YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in 2 Pourpre Intouchable

You may have seen me rave about the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine lipsticks in the past, and today the post is no difference. I love just about everything about the lipstick formula, the packaging and, in this case, the colour. 

Shade 2, or Pourpre Intouchable, is a beautiful glossy, slightly pink toned plum shade. It does have some shimmer running through it but it doesn't really translate as shimmer on the lips and you cannot feel it at all. The lipstick glides onto the lips really smoothly, doesn't bleed and leaves a nice sheer-to-medium coverage of colour.  They aren't drying, and while they don't last as long as something matte they do last decently considering they are a glossy finish product. 

The shape of the lipstick bullet might put some people off because it doesn't have the classic pointed shape but don't fret. The shape might be difficult to be precise with if the lipstick were matte, highly pigmented or meant to be long lasting/a stain but because of the glossy and somewhat sheet nature of this product the flat bullet shape actually makes the lipstick quick and easy to apply. 

I'll let the luxurious packaging speak for itself because, quite frankly, it doesn't need words. It's stunning, but it doesn't come without a hefty price tag. These lipsticks are at heartbreaking (or bank breaking) £25 a pop, so maybe save up to treat yourself if you fancy picking one up. 

You can see my previous reviews here and here, and you can also pick up this shade or others for £25 here from Debenhams. 

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day, 

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Garnier Skin Naturals Pure Active Intensive Charcoal Scrub *Review*

The Garnier Pure Active Intensive Charcoal Scrub is the product I should hate but actually like. It has the qualities of a skin care item that I know isn't great for my skin but it does feel like it's working when I use it. It helps keep any angry spots at bay and has been helping lessen the flaky skin I get on dry patches. It doesn't give the skin any moisture but I don't find it strips it to much either. 

The scrub isn't to abrasive which I like and it does leave my skin feeling clean and refreshed rather than raw like some scrubs can. It does, unfortunately, foam up on the skin which is the feature I hate most. I know that anything with foaming agents isn't the best for skin, but this one luckily (because of how much I love it) doesn't strip my skin too much or dry it out after using. 



The consistency is quite runny for a scrub like this, but it doesn't make any difference (for me) as to how it applies and works. I don't enjoy the scent of the product, but when something is made for fighting spots and scaring left from acne I don't expect to find it beautifully fragranced because that can cause people to break out even more. 

Overall, I like this scrub. I don't think I would repurchase because I know it's probably not actually very good for my skin in the long run but if you know any differently and know that this actually okay for my skin then please let me know so I can go grab another tube. 

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day,  

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ELF Long Lasting Lustrous Eyeshaodw in Confetti *Review and Swatch*

  I've heard people rave and rave about these the ELF Long Lasting Lustrous Eyeshadows, and I'm sure someone said they were a dupe for something from a brand like Armarni or maybe even Chanel but personally I'm not a huge fan. I did prefer the darker shade I picked up but both of the shades I got seemed a little to sheer, to patchy and just not what I expected. 

Confetti if a white shade full of white/silver shimmer. When the shadow is swatched it seems a little white but is mostly just shimmer but on the eye it is even more sheer and would be something I would only use as a 'top coat' for my shadow. For some people that might be great, but if I want a shimmery shadow I would just use a shimmery shadow and that extra stuff is just a step I don't need to add to an already long routine.

The packaging is nice but you can tell it's from a cheaper brand. The plastic lid screws onto the plastic base, but it doesn't feel like it's air tight. That isn't great because the mousse like product can dry out even quicker than normal. 

Like I said, I've heard people rave about these, but I just don't get on with them. So, I won't be picking up any more and these ones will probably be passed on to my mum to see if she can get any use out of them.

These are £3.75 here on eyeslipsface.co.uk if you want to try them or see the other shades they have. 

Hopefully the next review will be something a bit better, but I like to add some not so great reviews here on my blog so that people know what not to buy as well as what to try out. 

Thanks for reading, and have a lovely day 

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ELF High Definition Powder in Translucent *Review*

 

The ELF High Definition Loose Powder is a white silca powder meant for setting foundation and creating a HD base. It retails for £6 on the ELF website, and is hyped up as a dupe for the Makeup Forever HD Powder.

 
The packaging is really chunky, and quite impractical. The black is really nice and sleek, and the shape is interesting and something quite unique but it's not something you can throw in your bag and it doesn't travel well. 



The puff is a nice addition, and it helps keep the powder from flying every where if you keep it in the jar. It does get horribly dirty if you use it to set foundation, and does look gross but it's decent quality, and works if you don't have a brush. I preferred to use the real techniques buffing brush or powder brush with the powder though. 



The powder is really nice. It sets foundation really nicely, knocking out the shine and keeping the liquid in place. It is translucent, at least on my skin tone, and doesn't leave a white cast. I haven't tested it with flash photography, so I can't tell you anything about flash back. It lasted such a long time, like most loose powders, and because it's a nice finely milled powder it doesn't cake up foundation to easily. 

Overall, I think the ELF HD Powder is so worth it. I would say try it if you want something that keeps foundation in place, gives you a more perfected look and it is really affordable.

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ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream in St. Lucia | Review and Swatches

ELF Contouring Blush and Bronzing Cream Duo in St Lucia, £3.75, link

The ELF Contouring Blush and Bronzing Cream, currently available in the UK in the shade St Lucia, is a duo of cream products supposedly perfect for creating a healthy glow on the skin. ELF suggests applying a small amount of the bronzer into the hollows of the cheeks for definition and around the face line to create a healthy glow. They then suggest using the blusher on the apples of the cheeks to create a subtle glow.

The texture of these cream products is great. They are really creamy and they do give the skin a dewy quality without making it look greasy. For something that stays dewy, they have a good lasting powder on the skin also. They worked well applied over foundation, before any powder but can cake up the skin a little if you apply them over a powder product. 

The bronzer is a matte cream which is quite orange based. For people with really pale complexions, I don't think this is cream bronzer if for you. With a very tiny amount and a lot of blending it might work but I would suggest trying something else. 

The blush is also matte and is quite warmed toned. I'm not sure it's going to work with cooler skin tones but I think it can work for fair the medium skin tones by using a heavier hand for the darker tones out there.

Both creams are highly pigmented, and strangely that is where this product falls down for me. It's just to pigmented meaning it can be harder to blend and is just too much on my skin. I can make it work with something like a stippling brush and an extremely light hand but I don't reach for it because I can't be asked to work with it. 

The packaging is very similar to other ELF Studio compacts and to that of the Nars compacts. The main difference between ELF and Nars is the texture of the compact. The ELF is plastic while the Nars has a nice rubberized effect to it. Nars compacts feel more luxurious but does get dirtier and is harder to clean than the ELF counterparts. 

Overall, if you have a warmer skin tone and range from light to medium this might be worth a shot. The texture is really nice but for my fair skin tone it's just a bit to pigmented for me. 

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Kiko Makeup Milano Eyeshadow in 139 Pearly Salmon

The Kiko Eyeshadow in 139 Pearly Salmon is pretty much what it says on the tin. The peachy pink eyeshadow is jammed packed with shimmer and fine glitters. You get 0.1oz of product in a decent size compact. The lid is frosted clear plastic, allowing you to see the colour through the top but I would prefer the top to be flat to allow for stacking in my storage solution. If you don't have a stupid amount of eyeshadow singles, then the packaging would probably be perfect for you.

It claims to hold for 12 hours and be heavily pigmented. While I agree with the pigmented statements made by the company, I found that these lasted about 6 hours before creasing on me. I have "normal" lids, so shadows normally last pretty well on me, so if you have oily lids or find shadows crease easily on you, I would suggest using a primer to get these to stick. 

My only issue with this shadow sits with the shimmer in the shadow. Because the shimmer is more like glitter, there is some fall out and it can be quite chunky when you use it. I found that some of the other Kiko shadows I tried in store were smooth but this one, while it is gorgeous, is a bit more chunky and prone to falling out all over your cheeks. Tapping off the excess and using a sticky base helps, but I would suggest doing foundation/concealer after your eyeshadow look with this product. 
 
It is also now on sale for just £2.90 instead of the RRP of £4.90 online here  and they also have a ton of other colours in their sale. If you want to try these in store they now have a store on Regent Street and in Westfield Staford.

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Look Beauty Loud Lips Lip Liner in Toffee Cup

 Toffee Cup is just 1 of 8 shades offered by Look Beauty. It matches up with their Loud Lipstick in the same shade, helping to create a long lasting lip look. Toffee Cup is the nude offering of the bunch alongside brighter shades of red, pink and coral. 



It falls on the peachy side of nude, meaning it gives a nude look to the lips without making you look dead or ill. It works well with my complexion (pink toned and very pale) and I can also see it looking great on someone with a tan. 



 The product goes onto the lips really well. It doesn't drag to much but there are creamy liners out there. I actually prefer this over the creamy options because it means it stays put longer and stays in the place you want it to. I gives the lipstick something the cling to and keeps the lipstick on your lips. It does need a balm underneath if you have drier lips, but I find that with any lip liner. 

The liner itself is pink with the colour shown on the end of the pencil. It's not quite true to the actual colour of the product but it gives you some idea. It is a simple sharpen pencil which is fine but I sharpeners come to my flat to  die so I never have one on hand to sharpen this bad boy. There is a reason I tend to go for automatic pencils. 


Toffee Cup Lip Liner is half price on Look Beauty at the moment, costing only £2 instead of the RRP of £4. I'm not sure if that offer applies in store, or whether Look Beauty is a brand still available in Superdrug stores anymore. 

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Crown Brush Review: Eyeshadow, Face and Brows

 

Quite a while a go I made an order from Crown Brush. I've been on the look out for affordable makeup brushes (that aren't Real Techniques) for quite some time, and thought Crown Brush was a good place to start. I'd heard great things about the company and for the price they offer their brushes for I thought it would be worth a try. I picked up 9 brushes in total, most of which for the eyes. I don't think I paid over £5 for any one brush and some were as cheaper as £1. 

The first brush I added to my cart is called the C152 Medium Chisel Fluff. From the website it looked like a basic flat shadow brush. I thought that because it was described as fluff I could use it to place shadow down and to blend if I needed to. Sadly, this brush was a big fail for me. It didn't realize quite how small it was until I opened my mail. It is about the size of those little IKEA or Argos pencils and the bristles aren't all that soft. It was cheap so no major loss are here but still I expected a little more. You can pick it up here for £2.49.

The CLC500 Angle Blender is my "meh" brush of the haul. I love the idea of this, I love how it looks but it sheds on me. The handle is a nice size and the silver hardware is great! The shape of the brush is great for creating a nice outer "c" on the eye but the shedding stops me using it. After washing it is a little better so I think after a few more washes it will be a bit more usable. Unfortunately this is no longer available on the  Crown Brush website.

The CLS160 1/4 Angle Liner is a great brow brush. I brought this in hopes that I could use it with my beloved Maybelline Gel Liner but because of the size it's a bit to hard to get a nice precise line on the upper lash line. The synthetic bristles means it is great for both cream and powder products, meaning I found this great for the ELF eyebrow kit. It use the brush for both the wax and the powder to create a defined, yet natural brow look. Unfortunately this is no longer available on the  Crown Brush website.

The C441 Pro Blending Crease Brush is a basic blending brush that everyone needs in their collection. The tapered bristles allow you to blend colours our over the eyes, and also allows you to use the brush to place some colour down in the crease area or to highlight the brow in a subtle manner. It's often compared to the MAC 217, which I cannot afford. At only £3.99 it's a great way to get your hands on this kind of brush. You can pick it up here.

The BK38 Deluxe Crease Brush is very similar to my ELF Essentials Blending Brush. It's a tightly packed brush with shorter than average bristles for a crease/blending brush. It is great for placing colour in the crease and on the outer corner and it does offer a little bit of blending functionality at the same time. It is also a complete bargain at only £3.69. You can pick it up here.

The C100 Mini Tapered Blush Brush is a small tapered brush perfect for traveling. The small size is great for precise blush application but I prefer to use this for highlighting the cheeks and nose. It is sable and goat hair, soft and washes up well. You can pick it up here for £4.89. 

 

The SS025 Syntho Brow Duo Brush is a dual ended brush intended for creating beautiful brows. The mascara wand end of the brush is perfect for brushing through the brows and taming them. A little spritz hairspray on it makes it great for taming, and alone it works great for brushing though the brows after the you have put down colour to ensure it looks natural. The angled brush end is great for placing down cream or powder products. The short bristles make it perfect for getting precise lines for the brows. You can pick it up here for £3.99

The CLC501 Round Crease Brush is very similar to the Urban Decay Karma crease brush. The thin brush is great for blending and placing colour in the crease. the Synthetic bristles mean this is what I grab when I want to blend out cream products. It is nice quality for the price and really does help give shadows a nice blended edge.  Unfortunately this is no longer available on the  Crown Brush website.

The CLC502 Short Handled Blending Crease Brush is a great brush for traveling. It's small in length (but not to small) yet still performs well. The bristle are long, mostly soft and it doesn't shed. The only issue I have with this is that the glue, holding the bristles together goes further up the bristles than it is meant to meaning at the base of the brush (where it meets the silver bit) is hard and harsh on the skin. Used lightly you can avoid that part touching the skin.  Unfortunately this is no longer available on the  Crown Brush website.

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Cybercandy Zotter Chocolate Bar | Thoughts

   I'm a big child. I really am. I don't want to sound ungrateful because I can see how this could come across but when it comes to products I can't have, I want them all the more. It's the same with sweets/food from other countries. When I heard people on blogs/youtube talking about things from the US or Europe, I want them all the more than anything I can get easily in the UK. 

 Cybercandy help me suppress my need for things I can't have. I first discovered the shop, near Coven Garden, by mistake when I was lost and I fell in love with it. You can get sweets and things like that from almost every country, and some really bizarre things too.   

Zotter Chocolate Bar, 70g £3.59 link

I got the chance to try the Zotter Christmas Crackling chocolate bar, which is a product of Austria. It sounds totally intriguing to me because I've never really heard of chocolate bar quite like this one.

It's a milk chocolate bar that's filled with apple, honey and cinnamon! I adore anything with cinnamon so that was a win from the get go. It does contain alcohol, which is a downside for me because I'm not a fan of alcohol in sweets but the combo of apple, chocolate and cinnamon make up for it. 

When I first cracked this open, it smelt like warmth and winter and all things good. The cinnamon is really prominent and I love that. It's not too sweet but it's sweet enough to satisfy the need for chocolate and sugar. 


It's fair trade, and organic which is great. I've heard so horror stories about  the things that can happen when cocoa beans aren't fair trade, so I love that this one is. It's hand-scooped and bean to bar which is all good stuff. 



You can get this bar from here, and I would recommend checking out the cybercandy website for sweets and food you can't get a hold of over here like Lucky Charms!


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