Ebay Beauty Blender Dupes

I'd seen so many reviews on the beauty blender and so many people saying it was amazing I just had to get one. Especially after I was having issues applying my Illamasqua skin base and a beauty blender sponge was recommended.

I'm someone who's always after a bargain and spending £10+ on what is essentially a sponge is something I couldn't do, especially after I'd heard they do need throwing away regularly as they don't wash well.

After being suggested ebay dupes I straight away ordered one. I have heard that the pink one's work the best and some of the others don't swell up in the same one so that's something to consider (sorry if it was you who suggested this on twitter I can't remember who it was now).

Dry and wet of the sponge I don't like. As you can see from comparing the leaf it's next too it's barely changed size.

I've since ordered two sponges from eBay and was disappointed to find one was amazing and one wasn't! Apparently all the ones from china aren't the same. Lesson learnt there.

The first one I got was amazing, super soft, swelled up well when wet, and was light and spongey. The second one didn't seem to swell when wet and feel tougher and stiffer. It makes it harder to apply to the skin and doesn't give quite an amazing finish.

Original sponge dry and the sponge I don't like wet

I love the shape of the sponge as it has a pointed end which is great for getting in around the nose and under the eye area.

The beauty blenders work when wet. Under the tap they should swell to almost double in size then you need to squeeze out all the water so it's just damp. Using the beauty blenders does mean that you use more product but for the flawless finish it gives I can forgive it.

Original sponge wet. You can see how much this one has grown when it's wet.

The big downside to using this type of sponge is the fact you can't really clean it. From the first time you use it, it will be stained. I've tried various different soaps and was it immediately after use and just can't get it clean. If you have any tips I'd love to know.

Though I have been using it for a month and I am yet to break out. Some people have found they have broken out using them but I always wash it after use with anti bacterial soap to help prevent this. It's still in good condition but I probably will throw it soon.

I'm so converted to these sponges and I don't mind that it uses more product as the finish it leaves is amazing. As they cost just over £1 delivered I don't mind if I have to throw it away every 6-8 weeks.

This is seller I bought the amazing one from in pink and was £1.03 (now reduced to 99p). This is the seller I bought the one from that didn't swell as well and wasn't as soft!. Both images look the same so beware if you switch sellers as the sponges may not always be the same. I'm hoping my first one wasn't a fluke.

Have you tried the beauty blender or the dupes? I'd love to compare the RT one to these.

Love M

xxx

Review: MAC Constructivist Pro Longwear Paint Pot

Hey

I've been enjoying a long weekend with my family so this post is a little late going up. It was lush to spend some time with my family in the countryside. Going back to work is never fun after a chilled out weekend.

Today I wanted to share one of my latest purchases! I'm absolutely loving my first paint pot (reviewed here) and have been using it most days. I couldn't resist picking up another when my Debenhams Beauty Card had £10 worth of points.

I'd been trying to decided between a few different colours but as I already have another nude eyelid primer I decided to go with Constructivist as it was a colour I didn't have anything similar to.

Constructivist is a described as a metallic brown with red pearl. I'd describe it as a warm brown with a golden shimmer. 

natural light

with flash

I love the texture of this paint pot. It's so soft and blends onto the lid easily and can easily be packed onto the lid to give a full colour or blended out to make a great soft brown base colour. 

This shows a swipe of the colour and it blended out. I love the tone and that it stays warm. I find most of the brown shadows I've got look dark and warm but when blended tend to go a little grey toned. 

Here I used it for a night out as a base blended out. I love that it can be used under a shadow and looks great applied all over the lid for an easy day look. 

Have you tried Mac paint pots?

Love M

xxx

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick Electric Orange

Goooooooooood morning!

Today I've got a gem of a lipstick for you. I've been wearing it the last few weeks after picking it up in Asda and it's a great 'summer moving into autumn' colour when you're not quite ready to give up the summer feeling yet.

This lipstick is from Maybelline's Color Sensational range. I've previously spoken about another shade in this collection which is called Shockingly Coral,but this shade is Electric Orange.

Firstly I like that all the lipsticks were individually packaged with tape so you knew nobody else had put their sticky fingers on it. This is always a massive plus for me!

Electric Orange is shade number 912:

This shade was a NIGHTMARE to photograph as the colour doesn't actually look like any of the following pictures....this one was taken with a flash:

Hideous! It's definitely not neon.
Without flash is a little more true to colour but the lipstick is a bit brighter in reality.

You can see the colour and the payoff on the back of my hand, the orange is a really wearable colour and has a shine which I love in a lipstick.
It's also quite hydrating too so I feel like I can wear it for quite a while during the day without having to worry that my lips are going to crack and flake.

You can see it on my lips below, this photo was taken with a flash so the colour might not be exact but it's pretty close. The colour is really easy to wear and its been great over summer and the few autumn weeks we've had so far. I can imagine I'm going to get a lot of wear out of it.

It's similar in some ways to MAC's Vegas Volt but a hydrating and more sheer version.

Have you tried any Maybelline lipsticks? Which of the Color Sensational lipsticks is your favourite?

L xxx

OPI Liquid Sands: Bond Girls - Honey Ryder and Jinx

Happy Friiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiday!!!!

I'm lucky enough to be spending my day in London today, and my current plan is to go to the Victoria and Albert museum so I'm really looking forward to it as I've never been and it's supposed to be amazing!

That said, I've been swooning over these polishes for a little while. I'm obsessed with James Bond and OPI which generally means that these polishes were a complete no brainer.



When OPI bought out the original collection I snapped it up, along with the Bond Girls Liquid Sands. I have previously posted about the mini set I bought but my friend in America sent me over 2 full size of my favourite one and a new one.

The new one was Honey Ryder, a beautiful gold liquid sand polish.

It was love at first sight for me!

I keep trying to think of things to say but quite honestly I feel the pictures say it all.
It's such a beautiful polish and the texture is gorgeous.



The texture makes it look so glittery and adds another dimension. I like different kinds of polishes and techniques but I don't normally like them all that much, but these liquid sands I do love!

I particularly love wearing Honey Ryder on my toes, it's long lasting and is a great sparkly addition to my collection. I know if I wear it that it will go with every thing I might wear so it's a great easy option.

Below is Jinx, the other full size polish. I've mentioned in the previous post how much i love it, it's a coral liquid gold with a gold shimmer through it. It shimmers like a fire in the light which makes me love it even more!

Are you a fan of liquid sand polishes? Are you obsessed with collections of polishes like I am?

Sets are far too easy to get addicted to!

L xxx