Makeup Revolution Shimmer Bricks Review - Radiant and Rose Gold

If you have the Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks on your wishlist, but they are too expensive, then these are the perfect substitute. It was only a matter of time before Makeup Revolution brought out their own version of the shimmer brick. As you know, Bobbi Brown is the queen of the shimmer brick product and a lot of other company's have tried too match this standard of quality and most of the time, they do not get anywhere close. Make-up Revolution launched their version of the shimmer bricks earlier this year bringing out two of them. Radiant and Rose Gold are perfect for this time of year if you want to add a bit of bronzer and highlighter to your skin. If you have seen or own shimmer bricks before, then you will know that the product can be used as a separate highlighter/bronzer or can be swirled together for a beautiful light bronzer with lots of shimmer.

The shimmer bricks are cased in a slim black plastic box with a clear lid that makes it easy to see what shade you have without opening it. I think the packaging seems sturdy enough which is good, especially if you are planning to travel with these bricks as they will hopefully not break in your make-up bag. 

Make-up Revolution claims the shimmer bricks 'Combine the warmth from a bronzer with highlighters to give gorgeous definition to all skin tones. Either use each shade from the shimmer brick on its own, or swirl your brush round to pick up all the colours'. 

 Radiant is perfect for me as I am very pale and this gives me a healthy glow without looking too much. This is very much a cool toned palette with a lot of pale pinks and golden shimmers. I believe this is a dupe for the Bobbi Brown Shimmer brick in Beige as it has the same kind of colours. 

The first strip in the palette looks like a white shimmer but once applied to your cheekbones, it has a yellow gold tone to it which is just beautiful. The second strip looks pink in the palette, but once applied, it is a peachy pink with gold shimmer. The third strip is a brown with gold shimmer. Strip four is a beige/champagne that is lighter than strip 2. Lastly, strip five is a golden brown. When swirled together, it produces a champagne/golden bronze shade which looks perfect on paler skin.

Rose Gold  is definitely a lot darker in colour, but do not let that put you off using it. When using this shimmer brick, use a light hand and blend especially if you are pale like me as this can look too much if you use it heavily. This is a lot warmer in tone and is a dupe for the Bobbi Brown shimmer brick in bronze. 

Strip one is a yellow toned white just like the one in Radiant. Strip two is a darker pink and in comparison to strip two from radiant, it is a lot darker. Strip three is a bright copper with golden shimmer. Strip four is a red bronze and strip five is a dark taupe brown. When swirled together, it produces a darker/warmer bronze colour which would look great on darker skin tones. For me, I found it too much and I would have to use the tiniest bit and blend it out. 

 These shimmer bricks are just a dream to work with as the formulation is very smooth and soft to touch. As I have mentioned previously, they are very pigmented so use a light hand when applying to the cheeks especially the rose gold brick. The shimmer bricks are a multi-purpose product, so you can use it on the cheeks, eyes and body. When trying this product out, I applied the shimmer brick at 9am and removed my make-up at 10pm and I can confirm that it lasted all day without completely fading into nothing. 

Overall the Make-up Revolution shimmer bricks are a brilliant and affordable dupe for the Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks. I think these are just as pigmented and soft in texture as the Bobbi Brown ones. I love these shimmer bricks and they are perfect for the summer to either add a glow or a bronze glow. 


The Make-up Revolution shimmer bricks are sold online and in Superdrug at a price of £3 each.

NYX Cosmetics now available in Boots UK

This has been a long time coming for the UK make-up addicts, NYX has finally launched in to Boots UK. If you don't know, NYX is an American make-up brand that has affordable yet brilliant products. NYX has slowly been coming into the UK. For example, NYX is being sold in Next, however, there is a limited amount of products and it is usually not the newest products on the market. I also have noticed that Selfridges are starting to sell their products which is brilliant and now Boots are finally stocking NYX online. I don't know if they will be stocking this brand in the shops, but you can definitely  buy NYX online. For the UK people, we do actually have a NYX website, but it looks like this never gets updated with the latest products and the stock is very limited.

On the Boots website, they did announce that NYX cosmetics was coming to Boots a couple of weeks ago. Now they have officially launched NYX into their range of beauty brands and it is available right now on their website. It looks like they have a small range of products on the Boots website at the moment, but hopefully they will sell a bigger range when it becomes more popular. The latest lip product by NYX is the Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick and this is actually available in the UK as well via Boots. Also, they have the very hyped up highlight and contour kit that got everyone raving about.

I am very excited about NYX cosmetics being sold in Boots in the UK because I have heard so many good things about this company and I can finally buy some of their products. You can find NYX cosmetics in Selfridges, Boots and on their own website.

Are you excited to try any of their products?

New Product Alert - Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette

If you are subscribed to my Youtube channel, then you would know I am a sucker for highlighters and this palette is right up my street.

Sleek launched a highlighter palette late last year, which went down a storm. Now they have created a brand new palette with new shades ready for the Christmas period. This palette comes in a nice, pretty rose gold packaging, which is the 'in thing' at the moment. I think making the  packaging a rose gold colour makes the palette extra special and makes it look more higher end than it is.
Within the palette itself, it comes with a mirror that covers one side and a brush to apply the product with. I usually don’t bother with the brushes that come with the palettes due to the brush being a bit crap and worthless. But if you are travelling, then it is an ok make-up tool to have. The palette comes with four highlighters that are all different colours that can be used in different areas of the face and body. Two of the four highlighters are baked powders, one is a shimmer powder and the last one is a cream formula. So you do get a good variety of textures and colours in this palette. The top two highlighters are Ecliptic which is a champagne cream and Hemisphere which is a pink/purple baked highlighter. The bottom two are subsolar which is a yellow shimmer powder and Equinox is a bronze baked powder. Apparently Equinox is a dupe for the Becca highlighter in champagne pop, but is a lot affordable and easy to get in the UK.
I do like how there are different colours of highlighter, with different formulas to suit everyone's needs. Sleek claims this palette to enhance the complexion with a radiant glow with a metallic finish that gives a sheen to the skin. They also say these highlighters can be used on all skin tones and can be used for the skin and body.


This is definitely on my make-up wishlist as I love Sleek products and I love highlighters, so I need a trip to Superdrug to find it.


If you want to buy the Sleek Solstice Highlighting palette, it is out now and available from Sleek website, Superdrug and Boots. The palette is a part of the permanent line and costs £9.99.

New Product Alert – Sleek Barekissed Illuminator Collection

Sleek Make-up have launched a brand new product this week called Barekissed Illuminator. This is one of many new products Sleek have launched in August. They have launched their nautical range which includes a by three blush, lipstick and an eyeshadow palette. Sleek have also launched the enchanted forest eyeshadow palette and a new range of crème to powder blushes. Now they have just launched the Barekissed illuminator which was out on the 18th August. Sleek used to do a liquid illuminator called Glisten Me years ago, but it looks like this was discontinued in 2013.

Even though I have oily skin, I still like my highlighters and illuminators so when I saw Sleek just launched four illuminators, I was excited.  Sleek have launched these illuminators at a perfect time because the strobing craze has hit all of Youtube and blogs and everyone is going crazy about illuminators/highlighters. 

As I mentioned above, there are four shades of the barekissed illuminator which comes in a frosted bottle with a pump. The first one is Cuba and this is a golden peach with shimmer. Next one is Monaco which is a light pink with shimmer. Casablanca is a champagne pink with shimmer. Last one is Pompeii, which is a golden bronze with shimmer. I have seen one review on these illuminators and that was by beautygeekuk who tested the Monaco and Cuba illuminators which she said these are pigmented in colour.

 This product can be a multi-use product so can be used for a highlight on the cheeks, under foundation for a glow or can be used as a cream eyeshadow for a wash of colour. I am very interested in these and will be trying to find them in local Superdrug and Boots stores. The sleek Barekissed illuminators are out now and cost £8.99 each.

MUA and Fashionista Haul

Hello everyone.

A little while ago, I was on the MUA website when I noticed that they were doing a half price sale on their products and Fashionista products.I did go a bit mad with the spending but I know I will use all the products I bought at some point.

The first item I bought was the famous Undress your skin foundation. This has been talked about on blogs and YouTube videos and most of the comments made about this foundation is that it is a good natural looking foundation. This foundation is from MUA which is a budget makeup brand in the UK. MUA claim that this foundation 'covers imperfections and blemishes whilst maintaining your skins natural glow with light-diffusing particles of shimmer that creates instant radiance'. This foundation sounds very interesting and this might work for me since it does cover blemishes and imperfections. However the shimmer might be a problem since I have oily skin, so I might look like a glitter ball. I am excited to try this out.

 The next product I bought was Fashionista skin brightening face highlighter. This is a big tube of shimmery highlighter and if you know me, I absolutely love highlighters. This one is a yellow/gold tone with shimmer.I think this would be perfect for the summer and will look great on any skin tones. They claim it is a 'perfect skin enhancer containing light-diffusing particles that deliver instant luminosity to your complexion.

The third product I bought was the Fashionista fashion secret mattifying primer. I am very interested in primers because as I said before, I have oily skin which means I need to have a primer on my skin before make-up to try and keep my makeup lasting on my face all day. They claim this is a 'velvety matte formula to help control unwanted shine and smooths the skin for a seamless matte finish'. To me, this sounds very similar to the Gosh velvet touch primer, so I see a comparison video/blog on this primer and the Gosh one very soon.

I bought another primer and it is by Fashionista again and it is the flawless primer. They claim it is a 'velvety soft formula that evens out skin tone and targets fine lines and pores to give the skin a bright and flawless complexion. This is another interesting primer because I suffer from large pores so this is right up my street. I hope it can reduce the appearance of my pores.

The fifth product I bought was a ready to wear luminous foundation by Fashionista again. This foundation comes in a glass bottle which makes it feel a lot heavier in weight and is more likely to break when or if dropped. They claim it is a 'luminous foundation that makes your skin appear radiantly healthy and flawless. Another brilliant sounding foundation.

Next up is a concealer and it is the ready to wear brush on concealer by Fashionista. This is basically a concealer with a brush on the end to dispatch the product. I am not a big fan of brush on concealers but I thought I might as well give it a whirl and a chance. They claim it conceals and brightens. I really love trying out concealers.

The next product is the ready to shine stopper loose powder. I have only tried one loose powder in my life and that was the natural collection loose powder. I am happy to try another loose powder and they claim it 'banishes the shine on the go with this handy handbag size loose powder with added minerals. This jar contains the product and a mirror and a little powder puff which is not very useful but looks nice as a decoration. I hope it gets rid of the oil I have half way through the day.

The last foundation that I bought was the MUA matte foundation which is from their basic range, so I am not expecting a huge amount from this but it might just surprise me. They claim it is a 'creamy texture that blends beautifully for that perfect velvet finish and long lasting matte complexion'. Lets just hope it does actually do that when I try it out.

The final product I bought was a palette from Fashionista and I bought three things to put into the palette. I originally ordered another eyeshadow called double take but they gave me a refund a couple of days later and it must of been sold before they could of taken it of the website. Anyway I bought another eyeshadow called 'Meadows'. It is a light green with shimmer and I have actually tried it and I think it is quite patchy due to the shimmer but it can be easily build able for a fresh look on the eyes. The next one is a blush in 'Rose Shine' and it is a pink colour with sparkle. The last one is a bronzer in 'Rome' and I think this is too light for a bronzer but too dark for a highlighter. This bronzer has two colours in the pan, a light bronze colour with lines of dark mixed in. Also the palette has a huge mirror which is perfect for a traveling around with this. Lastly this palette can be used to take various items due to the push out and click in any item you want which is perfect.

Overall that is my MUA and Fashionista haul. I am excited to try out all these products and give you my opinion.

Lauren
xox

July Faves 2013

Hello everyone, so this post is going to be my favourite beauty products for the month of July. I haven't done a favourites for a few months now because I usually stick to the same products if I like them but I have decided to try out a few new product.

If you like to watch the video version of the July favourites, then please click on the below video which will take you to my youtube channel.

So I only have 5 favourite products for the month of July, some new and some old.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer - This is a lovely concealer because the texture is sooo creamy and soft to touch which makes it a pleasure to apply. Fit me covers most problem areas such as blemishes, spots, redness, acne scars apart from dark circles. I would use another concealer to cover up dark circles since this does cover the darkness to some extent but it doesn't completely cover and get rid of dark circles. This is a brilliant concealer for £5.99 and I have mine in 15 fair.

Collection (2000) Fix Me Up - The Collection fix me up is a spray which should hold makeup in place in hot weather. When the UK had hot weather, I tried it out and sprayed it on my face. It felt really cooling and smelled amazing. My face did feel quite wet from the spray but after five minutes, the wetness went and was left with normal looking makeup. I felt like this helped my makeup to stay in place whilst I was at work all day and was still left with makeup in the evening.

Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner - I have never really been into liquid eyeliners because I am never good at liquid eyeliners and I was a bit scared of trying it out. However this has completely changed my mind. The eyeliner was a felt tip which makes it a lot more precise and easy to draw a line onto the top of the lashes. Very easy to use and easy to take off with a makeup remover, loved it.

Urban Decay Cream Highlighter Sin - The Urban Decay cream highlighter in Sin I have had for a couple of years now. When I first got it, I loved it but after a while, I found new products which took over and this got forgotten about. One day, I looked through my makeup drawers and found this out again. It is a lovely champagne shimmery colour which I think will look lovely on all skin tones. The colour is brilliant for the summer and highlights the areas well.

Benefit Coralista - Benefit Coralista is probably one of the best blushers I own because it smells amazing and the colour is a lovely coral with a slight shimmer. Since it is a coral colour, it is perfect for the summer which is why I chose it again but it looks lovely on all skin tones especially fair like me. The shimmer isn't overpowering which is good because its nice and subtle and the colour is noticed a lot more than the shimmer.

So those were my favourites for July and I know there wasn't a lot but I promise next time I do a favourites there will be more.

Upcoming Make-up Products For The Next Few Months

So i did one of these type of posts a long time ago and i thought i might as well do another one. These will be the upcoming make-up products that which be launching in the UK in the next couple of months. Some will be high brand and some wont be. These are the products that will be coming out very soon -

Topshop will be launching another glitter nail polishes in their make-up range. They do have a collection of glitter nail polishes (only 3) but they have never done a purple glitter nail polishes before. This is all going to change on the 21st March 2012 when they are going to be releasing a new colour called razzmatazz and razzmatazz will be a purple glitter top coat which can be used over other nail polishes.

Benefit has been releasing a lot of brand new products lately and they still keep on coming. The next product coming out is a liquid bronze highlighter. This is a first for benefit and it will join the liquid highlighter collection they have already which is highbeam and moonbeam. Sunbeam will be launched in June which will be ready for the summer and will compliments all skin tones. This can be mixed with moisturiser or foundation to make it less pigmented and can be used as an all over warm glow ready for the summer.

Collection 2000 are bringing out a new mascara called Multiplier mascara( Love the name). The multiplier has been developed to bring 14 times more volume to the lashes to create a wide-eyed look. The mascara is priced at £4.99 and is available at superdrug and boots stores nationwide on March 17 2012.

Last up is a limited edition collection by Boots No7 for the summer. The collection has been created by lisa eldridge and is called the Summer of dreams collection. I also love this name, it gives a nice feel to the collection and already interests me. The collection includes a bronzer (£13), glitter top coats in gold and silver (£8 each) a set of four eye crayons in Metallic Bronze, Hazy, Green, Cornflour Blue and Metallic Grey(£13) and lastly a Nourishing Lip shine glosses in Pink and Peach (£10.50 each). All these products sounds interesting and i might have to buy the bronzer and the glitter top coats.