Review: Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara

What a week it has been, super busy! Probably the busiest week that I've had in quite a while to be honest, especially since it's been Christmas, therefore I've been ever so slightly MIA, especially when it comes to blogging so I do apologize. But I am now back and have a load of blog posts planned for you all, some hauls  which consist of Christmas gifts and and boxing day buys! I've had this mascara a while now and it is so good I thought I'd do a quick review on it, before we bite into the more exciting posts!

When it comes to buying mascara I always stick with Max Factors False Lash Effect as I've gone through so many tubes and it's never disappointed me, so I thought, why should I buy anything else? I'm not the best at choosing mascara and to be fair I really am not the type of person who gets excited about mascaras, for me, one good tube is enough and I stick with that tube until it is about to die. Unfortunately I had lost my Max Factor mascara, I was utterly gutted to say the least (it was purple too, a bonus I think). It was literally the only mascara I had as the other tubes had all dried out thus I needed to get my hands on a new one ASAP (you know what it's like with no mascara!). I'd gone down to Tesco with my mum the next again day and spotted the Scandaleyes mascara on the Rimmel stand, it really stood out as it was bright, the tube is a lot like the shape of the false lash effect tube and it was Rimmel, a brand I truly trust for good quality. It was only £6.99 so I thought why not, it seems a fair price.

The packaging isn't to my taste as I feel it's a tad too bright and a bit mishmash, orange just isn't a colour I'm that keen on so that's probably why. I do however like the shape of the bottle as it's very slick and rather comfortable on your hand when applying the product which I like. I really like the brush as it doesn't pack too much product so in effect doesn't clump up your lashes, it has lots of little bristles all the way around also so you can really grip all of your lashes right from the root pulling all the way up to get really good coverage without clumps and as it has lots of individual bristles it comes through your lashes fanning them out rather than sticking them all together giving you that "5 legged spider" look, which nobody likes hopefully. The formula is like most others, just thick and black, but it has a very faint smell, and you all know how I am with products with strong and strange scents, so as you'll have already guessed I was indeed over the moon! This mascara also states that it is 'Extreme Black' so it should be very, very black and not fade out to grey throughout the day or when it has dried into your lashes. I find it does live up to this statement, but I believe that I have used blacker products before, nonetheless it is a very good black that covers well and doesn't fade to grey (lol).

Overall I like this product, maybe because it's Rimmel, who knows. I think I've found a cheaper alternative to the False Lash Effect, however saying that I do love the False Lash Effect and I feel that I will be purchasing it again when this runs out and just use the Scandaleyes as a back up or when I'm in desperate need of a mascara but have no money. This is a very good product and I do recommend this to anyone who is looking for a really good mascara but doesn't want to spend a lot. I also use eyelash curlers before applying any brand of mascara as it always helps with the look. However curling the lash doesn't necessarily effect the products performance so doing this did not sway my opinion whatsoever. I have curled my lashes and used rather terrible mascaras that have clumped them all together so this mascara is really very good!

What is your favorite brand of mascara?

♥

Follow me on Twitter - @JadeMatthew_

Review: Rimmel Amethyst Shimmer Lipstick

Recently I've lusting over plum inspired lip colours, but I find it hard to pick a colour that will suit me well and that I love. As you all know I do love Rimmel lip colours thus when in Superdrug I popped over to the Rimmel stand and searched around for a nice plum shade. After a while of opening caps I found Amethyst Shimmer! At first I thought it looked very purple with hints of deep red so I wasn't too keen, however, it did swatch it and it turned out to be a lovely colour, very dark pink mixed with plums. I was indeed very pleased with it and bought it right away.

This colour is just amazing on the lips, much better than I'd ever thought it would be, so yet again I was pleased! This colour is so easily to build up, so you can have a really subtle hint of colour so your lips look flushed, or really build it up so it's bold and bright, which is really good for a night out or even for a statement  during the day, I find it very versatile much like many of the other Rimmel lipsticks. This is a shimmer lipstick, but I find there to be very minimal shimmer, it's more glossy looking which I suppose is better regarding this shade as the colour is very strong simmers may be a little too much, but others may disagree, I believe it's just preference. This lipstick, like most of the others glides on easily and feels so smooth and nourishing on my lips thus they don't look dry at all or wrinkled which I find tends to happen with lipsticks that basically just dry the lips out. The smell of this is lovely too, very sweet, I believe most Rimmel lipsticks in this range have a similar smell if not the same! It's very subtle and goes away after a while so you don't notice it throughout the day whilst wearing it.

This lipstick is a lasting finish lipstick and it really does live up to it! After about 3-4 hours I noticed it had faded a smidge so I reapplied it, although there wasn't really a need to but again it's all down to preference and, that's just me.

Overall I really do like this lipstick and recommend it to anyone who is looking for a plum/very deep pink shade, it's also a wonderful colour for this season, it's very Christmasy and wintery.

♥

Follow me on Twitter - @JadeMatthew_

NOTD: Sparkle And Shine

Barry M Jewel Glitter Nail Paint – Amethyst

Recently over the past few days I've been wearing this gorgeous glitter polish non-stop, it really is that amazing! You may remember that I featured this polish along with two others in a recent post which you can find here. I purchased this a few weeks ago so haven't had much of a chance to really wear it as I've been wearing the other two. As you all know I'm probably Barry M's biggest nail paint fan thus, you probably all knew this polish would be none other than yours truly Barry M, I picked this up in Superdrug whilst out shopping for presents, I couldn't resist as it's such an amazing glitter - it's very similar to Jewel Britannia minus the red flecks of glitter. Nonetheless I adore this polish I can't even begin to tell you how amazing I find it as I have no words, it's made me slightly too happy!

The glitter is small flecks of blue, purple, gold and green which all go very well together. It builds up extremely well so you can cover your whole nail with no gaps whatsoever, it only takes two applications to achieve a matte look and it dries surprisingly fast. It feels very smooth also, not like sandpaper or rough, but, it is slightly bumpy, however you can't notice it and I don't bother about that as it doesn't effect the quality or look of the polish at all so it's a minor thing. I have noticed this chips quicker than other glitter polishes but I think that's just down to building it up rather a lot and everyday wear, sometimes the it all comes off in in the shape of my nail so that tends to get slightly annoying! This polish just looks so amazing and would be perfect for a new years party I have to just sweep the tiny faults under the carpet and gawk at it's beauty.

Overall, I LOVE this, so much. I've received some lovely comments regarding my nails and have really started to adore glitter polishes, I'm buying more glitters than mattes! I never used to like glitter polishes but I have been completely converted, I'm not sure if it's just because I like Barry M or I've just changed. Whatever it is I'm happy as it's opened up a whole new look for my nails.

I really recommend trying out this colour, it looks so much better in person and as soon as it's on your nails I can completely guarantee that you will love it as much as I do! It's only £2.99 so is super cheap and definitely worth it, I think it looks way more expensive than it really is - well done Barry M!

Have a lovely Christmas break everyone!

♥

Follow me on Twitter - @JadeMatthew_

Review: MUA The Artiste Collection

Recently whilst I was browsing around the MUA stand in Superdrug and noticed that they had a fabulous offer on, if you spent £6.00 on any MUA products then you would receive this FREE palette! I always love a freebie and I was buying MUA stuff so I added a lip gloss to bring the total to £6.00.

I really do like this palette as you get six marble eye shadows, two blushers, a bronzer and a highlighter. The eye shadows are all very lovely, the colours are vibrant and easy to blend, the only thing that I dislike is the marble effect, that's purely aesthetics and doesn't effect the overall shadow purpose. The colours are so pretty especially the blues, I don't really like blue as an eye shadow but this is an exception! Both blushers are pink, one slightly darker one which is matte, the other is lighter with sparkles, I prefer the matte shade as it isn't too heavy on the cheeks and it's wearable everyday. I feel the blush with sparkles is more for an evening or party look as it is rather sparkly, especially if you build it up! The bronzer and highlighter are both very good and are lovely colours, the bronzer isn't too dark and the highlighter isn't too shimmery, a very good combination.

Overall I like this palette, the packaging is great and it does look very sleek. The range of colours are fabulous and you get a few different products to choose from so it's good as an all-in-one. I only dislike the marble effect on the shadows and the applicator, this comes with all the palettes, and I find it pointless as I never use them and are terrible for applying the shadow, but that's just me! I think this is a great offer so if you are interested in this palette get down to Superdrug!

Have a lovely Wednesday!
Also, I have began using Twitter again, so if you want to keep up to date in my life I would love if you followed me and would greatly appreciate it also - @JadeMatthew_ thank you so much if you do!

♥

What I've Bought This Month - December

These are a few things in which I've bought in the duration of this month so far. I didn't buy everything at once, all of this was bought during the end of November up until now, I didn't wan't to buy and spend too much as Christmas was (and is, 8 sleeps!) super close. I'll do a mini review on the products so I hope you like this post and don't find it too boring to read!

Natural Collection Passionfruit Body Spray - Boots
As you may be able to tell from the picture I have used quite a lot of this spry already over the course of this month. I have the apple and vanilla body spray from this collection and absolutely love them so it was no surprise that this really appealed to me also. It's such a wonderful smell, so fresh and pretty, I always use this after the shower and when I can't find the right perfume to suit my mood, it just suits any occasion and it fits snug in your bag so you can have a spritz on the go which I love as I always like a refresher spray. This was so cheap too, at a smidgen £2.00 it's totally worth every penny especially with how much you get, the colour is also pretty so there's a bonus, I really commend smelling this in boots next time you're in!

GOSH Velvet Touch Eye Primer - Superdrug
I honestly have to say that I regret buying this - it was £10.00! I hate the feeling of wasting money. When I bought this I had high hopes for this product as I do like GOSH and have had good experiences with their products before so I was sadly disappointed with this. It did nothing to aid the creasing of the shadow and it was hard to blend the colours, after a while the shadow began to build up and clump. Although I have to say the packaging is very nice, the nozzle is small so you can easily apply the amount you want and it does glide on smooth, but overall this wasn't worth the money as it is pretty bad for a primer.

Barry M Nail Paints - Superdrug
As you all know already I love Barry M nail paints and am constantly finding new colours that I lust over. Recently I've been really getting into the glitter ones that Barry M have been bringing out, usually I hate glitter polishes but Barry M is definitely an acception, the glitter is perfect, it doesn't clump up and builds up really well. I bought three colours in Diamond which is a gorgeous silver colour, Sapphire which has pink flecks of glitter and longish strands of silver glitter, I think it looks like a party popper! It's a very pretty nail paint. The last one I bought was Amethyst with purple, blue, silver and pink flecks, this builds up amazing and is perfect for parties, it's now one of my favorites!

Gold Diamond Watch - Primark
I spotted this watch in Primark a few weeks back and loved it, I think it looks like a Michael Kors dupe, a watch I've been after for ages! It was only £5.00 so I couldn't resist, I think it's so pretty and I really did need a watch. Unfortunately, I didn't try the watch on in the shop because I was just so bedazzled with it, it does not fit well at all, the face hangs the wrong way it's so loose and it has fallen off a few times, I have to pile it up on bracelets to keep it on, AND it worked for about 10 seconds and now doesn't work at all, it's completely frozen. I guess it is expected as it was from Primark as was only £5.00, I still wear it regardless that it doesn't work, it looks gorgeous so overall I am happy with that!

MUA Professional Eye Primer - Superdrug
I bought this as the GOSH primer wasn't to my liking as I said before. This primer is amazing and was so cheap, I absolutely love it, I have quite an oily face and that does include my eyelids and this product really helps with keeping the oil at bay so the colour doesn't 'slide' off throughout the day. It also held the shadow in place for such a long time with no creasing whatsoever, it's perfect. It really helps with making the colour of the shadow more bright and vivid, it keeps the shadow perfectly in place all day. It glides on super smooth and helps blend the colours so well and so easily, it's a little wand applicator, much like the ones you find with concealer so it's easy to apply to your lid and blend in, it dries fast too! The only thing I dislike is that it smells slightly like a tea bag, I'm very fussy with smells so this won't be a problem for most people!

Revlon Contour Shadow Brush - Superdrug
This purchase was just a spur of the moment buy, it's such a fabulous brush and so cheap too! If I remember correctly it was £4.00, but I'm not too sure. It fit's perfectly into my crease and blends effortlessly, it packs on so much colour and blends it out so well with very minimal fall out, this brush is also very soft and when washed the hairs don't seem to shed so I have a feeling this will last a very long time so is well worth the money. It is fairly shorter than regular sized brushes but overall I think it gives better control. This brush is just amazing in every possible way, I've found no faults so far, it's just perfect, I really recommend trying this brush out if you haven't already!

♥

My Battle With Ance

 Dalacin T Topical Solution

I'm going to start by saying that I a have suffered with acne for around 7 or so years. I remember being 9 years old walking home from school with my mum, I was feeling my cheek because it was quite sore and remember feeling 3 small lumps, I asked my mum if anything was there and she simply said I had "under the skin spots". I wasn't too bothered as I was still in primary and it's not a big deal, but when I started first year I noticed my skin worsen. From then on I had become completely obsessed with how my skin looked, I would stand in the bathroom for hours (literally) staring at my face trying to squeeze the spots, pick them and even scratch them off (horrible, I know!). I would avoid looking in mirrors at all costs, apply thick concealer and foundation to try and cover them up, sometimes I would get so low I would cry, thinking how horrible I must look and people must think I'm hideous. The worst spots were on my forehead, I was sitting in my Spanish lesson when I moved my fingers along my forehead and felt loads of pumps, it was also very oily too, I was mortified when I got home to see a mass of spots, covering each inch of my forehead,. With that I opted for a comb over which completely covered my forehead so nobody could see them, I was that embarrassed. I thought I'd have to live with it, but I was wrong and now I'm so comfortable with my skin I go out without anything on! (cheeky;)!)

Throughout the years I tried a LOT of products. Clean and Clear, Clearasil, Freederm, Oxy, Witch, Tea Tree, Garnier, Nuetrogena, Biore, T-Zone, you name it I've tried it! Most of the treatments didn't agree with my skin and dried it out terribly leaving dry, flaky patches, one boy asked why my nose was peeling which made me feel terrible and very disappointing as I felt I was getting somewhere. Clean and Clear was the worst for me so I stopped using that right away, and the Tea Tree stung my skin. I do however still use the Garnier face mask as it is gentle on my skin and is refreshing. I'd also tried homemade face masks such as egg whites, it made no difference, so I gave up. I'd read on the internet that Sudocrem was supposed to help with spots so I thought 'why not?' I had tried so many products that one more wouldn't kill me. It actually helped. It took down the redness and dried the spots out, I still use this from time to time!

Finally after 3 years when I reached fourth year (last year) I decided that I needed to seriously do something and get over my embarrassment. I finally made a trip to the doctors and was very optimistic. I told her about all the products I had tried and how they failed, that my skin was quite oily and how down having spots made me feel, she prescribed me a topical solution to use twice daily.

The solution I had been given to use was (and still is) Dalacin T Topical Solution witch has Clindamycin phosphate in it, now, I don't know what that was when I recieved the product so I did some research. Clindamycin phosphate basically kills the bacteria that causes acne by preventing the bacteria from forming properly thus prevents the spread of infection, it also allows the skin to heal. The solution is a clear liquid and you apply to the skin with a spongy blue applicator, it dries really fast so you can apply make up right away and sleep without the annoyance of a wet face, the only thing I dislike is that the smell is really strong and chemical like that the vapors make my eyes water when I apply it to my cheeks, but I guess that's just the product and I haven't had any other problems with it.

I have been using Dalacin T for just over a year now and it has been fantastic. I did notice results after only a few months regarding the size and number of spots, after around 9 months my forehead was almost completely spot free, I couldn't believe something was actually working, and so fast at that. It doesn't dry out my skin whatsoever and I did actually noticed that it feels slightly smoother and softer. I still do, and always probably will have some spots because there really is no magical product that will give you 100% clear skin. In a way I blame magazines that airbrush their models to look as if they have flawless skin, for a while I thought that's what 'normal' skin should look like, but I was wrong, nobody is perfect. I'm so much happier now, I have so much more confidence within myself, I don't have a comb over (haha) anymore and I have no reason to feel embarrassed about how my skin looks. Dalacin T has dramatically improved my skin and I just love it, I'm so glad I found the courage to go to the doctors and get something done rather than waste money on products that did more harm than good, I'm finally happy to be in my own skin!

NOTE: Dalacin T is only available on prescription via opinion of GP.

♥

Winter Wishing

Daisy Perfume - The Perfume Shop

Snob Lipstick - MAC

Triangle Ring - Topshop

Gold Rings - H&M

MUA Palette Pretty Pastels - Superdrug

Wisdom Charm Bracelet - Topshop

Creepers - New Look

Aztec Cosmetics Case - Urban Outfitters 

Ahhh it's nearly Christmas! Only 12 or so more sleeps and already I'm super excited, I feel like a 5 year old again and just love it, Christmas is literally the most wonderful time of year where you can spend precious time with family, eat soo much and not feel guilty and just really chill out, not to mention the amazing atmosphere which surrounds it, especially if you have the Christmas Cookie Yankee candle roaring away, it just really makes the day, such a yummy smell!  

I thought I'd share my wishlist with you all, obviously I don't expect to get everything on the list but I prefer that as you still get a surprise as you don't know exactly what you're getting! I'm probably quite late with this as I have only given my mum the list tonight (oops!), I'm always too laid back with things like this but at the last second I always regret it and have to rush around, but here it is!

What are you wishing for this year?

♥