HAUL & MINI-REVIEWS: Makeup from FragranceDirect.co.uk __MakeuPanda

Firstly I apologise for the length of this post, I was obviously feeling a bit word-happy today.

I stumbled across this website the other day when on GemsMaquillage, and after I'd browsed the makeup section it was too late to try and stop myself buying a tonne of products. Now, I wouldn't normally do this because, well basically, I can't afford it (Yes, I know I reviewed a Tom Ford lipstick earlier but I got that for my birthday, kind of). However this website has ridiculously low prices, and I've gathered that this is because most of the products are discontinued now or that sort of thing, which makes me want them even more! Saying all that I only ended up spending around £15 on all of these products and shipping was a super cheap £1.99 which made me happy as paying loads of P&P is one of my most hated things.

REVLON NAIL ENAMEL IN SHADE 85 MINTED & SHADE 340 STUNNING

RRP: £5.99
I paid on Fragrance Direct: £0.99

Minted

I first saw this on (I think) Lily Pebbles' WhatIHeartToday blog, in a post where she compared this to the infamous Essie’s Mint Candy Apple, a shade I’ve always loved seeing on various beauty bloggers but never ended up buying. If I remember properly she basically said that this was a dupe but even better because the formula was great, and when I saw it for such a bargainous price I nabbed it while I could! It has lovely packaging and is a generous size at 14.7ml of product.

Stunning

While I was on the nail polish page I saw this beauty and thought it looked really pretty. I don’t have many glitters (well, I do have a few, but it’s so pretty!) and I think that this one will look great alone without layering layer upon layer of coats underneath it. Again a great large bottle and maybe this is an odd thing to notice but I like how the shade name is printed on the top of the lid so if you store your polishes upright you can easily pick it out. I am looking forward to trying both of these polishes out.

And did I mention that they cost me £0.99 each? That's ninety-nine PENCE. I should have bought every shade, right?

RIMMEL LASTING FINISH LIPSTICK BY KATE IN SHADE 04
RRP: £5.49
I paid on Fragrance Direct: £1.99

So many bloggers rave about the reds in this collection and I’ve ummed and ahhed about buying the true red so many times – (I really should just get it, it’s so cheap!) but always decided I have so many reds. So when I saw this on the website I thought I’d give the formula a whirl to see if I like the way these lipsticks apply. This shade is a very dark purple colour and looks stunning on the lips. It goes on opaque with really great coverage and a slight shiny finish but not too glossy.
I really like this product and will definitely give this a whirl on a night out- the bonus being I won’t be heartbroken if I lose it either! The packaging is nice and simple and makes the product look more expensive than it is, which I like.

On my lips - how perfect is this? Sorry, no, my skin isn't great right now, eek

Swatches with similar shades I own: Left - Sleek Lipstick in Mulberry, Centre - Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 04, Right - MAC Lipstick in Cyber

RIMMEL LASTING FINISH LIPSTICK IN SHADE 004 LIGHTS OUT
RRP: £4.99
I paid on Fragrance Direct: £0.99

Again I wanted to give Rimmel lipsticks a whirl because although Rimmel is probably my favourite high street/drugstore brand I haven’t tried their lipsticks yet. This is a straight-out black shade and I’m not quite sure if I’ve got the guts (or the face) to pull this off but I wanted to buy it and worry about that later, as always. I do have a black Barry M lipstick but I don’t really like the formula much as I find it doesn’t apply opaquely and what’s the point of a back lipstick if you can see pink through it? I don’t like the packaging as much on this one because it seems a bit cheaper and the lid is a bit wobbly.

It is a great formula and applies to a great true black on the lips. It's got a beautiful shine and is actually really nice, I'll have to see if I'm ever in a crazy enough mood to pull this one off! If not, there's always Halloween!

MISS SPORTY PERFECT COLOUR LIPSTICK IN SHADE 250 CABARET
RRP: £2.59
I paid on Fragrance Direct: £0.99

I’ve never tried a Miss Sporty product apart from perhaps a powder as a twelve-year-old, and because it was dead cheap I thought I’d give it a whirl, as the shade looked my cup of tea on the website. It’s a lovely deep pinkish red and the packaging seems fine for a cheap product, I can’t really complain.

 What a lovely berry shade, no?

Swatches: Left - Miss Sporty Perfect Colour Lipstick in shade 250 Cabaret, Right - MAC's Lipstick in Rebel

After trying out this shade I really am impressed. It's a really really lovely formula, it feels just as nice to apply as any high-end lipstick and the shade is spot-on, it's got a definite feel for MAC's rebel as you can see from the swatches above. If anything, I prefer the more wine-y shade of the Cabaret! So pleased I nabbed this, what a bargain! Will definitely be keeping an eye out for more Miss Sporty deals.

SLEEK TRUE COLOUR INTENSE PIGMENTS LIPSTICK IN SHADE 827 BLAZE
RRP: £3.70
I paid on Fragrance Direct: £1.50

This was a case of one of those moments where a shade looks different online to in reality, and I was a bit disappointed when this arrived because, although it’s probably a great lipstick and a nice colour for some, I just know this won’t suit me. It’s a rich burgundy/bronze metallic finish which is a beautiful colour in the tube, for perhaps nail polish, but unfortunately not on my lips. I do love Sleek lipsticks though as they have great pigmentation and are very reasonable prices, and as always the formula of this is a knockout, just a shame about the shade.

REVLON COLORSTAY ULTIMATE LIQUID LIPSTICK IN SHADE 055 GRAND GARNET
RRP: £8.99
I paid on Fragrance Direct: £2.99

 Great packaging!

You can tell I like the deep red lip shades, can’t you? For me, especially when buying online I usually think you can’t go far wrong when ordering a red hue. I usually like any red shade, even if it might not be what I’d go for at a counter, I tend to like how it looks on my lips. So again here I thought I’d try out a red for this product. I mostly stay away from online-buying anything pale pink or nude because I’m not a fan of the washed-out look, I’m too pale to take it!

This is a really nice product that applies like a lipgloss but dries to an impressive matte finish. I think it's a nice red with a pretty golden shimmer running through it. Will definitely be wearing this a few times- but I am glad I didn't pay the full price as I think that's a bit much for this kind of product.

Swatches: Far left - Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 04, Left - Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in shade 400, Right - Miss Sporty Perfect Finish Lipstick in 250, Far Right - Sleek True Colour Lipstick in 827, at the side - Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick in shade 055

DAINTY DOLL IT'S A KIND OF MAGIC CONCEALER PEN IN SHADE 001 & 002
RRP: £12.50
I paid on Fragrance Direct: £1.99 each

 When I saw these on the website I was both pleased and disappointed, because I realised that you can hardly ever find Dainty Doll now and I realised it must be because it’s discontinuing. This is disappointing for me because I do actually like their products and i loved the idea of it being especially for us milk-bottle girls. On the other hand I really wanted to try out their concealer pens but couldn’t bring myself to spend the £12.50 that they were beforehand, and when I saw them for £1.99 each I had to try one. Well, I ended up trying two, actually. This might seem a bit odd to buy two different shades but in the Dainty Doll Now That I’ve Found You Foundation I’m shade 002, so that’s why I bought the 002 shade. I also bought the lightest shade, 001, to try as an under-eye brightener, so I purposely bought the lighter shade to have a brightening effect.

I have only really swatched these and tried them briefly on my face. My verdict from that was that they are good for the under eye area as they are very creamy and blendable and not at all drying. However as a blemish or pigmentation cover-up I don't think they are fantastic, for a concealer they don't offer much coverage and work better as a sort of Touche-Eclat/under-eye-brightener type product than an actual concealer. Plus the 002 is a smidge dark for me, which is odd considering the foundation matches. 

So overall, I'm glad I bought the 001 but regret the 002. Teaches me not to be greedy in future, haha!


Have you ever ordered from this website, tried any of these products or have you found any other bargain makeup websites? Please let me know if you do.
Please ask any questions you'd like me to answer below.
Thanks so much for reading and as always hope you're having a fantastic day.
Love,
Jess xxx

REVIEW: Tom Ford Black Orchid Lipstick __MakeuPanda

TOM FORD LIPSTICK IN BLACK ORCHID £36
I bought this for a whopping £36.00 from House of Fraser (online), and it cost me around £3.00 for shipping.

 Firstly the packaging is fantastic, it's so heavy and expensive looking. I will say that I was a bit disappointed when I opened up the lid and fully extended the lipstick and found this meager amount. I suppose I should have read more about the product to find out about the weight you get with it but hey-ho. I adore the TF stamped into the lipstick and was devastated to smudge it up the first time I used it.

The actual application of this lipstick is what makes it worth the £36.00. Yes, it's a LOT for one lipstick, but it applies nicer than any lipstick I've ever owned. It goes on smoothly, and gives an even opaque colour without having to go over it more than once. The swatch below shows how you can wear the lipstick more than one way- a  light application and a more heavy application, it demonstrates how buildable this lipstick is, you can create a beautiful berry shade or a deep, rich red wine colour. So yes, it is expensive, but you are almost getting two shades/two looks from this one tube.

Black Orchid; Lightly swatched, and more heavily.

On my wonky smile!

Overall, I really do love it. It's a gorgeous shade, and a great formula. It's not drying, it's not matte, it's not too shiny, it's quite perfect. Saying all that I probably wouldn't buy another Tom Ford because it's simply too expensive to justify the price but I am glad that I've tried it out. Perhaps if you're a moneybags you could have the whole collection, because they are beautiful.

Have you tried a Tom Ford lipstick, or a great dupe for Black Orchid?

Thanks so much for reading. Hope you have a great day.

Love, Jess

xxx

REVIEW: The ONLY eyelash adhesive I'll ever buy... __MakeuPanda

DUO adhesive £10.00 from MAC
I do love false eyelashes, and I believe that with a bit of practice and the right technique, any girl can apply them for a bit of extra drama for a night out or special occasion. I'm not someone who would be able to wear them all the time as I don't find them super comfy and prefer a more natural day-to-day look.
The only issue I have with most eyelashes is that they give you a teeny bottle of (usually disgustingly *fishy* smelling) glue with an awful stick applicator and expect you to work with it. Um, no. This stuff never works well, and, well, stinks. In more way than one.
So since seeing 9 out of 10 beauty bloggers and youtubers talk about DUO, and the fact that it's what the recommend at MAC, who I always feel know what they are talking about, I thought I'd try it. This was a while ago and since then I've only been through one tube- it lasted me FOREVER and although it's a bit pricey at a tenner a tube, it's definitely worth it to save your eyes from those dodgy cheap glue dramas. The only reason I had to buy a new one was because I lost the lid to the original and it dried up and I had to throw it away- I probably had half a tube of product left- devastating!
The first tube I got was the one that dries black, because I always apply black liquid liner to my upper lash line when using falsies. I did like this and the only reason why I didn't go back to the same one - I bought the white/clear one instead - was because I'm nosy and want to try out everything.
I like this one just as much, it takes a bit longer to go invisible than the black one does to go black, but it's hardly an issue.

My advice when using this is to squirt out a tiny amount onto the plastic container of the lashes you are using and dab the lash band into the puddle- making sure the whole band is covered and most importantly the very edges as these are the bits that are more likely to go crazay. Also be sure to wait at least a minute to allow the glue to go tacky instead of trying to stick it straight on.
Have you tried this product? Do you prefer white/clear or black finish? I can't decide!
Thanks for reading this post, and hope you enjoyed it.
Any comments are welcome, including constructive criticism!
Jess xxx