Review || Maybelline The Colossal Mascara

Hey Guys!

So I've recently been trying out new waterproof mascaras because I find that regular mascaras tend to rub onto my upper eyelid, and so I tried the Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express in Black Waterproof. 

First of all, I really like the bright yellow packaging, and the pointed shape of the tube - just something different. It has a really nice, thick wand, great for getting lots of volume! 

The formula is really nice and applies well without clumping, and still looks good with two coats - I sometimes find that certain mascaras are too clumpy with two coats. It makes my lashes really long, but I have to say that I wasn't overly impressed with the waterproof claim. 

After wearing this all day, I have found that it rubs slightly, admittedly not as much as regular mascara, but still rubs none the less. I don't know if it is just me, or whether this formula just isn't fully waterproof, but I don't think I will repurchase it when looking for a waterproof mascara. However, despite all of that, it is still a really good volumising mascara, and I would definitely repurchase it to use as a base mascara. 

I wouldn't call this a 'barely-there' mascara, because it is definitely very dark and noticeable, so if you're looking for a more natural mascara, probably don't buy this one, but it is great for big dramatic lashes, and great for long days/nights out. 

Another good thing is that it's not really difficult to remove. Waterproof mascaras tend to have a reputation to be a nightmare to take off at the end of the day, but I find this is relatively easy to take off.

Overall, I do really like this product, but I wouldn't call it my favourite waterproof mascara, however it is generally a great mascara, definitely worth checking out :)

Review || Sleek Face Form

Hey Guys!

As of yet I feel that I hadn't found my go-to bronzer/contouring product, because ones I've bought online have turned out to be glittery, and some cheaper ones that I've bought from the drug store are nothing special. However, I'd heard some great things about Sleek face products, and decided to give them a try! I already own a Sleek Eye Shadow Palette, so I knew that they are a great brand, so  was excited to try a new product. 

So, the product I went for is the Sleek Face Form Contouring and Blush Palette in the shade Light.

So, as you can see, it's a beautiful palette with three sections; a matte brown bronzer/contouring powder, a shimmery-light cream coloured highlighter, and a fairly bright pink blusher with a gold shimmer running through it. 

First of all, I'll say that I'm a really big fan of Sleek, and I think their packaging is so good and elegant, and as the name suggests; sleek! All three of these shades are really pigmented, and I just really love them at the minute. 

I use the matte brown shade very lightly as a bronzer, and then as a contour shade, and because it is matte, it looks really natural and healthy, instead of muddy and brown like some other bronzers. It blends out really well, and I think is great for the winter months, because it's not too warming as you may want in the summer, but does just give a really natural-looking structure to the face. 

The second highlight shade is just perfect. It's very frosty, and you really don't need a lot because it's so pigmented. When applied to the highs of the face (e.g. the top of the cheekbones and center of the nose), it creates a really nice, subtle glow, which isn't mega shiny. I really love this highlighter, and think it just completes any look and goes with any blush/bronzer combo. 

Lastly, the third blush shade. I can't explain how much I'm loving this right now, I think I've used it everyday since I got it! It's the most beautiful pink shade, somewhere between rosy and bright pink, with a fine gold shimmer running through it. On the face, especially with this bronzer, it makes your cheeks look naturally rosy, and isn't too bold, which I love, because I sometimes think that you have to be really light-handed with some blushes otherwise you look too made up. But overall, this blush has been working really well for me, so thumbs up. 

Yeah so I'm absolutely loving this little palette, and it has won itself a place in my everyday makeup routine. It's not super cheap, but not massively expensive, around £10 ish I think, but It's definitely worth it for a decent blush and bronzer duo with a beautiful highlighter too! LOVE IT!

Review || The Body Shop Colour Crush Lipstick

Hey Guys!

So as you may have guessed, I've been adoring deep red lip colours this winter, and I think I'm going to say it - this is my favourite lipstick! A big accolade to have, but this lipstick really deserves it, because it really is such a good product. I'm talking about the Body Shop Colour Crush Lipstick in the shade 125 Crazy Sexy Crimson.

Ahh, it's just so beautiful. So yeah, I've mentioned these Body Shop lipsticks in previous posts ( for example my berry-pink shade in my Favourite Winter Lip Colours Post http://hobbsessed.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/favourite-winter-lip-colours.html ) but I've recently purchased this shade, and I'm absolutely in love with it! 

First its the most perfect dark red shade, quite purpley, but not too brown, and I just really love this colour and I think it really suits people with dark hair. If you wear a little bit and sort of blend it out, you can have not such a bold colour, but I like to wear it nice and bold. 

The formula is so soft and it's quite balmy, and can be quite transparent, but when you build it up you get a lovely opaque colour. It also has moisturising qualities, so it doesn't dry up your lips throughout the day which is an added bonus! It doesn't necessarily last for ages, but seeing as it has no long lasting claims or anything, you don't really expect it to last for hours; but unless you are either drinking or eating something, it generally tends to stay on until you do. 

It has a faint rose scent, but I'm not the biggest fan of this, and sometimes doesn't taste very nice, but you don't really notice it for very long, so it's only a minor disadvantage. These lipsticks are also quite cheap, and I honestly just believe that it is one of my favourite ever lipsticks.  

There are loads of shades in this range of lipsticks; paler nudes to brighter pinks/oranges and a great range of reds, and I think there there will be a great colour for everyone! Teamed with the great moisturising benefits and colour payoff, I would suggest this lipstick to anyone, and just think it's a brilliant product with my perfect colour! WOO!

Avon's Arrived! || Brochure 03

Hey guys!

So I picked up my Avon products from brochure three this week, so here is what I got!

There are a few things that I'm really looking forward to trying out, and I'll start by saying that I think Avon has a really good makeup range, with a variation of different prices. Some of their make up is really cheap, some more expensive, and some are in the middle. So yeah Avon is a great way to try out new make up. Some people may be put off by the fact that you order out of a brochure, but that's why I think these posts, and reviews of Avon products are really useful, because things may not always be as they look in a book, so I hope you find these posts really helpful!

Ok so first things first; nail varnish. If you ask anyone who knows me, they will tell you that I have an unhealthy relationship with nail varnish. I literally cannot resist buying new shades or effects. So when I saw this in the book, I was already looking forward to trying it out!

They are the Avon Nailwear Pro+. The first one on the left is in the shade Scenic Grey, and this is basically your average dark grey shade. One thing I really like about these Avon nail varnishes is that the brushes are really thick and wide, which means you can apply one coat in one stroke without having to go over the same section loads of times. The second bottle, on the left, is the Satin Nail Top Coat. I bought these two shade to go together, because they looked SO nice in the book, and I'll let you know what I think once I've worn them together, but this is basically a transparent top coat with extremely fine, pearly glitter in it. It dries quite matte, and makes the nail look really nice and smooth. At the moment I really love this top coat, because it's something a bit different, and can go with practically any nail varnish underneath.

Next is the Avon Super Shock Mascara and i just have the shade Black.

This is the second tube that I've bought, so technically this is a repurchase, but I haven't talked about this product before, and it needs to be recognised. I use this mascara everyday because it is very volumising. The wand doesn't have a massive brush, like what I normally use, but it just applies so well. It spreads out my lashes really well, and with two coats doesn't look like I've got tonnes of mascara on. If i want bigger, more dramatic lashes I just use it as a base coat, and use a different mascara on top, but for everyday use, this mascara is great since it lasts all day without like flaking off. So yeah, this is my favourite mascara at the moment, and i would highly recommend getting it. 

Then I thought I'd try out the Avon Super Shock Gel Eyeliner in the shade Flash. 

I'd heard Katie from Katie's Beauty Blog (http://www.katiesbeautyblog.com/) talk about this before, and so thought I'd give it a go too. Its a really pale, shimmery pink pencil eyeliner, and it's super creamy so applies really well. I swatched it on my hand (below), and once it sort of dried, it did not smudge at all. As much as I sit here rubbing it, even with water it stays. Because of this, I think it will be perfect for lining the bottom water line. My eyes are always really watery, and I usually don't wear any eyeliner on my bottom water line because by the time ive dont the second eye, the first has come off. So yeah I'll let you know how I got on with that.  

Next is the Avon Always On Point Reflective Eyeliner in the shade Gun Metal.

Whoever came up with the idea for this eyeliner is a great person I'll tell you that! Basically at first sight it's just your average eyeliner crayon, but hidden in the lid is a sharpener. So when you undo the lid, it simultaneously sharpens the tip of the pencil, making sure you have the perfect point whenever you use it, hence the name always on point! I think it's a great little extra, and saves having to sharpen the eyeliner every time you want to use it. The actual product is also really good. I've got a really dark grey shade, with tiny bits of glitter in, but when you look at it, it looks really shiny. Like before, once its has sort of settled, it stays really well, and I'm really looking forward to using this when I don't want to wear black eyeliner. 

So yeah this is everything I got from Brochure 3, I will post individual reviews soon once I've tried everything out properly :) 

If you want to order anything from Avon, and do not currently have a Representative, go check out their website (http://www.avon.uk.com/PRSuite/ourproducts_landing.page#.Utqy6fTFKIU) and use the 'Find a Representative' button to receive a brochure.

Nails Review || Avon & e.l.f

Hey guys! 

So I've recently been wearing this nail combo quite a lot, and thought I'd show you!

The two nail varnishes are the Avon Nailwear Pro+ in the shade Tweed, and the e.l.f Matte Finisher Nail Polish.

The top picture is the Avon nail varnish on its own. This shade in the book is a deep red-burgundy colour, but in real life is much darker. It's a very deep red with purple under-tones, and the more layers you apply, the darker and more brown it gets. In this photo I think I had maybe three layers on, so it is quite dark, but seeing as its winter, I think it looks really nice. On its own, the Avon nail varnish has good staying power and lasts at least 3 days without chipping (which is a lot for me), and I think that it's just such a nice wintry shade. 

In the second picture I have the Avon nail varnish with the matte top coat on top. I absolutely love this nail varnish since getting it in my recent e.l.f haul (http://hobbsessed.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/elf-january-sale-haul-first-impressions.html) and have been using it when I get bored of the Barry M Matte Nail Varnishes in the colours I have. It basically is just a clear top coat which, when it dries, goes matte, and it makes and colour underneath it go from shiny to matte. I have found that with this on top, my nails tend to chip a little bit more than without it, but to be honest I think that it's worth it for the matte finish, because apart from OPI, I haven't seen another matte top coat. 

Together, I really love this combo as it makes a really nice winter colour, and I'm really into my reds and burgundy's this year. What I also love is that you can have it with the top coat or not, instantly creating two looks for every nail polish you have!

Favourite Winter Lip Colours!

 Hey guys! So I thought that I'd post my favourite lip colours to wear this winter! I generally wear darker colours as oppose to nude shades because they just tend to wash me out to be honest, so yeah if you like darker lip colours, then hopefully this post will be very useful!

So here they are! This winter I've been loving dark shades (red especially), and I find that these colours go with most outfits too!

Ok so the lipsticks from left to right are:

Avon Luxe Lipstick in Polished Rose

The Body Shop Colour Crush Lipstick in 320 Berry In Love

MUA Luxe London Velvet Lipgloss in Funk

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in 500 Diva Red

Avon Colour Style Lipstick in Russett Dream

Avon Irresistibly Sexy Sultry Lip Pencil in Red Vixen

So as you can see, none of them are really light shades, so if you don't like bolder lips, the these probably aren't for you. The first one is the Avon Luxe Lipstick in Polished Rose which is a dark, rose-pin shade. I really love the packaging for the Avon Luxe range because it looks really elegant and expensive. The formula of the lipstick is really nice and cream and the lipstick is very opaque so you can easily apply a good layer of lipstick. 

Next is the Body Shop Colour Crush Lipstick in Berry in Love. This is a darker, berry-pink colour whic is much more transparent because it's one of those lip balm lipsticks. It is still very much a lipstick, but has that softer, moisturising quality which usually lends itself to balms. But I really love this colour when my lips are not at their best, and I don't want a bright lip colour.

Then we have one of my favourite recent products; the MUA Luxe London Velvet Lipgloss. Now this stuff is pretty cool! It is basically thick, highly pigmented lip-gloss, that goes extremely matte and 'velvety' when it dries. It's quite strange to begin with because it does feel like furry, but it is just completely dry and matte, which I think is quite different. I have the shade Funk which is a very deep pink, and I really want to pick up the dark red shade they do, but at the minute they don't sell it in my nearest Superdrug. But I really love this product, and it lasts absolutely forever, even when eating and drinking, it has really good staying power. I think the only time I've had to reapply it slightly was when I drunk a hot chocolate!

Next is the Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in 500 Diva Red, and all of the colours in this range make a perfect winter lipstick because of the high moisture quality. I have a really bright, slightly dark red, which looks so beautiful with a gold eye shadow look. These lipsticks are also a little balmy, but not as much as the Body Shop ones, but these are much more pigmented and opaque, which I think is a really good combo!

Then we have the Avon Colour Style Lipstick in Russett Dream, and I have posted about these before in my Avon Brochure 10 Haul (http://hobbsessed.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/avon-haul-brochure-10.html) and my Avon Favourites Post (http://hobbsessed.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/avon-favourites.html). I really love these mini lipsticks, and because of the small size, they are perfect to keep in your pocket or bag, and this is the lipstick that I take to school most often. This shade is a dark red with a faint gold glitter, but that is not very visible unless you're like right up close to someone's face. It is not completely opaque, and has a sheer finish, but is really nice for a bold lip that is easy to pull off. 

Lastly is the Avon Irresistilbly Sexy Sultry Lip Pencil in Red Vixen, which I have also recently talked about in my Recent Avon Purchases Post (http://hobbsessed.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/recent-avon-purchases-review.html) so I won't talk too much, but basically its a really creamy lip pencil in a reddish-brown, very dark shade that is perfect for a smokey eye or dramatic look. Because it is in pncil form, it's very easy to apply and lasts really well too.

So these are my absolute favourite winter lipsticks and glosses; hope you enjoyed! :)

e.l.f January Sale Haul & First Impressions

Hey guys! So I recently had a cheeky purchase in the January e.l.f sale, and thought that I would share the things I bought with you guys! Most of the products were in the sale anyways, but I also got 50% off too! So yeah here are the things I got with a few first impressions. 

I am really loving e.l.f products at the moment because they are all really cheap and good quality for the price. So lets just get started! The first things are three of the e.l.f Professional Brushes.

The ones I got are (from left to right) the Professional Blending Eye Brush, the Professional Eye shadow Brush, and finally the Professional Concealer Brush. I got the blending brush for using with eye shadows in the crease of the eyelid, and also I'd heard that they were really soft and they are! I wanted a flat eye shadow brush for simply applying pigment or light eyes shadows all over the lid, and so far the eye shadow brush looks really promising! Lastly is the concealer brush, and this is actually quite smaller than I expected from the website, but I guess it will be good for concealer over spots, but maybe is too small for under the eyes. 

Next I thought that I'd try the Brush Shampoo.

It's basically just a liquid brush shampoo, and I thought I'd give this a go because at the minute I only use a bar of soap to wash my brushes, and maybe this will make a nice change?

Then I got three of the Single Eye Shadows because they were on offer!

The three shades that I got are (from left to right) Coffee Bean, Pebble, and Saddle. These three colours are so nice and pigmented. I got them for smokey eyes or using in the crease. They are all shimmery shades, but from previous use, e.l.f eye shadows are really creamy and apply well, so I'm really looking forward to using these.

Then I've got the All Over Cover Stick in the colour Apricot Beige.

The reason I was interested in this was to use as a spot and blemish concealer, because at the minute I use the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer, but I personally think it works better under the eyes, so I wanted a good new face concealer. I've used it a few times briefly, and so far I really like it. It has good coverage and matches my foundation really well, but I need to try it out a few more times so see if it has good staying-power. Also, I don't know if it's just me, but I think it smells like chocolate orange (?) which is not that bad actually!

Next is the Maximum Coverage Concealer. I have the lightest shade Porcelain which is a really good match for me, but I may try the next shade up when it gets closer to summer, because I think it ma be too pale for when I'm a bit more tanned.

At the minute I am really loving this concealer, since I wanted a higher coverage foundation to use under my eyes on days where I need some more coverage, and this is a really good thick, but oil free concealer. It blends out really well and with my e.l.f High Definition Under eye Setting Powder, I find that it lasts a really long time.

The next thing is this Eye Enhancing Eye shadow Palette.

I couldn't resist getting this palette because it was in the main sale down to £2.40. I mean who wouldn't buy it for that price? But yeah I thought I'd try the Blue Eyes shade, even though I have brown eyes, because I thought they would make good neutral tones from the website. In real life all of the tones are more orangey than I expected, but there is a really nice sparkly grey shade (third from left), and a really nice matte, cool-toned brown (second from right), and I think I will used these shades the most.

Then I have the Cream Eye Shadow in the shade Candlelight.

In my last e.l.f haul I got the cream eye shadow in the shimmery, gold shade, and I really love it! This shade is a light cream-beige with a slight shimmer, but when blended in is quite frosty. I really like this so far because I think it looks really nice all over the base of the lid, or even just as an inner corner highlight, and from previous experience, these eye shadows last really well too!

Next I have the Jumbo Eye Shadow Sticks in three different shades in Rock Out, Little Miss Thing, and French Lace (from top to bottom).

I really like these at the minute because they have a really smooth and opaque formula. They are great for using on the lid, either as the main colour, or as a base to eye shadow, and the fact that they are shimmery means they are also perfect to use either daily or for a more dramatic look.

The thing I was most looking forward to trying was the Matte Lip Colour, because I saw Emma Pickles (http://www.youtube.com/user/EuphoricCreation) use it in her Katy Perry Makeup Tutorial.

This is the shade Rich Red, which is a really bright red. I really like it, it's not super matte, but is not glossy which I really like. The colour is super bright, and I'm really looking forward to wearing it in the summer! But yeah I really love this product, and will definitely be buying more shades in the future!

Next I've got the new Moisturising Lipstick in the shade Party in the Buff.

On the website it looked like a medium-nude shade, but it's more peachy toned in real life. However with a darker nude lipgloss over the top it really looks good. Also it's a moisturising lipstick so doesn't make your lips dry out, which is always a bonus!

Then I have the Luscious Liquid Lipstick in the two shades Maple Sugar (top), and Strawberry (bottom).

To be honest, I'm not that impressed with these products. Firstly they are really transparent, and you need quite a lot in order to see the colour (especially the nude), and also the shade Maple Sugar has the peppermint scent and flavour which I really don't like. So I don't think I'll get much use out if these, but if you like thick lipglosses, these are perfect because they are really shiny.

Lastly is my Matte Finisher Nail Polish, and I literally had to have this!

I absolutely love my Barry M Matte Nail Varnishes, but this is one step better. It is basically a top coat that you can put on top of any nail varnish, in order to make it matte. It works really well and doesn't take ages to dry, and yeah I really love this. You can also do like certain sections of the nail to create patterns with shiny and matte sections. So yeah huge thumbs up for this product.

So they are all they products I recently got with a few first impressions! Hope you enjoyed reading :)

Christmas 2013 Beauty Presents

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I had such a good Christmas, and thought I'd share the beauty related presents that I got from my friends and family.

I received so many lovely presents which I am really excited to use! First I got the Just Pink Fragrance Collection from Next.

This is my favourite everyday perfume, and I ran out of my first bottle a few weeks ago, so this was perfect timing. It consists of the Eau de Parfum,  a Body Lotion, and a Body Spray, all with the Just Pink scent. I like it because it has quite a strong,floral fragrance, but it's not overpowering. I love this perfume for everyday, and will definitely be using it all year round!

Next, I got a few Barry M products.

First is the Smokin' Hot Eyeshadow and Blush Palette. It has six eye shadows, which can all be used to create a black/grey smoky eye. All of the shades have really good pigmentation, and lead to a very glam eyeshadow look, which is perfect for going out and party looks. 

Then is the Barry M Nail Paints in Magenta Glitter and Limited Edition C. They are both really pretty, glittery top coats and, especially the silver glitter, will look good on top of any colour nail varnish. Then is the Barry M Lipstick in shade 145. This is a bright Fuchsia pink with purple undertones. Its not as bright on thee lips as it appears, but I think that's good, because it means you can build up a brightness of colour that you want. 

Some of my favourite products, and ones that I have used for the longest are from the Body Shop.

A few old classics I got is the Mango Shower Gel and the Mango Body Butter. The mango scent is my favourite one from Body Shop, and I regularly use their body butter as a body moisturiser, especially in Winter, because it's so rich and thick. The new products I can't wait to try are the Born Lippy Lip Balms in the flavours Lychee, Strawberry and Pomegranate. So far they all smell SO good, and I am hoping that they will be really moisturising and good for my lips, but Body Shop already have a good reputation in my eyes so I'm sure that I'll love them. 

Then we have a few products from Avon that I've wanted to try for ages!

On the left is the Avon 8-in-1 Eye Palette in the shade The Metallics. I really wanted this palette for the festive time, because as you can guess, all the shades are metallic. This means that you can get a really festive look really easily. What I also liked about this palette was the range of shades. There are a few more out-there shades (like the teal or mustard shade), which I am really excited to try and use. I also got the Avon Eyeshadow in Cosmic Brown. This is a beautiful, shimmery baked eyeshadow, with lots of different shades of brown, and a fine gold glitter running through it. When you apply it, and mix it all up, you get a really nice light bronze-gold colour, which is perfect for creating subtle smokey eyes from natural colours.   

Lastly, my favourite product, and possibly my favourite present this year, was from one of my friends; and I got this maybe a week before Christmas and have literally used it everyday since! 

It is my Mac Eyeshadow in the shade Jest from the Frost collection. It is the most beautiful light beige colour with a gold-pink shimmer. Its perfect for all over the lid on an everyday basis, or as the base for a shimmery smokey eye. I already love this product, and will no doubt be using it everyday this year! 

So yeah these are my Beauty Christmas Presents which I cannot wait to start using properly! Hope you enjoyed reading it!