*this post is sponsored by BECCA (eek!)
Up until now, BECCA have been known mostly for face/base products that give their signature "BECCA Glow" and most people will know about their their amazingly buttery Shimmering Skin Perfectors (if not, then where have you been?!). Opal is my ultimate fave in both the liquid and powder form, but I also had time to play around with their foundations, concealers and other glowy goodness at the BECCA trip (blog post here), where I discovered they only had lip glosses in their lip arsenal. I remember commenting saying that I can't wait for BECCA to expand on their lip ranges as I'm not much of a gloss girl and lo and behold the day has come.. and BECCA have not failed to disappoint!
In true BECCA "glow" style, this new lipstick range gives a healthy sheen to the lips that is thankfully not not overly shiny or sticky. The shade range is so on point as it covers the two most popular lipstick choices- nude and red, but with the idea that not one shade of red or nude lipstick will look good on everyone... so BECCA have created 30 shades so that everyone can find their perfect colour!
Now if you're not a usual reader of my blog then you won't know that this is exactly why I've been focusing on lip swatches for the past couple years, as my own lips are pigmented/darker than other people's, so I like to show people who have similar lip and skin tones what shades could look like, to help them decide which may suit them too. Of course everyone is free to wear what they like but if you have darker pigmented lips like me then certain nudes just end up looking ashy/pastel, which I'm personally not a fan of on myself.
So I couldn't have been more over the moon to have been approached for my first ever sponsored blog post (after 8+ years!), to be for this range.. it's so in line with what I already do! 🙌 Read on to see swatches of the Ultimate Lipstick Loves and more info...

Tuesday Takeover: Yazmiinaktar - L'Oreal x Isabel Marant

It's been a while since I've posted but now that I'm back from a little break with my son, I plan on posting more regularly iA <3

I enlisted help from fellow mummy blogger Yazmiinaktar who expressed her interest in these L'Oreal x Isabel Marant collab lipsticks and she did an amazing job of reviewing them.. read on for more!

Sunday Swatches: L'Oreal Paris Les Chocolats Liquid Lipsticks

So apparently yesterday was World Chocolate Day but today is my Sunday Swatches day so I decided to post this Chocolate swatches related blog post today obvs!
Ever since I saw the preview of these Les Chocolats liquid lipsticks on L'Oreal's instagram (here), I knew I had to find out when they would be releasing here in the UK and thankfully was invited to the launch event at none other than Saint Aymes (which has been on my "to-hit up" list for a while now!).
It was a lovely intimate event with tons of chocolate and despite the heatwave we're having, the chocolates didn't actually melt (just like L'Oreal say their lipsticks don't) and I managed to enjoy an iced version of their unicorn latte which wasn't too sweet and perfect.
Anyway the actual lipsticks smell absolutely divine - especially if you're a chocoholic like me! I was blown away at how strong it smelled of chocolate that I actually expected it to taste like it if I licked my lips but alas, the chocolateyness stops there. 
FYI I have however (unintentionally) tasted chocolate when applying Too Faced Chocolate Soleil as it contains real cocoa powder.. some of the powder somehow flew into my mouth once when applying with a brush and I was pleasantly surprised lol.
The lipsticks have a great selection of "chocolatey" nudes which personally I think is great for WOC/those with pigmented lips, however some are a bit light which would be better suited to fairer skintones/lip tones.
I've had ample time testing these out since the event and even filmed a swatch video so read on to see what I think and to check out the video!

Tuesday Takeover: Amina - Aliandher

Hi my lovelies!!
Today I have another takeover from one of my fave up north blogger babes - Amina. She's ever so kindly swatched and reviewed a few Revolution Pro lipsticks I was sent, which are of course one of the Revolution Beauty brands (click here to watch my tutorial and thoughts on Makeup Revolution!).
Amina is a fellow mummy beauty blogger, I absolutely love her honest reviews, be sure to check her out on IG and Twitter too; read on for her thoughts on the Lipstick Collection <3

Sunday Swatches: Urban Decay Vice Lipsticks | Comparison And Review

Hi my lovelies!
Today's Sunday Swatches post is of course featuring the new Urban Decay Vice Lipsticks. As you may know, I've been a fan of UD for almost a decade now, even worked for them briefly when I worked in retail and absolutely loved adorning my face with their products in that time.
Seeing them go from strength to strength as an original fan has made me proud and now they've collaborated with OITNB's Ruby Rose for their new Vice Lipsticks, it's a pretty epic step up.
The new Vice lipsticks collection is here to replace the all the lipsticks UD do; including the Revolution lipsticks, Matte Revolution lipsticks and the Super Saturated Lip Color (SSLC) pencils (all previously reviewed on the blog, click links for more).
I don't quite understand why Urban Decay decided to revamp the whole collection seeing as the Matte Revolution lipsticks were only released last year, but it makes more sense in terms of organised lippies/consistency in packaging. I'll compare these lippies to the previous Revolution lipsticks and give an overall rating below.

Sunday Swatches: Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipsticks

Hello my beauts!

After my last post regarding The Swatch Gallery Project, I thought I'd follow up with a swatch post of my own with the relatively new Urban Decay Matte Revolution lipsticks.

If you remember my post with the non-matte Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks, you'll know I rated them with a FrootiFactor of 5 because they reminded me of the YSL Rouge Volupte lipsticks and were insanely pigmented.

I have to say these Matte Revolution lipsticks are just as impressive as the original Revolution lipsticks. I'll be showing the lipsticks swatches and comparing them to the original Revolution lipsticks in this post.

Sunday Swatches: House Of GlamDolls GlamBase Wheel and GlamDoll Lipstick

So if you've been following me on Instagram you may have seen me post a pic recently of House Of GlamDolls' GlamBase Wheel and GlamDoll lipstick.

As you saw in the previous makeup look, I've had a chance to play around with the products and thought I'd share the swatches and review on my skintone.

But first, a bit about House Of GlamDolls. 
House Of GlamDolls (HOGD) is a studio space in Islington (London) created for professional makeup activities; not only are they a school/venue, they also have a range of artist products such as the GlamBase Wheel, GlamDoll Lipstick, affordable eyelashes and more.

I was lucky enough to be sent the GlamBase Wheel and GlamDoll lipstick by HOGD creative director Chinyee and have met HOGD Makeup Artist David Horne on several occasions at previous Illamasqua events where he developed amazing products such as the Skin Base/Skin Base Lift, Hydra and Matte Veils amongst more.

So I was most definitely intrigued when I received information about this GlamBase Wheel and was eager to try it out, considering the current craze for contouring! I've also recently discovered the MDMFlow lipsticks and was pleased to receive the HOGD lipstick in "GlamDoll", both of which are swatched below.

GlamBase Wheel

I received the GlamBase Wheel 1 (shade 2 is for darker skintones, probably around NC/NW 40+).

Colour & Pigmentation: The whole wheel consists of cream pigments that have extremely intense colour payoff, so a little goes a long way.
My personal favourites are Illuminate- perfect for that Kim K super highlighted look. I also love that Sculpt 1 is an ashy/taupe contour colour. 
To be fair, I love the whole wheel.
Texture: The texture of this product is really thick and pigmented, and slightly dry. I'd recommend using the fingers to warm the product up a bit so that it doesn't cake up. And most probably use something like HydraVeil underneath if you have dry skin.
Packaging: I was strongly reminded of a concealer wheel I've seen by Kryolan when I saw the packaging! The windowed compact is so handy to grab at a glance, particularly if you're a makeup artist and have both the shades in your kit.
Price: Priced at £25 this complexion enhancer mixing wheel is very reasonably priced (around the same sort of price as the Kryolan concealer wheel).

FrootiFactor: Compared to other similar contouring/highlighting products on the market, I really really like that this one is particularly suitable for my skintone; I feel like all of the shades are usable up until maybe NC/NW40/42, so I love how versatile it is and would definitely recommend it for makeup artists and contour enthusiasts. I give it a 5 out of 5.

GlamDoll Lipstick - MDMFlow

HOGD collaborated with MDMFlow creator Florence to create this exclusive signature hot pink shade in "GlamDoll". 

Colour & Pigmentation: "GlamDoll" is hot pink lipstick and is pretty pigmented (satin).
Texture: The lipstick is available in two textures: Satin (strongly pigmented) and Sheer (glaze).
Packaging: When I first discovered MDMFlow, to be honest I was attracted to the packaging and embossed "MDMFlow" detail on the lipstick bullet. As with all shiny packaging, though it looks pretty, its hard to not get fingerprints on and unfortunately my bullet was snapped at the base so I'll have to use the lipstick with a brush or depot it from the beautiful packaging *cries*.
Longevity: I like that the lipstick leaves a slight stain on the lips, making it seem to last longer.
Scent: No particular scent.
Price: At £18, this lip product is slightly pricey, however if you're attracted to shiny pretty things like me, chances are you'll love adding this to your collection too.

FrootiFactor: I'm glad I got to finally try a MDMFlow lipstick through HOGD no less; aside from the fingerprint issue, the lipstick is a gorgeous pink that I would definitely wear particularly in the Summer or when I want to inject a bit of colour! I give the lipstick a 4.5 out of 5 

All HOGD products are available to buy from the House Of GlamDolls website.
Be sure to check the site out also, for more info and tips on how to use the GlamBase Wheel and of course check out the makeup courses and other classes/events they hold.

What do you think of the House Of GlamDolls GlamBase Wheel? Which product would you buy?

 
                  

Sunday Swatches: Illamasqua 2014 Releases - Summary Post

[picture and text heavy post!]

Following my last post, I thought I'd run through some of the recent Illamasqua releases that I've had the chance to play around with and use in the time I haven't blogged.

As you may well know, Illamasqua is a brand close to my heart; I love that they push boundaries and cater for all skintones.
Lately, Illamasqua have been releasing more neutral and toned down products compared to their previous collections with more daring colours (as in the Paranormal and Human Fundamentalism collections).
I like that they are producing more everyday-friendly products however the artistic streak in me hopes they pull a wild card soon and make something eye catching again.

This post will feature a round up of my favourites from the recent releases, hope you enjoy!

Nude Glamore Lipsticks 

Since the release of the Glamore Satin Finish Lipsticks in February this year (blog post here), I have to say I was really impressed with the formula and longevity and was looking forward to the release of any new shades.
July 2014 brought the release of 7 Nude Glamore Lipsticks in the same formulation as the original Glamore with a range of shades for all skintones, including rose, earthy rose and nude corals. 
I picked the nude coral in "Cherub" (above) as I tend to wear MAC Crosswires almost every other day, which is definitely my go-to lip colour. Below I swatched Cherub and Crosswires together to see the difference and you can see Cherub is a slightly less-pink coral.

International Season Collection

 
August saw the release of the International Season Collection, exclusively in Selfridges.
It consisted of the above items; a new Sculpting Duo shade ("Illuminate & Nefertiti) and a new Gleam/highlighter ("Mirage"), a Brow Gel ("Strike") and a nude-pink lipstick in "Bare".
I have to say I loved every single item in this collection. 

If you remember my blog post from the Holiday 2013 Collection, you would remember me gushing about my love for contouring products and how I wished Illamasqua would release more shades. Well they did and this particular Sculpting Duo's contouring shade (Nefertiti) suits my skintone gorgeously, so much so that I use it every day for a subtle contour rather than a darker, heavier one. I do prefer a lighter highlighting colour so I tend to use the "Lumos" highlighter from the previous Sculpting Duo as "Illuminate" was quite golden and warmer than I am used to (see swatches below).
Illamasqua need to now make an even darker Sculpting Duo shade and my contour collection will be set; chiselled perfect face here I come!

My next favourite product had to be the Precision Brow Gel; up until now I've been using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Ebony and I wanted to use a lighter colour so I thought this Brow Gel in "Strike" would work perfectly for a less darker brow.
Weirdly, the shade looked darker than I anticipated and in fact can be used really lightly for lighter coloured brows or heavier for darker brows; amazing!

The lipstick in Bare added to this collection was also a pretty nude-y shade that I love; I do have to wear it with a lip liner as my lips are dark but I must say I love this rosey nude shade for my NC30/35 skintone.

Finally, the Gleam highlighter is a gorgeous addition to the collection, however I found it too dark for my skintone to use as a highlighter and instead found it useful as a bronzer or used on the décolletage for a subtle glow.

Autumn/Fall - Once Collection

The Once collection released at the end of August really captured the tone of Autumn/Fall with the antique-y hues and gold shimmer running through the products.
I have to say the packaging on the new Vintage Metallix Cream Eyeshadows stole the show for me; rose gold just exudes elegance and luxury.
The formulation of the Vintage Metallix Cream Eyeshadows blends smoothly when applied but once the product sets it won't budge which is always a plus for me. I loved this moss green shade "Bibelot" but now have my eye on the brown shade "Embellish".
The sheer lipgloss in "Exquisite" would look good on top of a colour lipstick for me as alone it would be too light. The teal/gold nail varnish in "Melange" is such a pretty two toned colour, perfect for Autumn days. 

Holiday 2014 - Facets Collection

And last but certainly not least, the Facets Collection released for Christmas 2014 features 2 multitasking (or multi faceted) palettes in "Semblance" and "Aura", 2 lipsticks (Salacious and Starkers), a brush set and a makeup bag and an eye trio gift set.
I was surprised to see the packaging wasn't in the iconic Illamasqua shape, but in an ordinary square shape but aside from that, I have to say I love multitasking palettes like this; they make condensing a makeup bag or even my makeup kit so much more easier, meaning less space taken up by unnecessary packaging; perfect for holidays too.

"Semblance" palette swatches

I do already own a few of the shades in this "Semblance" palette; I actually own the blush "Hussy" twice already (one single blush, one part of the Hussy/Lover duo palette) and now this one; the Gleam in "Mirage" is also mentioned in the above International Season collection and I own the black eyeshadow "Obsidian" because I needed the Illamasqua Neutral palette in my life of course!
I would have loved to see limited edition/new shades in an exclusive palette, however seeing as I already have a few of these shades in the palette, it just means I don't have to carry half as much makeup and can just pop this palette in my makeup bag.

If I'm correct, I'd say the Aura palette is aimed at fairer skintones and the Semblance palette aimed at slightly deeper tones, but this judgement is based on the Gleam Creams - the Aura palette has the Gleam Cream in a lighter shade "Aurora". 

I'm now looking at the rest of the Facets collection and definitely have the "Embellish Eye Trio" gift set on my wishlist; it has the Precision Brow Gel and Gel Eye liner as well as the Embellish Vintage Metallix in it, and all in a limited edition rose gold packaging... love!

All Illamasqua products (aside from the Selfridges exclusive products) are available to buy in store or online at Illamasqua or Debenhams.

Which of these collections caught your eye this year? Did you buy any products from any of the collections?
 

Tuesday Takeover: The Blushing Giraffe

Hello my lovelies!

Apologies for the lack of posts, I have a backlog list of posts as I've been busy with my 2014 masterclass, but now that it's over, I will be posting more as I should have some more time.

In the mean time, this weeks guest post is by the lovely Iqra over at The Blushing Giraffe; another recent blog discovery, I love her writing style and pictures, so do check her blog out <3 

My Favourite High Street Nude Lipsticks

Hello lovely FrootiBeauty readers! My name is Iqra, and I am a fairly new beauty blogger over on The Blushing Giraffe! I am so excited to be able to do write a guest post for the beautiful Safiyah and I hope you enjoy this read!

Nude lipsticks are almost fail proof, they’re easy to apply without it smudging over the edges (red lipsticks), they aren’t loud and in-your-face like some brighter lipsticks, and usually they accentuate the eye makeup beautifully. The tricky thing with them is finding the right nude for YOU. I have been hunting for this since I started enjoying makeup and the creativity that it allowed, but each lip product I tried either washed me out, made me look gaunt and scary or was too brown to be considered a nude colour for my NC30-35 skin tone. I have to admit I am quite the fusspot when it comes to lipsticks anyway, I find they can be a real faff to wear because they seem to either cling to all the dryness on the lips or they keep fading and need reapplying!

This hunt I should add didn’t include higher end lipsticks, and I’m sure if you went to a MAC counter and asked to be matched to a few nudes, you’d find a shade to your liking that ticked the boxes. For someone who usually wears nude tones, a high end and expensive lipstick isn’t the most purse friendly thing, so thankfully I have found two lipsticks that both look absolutely beautiful and are half the price of a MAC lippie! On top of that they feel comfortable on the lips and are creamy and moisturising rather than drying. 

The wear time is decent, I get a good few hours before I feel the need to top up, and as mentioned before they don’t cling to the lips so reapplying is also a breeze! If you haven’t already guessed by the photo, I’m talking about Rimmel’s moisture renew collection of course! These particular ones are the older packaging, and they have recently bought out even more shades in slightly sleeker outer casing, but as far as I am aware the older kind are still available (for now!)

Starting with my all time favourite, Notting Hill Nude it is pretty much the perfect ‘my lips but better shade’. It’s nothing like concealer at all (winning!) and is more of a peachy shade with a leaning towards pink, so doesn’t wash you out in the slightest. I really do think this would look wonderful on most skin tones because in terms of a wearable nude lipstick it’s hit the nail on the head! 

It’s very easy to use, and I tend to pop this on when unsure what colour to go for. What’s great about it is how it would look beautiful on skin tones over NC25-30 too because most drugstore nude lippies seem to cater for the skin tone and under only!

The second lipstick is more of a ‘true nude’ and funnily enough is called Nude Delight. I always stayed away from this shade, thinking it was going to wash me out far too much, but when I saw the beautiful Sana from lookamillion wearing this with one of her amazing eye looks I decided to try it and I’m so glad I did! When I have made a bit of an effort with eyeshadow and really do want the nude lip look this is the shade I go for, the perfect nude for skintones NC30 and under, it’s just beautiful with or without a gloss on top.

Available for £6.49 from boots (but always wait for a 3 for 2 offer!) these lippies are well worth a look!

Thank-you for reading and a huge thank you to Safiyah for this opportunity! It’s an absolute honour <3 

You can find my blog at www.TheBlushingGiraffe.com, as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, so please do say hello ^_^

Iqra | The Blushing Giraffe x