Hey m'dears!
This is my OOTD, and the photo makes it look all icky and tubby! But, i was wearing a beige droopy neck top, pale pink skirt, black cardigan and horse belt! List is below!
Top: H&M
Skirt: Miss Sixty
Cardigan: Topshop (charity shop!)
Belt: no idea- think it may be primark though!
The necklace I'm wearing is part of my next haul video, so i'll show you guys then!
Onto the review...
After I finished work today (saturday job yeahhhhh!), i ambled into Bargain Buys, which isn't too far away, to get some relish for my dad (it's nice relish..), and stumbled on this little gem! I've checked the original RRP, and it's was around £10, so i was shocked, as not only had i bought a Limited Edition product released in 2008, but i had also bought it for....wait for it.....£3.99! Oh bargain buys, how you amaze me!
I was drawn to this product, huddling in the crowded shelves of nameless makeup in weird packaging, because it had the oversized X in the Max Factor logo. I picked it up, and instantly sprinted (well, briskly walked) to the counter. It contained:
Max Factor Limited Edition Silk Gloss in 404 Be Voluptuous
Max Factor Bronzing Powder
Olay Touch of Effects Deep Sun kissed glow Mini
Pantene Pro-V Restorative Time Renewal Shampoo Mini
Pantene Pro-V Restorative Time Renewal Conditioner
Bronzer Brush
Now, i don't know about you, but for 2 full sized Max Factor products and pretty decent sized shampoo/conditioner , and a brush. No matter how shoddy the brush may be (eh), Max Factor products are a higher end drug store / high street brand, and i, for one, am impressed.
The products come housed in a small zip up case, which is a good size for travel makeup storage etc. The products aren't in an annoying plastic thing which you need to pop them out of (clever subsconscious move towards less excess packaging! Well done company-who-created-this-product;)), as you can see in the image above. There's also a small booklet on how to use your little products, yay! (Mine also a included a £2 off voucher...from 2008..)
These are the Pantene Pro-V shampoo and conditioners.To me, these smell fresh and natural, with an edge of chemicalness. Know what i mean? They smell so clean and fresh it must be chemically done. I haven't used these yet, but i'll keep you updated! What i can say though, is that i believe this pair in the vanity kit because they repair damaged hair, ie sea-damaged or brittle hair. My hair, atm, is healthy, but i'll deep condition the tips and let you know how it goes!
Next is the Olay Touch of Effects Touch of Sunshine moisturiser. The sample sized tube, like the shampoo and conditioner, is pretty generous for a sample, and obviously was made this size with the concept of holiday-ing and efficiency in mind. After swatching this on my hand and declaring it un-photographable in photo booth, i gave up trying to take pictures. Basically, it claims to be anti ageing, SPF15 and leave a moisturised and slightly tanned result on the face. Anti ageing isn't really something i can comment on, again, with the weather as it neither can i comment on the SPF15, however on the tanned front, i'm confused. I know it isn't promising a St Ives/Tropez-esque golden brown, but i was hoping for something more than a gliterry film on my skin. Firstly, i applied to my face,all over as instructed, and within an hour, my nose was oily and downright awful. It really did look like the rest of my face had been dusted with tiny specks of glitter, but it did look quite glamorous. Although not doing what is claimed, i stand by my opinion that it is a good moisturiser, with a tolerable sweet smell and nice creamy consistnecy. Would i purchase on it's own? No.
One of the two products in the vanity case i was most excited about, and moitvated me to buy it at it's bargainous £3.99, was this lip gloss. Max Factor Limited Edition Silk Gloss in shade 404- Be Voluptuous. I am really hoping it's not just me who gets all excited when something is limited edition? One chance to buy it, if the chance is surpassed, the oppurtunity is lost forever kind of thing? No? Just me being silly? Ok then.
ANYWAY, in the tube, i'm not going to lie, i was a bit intimidated. I'm big on gloss/sheen-y lips with nude colours, and with brights, more of a matte finish- to ensure it doesn't end up looking sticky/wet/ jammy. Who wants to don red lip gloss and be told they look like they haven't' licked the jam off their lips from their breakfast this morning?Noone. So this, i was wary and exited about. The smell is what first hit me- sweet. At first, i thought i was mistaken, but upon further sniffs, my senses did not decieve me- it is definitely sweet smelling. i think it smells like raspberry sauce/ jam doughnut filling, but that may be just me. All i know is, that i like it. And the pigmentation is very good, for a gloss. One swipe on my hand and there was a candy apple red streak of sticky-yet-smooth glossiness. The gloss, again, in the tube looks to have lots of small flecks of red/gold glitter to really create a dimensional pout, but when on lips, it just looks phenomenal layered on top of a reddy/pink lipstick. Lasting power isn't great, but it is a lipgloss, and the texture is quite sticky, but transfers pretty easily. A pretty darn good product! Would i purchase? In a different colour, yes- or updated formula.
As someone who would see not problem with spending upwards of £7/8 on makeup brushes, my expectation of this bronzing kabuki brush were low. For £4 i was getting a lot of stuff, including two full sized products and general samples. How good is the brush really going to be?! Well, i tell you now, it's not that amazing. Or decent. Or usable. The brushes i have currently were purchased in an outlet mall, for £10 for the entire set. They are synthetic and sleek and very nice, and have lasted me a good year with no shedding at all. I've had this kabuki for about 3 hours and i already dislike it.
It's a shame really, because it truly is an attractive brush. Lacking the sleek elegance of Mac, Japanssque and Sigma (will purchase at least one this year...) , it's sweet. The mirrored bottom looked a little cheap, however the bristles were a very attractive auburn and copper colour. I had never seen a brush with such pretty, useless bristles. The bristles haven't shed persay, but they are scratchy on skin, pick up waywaywaywayyyyyy too much product, and are actually quite brittle. Do i want to put this on my face? No.
However, you do get what you pay for, and i am glad i didn't pay the full money for it, because, despite the good products, it was really let down by the brush's poor quality. (Surely we'd prefer paying a little extra for a decent brush included than ending up with a bad one?)
Lastly is about 2/3s of the reason why i bought the vanity case. I've been running out of my Collection 2000 blusher, and was thinking of forking out for some Soleil Tan De Chanel, or Faux Tan/Bronzer from bareMinerals (someone is bringing me back Nars' Laguna from America yay!), but i thought, hey, work my way up right? I'm no bronzing expect, but it should definitely be a bit dark than the skin tone, look natural and definitely not muddy. I found applying with my Royal Enhancement Kabuki or fingers, i achieved a nicer look than when you using that awful brush provided.
The bronzer is primarily glitter. It's a browny/gold shimmery presence and i actually quite like it! Too glittery for contouring, however, good for a quick sweep over the cheeks, and for sculpting some nice bronzed facial features.
Pigmentation is good, texture is smooth and even and colour is...bronzey. Which is good. For a bronzer.
TTFN from the Scatterbrain Nebula
S. X
If you want to buy this case, check out your local bargain stores, or email me if desperate and i will pick you one up, with a little mark up and as long as you pay for P&P. You can also buy them for £8.95 from eBay, not including postage and packing. These are entirely my opinions, no matter how scatterbrained they be.
