Blush -Sleek - Contour Kit 
JasmineJolene 1/5/2013 2:52:00 PM
I bought this when my contour powder in my ELF palette ran out. It was the perfect shade but not one they sell separately unfortunately. Although this is ever so slightly more orange than the ELF one, I still find this an excellent replacement. I have it in light, and I find it easy to apply without being too overpowering. I tend to use this on my cheeks and Sleek BB cream in dark under my chin. Both work nicely. I'm not a big fan of the highlight shade. It looks a bit artificial on me - I think it's a bit too warm. That said, I still use it for an evening look. Overall, love the packaging; colour is overall very good (although would prefer slightly less warm); price is excellent. BTW, don't know if they've been reformulating this product because for a while it was completely unavailable in store and online. I bought mine about 10 months ago - would be interested in a comparison between more recent puchases.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Casino Royale
JasmineJolene 1/4/2013 9:24:00 AM
I love this colour, dark, vampy, purply red - gorgeous. Unlike a previous reviewer, I find the formula great and doesn't wander at all. Gives a really pretty finish, although not super-glossy I agree. Lasts well, and removes easily. I'd buy again, probably not at full price. As will all OPI, wish the brushes were more rounded at the tip.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Clinique - Chubby Stick - Mega Melon
JasmineJolene 1/4/2013 6:43:00 AM
I got a sample size in my bonus box and I love it! The colour is perfect, a warming nude-coral which enhances my very pale lips. It's not too glossy either - it really is a coloured balm, and for me, really nice and moisturing on my lips. I like the packaging and am glad it winds up - I wouldn't like it if I had to sharpen it. What I don't like is the price (you can get similar products for £1.99 from Superdrug) and also the smell. It is vile. That very waxy, L'oreal lipstick type smell. I've thrown away lippies with this type of smell before, this one doesn't seem so offensive - maybe because it is quite sheer? I would still rebuy this though, I am hoping to get the bright pink one next. I love the finish.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Goldfinger
JasmineJolene 12/26/2012 8:03:00 AM
Utterly love this polish. I bought the Bond miniatures pack and liked this one so much I bought the full size one. We have a wholesaler who sells in work so I got this for £5.85 which is a STEAL! Firstly, this is a very very dense gold glitter. It applies well and is opaque in two coats. My favourite way to wear it is as tips, then with a looser gold glitter over the whole nail. It almost looks like gold snow and is just right for Christmas. As with most OPI, the staying power is great, and I haven't found that this one is especially hard to remove like a lot of glitters (although if I'm honest I haven't used it as full nails, just tips or moons) but it does spread around a lot so you end up with it all over your fingers. A wash gets this off though lol! This would be VERY blingy as full nails, but is so so pretty over darker colours. I particularly like it as half moons over a deep blue, or the aforementioned tips. It's dense enough to use on nail art too. As will all OPI, I love the design of the bottle but wish the brush was more rounded at the tip.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -OPI - Nail Envy Matte
JasmineJolene 12/17/2012 2:09:00 PM
I normally used a bog-standard base coat, really to protect my nails more than anything, but since having a baby my nails have been really fragile. They grow pretty quickly but split all the time. I have been using this for about a month now and on my left (non-dominant) hand, I have no splits or chips. Just beautiful strong nails. On my right hand, my middle fingernail always splits because of the way my nail presses onto my pen when I write. Annoying, but not much I can do about that! I really like this polish - it smells very strong, but I can overlook this in the face of the results. It is expensiven about £18 from shops - I got it for £7.95 from eBay. Would not buy this again full price. I like the bottle and the brush, and I love the way this looks. I bought it as a base coat not a top coat so am not disappointed that it isn't completely matte - I have a separate topcoat for that. I believe it is intended to give a natural sheen to nails so men can wear it unobtrusively. I'll update if it heals my husband's split thumbnail!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - kleenex shine absorbing sheets
JasmineJolene 10/27/2012 2:47:00 PM
I love these. I get oily on my T-zone a lot and normally blot with a tissue then repowder. I don't need to with these, as they blot the oil off but don't disturb the makeup that's still there. They are more expensive than others I have tried, but they are so good I will re-purchase for sure. I have given a 4 for packaging, only because my kids found them and pulled them all out the little envelope they come in - a little latchable compact would be perfect!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Clinique - Superfine Liner for Brows
JasmineJolene 10/26/2012 9:27:00 AM
I've had massive troubles finding a brow product that is not expensive, is the right colour, and doesn't run out quickly. I liked my Mac eyebrow crayon which is the same packaging as this (Spiked). I liked the colour but it was very soft so ran out quite quickly. I replaced it recently with Benefit Brow Pencil - I've only had it about 2 weeks but it's already almost half gone as it's so soft I have to sharpen it every day. I bought this yesterday and already I'm really pleased. The colour is great - nice and ashy (soft brown) as I always have a problem that the browns are too red. It looks nice and natural. The actual product is harder than the Mac one, so you get nice precise lines that don't smudge all over the place and are easy to control. I was able to do both brows and not have to do any corrections. I would buy this again, but I hope I don't have to for quite a while!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Clinique - Take the Day Off Cleansing Milk
JasmineJolene 10/25/2012 3:08:00 PM
OUCH! STINGY! This works well and got all my make up off, even the waterproof mascara which had a Clinique one layered over the top. It feels nice on my skin, NOT near my eyes! I actually meant to buy the balm but got this instead. It was £16 and I won't buy again as it does the same thing my almond oil does in the way of cleansing. It was a splurge.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Illamasqua - Light Foundation
JasmineJolene 10/22/2012 6:30:00 PM
I bought this foundation in shade 140 from the website when it was on sale. I think it was £10. I really, really like it! I had previously bought the rich liquid foundation and I can't really get on with it. I chose the same shade in this one and it is different - a lot less golden. It still looks fine though. I like the coverage of this - I prefer a sheerer foundation I can top up with concealer if I need to, and this is it. It blends well and looks natural. I have a greasy nose but am normal elsewhere and this lasts as well as any other foundation I have tried. I like the packaging, but if I'm honest I think it's a bit hard to squeeze. Also, the shape means it doesn't fit in my make up caddy! It looks good though and is convenient and hygienic. Full price, this is expensive but I would still buy it. I use it nearly every day as it is much easier to work with than the rich liquid and has better initial coverage than MAC F&B which I also really like. # I would recommend and would buy again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -BeneFit Cosmetics - Instant Brow Pencil (All Colors)
JasmineJolene 10/15/2012 3:27:00 PM
UPDATE: For anyone that likes to know, I have had this for about 2 weeks now, a bit more probably and have used nearly half of it as I have to sharpen everytime I use it. I have replaced with a Clinique one which I much prefer as it's harder so hopefully will last a bit longer. I bought this in Medium when my MAC eyebrow crayon ran out. I like the fact it has the spooly brush thing on the end. The colour is good - more ashy than other (drugstore) brands I have tried. I own BrowZings as well, but needed a pencil for those days when I don't have enough time for that. Well. I don't not like this pencil, but it's going to need replacing really, really quickly. It is so soft, I have had to sharpen it every time I have used it. I have to use so much to make it even, then use the brush to neaten. Then the brush lifts a lot of it off....so I end up using even more! Really wish I'd shopped around a little more before buying this, but I just didn't have time. I won't be repurchasing this, and unless I find something cheaper than the aforementioned MAC (Spiked BTW) then I guess I will be buying another of those soon.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Bobbi Brown - Creamy Matte Lipstick in Crushed Plum
JasmineJolene 10/15/2012 3:21:00 PM
This lipstick cost me EIGHTEEN ENGLISH POUNDS! And I am so disappointed. I can't believe I bought this when I have an almost identical lipstick from MAC which I much prefer. Basically, I wanted a wearable pinky-red suitable for Autumn. The colour is nice, but this is NOT a matte lipstick! It goes on fairly opaque, but on my lips for some reason it never looks smooth and even. It's very shiny and slips of my lips really quickly - I wore it to work the other day and it had disappeared in less than two hours with no eating for drinking. Oh, and that was with Lipcote on as well. Also I don't like the shape. It's the same shape as my MAC one which I find difficult to apply straight from the tube - I prefer the more traditional lipstick shape. It does look nice though. Overally, not impressed with my first BB purchase.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Nails -Max Factor - Fantasy Fire
JasmineJolene 9/23/2012 1:04:00 PM
I have seen this product bandied around the internet on nail blogs a lot recently, so when I was in Boots the other day buying a Max Factor eyeshadow on a 2-4-1 deal I thought I'd give it a go. Apparently it's a dupe of a discontinued Clarins polish (but I wouldn't know about that!) So, onto the polish! In the bottle, it looks like a royal blue/purple metallic polish with coppery microglitter. I was a bit 'meh' when I picked it up (I do have a lot of polish) but as I got it for nothing (normally £3.99) I wasn't too bothered. It comes in the smaller Max Factor bottles, not the full size, and I would have preferred a larger brush, but it was still workable. I have applied it over No 7 'Me Me Me' which is a hot pink. I have applied 2 coats as the first was a little streaky, and oh my word, I LOVE it! It is purple on the nail, maybe just a hint of blue, and the glitter is just so pretty. Really multi-tonal. In natural light it looks more coppery/purple, under artificial light you get a real greeny/blue sparkle My nails look fake they are so shiny and pretty (although it actually seems to dry quite matte, I have put a topcoat on). I can't attest to the staying power as I only applied it a couple of hours ago, but it stood up to me peeling potatoes alright! Even if this doesn't last very long (and in all honesty, it's layered over 5 layers of polish so it will probably peel before it chips) I really like it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Stila - Kitten
JasmineJolene 9/22/2012 8:19:00 AM
Love this eyeshadow! Finally decided I needed something that I could use as a pretty, slightly shimmery, natural-champage-pinky colour, and this is it. I have the naked 2 palette, and as much as I love it, Half Baked is too warm and yellow and Bootycall is too cool and white-pink. This is just right. It looks lovely on a natural face, with minimal lips and cheeks, but is also lovely with strong eyeliner and red lips. It is shimmery (which I prefer) and is very soft, so althought the colour is fairly neutral you get an outstanding wash of colour which blends really well. You do get fallout, but this is probably as it is so soft you pick up a lot on the brush even if you don't mean to. The packaging is nice and I prefer the hinges type to the Mac screw off pots - just means one less thing to lose - and the clear top means I can see what I want quickly. I do think that £14 was very pricey for an eyeshadow, but I'll probably buy again unless I can find a cheaper dupe. I opted for this over the smudge pot as when I tried the tester of the smudge pot it was very hard, and didn't blend well on the back of my hand. Reviews stated it dried out quickly, and as we can't return make up here in the UK I didn't want to run the risk I buy a dry one I couldn't use. I was apprehensive about the powder shadow being as nice a colour until I touched the tester of the powder shadow and realised how soft and blendable it it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Maybelline - Master Smokey
JasmineJolene 9/11/2012 6:42:00 PM
This product on the face of it looks great. It is a double-ended chunky kohl pencil with a smudger on the other end. I never have much luck with smokey eyes so thought I would get it as part of a buy one get one free offer. Firstly, I feel the pencil is just a touch too hard. It dragged on my lid and didn't deposit enough colour. I bought the black, which was more of a grey on my skin. It also comes in navy, chocolate, grey and violet by the way. The spongey smudger is nice, but as the pencil is fairly hard it doesn't seem to smudge as much as I would like. Overall, I didn't hate the look it gave me, and I'll probably use it again. But to be honest, I prefer a much smudgier look to my smokey eyes which this just didn't give, so it'll just be a quick fixer if I haven't got time. Disappointed.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Barry M - Bold Waterproof Eyeliner
JasmineJolene 9/11/2012 10:59:00 AM
UPDATE: have had to alter my review as sadly have realised this irritates my eyes too much when I use it on the waterline. It looked like I was crying all day at work the other day! Wouldn't repurchase because of this. I am blown away by this pencil. I wanted a waterproof kohl that I could apply to my upper waterline and that would STAY! This is it. Normally when I apply liner to my waterline, it disappears in the ensuing eye-watering. This doesn't, it stays put. It is very very black, so looks great on smoky, night time eyes. It is very soft so it doesn't irritate and pull on my lids when I apply it. It is SO waterproof - I don't know how the first reviewer can find it's not! - that it took three applications of an oil-based make up remover and a good scrub after to remove all traces of it. The best part is the price - £3.99! Love it, would definitely buy again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No