Makeup Revolution: Lipstick in Immoral* and Nail Polish in True Blue*

I'm sure over the past week or so you have seen hauls and product reviews cropping up left, right and centre featuring the new makeup brand Makeup Revolution and have squealed with joy, like myself, over the reports of there being a Naked 3 dupe. The company, who have already created a huge impact after only having launched in London during March this year, offer 300 products on their website, here, all while being incredibly affordable and cruelty free. Prices start at £1 (seriously, my bus fare is more than double this amount) and the most expensive price being a mere £12 for a 100 Piece Eyeshadow Palette or a collection of 12 nail varnishes currently on sale at the same price.

It was on one fine Tuesday afternoon that I was offered the opportunity to try out their blue lipstick in Immoral and, although I really wasn't sure what to expect, as the old tale goes: never pass up the chance to rock a blue lip. Or something vaguely along those lines I'm sure. I am a huge lover of lipstick and rarely feel self conscious regardless of what shade I'm wearing from pinks to oranges so thought how different could a blue lipstick really be?!

The lipstick is held in a basic, black plastic case with 'MAKEUP REVOLUTION' printed nicely on the side in gold writing with the shade being displayed at one end in see-through plastic. For me, packaging is necessary only to store the product inside and I feel that it will be enough to keep the lipstick safe and free from damage. Immoral has a definite hint of a vanilla scent which I really love as I can never resist giving my makeup a good little sniff before applying it (uh so weird).

Immoral is a light, baby blue colour and, I feel this is fairly obvious, but it's not the type of colour that you would pop on to go to the shop quickly and is instead one used to create a statement. I admire that Makeup Revolution have stepped away from the classic lip shade collection of a red, a nude and a pink as I'm only currently aware of Lime Crime doing unusual lipstick shades which cost around £13 so Makeup Revolution definitely provide a much better alternative for people on a budget.

The formula of this lipstick is quite sheer and feels a little like a lip balm on the lips as opposed to being stiff and drying like a lot of cheaper lipsticks tend to be. At first I did find it a little difficult to work with as I couldn't seem to get an even application all over my lips as when applying another layer it seemed to remove the first layer and make my lips appear patchy. It's worth mentioning that I do feel like this is a problem unique to the shade as I can imagine the sheer formula working really well with a more nude shade and one which isn't going to be such a contrast against the natural lip shade. After some trial and error I did find that lining my lips with a blue eyeliner first improved the look of the lipstick a lot as it gave the lipstick something to stick to and intensified the colour which made it more wearable as well as giving much needed definition.

I did originally think that this would be a really cool lipstick to wear on a night out (although I can imagine my friends recoiling in horror) and would make for a striking look but unfortunately I don't think I have the right sort of face for it (damn you genetics). I do truly believe that if you're the type of person who's quite edgy then Immoral would work for you and make people want to go out and buy the lipstick too, and I know for one I would be in awe of them. This shade would flatter someone with a darker skin tone as the contrast would look amazing and you'd be less likely to look washed out or even with a nice sun-kissed tan it would be a shade worth considering. As I'm doing a makeup course I'm planning on using this lipstick for fashion/editorial looks and so I'm certain I'm going to get a fair bit of use out of it. If you're on the fence I'd say to give it a go as it truly is only £1 you'll be losing out on if you decide blue lips aren't for you but you could definitely get creative with your makeup to compliment the blue.

Immoral applied alone (excuse my awfully moody lips)

Immoral applied with a blue lip liner

Makeup Revolution were also kind enough to send me a matching nail varnish in the shade True Blue, pretty great timing as it's all about matching lips and tips this season! I would say that the nail varnish and the lipstick are nearly if not exactly the same shade in person and this has been on my nails since it arrived in the post on Monday. The shade is a perfect powdery, summery blue and has lasted incredibly well so far especially considering the low £1 price tag; while at work on Monday I kept checking my nails over to see if there were any signs of chipping and didn't see any (ticks imaginary check box) and I'm now on day 3 of wearing the polish and the only chips are from me picking at them (bad habit). I applied 3 coats as application was a little streaky at first but this is an issue I find with a lot of different brands and is not something that would deter me from buying more shades from the range. If you're wanting to incorporate colour into your wardrobe for Spring and want to start with your nails but don't want to spend a fortune then Makeup Revolution would be a good place to start as you get a good quality product and not to mention the nicely rounded edges on the bottle.

From left to right: one coat of True Blue, two coats of True Blue, three coats of True Blue

Makeup Revolution is a brand to keep an eye on as their existing products already look amazing and seem to be innovative and up-to-date with current trends so it's going to be really exciting seeing what else they come up with. I've heard the brand will be available in Superdrug eventually which nearly sends me into excitement overload as I can swatch until my heart's content and walk away proudly with a bag full of beauties. Next pay day I feel like I'm going to have to purchase a few items online from Makeup Revolution as I can't help the fact that the Hot Smoked and Iconic 3 eyeshadow palettes are calling my name!

Have you tried any Makeup Revolution products yet or are you interested in doing so? What's your take on blue lips?

*Products sent for consideration of review

Review: Veil Cover Cream*

When Thomas Blake Cosmetic Creams Ltd contacted me to see if I was interested in sampling their product Veil Cover Cream* I was so excited due to the big claims made as to what it can cover; ranging from temporary blemishes to permanent tattoos and many conditions in between, such as Vitiligo, Rosacea, age spots and various scars, the cover/camouflage product seems to be a lifesaver. The product is used widely within hospital settings in the dermatology area, within the professional beauty industry and also at home for personal, individual use which is a big step up from the likes of Revlon, Rimmel and MUA that I tend to gravitate towards. Imagine a doctor whipping out a Rita Ora inspired lip product.

With there being 40 shades available, ranging from extremely pale to very deep skin tones, I was wondering how on earth a near-enough matching shade would be sent to me, bearing in mind in my social media picture I may (definitely did) have fiddled around with settings. Cleverly though, when opening the envelope I saw I had been sent the Light/Medium Sample Kit which I was really pleased with as it includes 21 different shades meaning you're free to experiment and see what colours match your skintone and get a feel for a huge variety of shades. Along with all of these samples a mini pot of Translucent Finishing Powder was included too which is used to set the cream once applied. The kit is also available in Medium/Dark which is great if your skin is on the darker side and this is paired with the Dusk Finishing Powder so you're not washed out by the translucent I assume! 

The shade ranges are really great and, for those of you who constantly struggle with finding shades that are light enough I assure you that you would not encounter this problem with this kit. I compared several shades to my Revlon Colorstay foundation, which is in the shade Buff, as it is a perfect match for me when blended in and is on the fairer side of the scale yet many shades were, surprisingly, lighter.

From left to right: Natural-Light, Vanilla, Cream, Wheat, Revlon's Colorstay in Buff, Suede

As soon as the kit arrived I rifled through the shades and picked out Peach, a light beigey peach (no way) colour and applied some to my under eyes where I have a fair bit of blueness. I was really surprised to see that the smallest amount goes a huge way, I had read it in the leaflet that only a small amount was needed but a lot of companies make this claim so I was a bit unsure but with the Cover Cream the claim is correct due to the high amount of pigmentation. The shade blended in really well with my skin tone which did surprise me as, at a first glance, I did think it would only be able to be used as a corrector so it's great to see it can double up as a concealer.

I used this shade on my friend when I did her prom makeup trial who is a lot fairer than me and the colour, again, blended well into her skin and I was told the makeup still looked good when she took it off before bed so Veil obviously have created a very long-lasting product. The cream allowed my skin to still look natural and like skin but made it more even in tone and, even when set with the powder, it remained looking natural, didn't go cakey or appear powdery and still looked fresh at the end of the day.  When I use other concealers throughout the day it always looks like there's been a car crash under my eyes what with creasing, unevenness and smudging but with this Cover Cream I noticed very little.

Top picture: Peach unblended on my skin

Bottom left: before

Bottom right: after Peach has been applied

My mum has an age spot which really isn't that noticeable but she asked me to have a go at concealing it as she's found it's never been fully covered by other foundations and concealers. I chose to use the shade Almond on her as she is more olive toned than me and, again, patted it in and then set it with the powder. Although it doesn't look fully concealed in the image below in real life people don't come up and scrutinise your face as closely as I took the picture (well I hope not anyway) and so, in reality the coverage was really good and my mum was pleased with the outcome. Veil do say in their information booklet that it can take a few attempts to fully conceal a blemish or unwanted area as I suppose there is a technique to concealing correctly and so after a few more attempts I'm sure the coverage will be even better!

From left to right: before Veil's Cover Cream, after Veil's Coverage Cream (please ignore the difference in the colour from my phone's lighting haha)

Veil claim that their Cover Cream is waterproof and so, like the true Scientist that I clearly am not, I put it to the test. I used the shade Suntan, which is clearly a lot darker than my skin tone so it would show up in pictures better, and patted some onto the inner part of my arm followed with the finishing powder. I then ran some water from the tap over my arm for around 30 seconds and patted it dry, as instructed, rather than rubbing it. The picture of the tissue shows how little product came off when dabbing my arm completely dry, in fact such a small amount came off that it's difficult to tell what you're supposed to be looking at (I'm not a crazy tissue obsessive) but it is in the middle of the tissue. I was really impressed with the results and wasn't expecting it to last so well under the water and feel if you were covering something you wanted to remain hidden then this product would be really great as it takes foundation and concealer coverage to the next level.

I honestly just scrunched this tissue up in my hand when dabbing my arm dry and it turned out looking like a swan, them few origami after school lessons I took in middle school paid off, forget beauty, this is now a tissue origami blog

All in all, I have been loving these Cover Creams since I received them earlier in the week and if you have any areas that you want concealing I would recommend you purchasing the sample kit to get a feel for the products as for £6.50 you get a lot of product. The formula is lightweight, looks natural on the skin and doesn't go cakey so is incredibly easy to wear and one of those quick, time-saving products. I am definitely considering purchasing a full size of Peach (£19.50) if, when I eventually finish the sample, I am still as impressed as I am at the minute because it makes the concealing process so much easier as it really is a two step process: blend and set.

Have you ever tried Veil Cover Cream? How did you get on with it? If you would like to see a certain shade swatched on my skin or some paper tweet me at @lacelipstickme and I'll send you a picture, or you could send me an email if you'd prefer!

*Product sent for consideration of review

The Liebster Blog Award #8

Barbs from 300 Days of England nominated me for a Liebster award and I thought it was so sweet that she didn't choose blogs with under 200 followers (she has rebellion flowing through her veins) but instead this is why she chose to nominate people: I believe not all these blogs have less than 200 followers but the main reason why I chose them is the writers. In fact these girls are kind and outgoing enough to actually read a post before commenting or to reply to comments which apparently is not a common thing among bloggers. So I feel like they deserve a genuine award.

I honestly think that is such a lovely thing to say it made me feel all happy inside haha, but I'll stop blabbing and get on with the questions Barbs gave us:

1. Pringles or Oreos?
Pringles! I'm not really a fan of Oreos, saying that I'm sure I'd eat them if they were put in front of me but I wouldn't go and buy some.

2. If you could travel back in time, when and where would you go?
Oh dear I have no clue, this is really generic but I do love the picture of the teenagers from the 50s on the beach, the fashion was so cool.

3. Which famous character (real or fictional) would you cook dinner for?
Again I have no clue haha! My mind always goes blank when I have to answer questions like this, such a let down.

4. ... And what would you prepare?
The only meal I can just about pull off is beans and toast so it would have to be that haha!

5. If you could change your hair colour for 24 hours, which colour would you pick?
Either lilac or a really white blonde because I've decided I want white blonde hair so it'd be good to trial it first.

6. Name something that brightens up your day.
Anything remotely funny that makes me laugh.

7. What is the furthest place from home you've been to?
I asked my mum and she told me Egypt, so Egypt it is.

8. What was your dream job when you were a kid?
I went through so many different phases when I was younger but the ones I remember most were a doctor and vet, good job I didn't pursue either because I am absolutely awful at science.

9. What song is your first pick for a karaoke night?
I reckon Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus would be fun, I would use my booming voice to replicate her voice. Not really haha.

10. Something you wish you were able to do?
I wish I was crafty and good at being creative, that's all I've ever wanted! Or I really wish I had a natural flare for modifying clothes but everything I've ever tried to change has resulted in unwearable pieces of clothing.

11. Do you remember the last handwritten letter you sent?
I do but I'm scared of saying it because it's embarrassing, and also technically it was never sent. Ah heck it was a letter to Matt Cardle when I went to London to try and meet him basically me expressing my love and asking him to follow me on twitter, I'm glad I didn't meet him because he would have been like '...what do I do with this?'

Thank you again to Barbs, these were really fun questions and make a nice change from blogging non-stop about beauty! Check out her blog as her posts are always varied and interesting!

The £3 Brush Perfect for Mac's Soft and Gentle

This is just a quick little post about something that a lot of people may know already, however, if you didn't, it's a lifesaver and is something I only found out quite recently.

When I bought Mac's Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle the first few times I used it it was absolutely perfect and gave the most amazing highlight, however, after a few more uses it wasn't working well for me and I felt it ended up distributing a lot of glitter onto my face. Each blog post I'd read had commented on how the product gave a glow without being glittery and so I was confused as to why mine left me looking like a four year old caught playing with craft glitter. That was until I saw a tweet (thank you random tweeter) saying how using a stippling brush with Soft and Gentle gives a much better result, so I marched upstairs, grabbed my MUA Stippling Brush from an old jam jar used to store my brushes and swirled it round the golden dome. Using this brush doesn't seem to disrupt the product as much so there isn't as much glitter that comes to the surface and, with this product, less is more and as this brush is fairly sparse it works so well. I press the brush onto the whole length of my cheekbone and then swirl it round onto the apple of my cheek and it really completes my makeup after I've contoured and applied blush.

Here I've used a tiny bit of the cream blush from Sleek's Pink Lemonade palette and Soft and Gentle on my cheekbone

I wish I knew this when I first bought Soft and Gentle as I was verging on hysterical (not really) thinking I'd wasted a lot of money on what was essentially golden glitter. Did you already know about this tip or do you find a different brush to work better?

Saving Money on Spring Makeup

It's ironic how I'm sat in my dining room with a blanket trying to find the motivation to get up and make myself a cup of tea yet I'm going to be talking about Spring appropriate makeup. THIS IS (beauty blogging) ENGLAND. All three of these products have been hyped up in the beauty world and, of course, I fell victim to positive reviews and now have my hands on these fairly new releases.

Recently my skin has been awful, I've had a lot of spots and redness yet, up until a few months ago, my skin used to be clear most of the time. I'm not entirely sure what has caused the change in my skin as my skincare consists of Simple and Johnsons', both unoffending brands, but think it could be down to the fact that I wear foundation every day and my skin can't breathe. I'd been wanting a really lightweight base and so when I saw L'Oreal's Nude Magique Eau De Teint on offer at Asda for £7 (usually £9.99 at Boots) there wasn't a better time to buy it. I've used this foundation a few times but can't give my opinion on it just yet as I haven't used it enough but I will definitely be doing a full review when I have done so. It offers SPF 18 and claims to be non-pore clogging with a formula as light as water which sounds perfect for if we ever get any warmth and sunshine as I would hate to be wearing a heavy base.

From the first time I swatched Sleek's Pink Lemonade I knew I had to have the pink filled palette to fulfill my girly needs but resisted buying it for a few months and assumed it would no longer be available as I did initially think it was limited edition. When reading Kayleigh's (Couture Girl's) review on the palette I saw she had also included an Amazon link where it was being sold at £8 with 99p shipping which is £1 (I actually had to use my phone's calculator to work out the difference between £9.99 and £8.99, THE SHAME) cheaper than it is at Superdrug so popped it in my virtual basket. Again I'm doing to do a full review on this palette but I've been trying it out everyday since it arrived and all of the shades are very pigmented and give a fresh, dewy glow to the cheeks and I can see it being as loved as my Lace palette.

Lastly is a Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm purchase in the shade Unapologetic which I have decided is one of the nicest lip colours I own and also one of my favourites as it is a bright pinky, red which gives a lovely pop of colour. I bought this with a Boots £2 off Revlon lipstick voucher making it £5.99 instead of £7.99 and the cashier told me she didn't think these balms were supposed to be included in the offer but she did it anyway as she said they didn't specify otherwise. Whoever you are, you are a retail rebel and you have enriched my life greatly. I can see myself wearing this a lot over the coming months and also think it would be perfect with a tan as it's the type of colour that would stand out even more against a darker complexion but, until then, I will just have to substitute my dream with bronzer.

From left to right: Revlon's Unapologetic and then Sleek's Pink Lemonade: Icing Sugar, Macaroon, Pink Mint

I'm planning on wearing a combination of all of these products as a go-to Spring look a lot to give a fresh and bright look and am really excited to have some warm weather. Have you bought any of these products so far, what are your thoughts? Or have you opted for different products? Oh, and it's just started raining.

The Travelling Eye Makeup Products

I have been slacking so much with my blog recently that I think I may have actually redefined the word 'slacker'. I haven't had much time to blog as me and my mum have been house-hunting for a place for us two and my brother so over the past few weeks we've been viewing different houses which takes up quite a bit of the day travelling around having a little look. On the other days I've been at college and work and I am seriously unorganised so hats off to people who have busy lives and stick to a blogging schedule. Also I reached 200 followers a few weeks ago which is crazy so thank you to everyone who has followed!

Continuing on with the travelling makeup theme I bring you the last post (I bet everyone is thinking "finally, it's ending") in the mini series but this time focusing on what I took away with me for my eyes and the little hairs otherwise known as eyebrows; the other posts I did were on face and base products and lipsticks.

EYEBROWS

Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Mascara, Dark Brown- £4.99

When I first bought this product (review here) I was unsure as to whether I would get much use out of it but now it is a product I reach for on most days as it really sets my eyebrows into place and is especially useful now that I've been creating a much fuller shape with my eyebrows.

Natural Collection Eyeshadow, Crushed Walnut- £1.79

This is the powder I've been using to fill in my eyebrows non-stop for absolutely months now, the colour match is perfect and lasts all day which is essential as I don't really want to have half a eyebrow. I fill my eyebrows in a lot darker than the natural hairs regardless of whether it's day or night time but could be used sparingly to create a natural look or applied more heavily for a more dramatic and bold making it so versatile.

Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil, Dark Brown- £2.99

I use this pencil to firstly create the outline of the shape I want my eyebrows to be and then follow with the powder and brow gel to top it off. I couldn't be without the pencil as I find the powder doesn't work well directly on my skin where I like to extend my eyebrow up (this sounds remotely odd) whereas the pencil stays put.

GENERAL

Miss Sporty Studio Lash Incrediball, Extra Black- £2.99

I've been using this mascara non-stop since I bought it in February and find it gives me defined eyelashes and can be easily layered without clumping now I've mastered how to use the wand; I reviewed this mascara here and, for me, is a do it all product.

Soap and Glory Supercat Eyeliner- £6

I only used this liner once as I always get nervous that I will ruin the eyeshadow I've spent a good few minutes applying and blending by creating a monstrous flick but this felt tip liner provides an intense black colour with long-lasting power when paired with primer. 

E.L.F Essentials Eyelid Primer, Sheer- £1.95

I honestly would not be able to wear eyeshadow without this product as my eye makeup creases and wears off so quickly without a base. This is incredibly easy to apply as you just need to swipe some product onto your eyelid and then blend it out with your finger, allow it a few seconds to dry and then apply your eye products over the top. If you were ever thinking of buying Urban Decay's Primer Potion I would definitely recommend trying this primer out first as I wish I never bothered buying Urban Decay's offering as e.l.f's does an equally, if not better, job!

EYESHADOW PALETTES

MUA Undress Me Too Palette- £4

I love this palette and brought it along because I wasn't sure what shades I would use and bringing this meant I had a lot of choice. The only shade I ended up using was the matte shade Naked (the far left shade on the top row) as it is so useful for helping to blending out harsh edges as it is the same shade as my skin tone making the process a lot easier.

MUA Undressed Palette- £4

I didn't wear any eyeshadow during the day but at night I wore three shades on my eyes (ain't nobody got time for creative eyeshadow choices) from this palette: Shade 2, the second shade from the left on the top row, a shimmery pink used as my base colour, Shade 8, underneath Shade 2, an olivey brown placed on my outer corners, and then Shade 10, the fourth shade from the left on the bottom row, a dark shimmery brown, used to deepen the outer v.

I hope people enjoyed this little collection of posts I did and seeing the products I chose to take with me makes me realise that I could make do with so much less makeup than I own, but that wouldn't be any fun at all, let's face it.

Would any of these products been in your makeup kit when travelling? What items would you take for your eye makeup?