Tuesday 26 July 2016

Eyeko Black Magic Mascara review

Mascaras - there's tons of them. Ones to add volume, ones to curl, ones to lengthen... And let's admit it, a lot just don't work. Wouldn't it be great to have a magical mascara that did? Well, today's review is going to be all about a self-titled magic mascara.

Eyeko Black Magic Mascara
Eyeko Black Magic Mascara

Eyeko's Black Magic Mascara is an award-winning, celebrity endorsed mascara that claims to add drama to the lashes as well as volumise, curl and lengthen them. The curved brush is designed to reach every lash and leave the final look clump free.

As well as all of that, the formula includes shea butter and keratin to condition the lashes, is paraben free, waterproof and promises to lock in colour for 12+ hours. Eyeko also claim that there will be no flaking or smudging, yet it can be easily removed with warm water.

It comes packaged a little differently to a lot of other mascaras. Instead of being in a long, plastic tube it comes packaged in a silver squeezy tube which will help to finish the product to the very end. The wand is still contained within a screw cap lid.

My version of the mascara was received in a previous Birchbox, but the full size item also comes with a cute Eyeko branded plectrum to use as a shield during application.

Monday 18 July 2016

Cynthia Rowley Beauty Eyeliner review

I don't know about you, but when it comes to makeup staples, a good pencil liner is rather high up on my list. Today I'm going to be discussing a brand that I feel is well worth a mention if you are also on that hunt for the perfect pencil liner.

Cynthia Rowley Beauty Eyeliner
Cynthia Rowley Beauty Eyeliner

Cynthia Rowley may be better known for her clothing, but her beauty range also contains a collection of both pencil and liquid eyeliners as well as eyeshadows, lip glosses, blushes and bronzers. As we're discussing eyeliner pencils, that is what we will be looking at today; the Cynthia Rowley Beauty Eyeliner pencils.

I have three shades to show you all: black, gold and silver. Two of them I received in previous Birchboxes (the black and the silver, hence why they are smaller in size) and I purchased the full size gold pencil.

They are packaged as sleek, black pencils with gold writing and a plastic cap with gold circles on it. The bottom of the pencil indicates the shade. The pencil then comes packaged in a matte black and shiny gold box. I personally think that it looks great and they feel high quality.

Tuesday 12 July 2016

LOC One and Done Shadow Sticks review

I love discussing new brands and new products, and today I have a fairly new brand to discuss with you all.

LOC One and Done Shadow Sticks in Empress Me and Champagne Problems
LOC One and Done Shadow Sticks in Empress Me (top) and Champagne Problems (bottom).

LOC (Love of Colour) is a new-ish brand by Birchbox, the beauty box subscription service that sends you a collection of 5-6 beauty and lifestyle samples every month for you to try. LOC isn't their only venture into creating products as I've mentioned before (see my Arrow Boost Colour Enhancing Lip Balm review) and even though their product selection is fairly limited right now, I wanted to give them a mention.

The product that I have to show you today is the One and Done Shadow Stick range, a collection of three different shades of eyeshadow pencils that promise ease of use and long-lasting wear. As well as that, the formula is paraben and cruelty free.

Today I have two of the three UK shades to show you (the US Birchbox has more), Champagne Problems and Empress Me, a pale rose gold and darker rose gold respectively.

They come packaged in small, black, glossy pencils with the same gloss-finish plastic cap and they hold 1.35g of product. The ends of the pencils show the colour of the eyeshadow.

Thursday 7 July 2016

NYX Highlight & Contour Pro Palette review

Contouring. Whether you're a pro or a beginner, one thing is certain: you need the right products. If you prefer, you can buy a range of individual shades, but if you like to be more organised, a contour palette can be your best friend.

NYX Highlight & Contour Pro Palette
NYX Highlight & Contour Pro Palette

The NYX Highlight & Contour Pro Palette is a collection of 8 highlighting and contouring shades (four of each) to sculpt the way you want.

The palette contains a mix of both matte and shimmer shades. Each of the pans can also be replaced individually once they have been used as well, so finishing one shade that you use more doesn't mean that you need to replace the entire palette.

It all comes packaged in black, plastic packaging with a clear plastic lid to access them.

The palette then comes in a cardboard cover that contains instructions on how to use them if you get a little stuck!

Monday 4 July 2016

Best Beauty Products for Oily Skin

Oily skin can be a total pain to deal with. All of the blotting to reduce the shine as well as re-doing melted or caked up makeup can leave you feeling highly frustrated and wishing for a quick and easy fix.

The bad news is that I am not aware of a quick and easy fix (if you know one, please let me know!). The good news though is that over the years I have found some fantastic products that I find really help to curb the levels of oil on the skin, making it far more manageable.

In an effort to help anyone else who struggles with oily skin, I have created a list of both skincare and makeup items that I personally love and use to help keep things under control. Hopefully they will work for you as well as they do for me.

So if you're at the end of your tether with your oily skin, keep reading to find out my best beauty products for oily skin!