Review: Collection 2000, Avon, 17, Barry M, Bourjois! x

Hiya,

This is going to be a tad on the lengthy side as I recently stocked up on a fair few affordable products and thought I'd let you know my honest opinions on each. I'll try to be as concise as possible.. and if you do get to the end, a gold star for you! ;)


17 Ultimate Volume Lip Gloss in 'In the Nude'

A pretty affordable lipgloss at just £3.99 and available from Boots here. As you can see, while this is a nude colour (in the tradition sense - a colour similar to the natural pink of lips rather than the concealer shade it's come to be known as!), it does have a glitter running through it. I've taken two pictures, the one of the left is heavily applied but as you can see from the picture on the right, if you aren't too heavy with the product that glitter does disperse and leave a lovely colour. This is marketed as a plumping, volume product but I don't think it's overly different from other lipglosses on the market. Not too sticky, nice application and will definitely be a make-up bag staple for me - plus the applicator is easy to use and mess free!

Sugar plump marks out of 10 - 7.

Barry M Liquid Eyeliner in 'Purple'

This eyeliner is £4.79 and available from Boots here. I've been looking for a decent purple liquid eyeliner for a while now and thought I'd give this a try - if I'm honest, I wish I'd saved my money. The applicator is far too thick, regardless of shade, for easy use and application of a precise line. The colour admittedly is quite pretty but as you can see from the swatch, if you go over the line it moves the product resulting in a patchy gloop of purple mess. Plus the staying power is not great at all - the day I wore this it had completely disappeared by bedtime. Pile of poop in my opinion. Let me know of any decent alternatives!

Sugar plump marks out of 10 - 2. :(

17 Photo Flawless Primer

This product is £4.99 and available from Boots here. I've bought this primer before so technically this is a repurchase - I loved it the first time and just as much the second time around. It's designed to help prep your skin before foundation application - NOT necessarily to prolong wear throughout the day, which I know many primers on the market are designed for. Thankfully it's not marketed that way so you know what you're getting from day one but it really is a great help in getting a perfect base for your skin. It is such a silky, smooth clear gel and leaves your skin feeling like velvet, plus helps to minimise pores which is fab. I think this would be a great product for oily skin too, as it does minimise the shine on me.

Sugar plump marks out of 10 - 8!

Collecton 2000 Lasting Performance Concealer in 'Light'

I'm sure you all know about this product already as the Youtube and blogging industry is crazy for it! Amazing coverage, staying power and a great all-rounder, you can get your mitts on this for £4.19 from Boots. It comes in four shades. The markings on the packaging do rub off very quickly though!

Sugar plump marks out of 10 - 8.

Bourjois Volume Clubbing Eyeliner in 'Extra Black'

Ahh this is without a doubt my make-up bag essential and I've used it pretty much every day for going on a year (obviously with a few repurchases)! This is a true black, lasts pretty much all day but still isn't a pain to remove at all. I reckon a few might be put off by the applicator pen as it does seem very thin, but as you can see from the swatch (that's just one swipe) it does apply thick or thin - depending on your preference! Perfect for a cat eye flick, I'd recommend this to every single one of you :) If you fancy a go, it's £6.99 from Boots.

Sugar plump marks out of 10 - 9.


17 Candy Collection Blush and Go in 'Peach Melba'

Swatches L-R: Blush side - highlighter side - both together

This blush is just £3.99 and available from Boots. What a great idea, to have a blush and highlighter within one product - it's your choice as to how you use this one. For a strong pigment, just go for the peachy side, for a shimmery highlighter pop on the light side or combine both for a pretty shimmer across the cheeks. The main colour of this one is a pinky peach, with a shot of gold shimmer through it. I really am pleased with this buy, especially on price, and think it'll work great in the summer months. It is rather shimmer-heavy though, so if you're a matte kinda girl then this might not be for you.


Sugar plump marks out of 10 - 6 :)

Avon True Colour Blush in 'Earthern Rose'

Swatches L-R: On application - blended

On the note of matte blushers, this is a fab choice if you're after a peachy natural shade. The compact this comes in is sturdy and would be a handy edition to anyone's make-up bag as it includes a little mirror and a brush. Personally I rarely use these, but it is so soft and handy so worth keeping! My only criticism on this is the pigment is fairly strong so you need to either be light-handed or a pro at blushing to avoid clown cheeks! The price on this is always changing with different promotions, but at this precise minute it's £6.00 on the Avon online shop or ask your local Avon rep for a brochure.

Sugar plump marks out of 10 - 6.

Phew! That's the lot. Would absolutely love to hear your opinions on these products or any affordable bits and bobs you've come across recently.
Lots of love, Colly xxx

NEW Avon superSHOCK Gel Eyeliner shades & Shine Attract Lipstick

Hello lovelies,

I hope you've all had a fantastic Christmas and New Years! I just wanted to write a short post to let you know about two new products arriving with Avon in the new year that are particularly exciting for me.

Firstly, I'm sure you are all already aware of Avon's superSHOCK Gel Eyeliner as it's proved to be popular among the beauty blogging and Youtube communities. The reason for this is the fact it is so extremely pigmented and the staying power is hard to rival.. and thanks to that Avon are about to release two new shades alongside the current black and silver shades. Here are a few pictures for you :)

Top to bottom: Golden Fawn (NEW) / Blackberry (NEW) / Silver / Black

If you're interested in buying these they will be available in Brochure 04 at a discounted price of £3.00. To find an Avon representative near you or to purchase online, go to Avon's online shop where they will soon become available.

Secondly I was able to get my mitts on a brand new lip product featured in Brochure 03 at an introductory price of £5.00 (check the link above if you fancy!). Shine Attract Lipstick is a pretty unique product - instead of a regular lipstick formula, this product has a "dual formula" where the colour is surrounded by a hydrating gel. I was quite sceptical about this as I thought it would apply unevenly but I have been pleasantly surprised. As someone who often struggles with getting perfect definition when using lipsticks, these has been a breeze as it initially applies sheer with the option to build up colour. I have been wearing it by applying directly from the tube and using my finger to spread the colour - almost like a lip stain. The gel is soothing too and leaves a lovely shine. Needless to say I am a big fan! There are ten available shades but here are three sneak peeks..

Top to bottom - Rose Bouquet / Orchid / Cherry Pie

If you want to see one of these used in action, I noticed Sam from Pixiwoo using Shine Attract in the shade 'Guava' in her fab new Tulisa tutorial here.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope this post was a little insightful into some new goodies to look out for. 

Collette xxx

 For more Avon reviews, check out my other blog -  Confessions of an Avon Rep! :)

Review: A few Avon goodies!

Hi guys,

Huge apology for such a delayed post here, I've been a little snowed under with Uni work but have found a little time to write you a shiny new post. I've just bought a couple of Avon products and as I am a rep myself, I thought it was about time I shared these with the world. Hope you enjoy! :) I'll post the links of where you can buy these online from Avon Shop, or alternatively you can buy from your local rep - sometimes this is a better choice if your rep has their own offers (I offer 10% off when you spend £30).

First are two pencils, one is a double-ended kajalstick from 'color trend' and the other is a double-ended cream superSHOCK eyeshadow pencil (the same line that produced the well reviewed superSHOCK gel eyeliners, raved about by various Youtube gurus and available here for £4.00).

The pencil I have here is 'Chocolate Melt & Cream Dream' which as you can see is a medium brown colour on one end and a creamy vanilla on the other. Personally I would use these as a base under eyeshadow, but after swatching these and leaving them a while I can see that they set in place so could easily be used alone :) If you fancy one of these for yourself or a look at the other colours, they're currently £4.00 reduced from £7.00 here. The other pencil is from 'color trend' which is a collection of more affordable Avon products and though a little hit and miss, the pencils from this range are AMAZING. The one here is emerald and black - really well pigmented and easy to use. These double-ended eyeliners haven't been released just yet (they will be late November) but the formula is the same for regular color trend pencils available here for £2.50.

Above - colourtrend kajalstick, emerald and black / Below - superSHOCK eyeshadow pencil, Chocolate Melt & Cream Dream

So moving on, I bought three lipsticks but from different ranges so I'm going to cover them separately here. This is all three..

The first on the left is from the new Little Red Dress collection which includes four new lipstick shades, two eyeshadow palettes, two nail polishes and a mascara - the packaging is all a beautiful red so will go great together in your collection if you're a fan :) This lipstick shade I have is Vino Royale, the darkest of all the shades and I love this - perfect for winter as Christmas draws nearer and we reach for those warmer shades. I found it good to apply but it is pretty creamy so use with a brush and definitely a lip liner. It'll be available to buy from Avon from 22nd November for an intro price of £5.00.

Avon Little Red Dress Lipstick - Vino Royale

Sorry for the awful condition of my lips, this cold weather is ruining me!

Next up is another product from color trend and that's a lippy in the shade 'Amethyst'. I have to admit I was a little disappointed with this one as it really didn't look the same colour as seen in the advertising swatch. Nonetheless, the colour is pretty but I'm not sure I'll be wearing this one often as it is pretty damn pink. These are £2.50 a pop and you can get them heeere!

color trend kiss 'n' go lipstick - Amethyst

In direct light - you can see this has a little bit of a purple edge

Finally, this is definitely the most wearable one of the three, I'll probably be wearing this on a regular basis as it's mess free and pretty suited to my natural lip colour. As a stick, this looks like it would come off pretty brown as nudes go, but the pay off is quite sheer and gives a great finish. The product is Avon Ultra Colour Rich Mega Impact Lipstick (phew!) in Never So Nude retailing at £5 at the mo. What do you guys think?

Avon Ultra Colour Rich Mega Impact Lipstick - Never So Nude

Again, my apologies for my crazy dry lips here, time to invest in a industrial strength lip balm for the winter! As a final thought, here are two other Avon products I am in love with at the moment.

Avon Naturals Room & Linen Sprays

These room and linen sprays are amazing, and only a couple of pounds (the prices on these are constantly fluctuating as they're often in 4 for £5 offers and such like - check with your Avon rep if you fancy one!). I have Sugar Plum & Vanilla and Black Cherry & Nutmeg. I use Yankee candles too which I know cost an absolute bomb, and these rival those smells make my room smell gorgeous. Definite recommendation!

Avon Naturals Body Whip

This new Naturals body whip is such a reliable moisturiser, smells gorgeous (Milk and Honey is my favourite) and is like a thick whipped texture. For such an unassuming product this really leaves my skin feeling soft and moisturised. I've recommended these to friends who have fallen in love too, you can get them here for £3.00.

Anywho, I hope this post doesn't come across as some crazy rep trying to sell you things - there are Avon products I don't like, and will openly say so, but these are a few I am quite fond of :) Hope you're all having great days - please leave me some shiny comments with what you think, or what Avon products you enjoy! xxxx

For more Avon reviews, check out my other blog -  Confessions of an Avon Rep :)

e.l.f ♥ Love or hate?

This morning I was so pleased to received my massive parcel of goodies from e.l.f but after opening the packaging and swatching, i'm not so sure.

I kept seeing e.l.f splashed over Youtube and figured maybe I should start wearing makeup properly again, so why not start with a brand everyone loves? That's when I realised pretty much 98% of makeup on their website it only £1.50 - BARGAIN...Right?

So, £32.00 later, lots of pictures and my first impressions...

Nail Polish

First impressions: I think they'll need a couple of coats as they don't look very pigmented.

L-R: Metal Madness, Nude.

L-R: Gum Pink, Blush.

Matte Finisher - Clear.

L-R: Metal Madness, Nude, Gum Pink & Blush.

Concealer, Eyeliner, Primers & Eyeshadows 

First impressions: The colours look natural/nude, so hopefully i'll like them once they're on.

Tone Correcting Concealer in Ivory

Liquid Eyeshadows in Cream Dream and Sultry Satin. Cream Dream arrived dry and isn't useable :[

Eyelid primers in Pearl, Sheer and Champagne.

L-R clockwise: Ivory concealer, Champagne primer, Sheer primer, Pearl primer and Sultry Satin eyeshadow.

Brightening Eye Colour in Ethereal

As far as i'm aware, each colour doesn't have a name but you get the general idea.

Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Black

Swatch of the eyeliner, not very pigmented.

 Other bits & pieces

These are mostly tools and random bits :]

First impressions: The quality doesn't seem too bad, but i'll have to really try them before I can comment.

Blending Eye Brush

Balm in Vanilla Creme

Cuticle Pushers x 2

Nail buffer :] looking forward to using this!

Last item, Zit Zapper.. apparently this is good, so bring on the spots!

  

Overall thoughts?

For products that are £1.50 each, they're not that bad but I think I was expecting something different. All I can do now is try them out and see how I get on!

Has anyone else used e.l.f before? If you have, what were your experiences like? Please let me know!

xxxx

MUA Professional Eyeshadow Palettes

Make Up Academy is a brand primarily associated with Superdrug, and very well known throughout the beauty industry in the UK for retailing products at just £1 each. They have now started a shiny new line called MUA Professional, where products are just a few pounds more, but nonetheless fantastic value for money. I’ve bought two of the new palettes which are called ‘Pretty Pastels’ and ‘Glitterball’ – they retail at £4 a pop, not bad!

As you can see, each palette comes with 12 eyeshadows, which is the equivalent of about 33p each (compared to MAC where individual eyeshadows sell for £15.50). The texture is great and each eyeshadow offers fantastic pigmentation. The only downside I have to comment on is the fact that you can get a LOT of fall out from these, so go easy when applying and make sure you’ve tapped off any excess to avoid those panda eyes (unless you like that look!). You also get a sponge applicator in there which I know are a bit like Marmite, but I find them helpful with heavy colours if I don't want to ruin my brushes!

Glitterball Palette

                                                                         (top row)

                                                                     (bottom row)

As you can gather from the name, all the shadows contain glitter - what's more, the glitter doesn't disappear when applied or blended so a big thumbs up there!

Pretty Pastels

                                                                        (top row)

                                                                  (bottom row)

All of the shadows in this palette I would say work best as highlighters, as although pale, they have an element of shimmer which would compliment the brow bone perfectly. Apologies for the battered look of mine, the white is definitely my favourite (if you couldn't guess) :)

I’ve owned these products for a couple of weeks now and do find myself reaching for them every time I do my make-up. I think it’s easy to be a little apprehensive of the MUA range, the price gives the impression you wouldn’t get much pay off from your purchase but I would recommend these to anyone interesting in widening their make-up collection – if you’re just starting out or you know all you need to, these will help you achieve some great looks. They’re available here: [Glitter Ball] and [Pretty Pastels], as well as four other brand spanking new palettes.

xxx