Something Special from Sleek

This is my FIRST sleek palette... can you believe it? Despite the hype surrounding them and the glowing reviews EVERYWHERE I was always put off by the cheap looking packaging. Ok, I know they are cheap but they don't have to look it, right? When it's closed it looks okay but once you open it up I think it looks like something I'd buy for my 6 year old. Maybe I'm alone here but that's definitely why it's taken me so long to make a purchase. I popped in to Superdrug at the weekend with some lovely beauty card points burning a hole in my wallet and decided to give Sleek a go. There are so many palettes it was near impossible to pick, I was going for the Storm because it seems so popular but then this one caught my eye. I'd never heard of the "oh so special" palette and more importantly there was only ONE left so I HAD to have it! 

I love the colour range, it's got a real day to night feel. The quality of the shadows are similar to MUA in that the metallic shades are great and the mattes.. not so much. I have to give them kudos for including mattes at all though because a lot of drugstore brands don't even attempt them because they're so hard to get right and these are not TERRIBLE.. they're just not as good as the others. With a primer underneath they are a lot better. The one thing I was bowled over by was the matte black. Even high end brands struggle with a matte black but sleek have it dead on, it's SO pigmented, I did get a lot of fallout as a result but you can't have it all, can you? I'd seriously recommend Sleek now if only for that one shadow. So many palettes miss the black and I think it's an essential addition. Overall it's a really great palette and I will absolutely be purchasing more from Sleek. 

TOP ROW
Bow, Organza, Ribbon, Gift Basket, Glitz, Celebrate
BOTTOM ROW
Pamper, Gateau, The Mail, Boxed, Wrapped Up, Noir

Miss BB

Fashionista Arrives at Superdrug

You may already have heard about the new Fashionista range that hit Superdrug this week. I'm not sure if it's available in stores yet or just online (nowhere near me has it yet that's for sure). If their site is anything to go by the range will be a comprehensive one but right now all that's launched are the custom palettes. Lucky for me that's what I was most interested in!

The palette itself retails at £5 and there are 49 eyeshadows and 12 blushers which fit in the palette each at just £4. You could create a seasonal blush palette, an eyeshadow quad or mix and match for travel. I LOVE customisable ANYTHING as you know so this is what really has me excited about the Fashionista brand. You may remember I posted about The Saturday's magnetic nail polish? Well that's part of this range too! I'm interested to see everything else they introduce and will be getting my hands on a palette as soon as they arrive in my local store.

For now you can buy it from Superdrug online here

Have you tried anything from this range yet?

*EDIT*

I've since bought a palette..

you can find my swatches and review here

Look!! New Budget Beauty Brand!!

This is just a quick buzz about the new makeup range launching from Look Magazine. It arrives in selected Superdrug Stores today but as far as I can tell it's not online yet. It's a comprehensive debut offering everything fom foundation to nail polish with prices ranging from £4 to £18. I've heard the packaging  is a hit and miss with beautifully comissioned artwork on some items and nothing but clear perspex on others... Why not keep the branding consistent? It's all speculation at this stage as I haven't seen any of it in person but any new budget makeup brand is going to peek my interest so I thought I'd let you know what I do so far. As soon as I know more or better still have it in my hands I will post again, in the meantime if any of you have managed to get a peek already.. what are your thoughts??

Coconutty For This Oil

If you haven't already tried this you MUST run out and buy it today.

I picked this up from my local Superdrug last week and have been so impressed with it. Not only is it a solid oil (perfect for travel) you can use it on your skin AND your hair. I've tried both and I have to say my hair has never been as shiny and healthy looking. It gives directions to use on the ends of wet hair as a leave in moisturiser as well as an overnight mask for very dry hair.. I can vouch for both as being very effective.

And I haven't even got to the best bit yet!

It's only £1.89!!!

You can buy it from superdrug online

It is totally solid in the pot and melts instantly on warm skin.. Such a fab product for such a fab price!

Everyone should have it!

You can see my video review below

Friday Night Swag

I love a bit of Friday night, after-work shopping, don't you? The only thing is I see things I don't buy and then the next day is Saturday so I inevitably return to purchase those items I've decided I must have after all.. d'oh! The whole point of late night shopping is to avoid the weekend crowds!!! Anywho. I thought I would share a few offers I noticed. Number one on my list was Boots are giving away a free Glam Eyes liquid eyeliner with any purchase over £5. Now they did me good 'cause I went in for the mint green nailpolish you see here which was £4.49 and there was no way I could find something for 50p to top uo my purchase so I ended up replacing my Stay Matte powder which died recently. Rimmel's Exaggerate liquid liner is my all time fave so I'm really looking forward to trying out the Glam Eyes. Second deal of the evening was Maybelline's new Colossal Cat Eyes mascara was down to £5.99 from £7.99 in Superdrug for it's launch PLUS you get 300 beauty card points with the purchase!! bargain! I know I bought a new mascara last week but with that kind of logic this one was practically free (expect pics and review very soon). Unfortunately as I am a total numpty I forgot to give them my beauty card when I got to the till so I'm more than a little peeved but am hoping they will add my points from my receipt.. I haven't opened it just in case.. I figured I was probably going back today anyway.

Not all of you will be interested in this next one but as I'm getting more and more fat.. okay, pregnant, I am developing the worst cellulite of my life and it's all the way down to my knee!! I know us girls are plagued with the orange peel, dimpled thighs but it's getting beyond a joke. I seem to remember getting a little obsessive about cellulite the first time round so I'm hoping it's just a symptom that will go away but none the less I couldn't resist half price Perfect Slim from Loreal. They do a whole range of "sculpting" type gels and creams and they are all half price in Superdrug right now so if you love them or have ever wanted to try them now is the time to go pick one up! I did also buy a new MUA eyeliner I've never tried before as well as a Models Own nail art doodah that I've wanted forever but they weren't as exciting as my final buy.. Coconut Oil. I forget the exact price but it was under £2 for sure. It can be used on the skin as a moisturiser, it can be used as a leave in conditioner on your hair and it can be used as an intensive mask for those with dry or damaged tresses like mine. Result! I slathered (lying - Lee slathered) it all over myself last night and this morning I am feeling pretty darn moisturised. It's a bizarre formula that is hard in the tub and melts on contact with your skin to a kind of oil. I will post about it in more detail but I urge you all to go out and get a tub.. I will be trying it out on my hair this morning too.. can't wait!

I also feel it necessary to mention this awesome jumper I got from Primark for the fabulous price of £10

I am totally in love and very excited that these plain, chunky knits are back in fashion. They are so my style and what I like is so rarely "in" so I will be embracing this trend to replenish my wardrobe for years to come. One of the items I'm going back for today is a Zara cardigan that I just can't stop thinking about. I dearly wish brands would give up putting weird elbow patches on stuff but the ones in Zara are the least vile so I think I must have it.

Do any of you indulge in a weekly spree? what awesome finds did you pick up this week?

Garnier BB Cream - Review

Garnier's BB Cream is finally here. This hugely hyped product dubbed a "Miracle Skin Perfector" was one new launch I couldn't wait to get my hands on and now I have it I just had to share my first thoughts with you. I have seen surprisingly few reviews and posts about this given the buzz surrounding it so I couldn't get a real idea of how well it worked or what it did. Hopefully for those of you looking for just that.. this will help!

Firstly There are 2 shades available, Light and Medium. It retails at £9.99 and sold out and can be bought at Superdrug and Boots. The original BB cream was created in Germany but the craze really started in Asia where it was said to be the secret to Korean actresses beautiful skin. It soon became popular here to buy online and there was much talk on YouTube about these mystical creams for months before Garnier launched the first drugstore version. BB stands for Blemish Balm, there have been many variations made, some are said to have skin lightening properties, some are anti-wrinkle, some anti-acne. What Garnier are claiming to offer is a sun block and moisturiser that evens skin tone, boosts glow, blurs imperfections and smooths fine lines all in one wonderful tube. Ok so enough of what it's supposed to do... here you can see the balm in action. Please excuse my early morning makeup free face.

This is JUST the balm on my face, no concealer, nothing! I am really impressed with the coverage. I'm not sure it even is coverage. It's almost like it really is blurring imperfections, evening out skintone and boosting glow. It feels weightless and moisturising when on the skin but it doesn't leave me uber shiny like a tinted moisturiser would. I can explain it but I'm excited.

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side note:

Can anyone else see that one of my eyelids is bigger than the other? It's so rare I can capture it on film so everyone thinks I'm bonkers but seriously... it's really obvious here... what's it all about????

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Here's a swatch of the cream alongside some of my other foundations.

L-R

Natural Collection Tinted Moisturiser in Fair, Mac Studio Fix Fluid in NCW25, Garnier BB Cream in Light, Nars Sheer Glow in MontBlanc/Light2

It's a much thicker consistency than any of the compared products as you can see.. you might think that as a result it's more moisturising and spreads further but I didn't find this to be the case. I used this as an all-in-one so applied it to my clean face, no moisturiser/primer. I found it to be quick drying, it spreads like an oil free moisturiser so I needed more than I'd expected to cover my face and blend in to my neck. This being said I liked the coverage that it gave and it is buildable because of it's thicker formula so it's not all bad. I did get shiny in my t-zone/chin area by lunchtime but no more so than with any other product (except revlon colorstay) But I used a little powder to mattify and the coverage lasted me until I wanted to remove my makeup. I was impressed given that I was expecting little more than a tinted moisturiser.

I will do a more in depth follow-up review when I've used this exclusively for a few weeks so that I can really see whether it's made any improvement on my skin condition. I'd love to think that it will and isn't JUST a cosmetic product. Whether I repurchase this will really depend how long this little tube lasts me. £9.99 is more than I'd like to spend for what is quite a small amount of product (It's just 50ml).. but I'll see how it goes, if it offers real benefits to my skin it would be worth the cash for sure.

Have any of you tried this yet?

What are your thoughts?

MUA Pro Heaven & Earth

Firstly let me start by saying I LOVE this palette. It may just be the best £4 I ever spent.

I'll get the formalities out of the way now, you can buy this from MUA Pro exclusively at Superdug here and if you're a tweeter like myself you can follow MUA here

This particular palette goes in and out of stock frequently so if you want it and you see it in store or online grab it 'cause you just never know when you might get your hands on it again. One thing I would say about MUA is that unlike other brands they haven't increased their prices as their popularity has risen which I hope they stick with because it's what's made E.L.F a household name in the states and I'd love to see them accomplish that kind of success and branch out in to that kind of product range. for us Brits.

Anywho... on to what I came here for..

I intend on making a series of tutorials with this and other palettes from MUA so if you have any requests please leave me a comment and they will be considered before I film the next one. I will also be doing some direct comparisons with the Naked palette which should be fun. For now I thought I'd show you my go-to everyday look I've been sporting recently. It's just a really basic, contoured eye. I thought I'd start simple and work up to the more elaborate, creative tutorials.

Check back for the video here when it's live!!!

MUA Pro - First Look

I have been eagerly waiting for this new range to launch since I heard it was coming and it has not disappointed! I have always thought MUA did the best drugstore shadows hands down and the price was just amazing at £1 each so I was holding out a lot of hope for some palettes on this new pro line. When I heard it was finally on Superdrug's website I was like a giddy schoolgirl at a Justin Bieber concert.I think I was very restrained given that I wanted to try EVERYTHING, I picked up 2 Palettes, one Extreme Metallics quad, two Mosaic powders and the Extreme Curl mascara.

First I'm gonna hit your with some swatches...



Heaven and Earth Palette
£4





Dusk Til Dawn Palette
£4





Extreme Metallics in Go Getter
£3




Swatches on left are dry and right are wet




L-R
Mosaic Bronzer in Natural Glow & Mosaic Blush in English Rose
£2.50





Bronzer : Top, Blush : Bottom

 



Extreme Curl Mascara
£2

 Ok so I don't have a swatch for the mascara but you can take a look at the wand/brush and it was black I assure you!

So they all look awesome and the prices look even better but what did I think of the products when I got them home?

Eyeshadow Palettes

They were exactly as I thought they would be.They have learned from their initial bargain range that although matte shades add variety to what they are offering they aren't so great for colour pay off so all of the formulas in the two palettes I have seen are metallic/shimmery and some even hold some glitter... very Urban Decay-esque. The Heaven and Earth palette was uber popular and sold out online nearly straight away. It's all neutrals and of the two it's definitely been my most used so far. I will at some point do a direct swatch comparison with the naked palette because while it's different in many ways I think it's the best drugstore equivalent I've seen and the price is incredible for 12 shadows. The Dusk Til Dawn is still fairly neutral but it throws in some party colours too.. if you were to pick only one it would probably be better value for money as it would offer more options.

Extreme Metallics Quad

This is dubbed as "a stunning range of colours that add intense shine and shimmer to instantly bring your eyes to life" They are advertised as wet and dry shadows which is why I've swatched them both ways above. Firstly I'll say across the board the light colours from MUA don't give a lot of colour pay off, you get a great sheen or shimmer but not much else but when you use these wet they are fantastic. They transform in to an almost cream consistency and really do look full on metallic on the skin. They look like a rimmel colour mousse or a MAC paint pot, they truly are as intense as they say! I will say this.. I doubt the formula is different to the regular shadows.. we all know most eye makeup gives more bang for your buck when applied wet and I would wager that these are similar if not the same as the others just spun as speciality shades but like I said these are just my first impressions here so I have time to change my mind.

Mosaic Bronzer/Blusher

Here's where I felt a bit left down I'm afraid. With everything else MUA is so impressive and the pro line is no different but the two Mosaic Powders... not so much. As with most things it all depends on your expectations. I was expecting some colour but in actual fact these bronzers and blushers give more of a sheen . I haven't had enough time with them to truly review them but so far for me they're not what I look for in a bronzer/blusher.

Extreme Curl Mascara

This was also a tricky one for me because I don't have great lashes for curling mascara.. I don't actually know why I bought it. I can tell you that it didn't perform any worse than supercurl from Urban Decay on me but I am going to refrain from sharing my opinion on this one until I've tried it on my long lashed friend.

I do intend to buy the volume mascara that I probably should have bought instead! For £2 I can afford to try them all!

What have you tried anything from MUA pro yet?

FAMOUS - Face Palette - Swatches

So I bought this palette for 2 reasons.

1. I was looking for something "do-it-all" for my trip to disneyland

2. It was £9 with £3 off which made it SIX POUNDS!

It was practically free so I HAD to buy it and I am sooo pleased that I did. It's fabulous! I have always lingered around the FAMOUS section, their nailpolish and single eyeshadows always appeal, the colours draw me in but the prices are hit and miss. You can get stuff like this that's an absolute steal but singles of things are overpriced in comparison. 

Anywho, this post is not about the brand it's about this palette and how you all need to go out and buy it while they're still on offer. While I was in superdrug I swatched the new Sleek palette.. I still don't have any and thought it could be a good one to pick up but this caught my eye and I'm glad it did! You have more colour choice, more product and it's cheaper right now!!!

So here's a little overview in pictures/swatches

Note, the upper of the two eyeshadow swatch pictures is not the greatest true to life photo ever, it kind of makes the colours all look a bit blah but in reality they are incredible... really! They have to be seen to be believed for this price.

I have filmed a travel makeup bag video which a has a dedicated review to this in the middle.

I will post it here as soon as it's live.

If you've already tried it let me know what you think, and if you haven't you absolutely have to!

Superdrug Event

I was a terrible blogger at this event and took few photos but in truth there was little to photograph that you can't see in your local store. The event was basically introducing us to the new products and the Christmas gift launch.

Firstly I couldn't get enough of the Andrew Fullerton range because at this point we didn't have this at my local store... it's such a great concept. Lots of different products in the range but the most interesting is the trio selection.. (pictured below) You get two colours which can be used seperately or can be layered to create another shade entirely.. In theory you could then buy several sets and experiment to create your own unique nail colour. I just love that idea.. I've never seen anything like it before (that's just me) I've found a little colour chart ... check that out below the product pictures.

As soon as I have some to test I will swatch some and do a full review for you guys.. personally I can't wait.. this was by far the product that held my interest longest!

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Next up we were introduced to the new GOSH virtual makeover machine..

Put aside anything you think you already know about virtual makeovers.. this thing is AWESOME!

I've tried those online ones in the past where you have to adjust your features etc. I don't know how but this machine takes your photo and recognises the differences in everyones face.. It knows exactly where your eyeliner/shadow/lip products and blush should go.. how does it do that??

Our willing volunteer on the day was Catherine (from perfectlypolishednails) but I've had a go at my local store since then and am beyond impressed. The shades may not be perfect matches for the products you're looking at but it's a huge step in the right direction.. maybe just needs a little tweak in that regard.

There were a few new GOSH products I had my eye one too so watch this space for hauls/reviews, I'm a total convert now and can't wait to try their foundation primer.

Lastly they were offering eyebrow threading.. I was a wimp, looked pretty painful and Catherine (again our volunteer - trooper!) said it was like knives.. she thought this was selling it to me, said it didn't hurt but the word "knives" didn't really instill confidence.. I think I'll stick to plucking and waxing! Her brows did look fab afterwards though.. very neat and almost looked filled in.

Overall it was a fun morning and I'm thankful I could make it down. Catherine took pity on me as I was gonna be trapsing around London alone all day once the event was over.. she let me follow her around for which I am very grateful :) I'll admit before then I hadn't heard of her blog but since then have read a lot of her posts.. It's a good read and she's running a great Mulberry giveaway right now so check it out

http://www.perfectly-polished-nails.com/