Bourjois Liquid Lips

A few Fridays ago I did The Matte Matchup where I did a wear-and-compare on four matte lip paints, one of which was the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Ole Flamingo! After trying that one out and really loving it I thought I would take myself down to Boots and pick up another one...there was a 3 for 2 offer on so I bought three.  These three added to the four I already had meant that I can do a brand review.  So here it is.

In my collection I have four Velvets,two Souffle de Velvet and one of the new Rouge Laque.

The four Velvet mattes are a mousse type formula that don't quite dry down completely which means that it doesn't dry out your lips as much as the none transfer, extreme mattes might.  I bought two pink shades and two nude shades.  

The photograph here does not show how bright this pink actually is.  If you want a subtle colour this is not for you.  It is bright and beautiful.  It goes on opaque with one coat but you can add another if you really want a punch in your pink lippy.

Ole Flamingo! is a deeper pink with a little more red but is still very much pink on the colour spectrum.  Like Pink Pong this goes on opaque and you can build the colour so it is brighter.  If Pink Pong is the fun pink that you would wear out with your friends then Ole Flamingo! is a little more sophisticated and would look good on a night out. 

The first of the nude shades is Nude-ist. This, for me, is the perfect everyday shade. It is subtle and would be a perfect shade to throw in your handbag for work as it would not be obvious that you need to reapply which can happen with more bright colours.

The second of the nude shades is Beau brun. This is darker than Nude-est with a little more brown added. It is the colour that I reach for when I want a bold lip but I don't want to draw attention away from the eye.  If I am wearing peacock colours on my eyes I would go for this shade as it goes with almost everything but it is still bold and showy.

The Souffle de Velvet formula is more sheer, it is almost like a mousse version of a lip tint, or a matte version of a tinted lip balm. It is perfect for those people who are not a fan of bold lips but want something other than nude colours to wear.

VIPeach is obviously a peachy shade that goes on beautifully.  It is a perfect spring shade that doesn't scream for attention but is subtle in it's charm.  It is another good work shade as it is not crazy bright but can add a small amount of colour. 

Plum Plum Pidou is a nice colour but because it is sheer and darker than VIPeach it is hard to get the colour to look even and as it wears off it does tend to cling to the lines on my lips which is a shame because I love this colour.  If you were going to try this formula I would recommend sticking to the lighter shades.

Finally the new release, Rouge Laque.

I went with the shade Selfpeach which is an orange red.  It goes on very, very opaque and has a nice subtle shine to it.  The nice thing about this gloss is that it isn't at all sticky and is easy to apply.  When I swatched this colour then washed my arm I still had the outlines of the swatch left. 

What this means is that it has some awesome staying power.  Out of the three formula, I think this one is my favourite which is amazing given that I am a matte girl through and through. I will definitely pick up some more shades and see how they wear, but colour me impressed.

All three formulas retail for £8.99 at Boots and Superdrug.  At the moment they are 3 for 2 which means you can pick them up for the equivalent of £5.99, which is a great value.

As always thank you for reading and if you want to add anything comment below.

Try It Out Tuesday #TIOT 4 Lip Gloss

I am rubbish at wearing lipstick. There, I said it. It just doesn't seem to last on me. I don't know whether I lick my lips a lot, who knows? Oh and those women who can still have lipstick on after eating!  It's witchcraft I tell you...WITCHCRAFT!!

Due to this I tend to go matte with my lippy just because it stays on a little longer. The down side of this is they are very drying so sometimes I want a satin lipstick or even a gloss.  So as I venture into the world of gloss I didn't want to spend a small fortune trying them out so I went over to www.tambeauty.com and explored their offerings I bought a set of 5 for £10 last November.  Now I don't think they sell them as a set any more however they retail for £3 each and at the moment have a sale where some of them are £1.

The five colours in my collection span from a deep red to a purple.  All have different opacity but all are comfortable to wear.

A Love Like that is the deep red.  This red is closer to a brick red than orange so it suited my skin tone well.  It was very opaque and I got strong colour payoff with just one coat. As with most gloss you will need to reapply periodically through the night but it goes on smoothly and doesn't feel sticky.

Paparazzi is a lovely pink shade and like A Love Like That it is very opaque, you will get full coverage with just one application.  I like this colour because although it is pink it isn't a childish baby pink which is how I find some pink glosses.  If you aren't into reds this might be a nice alternative because it even though it is not as striking it still packs a punch.

Didn't I Tell You is still in the pinks but this is more neutral.  This is the kind of gloss that would work with most looks and is an everyday kind of gloss.  Even though it is neutral there is still good colour payoff and high shine.  I tend to keep this one in my bag if I want something a little more than a lip balm but don't want to go all out with colour.

Gave You All My Love is a sweet pink colour and is bordering on that baby pink that I was talking about earlier.  If you love pink and girly colours then this is the one for you. Despite the fact that it is a very light pink the colour payoff is brilliant and again the formula doesn't feel too sticky.  

Finally there is Depravity.  I loved this colour in the tube its a dark lilac which I find really interesting, however it is not anyway near as opaque as the others and goes on looking a little muddy (not sure that is the right word but lets go with it).  I don't think this one can be used alone at all. However I have Urban Decays Jawbreaker in the Mega Matte formula.  This formula for me is just too drying and I can't wear it for long. So while I love the colour I found that I just wasn't reaching for it.  Then I had a brain wave, what if I use Depravity as a lip topper and it worked like a charm.

The swatch on top is with Depravity.  What it meant was I could have the same great colour but it was a little more comfortable.

Overall for the price these glosses are great.  For the most part the colour payoff works well and the formula is not too sticky. You will need to reapply throughout the day but I have yet to find a gloss where you don't.

As always I hope you enjoy this and if you have any recommendations, hints or tips you can comment below.  

To Dupe or not to Dupe that is the question?!

So over the last few weeks in the beauty blogesphere there has been a heated debate over duplicate products that are sold at a cheaper price.  There are products that look the same when it's used and also the products where the packaging looks the same.  

Some people are saying that it is plagiarism or it is ethically wrong where as others are saying that the original brands price out a huge audience who can't afford the large price tag. 

Lets talk specifics.  The company that has been most under fire is some of the brands in the Tam Beauty family like Makeup Revolution and I heart Makeup.  Kat Von D has released a YouTube video where she says that her makeup line is something she has worked very hard on and that being ripped off doesn't seem fair.
The palette on the left is the KVD Shade and Light palette and the one on the right is the Makeup Revolution Light and Shade palette

Here is where I stand, dupes in the makeup industry have been around for a long time and it's not just the beauty industry.  Almost every other industry does this. Look at fashion:

Here we have a designer dress from Mark Jacobs and the high street dupe from Topshop

What about breakfast cereal?

Here we have Kellogg's Frosties with thier dupe from Lidl - they even have a tiger on the front.

Last but not least Cola

This is Coka-Cola with Freeway Cola from Lidl. 

You don't see these companies worrying or complaining.

I honestly don't see an issue with any of this.  KVD's Shade and Light eyeshadow palette retails in the UK for £37, the Makeup Revolution Palette retails for £8.  The price points target two completely different audiences.  KVD is not going to lose custom because of this dupe, if anything she should be flattered - the fact that this dupe has been created means that her palette was successful.   I have read comments that people have left saying that although Makeup Revolution have not broken any laws (you can't patent the layout and colours in a palette - just the formula) its not ethical.  Here's a question, how much are the high end products marked up? Do they need to be that expensive? I think probably not. 

Had Makeup Revolution called it the 'Kat Von DEE' palette then yes that would not be a good thing you can't really play on an established brand name.  Similarly had they called their Blushed Hearts, Two Faced again I could see a point.

But they did none of these things, all they have done is make expensive things both affordable and of a good standard. 

My final thought is this:  I occasionally treat myself to high end products, but I can't afford to buy them all the time.  Brands like Makeup Revolution means that I am not left out of the beauty world simply because I don't have money to spend on expensive things.  I get to have fun and play with makeup like everyone else, surely this is not a bad thing?  
As always if you have any thoughts please feel free to comment below xx 

Try It Out Tuesday 3 #TIOT - Makeup Revolution Foiled Fun

In today's Try It Out Tuesday we are going to look at Makeup Revolution Awesome Metal eyeshadows. I bought it from www.tambeauty.com in the colours Rose Gold and Emerald Goddess for £4 each. 

These eyeshadows come with a small bottle of primer that you mix with the shadow to make it more spreadable.  

I have never used a foil eye shadow like this so after I swatched it I thought I could use it without mixing it with a primer but this was a mistake, the formula is way to thick to spread easily on its own. 

Once I mixed the shadow with the primer it went on the lid well.  I initially tried it all over the lid but it does take a while to dry and because I'm impatient it creased almost immediately, it also doesn't layer very well it tends to just clump and get really patchy.  So again I took it off and did a rethink.  

I decided to use then to add some sparkle and shine to other shadows. The first look I went for was with Rose Gold.

I used the Freedom Matte 10, which is a dark pink shade, in the crease to create a halo.  I then went in with Shimmer 03, which is a silver sparkly shade over the whole lid. I then dotted the Rose Gold over the centre of the lid to give it a pop of sparkle.  I loved the finish look it was stunning.  

The next day I decided to work with the Emerald Goddess, I wanted to create more of a cat eye vibe.  

For this look I first went into the whole lid with the Urban Decay Electric Palette's Fringe.  I then worked the outer crease with the colour Wicked in the Makeup Revolution Give them Nightmares Palette. There is a little fall out with both these palettes but that doesn't matter as it aloud me to clean up with a face wipe to create a line to follow with the flicked eyeliner. I then used the Emerald Goddess on the centre of the lid and toward the inner corners.  I think this look worked really well, the depth of colour and shine was beautiful. 

Now while I loved the finished look there are a few elements that let this product down. The first being the amount of primer that is in the small bottles is only enough for five or maybe six applications.  It is sold separately on the Tam Beauty website so if you are going to buy this product I recommend also buying extra primer at the same time.  The second and more disappointing part is it isn't the most comfortable eyeshadow to wear. While it does eventually dry it always feels sticky on the lid and after a few hours I really wanted to get it off my eyes.  Which brings us to the next problem, trying to get it off.  I use an oil based make up remover that I find works with even the most stubborn waterproof eyeliner. I found that you really needed to rub the eye to get rid of it which, for my sensitive skin is painful.  Also, like those Christmas and birthday cards that leave a fine glitter on your fingers that, despite showering you find little particles of glitter on your face and hair for the next few weeks...well it does that.  

I love Makeup Revolution I have a plethora of their palettes and products that I love and will big up to anyone who will listen (the Ultra Brow Arch and Shape is one of those products I am particularly enjoying at the minute) but this one is a miss for me.  While the finished look is beautiful I just can't wear it all evening without wanting to scratch my eyes out.  Perhaps if you want to do a photo shoot and you won't be wearing it for long it would work because it photographs amazingly well but if you are planning an evening out I would look for something else.

I hate the idea of being negative and want to reiterate that I love the vast majority of the Makeup Revolution makeup line but this one is definitely a miss for me.

As always I hope this helps and please comment below especially if you feel differently about the product and know a better way to use it, all hint and tips are greatly received.   

The Matte Matchup - Wear and Compare

In today's Muddle blog I will be doing a wear and compare of four matte liquid lipsticks, looking at how they go on, how they last and wear throughout the day and which ones were the most comfortable to wear.

Here are the four contestants:

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Paris, Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lip Color in Addiction, Barry M Matte Me Up Lip Paint in Runway and the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Ole Flamingo! They are all touted as long wear liquid lipsticks and are all available at the drug store.  

First up Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lip Color in Addiction.  

This liquid lipstick goes on very well it has a mousse like formula. The colour is a dark pink/purple that works well on my (some may say) freakishly pale skin.  This formula doesn't dry down completely so it isn't transfer proof but that does make it comfortable to wear.  As it doesn't dry down I was surprised at how well it lasts.  With each lipstick I wore it from the morning through lunch to the early evening.  I had the same lunch each time which was the most amazing sandwich (I mean a huge doorstep sandwich with cheese and salami...so good!!).  This lipstick survived the sandwich test with no need to reapply.  It lost some of the shine but the colour was still there.  This retails for £8.99 so is affordable and definitely worth the money.  

Next up is the Barry M Matte Me Up in Runway. 

This is a pure matte liquid lip paint.  It was probably my favourite lipstick to apply, its the most liquid out of the four tested so is very easy to spread and is opaque on the first application. Runway is a dark mauve colour that flatters most skin types. This formula dries completely, the great thing about this is that it is transfer proof however it is very drying on the lips.  It wore well throughout the day and for the most part survived the sandwich test.  However when I reapplied after eating that did give it a gritty feel, so if you want to reapply it's probably best to wipe off then reapply.  This is a lipstick that I would use on a night out where I know I won't be eating, having worn it since it will last for HOURS so long as you don't need to eat and it won't transfer onto your glass. It retails for £4.99 on the Barry M website and there are corresponding lip pencils to make it easier to get a really sharp line around the lips.  

Number three on the list is the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in 

This is another mousse type formula in the colour Paris but this one drys down so the transfer is little if anything.  Despite the fact it dries down the formula is not at all drying and is comfortable to wear.  The colour is a deep pink and complemented my skin tone well.  This one did not fair well with the sandwich test and even transferred onto my chin as I ate, (although that might be the way I eat?! Food is yummy!) but it reapplied very well and lasted well into the evening post sandwich. Out of the four this was my favourite colour by far and it smells amazing like banoffe pie. So while it doesn't last as well as the others it is a joy to use. At £5.50 it is a great liquid lipstick to use and practise with if you are new to bright colours.

Last but not least is the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Ole Flamingo! 

This one by far has the best name.  It comes off more red in the picture above than it is in person as it is more of a pink shade.  This one is also a mousse like formula and is very comfortable to wear, not at all drying.  it survived the sandwich test well with only a little loss of colour.  This one, for the most part, dries down and there is little if any transfer.  The nice thing about this formula is that if you are not so keep on crazy bright colours and want something more subtle Bourjois also do a less intense matte lip cream with a similar formula that lasts called Souffle De Velvet.  So there really is something for everyone in this line.  This retails at £8.99 so is absolutely value for money.

Okay so here is the compare part. 

On first application my favourite is the Revlon.  It is smooth with a little bit of a shine.  Closely followed by the Bourjois. These two were so comfortable to wear it and felt smooth on application I loved them. The Barry M is the easiest to apply but is the most uncomfortable of the four. Finally the NYX, this is easy to apply and has a slight shine until it has dried down completely.

In terms of wear-ability and last-ability here is the rundown.

Revlon and Bourjois are at a dead heat on this one, however the Bourjois just pips the Revlon to the finish line as it is pure matte and is less likely to transfer on your glass.   I am in two minds about the Barry M lip paint. While it is transfer proof it isn't the most comfortable to wear and reapplying it is a pain if you don't want that gritty feeling. However it does stay in place better than any of the others but only if you are not eating. The NYX I have a real soft spot for, the colours in this range are amazing are great and the smell is just wonderful, so while it doesn't last as well as the others I am giving this the award for the most fun! 

In terms of which one you should buy that depends on what you are looking for.  The best all rounder is the Bourjois, it is matte, it lasts, its comfortable with little or no transfer.  If you want something that is not quite matte that is a little more moisturising then the Revlon or the NYX is your buy, if you want those things with a long lasting effect then Revlon over the NYX. Finally if you like a super matte finish that is budge proof (unless you are eating) then the Barry M Matte Me Up is your go to.  

As always I hope this helps, should you have any hints or tips don't forget to comment below.


  

Try It Out Tuesday 2 #TIOT

Battle of the Brights

For today's TIOT I will be doing a wear and compare with three vivid bright eyeshadow palettes. 

When I try each of these palettes out I will prime my eyes with Maybelline's 24hr Colour Tattoo in Creme De Rose and then a wash of neutral powder.  I will be trying out the green shades in each palette to see how they blend and last.   

The first palette is the Makeup Revolution EatSleepMakeupRepeat palette. It is £6 on the Tam Beauty website  and has 15 different shades. 

The idea behind this palette is that they have grouped the colours together to give you three distinct looks.  There is a mixture of matte and shimmer shades some of which swatch better than others. 

The shimmer shades are beautiful specifically Final Track and Right Here in the purple/pink shades.  Needle On and Rave off in the green shades and in the blues there is Rave All Night and Repeat Again.  The matte shades blend well and for the most part are bright and well pigmented.  There are only two colours that were a little bit of a let down those being Right Now and Hot Track.

The green shades I will be using in the EatSleepMakeupRepeat palette are Needle on, Eat Everything and Re-mix. 

I put a wash of Eat Everything all over the lid and used Re-mix in the crease then I put Needle On in the centre of the lid to add a pop of shimmer.  This is the final look with these three colours finished off with a black liquid liner and mascara.

All the colours blended well and I just love the vibrancy of Needle On, it is beautiful. It wears well throughout the day with only a tiny bit of creasing that you would only notice if I had my eyes closed and you were close enough that you have invaded my personal space. Basically not enough to be worried about.  

The photo on top is after I just applied and the photo underneath is after 6 hours.  

Now I have quite big eyes which means I have more creases than your average person so creasing is something that I am constantly battling with. With this in mind this budget eyeshadow did an amazing job especially when you break it down in terms of money.  Each colour in this palette costs the equivalent of 40p.  Yes you read that right! At £6 this is absolutely worth the money. 

Next up is the NYX Ultimate Brights palette it is £16 on the NYX website and has 16 shades. 

The palette is organised in colours the first row being reds the second being purples the third blues and the last row greens and yellows.  Even though this palette is so brightly coloured it is surprisingly easy to get a complete eye look from it. 

The palette is made up of 16 shades, 10 of which are regular matte eyeshadows 3, have a little glitter to them but I wouldn't class them as shimmer shades and 3 are pressed pigment.  My understanding of the difference between regular shadow and pressed pigment is the pressed pigment shades have (somewhat obviously) more pigment to them and in this palette they are 2, 3 and 6. However, I couldn't tell which shades the pressed pigment shades were until I peeled off the label on the back of the palette that tells you.  The three shades with glitter are 1, 11 and 14. 

The shades I chose to use in this palette were 11, 13 and 14.  I swept 13 over the lid and used 11 in the crease I then gave a light dusting over the inner corner of the eye over to the middle to create a two tone affect that worked really nicely.  Again the look was finished off with a black liquid liner and some mascara.

The end result was obviously more matte than the Makeup Revolution palette and the shades did blend together well.  The shades are a deeper more forest green which is nice.  All together I enjoyed this palette and I am looking forward to trying out some of the other shade combinations.  Like the Makeup Revolution palette this is affordable each shade is the equivalent to £1 each.  

As you can see from the photo above there is a little loss of colour throughout the day but it does wear evenly with no creasing.  I did notice at lunch there was a little fall out under my eyes but nothing drastic once I got it sorted it didn't happen again.  I suspect with a little fixing spray this wouldn't happen.  Over all this was a good palette that was easy to use and blend.  

The final Palette is the Urban Decay Electric palette.  It has 10 shades and retails for £38.

This palette does not seem to be organised in any particular way like the other two and has significantly less shades which makes it more difficult to make complete eye looks.  

From what I can tell there are two completely matte shades, Savage and Chaos, these have no glitter or shimmers at all.  Gonzo, Slowburn and Thrash are still matte but have a little glitter in them but not enough to class them as shimmer shades. Revolt, Fringe, Jilted, Urban and Freak all have a shimmer quality to them and as you can see in the picture above all 10 shades swatch beautifully. This is a pressed pigment palette and when I compare the swatches from the other palettes you can tell that there is more pigment, especially with the matte shades.

The three colours I chose to use were Fringe, Freak and Thrash.  I used Freak across the whole eyelid, Fringe in the crease and Thrash on the centre for that pop of colour, finishing off with the eyeliner and mascara.  

These shades blended beautifully and it was easy to apply with no fall out.  What I will say is that there are pros and cons to so much pigment.  I am not a makeup artist by any stretch of the imagination so when I first used this palette I went in a little heavy handed and it didn't look great.  With this much pigment less is always more when loading the brush, building up the colour slowly until you get the desire effect.  Once you get used to working in this way this palette is a dream to use.  

This like the NYX palette has worn evenly but there is some creasing but again not enough to be overly noticeable.  My issue with this palette is that is so much more expensive than the other two but really for me there is not much difference in terms of staying power. Now having said that would I turn this down if someone were to gift it to me - absolutely not, would I buy it in a sale, most likely (in fact I did).  For me Urban Decay is the special occasion makeup line, that you buy like you would to a ball gown.  Its not an everyday palette or the kind of thing you play with to try out new looks etc.  You buy it as a treat or for a specific special event.  

So here is my conclusion; if you are new to makeup and you want to experiment with bright colours Makeup Revolution's EatSleepMakeupRepeat palette is a cracking one to start with.  You won't feel precious about it, you can play with it and try out new looks even if you aren't going anywhere and not feel guilty.  This is also a great palette for things like secret Santa or for young people to experiment with.   A great starter palette.

The NYX Ultimate Brights palette is far and away my favourite, it is reasonably priced, I think the finished look worked best and it wore throughout the day better than the other two.  This is the palette I reach for when I want to go mad with colour. The formula is on par with the Urban Decay palette at less than half the price with 6 more shades.  This is my recommenced buy.

The Urban Decay palette is amazing, the colours are so pigmented that you really don't need to pack on the colour at all so it should last you a while.  It is an absolute dream to use as the colours blend together better than either of the other two.  I only wish there were more shades, this is the palette I go to if I want to enhance a look with some colour I can very rarely use this palette for a complete look.  

As always I hope this helped, should you have any hints and tips please comment below.

xx