L'Oreal Eyes

L'Oreal Superliner Gel Intenza* (£8.99) comes in two shades Pure Black and Golden Black.  The one I have here is Pure Black.  It's intensely creamy and easy to work with, however I do think it's let down by the pigmentation.  While the packaging is great and higher-end looking than MAC Fluidline, I was disappointed that it just doesn't give the same performance.  It takes longer to set, the black is not as intense as I'd like and it's not as long wearing, despite claiming to be waterproof 24 hour wear.  MAC Fluidline has never smudged on me and although it's £5 more, at the end of the day it's better value as it lasts forever.  The brush it comes with is ok, might work for some but the line it creates is a little bit too thick for me - it's what I used to create the flick below.  

L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara* (£10.99) is a revelation from previous Telescopic incarnations. It's the best plastic wand I've tried. The images below were taken when the tube was just opened and my lashes look a bit clumpy, but once the formula dried up a little, the effect was much better. I used the tube religiously for about two months which speaks volumes as I normally reach for a different mascara every day. While I think it's a great mascara, I don't think it could be touted as a 'false lash' mascara as the effect is just not dramatic enough. It's a great day time, lengthening and separating formula containing 'micro stretch fibre technology featuring 1.2mm micro fibres'. Although it contains fibres it thankfully doesn't irritate my eye when wearing contacts.

L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim* (£6.49) this felt tip eyeliner is the pick of the set. It's super super fine so you can do the most delicate outer corner flicks or build it up for a more intense after dark look. It's incredibly easy to use and very durable. I had a similar pen from Rimmel which had dried up before I even got it back from the shop, but this little pen is going strong months later. It's a definite must-have if you're a liner gal.

Check out Boots as they currently have a buy one get one half off deal on L'Oreal products.  Will you be picking any of these up?

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Sleek MakeUP - Berry Collection - Still Available Online!

I was sent this adorable little Berry gift set around Christmas time but as you may know I was on my sad little blogging hiatus at the time so I never had the chance to show it to you.  Well I'm delighted to say it's still available online for £10 for anyone who missed out on it in store.  

The set comprises a Matte True Colour lipstick in Cranberry, Fenberry blush and and Mossberry Kohl pencil.  I know everyone is looking at Summer Brights rights now, but the weather we're having in the UK is making me want to wrap up warm and wear bold, comforting colours on my lips and cheeks.  I'm not normally drawn to dark lippiesas they can make my already pretty thin lips recede even more, but Cranberry somehow works for me.  It makes my eyes appear bluer, teeth that slightly bit whiter and patted on as a light stain with some balm over the top it's a really striking look.  The only downside is as a matte formulation it's quite drying, so you would definitely want something over the top.

On my pale skin Fenberry blush works best as a cheek contour used with a very light hand.  On me it almost gives the same effect as Benefit Dallas at a fraction of the cost.  I didn't get on too well with the Kohl pencil as using a plummy red around my eyes makes me look a little like the undead, despite making my eyes look super blue.  Great for Halloween but only wearable on those with brown eyes smudged along the top lash line methinks.  Sharpened to a fine point, it can also double as a good lip liner match for the Cranberry lipstick.  

What do you think of berry shades? Wearable or should they be left in the 1990s?

* Press sample provided for consideration

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Sleek MakeUP Ink Pot in Dominatrix

I love a cat's eye.  Rarely a non-work day goes by that I don't rock the look.  I'm heading out to Carnival after I post this with my fave combo of neutral shadows and a big black flick.

My pot of MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack is lasting me longer than is strictly hygienic, so when Sleek sent me this ink pot as part of my Starter Kit Giveaway prize (link) I wanted to try it out before I included it as one of my top picks.  I'd originally asked for one of their 'Dip It' pots to be included as they're fantastic, but I was sent the Ink Pot instead, and I'm glad there was a mix up as I've found another amazing Sleek product!  

Sleek MakeUP Starter Kit Giveaway!

This giveaway brings my Weekly Giveaway Series to an end which means it's the end of Summer - boo hoo! But happily I have a great set of Sleek MakeUP products to give away to you!

These six products are my all-time favourites and form a great little starter kit, all wrapped up in a nice sleek little box for you!  You can check out my reviews of each of these (the gel eyeliner coming this week) to see what they're like in action.

Beauty Battle: Illamasqua Precision Ink vs. L'Oreal Super Liner

I recently forayed into the wonderful world of Illamasqua and here are the spoils...

Across from the Illamasqua counter in Selfridges is the Lancome one, so I swatched Artliner, then Precision Ink and the latter was by far the more opaque and had a narrower - more precise! - nib. 

Here are a few photos of my Precision Ink'd eyes.  When I first starting using it I wasn't sure if I like it at all as the nib was far too saturated with product (unlike Rimmel's Flash Liner) and it ran into my tearduct and was just a bit messy to work with.  However now that it's dried out a bit it has really come into it's own, and I would use it everyday if it were a bit more budget friendly.  I'm wearing Abyss which is the blackest black and extremely long wearing - think all day and well into night.  It's an eye watering £17 for 10mls, but I must say mine's lasted three times longer than my cheaper Rimmel one which dried up in a week!

I've been using L'Oreal Super Liner in Carbon Black for a couple of years and it's my favourite 'drugstore' eyeliner.  It gives a true black line which is very durable - almost on a par with Precision Ink.  It's currently on offer at Boots for £5.19 so I'll be picking up another soon!

I actually prefer to use this one to line my top lash and switch to Precision Ink to create the perfect flick.  The nib of this eyeliner saturates with just the right amount of product, but because it's very long it can be hard to keep control over the shape of a flick, as evidenced below.

My first introduction to Illamasqua was through their very pale foundations which I stumbled across on a blog a couple of years ago.  

I have a few foundations which are too dark and so I picked up shade which is extremely pale Light Liquid Foundation in the lightest shade LF115 which is for very light skin with neutral undertones.   I couldn't use this foundation on its own.  To be honest I've only used it once so far with an RMK sample I received which was very dark for me.  It didn't work that great but I think it was more to do with the consistency of the RMK sample.  Once I test this foundation out a bit more with all of my others I'll do an more in depth review. It's £21.50 for 30mls.

I'm pretty happy with my first Illamasqua haul and the shop assistant in Selfridges was delightful - friendly, informed and helpful.  I'll definitely be checking out more from this brand.

Have your tried Precision Ink or Super Liner? Which do you prefer?

Want to win a Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser? Enter the giveaway here.

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Rimmel Flash Eyeliner Review

I so wanted to love this eyeliner.  I'm a big fan of liquid eyeliners, especially the felt-tip form and have used L'Oreal Lineur Intense for a couple of years and while I do like this one, I find the nib is a bit too floppy to achieve a precise cat's eye or flick.  So I was hoping this Rimmel eyeliner would solve the problem as it has a very narrow, firm nib.  Unfortunately mine pretty much dried up within a week of being opened.

I think I may have been unfortunate and picked mine up from a Boots where it's probably been sitting for at least a year.  I'm also not a fan of very bright, and therefore hot, lights on make up displays as they certainly dry products out.  When I picked up this liner it was warm to the touch, so this could very well explain why it dried up so quickly as I've seen it endorsed whole-heartedly across the beauty community.  However you can really only pick up Rimmel from Superdrug or Boots, and they all have the hot light displays.  If you can, ask an assistant to retrieve one for you which hasn't been on display from the drawers beneath.

I made this swatch the day I bought it and as you can see the effect is pretty strong, however a few weeks later the lines aren't as opaque due to the formulation drying up a bit.

Dry drawbacks aside, I am very impressed by the functionality of this eye liner.  It produces a very pigmented black line which dries fast and is long wearing.  I am seriously considering giving it another try - but only if I get one which hasn't been lying around the shop floor for months.  Once purchased you also have to make sure to replace the lid securely after each use or this will cause it to dry out fast too.  It also helps if you store yours vertically with the cap down as the product will have saturated the nib when you come to use it - I keep mine this way in my brush holder.

What I tend to do is use L'Oreal Lineur Intense to create a line over my lid and then use Rimmel Flash to create the flick.  I actually prefer the Rimmel nib to Illasmasqua's Precision Ink, but the latter is far more saturated and therefore easier to use without any need to tug on your eyes.

If you want to give this a try, pick it up at Boots or Superdrug for around £5.

Enter my Sleek MakeUP Limited Edition Mediterranean Collection giveaway here.

Review: Sleek MakeUP Kajal Eyeliners

I should have bought a lottery ticket! I won another Sleek MakeUP Facebook competition and these lovelies arrived last week.  I've been interested in trying a Kajal since Guerlain launched one last year, but I don't have £26+ to spend on an eyeliner.  

Sleek's packaging is similar to Guerlain's but I can't say how alike the product's effects are.  

Good stuff:

• So much fun to apply - you'll feel like an Indian princess!
• Very cute packaging, similar to Guerlain's.  The 'crayon' twists up.
• I have sensitive eyes and wear contacts and even after lining my waterline and tightlining I didn't experience any irritation and it didn't tickle my upper waterline like a sharp pencil can.
• It is very soft and smooth to apply so I didn't have to pull on the delicate skin around my eyes.
• Great for creating a smoky eye look, the purple one is especially pretty to smoke out. 
• Very easy to create a sexy cat-eye look.
• I haven't tried applying it the traditional way, i.e. holding the Kajal horizontally and pulling it across your eye (while squinting) so you line both waterlines at the same time.  This would prevent the tip from getting blunt.

Drawbacks:

• Staying power - it's no MAC Tecknakohl: I wore it out and about on Sunday for about 7 hours and my eyes were a hot smoky mess by the time I got home.  But it was roasting out.  You'd need to bring it out with you for retouching.
• It could be a little more pigmented, but then it probably wouldn't be as silky to apply.
• You aren't supposed to sharpen a Kajal as it's supposed to stay pointed as it wears down, but I've already blunted mine a bit by using it vertically like a normal pencil eyeliner.

My Kajal 'Kat' eye look (I'm wearing Superdrug's MUA eyeshadow - review coming soon!)

They only cost £4 and you can get them at Superdrug or from Sleek's website.

What do you think of Kajal eyeliners?