Category: Beauty

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Wet n Wild Comfort Zone Eyeshadow Palette | Review and Swatches

Admittedly, one thing I was so excited about when I was heading to New York was the prospect of going to American drugstores. It’s not even an exaggeration that I spent a good few hours of our trip popping in CVS and Duane Reade – especially when the one a few blocks away from our hotel was open 24 hours! I had accumulated quite a wish list thanks to all of the amazing stateside YouTubers that I watch, and this particular eyeshadow palette was especially difficult to source. It was sold out everywhere. When I finally saw one I snatched it up immediately, and boy am I glad I did…


The Wet n Wild Color Icon Palette in Comfort Zone is a neutral and green-toned eyeshadow palette retailing at $4.99(!). I knew it was going to be affordable, but when I saw the price my jaw dropped. Understandably I was a little skeptical about the quality, but the rave reviews it receives are definitely deserved. Firstly, the colour selection is gorgeous. The left hand side of the palette would be a great neutral quad on its own. The ‘browbone’ shade on this half is a stunning highlight shade; the eyelid and crease are really nice shimmery warm shadows which are perfect as lid shades, and the definer is an interesting deep blackened burgundy which could create a really striking smokey eye or could easily be used to line the eyes. 

However, I really fell in love with this palette because of the right half. I’m not the biggest colour-wearer, but these are really wearable yet interesting shades, that I can definitely see myself rocking. The browbone shade on this half is actually quite neutral, and this is one I have worn quite a lot all over my lid. The eyelid shade is a green with slight gold undertones, which I find make it far more wearable. The final shades are stunning – the ‘crease’ shade is a deep dark green with gold shimmer running through and the definer (arguably my favourite, and a dupe for Mac Club) is a warm brown with a bright blue duochrome. That shade worn over a black base is such a stunning smokey eye without being too garish and colourful. 

The formula of these are really quite amazing, regardless of the price. They are smooth, buttery and incredibly pigmented – I think the swatches really do show how great the quality is. There are some downfalls but nothing that would make me discourage anyone from buying this palette. The first is the packaging; it is obviously not luxurious or robust. It feels as if it could break very easily, but at this price-point you can’t really expect much more than that. It also is lacking in matte shades but these are easily supplemented with other palettes and eyeshadows that you may already own (check out my review of the Makeup Revolution Essential Mattes Palette for an affordable option). Yet as a set of shimmery eyeshadows, you really can’t beat this for the price.























I am thoroughly impressed with this palette, and am actually so shocked at how affordable it really is! If you live in the States, and I envy you strongly, you have to pick this palette up if you haven’t already. Have you ever tried anything from Wet n Wild? Let me know your experiences and faves!

–RachelElizabeth




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Bite Beauty Lip Lab | Making my own lipstick!

While I was in New York, there was one beauty-related activity that I really had to do – it was also the only thing I actually booked prior to our trip. In case you weren’t aware, the brand Bite Beauty, which currently only sells lip products, have a store in Prince Street, New York City, called their ‘Lip Lab‘. Here, with the help of the lovely workers there, you can make your own customised lipstick. What is also incredible about Bite is that they are a completely natural brand. As a self-proclaimed lipstick addict, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do this, so a few weeks before we went, I emailed them securing an appointment.

Firstly, you are asked what finish you want your customised lipstick to be: crème, matte, sheer or deluxe. The first three of these finishes are $36 and the deluxe is $48. Then you have to decide on what the specific shade will be. The girl who helped me was so lovely and made up a few shades in order to make sure that I was 100% pleased with the finished result. As you can see from the picture above, they have such a huge variety of colours which they can mix, meaning you can practically achieve any shade. 








After trying on the different shades that she had concocted, it was then for me to decide the scent of the lipstick; the choices being cherry, vanilla, mint, citrus, mango, violet and superfruit. You are also allowed to mix scents, making these lipsticks even more customisable that I had initially imagined. The final element to decide is the shape of the packaging. What I love about the packaging is that they represent the way different lipsticks are wore down by different application methods, meaning that you can pick the one that matches the shape of yours! After this appointment, which took about 15 minutes, the lipstick then has to be made, which took around 10 minutes. 


So what did I pick? I went in with the idea of a bright warm red-toned pink, as this is probably my favourite bright shade to wear. Think Mac Impassioned. I wanted to get a bright shade simply because I find them much more exciting! They give you your specific shade combination on a card, so that if you ever were to run out of the shade, you could easily get it made up again. I went with a matte finish – I wouldn’t say this formula is completely matte, but more a satin, which is nice because it isn’t drying. It is very long-lasting and incredibly easy and creamy to apply. For the scent, I opted for a combination of vanilla and violet, which smells delicious. 

I had such an incredible time at the lip lab, and would recommend it to any lipstick lovers out there. If (or hopefully when) I go back to New York, I will definitely going back to create another amazing shade. It may at a first glance seem quite pricey, but for the service and the finished product, it really is worth every penny. Would you create your own personalised lipstick? What shade would you go for?

–RachelElizabeth
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Nars Audacious Lipstick in Raquel | Review and Swatches

So let’s talk about the most talked-about and instagrammed lip launch of the year… the Nars Audacious lipsticks. Nars shocked everyone by bringing out a huge line of reformulated lipsticks that all have female names, and let’s just say that they are stunning…

When deciding on which side I wanted out of this huge collection, Raquel was immediately my first choice for two reasons: a) many people in my life have nicknamed me Raquel, and b) it looked like the perfect nude. I was lucky enough to receive this as a christmas present from my mum, and on swatching this, this was definitely the perfect choice. It is the perfect mix of pink, beige, peach and tan, creating my ideal everyday shade. This works for me when I’m both at my palest and when I fake tan, proving its versatility. 

This is also one of the nicest, most luxury formulas I have ever come across. It applies so smoothly, much like what you would expect from a lipstick with a much more glossy finish. What makes this stand out is the fact that it is a semi-matte finish but is unbelievably comfortable. It also lasts for ages on the lips, especially for a light-coloured lip. Somehow this withstands eating and drinking, acting almost like a liquid lipstick. I have been so blown away by this formula and I will be undoubtedly picking up a few more shades in the future.


Have you tried any of the audacious lipsticks? Enable me…

–RachelElizabeth
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New York Day 4 & Haul! | Blogmas Day #23







So today’s post marks the very last day of my incredible New York trip. We had to leave the hotel at 3pm meaning it wasn’t quite as jam-packed as the other days, so I’ve decided to include a cheeky haul at the end of this post with all the beauty bits I picked up! If you’ve missed any of the other NYC posts you can check them out here.


We started off the day with probably the most unhealthy breakfast I’ve ever had in my life. We went to a restaurant around the corner from us called Morning Star Cafe, and we were both in the mood to get something rather ridiculous. I opted for, as shown in the picture above, Waffle Smores, which was essentially a waffle topped with melted chocolate and marshmallows. Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious, but I definitely couldn’t finish it. The boyf went for a Waffle Banana Split which was equally as impressive and indulgent.























Then the only plans we had for our day was to hit up Macy’s. And boy did we… The christmas department was incredible; it had trees of different colour schemes, a countless amount of christmas decorations and my favourite of all was the wish machine, which printed out emails from children with their wishes for Santa. I think the squirrel one was my favourite…


























After a spot of Pinkberry in Macy’s, and then grabbing some lunch at a cafe called TreeHaus, it was off to the airport. Unfortunately it was so much cheaper to get a non-direct flight, so we did have to stop off in Paris before we finally made it back to London. Now for the fun part…























Starting off with the more budget-friendly purchases, I popped into Duane Reade a few times too many and picked up a few bits that I’ve had my eye on for a while. From Wet n Wild, a brand I’ve been interested in for a while, I picked up two Mega Last Lip Colors in Spiked with Rum and Think Pink and the coveted Color Icon Palette in Comfort Zone which was actually really difficult to find. I picked up two L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows in Amber Rush and Bronzed Taupe, which we can’t get in the uk. Another eyeshadow I picked up was the Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigments Eyeshadow in Breaking Bronze as these haven’t been released here yet. The final thing I got which I am so excited about is the Milani Baked Powder Blush in Luminoso, a highly raved product.























And obviously Sephora happened. We will skip over the fact that I managed to achieve VIB status in four days… I picked up the Lavanilla The Healthy Deodorant in Pure Vanilla, the Kate Somerville Nourish Moisturiser, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Taupe and the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper. From Bergdorf Goodman I actually got the best deal – I bought the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer twice the regular size for the same price of the usual in the UK! I also popped into a random beauty shop near the Empire State, and picked up the Dose of Colors in Sorbet, which I have been wanting for a while!























It wouldn’t be right not to make the most of the amazing gift sets out at this time of year. I went into Mac and saw that they still had the Objects of Affection Pink + Rose Pigments + Glitter in stock, so I picked it up immediately because it just looks stunning. I also picked up this stunning Tarte Pin Up Girl Amazonian Clay Blush Palette which I couldn’t resist. I also had in my mind that I would pick up the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit as it is quite a bit cheaper than in the UK. Finally, something that I had a little trouble ordering with LookFantastic, I went into the Benefit store in Soho, and saw that they still had the Cheeky Sweet Spot Blush Palette so I cancelled my order and picked it up!
I haven’t used much of this stuff yet as I was waiting for good light to photograph in. I will, no doubt, be reviewing most of this at some point, so if there is anything you’ve got your eye on let me know, or keep posted…

–RachelElizabeth
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Manicure Monday #29 | Sophisticated Glitter – Blogmas Day #22


Sometimes glitter can sometimes seem a little much, and although I will, especially at this time of year, sport a complete glitter manicure, it is nice to just add a hint of sparkle to your look. This is where the accent nail comes in…


So I began with a nude – I went for the Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Lychee which I actually have a full post on here. Any nude or neutral colour would look great with this look – anything that you would wear on an everyday basis. Then you pick a nail you want your glitter on. I’m not entirely sure why, but my favourite is always the ring finger – slightly off centre but still noticeable enough on your fingers. For this I used this very interesting glitter, the Maybelline Color Show Brocades Nail Polish in Knitted Gold which is sadly no longer available. But any glitter that you have would work ideal for this look – I personally think gold looks the best with nudes!

Do you ever rock an accent nail? Let me know your favourite combinations below!

–RachelElizabeth
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In Flight Essentials | Blogmas Day #18























Ever since watching Lisa Eldridge’s In Flight YouTube Video I have been obsessed with the idea of having an in flight beauty routine. I don’t think I’m quite at the stage where I’ll be doing every step, but I’m definitely going to be stepping up my hydration game. I also have a few must haves that I also bring with me on any flight, especially when it is long haul…


I am keeping it quite simple for the skincare. This is probably the only time when I will actually use make up wipes to remove my makeup, but who wants to go to the airplane bathroom and wash their face off? I am using the Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes, just because I have had good luck with them in the past. I’m also bringing the GlamGlow ThirstyMud Mask and I plan on applying this after removing my makeup, and continue to reapply once it has sinked in. The goal is to stop my skin from drying out from the plane air.

An absolute must have on flights is headphones – whether I’m watching films or listening to music, I have to be listening to something. My form of entertainment this time will be Charles Dickens’ Bleak House which is just one of the books that I need to read before I go back to University in January. A final tip I have for anyone flying anytime soon is that if you are a contact lens wearer like myself, make sure you also bring your glasses. The air on the plane is so drying that it will dry out your contacts and can make your eyes really sore.

I think I am surprisingly simple when it comes to an in flight routine, but I honestly can’t be too bothered with faffing around. I tend to bring my makeup in my hand luggage so I’ll be able to touch up before I land. Have you got any essentials for flying?

–RachelElizabeth
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What’s in my Travel Haircare and Body Bag | Blogmas Day #17

Today is the third instalment of my travel bag series, and today I bring you my body and haircare goodies. Now compared to the previous posts, these are far smaller categories for me. I’m not big into hair, and I tried to keep it quite simple when it came to body…


Hair
I love the Bumble and Bumble travel sets – I have bought the Surf one quite a few times now, as you get to try out three travel sized products for the price of one full size. This time, I decided to try out the Invisible Oil Set which includes a shampoo, a conditioner and the hair primer, which was something I’ve wanted to try for a long time now. It is essentially a heat protectant and a leave in conditioner – I will let you know my thoughts once I’ve tried. The other two products I have bought and two staples in my hair care routine. First we have the Charles Worthington Style Setter Dry Shampoo, which is one of my favourites – it is perfect for second (or third) day hair to soak up any oil, but its also great to freshen up and volumise the hair. I’m also bringing the Charles Worthington Volume and Bounce Texturising Spray, which I love to add extra volume and texture to the hair, to give a more lived in look. Finally, I am bringing my Tangle Teezer Compact which is perfect for travelling because it’s so small, and it’s really great at getting out tangles.  






















Body
I’m actually only bringing two products with me on this trip, both of which I received in my You Beauty Advent Calendar. First is the Molton Brown Orange and Bergamot Shower Gel, which smells divine so I’m super excited to use this in the shower. Next up for a moisturiser I’ve packed the Caudalie Nourishing Body Lotion. This also feels great when I tried it on my hand, so I’m sure this will be a winner – again, I will definitely give my thoughts on this. 

For some reason, these are the two categories I get a bit lazy on whenever I go away – I am bringing my straighteners, but whether or not I’ll actually use them is a different story. Are any of you like that? Or do you still go all out with hair and body on your travels?

–RachelElizabeth
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What’s in My Travel Skincare Bag | Blogmas Day #16






















In case you didn’t read yesterdays post, I am currently in New York! I thought I would take this opportunity to make a somewhat short travel series, and walk you through all the beauty goodies that I am hauling across the Atlantic with me. Today we are talking all things skincare…


It may not be the most travel-friendly option, but I couldn’t not bring the The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil (full post) as it is my ultimate favourite makeup remover. I haven’t found anything that removes makeup quite like this does. For my cleanser, I am bringing a sample size of the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish that I got in my You Beauty Advent Calendar – this actually used to be my favourite cleanser, so I’m quite happy to have this back in my life. Next up we have another also slightly bulky product – the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads. I reviewed this only a couple of days ago here, and the convenience of them definitely made me take them on my trip. The final basic product I am taking is the Kiehls Ultra Facial Moisturiser, which is just a really simple effective lotion. 

Because I’m a little worried that my skin will freak out after the 8 hour plane journey, I am bringing the big guns when it comes to fighting blemishes and dehydration. The La Roche Posay Effeclar Duo + has become a classic in my routine, and a serum that I constantly use on blemishes because it helps to reduce them without drying out the skin. For spot treatment, I am bringing the Aesop Control Gel which is a personal staple. A product that hydrates, helps any blemishes and is generally a life-saver is the BalanceMe Radiance Face Oil, so this is a must for me. The final product I am brining along with me is the Nuxe Reve De Miel lip balm as planes (and cold weather) really take a toll on my lips. 

This isn’t the most travel-friendly skincare bag, but as I’m not too strapped for space on this trip, I was more concerned on bringing products that would really help my skin. I’m also brining a few extras for an in-flight routine, but that’s a whole other blog post…

–RachelElizabeth
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Manicure Monday #27 | Essie Lots Of Lux | Blogmas Day #15

























If there’s any time of year that you can get away with obnoxious glitter on your nails, then it’s definitely now. I don’t tend to use any when it’s not the festive period, so my nails are often constantly sparkling. I was lucky enough for my boyfriend to give me the You Beauty Advent Calendar for my birthday, and amazingly, one day brought me this stunning Essie polish! It’s safe to say, that it was almost immediately on my nails, because, let’s be honest it looks absolutely gorgeous. 


Lots of Lux is described as a ‘shimmering lapis lazuli with a superfine matte finish’. I think the comparison to a gemstone is very apt here – it looks so interesting on the nails. It’s not a smooth finish, it definitely textured on the nails, but I think this is what makes it unique. It was very opaque, and although I did two coats, I probably could have got away with one. It is a nice formula, and stayed pretty chip free for a while.

So if you’re looking for a nice glamorous glitter this festive season, then definitely consider looking trying out Essie. What is your favourite glitter formula?

–RachelElizabeth
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What’s In My Makeup Bag – New York Edition! | Blogmas Day #14






















The time has finally come for my birthday trip to New York! This afternoon I am jetting off to NYC with the boyf to celebrate my 21st birthday! This was actually my present from my parents, and it is possibly the best a girl can ask for. However, I have committed myself to Blogmas, and I really want to keep up with posting everyday, so I actually plan on scheduling enough posts until I return on Thursday! I thought I would start off with what makeup I am planning on taking on my trip, as these are some of my favourite posts to read – everyone loves to be nosey…


I will begin by saying that I am by no means a light packer – I like to have options. Having said that I don’t think that I have gone too overboard; I will leave that one up to you.

Face
Because the days will be long, I definitely wanted to bring a primer. One of my all time favourites is the Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer (full post here), and as I’ve almost ran out, I thought I would be able to finish it off on the trip. I then decided to bring my tried and true L’Oreal True Match Foundation (review here)- I am bringing two shades (W1 and W4) because I fake tan, and once it fades I need to mix the shades. I am also bringing two concealers: the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard for blemishes and general imperfections and the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Fair to highlight the face. Moving on to powder products, I am bringing the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light (post here) to set my makeup, and the Nars Bronzing Powder in Laguna and the Mac Blush in Harmony for general bronze and contour goodness (check out my recent post for more details on this!). I decided to bring two blushes – my all time favourite Tarte Amazonion Clay Blush in Exposed and Mac Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul. These are quite similar colours, but Exposed is matte and Warm Soul is very shimmery. Finally, I’m bringing my current favourite highlighter theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer (post here).





















Eyes
This category is one that I feel I have actually been quite selective. I had to bring my trusty Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base to keep my eyeshadow looking flawless all day, and I also decided to bring the Estee Lauder Pure Colour Stay On Shadow Paint in Chained for days when I want a quick easy option. I decided to stick to one palette that has everything I need, and this had to be the Lorac Pro Palette – I have a full review and swatches here. This is still quite new to my collection but it is probably my favourite palette, and I know that it will serve me well. Next is the Urban Decay Ink for Eyes liquid eyeliner and for mascara I am bringing the Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara. And of course I am bringing an essential to my makeup routine – my Tweezerman Eyelash Curlers and my current eyebrow pencil, the Revlon Brow Fantasy in Dark Blonde. As a bit of a glamorous addition to my makeup for my trip I thought I would bring a pack of my favourite eyelashes, the Ardell Demi Wispies.  






















Lips
Probably my favourite category, and one that I always struggle to pack for! So I decided to bring the basic choices. For my nude lip option, I have picked the Kiko Precision Lip Pencil in 300 Caffe Latte and the Mac Lipstick in Kinda Sexy. This is one of my favourite go-to combinations at the moment. For a bold red, I chose another Kiko Lip Pencil in 306 Geranium Red and my current obsession, the Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 01 Always Red. In case I’m feeling a bold lip that isn’t red, I decided to bring Mac Impassioned, which is another fave of mine. And finally, the newest lipstick in my collection, Tom Ford Leonardo (full post here) just because it’s stunning. For a lip liner to accompany that, I’m bringing Mac Beet Lip Pencil. 

Brushes
The final category is tools. For ease, I will list the brushes I am taking, and if you want to know more about my favourites, check out my posts on brushes here. So from left to right we have: the Real Techniques Setting Brush, the Sigma F25 Tapered Face Brush, the Real Techniques Contour Brush, the Real Techniques Multitask Brush, the Sigma E35 Tapered Blending Brush, the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, the Mac 239 Brush, the Real Techniques Blush Brush and the Mac 217 Brush. I know this may seem like a lot of brushes, but it means that I will have everything I could possibly need on my trip.

I apologise for the incredibly wordy post, but I hope that you enjoyed having a nosey in my makeup bag. Stay tuned tomorrow for all the skincare goodies that will be travelling across the Atlantic with me. 

–RachelElizabeth
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