Review: Kiko Long Lasting Stick

The One Wash Wonders 

Without Flash L-R: 05, 06, 21, 25 

Without Flash L-R: 05, 06, 21, 25 

Outer Packaging

Kiko is a brand that I'd heard so much about but as there is no Kiko store near me and I didn't want to order blindly from the internet I had held back from purchasing. I recently went to Barcelona where Kiko appears to be a wildly popular brand. The Kiko stores themselves are absolutely beautiful and are set out a lot like MAC, although Kiko's products have a much lower price tag, with lovely staff who are more than happy to help with any questions you may have. 

The product that I immediately made a beeline for was the Long Lasting Stick, as I have wanted to purchase the By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Misty Rock but just couldn't justify the pricetag but these Kiko sticks not only dupe the formula but 05 appears to be extremely similar in colour to Misty Rock.

I headlined this post One Wash Wonders because that really is what they are. A sweep of colour across the lid and a quick blend around the edges with a 217 and you are ready to go. These for me last all day but do crease a little towards the end of the day, but if I use them over my MAC Painterly Paintpot then they last all day without creasing. The standout shade for me is definitely 05 which I have been wearing on minimal makeup days when I don't want to wear eyeliner. Another shade which I absolutely love is 25 which a muted silvery taupe and makes a perfect base for a 60s cut crease eye which is love on a night out.

Overall Rating 5/5

Available here for £6.90

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Bourjois Mega Liner 24hr

Just a quick review today of this liner, I think that you know within one or two tries whether or not a eyeliner is right for you. This however, was just not right for me. Its far too thick, I thought that the nib which is shaped at a slant would help to create a feline flick but it actually makes it much more difficult as it just isn't small and precise enough and so it is much easier to make mistakes. The colour is good, as is the longevity, it is SUPER black and matte and doesn't flake or wear off, whilst the nib is quite wet and so it definitely seems to have lasted a lot longer than my other eyeliners. I would say that if you can get along with the nib that this would make a great liner as its formula is fantastic, but I personally can just not get it to work for my everyday look.

Overall Rating 2 out of 5

Fantastic formula, just a shame about the shape of the nib.

Available here for £7.49.

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Rimmel Lipliner in Eastend Snob

As promised last week I am reviewing my favourite everyday lip colour. I purchased this lipliner when I was struggling to purchase MAC Soar, a review of which will be coming soon, as I wanted a pink/mauve lip liner that could used to slightly go over the line of my lips a la Kylie Jenner. This lipliner was recommended again and again on every beauty blog and at just £3.99 I didn't really have much to lose. This really is lovely, yes its drying but it stays on so well and isn't uncomfortable to wear unlike other dry formulas (Ruby Woo I'm looking at you) and I think it is a great colour that compliments yet never detracts from any makeup look.

Overall Rating 5 out of 5 

There isn't really much to say other than to say I thoroughly recommend it, I love it so much I bought an extra after I panicked that I'd lost my first tube, which I later discovered in the bottom of my bag :/ haha.

Available here for £3.99.

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Dupe of Nars Orgasm

Nars Orgasm was definitely a cult classic that I was quite late to buy, probably because this is quite a polarising product with many saying that despite its cult status that it isn't that great. When I did eventually buy it though it exceeded my expectations it is so finely milled, I don't find the glitter chunky like many seem to, and I think that it brightens and highlights my cheeks enough for my to skip highlighter which I love. 

However, when going through my stash of blushers I realised that I already had something quite similar that is available at a far lower price point, that had gotten lost amongst my higher end blushes that I tend to reach for. Now although very similar there are some differences and I actually think that each blush is better for different needs. In terms of texture I find that the Nars version is much finer in texture whilst the sleek version is chunkier. Further, I'd like to point out that in the swatches below that the Sleek swatch took one swipe from the palette whilst I had to built up Nars with several swipes to get a good colour comparison. Now this is both a good and bad thing, it means that whilst the Sleek version is more pigmented it is also easier to make a mistake with whilst the Nars version gives a much more soft blended effect easily.

Overall Rating:
Sleek Rose Gold 4.5 out of 5 
Although I am giving the Sleek version a slightly lower rating this is because I think that it is much more suited to a darker skin tone, on whom Nars Orgasm may not show up or may take a lot of building up.

Nars Orgasm 5 out of 5
This for me is absolutely the best blusher I have ever used, I wear it pretty much every day and I find that it is perfectly suited to my pale skin tone as it picks my face up and makes me look much less tired.

Availability
Sleek Rose Gold is available here for £4.49.
Nars Orgasm is available here for £23.00.

Left: Nars Orgasm, Right: Sleek Rose Gold

Left: Nars Orgasm, Right: Sleek Rose Gold 

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Perfect Ring Finger Manicure

Glitter, a pain in the ass to remove but probably my favourite way to spice up my always neutral beauty look. I am especially loving the glitters that are being released currently, there appears to be a big trend for odd shaped glitters in differing colours and textures, such as matte and shiny, all squashed into one bottle. I love polishes like these as they give a much more interesting look to the nail than a uniform glitter. This maybelline street artist top coat in white splatter is a perfect example of this kind of glitter, rather than being a white glitter as the name suggests it shows up much more purple on the nail with white, blue and pink accents. If applied without a top coat it can give quite a matte look, but it lasts a lot longer when a clear top coat is applied. It really is a stunning polish.

On the rest of my nails and underneath the glitter polish I am wearing Models Own Utopia. I am a big fan of Models Own Varnishes as they are fantastic at providing unique effects and colours at a reasonable price. Utopia is a putty, nude colour with a very very slight pink/purple undertone. Unlike many other nude varnishes available at the drugstore this is opaque in two coats, however this does mean that the varnish is a little thicker and more gloopy than their other offerings, and as such it does need a little longer to dry. Despite this, I love the colour especially when doing an accent nail as I have done here, but also as an everyday colour that can be work appropriate which makes it a much used colour within my collection.

Overall Rating i am going to give both 5 out of 5!!

The Maybelline offering is available here for £3.99.

The Models Own offering is available here for £4.99.

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Rimmel London Apocalips in 101 Celestial

This might just be a contender for the best every day lip colour, EVER. I know thats quite a statement to make but this really is up there amongst my favourite products. I'll be sharing another favourite soon and it is another Rimmel lip product. Tangent over, and back on to what makes this a fantastic product. It is a crossover product between a lipstick and a lipgloss and as such it has the pigmentation of a lipstick and the creaminess of a lipgloss, and is in no way sticky, which I think is a big bug bear for most of us. The doe foot applicator is also great at applying the product, there is a little well in the middle of the applicator that holds the perfect amount of product and the shape of the applicator hugs the lip and creates the perfect shape. 

The colour itself is a perfect my lips but a bit pinkier colour and doesn't make too much of a statement which makes it great for no makeup, makeup days. For me this is just the perfect product, the product lasts through a few drinks but doesn't last through a meal but not many lip products do. However, it does fade evenly and reapplies beautifully which is a huge plus point.

Overall Rating 5 out of 5

I absolutely love this product, and in all honesty I think that it is worth far more than it is listed at, it is one of the best lip products i have ever come across and I really recommend it to everyone.

Available here for £6.49.

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MAC Ruby Woo

A red lipstick is a little bit like the make-up version of the little black dress, every girl needs one. Ruby Woo, however, isn't just any red lipstick, rumoured to be the favourite red lipstick of Gwen Stefani who lets face it is known for her red lips. This is a lipstick that I think almost every makeup lover has, or wants to have and it was one that I lusted after for quite a while. Ruby Woo is a cherry red with a blue undertone, with a VERY matte finish. 

I really cannot over emphasise how matte this is, it does drag a little and feels a bit uncomfortable on the lips. However, it looks absolutely gorgeous on the lips and really brightens the face, and best of all it stays on brilliantly. One of my bug bears with bright lipsticks is when they wear off and leave a weird line around the mouth, this however doesn't do this. I can wear this on a night out and have it on for a good 8 hours and by the end of the night it still looks pretty good (which I can't always say about the rest of my face at 4 in the morning haha).

Overall Rating 3.5 out of 5

Whilst I love the longevity and look of this lipstick, the formula stops it from being an essential for me. if this was to be just a little bit less dry I would get so much wear out of this, but I struggle with wearing this for a few consecutive days as I really feel as though it deteriorates the condition of my lips over time. Thus, this is definitely a going out/occasion product, which is a shame as this product isn't the cheapest. 

Available here for £15.50.

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NYC Shine in a Minute Nail Varnish in Spring Tulip

Nail varnish is one of my favourite beauty items. Whilst I may not wear a full face of makeup everyday my nails are always painted, for me keeping them painted prevents me from biting them and also helps to make me feel more put together and polished.

NYC is a brand that I haven't tried very much from, having previously used a mosaic blush from them which I was quite fond of, I was keen to try this formulation as at £1.79 it is one of the cheapest nail varnishes on the market. When using a nail varnish, what i want is for it to not be too thick and gloopy, but for it to still cover well and dry somewhat quickly. In terms of longevity, I use an OPI top and base coat which really does help to prolong the wear of all my nail varnish regardless of brand, and my nails don't tend to cheap easily anyway so this isn't too much of a problem.

Does it deliver?

In a word, YES. It's fantastic, if you are looking to build your nail varnish collection then these are a great choice, and they are currently on 3 for 2 at Superdrug which is even better. They have a good range of colours covering all bases, and they appear to be of consistent quality. With my top and base coat it lasted a good 5 days before minor chipping appeared, which for me is even better than the brilliant Barry M nail varnishes. I'd definitely recommend them, and this colour is just beautiful a perfect balance between coral and pink which is great for the summer.

Available here for just £1.79.

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Bobbi Brown Bisque Corrector

What it claims?

Claims to be a wake-up call for tired eyes, and it is suggested for it to be used underneath concealer. Rather than concealing the dark under-eye circles it simply corrects them as it has an orange undertone. 

What do I think?

I have only been using this for around a week, I had originally purchased this for nights out as an extra concealing step, it has however somehow found its way into my everyday routine. The only problem with this is that it does crease quite easily, but as long as you add a little extra powder in the morning and keep an eye on the problem throughout the day it isn't really a problem.

Below you can see the difference that it makes, with the bobbi brown corrector being used on the left side. Whilst this may not look too impressive in the picture I promise that in real life it really does make a difference. Once concealer is added my undereye circles are completely covered. Although in the image below I applied the product with my fingers I have found that the best way to apply the product is with a concealer brush, my favourite is the bareMinerals Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush. 

 Availability
I personally bought this from Debenhams, but it is available from all retailers of Bobbi Brown. 

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MAC Creamsheen Lipstick Shy Girl

This was definitely a ViviannaDoesMakeup inspired purchase, and this was a lipstick that was very popular amongst the blogging community not too long ago. However, with the 90s lip still taking the makeup world by storm I feel as though this is a MAC gem that has become a little bit forgotten.

First of all, we must discuss the formula. I'm not actually that big of a fan of MAC lipsticks as I find them to accentuate my dry lips and so if I do invest in one it is normally because it is a colour that I can't find elsewhere. This is definitely one of those lipsticks, but as a creamsheen it is definitely more forgiving than some of the other finishes such as the frosts and mattes. The colour is peachy and natural without being orange nor concealer like. I feel as though this is the perfect lipstick to balance out a heavy eye, which is my go to look on nights out.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

This would definitely higher if the formula was just a little bit more creamy, but if your lips aren't as dry as mine then this will definitely be the perfect peach lipstick for you.

Available here for £15.50

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Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara

What it claims?

Claims to give four benefits to the lashes, lengthening, curling, volumising and conditioning.

Packaging

I feel like this is one of the main draws of the product. It really is unusual, most mascara tubes are very similar shapes and colours, this however is completely different with it being encased in a material. The material of the mascara tube is definitely helpful when it comes to applying the product, as it gives you more grip ensuring that you have more precision. The packaging is however, somewhat problematic as the material attracts finger marks, so if that bothers you then this is something to note. Having said this, I would like to note that i love the packaging it is a little tacky and gaudy but i really like it, its eye-catching and I like the textile nature of it.

Is it for you?

As with every product, it depends. If you love the look of lengthened and slightly volumised lashes, then yes, this is absolutely the perfect product for you. It ranks among the best mascaras I have ever used, and I think that this is due to the brush, it is thin and long with a lot of individual bristles that grab on to every lash. The brush bucks the trend for large cumbersome brush heads that I believe make it very difficult to apply mascara without blobbing on to the eyelid. i don't find that it particularly holds a curl, but then it doesn't claim to, although this may have something to do with it not being waterproof.

My only problem with the mascara is its formulation. I do not have particularly oily eyelids and never have the problem of flaking mascara, this is the first mascara I have used that gives me black flakes on my cheeks by the end of the day. Despite this, I still very much enjoy this product I just have to bit a little bit more dilligent about checking my face during the day.

Possible Dupe

i find this product to be incredibly similar to the original Rimmel London Lash Accelerator mascara which is a fraction of the cost, at just £7.99, of the Tarte equivalent. Not only are the brushes similar, but they both give a lengthened, separated and slightly volumised look.

Availability

You can purchase this mascara for £21.50 from QVC, here. Just in case you did not know tarte is only available in the UK exclusively from QVC, there are some fantastic deals to be had there which in many cases make the products cheaper than they would be in America, which i just think is fantastic.

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MUA Single Eyeshadows

What are they?

These single eyeshadows claim to be highly pigmented and smooth to apply. For just £1 you get 2 grams of products encased in a sturdy package. Although the packaging is nothing special, they do not come loose, and will be safe within your make-up bag.

Without Flash

With Flash

Do they deliver?

The two colours showed above are Platinum, a beautiful multi-faceted silver, and Chamoisee a much more wearable bronze brown. I have to say I was not expecting to love these as much as I do. They really are fantastic and for just £1 I'd say they are definitely worth a look at and I will definitely be looking at getting some more. 

They are very pigmented and are true to colour, they look the same if not better on the skin as they do in the palette. Their only downside is their longevity, however, with a good base, I like MAC's Painterly Paint Pot, this can easily be overcome. There is a fantastic array of colours that i think will appeal to a wide audience.

Overall Rating 4.5/5

The only reason I knocked a 0.5 off the rating was for their lack of longevity but i think that for £1 these are absolutely fantastic. The quality of these shadows rivals some of singles that I own from MAC which are over £10 more expensive.

MUA Pearl Eyeshadows available to purchase here. A note on the website the swatches on their website are definitely true to life and as such are a fantastic tool to use when deciding which shadows to buy.

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Dirty Looks Hair Extensions

First off lets address the elephant in the room, sorry for my use of snapchat photos. I have only really worn these extensions on night out and these are the only photos i have of me wearing them.

Dirty Looks

Formerly known as HeadKandi, Dirty Looks are a leading brand of remi hair extensions. Although a little on the pricey side it is clear that these are a high quality brand of hair extensions that will last a long time if correctly looked after. There are two brands to choose between on the website, either HK or Bobby Glam. Each offer differing looks and differing hair pieces that can make any hair style look even better.

What really stands out about this brand is their customer service, if you email them a picture of your hair they will match your hair colour up. They also offer this service on their facebook page which is what I did, I was however a little impatient and decided to buy what I thought would match before waiting for them to get back for me even though they did reply rather promptly.

What I Have

I already have quite long hair and so I mainly bought these extensions to add some thickness and a little bit of length. Thus, I did not need to buy a full head of extensions and instead I opted for two single wefts in the shade toasted highlights, this shade is now known as the colour Girlband. Despite buying the single wefts I am more than pleased with the amount of hair i received and there appears to be a lot more hair in these wefts than on other hair extensions that I have used in the past.

Overall Rating

I have purchased hair extensions from a couple of other brands before including Halo, but I have to say these are by far the best quality hair extensions I have ever owned. The clips are very secure and they do not slip like other brands I have tried. I love how these are highlighted hair extensions as they aren't a solid blonde colour which makes them look a lot more natural. They style very easily and although expensive they really are worth the money.

Dirty Looks Hair Extensions Available from £18.99 here.

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Deals and Offers of the Week

Boots

• As usual they are running their 3 for 2 across haircare. The products on offer can be viewed here.
• They are also running offers that are brand specific with Soap and Glory, Maybelline, Max Factor and No7 skincare all offering 3 for 2.
• If you have wanted to try out Origins skincare they are selling a minis kit of their bestsellers, which includes their infamous GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturiser, all for just £15. This kit can be found here.

FeelUnique

• If you are a huge fan of the british skincare brand Elemis, then this may appeal to you. FeelUnique are giving a gift with purchase to customers who spend £80+ on Elemis products. The gift with purchase totals £41 and includes the pro-collagen cleansing balm. This offer can be seen here.
• With summer coming up it is prime time to stock up on your sun protection. FeelUnique have put all Garnier Ambre Solaire on 2 for 1, find this offer here. This offer includes their spray fake tan which is a personal favourite of mine.
• Another gift with purchase is running within the Philip Kingsley line, the gift is available with purchases made over £40 and the gift itself is worth £41 and includes the infamous Elasticizer. 

LookFantastic

• They are currently running a 20% off across the site. Use the code AWARD20 at checkout.
• Perhaps the best and most comprehensive offer is their 3 for 2 offer that includes many brands across the site such as RealTechniques, St Tropez, Fake Bake and Xen Tan. The products included can be found here.

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Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick: Pearl Maron

What it claims?

Claims to actively improve the moisture levels of the lips as well as helping to achieve a smoother lip surface in one week. States that it provides a high pigment lip colour, as well as giving the appearance of fuller lips. The lipstick is made up of 60% emollients with added conditioners and antioxidants to help improve the condition of the lips.

Colour
Obviously the colour of a lipstick is highly personal and I actually like this more than I thought I would. As a paler girl I can definitely see this looking a lot better when I am wearing a bit of fake tan as it does look a little stark against my skin tone. It does look quite shimmery in the bullet, however this only translates on the lips as a slight sheen as you can see above.

Does it fulfil its claims?
Well, yes and no. I'd definitely agree with its moisture claims, as someone with very dry lips i found this to glide on and not collect in the dry flaky parts of my lips. It has no longevity claims, and rightly so with it being such a balmy texture it doesn't last terribly long it is however a dream to reapply so I don't really think that this is too much of a problem. Where I do contend its claims is on the topics of the plumpness it gives the lips and it contributing to the improvement of the lips. I think that these photos show that other than defining the outline of the lip line, as all lipsticks do, which can make the lips look a little bigger, I do not find that it makes my lips look any plumper than my other lipsticks. The lipstick claims to smooth the lip surface within one week, however I can't see anyone wearing this enough to really test out those claims.

Overall Rating 4/5
I really like this lipstick and think that the formula is fantastic especially for the price. It is not for you if you enjoy a matte bold lipstick, rather it is an everyday moisturising formula that doesn't take much preparation or thinking about to apply.

You can purchase the lipstick here for £7.99, and they are currently on a 3 for 2 deal.

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