‘Pink Outside The Box’ Look

For my most recent look I created a subtle neon pink eye look with a bright lip. As usual I wanted to share with you all my thoughts on some of the products used to create this!

Firstly I must mention the base. I used The Ordinary High Coverage Foundation in 1.2P Light. The best thing about this is what a bargain it is! It’s just over a fiver which is such a great deal for such a good quality product. The coverage is full but not at all cakey and the finish is a natural demi-matte. I have super sensitive skin and this foundation did not cause a single issue. LJL Rating: 10/10

For my concealer I used the cult favourite ELF Camo Concealer in ‘Fair Rose’. I hate to say it but I just don’t think this product is worth the hype. I found it to be very drying and too heavy. It was not easy to blend into my makeup and just sat on top of my base. It costs £5 but I think there are so many drugstore concealers for less that work much better so unfortunately I will not be buying this again. LJL Rating: 4/10

For my lips I used Revlon HD Matte Colour in shade ‘Love’. This is £8.99 but I did actually find it recently in TK Maxx for £3! This is the smoothest matte lipstick and I would actually say it acts as more of a lip stain based on how long it lasts without creasing or drying out. The colour payoff is high as you can see but I think this shade would work with many looks. If you like a bold lip I would absolutely recommend this! LJL Rating: 9/10

First Impressions of Lottie London

Hello Everyone!! I am living for the sun today!

So Lottie London is possibly one of the most underrated brands I  have come across. There isn’t much talk of them in the beauty realm, or on social media. After testing some products I am shocked!! They are super cheap, in most Superdrug stores and often 3 for 2 online, and they are truly great quality. If I’m being honest, they could double their prices and I’d still be interested.

I mostly tried their lip products and have actually discovered a new daily fave! It’s the Slay All Day Liquid Lipstick in shade GIRL PWR. This gem is £5.95 and it’s my go to shade. The formula is so smooth and creamy and it lasts all day without drying my lips out. I’ve worn it from 7am for work to 3am for a night out and it has not budged! (And yes it was a messy night!)

Speaking of nights out… the best lip look for that is their Glitter Switch Liquid Lipstick. This is £6.95 and I own 5 of them! If you haven’t heard of these, they work by having the appearance of a liquid lippy… but once you rub your lips together- TA DA! They are glittery! I love that it creates a shimmery and elegant look, rather than a chunky glitter one. I find this product so innovative, and it makes a cheaper alternative to the £17 Ciate version- which I do also love but this is much more affordable. I recommend the shade “Spill the Tea” as it’s a simple, light nude.

Another STUNNING product is their Eye Foils for £4.95. These are perfect for shimmery cut creases, and I even use mine for lip toppers. My fave shade has to be “Savage”, a pearly pink. Now is a great time to mention how gorgeous their packaging is- I seriously think they are premium in every way but the price!

Overall, this is a brand I am loving and I hope to try more of their products. A few more that are worth mentioning are the Highlighter Palette which so creamy; the Stamp Liners-perfect for begginers, and the Holo DuoChrome Gloss.

LJL Rating: 20/10!

Lip Plumpers: The Filler Alternative

 

Lately the world seems so concerned with cosmetic surgery, and it can become very tempting at times to take this route. Lip fillers in particular seem to dominate a lot of what we read and hear about in the beauty community. For those who would rather avoid the procedure and save the money and the pain, I have the perfect alternative: Project Lip Matte Lip Plumper.

I am OBSESSED with this! Nothing is more disappointment than buying a beauty product that just does not do what it sets out to, but this is not the case here. You only need to apply a little amount of the product and instantly you can feel the tingle and see the results.

Personally, this saves me a lot of time as I usually have to overline my lips and wear lighter lipstick shades to give the appearance of a fuller lip, but it boosts my confidence to just wear the plumper on it’s own to show off my newly plumped pout. As the product is matte, it also works well as a lip primer if you did chose to wear a lipstick over the top. The only downside is that the first two times I used the product, it did sting for a while, but it didn’t leave any damage so it wasn’t so bad.

The product is £12.95, but it does last a long time. Also, I tried cheaper alternatives via Barry M’s and Elf’s lip plumpers and they did absolutely nothing to my lips so in this case I think spending a little more is justified. With that being said, my LJL Rating today has to be a 10/10.

 

Not Worth The Hype: NYX Liquid Lipsticks

I’m sorry to say that I love NYX but these just don’t work for me.

I only have the shades ‘Bedtime Flirt’ and ‘Baby Doll’ and my experience hasn’t been great. Yes the colours are stunning but that’s not enough. The image below (Bedtime Flirt) is the product after only an hours wear! During that time I didn’t eat or even talk and it begins to separate, crack and bleed against the lip line. In terms of the application, the brush is awful. It’s super hard and the angles work against the natural lip line. The drying time is slow and when the product finally does dry down it starts to crack.

NYX’s lip creams are also popular. Now these aren’t as bad as the lip lingerie’s but I can’t say I’m much impressed by them either. I have the shades ‘Cairo’ and ‘Athens’ and they have the opposite problem. I find that they don’t dry at all, and although they sit comfortably on the lip, it makes eating and talking a problem. The two key issues I have are the lack of pigment- they aren’t too noticeable, and then there’s the size.  In order to get some colour to your lips, you need to build the products a little but then due to the lack of product you run out within a few uses. I used mine about 4 times each before they ran out. For £7 (Lingerie) and £6 (Lip Cream) you’re much better off with the cheaper alternatives such as MUA’s Liquid Lipsticks which I adore!

 

Let me know if you guys have had the same experience or if I’m doing something totally wrong!

 

Primark’s Liquid Lipsticks

Lately, Primark have been bringing out all kinds of crazy new makeup. Reknown for their insanely low prices, it comes to no surprise that we see the same thing with their makeup. One product of theirs I did want to mention is their liquid lipstick minis set.

Super sorry for the horrendous lighting…I totally didn’t take this picture in the car… Anyway, I haven’t included swatches as these colours look the exact same as they do in the bottles, and aren’t they just gorgeous! These remind me of the Huda Beauty lipstick minis and I adore the colours. Four stunning nudes (although one is more of a dark burgundy) for only £4! Amazing! There is also a set of four with darker colours.

As for the formula, I was so impressed at how wonderfully creamy these are. They sit so nicely and dry quickly with literally no cracks. I find them so easy to apply that I didn’t need to use lip liner whatsoever.

As always there is a downside, but don’t worry, it’s not a major one! I found that they all don’t seem to last too long, maybe about 3 hours before you need to reapply, The bonus here is that the super creamy formula means that they are easy to reapply without cracking or feeling heavy. I should also mention that I tested two of their Kylie Jenner dupes which are £3 for a full sized liquid lippy and a liner. These colours don’t have names but I bought a pale nude and a darker one but upon application they came out pale peach and bright pink-not my kinda nude. So as for those, they’re a no go for me.

I 100% have to recommend these but be aware that its best for short-term wear (unless your’e happy to top up), and I wouldn’t recommend wearing them whilst eating as it gets a tad messy! Overall, I’m in love with the colours so that leaves us with:

LJL Rating: 7/10

The Best Cost-Effective Liquid Lipstick

When it comes to lips, I love liquid lipstick. I find the pigmentation and durability of them works much better than other lip products.

BUT… nothing is worse than splashing out on a liquid lipstick to find that a few hours into its wear it’s cracked and crumbled. This is why I live for MUA’s lip lacquers. My oh my these gems are one of the best beauty hacks going. They last all day- FOR REAL- and remain smooth and comfortable on the lip.

The best part- they are only £3!  It’s insane to not give them a try.

LJL Tip: Superdrug often have 3 for 2 on their makeup so for £6 you can try 3. Bargain!

Underneath are swatches of my Summer faves ♥ From top to bottom we have Harmony, Halcyon, Tranquillity and Hustle.

Harmony   This is  a very nude pink that works well with minimal makeup looks.  Paired with a clear lip gloss or shimmery lip topper it makes a very cute daytime look.

Halycon   This shade is similar to Tranquillity however it has more orange undertones giving it an apricot hue. This colour is perfect for Summer as it’s super fun and works nicely with pink and orange eyeshadow looks.

Tranquillity   Expect to hear me talk about this A LOT. I wear this nearly every day, it’s such a stunning nude. It pairs well with most makeup looks and is such a classy darker nude tone. I cannot recommend enough!

Hustle   Although this is a darker shade I’ve included it because the purple and burgundy undertones make for a stunning evening lip look. If you’re planning a late night BBQ or a beach evening (super jel if you are), this look words well with a subtle smokey eye and looks great on darker skin tones too.

Let me know what you guys think, and if you have any shade recommendations yourself!  Here’s the link to the Superdrug website: https://www.superdrug.com/b/MUA