Benefit Ultra Plush Lipgloss

The wonderful people at Benefit have come up with such a great idea. Thier famous box blushers have now been teamed with thier counterpart lipglosses! Your cheeks and lips can now be complemented with matching colours. For instance you can now waer Dandelion blusher with the new Dandelion lipgloss to match! These glossess are counterparts to all the box blushes Benefit has (except Hervana sadly). There are 6 shades in total:

• Dandelion (as purchased by myself for this particular review) - Frosty pink
• Coralista - Im sure by its name that you can tell that it is a Coral colour
• Dallas - Which is a darker pink. Id say it is a Rose Pink with a Brown undertone.
• Sugarbomb - this colour is pink also, but darker than Dandelion but is still a nude.
• Bella Bamba - Is more of a punchy and bright colour. Id say it is a lot brighter than Coralista, but it is sheer.
• Hoola - which in the box is a bronzer (and if im right it has been voted the UK's number one Bronzer!). In lipgloss it is brown but is sheer with golden shimmer.

I picked up Dandelion today after my makeup lesson. I choose this colour because I love the box blush version. I knew the colour was right for me straight away. As said above, it is a frosty pink colour that has a lovely shimmer. The lipgloss itself is very soft and silky. It glides on easily. It doesn't have that sticky residue finish at all. It is very moisturising also. I cannot stand lipglosses that are sticky but I can guarentee that this lipgloss is not sticky at all. The packaging is simple and decided with the box blushes in mind. They are squeezey tubes which is good for fast application. The tip is shaped perfectly to fit the shape of your lips, so application is mistake-free and smooth. The tube is a great size for traveling or just going out. I think above all this product does save you a lot of time because of these features, and also because you already have two matching products (if you posess the box blush as well) so there is no thought as to what you would match with your cheeks or with your lips. Though you dont have to just stick with Dandelion on your lips and cheeks, there is a freedom to decide other colours, it is compeltely down to you and the look you have decided!

For me what sets this gloss apart from all the others on the market is the fact that there is a blusher to match, which is a breath of fresh air. For those who are not experienced with makeup or are unsure about what goes with what, then I would reccomend the blush and gloss. Both are great products. I cannot rave about them enough!

I bought my gloss from a Benefit counter for £13.50. They are all this price. The box blushers are £23.50. I only have a swatch of the Dandelion, however there are swatches on the Benefit website which I shall link below.

http://www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk/brand/beautyschool/shadefinders/box-o-powder-gloss

Let me know what you think. A great idea? :)

Miss B xx

Bourjois Paris Smile Enhancing Gloss

It's a breath of fresh air when a product comes along that can take care of two jobs, instead of one. This gloss from Bourjois encompassess that quality. Yes it is a lip gloss, however it also embodies a tooth brightening effect gel! I have yet to come accross a two in one product such as this. It is unique for its versatillity. Needless to say I am impressed with this idea. It is not a mere lip product. It focuses on your smile. What do you recon??

As for the product's usage, the tooth brightening gel only has to be sweeped across your smile. It is gentle for your teeth and tastes like Mint! As for the lipgloss itself, it just your average lip gloss. A safe lipgloss you can rely on when you fancy wearing it. So besides having pretty glossy lips, you can achieve a bright smile as well.

I picked up the colour 07 Beige Tapis Rouge because this product I want to use as an everyday gloss, and the more neutral the colour is, the more I will wear it (for myself). I recommend this for those of you who travel a lot because it is convienient for touch ups of your teeth looking clean and of course for glossy lips. With that in mind, I recon this is perfect for just about anyone - Party go-ers, Brides, Proms. Especially those who are always on the go because this process is such a quick and easy one, it bears thinking about.

Bourjois has this gloss in 6 shades and they cna be purchased anywhere with a Bourjois counter. I got mine in Boots for £8.99.

http://www.bourjois.co.uk/catalog/make_up/lips/gloss/smile_enhancing_gloss
http://www.boots.com/en/Bourjois-Smile-Enhancing-Gloss_1238040/

Miss B xx

Revlon Colour Burst Lip Butter

Revlon lip butters have been released in the UK only in recent months. It was an anticipated release as these butters are very popular in America. These butters are everywhere you look in the UK. You only have to put on the TV or open a magazine to see Emma Stone's ad campaign. The formula contains Mango, Shea and Cocoa Butter, which act as the moisturising agent. Each butter is not completely sheer. The pigments in these butters are visible and I recon they can be worn in the place of lipstick. There are 20 colours to choose from in the UK, which is great because you are never short of choice! Believe me the decision of which lip butter colour you want is hard, mind that's because I am very indecisive.

I bought two neutral colours to begin with because I thought two safe colours would be good to try. I got Peach Parfait (below) and Sugar Frosting (above). Peach Parfait to me looks darker in the bullet rather than it is swatched. It is indeed Peach that looks to me has more of a pink undertone than orange. Sugar Frosting speaks for itself in that the colour is indeed a frosty pink. It could just be my eyes but I can see silver shimmer in there too. This colour is quite sheer in comparison to peach parfait, however I think this is because it's only meant to give your lips shimmer rather than colour.

In my opinion these butters where worth the wait. They are better than a tin lip balm because you are not wasting left over product on your fingers and also it is cleaner application. The packaging is nice. The butters are in bullets that you twist, just like a lipstick. Each butter has different colour packaging depending on its butter colour. You forget that you are not using a lipstick even though the butters come in bullet form. I did find that I had to reapply the balm every 2 hours or there abouts. However my lips where moisturised during that time. I think these are perfect for those who dislike using lip stick and those who like lip balm. I have purchased one of these butters as a gift for a friend. These butters are therefore great gifts for anyone. As a word of warning these butters can melt so be careful. Another slight down side is that while applying the butter, some of the butter runs off the bullet and on the packaging making it look slightly messy. You can wear these butters alone or you could put a slick of gloss over the top if you prefer.

This product can be purchased at any revlon counter. I got mine from Superdrug in the UK for £7.99, however they are now on offer in Superdrug for £5.99.
http://www.superdrug.com/search?q=Revlon+lip+butter&searchsubmit=Search
http://www.revlon.co.uk/Revlon-Home/Products/Lips/Lipcolor/Revlon-ColorBurst-Lip-Butter.aspx

More colours of these butters are on my list - fantastic products.

Miss B xx

Kiko Pencil Lip Gloss

I could not resist walking into Kiko Cosmetics in Westfields this week, during my time in London. This is because I have been to a Kiko shop whilst visiting a friend in Barcelona. Seeing this shop in London was a surprise because I did not think that Kiko was sold here in the UK, but obviously I am wrong! And I am very very very happy that I was wrong! 

Kiko is an Italian cosmetic brand. It's motto is to 'be what you want to be'. this does translate into their products because they are very good quality and extremely good value for money! Their choice of colours are fantastic, for example one wall was dedicated to different types of nail varnish. This wide spectrum of colour does allow you to express yourself and fulfil the afore mentioned motto. According to their website their products are non-comedogenic (face make up) and ophthalmologically tested (eye make up). Their products are inspired by Milan fashion. Also according they do not test on animals which is great. If you want to know more about the brand then the website shall be posted below.

One product really caught my eye, because I have not seen a product like this before - a lip gloss pencil! At first you think of it to be dupe of the Clinique Chubby Sticks. However these Kiko pencils are a fraction of the price and are literally lipgloss. These pencils come in 12 shades. The formula is fantastic because it is so soft, creamy and produces a beautiful glossy veil on your lips (much like ordinary gloss from a tube). I do prefer the pencil gloss in some respects because it is faster and I believe more hygienic. The formula contains anti-aging vitamin E which is great because prevention is better than a cure! Out of the 12 shades I picked shade number 7 in Baby Pink. This colour is not sheer. It leaves your lips with a gorgeous baby pink colour. One sweep is all you need. The last fab thing about this pencil is the price! They retail at £3.90 in the UK. I recently purchased another lip gloss pencil as a gift for someone because they are fantastic and extremely good value for money! Therefore for me, Kiko do fulfil their motto. 

One down side about this product is that it is a pencil and would require sharpening. However sharpeners are not difficult to find. Just have this in mind when you purchase this product. The cheapest I could find in Boots was a Bourjois sharpener that sharpens lip pencils and eye liner kohl's also. Here is the link for that  - http://www.boots.com/en/Bourjois-Paris-Pencil-Sharpener_50602/ 


http://www.kikocosmetics.com/eshop/uk/home


The swatches where taken outside Kensington Palace today after our tour. Such a pretty building. 


Miss B xx

Broadway Impress Press On Manicure Kits

I recently got these press on manicure sets by broadway because I needed something fast and easy to jazz up my poor nails. I saw these in boots and instantly lived them! Thr designs on the nails I thought made the nails look more expensive than they actually are!

In regards to the product itself, each box of these nails contain the nails and a cute plastic case to keep them in. I'm on my way to London as we speak so I love the fact that I got a case to all these nails together and in good condition. I'm all for organisation! Also you can keep future nails in these cases or other things if you prefer! Another fantastic and handy feature of these nails is its adhesive method. You literally peel off the back, stick it to the nail and that is it!! No fuss with glue. I find using nail glue slightly annoying because you have to be cautious because it's bonding agents are very surprisingly strong. With usual peel off nails they can feel slightly loose on your nail. However these nails are different! They seem to be designed with the full purpose of being stuck on. They are fast to put on. It took me 5 minutes on the train. I brought my own nail glue just in case, but I never used it once! I love love love these nails!! Best false nails that I have used . Definitely.

I think these where £8.99 in Boots each. There where about 5 other designs I think (don't quote me). And if I remember rightly they varied in price. These nails where the most expensive. The nails in the picture are called Love Struck. I recommend them for first time users especially but ultimately for everyone.

Miss B xx

L'Oreal Glam Shine Miss Candy Lip Glosses

These lipglosses look good enough to eat!  In a nut shell, the name says it all. Its lipgloss that have been swirled together to look like yummy sweeties! This is the difference to the ordinary Glam Shines that L'Oreal make. Everything else is the same, in terms of packaging and the trademark heart shaped applicator (more on that later). I picked up the colours Pink Treat, Nude Bonbon and Tart Lollipop. I got three from Booth because they where too pretty to just leave behind! They come in 6 colours.

The gloss itself is very hydrating. It definetely gives your lips some definition, especially the darker shades. It is as if this gloss plumps them slightly. As for the glossyness (if that is even a word), the name says it all. The formula gives beautiful shine. I would describe it as more glassy than glossy. To me glossy means that it is sticky, and this lip gloss is NOT sticky. So thumbs up to the formula and now for the colours themselves.

The colours I chose - first of all Pink Treat. The colours in the tube are a light peach and a slightly darker peach, (with more of a pink undertone) that have been swirled together. There is also, what appears to be Gold specs of glitter loaded into the formula to create a dazzling shine. The next colour is Nude Bonbon, which in comparison to Pink Treat is not shimmery (no glitter). So if shimmer is not your taste then I suggest this colour. In the tube, the colours are a soft baby pink that is swirled with a white colour, with pink undertones again. Together these colours leave a pretty frosty finish on your lips rather than a full on shimmer. For some reason it reminds me of strawberry and vanilla icecream that has been swirled together. It is very femine and incredibly wearable day or night. And finally the most dramatic (I would say). Tart Lollipop combines a red/orange, with a pink/purple that has been swirled together. In this tube, it is the pink/purple that has glitter but the red/orange is matte. It may seem quite out there, however together when worn on the lips it creates a dark pink with a hint of shimmer (I would say). It is wearable and evens up your lip colour nicely.

So besides the swirled colours, what makes this lipgloss one of the best on the market? I would say the applicator. I would say it is mistake free. It is in the shape of a heart, which is remarkable because it fits the shape of your mouth perfectly. Another impressive feature is the hole in the middle of the sponge. Gloss collects in the sponge when you pull it out of the tube, and when you press the applicator sponge on a surface (i.e. your lips), the hole in the middle of the sponge allows the gloss to seep through. This therefore means that one sweep accross your lips is all you need. This in turn makes it faster and easier to apply. This brush is featured on all the Glam Shine Glossess.

There are more colours available, I just picked three of them. Like I said earlier, I purchased mine from Boots. These glossess retail in the UK for £7.69. It does seem a lot for a lip gloss but I do think they are worth the money. Check them out!

Miss B xx

Floral Nails Using Rimmel London Polish

This nail design is very vintage inspired. It is really simple to do and does not take as long to do, as you would think! It is very simple and pretty, and I think a really nice summery look!

I used all Rimmel London polishes because I find them the most reliable polish to work with. However, you can use any polish you want in similar colours to what I am using. You could change the pink for any other shade you fancy. For example Red, Blue or purple. Just think Floral. I decided to play it safe with a nice rosy pink.

What I used:

• Rimmel London 60 seconds nail varnish in the colours, 500 Caramel Cupcake, 405 Rose Libertine and 730 Silver Bullet.

• Rimmel London I Love Lasting Finish in Minty Jade 2 old hair grips (you could use a toothpick but I did not have any so improvising was needed!)

First of all the base colour will need to be applied. For this look I used Rimmel London 60 Second polish in 500 Caramel Cupcake. It is a classy, nude beige colour. You can use any colour you fancy but I reccommend a colour that does not clash with the colour of your roses.

Wait to dry and then apply another coat.

After the second coat is dry you want to begin your roses. I took my Rimmel London Rose Libertine polish and placed 3 spots (not blobs) on each nail.

Next I dipped one end of my grip into the colour silver bullet and placed a spot of it in the middle of each of the 3 pink spots.

The using the other end of the grip I swirled the both colours together. When doing this be careful to not over swirl because you do not want to lose the pink around the edge of the rose. A tip, apply silver bullet and swirl the colours when the polish is still wet. Do this to every nail. And wait for your roses to dry.

To create the leaves I took another grip and dipped it into the colour misty jade and did little strokes on the edge of every rose. A nail art pen in any green colour would be ideal here but due to my lack of preparation I used a grip.

And that is how I created this floral look! Like I said there is room for you to experiment with different colour flowers or backgrounds. I hope this gave you an idea of how to do the basics.

Miss B xx