How is it time for the second of 2016's 'Loves and Lusts' yet? I'm sure you all know the deal well enough by now, but if you are a newbie round these parts - fear not - you can find all my previous posts I've done in this series here if you fancy. Ready? Let's make a start on February's edition...
What I've Loved:
Maybelline Master Drama The Nudes Eye Pencil in 'Brownie Glitz' - Kicking things off with makeup this time round, and this is the first of a few bits 'n' bobs you've most likely already seen pop up in my last 'New In At The Drugstore' post that I put up this month. There were some right gems, and this certainly falls into that category. Although I'd never tried any of Maybelline's eye pencils before giving this one a whirl, I had high hopes seeing as it's prefaced with the same 'The Nudes' tagline that two of my favourite palettes come under. And I was right to be expecting good things - as this is fab. It reminds me a lot of the Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajals (of which my favourite shades seem to be discontinued - boo!), in that it's a very creamy formula that quite literally glides onto the lid and allows for blending if you want to, and yet after a few seconds it sets down - and does not budge. The colour is very opaque and rich and this warm, copper-y brown shade in particular is gorgeous
Collection Supersize Mascara - When I've needed a mascara this month (which let's face it - is pretty much every single day), it's been this one and as you would already know if you read this post - this has been a firm favourite of mine for a long, long time. When I first got into makeup back in the day, this was my lash offering of choice and still now - if my budget for the stuff is a little more on the tight side of things or I simply don't know what mascara to pick up - I go for one of these and it works wonders every time. This stuff adds just the right amount of length and volume and also does a good job at separating my lashes out too. There's curl, there's lift and there's lasting power - and all for only £2.99! Bargain.
Ardell Demi Wispies False Lashes - If I have wanted that extra bit of va-va-voom in the lash department for nights out and special occasions, I've really been enjoying these falsies that I finally caved on the hype for this month. Everyone and their dog seems to go on about these (including a host of Bloggers/Vloggers) and after giving them a go myself, I can see why. They're pretty full-on, but still in a fairly 'natural' way, in that it doesn't look like I've got two spiders hanging off my eyelids. They're super lightweight and fluttery and have a lovely winged-out design that looks fab paired with a cat flick. Also, the glue that comes with them is actually pretty decent - hurrah! As you would know if you saw this post last week - I may or may not have picked up another pack already...
Ardell Demi Wispies False Lashes - If I have wanted that extra bit of va-va-voom in the lash department for nights out and special occasions, I've really been enjoying these falsies that I finally caved on the hype for this month. Everyone and their dog seems to go on about these (including a host of Bloggers/Vloggers) and after giving them a go myself, I can see why. They're pretty full-on, but still in a fairly 'natural' way, in that it doesn't look like I've got two spiders hanging off my eyelids. They're super lightweight and fluttery and have a lovely winged-out design that looks fab paired with a cat flick. Also, the glue that comes with them is actually pretty decent - hurrah! As you would know if you saw this post last week - I may or may not have picked up another pack already...
Collection Primed and Ready Reviving and Anti-Fatigue Illuminating Primer in 'Cool Rose' - Onto more faves from the makeup department and more new additions to the drugstore market that I've been trialling out this month and loving. Collection have released a brand-new range of primers (for both the face and eyes) and after giving them a whirl, I can confirm that they get the big thumbs up from me. Of the face primers, the more illuminating version came in two shades - one that's pinkier in tone and the other a little more on the warmer side of things - and naturally, I picked up both to try out. Personally, I'm leaning more towards this lighter, rosey one as my favourite, although in all honesty there's not that much between the two. This provides a gorgeous base for makeup. Makeup applies and wears really well on top of it and it gives a lovely sheen to the skin that just translates as a nice, healthy glow - with no obvious glitter or shimmer in sight. Love, love, LOVE.
Collection Illuminating and Reviving Eye Primer - As I said, they've also released a primer for the peepers which I have to say I was very excited to give a go when I first spotted it in the aisles of Boots. Finding a decent eye primer in the drugstore just seems like the most impossible task, and I really want to find one that's more affordable and still does the job to replace my Urban Decay Primer Potion. This stuff is by far the best from the highstreet that I've found - I wouldn't necessarily place it at a standard that equates UD's offering, but it definitely comes close. The formula is much wetter and more gel-like that the Primer Potion, so I find you have to apply this more in advance to avoid it doing the exact opposite of what you want it to do and I also find that a little certainly goes a long way. You do not need a lot of this stuff - seriously. When applied correctly, this provides a really nice base for eyeshadow and also does a pretty darn good job at keeping those creases at bay and preventing colour from falling down or fading. For a fraction of the price of the Urban Decay one - that ain't too bad at all.
Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hr Cream Gel Eyeshadows in 'Crème De Nude' and 'Crème De Rose' - The final item from the 'Eyes' department (I sure have been loving a lot of eye makeup this month) comes from Maybelline again and they are a couple of new shades to their Color Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow range. You may remember I mentioned these back in December when they were first launched, and as you'd know if you read this post I did last week, it's not until now that I've finally properly cracked them out. I know, I know. They're from the 'Creamy Matte' sub-line and so unlike some other shades from the standard range, these are a glitter-free zone and so work great if you want a really natural look or a base for more shimmery shadows to layer on top of. Personally, I find these two to be fab for the latter task - they're a fab alternative to a traditional primer (such as the above). When I haven't been reaching for my Collection one, I've been slapping one of these two on and they've been working a treat. As they're colourless, you really can put anything and everything in the eyeshadow stakes on top and they don't interfere with the end result at all - they simply keep things in place.
Barry M Nail Care 'Super Mani' 7 in 1 Treatment - I feel like this month, Barry M really has crept its way back to being my number one for all things nails - all I've really used on my beds these past few weeks has come from their range in some form or another. They've come out with their Spring '16 launches and from what I've tried - they're awesome. One of them is new nail care range and I have to say I was very excited to give the products from this a go. While I love painting my nails and building up a collection of pretty colours tosit and fawn over do just that with, I also take a great interest in actually trying to give them some well-deserved TLC every now and again too and this collection caters very well to that indeed. Of them all, my favourite has to be the 'Super Mani' 7 in 1 Treatment. This really does do it all and much, much more.
Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hr Cream Gel Eyeshadows in 'Crème De Nude' and 'Crème De Rose' - The final item from the 'Eyes' department (I sure have been loving a lot of eye makeup this month) comes from Maybelline again and they are a couple of new shades to their Color Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow range. You may remember I mentioned these back in December when they were first launched, and as you'd know if you read this post I did last week, it's not until now that I've finally properly cracked them out. I know, I know. They're from the 'Creamy Matte' sub-line and so unlike some other shades from the standard range, these are a glitter-free zone and so work great if you want a really natural look or a base for more shimmery shadows to layer on top of. Personally, I find these two to be fab for the latter task - they're a fab alternative to a traditional primer (such as the above). When I haven't been reaching for my Collection one, I've been slapping one of these two on and they've been working a treat. As they're colourless, you really can put anything and everything in the eyeshadow stakes on top and they don't interfere with the end result at all - they simply keep things in place.
Barry M Nail Care 'Super Mani' 7 in 1 Treatment - I feel like this month, Barry M really has crept its way back to being my number one for all things nails - all I've really used on my beds these past few weeks has come from their range in some form or another. They've come out with their Spring '16 launches and from what I've tried - they're awesome. One of them is new nail care range and I have to say I was very excited to give the products from this a go. While I love painting my nails and building up a collection of pretty colours to
Barry M Hi-Shine Gelly Effect Polish in 'Acai Smoothie' - And finally,I have been loving this nail polish shade this month. As I said, Barry M have dropped all their releases for the new season, and in terms of shades - there's a new Spring-themed collection for the Gelly, Speedy and Sunset ranges. I picked up this shade to try from the new additions to the Gelly line, and I have to say I am so glad I did. When deliberating on which hue to give a go from the four available, this one stood out to me immediately and I have not been disappointed when lacquering up my nails with it. This is a really pretty pinky-purple hybrid that's very seasonally-appropriate, but without sitting too far on the pastel side of things. It still packs a punch pigment-wise and the colour is actually unique in my current collection - who would've thought it? The formula is just as good as all the other Gelly's I've tried - a opaque finish in two coats with a super glossy, gel-like shine - and I cannot wait to start cracking this beauty out more and more as the weather *hopefully* starts to get warmer. Fancy seeing it in action? See the 'Polish Pick' post I did on it here.
What I'd Love To Have:
Zoeva Nude Spectrum Palette - £27.30 - Part of some new launches to Zoeva's makeup line, this palette has been featured a lot in the beauty community this month and every time - I swoon. Zoeva as a brand are more well-known for their brushes, though their makeup (their palettes in particular) look just as good and seem to get just as rave reviews. This compilation (as the name suggests) comprises of a tonne of neutral, natural hues that could easily do anything from an easy everyday eye to something a little more smokey and glamorous. I definitely don't need another eyeshadow palette, but this one's certainly caught my eye...
'Rosie For Autograph' Makeup Range - Ranging from £8-£14.40 - Rosie Huntington-Whitely has collaborated with M&S to drop her very own makeup line and again, the beauty world has gone mad for it. The launch of a whole new brand is always extra exciting, so I would like to try a few bits from the range at some point. Right now - the lipsticks, gel eyeliners and highlighter stick all look pretty lust-worthy to me. To be honest though, with everything encased in beautiful rose gold packaging - what's not to lust over?
Real Techniques Limited Edition Cheek and Lip Set - £19.99 - Another 'Loves and Lusts' post, another mention of a Real Techniques set. Can you tell I'm still obsessed with pretty much anything and everything they come out with? This time, it's all about the cheeks and the lips. As usual, there's a set exclusive that you can't get hold of elsewhere - this time it's the 'Exclusive Cheek Brush' - which looks pretty similar to the version that was exclusive to the Nic's Picks set, but perhaps a tad less densely-packed and a little rounder in shape. The other two are already available, though not in my current collection, so to me personally this seems like a pretty good deal. It's out next month, so if you fancy picking one up too - you know what to do...
New Soap and Glory Products - Ranging from £3.50-£10.00 - What is it with this time of year being when nearly every brand starts to drop new products? Soap and Glory are the latest to join the launch parade and they've come out with all guns blazing, dropping new additions in pretty much every makeup arena. There's new brow products in their popular 'Archery' line and a hell of a lot of new items in 'stick' form. There's some new Sexy Mother Pucker sticks (glossy and matte), some cream stick versions of their powder cheek products and some new items added to their 'Kick Ass' base range and - you guessed it - all in the same stick format. I love S&G as a brand and pretty much everything I've tried from their range - whether it be bodycare or makeup - has been all kinds of awesome, so I may just have to pick up some of these newbies to test out.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Strobing Powders - £38 each - Another makeup range that everyone seems to love is the Ambient Lighting from Hourglass. The original powders are what kicked it all off, then came the blushers, bronzers and now they've branched out into highlighting versions. I've heard so many good things about everything Hourglass add to this sub-line, and so surely these glimmery editions will be no exception to the rule. Apparently, the standard powders are already quite 'glowy' in formula, in that they mattify the skin, but in a very natural-looking way and still somehow manages to retain some radiance - so perhaps these will simply be the same, but with more of a proper 'shimmer' to them? Who knows. There's only one way to find out...
Collection 'Eyes Uncovered' Eyeshadow Palettes (NEW SHADES!) - £2.99 each - Now these beauties, I am very much excited about. Last year, Collection came out with some brand new eyeshadow palettes - the 'Eyes Uncovered' ones, to be precise - and as you may remember, I was a big fan and I still am. Great affordable price, but also great quality eyeshadows. Well, now it seems they've added three new shade collections to the original trio, and I am very much looking forward to picking oneor three up. There's a grey-themed, smokey edition; one that's more bright and purple-toned and another which has more of a pink/copper/rose gold vibe - so obviously that one is the one I've got my eye on the most - but in all seriousness, they all look stunning and if they're of the same standard as the original palettes they launched, we're onto a good thing.
Zoeva Rose Golden Luxury Set Vol. 3 - £70.34 - Moving back onto Zoeva goodness and something which also may or may not feature rose gold. It is of course their Rose Golden collection of brushes. The first and second editions are both still hugely popular it seems, and now they've released a third - and it's just as swoon-worthy. This time, the entire outer casing of the brushes is in rose gold (as opposed to the black and nude features on the two former editions) and while some may argue it is perhaps a little too much - I say, can you ever go 'too much' when it comes to rose gold? I don't think so. As with the first and second versions, this is comprised of a nice mix of face and eye brushes to enable you to do a full face of makeup with and the rest. I am yet to actually invest in any of the Rose Golden brush range, but I feel this new launch may just act as the final push for me to make a well-overdue purchase...
Makeup Revolution Rose Gold Lipsticks - £3.00 each - Yes, I am concluding this 'Loves and Lusts' post with yet another mention of a rose gold-themed item. I know, I know - can you tell I'm obsessed? Makeup Revolution have jumped on the bandwagon (most likely after the success of its inclusion in their 'Ultra Metals' brushes) and have released a new lipstick range with the most beautiful packaging you may just have ever seen. I'm unsure of the shade selection, but going on the brand's website itself there appears to be just five hues - varying from a brown-toned nude to a deep, deep vampy purple - and while I haven't sampled any of the Makeup Revolution lippies before, I feel I may just have to cave in on this one purely for the packaging alone and if it doesn't live up to expectations - hey, at least it looks pretty. #StandardBeautyBlogger.
So that just about concludes the second edition of 'Loves and Lusts' for 2016! I hope you enjoyed reading that as much as I always do writing these posts and I will see you right here around the same time next month for my March round-up...
Zoeva Nude Spectrum Palette - £27.30 - Part of some new launches to Zoeva's makeup line, this palette has been featured a lot in the beauty community this month and every time - I swoon. Zoeva as a brand are more well-known for their brushes, though their makeup (their palettes in particular) look just as good and seem to get just as rave reviews. This compilation (as the name suggests) comprises of a tonne of neutral, natural hues that could easily do anything from an easy everyday eye to something a little more smokey and glamorous. I definitely don't need another eyeshadow palette, but this one's certainly caught my eye...
'Rosie For Autograph' Makeup Range - Ranging from £8-£14.40 - Rosie Huntington-Whitely has collaborated with M&S to drop her very own makeup line and again, the beauty world has gone mad for it. The launch of a whole new brand is always extra exciting, so I would like to try a few bits from the range at some point. Right now - the lipsticks, gel eyeliners and highlighter stick all look pretty lust-worthy to me. To be honest though, with everything encased in beautiful rose gold packaging - what's not to lust over?
Real Techniques Limited Edition Cheek and Lip Set - £19.99 - Another 'Loves and Lusts' post, another mention of a Real Techniques set. Can you tell I'm still obsessed with pretty much anything and everything they come out with? This time, it's all about the cheeks and the lips. As usual, there's a set exclusive that you can't get hold of elsewhere - this time it's the 'Exclusive Cheek Brush' - which looks pretty similar to the version that was exclusive to the Nic's Picks set, but perhaps a tad less densely-packed and a little rounder in shape. The other two are already available, though not in my current collection, so to me personally this seems like a pretty good deal. It's out next month, so if you fancy picking one up too - you know what to do...
New Soap and Glory Products - Ranging from £3.50-£10.00 - What is it with this time of year being when nearly every brand starts to drop new products? Soap and Glory are the latest to join the launch parade and they've come out with all guns blazing, dropping new additions in pretty much every makeup arena. There's new brow products in their popular 'Archery' line and a hell of a lot of new items in 'stick' form. There's some new Sexy Mother Pucker sticks (glossy and matte), some cream stick versions of their powder cheek products and some new items added to their 'Kick Ass' base range and - you guessed it - all in the same stick format. I love S&G as a brand and pretty much everything I've tried from their range - whether it be bodycare or makeup - has been all kinds of awesome, so I may just have to pick up some of these newbies to test out.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Strobing Powders - £38 each - Another makeup range that everyone seems to love is the Ambient Lighting from Hourglass. The original powders are what kicked it all off, then came the blushers, bronzers and now they've branched out into highlighting versions. I've heard so many good things about everything Hourglass add to this sub-line, and so surely these glimmery editions will be no exception to the rule. Apparently, the standard powders are already quite 'glowy' in formula, in that they mattify the skin, but in a very natural-looking way and still somehow manages to retain some radiance - so perhaps these will simply be the same, but with more of a proper 'shimmer' to them? Who knows. There's only one way to find out...
Collection 'Eyes Uncovered' Eyeshadow Palettes (NEW SHADES!) - £2.99 each - Now these beauties, I am very much excited about. Last year, Collection came out with some brand new eyeshadow palettes - the 'Eyes Uncovered' ones, to be precise - and as you may remember, I was a big fan and I still am. Great affordable price, but also great quality eyeshadows. Well, now it seems they've added three new shade collections to the original trio, and I am very much looking forward to picking one
Zoeva Rose Golden Luxury Set Vol. 3 - £70.34 - Moving back onto Zoeva goodness and something which also may or may not feature rose gold. It is of course their Rose Golden collection of brushes. The first and second editions are both still hugely popular it seems, and now they've released a third - and it's just as swoon-worthy. This time, the entire outer casing of the brushes is in rose gold (as opposed to the black and nude features on the two former editions) and while some may argue it is perhaps a little too much - I say, can you ever go 'too much' when it comes to rose gold? I don't think so. As with the first and second versions, this is comprised of a nice mix of face and eye brushes to enable you to do a full face of makeup with and the rest. I am yet to actually invest in any of the Rose Golden brush range, but I feel this new launch may just act as the final push for me to make a well-overdue purchase...
Makeup Revolution Rose Gold Lipsticks - £3.00 each - Yes, I am concluding this 'Loves and Lusts' post with yet another mention of a rose gold-themed item. I know, I know - can you tell I'm obsessed? Makeup Revolution have jumped on the bandwagon (most likely after the success of its inclusion in their 'Ultra Metals' brushes) and have released a new lipstick range with the most beautiful packaging you may just have ever seen. I'm unsure of the shade selection, but going on the brand's website itself there appears to be just five hues - varying from a brown-toned nude to a deep, deep vampy purple - and while I haven't sampled any of the Makeup Revolution lippies before, I feel I may just have to cave in on this one purely for the packaging alone and if it doesn't live up to expectations - hey, at least it looks pretty. #StandardBeautyBlogger.
So that just about concludes the second edition of 'Loves and Lusts' for 2016! I hope you enjoyed reading that as much as I always do writing these posts and I will see you right here around the same time next month for my March round-up...
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