affordable makeup

Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Ultra-Volume Mascara

- Vicki 3 Comments
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Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Mascara

I’ve only tried one other product from Yves Rocher and I bought that in Amsterdam, it was their Micellar Water and I really liked it. So I was excited to try their Sexy Pulp Mascara. I have been using it for a good few weeks and been pleasantly surprised. I have to say when I first took the wand out I thought it was going to be far too big & hard to work with, I have quite small eyes and I like to coat every lash & really get in to the corners too and normally can’t use a larger brush, like the Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara (I hated that brush). I seem to have figured out a way of making this large brush work for me.

Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Mascara

I’ve poked myself in the eye with this brush on a couple of occasions but I think that’s more because I’m clumsy than anything else. I tend to put my makeup on when I’m still half asleep. This mascara is a very deep intense black, so if you like your mascara on the dark side then you will like this. The brush as I’ve said is very large, it has dense bristles which grab every lash which I like as it makes them very defined.

I stop after one coat mostly for a daytime look that gives me enough volume and I find that I don’t get clumping. If you do want to build this up for a more dramatic look just make sure you take the excess product off the wand as you will get a little clumping (although I know a few people that like that look).Sexy Pulp Mascara

I found the formula easy to work with and once I figured how to use the brush without sticking it in my eye I found it defined my lashes and made them look full however I wouldn’t say this was massively volumizing. It gave my lashes nice length but nothing out of this world, that’s not why I really like this mascara. I like it for the fact it wears all day with no panda eye effect, not flaking or smudging & it separates my lashes which is the look I like.

After wearing this all day I found it easy to remove with my Garnier Micellar Water, so that is always good, I hate it when I remove stubborn mascaras & I pull out lots of lashes.

The packaging is also nice the tube is deep purple with pink writing and although the brush is huge the wand is quite light and the tip is slightly tapered so you can get into the corners so every lash has product on. I have liked using this mascara & even read that its quite a blogger favourite & I can see why.

Yves Rocher Mascara* £18 – but its currently 50% off via Yves Rocher Online

I think £18 is quite a stretch for this mascara but at 50% off I say stock up while you can. Have you tried this mascara or do you have any recommendations for other Yves Rocher products that I should try?

Products that are marked with a * 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.

My elf 50% Order

- Vicki 12 Comments

When elf did their 50% sale a few weeks ago I bought a few products, I didn’t go too mad as I already have lots of elf makeup but it was hard to resist and there were a few items on my wish list & a couple of products that people had recommended for me. This is what I bought,

elf haul

I have a few of the elf baked blushes and I love them so I thought I would try a baked eyeshadow and went for the shade Pixie. It is a pretty rose gold with a hint of pink. It has a nice shimmer to it but not too glitzy. I think this will look really nice all over the lid. It isn’t the most pigmented to swatch but I am hoping that I can build the colour up on my lids.

I’m trying to add a few more lipsticks to my collection and I thought why not try one from elf. I bought the shade Classy which is a very easy to wear Pink, it has no shimmer in it which is great. I find this to be long wearing and not too drying on my lips. The packaging is just very basic but functional. I wish I’d bought a few more of these in other shades.

I am obsessed with Eyeliner Pens and I have far too many so it was inevitable that I’d buy another one. They claim this one is waterproof, so I will put it to the test. I bought the shade Black and it seems quite dark, not sure how long it will last before drying out but I’m excited to see how long it wears.

elf haul

I bought two blushes, I asked on Twitter what colours people recommended and so many of you said Berry Merry and Blushing Rose. They are both gorgeous and perfect warm colours for Winter. Although if I am honest they both look like the same colour to me. A deep berry colour with a hint of brown. I do love them. Maybe I will notice a difference when they’re on my cheeks. They swatch really well and pigmented.

I forgot to photograph the Mineral Moisturising Lip Tint SPF8 in the shade Natural as I’ve already put that in my handbag. It is so nice. It has a hint of colour, I’d say it was a light nude brown with a hint of pink. I love it & will be buying more of these. It is very hydrating and handy to throw in your bag.

Lastly I bought an Eyelid Primer, I really wanted the sheer one but that had sold out so I opted for the Champagne colour. This has a sparkle to it so not sure how that will look under my shadow but I’m excited as I love their sheer one and use it all the time.

Did you take advantage of the 50% sale? If so what did you buy & would you recommend any of the products you bought.

Miss Sporty Makeup Review

- Vicki 9 Comments
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Miss Sporty Haul

Miss Sporty Trio

I saw Superdrug were having a 3 for 2 & I decided to sample a makeup brand that is budget friendly and that I had never tried before. Miss Sporty is a brand I remember from being quite young, although I haven’t used their makeup before. They had quite a wide range, but these 3 products took my fancy.

First up is this So Matte Perfect Stay Smooth Pressed Powder – I went for the shade 001 light. It promises to last all day (which I doubt) and to also minimise shine and give you a natural matte finish. I like the sound of that. Like most people, I tend to use the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder and would like to give something different a go. So will be putting it to the test next week. The packaging is nice, and you get a large mirror in the lid, and it is hot pink! £1.99 for 9.4g

Next is this pretty Cat’s Eyes Palette 004 Mineral Earth and this is what caught my attention & hooked me in. It is pretty and has 4 pretty wearable shades. They feel quite creamy & I swatched the tester in store & was shocked at how pretty and pigmented the 2 darker brown shades were. £3.99

Lastly, I noticed this Liquid Concealer With Vitamins E & C – I bought the shade 001 light – I’ve tried so many concealers from budget to high-end and they almost all crease like hell on my under eye area. The best I have found so far is the Rimmel Wake Me Up, which is good but not amazing. I thought why not give this a go, From swatching it, it feels creamy but not heavy and is quite easy to blend. I am going to wear it this weekend and see how well it works under my eyes. £2.99 for 5ml.

Miss Sporty Makeup

Have you tried anything from Miss Sporty? I liked the look of a few nail polishes, so I will see how I get on with these three products, and then I might pop back and try a few more products.

Avon Eyeshadow Crayon

- Vicki 5 Comments
Avon Makeup

Avon Eye Crayon

I have a few Eyeshadow Crayons in my collection and I really like using them, I have reviewed the Rimmel Shadow Stick here, and I also love the elf ones and the double ended Avon ones too. This one from Avon is quite similar to the Rimmel ones, but has less shimmer.

Avon is a brand that I use on a regular basis, I own quite a few of their products and love getting the Avon Catalogue through the door, I don’t think there is a month when I don’t order something (don’t tell my husband). I took a gamble on this Color Trend Eyeshadow Pencil, as it’s from their younger range (not that I am old), but I haven’t tried anything from it before. Knowing I was already a fan of other brands shadow pencils, I thought it might be nice to try.

Avon Eyeshadow Crayon

The formula is quite creamy for a shadow stick and I found this great when blending it out, it glides on my eyelids smoothly but if you have oily lids you might want to pop a little primer on first – only because I think this might just slip right off if worn alone.

I wear this all over my lid and blend it out with a brush, just to make the edges a little softer. I have worn eyeshadow over the top and that looked good too, my eyeshadow was bold and stayed in place all day. Not only that, but I like that these shadow sticks can be worn alone or teamed up with shadow for a bolder more long wearing eye look. The colour I bought was in Lioness, and it’s a deep bronze with a tiny hint of shimmer, but you really can’t notice the shimmer unless you’re up close.

I seem to be all about the effortless makeup look these past few months, anything that saves me time when getting ready is a winner with me, and these Jumbo Eyeshadow sticks are just that. I think this Lioness shade will make a pretty Autumn / Winter colour. Looking through my collection, I seem to have built up quite a few bronze coloured products, I can’t seem to resist them. I’m such a hoarder.

Jumbo Eye Crayon

Swatch

These Colortrend Eye Pencils come in 3 shades Lioness, Elephant Grey and Roaring Blue all are £4 from Avon

What Jumbo Eyeshadow pencils have you tried & would recommend?