Revolution Conceal & Define Concealer and Fast Base Stick Foundation - Review

Now, I admit I am a bit of a snob when it comes to  my base products. It is not like I do it on purpose, it is just the things I like the best are usually quite costly. Still, I am on the constant look out for an affordable option that will blow me away. 

Revolution Beauty is known for its affordable and good quality makeup, primarily powder products like eye shadows and highlighters, therefore I was glad to hear they have launched their base make up range. Their concealer, seemingly a dupe for Tarte Shape Tape, and their Stick Foundation have taken the beauty community by storm so I thought to give them a try. 

The best thing about these releases (beside the price) is the a good range of shades available. Foundation stick comes in 18 shades and concealer comes in 25 shades to suit variety of complexions from very pale to deep. 

Foundation stick comes in a cream plastic tube with rose gold lettering. The plastic is a bit cheep feeling but considering that foundation costs 5.99 Euro I  have no problem with it. There is 6 g of product, compared  with only other stick foundation I own Bobby Brown Skin Foundation Stick which is 9 g, it is considerably less (but it is also considerably cheaper). Concealer comes in a plastic tube with rose gold sticker and cap. It also has unnecessarily huge applicator like Tarte's Shape Tape. I hate the applicator on Shape Tape and I hate it here as well. I don't need such a huge applicator for my under eyes area. There is 3.4 ml of product for 4.99 Euro which is a bit more than half of what you usually get with concealers (liquid concealers like this one usually come with 5 to 6 ml of product). Which means you will run out of this one fast. 

Revolution Fast Base Stick Foundation

Ingredients: Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Synthetic Wax, Cera Microcristallina, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Nylon-12, Polyethylene, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Propylparaben, BHT (+/-) CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77499, CI 77492

As mentioned the foundation comes in 18 shades:

I have the F2 which is a good mach for my NC15 skin. 

Revolution states: The easy-to-apply stick formula melts into skin, blending seamlessly to leave a fresh and dewy finish. Twist up, swipe on and blend out with fingers, a beauty sponge or your favourite foundation brush.

I find it is best to apply directly on the skin and blend with the brush. It spreads easily and blends nicely but tends to gather around my nose. It looks really nice from a distance but up close it tends to sit on my skin instead of melting into it. I would not recommend it for textured skin as it does nothing to smooth over pores or other imperfections.  Finish is lovely, a bit on the dewy side and quite long lasting, some 6 hours before it starts to gradually fade. Some foundations look better after they sit on a skin for a bit, this one looks the best the moment you apply it but tends to look worse later on. Coverage is medium and buildable. It is a decent foundation but it did not blow me away. I still prefer the Bobby Brown Skin Foundation Stick. 

Longevity: 4/5
Coverage: 4/5
Appearance: 3/5
Price: 5/5

Top is Fast Base Stick Foundation in F2 and bottom is Revolution Conceal & Define Concealer in C2

Revolution Conceal & Define Concealer 
Ingredients: Aqua, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cyclopentasiloxane, Phenyl Trimethicone, Isododecane, Isobutylmethacrylate/Bis-Hydroxypropyl Dimethicone Acrylate, Cyclopemtasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Quaternium-90 Bentonite, Propylene Carbonate, Butylene Glycol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Cetyl PEG-PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Silica, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethylhexanoin, Cetyl PEG/PGG-10/1 Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Hexyl Laurate, Lecithin, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Isopropyl Myristate, 2-Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Isostearic Acid, Polyglycerol-3 Polyricinoleate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Rosa Rubiginosa (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, (+/-) CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499

Now this concealer has whopping 25 shades and they promise to keep expanding the color range which is amazing. 

Image taken from Revolution Beauty site

Revolution states: 25 shades ranging from fair to deep, in cool, neutral and warm undertones. Lightweight yet full coverage concealer to cover blemishes, even skin tone and counteract dark circles, with a matte finish that won't settle or accentuate fine lines and pores. Long wearing intense pigment that can also be used to contour and add definition. Our large doe foot applicator allows for smooth application that won't drag on the delicate skin under your eyes.

 Fast Base Stick Foundation in F2 and bottom is Revolution Conceal & Define Concealer in C2 with top part blended into skin

Now in theory this concealer is awesome. It has good medium to full coverage, it blends beautifully  and the color range is huge. However on my skin it looks horrible. It is very matte and very drying and even if I set it it emphasizes every fine line I didn't even know I had and creases like crazy. The first hour it is fine but after that it all goes to hell. I have normal skin which I keep well moisturized but when I tried to use it to highlight my nose it actually dried out the area so much it cracked and peeled. This never happened to me before with any other concealer. I think people with oily skin will like it but it is definitely not for me. 

Longevity: 4/5
Coverage: 4/5
Appearance: 1/5
Price: 4/5

I guess my detour into affordable base products didn't end as well as I hoped it would. 

Revolution Life on a Dance Floor Palette in Guest List - Review and Swatches

In continuation of what seems to be a series of reviews of Revolution Beauty eyeshadow palettes we come to this warm shadows beauty called Life on the Dance Floor Palette in Guest List.

Revolution Life on the Dance Floor line consists of  4 palettes: VIP (neutrals), Sparklers (brights), Guest List (warm shadows) and  After Party (more cool toned shadows).

Guest List Palette comes in a sturdy, plastic, sparkly, rose gold packaging with a large mirror. There are 24 shadows, 1.1 g each; with 6 shimmery shades and 18 matte shades. It also comes with a see through plastic inset with shade names printed on it (I hate those inserts, I have a tendency to loose them or clumsily stick them in shadows and damage them).

Shadows range form warm oranges, reds and  browns with a smattering of pink, rose gold and cream. Now, Revolution is famous for duping high end palettes but I always end up enjoying their non-dupe palettes more and this one is one of those. Shadows are nicely bendable and long lasting. Colors are rich, intense and  pigmented. Revolution has consistently good shadows but as with all their shadows I tried so far there is quite a lot of kick up. 

Ingredients:

Mica, Talc, Magnesium Stearate, Silica, Paraffinum Liquidum, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polybutene, Dimethicone, Propylparaben, Methylparaben, CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 15850, CI 15985, CI 45410, CI 16035

Shadows are vegan, gluten free and cruelty free.

And now for the swatches. My daughter has provided her perfect skin as a nice canvas for the swatches. Swatches are made one swipe with the finger without any primer.

From left to right (first two rows of the palette): Cha Cha, Spin, Slide, Lock It, Jive; Shake It, 2 Step, Light Up, Neon, Get Down , Loose, Crew

From left to right (two bottom rows of the palette): Hip, Roll, 2AM, Throw Back, Bold, Loose it, Lean Back, Grind, Stop, Dark Corner (stunning , beautiful wine red), Black Light, Sleep

If you want to dip your toes in the warm shadows sea than this is a great palette to do so, as it will provide a wide range of warm shades to try on without braking the bank.

Packaging: 4/5
Quality: 4/5
Price: 5/5

Hope Girl Jamong Cleansing Balm Grapefruit - review

I am a firm believer in double cleansing and in oil cleansers. If you wear makeup and/or sunscreen (you should always wear sunscreen) on daily basis you need an oil based cleanser to properly clean your skin. I am also lazy so a cleanser that can remove all my point make up (eye and lip makeup) in one go is a must for me, and that is what a good oil cleanser does.

Hope Girl Jamong Cleansing Balm Grapefruit is a rather affordable cleansing balm of a sherbet type. Meaning it comes in a solid form and melts when applied due to skin warmth. It comes in a pink/orange/white plastic tub and contains 75g of product and comes with a little plastic scoop.  The outer cardboard packaging has information in Korean and English. The product has a light and pleasant grapefruit scent.

You can check CosDNA for detailed list of ingredients with safety ranking. The main ingredient of this cleanser is mineral oil. Mineral oil is made from petroleum, as a by-product of the distillation of petroleum for production of gasoline. It is used a s solvent in many lotions and creams as it is cheep as chips. There are some people that are against use of mineral oil in cosmetics as it is considered comedogenic. The more refined mineral oil is, it is less likely to clog your pores. Some are worried about the toxicity of mineral oil, however mineral oil used in cosmetics is a cosmetic grade mineral oil which is purified and deemed safe. And lastly it does nothing for your skin in the sense that it does not have any beneficial properties that would improve the condition of your skin. And I agree to a point that I would never use a cream, serum or lotion containing mineral oil as the main ingredient or a costly product that uses mineral oil as main ingredient, because that is just daylight robbery.

However, having said that I have no problem with mineral oil used for affordable cleansers. I do not worry about its comedogenic properties in a cleanser as it will not stick to my skin long enough to block anything and same goes for beneficial properties, I am  going to wash it off right away so I do not need for cleanser to act like skincare. So I am OK with mineral oil in oil based cleansers because their job is to dissolve and help remove makeup and dirt and that is what it does. One benefit of mineral oil is that it is less likely to cause allergic reaction unlike plant based oils. 

Besides mineral oil this cleanser contains other plant based oils (olive oil, macadamia oil, grapefruit peel oil) as well as citrus extracts that can be potentially irritating. So as always read the ingredients list carefully and test the product on a small patch of skin to see if you have any reactions. 

Testing the cleanser on concealer, liquid liner, eyebrow pencil, eyeliner, mascara, eyeshadow, liquid lipstick, and matte lipstick. 

It melts easily when in contact with skin.

If you add water it emulsifies and washes off easily. 

You are left with clean, soft skin. There is no feeling of dryness or tight skin.

I find the cleanser easy to use, its grapefruit fragrance is pleasant without being too strong or overwhelming. It melts into skin easily and dissolves all makeup, including waterproof one. You can add water to it and it emulsifies easily and can be rinsed with water. I personally prefer to remove it with a flannel soaked in warm water. It did not cloud my eyes while removing eye makeup and my skin did not react to the product, no redness, no bumps or any kind of irritation.  It can be purchased on Jolse for USD 12.75.

It is a good, affordable, no fuss oil cleanser which does what it is supposed to do and that is remove dirt and makeup. 

Revolution Reloaded Palettes in Iconic Fever and Iconic Division - Review and Swatches

Makeup Revolution London, a brand famous for its affordable dupes of high end products, recently went through a a bit of a face lift and now is called Revolution Beauty London. These two palettes are from their line of reloaded palettes .

Image taken from www.revolutionbeauty.com

There are 4 palettes in the line: Newtrals 2 (only one that is not a dupe of a high end palette), Iconic Vitality (a ABH Modern Renaissance palette dupe), Iconic Fever (Urban Decay Naked Heat dupe) and Iconic Division (a ABH Subculture dupe). As I don't own any of the palettes these are dupes for I will not be comparing the two but talking about the quality of shadows on their own merit.

Each palette contains 15 shadows that is 1.1 g each, so you get 16.5 g of shadows all together in a palette for 4.99 Euro /£4.00 or $7.00. They are vegan, cruelty free and gluten free. 


ICONIC FEVER

Iconic Fever is a warm palette and allegedly a dupe for Urban Decay Naked Heat. Shadows have no names but they are nicely pigmented and very blendable. The palette has 9 matte shades, one satin and 5 shimmer/metallic shades. As all Revolution shadows there is a bit of kick up so go gently into that pan. Matte shades are nicely pigmented and easy to blend while metallic shades have this almost creamy consistency. The first light shimmer shade (first shadow on the top from the left side) is less pigmented and a bit crumbly compared to others. Light shadow right next to it is a creamy satin shade that serves nicely as a highlight but it is not too pigmented. Those two are the least pigmented shadows in the palette for the rest pigmentation is superb. Palette has a nice range of warm toned shades and you can get get complete looks just by using this palette. It is a budget palette and packaging reflects that, it is practical but quite cheep feeling. 

Ingredients:
Mica, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Talc, Magnesium Stearate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polybutene, Polyethylene, Dimethicone, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, May Contain (+/-) CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77510, CI 77007, CI 77742, CI 15985, CI 15850, CI 16035

All swatches were one swipe with a finger (except for the lightest shades those were built up a bit) and no primer was used.

First row swatches from right to left.

Second row swatches from right to left.

Third row swatches from right to left.

ICONIC DIVISION

Iconic Division is an interesting palette containing both warm and cool tones, but it is decidedly a grungy autumn palette with its selection of green, brown and orange shades. It is a dupe for infamous ABH Subculture palette,which got a lot of flack for being extremely prone to kick back and hard to work with. This palette, as all Revolution palettes, has a bit of kick back but nothing extreme and shades are pigmented and easy to work with. It has one satin shade, 12 matte shades and two shimmer/ metallic shades.The one satin shade (top left light shade) that looks like matte white in the pan but it is actually a satin off white shade that reflects pink,is quite chalky and not very pigmented and despite being very interesting shade I find it quite hard to work with. The green/gold metallic shade (4th shade in the second row from the left) is also not richly pigmented but it has the most beautiful sheen that gives this wet look to the lid. On other shades pigmentation is rich and they are easy to blend without going muddy. Packaging is serviceable but cheep (mine arrived cracked, probably got damaged in shipping).

Ingredients:
Mica, Talc, Magnesium Stearate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polybutene, Kaolin, Silica, Polyethylene, Dimethicone, Tin Oxide, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, May Contain (+/-) CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77510, CI 15850, CI 42090, CI 19140, CI 77288, CI 16035

First row from right to left.

Second row from right to left.

Third row from left to right.

All in all these are great quality palettes for the money. Great palettes for those trying to branch out to more unusual colors or for beginners as they are easy to work with. 

Buxom lip products - review

When I stared to watch YouTube videos of beauty gurus, everyone was mentioning Buxom's White Russian lip gloss but living in cosmetically challenged part of Europe I didn't have a chance to try Buxom products. Recently  Cult Beauty and Feelunique started carrying Buxom products and I decided to check what I've been missing. 

Buxom is first and foremost known for its lip plumping products designed to make your lips appear fuller and more "buxom". Brand is cruelty free but not vegan. The brand says for itself:

"Big, bold and sexy are three words that sum up BUXOM’s attitude to beauty. Advocates of ‘more is more’ and firm in their belief that bombshells ought to rule the world, their covetable collection of lip-tingling glosses, lengthening mascaras, volumising lip pigments and stunning, suedette shadows is your key to instant irresistibility. Packed with peptides to lessen fine lines and ensure plumped-up, pillowy lips, this best-loved range will guarantee you always look fierce, fabulous and enviably self-assured." 

Unlike the rest of me my lips could do with a bit of plumping so I purchased the talked about full on lip creme in White Russian and Big and Sexy Bold Gel Lipstick (that name though) in Rebel Rose and received a sample size of Plumpline lip liner in Hush Hush as gift with purchase. 

Let's start with the famous one.

Full-on lip cream in White Russian

"Free from shimmer or glimmer, BUXOM’s Full-On Lip Cream offers flawlessly creamy, plumping, glass-smooth colour and a subtle tingle to create fuller, more voluptuous lips. Enriched with hyaluronic spheres, the formula boosts and smooths lips with luscious moisture, while a unique peptide and hyaluronic acid booster, it also stimulates collagen, builds volume and plumps to perfection – without irritation. Available in 14 of the boldest, most uplifting shades, there’s a lip cream to suit every look and mood. "

Buxom describes the color as perfect peach, I don't know about perfect but it is a very nice light peach color. I was very skeptical of this product as I usually dislike stinging of lip plumpers and I am not a big fan of glosses. Surprisingly, I actually really like it. Yes it does have a bit of menthol like sting thanks to Menthone Glycerin Acetal that feels cooling but not unpleasantly stingy (the tingly, cooling sensation is long lasting, I can feel it on my lips for almost an hour after initial application) and it is really not gloppy. It is somewhat sticky but still very comfortable to wear. The product smells like a vanilla cake and applies easily with the doe foot applicator. I like it best on my bare lips and not as a lip topper (I just dislike having too much stuff on my lips). It imparts a hint of color with a lovely shine. The gloss will stay on my lips for some 2 hours unless I eat. 

Now onto the plumping bit. How do lip plumpers work? Basically they contain an ingredient that irritates the sensitive skin of the lips, increasing blood flow and causing temporary swelling of lips. As mentioned, full-on lip cream uses Menthone Glycerin Acetal, a milder form of menthol, to achieve this effect. If you have super sensitive skin or plan to use it during some really cold weather I would suggest to test this product beforehand to see how you get on. On me the plumping effect kicks in some 4-5 minutes after application when I can feel my lips slightly swelling giving a  minimally plumper look to them. Nothing major or drastic. Additionally the smoothing, hydrating, shiny formula contributes to that fuller lip look. So in a sense it really does work. 

Ingredients:

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Menthone Glycerin Acetal, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Silica, Microcrystalline Wax (Cera Microcristallina), Octyldodecanol, Trimethylolpropane Triisostearate, Benzyl Benzoate, Flavor (Aroma), Tribehenin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Bht, Sodium Saccharin, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hexylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Carmine (Ci 75470). (+/-): Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Red 6 (Ci 15850), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Red 33 Lake (Ci 17200), Red 30 Lake (Ci 73360), Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410)

I was suprised how much I liked this considering I am not the biggest fan of glosses.It really looks quite beautiful on the lips. Avoid if you do not like that tingly cooling menthol feeling. 

Swatches from left to right:  Plumpline lip liner in Hush Hush, Full on lip creme in White Russian and Big and Sexy Bold Gel Lipstick  in Rebel Rose

 Big and Sexy Bold Gel Lipstick in Rebel Rose

"A genius gel lipstick that belies its weightless texture, BUXOM’s Big & Sexy Bold Gel Lipstick creates beautiful impact in just one stroke. With an array of matte and satin finishes, the bold formula is highly pigmented to create a vivid, voluptuous effect and beautiful bombshell looks. Wonderfully lightweight and comfortable, the only thing you need concern yourself with is which of the 30 show-stopping classic nude and vibrant bold shades to choose first."

This lipstick (I am not repeating that mess of a name) comes in two finishes matte and satin. Packaging is a bit bulky with a magnetic closure which I like. Lipstick comes in a shape and size of a lip-balm which can make it a bit hard to apply precisely. Gel like formula glides on easily and opaquely. I find it can look cakey if you apply more than one layer but honestly it really does not need more than one layer. Rebel Rose has a satin finish and feels very comfortable and hydrating on the lips. I experienced no bleeding or settling into fine lines. Shade Rebel Rose is described as satin rosy pink but on my lips looks like a cool toned mauve. It gives the look of hydrated, juicy, lightly glossy lips but I noticed no plumping. Wear time is average for a creamy lipstick, some 5 hours unless I eat. 

Ingredients:

Isononyl Isononanoate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polyethylene, Dicalcium Phosphate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Microcrystalline (Cera Microcristallina/Cire Microcristalline), Synthetic Wax, Stearalkonium Hectorite, C30-45 Alkyl Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cetyl Dimethicone, Propylene Carbonate, Dimethicone, Ethyl Vanillin, Tribehenin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Laureth-4, Sorbitan Isostearate, Lactic Acid, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Flavor (Aroma). May Contain (+/-): Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Manganese Violet (Ci 77742), Red 6 (Ci 15850), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410), Red 33 Lake (Ci 17200), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (Ci 15985)

I really enjoy this buttery soft, comfortable formula and shade Rebel Rose is a perfect work appropriate everyday shade. 

Plumpline lip liner in Hush Hush

"With a beautiful smooth matte finish and a built-in blending brush, this luscious liner will soon become your go-to for a fool-proof, fabulously full lip look. Wonderfully versatile, this liner defines, contours and fills lips – perfect with any of BUXOM’s plumping lip colours, yet creamy and pigmented enough to be worn alone or as a beautiful base. Enriched with conditioning jojoba oil, it keeps lips lovely and soft and prevents them from drying our. The vast array of 20 feminine shades will prove the perfect companions for your favourite lip colours."

I'm a bit confused with this product. It is called a lip-liner but comes in a form of a chunky lip pencil and with a lip brush (which I find no use for if I use only pencil). However, the formula is lovely. It is  non-drying, glides easily on the lips and has a wear time typical of a matte lipstick. You can comfortably wear it alone as you would a matte lipstick. Shade Hush Hush is a light warm brown/cinnamon shade that will compliment many skin tones and it is immensely wearable. When it comes to plumping I saw no such effect with this product.

Ingredients: 

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Ozokerite, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Triethylhexanoin, Synthetic Candelilla Wax, Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, Beeswax (Cera Alba/Cire Dabeille), Phenyl Trimethicone, Microcrystalline Wax (Cera Microcristallina/Cire Microcristalline), Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate, Tribehenin, Squalane, Lecithin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Bht. May Contain (+/-): Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Red 6 (Ci 15850), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410), Red 30 Lake (Ci 73360), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140)

I enjoyed this lip liner/chubby pencil a lot. Formula is excellent and feels comfortable on the lips and I am really glad I got to test it.

So out of three products I liked all three, either I got really lucky in my selection or Buxom knows their stuff. Have you tried anything from the brand? Let me know is there anything I should try. 

Makeup Revolution Pro HD Amplified 35 Palette in Exhilerate - review and swatches

Pro HD Amplified 35 Palette in Exhilarate has 35 eyeshadow pans (each pan contains 0.857 g of product) and majority of shadows are shimmery (30 shimmery and 5 matte shades).Unlike the Socialite Palette I reviewed before, Exhilarate will probably not work as a stand alone palette. It does have 5 matte shades that can serve as transition shades but lacks darker matte colors. I find it to be a perfect palette for people that already own neutral palettes and wish to  transition painlessly into color.

Shadows blend beautifully and shimmery shades feel slightly wet and slippery (probably due to Dimethicone in the formula). I find that the best way to apply shimmery shades is using a  flat synthetic shader brush, sprayed with make up fixer and to press and drag the shadow on the eye rather than just pat it.

In combination with any neutral palette or even Socialite palette from the same range you can  achieve many various and imaginative eye looks. As with other eye shadows from the brand I found that they last long on the eye without fading and when combined with a primer they do not transfer on my slightly hooded eye and last all day without fading. They apply easily on the eye and blend nicely without patchiness, although there is a bit of fall out. Palette is available on Revolution Beauty website for 15 pounds.

And now onto swatches. Swatches were made with a finger without a primer, one swipe only. I will go from top to bottom and left to right side of the palette.

For the lightest set of shades my daughter provided her tiny pale arm to serve as the canvas for swatches.

From left to right: Thrill (very light peach ), Exhilarate (light rose gold ), Influence (light peachy pink), Vivacious (shimmery white), Sense ( matte cream), Excite (light bronzy gold), Galvanize (light peach), Prompted (champagne), Fired up (platinum), Passion (creamy yellowish matte)

From left to right: Intoxicate (yellowish light green), Awaken (dusty rose), Provoke (bronze), Joyous (silver), Relive (mid-tone peach matte), Sensational (duo-chrome pink on a white/ translucent base), Invigorate (dark rose), Instigate (true yellow gold), Elated (silvery blue), Momentous (coffee with cream matte)

From left to right: Electrify (olive green with gold shift), Vitalize (reddish bronze), High Spirits (orange), Eager (gun metal gray), Rejuvenate (light brown matte), Delight (rose with gold shift) , Dynamite (barbie pink), Exuberant (warm purple), Fanatical (dark rose gold), Desire (darkened plum)

Animate (silvery light purple), Activate (light plum), Impressible (light electric purple), Tantalized (blue), Intensify (muted aquamarine)

Oh wow, I really suck at color description. Some colors need a bit more build up than others and Sensational is an interesting shade but very, very sheer. Delight and Fanatical are gorgeous colors and both are somewhat of a dupe for MAC's Expensive Pink shade. All in all this is a really lovely palette that is perfect for spring.

If you are sick of neutrals and saturated warm shades and need something refreshing I say go for it. The quality for the price is outstanding.

Makeup Revolution Pro HD Amplified 35 Palette in Socialite - review and swatches

Makeup Revolution London is a brand known for its affordable makeup and for duping popular or cult products of some high-end brands. As far as I can tell these Pro HD Palettes are not dupes of anything. They have recently came out with 5 of those Pro HD Amplified 35 Palettes in Socialite, Exhilarate, Innovation, Defiant and Smoulder.

Pro HD Amplified 35 Palette in Socialite has 35 eyeshadow pans (each pan contains 0.857 g of product) in different finishes: 9 shimmery shades, 4 satin/matte hybrids and 22 matte shades. As the name Socialite suggests this is a classy looking palette consisting of mostly neutrals with few pops of color.

It comes in a rose gold outer packaging that contains shade names on the back as well as the ingredients list. Palette itself comes in black plastic packaging with see through lid (mine got cracked during transport). It is pretty sturdy and does not feel too cheep.

Now onto shadows themselves. Matte shadows are pigmented and easy to blend, they do have a bit of kick up mind you.They did not get muddied while applied on the eyes and colors stayed true to themselves.  Those weird  satin/ matte shadows with specks of glitter are particularly lovely, they are super creamy and go on like a dream. Shimmery shades go on nicely both with firm synthetic brush or finger and are intense in shine and color without foiling them. Only one shade behaves more like pressed glitter and that is TOFF and I would recommend using a glitter glue with it.They last well without primer and do not budge when used with primer. All in all these are very nice eyeshadows, especially for the price.
They are available on TAMBEAUTY web site for EUR 19.

Swatches were made with finger without a primer, one swipe only except for the lightest shades which I built up a bit to show on my pale skin. Going from top row to the bottom row of the palette. Pardon my translucent skin. It is winter and I am ghost pale.

From left to right: Blaire, Prima Donna, Skinny Latte, Divorcee, Spoilt, Vivacious, Convertible

From left to right: Driver, 1st Class, Plutocracy, TOFF, Debutante, Nouveau Rich, Front Row

From left to right: Pay Slip, Sugar Daddy, Make it Rain, Elite, Blue Blood, High Tea, Throw Shade

From left to right: Rumor Mill, Pyjamas with Heels, Credit Card, Miami Beach, Plastic, Fill It, Video Tape

From left to right: Inheritance, Privileged, Charlie, Cosmopolitan, Nose Job, Let's Do Brunch, Old Money

The eyeshadow names all go along with the theme of socialite and some of them cracked me up (like naming that hot pink shade Plastic).

I found most of the shadow easy to work with and you can get really beautiful both everyday and night out eye looks with this palette. You need to work on blending them a bit more then you would for example with ABH Modern Renaissance Palette or Urban Decay Naked Palettes but the end results are equally beautiful. Matte shadows have some fall out so make sure you tap your brush before applying. I am thoroughly enjoying this palette and would recommend it to anyone that wants a lot of colors to choose from and is not willing to shell out on high end shadows.

PRODUCTS I USED UP

A box full of products I've used up in the last 6 months. Since they are used up I wanted to go through them and write a few thoughts about each. Since there is a lot I decided to divide them into categories to make this easier.

Cleansing products

Illi Total Againg Cleansing Oil -  a hanbang cleansing oil I usually get from ebay, it usually is priced around 19/20 USD. It is really lovely cleansing oil that takes everything off, including eye makeup. It emulsifies really well and is easy to fully rinse off. I will repurchase once I am done with a bunch of other first cleansing products I have.

REN Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Balm -  me and this one were not the bestest of friends. I like the packaging in tube, but there is no emulsification so you have to use it in conjunction with a face flannel. It is a quite thick balm and it had bit of a trouble with waterproof mascara. With a price tag  of around 29/30 EUR it is quite pricey as well. I get my REN products on lookfantastic web site, but I will not be repurchasing this one.

Innisfree Bluberry Rebalancing 5.5 Cleanser - Second or foaming cleanser with lower pH of 5.5. I get it from Jolse and it is a  nice affordable option for second cleanser with around 9 USD price tag for 100ml. It got a bit chemically smelling towards the end so I probably will not repurchase.

shu uemura white recovery brightening cleansing oil - this travel size bottle was a gift with purchase and I enjoyed it well enough. It is a really nice thin oil that cleanses perfectly. It is just so expensive and there are other cheaper oils that do the job just as well. Will not repurchase.

Sunscreen

Hera Sun Mate Daily SPF 35 - the most expensive of these sunscreens and the one I liked the least. It worked perfectly fine I just did not enjoy the slightly greasy texture. You can find it on Jolse for 26 USD.  I will not repurchase.

A'PIEU PURE BLOCK Natural Sun Cream 45 SPF -  I really enjoy this sunscreen, the texture is great, no flashback and so light on the skin. Besides being awesome it is also really affordable, it is around 11 USD on Jolse. Definitely repurchase.

A'PIEU PURE BLOCK Aqua Sun Gel  50 SPF-  Another great sunscreen. Light on the skin, dries fast, no flashback. I prefer using Gel formula during summer. I get it on Jolse for around USD 13. Already have a backup but will definitely repurchase.

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50 - My favorite outdoor activity in summer sunscreen. This one provides sure protection in the hottest summer. It drys down fast, and is not heavy on the skin. This was my last tube of the old formula, I have purchased the new formula already but I will have to see if I like it as much as this one.

Serums and Essences 

su:m 37 Secret Essence  - Travel size 30 ml bottle I purchased to see if I like it before spending money on this luxury product. Unfortunately, I  love it. I have already repurchased it in full 100ml  size which is currently around USD 66 on Jolse.

Huxley Secret of Sahara Essence:Grab Water - A hydrating essence/serum that has a lovely scent and a cooling effect. I really enjoyed using this during summer and I will probably repurchase it once weather gets hot again. You can get Huxley products on Jolse, and this essence is priced around USD 33.

Tosowoong Time Shift Serum - I liked it. It is a nice affordable anti ageing serum chock full of good ingredients, but unfortunately I think it is getting discontinued.

Goodal water oil firming camellia - I love this product. There is a review of it on my Instagram. I would have repurchased it already but I have a really hard time sourcing it. It is sold out in all my usual shops. I sincerely hope it is not getting discontinued.

The Ordinary Niaciamide 10% +Zinc 1% - I've gone through two bottles of this. I am half done with the new one and have another one as backup. This is my holy grail product and I loooove it. It works and it is very affordable. There is a short review of it here. It costs only EUR 5.90 on Deciem site.

The Ordinary Buffet Serum - an anti ageing peptide serum. I enjoyed using it. As all the Oridnary products it is very affordable with price tag of EUR 14.80 on Deciem site. I am trying out its more advanced and more expensive version Hylamide SubQ Anti-age. I am curious how much better is it as it is double the price of Buffet.If I will not see any difference I will go back to Buffet. It is a good, affordable anti-ageing option.

Creams and sleeping masks 

Laneige Time Freeze Firming Sleeping Mask - I remember enjoying this mask, and will probably buy it full size once I use up at least half of numerous sleeping masks I have.

Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream - a lovely hanbang cream with wonderful texture and feel on the skin. Probably my favorite moisturizer. I already have a back up and will repurchase again and again. It is available on Jolse for around USD 17.

the SAEM Urban Eco Harakeke Whitening Cream -Very affordable moisturizer that performs and feels like much more expensive product. I currently have plenty of moisturizers but I would definitely consider repurchasing it once I run out. It is available on Jolse for around USD 13.

The Ordinary Natural Mousturizing Factors + HA - A simple and serviceable moisturizer, does what it is supposed to do and it is perfect for sensitive skin as it has very limited ingredients and is unlikely to cause mess, it is also perfect for travel as it is in a tube and not a heavy glass jar. The only thing I disliked was it small size of 30 ml. However they have now a 100 ml option which is perpetually sold out. Available on Deciem site 30 mil for EUR 5.80 and 100 ml for EUR 7.70. I will definitely repurchase once they have a 100 ml option in stock.

Make up Fixers

Aritaum All Day Make up Fixer - It was an OK make up fixer. Nothing overly exciting but it did its job. There are so many options on the market and I like trying new stuff I probably will not repurchase. Available on Jolse for around USD 10.

SKINDINAVIA the Makeup Primer Spray Oil Control - I love Skinidinavia make up fixers, I used Oil control primer spray before make up during summer. It helps make up to stay put with heat and sweating. This bottle has a black spray dispenser but I'm currently using it on another make up fixer cause their spray dispenser was crap. This is available on SKINDINAVIA  site for USD 35.

SKINDINAVIA make up finishing spray (full size + travel size) - This is the old packaging. I have already repurchased this in new packaging. It is USD 29 on SKINDINAVIA site.

Make up

Innsfree always new auto liner in  no. 4 brown - Brown liners is something I use daily to tight line. I liked the liner itself but hated the packaging. Especially the screw on cap. I always forgot you had to twist and not pull. Annoying. It is available on Jolse for about USD 8. Will not repurchase due to annoying packaging.

stilla smudge stick waterproof eyeliner in damsel - an excellent eyeliner. I used it to tight-line and it went on smooth and did not budge. I never can find this color though. I received it included in the palette. If I could find this color I would repurchase it.

Clio Kill Brow Tattoo-lasting gel pencil in Natural brown - This was perfect for quick brow in a hurry. It went on easily and lasted long time. It is perfect for someone who does not have to do a lot of work on their natural brows except a quick fill in as it is not a precise pencil. I have a lot of brow products I need to go through but I will probably repurchase eventually.

NYX Micro Brow Pencil  in Ash Brown - A supposed dupe for Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. I don't know if I got a faulty one but it kept breaking off. It worked well, and pencil is really fine so you can draw individual hairs but it kept breaking off. In the end it lasted less then a month. Will not repurchase.

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Bold Volume Lifting Mascara -I mean, it was fine I guess. There was nothing bold about its volume though. Clearly, I was not overly impressed so I  will not repurchase.

YSL Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils -  I got this in a set with a perfume. I liked it well enough and one day when I feel like spending an inordinate amount of money on a mascara I might purchase the full size.

Milani Eyeshadow Primer - an excellent budget eyeshadow primer. Already have a back up. Only down side for me is that Milani is not easily available to me.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Stick Levres - not as good as the one in the pot but still an excellent lip balm and essential for handbag. It really sits well under other lip products. Once I use up a bunch of lip balms I have I will definitely repurchase.


I cannot believe I finally finished with this. If you managed to get to the end of this post you deserve a virtual cookie. Now I can finally happily recycle all those bottles and tubes and my husband can stop calling me a hoarder.