Review: Silisponge

Before I begin, no matter what happens, no matter what crazy inventions come out this year, the silisponge is definitely my product of the year. It's literally changed my life. No really. 

The sili-what?

The silisponge is a silicone make up sponge basically. I wouldn't actually call it a sponge as it doesn't soak up any product. It's cheaply made and is just wonderful at applying and blending make up. I bought this bad boy towards the beginning of the year and haven't gone back to applying my make using brushes or my fingers. 

What? Where? How?

I bought my silisponge off eBay. It's not the official silisponge but I thought to myself, how fake or different can a silicone sponge be? The one I received was amazing quality. I have heard there are some really bad dupes out there though that break really easily or irriates skin, but mine has been great so far! They seem to come in a variety of shapes and sizes - I've opted for the tear shaped one rather than the long rectagular-ish one just because I find the shape suits how I apply make up more. 

Pros

• It's extremely easy to clean in comparison to a beauty sponge or brush, literally takes less than 2 minutes with some gentle hand soap or baby shampoo and it's good as new again
• Doesn't soak up product meaning your foundation bottle will last longer, a little really goes a long way using this
• Great rounded shapes, helps blend make up into creases and corners
• As it's not a sponge, it won't retain bacteria or pick up a lot of dust / dead skin cells etc
• Comes in a variety of shapes and colours / designs
• Super cheap to replace if it rips 
• Pretty durable (just keep it away from tweezers etc) 

Cons

• Has a tendency to smear make up rather than blend evenly - I find this depends on what make up you're applying with it, whilst it's great for applying BB cream (this is what I use it for on a daily basis) or creamier foundations, it's not so great at applying foundations that are more matte / dry in texture 
• Not as multipurpose as a beauty blender - you can't really use this product for compact powders for example 
• Can be easily ripped / perforated by tweezers - I keep mine in a little pouch inside my make up bag as I also have tweezers floating around in there
• Takes a bit of practice or getting used to once you first use it, it's not the easiest of make up tools to use in comparison to the beauty blender or standard foundation brushes

Overall, despite the cons, I'm super happy with my silisponge. As I use BB cream on a daily basis, it's great for serving the purpose of applying it. I'm getting less spots as my silisponge is cleaned everyday (as it's so easy to clean) and it's great at blending my BB cream to give me that dewy look. However, as the foundation I used is more of a dry texture (I've been using Kill Cover Foundation), I still find using my beauty blender better than the silisponge for now. 

Review: CLIO Kill Cover Highest Wear Foundation

I've been hunting for a new foundation for a loooong time and came across this foundation from CLIO called Kill Cover. CLIO is a Korean cosmetics brand and have a wide range of make up for sale, you can find their full range here. 

This foundation comes in 6 supposed shades but I've only ever seen 3 of these shades being sold - Lingerie (2-BP), Linen (3-BY) and Ginger (4-BO), so yeah, not much choice. They're all really light shades so in terms of having a variety to suit skin shades is a bit disappointing. Lingerie is described as a rose beige, Linen is a yellow-toned natural beige and Ginger is a yellow-toned beige again but slightly darker than Linen with a bit of red in it. 

I decided to go for Linen as my skin tone is pretty neutral and on the yellow side and here's what I think:

Consistency

The consistency of this foundation is slightly more watery than other foundations, it applies well on the skin and doesn't leave a cakey finish.

Coverage

If you're looking for a foundation with high coverage, this isn't the foundation for you. I find this foundation to be a light-medium coverage. I had a couple of pimple scars and fresh pimples that didn't really cover up after applying this foundation. It makes pimple-less skin look amazingly healthy though with a slight dewy finish (not as dewy as BB cream of course).

Colour

The colour of this foundation is definitely NOT true to the colour chart out there. If possible, you should definitely try a tester before buying (you should be doing that anyway). For me, these shades in general fell a little pale for me but it does oxidise and should be used without primer for best results. Linen was closest to my skin colour as Ginger tended to be very similar to Linen but with a warmer tone to it. 

I first applied this using a foundation brush and I looked super pale even when topped with a powder to set the foundation (I was like, ghostly). Second time round, I applied this foundation using my fingers and with generally less product and it oxidised to fit my skin tone perfectly. I think as this foundation is generally on the more watery side and isn't as thick as other foundations out there, applying using your fingers is better than using a brush.

Feel

This foundation felt super light on my face, I didn't feel like I was wearing foundation at all. However, if you have dry skin, be wary - this foundation does everything it can to emphasise the dry flaky areas of your face. As this foundation is watery rather than creamy and thick, it sits dry on the face and therefore any dry patches will be exposed. I would recommend using a good day cream before applying this foundation to prevent flakyness. Otherwise, this foundation feels great on the face. 

Wear

When this foundation says highest wear, it really does mean highest wear. The foundation stays on all day and doesn't really need topping up. I find that because it is quite a dry foundation, it doesn't need much oil control throughout the day. It also stays matte for a long time, I only found myself looking ever so slightly oily right towards the end of the day. 

Cost

In terms of cost, this foundation isn't cheap. It costs around £20 which is not as expensive as brands like MAC or Nars but not as cheap as drugstore foundation. I think it's pretty good value for money considering I only wear foundation on weekends and BB cream during the working week. Though that being said, I hope there'll be more variety in shades in the future as the current line up is very limited with all shades being uber pale. Overall, I don't think I'd buy this foundation again as I'd probably rather splash an extra £12 and buy Nars instead. This foundation for me is quite situational as if I had dry skin - I wouldn't be able to use it, if I tanned on holiday - I wouldn't be able to use it. 

Rook Piercing Diary: Days 1-5

Hello!

So last Friday, my colleague and I decided to head down to the local tattoo studio near our workplace and get our ears pierced during our lunch break. I've had my eye on the rook piercing for a good couple of years now - I think it was after I got my conch pierced that I was itching for my next piercing and thought one day I'm going to get the rook done.

I didn't actually feel nervous until it was my turn (my colleague went first - she got her helix and second lobes done), I've done extensive research about the rook piercing as many people have said it's the most painful one you can get on your ears so obviously I was preparing myself for some intensive pain to be inflicted upon me. I thought to myself, how much worse can it be compared to when I got my conch done? Don't get me wrong, my conch was painful and a super bitch to heal but that was a good 4-5 years ago since it happened so I couldn't accurately remember how painful it was.

The lady that did my piercing was lovely, she explained to me how she was going to do it, showed me what barbell she was going to put it in and marked the position, showing me where the piercing was going to fit. It was over very quickly, it was the way she counted down that made me soooo nervous but it was absolutely fine, it was a very sharp pinch, a burning sensation and then the jewellery was in. I've heard so many people bleed during the piercing process but I was blood-free!

1 hour after piercing - a little red, but barely any pain, not very swollen either.

Days 2 - 4 were fine, it was good to have a weekend to care for the piercing. It's been so difficult to take care of my piercing during a normal work day. I still haven't managed to find a routine where I can fit in 2 x SSS which is slightly annoying. I've been doing a SSS as soon as I get home from work - I walk quite a lot during the day as I live quite far from the train station so imagining how much dirt, grease and dead skin get in and around my piercing makes me cringe a little inside. Anyhoo, as long as I'm keeping it clean I guess I'll be OK?

Today was day 5 - my ear was fine until towards the end of the day, note that I so far haven't knocked it even once or caught it or slept on it so I'm actually doing really well! When I got home from work, my ear was a little sore, it was that dull bruised kind of pain that I hadn't felt ever since I got it pierced. As soon as I got home, I cleaned my ear with some antibacterial soap to try and get all the accumulated dirt out of it. Then had a shower a couple of hours later and oh my gosh, my rook was SWOLLEN (it still is). Did another SSS and clean with some soap and left it. Here is what it looks like now in all its swollen glory:

Day 5 after piercing - quite swollen, painful to touch

Not to disgust you with the gross bits but so far my piercing hasn't secreted any lymph or formed any crusties yet so I think it's still in the very early stages of healing. Hopefully this swelling will go down soon, I usually heal pretty well so I'm optimistic about this one...

Pre-Release Review: Clinique Pop Lip Colour & Primer

Hola!~

So the Clinque Pop Lip Colour & Primer "officially" launches later today nationwide! What better time to do a review than in the early hours of the morning of release day?

I'm not a huge lipstick fan, I'm more of a lip balm girl because lip balms are just more subtle and does the job of moisturising my lips when I need to. I've always seen lipsticks just highlight the dryness of my lips in really unflattering ways even after that dry toothbrush trick. So sadly, lipsticks haven't been at the very top of my necessities when it comes to make up.

But having seen these new "balmy" Clinique Pop Lip Colour & Primer lipsticks, I couldn't resist buying one, or two... or three to try out. After deliberating for just about forever, the ones I bought were Cola Pop, Poppy Pop and Melon Pop (L-R).

These lipsticks are split into 4 groups - you can google the whole range but the Cola Pop one I have is from the Nudes category and the other 2 are from the Tawnies category. I decided to choose a light neutral coral shade (Melon Pop) for everyday, a slightly brighter pink-orange shade (Poppy Pop) for summery days where I feel a bit more... daring with make up and a dark red/maroon shade (Cola Pop) for evening wear - each suitable for different occasions. Completely skipping Pinks and Violets because pink and purple lipstick is not my thing and the other Nudes seemed too plain.

The packaging is absolutely beautiful, I've even kept the original box it comes in because I'm a huge hoarder and they're just too lovely to throw away! 

Having changed my mind multiple times about them, I've come to the conclusion that I love each one in a different way. Bear in mind, these lipsticks are super pigmented, I was surprised at how pigmented the Melon Pop one was despite seeing other bloggers review them. They're also very balmy hence the 'Primer' part and is excellent for long lasting wear. These lipsticks seem to keep my lips hydrated for a long time, it feels like I'm wearing a super pigmented lip balm rather than a lipstick. 

Here are the swatches: 

I'd say the colours look slightly different to the colour on the packaging - not massively but it definitely varies from skin tone to skin tone. The Cola Pop one looked a lot darker than I anticipated, it's by far the darkest lipstick I've ever tried on but it's a blue-based red lipstick that compliments my skin tone really well! With my choice in the corals, corals can never go wrong with Asian skin but I was surprised at how bright the Poppy Pop one was, it definitely looks more orange on my lips - it's a great colour for the summer as I have a natural coral tint to my lips this one definitely accentuates it more. Finally, the Melon Pop is wonderful, I'm a plain Jane most days so this one tops my list out of the 3, it's pigmented but not too much that screams attention, it's subtly pink with a tint of coral which is perfect for dress down days or days where I tend to go simple with my make up. 

Out of the 3, Melon Pop tops my list, it's versatile and can be dressed up or down. Cola Pop would be my second because despite it being uber dark, it's actually super sexy when worn! Poppy Pop would be third as it's pretty damn bright for my liking and I'd probably have to blot it down a bit along with some translucent power to make it less harsh. 

Sadly, these lipsticks fall short when compared to my MAC Cremesheen lipstick. I have a beautiful coral shade that is somewhere between Melon Pop and Poppy Pop, not to mention the MAC Cremesheen range smells like vanilla which makes me love it even more. That being said, these Clinique lipsticks are definitely worth the money, they launch today with a price tag of £16 each (MAC Cremesheen range is £15 each) and the quality of these lipsticks is luxurious with the metal cap, square design, primer formula. I reckon these Clinique lipsticks are better value for money compared to MAC.

Go grab yours today at your nearest Clinique counter! 

Review: Simple Illuminating Radiance Cream

I haven't done a review in a while because I've been so snowed under with work and catching up on sleep! Legit excuse, I swear. 

I bought this product a while back when it came out, I was slightly conscious of the whole 'illuminating' and 'radiance' marketing because that usually means it might contain sparkly stuff in it like a similar 'radiant' BB cream that I bought once. Usually, I stay away from these products because I don't want to look like a vampire from Twilight with sparkly skin in the daylight but actually, this product isn't as sparkly as I thought it would be. 

Texture-wise, it's really light and smooth, exactly like cream except it's of a beige colour rather than white. In comparison to the Simple Light Moisturiser I use daily, this one is slightly thicker but still manages to absorb well into my skin. A little goes a long way so I only needed to pump about 3 times to cover my whole face - a pump is pretty small, about a pea sized amount. It's not sticky at all as is exactly as it's advertised - a light, odourless moisturiser

Appearance-wise, it's not noticeably sparkly but when exposed to white light, you can subtly see some sparkly bits. It doesn't make me look greasy either and stayed on my face the whole day, keeping dry patches well hydrated throughout.  

I probably wouldn't use this product under make up as it may look excessive when you pile BB cream/foundation over it but it'll definitely be a part of my skincare on days where I'm not wearing make up! I feel it's a great substitute for make up on dress down days as you don't have to take it off and it does make your skin look brighter and healthier. 

I'd definitely buy this cream again once mine runs out, the packing is beautiful and the pump bottle gives it a much more luxurious feel compared to other Simple creams. The pricing is slightly high for a 50ml cream (£7.99) but it does do wonders to my skin and a little goes a very long way, I'm expecting mine to last a while before I need to replenish my stock! 

Review: Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

Having heard so many great things about this eyeliner on top of it winning an award from teen Vogue, I thought that this would be the ultimate eyeliner I have been searching for. With a hefty (hefty to me anyway) price tag of £12, you'd think this eyeliner must be something worth buying. I've never heard of the brand Eyeko before so having missed the opportunity to nab one for free from Glamour one month, I decided to buy the Skinny Liquid Eyeliner to try it out.

I must say, to me, this eyeliner was rubbish. After you apply your bb cream/foundation/powder, it does not glide on nicely like it should. Instead you're there trying to apply it and re-apply it over and over to get a solid black line over your top lid. I mean, eventually you do get there but what I was expecting was something that would be pigmented enough to glide over base make-up without having to go over the same line again and again to achieve this. Also, if you're a liquid liner newbie, you might end up thickening the line instead - panda eyes anyone? 

However, despite the problem with application, I do like the nib on this eyeliner, I like how it's designed so you can easily control the thickness of the line. I would actually love this eyeliner if it was a bit more pigmented so it actually goes over base make-up. If you're considering trying liquid liner from Eyeko I'd also recommend the waterproof Eye Do Liquid Liner just because this skinny one rubs off way too easily for my liking. It could rain and you'd be missing a chunk of your eyeliner - not pretty.

In any case, I don't think I'll be re-purchasing another Eyeko liquid liner in the near future. I actually bought the Rimmel ScandalEyes Precision Micro Liner today instead to try out, guess I'm still hunting for my ideal liquid liner!