A new launch by L'Oreal is always big news in the world of beauty; an addition to their infallible range is even more pleasing as they don't seem to have put a foot wrong yet with their infallible face products (the setting spray, powder and foundation are all solid offerings). With an admittedly lengthy name, the Total Cover Full Coverage Longwear Concealer Palette is now here, but, how do it's claims stack up and does anybody really need a five pan concealer palette?

Concept-wise, I was skeptical. Palettes in general are losing their allure (which was primarily of value and choice) and I am certainly favouring a more carefully selected make up collection over a stack of unopened palettes. Thankfully, this one is just about on this side of sensible in terms of size and packaging, with a decent amount of product included over a mirror or superfluous applicators.

The first three shades are your concealer shades - realistically you will only use the one closest to your skin tone and that's assuming you fall in to this limited shade range. The lightest shade is bordering on too dark for me and yet the darkest shade isn't really dark at all. Come on L'Oreal, you're better than this.


A purple/lilac shade for dark circles and veins comes next - I do think this helps to brighten the under eye although I had always understood a salmon/peach colour to be key here. I can only assume this is make up homeopathy - to eliminate purple you must add purple? Finally, a classic green corrector, a saviour to those plagued by redness, breakouts or rosacea.

The consistency is even across all the shades - thick and opaque without being chalky and a slight silicone texture which gives it some slip. This definitely is to be used under foundation though, as a corrector would, even the concealer shades; if you try layering these on top of foundation it's a bad scene. I use the green and the lightest shade in a similar way to a primer, targeting particular areas prone to redness or oiliness to prolong the wear time of my base make up.

As a corrector and as a primer, it really does work for me. I have, in times of desperation, used a MAC paint pot to prime my nose and chin to help combat redness and keep foundation from wearing off instantly. The effect is similar but the consistency and finish of the Total Cover palette is infinitely better and less heavy.

It is an extra step though, one that I generally don't have time for, passed up in favour of some strategic powdering, priming and looking like I've been rubbing extra coarse sandpaper on my face by 5pm.

For £12.99, I don't regret the purchase and it will be employed on long days and leisurely mornings. If you are similarly afflicted by redness and the shade range works for you, I can't help but recommend the formula. As for whether you've room in your life for another palette, that's your call.

If you're mystified by the concept of the 'bio-cellulose' mask, then you are in the right place my friend. A bio-cellulose mask is a sheet mask made of, you guessed it, bio-cellulose - i.e. tiny natural fibres which are biodegradable, toxin free and perhaps most interestingly, have a high capacity for retaining liquid.

A bio-cellulose sheet mask, just like any sheet mask, lives or dies on the serum the mask is soaked in. The bio-cellulose is just a vehicle for that serum. As these masks are generally a lot more expensive than their fabric counterparts, it feels there is a misconception about the bio-cellulose itself being the key benefit. However, as good a delivery method a bio-cellulose mask is, it won't be worth a penny unless the delicious serum it is drenched in is up to scratch.

Bio-cellulose masks lay closer to and mould easier to the skin, increasing your skin's contact with the serum. They also hold on to the serum, making them less drip-prone and allowing that valuable liquid to end up on your skin and not the bathroom floor.

The first I tested out was the 111Skin Bio-cellulose Facial Treatment Mask (£20). A brand developed for post-surgery treatments, this is supposed to be perfect for sensitive skin. It has a light, fruity scent - definitely not overpowering. The mask is nicely saturated with fluid and is a good size, minimal annoying folds and flaps to smooth over.

Bio-cellulose masks generally come between two sheets of a mesh like material to protect them although they are no more delicate than a fabric sheet mask really. The 111Skin mask adheres well to the face and you could definitely move around with it on, unlike most fabric masks that are dripping wet and require you to lay down completely still for 20 minutes.The overall effect was very hydrating and soothing, great for dry or sensitive skin.

I also tried the Skimono Anti-Aging Mask (£14.95) - I really like the packaging here, it feels a lot more cosmetic and less medical. The mask itself is not as drenched in serum as the 111Skin mask and the scent is quite chemical. It adheres well and is very cooling but the scent is really quite unpleasant.

I persevered with the Skimono mask in the name of skincare research and the most striking effect was more of a smoothing and tightening sensation, as you might expect for an anti-aging mask. However, as my skin is so dry, I miss the hydrating effect and I do believe that some products offer both hydration and smoothing.

On the whole, I like the 111Skin mask for my skin type. If you can live with a chemical smell and want a more tightening feel, the Skimono mask might be one to try out. For the price, I wouldn't say that either is a necessity - there are plenty of affordable sheet masks in Boots and Superdrug now - but as a luxury or as part of a beauty box like Latest In Beauty, I think they are well worth a try and are a great technology for getting more of that precious serum on to your skin.

Happy 2017! To kick us off I wanted to write about one of my favourite brands - Smashbox. Their holiday collection this year brought us neon perspex aplenty and I was fortunate enough to receive this mini palette set under the Christmas tree.

They are very travel friendly - an eyeshadow palette, lip palette and contour kit, each one smaller than a deck of cards. You also get a neon perspex mooji-style box as an added extra, just in case the coral strobe of the palettes themselves wasn't enough.



The contour kit is the classic trio of a cool toned contour powder, matte bronzer and a highlight/banana powder. I already have these but as part of a Masterclass palette which is much less compact. The formula is the same as the full size product - very smooth, blendable and not at all chalky or choppy. I use the banana powder to kick off any excess when baking my concealer and I love both of the contour shades. If you wanted to plump for their full size contour kit then there is also one for deeper skin tones. The pan sizes are pretty small in this kit, much smaller than they appear on their website photo - however, my Zoeva 109 brush fits perfectly for a sharp contour.

Contour, Bronzer, Highlight - Vanilla, Flamingo, Russet, Totally Nude,  Amethyst, Dark Cocoa

The eyeshadow palette was pretty disappointing - I absolutely love Smashbox eyeshadows as a rule but these are patchy and underwhelming. This is definitely not the same formula as their larger palettes. You can get it done, don't get me wrong - there's a good balance of shades and finishes. The lightest shade Vanilla I have in another palette and is one of my favourite bases and great for a matte brow bone highlight but across the palette the pigmentation is just not there. Much like the mini MAC eyeshadows - quality takes a huge knock here.

Cognac, Pretty Social, Inspiration, First Time Matte, Jam On It Matte, Bing Matte

The lip palette was the biggest surprise; I was all ready for these to be too waxy or greasy like pretty much every other lip palette I have tried. I was very wrong. Firstly, it's filled with shades you would actually want to wear from their Be Legendary collection - three in a sheer/sheen finish and three matte. The three matte shades are gorgeous, so much so that I immediately went and bought First Time in a full size that I could keep in my handbag for touch ups - it's very close to Kat Von D's Lolita II in tone but a lighter terracotta nude. Here you get neutrals, pinks, a red and a berry - all very wearable shades with pretty consistent quality across the palette and comparable to their full size lipsticks.

This set was £39 originally - a pretty hefty price tag for what you get. It was reduced to £26 and whilst sold out online, may still be available in stores. As I do travel a lot and appreciate the compact size, for me, the £26 would be worth it even with the eyeshadow palette falling well below expectation. It's also a really good way to try out the contour kit and six of the Be Legendary lipstick shades if you're new to Smashbox. However, the real recommendation I can make here is to treat yourself to a Smashbox Be Legendary Matte Lipstick for the new year - my first beauty love of 2017!

Until recently, I may have been just about the only blogger not to own a Morphe eyeshadow palette. The most coveted definitely seems to be the 35O which is eternally out of stock but with a little research, I concluded that the 35W is extremely similar, appearing to have a lot of the same shadows anyway!

You can't fault these on value for money - 35 generous sized shadow pans for £21. I love that you get the same size pan as a MAC or MUG shadow, it makes this a lot easier to work with and I personally enjoy a book-sized eyeshadow palette.



The first row has some solid base colours in matte and satin finishes and a couple of transition shades which are well pigmented so a light hand is required. Nothing in the way of a striking brow bone highlight - all very safe.


The second row gives us some metallic finish lid shades - I favour the first two in a beautiful mauve and a champagne gold. The middle orange shade is like a punchier 'Saddle' from MAC - love this to warm up the crease. The pink seems like a bit of a wildcard, but if that's your thing, you're covered!


Probably my least used row - definitely some less neutral shades to make this a very versatile palette but the pigment on this row seemed to be the least impressive.


The fourth row gives us some deeper crease shades and some more shimmers - the first four here get a lot of use and are a very smooth formula.


Finally, the first shade here is the most foiled of the bunch plus some smooth, deep matte browns and plums. The first black is speckled with glitter but is too rough in texture and doesn't really deliver for me. I think every palette needs an intense matte black but unfortunately, you won't find one here as this is choppy and hard to work with.

Overall, the quality is as you would expect - a few duds, a few stand outs and a fair bit of fall out. They are blendable for sure and I am a big fan of this for an everyday neutral look. The metallic shades fall a little short on the 'wow' factor and coupled with the lack of truly dark pigmented shades, this is a tough palette to create a dramatic look with. It can be done, with a lot of building and blending, but not with ease and definitely not against the clock!


As for being a "warm" palette, I would actually say it is very balanced with some cooler taupes, purples and browns if you're not feeling the full on Kylie Jenner vibe.

If you're a make up fanatic then something like this is great to have on hand. If, however, you're looking for that palette which works for every occasion, then I'm afraid this just isn't it.

It's been a long time since I was so excited that I had to immediately write a post, but here I am, on a Monday night, post-gym and post-gym snack in hand, here to tell you about Pink Parcel. Many of you will be familiar with the concept of a 'period box' - a subscription box specifically tailored to that time of the month. I finally took the plunge - here's the scoop...


This particular box is £10.50 a month (so less than most, if not all, beauty subscription boxes) and you can choose which date the box arrives to coincide with your cycle. You also give some more personal information regarding the timing and duration of your high tide - I have no idea what they do with this information as it appears you get the same size box monthly regardless, perhaps they are just showing an interest in you at this delicate time.



I was surprised at the size of the box - it's huge. For the price I was expecting about three tampons and some hot chocolate. When in fact, you get more tampons and pads than you could possibly envisage using. My other half was less than impressed when I suggested we'd be fully prepared if he happened to get his period as well. Of course, you do also get to choose whether you receive all of one or a mixture of pads and tampons; all of which are branded so no expense spared in that department.



As well as the essentials, you get a generous selection of treats. Each box contains something to eat and something to drink - always music to my ears. This month it's a chai latte sachet and a strawberry chocolate bar - again, good quality products and since I'm yet to meet a chai latte or a chocolate bar that I didn't like*, I'm thinking these will be going down pretty well on a cold winter evening.

*Except for Caramac, which is in fact sourced from the seventh circle of Hell.

You also get some beauty products, which I have to say, impressed me the most. Very rare it is for me to get a beauty box where I would use every product, I think PP may have done it.

Ciatė Liquid Velvet is something I have been longing to try and this shade Diva is a true red perfect for the festive season. Mavala Nail Varnish in Basel is a beautiful neutral greige with a hint of lilac.

On the pampering side of things, a Carnaby & Cross Gemmotherapy Face Mask should quench my love of sheet masks. At £28.50 RRP this is a great opportunity to try out a higher end brand. Whilst Korres Bergamot Pear Body Milk promises to hydrate my parched winter skin.

A couple of classics round off proceedings - we have the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner and a Carmex Lip Balm to add to the small collection at the bottom of every single one of my handbags (anyone else guilty?).



Finally, as this month is partnered with Look Magazine, you also get a copy to leaf through whilst you're eating the chocolate, drinking the chai, with a face mask on, all whilst rocking a power red lip (I assume this is the image they are creating).

I don't think I have ever been so impressed by a first box - this subscription is affordable, practical and fanciful all in one. Good work Pink Parcel - keep it up!

It's haul time! I rarely place a big order online, I usually just fill a basket up to an obscene amount of money and then never hit that 'checkout' button - just to see how expensive my tastes are. However, on a cold autumn night, bunkered in by myself (and almost definitely in a onesie), I took the plunge on some new goodies...

LA Splash Lip Lustre in Hestia, Art Ki Tekt Brow Pencil in Mocha, LA Girl Line Art in Intense Black

Liquid lipsticks. They're a divisive issue. Some love them, some hate them; some are great and some are like wearing the Sahara desert. In my quest for the perfect matte lip, they have become my favoured product due to their intense pigment and long wearing colour. So, how does Sleek's effort measure up with their Matte Me Lip Creams?

Let's start with the basics. There are twelve shades and are an affordable £4.99 on the Sleek website. I own three of the shades - Birthday Suit, Rioja Red and Velvet Slipper (love that name!).

Whilst they are called a 'cream', they are definitely a liquid lipstick rather than what I would call a lip cream which is more mousse textured (think Nyx Matte Lip Cream).

These do set completely matte and the flat doe-foot applicator makes it really easy to get a precise line without a lip liner. The formula is quite thin and the pigment isn't as instantly smooth as Kat Von D's liquid lipstick - however, it layers really well because of the thin formula so once the colour is built up, you still don't have a thick layer of product on your lips. The lightweight feel is a huge plus point.



The second huge plus is how it wears - the main danger of a liquid lipstick is the crumble. They can be so drying that they crack and flake and generally cling to every crease in your lips - but not this one. The Matte Me creams are comfortable and they fade rather than crack and peel off - I think we have universally agreed that is the preferred quality in a liquid lipstick. This means that when you haven't had time to touch up, you won't be in for a huge shock when you finally get to a mirror.

This is just as well, as whilst these are long wearing, they're not indestructible. If you want to eat and drink and you know, generally get on with your day, then they are going to budge. Oily food in particular is not your friend. But to be honest, I'd take having to touch up over a crumbly hot-mess that you have to completely remove with heavy duty cleanser and then re-apply.

Velvet Slipper | Rioja Red | Birthday Suit

A brief word on the shades - Birthday Suit is a nice peachy/rose nude, very wearable and work-friendly; Rioja Red a true pillar box red which I think would flatter pretty much everyone; Velvet Slipper a grey-toned plum for an off-beat glam lip.

All in all, I really enjoy these. I reach for them consistently and for price, I don't think you can find a better liquid lipstick (if you have, let me know in the comments, I want some of that action).

Welcome back everyone. Today, I am beyond excited to write about this product - the Fortune Favours The Brave eyeshadow palette from Make Up Revolution. I saw a photo of this and there was just an instant reaction of 'I HAVE TO HAVE IT'. Instagramable is not the word.

This palette has 30 shadows, a big mirror and a double sided brush. The packaging does feel cheap on the outside; not as cheap as other MUR products but not quite up to Sleek's new releases, which show a luxury feel can be achieved even on a budget. The inside is so ridiculously beautiful I can't stand it, glossy black and gold, my Achilles heel of packaging.


I'll get my thoughts on the brush out of way shall I? It's awful, as every brush I've ever got with a product has been. If you need budget brushes, e.l.f is your friend (see my e.l.f brush review here).

So, on to the best part, the shadows themselves. A mix of finishes here - matte, shimmer and some I would call metallic/foiled. The first thing that strikes me as that some of the shadows have a marbled effect in the pan so I was interested to see how this translates. You also get a range of colours - you have purples, greens, blues, golds, even pinks. There isn't a lot in way of warm shades - the matte transition shades are all on the cool side - a real shame for me as I am loving a warm eye look. Even I am not immune to the Kylie Jenner effect.

My first drawback is the size of the pans - they're not easy to work with but obviously, if you pay £9.99 for 30 shadows, there are sacrifices to be made.

Top Row: - Glimmer, Buffer, Peachy, Hope, Fortune, Skylight,  Transformer, Midnight Rainbow

As I expected, the quality and pigment is very varied - the matte shades are especially poor, no colour pay off whatsoever and a very stiff formula. You will see this from the swatches, Glimmer, Buffer, Peachy, Tip Top, Latte, Cream and Soft - may as well not have been in the palette. Harsh, but true.

Second Row: - Ice Cloud, Golden Coins, Cashmere, Tip Top, Yes Please, Green Machine, Smoothie

This palette redeems itself with the metallics, for sure. My absolute favourites are Favour, Sunset Hour and Super Gold - in fact the whole bottom row stands out to me in terms of quality barring Soft. These three could be from Make Up Geek or MAC they are so buttery and pigmented.

Third Row: - Caffeine Fix, Latte, Pink Diamond, Creme, Drama Queen,  Lonely Planet, Blacque

The remaining shades are so-so - some okay pigmentation and blendability. The marbled shades are interesting - Skylight is very unique being a true royal blue with gold reflects. However, I'd pick a Make Up Geek Duochrome given the choice, there's just not enough wow factor here.

Bottom Row: - Soft, New World, Favour, Sunset Hour, Super Gold, Winning, Brave, The Revolution

These shadows kick up a lot of fall out - I think this single-handedly makes the case for eyes before base! I feel like you need a degree of skill to work with this palette, it is not fool proof - it needs blending, patience and a steady hand.

That all said, I don't regret the purchase. The bottom row saves it from disappearing in to my stack of palettes, never to be seen again. It does all over lid shades very well and in a quality to rival my high end palettes. However, it does not stand alone - you need to pull in transition shades from elsewhere as the ones here are unusable. It's by no means a must-have, but it is a bargain for the handful of top quality shadows.

What are your thoughts? Is there a high street palette out there which does it all?

Highlight. It has been my biggest beauty obsession of 2016. I hold my hands up, I'm a highlight junkie and I have no intentions of kicking this addiction. If you haven't checked out the 'full face with just highlighter' trend on YouTube, then check it out and you will basically see my ideal level of glow.

I have many, many, MANY highlighting powders but this product from Sleek is not only my first highlighting palette, but also the first cream highlighters I have tried. The Precious Metals palette comes with 4 shades, 3 of them cream formula and one powder.

First off, I really like the packaging. It's like glossy gunmetal (just me?).



The powder shade is 'Antique Bronze' - a really unusual highlight colour which gives a soft glow. This is too dark to be a highlight shade for me but I can see this working beautifully on deeper skin tones.

For the cream shades we have Platinum - an icy white with pink undertones. I hope somebody else understands what I mean when I say that this is basically the colour of a unicorn. It's the least intense of the three and I'm glad as a shade like this can easily look too stark. I think for cool undertoned skin and the Snow White lookalikes among us, this would be a subtler choice than the pinks and champagne golds that dominate highlight products.

The other two cream shades are extremely similar in colour but not in texture or appearance. Royal Gold is a champagne gold with less intensity and more of a dispersed glitter effect. Renaissance Gold is a strong block colour, less glitter and more solid gold paint (think Goldfinger...) - incidentally, this is my favourite and for me, gives the boldest look of the bunch.

L-R: Platinum, Royal Gold, Renaissance Gold & Antique Bronze

The formula between the three creams are pretty similar but Renaissance Gold has the smoothest texture and blends the easiest, in my experience. The powder is not the most finely milled you're ever going to find, it's a little rough. MUA and MUR are leaps ahead on the powder highlight formula as far as I'm concerned.

The palette retails at £10, a little more than other Sleek products and other drugstore highlighting palettes. I think it's a good choice for the make up collector or the highlighting addict - personally, I would pay £10 for the Renaissance Gold alone, but then again, my ideal is something similar to an Academy Award.

Are you loving cream or powder highlight? Which products do I need in my highlight wardrobe?

Hey everyone. It's been a long long time since my last post as my final year of university took over my life. Good news though, I passed my exams, got a First in my dissertation (and an award nomination - eek!) and I'm back. Today, I'm very excited to bring you my latest brand discovery - NYX.

NYX is a US brand but has been available online for a while for us UK homebirds. Last month however, a NYX stand opened in a Boots near me and I just had to go and elbow my way through to pick up some goodies...

NYX Matte Finish Make Up Setting Spray - £7
Like many NYX products, I first heard about this from YouTuber Leighannsays. Claiming to help your make up last longer and at a fraction of the cost of it's MAC and Urban Decay counterparts. Unfortunately, the only thing I've noticed with this is that my foundation separates almost immediately - I have dry skin so I suspect it's not really designed for me, my make up tends to patch off rather than shine up. Have you tried this? Is there a trick to making this work?

NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Taupe/Ash - £5.50
Another Leighannsays recommendation, but with a little more success. This little kit includes two shades of brow powder, a clear brow wax, a tiny angled brush and an even cuter tiny spoolie. I really like the powders, great cool toned colours with a lot of impact. This kit is definitely for a softer finish and if you have full brows which just need a little boost I think this would work well. For me, I need some more heavy duty help for my sparse brows so I can't say my loyalty has been swayed from brow pencils. I'd also recommend investing in a better quality angle brush (I like my Real Techniques one).





NYX Sculpt & Highlight Face Duo in Taupe/Ivory - £9
This product has been the biggest revelation - always wary of cream contouring, I've stayed faithful to powder sculpting products. I am a big fan of this though. The contour side is the perfect cool toned taupe shade (there is a real mix of shades from cool to warm) and it blends beautifully, better than I could ever imagine. It's got great staying power too. The concealer/highlight side is okay, it's very creamy and fluid - best for highlighting rather than under the eye concealing.



NYX Baked Shadow in Easy Rider - £5
This is actually the first thing I picked up from the stand. The box is adorable, who could blame me? I swatched it and was very intrigued. This shade in particular is very sheer and glowing - reminding me instantly of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders. By no means as finely milled or an exact replica, I think the effect is comparable. If I want to be lit from within, I ignore the word 'eyeshadow' and lightly dust this to set my foundation. For £5 I think it's definitely worth a try if you've been resisting splurging on an Ambient Powder.

NYX Slide On Lip Pencil in Nude Suede Shoes - £5.50
Probably something NYX are most famed for now, their lip products. This liner is the perfect mauve/nude and has replaced my beloved Rimmel East End Snob for the moment. It's right in the middle of creamy and hard pencil - good for over-lining if you're so inclined but also just a really foolproof product. You get a good amount of product for the price too.

Top - Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm Bottom - Slide On Lip Pencil in Nude Suede Shoes

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm - £5.50
Of course I had to buy this - I think of all the things we got excited about when NYX launched in the UK, this was number one. And... rightly so. I love this. I wear this almost every work day. It's light, comfortable, easy to wear. It's not drying or crumbly like a liquid lipstick can be but it's also not so creamy that it never sets down. It's an absolute winner, no wonder there were hardly any left on the shelf!

So, NYX is here and I'm very happy about it. It's such an affordable brand and it has a selection of products which most UK brands just don't make (loose powders, brow pomades, colour correctors...) AND, I popped by a few days ago and they have launched refillable eyeshadow palettes and eyeshadow singles which cost just £3.50. What have you tried from NYX? What are you excited to try out? Let me know in the comments.

x NSB x

Hey everyone. I have been very excited about this post because this palette I'll be reviewing today has had so much hype and it feels like so many people are talking about it. Of course, it's the Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow palette from Urban Decay. It retails at £40 so it's in the same price range as their Naked palettes, but, is it as iconic?



The palette has 15 shades in a variety of finishes and quite a variety of colours too; lots of neutrals but also a couple of brights for a more fun/dramatic look. For this reason, it has already been tipped as this year's Glastonbury palette for me - I only like to take one and it has to cover all bases. This palette can do everyday natural, warm shimmers, classic smokey and crazy colourful looks - for me, it's the most versatile palette I have which isn't a 30+ shadow make up artist palette (which I would avoid taking to a festival, personally).

The packaging is stunning - really sturdy with a huge mirror and just happens to be my favourite colour scheme of black, white and gold.




Now, Urban Decay has become a bit of a by-word for high quality eye shadow thanks to the likes of the Naked palettes. I don't actually own any Naked palettes (pick your jaw up off the floor, it's okay, it's not beauty law, yet...) so I was actually going in to this blind but with high hopes.

First Row - Blonde, Bathwater, Skimp, Steady, Punk

The shadows, for the most part, are very good quality. The matte shades have quite a stiff texture but with virtually zero fall out (with the exception of Skimp which is a powdery little soul) and they give you a lot of control to gradually build up colour. The pearl/metallic shades are more buttery but with a little fall out. Only one shade really stands out as being poor and that is Pop - very glittery, hard to work with and uneven - I'm not a fan and I haven't a read a review so far that doesn't agree with me.

Second Row - Baby, Anaheim, Stark, Zone, Serious

So, taking Pop out of the equation, all of the shades are very easy to blend and they wear well even without an eye primer. I have to give a special mention to the most perfect crease/transition shades - the middle three: Anaheim, Stark and Zone - one cool toned brown, one warm toned brown and one light peach/beige blending shade. They are the cornerstone of this palette for me.

I also have a great love for the neutral metallic shades, Steady and Baby - very smooth and wearable, not a foiled finish but just a beautiful glimmer in rose gold tones. The highlight shades give you some options too - you can go for satin finish (Blonde), matte (Skimp, but beware of powder) or shimmer shimmer (Bathwater). Plus you get a strong matte black to work with as well as a couple of other dark mattes to deepen the outer crease. It's a very well balanced palette.

Third Row - Pop, Harajuku, Danger, 1987, Blackout

To be honest, the three brighter shades, I wouldn't wear in my every day life. I'm sure some people would and it would look great but for me, golds and bronzes rule my go-to looks. However, I DO like that they're there - I don't have shades like these in any of my other palettes and once festival season comes around, I might be tempted in to some shocking pink or royal blue, just to keep up with the vibrancy of festival life.

Overall, I am very happy with this product and it has definitely found a little niche for itself in my collection. It's endlessly versatile whilst still being compact and good quality. Plus, it's so beautiful, when it's used up I'm going to have it displayed as artwork.

As always, thanks for joining me. Leave me a comment, I always love reading your thoughts!

Hey everyone. If you've been with me for any length of time, you've probably figured out that I am a bit of make up collector. You may also have noticed that I love affordable make up, especially when it surpasses expectation! Today we'll be looking at the Make Up Revolution Amazing Lipsticks which are just £1 usually (they're actually on sale for 75p at the time of writing!) - so, here's my thoughts...

I was initially sceptical, £1 for a lipstick is ridiculously cheap and I couldn't bring myself to try these out because I had pretty much decided that they would be exactly that, cheap. However, after reading a few positive reviews I decided to see for myself.


I have four shades: Nude, Crime, Twist and Rebel With Cause. Nude is definitely my most worn - a sheer, creamy nude which is just really easy and comfortable to wear. I tend to wear this on those days where I want to look pulled together but time is not on my side; it's very low key and natural and not overly glossy or shiny.

Crime is this bright fuchsia with a cream/satin finish. It's actually surprisingly wearable but definitely a summer colour for me.

Twist is an orange/red with a similar finish to Crime. I generally prefer a blue-toned red on my skin tone but I always like variety.

Rebel With Cause is a vampy, purple berry shade (very similar to MAC's Rebel). This definitely comes off the most matte on the lips but still has a little shine. I was very surprised how well pigmented this deeper colour is - albeit, not MAC level but pretty decent.


The main positive for me with these is how comfortable they are - they feel very moisturising, not at all sticky or tacky. They also fade to a stain rather than patch off which is always my preference - it makes them much easier to touch up and means that even after a few hours of wear, they still look acceptable. These aren't designed as long wearing lip colours so don't expect hours and hours of perfection but they do hold up well to a few hours of drinking and talking.

They definitely have a scent, kind of sweet/citrus to me - not my favourite in the world but I can live with it. It's not overpowering but if you're really not a fan of scented lip products then it's something to keep in mind.


Also, on a side note, I think I must be the last person in the world to realise the coloured tops are actually a teeny tiny balm/gloss!

Overall I've been pleasantly surprised by these lipsticks - so comfortable and they have a huge shade range. My go-to for a more satin finish used to be my Lord & Berry lip pencils but they've definitely been replaced (and for a fraction of the cost).

Have you tried these? What other affordable lipsticks do you love? Let me know in the comments.