BEAUTY BATTLE: E.L.F. ESSENTIAL VS. MINERAL LIPSTICKS & SWATCHES!

My blog has nearly 400 views lol I'm really excited about that I know I'm lame \o/

If you're looking into ELF lipsticks and you're unsure about whether to go for the £5 mineral or the dirt cheap £1.50 Essential lipsticks then thank God you have me to help you out

I have 4 of the Essential lipsticks and 3 of the mineral, and they're basically EXACTLY THE SAME

In my opinion the Mineral lipsticks offer more variety of shades that you won't find in the Essential line, for example 'Natural Nymph' in the Mineral line is a straight up nude but essential does not offer this, Essentials mainly stick to a range of pinks and reds.

When I received one of the Essential lipsticks the bullet was actually broken off, but didn't bother me for £1.50. I prefer the packaging of Mineral lipsticks, very similar appearance to Nars lipsticks, they like to take notes off of Nars quite a lot haha but lets face Nars is like the Regina George of make up.

 Above: E.L.F Essential Lipsticks

ABOVE: ESSENTIAL LIPSTICK SWATCHES TAKEN WITH FLASH ON

ABOVE: ESSENTIAL LIPSTICKS WITH FLASH OFF.

From left to right: Classy, Seductive, Sociable and Gypsy.

Sociable in real life is more red toned and is extremely sparkly (you can see the glitter in the non-flash image) it feels quite gritty and is very drying, I wouldn't recommend this shade.

Classy and Gypsy are my two favourites, both have an amazing texture, if not better than Mineral, and are long lasting. Gypsy especially lasts for a very long time which you wouldn't expect as it's a dark pink/berry shade. I wore this to Wireless festival which included a lot of drinking and I think I touched up like once lol I highly recommend this one.

ABOVE: E.L.F MINERAL LIPSTICKS

 ABOVE: E.L.F MINERAL LIPSTICKS WITH FLASH ON

ABOVE: E.L.F MINERAL LIPSTICKS WITH FLASH OFF

From left to right: Natural Nymph, Runway Pink, Nicely Nude.

Natural nymph I really like but will require a base as it really sinks into the fine lines of your lips, I use E.L.F Plump and Prime

What confused me when I bought Runway Pink and Nicely Nude was that Nicely Nude, as you can see, is WAY more pink than Runway Pink lol like what? 

 You can probably tell in the images that Mineral appears to apply more smoothly and consistantly, but when actually applying on lips I've never noticed a difference.

Overall, if you're very concerned with packaging I recommend Mineral lipsticks, if however you're looking for extremely cheap lipsticks that won't disappoint the Essential lipsticks are brilliant.

RANT & SALVATION: THE TRICK TO APPLYING NYX SOFT MATTE LIP CREAMS

If anyone else is having a hard ass time with the Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creams then read on...

I got the Nyx Soft Matte lip cream in Buenos Aires because I saw Shaaanxo wear it and she looked like a goddess so I had to get it too obvi.. So I got it and used it and then I cried and angels cried. Because its SHIT.
I don't know I guess Shan has like amazing lips that exude its own moisture but this left my lips as dry as a hooker at church, literally first application it didn't even sit right on my lips, like left a line of colour then wouldn't apply any product on MY ACTUAL LIPS like hello what the fuck is your purpose?
So long story short it left my lips so dry and flakey, looked proper skanky and the more you applied the worse it looked.

THEN ONE DAY I UNLOCKED THE MAGICAL SECRET

I didn't want to give up because I'm obsessed with the colour so what I did was put a lipgloss on first, I used a really cheap colourtrend one that cost literally 99p but its really good so.. then I put the matte lip cream ON TOP AND IT WORKS.
Like it needs a really sticky base to work on, which is weird because it's a 'cream' so its supposed to be more moisturising but that's bullshit
It has like a velvet / kind of matte finish which is going to happen because of the lip gloss underneath but it gradually becomes more matte and it will last several hours.. I still wouldn't wear this if I'm going to have a long day.. and when you reapply still use the lipgloss underneath

Or you could just go find a new matte product of a similar colour which would be way easier but I didn't want to waste my money and throw it away haha..

Hope this helped a bunch!
Hayley x

REVIEW & SWATCHES: MAYBELLINE BABY LIPS MOISTURISING LIP BALM!

Here are my thoughts on the Maybelline Baby Lips tinted lip balms and a few swatches.. It probably seems very late to be reviewing these products but they've not long been launched in the UK haha
I have the three shades available in the UK, but I really wish I could try the Dr. Rescue and Electro line *sad face* So please take note that I'm only reviewing the original Baby Lips line and in 3 shades, so my opinions don't count for the whole range :)

So I was impressed by the size, you probably get the same amount as a normal lipstick which I like, I can tell these will last a while. I think they're very inexpensive I believe I got all 3 for £2.99 in Boots :D The three shades available in UK are Peach Kiss, Pink Punch and Cherry Me, but you can probably find more shades on the internet. I don't know why Grape Vine hasn't been launched here!? Firstly, they have a very glossy texture and finish which I personally like, it's definitely not sticky either and is very smooth to apply. They do not last as long on the lips as a lip balm by, for example, Vaseline or Nivea but they're easy to carry around and its quick and easy to reapply.

Cherry Me - I was surprised with the pigmentation of this one, I like that it is very natural so if you're having a lazy make up day you can still wear this. I find that as a lip balm it doesn't moisturise my lips as long as the other two do, but it still lasts about 1-2 hours but with eating I would say 1/2 hour to and hour until the lip balm texture completely gone. On the other hand I feel the red tint does stain my lips slightly so even when the texture has gone the colour remains.

Pink Punch - this shade I've discovered is very buildable so you could make it very pigmented and will look as if you're wearing a pink gloss. I find this one lasts longer on my lips - I don't know why lol - this again stains my lips like Cherry Me.

Peach Kiss - *prepare for slight rant* I was disappointed yet I expected this as it is a lip balm - there is next to no tint, I can't say its peachy but if you look VERY close you can see a nude tint. I wish this was more peachy like the packaging suggests however it does come out how the actual lip bullet suggests. It's just not peachy lol they should have called it Nude Kiss or something.
Another thing I personally dislike however some may like this - its very shimmery, there's a lot of sparkles in this however it still has a great texture like the others. I would not get this if you're looking for an actual peachy tint - if you're interested in these for the moisturising side of it then I would suggest the Peppermint, Quenched or Dr. Rescue lip balms instead of this shade.

SWATCHES:

Overall I think they're great for if you're in a rush or want very natural make up as they have enough tint to make you look much more awake and less washed out. When I've been in a rush and forgotten to add lipstick I've just quickly grabbed one of these to add a little something to my make up.

REVIEW & SWATCHES: AVON COLORTREND KISS N GO LIPSTICKS

So I have a small collection of the Avon Colortrend Kiss n Go lipsticks, which will probably grow because they're amazing lipsticks. Each swatch I provide is one coat of the lipstick, true story. In my opinion they're extremely good quality, opaque, smooth, moisturing and they're only £3.75, and Avon often have deals on these lipsticks I think they're currently £1.90? Don't quote me on that but anyway they're cheaper than your mum and they're amazingggggg...

I have the lipsticks in Deluxe, Rich Ruby, Passion, Doll Pink and Violet Friday. With the price I dont really care about the packaging lol but since I'm reviewing, it's certainly professional, I like that they have a transparant acrylic section so that you can see the real colour of the lipstick rather than some ratchet mock-up sticker on the bottom of the tube. Also I've had these for a while, taken them on my travels and what-not and none of the bullets have broken, nothing has cracked or smashed. Elf take note.

From left to right: Deluxe, Rich Ruby, Passion, Doll Pink, Violet Friday.

From one swipe of each lipstick: Deluxe, Rich Ruby, Passion, Doll Pink, Violet Friday.

I love that Deluxe is so pigmented its not often you find a dark lipstick on the cheaper side that is truly opaque. Rich Ruby is your staple red lip, it looks brighter in the above image than on the lips, it's certainly wearable. Passion is my favourite out of the bunch its a medium pink with a coral undertone its so pretty :) Doll Pink is another staple bright pink but in my opinion still very wearable, Violet Friday looks scary but when applied is sheer so you can build up the intensity which I like, you could easily turn this from day to night.
I tested out Passion when I went out for a meal, and it lasted through the whole meal, of course its not made of magic so it wasn't as vibrant as when first applied but I could also get away without touching up.
I don't understand why Avon do other lines of lipsticks such as Long Lasting, Colour Riche, etc. and more expensive at like £8 when these lipsticks shit all over the others and are way cheaper, I question the logic lol idk but thanks for reading hope this was helpful x

REVIEW: SLEEK i-DIVINE PALETTE - OH SO SPECIAL

FINALLY I got myself a Sleek Palette, I saw A LOT of people raving about these palettes so I just had to get one for myself.
The colours in the 'Oh So Special' palette really caught my eye - that obviously had nothing to do with the shimmery pinks and rose gold tones haha
But seriously the colours are so pretty in this palette, the colours are very feminine and range from soft pinks, to deep plums which I love. You can really create a load of different looks with these colours. 

First of all the packaging is great in my opinion I like the matte vs. glossy text its very simple and chic.

The palette comes with an acetone sheet with the names of all the shades. I would have preferred if thehad imprinted the names of the shades underneath the shadow itself because having a loose sheet can be a pain to remember to keep with the palette - but this is a niggly complaint and I'm not all that bothered really considering the cost (it cost me £7.99 for 12 shades, you can't go wrong!)

Also considering the price I think the eyeshadows are so pigmented and the shades are beautiful! 
From left to right we have the shades: Bow, Pamper, Ribbon, Organza, Gateau & Gift Basket.
You can't even see Bow haha, its a pale nude shade & is probably the least pigmented out of the bunch, it certainly isn't my favourite in comparision to how gorgeous the shades Organza, Gateau and Gift Basket are, JUST LOOK AT THEM they're so pretty! 

From left to right we have the shades: Glitz, Noir, Boxed, Wrapped Up, Celebrate & The Mail.
These shades are extremely rich and pigmented, great for Autumn/Winter & night time looks. I love that Sleek seem to have created a shimmery version of each matte shade, i.e Noir > Glitz, Wrapped Up > Celebrate, etc. 
My least favourite out of this bunch is The Mail only because I feel its too warm for my pale skin but that is certainly no fault of sleeks, I could probably make it work somehow. I love the pigmentation of the black shades Noir and Glitz, Glitz is slightly more gunmental which I love as it makes the shimmer stand out more, I think its tough to find a really great black shade that is a 'true' black and this is it :)
I'm also dying over celebrate its just a perfect shimmery plum I JUST LOVE IT OKAY

Overall I'm extremely please with my purchase, the shades are very pigmented and have great creamy textures that are long wearing, it's really worth checking out!

Hayley x

Also in the spirit of loving cats I will show a cute piccy of my cat Rolo taking a nap, she was 2 last month *aww*
we named her Rolo because of she looks just like the chocolate :)

GET TO KNOW ME! The Beauty Blogger TAG

So I wasn't sure what to post today so I thought I'd do a get to know me tag and introduce myself a little bit!

1. Is your hair natural curly or straight?

 It's wavy but not like cute summer waves it's like shitty I'm gonna make you look homeless waves :)

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

Myself but I'm considering going to the hairdressers as being blonde can be a hassle to maintain with just box dyes or home bleach kits

3. Do you wear the same style everyday, or do you change it?

haha omg I change all the time like in the Summer I'm like Paris Hilton and then I turn into a nu-goth in the Winter lol weather reflects my mood

4. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

All by my selfie

5. How often do you change your nail polish?

Not often enough :p I'm one of those people who lets them get really chipped and then I forget about it for ages so they get pretty skanky

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just in the summer?

Like barely ever I hate feet so I just like to pretend I don't have any lol unless I go to the beach which is also rare because I live in England and its rly shit

7. How long does it take for you to put on your makeup?

Um depends what look I'm doing, like a night out or a full face will take about 40 minutes but if I'm only going to Uni I'll just be lazy and it takes like 10 minutes and most of that is doing my eyebrows lol

8. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

Generally eyes first because I like to really let my moisturiser sink into my skin

9. Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

I buy what I need really because this bitch is broke A.F lol sometimes I'll treat myself I'm kind of a fiend for lipsticks

10. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

Only when I go out partying and I have literally no social life so like once every century

11. Do you do a full face of makeup everyday?

Not really my minimal make up is brows, bronzer and mascara I like to take breaks from foundation

12. Do you wear makeup when your home alone, or with family?

If I don't go out anywhere then I like nestle in my PJ's with no make up and my hair scraped up in a bun #comfortiskey

13. Will you leave the house without makeup?

No way haha I atleast need my eyebrows, only because I have extremely blonde eyebrows you can barely see them, I should really dye them then I probably would

14. How many high-end products do you have?

None haha well I have 2 lip samples of Mac lipsticks in Cyber and Costa Chick if that counts, let me know if you'd like reviews on these!

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you are getting dressed?

Usually decide last minute but I reaaaally try to prepare but like I've said frequently I'm lazy as fuck

16. How often do you change your handbag?

Hmm every time I go out somewhere I try to match it to my outfit but I have the same one for everyday stuff like Uni and work

17. What time do you wake up and go to sleep?

7am Monday - Friday and then I go to bed around 10:30/11pm 

IT SUCKS I HAVE NO LIFE

18. How often or when do you workout?

Never lol I dont make time for pure exercise but I do walk around 2-4 miles everyday

19. Left handed or right handed?

LEFTY

20. How tall are you?

5ft 10" holla for a dolla

21. Do you speak any foreign language?

Tiny bit of Francais

22. How many pets do you have?

I have 3 cats and my sister has 2 cats its not enough CATS ARE AMAZING

23. How often are you on blogger?

Quite often atm I'm exploring blogs to follow right now so I'll check you out if you post a link down below to your blog :)

24. Do you read comments posted on blogs?

Absolutely

25. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

Haha yeah and then I realise I cant afford it and throw it away its like when you add loads of clothes to your shopping cart and then cry at the total then close the tab #brokebitches

26. How did you come up with your Blog name?

Well I have an unhealthy obsession with cats and the 'peace, love &' phrase is a positive one so I thought cats fit well to create three majestic words that exude positivity and awesome-ness

27. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?

Just my iPhone 5 lol I don't have a fancy Nikon or anything

28. How often do you clean your house?

I guess every wednesday as thats when I have a day off but I dont live alone so other people clean too :) when I say other people just my mum because only me and her give a shit lol

29. What's your favorite color?
I can't just choose one agh I love black, mulberry and coral, coral may be the top one because its so pretty and a happy colour, mulberry and black are my winter colours LOL I'm such a creep

30. Do you swear?
Fuck yeah

31. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

Well it's Friday and its an English tradition to have Fish & Chips every Friday so I will just think about that until it's cooked and then I'll eat it and then I'll think about what I just ate so yeah

Hope you enjoyed this tag feel free to do one so I can check it out 

- Hayley xo

REVIEW+SWATCH: Dainty Doll Concealer by Nicola Roberts

I PRESENT TO YOU THE ANSWER TO EVERY PALE PERSON'S PRAYERS 

Hey everyone,
today I'll be reviewing & providing swatches of the Dainty Doll Concealer from the Dainty Doll cosmetic line created by Nicola Roberts.
I was interested by this line because as a member of the pale folk it can be so difficult to find the perfect shade for your skin when you're whiter than a member of the KKK.

I bought the lightest shade 001 Abracadabra and this colour is literally just slightly off-white. She really catered for the palest of the pale. Admittedly, it was too light for me BUT this makes for a great highlighter which means you can still use this as an under-eye concealer.
Finding a highlighter light enough for pale skin can also be tough so I would highly recommend using this.

I found it to be very pigmented and creamy, and I could easily blend it out to create a highlighted effect. The concealer is oil-based, and used with a water-based foundation I found it lasted 3-4 hours but by the time I came home from Uni (7 and a half hours) it seemed to have vanished. However it's common knowledge that water doesn't mix with oil so this was likely to happen anyway.
The point of this is that her liquid foundation is in-fact water based, which means using Dainty Doll foundation and concealer would not last very long as a combination, which is a shame because the shades are perfect for pale skin.

Swatches:

                                          

 These swatches are from just one swipe of the concealer, I'm very impressed with the coverage and most of all how light it is! By the way my arms are more tan than my face, I'd say the concealer is 2 shades lighter than my face, you could get away with no contour powder/bronzer for a subtle look.

I hope this blog post helped anyone with any questions concerning Dainty Doll cosmetics, have a great day!

- Hayley x