Illamasqua Sheer Lipgloss in 'Electrify' and 'Soul'.

I don't know what possessed me to buy these. I never wear lipgloss. But hey, I went ahead and purchased two from the Illamasqua sale for the hell of it. As you do.

Anyway, I'm glad I did, because I really love both of the colours, and they're so different I don't have a favourite! 'Electrify' is an 'iridescent baby pink', and when I wear it I feel super-girly, it's also quite a fun shade to wear as well! 'Soul' is a 'shimmering champagne nude', which is a shade that makes me feel so mature and sophisticated, and absolutely perfect for summer! They are both what I would call everyday colours - they are safer colours and something that I would wear to work, at a gig or anywhere! Their like shoes, you can either dress them up or down, and versatility is something I'm a fan of!
There is a slight shimmer to the glosses, however it's quite fine, it's not chunky glitter or any of that rubbish, and if you get it in the light it is beautiful.
As the name suggests, they are sheer shades, and so are quite subtle, but still look amazing on the lips, and the pigmentation of them is fantastic. For a more intense look, you can wear them over the top of lipstick, but they look just fine on their own!

It is quite a moisturising formula, which is great. All too often I wear lipsticks or other lipglosses that really dry out the lips which is a complete bummer, so it's glad to see a product that looks amazing and takes good care of my lips!

As with all the Illamasqua products, the packaging is great. It's very simple - a clear tube with a black lid. Less is really more when it comes to packaging I think, I'm totally not of packaging that is too in your face. Illamasqua packaging is something I would be very proud of taking out of my handbag on the train!

These lipglosses smell really sweet and quite fruity. I'm crap at describing smells, but all I can be sure of is that it is quite a sweet smelling smell which is very pleasant.
They alse taste nice too. I know that is not something that most people need to know or something that would normally appear in a lipgloss review - but if something goes on your lips is bound to get in your mouth one way or another, so taste is important! Plus, if you're in a position where you lock lips with other people, it's only fair that they get to taste something nice!

The staying power of these lipglosses are fantastic. There is no continuous re-applying of the product, and there isn't any sliding, slippage or colour-loss as the day goes on. I only need to reapply after eating or drinking, which is quite impressive.

These lipglosses cost me £7.50 each, and they were originally £13, which is a complete bargain! I definitely do not regret buying these lipglosses, I have worn them everyday since I bought them, which is amazing since I have never been a big lipgloss kind of person. I even wear them on my own in the house whilst doing housework - they make me feel sexy, girly and sophisticated even when I'm wearing a plain old t-shirt and jeans!
I do think at full price, £13 is a little bit expensive, but in my opinion the products are worth every penny. The consistency is lovely, they are long-lasting, they are moisturising, pigmentation is wonderful, and the packaging is gorgeous as ever! So yes, I would repurchase even at full price.

Have any of you tried Illamasqua Sheer Lipglosses, and if so are you as much of a fan as me? I want to try some of the Intense Lipglosses, the shades look amazing!

Revlon 'Super Lustrous' Lipstick in 'Black Cherry'.

So normally, I never wear lipstick that isn't nude-ish. I don't like the idea of drawing attention to myself, and making myself stand out.
However, I'm quite pale, and whilst everyone is getting their tan on, I seem to be going a strange shade of white/pink which now makes all the nude colours look a bit weird on me. I thought that maybe going for a more obvious lip-colour would maybe make me look a little bit more human-like.
This is why Revlon 'Super Lustrous' lipstick in 'Black Cherry' has found it's way into my lipstick collection. It is a massive change from the more toned-down shades pinky-brown shades I would normally go for, and it's scary! I have chucked myself right in at the deep end, and I haven't evem worn it outside the house yet! I've hoovered in it just to wean myself into it. It just feels so weird wearing something so dramatic!

However, I do think it is an amazing colour, I really love it. It is very vampy, gothic, glamorous and quite sexy. Because I'm as white as a sheet, I think it contrasts very well. If I were to wear it out (heaven forbid) I would probably tone down my eye-makeup and make it more natural. I have always stuck by the motto of dramatic eyes + neutral lips, dramatic lips - neutral eyes. There are some people who can get away with both dramatic eyes and lips, but most people just look a mess.

I would say this lipstick is such a pain to apply, purely because it is so obvious if you go wrong (as you can probably see from the photos, I am not the neatest or most patient person in the world!). If I had better control of my hand then I wouldn't have had so much trouble! So this is no fault of the lipstick, it's just my cack-handedness!
The coverage of the lipstick doeesn't seem to be consistent, and some areas are quite dark compared to other areas. It isn't quite so noticeable from the photos, but I did notice when applying it that one patch of the lip would be near enough black whilst the rest was a little lighter. I had exfoliated my lips thoroughly beforehand, so I'm pretty sure it wasn't that! It's not a massive problem and it probably won't stop me wearing it, I just have to make sure that the colour is the same over all the lip.
I can't talk about the longevity of the lipstick, because I have only worn it for a couple of hours and haven't got the guts to test it out for a whole day yet, because this will mean going out whilst wearing it! Maybe once I get a bit more confidence then maybe I will!
It is a creme texture, which means it does look glossy, so if you're looking for a matte shade, then this really isn't what to go for! However, you can get around this by dabbing off the excess with a bit of tissue, which does look a little bit more matte.
As with all Revlon lipsticks, I think the packaging is lovely. Simple, practical and classy looking. I love the effect of the black and gold together, I think it gives the impression of a higher-end lipstick rather than a drug store brand! I don't like packaging which is ridiculously over the top, and simplistic packaging is often the most easy on the eye.
This lipstick cost me £7.49, which I think is an extremely good price. You could easily spend double on a MAC lipstick or even more on a higher-end brand. For this price, I don't even mind the fact that the coverage is a little whiffy, it's basically a steal!

Overall, I think this is a gorgeous shade and I think I should try to wear it out and not just hoovering the house!

Barry M 'Lip Paint 101 Marshmallow'.

I have been searching high and low in Boots/Superdrug for the 'right lipstick'. By 'the right lipstick', I mean a nudey-pink, which isn't too dark, isn't too pale, isn't too pink, and isn't too white.
All the nude colours I have bought have been far too orange or dark for me and frankly look disgusting on me, and I have bought so many from Boots and Superdrug, and was considering spending lots of dollar on some MAC/Illamasqua purchases in the hunt for my dream lipstick.

I needed a lipstick that would neuter and tone down the natural colour of my lips, because they are horrendously pigmented, and being really fat, podgy lips, I don't want them to really stand out, I want them to blend into the background. And this little gem was the lipstick to do all these!

I can't actually find this specific lipstick on the Barry M website, but have found a seller on Amazon which sells it and a few other shades that seem to have discontinued.

Upon application, I find that this lipstick goes on the lips better if you dab the lipstick onto your lips, I use my finger. If you apply it like a normal lipstick it looks too cakey and not natural, and a bit trampy.
I love the packaging, it doesn't seem like a cheap-end lipstick at all! The little matte outer case makes it look a lot more expensive than it is, and the gold logo on the end just adds to that more luxe feel. I'm a sucker for good packaging, and this really ticks all my boxes!
The lipstick pretty much lasts all day. I'm working 8.15-5-45 in a seriously hectic hospital at the moment, so I don't have time for touch-ups and it's essential that the lipstick stays where it's meant to, which is exactly what this little lipstick gem does!
Now onto the price. It cost me an incredible £4.49, which is exactly 56p more than a Boots 'Meal Deal'. What I'm trying to say is that this lipstick is incredible value for money, and it's a fantastic quality for a cheaper drugstore brand.

So,to conclude, I have found 'the right lipstick', and after being immensely impressed, I want to and need to buy all the Barry M 'Lip Paints', even the green one (or maybe not!).

Blistex 'Intensive Moisture'.

You know your lips are in a pretty bad way when Vaseline, Figs and Rouge balm, a Eucerin cream and steriod cream do absolutely nothing to combat soreness, redness and irritation on your lips.
After enduring a long shift at work continuously licking my lips (that sounds so creepy) because they were burning up so bad and looking horrendous, I thought I had better do something about it.
So I popped into Boots to see if there was anything they could provide that would make my lips any better. And then I saw the Blistex 'Intensive Moisturiser'. I had heard so many great things about this product, and since other opinion's mean a hell of a lot to me, I bought it.

It is UH-MAY-ZING. It smells really minty (and quite delicious. I have, so far, not tasted it despite the delicious smell, but I may not be able to resist in the future).
It instantly soothed my sore and burny lips, and provided immediate hydration. Which lasted ages. Normally, I find stuff like Vaseline is quite superficial, and doesn't moisturise as deeply as I would like it too, and after it's gone from my lips, the condition of my lips hasn't improved. It just sits on top of the lip and doesn't penetrate, whereas with the Blistex, it moisturises much deeper and therefore the hydrating effects last longer, and my lips felt so much better for it.
Because it was such a better moisturiser than other lip products I've tried, there was no need to constantly keep re-applying it, which makes it last longer and also isn't such a pain in the bottom.
When I put it on overnight, my lips were baby-soft the next day, without any peeling, crusting or redness. Win!

It has an SPF. Imagine my absolute joy! It's only SPF 10, but it's better than nothing, which is the SPF most lip products contain! It is all very well slapping SPF all over my skin, but if my lips aren't protected from those pesky little sun-rays, then what is the point in living?

Another plus point is the fact that it doesn't make lips look greasy/slick like other intensive lip products would (Vaseline I am looking at you). They definitely looked moisturised, but very much a natural finish. I wouldn't say matte, but just a nice natural, smooth finish.

I also like the fact it is in a tube, it's so hygenic! Vaseline pots (in my opinion) are alive with bugs, germs and other nasty things that don't belong in Vaseline pots, because you put your fingers in it! Oh, and don't forget that person who always asks you if you can use your Vaseline and they haven't washed their hands (one of my pet peeves, sorry).
As well as being hygenic, I find it better to apply. With a tube with a wee applicator on the end, you're not wondering where about to wipe the greasy Vaseline-covered finger you used to apply the Vaseline to your lips.
Although I would say that tube is a little too small for my liking. Saying that, it is the perfect pocket-size. But I just think that it would be better if it was a little bigger.

The only con is that it is white, and does leave a white cast. You can get round this by either appling it at night for overnight hydration and use whatever lip-product throughout the day, or if you want to use it during the day use it every sparingly and apply in front of a mirror!

It was £2.49 for 5g, which I thought was a pretty good price for a product that conditions lips so brilliantly, and, if used sparingly for when your lips really needed it, will last a while.
I've had mine for about two weeks now, and although it probably won't last as long as a tub of Vaseline or a lip-balm in a wee tub, I still have loads left so I foresee a tube lasting about a month. And one a month won't exactly break the bank now, will it?

I will definitely repurchase this product. It really worked at getting rid of my nasty-chapped-and-sore lips and turning them into the most baby-soft little pout, contained an SPF which should be mandatory for everything and smelt lovely, making it a joy to apply. I just love it.

Figs and Rouge Balm in 'Sweet Geranium'.

This is one of the little goodies that came in my December Feel Unique box!
I have not ever used any products from this company before, and probably never would have ever thought to get anything from them! However, this is the reasons why I got on the beauty box bandwagon, you get to try new things you perhaps never would have thought of trying before.

On further research, I found the brand tout itself as being one the the brands that Emma Watson loves, which really intrigued me. I went through a stage of wanting to be Emma Watson (I loved her face, style, hair, everything), and she was (and maybe still is) one of my idols. Just because of this celebrity endorsement I fell in love with this brand (easily swayed me!) and have decided that I must buy their products!

I got the 'Sweet Geranium' balm (click to see the full product details), and I do have to admit it does smell a wee bit strong! It is probably not for those who like subtle/no fragrance, because the smell is quite full-on floral. Mind you, I didn't really like the smell at first, but it really has grown on me.
I haven't had chance to smell the other balms as this is the first time I've had one of Figs and Rouge's products, so I'm wondering if the other ones have the same strong fragrance.

And the tin...oh it's adorable! So cute and adorably kitsch! It's definitely more luxe than pulling a bashed and dented tin of Vaseline covered in fluff from your handbag! The detailing seems quite 50's to me, but I like it and will make more of an effort of taking it out and moisturising my lips in public.



One thing I will say is that my balm looks to be a little grainy in the tin. I have no idea whether it's just my tin of balm or the way it's meant to be but I did get a little confused when I noticed the grainy looking texture. It's certainly not grainy on application, and therefore I have no complaints.

I do like the fact it's 100% organic and multi-use for the 'lips, face, hand and body', which does make it more useful. I have been using on my lips which have been baby-soft all throughout Christmas. I've also been using it on my nose, because my nose tends to get sore and raw over the winter months due to the excessive rubbing and sneezing and runny noses, and it does soothe the redness/soreness and moisturise.

So overall, it's a strong-smelling tin of wonderfulness!
I really do like it and do want to purchase more from Figs and Rouge. Maybe the 'Peppermint and Teatree' balm or the 'Pomegranate'? I dunno, we'll have to wait and see!

Did anybody get any other balm variations in their December Feel Unique box?