Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation Review - Light Porcelain (101)

I have been using this foundation for about three months now so I thought it was time I did a review. My mum bought this for me for Christmas after I complained my favourite foundation was discontinued.

Revlon Moon Candy nail enamel review - Galactic (210)

Again, this was written when these polishes were just released. I feel awful not uploading them earlier. Let's hope my exam results are worth it (ha?).

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation review - Ivory (110)

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation in Ivory: Small bottle and no pump...really?

I know this is a bit late. I wrote this review back when the foundation was just released and forgotten to take pictures (for 2 months!) But here it is!

Instagram update #2

This post is a little shorter than I expected. So much has happened (yet not happened) so I'll leave it at just these 4 photos.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Polish Review – Greenberry

This is the final nail varnish from the Gelly Hi-Shine collection I have to review. I have been very happy with the other two (See reviews on grapefruit and blueberry) and I am quite happy with this one too. They are a lovely collection of nail varnishes.

Barry M Hi-Shine Gelly Nail Polish Review - Blueberry

This is the 2^nd polish that I bought from the Barry M Gelly range. It is a lovely periwinkle blue which is super cute for summer. I have recently bought a few blue varnishes (and a few navy dresses?!) of varying shades because the China blue and toile trend is huge this summer. This is a perfect colour to fit this trend.

Barry M Hi-Shine Gelly Nail Polish in Blueberry - a beautiful periwinkle blue

Instagram update #1

This is the official start of 'my week in Instagram'. The last post was an amalgamation of the past month or so but this is from the past week. I'm finally using Instagram properly!

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine nail varnish – Grapefruit review

 I love a good nail varnish. At the moment I am loving high shine, ultra glossy varnishes that are easy
and quick to apply but look even just a little bit like an expensive manicure (that I obviously can’t
afford. I’ve eaten pasta and cheese for dinner the past 3 days in a row). In Superdrug’s 3 for 2 offer I
picked up 3 of these Barry M nail varnishes that are apparently meant to give an ultra glossy finish.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine nail varnish: Grapefruit - definitely a pinky coral

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine nail varnish: Grapefruit

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine nail varnish: Grapefruit

Grapefruit is a very pinky coral. It is perfect for summer – as are the majority of the Gelly collection. It is bright and pigmented and just an overall beautiful colour. Colour wise – you can’t fault it.

These polishes are supposed to be one coaters apparently. I used two – the first coat was very streaky. However, if you use two thick coats you get a nice, thick effect that actually looks a little bit plumped. I want to try it out with my Nails Inc. Plumping Top Coat and see if that improves it more so.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine nail varnish: Grapefruit - without flash

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine nail varnish: Grapefruit - with flash

The staying power is reasonable. I’ve had it on for 2 days and it has had very minimal chipping without a top coat.  By that, I mean it hasn’t chipped enough for me to start picking it off further and feel the need to remove it. It says you don’t need to add a top coat but that might help with longevity – but I’d personally use an ultra-shine top coat as to not ruin the shine of the polish itself.

Overall, it’s a lovely polish in a lovely colour that applies reasonably well. I have a lot of Barry M nail varnishes and recently, I have been ignoring them and been buying more expensive brands such as Revlon and Nails Inc. However, it seems that my Barry M varnishes are lasting longer than the more expensive counter parts. Who’d have thought?

Have you used these new Gelly varnishes? What are your thoughts? What are your favourite colours from the collection? Let me know!

Rachael xoxo

Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivid Lipstick Review – Shocking Coral (910)

When I first saw this colour advertised, I became obsessed. I do tend to wear the odd bright lipstick and I could not help but desperately pine for this. Fortunately, Superdrug have a 3 for 2 offer so I picked it up as part of that.

I have never tried Maybelline lipsticks. I know my flatmate depends on them (she likes ‘Hollywood Red’) so the quality could not be that bad. However, at £7.19 each I would expect them to be long lasting.

Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivid Lipstick: Shocking Coral - the packaging doesn't really match the lipstick.

Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivid Lipstick: Shocking coral - the packaging doesn't really match but it's still pretty cute.

The packaging is cute. The cap is see through and, in my mind, does not represent the colour of the lipstick. It doesn’t really make it easy to find if you have a few of the colour sensational lipsticks. However, as far as packaging goes it’s nice.

The lipstick is incredibly pigmented. It is possible to apply it lightly but it looks fantastic if you apply it fully. I am just in love with the colour. It is definitely a coral – pinky orange. I find coral colours are quite flattering on many skin tones but you need to be brave to try out this colour. I’ll explain.

Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivid Lipstick: Shocking Coral - vivid? More like neon!

Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivid Lipstick: Shocking Coral - Highly pigmented and glossy (yet not very sticky. Hooray!)

 Okay, these lipsticks are called ‘vivid’. I personally would call them ‘neon’. When I first applied it, I almost screamed. It was so bright. My friend actually thought I had used a glow stick for a lipstick. However, the more you wear it, the more you get used to it and now I am wearing it most days – even in this awful weather. I’m just a ray of sunshine in this beautiful weather.

The lipstick is relatively long wearing. It will last a good few hours. However, you do need to reapply if you eat/drink anything. Your lips start to appear orange and you can tell that the lipstick has definitely worn off. It doesn’t look awful, but if you are like me and have to have perfectly applied lipstick at all times you might want to give it a quick touch up.

I wouldn’t call this lipstick overly moisturising. Sure, my lips don’t feel dry when I’m wearing it but they don’t feel overly moisturised/nourished either. I guess it’s nice to not finish the day with overly dry lips.

Overall, this is a gorgeous lipstick that is highly pigmented, incredibly bright and perfect for summer. It is creamy and glides on smoothly and easily to give a lovely colour that looks almost exactly the way it does in the tube. Sure, it’s a tad expensive for a student but it is a beautiful colour that is perfect for summer. Just pair with some mascara and you’re done! I’m very tempted to add blue eyeliner and see how that looks – although I think I might feel like a scary doll.

Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivid Lipstick: Shocking Coral - the lipstick is a very similar colour to my nail varnish (my life now feels more put together) Barry M Gelly in Grapefruit.

Have you tried any of the Colour Sensational Vivid lipsticks? What are your opinions on the colours? Let me know!

Rachael xoxo 

Wishlist - 13th May

ASOS Cape Dress with Button Front: Orange is not my colour at all but I am in love with the style of this dress. It's so cute and quirky and if they did it in a different colour I would 100% get this dress even if it is £50 (I almost cried). I might have to wait until a 25% student discount or something....

Black and Ivory Check Trouser: I'm loving graphic trousers at the moment. These are super cute and only £24 ('only', she says). Who knows if they look good on. I'll just have to try them and see!

High Heel Sandal with Ankle Strap: I usually hate silver shoes. I usually hate glittery shoes. For no apparent reason I am in love with these! They do look pretty comfortable but they are £39.99. If I ran into a sum of money (like won the lottery or something) I would probably buy these shoes. How lovely would they look with those check trousers? However, I'm not sure I can warrant a reason to buy these otherwise. It makes me sad.

Neon Yellow Cut Out Clutch: I have had a little obsession with neon colours at the moment. This is only £9.99 and if I see it in store I will definitely pick it up. If I don't end up using it as a clutch bag, I'll use it as a pencil case next year. Super versatile or what?

Black Cut Out Peep Toe Block Heel Ankle Boots: Recently, my old faithful studded boots from Primark have broken. By broken, I mean there is a hole in the sole. They've lasted since september so I can't really complain but I just spotted these and I love them! At £22.99 I am seriously considering buying them but the question is, black or brown?

So that's my wish list. Why do I do this to myself?

Rachael xoxo

Freshskin by Elemis Softly Softly Daily Moisturiser

For as long as I can remember, my mum has always had expensive skincare brands around the house – Elemis being one of them. However, they have always been known more for their anti-aging and older skin but recently they have released a collection of skincare for younger skin! You’ve got to start young, haven’t you?

This tester came free with Marie Claire a couple of months back but once this runs out I am seriously considering buying the full size bottle – it’s that good.

It is a daily moisturiser that is light and non-oily. You can use it before you go to bed, first thing in the morning or as a primer before applying make up. I personally use it after my cleanse in the evening so my skin is super soft in the morning but it is super versatile.

Elemis is a luxury brand, and the quality of the product is of a luxury brand. A little bit goes a very long way and it does moisturise intensely. One evening I had super dry skin and in the morning it was just gone – my skin looked perfectly healthy. With continuous use, your skin is supple and soft and increadibly healthy looking. Even if you only use it occasionally, it still shows an obvious change in your skin.

The moisturiser R.R.Ps at £19.99 and is available for £16.99 on the Superdrug website at the moment. Sure, it is a tad pricey but it is a fantastic moisturiser. If you can get hold of a tester before hand – do it. I love this moisturiser. It is the best I’ve used in a long time. I really want to try the mattifying too – if anyone knows where I can get a tester of it let me know!

Rachael xoxo

Max Factor Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick – Passionate Red review

That is a bit of a mouthful isn’t it? What is a ‘giant pen stick’? Surely ‘pen’ is the same as ‘stick’? Well, name aside - I love this product!

Superdrug have a 3 for 2 offer in store and online at the moment. In my eyes, this is dangerous and caused me to buy 2 lipsticks and a lip gloss yesterday. I hate my life. However, take advantage whilst you can! I certainly will (unfortunately).

Max Factor Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick - Isn't the packaging just lovely?

Max Factor Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick - It is just a lipstick crayon. It's not as chubby as the Revlon lip balm/stains

Max Factor Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick - A bright, deep, cool red with gold shimmer.

According to the Max Factor website, the Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick is for “bold, defined colour for lips that pop.

·      Bold, larger-than-life colour

·      Strong pigmentation

·      Sculpted top for definition

·      Smooth formula glides on

·      Line and fill lips in-one

·      Texture allows for building”

https://www.maxfactor.co.uk/make-up-products/lips/lipstick/max-factor-colour-elixir-giant-pen-stick

I wore this lipstick on a night out last night and I can honestly say it fits all of these criteria. I love it!

Passionate Red is quite a dark red with a bit of a gold shimmer in it. I do like a good shimmer lipstick every once in a while – and although I don’t generally do shimmery reds – I love this one. I feel like it is a bit Christmassy but it applies so well I just don’t care. I have quite a cool skin tone, and this is quite a cool red so I feel it suits me well enough to wear. However, due to the gold shimmer it should suit warmer skin tones too – how clever! The pigmentation is so strong. One glide and your lips are a really bright (yet dark) red. It really doesn’t use too much of the product – fantastic! You can build it up to create a more pigmented colour but you really don’t need to. To a certain extent you can apply it lightly – but it looks best with full pigmentation.

The formula is so soft and creamy. It is a dream to apply. If the stick was any thinner it would just break – that is how soft it is. I could just apply it all day. That is how lovely it is to apply. The softness means it probably is very easy to blend with other colours and do a two tone lip. I could imagine it looking very good with an orange/pink/gold.

According to the website it is a 2-in-1 lipstick and liner. I can agree to this. I had very little/no feathering/smudging. It stayed still and didn’t end up all over my face (although I did get some underneath my cheek. I must have rubbed my hand on it or something.)

These pen sticks retail at £6.99 – a very reasonable price for a Max Factor product. I would buy this in a 3 for 2 deal but maybe not full price on its own. As a student I don’t really have the money. I can get a nice red lip from Natural Collection in boots for £1.99 and then it really doesn’t matter if I lose it. However, this is such a lovely lipstick, I am so happy I picked it up yesterday.

If this product has one fault, it is that the staying power is pretty awful. If you eat/drink anything it is on the glass/straw and not on your lips. It is pretty high maintenance – especially on the middle of your lips. Fortunately, the edges of my lips didn’t need reapplying. That would not be easy after a couple of cocktails (or a fishbowl).

Overall, this is a lovely lipstick with a strange name. I want to have a look at the other shades and see if they are worth picking up – although I really don’t need to add more shades to my lipstick collection. The packaging is super cute as well – I am not ashamed to have it in my make up bag.

Rachael xoxo

My life in Instagram (okay - the past month or so)

I've always wanted to do an Instagram post. I have finally gotten round to it! This is more of a description of why I haven't posted in the past couple of months and how my last semester of uni has been. Now I'm finished for the year, I'll hopefully have much more time to post and keep up to date. These pictures are more for the last month or so - exam season. I have plenty of photos from Florida to upload too. Today is going to be very productive it seems.

1. I went out for my friend Ellie's birthday last night. It was super lovely and I got to wear one of the new lipsticks I bought yesterday. Pictured is the Maxfactor Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick in Passionate Red. If I'm honest - I love it! Review to come.

2. Fun played UEA just a few weeks ago and - i'm not going to lie - it was pretty damn good. I love the LCR as a venue. It's pretty small. If you get on the steps around the stage you have a seriously good view and it takes less than 10 minutes for me to walk home. Next year it will not be so quick but it's still quicker than popping up to London!

3. I'm home for just a few days whilst my flatmates are finishing their exams. I was finished as of Thursday and it feels fantastic. I finally got to chill with my Boo (my cat is called Boo) for the first time in a month and a half. She just can't stay away when I'm reading a book. She never looks at cameras and she is in this photo - my mind is blown.

4. As I said EXAMS. This was about half of the notes I had for my organic chemistry exam (see picture 6). I think that if I piled all my notes from all 3 exams (which were 70% of my grade in my cores. Erghhh!) they would probably be as high as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Okay - that is an exaggeration but my God I did a lot of work. I just hope I've done enough to get a good grade. I'd rather not just get onto the second year thanks.

5. As posted last year, I got a massive ELF haul when it was 50% off. This is one of the lipsticks above that I bought at the time and hated. Both of my flatmates wear quite dark lipsticks whilst I go bright but recently they have inspired me to go a tad darker with my lip colours and now this lipstick is a staple in my make up bag (well for the moment). It doesn't look that dark in the photo above - but it's more of a dark vintage pinky mauve and super strange. It looks much better layered under a gloss than on it's own. I'm not a matte lipstick kinda girl.

6. And yes, I'm back to exams. This is my mechanism for the synthesis of Prozac - feel free to correct me if I'm wrong! I think I lost a few carbons or gained a few somewhere but I was more concerned with getting the conversions correct. Like I said, exams took over my life but now they are over with and I can breathe until July time when I assume I'll get my results back and I'll know if I need a resit - I hope I don't!

So that's my (month?) in Instagram. I'm hoping to do these weekly from now on! We'll see how that turns out.

Oh, did I mention I'm getting to see QI being filmed on Tuesday. I bet you are jealous!

Rachael xoxo

p.s. don't forget to follow me on instagram: rachaelwowzie

Maybelline ‘Volum’ Express The Mega Plush’ mascara review

I picked this little guy up in Target during my trip to America over a month ago. At the time it had not been released in the UK and it was only $5.50. I couldn’t pick it up quick enough! It was a bristle brush (which is fantastic for me – I hate plastic brushes) and of course seriously cheap for a Maybelline mascara. Now I’ve finally run out of my last tube of Falsies, it’s time for this mascara to have a run.

Maybelline Volum' Express Mega Plush mascara - isn't the packaging gorgeous!?

Maybelline Volum' Express Mega Plush mascara - it's a pretty big brush. I'm not quite sure it's as big as Scandal'Eyes though.

According to the Maybelline website:

“Our first gel-mousse mascara with 40% less hard waxes for massive volume with a supple touch. Extra-soft, patented Flexor Brush caresses lashes. Lashes never brittle or flaky.”

            http://www.maybelline.com/products/eye-makeup/mascara/volum-express-the-mega-plush-mascara.aspx

That is a lot to live up to isn’t it? Honestly – I was a tad skeptical. I am a fan of Maybelline mascaras so I guess I was expecting something amazing. Amazing is not what I got unfortunately.

Thinking back, I think I am being a little bit harsh on this mascara – but when you have to pay £8 for it in the UK, I will expect something fantastic.

So first, it has a huge brush – much like Rimmel’s Scandal’Eyes which I found difficult to control. It means that there is a lot of coverage and in theory, only a few strokes are needed for a good effect. The ‘flexor brush’ means that there is very little pressure actually put on your lashes as you apply it. That has got to be good right? Sadly it takes a lot more than a few strokes to get the effect that I want – long, full lashes without clumps.

On the Maybelline website it says ‘do not let dry between coats’ and by God do NOT! If you let it dry it just clumps more. In my opinion this is a very clumpy mascara. Sure, it isn’t as bad as Benefit’s ‘They’re real’ but for a bristle brush it is very clumpy. Due to the mascara actually being a gel, rather than a runnier consistency, you can only work with it when it is wet. I suppose the thicker consistency means it is more prone to clumping too – sucks huh?

However, the one thing I do love is the fact that my lashes are supple and less flaky! Falsies does tend to make my lashes a tad stiff and I do worry about them breaking/falling out when I use an eyelash curler on them but I seriously do not have that worry with this mascara. My eyelashes feel softer and maybe even a little stronger.

Okay, so this mascara does give volume and length (if you work quickly and carefully with it). You have to be so careful at where/how you apply it. If you are, you can get a relatively clump free, long, plumped lash look. If you don’t – well welcome to clump city.

Like I said, I think I’m being a tad harsh on this mascara. It isn’t dreadful. It does what it says on the bottle. I’m just an avid falsies girl. If they could improve the formula so it clumped a little less and put it with the falsies brush – I think they’d have a winner.

Have you tried this new Mega Plump mascara? If you have comment below with your opinion/tips for best application!

Rachael xoxo