SPLURGE OR SAVE: MELTING CLEANSERS FEAT. B. CLEAN, MERUMAYA & OSKIA

What is a Melting Cleanser you may ask? 

Usually, it's a gel like a formula that transforms into oil on the contact with the skin and then to milky or emulsion-like consistency on contact with water. There are obviously many different types of Melting cleansers and each I've tried will work slightly different, but the general idea is that the gel will melt into oil on contact with the heat source i.e. your skin. 

WHAT'S IN MY BAG | KURT GEIGER NATURAL OPAL STUD XBODY BAG

I needed (ok, wanted) new bag for quite some time. Then one evening I came about this gorgeous Kurt Geiger Opal Stud XBody Bag and was sold instantly. This nude coloured Opal Stud XBody Bag is structured and sturdy with multicoloured studs (black, milky beige and gold) and gold details including a beautiful chain with nude faux leather handles. Also available in black HERE.

SHOP MY STASH #1 - TOP 5 FORGOTTEN MAKEUP (SO FAR!)

Happy Spring my Queens! I can't believe we've made it! Winter has been long and it seems to still linger with rain and cold weather but I'm writing this on a phone going to work on a Tuesday morning and it is glorious out there. Bloody freezing but sunny and beautiful! Here's to hoping warmth will follow up soon! 

NEW IN: ANDROGYNY PALETTE REVIEW WITH SWATCHES + MY JEFFREE STAR COLLECTION MAKEUP COLLECTION

It's not a secret that I love Jeffree Star cosmetics. I think the formulas are inspired, even if the packaging centres on tacky and infantile. Of course I'm not talking quality of materials used. The packaging feels heavy and well made suggesting quality, I may just not be so crazy about the pink used. That doesn't change the fact the formulas in eyeshadows, liquid lipsticks and highlighters are different to those of other brands and in general I have only positives to say about them. The formulas are certainly high quality and mostly comparable between the products. Some shades of liquid lipsticks work and wear better than others but in all honesty that's the case for any brand I've tried. I loved Beauty Killer palette since the moment I laid my eyes on it, enjoyed using it for months, so when Androgyny was announced, I knew it'll be mine as soon as it hits this side of the ocean. And it did. On a premiere day. Thank you Jeffree, thank you Beauty Bay. 

Eyeshadow Palettes | RPR £40.00 

Androgyny (currently out of stock on Beauty Bay)

The outer packaging had a gorgeous brown berry shade to it, so it was a bit of disappointment to see it hiding the super pink packaging of the palette itself. It's made of faux leather and has actually quite luxurious feel to it. I just feel the screaming pink does not suit this palette at all. I wish berry shade was used, but again, that's just my preference. Inside you'll find a good quality mirror surrounded by a vintage mirror (?) frame. I don't like it. Saying that, it's the biggest con I find with the palette as I truly adore the shades, despite the tacky packaging! 

I loved the formula of Beauty Killer palette - POST - the shades were extremely pigmented, some even stained the skin so pigmentation was expected with Androgyny. It didn't disappoint! I feel the formula has improved from the original palette and shades are extremely pigmented, yet blendable. All shades are joy to work with and there's so much you can do with the palette in terms of creativity. The shades come in three finishes from buttery mattes through semi matte satins to incredible shimmers. 

Shades are truly remarkable and the palette ticks so many boxes: the trends (red, orange and copper tones), craziness (greens, turquoise and blue shades) to daytime faves (cool toned taupe). It is modern, intense but certainly not complete. It completes the Beauty Killer perfectly as you can borrow off white and black shades from it and provides an inspiration for countless evening and daytime looks. There's so much smokiness in this palette and I love how much choice we get. It'll suit any skin tone and eye colour and has shades to compliment all. The only thing it lacks is a true highlight shade, but provides a gorgeous transition (and contour shade) in Safe Word instead. 

Frosting - gorgeous pigmented gold, perfect all over or as highlight for medium toned skin

Safe Word - light taupe matte, perfect for contouring the eye or the face

Charm - true orange matte (has slight shimmer in the pan that doesn't transfer) 

Deja Vu - metallic copper bronze done right - superb pigmentation

Dominatric - pigmented dark warm chocolate brown, Matte finish

Androgyny - star of the show - muted dark purple matte

Fetish - dark red brown with purple sheen in the pot, not visible on lid, almost matte 

Military - Jeffree does khaki or muted kiwi as I like to describe this gorgeous green matte

Poison - dark muted turquoise/ sea blue matte

Swallow - dark muted blue, almost navy matte 

I couldn't be more in love with this palette if I tried. The shades have intense pigmentation, yet blend almost by themselves. This is a smokey eye heaven as the two shades which look satin in the pan are almost matte on the lid, so if you love your mattes and are little bored and tired with all warm shade palettes, this is the one for you. Shades like Safe Word are so versatile, they do your daytime makeup alone, you can not only contour your eyes but also face with it. For an intense smokey, the ultra copper Deja Vu does the whole look for you! All the shades last well on me and the lasting power improves with Urban Decay Primer Potion slightly than over MAC Painterly. My favourite and most used shades so far are Safe Word, Charm, Androgyny and Fetish but all shades come with superb pigmentation so everyone can have their pick! 

Beauty Killer

Beauty Killer was the palette of last summer for me. It was the only palette I took on holiday with me last year and it didn't disappoint. I created multiple looks with it - POST- and I love it for bringing out my creative side! How it compares to Androgyny? Some of the shades, especially the gold were more gritty in texture and the two shimmers in Androgyny are so much smoother and more buttery to touch. The intense pigmentation is comparable in both palettes and I find both complete each other well. If you have both, you truly need no other palettes to create any look under the sun. There's so many beautiful shades in the palette but I was grabbed mostly by the incredible Star Power, Courtney, Expensive and Confession! Check out my in depth review here for more pictures & swatches! 

Skin Frost Highlighters | RPR £25.50

Ice Cold

I talked about Jeffree Star Skin Frost in Ice Cold already and it landed in my favourites as I used it exclusively for over a month. It is the most incredible shade. If you're super pale as me, it's the one to own. It's white but with some almost white gold shining through in some light and almost platinum shine in other. Simply stunning & I wanted to show you the true power of it in this little video swatch! Isn't it gorgeous? It's the biggest highlighter on the market and it'll take me a long time to even show the dent in it. Perfect for professionals as it's super inexpensive if you take the size in consideration. Still cheaper than Becca for example. I'm not saying spending £25.00 on highlighter is cheap but there are more expensive ones out there. You can't fault it. The shade, the lasting power, the size. It has a huge mirror which is actually good quality and the packaging is super sturdy, if not really travel friendly. 

Velour Liquid Lipsticks | RPR £16.00

I left liquid lippies for last but they're certainly not least. Jeffree Star has revolutionised the liquid lipsticks and is most known for them. In terms of the packaging, I actually like it. It fits my aesthetics more than the palettes or highlighters. The shade gallery is extensive and some shades are truly remarkable. There's still some shades (Unicorn Blood!!!) I need but I'm happy with my collection so far. I have shades from each spectrum and I love most. Some shades are better than others in terms of quality, transfer, lasting power and wear but I really like them all. What I find is that the shades do last forever given you don't eat anything too oily as oily formula seem to dissolve the formula super easy. So as long as you're eating a quick salad, you'll be wearing JS for hours! The vegan formula has its perks and the lippies can be used as a liner too as the formula has been tested and is eye friendly. I haven't actually tried that, but maybe one day? 

Chrysanthemum 

It's a beautuful pinky nude. Not fully opaque and needs two swipes. It's got some sheen to it and works great for daytime. If you're pale, I would top up with a slightly darker lip liner for more definition. 

Mannequin 

It's light pinky brown nude with matte finish. Dries to opaque matte and works great over a darker nude or on it's own. Stays on well and wears off nicely. Easy to top up during a day. 

Rose Matter

It's a muted medium rose. It dries opaque matte and only needs one swipe. Stays out all day and it's easy to top up. I really like this shade for every day as it's a perfect balance between usual nudes and most daring statement shades. This one has a very specific scent which I personally hate, but I excuse it as the shade is perfect. 

Watermelon Soda 

It was my first JS lipstick and made me fall in love with the formula. I love the scent but it's not the usual scent for JS sadly. The shade is a crazy intense pink with slight reddish tones. It dries opaque matte and is long wearing. It wears off nicely and it's ok to top up during the day. 

Scorpio 

It's a dream if you love the whole taupe purple trend. It's quite dark and fits the trend well. Dries fully matte, almost opaque. The formula is slightly more creamy than others and sadly it wears off not great. I thought it's how darker shades do but it's this one in particular that needs topping up badly during the day and can be crumbly if you do it too often. It's a shame as the shade is simply stunning! 

Checkmate

It's an another favourite of mine. Intense orange red. It dries matte and super opaque. It's the most gorgeous statement red I own and I love pairing it with any eye! It stays out well, wear off nicely and can be topped up during a day with no issues. I adore the intensity of the shade. This will suit any complexion but looks so gorgeous against pale skin! 

Designer Blood 

It's an intense dark berry red. It dries opaque and matte. It wears beautifully all day and can be topped up. It is by far my most worn Jeffree's liquid lipstick. This statement shade will suit any complexion and fits the dark lip trend well! I love it for daytime as it makes the rest of the makeup a canvas to it's glorious statement finish. Definite must have! 

Overview

There's definitely a lot to say about Jeffree Star but I'm not interested in the controversy. He's a very interesting individual and he knows how to market himself, so I wouldn't necessarily think all the controversy isn't just a play in the crazy world he lives in. I respect him as an artist, I think it takes hard work and determination to not only lead the business but also create, design and inspire. Maybe it's not your cup of tea, but I find that quite inspiring. I think hard work should be celebrated and you can't deny him that. 

Out of all the collection, I love it all. I think the lipstick shades are inspired and that goes for Eyeshadows and highlighters. I have few more on my wish list and the latest purchase won't be my last! I like Jeffree Star as a brand and I think you would to!  

Where to buy

UK | Beauty Bay

USA | Jeffree Star Cosmetics

Poland | Colors Vibe

Thank You For Reading,

Love

Let's Be Friends:

BUSY GIRL'S MORNING SKINCARE ROUTINE: SPRING UPDATE

Last week we've discussed spring trends - POST - and most importantly glowing skin, so I thought it's important we go in a little more detail regarding my morning skincare, as it's recently changed a bit. Spring calls for serious glow. You know, the one that makes people ask what's your secret! 

It's no secret that a good routine starts with cleansing and I love a good cleanse as no other! I've been recommended to try Oskia my my good friend Sionhán many times and I finally caved in recently! She is my own personal skincare guru and I usually love what she recommends. In fact we are quite similar in terms of our skin needs. Oskia has been definitely a discovery of the last weeks and thanks to great promo in Space NK - HAUL - and Latest in Beauty subscription (check out my Instagram now) I am currently testing Renaissance Cleansing Gel and Renaissance Mask. Both come with the signature Oskia scent, which I favour. I won't talk about the mask just yet. I've only tried it few times but cleanser works well as an only cleanse on those busy mornings or a second cleanse in the evening. It's not stripping and leaves my complexion brightened and ready for next steps. 

If you've been following me for a while, you know my love for toners. I never miss the step but lately I've been favouring Toner mists instead. The mists work great in the morning as they are super refreshing and my newest discovery does that brilliantly. Pixi Wake Me Up Mist gives me a shot of very much needed vitamin C (natural sunscreen) which wakes my skin up in seconds. I adore my glow mist and thought this would work similarly. The must is not as fine as with Glow Mist so sadly I won't be using it over makeup, but as I step after cleaning, it's a welcome one. It smells delicious too and if you like citrusy scents, you'll love it! 

In the morning I favour serums based on hyaluronic acid. The watery formulas are superb at keeping the dehydration at bay and ensuring my foundation won't cake up afterwards. I've been using a combination of Lacura Vitacell Serum Concentrate with TCR3* & Bravura Hyaluronic Acid Serum*. Lacura has the strangest formula I've ever seen as it's really just water. I find that I need quite a lot of product to distribute it evenly across face and neck. It's super firming, you can actually feel the lifting a moment after application. The scent isn't too great too with this one and only ever so slightly reminds me of the hair removal creams... I know, not pleasant at all! What I find is that you need something ultra hydrating to add to it, as firming and lifting products can make my skin feel just slightly dry. Enter Bravura. Hyaluronic Acid in its pure tone is the best thing that can happen to your skin, whatever your type. My dry skin loves it, but it'll work for the most oily types too. It's a genius little ingredient! I find most good quality serums to be ok and Bravura is no different. It leaves my skin just a tad sticky and ready for moisturiser. 

The eye cream choice has been Caudalie Premier Cru as of late. You know my love for Origins Plantscription I sadly said goodbye to and I've been on a look out for the same rich formula and I found it in Caudalie. This rich cream sinks in quickly and leaves my under eyes moisturised and prepped for the concealer. I really enjoy using it and given it's only a deluxe sample (5ml), I'm quite happy that it's proving to be very lasting as you only need a little. I would pack up a little more on the evening but for the morning you only ever need a tiny bit. This is actually good news given full size (15ml) will set you back by £50.00.

I've been praising Merumaya lately and managed to grab their Youth Preservation Moisturiser in Latest in Beauty box. This is a deluxe sample and it's been working wonders for me lately. Spring is fast approaching and weather can be tricky. I find that SPF20 is so far enough with the sun not being so prominent. My evening skincare consist of retinoids and AHAs -POST- so sunscreen is a must. Merumaya Moisturiser feels rich but my dry skin feeds on it as it sinks in super quickly. It works great under makeup and gives my skin enough moisture to ensure the foundation goes on smoothly. I've been absolutely loving it lately. As usual the packaging has a pump which I appreciate in skincare, as you want the ingredients to always work for you and not only until they're contaminated by exposure to other elements.

Do you update your skincare routine every so often or do you rather stick with your favourites? What formulas you like best? I found that lately I've been choosing a mixture of light and rich formulas and its been working great for my skin. I always end up changing up my routine as I continue to test new skincare, but there are some staples I always go back to. 

Thank You For Reading,

Love

DISAPPOINTING PRODUCTS EDIT: BAD CLEANSERS, BEAUTY SPONGE & HIGH END EYESHADOWS

Buying high end doesn't necessarily mean quality but drugstore can also disappoint. I never really bought in the whole disappointing products craze, as I prefer to be constrictive and not negative. Just because it hasn't worked for me, it doesn't mean you are not crazy in love with it. Makeup and skincare is a personal preference, but I thought I'll share with you the five products I'm slightly disappointed with. Here's why.

Garnier Micellar Gel 

So so this product has practically made me do the whole post. I got this during a recent drugstore trip - POST - and had quite the expectations. scratch that. I already made a mistake of buying a micellar gel based on my love for the micellar water from the brand (Looking at you L'Oreal - POST), so I really don't know why I expected more from Garnier. Pink Micellar Water is such a cult product and works perfectly fine for me. It is not my favourite micellar, as I made my feelings for Simple Micellar Water very clear over and over - POST - but it's a good product that doesn't sting my eyes and removes eye makeup well. Enter Garnier Micellar Gel... It is by far the most stinging cleanser I've ever used for eye makeup removal. Considering it is market as such, it's not excusable. I cried and sat with cold compress over my eyes for good 20 minutes after the first use. I thought maybe I did it wrong and done it to myself the very next morning thinking it may work well as a morning cleanser. It doesn't, it made me cry again. Yes it's cheap and I'm not missing out on much, but I hate wasting products and money. I now use it to remove swatches from my hands etc so at least I'll use it up somehow. It's awful though and I don't recommend it.

Bravura Cleansing Oil

Here's the deal. I don't despise this product, I actually quite like it. I just don't like it enough if that makes sense. I love my Superfacialist Vit C Cleansing Oil - POST - so much, nothing really compares. It's ok on the eyes but I would thread lightly as it made my eyes watery few times. I don't mind the scent, again it's not my usual cup of tea but it's fine, it cleanses well and haven't broken me out. The reason I don't like it as much is that it doesn't lather when combined with water like my cleansing oils and melting c;enasers usually do, so I don't feel like it's as easy to remove makeup with. I usually use it to break down face makeup week, remove eyes with micellar and follow up with a cleanser I just like better. It's a fine product but from all the Bravura bits I have been sent to test - POST - it's certainly my least favourite.

Superfacialist Micellar Water

I've mentioned that Superfacialist Vit C Cleansing Oil is one of my favourite cleansers and I wanted to love their Micellar Water as much, but I just don't. Again, as with Bravura Oil above, it is a very fine product. It removes eye makeup well, it doesn't dry out my face but I just don't think it's as delicate as it should be on the eye area. Let me explain, the way I cleanse my eyes is by soaking (and I mean it - I soak them good lol) the pads with micellar water and then I put them over my eyes for 30 seconds (YES I DO COUNT lol). With all these, I found the Micellar to sting my eyes if the pads were too wet. It did however removed makeup absolutely fine, I just need to be careful about amount of product to use and I just don't like to having to think about it, especially after a long day at the office. So yes, it's okay, just not for me. I'm not sure if this product is still available for sale, as it's not available in Boots or on the Una Brennan website.

Makeup Revolution Pro Blend Sponge

Makeup Revolution will forever be a king of dupes, so with the launch of their beauty sponges, I just had to give one a go. They cost £5.00 so it's definitely a cheaper alternative the the original Beauty Blender (RPR £16.00) but sadly, these are a no go for me. The sponge is really hard, it soaks up the water and it's really hard to get the water properly squeezed out. It fees like bouncing something really heavy of my face and it's not a pleasant feeling. For £5.00 you can probably find better. I used it few times but it really, really isn't good enough. It's just not. Sorry MUR, not this time!

Urban Decay Naked 2

I know there are some hardcore Urban Decay fans out there, who may eat me alive at even suggesting it, but Naked 2 is not a palette for me. I was given it for Christmas and must have used it only a few times before moving on. Recently I picked it up during my ongoing Shop My Stash project and day 1 I was bored of my mind. The quality of this palette isn't up there with Makeup Geek, Zoeva, Anastasia and many more companies. I am probably more excited to use a good MUR Chocolate palette for a week than I was with Naked 2. Don't get me wrong it's a beautiful palette and if you're a pro, you probably use it a lot for wedding makeup but I just can't get myself excited with it. Some of the shadows are beautiful and the matte black is a gorgeous shade, I just don't think there's enough mattes for me in it. I'm a matte girl through and through and need more than 3 shades in a palette to get my makeup going in the morning. There's also the fact that after an hour the shades blend in together so well, that you can't really tell if you're wearing a complicated combo of 12 or just one shadow. For the price, it is just not good enough. I don't think it's worth the price at all.

Thank You For Reading,

Love