Avon Extra Lasting Lipstick: Totally Twig

I have three Avon Extra lasting Lipsticks and this shade 'totally twig' is the first one I bought and I was hooked from there! Firstly, the packaging of these lipsticks is really nice, sleek and lightweight - great for travelling. There are also many shades from nudes and pink to brights and dark shades. I have three fairly neutral shades including: totally twig (rosy brown), rose creme (bright rose pink) and Cappuccino (beige, peach nude).

The application of this lipstick is fantastic, it has a really smooth silky texture which makes it glide onto my lips with amazing ease. This product is also really quite pigmented, I only need one swipe on my lips for amazing pigmentation and colour pay off.

Now, the shade, I would describe this shade as a gorgeous rosy brown. I love rosy brown lipsticks, they are the shades that I gravitate towards so I have quite a lot of the same in my (fairly large, but not large enough) lipstick collection. The shade is great for everyday and while I am wearing it I am not worrying if it is on my teeth or if it has worn off horribly as this product lasts for quite a while on me. I can wear this lipstick comfortably all day but after about six hours the lipsticks is just a tint on my lips. This lipstick wears off my lips really nicely, it does not leave my lips looking patchy and it is slightly glossy. The only minor negative for this product is that it can highlight lines/flakiness slightly and the full price of this lipstick is a little bit high (£7) but it is always on offer (and available on eBay).

Overall, the packaging is great, the application is fantastic and easy, the shade is gorgeous and the longevity/wear is great - just as good as my MAC lipsticks! A fantastic product from Avon!

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Product Rave & Review: Nivea Extra Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

I have been using this make up remover for about a month or so and it has just ran out (it will be featured in my July empties post) and I had to make a separate post on this product. I bought this make up remover as it was cheap but this find turned out to be rather amazing. This product is scented and the first time I used it, it did irritate my skin very slightly. Although, it does not irritate my skin at all now and it works fantastically at removing all of my make up, including my: waterproof mascara, eyeshadow, lipstick, concealer, highlighter, contour, brow products and it is amazing at removing the new Revlon Kissable Balm Stains! Overall, an amazing, cheap make up remover - although I do prefer the Vichy Calming Micellar Solution now but this product is almost just as great and it is really cheap! Highly recommended, although if you have very sensitive skin I would advise caution with this product. 

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Mini Nars Haul!

I received an email from Nars Cosmetics last week and it was advertising their new website - and there was a free delivery promotion going on. Also at the bottom of the email there was a code for either a free mini Nars Laguna Bronzer or a free mini Nars Orgasm Blush - I had to make an order just for the mini bronzer! As well as the mini Laguna bronzer I bought the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in the shade: Dolce Vita.

Dolce Vita is the first (and certainly not the last) Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil I have. The shade Dolce Vita is described as a 'dusky rose'. I would say that the description is really accurate, although this shade can look a bit red in some lightings. I have had this product now for a week or so and I love it! It applies so smoothly, it is matte but it is not drying and the shade is natural, gorgeous and surprisingly long lasting! Highly recommended.

This is the only Nars bronzer I have and it is a dinky mini size so I will be taking this on holiday with me next month. I have only used this product a few times and I really like it so far. It applies really smoothly, it blends well and it is a nice shade - although it it slightly orange on my pale skin.  

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Jolie Box: July 2012

I was a bit surprised to find that my July Jolie Box arrived today, as it was quite late last month and I haven't received a dispatch email but I am very happy with the delivery for this months box. My Jolie Box was delivered by Royal Mail. This months box was not printed, like the birthday box and it still has the Jolie Box drawstring bag. There are seven items in this Jolie Box! The items I received include: Etat Pur Express Purifying Mask (50ml), Jane Iredale Tantasia Face and Body Self Tanner (about 10ml), two NailGirls London Nail Polishes (I received the shades: Gold and Bronze). I also received two Jolie Box toe separators. And because last months box was late the wonderful people at Jolie Box have included a surprise 'special extra'! The special extra that I received was the KMS California Free Shape Hot Flex Spray (30ml). I am quite happy that I received this as a free gift as I have heard a lot of good things about it and I was going to buy the full size bottle but I don't have to now! 

Overall, I am very impressed with the products. I am excited to use all of the products especially the Hot Flex Spray, the Sweet Almond Mint Conditioner (it does smell really quite nice!) and the Etat mask as it sounds like a nice clarifying, purifying mask. The Etat product is one of two that you could get - the other Etat product is the Etat Pur Salicylic Acid 300. Also I have already tried both of the nail polishes and they are fantastic!

I have a love hate relationship with nail polish, as I like painting my nails and I like the shades but I hate it when the polish applies streaky and this one does. It is quite streaky when it applies but once the polish is dry it does not look streaky or patchy at all! The polish also dries really quickly, within five minutes which is fantastic. The shades are gorgeous, especially the bronze shade although the gold is surprisingly nice too. So far I am very impressed with the shades, dry time and appearance of the polishes on my nails. 

Another product that I am excited to use is the Jane Iredale Tantasia Self Tanner, especially as it is suitable for face and body (so you don't need two separate products). The shade looks really orange on my skin but when blended it disappears and leaves a slight tan and the shimmer is hardly noticeable - it just makes my skin look glowing slightly. 

I am very impressed with the July Jolie Box and the free special extra (mine is the hot flex spray that I wanted to try) is a great addition. 

What do you think of the July Jolie Box? x

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Revlon Kissable Balm Stain: '01 Honey'

As many of you may know the new Revlon Kissable Balm Stains have arrived in the UK. I bought two from Boots.com (about a week ago) and I bought one from Superdrug (again, about a week ago now). I bought the shades: Honey, Romantic and Crush. I bought two shades (romantic and crush) from Boots as they where the only two I wanted and they don't stock the shade 'Honey'. I had to buy 'Honey' from Superdrug and this shade I wanted most. 

Packaging and Formula

Firstly, I love the packaging. The balm stain comes as a large crayon - like the Clinique Chubby Sticks and these are a cheap high street rip off of the Chubby Sticks. I do really like the packaging as it makes the product really easy and quick to use. I also like solid formula of this product, as usually lip stains are gel or liquid formulas but this is a solid stick. The solid formula makes this product incredibly easy to work with and the crayon shape of this product makes it easy to apply and keep within the edges of the lips. 

Shade 

This shade is just gorgeous but do be aware that the shade when swatched on the skin or in the tube will not be the same as the shade when applied to the lips. I find that when swatched this product is a nude rosy pink and when it is on my lips the shade is a rosy pink with mauve undertones (and it is a little bit darker and brighter on my lips, compared to when it is swatched on the skin). I love the shade but when looking at other swatches and reviews online before I bought this product it did look a bit different on everyone so your natural lip colour does affect how this shade will look on your lips. This shade is fairly natural/neutral and it is a gorgeous everyday shade. Honey is my favourite shade by far and I will be buying another one! The shade does look slightly darker in person than it does in the photographs. 

Application, Finish and Longevity

The application of this product is gorgeous! It has a really smooth, slightly glossy texture so it glides onto my lips incredibly easily. The application is also made easier by the crayon shape of the product, it allows me to precisely apply the balm stain. I swipe the product over my lips a couple of times to get a good colour pay off. This product leaves my lips looking even, slightly glossy with a rosy pink (with mauve undertones) stain. I adore the finish of this product although I find that this product can sink into lines in my lips (only very, very slightly) so I make sure that my lips have a layer of lip balm on them before I use this product. The two darker shades I have sink into the lines of my lips a lot more than this one does. After an hour or so of this shade being on my lips the colour is basically the same as when I applied it. Then after about five hours (with eating and drinking) the shade has faded slightly and it turns very slightly red over time, on me. By the end of the day (seven/eight hours) there is a slight rosy mauve tint still on my lips. I have read that some people find these balm stains drying but I find that if I apply a layer of lip balm before I apply this product then my lips will not feel dry for most of the day (if they do get a bit dry I just apply a small amount of lip balm on top of the stain). 

Positives

*Easy to apply and remove (I just use my Nivea gentle eye make up remover and it removes nearly all of the stain with ease!)

*Gorgeous rosy pink (with mauve undertones)

*Application is so quick, easy and fuss free

*Great price when on offer 

*Smooth, slightly glossy texture

*Lasts nearly all day on me 

*Not really drying on me, if I apply a layer of lip balm before application

*Leaves my lips with a gorgeous pink stain, makes my lips feel smooth and glossy 

Negatives

*Full price is a little bit expensive for high street makeup in my opinion

*Can sink into lines in the lips very, very slightly (this is mostly with the darker shades through, not really this shade)

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YSL Touche Eclat Foundation: Initial Impressions

I received this free sample with a Feelunique order last week in the shade BR30 (code for sample: ILOVEYSL). I have used this sample for my foundation for two days now and I still have enough for the next couple of days. The shade does not match my skin tone as it is a bit too dark and I think my shade would be BR10 or BR20. The 'BR' means that the shade is pink toned which is why it is right for me as my skin has pink undertones. 

Application

The application of this foundation is one of the best things about this product! The application is just gorgeous, it glides onto my skin so smoothly and effortlessly. The smooth, silky texture of this product makes it really nice, easy and quick to apply. I have tried applying this foundation with my finger tips (as suggested) and it works fantastically. I have also used this foundation with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush (aka. the best foundation brush ever!) and it also works really well with this product. This is one of the very few foundations I have tried that don't streak at all when applied with a foundation brush. Overall, the application is so easy and just amazing! 5/5. 

Results and Finish

This foundation has light to buildable coverage, in my opinion and I do need a bit more coverage but I just use concealer under my eyes and on my minor blemishes. After I have applied this foundation my skin just looks even, fresh, healthy, radiant and luminous without looking greasy at all. The finish of this foundation is gorgeous, it has a satin finish in my opinion and it is not matte and it is not dewy. The gorgeous, skin like finish of this foundation is like nothing I have ever experienced. Overall, this product evens out my skin tone and it makes the texture of my skin look smoother and even. The luminosity created by this foundation makes my skin look very fresh, healthy and radiant without looking oily. The finish of this product is the 'lit from within' finish, in my opinion. Although if you have very oily skin or if you like full coverage foundations this may not be the product for you. 5/5. 

Overall

Amazing application. Gorgeous natural, luminous finish. Feels light and comfortable on the skin and it lasts well throughout the day on me (when set with a small amount of pressed powder). I think I am going to have to buy the full size product in the shade BR20 or BR10 soon. Highly recommened. 

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