Hey y’all. it’s been a while, I know. But hey, it’s hard to write a beauty blog when you’re on a strict NO BUYING ANYTHING UNNECESSARY budget. Also I have a bunch of other blogs I’ve been busy with because, as I’ve probably mentioned before, I’m a firm believer of spreading myself thin. Or am I more of a firm believer in starting too many projects and not executing any of them particularly well? Who knows. Anywho, I digress – on to the makeup talk!
I went to visit a friend in Berlin recently (yes, I am the kind of person to bemoan my lack of money and then take impromptu weekend trips to the continent) and while perusing one of the shopping centres – I think it was Alexa near Alexanderplatz – I came across a KIKO store. Me, being someone that’s never able to resist the lure of shiny facepaints, suddenly found myself inside marveling not only at the selection, but also at the prices of what was on offer. The decor and packaging immediately brought to mind Inglot, but a more inexpensive version. From what I saw though, the quality seemed to be pretty much on par, though I couldn’t really say for definite without, you know, purchasing the whole shop. I have to say though, I was mighty pleased with what I bought which is as follows:
Finally, back with a new post!
So, a few weeks ago, I was attempting to teach my makeup-challenged friend a way around her makeup bag. However, TO MY SHOCK HORROR, she had one brush… One. How has she survived up until this point, I hear you cry. I know, I know. So I told her that I was able to find her some useful tools at a bargain price from E.L.F. and she wasn’t disappointed! (Not going to lie, I bought brushes for myself too, of course!)
Ah, MUA, how intriguing I find you. Your products are so cheap, so thrifty and often times pretty gosh-darn good quality, in spite of the minuscule price. I’ve been in need of concealer pretty badly for a while now. But what with me being broke almost all the time, a fancy cover-up wasn’t even an option. When I saw the MUA Cover and Conceal wand in my local Superdrug for less than two euro, how could I possibly have said no? I thought it might be a cheap dupe for the already cheap as chips Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer (which is awesome; get it now, I IMPLORE YOU).
Unfortunately, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection it ain’t. It just… Doesn’t… Cover… You know? And I don’t know about you, but it’s sort of imperative for me that a concealer conceals. I’m pretty wild like that. I’m probably being a little too harsh. It does work, sort of, provided you apply several layers and wait a significant amount of time for it to dry into your skin before applying any sort of powder, lest you wipe off all your hard work. Believe me, that is what will happen. And let’s face it, ain’t nobody got time for that. The shade range is also extremely limited. There are only three shades and the middle shade was perfect for me, meaning that this stuff would only really suit if your skin is on the lighter side of transparent.
In short, I wouldn’t really recommend the MUA Cover and Conceal Wand, as much as it pains me to say it. Unless you’re extremely short on cash, are a little desperate or you have blemish free skin (in which case why are you even purchasing concealer, silly?!), there isn’t really much point in adding it to your collection.
In September, Rimmel’s usual matte foundation offering was replaced with the new ‘Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation’. My eye was caught first by the sleek but simple white and purple packaging. I was then intrigued further by the light shades on offer. To be honest, I have always avoided Rimmel foundations due to the fact that if you’re anything like me (a shade paler than Casper) it didn’t seem to cater for my needs, unless I was in the mood for looking a bit oompa loompa-ish that day.
It’s come to that time of year when we are all thinking about what to dress up as this year. I do know that there are many people who poo-poo the eerie festivities but, if I’m honest, I will use any excuse to break out the face-paints and a bit of a creative streak.
Because, you know, ‘normal’ makeup is all well and good but there is only one time of year, only a few occasions, when you have an excuse to paint yourself as a pumpkin or some undead creature.
Alas, here is my look from last year. Luckily for me, there was a special presentation of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ and, of course, I decided to go as Magenta. (Though I was the only one in my group to be in costume, they are clearly too dull for my liking!)
And I like the way you move. (Yep, I’m quoting Whigfield, you can judge me, I care not.)
So my lovely co-author and close personal acquaintance, Oily Baby, suggested posting our makeup looks. I guess it’s a good idea to show that we, you know, wear makeup and aren’t talking out of our butts. She was on it quickly, I was not, but here it goes.
Well hi there, just a quick post to say we signed up to bloglovin, so if you like what we’re doing here be sure to follow us there too by clicking the link below 🙂
I perused the aisles of my local pharmacy last week with a friend, stopping at the Barry M stand, as per usual. This range of polishes caught my eye. Their website describes them as: “Hi shine Gel effect Nail Paint [that] provides an extra glossy finish”. I mean, who can turn that down?
Except. Except, well, it’s awful. I invested in the colour above, Key Lime, as I can’t turn down a bright varnish. My friend told me, she told me that they were awful but would I listen? Hardly.
The varnish goes on lumpy, with bubbles forming in the varnish. It takes about eighteen hours to dry (that’s an exaggeration but you know what I mean) and when it does finally manage to dry, it’s too thick and scrapes off easily.
Yeah, it’s cheap enough, so you shouldn’t expect much. But, for me, it’s a pity since I have other varnishes in this brand and they’re pretty good, in fairness. Really disappointed this time around.
Verdict: Please, for the love of god, don’t buy this.
I have been using this mascara for a while now, so I thought it would only be right to share the greatness of this inexpensive gem of a mascara with the world. The name is quite a mouthful, I know. But perhaps it’s to make up for the fact that this mascara is cheap as chips and ridiculously good quality for such a low-low price (€3.49!)
So here is what Essence says about this particular mascara on their website:
the i love extreme mascara’s “crazy” sister – for even more volume! the deep-black, creamy texture covers each individual lash with color and the extra-large plastic brush provides sensational volume. opthalmologically tested.
Now I can’t really say anything about this mascara’s less than crazy “sister”, but on its own merit it’s pretty gosh darn good. Just as Essence claims on its website, every lash is easily covered, the colour is super inky black and it does provide a fair amount of volume. I tend to prefer a lengthening mascara rather than a volumising one, so I’m please to say that this mascara provides the best of both worlds with regards to that.
As for negatives, there isn’t many. However, I found that this mascara did dry out somewhat quickly, maybe faster than other, more expensive mascaras that I have owned in the past. I didn’t mind much, but it could be a point of contention for someone else, so bear that in mind.
This isn’t the best mascara I have ever used, but considering the price, you really can’t go wrong. It’s a testament to how much budget brand make-up has improved since my teenage days, when similarly priced mascara would basically do nothing when applied. While it’s no Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara (sure, what is, really?!), this mascara could still be a worthy addition to your make-up bag if you’re in need of a decent volumising mascara without a hefty price-tag attached.
WHY IS SKIN SO HARD 