⭐️NEW VIDEO REVIEW⭐️

Hello Makeup Lovers!

You can check out my latest review here:

⭐️NEW YOUTUBE VIDEO⭐️

Hello Makeup Lovers! Check out my new video below!

Daydreaming about this palette…

Lottie London is a brand I’ve been following for ages. I first saw their products in Superdrug and fell in love with their super soft and colourful makeup brushes. Some of their nail polish shades make me want to cry with how beautiful they are, and I’ve been waiting to get my hands on some of their brush cleanser to try it out but its always sold out (I’m taking that as a good sign).

If you follow them on instagram, you’ll have seen that they’ve brought out two new palettes to get you #SelfieReady. My favourite out of the two is definitely Seize The Daydream. I’m not usually a huge fan of neutrals because I like a pop of colour, but, I’ve started to get into them recently this season. What I love about this palette has some plum and purple shades as well as two classic neutral shades, that way I can still have some colour in my look thats perfect for autumn, but I can also stay pretty neutral for my everyday makeup.

What’s also great is that this palette comes with a bronzer, blush and highlight shade that compliments the colour palette. This means that if you’re on the go, you can keep your makeup products in your bag for touch ups to a minimum, or if you’re travelling it really shrinks the size of your makeup bag.

Something that’s also not to be argued about is the price. This palette that contains six eyeshadow shades and a highlighter, blusher and bronzer will only set you back a meagre £11.99. For such a multifunctional palette, it’s great value and for someone who is always conscious about money, I would have no qualms about buying this product.

What do you guys think?

Sparkle On! – Ellie .xx

Try It Out Tuesday : Gigi Mermaid Eyes!

This week I’ve gone for a tutorial that really caught my eye. It’s a tutorial by Lou Teasdale for THE BOOK CHANNEL on YouTube (which you can subscribe to here) for a look worn by Gigi Hadid. I love that it’s been called Mermaid Eyes, it speaks to me on a deeper, inner level.

I had to get a little creative for this tutorial since I didn’t have a lot of the products, but despite that, I think I’ve managed to recreate the look really well. I didn’t have the blue cream products, however I did have a white shimmery cream product and lots of different blue eyeshadows so it was a case of mixing them together on the back of my hand until I got a colour I could substitute. I could have done with a darker purple for the outer corners of my eyes, but I did the best I could with the eyeshadows I had.

All in all, I really kind of love this look. I would even actually consider wearing this on a night out. I think its fun and funky, unique, but not too over the top. You can tone it down by using less product, or you can go full glam like Gigi’s original look.

Since there’s no fancy eyeliner work and no false lashes to apply (though you totally could), this is a really simple look for beginners as long as you have decent blending skills! I’d love to experiment with other colours for this look, maybe some darker, grungier colours, or even bright citrus colours. The possibilities are endless!

If you give it a go and love it too, let me know. The original tutorial is down below.

Sparkle On! – Ellie .xx

Review : Lottie Tomlinson Nail Paint Can

If you’re familiar with Nails Inc you’ll be familiar with the concept of their nail paint can which is essentially spray paint for your nails for a super fast manicure. If you’re familiar with Lottie Tomlinson, you’ll know she’s an up and coming makeup artist and has collaborated with Nails Inc to make a new shade for the paint cans.

I present to you, Good As Gold.

Good As Gold is exactly what it says on the tin – quite literally. It’s a gorgeous glimmering gold shade which is perfect for summer.

The application process is simple – as long as you remember a base coat! Just shake the can and hold 10-15cm away from the nail and spray in short, sharp bursts. I’d say don’t hold it down for more than a split second otherwise you won’t just be spraying your nail gold, you’ll be redecorating the room you’re doing it in. Let the first coat dry and then go in for a second coat. The amazing thing about this is that whatever magical formula Nails Inc have come up with in order to make it sprayable (and washable which I’ll talk more about in a minute) also means that it dries super duper quick so there’s no waiting around or risk of chipping before you’ve even finished. Then to make it last a bit longer, apply a top coat and you’re done. It’s that easy. Take a look at the result!

Obviously with a spray, it does get on your fingers a little bit so there’s two options. You can either just wash it off like the back of the can recommends and it absolutely does come off easily with a bit of warm water, or you can purchase a little bottle of Simply Peel, which is a liquid latex that you paint on the skin around the nail and peels off all the collateral damage once you’ve finished.

I, for one, think this product is great. It’s super fast and easy. The colour is gorgeous and the wear time is also really good. It doesn’t last as long as other polishes, but I’ve been wearing it for three days now and its only just starting to chip at the tips of my nails. I also think it’s going to be great for nail art. Because the formula is lighter I think its going to be easier to peel off the nail art stencils allowing for a neater design – this is a theory I shall be testing.

For those of you who follow my instragram, you may have already seen my picture of this, which Lottie Tomlinson and Nails Inc both liked and commented on (I died a little), but I wanted to do a full review in case any of you were on the fence about trying it.

I’ve left links below to buy the paint can, but also to the base and top coast I used which is the one Nails Inc recommend. If you’re a nail varnish lover, I’d definitely recommend becoming a Nails Inc VIP for £5 a year to get 10% discount every time you shop online (I did!).

All in all, this might be my new favourite.

Sparkle On! – Ellie .xx

Good As Gold Nail Paint Can
The Paint Can’s Best Friend Top and Base Coat
Simply Peel

Review : Primark PS Pro Oval Brushes

I’m sure any of you makeup aficionados have seen these brushes circulating. These makeup brushes seem to be all the rage now because of the Photoshop-esque effect they manage to create when you apply your makeup, but you may also end up paying a pretty penny for a set of them.

However, you don’t have to! Primark are now selling these toothbrush shaped brushes for a price that anyone would be silly to argue with. Now I know what you’re thinking, surely they’ve compromised on the quality? They can’t be as good as the more expensive ones? But I am here to tell you that I think they’re exactly the same.

I picked up two of these brushes which only set me back £6.50 and I’ve tried them out so I can give you my honest opinion.

They’re brilliant.

I used the large one to apply my foundation and I’ve never seen my foundation look so smooth. The bristles are super soft and gentle on the skin and they buff out the product really well and really evenly without any of the brush hairs falling out of the brush like so often happens with cheaper brushes. When you take away the brush from the skin, you cannot see any product left visible on the brush and the control the shape of the brush gives you is great. I use the smaller one to blend out my contour colour. It works exactly like a beauty blender. One drop of water and it blends out cream colours beautifully. It’s a lot more precise and quicker than a beauty blender. I can quite easily say, I’m converted.

So if you’re like me and can’t afford to splash out on the expensive sets all the pros have, you really don’t need to. Get down to Primark and nab yourself a few of these.

Sparkle On! – Ellie .xx

Review – Liquid to Matte Lipstick

So ever since the release of Kylie LipKits, lots of makeup brands are now releasing their own liquid to matte lipsticks. As a student, I can’t afford a Kylie LipKit so I went scouring drugstore brands to try and find ones that might match up.

So far, I haven’t been able to find a wide range of colours, most of them have kept within the nude range of colours. So I grabbed a dark brown colour I’ve been after for ages from NYX Lip Lingerie collection, but because I like a pop of colour, I also bought a bright purple for Makeup Revolution Salvation Lip Lacquer range. The former cost me just over £6 from Boots – I’ll leave a link below – and the latter and mere £3 from Superdrug.

Each of them have their plus points. Both of these lipsticks do exactly what they say on the tin. Though I will say that the Makeup Revolution lipstick looks much better after two coats rather than one. Both of them stay put for a good number of hours and don’t come off after eating, drinking or having a smooch.

However, with both, after a while my lips became very dry. It was a longer time with NYX and after a reapplication my lips felt moisturised again, but with the Makeup Revolution, I found my self wanting to bit my lips because the skin was so dry.

The formulas however are pretty nice. NYX’s is quite thick but it’s not gloopy and goes on really smooth. The way they’ve used a flat brush on the end really helps for lining lips first before you fill them him. Makeup Revolution’s formula was a little sticky while it dried, but after that all was well and it went on smoothly.

All things considered, they do the exact same job as Kylie’s LipKits for a much cheaper price. They’re much more accessible and in both collections, there are very close matches for the colours Kylie has released. I think they’re a worthwhile investment, especially if you can’t afford to break the bank with the more expensive versions.

Links to buy each of them are below.

Sparkle on! – Ellie .xx

NYX Lip Lingerie Collection
Makeup Revolution Salvation Lip Lacquer Collection

Review – Urban Decay Naked Skin

I hate spending tons of money on makeup. Especially foundations and concealers. Ever since I started using makeup at the age of 15 I’d never been able to find a foundation that didn’t look caked on or that didn’t bring me out in spots after a few uses. I’ve tried loads of different brands; MAC, L’Oreal, Maybelline, Rimmel London etc, but none of them ever did my skin any good. The best thing I found that left my skin feeling great wasn’t even a foundation. It was a toning moisturiser by Miss Sporty and I swore by it.

But alas, it ran out, and could I find it again? Nope. So I was back to square one.

This Christmas however, I fell into a bit of money and decided that for once, I was going to splash out on some makeup. Of course my first stop was MAC. Enough people rave about it that I thought I should probably go in for a proper consultation. But the day I went in, everyone had evidently had the same idea and I couldn’t even get near the foundations to have a look. Which then lead me to Urban Decay. I’d never even considered their other makeup, only their eyeshadow palettes ever registering in my mind. So I sat down and I let the assistant work her magic and match me a foundation.

It was perfect. Usually I have to mix foundations to get my skin tone, but their range is so well made they have perfect colours to match a whole range of skin tones.

Then there’s the coverage. I watched her put one pump of the foundation onto the lid and it covered my entire face with brilliant results. All of my redness was cancelled out but at the same time it looked like I was barely wearing anything. It felt light on my skin, like I’d just put on a layer of moisturiser and even once it had oxidised, it didn’t leave me looking orange.

The more I use it, the more I fall in love with it. It stays put all day when I’m wearing it and doesn’t dry out and crumble or sweat off and melt. I’ve used it during dance performances and it’s been the perfect base and hasn’t required a single touch up. And there’s no separation of the formula in the bottle when you leave it to settle between usages. Urban Decay have put tiny balls in the bottom so you can shake the bottle before every use and get everything mixed back in together.

The concealer that pairs with it is a brilliant addition. It has the same light feeling and the same amazing coverage. And though it’s something strange to notice, both the foundation and concealer smell lovely.

The price is quite decent too. The foundation comes in at £27 and the concealer at £17.50. For what they do and how long they’d last, that is a price you can’t argue with. It’s a price I was more than happy to pay and it’s one of the main reasons I’ve been recommending it to everyone who asks me about it. They have an entire Naked Skin range, which if I had the money to splash out on, I definitely would.

I’ve left links down below for anyone who wants to take a look on their website. Hopefully this has been helpful if you’re looking to switch foundations or trying foundation for the first time!

Sparkle on! – Ellie .xx

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup
Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer