Ever since I worked for Mac I've been stuck in my ways and kept using their mascaras. They worked really well for me and I didn't think of using anything else. Only recently I started to venture out to a quite uncharted territory of using other brands. I've been loving Chanel's Inimitable Mascara... But I wanted to see what's available on more of a budget price. There's a lot of buzz around Rimmel at the moment so I picked 3 of their mascara (including two new releases) to compare their performance.
First things first: Scandaleyes Extreme
What they promise on the website: "The dual action brush captures lashes bringing them to their max. Curved side: Volumises and loads up lashes for xx-treme look. Flat side: Defines and lengthens lashes from root to tip. No clumps."
Packaging: bright pink chunky plastic tube, not the greatest looking thing.
Wand: this one has the most interesting looking wand out of the three. One side is straight for lengthening and the other is curved for volume.
The colour: intense black.
How it performed: I quite liked how this lengthened my lashes and did not go clumpy though I've found the wand slightly on the large size for my small eyes. The colour kept its intensity during the day. It's good but it's not great, it took me quite a few coats and careful navigating of the wand to get the desired effect. I've had ones that are quicker so I'm not sure I would get it again.
Price: £6.99, very reasonable.
Volume Shake
What they promise on the website: "Rimmel London Volume Shake Mascara features a first-to-market patented shaker system that refreshes the volumising formula whenever it’s needed. The volume defining brush gives you a beautiful fan of lashes with maximum separation from corner to corner.
-Breakthrough shaker technology
-Beautiful clump-free volume
-Stays fresh from first to last use"
Packaging: a bit heavier and chunkier than your average mascara because of this new 'shaker' technology, the colours are green and gold which doesn't really do much for me.
The wand: it looks like a typical volumizing wand, nice and thick, doesn't take out too much product from the tube. This one again is slightly on the large side for my tiny eyes.
The colour: intense black.
How it performed: I really wanted to love this one because I like the idea of a mascara that stays fresh for longer, but I've found the formula a tad bit too wet and despite normally being precise with application this was hard to navigate and it went on my upper lids as soon as I blinked. It puts on way too much product on the lashes, to me, it was hard to control. Ideally, I wouldn't want to wait that long for the product to dry either. I also felt that soon after application this formula weighed my lashes down and ended up not getting much of a result at all. The intensity of the colour was fading too during the day. After a few days of trying I felt I had to correct it with another mascara to get the desired effect. What a shame.
Price:£8.99 very reasonable.
Last but not least my favourite out of the bunch Volume Colourist.
Having struggled with very fair lashes forever I've found the idea of a lash tinting mascara intriguing, so there was no question I went for it.
What they promise on the website: "Reveal darker lashes with and without mascara!
• Darkens bare lashes in two weeks*
• In an instant, lashes appear fuller and longer.
• Tapered, lash-intensifying brush wraps every lash with blacker than black pigments"
Packaging: nice, thin, sleeker than the others, good colour combination too.
The wand: this is longer than the rest but still has the density of a volumizing formula. It is still a bit on the large size but this time I don't mind because I am way too intrigued by the tinting effect.
How it performed: I had to put fewer coats of this to get quite an intense effect, it lengthens and volumizes quite well. After using it for a week I am happy to see that my lashes started to darken a little and I experienced no irritation whatsoever. This one is a definite keeper and I will update you about the results.
Price:£7.99, very reasonable.
I hope you enjoyed this mini comparison post, I definitely did enjoy trying on these mascaras. Even if some are not for me it doesn't mean they are bad, they might work for other eye shapes and lash types. I am excited to do similar comparison post with other brands too.
I've never really been a lipstick wearer, up until a few years ago when I got comfortable and confident enough with them. I usually stuck to my tinted lip balms, maybe subtle glosses safe in my comfort zone. Since then I've become a bit of a hoarder and revel in the fantastic ranges, colours and formulas coming out, highstreet, high-end alike. I am not ready to pick all-time favourites just yet, but I can certainly say wich shades I pick up most these days. Here is my top 5:
5. Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour - Incandescente #97
Okay, I have to admit, Lisa Eldridge made me buy this. She used this lipstick for one of my favourite red carpet looks on Keria Knightley and I fell in love with it.
Chanel has an undisputed dominance when it comes to quality, class and style in makeup, their lipsticks have always been one of the best on the market. Incandescente is a highly pigmented tomato red with beautiful soft texture, subtle glossy finish and good staying power without drying the lips. The colour provides an effortless class to any look and on top of that the packaging, of course, is luxurious.
Incandesente is high end through and through without a doubt. High end obviously comes at a price, it is £26.00 a pop, but it is a good investment if you are a makeup lover and willing to buy into the class that brand Chanel provides.
It is available here.
4. Rimmel The Only Matte Rouge - Salute
Being one of the highstreet's best, Rimmel has come out with impressive new material lately. I loved their anniversary rose gold collection and the contouring palette that is already a staple of my everyday makeup. Recently they've launched a matte range that stole my heart completely... well, maybe apart from the packaging that feels a bit too loud and on the cheap side.
The rich, creamy, matte formula though IS worth a try. It is non-drying, easy to wear and comes in a good variety of colours. Salute has got to be my favourite of the range, a soft blue-pink that is great for a toned down, natural look. For £6.99 a pop? It's a steal!
It is available here.
3. Mac Liptensity Lipstick - Smoked Almond
When it comes to nude colours it is sometimes hard to find a sophisticated one that matches your skin tone. Mac has such an array of shades you will eventually find one that you love, no matter what skin tone you are. Their Liptensity range is their most recent innovation in texture and it has proved to be a big hit with the public.
The dense creamy formula feels comfortable on the lips, the colour payoff is incredible and it provides a long wear. Smoked Almond is my chosen favourite at the moment. I normally wouldn't go for rose-brown nudes, but this one is somehow perfect.
It is available here for £17.50.
2. Tom Ford #7 Pink Dusk
Pre-Charlotte Tilbury, there was Tom Ford (actually Tilbury was the creative driving force behind the Tom Ford makeup range). I've been a big fan of their lipsticks for years, not just because I'm a sucker for elegant packaging, but I find the quality exceptional too. They, are soft, creamy, delicious, glide on the lips like a dream and the shades are exquisite.
Spanish Pink is what I tend to wear the most, it is ideal for everyday wear, but complements a stronger party look too. It is sophisticated, not too flashy, easy and comfortable to wear. There's only one downside for me and it's the price: £39.00. Ouch indeed!
It is available here.
And now for the No. 1 on the list:
1. Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips - Miranda May
There are only a few brands in the world that have become iconic as quickly as Charlotte Tilbury. This is hardly a surpise though. Her products ooze elegance, style with a whiff of Old Hollywood glamour not to talk about the incredible quality and very clever, fun social media campaigns that they do. There is real expertise, love and passion behind every single product they do. All the lipsticks within the brand are beautiful and delicious looking especially the most recent Hot Lips range, the colours of which were inspired by celebrity women Charlotte makes up on a daily basis. They are all gorgeous, sophisticated shades, it is hard to pick a favourite. If you twisted my arm though I would choose Miranda May.
Miranda May (inspired by the one and only Miranda Kerr) is a dreamy, highly pigmented pinky coral shade. It has the Matte Revolution formula, but I would call it more a satin finish. The super-creamy texture makes it really comfortable and wearing it you feel just a bit more special. The Charlotte Tilbury magic IS a thing!
Just take the statement on the packaging "A cashmere cream texture with a soft-matte finish, enriched with papaya and orchid." - it exactly feels like that! It makes me smile, but no one can describe a product in such a mouthwatering way as Charlotte Tilbury does. Cashmere cream? Yes, please! Soft, matte? Sounds good to me! Papaya and orchid? I'm on board already! Take my money! Am I too easily persuaded? Maybe, but I dare say Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks are the Rolls Roys of lipsticks - they are top of the class and pure perfection! Top marks on the price too, it's £23. What is this compared to the Tom Ford ones, right? Okay, it's not cheap, but worth every single penny!
It is available here.
What is your top five?
Okay, this is a tough one. There were so many candidates for this list I could barely make myself decide which ones to go for. Highlighting has got to be one of my favourite steps when doing make-up because I feel it brings light to the face, and adds a polished finish to the skin. The best thing is, with so many amazing formulations on the market these days that you can easily opt out from looking like a disco ball if you wish and go for a really natural glow with no sparkle whatsoever. I usually gravitate towards the liquid and cream formulations with hardly any sparkle - they do tend to look more natural on the skin but I occasionally reach for the powders too.
Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate
The Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate palette is a long time favourite of mine though it is not mentioned too often these days since Charlotte Tilbury, Becca and Hourglass have taken over most of the social media recently. It does still deserve a place in my top 5.
The lightweight cream gives a very sheer, soft glow and it is easy to blend it into a subtle, chic highlight without shimmer or sparkle. Dab it along the cheekbones with fingers or use a buffing brush to apply, make sure you blend the edges really well. Bonus feature: as I mentioned in my Top 5 Bronzers post, I'm a sucker for nice packaging and this one is luxurious through and through so is the price, unfortunately.
Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate is available for £56.00 here.
Mac Cream Colour Base
Why don't people talk about the Cream Colour Base more? It is the highlighting product that I've used the longest and to this day I always have more than one colour on the go both in my pro and private make-up kit. It is basically a multitasking product and with a bit of creativity, you can use it many ways. CCB can be an eyeshadow, an eye base, a brow or cheek highlighter, blusher or even bronzer. The concentrated solid cream melts with the warmth of your hands so it is easy to blend and buff it over the required area. There are 18 shades available on the Mac website from white to the brightest of magenta and red. The ones I tend to use most is Pearl(champaign colour), Luna(white) and Hush (salmon colour).
CCB is very affordable and lasts a long time.
Mac Cream Colour Base is available for £17.00 here.
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector
I cannot rave about this enough! The Shimmering Skin Perfector has been around for years but really only took off when the whole blogging/Youtube-ing world exploded. Now it exists in liquid, cream and powder form but I still prefer the classic liquid in a pump bottle just because it is more hygienic in a makeup kit. It comes in 5 shades, but the one I use the most is Pearl.
As you buff this into the skin you get the sheerest, most natural looking and juiciest highlight of them all. The effect is very refined and polished. It also has a prismatic effect, that allows the product to adjust to lighting so your highlight is nice and visible all the time so it photographs beautifully too. For £34.00 you get 30ml which is a huge amount.
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector is available here.
Rimmel Sculpting palette
This is one of my recent discoveries, it also features on my Top 5 Bronzers list. It is a very handy little compact, excellent on the go. The golden toned highlighting powder has a very light texture, sheer coverage and it works really well with the other colours in the palette.
This is a quick and easy option, you can even use only one brush to apply all the colours starting with the lightest. Bonus feature: the price. This is an excellent option for the ones on a budget.
Rimmel Sculping palette available for £6.99 here
Ben Nye Lumiere Lux powder
This is a really fun product and had this sitting at the bottom of my pro kit for a long time. This super fine powder filled with sparkle diffused over the cheeks with a fan brush you can achieve an extreme high shine effect.
I would probably use this for editorial or fun fantasy looks (Halloween, anyone?)rather than a daytime look for the office. It shows up in photographs beautifully, so why not using it for your next Instagram make-up selfie too? The loose powder can be mixed into sealers to make it more durable or use makeup mixer to turn it into an eye gloss. This product is pure fun and for £15.99 (8g), it's an absolute steal.
Ben Nye Lumiere Lux Powder is available here.
Now that summer has drawn to a close I offer you a whiff of nostalgia with looking back on my favourite bronzers I used this summer. I use bronzers on clients often, nearly every time, but I've never really been a bronzer user myself. This year they started to grow on me and now I really have fun using them. Some of these are new favourites, some of them have been firm staples of my kit for years. So here they are in no particular order.
1. Soleil Tan De Chanel, formerly known as Bronze Universel
This is a real classic, years ago it was all over on beauty blogs. I've found this sitting in my personal makeup kit and I thought this is the time to re-discover it. I'm glad I've done it because it is such a beautiful product - it's creamy, soft, easy to blend, has a gentle sheen to it. Buffing this cream into the skin is a perfect way to warm up the skin tone. Not just that, but it's also incredibly economical, it is a huge amount, and it lasts for ages. The only thing you have to watch, and this is for the lighter skin toned girls out there, it is a bit on the yellow side, so make sure you put on a little bit at a time and blend it really thoroughly. This is a luxury product so you would have to part with quite a bit of cash to get this, but it is all worth it.
Soleil Tan De Chanel is Available here
2. Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate (Intensity one)
Technically this is a sculpting/highlighting duo, not a bronzer, but I like to use this to warm up my skin tone. It is a soft cream, similar to Soleil Tan De Chanel, but it is a lot less yellow. It is sheer, blends into the skin like a dream, and has a subtle glowy finish, so it's great if your skin is on the dry side. This is my second luxury buy on this list, it can do serious damage in your budget, but then...you get the quality...and look at the packaging...it is so beautiful and chic! How can you resist this?
Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate is available here
3. Becca Multi-Tasking Perfecting Powder (Tan)
I am absolutely in love with Becca and I am so glad to see the success they've achieved over the years. Their highlighters are on every beauty blogger's lips, and quite rightly so. The Shimmering Skin Perfector has been a staple of my kit for years and everything else they do is just perfection to me. The Multi-Tasking Perfecting Powder is, again, not technically a bronzer as such,it is a water resistant mineral foundation, but the less yellow colour and matte finish makes it a perfect everyday bronzer for lighter skin tones. The powder is light and easy to blend. I really appreciate the small, compact packaging with the mirror, which makes it an excellent travel companion and is great for touch-ups on the go.
Becca Multi-Tasking Perfecting powder is available here.
4. Mac Mineralize Skin Finish (Medium Dark)
This is another classic and my third choice that is not actually a bronzer. This setting powder has an amazingly light texture and a satin finish. When I want to achieve a real seamless, natural, warm effect, this is my go to compact. It is available in quite a few shades, so I'm sure there is a one out there for you too. Please note, that the one I own above is an old compact, they have changed the packaging since the last time I bought this.
Mac Mineralize Skinfinish is available here.
5. Rimmel Sculpting Palette (Coral Glow)
Last but not least, my most recent favourite from Rimmel. The make-up snob in me was I bit surprised how good this was (rude, I know, sorry), but I'm so glad I discovered this. This face palette will definitely be a re-purchase. The colour of the bronze/sculpt shade is perfect for light skin tones, not too yellow, it has a bit of a sheen to it but nothing too over the top. It works for during the day but building it up gives you a really nice glow for a night out too. Top marks from me for this little gem! The handy compact of three colours is perfect for touch ups on the go or on holidays. And for this price? It's a steal!
Rimmel Sculpting Palette is available here.
