Essence Review: Lips

I recently attended the amazing Essence Cosmetics event in Manchester, you can read my post on the launch and more information about Essence cosmetics, here. I received so many products, so I am going to split the products up into categories such as lips, eyes, face, nails etc. This post is all about the lip products I received (not including a few products I put into giveaway packs). 

Essence XXL Shine Lip glosses: I managed to pick up the shades 'pretty in hibiscus' which is the first product on the left and the shade 'velvet rose'. I also have the shade 'just gorgeous' from the same line but I forgot to photograph it - too much makeup! The 'pretty in hibiscus' shade is so glossy and shiny, it doesn't have much colour but it is nice. The 'velvet rose' shade is a matte and I was excited to try it out but it is so patchy and horrible on my lips! The shade I forgot to photograph 'just gorgeous' is my favourite it is a nice bright medium pink. Overall, they are nice but the matte one 'velvet rose' is awful in my opinion, it is one of the very very few products that I am not too happy with. 

Essence Glow Tinted Lip Balm: I only picked up one of these in the shade 'light up' which is a bright, almost fuchsia pink, it has so much colour which is unusual for a tinted lip balm. It feels very smooth and moisturising on the lips but it can be a bit too creamy and a little bit patchy. 

Essence Long-lasting Lipsticks: I had my eye on these before the event so I knew I wanted to get them. I picked the shades 'barely there' and 'blush my lips' both of which have a cute E logo on them. The lipsticks apply so smoothly and evenly, they are very pigmented and not too creamy. I adore the shade 'barely there' I have been using it almost everyday since I received it. I haven't tested the longevity yet but I think they will last for a while. 

Essence Lipstick: This one is not part of the long-lasting range, I have the shade 'all about cupcake' which is such a cute name and the shade is equally as cute. It is a natural medium baby pink which really isn't a shade I usually go for but it looks so pretty on the lips. It is fairly sheer, slightly glossy, moisturising and smooth. A fantastic everyday lipstick. 

There are all of the Essence lip products I picked/received from the event, I am very happy with the majority of products. My favourite product from this category has to be the long-lasting lipstick in 'barely there'. I have left a few lip products aside for my current giveaway and a giveaway in the future. 

Click here to go to my current international Essence giveaway, it ends soon!

Have you tried any Essence lip products? If so, which one is your favourite?

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Essence Event + International Giveaway!

On the 22nd June I was very kindly invited to go to the launch of Essence Cosmetics in Manchester by the lovely people at FlipsidePR and I was so glad that I plucked up the courage to go as I met some amazing bloggers (namely, Caitlin from Through The Mirror, Siobhan from SiobhamEmma and Imogen from Imogen's Typewriter). I also received a massive amount of makeup to try which is very exciting to a makeup addict! 

I was greeted by the lovely people from FlipsidePR and Essence (everyone was so nice!) and I was given my own name badge - official blogger status now? There were tables set up with makeup to test out and take and also a big stand of Essence makeup that you could browse through and take as well.  We were given big bags that already had bags of products in (Essence were incredibly generous) and we could then put in other makeup! I have about 60 or more products in total from the event!

There were drinks and snacks available, some bloggers had their nails done by the Pamper Puff Girls and the designs looked amazing. There was a presentation by the Essence staff - Essence is the No.1 makeup brand in Europe and I am so glad they have finally launched in the UK. Essence will be available to buy in Wilkinson's stores across the UK and also from the Wilkinson's website at the end of July. Essence is a colourful fun company with amazing high quality products at really affordable prices and 95% of their products are made in Europe. You don't have to be a teenager to wear the colourful, playful cosmetics, anyone can. 

I was really impressed by the wide range of products, from eyeshadow palettes, nail stickers, coloured mascaras, finishing powder, CC creams to nail corrector pens, brushes, hair chalk, magnetic nail pens, blush and so much more - including an at home gel nails kit with a UV lamp which I think was priced at £19.99 which is an amazing price as most are at least £50. 

I can't wait to try the products, I have been playing around with some of them so far such as the eyeshadow quads, lipsticks, lip balms, nail polishes and palettes - they have all been amazing so far. I am very impressed with the range, quality and packaging - I think they really haven't sacrificed quality for the low price point. The event was fantastic, I am really grateful for being invited and the Essence staff were so nice and extremely generous. There is a small Essence stand in the Wilkinson's store located in the Manchester arndale (they also have a massive stand in the arndale). I would highly recommend this amazing but affordable brand, I will share my thoughts on the mountain of products I received over the next few weeks. In the meantime check out my instagram (heathernixon4) for photos from the event and photos of the products I am testing from Essence!

Now the giveaway, I am going to be giving away some mystery prizes of Essence cosmetics I received at the event. There will be five products in this giveaway that will be sent to one lucky winner. This giveaway is international but I cannot be responsible if some items are not able to be shipped or taken by customs in your country. To be in with a chance of winning you have to be following my blog via GFC and Bloglovin and also follow me on twitter. Enter via the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Pin Point Clothing Summer Picks

This is another post in collaboration with Pin Point Clothing, today it is all about my summer picks from their website. We have just booked a cruise around the med with royal caribbean so I am definitely in the summery, holiday mood! Here are my picks!

1. Grey Tribal Print Maxi Dress (£15): How gorgeous is this maxi dress, I am usually not a big fan of maxi dresses but this one is pretty gorgeous! I love the print, it is not too in your face and I love the adjustable straps which is great if necklines are usually quite low, as they are with me. I think it would look great with black patent sandals and a statement colourful necklace!

2. Royal Blue Diamond Neck Top (£17.99): Royal blue is a perfect colour for summer as it definitely emphasises a tan! I love the simple detailing on this top as well as the draping fabric at the top which gives it a light and floating look. Paired with white ripped jean and sandals I think it would look amazing. This top also comes in red, turquoise, yellow, aqua, pink and grey - as well as sizes up to a UK 18. 

3. Bow Top & Dress (2 in 1, £18.99): The style of this dress is so cute, I love the box and crochet/lace top - I chose the taupe/grey one as one of my prom/formal dress picks, click here to see the post. I think this pretty, bright coral shade would be perfect for summer, especially against a sun kissed tan. 

4. Blue Cotton Shirt (£18.99): I love shirt dresses and I know for normal sized people it would be but I am only 4ft 10inches so this shirt at 31inches long would be dress length on me but I love that look. I love shirt dresses with a tie belt and sandals. 

What do you think of these items? What are your go to summer picks?

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My First Sephora Order!

Ever since Sephora US began shipping to the UK back in March I think it was, I have been browsing through the site and seeing how much certain orders would cost to post but I finally ordered! I was supposed to go halves with my parents so some of the items could be birthday presents but I decided to keep them all. The thing that swayed me to order now was that some Tarte products were on sale!

Here are the items I bought, I bought some Tarte, Anastasia Beverly Hills and Sephora's own branded products. I also added samples to my basket, I didn't received one of the samples I picked but I was sent a few more to compensate I guess. The ordering process was so quick and easy, all of the charges are laid out and there were no extra/hidden charges when I made/received my order. My order arrived by DHL and it only took about four days which is amazing! 

The samples I received were really good, I picked the Glamglow Brightmud Eye Treatment (which I may be giving away in a summer giveaway shortly), the Makeup Forever HD Powder sample and because my Marc Jacobs Foundation sample didn't arrive I received a YSL mens aftershave sample, Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment and a Tory Birch fragrance sample which I have used up and it is really nice but it doesn't last long on my skin at all!

Now onto the products, I ordered three things from Tarte - one concealer and two eyeshadow quads. Firstly, I picked up the Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Fair (£15.12). I have wanted this concealer for so long as I do have a couple of tiny lines under my eyes and concealer does usually get in there and make me look older but that doesn't really happen with this one and the coverage is great. Next is the Tarte Amazonian Clay Bambeautiful Eyeshadow Palette (£11.34) which is the one shown above that is open. I love the shades, the packaging and the shadows are so buttery soft and blend amazingly well. The last Tarte product is the Beauty & The Box Eyeshadow Quad in the shade 'in the buff' (£6.30) - yes, it was that cheap! The two eyeshadows quads were on sale! The shades in this one are all neutral and metallic, they blend so well and I definitely need to try more Tarte eyeshadows. This quad came with a mini Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara which a lot of american bloggers/youtubers have been loving. 

I also picked up two Sephora's own waterproof liquid eyeliners in navy and black (£3.15 each) as they were on sale and I love me some liquid liner! I have only tried the navy so far and it is not navy, it is super bright cobalt blue but it looks really nice and it is so quick/easy to use. Finally I bought the Anastasia Beverly Hills Go Brow Set in Brunette (£10.08) as I haven't tried anything from this brand and I thought this mini set would be a great way of trying a couple of products at once. I have used the mini brow pencil and I love it. The set also comes with a mini clear brow gel and mini cute tweezers. 

Overall, I love all of the products I received as well as the samples. The ordering and shipping were so quick and easy. I also found a code online that allowed me to get the Living Proof Hair Primer 15ml Sample Bottle for free. There were no hidden charges although shipping for my order was £16.75 and tax was £11.73 so I did end up spending £77.62 which is expensive! But I think it is worth it for the sale products and you cannot get these products in the UK. 

I have also signed up to be a Sephora beauty insider so when I order I collect points (I have 78 so far) and when you get to 100 points you can pick a deluxe sample and then at 250 and 500 points. And you get to use special codes for extra samples. 

Have you ordered from Sephora? What do you think of these products?

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Review: Moroccan Oil Light Treatment

I have wanted to try Moroccan Oil (the genuine, original one) for ages, I have tried some hair oils but I have been disappointed in one way or another with them. I was kindly sent this hair oil treatment from Hairtrade via EtailPR, click here to check out my disclaimer. 

I have the *Moroccan Oil Light Treatment (£31.85) but you can buy a smaller 25ml bottle. The bottle came with a screw cap on and the pump separately and it was easy to change. I love the packaging and bottle of this product, it looks really luxe and expensive which makes me want to use it more! The text is easy to read, the bottle feels quite heavy and the product has an 'ultra light formula rich in anti-oxidant argan oil that instantly absorbs into hair to immediately enhance manageability, shine and deliver long term conditioning without leaving residue'. This product is aimed at people with fine or light hair, neither of which I have, but it works really well for my thick, long, coloured hair. 

The pump is really quick and easy to use, it dispenses a good amount of product each time and the oil has the most amazing scent. The oil smells musky and almost like coconut - it smell similar to the new Nuxe fragrance (which I adore!). To use, I apply one pump to my hands and then rub my hands together so there is an even distribution and work it through the mid lengths and ends of my hair. I use it on dry hair and wet hair and it works equally as well either way. On dry hair I find it works to tame frizz and smooth but on wet hair it is more detangling, frizz fighting and nourishing. 

The oil doesn't weight my hair down or make it greasy in any way - it adds some shine but it is not a greasy shine and it leaves the nice scent in my hair. I feel like this product conditions and nourishes my hair while providing smoothing and frizz taming results. I think this one bottle will not last me a long time as I am using it every other day! I think that this product is definitely worth the money and for me personally it lives up to its claims. ★★★★★, 5/5!

Have you tried this product before? Have you bought anything from Hairtrade?

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Summer Jewellery With House Of Fraser

House of Fraser is one of my favourite online shops for home ware, makeup and clothing - the House of Fraser sales are fantastic! However, I have never really looked at their jewellery until recently and I was pleasantly surprised. House of Fraser have quite a large range of more affordable jewellery! I was kindly sent two items of my choice, however this does not affect my opinion - honesty as always, check out my disclaimer, here. 

I picked the *Micky London Multi Lines Twisted Choker (Blue, £21). I haven't heard of this brand before but I was instantly drawn to this necklace. It looks like it was made by COS but it is cheaper. The necklace came beautifully packaged too, in a silver box and a pouch. The design is just beautiful, it looks unique but also quite simple and feminine. I adore the colour combinations of turquoise, silver, jade and grey - I think the colours look amazing together. I have paired it with a plain white tee and skinny blue jeans. It sits at a great length, it is not too heavy and it is comfortable to wear. The grey rope works so well with the necklace and makes it look more expensive in my opinion. I am definitely going to take this on holiday with me in august, it would look great with quite a few outfits I have planned, while adding a nice pop of colour and sparkle. There are now quite a few necklaces from Micky London that I have my eye on! ★★★★★, 5/5!

The second item I chose is the *Ziba Collection Emma Leather Bracelet (Cream, £8.50 - sale). Again this is a brand I haven't heard of until recently but the bracelets are gorgeous! I tend not to wear bracelets as my wrists are really thin/small so I am worried that bracelets would fall off but this one has two fastenings so you can make it smaller or a bit larger. The tighter fastening fits my small wrists really well but it isn't tight against the skin. The leather is a mink brown with gold triangles around the strap. I love the colour combination, I think it is very chic and simple. I would wear this bracelet with a tee, skinny jeans and wedges for a cute, casual, simple outfit. As with the previous item, this one also came nicely presented in a black jewellery box. The leather is so soft and it feels very comfortable on the wrist. I was so tempted by the lilac bracelet with skulls on too! ★★★★★, 5/5.

Overall, I am very impressed with the items I received with regard to the packaging, presentation, design and quality of the items, as well as the very affordable price tag! The next time I am looking for jewellery, House of Fraser will be my first stop!

What do you think of the items I picked? Have you tried any items from the brands 'Micky London' or 'Ziba'? 

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