10 Makeup Myths

Below are 10 common makeup myths. There are more beauty related myths out there but I thought I'd share the 10 myths that really get my goat. 

A couple of people were questioning the myths on my video so I'd like to say a couple of things, one, I'm a professional makeup artist and know exactly what I'm talking about, if I didn't I wouldn't bother making these kind of posts/videos as I'd be making a fool of myself and two, I have a degree in Food and Nutrition therefore I know the ins and outs of foods, nutrition and the body (including skin). Now I've just had to justify myself, let's crack on with the myths.

Myth: Chocolate causes spots.

Reality: Chocolate doesn’t cause you to develop spots (or should I say 'blemishes' as that's the proper terminology) and it never would; the same goes for other foods. Foods don’t cause under the skin spots, spots or mild/major breakouts, it's the ingredients within the foods that do. If you notice a rash of any sort (including a rash that could resemble a breakout) the chances are that you are allergic to a certain ingredient within a food, e.g. lactose, lactose is found in dairy products. We cannot say that chocolate, and other foods, cause spots because they don't, it's certain ingredients that do. Now you all know that chocolate isn't the reason you get spots, feel free to eat as many kinder eggs as you like!

Myth: Makeup causes acne.

Reality: There is no scientific proof that makeup causes acne. Again like with foods, it's certain ingredients within makeup that can irritate the skin and can cause allergic reactions, breakouts and acne. An example would be if you have oily skin and use a product that contains oil, there would be a small chance that this would irritate the skin and cause a reaction. We cannot say a product causes reactions, breakouts or acne, it's all down to one or more ingredients within the product. So next time you think your favourite foundation is causing you to break out, have a re-think as the likelihood is that your skin isn't agreeing with a certain ingredient. One common ingredient that causes reactions is 'Bismuth Oxychloride' so if you notice that your skin isn't agreeing with a product, check the ingredients as you'll probably find it contains this little beast. The only other ways to prevent spots, breakouts or acne are cleansing your face properly and cleaning/sanitising your makeup brushes and products frequently. 

Myth: Refresher sprays set your makeup in place.

Reality: Refresher/Binding sprays do not set your makeup, an example of a refresher spray is MAC Fix +. Refresher sprays are purely intended to make your skin look and feel fresher, and they're also used to help powder blend into the skin. Refresher sprays can be applied underneath or on top of makeup. Refresher sprays can be applied after makeup application and they can also be applied to bare skin before makeup application, they can also be used on their own. Refresher sprays are generally used as a quick fix to freshen up makeup hence why they are commonly used on flights. If you’re looking for something to set your makeup in place, you need to buy a setting spray, examples of setting sprays include, Skindinavia, Urban Decay and Model In a Bottle. Refresher sprays are water based, which freshen the face whereas setting sprays are alcohol based, which set the face.

Myth: You should match foundation to your hand or jawline.

Reality: Wrong, you should never match your foundation to your hand or cheek. One, your hand is the place that receives the least sunlight and two, your jawline may contain pigmentation so if your match to the colour of the pigmentation within your cheeks, the likelihood is that you’re going to choose the wrong foundation. The place where you should actually match your foundation is on your chest, as you want your chest and face to match. It’s also important to mention that if your body is cool toned but your face is warm toned, you need to go for a pink toned foundation. And if your body is warm toned but your face is cool toned, you need to go for a yellow-based foundation.

Myth: You should use a lighter concealer underneath your eye.
Reality: A lot of people believe that you should use a lighter concealer underneath your eye to conceal under-eye circles but you really shouldn't do this as you won't conceal the circles, you'll actually emphasise (accentuate) them. If you apply a lighter concealer to under-eye circles, blemishes or any other flaws all you're going to do is make them more obvious. If you're wanting to make your face appear brighter, you need to correct your under-eye circles with either a corrector or a concealer that matches your foundation and then you need to apply a brightening concealer on top. So to recap, for banishing under-eye circles you need to use a corrector or a concealer that matches your foundation. And to banish circles and brighten the face you need to use a corrector or a concealer that matches your foundation and then you need to apply a brightening concealer.

Myth: You can use a bronzer to contour with.
Reality: Bronzers should only ever be used for bronzing the face/body and nothing else. If you contour with a bronzer it isn't going to look right, it'll look like you've either not washed your face for a year or you'll resemble an oomp loompa. The reason why we shouldn't contour with a bronzer is because they tend to be orange toned, a lot of them usually have a shimmer/satin finish too. When contouring you need to use products that are grey toned, you can use anything to contour with (e.g. sculpting powders, sculpting creams, foundation, concealer, eyeshadow, paint pots) just as long it's a mid-toned brown with grey tones. You also need to be aware that you should use matte finishes as opposed to satin finishes as satin finishes will not look natural.

Myth: If you want to look tanned, use a darker foundation.
Reality: If you use a darker foundation to make yourself look more 'tanned' your makeup isn't going to look right, there'll be an obvious line around your hairline, ears and jawline. Instead of using a darker foundation, you need to use a bronzing powder or cream. The only time I would ever recommend using a darker foundation is if you've had a spray tan as you're usual foundation would be too light.

Myth: You should clean your makeup brushes once a month.
Reality: You should actually give your brushes a deep clean every single week. During the week you should clean your brushes with a brush cleaner (I use IPA) and at the end of the week you should thoroughly wash your brushes with washing up liquid and water. Brushes are a breeding ground for bacteria therefore you need to keep them clean as dirty brushes could cause breakouts or infections. I'm going to be writing a 'how to wash makeup brushes' post very soon.

Myth: You shouldn't pluck hairs from the top of your eyebrows.
Reality: This is a myth I have never understood, if your eyebrows need plucking, they need plucking! There's no way I'd leave a straggler on my face! Plucking hairs from the top of the eyebrow creates a crisper finish, it also creates a guide for future plucking and it also helps to make both eyebrows look symmetrical, not only that but you can remove those rogue hairs too. The only time you shouldn't pluck hairs from the top of your eyebrows is if you're creating an eyebrow shape for the first time, you like to have low maintenance eyebrows or you're a man.

Myth: Neutral makeup is for daytime, bold makeup is for night-time.
Reality: Again, this is a myth I simply do not understand. There are no rules when it comes to makeup, you can wear what you like, when you like. If you want to wear vampy lips during the day then go for it and if you want to wear bright yellow eyeshadow to ASDA, do it!

Video Version

I hope you liked my makeup myths and if you'd like me to do another one of these posts then do let me know. 

Thanks for reading!

Cole

x

June Loves, Likes & Loathes

It's the 1st of July meaning it's time for June Loves, Likes and Loathes. If you're new to my blog and haven't got a clue what my loves, likes and loathes posts are, I basically select a couple of products I've been loving, liking and loathing each month. I typically select 2 loves, 2 likes and 2 loathes but due to me not really disliking anything last month, I only have 1 loathe. I also added a lithe (mix between like and loathe) as there's a product I like and loathe. If you want to know what my June Loves, Likes and Loathes are, keep on reading. 

Loves

Inglot Colour Play Lipstick Palette - £10.00 (Palettes) & £4.50 (Lipsticks)

I'm not going to go into much detail about this palette as I did a huge review on it not long ago (can be found here) but all you need to know is that I absolutely LOVE this palette. Since buying the palette I haven't used any other lipstick as the palette is so versatile, you can wear the lipsticks alone or they can be mixed together to create a unique shade. I often mix my lipsticks as I like to be different and whenever I'm wearing one of my custom shades, I always get compliments. The lipsticks are pigmented, have great colour pay off, apply really well, are long lasting and they are VERY affordable. I also like how the lipsticks can be used on the eyes and face as well as the lips. The palette is great for Makeup Artists or anyone who isn't colour shy. 

MAC Face & Body Foundation - £26.50

I have to admit, I'm not a massive fan of MAC foundations but I absolutely LOVE Face & Body, I use it on my clients as well as myself and I will continue to purchase it in the future as I love it that much. MAC Face & Body is a water based foundation therefore it can be used on all skin types, it doesn't contain SPF either meaning it's an ideal foundation to use for photography (bridal, proms, fashion shoots etc). The great thing with Face & Body is that you can use it on your face and body (does what it says on the tin) and it's also build-able meaning you can wear it sheer, light, medium or full. Face & Body also sets once it's dry meaning it won't slip off. I love this foundation, and if you haven't tried it you need to! I also want to mention that the 'C' range would be ideal for anyone who has a warm undertone (yellow) and the 'N' range would be ideal for anyone who has a cool undertone (pink). 

Likes

MAC Fluidline in 'Blacktrack' - £14.00

If you watch me on YouTube you'll know that I sport a winged eye nearly everyday without fail as it's become part of my everyday makeup. If eyeliner was ever banished from earth, I honestly think I'd have a mental breakdown. Whenever I wear winged eyeliner, I always use my trusty MAC Fluidline in 'Blacktrack' to create it as it's possibly my favourite gel eyeliner. The eyeliner is creamy, smooth, applies like a dream and lasts all days without fading or flaking off. I've also had the eyeliner for a year and it hasn't dried out yet which is another good thing as gel eyeliners tend to dry out after a few months. The only negative thing I could possibly say about the eyeliner is that the colour pay off needs to be improved as I have to apply between 2-3 coats in order to achieve a true black. Other than that, I can't fault it. 

Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara - £24.00

I sad to say I loved this mascara at one point and I feel it's slowly withering its way into my loathe section. When I first bought this mascara it did an excellent job at making my eyelashes appear longer and more voluminous but after a month it's nearly dried up and now it makes my eyelashes look clumpy and thick, in the words of Melmphs, it makes me look like I have 3 eyelashes. I really like the mascara, I just don't like how it dries up after a month. If I was in the position to buy a new one every month I would but I'm not so I think I'll have to stick to my Clinique High Impact Mascara. Don't be surprised if I include this mascara in a future loathe. 

Lithe

MAC Prep & Prime Skin - £19.50

This is a bit of a funny one as I like the product, I just don't like it on me. The product itself is fantastic as it makes foundation last longer and it also helps foundation go on a lot more smoothly. Not only that but it soothes the skin, evens out skin tone, blots away excess oil and reduces redness. I used this on both my sister and her friend for their prom and I have to say that their makeup lasted all day/night, I applied it to Emily (Sister's friend) at 12pm and her makeup looked the same at 2.30am, the same goes for my sister, I applied it to her at 2pm and her makeup looked the same at 2.30am. It's a great under makeup base, it's just a shame I can't use it. The reason why I cannot use it is because it breaks me out so bad, I literally develop a face full of spots. I have really sensitive skin so I'm presuming it contains something my skin doesn't agree with. If like me you have sensitive skin, this baby will probably break you out too. 

Loathe

Inglot Matte AMC Gel Eyeliner in '77' - £10.00

I originally bought this eyeliner after seeing great reviews online. Several people were stating that the eyeliner was the blackest eyeliner they’d ever come across, as I wear winged eyeliner nearly everyday I thought I’d invest in it as I’m always on the look out for a blacker than black eyeliner. There’s nothing better than blacker than black winged eyeliner.

When the eyeliner first arrived I was in my element as the eyeliner was soft, creamy, waterproof, smudge-proof, it applied nicely and like the online reviews stated, it was blacker than black. However, it was too good to be true. I have used the eyeliner 5 times (at the most) and it’s dried up already. As the photo below shows, there’s a huge crack down the centre and it’s as dry as a bone. The worrying thing is that I own several of the Inglot AMC gel eyeliners so I’m presuming they’ve done the same. 

I'm so disappointed that it's dried up already as it is a wonderful eyeliner, I think Inglot need to re-think their formula. 

I've now told you what I've been loving, liking and loathing in the month of June, what have you been loving, liking and loathing? 

Much love,

Cole

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Foundation: Choosing The Right Foundation & How To Match Foundation

The most common questions I get asked are, 'which foundation will be right for me?' and 'how do I match myself for foundation?' Due to a lot of people asking me this I thought I'd do an in-depth post about choosing the right foundation and also matching foundation.

Choosing The Right Foundation

Things To Consider

Before choosing a foundation, you need to consider 4 things:

• Undertone - Do you have a cool, warm or neutral undertone? If you are unsure about what undertone you have, check out my post about skin tones and undertones. If you have a cool undertone you need to choose a foundation that is pink based or neutral based. If you have a warm undertone you need to choose a foundation that is yellow based. If you have a neutral undertone you need to choose a foundation that is neutral based. If you have a neutral-cool undertone you need to choose either a neutral or pink based foundation but if you have a neutral-warm undertone you need to choose either a neutral or yellow based foundation. 
• Skin Type - Do you have normal, oily or dry skin? If you have normal skin you can wear both water based and oil based foundations, If you have oily skin you need to choose water based foundations and If you have dry skin you need to choose oil based foundations. 
• Coverage - Do you prefer a sheer, light, medium or full coverage?
• Finish - Do you prefer a matte, dewy or demi-matte/satin (mix of matte and dewy) finish? If you're unsure about which finish you will prefer then the likelihood is that if you have oily skin you will probably prefer a matte finish and if you have dry skin you will probably prefer a dewy finish.

Skin Tone
After choosing the correct foundation, you need to determine the type of skin tone you have, e.g. a very light, light, light-medium, medium, medium-dark, dark or very dark skin tone.

How To Match Foundation

Where To Match Foundation

A lot of people think that the best place to match foundation is either on the neck, on the jawline, on the inner wrist, the back of the hand or on the cheek but those places are all wrong. And if you're ever matched on those places by sales assistants please do not buy a foundation from them as this is a clear indication that they have little knowledge in matching foundation.

So why shouldn't we match foundation on those places...
Inner Wrist / Back Of Hand - You simply cannot match foundation on your wrist or hand because the skin on your wrist and hand is nothing like the skin on your face. Your wrist and hand are also the places that get little exposure to daylight or sunlight meaning the skin on your wrist and hand is going to be a lot lighter than the skin on your face. This is why you should never match foundation on your wrist or hand. 
Neck - The reason we shouldn't match foundation on your neck is because your face casts a shadow down onto your neck.  When you're directly exposed to the daylight or sunlight, it hits your face, not your neck meaning your face is considerably darker than your neck. Your neck is actually one of the palest parts of the skin as it receives the least amount of sun therefore is contain lower levels of pigment than many other parts of the skin. If you match foundation to your neck, the likelihood is that you'll end up buying  a foundation that's too pale for you. 
Jawline - Because of bone structure, your jawline can cause unintentional highlights or shadows that can be lighter or darker than the rest of your face. So you could potentially end up matching your foundation to either a light or dark part of your jawline meaning it will not match the whole of your face. 
Cheek - Due to several factors, including temperature (warm & cold) and also facial imperfections, your face may not have the same undertone as the rest of your body, your face could have a pink undertone (due to several factors) and your body could have a yellow undertone, and vice versa. If you buy a pink based foundation as it matches your facial undertone but doesn't match your bodies undertone, your foundation isn't going to look right. If your body has a yellow undertone, you need to buy a yellow based foundation as this will match both your face and your body. If your body has a pink undertone, you need to buy a pink based foundation as this will match both your face and your body. If you have a neutral undertone, you can wear both yellow and pink based foundations. 

Now we know where we shouldn't be matching foundation, I'm now going to tell you where you should be matching foundation. You should actually match foundation on your chest, and if you're unable to match on your chest, the second best place is on the outer part of your arm. 

Why should we match foundation on those places...

Chest - The best place to match foundation is on your chest because you want your face to match the rest of your body. By matching foundation to your chest, you are matching it to the part of your body that receives the same amount of daylight and sunlight as your face.
Outer Arm - If you're unable to match foundation on your chest, due to wearing tricky clothing etc, the next best place to match foundation is on your arm. Again, the skin on your outer arm receives a lot of daylight and sunlight therefore the tones of your outer arm are going to be very similar to the tones of your face.

How To Match Foundation

So now we've established where the best place to match foundation is, we're now going to look at the best way to match foundation.

When matching foundation there are four things to consider:

• 3 Shades - It's important to select 3 shades. So if you fit into the light skin tone category, select the 3 lightest shades, if you fit into the medium skin tone category, select the middle 3 shades and if you fit into the dark skin tone category, select the darkest 3 shades. The reason why we choose 3 is because one will be too light, one will be just right (in the words of goldilocks) and one will be too dark. Once you've chosen 3 shades, you need to place them on your chest. One thing you need to remember is that you should place each shade far apart from one another, do not place them next to each other, so place the lightest shade on the right side of your chest, the middle shade in the centre of your chest and the darkest shade on the left side of your chest.

*Original image taken from Cafe Makeup

• Blending - When blending each shade into your skin it's important to use a clean finger for each shade. If you use the same finger you may run the risk of mixing shades and this is something you don't want to do as it won't give an accurate representation of each shade. 
• Temperature - You need to make sure that the temperature of your body is at normal body temperature, you simply cannot match foundation if you have either a very warm or very cold body temperature as this could cause pink or red tones to appear within the skin. 
• Natural Daylight - It's important to see what the shades look like in natural daylight. If a store hasn't got access to daylight, you need to physically go and stand outside in it. If you test the shades in a store that doesn't have natural daylight, you may end up choosing the wrong shade as store lights can be so bright that they heavily reduce the colour of products. They also use different coloured light bulbs which can effect the colour of products, for example, a yellow light bulb will make something appear more yellow. You could end up choosing a shade that's far too pale or too dark, or a shade that's far too yellow toned or pink toned. Looking at shades in natural daylight is important when matching foundation. 

Once you have matched the foundation to your chest, pick up a sample of the correct shade so you can trial the foundation at home. My advice is to try before you buy because there's no point spending money on a foundation that may not be right for you, in terms of wear, coverage or finish. If some sales assistants say they haven't got any sample pots left, simply take your own so they have to give you a sample. If you're looking for sample pots, check out eBay, they literally sell 10 sample pots for as little as £2.00!

Oh and another piece of advice, no matter how pushy a sales assistant can be about matching you to a foundation, just politely decline and say you'll be okay matching yourself. I can 100% guarantee that some of the sales assistants you encounter will NOT be trained in makeup artistry so the likelihood is that they'll match you in the wrong place and give you the wrong shade. When it comes to some brands it's all about selling, they couldn't care less about what their employee puts on a customers face.

In my part 2 foundation post I'm going to be talking about types of foundations that are available, oil based and water based foundations, methods of applying foundation and the different tools you can use when applying foundation. I'm also going to talk about foundations for normal, oily and dry skin.

Video Version

If you're unable to see the video below, please click here.

I hope this post has help you to understand why you need to think about when choosing and also matching a foundation

Thanks for reading and I'll talk to you in my next post!

Much love,
Cole
x

Colours Of The Rainbow Tag!

I was recently tagged by the lovely Gemma from Gemsmaquillage to do the Colours of the Rainbow Tag. The rainbow tag is a rather popular tag at the moment and many of you will know this as it has been floating around the blogging and Youtube world for a few weeks. The rainbow tag is such a fun tag to do and it's understandable that many people have done it. If you're not familiar with the rainbow tag, then you basically have to apply the colours of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet and also pink and multicoloured) to beauty and/or fashion items. You can either relate the colours to beauty products, fashion items or you can have a mix of the two, I chose to relate the colours to just beauty products as I wanted to keep things simple. 

So without further ado, here are my 9 colourful beauty products!

Red - MAC Lipstick in 'Lady Danger'
'Lady Danger' is possibly my most favourite red lipstick of all time and if it was ever to be discontinued, I'd literally buy 10 backups (and that's no exaggeration). 'Lady Danger' is a bright red, orange toned lipstick and it has a matte finish. If you're looking for a red lipstick that has great staying and packs a punch then this will be perfect for you! I love MAC lipsticks in general but this one really does stand out from the rest, the colour is insane, it's super duper pigmented and it lasts for hours on the lips (and that's without a lip liner!). I had to use this for my red product as it's such an amazing lipstick, if you want to see how beautiful it is, a swatch is provided at the end of this post.

Orange - MAC Lip Pencil in 'Lasting Sensation'
Now I've used this lip liner for my orange product for 2 reasons, one, it's a beautiful lip pencil and two, not many people are aware there is an orange toned lip pencil out there so I wanted to show you there is. In general, MAC lip pencils are fabulous as they're soft, they don't drag, they're easy to apply and they have great staying power. You can also wear the lip pencils alone or underneath a lipstick, but I will warn you that if you have dry lips you may want to wear a gloss on top if you're wearing the lip pencils on their own as they can be quite drying. What many people don't know is that MAC have a wide selection of lip pencils available and this is probably due to them not being openly on display. The lip liners come in a wide selection of shades, from burgundy to pink to orange. When it comes to lip liners MAC really have got it covered, it's just a shame they're poorly displayed in-store because I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't know they existed. Aside from MAC being a great place to buy funky coloured lip liners, the 'Lasting Sensation' lip pencil is beautiful, it's a perfect orange lip pencil for wearing underneath orange toned lipsticks, and I have to admit that I even wear it underneath pinky orange lipsticks! Overall I love the MAC lip pencils and I especially love the colour of 'Lasting Sensation' lip pencil.

Yellow - Juicy Couture 'Viva La Juicy' Perfume
I didn't really know which product to use for my yellow product because I do have yellow eyeshadows and lipsticks but I only ever use them for creative purposes so I wanted to include a product I wear often.  In the end I had to opt for my Juicy Couture 'Viva La Juicy' perfume because this is something which I use often and in all fairness it is yellow, so I think I can get away with that one. It's a really lovely perfume, especially for the summer, and it really lasts on the skin. I tend to find some perfumes wear off after a couple of hours but this really doesn't, the scent remains until you wash it off. I'm no good at describing scents which is appalling as I'm a beauty blogger but all I can describe it as is girly (what an insightful description). It's a lovely perfume with a lovely scent and if you like the other Juicy Couture perfumes, you'll like this.

Green - Illamasqua Eyeshadow in 'Pivot'
I got this eyeshadow in the Illamasqua sale at Christmas and I didn't think I'd end up loving it as much as I do. The reason I bought 'Pivot' in the first place was because it was £5, it looked like a funky colour and I thought I could chuck it in my MUA kit if I didn't like it when it arrived. Anyway, 6 months has past and it's probably the best £5 I've ever spent, it's uber pigmented, super soft, lasts on the eyes and it has immense colour pay off. What you see in the pan is what you get on your eyelid, you literally have to use the smallest amount and you don't need to layer the eyeshadow at all. I've found in the past that some bright eyeshadows need layering but this baby certainly doesn't.
Also, some of you may be thinking that 'Pivot' is far too bright and that it's not a wearable eyeshadow but let me just tell you, 'Pivot' works well with a neutral smokey eye especially if you place a small amount of 'Pivot' in the inner corner of the eye, it really does make the eye 'pop' (really hate the word but it was necessary).
It's a beautiful eyeshadow and I have to say that it's the nicest green eyeshadow I own (and I have a few!). It's safe to say that this beauty didn't end up in my MUA kit.

Blue - Estee Lauder Daywear Sheer Tint Release
Not many people know what this product is so let me just explain a little bit about it. The Estee Lauder Daywear Sheer Tint Release is essentially a tinted moisturiser that when blended, it adapts to your natural skin tone. It's a perfect product for those people who like wearing light weight products that give a hint of colour. The sheer tint doesn't give any kind of coverage whatsoever so it wont cover any sort of imperfection but it does give the skin a lovely healthy and even glow. I love wearing the sheer tint in summer as I find foundation too heavy to wear in the summer months, it makes me feel as if my skin cant breathe so the sheer tint is a great alternative. I love sheer tint and I'll be buying another bottle when my current one is empty.

Indigo - Urban Decay Eyeliner in 'Ransom'
Again I cheated a little with my indigo product as the only indigo thing I could find was my Urban Decay eyeliner in 'Ransom'. You can always rely on Urban Decay for cool coloured eyeliners so I knew I'd have an indigo-ish eyeliner amongst my Urban Decay eyeliner collection. Urban Decay eyeliners are brilliant (hence why I own so many), they're really soft, pigmented, glide onto the eye with ease and they stay on the eyes all day. 'Ransom' is also a fabulous colour, it's navy blue with a hint of purple, it'd definitely be a nice alternative to black if you wanted to wear something a little different.

Violet - MAC Lipstick in 'Strong Woman'
I've never been fond of purple lipsticks as I didn't think they'd suit me but when MAC released the ever so beautiful 'Strong Woman' lipstick I took a chance and just bought it, it could have been the best thing since sliced bread or it could have been an utter disaster. Luckily for me it was a winner because I was delighted to find that I in-fact didn't look like a pleb, it actually looked okay. Since buying 'Strong Woman' I have worn it near enough everyday and have suddenly grown a love for purple lipsticks, I think a purple lipstick addiction may be progressing. Even my boyfriend says he likes it best when I wear my purple lipstick and he says that it's his favourite so it must be a winner. 'Strong Woman' is a matte lipstick and like all MAC matte lipsticks it has amazing staying power and colour pay off. I love 'Strong Woman' and I'm gutted I didn't buy a backup.

Pink - MAC Blush in 'Pink Swoon'
I love MAC blushes as I personally feel they're the best on the market, they're pigmented, long lasting,  have great staying power and come in a variety of different shades and finishes. One of my favourite MAC blushes is 'Pink Swoon', a lovely pink sheertone blush. 'Pink Swoon' can be worn sheer or built up to a more intense colour which is great as you don't have to worry about applying too much, you can start off sheer and build it up. 'Pink Swoon' is ideal for me as I have no colour to my skin, if I apply a little bit to my cheeks it warms up my face a little, making me look alive as opposed to dead. 

Multicoloured - Inglot Colour Play Lipstick Palette
I recently did a post about my Inglot Colour Play Lipstick Palette so if you'd like to see an in-depth review with a trillion photographs and swatches then please feel free to check out that post. I had to use this palette for my multicoloured product because it's so funky, I mean, just look at that beauty! I was going to use one of my Urban Decay palettes but decided against the idea as they're not as funky as this little gem. The colours play lipsticks can be used on the eyes and face as well as the lips which is pretty cool and they can be worn alone or mixed together to create different shades. I absolutely love these lipsticks because they super creamy which means they're ideal for my dry lips and they're also extremely pigmented with excellent staying power. I won't go into much detail about the palette as I've done a huge review on it but all you need to know is that it's an amazing palette. And there's no denying that it's multicoloured.

Swatches

Top (Left to Right): MAC 'Lady Danger', MAC 'Lasting Sensation',  

Illamasqua 'Pivot', Urban Decay 'Ransom', MAC 'Strong Woman'

Bottom: MAC 'Pink Swoon'

Video Version

I hope you liked this tag and if you decide to do it, let me know!

Much love,

Cole

x

INGLOT Colour Play Lipstick Palette: Review, Photos & Swatches

If you watched my London haul on YouTube, you'll know that I recently purchased the new Inglot colour play lipsticks and a 10 pan square palette. As you all know, I absolutely love wearing bright lipsticks and I love mixing lipsticks together to create my own unique shade so I when I saw this palette I knew I needed it in my life. 

The Inglot Colour Play lipsticks can be worn on the lips, eyes and face, and they can be worn alone or they can be mixed together to create unique shades. 

They are ideal for anyone who likes experimenting with makeup and they're also great for MUA's. I know for a fact that I'll be having one of these palettes in my kit as well as in my own makeup collection. 

Photos

This is what the freedom system 10 square pan looks like. It has a thick magnetic bottom and a strong magnetic lid, the palette itself is extremely sturdy and durable. The lipsticks slot into the palette and remain intact via the power of magnetism. Once the lipsticks are in the palette you won't be able to remove them with your hands. 

Top Row: 94, 93, 92, 91, 100

Bottom Row: 95, 99, 98, 96, 97

94 - Bright Blue 

93 - Teal

92 - Lime Green

91 - Yellow

100 - White

95 - Indigo

99 - Purple

98 - Hot Pink

96 - Bright Pink

97 - Orange 

Arm Swatches

Top Row: 94, 93, 92, 91, 100

Bottom Row: 95, 99, 98, 96, 97

Lip Swatches

Review

The Good

• Concept - I think it's great how the lipsticks can be worn alone or mixed together to create a unique shades. I also think it's cool how you can use them on the eyes and face too.
• Pigmentation - The lipsticks are EXTREMELY pigmented and I think the photographs prove this. All the lipsticks have intense colour and they have great colour pay off. You only need to use a small amount when applying the lipsticks meaning one lipstick will last you a while. 
• Application - The lipsticks apply very well, they go on smoothly and they don't bleed whatsoever meaning you don't have to wear a lip liner underneath them. 
• Longevity - The lipsticks last around 4-5 hours on the lips (this is through eating and drinking) which is standard for high quality lipsticks. If you were to wear shade 100 on its own you'd have to re-apply as it does go patchy. 
• Texture - The lipsticks are incredibly creamy and soft meaning they're great for anyone who suffers with dry or cracked lips. They don't settle into fine lines or cracks and they don't irritate the lips at all. Another great thing about the lipsticks is that they haven't got a sticky texture.
• Packaging - I think the palette is very well made and sturdy, it has a strong magnetised lid and a thick magnetised base meaning the lipsticks will not fall out of the palette. The lipsticks are in a metal pan meaning they stick to the base, once they're in the palette, they can't be removed, unless you use a magnet of course.
• Price - The freedom system palette retails at £10 and the colour play lipsticks retail at £4.50 each, both of which are very reasonable prices. £4.50 is absolutely incredible for a lipstick, especially a high quality lipstick, you'd be hard pushed to find a decent drugstore lipstick for £4.50. If you purchased both the palette and all 10 lipsticks it would cost you £55, or £44 if you're an MUA, which is amazing!  

The Okay

• Shade Selection - The shade selection is good but it could be better. I think it's good how Inglot have produced a good selection of bright and vibrant shades, and they've pretty much covered all the colours of the rainbow but where are the black and red shades? I really feel Inglot should have included all of the primary colours and not just 2 of them. If they included a red and a black, a lot more custom shades could be made. 
• Opacity - Some of the lipsticks were more opaque than others, shades 93, 95, 99, 98, 96 and 97 were completely opaque whereas shades 94, 92, 91 and 100 were a little patchy. I think the lipsticks should all have the same opacity and I personally feel a little disappointed that some of the lipsticks were patchy. I didn't have to layer any of the opaque lipsticks but I had to layer the patchy lipsticks. 
• Availability - Availability is an issue for me and this is due to the limited Inglot stores in the UK. The only way I can purchase Inglot products is online as the nearest Inglot store is more than 2 hours away. I rarely order Inglot products online because of two reasons, one, I like to swatch products beforehand and two, the delivery costs are absolutely ridiculous. Inglot really need to open more stores in the UK because their products are fabulous, and also cheap!

The Bad

• Scent - It doesn't help that I'm quite sensitive to scents in the first place but when I say these stink, they really do. The scent reminds me of a mix between watermelon and sweeties, which some people may love but I personally hate it. Not only is the scent an issue for me but the fact the scent is overpowering makes matters a whole lot worse. When I swatched the lipsticks on my arm I noticed the scent straight away and if truth be told I dreaded doing the lip swatches.You'd think that the scent would wear off after a while but I'm sad to say it doesn't, you're left with sickly watermelon lips all day. If Inglot changed the scent, I'd be a happy bunny. 

Where to buy:

Inglot Freedom System Palette - £10.00

Inglot Colour Play Lipstick - £4.50 each

Rating

I absolutely love my Inglot colour play lipsticks and I'll definitely purchase them again in the near future. I really hope Inglot decide to bring out a black and a red lipstick as I feel this would make my colour play collection complete, I also love mixing lipsticks to create my own unique shades and feel I'd benefit from a black and a red lipstick. 

Below is a photograph of the aftermath of me swatching the lovely lipsticks. As you can see, I have a VERY stained arm. 

I hope you all liked this post and if you would like me to do a post on creative lip art and/or a post on mixing lipsticks please let me know. 

Many thanks for reading and I'll talk to you in my next post!

Much Love,

Cole

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My Makeup Collection

It's been a while since I filmed my last makeup collection so I thought I ought to do an updated one. My makeup collection has changed massively since I did my last one and I think that's mainly due to having my room decorated, I've got brand new furniture so have changed the layout of my makeup collection. Not only that but I'm a bit of a makeup collector (or should I say makeup addict) so as you can imagine my collection has grown quite a bit, it also doesn't help being a Makeup Artist (hello 35% MAC discount!) 

I store my makeup in the Ikea Malm 6 draw chest which sounds pretty hefty but as you'll see from looking at the photographs below, I need A LOT of storage. 

I store my everyday makeup brushes in these cute little Sigma containers, they quite roomy so fit in a lot of brushes which is handy for me! I keep my spare (unloved) brushes in a separate bag just so I don't mix up the two sets. 

The top left drawer is my face drawer and in there is foundations, concealers, highlighting pens, eye/lip/face primers, lip balms, skincare and other bits and bobs like cotton buds and cotton wool pads. 

The top right drawer is another face drawer and in there is blushers, bronzers, powders, sculpting creams, skin-finishes, highlighters and setting sprays. 

The second drawer is basically my palette and lip drawer, in there is lipsticks, lipglosses, lip stains, lip paints, lip pencils, eyeshadow palettes and eyeshadow quads/duos.

The third drawer is my eye drawer and in there I keep eyeliners of all different sorts, cream eyeshadows, powder eyeshadows, pigments, glitters, mascaras, eyebrow products, eyelashes, misc products including eyelash glue, glitter glue, tweezers, eyelash curlers and sharpeners. 

The fourth drawer is mainly dedicated to my hair products because as you all know I'm also a Hair Stylist as well as a Makeup Artist. In the fourth draw I store my tongs, straighteners, conical wand, hair dryer, bun rings, clips, pins, brushes and other hair things. I also keep my SFX makeup and kit foundations in that drawer too. 

The final drawer is full random things including my makeup/fashion/nail books, pro charts, perfume, Sigma cleansing and polishing tool, brush cleaner (IPA) and other bits.

Video Version:

I hope you all liked my makeup collection and if you have any questions about anything I've shown, please feel free to comment below! :)

Thanks for reading/watching!

Cole

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