The other day I tweeted asking would anyone be interested in a tutorial using the YSL Touche Éclat Radiant Touch Pen. The reason being was that after trying it out for the first time myself recently, I came to the conclusion that it's probably one of the most misused products on the market. After getting fantastic feedback in relation to the tutorial I decided to create a detailed demo showing how the product should be used in order for it to be beneficial.
The pen in my possession is one of the limited edition slogan pens that launched here in Ireland on March 27th. There are three slogans to choose from:
All Lights On Me
I Am Not a Morning Person
No Need To Sleep
The only difference between this pen and the original pen, aside from the packaging is that the slogan edition pens are available in only two shades where as there are twelve to choose from in the original line.
The product comes in click pen form and as a result is very easy to apply.
( I Am Not a Morning Person Shade 2 )
To put it simply the YSL Touche Éclat Radiant Touch Pen is a highlighter not a concealer. This product will not hide dark circles or cover up spots. The aim of the Touche Éclat Pen is to draw light to the face, therefore if placed over dark circles or spots it will in fact emphasis them not conceal them.
This is a really nice product for highlighting, the formula is quite lightweight and it gives a nice radiant glow to the skin. In saying that though I do feel it has been overhyped in the beauty community and a bit overpriced at €35 for the original pen. The slogan edition pens are priced at €45 and I don't think it's worth shelling out an extra tenner just for the packaging alone, even though pretty packaging is my weakness!
For a full demo on how to use the Radiant Touch Pen just click on the play button below! I hope you enjoy the tutorial and find it helpful, I tried to jam pack as much information into the video as I possibly could while trying to keep it under the 5 minute mark haha!
If you are interested in checking out the YSL Touche Éclat Radiant Touch Pens, they are available from Debenhams and can be viewed here.
Today I'm reviewing an eyeshadow palette that I have not been able to put down since the start of this year. I knew after the first couple of times I used it that it was love but I was holding off reviewing the palette until I had uploaded a couple of tutorials using it first. That way you would be able to really get a feel for how the palette performs! The Two Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette is not new to the market I think it launched in 2013 but if you don't have it already and are a fan of neutrals it is well worth checking out!
There are 16 shadows included in the palette and all are made with real cocoa powder hence the sweet smell of chocolate that wafts from the shadows...yum! Not only do the shadows smell good apparently they also have anti ageing properties due to the fact that cocoa powder is jam packed full of antioxidants. I don't know about that claim now but check back in with me in about ten years and i'll update you on that one haha!
The packaging is shaped like a chocolate bar and not only is it fun but it's very sturdy too. After I filmed my first tutorial using this palette my subscribers brought to my attention that I in fact had the new version of the Chocolate Bar palette. Initially the names of the eyeshadows were listed on a plastic overlay opposed to printed on the palette itself, which is the case with the one in my possession. I actually wasn't aware that there had been a slight change to the packaging but I'm delighted there was. A plastic overlay is a bit inconvenient and I'd most likely have lost it within a week!
There is a nice array of colours and textures in this palette including neutrals, some pops of colour, mattes and shimmers! I'm a big fan of the quality of the eyeshadows in general. They are buttery, very easy to work with and last well on the eyes. I thought the pink and purple eyeshadows were random colours to add to the mix being that the rest of the shades gel really well together. The palette could have done without the pink shade 'Strawberry Bon Bon' and to be completely honest I wouldn't miss 'Candied Violet' either. These were the only eyeshadows in the palette that I felt were duds, they just simply lacked pigmentation. I had to swipe my finger in the pink shade numerous times in order for it to show up on my skin whereas the purple shade looked fantastic in a swatch but the colour payoff didn't transfer onto the eyes. Aside from those two eyeshadows in my eyes the palette is perfect. The pigmentation of the rest of the eyeshadows is phenomenal!
Two shadows in the palette are larger than the rest which I also thought was a little bit peculiar, but I've found them to be multi purpose products so I won't complain! Along with using 'White Chocolate' and 'Champagne Truffle' on the eyes, I find they work well on the face also. I like to use Champagne Truffle along the cheekbones to add a glow to the skin and because I'm very pale I can get away with using White Chocolate as a matte highlight too.
Swatches
L - R
(Gilded Ganache, White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Black Forest Truffle, Triple Fudge)
The first look I created using the palette was this gorgeous golden brown smokey eye. To see how I achieved the look just click on the play button below!
The final look I created was a burgundy smokey eye..my weakness! Again, if you would like to see how I achieved that look just click on the play button below.
The Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette retails for €47 and despite the two dud eyeshadows in the palette I still think it is well worth the money. I haven't put it down since I purchased it! Too Faced products are available from Debenhams and if you are interested in picking up the palette you can do so here.
I'm a big believer in buying and supporting Irish. I'm always on the look out for home-grown makeup and beauty companies in particular, and Nía is a relatively new one to me! Nía was founded by Celia O'Grady, a skin care expert with over 30 years experience in the field. Nía products are hand made in Limerick using Irish ingredients where possible and all products used are 100% natural.
I received their intensive luxury shower cream mousse in my goodie bag at the IBY meet up back in August. I hadn't heard of the brand prior to that day so I was delighted to be introduced to a new Irish skincare company.
I don't recall ever using a shower mousse before so I was excited to see what was in store! I had pretty much fallen in love with the product before I had even used it just based on the scent alone. Honestly, the fragrance is simply divine. This creamy mousse is infused with ingredients such as:
Aloe Vera
Coconut Oil
Honey
Vitamin C and
Orange Oil
In the pot the product has a thick balm like consistency but once it comes into contact with water it becomes much more creamy in texture. A little goes a long way with this product, I find that you only need a small scoop because the mousse forms a nice foamy lather when worked into the skin.
My eczema has been quite bad over the last 6 months, the worst it has been in years and I'm finding it hard to come across in shower products that don't further irritate my skin. It's been a bit of a trial and error process over the last little while but I'm delighted to report that this is one of the products that suits! The mousse leaves my skin feeling rather soft and I love how the fresh scent lingers on the skin after the shower.
A little pricey at €14.95 but as I said a little goes a long way. For me, for something that actually helps soothe my skin it's worth every penny. I'm almost at the bottom of my tub so it won't be long before I order another!
If you are interested in checking out this product or others from the range you can do so by clicking here.
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 thoughwhich 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!
In my last Lush related post I had said that it had been a while since I had the time to flake out and have a bath but I'm making it my mission to start having some 'me' time once again! I'm going to review the Lush Intergalactic bath bomb for you today and this absolutely amazing product has been sitting in my unit since last October, a complete and utter sin I know. Last Thursday I stayed in the Radisson Blu St Helens Hotel and I popped this in my bag to bring with me. There is nothing I love more than having a long soak in the bath, especially if it's in a hotel. I don't know what it is I can't explain why, all I know is it's always just pure bliss haha!
Intergalactic is probably one of the most interesting looking bath bombs that I have picked up from Lush to date. It completely lives up to its same, just look at the wonderful array of colours it boasts!
The description that accompanies this bath bomb is as follows:
"Ground control to major bomb. Prepare for take off as this awesome mix of peppermint and popping candy explodes in your bath creating a scent of an intergalactic 80's rogue. Launch it into the water to become the guardian of your own galaxy."
Intergalactic contains peppermint oil, grapefruit oil, vetivert oil, and cedarwood oil. The only scent from that list that I am not familiar with is vetivert oil but out of the four oils contained in this bath bomb the peppermint oil was definitely the most prominent scent.
Rather than trying to explain how this bath bomb performs I'm just going to let the pictures do the majority of the talking!
This bath bomb is a fizzer, it shoots and spins quickly making its way around the bath as it dissolves. As it's dissolving the bath bomb releases a rainbow of colours from pinks to greens to blues to yellows! It really is quite magical to watch.
Once the bath bomb has finished dissolving the bath water will have transformed into the most beautiful shade of blue. The other colours don't fade completely though you can still see them in the foamy layer that lies on top of the water. I didn't realise that this was going to be a glittery bath bomb or at least not to this extent. This bath bomb fills the water with gorgeous golden brown glitter particles which reminds me of the stars in the galaxy. A nice touch to this galaxy inspired bath bomb!
I love this bath bomb to pieces and it's one I know that i'll purchase time and time again. Not only for how it makes the bath look but also for how it left my skin feeling, it felt really soft and hydrated. The only other thing that I will say about this is that the glitter leaves behind a residue in the bath so make sure to rinse the bath afterwards as it will be easier to clean then!
I can't remember exactly how much this particular bath bomb was but I think it was around the €5 mark! Lush products are available from Lush stores nationwide :)
As a huge fan of Cocoa Brown I was very excited to hear that another new product was being added to their ever expanding range. This product hit the shelves towards the end of 2015 and despite spotting it in Penneys on the day of its release I didn't purchase until a few weeks ago. The reason being was that I basically had a 'derp' moment more about that later on though!
I have only used one other dry oil prior to this one which was the Tan Organic Dry Oil, I have reviewed that here if you are interested in reading a little more about that. The Cocoa Brown one is a completely different type of oil in my opinion. It is jam packed with golden shimmer particles and for that reason I would only wear it on my face and body, unlike the Tan Organic one which I would also use in my hair, in the bath, etc. One doesn't replace the other!
I've always been curious about the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Gold Shimmer Oil after hearing so many people raving about it. It's a product I never purchased though purely because of its price point so it was nice to see a budget alternative burst onto the market!
Before Christmas I was up in Dublin attending an event and before I got the bus home I decided that I would quickly run into Penneys to pick up some lashes. While I was in there I spotted the Golden Goddess Dry Oil. There were loads of bottles sitting on the shelf and about 90% of them looked like the bottle in the photo above. I was a bit confused and I didn't know if they were testers or if the bottles were only half full but I didn't investigate further as I was pressed for time and ending up leaving without purchasing one. Not long after that I was scrolling through Twitter and I noticed that some people were just as puzzled as I was with the amount of product in the bottle. Cocoa Brown reassured users that you just needed to give the bottle a little shake and it was good to go. Still confused by it all I decided to put the product to the back of my mind and I thought no more of it. That was until I was watching Marissa's Snapchat and she shed some light on it all. Side note, if you are not following her on Snapchat you need to, her handle is @CarterMarissa. On hearing Marissa's explanation I felt like the biggest eejit to grace the planet, I had never used a product like this before so go easy on me haha!
In a nutshell Marissa explained that the bottle is full to the brim with oil and then half filled with the golden shimmer. It is formulated in this way to allow the shimmer to disperse through the oil, if that makes sense. That's why you need to give the product a good shake before you use it so that the shimmer and oil will combine. Once you do that the product will look something like this!
The Cocoa Brown Golden Goddess Shimmering Dry Oil is designed to give an illuminating glow to the skin. As well as being used to give an all over radiant glow to the skin it can be used to highlight certain areas too. I like to use this product along the tops of my cheek bones, down the centre of my legs and to the décolletage area.
I'm really happy that there is pump because it makes dispensing the product very easy to do and you don't have to worry about accidentally pouring out too much and wasting product. In the above photos I have applied one pump off the dry oil to the back of my hand and then I have smoothened it out slightly so that you can see the effect it gives.
Finally then in this above photo I have spread the oil up my arm to show you the kind of sheen it gives to the skin. A little goes a very long way with this product so keep that in mind. One pump is more than enough to do my whole arm if I want to give an all over shimmery look to the skin. If I want to highlight down the centre of my legs then one pump is sufficient to achieve this effect and for adding a glow to the tops of the cheeks bones I find that half a pea sized amount of product will do the job.
The oil isn't greasy, it dries quickly, it doesn't transfer onto clothing and like the rest of the range it is scented with Cocoa Browns signature tahitian gardenia scent.
I'm very very pale so I like to wear this product when I have fake tan on. My favourite place to apply the oil is to the tops of my cheekbones but I've noticed a couple of things in doing so. If applied straight on top of foundation I've found that the oil caused my foundation to break down and separate but prior to this I loved how the oil looked on the skin and I was determined to make it work. Firstly, I apply foundation to my face avoiding the tops of my cheek bones. Then with whatever product is left on my brush I lightly buff over the tops of the cheeks just so I don't have a stark contrast between where I have applied the foundation and where I haven't. I then pat a small amount of the dry oil onto the cheekbones and that's it. I find that because I have such a light amount of foundation on the area that the oil doesn't cause it to breakdown. Not sure if anyone else has encountered this problem but that is how I make it work for myself!
Overall I'm really happy with the latest addition to the Cocoa Brown range, as usual you are getting great value for your money! The Golden Goddess Oil is available in Penneys and pharmacies nationwide. It retails for €11.95 although I think I paid €9.95 for it in Penneys. It is a little dearer in the independent pharmacies so if you want to save yourself a couple of bob check out Penneys!
You may brace yourselves for todays blog post. Maybe go get a cup of tea and a snack and come back if you haven't got any goodies at your side at the moment because this is going to be a long and picture heavy post. Today I'm reviewing the entire Urban Decay X Gwen Stefani Collection, well, the products that I have in my possession which is nearly a little bit of everything. I just figured it would be handier to lump it all into one post and then at the end I could sum it up and tell you my final thoughts and what products I think are worth the money.
I attended the launch of the eyeshadow palette back in December and I've been trialling that product ever since. More recently though I received some items from the rest of the collection in the post and I've been putting those products through their paces over the last couple of weeks.
The UD | Gwen Stefani Collection consists of the following:
1 Eyeshadow Palette
1 Blush Palette
1 Brow Box
8 Lipsticks
6 Lip Liners
The Packaging
I decided to discuss the packaging in one section opposed to under each product as there is a general theme in place and the design only various slightly from product to product, that and along with the fact I want this post to be straight to the point!
The entire collections packaging was designed around Gwen's love of black and white graphic prints and antique gold accents. The eyeshadow palette, brow box, and blush palette are all housed in a similar fashion. Each of the three products have a polka dot pattern layered on top of a coloured background with a surrounding border.
In relation to the lipsticks and lip liners the design of the packaging is very similar to the ranges outer cardboard packaging. Instead of a black, gold, and white colour scheme, the lipstick and lip liners are gold in colour but are covered with various thick black lines with the UD Gwen stamp on the side.
UD | Gwen Stefani Brow Box
I love the idea of the Brow Box it has absolutely everything you need in it. When I first opened it I was surprised at just how small it was, it's so dainty and adorable! When you open the box you will be greeted by 2 cool toned taupe brow powders, a brow wax and a mirror. There is a second compartment and when you open that you will see 2 mini angled brushes, 1 set of tweezers and another mirror. The Brow Box is pocket sized therefore making it convenient for travel purposes. What I like as well is the fact that there are two mirrors, one magnified mirror and one standard mirror inside the box.
As a brunette the shades in this kit are just too light for my brows. Brows are all about personal preference really and I like mine to appear dark and defined. Based on the shades in this particular kit I can't achieve the look that I desire.
Recently though I was doing my friends Mam's makeup for her birthday and she has blonde hair so I decided to put the kit to some use. I used the lighter shade to fill in the front of her brows and the darker shade to fill from the arch to the tail of the brow. To set everything in place I then lightly brushed the brow wax through the brow hairs. I was happy with how the products performed but most importantly she was happy with the appearance of her brows.
If you are fair or like to have a light appearance to your brows then this is definitely worth the look. I only wish it came in a darker shade!
Price wise the brow box retails at €25.50.
UD | Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette
Next up we have the product that I was most excited about, the eyeshadow palette. Though I will say that it took a little time for that excitement to build. When I first saw photos of the palette I was disappointed with the colour selection. I thought Gwen could have created something with a little more edge. Yes there were some fun jewel toned shades but mostly it was a neutral eyeshadow palette. Initially I figured it was a bit boring and thought that there was little differentiation between shadows. I don't really know what I was expecting but this wasn't it and I had wrote the palette off before I had even given it a chance.
It was only when I read more about the range that I became aware that this collection wasn't something that Gwen just stamped her name on. She was heavily involved in all aspects of the process from choosing the shades, to designing the packaging and so on. That made me think about how Gwen wears her makeup and then I copped the palette was Gwen down to a tee. I thought about it differently after that and I then started to look forward to seeing the palette in the flesh!
In the palette there are 15 eyeshadows in total which includes 12 brand new shades. With this palette in your collection you have everything you need and more to recreate Gwen's signature makeup looks, with shades hand picked by the lady herself! Let's take a closer look at the shadows shall we?
Urban Decay describe the shadows as follows:
Blonde: Pale Beige with Pink Iridescent Shift
Bathwater: Pale Beige with Gold Pearl
Skimp: Pale Nude Satin
Steady: Medium Rose with Metallic Gold Shift
Punk: Reddish Brown Matte
Baby: Cool Metallic Rose
Anaheim: Light Taupe Brown Matte
Stark: Nude Pink Matte
Zone: Medium Brown Matte
Serious: Smokey Grey with Iridescent Floating Pearl
Pop: Pale Coral with Iridescent Sparkle
Harajuku: Metallic Blue Pink with Iridescent Micro Shimmer
Danger: Deep Metallic Royal Blue with Blue Micro Sparkle
1987: Bright Metallic Yellow Gold
Blackout: Blackest Black Matte
Swatches
L - R
(Blonde, Bathwater, Skimp, Steady, Punk)
L - R
(Baby, Anaheim, Stark, Zone, Serious)
L - R
(Pop, Harajuku, Danger, 1987, Blackout)
Before I had even swatched the shade 'Punk' I knew straight off the bat that it was going to be my favourite shade. Of course I had to incorporate that colour into a look first, I did, and here is what I came up with. I have a tutorial on this look which i'll link below along with another tutorial featuring the entire collection and i'll leave that at the very end of this blog post.
I'll get the negative out of the way first! After the first time I used the palette my excitement turned back to disappointment. Based on how I got on with some of the matte shades in the Naked Smoky palette I was a bit iffy about how the shade 'Punk' would perform, I had used 'Blackout' before so I knew what the story was there. In terms of quality and longevity I wasn't happy with how these shadows performed. I had to layer the shadows which I don't mind, its very common with matte shades but my problem was the creasing. I rarely have a problem with creasing but I used the Urban Decay Primer Potion prior to eyeshadow application and still within a few hours these two shades had creased, quite disappointing as they are lovely to look at in the pan. The only other shade in the palette I didn't like was 'Pop'. I just found it to be far too chunky and the fallout issue was something else.
I cast the palette aside for a couple of weeks before I decided to give it another go. It definitely grew on me because the more I used it the more I started to like it. I guess I was just bitter that my favourite shade ended up being a bit of a dud, the rest of the palette I ended up being really pleased with!
Despite not being happy with three out of the fifteen shades overall I love the palette I get so much use out of it so regardless of the couple of blips I do think its worth the €46 price tag.
If you would like to see how I created the above look then just click the play button below!
UD | Gwen Stefani Blush Palette
I'm a massive fan of the Urban Decay After Glow 8 hour blushes so I gathered I was really in for a treat with this palette. Actually, I have a demo on those 8 hours blushes which you can watch here if you are interested. Being that the After Glow blushes retail for €28 each I figured I'd hit the jackpot with this 6 pan blush palette for €42.
To briefly jump back to the packaging again I was delighted to see that the blush palette was housed differently to the eyeshadow palette. They are easy to differentiate between which is handy storage wise.
Now let's take a closer look!
Urban Decay describes the blushes as follows:
Cherry: Light Pink Satin
Easy: Deep Rose with Gold Shimmer
Angel: Champagne Nude Shimmer
Lo-Fi: Soft Bronze Matte
Hush: Medium Pink with Gold Shimmer
OC: Soft Pink with Peach Shift
L - R
(Cherry, Easy, Angel)
L - R
(Lo-Fi, Hush, OC)
I'll start out by saying that the pigmentation of the blushes is phenomenal, exactly what I was expecting based on past experiences with the After Glow blush range. Also, the longevity of the products is something that I was really impressed by. You're looking at 7 - 8 hours wear time which is incredible in my opinion.
My gripe with this palette is the shade range. Naturally, being that Gwen designed the collection the shades in the range are going to be those that compliment fair complexions. That isn't my issue though as a fair skinned lady myself I'm delighted but those with a darker skin tone won't be. My problem is that despite that the palette was designed with Gwen's colouring in mind I think that a couple of the shades are unsuitable for very pale skin.
OC is pretty much a straight up yellow which isn't going to be flattering on anyones skin. I thought I was seeing things when I applied the product I was expecting a peach shade but no, yellow haha.
Lo-Fi looks lovely in the pan but I find its just too warm toned for my skin and it gives an orange cast to where its applied. It you are pale like myself unfortunately this shade is not going to suit your complexion. This shade gives a lot of fallout and soon as my brush hits the pan the product crumbles so I wasn't happy about that either.
In relation to the rest of the shades in the palette, Hush while it's nice it's not a shade that I would really gravitate towards and I've the issue of fallout with this shade too. I'm happy with the top row of shades in the palette although I would consider it to consist of two blushes and a highlighter as opposed to three blushes.
Unfortunately I was disappointed with the Blush Palette. It's not something I would go out and spend €42 on being that half of the palette would go to waste. I would rather save my money and buy another shade of the After Glow 8 Hour blushes (€28) which I really like. The Blush Palette is a miss from me I'm afraid!
UD | Gwen Stefani Lip Liner
Moving onto something a little more positive.. lip products! As I mentioned there are 6 Lip Liners one to compliment each lipstick with the exceptions of the shades 'Plaid' and 'Spiderweb'. I own one of the lip liners, the shade 'Firebird' and I had very high hopes for the product being that I'm already a fan of the 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil range.
Firebird is a cool toned fuchsia shade that leaves a matte finish to the lips. Despite being a matte lip product I didn't find the liner drying on the lips. I use the tip of the pencil to line my lips and then I turn the pencil on its side to fill in my lips. The lip liner is not as creamy as ones that I have tried previously but it didn't really tug or drag across the lips so I'm pleased with the consistency. In terms of the longevity, again not as long lasting as previous pencils that I have tried. The colour faded in the same way after about 5 hours wear the colour had noticeably diminished in the centre of my top and bottom lips and I needed to reapply. Even though this shade didn't last as long as I had hoped I'm still pleased with the quality as a whole. The lip liners retail at €18 and are well worth the money.
UD | Gwen Stefani Lipstick
I was sent out one of the lipsticks, the shade 'Rock Steady' to be exact and I was delighted. You all know I'm a massive fan of darker lip shades and this is the darkest colour in the Gwen range. I also got to try out three other lipsticks from the range as there was a sample sheet of colours included along with the Gwen Eyeshadow Palette. First up is Rock Steady.
Rock Steady is a gorgeous burgundy shade that leaves a glossy finish to the the lips. I love the fact that even though its creamy in texture the pigmentation of the product remains strong. This lipstick lasted around 4 hours on my lips and during that time it was very comfortable to wear and quite hydrating. After the 4 hour mark the lipstick had faded almost completely but there was still a stain left behind on my lips. The only issue I had with this lipstick was that it bled. The lipstick feathered regardless of if I wore a lip liner with it or not, I just couldn't stop the lipstick from bleeding.
The first lipstick that I tried from the sample sheet was '714'. This lipstick is a vibrant orange toned red that leaves a matte finish to the lips. It took me a while to build the colour up on the lips using a lip brush but I'm putting that down to the fact I was using the lipstick in pan form. I can imagine it would be easier to apply straight from the bullet. Once layered the pigmentation and lasting power of this lipstick was amazing. On the days that I was trialling this lipstick I didn't have my makeup on longer than 9 hours but at the end of those 9 hours this lipstick looked pretty good. It had faded from eating and drinking throughout the day but it didn't bleed, smear, smudge, come off in patches, nothing like that at all. The only thing I found with this lipstick was that my lips felt a little dry as the hours went on. Other than that though I have no complaints!
The next lipstick that I tried was 'Ex Girlfriend' and I don't have a photo of this on my lips. Basically because it looked like I had just applied some vaseline. This lipstick is described as a sheer finish but I'm telling you its extremely sheer, there is little to no pigment to it. It actually applied exactly like those tinted pots of vaseline, definitely not something I would shell out €21 for.
The final shade that I tried was the shade 'Firebird'. This lipstick took me completely by surprise and ended up being my favourite from the bunch. I'm not usually a fan of pink lipstick but this particular one is the nicest blue toned pink I have ever tried. It's a cream lipstick like the shade 'Rock Steady' so it will leave a glossy appearance to the lips. For some reason this shade performed better than Rock Steady in terms of lasting power, I hit the 5 hour mark with this lipstick before I needed to top up and I also didn't have a problem with the lipstick feathering. This gets a big thumbs up from me!
Now that I have talked you through each of the products i'll leave you a link to my final tutorial. In this video I decided to show you how to create a typical Gwen Stefani inspired makeup look using her entire range. If you would like to watch that then just click the play button below!
Final Thoughts
To summarise not everything in the range is good and naturally I expected that there would be hits along with misses. I'm a fan of the Brow Box and I do think its well worth the money, if you are in the market for a cool toned taupe coloured brow kit you can do no wrong with this one. I'm happy to recommend the Eyeshadow Palette despite not being happy with a couple of the shades. I still think its a fantastic palette especially for the price. The Blush Palette is a huge miss for me. The shade range isn't great and some of the blushes are quite soft and result in a lot of fallout, save your €42 on this one. I was sent one Lip Liner to try out and I'm very pleased with its performance so I'm definitely interested in picking up a couple of more shades, I think you're onto a winner with those. The Lipsticks are a bit hit and miss depending on the shades. I'd steer clear of the sheer shades unless your happy to pay €21 for a sheer lipstick. My picks are 'Firebird' from the cream finishes and '714' which is the only matte lipstick in the range. I wish there were more mattes shades in the collection because I was extremely pleased with the quality of the shade '714'.
So that's that! Well done if you made it to the end haha it was a long one indeed but I hope it was helpful. I wanted to make sure I could give as much information as possible alongside a couple of tutorials so you could see for yourself how the products perform.
The UD | Gwen Stefani Collection is limited edition and currently available from Debenhams.
