Smashbox Try It Kit | Review & First Impression + Dupes

Hi guys, 

back again with another review.

This time I am going to talk about some Smashbox products.

I have to admit I have never owned (or used) one Smashbox product before so this really is a 'first impression'.

Walking through Arnotts, one of the make up department stores in Dublin this small stand at Smashbox counter has caught my eye. It was the Smashbox Try It Kit, which is a set of small sized bestselling products from this brand.

It includes 5 'bestselling' products and costs €22.00, which is quite a decent price for High End make up set considering that You are actually getting a generous amount of each product, even though they are meant to be "sample" sized. 

I have not actually picked up the product the first time I have seen it as I was not sure about it, but I have recently discovered that Boots in Liffey Valley has added the Smashbox stand to their Premium Brands collection and since I get 10% off with student discount I thought I might as well try it out.

As I have mentioned before, this set consists of 5 products which include foundation primer, eyeshadow base, eyeliner, mascara and a lipgloss.

The first product is the World's known Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer (0.25fl.oz./7.1ml)

It is meant to "Smooth the appearance of fine lines and pores while creating a flawless canvas for make up application."

It comes out clear as you can see in the picture below:

 

This primer is very lightweight and goes on the skin very smoothly. I will keep using it to see what my final opinion on this is and whether I will re-purchase it in the full size.

The second product is the Photo Finish Lid Primer. (0.02 fl.oz./0.5ml)

 "Instantly smooth and perfect lids with this ultra luxurious formula to keep shadow last all day."

 It comes out as a nude/skin colour. It is also creamy and quite light on the skin. After using it for the first time I must say it did keep my shadow on all day as it claims to, but my Urban Decay Primer Potion does the same job and I don't think there is anything special about it, although I do really like it. 

Next is  the Limitless Eye Liner in Onyx.(0.03 oz./0.08g)

It is a "waterproof, long wearing eye liner that won't smudge or budge for up to 8 hours." as the producent claims.

This eyeliner has a very deep black colour. It has stayed on my waterline for the whole day and it really did not move! Quite impressing. It goes on very smoothly and is very easy to work with.

It also really reminds me of my Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner Pencil in Zero. The same texture and finish. And the amount of product there is I am definitely going to get a good amount of use out of it.

Another product that You get in this set is the Full Exposure Mascara.(0.14fl.oz./4ml)

 This mascara is meant to help You "Expose your longest, fullest lashes with no clumps, no flakes. Just maximum-impact, scene-stealing lashes."

This mascara has a HUUUGE wand. It looks very simple, like any other mascara that you could find in a drugstore or some high end products(Very similar to Dior Show Mascara), but the formulation is quite impressive. I really have experienced no clumps, but to achieve the length I had to apply good few (3-4) coats. Mascara did not flake onto my under eye area and stayed on truly black colour all day with the just-applied finish. I am really liking this after the first use, but the final opinion will come within next few uses.

And the last (and my Fave) product is the Lip Enhancing Gloss in Illume.(0.14fl.oz./4.20ml)

 The shade that is presented in this kit is meant to be Smashbox's best selling shade. It is a nude coloured gloss with tiny light reflecting particles. The colour is very pretty and would definitely suit any skin tone as it actually ends up matching your own lip colour in my opinion. It looked really pretty applied over a nude coloured lipliner or over the Angel Lipstick from M.a.c. that I have worn with it today. It is a non-sticky, lightweight and very easy to apply lip gloss. Definitely my favourite product out of all these. You are also getting a good amount of product there.

Final verdict:

Definitely a nice kit to try out. Nice way of introducing the products to a customer with a decent price. Products are really good quality, nice amount of product in each allows to really try out the product.  Very universal shades that will suit all skin tones. Nice sleek packaging, same as the original sized products. Do get this set if You are curious about trying out Smashbox products. Trying out this kit has definitely encouraged me to pick up more Smashbox Make up products soon.

Hope You find this helpful,

talk soon, A. X

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation | Review & Colour Dupe !

Hi guys,

long time no talk.

I have not posted anything as I have lost a bit of motivation for writing. 

Recently I have picked up my second bottle of Nars Sheer Glow Foundation and I thought I would share my opinions with you.

 

(the one on the left is the old bottle and the one on the right is the new)

So my story with this foundation has begun few months ago when everyone was raving about this on YouTube (as it usually is with new make up products I get).

I was really skeptical about getting another High End foundation as my experience with the M.A.C. foundation was not the best and it was a whopping € 36,50 spent on a foundation that I've probably used 10 times and almost the whole bottle of it is still standing there decorating (as this is the only use it's making) my make up collection.

This time I was a bit smarter and before I decided to spend another bunch of
€€'s ( it costs €40.00) I have asked for a sample. The girl at the Nars counter in Brown Thomas was lovely and she really took time to help me with the shade of foundation. She gave me a small glass bottle of the colour Ceylan and told me to try it out and if the shade was not right, I'd come back and she'd give me another sample. The sample lasted me for around 3-4 applications (which is quite a generous sample in my opinion !).

It was love at first sight ( application hehe ;) ) ! 

The colour I have got matched with is yellow based and it really helps to cancel out the redness of my complexion. The girl at the Nars counter also told me that majority of their foundations are yellow/peachy colour based. The consistency is quite runny/liquid'y and goes on very smoothly and quite sheer (hence the name of the product). You are getting 1 Fl. Oz./30ml of the product.With the first application you receive very natural even finish. The foundation also feels very light on the skin and this is a massive +, as you don't really feel like you are wearing a foundation at all.  The foundation is very build-able and easy to work with and few more layers you can receive a flawless full-coverage finish. I usually stick to 2-3 thin layers of foundation.

I have heard that it is good to apply this foundation with your fingertips but I tend to use either my Real Techniques Face Expert or the Real Techniques Buffing Brush and I get a flawless almost airbrushed finish.

 The previous bottle has lasted me for around 4-5 months with sometimes everyday sometimes on and off use (and I'm pretty sure there's still a good 1-2 applications left in the old bottle I have.

Also I have heard that some people with dry skin did not find the foundation good, but I have very dry skin and with a good moisturiser and primer (never apply your foundation directly onto not moisturised/primed skin). It worked well for me both when applying it straight after moisturiser or also when using primer too.

In my opinion it is one of the best High End foundations, great colour match, no unpleasant fragrance, really good consistency and you are getting a great amount of product. Definitely worth trying out ! If the price (€40.00) is scaring you off, go up to the counter and ask for a sample ! :)

Also I have recently found a great colour dupe for the colour Ceylan that I am using. I was on a hunt for a cheap alternative with the same colour benefits and I have found the Lorea'l True Match Foundation in colour W2/Golden Vanilla.

It is a perfect match ! And the texture, consistency and finish are quite similar for  1/4 of the price ( I got it for €10.04 with a 33% reduction that was going on in one of the pharmacies :)) so I couldn't resist trying it out. Definitely a great Everyday-use alternative ! 

 As you can tell from the picture above, even the colours in the bottles look the very same !

 And above there's the swatch of the Nars Sheer Glow in Ceylan.

 And here you've got the Nars Sheer Glow in Ceylan on the left and Lorea'l True Match in W2/Golden Vanilla.

Hope you find this review helpful,

I will be reviewing more products soon. 

Talk soon, A. 

Haul #1

So today #payday I went to pick up a few things at M.A.C. and I did some random shopping along the way. 

So I'll start out with mac. I went down to Mac at the Brown Thomas and  got the "Cherry" lip liner, the prolongwear lip liner in "What a blast!" and the "Angel" lipstick.

 The Prolongwear lip pencil in What a blast ! I picked up that lip pencil to match my "Morange" lipstick. (just love the perfectly outlined lip, especially when wearing bright colour on the lips. I just find that it has to be super clean and neatly applied, when it comes to the lipstick !) 

This lip pencil is the Prolongwear one which is slightly bit more expensive( €19 ) than the regular lip pencils, but it is meant to last a lot longer (apparently) so far I have only put it on to try it out but have not had it on my lips for longer than probably 5 minutes, so I can't judge ! But will update on this as soon as I try it out properly !

The colour is a warm toned bright orange that matches the Morange lipstick perfectly ! When put as a base under the lipstick it is meant to keep it on for longer !

 The "Cherry" lip liner(€15,50) was on my wish list for absolute ages, but I did not want to get it as I already have lots of red lip pencils ("Brick" by Mac and plenty other brand ones). I wanted to get it as it is the perfect match for my RubyWoo lipstick, which is my absolute favourite red lipstick. Using Brick lip pencil with RubyWoo worked, but there was always something about it that I didn't like. One of my friends had the Cherry lip liner and when I tried Cherry+RubyWoo on together it looked 100000 times better ! Cherry lipliner is slightly bit more brighter than Brick. Brick works perfectly with Russian Red which is n intense bluish-red, but RubyWoo is a vivid blue-red. They are both similar but very different in their own ways !

I also picked up the famous "Angel" lipstick (€18). It is a soft pink lipstick with frost finish. 

It is my first Frost lipstick as I usually go for the Matte or Amplified finish.

The colour really reminds me of "Please Me"(Matte finish) but since it is frost it looks completely different on the lips. I have only tried it on my lips once but wasn't really impressed with it (Maybe I just need to experiment with different make up looks to go with it)

But it is definitely one of those lipsticks that You could wear on daily basis, to work, college or school or just anywhere, to give You a slight touch of colour. It would definitely work with a smokey eye if you wanted to keep the lips simple to go along with dramatic eye make up. 

 

 I then went into Holland&Barret and picked up the Omega3 Fish Oils(€10.99 on sale) (I just ran out of my last bottle of these) and got the Saltpipe(€17) which was the main thing I went there for ! With the whole Hay Fever thing going on I have developed some breathing issues that kind of feel like asthma, but I hate taking prescribed medication, so I went for the natural remedy! 

The Saltpipe is a natural inhaler that is meant to naturally help with the respiratory issues such as Asthma, Allergies, Hay fever, Common Cold and Bronchitis and as a long-term result of using it is meant to even help out to strenghten the immune system against any respiratory problems ! The reviews online were great for it so I am willing to give it a try ! 

The price (€17) might sound a bit high for a pipe filled with salt, but it is meant to last for up to a few years, depending on the level of usage. To use it, You are recommended to use the Saltpipe for around 15-20 minutes a day depending on Your needs. You simply place Your mouth on the device and inhale through the mouth and exhale through the nose. The process can be split into a few 4-5 mins sessions and can be done watching tv, sitting around or doing anything. The results are meant to be seen with as short as one week of using it (let me know if You are interested in a full review on it).

 I then went to Boots and picked up my favourite hairspray from Lee Stafford "Hold Tight" (€6.99). This holds literally every little hair the way you want it too !

 And then I got the TRESemme Split Remedy Serum. I am on a hunt for a new hair serum for dry and split ends as my Aussie one is on the finishing line and I wanted to try out something new.  This claims to mend up to 80% of split ends just after 3 uses. Sounds good to me.

 

And Lastly I picked up the Total Detox Plan Book by Charmaine Yabsley. It was only €5 at one of the discount book stores ! I have been kind of obsessed with all kind of detox products so reading about a proper detox might be interesting !

So that's all for the Haul #1, let me know if you would like any full reviews on any of these products!

Talk soon, A. x

Intro.

Hi guys,

So I decided to create a blog to share my opinions on beauty and health products. 

I have started my journey with make up when I was about 11 and a friend of mine taught me how to put a mascara on before a school disco. I'm glad I can not remember how the mascara end up looking on me as it was probably a disaster ! Then I only wore a bit of mascara and a lipgloss till I was about 17. I then really got into make up. I have even done a few video's on youtube and these were usually make up contest entries. I have started my own beauty hauls and reviews (about 5-6 videos in total!) also but decided to stop when I was in my Leaving Cert year as the video making was just too time-consuming!

My passion for make up and beauty products has grown over the past few years and I have started reaching for the high-end products. 

My decision for starting this blog was that I really want to share my opinions on beauty products and also products that are available in Ireland as I find that there is not many "Beauty Gurus" from Ireland. The only guys I can think of are LittleKiva, LetzMakeup from youtube and Leanne from THUNDER+THREADS. 

I have also been passionate about health & fitness, so I'll be happy to share my knowledge about healthy eating, supplements and exercise.

I will be posting reviews, hauls, make up looks and maybe some time soon I will also start making youtube videos again! 

Talk soon, A. x