I have lots to tell you about from this week, but in the interests of keeping my posts organised I wanted to dedicate a post to reviewing some things I’ve bought over the last couple of weeks. I really like reading review posts as you know what to expect then from ordering from a company, and it helps you make a decision on whether to spend your pennies there too!
I have heard a lot about elf cosmetics on various blogs, and I wanted to try out their products as they always seem to be such good value. If I’m honest, I’m still learning about which make up items, and which shades, suit me, so all though I’d love to have a make up collection stuffed with MAC and NARS products, I’m reluctant to splash out on the more high end items before I know what I like and what I don’t.
As you can see above, I ordered the duo eyeshadow in butter pecan (£1.50), studio makeup mist and set (£3.50), nourishing cuticle pen (£1.50), eyebrow lift and filler (£3.50), all over cover stick (£1.50), blushing bronzing and blending brush (£1.50), eye shadow brush (£1.50) and mango madness nail polish (£1.50). I paid £2.95 for delivery and it arrived two days after I made my order.
So far I have tried the brushes, eyeshadow, makeup mist and the cover stick.
Bronzing blending and blushing brush and eyeshadow brush
For £1.50 each I wasn’t expecting much from these but I actually found them pretty good. The eyeshadow brush in particular is a really good size and good for sweeping shadow over the eyelids. They also do studio brushes for £3.50 or £5.00 if you want better quality ones. I have my eye on the kabuki brushes next.
Eyeshadow and eyebrow lift and filler
The eyeshadow came in a compact with a lighter shade for the upper eyelid, and a darker shade for lining the lid. I really liked the effect of using these together, and the shadow seems to last quite well during the day (though it did crease quite quickly after I put it on, which I haven’t experienced before). I have never used any eyebrow products before but I LOVED the lift and filler. You line underneath your brows with the lift (cream) end of the pencil and then line them in with the filler end. As someone with quite light blonde eyebrows I really liked the effect it gave and it lasted well.
All over cover stick and make up mist
The all over cover stick I’d imagine would be more of a handbag item for touch ups rather than a regular part of your routine, but to be honest I really disliked it. Unlike other blemish sticks I’ve used it was very hard and I didn’t think the colour had enough pigment to cover anything. I probably wouldn’t use this again. The make up mist is the elf version of MAC’s fix. I found it refreshing and liked the scent and I think it definitely did improve how long my make up lasted throughout the day, though I wouldn’t call it a huge difference. I’ll definitely be packing it when I go on holiday though as I think it would be really refreshing on the beach.
All in all I’ve definitely been really impressed with elf – their service is great and their products are definitely good value. In particular I will definitely be buying more of their brushes, and I think I’ll try out their slightly more expensive studio range next time too.
I usually go into the Aldo shop in Southampton West Quay if I’m making a purchase there, but since I’ve moved out of the city centre I decided to give their website a try. They currently have an offer on that if you sign up to their newsletter you get 10% off your order, and they have some real bargains in their clearance section. I decided to treat myself to a pair of boots (£45 down from £120) and a pair of leather deck shoes/loafers (£50). —->
I never buy leather shoes and always pick up cheap flats in Primark so the thought of having some really nice quality shoes that would last really excited me!
Sadly when both of these turned up I was really disappointed. Both of the loafers had marks on them (one looked like a burn mark?) and just looked… really cheap. The plastic soles had a star pattern on them that made them look like kids’ shoes, and when I asked my other half how expensive they looked he said ‘maybe £20?’ Not the look I was going for. The leather boots also looked really plastick-y and though they say they’re leather they look really synthetic (funnily enough the US website says they’re synthetic, but the UK one says they’re leather?)
I think both pairs will be going back!
Can anyone point me in the direction of some nice quality loafers or deck shoes? I really want a pair that aren’t going to fall apart after five minutes!
