INIKA Makeup Review

April 27, 2015February 6, 2018 - Vicki 6 Comments

INIKA began in 2006 and almost 10 years later the brand has won over 35 awards for product excellence and innovation, even beating big name brands in open categories. And INIKA’s full natural makeup range is now sold in more than 25 countries around the wor

So its gone from strength to strength. It is a brand committed to delivering quality without compromising on their key ethics like being,

100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free
By using tubes, pots and brushes that are made from recycled materials and all INIKA packaging is recyclable
INIKA is 100% Certified Halal with the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils
Their products contain no petrochemicals, synthetic substances, mineral oils or parabens

I’ve been trying a couple of products from INIKA this past month and wanted to let you know how I’m getting on.

INIKA have a selection of Vegan Mineral Eyeshadows £14.50 & you can pick from 22 shades. I have two more neutral colours, the first is Honeycomb* which is a soft matte nude cream shade & is the ideal colour to wear all over the lid to give you an even light base colour. Or if you wanted that no makeup, makeup look it would be a great subtle nude colour that gives your eyes that bright fresh look. You can’t really see it in the swatch below because it is quite a light colour but I think its one of those colours that isn’t a WOW shade but is great to have in your collection and you will get a lot of use from it.

The other colour I have is Coco Motion* with is a very deep matte brown, its gorgeous through the crease & helps create a gorgeous neutral smokey eye. It’s so richly pigmented, I also found it easy to blend and the colour stayed vibrant on my lids all day without creasing.

These Mineral Eyeshadows are loose powder shadows (which can often be a pain) but packaged really well, the holes in the top where the powder comes out are quite small so you don’t end up with a mess when you unscrew the lid. Hardly any powder comes out unless you really tap it, so you’re not wasting product either.

I have also been using their Organic Liquid Mineral Foundation* £29.50 this is available in 4 shades & I have the lightest shade which is Cream & its a good match for me. The formula of this foundation is quite thick and creamy so you will need to take time to blend this into your skin and I found that it evened out my complexion and gave me a light to medium coverage with a dewy finish.

My skin looked healthy and fresh with a good amount of coverage (if you’re looking for a full coverage foundation this isn’t for you). I think this is a good base for the warmer months because even though the product felt quite thick it feels lightweight on the skin and still looks natural. Its certified organic and packed full of organic antioxidants, vitamins and minerals such as Aloe Vera, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil and Rosehip. So it is nourishing, soothing and hydrating. It’s a foundation that keeps your skin looking flawless and also keeps it healthy too. So if you’re looking for a Foundation that is Organic, Vegan & will give you a healthy natural finish then this is one you should check out.

The packaging for the Liquid Foundation is really nice, it comes in a sleek plastic black and gold tube and it has a handy pump, which is so easy to use and travel with. I think it looks really nice.

INIKA also have an offer on until the end of April & you can get a complimentary Light Reflect Highlighting Crème with every purchase of their Certified Organic Liquid Foundation. So if you’re thinking about trying it now is the time.

Let me know if you have tried anything from INIKA or have any other Vegan brands you’d recommend I try.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

Essence Cheek Products

April 24, 2015April 6, 2017 - Vicki 8 Comments

I’m quite familiar with Essence makeup as I lived in Germany for a number of years, where it is a very popular affordable brand. It has a huge following in Europe and since they first launched a couple of years ago in the UK they have created quite a buzz. Essence are known for having very on trend collections and as I said a very affordable price point. I have written about their UK launch if you’d like to read about it.

I thought I would share with you 3 of my current favourite products.

These three powder cheek products from Essence are all gorgeous, I have two blushers and one bronzer to share with you and they’re all perfect for creating Summer makeup looks. Let me know which one is your favourite of the three.

First up is Blush Up in Heat Wave £3.50 which is just the most gorgeous peachy pink, I love that this blusher has a ombre gradient effect and you get 3 different shades going from a stunning orange to a pretty pink. You can either swirl your brush to pick up all three shades or delicately sweep your brush down one shade to pick up that specific colour. I think the colours are pretty either way they’re pigmented and blend nicely too. Not too powdery or chalky and all three colours are matte so no shimmer in this at all.

Another of the Blush up Blushers in Pinky Flow £3.50 has the same beautiful ombre gradient effect as Heat Wave but this one is a trio of pink shades from a deep pink to a light soft pink. Pinks blushers are always a favourite of mine and this one doesn’t disappoint, this really brightens up my makeup look and gives my skin a gorgeous healthy flush. This lasts about 6 hours on me, so I think a good amount of time & as with the previous blush its easy to blend and nicely pigmented. I am a huge fan of these two blushers & I like the packaging, its clear & simple and the product looks really pretty too.

There is no shimmer in this blush either but the lightest shade of pink does give a highlighting effect on the cheek, which looks really flattering.

Lastly, the All in One Sun Glow Bronzer* gives you that healthy sun kissed illuminating glow. It has such a lovely mix of shades and it also has some shimmer in it too which I like & its not too OTT just a hint. This bronzer gives a subtle warmth to your skin and is the perfect way to pretend you have been on a Summer holiday without leaving the country. I have also used these individual shades as eyeshadows & they work really well, especially for a bronze smokey eye.

Essence can be found online at www.wilko.com & in a selection of their shops.

Let me know if you have tried anything from Essence and have any recommendations for me.

Michael Kors Into The Glow Collection

April 15, 2015April 6, 2017 - Vicki 5 Comments

The new Limited Edition Intothe Glow Colour Collection from Michael Kors is perfect for Summer. This collection centres around that sun kissed holiday vibe and includes vibrant colours for nails and lips also a bronzer and a dry oil spray so you can achieve that iconic Michael Kores sun kissed glow.

The products are all beautiful and look so luxurious in the signature gold MK packaging, it just screams take me on holiday!

I have two products from the collection and the first is this gorgeous fushia pink Lip Luster Lip Gloss in the shade Getaway*. The colour is bright & summery and the finish is very glossy and thick but it still feels hydrating on the lips. This shade is really pigmented it would look really pretty with a tan. I’d say its the perfect holiday lip gloss. I found the gloss applied evenly and didn’t feel too sticky on the lips.

There are two new Hydrating Bronze Gel Cremes in this collection, I have the shade Sun Chaser*. This is a liquid bronzer for face & body, at first this product scared me & excited me all at once. I’m quite pale and I was really worried that this bronzer would make me look like an Ompa Lumpa, although this looks really dark in the pot once you blend it out on your skin its more subtle and adds a pretty glow to your complexion. So I use just the smallest amount of this & I apply it like a highlighter on my cheeks & it makes my skin look really healthy, there is a slight shimmer but its not disco ball – more sun kissed goddess.

I have also worn this under my foundation as an illuminating primer, it is very lightweight and feels hydrating on the skin. It leaves your skin with a gorgeous glowing base for you to apply your foundation and look radiant and sun kissed. Its not shimmery but has an iridescent pear finish that catches the light and makes your skin look healthy and gives you that jet set glow. This pot is going to last me for many summers to come as you need just the smallest amount. So it might be an investment but one that you will get a lot of use from.

It was so hard to swatch the Hydrating Bronze Gel – this is it just swatched on my arm, I haven’t blended it in and its already quite sheer. When blended you’re left with a hint of colour & a luminous warmth to the skin. So don’t be put off by how dark / bold it looks in the packaging its not that intense on the skin, although it can be built up to give more of an intense look.

The Michael Kors Into The Glow Colour Collection includes,

Hydrating Bronze Gel Créme in Permanent Vacation and Sun Chaser £25
Lip Luster in Dew, Getaway and Fire Coral £21.50
Nail Lacquer in Blush, Daydreamer and Paradise £15
Bronze Powder in Glow £34
Liquid Shimmer Dry Oil Spray £40

So its quite the Summer holiday collection, let me know if you’re jetting off somewhere warm this year & if you have your eye on anything from this collection. I have to say the nail polishes look gorgeous too!

5 From NYX Cosmetics

April 8, 2015April 11, 2017 - Vicki 9 Comments

Up until a couple of years ago NYX was quite hard to get hold of in the UK & we would all see American bloggers rave about their products, I for one was very jealous so when Boots started to stock a selection of their products in their larger stores and we could also order from NYX online in the UK. I was so excited to get hold of a few bits & bobs. I thought I would share with you 5 of my most used NYX products. Let me know what products you use the most from NYX & if you have any recommendations for me to try.

Jumbo Eye Pencil in Sparkle Nude £5.00

I have a number of these Jumbo Pencils and absolutely love them. I am obsessed with cream shadows and find them so easy to apply & blend and they last all day on me so they have fast become my favourite product. NYX have a quite a large selection of colours in these Jumbo Pencils but I have been wearing this Sparkle Nude on all over the lid on its own. It is a pretty champagne bronze with a touch of glitter running through, it brightens up my look & lasts all day. The glitter is quite chunky & not for everyone but I do like to wear a little sparkle on my lids & the colour is just so pretty. Oh & NYX do these pencils in 32 colours!

NYX Illuminator in Narcissistic £9.00

This is a very light champagne highlighter which looks so pretty worn on its own or layered with your blusher to give it a glow. The colour in this highlighter is very subtle and the shimmer is very fine & just catches the light on your cheeks and makes your skin look healthy. The powder is very finely milled and is easy to apply, a little goes a long way so don’t over apply, I like to take this on a duo fibre brush & lightly dust it across my cheekbones. Very pretty for the warmer months.

Powder Blush in Angel £6.00

It’s a peachy pink with a slight golden sheen running though and its one of my favourite blushers. I like that its not too pigmented and you can build it up without looking like Aunt Sally. Its so easy to blend and never looks patchy or cakey. It gives the cheeks a natural flush of colour & when the light hits the pretty gold sheen gives you a glow. Its not a glittery or shimmery finish but a very subtle sheen, I always travel with this & I love it for day or night.

Roll On Shimmer in Nude £4.25

I quite often pair this with my Jumbo Eye Pencils when I’m going out in the evening. The cream pencils act as a really good base / primer for the colour to really pop & it means these stay put all night long. This is the perfect colour for me as I love anything bronzy on my eyelids and it has the perfect amount of colour & shimmer. These Roll On Shimmers can be used wet for a really intense look that will stay in place without any shimmer ending up all over your face.

Fly With Me Mascara £11.50

This isn’t my favourite Mascara but I do like that it gives my lashes length and holds a curl. Its not as black as I’d hoped but it does make my eyelashes look long and very healthy & I really like that you can remove this with hot water & a flannel so that is convenient. I don’t get any flaking or smudging when I wear this either.

Have you tried any of the NYX products I have mentioned?

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