Haul & Swatches: NYX Order from Cherryculture.com

I placed an order on Cherryculture.com for some NYX sale items recently. I paid $41 (£25) in total, including postage which was around $14 (£8.50). It was worth the extra postage, though as everything worked out a lot cheaper than if I'd bought it from a UK stockist such as Cocktailcosmetics.co.uk. I've found the prices of NYX items in the UK have gone up by a lot as the companies selling them seem to have realised that they're pretty popular! I've done a price comparison for you in this post. 


Here's what I picked up!

Rouge Cream Blush in Glow & Orange

Glow

Orange

Cherryculture Price: $4.75 (£2.90) each

Cocktail Cosmetics Price: £7.95 each

Round Lipsticks in Rose & Peach Belini 

Cherryculture Price: $1.99 (£1.20) each

Cocktailcosmetics Price: £3.50 each

Round Lipgloss in Apricot, Cafe Latte & Peach

Cherryculture Price: $1.75 (£1.07) each

Cocktailcosmetics Price: £2.95 each

Mega Shine Lipgloss in Beige

Cherryculture Price: $3.75 (£2.28) 

Cocktailcosmetics Price: £4.95

Soft Matte Lip Cream in Amsterdam

Cherryculture Price: $4.50 (£2.75) 

Cocktailcosmetics Price: £4.95

The items were packaged very well and arrived within a week. Cherryculture also have a rewards system whereby you build up points which eventually become vouchers for money off. I'm quite a bit off getting a voucher but I still thought it was a nice touch! 

As you can probably see from the prices, buying from a UK site is definitely a lot more expensive. Here are the shipping prices and grand totals:

Cherryculture Shipping: $14 (£8.50) 

(this will vary depending on the size of your order and the delivery method you choose - I chose the cheapest)

Cocktailcosmetics Shipping: £3.25 for Royal Mail Recorded in the UK

(for Next Day delivery it's £6.45 and £7.50 for the rest of Europe)

Cherryculture Grand Total: £24.94

Cocktailcosmetics Grand Total: £44.90

I think if you're looking for some NYX products and you're not in the US, try ordering from Cherryculture.com. It's best to wait until you can do one big order or maybe order together with a friend to make the higher postage worth it. Also, watch out for their sales.

I hope this was useful!

Stace xx

Products I Regret Buying: Foundations & Concealers

I don't own most of these anymore as I've either swapped them away or given them to a friend so I don't have actual photos but here's a list of the foundations and concealers I regret buying! It's not that these are all awful products, they just didn't work for me.

Revlon ColorStay: I bought this for oily/combination skin and in the shade 330 Natural Tan. The shade ended up being too dark for me; damn those bright lights in Boots! I decided to give it a go anyway as it was only a couple of shades too dark and I wanted to see if I liked it, in which case I'd have purchased a lighter shade. However, I hated the way this applied - it looked horribly patchy even when I blended it furiously. It oxidized which didn't help the fact it was already too dark for me and it didn't really last particularly long on my slightly oily T-zone. I don't understand why so many people love this! I guess I should have known I wouldn't like it as I do prefer a light feeling foundation. To the graveyard of foundations it goes!

Bourjois Healthy Mix: This one breaks my heart. I've bought two of these now - one in 56 which ended up being too dark and one in 55. I used 56 a few times and found that I did get spots although I loved the foundation so much that I put it down to the fact I was trying out a new cleansing system and primer too. I bought 55 a few weeks ago and used it around 7/8 times. Everything was going great until...BOOM!...spots...everywhere! I rarely breakout anywhere other than my chin (hormonal, apparently!) but I had spots on my forehead, cheeks and even on my earlobe! It was nasty. I'm so annoyed because this time I know for sure it was the foundation. I really like it, my only regret is that my skin does not!

E.L.F. Studio Tinted Moisturiser: I bought this on a whim when I made an E.L.F. order almost weekly due to their free shipping and other offers (add them on Facebook here to make the most of these yourself!). I got it in Almond and tried it once on the back of my hand. It was the wrong colour although that didn't matter much because it seemed to just blend away into nothing. Now, I know tinted moisturisers are by nature extremely sheer but this was beyond that - it was non-existant. This isn't a huge regret as it was only £3.50 but I don't use it so it was still a waste of £3.50.

MAC Select: This was the first product I ever bought from MAC when I was about 16. I thought I was the coolest...we didn't have a MAC counter where I lived so I used to get it when I went to visit friends in Belfast. I used this religiously but looking back it was pretty awful! It used to oxidize lots on me and it would sink into my pores; making them really obvious. I would never buy this again. I stopped using it when I was 18.

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse: I'm pretty sure almost everyone has tried this foundation at some point! At the tender age of 14, this foundation (in a shade about 5 shades too light for me) was a staple of mine. It really has to be the most horrible thing I've ever put on my face. I'd slather it on in the mornings and again at the end of the school day (for the bus journey home!). It was so cakey and unflattering.

BeneFit Boi-ing: I used this along with my MAC Select foundation for during my last few years of school. I liked it because it did a great job of covering my blemishes and lasting all day but it was so cakey on me. Perhaps if I'd had a MAC 224 at the time, I could have blended it better but even so I think this concealer would only work if you have really oily skin.

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer: Aside from the issues with the packaging resulting in a lot of product being wasted (the pump gives out far too much) and the fact this product ruined every brush I tried to use it with, it wasn't worth the effort. I found this to be cakey too, not as much as Boi-ing, though. It oxidized on my skin so any areas I'd concealed looked even more obvious! It did last well on my skin but that's the only thing it had going for it with me.

So there you go! I hope this was useful. If you like any of these and have tips on how to use them, let me know!

Stace xx

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua - Please Be Amazing!

It's my birthday on Friday and I was planning on treating myself to something nice with money from my grandparents. As you will see in an upcoming post, I've been having trouble with foundations at the moment. I'd been thinking about trying Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua since Fleur De Force raved about it months ago when it first came out. I was wandering around Debenhams swatching things when I decided to just bite the bullet and buy it. 


The girl at the Chanel counter was lovely and tested both B30 and B40 on me. We decided that B40 was the best match at the moment and I thought it was a safer bet since I tan very quickly in the sun so didn't want to end up with something which would become too light too quickly. If I find that B40 is too dark in winter, I may go back and get B30. She also advised me that this foundation is best applied with fingers which I'm pleased about as I've gone back to using my fingers over a brush as I found with a brush I was using far too much product.

This was £31 in Debenhams but I had £10 worth of points on my Beauty Club card so I only paid £21. The full price was putting me off a bit so I was glad that I paid a bit less but if I love it, I won't mind buying it again at full price. 

The bottle looks really small but it does contain 30ml of product which is the standard size of most foundations. I guess it will be handy for when I travel (which isn't often!) and I like that it's plastic so my cat won't be able to smash it when he inevitably throws it off the bed (he likes 'helping' me with my make up in the mornings).

Wish me luck! If this one doesn't work for me I think I might scream!

Have you tried this foundation? What do you think of it?

Stace xx

Review & Swatches: Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner

I've recently rediscovered these gems! I have three of the shades: Black Ink, Ivy Shimmer Ink and Sepia Ink. 

L-R: Black Ink, Ivy Shimmer Ink, Sepia Ink

Black Ink

Ivy Shimmer Ink

Sepia Ink

L-R: Sepia Ink, Ivy Shimmer Ink, Black Ink

Product: Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner

Price: £15.50 at Bobbibrown.com or any Bobbi Brown stockists

Description: "This award-winning liner gives you the look of liquid liner with the ease & feel of a gel formula. Long-wearing, water-resistant colour glides on and let's you get it just right before it dries - then stays without a smear or crease."

What's Good About These?

Lots of things! I've had Black Ink for well over a year now and it's still as creamy as it was the day I bought it. I find them so easy to apply (especially using a bent eyeliner brush - my new favourite eyeliner brush!), even on my waterline. They dry down quickly and last forever. I don't get any smudging with these. I've tried a Clinique Brush On Cream Liner as I'd heard good things about those but I still prefer my Bobbi Brown gel liners because I find them easier to apply (the Clinique ones are almost too creamy) and that they last longer.

What's Disappointing?

They are pricey and if they're not stored correctly, they could dry up before you've finished using them. I always make sure the lid is on really tightly and that they're stored in a cool, dark place.

Overall Score & Comment: 10/10 - I honestly can't fault these as I find they do what they claim they will do. I especially like that they stay creamy for such a long time as I feel this makes them worth their price. I'd like to get my hands on a couple of other shades!

Have you tried any Bobbi Brown gel liners? Or do you have any recommendations for other good gel liners?

Stace xx

My NARS Wish List

I have a couple of NARS blushes in Luster and Taos. Taos is quite new so I've only used it once; I think it's more of a winter blush. Luster is an old favourite and I love it! Both are so soft, pigmented and blendable. 


I'd love to add some of these to my NARS collection...

Taj Mahal Blush (£20.50)

Amour Blush (£20.50)

Blush Bronzer Trio - Orgasm, Albatross, Laguna (£39)

Pure Matte Lipstick in Mascate (£18.50)

Satin Lipstick in Niagara (£17.50)

Sheer Glow Foundation in Barcelona (£29.50)

I might have to splurge on some of these items with my birthday money! 

Are you a fan of NARS? What's on your wishlist?

Stace xx

NOTD: China Glaze - Light As Air

China Glaze - Light As Air

(BarryM Base/Top Coat, Two Coats of Light As Air & Sally Hansen Mega Shine Top Coat)

This is just a 'mini' but it's a pretty decent size (9.5ml) so I've got a lot of use out of it! This and OPI Rumples Wiggin' are my two favourite lilac polishes. I find this one a little more difficult to apply but I think that's because it's a bit more gloopy. It means I only need two coats but they tend to be quite thick coats as it's difficult to get even coverage from a thin coat. Staying power with this polish is pretty good, too.

What do you think?

Stace xx

My MAC Paint Pot Collection

I've managed to get my hands on quite a few of these so I thought I'd share my opinions on them and some swatches.

L-R: Bare Study, Vintage Selection, Rubenesque, Indianwood, Coral Crepe, Groundwork, Constructivist

L-R: Coral Crepe, Groundwork, Constructivist

L-R: Bare Study, Vintage Selection, Rubenesque, Indianwood

Top Row L-R: Bare Study, Vintage Selection, 1/2 Rebenesque, 1/2 Indianwood

Bottom Row L-R: Coral Crepe, Groundwork, Constructivist

I also have a couple of samples...

L-R: Dangerous Cuvee, Let Me Pop

L-R: Dangerous Cuvee, Let Me Pop

Vintage Selection, Coral Crepe, Dangerous Cuvee and Let Me Pop were all limited edition. 

My most used paint pot is probably my unique looking 1/2 Rubenesque and 1/2 Indianwood. I swapped for this as I know I'll probably never get through a full paint pot.

Bare Study and Vintage Selection look lovely on their own and I usually throw one of these two on if I'm in a rush.

Coral Crepe looks lovely under shadows from the Sleek Paraguaya palette.

I don't find myself reaching so much for Groundwork and Constructivist as much.

I find that these don't crease on me very much and they don't crease at all when layered over a primer such as Too Faced Shadow Insurance. I did try Painterly but it was very pale on my lids and wasn't enough as a primer on its own.

Overall, I do love my paint pots; they're my favourite cream shadows and I'm really excited for the upcoming MAC Posh Paradise Collection in September!

Do you like paint pots too? Which shade is your favourite?

Stace xx

NOTD: Essence - Date With The Night

Essence - Date With The Night

(BarryM Base/Top Coat, Two Coats of Date With The Night, Sally Hansen Mega Shine Top Coat)

I received this as an extra in a swap and initially I didn't think I'd like it as I tend to stick to creme finishes but I gave this a go and I actually quite like it! It looks different in different lights; sometimes more gold, sometimes more silver. The application of this was lovely too - it was pretty much opaque in one coat and even though the lid is quite small, I didn't struggle with it like I do sometimes with other smaller polish lids. I like that these are quite little bottles as I have tonnes of nail polish so I always feel bad when I buy a new OPI because it looks so massive and I know I'll probably never use it up.

Have you tried Essence polishes? Do you like them?

Stace xx