5 Products to Hide a Hangover
Urban Decay SS15 Event
Bourjois Delice de Poudre | Review
Bigger Lips Without Fillers? Lip Voltage: Review
What does a lip plumper that actually works have in common with a unicorn? Answer: they’re both completely frigging fictional.
Or so I used to think.
I then started to hear news of LipVoltage, mainly because it’s loved by the likes of the Geordie Shore and TOWIE cast (look, I never pretended I take beauty tips from Kate Middleton?, okay), and eventually I caved in and had to buy the product that’s hailed as the best alternative to lip filler injections.
LipVoltage contains 2 products: The LipVoltage gloss, which you can see above in the standard lipgloss-style tube, and the MixUp the Voltage solution, which comes in that beautifully gimmicky syringe. The LipVoltage apparently contains peptides and collagen, while MixUp the Voltage is a VBE-infused plumper. I hope all of your faces are as blank as mine.
I was a bit obsessed with finding out what all that actually meant, but there’s not a huge amount about it. What I can deduce from my reading around the web is that on the most basic level, the ingredients produce a tingling, which increases circulation to the lips, which increase blood flow, and therefore leads to the plumping. Still not a simple explanation but hey ho, nothing good is ever simple.
To use, you add between 1-3 drops of MixUp the Voltage into the LipVoltage lip gloss and then mix together for 30 seconds. 1 drop is supposed to result in a warm tingle, 2 gives a warm to hot tingle, and 3 drops will produce a very hot tingle. I’ve heard tales that this ‘tingle’ is actually very, very painful – and I think, in as non-sick and masochist a way as possible – it was this that actually made me buy it. No pain no gain, right lasses?
When it comes to mixing the two, I personally don’t find it too easy to add the drops in to the gloss; the MixUp formula is quite thick and gloopy, so you have to be careful not to accidentally make loads squirt out (oo-er). However, all that REALLY matters is 1. does it hurt as much as people say it does? And 2. does it actually work?
In terms of question number 1 – it kind of hurts, yah. It’s not so much pain as a burning, slightly raw sensation similar to if you have really irritated, chapped lips. However, I definitely wouldn’t say it’s unbearable and it’s a case of mind over matter really. Yes, you might feel like your lips are burning and about to drop off. But they’re not. So what’s your beef? The burning does also stop after around 10 minutes, so if you do find it a struggle, know that it doesn’t last that long.
And onto question number 2 – yes, it basically DOES work. I’ve experimented with between 1 and 3 drops now, and do honestly think there is a more noticeable difference each time. This is mainly because of the increase in blood flow that the tingling causes to the lips – they become redder, particularly around the edges, which in turn makes them look bigger. I would say that the lips themselves aren’t actually made larger; it’s more that they puff up a bit, as they do when they’re irritated. Results aren’t drastic, but they are noticeable.
LipVoltage is notoriously hard to track down due to its cult celeb status, but I bought mine from To Make You Gorgeous and it was delivered super-quickly. At around £16 RRP, I personally think this is a really good product that is much more than a gimmick. Of course, you’re never going to achieve the effects of a cosmetic procedure like lip fillers without actually having the real thing – but for those who just want a bit of plumping, I really do recommend this product.
Have any of you tried LipVoltage? Or would you like to? Let me know in the comments below!
Everyday Makeup Routine: The Update
Last summer, back when this blog was in its first stage of infancy (I think we’re now in the hormonal teenage phase, how else can my obsessive watching of Twilight be explained?), I did a little everyday makeup post. That was almost a year ago now and I’ve spent lots of time, money and effort since then scouring the globe (or Boots) for new things to put on my face to make it look like another face – so I figured it was about time I did an updated version for y’all.
I know, pant-wettingly exciting isn’t it?
The Products
Face:
To start I mix Seventeen’s Stay Time Foundation in shade Natural with a similar sized amount of Seventeen’s Wow! 3 Way Higlighter to create a dewy base. I used to be a matte lover but this has 100% become my go-to base now, and if ever I decide to use a different foundation or BB cream I always end up regretting it and missing my glowy dazzling skin. I then use Seventeen Stay Time Concealer and Seventeen Instant Glow Cream Bronzer to contour – you can read my full post on contouring here. To set all this magic and wonderment, I use a light dusting of MUA’s Matte Perfect Loose Powder. I wasn’t initially expecting much from this powder as I’ve used another MUA one which was, in a word, poo – but I’ve been so pleasantly surprised at how long it can keep shine at bay for.
Eyes:
Your eyeballs are apparently the window to your soul, so it’s important to dress your windows nicely. My favourite mascara of all time is still Benefit’s They’re Real and although I usually have a few on the go (mascara hussy alert) Benefit is always my failsafe. I then always add my cackhanded attempt at an eyeliner flick with Collection’s Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner, which remains the best eyeliner I’ve ever used. The Barry M Natural Glow Eyeshadow Palette also gets used everyday, though not for its eyeshadow purpose – the darkest shade in the palette is what I use to fill in my brows.
Lips:
Nice and simple, my go-to lipstick for everyday use is MAC ‘Pret-A-Pretty’, which I reviewed in full here.
The Brushes
I think there’s some sort of quote about an artist only being as good as his tools or some shit, but I don’t remember it properly. So: ‘brushes and that are dead important” – you can make that my quote if you like. Everyday I use my Real Techniques Powder Brush for setting my powder, my eBay stippling brush for applying highlighter to my cheekbones, my MUA eyebrow brush for my brows (obv) and my Real Techniques Beauty Blender for my foundation and contouring products.
And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is the stuff I trowel on my face each and every day. Nobody said it was easy being a girl, did they?
What are your everday makeup products? Let me know below!
Barry M Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint in Black Cherry (160) | Review
Hi gals,
After a very fashion heavy week (check out yesterday’s River Island Spring/Summer 2014 post, it’s grand), I’m bringing you a little lippy review to keep your beauty heads from exploding. Because I’m pretty positive if you don’t read this review, your head will explode. Definitely.
I picked up this Barry M Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint when I had a Boots haul with Claire a few weeks ago. I’ve been meaning to review it for AGES because it is brilliant, but here it is now and we can all get excited.
The basics of this lipstick is that it’s super super (some might say ultra) moisturising, meaning it won’t dry your lips and flake off like some lippies do. The Ultra Moisturising collection comes in a big range of shades, so whether you’re a fan of shimmering, pastel shades or bright, vibrant shades – there is one for every gal (thank you Queen Lizzy). I’m definitely a vibrant lip fan and frankly think I look a bit dead without a bright colour on my face. With this in mind, I was excited to get the Lip Paint in Black Cherry (or shade 160 for those who like to communicate by numbers). I bought it for £4.49 from Boots and you can buy it yourself online here.
Overall, I really love it. It really is moisturising, while still being vibrant enough to be mega exciting. It also fades well and doesn’t cling to the outlines of your lips (no one wants to look like Pammy Anderson with too much lipliner on).
My only bug bear is the colour on the lipstick stick versus the actual colour of the lipstick. If you wound this down to have a nosey at what colour it is, it looks practically black. Or at the very least a super dark purple. Once you’ve swatched it or put it on your face, it’s actually a much lighter pinky/purple – still pretty, but somewhat unexpected. You’d think that Barry M would be able to get the colour of the lipstick stick and the swatch colour the same by now. Come on guys. Fix up.
Besides that (which isn’t really a complaint at all, I just like to complain), I really love this lipstick and recommend it to all you gals who like slathering purple colours on your face. Triumphant huzzahs all round.
What do you think? Have you tried any of the Barry M Ultra Moisturising Lip Paints?
A Week In Instagram #5
Why hi there homies,
I meant to put this post up yesterday, but unfortunately I spent pretty much my whole day reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (I know, about 5 years too late), napping and then being overwhelmed by the new Sherlock episode (anybody else have an inappropriate crush on Moriarty? So glad he’s back in the game).
Anyway, Claire and I have been doing our best to put lots of effort into Instragram and post as much as possible. If you fancy giving us a glorious follow, hit us up at StylingoUK. Our posts are always fashion and beauty related and are usually laced with guilt because we accidentally spent all of our money on makeup. Here’s what we’ve been up to recently:
1. My Primark necklace and Primark fluffy jumper: have so much love for these two pieces. Massively cheap and cheerful but I’ve been wearing them constantly. I featured this necklace in my most recent outfit of the day too!
2. Claire looking like a genuine hotty off to a party over the weekend, featuring one of her favourite Barry M lilac lipsticks.
3. Shameless selfie with a top I bought at The Clothes Show (read about our trip to The Clothes Show).
4. Our love of Primark will never die, Claire picked these cheap and excellent bits of jewellery over the weekend.
5. Claire picked up this amazing MAC makeup shade in a blog sale last week, definitely the perfect colour for daywear (and nightwear, lets be honest!).
6. Another one of Claire’s purchases, recommended by one of our favourite bloggers Latasha at Today I Adore. Keep your eyes peeled for this silver hair dye review.
7. I went to buy a new foundation over the weekend and ended up picking up a Bobbi Brown foundation and concealer (WAHOO, reviews coming soon beauts).
8. How amazing are these Primark tartan leggings? Claire featured them in an outfit of the day recently and they have definitely become a wardrobe staple.
9. The result of Claire’s new silver hair dye – it’s looking fiiineeeee and I basically think she is Daenerys now.
10. Claire’s fit new boots from Boohoo. Read all about them in her haul post.
11. Claire’s epic collection of Barry M nail varnishes!
12. One of my favourite Missguided dresses, the pattern is so lovely!
Well chums, I hope you have enjoyed a peek into our somewhat exciting (?!) lives. If you want to keep up with our updates, make sure you give us a follow on Instagram, Twitter or Bloglovin. Have a fabulous Monday!
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(do you think I’ve plugged our Instragram enough?!?)
From Bag to Bin: 4 Make-Up Products You Should Avoid
Hello there, one and all. Now, if you read us regularly then you’ll know that one thing we really hate is writing negative reviews.
Oops, my bad, I just fell off my chair laughing.
Who am I kidding, we actually never fail to dish the dirt on products that we’re not fans of. Some people don’t like to do this as they think it’s too negative, but we think our reviews come from a place of love. We love our money – what little of it we have, that is – and so we don’t really like parting with it for sub-standard products. And we don’t want you to either, which is why we like to give our honest thoughts.
Of course, with makeup it’s often a case of ‘one man’s treasure is another man’s big pile of poo’ and so what we hate, you may love. With that disclaimer out of the way, here is a little run down of four products we’ve bought in recent months that have left us disappointed. As you can see, some of these have been used a LOT, so we really have persevered with the little bundles of rubbish.
1. Maybelline Eye Studio Master Shape Brow Pencil: Review
After lightening my eyebrows a couple of months ago, I needed to invest a new eyebrow pencil in a lighter shade. I don’t use many Maybelline products but definitely trust them as a reliable, established brand, so figured I was playing it safe when I picked up the Master Shape Brow Pencil in Dark Blonde. It’s a wax formula pencil with a wand on the opposite end to brush through your brows with, and the pencil promises to create fine ‘hair-like’ lines for added definition.
However, for me this just did not work. Pigmentation is horrendously poor. I know that it’s not meant to be like other pencils that can be used to literally draw your eyebrows on, but getting any sort of colour payoff on the sparse parts of my eyebrows that needed a bit of filling was almost impossible. The wax formula also means that it’s incredibly greasy and slips easily, so attempting to tidy up the ends of your eyebrows is also really difficult, as it smudges so easily. On top of these problems, you then have the added nightmare of how quickly the pencil itself wears down. Even using the lightest of strokes, it’s still reduced to a stump after just a few applications. If you look at how much of the pencil I’ve sharpened and only after using it a handful of times, you can see that it really wouldn’t last you very long.
The only way that I can see this pencil being of use is if you’ve already got near-perfect eyebrows and just want a product to essentially set them. This, it does – though it leaves a noticeably slick look that I’m not a fan of.
2. Natural Collection Lipstick: Review
I have to confess, Natural Collection is a brand that I’ve never been too inspired by. The packaging is a little meh, the products all look a little meh, even the name is a little meh (definitely lost us at ‘Natural’ I’m afraid, eww). However after reading a sparkling review of their lipsticks on another blog, I started to think maybe there was something not-meh about them after all. I love nudes and pale pinks, and Natural Collection is full of them, so for only £2, I was willing to give one a go.
I can’t even tell you what shade this is, possibly ‘pale meh’ or ‘meh blossom’ or ‘candy meh’. Whatever the heck it is, it’s thoroughly useless for me. Pigmentation is weak, staying power is weak, oh and the lipstick actually broke in half – making it physically weak too. Perhaps there are other shades in the range that are better, but personally nothing about this lipstick has made me intrigued to try any more of them. I’d consider it giving it to my 6 year old niece as something to play with, but I think even she’d ask me where my head was buying this.
3. Bourjois Volume Glamour Max Holidays Mascara: Review
This cosmetic complaint comes courtesy of Lauren. The Borjois Paris Volume Glamour Max Holiday mascara (jeez, want to get any more pointless words in there?) promises 10 times more volume and 24 hours of waterproof joy, perfect for holidaying and hobnobbing about. Unfortunately Lauren found it to be a bit of a dud. The wand is clumpy and fails to separate or define lashes, while the formula is actually very thin and so doesn’t deliver on the volumising promise either. While it doesn’t leave a horrible effect on the lashes or create any problems with flaking or smudging, it’s generally just not very good either.
Considering this came free in a gift set after spending over £15 on Bourjois products, Lauren doesn’t see it is a product she particularly hates – but those who pay the full £5.99 may be a little more disappointed.
4. MUA Pro-Brow Ultimate Eyebrow Kit
Lauren is somewhat of an expert when it comes to eyebrow kits, and this one has just failed to live up to her high standards (women, eh). Initially she actually did like it – you can read her review here – but after a longer while of using it, the cons of the product started to show up more starkly.
As Lauren already explained in her review, the highlighter , gel and brush were all difficult to work with. On top of this, she soon started to notice that the powder itself wasn’t as good as she initially thought, with it smudging easily or completely disappearing if anything else came into contact with it. Being left with no eyebrows because you accidentally touch your face isn’t really what you want to happen during your day. The pro of this kit remains the tweezers, which are apparently very good quality – however, the rest leaves a lot to be desired. It looks as if the product might actually have been discontinued now, and to that I think we all say GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD BROWS.
Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of them?
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November Make-Up Haul: MUA
Hello one and all! So the other day I decided that I really needed to replace my eyebrow brush that had gone walkabouts, and then the next thing you know all of this had jumped into my online basket. Weird how that happens isn’t it? In my defence though, two of the items were Lauren’s. And even further in my defence – it’s MUA, the cheapest brand possibly ever.
It was my first time ordering from the MUA website, and I was happy with the layout of the site and the delivery time (around 3 days after ordering). Here’s a little rundown of what we picked up:
E2 Eyeshadow Contour Brush / E7 Eyebrow Brush / L1 Lip Brush
I’ve heard some quite good things about MUA brushes so was intrigued to give them a try – and at the ridiculously cheap prices, it was too easy to add a couple more in on top of the brow brush that I wanted. The E7 and L1 were both just £1.50, while the E2 contour brush was £1.95. I’ve used both of the eye brushes this morning and on first impressions, they seem pretty good! Not the softest brushes in the world, but they seem firm and sturdy enough to last. The lip brush, though I haven’t tried it yet, is retractable, so will be SUPER useful for my handbag.
Matte Perfect Loose Translucent Powder / Matte Perfect Shine Control Foundation
I eventually begrudgingly had to admit that my previous MUA powder, which I praised highly in my £1 MUA post, actually wasn’t doing the job properly. I’ve always said that I don’t care about powder and they all do the same job, but I did begin to notice that the MUA pressed powder barely lasted at all on my skin and I was having to powder my nose so much more throughout the day. Either my nose had suddenly got extra oily, or the powder was simply a bit wubbish – and considering it cost a quid, I was forced to lean in the direction of MUA blame. So I decided to crank my budget up to the ludicrously high £2.30 and try out the loose powder from the new Matte Perfect range. I’ve only used this for the first time this morning, but will report back on how controlling this promised ‘shine control’ really is.
Lauren also decided to purchase the foundation from the range out of the morbid curiosity of it being only £2. Yes: £2. They only have 2 shades available at the moment: Fair, and the somewhat weirdly named Almond. Lauren opted for Fair, and I eagerly await her opinions on this cheap little product.
As we all know, Lauren is a girl who likes an eyebrow. Or two, usually two. After finishing her beloved Sleek brow kit, she’s been using, in her own words, ‘a weird array of pencils and foolish things’ and so decided to give this eyebrow kit a whirl. For £3.50, who can blame her? It contains three shades of powder and a fixing gel, plus a handy little pair of tweezers and a mirror in the compact. She’ll be reviewing this soon so wait til then to cast your eyes on the product in all its glory.
Out There Plumping Lip Gloss in ‘Candy Pink’
I know it’s very 2007 of me, but I still find that a good pink lip gloss is my ultimate go-to everyday lip product. I decided to try this plumping lip gloss from MUA in the shade ‘Candy Pink’ for just £2.
I’m a big fan of the colour, and the pigmentation is quite nice too. In terms of lasting time, don’t expect much – I find that I re-apply this quite frequently throughout the day, though that’s usually the case with cheap glosses. The ‘plumping’ aspect of the gloss can be felt when you apply it, as for a few minutes you’re left with a tingly feeling on your lips. Does it visibly plump them though? Of course it doesn’t. I have yet to find a plumping lip product that delivers on that promise. Overall though, as an everyday lip gloss this gets the job done fine and I’m sure I’ll find myself reaching for it most days.
What do you think of this mini MUA makeup haul? Have you tried any of these products?