Let’s Talk About Sheet Masks.

Specifically, a couple that I've tried recently from the brand TonyMoly. So Asian beauty products have been making the rounds lately and TonyMoly is a brand that popped up on Cult Beauty and Sephora not too long ago and I've been itching to try some bits. As much as I could have ordered pretty much everything that the brand has to offer (it all looks so interesting!) I contained myself to just 2 masks. With the promise that if I liked what I saw I'd go back for more. So what do we think?

TonyMoly Rice Mask (Clear Skin)

This is a 20-30 minute sheet mask that is supposed to make "dull skin look radiant and glowing" which I must admit, when I first unboxed this I was disappointed with as it's called "Clear Skin" and I assumed it would be clarifying in some way. Slightly misleading titles aside this is a nice mask.

It's instantly cooling on the skin and hasn't really got a scent to it so it's pleasant to use, I did notice a slight tingling sensation towards the end of the mask but nothing uncomfortable. When you take it out of the packet it's completely saturated and I didn't notice it drying off quickly at all when I wore it (I left it on for the full 30 minutes and the only bit that dried was the space between my upper lip and my nose).

The only thing I would note about this mask is that while it adheres to the skin nicely (mine didn't fall off with light movement) it is a bit awkwardly shaped and didn't fit my face as comfortably as I'd like. This obviously may not be an issue for you dependant on your face shape but the mask was a soft fabric texture and didn't really have any stretch to it at all.

The effects were actually really nice. This left my skin feel plumped and smooth and the cooling effect stuck around for a long while after removing the mask. When I first removed the mask I was a little confused that a "Clear Skin" mask didn't seem to give me any reduction in blackheads or blemishes but after actually looking at the claims it definitely does what it says on the tin.

Inci hot spots: Glycerin (hydrating), Mineral Oil (acne skins be careful - also super cheap oil and this mask isn't cheap), Glycolic Acid (chemical exfoliant), Sodium Hyaluronate (essentially man-made Hyaluronic Acid - hydrating)

TonyMoly Lemon (Brightening)

This sheet mask claims to make "dull and dark skin look radiant" which is pretty much what I'd expect from a mask labeled "Brightening" so the claims on this one look better. Again it's a 20-30 minute sheet mask and I think I left this one on even beyond the recommended 30 minutes. It has a clean citrusy scent that I personally found really pleasant throughout the masking process and again it was instantly cooling on the skin.

This one didn't give my skin any tingling at all (I left it on for longer because I was anticipating a tingle but it never happened). That said I did get some of the mask on my lips and they felt strange (almost like a slightly numbed feeling) for a little while after I'd removed the mask. There's the same issue with the fit (TonyMoly do a whole range of sheet masks and I'd imagine they just switch up the liquid and keep the actual sheet the same for each different one) and this one stayed wet throughout the whole process.

For results I find that this mask left my skin unbelievably soft and smooth. Again there was no reduction in the redness or amount of blemishes on the skin but this mask did reduce the swelling a little and made the surface of the blemish smooth (so much easier to hide under concealer the next day). Of the two I'd say this is my favourite.

Inci hot spots: Glycerin (hydrating), Glycolic Acid (chemical exfoliant), Fragrance (sensitive skins be careful)

If My Skincare Stash Disappeared...

When it comes to skincare, I think we can all agree, I'm somewhat obsessed. I have a bathroom cabinet that's practically overflowing with cleansers, a whole drawer dedicated to masks and enough serums, oils and moisturisers to last me a few years at least. I'm starting to cut back a bit on my obssesive collecting and it got me thinking - if I got rid of everything and had to start again, what would be on my shopping list?

Cleansers

In my cutting down I managed to get this down to three. As much as I absolutely love a lot of cleansers - seriously, I may have t dedicate a whole post to my favourites. The absolute have-to-have-it list is just these: the Una Brennan Vitamin C Brighten Cleansing Oil (shock horror), the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel (surprise surprise) and a more recent love in the Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser.

I wanted each of the products in this list to serve a specific purpose and I feel like these 3 work different enough to earn a spot in my hall of fame. The Una Brennan is a liquid consistency and is the product I reach for to remove makeup more often than not. I love the Oskia gel for a morning cleanse or a second cleanse post-makeup-removal in the PM. While the Tata Harper is a more recent purchase, I've nearly used up my travel mini and have a backup ready for when it's finished (and when you have as many cleansers as I do, that's a big deal). I'd been shying away from manual exfoliators for such a long time but this is nice and gentle but leaves the skin so soft and smooth, and the scent is so lovely.

Toners

I've pin-pointed two toner-step products that are must haves for me and, again, I don't think they'll be much of a surprise: For an exfoliating toner my pick is the Pixi Glow Tonic, it's effective and affordable. Enough said. I also love the La Roche Posay Serozinc since it's got anti-bacterial properties but also doubles up as a refreshing spritz since the mist is so fine. I think that both of these work equally well in the AM or the PM and they can be used together or separately. I have used lots of more expensive toners but I genuinely think these two are the ones I reach for the most and that they're the ones I'd be repurchasing once I've worked my way through my current beauty stock room.

Serums/Moisturisers/Oils

I've let myself have a few options here since I like to switch things up a bit. For AM, I love the Indeed Labs Hydralyron serum, the Clarins Lotus Facial Oil and the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream. I've spoken about Hydralyron on this blog so many times now but it's still a firm favourite for an affordable hydrating serum. My Clarin's Oil has been another one I've been quite consistent with, it's a good quality oil and it doesn't break the bank as hard as others that I enjoy and the scent is so refreshing in the morning. Then the Charlotte Tilbury cream is just lovely under makeup, I couldn't use it everyday since it's quite a rich cream and my skin isn't dry enough to warrant using this constantly but it's great when I do reach for it.

In the evening, I just love using the Esteé Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum, another product that I've chirped on about before. It's a thin jelly-ish texture and it just fixes your skin, that's all I can say about it. Although the Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil is a very recent addition to my skincare stash, it's such an SOS saviour of a product that I know I'll be going back for more once I'm out. Finally, while the Indeed Labs Fillume moisturiser isn't something I talk about much on the blog, I've been using it for a while now and it's such a good night cream, it's really plumping on the skin and makes you wakeup looking fresh.

Empties: Round Five

We're very much about using up things here at JodieMayBeauty HQ so, without further a-due, here's all the products I've used up over the last few months: part five.

Bath & Body

I feel like we need to talk shower gels, because oh my have there been some used up around here lately. I have a full sized Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash which I'd definitely buy again, I love how massive these are and the pump-style packaging is so handy, whilst they aren't the most lather-y of shower gels the scents make up for it and the Sugar Crush scent is my absolute favourite.

I've got a 50ml mini of the Therapie Boost Hair & Body Wash and a 30ml mini of the L'Occitane Verbena Shower Gel and I feel the same about both: the scents are amazing, and they're not stripping at all, but for the price, the lather just isn't there for me. You end up using so much product on each use because the formula refuses to lather so I on't be picking up more. Finally I've used up a 50ml mini of the Rituals Zensation Organic Rice Milk & Cherry Blossom Foaming Shower Gel Sensation, which I love. I've already bought a full size, the scent is amazing, the lather is lovely, it doesn't strip the skin and bonus: the packaging is lovely.

Another product from Rituals I've used up lately is a 70ml mini of the Fortune Scrub Invigorating Body Scrub. I didn't like this as much, the scent was fine but it wasn't quite scrubby enough for me. I've also finished a packet of the Serenity Dead Sea Bath Salts, I got these in a Birchbox a while back and it was hard to use them up a I don't really think they do anything: much prefer the Neal's Yard ones or the Therapie ones (they also seem to no longer be stocked on Brichbox's website).

For the boring bits I've gone through a Mitchum 48hrs Unscented Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant Stick and a Dove Original Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Spray. I think next time I'm going to go for a Mitchum spray as the Mitchum formulas work really well but I'm moving away from roll-one lately. And my final body product is the Soap & Glory Heel Genius Foot Cream. I think we're all aware by now that it;s my favourite and that I have backup upon backup of the stuff. 

Haircare

Not a whole lot for haircare this time around, but we do have both a full size and a mini of the OGX Renewing Argan Oil of Morocco Conditioner (which means I haven't done an empties since at least November - no wonder it's a mammoth one!). This is just my go-to repurchase-it-pretty-much-every-time conditioner now. I also finished off the L'Oreal EverStrong Reinforcing System Body & Strength Shampoo - same deal here, I'm not too fussed about which shampoo from this line I pick up but it's always from the Ever-Something range. Love that they're SLS free and this one gives nice volume.

A haircare product from L'Oreal that I wasn't so sold on was the PureColour Radiance Enhancing ystem Dazzling Colour Refreshing Mask. I just don't think it did all that much except make the hair a bit shinier than some things - but there's plenty of conditioners that are easier to use that do the same thing.

Makeup

I'm sure no one is surprised that I've managed to polish off two more compacts of Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder, need I say more on this stuff? It's been the only powder I've used for a solid year now. Love. I've worn an Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eyeliner Pencil in "Zero" down to a little nub. I prefer the "Perversion" shade that I'm currently using just because it's more of a true black.

The L'Oreal Lumi Magique Highlighting Pen was nice but was very similar to the New Look one, which seems to be a bit cheaper, so I think I'll go for the New Look one again next time. Similarly I've finally used up a bottle of the Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray but I don't think it doesn't anything more than the setting spray L'Oreal brought out recently.

And my last makeup product is the Bourjois Liner Effect Mascara - which did nothing for my lashes and was near impossible to apply without getting it on your eyelid or poking yourself in the eye. The brush had really long stiff bristles on one side and really short little nubs on the other side, such an awkwardly shaped brush.

Skincare

I've got quite a few single-use face masks in my empties this time around, the first one being the H&M Charcoal & Volcanic Soil Single Use Mask (only available in store - sorry!). This range of masks come in little 10ml pods so nice for travel but a bit wasteful in terms of usability - I feel like 10ml is enough for 2 applications but the packaging won't keep the product for enough time once opened to use it again. Other than my packaging gripe I really like these - I find this mask in particular to be a lot like the Origins Clear Improvements Active Charcoal Mask so if you were thinking of picking that up maybe try this first.

I've also tried the Superdrug Superfruits Exfoliating Mask. This one sets down on the face like a clay mask but has scrubby particles so as you rinse it you get a bit of exfoliation, I'd use this again. I've tried two masks from Nspa recently, the Deep Cleansing Mud Mask and the Radiance Boosting Mask, I did a review on these masks *here* and I don't really rate any of them, love a lot of things in the Nspa range but these masks are just so harsh on the skin.

I've managed to use up my Sainsbury's Vitamin E Cleansing Lotion, and while it wasn't anything special, it does the job. It's gentle on the skin and it's fragrance free so good for sensitive skin and it's a decent cleanser - I just have things I prefer so won't be picking up another. The story is pretty much the same for the Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, I used up a 20g mini of this and it's a decent cleanser, but not something I'll be repurchasing as I prefer other things.

I wasn't sure if my 25g mini of the Neal's Yard Frankincense Nourishing Cream was supposed to be for your body or your face a first but I looked into it and it's definitely a face cream. I feel like this is another one of those "it's nice but not nice enough" reviews, I enjoyed using the cream and the effect on my skin was nice, but I have other things at the moment and I'm not really missing this at all.

I got a 10ml tube of Clarins Extra-Friming Tightening Lift Botanical Serum and that is lovely, I'm trying to get through some other serums that I have in my collection right now but I can see myself picking this up again eventually. I've also worked my way through my La Roche-Pasay Serozinc which I already had a backup of in my collection and this is just one of those have-to-have-it products.

My final product is a bit of a weird one, I had a single-use sachet of the Derm Eyes Makeup Remover Wipe that I got in a Birchbox and I really couldn't make up my mind on just the one use. These are little individually wrapped pre-moistened makeup remover wipes and they sound like a great idea for festivals and things like that but they're £9.50 for 12 wipes so really not an affordable product. I just feel like I didn't have enough to go off with it and have really been enjoying the Olay Daily Facials Cleansing Cloths which are considerably cheaper.

My Experience with LoveLula

We've seen a couple of beauty subscription boxes around here already but I've been really interested in trying some more recently. (For more info click *here* for my post about LoveMeBeauty and *here*, *here* and *here* for my various posts on Birchbox. I've been toying with GlossyBox and I'm definitely going to try it out one day but, for now, I've gone for LoveLula. For two main reasons:

1. It's a smaller box - I don't see a lot of people hyping it in the beauty community, it's something that needs to be tested and talked about.

and 2. Their values are amazing. They pledge to provide a box full of high quality products that are sustainably sourced, that aren't full of chemicals, that aren't tested on animals and they fully support promoting lesser known brands and small companies. It's just ticking a lot of the "yes please" boxes for me.

I signed up with LoveLula with my first box being the March 2016 box. I've received 2 boxes from them now and it's a nice, clear set up. You can pay monthly (which I chose to do) by direct debit, or can buy 3 or 6 boxes at a time (to be dispatched monthly), I should note that unlike some other box subscription services, there is no discount for ordering multiple boxes at a time. The boxes are always dispatched around the 10th of the month and both boxes were on time, packaged nice and securely and all of the products have arrived 100% in tact.

The stand-outs in the March box were the Skin Blossom Gentle Cleansing Milk (a lovely creamy cleanser that leaves skin soft and hydrated) and the Turbliss Bioactive Peat Mask (which seems to just draw all the impurities out of my skin, love). The March box also contained 3 mini Urban Veda products, the Facial Wash, Exfoliating Facial Polish and the Day Cream from the "Turmeric + Botanics - Radiance" range. They also included sample sachets of the John Masters Organics Blood Orange & Vanilla Body Wash and the Madara Sun Flower Golden Beige Tinting Fluid. So the box was made up of a full sized cleanser, a 3 step skincare routine, a face mask and some extras and everything seemed to have a place.

By comparison, the box I received in April didn't seem so well thought out in terms of the range of products included. The April box contained another 3-step minis collection from Urban Veda (again the Facial Wash, Exfoliating Facial Polish, and the Day Cream, just this time from the "Neem + Botanics - Purifying" range. Another good sized Skin Blossom product - this time the Nourishing Face Moisturiser, a (seemingly) full size of the PHB Ethical Beauty Natural & organic Brightening Eye Gel and a Barefoot SOS Repair + Renew Light Moisturising Lotion. So while the products are still nice, I feel like the Urban Veda stuff is nearing on a repeat (and a month later? So soon!) and then an eye cream and 2 big moisturisers? Even if one had been specifically a night cream it might have worked? I'm not sure.

The boxes are £12.50 including shipping (which seems to be the price that most beauty boxes are) and the boxes seem to contain at least one full sized item and one deluxe sample each month in addition to trial sizes. They also include a 20% off coupon for the brands included in that months box. The boxes 3-6 month subscriptions are also available outside the UK with an additional charge of £5 shipping on each box.

All in all I've decided that I'm going to continue my subscription with them for now and will keep you updated on the products I get and how much I like the boxes going forward.

No Money March: The Budget Contouring Palette

I know "strobing" is the latest makeup trend but I still think contouring is the most effective way to chisel out some cheek bones and add dimension to the face. I've seen the more high-end contouring palettes and while they look pretty I just couldn't justify dropping the cash on them since I wasn't sure how much use I'd get out of them. Then I found out NYX had one so I figured I'd have a look at it, and here's what I think.

So the palette is £18 in the UK and it's made up of 8 shades. My breakdown of the functions of those shades breaks down to 3 contouring colours, 1 bronzer, 1 banana-powder type shade, 2 shimmer highlights and 1 matte highlight/light face powder. This is currently available in the UK from Boots, Selfridges, Very.com and FeelUnique.com.

I'm really pale and I find most of these shades workable for my skin. Both of the shimmer highlights are lovely on me, the top left corner "Ice Queen" is a lovely pale pinky shimmer that looks lovely on the cheek bones and "Nectar" (top right) is an orangey peach shimmer that I use as a blush topper but I can see this working well on deeper skin tones as well. The formula on the shimmer highlights is the best in the palette, these are really soft and buttery.

The matte highlight "Soft Light" (second from the left) is slightly more powdery feeling. I use this as an all over face powder but it could work as a highlight on darker skins. "Cream" (the yellow shade) is really interesting because I though it would be too dark to work on my skin but I find it blends out great and really brightens the centre of the face. With it being another matter powder it's not as creamy as the shimmers but it's definitely not what I'd call chalky either.

For the bronze-y shades I find I can only really use the two centre shades. "Tan" (bottom left) is too dark to bronze with and too warm to use as a contour and "Hollow" (bottom right) is just way too dark but the formula is pigmented and blendable on both. "Sculpt" (centre right) is my perfect contour shade and "Toffee" makes a nice pale bronzer.

The packaging isn't the most glam looking and it feels a bit cheap, but it's really functional. It seems to be marketed as a pro product so the clear lid makes sense and the hard plastic is durable so I can see this traveling well. I also like that the pans are removable so if you just wanted to travel with one of two shades you could easily pop them out and put them in another palette.

In terms of bang for your buck, it works out at £2.25 per pan and each of the pans is 2.7g. For value it works out similar to their other bronzing products which run for £8 for 9g. I think these are really reasonably priced for what you get.

I also wanted to make an honourable mention to the Spectrum Collection Tapered Finishing Brush, for budget contouring, this brush is amazing. The pink handle and blue bristles is fun and the tapered cut makes it really easy to apply contour where you want it. It's a lovely soft brush that picks up product well and blends it seamlessly and it's a synthetic brush so its cruelty free.

No Money March: Olay Daily Facials Cleansing Cloths

I could have titled this post many things referencing the unlikely-hood of what you're about to read, but there were so many choices that it all got a bit overwhelming and so I went for the obvious. Basically, Emily of Beauty Broadcast has been talking about the Olay Daily Facial in a Box on her channel for years now. So despite them being two of my top skincare loathes in one (foaming and face wipes) I just had to try them, and I'm pleasantly surprised.

These aren't your typical face wipe. They come in a box and they're dry cloths that you dampen and then they lather up. I picked up the kind for sensitive skin (in the UK I've only seen the "Sensitive" or "Normal" varieties, but in the Us I believe they carry options for both "Dry" and "Oily/Combination" also) and you get 30 in a box.

The sensitive cloths have holes in the cloth which gives them a slight texture that offers a tiny bit of gentle exfoliation to the skin without them being scratchy or abrasive at all. The actual lather is nice and soft and they cloths remove makeup really well without leaving the skin feeling stripped or dry. I personally use these to remove makeup either as a first cleanse or as a lazy night where I just want to remove the makeup and get to bed, but I can see them working equally well as a morning cleanse.

The only thing that has me a bit torn is the value for money. At full price they're £4.99 but they can be found on offer for £3 in a lot of places, so for face wipes they're a reasonable price but I just think that face wipes are generally not the most cost effective way to wash your face. However that being said, these are really nice and they're a lot cheaper than the Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing Cloths (£13 for 30) and they are the only other face wipes I've used that I'd recommend.

No Money March: The Affordable Brand Overview - LOC Cosmetics

I've spoken a lot about Birchbox lately (although rest assured that I have no sponsorship or affiliations with them, they're just doing some cool things lately) and I've been waiting for this UK launch since I saw Tati's video about her collaboration with them (here). Birchbox recently started up there first in-house brand LOC (Love of Colour) and I managed to get my hands on the whole collection, so lets have a look.

So firstly, when I say "the whole collection" I should be clear that the whole collection currently consists of just 5 products. They have 2 eye shadow sticks and 3 lip crayons available at the moment and if the US line is anything to go by I feel like it won't be long until the range expands a little.

The first thing I picked up were the eye shadow sticks. I have both shades but of the two I personally find "Champagne Problems" to be the more wearable shade, it's a nice cool silvery-taupe shade with shimmer and it makes a great lid shade and also works nicely on the lid. The other shade available is "Perfect Cents" which is a warm golden shade with shimmer. Both shades are really pretty, I just find that really warm shades don't sit as nicely on my skin tone.

The formulas on these are amazing. They apply nice and creamily to the lids and you have a decent amount of time to work with them so they blend out really effortlessly. Once you've blended them in they set down on the skin and are pretty much budge-proof. I don't experience any creasing with these at all.

I also really like the matte lip crayons. These are currently available in 3 shades: "Skinny Dip" (a warm nude), "Trouble" (a vibrant slightly warm red) and "Uncorked" (a bright berry). I find the formula on these to be comparable to the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencils, they're not quite the same but they have that almost powdery feeling finish on the lips and the staying power on them is really good.

They're super affordable products at £8 each for the eye pencils and £6.50 each for the lip crayons. They're also available in value sets which makes them an even better deal, you can get all 3 lip crayons in a set for £14 or if you want the whole collection thats available for £25 so definitely high street pricing. Being an in-house brand these products are currently only available to purchase via Birchbox's website.

My one gripe with these is the amount of product you get. The shadow sticks contain 1.35g of product and the lip crayons are a mere 0.6g a piece. Now for the shadow sticks it's not too bad as I find the standard amount of product for an eyeshadow pencil to be around 1.6g a piece. The lipsticks however, not so much. I compared these to the Nars pencils before and Nars give you 2.4g of product for £19, so LOC give you a quarter of the amount of product for around a 3rd of the price. I do really like the LOC lip crayons but I can't honestly say I feel they give you value for money.

No Money March: New Revlon Mascara Marathon - Volume + Length Magnified

So today brings us the closing instalment of our Revlon mascara marathon, and I have (accidentally) saved the best for last. While I thought I'd love the All-In-One that we looked at on Monday, it's the Volume + Length Magnified formula that really left a lasting impression on me.

I must admit, I struggled to see what would be different about the claims for this one and the All-In-One, but these claims seem to be a lot more realistic:

"Create envy with every lash flutter using the Revlon Volume & Length Magnified Mascara . The high-shine fibre formula provides amplified volume and length for big doe eyed lashes.

It’s all about the brush:

The Revlon Magnifying Lash Brush has a unique square brush, which anchors the formula to lashes, coating them individually for intense volume and length."

This does have that same lash-fibre formula as the All-In-One, but I feel that the Volume + Length Magnified has a wand that is better equipped for depositing the lash fibres onto the lashes in a way that looks more natural. This wand is a traditional bristle brush and I find that it's a really good size (neither over nor under sized) and that the bristles aren't too long or too short either. It's basically a standard no-frills-attached mascara wand.

I find this product to be very lengthening to the lashes and you can easily build volume with it if you take the time to build it up. I can comfortably apply 2 coats and started to see the tiniest amount of clumping on the 3rd coat but it does give a very fluttery looking lash. I think this is the all-rounder of the bunch, it gives length, volume and the lashes still look nicely defined with this.

That being said - I am interested to see which of the bunch you prefer if you've tried any of these?

No Money March: New Revlon Mascara Marathon - Dramatic Definition

So our Revlon mascaras takeover is still going strong and today we're looking at the Dramatic Definition formula. It's occurred to me that in none of the previous posts have I mentioned the price, I picked mine up at an introductory price of £6.99, but once full price these will retail for £9.99 a piece which seems to be the standard for high-street mascaras these days.

Like the Ultra Volume that we looked at on Tuesday, this was one from the line-up that I really couldn't see working for me since I have quite short lashes and this product claims to:

"Exaggerate your look by using the Revlon Dramatic Definition Mascara. The smooth, flexible formula coats lashes for clump-free definition ensuring lashes appear endless.

It’s all about the brush:

The Revlon Lash Separator Brush coats and separates each lash for dramatic, bold definition, whilst the tiered bristles define and separate every lash, resulting in thick, heavy black lashes."

This mascara has a rubber bristle brush and the bristles are distributed in 5 rows that are quite spaced apart from each other, the tip of the wand is also quite flexible. I picked this up in non-water-proof and I feel like the formula on this mascara is exactly the same as the formula on the Ultra Volume, so a tiny bit of smudging but no flaking.

When I think of defining mascaras I tend to think of "barely there" lashes, or lashes that are naturally long and full looking that don't need much help and with just one coat thats exactly what this mascara does. I find that the first coat with this one doesn't deposit much product onto the lashes and it does leave a really defined look to the lashes.

That being said, if you try to build up any type of volume of length you will notice the definition in your lashes disappear pretty quickly. I can apply 2 coats comfortably and the mascara builds on itself nicely but by coat 3 things can start looking a tiny bit clumpy and I needed the 3rd coat to get the length I wanted.

If your lashes aren't too short or you don't mind a tiny bit of clumping, this might be for you. I also think you'll like this if you're looking for a more natural lash.

No Money March: New Revlon Mascara Marathon - Super Length

Day 3 of Revlon mascara's week and if you're wondering how I'm choosing what order to post these in by now - it's the rainbow song. You know, the one that goes "red and yellow and pink and green...". I didn't want to go in order of preference because I thought it would ruin the surprise of whether or not I got on with it. But that aside, lets have a look a todays pick: the Super Length formula.

The Super Length mascara is the one in the green packaging and as a girl with short lashes, I thought this one would be something I'd get on with. The marketing claims on this product state that it's"

"A luscious formula, which glides on easily and builds up quickly to create incredible lash length.

It’s all about the brush:

The innovative Revlon Stretch Brush tip coats even the smallest of lashes, whilst the long side bristles pulls the high-shine, length fibres through lashes to create serious super lashes."

Now I have no idea what brush the marketing people were looking at when they came up with those claims, but it cannot possibly have been the brush on this mascara. The brush is a stand bristle mascara wand but it's easily twice as big as most, which makes it quite clumsy to apply. I did find that the mascara offered length but it didn't seem any more lengthening than any of the others in the range and it offered next to nothing in terms of volume.

This is the only one from the range that I picked up in the water-proof formula. I don't usually wear water-proof mascara as I don't usually need it but for the purposes of testing I wanted to try one and I found that while the water-proof formula didn't smudge at all, it flaked off more than the non-water-proof formulas.

No Money March: New Revlon Mascara Marathon - Ultra Volume

Day 2 of the Revlon mascara take-over week and today we're looking at the "Ultra Volume" formula in the pink packaging. Of the 5 different formula's available this was one of the two that stood out to me as something I didn't think I'd get on with, but in the interest of offering a complete review of the collection I gave it a go anyway.

We're sticking to the non-water-proof formula so in terms of smudging and flaking it's really similar to yesterdays pick. The main difference I found in the formulas was that this one doesn't seem to have the little lash fibres. Here's what the claims are:

"Introducing Ultra Volume Mascara, allowing you to create massive, volumised lashes with a conditioning, clump free formula, which plumps lashes for intense volume.

It’s all about the brush:

The Revlon Lash Plumping Brush has triple grooves to hold the mascara formula for maximum lash volume, whilst the short and long bristles eliminate clumps; ensuring lashes are thick and voluminous."

So the brush on this one is a standard bristle brush but I do think the bristles seem to be a bit more spaced out than they are on other wands I've seen. I also notice that while the wand doesn't seem to be upsized at all, the bristles do seem to be a bit longer than you would typically find on a traditional bristle mascara wand.

I'd say of all the mascaras in the collection, this one has the most accurate claims. On my lashes it gives a lot of volume and not much else. It's not particularly clumpy for such a volumising mascara but it does give that almost spider-y look to my lashes. I think this is because while it's really volumising, it offers little in terms of length and so if you have shorter lashes like mine, this isn't going to balance them out amazingly.

I personally think I'll get the most use out of this product as a layering mascara on top of something that's really lengthening just to add a bit more drama. However if you have long, thin lashes, this might work a treat for you.

No Money March: New Revlon Mascara Marathon - Ultimate All-In-One

So we're having a theme within a theme this week. We're on a month of high street beauty bits and I'm devoting this week to a pretty big launch from Revlon. I've liked a few of Revlon's mascaras in the past but they recently pulled the plug on every single mascara they had on offer and replaced them with a new line of 5 new ones, all targeted at a different lash concern.

Today we're looking at the Ultimate All-In-One Mascara, which is the one with the red lid, and after looking at the marketing behind these mascaras, this was the one I wanted to try the most. Revlon market this as "the holy grail of mascaras" and claims that it features

"5 lash transforming benefits leaving no lash behind, allowing you to achieve:

- Volume

- Length

- Definition

- Lift

- Intense Colour

It’s all about the brush:

The revolutionary small but mighty Revlon Power Mini Brush has a hollow core, designed to maximise the amount of formula to the lashes, as well as a unique mini oval shape for easy application, which reaches and covers every lash to create an intense and unbelievable length lash look."

If those aren't bold claims, I don't know what are. Honestly? I was really disappointed with this one. I find that while the hollow sections are intended to hold product to create an "unbelievable length lash" actually make it near impossible to build any length at all. As I applied the mascara volume built up very quickly and as I applied more coats to try to build length I found my lashes started to look clumpy.

The formula also has little lash fibres in the formula but the teeth on the wand aren't long enough to comb through the lashes so any fibres that are deposited onto the lashes aren't necessarily straight. In terms of the formula I got the non-waterproof and I didn't notice massive amounts of smudging or flaking and it was easily removed at the end of the day with a cleansing oil.

No Money March: Soap & Glory Archery Brow Putty Dip Pot & Brush

Brows have always been the one area of makeup that I feel like I can never get quite right. I have naturally sparse, mousey brows and I've always dyed my hair darker and in a way that makes my natural brows look borderline non-existent. With that in mind, every time a new high stress brow product launches, I get a bit excited and so I picked up the Soap & Glory Dip Pot & Brush pretty much as soon as I saw it had launched.

So the packaging of this looks very much like a jumbo pen eyeliner packaging, it's quite a thick tube with a pull off cap and initially I thought the product would be in the cap of the packaging. When you pull the cap off there's a clean brush underneath and the product is in a pot that you unscrew from the bottom of the product.

My initial though is that the packaging is a little clumsy. This is essentially a brow pomade type product and it would have been much more practical for them to package it as a pot with a separate brush like other brands have released and I think S&G have packaged it this way to make it look like it's something really different. At £10 full price it's at the same price point as most of Soap & Glory's other brow products and it sits in the upper end of high-street pricing.

Packaging aside its nice. The brush is small enough for you to not overload the brows and the product is dry enough and sheer enough that you don't end up looking like you've sharpie'd on your brows. The shade selection isn't terrible, there's 3 shades to pick from "Love is Blonde", "Brownie Points" and "Dark Chocolate", Soap & Glory's brow products usually only have 2 shade varieties so this is a step in the right direction for them.

With it being a brush that you have to dip into product it's not nearly as quick to apply as a brow pencil but I wouldn't say that it takes so long that it's impractical and the finished result is nice and natural looking. I do think it's missing a spool-y brush to comb through the brows as with the formula being quite waxy I like to comb through the brows both before application to make the shape easier to follow and then again after I've filled them in to blend in any areas that I may have been heavy-handed in.

All in all I think it's a decent product. While I have some gripe with the packaging it does work nicely and it's not unreasonably priced. If you're into brow pomades it might be worth checking out.

No Money March: Maybelline Dream Velvet Foundation

As a super oily t-zone sufferer, every time I see a new base product with the word "matte" in the title, it goes straight to the top of the "must try" list. So naturally, the second the new Maybelline Dream Velvet Foundation hit the shelves of the Great British high street, I was on that faster than I could say the products name. I've been testing it for a few weeks so let's have a look at what I thought:

First off: the packaging. I cannot explain the joy I feel when brands package products in sanitary containers. Seriously. Glass bottles and fancy jars are nice and all, but if it doesn't have a pump I'd rather have a squeeze-y tube any day. So +5 points to Maybelline for the packaging on this, I also like that the lightweight plastic makes it really travel friendly.

I also appreciate that Maybelline foundations tend to be on the more affordable end of the spectrum for high-street prices. While L'Oreal and Maxfactor tend to charge £10+ for theirs, this is comfortably in the middle of Maybelline's foundation pricing at £7.99 for 30ml.

The product squeezes out with a really whipped consistency, and feels almost like a thick mousse in texture. It feels nice and creamy going onto the skin but sets down with a matte cream-to-powder finish quite quickly. One thing to keep in mind is that this foundation does set really quickly - which is nice if you like to apply your makeup quite quickly but it does mean you'll have less time to blend it into the skin. I apply it to my face in sections to avoid streaking.

I would say the coverage is light to medium. If you just apply one thin layer to the skin you'll be able to see freckles and will need concealer to hide slightly bigger issues on the face. However as the product sets really quickly it is so easy to layer up with. I find that by the time I've finished the first layer I can go straight in with a second if I want to build it up. However the formula isn't completely weightless on the skin so the more you apply the more you will feel the product on the skin.

The wear time on this is great, I set it with my Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot powder as I do with all foundations (and no, I don't think I'll ver stop raving about that powder). I find that I do get a little shiny in my t-zone after about 5-6 hours of wear but I get that with most foundations. My only other gripe about wear time is that I find sometimes my cheeky start to look a bit cake-y as the day goes by, but this isn't something that happens all the time so it may be to do with other products I've been using - will check back on that.

I do also like that you can apply this in a variety of ways and it looks nice. I personally prefer to apply this foundation with fingers but I've also had a nice effect applying it with a damp makeup sponge (my usual preferred method). Which brings me nicely to my next point:

The Maybelline Dream Blender Foundation Sponge.

I picked this up as it's advertised as the tool to apply the foundation with and there was an offer on them when I picked mine up. Honestly? I can't say I'm a fan, and here's why:

While it does apply the mousse textured Dream Velvet Foundation nicely, it's not a massively versatile tool as I find the sponge is too firm to be used wet, and a dry firm sponge isn't going to apply most formulas to the skin in a way that give a natural finish. At first I really liked the idea of the handle as not touching the sponge would be more hygienic for the face and would also keep your hands foundation-free but I find that, again, it makes it more difficult to get a natural finish.

But by far the most annoying thing about it is the size. The sponge on the end of this tool is about half the size of a dry beauty blender, and because the sponge is so small, it takes so long to apply foundation that it's impractical at best. Personally I feel like for just £1 more, you can get the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge and that this is a far better tool for applying foundation.

Balance Me Congested Skin Serum

Some people like to find a skincare routine that works for them and stick to it. Me? Not so much. I've been trialling a lot of newness (or at least new to my skincare stash-ness) lately and one of the things I've been playing with for a little while is the Balance Me Congested Skin Serum. So I figured I'd let you know how it's been working for me.

So this product is a little confusingly marketed, my first thought was "ooh, a serum for £16, that might be a nice budget product for the blog"! Upon it's arrival I noticed it was only 15ml of product which pushed it more into the mid-range price bracket, and then upon reading the packaging, it doesn't seem to be a serum at all, it's a spot treatment.

So confusion aside, it seems to be reasonably priced compared to higher end spot treatments (Origins Super Spot Remover is £15 for 10ml, Benefit Boo Boo Zap is £14.50 for 7.4ml for comparison). The packaging is also quite nice, it's a hard-plastic tube with a pump on the top. The pump doesn't pump out too much product and it keeps things nice and sanitary which is exactly what you need on a spot treatment.

The actual product is white in colour but goes clear and colourless as you press it into the skin. It has a thin, slightly gel-like texture to it which absorbs into the skin fairly quickly. As I've mentioned this is intended to be a targeted spot treatment which you just dab directly onto blemishes, but the formula isn't at all stripping and I see no reason why you couldn't use it all over the face. I myself have used this as an all-over serum and didn't notice any dryness or dehydration at all, and I find even when used all over the face that it sits well under makeup and won't drink up liquid foundation.

I found the scent on this serum/treatment really pleasant, it's a nice sweet citrus-y scent that will wake you up a bit if used in the morning. I didn't notice the scent lingering on the skin too long after application and it's not at all over-powering for those of you that are sensitive to fragrance. However for those with sensitivities I will mention that the formula does list some ingredients like essential oils so if that's something your skin doesn't like this might be one to skip.

Other than that I think this is a nice product - I personally prefer it as a serum than a spot treatment but if it's a spot treatment you're looking for, this is a nice gentle one that might be worth a try.

My Must-Have Masks

Face masks have always been a really popular product type in the world of skincare and with good reason. They tend to be my go-to product for a quick fix when my skin's misbehaving and I've tried an awful lot of them but here's a run down of my favourites from the ones I've tried:

For the dry or dehydrated out there, there's a lot of moisturising masks on the market and, while some budget options are quite good, my absolute favourite one is the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask (£23 for 100ml). It's essentially a super heavy duty night cream and you apply a thin layer before bed for a boost of hydration. The scent is nice and fruity and it leaves the skin feeling soft and supple. If the Origins is out of your price range my affordable alternative would be the Super Facialist by Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Intense Moisture Mask at £9.99 for 125ml. This is more of a quick fix type mask than an overnight treatment but it works well and the rose scent is lovely.

Clay masks are something you really don't need to spend a lot of money on if you don't want to. My absolute favourite clay mask is the Aroma Actives Deep Cleansing & Purifying Clay Mask. It's around the £10 mark for 100ml and I pick this up from Sainsbury's (although this product isn't available on the Sainsbury's website), I like this one because it's an effective clay mask but it doesn't strip all of the moisture out of the skin like some clay masks do. If Aroma Actives isn't available near you or if you just fancy splurging on a more luxe clay mask, the Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Skin Clay Mask is a nice one. My only problem with it is that, at £45 for 75ml, I think it's quite steeply priced for something that works very similarly to the Aroma Actives one.

The final mask type I'll be talking about today is the exfoliating mask. I have two that work very similarly and they are the Oskia Renaissance Mask and the Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask. They're both an orange-y pink gel texture with a soft rose-y scent. They both go onto the skin with a jelly-ish texture and neither of them will dry or "set' on the face. I personally wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them in a blind trial and they're quite similarly priced with the Oskia being £48.50 for 50ml and the Tata Harper being £45 for 30ml. I'll leave either of these on for 3-10 minutes, rinse off and my skin feels so smooth after use.

A good exfoliating mask for me has some slightly pricier ingredients in the formula and, because of that, I haven't been able to find a more budget friendly option. However if you're strapped for cash and need some exfoliation in your life I'd recommend a more affordable exfoliating toner which you can use 2-3 times a week like the Pixi Glow Tonic (£18 for 250ml) or the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads (£22 for 60 pads).

Nspa Does Face Masks

A while I did a post about the Nspa Skincare range at Asda (clicky link: here) and there was some gems in that post so when I saw that they did little face-mask sachets, I figured they'd be worth a try. There's 3 in the range and they're all aimed at different skin concerns, so lets ave a look.

So the first one I tried was the Nspa "Treat" Warming Detox Mask. The mask comes in a pink sachet and claims to be a "elf-heating treatment with natural clay to deeply cleanse the skin" and if I'm honest, I can't really offer this mask a fair review. I used it precisely once and the smell was so awful that I had to remove it immediately, it made me feel a bit sick. Now I know scent isn't everything and that as long as something works the scent shouldn't be a big thing, but for something that you have to leave on for 15 minutes, the scent is unbelievable strong and overpowering.

The second mask I tried was a bit better. The Nspa "Cleanse" Deep Cleansing Mask claims that it is "A dead-sea mineral mud mask to treat and refresh the skin for a beautiful complexion". This one goes on to the skin a light blue colour and though the sachet recommends 15 minutes, I found that it dried down in around 5 minutes. The scent was fresh with a slight hint of mint and was light enough that it wasn't overpowering. You get 2 uses out of the sachets and it left my skin feeling nice and smooth on removal, however it did leave my skin craving moisture and I have oily/combination skin.

The final variety in the range is the Nspa "Moisturise" Radiance Boosting Mask, and this one is the worst of the lot. It goes onto the face light pink and feels nice and cooling on application. The scent was a nice soft sweet almost herbal-y scent that was completely non-offensive and, again, you can get 2 uses out of the packet. I was really happy with it at first. Now fast-forward 5-10 minutes later, the mask had dried and as I wen to remove it my skin underneath was red and dry started heating up. The redness was really blotchy and didn't go down (even after I'd applied some nourishing oils) for a few hours.

I don't like posting super negative reviews but I thought this was worth sharing - especially that last one since the mask actually seemed to be damaging. I am really disappointment since there's lots of other products in the Nspa range that are really nice, amazing value products but these are just not great.

The Perfect Smokey Eye With Tom Ford

I've mentioned owning the Tom Ford Eye Shadow Quad in "Sahara Haze" before on the blog but I wanted to give it a good testing before I did a full post on it. I was going to pick up a few of the palettes and do a review on the line as a whole but I figured that really, the palettes are so different that stand alone reviews made sense. So this is on the "Sahara Haze" colour collections but if you're wanting to hear about the others, I'm up for doing those posts for you too.

So I guess the first thing we need to address with this product is the price. Yes, it's expensive. Yes, it's only four shades. Yes, it's a little bit outrageous, but it's Tom Ford. While I do think his products are pricey, lets not forget that there's some other fashion designers that have released cosmetics recently that are also earth-shatteringly expensive (I'm looking at you Mr Louboutin). Aside from the ingredient and the 10g of product, you're paying for the name and the packaging with a product like this.

I think the packaging is nicely done, it feels really luxe with the little velvet pouch (that yes, I do keep) and the mirrored brown and gold palette casing is nicely weighted and feels sturdy and substantial. When you open the palette, inside the lid there's a really nicely sized mirror and a small well that contains two mini applicators.

The applicators included are usable if a little cheaply done - two double ended applicators, both have one end that is a standard sponge tip and then the others ends are a tapered sponge tip on one and a thin tapered brush which is actually quite soft. Your eyeshadow will look fine if you use these but for the price it would have been nice to see some actual brushes included. Although I should mention that the sponge used on the sponge tips is softer than the ones you'd fine in an NYC quad, so they are "high-end" sponge tips, if those exist.

The eyeshadow pans are nice and big so you'll have no trouble dipping whatever brush you want into them and in the "Sahara Haze" collection, it's a variety of smokey looking shades. The lightest shade is a creamy off-white with yellow-gold undertones and for me it's like a satin with a bit more glow to it, very pretty everyday shade. The next shade working clockwise is a medium cool grey, standard satin finish and possibly a little on the sheer side - for me this is the weakest shade in the palette. The darkest shade comes off black but definitely has a hint of greenish tones in there and is laced with super-fine gold glitter. And then the final shade is one of the much-hyped "Glitter Top Coat" shades, in a swatch it comes off as a very light green with lots of gold glitter but when applied to the eyes it gives a similar effect as a super-fine micro-glitter pigment would.

All in all, the shades are all really pretty and work perfectly together to create a really glam smokey eye for an evening out. They're also all really unique, even the light creamy colour is unlike anything else in my collection. My main disappointment is that despite there being four shades to play with, I feel like there's only really one look I can achieve with it because of the colour selection. If the grey had been swapped out for a more brown-ish medium shade then you'd have had a day time look with the lightest and medium shades and you could work in the deeper colour and the glitter for an evening look but the grey confines it to a lid shade for me.

For quality the shadows are soft and creamy and they are really easy to apply and blend on the eyes. I feel like when I've done my eyeshadow using these products everything on the eyes looks nice and seamlessly glam. I will mention that because the shades are so creamy they can fall down a little when you're applying so you might want to be careful in that respect but they are really nice shadows that I do really enjoy using. I just think this colour selection is a little limiting in terms of the looks you can achieve with them.

Tata Harper Glow On Demand Set Review

Tata Harper is a brand that I've been interested in trying for ages now but this it being a pricier brand I was waiting for a sample kit that really spoke to me and the Glow On Demand Set did just that. While they have had the Tata's Daily Essentials Set on Cult Beauty for a while now, and you get to try a lot in that set, it was the cleansers I was itching to try and that kit had more "other" skin care bits to it. So when the Glow on Demand came out, I practically jumped for joy.

The set contains 4 travel minis: the Purifying Cleanser, the Hydrating Floral Essence, the Regenerating Cleanser and the Resurfacing Mask and it also contained a sample of one of the Volumising Lip and Cheek Tints which I got in the shade "Very Naughty". The travel mini's are all 15ml and come in substantial-feeling glass packaging that definitely feels sturdy enough to travel with and are all able to be re-filled, so if you really like them you can buy the full sizes and decant into the these bottles for travel which I think is a nice touch.

The Regenerating Cleanser is one of those exfoliating cleansers with the grainy particles in it. The actual formula of the cleanser is a very fluid, creamy liquid that's easy to work into the skin and the exfoliating particles are very fine and not overly abrasive. This one has a lovely orange-zest type scent to it which is refreshing during use but it doesn't seem to linger too long once you're done with your skincare routine.

I'd pin this as a morning cleanser because of the scent and the fact that you can't really use it for makeup removal because the exfoliation - it's not a cleanser I'd use too close to the eye area. I personally remove with a hot, damp wash cloth but I can't see any reason why you couldn't splash it off with water. My skin feels clean and soft after use but I'd be careful with it if you're prone to breakouts, simply on the fact that it's a manual exfoliant which can spread bacteria from existing breakouts all over the face.

I was really excited to try the Purifying Cleanser and it really didn't disappoint. This one is more of a gel cleanser but I don't lather with it. I use it as an evening cleanser after makeup removal or it makes a nice AM cleanse as well. Again this has a citrus-y orange-type scent to it but there's more of an earthy undertone with the scent on this cleanser.

It goes onto the skin like a gel and is one of those cleansers that almost melts down into an oily texture when you work it in to the skin. This is another one that I prefer to remove with a wash cloth but I have splashed off with water whilst traveling and that works too, I just feel like you don't get the same feeling of "ooh, my skin feels so clean and smooth right now" because you don't get the added exfoliating from the flannel.

The Hydrating Floral Essence is nice if unnecessary. It has a very subtle sweet rosy scent to it and it feels lovely and refreshing as you spray it on the skin. It does leave a bit of a glow on the skin and does add a layer of moisture into your routine but ultimately one of those princess products that's an add on. While I do like this product it's definitely not a "must have product". If budget is a concern for you, spend your money on a good cleanser, a great serum, a sturdy moisturiser and a mask that's tailored to your specific skin concern before you start looking into products like this.

I loved the Resurfacing Mask. It's a cooling gel texture that feels silky on the skin and it's an exfoliating mask that really leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth once I've removed it. The rose scent is lovely and it doesn't leave my skin crying out for moisturiser on removal like some exfoliating masks do.

My one thing with this mask is that I can't help but draw parallels between this one and the Oskia Renaissance Mask, which is another one of my favourites. That is also a rose scented, gel formula exfoliating mask, although that one does feel a little more firm in the pot than the Tata mask. I'm struggling to see much difference in them, and while the Oskia mask is £48.50 to the Tata's £44, the Oskia contains 50ml and Tata only gives you 30ml. At the end of the day if you already like one of the masks, you'll probably like the other, but the Oskia does seem to be more affordable per ml.

I haven't really formed a solid opinion on the lip and cheek tint yet. It's not really a shade I'll wear on my cheeks with it being a bright red and the format is a bit fiddly for me for use on the lips (give me a traditional tube-format lip product any day). I don't even particularly find myself drawn to the shade all that much, it's a sheer poppy redand I much prefer the look of say the Benetint Lip Balm or something like MAC Luster Finish Lipstick in "Ladybug".

Some Bits From The Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Collection

So when I heard that Gwen Stefani was collaborating with Urban Decay to bring out a whole collection of products, I got a little giddy. I have a whole review on the Eyeshadow Palette from the collection here and while I wasn’t sure how much I’d like it just looking at the shades, it’s landed straight in my favourites list. So here’s my thought on the rest of the bits I picked up from the collection.

The Gwen Stefani Lipsticks were just one of those things that I had to have. There wasn’t a singe shade in the lineup that I wasn’t interested in so narrowing it down to a non-outrageous number was difficult and after trying the two I picked up I’m pretty sure I’ll be going back for more. In the end I picked up shades “714” (the Mega-Matte red) and “Firebird” (the vibrant blue toned pink). I love both of the shades and they’re colours I’ll get a lot of wear out of.

Out of the two I’d say the “Firebird” is my favourite, the texture is really comfortable with it being a creamy finish and the micro-shimmer is really pretty without being OTT or at all garish. I love the shade of “714” and the mega-matte finish is lovely and long-lasting but the comfort factor lets it down a little bit. I really like both though and I think I need to go back for “Rock Steady” and “Wonderland” in particular. The other stand-out quality to these is the packaging. While it can feel a little bit flimsy as it’s just plastic, the black and gold graphic print is really lovely.

When I picked up my first pieces from the collection I didn’t think I needed the Gwen Stefani 24.7 Glide On Lip Pencils and that I’d have stuff in my collection that would work. For some of the shades in the collection that’s definitely the case but there some do seem to be a bit more unique. I have MAC’s Lip Pencil in “Redd” and that’s a near dead-on match for “714” but “Firebird” is a bit more unique and I'm considering picking up the matching lip liner. The packaging is beautiful. You can really tell that Gwen had an input into every aspect of these products.

Finally we have the Gwen Stefani Blush Palette. XSparkage’s review on this piece sparked my interest in this (no pun intended - honest). The rest of collection came out in America before it hit the UK so when she said it was perfect for pale skin tones I figured I needed to at least give it a go and it IS pretty. After having actually used it, I’m not sure it’s exactly what I wanted it to be. The matte-bronzer shade is really warm so it’s no good for contouring, you’d need a separate contouring product. Then there's a shimmery bronze-y shade that’s really pretty to add a sun-lit glow. The highlight shade is really lovely too, a very intense highlight that’s great for pale-ys, and the 3 blush shades are really great but you need to be so carful with them because they’re really pigmented. Really I just wanted to see something that would work as a contour in here, that’s the thing that really lets it down because for me it’s not an “all you need for cheeks” palette without one. That being said, if you’re pale and not fussed with contouring, I can imagine you’d think this was pretty perfect.