Illamasqua Alter Ego 'Mystery Box' Review, UK

The other day I was doing a little online shopping (nothing unusual for me) and I came across the Illamasqua Alter Ego Mystery Box which is exclusive to Debenhams.  So with this box, you get 6 full sized products from Illamasqua but you have no idea what colours they are going to be apart from the 2 items that are shown on the front of the box.  In this box it tells you that you are going to get a liquid metal metallic cream in the colour 'electrum' which is an intense gold colour and a nail polish in the colour 'colide' which is a very bright neon pink colour. The other 4 products, a lipstick, an intense lipgloss, a powder blush and an eye shadow are a complete mystery in colour wise. I was quite excited to buy this kit as I have always wanted to try more Illamasqua products as I have a matte finish primer and there skin base foundation but as there isn't an Illamasqua store near me I have always resisted buying things online from them so I thought this mystery box would be a great way to try out more of there products :)!

I got this box for what I can class as a bargin!!! It was on the Debenhams website originally for £38 which I didn't think was to bad since it has £91.50 worth of products in it, but then I noticed it was 50% off so I got the whole £91.50 worth or products for only £19.. how could I pass up on that bargin! Also since I am a beauty card holder in Debenhams I got free delivery too, result!!

Now lets get onto what is in the box :D!! I was a little nervous opening the box as I know Illamasqua are known for there wild and wonderful colours.

First there was a nail polish in the colour 'Colide', it's a bright neon pink colour which is a really nice summer colour for your nails :)

second there was a liquid metal cream in the shade 'Electrum' it's a rich gold colour, perfect for autumn and winter. It can also be used all over the body, its not just an eye colour.

Third there was an eye shadow and I was pleasantly surprised to see a matte purple eye shadow in the shade 'fallen'.

 

Fourth there was a lipstick in the shade 'Fetish'.. with a name like that I was expecting to see a really dark maybe even black but it turned out to be a gorgeous purple shade.

Fifth there was a powder blush which is in the shade 'Panic' and oh my I did panic when I seen this, it is bright red!! It goes on your cheeks as bright as it is in the pan.

And last but not least the sixth item was an intense lip gloss, I got one in the shade 'Repulse'... It is a pure BLACK glossy lip gloss!! Oh my, I have no idea when or how I am going to use this except maybe at Halloween lol!

All in all I only paid £19.00 for 6 full sized Illamasqua products, and I quite like that some of them are products I would never have even considered to even look at in a shop never mind buy them. I also went back online to see if i could purchase another one but it seems to have been taken off the website now.

Also if any one has any ideas on how to wear bright red blush & pure black lip gloss please let me know lol!!

 

Thanks for reading and look out for my next Illamasqua blog/review on the Eyes & Nails Mystery box.

 

Lisa

xoxo

Benefit's 'Watts Up' Highlighter

I got a small watts up highlighter in the bronze of champions kit from benefit, I used it once loved it that much I went straight online and bought myself the full sized version :)! The watts up highlighter is a soft focus highlighter for the face, it is in a cream stick form so you screw it up every time you want to use it. It glides on the skin easily and then when you blend it out it almost turns into a powder effect which I love, it makes it less intense than when you first glide it on.  I only use the full size watts up on my cheek bones when I go out at night for a few drinks, the soft champagne colour it leaves after being blended out highlights them brilliantly in photographs.  

One swipe across the back of my hand

Blended out to a soft highlight colour

Blended out with flash on

The mini sized watts up I have I tend to use as an eyebrow highlighter and a highlighter for my cupids bow to make my lips seem a little fuller. Its also good for highlighting down the bridge of my nose but if you do this be careful at how much you put on.. a bright shining nose in photographs isn't a good look for most people lol!  

Also can I just say how much I love the packaging for this product.. I know benefit is known for there funky designed packaging but I especially love the way the watts up is packaged!! Also attached to the bottom of the watts up highlighter is a small round sponge, I personally don't see the point in it, it's tiny and when I went to blend the highlighter into my cheek bones it took off half of my foundation with it so I tend not to use it and blend the highlighter in with either my fingers or my foundation brush.

This product retails for £24.50 and I know I say this a lot but you do get soo much product for your money! You can find it at www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk or www.debenhams.co.uk (if you are a Debenhams beauty card holder don't forget to add your card to collect your points and enter the code SHBC at the checkout for free standard delivery, Debenhams also ship internationally) I also think www.boots.co.uk are now stocking benefit cosmetics too!

I always shop around first before buying things online, different places have different promotions on at different times.

Please leave a comment below and let me know what your views of this product are, I'd love to hear them :)

Lisa

xoxo

Benefit's High Beam & Sun Beam

OBenefit's high beam and sun beam are classed as complexion highlighters. These both work in different ways on your face.

First I want to start with high beam.  High beam is called a luminescent complexion enhancer (according to the back of the bottle) it gives a soft natural glow when on your face. there is 2 ways I like to use this, if i'm wanting an all over face glow I mix some in with my foundation and it gives your face an all over even glow, but if I just want my a glow on my cheekbones or any where else I just apply it straight over the top of my foundation before I set everything with a powder. I like high beam, I use it most days just now.  

Before being blended out

After being blended out 

Now onto sun beam. Sun beam is called a golden bronze complexion highlighter (according to the back of the bottle) I like this for when I have a fake tan on, it gives a nice glow to your face once you have either a fake tan or a natural tan. It blends out to leave a lovely soft golden glow. You only need a little e of this product as it blends out quite a bit.  I haven't tried this mixed with my foundation but i'll try that when we get some nice summer weather :)

Before being blended out

After being blended out

I only have the deluxe sample sizes of these products but once they have ran out I will definitely be purchasing the full size bottles.  I like the way you can apply these products, they both have a screw off lid and a brush attached to the inside of the lid, its almost like a bottle of nail polish which makes it really easy to apply either to your hand to mix in with your foundation or straight to your face for a more enhanced glow :).  I had expected them to be a little more thicker than they are but they are a nice smooth  creamy consistency that is so easy to apply and blend out either with your fingers or a brush.

these full size products retail for £19.50 each you get 13 ml/0.45 US fl.oz per large bottle which is a lot of product. I have smaller sizes of bottles that I got in some kits I bought from Benefit they are 4.0ml/0.13 US fl.oz so they aren't bad sized samples.  I've had highbeam for approx 2 months and I still have more than 2/3's left in the bottle and its only 4ml.

I got the high beam deluxe sample in the Benefit lip & cheek kits I purchased for £25.50 from www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk I will do full reviews on each kit in another blog post.

and I purchased the sun beam deluxe sample in a small kit I came across in a Boots store close to me, it had sun beam in it and a small travel sized box of the coralista blush.

 

Please feel free to share and leave comments below, I would love to hear your opinions in these products

 

Lisa

xoxo

Benefit Cosmetic's Girl Meets Pearl for Face

Benefits Girl Meets Pearl is called a 'liquid pearl' for your face.  It works as a slight pinky pearly face highlighter that can be used over the whole face although you can just use it in certain areas of yours face such as your cheek bones, bridge of your nose and a little on your cupids bow to give your lips a boost and look as though they are fuller.

I use this product quite regularly especially in the morning for my day time make up.  It is light weight and I tend to use it underneath my foundation and it give's my face a slight glow which is good for every day make up.  I don't really tend to use this if I am heading out at night as I like a brighter highlighter when i'm out. 

Twist the bottom of the tube so the product comes out

Before blending out

After Blending

I love the smell of Girl Meets Pearl, it has a nice fresh smell to it which is always a bonus :)

This retails for £24.50 and you can buy it direct from www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk or www.debenhams.co.uk (if you have a Debenhams beauty card you can get free standard delivery on all beauty products by entering the code SHBC at the checkout, also don't forget to collect your beauty points too!). This product has lasted me forever and there is still so much left in it, well wirth the money.

 

Please feel free to leave comment down below and let me know what you think of Benefits Girl Meets Pearl :)

 

Lisa

xoxo

Benefit's The Pore-Fessional Review

The Pore-Fessional by Benefit Cosmetics is a balm that has been designed to minimize the appearance of pores on your face. 

This product does exactly what it says it is meant to do.  Not only does it take away the look of large pores on my face, it also acts as a perfect primer for under my foundation.  It leaves your skin so silky smooth and it isn't heavy on the skin at all (it's great for oily skin).  You really only need a tiny amount of this product as a little goes a long way once you blend it over your face. I don't always wear foundation if I'm just spending the day in the house with my family, but I always put this on over my moisturiser and it gives your face a very soft look to it. 

You get 22ml/0.75 US fl.oz per tube so this should last you a while.  I have had mine for over a month now and there is still plenty product left in the tube and I use it every day. This product retails for £24.50 and in my opinion it is worth every penny.

 

 

You can purchase this straight from www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk, or you can go to www.debenhams.co.uk (if you have a Debenhams beauty card enter the code SHBC at the checkout to get your free delivery on all beauty products) I think Debenhams still have 16% off the full price of it just now.

 

 

 

Please feel free to leave comments and your own reviews on this product, I'd love to hear your personal opinions on this product

 

Lisa

xoxo

RiRi Woo Review + Swatches

So this blog post has been a long time coming, I've had RiRi Woo since it first became available in the UK on May 3rd this year but I just haven't got round to writing a post about it.  I don't think I can even describe how much I love this bright slightly blue undertoned red matte lipstick, i LOVE it.  being of a slightly fair skin tone I have always stayed clear of bright reds, pinks, purples ect every time I bought a lipstick in the past it would be a neutral every day wearable pink colour but after purchasing RiRi Woo I have found a new love in bright bold lip colours! Riri woo is the type of lipstick you can wear to work for the full day and also the type you wear on a night out with the girls.  

I found that using a lip liner with it makes it stay better, I found MAC's 'Kiss Me Quick' pro longwear lip pencil matches perfectly and it is also a matte finish :)! 

And for those of you that fancy a little bit of shine and gloss on top I found that MAC's lipglass in 'Russian Red' goes perfectly too. If I fancy adding just a little gloss to my lip colour I just apply a tiny bit of Russian Red to the middle of my lips only on top of my riri woo lipstick.

Picture below from left to right - RiRi Woo lipstick, in the middle is Kiss Me Quick pro longwear lip liner and on the right is Russian Red lipglass.

RiRi Hearts MAC Summer Collection

A little rant about MAC before my reviews..

Since I love MAC products and Rihanna is one of my idols I could not wait for this summer collection line to launch on the 20th June this year.  In my opinion MAC could have handled the launch of this collection line a lot better than they did, the line was meant to launch at exactly 12pm, it didn't go live until 12.10pm and by that point the whole site would not work from the sheer volume of people logging on.  The website would not work on iPhones or iPads, I had both on trying to get my order placed to no success so I then tried on my laptop and eventually got my order placed at 12.25pm.  I then went back on for my friend (no more than a minute later after I had placed my order) who couldn't get access to her laptop only to then find out the lipstick in the shade 'Heaux' was then completely sold out... after only 15/20 mins of the collection being live on the site. Even RiRi Woo from the first launch on the 3rd March this year did not sell out that quickly!  If only the website had worked on iPhones and iPads my friend along with a lot of other people would have got all parts of the collection they had wanted and waited to get. Then when she phoned MAC to complain about the website not working on iPhones and iPads to simply get a response of "well what do you want me to do about it" from a customer services woman from MAC.  Very rude if you ask me. Any way, enough of my ranting, lets get onto the products :)

I managed to get everything I wanted from the collection. I purchased, 2 of the lipsticks, the bronzer/blush duo and the lustre drops.

the 2 lipsticks I got from this launch were 'Heaux' and 'RiRi Boy'

Heaux in my opinion is a deep and dark magenta/raspberry pink with slight deep purple tones to it, it is a retro matte lipstick so sometimes it can be quite hard to apply onto the lips but I have found that applying a thin layer of lip balm on my lips helps it go on a little easier.  I had expected a little more of a brighter colour pay off from this lipstick, it's quite dark. this lipstick isn't good if you have dry & cracked lips cause once on it is a very drying lipstick but that's down to the retro matte effect. Over all though I love this lipstick, its perfect for a that bold lip statement (that isn't the typical bold red lip) and once on, it doesn't transfer off either :).

This swatch colour on my arm is a lot lighter than it turns out on my lips, plus this is after only one swipe of the lipstick

RiRi Boy is a beautiful soft almost lilac colour with blue undertones to it. I wasn't sure that I was going to order this lipstick since it's not a colour I would ever even think of wearing but I am sooooo glad I did! This lipstick also has a retro matte finish but it goes on a lot easier that RiRi woo and Heaux and I haven't found that I need a lip liner with this lipstick either.  The colour when on is so lovely, its a soft colour that you can build up to be brighter and more intense.  It's defiantly one of my new favourite lipsticks for the spring and summer months :). This lipstick also doesn't transfer once its on and it is quite drying like the other retro matte lipsticks from the Rihanna Hearts Mac Collection.

2 swipes of RiRi Boy, it looks darker in photographs than in real life.

The Bronzer/Blush duo in Hibiscus Kiss is probably my favourite product I purchased in this collection. Having a skin tone that is fairly light unless I have a fake tan on is a bit of a pain sometimes when it comes to bronzers because 9 times out of 10 they look stupidly orange on me. But I found this bronzer/blush duo to be absolutely great. The bronzer is so light on the skin and you can build it up to achieve the level of bronzer you want on your skin and when you add the soft coral blush to the apples of your cheeks your face gets a lovely summer glow without being shimmery cause I find it to be more matte than shimmery. I wish MAC would bring this out as a permanent line (maybe with some different blush colours) because I simply love this product!! The only one thing I find with this product is its really tightly compressed into the pan which makes it a little hard to get onto your brush but I suppose that's a good thing for the likes of me with lighter skin tones because then I don't over load my brush with bronzer and end up looking like I should belong in a colony of umpa lumpa's!!

From left to right - Blush on its own, middle is the bronzer on its own and the right swatch is them both mixed together.

The last product I got was the lustre drops in Barbados Girl.  I have never used any lustre drops from MAC before but since these were part of a limited edition collection I thought I would give them a go.  In the bottle these look like a scary dark orangey/bronzy colour but when you put a little amount on your cheekbones or where ever you want to put them they blend out to leave a lovely shimmery bronzy glow. I used this under Hibiscus Kiss and they went beautifully together. the other day when I was in a rush to get ready so instead of using blusher and bronzer I blended some Barbados Girl onto my cheeks on top of my foundation before using my setting powder on top and it looked great, it gave my cheeks a light but subtle colour/glow to them without the need of blush and bronzer.  

before blending

After Blending

please leave a comment on your own experiences and thoughts on these products, I'd love to hear other peoples reviews :)

Lisa

xoxo

a little intro...

Hi all, quick into on who I am and what I do :)

I'm a 24 year old mum to my gorgeous 4 year old daughter and I'm married to a pretty awesome husband :). We live in our little house with our 3 dogs and 2 cats.
My husband and I have our own business UVgraphics, we specialise in vinyl wrapping cars, vans, bikes, motorbikes and pretty much anything that can be wrapped in vinyl lol.

Onto the good part now though, BEAUTY :)....

Beauty is not only my hobby its my passion, I love trying out a range of new products from moisturisers to nail polishes and everything else in between. Every week I hope to write and review about a range off different products from different price ranges (high-end brands to high-street brands)! I also receive birchbox & glossybox each month so full reviews will be done on them once I receive them too :). 

At the moment some of my favourite cosmetic brands at the moment are MAC, Benefit, Bare Minerals and Urban Decay.

look out for my first review coming soon on the RiRi Hearts MAC summer collection...

Lisa xoxo