NYX Haul + First impression

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

I have always been intrigued with NYX products even from before. Few years back, NYX was not readily available here in the UK as how it is now. It was so difficult to get hold of the brand as I am usually left with no option but to pay a ridiculous amount for shipping fee coming from the US. However, now is a different story as it is available in Boots, their own NYX store and online excluding the high amount of shipping fee.

Here is a little NYX cosmetics haul, I have picked up:

NYX tame and frame tinted brow pomade

NYX sculpt and highlight face duo

NYX color correcting powder in banana

NYX eyebrow pencils in dark brown and medium brown

NYX soft matte lip cream in Copenhagen

NYX born to glow liquid illuminator

NYX jumbo eye pencil in milk

NYX lingerie lipstick in teddy and ruffle trim

NYX lingerie in teddy and ruffle trim- I have been so obsessed with liquid lipstick lately. I’m sure you girls can relate. There are so many good ones out in the market and I just want them all! I’m so happy with these two shades that I picked up. I feel like they are the ones that I wanted as I was going for a warm rich brown and a nude shade that won’t wash me out. However, I must admit I did struggle to decide which ones to purchase as I feel like there are a lot of shades that are very similar. At some point when I swatched them, I couldn’t tell the difference between the three shades from far away (baby doll, lace detail and satin ribbon).

These are the swatches for the two shades I picked up, as you can see they are both gorgeous!

Color correcting powder- I love this one! I have used other banana powders like Ben Nye previously, which is much more expensive than this NYX one. Surprisingly, I feel like it works the same for me. I usually apply this to set my concealer and it does brighten up the eye area. Some people also use this to set their foundation.

Sculpt and highlight- I am liking this so far as it does a good job in contouring my face. I literally put the tiniest amount and it works perfectly well for me. I like the creamy texture of it and how easy it is to blend. The problem with the one I picked up is the highlighter does not match my skin tone. It is super light on my skin and I struggle to make it work. I am yet to find a way as to how I can use the lighter shade.

Liquid illuminator- I am not sure if I like this one just yet. The one I picked up has a pink tone to it. It is nice as it gives a luminous glow but the thing I’m unsure about is the shade. I usually tend to layer it with a powder highlighter just to tone down the pinkness. I have read reviews and people have mentioned that they love it and use it on its own. So perhaps it is just either my skin tone or personal preference on how I want my highlight to look like.

Eyebrow pencils- I love these and yes both shades! They are both repurchases as I have been using them for few years already. I feel like I am in between shades of the dark and medium brown but it is perfect when I combine them together. I love how it gives me a natural-looking brow.

Jumbo eye pencil- This eye pencil especially in shade milk has been raved about few years back within the beauty community. I have never tried it until now. It does a good job on making eyeshadows more vibrant and it can also be used for a little bit of highlighting in the inner corner of the eyes. However, I sometimes find that the product is not very blendable. It can pull and tug on the eyelid.

Soft matte lip cream- I believe the lipsticks from this collection were my first matte lip creams. I feel like this range started the hype for matte lipsticks. The shade I picked up recently is Copenhagen and I love it. It gives a perfect vampy vibe to any make up look.

Tinted brow pomade- This is my favourite one out of all my purchases. I have used it so much since I bought it. It is so easy to use and it glides onto the skin and eyebrow hairs. I usually combine this with the NYX eyebrow pencil.

I hope you enjoyed reading my first impression on the listed items above.

Comment below on what your favourite NYX products are. 🙂

Lots of love from,

4May2017

April favourites

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

Recently I have been staying away from my usual skincare. For the past few months I have been trying so many different products that my skin got so dry and sensitive at some point. Therefore, I decided to give my skin a break and go back to my old skincare routine. I have been using the Simple range for so many years, not only that the products are affordable but they work amazing too!

My faves out of the range are their micellar cleansing water and their light hydrating moisturiser. I have tried their night moisturiser and I must say that I did not enjoy using it. It felt very sticky and heavy on the skin but the light day to day moisturiser works perfect for me.

ELF daily brush cleaner– Honestly, I get so lazy when it comes to washing my make up brushes. This brush cleaner makes it easier for me to clean in between make up applications. It disinfects the brushes and makes it clean and fresh before use. However, I only use this for quick cleaning and I still do my usual routine for thorough cleaning.

ELF eyeshadow duo– I love these pretty sparkly shadows and I have been using it quite a lot recently. However, I must say that the staying power is not good by itself. Therefore, when I use this I always make sure that I apply an eyeshadow primer.

ELF HD powder– I have a few different brands of powder in my collection and one of my most affordable and my favourite one is the NYX banana powder. I have been alternating my NYX and this ELF powder. So far so good but I don’t think its amazing as I am unsure about the ‘soft focus’ effect. I usually use this to set my foundation.

Aesop remove– Honestly, I still have to give this product a go as I haven’t been using it long enough for me to be able to give my full comment. Initially, I didn’t like the product due to the thickness of the oil and the residue it leaves on the skin after use. I am aware that the oil is probably good for the skin but it is just a personal preference as I got used to micellar waters when it comes to taking off my make up. I decided to add it on my April fave as I have recently been liking it because of its ability to take off most of my stubborn mascara residues. I sometimes struggle to take off my Maybelline Hypercurl Mascara but when I use this it comes off straight away.

Philip B Katira Hair Masque– Love this stuff, it really does make my hair shiny and bouncy when I use it. All you have to do is rub a small amount of this hair masque into a towel-dried hair and comb through. I use it differently, sometimes I tend to leave it overnight but usually I only leave it for about 20-30 minutes.

Eyelashes– Love these lashes when I’m having a break with my all time fave Ardell demi wispies. However, this one looks glam unlike the demi wispies which are perfect for everyday use.

Tempura seaweed snack– I know this is not a beauty related item but I have been obsessed with this snack recently. I just had to add it on my my April faves!

What are the things that you are currently loving?

Lots of love from,

22Dec2016

Benefit ROCKitude gift set

Posted in Beauty by denissesamantha

Let me start off by saying I love this ROCKitude, rockin’ rose gold lip and cheek tint set. Thank you to my secret santa for gifting me this wonderful present!

Benefit has the cutest packaging ever, it has such a girly, colourful and positive vibe. When I was opening my present, I was trying to be careful not to rip the box as I would like to use it for storage/display later on.

Seriously, how cool is their packaging? From opening the first box I obviously already knew it was from Benefit but the additional box made me even more excited to find out what the set contains.

Just in case anyone is interested how much this gift set is, it retails for £25.50. As far as I am aware, they sell it on their main Benefit cosmetics stores and online, Debenhams, Boots and John Lewis.

As you can see from the photo below, the set includes:

Benetint rose tinted lip and cheek stain (4ml)
High beam luminescent complexion enhancer (4ml)
Rockateur famously provocative cheek powder (3g)
Rockateur ultra plush shimmering rose gold lip gloss (6.5ml)

When you open the box there are useful tips and tricks on how you can use the products inside. Behind the paper is actually a mirror, which I am so pleased about.

I am so happy when I saw the benetint and high beam as they are some of the products that I have been using over and over again. It will be my first time to try the rockateur blush as I usually use hoola or dallas bronzers. I also can’t wait to try the lip gloss!

Benefit’s high beam highlighter is one of my all time faves. It is such a perfect satin pink accent that gives a dewy glow.

How is your Christmas shopping going? There are so many gift sets like this one out in the market at the moment, I have purchased quite a few to give away to my girls but of course I bought some for myself too! Take advantage of the gift sets, while they are in stock.

Enjoy shopping and have a lovely Christmas!

Lots of love from,

8May2016

April favourites

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

I can’t believe it’s already May and so far the weather has been lovely. I love it when the sun shines, it somehow makes me feel extra happy! My first week of this month has been amazing and I hope you enjoyed your first week too.

I love writing about my monthly favourites and I always feel excited when it’s that time to gather the products that I have been loving. I try my best to use different brands and varieties of products but sometimes I can’t let go of my staples.

Here are my April favourites:

MakeUp Revolution Ultra Professional Cover & Conceal Palette: Concealer is one of the main product in every make up kit. However, finding the right concealer has been such a long and continuos process for me. I have my very few concealers that I love but I always enjoy trying different brands from high end to drugstore. I decided to buy this one as it intrigued me. Make Up Revolution as a brand is very affordable and some of their products are amazing. I must admit when I first tried this palette I did not like it at all. I felt like the consistency was so weird. It feels too greasy and not more of a cream formula. I also found that it creases and sometimes does not give me the coverage that I desire. However, after few weeks I decided to give it another try but this time I made adjustments with the products that I use. I usually put eye cream on top of my moisturiser but with this I don’t. I also found that putting a primer is the best thing to use with it. It made it more blendable and buildable and it doesn’t crease as much. I noticed that it stays longer and covers so much better. Therefore, since finding the right way to use it I have been using it quite a lot last month. I also enjoy the varieties of colours that it offers. It is such a multipurpose paletter and you can always customise the colors by mixing them which is what I do.

MAC Lipstick in ‘Cyber’: I love dark lipstick and I always used to go for my MAC cyber. However, I haven’t been using it for a while as my collection for dark shades grew. I also wanted to try different brands and different hues of plums, browns and anything dark. Last month, I have been using this a lot and I love the vampy vibe it gives.

Face Masks- Snail Cell Illuminating Multi-step Treatment and Purederm Brightening Essence Mask: These masks are from Asia, which I got from my holiday. I love the effects it gives and how moisturising it leaves my face after using them. How I really wish I bought so much more than I did but hopefully I’ll be able to get hold of these soon! I have been using Purederm masks from before but it was my first time to try the two specific ones below and it made me fall in love with the brand even more.

Barry M Natural Glow Shadow and Blush Palette: I love this palette! I usually only use neutral colours for my eyeshadows and this palette is amazing for it. As you can see, it also has a blush which is really good considering how affordable it is.

Accessorize False Eye Lashes: My ultimate falsies fave are still the demi wispies but I don’t mind these ones. I like the effect it gives and it feels lightweight when I have them on. They are not too long but it is thick enough to give you an amazing lashes look.

Batiste Hair Dry Shampoo in fruit and cheeky cherry: This was included in my March favourites and I can’t help but mention it here too. I just adore the smell of it and how it gives me a big voluminous hair.

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in ‘Mulberry’: I love everything about this lipstick. As you can see, this mulberry shade looks so pretty. It is a very flattering shade and very moisturising on the lips. The packaging looks gorgeous as it looks very sleek and expensive than it actually is.

Benefit Blush and Bronzer in ‘Dallas’: This has been my go to blush/bronzer recently. I use it almost every day apart from weekends, which is when I usually go for a more pigmented one or either when I don’t wear make up at all. I really like how it doesn’t make me look cakey, it is very natural looking but with a very lovely glow. I don’t tend to usually use the brushed that comes with whatever products I by cos they tend to not work as well as the proper individually brushes but this one is an exception. The brush that comes with it is very soft and I feel like it is the perfect shape for this particular product!

What are your favourite products recently? Please comment down below as I would like to explore different products and hopefully I will also end up loving it as much as you do.

Lots of love from,

30Mar2016

March favourites

Posted in Beauty by denissesamantha

Time is definitely going way too quick, I can’t believe that it’s already March and the month is just about to end. It means that spring is here then obviously summer is coming. Both spring and summer are my favourite seasons throughout the year. It feels like life gets better and people get so much happier when the sun is out! Here are most of my March beauty/skincare favourites:

Batiste Dry Shampoo: I absolutely love this stuff, I have been using this product for a few years now. I have also tried other scents such as blush, sweetie and floral essences.

These four products are all re-purchased. They are my most used combination of products as I use them for my everyday make up look. This is the reason why they ran out so fast especially the concealer! With the blushers I tend to not use the cream formula but I hit pan on the two powder forms. Left to right: Sleek Blush by 3 in pink lemonade, Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer and Makeup Revolution Ultra Cover and Conceal Palette.

Left to right: Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Liner in midnight plum and sweet pink, Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Gel Liner in black, Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Liner in black and Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Liner in nude.

Molton Brown Soothing Hand Lotion SPF15: This is super nourishing and lightweight when blended on the skin. I find it so moisturising that I don’t just use it on my hands but sometimes also on my arms and legs too.

NYX Baked Blush + Illuminator + Bronzer: This was given to me by a lovely friend of mine and I’m so thankful for it. I love how pigmented this blush is and it’s not overly shimmery. The good thing about it is that the product is buildable, so if you think that the first swipe is too sheer you could always top it up without it looking cakey. Also, the packaging is so cute especially the bow bit on the side.

Quick FX Eyelift Cream and Pimple Eraser: Unfortunately they do not sell this in the UK and I got it when I was on holiday. At first I was skeptical about it because of its claims but it was so cheap that I thought I should just give it a go. I have been using them for few moths now and they’re okay. However, I can’t speak whether their claims are true as I use these products alternatively with other creams.

Clean&Clear Oil Control Film: I love this one! I own quite a few of this product as I’m scared to run out of it. I have tried other ones that are more expensive (MAC blot film and Shiseido Pureness Oil Control Blotting Paper) but I would still choose this. It is inexpensive and does the job, so I can’t ask for more!

Left to right: ELF Moisturizing Lipstick in ravishing rose, ELF Mineral Infused Mascara and Eyebrow Kit in both shade medium and dark. I can’t even remember how many ELF eyebrow kits I have purchased throughout the years (lost count already, way too many).

Revlon Colorbust Lipstick in blush: I obviously have loads of different nude lipsticks in my collection (which girl doesn’t?) but for some reason I have been using this one quite a lot this month! It goes on creamy, it is very moisturising and I love how this particular shade matches my skin well unlike my other nude lipstick that washes me out in pictures.

Seventeen False Lashes in electronica: I initially only bought this from my local Boots store because it was on 70% off but I ended up loving it. I was so happy that I picked up a few but if I knew earlier that these lashes are so pretty I definitely would have picked up some more! Also, it was such a bargain, they’re just like demi wispies but more crisscrossed.

I hope you enjoyed my March favourites. Have you used any of the products mentioned above and what are your recent beauty favourites?

Lots of love from,

7Feb2016

Drugstore Skincare Review (Garnier, Bioré, Simple and Clean & Clear)

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

Garnier Pure Micellar Cleansing Water

Micellar water is a very popular skincare in the market especially now that it is not only high-end brand that does them. There are a lot of inexpensive drugstore brand that offers it like Garnier, L’Oreal and La Roche-Posay. I’m not going to lie; I do have my lazy days when I am not bothered to wash my make up off and micellar water becomes my best friend! I like how convenient it is to just use a cotton pad, wipe my face, eye area and lips without any rinsing required. I love how it removes make up, cleanses the skin without having to rinse. I very much prefer to use this than a cleansing wipe just because I tend to find wipes too drying for my face afterwards.

Pros

Cleanses and purifies the skin, eye are and lips

Convenience due to not needing to rinse after use

Gentle and suitable for sensitive skin

Does not irritate eyes

Effectively removes make up

Leaves the skin feeling soft and hydrated

Very affordable and good value for money

Dermatological tested

Cons

May need to use more of the product than usual especially when taking off waterproof make up

Bulky packaging

I give the Garnier Pure Micellar Cleansing Water 3/5 mainly because it does what it claims for. However, I disagree with its claim of ‘200 uses’ especially when using waterproof mascaras and eyeliners. I tend to use more of the product than usual (two cotton pads in average to have the waterproof make up completely removed). I enjoy using micellar water and it will definitely be part of my skin care routine. I recommend the product and will definitely repurchase, as it is so inexpensive (£4.99)!

Bioré Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser

This product claims to ‘draw out dirt and impurities, purify pores and leaves face deeply cleansed and smooth’. I was skeptical at first when I read it as I feel like most products in the market claims to clean and purify pores. It states that it is infused with ‘Japanese Skin Purifying Technology’, which I thought is just one of its marketing strategy to make the product interesting. However, I have been aware of good skincare products that has charcoal as an ingredient such as Dark Angels from Lush. So I decided to give it a go and I was surprisingly happy with it.

Pros

Draws out dirt and impurities

Leaves skin feeling cleansed and smooth

Innovative technology that claims to clean pores twice as clean after one use

Tingly feeling without stinging the eye area

Leaves skin feeling fresh and cool

Great value for money (£4.99)

Cons

Thick consistency gel cleanser that might not be appealing for some people

Heavily scented (I personally like the smell of it but this may mean that it is not ideal for sensitive skin)

I give Bioré Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser a rating of 4/5 because I really enjoy using it. I am currently on my second bottle and so far I’ve had no problems with it. I’m glad that it works perfectly well with my skin. I like how it leaves my face cleansed and feeling refreshed after use. I will definitely repurchase as I feel that this would be one of my staples for my skincare routine.

Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser

This product claims to ‘keep your skin hydrated and nourished all day long’, which is suitable for sensitive skin. I can’t comment much about the benefits of it for sensitive skin users as my skin type is more on the normal side. However, I read some reviews that people with sensitive skin like this product and finds it okay.

Pros

Ideal for everyday use- not heavy/greasy

Leaves skin feeling soft and healthy

Affordable

Cons

Not as amazing as how they claim the product to be

I feel like it was lightly scented

I give Simple Moisturiser a rating of 2/5 because it is pretty decent but it is not as amazing as how the product is marketed. The company emphasised the ‘perfect blend of active ingredients and vitamins’ which is supposed to restore moisture, softens and smoothen the skin but I feel as if it was just a normal moisturiser. After few months of using it, I didn’t see any improvements on my skin.

Clean & Clear Morning Energy Skin Energising Daily Facial Scrub

I decided to pick this one up to replace my St. Ives Apricot Scrub that I have been using for years! I initially wanted to replace it with a product that I can use more often rather than alternating with other face scrubs. When I saw the ‘daily facial scrub’ I immediately wanted to try it.

Pros

The tiny beads really scrubs well

Leaves skin feeling refreshed and clean

Refreshing smell

Affordable (£3.99)

Cons

Too drying for daily use

I give this product a rating of 3/5 because the beads are perfect for scrubbing, which leaves the skin clean and refreshed. I also like the smell of it. However, I disagree with its claim of ‘daily scrub’ as it is too drying for daily use.

What are your favourite drugstore skincare products?

Lots of love from,