Weekend Wants!

Why is it that when there are lots of new collections on the way, I have no money?!

I've been reading a lot of US beauty blogs recently and there are several items that are on the horizon and have caught my eye.  I hope they are on their way over here, otherwise I will be resorting to eBay!

Benefit Snow White & The Huntsman Kit

Although you can buy each of these products separately and they are not limited edition, I am in love with this kit!  Containing the POREfessional, BAD Gal Lash Mascara, Benetint and High Beam, and accompanied by a gorgeous large makeup bag which is far more chic than the usual make up bag offerings, this looks like a great way to try out some of Benefits most lauded products.  I haven't managed to try out any of these products previously and I am very tempted.  I hope it becomes available in the UK soon.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

Pic borrowed from Musings of a Muse

I am so excited to try these out!  I love the Clinique Chubby Sticks and these look very similar.  I hope they aren't too drying though as I find the Clinique ones so comfortable to wear and a cheaper dupe would be amazing. I love the look of the coral / orange one, Rendezvous.

Chanel Polish in Delight

Delight (centre)

I adore this bronze, shimmering polish.  Its certainly on my 'to-buy list' when it is available over here.  I can see myself wearing it constantly over the Summer, and it will look stunning with a tan!

 

What do you have your eye on at the moment?  

China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy

As part of my mini haul of China Glaze products from US eBay, I picked up Flip Flop Fantasy, initially released as part of the Poolside Collection in 2010.  

Neon accents are very on trend at the moment and although I have yet to embrace the trend fully in my clothing, I can totally get on board with neon nails!

The colour in the bottle is seeringly bright and I am happy to announce that it remains suitably dazling when swatched and used on the nails.

The finish is semi-matte, as is common with many neons andI tend to use a top coat with it as I prefer the shiny, glossy look.   I did however find that it applied very streakily to the nails and it required three coats before it started to even out.  It was also quite liquid and difficult to control on the nail, although I have found this is common with other China Glaze polishes.

With Flash

In terms of wear time, it was only a couple of days before it began to chip, and when it chipped it flaked off in large chunks - there was no trying to cover it up with crackle polish like I normally do when I encounter short wear times!

Without Flash

Verdict

The colour is gorgous, both in the bottle and on the nail.  However the issues with application and the short wear time meant it was just too much hard work for me.  I will be saving it for specific nights out and for when I am craving statement nails! 

2/5

Price - £6.59

Where to buy - Sally's, US eBay

Carmex Moisture Plus in Sheer Berry

While we are waiting for the warm weather to reappear and for it FINALLY to stop raining (!), I’ve been looking for lip products which will care for my lips whilst giving a hint of colour and I've recently gone back to and old favourite.

Last year, I fell in love with the easy-to-wear formulation of the Carmex Moisture Plus Sheer Lip Shines, as they provided the perfect mix of a hint of colour combined with an excellent moisture-quenching formula. They were a staple of my holiday makeup last year, being easy to just slick on and go, so when I discovered a couple of additional shades were available in the US, I was determined to make them mine!

Sheer Berry is exactly as it sounds, a sheer, moisturising colour with a hint of red.  Like the other Lip Shines available in the UK which I reviewed here, this doesn’t impart an awful lot of colour on the lips, so if you are after an opaque look, this would not be for you.  What it is useful for is providing a hint of colour, making for a more informal look, perfect for lazy days or casual weekends.  

The swatch looks very shiny, and on the lips, it maintains the same glossy formula.  Due to this formula, it doesn’t stick around for long – one and a half hours tops – meaning you do need to reapply often.  For me, this isn’t a big issue though, as it is so easy to apply by just whipping out the tube and slicking it on. 

Not sure why my watermark came out so large here!

I have to mention a couple of things about packaging and availability of this product in the UK.  I contacted Carmex when I found out  these shades had been released, and enquired as to when they would be launched in the UK.  They responded by saying that they currently had no plans to release them in Europe (although I’m sure I have seen them on some Irish blogs).   A search on eBay should be able to locate them, and even with postage, they are still very reasonably priced.

Verdict

As the Moisture Plus range contained some of my staple products last year, I was always going to love this new shade and it didn’t disappoint.  Although there are so many balm / lipstick hybrids being launched at the moment, this is the only one I have tried to date which genuinely has moisturising properties and also includes a SPF.  I feel this product would suit those who are shy about wearing brighter lip colours and want to dip their toe (or lips!) in the water.  It would also suit those who tend to have a signature style of bright or red lips, but who want to try something lighter and fresher for Summer.  I would certainly recommend this product, or indeed any of the other Moisture Plus Sheer Lip Shines, and I would urge you to put this on your shopping list if you are heading over to the US this Summer. 

5/5

Price – around £4-6 with shipping from US

Where to Buy – US eBay 

I am also having a giveaway shortly at 100 followers, where you will have the  chance to win one of these, as I picked up an extra one with my eBay order!

A Guide to Buying Beauty Products on eBay

Now before I start, I want to say that you purchase products from eBay at your own risk and that if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. That Mac blush you are getting for half price brand new many not be authentic....

 

But how do you make the most of eBay when purchasing beauty products? Well, I primarily use it for purchasing products that are not available  in the UK or are much cheaper in other countries.  

 

Nail products are the obvious hot purchases with brands such as OPI and China Glaze less than half the UK retail price on US eBay, and they are still a very good deal even when postage is factored in. Two sellers I have has particularly good service from are beautyzone2007 and enchantedbeautyspot who, between then, sell all the major US polish brands. Delivery usually takes just over a week.

 

In addition to nail polish, I've also bought some products that are not available at all in the UK, such as two versions of the Carmex Moisture Plus Sheer Lip Tints in Berry and Plum. I adore the peach and pink ones we have here in the UK, but after contacting Carmex and discovering they currently have no plans to sell the Berry and Plum ones here, I knew I had to track them down, and eBay was my friend!

 

Other useful sellers are French Pharmacy UK - for difficult to find French pharmacy skincare and the Liz Earle Factory Outlet store, which has Liz Earle products cheaper than retail - just be aware that the packaging may be damaged or printed incorrectly.

 

I have occasionally bought high-end cosmetics from eBay and you can find some good deals if you check carefully. Make sure the seller isn't selling hundreds of the same eyeshadow and check they are using their own photos not stock photos.  

I've managed to find US exclusives and limited edition products that have been out of stock everywhere, but you do have to be careful.  Go with your gut instinct.  These kinds of products are usually available for retail price, so you don't tend to  find many bargains, but you may be able to track down difficult to source items.  I know some people sometimes also manage to uncover new testers of lipsticks such as Guerlain's Rouge Gs for sale.  These are obviously cheaper than the ones you find on counters but they are without the gorgeous heavy packaging, which I know I personally couldn't do without!

I hope this has gone some way to giving you a few pointers for purchasing beauty products on eBay.  

Have you ever got a great deal on beauty products on eBay?

Can you recommend any good sellers?

  

Review: China Glaze Hunger Games - Riveting and Agro

I read The Hunger Games trilogy a couple of years ago, and was engrossed in them from the outset. In keeping with the current trend for theming nail polish colours and sets around films, China Glaze have released a collection loosely based around the movie.

I picked two polishes from the range: Riveting a bright shimmering red orange, and Agro, an olive green / gold hybrid with an almost frosty finish.

 

Riveting is unusual for a Summer collection release- it is a colour I would more traditionally associate with Halloween!

The polish on the nail looks almost identical to the colour in the bottle and the shimmer is very evident. It is almost a golden shimmer, and I found this to make it unique in my polish collection. Application was three coats although you could easily manage with two. I did find that the formula was very liquid and runny though, and rather difficult to control. It was easy to load the brush with too much product and this made for a tricky application for someone as clumsy as me! I'm not sure if this is always the case with China Glaze polishes, but it was certainly true of both of these.

Agro is another unique colour and one I think will be gorgeous come autumn. Again I used three coats, not so much to achieve opacity but more to even out the polish as it did have a tendency to show brush strokes. 

I was a little disappointed with the swatch colour of Agro as I would have like more of the golden shimmer / duochrome finish to show through. It looked a little flat on the nail, especially when compared with all the promise of the bottle but it is still very pretty.

L to R: Riveting and Agro (with flash)

Verdict

These polishes are both unique to my collection and whilst they don't scream Spring, I'm especially looking forward to wearing them both come Autumn. The only fail for me was the formula as I prefer a slightly thicker product, finding it much easier to apply. If you are prepared to work with it though, these colours are lovely, and they provide an interesting change from all the corals and pastels currently doing the rounds.

4/5

 

Price - £6.59

Where to buy - Sally's, US eBay