January 22, 2017

Colour Pop Haul and Review

My heart sank when I was in study period and got a promotional email in my inbox saying for the first time ever that "Colour Pop has free international shipping for 24 hours only." I have always wanted to try Colour Pop but the ridiculous shipping prices puts me off. So, I was very very excited to grab a few bits to try. I wish I purchased more because I love every single product that I got. I hope they have this free shipping deal again!

First off, I just want to get past the negativity and express that I was quite disappointed in the shipping service. My order was poorly tracked + I did receive my order later than my friends who ordered days after mine. - So I was a little frustrated. It did take a little over two weeks to arrive, which was not too bad considering where it was located, however, spending all that money got me a little impatient because I wanted it right away! I also heard quite a few stories about people getting ripped off by Colour Pop or that their products were broken when they arrived. Luckily, everything was nice and packaged well in bubble wrap, so nothing was broken. 


The eye shadows were what I was most excited to try. I must admit, I was slightly disappointed in the colour pay off and lasting finish. All the shades I found, needed to be packed on the eye lid to get full colour pay off. I found using my ring finger to be best. The lasting power was also a disappointment. It could barely hold a couple of hours without smudging or loosing its pigmentation. Nonetheless, they do glide on the eye lid smoothly, blend very easily and act perfectly as eye shadow bases. 

Swatches from Top to Bottom -
'Weenie'
'Arrow'
'Nillionaire'

I fell in love with this set on the website. All colours appeared to be darker in person which was unfortunate, although they are still very pretty dark berry/purple tones for Autumn/Winter. In this three pack, there is an ultra satin lip in the shade 'Notion', an ultra matte lip in the shade 'Hutch' and an ultra glossy lip in the shade 'Sookie'.The swatches came out quite patchy, particularly with the matte shade. Matte lips look beautiful but I find them to feel uncomfortable and sink into the lines on my lips. The satin finish is my favourite because it is long wearing and does not make my lips look or feel dry. The gloss is also a lovely one because it is light weight but still very pigmented.


Swatches from Left to Right -
'Sookie'
'Notion'
'Hutch'

Creme Gel Liner in 'Swerve' - I could not pass up this liner (thank you Bella Fiori). Classic black eye liners were lacking in my collection so I thought 'hey why not pick this one up'. This is incredibly pigmented and glides on the water line smoothly and opaquely in one swipe. It is super black and easy to apply. I love smoking this out on the upper lash line for a softer cat eye. I need to pick up more shades!



Lippie Stix in 'Brink Matte' - This shade is a beautiful nude with a pink undertone. It is very comfortable to wear and quick to apply because it is a crayon which makes it easy to line the lips. It is not super matte and it still has a slight sheen to it. I love it because it does not make my lips appear dry. 



Ultra Satin Lip in 'Dopey' - Dopey is my favourite shade so far. I actually purchased two of these because I had a feeling I would love it. That feeling came true because it was featured in my 2016 December Favourites!. This shade swatched a lot darker than it looks; I was so unsure about this at first because it has a quite ashy undertone. However, the more I applied it, the more I fell in love. It is a classic mauve tone with a pink undertone. This lip product fits perfectly with a sultry eye. It is long wearing, opaque and feels comfortable on the lips.




Ultra Matte Lip in 'Teeny Tiny' - This shade is very similar to 'Dopey', although it appears much darker on the lips. It is not the most comfortable to wear because it is matte, and matte shades do not work well on my lips. However, is glides on the lips smoothly and applies evenly so if you like matte lips, you'll love this one. 



Ultra Matte Lip in 'Tule' - Is a lovely dark pink shade. It applies smoothly and evenly. Like all of these matte shades, I found it to feel uncomfortable throughout the day. It did not last well whilst I was eating/drinking. It did also flake off which was annoying. However, it is still a beautiful shade!



Swatches from Top to Bottom -
'Tule'
'Teeny Tiny'
'Dopey'
Overall, I am very pleased with Colour Pop. The products are wonderful and high quality for its low cost. I would definitely order more, maybe just not the matte lip products! One thing to keep in mind when placing an online order is that the colours appear much darker in person + I found the lip shades to apply darker when applied to the lips. 

Love always,
Sara xo

January 15, 2017

Ciate' London Chloe Morello Beauty Haul


I spent approximately two hours or so binge watching Chloe Morello make up tutorials using these products, particularly the 'Pretty, Fun and Fearless' palette which instantly persuaded me to place an order. I was super keen to grab hold of this limited edition product from the Mecca Maxima website. It was sold out everywhere in stores and was not available online, until one bright evening in mid December when it was finally available to purchase! I have never tried anything from Ciate' London, so I was so excited to welcome another amazing, cruelty free brand into my life. 


This kit includes a 15 pan eyeshadow palette; 'Pretty, Fun and Fearless', a deluxe Wonderwand mascara and Liquid Velvet lip product in the shade 'Pin Up'. Along with a beautiful, chic, navy blue make up bag that fits all the products in. 


The camera quality does not do this palette justice. I love every single one of these shades! This 15 pan palette, includes a range of mattes and shimmers from warmer to cooler tones. The eye shadow combinations are endless. I particularly love the shades 'Vacay', 'Dainty', 'Jet Setter' and 'Queen Bee'. As much as I adore the shade selection, the product itself had a slight downfall. I found the matte shades to be a little difficult to blend. - Particularly with some of the darker shades, I found that they appeared to be patchy if I put too much product on the brush. Nonetheless, once blended out (may take quite a few minutes), it looks beautiful!. Along with the mattes, I found the shimmers to be not as pigmented as I would like. They do require quite a few layers for a full shimmer on the eyelid, however, they still look beautiful, especially when caught in the light; the speckles of glitter shine and make the eyes pop. 


A mini Liquid Velvet in the shade 'Pin Up' is also included in this beauty haul. It is a pretty medium pink that looks lovely on all skin tones. It is opaque with just one swipe and has a non-sticky glossy finish. I did find it to feel a little tacky on the lips - I think this is because it is long wearing, which does not bother me. The doe-foot applicator allows an easy application as the tip enables precision when lining the lips. Overall, a lovely edition to this kit. 


A deluxe Wonderwand mascara is also a lovely edition to this kit. This mascara more-so lengthens my lashes rather than thickens them and creates volume. Also, it does take a few coats to build, which is quite annoying. My lashes are very weak, so it is hard to find a mascara that will not weigh them down. I did find this one to hold well, however, it struggled to keep its curl throughout the day. Although it does not make my lashes as dramatic as I would like them to be, it is a great mascara for everyday wear. 

I think Chloe Morello did a great job in her collaboration with Ciate' London. She created a beautiful kit with some lovely products in it to create a wide variety of make up looks. I think it is definitely worth the $70! This is unfortunately limited edition, so I am not sure where it is still available to purchase. However, keep your eyes peeled as it may magically appear on the Mecca Maxima website, like mine did.

Love always,
Sara xo