Tuesday 30 September 2014

NARS Yachiyo Brush | The Review

I don't go much on buying expensive brushes, partly because I know I can get good ones for a lower price and also because it's a lot of money to part for something that I don't think is totally worth it. So when I bought the NARS Yachiyo brush I was a little nervous to try it given that I had put it on a pedestal and I really hope it would meet my expectations. 


It's a very unusual brush and it's like nothing I have ever seen before. The handle is a wrapped stem which also seems to hold the fibres of the brush. It's super lightweight which I like but it certainly takes some getting used to.

I have been using this with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette and also with the MAC Lightscapade Highlighter. I find with the HG highlighter it applied it quite lightly and certainly gives it a more natural look but it is totally build-able. The fact that it goes on lightly works well with the MAC highlighter given that it would usually be a very intense highlight which is not what I am after.
It certainly makes the more intense products accessible to those with fair skin or who prefer something more natural.


Have you tried this brush? What do you think?

Speak soon
Roo xx

Sunday 28 September 2014

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick In Jilted | First Impression

I have been a little pre-occupied the last week but I am finally getting round to this review. Occasionally I have spendy moments where I know I shouldn't buy anything but I inevitably do. One of these moments happened at the Urban Decay counter and to be honest I had had my eye on something for a very long time.

The Revolution Lipsticks came out quite some time ago so I can't really believe that it has taken me so long to get one.


I remember being incredibly excited about this lipstick and truth be told I had my eye on the colour Native but I never expected that I would have chosen something as bold as Jilted. I love this colour because it is exactly the opposite of what I would choose, its a beautiful berry colour with a blue undertone. Also, because I didn't mention it to begin with, the tube is gorgeous! It's a wavy/dented metal looking case which I think is slightly gunmetal in colour.




The formula is so lovely and creamy too! This lipstick is known for it's amazing 'one swipe' pigment which I have displayed above. My lips really never felt dehydrated whilst wearing this which is something that I look for and admire in a lipstick and sometimes I find it hard to wear all day.

Like I said before, I would have initially picked Native, which is a pinky nude, so that will probably be the next one I pick up :)

These beauts are, in my opinion, reasonably priced at £15 (now cheaper than MAC) and worth every single penny :)

Have you tried these? What do you think?

Speak soon
Roo xx





Friday 19 September 2014

Orange Is The New Black - Morello

I haven't done an OITNB post in a while and I was missing it a little. I really enjoy these posts and I was looking forward to trying out Morello's look. 



Morello is easily one of my favourite characters. Of course I love the entire cast but there is something about her that is just so innocent and likeable. She was the first to extend any form of warm greeting to Piper when she goes to prison and I think it speaks volumes for her character. I think throughout the entire series so far she has always remained as the innocent one, she never has a bad word and always has the best intentions. 

I love her look especially, I think it's totally classic and, to me, her look seems very inspired by 30s make up with her naturally smoked eyes, rounded brows and brilliant red lips. Her hair also seems to have the same influence with the pinned sections and careful curls. 


I of course can't do the hair but I tried to fake a bob. I love this because it is so wearable, the eyes are so natural and the lips don't look out of place. I do think I look more like Piper than Morello in this though. I will be featuring a Piper look soon :) 

What do you think?

Speak soon
Roo xx

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette | Fixation Friday

I would have posted something else today but I might do 2 posts, I haven't decided. Regardless of this I feel like I need to talk to you all about the upcoming release of the new Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette. 


I would be a liar if I said that I wasn't even a little excited for this. When they announced the original Ambient Lighting palette was becoming a permanent fixture I nearly had a heart attack out of pure excitement so I think you might be able to understand how crazy I went when I saw this come up on my Bloglovin' feed. 

This will be the same price as the original Ambient Lighting palette at £58 which is super pricey but personally I love the blush I have from Hourglass and I think it's worth the money. It's like you're buying a highlighter and blush in one and really it only works out at just over £19 a blush anyway! 

I think I will be dropping hints to my other half as this is (I think) released in October and my birthday is on the 18th. I will wait for it if I have to given that it's a limited edition item. 

Are you as excited as I am? Will you be buying it?

Speak soon
Roo xx

Sunday 14 September 2014

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette | The Review

If you've been reading my blog for a while then you will have probably seen some of my Fixation Friday posts on a few of the items I have recently reviewed. It makes me super happy because I have managed to stop lusting after them and actually get them to use. 


I feel like the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette is a big one for me to finally have gotten. I'm not entirely sure of when they first release this but I am sure that I have wanted it from the beginning and then they discontinued them (if I remember rightly), which was very saddening because it's so beautiful and I just wanted to hold it. Obviously they brought it back which was a total relief to me.


This contains 3 highlighters (from left to right) - Dim Light, Incandescent Light and Radiant
Light all of which are very pretty and so easy to use.

I do use this palette with the NARS Yachiyo brush which I will get onto in a later review but either way, I'm in love with that brush. 

I mainly use Incandescent Light all over because it suits my skin tone the best and what I particularly love about all of these shades is that they don't have any chunky glitter in them so they are easy to work with. It's very easy to build up and can be applied everywhere without fear of looking like a disco-ball. It is the nicest natural looking highlighter I have ever used. 

If you are thinking about getting a new highlighter and more specifically a natural looking one then I would really recommend this. It does carry a hefty price tag at £56 but if you have that much money to spare then this is definitely what I would call an investment. 

Have you tried this? What do you think?

Speak soon
Roo xx   

Thursday 11 September 2014

Maybelline ColorDrama Velvet Lip Pencil | The Review

I have been quite spendy over the past few weeks, which I have missed because I like to get new things. I honestly had no intentions of buying anything yesterday but there I was, in Boots, with a handful of products and covered in swatches.


One of the little goodies I picked up was one of the new Maybelline ColorDrama Velvet Lip Pencils. When I looked at the display there wasn't an overwhelming amount of colours to choose but I did find this gorgeous deep berry colour called 'Berry Much'. 


You will have to excuse the state of my hand, There will be upcoming reviews for the mess you can see haha! 

I think I'm a little in love with this colour, it applies really nicely and the colour goes on pretty evenly as well. The only thing I would say that is a downside to this product is the fact that I found it slipping a little whilst wearing it. I would use a lip liner and follow my dark lip guide here :)

*DUPE ALERT* 
I only realised this once I got home and had a look at my collection of lipsticks but actually I think this is a pretty spot on dupe for MAC Diva. They both have a matte finish and both apply quite smoothly. 

So if a MAC lipstick isn't in your budget then have a look at these beauts which are only £4.99 at Boots, there's also a 3 for 2 on Maybelline at the moment.

Have you tried these? What do you think?

Speak soon
Roo xx

Monday 8 September 2014

Smashbox Full Exposure Palette | The Review

I feel like I'm a little palette obsessed but then again, who isn't? My obsession, I mistakenly thought, had been satisfied by 3 Urban Decay Naked palettes. I don't really think you can ever have enough neutral shadows so naturally my next palette choice had to be the Smashbox Full Exposure palette. 


The actual packaging is very understated, which I love because I think it looks better that way. Lets face it though, I'm not buying this for the packaging, it's the pure gold that's inside.


I do have a little filter on this picture but rest assured I did do some swatches with no filter. There are several things I love and also something I would change about the packaging but that doesn't affect the products to I'll live. Personally I would prefer a plastic case, I'm kind of over the cardboard-ish case as it doesn't feel particularly safe. I do, however, love the fact that the mirror is a decent size and also that it comes with a decent brush! Hallelujah! This brush is sooo good. I love my UD brushes but this has sides for both the matte and shimmer shades and the matte is a really well made blending brush that is like no other. 


 Let's get down to brass tax. I have just swatched this as it is shown in the pan. I haven't really used any of the shimmer shades but that is because I am partial to matte shades. The matte shades are definitely more pigmented than the shimmer shades but they are still very pigmented. 

Definitely something I love about this palette is that is has both cool and warm shades so that you aren't just pigeon-holed into having one or the other and I think it's great for experimenting with other tones too. I wouldn't necessarily choose warm shades for my skin tone but I use the ones in the palette quite a lot. 

Seriously give this a go because the shades are amazing and you truly can never have enough neutral palettes. This is the same price as a Naked palette at £37 and you also get 2 more shadows. 

Before I forget aswell! This does come with a sample size of the Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara, which I love and you can read a Beauty Smackdown post I did sometime ago here.

Have you tried this? What do you think?

Speak soon
Roo xx  

Saturday 6 September 2014

Lancôme Grandiôse Mascara | The Review

Hello lovelies! I'm back in the UK and eventually feel like I'm back in control. I have to say that a spending ban can really do a number on a blog, so glad it's over now! 

I had am amazing time in New York and I assure you that I have bought a whole heap of stuff to try and write about. Today I am talking about a relatively new release from Lancôme which I was very excited to get because I am a huge fan of their mascaras.

Lancôme Grandiôse has mad waves in the beauty world with it's innovative design and for once it's not just a gimmick.


First off lets just have a look at the packaging. This has to be the most beautiful mascara tube I have ever seen! It is a little different with the almost tear drop shape but the big feature is 'Lancôme Rose' in the clear plastic lid. If you don't fall for that then there might be something wrong with you.


   Initially I was sceptical but also torn with first impressions. I love Lancôme mascaras as a general rule, I haven't come across a better brand but I also don't really like plastic wands, in the past they've never really done it for me. I am really happy to let you know that this is a total hit for me! 

You may also be looking at the wand thinking 'What the hell is going on there?!', this has to be one of the most genius solutions I have used. I don't know about anyone else but I tend to have days where I'm a little haphazard with my mascara and it end's up on my eyelids and nose. The wand feels very instinctual to use, you can really get into the corner lashes with this and manage to avoid your skin. 

I have to say that this is a flawlessly designed mascara with an excellent formula. I really would recommend giving this a go, if you happen to have money burning a hole in your pocket. 
This is a little pricey and also a little more expensive than other Lancôme mascaras at £24.50 but this is seriously worth every single penny! 

Have you tried this mascara? What do you think?

Speak soon
Roo xx

Tuesday 2 September 2014

August Favourites?!

This month, unfortunately, there will be no make up favourites. Down to the fact that I have only just bought make up at the end of the month and have not had a chance to test them out long enough - rest assured, there will be lots of reviews and tutorials coming up.

There is, however a non - beauty favourite to share! As cliché as it sounds and also super cheesey,  my big non beauty favourite this month is New York! I am seriously making it my goal to live here in the next 10 years, it will happen. I love the shopping, the atmosphere, the people and of course the food.

I will speak to you all soon, don't forget to follow me on Instagram as I'm updating regularly @kittysmurf1993

Roo xx