Rimmel London Brow This Way range

Rimmel London is one of the more affordable beauty brands in the drugstore with an amazing range of quality products such as Foundations, concealers, powders, the list goes on!

Well, they have recently added a new line of brow products - Brow This Way

consisting of 6 different products all with different purposes, depending on what your brows need.

Sculpt, define, thicken, tame and highlight, Rimmel have got you and your brows covered!

The line up

Brow pencil with brush $13.99 - Try this classic brow pencil to shape and groom your brows

This pencil is perfect if you already have a good set of brows but need a little definition and fill in any gaps. Use the brush end to brush out built up product from hairs and put them in place.

Fibre pencil $12.99 - New to the Brow This Way range, this fibre pencil works similarly to a fibre mascara, tiny fibres build up over existing hairs giving a fuller, more shaped brow. Perfect for sparse brows.

Sculpting kit $16.99 - This mini brow set has a coloured wax and powder plus miniature tools, a angled brush and spoolie. I like to fill in my brows with the wax first, then apply the powder to set wax in place and give brows a more natural look.

Brow shake soft powder $16.99 - This is a very interesting product, its a brow powder but in a liquid liner type bottle or tube (whatever you would call it) and when you shake it up, you can hear a little ball inside designed to break up the powder and prevent it from going hard in it's packaging. The applicator is a soft doe foot like wand with little hairs that pick up the powder from in the tube and hold it to the applicator. To apply you just wipe the wand where you want product to be. Perfect for patchy brows to fill in the missing hairs. This powder is water proof, transfer-proof and sweat proof!

Argan oil brow gel $14.99 - This tinted brow gel will keep your brow hairs tamed all day while giving them colour, definition and the argan oil helps to condition and smooth brow hairs.

Highlighting pencil $12.99 - This illuminating pencil is a light pink nude with slight shimmer to enhance and lift the brow bone, it's also good to define the brows more if you get brow colour where you don't want it, line under your brows and blend out to clean up edges. This product is super soft making it easy to apply and blend.

All available in Light for blondes, Medium for light-med brown and Dark for deep brunette and black hair.  Highlighting pencil also available in a golden champagne shade.

You can find Rimmel London products in Farmers and some pharmacies

SHOP FARMERS HERE 

- Lucy Maria xx

Aikosmetics Rose Gold Brush Set

Complete Brush Set Review!

About a month ago, thanks to a Instagram competition, I was contacted by 

Claudejyne the founder of the luxurious beauty brand - Aikosmetics 

I had won a complete set of their beautiful Rose Gold Makeup Brushes!

I was so grateful & beyond excited to try these!

♥

The full set has 6 synthetic Face & 5 natural-hair Eye brushes
All with pale pink handles & rose gold ferrules, 
"..these brushes ensure you can achieve the best makeup application possible"

www.aikosmetics.com

Only a week after contacting me, this pretty pink box arrived

 to my house in NZ, all the way from UK!

I've spent some time using each of the brushes, cleaning & using them again to test the quality..

They are super soft, feel lovely on the skin & look beautiful

I have one problem & that's with the white bristle brushes in this set..

All four shed every time I use them!

Face Brushes

Lasting Perfection Powder Brush - Fluffy Finishing Powder Brush. Dense & perfect for applying setting powder & mattifying specific areas without caking up or moving other products on the face 

Radiant Complexion Buffer -  Round Top Buffer is great for applying foundation to achieve a naturally flawless coverage. I like to use it for buffing/blending out cream products; contour or blush

Angled Blush Brush - For soft blush/bronzer application, this brush picks up the perfect amount of pigmented powder! Also works really well for contouring & softly blending that cheekbone shape! Sadly it sheds the hairs every time I use it or wash it..but that doesn't affect the finish 

Flawless Finish Flat Top - Achieve a flawless finish with this foundation brush. The short dense bristles build up the liquid to a full flawless coverage without wasting & soaking up all the product!

Skin Luminosity Highlight - Perfect size & shape to blend highlight product to the cheekbones to create radiant glowing skin! This brush sheds also..

Eye Brushes

Imperfection Concealer Brush - Blend concealer onto smaller areas of the face to hide imperfections. Can also be used for defined contouring. I prefer to use it like an angled eyeshadow brush though!

Colour Precision Flat Brush - Apply eyeshadow base & shimmer all over the lid. I personally think it's to dense to pack on colour, it's better when used wet with shimmers

Beautiful Eyes Blending Brush - A fluffy eyeshadow brush that blends out harsh lines for a flawless eye look & good for applying transition shades. This is my fave! but it sheds while blending :/

Eye Contour Brush - This tapered eyeshadow brush blends eyeshadow into the crease seamlessly!

Smokey Eyes Pointed Brush - A pointed dome eyeshadow brush used for precise colour application. Apply a darker eyeshadow to the outer V for a smokey finish.

Perfect Brows Angled Brush - Used to create perfect brows or apply liner flawlessly. I love using this for my brows with a pomade, it's quite thin but easily makes fine hair-like strokes in brows.

I really love these brushes! 

They're beautiful pink & rose gold, soft & each one do what they're described to do!

The only downfall is the white bristle brushes shedding..

They are £59.99 (approx $140 nzd)

They ship worldwide! - prices will vary for country & weight of item,

Once shipped, they arrive super quickly in a pretty pink box!

You can purchase each brush individually on their website also ;)

LucyLoves! xx

COLOURPOP Ultra Matte Liquid Lipsticks

Swatches & Review!

A few months ago, Colourpop Cosmetics released an entire range of 
their own liquid lipsticks - Ultra Mattes
Starting with 25 colours & they have just added 8 more!
From Classic Nude shades to Crazy Blues & Greens, 
And for $6 usd, they're worth trying!

♥

These sold out within hours of being released!
So I managed to pick up 6 colours when the site restocked
Swatches & thoughts below! 

www.colourpop.com

I heard more about these from Manny (MannyMUA733) & TrendMood on their Snapchat stories!

So many colours to choose from, in a Liquid-to-Matte formula, all $6 usd EACH?!?

I had to try these for myself!

♥

Liquid-to-Matte Lipsticks are all the rage this year & popping up everywhere!

Anastasia Beverly Hills, Jeffree Star Cosmetics, Stila, LASplash, Dose of Colors & more

have all gone down the Matte road with stunning colours available!

But...

Colourpop Cosmetics, by far, have the largest colour variety available & continue to create more, also are the most affordable on the market at $6 each

Colourpop never disappoint!

♥ SWATCHES ♥

Top - Bottom

Limbo - Deep Chocolate Brown

Tulle - Dusty Mauve Burgundy

Bumble - Dusty Warm Terracotta

Pacific - True Bright Orange 

Trap - Dusty Grey Beige ("Greige")

Midi - Soft Neutral Beige

MIDI

"Soft Neutral Beige"

This applies like a Neutral Peachy nude, 

yet once it dries Matte the colour changes slightly to a more pale mauve nude.

The formula of this is smooth & dries like nothing on your lips, very comfortable to wear & lasts hours!

TRAP

"Dusty Grey Beige"

This shade is ultra popular at the moment, "Greige"
And Trap is exactly that, a Grey toned Beige.
Has a hint of Mauve on my skintone

It applies beautifully but can dry patchy & may need another layer once dried & can feel a tad cakey/tacky after a while because of that. Lasts hours also but I personally like to remove & reapply after eating.

BUMBLE

"Dusty Warm Terracotta"

Bumble reminds me of the popular Kylie Jenner lip colour! Has less of that Terracotta tone on my skin but I've been wearing this one the most! 

The formula of this shade only requires a light layer of product, it can smear out of your lip line so I recommend a lip liner. But once it's dry, feels like nothing on your lips & lasts hours.

PACIFIC

"True Bright Orange"

Ok, every girl needs a statement colour!

This shade is a stunning, almost Neon, Orange. Highly pigmented & perfect for Summer. I love this colour, but they have a shade "Succulent" that looks deeper & more wearable for darker skintones. 

One thing, the formula of this shade..sucks..

After one layer, it dried patchy, I applied

another layer & this baby just crumbled off!

I think it's best to exfoliate lips first, apply super thin, let dry, and another thin layer.

TULLE

"Dusty Mauve Burgundy"

This is more of a brown burgundy on my skin, I love this colour for Autumn/Winter
It reminds me of Anastasia Beverly Hills Limited Edition shade "Veronica", only a quarter of the price!

The formula of this shade is lovely, a lot like "Bumble" it feels like nothing on your lips, not drying & lasts hours, but I recommend a lip liner with this one. As you can see, it can dry patchy. So go for a thin layer, let dry, another thin layer.

LIMBO

 "Deep Chocolate Brown"

A Khloe Kardashian Brown!

I LOVE this shade, Deep Dark Chocolate, this has a perfect balance of cool/warm tones to make this shade ultra wearable for light-dark skin

The formula is slighty patchy, I think it happens with the deeper shades, but is easy to layer up the opacity & doesn't go crumbly or tacky. This shade does start to fade off in the centre after a while, but is still long-lasting

Now, I think you all need to go over to Colourpop.com & check out the Ultra Matte range!

 For $6 you can't go wrong!

The pigmentation, formula, lasting power & colour range 

will have you wondering what you ever saw in $20 Liquid Lipsticks!

Also if you're interested in their Shadows, Blushes/Bronzers/Highlighters & Lippiestix, check out my last Colourpop Blog! Huge Haul Review with swatches

- http://lucymaria-x.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/huge-colourpop-haul.html

The addiction is real, once it starts, you'll want to buy everything!

LucyLoves! xx

Becca Cosmetics Haul - StrawberryNET

Review + Swatches

Some of you may have heard of  StrawberryNET
Known for selling Perfume, Makeup, Skincare etc at discounted prices
Also rumoured to sell fake/replica products...
I've ordered from StrawberryNET multiple times before & have never
 had a problem with product authenticity!

♥

I believe they stock a lot of discontinued & older products giving them 
the ability to give us such amazing discounts!
I saw the jaw dropping prices of their Becca products & decided to try some
 - Swatches below

www.strawberryNET.com

First, I picked up the Becca Fine Pressed Powder in "Wheat" 

For $25nzd (Price now $28.50) Normally retails for $66

This is no longer available to purchase from their site, after doing some research 

I found these products were released & first reviewed in 2012, hence the awesome discount!

♥

Next I got a couple of the single eyeshadows in "Chintz" a Shimmery Olive 

& "Damask" Shimmery Bronze/Gold, for $13.50nzd (Price now $15) Retails for $37

These are also no longer available to purchase on their site, but were reviewed around 2012 by Wayne Goss Makeup Artist on Youtube.

I'm not gonna lie, I just really wanted mini Becca compacts!

♥ SWATCHES + REVIEWS♥

Fine Pressed Powder $25 

I ordered this in the shade "Wheat", it appeared to be the lightest shade available
This product had a plastic film protecting the powder & is in the usual, high-quality Rubberized compact from Becca, also comes with a zip-up Travel case with "Becca" engraved on the zip.
This product is definitely authentic!

I've tried a few different setting/pressed powders so I'm always keen to try new ones out!

Becca Cosmetics is well-known for their high-quality products designed to enhance natural beauty features, but this pressed powder was a let down..

First off the colour is quite yellowy for my skin & second, this powder is chalky!

Bearing in mind, this product is a few years behind now, but it makes me skin quite dry looking..

But you know what, for $25, I'll work with it! Try it out again in summer when my skin is tanned & slightly oilier, it might work a dream!

Eye Colour Powder $15

I picked up two of these single shadow compacts, both Shimmer finishes

"Chintz" A deep Olive Green with Gold shimmer

&

"Damask" A intense Gold with Bronze shimmer

Both in the cutest mini, rubberized compacts also with protective plastic films over shadows.

The quality of these are no different to any other Authentic Becca product!

Chintz

This beautiful Shimmery Golden Olive is one of my fave shadow shades right now, the only downfall, this product does not apply to the eyes like it swatches, it
gives sheer pigmentationTry this out with wet flat shadow brush

Damask

This is a deeper Gold shade with hints of Copper & Bronze micro-shimmer through it
This shade does apply better on the eyes than "Chintz" especially if you apply using your fingertips or a wet flat shadow brush!

As you can see they swatch beautifully & buttery

I may order a couple more to test out, for that price I can't say no to Becca!

And as for StrawberryNET, they guarantee authenticity of their stock, I've never had a problem with the products, sale items, discounted & damaged items (usually just a damaged box) or Unboxed items!

They offer Free Shipping when you purchase any beauty item,

Arrives to NZ within 1-2 weeks

(excl. Fragrances)

And also loyalty discounts + free gifts!

LucyLoves! xx

How I Order my Makeup from USA!

Forwarding Addresses, Sephora, MAC etc!  

As some of you may know, I'm from New Zealand, 

a small country at the bottom of the map!

For the longest time, I had been dreaming of the products & prices 

American Beauty Lovers enjoy, including Reward points & Deluxe Samples!

Then I heard about - Forwarding Services

♥

So basically a Forwarding Service is a Delivery service that provide you 

with an American address to use when ordering on any American site.

Your parcel is delivered to their Warehouse in USA, you pay for Shipping from there, 

& they send your order here, to your house, in NZ! 

Here are a few services I've tried myself, trust & continue to use =

www.nzpost.co.nz/Youshop - Free Sign up 

This is one Forwarding Service I use all the time! It's based in NZ, stems from their NZ post website. I personally find this site the easiest, most affordable & trustworthy to use. 

When you sign up, you will receive addresses tp their warehouses in USA, UK & China + your own NZ post I.D number. This is a MUST to enter into the shipping information to ensure you receive your order. I personally DON'T enter the I.D number in the "First Name" section, as long as it's in the Address Line you're fine! When it arrives to their warehouse, the I.D no. will show up under your name, they will email you payment info for shipping & send it away to you!

I use YouShop when ordering from MAC USA, Too Faced Cosmetics & now Sephora!

They do have a consolidation option for multiple packages & discounted prices the more you have - up to 10 boxes! 

Check the product restrictions for YouShop before ordering, some products e,g Perfume is dangerous goods & won't get accepted/sent!

Note: 

Sephora does not accept Debit Cards & will cancel orders, only Credit Cards are accepted as they don't have a set currency!

Too Faced Cosmetics will only accept PayPal payments, select or enter your given US address on PayPal, otherwise they will decline your card for your order.

www.UStoOZ.com - Free Sign up

I've used this service a few times to order from Sephora when I got perfume samples or wanted to order their Perfume Mini sets etc

Based in Australia, specifically for ordering from the US, this site has an initial service fee that is added to the Shipping Price in the end. When you sign up you need to "Place Order", let them know you want "To make an Order using their Address" (There are 3 options) & Enter the products you'll be ordering. This will ensure you get everything you ordered! Including Samples..

They are more expensive then other services, but for a few reasons, consolidation is free no matter how many orders, and perfume is accepted & sent to NZ.

I found with UStoOZ, the more orders you make the more reasonable the price is.

Once they receive your package, you are emailed with a few Shipping options including with or without insurance, 6-10 days or 2-4 weeks arrival time etc

www.Shipito.com - $5 Sign up Fee

This is the first Service I used, I heard about this site through Shaaanxo on YouTube.

This site is more confusing to use in my opinion but its trustworthy & does work!

You start by signing up with a $5 fee to prove you have a working card, get your Address & start shopping! Once your order arrives to their warehouse, top up your Shipito account for shipping!

You also have the "Special Request" Option that costs $5 if you have a restricted product or sample, request to have it removed. Or if you want that Perfume or Sample, for a higher price they have a shipping option for Fed Ex that accepts dangerous goods.

Another option on this site is the "Assisted Purchase" option where you top up your account with money, enter in the products your wishing to get, they will personally collect those for you & let you know when it arrives. This is the best option to choose if you're worried about your order getting cancelled 

Tips: 

I sometimes use a Forwarding Address for sites that do ship to NZ, but have a hefty shipping charge! E.g I made another Colourpop order last week! I didn't quite have enough money to pay for shipping, so I got it sent via YouShop (giving me free US shipping) & paid the YouShop shipping charge when it arrived to their warehouse this week! 

It actually worked out cheaper that way anyway - $22 NZD vs $20 USD (approx $30 NZD)

Others to check out - 

Comgateway, HopShopGo, MyUS & Private Box

I haven't personally used these but know people who have & recommend also!

I really hope this information helped some people,

I know I was unsure & nervous the first time I tried a Forwarding Service!

Any Questions, just ask & I'll try to help :)

Remember, 

NZ has a $280 (Including Shipping) Maximum spend before customs Tax

LucyLoves! xx

Chi Chi Cosmetics "Nudes" Palette

Review & Swatches!

"A collection of everyday nudes with light smokey highlighters"
 This is my first Chi Chi Glamorous eyeshadow palette from their large range
And I was blown away by the pigmentation & creamy texture of these shadows!

♥

"Chi Chi's collection of velvety soft, highly pigmented eye shadows are easily blended 

to create individual looks. They may be worn sheer or dramatic, wet or dry

 to reflect your mood or desire"  

www.chichicosmetics.com 

 I already have a few Chi Chi Viva La Diva Lipsticks & love all of them!

For an Affordable, "Drugstore" Brand, Chi Chi has some amazing

 formulas & such a massive colour variety to choose from. 

As I said, this is my first Glamorous Eyeshadow Palette from this brand & I'm Impressed!

It was SO hard to pick a palette out of all the choices they offer 

E.g - Naturals, Metallics, Bronzes, Mattes, Taupes, Brights & more!

I finally chose "Nudes" - very similar to Urban Decays NAKED 1 Palette

Each Palette is $22.95 AUD 
Duo Palette Sets $30 AUD  

♥ SWATCHES ♥

These colours are what I tend to reach for everyday.
The shimmers & metallics are so creamy & pigmented when swatched & on the eyes,
 particularly when using your finger to apply.
 Use with a wet brush to enhance intensity & pigmentation!
But the two mattes used for transition/crease shades are slightly chalky & take a little longer to blend.
Overall, I am so impressed with the quality of these & use them most days.
Another amazing product from Chi Chi Cosmetics that won't hurt your bank account!
I love this Awesome Australian Brand!

LucyLoves! xx

Buxom Show Some Skin Weightless Foundation

A Foundation Review... 

A review on this featherweight foundation that combines the benefits of 
BB cream & foundation with light to medium coverage.

Clinically proven to increase hydration, brighten & smooth skin while softening the 

appearance of fine lines & wrinkles

♥

Buxom cosmetics is well known for their Full-on Plumping Lip Creams, & have branched out in to the cosmetic world with so much more - bronzers, blushers & foundation!

This skin-nourishing foundation is formulated with Vitamin C, Tamarind seed, & Marine algae extracts while water encapsulation technology enables a refreshingly soft finish, while

 its versatile coverage last for up to 8 hours.

www.sephora.com/buxom

I got this decent sized sample from Sephora when I made an order online, decided to 

give it whirl & let you all know how amazing it is! Or isn't.. 

It offered four colour options to choose from for Light to Medium skin tones,

Tickle The IVORY - Neutral Ivory for Fair Skin 
FAIR Game - Neutral Beige for Light Skin
Dim The LIGHT - Warm Yellow for Light Skin
Silky Negli BEIGE - Neutral Beige for Medium Skin 
Available in 12 shades.
I have attached a photo of what the packaging is like below, not the most aesthetically pleasing but will avoid any breakage if dropped or knocked.
 This particular product contains 45ml of foundation for $34 usd

You get value for your money when you're not paying partially for fancy packaging..

♥

Now, as this foundation claims, it has a similar finish to BB cream, light to medium coverage giving the skin a hydrated, soft & smooth finish with breathable texture that seamlessly blends into skin.
Recommended use a pearl-sized amount for a moisturised, smooth, glowing complexion.
Though lacking in SPF like BB cream, it's blendable & buildable coverage imitates bare skin,
blurring imperfections while not completely covering blemishes, giving a smooth natural finish.

I applied "Fair Game" using just a Flat Top Kabuki (couldn't find my Beauty Blender!)
I instantly noticed how easily it melted & blended in to a dewy moisturised finish.
You will need more product then what is recommended for more coverage.
This colour may have been slightly to dark & "Tickle the Ivory" could of been better, but because it
allows your skin to show through, it still blended well.
It did rub off on my forehead within a few hours with me touching or playing with my hair.

                              BEFORE                                       AFTER

This is once I finished my makeup, how it applied, set and held other products over it.

Here is the photo of the sample packaging:

LucyLoves! xx