Headline Colours

So I just subscribed to Love Me Beauty box (used to be Beauteco Box) last month using a voucher code from Miss Budget Beauty (heart), and got two extra products with my first box. 

Btw, I'm totally proud of myself for the way I convinced my hubby getting the box would be a good idea. It went something like, "But honey, I'm going to want to buy new stuff all the time anyway, see, but this way it's guaranteed to only cost £10 per month plus shipping! And I'll get loads of full sized stuff, not just samples, and easy cool high end stuff I wouldn't otherwise get my hands on. Yeah, it'll save even more money because I will get to try lots of stuff and not have to buy things I won't like. And... AND, if I sign up for a whole year, it'll cost LESS than £10 with shipping! Isn't that awesome?"

Anyway, one of the extras was a full sized bottle of the newly international nail polish/varnish brand, Headline Colors, in the colour Glamour. Although I find the premise of the brand appealing, my overall feelings are mixed.

Glamour is the gold shade in the spring/summer 2013 collection (the brand differentiates itself by only releasing new colours in small limited edition collections inspired by runway trends), and I think I'm in love. 

Pick some up!

This is the best representation of a metallic I've ever seen. The yellow hue is the closest to real gold, and they don't use a glitter, it's a pearl! Probably due to my typically contrary nature, I'm not a huge fan of sparkly things. Look at my wedding ring to see what I mean.

If you don't understand why I think this is so special, ponder this: when was the last time you saw gold sparkle? Probably never, unless it was cut worth facets to resemble jewels, but that's another thing. Last time I looked, my gold pieces shined, glowed, maybe even shimmered. The pearl finish of this polish absolutely shines without the gaudy sparkle, and with a good coat of Seche Vite the stuff really looks like molten gold poured on my nails Game of Thrones style, without all the tacky screaming and death. 

It lasts an average amount of time on my nails without chipping badly. (I don't like to say exactly how long because I never seem to get as much wear out of polishes that other people claim, not even in the best ones) I just wish they would do something about their packaging and the UK pricing. I think they source their packaging from the same place Hello Kitty does, and at £9 this brand costs more than both Essie and Sally Hanson. I'm just not sure it's worth it. 

My judgement? Pounce if you can get a deal or you have the money to burn. Otherwise I think Butter London is just as fashion forward and 3 free, but without the gimmicky runway thing. I think there's a reason why nail colours have their own trends; One of the other colours in this collection is a gunmetal grey. For spring and summer. Really?

The Hunt: Clinique Anti-Blemish Solution

Formulation: liquid
Shade: 04 Fresh Vanilla
Coverage: light to medium
Special features: contains Salicylic acid for treatment of blemishes

Initial impressions: It does the job without breaking me out more, has a demi-matte texture and looks fairly natural. I was, however, disappointed by the lack of lighter warm toned shades. Shade 04 is the darkest shade I could go with but leaves me looking somewhat ashey.

Wear: Overall the wear is average but oils may soak through after a few hours, so you'll want to have something around to blot with.

Other products used: Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot, Collection Pressed Powder, Seventeen Miracle Matte Concealer Crayon, Collection Illuminating Touch, MUA Correct & Prime, Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base

Favourite method of application: I prefer a stippling or duo-fibre brush. Applying it too heavily can lead to cakiness and finger or sponge application can be hard to blend evenly. Sponges (because you always dampen your sponge, right?) also have the tendency to dilute it quite seriously.

Final opinion: This foundation accentuates dryness, so I think it's formulated with oily skin in mind. It doesn't build very well; if you have a lot of redness, you'll want to use additional products to achieve a more even skin tone. It also tends to make powders look cakey, especially when you first apply it in the morning. Avoid heavy-handedness, and don't apply your makeup just before you walk out the door.

Length of use: 5 months


Who should use this: Definitely oily girls with spot/acne problems. Us combination and dry skin girls should probably avoid.

<3

Love Me Beauty - October 2013

There's still a little bit left in the month, so despite my camera and time issues, I wanted to show you this month's Love Me Beauty box. I went with menu 2 even though I wasn't really sold on this month's offering.

Before I go on, however, I should mention the letter subscribers received recently. In it, Love Me Beauty responded to customer complaints saying, "It has come to our attention that some products dispatched in our October box from our long term partner's Lord & Berry have not met the high standards set by Lord & Berry and ourselves." As "a gesture of goodwill and apology", they've promised a full sized Lord & Berry lipstick in next month's box. 

Now this is only my third box from Love Me Beauty, but I can say that I've always liked the majority of their products, and I've been reading reviews on them for some time and it's nearly always positive. It's unfortunate they didn't notice the problem before shipping, but I admire them for responding so quickly, publicly, and personally.

I'm also new to Lord & Berry, having been introduced to them in my first box. Sadly, I don't have high praise for what I know of their products, so I wasn't surprised by my own reception of the pencil and mascara. However, I did a little googling and I found that aside from the obvious manufacturing fault that many (but not myself) found, the reviews were mixed, even contradictory. 

So I still don't think we should all condemn Lord & Berry at this point. Aside from the fact they are giving us a free product in return, the problem could simply be an easy to remediate supplier issue; these things happen. Let's just wait and see.

Lord & Berry Smudge Proof Eyeliner in Smoke: I couldn't recommend this product to anyone in good conscience. No, I didn't find the manufacturing fault, but I did find the quality of the pencil to be rather inferior. It was streaky and dragged even on the back of my hand. I also found it nearly impossible to get a decent colour payoff on my eyelid. That said, I've read at least one review in which is was described as "creamy", so it's entirely probable that more than one manufacturing fault was present in what went out in the boxes.

Lord & Berry Scuba Mascara in Black: I've only tried a couple waterproof mascaras, but this is the only one that felt like rubbing waxy chalk into my eyelids. It was absolutely dry as a bone, and I don't think I could bring myself to try it more than the once.

Balm Balm Detox Bath & Shower: What a lovely combination of essential oils! Just sniffing it brings a smile to my face. I'm saving this one for a Grumpy bath day.

Weleda Millet Nourishing Shampoo: Now, I don't normally shampoo my hair, but I put it up with a lot of hairspray recently, and my cleansing conditioner didn't remove it, so I was willing to try this out. It left me very confused. There was no lather, even when I added more, and no indication on the packaging that it shouldn't, and I didn't feel like it cleaned my hair much at all. Ouch.

Amie Morning Dew Matte-Finish Moisturiser: This is a very light moisturiser, with a very delicate fragrance. I absorbs quickly, and does leave the skin looking matte, but I felt like it left a kind of film on my skin. I'll be trying it more than just the once, though.

 

Have you tried any of these products before? What do you think of them?

<3

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The Hunt: L'Oréal Magique CC cream

Sticky-Tac rules.

Formulation: Liquid with smart pigment capsules
Shade: Anti-redness
Coverage: Medium

Special Features: Anti-redness & smart pigment capsules


Initial impressions: This was one of the first bases I purchased at the beginning of the summer. It was cheap, easy, and had anti-redness coverage. It didn't set me off right away as looking unnatural, although the colour seemed slightly off. It has a dewy reflection on my dry-combo skin.

Wear: Below average: doesn't stick to oily spots and runs at the merest hint of moisture.

Other products used: Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot

Favourite method of application: Fingers, definitely. You can buff it in at the end, but the formula is so liquid-y that it applies with fingers about as well as it could. Just watch out for some streakiness.

Final opinion: After the initial phase of necessity, I began using it for the gym and when I needed a quick trip to the shops. It's alright for that, but to be honest, there are better and equally cheap BB creams for this. I don't think it covers redness any better than a base with basic medium-full coverage, either. It also accentuates roughness in the skin and has an orangey hue. If you have very normal skin, maintain a relatively dark fake tan year round and don't plan on wearing it for more than a few hours, you might find this useful. But honestly, I don't think I would recommend this to anyone over other BB creams. Sad face.

Length of use: 5 months