New Cid Cosmetics I-Define Rosie Lipliner

Normally I don't use lip liner as I've seen many disasters with poorly applied product ala Jodie Marsh for starters.

If you get the colour wrong its game over as far as I'm concerned, so when it came to reviewing New Cid cosmetics I-Define lipliner in Rosie I was preparing myself for a disaster just in case it happened.

The liner comes in its fab white and silver box packaging and the liner itself is a very stylish silver pen with two lids at either end. One side has a really handy brush ready for blending and the other has a swivel lip liner.

The colour of Rosie is not quite brown but it's not red either - more a very dark pink/violet colour. My lips are a medium pink colour so I wasn't sure how the two colours would interact.

The liner was slightly stiff when applying and didn't go on completely smoothly but the end result was a fine line around my lips. I have to say the colour blended in almost perefctly and there was no obvious I'm wearing lip liner effect. If you don't want to use lip liner as its intended you can also use it as a base for your lipstick to make it last longer.

All in all its a two in one product which has versatility as it keeps your lipstick on and outlines your lips.

For the first time I would say I'm converted!

                                              After lip liner was applied around my lips

                                            After lipliner was applied to all area of lips as a base

Advantages

• Comes in gorgeous modern packaging
• You get both a lipliner and brush to blend the product without having to buy extra material
• Generally the colour will be pretty close to your own lip shade
• Good results
• Can be used as both a lip liner and lipstick base

Disadvantages

• The product is slightly stiff when applying 

Eldora Handmade False Lashes Perfect For Being The Star of The Show

I received these gorgeous lashes in a recent Carmine beauty box.

The lashes are exquisite handmade lashes which comes with a adhesive and a handy tray to keep everything in.

The lashes are really long and have individual gems dotted randomly throughout each one. This adds a real glamorous sparkling effect that will guarantee compliments all night long.

I tested these the other night at my marketing event for young entrepreneurs. I received compliments from over ten different people on the day/evening who all loved my lashes and how sparkly they were. The glue is also fabulous and doesn't come unstuck at all unlike other popular brands that often start to unpeel a few hours in.

I would highly recommend these, they're a great buy!

I'd give them a 5/5

L'Oreal Color Appeal Chrome Shine in Brown Lame

L'Oreal has always been one of my favourite brands for eyeshadow due to their colourful, shimmering shades.

Color Appeal Chrome Shine in Brown Lame came out a few years ago and was branded to add a real noticeble shimmer to your eyelids.

The eyeshadow is presented in a several star format in which the sparkle of the shade is instantly evident through looking at the clear lid.

The product comes with its own handy little applicator or you can use your fingers as sometimes the applicator doesn't get enough product.

I didn't need to apply much shadow to get a effect and could really see the shimmer which made my eyes stand out a bit more. However I found it wasn't the best shadow for moving up onto the brow bone as it tends to resemble a dirty look rather then the smokey eyes most ladies would go for.

The only other downside to a product that has a lot of glitter in it, is you do get a bit of excess around the bottom of your eyes if you rub your eyes a lot or blink more then usual, perhaps because you're tired.

I would say Brown Lame is a lovely little product, perfect for brightening up your eyes for work. I'd give it a 4/5

Advantages

• Lovely shimmery shade
• Easy to apply
• A little goes a long way
• Makes your eyes stand out - perfect for blue or green eyes

Disadvantages

• Not so good for creating a smokey eye effect
• May cause a bit of excess shadow around the eye area

Eyeko FAT Eye Pencil in Chocolate

Eyepencils can be a bit hit or miss often as they have quite a creamy consistency.

I got Eyeko chunky eye pencil in a recent Carmine box and decided to approach things with a open mind.

The product comes in a attractive bright blue box which immediatly catches your eye. The pencil itself is a small chunky grey stick with the colour at the end. It also has a protective lid to stop the colour staining your makeup bag.

The product was quite easy to apply but it did feel quite sticky on my eyes. A few hours later the eyeshadow has started to shift and there were crease lines all over my eyelid. Now I don't think I'm one of the only ones who hates it when a few hours after applying your eyeshadow creases, cream shadows are the worst!

Technically Eyeko chunky pencil isn't a 'cream' shadow so its surprising it shifted so quick. The complete effect was ruined when the product creased as well.

All in all i'll give it a 1/5.



Advantages

• Attractive packaging
• Easy to apply
• The colours good for casual wear

Disadvantages

• Creases very quickly

Touch of Nature Grapefruit Bodywash

When I'm having a soak in the bath I love my bodywash to smell gorgeous and make me feel gorgeous.


Touch of Nature's grapefruit with lemon and spearmint bodywash has quite a noticeable smell, with a clear undertone of spearmint that I think comes out stronger then the main body of grapefruit.

This refreshing bodywash is made using pure essential oils, and is proud to be paraben, synthetic and colour free. In addition it isn't tested on animals.

The product comes in quite luxurious packaging which would look great in a modern bathroom. The product is encased in a lovely swirly leaf design that almost looks like wallpaper. The bodywash is easy to get out through a push system on top of the bottle.

I found the product sunk into my skin quite easily and didn't really leave much of a lather. There was a slight shimmery sheen left on my skin once I'd dried myself off.

The final smell that clung to my skin was again very audibly spearmint with a hint of lemon. There was no grapefruit coming through.

Overall a nice product that comes across as being very luxurious and full of great stuff that is good for your skin. I'll give it a 3.5/5

Advantages

• Luxurious packaging
• Not tested on animals
• Has no bad chemicals inside

Disadvantages

• Despite being described as a grapefruit product the fruit really wasn't evident in the product

 You can buy this great product for £13 at Touch of Nature

St Moriz Self Tanning Mousse

If you want a less hazardous route to bronzed skin forget the sunbeds or sizzling in the sun, self tanning products can give you the same effect in half the time!

Today I am reviewing St Moriz self tanning mousse which I got sent from Direct Cosmetics. The product is quite cheap in most places so definitely starts off on the right foot and has very similar features to the more expensive St Tropez. When you press the nozzle the liquid that comes out is pretty foamy and brown in colour and all you do is rub that into your skin. It's suitable for all over the body but I tend to not use it on my face just in case...

Now its best to exfoliate first to get rid of dry skin as self tan can get caught on this and create a very attractive streaky look. I have used spray tanners before and found I instantly got these horrible streak marks but with St Moriz mousse if you rub it in well enough you can hopefully avoid those.

The product is light but straight after use it does leave you with a slight stickiness that isn't too comfortable. Unlike most tanners though it doesn't have that horrible biscuity smell and you can go about your daily basis comfortable that you won't be attracting a flock of piegeons.

However, even with the best of intentions you do still get streak marks with St Moriz mousse, especially in areas such as back of legs, inbetween fingers etc which you don't notice till you get into a well lit area. My advice - wait till you get into natural light before applying, you'll get far better results that way!

 Before                              After

I'd give it a 4/5.

Advantages

• Lightweight
• Simple to use
• Cheap and available from a lot of specialised beauty shops/online shops
• Good contester to St Tropez without the price tag
• Gives off a deep bronzed glow

Disadvantages

• Slightly sticky after use
• Streaks do occur!

You can buy St Moriz self tanning mousse for £2.99 at Premium Fragrances 

New CID I-pout lipstick in Very Cherry - A pop of colour on your lips

There's nothing like a sweet red cherry look to finish off your look.

The New CID lipstick in Very Cherry is a splash of glamour in a stick. It comes in the delightful white packaging with attached mirror and light. As I have mentioned before it's the perfect lipstick for going out with as you can actually see yourself without having to rush off to the toilets.

The lipstick applies really smoothly with no catching and like the other products in the series has  the amazing perfume like odour that doesn't leave a lingering taste in your mouth.

Initially it seems like the lipstick isn't applying much colour but if you're persistent you'll soon see results.

This product is perfect for glamming up a daytime look or worn with fake lashes and sparkly eyeshadow on a night out.

Maybelline Mono Eyestudio in Gold Diamonds

From first impressions this eyeshadow appears to be a simple gold eyeshadow that will look quite light on the eyelids.

The eyeshadow packaging is more compact then most with its base a small rectangle with a clear plastic front allowing you to see the colour inside.

It comes with a applicator brush which makes applying easier, but I do feel that you can't get a lot of colour on with the brush, and it's best to use your fingers.

The shadow is mono so unlikely to crease and diseppear by the end of the day. Several hours after applying I'm pleased to say the shadow looks exactly as it did when I applied it in the morning. What a result!

The effect of the shadow is a light gold pink shimmer that isn't extravagant enough for night time wear but is good for casual daytime work makeup or meeting a friend for lunch cas-style.

I think it gives a subtle look to your makeup, it won't really draw attention to your eyes but there'll be a slight shimmery twinkle that will definitely make you look better then you would without makeup.

I think the only real disadvantage would be that for some the colour is not as obvious as it appears in the eyeshadow packaging.

Beauty Giveaway - Fantastic Prizes available

Steamcream Moisturiser - Keep your skin moisturised

Before I received it in a Carmine beauty box I had never heard of Steamcream (the beauty of Carmine). It did rouse my interest, coming in a bright orange small square box with just the words steam cream on. What is this curious product?

Inside was a circular round tin in a quirky leopard skin pattern. The leaflet that came with it explained all, listing the full amount of gorgeous skin loving nutrients inside:

• Oatmeal Infusion - a proven anti inflammory that helps soothe and moisturise the skin
• Orange Flowerwater - helps to improve elasticity
• Almond oil - contains high levels of vitamin E which conditions the skin and keeps it plump
• Lavender Oil - from Provence, contains Antiseptic components which can help heal and reduce inflamed and sore skin
• Organic Jojoba Oil - helps produce an easily absorbed cream and is an excellent moisturiser and skin softener
• Cocoa butter - seals in the essential oils and softens the skins surface
• Steamcream -topped off with a fragrance created from a natural blend of pure essential oils selected for their toning, soothing and healing qualities.

Just from reading the enclosed leaflet I thought I'm in for a treat - or my skin was. However I'm always a bit wary of these products full of all these amazing skin reconditioning vitamins etc, you never really know if they're going to work. The moisturiser has a screw top lid that's easy enough to open once you've removed the plastic(!)

Inside is a milky white moisturiser that looks thick and inviting. The product has a very recognisable smell of lavender which I'm not a huge fan of but once I applied it the smell diseppeared. The cream sunk really well into my skin and didn't leave any excess product on the surface.

At the moment my skin is quite sore in places which some moisturisers can aggravate so I was a bit worried. However the next morning whilst the patches haven't gone over night they haven't been irritated either. I'm sure with long term use the moisturisers nutrient products will really start to show their dividends.

The tins come in a large number of patterns which you can collect and save to use as a jewellery holder, stamps, paperclips etc when the product is finished with.

Overall a decent moisturiser with no real disadvantages.

Advantages

• Didn't irritate my skin
• Is full to the brim with skin loving nutrients
• You get a lot of moisturiser in the tin
• Has a quirky design which you can store and collect
• Can be used to store stuff when it's finished with - a forever product

 Disadvantages

• If you don't like lavender you may have a problem 

February Carmine Box Has Arrived!

Hip hip hooray! The Carmine box arrived in time for February!

February's box came in a similar exterior box to January so I was worried it would be a carbon copy. Alas it wasn't. Phew!

Inside there was:

• Andrea Fulerton Nail Varnish in Naomi (scarlet red) which was developed by the celebrity nail technician Andrea Fulerton. Used and adored by celebrities like Kylie Minogue the shades are popular and long lasting.
• Balance Me Rose Otto Super Moisturising Body wash, perfect for a luxurious shower or long soak in the bath. Leaves your skin velvety smooth and smelling like heaven.
• Steamcream Moisturiser. These gorgeous little tins are full of moisturising goodness, they smell strongly of lavender so not so great if you're not a fan, but are full of nutrients for your skin
• Diego Dalla Palma Lipstick - Not the best product Carmine has ever produced, it's a tiny sample size. Clearly a very expensive product! 
• White Glo professional Chic Whitening Product - It's always interesting to try whitening toothpastes, to guesstimate whether they actually work! The Australian brand that makes formulas for coffee and tea drinkers claims your stains will be wiped away with this stuff. The truth will out!
• Yardley London Peony Fragrance Sample - a fresh feminine scent that encompasses the smell of the peony flower and compliments it with delightful fruity notes. Just like Spring in a bottle!

With only 3 full size products out of 5 Carmine isn't delivering as many full size items as previous months. However if you want to try new things then Carmine's for you!

Snap it up quick!

It's not often you get a huge bargain in one bag but on this occasion HalfPricePerfumes have come up trumps.

The Borghese roman holiday kit has a number of items worth £45 for the small price of only £10.

Set includes:

• 1 x Luxury Compact with Mirror
• 1 x Gleamer - face highlighter flash balm
• 1 x Precisione Lash Defining Mascara in Black
• 2 x Mini B Lip Glosses
• 1 x Eye Accento Pencil 

Stock is running out fast so get clicking!