Manga Fever!

I’m sure you have noticed the Manga trend in make up, recently.

The imagery accompanying the products are definitely charming, cartoonish and fun. Bigger is better - in some cases - like mascara and brows in this instance.

Neve Cosmetics Manga Brows* - This brow pencil comes in 3 shades: ash blonde & cold brown, warm blonde & soft brown, rich brown & black brown.

The double-ended pencil has 2 different colours, both complementing your colouring and that will let you create a natural, yet  tridimensional and expressive look. You can use the light colour to map the shape of the brows, then add definition, drawing hairs with the darker colour; finally, comb the hair with the spoolie brush that is also included. This technique is really easy, even if you're not an expert.
 The product feels waxy on application and last all day. It's also free from parabens, silicones and petroleum derivatives; suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

L’oreal Paris Mega Volume Mis Manga Mascara - The wand reminds me of the Lancome Hypnose Star mascara: it has the same conical shape but rounder. I don’t feel that the pivot makes that big of a different and I was actually pleasantly surprised that it's not too flexible and easy to manoeuvre.

I quite like it! It does grab even the smallest lashes and it’s the perfect compromise between fibre and plastic wands. 

It's extremely lengthening and works well on lower lashes too; it does tend to clump after few coats but that helps achieving the 'promised' Manga look. 

The product itself is also easy to remove, it’s not the wettest formula - although still too wet for my liking (but I’m sure that that will improve in a matter of weeks). All in all, I would recommend it.

Review / Paul & Joe Make Up

When talking about Paul & Joe make up, you can't help but thinking about their unique packaging. Every collection is beautiful in its own right and both boxes and cases are decorated with themed illustrations.

We have seen oniric unicorns and cute cats in the past and I love this chrysanthemum motif on a light blue background; the art-nouveaueque floral pattern will certainly appeal to a wider range of customers, too.

The muted shades of this collection are bang on trend for colder months and are also going to adapt to many different skin tones.

  

Paul & Joe Lip Pencil Duo in 02 Dual Cedar* offers two different textures in one; in fact, I was surprise to discover that the two shades have different consistency. The darker colour is your typical lipliner, matte and kind of waxy - perfect as a all-over-the-lips base that doesn't bleed in fine lines; the light shade instead, is glossy and can be used to top up the other end, add volume to the centre of the lips or on its own as a low maintenance hint of colour.

Paul & Joe Lip Gloss G  in 06 Sheer Bliss* is a gorgeous coral with gold shimmer; the lip gloss is very light on the lips, non-sticky and I was impressed with longevity (lipglosses usually don't last more than half an hour on me!). The finish is super shine and transparent; I really like the brush applicator that can pick up quite a lot of product and give a more intense pop of colour to the lips.

This shade also works really well with the nudes of the lip duo!

Paul & Joe Pencil Eye Liner WP in 05 Aubergine* - as the name says - is a deep purple with a pearl pinkish, barely there shimmer; it hasn't got any huge chunks of glitter, mind you, so it can be used on the waterline too. It's waterproof and surprisely smooth on application. I love this colour: it's not your typical  bright purple, it's quite warm too with a brownish undertone.

Paul & Joe Eyebrow Liner in 01* is your ideal ally if you do your brows on a regular basis! The product comes in a slim, retractable pencil and it has a super fine tip: it's perfect to draw every single hair and the results are very natural. I love bold, statement brows but - since I have a fringe - I don't do them daily;  even for a novice like me, I found it incredibly easy and quick to use. The colour is also a good match, not too brown with ashy, grey tones.

Have you tried Paul & Joe make up yet? xx

Out Now / Urban Decay Fall 2013

These beauties have now hit the shops!

Urban Decay has always been my favourite brand when it comes to eyeshadows and eye make up, in general; it's pretty exciting to see their collection expanding to lips and nail polishes too.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil

Long lasting and waterproof lipliners to define and prime the lips. They come in 16 shades and I already have my eyes on Ozone - a clearn pencil, ideal to use with any colour - and Native - a beautiful pale pink.

If these are just half as good as the 24/7 for eyes... I NEED one in every colour!!!

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick

Creamy formula with an insane colour pay-off and shine finish; these are nourishing and moisturising with jojoba oil, avocado oil, cocoa butter and shea butter. 

Love the gunmetal and purple packaging and there is a wide range of 22 shades available... my picks? Liar - pinky-brown nude - and Fiend - muted rose.

Urban Decay Nail Color
Urban Decay actually started in 1996 with nails and lips products so this is the most exciting return to the Urban Decay family with 2 stunning colours with an urban vibe. Extremely durable and chip-resistant, they are also 3-free-formulated - without toluene, formaldehyde or DBP.
Vice is a deep purple with red and blue micro shimmer - Addiction is a metallic gunmetal with micro sparkles. Again, the packaging is uber-cool!


Urban Decay Naked Skin - Ultra Definition Pressed Finishing Powder
Well, call me boring but I'm super excited about this pressed powder. I love the Naked Skin liquid foundation and this sounds like the perfect match to set your make up.
It comes in a healthy 5 shades and with a cute drawstring pouch; weightless on the skin and with a semi-matte, luminous finish... I WANT!!!

Urban Decay B6 Vitamins-Infused Complexion Prep Spray
I'm a fan of the UD Setting sprays and trust them everytime I need my make up to last all day. This is actually a prep spray that can be used throughtout the day to freshen up your complexion.
It's full of antioxidant ingredients and also absorbs oil, reduce redness and minimize pores; free from oils and parabens... Here comes the SuperSpray (also suitable for men)!

Urban Decay Brow Box
A redesign for this best-selling brow kit. I never do my brows (thank you fringe!) but this wee box contains everything you need in a handy cute cube: 2 brow colours, wax, tweezers and 2 brushes. It's available on two shades and comes in the iconic purple packaging.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
... and last but not least, the latest addition to the Eyeshadow Primer Potion line!
I simply rate the 'original' like the best eye primer that I have ever used and now it comes with anti-aging benefits. It promises the same 24hr crease free look plus contains ingredients that help prevent and repair wrinkles in 8 weeks. One for the test!

What do you think? This is a-collection-and-a-half and I'm excited for every single item... Are you going to buy anything from this collection?

GlossyBox September Edition

Hello lovelies!

Apologies for this late post but I swapped 1 of the items and I wanted to wait to have the complete box, before posting my review.

So, theme of the box was 5 Future Classics - basically, the newest formulas that are bound to become big.

HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette in Foxy: this is the item I swapped. Initially, I was sent the Bombshell version but I'm clearly not blonde (you see, this is what I'm not too happy about Glossybox: I think they should customise the boxes better or send everybody the same stuff). Anyway, I read around that many people were excited about this one - me personally, not so much.

Mainly because I have a fringe and I never do my brows: yes, it's a nice kit, I will probably use it as eye shadows and It may come in handy in the future but I could have lived without it.
 I gave it a go - It came out a bit thick but I have never done this before; it seems pretty easy to master with a bit of practise and once it's on you need make up remover to take it off.

Full size, retail price £19.95

I reckon it's an ok match for my hair colour

L'Oreal Professionnel Mysthic Oil: this is the star item for me! I'm usually very fussy with hair products but I love this and I can't stop using it. 

It's a blend of avocado and grape seed oil that nourishes the hair and smells d-i-v-i-n-e. You can use it both on wet and dry hair but I usually only put on 2 pumps after my shampoo; on top of that, it doesn't leave my hair feel heavy. This bottle will last for a long time but I will repurchase when I run out. 

Full size, retail price £ 14.95 (but you can get it cheaper here).

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse: another product I love! I wanted to try this for some time and I'm glad I got it in this box. It feels good on the skin and I love the smell - in fact when I wear this I don't feel the need to wear a perfume too. I will definitely take advantage of the discount code and get the or version here.
This is a generous sample; full bottles come in 50ml and 100ml and cost between £16.50 - £37.00

Plum by Mary Greenwell Eau de Parfum: I don't really care of this one, to be honest; it's ok but not my cup of tea. Plus, as many other bloggers pointed out... ENOUGH WITH PERFUME SAMPLES!!
Full bottle costs £60

StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate: I'm a bit of a sucker for eye creams; especially after turning 30 so I tried this straight away. At first, I was surprised by the smell: it's quite subtly fruity and unexpectedly so because of the high-tech packaging I was expecting a more chemical smell, if it makes sense. It was a nice surprise anyway.
During the first few applications I felt a tingling and warming sensation - nothing too uncomfortable but definitely noticeable. Also, I could see that after just 2 days my dark circles were positively lighter.
Now,  about reducing fine lines I haven't seen any improvement but the sample is for 2 weeks only and the product promises smoother wrinkles after 8 weeks.
All in all, I'm very pleased with this product and would totally recommend.
Price - well that's the sore note: £49 for 30ml.

What were your impressions on this box?

GlossyBox - September

I'm veeeery pleased with my selection.

I'm just not sure about brow palette in Bombshell (which apparently is for blondes) - anybody wanna swap?

Are you a subscriber? What did you get this month? :)