Mini Haul + Reviews

Another Haul...the bank account really is not too impressed Jess.

Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer

I really liked Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer, but I love the Match Perfection one even more. I found that the Wake Me Up one had luminescent particles in it and was a little too orange for my skin tone, however this one is fantastic, it blends well, it doesn't have an orange tone and no luminescent particles either. It does a pretty good job at concealing redness, but it works so well at concealing my horrendously dark undereye circles. The only thing I don't like is the funny brush thing, it works well for applying the concealer under my eyes, but as I put concealer on the back of my hand to avoid the spread of acne bacteria it really doesn't work well in that situation. I would definitely recommend this concealer. 

£5.99 

Rimmel Kate Moss Red Nose Red 01 

I absolutely love this red, it is gorgeous! It's a clear red and its not too dark. It's not matte but isn't overly shiny either and for once it works perfectly against my skin tone. If apples really easily, isn't chalky at all and stays put for a long time.  I definitely recommend this lipstick. 

£5.49

Rimmel Kate Moss 34 

This is my most hated lipstick ever. The photo on Feel Unique made this colour look gorgeous and I actually picked this one over another one and l clearly should've picked the other one. I can only describe this colour and fluoro Barbie pink. Not only is the colour awful, it isn't as nice a formula as the other Rimmel Kate Moss lipsticks, it's quite chalky. Even worse, this colour is confused between a matte finish and a glossy finish, it's like it couldn't make up its mind. It doesn't apply nicely, feels and looks awful, I most definitely do not recommend this lipstick colour. I still do like the other Rimmel Kate Moss lipsticks, this one just didn't work out. 

£5.49 

I purchased all of these products from Feel Unique: www.feelunique.com

Once again, the service was fantastic and my purchases arrived in New Zealand, intact and undamaged within 8 days. 

Beauty Haul + First Impressions

This is a long overdue haul post...just blame school. Anyways, I went on a huge online shopping spree as well as a mall shopping spree and this is my haul. 

Some of these I have tried out, some I have not. 

Real Techniques Stippling Brush and Powder Brush

I love these brushes, the stippling brush is a good size. Sometimes I find that they are too big and don't do a great job at applying my BB cream, however the size of the Real Techniques one is perfect and gives a really good coverage. I find that the powder brush is a little too big, but does apply my powder well. 

These brushes are quite expensive from a NZD point of view, but are relatively affordable in GBP. I bought these from Feel Unique. (www.feelunique.com) 

Stippling Brush £10.99

Powder Brush £10.99

Real Techniques Concealer Brush

I have yet to try this one out, but I really like the shape of the brush and I'm excited to try it out. 

£7.99

Real Techniques Blush Brush

I haven't tried this out either, but it looks so beautiful and I think the shape of the brush will apply blush nicely. 

£9.99

Real Techniques Starter Set for eyes

I haven't tried these yet, but they all look like they will do their jobs well, and like the other brushes they have a nice feel to them. They also come with a case to keep them in which I think is a really good idea. 

£20.99

e.l.f Baked Blush in Peachy Cheeky

I haven't tried this out yet, but I have swatched it and it is gorgeous, it is like a blush and a highlighter in one and it had a gorgeous subtle pink glow with this beautiful shimmer to it, so I already love it. 

$3.00 

e.l.f Eyebrow Treat & Tame in ash

The ash side has a macara brush/wand, but I've found that the formula is odd and it's kind of gluggy and doesn't easily work the brows into shape. For me, this resulted in my brows looking super dark. The clear formula is somewhat thick, and it has a brush type applicator and it is used to apply the tame part of the formula, which I don't know how it works really. I would have preferred if both sides had a mascara brush/wand. Overall I'm not overly thrilled with this product and I wouldn't recommend it.

$3.00

Rimmel Glam Eyes liquid eyeliner in Black

I really like this eyeliner, it's very black and doesn't lose its colour when applied. It applies easily and doesn't pull at my eyelid, and the brush is fairly fine, but strong. I would recommend this eyeliner, maybe not if you're a pro at using liquid liners but it's a good drugstore one. 

£5.29

L'Oreal Paris Miss Manga mascara in All Black

I bought this out of curiosity, the wand look interesting and I wanted to see if it made a difference. First attempt using this mascara, I thought I was alright, but since then I've used it a few more times and I love this mascara. You don't have to zig zag the wand when you apply it because the bristles on the wand are in such a way that it's done for you, and it really gives my lashes volume and length. I would highly recommend this mascara. 

I'm not entirely sure of the price but it's somewhere between $20-30. 

L'Oreal Paris Infallible eyeshadow in Hourglass Beige

I love this colour, it looks a bit dull here, but it is beautiful. It's a warm toned sandy gold and has a really pretty shimmer to it. I've found that patting it onto my eyelids works better than gently brushing it on, it just gives a nicer finish I think. It's not super pigmented but it doesn't need loads of product to get a good finish. I would recommend this eyeshadow range. 

$21.99

The concealer brush, blush brush, starter set and both e.l.f products were bought from www.iherb.com and the L'Oreal products were bought from Life Pharmacy. 

Shiseido Luminizing Eyeshadow and Lacquer Rouge Review

Lacquer Rouge In RD 305

It makes me super frustrated when the colour of a product doesn't shine through in a photo. This product is essentially a melted lipstick. It has a sponge tip applicator which means it's super easy to apply. Also, the sleek black case is perfect for slipping into a purse, although being black it has the potential to bend in. 

The formula was a little bit sticky, almost like a lipgloss, but it applied really nicely. I wore this for maybe four hours and the glossiness did fade, but the colour stayed reasonably strong. In saying that I did have a smoothie and eat some crackers and biscuits so it didn't do too badly in terms of staying on my lips. 

I think it's very similar to the Too Faced Melted lipsticks, but I think from what I've seen in terms of reviews and YouTube videos (RachhLoves has a fair few and loves them) that the Too Faced Melted lipsticks are better. 

I don't think I'd buy this for myself, but I do like the colour, and it's easy to apply. 

Luminizing Eye Shadow 

First of all, I love the sleek case this eyeshadow comes in, so pretty and professional looking. 

Second, I really like how it comes with a small brush applicator and sponge applicator. While I won't use these as I have make up brushes, I think it's great that they come with them. Also, they're good quality applicators, I don't think that the sponge would fall apart very quickly and the brush feels super soft, and the mirrors are a decent size considering the size of the case. I think the whole palette would fit really easily in to a purse as its slim and having a mirror in it means that you don't need to carry another mirror if you didn't want to. 

Luminizing Eye Shadow in BE 213 

I absolutely love these three colours, while they aren't overly pigmented, they are pigmented enough that building the colour doesn't make the overall finish look heavy. Also, it shimmers very gently without being glittery and obviously iridescent. The shadows work together and gives a soft, natural look and it looks stunning, it has become my go to palette. 

The shadow stayed on my eyes really well and it didn't end up smudged all over the place. It has a really light, almost smooth texture which I really like. The colours do work well together and they also work quite well with my other palette. 

I think that at $73.00 NZD, it's over priced especially as there's only three shadows. However, it is top quality. 

Luminizing Eye Shadow in BR 307

With this palette I feel like the lightest shade is too white for the two other colours, but it does work  nicely with the other shades. Again, not overly pigmented but super easy to build without looking heavy. The brown has a slight forest green tone to it in the palette, not so much when it's been applied but a slight hint of green can be seen. I have green eyes, so I have found it makes my eyes stand out a little bit more. 

These three colours work really well together, although I do tend to use the lightest shade from the other palette because it's a little bit softer being a cream shade rather than white. 

Again at $73.00 NZD I think it's over priced. I think a similar palette would be the Urban Decay Naked palettes, possibly a little pricier, but I think they have better pigmentation and there are more colours for a similar price which is always good. 

I do love both of these palettes and I know I'll use them for a long time, I will however be purchasing the Naked Palettes at some point just because they look so pretty and I would love to get some of the Too Faced Melted Lipsticks. 

If you want to see some reviews about the Naked Palettes and the Too Faced Melted Lipsticks, check out RachhLoves on YouTube, she's an awesome Canadian Youtuber and her videos are awesome. She has a really great mix of high end and drug store makeup reviews and hauls, so there's something for every budget. 

Hope you enjoyed this review! 

Jem 

Xx

Coming Up

~ Makeup Haul + Reviews 

 

Shiseido Haul

A couple of weeks ago, Shiesido had an awesome deal running, buy two or more Shiseido products and receive a gift worth $204NZD. On closer inspection, I realised there were a couple of things in the gift set that I really wanted to try.

This was my entire haul:

I'll begin with the products I purchased in order to receive my gift: 

Shiseido Luminising Satin Eye Colour Trio in BE 213 and BR 307

I thought that all of these colours were really good staple colours for me to have in my make up collection. I also loved the earthy tones and the subtle warmth they have. They didn't appear overly matte or overly shimmery or sparkly which I think make the colours more wearable. I had faith that these shadows would be quite pigmented as all of the other Shiseido Eyeshadows I've tried have had really impressive colour strength and quality with very little product. 

I will be posting a review of these eyeshadows next week.

These were pricey at $43.00 NZD each, but I have a feeling that these will be my go to palettes, particularly when I'm on the go. 

Now for the gift set: 

Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream For Face

I struggle with my skin, so finding a sunscreen designed specifically for the face was a product I was definitely keen to try.  It says it has good water resistance and its SPF 30+ and it has a rather pleasant smell to it. 

I will be posting a review of this sunscreen next week.

Shiseido Lacqueur Rouge in RD 305

This is a full size Shiseido product, and it was free, how exciting is that! The concept of a 'liquid lipstick' is one I am keen to try. It basically applies like a lipgloss and has a wand just like a lipgloss. 

I will be posting a review in a week and a half.

It retails for $25.00 NZD.

Shiseido Wrinkle Resist24 Pure Retinol Express Soothing Eye Mask

This is only a sample, but a refreshing eye mask is something I'm willing to try. I do suffer from dark under eye circles and puffiness so I am keen to see what this product will do. 

Shiseido Power Infusing Concentrate 

According to Shiseido this is designed to protect, strengthen and maintain healthy skin. It is also supposed to reduce wrinkles and help boost the skin defence and reduce signs of aging. 

I will at some stage write a review. 

Shiseido Ibuki Range 

Ibuki Concentrate is according to Shiseido a deep infusion formula that helps the skin to feel softer and smoother and enhance the rest of the Ibuki products. 

Ibuki Gentle Cleanser according to Shiseido is an extra gentle cleanser that lathers quickly into foam to remove impurities and harmful excess sebum without stripping the skin of it's natural oils.  

Ibuki Refreshing Moisturiser according to Shiseido intensively reduces the appearance of unevenness like visible pores, breakouts/blemishes and strengthens and renews the surface of the skin while hydrating the skin all day. 

I will at some stage do a review on these products. 

So there you have it, my Shiseido haul. The gift also came with a massive make up bag which I am using to store all of my Shiseido products. 

I hope you have enjoyed this haul, if there are any Shiseido products you think I should try, please let me know. 

Jem 

Xx

Coming Up

~ Shiseido Eyeshadows Review 

~ Shiseido Sunscreen Review  

 

Zoella Beauty Haul + Review

There are two things that equal a dangerous situation for my bank account: my debit card and Internet. 

The other week while on a particularly boring bus journey to school, my friend was telling me all about her Zoella Beauty products that had recently arrived for her birthday. She was super excited about the fact that it all smelt amazing and that the beauty bag/pencil case was a really decent size. Since Zoe launched Zoella Beauty I have been desperate to buy some of the products, but living all the way down in little ol' NZ, I didn't have the luxury of going to a store and being able to see the products in person which unnerved me a lot. 

So, with my friends recommendation and encouragement, our bus ride turned into an impromptu online shopping experience. 

I used www.feelunique.com and wow was it a breeze purchasing from this website. It was quick and easy to use, and my order arrived 6 days after I placed my order. This was probably the most amazing thing about my experience, simply because anything that has to ship to NZ takes an age to arrive because we are so far away from anywhere, so I was fully expecting to wait at least a week and a half, so I was pleasantly surprised at how quick my order arrived. So, 10/10 for Feel Unique. Also, for orders over £10.00, it's free shipping so bonus! 

Also, I was pleased to see that steps were taken to ensure that my purchase arrived in good condition. 

ZOELLA BEAUTY MAKEUP BAG/PENCIL CASE 

I picked this one mainly because I liked the gold spots, and despite my aversions to pink, I actually don't mind this colour and the gold and pink is a combination that looks quite pretty. I do know the background story behind the 'just say...yes' and I think it's a great message, but it is one I personally struggle with, however, this one was my favourite due to the colours. 

I have chosen to use it as a makeup bag, and it is fantastic. It is such a great size, I can fit all of my everyday make up and it takes up only a quarter of the space. (My everyday make up collection consists of a powder, 2 mascaras, 2 eyeliner pencils, 2 eyeshadow brushes, 1 stippling brush, 1 powder brush, 1 concealer brush, 1 concealer, 1 BB Cream and 3 various lip products.) I also really like the shape of the bag, I feel like it would fit quite nicely into a suitcase or backpack and not take up too much room. The material of the bag is sturdy and I think it would clean quite well if makeup was spilt on it. 

It retails for £8.00 (GBP) 

ZOELLA BEAUTY CREAMY MADLY DREAMY BODY LOTION

I absolutely LOVE this body lotion. First of all, I love how pretty the packaging design is, I like how it's fairly simple and isn't overwhelming to look at. Second, it smells so lovely and not at all overpowering. It has enough scent so that you can sort of smell it on you, but not so much that you are conscious of it. It's a fresh scent with a slight floral tone to it and overall smells so, so good and the texture of the lotion is smooth and silky and my skin feels softer already after only a few uses. 

The lotion contains Aloe and Shea butter and vitamin E, it does contain parabens, but as I'm not using it on my face, I'm not worried about that. 

I will definitely purchase this again, I have fallen completely in love with it. 

It retails for £5.00 (GBP) 

Overall, I would definitely recommend both Zoella Beauty and Feel Unique. 

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you are having a good start to your week! 

Jem

Xx

Coming Up...

~ Shiseido Haul

Covergirl Clump Crusher Extensions Lash blast mascara review

I have never tried any of the Covergirl products before, but I was in desperate need of a new mascara and I really liked the look of the brush. 

The formula isn't too thick and it doesn't clump at all which is great. It doesn't necessarily give the lashes that full lash effect but I does lengthen them some what. 

The colour says 'very black' but I would say it's just black as it's not an overly strong black colour. It does hold the lashes the whole day which is good. 

Personally, I prefer my lashes to look fuller as well as longer, but I don't mind that this mascara doesn't give me this as it means I can wear it at school without being told off. It gives the lashes length and a subtle amount of definition to the eye, so I think it would look perfect with a super natural make up look or if you were in a rush and wanted to look a little bit more put together. 

It does need a few coats to really get the perfect look, but overall I think it's an ok mascara. If you prefer longer, fuller lashes, don't choose this mascara as it won't give you that. It does have a nice formula and it doesn't clump and the brush ensures that each lash is coated in mascara. 

I bought this mascara for $15 NZD from Love My Makeup, it was around $7 cheaper to buy it from there than from The Warehouse which was charging $22 for this mascara. 

Love My Makeup has loads of makeup for less, they have a facebook page:    https://www.facebook.com/LovemyMakeupNZ and their sister makeup site is Makeup Clearance Company: www.makeupclearance.co.nz 

Jem 

Xx

This month, I am trying out putting up two blog posts a week, one on Tuesday and one on Friday. I have loads of exciting posts planned for this month and I am so excited to share them with you! 

Coming Up Next Week

~ Zoella Beauty Haul + Review 

~ Shiseido Haul

Note: This was not sponsored and all views are my own.

PRODUCT REVIEW-Schwarzkopf Nordic Blonde Lightening Spray

Schwarzkopf Nordic Blonde Lightening Spray

For awhile now I had wanted to lighten my hair, but I didn't want to dye it as I know that's quite harsh on my hair. Instead I picked up this product and thought why not give it a go. 

It seemed relatively easy to use as all I had to do was apply it to damp hair, comb it through and leave it in my hair to dry. 

The product comes in this spray bottle which I found made applying the product super quick and easy.  It also meant that I could cover more of my hair faster which was great. 

I have ash blonde hair, some people call it mousy brown, but I was a blondie when I was little. The spray says it can lighten up to two shades lighter and that using heat (hair straighteners, curling irons, hair dryers) can further lighten your hair. I had to apply it twice, because my hair was that bit darker, but now my hair is definitely one to two shades lighter. It's now a dark honey/caramel colour with a strawberry blonde tint as there are strawberry blonde genes in my family. 

Overall, if you want to drastically change your hair colour, then I wouldn't recommend this, but if you have highlights you want to lighten up or if you want to go a shade or two lighter for a more subtle look then I would definitely recommend this product. It's quick and easy to use and the results were pretty good and it was fast and I didn't have to worry about timing the amount of time the dye was in my hair or any of the issues that come with dying your hair. 

It's around $12.00 NZD and I picked this up from The Warehouse.

Jem

Xx

Coming Up...

~ Shiseido Haul

~ My Skincare routine