Review: Rimmel Colour Rush Balm in 110 Make Me Blush

A few months back I went through a phase of wanting to buy pretty much every single shade of these Rimmel lip crayons. I was absolutely besotted with them and wouldn't wear anything else on my lips, but eventually my love fizzled out and while they haven't totally been forgotten, I don't reach for them quite as often anymore.

The really annoying thing about these lip crayons is that they don't have the shade name printed anywhere on them, so it took me a while to figure out that this is actually shade 110, "Make Me Blush". I do apologise for the weird tint this has picked up on camera. In reality this is actually a quite light and very blue toned baby pink!

The swatches show a much more accurate picture of the actual colour. It goes on quite sheer at first, but is build able to a more opaque finish. I definitely prefer it in a thicker layer, as it does have a tendency to look a little patchy otherwise.

As I've said previously, I absolutely cannot fault the formula of these lip crayons. They feel smooth and silky on the lips, go on without dragging in the slightest and offer a healthy hit of pigmentation with a delicate sheen. Longevity is excellent, though I have found that this shade in particular doesn't fade out into an even stain like the other ones do, but tends to settle into the lip lines instead. It's a real shame and though it's nothing you can't fix with a regular touch up, it does mean that it's by far my least favourite colour from the line up.

Monthly Favourites: April 2014

1) Simple Kind To Skin+ Illuminating Radiance Cream

I've literally just published a full review on this moisturiser here, so I don't want to go into too much detail, as I'd only be repeating myself. To sum things up, this is a great moisturiser which is light but nourishing and works great under make-up for the day time. It is rather on the shimmery side, but underneath foundation it gives the skin a gorgeous bit of lift and radiance.

2) L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire by Color Riche in Tangerine Sonate

I bought this less than a week ago, so it's a bit of a bold move to put it on my list of favourites already, but this lipstick/gloss/tint/balm hybrid is simply amazing. It's got the pigmentation of a lipstick and the shine of a gloss, but it's not at all sticky or tacky and feels light like a balm on the lips. The orange shade is surprisingly flattering and I've already had a lot of compliments while wearing it. It seems like this is a cult product for a very good reason.

3) Bourjois Elastic Mascara

I didn't have very high hopes for this mascara originally and to be honest I'm not even sure why I bought it anymore - but no matter, I'm glad I did! This does everything I look for in a mascara. It separates the lashes, it lengthens and the plastic wand makes sure that even the tiny little corner lashes get a nice even coating. It's not the greatest at giving volume, but I don't really care about that. What I'm looking for are long, fluttery lashes and that's exactly what I get from this mascara. It's not quite as good as my all-time favourite "They're Real!" mascara by Benefit, but it comes pretty darn close at a fraction of the price!

4) Benefit Browzings in Medium

You can probably see in the picture above that the packaging of this brow kit is pretty battered. In fact, it's the first brow product I've ever purchased, but at the time it was just too bold for me and got relegated in favour of the Suqqu eyebrow pencil and the HD Brows kit. I dug it out a few weeks ago just to mix things up a little and I've been really loving it again. I guess I kind of got used to filling in my brows and making them a bit bolder, so the high pigmentation is now a bonus rather than something that puts me off. The powder in this kit has slightly red undertones which I find work well in balancing out my yellow skin tone which can look a bit flat with ashy brow products.

Review: Stila Lip Glaze in Holly

The Stila Lip Glaze is basically a lip gloss with a fancy name and rather fancy packaging. Instead of a classic doe foot applicator, it comes in a tube with an in-buit brush. Product is dispensed onto the brush by twisting the clicking mechanism at the end. The brush allows for more precise application while you're on the go. I think one click is meant to be enough for one application, though I usually find myself using at least four or five for an even finish.

The shade Holly is actually rather gorgeous. It's what I'd describe as a slightly muted candy apple red which instantly brightens up the complexion. It's bold, but the glossy finish makes it casual enough to wear during the day time as well.

The pigmentation is spot on for a strong colour, though it won't completely blot out the natural colour of your lips. As far as glossy lip products go, however, it's definitely on the stronger side.

Stila Lip Glaze in Holly lip swatch

My one criticism is that you really don't get a lot of product in one stick. Like I said above it does take four or five clicks to get an even finish and I'm already more than halfway through mine even though I've barely used it.

The Stila Lip Glazes cost £15 each and are available in a huge array of colours. I can't seem to find this particular one on the Stila website, but the shades strawberry and cranberry look fairly similar.

Review: Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch

Remember when these were like the most hyped up beauty product around? I couldn't help but get swept up in the excitement and purchased the Maybelline Baby Lips in the pink version, "Pink Punch" last year in late summer / early autumn. But somehow, aside from one favourites post, it hasn't made it onto the blog until now.

The truth is that after using it religiously every day for a bit over a month the novelty wore off very quickly and I've barely touched it since. Don't get me wrong, it's certainly not a bad product! Although it feels quite hard at first it becomes surprisingly soft and smooth upon contact with the lips - the big bonus of that is that it doesn't turn into a melted, smooshy mess if you carry it around in your pocket.

The pigmentation is also pretty good for a balm type product and leaves a very prominent, shiny pink with obvious blue undertones. However it's not so pigmented that you can't apply it on the go without a mirror.

The thing is just that it's not really that amazing at anything. It's neither the most hydrating lip balm I've ever used, nor is it the most pigmented. I'd say the Revlon lip butters perform better in both instances at the same time, though they do have an issue with melting in your pocket while this one will stay completely put. It's a decent, solid product and definitely worth the price if you're in the market for a cheap and cheerful new lip balm, but is it worth the hype? I just don't think so anymore.

Maybelline Baby Lips are available in six versions and retail at £2.99 each.

Review: Rimmel London Colour Rush Balm in "The Redder The Better"

Ok, I admit I'm late - very late - to the lip crayon party which started with the now legendary Clinique chubby sticks and now has pretty much every high street brand out there bringing out cheaper alternatives. One day I was at work and just felt the urgent, desperate need to go out and buy a lipstick (Does anyone else get that or is it just me?), so off I went on my lunch break to my local Boots to find myself a nice lip crayon. Revlon might have been the obvious choice to take my lip crayon virginity, but for some reason I bypassed their stand completely and found myself drawn to this Rimmel number instead.

And I can't say that it's a decision I regret. There's no doubt about the fact that there's a lot of fun in applying your lip colour with a big fat crayon. It makes me feel like a little girl again who is only discovering make-up for the very first time - those were exciting days indeed. But silly fun aside, the crayon shape also has its practical uses, in particular with brighter, bolder shades such as this one. You can use the tip to outline the lips first and then lay it flat against your lips to fill them in with colour - no liner needed!

It applies smooth and evenly and the pigmentation is fantastic. It can be layered into a really intense burst of red or dabbed on with a finger for more of a healthy tint. And it stains... boy, does it stain. I once wore this all day, reapplying every 3 hours or so and the next day, after brushing my teeth and washing my face TWICE, showering AND eating breakfast, there was still a visible amount of tint left. It's perfect for people like me who like to constantly sip on some water or have food on the go and don't want to worry about having to reapply their lipstick all the time.

Rimmel London Colour Rush Balm in "The Redder The Better"

I'm not entirely sure what made me go for the brightest shade in the line-up, seeing as I'm not much of a red lip wearer, but it seems like I've almost been converted and I've since been rocking a bright red lip a lot more than I ever used to.
The ease of application, the long wearing, creamy formula and the budget friendly price make me want to rush out and buy all of the other shades right now!

Rimmel London Colour Rush Balms retail at £5.99 each and you can find them here.

Review: MUA Lipstick in Shade 15 "Juicy"

Everyone loves a good bargain and when it comes to budget prices, MUA are hard to beat. With a price of £1 per lipstick it was hard not to buy the entire range at once, but I thought I'd ease myself in with this peachy apricot shade called "Juicy".

While it doesn't look like it from afar, the packaging certainly reflects the price point. It's a bit flimsy and the twist up mechanism broke after two uses. Having said that, it would be unfair to judge a product this cheap on the packaging would be pretty unfair.

On the upside, the lid stays firmly shut even when the lipstick's being bashed about in a handbag. I also really like the detachable plastic container on the end which houses a little bit of extra product. This makes it very easy to find the shade you're looking for when digging around in your make-up stash and it's something I've not seen from any other brands.

The texture is extremely smooth and creamy and is an absolute pleasure to wear on the lips. Unfortunately, it also applies a bit streaky, but that could be down to this particular shade. I was more than a little surprised to see how the shade translates from bullet to the lips. What looked like a soft apricot in the tube applies as an almost neon orange with cool pink undertones.

In practice, that sort of bright, in-your-face colour just doesn't suit me at all. Add to that the streaky application and I just haven't got much use out of this at all.

MUA lipstick in Juicy, in natural light (left) and with flash (right)

Even though I didn't get on with this particular colour, the soft and creamy texture as well as the heavy pigmentation means I'll certainly be trying a few other MUA lipsticks in future.

Review: Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss

Although I'm quite a big Soap and Glory fan, my foray into their make-up range has been limited to this lip gloss which came in a set and a mascara which came as a freebie in a magazine. You've got to hand it to them, though, that as far as product naming goes, Soap and Glory aren't exactly afraid to take risks!

The shade I got here is "Punchbowl" - apologies for the slightly blurry photo above. Punchbowl is a bright magenta pink, but don't let the colour in the tube scare you, as it translates as a slightly sheerer, milkier colour onto the lips.

One thing I didn't know before I tried this, but that I realised VERY, VERY quickly upon application, is that this is a plumping gloss. Yes, one of those that make your lips tingle and sting as soon as they get in contact with your lips. I can't deny that there is a certain plumping effect to my lips. It feels like I'm naturally pushing them out a little more without even realising - just to get rid of that feeling that I'm being stung by nettles. The sensation lasts about 15-20 minutes after application and comes back (albeit a lot weaker) with each re-application.

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss in Punchbowl - swatch on hand

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss in Punchbowl - swatch on lips

The swatches above show quite clearly the milkiness that I mentioned earlier. Personally, I find that it adds to the colour and it also makes it a loss more wearable than a full on neon pink.

Stinging sensation aside, I actually really rate this gloss. It's easy to build colour to a desired level which is rare in glosses and it's not overly sticky either. Constant reapplication is unfortunately unavoidable as with every gloss.

If it wasn't for the plumping effect which I really don't like, now that the novelty factor has worn off, I'd be wearing this gloss pretty much all the time. If the stinging of plumping glosses doesn't bother you, then I'd definitely recommend you give this one a try!

A tube of Sexy Mother Pucker gloss costs £9 and you can find it here.

MAC Lipstick in Creme Cup Review

MAC Creme Cup is a cult shade, listed on the MAC website as one of their bestselling shades. After reading about it on several blogs I was going to buy either this or Hue. Though I settled on Creme Cup for now, Hue is still on my wish list for the future, but let's stay on topic and talk about Creme Cup first!

MAC Creme Cup ist eine Farbe mit Kultstatus und wird auf der MAC Webseite als Bestseller vermarktet. Nachdem ich auf zahlreichen Blogs darüber gelesen hatte, war es entweder diese hier oder Hue. Obwohl ich mich hierfür entschieden habe, ist Hue immer noch auf meiner Wunschliste, aber bleiben wir doch mal beim Thema und sprechen über Creme Cup!

Creme Cup comes housed in typical black MAC packaging. It's classic and a lot of people love it, though personally I'm not a fan. Once you own about five MAC lipsticks or more, hunting for the right shade can become a nightmare, as every single one of them looks the same from the outside. The little black bullets also remind me of something naughty, but that's just my dirty mind, surely...

Creme Cup kommt in typischer schwarzer MAC-Verpackung. Sie ist klassisch und viele Leute haben sie gerne, obschon ich persönlich kein Fan von ihr bin. Sobald man fünf oder mehr MAC Lippenstifte besitzt kann die Suche nach einer spezifischen Farbe schon mal zum Albtraum werden, da jeder Lippenstift von außen gleich aussieht. Die schwarze Form erinnert mich auch an etwas anderes, aber das bin sicherlich nur ich mit meinen schmutzigen Gedanken....

Creme Cup is a light blue toned pink which looks very pale and milky on the lips. It may be a nude shade for some, though for me it's not a shade I could just apply on the go without a mirror, as it's so much lighter than my natural lip colour.

Creme Cup ist ein helles, blaustichiges Pink, das auf den Lippen sehr blass und milchig aussieht. Für einige mag das eine Nudefarbe sein, doch ich könnte sie nie im Leben blind auftragen, da sie so viel heller ist als mein natürlicher Lippenton.

MAC Creme Cup hand swatch in natural light

MAC Creme Cup hand swatch with flash

The blue undertones seem to come out a lot more in natural light, whereas the flash highlights the milky, creamy texture. I find Cremesheen finishes very pleasant to wear once you get through the hard glaze they seem to be covered in. The lipstick lasts an average of four hours, doesn't dry my lips out and leaves a delicate shine on the lips.

Der Blaustich scheint im natürlichen Licht viel mehr herauszukommen, während Kameraflash die cremige, milchige Textur hervorhebt. Ich finde Cremesheenformeln sehr angenehm zu tragen, sobald man durch die harte Glasur, die auf den Lippenstiften zu kleben scheint, durchkommt. Der Lippenstift hält im Durchschnitt etwa vier Stunden, trocknet die Lippen nicht aus und hinterlässt einen zarten Glanz.

MAC Creme Cup lip swatch in natural light

MAC Creme Cup lip swatch with flash

Thanks to its obvious pink-ness there's not much danger of veering into corpse-lips territory. I guess it could look tacky on overly orange fake-tanned skin (but then again, what wouldn't?), but apart from that it's a flattering shade that will suit a multitude of make-up looks. I'd say its cult status is very much deserved!

Dank dem deutlich erkennbaren Pinkanteil besteht nicht allzuviel Gefahr, mit diesem Ton im Leichenlippen-Gebiet zu landen. Es könnte zwar auf übertrieben oranger, selbstgebräunter Haut etwas billig aussehen (aber was würde das nicht?), aber davon abgesehen ist es eine schmeichelnde Farbe, die zu einer Vielzahl an Make-up Looks passt. Ich würde sagen den Kultstatus hat sich dieser Lippenstift verdient!

MAC Creme Cup lipstick costs £13.50.

MAC Creme Cup Lippenstift kostet 18.50€.


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Note: My blog now has a Facebook page! If you don't mind going over and giving it a like I promise I'll be eternally grateful! :)

Anmerkung: Mein Blog hat jetzt eine Facebookseite! Wenn es euch nichts ausmacht, vorbeizuschauen und auf "gefällt mir" zu klicken, bin ich euch ewig dankbar, versprochen! :) 

Look what I found! Benefit Lipstick in Lady's Choice

I have actually owned this lipstick for years - it was bought on a whim on the way home from one of my first days of uni and after a couple of wears I just kept it hidden somewhere in my stash never to see the daylight again. I rediscovered it about a month ago and it's been getting some well-deserved wear again.

Dieser Lippenstift ist schon jahrelang in meinem Besitz - es handelt sich hier um einen Spontankauf auf dem Nachhauseweg von einem meiner ersten Tage an der Uni. Ich benutzte ihn ein paarmal und schmiss ihn dann auf den Grund meines Haufens, wo er lange nicht mehr das Sonnenlicht erblickte. Etwa vor einem Monat habe ich ihn wiederentdeckt und seitdem wird er brav wieder getragen.

Benefit Lady's Choice is now a full-finish lipstick, so the packaging in the UK looks a bit different now, whereas in Germany they still sell it the way I bought it years ago. It comes in a sturdy weighted bullet with a shiny black exterior, which unfortunately (as you may see in the picture) is great at attracting dirt and fingerprints. The white swirly bits at the bottom prevent it from looking too plain and boring.

Benefit Lady's Choice sieht in Großbritannien, wo die Lippenstifte mittlerweile in zwei verschiedenen Formulierungen erhältlich sind, mittlerweile etwas anders aus. In Deutschland hingegen kriegt man ihn immer noch so wie er auf dem Foto aussieht. Er ist in einem stabilen, schweren schwarzen Gehäuse verpackt, dass leider (wie oben sichtbar) Schmutz und Fingerabdrücke nur so anzieht. Die weißen Streifen am unteren Ende verhindern, dass er allzu langweilig aussieht.

Lady's Choice hand swatch in natural light

Lady's Choice hand swatch with flash

Both in bullet and on my hand it looks very brown, so what on earth posessed me to buy that shade will never know. Benefit describe this shade as "naturally nude", which makes much more sense once it's on the lips.

Sowohl unaufgetragen, als auch auf meiner Hand geswatcht sieht diese Farbe sehr braun aus. Was mich also veranleitet hat, diesen Farbton zu kaufen, bleibt wohl für immer ein Geheimnis. Benefit beschreibt ihn als "naturally nude" und das macht erst Sinn, wenn man den Lippenstift auf den Lippen aufgetragen sieht.

Lady's Choice lip swatch with flash

Lady's Choice lip swatch in natural light

Once on the lips the colour turns into a milky nude with a slight sheen. The light yellow undertones make it surprisingly flattering on my pale skin, though I feel that it would look slightly pink on darker skintones making it universally flattering.

Auf den Lippen verwandelt sich die Farbe in ein sahniges Nude mit leichtem Glanz. Die hellgelben Untertöne sorgen dafür, dass es überraschend gut zu meiner blassen Haut passt, aber ich habe das Gefühl, dass es auf dunklerer Haut mehr ins hellpink stechen würde, was den Ton sehr schmeichelhaft macht.

It's soft and creamy to apply and feels very moisturising on the lips, though it's not particularly long lasting and would require frequent re-application.
Overall I feel this is a lovely nude lipstick shade which deserved a shout-out after being long forgotten in my stash!

Der Lippenstift ist weich und cremig und fühlt sich auf den Lippen sehr feuchtigkeitsspendend an. Leider hält er nicht besonders lange und man muss deshalb öfter nachschminken.
Alles in allem finde ich, dass es sich hier um einen tollen nude Lippenstift handelt, der sich nach so vielen Jahren Vernachlässigung endlich mal ein Shoutout verdient hat!

Benefit Full-Finish Lipstick in Lady's Choice retails for £14.00.

Benefit Lipstick in Lady's Choice kostet 19.95€.

December Glossybox Contents

After last month's Glossybox turned out to be a bit of a dud I was really looking forward to this month's edition. I wasn't going to read any reviews until I got mine in order to avoid disappointment, but I just couldn't resist and had to have a sneak little peak, so I knew more or less what to expect.

I filmed a video of the unboxing of my box which you can find here: December Glossybox Contents Video. It's my first ever video, so it felt a little bit awkward talking to myself and I also dropped a lot of things out of nervousness!

Now, onto the contents of this months limited-edition Christmas Glossybox!

First up is the BLINK+Go Hi-Definition Mascara. This is a full size and the tube is absolutely huge! I don't think I'll be able to use all of this up before it dries out, but I'm very happy that I got it, as I do need a new mascara and I haven't tried anything from this brand before.
Sample value: £14.99

Next up is this mini Cargo lipgloss in the shade "Serengeti", which is a coral shade with pink undertones and gold flecks of shimmer. I wasn't sure where I'd heard of Cargo before until my boyfriend reminded me that we saw a Cargo stand at Boots which had been quite heavily attacked, so there was hardly any stock left. I'm not overly excited about this, as it looks like something I would have picked up as a teenager and I have gone off sparkly lip glosses in the mean time. But who knows, maybe I'll rediscover my love for long-forgotten products?
Sample value: £0.95

This next product had me quite excited. It's a mini nail polish by Deborah Lippman (another brand I've never tried) in Razzle Dazzle, an absolutely stunning fuchsia glitter shade. I'm not really one for glitter nails, but I've read so many posts on them lately that I am sort of swayed a little bit. I'd make an exception for such a beautiful shade any time anyway! It also came with a nail polish remover finger mitt, which I'll happily try out when I'm on the go and my nail polish has chipped to a disgraceful state!
Sample value: £8.57 for the polish / £2.33 for the finger mitts

I also got a little pot of Seventh Heaven by MeMeMe which is a moisturising face primer. This is again a brand I've never tried - not because I haven't heard of them, but simply because it never particularly appealed to me. However, I'm in need of a face primer, so I'm more than happy to give this a go. It smells absolutely lovely as well, which is always a bonus!
Sample value: £5.00

Lastly I also got a bottle of Rituals Foaming Shower Gel in Mandarin & Mint. I personally hate mint, but the mandarin scent is so overpowering that I can barely make it out, which is great! I wasn't too sure about getting shower gel at first. Yeah, it's a full size bottle, but it's... shower gel... barely a luxury product. Then again this does feel and smell very lovely and I wouldn't usually splurge on shower gel for myself.
Sample value: £6.50

The total value of my box comes to £38.34, which is not as high as some previous boxes that I received, but I still made my money back from the mascara alone! The one thing that I appreciate the most about this month's box is that there were no perfume samples, as they always felt like a little bit of a rip-off to me. All the samples are a very generous size and there are two full sized products which is amazing! However, there are no real luxury brands included this time, which is a bit of a shame.
Overall still a great improvement on November's box, so I'm happy. I'll let you know how I got on with this month's products and also all the things that I got in the November box in about two weeks or so!

October Glossybox - Tried and Tested

Last month I was quite eager to publish my review of the products I received in my Glossybox as quickly as possible. This month I decided to test them for a little bit longer, as I'd mis-judged an item in September's box.

I said in my review that the Moa Green Balm was a high contender for Elizabeth Arden's 8 Hour Cream, but I'd only tried it on skin that was already healthy (and it worked great then). A week or so later I got a sore patch of skin under my wrist splint, so I applied some of this product hoping it would heal my skin - and that was a painful mistake to make! It burnt like fire, became post box red and then on top of that my skin dried out so much it started flaking away. So, back to 8 Hour Cream it is.

A few words about Glossybox while we're here: I only noticed now that there was only one discount code with the box this month which was very disappointing, as there are two products that I seriously consider repurchasing.
Those two products are something that I probably wouldn't have picked up in a shop, which I'm very happy about. A lot of people complain about Glossybox and other beauty boxes for not tailoring to their needs, when the whole point is to discover new things that you wouldn't have bought if you were in a store. No one's going to magically pop into your head and find out that what you really want is a bright purple eye shadow, or that you've run out of body scrub.

Rant over. Let's get on with the reviews!

Dermalogica AGE Smart MultiVitamin Thermafoliant

First off, apologies to the Glossybox team: I complained about being sent lots of anti ageing products when I'm 22 years old without doing my research first. The AGE Smart range is sort of an anti ageing range for young people. Rather than claim to erase wrinkles and signs of ageing, it promises to prevent them if used in advance, which is something I'm actually really keen on!
This scrub is one of my two favourite products from the whole box. If it wasn't for the fact that I bought a new tube of exfoliator the weekend before my box came I would instantly buy this again.
It's got an orange, quite grainy, "sandy" texture and can be used on dry or damp skin. Personally I prefer using it on dry skin, but with wet hands, as it's a bit too rough otherwise. It warms up as you rub it into your face, but it's a pleasant sensation and doesn't burn or sting one bit. It genuinely feels like I'm scrubbing away every last trace of rubbish from my skin.
Afterwards my skin glows and just feels very fresh and gorgeous.

Dermalogica AGE Smart Power Recovery Masque

This is a bright orange liquid which goes on quite smoothly. You're supposed to leave it on for about 10-15 minutes and then rinse it off. I found that my skin actually absorbed quite a lot of this product while I let it sink in, so maybe it's in need of a bit of moisture?

What I dislike the most about this product is its scent - it's like a vicious, flesh eating flower. At first it pulls you in, as it smells quite fruity and nice and then you get a second whiff and it's just disgusting. It smells like the stuff your dentist puts on your teeth to seal them. That horrible, orange, sticky stuff. Anyone know what I'm on about? No? Let's move on then.

When I do rinse this off it leaves my skin feeling quite taut (which I like), but also a little bit sticky (which I don't like). I'm unsure about it, maybe someone with drier skin would benefit more from this.

Leighton Denny Nail Polish in Babydoll

I'm really a fan of nail polishes with a creamy and glossy finish, so out of all the shades that were sent out in last month's boxes this one was bang on! It applied easily enough and was opaque enough to just go with one coat. It lasted through a busy morning working at the restaurant without a single chip, which is impressive! 

Then at my well-deserved soak in the hot tub afterwards it came off in gigantic flakes. I'm not too bothered about that though, as I've yet to come across a nail polish that survives swimming pools, bath tubs or jacuzzis. If you know of one then please let me know!

All in all this is a great polish, but no better than a lot of other brands that I know.

Stila Smudge Stick in Moray

I'm in love with this. I would have never, ever picked up a dark green shade if I had the choice, but this eye liner is absolutely gorgeous. It has loads of little golden specks in it, which you'll only notice once you swatch it. It goes on buttery soft, but once it dries it will stay put. I can get a good 9-10 hours' wear out of this before it starts melting into the crease.

The only downside is that you have to twist it up, but can't twist it back down again. At first I thought I had a faulty product as it wouldn't come out any further, so I kept twisting it and twisting it... until it went too far and then I couldn't get it back in again. So that was annoying.

Other than that this is absolutely amazing and I want one in every single shade!

Robert Piguet Perfume Samples

As I already said in my contents post I was happy to have three perfume samples rather than just one (though I still would have preferred something else entirely), because it meant that surely there'd be one that I really like. Right? Wrong. I hated every single one of these. Don't get me wrong, I get why these are expensive perfumes, as they're very rich and multi-faceted, but they're just not for me.

Let's start with Fracas. This is an extremely floral scent. I mean, dipping-your-face-in-a-flower-floral. Now, I like floral, but not to such an extreme extent. This one didn't change much on my skin either and I can't say it lasted particularly long.

Visa is by far the worst for me. It's over-powering, musky, sweet and just plain nauseating. My boyfriend thought it made me smell of freshly washed car - not something I tend to go for when choosing a perfume to be quite honest with you.

When I first smelt Calypso I thought "Eurgh, great, this smells just like Visa", but it actually softens a little bit on the skin and somehow lightens up a little. I'd say that this is the lightest of all the scents and it's also the one I like the most dislike the least.

All in all these are all just way too old-fashioned for me. I'm sure that if you're a perfume connoisseur you'd be able to appreciate these scents, or even if you're into heavy, vintage perfumes, but I just don't like these at all.

Dermalogica AGE Smart Renewal Lip Complex

This was a bonus item, but I still think it deserves its own review. Now, I've been applying this to my lips religiously ever since I got it and it's just about running out now. It does make my lips smooth and soft and it also has a nice creamy, but not sticky texture once it's on the lips. I do, however, have two major problems with this product.

Firstly, it grosses me out. There's the smell that reminds me of rotting fruit - I don't know if anyone else's smells like this as well, but it's not pleasant and I can't escape it as I'm applying it on my lips which happen to be just below my nose. Then - and I'm really sorry about this, as it's disgusting, but I can't help but write about it - there's the way it comes out of the tube. A pale yellow semi-hard blob. It looks just like popping a blackhead. It's the first thing that came to my mind and I just can't get this image out of my head. Again, sorry for the gross imagery.

Secondly, the price. Yes, it made my lips lovely and soft, but so would a lot of other lip balms if I applied them as much as I applied this. Cheaper ones and nicer smelling ones. Perhaps it's doing what it says and keeping lines and wrinkles around my mouth away, but there's no proving that as of now, is there?

Overall I'm still satisfied with this month's contents - everything was at least worth trying and I found a few products that I really liked, so I'm happy. Just lose the perfume samples, pretty please?