Nicole by OPI hits the UK!

So this post is a little behind the times in terms of letting you know that Nicole by OPI has finally made it to the UK market into our Superdrug stores....hurrah!

I couldn't resist but picking up some when I noticed they were on 3 for 2 when they first hit stores so i picked up a turqoise, coral and a gold.

These colours were so summery and stood out in the shop amongst all the other brights available. I was really impressed that the range was so big and contained some of the limited edition sets that Nicole by OPI have brought out.

Not to mention the names on the bottom of all the bottles:

Turquoise: Respect the World
Coral: Find your Passion
Gold: The Next CEO

So how do they fare?

The above photos show Respect the World after 1 and 2 coats respectively. You can see it's quite streaky and 1 coat definitely isn't enough to cover the nail! 2 is a bit better but its very sheer so 3 coats as shown below is a much better opaque colour.




It also has a slight shimmer to it which helps keep the colour from looking too flat and I really like it. It's the kind of turquoise that looks good with a tan and on pale skin, you can see that it really pops on pale skin!

Next up is Find your Passion:

This polish is exactly the same as the turquoise and needs 3 coats for the full effect.
This was probably the biggest disappointment of the 3, which is pretty annoying considering I picked up the 3 as this colour was something I'd been looking for. It looked a lot brighter in the bottle and when on the nails it was pinker and softer than I had thought it would be.




I do like this colour, but I have others in my collection that are very similar, if not the same.

Last up is The Next CEO:

This is the same as the previous polishes and needed 3 coats but as it's a metallic this was expected and you could actually leave it at 2 coats if you wanted a more sheer effect. I prefer the full on glitter and shimmer look so I layered this baby right up!

In the photo below without a flash you can see how it looks in normal light and its so beautiful.

It's similar to Models' Own  Champagne but this one is more gold toned. It's so wearable and I think you could get away with this even in work as it's not glittery, just shimmery.

What are your thoughts on Nicole by OPI? Have you picked up any of their polishes since they've been stocked up at Superdrug? What would you recommend?

I do love the range, I'm sure I'll be picking up some more at some point but hopefully the colours will come out as they look in the bottle.

L xxx

MAC Palette and Depotting

I'm sure most of you will agree, owning a full MAC palette is 100% a life goal for a beauty obsessive.

I mean you only have to watch a few Tanya Burr videos or google it to know that they are seriously hot property!

Over the years I've picked up a few individual eyeshadows from MAC that I sometimes forget about, so I thought it was about time I got myself a palette so I can see all of my shades and use them a lot more.

I was also hoping having depotted them I could use them as a 'Back to MAC', as the rules are unclear as to whether you need the silver pan inside or not and it seems to depend on the MAC artist!

When I made my order I picked up the new double sided palette and also one insert so I could put my eyeshadows in and leave the other side for future purchases.

The palette is pretty standard in terms of shape and size but I like simplicity and MAC does this perfectly.

You just push the insert into the palette and it clicks into place firmly and there's no way it will be sliding around.

There is also a clear plastic divider which is helpful in stopping products from transferring over to the other side and falling all over the place. This would be a great help if you didn't have the insert as well as you can in theory get away with putting more products in without the insert.

You can see the other side without the insert in the picture above and it sure does look like a place that needs filling!

So after watching Fleur de Force's YouTube channel I found out how to depot the pans of eyeshadow from the original containers. As you can see I've built up quite a random collection, some nudes, some blues and purples, and some shimmery blacks. A few were bought for me as presents, so I can't wait to buy some more to make it a more seamless collection!

Basically as a quick run down you'll need a knife, straighteners, greaseproof paper and some magnets, like you find on the back of fridge magnets.

Use the knife to slide into the front of the pot where you can pop up the part of it holding the pan, like the 2 on the left in the picture below:



Place the greaseproof paper onto the hot straighteners and place the part of the eyeshadow pot on top, hold it down for 30/40 seconds and you should be able to pop out the pan from underneath using the knife when the plastic is soft enough.

As the glue will be soft be careful as it might burn, but carefully apply a small piece of magnet using the glue.

You can then remove the label from the case using the heat and stick it on top of the magnet using a bit of the same glue (it's quite stringy!) and then you'll be able to keep the correct name with the correct pan.

You can then put all of your pans wherever you like and they will stick using the magnets and you can rearrange as necessary.

I've arranged mine as follows:

I'm hoping to pick up a few more over the next few years so I can have a 'nude/daywear' side, and then a funkier bright and glittery side so I can maximise my looks.

If money was no object it would also me amazing to get another and fill it with blushes, bronzers, MSF's and powders for the ultimate in travel make up!

I'm so pleased I finally picked one of these up and it has definitely made me use some different colours for a change.

The palette itself is the new double sided large palette and costs £18, and the insert for the eyeshadows costs £6.50. The eyeshadow pans themselves cost £10 instead of £12 so you can save money by buying only the pans if you have a palette.

Do you have any suggestions for eye shadows i should get? Have you got a similar palette? Have you depotted your individual products into it like I have?

My quest for the ultimate palette begins!

L xxx

Review: Avon Colour Trend Lasting Smile Lip Paint in Melondrama

As I'm sure you'll be able to tell I'm loving Avon make up lately, I placed quite a big order before I started my project 10 pan so I've had lots of new things to keep me going. I'm a huge lipstick addict. I have 50 + now and my make up doesn't feel complete without bright lips. 

The Colour Trend range of make up is aimed more at teenagers which is reflected in it's packaging and price.  The Lip paints retail for £3.75 but are on offer for a bargain £2.25 here. Another good thing, judging by how close melondrama is I'd say the swatches on site are pretty accurate.

It has a simple white packaging with purple writing. The white has stayed surprisingly clean while in my handbag. It has a clear lid which makes it easy to see the colour of the product. The lid stays on securely.

I choose the shade melondrama as I usually would have picked the other 3 I thought I'd pick something I usually wouldn't. It's an orangey natural lip colour on me. I'd say it has a slight hint of a rose colour to it. It's very watermelon like.

It glides onto the lips smoothly and easily and the tube makes it easy to apply.

This is the lipstick in natural light. It's a great everyday shade that makes lips look done without being over the top if you aren't as comfortable with bright colours.

It does have a subtle sheen to it which I normally am not to keen on but with this colour it really suits it. It also really lasts well.

It's a great all round lipstick and perfect for the price. Once my project 10 pan has ended I'll be ordering lolita! Have you tried these? or colour trend products?

Love M

xxx

 

Review: La Roche Posay's Effaclar Duo

A good few weeks ago I picked up some La Roche Posay (LRP) products as I'd heard a lot of great things about 1, and couldn't resist picking up another!

My main reason for going in was to pick up the Effaclar Duo, the much raved about product to help with blemishes, acne and any other complexion woes.

Many bloggers have tried and tested it including Tanya Burr who gave it her seal of approval after it helped her get rid of her blemishes that nothing else would on.
It contains 4 active ingredients to combat imperfections and sebum blocked pores, and the thermal spring water helps to soothe any irritation.

The product is a white cream you can apply to the entire face or to specific areas for targeted results. When applied the cream does not feel greasy at all, it's actually very matte but also hydrating and therefore creates a perfect base to start your day.

This seems to dry out the spot slowly and I was really impressed and how it felt on the skin as I expected it to feel drier due to the matte feeling.

The nozzle makes it so easy to apply the exact amount to wherever your spots are. I have applied this to my face and had no bad reactions other than my skin being a little dry after a few days application.
This is mostly down to my skin being drier than it was previously, so for me applying it to my whole face would be too much, but on specific spots it works a treat.

I have also applied it to a really random spot that inconveniently appeared on my chest and it helped it go down quicker than it would have otherwise. It's not a miracle cream by any means, but i was pleased with the results and would recommend that if you were having trouble controlling your blemishes it is definitely worth a go.

If there's one thing I know, skin is so subjective!

The images above show how the cream disappeared into my skin leaving a matte finish and easily allows make up to be applied over it.

This was a worthy purchase for me but not a miracle worker. It helped to reduce the size and number of my blemishes but it didn't work overnight so don't expect it to! Give it time though and it will work a treat!

Have you tried Effaclar Duo? What did you think? What's your favourite LRP product?

L xxx