REVIEW and SWATCHES : Models fruit pastel collection

Hello my lovelies , im back after a long hiatus and for good this time (yay)! AS its been quite some time since i last blogged i thought id ease myself into it by doing a nice easy nail polish review.

I've always been a big fan of Models Own nail polishes, their stand always seems to catch my eye when im on the hunt for a new nail polish. Their stand is fully of eye-catching girlyness -pastel shades ,neons ,and a truck load of glitter and sparkle-whats not to love. For the summer months i love rocking pastel nails and this collection really caught my eye .

(photo courtesy of shesaidbeauty.com)

These  come in a range of 5 pastel shades along with a different fruity scent to match the shade. Unfortunately for me i was only able to  get my greedy little paws on 3 of the shades for you as the rest had sold out boooooo!!!!


Banana Split is a light creamy lemon colour . I haven't seen many shades like this on the high street so i couldn't wait to try it out. Unfortunately the formula was quite disappointing , on first coat the application was streaky and uneven and it took a good 3-4 coats to get an even coat. It has a light banana scent.

Strawberry Tart is a light milky pink shade. Its one of my favorite shades i own as i have nothing like it in my collection. The formula was slightly better but again it took around 3 coats to get an even application. The scent is lovely and smells like strawberry sweets :)

Blueberry Muffin is a light sky blue .The formula was similar to strawberry split and took around 3 coats for an even coat. The scent is a light blueberry fragrance but i wouldn't say it smells like blueberry muffins.



The 2 shades that i'm missing are called Grape Juice - a lovely light lilac ,and Apple Pie - a light mint green shade.



Even though the formula has issues i still really love this collection as the colours are so pretty and there's not many like this on the high street . The scent is a bit of a gimmick i grant you but its a bit of fun. Although i did notice that once a top coat is applied you can no longer smell the scent ,so i would recommend using a good base coat to ensure your nails last longer.

Models Own Fruit Pastel Collection is available from many online retailers as-well as the model own website.
In the UK they are also available in Boots and have recently launched in Superdrug stores.

Where have i been?

Hey guys, sorry I've been AWOL but I've been busy in my real non blogging life and things are just starting to settle down. A few things in my private life haven't been going so well . But on the brighter side I've recently become an auntie again for the second time -a gorgeous little boy called Jayden he's absolutely gorgeous . Unfortunately he was born prematurely and has been very poorly and been in and out of hospital and but he's getting their slowly .

As things have slowed down ill be back to normal with my blogging and will have a few reviews up soon for you all ,sorry for not being in touch ,next time I'm away for a length of time ill be sure to let you all know .

Xx

MUA: power pout lip tint and balm

Mua have just announced an exciting new product in the form of these lovely lip crayons which are a tint and balm in one. The first thing you'll notice is the similarities to Clarins Chubby Sticks but at a fraction of the price. I've had my eyes on the chubby sticks for a while but have never got round to purchasing and now I'm actually quite pleased I didn't now that this much more affordable option will be available soon.

There will be 6 shades available at launch ,all of which are lovely complimentary shades so there's bound to be one for all of you out there and at only £3 I'll be snapping all of them up .


Power pout will be launching in Superdrug stores from 10th April .They available NOW from the mua store - Link

Which shade is your fav? Xx


(Pictures taken from Mua Facebook page)

LOREAL: telescopic carbon black mascara: REVIEW

Mascara along with foundation are the products i buy most often. I am always on the look out for a new amazing mascara that will give me long full lashes that unfortunately I am not blessed with naturally so i have no other option but to  fake it. I have heard great thing about the telescopic mascara and decided to give it a go . I didn't know how expansive the range of telescopic mascaras were, not only are there the original and waterproof versions but a few other versions as well . I obviously have chosen the carbon black version hoping for some jet black lashes .

The packaging a long tapered tube in the shape of a telescope ;p clever huh? They have kept the colouring very classic with a glossy black finish and gold writing. Minimalistic but effective, it doesn't look cheap or tacky  which many a mascara packaging have fallen short of.

On opening you are presented with a longer than expected wand topped with a plastic applicator. The applicator is a plastic comb,which might not be everyone's cup of tea as i know many people are fans of bristle wands. The combs,bristles are short and packed together which means there is never excess product on the bristles like many other mascaras. The small ,thin wand means you are able to coat each and every lash ,even into the corners. Its also very easy to apply to your lower lashes because the brush isn't too big or clumsy to handle.

The mascara claims to lengthen,not volumize your lashes and the brush reflects that. It creates long ,separated and defined lashes  without any clumping or smudging. A great mascara for a daytime or no make-up look . this creates defined natural looking lashes .

 I found the mascara lasted well throughout the day ,it didn't flake ,smudge or clump and was easy to remove using my usual cleanser without waking up with the dreaded panda eye in the morning. It delivered on it-s promises giving my stubby little lashes a must need boost . I really love the lengthening effect it gives but some days i wish it was more volumizing but again it doesn't promise that. I often apply this first to lengthen and separate my lashes and then apply a volumizing mascara over it on days i feel big lash deprived. All in all a great little mascara and one i will continue to use.

Loreal telescopic carbon black mascara retails at £10.99 and is available from boots or superdrug.

Have you tried this mascara or others in the telescopic range? Which one was your favourite ? x

MUA :shimmer highlighter :REVIEW

Spring is upon us and for some of you it might be time to whip out your favourite highlighter to give your winter dull complexion a healthy glow . I have a few highlighter's in my collection but i couldn't resist this latest offering from MUA and who could blame me? At only £3 this has to one of the most affordable highlighters on the market and for that alone it is well worth a try.

As some of you may know MUA have been re-packaging some of their older products ,changing from their black and clear topped products to a white version. I personally prefer the new packaging as it looks slightly less cheap. Obviously their packaging is nothing innovative or stylish but it is the product itself that is important.

The first thing you will notice upon opening the packaging is the gorgeous, intricate design which is ingraved into the product which i think adds a little extra something.
The highlighter itself is what i would call a cool-toned pink and actually looks much cooler in person that it photographs. This is the only highlight shade available so this is supposed to be fairly universal. I would personally say this would look best on cool and pale tones as it is quite cool in tone but that is up to personal preference.

heavily swatched

Once applied to the skin its gives a very subtle luminescence to the skin without being overly glittery or metallic looking. This would be a perfect highlighter for those of you like me who prefer a subtle glow rather than being covered in shimmer or glitter. I have some enlarged pores and found that it didnt accentuate those at all so a perfect highlighter for those who may have some slight imperfections or fine lines.




MUA is  £3 and is available nationwide at Superdrug or from the MUA website-link

MUA-PRO BROW EYEBROW KIT- REVIEW

Over the past few months i have had a love for all things brow related. I really love how the right size ,shape and shade of brows can really frame your eyes and bring your whole face together. You maybe remember a while ago that in a Glossybox some lucky people received a HD Brows kit ,as i was one of those lucky people. I fell in love with the palette and how much difference it made to brows,fast forward a few months and my brow palette is no more as it has unfortunately  took a turn for the worst and smashed to pieces :( So  looking at the HD Brows website and coming to the realisation that the hefty £20 price tag is too much,  I didn't really know if i could justify paying that price so I went on the hunt for a cheaper alternative ......cue the MUA pro-brow ultimate eyebrow kit.

 The packaging is a really sturdy ,sleek black case which opens up to a decent sized mirror which is big enough to check up and groom your brows on the go.The case seems well designed and strong enough to hold up in the depths of your handbag without worrying about it falling apart . Inside the kit contains 4 eyebrow grooming products- 2 eyebrow powders, then a lighter  powder- a highlight shade and a clear gel to set your eyebrows into position. As-well as those the kit also contains a tiny set of tweezers and an angled eyebrow brush.

There is currently only one shade fits all,so the kit is designed to fit all brow shades ,so you may need to mix shades until you find your perfect shade. The lightest shade which they say is the highlight is way too dark for my pale skin to be used as a highlight but I think it could be used for a neutral eye-shadow shade or a light eyebrow shade for those with lovely light locks .The powders are well pigmented and the darkest shade on its own is a good match for my brows although it has a slightly reddish tone but nothing too bad. All 3 powders are very soft and easy to use and much to my surprise I experienced little to no fall out once I applied it. The setting gel , I must admit I'm really not to keen on as I find it gives my eyebrows a slight sheen which I feel looks slightly unnatural but each to their own.

Inside the pallette

The tweezers although a little blunt are workable and are able to pick stray hair or two ,and to be honest i've tried worst ! They are perfect for on the go and a great little addition to the kit. The angled brush is great considering it comes with the palette. the bristles are firm enough and small enough to get the precision you need in the eyebrow area and enable you to create the shape you desire.

the tweezers and angled brush 

Admittedly the MUA kit does not live up to the HD brow kit in terms of lasting power,as i find it fades at around the 8 hour mark and then i might have to do a little top up but only on the slightly oiler parts of my forehead/brow area ,so maybe those with dry skin may not even need to top up. I also wish they had more shades in the range to cater for all tones not just colour,with cool tones as-well as warm but you never know this maybe already in the works as MUA often update their ranges after launch. Otherwise i think the MUA kit is a great little buy and definitely exceeds their £3.50 price tag , definitely one worth giving a go.

The Mua Pro-brow kit is priced £3.50 and is available in Superdrug stores as well as at the MUA website

I'd love to hear what you think about this little kit? Is eyebrow grooming a beauty essential in your daily routine or do you only groom your brows for events or nights out?

thanks for reading x

Review : Cover and go duo foundation and concealer

The blurb: Cover and go  foundation and concealer duo for girls on the go!The perfect handbag essential!With its dual pack technology this duo combines  a liquid foundation to give you a flawless glow with cream concealer in the lid to cover dark circles.


















Collection is one of those companies which are either hit or miss. One of their biggest hits being their lasting perfection concealer,  which I'm a big fan of . While their  matching foundation in the lasting perfection range  is a fail surprisingly . 

cover and go duo

Their latest offering comes in the form of this foundation and concealer duo. This is the first duo type base product I have seen available on the high street so I was very excited to give this a go. The product comes in a screw top squeezable tube which is great for girls on the go. In the cap contains a lovely little surprise with a concealer and mirror hidden inside. I thought it was a nice little gimmick but admittedly the mirror won't be much use at all as its so tiny so there's really no point in having one there in my view. There are 6 shades in the range,ranging from ivory to dark. The tube contains 35ml of product for £5.99.

screw cap

The formula itself is very thick and creamy, I would say its consistency is on par with a thick cream foundation. Because of the consistency I thought it would provide quite a good coverage but i would say the coverage is light-medium. When first applied i found it to be quite thick and sticky feeling but once blended that seemed to subside slightly.  I initially tried to blend this in with my Real Techniques buffing brush but found that it left a streaky finish so instead had to opt for my good old fingers which took a bit of work to get the finish I wanted.

the thick creamy formula

 The concealer provided in the cap is the exact same shade as the foundation and is lightweight in comparison. Unfortunately for me it didn't  provide the coverage I had hoped or expected . It did little to nothing to cover my blemishes or under-eye area.

the concealer and mirror provided in the cap

I found the overall finish to be quite greasy looking( that must be the 'glow' they were talking about :S)  which obviously isn't a look I go for ( or anyone else for that matter ) ,so I had to mattify with a powder. Once powdered it looked presentable but i found the product started to slip and melt after only a few hours which is very disappointing. I have to say this is maybe one of the worst foundations i have ever tried and i have amassed quite a few over the years. I will definitely not be repurchasing this any-time soon. 

Obviously everyone has different skin types ,mine being normal/combination .This definitely didn't agree with my skin type but maybe if you have a normal or dry skin type it might work better for you?




Collection Cover and Go is available from superdrug, boots and the collection website. 

What do you think? Have you tried this foundation what were your experiences? 

xx

My February beauty favourites

Well its now hit March already! I don't know about you but i feel like this year is already speeding by,please slow down!! Since February has flown by  I decided that I'd like to show you a few of my favourite things from the  last month. There isn't a huge amount but as they say good things come in small packages. Most of my favourites this month are little budget beauties ,the high street has been upping their game recently and I'm really noticing the great quality products available on the high street already this year and I'm looking forward to many more hopefully! As you'll see this month skincare was a winner this month.

First up is Nivea's night cream for normal/combination skin. Having combination skin the idea of putting a thick creamy moisturiser before bed just scared me, the idea of waking up in the morning with a huge breakout just didn't do it for me so i've avoided these like the plague........Cue winter and my skin even though oily in parts has took a turn for the worse especially around my nose .its been pretty dry and flaky and just plain sore. My light day moisturisers just weren't cutting it so i decided to take the plunge and give a night cream a go. I won't go back i can see this definitely being a new beauty essential . I use a tiny amount before bed and my skin in the morning is baby soft and the dryness/flakiness has all but disappeared.

  Another skincare favourite this month was from La Roche Posay in the form of their Effaclar Duo . I have been using this for a few months now and after about 2 months of use i've finally seen some noticeable results. persistence really does pay off with this product , I had terrible redness and breakouts ,more so on my chin and i've seen a vast improvement since i've been using this. I can honestly say i will never stop using this. If you would like to see a review of this product ,comment below :)

Another beauty staple for me and I'm sure everyone else and their mother out there, is Collection'sLasting Perfection Concealer . I always try out new concealers but i always return to this little bad boy. The coverage and lasting power is just unbeatable and rivals even some high end brands,not to mention the afforable price as well.

Collection's pressed powder was a new find for me this month , pipping the post to even my favoured stay matte powder. I have reviewed this so if you'd like to know more about this then pop over HERE

Rimmels Match Perfection has been a firm favourite for me this month , i have two shades i vary between the  ivory (when i have a tan lol ) and the porcelain  The porcelain is a great match to my very pale skin and the formula is light weight and blend-able . Great for both winter and summer alike , i can see me using this in the summer as it's so light on the skin.

 The Fab Pore hot cloth cleanser is amazing! It has a fresh scent and leaves my face feeling clean and refreshed. My skin never feels tight after using this and i've noticed a noticeable difference in my pores since using this.


Hair design studio's Argan Gold is a completely new find for me . I was on the hunt in my local town for the higher end version of Argan oil but didn't have any luck . Not only have I saved my self some pennies but my hair felt amazing after just one use. Full review to follow soon.

 Last favourite of Febuary is my favourite scent. I got Diesel 's Loverdose as a valentines gift from my boyfriend and i haven't stopped using it since! It has a lovely sweet scent that also has a hint of spiciness and liquorice. i hope that makes sense, I'm terrible at explaining scents. I also love the bottle which is similar to Vera wangs Princess perfume but its slightly edgier .




So those are my beauty favs from february,what were yours? x 

Review : Collection Pressed Powder

Why hello there ! While on a recent make-up emergency run ( i ran out of face powder) i picked up this little wonder by chance. I usually use Rimmels stay matte powder which is usually raved about by YouTube guru Tanya Burr (love her!) as i find keep me matte all day but while out in my local Boots i noticed they had unfortunately ran out of my shade which happens to be the palest(translucent). I searched Boots high and low for a powder for my oily yet pasty skin and had no luck! Seriously , i think everyone is ghostly white just now ,just about everything in the palest shade was gone!
Sooooo, this was the only powder in my shade available and i was desperate so i thought what the hell i'll just have to use this until they get more in and i'm so glad i tried it!

(Apologies for using the press photo but i've just hit pan on my own one and thought this one would look better )



Not only is it half the price of Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder but it has kept my oily t-zone at bay for longer! I'm in love . It also has 9 shades in the range compared to Rimmels' which only has 6. When applied it gives a natural matte finish without looking too powdery or feeling dry.I also felt that my make-up stays in place longer when i use this. It doesn't oxidise either which is a plus point as i find some pressed powders do once applied over foundation leaving you looking like an oopma loopma. The only slightly negative thing i can say about this product is that it does a slight floral scent when applied but that soon diminishes after a while but may be annoying for those of you who do not like scented products .

Pros

• good value for money at only £1.99 
• provides a good amount of coverage for a setting powder
• contains skin benefiting ingredients such as vitamin e and UVA and UVB sunscreens.
• 9 shades available
• widely available nationwide
• keeps shine at bay for at least 6 hours
• Great shades for pale skin-mid toned skin
• doesn't oxidise

Cons

• has a slight floral scent
• no shade for deeper skin tones.

Overall thoughts

A great little find, perfect for those who have oily or combination skin or those who need a little extra coverage . Great Value for money and i will now be using this in place of Rimmel's Stay Matte powder. 

Collection pressed powder is available from Boots and Superdrug stores aswell as some supermarkets.

You can also buy from the Collection website and view their range :here

Have you tried this powder from collection?What were your thoughts? 

Which mattifying powders do you recommend?

thanks for reading x

Little Intro :)

Hi everyone!!!,

and welcome to Redlippedrebel, a beauty and lifestyle blog, where I aim to share my new,views and reviews on anything beauty related.

I've been debating for some time now about taking the plunge and actually start writing a beauty blog but its only recently i decided i better take the bull by those sharp pointy horns and get started because its either now or never :)

I'm known to everyone as Gemma , I'm 25 (soon 26) andq huge  beauty freak! I live and breathe it and have become quite an addict . I also love baking ,fashion ,hair and I'm  a HUGE book reader. I'm quite a bubbly outgoing person and rather opinionated so i though what better than forcing my opinions on beauty related matters on to all of you :p?!?!

 I want to keep this quite short and sweet so I don't bore the hell out of you all , but i just wanted to say hi, so feel free to say hi back and share all your opinions and suggestions with me as I'd really appreciate them :)

I'm really hoping to gain a few followers/readers in the coming months and all going well I will eventually branch out into videos(fingers crossed)

Thats all for now guys n gals and happy reading x

Hello!!!