Maybelline Color Drama Velvet Lip Pencils POTW | BEAUTY

Hello!

"I had my eyes on this beauty for the longest of time. I'm talking months."

Purchase of the Week (or POTW) had become quite a series on BBXO (Read: POTW Chanel No 5). Until, one day, I kind of forgot about it. Okay, there were hauls featured (Read: Summer Holiday Haul) but the tag POTW was forgotten. Well, now we're bringing it back. Full force and in action! What better product to kickstart this series again than the oh-so-famous NARS velvet lip pencil drugstore dupe (wow, that's a mouthful): the Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Pencil.

"I did also like the colour range, there's a nude, an orange, a coral, a few reds and a few pinks"

I had my eyes on this beauty for the longest of time. I'm talking months. But with exam season upon us when my obsession first began, I wasn't able to satisfy that need for this pencil... until now. Well, the wait was worth it, because I am LOVING this lip pencil.

If you're a fan of the velvet/matte finish (Read: Bourjois Velvet Rouge), this product is right up your street. The Bourjois Velvet Rouge had become my go-to lip product that I'd dab on for a soft, everyday look and apply a thicker layer for a bold, going out look. After reading the reviews of more Bourjois Velvet Rouge colours, I had found out the best formulation was with the shade 'Nude-ist', which was the shade I had. Therefore, I was looking for something with the same finish without lacking in the quality front. This seemed like the product for me.

Before I make this entire post about Bourjois Velvet Rouge (goodness, can I say that any more times?!), let's refer back to Color Drama. Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet is also quite versatile as it can be dabbed on for a softer, everyday look, or applied as a thicker layer for a bolder look.

"What better product to kickstart this series again than the oh-so-famous NARS velvet lip pencil drugstore dupe"

Be sure to have your lips moisturised before applying the product, though (something I should've done). In the bottom photo you can see the little transfer it has, and that was only a very short while after applying. So you don't need to worry about that mug lip stain!

All in all, a great product that won't break the bank (£4.99 each at Boots.com) and good for various occasions. I did also like the colour range: there's a nude, an orange, a coral, a few reds and a few pinks. You're bound to find something you like!

Tell me, what's your favourite finish of a lip product? Do you prefer a sheen, matte or something in between?

Clinique Chubby Stick: Woppin' Watermelon | BEAUTY

Hello!

" Just as I expected - I was not sold."

There was definitely a phase of tinted lip balms. You know the time, when Maybelline BabyLips was sold out pretty much everywhere? Well, Clinique had jumped on that bandwagon and released these beauties - the Chubby Stick. Although the packaging is a real beauty, the product itself? Not so sure...

I'm not going to lie, I never had much of an interest in the Maybelline BabyLips phase, and still to this day would rather just use my trusty Burt's Bee's Pomegranate Oil Lip Balm - good for the real moisture and adds a little bit of a tint. Perfect.

Being a subscriber of Glamour Magazine, this popped through my letterbox one morning, and I was reluctant to try it. Having had a history of allergies to many lip balms (yep, Carmex is not my friend), I didn't know if this could be trusted. Anyhow, I went for plunge and tried it out. Just as I expected - I was not sold.
(For the record: No Allergic Reaction in sight!)

"Although the packaging is a real beauty, the product itself? Not so sure..."

Maybe it was the shade they send, or maybe it was the actual sheerness of the balm that put me off. It was super sheer, and although I was pleased with the lack of sticky-gloss feeling, it still wasn't a winner in my eyes.

If you're a fan of the glossy look (I'm more of a matte girl myself), and need something you would like to apply regularly throughout the day, giving a slight tint but not much - this is the one.

For me, it just left a greyish colour on my lips, and although it was slightly moisturising, something about it didn't feel right. Plus, as I'm not a biggie on that shiny lip-gloss look, this product was probably never going to work in my favour.

"although I was pleased with the lack of sticky-gloss feeling, it still wasn't a winner in my eyes."

If this product was more pigmented, I think I would have liked it. As shown above, this is a swatch of many layers of the balm - and if that came out in one swipe, I might have been sold.

In terms of packaging, it's a seller - no need for any sharpening and it's a cute little pencil.
I think it's one of those 'love it or hate it' kind of things, and at £17 a stick - I'm not quite loving it. Oh well, you can't win every time!

Tell me, are you a Matte or Glossy kind of person? 

No 7 Auburn Whispers: POTW

Hello!

Being a creature of habit, I'm not much of a person to switch up lip colours really often.  At the moment I've been wearing Bourjois Nude-ist (post about it here) pretty much all the time. Eye makeup? Yes! Give me a new mascara and I'm good to go.. for 3 days until I swtich up the routine again! Yet, give me a lipstick, if I love the colour, I'll be wearing it for a pretty long time.

This lipstick was totally an impulse buy. Actually I was in the store and stumbled across the 'buy one get one half price' section, so just picked it up because it was, well, half price! Having never owned No 7 Lipsticks before, I was skeptic about their quality. Non-the-less, a swatch or two later, the texture of them seem just right! Moisturising with great colour payoff! 

Nothing too bold, and by dabbing the colour onto the lips rather than applying the colour properly, you can get a light wash of colour that looks almost-natural.

So, if you see me around after I've given this colour a whirl, you may see the same colour for a long time! 

Tell me, are you a creature of habit when it comes to lip-colours, or do you like to switch up really often?

Purchase of the Week: Rimmel Kate Rockin' Curves Mascara + Goodie Bag!

Who doesn't like free Makeup Goodie Bags?! 

Hello!

Happy Wednesday! Shopping always makes the day better, especially if it's a haul like this one! The Kate Moss by Rimmel Mascara came out last week and seeing as I run a beauty blog and the fact that I needed a new mascara - obviously I had to pick it up! With it's weird shape of wand, I was a bit skeptical but intrigued nonetheless... 

That's the shape of the wand and after trying it out today, I can truly say I already love it! It gives great volume and length, making your lashes look fuller and lovely! I used it with a mascara base by Kiko and it worked wonders!

So, I had mentioned a 'Goodie Bag' earlier and you might be wondering how that came about... Well, Boots and Rimmel had a scheme whereby the first 180 people to order the Rimmel mascara were to get 4 products from the Kate Moss line for FREE! I was in awe and really wanted the product now more than ever! As soon as I got the e-mail from Boots that I am now able to purchase, I went for it, and 3 days later, I had this baby in my hands! 

The goodie bag was packed with great stuff! It had a lipstick (pictured above) which is a lovely baby pink shade. A green gel liner was also included, which I am super excited about!! As well as a lovely bronze shadow stick (I think it's waterproof :O) and a peach/nude shade nail varnish - all of which I'd use! 

Want an in depth review of the mascara? Leave a comment! 

Have you tried anything from the Kate Moss line?! 

BeautyBuys: Rimmel London Apocalips!

Hello!

As for posting a Fashion Haul last Friday I thought I'd show you a Beauty Buy that I picked up during the weekend. I went shopping and as soon as I saw this on the shelf I knew I wanted it. Okay, I want a lot of things but this was something I REALLY wanted! So, I got it!

This product had a huge phase in the beauty blogger world and at the time I didn't pay attention to it! Now, however, I thought I'd pick it up - better late than never?

All the colours are very vibrant and it is said to be a lipstick in a lipgloss form. This is good as lipgloss always tend to be easier to apply colour evenly on the lips - and this was no different.

I went with Stellar, a deep red (slightly pink) shade, which is perfect for this season, alongside other makeup trends you can view here. Also, every girl needs a red shade in their beauty cabinet!

So, yes, I don't have much else to say about this product other than the application is easy (as far as I can tell with the one time I've used it so far!), the colour is bold/intense and the packaging is nice! You can pick one up for £6.49, have a choice of 13 shades and can buy more than one from here!

What's your favourite Red Lipstick? Leave a comment!

Autumn/Winter 2013 Makeup Trends

Hello!

Firstly, I want to say Hello Fall! Today marks the first day of fall, hence why I decided to write this for today! Many people think that Fall/Autumn starts on the 1st of September but it's actually towards the end of September - huh? Who woulda known? haha!

Okay, so I was going through many articles on Fashion Week, and 2014 summer/spring trends that I thought I'd just take one step back and put together a Fall-Autumn (whatever you want to call it) and Winter 2013 Makeup trends - talk about living in the moment, hey?!

So there were some that really stood out to me:

Focus on the EYES

The eyes are the 'centre-piece' of this makeup look - this would be perfect for a night out, also blue compliments many eye shades, so it is definitely something you can try out. Also note the nude-ish lips and cheek colour - and how they're very much the same shade. That's also trendy.

Liquid-Lined Liner

Liquid liner was seen in a variety of places, Alexander Wang had a very simple thin lined look as well as nude everything - very minimalistic - and on the contrary was this Dolce & Gabbana thicker flicked feminine line. As well as this, notice the blood red, almost vampy lips - also very popular.

Lashes Ahoy!
Okay the 'Ahoy!' was very summery and out-of-season of me, I apologise! ;)

 

This image captures the trend of bold brows as well as the full lashes. Not only that, also see the same nude lips and cheek colour effect as earlier (this time by Emilio Pucci). 

This image features the full lashes, thick, flicked liner and blood red lips - a very classic look, presented in this image by Dolce & Gabbana, that never gets old and is again on trend this year. Check out my Review for my FAVOURITE mascara here. 

Smoked Out

Finally, the dark eyeshadow from the first image is matched in another classic: the Smoky Eye. Paired with nude lips and cheeks, this is another great evening look, easily pulled off and something that will forever be in style. 

Okay, so that's it, fellow glam-ista's! 

Let me know you're looking forward to/enjoying this season! 

& Check out this post for fall fashion! 

images from: here

Make-up Health Risks - Use by dates

Hello!

Foods have a use-by date, but did you know that your foundation does too?
You may have heard about the 3 month mascara rule, but mascara isn't the only product which has a use-by date.

A friend of mine sent me an image which states how often makeup should be replaced or thrown out, I then did some more research on makeup expiry dates and wanted to share with you all how important that image actually was.

Only 1 in 4 women notice and use the makeup expiry date rule, which means the other 3 in 4 women (which may be you) are putting their health at risk. How? Well, over time bacteria builds up in our makeup products and we keep applying that to our delicate skin which leads to infections and possibly much worse.

"How do I know the use-by date of my product?" she asks. Well, my friend, here is another version of the image my friend sent me:

These time periods start the day you open the make-up. It can be difficult to keep track though as, unlike food, the expiry date is not written on the packaging.

To keep makeup the most hygienic and ensure that it can be used for a longer period you can do simple things such as washing your brushes between uses so bacteria doesn't build up, make sure lids are closed tightly and check for unusual smells or discolouration which can be signs that you need to chuck out the product!

Honestly, just be aware that after a certain period, it is time to replace that lipstick of yours, because to be quite frank, I've had my foundation bottle for more than 6 months and I'm not about to buy another one anytime soon, nor am I counting the days I have owned my blusher for. If hygiene is kept to a high standard, you look after your products and they don't seem to be causing an issue, I'm sure the 'expiry date' can be longer than mentioned in that table!

Do you keep track of your makeup expiry dates? Let us know!

xoxo,
BerryBloomXO

Photo from HERE