Revolution - Colour Caos Palette

Last weekend I had a fancy dress hen to go to, the theme 80s glitz.  Naturally my thoughts instantly turned to make-up, neon eye shadow to be precise! And what a great opportunity it was to play with some bright eye shadows, making a change from my usual day to day neutral looks.  The only problem was I didn't own any bright eye shadows, I didn't want to spend a fortune on a palette as I rarely, if ever need them.  Off I went to Superdrug who had a great selection of affordable eye shadow palettes, I avoided the likes of Revlon and Rimmel as in the past their shadows have creased on me and pretty badly!  Revolution had the most impressive selection of bright colours and I eventually settled on the Colour Caos palette.

The Colour Caos palette has 12 shimmer shadows and 6 matte.  

At £6 this palette blew my socks off! I didn't have great expectations if I'm honest, all cheaper eye shadows I have tried in the past haven't performed well for me at all! I do have exceptionally oily eye lids and have always had real issues with keeping eye shadow looking good for a whole day or night! 

This palette however was not like the others! The shadow stayed put! I finished my make up at around 14:30 and I got back home and removed my make up at around 01:30 and the eye shadow still looked amazing! I was in shock!  Not only did they last amazingly well but they have great pigmentation too, the shimmer shades more so than the round matte shades at the bottom of the palette, those I didn't care for they were chalky and patchy when applied so we will forget about those!

Here are a couple of photos of the look I created, please excuse the quality and the fact I didn't think to take a photo with my eyes closed so you could see the whole look.  I really wasn't planning on writing a post about this palette but it has impressed me that much I just had too!

By Terry - Terrybly Densiliss Blush

Recently while browsing the Very exclusive website I came across the Terrybly Densiliss Blush.  I had been looking for a high end, splurge blusher to wear on my wedding day.  I have never bought anything from the brand before, and hadn't done any research into this blusher at all but had a slight moment of madness and decided to go for it!  I went for the shade Nude Dance.

At a whopping £52! this is the most expensive single blusher I own!

The first thing I noticed when I received this blusher was the packaging! The beautiful purple box and then the gorgeous purple suede pouch it sits in.  The blusher itself sits in a very weighty, silver metal case that feels very luxurious.  The packaging really impressed me, so many times in the past I have bought high end products and been instantly disappointed because of how cheap the packaging felt.  

ByTerry Terrybly Densiliss Blush £52.00 5.5g

Now for the most important bit, the performance!

Applying this blusher was a pleasure, I don't think I have ever felt utterly impressed with a product before! It goes on so smoothly, it blends effortlessly and the colour your left with is so pretty and natural looking! I can be slightly heavy handed when applying blusher, giving myself that 80s style stripe, not a great look! but with this it wasn't an issue! I apply it using the real techniques blusher brush, not the brush it comes with which is the only slightly disappointing thing about the product.

So overall I am in love! If I were to win the lotto I would be straight out to buy more! haha; )
Until then I will just have to add them to my wishlist!

Face shaving: My experience.

Facial hair, for most women this is a subject we'd rather not talk about.  But like it or not we all have it, some more than others.  This is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about!  I'm one of the woman that has more noticable facial hair, mainly on my chin and top lip, the rest of my face has that fair peach fuzz that everyone has.  

I personally got a bit fed up of my top lip hair and so decided I wanted to get rid of it!  After doing lots of research on the different methods of hair removal,  I decided on shaving.  You have to use special facial razors you can't just use the same type you use for you legs! The brand everyone seemed to use and love were Tinkle these are available from Amazon and are the ones I went with.

  

Now the first time I shaved my face it was very strange and a little scary! I really didn't want to cut myself shaving! I just did my chin and top lip very slowly and carefully!  It was fine, did the job with no cuts! I will say that when the hair starts to grow back it does feel a little rough, not like stubble on a man but you can definitely feel it.  Apart from that I was quite impressed.

Second time around, after watching more tutorials I got a little brave and decided to shave off the peach fuzz too!  Lots of women were saying how amazing it was and how much better their make up looked! I wanted that too!  So I removed my make up making sure my face was squeaky clean and started shaving!  The shaving went smoothly, no cuts or anything I took it nice and slow.  Straight away my skin felt softer and smoother, so far so good! I toned my face and let it sit bare for a few hours then before bed applied my moisturizer.

Then the next morning I woke up to my face being covered in these tiny little spots that seemed to just be sitting under my skin.  Over the course of a week all of those tiny little spots, came to the surface and turned in to bigger angry spots!  For two weeks my skin was a mess and it hurt too!  It took a long time for my face to settle down.  I had added no new skin care to my routine, the only thing that had changed was the shaving so it must have been that! 

If you are considering trying it out I'm not saying you shouldn't, for a lot of people it works really well and everyone's skin is different.  All I'm saying is, do a small test patch first somewhere on your cheek (this was mainly my problem area) to see how your skin is going to react to it.  Don't do what I did and get carried away and do the whole face first time!

  

June Favourites

I have discovered some new and amazing products this month that I'm excited to share with you guys! June has been a month to try new things and get a little out of my comfort zone!

The first thing I'd like to mention is Eve Taylor skin care.  I have been using their purifying cleanser, toner and moisturiser all month long.  The cleanser is a gel based cleanser that gently removes all traces of make up and skin impurities.  It has a unique blend of essential oils that not only make it smell delightful, they help to reduce skin oil while providing antiseptic, antibacterial properties too.  

The toner, a step I used to skip has made such a difference to my skin!  It too has essential oils, the most effective being lavender that is used to sooth, purify and protect skin.  It is so simple to use, being a spray bottle a quick spritz and you're done! 

The moisturiser is light but effective, it is fully absorbed by the skin leaving a hydrated but not greasy feeling and is perfect for under make up! 

Purifying Wash 200ml £14.80
Purifying Toner 200ml £12.98
Purifying moisturiser 50ml £5.09

Barry M nail polish, in particular the speedy quick dry formulation! Where have I been and why hadn't I tried them sooner! I wont go into too much detail as I have a blog post dedicated to it here http://glamorousrebelxox.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/barry-m-new-speedy-quick-dry-nail-polish.html  But in short, it dries super fast, is a gorgeous colour and the amazing brush for quick and easy application.

Barry M Speedy dry 10ml £3.99

This month I finally started using nude eyeliner, I have been really enjoying the Rimmel scandaleyes one.  it's really creamy and just glides on.  I love the illusion it gives of being wide awake, it's also a perfect liner for summer!   

Rimmel Sandeleyes £3.99

Mac Flat Out Fabulous, this lipstick is quickly becoming one of my all time favourites! I had made myself a promise, no more nude lipsticks! It's summer go bold! This colour is amazing, the matte finish is perfect and the wear time is incredible!  It is a little difficult to apply because it's a matte formula but it is totally worth it!  If Mac isn't you thing maybelline have a bold matte lip colour, Plum plaisir that is an amazing dupe! I have a dedicated blog post to these beauties too.  http://glamorousrebelxox.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/mac-flat-out-fabulous-dupe.html

MAC Flat Out Fabulous £15.50

Last but by no means least is a blusher by Estee Lauder.  I wasn't sure if I should include this as I don't think it's available any more but it is a favourite so I decided to keep it in.  Its Plum nuance one of their older signature line.  The packaging is beautiful and the powder itself is an ombre peach to plum, so pretty!  The blush is silky, pigmented, bendable and the perfect colour for everyday wear! It is so easy to work with!  I couldn't find Plum nuance anywhere online but they have other signature blushes that I'm hoping are the same formula because I would love some more colours!

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Barry M new speedy quick dry nail polish

I can admittedly be a bit of a snob when it comes to nail polish, assuming that only the more expensive brands would perform well. But after hearing so many people rave about Barry M polishes I eventually gave in!

The first thing I noticed was what a great selection of colours and formulations they had! I was really impressed.  I decided to try one from their speedy quick dry line.  I went for the colour Turbo charged, although looking online this isn't the right name for the polish I picked up! It looks closer to In a heart beat. A pinky coral colour with very, very subtle glitter.

The application was a doddle thanks to the size and shape of the brush.  It was just fat and thick enough to make covering the nail really easy, much like the Essie brushes I have grown to love.  I did use a base coat and it was the all in one base,top coat and nail hardener from Barry M.  The coverage was excellent, two thin coats gave an opaque finish with no streaks!

True to its name it dried in no time! by the time I had finished coat number one, the first few nails I had painted were already dry! I finished it off with my Leighton Denny top coat.

The astonishment didn't end there! The wear time was outstanding! I got five full days, typical days with work, washing dishes, cleaning and general house hold jobs I didn't go easy on it! But it stayed put, the only reason I took it off was because my nails had grown leaving bare nail behind!

Apart from it having the wrong name on the bottle! Overall I am so, so impressed! I can't believe I waited so long to try them.  I will without a doubt be going back for more!

MAC flat out fabulous dupe

I recently  popped into my local Mac store to pick up myth, but I saw and instantly fell in love with Flat out fabulous! She had to come home with me! When I got home I noticed I had a Maybelline bold matte lip colour that was almost a perfect colour match!

                                                                

MAC Flat out fabulous £15.50

Maybelline Plum plaisir £8.99

As you can see in the pictures, the colours are almost identical.  Both the Mac and Maybelline are matte formulas, they both wear and last really well on the lips.  I would say that the Maybelline is slightly more drying and feels less comfortable on the lips, however the application is easier with the Maybelline because of the doe foot applicator. 

Doe foot applicator

Here is a side by side swatch of the colours.  Prune Plaisir looks a little glossy in this picture but it does dry to a matte finish.

Overall I give Prube Plaisir a 4/5 dupe rating.  The colour is a great match and it lasts just as well as Flat Out Fabulous.  The only negative is that it was slightly more drying on the lips.  But when you take into account the price difference I say give Prune Plaisir a try! 

My Top 5 MAC Lipsticks

Who doesn't love lipstick?  I really enjoy watching videos and reading about other peoples favorite MAC lipsticks, with so many colour and formula options, it's nice to see what other people recommend.  I recently went through my collection and picked out my top 5.  Let me tell you, it was no mean feat!

At number 5

Lovelorn - Lustre £15.50

 Lovelorn is a lustre finish, my all time favorite finish from MAC.  It's light but build-able and isn't the slightest bit drying on the lips, a perfect everyday formula!  MAC describes Lovelorn as an emotive blue pink.  I would describe it more as a natural pink that leans slightly on the cool side.  This is the lipstick I reach for when I'm going with a really girly, but subtle everyday look.

At number 4

Hot Tahiti - Glaze £15.50

Hot Tahiti is a glaze finish, again this is a great everyday finish and is very similar to the lustre finish, but offers slightly less colour pay off.  MAC describes Hot Tahiti as a soft reddish-coral.  I have to say I struggle to see the coral in it at all, it is however a gorgeous colour! I would describe it as a slightly warm toned pinky-red.  I love it! It's an everyday, wearable red! 

At number 3

Plumful - Lustre £15.50

MAC describes Plumful as a blossoming rose plum, this is a description I agree with!  I love this colour! It's a slightly edgy, kinda nude but kinda not, it can be dressed up or down and so is a great lipstick to keep in your hand bag!

At number 2

Syrup - Lustre £15.50

MAC describes Syrup as a cloudy pink, another description I agree with! Although it just doesn't do it justice! This is a lipstick that will compliment ANY look, in ANY season! If you were going to buy just one MAC lipstick, make it this one!  As you can see from the picture, mine gets a lot of love!

Finally, the lipstick that knocked Syrup off top spot!  At number 1

Brave - Satin £15.50

Brave is one of very few satin finishes I own.  I find that this finish can be a little drying if worn daily.  It offers a more intense colour pay off, is slightly matte and because of that will way out last the lustre and glaze finishes! 

MAC describes Brave as a pink beige with white pearl.  White pearl? If there is, I can't see it! I would agree that it is a pink beige.  But it's not just a pink beige, it's what I like to call my grungy nude! Think 90s!  This is a great lipstick if you want a nude, but a nude with a twist!

 My favorite way to wear it is with Dervish Lip liner, also by MAC.

 

   

 

Saturday Haul!

Hey Guys

This weekend I managed to get in a teeny bit of shopping.  I am almost out of my new holy grail foundation so had to nip into Boots to pick up another.  There was the usual 3 for 2 on, I saw this as a perfect opportunity to get 2 shades to take to Mauritius with me I couldn't decide on the best shade to get to match my tan (it's been that long!) so I opted for one of the lightest shades (11 Vanilla) and the darkest shade (30 Honey) so I can mix them to create the perfect colour, or at least I hope I can! The foundation is the L'oreal infallible matte my everyday shade is 12 Natural Rose.

I couldn't resist a look at the Essie nail polish, the stand always catches my eye.  Their colours are beautiful!  But I was good and picked only one, it was difficult to leave Sunday Funday behind!  I went with Peach daiquiri a gorgeous peachy pink colour perfect for summer!

I also got two light eyeliners, a white and a nude colored one.  I really only ever use dark coloured eyeliner in summer it can look too much, I'm thinking these will be a bit more summer daytime friendly!

Last but not least we got a new camera! whoooo!  Rob my Fiance has been researching which camera would be best to take to Mauritius with us and finally decided on the Sony DSC-HX50 I haven't used it yet so can't tell you if it's any good yet......

If you would like a review or swatches of any of the products in this haul I'd be happy to do them! 

 

Thanks for reading!

xox

Regular posting

Hey guys,

Now I have had this blog for a while and tend to just post as and when I can be bothered.... I intend to change that!

Starting tomorrow Sunday 31st May I will post every Sunday at 3pm.  The posts will range from beauty and fashion reviews and hauls to just general life stuff!

I do also have an instagram page https://instagram.com/glamorous_rebel_xox/ I post on there daily mainly beauty related pictures but with the odd artsy type photo thrown in.  and Twitter although I still don't quite "get" Twitter, I'm going to try! https://twitter.com/glamorous_rebel

Thanks for reading!

xox

Tom Ford Casablanca

Hi :) 

I recently treated myself to the Tom Ford lipstick in the shade Casablanca.  

This is a beautiful rosy pink with mauve undertones, it's super creamy, goes on smoothly, it's opaque but still feels light weight, it lasts for hours but doesn't dry out the lips.  I would say the finish is a creamy semi matte and I had no problems with bleeding or feathering.

The packaging is beautiful, what you would expect from a high end lipstick.  It's heavy, has that shiney brown/black with the gold, it has the TF stamped into the lid and the same is on the lipstick bullet.  It is so pretty, I thought I might get a touch of buyers remorse with this one as it was so expensive but honestly I haven't not for a second the only thing I regret is only buying one! : ) 

Nothing about this lipstick disappoints from the bag you bring it home in to the lipstick itself everything is just beautiful! I could sit and look at it all day!

I can't wait to bring the next one home!

  

 

If you have any recommendations for shades I should try, I would love to hear them : )

xo

L'oreal infallible pro matte foundation

Since seeing some of my favourite You tubers rave about the L'oreal infallible pro matte foundation I have been desperate to get my hands on it!

The first thing I would say is the colour range I found (in Boots) was a little disappointing.  There are 6 shades I think all of which are aimed at light / medium to medium skin tones,  so those who have very pale or dark skin tones will stryggle with this one.  I went with 12 Natural Rose, it's an ok match perhaps a touch too dark for my liking.

I also bought the mattifying primer, boots 3 for 2 gets me every time!

I have been using the foundation and primer for a week and overall I'm very impressed!  I use a damp beauty blender to apply it, I do one thin layer all over my face, then add a thin second layer to my cheeks where I need more coverage.  It doesn't get cakey when layered, one of the days I didn't even use concealer! I set my whole face with the Rimmel stay matte pressed powder. 

I get really oily throughout the day and tend to struggle with foundation breaking up around my nose but this held up really well.   It claims to be 24 hour wear, I never keep my face on that long!  But it did last from 7am to around 8pm so a good 13 hours!  It feels really lightweight for a foundation with such great coverage and that is so matte.

So overall I would recommend the foundation to anyone with oily skin, at £7.99 you can't go wrong!  I would put this right up there with my all time favourite Revlon Colorstay. 

Xoxox

Evening skincare routine - For oily acne prone skin

My evening skin care routine for oily,  acne prone skin. 

 

I start by removing my make-up, for this I have been using Lush ultrabland.   I take about a grape sized amount and work it into my face, including the eye area, gently rubbing it in for a couple of minutes.   This is an oily cleanser so makes light work of any make-up, its also really gentle and is suitable foe all skin types.  I use a hot flannel to remove the majority of the cleanser, then splash a little water on my face to get rid of any last bits.  This does leave behind a little slightly greasy residue, not anything terrible but you can certainly feel something has been left behind.  

Then twice a week I will exfoliate to remove all of the dead skin cells.  For this I have been using Lush dark angels, I love this stuff! It's black and quite messy, but don't let that put you off!  It is however quite a harsh exfoliater, so if you're not into that, you won't be into this!    

 

On those days when I'm feeling really tired or just a bit lazy I will remove my makeup using the simple anti aging wipes.

Either way I always follow this with garnier miceller water.  I Soak one cotton pad and gently wipe across the face and eye area being sure to remove any stubborn bits of mascara it also helps with the residue left behind by the ultrabland cleanser.  This for me works just as well as bioderma and for a fraction of the price!  

 

I like to leave my skin be naked for a few hours after cleansing to really let it breathe.  Then before I go to sleep apply my night cream, I use antipodes nourishing avocado pear night cream.  This is by far my favourite night cream, it leaves my skin so soft and plump looking, it smells delicious and best of all doesn't irritate my skin!

I have been doing this routine for about 6 weeks now and have seen a significant reduction in oil my face is producing.  The cleansers I was using before we quite harsh and drying, this was adding to the problem and not helping to resolve it, a mistake I think a lot of people with oily skin tend to make.

I'm always on the look out for new products aimed at those with oily skin! If you have any product recommendations I'd love to hear them.

Thanks for reading!

xoxox 

Eating Better Feeling Better

This time last year I decided to swap my usual sugary breakfast cereals for a super healthy smoothie and generally cut out the refined sugar.  The decision was mostly fuelled by my constant feeling of tiredness and falling asleep at around 8pm most nights! That and the fact I was really noticing the weight piling on! Enough was enough!  

My lunch and evening meal were already quite healthy.  I was however a serial snacker!  I could easily eat up to 3 full size chocolate bars a day! I did some research and came to the conclusion that the problem was indeed too much refined sugar and not enough fruit and veg.  So out came the blender!

I tend to stick to the same smoothie recipe, which is.....

Half a cup of frozen blueberries

Half a cup of frozen mango cubes

1/4 of a large cucumber

2 medium sized carrots

1 cup of watercress

1 cup of spinach

400ml of mango juice. 

This is enough for two people.

We have been having this for breakfast 5/6 times per week  for a year and we feel great!  I would usually get at least one cold/flu type virus around Christmas time and last year I didn't!  My skin is clearer, My hair and nails are healthier and I've dropped a dress size!  I would recommend breakfasts smoothies to anyone, they are quick and easy to make.  I make ours the night before and store them in the fridge, then when you wake up all you have to do is give it a good shake and enjoy!

It was cutting out chocolate that I struggled with the most.  At first I tried to cut it out completely, I managed 2 months! Which I didn't think was too bad. ... I then decided that cutting right back to 1 bar per week worked better for me, it's nice to have a little treat! I'm a big believer in everything in moderation!

xox

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation and Veil primer

This weekend I decided to treat myself a little (maybe a lot!) I finally bought the Hourglass Immaculate liquid powder foundation and the Veil primer.

The foundation has been described as a miracle for people with oily skin, this is what really drew me to this foundation as I have particularly oily skin.  It is also marketed as full coverage which again for me is perfect, I have a few acne scars that I prefer to be covered.  They have a really good colour range and the lovely lady in Space.NK colour matched me to Golden which is spot on.  So far so good!

The Primer claims to eliminate redness, minimizes pores and soften fine lines, it has a satin finish and is water resistant.  Again sounds perfect!

The packaging for both of these products is beautiful, as you would expect.

I was really excited to get home and try out these little beauties!

What I thought......

The application for me is not great, it's quite hard to work with due to how quickly it dries.  The first time I tried it I did so without the primer and I was shocked at how it looked! Patchy and just not nice! I used my fingers to apply as the brush I usually use just seemed to be eating the foundation! So it was quite difficult to blend.

I tried again the following day, this time with the primer. This really did help the aplication as it seems to slow down how quickly it dries and I found blending to be easier too. All in all with the primer it looked and felt so much better.

The coverage, they claim that it is full coverage, I would have to say it is more light to medium.  For me this was a bit of a let down, while I like my make up to look natural, I also like it to cover my acne scars, which this just didn't do.

The finish however is gorgeous! Really matte but not powdery looking.  I stayed shine free for about 5 - 6 hours before I started to look dewy, not oily, dewy.  I usually get about 3 hours shine free when I use Colourstay as a comparison.

Overall I have to say I was a little disappointed, mainly with the coverage.  I will continue to use it and hopefully find a way to make it work, as the finish is just what I'm looking for.  I ordered the Ambient lighting palette to see if that might help with coverage, fingers crossed......

Thanks for reading.

x