MAC Carbon eyeshadow - swatches

Monday 29 April 2013


MAC Carbon is one of those classic shades from MAC that all MAC addicts own, and I've finally got round to adding it to my palette.

Carbon is a matte black colour. It's rather well pigmented but not as much as I expected. Below is a swatch with 2 "coats". However it is very easy to build if you want a block black colour. I didn't use a primer here, so to make the black even more intense I'd suggest using a primer first.


Carbon is great to use as an eyeliner for your upper and lower lash line, it's easy to smudge to give you that smouldering eye look, or you can use it on the outer corner of your eyes to give you shadow some depth. If your looking for more of a crisp line, you can always wet your brush slightly first to turn it into an almost liquid liner.

What's your MUST have MAC shade?




MAC Coppering Eyeshadow

Thursday 25 April 2013


I've had the same 5 MAC eyeshadows for about a year and decided I need to experiment with some colour a bit more. While I didn't get the chance to try colours out in the shop, I had a look online and looked for some swatches and one of the colours I picked was Coppering.

While initially it looked quite orange at first and I wasn't sure about it, after I played around with it a little and swatched it, I soon realised it was this beautiful burnt orange or copper! I wouldn't normally pick orange as an eyeshadow colour, but it's good to try something out of your comfort zone.


Anyway, Coppering has a veluxe pearl finish, like all other MAC eyeshadow the texture is very fine and it's great to work with. The pigmentation is good, but if you're looking for a really vibrant colour I would suggest using a primer just to make it pop all that more.

I've seen some people wear this colour on it's own, but personally I think it make me look like I had tired red eyes. I prefer to wear this with gold and just a hint of black/dark brown in the corners to give a nice "sunrise" look. Here is a picture of how I wore Coppering.


What's your favourite MAC colour?

Miss Glossybox

Wednesday 24 April 2013


Glossybox UK have just launched their sister box - Miss Glossybox. What's the difference? This version is more purse friendly at only £7( + p&p) and contains high street brands as opposed to luxury brands.

I'm not one to turn my nose up at high street brands, and this new box is a welcome edition especially for teenagers and young adults.

The box is bi-monthly meaning you don't have to fork out every single month(only every second month). This would be a great treat to save up your pocket money for and I really wish something like this was around when I was a teenager!

Subscriptions start in May and available only in the UK and Northern Ireland.

China Glaze - Full Spectrum


Another nail post today! I've really been experimenting the last two weeks with different accent nails.

Last week I got my hands on China Glaze in Full Spectrum, which is a silver glitter polish with a slight pinky/purple hint to it with flecks of gold,red, green and blue. Let me start of by saying WOW. I've never actually tired a glitter polish with so much glitter. Ok so I'm not a glitter fanatic but I do have a few from OPI and H&M, but when I saw those in the bottle I was hoping for nice sparkly nails, but them seemed to just clear polish with a little glitter mixed through. If that's what you're looking for great, but I was looking for LOTS of sparkle.

Full Spectrum is an intense glitter polish and you only need one coat, that's right one coat for a full coverage of glitter.


*TOP TIP* If you're struggling to remove your glitter polish, soak a cotton pad in some nail polish remover and hold it on the nail for 1-2 minutes. You'll find it comes off a lot easier.

This is a great polish for Christmas time (I know we're in April) or a night out to liven your hands up. I only painted my my ring finger, like I said I'm experimenting with different accents at the moment. But my hand was so sparkly I couldn't stop looking at it!

The polish was easy to apply. I've tried China Glaze quite a few times before and I've never been disappointed


 

What your favourite China Glaze colour?

NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil - Chestnut

Tuesday 23 April 2013



Since I loved NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils so much, I wanted to give the Jumbo Lip pencils a go as well.

I picked up 2 colours, but the one I'm reviewing today is Chestnut. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I ordered this, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Chestnut is a beautiful dark rose colour with a slight peachy/gold shimmer through it with a nice satin finish. While the shimmer really shows up on the picture below, it's not as obvious in person.

I love the formula of the Jumbo Lip Pencils, they are super creamy and just glide onto the lips without being sticking.

The only downside is can feel a little drying after an hour or so, but the colour still stays on the lips. Best to keep the pencil handy for touch ups to keep your lips moisturised or pop some lip balm on top.


Wearing this colour again brought back a little bit of nostalgia for me, it's very similar to my first ever lipstick, I can't remember the brand but I was only few £'s and I remember how much I used to wear it when I was a young teenager. With my dark brown hair, pale skin and a dark rose lip I thought I looked sophisticated beyond my years, where in fact I was just a 13 year old with lipstick! But that was the fashion in the late 90's early 00's (showing my age now!). But now I'm a fully grown adult I think I'll break this colour out more often for evening look.


All in all I like it, the colour and pigmentation is great, the price is good and I can live with the slight dryness after a while. They have a great selection of colours and can't wait to try more out when the store opens in Malta (Yes that's right NYX are opening in Malta)!

Have you tried the NYX Jumbo Lip Pencils?

Clarins Daily Energizer Wake-Up Booster

Monday 22 April 2013


I first tired the Clarins Daily Energizer Wake up Booster (What a mouthful!) when I bought a Clarins gift set last year and got a little travel size version in it, and loved it so much I bought a full sized one.

Basically when you wake up before you start your normal morning skin care you pop a little of this on a couple of cotton pads and dab all over you face.

It's meant to tone, refresh, refine and tighten. I can't say that I've been looking 10 years younger, but one thing it definitely does is get you going in the morning. It's so refreshing it wakes you up instantly.

I'm not a morning person at all, I'm more of a "just 5 more minutes" type of person. When I do eventually wake up, I check my phone , emails and the news then I use this to give me the energy to get out of bed and not roll over and fall asleep again.

If your looking for a pick-me-up in the morning, I would recommend using this!

(In Malta it retails for 21.20 Euros from Franks)

Have you tired the Clarins Daily Energizer Wake up booster?




MAC Pink Swoon Blush

Sunday 21 April 2013





I'm quite terrible when it comes to MAC blush, I always forget what shade I have.!It's not like eyeshadows where you have a whole spectrum of colours and without having my palette in front of me I panic in the shop or even online that I already have it!

But one I was sure I didn't have was Pink Swoon, so it became part of my collection.

Pink Swoon is a pretty candy pink, a very barbie looking colour in the packaging which isn't me but on the skin it blends in effortlessly to give a nice light pink glow( the swatch isn't blended). 

It's a sheertone blush which is easily to build up if you're looking for really barbie pink cheeks, if not just 1 or 2 sweeps will do for a more natural look. Pink Swoon has a matte finish.

Overall I like this blush but I don't think I love it as there other ones - sorry forgot the names! That being said it won't go to waste but I don't think I'll reach for it everyday like the others.

I'm one blush away from completing a palette, what's your must MAC blush - I need some inspiration?

Wjcon Lasting Colour Stick eyeshadow in Sapphire 10

Friday 19 April 2013


Earlier in the week I reviewed the Wjcon lasting colour stick in Turquoise if you missed it you can check it out here . This review is pretty similar and if you didn't read it/can't be bothered i'll review this colour

Colour: Sapphire is BLUE blue, and like the turqoise it's as equally super pigmented. This shade has a matte finish.


Formula: The eyeshadow stick is so easy to apply, it just glides onto the skin effortlessly and since the stick isn't too large it's very easy to control where you're putting it. 

Durability: Now the staying power of these Lasting Colour Stick eyeshadows is nothing like I've ever seen before! They stay without budging for hours and hours on end and the colour stays just as pigments as when you first put it on. I tested this for around 8 hours and the colour was still the same throughout.

Packaging: The packaging in a black plastic pencil style, which you rotate for the stick of eyeshadow to come out the top. It's pretty sturdy and similar quality to other high street brands.

Price: Wjcon Last colour Stick eyeshadows are priced 6.50* each and come in 9 different shades.

Like I mentioned last time I was impressed with the quality of the product especially for the price. If you're looking for some vibrant eyes for the summer, I highly recommend checking them out as they as a fun and inexpensive way to experiment with colours.


Ciaté Chalkboard Manicure

Thursday 18 April 2013


Let me start of by staying...I've not had this much fun with nail polish/art in a long time or possibly ever!

Ciate have hit the nail on the head again with their innovate nail art. Let me introduce you to the Chalkboard Manicure...

This adorable kit contains 2 polishes, 1 x Black matte polish and 1 x top and 4 x liquid chalk pens.

It's super simple, you just paint on the black matte polish on, leave it to dry (1-2 mins, it's fast!), take the liquid chalk pens, push down a few times to get the colour flowing and doodle away until your heart is content.


Don't like your design? No problemo...just take a cotton pad with a little water, wipe it off and start all over again! When you're happy with your design , pop on the top coat and you're ready to go..

I was actually quite surprised how easy to chalk pens were to use, I had images of smudged lines and clumsy designs..but the nib is similar to a ball point pen and as you can see below the lines were clear and there was no smudges just my dodgy doodles.


If you feel like treating yourself, or need a gift for a friend I recommend you pick a kit up, it will give you endless hours of fun!

Ciaté Chalkboard Manicure is available from Selfridges this Saturday 20th April priced £25*

What do you think of the Chalkboard Manicure?



Lanolips 101 Ointment review

Wednesday 17 April 2013




























Whether you're stuck inside with the central heating, trying to cool down with the AC, or in the harsh outdoor weather there is no doubt that it causes havoc on our lips.

And the best way to keep them soft??...apply lip balm of course! Personally it's the first thing I do in the morning (well almost - after all the usual bathroom antics, loo, teeth, shower etc) and the last thing I do night in my night time skin care, not to mention the copious amounts in between!

I'm sure we all have our trusty favourite that sits on our desks or lives in our handbag. Everyone is different but I prefer to stay away from petroleum jelly. If your a Carmex gal like myself you'll love this brand new lip "ointment" - Lanolips 101 ointment.

One of the ingredients in Carmex among a whole host of other things is Lanolin. I guess you can put two and two together...but Lanolips is 100% Ultra-pure medical-grade lanolin, which is all natural and a cruelty free product (double yay!) and it's the first of it's kind as a beauty lip balm!

Colour: In the tube it had a white tinge to it but appears clear on the lips.

Formula: This has a nice thick (but not to0 thick) consistency and is super moisturising , it's non sticky and sinks into the lips so you can still apply your favourite lippy on top (if you feel like it)


Packaging: The balm comes in a 9g squeezy tube, which is in a super girlie pastel pink and has a cute little sheep on it (this comes from the creator Kristen who grew up on a sheep farm on in New South Wales...and well because it's Lanolin)

Price: Lanolips 101 Ointment is priced £7.99* and available exclusively from www.victoriahealth.com (worldwide shipping)

Overall I'm really loving this product, as I said it's super moisturising and perfect size to keep in your clutch/desk/car not to mention the super cute packaging.

Have you tried Lanolips?








Wjcon Lasting Colour Stick eyeshadow in Turquoise 08

Monday 15 April 2013



So after the Wcjon Event on Friday evening I couldn't wait to test out some of their products. While I was at the shop I got this stunning turquoise eyeshadow stick. I also got it in blue but i'll save that for another review.

For those who didn't know Wjcon is an Italian brand of make up which is very affordable, it is also made in Italy.

Colour: Turquoise is exactly what it is - turquoise! It's a very vibrant colour and has an almost metallic finish. These sticks are super pigmented I was very impressed.


Forumla: The eyeshadow stick is so easy to apply, it just glides onto the skin effortlessly and since the stick isn't too large it's very easy to control where you're putting it. Now the staying power of these Last Colour Stick eyeshadows is nothing like I've ever seen before! They stay without budging for hours and hours on end and the colour stays just as pigments as when you first put it on. I tested this for around 8 hours and the colour was still the same throughout.

Packaging: The packaging in a black plastic pencil style, which you rotate for the stick of eyeshadow to come out the top. It's pretty sturdy and similar quality to other high street brands.

Price: Wjcon Last colour Stick eyeshadows are priced 6.50* each and come in 9 different shades.

Overall I was impressed with the quality of the product especially for the priced. If you're looking for some vibrant eye for the summer, I highly recommend checking them out as they as a fun and inexpensive way to experiment with colours.


Have you tried Wjcon yet?



Laser Hair Removal Review - Part 1

Sunday 14 April 2013

Lazer hair removal is an idea I have been toying with for a while, I didn't know much about it, no one I know has had it done(not that they've admitted anyway) but last week I started looking for places in Malta and so my journey began...

There will be a few parts to this review, and I'll write them as I go along with the treatment, so if you're considering having laser hair removal you'll know what to expect.

How to chose a clinic?
I did quite a bit of research before committing to anything, the last thing I wanted was to speak to a place I wasn't comfortable with and feel pressured to return, I used WhatClinic.com in my research and the place that came highly recommended was Persona Med-Aesthetic Centre(link) in Ta'Xbiex. I e-mailed them to find out about costs and they returned my e-mail with a call a few hours later to tell me about their open week was happening the following week and that I could have a free consultation.
Image from Persona Facebook Page
The consultation
Before you jump in with two feet for laser hair removal you'll need a consultation (Don't go anywhere that doesn't make this mandatory!). I was pleased to learn my consultation was with a doctor and not just a beautician. Personally for me, I'd rather chose a clinic with doctors than a beauty salon, it makes me feel like I'm a better hands - especially when someone is pointing a laser at you!

So anyway, I went along yesterday afternoon, the Dr was really friendly(I can't remember her name - eek!) and made me feel at ease, she explained how the procedure worked and what I should expect. She also ran through the things I should (apply aloe vera after) and shouldn't (expose the area to sun, use the gym, sauna etc) do for the days following. She asked about how my skin reacted to the sun and if I had any problems.

The next part was to do a test patch, this involved testing 3 different strengths of laser on the area where I wanted the hair removed (in my case the under arms).

I had previously read reviews of the pain this caused and some described it like a rubber band snapping against the skin so I was a little nervous as I didn't know what to expect....So we started off on the lowest setting, I lay on the couch with my arm above my head and biting down on my other hand in anticipation of the pain...and....ZAP. I barely even felt it! A few more zaps and it was time to turn it up! Level 2...you could feel it more but I wouldn't describe it as a pain in anyway, a sensation if anything. Next to level 3...now I was expecting this one to be the rubber band snapping level. I imagined the pain would be on the same level as waxing or getting a tattoo...zap zap zap I barely noticed it as I was busy chatting away, you can feel it but I wouldn't say it's painful, maybe half the "pain" of plucking is best way I could describe it...maybe I have super tough underarms but that's my experience.The test patch was over within minutes and I was on my way.

Afterwards
After the test patch I applied some aloe vera to sooth the area. For around 40mins to an hour afterwards I could feel a warm sensation, but again it wasn't uncomfortable.

Conclusion
I was happy with my experience and decided to book myself in for 2 sessions to start with. My first session is on May 4th, so I'll follow up with an update afterwards.

Have you tried laser hair removal - What was your experience? 

Wjcon Event

Saturday 13 April 2013


Yesterday evening I was invited along to the Wjcon store in Birkikara for a bloggers evening. It was great catching up with the girls and meeting new ones but that's not the reason we were there - it was make up and oh my...was there lots of it!

Wjcon is an Italian brand of make up, and the Malta store is this first one outside of Italy so I was curious to see what they had to offer.



To start with we were greeted by the lovely Marisia who told us all about the brand and the concept of the store, which just doesn't sell make up - they've introduced new Funky Bars on level 2 of the store where there is an eyebrow bar, nail bar and make up bar so basically they've created a One Stop shop for all your beauty needs(They even have skin care products and lots of beauty tools)

We were shown a nail denomination and someone getting 3D brows, then we were off back downstairs to do what bloggers to do best - swatch!! There were literally thousands of products, I still don't think I managed to look at everything and I was there for over 2 hours. Everyones hands and forearms were quickly becoming colourful as we swatched away until our hearts were content. Some of the bloggers got their make up done.

Below is Marija from PocaLocco after having her make up down by the lovely Angelo.


Stefy from StefyPuglisevich.com & and the beautiful Marisa


Martina , Me, Stefy and Denise (Martina and Denise run All Things Fabulous ) (Credit to Stefy for the photo - mine didn't turn out as well)


I couldn't leave empty handed and I picked up some all over highlighter, some wipes and a face sponge. We also received some goodies as well, all which I'll be reviewing soon, but to give you a teaser - the colour is SUPER pigmented and the staying power is like nothing I've ever seen before!! 

All in all I had a great night, I had so much fun trying out all the products and checking out what other people were interested in. The staff were so friendly and couldn't be more welcoming, I'll definitely be going back to have another look and pick up more products. I was super impressed by the price as well. As you may know it's difficult to find affordable but quality products in Malta, but Wjcon ticks all the right boxes, prices start from around 3!

If you haven't been already head over to Wjcon on Naxxar Road in B'Kara I guarantee you won't leave empty handed.



Stay tuned for product reviews.

Have you tried Wjcon yet?

For more photos of the Wjcon event, check out the BeautySheWrote Facebook page(link)



Revlon Colorstay - Bare Bones

Monday 8 April 2013



While out shopping I picked up Revlon Colorstay in the shade Bare bones (300). Like everything else I pick up on a whim - I liked the colour, and deciding I didn't have enough nudes in my collection this little beauty was mine!

So I bought this with the intention of having beautiful nude nails, and like a lot of things I buy it goes in the "to review pile". When I eventually got round to try this out, it was a little disappointed - but it wasn't Revlon's fault. It was my own. I obviously think of myself more tanned than I actually am, as this colour just washed me out. It barely looked like I had any nails at all - which was kind of freaky!

So I quickly removed the polish and picked something to give my hands a little bit of life, and placed this safely back on my nail polish rack to tackle again once I'm a bronzed goddess!

Now it's not that I don't wear nudes - I do, I just think this shade was TOO nude for the winter me. But I still love the colour so I really do hope I get to wear it again sometime soon.

The application however was smooth with the easy to hold brush, and colour pigmentation wise it was average - you needed at least 2-3 coats to get the full colour of the polish. I'd say the colour is more a coffee nude - a nice milky latte colour than some of the pinky nudes you get.


You'll be able to pick this up from most Revlon stands, in they UK they are priced £7.99 from Boots (link) which have a 3 for 2 offer on at the moment, in Malta I'm sure you'll be able to pick this up from Franks or one of the pharmacies for around the 10 Euro mark.

What your favourite Revlon colorstay shade? I'd like to try more colours. 

Flash.ON Nails - Review

Tuesday 2 April 2013


Flash.ON Nails is the newest and hippest kid on the block when it comes to nail design. Hailing from East London they fill the gap in the market where others missed out, not only do they offer you ANY design you want - even your own face, you can have the design printed straight onto your natural nail with their Flash.ON nail machine!

Being miles away from where anything cool happens (i.e not in London) I tried out some custom falsies! Now to be fair, I'm not the biggest fan of false nails - I religiously have my nails done at my local salon and won't let anyone else touch them - except for the odd polish change myself. However since I could have anything in the world and in the name of research I thought why not?

I picked out a leopard print design...everyone loves an animal print right? I don't think I could face my own face on my nails...but each to their own! One of the first things that drew me to Flash.ON was the funky packaging, and sleek website design (I admit i'm a sucker for nice packaging)


You get a pack of 20 nails, nail glue and a top coat. It's super simple, you just select your nail size, pop a little glue on your nail - stick the nail on....wait for 5 second and finish with 2 top coats!

I thought I'd get a little creative and do an accent nail, so I had to file the tip down slightly to fit in with the rest of nail and this was really easy and the design didn't lift off!

On a side note - the glue pen, it's one of those fiddly ones where you have cut the top off, I guess to stop it drying out but clumsy me got it all down my finger, and nobody like granny glue hands!! Top tip if this happens - use an emery board to file the glue off, comes off a dream.

So here is the result:

Not bad huh? I think it goes well with my Spring coral colour I'm sporting at the moment.

To do my 2 accent nails it literally took me less than 2 minutes, and afterwards I was tidying up and what not and nothing moved! You could literally put these things on in the taxi on the way to a party and turn up with a perfect manicure!

The price of this set was £15*, but prices start from just £7.95. This set will do me twice, my accent nails and a full set. Maybe I should suggest they just print accent nails? (If you're reading this - take note! )

Overall I LOVE this product, it's a cool brand and ideas of things I wanted printed are already running through my head. I think I'll keep these handy for using in taxis from now on - these things should be in vending machines for emergencies they are so quick and easy to use.

And you know the best thing...they do parties, corporate events. If I ever get married....I'll hire one out! The possibilities are endless, I think you can really have a lot of fun with this!

Topshop loved this product as much as I did and invited them spend a month in their flagship store in London, but don't worry if you missed out you can still purchase them online at-  Flashonnails.com

What do you think? Have you tried Flash.ON nails?