Ombre Matte Lips ¦ Cailyn Cosmetics

Ombre Matte Lips ¦ Cailyn Cosmetics

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Ombre lips have become an ongoing, increasingly popular trend over the past two years. Being a beauty fanatic, I quite disappointed in myself that I hadn't indulged in this trend sooner as I'm a huge fan of the outcome. I absolutely love the gradient effect as one colour merges into another; bright colours always look incredible. They make your lips pop and give that plumped effect, giving the illusion your lips are bigger than they actually are.

Cailyn Cosmetics are a beauty brand that specialize in cosmetics and skin care. They offer non animal-testing products and the majority do not contain harmful ingredients, like phthalates and petrochemicals. This company derived from the United States and ship internationally. When the people at Cailyn Cosmetics contacted me, I was more than thrilled to receive one of their infamous lip contour kits! Read more to find out how I achieved this ombre lip look and a little insight into the 3 shades...

Bright colours are the 'go' this season so I had no other choice than to opt for the beautiful 'Purple Lilac Trio' from the 8 Blossoms range. Wrapped in a double layer of brand-printed tissue paper, I was excited to see the three different colours and how they complimented each other. Each liquid lipstick is held in a sleek plastic tube with a mirrored lid - the packaging is simplistic which I think gives the brand an appearance of sophistication.

When it comes to the application, the thin doe-foot applicators are easy to use; it took me a while to get used to them, as I had never owned a lipstick/gloss with a flexible wand, but I got the hang of it after a couple of practices. The formula is a huge winner for me! After applying the product, you have to wait 1-2 minutes, which really isn't long at all, for the formula to dry and set. A matte effect is swiftly created, leaving the product feeling secure on the lips. Therefore, the lasting power exceeded my expectations; I have eaten and drank with this lipstick on and nothing moves. Not even a glimpse of purple on the side of my glass. I was impressed that it survived a whole day without budging, although it took a hell of a lot to come off. It took 3-4 cotton pads with cleansing water to take off, which left my lips slightly sore. However, finding a product that lasts on the lips for an entire day without budging is impossible so really, this isn't a negative downfall. 

"High Voltage Colour + Perfectly Matte + Waterproof"

The lightest shade I received was the shade 19 - a blue-toned 'barbie pink' that appears true to the colour in the tube on the lips. This is probably the most wearable of the three shades, if you would prefer to wear them individually for easy, day time use. Although 19 is the lightest shade of the three, the colour is opaque on the lips, only one swipe of product is needed to achieve a single layer. This is such a fun summer shade for those wanting to create a bold look or want to match a vibrant outfit to your makeup. Also, this colour works the best with the lighter purple, as seen in the ombre look above. These two cooperate to form a wearable ombre effect on the lips, without feeling too self conscious.

Out of the trio, this definitely has to be my favourite shade. The deep indigo-purple complements my dark hair and cool complexion. Shade 14 will be perfect for an intense evening look or even to go bold at a festival. This shade is very well-loved already and I know this will be on my lips all summer. Although bright colours are usually a Summer thing, I totally think this can work all seasons!

The darkest shade is this extremely deep purple with navy blue undertones; however, when applied to the lips this can look almost black. All shades are cool-toned so work in favour of one another when applied all together. The purple arises after the formula dries on the lips. If I were to solely wear Shade 16 on its own, I would definitely rock it at a halloween party. I think it will look incredible with a dark purple eye and thick lashes. Despite the dark colour, it is not any more difficult to get off than the other colours.

Above are swatches of all the colours mentioned in order. Let me know in the comments which is your favourite. Overall, my ultimate impression is very high. The formula is impressive with its ability to turn matte after 2 minutes - a lot of companies 'catfish' and say their lipsticks are matte but still have that glossy sheen left on the surface. Additionally, I love how the three colours work together - you are able to pair two colours up, wear them individually or all together. Now, I would absolutely love to try one of the nude sets because I'm yet to try a nude lipstick that stays matte for an entire day.

Are you a fan of the ombre lip trend? Which colour of the Purple Lilac Trio was your favourite?!

Lots of love

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This post is in collaboration with Cailyn Cosmetics. However, all opinions are honest and my own.

Brand Focus : Live Love London

Brand Focus : Live Love London

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Over the past few days, I have been thinking about a bringing a series to my blog - one that I know I will be able to manage and keep going every month. Being a huge beauty lover, I thought that I could potentially focus on a brand(s), at least one post a month, and give my honest opinions on all the products I own from them. I'm planning to showcase brands both highly recognised and upcoming, whether it be telling to guys about my favourite highend brand or expressing my love for an afforable brand that not many know about. Who knows, I might incorporate some fashion brands in the future if this goes down well?

The first brand we are going to zoom into is Live Love London - a company that have recently released a new beauty range exclusive to BHS. From haircare to makeup, Live Love London offer it all beauty-wise with affordable prices attached! However, the products that particularly intrigued me were their face palettes and lipsticks. Here is how I got on...

Bronze & Light Palette £6.75

What we have here is one of the most aesthetically pleasing bronze,blush and highlight palettes I've seen on the high street side of the spectrum. Encased in a sleek, black compact, 6 beautiful shimmer shades are arranged. Each shade is extremely diverse - something hard to find in any palette. I find that a lot of companies produce cosmetics that are TOO similar in the same palette, making me question whether it is worth the buy. Also, most shades are EXTREMELY pigmented (the bottom row and the white highlight), although I wouldn't count this as a negative point simply because I prefer blush shades to be sheer. This helps me to apply the shade subtly and not end up turning into a toy doll. 

Top Row (left to right)

~ A peach/coral toned pink with tiny golden glitter particles ~

~ A muted, mauve pink with a metallic sheen ~

~ A pure champagne white enriched with thousands of silver glitter ~

Bottom Row (left to right)

~ A salmon pink layered with a metallic, iridescent glow ~ 

~ A muted, mustard brown with flecks of golden glitter ~ 

~ An intense orange-copper with high metallic overtones ~ 

My personal favourites are two highlighting shades - the white and salmon pink will both look incredible on the cheeks for summer because of their glitter intensity. I just LOVE glitter!!! 

HD Contour Expert Palette £10

Contouring is a huuuuge thing in the beauty world. Therefore, I like to 'jump on the bandwagon' and try things out too. I already own a lot of high end contour products but nothing from the drugstore. I'm only used to working with powder contour, so was thrilled to find out that Live Love London contained 6 powder contour shades for me to work with. The palette is accompanied with a practical mirror and a small guide as to where the shades work best on the face. I am yet to venture into this crazy, intense contour look but I will let you know when I finally pluck up the courage to do so. 

Each of the powders are finely milled, feel silky on the skin and are highly pigmented. There are two highlight shades and four contour shades; the contour colours cater for all skin types which makes the palette versatile and universal. Despite being suitable for all skin types, I would like to say that I feel 5 shades would still be able to work on my skin - if not, I will be able to fit it into an eyeshadow look somehow.

Lipsticks £2 each

Lip products are one of my favourite things about makeup. I cannot begin to describe my excitement whenever I go lipstick shopping; trying different branded lipsticks is something that I enjoy and I would love to share with you my experiences.

First of all, the price is INSANE! I love affordable lipsticks, especially when they leave an impressive result. These are relatively long-lasting, considering their pleasing value - I wore them for roughly 3 hours before reapplying and this time scale is no different from the majority of my drugstore lippies. 

Secondly, Live Love London offer a wide range of lipstick shades. For me, these will be worn and cherished; pinks and reds are my thaaang. Both are wearable and are not too striking, making them perfect for everyday use. I also love the pigmentation and hydration these lipsticks offer - my lips are super sore after the winter months have passed and need a lot of TLC. These leave a moisturising coat on the top of my lips, which makes my lips feel soft and hydrated. Oh, and let's not forget...they smell like sherbet!!!

Have you tried anything from the Live Love London beauty range yet? What is your favourite drugstore brand?

Lots of love

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The products mentioned were gifted from Live Love London, however all opinions are honest and my own.

Why I'm Obsessed Makeup Palettes...

Why I'm Obsessed Makeup Palettes...

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When admiring my new dressing table and makeup collection the other day, I suddenly acknowledged the ridiculous amount of palettes I've gathered throughout my years of makeup hoarding. Thus, I've brought a post to you today dedicated to my beloved compacts and why they are such an important part of my makeup-revolved world...

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette

High end up eyeshadow palettes have invaded my entire makeup collection over the past two year, and has been ever-growing since. Through experience, I have personally found Urban Decay to hold the best high end shadows - great pigmentation, incredible colour range, multiple palettes, fab lasting power and overall look. I cannot get enough of UD's shadows and will continue to repurchase. 

Nars Steven Klein One Shocking Moment Cheek Studio Palette, Makeup Revolution Blushes & Urban Decay Naked Flushed (STREAK)

Post-eyeshadow-palette-craziness, I became introduced to the wondrous face/blush palettes in both the drugstore and highend brands. I'm in love with my Nars Steven Klein palette - the contour shade is an absolute DREAAAAAM to blend and the multiple blush shades are perfect for travelling. I also love the affordable palettes - e.g. Makeup Revolution have some fab palettes you should try if you haven't already. Their blushes are super pretty but insanely pigmented - so watch out when applying!!

Dior Sundeck , Bobbi Brown Pink Opal and L'Oreal Marron Glace

The smaller compact must no go a-miss. I love the little eyeshadow palettes you can get, both luxury and affordable. These three lil palettes completely summarise my eyeshadow go-to's; I'm a sucker for bronze/browns all year round, pinks in the spring/summer and orange tones in the winter. 

Why do I love all these palettes so much, do you ask? Well, they are simply four main reasons. 1 - I adore how versatile they are, they can hold an endless array of colours perfect for any occasion. 2 - If you are indecisive, like myself, you can just take 12423423 blushes with you in case you can't decide spontaneously. 3 - Cosmetic palettes inspire me to change my daily makeup routine - the variety of shades you can get in one palette allows me to alternate my looks on a regular basis so I'm getting full use of my makeup collection. 4 - Like the majority of beauty lovers, compacts are travel friendly so you can't have enough. They can really save so much space in your bag, a definite beauty need.

What's your favourite beauty palette? 

Lots of love

Evening Makeup Look // Collab w. MollyIsabelSmith

Evening Makeup Look // Collab w. MollyIsabelSmith

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First off, I'd like to let you all know that today's post is part of a collab with Molly Smith from mollyisabelsmith.blogspot.co.uk. Alternatively, she has created a daytime and more natural look - the complete opposite of my intense eye makeup and bold lips. You can also find Molly on @mollyisabels on both twitter and instagram. It has been lovely working with her and I would be so grateful, as would she, if you went over to her blog and checked out her post.

Creating a bolder, intense makeup look is one of my ultimate past times; I love indulging in deeper lip colours and throwing dark shades onto my eyes. I just so happen to enter my own little bubble of serenity when I alter my makeup to something more dramatic than the regular day time face. Starting with the face, something I don't drastically transform, I opt for a full-coverage foundation (MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC15). This works well when faking a flawless complexion as well as lasting the entire evening, whether you be going out to a fancy restaurant or partying all night long, this foundation will stay put. The only other change in my face makeup is contouring. Personally, I like to contour my face A LOT when I'm wearing evening makeup. I apply my Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess in the hollows of my cheeks, my temples, under my jaw and sometimes on the tip of my nose; contouring is a great way to dramatise your makeup from day to night. In the look above, I also used Mac's Soft&Gentle to highlight, Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer to eliminate appearance of under eye cirles/highlight my T-Zone and Mac's Fleur Power for a subtle hint of blush. 

The primary focal point of the look comes down to the eyes. Maybelline's Colour Tattoo in Eternal Gold was perfect for creating a base on the eyelid. This helps to avoid creasing and maintain the eyeshadow applied on top. Next, I turned to my trusty Naked 2 palette and applied SNAKEBITE through the crease until fully blended. If you aren't comfortable using black eyeshadow, then skip the next step - I decided to increase the intensity by defining my outer corner. This was easily done by adding the darkest, opaque shade in the Naked 2 palette - blackout. Little by little, I tapped this onto my outer corner and blended thoroughly to ensure no harsh lines were present. To finish the eye look, I added some golden liquid glitter from Essence and painted on some winged liner. My lashes were lengthened and volumized using Smashbox's mascara; I also went under my eye with snakebite to define my eye shape.

Deciding on a lip colour was the final challenge. Owning many a dark lip, it was a difficult decision but in the end I chose Maybelline's Colour Drama Lip Pencil in Berry Much. Rich purples look undeniably fabulous with dramatic eyes and definitely a go-to of mine. Also, I think a ruby red lip would look equally as gorgeous with this eye makeup - gold and red are a great combo!

Thank you for reading and don't forget to check out Molly's post!

Lots of love