Review: Jemma Kidd All Over Radiance Glow (in "Rose Gold")

I don't know about you guys, but lately I've been all about the natural but enhanced look. And as a makeup lover, it was very strange for me not to own a highlighter. After researching and having a look at hundreds (literally) of swatches, I decided to take the plunge and buy Jemma Kidd's All Over Radiance Glow in "Rose Gold"(on BeautyBay).


If you often read beauty blogs, you'll have heard about this before for sure! :) It's an amazing highlighter, natural but at the same time achieves the effect of a bronzed goddess. At least it does for me! 


Rose Gold is more of a yellow-rosy gold (kind of obvious), while Ice Gold is more whitish gold rather than yellow gold. So, taking that into account, if you have warm undertones you should go for Rose Gold. However, you can have warm undertones and in winter, if you're as pale as I am, you might prefer Ice Gold because it can match better your complexion in the colder months. 
That's for you to decide, lovelies! 

Focus! Damn, focus!

The packaging is a matte black, very simple and classy, and it fits in my palm. It's not a chunky packaging, so it will fit in any purse if you need to take it with you!

(Natural light)

(Flash)

My camera insisted on not focusing! 

Under flash light, you can see the shimmer, that is very finely milled and gives light wherever you put it on, but no chunky glitter or shimmer will make you look as a disco ball, don't worry. 

(Flash)

You can see I'm very pale, yet it looks great with my yellow undertones, so it doesn't look fake or noticeable at all. 

(Natural light)

Even under natural light (not direct sunlight) you can definitely see the glow that this gives to the skin. This isn't supposed to be a very shiny highlight, because we don't want to look fake or too overdone, that's why I think this highlight is the perfect product if you want a more natural look. 

Definitely, it's soft focused, on the face it just gives light where you want to create some more dimension, and it looks downright beautiful.

Do I recommend this product?

Hell, yes. It's amazing! 

Price? 

€20.60/ £16.63/$26.10 on BeautyBay

Have you ever tried any Jemma Kidd products? Any fans of the All Over Radiance Glow? Comment below and let me know about any beautiful highlighter you think is your Holy Grail product!


Love,
Maria.

Summer lip trends!

The summer has started, at least for me (finally), after finishing my exams and starting to make authentic summer plans such as parties on the beach, a trip to an island nearby, etc. 

However, what beach party would be complete without a summer lipstick to wear? 

This is the reason why I have searched through my collection to find the most adequate lip products for summer, with different trends: classic red, bright fuchsia/hot pink and orangey red. There's one for everybody! 

Trend #1: Classic Red

Everyone loves a good cool toned red, it's a classic look that's been going on for decades, right? And I have the perfect colour for you guys: NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in "Dragon Girl".

This product is great for summer because it comes in a pencil form, so that means you don't need a lip brush or anything else. I put it on my lips, and then dab with my ring finger to soften any hard edges. 

I think it's a pretty easy product to use, and as it's so bright, and not a dark red at all, this is very summer appropriate. You can see more of "Dragon Girl" in this post: CLICK.

Trend #2: Fuchsia/Hot pink lips

I really love fuchsia colours on the lips, especially when they're matte, but I also find that for summer the matte look is quite uncomfortable, that's why I put together three different looks, depending if you're more of a light lip person or matte at heart, and then I threw a fuchsia lip stain too :) 

First, is my matte alternative: NARS' Lipstick in "Funny Face"

This is straight from the tube, and as you can see it's a beautiful lipstick. It's very bright, but not what you'd call a barbie pink, which I'm glad it's not, because cool toned pinks don't look too good on me. 

You can also apply this by dabbing it with your fingers, creating a matte but light look, which I think is more suitable for summer rather than the straight-from-the-tube way.

Second is L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in "Impulsive Fuchsia".

This is a sheer balmy lipstick, but it packs a punch of colour that looks really good in summer, because it's a very vibrant and beautiful fuchsia! Definitely one of my favourite lipsticks for this summer :) 

To see more, click.

And the third look is a lip stain, Stila's Raspberry Crush.

I found out this lip stain has SHIMMER. Oh, that was such a disappointment, because I had the Cherry Crush and that didn't contain any shimmer whatsoever. So I think this doesn't look right if you apply it straight from the tube.

However... 

...If you wait a couple of minutes and you take a makeup wipe, gently take away the shimmer, and you're left with this BEAUTIFUL stain on your lips. And if it looks a bit patchy like mine do in the picture below, I just apply my BodyShop plum balm because it evens it out and moisturizes!  

Trend #3: Orangey-red lips

2012 being the year of the colour Tangerine Tango, I only see fit that we talk about this colour for lips. However, I'm not a big fan of BRIGHT ORANGE lips, at least not on myself, so I think this is a more wearable way of taking advantage of this trend.

I prepared two looks, a matte one and a sheer glossy one. 

First look, is NARS' Lipstick in "Heat wave". 

Both of the pictures above show the lipstick applied onto the lips straight from the tube. It may be a little too thick for summer, or depending on what you like your lipstick to be like. That's why I also  dabbed it with my finger for a more soft look, without losing any brightness.

The second look was created with L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in "Rebel Red".

This colour is FRUIT PUNCH love. My other favourite for this summer, I just can't stop looking at it, it's SO BEAUTIFUL! And glossy, and comfortable, and it leaves a stain behind! Can you ask for more?

See more swatches here, click.

I hope you all liked these looks, and I recently bought NARS' Bolero, so I may PROBABLY do a second installment of this kind of lip trend posts. I tried mixing up high and low end brands, L'Oreal, NARS... no MAC, however, but it will be present in my second installment if I decide to go for it! 

What recommendations do you have for any of these trends? Do you own a beautiful lipstick that matches any of these categories? Go ahead and comment! 

Love,

Maria.

Down to basics: 10 beauty ingredients

Sometimes we try to approach every problem with different solutions, specially those that are new and miraculous, and we overlook remedies that have been around for decades. 

That's why I decided to put some tips together that we can all follow without having to spend loads of money on products, and I will mention only products that can be found in every country (that I know of, at least!) and practically in every house (unless you need to run to the shop!)

1. Honey is great for acne, so you can use it as a face mask (slathering it on your face) because it is a natural antibiotic. It's also great for throat soreness because of it's antiseptic proprieties.
   
   
2. Aloe Vera, as I posted in the past, is amazing for treating acne (it has calming and antiseptic proprieties), but apparently I discovered that Indian people use it as an anti-ageing product too!
   
   
3. Sugar, as an exfoliant can be added to whatever you use as a moisturizer, or to olive oil or honey. I use honey+sugar as a lip scrub: works wonders, and tastes amazing. 
   (You can use brown or white sugar, but I hear brown sugar is better for scrubbing! I use what I have, which is normally white sugar.)
   
   
4. Vaseline is an amazing moisturizer, for feet, hands, under-eyes, and it also makes eyelashes longer and stronger! (It's an all-round moisturizer really, although it's quite greasy, take that into account.)
   (Use this during the night and sleep while it acts on your lashes/skin. If you're to use it as a hand/foot moisturizer, use gloves or socks so that it doesn't rub off on your sheets!)
   
   
5. Lemon is great for whitening your nails after your (evil) nail polish has stained them! It's also great for brightening your skin because of the acids presents on lemon juice, but not all skin types can tolerate this high acidity, so if you have a sensitive skin, refrain from using lemon juice on its own (it's OK with yogurt because it's more moisturizing.)
   
   
6. Yogurt is wonderful used as a brightening mask if you mix it with some lemon juice, and apply it to your face. After 10-15 minutes, you rinse it off with cold water, and you'll end up with soft and bright skin! (Even better if it's greek yogurt.)
     
7. Water! Now you can't tell me you don't have this at home! Drinking water is the main way to prevent wrinkles, it's great to detox, you need it to survive... But yeah, getting into the habit of regularly drinking a glass of water (like, every hour or so) can sometimes be a pain in the ass, but whenever you have the chance to refrain from consuming sodas and other carbonated drinks, DRINK WATER! 
   (This is a health and beauty advice!)
   
   
8. Bananas are a rich fruit that isn't full of water, unlike most of them, and is great for moisturizing, so it's an ingredient you can use on it's own as a face mask, or mixing it in with yogurt and lemon (for a mask to reign them all!) 
   
   
9. Avocados, as well as bananas, are a fruit with that much water, so it's creamy and is great for moisturizing! (Use it on it's own or mix with other ingredients for a more complete mask!)
   
   
10. Salt: consume less (better for your health), but you can use it as a beach hair spray. Don't just mix it with water, because that will dry your hair.
    
    
    [Mix: water, salt, conditioner that smells good!, and some hair gel. This will create texture without drying your hair, and it will also stay in place. Measurements depend on what effect you're after, and if you want a messier hair (more salt), or more conditioning (more conditioner), etc. Put it in a spray bottle, and create your own beachy hair!]

Love,

Maria.

Butter London: Slapper

As I plan on buying a couple of Butter London nail polishes in the near future, even if they're not what you'd call CHEAP, I am willing to make a kind of series reviewing each of them. It won't be a continuous series, because I will post about different things in between.

My first "taste" of Butter London's nail polishes was "Slapper", described by the brand as "a truly teal lacquer, bold and very bright." And I can say, absolutely everything about this is right!

 MAC Mischievous Mint; Butter London Slapper; KIKO 342

MAC Mischievous Mint; Butter London Slapper; KIKO 342

Oops, finger prints!

Comparisons:

Even if KIKO 342 and Slapper look alike, I assure you Slapper is a lot greener while KIKO is quite a blue toned polish with some green here and there. Butter London's Slapper is the true teal. 

Mischievous Mint is a LOT lighter than the other ones, and even if in the swatch it looks greenish, once on the nail, it looks like a very light baby blue, which doesn't suit me at all, I have to say. It's NOT a dupe for Essie's Mint Candy Apple, which I don't own, but I've seen enough swatches to notice it has the green tinge Mischievous Mint lacks.

 It is has a bit of green that doesn't show up on camera,

but at least you can see the brightness it has!

 Two coats

 Indoors.

Indoors, with flash. 

I wasn't able to take pictures under direct sunlight but flash pictures can give you a pretty good idea of what this polish looks like, even if it didn't manage to capture right the greenish tinge it has in real life.

Butter London's "Slapper": ever since I heard about this brand, I knew they were going to be my new obsession! And I searched for the perfect teal for years, but I think I finally found it! This is a beautiful colour that is OH-SO-BRIGHT, and perfect for summer (and winter, I'm not one to follow seasonal trends, actually)! 

It applies like a dream, although one coat doesn't give you the required opacity, two will be perfect, although I normally always apply three for extra opacity, if you know what I mean. In these pictures, my nails have two coats. Once dry, it has a LOT of shine, so if you don't have a topcoat around, your nails will look just as perfect! (My topcoat actually created small bubbles on the nails... is that weird? I'll have to switch to Seche Vite.)

And let's not forget that it's 3 Free, which means there are no carcinogens in it. Yay! No toxic fumes will kill me... using this nail polish at least! :)

I was able to purchase it on The Beauty Booth, for a discounted price  (£10.80) because of the Jubilee celebrations, but right now they're at their full price again: £12. 

 It's already in my favourites!

Would I recommend this polish? Absolutely, it's a beautiful polish, and even if KIKO 342 looks similar to it in the swatch, it has a much worse quality, it's more watery and less bright. And too blue for my idea of a perfect teal. So, if you have the money and you're willing to spend it on a nail polish such as this one, do it! 

Butter London polishes I'll buy next: Trout Pout (coral pink), Disco Biscuit (glittery hot pink), The Old Bill (tarnished gold chrome)... and all that catch my eye, basically!

Have you guys got any Butter London recommendations for me? Which Butter London polishes have you tried and what do you think of them?

Love,

Maria.

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse: Impulsive Fuchsia, Rebel Red and Hypnotic Red.

Summer is on us by now, and I can't keep singing and wearing light bright clothing, and makeup! By the way, I LOVE this ad:

It just makes me think about all the amazing things I want to do this summer!

And now, onto the lip products!

I went on a little trip today to a couple of drugstores, and I wanted to get the L'Oreal Rouge Caresse lipsticks. However, for some reason, they won't sell "Dating Coral" or "Aphrodite Red", which just makes me really mad because those were the ones that really stood out when I started looking for swatches online.

I did manage to buy three beautiful Caresse lipsticks, because they were on discount, so I got three for 21€ (give or take some cents), so that was really a bargain!

Impulsive Fuchsia, Rebel Red, Hypnotic Red

All of these are sheer and their packaging is a fairly sturdy transparent tube which feels quite nice, and I like the metallic showing through. Each cap is metallic on top, but a metallic colour that mimics each individual colour (shown in pictures below). They also are quite shiny, but they aren't sticky at all, but silky and smooth.

Oh, and they leave a beautiful stain on your lips after the shine has worn off, but it's not a budge-proof stain, keep that in mind. 

Impulsive Fuchsia 

 (Flash)

(No flash)

Impulsive Fuchsia: this lip colour is absolutely stunning! It's a bluish fuchsia that looks really amazing when you're a little more tanned, because it really makes your eyes and skin pop! I really love this colour, and I will show you lip swatches in the next post I am writing! Take in mind that it's sheer, so if you're scared of very bold colours, this might be a formula to try, even if it still DOES pack a punch! (The cap is a bright fuchsia pink.)

Rebel Red

(Flash)

(No flash)

Rebel Red: this is a beautiful orangey-red that looks like fruit punch to me. Take into account that flash pictures wash out colour, so look closely at the no flash pic to see how this really translates in real life! :) I think this is a beautiful summer colour, isn't it? (Has a red cap, just like Hypnotic Red).

 Hypnotic Red

(Flash) 

(No flash)

Hypnotic Red: this is colour is very different from Rebel Red, because it has this pinky berry undertone to it, which makes it stand out in my opinion. In the tube, it looks like a dark red, but it translates differently on the skin and lips! I'd use this colour all year round, even if it can be more of a winter colour.

Conclusion!

I really love ALL of the colours I picked, and I really recommend you try them, because they have the most amazing pigmentation, and feel like silk on your lips. I think you will like them if you love lip balms, or love fuss-free lipstick application that doesn't involve liners or even a mirror, because these are just perfect to put on wherever you are, and they will look nice no matter what. If you're one for matte lipsticks and long lasting lip products, then these aren't for you, I'm afraid. Take them into consideration for the summer months, though, as they are lightweight and very convenient on the go.

I picked them up for 7€ at a discounted price, but I think they'll be around 10€ or so? In the UK the price is £7.99, and in the US is $11.56. (Correct me if I'm mistaken!)

Have you tried the L'Oreal Rouge Caresse lipsticks? Would you recommend other colours such as "Dating Coral" and "Aphrodite Red"? Are you willing to give these a go?

Love,

Maria.

On its way...

Quick update!

I just bought (on BeautyBay, so it will not arrive for some days yet) the Jemma Kidd All Over Radiance Glow in Rose Gold! 

And I'm also starting to use Argan Oil on my hair (I started today), so I will try to keep up with it, and tell you how this works out!

Will keep you posted, lovelies! 

Has any of you tried the Jemma Kidd cream highlighters? I want to see what all the hype is about! 

Love,

Maria.

Next on my list: L'Oreal Rouge Caresse (I can't compare these to the Revlon Lip Butters because they don't sell Revlon in Spain, but I've heard the L'Oreal ones are more pigmented and more soft. If this is wrong, I apologize!) 

Candy nails :)

I wanted to quickly post a snippet on this little nail of the day (NOTD), that just came into my mind 20 minutes before an exam and I HAD to get it on my nails! 

This was created with MAC's Mischievous Mint (a colour I personally don't like too much on it's own, I don't think it goes well with my skin tone) as a base and OPI's Rainbow Connection on top. I did quite a light layer of Rainbow Connection because I didn't want to completely cover the nail with glitter, and as you can see, I did go a little overboard on my middle finger. 

I don't know why, but to me, this resembles candy colours, and pretty things! So that's why I named them like this!

Hope you like! 

Love,

Maria.