20161208

New in Beauty | Drugstore to High-End


Most other years it's felt like around November time we've been drowning in new releases! However this year for some reason it's been a little more slow and steady; in fact it wasn't until I sat down and made a list that I realised all of these exciting new products had landed. I think I've got a mix of hyped-up releases and less-talked-about new launches. So today I'm going to give you my thoughts on them all and, just to pre-warn you: it's largely positive!


Drugstore & Affordable

Rimmel The Only One Matte Lipsticks* | £4.99 each | We are kicking it off with a surprise love from me. Honestly, I think this is the best matte lipstick formula I've tried from the drugstore and probably one of my favourites overall. I must admit, I've had some bad experiences with unbelievably dry formulas that skip across the lips and also waxy consistencies that give no colour payoff. However these glide on beautifully! The texture is so smooth and the pigmentation is amazing. I'd say the darkest shades aren't quite as opaque as the others, however that's a small gripe because all you need to do is add another coat to avoid streakiness. I'd say these aren't *quite* a true matte-look lipstick (so the darkest shades can transfer a little), however that's a minor point given how comfortable and long-wearing these are. I definitely recommend checking these out, though I must say that not all of the shades are for me, the formula is excellent so I really hope Rimmel keep expanding the range.



I have all of the shades swatched here and I'll let you know which of them I'll be keeping hold of as we go along. Leader of the Pink is a fairly light but bright (as opposed to nude) pink colour. Call the Shots is a little vivid for me but if you like a bold, slightly coral, almost Barbie-esque pink then check it out. Salute is a light pinky-mauve nude that doesn't work for me but would be nice on fair skin tones. Take the Stage is a true pillar box red and whilst I did wear this for Halloween, I probably don't see it making its way into my main collection.  Run the Show is literally a bright purple that's just too crazy for me but it's an unusual colour to find at the drugstore so check it out if you're into these sorts of shades. High Flyer is a medium-deep pinky-mauve colour that I really like for an everyday option when I want something a tiny bit more bold than a nude. Trendsetter is also going to be a keeper; it's a light-medium brown nude with slightly peach undertones. Though it borders on 'concealer lips' on my skin tone it actually works really well with a brown lip pencil (like MAC Spice or Rimmel's own Addiction). I'm also keeping Look Who's Talking, a deep, warm rich brown colour - it's a little out there but I like it!  Finally, I'm going to be keeping hold of The Matte Factor - a purple-berry-red colour (think MAC's Rebel and Diva mixed together) that's perfect for this time of year. 

Rimmel Scandaleyes Thick & Thin Eyeliner* | £5.49 | I know what I want when it comes to eyeliner and  I actually think I tried this a couple of years back and although it was fine to use at the time, it dried out very quickly. I'm not a huge fan of the marker-like angled nib and I just find it a little bit scratchy. It's also prone to smudging a bit on me, which is a no-no as far as I'm concerned. I actually tried to swatch these two liners for this post but they just bled everywhere, which says it all really! There are just much better options out there.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Micro Eyeliner* | £5.95 | I must say, I got on a lot better with this option, which has a precise, pointed tip, allowing you to create a fine, low-key winged liner look. It does smudge and bleed a bit though so I wouldn't repurchase it, despite it applying fairly nicely in the first instance.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Reloaded Mascara in Black & Extreme Black* | £6.99 each | These mascaras are pretty much the same to me, though one is supposed to be a more intense black than the other. I saw the unusual fine, but fibre-y wand and really wasn't sure I'd be into this. I did quite like the look it gave my lashes, though it's not my usual because I tend to prefer length over volume. However this does give volume without clumping my lashes together and I did like that it doesn't flake or smudge on me throughout the day.

L'Oreal L'Or Highlighter | £7.99 | This was so hard to track down! I saw it on Instagram but couldn't locate it online and it didn't seem to be in stores either. I'd all but given up before I decided to take a sneaky little peak in the drawers underneath the stand and there it was! The formula of this is pretty much identical to that of the ColourPop highlighters - a sort of spongy, creamy texture. It's not at all greasy and has amazing pigmentation. As far as I'm aware there's only one shade, which is this gorgeous true gold colour. It blends out so beautifully and gives my skin amazing luminosity. 

Sleek Cleopatra's Kiss Highlighting Palette | £9.99 | I honestly didn't get the hype around the Solstice palette - 1 or 2 of the shades looked OK on me but honestly it wasn't for me overall. However when I saw this palette on Instagram it looked much more up my street! This has a golden-bronze theme and contains two cream shades and two marble-effect powders. The creams aren't greasy, thin or glittery, they just add a nice dewy sheen to my skin and I really like the powder in the top-left (Sphinx), though I'm less keen on the powdery and glittery light champagne shade (Goddess). Whilst I don't think this beats my favourites from brands like Becca, it's definitely a great option if you're on a budget.



Makeup Geek Eyeshadow Pans in Bake Sale, Pocket Change & Lucky Penny | £6 each | I'm a huge fan of Makeup Geek eyeshadows so of course I picked up some of their new Autumn shades. Bake Sale has a matte finish, and whilst it kicks up some fallout, it blends very easily and I am still impressed with the colour payoff. It's a warm medium brown shade with slightly cool beige undertones that's a perfect transition shade for me. Pocket Change is probably a bit generic, so if you have other antique gold eyeshadows you probably don't need it! I do still really the formula of this, though, it has a nice metallic sheen and is very long-wearing. Lucky Penny is very similar in texture and finish, however this one is a more red-brown shimmer.

Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadow in Legend | £9.25 | I'm an even bigger fan of the Foiled range from Makeup Geek, as the shadows have this amazing dewy, metallic finish that has so much impact once applied. I love this warm amber-gold colour - it looks amazing across the lid with some black winged liner and a berry lip. (But as a side note: I'm really disappointed with the price increase on Makeup Geek eyeshadows!)

Morphe Brushes Pressed Pigment in Rodeo Drive | £4.95 | Morphe is a bit hit-and-miss as a brand for me, however at a fiver I was intrigued enough to try one of their new pressed pigments. They very much look like a foiled eyeshadow, though (as I hope my photo has captured) I don't think the finish is quite as dewy as the Makeup Geek ones. It's a pretty opportune time though, given that Makeup Geeks Foiled shadows will now set you back nearly a tenner each! It does have amazing pigmentation, though I did notice it's a little more crumbly in texture than I'd expected. The wear-time is ok, though it definitely fades throughout the day, like the other Morphe shadows I have. The colour itself is a gorgeous copper tone, not dissimilar to Liquid Centre from the Zoeva palette we'll talk about later. It's definitely much warmer in colour than Makeup Geek's Foiled eyeshadow called Grandstand, which is a favourite of mine. Overall, I do still think the Makeup Geek Foiled shadows are better and worth the investment over these.



Soaper Duper Miracle Hand Cream* | £6 | This is an exciting new brand created by the founder of Soap and Glory. It's still at a really affordable price-point, however here the focus is on green, ethical ingredients. The products don't contain any of the nasties we're regularly warned about like parabens and mineral oils and the brand supports the charity Water Aid. As you can probably see, I've been using these products every day since they arrived and I'm already so impressed! As it promises, this hand cream has a totally non-greasy formula - it pretty much melts into my skin. It's lightweight but still nourishing enough for the winter months. I don't think I'd have chosen this scent myself, however it's fresh and doesn't remind me of cleaning products (like some other lemon-scented cosmetics I've tried).

Soaper Duper Zesty Lemon Body Lotion* | £8.50 | Again, this wouldn't have been my choice of fragrance from the range, however I can't fault the formula at all. It has that grease-free formula but still leaves my skin soft and hydrated. My one negative is that this brand appears to only be stocked by Liberty at the moment and their shipping is a bit pricey! However overall these are both hits and I'd repurchase them (though I'd like to try one of the other scents next time).

Mid-Range

Zoeva Caramel Melange Eyeshadow Palette | £18 | The effort I went to to get this palette! I originally ordered it via BeautyBay and due to some massive mess-up at their end, I was one of many people who hadn't received their order after 2 weeks (UK delivery is supposed to be 5 days) and they were totally impossible to reach throughout the whole thing. I finally managed to get a refund as they no longer had this in stock and admitted they'd lost my order! Needless to say I was not impressed so ordered directly from Zoeva, which I haven't done in a while and it seems they've lowered their postage costs so I only paid £2 more than if I'd gone through BeautyBay in the end. There was then a powercut at my local DHL depot (would you believe?!) which delayed this by another several days. I basically had to push back this post by about a month because of all this. However it's here now; thank goodness! But was it worth all the drama...?

Of course it was! Regular readers will know all about my love for the original Cocoa Blend palette so when I saw there was a new, even more warm-toned addition to the range, I had to have it (let me know if you'd like to see some sort of comparison post of the two). Firstly: the quality is beautiful and the Zoeva eyeshadow formula is up there with my favourites. Every single shade is pigmented and easy to blend (even the light cream matte shade isn't chalky) with smooth mattes and the shimmers having this incredible, almost foiled appearance. There's one glitter; Edible Gem, which is a plummy brown colour with a fine gold glitter running through. It isn't at all chalky and still applies so well - obviously this is a very warm-toned palette so this balances things out perfectly, adding a bit of smokiness to your look. There are more mattes than shimmers here, but I think it works for this collection of shades and (besides the cream matte, which I always ignore in a palette) I use every single shade.




Zoeva Strobe Gel in Aureole | £11 | This instantly intrigued me when I saw it as a new release; it's a gel-based highlighter with this amazing, dewy shimmer. It's actually quite subtle once applied but gives a wet-look glow to the skin. I also like that, despite being water-based, I don't feel like it's removing my base when I blend it out with my fingers. Aureole is a bronze shade with almost peachy undertones.

Topshop Limited Edition Christmas Highlighter in Sun Warrior | £10 | I'm generally a huge fan of Topshop's makeup range so I couldn't not get my hands on this beauty! It's a warm but slightly frosty light gold shade with a soft finish that reminds me a lot of the Laura Mercier Baked Radiance highlighter. It doesn't contain any glitter so gives a very natural look, the only negative I really have for this is that it might look a bit ashy on skin tones darker than my own.



Blank Canvas Rose Gold Dimension Series Brushes: F39 Dome Powder, F43 Flat Round Multi Face & F20 Buffer* | £12.72 each | I'm a huge fan of the eyeshadow palette I have from this brand, however had never tried their brushes. These three are synthetic face brushes available in a variety of colours and finishes - obviously I have the rose gold ones! They're absolutely beautiful, especially for such affordable products. The domed powder brush works well to apply face powder (the tapered shape means you can easily use it under the eyes) but also for even, smooth application of blusher and bronzer. I use the multi face brush for cream contouring personally and it works well to blend out the product to a flawless, seamless finish. Finally there's the buffer brush, which is great for foundation. It's less tightly-packed than other flat-topped brushes I've tried, however that's not necessarily a bad thing because it does allow more movement. I like to use this with a full-coverage foundation to get that completely flawless finish. So far they've washed well and I haven't experienced any shedding! As a Christmas gift, they also make a great affordable alternative to the Zoeva sets because you can purchase them individually so they're more of a stocking-filler than someone's entire present.

B Brow Grow Me Brow Day Cream* | £17 | This is definitely a long-term product to try but I thought it was worth a mention as it would make a pretty cute stocking filler given that it comes in a little bauble. It has a non-greasy formula so can be used on your brows during the day, however I think I'll stick to using it overnight. I will give you an update if I notice my brows looking thicker or fuller because they could definitely do with a bit of that!

High-End

Lancôme L'Absolut Lipsticks in 132 Capice & 267 Bouquet Final* | £25.50 each | The packaging of these new lipsticks is pretty amazing; there's a button on the bottom with a rose design on it that you click to unsheath them. These shades aren't my usual in all honest - 132 is a ruby red with an opaque, creamy (but still sheeny) finish, whereas 367 is a fuchsia shade with a sheer finish. However if you like jewel tones then I'm sure you'd be into these. They don't wear as long as a more satin formula, but do feel very comfortable and hydrating on the lips.

Armani Lip Magnet in 400 | £27 (for the full-sized product) | Somehow I'm apparently on an Armani mailing list and got an email offering a free sample of their new lip magnet so signed up, having heard a lot about these from YouTubers. I have shade 400 which is a vibrant pink-based red - sadly it's really not my thing but I can't complain given it was a free sample! I must admit I'm not wild on the formula - it reminds me a bit of those Revlon Ultra 'Matte' HD liquid lipsticks. It just doesn't really have a true matte finish for me, which is what I look for in this kind of product.


MAC Nutcracker Sweet Copper Face Compact | £29 | I don't normal bother with MAC limited edition collections, but from the moment I saw the press releases for this one, I honed in on this palette and knew it had to be mine. Firstly, I love the Nutcracker ballet - it's just so nostalgic and Christmassy for me! Secondly THAT PACKAGING, THAT EMBOSSMENT. I've been wanting to try the fabled, limited edition Whisper of Gilt highlighter for ages and the blusher (Pleasure Mode) it's paired with is stunning. Whisper of Gilt has the most beautiful glitter-free sheeny finish and actually gives a very natural look on the skin. It's the kind of warm true gold shade that I tend to gravitate towards. Pleasure Mode is the perfect everyday autumnal rosy-mauve-biscuit tone. It has a matte finish but blends out easily and naturally plus doesn't go patchy on my skin. Overall this looks like a winner so get your hands on it if you can! (It keeps selling out but hopefully they'll continue re-stocking the website.) 



Kat Von D Lock It Concealer Creme | £20 | Due to pushing back this post (waiting for my Zoeva products to arrive from BeautyBay!) I have actually already reviewed this product here where I compared it with my Nars, Urban Decay and Too Faced concealers. The long and short of it is that this is a good concealer; it isn't dry at all but isn't too hydrating or dewy in finish. It gives the most incredible, flawless coverage but for me that's a bit too much for everyday wear. However I will be getting a lot of use out of it with party season on the horizon!

Giveaway



a Rafflecopter giveaway

I also have a few Stila products that didn't look like the right sort of shades for me, so I though they'd be better off with one of you guys!

The giveaway is open until 29/12/16 00:00am for UK postage only and you can win:

- Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Brow Colour in Auburn*
- Stila Stay All Day Lip Liner in Rose*
- Stila Stay All Day MATTE'ificent Lipstick in Jolie*

I will be contacting the winner on Twitter by 5pm on the 29th - good luck!


What do you think of these new releases? What have been some of your favourite recent beauty launches?



Don't forget to follow me on:

Enter here to win a box of Philosophy skincare goodies!

*DISCLOSURE
PRODUCTS MARKED WITH AN ASTERISK ARE PR SAMPLES/GIFTS. 
ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. 
PLEASE VISIT MY DISCLOSURE PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
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42 comments

  1. I am so impressed & appreciate your post.That's amazing with all the features and an affordable price.

    Best essay writing service

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  2. I've been reading a lot of mixed reviews (some really good and some really bad) about the new Rimmel The Only One Matte lipsticks so I'm glad to see that you enjoy them! I've also been trying to find (hard job indeed!) the L'Oréal L'Or Highlighter, I'm glad to hear that its formula is similar to the ColourPop Highlighters!

    http://fannyanddailybeauty.com

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  3. I'm pretty sure my hubby has bought me the MAC compact for Christmas and I cannot wait to get my hands on it!!
    The Zoeva palette swatches are just perfection, you can tell how buttery and smooth they are.

    Rhi x
    www.rinkydinkyrhi.com

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  4. I love the rimmel lipsticks but my only gripe is the smell! It smells like gone off play dough and is just grim :( Lovely post, really enjoyed the format! :) Phoebe - www.phoebetea.co.uk
    xx

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    Replies
    1. Yeah I know what you mean about the sweet scent being quite strong - I don't find it lingers that much though xx

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  5. Those Makeup Geek eyeshadows are gorgeous I want them! xx

    http://www.erinazmir.com

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  6. Such a brilliant post as always hun! I really must get the sleek palette! I adored the other one! I also need some more Rimmel lipsticks! They are so amazing and really lovely! My Kate nude is still my all time love, I have had 5 of those!
    Fix Me In Forty Five - A Beauty & Lifestyle Blog
    Blog Lovin' // Instagram
    xx

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  7. That Zoeva palette looks gorgeous! And interesting what you say about the Armani lip magnets - I've only heard stellar reviews on them so far!
    Franceskayleigh.com

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    Replies
    1. I am being a bit cynical but they've only just launched and I've noticed a lot of the positive reviews have been sponsored xx

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  8. I haven't bought any rimmel lipsticks for ages so I think I'll give these a go, there are some really pretty shades here. Also, those mac compacts look amazing! I think I need it!

    whatevawears.blogspot.co.uk

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  9. I think rimmel lipsticks have to be my favourite drugstore formula of all time, they just really get it so right! I have to agree, I love the soltice palette, some shades though cannot be used on my face (like the purple shade) and think the new ones and precious metals are just that little bit more wearable! xx

    www.iridescentplaces.com

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  10. The Rimmel lipsticks have definitely caught my eye and the new MUG eyeshadows. They look gorgeous!

    www.beautylifebecca.blogspot.co.uk

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    Replies
    1. The MUG eyeshadows are perfect if you love neutrals! xx

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  11. Such a drama with the zoeva palette! So glad you like it though, its amazing! I really need to try those rimmel lipsticks, they sound great. I love the MAC palette too :) xx

    LPage Beauty

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  12. The delivery of the Zoeva palette sounds like a complete nightmare! Glad it was worth it though! I haven't tried the new Rimmel matte lipstick but have one of the original only 1 and it's a gorgeous formula so I can imaging the matte ones are too!

    Danielle's Beauty Blog

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  13. The Zoeva palette looks absolutely amazing!

    Vanessa x | www.springlilies.com

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  14. I absolutely love the look of Rimmel The Matte Factor and the L'Oreal highlighter. I am in two minds about ordering that Zoeva palette - I'm wondering if I can justify another palette! So many beautiful products here xx

    Beautylymin| CaseAppGiveaway

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    Replies
    1. Haha I know the feeling, though I just couldn't resist! xx

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  15. I really really want to try out the new rimmel ones, they look so nice! So much newness going on all the time - so hard to keep up!

    Erin || MakeErinOver || Happy Blogmas!

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  16. I really like the matte Kate Moss lipsticks by Rimmel so I'd probably like their new line, too! Trendsetter looks right up my street. Love those Zoeva shades as well, I need to try one of their palettes but I can't decide which one!

    www.beautyfromkatie.blogspot.com

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  17. I read so many mixed reviews about Rimmel lipsticks and after swatching them in the store, I decided not to get them. The matte factor is such a gorgeous colour tho! I tried that Rimmel eyeliner when it was released a few years ago, I'm not a fan of the permanent marker type nib as well. Love the new MUG eyeshadows, they are so pretty :) x

    Ela BellaWorld

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  18. I need to get my hands on a Sleek palette ASAP! They always look so stunning. Also that red Armani shade is to die for! It's a little more orange than a typical Christmas red so I think it would be amazing for a holiday party! Gorgeous. http://www.lipstickisalife.com/

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  19. All of these makeup products look super gorgeous!

    www.themakeupaficionado.com

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  20. So many amazing products. I am obsessed with MUG shadows, I need another palette so I can get more. At the moment new products I have that I am obsessed with is the RCMA Powder this stuff is incredible and The Maybelline Superstay Concealer has really impressed me.

    EmmysBeautyCave | Blog Header Designs | GIVEAWAY Win ABH & More

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  21. I love the Kat Von D Creme Concealer, it is so much better than the origional!

    Danielle xx
    http://www.fashionbeautyblog.co.uk/

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  22. It's a shame you had so much trouble getting your hands on that Zoeva eyeshadow palette... I'm so glad it was worth the wait though! I might have to pick it up myself though as the colours look gorgeous. I'm really into warm toned eyeshadows lately!

    Louise
    www.lipstickandluxeblog.wordpress.com

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  23. Jasmine my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw the new price of the MUG foiled shadow!!! WHAT?! Nearly a tenner for one eyeshadow, what a darn shame! Especially since for double that price you can pick up a whole palette from Zoeva of fantastic quality shadows. Not sure who to blame, but beautybay or MUG have been awful to us loyal UK customers :/ Anyway sorry for that rant, I was just so appalled smh.

    Onto happier things, the shades of that caramel palette look well worth the weight 😍

    Iqra | The Blushing Giraffe x

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    Replies
    1. I know - it's so sad! Wonder if it's to do with the exchange rate? xx

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  24. I think the shades in Cleopatra's Kiss look much more flattering than Solstice. I've asked for the latter for Christmas because I want to understand the hype, I already have Precious Metals and I'd definitely recommend that to you! It has three cream shades and one powder, and they're all quite gold/champagne toned xx

    Phoebe & Abida | phoebida.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. I did actually have the Precious Metals but felt it was too cream-based for me, though the deeper gold shades are really pretty! xx

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  25. May I just mention that I love your photos in every blogpost?
    This is again such a lovely post! :) x

    Melanie | Lilies Beauty - A Beauty & Lifestyle Blog

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  26. There are so many products in this post which I really want to try out. That Sleek highlight palette and MUG shadows look stunning!

    Emily xo
    www.emilynewstead.blogspot.co.uk

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  27. Love this post! The Zoeva palette looks incredible, I'm loving the golden and bronzed tones.
    xx Dany | The Queens Empire

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  28. The L'Oréal highlighter is gorgeous! The Makeup Geek eyeshadows are also beautiful, perfect colours for the festive season. All of these products make me want to buy some makeup so much!! :P

    Julia x
    Last post: NYX Lingerie Lipsticks Review | http://juliaspeaksbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/review-nyx-lingerie-liquid-lipstick.html

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  29. Wow the shades of the new Makeup Geek shadows look beautiful! I hadn't heard anything about these. I really must try MUG at some point but I have SO many shadows that I've been putting it off!

    Kirstie | Behind The Scent

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  30. I always love your swatches! So good!

    www.upyourvlog.com

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