It's been a while since I've done a post like this, hasn't it? For the past few months, I've focused more on reviews on individual products than a post like this, where I group a selection of products together (perhaps enough for a Full Face, maybe not so much) and do more quick-fire reviews on them all, in one go. But, with quite a lot of New/New To Me Makeup building up in my 'New In' Drawer in my IKEA Alex, I figured it was necessary this month to at last do exactly that. I started testing out this group of products right at the start of this month to give me enough time to really figured them out and what I think of them. And, a couple of weeks on - I feel the time is right to report back on my thoughts...
Barry M Unicorn Primer Drops - I've had this product sitting in my 'New In' Drawer for quite a while now and this month, I finally decided it was time to give it a go! I think I actually bought these primer drops not long after they originally launched and I was hearing and seeing so many good things about them. And you know what? So far, I can certainly see why! I'd never tried primer 'drops' before, but it was surprisingly pretty easy to use the dropper to disperse the product either directly onto the face (yanno, Instagram style) or into the palms of your hands and blend it in. It's a super pretty, slightly shimmery, pinky-purple liquid but there's no noticeable colour or shimmer present once actually blended into the skin - which is awesome - and I really loved how this worked on my skin. It left my skin feeling super soft, hydrated and smooth and my makeup itself looked really fresh and glowy too, which I really loved. My makeup applied on top really easily and sat super nice and smoothly on my skin and it left a slightly tacky feeling behind on my skin - which is often known for helping aid good makeup adherence and lasting powder - and I'd definitely agree, as my makeup lasted pretty impeccably all day long!
NYX Born To Glow Foundation in 'Pale' - I'd always wanted to try a foundation from NYX but in the past they've always seemed to cater towards a more matte finish (which I personally don't enjoy or find suit as much as satin or dewy) so when I saw this relatively new one from them that appeared to be more radiant and glowy - I decided to give it a try! I was super excited and honestly - I had pretty high hopes too. However, unfortunately I have to say that I'm really not sure about it. I firstly tried it with the above new primer from Barry M and that just did not work out at. all. I'm not sure if it's because this foundation seems to be water-based, whilst the primer is oil-based - and we all know those two things do not mix - or if it's something else, but it did not look good! It separated on my skin, just would not blend in and clung really badly to any dry patches I had - despite seemingly being a 'glowy' foundation! So, the next day I tried it with one of my normal favourite primers (Rimmel Lasting Finish Primer, FYI) and whilst I could at least make it work this time - it did blend in without separating and didn't look completely awful on my skin - I wasn't in love. Again, considering this foundation is supposed to be 'glowy' - I still wouldn't say it lived up to its claim. If anything, I'd say this foundation is closer to being satin or even matte and in all honesty, when it comes to glowy bases, I still prefer my usual holy grails such as Revolution Conceal and Hydrate or L'Oreal Freshwear! Both easier to blend, sit better on the skin and actually give that glowy effect I'm after - plus, I don't need to worry about using particular products with them to ensure they work. So, although this isn't a firm fail, it's definitely not a new favourite...
NYX Born To Glow Foundation in 'Pale' - I'd always wanted to try a foundation from NYX but in the past they've always seemed to cater towards a more matte finish (which I personally don't enjoy or find suit as much as satin or dewy) so when I saw this relatively new one from them that appeared to be more radiant and glowy - I decided to give it a try! I was super excited and honestly - I had pretty high hopes too. However, unfortunately I have to say that I'm really not sure about it. I firstly tried it with the above new primer from Barry M and that just did not work out at. all. I'm not sure if it's because this foundation seems to be water-based, whilst the primer is oil-based - and we all know those two things do not mix - or if it's something else, but it did not look good! It separated on my skin, just would not blend in and clung really badly to any dry patches I had - despite seemingly being a 'glowy' foundation! So, the next day I tried it with one of my normal favourite primers (Rimmel Lasting Finish Primer, FYI) and whilst I could at least make it work this time - it did blend in without separating and didn't look completely awful on my skin - I wasn't in love. Again, considering this foundation is supposed to be 'glowy' - I still wouldn't say it lived up to its claim. If anything, I'd say this foundation is closer to being satin or even matte and in all honesty, when it comes to glowy bases, I still prefer my usual holy grails such as Revolution Conceal and Hydrate or L'Oreal Freshwear! Both easier to blend, sit better on the skin and actually give that glowy effect I'm after - plus, I don't need to worry about using particular products with them to ensure they work. So, although this isn't a firm fail, it's definitely not a new favourite...
Obsession Pure Bake Baking Powder in 'Lace' - This loose powder was yet another MakeMeUpMissa-inspired purchase! I was super excited to give it a try as I don't think there's one item she's recommend that I've later bought which I haven't loved. However, I have to admit that I was a little apprehensive to try this powder out as in the pot, it appeared quite dark (at least when compared to other loose powders I usually use) and I was worried it'd be too deep for my paler skin-tone. But, I persevered and I am so glad I did - it works like a dream! This is a super finely milled powder. I simply use it like I would any other - taking my damp beauty sponge to pick some up, before applying it in my typical 'baking' areas (under the eyes, around the smile lines) to bake As always, I leave the areas to bake for a minute or so, before dusting away any excess powder and I love the finished result. Everything is so super smooth and flawless, not overly dry-looking and this light peach tone actually works perfectly for my colouring. It's just about bang-on the same kind of colour as my skin so it's not as brightening as other, lighter or translucent loose powders I use, but it doesn't leave a dark cast - and that's the main thing! And for such a great finish, I certainly can't complain. Also, perhaps most importantly, it really does lock my makeup into place all day long too - so I can definitely see myself reaching for this again!
MUA Brow Define Micro Brow Pencils in ‘Fair’ and ‘Light Brown' - You might remember that last month, I tried - and later fell in love with - the MUA Brow Define Micro Pencils. They've quite possibly become my new go-to for filling in my brows from now on! However, I did admit that I might need to refine the shades I use slightly. I picked up two originally - one lighter shade for the front of my brows and one deeper shade for the tail - just as I normally would, but I soon came to realise that both were a touch too dark for me. I can still make them work, but I was eager to see if I could suss out what shades from the range were actually right for me. I feel the shade I originally picked up for the front of my brows (Mid Brown) is better suited for the bulk/tail instead, so I wanted to take a closer look at some of the lightest colours to see what I could pair it with. And all in all, I'm pretty pleased with them. I'd say the deeper of the two ('Light Brown') is perhaps the better match as I feel the lighter shade ('Fair') is maybe a little too light - though I can still make it work with either a heavier hand or just applying more to build the colour up. But, I've definitely found a better lighter shade for the front of my brows, so I'll know that 'Light Brown' is what I need to go for from now on!
Essence Contouring Duo Palette in 'Lighter Skin' - Now, this is where we come to possibly my favourite, favourite finds on this whole post. Another MakeMeUpMissa recommendation, I picked this up online pretty much as soon as I saw her use it in a video and then later rave about how awesome - and also super affordable - it is. And let me tell you - I am so happy I did. I love it! Typically, contour duos will come with a shimmery highlighter on the other side - but not this one! Instead, inside this one you get two matte powders that you can utilise purely for contouring. On the left side there's a light, eggshell colour and the other a light, cool-toned brown. You can use them apart or mix the together as you wish and this colour scheme is just perfect for my paler skin-tone. The deeper colour is my ideal depth and undertone for contouring my face overall. It's not too deep, but dark enough to show up on my skin and it's got that ashy tone, without being too grey. The light, off-white doesn't really do much alone, but mix it in with the cool-toned brown and you can easily dial things down, ideal for areas like the nose where I personally enjoy a lighter hue for sculpting! Often with other contour products (that are typically singles) I'll usually have to use a lighter hand to get this effect, but I love how with this one I don't have to - I can just mix and match as I like! All in all, these are well-pigmented, easily blendable powders, in spot-on shades and the product overall is so cheap too - what more could you ask for? I really feel like this palette has real potential to overtake my beloved NYX Blush in 'Taupe' as my go-to contour product...
Obsession Feels Diamond Highlighter in '24K' - This highlighter really intrigued me, I think because of the slightly different kind of formula. They're more like a cream-to-powder that require application with your fingers as opposed to a brush and I think for that alone, I was up for giving one a go! I don't really have anything like it in my collection already - I either have powders, creams or liquids but nothing in-between - and I had pretty high hopes. And I must admit that so far, I quite like it! The shade itself is gorgeous. A light, yellow-gold - it kind of reminds me of the iconic 'Trophy Wife' shade from Fenty, just a little less rich and 'yellowy'. This one has a lighter reflect to it, so works perfectly for my paler skin-tone - whilst still capturing that similar yellow gold aspect perfectly. Formula-wise, it picks up well on your fingertips and applies pretty easily and seamlessly this way too. I personally find it best to lightly tap it on to begin with, before lightly swirling to ensure things are smooth and blended in - and you're done!
Revlon Candid Concealer in '010 Vanilla' - Yet again - this was another purchase inspired by the lovely MakeMeUpMissa! She's been raving about using this new-ish concealer from Revlon - as an eye primer/base! I'd held off from picking it up for a little while, but not long ago I finally caved, started trying it a couple of weeks back and so far - so good! The doe foot applicator makes it super easy to apply, it blends out so quickly and effortlessly and I find a little goes a long way too - you don't need a lot to cover your whole lid! It's only got light-medium coverage - so I doubt I'd enjoy this as an actual concealer - but in terms of an eye base, it's just right! Whilst I do enjoy more heavy duty, full coverage eye primers like the P.Louise Base or a full coverage concealer, to be honest I don't really need it and can get away with less. What I really love about this one as (just like Missa said) it really is pretty darn crease-less. Generally when it comes to priming my eyes, I either have to lightly set my base or, if leaving it un-set, I really have to be careful with how much I apply and really ensure it's properly blended in. But, with this one - I not only don't have to set it, I don't have to be cautious with how much I apply/how I blend it in at all! I can go straight in with my shadow and not only do they apply super pigmented and blend seamlessly, throughout the day there's no creases, fading or transferring! I definitely feel this could become one of my new go-to's for priming my eyes. I'm kinda intrigued to see next how it works for cutting my crease...
Revolution Precious Stones 'Ruby' Palette - I decided to pick up this palette after Christmas as it was on my wishlist and I was still really interested in it - and so far, I'm really pleased I did! I was intrigued by this whole range of palettes as they're set up very similarly for the Carmi 'Make Magic' Palette - which I own and love - so I had pretty high hopes. This colour scheme in particular really stood out and appealed to me - full of reds, pinks, oranges and so on - and I was excited to hopefully try a palette with the same kind of quality and set-up as the 'Make Magic', just in another set of shades. And in all honesty, they are pretty comparable! The mattes aren't the most pigmented I've tried, but they're still pretty rich in colour and build up well. They blend pretty nicely without losing too much pigment (though as I've said, they can be built up and layered so it still wouldn't be too much of an issue if they did) and I love how the colours work and combine together! The 'standard' shimmers in the small pans apply pretty nicely and intensely with just a flat brush, though using a finger or damp brush really amps them up even further - and then of course, we come to perhaps the main reason I bought this palette - the middle row of larger, cream-to-powder shimmer shades. These were one of the things I enjoyed the most about the 'Make Magic' Palette (the gorgeous pink/purple/blue/brown multi-chrome at the far right especially) and oh my, these ones in this Ruby Palette have certainly not disappointed. They're the same formula that requires a fingertip to apply, glide on with ease and are so intensely foiled-like - just in more super-pretty colours! Similarly to the 'Make Magic' Palette, honestly I'm happy I picked this palette up for just this middle row alone...
Primark Primer Water - Another MakeMeUpMissa suggestion, I picked this up in one of my recent trips to Primark! But, not to be used as an actual primer water, but as Missa recommended - to wet eyeshadow brushes for shimmer shadows! Not only is it much cheaper than some setting sprays you could utilise for the same reason, it apparently works just as well. So, I finally decided to give it a try and have put it to the test so far for not only the 'standard' shimmers in the above new palette I was trying, but also for regular shimmers in a couple of my holy grail palettes and everytime - it works a treat! I always like to wet my brush after picking up the product so as to not ruin the pans (so I pick it up on the brush, spritz and then apply as normal) and it really does help to make sure the shadow adheres nicely to the lid - as it gives it something to really stick to! I've found my shimmers apply more shimmery, intense and foiled-like and whilst some shimmers (usually in my more expensive palettes) admittedly perform like this without it, sometimes some others do need a little helping hand to reach their full potential and I think this'll be what I'll reach for whenever that issue occurs from now on!
Maybelline Hyper Easy Eyeliner - When it comes to a black liquid liner - it's no secret that I'm pretty faithful to my beloved NYX Epic Ink Liner. It's been my staple, holy grail for a good few years now and that's simply because I've yet to find anything that beats it. However, when I saw this new liner from Maybelline online, it instantly sparked my interest. To me, it looked almost identical to my NYX one! A handy pen format but with a flexible brush tip as opposed to a solid felt one - making it a little easier to use and also more 'wet' and saturated with product. Well, you know what - I think I may have found a new favourite liquid liner as this one really is just as good, if not maybe even better than the NYX Epic Ink! The brush tip on the Maybelline one is just the right thickness to enable you to create both thinner or thicker lines, it glides on the eyes super easily and makes it pretty foolproof to create a smooth, sharp wing! It's very liquidy, but I don't find it to bleed on the eyes at all (which is always a deal-breaker with liquid liners for me) and it soon dries down to a kind of demi-matte finish - which is also something I look for! I don't personally like fully matte liners as they can appear quite dry and dull on the eyes but at the same time - full-shine, patent liners aren't really my kind of thing either! It's super rich and intensely black and the product doesn't lift off when you go over the same area - something a lot of liquid liners tend to fall down for. But, possibly most importantly - once applied and dried down - this liner lasts impeccably throughout the day. No flaking off, transferring, smudging, fading - nothing! Until you decided to take this off, it'll hang around. Like I said before, though I adore my NYX Epic Ink, I have admittedly become a little bored of it recently as it's the only liquid liner I've used for so long - mainly because I've never found anything which rivals it. I was really hoping I'd come across one that is just as good, if not even better this year so I can finally switch things up - and I think this may be it!
NYX Slide On Glide On Lip Liner in 'Nude Suede Shoes' - Lips-wise, I had a couple of lip liners and lip glosses to try! This first lip liner was a pretty recent purchase I made after hearing it being raved about for so, so long! And you know, I really like it so far. This is almost like the perfect MLBB-type shade of lip liner for me. A super pretty rosey beige, it really is almost identical to my natural lip colour, but just a drop deeper! As a result, it makes it especially good for overlining and making my lips look fuller - which, as I've said many times before, is something I always love to do when lining my lips! The formula is so super creamy, glides onto the lips and makes it so easy to get smooth, sharp lines but at the same time, it's got enough of a waxiness to it that gives you complete control when applying (it doesn't slip slide all over the place) and it also means it has that good longevity and stays in place (and helps keep whatever else you apply on your lips in place) pretty well all day long!
Primark Lip Liner in 'Toast' - The second lip liner I picked up not too long ago and was super eager to give a try comes from Primark! I've said many times before how awesome the lip liners from Primark are - and they're typically only a pound each too - and this one is no exception to the rule either. Bargain. Again, this was another item that MakeMeUpMissa has been using and raving about lately and I just had to try - and I certainly ain't mad that I did. This rich, warm, brown nude really reminds me of one of my favourite nude lip liners - Rimmel 1000 Kisses in 'Tiramisu' - and as a result, I really like this one too! The formula is so lovely - creamy, but still 'hard' and waxy enough - it's super pigmented and lasts so well on the lips aswell. I can see myself getting quite a bit of use out of this lip liner in the future...
I Heart Revolution Chocolate Lip Glosses in 'Chocolate Brownie' and 'Chocolate Orange' - Finally - we have to lip glosses we need to talk about. You may remember sometime last year I tried the I Heart Revolution Chocolate Lip Gloss in 'Salted Caramel'. It was back when this range of lip glosses were first launched and that shade in particular was getting a lot of rave reviews. And I was really wanting to get on board with the lip gloss hype, so I picked it up - and haven't looked back since! It quickly became one of my favourite lip glosses - not only for the shade, but also for the formula. So, I've been eager to try a couple of others from the collection for a little while and finally this month, I got round to doing just that! And the formula is just as awesome - creamy glosses that glide on with ease, look super shiny and juicy on the lips but don't feel heavy or sticky at all and don't need too frequent reapplications. They're also really well-pigmented in that they're opaque enough for the colour to show, but not too much that they completely overpower whatever else you may be using on your lips. These two shades are also just as gorgeous as 'Salted Caramel' and I feel they could easily become just as firm favourites! 'Chocolate Brownie' is more of a pink-nude; whilst 'Chocolate Orange' is a little more of a peachy nude - and I really love both. Also, just like 'Salted Caramel' - they both smell utterly delicious too, which is always a bonus...
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