Saturday 30 January 2016

Milani Baked Blush Review and Photos

Milani Baked Blush
If you'd seen my American Drugstore Haul, you'll know I picked up a few things from Milani. Milani is an amazing fashion forward brand, that stocks a colourful selection of on trend cosmetics, but unfortunately they only currently sell in the US.

Within the UK I can never seem to find any decent drugstore blushers, that are of a high quality, with a great colour selection and that have the right price point. I've heard a lot about the Baked Blush from Milani, so I thought I would pick up a few to try while I had the opportunity. Here's my thoughts.
Price
These retail for $8.49 for 3.5g of product, which is around £5.96 in English pounds. I think this is great value for money for a baked blush as they also come with a mirror and brush too. The Baked Blush comes in 9 stunning shades ranging from pink to coral, bronze to rose.
Packaging
Although you can tell by the packaging these are drugstore blushers, I actually really like the design of these. I love the gold and the fact the blush is visible, as it shows of how beautiful these really are inside. As I mentioned above they also come with a handy mirror and brush. The brush is not the best quality, but I think it's a nice touch.
Application
The actual texture of these blushers is not that soft, but they are super pigmented and apply amazingly! I picked up Dolce Pink and Rose D'Oro, a pink and rose gold shade. Both are very shimmery and add an instant pop of glow to the cheeks, so if your not into shimmery blush or highlight, these may not be for you. You actually don't need to apply much to be able to see the true colour, as a little really does go a long way.
01 Dolce Pink
02 Rose D'Oro
Longevity
I couldn't believe how long these lasted on my cheeks, I actually thought they had better longevity than some of my high end blushers! The colour stayed true all day, which was fantastic as I do find blush is always the first thing to wear on my face.
Overall Thoughts
For a drugstore blush, I was amazed at how good these were. The price is on point, the packaging is beautiful, the blush itself is stunning and the longevity is impressive. I think you can tell I liked these! They really are a great drugstore find and are indeed worth the hype, if you love a strong, glowy cheek. The only thing I would say is as I mentioned above these may not be for everybody, because of their shimmery formula, but if your all for that then, you should defiantly give them a go. It's just a real shame we don't have Milani here in the UK, as I would certainly be investing in some more of the colours they have to offer.

I award the Milani Baked Blush 4.9 out of 5
SHARE:

Friday 29 January 2016

Topshop Nail Polish - Nails of the Day

Topshop Nail Polish in Ghost
Iridescent nail polish is one of my favourite's, as I love the way it reflects every colour of the rainbow. Last month I snapped up my first nail polish from Topshop, which was from their Christmas collection for 2015. I chose of course the iridescent shade called Ghost, this pretty shade is a pearl, duo-chrome polish, which looks gorgeous on it's own or on top of a white.

Topshop Nails stock an extensive selection of colours, ranging from matte to metallic and glitter to duo-chrome. Polishes' retail for around £6 and come in cute polka dot packaging. The polish I picked had the perfect sized brush for application, which  helped apply the polish really nicely. I do want to pick up a few more polishes from Topshop so I can do a more detailed review for you guys, so if there's any colours you recommend, just let me know.
SHARE:

Thursday 28 January 2016

Product Empties and Products I Regret Buying

Product Empties and Products I Regret Buying
Being a complete product junkie means I'm a total sucker for pretty packaging and anything new. Over the past few months, I've used up a fair few shampoo's, body lotions and make-up, so I thought I would share with you my thoughts on the good, the bad and the ugly.
Products mentioned:
1. Boots Baby Extra Large Cotton Wool Pads
Make Up Eraser First Impression
2. Simple Kind To Skin Micellar Wipes
3. Herbal Essences Fresh Balance Clarifying Shampoo
4. Sephora Pomegranate Sheet Mask
5. Sephora Lotus Sleeping Mask
6. Victoria's Secret Love Spell Shimmer Body Mist
7. Bath and Body Works A Thousand Wishes Body Lotion
8. Lancôme La vie est belle Body Lotion
9. Ogx Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner
10. Provoke Touch of Silver Brightening Shampoo
11. Bleach London Rose Semi-Permanent Hair Colour
12. L'Oreal Mythic Oil
13. Garnier Ultimate Blends 7-in-1 Dry Shampoo with Vanilla Milk
14. Juicy Couture Viva LA Juicy Perfume
15. Jean Paul Gaultier Classique Eau de Parfum
16. 17 Blemish BB Balm in Light
17. Maybelline Gel Liner in Black Gold
18. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Silky Beige
19. Benefit Roller Lash Mascara
20. The Body Shop Solid Oil Lips in Wild Argan Oil
21. Balmi Mint Cube Lip Balm
SHARE:

Wednesday 27 January 2016

Top 5 Drugstore Products Worth Buying - COLLECTION

Collection Cosmetics
With a wide variety of drugstore brands to choose from nowadays, it's easy to get stuck in a drugstore vortex when choosing make-up. I wanted to start this new series on my YouTube channel called, my Top 5 Drugstore Products Worth Buying. Each episode I will focus in on a particular make-up brand, sharing with you my top five products that are worth buying from each.

I do believe the drugstore has come on leaps and bounds with regards to quality and value for money and although not everything is good from one brand alone, there is defiantly some superstars within each, so here's my top five best of the bunch starting with Collection.

Collection are a brand that have been around ever since I can remember, previously named Collection 2000, Collection bring to the market affordable and on trend make-up products, that are both great quality and accessible. You can find Collection at most drugstores within the UK including, Boots, Superdrug, Wilko and Amazon.
Wearing Ochre from the Eyes Uncovered Palette, Collection Perfection Concealer, Collection Contour Kit, Collection Glam Crystals in Va Va Voom and Collection Lasting Colour in Rosewood.
1. Collection Eyes Uncovered Palette in Nude Bronze £3.99 - I have mentioned this palette in numerous posts before, but the reason why I love this is because it's a steal at only £3.99, the colours are completely wearable for everyday and each shade is super pigmented and long-wearing.

2. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer £4.19 - This popular concealer is another must have in anyone's make-up bag. I love this because it has a creamy consistency, medium coverage and it lasts. It's also the perfect size to pop in you handbag for touch-ups.

3. Collection Glam Crystals £2.99 - If your off out after work and don't have time to completely get ready again, then these crystal eyeliners are perfect to glam up any look. Not only are these a great dupe for the Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Liners, they come in an amazing array of colours and last all night long.

4. Collection Contour Kit £4.19  - The Collection Contour Kit is one of my newest favourites and for a drugstore contour kit this is great value for money, as you get a lot of product. There's a lot to love about this contour kit as both shades apply beautifully, due to their finely milled consistency and the bronzer or sculpt shade is the perfect, non-orange colour for both bronzing and contouring. The highlight shade reminds me of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders as you can get away with applying this all over the face, due to it's subtle ethereal glow.

5. Collection Lasting Colour in Rosewood £2.99 - This affordable lipstick is a beautiful flattering nude/taupe that has a creamy consistency and is a great dupe for MAC Velvet Teddy. I was surprised at how pigmented and buttery this lipstick was and with a great colour selection to choose from, how can you not go wrong with these.
SHARE:

Tuesday 26 January 2016

Casual Converse Days - Style Diary #3

For casual Sundays and days when I'm just running errands, I love nothing more than wearing my Converse All Star's in white. These are defiantly my go to trainers as the white pair look great with any outfit and plus they're super comfy too. What's your favourite casual go to trainers?
Hat - River Island
Necklace - Orelia
T-Shirt - River Island
Jacket - H&M
Jeans - American Eagle
Bag - Ted Baker
Trainers - Converse
Nails - Nails Inc. in Piccadilly Terrace
SHARE:

Sunday 24 January 2016

Rimmel Match Perfection Loose Powder Review and Photos

Rimmel Match Perfection Silky Loose Face Powder
Concealer has become a bit of an obsession of mine, but as we all know it does need to be set pretty quickly to prevent creasing and to maximise the wear time. Now most powders that I own unfortunately don't cut the mustard in providing what I need to help with my concealer concerns and so I recently switched to this loose powder from Rimmel, which is more suited to what I need it for, so here are my thoughts...

Check out my other reviews from the Rimmel Match Perfection Line here,
Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer
Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation
Price
This retails for £6.99 for 10g of product and comes in the translucent shade only.
Packaging
The packaging is clear and simple and represents the Match Perfection line with it's bright blue top. It also has a second top inside which prevents too much product coming out, but I would still be careful when opening the blue lid as it can get a bit messy regardless of the 2nd lid inside.

This is also comes with a small, thin powder puff too, but I do think a brush is better suited for applying this kind of powder.
Application
This has the most beautiful silky texture and applies like a dream because of it's finely milled consistency. I applied this with a small contour brush to the areas I had concealed and it instantly set my concealer without creasing, as well as helping mattify the shine on my t-zone area from the foundation I had applied. I also found a little goes a long way, so less is more in this case.
Longevity
This latest really well, for a good 13+ hours to be precise, which was amazing! And by the end of the night I really didn't look shiny at all, even after a long day.
Overall Thoughts
Overall this powder was wonderful at helping me stay shine free, non cakey and flawless all day long. This is also a great affordable drugstore powder that's perfect for anyone who suffers with oily skin or who is searching for an inexpensive dupe for the Laura Mercier Translucent Powder to set their concealer with.

I award the Rimmel Match Perfection Silky Loose Face Powder 4.8 out of 5
SHARE:

Friday 22 January 2016

O.P.I Infinite Shine Review and Photos

O.P.I Infinite Shine
Long wearing gel like polishes are everywhere right now, as they claim to bridge the gap between ordinary nail polish and gel polish. This hybrid formula has a high shine finish, lasts longer than regular polish, dry's quickly and involves either two or three steps to achieve the gel like appearance. I have already tested out a few from the drugstore including Barry M and Revlon, but I was keen to see what the premium brands had to offer within this market. O.P.I has been one of my favourite brands for years now, so I thought I would give their Infinite Shine version a go first, here's my thoughts.
Price
To get the most from this system it's advised you purchase the base and top coat too. Both the base, top and colour all retail for £13.95 each for the usual 15ml of polish. A regular bottle of O.P.I lacquer retails for £12.50, so not a huge difference in price, which is good, it's just a shame you have to pay out another £27.90 just to be able to use the three step system properly. But once you have the base and top that should last you a good while and it's a lot cheaper than getting a gel manicure.
Packaging
The packaging is the same as the original lacquers, the only difference is the title and silver top. They also tell you on the front of the bottle which is step 1, 2 & 3. The Infinite Shine colour collection comes in 30 shades ranging from blues to green and reds to taupe's.
At the moment these only come in a crème formula, but hopefully in the future they will release some shimmers and duo chromes. I picked up four of the shades from left to right in, Set in Stone, Raisin' the Bar, From Here to Eternity and It Never Ends.
Application
To apply you start with a thin layer of the base coat, known as the 'prime', you then apply two thin layers of the coloured lacquer, it's then advised you wait two minutes before you apply your top coat, know as the 'gloss', this dried pretty quickly, which was great. These lacquers are beautifully pigmented and are really opaque in just one coat, so it's up to you whether you think you need the 2nd coat. I did apply the two coats of colour as per the instructions.
Longevity
Although these had a glossy finish and went on beautifully, unfortunately the shine didn't last the 10 days as mentioned on the box. I also had chipping on a few nails on day 3 which was a shame. I also found that if you did accidently knock your nails, they did chip easily and by day 6 my nails didn't look the best so I decided to take it off.
Overall Thoughts
For me this system sounds appealing, as everyone loves a glossy gel like nail, that lasts, but also takes away the hassle of using a light to cure, as well as a having to soak off the colour. Now don't get me wrong I loved the colour selection, opaque formula and the fact it dry's pretty quickly, it was just unfortunate the longevity and shine factor let it down. I have normal polishes that have better durability than these, which is a real shame considering I'm a big fan of O.P.I. But as I do love these colours I purchased, I will see how well they work with a normal base and top coat as I do know they work well on top of gel extensions and acrylics, I will keep you posted!
 
So if you have a special occasion or a holiday booked and your after a gel like polish, that has a glossy, long-wearing finish, I would recommend going to the salon and having gel nails instead, as they are more likely to withstand the test of time.
 
I award O.P.I Infinite Shine 3.6 out of 5

SHARE:
© Pink Paradise Beauty | All rights reserved.
Blogger Template Created by pipdig