My elf 50% Order

- Vicki 12 Comments

When elf did their 50% sale a few weeks ago I bought a few products, I didn’t go too mad as I already have lots of elf makeup but it was hard to resist and there were a few items on my wish list & a couple of products that people had recommended for me. This is what I bought,

elf haul

I have a few of the elf baked blushes and I love them so I thought I would try a baked eyeshadow and went for the shade Pixie. It is a pretty rose gold with a hint of pink. It has a nice shimmer to it but not too glitzy. I think this will look really nice all over the lid. It isn’t the most pigmented to swatch but I am hoping that I can build the colour up on my lids.

I’m trying to add a few more lipsticks to my collection and I thought why not try one from elf. I bought the shade Classy which is a very easy to wear Pink, it has no shimmer in it which is great. I find this to be long wearing and not too drying on my lips. The packaging is just very basic but functional. I wish I’d bought a few more of these in other shades.

I am obsessed with Eyeliner Pens and I have far too many so it was inevitable that I’d buy another one. They claim this one is waterproof, so I will put it to the test. I bought the shade Black and it seems quite dark, not sure how long it will last before drying out but I’m excited to see how long it wears.

elf haul

I bought two blushes, I asked on Twitter what colours people recommended and so many of you said Berry Merry and Blushing Rose. They are both gorgeous and perfect warm colours for Winter. Although if I am honest they both look like the same colour to me. A deep berry colour with a hint of brown. I do love them. Maybe I will notice a difference when they’re on my cheeks. They swatch really well and pigmented.

I forgot to photograph the Mineral Moisturising Lip Tint SPF8 in the shade Natural as I’ve already put that in my handbag. It is so nice. It has a hint of colour, I’d say it was a light nude brown with a hint of pink. I love it & will be buying more of these. It is very hydrating and handy to throw in your bag.

Lastly I bought an Eyelid Primer, I really wanted the sheer one but that had sold out so I opted for the Champagne colour. This has a sparkle to it so not sure how that will look under my shadow but I’m excited as I love their sheer one and use it all the time.

Did you take advantage of the 50% sale? If so what did you buy & would you recommend any of the products you bought.

elf Cosmetics Store Cardiff

- Vicki 5 Comments

I’m sure most of you are aware that e.l.f cosmetics opened their first European Store in the lovely city of Cardiff. It opened its doors on the 24th October and it sounds like it is going to be a huge success. I’m planning a road trip from Manchester to Cardiff so I can visit and stock up on all my favourite products.

In America e.l.f has been available in stores for a few years but in the UK we’ve had to get our e.l.f fix by ordering online & that has been a pain when wanting to see what the product colours are like as their online swatches have been known to be quite questionable. Now they have an amazing swanky new store so we can see what their products are like in the flesh.

I thought I would share with you a few of my favourite e.l.f products. It took me a while to narrow it down as they have so many products I enjoy using.

elf favourites

e.l.f’s Baked Blushes and Bronzers are amongst my all time favourites i have one of each in this post. They add a hint of glow and are also great as a highlighter. The two I like are pinktastic and maui I have a few more in my collection but I use those two most often. £3.75 for 6g

Their Baked Eyeshadows are also so pigmented and easy to blend, I have been using this beautiful dark brown shade called bark a lot and really want to buy a few more colours. They have 6 shades and are £3.75 each for 3.5g

Their Eyelid Primer in Sheer is a complete bargain and I have repurchased this so many times. It is a great base for shadow and just neutralises the colour on my eyelid and makes them look less red and evens out the colour. It helps keep my shadow on & my lids are alot less oily when I use this. This comes in 4 shades and is only £1.50 for 5ml.

e.l.f Contouring Blush and Bronzer Powder This is a great compact. I have used this when I go on holiday as yuou get both products in a good size compact and It has a great mirror. I have heard this be compared to NARS Laguna and Orgasm. I have never tried Laguna but I must say it is a quite a good dupe for Orgasm, the only difference is the elf blush isn’t as easy to blend. The blush in this is a lovely light peach with a hint of shimmer and the bronzer is a pigmented medium brown with a slight gold tint. I always recommend this dupe to people. £3.75 for 8g

These mineral eyeshadows from e.l.f are the only mineral makeup I have, I’ve used some in the past but find it messy and hard to keep in the pot. But these shadows are what I kept hold of as I really like the way they blend and they are pigmented and quite buildable. I have a few shades and like them all. The one in the photo is called Temptress. These come in 28 shades for only £3.00 each, such good value.

My beloved e.l.f Kabuki Brush is one of my most used brushes. I take it everywhere & use it for powder, blush, bronzer it is fab for travel and its so small & compact. It has never shed its bristles all over my face and washes really nicely. I should buy a second one of these as I use it every single day. £6.00

I seem to have an addiction to chubby lip crayons and this pretty pink one from e.l.f is a really good purse friendly one. It is in the shade Pink Umbrella’s and would say it’s a nice peach toned pink. It doesn’t have any shimmer and makes my lips look healthy and have a hint of colour. It is a twist up style so no sharpening needed. These lip gloss sticks aren’t long wearing but are fun and so easy to apply and nice to wear. £2.50 for 2.8g

e.l.f Cosmetics

What are your favourite products from e.l.f and do you plan on visiting their new Cardiff store