Soap and Glory Makeup Review

Today's blog is a brand review of some of the Soap and Beauty makeup products.  I have been a fan of the bath and shower products for a while now and have been wanting to try out the makeup and decided that I would spend some of my Boots reward points that I had been hoarding and get a selection of products to try.

Within this selection there are some that I love, some that are okay and some that really don't work for me.  It is at this moment I need to point out that all skin is different and also people's preferences are different so I will describe my experiences and say why I did or didn't like them, but the most important thing to remember is that if you have any of these and you like them, rock them and screw what I think!

I am going to start with the products I'm not a huge fan of first and finish with my favourites so that we can end on a positive.

First up is the Smoulder Kohl waterproof eyeliner.  

This liner goes on the waterline beautifully and is a really deep black shade, which I loved however within a couple of hours I looked like someone had punched me in the eyes. The liner had crept it's way down my cheeks in an Alice Cooper style.  I was very disappointed as this is the perfect liner to travel with or to throw in your bag on a night out because it comes with it's own sharpener that also has a little cover so that you don't get smudges all over your bag post sharpen. This product retails for £5, I do think there are other comparably priced liners in the drugstore that work better. In a nutshell I love the idea and the application of this liner but the staying power makes it a no go for me.

Up next is the lip lacquer in Charm Offensive. Now I should start this by saying I struggle with glosses of any kind.  I don't have the full Instagram lips, they are thin and uneven and a pain to apply any lip product to, I also have issues with products bleeding which is why I tend to stick with matte lip colours.

This colour is beautiful, it is a fairly natural colour on me and could be used as an everyday gloss. However, it is a nightmare to apply. When you unscrew the lid the product is stringy and greasy which means that if I haven't lined my lips it will just slide all over my face, because of this it is not the type of gloss you can just throw on and leave the house wearing.  Having said that, if applied lightly it does look lovely on, but due to it's application issues it's not something I could wear on a night out. I want to have fun, not spend all my time making sure I don't look like the Joker. I bought this for £5, which doesn't break the bank but Makeup Revolution have lip lacquers that are £2 each and work better. 

Moving away from the products I didn't like onto the ones that I think are okay.  I'm not amazed by them, but neither do I hate them.  

These are the lip plumping glosses.  I got these in the sale around Christmas online. They are three neutral shades and one glitter shade.  From top to bottom they are called Super Peach, Bare Enough, Pink-Out-Loud and Spun Sugar.

They go on nicely and are not too slimy or gloppy.  They are plumping so you will get a tingling sensation when you apply them, it doesn't really plump up your lips any more than any other gloss does.  The colours are pretty and their staying power is that of a gloss in that you will need to reapply throughout the day.  The big downside to these is the smell.  They smell sickly sweet.  I don't particularly like sweet smelling products or products that have an overpowering scent and these really do.  I think they are supposed to smell like cake but it just makes me a little queasy.  I think they are probably aimed at the teen market so if you have a 13 year old who loves sparkles these might make a lovely birthday gift as they are very fun.  

The next lip product is the Gloss Stick in Nudist.  This gloss I did like.

As the name would suggest this gloss comes in a stick form so it isn't stringy, or gloppy and feels more like a lip balm.  I bought a neutral shade as I wanted something for the more natural makeup days and this really checked all the boxes.  It goes on nicely with a hint of a colour, no bleeding or sliding and because its a gloss stick it is super easy to apply.  This is by far my favourite and I will be trying out some of the other colours when I get a chance. The best bit? This retails for £3.50, which is an absolute bargain. This is a definite thumbs up product for me.

Moving on to lip products more in my wheelhouse, matte lipsticks. The two shades I have are Rougenie and 5th Avenue.

I have had Rougenie for a while and have always enjoyed it, as a result I thought that I would buy the neutral shade as well.  Since buying Rougenie I have also been wearing the Rouge Velvet lip paints from Bourjois which, when it comes to matte lip colour, are the ones to beat.  To be fair the Bourjois Rouge Velvets are a liquid lip colour and the Soap and Glory mattes are a lipstick so there will be a difference in how long they last.  The pros of a lipstick to a liquid lip are that they can be more moisturising but the con is that they will transfer more;  which is the case with these. They go on smoothly and are very opaque, they are comfortable to wear but if you are eating you will need to reapply.  I bought the neutral shade for work but I tend to reach for the Bourjois just because it lasts longer and I don't need to reapply half way through my shift.  In terms of a comparison to other lipsticks I prefer the formula to the Urban Decay comfort or mega matte formula and I actually think the staying power holds up in comparison to the more high end brand.  Also they are £9 which in comparison to the £15 of Urban Decay means that they are also better value. If they had the colour selection of Urban Decay they would beat them hands down. 

There were two stand out products in this haul. A blusher and a liquid eyeliner.  First the blusher.  This blusher is called Love at First Blush and has a slight shimmer too it.

As you can see from the picture you would swirl your brush in the pan to combine all the colours and you come away with a pale mauve colour.  What is nice about this is if you target the white shade with a small brush you can wear it as highlight.  So with just this one compact in your bag your have both a blush and a highlighter.  It blends out really well and is pigmented enough that you can build the colour but not too much that you end up looking like one of those creepy china dolls. This retails for £11 but if you keep your eye out for deals at Boots you can often get Soap and Glory on 3 for 2 or buy one get one half price, making this better value.

The product that is without a doubt my favourite is the Supercat liquid liner.  This is a felt tip liquid liner that really does stay put.  

I am aware that when it comes to liquid liner people tend to be felt tip or brush fans, and there are pros and cons to each.  Brushes can be more pigmented and are less likely to skip over your eyelids giving you a jagged line. On the other hand, if like me, you never sweep on liquid liner in that way a felt tip may be the way to go. This felt tip enables me to place the tip length ways against my lashes, each time lifting up and moving along and placing it back down creating a straight line without smudging.  This means I very rarely have to take off the liner and start again.  I find it a lot less fuss.  I use this liner every day for work and when I go out, it is so very versatile. I love it so much I will definitely be repurchasing when this runs out.  This formula also comes with a smaller tip version called Skinny Cat and a large version called Fat Cat - so there is something for everyone.

I hope you find this review useful and as always leave any hints, tips or advice down below.

XOXO

Products I'm loving

I have wanted to do a post like this for a while but never got round to it, but I finally took some pictures and I have the results here.  Most of these items are not involved enough to do a blog on their own so I have combined a bunch of products for this one.

First up skincare.  If you have read my blog before you will know I have dry, sensitive skin.  This means that for the longest time I have not been able to wear powder products on my face. I had to use cream blush, and wasn't able to set any foundation or concealer, because they would just cling to the dry patches.  I have found my saving grace (or saving face, if you will allow).

Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-oil

This is part of the Vitamin E range at The Body Shop and has absolutely transformed my skin.  So much so that I have gone out and bought powder products.  I put this on at night after I have cleansed and before my moisturiser (if your skin isn't as dry as mine you probably won't need the moisturiser). It is £16 which is up there in price if you compare it to drugstore, however most serums these days will cost you around that. Needless to say I will not be trying any other serums or moisturisers anytime soon because I just love this.

Still with The Body Shop is a new line that is wonderful.

The Almond Milk and Honey Range

I first bought this in the small trial sizes because I didn't want to shell out a crazy amount of money for something that made me breakout.  I was hooked from the first time I used it.  It smells great, I am fairly picky when it comes to The Body Shop fragrances because I find most of them too overpowering. I would normally go for the nut based fragrances rather than the fruit so this range was not too out of my wheelhouse.  The shower creme is lovely, it feels moisturising as it goes on and doesn't foam up too much which is good for dry skin.  The exfoliater is good, it isn't too scratchy which if you have sensitive skin can be an issue and the body butter is divine, probably my favourite.  I tend to use it before bed and I can still smell it on my skin in the morning.  It is silky without being greasy and the dry patches on my arms are gone, as well as my dry knees and elbows are like new.  Love it!

Recently I have started a new job and I wanted an everyday makeup look that I didn't need to think about.  I wanted a small, matte palette with neutral brown shades that would be quick and easy to apply.  I found it...

The Makeup Revolution Renaissance Palette Day

As you can see I have dipped into this already.  My routine is as follows:  
1. Prime the eye with Maybelline's Colortattoo in Creme De Rose
2. Set with the second shade from the left
3. Sweep the middle shade over the lid
4. The second shade from the right goes in the crease
5. The far right goes on the outer corners to deepen
It probably took me longer to type this than it does to apply.  This little palette blends like a dream, the shades are not to dissimilar to the Urban Decay Naked Basic Palette but the Makeup Revolution one retails for £8.  I will eventually run out of this but I will definitely repurchase. 

The next three products I have been searching for, for a long time.  I wanted a concealer that brightened under my eye but didn't sit in my wrinkles, a mascara that added volume but didn't flake and a powder to set the concealer.  It has taken me a while but I got there in the end.
Up first...

Bourjois Radiance Reveal Concealer 

I have tried other concealers, some came highly recommended, some I bought under my own steam but none of them seemed to be able to cover my dark circles, brighten and not sit in my wrinkles.  Now there are concealers that do two out of the three but I found the thick concealers that cover, sat in my wrinkles and the brightening concealers that didn't make me look 20 years older, didn't really cover, until I stumbled upon this beauty. It doesn't come in many shades unfortunately, in fact my Superdrug only stocks two, but I have the shade 01 Ivory and it is wonderful. It covers, brightens and doesn't make me look old. Woo hoo!

The next one of the searched for products is a translucent/setting powder. Since I sorted out my dry skin I wanted to try out some powders. I already had one from Clinique, No 7 and Revlon but they were all too powdery, I found that they would gather in my lines and around my nose and would look cakey.  Enter stage right...

MUA Translucent Pressed Powder

This is by far the best value for money of all the products I am writing about today.  This costs a massive £1, yes you read that right. £1. It is finely milled and works fantastically at setting my concealer.  No more slipping or wearing away.  This with the Bourjois Radiance Reveal is the dream team, it truly is.

The final product of the power three is a mascara.  I had been using the same mascara for a while and had never really been happy with it. I got some mascara over Christmas in gift boxes and they all seemed to flake or be too clumpy.  Eventually I found Makeup Revolution's Amazing Volume Mascara which went on okay and didn't flake but the brush was big and it was awkward to apply, so I used that one until I found the 3 for 2 offer at Superdrug.  I was buying the Bourjois concealer and another of the Rouge Velvet lip paints and I thought that I would give the mascara a go. 

When I opened the bottle I found the wand to be medium in size, not too big that it's a struggle to do the lower lashes and not to small that it takes forever to do the top lashes.  The formula is great, no clumps and I chose the Ultra Black which looks amazing. Primarily I look for volume in a mascara because I am blessed with long lashes (not at all smug) and this does not disappoint.  In fact the first time I wore it a colleague asked if I was wearing falsies.  The best thing about this is that there is no flaking. I wear this every day at work and when I get home there is no sign of it anywhere on my cheeks. 

This next product is not drugstore and is pricey.  I bought this as a gift to myself for getting the new job.  I had been investigating powders since my skin got better and I finally decided that I would go ahead and treat myself.

Benefit Cheek Parade

This comes with two bronzers and three blushes, all of which are beautiful in their own way.  There is the Hoola bronzer in the top left hand corner and the Hoola Lite in the bottom left.  Now I am pale so I use the Hoola Lite as a bronzer and the Hoola to contour. All of these powders are so finely milled that they go on like a dream and stay there.  The blushes are all different. Dandelion on the bottom is like an everyday blush, it is pink and matte and blends wonderfully.  Galifornia on the top in the middle is more peach toned with a hint of a gold shine.  My favourite though is Rockateur, this is still pink but has a little more of a mauve shade, it has a little bit of shine but not too much that it makes you look crazy just enough to give you a glow.  This retails at £49.50, which I know, is expensive, however if you spread the cost over the five colours it works out at £10 a pop.  Which while still on the pricey side for blusher compared with the drugstore, it is well worth the money.  It will make a fabulous gift and will absolutely make whoever has it smile, well it does for me each morning when I use it.

The final product in my run down is a setting spray. I will be the first to admit that I was sceptical about setting spray, I didn't really believe it would work and I held off buying one for a long while. Then I popped in to Superdrug... a 3 for 2 offer and a full basket later and I had bought it.  

L'oreal Infallible Fixing Mist

My primary concern with this was would it break my sensitive skin out.  I need not have worried it didn't, and it really does work. I do a job that involves a 15 minute walk to the station, lifting, carrying, sorting stuff, on my feet all day and then the train ride home and another 15 minute walk.  Through all of this when I get home my makeup still looks great.  I haven't tried it on a night out yet because I am not really an out kind of person. Out involves people and I like to hang out at my friends house, eat pizza and relax rather that stand in a sweaty club next to people I have nothing in common with, anyway I digress, this fixing spray works and doesn't break me out, what more is there to say?

Remember these are my opinions and if they differ from yours that's okay - that's why they have plenty of products on the market.

If you have any favourite products or recommendations feel free to post them below.

XOXO

Try It Out Tuesday #tiot - 5 looks 1 palette

Okay, so, this blog has been a long time coming.  I had to take a few weeks off to get my uni assignment done, but I'm back with a bunch of new palettes and makeup to review - I'm so very excited.

Today I am looking at a new MUA palette this one is, yes you guessed it, colourful. For those of you who aren't colourbugs like me later in the week I am looking at a palette that is much more subtle, but for today it is the MUA Tropical Oceana Palette and it looks like this...

It's as though they looked into my head and created the palette of my dreams and just to make the point they name the central pink shade Joy, which is my name.  This made me far happier than it should have!

I did five looks for this palette, one for each of the main colours; orange, pink, purple, green and blue.  I have not yet tried combining the colours in a crazy rainbow fashion yet but rest assured I totally will. 

First, swatches,

As you can see even the matte shades swatch really well, depending on your skin tone it different shades will look more prominent, for me it was the blues.  As with the Burnt Embers palette the shimmer shades are just so very bright and blend wonderfully together, to the extent that I struggle to pick a favourite.   

The first look I tried out was blue. 

Now, I struggle using dark blues because I always feel like it looks as though I have been punched in the face. For this look I mostly stuck to the lighter blues, but I did use a little of the dark blue in the outer corners to deepen the crease.  What was lovely is that when you blend the matte shades on top of the shimmer shades it gives a really beautiful effect.  I used Surf over the whole lid and into to crease I then went in with Ocean Bay all over the lid.  I used Waves on the inner corner and Stingray on the outer corner.  I topped this look off with the Rimmel Colour Precise Eyeliner in 002 Blue, which is a liquid liner with a felt tip end that goes on like a dream.

Look 2 was orange and was by far my favourite.

The shades work so well together that you can do a stunning ombre effect.  There are two shimmer shades Paradise is a deep orange and Starfish is more of a peach shade. I started off by putting Reef all over the lid and in the crease.  I then put Paradise over the whole lid I then used Shellfish in the outer corner and in the crease to deepen and Starfish on the inner corners.  

Look 3 was purple.

I feel the same about dark purple as I do about dark blue. I struggle with it.  As a result this look came out a little more pink than I would have liked but I still like it. The three main colours I used were Rapture, Euphoria and Delight. Rapture is a pastel lilac shade that I put all over the lid and in the crease.  I then went in with Rapture all over the lid.  That shade is more a pinky/purple but still looks great.  I then deepened with Delight.  To finish I popped a little bit of Joy on the inner corner and some black liner.  

Look 4 was green.

The selection of green shades in this palette are really bright but deep.  I have been looking for greens like this that aren't bright lime greens or turquoises and this palette really did a good job with the shades. I used all five of the shades.  Refresh is a very pale green shimmer shade, Currents is a matte pastel green, Fins is a bright, strong shimmer, Voyage is a matte forest green and Marine is a dark green shimmer.  As with the oranges these greens all work well together and to be honest are fairly fool proof.  For this look I put Currents over the lid and in the crease.  I then went in with Fins over the lid.  I put Refresh on the inner corner and then blended Marine on the outer third of the lid.  I then went in with Voyage in the crease to deepen.  This was finished off with a small line of black liquid liner and mascara.  

The final look was the pinks.

As the purple look came out a little more pink I wanted the pink to be a super soft pink.  So I stuck to the more pastel shades.  I put Nirvana on the whole lid, I went in with Shell on the crease and then with my finger I put Joy right in the middle of the lid.  I loved this look.  It is much more subtle than I usually go but I think it worked out well.

Over all I think this is a cracking palette. I am absolutely in love with MUA eyeshadows and think that they are worth every penny of the crazy cheap £8 they are sold for in Superdrug. If you like colour or if you want to try it out and see - this is absolutely the palette for you. 

As always I hope you enjoyed this, leave a comment below if you have any, hints tips or thoughts on looks I could create with this palette for a tutorial.  

Much loves 

XOXO