REVIEW: Lip-product loves! __MakeuPanda

Lipcote

This is such a great product- I've always loved it. The reason why I first got this was because I wanted my red lip to stay put throughout prom but it turned into me using it every single time I wore lipstick. It is effectively a clear coating that goes on over lipstick and sets into a clear gel which doesn't budge all night. It even makes your lipstick last through a three-course dinner, as I found out at prom!
My boyfriend loves this stuff because it means that a cheeky peck on the lips doesn't result in smudged lipstick or transfer. It usually costs £3.69 but I got it at a small makeup shop in York when I went to visit a friend for just £2.50! This all being said, the bottle that I had a couple of years ago had gone a bit weird after a year or so. When I put the product on, it would dry and peel off and make my lips look really flaky and gross - not a good look. So from my experience I would say that this is a great product but only when it's "in date"! I always forget that beauty products have a use-by, if it was up to me I'd use them forever! Also, the brush can become stained if it is applied over a bright colour often.
In conclusion, buy it if you love a bright lip and want staying power, but make sure to replace it frequently!


YSL Rouge pur Couture Glossy Lip Stain in shade 13 Rose Tempura

 I recieved this as a present for my birthday from my lovely Godmum Suz. She picked this out in this beautiful shade Rose Tempura (I like the name, Tempura reminds me of those battered prawns you get a chinese restaraunts - nom). These are lovely lip products, somewhere between a gloss and a balm and a stain! They are shiny, moisturising and have serious staying power with impressively minimal transfer even with the beautiful glossy finish.
These have quite a nice scent- it's not overwhelming, but it's there, and perhaps if you don't like scented things you might dislike it. Also the wand applicator is a great shape and quite large, I find it dispenses the perfect amount of product for one application, too.
Although they are a little pricey at £23.50 a pop- I get the feeling I will be wearing this one to death. Below are some photos showing what the colour looks like on my lips. I really like it, and if I had limitless cash I'd be buying every shade!

 Without flash - s'cuse the blonde tash- everyone gets it! - and wonky lips - never even realised I had wonky lips until today!

With flash

Have you tried either of these products? Which colours of the YSL lipstains do you like the best? 
Thanks so much for reading.
Hope you had a fantastic weekend!
Love, Jess
xxx

REVIEW + MAKEUP LOOK: Sleek i-Candy palette, Sweet Cheeks blush by 3 and Dark Eyebrow kit __MakeuPanda

Hello everyone!
This is a post showing swatches and a look I came up with while playing around with the new Sleek collection, which I bought very recently from the Superdrug in Meadowhall, Sheffield.

Eyebrow Kit in Dark £8.49
But firstly before the exciting new colourful palettes, I also picked up the Sleek Brow Kit in dark because I can never find this in stock at the Superdrug in Nottingham town centre of at Sheffield Crystal Peaks/ The Moor! They often have the light brow kit but not the dark one. So I decided to grab this while I was at it!
it was £8.49 and contains both a cream/gel like compartment and a matte shadow, along with a pair of mini tweezers and two brushes. Personally I like to use a normal-sized brush as I find the long handle allows me to be a little more light handed- also I have yet to try the tweezers.

 I swatched the colours onto my hand- just a thin line, and I also tried it out when I did my full face of makeup (I will add photos at the end).

As you can see the colours are slightly on the ashy side which I like better for a brow powder because orangey-looking brows are really awful. On the photo it does look a little off-colour, maybe slightly green but this isn't the case in reality. I like the consistency of both products, and I think that both of the colours work well for my brows. However I can be a little heavy handed with the cream product and need to be sparing to avoid the dreaded Scouse brow. This comes in quite a few colours online including two shades darker than this - Extra Dark and Black, so it's great for darker skin tones as well.

i-Divine-I-CANDY Eyeshadow palette £7.99
As you may know, I am obsessed with the i-Divine palettes and have tried to purchase every single edition so far (although sadly I think I may have missed Showstopper and Laguna- *cry*). One of the reasons is because I just like to collect them as they are beautiful to look at but mostly it is because they are just REALLY GOOD EYESHADOW PALETTES. Did you get that? They are just fab. They have fantastic colour payoff, a great range of shades, brilliant packaging, plenty of product and are "cheap as chips"! The only downside to these is the fallout, and to be fair, with this amount of colour pay-off it would be pretty impossible to ensure no fallout.

 This palette is another very good eyeshadow palette well worth the money and fun for summer if you fancy experimenting with colour for a very good deal.

 These are closeups of the colours provided in the palette. The top photo shows (clockwise) Apple Sour, Peardrop, Flump, Cream Soda, Mint Cream, Bubblegum. The bottom photo shows Strawberry Sherbet, Bob Bon, Parma Violet, Aniseed, Blue Fizzle and Liquorice (which shows up much more brown here than it really is- it's actually a matte black). How adorable are the names of the shadows, too? Typing them up is making my mouth water!

 The top line of swatches was done atop Urban Decay's Primer Potion and the bottom was without. You can see that even without primer the eyeshadows show up beautifully, the primer just adds an extra pop to a few of the shades (and would make them last a lot longer of course). The swatches are just in the order of the palette- the top line followed by the bottom line.
My favourite shades in the palette are probably Cream Soda - a really pretty white shimmer which reminds me very much of my favourite MAC highlight colour - Crystal Avalanche, and Apple Sour which (aside from the tasty name) is a lovely shimmer greenish turquoise which gives a lovely pop of colour under the eye.
I would definitely recommend this product as I would all of the Sleek palettes.

Blush by 3 in Sweet Cheeks £9.99
This is actually my very first Sleek blush product and I'm not sure why it has taken me quite this long to try them out. Although you get three blushes and it's obviously fantastic value for money - I think in the past, when limiting myself to either the eyeshadows or the blushes, I've always been wooed by the choice of 12 shades for £7.99 over the 3 shades for £9.99. Saying that, I really love these blushes and I am amazed with how much product you get for each blush. You would think with it being a trio you'd just get a small amount but (correct me if I am wrong) you get a full single blush size for each shade in this compact, giving a total of 17g of product (um, wow).

The shades included are called Cupcake, Dolly Mix and Candy Floss. The photo shows these as a little more blueish than they are in reality- especially the cream blush which is less fuschia and more of a true pink. I tried out the cream blush in my complete face look and I will be honest I put a bit too much on at first because the pigment is so strong! For a pale girl like myself you will only need the tiniest amount on your brush or fingers. As with the eyeshadows they swatch exactly how they look in the palette which I love. I think for me Dolly Mix which is the more violet-y toned pink is more wearable on a day-to-day basis. Personally I would still wear the other blushes because I love the colours of them, but it takes a bit more work to apply and blend them out to look less clowny on me.
I really like this palette and would love to try one of the more natural-toned, less pinky blush-by-3 for example the one called Lace.

Below are some photos of how the look turned out on me.
I used mostly Flump on the lids with Parma Violet in the crease and Cream Soda as an inner highlight and brow highlight, and under the eye I used a little Pear Drop blended into Apple Sour to give a contrast of colour. I liked the way the eyes turned out. I used the brow kit on my eyebrows but think I need a little practice!
The other eye products I used were the UD Primer potion, Collection 2000 Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner (which is actually my favourite liquid eyeliner I've ever used AND the cheapest, I love this! Plus a bottle literally lasts ages, I must have had one open over a year- not sure if that's even legal?), and Benefit They're Real Mascara, which I love very much.
On my face I used Dainty Doll Now That I've Found You liquid foundation in shade 002 Light (The first foundation i've ever had NOT in the lightest shade! Hurrah!) which I got from Boots. I do like this foundation but it's not perfect- I will be forever on the search for my favourite foundation as I am yet to find one I find worth the money! Also I used Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair which I ADORE SERIOUSLY BUY THIS, and Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent which is equally amazing. Yes, they are both worth the hype.
On my lips I have the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick which is another worth-the-hype product, I love the balm stains to death.

I hope you enjoyed this post and please share any ideas using the palette or looks you have created yourself, or your views on the palette or anything at all really!
Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to read this, I really appreciate it.
Jess
xxx

WISHLIST: what I am currently lusting over! __MakeuPanda

I have quite a few blog ideas coming your way soon, but I am at the boyf's house right now and sadly don't have all my products available for lovely (hmm, working on it!) photos. However I'm really getting into the blogging mood at the moment! You know you have blogging on the brain when every product I use I have to consider it's pros and cons whilst using it (think shampoo, toothpaste, handcream)... it's getting out of hand! So today I decided to compile a list containing all the products and items I am currently "lusting after" and considering buying for my birthday - it's next Sunday, 23rd, if you want to buy me one of these beauties? Or all of them? Go on ;)

I'm having a bit of a lip-product obsession right now- most of my makeup-life it has always been brightly coloured eyeshadows and glittery eyeliners but so far 2013 has brought me a lip product related love. I have tried out tons of the recent lip offerings inclusing revlon just bitten kissable balm stains which are just beautiful, the revlon lip butters, the newish rimmel apocalips glosses and several others- I jut can't seem to get enough! And most of my wishlist is just more, haha!


Lip products

Tom Ford lipstick in shade Black Orchid £36
Now this is pricey for a lipstick but ever since I saw Lisa Eldridge's 1 lipstick 4 looks type video (here) featuring this lipstick I knew I needed it. It's been on my wishlist for AGES and yet I never feel like I can justify spending the best part of £40 on one beauty product. However I'm getting to the point now where I just need it before - God forbid - I can no longer get my hands on it. Plus, I wouldn't think twice about spending that on a nice dress which I may only wear twice- yet I may wear this lipstick a hundred times (yes, of course) it is now justified.

Lime crime Velvetine in Red Velvet - $16.99 (work out to be £10.82 without shipping)
I follow Doe Deere on twitter, she is the 'Unicorn queen' of Lime crime cosmetics and between her and the Lime crime facebook page I am bombarded with advertising and beautiful pictures of their cosmetics. The velvetines are at the very top of my wishlist for Lime crime makeup as they look something really different and one of a kind. Reviews say its a sort of matte lipgloss which dries to a non-transferable finish which sounds fantastic to me. Plus the matte velvet-look is very timeless and beautiful when you need a break from a glossy lip. Plus I know my boyfriend will like the idea of these - he HATES gloss!

YSL Rouge pur Couture Glossy Stain - £23.50
I have a sneaky feeling that someone I love very much may have got me one of these for my birthday (if I am very very lucky) as I begged for one. They just have fantastic reviews, everyone loves them and to be perfectly honest I just really want to own a YSL product as I don't own anything that beautifully packaged and expensive! They just look so indulgent and I really can't wait to try one out.

Other Beauty

Urban Decay De-slick Setting Spray £19.50
Missglamorazzi aka Ingrid is often mentioning the wonders of this product for her oily skin and mine is sometimes quite oily in the summertime so I fancied trying out this product as it sounds really great. I actually picked it up in Debenhams the other day but I hadn't realsed quite how expensive it is- I was thinking more along the lines of £12.50 or something- I just couldn't bring myself to spend (basically) £20 on a skincare product as I'd much rather go to Sleek and buy 4 lipsticks for that! Haha, I am terrible, but it's true! Maybe one day it will be mine.

MeMeMe Highlighter In Beat the Blues £5.50
Again, I have heard on the blogosphere about how this is a great dupe for the Benefit High Beam highlighter which I have used before but have not ever forked out the £19.50 (!!!) to have one myself. I like the product but I personally think it's a lot of money for what it is and the packaging isn't even that good - I find the little brush is a bit useless and I much prefer the applicator of, say, Girl Meets Pearl. I would like to try this product instead as it's supposed to be similar but much cheaper.

Rimmel Scanadaleyes kohl kajal eyeliner in Nude £3.99
I have wanted to try a nude eyeliner on the waterline rather than a white for a long time now as it is supposed to be much more natural-looking. This is a cheap alternative to the more expensive high-end brands that make nude eyeliners and it's had positive reviews so far. I like the sound of this and for the cheap price I feel it's worth a try.

Bourjois Paris Bronzing Primer £9.99
Vivianna and Lily Pebbles have been mentioning this product plenty in recent videos/blog posts and I am intrigues as to what it is and how it performs more than anything. It's apparently awful as a primer but great as a cream bronzer product. I've never had one of those before and although I'm not a huge bronzer fan I reckon a nic, easily-blendable mousse formula might make me a bit sunkissed and beautiful, no? Well, it's worth a shot. I have the chocolate-looking-bronzer from Bourjois already and I quite like that- it's not too dark or shimmery and I find it quite light for a pale skintone. My only grumble is the price tag - which personally I believe is a bit high for a simple 'drugstore' brand. 

Nivea Body in shower lotion £3.39 at Superdrug - save 1/3 (400ml)
Even though I have LOADS of body lotions/moisturizers/butters already, I hardly ever use them because I am so darn lazy- and hate having to lather them on after a bath or shower. Because, to be truthful, after a bath I usually want to curl up and go to sleep and after a shower I'm usually rushing and don't have time to stand around waiting for it to sink in. Plus, who wants to stand naked for ages waiting for it to sink in? I'd be freezing, and paranoid, too, as people ALWAYS seem to knock when you're in this situation (or when you've got wet nails - what is life?). So anyway, after that rant, you can probably see my main reason for wanting to try this out. I just love a good gimmick, too, so anything new and exciting I just need to try out.

Fashion

Topshop MOTO Bleach Acid Mom jeans £40
Again, in the blogosphere I have seen these all over the place, and all kinds of shapes have proclaimed their love for these jeans. Apparently they are figure-flatterers for all sizes and I really want to try them on when I can. I find that non-skinny jeans usually make me feel massive because I have grown so used to wearing a pair of figure-hugging, tummy-pully-inny skinnies- but I would love to give these a go. They have that fantastic grungy 90's vibe and could look fantastic with a band tee and lots of eyeliner - my favourite.

Romwe Skeleton print white shirt £21.48
I have been after a white shirt to wear my brilliant skeleton hand eBay collar tips with - yes I did buy these before having a shirt I could actually wear them with, what an idiot - and this would be absolutely perfect! Because of the skeleton print it would really go with the theme and I like the slightly rock/punk type of style. This shirt looks super cute and I can't wait for it to come in stick so I can order one! The only catch is I have NO IDEA which size to get - M or L? Please comment if you have experience in Romwe sizing because I am definitely stuck.

H&M rings £5.99 for the pair
I very recently (i.e. today) saw this on a blog post by Nouvelle Daily which you can see here, and I straightaway was drawn to these beautiful rings! I just LOVE the turquoise one. I am a huge fan of chunky silvery rings and this is just lovely in my opinion. I never seem to look at jewellery when in H&M but it seems that in future trips, I need to!


What's on your wishlist?
Hope you had a great weekend and an at least alright Monday.
Lots of love, thanks for reading!
Jess
xxx

HAUL: another small haul. nail polish and brushes __MakeuPanda

Firstly I wanted to address the fact that all of my haul-type posts are likely to be "Small hauls" or that kind of thing, so I apologise for the repetitive nature of this blog. I hardly ever go out on a shopping spree when it comes to beauty items, it's usually just a spur of the moment oh-my-gosh-i-need-that or let's-just-have-a-nip-in-Superdrug-oh-crap-I've-bought-stuff-I-don't-need-AGAIN. 
 So these are my oh-my-gosh-i-need that items as of late. In theory I could just keep adding to this as I tend to buy new things all the time but never go mad all at once. I'm not sure which is the lesser of two evils!

Layla Hologram effect Nail Polish in 08 Flash Black - £6.32, Amazon.co.uk
This is a really amazing nail polish as it is actually very holograph-y. It goes on a deep grey base which shines loads of different colours in the light. It was really hard to get a photo of this actually looking decent (especially in my current camera-lacking sitch), but I first saw this on another blog called Goose's Glitter, I'll link the post here, because her photos give it so much more justice. her blog is so addictive as she makes you want EVERY nail polish ever!
I do like this nail polish but I will say I needed three coats of it on it's own for it to look smooth and opaque. However, it was a bit of a strange consistancy and when I swiped over a nail a second stroke just to even it out (as you would normally do to apply your polish), it almost removed some of the polish I had just put on. Kinda like writing with a whiteboard marker over whiteboard marker! Very odd.
Overall I do like it though and I would be tempted to buy another shade or two. It's very eye-catching. I bought my friend the violet shade for her birthday and she said that colour was really pretty too.
I got this on Amazon for £6.32 with free delivery and I think it's worth the pennies. Very nice! The picture below shows it on my nails but as I said before it really doesn't do it justice!

Real Techniques your eyes/enhanced starter set - £21.99, Boots
I finally got some more Real Techniques brushes!
I already have the expert face brush which is fantastic and hands down the best brush I own for applying foundation, so I was expecting just as good results from these badboys.
I tried them out today, I used the largest one (I believe this is called the Deluxe Crease Brush) for buffing out concealer and it was amazing, very light and easy to use, I can imagine people just starting out with makeup would find these a walk in the park to use!
The Base Shadow Brush was great for applying a smokey grey to my crease and is very soft. I'd say because these are synthetic and not real hair they don't pick up as much colour as say, a MAC 217 (which is what I would compare this brush to), but are equally nice.
The smallest one, the Accent Brush, was good for under-eye application as it's small enough to really get in there but fluffy enough to not leave harsh lines or require any post-application-larger-fluffy-brush-action.
Although I wasn't that sure about how much I would use the Brow Brush and Pixel-Point Eyeliner Brush - I already have SO many of these, and they are usually all the same! I even have a Poundland tapered liner brush I use for my brows everyday! - I used the Brow brush today and it's really fantastic. It seems to really blend the colour in whilst you apply, lessening the need for spoolie blending.
I have yet to use the eyeliner brush as I personally prefer a tapered brow-type brush for liner as opposed to these tall pencily-types. I am sure it is also very useful for most people though!
Overall I'd say these are really fab brushes especially for the price, and ontop of all that it feels great to be buying brushes from a youtuber!

Sinful Colors Nail Polish in shade 801 Love Nails - £1.99, Boots
I also grabbed this whilst in Boots getting the brushes. I had seen other beauty gurus on youtube raving about these being so good for the money and I have to agree! I picked up this beautiful metallic teal. Its a great formula and a large (15ml) bottle. The photos below are with two coats and Seche Vite topcoat. I've had it on a whole day now and no signs of chipping at all, I will let you know how long it lasted. It's really vivid and keeps you staring at your nails every 5 minutes. As you can see in the photos it could perhaps do with a third coat for full opacity but being metallic you can get away with it.
Really like this, a shade I don't already have an exact dupe for, so I'm happy!

Without the flash, two coats

With flash, two coats

Thanks for reading, hope you had a fantastic weekend!

Please feel free to comment any questions you may have.

Have a great day,

Jess xxx