elf HD Blush

ELF HD Blush
(L-R) Encore, Showstopper, Diva

EyesLipsFace (elf)'s HD  Blush had been on my watch list for a while. Touted as being a credible, affordable dupe for MakeUpForever's HD Blushes, I - like many other UK make-up lovers- waited impatiently for them to reach our shores after watching / reading about them on the internet.

These blushes are sold in the UK for £3.75, earlier this year I managed to get my paws on three of the five HD Blushes: Encore / Showstopper/ Diva, taking advantage of elf's 50% discount on all Studio products. I found these blushes to be creamy in texture and was initially scared of just how pigmented they are. To say a small amount goes a loooooooooong way is an understatement and necessary to avoid wastage. As you can see from my swatches, I placed a relatively small amount on my arm and had an obscene amount left over. A stippling or elf's power brush is a must for application to avoid staining your fingers. You need to ensure that you blend, blend, blend in order to avoid coco the clown cheeks. It would be a good idea to practice before using the blush directly on your face. 

Pros

• Highly pigmented and colour choice of the above blushes = excellent for WOC. 
• Extremely affordable at £3.75 for 10ml and value for money due to amount required.
• Long lasting
• Multi use- I've seen YouTuber's using the excess on lips as stain or base for lipstick. 

Negative

• Pump dispenser allows for wastage, heavy fingers beware.
• Availability- website regularly shows popular colours as being out of stock. 

Overall I am a fan. I am confident that I will be ordering Superstar once it shows as being back in stock and am really proud of elf for bring us a product that could have remained in the land of high end brands to the masses, at an affordable price point without compromising on quality.

I wish more brands would be as honest elf in their pricing to consumers. 

Have you tried HD Blushes  what are your thoughts? 

Sleek MakeUP Crème to Powder Foundation: Chocolate Fudge

During the warmer months I tend to opt for a powder foundation to counter my oily T-Zone, rummaging through my make-up bag the other day I found myself reaching for my Sleek MakeUp Crème to Powder foundation and smiling.  Sleek offer a wide range of foundation shades for WOC (28 no less), so I was a little daunted but the gods on me and I stumbled onto their Pop-Up event in Stratford where an excellent make-up artist matched me to Chocolate Fudge. 

How do I apply?

After applying a primer I will use a stippling brush (or my Elf Powder Brush) to apply this crème texture foundation. The texture converts to a powder with the finish ranging from medium to full depending on application.

Pros, Cons

The colour match, price point and decent size allow this foundation to be a regular for me. It is extremely rare for me to find a foundation in a high street store that just works with my skin tone so kudos to Sleek / Superdrug for creating a decent product and stocking it in their stores. The compact has survived a LOT of trauma in  my bag so I can truthfully attest to it's durability; be warned- it will cake if you use too much so be careful and unlike some foundations, I find that it transfers easily if it isn't set with a powder.

Are you a strictly liquid or do you mix textures depending upon the seasons too?

Boots No7 Beautiful Skin and Makeup Brushes

No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Lotion

No7 Eye Contour Brush 

No7 Essential Lip Brush

No7 Beautiful Skin Melting Gel Cleanser 

Every few months Boots holds a promotion where customers who spend over £5 are rewarded with a voucher for their No7 range or perfumes. I adore this promotion, finding it an excellent way to try out products from their own brand No7 range. You may recall my previous post regarding their No7 Beautiful Skin Melting Gel Cleanser where I waxed lyrical about how great I found this product to be. I managed to accumulate a few of these vouchers during the promotion and knew a repurchase of the cleanser was a must, deciding on a whim to try their Beautiful Skin Cleansing Lotion and two makeup brushes. 

The products from (left to right):  

No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Lotion: Unfortunately this was a fail for me; found I needed to use a lot of product and it didn't get off all of my makeup. My skin became heated and I can't see me daring to finish it.

No7 Eye Contour Brush: Much hyped dupe for MAC's 217, really good blending brush. Fits into my eye area perfectly without being too stiff or soft on the skin in this delicate area. I have subsequently repurchased another two brushes for my kit). 

No7 Essential Lip Brush: As a Woman of Colour I love my full lips, but find many lip brushes far too small to allow me to build up colour on my lips for a lasting finish. It was the size of the brush that caught my attention and found the firmness of the bristles to be superb. If you love a good red lip a good lip brush is essential. Yet another repurchase.

No7 Beautiful Skin Melting Gel Cleanser: A excellent gel cleanser repurchased as I love taking off makeup with it. Trust me - it gets rid of everything!

I used to be weary of trying own-brand products but I’m glad that smart promotions such as the No7 promotion affords me the opportunity to become familiar with excellent products and at a relatively decent price point.

Have you made use of this promotion – what product(s) go you recommend?

Lip MawAhh: You're So Cute Chocolate

 

Winter can be a trying time for me; my skin becomes parched and lips chapped, so I'm always on the look out for decent products to counteract this. Around a month ago a work colleague handed me a  tube of Lip MawAhh's You're So Cute Chocolate to try and I have been loving it! 

I've had problems with chap sticks in the past - irritation, over drying my lips, offensive smells and white gunk forming a line around my lips- to name just a few. Upon opening You're So Cute Chocolate I was surprised by the natural chocolate smell and was delighted to discover that the product is completely natural, with a whole bunch of oils/butters to provide goodness to my lips. As the month progressed I noticed that the texture of the tube changed to a slightly gritty texture that felt akin to giving my lips a nice massage. 

Overall, I'm impressed- the tube hasn't left my bag!

Rimmel London Kate 03: Quick Swatch Series

Quick swatch of the pink / nude from Rimmel London Kate Moss collection.

You may recall that I previously posted swatches of the three Rimmel London lipsticks I had purchased in October. I thought I'd post a quick swatch of this gorgeous pink /nude on my lips. It is softer in colour than NYX's Thalia so is easier to wear for a paired down, everyday look.

Kera Pro Restorative Intense Treatment

Often cited as an affordable dupe for Kerastase's Nutri-Thermique product, I have heard a lot about Kera Pro Restorative Intense Treatment for dry to very dry hair. However, like many beauty / hair enthusiasts I have been frustrated by the lack of availability of yet another  cult product (Kera Pro) in the UK. Imagine my surprise when I came across a  tub whilst rummaging the shelves of my local TK Maxx for £7.99. 

What does the company say?

A complete line of keratin-rich products designed to deeply nourish, restore and provide optimum balance for soft, shiny and healthy hair that lasts all day!  Compare to L’Oreal Kerastase and save! KeraPRO Restorative Treatment is an intense nourishing treatment that saturates hair from roots to ends for the ultimate restorative therapy for extra dry or stressed hair. Contains scientifically advanced glucose, lipid and keratin protein actives. It locks nutrients deep inside the hair fiber  [sic] leaving hair soft, shiny and healthy. 

How I used the product

I decided to use it as a deep conditioner after shampooing; slopping it on with my trusty Tesco's carrier bag and sitting for 40 minutes with a heating cap on. The results were moderate, soft hair and I was a bit nonplussed. It was on my second use of the product that I fell in love. I had been 9 weeks post and had some serious regrowth issues (broken comb anyone?). 

Using a tinting brush I made sure to part my hair into sections and concentrated on placing the product directly on my scalp/ new growth, adding some of my trusty hemp oil to mix and sitting for 40 minutes with a heating cap (Waitrose carrier bag this time). The results were amazing! The new growth was so soft and manageable, the older hair felt equally moisturised and there wasn't a clear difference between the two textures. The added oil had provide the slip I felt was missing from my hair following my attempt. Due to the lightness of the product my fine hair wasn't left feeling heavy after the treatment, with the results lasting for well over a week. 

Verdict

The only negative for me is the lack of avalilblity in the UK. The tub allows for easy and effective usage with a tinting brush. As a migraine sufferer I found the smell non offensive and quite pleasant. The lightweight product didn't overwhelm my hair but I would strongly advise the addition of an oil of your choice to help with styling after washing. 

Overall- a welcome addition to my hair regime. 

Dior's Hypnotic Poison Perfume

 

Never underestimate the power of a good perfume.

I love a Strong, sweet scent. For years I have searched for perfume that didn't trigger a migraine and most importantly, smelt good enough for me to want to wear it alone, with just a smile for a special someone ;).

Dior perfumes have been a staple in my life; I have many memories of watching my mum get ready for a special occasion and recall the scent of Midnight Poison being sprayed. As a little child I would risk a beating to spray some on and whilst working abroad, I would always counter my homesickness by seeking out a bottle if I couldn't speak to my mum. It was during my first trip to Stratford Westfield that I popped into a perfume shop and decided to reminisce, eventually spraying the two red Poison's on each wrist. Initially I opted for Poison, but I found myself drawn to the wrist where I had sprayed Hypnotic Poison. I could not believe that is was the same perfume I had discounted for smelling like like root beer. It passed the Hubby test - he made clear his appreciation and I promptly went back made a purchase. 

The smell
A good perfume is one that adapts to the natural chemicals of it's host and still retains structure throughout the day. In my opinion Hypnotic Poison has three stages: root beer - flat oriental vanilla / almond - deliciously seductive rich and sweet scent.


Dior's Blurb:

The mystery of Dior’s legendary forbidden fruit lives on in a magical, modern philter that blends femininity with boldness. Four contrasting facets – intoxicating bitter almond and carvi, opulent Sambac jasmine, mysterious Jacarandra and sensuous vanilla and musk– make for a compelling, bewitching  fragrance fusion. Intoxicating and extravagant.

Due to the price I have to rotate other perfumes and may post in the future, scents that I wear when I'm not fussed. I have already repurchaased this bottle and bug anyone I know going abroad to pick me up the larger size in duty free. a few sprays of this baby and I am ready to roll.

What scent do you love?

On the Box: Scandal

I have been loving some of the TV programmes hitting UK shores over the last few months, none more so than ABC's Scandal.

Initially I was slightly sceptical but set my TiVo to record the series for those off days where I wanted to chill out at home. After two weeks I managed to sit still for an hour and promptly found myself hooked.  The fast-paced political drama depicting the inner workings of the US White House / power players, coupled with strong characters left me in awe. I loved the way the show's creator Shonda Rhimes had developed the episodes, allowing various storylines to run alongside the overt sexual tension between the main characters. 

Kerry Washington's been rocking the hell out of the colour white and putting the 'Power' in a suit. 

I adore the character Huck

 

Are you a fan, which of the characters are your favourite?

All images borrowed from google

Happy New Year

Wishing you all a Happy New Year 2013!

Thank you for all of the support you have provided BLKMimiLDN through out 2012.

I started BLKMimiLDN as a way for me to share my musings, unsure if anyone would read it - but with over 7,000 page views in 2012, I am truly humbled that you have taken the time to stop by.

May 2013 bring you all that you desire.