So for my birthday I received some makeup and nail polishes. This post is to show you all of the different products and give my opinion on them!
"Duke Jnr", homemade by Elle.
This picture certainly doesn't highlight how beautiful this colour really is. But that's because I smudged it while applying, and also glitter is hard to photograph properly. In real life, it's a beautiful deep purple with several different coloured glitters that shine through really nicely after 2 coats and a regular top coat.
"Dragon's Spirit", homemade by Elle.
A wonderful shimmery white colour with a touch of purple shimmer in there too when it hits the light at the right angle. Another colour that due to the shimmery-ness is impossible to photograph well. But trust me, it's a beautiful colour!
"Dragon's Spirit" layered over black.
Putting it over a black really brings out the purple shimmer in this colour.
Lady In Red, Barry M Retro Collection.
A vibrant but slightly shimmery red colour. I like that it has the shimmer, because I have so many red nail varnishes, but they're all either glittery or without any sort of shimmery stuff whatsoever. So this is a nice in between colour.
Blue Moon, by Barry M.
I love this colour because it matches the blue on my favourite nightie. It's very pale, but not so much that it makes my skin look a funny colour (which is what whites and other pale colours tend to do!)
This is all of them together, and I think they really work as a set IMO. I think there's the right ratio of light to dark, bright to dull.
Shade 04 from "The Kate Collection" by Rimmel.
I must admit, I've never particularly been a fan of dark lippys, always going for my standard bright red. But I do love purple so when I got this I was rather excited.
And I was right to be: it's fantastic. It's the right level of dark without being too gothic. It is smooth to apply, feels nice and moist on my lips, and what's more, it has some decent staying power!!! I put it on and then forgot to take it off when I got in the shower. When I looked in the mirror afterwards it was still pretty much perfectly in place! Can't say that about many lipsticks! (Although, that does mean it takes a little work to get off in the evening. But a bit of work in order to have lengthly staying power? Hell Yeah!)
Then the girls from work gave me a £10 voucher for Superdrug, so I used it to go towards some products which I loved the look of but always thought were too expensive to buy myself:
Molten Metal, by Sleek Cosmetics.
Now, you may know, I love Sleek very much. Their pout paints are one of my favourite things ever, and I was eager to try their other products (especially their pallettes, because there are some that look amazing!) But in this instance I went for the "Molten Metal" eyeshadows. I would never normally get it for myself, as they are majorly expensive (£6.99 for an eyeshadow? No Sir-ee).
They really intrigued me. They feel like a liquid, and are almost impossible to apply using a brush. By using a finger you can apply smoothly though. They feel very nice on the skin and are incredibly shiny, just like liquid gold.
The main issue I found with these are that they are both the same colour, despite what they look like in the compact. Also the fact that I'm really not a glittery/shiny sort of person, so would struggle to find a time to wear them except in costume of some sort. That being said, for someone who suits that sort of look, these would be a nice addition to their makeup box. And look at the little mirror in the compact! So cute!
Do I think it's worth £6.99? No. But that's probably more down to my personal preferences than the product itself. And due to the fact that I am an enormous cheapskate.
MaxFactor Flipstick in "Gipsy Red"
I wanted this lipstick for so long, but for £6.49 I was a tad reluctant (see, cheapskate!). But with the voucher, I ended up getting it for less. As for the lipstick itself, they're pretty small, which is quite nice for getting it perfectly around the edges of your lips. It applies smoothly and is a lovely colour, even though I wish the red was a bit brighter. The gold is hard to see over the red, but gives a nice shimmer to it.
What I have liked most about this flipstick, is putting a layer of gold on my lips, followed by a layer of any colour. It gives the top colour a nice shimmery base, and flecks of gold shine through in the light.
The flipstick's staying power is less than ideal. But that's when the size of it becomes so handy: you can shove it in your bag ready to reapply when you need it (although I do wish you would have to reapply less often!)
Would I buy it again? Possibly, if it was reduced. But since I only really think i'd be using the gold end (if I want red, I shall use a brighter shade) I wouldn't pay as much.
My favourite products have to be: the 2 homemade nail polishes, the retro red Barry M polish, and the purple Rimmel lipstick! If I had no other nail/lip colours than those, I do believe I would still be pretty damn happy (and that's saying something!)
On another note, I enroled for my course that starts in September. It's "Theatrical special effects and media makeup"! How awesome does that sound!?
Anyone bought some interesting new makeup products lately? Or anything here starting to spark your interest?
Love B xxxxx
