ALovesVintage

Thursday 2 October 2014

Review: Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner 'Black Chrome'


Hello,

To get back into the full swing of the blogger life again, I thought what better way to kick start than with a review? 
After purchasing this product I soon realised that I had actually bought the wrong shade because as it turns out Maybelline does a few shades of 'Black'. I would've much preferred to have gotten 'Intense Black', but that's just me being picky - more to life than a winged liner Aida!






As far as packaging goes Maybelline has managed to make gel eyeliner rather elegant looking, although the brush could be improved - an angled brush would work much better, its an overall 'nifty' little product.
The gel eyeliner also tends to dry up on the brush causing it to go unusable unless you clean it off with a wet wipe before each application.

The consistency is to die for, honestly. Rich, smooth and creamy it glides so completely effortlessly. I personally don't wear this on it's own but instead layered on top of the Collection Pen liquid liner simply because I just can't do a winged eyeliner look without a pen. Doing this said layering with the different liners makes the product last an incredibly long time, without imprinting as much onto my lid as it would say, with the collection liner alone. Having said this I do believe my eye lids are oily, making it practically impossible to wear products that aren't long lasting.

Overall I would give this a 8/10, losing marks on the brush (although it's not horrendous) and the fact that Black Chrome contains slight shimmer and glitter to do it, not quite a dark black either. Be warned.

I'm sorry this is a short post! Comment bellow if you've ever tried the Maybelline Gel eyeliners and what you thought! 

Till' next time,
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Sunday 13 July 2014

A week in Paris

Hello my lovelies!

So the reason why I have been a little absent recently is because I have either been preparing for Paris, or actually being in Paris.
The city was utterly and completely beautiful. Every picture you've ever seen, every picture with a cheesy quote over the top...it's all understandable. Paris will leave you in awe and hopelessly in love, desperate to recreate your own cheesy tumblr quote picture or just wanting to walk around the beautiful streets of Paris absorbing the shear beauty of it all, not to mention the huge overwhelming desire to pack up everything and move there. 
I thought instead of rambling here for 10 pages about how much I loved Paris and how much I miss it, I'd share a few photos instead




















I'll leave the pictures to do all the talking for once, if any of you readers ever get the chance to visit this beautiful city please, please do not let that opportunity go, you won't regret it.

Till' next time,
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Tuesday 17 June 2014

Review: Bourjois Paris 'Poudre de riz de java' (Java Rice powder)

Hello my lovelies!

It's unbelievable right? Aida is blogging....regularly! Shock, Horror. 
So today I thought I would do a review and with that share with you a new powder that I purchased as result of Gabby from VelvetGhost (who is another one of my enablers, much like Essie button). This powder claims to be an illuminating translucent powder, however it does have a tint of pink within in which totally blends out so don't let that put you off. 






Lets just begin by putting the obvious out there, yes this product is very messy. Actually, that's an understatement. If you're not careful you could have your very own indoor snow machine, it will go everywhere but don't let that be the reason that you don't buy this product and test it out for yourself, forming your own opinions on it. 

After seeing the lovely VelvetGhost talk about this in one of her videos I knew it was the right thing for me to get, a product that illuminates and sets your makeup in place? Yes please. However, having said this I'm not entirely sure whether this product was a limited edition for their 150 year anniversary or not, but I sincerely recommend that you go and check your local Boots store for this as it really is quite incredible. 
The packaging, first of all, is so adorable and rather cleverly made in the sense that the loose powder can be locked in by simply twisting the white/clear section on the inside. Leave open and unleash the snow machine. 

As far as scent goes Bourjois seems to have a love with all things granny smelling, now don't get me wrong, I personally love that old, sweet, slightly perfumy smell - as weird as that may be, but I know others don't share the same odd traits and may find this off putting. The actual powder somehow manages to mattify your makeup and make it illuminating all at the same time, magic. So for that reason I really must give the granny smell loving people at Bourjois a double thumbs up. 
The staying power and how long it can hold up without caking I feel is a little bit of a let down, but this could be something that's just happened to me as a result of my moisturising, priming (or lack of it) and foundation. I'll definitely be switching certain aspects of my routine around a little until I find a way where this powder won't crack/cake after 6 hours, simply because I love it too much to not like a particular aspect of it. 

Overall, it's a fantastic, neat little product that comes at around £10/£11 a pot and I would give it a rating of 8/10
Let me know if you've tried this product and what you thought of it! Is it a limited edition? What do you think of my new /10 rating scheme? Comment bellow!

Till' next time,

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Sunday 15 June 2014

Review: MAC Lustre Lipstick - Plumful (with Swatches)

Hey guys!

You all have permission to kill me...I know i've not been posting in a long time and I could sit here and list you all the different excuses and explanation for why this is but it's simply not excusable. I will blog, I will. 
So to kick start my millionth return into the blogging routine I thought I would do it with a review, believe it or not up until this point I had never ever tried the infamous MAC Lipsticks and I wish I knew why that is. After watching several "top MAC lipstick" videos on Youtube and seeing the wonderful Essie Button rave about this particular colour (she is my enabler) I thought I may as well just give in and purchase it! I couldn't be happier with my decision. 







As far as packaging and visual appeal goes MAC is a winner with their bullet like lipsticks that can be recognised world wide. I also noticed something about the smell of this lipstick that I was not expecting, it smells very much like the old lipsticks your mum may have worn when you were much younger however this smells slightly more luxurious than that. 

With this being a Lustre it means that its more on the sheer side of things, however if you're anything like me you won't mind building the colour up to the desired shade. Another factor that many of you will find desirable is the fact that it feels extremely light on the lips and for that reason the Lustres are probably the perfect choice for everyday wear. 

I can't imagine this lipstick lasting a very long time as it's already fairly sheer and so will rub off sooner than perhaps their Matte coverage. 


Please note that the colour in person is darker than shown on these images and more purple toned, for whatever reason my camera decided to not sure that but these images are still an accurate representation. 

After I took these pictures I had a frenzy thinking that I had an exact dupe of this from the drugstore, to my delight (as I didn't want to have spent £15 for nothing) I hadn't as this is a much more raspberry colour than my other lipsticks. 

You can also build the colour up more than this if you wished for a more opaque and deeper raspberry/plum colour, bare in mind that your lip colour also has an effect on how lipsticks show up. 

Till' next time,

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Saturday 10 May 2014

Top 5 Spring lipsticks with on lip swatches - Revlon, Rimmel, loreal...

Hello guys!

So today I am here to share with you all lovely readers my top 5 most used and most loved spring lipsticks! There's also a video that will go along side this on youtube and I shall have that posted at the end of the post.
Without further ado, on with the post!



So first I have a lipstick/lip balm that I have being loving (adoring actually) for a very long time so i'ts no surprise that it has made its way onto my top 5 spring lipsticks! 
This Revlon lip butter in 'macaroon' will always be one of my favourites simply because its such a lovely consistency, amazing colour pay off and this colour is surprisingly more long lasting than the others i've tried which of course just adds to long list of 'reasons i'm obsessed with Revlon lip products'.
Next I have what is possibly my most loved lip product of all time, and that is the Revlon Matte Lip Balm in the shade 'sultry', this lipstick lasts such a long time it's quite unbelievable - I'm talking way over 8 hours here. I also think the love of this lipstick drove me into going a little crazy with the selfie swatches (thats a new thing by the way).  
In the pictures it seems as though this and the previous lipstick are pretty much the same colour but thats not the case as in person the lip balm is much darker, and of course matte as oppose to the shiny Revlon lip butter. 
I can 100% see my self repurchasing this over and over and if you like matte products that don't dry your lips and last long, you'll love this. 
This next one is again another Revlon lip balm (is the obsession with Revlon showing yet?) HOWEVER i've got to say I like this a lot less than the 'sultry' because I find that over time this sort of separates on the lips and looks cracked, which is quite disappointing - this is in the shade 'elusive'
The balm does still last just as long as the other and the colour payoff is just as good as the other too, and because of those reasons alone it has managed to sneak its way into my top 5. 
Going onto the lighter, slightly barbier pinks we have the Loreal paris nude in 'Julianne's nude'. Now I have a very strong love, hate relationship with this and that's just mainly down to the question of "does this suit me?" because its very much a light pink I find that in certain lighting I look a little....caked? You'd be surprised at the impact that lipstick has on the way your foundation looks, I find that with my skin using darker berry tones compliments it much more. 
Apologies for using a thumbnail of one of my videos rather than a proper photo but I tried countlessly to take a good picture and none compared to the excellent colour in this picture, so for now just ignore the phone.
This is the Rimmel lipstick from the kate moss collection in the shade '111' and I think the shade of this lipstick compliments my skin tone (which seems to look different in every picture I take!). 
The lasting power is great as well as the smell (an odd thing to pick up on but Lipsticks have the best smells) and the consistency is fantastic along with the price of around £5.
That is the end of the top 5 lipsticks, I hope you've enjoyed this post and that you enjoy the video that goes with it, 
let me know if you like any of these products? Is there any good drugstore lipsticks I should try? Take a look at the poll to the left of this site and let me know what you'd like to see! 
Click here for the video to this post.

Till' next time, 
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Sunday 4 May 2014

THE Blogging tee - Blogging is mainstream?


Hello guys,

So today i'm here with a rather different post for you all, this is a more chatty/wordy type of post but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

As part of the Next Blogger Network you get lot's of notices and such, things that are almost there to inspire a post from bloggers and there was this one that really caught my eye.
Blogging started out as a way for aspiring writers and general English enthusiasts to share their thoughts, life and stories through the written word on the internet for all of us to see, but has it gotten to a point where blogging is now considered nothing more than a menial hobby, and would we go as far as defining it as 'mainstream'?

Personally, I think we should embrace this new found love of blogging that has become so popular over the recent years and almost 'go along with it', because there's nothing worse than being the cynical person naming and shaming those who have chosen to hop on the bandwagon and make a blog because hey, you have to share your thoughts with someone right? Isn't the first sign of insanity talking to yourself? So surely we shouldn't be blamed and called out on for wanting to express our true thoughts on topics that we find interesting. I'm probably going a little over my head with this whole thing and getting a smidge carried away, but I don't like the way people seem to point the finger at others for joining in certain trends that are other wise harmless, anyway..moving back onto the item that inspired this entire post and that would be a T-shirt from Next (who knew a T-shirt held so much power!).
Honestly, I think this shirt just about sums up the lives of many people like my self who enjoy the comfort of their own house and warmth of the laptop on our knees, warming us up during the winter days and doing just about the least helpful thing in the summer.
To purchase this tee and declare your unconditional love for all that is blogging click here, I'll probably soon end up purchasing this for my self because I can't think of a better top to wear on those comfy casual days where you simply want a T-shirt, jeans and a pair of converse.

What do you think of blogging getting classed as mainstream? Will you be getting your self one of these tees? Do you think I should ONLY blog if i'm wearing this tee (things could get a little interesting) ? Let me know in the comments bellow!

Till' next time, 


Side note: you may have noticed that I now offically own my domain 'www.alovesvintage.co.uk' this is because I was fed up with constantly saying the 'blogspot' part of the previous URL and thought it was about time I owned Alovesvintage and I couldn't be happier with my decision. 


*Disclaimer* I have not been sponsored by Next to do this post, all opinions and thoughts are mine I simply thought the topic was interesting and the shirt is quirky enough to be discussed.
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Saturday 5 April 2014

Review: Topshop Lip Crayon "wave goodbye"

Hey Guys!

So as promised I am here with a review for you guys! I purchased this lip crayon as kind of a spur of the moment 'let me buy a lipstick' type of thing, and i'm still deciding whether this was wise or not because it's quite hard to get the colour to look right on me...




The packaging of the product is so pretty (as is every other topshop makeup), you'll be happy to know that the lip crayon CAN be sharpened so you won't be paying £7 for the small bit you see exposed. 

Don't let the end colour fool you however, the actual lipstick pay off is much more light on the lips than it is on the packaging, so if you can I definitely recommend swatching this in store and not going about it the 'aida' way and only swatching a little bit without actually considering if I would want this shade.
It's also more on the barbie pink side of the spectrum, almost like a light barbie pink, which is something I don't normally buy in terms of lipstick but come Summer and during this season I shall be venturing more into the shades outside my comfort zone - I lead an exciting life can't you tell? 

The consistency is a mixture of lipstick, pencil and gloss which is why I personally think it makes this product unique and well worth trying out, as they do have many more shades!

Let me know if you have the topshop lip crayons? What shades will you be braving this Spring/Summer? Comment bellow! 

Till' next time,

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Saturday 15 March 2014

OOTD: Spring time fun - pink and black

Hello guys!

So today I have an OOTD post for you and its just a quick spring outfit, versatile and girly! It's simple enough to be worn on a day to day basis without looking like you've thrown any old thing on. 
                                 

Pink Fluffy coat is from Newlook 
Check A line skirt is from Urban Outfitters 
Black high necked, long sleeve crop top is from H&M 
Black ankle boots from Topshop
Black Mini office city bag from Zara

I hope you enjoyed this ultra short outfit of the day post, let me know if you'd like any more of these in the future! 


Till' next time guys!

- A


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Wednesday 5 March 2014

Review: Garnier Express 2 in 1 Eye Make-up Remover




Hello guys!

So browsing through boots looking for a new eye makeup remover a few weeks ago I came across this, what intrigued me so much about it was the fact that there's a purple oil like liquid floating at the top and you have to shake it to mix before use...to me that just seems like such a fun idea.


The product claims to remove all makeup (even waterproof) without leaving a greasy residue leftover and i'd have to say that I honestly believe that it does what it says. There's also this element of it being able to protect the eyelashes and from what I have seen after a few weeks (bare in mind the picture was taken a while back) I haven't noticed much difference in the quality of my eyelashes and how they feel.

Being someone who's utterly and truly obsessed with the Maybelline Rocket Volume mascara, and that mascara being one of the toughest things to remove, I still have to rub a little when I use this eye makeup remover even though Garnier claims that there's no need for that and perhaps, maybe that's true with other mascaras that are less stubborn than the one I use on a day to day basis. 

Not much else left to say about this tiny (yet amazing) product..so let me know if you've tried this product, or if you plan on doing so? Is there anything you'd like to me try out and do a review on? Comment bellow!

Till' next time, 

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Friday 28 February 2014

Being a tourist in London - first impressions of oxford street, the atmosphere etc..etc..

Hello beauties!

Today I have something slightly different for you all, I'm going to share with you lovely readers my very short experience I had in London (even though i've been many times before) but more specifically my impressions on Oxford Street! 
But before all that good stuff, let's see the items I bought...(clothes aren't shown because I intend on doing a spring haul on my youtube)







Yes guys I went with the Blogger/Youtuber/Instagramer trend and purchased Muji storage drawers! Now this is the stackable pack of 2 which come at around £10.95 for one pair. The reason I went with this and not the 5 drawer one is because this one's drawers are much thicker and therefore you can fit things like the thicker foundation bottles easily. 

Oxford street was completely and utterly beautiful. 1.5 miles of pure retail and pure joy, basically most girls' dream place. You can walk from the top to the bottom and you'd spot at least 3 River Islands, 2 Zaras, 2 Topshops and way too many H&Ms, but hey, who's complaining? Sitting at the top of the classic red double decker bus, the hussle and bussle of the busy street seems daunting and frightening at first, especially with the pickpocket stories floating around. But you'll soon overcome all that and breathe in the fresh smell of retail. 
The biggest Topshop in the world is breathtaking, stepping into that slice of heaven you honestly don't know where to look, are you to look at the beautiful clothes surrounding you or just take a moment to fully appreciate where you are and the sheer size of the shop! For any one ever thinking about going to London, you have to go to Oxford street, it's too good to pass up.

Honestly I don't think there are enough adjectives to describe how amazing and surreal the experience was and just how much I (someone who runs away at the thought of a busy, crowded place) enjoyed it. 
Let me know if you guys have ever been to oxford street or if you ever plan on going?

Thank you so so so much for helping me reach 20k+ views it honestly means the world to me you guys should've seen the smile on my face when I saw that I had reach this. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Till' next time,
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