I'm finding myself really getting into eyeshadow's lately, my usual daily go-to look is a glowy base, slick of eyeliner and lipstick and I'm ready to go, however this Autumn I've been reaching for browns and golds for my eyes and I've found the perfect colour in my first Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadow. Permanent Taupe £4.99 rrp is a gorgeous grey/brown in a matte finish that doesn't budge.

The glass pot housing the product gives it a more expensive feel than it's incredibly affordable price tag and there's enough space to get your finger in there rather than a brush for ease of use.

L Unblended
R Blended

As with most long-wear formulas you have to work fast as once the product has dried it's hard to blend and doesn't budge! I really like this product, the colour is chic and anything that lasts all day is a winner in my books! Have you tried any Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadow's and which are your favourites?

Benefit They're Real Push-Up Liner Review

Unless you've been living in an underground bunker for the last month you can't have missed the hype surrounding the launch of Benefit's new They're Real push-up gel liner. 

My signature look includes eyeliner in some form, be it just a simple slick above the lash line or my normal go-to cat-eye flicks. When I saw Benefit were bringing out the first ever gel eyeliner in pen form (with an innovative soft tip that hugs the lash line) I just knew it had to be mine. 

I do own a few gel eyeliners already, one of my favorites being Maybelline's Eye Studio Gel, the formula is great and the little brush aids a smooth application but it dries up fairly quickly. At only £7.99 it doesn't break the bank to chuck it away when it starts to dry up but I do hate to chuck something away that isn't finished! For a long lasting liquid eyeliner I do love Illamasqua Eye Liner cake and sealing gel, I've found nothing that beats the durability of this. If I'm going out or I'm somewhere hot and humid I'll always use this as it does not budge! Most days however when I'm in a rush I have to give it a miss as applying liquid liner with a small brush takes a little longer than I have the time or patience for when I'm getting ready for work! Queue Benefit's They're Real liner...

When I initially went to use the liner it took quite a few clicks to get the formula up to the tip...so on first use go carefully as you don't want a huge amount of product rushing to the top! The rubber tip is alot softer than I thought it would be and it guides the product along the lash line very smoothly. The formula is blackest black and after a whole day of wear I didn't experience and transfer or smudging (I'm not the type to be rubbing my eyes when I have my make-up on however). The only thing I can really fault Benefit's new eyeliner on is using it for a fine feline flick. It doesn't deliver the precise results I was expecting. I found it's ability to draw a bolder flick fine but if you're looking for something with more precision I'd say this isn't the one. 

The product itself wasn't any more of a pain to remove than most eye products so I wouldn't say purchasing They're Real Remover is a must, for me it would just be one extra product to use and a waste of £14.50.Would I repurchase? Maybe. It's handy having a gel eye liner in pen form and not having a dirty brush floating round your make-up bag but for £18.50 I'll have to see how many uses I can get out of it. Jodie xoxo

June Beauty Favourites

I think we'll all be in agreement when I say June absolutely flew by! June has been the best month so far this year weather-wise to get our pins out and start donning some beauty products more on the bright side. Along with some bright and beautiful purchases I have also discovered a couple of items to help maintain my make-up in this hot (and at times humid) weather. Here's my June beauty favourites...

Barry M Gelly Coconut £3.99 rrp

One nail shade that I just couldn't stop wearing in June was Barry M Gelly  in Coconut. Most of the month I have literally been removing when chipped (which is a good 5 days) and reapplying! Although I find you need 3 coats for a completely even finish it has not put me off wearing at all. Like all other Barry M Gelly polishes this one has a lovely gel effect finish and is incredibly durable. Coconut is the perfect creamy off-white, great on it's own or a fab base for nail art.

Urban Decay Setting Spray from £9 rrp 

Now the weather is warming up my oily skin is struggling on it's own to retain that freshly made-up look past lunch time. I have tried a couple of make-up setting sprays and so far Urban Decay's  All Nighter setting spray has come up trumps for aiding longevity of make-up. I apply 3-4 squirts over make-up first thing in the morning and it keeps my face in place well into the evening. At first I wasn't sure on this setting spray as I had been comparing it to MAC's Fix-it spray but the two give totally different effects to your make-up. Whilst MAC Fix-it will be my favourite for giving a dewy finish to foundation, Urban Decay's All Nighter is perfect for these summer months.

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner £12 rrp

My go-to daytime look will usually be a glowy base, bold lip and the classic cat-eye. The most durable eyeliner I have ever used has got to be Illamasqua's Eye Liner Cake & Sealing Gel however in this sunny weather I don't have time to spend 20 minutes applying eye liner with a brush, queue Eyeko's Skinny Liquid Liner. This liquid liner has the perfect sized and shaped tip for doing those classic cat-eye flicks. The formula is long-lasting and glossy and is perfect for a controlled quick flick of eye liner. I've been using my current one for a little over a month and it shows no sign of drying up or running out.

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick £15 rrp

One of my favourite lip product purchases last month was Urban Decay's Revolution Lipstick  in the shade Streak. The formula of these lipsticks is truly a treat for the lips. Streak is a gorgeous coral toned pink with an ever so slight hint of shimmer, this colour really warms up your complexion. Unlike most moisturising lipsticks the pigmentation is fantastic and it wears for a good 3-4 hours without the need of touch-ups.

Last but certainly not least in my favourite June beauty buys is Revlon's ColorBurst Matte Balm  in Showy. I adore Revlon's Balm range, I own pretty much all of the range and the matte finish ones have to be my favourite. Unlike most matte lip products these are totally non-drying on the lips and the colour lasts for hours. Showy is a bright fuchsia shade...totally perfect for a pop of colour on these sunny days.

Jodie

xoxo

April's Birchbox

Ok, so I'm sure most subscribers have already received their boxes and non-subscribers have definitely seen a million photos but here's what I received in my April Birchbox....

Yes To Cucumbers Facial Wipes

Not the most exciting thing to sample from a beauty box but definitely a refreshing, essential one! These rejuvenating wipes are packed with vitamins and yep, you guessed it...organic cucumbers! They claim to have an anti-inflammatory green tea extract in them that will improve the general health of skin and protect from free-radiacals. The sample size was a decent 10 wipes and price at only £4.99 for a full-size pack of 30 they are very purse-friendly.

Campos de Ibiza Almond Body Milk

A fast-absorbing formula with rosewater to calm sensitive skin and anti-oxidants offer long lasting hydration and protection from environmental aggressors- such as sun damage. This also was an ample sized sample, it was pleasant but body milk's aren't really my thing so I doubt I'll purchase the full size product (£16.55 for 200ml).

theBalm How 'Bout Them Apples

By far the favourite product in my box this month! When I started to see other subscribers boxes I was praying this would be in mine! I received a sample of the shade 'Pie' which is an easy to blend shade cream formula which can be used on either cheeks or lips. The full size version is priced at £26 which is a total bargain as it comes with six multi-tasking shades.

Color Club Gala's Gems Collection

Now I was a bit annoyed when I opened my box as prior to despatch Birchbox emailed me and said I could pick which shade of polish I would like in my box, I responded straight away and picked Breakfast At... which is the gorgeous green colour. I however received Heirloom Pearls which is the shimmery off-white...not really my colour! The bottles are quite cute and a decent 7ml size, the collection of 4 polishes is priced at £15.

Propercorn Sweet Coconut & Vanilla Popcorn

As a little extra sweet treat there was a bag of Propercorn coconut and vanilla popcorn, I really thought wouldn't be my thing but they are actually really tasty! Priced at 90p for a 20g bag they a purse and hips friendly!

Last but not least...Lord & Berry Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil

Now I don't usually reach for a kohl eyeliner as my general day-to-day make-up look includes a winged eyeliner so I use something a lot less smudge-proof but an eyeliner is always a welcome addition to my make-up arsenal. Luckily I received the shade black, which I think most did. This eyeliner smudges very easily so would be ideal for the odd occasion when I go for the smokey-eyed look.

All-in-all not a bad box at all this month, apart from the mix-up with the nail polish shade and my box taking what seemed like forever to be despatched...I'm happy.

Jodie

xoxo