Glossybox-November

Hey everyone. 

I really didn't know what to post today. It was a mash up between the Glossybox review or my #14by14Feb update. Glossybox seemed the more natural route to go as tomorrow is the 14th. This months theme was Lipstick to Lashes and I must admit I was dissapionted. We will go into that more later on. Glossybox is a monthly subscription box which costs £10 + p&p and you can buy the boxes in 3 monthly or yearly subscriptions. They also make boxes for other countries, so it's worth checking out if they have one in your area. If you haven't seen a Glossybox review by myself before I start with my favourite and end on my least favourite. 

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick- full size- £7.99 

I was so relieved to receive the colour I picked for this box (unfortunatly I don't have the lipstick with me at the moment and I can't remember the name), subscribers were able to pick the month before, where as non-subscribers just got a colour picked. There were 4 colours in total. I remembered this colour as one that Jessica Braun on YouTube enjoys and thought her reviews are great. She is totally right! Even though I've only swatched it, it is super creamy and instantly pigmented. I can't wait for this colour! 

Emite Diamond Heart Primer- travel size- Full size is £25.90

As you all know, I love my primers. This brand has appeared in a Glossybox before and to be honest, I wasn't that impressed with that product. However I do have high hopes for this one. It is said to balance skin tone, boost radiance and creates a smooth finish for the day ahead. The test for a good primer for me is if it lasts longer that 3 hours on my t-zone (the oiliest part of my face). That's how I know if it's a good primer or not.

Royal Apothic Body Lotion- travel size- full size is £14.50

I must admit, I've always liked Royal Apothic products ever since my first ever Glossybox where their lip tinties was featured. This body lotion is exactly what you need in the colder months as it is a soft moisturiser which doesn't lay heavy on the skin. It doesn't exactly have a scent which is also a plus. Will defiantly be used! 

MUA Eyeshadow Palette in Undressed- full size- £4.00 

Okay most people would be happy about this and I must admit, any other palette or even a different on e from this brand and I would be. However this palette I just recently panned and completely used in my #panthatpalette on Instagram. The only colours I had left were two, the far bottom left and the far bottom right. As you can tell, this palette is going to be given to a friend. 

Eylure Natural Lashes- full size- £5.00 

I don't really have much to say about these lashes apart from the fact that lashes and I have never got on and so I don't use them anymore. These will also be passed on to a friend. 

As I said in the introduction, this isn't a bad box. Just for myself, it came at the wrong time and I just don't use lashes. However the lipstick, primer and body lotion will be loved. 

Emma 

Liquid Lipsticks- why we just don't don't get on.

Hey everyone, 

So I decided that today's post will be a little bit different for me. For a while now I've been trying out different liquid lipsticks and I've come to the conclusion that I just don't get on with them. I've tried many brands (mostly drugstore as high end are too expensive for me) and now I thought I'd give you my honest opinions on all of them. A few you would have seen before as I've reviewed them already so I'll keep those quick. 

(I apologise for picture quality, it's a really dark day here and the back light is on!) 

I will go from left to right describing the quality and why we do or don't try on. 

Too Faced Melted Liquid Lipstick in Nude 

I have tried two liquid lipsticks from Too Faced ( I used to own Melted Fuschia) and I must say I do get on with this formula. I've found that it isn't too drying and the pigmentation stays on the lip for a long time. However with darker colours I have found I need to wear a lip balm underneath or else I do get staining on my lips. 

Makeup Revolution Salvation Velvet Lacquer in What I Believe 

This brand is quite strange. I've found that the liquid lipsticks have great colour and pigmentation but do not last long on the lips. This is one of the drugstore makeup brands that I do follow quite religiously and their lip products are quite good, however their shade range is way to bright and colourful for the average day to day (as you will see with the next colour). I've found that this product is quite liquidy to apply but does dry to a solid matte. It can also be very drying so a lip balm is needed. 

Makeup Revolution Salvation Velvet Lacquer in Keep Crying For you

I don't even know why I bought this. Considering I don't wear liquid lipsticks on a daily basis and this colour is not one you can wear when going to work, I found that you really have to apply this with a steady hand. Go outside the natural line of your lip and you will know. Believe it or not this colour is actually the next shade up from What I Believe and the shade difference is huge! This colour does make me look dead and creates a grey shade to my skin, so this one is deffinalty not a favourite.

Freedom Pro Melts Lipgloss in Up

As you all have seen this in a review previously, I won't go too much into detail however I will say this. These "lipglosses" are so much more like liquid lipsticks when applied. They last ten times longer than lipglosses and the pigmentation is amazing! Drugstore win. 

Freedom Pro Melts Lipgloss in D-ream

Another choice from the drugstore which I say is a liquid lipstick. I do actually wear this one for work and the colour is more acceptable. I don't find these lipglosses drying and the colour stays. A win for me. 

Nyx Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Soft-spoken

I have only tried this liquid lipstick for half of a day, but I do know that it isn't too drying on the lips and the colour payoff is amazing! Exactly the colour you see on the package. Nyx' shade range is amazing and I'm so glad you can now purchase this in the uk on Boots.co.uk. I did find with this liquid lipstick (probably due to the shade) that I had to do two coats as it was a little patchy and that it was a little high maintenance. 

Essence Liquid Lipstick in 02 Beauty Secret

I will be totally honest here, although this is a drugstore brand (only £2.50 for this one in wilkinson) I had high hopes but it's really a lipgloss. This product does not dry down and stays completely shiny. As soon as I took a drink, it was gone. I did not like this product and will probably be passing it on. 

Overall, the idea of a liquid lipstick is great. They're meant to be long lasting, great pigmentation and not drying. However due to the fact I've only really tried drugstore versions, I haven't really seen any of these products doing just that. I would like to try Jeffree Star Liquid Lipsticks and Anastasia ones too but these are just way out of my price range. For me I think that if I stick to a traditional bullet lipstick I will be okay. 

Emma 

#9byNewYears- Update 2

Hey everyone! 

It's that time again for my #9bynewyears update and although I finished a few items, I've actually added items in too so there are quite a few items left in this project. 

I have finished:

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

MonuSpa Reviving Mist

Sally Hansen Lip Gloss

Babylips in Melon Mania 

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipliner

Foxy from Naked Basics Palette (hit pan) 

Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Nudest

Foxy from Naked Basics (finished) 

Stila Smudge Stick eyeliner in Black Amythest

I have no way of showing you how much I have used but everyday since starting this project I have been using this eyeliner to put in my water line. I've decided that as of tomorrow I'm going tight line too. I'm going to use this eyeliner up before using the blue eyeliner I have in another project. 

Colour Couture Eye Shadow Dust in White

If you look into the side of this pot you can see the tiny amount of progress I've made! I have been wearing this over my base in this project for work which tones down the shine a lot. I will continue to use this shadow dust however I don't think it will be finished before new year. 

Rimmel Scandleyes in 011 Bluffing

Some slight progress on this tiny eyeshadow base. On my paper I have made at least 1cm of progress and I have found that I don't need to sharpen this product too much between each use. I have 2 months to use this product up before the end of the project and with consistant use, I believe I can use it. 

Isa Dora Lipliner in Vintage Pink 

I decided to add this product into the project as I now use a Lipliner almost everyday and considering I have a few pink lip products in projects at the moment, I thought this would be a good choice. I added it in 13/10/15 and by today I have used up 2.5cm of product! I have to sharpen it every two uses so that is where the product is going mostly. 

Hit pan in Naked 2 on Naked Basics Palette

Another new goal I decided to add in as I've been using Naked 2 in my crease everyday recently. As you can see from the photo, I've managed to create a good dip in the product however I do think hitting pan is quite a while away. Some more use everyday is needed here. 

Maybelline Babylips in Hydrate

A replacement product was needed in place of my other Babylips as I've been enjoying using a moisturising lip balm every evening. I don't find these lip balms very moisturising however because I do have to reapply these during the day, I don't mind using them in projects. I won't be buying anymore once I have finished my last Babylips up. 

I believe I will be able to finished quite a few products up in this project and although I only need one more item finished, I will carry on until the end of the project and see how many items I can finish during this time. Anymore out of my collection is a great thing! 

Emma 

Project 10 Pan- Update 2

Hey everyone! 

I'm actually a day late with this update but only due to the fact I've got myself a job! I currently work Sundays so updates will probably be on Mondays now or closest to the 2 week date. I've made a fair but of progress this month, however items are still hanging on for dear life! 

So far I have finished:

Maybelline Baby Skin Primer 

Revlon Nearly Naked Powder

No7 Eyeshadow (hit pan) 

Covergirl Lashblast Mascara 

YSL tint in oil lipgloss

As with all my other updates, I'm not trying to finish this beautiful product up, just get more use out of it. In the last 2 weeks I have used this a handfull of times, however I have found that it doesn't stay on my lips and due to the oil formula, it slips around and is gone in half an hour. I don't think I would ever repurchase one of these, however I do not want to see if gone from my collection. 

Makeup Revolution Vivid Highlighter (hit pan) 

I believe my target of hitting pan on this product may be a little far fetched. However can you see that the original marks are disappearing? I've loved putting this highlight on my cheeks, nose and Cupid's bow. I've also used this as a inner corner highlight a few times too. I do think that I won't hit pan in this project during the 3 months, however any use is good use! 

Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake 

I must admit, I've been solely focusing on this lip product during these 4 weeks of this project which is why the other lip products don't have much progress. However I do believe (even though I expected this to be long gone by now) this product won't be in the project too much longer. It is highly pigmented so only one swipe is needed hence why it is still here. In the picture the product is rolled up the entire way, so not much left now. 

Revlon Balm Stain in Honey 

I don't have much to say on this product especially as I haven't used it at all in these last 2 weeks. I would like my Lip butter to be gone before I start making more progress on this item. I have a few suspicions that this product will still be here come 3 months is over. 

Marsk Mineral Eyeshadow dust

Another product which hasn't really had much love from me yet due to the fact that it just really isn't my colour and is way too pigmented for myself. As you can see by the photo there are a few dents in the product and that is because it is currently working to set my eyeliner for my #9bymewyears project. I will not have this product finished by 5th Janruary. 

Isa Dora Kajal Eyeliner in Icy Blue 

Another product which I have not used at all. I'm currently waiting for my Stila eyeliner (#9bynewyears) to finish up before starting to use this one. However if I feel come December that the other eyeliner is not going to be done, I will start to alternate between the Stila and this one. I set both with my Marsk eyeshadow. 

Maybelline Lipstick in Galactic Mauve 

I am really bad at using this lipstick. It has been in two projects so far and I just can not bring myself to use it. I'm hoping come winter I will pull this out of my pot more especially because you need to use a few swipes to get good full colour. I also think this lip colour is appropriate at work. 

As you can see I really need to get a move on and start to use all my items from my lip pot. I hope that the Revlon Lip butter will be gone soon so I can start to make more progress on the others. Here's to the next update! 

Emma 

October Empties!

Hey everyone, 

I asked everyone on Instagram (@Piperbeauty) what they wanted to see from myself today and October empties was the first choice. This really helped me out actually as my box at the end of the bed was really getting full! If you don't know how I do my empties, I write down in my little book the empty and the value of the item and pop them in a box. At the end of each month I total up all of the empties amounts to see how much the total empties are worth. This month is shocking! 

(Sorry for the blurry photo! It's very dark and raining a lot in Oxfordshire) 

I used up a total of:

2 Haircare

21 Skincare

8 Bodycare

12 Samples

14 Makeup items 

2 eyeshadows (in a palette) 

3 Mics items

My total for this month equals a massive £250 exactly! For the total to be this high I noticed I used a lot of deluxe sized items and finished off a lot of more expendsive items that I receive in my boxes. I also managed to finish a massive 14 makeup items off this month due to project panning and various other projects! I do believe that if I carry on the way I am going (and with a new job and lots of new goodies to use) I can carry on using what I buy and making a good dent in my collection. Here's to next month! 

Emma 

Cohorted- My little Treat Beauty Box

Hey everyone, 

I really didn't expect to be blogging today but guess what finally turned up? My Cohorted My little Treat box. If many of you have seen my recent twitter posts (@BeautifulBeads1), I was having trouble contacting Cohorted about the where abouts of this box for the last week. It's original dispatch day was supposed to be 15th October but it only arrived today due to asking where it was. I am not normally one to slash a company like this but the customer service was really poor considering the prices and items toy receive in the boxes from them. However the boxes themselves are amazing! 

On October 1st, Cohorted came out with 4 new beauty boxes which were one off purchases and this box caught my eye straight away. The my little treat box is £19.99 + postage and packaging (which now come via Royal Mail in the Uk) and considering one of these products is £24 normally, I was jumping on the confirm button straight away. As usual I will unbox this going from my favourite item to least favourite item. 

Mac Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Light Plus

I'm a sucker for a Mac product however I do not have the disposable income to keep buying their products so that's why you don't see many Mac products around my blog. An MSF (Mineralize Skin Finish) is £24 retail price and much more on ebay however they have been on my wish list for a while. So of corse I was going to purchase this box for this product alone! This product is a domed face powder (which matches me perfectly) infused with minerals that blends in seamlessly to the skin. Reviews of this product will follow in the future. 

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Walkyrie 

My first Nars product! I've been eyeing up these lip pencils for a while (not necessarily the matte ones) especially the colour Rekugian and this pencil is pretty darn close! After first application (as soon as this came it was on!) I found it to glide on just like a normal bullet lipstick however after a few minutes, it dried down to a really matte formula. I love the colour, I love the idea, unfortunately I just found it so drying on the lips. The colour stayed on for a really long time, but as soon as I ate food and drank the colour was gone. Just something to think about for the future. 

Ciate Nail Varnish in serendipity 

As I said in my post yesterday, I have a love/hate relationship with Ciate and I was a little disappointed seeing them in this box. I can find Ciate at my local Tk Maxx for less than £3 so to me this is not an expensive brand. The colour is a beautiful red glitter on a clear base, a perfect topper for Christmas or the coming winter months. 

BareMinerals Soft Focus Face Brush

This product only came last because I have had it in a Cohorted box before. I do love the brush itself, very soft with a perfect length handle however I do not need two. I have found that this brush works perfectly with the Benefit sample blushes or even their box blushes. This brush will be passed on to another family member. 

As you can see I neither loved nor hated this box as it had its good and bad bits and with Mac and Nars featuring I can see why they say the boxes value is £81.50. However because I have bad such a poor experience with their company both times I have had their boxes, I will not be ordering from Cohorted again. Personal experience that is all. 

Emma 

Keep or Donate: Nail polish, round 2

Hey everyone, 

Another week has passed so a few more nail polishes have been passing the test of keep or donate. If you didn't see my first Keep or Donate post, this project was inspired by PetitPearStyle on YouTube and the KonMari method of decluttering. The idea is to wear at least 6 polishes a week and decide during that week if I would like to keep them in my collection or donate them to family or charity. As always if you do not like feet, you may want to skip this post as my toe nails do feature. 

Models Own polish in Asscher Blue 

I do believe before this manicure I hadn't actually worn this polish! It is a beautiful pale blue (opaque with 2 coats) with tiny gold glitter which shine when you move. This polish didn't last well on my nails, probably only a few days without chips, however the beautiful gold glitter just made this a keep for the Christmas season! 

Rimmel London 413 Orangina 

Now I'm quite glad I painted this colour on my toes. As I live in England, it is getting rather chilly now and the socks are coming out, which means I could hide this polish. It became this horrible orange colour with two rather streaky coats and I could tell straight away it was a donate. I just don't like this colour on my skin tone. 

Ciate polish in the hamptons

I do have a love hate relationship with Ciate and so far (bar the grey polish in the last keep or donate) most colours have been a keep, including this one! This polish is a green and gold glitter with a clear base, perfect for a topper. I absolutely love the constancy of Ciate and have decided I want to try this polish on top of others in the future. 

O.P.I- Next stop..The Bikini Zone 

I don't know which year or collection this polish came out (sorry!) as I bought it from TK Maxx, however I do know this is a perfect polish for the fingers or toes. It's quite a pale polish and it takes a couple of layers to make it this colour but isn't it beautiful! I know this is going to be a lovely colour for work or in the summer so I am going to keep this one. 

Colour Couture Purple 

Straight away I can tell I don't like this polish at all. After two coats, it was still very streaky and my nails were still poking straight through. I'm not going to go anymore into it other than say donate (my sister already has it).

Barry M Socialite 

I love this polish so much! It's very opaque with one coat yet you can still see the polish under it too. It glitters very well and shines beautifully under light. With two coats, the polish stays well and doesn't chip. I've always loved Barry M so this one is defiantly a keep. 

Here's to another week of keep or donate. I'm going to keep doing these as I really feel I'm finding out which colours I enjoy wearing and what suits my skin colour. I hope your enjoying this series as much as I do! 

Emma