Review: Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid in Electric Pink 15

The bright, almost neon, shade of this Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid lip product caught my eye whilst I was browsing and waiting for my sister. Now I really don't need any more pink lipsticks however I was intrigued and was hopeful this would be a similar texture and have a similar staying power as my beloved Giorgio Armani lip maestro but in a really vibrant colour and at a bargain £6.99.  

I love the square tube with black lid and the thin applicator that allows you to get right into the corners. The 'liquid' goes on beautifully smooth and is easy to blend and layer on. 

The colour Electric Pink 15 is not quite so neon on my lips as when swatched on my inner wrist but is definitely a vivid, fabulous pink. 

However! This is definitely not matte! It is glossy with a lovely sheen and is more of a lip gloss. 

I applied it as I do every lipstick: I line my lips with MAC subculture pencil, apply a first layer, blot off.  Apply a second layer, smooth lips together. It didn't dry at all (even with me wafting it with some paper!) and remained 'slippery', moving off the edges of my lips and sticking to my teeth. I wouldn't trust this to stay put for ten minutes!  See pics below...

Not confident that I could go out to dinner with slipping gloss on my lips (I'm not a gloss fan anyway), I blotted again, which took the majority of product off and left me with a rather blotchy matte pink, definitely not as vivid. More like a lip stain. See pics below... 

Verdict: if you like the look/feel of shiny lip gloss but are looking for a bright opaque pink then this is for you! And if you are not eating, drinking, talking or doing much with your lips then this will probably stay put and look amazing for ages! 

But for me I sadly wiped it off before I went out- I know from experience that gloss that doesn't dry moves around in mere minutes on my lips and I'd be eating with it all over my face/teeth/napkin/fork etc (which is never a good look!) and I'd constantly be checking it in the mirror and worrying it looks terrible (zero fun!). I might try to wear this again but not long wear and not for drinking/eating/talking! Maybe at cinema?! 

Highly pigmented pink colour is spectacular, packaging is perfect, product description is misleading. 

Smashbox hits and misses

Recently I went *crazy* at the Smashbox counter in Boots and have had a chance to try out all the products I invested in... 

Some I LOVE and a few I wasn't so keen on so here's my assessment / mini reviews: 

Hits (will buy again, will recommend): 

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Water SPF 30 foundation - this is super lightweight and gives amazing sheer coverage. Easy to apply using a damp Real Techniques miracle complexion sponge or a brush and lasts all day. It covered my dry patches and my spots beautifully and didn't go cakey or wear off. It has a small pipette to drop product onto the back of your hand / straight onto your sponge or brush which is very handy for getting just the right amount. Thumbs up. 

Smashbox LA Lights blush & highlight palette in Pacific coast pink - I love this! The two matte pinky blush colours look gorgeous and can be built up for a strong look or just a small flush of colour. My favourite is the paler shade in the middle. The highlighter is a perfect complement and has a subtle golden shimmer which is perfect on cheekbones. Love. 

Smashbox photo matte eyes palette with shadow, liner and brow powder - This is such a little compact palette and I adore it. Probably my favourite buy of the haul. All the colours are matte and work beautifully together. Easily blendable the texture is powder but seems quite creamy.  I have used these as eyeshadow and eye liner and not as yet in my eyebrows but am super happy with the staying power and the subtle, everyday shades. 

Smashbox 24 hour photo finish eye shadow primer - OMG I love this stuff! A teeny blob goes a long way and is easy to pat onto the eyelids and blend out. Shadow sits incredibly well on top and does not crease or budge all day. Absolute winner! 

Smashbox be legendary lipstick in coffee run - I adore lipsticks from this brand and this chocolate brown is no different. It glides on, stays put, doesn't fall into cracks or wear off in patches. A dream! This shade is tricky to pull off but with pinky cheeks and golden eyes it looks great. It has a glossy finish and barely any scent (hurrah!). The sturdy packaging is perfect for nights out when it's rattling around in a handbag. 

Smashbox photo finish primer water - I have only used this after make up application to set my look and as a refresher, it makes skin look healthy and hydrated and gives a dewy finish over foundation and powder. 

So-so (might purchase again, will definitely use until finished): 

Smashbox photo finish foundation primer - I was buzzed about using this product as have read so many positive reviews about it but for me it made my foundation slide straight into lines around my lips and lines in my forehead. On my cheeks and smooth areas my foundation did look flawless and smooth but a primer for me should keep foundation in place and should hide flaws like wrinkles and lines rather than highlight them. Will keep experimenting though as perhaps I used too much setting spray or not enough or maybe it works better when foundation applied with a brush rather than a sponge etc. 

Smashbox halo hydrating perfecting powder - I like this powder, it's light and a fine dusting is all I need to take down shine and set foundation. Is it hydrating? Not sure... Does it perfect my skin more than any other loose powder? Not really. It does work great with the BB water foundation so I'll definitely keep using it until the end. Also way too much powder comes out when you 'shave' it so just be careful to only move the dial a teeny amount each time or tap off excess as otherwise be easy to over powder.

Smashbox photo finish hydrating under eye primer - I was expecting big things from this as I was the primer but it is just ok. It definitely brightens my undereye area but it doesn't stop concealer gathering in fine lines. And that for me is why I would use a specific under eye primer. My concealer definitely stayed in place but almost immediately creased into lines and I have to pat it out all day / reapply. 

Misses (definitely won't buy again and unlikely to use again): 

Smashbox X-rated mascara volumateur - this was a sample size so possibly the full size is better however I really disliked the brush. It has three lines of bristles (so looks like a triangle) and I couldn't angle it to coat my lashes without touching black dots all over my eyelid or undereye. Urgh. And then when finally on it didn't seem to lengthen or thicken or volumise my lashes and wasn't the blackest of blacks. Disappointing. 

Smashbox always sharp clear lip liner - this does a mediocre job at stopping lipstick bleeding into fine lines but as it is invisible when applied it is near impossible to get a precise line around the lips. Plus the sharpener doesn't quite work to produce a fine point, more a blunted end which I have to 'sharpen' a couple of times during each application as the waxy product seems to wear down v quick and occasionally break up and form tiny balls which I have to pick off otherwise would get caught in the lipstick as lumps. Will stick to my MAC subculture lip pencil. 

In general I love the Smashbox brand and I will always recommend it to others and be loyal to a few of its products :-) 

Bleach London awkward peach hair dye review

Who couldn't love a hair dye called awkward peach!! 

My hair is in a short bob and has blonde highlights. Currently the roots are about an inch long and I'm seeing the hairdresser next week for a cut and colour SO I thought I'd have a bit of fun and dye my hair a crazy colour for a few days.

The Bleach London Awkward Peach non permanent hair colour cream caught my eye in Boots so I purchased this plus the Violet Skies non permanent hair colour cream and the Washing Out Liquid colour reducing shampoo. 

It is super easy to apply but it doesn't come with gloves so you'll need to find your own (thankfully my Dad has plastic gloves for his job so I nicked some of those!). Wash your hair normally with shampoo and then towel dry. I then split my hair into four sections and applied the dye.

I used the whole bottle on my hair because it is super thick and I wanted a bright colour but you'll know when your hair feels saturated with product. It says to leave it on for 15mins but it was on my hair nearer 30minutes.

When first applied it looks very pink and my gloves went a bright neon pink. But that colour soon turns to a peachy orange. 

I washed it off with warm water until the water ran clear and then styled it in the usual way. 

The colour is a pale peach and some of my lighter blonde highlights have picked up more colour so it's slightly more orange in places. The roots didn't pick up much colour but tbh I love the look with the darker roots fading into the peach. We will see how it washes out... 

Am feeling peachy :-) 

Before... 

During... 

After... Wet

Dry 

**UPDATE**

After one wash most of the colour is out :-( I did think it would last a bit longer. There is still a faint peachy tone and I still like the colour... 

Facial oil for dehydrated skin: Trilogy Rosehip oil

This stuff is like a long drink of water for dry, sensitive skin! 

I have odd skin, spotty but not oily. Extremely dry only in two patches either side of my chin and I'm always told my forehead is slightly dehydrated. Occasionally my face is so sensitive that my normal face products sting on application and every now and then I get eczema around my lips - aargh! Combination skin at its finest!  

Recently I've been conscious of using more natural products and started using olive oil and coconut oil more in my skincare routine and not just in my dinner (!).  The Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil was highly recommended on many reviews and contains 80% essential fatty acid (omega 3 and 6) and fatty acid (omega 9).  

The label says it is for nourishment, repair and hydration and I completely agree that it does all three for my skin. 

It comes with a pipette squeezer as a few drops go a long way. Cleanse and tone face and then before (or instead of) moisturiser massage a few drops into your skin. It is non greasy and so so gentle on the skin. This stuff saved me when I was travelling around Asia and outside for hours everyday sightseeing. It calmed sunburn, windburn, air con, long haul flights, raw nostril skin from colds/hayfever etc.  I also had a slight mishap with a Korea face mask that I purchased in Seoul which totally fried my face. As soon as I'd put it on it started burning and I washed it off immediately but the damage was done. My face was red and swollen and this Trilogy Rosehip oil was AMAZING at soothing my angry skin. 

Other than in skin emergencies, I use it every couple of days at night before a night cream and the next morning my skin wakes up looking refreshed and hydrated. 

It's a dark yellow colour that looks a bit like sunflower oil and surprisingly it does not smell like roses! It has a faint smell of musty oil (if that makes sense) but barely noticeable.   

It doesn't cause spots for me and is my go to for when my skin is feeling highly sensitised.  Apparently it is also good to use on young scars to help fade the redness. 

I love it!