Barry M Eye Shine Shadow and Glaze Palette Review

Whilst perusing the internet, I came across the eye shadow of my dreams that being Mac’s Coppering. Reluctant to spend £13 on one eyeshadow, I then came across the Barry M Eye Shine Shadow and Glaze Palette for the bargain price of £6.49 and most exciting of all it contained a similar shade to what I was looking for, so I snapped it up.

On closer inspection the Barry M Palette is Limited Edition, which probably means you should snap it up quickly if you’re interested. It also comes complete with two eye shadow applicators, a handy mirror, 6 eye shadows and a glossy top coat. To be honest most of this escaped my attention when I first picked it up, but now it seems like an interesting idea for a palette.

The colours themselves are quite bright and well pigmented. Some of the colours are definitely more wearable than others depending on how brave you are feeling, but I think the blue and green colours would look lovely as a pop of colour under the lower lash line. However, the bronze and terracotta colours are perfect for Autumn and I’ll definitely be getting a lot of wear out of them this season.

Now to the interesting part – the glossy top coat. Once I realised this was in the palette I had my doubts about it right from the start. oweHhH However, I was willing to give it a go. Unfortunately, it lived up to my fears and it’s the only thing to let the palette down. It’s pretty much like smearing Vaseline onto your lids once you’ve created the perfect makeup look and then watching it crease and ware away before your eyes.

Overall, I love the palette and the colours in it (especially the terracotta colour). For the price Barry M have done a great job and offered an affordable palette with beautiful pigmented eyeshadows. I would stay clear of the glossy top coat, but if you find a way to make it work then do let me know.

Remember to get your hands on it before it sells out!

Have you tried any of the Barry M palettes? If so, get in touch and let me know what you think about them.

Jade x

SkinOwl Lavender Beauty Drops

I came across the SkinOwl brand after reading Lilly Pebbles' blog post which you can read here. After reading this post I did some research of my own and decided that the entire range and ethos behind it sounded amazing! Basically, the brand was founded by Annie Tevelin who battled with her own skin issues for years and decided to create her own skincare range to overcome the problems she was having. You can read all about this here. The beauty drops caught my eye immediately, the brand offers three different beauty drops Lavender, Geranium and Clary Sage. They also offer a Mangosteen night time oil. The Lavender Oil had my name written all over it, as it is specifically targeted towards acne prone skin and claims to;

Nurture sensitive, acne-prone skin, while calming redness and inflammation. Best for oily or oily-combination skin types. 

I ordered a bottle of the oil from Cult Beauty and it arrived within two days and I put it to good use immediately. The oil comes packaged in a simple bottle with a pipette style applicator which makes it easy to dispense as little or as much of the product as you would like. The instructions state to use 5-7 drops in the morning and a whole pipette for the evening. I would agree with this, I think any more than 5-7 drops in the morning would be too much for daytime wear and possibly interfere with makeup application and a whole pipette is perfect to nourish the skin in the evening. 

The oil glides onto the skin effortlessly and gradually sinks into the skin. As the name would suggest the oil has a delicate scent of lavender to it, but nothing too overpowering and it definitely doesn't linger on the skin. After using the oil, my skin felt incredibly soft and nourished and definitely looked more radiant and healthy. After a few days of use there was a noticeable difference to the redness of my skin and a few of my blemishes has definitely reduced in severity and looked a lot calmer. 

So far, I am completely happy with my purchase of the beauty drops Lavender oil and i'm impressed with how my skin feels and looks after even a few days of use. I'm definitely going to look into purchasing the night time oil and add this to my evening routine. 

Have you tried any of the SkinOwl products yet? If so, get in touch and let me know what you think. 

Jade x 

Balance Active Formula - Youth Serum, Hyaluronic Moisturiser and Stop Puffy Eyes Gel

I recently stumbled across the Balance Active Formula range whilst browsing the internet and reading reviews on many new beauty products. These products stood out as they seemed to be targeted towards some of the issues I was having with my skin. Surprisingly, the price tag was beyond affordable (I purchased 3 of the products and spent just over £6 at my local Savers store).

I picked up the Balance Active Formula Hyaluronic 554 YouthSerum, the Balance Active Formula Hyaluronic Moisturiser and the Balance Active Formula Stop Puffy Eyes Eye Gel. The three products can be used within one skincare routine or, as sold in bundles on their website, can be mixed and matched with other products in their range.

After cleansing my face, I start the regime with the serum. This serum comes with a pipette style applicator so you can control how much or how little you need. I usually use 5 drops in the morning and a whole pipette in the evening. The serum is very watery (I almost thought it was water) so can go everywhere if you’re not careful. It does feel nice on the skin, has little to no smell and sinks into the skin really quickly. The product claims to be a;

lightweight and non-greasy serum, containing Syn-Ake, a snake venom-like peptide that reduces expression lines, and active levels of Hylasome EG10 for visibly younger looking skin that is perfectly hydrated and smoothed. 

I do agree that the serum is lightweight and non-greasy and my skin definitely feels smoother after using it. I don’t believe I have been using it long enough to notice any difference in expression lines or younger looking skin, though I’m always sceptical about those claims anyway. It does say it leaves your skin perfectly hydrated, which I’m not sure I feel is quite accurate (for me anyway). I tend to feel a tightness to the skin after use, almost as though I want to slather a tub of moisturiser on my face to combat it. However, throughout the day this feeling does subside and my skin feels more hydrated.

After the serum, I apply the Balance Active Formula Hyaluronic Moisturiser, which as just mentioned I do feel the skin needs after applying the serum. The moisturiser claims to be a day and night cream (bargain 2 for 1 deal), which gives a more radiant look, evens out skin tone and reduces the appearance of wrinkles. The moisturiser is lovely and hydrating but definitely not greasy. Much like the serum it sinks quickly into the skin and has a slight scent to it, which I quite like. Again, I don’t feel as though I can comment too much on the ‘wrinkle’ claims, but I do feel I end up with a more radiant complexion after use and I do feel as though my sensitive skin is looking a lot better in terms of redness and breakouts.

As a final step, I use the Stop Puffy Eyes Eye Gel. This is another product that can be used morning and night and one which claims to reduce eye puffiness, moisturise and revive the under eye area and refresh and cool. My eye cream journey seems to be a little hit and miss as I have never found one that seems to do anything for me and this seems to be another one to add to the list. It’s just one of those MEH products. It’s quite a nice thick gel consistency and sinks in quickly and it doesn’t irritate the eye area, but other than that I haven’t been bowled over by any instant change in appearance.

Overall, I am pleasantly surprised with the products and the effect they have had on my skin

considering the very affordable price tag. I will continue to try out the serum and eye cream to see if I do fall in love with them after all. The moisturiser is lovely and I’ll definitely finish the tube. Overall I’d say give it a go, for the cost; you really don’t have anything to lose.

Have you tried any of the Balance Formula products? If so get in touch and let me know what you think.

Jade x 

Get the Glow

Highlighting and strobing are all over the place at the moment and I must admit I did have to do a little ‘strobing’ research to fully understand its meaning. However, it did sound right up my street. If I could smear glitter and sparkles all over my face on a daily basis then I probably would. I can’t help but be drawn to anything that shimmers, sparkles, glitters etc, etc. They’re just so pretty to look at and this week I found the perfect products to fulfil my sparkly needs.

The Simple Illuminating Radiance Cream has been in my collection for some time and I didn’t really give it a fair chance, but to add some glow to my base I decided to dig it back out of my makeup draw and I’m glad I did. I either use this before applying my foundation or mix it with my foundation, either way it does illuminate the skin and give a dewy, healthy radiance. It does feel quite moisturising on the skin and I would suggest that less is more.  I think there could be a tendency to apply to much and end up looking like a disco ball as the product does contain particles of glitter. As with all Simple products, it promises ‘simple goodness’ in other words there’s no artificial perfume, colour and no harsh chemicals. For someone with fairly sensitive skin I can’t help but love the simple products in general so I’m sure that this is going to be a new firm favourite of mine.

L-R: Topshop's Shuffle the Cards, Topshop's Glow, Simple's Illuminating Radiance Cream 

 My next two offerings come from a last minute decision to take a look at Topshop’s growing makeup collection. I’d already heard great things about the Glow highlighter and when I tested it out myself I quickly decided that I could not leave the shop without it. The product is amazingly creamy and easy to blend into the skin, a little also goes a long way so even though it seems like a small pot, the product could last forever. Once blended, it leaves behind the most beautiful highlight without being overly glittery or obvious that you are wearing it. It just looks like dewy healthy skin and I’m in love!

Finally, and perhaps my favourite purchase is the ChamelaonGlow in Shuffle the Cards. Again, I tested it out and just new that I desperately, without a shadow of a doubt NEEDED this. I did assume that this was just an eyeshadow, however Topshop suggest that it can be used as a facial highlight too, so you get two products for the price of one. I bought this with the intention of using it over eyeshadow to add a pop of colour and sparkle and it looks beautiful! The colour is amazing and so pigmented with an iridescent finish. It’s very glittery and when it catches the light it looks amazing. I will definitely be picking up the other shades in this collection very soon.

Have you got any recommendations from Topshop’s makeup collection that I should take a look at? If so, get in touch and let me know.

Jade x 

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L'Oréal Volume Million Lashes Waterproof

Last week I 'shopped' my makeup stash and noticed that I have a growing collection of  L'Oréal mascaras. This inspired me to dedicate a week of posts to each of the masacaras that I own. 

Today I am focusing on my favourite mascara of theirs and that is the Volume Million Lashes Waterproof. Anytime I look into buying a mascara my first preference is that it needs to be waterproof, so that ticked the box immediately. The packaging is quite nice and the colours catch your eye, but other than that it's nothing too special. The wand is plastic and has a lot of flexibility too, which is quite nice when working the mascara into the lashes and moving it around the eye area. As for the design of the wand, again there is nothing too special about it especially when you see the thousands of other 'new innovations' on the market. It's basically a fat wand that tappers off at the end. 

All that said, I do love this mascara. It applies to the lashes really nicely and the wand does well to grab hold of the lashes and distribute the product evenly. As mentioned the wand is quite big, so applying the mascara to the smaller, inner lashes can be a little more tricky and benefits from a more delicate approach. 

As mentioned in previous posts, I do love a mascara which holds a curl and this beauty does just that. For those of you that like a more natural and subtle mascara look, you could probably get away with applying one coat and be fine. However, I do love a bolder look and need 2-3 coats to get the desired effect. I find that the mascara does separate the lashes quite nicely and adds some length to my lashes.    However, I do think any more than 3 coats and the lashes could start to clump together, so bear that in mind if you're looking to try this out. 

L - No mascara R - 3 coats of mascara

The mascara wears really nicely throughout the day but even though it's waterproof I do get a few smudges under the eye area by the end of the day. This is nothing that can't be quickly dealt with and if it's seen me through most of the daylight hours, then i'm not complaining too much. 

As usual, this mascara is not completely going to stop me in my tracks and prevent me from moving on and trying new products, but it's one I'll keep coming back to as a trusty favourite. 

Have you tried the Volume Million Lashes mascara? What did you think of it? Get in touch and let me know. 

Jade x 

Fake It Until You Make It

Summer is soon going to be a distant memory, which is devastating news as it feels like I've blinked and missed it yet again. Some of us have been lucky enough to fly off on beautiful holidays and others (me included) have relied on the tan in a bottle to keep us going. 

As soon as the sun shines, I love nothing more than sorting through the summer wardrobe and wearing all those beauties you've had to stash away during the winter months. However, this does mean a little preparation and pampering needs to take place first, which brings me to today's post - tanning lotions. 

I have selected a range of different products that I have in my stash, these include gradual tanners, face tanners, wash off tanners and your normal tanning lotion. 

The first tanning lotion in my stash is the Bondi Sands Self Tanning Lotion in Dark. I started to see this everywhere in recent months and as I am always on the looking for a natural looking tanning product I had to pick one up. I chose the Dark colour as...well... the darker the better really! You can, however, pick up the Light/Medium alternative if a darker tan is a little too much for you. When smelling the tan from the bottle it smells just like holidays, it's glorious. The colour also does not disappoint, it is extremely dark. The application it lovely too, it glides onto the skin really easily and when using a tanning mitt takes no time at all to achieve a nice even coverage. I also love the fact that it drys quite quickly, so you don't have to stand around for hours doing strange interpretive dance moves until it's time to put your clothes back on. On the back of the bottle it does suggest to apply another application 30 minutes after the initial application for a deeper tan, which I am prone to doing  as it does create a beautiful colour. Once washed off the next day it does leave a beautiful dark tan, which lasts (if well maintained) throughout the week. The only warnings I will offer are that it does rub off on clothing and bedding until the initial application has been washed off and there is no escape from that biscuit smell once it's settled into the skin. However, these issues do not deter me and I will be repurchasing this tanning lotion as it is a new firm favourite of mine. 

Next up - St Tropez Instant Tan Wash Off Face & Body Lotion in Light/Medium. This is for those days when sudden plans pop up and panic sets in because you haven't been give 48 hours notice to apply, reapply and probably re-re-apply your fake tan. This is a beautiful quick fix to add a little summer glow to the face and body. I love to mix this with my regular body or face moisturiser to work it into to the skin, as when applied by itself it tends to set quite quickly and could end up looking patchy on the skin. There is a slight, I'm going to say 'floral', scent to this product, so bear that in mind if you have sensitive skin and are looking to use it solely as a facial tanner. As a Light/Medium shade, it is still quite dark and buildable once dry, so it satisfies my deep, dark tanning needs. As the name suggests, it is a wash off tan, so will come off in the shower at the end of the day. It does say that the product is water resistant, however I wouldn't trust it completely if there happened  to be a sudden down pour and you're caught right slap bang in the middle of it. 

A gradual tanner for you now, in the form of Dove's Summer Glow with a subtle gradual self tanner for Medium to Dark Skin. This was raved about when it first hit the shelves and it is still loved by many, not to mention it's as cheap as chips (Hallelujah!). I use this either in the Winter months to add a subtle tan that doesn't stand out like a sore thumb or I use it to top up the Bondi Sands tan throughout the week. Unlike the other tanning lotions I have mentioned, this is cream in colour, so it is hard to tell where you're applying it, however as it is a gradual tanner you can't really make to many mistakes. It does build up really nicely to create a subtle colour and wears quite nicely throughout the week. It's also quite moisturising. Again, the product smells quite nice in the bottle, but once it settles into the skin there is a slight tanning smell that you can't escape from. 

Last but not least, is the Garnier Ambre Solaire 1 Week Glow No Streaks Bronzer Tinted Self-Tan Cream for Face. Despite the long, long, long name, I picked this one up as it's made solely for the face. It claims to offer an instant sun kissed look, with no self tan smell and lasts for 7 days. It also smells somewhat like apricots. As the name says, this is a tinted cream and applies to the skin with a golden sheen. I don't buy the 7 day glow spiel as anything you apply to the face is unlikely to last 7 days when you're cleansing, toning, exfoliating etc etc twice a day. However, it does leave a golden glow when you wake up the next morning. It also suggests that there is no need for foundation when using this product. Now it's good, but it's not that good, it might slightly cover any redness, but it's not a miracle worker for blemishes so it works as a nice base for foundation but I definitely wouldn't skip it altogether. An all round lovely product! 

Do you have any self tanning lotion recommendations? If so, get in touch and let me know. 

Jade x 

Favourite Concealers - Maybelline, Estee Lauder, Rimmel and Collection

Now that it's 'Summer' time in the UK, I have started to take a rather minimal approach to applying my makeup. In other words, the less I can smear on my face the better, as I hate venturing out into the sunshine and feeling like I have layers and layers of makeup on and that my skin can't breathe. 

To combat this issue, I tend to use a lot more concealer, in areas where it's needed, and leave the foundation in my drawer ready for Winter. As a result of this, I'm sharing with you a few of my favourite concealers, which do exactly what I need them to. 

L-R - Maybelline Eraser (light), Estee Lauder Double Wear (Light/Medium), Rimmel Wake Me Up (Light), Collection Illuminating Touch (Naked 1)

First up, the Maybelline Instant Anti Age Eraser. This was a massive hit when it was first released and most people were raving about it. However, there was a love/hate issue with the sponge application, but I suppose you can't have everything. Personally, I enjoy the sponge applicator, I understand that it's not the most hygienic, but it's not enough to put me off another purchase. The concealer comes in two shades, which for me is a little disappointing. As you can see from the swatch, this concealer is pretty much a perfect match for my skin and for the under eye area I would have liked it to be a little lighter than it is. For this reason, I would be interested to try the Nude shade to see if this works any better for me. Having said that, the concealer applies smoothly and blends well, it also has a fantastic coverage. 

Next, comes Estee Lauder's Double Wear concealer. I have a much more in-depth review about this little beauty, but to round everything up...I LOVE IT! Although alot more expensive than the other three concealers, It's by far my favourite of the four and I will definitely repurchase this. It's a great match for my skin and so covers any redness/ blemishes I have. Also, it blends perfectly but you do need to work fairly quickly before it sets, otherwise it's not going anywhere. This concealer lasts all day and as a little goes a long way I definitely think this will last forever. 

Third on the list, is Rimmel's Wake Me Up Concealer. This is another concealer which was highly talked about when it first came out. I enjoy using this underneath the eye area as it is so light and along with its illuminating properties (there's definitely some shimmer or sparkle in there somewhere) it does a good job of highlighting the eye area perfectly. Again, it's really blendable and doesn't set instantly, so you have more time to work with it. I am concerned that this slightly dries out my under eye area and can at times highlight any dryness that is there. However,  I am going to keep trying this just in case the dryness is caused by other products. 

Finally, I love the Collection Illuminating Touch Brightening Concealer. This concealer is lovely and light and illuminates the under eye area perfectly. It isn't going to cover the darkest of circles, but then it isn't really intended for that. It blends out so nicely and looks lovely on the skin. This concealer is also incredibly cheap and I'll definitely keep repurchasing this! 

Do you have any concealer recommendations that I should try? If so, get in touch and let me know. 

Jade x