Illamasqua SS12 Human Fundamentalism Lipstick in Apocalips + Nail Varnish in Nomad

When I saw the advert for this collection it was absolutely love from the first sight, seriously. I wasn’t just blown away by the explosion of colours but their idea behind their collection. I mean, Illamasqua is known for pushing their boundaries but this collection is just amazing. Maybe it’s because they play around with my two favourite colours: purple and green? Anyway…

Illamasqua SS12 Human Fundamentalism Lipstick in Apocalips is a very deep teal shade with matte finish. It’s not a shade I would normally pick but that’s why it caught my eye. I like bold and statement colours, and I was keen to see how it looks like on lips.

The formula is very dry so the lipstick doesn’t glide as smoothly as a lip balm or a lipstick with satin or creamy finish. Once applied, it provides an opaque finish. It smells like a sweet candle wax when in the bullet but when applied the smell is undetectable. 

The lasting power is about 6 hours without the need to re-apply. It’s not moisturising but it’s not drying either but I wouldn’t say it’s comfortable to wear on its own. Also, Apocalips is great to mix with other lipsticks to get new, innovative shades (I mixed mine with L’oreal Color Riche in Pink Passion to get deep, lilac-y purple with blue undertones). Overall, very impressed and will definitely purchase more Illamasqua makeup products.

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Nomad is a bright, neon-y shade of green. It’s very similar to Barry M Nail Paint in Mint Green but brighter and slightly greener. It’s very long lasting (about a week with a top coat), has shiny finish and a great formula that require just one coat for opaque finish. Overall, I think both the lipstick and nail varnish are great products!

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Coral Fever + Rimmel Lasting Finish Fruities in Apricot Punch

I have a massive crush on anything that’s coral so I decided that Coral Fever and Apricot Punch are perfect products to satisfy my coral needs. Plus, they both smell fabulous!

Rimmel Lasting Finish Fruities in Apricot Punch (left) and Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Coral Fever (right)

Maybelline in Coral Fever is a coral shade lipstick with satin finish and creamy texture. It’s definitely not sheer but it isn’t as much pigmented as I expected, which I actually like (I’m normally a fan of bright lipsticks). It’s not totally to your face but it’s not too shy so if you want to experiment with some bold colours this spring but you are not a fan of really bright colours I think this shade would be ideal. It glides on very smoothly and it's comfortable to wear. The lasting power is about 3 – 4 hours so something between a lip balm and a high-end lipstick. Despite the creamy texture I found the formula to be slightly drying. But maybe it's just me. The smell is sugary – it’s nice - not too strong. The packaging is solid and I like the idea of red-tinted clear top. To some it might look cheap and plastic-y but I think it looks fashionable.

Overall, a nice shade to have in you makeup bag!

 Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Coral Fever - with flash

 Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Coral Fever - without flash

Rimmel Lasting Finish Fruities in Apricot Punch is just ideal shade of coral: not to orange-y, not too yellow-y – just perfect peachy coral. 

I love it that is smells of apricots once it’s dry. It’s a nice, delicate smell that you can’t detect unless you put your nails near your nose. And, surprisingly the scent last quite a time: about 12-14 hours but I still could just smell it the next day after more than 24 hours! Nice! Only one coat is needed to get opaque finish. It last for about 3 days before it needs re-applying. It’s a good value for money and I would definitely re-purchase in the future. A.

DIOR Spring 2012 Garden Party 5 Colours in Garden Pastels and Dior Vernis in Forget Me Not (Limited Edition)

Another spring 2012 collection that looks and smells fabulous! 

 Dior Garden Party 5 Colours in Garden Pastels (Limited Edition) and Dior Vernis in Forget Me Not (Limited Edition)

The packaging looks and feels very solid like it would definitely survive a fall from the table. The eyeshadows are placed inside THAT famous Dior blue holographic packaging. Inside, there are 5 beautiful pastel shades with two double-sided applicators on both sides. And the roses embossed on the eyeshadows look so pretty and so arty! Honestly, I couldn't take my eyes off it when I bought it.

I wouldn’t wear the shades all together but I like the combination of green + gold/yellow or turquoise + silver. I would normally use the pink shade in the middle as a base colour.
The effect is very soft and luminous - perfect look for spring. The eye shadows are very intense and shimmery and last about 9 – 10 hours on my (oily) skin with primer. I think the colours are so hot for spring/summer season and definitely worth purchasing!

  Dior Vernis in Forget Me Not (Limited Edition)

 without flash

with flash

Dior Vernis in Forget Me Not is a lovely, deep shade of purple. I so love the fact that it smells of roses once it's dry. The scent lasts about 3-4 hours. The end result is very shiny and I only needed to apply one coat to my nails for completely opaque finish! Like all Dior nail varnishes, Forget Me Not have a very thick, rounded brush and only one good stroke is enough to cover your nail completely!

Overall, I love it - I would give it 9/10! Definitely worth having :) A.

PAUL & JOE 2012 Spring Creation Eye Shadow, Lipstick C and Blusher Stick

I am so excited about this collection that I can’t even describe in words HOW MUCH I love it!.! I’ve been waiting for this limited edition to be available on asos website for a while and now I’ve got it! I love it, loove it, LOOOVE it! My own little collection consists of: Face & Eye Color in Purr-fect (078), Lipstick C in Catwalk (077) and Blusher Stick in Catfight (003).

Their cute, stylish retro packaging never fails to impress me. As always, it’s beautiful. The Face & Eye Color in Purr-fect looks very pretty with cat design pressed into the powder. Purr-fect features 2 shades of grey-ish green and one ivory shade on the cat’s tummy. The shades are slightly sparkly. I wouldn’t say they are very pigmented but that’s what makes them ideal for everyday use. Staying power is about 6-7 hours with primer, which I consider quite reasonable. Overall, I think it's a great shade for the spring/summer season. Not to mention the super adorable packaging.

 Paul & Joe Face & Eye Color in Purr-fect

The lipstick looks very cute with paw prints on them and it smells gorgeous (as all Paul & Joe makeup products do). It is a slightly peachy shade of red. It’s very sheer and when applied, looks like peachy nude. I would say it’s more like a lip balm with a hint of colour. The texture is very soft and creamy and it glides on just seamlessly. Although I am not a fan of sheer lipsticks, I love this one and I’m definitely making some space for it in my makeup bag!

And the blusher… It’s so unbelievably cute I didn’t want to swatch it! Would you destroy such a beautiful thing?...:-P I guess I should have bought two. Lol. Anyway, I did swatch it in the end (from the side tho!) and it looks very pretty. It’s a bright orange-y red and I think it’s a perfect match to that lipstick!

Overall, I am over the moon with this makeup range. I would definitely re-purchase and I am looking forward to expanding my little collection. :) A.

CHANEL 2012 Spring Collection Horizon Blusher & Chalys Lipstick

BLUSH HORIZON DE CHANEL Soft Glow Blush

I had my eyes on the Chanel Spring Collection Horizon Blusher for a while so when it finally arrived in shops my first step was towards the Chanel counter. I was planning on getting a warm orange-y colour lipstick from their collection as well so when I picked Rouge Coco Lipstick in Chalys I knew that's the one I wanted. Although I liked all the other colours I knew I had to decide otherwise I'd be just standing there and trying all of them on for ever. If I had too much money I’d probably buy all of them. (I know, I’m self-confessed addict to beauty products).

The Horizon Limited Edition Blusher is priced at £46 – it is very pricey product just to get a bit of colour on your cheeks – I agree. But me, being me, I just HAD to buy it anyway. And it is indeed veeery nice. It has all the colours you need to achieve a nice, soft pinky finish on your cheeks. Perfect for spring. I love it. It’s like all in one product – it gently highlights your cheekbones as well giving you a healthy, natural glow.

You can also use it in two ways: first you can sweep your brush across the upper part of the blusher where all the pink shades are placed. That way you achieve a soft, fresh pink look. However, if you sweep your brush across the bottom part of the blusher – where all the peachy tones are placed - you achieve warmer, more summery finish. Love.It.

When it comes to lipstick – hmm… my feelings are mixed. Yes, I love the shade; the texture is beautiful, very creamy and very soft. It’s a sheer lipstick so it doesn’t come out as bright orange-y but it does give your lips a satiny, more natural finish. The downside is that it doesn’t last very long. 3 - 4 hours is the max. Plus, if you have dry or chapped lips it will make them look even dryer.  Overall - I love the creamy texture but I don’t think I would buy that particular lipstick again.

CHANEL Rouge Coco Hydrating Creme Lip Colour in Chalys

Overall – I looove the blusher, not so in love with the lipstick. A.