May Nailbox | Review
New Rimmel Apocolips Matte Lip Velvet | Review
There’s nothing more exciting than a new lip product, in my opinion. Whether it’s a new colour, new “technology” (paha) or even just new packaging, I am more excited by new things than is really strictly necessary. Yes, there may be horrible wars on and terrible people doing terrible things, but if we can’t get excited about new lip products then the world is an even more sad place to be.
SO, obviously I was more excited than an excited thing on legs when I saw that Rimmel had brought out another Apocolips product. I am a big fan of the original Apololips Lip Lacquer, and the Big Bang shade is a staple in my lipstick drawer. The new Apocolips products are the total opposite to the Lip Lacquer in that instead of high shine, they deliver a super matte finish.
Officially called Apocolips Matte Lip Velvet, these aim to deliver:
- Weightless colour with a velvety finish
- Colour that lasts for up to 8 hours
- Moisturising formula that increases lip moisture by 31% (very specific, I know)
So, it all sounds very promising and obviously, I totally bought into it all (I am easily convinced, particularly when Kate Moss is staring up at me). BUT, having used it a number of times since buying it last week, does it actually deliver?
Well, I would say…partially.
I was trying to describe to Claire this morning how it feels going onto my lips (ooo-er, creepy), and it is very odd. It really is weightless and it almost feels powdery when you put it on, but liquid at the same time. The only thing I can kind of compare it to feeling like is Maybelline’s Dream Matte Mousse – it’s really lightweight and barely feels like you’ve put anything on there at all. It’s actually really nice when compared with the Lip Lacquer, which can feel quite weighty when you wear it.
In terms of colour that lasts for 8 hours – I would say this is where the product falls down a little. I do have to reapply after 3-4 hours because it wears off a bit (as you would expect from eating, drinking and mouthing off at people). While I have no beef with reapplying, it’s the fact that it fades into a kind of scabby lipliner that irks me a little. I end up looking a bit mad, and with a face like mine, I don’t want to be giving anyone any more reason to think I am stark raving.
I was intrigued to see that they put a lot of emphasis on the moisturising aspect of this lippy, because I found it pretty impressive that it is such a ‘dry’ product in terms of feel, but doesn’t actually dry out your lips. Top marks on this front, Rimmel, I applaud you.
(I like looking really smug)
I bought my Apocolips Matte Lip Velvet in Orange-ology, which is a lovely bright reddy-orange shade. It is currently available in 5 shades, which you can have a nosey at here. At £6.49, it’s a pretty reasonable lip product in terms of price and I thoroughly recommend you give it a go and see what you think. Personally, I am in wuv.
If you’re keen for the new Rimmel Apocolips Matte Lip Velvet, but can’t be arsed to buy it yourself, we’re giving away Apocolips Matte Lip Velvet in Meteoric Matte in our Autumn/Winter Beauty Bundle Giveaway!
Makeup Mini Haul: Rimmel on Boots 3 for 2
Did I mention that I was going to South Africa this week? No? Well I am. And good heavens am I excited.
In fact, I am so excited that I might accidentally shoot Claire in the bathroom because I think she’s an intruder (…too soon?). Inappropriate jokes aside, I am really looking forward to it and I have also been doing a helluva lot of shopping. You can see the clothes I bought for my little trip here. Unfortunately, because I spent a million GBP on clothes, my makeup budget was slightly lacking, which is why I obvs had to hit Boots and take advantage of some 3 for 2 excellence.*
* You may notice that I have 4 things. I don’t know why that happened either. I probably forgot how to count again.
Rimmel is one of my go to makeup brands, which you might think is slightly surprising considering my absolutely slating review of Rimmel’s Scadaleyes Rockin’ Curves mascara (read all about the uselessness that it is here). Even so, I love their foundations, their powders and have found that you can’t go wrong with their eyeliners either. Which is why I decided to get a few of their bits to take away with me.
My absolutely favourite foundation, I won’t rave on too much on here but you can read my full review over here. It’s going to help me keep my face on when it’s a bit on the sweaty side over in SA, fo sho.
A nicely finger printed photo, soz guys. Anywho, this is another one of my staple makeup products and I love it. It does help to keep my discoball face at bay and it’s cheap too!
It’s surprisingly hard to find a waterproof pencil eyeliner anywhere, so I literally grabbed this before I could say ‘Huzzah and thanks to Queen Lizzy’. I’m actually planning on using this on my eyebrows so I don’t look like a complete lunatic when I slow-mo run out of the sea.
This Rimmel mascara is actually alright, definitely a step up from the terrible Scandaleyes one. It’s not exactly the best in terms of length or volume, but the waterproof side to things is good enough and again, will help me not look like an albino rabbit on the beach.
So girls, please share with me your Boots 3 for 2 purchases but try not to give me too much holiday makeup advice, I don’t have the time or money to buy anymore and I will probably cry into my pillow and/or accidentally rob Duty Free on my way there.
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Rimmel ScandalEyes Rockin’ Curves Review
It’s been a while since I have royally slagged something off. I think I can blame my recent rants about pretty much everything on the fact I’ve not had a proper complain here on Stylingo.
Thankfully, I can finally come to some sort of rant closure and finally I have something to properly complain about. And that something is bloody Rimmel Scandaleyes Rockin’ Curves mascara. In fact, it’s not just complaining. It’s full on hatred.
This is without a doubt the worst thing I have put on my face, even worse than that time I thought mixing yoghurt and porridge oats would be a pleasant face mask experience. Since my love of lists is almost as much as my love of complaining, here is my beef in list form.
- What in god’s good name is the brush about? It’s literally the stupidest thing I have ever seen. Why would you make a curly wand like this? WHY. It means that at any one time, you can only get a few of your lashes. It means that your hand flaps about because you don’t know what’s going on. It basically means that whoever designed this temporarily lost their minds and/or should be sacked.
- I was promised curves. Where are they? My eyelashes look like a big ball of utter wank (pardon). They look like tiny stubby midgets balancing on my eyelids. What they don’t look like is rockin’, or curvy.
- Why is my face crumbling like pastry? I have never experienced a mascara that crumbles like this. By the end of the day, it looks like I have been down t’pit. It is also extremely annoying and slightly uncomfortable when it flakes off and falls into your eyeballs. No, Rimmel. No.
- Why is the packaging so embarrassing? I’m sorry, but snakeskin and a pitiful attempt at a ‘cool’ logo makes me want to throw up. It also makes me wonder why I bought it in the first place, I must have felt some kind of 3 for 2 Boots pressure and temporarily lost it.
- Why have you given me eyeball disease? I can’t rightly blame this on the mascara, but I have a sore eyeball now and I strongly suspect it is because this pathetic excuse for a mascara has been flaking all over the place and making me touch my eyes more than I usually would. Owwy.
So anyway. The only positive I can give Rimmel Scandaleyes Rockin’ Curves is that it makes my blonde eyelashes black and therefore makes me look like less of an albino. That is all.
Don’t bother buying this girls, it will be the most upsetting thing you ever do.
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Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation 010 Light Porcelain
Good afternoon to you my dear chums,
There’s nothing better than a delightful foundation review to get you ready for a weekend of erm…slathering foundation all over your face? Which is why I have done the selfless thing of providing you with a review of one of my favourite foundations ever. And I am a girl who has tried a lot of foundations. It has become a slight issue.
This is 100% the foundation that I always come back to. I’ve used some amazing bases from excellent brands like Bobbi Brown, Mac and Estee Lauder, but to be quite honest with you, nothing has quite matched up to this. The main reason I love it so much is because of the price. At £6.99, it’s a huge bargain that you can’t even try and shake your head at.
Another big plus for me is that it actually does what it says on the bottle. While in principal I strongly disagree with calling it a “25 hour” foundation (what use is that to me? When and why on this green earth would I wear foundation for 25 hours?), it really does last a long time. It well and truly lasts all day on my face, even without primer. And that, my friends, is an amazing feat. Makeup never stays on my greasy, cheek infested face.
It also has fantastic coverage. I have pretty uneven skin and coverage is really important for me in a foundation – this is definitely a heavy coverage foundation, so if you’re into the fresh faced thang, it might not be for you. HOWEVER, if you are like me and enjoy masking any hint of your features, then this is one of the best.
As a heavy coverage foundation, this one is quite thick and a bit gloopy (like Augustus Gloop). I believe it is oil based too, which isn’t for everyone I know. However, while it definitely is a heavy foundation, it’s also surprisingly light for the coverage you get. I don’t tend to feel like I have a lot on my face, which is fabulous for those of you who aren’t keen on that “heavy” makeup feeling. I also like that it’s oil based, because the oil seems to help it last longer through some oily wizardry. Whether you prefer a dewy look or like a matte/powdered face, this works really well.
And here is a little swatch of Rimmel’s Lasting Finish 25 Hour foundation, the bit on the right has been semi-blended. I got it in Light Porcelain 010, which is several shades lighter than what I usually trowel on my face. Unfortunately, my life has been ruined so I can no longer tan (sob and woe) because of skin problems. All of my foundations were a bit dark, so I had to launch myself at the Pale Gail side of life with gusto. Light Porcelain 010 a nice pale colour (the palest they do I believe), which works really well for my skin tone. It’s a warm colour, which I think would suit most pale gals and blends well when you apply. I like to use my little foundation egg to apply this magic foundation, but a stippling brush works just as well.
And now you can see it on my gompy face. I considered doing a before and after, but I didn’t want to alarm anyone. Safe to say, I have a very spotty chin at the moment, but I also permanently suffer from dark circles and some discolouration of my cheeks. Rimmel’s 25 Hour Foundation covers these nasties absolutely perfectly. The picture on the top right is without flash, but I’m sure you can see how well this covered my GIANT MOONFACE.
What do you think? Have you used Rimmel’s Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation before?
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Makeup Fisticuffs: The Best Pink Lipstick
Well, we may as well end this review here and now because it’s quite clear which pink lipstick I can’t stop wearing (I’d give you a prize but all I have is half a slice of toast and I am not giving that up for love or money).
Like any girl on the planet (and even the universe), I love a pink lipstick. Nothing says “look at me, I am a girl” by a nice pink lippy and the days I’m looking somewhat manly are always rectified by slapping some pink on my face.
When I decided to put this post together, I spent approximately 3 and a half minutes whittling down my collection to my top seven (if 7 is good enough for Voldemort’s souls, it is good enough for me). I can tell you here and now that I wear all of these on a regular basis, but there is one or two that really stand out for me. Without further ado, let the makeup fisticuffs commence. Let’s hope things don’t turn into a fracas. Or god forbid, a ruckus.
(with flash/without flash)
(from right to left)
Collection Deluxe in Tallulah – £3.99
This is one of my favourite everyday lipsticks, the perfect subtle pink that looks magnifico for a casual daytime face.
Pigment: Fabulous, it’s a lovely colourful shade that doesn’t look wishy washy at all.
Staying Power: Pretty good – it lasts for about 3-4 hours if you’re not scoffing cakes like I usually am.
Price: Grand and spiffy.
Kate Moss for Rimmel in 16 – £5.49
This is the lipstick that is permanently on my face. I love it.
Pigment: Amazing, one of the best pigmented lipstick I’ve used in my tiny little life.
Staying Power: Really good. This will last you a night out with no drams.
Price: You can buy a lipstick for the same price as a bottle of wine. Need I say more?
Clinique High Impact in Extreme Pink – £17.00
This is a stunning golden rose pink that is another daytime favourite for me. It’s so moisturising and really lovely.
Pigment: Not heavily pigmented but one coat is enough.
Staying Power: It’s a moisturising lipstick, so wipes off quite easily but if you’re not eating or drinking, it’s fab. It fades well too.
Price: Best to force rich strangers to buy this for you.
MUA in Lipstick Shade 4 – £1.oo
Not the best lipstick, but nice enough to put on if it’s the only thing you can find.
Pigment: Frankly, a puddle of water is more pigmented than this lipstick.
Staying Power: Less than Britney’s husbands.
Price: Amazing. Worth it just so you can tell people you own a lipstick that cost £1.
(from right to left)
The Body Shop Colourglide Lipstick in Shade 58 – £6.00
The Body Shop makeup is something that I continue to be impressed with, and this vibrant lipstick is fabulous.
Pigment: Brilliant, top marks BS. These are sheerer lipsticks, but the pigmentation is still excellent.
Staying Power: Grand – the Colourglide lipsticks are quite ‘waxy’ so they stay on very well and are quite waterproof.
Price: Very, very reasonable for The Body Shop!
MUA in Lipstick Shade 3 – £1.00
This lipstick is much better than Shade 4. If you invest your pound before payday in anything, it should be this lipstick.
Pigment: Fantastic, considering it is one Great British Pound.
Staying Power: Also good, although it is quite a drying lipstick so it does get stuck in the cracks of your lips.
Price: One pound. (?!?!)
The Body Shop Colourglide Lipstick in Shade 57 – £6.00
Another Body Shop favourite, the Colourglide lipsticks are really really vonderful.
Pigment: Really good – less vibrant than Shade 58 but really feminine and pretty.
Staying Power: As good as Shade 58 – it also fades just as well and my lips feel nourished and marv when I wear it.
Price: Worth it.
But who wins the title of Pink Lipstick Overlord? Obvs, Kate Moss for Rimmel in Shade 16. It’s incredible and rules my life in every way.
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Outfit of the Day: H&M Crop Top & Split Maxi Skirt
HI GUYS.
It’s Friday afternoon, I’m buzzing for the weekend and nothing can bring me down…apart from the fact I look like an absolute lunatic in these photos pahaha. But ya know, sometimes your face doesn’t behave and your hair looks rubbish. It’s just something that we all have to deal with together, no dramz.
Anywho, this is an outfit I’ve actually worn about a million times in the past few weeks. I bought the top just before Christmas for a night out with my chums back in Cheshire (where we went cow tipping and engaged in other country pursuits). It’s not my usual style, but I’ve come to love the almost-stripey pattern, especially since it scanned as ‘Fancy Jersey Top’ at the checkout. Nothing will lure me in more than something that has the word ‘fancy’ in it. As you may have guessed, this bad boy is from H&M and has become quite the staple in my ‘drobe (Claire has introduced me to layering crops over skater dresses for work and it is brilliant).
I paired my crop top with a new-ish maxi skirt, which is incidentally from H&M too. It’s from their basics range and has a delightful split to the knee – not too saucy but saucy enough to say ‘HEY, we’re not Victorian, look at my ankle and shin’. There’s not too much to say about it other than that, apart from the fact that it is black and is a skirt. Huzzah.
After slinging on my Primark triangle necklace (which I’ve featured on our Instagram account quite a lot.) and my new Primark boots, I was ready to clomp around like a manic with wonky head.
I’m SUPER not happy with my nail varnish though, which is a Kelly Brook ‘matte effect’ one. It’s bloody useless and is no more matte than my shiny nose is right now. It’s more of a textured effect (with what appears to be bits of sand in it) and basically makes it look like a mollusc has done your nails. Thankfully, I didn’t actually buy this (I, erm, found it lurking around my fella’s flat so tactfully robbed it) but be warned – Kelly Brook cannot make nail varnish, no matter who tells you she can.
For anyone who is interested, my lipstick is Kate Moss for Rimmel in shade 16. It’s rather good and has brilliant pigmentation.
What do you all think about this little outfit?
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Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara | Review
Whilst waiting for a lift back from Morrison’s the other day (bus wanker probs), I went slightly mad and bought approximately £30 worth of stuff from their beauty section…including this bad boy from Rimmel. I’m a big Rimmel fan and I’m of the opinion that for the basics (eyeliner, powder etc) you can’t go far wrong.
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September Haul: Missguided & Bodycare
iyaaaa! Right, now the politeness of the day is over, let’s get on with it.
Today we have a super fun haul post for you all. Yes we are officially still on our spending ban (and are delighted to announce that it’s been worth it thus far as our application for our new house has been accepted! AWOOGA) but in our defence, many of these products were absolute life necessities. I mean, do you really expect us to go through life without false eyelashes? What sort of barbarian are you?
As it was payday on Wednesday we actually ventured away from our desks at lunch time and went into town. Like the big spenders we are, we headed straight to Bodycare to stock up on all of our cheapy cheap beauty essentials. We then came back to our desks and placed some orders online because we’d scratched the shopping itch, but just made it more itchy and needed to scratch it some more. Hate when that happens, don’t you?
Here’s a little run-down of some stuff we purchased:
Lauren
T Zone Pore Strips | L’oral Elvive Triple Resist Hair Mask | Schwartzkopft Supersoft Volumising Hairspray | St Moriz Tan Dark | Aussie Miracle Mask | L’oreal Hot & Smooth Serum | Clean & Clear Deep Action Cleanser | Nivea Harmony Time Shower Gel | Eye Candy Lashes | Rimmel Lasting Finish 200 | Rimmel Stay Matte Powder | Gold chain from eBay
Gut gott in himmel, I accidentally spent £30 in Bodycare. As Drizzy would say however, you only live once and my life required lots of new beauty products. CUFF ME.
I won’t bore you too much, but a couple of these products I would thoroughly recommend. First off, Eye Candy eyelashes are a big favourite of mine and they are amazing quality for the price. When I get the chance to go to Bodycare, I always stock up on these badboys. If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to Eylure, then these are your man!
I also have loads of love for this heat protecting serum, L’Oreal Hot & Smooth. I used to use this all the time when I was younger and first started straightening my hair and sort of forgot about it until I saw it the other day. They’ve changed the packaging to be a bit more jazzy, but it’s definitely the same product inside. 100% recommend it, especially if you are skint like I am but still want to protect your locks. HUZZAH.
I put in an order with Missguided after spending about 300000 hours trying to figure out what to buy. This dungaree dress was the result, which I LOVE. Unfortunately it’s way too big so I’m going to have to return it and exchange, but it’s the perfect A/W addition to my floordrobe – 90s you are back with a vengeance, my son!
Claire
Kimono | Crop Tee | Bodycon Midi Dress – Missguided
I also bought quite a few bits in Bodycare, but as I started scooping up my various shower gels and body scrubs to photograph it occurred to me how massively boring they all were so I thought ‘EFF THIS!’ and threw them all back into the shower. My Missguided order was thankfully a little more interesting; I snapped up this kimono (there’s 15% off them this week, so go go go!) and crop tee to wear over the weekend as we’re going to the Bullring’s tenth birthday catwalk show so I fancied something new – don’t worry, I’ll also be wearing something on my bottom half, I’m not trying to be the most scandalous person in Birmingham (Lauren already has that title).
I also finally bought this midi dress that I look at each time I’m on their site. I’ve always been put off buying it as the sizes only some in ‘S/M’ or ‘M/L’ (which is something that annoys me more than you would even believe, how can they narrow down all the shapes and sizes of women in the UK to just two sizes? How? How and why and how?!) but it’s part of the Sweet Deal range and only costs £5.99 so I decided it wasn’t the end of the world if it didn’t fit. It’s an okay fit; as I expected it’s too baggy on me to really be called bodycon, but it still sits quite nicely and is a good length so is fine for work – and still amazing for the price!
What have you all been buying lately? And what do you think of this haul?
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