I have decided to take up lollipop26's offer of copying this post. I really enjoy reading them as you can find brands and products you'd never heard of before, or perhaps bypassed them because you didn't know enough about them. Plus I've never done one before...
Shampoo: Herbal Essences Fresh Balance Clarifying Shampoo. The scent is icy pineapple and it smells amazing. Me and the boy both use this and it stops my hair getting dirty too quickly as I touch my barnet a lot and use a fair amount of product.
Conditioner: As above - they where 2-4-1 so I got it to try and find it helps to control my hair without weighing it down.
Styling products: Elnette Flexible Hold hairspray all day everyday. Lee Stafford Poker Straight Night Patrol spray...smells divine! I actually use this on curly/hair and it works just as well (when I'm feeling particularly lazy I'll curl my hair in the evening, spray it, go to bed and wake up with soft waves in the morning). My desert island hair product is Batiste dry shampoo to add volume as well as extend the time between washes (like I said I touch my hair a lot) - I'm currently using the Diva fragrance which is oriental and the least chemically smelling one I've tried.
Shower Gel: Imperial Leather Bitter Lemon & Ginger - I like zingy smells to wake me up in the morning.
Body moisturiser: I have a few pots and bottles but don't use a body moisturiser everyday.
Deodorant: Dove cream stick.
Fake Tan: Oil of Olay Everyday Sunshine is my regular one but I planning on getting a mit and re-trying St Moritz.
Cleanser: Clean & Clear facewipes and toner
Exfoliator: I tend to use men's ones as they are less creamy and I often find that women's ones have less particles. I'm currently using a Boots Age Defying one coupled with the occasional steal of the boy's Toni & Guy.
Primer: Don't use it.
Foundation brush: My fingers.
Concealer: My Face Cosmetics cream concealer No111 from the Fair section. This is a really great concealer - smooth, creamy texture that blends into foundation really well to create a seamless look.
Powder: ELF Transclucent Powder - I was worried that this woule actually go on orange when I first saw it but I love it. The packaging withstands the bumps of my handbag (unlike other powders which have fallen to pieces) and the product lasts and last. Unlike others I only need to apply this in the morning and then at lunch. It's also lasting very well to say you don't get a huge amount.
Blusher: Currently flicking between ELF's Shy (soft mauve pink) and Glow (bright coral) though would probably only re-purchase the first as Glow doesn't seem to last very long on the skin.
Bronzer: ELF Golden Bronzer...I am in love with this product. I use it all over applied with a big powder brush then use a contourer to define my cheekbones by applying the shades seperately. I also use the lightest colour as an eyeshadow.
Highlighter: ELF All Over Colour Stick in Lilac Petal - a great multi-purpose product with that lovely ELF scent of Sugar Orange (I plan on getting the other three colours in this very soon and am bummed that the US site has two new colours that aren;t available in the UK yet!).
Eyeshadow base - I just use a little of my My Face Cosmetics foundation on my eyelids to keep my shadown in place (FAIR_01).
Eyeshadows: At the moment I'm using ELF's Pink Ice as an all over wash on the lid with Moondust worked into the crease and blended with a contouring brush. I also use Chanel Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Beige and Mahogany on a regular basis. For colour I use one of two Urban Decay palettes and for a rich eye I plump for Barry M Dazzle Dust in Rust (though I also have Chocolate, Oyster Grey and a Limited Edition Lilac).
Eyeliner: Barry M Intense Eyeliner Pen in Black.
Curler: A cheap pair from H&M...these are the only ones I've ever found that actually curl my lash properly.
Mascara: Prestige My Biggest Lashes in Very Black - I like how it gives amazing volume without looking clumpy.
Lipstick: ELF's Peaches for everyday or when my lips feel dry, Revlon's Cherries in the Snow for the wow factor, Barry M's Lip Paints in 101 Marshmallow, 100 Baby Pink, 73 Mulberry and 147 Peachy Pink.
Lipgloss: Don't use it, I prefer a stained or matte lip.
Nail Colour: Mainly Barry M in my collection - favourites are 115 Red Black, 295 Turquoise, 276, Mulberry Pink, 303 Bright Purple, 279 Bright Pink, 273 Raspberry, 262 Bright Red, 292 Navy, 119 Baby Pink and 129 Chocolate Brown.
Feel free to do as I did and copy this post. Leave a link in the comments and I'll be sure to have a read.
Showing posts with label make me up before you go go. Show all posts
Showing posts with label make me up before you go go. Show all posts
Monday, 24 August 2009
Sunday, 9 August 2009
E.L.F. Review...FINALLY!
Sorry for the lateness of this much promised post....yet again it was more bathroom issues that kept me away from the computer plus lots of early shifts this week and extreme tiredness yesterday - I couldn't even keep myself awake to watch one of my ultimate feel good films 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'! The boy is still in bed having not got in til 5am (it being 10am here now) and so I am using his unconsciousness to my advantage and taking ownership of the computer.
So on to E.L.F. As it just seemed rude not to I treat myself to £30 worth of products and received free p+p. I was amazed to get an email just a handful of hours after ordering to say that my order had been dispatched. Because I ordered Friday I knew I wouldn't get them til Monday, and like I said the nice postman left the package under the doormat so I didn't have to get is re-sent to me. Hip hip hooray!
One of the things that I read in their FAQ's page struck me again when I received my packet -
"we'd love to put mirrors in our compacts or have the same great containers as Nars or Stila, but we’re about something different: namely giving women the chance to try anything they want without the commitment to a major spend". Perhaps this was written a while ago but the two white basic compacts that I bought both had mirrors and the studio line products all came in very Nars-esque packaging......trust me I'm not complaining as it obviously hasn't effected the price.
So like I said I spent £30 and tried to go for a wide range of products that really excited me when I saw them. There was also one other - that bronzer - that I had to get just because of the hype.
That Bronzer - let's start with that product shall we. This seems to be the one that everybody is raving about at the moment. And quite frankly who can blame them. Great sturdy packaging, tons of product, doesn't flake, shimmery but not glittery. I also like how the four colour blocks can easily be used separately (for instance as a blusher, highlighter, and shader) and well as being brushed all over as a bronzer. I went for the Golden Bronzer (also comes in Cool and Warm) as I have a light warm skin tone and felt this would work well rather than looking muddy and fake. I've also used the colours separately as eyeshadows - it's an all round fantastic product and deserves the attention its been getting.
Translucent Matifying Powder - I've had a lot of problems with powder compacts of late. Ever since I can remember I've used Rimmel's translucent powder (there has been the occasional mishap into other brands but I've always come back with my tail between my legs) but as of late the packaging seemed to get even flimsier and I was only getting halfway through before the product would break away and crumble rendering pretty much useless. So I bought a different Rimmel powder with sturdier packaging but the same problem is starting to occur. So, while I wasn't really needing a powder just yet I decided to add the E.L.F. into my basket. And man was I disappointed when I opened the compact....it doesn't look translucent at all (because I'm so pale, any hint of colour to my powder just make me look orange). However after a week of using it first thing in the morning and for at least one re-application during the day I can say it is a perfect colour match to my skin. It comes with a dense sponge applicator which is great for applying powder as it stops it clumping and while the amount of product does look tiny is doesn't flake so should last quite a while.
Eyebrow Kit - my final product from the Studio range. Strangely they offer 3 different kings of eyebrow product - that just seems an awful lot for one small Internet cosmetics brand. The others are Eyebrow Lifter & Filler, a double ended pencil, and Eyebrow Treat & Tame, a double ended mascara. I'm not much good with kohl and don't think a mascara would look good on my blonde quite thin brows so went for the powder. I will admit I went by the image here rather than the description as it wasn't until I opened the compact I realised it was a po
wder and gel combo. I went for light (also comes in medium and dark) which is a minky powder and standard brown pigmented gel. The little brush is surprisingly useful and I'm glad I bothered to try it out as usually I just throw them straight in the bin. I do find I have to be very light handed when it comes to the gel but the product goes on easy (probably quicker than my usual application of Chanel eyeshadow) and stays all day without smudging or clumping.
Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 - now for the budget range at £1.50 a pop. I have to say I am very disappointed in this. Firstly the bottle is incredibly small (the FAQ's page states "all products are full sized just like any other cosmetic company" and so I didn't bother looking at weights), 12g to be precise. I would expect at least double from a product such as a tinted moisturizer and will probably only get 4-5 full face applications from the bottle. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bitching about the price and don't feel I've been ripped off, I just think it jars against the rest of the range where you get a substantial amount of product. I went for the lightest colour, Tone 1, but have found it's still a little too dark (perhaps better with a little tan) but the consistency to me does not match that of any other tinted moisturizer I have used. In fact I'd say my regular foundation is more moisturizing. A bit of a dud I feel, and since they only offer this type of foundation product plus a heavy duty stick, I doubt that the company put much focus into their formulations.
Nail Polish - OK, I'm just gonna get both the bad reviews out of they way in one go. Quick and painless like ripping off a band aid. There wasn't a hue range of colours to choose with what
their was mainly being in the pink spectrum. There where a couple of stand out colours, their new colours Chocolate & Navy being stand out ones that unfortunately I already have in Barry M. So I decided to go for a basic Nude. I wish I hadn't. I wish I'd gone for something with a deeper pigment such as Blush so that it would have actually come up on my nails. Nude is basically Clear but looks prettier in the bottle. However it is damn hard wearing, I'd just make sure to choose something with a much deeper richer pigment when I make a future purchase.
All Over Color Stick - as with their foundations E.L.F. offer two highlighting/3-in-1 products the other being Shimmering Facial Whip. I wanted this to be something I could cart around with me for during the day so went for this thanks to the better packaging and ease of application. I love this!!! When I re-purchase from this site, which at some point I most definitely will, I will be buying this in more than one colour. This time I picked up Lilac Pearl which acts as a great highlighter so I would also pick up something darker to work as a blush on its own (they actually only offer 4 colours in total - Lilac Pearl, Pink Lemonade, Persimmon & Toasted - so the likelihood is that I'll collect all of them).
Eyeliner & Blending Brush - because they where a low price I also decided to try out some of their brushes. My eyeliner brush needed replacing and while this one isn't angled like any others I have use before I'm getting on pretty well with it. I'm finding the blending brush to be a little rough and cheap feeling but it does apply blush amazingly so I'm glad I got it just to find out whether it would be a useful tool for me but will probably replace it with a better quality MAC one. These tools would also be perfect for someone who's just starting to wear make-up and wants to experiemnt or someone who wears it rarely.
Custom Eyes, Lips & Face - I was very excited to find that E.L.F. offer blank compacts that can be filled with your own selection of eyeshadow, blush and lipstick. A lot of companies offer this but at a much inflated price. Here a compact and four products will set you back just £7. I went for two compacts - the first with two eyeshadows (Pink Ice and Moondust) and two blushes' (Shy and Glow). I would definately repurchase the shadows plus more...they are the consistency a love, shimmery but not glittery and leave a lovely wash of colour on the lid.
I love love love Shy - this is my perfect blush. Glow is a little orange for me but will probably work with a tan and blending. I will definately be buying Shy in the full size solo compact as soon as I'm out. Did I tell you I love love love it?
For the lips I chose Peaches (fleshy nude), Icing (pale pink), Nude Blush (mink pink) and Crimson (raspberry). The consistency is quite sheer but still with a strong pigmentation and as long lasting as you would expect. At the moment all of the customer lip products are half price at 75p so the full palette only cost £4.50. I would probably repurchase Peaches and Crimson and would probably try out some of the other colours (like the polishes they mainly stay in the pink section of the spectrum). I would be even more likely to purchase if the colours could be bought in full size tubes so hopefully that's something they will move into.
Right, one ridiculously long (but hopefully useful or atleast enjoyable to read) post. I found a few star products here which I am very happy with (namely the Golden Bronzer, Translucent Powder & Shy Blush) with only a couple of no-go's. I'd definately recommend this brand to anyone irregardless of whether they are a make-up nut or not. I also think E.L.F. would be great for gifts...I'd be over the moon with a colour palette where the giver had spent the time picking colours and products they thought would be just right for me.
OK, I need another cup of tea and Charlie is wanting some attention.
Speak soon
So on to E.L.F. As it just seemed rude not to I treat myself to £30 worth of products and received free p+p. I was amazed to get an email just a handful of hours after ordering to say that my order had been dispatched. Because I ordered Friday I knew I wouldn't get them til Monday, and like I said the nice postman left the package under the doormat so I didn't have to get is re-sent to me. Hip hip hooray!
One of the things that I read in their FAQ's page struck me again when I received my packet -
"we'd love to put mirrors in our compacts or have the same great containers as Nars or Stila, but we’re about something different: namely giving women the chance to try anything they want without the commitment to a major spend". Perhaps this was written a while ago but the two white basic compacts that I bought both had mirrors and the studio line products all came in very Nars-esque packaging......trust me I'm not complaining as it obviously hasn't effected the price.So like I said I spent £30 and tried to go for a wide range of products that really excited me when I saw them. There was also one other - that bronzer - that I had to get just because of the hype.
That Bronzer - let's start with that product shall we. This seems to be the one that everybody is raving about at the moment. And quite frankly who can blame them. Great sturdy packaging, tons of product, doesn't flake, shimmery but not glittery. I also like how the four colour blocks can easily be used separately (for instance as a blusher, highlighter, and shader) and well as being brushed all over as a bronzer. I went for the Golden Bronzer (also comes in Cool and Warm) as I have a light warm skin tone and felt this would work well rather than looking muddy and fake. I've also used the colours separately as eyeshadows - it's an all round fantastic product and deserves the attention its been getting.
Translucent Matifying Powder - I've had a lot of problems with powder compacts of late. Ever since I can remember I've used Rimmel's translucent powder (there has been the occasional mishap into other brands but I've always come back with my tail between my legs) but as of late the packaging seemed to get even flimsier and I was only getting halfway through before the product would break away and crumble rendering pretty much useless. So I bought a different Rimmel powder with sturdier packaging but the same problem is starting to occur. So, while I wasn't really needing a powder just yet I decided to add the E.L.F. into my basket. And man was I disappointed when I opened the compact....it doesn't look translucent at all (because I'm so pale, any hint of colour to my powder just make me look orange). However after a week of using it first thing in the morning and for at least one re-application during the day I can say it is a perfect colour match to my skin. It comes with a dense sponge applicator which is great for applying powder as it stops it clumping and while the amount of product does look tiny is doesn't flake so should last quite a while.
Eyebrow Kit - my final product from the Studio range. Strangely they offer 3 different kings of eyebrow product - that just seems an awful lot for one small Internet cosmetics brand. The others are Eyebrow Lifter & Filler, a double ended pencil, and Eyebrow Treat & Tame, a double ended mascara. I'm not much good with kohl and don't think a mascara would look good on my blonde quite thin brows so went for the powder. I will admit I went by the image here rather than the description as it wasn't until I opened the compact I realised it was a po
wder and gel combo. I went for light (also comes in medium and dark) which is a minky powder and standard brown pigmented gel. The little brush is surprisingly useful and I'm glad I bothered to try it out as usually I just throw them straight in the bin. I do find I have to be very light handed when it comes to the gel but the product goes on easy (probably quicker than my usual application of Chanel eyeshadow) and stays all day without smudging or clumping.Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 - now for the budget range at £1.50 a pop. I have to say I am very disappointed in this. Firstly the bottle is incredibly small (the FAQ's page states "all products are full sized just like any other cosmetic company" and so I didn't bother looking at weights), 12g to be precise. I would expect at least double from a product such as a tinted moisturizer and will probably only get 4-5 full face applications from the bottle. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bitching about the price and don't feel I've been ripped off, I just think it jars against the rest of the range where you get a substantial amount of product. I went for the lightest colour, Tone 1, but have found it's still a little too dark (perhaps better with a little tan) but the consistency to me does not match that of any other tinted moisturizer I have used. In fact I'd say my regular foundation is more moisturizing. A bit of a dud I feel, and since they only offer this type of foundation product plus a heavy duty stick, I doubt that the company put much focus into their formulations.
Nail Polish - OK, I'm just gonna get both the bad reviews out of they way in one go. Quick and painless like ripping off a band aid. There wasn't a hue range of colours to choose with what
their was mainly being in the pink spectrum. There where a couple of stand out colours, their new colours Chocolate & Navy being stand out ones that unfortunately I already have in Barry M. So I decided to go for a basic Nude. I wish I hadn't. I wish I'd gone for something with a deeper pigment such as Blush so that it would have actually come up on my nails. Nude is basically Clear but looks prettier in the bottle. However it is damn hard wearing, I'd just make sure to choose something with a much deeper richer pigment when I make a future purchase.All Over Color Stick - as with their foundations E.L.F. offer two highlighting/3-in-1 products the other being Shimmering Facial Whip. I wanted this to be something I could cart around with me for during the day so went for this thanks to the better packaging and ease of application. I love this!!! When I re-purchase from this site, which at some point I most definitely will, I will be buying this in more than one colour. This time I picked up Lilac Pearl which acts as a great highlighter so I would also pick up something darker to work as a blush on its own (they actually only offer 4 colours in total - Lilac Pearl, Pink Lemonade, Persimmon & Toasted - so the likelihood is that I'll collect all of them).
Eyeliner & Blending Brush - because they where a low price I also decided to try out some of their brushes. My eyeliner brush needed replacing and while this one isn't angled like any others I have use before I'm getting on pretty well with it. I'm finding the blending brush to be a little rough and cheap feeling but it does apply blush amazingly so I'm glad I got it just to find out whether it would be a useful tool for me but will probably replace it with a better quality MAC one. These tools would also be perfect for someone who's just starting to wear make-up and wants to experiemnt or someone who wears it rarely.
Custom Eyes, Lips & Face - I was very excited to find that E.L.F. offer blank compacts that can be filled with your own selection of eyeshadow, blush and lipstick. A lot of companies offer this but at a much inflated price. Here a compact and four products will set you back just £7. I went for two compacts - the first with two eyeshadows (Pink Ice and Moondust) and two blushes' (Shy and Glow). I would definately repurchase the shadows plus more...they are the consistency a love, shimmery but not glittery and leave a lovely wash of colour on the lid.
I love love love Shy - this is my perfect blush. Glow is a little orange for me but will probably work with a tan and blending. I will definately be buying Shy in the full size solo compact as soon as I'm out. Did I tell you I love love love it?For the lips I chose Peaches (fleshy nude), Icing (pale pink), Nude Blush (mink pink) and Crimson (raspberry). The consistency is quite sheer but still with a strong pigmentation and as long lasting as you would expect. At the moment all of the customer lip products are half price at 75p so the full palette only cost £4.50. I would probably repurchase Peaches and Crimson and would probably try out some of the other colours (like the polishes they mainly stay in the pink section of the spectrum). I would be even more likely to purchase if the colours could be bought in full size tubes so hopefully that's something they will move into.
Right, one ridiculously long (but hopefully useful or atleast enjoyable to read) post. I found a few star products here which I am very happy with (namely the Golden Bronzer, Translucent Powder & Shy Blush) with only a couple of no-go's. I'd definately recommend this brand to anyone irregardless of whether they are a make-up nut or not. I also think E.L.F. would be great for gifts...I'd be over the moon with a colour palette where the giver had spent the time picking colours and products they thought would be just right for me.
OK, I need another cup of tea and Charlie is wanting some attention.
Speak soon
Thursday, 6 August 2009
The Life And Times Of Moi...atleast over the last few days
While some me see it as being tardy in regards to blogging, I'm quite proud of myself for regularly posting on the blog (to me its regular, ok?)
Anyway, muchos to tell:
"Betty magazine is a new bi-monthly e-publication created just for girls. Empowering, witty, intelligent - quite simply a jamboree of independent style. Betty is your new best friend. Betty's mission is to fill a void in women's magazines, no weight loss or diet tips here, we don't want to play on people's insecurities: our philosophy is for people to embrace who they are and celebrate it. Content is a whimsical mix of editorial, news bits and interviews ranging from 50 word snippets to feature length articles. Betty is produced by two final year BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion students, Hannah Burgess and Charlotte Jacklin from UCA Rochester, who are changing the way people consume their bi-monthly dose of fashion, music, culture and lifestyle."
Well after reading the magazine and enjoying it very much (for me it's kind of a mix between Nylon and Neet but more accessible and a little quirky) I decided to go out on a limb and contact Hannah and Charlotte about whether they would like some help from me as a copy editor (stylistics being a sick and perverse obsession of mine lol). And I waited...and waited...and then, despite the fact I made it very clear in my e-mail that I in no way meant my comments as patronising or condescending, felt a fool, sure that they where scorning my behaviour. Then I forgot all about it. Not until several days after did I check my e-mail (I check it even less frequently than I post if that's possible) to find an e-mail from Charlotte taking me up on my offer. Yippee! Not only will I be involved in a cool new online magazine but I didn't make a twerp out of myself
x
Anyway, muchos to tell:
- Got my package from E.L.F.! Yay for my postman who put it under my doormat rather than sending it back to the depot for me to arrange re-delivery (which would have meant I wouldn't have received my goodies til tommorow). I've tried everything and will be posting a full review tommorow lunch
- The bathroom is still not finished! Ha, is this really a surprise to anyone? Really it's just the shelves that need finishing but because we're using gloss paint it takes an age. A plus point is that Papa has been round and done the silicony bit around the tub so Friday evening will be the time for the first official proper standing up shower. Woop woop!
- Uniform came round again and I got 6 gorgrous things but I couldn't find everything on the website to show you pics so that will have to come at a later date.
- I just made smily face Smartie buns (this is not really relevant but they make me smile so I thought I'd put it out their)
"Betty magazine is a new bi-monthly e-publication created just for girls. Empowering, witty, intelligent - quite simply a jamboree of independent style. Betty is your new best friend. Betty's mission is to fill a void in women's magazines, no weight loss or diet tips here, we don't want to play on people's insecurities: our philosophy is for people to embrace who they are and celebrate it. Content is a whimsical mix of editorial, news bits and interviews ranging from 50 word snippets to feature length articles. Betty is produced by two final year BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion students, Hannah Burgess and Charlotte Jacklin from UCA Rochester, who are changing the way people consume their bi-monthly dose of fashion, music, culture and lifestyle."
Well after reading the magazine and enjoying it very much (for me it's kind of a mix between Nylon and Neet but more accessible and a little quirky) I decided to go out on a limb and contact Hannah and Charlotte about whether they would like some help from me as a copy editor (stylistics being a sick and perverse obsession of mine lol). And I waited...and waited...and then, despite the fact I made it very clear in my e-mail that I in no way meant my comments as patronising or condescending, felt a fool, sure that they where scorning my behaviour. Then I forgot all about it. Not until several days after did I check my e-mail (I check it even less frequently than I post if that's possible) to find an e-mail from Charlotte taking me up on my offer. Yippee! Not only will I be involved in a cool new online magazine but I didn't make a twerp out of myself
x
Friday, 31 July 2009
E.L.F.?
The '?' is because I have never used this brand before FYI! However, as a devotee follower of Lollipop26's youtube videos I have heard a little about this brand (if you are as addicted to make up as me check out her channel http://www.youtube.com/user/lollipop26?blend=1&ob=4 or her E.L.F. specific videos for more on the brand http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfhP385xq_M&feature=channel_page and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuRzsu_67X0&feature=channel_page).
So, firstly E.L.F. stands for eyes, lips, face and is originally an American brand set up in New York (where else!) by Scott-Vincent Borba, the man behind Hard Candy's cosmetics line. The UK arm is run by Welsh brother and sister team, Neil Phillips and Jo Westlake and has been endorsed by beauty editors from GMTV, This Morning, Hello!, Marie Claire, Glamour, Grazia, The Times.
But like I said Lollipop26 (aka Laura) is the one who got this brand into my brain through the power of her awesomely addictive videos (when I first found her channel I sat and watched her entire back catalogue in one go!). Not only has she raved about about E.L.F.'s product quality but after recently ordering from their website has found that delivery time is quite frankly ridiculously speedy (http://lollipop26writes.blogspot.com/).
E.L.F. is only available online which is how they keep their prices so low. They offer anything and everything that comes under the header 'cosmetics' - eyes, lips, face, brushes, kits and gifts, tools, elements (pre-designed and cutomisable eyeshadow palettes), cases, mineral products and their more professional Studio line.
So, they offer everything under the sun, their products are being raved about from all angles but the best bit for me (as you will have seen with my Barry M polish collection I can never buy just one) is the prices - Shimmering Facial Whip for cheeks, eyes and lips £1.50, Nail Polish £1.50, Shielding Hydro-tint Spf 15 er £1.50! The part I'm really excited by is the customisable lipstick palletes (surprise surprise just £1.50 for the pallette) with all of the lipstick patties at only 75p for a limited time. Minus the on sale products you may have noticed a bit of a theme - everything really is just £1.50 and no, they're aren't sample sizes. The blurb on the site says that it's because they keep they're packaging minimal and their overheads are low due to internet trading and marketing (though the Studio range, for obvious reasons is a little more expensive though by no means pricey).
The site looks sleek, clean and professional - what I think any woman wants a beauty brand she uses to convey - and incredibly easy to use (my mother could probably get herself around it and that's really saying something). They also have extra sections which create a community feel to the site plus a Facebook fan page if you're that way inclined.
Standard UK delivery is £2.95, next day £6.95. They are currently offering free p+p with a £30+ spend (and I think that could be easily done).
So I love the site, the look of the products and of course the prices but can't say anything personally about the products themselves until I've tried. So I feel after this loooong blog post it is only fair to go and have a little splurge (for reasearch purposes of course lol).
xoxo
*EDIT* Have just started shopping and just wanted to say that while the colour swatches are tiny if you hover over them they do appear bigger on the left-handside in the product container!
So, firstly E.L.F. stands for eyes, lips, face and is originally an American brand set up in New York (where else!) by Scott-Vincent Borba, the man behind Hard Candy's cosmetics line. The UK arm is run by Welsh brother and sister team, Neil Phillips and Jo Westlake and has been endorsed by beauty editors from GMTV, This Morning, Hello!, Marie Claire, Glamour, Grazia, The Times.
But like I said Lollipop26 (aka Laura) is the one who got this brand into my brain through the power of her awesomely addictive videos (when I first found her channel I sat and watched her entire back catalogue in one go!). Not only has she raved about about E.L.F.'s product quality but after recently ordering from their website has found that delivery time is quite frankly ridiculously speedy (http://lollipop26writes.blogspot.com/).
E.L.F. is only available online which is how they keep their prices so low. They offer anything and everything that comes under the header 'cosmetics' - eyes, lips, face, brushes, kits and gifts, tools, elements (pre-designed and cutomisable eyeshadow palettes), cases, mineral products and their more professional Studio line.
So, they offer everything under the sun, their products are being raved about from all angles but the best bit for me (as you will have seen with my Barry M polish collection I can never buy just one) is the prices - Shimmering Facial Whip for cheeks, eyes and lips £1.50, Nail Polish £1.50, Shielding Hydro-tint Spf 15 er £1.50! The part I'm really excited by is the customisable lipstick palletes (surprise surprise just £1.50 for the pallette) with all of the lipstick patties at only 75p for a limited time. Minus the on sale products you may have noticed a bit of a theme - everything really is just £1.50 and no, they're aren't sample sizes. The blurb on the site says that it's because they keep they're packaging minimal and their overheads are low due to internet trading and marketing (though the Studio range, for obvious reasons is a little more expensive though by no means pricey).
The site looks sleek, clean and professional - what I think any woman wants a beauty brand she uses to convey - and incredibly easy to use (my mother could probably get herself around it and that's really saying something). They also have extra sections which create a community feel to the site plus a Facebook fan page if you're that way inclined.
Standard UK delivery is £2.95, next day £6.95. They are currently offering free p+p with a £30+ spend (and I think that could be easily done).
So I love the site, the look of the products and of course the prices but can't say anything personally about the products themselves until I've tried. So I feel after this loooong blog post it is only fair to go and have a little splurge (for reasearch purposes of course lol).
xoxo
*EDIT* Have just started shopping and just wanted to say that while the colour swatches are tiny if you hover over them they do appear bigger on the left-handside in the product container!
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Colours Of The Rainbow
So the boy thinks I have too many Barry M nail paints however he is wrong! Ok, so I have 22 of them (plus a small selection of polishes from other brands) but they're cheap, cheerful and mean I can match my nails to any outfit:
(left-right) Crystal Clear. Matt White. Baby Pink. Pale Purple. Mulberry Pink. Shocking Pink. Bright Red. Red Glitter. Raspberry. Red Black. Yellow. Spring Green. Vivid Purple. Navy. Grey. Gold. Chocolate Brown. Black. Mint Green. Bright Purple. Coral. Limited Edition Pink.
If you've never bought anything from the Barry M range pop to Boots or Superdrug where there is often some kind of offer on one part of the range (eg 2 nail paints for £5). You can also buy all of the products from the Barry M website - I recommend that anyone who has a large collection of Barry M, whether it be nail paints or dazzle dusts, makes one purchase from the website so that they are sent a catalogue which has more realistic colour swatches than the site. I have made one order from it but found the delivery time to be quite long. However, I did receive the limited edition polish free with this purchase thanks to a promo code so it is possible this slowed it down and so at some point I will be trying out the home delivery service again (they have a new polish called Pink Flamingo which I feel I must have).
EDIT* Have just gone back on to the site and realised you can create wishlists of products that you want, which would not only be a great way for the boy to get me something as a gift without me having to pick them out myself (Barry M products where my Easter present) but also means I can save any colours I like so when I go to make a purchase I can easily pop them in my basket without spending 20 minutes searching. Genius!
(left-right) Crystal Clear. Matt White. Baby Pink. Pale Purple. Mulberry Pink. Shocking Pink. Bright Red. Red Glitter. Raspberry. Red Black. Yellow. Spring Green. Vivid Purple. Navy. Grey. Gold. Chocolate Brown. Black. Mint Green. Bright Purple. Coral. Limited Edition Pink.If you've never bought anything from the Barry M range pop to Boots or Superdrug where there is often some kind of offer on one part of the range (eg 2 nail paints for £5). You can also buy all of the products from the Barry M website - I recommend that anyone who has a large collection of Barry M, whether it be nail paints or dazzle dusts, makes one purchase from the website so that they are sent a catalogue which has more realistic colour swatches than the site. I have made one order from it but found the delivery time to be quite long. However, I did receive the limited edition polish free with this purchase thanks to a promo code so it is possible this slowed it down and so at some point I will be trying out the home delivery service again (they have a new polish called Pink Flamingo which I feel I must have).
EDIT* Have just gone back on to the site and realised you can create wishlists of products that you want, which would not only be a great way for the boy to get me something as a gift without me having to pick them out myself (Barry M products where my Easter present) but also means I can save any colours I like so when I go to make a purchase I can easily pop them in my basket without spending 20 minutes searching. Genius!
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