20170525

A Beauty Update | New Haul & Review


Another month, another host of new beauty additions! This month I have a load of brand new releases but also a couple of bit that are just new to me.


Drugstore & Affordable

Barry M Matte Me Up Liquid Lip Paint in On the Scene | £4.99 | I was intrigued to try these obvious Kylie Cosmetics dupes. This comes in at a bargain price and has a very fluid but opaque formula when first applied. It sets down to a completely matte finish which, whilst slightly drying, is incredibly long-lasting. Unlike the Kylie ones this one doesn’t peel or flake on me throughout the day, which is a massive tick in its favour. The colour itself is a warm mid-toned nude which works as a lighter colour on my skin tone.

Barry M Coconut Infusion Nail Paint in Sunkissed | £4.99 | If you were reading my blog this time last year, you’ll know I couldn’t stop wearing the cream-beige toned Starfish from this collection. That was getting kind of gross, gunky and I’d almost finished the bottle, so I went to repurchase it. Instead I decided to go for the similar but very slightly pinkier tone Sunkissed, from the same range. I love these polishes – the formula is really opaque and lasts incredibly well even on my weak nails!

Max Factor Creme Bronzer in Bronze 10 | £9.99 | This is a pretty clear dupe of the Hourglass bronzers and curiosity got the better of me! Despite the name, this is a powder formula. The design of this makes it look gorgeous, though the packaging itself is slightly cheap. This is the deeper of the two shades and although it has a golden shift, the base tone of it isn’t overly warm. The good thing about this is that it has a sheen but it’s very subtle and not at all glittery. However for me it just looks slightly muddy once applied. I also noticed my cheeks looked so patchy and messy when I was using this bronzer. It’s a real shame but I just didn’t like this product.

NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Espresso | £8 | Somehow I’d never tried this before but I definitely think it’s as good as the Anastasia Brow Wiz. It’s great for a really natural everyday look because of its consistency and the spooly you get means you can brush the product through your brows. I love that the tip is very fine and you can just twist it up. I also like that the shade itself looks very natural on and doesn’t smudge throughout the day.

Covergirl Oh Sugar Tinted Lip Balm in Taffy | $6.95 | I was really intrigued to try these lip balms because the idea reminded me of the ones I love from Fresh. I’d say the formula is a little thinner and less moisturising but I do like the amount of colour payoff you still get with this. Taffy is a warm natural colour with a hint of reddish berry.

ColourPop Ultra Blotted Lip in Doozy & Zuma | $6 each | This is such an unusual formula and quite hard to describe! It has an almost gel-like consistency when you first apply it, however as it dries it sets down and the colour becomes more opaque. Obviously from the outside it looks like a gloss or a liquid lipstick but the finish is more like a stain. It isn’t particularly moisturising but it’s not too drying either. I do quite like both of these and it’s nice to see a brand trying something completely new but I probably won’t buy loads of shades in this formula. Doozy is a deep pink tone, whereas Zuma is a nude with a hint of mauve.

ColourPop Blotted Lip in Candy Floss | $5 | This is an interesting formula because it has a semi-sheer, mostly-matte finish. It can also be layered up so that it's fully opaque with two swipes. Like the Ultra Blotted formula, it's not moisturising but neither is it particularly drying and it's pretty long lasting. This is a really nice warm terracotta colour. 

L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation (209 Sun Beige) | £13.95 | Curiosity got the better of me and despite a few reservations, I finally ordered this foundation (from the UK-based eBay seller I've linked, who I always order from and stocks tons of US goodies). Overall I do really like this so far; the shades definitely run more on the neutral side in comparison to Infallible Pro-Matte, which is slightly odd, and that's my only real gripe. The shade I have is eeeever so slightly off but even my picky self feels I can work with it. Although it definitely gives a glow to the skin, this isn't really a dewy foundation so even after hours of wear I don't feel I look shiny or greasy (I have combination skin). It gives a medium-full coverage - it isn't build-able as such, so what you see when first applied is really is what you get. True to its name, it is incredibly long-lasting and still looks pretty decent after my usual 12 hours of wearing makeup on a work day. I still prefer my Infallible Pro-Matte (if the shade was ever so slightly more yellow based, that would have taken this from 'pretty good' to 'pretty great') but it's still a welcome addition to my stash.

Prezzybox Lovely Macaroon Lip Balms* | £5.95 | These macaroon-shaped lip balms are absolutely adorable! The green macaroon contains a clear lip balm and the pink one contains a red-tinted version. They feel nice and moisturising and have the perfect texture for during-the-day top-ups; it's nothing too thick, heavy or greasy but does the job. I also really like the natural wash of colour that the tinted one adds to the lips; it's a great lip product to keep in your handbag just in case you don't have time to do your full makeup in the morning and just want something quick and easy to pop on. 


Prezzybox Beauty Junkie Dry Shampoo* | £4.50 | This is another super-cute product that's tiny so would be great to throw in your bag to freshen up post-gym or even just to add a bit of volume to the hair if it starts looking flat during the day. It's a fine powder that's white in colour but doesn't look too obvious when shaken onto the roots and worked in. It adds a nice amount of volume whilst also refreshing your Day 2 hair. It also doesn't feel itchy once applied, which is a big thing for me with dry shampoo.

Soap & Glory The Rushower Dry Shampoo* | £4 | When Soap and Glory launched their first ever dry shampoo in their signature scent it seemed to be sold out everywhere. Luckily I was kindly sent this and I've noticed it's a bit easier to get hold of now than when it first launched. It's not *the* most incredible dry shampoo at adding volume and reviving the hair but it does a good job of making it look a bit less shiny between washes. What I do like is the scent and the fact that it isn't overly white and doesn't leave my scalp itchy or irritated.



Mid-Range

So Me Brow Kit in Espresso* | £24 | I wasn't sure what to expect from this as I hadn't come across this brand before and it is getting towards the higher price range, however I was so impressed! I thought this shade might be a bit dark on my brows, however it turned out to be perfect and has that spot-on natural tone (there's nothing red or brassy about this, and likewise it's not so cool-toned that it looks ashy or grey). My main improvement for this would be replacing with these mini brushes I'd never use with something useful like a spooly, however I really like to apply the powder with my Zoeva Winged Liner brush. This means I can brush on each individual hair for a defined but realistic look. This doesn't smudge or smear during the day and there's very little fallout. It does take a little longer than a quick brow pencil but for the look I get using this kit, it's definitely worth it when I have the extra time. This smooth-textured champagne shade with a natural sheen is perfect for highlighting the brow bone too. Overall, I can't sing enough praises for this product! Annoyingly it isn't available online just yet but you can find this in selected Superdrug and Sainsbury's stores, so keep an eye out.

BeautyBlender Bubble* | £16 | Ah, the BeautyBlender: a habit I can't quite seem to kick... No matter how many times my mind says 'that's £16 for a sponge!' or 'should I just get the Real Techniques one?', every time I have some Ndulge points to spend or a Cult Beauty discount is on; three one of these makes it into my basket. I think it's just the sheer flexibility and absorbency of the BeautyBlender that makes it different - it has so much bounce and movement. I used to just use it to apply concealer but lately I've really been enjoying it with foundations and tinted moisturisers. This is the newest colour to be added to the range - a pretty baby pink that will undoubtedly be ruined by me eventually! 

BeautyBlender Bubble Micro Mini Duo* | £14.50 | I've actually never tried these so I was intrigued to give them a go. If you largely use the BeautyBlender for concealer then this is fab because you get two and also save a bit of money. The tiny shape of these means you can get right up into those awkward areas like the sides of your nose and inner corners of your eyes, though it is a tad more fiddly so you have to get the hang of using it. If you use the BeautyBlender for both foundation and concealer and you don't have any problems using it then stick to that, but if you've ever found the larger original version a bit awkward or clumsy then give this a go.

BeautyBlender Solid Blender Cleanser* | £14 | I've actually tried a little sample of this before that came with my last fresh BeautyBlender but the packaging of the full-sized product makes this a lot more practical. I tend to wet the sponge then just give it a good swirl over the surface of the soap. Whilst all sponges reach a point of no return in terms of orange stains that just aren't going to lift, this is the best product for getting rid of any bacteria or product on your sponge. I use liquid soap on my other brushes but it just never really works that well with my BeautyBlender. You also get a little silicone pad in here in case you need to really get in there to clean the sponge.

Zoeva Basic Moment Eyeshadow Palette* | £17.50 | This is a really pretty set of eyeshadows - one row is all-matte, one row is all-shimmer. These are all very classic shades, neither cool nor warm in tone, though I'd say it's more one that's going to suit fair, light and medium skin tones. I'd say the lighter colours are a bit 'meh' for me (I don't really use cream matte shades so I definitely don't need two very similar ones) but there are some really nice, creamy, pigmented crease colours in here and some lovely shimmers. These shimmer shades are very smooth, opaque and easy to apply. Overall my favourite shades are Never Ending (a neutral beige matte), New Era (a warmer, browner beige matte), Unfinished (golden shimmer) and Waiting (brown shimmer with slightly purple undertones).



Zoeva Basic Moment Blush Palette* | £12.50 | This is very pretty but (as seems to be a running theme with these smaller cheek palettes from Zoeva) it just wasn't made with my skin tone in mind! It contains a cool-toned matte contour colour, which is just too light to be much of anything for me, a light peachy-pink matte blusher (again, this is just too light) and a highlighter, which I do actually really like. It's a very soft gold colour with a satin shimmer that looks very natural on the skin. This is a pretty little trio that will be beautiful on some people - just not me!



High-End

Jouer Powder Highlighter in Topaz | £19 | This looks crazy-intense in the pan but it's actually quite subtle once applied, so if you're looking to be 'beaming to the gods' (or whatever it is gurus are saying these days...) then maybe this isn't for you, but if you're looking for an everyday option, this should fit the bill. It's a really understated champagne shade with slight hints of gold and peach, however it isn't overly warm in tone. Although I don't have the powder version of Becca's Opal, I do have the cream formula and I swatched these two together - the shades look very similar to me. It gives a natural sheen to the skin and has a very smooth formula made without glitter.

Too Faced Love Lights Prismatic Highlighter in You Light Up My Life | £25 | I'd heard somewhat mixed reviews of this collection. I think the packaging and design of these might have led people to think this was going to be one of those totally intense 'tin man' highlighters and that's not what it is. So again, if you're looking for that - perhaps look elsewhere, however if you just want a normal highlight then this is really pretty. Lord knows, I didn't need another highlighter but this shade is really interesting, it's a gold but it has these very slightly yellow-olive undertones that make it unique. I apply this with a fan brush for a subtle but noticeable metallic sheen.

Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream Eyeshadow in 12 Golden Copper | £17 | I've honestly been eyeing up these eyeshadows for ages! I decided to take the plunge when I got one of those £5 off vouchers for doing a Debenhams Click and Collect and opted for this stunning warm gold-copper. It is shimmery but there's not too much obvious glitter in there and the texture is very opaque. It feels creamy and easy to blend once applied but does set down to be very long-lasting. I wouldn't say it's quite as durable as my Maybelline Colour Tattoos but it doesn't crease, it just looks a little less bold after wearing it for a 12 hour day. It can be used all over the lid as a one-wash shade, as a base or patted on the centre of the lid to make a matte eyeshadow look really 'pop'.

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Stingray* | £14.50 | Sorry, Urban Decay, but I think I'm going to crown this as my new favourite black crayon liner. It's just the most amazingly opaque and pigmented black formula I've ever come across and (best of all) it doesn't smudge or smear throughout the day. It also doesn't need sharpening because you can just twist it up. I've been a fan of the liquid version of this by Stila for ages but hadn't heard much about this one - I'm really glad to have discovered it and would recommend it to anyone.

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Venezia* | £16 | I'm not sure how much I'm actually going to wear this pink-red tone, but I have been reminded how fab the Stila liquid lipsticks are. Firstly, I think £16 is a really good price-point for a guilt-free treat, and also the formula is just so opaque! I don't find these overly drying but, as promised, they do have incredible staying power. I will definitely be digging Patina back out again, because I really like that mauve colour.

Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow in Diamond Dust* | £23 | This isn't really a shade I'd wear, being a warm-tones girl through and through when it comes to eyeshadow, but as it's such an exciting new release I wanted to give my thoughts on the formula regardless (and I'm sure I'll eventually pick up another shade in it!) This isn't something I'd rock up to the office in but a bit of glitter is always fun on a night out, for a festival (which is what I'm keeping hold of this for!) or over Christmas and New Year. This isn't a completely opaque formula, so if you wanted to use this on the lid alone, you'd probably need to apply a couple of layers. What I'd recommend it for is when you've applied your eyeshadow and want something to make the centre of the lid pop, as you can just apply this to that area for a glitzy look. Or you can also take a fine brush and use it along the lash line for a more subtle glittery eye. When I gave this a go, I didn't find that the glitter flaked off or fell onto my cheeks during the day, which was originally what I'd been worried about.

Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara* | £22 | I've heard so many people rave about this mascara but when I saw the wand (and based on the name), I just thought it wasn't for me. However I was recently gifted it and, curious to see what all the hype was about, I decided to give it a week's test run. It turns out that I really like this stuff! Instead of leaving my lashes stumpy and clumpy, like a lot of fibre wands I've tried, this actually really lengthens them. I think it must be the separation between the bristles that stops my lashes clumping together whist still adding volume. I also didn't get smudging or flaking with this. It's definitely up there as one of the best mascara discoveries I've made in a long time.

Marc Jacobs New Nudes Sheer Gel Lipstick in Role Play* | £25 | I actually really like the texture and formula of this; it feels very creamy and comfortable on the lips, adding a nice wash of colour. This medium pink-nude shade is just a little bit 'meh' on me and doesn't really add anything. However I'm still open to trying more from this collection.

MAC Liptensity Lipstick in Smoked Almond | £17.50 | I've already mentioned this a couple of times but wanted to give it an official review. It's so pigmented and opaque but has a creamy texture with a slight sheen on the lips. It lasts well on me, though the sheen is the first thing to fade, it does leave a stain behind. The colour itself is a warm pinky-brown. I really like this and would definitely try more of the shades in this range.

MAC Paint Peintures in Bamboom | £16 | I wanted to try a new eyeshadow base and I'd honestly never come across these before - however after looking in two MAC stores for their Paint Pot in Groundwork, my eye wandered to below the paint pots and I noticed these little liquid-cream eyeshadow tubes. This is a gorgeous pinky-brown nude that looks matte but has a very slight golden sheen. You have to be careful not to squeeze out too much but it's pretty quick and easy to swipe onto the lids as a base or on its own for a natural, low-key look. It's opaque and so long-wearing (it doesn't crease at all) - I honestly can't believe how underrated this is!

HudaBeauty Liquid Matte in Girlfriend | £18 | This is one I picked up from the new Nude Love collection (though surely this should've come out for Valentine's day?!) I always find Cult Beauty's colour swatching to be...dubious, let's say, and there weren't many reviews out so I ordered with trepidation. As expected, this was nothing like it looked on the website, in fact these swatches were far more accurate. It wasn't anywhere near as dark as I thought it was, instead it's a mid-toned sand-beige colour that I do still really like. I'd say if your skin tone is deeper than NC42 you might struggle a bit though. I love this formula; it gives a true, completely matte formulation, is incredibly long-lasting and doesn't feel dry on the lips. It also doesn't flake or peel and you can reapply it with minimal effort.

Marc Jacobs Dew Drops Coconut Gel Highlighter* | £32 | This product seriously had my name written aaaallll over it! I just can't get over how gorgeous this is! It's a liquid highlighter that has a light coconut scent and the finish is just beautiful; a sort of dewy, pearlescent light oyster gold. You can use this in a variety of ways (under the makeup, on top of it like a normal highlighter or mixed in with foundation/primer) but it works best for me personally when used all over my face on top of my primer but underneath my foundation. It adds such a natural glow to the skin (especially with a tinted moisturiser or more dewy, light foundation). 

Ghost Whitelight Eau de Toilette* | £34 (50ml) | This is a really interesting, subtle scent that's unlike anything else in my collection at the moment. It's a sort of soft fruity fragrance and has notes of peach, rose, mandarin, pear and vanilla. Although it's a light scent, I still find it lasts well on my skin and is still detectable by the end of the day. Despite being fruity, it isn't overly sickly or sweet either. I also love the packaging; it feels so premium and the iridescent sheen means it looks beautiful on my shelf.




Which new beauty products have you tried recently?



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28 comments

  1. wow, you have some great new products here, i lve the look of that too faced highlighter, so pretty xx

    cristynottingham.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. I love the shade of it, it's a nice little twist on the usual golden highlight :) xx

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  2. Love how detailed this post is! I haven’t heard of the new L’Oreal foundation, I love the matte version so will definitely have to give this a go! Unfortunately I think I’m allergic to the Zoeva eyeshadows, very annoying!

    Ella xx

    www.ellaryder.com

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  3. That Marc Jacobs mascara is my favourite (it has overtaken YSL Faux Cils) and I neeeeeeeeeeeeed the gel highlighter! Smoked Almond looks beautiful xx

    Beautylymin| LuxurySkincareGiveaway

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  4. I recently tried nyx micro brow pencil and I am in love! But I have it in shade brunette <3
    Kiki | www.kikibeingkiki.com

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  5. Ahhhh I always love a good haul! I'm definitely going to try out that NYX eyebrow pencil, I've been needing new brow products for a while but always wince at the prices of ABH! Loved this post :) x

    www.whatevawears.co.uk

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  6. I've just got the Jouer Skinny Dip Powder Highlighter in today's post and on first swatch it looks like it's going to be so pigmented. Excited to try it out when I get home from work!

    Desperate to try the Marc Jacobs Coconut collection - the Gel Highlighter looks insane.

    Amy | www.thebeautypost.co.uk

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  7. Woaah that was quite a read! I bet you must have been typing for so long. You have included so many new products here. Definitely getting Mac Smoked Almond. I bought MJB Coconut gel dew drops too.

    Ash | www.mstantrum.com

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    Replies
    1. The new Jouer highlighter shades look so pretty! xx

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  8. So many good things here! Love the barry m lip kits and the nyx brow pencil :) the zoeva palettes look really pretty too x

    http://claresloves.blogspot.co.uk/

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  9. I got the same Nyx brow pencil and I'm in love! It's a great match for my brows. Pro Glow is my one of my favorite foundations, though I wish it had a more yellow undertone. Venezia is a gorgeous color but I found that it made my teeth look yellow! :( You got so many beautiful things x

    Beauty From Katie

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  10. What an amazing list of products here, Jasmine! I love NYX Micro Brow pencil but have since moved on to Avon Brow Pencil which I love even more!

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  11. I love how the Marc Jacobs Dew Drops look, I am so tempted to buying them!

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

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  12. The MAC Peintures aren't something I have spotted before but they definitely sound like something I need to check out. I also picked up a couple of the Colourpop Ultra Blotted Lips and I know what you mean when you say that is hard to describe the formula. They're completely different to anything I've tried before.

    Kristy | thevioletblonde.com

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    Replies
    1. I don't know why these eyeshadows are so underrated xx

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  13. So many gorgeous products and so much I want to try! Those Zoeva palettes are just so dreamy! xo

    Laura | Blush and Bronze

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  14. What a huge haul you have! I love stila eyeliners! I picked up a gorgeous brown shade, Sienna, in TK Maxx.


    Toni | sheergloss

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  15. I love these posts! So many exciting products!

    www.upyourvlog.com

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  16. Ooo, so many new products! Makes me want to do a little shopping! I love the look of MJ Role Play. Such a gorgeous shade!

    Nicole | The Glam Surge

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  17. Loooove these types of posts from you! You write the perfect amount for each product and I like that you include things you like and things you don't like as much. I'm keen on trying the BarryM nail polish you mentioned!!

    -Sophie xx
    Cherries & Perfume ♡

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! It's definitely worth checking out xx

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  18. The Smoked Almond lipstick is gorgeous! The Barry M liquid lipstick sounds quite good too, and such good value for money compared to high-end versions. The l'Oréal foundation sounds really interesting since I'd like to try glowy skin finishes without looking like a disco ball with my oily skin, I hope they'll bring this range to Europe soon!

    Julia x
    Last Post:The BEST Natural Hair Products? | http://juliaspeaksbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/best-natural-hair-combo.html

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  19. so many new, fun goodies! *heart eyes* I'm so intrigued by the stila magnificent metals and the marc jacobs gel highlighter is so pretty. you take amazing flat lay photos! I'm trying to get good at that, I find it harder then it looks.

    reece :)

    https://blackberriesandsparkles.com/2017/05/29/a-better-too-faced-mascara-dupe/

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  20. Girl, you went ALL OUT! Some lovely picks here.

    www.lovefrommaira.co.uk

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  21. Thank you for your comments :) xx

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  22. Well my wish list just doubled! I order a colourPop blotted lip the other day, I'm intrigued by the formula. Such a shame about the zoeva palettes. I didn't bother with the cheek one because It look similar to the one i already have and the eyeshadow palette just looked the same as 1256372 I already have haha! I'm going to order the MJ highlighter right now! xx

    www.lpagebeauty.com

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