Review: Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Lipsticks in Fuchsia Flash, Shocking Coral and Neon Red + Potential MAC Dupes?!

A couple of weeks ago I was casually swatching everything in Superdrug with a little "new" sticker (as you do) and came across these lipsticks. Honestly, it was love at first swatch. Sadly I had no money (why do I this to myself?) but the next week my absolutely gorgeous, perfect, wonderful, shopping-addiction-enabling boyfriend gave me some money to treat myself! The first thing that popped into my mind was these beauties and before I knew it I was heading home with three new lipsticks. 

The Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Lipsticks are a capsule collection of bright, highly pigmented lipsticks within the Color Sensational line of lip products. Sadly there are only 5 shades currently available in the UK but I really hope they extend it to the full 10! I'm dying to try Vivid Rose, Vibrant Mandarin and Brazen Berry. The colours that I picked up on this occasion were Fuchsia Flash, Shocking Coral and Neon Red.

Fuchsia Flash

I have never in my life worn a colour like this but I regret not doing it sooner! I've seen a whole bunch of comparisons and this looks like a very good dupe of MAC's much loved Candy Yum-Yum but with a shinier finish. It's a beautifully opaque neon pink with blue undertones.

 

Shocking Coral

I personally think of coral as a bit more peach/orange than this but I was pleasantly surprised with how wearable this yellow based pink is. This looks so beautiful worn with pared down eye makeup and soft peach blush. For potential dupes I've seen it compared to MAC's Impassioned and Party Parrot.

Neon Red

An orange based red. The colour in the bullet for some reason looks a lot darker than the colour when applied. It's a little difficult to tell from this image but I assure you, it's very orange based! From what I've seen online the colour looks extremely similar to MAC's Lady Danger which is one of the shades I've been lusting after for a long, long time. At least I know now it'll suit me!

First things first, big thumbs up for the cute neon/bright inspired names and packaging. The only thing I'll have a slight moan about is that because the colour of the packaging is identical they're a smidge difficult to differentiate. If you store your lipsticks upside down in an orderly fashion this obviously won't be an issue, but for my woefully disorganised basket of products I do have to check each one. Saying that, they really stand out amongst my other products so at least I only have 3 tubes to check! There is a slight, sweet scent too but nothing overpowering and it doesn't last when applied.

Most importantly, these are without a doubt the best lipsticks that I've ever tried. I know that doesn't mean a ton since I don't have that many actual lipsticks but regardless, I thought you should know! The colours are beautiful. Soft, shiny, opaque, super pigmented, long lasting, non-drying, creamy, non-feathering and I could go on like this all night. One of the massive pluses for me was the truly outstanding staying power. I can wear these all day and only have to top up after heavy meals. I've eaten sandwiches and drank from glasses and it doesn't really go anywhere (I was surprised too.) Admittedly, I do apply, blot, reapply for that level of staying power but still, pretty impressive. I also find them quite versatile too; a light blotting will create a matte effect and applying with some balm will create a sheer, pretty tint. I swear these will not leave my face for Summer 2013, I'm in love! I really think that this is evidence of the high street upping their game when it comes to lipsticks and I'm overjoyed to see it happening.

£7.19 from Boots or Superdrug.

Final Verdict: I adore them. Pigmented, creamy and long lasting, Please try one!

Have you tried any lipsticks from this line? What are your favourite drug store lipsticks?

Lauren

NOTD: Technic Celebration - Illamasqua Creator Dupe?

I've been lusting after Illamasqua's Creator ever since I saw a swatch of it. It just looked so mystical and it reminded me of  Prometheus (because I'd watched it the night before and I'm impressionable like that.) But like a lot of things that I want, I couldn't justify the price, particularly at £13.50 for a single nail varnish. Imagine my excitement when I came across Technic's Celebration! A possible dupe for £1.25? It immediately found it's way into my Love Thy Make Up Haul.

Celebration consists of 15ml of silver glitter suspended in black polish that is contained in a heavy based glass bottle. The packaging is sleek and functional but nothing special (and heavily borrowed from OPI's design.)

I was immediately disappointed by how sheer the base of this polish is. It came out as a dark milky grey colour and the opaqueness above was achieved with three coats of it. Saying that, application was very easy and the glitter spread evenly across the nail which can be a difficult thing to achieve in polishes like this. It also dried extremely quickly so it didn't bother me too much that I had to layer it up. The glitter is also much larger than in Creator so the galaxy effect is sadly lost; even more so because of the layering required. It's possible that it would be a lot less clunky-looking with a single coat over a black polish but I haven't tried it yet. Regardless, I actually really like this polish. I found myself looking at my nails a lot and even got a few compliments! The only problem is that on the third day of wearing it I experienced some rather vicious chipping. Admittedly, I should have used a base coat but it still surprised me that the lasting power was so poor! The remaining polish was an absolute nightmare to remove too, so if you do try this I recommend using a thick base coat.

Final Verdict: Definitely not a perfect dupe but a great alternative for people looking for something similar at a fraction of the cost. Nice effect but the lasting power and opacity could be better.

What do you think to this polish? Know of any other bargain Illamasqua dupes?

Lauren

Review: Clinique Chubby Stick in Chunky Cherry

I'm enormously pleased to tell you that the amazing prize that I won from Danniella was a Clinique Chubby Stick! If you were following me around December/January time on Twitter you probably would have seen my forlorn moans about being unable to find the Clinique Whole Lotta Colour set. I've been wanting to try the Chubby Sticks forever but I just couldn't justify the cost. Danniella took pity on me and let me choose a Chubby Stick for my prize! I was absolutely shocked and amazed and I can't even express how grateful I am. I decided to pick Chunky Cherry because I don't wear a lot of red on my lips (don't let the profile picture fool you, it was a special occasion!) and I thought this would be a great way to introduce it subtly. Plus, Danniella is a huge red lip fan and I thought I should honour her!

Let's just take a second to bask in it's beauty... ooh, ahh. Needless to say I love the packaging. The cute, floral, pastel box is to die for and I will never throw it away! The tube itself is very familiar since Revlon's Balm Stains are near enough identical (reviews here.) It's a perfect, sleek way to house the product and I love that you don't have to sharpen them. The cap stays on securely and it's very comfortable to hold and use. The colour selection in the range is fantastic and I adore the curvalicious names. Also noteworthy is that these do not have any kind of scent.

I adore the colour. It's soft, glossy and so flattering. It's easy to build up into a deeper colour too so I find it quite versatile. The lasting power also surprised me. The glossy finish doesn't last more than a couple of hours but contrary to everything I've read, I do feel that this gives me a slight pink stain. I love how evenly it fades. When you eat a meal it disappears naturally rather than leaving a tide line. The moisturising claims it comes with are completely justified. It just glides on and is so comfortable and hydrating. I wear this everywhere! Despite the price, I'm totally hooked. I know I'm going to buy one of these myself before the Summer. Perhaps a cheeky Boots points purchase? (£16)

Final Verdict: I absolutely adore it. If you can get hold of one, you should!

Have you tried these? Are you raving like a loony just as much as me?

Lauren

Wishlist: Topshop Make-Up

1/2/3/4/5/6

Last night during the #bbloggers chat a lot of the girls started talking about Topshop since there's currently free delivery on until Saturday with the code TREATME. I've actually been eyeing up the Topshop make-up for ages and I see great reviews all the time. Sadly my local store doesn't stock it and I actually got some really awful dirty looks for asking about it. I always seem to come across the nastiest staff in Topshop. I don't know if it's in the handbook that they have to be rude to people that won't fit in Leigh jeans but frankly, it kinda pisses me off. Regardless of my personal experience, I still find myself lusting over these cute cosmetics and these are the bits that are top of my list!

1. Blush in Flush £6
A really pretty peachy pink that is so flattering for pale skintones. I adore cream blushes, probably much more so than powder blushes. I find that they give a much more natural finish and last forever since a small amount goes such a long way. I also think the price is fairly reasonable and I love the cute packaging. I wish the website would tell me how much product is in it though, it's a bit difficult to judge if it's worth the money!

2. Lip Paint in Low Down £8

Honestly, this is a bit more than I would ideally like to pay, but oh my gosh I need it! It's a fluro bright orange liquid lipstick with a glossy finish. It sounds a lot like the Rimmel Apocalips (which I quite like) but I haven't seen a colour like this in this finish anywhere else. I recently discovered that I love orange lips on myself and this would be such a Summer staple!

3. Lip Stick in Coy £7

I'm still on the look out for my perfect nude lip and this peachy colour looks like it could be the one. It claims to also be a matte finish so hopefully it would also have some lasting power. So pretty.

4. Highlighter in Sunbeam £10

A beautiful golden, powder highlighter. Undeniably, this is probably the most hyped up item from the Topshop make-up range in the blogosphere. Even Lisa Eldridge uses this. Ideally I'd prefer Crescent moon (which was even more raved about) but sadly it's no longer available. I think this will look beautiful in the Summer with a light tan!

5. Nail in Plume £6

The most beautiful iridescent purple glitter nail varnish ever! This reminds me of a more blue/gold toned version of Illamasqua's Baptiste which you can see here. Utterly gorgeous.

6. Blush in Prime Time £6
This is something that was specifically recommended by a couple of people in the chat and I can see why! It's so pretty and I think a flush of pink like this is perfect for that just-out-the-wind fabulousness that Spring demands. It's another cream blush and it's an absolute must for me!

Altogether this comes to £43 which I don't think is exorbitant but it may be just a smidge out of reach for me right this second... However, the boyfriend does get paid tomorrow so maybe he could lend a penny or two to a beauty blogger in need? I'll keep you posted and I'm sure you'll see me gushing on twitter if I manage to reach the check out!

Have you got a Topshop make up wishlist? What's at the top of it for you?

Lauren

Review: Rimmel Glam'Eyes HD Palette in True Union Jack

I recently had a spot of luck and managed to bag myself a few Rimmel goodies from Danniella when she held a Twitter giveaway! I'm an avid fan of her beautiful blog Beauty in Japan and was absolutely ecstatic that I'd won. She even popped in an extra special present which I'll tell you more about soon! One of the products I received was the Glam'Eyes HD Palette in True Union Jack. I was so excited about this. I love the design and the colours. It's very cool and innovative and I sure do love me some home pride! I've looked at these palettes in Boots before and kept putting them back because I couldn't justify £6.99 on something that I probably wouldn't use very often.

As I've said, I love the design. It's very compact and attractive. The packaging is surprisingly sturdy and I've even knocked this onto the floor from a substantial height (accidentally!) and the shadows stayed intact. It comes with a tiny double-ended sponge applicator which went into the pile with all my others. Handy to have in an emergency but I tend to use brushes. The back of the palette shows a little diagram of a suggested way to wear it which is great for such an adventurous palette. It can sometimes be a little overwhelming trying to figure out what to do with a colour combo like this.

I have to be honest, I was a bit disappointed. The pigmentation wasn't anything to write home about and the highlight shade had very high fall out. You can see the photo above that there's silver shimmer all over the place and it doesn't even seem to have a real base, it's just shimmer! The two brights are quite sheer and it was nigh impossible to build them up. The black outer corner shade was the stand out for me, pigmentation was good and it was soft and easy to blend. It's just a shame that there's such a tiny amount of it in the palette.

You can see here how sheer the colours are on me. I found that even as I was applying it the pigmentation was fading rapidly and trying to blend them made them disappear completely. It was also very difficult to manoeuvre my brushes around the palette because the pans are so small and in such awkward shapes. I really struggled to load my brushes with precision. I honestly wouldn't wear this out of the house. I think I just looked messy and I wouldn't expect my eye shadow to look as washed out as this even after a long day.

I don't think of myself as being particularly difficult to please so I was surprised at how much I struggled with this! I think it's possible that the paleness of my skin had an effect on how pigmented these looked because I've looked at quite a few reviews and they all seem to be positive and the swatches look great. Very weird. Regardless of my experience, I think it's well worth having a go with one of these palettes, you can get them for just £1.99 at Fragrance Direct here. There are some really pretty colour combinations in the range and I'm sad that it didn't work for me!

Final Verdict: Just did not work for me. Worth a go for £1.99 but don't say I didn't warn you!

Have you tried these palettes? How do you rate Rimmel's eye shadows? 

Lauren

Favourite Blogs #4: Thrift Thick

Ahh, my first blogger from across the pond! I adore Thrift Thick and the stunningly beautiful blogger who runs it. Cassie's posts are filled with her witty sense of humour and I always find myself smiling as I read them. She also incorporates big, beautiful photos and it's just a joy to explore her work. Whilst I carry on inwardly worshipping Thrift Thick, I'll let Cassie introduce it for herself!

Thrift Thick's Banner, Starring Cassie's professional photobombing cat, Galileo.

Hi everyone!! My name is Cassie; I'm a 22 year old college graduate currently earning my MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in drawing and painting. I have a love and passion for all things fashion and beauty so I created a blog to further indulge my obsession. "ThriftThick" is essentially just a place where I can be myself and share my honest views on cosmetics (I tend to focus my thrifting and fashion on my YouTube channel of the same name) and simultaneous spam my viewers with photos of my cat, Galileo :)

Why did you start blogging?

Though I didn't realize it at the time, I think I started blogging because of my dream to be a

teacher. I love studying up on things and then sharing what I know with others so blogging was pretty much the perfect way for me to do this; reading other people's blogs helped me to research and discover products while starting my own blog allowed me an outlet to share my own opinions... which reminds me: I also wanted to create a blog that was nothing but 100% honest. I hate blogs that are full of nothing but PR samples and misleadingly positive reviews!!

A stunningly beautiful Tarte Blush (that I've been lusting over forever)

What's your favorite thing about blogging?

Hands down: the beauty community. I can't even begin to express how amazing it has been to interact with people from all over the world of so many different ages, backgrounds, etc. just because of a common interest in cosmetics. People have been so unbelievably kind to me (and I'd like to think I've been the same to others haha) and really motivate me to continue being myself both online and in real life :)

If you could choose just one holy grail product, what would it be and why?

Oh gosh... how do you pick??? If I had to pick skincare it would absolutely be the Acne Free Severe Terminator 10 Spot Treatment (it has cleared up my acne better than any other product and, as a girl who has suffered from acne for 10+ years now, that means a lot!!). 

However, if I had to pick makeup I would definitely pick Estee Lauder's Double Wear Light Foundation (I wear Intensity 2.0); beautiful skin is one of the quickest ways to feeling beautiful and confident and this foundation is the best I've ever used!!

Cassie's base products from her "How Much Is My Face Worth?" post! Lady with expensive taste.

Do you have any tips for new bloggers?

I feel like everyone says this, but: ignore the numbers. I didn't get my first follower until over a month into my blog but, since I loved what I was doing, I kept at it and now have some of the loveliest and committed followers (some that I can now call friends) that dreams are made of. 

Oh, and don't be the spam commenter on other people's blogs... you know, that person who leaves a comment like "Lovely! xx insertname&bloglinkhere". It's beyond obvious that you just copy and pasted that comment from a sticky note on your desktop and people will basically hate you and not want to check out your blog haha.

Describe your personal style?

"Grab bag". I honestly don't know that my style fits into just one category (and I've always been told that I'm one of the hardest people to buy for *sob*) since I love so many facets of fashion so a grab bag seems like an appropriate comparison. That probably comes from my thrifting obsession as well (I kind of go nuts for a good grandpa cardigan or man sweater)!!

One of my personal favourite OOTD's from Cassie. All the way back from July! Looking utterly stunning.

Do your friends and family know about your blog?

Yes and no. My closest friends and family know about (and silently stalk) my blog but I have the hardest time telling other people in my day-to-day life about my internet life... I don't know what it is but it's just too strange to tell others!!

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat to me Cassie, I couldn't agree more with the things you've said! I'm definitely a firm believer in beautiful skin making me feel confident and it really is so important to blog for no one but yourself! Please, please, please go and check out Thrift Thick and say hi to Cassie, I promise you won't regret it!

Lauren

Review: MUA Lip Boom in It's A Situation

I've had this product for a while now and it's taken me a ridiculously long time to get around to reviewing it! MUA is a brand that I can always rely on to make good quality products for very low prices. There are always going to be some hits and misses but I had high hopes for this little duo product because I was so in love with the colour of the lipstick! 

You'll have to excuse the grey smudges every where, the product was taped together and it's made a friggin' mess. It's such a huge turn off for me! That aside, I actually really like the packaging of this product. The cardboard sleeve is neither here nor there for me personally. Alexandra Burke doesn't impinge on my consciousness and I couldn't tell you one of her songs with a gun to my head so I'm not sure why MUA bothered to feature her. They must have had to pay her to "work" with them and I don't think they got their moneys worth. I'm sure she's a lovely person and all but she's not someone that's going to influence what make-up I purchase. Only my fellow beauty bloggers can devastate my bank account like that, and my God I love you for it.

The Lip Booms come in long tubes with a lipstick on one end and a coordinating glittery gloss on the other. I love that the name on the tube is printed in holographic letters. It's sad but it's just so pretty and I definitely wouldn't mind pulling it out of my bag for touch-ups. The rest of the packaging is typical of MUA products, sleek, simple plastic that's either black or clear. It feels really sturdy and the lipstick doesn't slip out of the casing, even when I batter it in my make-up bag. The lipstick itself is a beautiful plummy-wine colour. Very vampy and will suit all skin tones as an evening lipstick or even a deep colour for dark skin tones during the day. It claims to be matte but there's definitely a slight sheen to it. The good news about that is that it doesn't dry out your lips, the bad news is that it doesn't last as long and it transfers very easily. The gloss is a rosy pink that is chock full of glitter. Like ridiculously, massive pieces of glitter. I'll just say straight away that I didn't buy this product for the gloss and I genuinely think that glitter this size shouldn't be anywhere on your face after 2001/the age of 11. It is a pretty colour though and I quite liked the strong sweet vanilla scent though of course it won't be to everyone's taste.

The packaging claims that the product has been designed to be used four ways, as a sheer gloss, full matte colour, colour and gloss or gloss applied to the centre to give the illusion of fuller lips. I honestly think that wearing this gloss in the centre of your lips isn't going to fool anyone. It's glitter for goodness sakes, there's nothing subtle about it. The lipstick is absolutely beautiful though, really creamy and opaque. However, It does cling a little to dry patches. I applied this once and had to take it off and exfoliate my lips before trying again because it just looked awful. It does also feather slightly so it may not be a great one for mature skin without a liner or clear buffer. It lasts a good 2-3 hours or so before fading and requiring touch ups. You absolutely will need to touch up after eating though. It transfers very easily and would need powdering to set it. The gloss isn't overly sticky and doesn't actually look too bad once applied over the lipstick. The only problem is the grittiness and the fact that the glitter clings on long after the lipstick has disappeared, so you end up with a wine coloured stain and bizarre pieces of glitter stuck all over your lips. It's not a good look. I also ended up with glitter on my chin and one of my cheeks and I don't even know how it got there. This product would have been so much better if it had included a sheer gloss in the same colour as the lipstick rather than the glitter. It would have faded much more naturally and looked a heck of a lot more elegant. But, it is only £3, and it's okay for a bit of fun so I can't moan too much!

Final Verdict: A bit "meh" really. I wish MUA had brought out It's A Situation as a regular lipstick in their current line and this could have been a very different review. Nice for younger girls and would make cute party favours.

Have you tried any of the Lip Booms? What's your favourite MUA product?

Lauren

Guest Post: Albertine's Floral Nail Tutorial

During the last Sunday #bbloggers chat I talked about how I'd like the opportunity to do/host more guest posting as it's such a nice way to put yourself out there. Luckily Albertine from DippyWrites had saw what I said and dropped me an email with her fantastic tutorial idea and we arranged to swap guest posts! Albertine is a really lovely girl and a great blogger so please go and check out her blog and maybe even give her a comment or follow! Keep a look out for her super cute moodboards that always leave me feeling inspired. Over to you!

Heya everyone! As Spring is (literally!!) just around the corner, I thought I would share with 

you a nice and simple floral nail tutorial. This is something I taught myself after seeing a few 

tutorials online and it's actually a lot easier than you would think to do!

I used my nail dotting tools to do this, but I think you could just as easily do it using a toothpick.

Okay so firstly paint your nails with a nude coloured polish. I used just one coat of Essie's Topless and Barefoot. Don't worry too much about it being a little bit streaky, as the majority of it will be covered with flowers.

Then, use your nail dotting tool or toothpick and a pale yellow nail polish to create the middles of the flowers. I decided to go for 3-4 per nail so it didn't look too crowded. Again, it doesn't really matter about getting these a perfect circle shape, as long as they're not too big, they'll be fine :)

Next, take a lilac nail polish and your nail dotting tool or toothpick and gently dab nail polish around the yellow centres of half of your flowers. I used Model's Own Lilac Dream for this (which is also a pretty good dupe for Essie's Splash of Grenadine!). The key to this is to make sure you don't have too much polish on your tool/toothpick, or it could end up looking a bit too messy.

Finally take a pink nail polish and repeat step 3. I decided to use Essie's Cute as a Button for this. And there you have it! Simple floral nails for spring :) Another great thing about this floral nail art is that you can use any colour you want for the petals, next time I'm thinking of using oranges and blues to create a bit of a clash!

I hope you've enjoyed reading my guest post for Lauren, and if you have, please feel free to check out my blog: DippyWrites :)

Thank you so much Albertine! Very pretty for Spring. I'm utterly dire at nail art so I'll definitely be trying this out some time soon. I'll be posting about my Top 5 Nail Varnishes for Spring over at DippyWrites so please go and check that out too when it's up, there are some really gorgeous colours that made the cut! 

Lauren

Valentine's Gift Review: Illamasqua Freak Coffret

If you're anywhere close to being as simple as me you'll also have to Google define "coffret." Luckily I've already done it and can tell you it's a very pretty French word for gift set. I love Illamasqua. I lust after everything they make and Freak was no exception. I've whet my appetite in the sales before but this was a dream! I love getting perfumes for Valentines Day and Anniversaries. There's something very personal and sensual about a fragrance and I think it takes someone who really knows you (or at least has access to your wishlist) to buy them.

It was literally impossible to get a good photo of the box, it's so shiny and for once it was actually extremely bright outside so all I got was a mottled photo of me in the plastic. I'd love to know how they get those stock photos so clear. But you get the idea! It's a small, neat box with a pretty purple and black design and silver detailing.

The set contains a 30ml bottle of Freak perfume, a full size Baptiste Nail Varnish and a S.O.P.H.I.E Medium Pencil.

The star of the show here is of course Freak. I'll admit that I was sad that this size bottle didn't come with the happy little snail climbing up the side but I'm going to overlook it because of how much I adore this scent.

Freak is a deep, woody scent layered with night-blooming florals. It's a unique but vintage smell that I don't think will ever age. There's something about Freak which I find familiar and comforting. It's been a very long time since I've smelt the bottle of YSL Opium that had been sitting on my mothers dressing table since the 80's but I'm almost certain that they resemble each other. The nostalgia was an unintended perk but I love that this reminds me of her. Freak lasts for ages and softens beautifully over time, I only noticed that it had disappeared after I woke up the next day. It's a strong fragrance but not at all overwhelming. A true winner that I'll be wearing for a long time.

Baptiste is just breathtakingly beautiful. I took me forever to get a photo that came close to doing it justice. It's a deep purple with heavy purple shimmer that shines slightly pink (as you can see above.) Application was really easy and the brush was a nice size and shape to coat the nails in three strokes. This is my third Illamasqua polish and it's has been my favourite formula so far. It took two coats to become opaque and dried very quickly. I can really see why this is such a well-loved shade! It looks like a galaxy in the bottle, absolutely mesmerising.

The Illamasqua medium pencils can be used all over the body including on the lips. Sophie is completely black and matte. Being the lip fanatic I am, I immediately started painting away onto my lips. It's certainly not a look for the faint hearted but my teeth were gleaming! I haven't included a photo because I made an absolute mess around my lip line (note to self, practice using lip liners) but I can say that it was very warm, smooth, creamy and easy to blend. It didn't even feel all that drying. Once it's set however, it's fairly difficult to budge, so it makes a great liner to use with smokey eyes on nights out.

Overall I think this is a gorgeous set and the items included are very well thought out and work together beautifully. It's certainly more of an "alternative" gift for Valentines day which is usually overrun with pink and cuddly toys clutching hearts, but I know which one I'd prefer. I don't think it's overpriced at all for what you get and I know for a fact that I've spent more on single perfumes in the past, so it's nice to get a cute little group like this! There are still lots of Valentines Gifts available on Very.co.uk so it may be the time to jump on and treat the most important person in your life. (It's you, by the way.)

Illamasqua Freak Coffret* very.co.uk £47

Have you tried Freak? Did you get a perfume today?

Lauren

Review and Swatches: Technic Electric Beauty Electric Eyes Eyeshadow Palette

As promised, today I'm bringing you the swatches from my gorgeous bargain palette that I bought in my recent haul from Love The Make-Up! I didn't really know what to expect from this because the colours are just so vibrant. I know it's difficult sometimes to get that to translate outside of the pan and I imagine even more difficult for £1.99. So did it wow me?

The packaging is exactly the same as the Ultra Violet Palette, sleek, black and easy to open and close. It has a large mirror that runs the length of the packaging and includes a double ended sponge applicator. It's essentially exactly the same layout you would see in a Sleek i-Divine Palette. The shadows themselves are all shimmer finishes and come in a wide range of colours. I have to admit that what really drew me to this palette was the dark magenta pink and golden olive/lime colours in the top centre of the palette. They are just indescribably beautiful! It was difficult to really catch the vibrancy of these shades on camera but I can assure you that they have a serious wow-factor!

Bizarrely the colours inside run backwards to the photo shown on the palette itself. Very strange but I'll let it slide considering the price.

The first group of six is all warm pinks and oranges. The only swatch that I had a little bit of trouble with was the first pale yellow. It came out a little bit patchy but still works as a nice highlight. I really love the peach/copper shade (5) too. I use colours like this all the time and it really didn't seem very exciting in the pan but it's gorgeous! Perfect for a day look with an added touch of glam. The magenta didn't disappoint me either, it shines slightly blue which you can see a little of in the photo.

The second group contains cool tones of green, aqua and purple. By some glorious twist of fate it seems that my favourite colour from the palette is the smoothest and most pigmented of them all! Can I get an Hallelujah?! It's just stunning. A little disappointing is the fact that the middle three colours are nearly identical. I would have much rather they include another green or a cobalt.

Being the excitable lass I am I immediately started experimenting and threw together these two looks. These were done extremely fast, I mean like 60 seconds fast. I just gave my eyes a quick wipe with a makeup wipe to remove any oils and applied the shadows with my fingers. 

This is the pink on the bottom row all over the lid, magenta in the crease and under the eye using the sponge applicator and orange blended up towards the brow. I then applied my Maybelline Master Smoky Pencil in Smoky Violet (review here) to the water line and close to the upper lash line and added mascara. I look like a holiday cocktail and I don't care who knows it.

And of course I had to showcase this! It definitely reads more lime on the eyes but I don't have the slightest problem with that! I simply blended it all over the lid with my finger and added a thick line of Collection Felt Liner in Teal (review here) and an extra line of Rimmel's Exaggerate Liquid Liner in Black underneath. Topped with mascara. People will have to put up with seeing me wearing this all through Spring and Summer. It's so Mother Earth.

I don't know if you'd noticed but I actually wore these at the same time on each eye! Naturally I didn't leave the house but it's definitely an attention grabbing look...
I'm happy to announce that the wear time of these is just as good as the Ultra Violet Palette. There was zero creasing but they did fade a little around the 6 hour mark. Two colourful thumbs up from me!

Final Verdict: Well worth £1.99 and a must for any colour-lovers on a budget.

Lauren

Haul: Technic from Love Thy Make-Up

Ahh my first haul of February. Feels good. I won a couple of Technic products in a recent giveaway and discovered that they were of surprisingly good quality for a very low price. This led me to Love Thy Make-Up which is a stockist of quite a few low-priced brands. I'll be honest, I hadn't heard of any of the brands or of Love The Make-Up before but I'm definitely more inclined to take the plunge and try something new now that I know it's a stockist I can trust. I actually picked this lot up during a free delivery week so it was a super bargain! Believe it or not I got everything in the picture below for £16.45 which is just jawdroppingly cheap! And even better, delivery only took 2 days which is fantastic since I'm notoriously impatient for internet orders!

Palettes: 

Electric Beauty Eyeshadows in Ultra Violet £1.99 (Review and swatches here)

Electric Beauty Eyeshadows in Electric Eyes £1.99

Eyeshadow Quartet in Set 1 £1.49

Cream Blush:

Whipped Blusher Mousse in Candy Pink 01 £2.99

Whipper Blusher Mousse in Peaches N Cream 07 £2.99

Nail Varnishes:

Party Brights Nail Varnish in Ayia Napa (Green) £1.25

Party Brights Nail Varnish in Koh Phangan (Blue) £1.25

Party Brights Nail Varnish in South Beach Miami (Yellow) £1.25

Nail Varnish in Celebration £1.25

The Ultra Violet Palette isn't actually for me, it's for the lovely Katie from Katie Alyse who is an amazing blogger from across the pond. She loved the colours so I suggested we do a swap since she didn't have access to it, so I have that to look forward to around my birthday! Since I was so blown away by my own Technic Palette, I decided to try another one and see if I could repeat my good luck, here's hoping.

So many gorgeous colours! I love green eye shadow and cream blushes are a current obsession so I really hope these live up to my expectations. I'm hoping I can get some swatches up from the Electric Eyes Palette today or tomorrow so I can showcase it! Also worth noting is that the Nail Varnish Celebration looks like a dupe for Illamasqua's famed Creator. With a saving of over £12 I don't need to tell you which one I'd rather have. I'm looking forward to wearing this so I can compare to some photos online!

What do you think of my picks? Have you ever ordered from Love Thy Make-Up before?

Lauren