Shaaanxo X BH Cosmetics Palette!

                           Double-sided Palette! 9 Eyeshadows + 9 Lipsticks                           Swatches & Review

Yaaass I'm excited to review another collaboration product, this time with Shaaanxo!

One of my fave YouTubers has collaborated with the affordable makeup brand - BH cosmetics to bring us one amazing palette with two sides & 18 Shaaanxo approved colours!

9 Eyeshadows on one side, 9 Lipsticks on the other!

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this ingenious creation from Shannon, 

I love that she collabs with quality brands that are also super affordable,

This palette is currently $14.50 USD on special (normally $22 USD)

from the BH cosmetics website. That.is.CRAZY! How can you not?

♥

www.BHcosmetics.com/Shaaanxo

 I cant wait to show you the fun inside, but first I want mention something..

I ordered my palette the day it was released so I got one of the first palettes made,

everything was perfect except when I swatched the Lipsticks..the hot pink shade was very runny and appeared to have melted..I saw a few people had the same problem so I emailed BH letting them know & they were quick to sort the problem & sent me a replacement palette!

I figure, I don't really wear hot pink & the first palette is still fine for me to use soooo

I guess that means Giveaway!! Check out my Insta - Lucymaria_x, when I hit 3000 I'll post a giveaway to win this palette & a Kylie Lip kit of your choice! So make sure you follow me! ;)

♥Eyeshadows♥

Nine beautiful, neutral shadows, very Shaaanxo style - mattes, shimmers, warm tones

Love it! I heard a lot of people say it could be a dupe for Manny Muas palette with Makeup Geek, I personally think they're both pretty different but both worth getting! I think it's because of the duochrome shade in both palettes & the similar layout..

This is my first BH palette & I've heard they're pigmented but wow! For the price, these are really high quality & kind of shocked me.. They look quite vibrant in the pan, colours like the mustardy yellow & red brown are very bright in the pan but once you swatch or apply to eyes, the colours soften up & aren't as pigmented as what you see in the pan! This is a good thing, they still blend nicely and you're able to build up the colour. The shimmers on the other hand are as pigmented as they look in the palette, love them! Very soft & buttery

There are 4 mattes & 5 shimmers

Top - Bottom: Matte Cream, Shimmer Pale Gold, Shimmer Rose Gold, Matte Mustard Yellow, Shimmer deep Bronze, Matte burnt Red Brown, Shimmer cool Taupe, Shimmer Duochrome Red base with Green reflect, Satin Charcoal base with fine Purple shimmer.

♥Lipsticks♥

And on the other side, nine beautiful, creamy lipsticks! Once again all very Shaaanxo, nudes, vibrants & sexy deeps. The colour range is perfect, every colour you could need, it's perfect for travelling! The texture is super creamy (minus the hot pink, that was melted) and OMG hello pigmentation!

I was pleasantly surprised at the pigmentation of the lipsticks, I mean the shadows were one thing but the lipsticks are just as awesome! The last colour is a deep cherry red & swatched slightly patchy but the rest got amazing colour pay off with one swipe. One thing I don't like is having to use a lip brush but I can live with that for the amazing value you get! I love LOVE the fact there is a mirror on both sides of the palette! ;)

Top - Bottom: Light Pink Nude, mid-tone Brown Nude, mid-tone neutral Pink, Pinky Coral, muted Lavender, Hot Pink, vibrant true Orange, blue-based cherry Red, deep Plummy Red

♥

For $14.50 this palette is totally worth getting! I would have happily spent that on just the shadows in this palette. It's such a good value & would make a great starter palette for makeup beginners. It lets you be creative & trial new colours, there's a variety of looks in this palette waiting for you to try!

$14.50 + $7 shipping = $21.50 USD

Arrived to NZ in a week :)

Also for a Limited time they are adding a FREE eyeliner pen to every order of this palette!

LucyLoves! xx

Kent&co. Nourishing Cleansing Oil Review

Handmade, Natural & Made in NZ!

About two months ago I had the pleasure of meeting Isha & Bonné, 

the brains & beauties behind this amazing new, all-natural product!

Kent&co. Nourishing Cleansing Oil

Now I'm by no means a skincare expert, but I have noticed oil cleansers popping up 

everywhere lately as the best new makeup remover & everyday cleanser for all skin types!

I was lucky enough to pick the minds of these girls & hear all about the process &

 what got them started, the hiccups along the way & the final product - which I was lucky to 

receive in the mail a few weeks later to try out!

♥

I love the rustic style of their packaging, in a cardboard box with brown paper wrapping 

& a rope string bow! Unique & simple but also cost effective & environmentally friendly!

The Oil is housed in a large 200ml glass bottle with a black pump & beautiful 

graphic design (mandala) on the front, hand drawn by Isha herself!

But what's inside..?

They have 4 different cleansers with a blend of oils to suit your skin type -

I personally have normal/combination skin so Isha recommended me the "Normal Skin" cleanser

Normal Skin Cleanser - Organic Sunflower & Castor Oil, Vitamin E Oil, Lemon Essential Oil

Dry Skin Cleanser - Organic Sunflower & Castor Oil, Vitamin E Oil, Lavender Essential Oil

Oily Skin Cleanser - Organic Sunflower Oil, Essential Oils

Unscented Cleanser -  Organic Sunflower & Castor Oil, Vitamin E Oil, Essential Oil

Completely Plant based ingredients, Does NOT contain SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate), 

Parabens or any other nasties. Are cruelty free & handmade to order!

Why is Oil Cleansing so popular & SO much better for your skin..??

As we all know, our skin produces oils naturally to keep skin moisturised, among other reasons,

Most face washes & cleansers are formulated with harsh detergents & chemicals 

stripping the skin of its natural oils resulting in the body overproducing oil to replace lost moisture!

It's a never ending cycle!

Cleansing oil uses the good oils to remove the bad oils from your skin (sebum that hardens in your pores, along with dirt & toxins) & replaces it with nutrient-rich plant & seed oils that cleanse, 

detoxify & moisturise the pores & skin! For example - Castor Oil pulls out dirt & oil, so on its own can be very drying, balance by mixing with hydrating oils that penetrate the skin like Vitamin E!

How to use..?

Massage into the skin, oils in the cleanser grab on to surface impurities, pulling out dirt without 

clogging pores. Gently remove eye makeup by wiping oil covered hands down over your lashes to dissolve even the most stubborn waterproof makeup! Don't rub this area too hard! 

Simply rinse off with a warm faced cloth & be left with glowing, regenerated & hydrated skin!

After using this everyday, my skins texture & breakouts improved within a week.

It feels perfectly balanced, not too oily or dry.

And I've only gone through a 1/4 of the bottle so far, a little goes a long way!

I'm hoping they come up with a Plant based oil serum or moisturiser to finish my skin routine

with another natural, organic, NZ made product! Fingers crossed!

How much & where can I purchase..??

Kent&co. currently sell their products on Etsy.com

All are priced $15.99nzd + $5 shipping for New Zealand

They are working on worldwide shipping but currently ship to

New Zealand + Australia

USA + Canada

Europe + European Union

Kent&co. etsy store

Kentandcoskincare@gmail.com

Insta + Facebook - "Kent&co."

LucyLoves! 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

A guide to concealers

Concealers - How to choose

Concealer - used for exactly what the name suggests, Concealing!

Whether it be a drug store or high-end product -

 Blemishes, uneven skin tone or under-eye circles you are trying to cover

there is a concealer out there for you!

♥

I have a range of different concealers, from different brands, & after playing around 

with them for a while, have found they all have a different purpose & each are 

perfect for certain things, & not so good for others..

Pictured above, are my current concealers.

Read below how I prefer to use these different concealers & what for..

♥

• MAC Pro long wear Concealer in NC15 - Perfect for my under eye circles & also on the whole lid as an eyeshadow base! Heavy, full coverage. I apply with a Real Techniques Contour Brush & set with Anastasia Beverly Hills Banana Powder. rrp. $20 USD
• Milani Secret Cover Concealer in Natural Beige (Round pot, Gold lid) - This concealer can get quite dry, I like to add a drop of face oil. When it's the right consistency, creamy yet thick, it's perfect for carving out eyebrows or helping create a clean, sharp line on eyeshadow or winged eyeliner. Not great for under eyes as it gets very heavy & will crease. rrp. $5 USD
• Collection Cosmetics Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer in Fair - I Love this concealer for anything! I use it mainly to highlight under my eyes & on/around my pink nose.. Great for covering blemishes as well. It has a light & creamy consistency yet is full coverage. Best applied using your warm fingertips to blend out. rrp. $12 NZD
• L.A Girl Pro Conceal in Classic Ivory - I use this under my eyes for dark circle coverage, its opaque full coverage but lightweight so it won't settle in to fine lines & crease. So nice to apply with either your fingertips or a concealer brush, I use the Real Techniques Contour brush for this concealer also. rrp. $3 USD
• ELF Essential Zit Zapping Concealer in Fair - This product is something different! It's the 2in1 combination of concealer & Anti-bacterial ingredients that fight & prevent acne while giving an intense full coverage where needed. A unique blend of salicylic acid, tea tree oil & camphor that is safe & gentle, it minimizes pores while hiding & concealing blemishes. I lightly dab this product on & around blemishes using my fingertip, as to not spread germs using a brush, to blend then proceed on to foundation. rrp.$3 USD 
• Benefit Fake Up Hydrating Under Eye Concealer in Light - As the name suggests, this product is designed specifically for under the eyes & claims "crease control". This product is something different again, in the way the actual concealing product is surrounded by a clear vitamin E & apple seed extract layer, which gives the intense hydration that prevents creasing. I also love this product for when I have any dry blemishes or patches around my nose etc. rrp.$24 USD

I hope this helps when in search for that perfect concealer!
It all depends on what you're looking for in a concealer, and what you don't want!

LucyLoves! xx