Friday, August 30, 2013

Review: butter LONDON Rock Your Colour Bespoke Colour Cosmetics Collection

Hello lovelies!
Press Sample 
Friday is finally here! Do any of you have special plans for Labor Day weekend? I don't have any big plans but I am hoping for some sunshine! It has been a dry summer up until this week and I am hoping that we haven't seen the last of the warm weather and sun!

I am stepping outside of my comfort zone today and doing something completely different for my blog. My blog focus is obviously nail polish but I know many of you are into all things beauty related so I hope it is okay to share a makeup review post with you!

To be honest, I usually don't wear any makeup. I love lip balm and wear mascara occasionally but that's about it. I'll wear eyeliner if I'm really trying to be fancy and maybe a couple times a year my lids get some shimmer. Needless to say I had a mini freak out when I saw that butter LONDON sent me cosmetics to review. Because of my lack of knowledge (and not wanting to take up close photos of my face!) I decided to do swatches on the inside of my arm. They aren't perfect and photographing everything was different that I am used to as well but I hope this gives you a good look into this new collection!

For those of you that are unaware, the Bespoke Colour Cosmetics Collection is the first full makeup collection offered by butter LONDON. The collection launched earlier this month and has been a hit so far! Let me share a blurb with you directly from bL that I love:

Carefree, dynamic, and kaleidoscopically colourful, the Bespoke Colour Cosmetics Collection will deliver unparalleled, lasting formulas in a variety of fashion-forward shades that will speak to butter LONDON's core audience. This chic-conscious consumer is ripe with defiance for the ordinary and has long been exemplified by her adventurous nature and willingness to play with high-voltage hues. Using colour to express herself and escape the mundane, this collection will provide a new way to just that - whether she's going all-out or just adding a pop of colour to her everyday look.

Ready for some photos?


As you can see, I was provided at least 1 of each product to try out in a nice variety of colors. 
 
The first product I am showing you is the CHEEKY Cream Blush in Abbey Rose which is described as: Rose pink crème. A nod to the birthplace of many rock 'n roll classics.

Features & Benefits:
  • Long Lasting with natural emollients
  • Creamy formula with high colour payoff
  • Rich in Mango Seed Butter for luminosity
  • Free of parabens and phthalates



I can't speak to how long lasting Abbey Rose is but the formula was definitely creamy and applied easily. The colour was rich and highly pigmented, a little bit goes a long way!

Next is LIPPY Tinted Balm in Axis Kiss which is described as: Medium coverage punchy pink crème. A little smooch of rock n' roll.

Features & Benefits:
  • Creamy 2-in-1 formula glides on effortlessly
  • Highly wearable shades
  • Buildable colour
  • Hydrating formula rich in Avocado, Mango Seed, Cocoa, and Shea Butter
  • Free of parabens and phthalates



I did try Axis Kiss on my own lips as well and found that it applied easily and it did not take much to build up the color. The color lasted quite a while and although it was not a flattering shade for my skin tone it is a shade that I think will work for many people.

I have 2 different shades of the WINK Cream Eye Shadow to show you. The first one is Alabaster Gaze which is described as: Silver shimmer. Pure white in colour, but created to cover a multitude of sins.

Features & Benefits:
  • Soft, velvety formula
  • Crease-proof
  • Buildable formula for custom intensity
  • Built in doe foot applicator for on-the-go application and touch ups
  • Free of parabens and phthalates






The 2nd color is Inky Six which is described as: Baby blue shimmer. Real musicians do it on a six-string.




This was my first experience with this type of cream eyeshadow. I love how easy the doe foot applicator makes application. Alabaster Gaze was my favorite of the two because it didn't take much to build up the color and it is a color I am more likely to wear. I can't pull off blues but if you can Inky Six should be in your collection. It takes a little more to build up but the extra effort would be worth it.

I was also provided with 2 different colors of the WINK Eye Pencil. The first one is Indigo Punk and is described as: Violet shimmer. Deep purple anything - a punk rock obsession.

Features & Benefits:
  • High-intensity colour
  • Easy to blend shortly after application
  • 24 hour waterproof, transfer-proof formula
  • Free of parabens and phthalates



The second color is Union Jack Black which is described as: Jet black crème. The United Kingdom's flag.

Now these are right up my alley! Like I mentioned before, eye liner is my go to when I want that something extra. I mainly wear on my waterline and I haven't had much luck finding something that stays. These are perfect! Union Jack Black is something I would wear everyday and when I tested it out on myself I was impressed that it actually lasted on my waterline and I didn't need to reapply it after a couple hours like I am used to! I love Indigo Punk as well as it is a nice vibrant purple that flatters my dark brown eyes. The shimmer isn't as visible as it appears to be in my swatch but I am actually happy about that! PS-if you want to smudge these, definitely do it quick! I tried after I took the first photo and it wouldn't budge! :)

The last product I have to show you is the WINK Colour Mascara in Inky Six which is described as: Cornflower blue shimmer. Real musicians do it on a six-string.

Features & Benefits:
  • Clinically tested, ophthalmologist tested
  • Defines and smoothes lashes for even application without clumps
  • Gel-based, buildable formula to create big, bold, voluptuous lashes
  • Versatile formula proven safe for use on hair and eyebrows
  • Long-wearing, no flaking
  • Free of parabens and phthalates




I ended up in a love/hate relationship with this mascara. I found that it was a bit clumpy, you can probably see that in my swatch. Also since I have very dark eyelashes it took a few layers to actually see the blue. The formula seemed kind of dry and wasn't easy to apply. But once it was on, I ended up loving it! Inky Six is a nice change from the ordinary and something I could see myself wearing for a night out. I was also impressed with the wear of this and found it to be nearly waterproof.


Congrats for making it all the way through this review! It was a long one but I hope you found this information helpful! Have you tried any of the butter LONDON cosmetics yet? Are there any that you are hoping to try? I have my eye on a few other colors of the eye liners!

The Bespoke Colour Cosmetics Collection varies in price from $18-$20 and is available here:


And of course you can keep up with everything butter LONDON here:


I also want to send a big thank you to butter LONDON for giving me this opportunity to share their products with you!

I hope you enjoyed my week of butter LONDON reviews! I would love to know what you thought about my makeup review and if you would like to see more of these type of reviews in the future. Leave me a comment below! :)

xo

Brittany Raquel

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Review: butter LONDON Union Jack Black

Hello lovelies!
Press Sample
I must admit I am a little sad that my butter LONDON week is coming to an end! Not that you won't continue to see this brand on my blog, I still have quite a few untrieds in my stash. If this is your first time checking in this week then be sure to check out my posts from Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to see what you missed.
 
Today's post is featuring Union Jack Black which is from the new Rock Your Colour Nail Lacquer Collection. Union Jack Black is inspired by The United Kingdom's flag and is described as:
 
This jet black nail lacquer goes on like liquid patent leather. Be warned, you may have the sudden urge to wear 6 inch stilettos and carry a riding crop.
 
I wanted to do something different to show this one off. When I saw Union Jack Black and Squatter in my package I knew that they would be great together! I recently got some striping tape and have been wanting to play around with it some more so and figured this would be a great opportunity.
 



 
Shown is just 1 coat of Union Jack Black! I painted over my existing mani (Julep Nail Therapy base coat, 2 coats of bL Squatter, HK Girl topcoat) after adding a couple pieces of striping tape randomly to each nail. I did 1 nail at a time and immediately removed the tape once I painted over it. I did have some slight bleeding under the tape due to my own error but thanks to the top coat I was able to take a small brush dipped in acetone and clean up.
 
I love how opaque and glossy this black is! I did add topcoat to seal it all in but these photos are without it. My only regret is not getting more photos that turned out. This won't be the last you see of Union Jack Black, this will absolutely be used over and over again!
 
You can purchase butter LONDON Union Jack Black here:
 
 
And keep up with butter LONDON happenings here:
 
 
I do have one more post for you tomorrow, something kind of out of my comfort zone but I am excited to share with you! See you then!
 
xo
 
Brittany Raquel
 


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Review: butter LONDON Squatter

Hello lovelies!
Press Sample
Are you enjoying my butter LONDON week so far? If you missed them be sure to check out Monday and Tuesday's posts for some more awesomeness!

Today's post is featuring butter LONDON Squatter. You all know I am a sucker for greens and I especially like bright ones like this! Squatter is described as:

A bright, lime green nail lacquer. This crème lacquer goes on smooth and always pleases.

And of course, an explanation of what a squatter is:

The term used for someone who is staying (but not paying!) in a vacated location.

Ready for some photos?!










Shown is 2 coats of Squatter between Julep Nail Therapy base coat and HK Girl topcoat. Application was perfect! So smooth and barely even needed a second coat!

butter LONDON Squatter is the type of green that I love in the spring and summer months. This is bright and looks great with a tan! I especially love how much brighter and almost neon like it is in the sun. So fun!

Squatter is currently "On Holiday" on the bL website but will be back. You can keep an eye out for this one and purchase others here:


And also keep up with everything butter LONDON here:


Oh and also something fun I discovered on the website today is The butter LONDON dictionary! After yesterday's post I was curious what "Dosh" referred to. I love how the dictionary explains it as well as many other British terms!

Dosh | dɒʃ |
Dosh is Brit slang for money or cash. “Can I have a bit of dosh, love? I fancy a kebab.”


Cool, right?! Come back tomorrow to see what else I have in store for you!

xo

Brittany Raquel

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Review: butter LONDON Dosh & Swinger

Hello lovelies!
Press Sample
I hope you enjoyed my review of butter LONDON Fishwife yesterday! Today I am continuing on with my butter LONDON review week and actually have a 2 for 1 post for you! This time I am featuring Dosh (which I purchased myself) and Swinger!

I used Dosh as a base for Swinger thinking that it would need undies. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Swinger was actually much more opaque than I expected but am going to show them both to you anyways. :) Dosh is described as:

A molten metallic apple-green nail lacquer shot through with gold. DEEEELICIOUS!

The shimmer in Dosh is stunning! I love greens and this shade is no exception! Check it out!








I used 2 coats of butter LONDON Dosh on all fingers with an accent of Swinger on my ring finger, also 2 coats. I used Julep Nail Therapy for my base coat but skipped the top coat since I still had more layering to do. As you can see, Swinger was fully opaque in just 2 coats! Dosh applied perfectly and barely even needed a second coat!

Now to give Swinger it's full glory! Swinger is described as:

A vibrant, grass green glitter nail lacquer.

I also love that many of the lacquers include an explanation of what the name means! If you aren't already familiar with what a Swinger is, butter LONDON takes the question out of it! ;)

A person who is intimate with two or more people simultaneously, hence the term “the swinging 60’s”.

Now for the photos!










My pointer and pinkie fingers are just 1 coat of Swinger over Dosh. My middle finger is 2 coats over Dosh and index finger is 2 coats of Swinger by it's self. Followed by HK Girl topcoat on all fingers. As with all glitters clean up wasn't as easy and I did a quick job so I missed some glitter but that flaked off within a couple hours.

If you don't mind doing 2 coats of nail polish then you can easily get away with not using undies. If you want to conserve the polish then using 1 coat with undies would be fine too. The finish was smooth either way (thanks to the topcoat) and honestly I could hardly tell a difference with Dosh as the undies. I'm sure Swinger would look nice over a contrasting color too such as black and would also be great for a glitter gradient!

I love both of these greens and can definitely see myself wearing them year round! If you would like Dosh or Swinger for yourself you can buy them here:


You can also follow and keep up to date on all butter LONDON happenings here:


I will be back tomorrow with another review for you! :)

xo

Brittany Raquel