Wednesday 29 October 2014

Etude House Princess Happy Ending Nail Polish Review

I've another Etude House x Disney collab for you today! The Princess Happy Ending collection launched sometime in the summer, with products inspired by Snow White, Cinderella, Belle and Jasmine. For me, the biggest draw for this collection were the nail polishes, especially the Snow White one, which is the one I ended up buying.




The polishes all have super cute packaging. I absolutely love how the box is made to look like a fairytale book, it is just so adorable!




Each set contains two nail polishes and a sheet of nail decals. The Snow White one contained a red polish, a multicoloured glitter polish, and the decals were all shaped like apples and mirrors.




The red polish is just standard red polish. It has a nice formula, it applies easily, and it didn't chip for a few days.




The glitter in this set is so pretty, I don't have one like it in my collection, and the look of this glitter was one of the reasons why I picked Snow White's polish over the others.




The decals are another reason why I picked Snow White's set, they're just so cute! I didn't read the instructions properly at first and kept trying to peel them off the sheet (I thought they were stickers), and I somehow managed to accidentally get a mirror decal onto my nail in all the confusion. Things were a lot easier once I actually read the instructions! All you need to do is cut out the decal you want and press it against the nail for a few seconds, then remove the plastic film! Easy peasy!




I love these Etude House x Disney collaborations, and I hope they release more collections like this in the (near) future! 

You can get this kit for around €7/€8 on eBay.

Friday 24 October 2014

Memebox Superbox #59 Halloween Special Unboxing




My Halloween box arrived Friday morning an I thought I'd just do a quick unboxing post! The box contains 7 full sized products, all perfect for Halloween! If you want to check out my previous Memebox unboxing, click here.

Let's get started then!



1. REVECEN Face Control Foundation 100 White 17g ($22)
Memebox says: "This unique Face Control Foundation works to cover up skin imperfections and control dull, yellow skin tone for a more refined, evenly balanced and healthier-looking complexion. However, for our Halloween Special Box, we've included this product in 'white' to help you create that whitened-out face perfect as base makeup for featuring basically anything you choose to be this Halloween! Plus, it contains natural preservatives such as green tea extracts and magnolia extracts, and thus gentle and suitable for all skin types."
I used this as the base for my Sugar Skull look (here), it was easy enough to work with. You just need to build it up to make it more opaque. It does transfer though, which is quite annoying!




2. REVECEN Cake Eye Liner Black 3.5g ($8)
Memebox says: "REVECEN's Cake Eye Liner is made into a hard-type powder formula which can be used as an eyeshadow, but when mixed with a little bit of water, it turns into a gel-type eye liner and you can control how gel-like it is by regulating the water concentration. Use a thin brush or paint brush to paint things like a spider's web or a devil's eye on your face."
When I first opened this up, I was so disappointed. Just a boring black eyeshadow, and one that wasn't at all pigmented too? No thanks. But then I read the little information card and tried it with a bit of water. I was really impressed by it! once you dip your wet brush in and give it a few swirls, it becomes quite pigmented. It doesn't smudge either, which is always a big plus. The only annoying thing is that it dries really quickly, so I had to keep running back to the bathroom to wet the brush. It washes off easily with soap, which is great too!
I used this for my Sugar Skull makeup too. I kept a little cup of water with me so I could keep wetting the brush. Really happy with how it worked for that!
TL;DR: As an eyeshadow it's pretty crap, but as an eyeliner/facepaint it's pretty good.




3. REVECEN Supra Lining Color 007 Purple 17g ($30)
Memebox says: "This Supra Lining Color is a real face and body paint and its color formation, gentle formula and lasting strength is highly acknowledged and well-loved by Korean beauty explorers who enjoy experimenting with different items for creating various eye, lip and facial makeup looks (especially for Halloween!)."
I tried this out under my eyes, blended out it creates such realistic dark circles, perfect for a zombie look!




4. REVECEN Eye Lash ($6)
Memebox says: "Thick, exaggerated, and glittery fake lashes for this Halloween? REVECEN boosts many lash types and its gentle acrylic emulsion for adhering the fake lashes over your own. Maintain your lashes healthy and strong while beautifying with these lovely accentuations!"
Saving these for Halloween!




5. REVECEN Liquid Lipstick Blood 8ml ($16)
Memebox says: "There's no need to purchase a bottle of fake blood this year with REVECEN's newly formulated Liquid Lipstick in blood color! Specially designed to resemble liquid blood, this lipstick can be used not only for creating that bloody lip makeup but also for painting blood gushing out of your eyes and mouth or for featuring a fake scar."
I haven't used this as lipgloss/fake blood yet, but did use this for my sugar skull look too! It looked great and all, but never really dried so it transferred like crazy on my hand when I touched my face when I was washing it all off.




6. Elizavecca Lip Tattoo ($14)
Memebox says: "Ever though of getting a tattoo on your lips? Completely waterproof and lasting for more than 8 hours without any smudges whatsover, Elizavecca's Lip Tattoo offers you a fun, unique beauty item to play around with this Halloween. Indulge in deep wine or a dark burgundy colored lip tattoo!"
These are disappointing. If you're going to include a lip tattoo, include one with a crazy pattern or something, not a solid colour that I can get in the form of a lipstick or lipgloss!




7. LALANC Real Tattoo ($5)
Memebox says: " LALANC's fashion Real Tattoos are easy to apply, long-lasting, waterproof, and actually look like real tattoos. Pick out a skull, a wing, or even an anchor and tattoo it right beside your eyes, on your neck, over your wrist, or wherever you want to add a special finish to your Halloween concept."
I love me some temporary tattoos! I've got the crown one on the bottom right applied right now, photo here!


All in all, I did quite enjoy this box, especially the tattoos and the gel liner. I'm expecting my next box to arrive in the next two weeks (yes, I ordered a *few* more boxes!), so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Wednesday 22 October 2014

Wet n Wild Megalast Lipstick in Sugar Plum Fairy Review

Okay guys, here's the thing. I have found what I think may just be my all time favourite lipstick. Ever. I mentioned this lipstick in another post a few weeks ago, but it just kind of deserves a post of its own.




This is a lipstick that I searched for in 5 different shops, on what was supposed to be a lazy Sunday afternoon. I started off in the Pennys in Dundrum. Couldn't find it. From there, I took the Luas into town and popped into Dunnes in the St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre. Still no luck. After that, I moved onto O'Connell Street and had a look in the Pennys there. Nope. I moved onto Henry Street and had a look in both the Dunnes and Pennys there. I. Still. Couldn't. Find. It.

I tried again a few days later. Still no luck. I had given up, and bought Mac's Rebel instead, for which this lippie was supposedly an exact dupe.

That weekend, while I was walking towards my bus stop, I decided to have another look in Dunnes and low and behold, they had it! They had three actually, so I snatched up two, one for myself and one for my sister.

This is how I came to acquire Wet n Wild's Sugar Plum Fairy.




Sugar Plum Fairy is an exact dupe of Mac's Rebel, the only difference being the finish (Rebel has a satin finish while SPF is a matte). Personally, I actually like Wet n Wild's offering a lot more, despite my drier lips. Sugar Plum Fairy is lasts a whole lot longer than Rebel, probably because of its matte finish. I popped SPF on my at 7am, it stilled looked great by 4pm (although it had faded just a little bit by this point), despite me having consumed two meals by then.




I've had both of these lipsticks for about a month now I think, and I've used Rebel only once. Sugar Plum Fairy, on the other hand, I use at the very least once every week. For only €2.99, it is an absolute bargain and there is no excuse for you to not get it (unless you can't find it that is!).

Friday 17 October 2014

imPress Halloween Nails

Hey guys!

Halloween is right around the corner, and today I've got some really cool Halloween themed press-on nails to show you. So if you're looking for the prefect mani to go with your costume, look no further!

The imPress Limited Edition Halloween nails promise to give you some spooky yet super cool nails instantly. There are six designs in the collection, all perfect for Halloween, and the ones I was sent are Hot Blooded and After Midnight.


Hot Blooded (left) and Midnight (right)

I'd never tried fake nails before these, so I wasn't sure what to expect really. I was surprised though at how fast it was to apply these! You literally just find the right sizes for all of your nails (each pack has 24 nails, so it'll cater to pretty much all nail sizes), peel off the little tab at the back of the nail and stick 'em on. And that's it! Done and dusted in a matter of seconds.


Hot Blooded

I have to say, I'm really 'imPressed' with these (ha, see what I did there?). I'm definitely going to be sporting the other set next week, and I think I may have a look at the other designs so I can have one to wear on Halloween night. They're just such a great way to vamp up your Halloween costume, or if you're not really into costumes but still want in on the Halloween spirit, this is such a simple yet fun way to do so!

These are available in leading pharmacies, retailers and selected Penny's stores nationwide, for €4.99 a pack.

Friday 10 October 2014

Memebox Jackpot Box Unboxing





I've been hearing a lot about Memebox over the last few months from various YouTubers and bloggers. I'd been tempted to try it out for a while now, and I finally got myself a box when they launched the Jackpot Box back in August.





Memebox is korean beauty box service, filled with korean skincare, makeup and haircare products. I've been loving Korean beauty products for a while now, and that's mainly why I decided to go for Memebox as opposed to the likes of any of the other hundred or so beauty boxes out there.

The Jackpot boxes claimed to hold products with a total value of $155 to $1000, with the former being the value of the ninth place box and the latter of the first place box. I got the fifth place box, which Memebox says is worth $209. The box only cost $34, including shipping, so whatever place box you got, you got more than what you were paying for.



Now, onto the unboxing...




1. IOPE Lip & Cheek 01 Rose Pink 4g ($42)
Memebox says: "A dual item for both lips and cheeks, this rosy lip & cheek stein comes in a neat, compact packaging with a mirror as well. Blend it into your lips and cheeks to add more color and radiance to your overall complexion."
This was one of my favourite items from the box. It gives a pretty pink colour to both lips and cheeks, and it's really easy to apply too. I've used this both as a cream blush and on my lips, it's a really nice product.


2. IOPE Essential Moisture Relief Cream 50ml ($87)
Memebox says: "A light-textured moisturizing cream especially suitable for the summer time, the Essential Moisture Relief Cream soothes, moisturizes, and tightens up the dried, worn-out skin overnight for a refreshing revitalized condition the next morning." 
This cream is really hydrating. It's absolutely freezing when you apply it to skin and I got quite the shock when I first applied it.



3. 3W CLINIC Collagen Make-up Base 50ml ($30)
Memebox says: "This silicon type Collagen Make-up Base contains blemish-control powder components for matting out and preparing the skin condition before foundation application. The high level of adherence and long-lasting formula helps maintain your makeup silky smooth all day long."
I love the smell of this primer, I can't quite place it, but it really reminds me of something. In terms of packaging, I think the glass bottle and pump features are quite nice. The pump is a bit stiff though, and when you finally get it to work you always end up with too much product.




4. COTTERANG Aesthetic Reparative-K Cream 20g ($43)

Memebox says: "A facial cream for soothing and nourishing stimulated skin, the Aesthetic Reparative-K Cream is packed with high concentrates of centella asiatica extracts, jojoba oil, sunflower seed oil, and gold extracts. Its soothing formula works to hydrate and calm reddened, sensitive skin by creating a protective layer on top and also by instigating skin regeneration." 
I haven't had a chance to try this yet, so I can't really say much about it.





5. COTTERANG Panda Eye Essence Mask 3ml*3ea ($9)
Memebox says: "Made from pure vitamin C, vitamin E, and various fermented components – honey, beans, mistletoe, licorice, and bacillus – the Panda Eye Essence Mask brightens up the skin tone and treats fine lines & wrinkles, for moist eye contours."
The packaging for these are just so cute! I love using under eye masks, so I'm really excited to try these out!





6. ABELLE So Hot-Burning Concentrate Ampoule 20ml ($24)
Memebox says: "A unique hair ampoule that warms up all by itself and absorbs deeply into your hair, this highly concentrated ampoule is made from E.G.F, hydrolyzed keratin, hydrolyzed collagen, and hydrolyzed silk which all work to strengthen the hair cuticle and make your hair shine with a natural glow."
Another product I haven't tried yet. I think I may try this out over the weekend, it sounds pretty interesting!





7. T.P.O No-Wash Toner Sheet 30 pieces ($14)
Memebox says: "T.P.O’s toner sheet is perfect for quick makeup fix-ups, for removing makeup residues, or even for refreshing and moisturizing dry skin throughout the day. There’s no need for double cleansing with this item because it’ll quickly and easily cleanse away any skin impurities with just a single swipe."
Not much to say about these, they're just your average makeup wipes. I don't think they're particularly special or anything.





8. HAIR+ Velvet Nutri-Injection 12ml ($5)
Memebox says: "For all those damaged hairs out there, the Velvet Nutri-Injection is here to save the day! There’s absolutely no need to rinse after application. Simply apply it throughout your hair, especially the damaged ends, after towel drying, and experience results of a hair clinic program!"
My hair gets quite dry so looking forward to using this.





9. SULLOC Water+ 7.8g ($6)
Randomly selected from Happy Sweet, Lemon Lime, Cherry Punch, Red Cafe

Memebox says: "The Sulloc Water+ contains 180mg of catechins which are potent antioxidants most active in green tea, 2.5mg of pantothenic acid, and an antioxidant level equivalent to 12 full tomatoes. Feel lighter, younger, and more vital with what Water+ has to offer!"
I tried the Lemon Lime one out. The instructions on the box tell you to add the powder to 500ml of water, but doing so just gives you a hint of lemon/lime taste. It's not bad tasting, but I think for the other two sachets I'm going to put in less water so the taste really comes through.


Overall, I do wish there was a better balance of beauty and skin care. I like the box well enough, but I do wish there were more make-up products included. 

I've already ordered 3 more boxes (oops!): the Halloween box, the Tony Moly box, and the Etude House box (because I love me some Etude House!).  I got an email this morning informing me that my Halloween box is on its way, so expect an unboxing of that soon!


Tuesday 7 October 2014

Mwave Get K-Beauty Box Unboxing

I've always loved the idea of beauty boxes and last month I finally got around to ordering my first one, the Mwave Get K-Beauty Box!



The box is a one off box, it's a collaboration between Mwave and Get It Beauty. Containing 7 full sized products, the box is priced at $40, and the shipping is free. The website had a list of all the products that were going to be in the box, which was a huge factor for me when deciding to get the box. I know that part of the appeal of these beauty boxes is the surprise element, but this being my first experience with these, I wanted to know what to expect. Overall, I was quite happy with the box. 




Onto the unboxing....




1. Code Glokolor N. All-Uid Foundation
Mwave says: "This all-in-one fluid foundation makes delicate skin texture and naturally glow skin with 5 make-up effects-moisturizing, cover, glow, tone, and texture- and 2 functional effects-UV blocking, whitening - by Pentaprism Code."
The colour of this matches my skin ok, not perfect but not so off. You get a refill too. I love the packaging, it's a little compact with puff applicator. To get product out, you just press the button and the foundation comes out in the star shape.






2. Dr.Jart Bounce Beauty Balm 01 Light 
Mwave says: "This facial balm cares tone, flaw and surface as well with new shape memory BB, Firming Bounce Balm. Skin regains its original moist and elasticity."
I've just tested out to see if colour matched. Surprisingly, the shade matches ok. It's not 100% perfect, but doesn't look too bad, I think I could just mix it with a slightly darker foundation. It's got the same sponge/puff packaging as the Code foundation.




3. Mediheal N.M.F Aquaring Nude Gel Mask
Mwave says: "This double-moisturizing mask immediately delivers moisture to your skin with a special hydrogel mask sheet, which adheres to skin tightly and firmly."
I haven't tried this mask out yet, but I have tried sheet masks from other Korean brands before. They're pretty good, they do leave my skin feeling moisturised and healthy, and they're really refreshing too. They can look a bit scary though!




4. Ellegirl I Say Tint You Say Gloss 03 Rock Berry
Mwave says: "K-Star's Favourite: Ellegirl I say Tint You say Gloss Rock Berry ! With a combined function of lip tint and gloss, it starts off as a lip gloss, then dramatically turns into a lip tint."
This is a gorgeous bright pink lipgloss/tint. The colour is stunning but there is one big problem I have with this product. It makes teeth look so so yellow. I was so incredibly disappointed when I saw that, I was really looking forward to this gloss. It does leave a nice tint once the gloss comes off, I wouldn't call the transition dramatic though




5. Clio Gelpresso Pencil Gel Liner Mini The Colour of 2014
Mwave says: " Filled with sliding gel texture in retractable mini auto pencil, this can be used as an eyeliner or blended out as an eyeshadow. Five various Orchid colors, world trend color of 2014, helps you make both trendy point and wearable makeup. Waterproof formula stays put all day long without smudge." 
I have wanted to try some more of Clio's Gelpresso Liners for absolutely ages, but just kept putting it off. I'm glad I waited, you get a tin of 5 mini gel liners in different shades of purple, from lilac to a deep plum. The colours are so pretty, and I'm super excited to use them! I have one Gelpresso Liner already, a black gold, and I love the formula but am not a huge fan of the colour



6. Faith in Face Miss Invisible Pore Hydrogel Mask
Mwave says: A secret formula containing Chestnut shell, Witch Hazel, Peppermint extracts, and Salicylic Acid can effectively cleanse and tighten your pores. The gel mask melts and penetrates concentrated essence deeply into your skin, instantly soothing and cooling down your skin temperature by -5'C."
I haven't tried this yet, and to be honest I'm a little afraid to after reading the description. It sounds pretty intense!



7. Shingmulnara Ultra Light Sun Gel
Mwave says: "This gel-type sunscreen protects your skin from the sun's UV rays while containing its extraordinary functions; moisturizing, whitening, and anti-aging. With non-greasy texture, it is quickly absorbed into your skin, and provides light-feeling especially in summer. [UV blocking function (SPF 30, PA++)]"
It is light weight, it's got a nice scent and it doesn't leave a white cast (yay!). I wouldn't call it's features 'extraordinary' or anything though. I don't think I would have used this much in summer, it got pretty hot here and I think something of SPF 50 or higher was more appropriate. This is nice for now though, it's sunny but not as much as it was back in the summer months, and I think it'd be great for Spring too.


Overall, the only product I'm really disappointed with is the lipgloss. I really like the rest of the box, especially those eyeliners. They are just gorgeous, and I can't wait to play with them a little more!

I've got a Memebox unboxing post coming up this Thursday, so check back then if you want to see some more beauty box goodness!

Thursday 2 October 2014

Pink Avenue Brushes Review

Hey guys!

I was sent some brushes from Pink Avenue a few weeks ago (I actually won one of them in a twitter competition!). Created by make-up artist Rachel Cleary, the range includes four brushes: a foundation brush, a powder brush, a contouring brush and an eyeshadow blending brush. I was sent the eyeshadow blending and the contouring brushes.




My favourite of the two is the contouring brush. I've been using this pretty much everyday since I got it to apply my blush. The brush is really soft, it picks up just enough product and is so easy to use. The brush washes well too, with absolutely no shedding (yay!). The brush retails at €12.99





I really like the blending brush too, just not as much as the contouring one, only because I don't use it as often. It's also pretty soft, not as soft as the contouring brush, but in no way scratchy or stiff or anything. It does live up to it's claims though, which is the important thing really, blending shadows easily and beautifully. As with the other brush, it washes well too. At only €9.99, it's a steal! 




Overall, I'm quite impressed with these. They work really well and are so affordable, and I'm really hoping Rachel expands the range soon! 

You can get these brushes through the Pink Avenue website or in selected pharmacies nationwide (I know for a fact you can get them in Meaghars Pharmacy on Baggot Street!).