Currently Loving: Ere Perez Sesame Lip Liners - Review & Swatches

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! For the most kissable day of the year, I just had to feature these amazing Sesame Lip Liners from Ere Perez which I've been wearing practically every day since they arrived a couple of weeks ago. To say I'm smitten with them is an understatement!

Ere Perez are an Australian luxury, natural, cruelty-free makeup brand who I've reviewed several products from in the past (you can check out those here). A while ago, they underwent something of a makeover with streamlining their packaging and changing up some of their formulas, so it's been a pleasure to revisit them to see what's changed and what's new.

As many of my regular readers will know, I'm obsessed with lipsticks and lip liners, and when I saw Ere Perez's Sesame Lip Liners they were very quickly added to my online LoveLula basket! 

There are only three shades available at the moment which is a little disappointing for a makeup junkie like myself, however, the good news is that all three are absolutely beautiful and very wearable. In fact, if you currently don't have any lip liners in your makeup collection, these would make an excellent purchase to start you off in the right direction as they can be easily paired with most 'everyday' neutral colours of your favourite lipsticks.

What I love the most about these Sesame Lip Liners is that they're made with natural plant waxes such as Carnauba and Candellia, plus they're infused with Sesame, Jojoba and Sweet Almond Oils and have added Vitamin E. This formula makes the liners super easy to use as they're creamy, matte, glide on without dragging and I've found them to be long-lasting as well. You can use them as intended to line your pout, and I've also been enjoying wearing them all over the lips as you'll see in my swatches below.

If you're looking for a lip liner with natural ingredients, brilliant matte pigmentation, easy to wear shades and a long-lasting finish, I think you'll love these as much as I do!

 Ere Perez Sesame Lip Liner in Shy* 

Shy is a universally pleasing nude colour that will suit a range of skin tones. I have so many lipsticks in my collection that this works so well with, and as you can see, it's gorgeous just on its own as well. Perfect with a smokey eye for your next date night!

Ere Perez Sesame Lip Liner in Sweet*

If you're more of a fan of pretty pinks, Sweet is the one for you. This creamy, nude pink is the ideal match for many light-medium pink lipsticks and is another colour that looks beautiful worn simply all over the lips.

Ere Perez Sesame Lip Liner in Naughty*

The last shade is Naughty and this cheeky nude is a touch darker than Shy above, so it goes well with lots of on-trend, 90s nude lippies that lean more towards the darker beige/brown side of the colour spectrum. It's another one that looks great on its own too!

Ere Perez Sesame Lip Liners* (1.1g, £17 each) are available in the UK from LoveLula.com

Have you tried anything from Ere Perez?

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Unboxing: LoveLula Beauty Box - December 2017 review

December's LoveLula Beauty box arrived last week, and although it's not Christmas themed like a lot of the other boxes around at the moment, it does have a nice mix of Winter-friendly skincare and party-ready makeup in it!

This month's box boasts three full-size products and is worth a whopping £58, so shall we see what's inside?

Madara SOS Instant Moisture + Radiance Mask (full size, RRP £35)

Madara are a regular feature in the LoveLula beauty boxes and they're one of my favourite natural and organic skincare brands. For December's box, they've included a full-size SOS Instant Moisture + Radiance Mask which is absolutely perfect for the colder Winter months. This hydrating mask has been scientifically proven to rehydrate skin and can be used by all skin types whenever your complexion needs a moisture boost. You can leave it on for 20 minutes and wipe it off, or for a more intensive treatment (which is especially useful if you have dry skin), you can leave it on overnight. I've used this mask in the past and it always makes my skin feel amazing; so soft and plumped up every time! 

PHB Natural & Organic Lip Crayon in Peach (full size, RRP £8.95)

Makeup fans will love the fact that there's not one, but two makeup products in this month's box, both of which are from PHB. The first one that I tried out was the Lip Crayon which comes in the shade Peach. It's a much brighter shade than what I expected for this time of the year, but if you're not into the typical reds and berry colours of the season, Peach is a lovely alternative. I've worn it twice since it arrived and I quite like it - it works best when applied all over the lips as it has a little bit of golden shimmer to it. Goes on smoothly and feels very comfortable on the lips which is a must during Winter. 

Mossa Skin Perfector 5-in1 BB in Soft Beige (sample)

There's been a big buzz around Mossa (Madara's little sister company who are also more affordable - yay!) in the green beauty world lately, so I was very pleased to see a sample of their Skin Perfector BB cream. I haven't used a BB since Summer, but I felt compelled to try this over the weekend and I really like it! It has a typical sheer/very light tinted coverage with a mattifying finish, and it looks very natural - like your skin, but better. It did oxidise a little on me though, so I'm going to pick up a few more samples to test it out further to see if it still does this with a primer underneath or not.

Dr. Hauschka Hydrating Cream Mask (sample)

Next up, I found another sample, this time from Dr. Hauschka and their newly reformulated Hydrating Cream Mask. I haven't tried the original formula so I can't compare this new one against that I'm afraid, but I can say that my skin loved this mask. It gives the skin a serious hydration boost in just 20 minutes and is easily removed with a warm face cloth/flannel afterwards. I'll definitely be looking into the buying the full-size of this at some point!

PHB Natural Liquid Eye Liner in Black (full-size, RRP £12.95)

This is the first time that I've tried a 100% natural liquid eyeliner and I have to admit that this one from PHB is very hit and miss. Starting with the positives though, I like the packaging as the skinny flexible applicator makes it easy to draw a precise thin line, and the formula is neither too thin or thick in consistency - it's just right. It's suitable for vegans and doesn't contain any of the potential 'nasties' that can irritate sensitive eyes, so if your eyes water or go red whenever you use mainstream eyeliners, this is definitely one to try. The liner is also incredibly easy to remove and doesn't require heavy duty eye makeup removers to take it off at the end of the day. 

The not so good points then? Well, the pigmentation isn't the best and although it's in the shade called 'True Black', it's not as richly pigmented and black as most of my other non-natural eyeliners are. This means that you need to layer it if you want to achieve a thicker line or a bolder look. It also takes forever to fully dry - I'm talking a good 5 minutes or so of not blinking/moving/doing anything else, unless you set it with a little black eyeshadow powder which is what I've had to resort to doing to make this workable. And that waterproof claim? Absolutely not - I got caught in the rain with this on at the weekend and immediately turned into a panda - not a good look! That said, some of the pros definitely outweigh the cons, and if my eyes are feeling sensitive, I'll probably still reach for this, but I'll definitely make sure to set it with eyeshadow (and check the weather forecast first!).

Urban Veda Skincare (samples)

The final items that I discovered at the bottom of the box were three skincare samples from Urban Veda; Reviving Facial Oil, Purifying Protecting Night Cream and Reviving Day Cream. Only the Purifying one is for my skin type, unfortunately, so I'll be passing the others onto my mum to try out instead. 

LoveLula Beauty Box* is a monthly subscription box priced at £13.95 with free postage in the UK. Visit lovelula.com to find out more.

Have you subscribed to LoveLula's Beauty Box?

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Green Beauty: Trying Out Tropic Makeup - Review & Swatches

Tropic do some amazing cruelty-free, vegan skincare and pampering products, but what's their makeup range like? I've been testing out a couple of pieces from them over the past month, and [spoiler alert] it's pretty damn good! These are my favourites from what I've tried so far.

 Tropic Sculpting Palette in Vintage Rose* (£24, link)

I can't get enough of these 3-in-1 palettes which seem to be everywhere at the moment. In the green beauty world, it can sometimes be difficult to find some key on-trend products, but Tropic have got this one nailed! The slim, matte black compact fits nicely in my hand and when you open it up, you'll find a large mirror and three pans of powder products; a bronzer, a blusher and a highlighter - all of which are enriched with Vitamin C, Carrot and Pomegranate Seed Oils.

This sculpting palette is available in three different colourways, and I decided to try out the one called Vintage Rose which I've really been enjoying using lately. All of the powders are finely milled, silky soft, nicely pigmented, easy to blend and work with, and I love all three of them! The bronzer is a warm and flattering walnut brown which is great for contouring with; the blusher is a gorgeous peachy, dusky pink that brightens up the whole of my face instantly, and the gold-toned highlighter adds that finishing touch to make the tops of the cheeks 'pop', but in a subtle, glowy way. A great product to have in your makeup bag, and one that comes in handy for travelling with.

Tropic Sculpting Palette in Vintage Rose swatches

 Tropic Colour Click Lipstick in Peach Perfect* (£14, link)

Whenever I try a new makeup brand, I always have to see what their lipsticks are like. Tropic's Colour Click Lipsticks come in that addictive and satisfying 'clickety click' packaging (seriously, I can't stop playing with it), which ensures that the lid isn't going to fall off in your handbag. There are currently seven shades available and I couldn't resist playing it safe and opting for a peachy pink.

This shade is called Peach Perfect, but it definitely leans more pink than peach on my lips as you can see below. It's one of those pretty, everyday shades that you can reach for when you're in a rush in the morning and don't have the time to scour through your lippie collection. It's lovely and moisturising thanks to ingredients such as Camelia, Jojoba, Avocado and Argan Oils in the formula, and it applies smoothly. It doesn't last that long on me because it's so creamy, but it's an excellent choice for anyone who has dry lips and needs a more nourishing lipstick.

Tropic Colour Click Lipstick in Peach Perfect swatch

Tropic Lip Glaze in Pink Champagne* (£14, link)

As we're well and truly into Spring now, I've been reaching for a few more lip glosses and I was excited to try one from Tropic because their Lip Glazes won a Green Parent Natural Beauty Award in the Best Buy category last year. Whilst there are only three shades currently available in the main collection, you can also pick up Limited Edition sets with other colours in them, but to try them out, I went for Pink Champagne from the permanent line.

Pink Champagne is a sheer nude gloss with some subtle shimmer that gives you a super shiny finish. Texture wise, it applies smoothly and has a slight tackiness to it, which keeps it on the lips longer than most other natural lipglosses that I've tried, but it's certainly not obnoxiously sticky or anything like that. It tastes a little fruity and contains Vitamin E, Wild Mango Butter and Strawberry extracts to keep lips feeling more moisturised. I love dabbing a bit of this in the middle of my lower lip to make my lips look fuller or applying it all over for an easy, fuss-free look.

 Tropic Silk Lip Liner in Stripped & Silk Gel Eyeliner in Film Noir (£14 each, link)

I wanted to try some liners and I'm so glad that I did because these are both amazing! The Silk Lip Liner in Stripped is one of those perfect shades that goes with a lot of lipsticks that I wear on a regular basis, and the highly pigmented formula is seriously long-wearing too. I've used it as a normal lip liner and also all over my lips (see the swatch below), and both ways work really well. As the latter, it gives a completely matte, full-coverage finish that stays put for most of the day and only requires a tiny touch up after eating and drinking, although it does feel quite drying. I'd love to see these lip liners available in more shades please Tropic as it's a scandal that there's only this one in the makeup range!

The Silk Gel Eyeliner in Film Noir is equally impressive with a highly-pigmented, bold black finish. Like the lip liner, the eyeliner is also long-wearing and it lasted on me all day without moving or smudging one bit. It applies smoothly like you'd expect from a high-quality gel eyeliner, and it works very well for both tight lining and in the lower waterline. Both of these liners feature a handy built-in, twist-up sharpener so that you don't need to faff around with finding a pencil sharpener.

Tropic Silk Lip Liner in Stripped swatch - all over lips

Swatches!

Have you tried out any makeup from Tropic?

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October Favourites

Skincare and makeup have been two passions of mine for such a long time now, but I still get excited like a little kid on Christmas day, when I discover new products to fall in love with. This small, tried and tested handful are my October Beauty Favourites.

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High-End Beauty: Trying Out Make Up For Ever - Review & Swatches

Make Up For Ever have been on my wishlist of makeup brands to try out ever since they arrived in the UK last year.  They've been a Youtube and blogger favourite for a while now, so I'm finally jumping on board the MUFE train and trying some bits out. Whoop whoop!

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Trying Out Lord & Berry Makeup: Review & Swatches

Milan-based makeup ateliers, Lord & Berry, have made a couple of appearances in various UK beauty boxes, so I was curious to try out some of their bestsellers to get a wider opinion on the brand.

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Makeup Review & Swatches: KIKO Sales Haul - Nail Lacquers, Lipsticks, Lipliners, Dark Circle Concealers, Cream Crush Eyeshadows + Bronzer!

KIKO have fast become one of the most popular budget beauty brands on the makeup scene with many high-performance products and dupes galore. They do some amazing 50-70% off sales, so during their most recent one, I decided to take advantage and picked up all of the above.

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UK Magazine Freebie: ModelCo Lip Enhancer Illusion Lip Liner with Glamour - Review & Swatches

At the start of the month I posted about the many magazine freebies that are currently on offer, and now I have this cheeky latecomer to add! I've been so in love with this £1 lip liner that I felt it deserved a post all of its own.

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February Favourites

Another month has flown by yet again, so here are my February Beauty Favourites; a basket full of products that I've fallen in love with and highly recommend.

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High End Beauty: Trying Out Dolce & Gabbana Makeup - Review & Swatches

When you think of the luxury, high-end brands who have make-up ranges, names like Tom Ford, Dior and Chanel instantly spring to mind. But did you know that Dolce & Gabbana has a cosmetics line too? I didn't until recently, so I've been playing around with a few of their pieces to see if they're worth splurging on.

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Review & Swatches: Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Legendary, Always Sharp Lip Liner in Ruby & Be Legendary Long Wear Lip Lacquer in Firecracker

Happy Chinese New Year!  I'm joining in with the festivities today and sharing three different bold red lip looks from Smashbox to celebrate the Year of the Goat.

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4 Makeup Bag Secret Weapons

I change up the contents of my makeup bag as often as I change my shoes (and that's a lot) but there are some products that will always remain.  Here are four of my makeup bag secret weapons that you may not know about.

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Review: Love Me Beauty Box - August 2014 (Menu 3)

I always enjoy opening up the Love Me Beauty boxes, so without further ado, let's see what's inside this month.  As always, there are three different menus to choose from and I went for number 3.

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Review & Swatches: Aveda Culture Clash SS14 Limited Edition Makeup Collection & Aveda Earth Month

Aveda are well known for their revered haircare range, but did you know that they do makeup too?  I didn't until I discovered their latest S/S14 collection.

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My Favourite Winter Lip Colours

This has been the first Autumn/Winter where I've really gone all out and experimented with lots of different lip colours.  I'm certainly not the bravest or most confident person though, so I wanted to do a post on the lip products which have helped to ease me out of my usually neutral- coloured comfort zone and into the more berry hued, darker pinks and red shades typically associated with this season.

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Review: Love Me Beauty Box - December 2013 + 20% Discount Code

Love Me Beauty's December box contains another great mix of full-sized make-up products and deluxe, high-end skincare samples.  As always, there were three different menus to choose from which you can view on their website, and I went for menu No. 1.

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Review: Beauteco Box - August 2013

 Beauteco Box* (£10 + P&P, link)

August's Beauteco box is certainly celebrating summer with its bright blue & yellow eco-friendly packaging this month.  And the contents are non too shabby either!  As always, there were three enticing menus to choose from, and I picked lucky number Box 3. 

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Review: Essential Care Summer 2012 Nude Lip Bundle: Photos & Swatches

 Essential Care Summer 2012 Nude Lip Bundle (£30)*

This summer I have been enjoying wearing the nude lips trend, so when I was emailed about this kit from the organic, natural brand Essential Care being launched, I jumped at the chance to try it out.  The bundle consists of a lip balm, lip liner and a lipstick to help you create a gorgeous nude lip.    

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Joliebox June - The 1st Birthday Box (and a mini rant)

There doesn't seem to be a month that goes by without some drama surrounding a beauty box.  I don't know what it is about these subscription services and whether it's a UK thing or not, but my oh my!

The June Joliebox was delayed due to an apparent mix up with delivery labels, which has also led to some subscribers this month receiving boxes that aren't customised to their beauty profile (unfortunately I'm one of them, but after emailing Joliebox today, they have responded saying "Please know that aside from the June box, we have not and will not yet be offering customized boxes.")

This drama seems to be very reminiscent of what has happened in the past with Glossybox, and I just can't comprehend why it so difficult for a company of this size, to deliver such a poor service to its customers.

When you pay for something, you don't expect to be waiting around to receive the goods for such a long time.  I know that random, unplanned for things can happen, but it seems to be all the time with these boxes!  Why?!?!

Anyway, mini rant aside, the June Joliebox actually seems quite promising contents wise.  It's packaged in a wonderfully bright orange special edition box to mark their first birthday, and is filled with French goodies.

In my box I received:-

•  a full size Elysambre Eye & Lip Pencil in 10, which is a pink-toned brown shade.  The pencil is soft and smooth, and it's 100% natural, plus features 50% vegetal active ingredients.  You all know that I love trying out natural make-up so I'll look forward to using this as a lip liner.
• 20ml sample tube of Institut Esthederm Bronz Repair Anti-Wrinkle Tanning Cream.  This seems to be like a top up that you can use for extra protection over your regular SPF cream (as it doesn't contain any SPF).  I generally don't like putting too many products on my face when I'm out in the sun because I find my pores get clogged very easily, but I'll try this out and see what's it like.
• 15ml sample tub of L'Occitane Hydration Cream from their new Angelica range.  I love, love, love anything by L'Occitane so I'm excited to try this out, but have a feeling it may be too rich for my skin, so I'll give it a go first as a night cream.  For the eagle eyed among you, yes, this was given out free with Glamour magazine recently, but was packaged in a tube instead of a little tub.
• 50ml Yon-Ka Pamplemousse Protective and Vitalizing Cream for Normal to Dry Skin.  Unfortunately not for my skin type, so I'll probably pass this on to a friend or try it later in the year.
• Joliebox nail file, always handy to have one of these in your bag.

There was also some promo flyers with discount offers and a special 'Jolieticket' in which I won £5 off voucher to use in the Joliebox shop.  Whilst this is a nice freebie to have, does anyone actually buy anything from the Joliebox shop?  They have a flat rate shipping which is £5.95, ouch!  So the voucher is more like an almost free shipping thing really.  If anyone can make use of it, let me know and I'll happily forward you my code to use.

What are your thoughts on the birthday Joliebox and the drama?

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