Wet n Wild “ Mega Slim Skinny Mascara” – Review.

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably already know that I’m a big fan of Wet n Wild. It’s been one of my favorite budget beauty brands since way back in the day when I started blogging. I’m obsessed with their blushers, highlighters and lipsticks and you’ll often hear me chatting on my Insta-stories about old favorites and new releases. However, I have to say that I’ve just never gotten along with their mascaras. I’ve tried a few and I’ve just never been wowed by them, particularly the “Max Volume” formula which got lots of praise from the blogging community but just wouldn’t stay on my lashes for more that 20 minutes, without transferring to my cheeks and transforming me into Alice Cooper. So, as you can imagine, I was apprehensive about their new launch; the “Mega Slim Skinny Mascara”. But, apprehension never stops me from trying a new product out and in this instance, I have to say that the packaging had me really intrigued.

So, let’s talk about the packaging then. As you can probably tell from the product’s name; it has a teeny, skinny wand which means a few things: a) the formula applies easily to every single lash and b) it’s not messy to apply and you won’t have to worry about smudging your eyelid with a clumsy, big wand. However, it also means that you have to apply a few coats if you want both length and volume because the wand doesn’t dispense enough product in one swipe to create a major amount of volume.

The formula itself is a gorgeous shade of jet black and applies evenly without clumping. I’ve been wearing this mascara for weeks now and haven’t experience any flaking or clumping, even after approx 12 hours of wear. It just doesn’t budge. This is exactly what has me sold – the “Mega Slim Skinny Mascara” is a €5 Mascara that doesn’t slide down your face throughout the day. How could you go wrong?

There’s a little unedited (as always) snap to demonstrate what my lashes look like after application of the mascara. You’ve probably all seen my natural lashes a million times before on Instagram but for those of you who don’t know, they’re extremely fair but naturally long-ish. I think that this mascara really helps to create the illusion of extra length though. I also love how well it applies to my bottom lashes and makes them loom full, without smudging or transferring. I’ve been getting a surprising amount of compliments on my eye make up lately and I have to say, I think that this product from Wet n Wild is the one making the difference.

You can buy Wet n Wild products in pharmacies nationwide but upon a quick Google, I just realised that they’re also now stocked on Beauty Bay who have the mascara in stock.

So what do you think? Have you tried products from Wet n Wild before? If so, let us know your favorites – I’m always looking to add to my shopping list.

Rouge x

BPerfect “Stacey Marie Carnival Palette” – Review.

Alright, so I know that you’ve all heard about this palette before. You’ve probably read 1,000 reviews at this stage. The “Carnival Palette”collaboration by Stacey Marie MUA and BPerfect has been nothing short of a worldwide hit. And, isn’t she a beauty?

It took me awhile to write this review because to be honest, I was afraid of half the shades in the palette. I’m comfortable with bronze, brown and gold shades so they were easy for me but I’m definitely new to bright blues and purples. Lots of the shadows were way out of my comfort zone but I love bright eyeshadow and for that reason, I was determined to use all of the shades in the palette. As you can see, there are 24 eyeshadows and 2 highlighters in this palette, so it took awhile to get through them all. However, I rose to the challenge and I’ve used every single shade in this palette because I wanted this review to be as complete as possible.

First things first, let’s talk about the eyeshadows. As the above swatches demonstrate, the pigments in these shadows are insane. There are 17 matte shadows and 7 shimmer options in the “Carnival Palette” and each of them is as beautiful as the next. Both the matte and shimmer shades feel almost buttery to the touch and you can tell instantly that they’re good quality. Usually, in every palette, there are a few “filler shades” that seem to be included simply to fill up some space. I didn’t find this to be an issue with this palette. It seems that a lot of thought went into shade selection and Stacey Marie stayed true to her love of bright, vibrant colors. I immediately noticed that there is no “mandatory black shade” in this palette and I have to say, this brought me an unexpected surge of joy. I’ve never used an entire pan of black eyeshadow in my life so I’m glad BPerfect didn’t sacrifice any of the gorgeous shades, just for the sake of including a black shadow.

Both the matte and shimmer shades in the “Carnival Palette” are relatively easy to work with. As with any bright eyeshadows, they take a bit of work to blend out but they definitely don’t lose their pigment when they’re blended together. There’s no fear of them fusing together into a weird grey shade, which is something I have experienced with a lot of colorful eyeshadow palettes from budget brands. I do find that the glitter shades are a bit more difficult to blend together than the mattes but that’s to be expected from any eyeshadow palette. All you need is a big fluffy blending brush and the problem is sorted.

The blue tones in the palette are my absolute favourite and I’ve spent ages trying to master the use of blue eyeshadow since I got my hands on it. As you can see in the above photos, it’s really easy to create a wearable look when you blend the shade “Recharge” with the neutral shades such as “Basic” and “Naked”. Once the shadows are applied, they don’t budge at all. I always apply eyeshadow over my reliable Urban Decay “Primer Potion” and using this method means that I haven’t experienced any fall out from the shadows whilst wearing them. There is always a little bit of clean up after application but honestly, I think that’s because I’m messy when it comes to applying eyeshadow anyway. I keep cotton buds and eye make up remover on hand to do a swift clean up every time I apply eye make up (mostly because I’m a bit dodgy when it comes to the auld liquid eyeliner).

As well as the blue shades, you can see that I also really enjoy playing with the purples in the “Carnival Palette”. “Chant”, “Wasted” and “Liquor” are all beautiful shades of purple that can be used to create a subtle or vibrant look, depending on your preference. And, I think that this palette really does come down to colour preference. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of pink or orange shadows but for me, the beauty of the blues, greens, purples and neutrals far outweighed the issue that I’d probably only use the pinks and orange colours once or twice. It’s as simple as this – if you’re into bright eyeshadow looks, you’ll love this palette.

The final thing to consider in this palette is the two highlighters that are included: “Saint” and “Sinner”. Similarly to the eyeshadows, they have a lovely buttery consistency and they’re easy to work with. “Sinner” is a beautiful golden shade that would work really well with tanned skin but obviously, I’m as pale as anyone could imagine so it’s not great on my complexion. I’ve been using it as an eyeshadow instead and it works great so I’m not disappointed by its inclusion in the palette. “Saint” works a lot better with my skin tone and of the two, this is the one I reach for to highlight my cheekbones and Cupid’s bow. It’s a lovely highlighter and I reach for it time and time again but I have to say, I don’t love it quite as much as the highlighter in BPerfect’s “LMD Palette” which is my absolute holy grail.

Overall, I’m very impressed with this palette. I’ve tried a few brightly coloured eyeshadow palettes in my time but the “Carnival” one is the only one I can say I’ve fallen head over heels in love with. I’ve added it to my main make up kit now and it’s whipped out every time someone mentions a night out. I think it’s well worth the €45 price tag, especially if you think you’ll get use out of all of the colours. You don’t have anything like this in your make up drawer so it definitely couldn’t be considered a waste of your hard earned cash.

The palette is available online and in pharmacies nationwide. What go you think? Are you considering a purchase? Or, if you’ve already purchased it, are you loving the “Carnival Palette” as much as me? Let us know in the comments.

Rouge x

IT Cosmetics “Your Skin But Better CC Cream” – Review.

When it comes to product launches, I’m usually really good at avoiding buying into the hype. It’s a lesson I’ve learned over the years, after splashing my hard earned cash on one too many celebrity endorsed beauty products that turned out to be of mediocre quality. So, when IT Cosmetics launched in Arnotts, I was iffy. However, I had simply heard too much about the cult favourite “CC Cream” to resist popping in store for a look. Sinead from The Beautiful Truth and Celine from Honestly Celine both recommend the formula just days before it launched, and I trust these ladies when it comes to all things beauty related.

I visited Arnotts on the day of the launch, with the intention of simply getting shade matched and adding the “CC Cream” to my ever growing wish list. That notion was thrown out the window because as soon as the product was applied to my skin during the shade match, I knew I was going to purchase it. The “CC Cream” felt weightless on my skin but seemed to provide a great level of coverage, so I was almost immediately won over.

The “CC Cream” was developed with plastic surgeons, according to the IT Cosmetics’ website and seems to be marketed as a sort of make up / skincare hybrid. The ingredients list include lots of skin nourishing additions including hyaluronic acid, collagen and vitamins so the aim is to take care of your skin, while creating the illusion of an even complexion. The formula also contains SPF 50, which is what really sold me. It’s much easier for me to use a foundation product with a high SPF than having to remember to use a separate SPF product in the morning. Yes, I am absolutely useless in the mornings.

I apply the “CC Cream” using the IT Cosmetics foundation brush which I received as a gift with purchase. It’s a gorgeous, soft and fluffy brush but I think that any fluffy foundation brush or a beauty blender would work perfectly for an even application. I use a pea sized amount of product and spread it over my face, focusing on areas of redness. The formula is easy to blend and applies with minimal effort but one tip I would give is not to use a mattifying primer before application because it doesn’t seem to work well with the consistency. I use the lightest shade, “Fair” and I think it’s perfect for my skin tone.

And there you have the results. I think that the product gives the skin a lovely glow and plenty of coverage, without looking heavy or caked. I’ve replaced my daily foundation with this product and I have to say, I think my natural skin is looking all the better for it. It certainly feels more moisturised than usual. However, I will be sticking with my usual night time foundations when I’m headed “out out” because the SPF in this product does cause a little “flash back” in photos.

Overall, I’m really impressed and will definitely be repurchasing. I think these photos speak for themselves – no filter, as always. The IT Cosmetics “Your Skin But Better CC Cream” is available here, from Arnotts and retails at €39.

So what do you think? Are you tempted to swap your regular foundation for one with added skincare benefits? Let us know over on the Instagram post..

Rouge x