Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick 'Ballet' Swatches and Review

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Ever since I tried out one of theBalm Meet Matte Hughes Liquid Lipsticks I've fallen in love with the idea of liquid lipsticks and I have been itching to try out some from other brands ever since! Recently when I was browsing through the beauty section in TK Maxx (how unlike me) I spotted this Hourglass product. I literally couldn't believe my eyes, I had never seen anything like this in there before. Tk Maxx is my all time favourite place for beauty bargains and this was one I just couldn't resist. €9 I paid for this particular liquid lipstick I kid you not. Even though I wasn't hugely pushed on the colour sure I couldn't leave it there for that price! Any excuse haha!

First of all I was actually surprised by how small the product actually was, particularly for the RRP. The packaging is really cute though, the liquid lipstick comes in this gorgeous metallic bronze tube and it's nice and slim so very suitable for popping in your hand bag for top ups when you're on the go. There is a doe foot applicator inside the tube and this one is unlike any other I've used before. It is extremely flimsy therefore it bends when you are applying the product to your lips making it very hard to apply an even layer of the liquid lipstick. I'm not sure if this is just a problem with my particular one or if the applicators are of poor quality in general. To apply the lipstick I need to transfer the product from the applicator onto a lip brush and then apply it that way instead.

The only shade on the shelf was 'Ballet' which is a dusty pink colour. Not a colour I would often wear but it is a nice colour to wear especially the Spring/Summer months.

Freshly swatched it looks like it is a liquid lipstick that has a semi matte finish to it but after about 30 seconds the product sets completely matte.

After applying one coat of the liquid lipstick I noticed it didn't apply too evenly you definitely need two coats to build it up the colour and to give a nice even coverage to the lips. With two coats of the product I was very happy with the opacity and the wear time? Phenomenal. It didn't really transfer onto cups when I was drinking or onto food when I was eating which is usually the way with any lipstick that I apply. I didn't use a lipliner and I had no issues with bleeding thankfully, as that is a big pet peeve of mine. Hourglass claim that this lipstick has a 14 hour wear time, but I'm not sure about that now. I didn't wear the lipstick for 14 hours but I did sport the colour for 8. Around the 8 to 9 hour mark the product started to crumble and flake on the inner parts of my top and bottom lip. That was when I felt I needed to reapply!

The lipstick is very comfortable to wear and I didn't find it dried my lips out more than they already were. When you press your lips together they will feel ever so slightly tacky, not sticky though which I was delighted about.

It is a pretty price to pay for such a small product. I found the Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipsticks on the UK Space NK website for £23 a pop. There are 9 other shades in the collection and in saying that I have already got my eye on another 2 in the range, Empress and Icon. The temptation is strong ladies and gents!

Until next time,

Eimear x

theBalm Meet Matt(e) Hughes Liquid Lipstick 'Adoring' Swatches and Review

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

I'm very new to the world of liquid lipsticks. I tried out one from MUA a couple of years ago for one of my beauty on a budget videos and I haven't tried out anymore since! I wasn't overly fussed with the one I had picked, it didn't suit my very dry lips so I just decided liquid lipsticks weren't for me. I really didn't give them a chance did I haha! Over the last year or so I have seen lots of bloggers posting about liquid lipsticks from theBalm on Instagram. I've liked everything that I have tried out from theBalm thus dar so I decided I would give the whole liquid lipstick thing another go. Being that this one was from theBalm I was hoping I'd be onto another winner!

Just like the rest of theBalms product range the packaging is cute and quirky with that 1950's feel to it, big fan of that. Another thing I like about the outer packaging is that the colour and name of the liquid lipstick is stamped on the lid, making it easy to pick out from a pile.

There are eight shades in the range and the one that I decided to purchase was the colour 'Adoring'. I wear deep shades on my lips constantly so when I spotted this beautiful burgundy number I had to add it to my collection.

This product is quite heavily scented something which took me completely by surprise. I opened the tube, lifted the applicator to my lips and thats when it hit me. Peppermint. Now, I like peppermint but I did find the scent of this a tad overpowering so if you are not a fan of scented products you might want to keep that in mind. Once applied though the smell goes away, thankfully. You don't have to worry about a sickly smell of peppermint loafing around all day. 

When you unscrew the lid you will be greeted by a doe foot style applicator. I apply the lipstick from the applicator to my bottom lip only, for my top lip I need something a little more precise. To accurately apply the product to my top lip I use a lip brush!

This liquid lipstick is creamy in texture which makes the product very easy to apply, it just glides onto the lips. It is quick drying but it doesn't set too quickly, you will still have time to work with the product. I find the best way to apply this liquid lipstick is to apply one coat, wait for it to dry, and then apply another. You definitely need two coats with this particular shade to get a nice even opaque finish.

I found the liquid lipstick very comfortable to wear on the lips, it wasn't really drying at all. In terms of longevity the lipstick lasted about 4-5 hours before I felt I needed to touch up. I didn't need to fully reapply the lip colour but after eating and drinking the colour had flaked and faded in the centre of my bottom lip, once I touched that up I was good to go!

Even though I'm not a huge fan of the scent it doesn't put me off using the product. I'm very impressed with this particular liquid lipstick and can't wait to pick up more colours from the range!

theBalm Meet Matt(e) Hughes Liquid Lipsticks retail for €15.50 and are available from Debenhams in store and online. 

Are you a fan of liquid lipsticks?

Let me know your favourites!

Until next time,

Eimear x

Essence Liquid Ink Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner Swatches, Review and Tutorial

Hi Everyone!
Hope you all are well :)

I'm back again today with an eyeliner review for you all. If you have found my blog through my YouTube channel well then this post will come as no surprise to you. If you are new to my blog and unaware that I have a YouTube channel then you're in for a treat! Today I am reviewing my holy grail eyeliner product and better yet it costs a pittance. For those of you that watch my tutorials you will be very familiar with this product. If I'm creating a winged eyeliner as part of a makeup tutorial you can bet your life that I'm using this nifty liner here.

This was the very first liquid eyeliner that I ever used at the age of around 14 or 15 and its the only one thats stuck by me through thick and thin. By that I mean through my emo/Amy Winehouse phases, where you couldn't tell where the eyeliner started and my eyelid ended, and more recently then through my pin up style makeup phase which was much more polished, thankfully. All joking aside though this eyeliner allows you to create whatever style that you like with ease.

Over the years I have used high end eye liners that are about ten times the price of this Essence one and nothing compares. In the last nine years I can't even begin to imagine how many bottles I have gone through. I always keep at least 4 backed up in my makeup drawer at a time just incase I lose one (very likely) or it ends up being discontinued. I shuddered even typing that haha I'd be absolutely lost without this liner.

Thankfully the one thing that I have noticed over the years is that while the packaging may change from time to time the formula stays the same. Pheeew!

The packaging of the waterproof liquid eyeliner is blue and black while the standard formula comes in a black tube with silver writing. Along with the colouring, the label stating the name of the product is clearly defined so you will be able to distinguish between the two. The tube is pocket sized making it very handy for popping in your bag when you're on the go although you definitely won't be needing it for top ups!

The brush is of medium length and has a thin and thick side to it making creating a sharp precise wing very easy to do. While the bristles are nice and thin the applicator isn't flimsy in the slightest, you still have plenty of control. I like to use the thicker side of the brush to line the upper lash line and when it comes to creating the wing or the flick I switch to the side that is more thin.

I use the liquid eye liner to line my upper lash line daily and then on a night out I use it to line both my upper and lower lash line. The eye liner is jet black, dries to a matte finish and doesn't budge. It surpasses the 12 hour mark in terms of lasting power. The liner doesn't flake, smear, or smudge, the product does not move until I decide to remove it. It is completely waterproof which is fantastic and I find it particularly beneficial in the Summer when my eyes are streaming with hay fever. 

I've added a couple of recent makeup photos of me wearing the liner to show you what it looks like on the eyes which you can see below.

If you would like to see a step by step tutorial on how I use the product to get that nice cat eye flick then just click on the play button below. Would you believe that almost 5 million people have now viewed that video, I find it crazy!

Essence is widely available in Ireland its stocked in selected pharmacies nationwide and also in Penneys too so its easy to find! The Essence Liquid Ink Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner retails for only €3.09, bargain!

Happy shopping :)

Eimear x

Lush Emotional Brilliance Liquid Eyeliner 'Motivation' Review

I am a huge fan of liquid eyeliners so naturally when I saw Lush were releasing their Emotion Brilliance line I was very excited! As part of the Dublin Blogger/Vlogger Meet we got to go to Lush on  Henry St and meet the manager Michael. He introduced us to the new range of products, after this we all got our colour readings done. Just to give you a brief idea about the range the concept behind it is that its all about wearing makeup that shapes your mood and how your feeling at the present time, not about wearing makeup that is trending or in season. Sarah (adoreabubbles) has a blog post which will give you a better idea of how the whole scheme works :) Here's the link.

I got to pick out my favourite product from the range to try out. They have various shades, 30 to be exact spread out over three categories:

1. Liquid Eyeliners
2. Cream Eyeshadow
3. Liquid Lipsticks

When picking my product, I didn't even have to think about it, I was immediately drawn to the liquid eyeliner 'Motivation'. Its a gorgeous two toned teal shade. (hows the for alliteration eh?)

As far as the packaging goes, I absolutely adore it. Its very vintage and sleek looking.

I love how it looks on my desk, also the fact that the bottle can stand up by itself is a major plus. In general I really just like the 'ink bottle' appearance. 

The lid of the bottle leads you to believe that there is a dropper style applicator, however it twists off to reveal a thin eyeliner brush. To my surprise the brush is very effective, its nice and thin so it allows you to create a nice fine line, perfect for a cat eye flick!

The pigmentation of this product is just hands down amazing. The consistency of the eyeliner is nice too, its not too thick not too thin. You don't have to retrace your line to get a good colour pay off, one swipe does the job. I find sometimes with other liquid eyeliners they can tend to feather at the edges when I'm lining my lash line. With the Lush liquid eyeliner this is not the case.  

Without the use of an eyeshadow primer or base I find that this eyeliner does tend to smear. If you don't have an eyeshadow primer or base, a light layer of foundation followed by some powder is enough to prep your eye. The eyeliner takes a couple of minutes to dry, it gives a two tone metallic sheen. 

I have also used this as an eyeshadow base and it works like a charm. I just apply a small bit onto my eye and blend out the eyeliner with my fingers. I then pack on my chosen eyeshadow on top of it and its good to go for the day, no creasing!

This product retails at €17.95 for 5g of product. 

Personally I do find that is a tad on the expensive side for a liquid eyeliner. However, in saying that I can't really fault this product. 

Overall

Pro's

• Long Lasting
• Highly Pigmented
• Not tested on animals
• Can be recycled

Con's

• Expensive

Max Factor Miracle Touch Liquid Illusion Foundation Review

I have been using this foundation for the last 2 years and I can honestly say I love it! This is my 'go to' foundation for a night out.  The shade I use is "Golden 75", I use this shade because when I am going out I wear fake tan.

For me, this is a full coverage foundation which is what I consider a must for a night out on the town opposed to day to-day makeup. It has a cream like texture, it blends beautifully. I also find with this foundation a little goes a long way. However if you have problem skin and would like a bit more coverage, this foundation is buildable without giving that caked look. I have often used this alone just as a concealer. The one thing I would say about this foundation is if you have dry skin it tends to settle into those areas. But overall the texture, coverage and the lasting power of this foundation is amazing.

This foundation set me back €19.99. I think I have re purchased this foundation maybe three or four times. Each time I have bought it in Boots. Each time I have been given a €7.50 voucher off No 7 products so when you take that into account the foundation isn't that expensive. Plus I have a Boots Advantage Card so I'm clocking up points on that each time i make a purchase :) 

I like the packaging, its compact there is a sponge applicator included. It was a nice touch to include the sponge but like every other applicator that's included in makeup sets, I find it ineffective. I don't use the sponge, I feel it leaves streaks when I apply the foundation. Instead I use the inglot duo fibre 27TG to buff the foundation into my skin. Applying the foundation with this brush leaves a lovely airbrushed look to the skin.

Personally, I wish there was more product included. When I first saw the foundation the packaging lead me to believe there was a fair amount of product, but that is not the case. The black part of the packaging includes the sponge. You have to twist this off to get to the foundation, so the foundation is the clear part at the bottom of the container. On the packaging it states there is 12m of product included. However in saying this, a little of this foundation does go a long way. 

Overall

Pro's

• Blends well
• Only need a small amount
• Good coverage
• Buildable
• Good lasting power

Con's

• Settles in dry areas
• Not a lot of product included