Sugarpill 'Kitten Parade', 'Frostine' and 'Darling' Eyeshadow and Chromalust

A little while ago it struck me that I only owned ONE thing from Sugarpill - how scandalous! I've been following Shrinkle since the Livejournal days and absolutely loved her unapologetically bright, fun, bold makeup looks and dress sense. Her brand, Sugarpill, is not only equally unapologetically bold, but the quality is simply incredible.

I opted for two pressed 'shadows from the 'Sparkle Baby' collection, as well as a chromalust (loose 'shadow) from the original line-up of colours.

'Kitten Parade' is a stunning golden peachy pink, one of those Nars 'Orgasm' type of shades which everyone has been obsessed with at some point! I love the versatility of golden-pinks as they're ideal for everyday looks, evening looks, highlights (use a soft hand!), layered over black for something punchy or even as blush. 'Kitten Parade' is the glowiest golden pink I own, I mean - it is practically beaming. Blends like a dream, incredible shade...you just can't lose!

'Frostine' is a soft purple with what I can only describe as a subtle pink-purple glow. It's a strange finish to attempt to describe...like a pastel purple satin with a duochrome overlay. I think this would look incredible as an alternative to white or soft golds to highlight the inner corner of the eye. It blends beautifully and is surprisingly pigmented for such a pale shade!

Oh, 'Darling', how I have craved you since your release. At last, we have been united. I mean...*ahem* 'Darling' is a bright, bold, cheery teal-ish turquoise with turquoise sparkle which I just love. Turquoise is such a fantastic shade for those of us with brown eyes, I like a simple sweep of 'Darling' on the lower lashline paired with my usual black cat eye. Pigmented, blendable, just a corker of a shade!
I purchased these from Love Makeup, a UK supplier of Sugarpill, while they were on sale. Regular prices are as follows -
Pressed eyeshadow - £8.50 for 3.5g product Chromalust - £8.95 for 5g product
All around a great (cruelty free, indie) company with amazing products. Give them a shot if you haven't already! Have you tried any of these? What's your fave Sugarpill shade? Any you're lusting after? Let me know! Comments up top! Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Makeup Revolution Lip Lavas - 'Forgiven' and 'Tremor'

As usual, Makeup Revolution have taken it upon themselves to make a more affordable dupe or a pricey product - this time, duping Too Faced's 'Melted Lipsticks' with their 'Lip Lavas'. Essentially, these are like your regular lippies...but liquid and in a squeeze tube. I wondered if liquid lippies had any real point (besides mixing) when regular bullet lippies have been ideal for about 90 years? And so, I purchased a couple to test out...

Lip Lavas come packaged like squeezy glosses, a tube with a felt applicator attached. The tubes are coloured to match(ish) the product itself, which is pretty handy if you buy a few of these! Simple, functional. I will say that when 'Forgiven' first arrived the applicator had become loose, however, I emailed and a new one quickly found its way to me with no fuss. Fast, no nonsense customer service!

Above, I am wearing 'Forgiven' - a nudey yellow toned peach shade. I wouldn't straight up call it a nude, as it's too peachy (in my opinion) to really classify as one. If you're after a nude of a more natural or brown toned hue, 'Forgiven' aint the one. It is, however, a great shade for Spring and I imagine it would suit a wide range of skintones.

This guy is 'Tremor', a bright, medium, slightly yellow toned pink which just about dips its toe ever so slightly into the coral side of the spectrum. When I swatched this I thought it would look awful on me, but I actually quite like it! It would definitely be a great Spring/ Summer shade and I can see many folk rockin' it with a tan.

The formula is an odd one to describe...imagine melting a well pigmented, creamy lippy and that is basically it! I find them a tiny bit oily (nowhere near like OCC lip tars, though, and nowhere near as thin), so they do settle into lip lines a little but you can control this by applying just a thin layer - which is enough for decent coverage. I think they would be best worn over lipliners for full on colour with no risk of settling, but they can hold their own, too.
Wear wise, I'm impressed! For me, these last longer than traditional lipsticks and seem to wear down in layers, leaving an even hint of colour behind as opposed to a ring of lippy (attractive!)
Overall, lip lavas are well pigmented, last well, great for mixing shades and fab cheap dupes for the Too Faced equivalent. 
PRICE: £2.99 AVAILABILITY - Online and Superdrug stores.
Have you got any lip lavas? Take your fancy? Let me know! Comments above! Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

REVIEW: Makeup Revlution 'Iconic Pro 2' Palette

I'm pretty sure Makeup Revolution have truly earned their dupe master crown with two of their newer releases, the 'Iconic Pro' palettes. These guys are spot on dupes of the Lorac pro palettes, the swatch comparisons I've shown the shades are mostly identical, with only a few being a touch out. Whether or not you're after a Lorac dupe or just some nice new colours, 'Iconic Pro 2' has you covered...

With a mix of soft neutral and deeper shades, mattes and neutrals, cool and warm - this palette is ideal for a multitude of looks. I've been wearing the brown and goldy shades paired with bolder colours along the lower lashline for my 'work look' - I'd love an excuse to wear that gorgeous red smoked out with the black as it would make a killer night out look (somebody take me for cocktails!)

 The formula for these palettes is a bit more luxe than their standard palettes, with the mattes in particular gliding on like a dream. The shimmers are beautifully pigmented, but (as always) I find they look their best over a sticky base. This palette also comes with a double sided synthetic brush, with a handy blending brush on one end and a rather useless paddle brush on the other.

Aren't these shades just wonderful?! It's so easy to make a really lovely look, especially if neutrals with a pop are your thing.
Overall a great 'go to' palette for creating looks you don't have to think too hard about, a bargain at £6.99 for 16 shades, well pigmented and all around just a great little addition to any make-up bag.
RRP - £6.99 Availability - Larger Superdrug stores and online.
What do you think to 'Iconic Pro 2'? What has caught your eye from Makeup Revolution lately? Comments above!
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Makeup Revolution 'West End Girls' and 'Born to Die' Palettes

Now, seeing as Makeup Revolution clearly don't stock enough eyeshadow palettes already (oooh the sarcasm) they decided it was about time they released five more, the 'I Heart Obsession' palettes. I was surprised to find two in the mail to show you lovely lot - 'West End Girls' and 'Born to Die'.

The 'I Heart Obsession' palettes are mostly made up of neutrals, with the odd splash of colour. 'West End Girls' and 'Wild is the Wind' contain the boldest colours of all five palettes; I think 'Paris' will be the most popular with its pinky neutral shades (think Urban Decay 'Naked 3'.) Now, lets get down to business...

WEST END GIRLS

'West End Girls' is a mix of colourful shades and subdued neutrals - in truth, the entire bottom row could be used as highlighters! This would be a brilliant palette if you want something to quickly take you from day to night.

Yellow gold, warm medium brown, plum-wine with blue and copper sparkle (awesome), deep blue with blue and copper sparkle, dove grey with gold sparkle (loove) and a forest green with a black base.

The bottom four shades are a barely there pinky cream (weakest pigmentation of all colours), pale pink with crystal sparkle (looks almost like gloss in certain lights!), a pale golden tan and a white gold.

BORN TO DIE

'Born To Die' is made up of a selection of (mostly) cool neutrals. I imagine these would work perfectly for those with a Snow White type complexion, or those after a 'work safe' palette.

Gleaming silvery white, warm tan, two taupes close enough they only really needed one, a cool toned brown and deep graphite with silver sparkle.

Bottom row is made up of a super pale pink, medium brown, a rich deep brown and slate purple (love.)
Both palettes have great pigmentation in the sparkly shades, though I always use a sticky base to show them at their best. The deeper matte shades have ace pigmentation too, but the paler colours are a bit weak. I find these easy to apply and blend and think they're fab little treats at just £3.99 each!
PRICE - £3.99 per palette. AVAILABILITY - Larger Superdrug stores and online.
Do either of these take your fancy? What's your favourite Makeup Revolution palette? Let me know! Comments up top!
* Products received for review purposes. All opinions 100% mine and 100% honest - as always! *
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The Affordable MAC 'Stone' Dupe

If you knock about Instagram, it's pretty damn hard not to notice growing makeup trends - and usually, it's all about the lips. One of the most popular products in the last month or so has been MAC 'Stone' lipliner, a grey-brown shade which it PERFECT for overlining and topping with a nude lippy for that cool toned '90s look. Liloo set me the task of finding a dupe for 'Stone', and that is precisely what I did...

Let me introduce NYX '1000 Years' - a medium, cool toned, grey-brown lipliner. It does actually have a slate tone to it at times (just like 'Stone') but it's hard to capture on camera! I don't have MAC 'Stone' to do a side by side comparison, but it's actually been a popular dupe for quite some time, so that must mean something! 

Truth be told, I wasn't sure such a shade would be my thing. Especially since anything grey toned with my yellow skin tends to be a HUGE no no - but actually...I like it! This is a shade I'd have otherwise passed on for sure, that's one of the things I love about Instagram - it opens you to colours and products you'd have never tried in...well..1000 years (oooh that was so bad it was good!)

'1000 Years' is brilliant for mixing up with other shades, one of my favourite combinations at the minute is this beaut' topped with Illamasqua 'Delerium' cream pigment (rosey taupe), though most seem to be favouring pairing it with warm nudes like MAC 'Honeylove'. It's more of a waxy type formula, which means it does drag a bit, however it also means it lasts longer than creamier alternatives which is fine by me!

I bought my '1000 Years' from Beautyjoint on ebay for about £4 with free postage - ordering from the USA was actually cheaper than ordering from NYX UK thanks to their £5 flat rate postage! That's a saving of £9.50 if we compare it to MAC 'Stone' - winner!
All in all a great dupe, an ace shade and a fab product.
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Charlotte Tilbury 'La Dolce Vita'

Charlotte Tilbury. Undoubtedly one of the best known artists in the industry, her career has been nothing short of incredible - giving various celebrities their trademark looks, working with the best names in high fashion and finally launching her own make-up line of truly stunning products. As soon as they launched I knew I had to get something, but with that luxury make-up price tag it had to something breath takingly stunning - and that was 'La Dolce Vita'...

'La Dolce Vita' is one of ___ eyeshadow quads in the Charlotte Tilbury line, made up of beautifully rich warm tones. Even before opening the palette, 'La Dolce Vita' is a wonder to behold! Deep, near black burgundy stamped with the Charlotte Tilbury logo - it has quite an old school Hollywood feel to the design. On opening, you're greeted with four 'shadows houses in a high shine golden inlay, simply stunning.

These palettes are 'colour coded', meaning that each shade is intended for a specific use. Top left, we have 'Prime' for laying down a base, popping on the lid for a light daytime look, or using as a highlighter. Next is 'Enchance' for bringing out any features and drawing attention. Bottom left is 'Pop', for really adding something gleaming and bold. Last of all, 'Smoke' for adding definition and depth. Each palette has this same naming system, which is really handy for anyone a bit intimidate by wearing more than just a simple one colour wash!

LOOK AT THEM. The pigmentation, the textures, the incredible colour harmony - 'La Dolce Vita' is palette perfection! 'Prime' is a glowing pinky shade with slight tan tones, 'Enhance' is a bold metallic coppery red, 'Pop' is a super glitzy fun gold and 'Smoke; is a rich brown with golden shimmer. All of that warmth and red/ orange tones means this would be the ideal palette for those with blue or green eyes.
These eyeshadows have a great colour pay off and blend like a dream, you barely have to put any effort in to blend them to perfection. The only colour I think people will have an issue with is 'Pop', as it is more or less 60% glitz, 40% shadow, held in an oilier base than the other three shades. To get the most from 'Pop' and stop it falling down your face and lasting all of five minutes, I recommend a sticky base like 'Darling Girl Glitter Glue.'

The shades aren't particularly unique and it will be easy to find dupes, but combined with the quality, beautiful packaging, and having a statement eye in a convenient little compact - it's a wonderful luxury treat which wont leave you disappointed...
Price -£38 (I paid £34 during the Selfridges sale) Availability - Online from the Charlotte Tilbury site, or in store at Selfridges.
Does 'La Dolce Vita' take your fancy? Have you bought any Charlotte Tilbury? What's on your wishlist? Let me know! Comments up top! Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Limnit Lipsticks - The Answer to Your Weird Lipstick Colour Prayers

Limnit Lipsticks are a relatively new kid on the indie make-up block, specialising in lipsticks in all manner of shades - varying from feminine pinks and classic reds to sludgy olive and modern greige. After spotting somebody sporting a bright sky blue from Limnit, naturally I had to check them out for myself!

The store is your regular Etsy affair, which makes browsing and buying super simple. You can opt for either 'mini lipstick jars' (which are actually pretty big) just to test a few out, or full size lipsticks if you're feeling a bit more adventurous.

Everything arrived well packaged and presented, including a postcard which included instructions on how best to apply your new Limnit shades, which I felt was a nice touch.

This here is 'Deepest Taupes and Dreams' (lovin' that name) which is a bit of a chameleon of a colour. Yeah, I know, it basically just looks like a dark coffee shade in the swatch but it's so much more. When applied it looks way darker and takes on a slight purpley tinge - sometimes it actually looks near black. I would post a picture of me wearing it but it genuinely looks shocking with my yellowy skin - not a good pairing! I'll be using this guy to mix with other shades.

This little beauty goes by the name of 'League of my Own' - although I never wear such shades I can't help but get suckered in by them every damn time! 'League of my Own' is a medium turquoise-teal with a classic lipstick finish (not too matte, not uber glossy.)

I know some of you would draw comparisons between 'League of my Own' and Illamasqua 'Apocalips', but as you can see, they're quite different. The main differences being that 'Apocalips' is 110% matte and leans more foresty green in hue.

[ Please excuse over exposed skin/ blurry picture - I'm not used to my new light! ]
These lipsticks require a bit of warming up with your lip brush before you can even think of applying them, else your brush simply wont pick any product up. I also noticed that both of these have little lumps and bumps in them (most likely from ingredients not being so well mixed) but they smooth out back into the formula during the 'warming up process' so it's nothing major - it just looks a bit unsightly!
Wear time is about average, though you'll need a few swipes plus maybe a quick swish of cleansing oil to thoroughly remove them. I find Limnit lippies to be very comfortable, pigmented, good value for money and I enjoy the shade range - next on my hit list is 'Goodness Greycious' for sure!
Price - £3.12 for a 2g jar, no full sizes currently on sale but keep an eye out! Availability - Limnit Lipsticks Etsy store.
Have you tried Limnit Lipsticks? Do you like strange lippy shades? Which are your faves? Let me know! Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter

Darling Girl 'Glitter Glue' - What Your Eyeshadow Has Been BEGGING For!

Now, I very rarely say with any seriousness that a product is needed or necessary - but I'm about to, because if you ever wear eyeshadow you NEED Darling Girl 'Glitter Glue'. Glitter Glue takes eyeshadow from 0 to 100 in 1 second, making it look far more incredible than you could have ever guessed it was. You might as well just stop reading now, go buy it, then gush about it to me later on Twitter. Maybe I should indulge you to an actual review and some pictures first, though? Oh, go on then...

 Before anything, lets have a chat about the difference between primers and bases. Primers make things stay put and bases make things look bolder, for maximum effect a primer followed by a base will never do you wrong. I've been using Darling Girl 'Glitter Glue' as my base since it was first released (a couple years ago?!) and haven't looked back since.

Glitter glue has the appearance of PVA glue and a similar texture, which might sound pretty unappealing! Fear not, it's 100% eye safe, wont glue your lids together and wont peel off like sheets of snake skin (don't pretend you never 'accidentally' spilt glue on yourself at school...) I use a teeny tiny amount and apply it to my lid with my fingers; it becomes clear and leaves a tacky base for your eyeshadow.

The above swatches show eyeshadow straight over primer, then over primer and glitter glue (with hearts.) I'm pretty sure you can tell the difference! 'Glitter Glue' grasps to glitter and shimmer, keeping it firmly in place - meaning your eyeshadow never goes from 'BOOM!' to 'blah' through the day. I've also found that 'Glitter Glue' makes the colour switch in duochromes more evident, which is only ever a good thing!

And here is 'Glitter Glue' serving its original purpose, holding glitter down FAST. I've used it before nights out and the glitter on my eyes has still been there with no fall out when I get home many hours, many drinks and much dancing later. 

A couple extra tips would be - only use a tiny amount, don't take it into your crease (I use it on the lid only to prevent creasing), apply makeup using a dense brush with a patting motion and blend by layering. Removal is easy, just use your regular eye makeup removal routine. One tube should last AGES, I have about 1/3 my original left which I bought years back!

All in all, an absolute essential for all eyeshadow lovers - especially if you're into glitters, shimmers, bold shades or duochromes (I do sometimes use glitter glue with mattes, but they can end up looking a bit patchy.) Amping up colour, texture, longevity and even occasionally turning duds into stars. Plus, for how long it lasts - super cheap!
Price - $6.75 for 10ml (£4.45 ish) Availability - Order from Darling Girl Cosmetics
Do you like the look of 'Glitter Glue'? Do you use bases? What's your favourite glitzy eyeshadow? Let me know!

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REVIEW: Essence Longlasting Lipsticks

There is no faster, easier way to change an entire make-up look than with a quick swipe of lipstick - wouldn't you agree? An otherwise neutral look can be pepped up with a soft pink, fired up with red or kept sophisticated with a glamorous nude. It is for this reason I love lipstick, it's a real game changer. It's also why I love cheap and cheerful lipsticks I can experiment with, like these long lasting shades by Essence...

Packaging is simple and to the point, sturdy black plastic with a ring of colour which perfectly matches the shade inside - lovely! You can just about see the stamped Essence logo on each bullet, a beautiful touch more reminiscent of pricier brands.

The formula for Essence's longlasting lipsticks is super smooth and glides on without drag, leaving behind fantastic colour with no streaks or unevenness. They actually remind me of MAC cremesheen lipsticks, just with less slip and a little closer to the matte side of the family. Wear time is about average, but the brighter shades do leave a bit of a stain behind.

Aren't these colours lovely?! 'Wear Berries' is my unexpected favourite, a beautiful pinky plum I imagine would suit most skintones. 'Blush My Lips' comes in close behind, it's such an electric shade! It's a touch more red than it photographs and you'll need to 'blank out' your lips to keep the pink tone strong. 'Love Me' is a completely 'not me' shade, salmon toned pink, yet I still really like it! It doesn't suit me very much, but I think it would look incredible on pale skin. 'Dare to Wear' is a classic blue toned red, a staple for any lip wardrobe.

For the life of me I can't recall how much these cost (I have since bought more!) but it is around £2 each - can't complain!

Available from selected Wilko stores and pop up counters - find your nearest one here.

These shades were received for PR purposes. All thoughts/ opinions 100% mine and 100% honest, as always!

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Makeup Revolution 'Hard Day' Palette

Makeup Revolution don't half churn out new products, do they?! It's a bit nuts how regularly something new is added to their collection of beauty bits and bobs, almost to the point that it's not really news any more when they do...That aside, I recently received their 'Hard Day' palette, for my reviewing and your viewing pleasure...

'Hard Day' is a collection of deep, rich shades (that amethyst purple is diviiine) cut with moody neutrals. This palette leans heavily towards the shimmery side of things, with only six of the eighteen shades being matte -I'd argue they were actually slightly satin, but hey, maybe I'm just being fussy!

The neutral shades are pale - medium and mostly cool toned, ideal 'one colour washes' for English rose type complexions for everyday looks. The deeper shades are perfect for quick night out eye make-up, throw any of them on the lid and blend out for a beautiful, fast smokey eye.

Each shade has great colour payoff, though the mattes may need some extra layering for full pigmentation. I recommend a sticky base for the richer shades to show off their full splendour, though it isn't strictly necessary.
All in all, a fantastic day to night palette I think fair to medium skin would adore.
Available from Makeup Revolution at £6. This palette is limited edition, so be sure to snap it up if it takes your fancy!
What do you think to the 'Hard Day' palette? Do you have any Makeup Revolution palettes?
Product received for PR purposes. All views and opinions 100% my own and 100% honest, as always!
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