Fenty Beauty Collection REVIEW | What I really think!

Hi my Loves,

You all asked what my thoughts on Rihanna's new makeup brand Fenty Beauty were so obviously I had to come through for you guys!

Anastasia Beverly Hills 'Modern Renaissance' palette DUPE OR DUD?! | W7 Delicious Palette

Hi my Loves,

Let me tell you, I have a post and a half for you today and before we begin I want you to take a look at the picture below..

Get the Bronze Goddess look | feat. MUA Make up Academy

Hi my Loves,

Recently I picked up some bits from the brand MUA (it is available from Superdrug) that I thought would be PERFECT for summer - like, legit products that would give you that coveted summer babe, bronze goddess look. These products I picked up would be amazing for every day wear and would be STUNNING for holidays as they are very quick, easy, natural but still so effective.

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colour Review & Swatches | The Nudes & Light Pinks

Hi my Loves,

Today I have a review & swatches of the newest matte liquid lipsticks to hit the drugstore (or chemist - who do I think I am!) and they are Rimmel's Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colour.

Crown Brush 35 Colour Rose Gold Palette | Review & Swatches

Hi my Loves,

I wanted to review & swatch the Crown Brush 35 colour Rose Gold eyeshadow palette for you all today. This palette was bought for me by my mam as a Christmas present and since then it has been one of my most reached for and most used palette.

Every time I have mentioned or used this palette I have gotten LOADS of questions about the palette and you guys have asked me if it is similar to Morphe palettes because honestly they do look similar.

First off, here is what the Crown Brushes Rose Gold palette looks like - she is a beauty isn't she! This was purchased straight from crownbrushes.ie and cost €29. 

35 Rose Gold Palette

As a huge Rose Gold lover- it's my favourite colour for jewellery - the name alone had me at hello, but the colour selection sealed the deal. I could create a dream palette this would be it - the colours are exactly what I look for. Warm browns, some peach, rich gold & bronze shimmers, pops of reds - I adore this spectrum of colours. 

At €29 each shadow in this palette works out at 83 cent - WHICH IS A STEAL!

Formula wise I am absolutely impressed with this palette. The shimmer shades are so buttery & pigmented. Two issues brands struggle with when making shadows is that the shimmery shadows have a lot of fall out and the matte shades are not pigmented enough and are scratchy. Whilst I do like the matte shades, one or two of them especially in the lighter shades were hard to build pigment on - but every shimmer shade was consistent.

You also get a great selection of colours in this  palette and there is a good balance of both matte and shimmers allowing you to create multiple looks just using one palette.

top row (horizontal)

Second row from the top

Third row from the top

Fourth row from the top

bottom row

 

Lets get on to the questions I have gotten about this palette being similar to Morphe (namely their 35O palette). 16/21 (76%) of the ingredients in the Morphe 35O palette are the same as the Crown brushes Rose Gold palette and the ingredients that are different are things such as Kaolin (which is a clay & is in the 35O palette) and Lanolin (Lanolin helps to form an emulsion & possesses adhesive characteristics - in the 35O).

I have heard rumors that Morphe private labels from Crown Brushes (meaning that Crown make the palettes and brands like Morphe pay to put their name on them) - but honestly that is just something I have heard and I cannot comment on the authenticity of it. 

I would think however, due to the ingredient similarities that there is some type of correlation. 

The colour scheme in both palettes in very similar - after careful studying what it seems to me is that the majority of the colours in the palettes are the exact same but they are arranged differently which is what tricks the eye. 

I can't comment on the quality of the Morphe 35O palette as I do not own it, so the one I would be recommending to you guys to go out and grab is the Crown Brush Rose Gold Palette as it is the one I have tried, tested and loved! I think you guys will love this palette and get SO much use out of like I have!

With Love from,

Rebekah x

Bellamianta Self Tanning Tinited lotion | Yay or Nay (review)

Hi my Loves,

We are going to chat today about Northern Irish Tanning brand 'Bellamianta' - their medium Self Tanning lotion in particular.

I purchased this tan myself after hearing rave reviews from all these golden goddess beauty bloggers - so naturally I was like "I'll have whatever she's using thanks!" Whenever I would ask anyone what tan they were using Bellamianta's name kept cropping up and I know I'm late to the bandwagon with trying it but I was deathly committed to a another tan and couldn't drag myself away from it until I couldn't get my hands on it last week and had to try something new!

So lets start with the facts first:

Price: €20.00

Colour scale: Medium (olive/green undertone)

Foam/liquid: Dark tinted Lotion

Developing time: 2-4 hours

Lasting time claims: up to 7 days

Where to buy: Bellamianta & Cloud10, 

This tan contains no harsh chemicals, parabens, animal derivatives, alcohol, perfume, G.M.O's or Sulfates. (It's fantastic that it contains none of these things.)

Ingredients wise in this tan you will find fruit extracts such as Mango, Papaya & Goji Berry which work to 'help you get your signature golden glow'. You will also find Bergamot & Vitamin E which helps with firming, toning & anti-aging; Saccharide Isomerate which hydrates the skin making it great for dry skin types and then Shea Butter & Aloe Vera are also listed ingredients.

I picked up this tan in Vista Pharmacy in Naas as it was the closest place to me to pick it up. My snapchat followers will know that I made a rookie move of presuming that their Tinted Lotion & their Rapid Mousse were the same shade in terms of colour however please note that is not the case. Their tinted lotion is a medium colour tan where as their mousse is their dark tan. I will be popping back to get the mousse as a darker tan is more up my street but we can chat about that in another post.

How I like to apply all my tanning products is always before bed and then I'll sleep in a onesie (CUTE, I KNOW) - so I did the exact same with this tan as it states on the bottle that for darkest results leave on overnight.

 It applied smoothly and evenly, with the dark tint making it easy to see where you were applying the tan and it dried down quickly so I could get dressed - which is essential because I hate waiting around for tan to dry before you can get dressed.  

Now, we all know how it is going to bed with a fresh tan layer, the sheets may or may not survive to the tell the tale; however with this tan it does not transfer to my sheets at all and I'm majorly impressed by that! There is sometimes a very small amount of transfer on my onesie but we are talking barely noticeable.

There is also no nasty fake tan smell, this actually has a gorgeous fresh smell.

I like to wash my tan off then first thing in the morning and it looks VERY dark (dare I say almost orange-y) before I wash it off - but after my shower it turns out a lovely sun-kissed glow that looks very natural and I have no streaking or clinging to areas which can happen around my neck and wrists. As a dry skinned gal (mainly because I NEVER moisturize my actual body) I can absolute vouch that this tan is very suited to dry skin and it definitely does not make the worse or promote scaling - if anything I feel that my skin is MORE moisturized than before I tan myself. I also suffer from eczema on my legs and this has not irritated it or caused any flair ups which is extremely important for me. 

The really great thing about this tan though is how it fades. 

When I'm evaluating and reviewing a tan I don't just look at how it applies and looks straight off, it's very important to me how it wears and how easily I can get it off I need to.

This tan wears off so evenly and so naturally. There's no clinging to areas, no scaly patches - the colour just gradually gets lighter - this means you can add another layer on-top if you like without risking patching. If I decide by day 4 I want it gone it can be removed very gently with baby oil and a scrubby glove - no tearing at the skin, small circular motions will break it down and that is a dream to me.

Would I recommend this tan to you guys?

Absolutely.

I think that in particular this medium shade lotion would be amazing for brides especially as there is no transfer to clothing so it which means whites are relatively safe.

If you have dry skin I think this tan will tick the boxes for what you've been looking for in a tan; hydrating and moisturizing and no snake skin.

All in all it is a fantastic tan that really is very luxurious and stays true to it's claims which is a winner for me!

With Love from,

Rebekah x

L'Oreal Infallible Total Cover Foundation | Review

Hi my Loves,

I hope you are all well! 

Today's post is all about L'Oreal's newest foundation - The Total Cover Foundation.

If you follow me on snapchat (it is @rebekahwithlove if you don't!) I am sure that you've already  heard me speaking about this foundation & how it is the best thing since sliced bread BUT I wanted to write a more in-depth review because I've still had a lot of questions on it plus, not everyone is a snapchat fan!

The Foundation claims

(This is from boots.com website)

"Discover Infallible Total Cover Foundation for a flawless, full coverage base that lasts up to 24 hours. The zero compromise, camouflage formula covers everything from blemishes, redness and tattoos without the overload, while the matte finish leaves you with an even, shine-free base.

No compromise. No transfer. No overload"

You can buy it from here or here and it retails for roughly €10.99.

Shade Range

 In the UK & Europe this foundation is available in 7 shades. (The US has a different bottle and different shade names.)

Could it have more shades? Yes most definitely. The lightest shade isn't all that light to be honest. I am an NC15 (with olive undertones) in MAC for reference and the lightest shade 9. light sand is actually a smidge too dark for me but I can make it work with a lighter concealer. There is only one shade for darker skin tones too which is a little disappointing.

These are the shades:

• 9 Light Sand
• 10 Porcelain
• 12 Natural Rose
• 21 Golden Sand
• 24 Golden Beige
• 32 Amber
• 33 Cappuccino  

Shades 9 Light sand & 21 Golden sand

Skin type best suited to?

I have normal/combination skin which leans more to slightly dry and dehydrated than it would to oily and this foundation sat on my skin perfectly. As I mentioned above, I think that this foundation will work for oily skin you just might need to powder your skin whereas I did not have to. As for dry skinned girls - this probably wouldn't be my first choice of foundation to recommend to you if your skin is extremely dry in terms of flaking or cracking etc. as it is a matte foundation in will cling to those dry areas. If you lean towards slightly dry that is nothing too drastic, this will work perfectly just make sure to moisturize before hand (as you should with every foundation BTW and prime if you want to.)

My Thoughts

This foundation has not left my face since I bought it almost 4 weeks ago - it has been the only foundation I have used since then and it is my new favourite even above my high end foundations!

 I initially bought the lightest shade first and then bought my tanning shade 21 Golden Sand I loved it that much. 
This foundation is incredibly full coverage, incredibly matte and incredibly long wearing (I've not ever worn a foundation for 24 hours in my life - but it lasted me 12-14 hours which is a dream) - all whilst still feeling light on your skin. It completely covered my blemishes and spots, my pores and my ridiculously dark under-eyes and left me with the option of using no concealer which I have never experienced before. I also did not have to use any powder as the matte finish sets itself and truly does not need to be set unless your skin leans oily and then probably only in the t-zone area anyway.

The best way to apply this foundation is with a buffing brush in my opinion and to work in sections of your face (e.g. Dab some on your right cheek and nose then blend it in, dab some on your left cheek then blend it in etc.) as it dries down quickly and can be hard to work with if your aren't quick enough with your blending - and once this sets, it is going NOWHERE.

If full coverage is not your thing this foundation is not for you - whilst it looks flawless on the skin it will look like you are wearing makeup, however it does not look heavy or cakey.

I am extremely impressed with this foundation - I did not expect to love it as much as I did and now I can't be without it!

I hope you guys found this review helpful! If there is anything else you would like me to review please let me know and I can look into it for you!

With Love from,

Rebekah x

L'Oreal Pure Clay facial masks | My Thoughts

Hi my Loves,

I hope that you all had an amazing weekend! Usually either every Sunday night or Monday night I like to do a little pamper session and maybe scrub off tan or apply some, use a nice body butter and do a face mask; and this is actually what prompted me to do this post!

For the past two months I have been trying out the L'Oreal clay masks - I have the Pure Clay Detox mask and the Pure Clay Glow mask. The Pure Clay Purity mask didn't appeal to me as it is aimed towards people with oily skin which is an issue I do not suffer from - I'm quite the opposite to this!

First off lets go through what each mask claims to do and I'll discuss my thoughts. These masks are aimed at the whole multi masking concept by the way, hence why if you've seen the ads you'll of seen some of the models with one or two on their faces.

On the L'Oreal website the description says:

Detox Mask: 

"Enriched with Black Charcoal which acts like a magnet to draw out impurities.

The creamy texture of this deep cleansing face mask detoxifies the skin’s surface and works deep into the pores, leaving the skin looking clarified and beautified."

Glow Mask:

 "Enriched with Red Algae extract, known for its brightening properties.

Finely milled apricot seeds gently exfoliate dull, uneven skin to reveal your natural glow.

It has a beaded, creamy texture which illuminates tone by exfoliating your skin without drying it out."

I just want to state I am a huge L'Oreal fan; L'Oreal is one of my favourite drugstore brands - I think they are leaps and bounds ahead of other brands you can get in Boots or Superdrug; however these masks just didn't do it for me unfortunately and I'm so sad to say this because I had such high hopes!

Something I feel drugstores/or chemists etc. brands lack is good face masks so when I heard about L'Oreal releasing masks, I basically rushed to get them. I got them on offer so I'm pretty sure I paid maybe €7 or €8 for each one but they usually retail at about €11.50.

Sadly though I am not a fan. The Detox one seemed very promising - I was hoping for a dupe of the GLAMGLOW super mud - but no.

(The thing I want to mention about detoxifying clay masks; GLAMGLOW supermud included is that they actually are meant to make your skin worse before it gets better. However I don't think companies divulge this correctly - in order to clarify your skin, they work by bringing impurities to the surface - so please do not use a detox mask before the weekend as you will most likely have some spots appear from nowhere. If you are very strict and use these types of masks ritually they work as there should eventually be nothing to bring to the surface but as a once off these are not recommended as a Friday night weekend prep mask.)

To start, The first two times I used it I didn't notice anything super positive or negative - my skin felt and looked clean, but a good cleanser can do the same. However, after the third time using it,this specific mask made my skin so bad. Bad like I've not seen it so bad since I was in school. I broke out in tiny little spots all over my forehead, t-zone and around my mouth - my skin was NOT happy and I want to point out I don't have sensitive skin nor has a detox mask done this to my face before. I found it to be super chemically, the smell alone gave that away. I know so many drugstore masks have chemical ingredients obviously but this one just seemed particularly so, and I didn't like that.

As for the glow mask, whilst this didn't break me out anymore - it irritated spots I already had and made them worse. And again the chemical smell of this was so unappealing again. The only thing I did like about this mask was the little beads which allowed for a gentle exfoliation and did make my skin a little brighter, but nothing to write home about sadly.

I have read quite a few reviews of these L'Oreal masks and going by these I was expecting these masks to be amazing, and I'm not trying to call myself a skin care expert or anything like that - but from my experience these are sadly not really what I would classify as wow amazing.

In my opinion, if you're on the look out for good, reasonably priced masks you are better off trying a 'Lush' face mask - both of the results these masks claim to give can be easily achieved through one of their face masks at a similar price but using fresh natural ingredients which actually do fulfill the products claims unlike the chemicals which seem like they should do something but really don't. 

I love you dearly L'Oreal , but sadly the Clay face masks are a miss from me.

With Love from,

Rebekah x

Kat Von D Lock it Creme Concealer & Lock it Setting powder | REVIEW

Hi my loves,

A few weeks back I shared a few products that I purchased from Kat Von D when she launched her brand in Debenhams. I shared this picture on Instagram and snapchat and I got loads of questions asking what I thought about what I picked up. 

I picked up the Lock it Creme concealer (this is an update on Kat's older Tattoo concealer, aptly named because it could literally cover tattoos!) in the shade 07 'light warm' and the Lock it Setting powder. the powder is translucent and only comes in one shade.

For reference as to whether these products will suit your skin type, I have very normal skin, with my under eyes leaning more so on the dry side.

Lock It Creme Concealer

Price: €26.00

I'm going to come straight out with it, this is my new favourite concealer and THAT is a BOLD STATEMENT. I have not put this down since I got it almost a month ago now. I have reached for no other concealer other than this one.

It is extremely full coverage, more so than Nars 'Radiant Creamy Concealer' or Urban Decay's Naked Weightless concealer' (both of which used to be my go to's) but I get ZERO creasing. None whatsoever. I work on each area at a time and by this I mean I will apply it under my left eye and blend it in, then apply it to the right eye and blend it in because what I will say is that it does dry down and set quite fast and the finish is just phenomenal. I have a very prominent vein under my left eye and this covers it with one layer - and it covers it flawlessly. To blend in this concealer I use a damp Beauty Blender. You can use a brush, but with the consistency of this product because it is quiet thick and full coverage, blending it in with a damp sponge will give you the best and most seamless finish.

The only thing I did struggle with, and this is not a product fault and I suppose in a way it is a good thing - there are so many shades to choose from, with so many undertones that I struggled to figure out what shade I was. I couldn't really find any swatches online at all where someone had swatched them all side by side and I would of liked that. In the end I settled for 07 'light warm' and it is almost the perfect match of the Urban Decay concealer in light warm and that was the shade I was hoping to match, shade 03 would probably be identical.

Without flash (KVD 07 in on the left & Urban Decay Naked skin in Light warm is on the right)

With flash (KVD 07 in on the left & Urban Decay Naked skin in Light warm is on the right)

Lock it Setting Powder

Price: €26.00

Whilst I do love this powder and have also been using this every day since I purchased it - I don't have such an extreme love for this as I do the concealer. The concealer is in a league of it's own in my opinion.

This is a gorgeous extremely finely milled powder that has an almost light reflecting-esque property to it, but nothing so drastic that you can't use it on your entire face; it's more like a luminosity!

Paired with the concealer your under eye concealer is literally going nowhere all day long. I have also used this to set my face and I've found that I haven't noticed that it's extended my foundations wear any more than any other powders, but I have noticed that my foundation looks far more flawless and airbrushed - this also does not cake or bunch up on the face, nor does it give any flashback which I adore and can be an issue with a lot of flawless face powders. This powder also works perfectly for the baking method. It feels like velvet to touch and blends into the skin perfectly. 

I hope you guys found this review helpful!

Did you pick up any of Kat's products?  If so what did you get and what do you love?

With Love from,

Rebekah x

iWhite instant teeth whitening kit | Review

Hello my loves,

Today I going to share my thoughts and feelings on the iWhite instant teeth whitening kit.

I decided to review this because so many of you asked me questions all about them when I put up some pictures up on snapchat! I also get asked regularly how I keep my teeth. I have personally used this kit 3-4 times myself now so I feel that I can really give you guys a true and accurate review! 

So let's get straight into it!

Where to buy: iWhite.ie or boots.com

Price: €29.99

Product breakdown:

Basically what this product is, is a home whitening kit that says it can take your teeth up to 8 shades whiter. In each box you get 10 pre-filled trays that you will be using on your top and bottom teeth for 5 consecutive days. The trays aid the whitening of both the front and the back of your teeth. The trays themselves are like gum shields and you keep them in your mouth for 20 minutes at a time. These are sold in chemists so they are totally safe to use at home and they are 'clinically proven to be both safe and effective'.

My thoughts:

So firstly, I really like the ease of this product. The fact that the trays are pre-filled eliminates mess and makes the whole process easier - so there's less of a chance that will skive out of doing them. However, keeping them in your mouth for 20 minutes can be a challenge - and do careful to not swallow any of the over flowing liquid!

After 5 consecutive days I have noticed a difference each time I've used them! My teeth are pretty white; they are slightly off white, some worse than others and that is down to my tea habit. To be honest I don't think they've ever gone the whole 8 shades whiter - I would say maybe 4 shades whiter on my teeth but each time I've used this kit they have certainly been whitened and they felt extremely clean which I loved, staining on my back teeth was also reduced. I also have overlapping on my front bottom teeth that can get quite stained and I always find that this kit does the job at removing and fading a lot of those stains! Another thing that loved about this product was the fact that it did not increase the sensitivity of my teeth. I have super sensitive teeth and these did not irritate that  at all which I am very happy about!

I just want to note that sometimes people forget that products cannot work magic, and if you have very badly stained teeth you are not going to get sparkling white teeth from any SAFE product on the market . If your teeth are heavily stained from years of coffee, cigarettes or red wine (or all of them combined!) that is a job for a dentist and a professional teeth whitening session if you want beaming pearly whites. I'm not going to sit here and claim that a product can lift highly stained teeth - but if you just want to brighten up your discolored teeth or kick some stains then I think that this product will work for you and you're going to love it like I did.

Tips:

I have read previous reviews from people claiming that the teeth whitening did not last and to be very honest if that happens, that is nothing to do with the product and totally to do with your lifestyle. After and during teeth whitening courses I would always recommend that you use a whitening toothpaste to aid your results and to prolong them. I have two favourite whitening toothpastes and they are the iWhite teeth whitening toothpaste and Colgate Max Expert White toothpaste. I get either or from Boots and these are the only two whitening toothpastes that I've ever found to actually work!

  I also recommend drinking anything staining with a straw. I try to drink my tea, my coffee even my red wine with straw!

Another thing I want to add is that sometimes people can think that discoloration on their teeth is staining but sometimes ( especially if you notice staining on the surface of your back teeth) it can actually be where enamel has begun to wear away. So do keep this in mind if you notice teeth whitening kits or toothpastes having no effect! 

I feel like this is turning into a dental lesson!

Product rating:

I would rate this product 4/5.

I am deducting a point because I wish that they took my teeth a shade or two whiter, but I do understand that I probably have long standing stains that might actually need some dentist action. You also have to keep in mind that the box does say 'up to' so I will depend on how badly your teeth are stained.

I would recommend this product as personally for my teeth it does a good job! But as I mentioned above these are not for heavily stained teeth if you want a wham bam blinding white smile! 

I hope you guys found this review helpful!

With Love from,

Rebekah x 

Morphe 35U eyeshadow palette review & swatches

Hello my loves,

I promised myself I would be really good this month & post as much as possible on my blog - so far I think I have been doing quite well and I plan on keeping this up<3

Today's post is all about my new Morphe 35U palette! 

Direct palette link: here

So I think we all know by now I'm a pretty neutral makeup person; I'm not usually one for the wild colors. That being said, I really want to incorporate more color into my look - spice it up at little! I'm always envious of the Instagram girls, or actually even all the beautiful Inglot makeup artists that I follow that rock color on their eyes so amazingly!

I felt that something my makeup collection was really lacking was a colored eyeshadow palette. I think everyone should have at least one coloured eyeshadow palette in their stash if they love makeup, even if you don't want to create crazy looks, colored shadows are amazing for adding accents of colour for a pop. If you are a makeup artist I would nearly call this palette a kit essential.

This was my first ever Morphe palette and Morphe was actually the first brand I thought of when I was scouting for a colour palette - as I'm not a huge color wearer I didn't want to fork out a bomb on. I've always heard rave reviews about their palettes but for the price point (I got my palette for €21 from Beautybay.com) I did struggle to believe that it would be as good as the hype I had read. I've purchased multi shade bargain palettes when I was younger and just getting in to makeup and I was never very impressed with the quality.

With this Morphe 35U palette however I most certainly not left disappointed.

At €21 (this will vary depending on exchange rates) for the palette each shade works out at roughly 0.60 cent - I KNOW RIGHT?!! For that price you are getting very generous sized pans which is very impressive.

That's a bargain I can't even believe I'm typing especially since it rivals products I have spent over double on. It is a 100% shimmer & satin palette - you can buy a total matte one but look, I love me some shimmer and I knew for pops of color I would prefer shimmer.

The swatches below are one swipe on dry skin:

 I couldn't even believe the pigmentation I was getting out of one swipe and when I took the pictures I was just so impressed. Each shadow is buttery - some were slightly more powdery than others but absolutely nothing that a primer wouldn't sort, and they all blend out like a dream. I really expected this to just be a slight up on drugstore shadows but I was absolutely wrong, this is comparable with both Anastasia Beverly Hills and Makeup Geek.

You get a fantastic color selection in this palette, you basically get the rainbow and then some! Even if you aren't a huge color fan, there is plenty in here to keep the neutral lovin' gal/guy happy - the browns, bronzes and blacks are gorgeous.

 My only tiny criticism is that a few shades were quite similar (I cannot tell the difference between any of the black shades to be honest) when swatched but honestly that doesn't phase me considering the price.

If you need a color shadow palette in your life (this palette would also be amazing for Halloween coming up, I'm planning on using this for a Harley Quinn look) or you are just sick of the basic neutral palettes and want something to get those creative juices following, I high recommend this palette. It is worth every penny and more.

As mentioned above I got this palette from beautybay.com - which is perfect for Ireland, UK, European and international customers but if you live in the USA you can order directly from morphe.com

Have any of you tried any of Morphe's other palettes? Let me know below what ones and what your thoughts are!

With Love from,

Rebekah x