Max Factor Colour Elixir Lip Gloss: Captivating Ruby

I received this gloss in a free gift package a few months back and have lately been putting it to the test. It is essentially a vivid gloss with strong colour pigment that leaves a stain after the gloss wears off, which it does after a few hours. First of all, I love this red colour as it is as bright as reds come which I find most flattering and vibrant. One can not be a wallflower and wear a shade like this, which is great as it really makes you stand out which inspires confidence. It goes on really smoothly, but due to the bright shade it takes a careful application; sadly it is not one of those glosses that can be just thrown on without looking. Once it is on however, it is a great statement lip and does last a solid couple of hours. Word of warning though, if you are eating/drinking the gloss holds up for less time. Once the gloss has faded, a more subtle red shade is left which is nice if you want a more natural look. It is not akin to Rimmel Apocalips in the sense that it stays on forever without having to apply it again, but it gets my thumbs up in terms of how it looks. I think this is a lovely statement summer look combining a beaut red shade with a super glossy finish which is perfect for tanned, sun kissed skin. As for longevity, I have tried better staying glosses but having to apply it a few more times throughout the night is worth the lustrous look it gives. What's more, it isn't at all sticky which is always a winner in my opinion as there is nothing worse than a lip gloss hair situation. I will be wearing this non stop throughout my holiday this week, and you can get your hands on it for £7.99, a fairly standard price for this type of product; I couldn't be happier receiving it for free and I probably would purchase it regardless of that.

Have you guys tried any glosses from this range?

xox

The Summer Playlist #2

Seen as I am luckily going on holiday this week, I thought I would put together another summer playlist of all the jams I am loving and will be listening to in the sun this month. Most of these are current releases that you will no doubt have heard already, but there are a few old gems in there that I can't get enough of. I recently worked V festival and ever since I have rediscovered The Killers and Justin Timberlake. You can see my previous playlist here. 

Hope you are all having a wonderful summer, enjoy this playlist and feel free to give me more suggestions! 

Tanya Burr Lip Gloss Review

I was delighted to hear when one of the most-loved Youtubers, Tanya Burr, brought out her own products, and I was eager to test them right away. These were the first two shades I could grab hold of due to the range's immense popularity, and they were not my first choice but I really wanted to try them. Nevertheless, I have to say they really are lovely. As lip glosses go, they are not super sticky and any tacky feeling seems to fade, leaving a lovely glossy finish. They have great pigment considering they are light shades, hence I can imagine the darker shades would look incredibly pigmented and vibrant. Moreover, they smell of a delicious strawberry scent, good enough to eat. The applicator is nice and chunky which means they are really quick to apply and only one coat is needed. 

First Date is a beautiful baby pink shade which is really natural. It goes on nice and opaque so you don't need a lipstick underneath which is great as a lot of glosses tend to be more on the transparent side, aimed to be layered on top of a colour to add dimension. This gloss however is the best of both worlds; colour and shine. This shade is ideal for everyday wear, or would look divine with a dark smoky eye.
The other shade I've tried is Smile, Dream, Sparkle which is more of a typical gloss as it doesn't have much colour, instead it is super sparkly as its name suggests. I think this one looks super pretty layered over a pink lipstick, but again it looks beautiful and subtle on its own. This is a great one for summer due to its super glossy, sparkly finish.
You can get hold of these from Superdrug or FeelUnique for £6.99.

Have you guys tried any from Tanya's range? What are your favourite shades?

xox

The Perfect Bronzer: The Body Shop Honey Bronze

This is one of those rare products that I discovered before the hype. I remember buying this in December when I had a serious shopping problem thinking I had too much loan (I didn't). I purchased this on a slight whim after hearing one of my favourite Youtubers, Essie Button, rave about how great this was for pale skin. I loved how much lighter it looked in comparison to most bronzers which made me think it would be super natural, which it certainly is. The best thing about this bronzer is that it is 100% matte and all the shades are relatively light which combined, create the most natural bronzed effect. It is not orange in the slightest and even the darkest of the four shades is a natural deep tan shade. I would recommend getting the shade 3, medium matte unless you have super fair skin. This is the one I use and it consistently gives me a bronzed sun kissed glow which looks like I've been on holiday instead of loading up on the bronzer. I reach for this everyday above any other; it really is the perfect shade and texture which gives the most natural, healthy finish. It is certainly well-loved and I have almost hit pan on it and most of the embossing has been worn over which proves just how great it is as I usually get bored of one product and switch it up relatively quickly. This product is certainly worth the hype it is receiving lately and is well worth it's £13 price tag. Moreover, the embossed honey packaging is lush and gives the product a more luxurious feel which, paired with the amazing formula, it really looks like a high end product akin to the likes of Clarins or Guerlain. It is the best product for a natural, subtle contour and a natural all over finish.

Have you guys tried this product or any other similar bronzer?

xox

The Lip Product Addict Tag

If there is one beauty product I just cannot resist, it is lipstick, and when I saw Amelia Liana and Essie Button's tag video, it was right up my street. I have two embarrassingly full vanity cases full and yet continue to hoard. I adore lipstick because it is a fun way to completely switch up your make-up without changing things that are more difficult to get right. I change what lip products are in my make-up bag weekly as I find it fun to alternate and make sure I get use out of all of them, instead of buying more. However, I have tried enough to know what are permanent winners in my collection and which ones will never leave my make-up bag, so here we go!

1. Favourite balm/treatment
Nivea lip butter in Raspberry Rose. I love this lip butter because it is super buttery and thick which means it really moisturizes your lips. I use this all the time, especially before bed as it really nourishes and my lips never feel dry or chapped. I have gone through a few tins now and keep repurchasing as it works well for me. Other flavours are lovely too, but the smell of this is my favourite. 

2. Best eye-catching red
I don't often wear bright pillar-box red unless it is the festive season, but I love wearing dark shades of red veering on the purple side, such as the much loved Kate Moss 107. My favourite however is Prohibition from Collection's Deluxe range. This shade is a deep, red wine shade which really compliments my skin tone for a great dramatic look. Moreover, the formula of these Deluxe lipsticks are incredible, and are one of my favourite from the drugstore by far. They are super moisturising so would be great if your lips get chapped easily. They are also really pigmented, ridiculously inexpensive and they smell unbelievable. Not to mention the packaging is also super chic and looks a lot more expensive than its £3.99 price tag. 

3. Best luxury and best drugstore
My favourite luxury lipstick is my all-time favourite 'holy grail' lipstick (big claim for a lipstick hoarder I know!) It is Bobbi Brown's Wild Rose which is a mauve style pink. It is a really natural shade but is the nicest pink colour which really livens up a simple, everyday make-up look. I wear this all the time and it never veers too far from my make-up bag. I have to stop myself from using it too often as it is quickly running out. This is the kind of shade which if in doubt of what to wear, I will go to this as it fail-safe. The rich formula is wonderful as it lasts a long time and is incredibly pigmented. I think this kind of tone looks gorgeous with pale skin, although it is the kind of mid-pink which will look amazing on any skin type as it is not too pale. I often dab this on for a soft effect, but it builds up easily to a really nice deep pink which looks great for evening. Every time I wear this I just feel sophisticated, it is that type of elegant shade and is worth it's more expensive price tag.
As from the drugstore, it is another shade from Collection's Deluxe range. This shade Tallulah is a really soft, baby pink without looking too 'Barbie'. The creamy formula and beautiful shade is a winning combination. Again, this is another shade which you can slap on without thinking about as it always looks lovely. It looks great everyday or especially gorgeous paired with a really smoky eye to balance things out.

4. Best MAC lipstick
I only own one MAC lipstick so far but it is the most beautiful and unique shade, and that is Rebel. This is my favourite autumn/winter shade as it such a stand out one. It stays put for a stupidly long time- literally without budging until you decide it is coming off. It wins the award for most long lasting lipstick hands down, you can read my full post here. 

5. The most disappointing
In my opinion it has to be the Lancome Juicy Tubes. These are by far the stickiest gloss I have ever encountered. Granted, lip glosses are often slightly tacky that is just their formula, but these are a new level as it is literally like glue. If you smack your lips together they will pull apart with difficulty- yes that is how bad we are talking. It does leave a super glossy finish but the formula is not worth the hassle, and certainly not the price.

6. Liner- yes/no?
I don't wear liner on the regular but when I want my lipstick to last for a really long time, or if I am going for a super bold shade such as red, I will line my whole lips with this Illusion Nude Lip Liner from Model co. It is the perfect nude which looks great alone, but can be layered underneath any shade to really lock things in place. But for everyday, I would say if the lipstick has great staying power anyway, liner is non-essential. 

7. Best Gloss
My favourite comes from Revlon in the shade Bellini, a lovely peach toned nude which has a really subtle shimmer running through. It looks great alone to create a really natural, glamorous look a la Kim K. This is my favourite to wear with a really smoky evening eye as it really softens things and ties the look together. The formula is slightly sticky but is one of the better ones I have found- more than bearable put it that way and nothing akin to Lancome's juicy tubes.

8. Something Extra
Finally, I couldn't do a lip product post without mentioning that of Revlon Lip Butters- a great moisturising formula that remains pigmented and adds a subtle pop of colour- a perfect way to get into more adventurous shades without being too dramatic. They have a great colour range too to experiment with, and is the perfect easy option which can be thrown on like a balm. My favourite shade is Raspberry Pie, fairly similar to MAC's Rebel if you really build it up. What's great is that they are surprisingly pigmented which allows you to achieve that full lipstick effect with a slightly glossy finish, or else you can softly dab it on to create a really pretty and natural flush. 

Hope you guys enjoyed this tag, be sure to link me if you have done it too!

xox