Pretty Head – UK Make Up Reviews

I am a regular reader of gala darlings blog and around 2 weeks ago she wrote a review of “lime crime”, the photos she posted of herself wearing their shadows were so vibrant, unlike any eyeshadows i had seen before, i just had to check them out!

I have always said i am not an eyeshadow kind of a girl………….I take that back!!! I am sooooooo an eyeshadow girl!!!

I browsed through the product list in awe of the beauty of each and every colour. I simply HAD to have the whole collection!!! Every colour is stunning and the pictures are so clear-xenia (the creator if the lime crime make up line) writes a cute little description/story for each colour. she is a beautiful fairy like character (and in my opinion, pretty much the coolest person on the planet!) she writes a blog which is very interesting, fun and inspiring.
www.doedeerblogazine.com << check it out!

Xenias blog and make up line have inspired me to embrace my individuality, and that if I really want something bad enough I have to make it happen.
I emailed her to ask if she would consider selling sample sizes (as $12 is quite pricey for an eyeshadow, and i think sample sizes or kits would fly off the shelves!) unfortunately she doesnt have plans to sell samples any time soon, but she kindly offered to send me some full size products for review! (so sweet!)

I also ordered alchemy glitter-my order and freebies arrived today with a hand written note from the lovely xenia herself! I got my alchemy glitter, empress, crystal ball and treasure chest. I can honestly say they are the most gorgeous eyeshadows i have ever seen! and the staying power is awsome i wore treasure chest and empress all day today and when i came home they looked exactly the same as when i applied them! i tried the alchemy and it was patchy and not very easy to apply then i dabbed my eye with glycerine (so the glitter would have something to stick to) and patte the alchemy on-gorgeous, it went on looking just like it does on the picture on their site, i love it! I normally like the look of an eyeshadow then when i put it on i am so disappointed because it looks nothing like i hoped/expected it would. I had massivly high hopes for lime crime and they didnt disappoint!!!

So if you havent already i urge you to have a look at the website-yes $12 is not cheap but they are so worth it, a little goes a long way and they are just so so pretty!!! I am making it my mission to eventually have the whole collection (cant wait for christmas!)

I am sure i will be a lime criminal and a deerling for a long time to come!
www.limecrimemakeup.com

It was quite hard to get pictures that accurately show the great effect these eyeshadows have, they look good in the pics but are amazing in real life!!

I am always temped by the MAC shop as I walk through Bath town centre, but as I am on a student budget it isn’t somewhere I frequent very often! So when I got money for my birthday I got very excited and decided that I was going to treat myself to some MAC products. I have to say that the girls working there are the friendliest and most helpful shop assistants I have ever come across, not only did they have to deal with me wanting to try all the products on but they also had my friend who needed a whole new set of makeup and look to go with her dress for the summer ball! So there I was like a kid in a sweet shop and somehow I managed to think rationally about the products that I needed. I decided that I always need lip gloss, foundation and mascaras so they would be at the top of my shopping list that day.

MAC Lipglass comes in a wide variety of shades to cater for all skin tones; if you can’t find a shade to suit you here I doubt that you ever will! Playing it safe I decided to go with original which is clear as I thought that it goes with everything and seen as I like to wear dark eye makeup it wouldn’t make me look too over done. The lipglass cost £14, which is more than you would expect to pay for a main stream brand such as Maybelline or Rimmel, but for a MAC product this price is average. MAC describe this as “lipcolour that dazzles with light and shine to bring an exciting dimensional pop to your lips. Large particle pearls reflect and refract light to mimic the brilliance of quartz and opal crystal. Provides exceptional shine with a crystalline iridescence. Non-sticky, non-tacky, lightweight and moisturizing. Glides on. Wear alone, or layer over lipstick or Lipglass for dramatic effect.”

The first thing I noticed about this lipgloss was the vanilla smell which is apparently a trademark of MAC glosses. The gloss went on really smoothly and as MAC states it didn’t feel sticky at all. I wouldn’t say that my lips had a “dimensional pop” going on, however they really did stand out as they were so shiny. I tried it both on its own and over my favourite lipstick and both looks were gorgeous, however the brush was then covered in lipstick which doesn’t look very nice but didn’t noticeably alter the appearance of the lipglass when put on bare lips. The staying power of this was quite amazing too, after an hour my lips looked just as glossy as when I first applied. As for being moisturising, this lipgloss moisturised my lips to an extent, but if I had seriously dry and chapped lips I would opt for a lipbalm or lipgloss instead.

Pros: Very glossy and shiny, looks great and has great staying power

Cons: The price?

I was first introduced to Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation when I met up with my friend that I hadn’t seen in a while and noticed her totally flawless complexion. She usually has a lot of freckles but even these had disappeared, yet it looked totally natural. When she told me what it was called, I remembered the advertising campaign for it, which it describes this as a new, revolutionary air whipped mousse foundation that offers an airbrushed, matte finish. So the next day I popped to my local Superdrug and picked up a pot of this for £6.99 (for 18ml), which is an average price for foundations from Maybelline. The Dream Matte Mousse comes in 13 shades that cater for all skin tones, and using the testers available I deduced that cameo was the colour that suited me best. This was slightly surprising as the other Maybelline foundation I use (Dream Satin Liquid), best matches my skin tone in ivory. If there hadn’t of been testers available then I would have been inclined to buy it in the same shade, which wouldn’t have suited me. The foundation comes in a glass jar with a plastic lid, which differed in colour depending on the shade of the foundation chosen. Maybelline describe this as “the UK’s No.1 Foundation with an air-whipped formula provides an air-soft, matte perfect finish that has a lightweight feel. It blends effortlessly for a natural-looking, even result. Includes innovative technology with flexible, silicone polymers help to prevent caking.”

The first thing I noticed when I opened the jar was how much it reminded me of chocolate mousse, not in colour but in consistency. But I also noticed just how little there was in the pot compared to how much I normally get for pretty much the same price. It would seem that the easiest and best way of applying this foundation if with your fingers, with Maybelline suggesting that you concentrate on the centre of your face and work the product outwards. I only used a little bit of foundation on my finger tips and I ended up looking rather caked, something that Maybelline said that this foundation wouldn’t do. Also although it looked great on my friend, this foundation didn’t look too nice on me. I looked like I was wearing foundation, which might sound strange, but no girl wants it to be obvious that they are wearing makeup and I generally like to go for a natural makeup look. On dry patches of skin the foundation tended to be quite flaky, which drew attention instead of disguising it. This foundation didn’t provide very good coverage for my dark circles or blemishes, which surprised me seen as it had manage to disguise my friend’s freckles.

All I can really say is you need to try this foundation out for yourself because I thought that it looked great on my friend, but it really didn’t suit me at all.

Pros: Looks great on some people.

Cons: Really didn’t work for me, looked horrid on dry patches and it didn’t live up to its claims of no caking.

I am a huge fan of perfumes and believe that no woman is complete without a gorgeous smell! Throughout my 22 years I have tried a lot of different scents and my current favourite is Calvin Klein’s Euphoria. I first became aware of this perfume when I hugged my boyfriend’s aunt Dance and was struck by the smell of the amazing perfume she was wearing. She told me that it was Calvin Klein’s Euphoria and the next day I ran out and bought myself a 30ml bottle of it from Boots for £30. I have seen it going a lot cheaper on Ebay, which is always a good thing especially in a recession! When I opened the box I was amazed by how lovely the bottle was, as you can see in the picture, the bottle has a very modern design, most of which is made out of a silver metal, quite unusual for a perfume bottle, and the rest is a lovely lilac coloured class, through which the eau du parfum is visible.  Apparently the designers intended the bottle to resemble an orchid, the flower that inspired the fragrance; however I can’t really see it myself. The bottle sits really nicely in the hand, I suppose it was designed this way and it is very easy to use. On the base of the bottle CK inform you that the perfume has a 36 month shelf life, which is really quite good although I can’t see anyone being able to keep it and not use it for that long!

Boots state that “Calvin Klein Euphoria is an addictive oriental fragrance that contrasts exotic fruits, seductive florals and a rich, creamy signature. It is inspired by a new found freedom, about living one’s dream.” Personally I can’t smell the fruit in it, but it is definitely a very distinct, deep smell which has lots of different levels to it. At first you get the light, exotic, floral smells coming through, which is lovely, but the set of smells you get once it has been on a bit that are the best bit! It is so hard to describe, but it smells deep, pretty, mysterious and sexy, I urge you to try a tester in Boots or somewhere and I am willing to bet that once you have smelt it you will be in love.

Every time I wear this perfume I get complimented; it would seem that not many people know about Euphoria and I like the fact that I don’t smell like everyone else! This 30ml bottle has lasted about 6 months and I think I will definitely be going to buy another one. One thing I noticed was that unlike other perfumes, this one didn’t irritate my skin in any way. I have quite sensitive skin and perfumes normally bring me up in a little rash when first applied or make me sneeze loads, but this one did none of that. I would therefore recommend this to anyone with allergies or sensitive skin and to anyone wanting to smell gorgeous!

Pros: Smells lovely, great for people with sensitive skin, has a long shelf life

Cons: None!

I always like use a pressed powder over my foundation as in my opinion it not only gives a better look and better coverage, but it also help the foundation to stay on longer, something that is always an issue for women with busy lifestyles. The last time I ran out of it I didn’t have time to go to town and find the one that I normally used, so I had to rely on what my local supermarket, Sainsburys had. The only range of makeup they did was Rimmel and so I had the choice between their regular powder and their Complexion Clarifying Powder which only comes in one shade, so if you don’t have fairly light, white skin then, this product would not be suitable for you. The shade looked like it would match my skin and since I was having an outbreak of spots at the time I decided that I would go for the one that could possibly help make my complexion better. I paid £3.89 for it, but obviously this might be cheaper elsewhere such as Boots or Ebay (see links on page). Price wise this powder is relatively cheap as the equivalent product by brands such a Clinique and Mac cost well over £10. The powder comes in a light green plastic pot with a transparent lid and white writing which suggests that the powder contains natural minerals. Rimmel claim that this powder offers the user a “pure and shine-free finish for up to 5 hours. It clarifies skin thanks to PureSkin TM complex known to minimize skin breakouts. Controls shine and mattifies skin.”

One of the first things that struck me with this product was the fact that it did not come with any applicator like the more expensive brands do. However it is a good £10 cheaper than the better known brands so I suppose they had to cut the costs somewhere.  Once I had put my liquid foundation (Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid), I tried to apply this powder with a generic sponge that I had spare from other pressed powders I had had over the years, however I actually found it quite hard to transfer the powder from pot to sponge to skin. I had a lot better luck with a big Kabuki brush that I normally use to apply bronzer; it seemed to put more powder on my skin and gave a less patchy finish. The product provided an extra bit of coverage when used in conjunction with my foundation; however it would not have been good enough to use it by itself, especially on the dark circles under my eyes. The powder stayed on all day and a lot came off when I removed it at bed time, suggesting that this powder has great staying power! Also I noticed that it was really effective at reducing shine, not that I am generally a very shiny person, but it made a noticeable difference. This powder lasted a good 5 months with me using it nearly every day, so it proved to be very good value for money. During the time I was using it my complexion didn’t really change; I never had that many blemishes to begin with, just the odd break out now and then and this didn’t change over the 5 months I used it for.

I would recommend this pressed powder for anyone wanting a natural makeup look, especially those looking for good wedding makeup. It would also be useful for people with shiny skin as it really does give a good matt effect.

Pros: Lasts all day, it is cheap and reduces shine well.

Cons: Only comes in one shade which is a very pale peach colour, does not come with a sponge, does not help give a clear complexion and it would not be enough to cover blemishes on its own.

As you may have read in my other Rimmel Coverstick review, I am a big fan of Rimmel makeup and have been using their Coversticks for as long as I can remember. When I saw that they had bought out a Coverstick that can help keep your complexion clear I was very keen to try it, so I paid £2.99 for one from Superdrug instead of buying their regular concealer that is the same price. Rimmel claims that this concealer “conceals blemishes and helps prevent skin breakouts thanks to PureSkin TM complex”.

This concealer comes in three different shades, Ivory, Natural Beige and Sand, meaning that they do not cater for people with darker skin tones. There weren’t any testers available when I purchased it, but I presumed that I would be the same colour in this as I am in their normal concealer, Sand. This was my first mistake, when I put it on it was very orange and really stood out. The Ivory in the regular concealer is far too light for me, however in this concealer it might have been a better match, although I do not think that my skin tone could be classed as Ivory at all. My skin can often be prone to dryness and even though I had moisturised, trying to put this on my skin was quite rough and it felt really dry and nasty, not moisturising at all like the regular cover stick. It was easier to apply this with a concealer brush, however it still didn’t go on very nicely. The overall coverage it gave to my dark circles and blemishes was ok, not amazing but not bad either, personally I felt the original cover stick gave a better coverage. This coverstick also smelt quite a bit, it wasn’t a particularly unpleasant smell, but a smell that you would attribute to skin care products designed to give a clear complexion.

I would not recommend this coverstick for anyone with dry skin as it really doesn’t go on very easily or look nice; however I can see how it would be good for people with oily skin as it has a drying effect. I didn’t really notice a reduction in blemishes on my skin whilst using it, but as stated before maybe it would work better on people who are prone to oily skin and have blemish problems related to that. I used this concealer every day for a month and still had over half left when I discontinued using it due to not liking the results it gave.

Pros: Lasts a long time, gives ok coverage and could work really well for people with oily skin.

Cons: Does not cater for darker skin tones, doesn’t work well on dry skin and it smells a bit.

I am a big fan of Maybelline mascaras and was first attracted to this mascara as it claimed to offer the false lash effect that I am constantly after but have never totally been able to achieve. I bought this from Superdrug for £6.99; however I have noticed recently that they no longer have it in there or in Boots so Maybelline might have stopped doing it. You can get this mascara quite cheaply on ebay still, I recently paid £2.70 for one which is the cheapest I have ever seen it. The mascara comes stuck to a cardboard backing and covered in plastic, which displays some information, but from an environmental point of view isn’t very good as it doesn’t help to protect or prolong the life of the mascara in any way. Instead of a brush, the applicator is a little comb, which seems to pick up a lot of mascara every time it is put back in.

Maybelline say “style your way to our hottest lash look, direct from New York City… The bold, open-eyed look! V-Shaped Lash Styler and silky-smooth formula gather and lift lashes for super thick lashes with up to 65% lash lift! V-shaped reservoir holds a lot of product to help build a bolder lash look. Wide teeth gather lashes into thicker groups. Separates lashes as it combs for maximum volume without clumps”.  Well I most certainly did not get a clump free effect; I applied as directed, not letting the mascara dry in between coats and all my eye lashes started to clump together into a nasty mess. I honestly looked like I had 2 spiders on my face instead of a nice fan of fake looking lashes and had to use the brush from another mascara to try and un-clump them. During this process I ended up with mascara all over my eye area, ruining the foundation and powder that I had already put on and meaning that I had to do that again as well as sort my eyelashes out, it was a good job that I wasn’t in a rush. I managed to make them look a bit less spider like (see pic) and from a distance they actually looked ok, but they felt really brittle and waxy. With the comb it was quite hard to coat my bottom lashes and I ended up poking myself in the eye. The mascara stayed on all day and there were no little bits of it flaking off near bed time, which is quite unusual for a mascara. It was quite easy to move with my regular make up remover, but I did think I noticed more eye lashes falling out than usual.

To be honest I really wouldn’t recommend this mascara to anyone as it really didn’t look very good. Instead of being a help I think the comb was a hindrance and I had to use a mascara brush to sort it out anyway. Anyone going for the natural makeup look should avoid this as you most definitely look natural.

Pros: Lasts all day and you get a good amount of mascara for your money.

Cons: Clumps, makes your lashes feel brittle and waxy and the comb makes it hard to reply.