14th May, 2013
Today I have a review on two lovely products from Bobbi Brown. This was my first experience with the brand! I’ve heard so much about Bobbi Brown so I was really excited to try out some of their products. I got the chance to try the Bobbi Brown Brighten and Correct Eye Duo, available in a set at QVC. Let’s take a look at the items that come in the set!
Left is the Bobbi Brown Mini Hydrating Eyecream, you get 3ml in this jar which is a nice amount. Right is the Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener which holds 6ml.
The Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream serves as a base for concealers and hydrates your eyes. You apply it underneath your eyes and around the eye area by gently patting it across your skin. I have to say it feels absolutely wonderful on my eyes! It absorbs really easily into the skin, and your eyes and skin feel really smooth after applying it. I noticed a big difference in my concealer application after using this eye cream, it makes your application much smoother and even. Love this!
The Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener comes in a tube with wand applicator. The shade I received is Light Bisque which was a good match to my skintone. This Tinted Eye Brightener does what it says on the packaging. It’s basically like a tinted moisturizer for the eyes, so you can expect a light coverage and an overall brightened effect. I have to say this is an amazing product if you have dry skin like me. It doesn’t highlight dry patches or accentuates fine lines at all. A problem which I almost always encounter with regular concealer products.
Here’s a little demo of the Bobbi Brown products. On the left I’ve applied the Eye Cream and Tinted Eye Brightener and on the right I’ve applied no products. On the bottom picture I’ve blended out the Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener. As you can see the effect is subtle but it definitely makes your eyes look a little more awake! You can also layer it up over your usual concealer if you need more coverage. I’d personally want a little more coverage but this product definitely does what it promises. I am not a huge fan of the scent but that’s about the only downside I could think of.
I have to say I was really pleasantly surprised by these Bobbi Brown products. I’m definitely keen to try more of their products. You can find this Bobbi Brown set at QVC for £19.50, which is an amazing deal! Make sure to check out the other beauty products at QVC. What are your thoughts on these products? Are you a fan of Bobbi Brown? Any products you’d recommend me? 
Let me know in the comments!
8th May, 2013
Today I bring you a review on a set of wonderful make-up brushes by a new and emerging UK brand called Nanshy. Nanshy make-up brushes are currently only available online at beautystore4u.co.uk. An awesome site that offers free UK delivery (and very cheap international delivery!) and stocks brands such as Real Techniques, Coastal Scents, Sigma, BH cosmetics and more.
Great make-up brushes are always a good investment. If you treat them with care they will last you a lifetime! They can also make a huge difference to your make-up application. This set of Nanshy brushes features five high quality, synthetic (cruelty free!) brushes that will guarantee a flawless application!
The first thing that I noticed about these brushes is that they are soft. So incredibly soft! Seriously! They’re the type you just want to keep stroking your face with because they feel so wonderful. They are also really dense. The Nanshy face brushes are a nice length and weight too. They feel nice in your hands and I really love the white wooden handles. They just look gorgeous!
I was also lucky enough to try out the Nanshy StandUp Brush Holder. It’s a durable black case with plastic buckles on the side. I’ll be honest and admit that I wasn’t completely sold on this case. It’s a little bulky and I didn’t find it very practical. I couldn’t find a way to secure it at the highest length (pictured left) so it might get squished down (pictured right) in your bags while traveling. It does hold a lot of brushes so it might be more useful for storage rather than on-the-move. But let’s be honest, it’s not the most elegant storage solution.
Now on to the brushes! Pictured from left to right you’ll find the following brushes in this set:
- Nanshy Round Buffer Brush: This is a lovely buffer brush. I absolutely loved using this to buff in my foundation and create a nice blended finish.
- Nanshy Flat Top Buffer Brush: This brush is great for applying liquid foundation. It’s super dense and it will make sure your make-up goes on flawlessly. It works with liquid, cream or even powders. Flat top buffer brushes are honestly a staple in your kit!
- Nanshy Pointed Brush: This is probably my favourite brush from the set! It’s a pointed foundation brush but it works amazingly for applying concealer. The pointed tip really manages to reach all the creases and corners of your face. I love this one!
- Nanshy Flat Angled Buffer Brush: This one is quite similar to the flat top buffer brush, only angled.
- Nanshy Angled Buffer Brush: This one is perfect for blush application or bronzer.
I have to say I really loved these brushes! They are soft, dense and everything you want from face brushes. The only negative I can think of is that you may not need all five of these as they are a little similar. But you’re getting a great deal by saving money and getting the set rather than the individual brushes.
You can find this set of Nanshy face brushes at Beautystore4u.co.uk for £34.95 and the Nanshy StandUp Brush Roll for £14.95. Not the cheapest set around but the brushes are awesome quality. I highly recommend them, they are definitely worth checking out. I’m also very excited to see Nanshy release some eye brushes. Definitely a brand I’m going to keep an eye on from now on! Have you heard about Nanshy before? Let me know in the comments!
3rd May, 2013
Today I have a review on a make-up palette by one of my all time favourite brands, Sleek MakeUP. It’s an affordable UK drugstore brand that is all about amazing pigmentation and intense colour. They are hands down the best make-up brand I’ve tried when it comes to eyeshadow pigmentation. Nothing beats them, especially for the price!
This is one of their limited edition i-Divine eyeshadow palettes, the Sleek MakeUP Sparkle 2 palette. It was launched for Christmas 2012 but you can still grab it at the awesome online cosmetics store, Licila.si. Make sure to check out their site as they have many other Sleek palettes and Sleek MakeUP products available! (I am totally eyeing up the pout paints and the new Showstoppers palette! 
)
These are the 12 shades that come in the Sleek MakeUP Sparkle 2 palette. From left to right: Chocolate Penny, Blue Spruce, Mulled Wine, Truffle, Mistletoe, Illusion, Festive, Gold Ribbon, Glitz & Glamour, Tinsel, Twinkle and Starry Night. All shades contain a lovely fine shimmer. It’s definitely a very festive palette!
These are all twelve shades up close. As you can see it’s a nice mix of shades. They’re all quite vampy shades, perfect for sultry smokey eye looks. Though you can definitely create a wearable everyday make-up look with it as well using the browns and grays. I love that there’s a very broad mix of shades but they still work really well together.
These are the swatches which I’ve made on my arm over an eyeshadow base. How crazy pigmented are these? I was honestly blown away. I think out of all my Sleek MakeUP palettes this is by far the most pigmented palette I own! Especially the top left shade, Chocolate Penny, is so intensely pigmented I was honestly gasping out of amazement.
Finally here’s the eyeshadow look I created using the Sleek MakeUP Sparkle 2 palette. I used Chocolate Penny across the inner half of the lid and blended Mulled Wine and Starry Night in the crease. I think this came out as a fairly wearable look but it’s still intense and smokey.
You can find this awesome Sleek MakeUP palette at Licila.si, as well as many other great Sleek Palettes. They’re €11.95 a piece which is a great price for 12 high-quality intense pigmented eyeshadows. If you’re not from Slovenia you can easily navigate the Licila.si site using Google Translate. Are you a fan of Sleek MakeUP like me? Which of their palettes (or other products) do you own? Any recommendations? Let me know in the comments!
26th April, 2013
I’m back with another review featuring an item available at Licila.si, a lovely Slovenian-based cosmetics online shop. Today’s item is a make-up palette by British cosmetics brand BeautyUK and it is very budget friendly. Let’s take a look!
The BeautyUK eyeshadow palette I received is the #6 Day and Night palette and features ten eyeshadows. A somewhat unusual mix of colours, as there’s brights and neutrals in this palette. However, I soon noticed the pairing possibilities are endless and the shades provide a nice range for lots of different eyeshadow looks. You can go wild with an all bright look, or a neutral look, or a smoky look with a subtle hint of colour.
These are the ten shades up close. On the top row you’ll find a nice matte white, matte nude, matte acid green, matte turquoise blue and a matte pink. On the bottom row there’s a matte black, matte brown, a slightly darker matte brown, a matte purple and a matte red. The acid green shade was slightly damaged during transit, but you can find a handy step-by-step tutorial on the Licila.si site that shows you how to fix a broken pan.
Here are the swatches on my arm! All ten shades were swatched over an eyeshadow base. The colour payoff on the top row was slightly sheerer than the bottom row. Bright matte shades tend to be a little less strongly pigmented but I definitely wasn’t disappointed by the colour payoff, especially after trying them on my lids! Watch for yourself…
Finally, here’s an eyeshadow look I created with the BeautyUK #6 Day and Night palette. I used my trusted Zoeva eyeshadow primer and NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk as a base. I patted on the acid green shade in the inner corner and halfway across the lid and blended the purple eyeshadow in the crease. I also added a little of the matte black eyeshadow to create more intensity on the outer edge. As you can see the colour payoff doesn’t disappoint on the lids!
I was very pleasantly surprised with this extremely affordable palette. I didn’t have high expectations but it definitely didn’t fail to impress me. The eyeshadows were easy to work with, had a nice colour payoff (especially for mattes!) and I didn’t experience any fall-out. Overall this is a great budget eyeshadow palette that’s perfect for on-the-go as it doesn’t take up much space.
You can find this lovely BeautyUK eyeshadow palette for €6,95 on the Licila.si website. After trying this wonderful eyeshadow palette I am dying to find out what else BeautyUK has to offer. Have you had the chance to try any BeautyUK products? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear some recommendations.
17th April, 2013
Lioele (lee-oh-el-lee) is a Korean cosmetics brand I discovered through Keautystore. I first tried their coconut hand cream a few months ago and I was hooked! I simply had to try more Lioele products. Today I’ll be reviewing one of their nail polishes and a super cute lip balm. Let’s take a look!
The products I was able to try are the Lioele Bubi Bubi Tint Balm in the shade Innocent and the Lioele Nail Color in shade #38 Mint Green.
First up, the Lioele Nail Color! Surprise, surprise, I picked a mint green… I am so in love with the cute print on the bottle. Isn’t it stunning? The bottle is really beautiful and elegant. Above is three layers of the Lioele Mint Green nail polish. Application was pretty good though I did notice a slight smell. I am guessing it’s not a 3-free formula. The brush was the perfect size, not too wide and not too narrow. Dry time was a little longer than usual since I used slightly thicker coats. Isn’t the shade wonderful?
Next up the Lioele Bubi Bubi Tint Balm. How cute is that name? Again, I fell in love with the packaging! Korean cosmetics really know how to tempt us with their adorable packaging. The cold weather didn’t seem to go away this year which had a huge impact on my skin, hair and lips. I never left my house without hand cream and lip balm. This lip balm found its way into my bag many times!
The yellow colour of the lip balm changes into a lovely subtle coral shade. Above is one layer of Lioele Bubi Bubi lip balm but you can build it up for a brighter colour. It’s a very moisturizing lip balm and definitely not too sticky. The scent is absolutely amazing too! It smells delicious and fruity as it’s mango-scented.
Overall I really enjoyed trying these Lioele products and highly recommend you to take a look at Keautystore! You can purchase the Lioele Nail Color for $6.60 and the Lioele Tint Balm for $13.30. Apart from Lioele, Keautystore also carries Skin Food, Etude House, Missha and more. If you order, make sure to use my 5% off code: “veryemily“. Are you a fan of Korean cosmetics? Let me know in the comments which brands and products you recommend!
9th April, 2013
I have a review on another MUA product today! This time one of their lovely make-up palettes which was provided by Maja, the owner of Licila.si. Ličila, which means “make-up” in Slovene, is a Slovenian online store that carries an amazing range of brands such as Barry M, Sleek, MUA, Urban Decay, and many more. You’ll find all the hottest make-up, nail polishes and tools at affordable prices. Make sure to check out their site if you live in Europe! If you’re not from Slovenia (like me!) you can easily navigate the site if you use Google Translate. And if you have any questions, simply drop the lovely Maja an e-mail, she’s the sweetest person ever!
On to the MUA palette! This is the new Undress Me Too palette that was recently released. It’s said to be a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. I can’t compare as I don’t own the Naked 2 palette but the swatches I’ve seen online say it all! This is a lovely budget alternative to the Naked 2 palette at a significantly lower cost. Dupes aside, this is a lovely neutral eyeshadow palette that is a must-have for any make-up lover on a budget.
There’s twelve shades in total in the MUA Undress Me Too palette. You’ll find nudes, coppers, medium and dark browns and a black. It features both matte and shimmery eyeshadows. It also comes with the standard dual-sided applicator. I really love the sleek white packaging MUA opted for with this palette. It looks really beautiful and stylish!
Top row from left to right: Naked, Devotion, Shy, Fiery, Lavish, Dreamy
Bottom row from left to right: Tranquil, Exposed, Reveal, Wink, Obsessed, Corrupt
These are all twelve shades swatched on my arm over an eyeshadow base. Look at that pigmentation! It’s so amazingly pigmented. Especially the shade Devotion which had me gasping when I swatched it. It’s so lovely and creamy and applies like a dream. The matte shades are nicely pigmented too, though Naked was too close to my skintone to show up properly.
Finally a simple and neutral eyeshadow look I created using the MUA Undress Me Too palette. I started with my favourite eyeshadow base (Zoeva!) and I used the shade Shy as a highlight on the inner corner. Fiery and Devotion across the lid and a mix of Wink, Obsessed and Corrupt blended in the crease. On my lashes I used the Estee Lauder Sumptuous Waterproof Mascara.
The eyeshadow stayed put all day long so I have to say I was really impressed with this palette. The quality is flawless, and especially for it’s extremely affordable price tag. You can find it for €7.95 on the website Licila.si. Make sure to take a look at the other MUA palettes and at the other products Licila has to offer! For easy navigation, simply click on my Licila.si sidebar banner.
5th April, 2013
A few weeks (months?) ago I noticed MUA was having an amazing 50% off sale and free shipping deal for all their customers. They’re a very affordable UK make-up brand with awesome products. Their prices are already very low so with a 50% off deal you can imagine things went a little crazy during the sale! Their server couldn’t handle all the make-up addicts grabbing anything they could get their hands on. In the end I managed to grab all the items I wanted despite some issues with payment and shipping.
One of the items I was dying to get were the Lip Booms. Created in collaboration with singer Alexandra Burke, these Lip Booms are amazing double-sided matte lipsticks/glittery lipgloss. When deciding which shades I wanted, I came to the conclusion I simply wanted them all!
These are all 8 shades of Lip Booms. From left to right: OK.COM, OMG, Cheeky, Vibe, Doin’ Good, Bring It, It’s A Situation, LMK.
When you open up the ferrel it reveals the matte lipstick. On the opposite end you can screw it open to reveal the lipgloss with wand applicator. I really love the range of colours! Going from nudes to coral to reds. Every single shade is one I’d love to wear! Admittedly, the darkest one was a gamble, but it looks pretty amazing on the lips. Yay!
F.L.T.R: OK.COM, OMG, Cheeky, Vibe, Doin’ Good, Bring It, It’s A Situation, LMK.
These are all the lipsticks swatched on my arm. I added the lipgloss over the bottom half of each shade. As you can see the gloss is very glittery and shiny. It really plumps up the lips and makes them look nice and full! I hugely love matte finish lipsticks. They can be quite drying, however but I didn’t notice any major issues with these. They felt nice on the lips and the colour payoff was pretty great, as you can see!
You can find these Lip Booms on the MUA website for just £3 a piece. They’re also available at Superdrug in the UK. Have you tried MUA products? Which of these lipstick shades would you wear? Let me know in the comments!
27th March, 2013
Recently Estee Lauder launched their new Pure Colour Shadow Paints. These are amazing cream eyeshadows, silky smooth in texture and very longlasting. They promise 12 hour wear and a soft, pigmented and easy-to-use formula. I was lucky enough to try the Estee Lauder Shadow Paint in shade Cosmic. Let’s take a look!
I was really blown away by the shade Cosmic when I first saw it! It’s a stunning copper brown with a ton of shimmer and dimension to it. I love wearing warm coppery brown shades so this was simply perfect! Here’s a confession though… I have very little experience with cream eyeshadow, purely because I tend to avoid them. When I think of cream eyeshadow I think of creasing, patchiness and tricky application. So as you can imagine, I was really anxious to try the Estee Lauder Pure Color Shadow Paints. Would this product work for me?
Here’s the Estee Lauder Shadow Paint in Cosmic swatched on my hand. Doesn’t the shimmer look amazing? I love it!
I first applied it on my eyelids using my fingers, and found it slightly tricky to get a perfectly even application so I took out my concealer brush which gave me a much better result! It enabled me to apply the colour evenly on my lids and get an amazing opacity. Hey, this seems to be working!
Here’s the finished make up look I created with the Estee Lauder Shadow Paint! I applied Cosmic all across my lid and along the inner corner of my lower lashline. In my crease I blended a dark brown eyeshadow to give the look more drama. On my lashes I used the Estee Lauder Waterproof Mascara. My first real venture into cream eyeshadows seemed to be successful. I managed to create a nice make-up look without too much hassle. But now, when does it start creasing?
It didn’t! I was extremely impressed with the wear. I applied this in the morning at around 10AM and when I looked in the mirror at 9PM in the evening, my make-up was still flawless. There was a subtle fade but there was no creasing whatsoever and Cosmic had stayed in place perfectly. I couldn’t believe my eyes! I’m hugely impressed with the Estee Lauder cream eyeshadow. The colour is stunning and application and wear were really impressive.
You can find the Estee Lauder Shadow Paints at all stores that carry Estee Lauder. They are part of the permanent range so they are readily available. In Belgium the RRP is €24,83. Other shades include Pink Zinc, Sinister and Steel, a silver shade, a nude and a charcoal black. What’s your experience with cream eyeshadows? Let me know in the comments!
Connect with Estee Lauder on Facebook, Twitter, and make sure to check out their YouTube channel too!
27th February, 2013
Today’s post is dripping with colour! A few days ago I received these stunning Eylure Katy Perry Color Pop lashes in the mail. I’m sure you can see why these instantly put a smile to my face! How beautiful is the pop art packaging?! These are sure to brighten up your day.
Katy Perry released this in collaboration with Eylure. There’s four different wearable styles, three full lash strips and one set of individuals. Let’s take a look at the four different styles!
Eylure Katy Perry Color Pop Lashes in Ka-Ching.
These are the green full lashes. Even though these are coloured lashes, they are bright without being over the top. They are extremely wearable, so don’t be shy! The green fibres are mixed with black which gives a really fun but subtle colour effect. All sets include a small tube of lash glue with an easy applicator.
Eylure Katy Perry Color Pop Lashes in Ka-Ching.
Eylure Katy Perry Color Pop Lashes in Ka-Ching.
Eylure Katy Perry Color Pop Lashes in Ka-Boom.
These are the blue full lash strips. Ka-Boom are the most colourful ones I think. The blue really pops! These are really stunning. I love how the coloured lashes and black ones form a wispy criss-cross pattern.
Eylure Katy Perry Color Pop Lashes in Ka-Boom.
Eylure Katy Perry Color Pop Lashes in Ka-Boom.
Eylure Katy Perry Color Pop Lashes in Ka-Pow.
These are the purple ones. I really love these! They’re probably my favourites, which is why I used them for a look at the bottom of this post. The shape of these lashes is so beautiful and flattering. They’re the same shape across all three full lash styles. They feel very soft to the touch and they flare out nicely.
Eylure Katy Perry Color Pop Lashes in Ka-Pow.
Eylure Katy Perry Color Pop Lashes in Ka-Pow.
Eylure Katy Perry Color Pop Lashes in Ka-Zaam.
This is the set of individuals. It features all three colours, green, blue and purple, which come in short and medium length. This set includes lash glue and a special remover. There’s no less than 52 individual lashes in total! You can choose individuals of each colour, or go for an ombre style. Awesome right?!
Eylure Katy Perry Color Pop Lashes in Ka-Zaam.
Eylure Katy Perry Color Pop Lashes in Ka-Zaam.
A cute extra, all four sets come with a sticker!
This is me wearing the Eylure Katy Perry Color Pop lashes in Ka-Pow, the purple ones. Don’t they look amazing and full? I love them so much! I feel like false lashes can look a little overwhelming on me since I have hooded eyes and small lid space, but these looked really great! I did have to clip down the sides slightly as they were too wide but that’s normal with false lashes.
Here’s a close-up! I wish you could see the colour better, it was definitely more visible in person. If you look closely you should be able to spot the pretty purple flashes of colour! So gorgeous!
You can find Eylure lashes across the globe so make sure to check out their list of stockists to find out where they are sold near you. In Belgium you can find these in Di stores, they retail for €8.50. I highly recommend the Eylure lashes, they’re amazing quality! These Katy Perry Color Pop lashes are no different. They were comfortable to wear and the shape was so flattering and wearable. Definitely check them out!
Would you wear these? What did you think of the cute packaging? Let me know in the comments!
14th February, 2013
I’ve barely found the time to blog this week, I’ve just been so busy! However, I do have some pretty exciting posts to share on here soon, so make sure to watch this space. In the meantime, here’s a recap of a few things I shared on Instagram the past few weeks. There’s also a question for YOU at the bottom of this post. So make sure to leave me your feedback, I’d love to hear your suggestions!
Follow me on Instagram: veryemily.
Left: When I saw this heart at Action for under $2 I simply had to buy it. It was being sold as a display for greeting cards, but in my head I immediately saw my necklaces dangling from the beautiful little hearts. I’m so glad I picked this up! It’s definitely one of my new favourite items in my room. Score!
Right: It’s been a few years since I bought a new duvet cover and I figured it was time for a change. I’ve wanted a Union Jack duvet cover for a while and when I was googling I found that 3SUISSES had the perfect one. I picked this up during their sale, it came in at around $50 including the four pillow covers. I love how it has a different design on the inside!
On 28 January, I had the most epic nail mail day ever! One of my bestest friends Alex (aka Algae Veronica! Please check out her blog, she’s an amazing nail artist) absolutely spoiled me with the most amazing package filled with goodies. I wish I knew what I did to deserve such kindness! My new piCture pOlish shades for my weekly swatchathon also arrived that day. I was, and still am, overwhelmed with all the beautiful polishes I was blessed with that day!
On 1 February my boyfriend and I celebrated our four year anniversary. I’m so blessed to have such an amazing, supportive and awesome boyfriend. I wouldn’t know what to do without him!
MUA Cosmetics was having a sale on their website not too long ago. All of their products were 50% off, and they were having a free international shipping deal. Given their products are so cheap already, this definitely was too good to pass up! So these are the goodies I picked up during the sale. Would anyone like to see reviews on some of these items? Let me know in the comments!
Left: Last weekend I had a haul at Action and Kruidvat. Action is quickly becoming one of my favourite stores, it’s basically like a Poundland or a Dollar Store. Everything is so cheap and the items they sell are awesome! They have a lot of great make-up products and cosmetics too. As you can tell from the duplicates, these goodies are not all for me! I also picked up some items for a few dear friends of mine.
Right: This is the Essence Popul-Art blush from the Vintage District limited edition. It’s so beautiful! I almost don’t want to use it. The gold is an overspray so I haven’t touched it yet. The effect is too pretty to ruin!
Meet my first ever decoden iPhone case! I got it at Born Pretty Store, it comes in a set with a clear iPhone case, large decoden pieces, rhinestones and pearls, glue and a nifty pencil for picking up rhinestones. I also used some other rhinestones I had lying around. I definitely went a bit overboard with the bling. I love it so much though! Especially the little nail polish charm. It’s just the cutest!
Left: Behold my very own OPI Euro Centrale display! When I saw the first previews of Euro Centrale I knew I had to have the full collection. I’ve never bought a full collection before but I simply had to have it, the shades were SO me! My friend Alex was able to hook me up with this, so a huge thanks to her.
Right: A little sneaky peek of my three favourite shades from the Euro Centrale collection. But more on that in my swatch post which should be going up this week or early next week!
And finally, here’s the new Born Pretty Store glitter polishes! I will be swatching these on my blog very soon! But this is where you come in… As they are mostly layering glitters I’ve been debating which colours I should layer them over. As there’s so many, I will only be able to show one layering combination. Either I can use the same colour for all glitters (white or black?) or I can pick a shade that I think works best with each shade. Please let me know what you’d prefer and what you would like to see me do with these!
Hope you enjoyed this post! Thanks for watching and reading!
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