Halloween Look: Vampire Witch...

This post is very exciting because I'm not only working with a website that I've been browsing for years but it is my first halloween post of the year! As you may have figured by now if you follow me on Twitter (@ofbeautyand) or if you have been following my blog since last Halloween then you'll know that I'm a bit obsessed with not just Halloween makeup but Halloween TV, movies, books and general nostalgia.

For my first Halloween look of the year, I have decided to create a more glamorous and less scary look than previous years - my creepy doll and clown looks are a little disturbing and my even my Cheshire Cat Halloween look is a little...scary. So today's look is easy to create and it looks quite glam but obviously because it is a Halloween look, there will be blood. I had no idea what to name this look as I think it is quite a glamorous witchy look but with the blood it's quite vampiric.

I was sent a couple of products from Ere Perez and Pam (Precious About Makeup) to create this look which is super exciting. The look is really easy to create as I first started with my regular foundation, concealer, powder, contour and brow pencil/gel. Here's the full list of the products I used:

- Lancome Cushion Foundation
- Essence Stay All Day Concealer
- Vichy Setting Powder
- Eye of Horus Brow Pencil/Gel
- NYX Blush in Taupe
- Tom Ford Extreme Mascara
- Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette
- Kiko Eyeshadows
- Threads False Lashes
- Essence Silver Eyeliner
- *Ere Perez Black Eyeliner
- *Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N43
- *Bloody Marvellous Professional Runny Blood

I used a combination of shadows from the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette and the Kiko Eyeshadow Palette that I made to create a basic black, almost metallic looking, smoky eye. Then I used a silver eyeliner as a highlight and a black liner on the upper and lower waterlines followed by mascara. I don't wear false lashes therefore they are a little tricky for me to apply so I cut up the outer corners of my Threads lashes and just applied them to the outer corners which actually gave a really pretty effect!

Now onto the lips and blood, I applied a nude lipliner all over the lips then I applied the Make Up For Ever Lipstick over the top - this shade is just gorgeous, it's a pretty and unique orange shade (I really want to try more products from Make Up For Ever!). Now the blood, I haven't used fake blood before so I didn't know if it would stain or if it would be really messy to use. The runny fake blood I have is actually really easy to use, it doesn't stain the skin and you don't need a lot of blood to get a great effect! I just used the lid of the blood tube to apply it to my face and it drips down really realistically, in my opinion. As the blood was over my mouth I did unintentionally eat some of the blood but thankfully it is safe to swallow although I obviously wouldn't recommend it - it makes the teeth look orange and gory!

What do you think of my first Halloween look of 2016? Have you tried any of these products? Will you be creating any Halloween looks this year? 

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Drugstore Lipstick Collection + Swatches #1

Phew, my lips are so sore and stained now! Here are half of the drugstore/cheaper lipsticks I own, the second part should be live soon. I didn't realise how many lipsticks I had...I have lipsticks from Revlon, ELF, Makeup Revolution, Essence, Kiko, Yves Rocher and more! I hope the swatches are useful!

My favourite shades are: Milani Nude Creme, Revlon Lip Butter Pink Truffle, Essence 06 and 07 and the My Little Box lipstick (no shade name). I love the formula of the Revlon, Rimmel, Essence and Kiko lipsticks I've tried and I would definitely recommend them.

For more information on the Makeup Revolution Atomic Lipsticks, click here. You can check out my reviews of the Kiko lipsticks, here.

Do you have any of the lipsticks I've swatched? How many lipsticks do you have?

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My Dream Christmas Wish List

Kate Spade iPhone 5C Case  ♥︎  Michael Kors Rose Gold Logo Disc Necklace  ♥︎  Olivia Burton Mink & Rose Gold Watch  ♥︎  Clinique Chubby Stick For Eyes  ♥︎  Jo Malone Cologne Collection  ♥︎ & Other Stories Moroccan Tea Body Scrub  ♥︎  Glamglow ThirstyMud Mask  ♥︎  GHD Rose Gold Collection  ♥︎  Neom Real Luxury Set  ♥︎  Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita Look Box

Nanshy Masterful Collection Onyx  ♥︎  Dorothy Perkins Dark Green Wool Boyfriend Coat  ♥︎  YSL Black Opium Perfume  ♥︎  Breo Lustre Black/Rose Gold Watch  ♥︎  Kiko Clic Eyes Palette & Shadows  ♥︎  Burts Bees Honey Pot Collection  ♥︎  Marks and Spencers Stylish 2015 Diary  ♥︎  RMK Powder Eyebrow Trio  ♥︎  Newlook Dark Red Leather Cross Strap Chelsea Boots  ♥︎  Nails Inc Kale Superfood Base Coat  ♥︎  Elementary Season 2 DVD  ♥︎  Sewlomax Red Lipstick Pop

Phew, this is my rather long list of products that would make up my ultimate dream christmas wish list! Let me know if you have any of these products in the comments below! 

What's on your dream christmas wish list?

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Makeup Collection: It's all about lips!

Here is the fourth part of my makeup collection (there are two or three more parts to go, don't worry we will get there in the end)! This part features everything to do with lips!

Firstly, Gloss and Liner: I have quite a few lip liners/lip pencils and a few lip glosses too. Now I am a lipstick kind of girl, I don't wear gloss that often (most of these glosses were free or part of gift sets) but I do like them from time to time. For example, if my lips are really dry and I want to wear a lip colour, I find that even the most hydrating lipsticks and lip liner are far too drying so I like to wear glosses. My favourite lip gloss is definitely the Laura Mericer Lip Glace in the shade 'sweetheart' - I received this as part of a sale gift set for only £12 and I adore it (link to haul here)! I don't like all of them, for example, I hate the Collection soft matte lip creme things - I only have one and I really hate it! On to liners, I love the Kiko lip liners (the ones with the lip brush on one end)! I also keep lip stains in this draw too and I love the Revlon just bitten balm stains and the loreal glam shine splash thing, in the shade 'lolita' - seriously, what is the actual name for this product?!

Lipstick #1: These are my cheap/high street/drug store lipsticks that I use most of the time. I have lipsticks from: Yves rocher, Rimmel, Revlon, Duwop, Avon, Body Shop, ELF and so on. My favourite long lasting cheap lipstick is probably the Avon Extra Lasting Lipsticks (I have three - reviews of them can be found here, here and here)! I also love the Rimmel Colour Show Off Lipsticks! 

Lipsticks #2: Now these are my more expensive or limited edition lipsticks. I have lipsticks from Loccitane, Shu Uemura, MAC, Estee Lauder, Lipstick Queen, Burberry, Lancome and By Terry. I love the By terry lipstick in the shade 'tough cookie' and my L'Occitane lipstick in the shade 'pivione delicate'. 


My makeup is all stored in my Muji acrylic drawers - I will have a post soon about my makeup storage with a review of the Muji drawers too x

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January & February Favourites!

Here are my January favourites first, I know it is very late but I wanted to fit my January and February favourites together. 

1. Laura Mercier Lip Glace (Sweetheart): Firstly a gorgeous lip gloss from Laura Mercier. I am usually a lipstick kind of girl but since I bought an amazing value Laura Mercier set (£12 in the spaceNK sale, link here to my haul). The colour is gorgeous on the lips, it make my lips look fuller and smooth - it glosses over dry areas so well. Love it!

2. Simple Rich Moisturiser: I have been using this moisturiser for years, I have gone through about five bottles of this stuff - I love it although if my skin is dry then I will use another moisturiser but this is great for everyday, especially in the summer. 

3. Kiko Anti-age foundation: I received a Kiko package on Christmas eve and this was one of the things I ordered. I have been using it on and off since then, as I have been trying out other foundations but I do really like this product. I have the shade '01 peach rose' which is not my perfect shade but it is quite good. It is so smooth and silky and it applies really well. If you want a fill review of this product, or any of the products featured, just leave a comment!

4. Clinique Airbrush Concealer: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this concealer! I received this as it was a free gift with purchase and I adore this product. I illuminates and covers really well - although it doesn't cover my dark circles completely (nothing will do that!) but it is a fantastic concealer!

Here are my favourites for the month of February!

1. ELF Tone Correcting Concealer: I have been switching between the Clinique air brush concealer and the ELF concealer this month. I love the clinique concealer and I love this. The elf concealer has very light coverage but it is really moisturising! And the shade is a fantastic match for my paler than pale skin tone!

2. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush: I have bee using this brush for my foundations for the past four months or so I love this brush. The paddle shape allows foundation to glide on so quickly and easily and it blends so well.

3. Vichy Eau Thermale: I received this in my Birchbox this month and I have been using it ever since! I have been using this as a toner and as a setting spray. I find that if my makeup looks a bit caky or if it has emphasised some dryness, then a good spray or this onto my makeup and it really help!

4. Illamasqua Blush Brush: I love this brush, it is quite expensive at around £28 but it is worth it! It makes applying contour and bronzer so quick and easy. The bristles are very smooth and soft. It is the perfect shape, thickness and density for contouring.

5. Clinique AirBrush Concealer: Again this is in my favourite for the month of January and February I have been liking this although I do find that if you apply too much then it can look a bit caky.

6. Yves Rocher Sexy Plump Mascara: A favourite mascara of the moment and possible of all time! I love this mascara, I received the sample tube from a beauty box I think and loved it from the first time I used it. It makes my lashes look fuller, longer, black but natural. Love it, I wish they made a waterproof version though, then I could use it daily!

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2012 Favourites: Make up!

This is my round up of the makeup products that I have been loving this year! This post is a little bit late as I have been busy with Christmas, boxing day, new year and meeting up with family and friends – hopefully this post will be useful…it may not be if I’m writing it!

 Firstly, primers!

There are two stand out primers for me this year – one for the face, the other for eyes. The first primer is….The Body Shop Moisturise it Primer! I bought this primer early last year and I have been using it on and off all year. I had trouble with my foundation looking fresh throughout the day, especially as my skin really dry so foundation can sometimes make me look a bit tired if they have worn off throughout the day. However this primer really helps to keep my foundation looking fresher and it helps improve the longevity of my foundations. My favourite eye primer for 2012 is…Nars Smudge proof Eyeshadows Primer. I find that 99% of eyeshadows crease on me but this primer really helps to keep them as crease free as possible throughout the day.

On to foundation

The foundation that I have loved throughout the summer months and into the beginning of autumn is…Illamasqua Light Liquid Foundation (shade LF120). I love this foundation for the warmer months, it applies well, it has natural coverage, it looks good on the skin and it has the most gorgeous radiant (not greasy) finish! Although while this foundation was great during July, August, September I do not like this foundation for the colder months as it can make my skin look a bit dry and it can cling to dry/flaky patches which I get in the colder months. I don’t really have a favourite foundation for the winter months as I have been trying various foundations but my recent favourite foundation has to be the Anti-age foundation from Kiko.

Is there a perfect foundation brush?

Yes! I discovered the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush this year and I love it! The brush is really reasonably priced, it has incredibly smooth/soft bristles, it applies and blends foundation really well and because of the paddle like shape of the bristles it allows me to apply foundation really quickly and easily. This foundation brush works for a lot of my foundation, but not all, and it washes well too. (The Dr Bronner Magic Liquid Soap is great for washing brushes).

Let’s talk concealer…

I am a woman on a mission which unfortunately is not over! I have not found my perfect concealer this year, although I have tried many, so the hunt goes on. But one concealer has been my favourite this year, but it is by no means perfect, is the…MAC Select Moisture cover Concealer (shade NW15). I have been using this concealer for about five months or so and I have been using it on blemishes, redness, pores and under my eyes. This is one of the very few concealers that it moisturising/smoothing enough for me to use under my eyes. The concealer has good coverage (although it definitely doesn’t completely cover my dark circles), it applies/blends well and it matches my skin tone too. But this concealer can cake under my eyes and on blemishes if I use too much for if I use too much powder on top – this concealer can also cake under my eyes sometimes as well. Overall, my favourite concealer this year but it is definitely not perfect and my hunt for perfect concealer match carries on.

To bronze or not to bronze, that is the question

I’m not really a bronzer kind of girl as I am really pale but I tried Benefits Hoola Bronzer this year and I also tried the ELF Cool Bronzer this year and I love both – but I love the…ELF bronzer more! I bought the ELF bronzer on a whim and it has become a staple in my makeup routine. The bronzer is split into quarters – a white section, a reddish brown section, an ashy brown and a dusty rose blush section. I use the white and ashy brown sections the most – I use them for contouring as they are smooth, matte and blend easily. I do like benefit’s Hoola bronzer (I have a mini version and a full size version) but I prefer the much cheaper ELF Cool Bronzer.

Brows, Brows, Brows

My favourite brow product for this year, and for the past two or three years, is the….Tweezerman Browmousse which unfortunately kicked the bucket a couple of months ago which was a very sad moment as I had been using the same tube for nearly three years – it seemed like it was never ending…until it ended…I adore the Tweezerman brow mousse, it is the only brow gel that can tame my brows all day! I also adore the Tweezerman Teezers, I have a mini pair in a cute ladybird print (in the garden). Another favourite brow product is the…MAC Eyebrow pencil in the shade Lingering. I love and hate this brow pencil - I love that it is so quick/easy to use, the shade is great for my brows and it looks really natural although the pencil is in a black tube so you can’t see how much you have left until you run out and the pencil is quite expensive, in my opinion.

It’s all about the eyes

My favourite eyeshadow quad of 2012 is the…Soap & Glory Lid Stuff Eyeshadow Quad in the shade ‘What’s nude’. I adore this quad, the colours are great for every day, three of the shades are matte and they apply like a dream. I use the top two shades (vanilla and pink T) as all over the lid shades, I use the shade Mudhoney for my eyebrows and I use the shade Aubersheen less often but it is great for using at the outer corner or lower lashes for definition.

Another eye shadow favourite I have been loving in 2012 is the…Nars Eyeshadow Duo in the shade ‘Bellissima’. Bellissima contains a shimmery white shade and a dark matte grey. I use the white shade to highlight my brow bone and inner corner and the dark grey shade to define my upper and lower lash lines – I can also use the dark grey shade as a brow powder.

The last two eye product favourites of 2012 include the new Rimmel Scandaleyes waterproof kohl kajal eyeliner in the shade ‘004 taupe’. The shade is gorgeous; I use it to line my upper and lower lash line for very quick and easy definition. The eyeliner applies really smoothly and it is very creamy. The last eye product favourite is a brush from Illamasqua and it is the Illamasqua eye blending (2) brush. The brush is incredibly soft, smooth and is blends eyeshadow like a dream – the brush is really big so I also use it to apply powder to small areas.

Onto the lips!

I have a couple of lip balm favourites for 2012; the first is the Rodial Glam Balm which I only use at night as I kind of night treatment as it is very hydrating. It also smells really nice (like roses) and it leaves my lips really smooth, soft and moisturised (but it is quite expensive). The next lip balm favourite is the Nuxe Reve de miel lip balm stick which I really like but I do prefer the Caudalie Lip balm but I used it up a couple of months ago.

I have two lip stick favourites for 2012; the first is my Avon Extra lasting Lipsticks. I have the shades ‘totally twig’, ‘Cappuccino’ and ‘rose crème’ and I love all of the shades. The lipstick applies so smoothly and they are really soft/creamy. The longevity of these lipsticks is just as good as my MAC lipsticks! My last makeup favourite for 2012 is my Nars Velvet Matte Lip pencil in the shade ‘Dolce Vita’ which is a gorgeous natural English rosy red shade. The pencil applies so smoothly, it looks gorgeous on the lips and the longevity is good too – the Nars velvet matte lip pencil in the shade ‘Bahamas’ is on my wish list for 2013!

What were your 2012 makeup favourites?

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Sale Haul: Kiko

Kiko Cosmetics

This is the first in a (long) line of sale haul blog posts which will be posted over the next two weeks or so. Christmas is a time for giving - and also receiving and I have been receiving a lot of deliveries from royal mail and couriers! Firstly is a haul from Kiko cosmetics which is an amazing Italian makeup brand - if you are in the UK or parts of Europe you can buy Kiko online. 

I bought seven items from Kiko (I placed my order when I saw that they were having a sale on, on their christmas products - 30% off - which was the 19th of December). I bought six items that were reduced and one item that wasn't as the minimum order value for Kiko is £25 and I needed a small item to make up the difference. I bought a foundation, a concealer, a creamy lip pencil, a long lasting limited edition lipstick, a nail polish, a empty tub container and a limited edition eyeshadow quad - all for £25.90. The shipping was free for some reason when I made my order and it is not my first order with Kiko. 

Flash photographs

Firstly I bought the Kiko Anti-age foundation in the shade 01 Peach Pink. The foundation was an impulse buy, I didn't research the foundation and I didn't look at swatches online before I bought it was it was only £3.90. The foundation shade is a good match for me (I am very pale, NW15 in Mac). The foundation shade is a very good match for me, the foundation has medium coverage and a natural finish. The foundation doesn't really highlight any dryness on me and it doesn't look matte or dewy. It applies and blends well with my real techniques expert face brush and it helps to cover my dark circles, pores and redness - but it definitely doesn't cover anything! Overall, a great foundation - I think it will be in my January favourites. 

Flash photographs

The next item I bought was the Kiko 3D Lifting Concealer in the shade 02 Natural. This concealer was also £3.90 and it also comes in a pump bottle like the foundation. I bought the concealer in the shade 02 not 01 as the shade 02 looked peachy in tone so I thought it would be good for under eye correcting. The concealer shade is a good match for me and the slight peachy undertones of the concealer do help to reduce the darkness - although it doesn't have the coverage I need for under my eyes and it does crease under my eye easily. Although this concealer is great for helping cover redness and pores - this concealer is fantastic at covering the large pores on my nose. It applies and blends like a dream and it is just a great concealer - although maybe just for blemishes/redness/pores and not so much for under eyes, in my opinion. 

Next up is a Creamy Lip Pencil in the shade 404. I already have one of the Kiko creamy lip pencils in the shade 401 from my previous Kiko haul (link here to the haul). The lip pencil is really smooth, soft and creamy which means that it applies very smoothly/easily. The shade is a gorgeous deep rose pink with strong brown undertones. The pencil is matte and it looks natural on the lips, the shade can be subtle or built up. I use this pencil to line my lips then to fill in my lips so that it is an all over lip colour. Overall, I do recommend the Kiko creamy lip pencils. 

Left: Lip pencil (404), Right: Lipstick (05 dark salmon)

Next is a lipstick - the Kiko Unlimited Lipstick in the shade 05 Dark Salmon. This lipstick was priced at £5.20 and it is a gorgeous red shade with peachy pink undertones. The lipstick applies very smoothly and it has a creamy soft texture. The lipstick is very easy to apply and it looks gorgeous on the lips. The lipstick has good longevity (Although I will need to test it for long before a full review) and it is a bit difficult to remove. 

Flash photographs

The next makeup product I bought was a nail polish in the shade 393 which is a gorgeous deep dark green. In some lights this shade look like a deep forest green but in other lights it can look black or a dark navy. The shade is really nice and great for this time of year. The polish applies well, it dries quickly and there is minimal streaking/patchiness. Although without a topcoat this shade wears at the tips within a day - I will have to try it with my Seche Vite topcoat. 

Flash photographs - swatches

The final makeup product I bought from Kiko is a eyeshadow quad - the Color Fever Eyeshadow Quad in the shade 01 Unexpected Rosy Taupe. This palette should have been £12.90 but it was reduced to £9 which I think is great. The shades are all shimmery (I would have preferred a couple of matte shades) but the shade themselves are just gorgeous! The white shade is fantastic as a highlight (brow bone or inner corner), the silvery taupe and medium brown shades are great all over the lid and the dark brown is great as a liner or in the outer corner. Overall, great packaging, great shades...a great product although the shade do crease within a hour or so without a primer. 

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Kiko Lipstick Shade 10!

This lipstick is one of the many that I have from Kiko - Kiko is one of my favourite makeup brands! This lipstick is one of the Smart Lipsticks from kiko and it is shade number 10. These lipsticks would make great stocking filler and Kiko has a Christmas collection available online now.

Various lightings (flash, indoor, outdoor)

The lipstick is a gorgeous purple toned pink shade which has some tiny shimmer particles it in. The shade is buildable, you can just have one layer and blend it into the lips or you can layer the shade to get a strong bold lip. This shade is my favourite from Kiko, that I own, and I definitely plan on buying more! This shade is very wearable, it applies very smoothly and it has a good level of pigmentation - I usually only wear one layer of this lipstick. The finish of this lipstick is semi-matte, in my opinion, it has a very skin-like finish and texture. The longevity of this lipstick is quite good, I find that this shade does transfer to glasses/mugs etc but the shade lasts on my lips for about 4/5 hours.

Positives: Easy to wear, comfortable, great shade, pigmented, smooth texture, very cheap and good longevity.

Negatives: Availability (can be bought online but you have to pay £5 postage and there is only one store in London).

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September & October Favorites!

Today is a bit of an unusual post as it is a september and october favourites post - and a cheeky August favourites at the end too as firstly, I have been busy and a bit lazy because of university and secondly, I have been using a lot of the same products for the past three months! For example, I have been using the same foundation (almost constantly) for the past three months and the same mascara, foundation brush, moisturiser and eyeshadow quad!

Firstly, base products; I have been loving the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush (£9.99) for the past three or so months - I took this brush on holiday with me in August too. I love the brush because it is incredibly smooth and soft on the skin and it applies/blends the majority of my foundations like a dream! The foundation that I have been using the most over the past three months has been my Illamasqua Light Liquid Foundation; I bought this foundation in the Illamasqua sale back in July for only £10. I wear the shade LF120 which is a fantastic match for my skin as I am really quite pale at the moment. I took this foundation with me on holiday too back in August and it worked well, although I had to set it with a fair amount of powder to stop it from running off my face! The foundation has light coverage, it makes my skin tone more even and it has a gorgeous finish - it makes my skin look luminous and 'lit from within' but it doesn't make my skin look dewy or greasy! 

Now onto some skincare (and haircare) favourites of mine for the past three months. Firstly, Nuxe Reve De Miel Stick Lip balm (£5.50). During the month of August I was using my Caudalie lip balm then in September I ran out of the Caudalie balm and I started using my Nuxe lip balm - and I have to say it is not as good as the Caudalie version. I like the Nuxe lip balm, it is one of my favourites, but the caudalie balm is richer and more hydrating. A new favourite product which I received at the beginning of October is a lip balm from Rodial - Rodial Glam Balm Lip which is a sample size that I received as part of a kit. This lip balm is just gorgeous and so intensive; I only use it at night because it is a small sample and I don't want to got through it so quickly as the full size is priced at £19! The lip balm is great as a kind of night treatment for my lips and in the morning my lips will be incredibly smooth and soft - ready for lipstick and liner! 

The second favourite skincare product is the Mama Mio Mighty Moisture Moisturiser which is a 15ml sample I received (using a code during August) with a feelunique order. I took this on holiday with me in August and I have been using it on and off ever since! This moisturiser is smooth, rich and it leaves my skin feeling very smooth, soft and hydrated - it doesn't irritate my skin either, even though it does smell of lavender. I have nearly finished this moisturiser and I am considering buying the full size although it is very expensive, I will have to seen if it is on offer anywhere.

Two of the final favourites are from the month of October and include my Lancome Cleansing fluid (£34, 400ml) which is just incredible! The cleansing fluid smells heavily of mens aftershave/cologne but it doesn't irritate my skin at all! In fact when I have a tiny outbreak of eczema I use this and the next day the eczema is so much better (although this works only with my very minor eczema breakouts). So I am very surprised with the results from the Lancome cleansing milk and when this bottle is finished I WILL have to buy another! 

My last favourite product is from my September Jolie Box and it is...Twistbands! Twistbands are hair bands/hair ties/bobbles and they are supposed to be gentle on the hair and not create a kink in the hair. I have been using mine only while in the house as I wouldn't wear those colours outside! With my hair the twistbands actually stay in really well (in a pony or a bun) and they do feel really gentle on my hair - but they don't stay in all day and they can create a kink/line in my hair. 

....and a very late August favourites which may be useful to those of you lucky enough to be somewhere warm now - unlike England where it is freezing and raining with the possibility of snow!

The products that I was using on holiday and through out the month of august have been almost the same as the products that I have been using for the months of September and October - expect the Caudalie body lotion (empty), the Kiko highlighter (£5.20, sale) and the Tweezerman brow mousse (empty). Although the majority of the products have been the same for the past three months but while on holiday I did have to set my Illamasqua Light Liquid foundation with a good amount of powder otherwise it would look really shiny. The Soap and Glory quad in the shade 'Whats nude' has been a favourite product of mine since I bought it early last year! 

What are your favourite products for October/Autumn?

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Kiko Lipstick Swatches #1

I have been in love with the Italian cosmetics brand 'Kiko' since I went into one of their stores in Taormina, Sicily and I ended up spending 40€ in the store. Now Kiko has finally expanded and opened an online store which ships to the UK, which is amazing! I went a big crazy and bought quite a few things and here are the three lipsticks I purchased. 

^Kiko Smart Lipstick Shade: 14^

Shade 14 is, in my opinion, a rosy bronze shade in the tube and when swatched on the skin it is a rosy bronze shade - it looks really nice when it is swatched. This shade is a bit darker than it looks in the photographs. This shade isn't the most pigmented and it has fairly large shimmer in it which can be felt on the lips. This shade is quite nice but the large amount of shimmer in this shade makes it look really quite metallic on the lips, which I don't like. This shade wears quite well although the shimmer tends to stay on my lips longer than the colour and it can highlight dryness. Overall: 3/5. 

^Kiko Smart Lipstick Shade: 96^
Shade 96 looks like a gorgeous beige, rosy nude in the tube and when swatched on the skin it looks like a rosy nude. The shade looks more pink/darker in real life than the photographs. Shade 96 is similar to shade 14 but this one does not have any shimmer; so it applies really smoothly to the lips. The application of this shade is great and the pigmentation is fantastic. Although this shade on me looks very pale and it is too pale for me to wear. If you a a fan of really nude/concealer lips, then you will like this shade. This shade can highlight dryness slightly. Overall: 3/5. 

^Kiko Smart Lipstick Shade: 84^

Lastly shade 84 which is my favourite shade! This shade is a gorgeous bright cherry red. This shade looks brighter on the lips than it does in the tube. This shade is gorgeous and it is quite neutral toned so it does not make my teeth look yellow or whiter. This lipstick applies so smoothly and it is really pigmented; it is one of the most pigmented lipsticks I own. This shade looks quite matte but it is not drying, it is comfortable to wear and it doesn't highlight dryness at all. The longevity is really quite good too, for a red lipstick. Overall, 5/5. 

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