IT Cosmetics Pillow Lips💕*

My love for trying new lip products out has never faded out over the years. You can never own too many reds or too many nude shades either. Some undertones work better with different makeup looks, and different formulas are required sometimes! It was so surprised I was ecstatic when IT Cosmetics got in touch with me to try their new Pillow Lips Moisture Wrapping Lipsticks*. I was absolutely spoilt for choice with the colour selection available, and to top it off, each and every one of the colours are available in both a matte and cream finish!

I opted for 3 shades: Stellar, Vision and Like a Dream. I absolutely adore the packaging of the lipsticks: it really does match the name as it resembles a pillow in my opinion. They retail at £20 per lipstick, which for me, is quite a splurge. There is a strong scent of peppermint, but after applied, it isn't noticed.

Shade: Stellar || Looking at the lipsticks, the matte and cream versions are practically identical - to avoid confusion, I still keep them in their boxes, which are just plain white. They are a vibrant, striking red colour with some blue undertones. I, personally, outline my lips firstly with a red lipliner (just whatever I have to hand, I don't own many) before applying this just to avoid smudging and uneven application (I want to avoid the dreaded "bleeding" where the lipstick is a bit of a mess!). I find that they apply very similarly in terms of formula, regardless of the fact that one is matte and the other cream - it's the lasting power and finish that differs. The cream version has more of a shine, providing you with a glossy red lip, whereas the matte version is the complete opposite. If I'm wearing red, I like it to be bold and a block colour (because it's empowering and I live for that), however, when I wore the matte one out the other weekend, I found myself having to regularly top up as it was beginning to rub off and fade. Apart from that, its a gorgeous red lipstick that applies so well and would suit a variety of skin tones, as well as work with a lot of makeup looks. It's a classy red, so regardless of whether your wearing a natural or full-on makeup look, it'll tie it together well.

Shade: Vision || Oh how years ago, I'd never have went near nude lipsticks, now I can't get enough of them! I already own a few nude lipstick, varying in formula, so I was glad to have the same shade in both a nude and matte lipstick; I like to wear nude lipsticks for casual makeup looks, but also for more glam looks too. I really like this shade though. It's quite a warm toned nude, almost on the pink/peach side. As a result of this, it would suit a variety of people; it's one of those versatile nude shades. Again, both formulas are creamy and application is a lot easier with these due to it being lighter in colour. They don't smudge much, but I would recommend carrying if you're intending on going out for the day/night just to top off - because it is so creamy, even the matte (they aren't drying at all), it will rub off. For a nude shade, it's rich in colour too, but I love it.

Shade: Like a Dream || At first sight, I thought "oh, a pretty berry colour, my A/W favourite". However, when I apply it, it reminds me VERY much so of MAC's "Diva": a much loved lipstick by me, so I was excited to try it to see the comparison! (For those who don't know MAC Diva, it's basically a deep plum matte lipstick). When I apply it, I am very wary as I don't have a lipliner so a steady and light hand is the way forward as it is super pigmented. Thankfully, I somehow avoid making too much of a mess, but if I do need to clean it up, it doesn't stain too much and will come away easily. I wore this one day when going for lunch and ordered curry (duh!), but the lipstick didn't smudge all over my face! It came off slightly so needed a top up, but survived my food nonetheless. I know it'll be a staple during Winter/Christmas. So basically, if you love the shade Diva but hate the fact it's matte, then perhaps the gloss version of this lipstick is your desired lipstick!

Overall, I love these lipsticks. I like having the option of wearing matte or cream too. The cream is as it sounds on the tin, and the matte isn't overly drying in the slightest either - it's actually quite creamy for a matte. The colours are super vibrant due to oozing pigment, and as already mentioned, the colour range is great. There's definitely something out there for everyone!

xx

*PR Samples

£1 Hair Mask You Didn't Realise You Needed💕

Hair masks aren't something I tend to use all that often. I won't lie, I would say I'm lazy when it comes to my hair - don't bother with hair treatments, heat products or anything. Literally wash it, dry it and straighten it, that's all. Occasionally I dye it, but only dark brown - ends up not looking much darker than it actually is which is frustrating. However, on one of my many visits to Savers, I thought to myself "I'll treat my hair for a change"! I went all out with this £1 hair mask, and let me tell you something - I love it.

Argan Oil Hair Mask || 99p - one thing I've always said on this blog is to never underestimate cheap, budget beauty products, and this is one of them! I'm pretty certain I've seen a range of this Argan Oil products, which is why I ended up opting for this one over the other available masks. I felt that for 99p, a 220ml tub was pretty damn reasonable, and now that my hair is shorter, I shouldn't need as much product. I was right - I only need a small handful, and even at that, I could get away with less as it's quite a thick yet creamy formula. I wash my hair, then apply it, and I feel it just glides into my hair. Normally I just apply it, tie my hair into a bun and leave it in for 5-10 mins before washing out. It smells really nice, I expected it to not be overly pleasant, I won't lie, due to it being argan oil, but it exceeded my expectations for sure; I can't quite pin-point a scent. 

What I often find with conditioners and hair treatments is that they can be challenging to thoroughly wash out; no matter how long you rinse, there's always leftover product which result in your hair becoming greasy quicker. This being said, it's one of the main reasons why I only apply hair treatments on the length of my hair and completely avoid the roots. I like to rinse my hair for a good 1-2 minutes when washing this out as I like to ensure every last remaining product is properly removed. As soon as I wash it out, it leaves my hair feeling silky smooth, as if it gets to work almost instantly as I don't leave it in for all that long. But, the real reason why I love it so much is because it makes life easier for brushing my hair. Sometimes when I brush my hair after washing and it's still wet/damp, it has the tendency to have tugs and noughts, but when I use this, it makes my hair much more manageable and I don't feel the need to brush quite as harshly. Definitely makes a difference that way. Following blow-drying, my hair doesn't feel too dry and dehydrated, and when you touch it, it does noticeably feel softer.

I try to use this once a week if possible to keep my hair in the best condition possible. If I knew it'd leave my hair shiny and as soft as it does, I would've started using it earlier - especially for the price of £1! I know for a fact it'll be a hair mask I repurchase, and might even look into their other hair products too - a girl got to keep her hair looking slick always!

xx

The Body Shop Himalayan Face Mask💕*

I love face masks. I've tried lots of different ones and I've never settled for one. It's not because I haven't found one I love religiously, but instead, I like trying out new options and exploring the world of face masks a bit further. However, one brand's face mask I haven't ever tried is The Body Shop. I've tried their scrubs, body lotions etc, but never their masks. So, I was intrigued when this little tub of joy arrived through my letterbox.

Himalayan Charcoal Face Mask* || £18 for 75ml || In the past, I've tried charcoal face masks, and when I say they're weird, trust me, they're weird - mainly because they can be difficult to remove and then I'm stuck with a face mask on my face. So, when I seen that this Himalayan face mask was charcoal, I was low-key hesitant. It has quite a strong scent, and to me, it's quite a minty scent - the scent and texture reminds me of the Lush "Mask of Magnaminty" mask! As the scent is so strong, I feel that it may not be ideal for sensitive skin.

It has quite a thick formula, you don't really need all that much when applying, meaning the tub will last quite long. It is textured, so it feels quite odd. It's described as being a "tingling" face mask, and it's absolutely correct: it feels effective whilst on the skin, not in a burning sense but definitely a tingling effect. It doesn't take that long to dry - less than 10 minutes - and you know it's dry as it feels hard and tight on the skin, and also appears "light green" in colour. As soon as warm water touches the mask, it washes off instantly - almost in a smooth, creamy way, but mess-free at the same time.

After washing, I follow up with a cleanser and toner before moisturising. It leaves my skin feeling super soft and looks radiant. My skin definitely feels clean as it removes any impurities in the skin and absorbs excess oil. I know it's a face mask I'm going to try incorporate at least once a week.

xx

*PR Samples

The Real, Honest Truth - eBay False Lashes💕

2019 was the year I ventured into false tan; so for 2020, I discovered the world of false lashes. I wore some for my birthday last year, but my friend put them on for me. So, for NYE, I thought I'd go all out and treat myself - 45 minutes later, I finally had a pair of lashes on. I would've fallen into the novice category of false lashes - by no means am I an expert now, I'm still learning - but I bought Eylure lashes from Savers as I didn't mind paying £2.49 for a pair. I've had a fair few designs by Eylure since, but after discussing eBay lashes with my friend, I decided to order a pack - after all, if they're crap, it's only a matter of a few pounds lost.

7 Pair False Eyelashes Set || Set 6D02 || £2.99 - At that price, it equates to rough 42p per pair of lashes, and I can't complain at that price. There were so many different types of lashes - some longer than others, some more natural, some extremely dramatic and the list goes on. I opted for 6D02 because they didn't look too extreme, but damn, I was taken by surprise. They are extremely long and extra, but I love it! They don't feel like tacky plastic and certainly don't look as cheap as they were whilst on either. I felt that the band was quite long too, so I had to trim the lashes so that they would fit across my lash line as well - not necessarily a bad thing! Looking at them, I thought that they'd feel heavy on my eyes, but in actual fact, they're so lightweight I actually forgot that I was wearing any.

As I used Eylure lashes in the past, it's just the Eylure lash glue that I use to apply these, and it does the job. Perhaps my skills have just improved significantly, but I found application with these super easy! It only took me 2-3 attempts per eye - that's good for me. Because they're so long, I did struggle to put on my eyeliner and top up my eyeshadow, but this is just a minor inconvenience. When I apply them, I stick the middle part down, leave for about 15-30 seconds before fixing the ends, allow to set for around 1-2 minutes then curl them to ensure my natural lashes blend with them before coating both my lashes and the false ones with mascara. I wouldn't say that the lash band is overly noticeable due to being on the thin side as sometimes, the band can be thick and take away from the lashes themselves. They last super well too! I wore the same pair for the 3 nights I was in Dublin, and they stayed on all night, every night whilst out - and it was super windy one night, my friend and I were paranoid we hadn't glued them properly and the wind would take them off! I did fear that maybe they'd only last the one use, but they looked like new lashes each night! 

Here's some photos from two nights wearing the same pair of lashes. They're dramatic and super long, but I love it - I feel so extra! Honestly, for the price, I cannot get over them. And, you're able to reuse the same pair a few times before needing to bin them, so I think this little palette of lashes will be lasting a while. I know for a fact that I'll be trying different designs and styles in the future!

xx