It's time for another New In At The Drugstore! As you can probably guess, it's pretty much exactly what it says on the tin - I browse the aisles of Boots/Superdrug and see what's just landed, before doing a little show and tell of it all for you lovely and even possibly adding in my first impressions for good measure too - if I've had the chance to try everything out, that is. I haven't done a post of this kind for little while now, but with so many awesome looking releases popping up here, there and everywhere as of late, I just had to pick up a select few to share and test out. So, without any further ado, let's get into the first edition of 2017...
Starting off just as you usually would with your makeup - the base. Primer-wise, I am always up for trying out new ones and this time round, this Collection Primed and Ready Anti-Fatigue Illuminating Primer caught my eye. This claims to be a 'reviving illuminating primer powered by Witch Hazel with its natural anti-blemish properties to help illuminate and revitalise the skin for a silky-smooth base'. I personally am a big fan of the whole 'Primed and Ready' range from Collection and so I had pretty high hopes that this primer would live up to everything else too and you know what? It certainly did. It has a lovely creamy, moisturiser-like feel to it and it applies onto the skin like a dream. It did indeed give my complexion a slight illumination, but without any glitter or shimmer to be seen and it felt super hydrating too. Makeup applied easy-peasy on top of it and lasted well throughout the day with no problems so all in all, this gets the thumbs up from me. Now, this next one I guess isn't technically a 'new' product in terms of the fact it has actually been a regular feature in the drugstore scene for yonks now and I have personally been a huge fan of it for what feels like forever too, but recently it's had a bit of a makeover - both inside and out - and so I thought I better give it a mention anyway. It is the good ol' Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - you know the one, right? Aswell as a slight packaging change, the formula itself has apparently had a little update too and luckily, I still love it just as much. Phew! It's the same medium to full coverage with the same dewy, skin-like finish but if anything, it's better - even more easier to blend and even more 'natural'-looking on the complexion. Love, love, LOVE. As for concealer, I stepped out of my comfort zone a little on this one and picked up something a tad different that I wasn't whether would work for me or not. This is the Maybelline Dream Brightening Concealer in 'White' and this claims to 'instantly conceal and brightens for a fresh, bright-eyed look with a convenient crayon ad a creamy formula that blends seamlessly to erase dark circles and light reflecting pearl pigments'. If you've read round these parts for a while, you'll most likely know two things about me when it comes to concealers. A). I pretty much use the Collection Lasting Perfection every single darn day and have yet to find a concealer which completely beats it and B). I'm not typically the biggest fan of 'hard' textured concealers that come in stick form. So, you'd be pushed to explain initially why I actually bought this, but there was something that intrigued me and made me feel like actually, it could perhaps work. The one time I do tend to enjoy using a concealer with a slightly denser consistency - such as my fave, Rimmel's Lasting Finish - is in select areas where I want/need that extra coverage - like the very inner section of my under-eyes where things are the most dark and blue-toned. So, I kinda bought this to see whether it would work for that task and I'm pleased to report that it actually does a pretty good job. The crayon set-up makes it super easy to quite literally draw on to apply and while the texture feels quite dry to apply, it soon works in when combined with the heat of your ring finger or a dampened beauty sponge. I'm fairly pale, so the white hue works well for me in terms of just adding that slight touch of extra brightness and lift without looking too intense, but I feel it would be a little too fair to use anywhere else on my face (although this was never really the intention anyway). So far, so good!
The next department for all things new are the what I like to all 'Finishing' areas of the face - contour, blush, bronzer, highlight - you know the drill. The first three I haven't got anything brand new to report on, however the latter I most certainly do. I mean, this is highlighter we're talking about - of course there's gonna be a launch or three around the corner. Everyone's highlighter obsessed right now - myself included - and so I just couldn't resist picking these up. First up, from Maybelline we have the Master Strobing Liquid in 'Light Iridescent'. This claims to 'enhance features as if defined by light, with a pearl formula boosting glow for a subtle sheen' and the 'translucent liquid able to be mixed in with your foundation for an all-over illuminated look or used sparingly on particular features to add dimension'. I am always up for trying new liquid highlighters, They are by far the most versatile formula in terms of what you can do with them and also the look you can create and they are so super easy to basically blend on and go. The shade of this is nice and light - ideal for my paler skintone - and it's got a touch of pink running through it, but without being too rosey and obvious. It applies onto the skin easily and sits super nicely too - allowing itself to be really meshed in until things are completely seamless. You quite literally only need the tiniest amount to create a fully-blinding highlighted effect and a little sure goes a long way - I can see this lasting me a long while, which is always a good thing for a product you love! NYX also had a couple of new highlighting products launching and both caught my eye - the first being yet another liquid. I know, I know. This is the 'Away We Glow' Liquid Highlighter in 'Crystal Glare' and this claims to have a 'light-reflecting formula that's creamy, yet lightweight and gives irresistible illumination plus a shimmery finish that's totally buildable'. Sounds awesome, right? Well, it seriously is. I really love this and the Maybelline one pretty equally, but if I had to choose which one I prefer, this just slightly pips it to the post. Don't get me wrong, the formula's are basically identical, but there's just something about the colour of this one from NYX which is just completely perfect for me. It's the perfect champagne highlight that nails the balance of tones and so still has that light, icy-ness to it, but with a touch of warmth there too. All of my other cream or liquid highlighters tend to fall under the cooler, pinky bracket (which I still love) but I have been after something that runs more alongside the likes of my holy grail, theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer for ages and I feel I have finally found it. It's super pigmented but can be both sheered out or built up to a more intense finish and I can only imagine how the super-duper light shades in this range pick up. Talking of pinky-toned highlights though, my third and final inclusion for this post is another new addition from NYX - their Duo Chromatic Illuminating Powders. These claim to have 'light-reflecting pearls that deliver a luminous finish that looks different from every angle' and I decided to pick up the shade 'Snow Rose'. This is the palest one of the bunch and also the one which caught my eye the most too. It's got a primarily white base, but with tiny flecks of pinky goodness running through it - giving it that super pretty, duochrome effect. I have seen so many types of highlighters within the duochrome family and have yet to add one into my stash - until now, that is. Having finally bitten the bullet, I am so glad I did as this gives such a stunning effect. The pinky, purple-y reflects give off a little something different, but it's still completely wearable at the same time. The powder isn't at all dusty or chalky, it's nicely pigmented and blends easily too.
Eyes-wise, I have yet another couple of NYX products to let you all into the deets about. Yeah, another one - I know. I picked up one of the NYX Lid Lingerie Eye Tints to try and these really caught my eye when browsing online. These claim to be a 'weightless eye tint with a delicate pearl finish and available in a range of gorgeous nude hues' and I personally picked up one of the shades which stood out to me the most initially - 'Sweet Cloud'. To be honest, I could have picked up a tonne of colours, but this light rose gold just called out my name. I have never really sampled any liquid eyeshadows before - honestly, I hardly ever see many on the market, especially within the drugstore/affordable arena - so I guess that only made me want to try these out even more. I was a little hesitant as to how well I'd get on with them as I'd never worked with something like it before, but actually the whole thing was super smooth and easy. Simply apply a little product over the your lid using the doe foot applicator and use a round, firm brush to move it around and blend it out into an even wash of colour. This warm, copper shade in particular is just super pretty and is so super shimmery it almost comes off as metallic, but it doesn't look at all chunky on the lids at all. They feel super wet and tacky on the lids for a few seconds, but they soon dry down to a finish that does not budge, crease, smudge, flake - nothing. One coating was enough to reach full opacity, but I wanted to see whether they could be layered and built up and thankfully, they can. Phew. I also picked up one of their Prismatic Eyeshadows in 'Dollface' and these claim to 'give your eyes extra sparkle and dimension with a fully pigmented metallic texture'. NYX have brought out a whole new range of shades for this single shadow selection and I just had to plump for this bright, hot pink. It's definitely not an everyday colour, but I have visions of this working super well for special occasions or nights out (hello, birthday eyeshadow...) and when testing it out earlier this week, I combined it with the above Lid Lingerie to create a fun, vibrant pink halo eye and I have to say for my first attempt I was super pleased with how it came out. The shadow was buttery soft, well pigmented and really dense with shimmer too. What's not to love, eh? Finally, from NYX (I promise) I added their new Epic Ink Liner to my basket to try. This claims to feature a 'slender and slim tip with an intensely pigmented waterproof formula that allows you to achieve black liquid lines effortlessly'. It's not often I try out new liquid liners (S&G's Supercat has been my go-to for yonks now) but after seeing Soph from 'SophDoesNails' raving about it - and also seeing as she always has super on-point eyeliner - I figured it may be worth a shot. First off, the nib is right up my street. It's thin and is firm but with enough bend in it to allow for a nice, smooth application and the pen itself is super liquidy - so much so you can actually hear it when you shake it about. The wet consistency is kind of a double-edge sword straight off as while you don;t have to worry about things going dry and not at all intense, it does in turn make it a little difficult to get along with at first as you have to be super careful that things don't get messy. The more I've been using it though,m the more I'm liking it - so stayed tuned on that one.
Moving onto all things Lips and I have a tonne of different products in the 'New In' department for the ol' pout - it just seems to be the season for lip products galore, yeah - but let me tell you, they are all proper good'un's. First up, the one non-liquid-lipstick inclusion - the Maybelline Colour Sensational Creamy Matte Lipsticks. These claim to be 'our creamiest mattes and most flattering nudes, with golden nude pigments for a warm tone and a sophisticated matte finish for out most supple nude statement'. I have never actually tried any of the Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipsticks before - I know - but have always heard such good things and I have to say, they totally live up to expectations. I picks up my personal favourite of the bunch - 'Smoky Rose' - and it does exactly what it says on the tin. A deeper, pinky nude that's got the perfect mix of rosey and brown undertones for a super chic, but still flattering colour and I am in love with the finish. It's a matte texture, but not at all drying or uncomfortable and it still feels moisturising too. It wears down, but it does so evenly and leaves behind a bit of a stain so you don't have to worry so much about frequent top-ups. Next up, there's new shades of the Sleek Matte Me Lip Creams! I have a few shades of these liquid lippies already and I just had to add a couple of new hues from their new Spring/Summer '16 launch too. All super pretty, pastel-inspired shades, I picked up 'Apricot Blooms' (a pastel peachy colour) and - my personal favourite - 'French Fancy' (a mid-toned bright, candy pink). Having swatched and applied both to my lips, I can confirm that they match up identically to the same formula of all of the others and I love both shades just as much. They apply evenly in one coat, feel super lightweight on the lips and dry down to a powdery matte finish that lasts and lasts and lasts and I am so excited to crack these out once the warmer weather makes an appearance. I also have a couple of new shades of the Barry M Matte Me Up Lip Paints too. You may remember that last month, I did this post all about the Barry M Lip Kits - comprised of a lip liner and matching Lip Paint shade - but these are a couple from the standard range of singles and having tried and loved the Lip Kits, I felt safe in adding these to my collection too. They are 'Paparazzi' - a classic, true red - and 'Pop Up' - a deep pink and again, these are just as good as the rest in my stash already. I'm sure set for whenever I next want to rock a bold lip, that's fo' sho'...
Finally - Nails. Barry M have a few new additions to their range - starting off with their very first cuticle care product - the 'So Cute-Icle! Cuticle Oil'. This claims to 'moisturise, rehydrate and strengthen cuticles for beautiful, healthy look with Coconut Oil, Marula Oil and Vitamin E' and I really liked the look of this one. Applying a cuticle oil to my nail beds is something I don't always remember to do, but maybe the convenient set-up of this one will help to make it more of a regular feature in my nail care routine. I have been impressed by basically everything Barry M have ever offered nails-wise, so hopefully this will be no different. They've also released a brand new range of nail paints - called the 'Frosted Cupcakes' Nail Paints - and these claim to 'deliver a tantalising crystallised, smooth manicure - the ultimate delicacy for your nails - available in four pastel tones, perfect for Spring'. Who doesn't love a bit of sparkle on the nails, eh? I was only rocking some myself the other day here, and I love how this range encompasses all things glittery, while also staying very much in-keeping with the traditional Spring hues too. I picked up the shade 'Marshmallow' - a pretty off-white colour - and I'm very much eager to get lacquering up my nails with this - asap. Then, last but very much not least, Barry M have also added to their infamous 'Gelly' Hi-Shine Nail Paints. There was a time when this range used to be regularly expanded like there was no tomorrow, but with an already-rather-large colour selection, this time round there is only one sole shade being thrown into the mix - a warm, brown-toned nude called 'Peanut Butter'. First off - loving the name - but I'm also just as much into the shade itself too. If I ever do rock a nude shade on my nail beds, it's always something like this and I can't wait to crack it out. Better get my talons ready...
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