Mini Shiseido Haul (From AdamBeauty.com)

Hi all,

Today I will be sharing three Shiseido products that I purchased from adambeauty.com. This is a great website with Asian brands and international shipping is a flat rate of $2. Things tend to sell out take a while to get restocked so you will have to keep an eye out.

Shiseido is a Japanese brand that can be found in the UK, but for some reason, it is SUPER expensive in the UK. The Shiseido Pureness Oil Control Blotting Paper (100 pieces) retails for £18, yet the Shisedio Sweat & Oil Blotting Paper (90 pieces) is 380¥ which is just over £2.50. I ended up getting two different packs of blotting paper, the one I just mentioned (for $6) and another one that is in a plastic sleeve which was $5.50 for 150 pieces. I also got the Shiseido Eyelash Curlers that retail in the UK for £18 for only $10. In total, including the $2 shipping, I ended up paying less than £16 for these three items.

Enough talk, onto the pictures and first impressions.

First off, let's talk eyelash curlers. If you're familiar with eyelash curlers, you know how much beauty gurus rave about the Shu Uemura ones. However, they cost £20 and I think that's too much for eyelash curlers. Plus, other Asian beauty gurus have actually said they prefer the Shiseido ones better as they fit their eyes better, So at $10, I thought I'd give it a go to see if they'll do anything to my straight Asian lashes. Whenever I curl my lashes and put mascara on, the weight of the mascara weighs down my lashes and they stick straight back down again. I've never found an eyelash curler that holds the curl after applying mascara. Alas, this is no game changer. This curls my lashes fine, but then as soon as I apply mascara, it drops down again. This won't go to complete waste as I can use these to curl my false eyelashes. Means I'm still on the search for the eyelash curlers that will actually work for me (I've used the Shu Uemura ones and the same thing happens).

As mentioned above, I also ordered two packs of blotting sheets as it has been SUPER hot in the UK (with the odd thunderstorms) and I have been looking like a greaseball, not attractive. Although I like my Clean & Clear oil control film, I wanted to see if the Shiseido ones will work any better. For this blog post, I will refer to the Sweat & Oil blotting paper as the blue blotting paper and the one that comes in the white plastic sleeve as the pink blotting paper (for obvious reasons).

First difference you can see between the two are that the blue blotting papers are larger than the pink blotting papers. The blue blotting papers are roughly twice the size as the pink one and is thicker. They both don't have any powder on them so you can blot away without the worry of it leaving a cakey powder residue on your face. You can blot the whole of your face with these sheets without it tearing and even though the pink one is smaller, it's big enough to blot the entire face.

What I really like about both these blotting papers is that you can take a sheet easily without having to struggle to take one out and end up with two or three sheets stuck together.

The blue blotting papers come in a cute cardboard box with cute polka dots on them and is easy to open and close. Nothing annoys me more than having to fiddle with packaging.

The pink blotting sheets also come in a small cardboard box that is slipped inside a white plastic sleeve (see pictured right). Again, it dispenses the blotting paper individually so is very user friendly.

You can take a look at the picture below to see the size difference of four blotting papers. The ELF one is the Green Tea Rejuvenating OIl Blotting Sheet (the smallest of the four). The Clean & Clear Oil Control Film is the second smallest of the four. As you can see, both Shisedio blotting papers are large than the average blotting paper which means you can use just the one sheet to blot your entire face. I tend to use 4-5 of the ELF papers, and two of the Clean & Clear ones. So not only do you get more papers in the Shiseido ones, you use less which makes it really good value for money.

So overall, I'm extremely happy with my purchases, especially the blotting papers, they get two very big thumbs up.
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post, and perhaps you want to think about picking up these for yourself. You can grab them on adambeauty.com and on eBay. However, be careful of fakes on eBay, I did a quick search of these and I saw some sellers selling the pink blotting papers but the plastic wrapper had absolutely no text on it which looked pretty suspect to me.
And until next time..

- Diem xo

July Beauty Favourites

I finally found my camera, so hopefully I can take better photos rather than using my iPhone (which I've been doing for the past few months). Today, I will be talking about my favourite beauty products of the month. I didn't just want to include products I've just been using every day this past month, but I wanted to talk about the products I LOVED this month. Although I've been using the same moisturiser, foundation, powder every day this month, I can't say that it is can't-live-without-it material.

I also want to make note that I have been a lover of all things drugstore slash high street for the longest of times. However, things have gotten pretty out of hand with my collection of makeup and it doesn't make sense to me to have loads of makeup that I will never end up using. Due to this, I have leaned more towards higher end makeup as I can invest in one good product and actually use and appreciate.

Enough rambling, onto the favourites.

My first favourite for this month has to be Lancome's Tresor Mightnight Rose (£38 for 30ml, £52 for 50ml). A lovely sweet scent, perfect for summer. This is described as "a sexy, sweet and playful fragrance... It embodies mischievous femininity: the rose becomes playful, driven by deliciously tangy raspberry tones, wooden shimmers and voluptuous vanilla notes". When you first spray it, you really get a scent of blackcurrant - if you like sweet scents, I would definitely recommend this scent to you.

London has been super hot this month and it felt like I was literally melting. To get through the hot sticky days, I kept the Vichy Eau Thermale (£7 for 150ml) in my bag at all times. This is a smaller bottle of 50ml that I was received in a beauty box and was a perfect size to carry around with me. Vichy describes this as "a light and refreshing formulation is rich in fifteen rare mineral salts and oligo-elements that work to decongest, relieve redness, soothe sensitive skin and reinforce the skin's natural protection... During the day, it immediately soothes and refreshes". This is an aerosol spray that sprays a fine mist over your face. Spraying this over my face whenever it got really hot was instantly refreshing and made the heat somewhat more bearable.

I have also been loving the YSL Terre Saharienne Bronzing Powder (£34, 10g) in the Shade 5 which is a nice bronzing powder with subtle gold shimmer particles. The colour is not too orange (in my opinion) and I think is suitable for light-medium skin tones. For reference I am around MAC NC30. I'm not usually fan of any shimmer in my bronzer, but this is very subtle so gives a very nice bronzed glow. The formula is nice and lasts pretty well on the skin. The compact has a pretty decent mirror and is pretty lightweight so is perfect to travel with. Although weighty compacts tend to feel more luxurious, it somewhat impracticable to carry around.

My current favourite blusher is MAC's sheertone blush in Pink Swoon. This is a bubblegum pink which I think would be perfect for light to medium skin tones. The blush is sheer (as the name would suggest) but is definitely buildable and looks lovely on the cheeks. Make sure to really blend it into the skin or else it can look pretty powdery.

I've also been enjoying the Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush in Tourmaline Pink Blush from the Spring 2012 Luce Collection. It is indeed a very sheer blush that is a very light pastel pink colour, with the slightest hint of peach, with very sublt shimmer particles in it. I don't use this as a blush and would need to use a lot of it for it to actually show up on the skin. It may work for really fair skin tones, but I find this to be the perfect highlighter for light-medium to medium skin tones. It is absolutely gorgeous on the cheekbones and provides a very nice glow to the face without shimmer overload.

My final makeup favourite this month is the d.j.v. beautinizer fiberwig LX mascara. It has a curved brush with lots of fibre extensions in it. I got this from Sephora in the mascara box which they release every Christmas and features a number of different mascaras (most of which in sample size). This is the first time I've used a mascara with fibres and I've read good and bad reviews about these kinds of mascaras. The fibres in the mascara are supposed to really lengthen your lashes but can end up looking really clumpy and spidery (from what I've heard and read). Seeing as this is in my monthly favourites, it's fairly obvious to say I really like the fibres in the mascara. I have Asian, non existent lashes and need all the help I can get. It doesn't hold any curl (but NO mascara has ever done that for me). It helps with the volume and the length of my lashes, but CAN look really clumpy and spidery. I don't mind too much if that happens to me as if I'd be lucky if you can see my lashes at all, even with mascara. What I LOVE about this mascara is after a few coats on my BOTTOM lashes, it most definitely lengthens it, I would even go as far as to say by twice the length of my natural bottom lashes. I will say that this smudges a little and when it comes into contact with water, it turns into a really weird almost rubbery feeling, so take care to remove the mascara properly. Also, I have no idea where you can even find this mascara, so I will enjoy it for three months and continue my search for the perfect mascara.

 My  last favourite for this month is an absolute essential for the summer and for anyone who has oily skin. I've used different kinds of blotting sheets before, the kinds with powder on them, and the kinds without. What I dislike about blotting paper is that they tend to fall apart when I'm using them. Perhaps I'm too heavy handed by I want that grease of my face. The Clean & Clear oil control film sheets are plastic-like and won't rip and tear when you're blotting your face with them. They're pretty inexpensive as well. I know they are harder to find in the UK, I asked my friend to pick up a few of these when she went to Hong Kong. I believe these can be found in drugstores in the States. For anyone who don't have access to them in stores, eBay is your friend. Even though you're expected to pay a small increased price for these on eBay, they're still reasonably priced for what I consider to be the best blotting sheets I've used. Sidenote, I've recently ordered the Shiseido blotting papers to try out.

Even though I only had seven beauty favourites this month, I sure had a lot to say about them. I hope you found my thoughts on these products useful. I would also like to say that I believe the YSL Bronzer shade and the Giorgio Armani Blush shade were limited editions so you may not be able to find them. However, if you find a shade that tickles your fancy, I do recommend the product as I am a fan of the formula and product itself, as well as the colour of them. Hopefully, I will get to blog some more now that I'm much more happier with the quality of the photos (although I know they're not super fantastic as some of the more established blogs).

I for one, cannot wait for this summer to be over, but for those of you who enjoys the sunshine and heat (why?), hopefully the recent thunderstorms will go away and leave us Londoners dry for the upcoming week. And until next time..

- Diem xo

Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick in 536 Lucky: Review + Swatches

Today I am reviewing the Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick in the colour 536 Lucky. I receive this as a mini sample size lipstick as part of a Dior offer at Debenhams (purchase two or more Dior products and receive a free mini lipstick). It has 1.4g of product, full size having 3.5g of product and retailing for £24. The lipstick is so cute but does not have the same sturdy feel as the full size (which I've come to expect with the sample sized packaging). You pull out the lipstick (from the silver knob) and voila, there's your lipstick.

I feel like the lipstick doesn't snap securely shut like the full sized lipstick does. Therefore I'm afraid that the lipstick will become loose in my makeup and bag, so I just keep it in the cardboard box it came in. I do like the (slightly) translucent packaging but once you pull the lipstick out, you aren't able to stand it up as the knob is domed. In my opinion, it doesn't feel as luxurious as the YSL lipsticks, but the Dior lipsticks are still pretty and chic.

Dior describes this as Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick as "Radiant Colour, Hold and Shine. Dior Addict fashion lipstick goes to the Extrême, with radiant colours, a perfect hold wet-look texture, and audacious, sophisticated Dior styles. At the heart of this new soft, sensual texture lie 4 specialist waxes, acting in a targeted manner to correctly combine these extremes in a single formula. This veritable technical feat achieves perfect hold, comfort, and shine in an astonishingly fine film. Dior Addict Extrême is available in 12 shades of pure radiant pigment, from nudes to the boldest shades, exploring all the facets of Dior elegance. A new style means a new dress code: the Dior Addict case plays on transparent, vibrant black - black as in perfection, mystery and timelessness."

I would say that the Dior Addict Extreme lipsticks are a bit like the YSL Rouge Volupté Shine in that it is also sheery had a glossy finish. The lipstick sits nicely on the lips and doesn't highlight the dry chapness of your lips. I would say it's quite moisturising and provides good colour, even if it isn't opaque. The sheerer kind of lipsticks are my favourite kind and I tend to gravitate towards them. The lipstick lasts so-so on the lips, I think it has a tendency to wear off on the inner parts of your lips leaving the dreaded bold lipliner look, but if you touch up every now and then or rub your lips together, it should reduce the likelihood of that happening.

The colour 536 Lucky is a warm red pink colour and as far as I can see, there's no shimmer in it. In the picture to the right, you can see that you can build the lipstick to a stronger colour (top swatch) or you can just apply one thin layer and have a sheer glossy look (bottom swatch). The picture below is what the lipstick colour looks like on the lips.

I don't think the lipstick has a fragrance to it, so if it does, it must be very subtle. If you're a fan of the YSL Rouge Volupté Shine, I think you may be a fan of this, so I would recommend checking it out at your nearest Dior counter. It is pricey, so if you aren't willing to fork out £24, I wouldn't say you're missing out entirely. I was intrigued to try out a lipstick from Dior (I purhased a full size Dior Addict lipstick along with a blush for this freebie) and now that I own one, I don't think I would be getting another. I think I may prefer the YSL lipsticks a little better (as well as preferring the YSL packaging). If you don't own a YSL or Dior lipstick and you were interested in getting a high end lipstick, I really would advise you to go to the counter and check them BOTH out before picking one over the other. (You can read my review on the YSL Rouge Volupté Shine in 6 Pink Devotion here or in 3 Violet Incognito here as well as checking out the swatches).

So my thoughts on this lipstick? Hyner. If there wasn't the YSL lipsticks, I would have prolly loved these as my guilty high end treat. As this is not the case, I will happily use them but not quite covet them quite as much.

My final(ish) verdict:

❤❤❤♡♡ (3 out of 5 hearts) ^^

Have any of you tried out both the Dior and YSL lipsticks? If you have, let me know your thoughts and which one you preferred. Hope you enjoyed this review and as always, until next time..

- Diem xo

Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher in #6 Grapefruit Jelly: Review + Swatches

Don't be fooled by the picture advertised for the Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher in #6 Grapefruit Jelly (pictured right). It looks like it peachy pink colour, as the name grapefruit would suggest. However, I feel like this colour of this blush is very different to what is on display here. Etude House is a Korean beauty brand which can be found in quite a few East/South East Asian countries, but not so much over in the UK. There are a few Asian beauty stores here and there, but for the most part, access to Asian beauty brands are usually found online.

I would describe the colour as a peachy, orange, apricot coral colour, I don't really detect any pink tones in this blush at all. This blusher is matte and I picked this up from eBay (click here for direct link to item) for less than £4. (I think my new love in makeup are blushers). The blush comes with a small fluffy powder puff with a pink bow on the top.

The blusher itself is a velvety soft finely milled powder with a texture similar to the MAC sheer tone blushes. It feels smooth on the skin and does not produce much fall out when the swirling the brush in the pan (yay for non wastage). The powder may appear chalky if heavily layered on, but looks nice when blended into the skin. I think it's a gorgeous colour that blends into the skin beautifully. It lasts pretty much all day but it may be slightly patchy if you have super dry skin.

There is a slight fragrance to it, nothing offensive, nothing noticeable. The packaging is super cute if not bulky as I won't be using the puff so there will be empty space between the powder and the domed lid. If I had room in one of my UNII palettes, it would live there, but I don't, so it will have to be a loner until I finish up an entire blush, would seems highly unlikely as I've still yet to hit pan on any blusher I own. I think this is a very nice blusher and I would be interested in the other shades of this range, but I have too many blushes and I'm on a makeup low buy (which I'm failing miserably at).

My final verdict:
❤❤❤❤♡ (4 out of 5 hearts) ^^

To summarise, this is a really nice blush and is a bargain, perfect for those who are interested in expanding their makeup collection and slash or interested in Korean/Asian makeup beauty products. Hope you enjoyed reading my review.. And until next time..

- Diem xo

Revlon Baby Stick in Pink Passion: Review + Swatches

I will be reviewing the Revlon Babystick in Pink Passion today. I haven't much about these in the "beauty blogger" world but I have seen a couple of videos on YouTube featuring this (both were American). I saw this in my local Boots and it said it was Limited Edition and I picked it up when it was £4.99 (apparently it was £2 off the £6.99 RRP). It is available in three shades: Pink Passion, Sunset (Red Orange) and Tahitian (Peach Pink). So I checked out the tests and swatched them on my hand and the Sunset and Tahitian shades did not show up on my light/medium skin. So I wouldn't waste time and money on those, however, the Pink Passion shade is actually really nice. Pink Passion is a hot pink colour with no shimmer in it. It feels creamy and is pretty moisturising. It has a light chemically(?) smell to it, but nothing you can detect on the skin.

You will find negative reviews on this product because of Sunset and Tahitian being pretty much useless, but I really would try out the Pink Passion as it actually does have pigmentation to it, as you can see in the picture below.

The top swatch is a few layers, the middle is just one layer, and the bottom is blended out so you have an idea what it would look like.

The Baby Stick is apparently for lips and cheeks, but I have only used this on my cheeks as most multi purpose products are often better for one area. I also have an allergy in some lip products so I try to not use brand new products on my lips in case my allergy flares up.

I think this would be best for those who have dry to normal skin, as it is a cream product rather than a cream to powder finish. I think it gives a very natural flush to the face and is suitable for fair to medium skin tones as you can sheer it out or build it up for a stronger look. It has 2.8g of product, which isn't very much for a blush, but the packaging is so small and cute - baby stick being a fitting name. The miniature size makes it perfect to pop in your handbag and slash or to travel with. Plus, it's in a stick form, so no need for brushes, just some antibacterial hand gel on your hands to clean them, and you can just blend it out with your fingers.

For those of you who are worried that the stick may remove some of the makeup, although I have found slight transfer of my foundation onto the stick, I don't think it removes much of it for it to be noticeable. I also think it works fine on top of powder as well as before.

I actually really like this product, and have always wanted to try out more blush sticks, I may have to check out some from different brands. So although other two shades are complete rubbish, do check out Pink Passion.

Therefore, my final verdict:
❤❤❤❤♡ (4 out of 5 hearts) ^^

I hope you found this review useful, don't be put off by all the negative ones out there, those only apply to the Sunset and Tahitian shades. Your best bet is to go in store, and check out the testers yourself!

Until next time..

- Diem xo

Maybelline 24 Hr Color Tattoo in 85 Light in Purple: Review + Swatches

Today I will be reviewing the Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoo in the colouor 85 Light in Purple. I have been slowly migrating away from using eyeshadow, and have only been doing a winged out eyeliner with strong lipstick for the past few months. However, when I was in Tesco, this colour really caught my eye and thought it looked absolutely gorgeous, I couldn't not pick this up. The cream eyeshadow retails for £4.99 in the UK.

The colour is pretty unique in that it is duo chrome and it's a purple/blue/silver colour. It was difficult to capture the duo chrome(ness) in the swatch photos - so do check it out instore if you ever come across it!

As you can see in the photos to the right, the outside rim appears more purple, but for the most part, I think that this looks more like a blue silver colour.

Unfortunately, the beautiful colour does not translate well onto the skin and it definitely appears nicer in the pot than it does on the eyes. It is still a nice colour, just not as nice as I had expected it to be. Turns out it's not very flattering on the eyelids either. This has further reinforced that I should really do my research before buying things on impulse, especially since I hardly ever wear eyeshadow anymore.

You can take a look at the swatches below. I tried to take pictures of the swatch at different angles to try to show how the angle can change the way the colour appears, but I don't think it really translated on camera.

Another thing I was pretty disappointed with was the lasting power. In my opinion, it does not last as long as some of the other Color Tattoos that I have. It is also pretty hard to work with and applies pretty patchy, very different from the other Color Tattoos that I own.

I guess if you're really in love with the colour, you can prolly make it work and you might like it, otherwise, I wouldn't really recommend this colour tattoo. I think it was a bit of a disappointment and let down if I was completely honest. But hey, that's just my opinion.

 Therefore, my final verdict:
❤❤♡♡♡ (2 out of 5 hearts) ^^

I absolutely love my bronze and taupe Maybelline colour tattoos, I don't know why the formula for this particular shade is different (or appears to be different). If you're in the UK, I would highly recommend you test out the swatches before just buying it.

Hope you found the review and pictures useful, and let me know what your thoughts are about this if you've tried it, and until next time..

- Diem xo

Sample Review: L'Oreal True Match Foundation: First Impressions + Swatches

Another sample, another review. Check out my first sample review by clicking here. This time I will be doing a first impressions on L'oreal's True Match foundation in W3 Golden Beige. L'oreal describes this foundation "for women in search of a perfectly natural complexion, L'Oreal Paris has invented True Match, its first foundation that perfectly matches the colour and texture of your skin." Retails for around £10 (slightly cheaper at Superdrug), and from what I can see on the Boots website, there are a variety of shades, 22 on the website.

The foundation consistency was like most traditional foundations and the first thing I realised was that a little goes a long way, this is a pretty high coverage foundation. This was pretty dark for skin colour, but I could have gotten away with it when I blended, blended, blended. It has a pretty matte finish, so I think it would work great for those with oilier skin types. This did not fare well on my dry patches and did cling to those areas and made my skin look flaky. It also does look quite heavy on the face, my mum never usually comments when I wear foundation but she did after I had applied this. I preferred the way it look after I had set it with a bit of powder, and it didn't look too cakey.

It lasted pretty well, and I was surprised with the coverage - I would recommend this to people who need that extra little coverage and who don't mind wearing a heavier foundation. As you can tell with by the picture above, it has evened out the skin and my freckle is almost completely covered, something only a concealer can usually completely conceal. If you're the kind of person who likes the "like skin" foundation, or really light coverage, I don't think this is for you. Also, if you have dry skin, you may want to look for a different foundation. All in all, it's not a bad product, just not for me, but I'm sure it would work brilliantly for some of you.

My first impressions verdict:
❤❤❤♡♡ (3 out of 5 hearts) ^^

Hope you found this first impressions review helpful, and until next time..

- Diem xo

YSL Rouge Volupté Shine in 3 Violet Incognito: Review + Swatches

You can check out the post for YSL's Rouge Volupté Shine in 6 Pink in Devotion by CLICKING HERE.

Now don't let the bullet frighten you. YSL's Rouge Volupté Shine in Violet Incognito is one of the prettiest shades I have ever seen. The packaging is absolutely beautiful (check out my previous Rouge Volupté post, linked above, for a more indepth review). The colour of Violet Incognito is a deep plum and does not contain any noticeable shimmer slash glitter in it. These lipsticks retail for £24 (pricey, I know!) and so I made the most and got this whilst there was a 10% off deal at Debenhams (I also had £10 worth of vouchers, so double score).

Although I am always attracted to purple colours for some reason (I think purple is a gorgeous lipstick colour, yes this is direct at A$AP Rocky, LOL), I wanted to veer away from this because I thought that I should get a more colour that I did not already have or have a similar colour to. However, after seeing some swatches of what this looked like on the lips, I just could not not get it. Although this is probably more of a fall slash winter colour, I will totally rock this during any season, and even in the daytime. For those who are less adventurous with bold lip colours, this would still look great for a night time look. I would keep it all about the lips and wear a very natural slash no makeup kind of look on the eyes, and rest of the face.

As this is a Volupté Shine, the colour has a more sheerer glossy look to it, so it really can be sheered out to a very subtle colour if that's what you want to go for.

Pictured to the left is a swatch of the lipstick on the back of my hand. The top swatch is just one layer, and the bottom swatch is what the lipstick would look like with a few more layers. As you can see, the colour can be built up to a deep plum colour, but still with that sheer glossy finish. Perfect for those who are afraid of full on colour, or tend to have problematic chapped lips (like me!)

Pictured left is what the lipstick looks like on my lips with just one layer. I'm not sure if it's due to the pigmentation of my lips, (which I don't think is all that dark or heavily pigmented) but the colour does appear to be a fuchsia purple colour, which I still think looks great! This picture was taken in direct sunlight and I believe this to be a pretty accurate represenation of what the colour looked like on my lips (cameras and lighting can hugely affect how a colour looks). This shows that this lipstick can be wearable and is a great colour for this time of year!

The picture to the right is what the lipstick looked like on my lips when I built the colour up a lot more. As you can see, this is much more plum colour, but still is on the pink side. This is perfect for the evening and for the fall and winter time, and I think it's an absolutely gorgeous colour.

I love these lipsticks, I think they last a long time for a sheerer, more glossier kind of lipstick, they feel nice on the lips and aren't drying. I think they wear off pretty nicely too so you don't have to constantly look in the mirror to do touchups or to make sure it hasn't worn off patchy.

And even though it does come with a hefty pricetag, I think these lipsticks are brilliant (which is why I own 3 of them!). I will refrain from getting anymore, but I think so many of the colours in this line are beautiful!


My verdict:
❤❤❤❤♡ (4 out of 5 hearts) ^^ (minus one heart for the price tag)

Just like my previous post on this lipstick, I give this lipstick four out of five hearts. The only reason why it doesn't get five is purely due to the price. But if you feel like you need to spoil yourself (or have someone spoil you), then I would really recommend this.

Hope you found the review and pictures useful, and until next time..

- Diem xo

Sample Review: L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Cream - First Impression & Swatches

You know how sometimes there are foundation samples in magazines? Or how sometimes you can get a sachet sample sent to you in the post? Well, I do. And before I knew it, I had quite a few sachet samples. And you know how they say out of sight, out of mind? Well, instead of trying out the samples, I just tossed them in a bag, building my collection up. So, I decided to put them on my table, in sight, and do reviews on them. They can only be first impressions as I will only be able to use it once, maybe twice, hardly enough times to give a in depth thorough review.

So my first sample review is on L'oreal's Nude Magique BB Cream which retails for £9.99 in the UK. The shade that I have is medium. What was very odd when I first opened this was that the actual product was an off white colour with faint tan colour balls in it. You can see a picture below of what it looked like.

However, when you rub it in, the colour begins to change, and becomes a more medium foundation kind of colour. The consistency is very liquidy and is lightweight on the skin. I would say that the coverage is light and will even out your skin tone, but not much else. The finish is natural, not matte, but not exactly dewy either. I have extremely dry patches on my face and fared well, slight clinging to the dryer areas, but I have that problem with pretty much every foundation, some worse than others. It lasted for an ok amount of time, but it did wear off pretty patchy on the half side of my face that I did not set with powder. The side that I did set with powder lasted around the same length of time, but did not wear off as uneven.

You can see in the picture to the left what the coverage is like - I applied the product to the arm with my fingers and worked it in. I only saw two shade options on the Boots website, which means that not everyone will be able to use this. The shade medium was slightly too dark and orange for me.

Would I buy this product? Even though I did not dislike this product, this was nothing special either. This would be good for those who have pretty good skin anyway and just needs something to even out the skintone. It is also good for people with dry skin - I have an extremely oily T-Zone and I did not look completely greasy so I think it may even work for those with combination skin. It is very quick and effortless to blend in, you don't have to work the product in so it's pretty effortless in application.

My first impressions verdict is:
❤❤❤♡♡ (3 out of 5 hearts) ^^ Not right for me, but can work for you~

Hope you found the review and pictures useful.. And until next time..

- Diem xo

'Red My Lips' - Wear Red Lipstick To Raise Awareness About Sexual Violence: My Red Lipsticks

So April 2013 is Sexual Assault Awareness month and there is a campaign going around called 'Red My Lips'. This campaigns asks us to wear red lipstick everyday in the month of April to 'help raise awareness about sexual violence and SPEAK OUT against victim-blaming!'. I will do my best to wear red lipstick to support this campaign, and I hope you all will too. You don't have to wear bright red lipstick, a variation of red will do, if bright red lipstick is not suitable (school, work, etc). So I pulled out all my red lip products and thought I'd do a post with pictures and swatches. You can see all the red lip products I own in the picture above (L-R: Maybelline Baby Lips in 15 Cherry Me, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 045 Romantic, L'oreal Rouge Caresse Colour Riche lipstick in 179 Cherry Tulle, L'oreal Caresse Glam Shine Stain Splash in 300 Juliet, Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in 400 Big Bang, Yves Rocher lipstick in 101 Framboise, Sleek True Colour Lipstick in 778 Stiletto and NYX Lipliner Pencil in 817 Hot Red). You can find swatches of the products below (in the same order).

 I also took pictures of what they look like on the lips. The picture to the left is what my lips look like without any product on them. And I didn't think too far in advance when I was doing the pictures to the order of the swatches below are different than to the picture of the products and the swatches on my hand so I will describe each product below. Bear in mind that this is not a review; it's to show swatches.

1. Maybelline Baby Lips in 15 Cherry Me: A lipbalm with a very sheer hint of red. It smells like cherry (as the name would suggest) and smells delicious.
2. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 045 Romantic: somewhat sheer, an orange toned red. Is much more orange than what the packaging and the bullet would suggest.
3. Yves Rocher lipstick in 101 Framboise: a rich creamy pigmented blue based red. Glossy finish.
4. NYX Lipliner Pencil in 817 Hot Red
5. Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in 400 Big Bang: Tomato red, extremely pigmented. Glossy finish.
6. L'oreal Caresse Glam Shine Stain Splash in 300 Juliet: Glossy cherry red. Somewhat sheer but can be built up to full colour (like pictured above). Leaves a more pinky red stain behind.
7. Sleek True Colour Lipstick in 778 Stiletto: a true matte red. Creamy and pigmented.
8. L'oreal Rouge Caresse Colour Riche lipstick in 179 Cherry Tulle: Sheer cherry red. Glossy finish.

Apologies for some of the rushed applications. But I hope you get an idea of what the products would look like on the lips.

I'll be rocking either the L'oreal Caresse Glam Shine Stain Splash in Juliet or the L'oreal Rouge Caresse Colour Riche Lipstick in Cherry Tulle, a sheer approach to red. For evening looks, I'll wear the more pigmented colour with a simple black winged liner.

Support the cause. Raise awareness. And until next time..

- Diem xo

YSL Rouge Volupté Shine in 6 Pink in Devotion: First Impressions Review + Swatches

You can check out the post for YSL's Rouge Volupté Shine in 3 Violet Incognito by CLICKING HERE.

I'm in love. I am actually in love with the YSL lipstick packaging. They are so beautiful and luxurious. I'd pick a YSL lipstick over Chanel, Tom Ford, etc any day, purely for the packaging. It looks expensive (which it is!) and has a nice weight to it so it feels study and robust. I have a problem with No. 7 lipsticks in that the lid seems to crack and becomes loose which is highly annoying.
I won't be having those problems with the YSL lipsticks. And I'm only in love with the lipsticks that have the YSL cut out in the round tubes (not the square tube ones). I first came across these beauties on YouTube and thought they looked gorgeous then, but they look even better in real life. Oki, enough about the packaging. Actually, one more thing about the packaging, I like the fact that you can see the colour of the lipstick in the cut out in the middle of the tube. However, I do not like that the lipstick name is not on the bottom of the tube, it tells you the number, but not the actual name of the lipstick which I find quite odd (the name of the colour is on the box though).

 Onto the actual product. What YSL says about the lipstick:
 "Give in to the temptation of dazzling color. Succumb to a unique sensorial experience with extreme comfort and luminous shine.  Hyaluronic acid microspheres help seal in moisture for 8 hours of hydration. Anti-oxidants and emollients help condition and soften lips."

If you have had the pleasure of owning slash experience the YSL Rouge Volupté lipsticks, you know that they pack quite a punch. They are extremely creamy and pigmented. The Rouge Volupté Shines are more sheerer and has a much more glossy finish (as the name would suggest). I would say that although these lipsticks are not as opaque as the Rouge Volupté lipsticks, I feel like the Rouge Volupté Shines have more pigmentation than the typical sheer lipstick. I do feel like they are more long wearing than sheer lipsticks and does wear off quite well. I don't find this lipstick to be particularly moisturising though, and at the same time I don't find them drying either.

There is a nice colour selection, 19 shades in total, and retail for £24 (UK) or $34 (US). The colour that I bought was No. 6 Pink in Devotion and is a hot pink with very subtle blue-tone micro shimmer (the shimmer is not noticeable when applied). Check out the swatches to see what the colour looks like. The top swatch is just one layer and the bottom is with a few layers so you can build up the colour if you wanted to. They have a weird scent to them, I can't quite put my finger (or nose?) on what it is. I'm horrible at describing scents but if I had to, I would say that it was a mix between the typical lipstick smell with an old lady smell, and then a sweet fruity scent to mask the lipstick and old lady scent, but it doesn't quite overpower them? The overall scent is not too strong but you can kind of smell it when you first apply it to the lips so take a sniff of the lipstick before you purchase.

They feel nice on the lips, the lipstick melts onto your lips to give a nice sheer colour with a glossy (but not sticky) shine. Applies pretty evenly and feels lightweight (almost undetectable) on the lips. It doens't feel balmy which is what I've come to expect from sheer lipsticks.

They are definitely not cheap, but do I think they are worth it? In my opinion, if you are a lover of the packaging and love makeup, I would recommend getting a YSL lipstick. If you prefer sheerer lipsticks, then get the Rouge Volupté Shine, if you prefer full on colour (I'm talking similar to MAC Amplified finishes), then go for the Rouge Volupté. If you think that the price tag is too expensive, you can always ask for one as your present for the occasion.

I also received an email from Debenhams to say that they are having a 10% discount Easter special starting tomorrow (Thursday 28th March 2013). Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated or sponsored by Debenhams.

I have read that blogs that liken these lipsticks to the L'oreal Rouge Caresse lipsticks. I know that YSL is owened by L'oreal, but in my opinion, I do not think the L'oreal Rouge Caresses are dupes for the YSL Rouge Volupté shines. I think that the L'oreal lipsticks are sheerer and do not feel the same on the lips. However, they are nice lipsticks, so if you want to go for a sheer lipstick and do not want to pay a lot for one, then do check out the L'oreal line as they have a nice shade selection too. I just do not consider them dupes, just similar.

My first impressions verdict:
❤❤❤❤♡ (4 out of 5 hearts) ^^ (minus one heart for the price tag)

Do check out the YSL lipstick range if you want to spoil slash treat yourself to a high end lipstick, have a little swatcharoo and purchase if you want =))

Hope you enjoyed reading this review.. And until next time..

- Diem xo