Review // MUA Sweet Sheen Lip Balm in 'Cherry Bomb' & 'Rouge Rumba'

  When MUA released their Spring 2015 collection, I was kind of excited because they haven't released anything in a while. Looking through the collection, to be brutally honest, I wasn't really interested in any of the other items - I rarely wear pastel eyeshadow shades and I haven't mastered the art of wearing blush... all apart from these. The MUA Sweet Sheen Lip Balm. I like a good quick, no-fuss tinted lip product that I can use for everyday wear and which can provide me a wash of colour to look more alive. 

  There are 6 shades in total, but I just picked up Rouge Rumba and Cherry Bomb - the more darker shades, as with my fairly pigmented lips, the lighter ones probably won't show up that well. (The other shades are; Pink Lilly, French Violet, Coral Reef & Peach Dream)

  Anyway, without further ado...

Review // Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in 01, 03 & 08 (+ swatches)

 So I was going to continue my Japan Photo Diary...but since I cleaned out my laptop and the other days' pictures miraculously did not copy over whilst I backed my hard disk up...I have no idea where they went :( But I think 5 days of Japan is enough for now... if you do want to see what I was up to, go to the Travel Tag. Anyway, onwards to the review. Here, I've decided to try a shade from each 'colour group', a red, pink and neutral.

What they say

"The 1st Lipstick collection created by Kate Moss High intensity colour for up to 8 hours. Formula infused with Black Diamonds, reflects light like never before. Captures all the flair, edge and timelessness of Kate's unique look. (16 available shades)"

Packaging 

Your average black lipstick bullet casing that you can twist up to reveal more product, so there's nothing really special there! However, I absolutely love the red 'Kate' signature on the lid, as well as the iconic Rimmel crown embellishment. Sometimes, it's these little things that makes the packaging sleek yet functional. Also, I like how the bottom of each lipstick has a colour coded sticker with the shade name because it makes finding the right shade a lot easier!

Formula

  First off, these lipsticks have a fruity scent that I can't quite place my finger on...but I'm leaning towards watermelon. For those that are sensitive to fragrance, don't worry, it's very mild and actually smells quite nice! Also, it has no taste.

These swatches are only after one swipe so you can see how pigmented these lipsticks are! The best part, that amount of pigmentation does translate to the lips. The finish of these are semi-matte, with a slight sheen. They're quite creamy, gliding on easily and evenly without any excessive tugging and I didn't find them to be moisturizing or drying. But as always, I would recommend a layer of lip balm before hand as they do slightly accentuate chapped lips.

  The lipsticks don't last for the 8 hours as claimed, but they do for a good 3-4 hours which is pretty good for me. Also, the angle of the lipstick bullet makes it easy to apply.

  

Shade #01

  Your classic hollywood red that every one needs in their makeup bag! Such a great statement lip to glam up your look. However, as this is pigmented and does stain a little, do take care when applying. Love this one for nights out or a fancy event especially.

Shade #08

  This is definitely a 'My Lips But Better' kind of shade and is perfect for everyday casual wear when you want your lips to look more alive. Alternatively, as this leans on the nude/mauve side, you can wear this at night with a smokey eye if you don't want to go straight out nude. Out of the three, I've been reaching for this one most often when going out during the day because it's super easy to wear - subtle without overdosing on colour, accomplishing a rather natural look.

Shade #03

  A beige nude with a pinky/brown base that is perfect to pair with a dramatic eye. The weird thing about me is that I would rather go out wearing hollywood red or deep berry lipstick shades rather than nude ones... Hence, as this is the first nude lipstick I bought, when I first tried it, I was unsure because it made me look kind of dead...However, looking at how the picture above turned out, I think I kind of like it as it's not so pale that it washes me out. Maybe I'll get the courage to wear nude lips out one day.

Final Verdict

 I love these lipsticks and for its price, it's reasonable. The pigmentation and shade range is on point and although it doesn't last as long as the 8 hours claim, there are very few lipsticks that do anyway. The brighter and darker shades i.e #01 has greater longevity than the slightly lighter shades. There's also a rather large range of shades so there's bound to be something for everyone! It's not drying and easy to apply so I definitely recommend these!

Have you tried these lipsticks before? If so, what do you think of them & which is your favourite shade?

Buy at:

USA - Ulta ($2.59) // Walmart ($4.97)

UK - Superdrug (£5.49) // Boots (£5.49) // ASOS (£5)

Review // theBalm Instain Blush - 'Swiss Dot'

I won theBalm Instain Blush in a giveaway some time ago and thought it was about time I gave it a little review. I chose the shade 'Swiss Dot' because it looked relatively natural and was a nice pinky coral shade.

What theBalm says:

theBalm’s long-wearing, STAINING powder blush is a fashion must have! With six shades, perfect for all seasons and skin tones, it will give your cheeks color that won’t quit.

Packaging

I absolutely adore the packaging of these! The blushes come in a sturdy cardboard packaging and are the perfect size (not too small, not too big) to put in your purse or travel makeup bag whilst allowing you to obtain a good amount of product on your brush and it latches magnetically. It opens to reveal a compact with a good-sized mirror which makes it perfect for on-the-go touch ups (a bonus!)

What stands out is the French retro feel of the whole packaging that fits beautifully - come on, polka dots! Each shade has a different picture on the front, and even shows the best suited season of the particular blush shade. For example, on Swiss Dot, it says 'Fall' - although you can wear it in any season really and I think the pinky-coral shade would look gorgeous during the warmer months as well!

Formula

Swiss Dot is described as a warm-medium peach with a matte finish, which I agree with! (to see the other shades in the range, click here - there are shades of pinks and plums) Although it looks more pink in the pan, from the swatch, it actually leans more towards coral which means it's perfect for fair to dark skin tones, anyone really.

The powder texture is very fine and applies incredibly smoothly and evenly. From the swatch, you can see that it's relatively pigmented too so I'll advise you to use a lighter hand when applying and then slowly build it up as desired. The blush blends really easily as well, despite its pigmentation, giving a natural wash of colour to bring life into your face on a sleepless night - no one will know any better. It also lasts quite well, for a good 8 hours on average!

Final Verdict

Despite being someone that not only has limited knowledge on blushes, but also only wears it sparingly (i.e not on a daily basis), I actually really like this blush, particularly due to its natural look. Although the price is definitely not drugstore prices, the pigmentation and longevity makes it value for money if you want to 'splurge' on such item since a little goes a long way!

Where to buy: USA: US$22 for 0.2oz - Amazon // Zappos // BeautyBridge UK: £18.50 for 5.5g - Feel Unique 
What's your to-go blush in the warmer months?

Majestical Jewelry* & GIVEAWAY! [CLOSED]

Tortoise Shell Hoop Earrings c/o Majestical

(Disclaimer: This was gifted to me but all opinions are my own & 100% honest)

Majestical is an online store that sells a whole range of well, jewelry - earrings, bracelets, necklaces., Pandora-esque charms..the whole lot. Perfect for gifts! The prices range from super cheap and affordable trendy pieces to more high-end, 'one of a kind' statement jewelry for that glam event so whether you're younger or more mature, they've got it covered!

The earrings are of great quality and despite being tortoise-shell, they were relatively light!

I will admit that when I first saw these earrings, my first reaction was, "Hmmm...those look a tad mature...I don't think it'll suit me..." But, I think I can make it work and I'm always up for a challenge so look out for an outfit post on Saturday (so..get ready)! Nevertheless, they came beautifully packaged and even has their own box and pouch which is super convenient for gifting - no wrapping needed!

Here are some of my top picks - a mix of pastel, tribal, dainty and statements that are all between US$13 to US$30! Bargain!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7

Anyway, the people at Majestical have so kindly agreed to give away 2 x $10 gift cards to the store! So there'll be 2 chances of winning! 

Rules:

- Opened internationally 

- Running for 2 weeks: 24th June 2014 - 8th May 2014

- Please no duplicate/fake entries - I will be monitoring them

- Do complete the compulsory steps first!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Promotional Code: Get $15 off orders of $55 or more with the code 15DOLLARSOFF

Need persuading?

Every order comes with free gift packaging and Majestical offers free returns and exchanges! Orders are shipped out on the same day and if you live in the US, you get free shipping if you spend over US$50!

For international buyers, don't worry, they ship worldwide!

Be sure to connect/keep up with Majestical on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and blog!

Review // Revlon Lip Butters in Peach Parfait & Berry Smoothie

I know that there are tons of reviews on these products but since I got these for Christmas (which now seems like aeons away), I thought I'd show them anyway (:

I received two - Peach Parfait and Berry Smoothie.

Packaging

A normal lip product tube that twists up with a plastic, quilted embossed casing that I think is actually quite nice. The casing are different coloured depending on the shade which is good to tell them apart. The lid clicks when you put it over the tube which is good because then you know that it's sturdy and won't fall off whilst in your bag!

Formula

These are described as 'lip butters' and to me, they are like tinted lip balms, although not quite as moisturizing. It's very easy and smooth to apply as it's quite creamy which means no tugging - almost like butter, except without the oily-ness :P Both shades are quite sheer (the swatches above consists of about 3 to 4 swipes) but this also means that it's great to apply on the go when you don't have a mirror and it's also buildable to your desire - perfect for casual daytimes. The wear time for these are about 2 hours - which is not bad for a balm like product - until there's need to reapply.

Berry Smoothie

This shade is my favourite out of the two! It's also more pigmented than Peach Parfait. There are no sparkles or shimmer in this one, and the shade isn't as bold as it looks in the tube. A berry colour (ever so slightly darker than it looks on the picture).This is definitely a my lips but better kind of shade as it gives it a tad more colour and makes it a little glossy. Noticeable, but subtle.

Peach Parfait

On the swatch it looks like a peachy shade but honestly, it's so sheer that the peachy-ness doesn't show. Instead, what you do get is glossier lips with hints of gold shimmer (as you can see from the tube). Not so keen on this one as I'm not a huge fan of making my lips shimmer up close, but it's still nice when I'm feeling lazy and want something simple and easy.

Just in case some of you still think I'm sane...

Final Verdict

I'm loving the formulas of these as they're smooth, creamy and semi-moisturizing. The shades are sheer which for me, isn't a problem because it's great for natural everyday looks. I'd highly recommend Berry Smoothie to everyone and Peach Parfait only if you don't mind shimmer...All in all, a great product and I really want to get Candy Apple next!

Oh and, be careful not to put them in extreme heat because they melt relatively easily and it gets all over the side of the tube which is not good....

Have you tried Revlon lip butters? If so, which is your favourite shade; if not, would youuuu?