Sunday 5 May 2013

Avon SuperShock in Black vs. Stila Stingray

A second comparison for those of you who happen to have stumbled upon my corner of the internet this fine day...

So, how does Avon's coveted SuperShock eyeliner in black stock up to my favourite black eyeliner: Stila Stingray?



Swatched next to each other you can see that both are really good black eyeliners, strong colour, creamy and very pigmented (pics are one pass!).

Left - Right: Avon SuperShock black, Stila Stingray
Top - Bottom: Avon, Stila
As you can see the Avon is more of a true black, where as the Stila has a slight blue undertone (not as much as my wrist tattoo it seems...) but this makes no different on the eye, you can't notice it but it may help make the whites of your eyes look brighter? I can neither confirm not deny but do feel free if you can.

The Avon eyeliner however is quite a bit more creamy than the Stila, depending on what you're looking for in an eyeliner this might be a good thing. For me however, not so much.

The Stila eyeliner is my favourite because it is so long lasting and remains solid and black for the full length of wear, and doesn't smudge. It sets in seconds and you are good to go. The same can't be said for the Avon however, it's so creamy that there is a fair bit of migration and smudging through the day, not quite panda eyes more like late night, skipped a wash eyes... Ew! It seems to remain creamy and doesn't set, if you can devote some time to setting with a black eyeshadow it might not be too bad.

For me £7 is worth it for what I feel like a better eyeliner, but I'm glad to have the Avon in my collection for times where I'm looking for a smudged eye look.

Just for good measure, here's both shades after 5 wipes with a makeup wipe...
 The Avon on the left looking an awful lot more smudged! 


Hope this is helpful and thanks for reading :)

Thursday 18 April 2013

Avon Flash vs MUFE 23L eyeliner comparison


So, here we are again. Cross-legged on the sofa, snacks on the go, NerdBook at the ready, Ellie Goulding blasting and for the 500,000 try to write a goddamn blogpost!

Today I thought I'd do a comparison post that may be helpful to anyone with a soft spot for pale, brightening eyeliners.

A short while back I placed a small Avon order including two of the SuperShock eyeliners (£6) that have quite the reputation in the blogosphere! One of which was Flash which takes the shape of a lovely, shimmery, pale pink shade. I placed the order expecting a matte skin colour type shade to brighten the eyes, as that's what the image in the catalogue lead me to believe, however I am not disappointed with the result.

When my order was delivered and I cracked it open, the colour very much reminded my of a shade I already owned. A shade very difficult to get hold of in the UK. A shade over double the price.
Have I got your attention? Good.

The shade I'm comparing it to, initially, is none other than Make Up For Ever's 23L priced at £13.50.


Left - Right: Avon, MUFE

As you can see the two shades don't look too dissimilar... Excellent! Good duping Kelly!
Both are lovely, long lasting creamy shades that add a lovely brightness to the eye. Both can also be easily used as a lid colour or base, I haven't tried either as but I assume once dry the long lasting formula would keep creasing to a minimum.

However, once swatched it becomes obvious that the Avon shade is a lighter, much more pink colour where the MUFE is a more of a peachy, champagne.

Left - Right: MUFE, Avon

I have to say, while the MUFE has more lasting power, on the eye the Avon is the more brightening shade the MUFE is a little more subtle, however if you've been lusting the MUFE shade Avon may well have a suitable replacement for you leaving cash spare for an ASDA curry for two! Score!

Here's a picture I took of the two shades after five wipes with a makeup wipe to show the lasting power:


And just for good measure, here's the two swatched with a few other shades I love:
Top - Bottom:
Illamasqua Glister, Benefit High Brow Glow, Stila Topaz, Avon Flash, MUFE 23L.




Left - Right: MUFE, Avon, Stila, Benefit.

Left - Right: MUFE,  Avon, Stila, Benefit, Illamasqua. 

As above, with flash.

So there you have it! Hope it was helpful, Kelly x



Sunday 24 March 2013

Third time lucky!

This will be the third time I have tried to start up this blog!...
As you can see, I haven't posted here in quite some time... How very bad of me! Well this time around I hope to stick to it, I always think up reviews and such of products I buy and I want very much to share my thoughts with others.

Okay, so why do I want to blog so bad?
I don't have any friends to share my interest (read obsession) in makeup and beauty with! I also work full time and it would be nice to come home and have something productive to do, blogging is a healthy hobby right?
Also, I buy so many makeup items that, well; I need an excuse! Ha!

So why do I keep failing?
Well first attempt failed because I lost my job at the time, I was currently working towards a degree in Arts and Humanities and I just wasn't able to commit to a blog! Since then, I have given up with higher education (at least for now) and have more free time to focus on myself!
My second attempt failed because I posted a blog post about my very much loved and adored puppy, who then died only a couple of weeks later! :(
This broke my heart and I saw it as a bad omen, hence no more blog!

I feel like I am now at a time in my life where I no longer need to just read blogs, I want one of my own! My own little area to get beauty thoughts and rambles off my chest!

I hope you enjoy reading! Here goes...

Sunday 4 September 2011

August Favourites!

I know I haven't posted in a while, but Ive decided to start this up again and
make a real go of it :)
I thought i'd start with August favourites, since its the strat of September it just feels right!

Okay, so my first favourite of August is Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation. I think I bought this in July, but i've worn it all month and I love it! From experience I didn't think you could get a great foundation on the high street, I usually use Clinique or Estee Lauder (double wear is still my favourite foundation) but after hearing many good things about Bourjois foundations I just had to give one a try and i've got to agree, this is a great high street foundation. My bank balance definitely agrees haha.


Healthy Mix shade 51


My second makup favourite of last month is Estee Lauder's blush in Nude Rose. I got this as part of quite a large set at Christmas but never really used this blush as it just didn't grab my attention, but recently i've been loving natural blush and this matte rose colour is just perfect! It's not the greatest colour in the world, but it's got my approval :)

Swatched heavily (top) and blended.



Next is the lovely Sleek Oh So Special palette, which i've used pretty much continuouly since I got it at the beginning of the month. Neadless to say it's just a staple eyeshadow palette that can be used during the day for neutral looks and at night for more dramatic looks, all for a fantstic price.

Can you guess which ones I use most? Only the most boring :p



I've also been loving Barry M's Dusky Mauve recently, it's just a lovely colour. I prefer darker nail colours in general, but the pink sparkles make it so much much more than a dark plum, love it!




And last but not least is the Daniel Sandler Jumbo Jet mascara I got in my Glossy Box, which is a bit of a cheat as ive only had it for about two weeks, but it is just so much better than the Maybelline One By One that I was using before! It doesn't clump, flake or smude and when I remove my makeup at night it actually comes off! Which is not true for the afore mentioned Maybelline one, which would make me look like a panda every morning even though I cleanse twice in the evening and it looked completely removed!




Now for some non-beauty related favourites :D
Firstly, I am in love with my new phone! I got the iPhone 4 in white after mine broke and it's amazing! Im especially surprised by the camera. I didn't think I had any need for an iPhone as i've had an iPad for about 11 months now and it was all I needed, but apparently there is room in my life for both :p
Along side that, I'm also loving the instagram app just because it's fun to play around with. He're some pics I took using instagram





And lastly is my dog Roxy. I watched Marley & Me today and although my pooch is only four years old the film really made me appreciate her so much more! Especially as she is just as lively and mischievous as Marley, haha. Here's some pics I took of  her on our walk last week :)
If anyone is wondering, shes an Irish Terrier whose main aim in life is to get attention and to cause havock!



That's all for tonight :)
See you tomorrow with a haul!

Saturday 5 March 2011

Get to know Kelly :)

I decided to do a few blog posts so that anyone that wishes to can get to know me a little better :)

So first off - 25 questions tag
Not exactly beauty related, but still :)

1: Do you have any pets?
I do indeed have a lovely puppy called Roxy :)

2: Name three things that are physically close to you:
iPad, debit card (I've been naughty and induldged in some online shopping hehe) and last weeks more magazine that I was using to paint my nails on

3: What's the weather like right now?
Cold but normal, not too sunny not too groggy :)

4: Do you drive ? If so, have you crashed?
I do drive, but no I haven't crashed :) once bumped a tree, but in my defence it was in a parking space!

5: What time did you wake up this morning?
About 8.30

6: When was the last time you showered?
I last showered about two weeks ago, but only because I'm a bath girl :)

7: What was the last movie that you saw?
Paranormal Entity, no where near as good, or scary, as Paranormal Activity, but worth a watch if you like that kind of movie

8: What does you last text message say?
'Might be in that solar bag actually :) I love you loads xxxxxxxxxx'
My boyfriends response to me misplacing my FM transmitter

9: What is your ringtone?
Celldweller - Last Firstborn :)

10: Have you ever been to a different country?
Indeed I have, ive been to Spain (including a few Spanish islands), Italy, France, Turkey and the USA.

11: Do you like sushi?
Nope

12: Where do you buy your groceries?
ASDA!

13: Have you ever taken any medication to help you fall asleep faster?
Nope, no need :p

14: How many siblings do you have?
None, only child :(

15: Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop?
I have both, but I use my laptop more than desktops

16: How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
20 but that's a year away, thankfully

17: Do you wear contacts or glasses?
Neither

18: Do you colour your hair?
Not at the minute, but I would like to some time soon :)
My hair is currently natural, but it has been dyed in the past

19: Tell me something you are planing to do today:
I'm going for a meal and drinks tonight with some friends and my boyfriend to celebrate my birthday :)

20: When was the last time you cried?
Yesterday :p

21: What is your perfect pizza topping?
Meat and mushrooms! I love meat feast pizzas haha

22: Which do you prefer, hamburger or cheeseburger?
Cheeseburger!

23: Have you ever had an all-nighter?
Yep

24: What is your eye colour?
Dark brown :)

25: Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke?
Yes, but i don't mind :)

Feel free to steal, I'd love to read it :)
x

Tuesday 1 March 2011

First blog post

Hello, I'm Kelly and I should be studying right now (about historical Benin :p) but I decided to start blogging :)

It's my birthday tomorrow (19 eeek) so what better than a wish list :)

1. Chanel soleil tan de Chanel

Link

I want this bronzer so bad :( I've swatched many a time and I need this baby, but since I don't use bronzer everyday I can't justify it, although maybe I would wear it if I owned this... ;)

2. Benefit Bella Bamba

Link


I don't own a benefit box o blush because of the price, but I think this one might be worth it, or it's equivalent in boots advantage points haha

3. MAC kissable lip colour in love peck

Link


I was so excited about Peacocky (i blame Temptalia haha) and I fell in love with this! I actually know I will be getting this tomorrow because my better half ordered it for me (and more ;)) for my birthday, but he let me try this when the order arrived and I love it! Its the dark lip ive been searching for and it bloody well lasted all day! the wait is killing me!

4. Botanics facial brush (or any facial brush for that matter)

Not what i want, but ya'know...
Link


I have been looking for a manual facial brush for so long and cannot find one! I struck gold when I read a review on makeup savvy on the Botanics facial brush, from BOOTS of all places, but I just can't find it :( the two boots near me stock every other Botanics brush, but not the facial one and that makes me sad :(

5. Avene Cleanance K

Link


Again another product my nearest Boots don't stock :( I use the cleanance daily moisturiser, but I've heard some good reviews on this and I want it, preferably on three for two and double points (a girl can dream). Hhhmmmm.

6. Lancome craze colour design palette in Taupe Craze and Coral Crush

Link
Link


B-E-A-UTIFUL! These eye shadow palettes aren't available in the UK yet, but trust me, the second I can get my grubby little hands on them I will!

7. Louise Young eye shadow brushes

Link


After seeing these so often in Pixiwoo videos, i need these brushes and i think ive narrowed it down to the LY38 & LY38A and the LY13 :)

I could go on, but I think thats a good place to stop and write another blog post get on with my essay.

Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed :)