bloomzy /

Review: Collection x Little Mix All About The Eyes Palette

Collection Cosmetics x Little Mix All About The Eyes Eyeshadow Palette*

Collection are back again with another Little Mix collaboration, and this time round we’re being treated to a new eyeshadow palette. It’s great to see that this collection has evolved along with Little Mix’s personal style. Their look is a lot more mature now than it was when they first started, and this is reflected in their choice of colours for the palette. The 6 shades vary from Feather (a subtle cream) to Blackbird (an intense black), but are all centred around creating a nude/smokey eye.

Pros:
– Subtle, noticeable shades
– Applies well
– Long lasting
– Travel-friendly Packaging
– Perfect selection of shades

Cons:
– No matte shadows in the palette

Notes:
Nude palettes seem to be in abundance these days, but that hasn’t lessened my love for them. Little Mix and Collection’s offering is not much different to the others currently on sale, but the packaging alone drew me in. The travel-friendly size and flip lid make this the perfect palette for me to take away on holiday later this month. As for the shades, I love the choice of colours and even though I don’t often use black I know that I’ll definitely get plenty of use out of the others. The shades aren’t highly pigmented but I’m glad because I wouldn’t want that for my own personal use (in these colours). The lack of matte shadows in the palette did leave me a little sad, but this seems to be a regular occurrence with ‘drugstore’ brands as of late. That said, the glitter is quite subtle and is only noticeable (when worn) on the more yellow shades. I’ve been using this palette for the past few weeks (could you tell from the photos?) and I’m sold on it. At £3.19 this is the cheapest nude palette for this kind of quality. I’ll definitely be replacing it when this one runs out.

You can purchase the Collection Little Mix All About The Eyes Palette at Boots.

bloomzy /

Review: Glamour Beauty Edit Box July 2014

For this particular beauty box I have enlisted the help of my bestie Jemi. She recently received the ‘Glamour Beauty Edit Box July 2014’ and has written a very thorough review for it. In fact it’s so amazing that it puts mine to shame! So feel free to let her know what you thought over on her Twitter or Instagram.

Beauty boxes are a big thing right now. I’d only known of them through bloggers, but they seem to be everywhere at the moment. I’d never bought one before, and then I stumbled upon Latest In Beauty, who are currently offering two kinds of boxes: a build your own beauty box, where you can mix and match products to create a custom box of your choice, or the Glamour Beauty Edit box, a box collaborated in conjunction with Alessandra Steinherr, Beauty Director of Glamour magazine, offering 9 pre-selected beauty products to set you up for the summer ahead. After seeing one particular item listed in the Glamour Beauty Edit box, I knew which one I was going to go for…

The box as it arrived was similar in size to other beauty box brands, with the title of the box and Glamour’s logo. The presentation is simple and clean, which I like. I was impressed at the presentation when I first opened the box, given that these are batch produced, I was pleased that everything was packed in neatly, elegantly wrapped, and sealed with a kiss.

Crabtree & Evelyn Nail Lacquer in Petal Pink, (£6.00 RRP, full size product)
Okay… hands up, who actually knew Crabtree & Evelyn did nail polishes? I certainly didn’t. There was a choice of either an apple red, or petal pink, both of which I’d classify as classic, and dare I say, safe colours. I will personally be gifting this as I’ve no need for yet another nude pink so I couldn’t possibly comment on the application, but it does look a little sheer upon inspection.

Bourjois Paris Cream Blush in Rose Tender, (£7.99 RRP, full size product)
I have recently just switched over to cream blusher, and whilst I’ve used Bourjois products in the past, I can’t say I’ve used theirs. Like their eyeshadows, it comes in a make-up bag friendly size and doubles up as a compact. I have to say, I’m impressed. It has a somewhat velvety consistency which glides on beautifully. It blends superbly and has good staying power. The colour is a lovely peachy pink, which when applied has a slight sheen, and feels very light on the skin. I have a quite rosy cheeks naturally so I don’t liked to be bogged down with a heavy blusher, but this is a nice, subtle blush that can be built up for a more dramatic look, should you want to. I’ve actually discontinued using my previous cream blush in favour of this one in the mean time, but I’m not sure if I’m willing to carry on paying £7.99 for this product, as lovely as it may be. I think that will be dictated on how long the product itself lasts.

DHC – Deep Cleansing Oil, (£4.50 RRP, travel size product)
DHC’s Deep Cleansing Oil make up remover boasts to completely dissolve all traces of cosmetics and makeup (including waterproof mascara), whilst nourishing your complexion, regardless of your skin type. I’ll confess I was sceptical about using this product, as I do suffer from combination skin, preferring to use cleansers with salicilyic acid in them to keep the grease at bay. However after doing some reading about this online, it’s received rave reviews, both as a cleanser and for it’s moisturising properties. I’ll keep it with the intension of using it in winter, when my skin will be more in need of a hydration fix.

Hawaiian Tropic – Satin Protection Ultra Radiance SPF 30 (High), (£5.49 RRP, full size product)
This, along with the Velvotan mitt, were the least exciting products in the Glamour box. I understand that the theme is around summer essentials, and it is a good idea to promote looking after your skin in the sun… but really? Hawaiian Tropic is a well known brand, and I hear positive things about it, but at the end of the day it’s just a sun cream, and I can get larger (despite being full size, the bottle is no bigger than a teacup), higher factor sun creams for the same price or cheaper. I would have personally preferred to have received a more unique product.

Magnifibres – Brush-On False Lashes, (£21.00 RRP, full size product)
When I skimmed the contents of this box, I originally thought that these were just false eyelashes, and was going to gift them. I have a love hate relationship with falsies, I love how they look, but I just can’t be bothered with the faffing around that comes with applying them, to have them start peeling off a few hours after application (I will hold my hands up and admit at this point that the fault probably lies with me, rather than the lashes!). I have quite naturally dark eyelashes, but they are short and stubby, and I am forever on a search for the false lash effect without actually wearing them. All you need to do is apply your mascara as you would normally, and then whilst it’s still wet, apply a layer of Magnifibres, which claims to instantly lengthen your eyelashes by up to 5mm. I am very excited to try this product, but I hope that it thickens as well as lengthens. Given it’s recommended retail price I wouldn’t see myself using this for every day occasions, but I am impressed that a full size product was included.

Toni & Guy – Volume Plumping Whip, (£7.00 RRP, full size product)
How devvo’d are you when you spend ages styling your hair, to have it fall flat before the day is done? I have very fine hair, and whilst I have lots of it, volume of any kind is absolutely out of the question. I’ve used root boosting products in the past, to find they have made absolutely no difference to my hair in the slightest. But Toni & Guy, despite being a well known and trusted hair brand, is one I’ve not tried, so again I’m looking forward to trying this. I’ve seen mixed reviews online; the positives seeming to focus on the smell (which I actually didn’t care for that much), and the negatives being that it weighs the hair down, giving a greasy appearance (the texture doesn’t feel particularly sticky though, I will add). Toni & Guy suggest applying a walnut sized amount, but this to me seems extreme on the roots so I will be trying a smaller portion.

Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan BB Skin Perfector in Light, (£6.99 RRP, full size product)
This is Rimmel’s first instant tan, with ’skin perfector powers’ and 9-in-1 results: softens, smoothes, moisturises, gives an instant tan, creates a healthy looking glow, evens skin tone, covers, perfects, and lasts for up to 24 hours. It supposedly blends easily and can be easily removed with soap and water. As somebody who isn’t a fan of summer, and is a bit of a sun dodger, I am permanently pale, but I did discover fake tan this year, and I love it a little more than I probably should. It comes as a light or medium, with Glamour shipping out both shades so there was a 50/50 chance I’d be gifting this product to friends that can get away with a darker tan, but I’ve lucked out and received the light shade, so I will be using this for my own personal use. I tested out a little on my hands just to check the shade, and oh my days, it smells gorgeous, I can’t stop smelling my hands! I genuinely believe it ticks all 9 boxes. I plan on keeping this for my weekend away in Liverpool next month, which is the only time I really make an effort with my appearance when I go out (and can justify being a bronze goddess for 24 hours).

Velvotan – The Original Tanning Mitt, (£2.99 RRP, full size product)
There’s not a lot I can say about this product really. It’s a tanning mitt. We sell them where I work. I don’t plan on using this. I’ll be giving it to a friend who uses fake tan more than I do. This feels like a filler item to me, very disappointing.

Now for the product I am most excited about….
Illamasqua Glamore Lipstick in Naked, (£18.50 RRP, full size product)
Can I just start by saying I absolutely love Illamasqua, I could wax lyrical about them all day (don’t even get me started on their perfume, which is my signature scent) and their lipsticks are phenomenal. They don’t give up without a fight! I won’t wear any other brand of lipstick now. However, when I saw their latest collection of lipsticks were nudes, I had an ‘..oh’, moment. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good nude lipstick, however, they do not love me. Brand is absolutely irrelevant, whether it’s MAC or MUA, nudes are a no no. My lips are naturally quite darkly pigmented, and nudes are, quite frankly, out of the question. They have absolutely no staying power on me whatsoever, and if I even so much as look at food and drink, it’s off. Foundation and primer’s don’t help either (if anything they’re a hindrance), so I had resigned myself to a life without nude lipsticks. However, if anyone was going to convert me, it was going to be Illamasqua!

“The Glamore Nude lipsticks offer seven versatile shades that work well with every complexion. However if you need a little guidance, it’s very simple to find out what is the best match for you.
For those with a cooler skin tone, the right nude lipstick will have a high percentage of pink – this is normally found in nudes that include a rosy tone (Rosepout, Starkers). Those with warmer skin tones would suit a higher percentage of browns and this is found in earthy rose shades (Tease, Naked, Buff).
If you are after nudes with a kick of colour to it, nude coral colours would be the best match as you still get the balance of warm and cool tones with a slight pop of colour (Minx, Cherub)”

As great as it is that Illamasqua offer a shade selector, it is absolutely lost on me. I still struggle to find a foundation that matches my skin tone. My skin tone is quite troublesome; it’s a warm skin tone, but I have very rosy cheeks, and am prone to flushing on my face and neck. Combine that with being pale, and you have a nightmare on your hands. Sadly there is no Illamasqua counter in Norwich, meaning I only get my fix when I’m in London (and I didn’t really fancy doing the trip JUST for a lipstick) or up north, and I wasn’t prepared to blind buy one of their nudes given my bad luck in the past. Then when I saw that Glamour box were not only offering full size nudes, but that it was cheaper than the RRP. It’d be silly not to take the gamble.

Based on their shade collector, I was secretly hoping I’d get either Minx or Cherub. Okay, they’re not a true nude, but it’s okay, I wasn’t expecting to be able to ever wear a real nude anyway. C’mon, Minx or Cherub… Minx or Cherub…I got Naked. Oh. It’s the second darkest nude in the collection. Ah Crap. I swatched, I winced. I’d already mentally decided I was going to keep this lipstick. It’s Illamasqua. I love my friends, but I don’t love them enough to give them my Illamasqua products (I’m kidding! Kind of.) On the plus side, it wasn’t going to look like I’ve rubbed foundation all over my lips. But on the downside, I was possibly going to look like a 90’s throwback, and not in the good way…


Well blow me down with a feather. I actually really like it. With my discovery of instant tan came a discovery of bronzer, so I think I can just about pull off the shade. I’ve been wearing it at work for the last week and have received nothing but compliments, and does it stay in place? Of course it does, it’s Illamasqua. I apply it in the morning and it lasts all day, no problem. It doesn’t transfer when I eat or drink, and my natural lip colour doesn’t show through either. I am thoroughly impressed, and most importantly, I have discovered that I can indeed wear nudes. I’m thrilled I took the gamble, and discovered a shade I may not have dared tried had it not been chosen for me at random.

My Verdict: If you hadn’t worked it out already, I’ll admit I was bias and I did buy this box solely for the Illamasqua lipstick. Anything else was just an added bonus. However it’s only fair I look at the box overall.

Pros: Overall I’m pleased with the Glamour Beauty Edit box, there are a few products I am looking forward to trying out. I think there is a good mix of products, from hair care to make up, to skin care, and brands, from well known to the not so known.
I also can’t fault this box for value for money. LatestInBeauty bills the contents at £86.15, and at £16.95 for the whole box, including delivery, that’s an incredible saving. It’s also worth pointing out that out of the 9 items in the box, 8 of them were full size, which is a fantastic selling point and something I was very impressed with. It serves as a great introduction to beauty boxes.

Cons: I am still disappointed with a few choices. I really can’t overlook the Velvomitt in there. Is it really a summer essential? Personally, I’d have preferred to have seen a fragrance sample instead, especially if you like to switch up your perfumes depending on the season, like I do. I do think that the box does spell out summer though. Some other reviews of this box have mentioned that they received beauty offers for discount on products/brands that were featured in the box, though I didn’t get that. Hmm…

Conclusion: Would I buy a Glamour Beauty Edit box again? Absolutely, but only if the products grabbed me enough.

bloomzy /

Review: Heir Atelier Ultimate Make-up Prep Primer

Heir Atelier Ultimate Make-up Prep Primer*

I’d probably have my beauty blogger membership revoked if I admitted that I only started using primers around 1-2 years ago. I never saw the point and would just opt for moisturisers instead. Now I can’t imagine how I even got my make-up to stay on without one. I’ve tried a few since I switched over and when my most recent one ran out I decided it was time to try a new product. Heir Atelier’s Ultimate Make-up Prep is as interesting as it is beautiful. This little beauty wonder moisturisers and primes your skin for make-up, so you have one less step in your regime to worry about. The primer is “paraben free and formulated with anti-ageing peptides, Jojoba Oil and vitamins C and E” – sounds good to me!

Pros:
+ Applies well and easily
+ Creates smooth base
+ Concealer/Powder stayed on
+ Good texture
+ Nice fragrance
+ Moisturising


Cons:
– Eyeliner didn’t last all day when using this as a primer (see ETA)


Notes:
Look at that bottle! If that isn’t a beautiful beauty product then I don’t know what is. After removing the lid you may notice that the pump is hidden. That’s because it only pops up when the bottle is twisted. So it’s not only easy on the eye, but it’s also practical and clean. The texture of the primer is very similar to others I have used, although I have found that two pumps are needed for enough product to cover the whole face (others have only required one). It applies easily and leaves a smooth base for your make-up. I’m not a fan of fragrance in face products but this does smell nice and my skin seems to like it, so no complaints there. Unfortunately I noticed that my eyeliner didn’t last as long as it usually does, but my concealer lasted just fine. Overall, I think it’s a good product but at £28 for only 15ml, it’s very unlikely I would purchase it, especially when I am a fan of cheaper alternatives that work better (on my skin). The product itself is great, but the eyeliner problem is just too big of a con for me.

You can buy the Heir Atelier Ultimate Make-up Prep at Blow Ltd.

ETA: Kendra Richards is the lady behind Heir Atlier and she reached out to me via my blog and Twitter to let me know a little more about the brand, and my eyeliner concerns. The product is primarily for the face and she apologised for not making that more clear. She hopes to be able to communicate this better in the future, and was incredibly personable. This is her “baby”, which she created for the models and actors she works with, so I can understand that not everything is going to be spot on. That said, this feels like a high quality product and I’m very impressed that it’s so new. Not only that but I think it’s amazing that she contacted me and took on my comments. It has really changed my mind about the product and I can’t wait to see how the brand grows.

bloomzy /

Review: Canmake Stay-On Balm Rouge Lip Colour #3

Canmake Stay On Balm Rouge Lip Colour in #3 Tiny Sweetpea
Canmake is a brand you may have seen me mention before on the blog. Hailing from Japan, they offer quality cosmetics at high street prices, which has made them one of Japan’s leading make-up brands. I have been using their products for almost 5 years, but I still get excited when I see a new launch. Their Stay-On Balm Rouge intrigued me as it claims to be a moisturising lip balm with a rouge tint and UV protection. Now I don’t know about you, but that ticks all the boxes in what I’m looking for in a lip product. It comes in 8 shades, ranging from pinks, to corals and reds. I have shade #3 Tiny Sweetpea.
Pros:
+ Moisturisng
+ Noticeable tint
+ Applies easily
+ Cute packaging
+ Gloss-like finish

Cons:
– Doesn’t stay on when eating/drinking

Notes:
First off I have to say how impressed I am with the packaging. Canmake’s products are usually packaged nicely, but this one feels as if they’ve put in extra effort. The twist function makes the product seem more expensive, and it gives easy access to the balm. As for the balm itself, I was expecting something slightly sheer as that’s how it looked when swatched. However I found the colour to be quite pigmented and noticeable when I applied it to my lips. It felt very moisturising and not sticky at all. I’ve had dry lips recently, and this didn’t irritate them like some of my other tinted balms. My only complaint would be that it doesn’t stay on long when drinking or eating, but then not many lip products do. Priced at 580円 (around £3.35) I would definitely repurchase it, and I’d even buy more shades to add to my collection. As for being able to purchase it in Europe/US, the price has been hiked up, as is the usual with Japanese beauty products. If you managed to grab this in Asia then go for it! Still, if you’d like to buy it online it averages at around £8 (with shipping), which I would still pay for a replacement, once I’ve used this one. 
You can purchase Canmake’s Stay-On Balm Rouge Lip Colour at Alpha Beauty Store.
bloomzy /

Review: Birchbox July 2014 Beauty Box

Birchbox Beauty Box July 2014 

Where did the love go? Yes, only a few months ago I was professing my love for Birchbox to anyone that would listen. However the last couple of boxes have left me feeling as though something was missing…then July’s box happened. It’s been a crazy mixture of squished boxes, poor customer service and everything in-between. Let me tell you what was in my box first though, before I bore you with my decision for finally unsubscribing from Birchbox.
Inside my box was…
Benefit – The Porefessional
Whish – Lavendar Body Butter
Balance Me – Wonder Eye Cream
Laqa & Co – Lip Pencil in Menatour
Models Own – Nail Polish in Rocket

Thoughts?
This month’s box was very underwhelming, but maybe I should first mention how it turned up in such a state…and completely by surprise! For the past two months I haven’t been receiving any dispatch emails from Birchbox, meaning I didn’t know if my boxes had been sent. Now this isn’t a terrible thing by itself, however the (always disgruntled) courier has delivered my box to other people in my apartments before, without letting me know. Therefore knowing when my box is on it’s way is helpful. Thankfully I have lovely neighbours who noticed the mistake and didn’t nab my box for themselves. Anyway, I mentioned that it turned up in a state. All of my products were ok, but I think I got lucky. Even so, this is really not the way you want your product to turn up or how you want to represent your brand. I did tweet and message Birchbox about both of these problems. In hindsight I should have emailed them, but when they asked me to message them on Twitter I thought the problem might be solved pretty quickly. However it took forever to receive any kind of reply from them, and they completely ignored the dispatch email problem. They did apologise and said they would investigate the courier situation though, so hopefully no one else will have this problem.

As for the contents of the box itself, I can honestly say that there isn’t one product I can be certain I’ll use. I did appreciate that some of the products such as the full-size Models Own polish (not a great shade) and the decent sized The Porefessional (shade is too dark) are well-known and loved products, but they’re also nothing new. The eye cream, nail buffer and body butter are products I have coming out of my ears (thanks to pr samples and beauty box products) and I haven’t heard anything about these ones that make me want to jump to use them. Finally, the lip pencil – the quality seems good but this shade is really not me. I plan to give everything away, minus the nail polish and the eye cream, in the hopes that I will eventually use them at some point. All in all July’s box left me feeling pretty “meh” and along with all of the other problems, I have decided to unsubscribe from Birchbox. Maybe if a future box takes my fancy I may start my subscription again, but right now I really don’t need anymore beauty products that I won’t use.
Sorry for the downer – check out my more optimistic Birchbox reviews.

You can subscribe or buy this month’s box at Birchbox.
Using my link will give you (and me) £5 worth of points to spend in the store.

bloomzy /

Review: Collection Mardi Grass Nail Polish

Collection Mardi Grass Nail Polish in White Out, and Canary Yellow*
It seems like forever ago that I reviewed a nail polish, which makes me a little sad. I am a self confessed nail polish addict with a massive collection. I love themed collections and this Mardi Gras range from Collection cosmetics arrived at the perfect time to coincide with the gorgeous weather we’re having here. The limited edition range was released alongside the World Cup in Brazil, hence “Mardi Gras” – a carnival celebrated across the country. The collection only consists of three colours (white out, canary yellow and green with envy), but that’s more than enough to get you into the party spirit.
Pros:
+ Bright and bold colours
+ Cute packaging
+ Good price point

Cons:
– 2-3 coats needed 

Notes:
Collection nail polishes are nothing new to me but I hadn’t tried such bold colours from them before. I’ve always been on the fence when it comes to white and yellow polishes, so I was eager to try something out of my comfort zone. Both polishes are vibrant, and that colour translates well onto nails. The application isn’t too bad, but unfortunately it does take 2-3 coats to get a good opaque look. As for chipping, I tested the polish with a top coat and without. The polish without a top coat did wear off slightly but I didn’t notice much chipping in the first few days. The nails with a top coat lasted longer, as you’d expect. Overall I’m quite impressed with this polish, and the price makes me very happy too. £1.99 is perfectly on point for those who want to pick up a new shade of polish to add to their collection. 
You can purchase Collection’s Mardi Gras nail polish range at Boots and Superdrug.
bloomzy /

Review: A-Derma Light Hydrating Cream UV

A-Derma Light Hydrating Cream UV*
A-Derma is another French pharmacy brand (and sister brand to Avéne) that has caught my eye recently. The brand’s products cater to sensitive skin, dry skin and those with eczema. I had previously tried A-Derma’s Rich Hydrating Cream but found that it was a bit too full-on for my skin. So as Summer came round I turned to A-Derma Light Hydrating Cream UV. The cream claims to offer “immediate and long-lasting hydration that protects from climatic stress”. Perfect for somebody living in a city like London.
Pros:
+ Soothing
+ Applies easily
+ Hydrating
+ UV protection/SPF20
+ Absorbs quickly
 
Cons:
– Thin formula
– Small tube
 
Notes:
I usually know from the first application whether I will like a moisturiser, and I was pleasantly surprised with this one. The thin formula confused me slightly as it seemed quite watery for a cream, however I found that this worked to my advantage. The thin formula means it is easy to apply and absorbs quickly. I also noticed that once I had applied the cream my skin felt very soothed. Combined with the UV protection (and SPF20), this is a lovely cream to be wearing alone or under make-up during the Summer. It’s very light and sits on the skin well. I would definitely purchase it, and the price point isn’t ridiculously high either, at £14.50. Although I do wish there was more product in the tube.
You can purchase A-Derma’s Light Hydrating Cream UV at Boots.