Comments Off on Violette FR Bisou Jelly Sheer Lip Shine Review & Swatches
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One of the latest launches from gorgeous French brand Violette FR are these easy to use lip shines. Here’s a look at the Violette FR Bisou Jelly collection with swatches of all the shades.
What is Violette FR Bisou Jelly?
Violette FR Bisou Jelly Sheer Lip Shine packaging
This new launch from Violette FR is described as a balm meets lipstick formula:
Antioxidant-rich formula
Delivers a sheer kiss of colour
Natural shine finish
Non-sticky
Engineered with two distinct layers
Pigmented core for blurred colour within the natural lip
Outer jelly layer infused with Vitamin E
Available in four shades HERE*
Violette FR Bisou Jelly Shades & Swatches
There are four shades in the collection:
Violette FR Bisou Jelly Sheer Lip Shine Shades
Bonbon à la Rose – soft nude pink inspired by traditional French rose pastilles
Pomme d’Amour – bright candy apple inspired by glossy candied apples
Bonbon Caramel – rich, caramel brown for natural warmth and luminosity
Aïssa – berry shade (also available in Bisou Blush, inspired by Violette’s longtime muse, French actress Aïssa Maïga
Swatches
Violette FR Bisou Jelly Sheer Lip Shine Swatches
Lip Swatches
Bonbon a la RosePomme d’AmourBonbon CaramelAissa
My Review of Violette FR Bisou Jelly
Violette FR Bisou Jelly Sheer Lip Shine Review
I love an easy to use, shiny sheer lip and this one really ticks all the boxes. It’s lovely! In terms of ease, these are the kind of products you can grab from your handbag and swipe on a top up without needing a mirror, and it really doesn’t get any easier than that!
Also the Violette FR Bisou Jelly is a lovely sturdy product. When you first look at them, they look like you might have to apply really gently in case the bullet collapses and you apply more than you need. However, the formula has a lovely firmness and you can apply boldly without any fear of making a mess. It really holds its own.
It terms of texture, it feels nice and moisturising, so you could easily reach for one of these instead if your regular lip balm. And because it’s a sheer and naturally flattering kind of finish, it looks great even without any other makeup.
Violette FR Bisou Jelly Sheer Lip Shine – shade Bonbon à la Rose
The selection of shades is really pretty. I love them all. They all offer a soft hint of colour that can be subtly intensified with Pomme d’Amour being the most ‘poppy’ shade.
They are all so wearable, however, I think that Aïssa is possibly my favourite, and I don’t think I am alone as this is the shade that is currently sold out. If you love a nude tone, Bonbon Caramel will be right up your street. It’s like a lovely sheer 90s nude and would look stunning with a lip liner if you wanted a more ‘makeup-y’ look.
Where to buy it
Violette FR Bisou Jelly is £30 each available via the link below:
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Comments Off on Sweed Beauty Eyelash Growth Serum Review
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For the last few weeks I have been rather haphazardly testing the Sweed Beauty Eyelash Growth Serum and I have to say, I am impressed! Here’s what you need to know.
What is Sweed Eyelash Growth Serum?
Sweed Beauty Eyelash Growth Serum
Eyelash serum that helps to extend the growth phase of each lash
Works to leave lashes looking longer, stronger and healthier
Typically provides results in four to six weeks
Formulated with a blends of ingredients to support lash growth
Does not contain any prostaglandin
Ideal for use before bed
Key Ingredients
Pumpkin seed extract – to condition and nourish the lashes
Biotin – to improve lash health and strength
Panthenol – to help strengthen lashes
Hyaluronic acid – to nourish and hydrate
Myristoyl pentapeptide-17 – to enhance lash length, thickness and fullness
Keratin – helps to improve the health of the eyelashes.
How to use it
Sweed Beauty Eyelash Growth Serum brush
The Sweed Eyelash Growth Serum is really easy to use. It has a lovely fine brush that is easy to swipe along the lash roots.
At night (when I remember!), I apply along the upper lash line after cleansing and then let it dry for a minute or two before doing my skincare.
You can also use it on brows but I haven’t tried that yet.
My Review of Sweed Eyelash Growth Serum
Review: Sweed Beauty Eyelash Growth Serum
So I have been using this for a few weeks, and I haven’t remembered to do it every single night, but I still think that it has made my lashes grow! Every time I apply my mascara, I need less product to get my lashes looking long and fluttery, and they really do look super fluttery!
This is one of those weird ‘looking up’ photos to demonstrate the length of my lashes after a few weeks of use:
Sweed Beauty Eyelash Growth Serum – After Photo
I think lashes always look longer if you do this, so I will share some more comparison pics later down this post, both with and without mascara, but I have to say, I am very impressed.
I met the Sweed Beauty founder Gabriella a couple of months back, and she said it works really quickly. However, I didn’t expect it to be quite that fast especially as I haven’t been using it quite a religiously as I should have.
I literally just paint it along my lash line at night after cleansing, and then let it do its stuff. It doesn’t sting or irritate my eyes like some lash serums have in the past. It just seems to work!
Before and After Photos
So for complete transparency, I didn’t actually take any before photos as this has been an extremely casual trial!! However, because I am constantly reviewing products and taking before and after photos, I do have lots of photos of my bare lashes. Here is one:
Before – no mascara
The above photo is from my Monika Blunder Beauty Architect Eyes Buildable Mascara Review.
And here is a photo of my bare lashes today, after a few weeks of using (I say ‘few’ as I’m not exactly sure how long, and I haven’t remembered every night!):
After – No mascara
Now, my lashes don’t ever look like much without mascara anyway, so here’s a photo from the same Monika Blunder Beauty Architect Eyes Buildable Mascara Review, with a light coat of mascara.
Before with mascara
And here are my lashes today, with the same Monika Blunder mascara, and probably a lot less of it:
After with mascara
I think you can really see how my longer, stronger and healthier the lashes look. What do you think?
I am definitely going to continue using this (when I remember) and see where I get!
Where to buy it
The Sweed Beauty Eyelash Growth Serum seems to be out of stock at most retailers but you can buy it now via the link below:
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Comments Off on L’Oreal Paris Infallible Brow Lamination Review
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This is an affordable product I have been loving. Check out the L’Oreal Paris Infallible Brow Lamination brow mascara.
What is L’Oreal Paris Infallible Brow Lamination?
L’Oreal Paris Infallible Brow Lamination
This is a really easy to use brow gel that shapes and tames brows with long wear hold:
Shapes and sets brow hairs
Lightweight formula
Transparent texture
No residue or flakes
No mess application
Angled brush for easy application
Long wear hold
How to use it
This brow gel is so easy to use. Just comb through your brow hairs in the direction you want them to hold. I like to brush them up for a soft, bushy look. You can use it with or without a brow pencil first.
Before & After Photos
Here’s a photo without the brow mascara:
Before
And here’s a shot with a light coat brushed upwards into the brows:
After
My Review of L’Oreal Paris Infallible Brow Lamination
L’Oreal Paris Infallible Brow Lamination Review
I have really been enjoying using this brow gel because it is so easy to use and super affordable. I love the fine angled brush. It grabs and controls the hairs effortlessly making it very easy to fluff up and shape the brows in no time at all.
L’Oreal Paris Infallible Brow Lamination angled brush
While it gives a good firm hold to the brows, it doesn’t feel sticky or crispy. The finish is really natural looking too, especially if I use it without a pencil straight on to bare brows.
The L’Oreal Paris Infallible Brow Lamination formula gives the hairs a really soft sheen which adds how natural-looking this product is. I hate it when my brows look matte because it can look really unnatural.
If I want a more defined look, I use a brow pencil first. The ones I like are a bit pricier than this L’Oreal product, but if you are looking for recommendations, check out, MERIT Beauty Brow 1990 Gel Pencil Review & Swatches, and Victoria Beckham Beauty BabyBlade Microfine Brow Pencil Review & Swatches.
Where to buy it
The L’Oreal Paris Infallible Brow Lamination is £11.99 and available to purchase via the links below:
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Comments Off on Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen Review & Swatches
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As concealer is one of my absolute favourite makeup products, I was very excited to try out the new Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen which has been created in partnership with with skincare genius, Augustinus Bader. I have all the shades here to show you, here’s what you need to know.
What is Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen?
Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen
Designed to deliver second-skin, light-to-medium buildable coverage
Radiant, real-skin finish
Immediately perfects the skin
Proprietary skincare actives improve your complexion over time
Provides an 8-hour nourishing veil
Resists settling into fine lines or pores
Formulated with TFC8 by Augustinus Bader
Works to reduce the appearance of fine lines, dark circles, eye puffiness, and hyperpigmentation
Uses a calibrated dispenser and tapered brush for easy application
TFC8 by Augustinus Bader – uses a blend of high-grade vitamins, lipids, and high-performing, proprietary peptides that transports key nutrients to the cells for renewal, combatting signs of aging and damage
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 – peptide known to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles brought about by facial expressions
Polyglutamic Acid – keeps skin hydrated and improves elasticity
Squalane – helps to prevent moisture loss, leaving skin feeling supple and more comfortable.
Amino Acid Coated Pigments – provide long-lasting colour payoff
Rosa Damascena Flower Water – to help hydrate, soothe, tone and protect the skin
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein – to strengthen the skin’s natural barrier, improve hydration and enhance elasticity
Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen Shades & Swatches
There are 16 flexible shades in the Victoria Beckham concealer collection and they are predominantly neutral undertones designed to be compatible for warm, neutral and rosy undertones:
FL1 – Very Fair Light with neutral undertones
FL2 – Fair light with neutral warm undertones
L1 – Light with neutral undertones
L2 – Light with neutral warm undertones
LM1 – Light medium with neutral warm undertones
LM2 – Light medium with neutral undertones
M1 – Medium with neutral warm undertones
M2 – Medium with golden undertones
Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen Swatches
MD1 – Medium Dark with neutral undertones
MD2 – Medium Dark with warm peach undertones
DK1 – Dark with neutral undertones
DK2 – Dark with warm peach undertones
DP1 – Deep with neutral undertones
DP2 – Deep with neutral warm undertones
R1 – Rich with neutral warm undertones
R2 – Rich with neutral undertones
Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen Swatches
How to use it
You will need to do a few clicks to get the product flowing upon first use, but after that you’ll need one or two clicks to dispense the amount of product you need. You can paint straight on to the skin and then blend with fingertips.
VB Beauty say that for the best results you should apply to well moisturised skin.
For brush cleaning, you can use lukewarm water and a mild soap and then allow the brush to dry before replacing the cap.
Before & After Photos
This is the before photo:
Before Photo
And the below photo shows the shade LF2 applied to the left side as you are looking at it:
Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen in LF2 applied to left side of photo
My Review of Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen
This post has taken me ages to put together because, 1. it’s Advent Calendar season, 2. I wanted to make sure I swatched all the shades, and 3. at the hefty price tag of £64 for 2.4ml, I wanted to properly test it out before I said a word!
Now, my first concealer-type product super-obsession was the YSL Touche Eclat pen. This worked more as a brightener and highlighter than a traditional concealer, but I religiously used it to conceal and generally pep up my complexion none-the-less. I loved it. I actually still love it. I really do need to use it again soon!
Anyway, I am harping on about that because Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen is using a very similar packaging format to Touch Eclat. It is a clicky pen, just like my original favourite and has a very similar brush applicator as the YSL.
Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen brush
There is quite a lot of reference to how much work went into the brush on this new concealer, but it doesn’t seem to be very different to the YSL to me, so perhaps I need to get the two products next to each to really compare and contrast. Anyway…
Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen packaging
Aside from the packaging, I love that this is a skincare formula; and a skincare formula with none other than Augustinus Bader. I do really like this the skincare products that VB has created so far, and I am a big fan of the Cleansing Protocol, which I have continued to use since I wrote my review on it. I actually think I’ve liked that duo more and more the longer I have been using it. You can read my Cleansing Protocol Review here.
This concealer includes the Augustinus Bader TFC8 formula which promises to be an all-singing all-dancing renewal complex to deliver anti-ageing benefits. I love a makeup skincare hybrid, so this of course got me really excited.
Now, it is important to note that I haven’t been testing this for 4 weeks yet, so I can’t really comment on the skincare claims of this product. However, I will continue to use it, and will update for you when I can. For now, these are my thoughts on it as a concealer.
So, this is a lovely concealer. It has a creamy texture and offers up a buildable coverage. A couple of clicks dispenses a good amount of product and the brush is the perfect size to apply the concealer exactly where you want it.
It is pretty easy to blend, and gives a lovely smooth finish very quickly. I think it has a self-setting quality, and I haven’t felt that I need to powder it. I do find that I need to layer this to get the coverage that I need, which concerns me, because there is only 2.4ml of product in the tube.
I love that it sets itself and I have found it to be really long lasting, even without setting it with powder. It doesn’t settle into lines or wrinkles, and just gives the skin a very smooth look and it very good on pores too.
Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen covers really well. It is light to medium, but it is good on the purple tones under my eyes, redness and also pigmentation marks so it’s a great all rounder. I find that if I let it sit on my skin for a bit before blending, you can get a bit more coverage out of it.
I can use a few of the shades. LF2 is a good match for everywhere, and I quite like LF1 under the eyes when I want something super bright. L1 also actually works well under the eyes and I can make it work everywhere. If I had to choose one shade, which I would if I was buying it because each tube is £64, I’d go for LF1.
And while we are on the topic of price, it is definitely something we need to discuss. It is £64 for 2.4ml, which is so expensive. Obviously, the cost reflects that you are getting the Augustinus Bader TFC8 complex in there, but that alone may not be enough to persuade you to part with that much cash for 2.4ml of product.
I am going to continue to use this regularly and see if I can see any of the longer term skincare benefits it promises.
What impresses me most about this is how natural it looks on the skin, how smooth it makes the skin look, and how well it lasts. It barely fades at all, and pretty much stays looking freshly applied all day. It’s impressive.
Where to buy it
Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen is £64 for 2.4ml and is available via the link below:
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Comments Off on Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara Review
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Charlotte Tilbury has a brand new mascara for 2024 and it’s all about the volume. I have been trying it out for a few weeks. Here’s the lowdown on Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara.
What is Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara?
Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara
Volumising mascara
Uses unique Lash Vinyl-Black Wrap Tech
Ultra-Curved Lash Styler Brush
Brush has ultra-fine laser-cut fibre bristles that are soft on one side and sharp on the other
Grips and separates each lash
Formula is designed for instant root-to-tip volume
Promises a 2x curl effect
Smudge-proof, flake-proof, sweat-proof, clump-proof and humidity-proof formula
Promises 28 hour wear
Suitable for all types of lashes
Comes in an art-deco inspired glass bottle, which helps preserve the formula
Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara packaging
Key Ingredients
Lash Vinyl-Black Wrap Tech – infused with lash-plumping polymers that coat every single lash for 9x more volume after first application.
Vinyl-black inspired pigments – create the optical illusion of bigger, brighter eyes
Lash-Conditioning Jojoba Waxes – nourishes lashes
Before & After Photos
Here’s the before photo:
Before Photo
This is one light coat on the left side of the photo:
1 coat
This is 2 coats on the left side of the photo:
2 coats
My Review of Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara
Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara After Photo
I was really excited to try this new mascara from Charlotte Tilbury because, although I think that this brand has absolutely nailed so many of their products, I believe that the general consensus is that mascara isn’t really one of them.
I love so many CT products, but their mascaras have never made it into my permanent rotation. I think this one could be different.
You can see the mascara in action and how black it looks in this Instagram reel:
I think what I enjoy most about the Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara is the lift and curl that it gives my lashes, even with just one light coat. It is very eye-opening which I love and it gives great volume without looking too heavy.
Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara Brush
I really like the brush. It gets in nice and close to the root of the lash, and really grips on to give a lovely curl. The packaging does feel a little old fashioned, but I appreciate that the glass is meant to ensure that the formula stays as fresh as possible.
This formula has pretty good staying power, and I haven’t noticed any smudging or flaking. It stays put very well. The curl holds up too which I love.
It’s also pretty easy to remove. I just use an oil cleanser and it comes off quickly. When removing it, you realise how dense and intense the black pigment is, as it turns the cleansing oil super black as you work it over the eyes.
All in all, I think this is a great new mascara launch from Charlotte Tilbury, and I think it could be the one that all the CT fans have been waiting for.
