Lip a L'Orange

From vivid neons to soft corals, Spring/Summer 2014 is all about the orange lip colours. It may not feel like summer just yet, but with lips this bright, maybe the weather will take the hint?

Dennis Basso SS14

Rag & Bone SS14

 John Galliano SS14

The lip colours in the SS14 shows ranged from matte to glossy, and everything in between, but the shade was usually bold and in-your-face. This colour can work amazingly for an exciting twist on an evening look - I love Mac's "Morange" - just make sure to keep everything else simple, nothing more than dewy skin and a bit of mascara.

"Morange" by MAC

However, sometimes we need to make adjustments when translating beauty trends to our everyday lives. Amidst our hectic schedules, and those endless cups of coffee, trying to make such a bold lip colour work in real life can be difficult (and messy!)

Here are some options for a more toned down, chaos-friendly version of this look:

Revlon Matte Balm Stain in "Audacious"

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté in #32 "Corail Jalouse"

Revlon Lip Butter in "Juicy Papaya" 

L. x

B. at Superdrug

The B. brand at Superdrug has been around for a while now, and for some reason I have never given their products a go. But this week I took the plunge in the name of research, and here are my findings!

Vivid Eyeshadow in "Nougat"

My least favourite of the products I tried form B., the pigmentation of this eye shadow was good - not brilliant, but good. But this minor flaw is forgiven because "Nougat" is such a gorgeous colour, the perfect shade of shimmery taupe/ champagne for everyday wear, or as a base for a darker eye look. 

Shimmer Block in "Just Peachy"

This blush is my favourite of the products I tried from B. Part highlighter, part blush, the shimmer block looks beautiful on the apples of the cheeks blended up to the temples. It gives good colour payoff (you only need a little on your brush), and the glowing finish reminds me of Benefit's "Rockateur", with a less hefty price tag! The peach colour is perfect for spring, but the product also comes in pink and bronze shades. 

Vibrant Eye Shimmer in "Rockstar"

This cream shadow reminds me a lot of the Maybelline "Colour Tattoos", however the formulation is a lot more creamy and doesn't dry out at quickly (Tip: always store cream eyeshadows lid down to stop them getting dry). I use my fingers to apply the "Colour Tattoos", whereas this product is much easier to blend with a brush. Another good everyday neutral, "Rockstar" can be used as a sheer wash of colour all over the lid, or as a darker contour in the crease to give dimension. 

Happy shopping! 

L.x

What a Let Down!

As much as I enjoy writing about the products I love, I think it’s just as important to talk about the huge disappointments I have encountered as a beauty-addict. Here are 3 products that I have found underwhelming, not worth the money, or just simply didn’t work for me! 

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel for Oily Sensitive Skin

I am a longing standing Effaclar Duo devotee, so when I picked up the face wash in the same line from La Roche-Posay, I had high hopes. As a higher end brand, I expected to feel pampered using this product, and quite honestly it did nothing for me. The product has no scent, which is understandable since it is marketed for sensitive skin, but there was nothing luxurious about the experience of using it - for all I knew I could have been using washing up liquid to cleanse my face. I saw no improvements in my skin, and was generally disappointed. A definite thumbs down! 

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour

Laura Mercier cosmetics are generally amazing quality, so when I tried this cream eye shadow stick in the shade "Sugar Frost", I was expecting it to be a beautiful inner corner and brow bone highlight. I was wrong. I found that although the colour payoff is okay, this product is near impossible to blend! It gives a lovely solid colour when first applied, but as soon as I attempt to blend the shadow with either fingers or a brush, the colour disintegrates into sparse glitter. It might be possible to work with it as a base, if no blending were involved, but at over £20 it's just not worth it. 

Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara 

I believe that good eyebrows are the foundation of any makeup look (watch out for a post coming soon!), and I am always willing to try a new brow product. Clear brow gel is an essential in my makeup bag, so I was excited by the prospect of skipping a step in my brow routine and using a tinted "brow mascara". However, I found this gel to be FAR too heavy, and the applicator left smudges and blobs of product -  it was a messy experience from start to finish. I want Lily Collins, not Frida Kahlo. Give me my clear gel and powder back. 

L. x