NYX Love in Paris Palette Review

Hello again!

Behold! Something lovely this way comes. This was a complete impulse buy - randomly browsing the NYX stand at my local Clicks, I thought "Oh, pretty!" and popped this palette in my basket.

This is the Love in Paris palette in the shade Je Ne Sais Quoi. Ain't it pretty?

I'll start by saying that a primer is a must for these shadows. Without a primer, the colours aren't as bold or vibrant as I would like, and they slip off the lids after a couple hours.

Looking at the first row: the first colour is a lovely, shimmery champagne that is gorgeous as a highlight in the inner corner (it's also lovely to press on the lid over a darker shade for some sparkle). Next is a pretty dark brown with golden flecks - I love this shade for deepening the outer corner or running along the upper and lower lashlines for some subtle liner. The last one in this row is disappointing for me; it's a cool-toned light brown with duo-chrome shimmer that doesn't really look like anything on the lid. I wish this shade was more vibrant, because it's so so pretty in the pan.

Second row: first up is a matte, warm brown; this shade is gorgeously pigmented and a great transition colour! It's great on it's own, in the crease, or used to smoke out black liner. The middle one is a lovely, shimmery, warm-toned light brown, which is pretty on the lid, but needs a few layers to show up the same colour as in the pan. Lastly, we have a satin cream colour, which is a perfect browbone highlight!

Third row: this first one is a bit tricky: it's basically a silver glitter, and it's hard to work with on its own. However, this shade is stunning when patted on the lid with a finger! It adds a really pretty glitter to any look that might be a bit lacking. The next one is a plum shade with some sparkly flecks, but it's almost matte on the eye. This one is lovely on its own, under the bottom lashes, or used in the crease to warm things up a bit. Finally, the last shade: this one is fantastic! It's a completely matte, super-intense black. How hard is it to find one of those?! This shade is great for making any look more dramatic, and I really love it as a liner: I take a small angled brush, press the shade into my lashline, wing it out a bit, smoke it out with the matte brown and I'm good to go!

Have you tried this palette or others from the Love in Paris range? What are your thoughts?

Until next time xx

Thoughts on Empties

Hello loves!

I've only really been into trying out and comparing makeup for around 2 years, and this is literally the first time I've ever re-purchased a product. My Ralo Brilliant Lash Mascara is almost ready to be tossed away and I must say, I almost had a little panic when I discovered this! As a result, I hurriedly dashed off to get a new one! This is a really wet mascara and can't be applied too hastily (tried that - big mess), but it's so beautifully lengthening and defining that it's totally worth the faff! If you haven't tried it, it gets a huge thumbs up from me.

Another thing that I recently ran out of was the Catrice Re-touch Light-reflecting Concealer. Now I really did like this! It was so easy to apply, it covered up blemishes, redness and under-eye circles, and it felt like there was nothing on my skin. However, I'm not going to repurchase this. It finished so quickly, and I've had other concealers that lasted much longer and only cost half the price! If you're looking for an affordable concealer pen, then I recommend this one, but I'm much happier with my longer-lived stick concealer.

Lastly, I've been using the Clicks Skin Essentials 3 in 1 Facial Wipes, and I've nearly gone through a pack of them. These wipes are excellent; they're gentle, remove all my makeup, and have a pleasantly fresh scent. These are supposed to cleanse, tone and remove makeup, but I wouldn't use them in place of skincare products. They're also really inexpensive and remove waterproof eye makeup in just a few swipes.

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know :).

Until next time xx

Spring Nails

Hello lovelies!

I found this gorgeous nail polish at Ralo the other day, and I love it so much that I just had to share it with you.

It's from their Professional range and it's one of the quick drying ones. I just really liked the lilac colour; I though it would be very pretty for Spring and I didn't have anything like it in my collection. After wearing this polish, I only have good things to say about it. I applied two coats to get the desired opacity and I am so so happy with the finish! It looks shiny and gel-like, and lasted several days on my nails without chipping. As an added bonus, this polish was also super easy to remove! I hate it when it takes three or four cotton pads to remove my nail colour, but this one completely vanished after one! This one is a goodie, and I recommend it if you're looking for a cute Spring colour.

What are your favourite shades for Spring?

Until next time xx 

Wet n Wild Walking the Red Carpet Palette Review

Aloha!

I saw this new Wet n Wild palette (#StudentBudget) at Clicks recently and I was a bit indecisive about whether or not to pick it up. I thought some of the shades might be similar to the Comfort Zone palette, which I already have, but the two golden shades and the light matte brown are what convinced me to buy it.

The left-hand column has a matte light pink, matte light brown, a gorgeous slightly shimmery brown and a dark matte brown, all of which are just as buttery and soft as I've come to expect from this line. The pink and light brown shades are lovely for blending out darker colours, and the brown is also great as a crease contour. The shimmery brown is absolutely stunning! It's a great colour for all over the lid and has the most beautiful, subtle sparkle to it that I just love.Then the definer shade is super dark, so it's great for lining the eyes or creating a smokey look.

On the right-hand side, we have a pearly white, glittery yellow-gold, a shimmery copper-golden colour, and rich chocolate brown with golden shimmer. The white is a gorgeous highlight for the inner corner and the chocolate is so smooth and beautiful for placing all over the lid or in the outer corners. These two shades are soft and creamy. The two golden shades are more difficult to work with. The yellow-gold is a bit dry and flaky, so although it's a very pretty colour, it tends to have some fall-out and can be difficult to blend. The copper-gold is more creamy than the yellow one and doesn't have the fall-out problem, but it's also just a little more difficult to work with than the other shades.

The pigmentation of all the shades is really amazing and won't let you down if you're a fan of Wet n Wild shadows. Overall, I think this is a versatile palette that would be a great one to pick up if you don't have these sort of shades already. This is a limited edition palette, so hurry to your nearest Clicks if you want to pick one up! There's also a limited edition purple palette, but I decided not to get that one.

Let me know if you've tried this palette or the purple one! I'd love to know what you think of them.

Until next time xx

Catrice Gel Eyeliner Brush Review

Hello there! 

Am I the only one who hates using the brushes that come with the lids of liquid eyeliners? I have very curly lashes on the outer corners of my eyes and find that the brush always deposits a whack-load of product onto my lashes, which I absolutely can not stand! So I though it would be a good idea to pick up an eyeliner brush that won't sit the little liner bottles all day and have excess product all over it.

Seeing as it's really affordable and I'd never tried a Catrice brush before, I picked up their Gel Eyeliner Brush.

This is a double ended brush with an angled side and really fine side. I've tested it out quite well now and I'm really impressed with it! I like the fine side for liquid and gel liners, as it's really precise, while I enjoy using the angled side for using eye shadows and subtle, smokey liner. The angled side would also be amazing for filling in eyebrows.

This is a fabulous purchase and great value for money that I think everyone should have their brush collection!

Please let me know in the comments below if you have any brush recommendations for me! I'd love to give some others a try :)

Until next time xx

Quick and Easy Out-the-door Face

Well, hello there! Today I thought I'd share my favourite super-easy, polished yet minimal look with you. I stumbled across this combination of products over the passed few weeks while I was writing exams. I needed something really easy and fast to put together, but I still wanted to look like I'd made some effort. Ya know what I mean?

After moisturising my skin, I took some of Catrice's Re-touch Light-reflectiong Concealer in 020 Light Beige and applied it to any spots (which were quite numerous) and under my eyes to hide my exam-time darkness, and blended it in with my fingers. I chose this particular colour becuase I wasn't looking to highlight, just to conceal, and the Light Beige is very close to my skin tone.

This is going to sound a little strange, but I then used the Ralo Professional Eyeliner Pen to fill in my eyebrows. If you remember my Mini Ralo Haul, you'll know that I found this eyeliner really sheer and not as black as I would have wanted, but this makes is great for filling in the little gap in my less-full brow. Besides for the little gap, I really don't have to do anything to my super-bushy brows.

Next I used the Catrice Made to Stay Inside Eye Highlighter Pen in the colour 010 In the Mood for Nude. I applied this in the lower waterline to make me look more awake and bright-eyed.

I then used Ralo's Brilliant Lash Mascara, which I think is just fabulous. I sometimes spent the whole day at university with exams, so I wanted a mascara that would hold a curl all day and not smudge under my eyes, and this one did the job really well. I'm sure any waterproof mascara would work well too.

And lastly, I just went for a bit of Dischem's Aloe Vera Lipbalm.

This look takes me about 5 minutes to put together and I really think it's a good one for when you're in a rush.

Let me know if you decide to try this look, or what your quick and easy staples are!

Until next time xx

Catrice Lashes to Kill Volume Mascara Review

Hello loves!

After purchasing Catrice's Lashes to Kill False Lashes Volume Mascara, I just had to review it (yep, it's that good!).

I find the formula is neither wet nor dry, but somewhere in between. This mascara has little fibres that help to thicken and lengthen the lashes. I've applied one coat to my top lashes, wiggling the brush at the roots and then pulling through to the tips of the lashes. 

I think this mascara is freakin' fantastic! It not only lengthens the lashes and adds a tonne of volume, but it separates beautifully. It's also quite versatile, as you could do a really thin little layer for a sweet, natural look, or really pump it up for a false lash effect. I find that it's not difficult to remove at all. The only downside I've found is that when applied to the bottom lashes, it tends to do a bit of a panda-eye as the day wears on.

So be sure to try this one out, it's a winner!!!! I got mine at Dischem for R67.95.

Until next time!

Budget Friendly Beauty Haul!

Let's get real: there are tonnes and tonnes of beauty products that I'm just itching to try, but I'm on a student budget. I recently picked up a few things that are totally inexpensive.

From Ralo, I got the BB Cream Professional in the colour Light (which is surprisingly dark for the lightest shade of the bunch!) and one of the Trio Eyeshadow Shimmers in number 36. This trio has two really pretty browny-taupe shades and a dark grey. I've used the BB Cream a couple times and I think I like it! I love the how the finish is super velvety and non-oily.

The Maybelline Baby Lips line recently launched in South Africa (can I get a "whoop whoop"?). I've heard so many good things about these lip balms on YouTube and other blogs, and they are soooo inexpensive that it totally couldn't hurt to try one! Unsurprisingly, I got the red one, which is the colour Cherry Me. Can we just appreciate how amazing this thing smells?!?! Ooohhh my gosh! It reminds me of cherry-flavoured Fizz Pops! Who wouldn't want their lips to smell like that all day?!

Lastly, I went a bit Catrice crazy (oops). For my horribly oily skin, I decided to try the Prime and Fine Pore Refining Anti-shine Base which boasts that it is "mattifying, longlasting and oil-free". I'll have to give it a go the next time I wear foundation. Once again, for the oilyness I have to put up with, I picked up the Prime and Fine Eyeshadow Base. I'm super excited to try this out and see how it lives up to claims of fixing eyeshadow and making it waterproof. I also thought to try the Gel Eye Liner Brush. The bristles feel really soft and look like they will create super fine lines. You know me, what's a beauty haul without some mascara, right? Of all the mascaras I've tried, the Catrice ones have been my favourites! I thought I'd try the Lashes to Kill False Lashes Volume Mascara with Lash Extension Fibres (what a mouthful!). Mascara is my favourite thing ever and I've never tried a fibre one before, so I'm one very very excited girl. Finally, I've joined the lip balm crayon crew with the Pure Shine Colour Lip Balm in 050 Cherry-ty. This balm legit smells like vanilla, which is my favourite scent.

After that huge ramble, I now have some products to test and I'll probably return with some reviews.

Until next time xx

Pick of the Day: Purple Liner

Recently, I have really been loving to wear purple eyeliner. My favourite at the moment is the Wet n Wild Mega Liner in Plum, which I like to wear in quite a think line across the lid with a little flick at the end to help elongate my eyes. I picked up this little guy at Clicks for R39.95. Despite the low price of this liner, I think it's great quality. The colour comes out dark, with a slightly metallic sheen, and the fine brush is perfect for creating that winged-out effect (for some reason, the purple colour picked up better when I had my eyes open).

For a more smokey, evening look, you could always add a bit of liner on the lower lash line or waterline. Don't forget to add some drama to the lashes for killer eyes!

Some other purple liner-ish products to try are

• Smudge Waterproof Gel Eye Liner pencil, from Clicks (about R30 the last time a bought one).
• Wet n Wild Color Icon palette in Petal Pusher, from Clicks (R89.95) - the shadows can be used with a fine, wet brush to create a liner.
• Catrice Absolute Eye Colour mono in Don't Lie, Lac!, from Dischem (about R35) - again, use a small brush to apply this as a liner.

Please let me know what YOU are loving at the moment in the comments below.

Until next time xx

One Brand: All About Ralo

 

Ralo Cosmetics is my favourite brand for beauty on a budget. Their products are high quality and great value for money.

 

I've spoken about the Long Lasting Liquid Foundation before: I really do believe that this is an amazing product. It has buildable coverage and literally looks like a second skin. Also, I find that I rarely need to touch up my face when I wear this (that's saying a lot, as my skin is really oily!).

 

Next is the Jumbo Eyeliner Pencil. Mine is a  lovely brown shade, and the pencil comes with a sharpener in the cap. The colour comes off as slightly metallic, which I think is pretty, and the product is really smooth and glides on effortlessly. I will point out that when used all over the lid as a shadow, this product creases easily, so it definitely needs a primer or lots of layering.

 

This next one was a gift with purchase. The Eye Liner Hard is indeed very hard, and difficult to apply to the sensitive skin around the eye. However, this liner works great for defining the brows.

 

The Hi-definition Liquid Liner is one of my favourites! I've had this for ages and it hasn't dried out. The brush is thin enough for a subtle line and is perfect for creating  a winged-out look. I only have the black one, but this product comes in a variety of colours.

 

This Soft Twist Pencil in Dove Blue was a gift with purchase. I'm so disappointed with this product! The first time I tried it, a whole chunk snapped off, and it literally smells like a drawing crayon. It doesn't last well at all on the waterline or lower lash-line.

 

This one's a win! I love Ralo's eye shadows; they are buttery, pigmented and really easy to work with. This is the Trio Eye Shadow Shimmer in number 21. This one looks a bit scary (I bought it for the emerald green in the middle).

 

The Quin Eye Shadow in number 20 is a great pick for an every-day look. Again, these shadows are awesome. I need to find a way to get more use out of the bright pink!

 

This one is the Quin Eye Shadow in number 17. The minty green is perfect for a little pop of colour and the navy blue is gorgeous for a smokey eye.

 

This Blusher in number 6 is a lovely pink shade. The colour is buildable, so you can use it for a simple flush or an intense pink cheek.

 

I have a love-hate relationship with this Professional Lipstick in number 35. The colour looks like a berry tone from the outside, but when applied it's a bright, glittery pink (see swatch at the end). While it's not the berry that I wanted, the pink is quite nice if you can get passed the glitter. The formula is dry, so it definitely needs a lip balm under the colour. Also, the packaging really sucks - it's chunky and feels cheap.

 

This Colour Blast Lipstick in number 58E is gorgeous! It's a classic bright red with amazing pigmentation. The formula is smooth and buttery and leaves the lips feeling moisturised. The packaging is cute, but feels cheap. I guess you can't have everything in a R29.50 lipstick.

 

This tiny little baby is the Glitter Nail Colour in number 29. It's a teal\jade green with a metallic sparkle, and it is my ultimate favourite nail polish.

 

Lastly, we have the Magnetic Effect nail polish in number 9 - Steely Blue. This is a duo-chrome silver-blue shade and it has one of those magnetic patterns on the lid (the ones that you hold above the drying polish to get a cool effect). I really like this shade, but I find it hard to apply. I either get a very thin layer of colour, or it's just way too thick. Maybe the brush is the problem?

 

I thought I'd include some swatches. The two lipsticks are in the middle. Going clockwise from the top: the black is the Hi-definition Liner, the dark brown is the Jumbo Eye Pencil, the next brown is the Eye Liner Hard, and the last one is the Soft Twist Pencil.

Let me know what Ralo products you've tried! Do you love them, hate them, are they just okay?

Until next time xx