A Small, Cheap and Cheerful Cosmetics Haul from Holland!

Well hello there, lovelies! How have y'all been Smoochin' this week? Hopefully the weather has been fair to you all and is gracing you all with beautiful sun and blue skies, because that's exactly the weather I have been experiencing this past week! It's wonderful to go outside wearing shorts or a dress, attempting to get a tan out of it all (I'm working on it) and eating an ice cream or frozen yogurt as you enjoy a leisurely stroll around the shops, searching for make-up.

Thing is, this time around I am not walking around my typical English high street looking for the newest make-up on the market. In fact, right now I am in Holland on a 2 week holiday, visiting my friend Sarah and enjoying a different culture and, of course, different cosmetics. Not that there is much of a difference as far as I know, but I have found a few shop treats that are cheap and cheerful for both my wallet and myself, allowing me to splurge a bit on some little make-up trinkets to indulge my obsession and keep the make-up monster at bay for a while. I'm still on the hunt, of course, because I have yet to purchase a piece from either Hema or etos, both of which I have seen but have not found a product from that I want (that and I am not overly fond of the etos eyeshadow quality from the swatches I made, which is a pity because they have a customisable pallet that I really wanted... damn!)

So, here are a few of my purchases from some cheap, cheerful brands that I have found in Holland so far. There isn't much, and sadly there won't be any swatches due to flash being a pain in the rear end, but hopefully you see something you recognise or think looks pretty fun!

I have a bit of a mixed bag of brands, as I have tried to get at least one item from each new brand I come across that I have never seen before, and of all five brands that I have before your very eyes in the image above, the only one I have actually heard of is essence, though really, who doesn't know of essence? So many beauty blogs have raved about that brand, so not to hear of it (or at least, for me) would be rather surprising. So, when I saw the brand, I needed something. ANYTHING!!! So, I purchased a BB Cream.

Because clearly, I need more foundation... well, actually I do, because my current foundation(s) are in the wrong shade now that my face is a little darker. So that purchase is justified!

Anyway, I purchased the all-in-one BB cream in the shade 02 Natural for €3.99, and whilst I have yet to try it, the swatch felt silky smooth to the touch (which I loved) and seemed to be the correct shade (I dearly hope it is!) from what I saw. This is the purchase I am probably the most excited about right now, only because I have yet to try it more than anything, but also because, eep, essence! I have wanted to try this brand for so long!!!

The second item I have yet to try is the Catrice Cosmetics Allround Concealer palette, of which I purchased at around €4, and this was actually my very first make-up purchase here in Holland. I had originally wanted to purchase the etos concealer palette, however the store I was in only had ones that had been messed around with, because there were no seals on them! Arrrgh! Worst nightmare, there. In fact, the Catrice concealer palette doesn't have a seal on it either, nor the essence cosmetics, though thankfully I know what I've bought hasn't been touched (pure, pure make-up, thank goodness) so of course, I decided to ignore etos and go over to the cleaner side of Catrice. No offence, etos.

Anyway, I have been looking for a concealer palette like this for a while, though I don't know what to expect from it; typically me and concealer do not go well together, but I want to give this one a try, mostly for the green and pink concealers. I have stupidly dark circles, and I also have some redness around my chin area that I want to *attempt* to get rid of... so yeah, another justified purchase!!!

The final three products I have bought are ones that I have actually tried, so I actually know what to talk about with them! Two of them are lip products, though one can be counted as a cheek product, and the other a pretty sweet eyeshadow trio, and all were rather beautiful bargain buys, so whilst they aren't exactly justified purchases, they were cheap, therefore they were worth it!

The first that I bought was the Pure Lip & Cheek tint in Dark Pink, which I bought on sale from the store Douglas for only, hold your breath, €1! This product was actually sealed, which delighted me quite a lot, however the colour was not my first choice; I originally hoped to get the light pink colour, but it had been unwrapped and messed around with, so I decided on this colour instead; it was Dark pink, or apricot, and the colour of the apricot version was not going to work on me any time soon, I tell you, so I purchased Dark Pink and damn, I love it! I don't think I could have picked a prettier colour, because it is really lovely!

The colour has a purple undertone in my opinion, and it is very pigmented. It glides on super smoothly and you can build the colour up to create a more intense lip pigment if you so desire. It isn't sticky either, which of course deserves bonus points, though you do need to watch out for how much you use; less is more with this one sometimes, especially if you decide to use it for your cheeks! I highly recommend this as a lip pigment more than anything, only because when I applied it to my cheeks I looked like someone had slapped me multiple times. So, there is that!

Still, one of my favourite products from the cosmetics I have purchased so far! I'm rather chuffed with it!

The other two cosmetics are both from different brands I believe, however I purchased them from the same store, which was actually a discount store so of course, I got them for a pretty cheap price. The Perfect Lipstick in #13 by Fogan Cosmetics was around €1.58 I believe, whilst the Fashion TRENDY eye shadow trio in No 162 was €1.95, and I believe that both are of good quality. The lipstick is a pretty pink colour which does come out sheer, but it is build-able and feels good on the lips. It isn't drying or goopy, though it does have a disgusting smell of bubblegum, and reminds me of those horrible squeezy tubed lipglosses MUA replaced their original line of glosses with. Still, at least the lipstick itself is of nice quality, otherwise I would have been disappointed, but I rather like it; I especially like applying the Pure Lip & Cheek gloss over it, for some reason!

The eye shadow trio is also wonderful, especially the pink colour, which is the entire reason I actually purchased the shadow in the first place; I rarely find a pink that colour, let alone for such a good price, so I decided to get it with the hopes that it would be amazing. I actually like the entire trio of shadows, but the pink is my favourite because it is so pigmented and fun! It makes for a fabulous crease colour, and the orange colour is lovely as a basic lid colour. I used the bronzey-brown in the outer corner of my eye, though you could use it for the crease, but for the quick look I did, I think the three colours work well together and can create a festive look that is different but fun to do, and won't make you look like you've been crying your eyes out for hours! (Oh, pink eyeshadow, why must you make us look like we have suffered?)

So there we go! Those are all of the products I have purchased in Holland so far for myself, though hopefully I will find something from both Hema and etos that I like/want. Luckily I have my eye on the lipsticks from etos, though Hema I have yet to find something to purchase from them (perhaps a lip crayon? One can never have too many of those!), but only time will tell!

Until next time, keep smiling and keep smoochin'! Mwah!

Kel~ xx

Miss Sporty Instant Colour & Shine Lasting Shiny Lip Colour - First Impressions Review + Swatches!

Why hello there, my lovelies! Long time no Blog, aye?

I know that I have been a way a while now (Make that a year and a day, YIKES!) but I went out of my make-up phase for a while and started to prepare for leaving college at that point in time, as well as tried to look for a job, so as you can guess... I wasn't buying anything. Even now, my spending spree's on make-up are a little less than before, however sometimes one just can't resist...

So for now (how long for now is, I don't know) I have returned to blogging about make-up at my leisure! I won't promise updates daily, weekly or monthly, but I hope to update more than once a year at least! And with the sudden return, I have also made a slight change to my blogs name! For some reason, Framed Kisses seemed appropriate. I think Pretty Little Kisses felt a little childish to me, for some reason. So, Framed Kisses it is!

And what better product first impressions to return with than a lip product? It's time to smooch away!
 

By chance one sunny day (and yes, it really was sunny!) I decided to take a look in Superdrug, one of my usual pass times. I really didn't hope to find anything of interest as I never know when something new has come in, but surprise! There were some new lip products from the brands NYC and Miss Sporty. Even better, they were Lip Crayons! Now I don't know if you know this, but I absolutely adore lip crayons! They're that amazing in-between of a Lipstick and a Lip gloss, with the lovely texture of a balm, so of course I kind of had to have them, and I bought some for myself happily.

I really can not resist a lip crayon, I tell you! I think it is truly my weakness when it comes to make-up. Like a Pokémon, I want to Catch 'em' all!

The product in question is the rather tasty, candy inspired Miss Sporty Instant Colour & Shine Lasting Shiny Lip Colour, which is available in 6 yummy shades; Bubblepop, Plum Twist, Pink Popsicle, De-LIP-cious, Candy Plum and Playful Beige.

Originally I had actually on purchased Bubble Pop from the three available in my local Superdrug, however the day after I decided to buy both Playful Beige and Pink Popsicle after I had seen swatches online, realising that I needed the loveliness of Pink Popsicle in my life. I'm actually glad I did decide on buying it, because I seriously do love Pink Popsicle with a passion! It's very pretty and light, not to mention girly!

Honestly though, all of these colours are gorgeous to look at and wear, and if I could find the other three colours anywhere in my county, you can bet I would add them to my collection in a heartbeat, because for £2.99 a pop, they really aren't going to break the bank any time soon, are they?

Image-wise, these lip crayons look pretty nice I think. They aren't too tacky or too flashy, and they have a cute label that is inspired by that candy-stripe pattern which is actually pretty appealing to look at if you ask me. The one thing that makes them stand out to me, however, is their size; unlike most lip crayons that you see on the market right now, the packaging for the Miss Sporty lip crayons are a bit smaller in width, about the same size as a BarryM Gelly Hi Shine lip crayon actually, which helps the product to look a lot more girly and delicate I think.

That said, the downside to how thin these lip crayons are means you have to spend a little more time filling your lips in. It does allow for a more precising application, however with one of the NYC lip crayons I actually have an easier time just popping the desired colour on quickly and efficiently without the worry of it taking up too much time. Still, even with this small fault, I can't resist these lovely lip crayons!

When it comes to the product itself in the tube (1.1g, for those who are wondering) I will admit, I might have fallen in love with these lip crayons! They glide on smoothly, and whilst building the colour up for the lighter shades may take some time, they feel really good on the lips and look gorgeous! They have a beautiful glossy finish and the texture is one of the smoothest I have experienced from a lip crayon so far! They smell pretty nice too, though I can't say what the scent is; they just have a nice fragrance, like most Miss Sporty Products I think. Also, whilst it will take time to apply the product itself, they go on very easily and don't tug at the lips or even feel heavy and gloopy. They just sit on your pout beautifully, leaving your lips feeling moisturised and soft after application.

Of course with all (or most) products, there are a few downsides to these little gems, such as the fact that they do easily break off if you apply too much pressure thanks to how skinny the product itself is. They don't last that long either I think, and neither Playful Beige or Pink Popsicle leave a stain on my lips.
 I also found that Playful Beige contains a lot of noticeable glitter chunks, and I really don't care for my lips to look glittery. Thankfully this is the only colour of the three shades that has the obvious glitter in it, though when wearing it lightly it doesn't come up as much. Still... that's a downer for me, because glitter in my lip crayons is not nice.

All in all though, I really do love these lip crayons, with Pink Popsicle already claiming its place as my favourite of the three! They are beautiful shades with a wonderful texture, and if you have about £3 running spare, I say snap one of these puppies up to see if they take your fance!

The Miss Sporty Instant Colour & Shine Lasting Shiny Lip Colour lip crayons are available in Superdrug and retail for £2.99.

Happy Make-up'ing my Lovelies. Stay gorgeous, and stay happy.

Mwah!

Kel~ x

A Hint of Tint from George. - First Impressions + Swatches!

Hello there, dearest Lovelies! It has, once again, been a while, but I seem to never buy that make-up when out anyway. The woes of being a student!

So, when coming home from college and missing the train by about a good 8 minutes (never fun), I decided to pop into the ASDA store that stands next to the station to kill some time, and see if they had a certain book in that I need to finish off a series I am re-reading (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson, for those interested!). Of course, the book wasn't in, however I did amble my way over to the make-up section to see what ASDA had in store for me, and to have a quick peek at the George line. Well, I found something, and it certainly wasn't my book, but this is just as interesting in my opinion!

I saw this cheeky little product, the Hint of Tint tinted moisturiser, and the moment I saw it I nearly laughed because of how much it reminded me of the packaging (and style) of Benefit's You Rebel tinted moisturiser. I actually thought that this product was funny, because I had never seen a worthier knock-off (well... excluding anything by MUA, that is) and whilst there were other products in the George range that were also look-alike's to other Benefit products (the lip + cheek tints, for one), I decided to pick this one up because, whilst a budget buyer and what-not, I actually have a sample of Benefit's You Rebel tinted moisturiser after visiting the counter to ask about recommended foundations, so I bought this little treat out of pure curiosity to see if it was exactly like the Benefit You Rebel tinted moisturiser. For £3, you really can't complain either (especially when the benefit You Rebel is priced at a heft £24/50, oooh...)

This product claims:

Give your complexion a boost (Front)
Lightly colours, moisturises and evens out skin tone for a healthy looking glow (Back)

There is 30ml of product, about the normal amount for a drugstore foundation I believe, and as SPF15 which is perfect for the warmer weather we have been having lately, and I purchased my shade in 01 Light. Sadly, there are only two shades in the entire range, but I decided on this one because whilst I do tan, I don't tan that much, and this would be the better shade to use in the up-coming autumn and winter months when I want a bit of a healthy glow.

So, when I finally got home, took pictures and the like, I was able to try out this product and see for myself if it was anything like the sample I have of the Benefit You Rebel. I even took out the sample to see if the swatches were anything alike, bu I was surprised to see that they were actually very different from each other!

Upon first swatching the two side by side, it was very clear to see that the Hint of Tint was a lot lighter and more yellow in tone than the You Rebel, which is certainly a lot more orange! However I found that the differences pretty much ended there, because when I tried the Hint of Tint, I found that this tinted moisturiser had the same blendability factor, feel and coverage as the You Rebel one has.

 

That surprised me even more, considering I was expecting Hint of Tint to be a bit different, however I am happy to have found a little dupe for the You Rebel tinted moisturiser, which I quite liked!

So, when I say belndability factor, I basically mean that Hint of Tint is extremely hard to blend, much like You Rebel, which is the only turn-off for me with this foundation. Once you put this product onto your skin, you pretty much need to blend ASAP or everything goes streaky and harder to blend the longer you leave it, though it may be how I apply it honestly; I use my fingers to put on my foundation right now, so it could just be my method, but yes, I find it hard to blend and it is very annoying, but what can I do?

Apologies for my face, and hair. Friday is my lazy day

When taking a picture of my profile, I never really noticed that I had in fact left a giant streak on my face; but that further proves my point with how horrible this foundation can be blending-wise. I have a lovely looking streak on the left image, and it looks extremely yellow!

But other than the blending issue, I have no other problems with this product; it gives me a light tint and a healthy looking glow which I was quite pleased by! It isn't orange at all (thank goodness) and just makes me look quite healthy and as if I have had a bit of sun on my skin. The only thing I really have to worry about is the fact that I could leave some streaks across my face if I am not too careful.

Oh, and to moisturise really well before I even apply this; whilst it is a tinted moisturiser, I have learned that these things are never moisturising, or at least not as much as they should be, so be sure to prep well before applying, Lovelies!

An extremely tired face, one which is devoid of make-up other than the tint and some mascara. Scary!

I am surprised by this product, though in a good way. It is a lot like the You Rebel product from Benefit, something I really didn't expect, but I am pleased with it. Currently, the offer on the product is £3, however Hint of Tint by George. usually retails at £4, so not a bad price in my opinion, especially when you compare it to the original You Rebel's price! It's a decent product, and I will most likely wear it in place of my BB Cream if I want a little more glow and coverage, so it shall not go to waste!

You can purchase Hint of Tint in ASDA stores (the bigger ones will definitely stock it!) and online, so if interested, snap up this little bargain buy and see if it works for you!

Power to the Pout! - MUA's Power Pout Lip Balm/Tint Pen in Broken Hearted Review

Howdy do there me Lovelies, how has your week been? It is the Bank Holiday here for me which can only mean one thing... REST!!! I can hardly wait!

Anyway other than a bank holiday coming up, I do have something to review for you guys, and let's just say that I am kind of late on this bandwagon, but I wanted to try this certain product out before giving my thoughts on it, so here goes...

MUA have, once again, been on a whirlwind of new releases, with one of those releases being the MUA Power Pout. This is, much like a few of MUA's other make-up items, a copy of an existing product from a more expensive cosmetic line, namely Clinique's Chubby Sticks and Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stains. Whilst I do not own a lip stain like this one from either of those lines, I am certainly interested in trying them out - or at least, trying out the Revlon one. However, I am happy enough with this one, which I have purchased in Broken Hearted. I also have Rendezvous in my collection now, but I will be reviewing this one instead because... well, I just like it more.

MUA Power Pout is a lip treatment with colour intensity that relieves dry, cracked lips providing immediate moisturisation. The handy pencil-style applicator provides easy to apply sheer soft lip colour and rolls up for easy use.

Ensure you have the most kissable lips this spring and kisses they will remember forever…

When I first used this product, I was happy to see that the colour came out sheer upon first application (I can't say the same thing for Rendezvous, sadly) and I could build it up to the colour intensity that I wanted if I feel the need for a bolder lip. I also found that this colour is quite flattering on me, which always makes me happy when buying a lip product; there is nothing more annoying than buying lipgloss or lipstick and finding out that, hey, it does not suit me at all!

 

I actually love this colour; of the two that I do own, Broken Hearted is certainly my first pick of the two; I can use it on my more casual make-up days, and I can use it if I want a killer pop of colour on my pout. I also love the smell of it; subtly minty, not so overpowering that it's as if you took one of those strong breath mints. Lately, this has been my go-to lip product because it is just so gorgeous in colour, and so easy to re-apply when needed. I was also happy to find that, as it claims in the title of the product itself, it does stain! Though that has its drawbacks, for me, at least.

One of the drawbacks to the stain is probably how the product stains my lips; I found that, when staining, it can stain in patches; whether this is from random rubbing off or just because of the product, I did find this annoying and unsightly. I do not want my lips to look like I have random blobs of lipstick or pink sitting there for the heck of it; it's unattractive, in my opinion, so I do find this a bit problematic. I also find it problematic that the product stains darker than when it is a glossy balm, but I can get over that one pretty quickly... I just prefer my lips to look how I applied them, is all.

Sadly, I also have a few other problems when it comes to this product, but it is mostly due to the relief for dry and cracked lips claim.

When I apply this product, I find that it certainly does not relieve my lips when they are dry or cracked; in fact, I find that it does enhance how unattractive they look because, like most lip products, it clings to the dry areas and does nothing for any cracks, unless used with a balm beforehand, so if you are to use this product on a day where your lips are dry and, in no better way to put it, unsightly, I recommended using a lip balm first... just to be safe, if anything. Luckily for me, it's coming up to summer so my lips are being more than forgiving and not looking dry or cracked.

 

That said, I do like this product regardless of the lack of relief it gives. How could I not when it is so pretty!?

I find the product itself quite pleasant to use; it has a nice smell, and the pigmentation is great for both sheer and buildable application! It is not sticky, and extremely easy to use in my opinion. I feel that the only problem with it has to be the staying power of both the balm/gloss and the stain, oh, and the packaging; but I have become used to MUA's packaging being a bit on the cheap side to the point where the writing rubs off after a few days (I am not kidding).

For £3, I have to say that this product was better than I expected it to be; I was originally on the fence with purchasing this, however I am glad I did. Broken Hearted is a great colour and product, and if I find that I still love it in the future, I may repurchase it, who knows? For me it's a good product. Not the best, but for those no-fuss days or for something that is build-able, I definitely reach for this because it is just so easy to use and such a great colour!

...And that's all I have to say on this product for now! You can purchase the Power Pouts on MUA's online store or from Superdrug, either online or in-store! For £3, you can not go wrong in my eyes!

So, do you guys have a Power Pout in your make-up collection? If you do, what are your thoughts and which colours do you own? Please let me know, Lovelies!

Miss Sporty Morning Baby! BB Cream First Impressions

Hello Lovelies, another day another review... though I really have not been posting that much (again), but that's mostly down to not buying new make-up (gasp!!!) and also being busy with college and such... whoops! My apologies, darlings!

So recently (as in around yesterday) I decided to go into Superdrug and pick up something I had spied a while back just when it had come out because, me being me, I was intrigued by this spiffy new product that just-so happened to come out after a certain hype had died down. Weird as it was that it came out a bit later than similar products from other cosmetics lines, I was still interested in it because it was cheap and from a brand that I never really bought from.

Looks like I finally bought from them, though! The product that I just-so-happened to purchase is the Morning Baby! BB Cream. What a cute name!

Miss Sporty is a brand that I very rarely buy from, let alone look at. Even as a teenager I kind of snubbed the brand when buying make-up, and when I think of Miss Sporty, I think of teenagers, because the range is pretty youthful and looks a little, well... kiddish I guess. Then again, I do think that the brand Seventeen looks tacky, and yet I buy from them - NEVER judge a product by its target audience or how the packaging looks, lovelies!

Anyway, little story out of the way, I was interested in this product mostly because it was a bargain at only £3.49! Also, because it claims to be a BB cream, and because when I swatched it on my jawline it seemed to be a pretty good match from what I saw, so after some debate, I finally went back to pick this little charm up to see if I actually liked it, because honestly, I have a hard time with finding foundations as it is, and with this being so cheap, I doubted I would care much if it came out as a fluke.

I picked up the shade 001 Nude Radiance, and from what I know there are only two shades in the entire range, so really not that great if you are darker in skin tone. The packaging is pretty small and compact, and the design on the front reminds me of something that 1960's/70's Yardley would do... Yes, I know about Yardley, but I am not that old... or even Biba, but that's mostly on the font for the 'BB' design that is on the top and bottom, but I like it; it looks a bit vintage in a way and it really appeals to me.

There is 30ml of product in this product, the same amount that you can get in the Collection BB Secrets, and claims to be a 'Multi-action, Skin perfecting make-up', with 5 different actions in 1 product. What are those actions, you ask? Well let's take a looksy, shall we?

• Skin feels moisturized
• Erases skin imperfections
• Smoothes your Skin
• Helps protect from damages
• Gives a luminous and natural complexion

The result from this product is supposed to be that you look healthier with a perfect complexion, and that the product can last up to 14 hours. Now, I don't know about the 14 hour wear bit because I still have to test this one out at college and against the wind and sun and all (haha, what sun?) but the other bits I can kind of give my opinions on...

SWATCHED!!!

 I don't think that this erases skin imperfections, or at least, it doesn't for me. Then again I only use enough to even out my skin tone and look more human. It does, however, give me more radiance. I found that this product actually works a bit more like a tinted moisturiser, as with most drugstore BB creams apparently, but it does not look horrible like other tinted moisturizers do on me; it looks natural, actually, and gives me a nice glow. It also makes my skin look and feel softer and gives off a bit of a dewy finish, but not so much that I look overly greasy.

It also seems to do well with my dry skin, which I am absolutely loving, because the only other foundation to have done that well enough is also a BB Cream related item... and that one turns me orange!

So that's around 3/5 boxes ticked from the 5 actions it claims to tackle. The only other claim I have an issue with is the protection bit; protection from what, exactly? Sun damage? Because when I look at the tube I can't see any SPF on it. This isn't a problem for me; I use a moisturiser with SPF15 under any product that doesn't have any SPF in it, but when a product claims to protect you, I want to know specifically what from... but so far, I can't see any SPF on here, and I have no idea what else it can protect me against, so for me that claim is a bit iffy, but whatever.

Another thing that I would like to add about this product is that it does have a scent... I really can not put my finger on what the scent is, but it smells slightly fruity, and whilst I hate fruits in juice, I love it as a scent in perfumes and, right now, foundations. It really wakes me up and makes me feel refreshed! No wonder this is called Morning Baby! BB Cream!

So, what's the end verdict?

The horrors of my face shall haunt you all! And oooh, Pokemon!

From first impressions, I like this product! I like that it actually works for my skin and gives me that little bit of a healthy glow that I know I need. I really wasn't expecting much from this, especially when the product is so cheap and from a brand I totally snub, but I am honestly surprised by how much I like it! It goes on smoothly, it is so easy to blend, and it basically fits my skin tone nicely once applied. I don't think that it gives much in terms of coverage, but I actually prefer foundations (or BB Creams, as it claims) that don't cover much because I like that natural look.

How this looks after an entire day though is beyond me, but so far I am not complaining! It's a nice little product, and for £3.49, you really can not complain! It's cute, does what I need it to, and makes me feel awake! So far so good!

Now, I just need to see if it turns me orange...

MUA Cover & Conceal/Pro-Base Conceal & Brighten Kit Review + Swatches

I was wondering what I could write about, and realised that I had some pictures in my blog folder (yes, I have a blog folder, how organised am I!?) that I took a while ago back when I had purchased some products from MUA. This was back when these products were brand-spanking-new, mind, but now that I have had them for a while and know what they are like, I thought that I could put the pictures to good use and give you a little review of them as well!

Finally, a blog post where I actually know how these products work and my thoughts about them! I usually give you guys first impressions posts, annoyingly enough.

So a while back I purchased the newest concealers that MUA had to offer, which included the Cover & Conceal wands in the shades Fair and Natural, and the Pro-Base Conceal & Brighten Kit in Porcelain - Beige. At the time I purchased these, I was in need of new concealers that I hoped would actually work well for me, because a good concealer is one of those things that I have a hard time finding, so of course I was hoping that MUA had created something that could work for my under eye circles and any blemishes that I may want to banish.

Did they work for me? Well... yes and no, I guess. To be honest, I get more use out of the concealer wands, as expected, but I had hoped that I would love the Pro-Base kit a little more, if I am honest with you.

L-R: Cover& Conceal in Fair, Natural and Pro-Base Conceal & Brighten shades

I actually picked up the concealer wands with the original intention that I would mix them together and use them as a foundation rather than concealers, however I have used the Cover & Conceal wands for both my foundation and concealer numerous times. Mixed with my SPF15 moisturiser, they create a nice and natural layer of foundation that manages to cover some of my redness, though not all. If anything, they act more like a tinted moisturiser when mixed together, but I don't mind; I prefer a tinted moisturiser as opposed to a full coverage foundation.

As concealers though, they suck pretty bad. Pardon my French, if you will.

The consistency and coverage is actually about the same as the Natural Collection wand concealers, which is pretty much non-existent in my opinion; the formula is moisturising enough, but the product itself barely covers anything and just sinks into the skin. I have more luck coverage wise by keeping the concealers as foundations when I mix them together, but on their own I see no improvement in how my dark under eye circles look, or even when covering blemishes, which is truly a shame, however I actually expected it... my first thoughts when I purchased these were along the lines of 'My Lord, I hope these aren't the same as the Natural Collection concealer wands'. Luckily enough, I prefer these as a foundation option, but I will stick to Collection 2000's 16 hour wear concealer for coverage purposes!

But in all honesty, I don't think that these are too bad, and for £1.50 a tube you can not complain at all! In fact, despite the negativity towards the concealers themselves, I do like them a lot, but for foundation purposes mostly. Other than that, they do not work well as concealers. At least for me, that is.

Next up is the Pro-Base Conceal & Brighten Kit. My oh my, did I have a battle with myself when I was purchasing this... I had to tell myself to either get this kit or the Pro-Base Complexion Kit, and finally decided on this one because, hey they are practically the same, except the yellow concealer is a foundation in the other kit. Of course I did tell myself that if this one worked well for me, I would return for the Complexion Kit... I doubt I will return for it, though, because really, who needs two products which are practically the same minus one concealer and plus a foundation?

The kit itself, to me, is pretty big, with nice sized pans of product; in it you get two concealers, one peach toned and the other yellow, and a rose coloured highlighter, which I have found a few other uses for actually, and each product does what it needs to do: conceals and highlights.

The products within the kit itself are very creamy and nicely pigmented; the concealers actually conceal like they are meant to, and I have found that the peach toned concealer works well for my under eye circles, and the yellow for my redness. The highlighter is pretty nice as well, giving off a natural glow to the cheeks that is subtle but effective.

When it comes to this kit, I have one big issue with it that I have with a lot of concealers: It looks cakey and extremely dry once applied over my dark under eye circles. Despite this though, I have used this product numerous times (sadly with the same result once applied) and take it to college with me because I do like it, and find that whilst it does not work under my eyes, it does quite well on blemishes and spots that I may want to conceal. The yellow also works great for any red area's around my nose that I may want to hide, so it does have other uses that works for my problematic skin. Sadly, it does tend to dry out as the day wears on and leave lovely little patches of flaky skin where the concealer was sitting. Oh dear.

The highlighter, though, has become an item which I find is multi-purposeful; after leaving late one day for college the few things that I happened to grab were my concealer kit, my transparent foundation, a lipstick and mascara, so whilst I was travelling to college (by car) I was also applying my make-up (I was not driving, thank goodness...) and decided that that day I wanted to put eyeshadow on. Sadly I did not have eyeshadow on my person at that point, but instead used the highlighter and the transparent face powder as substitutes instead. I also used it as a highlighter for my browbone and cheekbones, but it did a nice job of making me look more awake than I really was! I have also tried doubling it up as a lipgloss too, and whilst a tad lighter than what I wold usually wear on my lips, it works pretty effectively if you have moisturising lip balm underneath the highlighter.

It's a pretty nice product, the Pro-Base Conceal & Brighten Kit, and whilst it didn't work for me like I wanted it to (i.e working for my terrible under eye circles without looking cakey, boo hoo!) I did find it useful in other ways. It's a nice little product, one which has various uses, and for £3.50 this is a bargain item to have in your make-up stash! If you have yet to try it, and you are a person who can wear cream concealers under your eyes, I say try this one out. It's easy to carry around, has a good amount of pigmentation, and the highlighter can work for you in a multitude of ways (or at least it can for me!).

The concealers that I have purchased are all good in their own ways, and I do like both the Cover & Conceal wands and the Pro-Base Conceal & Brighten Kit, but would I purchase again? The Concealer wands definitely, they are useful for my foundation routine that I currently like, but the Conceal and Brighten Kit? I don't know... I would need to really fall in love with it to repurchase it.

Until next time, Lovelies~

MUA Undress Your Skin Illuminating Foundation Swatch + First Look

So... guess who finally gave in and bought something new?

Hello there again lovelies, I have another post for you all to do with a certain foundation that was recently released! Of course judging from the title and picture, you know exactly what I am talking about!

MUA recently released their newest foundation to add to their ever-growing range, the Undress Your Skin Illuminating Foundation, which is also a part of their newest line, the Undress Your Skin range. There are a few things within the range such as a face primer, concealer and a highlighter, however this is currently the only product that I picked up... unless you count the Undress Me Too eyeshadow palette, that is.

I decided to pick up this foundation when I saw that Superdrug had it on offer for £3, however I never intended to buy this; I was quite happy with my current foundation routine, and I was not willing to pay the full £5 for it, however cheap that may make me sound. Of course the offer of £3 for the foundation dragged me in, and I also wanted to see what it was like (pretty contradicting to what I said about being happy with my current routine)... so I bought it, and when I got home I decided to play around with a bit to see how well it fared with me.

First things first; I think that the product packaging is a little funny, but I like how squidgy the tube itself is. It looks quite thin, and when you squeeze it it does not feel full at all, which I guess can be a bit of a turn-off from the product (a reason why I did not buy it straight away, actually). Also, the cap; It is not sealed. I have said before that this puts me off of buying a product because you do not know if anyone has played around with it. Luckily, the silver seal where the product comes out was still in place, so the one I bought had not been tampered with.

But in all seriousness, please MUA, start sealing the caps on everything! I get incredibly paranoid about these sorts of things!

Now onto the product itself; the foundation (I picked up the shade Porcelain) is quite runny, and when I say runny I mean that it is extremely runny. I accidentally left the tube, uncapped, laying on my counter and a minute later there is a puddle of foundation growing there. Oh dear. Not that being runny is a problem, but I am used to leaving my foundation tubes sitting there when I am applying foundation, and none of my products have ever done that. Oh well, my own fault! Just a warning for those who tend to forget these things like putting caps back on!

I actually quite like the runny consistency of the product; it is easy to apply and a little actually goes a long way I have found, which can be a bit of a problem if you put too much of the product on the back of your hand, and honestly I do prefer to use only a little. If you use too much of this, it starts to look cakey and even flakey. Ooh, I rhymed! But seriously, using too much made me look horribly cakey and I felt quite suffocated by the amount I had used. Luckily I like wearing a light layer of foundation, or I would hate this product!

Another problem, other than looking cakey, that I found with this product is that if you do not use a primer or moisturiser with it, it might look bad; even if you moisturise like there is no tomorrow. I have normal to dry skin, but once my moisturiser is applied most foundations look okay on me without a primer; this one does not. There were quite a few patches that looked dry and flakey and just all around bad, so I had to take it off. It was not until this morning that I decided to try it again, but with a moisturiser and then a primer. I have found that using a primer is the most effective way of using this foundation; it looks beautiful after that. It also goes on a lot better, too.

MY FACE!!! ARRRRGH!!!

I decided to take a picture for you all to scream at; I think that the foundation did a really good job at evening out my skin tone and even hiding a lot of my natural redness; I was happy with the finish as well, a lot more pleased than I was when I used it last night, and thought that I looked a lot healthier and well-rested in all.

All in all, I think that this is a pretty nice product; I hate that I have to use a primer with it, because I usually don't wear primers, but I'll get over that in time because I like the finish it gives me. It has a nice amount of coverage too, one which is build-able (as I have found out), but for someone who has dry skin probably not advisable, and covers redness quite well in my opinion. The only downside to the product is that, without a primer, it has a terrible finish and can look cakey if you put too much on. I also don't like that there are only three shades in the entire range from MUA, because it limits a lot of people from buying it; even me. Porcelain, whilst a pretty good match for most light people, is a tad lighter than my natural skin tone, but not too light that it is noticeable (thank goodness). Other than that, I quite like the product now that I know what to do when applying it.

Also, random little note: I like to apply this with a foundation brush. I have used my fingers too, but it looks incredibly streaky and uneven that way for me.

So... what are your thoughts on this product if you have it already? Is it pleasing you or has it become a disappointment? Let me know!