The Beauty Post | Won Over by Lipgloss

As a loyal reader you will know that I usually stick to my lipsticks, however the past few months I've been moving away from bold lip colours to a sheerer finish. To begin with I started with tints, or sheer thin lipsticks, but lately I've been choosing glosses instead of a stick or tint.

The Review | Maybelline High Shine Lip Gloss

MAYBELLINE COLOURSENSATIONAL HIGH SHINE LIP GLOSS £6.19
L - R: GLORIOUS GRAPEFRUIT - FUCHSIA FLASH

Okay, that's it. I'm officially a lip gloss convert. There are a few products I've been trying lately that have completely won me over and these two are just the beginning. I'd read a lot of glowing reviews on these little glosses and I wanted in on the action. 

I picked up the colours Glorious Grapefruit, a beutiful peach perfect for the summer, and Fuchsia Flash, a brilliant bluey pink thats perfect for every day. Simple packaging and a doe foot applicator is exactly right for this product, but the thing I love the most? It's not sticky in the slightest! It's perfect. Lightweight and long lasting. The pigmentation isn't huge when applied on the lips, but it's just enough to show a difference.

Out of the two I think my favourite has to be Fuchsia Flash, I've been reaching for this more at the moment as I feel blue tones suit my skin colour more, however I can see myself reaching for Glorious Grapefruit non stop in the summer.

Overall I'm completely in love with these and definitely want to pick up some more. I would highly recommend these for any sticky gloss haters out there - these will convert anyone.

What's your favourite lip glosses?

The Review | Benefit Dandelion Lipgloss

BENEFIT LIP GLOSS IN DANDELION

So, if you read the blog you know I'm not really a lip gloss person - I don't like the thick sticky texture and they just feel icky. However, I've recently found one that doesn't make me want to wipe it straight off - yay! I feel a little bit more complete now.

So, I got this in a little Benefit set for my birthday and it's taken far too long for me to actually review it. Dandelion is just a really nice subtle everyday pink and is just perfect for days when I don't really feel like going the full whack with lipstick. It's so light it feels more like a balm then a gloss but it just has a gorgeous gloss finish to it.

I'm absolutely in love with this and have decided from this I definitely want to get more into lip glosses - I have my eye on a few different ones I wanna try but I am unfortuantely a) on a no shopping lent thing and b) just spent all my money on my annoying little car so it will definitely have to wait a few weeks! (Unless anyone wants to send me some... go on, you know you want to!) Please let me know of any you recommend as I'd love to know, I will add them to my list to try once I have more pennies!!

What gloss do you recommend?

Make Up | Luv It Up

  

BENEFIT LUV IT UP

Benefit have some amazing little kits at the moment - perfect for Christmas, and for me it was perfect timing for my birthday. I received this gorgeous little neutrals kit for my birthday from Adam's grandparents and the shadows haven't really left my face since.

This kit comes with three powder shadows, one cream shadow and a lip gloss. It also comes with a little leaflet on how best to apply these products. I apply the cream eyeshadow, R.S.V.P, all over the lids and up to the brows. I then apply Nude Swings over the lid up to the crease. I love this colour, it's a gorgeous pinky nude with a very subtle hint of shimmer. Next up I pop Thanks a Latte in the corners and blend into the crease for contour. Call My Bluff is then used along the brow line as a highlighter. Perfect nude eyes!

The lipgloss in the kit is Dandelion, I'm not usually one for lip gloss however this could quite easily change my mind. This is the first lip gloss from Benefit I've tried and I will be going back for more. It's a gorgeous nude colour with a hint of gloss, not sticky, and very long lasting.

If you're looking for a little beauty gift for someone this Christmas I would definitely recommend hitting a Benefit stand and taking a look at their sets. It's the perfect present for any make up lover. The kit "Let's Make Lovely" is definitely going on my Christmas list!

What Benefit make up kit is on your Christmas List?

Make Up | No7 High Shine Lip Gloss

NO7 HIGH SHINE LIP GLOSS IN CORAL KISS

I got this as part of one of No7's "Free Gift" offers, it's a mini version on one of their High Shine lip glosses in pale pink colour, Coral Kiss. Personally, I wouldn't say it's a coral at all but each to their own.

I am not a lip gloss person - just gonna point that out now, I don't like the feeling of them and for me they just feel continually heavy and I feel like I'm back in my teenager years when wearing them. But, I thought I would just give it a go!

So things I like about this, I like that it's a doe foot applicator, I hate the squidgy applicators - they are just messy, you can't control them and just aggravate me (rant over). Whereas these are really easy to use, apply and control. The colour is really cute, it is a PINK (not Coral) but it does have a little bit of subtle gold shimmer running through it. It's very subtle on the lips so good for an everyday shade. It's not too stick either - yay!

So what don't I like about it... Well, it's a lip gloss. I'm sorry! For someone who loves lip products I'm so weirdly against lip glosses, I just shrink away from them. This is still heavy and feels it on the lips - so when wearing it on holiday I did feel like my lips were sweating (is that even possible?!) but that is my only con.

I think if you like lip gloss than you will like this, however if you are like me and tend to avoid, then I woudn't recommend it. Like I said, it's probably mainly because I am not a lip gloss type of gal - but hey, gotta avoid something right?

What type of products do you avoid?

Summer Care | No7 BB Lips

NO7 BB LIPS IN BLUSH CORAL AND BLUSH PINK £8.50 each

After seeing these little lip products on Rebecca's blog I was intrigued, then a  little tipsy visit into the Boots at Waterloo I seemed to have bought two shades - opps!

So, BB is something that has been around the block, I don't have anything against them and I think in this weather they are ideal - either that or a tinted moisturiser anyway. So having a lip product claim to be a BB I was intrigued. If anything I think it's more suitable as a lip balm - because it's a balm. Stating the obvious but you know!

Anywho, so I'm not a huge fan of squeeze and spread applications anyway, so I'm not a fan of that, but the product itself I really do love. It's comfortable on the lips and I love that it has SPF in it. The colour isn't too pigmented either, it's just enough to tint the lips and give a subtle colour.

Blush Coral is a gorgeous pale coral, very subtle and really easy to wear and suitable for all skin types. Blush Pink, the darkest in the range, it's a gorgeous deep pink that is perfect for something a little dressier, but still (you guessed it) subtle!

Overall I do love these, they are perfect for the weather at the moment, protecting the lips as well as becoming a gorgeous summer staples shade. A little pricey for a gloss, but they were buy one get one half price, and I had a cheeky No7 voucher - so really it cost me £9 for the both of them - not bad!

What's your summer staple lip product?

The Favourites | My Lips but Better

I work in retail, to be specific a stationary shop, which means that make up wise I can't be too adventurous, which is no fun. This also means that I have acquired a ridiculous amount of lip products that all look like my own lips, just that bit nicer. So I thought I'd pop my top five up on here to show you all. Now, in no particular order...

17 MIRROR SHINE ON LIPSTICK IN BELLE £4.79

I love this lipstick. It's completely natural, the perfect neutral shade with enough gloss within the stick to forgo added gloss, but not too much that it looks over ick. It's so affordable and really long lasting. Definitely one of my faves and I would recommend any of the mirror shine on lipsticks.

BOURJOIS ROUGE EDITION LIPSTICK IN SHADE 04 ROSE TWEED £7.99

More of a matte everyday shade, a yellow toned pink that applies gorgeously, lovely coverage and really good lasting time. This is definitely in my top two I think. It has quite a chalky finish, so alone or with a slick of gloss it's perfect for work.

RIMMEL APOCALIPS IN CELESTIAL £5.99

The toast of the blogging world this year, Apocalips are incredibly pigmented and glossy, long lasting lip lacquers that are affordable and actually great. This colour is probably the most neautral out of the lot and great for a long day at work if you don't have the chance to top it up.

MAC CREMESHEEN LIPSTICK IN FAN FARE £14.00

The priciest of the five, and probably my favourite. A truly gorgeous yellow toned pink that lasts for hours, has a lovely natural sheen to it. This is currently my most worn and recommend it to everyone who wants a natural colour for Mac. Go buy now!

L'OREAL GLAMSHINE SPLASH STAIN IN LOLITA £7.99

Definitely a gloss as opposed to a stain, and one I wear a lot with the Bourjois beauty above. Not a huge fan of the wand by the gloss itself is very comfortable and long lasting, not too sticky thankfully. For a natural gloss, this is perfect.

Looking through all these it has occured to me that they all start to look identical. Opps. This is definitely my most worn colour and I think it's the perfect way to get into lipsticks if you're not brave enough to try the bold colours. Hope you enjoyed!

What's your favourite lips but better product? Have you tried any of the above?

Make Up | Apocalips Stellar

RIMMEL APOCALIPS IN STELLAR £5.99

As reviewed before, I really like the apocalips range from Rimmel. Stellar is a colour that I've been umming and aahing about for a while and finally took the plunge when I was shopping with my friend Amber and she MADE ME BUY IT! Yes, made me.

So I got it, and actually ridiculously love it. It's a gorgeous bright, vibrant pink with a touch of coral in it. It is very pigmented (as with all the Apocalips) and lasts for a good couple of hours. What annoys me slightly with these is that when they wear, the leave a line around the lips like liner - which with something this bright looks a bit silly. But if you keep it topped up it's not an issue.

I really do love this colour, my boyfriend hates it (he's weird) but it's just so gorgeous, you can't not love it. These are just great products and I would highly recommend them to everyone.

What's your favourite Apocalips colour?

Make Up | Glamshine Stain Splash

L'OREAL GLAMSHINE STAIN SPLASH IN ROMY, LOLITA AND PRINCESS £7.99

L'Oreal was 3 for 2 a few weeks back, so I decided I'd indulge myself in their new lip product. It's described as a gloss that acts like a stain, that is also 30% water. So, the product itself...

Honestly I am torn. The formula is incredibly light and very watery when applied, but thickens up quickly on application. It's comfortable to wear and again, lightweight. I wouldn't say it's very long lasting, maybe about an hour. I do prefer it over the top of a lipstick as opposed to wearing it on its own.
The wand itself really irritates me actually... Not so much on the lighter colours like Romy and Lolita, but you can see from the picture above that I found it very hard to use to apply Princess, a more pigmented product as I found the product collected at the tip of the wand, and was just a bit difficult to apply.

So now onto the colours...

Romy
A gorgeous pink that I think it meant to be like a deep hot pink. The colour is gorgeous, but very translucent  Definitely more of a gloss than a stain. It applies nicely and is a nice everyday gloss with a bit of colour.

Lolita
This one is my favourite. Its defintiely a "my lips but better" lip gloss and I've been wearing this most days over the top of Bourjois Rouge Edition in Shade 4, the two work perfectly together. It's a great lipgloss.

Princess
This is the one Cheryl Cole is wearing in all the adverts. The colour is a lovely coral red. I wouldn't say it was a stain, more of a pigmented gloss. I do like the colour, I just find it very hard to apply. I find this colour lasts longer than the other two, so there is some stain there.

Overall, I'm a bit torn really. I love the product as a gloss, but I love the colours, but as a stain I'm not convinced. For me, they are definitely more gloss, but they are a nice gloss. Lolita is definitely my favourite, so if you are looking for a a good every day gloss, Lolita is your one!

Have you tried Glamshine Stain Splash? What colours do you love?

Rimmel Apocalips

RIMMEL APOCALIPS LIP LACQUER £5.99 EACH

Yes, I caved to the hype. These have been everywhere in the blogging world, and I mean everywhere. Not only is it everywhere, but everyone has been raving about them and if it's anything I can't resist it's a highly hyped, affordable new lip product. So, with Boots vouchers and my Boots points I went off to take advantage of Rimmel's 3 for 2 offer.

The idea behind these is that they are a liquid lipstick as opposed to a lipgloss - I think (I'm not exactly an expert) this basically means it's more pigmented than a lipgloss and is designed to feel and act more like a lipstick than a sticky gloss.

I've found this product really easy to apply, the wand has a slight dip in the middle to collect more of the product and I found that this helps it to apply a more even colour across the lip. The colour itself is very highly pigmented, more so than most lipsticks I have tried and I think this could be due to the liquid element of it. I've found, in terms of staying power, more than anything when it's first applied it just sits on the lip more than absorbing it. It transfers very easily when first on as well. However, give it about ten, fifteen minutes and the colour is absorbed by the lip, more like a lipstick, and stays pigmented and glossy. The gloss fades after about an hour, but the colour stays for an extra couple. I have found that it has been a little drying on my lips, which isn't too fab and a bit off putting, but overall I do like this product and have been reaching for them quite a lot.
Nova
Nova is a vibrant, hot pink, it's not quite as bright as Apocaliptic, and that's why I chose it. It's a nice shade for evening wear or if you just fancy something a bit special. It is very striking on the lips and I do really like this one.

Celestial
This is a nice nudey pink, with a bit of mauve in it. It's a fab everyday shade and was the first one I really wanted. I've worn this the most so far and this is definitely my everyday choice out of the three. I have found the colour fades more on this one than the other two though.

Luna
To begin with I wasn't 100% about this one, but it has definitely grown on me. It's a bright orangey coral that is quite pretty and I would imagine would look amazing with a tan. It's definitely a holiday shade.
Overall, I do really like these and I would love to try out the colour Stella, which is a very orangey pink and looks incredible on other people. These are great, and have become a real staple in my make up bag!

Which colours are you loving?

Natio Lips

Natio Moisturising Lipgloss*
I've reviewed this product before so I'm not going to go into too much detail about it, you can see my full review here, but if you don't want to peek there than basically:
This is a clear moisturising lipgloss that is my go-to gloss now. It's not sticky or gloopy, and it's perfect for slicking over the top of a lipstick to stop it drying your lips. I would recommend this lip gloss any day.

Natio Mineral Lipgloss in Caramel*
This is very similar to the moisturising lipgloss above, except it has a little colour to it. The colour itself is very subtle and quite shimmery, but very subtley shimmery (if that's a word!) It applies really nicely and isn't too goopy or sticky. It's a really nice everyday gloss and it's really moisturising as well so feels like it's not just sitting on top of the lips. I would love to try this in Lily and Grape as well! I think the colour itself is really nice, it suits my skin type really nicely and is fab for everyday wear.

Natio Mineral Lip Butter in Laugh*
This is a lip tint/lip balm type product. Basically you need to think of the Revlon Lip Butters in a tub. The butter isn't very highly pigmented, it's a subtle shade and this is a deep nude pink. It's a really nice shade on and really suits my skin tone. It's a little darker than my usual tone and it has a bit of a plum undertone. The tint lasts for a good couple of hours and leaves a nice matte finish. Big thumbs up from me.

Overall I'm really impressed with the lip products I've received from Natio. All three are really good quality and great for everyday products. You can get these from Debenhams and Tesco.

Have you tried any of Natio's lip products?

Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss

Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Succubus £14.00 (was sent as a competition prize)

Firstly - I apologise for no picture with the product on said lips. I'm still getting used to the macro setting on my new camera and it got to the point where I wanted to throw it across the room... So I gave up and told myself I should be able to describe it to you all instead... So here I go!

This is my first Illamasqua product and if I'm honest, I have a bit of a mixed review. The colour is very pigmented and yet subtle when mixed with the gloss. It lasts a good couple of hours as well so a very dependable product.

However, I'm not a huge fan of tubey lip glosses. In fact, the only lip glosses I really like are the ones with the wand... if them really. I guess me and glosses have a bit of a meh relationship. Anywho, I found this really hard to apply - I think it would be better served with a brush to apply and it's quite thick going on as well which adds to the difficulty. On the plus side though it's really not that sticky so yay!

Overall, I'm not won over by this product unfortuantely. It hasn't convinced me to join the ranks of my fellow bloggers who love Illamasqua - but hey, maybe another product of theirs if you could suggest one?

What Illamasqua products would you suggest to change my mind?