The Spring Edit

Spring is officially here! And though the weather is ever so on and off and the moment, I'm still going to give a little round up of some great spring-time products.

When I think of spring makeup, I always think of rather neutral on the eyes, so I've included the Bourjois Colour Edition 24 eyeshadow; now i'm not too sure of the shade, mainly because I don't actually think it has it on there, but it's a light shimmery pink shade. I love cream eyeshadows. It's no mystery to you that I do, and though this one is a cream-to-powder formulation, I still love it because it requires the smallest amount of effort to apply, plus it multitasks as a base too. I also really like the L'Oreal Colour Appeal Solo Eyeshadow in the shade 152 Platinum Beige. You know those days where you can't be bothered doing anything special with eyeshadow but you still want a bit of something? This is perfect for that.

A softer alternative to black eyeliner is using brown instead; I really like the Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Liner in Sable Brown. Gives a certain definition to the lash line without the harshness of black. I also really like the Rimmel ScandalEyes Liner in Nude on the lower waterline to really brighten the eye up (rather than using white which can look so harsh and over-powering, especially on darker skin tones).

There's two big lip colours in at the moment, the infamous Radiant Orchid, a la Pantone, and orange, the standard that comes back around each year. I picked up two gorgeous orchid lip shades last week, first one is the new (ish) release of the Revlon Colour Burst Lip Lacquer Balms (shade 'Whimsical') - they're a new formula of the chubby-stick-dupes of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain, but these new ones have a slight amount of shimmer to them (there's also a line of matte formulations too). I also really like the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Wild Orchid, which I do believe seems to be a dupe of MAC Show Orchid which I think is discontinued.

Keeping to the theme of lips, orange is huge in again this year, and I think the standard orange lipstick that springs to mind for a lot of people is Morange lipstick by MAC; I've not worn this much yet but I can't wait to get a lot of use out of this when the sun is out! A great dupe of MAC Morange that I picked up a few weeks ago is Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in In Love With Ginger. It's slightly more red than Morange however still is the fantastic on-trend bright shade for this season!

Onto skin... One of the big trends for this season is 'no makeup-makeup' - it's been seen at loads of catwalks for the SS14 season, and to achieve this look I really like the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, because it covers everything that it needs to be covered but still lets the skin show through and gives a radiant, bare-skinned look. I also really like MAC Face and Body Foundation for the same reason - also, Face and Body is so great in terms of its buildability; using one layer gives a really light finish but you can build it up to almost a full coverage (plus it's a perfect day to night foundation too). If you're wanting something lighter than a foundation, I love the Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream. Again, this covers everything it needs to, but is so light on the skin (literally just feels like you're wearing moisturiser).

A beautiful blush for spring is the Topshop Blush in Head Over Heels, which is a cream formula blush which doesn't necessarily set, but also doesn't stay shiny and sticky either - it's honestly the perfect in-between. (They do however describe it as cream to powder however it doesn't set a lot in my opinion, if that makes any sense).

And finally for nails. I've selected the stereotypical spring hue of mint in the form of Barry M Nail Paint in Blue Moon. This does need a good three coats, however it's such a gorgeous pastley springy colour and i love it. Matte finish for nails has been all the rage for probably about a year now. I really like Barry M's Matte Nail Paint in Vanilla - this is not too far from my skin tone, which is why I really like it for spring because it's toned down and very neutral. The matte finish makes it even more understated but still looks very chic and classic. I've also included two of the Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints, in some nice pastel shades, Light Blue and Lychee. 

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What products do you like for spring?

August Glossybox

I FINALLY decided to dip into the world of beauty boxes, and on Saturday morning I received my first Glossybox in the post.

Glossybox packaging 

So if you don't know what Glossybox is, it is a beauty box where you get 5 surprise sample sized, or sometimes full size, products each month. It costs £10 per month (+ P&P) on a rolling contract)

Contents of the August Glossybox 

So the first product in the box is a sample of Juicy Couture's new perfume, Viva La Juicy Noir.

Sample of Viva La Juicy Noir by Juicy Couture 

WHAT THEY SAY: "Viva La Juicy Noir is for the woman who is daring and leaves a lasting impression. She's the life of the part - not afraid to show off and get notices. Viva La Juicy Noir highlights the succulent ripe berry notes and gourmand accents, whilst adding a juicy touch of honeysuckle and a sultry hint of sandalwood."

This is currently the only product I've tried so far and I absolutely LOVE it. I will definitely be purchasing the full size version!

Next is this 30ml mini version of the Purity Made Simple Cleanser by Philosophy.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser

WHAT THEY SAY: "A highly effective one-step facial cleanser. A pH balanced formula that rapidly dissolves dirt and makeup while deep cleaning the pores".
So I've tried this a couple times already and I do like it, but I'm not giving too much away as there will hopefully be a review for you next week on it!

Emite Makeup Eyelash Curlers

WHAT THEY SAY: "Developed with professional makeup artists for their requirements, the Professional Eye Lash Curler has a special curved design to suit all eye shapes, without touching your makeup base."

I'm only just getting into using eyelash curlers so another pair means I can keep one in my makeup drawer and one in my makeup bag "just incase".

Oceane Makeup Remover Pen

WHAT THEY SAY: "This pen delivers the mobile, mess- and fuss-free makeup touch up / removal solution we have always wanted when stuck on planes, trains and automobiles."

I haven't tried this yet but I quite like the idea of it - it seems easy and simple rather than having to get a cotton bud and makeup remover!

Jelly Pon Pong 2-in-1 Shadow/Liner in Plum

WHAT THEY SAY: "A uniquely formulated crayon that doubles as an eyeliner for thick, precise lines as well as a perfectly blended eye shadow."

I also haven't used this either, but I have just swatched it and the pigmentation and blendability seems great.

So that is all for this months' Glossybox. I'm definitely going to make these a regular occurrence because I think they're a great little treat to get each month!

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DISCLAIMER: I am in no way affiliated or endorsed by Glossybox to promote their service, I just think that it is a fantastic service for beauty lovers/junkies like myself.

Eyeko Skinny Mini Liquid Liner First Impressions Review

I came across THIS Eyeko liquid liner as a free gift in this month's Marie Claire magazine. 

Eyeko was a brand that I heard of before but never really heard that much about, so I wasn't sure whether to have high hopes that it would be great, or to have no hopes for it at all. 

Eyeko Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner packaging

Eyeko Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner

My eye - excuse my unruly brows.

 The applicator is a felt tip pen style. Now I've tried these before and they have not been very pigmented when applied and they have dried out SO quickly (I'm talking days...). However this was very black when I applied it, always a bonus. I found it super easy to apply and it was really easy to get a good shape without lots of faffing around. 

 Staying power? It definitely lasted all day, however when I accidentally wiped past it, it smudged right off. Very disappointing. 

 I'm keeping this a short review/post, but in terms of application I score it high because of how easy it was to get the right shape, but in terms of staying power and non-smudginess - they do claim it is smudgeproof too - I score it quite low because it smudged off so easily and also washed off very easily (a pro and con in itself, to be honest). 

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Have you tried this liner? What other liquid liners have you tried? Let me know in the comments what you think of it.