Sleek : Make up on a Budget

Earlier this month I was lacking a few essentials in my make up bag (unbelievable right?). This was due to a few items running out and just generally neglecting the fact I had to stock up. I didn't have the cash to splash on some MAC or Bobbi Brown or anything really that wasn't at drugstore price, but I did want to get something that was a better quality than anything I would pick up in boots. I desperately needed a new contour, all over face powder for my T-Zone and setting my makeup and some means of taming my incredibly dark messy browns which I am growing out.
Being that I paid a hefty fine on my tattoo , a large chunk of my Christmas money was spent and I kinda didn't budget as well as I could of, thus ensued the hunt for a reasonably priced great quality makeup.

I had heard of Sleek before on many beauty bloggers sites and had owned and eye shadow palette years ago, of which I recalled was really great quality. With curiosity ignited I ventured onto the website to have a little bit of a nose.

The initial off putting thing about Sleek is that you can't buy it in Ireland, which for me generally is a big "No No". I am all about instant gratification and waiting up to 10 days for something seemed to take that excitement away from me. The second off putting thing about buying online is the fact you can't try anything and you have to rely entirely on other peoples opinions and reviews, which can more oft than not mislead you.

The good thing about the site though was that it was very easy to navigate and one of the few that had prices in euros, and it had a very minimal shipping cost! (about 3 euro?). This is included at the end when they tell you your total, again something other sites don't do.

So with hope in my heart, and very little cash in my pocket, I went about finding the items I needed.

The first thing I bought was this all over Luminous Pressed Powder with and SPF of 15. The first thing I loved, after I received my items 5 days after ordering was the packaging, it's simple and classy not to mention compact. It is matte black meaning it does mark with makeup easy. Yet even so, it's packed in a way that makes you confidant your makeup won't shatter and something that is a bonus for me is very easy to transport.

Now as for the product, I really liked this. It's quite a fine powder, with very little shimmer which I thought might be a problem because it said it was "Luminous", which oft means a very shimmery product. Instead I got a very light coverage powder, which manages to entirely reduce an oily t-zone but still allows your makeup to remain dewy. It's something I would recommend if you rather a natural look foundation rather than a very Matte look.

If I am trying to have a makeup free day this is great over a BB cream or even on it's own. I've been using it daily and 100% will be buying it again.

This is probably the item I needed the most. I have very dark and very wirey eyebrows. Initially I had been filling them in with a dark matte eyeshadow just because I thought it was easier for me to get the right shape. The only thing about filling them in with a shadow is it can easily wear off or even worse, it can smudge!

I thought this was a great little set, it come's with a wax to help keep brows in shape and set the shadow. I loved the fact as well, that it came with a little tweezers to fix up brows wherever you are! This is the Dark shade for dark haired girls like me. (It comes in 3 different shades!)

This product has a few pro's and cons. The pro's for me are the packaging , again its simple and compact which is great for on the go make up and top up's which I think is great for any working girl and college goer.  The wax is a fantastic way to tame messy brows and give a stronger shape to a brow. The little tweezers again is super handy!

What I didn't like was the size of the brushes, they are very small and difficult to use, especially if you usually use normal sized brushes. I also didn't like how badly the wax can smudge, a few times if I have been changing or fixing my hair, the wax would very easily smudge and leave me with black marks on my brow.

I probably wouldn't buy this product again, mainly because I want something a little more substantial which won't need topping up.

The last item I got I really feel like I struck gold with. It's a face palette called Face Form. From left to right it comes with a contour, highlight and blush.

Again this is just such a HANDY product, with three face essentials in one compact. Not only that but the pigment in all of this powders is amazing. You can again pick different shades for different skin tones, this is Fair and is perfect for my skin. 

Initially I was a little off put by how dark the contour was, I usually contour with a light bronzer, but this was gorgeous buffed into my skin and it was nice to have a matte finish on my skin for once. 

The highlighter and blush don't fail to impress either with beautiful pigmented finishes. The highlighter is a great Dupe for MAC's Porcelain Pink and the blush is a great dupe for NARS Orgasm.

All in all I was really impressed with Sleek and the total price for all of this PLUS packaging was 36 euro (The same price for a high end skinfinish or blush alone) there was little to complain about. I know first hand that their eye shadows are wonderful and will certainly be buying from the site again.

Sometimes it's worth taking the plunge and buying online, I was happy that I did. It might be scary but it's more than likely going to save you money.

Just make sure that the website you're buying from is legitimate and read reviews on products before you buy. There will always be times where you buy something you don't like, but that's a given even when you buy from a store.

So be savvy and shop online.

Suggestions : Sleek Make-Up, E.L.F Make-Up, Asos, Missguided

Rose

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