Lime Crime Velvetine Dupe

I love lipstick, I rarely go a day without putting one on but I hate have to reapply throughout the day, so if I can find a lip product that lasts for ages and helps me spend less time reapplying then I need to have it.

Most of the lip products I have are either lip stains or matte lipsticks, I hate glosses, they always wear off and I always seem to wear them on the windiest days ever which results in my hair always getting stuck in a big glossy mess.

The whole point of this post really is to prove that you don’t need to always go for the brand names. I’m an absolute sucker for thinking that just because it’s a big brand or that I’ve seen someone famous wear it or have been told this is the IT product ,that I must have it.  I’m going to tell you a little bit about each product I’ve tested and then about what I thought of them. I suppose we can call this a Dupe post as well as the two Velvet Lipsticks are very similar.

Makeup Revolution (Right) Lime Crime (Left)

Firstly we have Lime Crime; I had heard of Lime Crime Velvetines from watching some of my favourite YouTubers and had heard really good things about them. Unfortunately we can’t get them here in Ireland so when I was over in London for IMATS I picked up two of them in Suede-Berry and Black Velvet, I think they cost about £10 each if my brain remembers correctly. I’ll be talking about Black Velvet in a future Halloween post so keep your eyes peeled for that one (yes it is a black lipstick, the inner Goth made me buy it). Suede-Berry is a lovely coral red, that goes on like a liquid and dries into a matte texture, and it also smells a bit like Werthers Originals, one of my favourite old lady sweets! These can be ordered from https://www.love-makeup.co.uk/ and cost £13.50 from their site or you can go to the Lime Crime website where they will cost $20.00. http://limecrime.com/

Suede-Berry 

The Makeup Revolution Salvation Velvet Lacquer in Keep Trying for You came from my first order from the company. What made me buy this was that it reminded me of the Lime Crime Velvetine so I bought it to compare them. These lip lacquers are only £3.00 which is an amazing price. The colour is a bright red that has some orange tones in it, it’s not the typical red I would usually go for but it is quiet nice on my lips. While Lime Crime goes on like a liquid the lacquer went on slightly creamier a lot like the same formula as the Bourjois Velvet Rouge Edition lipsticks.

Keep Trying For You

I wore each product on separate days, I did this when I was in work as each day is pretty much the exact same and noted what my lips where like before I had my coffee, my breakfast and my lunch and noted what they looked like after. I applied the lipstick once in the morning; they wore off slightly after each meal around where the lips meet but when I wet the lips and run my finger around them the colour distributed enough that it made it even again. Neither of them are drying which is important in a matte product, they just felt like my normal lips. By the end of work and after more than 8 hours wear the product had worn of pretty much completely on both lips, leaving just a slight stain of colour.

After taking a good look at both products they are basically the same apart from one being more liquid than the other on application. The Makeup Revolution Salvation Velvet Lacquer is definitely a dupe for the Lime Crime Velvetines, You save £10.50 by buying the Salvation Velvet Lacquers and I will be getting so much more of them, especially as I’ve seen Makeup Revolution stands popping up in Irish Superdrug stores so it’s going to be easier than ever to get my hands on them!

In future I’m going to go for more budget friendly products but as I do like my Dupe posts I might just have to get the odd high-end/more expensive products to test out for you guys.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

August Beauty Box -Glossybox & Chic Treat Club

Last month I decided to give up my Glossybox subscription, I just wasn’t happy with any of the products I was receiving, especially compared to what I had been receiving in my Chic Treat Club boxes. I obviously left it too late to cancel for the August box because I received one in the post this week.

As usual I wasn’t blown away by it, but it did have one or two things that I will use. It was Glossybox’s 3rd birthday this month and to celebrate they had six items in the box, with 4 full size items and 2 deluxe sized samples.

Kryolan Highlighter – Full Size 4.5g RRP £12.50

This was specially made for Glossybox. The packaging comes with the Glossybox logo on a black lid. The colour is cashmere and is a creamy pink highlight. I haven’t tried it yet, but swatching it on my hand it looks like a very subtle sheer highlight.

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer – Deluxe Sample Size 40ml £15.20. Full Size 250ml RRP £38.00

This is a “intensve, super-conditioning pre-shampoo treatment for all hair types and adds elasticity, manageability, bounce and shine”. From the reviews this is a Holy Grail product so I’m excited to try this one out, I don’t have too much body to my hair so anything to give it a boost is good in my books. 

Figs & Rouge Rose Berry Hand Cream – Deluxe Sample Size 20ml £1.39. Full Size 80ml £6.95.

I feel like hand creams are like staples in the beauty box world, there always seems to be one in the boxes I get and this time it’s no different. I think I’ve seen this brand in TK Maxx but I don’t think I’ve seen it anywhere else. I haven’t taken the seal off it yet because I’ve so many hand creams open already that I want to keep it.

Pep Cosmeceuticals, SkinPep Hydra Sun Defence SPF30 Day Cream - Full Size 7ml £5.99

I’m really happy to have gotten this in my box, I’m off to Florida next month so having a good SPF that I can wear under my foundation is something I’m really going to need. It’s specially made for wear under foundation and dosent cause any chalkiness.

All That Jazz, Cuticle Balm – Full Size 15ml £11.99

Another product I’m really happy with is this cuticle balm. I got mine in Chocolate Orange, I could sniff it all day it smells just like a Terry’s Chocolate Orange. You’re to apply this twice a day to your cuticles to soften them so I think I’ll be keeping this at my desk in work and do it every day.

I Love Cosmetics, Strawberries & Milkshake Shimmer and Shine Lipgloss – Full Size 15ml £1.29

For me this is the dud of the box, firstly it’s a gloss and I hate glosses, it’s also shimmery and glittery which does nothing for me. I can also find this in any Penneys which is annoying.

The grand total of the August Glossybox is £48.36/€60.73

This month’s Chic Treat Club came with 5 products in it, with some things I’ve tried and some I haven’t. It isn't the best box I've received from Chic Treat Club but the last 3 have been beyond amazing so i'll let them away with it this month as I will use pretty much everything in the box. This months box had 6 items, 4 full size and 2 sample size.

Kiss, Vita-Strength Base & Top Coat – Full Size 13ml €5.07

This isn’t actually included as one of the 3 that you could potentially get in the box. It’s a strengthening base and topcoat that is ideal for dry or brittle nails. The only time my nails are dry or brittle is when I’ve taken off gel nails so I’ll keep for that.

Kubiss London, Face Powder in Sun Bronze – Full Size 12g (3 for €6 in The Cosmetic Outlet)

I got my powder in Sun Bronze, one of 3 different colours available. As a face powder it is way way way to dark for me so I will probably use this as a bronzer or to contour. I don’t entirely love it as it’s a bit on the orange rather than brown side but hopefully it will look ok on the skin. They only give a price of 3 for €6 and I can’t find a price anywhere online for them.

Montagne Jeuness, Brazillian Mud Fabric Mask – Full Size €1.99

I love a good facemask, any excuse really for a pamper session and this one looks like a really nice one and mud ones are my favourite. This is a cloth/mud mask so I’m real interested in how this will work out.

Thalgo, Soft Hydration Emulsion (€7.80) and Marine Shower Gel (€4.50) – Deluxe Sample 30ml

I can’t say I’ve ever heard of the Thalgo brand but it’s always nice to be introduced to something new. The emulsion is very fragrant, it smells very masculine to me but when my mother smelt it she said it was feminine but it reminds me of an aftershave. The little bit I did rub on my arms left them soft so it does work even if the smell is a bit strong for me. The shower gel smells more floral than the emulsion. It’s always handy to have little products like this especially for travelling or the gym so I’m sure I’ll get some use out of them.

Beter, Large All Purpose Brush – Full Size €16.99

This is a new company to Ireland and will be launching next month nationwide. I love how Chic Treat give you these exclusive previews of products that haven’t been released yet. I’ve been looking around for a brush like this for a while so to get it in the box was a real treat, It’s made from syntethic hairs and is super soft. A few hairs did come off but once I wash it I hopefully won’t have that problem.

This months Chic Treat Total came to €38.35

The Glossybox wasn’t the worst box I’ve received from them but I’m still glad I've cancelled my subscription, it was getting a bit expensive to have 2 boxes and compared to Chic Treat Club which are a much smaller company compared to Glossybox I expected much more from them.

I'd definitely recommend Chic Treat Club as a subscription beauty box, you get to see some amazing items that are sold in Ireland and I’ve never been disappointed with a box. I might sound disappointed with this months but I think that is because the last four boxes I’ve received have just been out of this world that receiving a normal box would make it look like just an alright box.

Thanks for reading

Love Sarah xoxo

Barry M Aquarium Nail Collection

I absolutely love Barry M polishes, they always have amazing colours and collections. When I saw these two from the Aquarium Collection I fell instantly in love with them. One is a colour polish and one is a glitter polish and suit each other perfectly. The polish is in Arabian, an amazing 2 toned turquoise colour and the glitter polish in Mermaid, a clear polish with flecks of blue, gold and green.

You’ll need at least two coats of the Arabian so not to see any of the nail bed and I put a few coats of the Mermaid on to get a good amount of the glitter flecks onto the nail as I didn’t want it too sparse looking.

The colour probably goes better with a tan, I think I’m a bit pale but it still works. It didn’t take too long to dry but the Mermaid took a while as I put a lot of product on my nail.

I love these colours they’re probably more suited for the summer so I should only get another month or so out of it.

The collection is still available in boots and it comes in few more colours too. I love how they’re so cheap only €5.99 and the great thing about boots is that they’re currently in a 3 for 2 offer!

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

Crown Brush Blush Palette

I have a few things from Crown Brush UK, I love their brushes and their palettes. I don’t think I’ve bought anything online from them but I do love to pick up brushes and palettes when I see a stand at a beauty show because they’re always that little bit cheaper. When I was in IMATS I picked up a few things from the stand including their 10 colour blush palette which retails normally for £14.99/€18.81 but I think I got mine for around £10-12.

It comes with a range of pinks, peaches and bronze colours in matte and shimmer textures. What’s great about the palette is that it can be used to contour with the darker colours as well as adding some colour to your cheeks with the pinks and peaches.

I use this palette a lot and I’ve used every colour in it. You don’t get too much product from one swipe of your brush to cheek but I think that’s a good thing as you can build it up to the colour you want, I hate when some blushes can leave you looking like Noddy from one swipe of blush.

Palettes like these are great for travelling, they’re sleek enough to fit into any luggage whether you’re going on short or long haul journeys and you don’t need to bulk up your makeup bag with single blushes.

This is definitely worth the price as it works out at £1.49/€1.88 for each blush, there aren’t much companies selling single blushes for that price.

If you want to find out more info on Crown Brush UK just head over to www.crownbrush.ie or www.crownbrush.co.uk.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

Rouge Louboutin

When I first heard that Christian Louboutin was going to bring out a nail polish the same colour as their signature soles I knew I needed to get my hands on it. The closest thing I’ve got to a pair of Louboutins was a pair of oversized fake sparkly ones that I ended up giving away and I know it’s likely that I won’t ever be able to afford a real pair.

When I first heard that the prices of the varnish would be €45 I was in a bit of shock but then figured this will be the closest I will ever get to owning something from Louboutin, luckily for me though I had a voucher for Brown Thomas so it only cost me €20.00 and I feel like I can justify that as it’s is still cheaper than the my YSL varnish.

As soon as I bought it I took it out of the tissue paper it was wrapped in and looking at it for the first time it honestly felt like Christmas for me, it is just so beautiful and huge! It’s designed to look like a heel of one of the Louboutin shoes and it must be from a shoe Lady GaGa would wear because this is super high and the point could literally kill someone. The bottle is glass in an ombre black and red effect and the handle is the pointed “heel”, which is a bit awkward when trying to get a grip on it for application.

It is super red and it is an exact match to the sole of the Louboutin shoes. It applies super easy and only needs one coat, I applied two coats on one or two nails but it didn’t make any more of a difference so I left it at one coat. It also doesn’t chip either, I’ve had it on my nails for nearly a week now and I have no chips what so ever. 

Is it worth €45 I’m not sure, but you do get a lot of product in the bottle, the packaging is so impressive and the formula is pretty amazing so I do think it is worth more than what you would usually pay for a bottle of varnish but I’m glad I didn’t pay €45 for it I would have felt so guilty if I did.

So what do you think, is it worth €45 for a bottle of varnish or not?

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

NeoStrata Bionic Face Cream

In last month’s Chic Treat Club Box it came with a Neostrata Bionic Face Cream. It looked like something I wouldn’t use, I was going to give it to my mam, but when my day cream ran out and I was in a hurry one morning I grabbed it and put it on.

It’s so silky on your skin when you put it on and very moisturising. My foundation looked amazing lasted all day and it made it even more matte than usual. The only thing I did different that day was the new addition of the Neostrata cream so I can only presume that it was the cream that made the difference, my foundation and skin have never looked better since I started using it.

The only thing is that looking at the website it says that you’re not supposed to use it with foundation, it says it’s a night cream and it’s for dry skin. I have used it once at night and it is good but not as moisturising as my current Nivea night cream and I have the oiliest skin ever and it probably made my skin even more matte in combination with my foundation.

The cream costs €42.62, which I probably wouldn’t buy if I saw it in the shops but I’m happy it came across my lap in the Chic Treat Club July Box.

I’m going to keep using it even though I’m doing everything it says I shouldn’t! I’ll be heading to the states in September so I’ll buy a new day cream there, but until then I’ll keep using the cream because it’s working for me better than any other cream has.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

Revlon Colorstay Foundation Review

As a girl with oily/combination skin it can be very hard to find the perfect foundation that will stay on for hours and not leave me looking like one an oil slick.

For years I swore by MAC Pro Longwear, I still do use it but I’ve been finding my hand has been reaching for my Revlon Colourstay foundation more and more since I bought it. They sell it for both oily/combination skin and normal skin.

It is a heavier coverage than my MAC Pro Longwear but it still looks natural and keeps my skin matte for longer which is what I’m looking for.

When I first bought it I got it in Sand Beige which is now slightly too dark for me, if you buy MAC foundation it is equal to NW20. I seem to be getting paler each month and the next time I bought it I had to buy it in Buff which is the equivalent to MAC NW15, it matches my skin perfectly.

Full coverage yet still gives a natural look

The primer I wear does make a difference, I have a few that I go between some make me less matte then the others, the one that works best is the Bourjois Happy Light Matte Serum Primer. In the pictures I used Fuchsia Face Primer which I was testing out and I don’t think I had to powder my face once which for a  girl with oily skin is unheard of.

Applying the foundation is a bit difficult because you have to try get it out of the bottle and it can be a bit like banging the end of a ketchup bottle, sometimes it just won’t come out, which is the most annoying thing about the foundation. I heard you can buy a pump from Nars that fits it perfectly, I just haven’t managed to get my hands on one yet. Once I get it on to the back of my hand, I use my Sigma F80 flat top kabuki brush and just keep buffing it into my skin, for a few minutes. The result of all that buffing is a super smooth application, which gives you amazingly flawless skin.

The foundation says it lasts 24hrs on the bottle, seriously who wears their foundation for 24 hours their skin must be in bits, but it does last all day and on a good day I’ll only have to powder my face once or twice, which is a big thumbs up from me!

I have a few foundations in my makeup collection but this one seems to be the most reliable for it – it matches my skin colour, gives me a natural look even though it’s a heavier coverage, its long wearing and finally keeps me looking matte all day.

The foundation is available in Boots for €17.80, and you can purchase it in all good pharmacies.

If you know of any other matte looking foundations that work great for oily skin let me know, just leave a comment below.

Before - Right, Aftet -Left

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah