Andrew James Beauty Blog: November 2013

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Le Blush Creme de Chanel 65 Affinite Review

Hey Beauties!

I thought i would do a review on this blush by Chanel which is something quite luxury for me but i had to buy it because of the hype around it even though it was expensive i am glad i bought it.

Colour and Pigmentation

Usually for me Chanel isnt always the most pigmented brand being that it is quite a "natural look" range but lately i have notice everything in Chanel is starting to become more dramatic from the editorial images in Vogue to the actual products themselves. This blush is called Affinite and is a an intense cool pink its actually described as a "blue pink" but it means the same, i was pleasantly surprised by these blushes because i expected them to be not as pigmented as they were.

Wear Time

I had used this blush on a bride a few months back and found out from her that it had lasted the day. This blush has a cream to powder formula which makes sense as to why it out last so long. Its a very thin texture but i think thats also what goes towards making it last so long as its not to emollient but its not to dry it works the same way as lipsticks like matte lipsticks last longer than creamy ones

Packaging

I love Chanel packaging if there is one thing other than the product its the packaging i love and Chanel just screams class and sophistication. The blush is held in a small clam shell case which clips shut it has a small mirror which is good for when youre on the god but most of the Chanel compacts contain mirrors. Overall its just a really sturdy compact

Price and Where to Buy

You can purchase the Le Blush Creme de Chanel in 65 Affinite from any Chanel counter in House of Fraser, Debenhams, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges etc as well as online. They are £27 each and contains 2.5g.

The Good and The Bad

The Good? - They have a great formula

The Bad?- They are quite expensive

What do you think of these Blushes?

Do you use Chanel?

Leave a comment!

I'm happy to answer any and all questions.

For requests or questions send me a tweet @AndrewJamesBlog
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Thanks for Reading!

KIKO Cosmetics Review

Hey Beauties!

I recently came across this great brand called KIKO Cosmetics which I know a lot of people had already heard about them but I was new to the brand as i hadn't gotten the chance to try them until now.

I was sent a few products from their line i was glad with what they had sent, I got 2 lipsticks, 2 of the water eyeshadows, False Lash Concentrate and an Eyeshadow from the Clics System.

I was going to go through some of my favourite products they had sent and tell you what i thought of them

Firstly we have the Lipstick in 512. That is the only thing i dont really like about these lipsticks, they dont have names they only have numbers which to me isnt that amazing but the formula itself is really great these type of lipsticks are called "Luscious Cream - Creamy Lipstick" which by the name you can tell are really creamy and pigmented. I love this colour because its perfect for this time of the year. Ive found that these tend to last longer than your normal lipstick of this type of formula and for the price its impressive. Then we have this gorgeous orange lipstick in 604 which is part of the Velvet Mat formula

These lipsticks are £6.90 each

I have to say i love these eyeshadows because they are so different the design that went into creating them was amazing! They have this little swirl in them and if the design doesnt impress you then the pigmentation will. They blend really well when you apply them and being called Water Eyeshadow they can be used with water to give an even more pigmented pay off i tend to use Illamasqua Sealing Gel with these and you get the best pay off.

As the same with lipsticks these colours dont have names they just have numbers which to me is a bit boring but i can understand that if you have so many eyeshadows it would be hard to think of 100's of different names for different eyeshadows.

I have done a post about these Clics eyeshadows (£5.90) before it was before they launched. These eyeshadows are quite reminiscent of the MAC Single Pan Eyeshadows. These colours are called Infinity i think because they are quite pigmented. This colour is an indigo blue and again is very pigmented i would compare it to the likes of NARS and Illamasqua in terms of pigmentation. I love the idea of the Clics system because you can create your own little palette with different colours that you want

I was also sent a Mascara Top Coat by KIKO called False Lashes Concentrate (£7.20) which is basically a Volumising top coat for your mascara. What you have to do is apply your mascara first then apply this on top and it will give you a "False Lash" effect. At first i thought it might not work but i did a drag look and we all know drag queens need big lashes and it actually worked but i still added some lashes haha. I really like the wand on this mascara because it has a little spherical ball on the top which helps you to catch all the little lashes you might miss. Its not flakey at all which is great it has some amount of flexibility so it won't wear off during the day.

Overall i really like KIKO because its a really affordable brand but just because its affordable it doesn't mean its bad its mean quite the opposite actually and with the makeup products here ranging from £5 to £10

You can purchase these products from www.kikocosmetics.co.uk or from the KIKO Store in London

What do you think of KIKO?

Have you used KIKO Products before?

Leave a Comment!

I'm happy to answer any and all questions.

Any requests or questions tweet me on Twitter @AndrewJamesBlog
If you love my blog, Don't forget to follow me by CLICKING HERE! or following me on Bloglovin'

Thanks for Reading!

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All opinions on this product are my own

Label.m launches Extra Strong Gel

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know how much i love the brand Label.m which is owned by Toni&Guy.

Label.m is launching a brand new product mid November and globally in December – the label.m Extra Strong Gel, which is designed to bridge the gap between a strong-hold wax and traditional gel. It can be used to create definition and shine with a strong, long-lasting hold. The gel can create slick, groomed looks as well as sleek ponytails or vintage-inspired locks

It will be exclusively available at specially appointed label.m salons, TONI&GUY and essensuals worldwide.

I like that you can see the effects of the Extra Strong Gel as it was used on a few shows during London Fashion Week such as Baartmans and Siegel SS14

What do you think about this?

What is your favourite Label.m Product

Leave a Comment!

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All opinions on this product are my own

Benefit Boutique Opening in Glasgow

Hey Beauties!

I had the pleasure of going along to the opening of the new Benefit Boutique in Glasgow last night and i can safely say the place is absolutely beautiful.

The night started out with Claire from Benefit explaining everything about the Boutique mentioning the different services they offer from simple selling of the products to doing your eyebrows for you, waxing, tanning and even makeup services if you're ever going out and need your makeup done.

We had a tour around the boutique, having a look at the tanning rooms and the waxing rooms which are really cute and seem like a really nice relaxing atmosphere. I liked the tanning room because the tan is provided by Vita Liberta which we all know is a great brand, if you havent tried you totally should

I also really like the fact they also offer makeovers so if you book in to have a makeover its under £10! plus you get a glass of champagne which to me is a total win haha!

After the tour we just had a chat with everyone i caught up with Claire and the other bloggers at the event i met Ayden from HelloRogue, Lori from GlasgowBeautyBlogger, Ruth from BeautyH2T and Laura from alifewithfrills. My favourite part of the night apart from the makeup was the Buff Butlers! haha if you know me my loves are Men, Makeup and Food so the Benefit event was a totally hit for me

We also got these awesome goodie bags which Benefit always do the best, we got 2 Lipglosses and one of the new Creaseless Cream Eyeshadows* which i will be reviewing in a future post
If you are ever in Glasgow go and have a look at the Boutique you will find it in House of Frasers on Buchanan Street.

Whats your favourite Benefit Product?

Are you looking forward to the Christmas Collections?

Leave a Comment!

*PR SAMPLE.

All opinions on this product are my own

Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette

Hey Beauties!

Hopefully we have all heard of the new launch from Urban Decay, the Naked 3 Palette which has been keenly awaited by many beauty lovers. This palette is more pink based than the other palettes which have been more cool toned.

Personally i didn't even buy the Naked 2 Palette because it was quite similar to the original naked palette. I was hoping that the Naked 3 would have more matte colours but most of the colours seem to be quite shimmery or glittery

In this palette you have the standard 12 colours in the palette: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick, Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart. I have to admit the colours do look great but if you have the others you dont need this one as well . I actually love the packaging of the Naked 3 because its a tin palette rather than the Naked Palette which was cardboard and i felt that over time it got messy and didnt look that nice

I would think that the Naked 3 palette would be around £35 as both before have been around this price, with the Naked 3 palette will contain a double-ended Good Karma Shadow and Blending Brush and an Eyeshadow Primer Potion Sample

Launch will be around the middle of December hopefully from what ive heard

What do you think of Naked 3?

Will you be getting it?

Leave a comment!

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All opinions on this product are my own

Christmas Gift Ideas - Elemis The Adventurer Set

Hey Beauties!

I thought i would write about this great set i received from Elemis its the perfect Christmas Gift its called The Adventurer* and it contains some pretty awesome products

As you can see its all packaged in this gorgeous box with a ribbon which to me packaging especially for Christmas is just as important than what's inside the box. This set contains Deep Cleanse Facial Wash, Aching Muscle Super Soak and Elemis Men Daily Moisture Boost.

Firstly we have the Deep Cleanse Facial Wash which a simple cleanser with a fast acting gel formula containing Oak Bark, Spearmint and Peppermint in a unique Milk Protein base which cleanses the skin, remove impurities and prevent ingrown hairs. It would be best to using this before shaving as it softens facial hair and gives a easier shave.

Then we have the Daily Moisture Boost which is a light moisturiser designed to recharge and hydrate the skin after shaving. I really like this moisturiser because again its really simple and it smells good which to me is really important it contains Polynesian Green Tamanu Oil and Cactus Cerus Flower which helps to soothe freshly shaven skin and any feelings of discomfort also containing a Trio of Citrus Oils combined in a lightweight base to help protect against the formation of skin damaging free radicals.

Lastly we have my favourite item the Aching Muscle Super Soak. When i first went to try this i honestly didn't think it would make much difference but OMG it was so relaxing! I could literally feel myself just relax and unwind thats thanks to the Birch, Juniper, Clove, Alpine Lavender, Wild Thyme and Blue Chamomile, combined with sea salt, to warm the muscles and recharge the body. Although this only contains 125 ml and the full size is 400 ml its more than enough if you like it to buy the full version

You can purchase this kit from any Elemis counter in Debenhams, John Lewis and Harvey Nichols or online at www.timetospa.co.uk for only £39.00.

What do you think of this Set?

What are your favourite Christmas Sets?

Leave a Comment!

*PR SAMPLE.

All opinions on this product are my own

Illamasqua Velvet Blush in Peaked

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know im a big lover of cream blushes and i think i might have found a really great velvet blush as you know im a massive lover of the Chantecaille Cheek Creme but they are £29 each so its really expensive where as the Illamasqua Velvet Blush* is only £18 and with Pro Discount its only £10.80 which is a massive saving

Pigmentation and Colour

I never usually say this but this blush is not as pigmented as other Illamasqua blushes but thats not a bad thing because you can build the colour you want so you can use it lightly and get a really light flush or you can keep building layers to get the colour you need. What i really like about this blush is that it isn't as "sheeny" as the other cream blushes Illamasqua do but thats a good thing because you have the choice this blush is quite dry being that it is velvet. Illamasqua describe Peaked as a "Dusky Pink" which i think is quite a good colour because it is quite dusky but i do think it has some purple tones in it when applied quite heavily. It looks great on all skin tones from really pale skin tones to really deep skin tones.

Wear Time

Since this is a dry blush being that it is velvet which means that it will last quite a long time, i remember using this one on a bridal client with quite oily skin and it lasted all day around 7-8 hours.

Packaging

The packaging for this is just the same as all the other Illamasqua compacts. It has a shiny black casing with the Illamasqua Logo on top with a snap closure which makes sure it doesn't open in your bag.

Price and Where to Buy

You can purchase the Illamasqua Velvet Blush in Peaked from Illamasqua.com or from any counter/stand alone store for £18 or with Pro Discount for £10.80

The Good and The Bad

The Good? - The Blush lasts such a long time

The Bad? - It can be a bit harder to work with

What do you think of Velvet Blushes?

Do you like this shade?

Leave a comment!

*PR SAMPLE.

All opinions on this product are my own

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Le Blush Creme de Chanel 65 Affinite Review

Monday, November 25, 2013

KIKO Cosmetics Review

Friday, November 22, 2013

Label.m launches Extra Strong Gel

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Benefit Boutique Opening in Glasgow

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Christmas Gift Ideas - Elemis The Adventurer Set

Friday, November 08, 2013

Illamasqua Velvet Blush in Peaked

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