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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Elie Saab S/S 13 Haute Couture Collection

If any of you know me at all. (Which you possibly don't). You'll know that my all time favourite designer is Elie Saab. There is something incredibly mystical about his design of dresses, as if they have stepped out of a fairytale into reality. His Haute Couture is grand , luxurious and delicate. Capturing with it a feeling of otherness which most Haute Couture designers lack. Where other designs are difficult to place, Elie Saab's designs are instantaneously recognizable as being not only beautifully crafted art but also something that is wearable and works to flatter the female figure. 

His work is breath taking, and something I think young girls dreams are made of.

Now enough of the fandom, let's talk Spring Summer 13's collection.

I absolutely loved the A/W collection, the silhouettes were classics with unbearably beautiful colour choices of corals, light blues and lavenders. The whole thing was to die for!

     The top on on he right, is my wedding dress.

So, of course I was unbelievably excited for the reveal of the new collection. Which of course, did not lack in the beauty department. There was an intricacy to detail, a consideration for the female form and no lack of luxury  There was an addition of some very structured dresses, which I felt gave a officey feel and felt a little out of place in the collection, also for a SS collection I was disappointing with how muted the tones of the gowns were. Don't get me wrong the mauve and light blue coloured gowns were as such, breathtaking, but I really would have loved a yellow or an orange rather than the very dark and dramatic red's and blacks which were presented. It was a collection I felt that would have been best suited for winter.

What I loved though were the sheer gowns, which flashed so much flesh but still managed to be classy, and beautiful. 

Something I am very uncertain about is the addition of a print. I am no doubt a print lover. Yet, it was so out of sorts, not only in the collection but also for the designer.

On a whole, I do believe the collection had some real winners but I am disappointed all the same.

Maybe my standards are too high! I'll leave you with some samples of the show. 

What did you think of the collection?

Rose

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S/S 2013 Collection

The Hype over Effaclar Duo : The ongoing review

Everyone of us want's the perfect complexion. We all see and loathe those woman who some how have flawless skin, without imperfections, spot's marks or veins. Skin that's not dry or flaky and instead of being oily glows in just the right places. We all know it's an agonizing experience knowing one of these woman, or working with them. And I for one buy product upon product to try and get good skin. So when I hear about one of these miracle products I am instantly intrigued.

So when I heard about Effaclar Duo by La Roche-Posay on Tanya Burr's blog I was pretty revved about it! Particularly because she had said it completely changed her skin and had numerous emails saying it had helped some of her followers too. That and the brand in renown for being a fantastic skin care range! So I read some reviews, and as usual they were mixed. In the USA it seemed a big "No No" to use Effaclar Duo if you had sensitive skin, but that the UK formula was fine for sensitive skin. So working on the general perception that this would be okay for me I went out and paid a hefty 17 euro for my first La Roche item in a feeble attempt to get my skin looking better.

Effaclar Duo has watery consistency and applies quite easily to the skin. It can be used as a replacement for moisturizer and applied either directly to imperfections or all over the face. The first thing I noticed, was intense stinging all around my nose area. This isn't generally a warning sign for me as I have seriously sensitive skin and even the mildest formulas of moisturizer tend to sting. Yet this was much worse and lasted much longer than normal. I aplied my usual moisturizer ontop of this because my skin still felt tight after using it. After a day I found the redness in my skin had dulled but more spots were raised on my skin. I assumed this was just the dirt in my skin being purged due to the fomula. A week in and my skin is every day getting more and more spots. I am currently debating continuing through and hoping my skin get's better or discontinuing it and returning to the search for the perfect skin products. Which potentially don't exist for a girl with combination super sensitive and psoriasis skin.

And Recommendations for good skin care products?

                         

                                                                         Rose x

                                            

MAC's New Collection : "Apres Chic" My buys!

MAC is, as you will soon find out a weak point in my persona. My utter necessity to buy make-up in a fiendish attempt to make myself feel better, or as other's call it "retail therapy" is my Achilles heel. So, on a frequent basis, I do have new MAC items. Only because I get a discount from where I work, which makes it just seem...SUCH GOOD VALUE.
After Christmas, with my pockets filled with love adorned cash from family members who are scared to buy me anything, I stumbled on into the MAC store on Grafton street without a chaperone , which was possibly a mistake. So instead of replenishing my withering bank account with the badly needed cash. I picked myself up a few items from the new collection (and more) as a Christmas treat for ME!

Now Apes Chic is one of the MAC collections I really like, I can be a bit hit or miss on them. I didn't like Hello Sailor! nor did I like GlamoursDaze and anything I did like from the Marilyn Monroe collection was so instantly swept up that I didn't snag any of it!
So when I saw the collection to my pleasant surprise it had some really nice items. New moisture rich lip glosses, two skin finishes both of which are beautiful, one a highlighter tone ant the other a much bronzier finish. The usual new eyeliners and array of lipsticks! So these were my picks!

                             

    The First thing that caught my eye was the lipsticks, I am a big lipstick addict and have every and any colour under the sun. I had been keeping my eye out for a nice red, this did the trick! With most of the colours being a nude of a sort it was easy enough to make a decision.

Whats the most nice thing about this lipstick is that it isn't your typical in your face red like ruby woo or russain red.  It's a rich creamy red, it's subtle and eye catching at the same time, if you're looking to step away from bright reds and looking for something a little more "Chic" this is the colour for you.

Now I won't lie, at first I was a little standoffish about this next colour Hot Chocolate, it looked to dark, and frankly brown lipsticks just make me think of old woman. Yet after being coaxed by one of the girls to try this on, I fell in love. I have since bought two more brown lipsticks and LOVE them. They are sultry and sexy, and the deep chocolately texture of this colour is striking and perfect for all skin types from milky white to bronze goddesses.

The last thing I purchased was this skin finish, it's hard for me to choose skin finishes  I rarely like them and when I do find one I like I get a bit attached and it's difficult for me to change. I tried this though and really liked it, once more I was a bit iffy, I thought it was too bronze for my skin the pay off being a little more orange than rose as stated, but actually it was really nice, it's great as a very blended contour when you're not looking for too much definition, it's beautiful when you have a tan as a bronzer, and lovely as a light blush when you're not feeling too rosy! The great selling point of this is the shimmer, its not glittery at all like many highlighters or shimmer shadows, its a lovely sheen that comes with the colour, giving a glow rather than a glittery sweaty look, that we all kinda hate. It's being used for everyday wear at the moment!

Swatches from Left to Right : Apres Chic, Hot Chocolate and Stero Rose.

Have you tried the new collection? and if so, what's your favourite item from it?

                                                                    Rose x