Worth The Hype?- Maybelline Sky High Mascara

Yes. The answer is simply yes, this mascara is absolutely worth the hype. I’m sure many of you have seen all of the insta reels, TikTok testing vids and in store advertising for this product. Interestingly, this isn’t actually a new product, but rather something that has come into the limelight thanks to TikTok.

I have tried so many mascaras and found that only Benefit works for me. Despite trying many hyped up lash products before, I have always been let down BUT NOT BY THIS ONE! As you can tell I am overly excited, mainly being because it means I don’t need to splash out over £20 each time I run out of mascara anymore. This mascara is just £10 which is the going rate for a popular drug store brand but the results are that of a high end brand.

So as for the product itself… In the picture above I am wearing just two coats. Now you can actually keep layering it up quite easily but I prefer just two coats otherwise it creates a more voluminous effect, which is great as well if you’re going for a more dramatic look. My favourite thing about this is that is doesn’t smudge throughout the day, whereas usually I’m having to wipe under my eye to get rid of any smears. I think for this great price you should absolutely try this product and you can use my Look Fantastic code LFTFUCIAJ for 20% off!

LJL Rating: 10/10

Influenster- My Experience

Many of my Insta followers have often asked how I have received products from such reputeable brands and one of the reasons is by using Influenster. I promise this isn’t a promotion, I just wanted to share with you all my experience with the company as I don’t think its the most well known platform out there.

So for those who aren’t familiar, it’s a product review site for all sorts of brands, from pet food to mascaras. Naturally I use it for both writing and reading beauty reviews. It’s a great way to get honest opinions on products from all over the world. Now I know what you’re thinking…okay so freebies!? The site runs campaigns for various brands and if you use the site frequently, in terms of providing and reading reviews, then you may be selected for a campaign. You will be sent a survey relevant to the product and if you are successful you will be sent a product box known as a VoxBox to review. I have been using the site for about 8 months and have received two great boxes-one for St Tropez and one for OPI Nails. These are two huge brands so I was very excited to be selected. All I had to do in return was an Instagram post, featured below.

I would recommend creating an account for the reviews but if you are just hoping for freebies maybe this isn’t for you. They don’t pop up too often and it’s not always so clear how to increase your chances of receiving one. LJL Rating: 8/10

Kiss Magnetic Lashes Review

I was very fortunate to receive two pairs of Kiss Magnetic Lashes from falseeyelashes.co.uk (insta at welovelashes) this week and I am beyond impressed!

These lashes are insanely easy to apply. You simply apply the eyeliner as usual which is easy to do with the brush included then wait for the product to dry and apply the lashes. There is no fiddling around as the lashes instantly attach to the eyeliner. I was sceptical of these before as I worried the lash would look as though it was stuck to my eyelid as opposed to my lash line but this is not the case at all! They look so natural and you can’t even tell that they are falsies. Click here to follow the guide on how to apply!

I tried two different styles and loved both equally. Style 02 is perfect for a natural eyelash extension look and is great for every day wear. Style 05 is more fluffy and dramatic which works well with a bolder eye look.

I’m aware that a lot of people think they may be a little pricey compared to normal lashes however I believe that they are more reusable than standard lashes and they are easy to remove without the concern of glue damaging them. I really would recommend these to anyone as they are perfect for pros and beginners!                                                                                     LJL Rating 10/10

Draw Me An Eye Look Challenge- Attempt One!

Similar to my last blog, I wanted to stick to the theme of talking about my fave products used to create a look. If you see my Insta post you can see I attempted the ‘draw me an eye look’ which is trending across Insta and Tiktok. If you haven’t heard of this yet I recommend checking it out, there are some super creative looks across both platforms!

The first product I just have to share because it is such a bargain! For my brows I used Essence’s Super Last 24hr Waterproof Pomade Brow Pencil in shade 10- Blonde. So many good things to say about this guy! Let’s start with the fact that it’s an absolute steal at £1.99! It applies so easily and is neither too creamy or scratchy. It lasts ALL DAY with absolutely no smudges and I think it looks really natural. I don’t usually use pencils and have always stuck with the ABH or Benefit pomade but I’m fully converted now! Can’t recommend enough! LJL Rating: 10/10

For my base I used Stila’s Stay All Day Foundation in ‘Honey’ which is usually around £30 but I cheated because I found it at Tk Maxx for £11 shh! So I’ll start by saying this foundation is better for short term wear (2-5 hours) because it does tend to dry out throughout the day. Despite this, before this happens it’s my fave foundation for looking more alive! It sits nicely on the skin and gives a natural glowy finish. I use this for days when I’ve had little sleep or look a little worse for wear! It also comes with a concealer built into the lid which I realised 5 seconds ago which makes the price a little more acceptable! LJL Rating: 7/10

Finally, I have to mention a highlighter I have been using daily for a while now! I used Lottie London’s highlighter quad. For my nose I used ‘The Good Girl’ and on brow bone, cheekbones and chin I used ‘The Queen Bee’. I actually love this product and I’m surprised there isn’t more hype around it! It has a really natural finish and looks so smooth on the skin with no bumps or that chunky glitter look. It’s so pigmented that you don’t need much and I works well with ALL my foundations (yes all 30!). Only downer is the other shades are too dark for a highlighter on me and too shimmery to use as a bronzer. LJL Rating: 9/10

Graphic Liner Look- My Fave Products!

Hi All! Slightly different post today. I’m going to be talking about some of the products I used to create this graphic liner look. This is one of my fave looks because the products really helped it come together and they are all affordable.

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For the eyeshadow, I used the Huda Beauty Ruby Obsessions Palette. I’ve actually had this for a while but haven’t used it as I felt it would only create one type of look. After having a little play I actually think you could create both subtle and dramatic looks! There is honestly no fallout, which is perfect because the pigment is intense! In true Huda Beauty nature, the colours blend beautifully and the eye look only took about 10 mins (half the time it took me to perfect the liner of course). I cannot recommend this enough. For a high end palette it’s really affordable at £25 and there are lots of other colour ranges. LJL Rating: 10/10

Next up, the eyeliner! I used Nyx’s Epic Ink Liner. This is a cult product and if you haven’t already tried it you should! I love how black and shiny it is, and when it dries down there is no creasing, fading or smudging- what more could a girl want!? It’s so easy to use and quite easy to correct (and I did….over and over) because it doesn’t dry instantly. This is only £9 and lasts months so it’s well worth the money. LJL Rating: 10/10

Finally, I want to talk about the base! For my foundation I used B. Cosmetics Flawless Silk Foundation! This is perfect if you want a foundation that does crack or dry out. It has a really lovely glowy finish and has a medium to full coverage. It blends like an absoute dream and I think it looks so pretty on the skin. The only downside is that it is a little oily so it does easily wipe off if you touch it and putting setting powder on to prevent this can make it look slightly dull. This is only £5 so it’s well worth a try! LJL Rating: 9/10

Find me on Infleunster @luciajayne and on Instagram @lucia_jayne

The Most Versatile Palette!

I just have to write about the Morphe 35B palette! Lockdown has given me lots of time to play around with colours and styles I wouldn’t usually go for and I have found that this palette has the biggest range of looks!

This palette allows for real creativity with the range of colours and although it looks a little bright which might scare some people, you can actually create some neutral looks too! It’s so versatile that I actually use the pinks for blush too!

As for the actual shadows, the pigment is just perfect. The colour once applied really matches what you see in the palette. There is a bit of fallout when you pick the product on the brush but once it’s applied there is no fallout onto the skin which is perfect. The shimmers aren’t the most creamy and so it’s best to apply with your finger and don’t expect anything too glittery but I think that’s okay because the palette is already enough on it’s own to create some stand out looks!

I really do recommend this palette for anyone looking to branch out into more creative looks because it’s so easy to use and there are so many tutorials online for 35b looks. I also think the price point is great as £24 for 35 colours is such a bargain especially when there are an endless amount of looks to create.

LJL Rating: 9/10

Brows on Fleek

I am a huge fan of Instagram brows, and I have tested so many products to find the perfect products to achieve this well-desired look. From pomades to pencils I have put together my faves.

So my go to has to be Benefit Ka-Brow Pomade. I know I usually go for drug store products but with brow products I’m happy to branch out as they usually last over a year anyway, which makes it worth it. . Brows are one of the hardest parts of a polished look and I love this as the application is so easy to work with. I used the ABH pomade for a year and was so committed until I found this. They are quite similar, however I find that unlike most pomades, including ABH Dipbrow, this doesn’t dry up. It lasts all day, and has a very natural look to it, but you can easily build on it for stronger looking brows.

LJL Rating: 10/10

Next is another Benefit product- they don’t get their brow success for nothing! When I’m in a hurry I use Gimme-Brow! This brushes on so easily and enhances your natural brows. So if you already have a good set of brows, I highly recommend this. The only downside is that it can look messy, so if you’re like me and prefer tidy brows, you can easily clean up the look with concealer.

LJL Rating: 9/10

Next, an underrated brand- Lottie London. Their Archival Brow Pen is only £6.50 and is  used to create a microblade effect. The end of this pen has 4 separate nibs which allow you to create natural looking brows in just a few fast strokes. This is great for either natural, bushy or insta-brows! The only flaw is that if you don’t use this with fast strokes, the product can bleed into fine lines.

LJL Rating: 8/10

Finally, for a simple pencil look, I use B. Pro Styler Brow Pencil, which is only £4.99 and is usually on offer. I use this either to quickly fill in my brows, or to neaten up the edges. The colour pay off is really strong, and the pencil is angled for ease. It also comes with a spoolie at the other end to help have a flawless look.

LJL Rating: 8/10

Overall, I do think that if you really care about how your brows look, then high end is always better. If you just like to fill in your brows, or lightly shape and define, then pencils and powders are the way to go.