Vichy Dermablend Fluid Corrective Foundation in 'Nude' [Review]

The first time I had heard about the Vichy Dermablend was through their amazing commercial featuring a heavily tatted man [a.k.a. Zombie Boy] - who had been expertly covered with the Vichy Dermablend foundation:

And I thought ... what an amazing, amazing product!

Fast forward a couple of months, and I was given the opportunity to test it out for myself. Vichy have recently launched a 3D version of this foundation, mostly targeted for people with Acne or problematic skin [it helps smooth everything out]. However, since I don't suffer from really problematic skin, I decided to go with the original formula of Dermablend.

It promises 16 hours of wear, with an SPF of 35, I know that many people really hate having SPF in their foundation, but I find that this does not give any exceptional flash back when using flash photography.

Mine is in the shade #35 Nude and it matches me perfectly. It has quite a neutral verging on yellow undertone.

The formula is neither too thick or too thin: it leans more towards the liquidy side - which is something which I was not prepared for - as usually full coverage foundations are thicker than normal ones.

It feels quite light on the skin, especially when applied with a damp sponge, however it also applies well both with a brush or even with your hands.

It gives medium to very high coverage and has a near matte finish. The finish is quite natural, especially in day light. It can be easily layered without getting a cake-y finish. It evens out my skin tone, and gives a nice even finish to my face.

On me it lasts around 8-9 hours, and my face starts turning oily after about 3-4 hours of wear. I do have to set this, as I have really oily skin.

This Vichy Dermablend Fluid Corrective Foundation is one of the best foundations currently on the market!

Love,

Lola

xoxo

Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer [Review]

I'm going to start this review with a bit of a spoiler ... 

I can confidently say that this Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer is one of the best primers that I have ever come across, and one of the cheapest too. I am #obsessed with it, and I can't go out of the house without applying this first.

I got it from HERE for around $5 / €4 including shipping and was here in around 2/3 weeks, as usual.

It comes in this cute plastic container, with a doe foot applicator. The downside to having a product in a container like this as opposed to having it in a sort of tube is that you can't scrape the bottom unless you somehow manage to cut it in half.

The product has a sort of nude, beige-y colour, which applies with a slight hint of shimmer but which doesn't change the finish of the shadow you apply on top - so basically, if you apply a matte eye shadow over this primer, it would still have a matte finish.

Even though this Etude House Proof 10 Primer has a nude colour it does not have any sort of coverage on the eyes, so it won't make unsightly veins disappear.

You can either apply this under your eye shadow, or if you want you can use this just as a base for your eyeliner - which works equally well.

As I said numerous times on this blog, my eyelids are super oily and eye shadows tend to crease like mad, and eye liner wings tend to disappear after a couple of hours of wear without a primer [or even when applied on top of some other primers].

However I must say that this primer has changed my life. 

While my shadows do tend to crease after a long day at work [especially when the weather is super humid here in Malta] but my eye liner stays put throughout the day with this!

It also makes shadows look brighter and more vivid, especially brightly coloured ones. 

I haven't yet tested the water proof claim that this comes with, but I do think it offers some sort of protection because even when my eyes water, my liner stays put. Hurrah, hurrah!

Totally recommend. Heed my advice and get one of this! Just pros, no cons <3

Love,

Lola

xoxo

Pupa Milano Dot Shock Miss Pupa Lipstick [Limited Edition | Spring 2016 Collection | First Impressions]

I'm always on the hunt for a good, day time handbag lipstick: the ones which you can just apply without the need of a mirror.

This Miss Pupa lipstick from the Limited Edition Dot Shock collection is precisely such a product: a kind of hybrid between a gel, a balm and a lipstick.

On the Pupa Milano website it is described as follows:

 "Smooth and sensorial  gelée texture that enhances the volume of lips. With Cotton Extract, which has moisturizing and nourishing qualities, for soft and perfectly moisturized lips.
An absolutely bright and sensorial formula, for an irresistible make-up result. On the lips, an extraordinary crystal effect, an incredible semi-transparent wet finish and comfort without compare."

This Miss Pupa lipstick is dermatologist tested, and also has an SPF of 15. It comes in 4 shades, and the one I got is #003. It is a bright pink, brighter than what I thought it would be at first, given that it is more a lipbalm than a full blown lipstick. It will go especially well with tanned skin tones in summer.

Since it has a kind of gel texture, it applies extremely smoothly on the lips, with minimal effort and pressure. As it is expected though, it does not have the best longevity and it must be re-applied several times throughout the day. But as I said in the introduction, as it is quite light weight and forgiving it is can be easily applied without the need of a mirror.

It also gives a nice shine to the lips, making them appear fuller and plumper. 

As expected from a balm/gel hybrid, the colour is quite sheer, but is also buildable if you want a more pigmented look. It is not at all sticky.

Just a little side note though - do make sure that your lips are properly moisturised and without any dry patches before you use this Pupa lipstick, as it tends to cling to the tiniest of dry patches on the lips. 

Other gorgeous items from this collection are:

Balmy Gloss : € 9.95

Miss Pupa Lipstick: € 13.50

Eyeshadow Palette: € 15.90

Vamp Stylo Liner : € 10.90

Blush: € 15.60

Lasting Colour Gel: € 6.00

Velvet Matt Polish: € 6.00

Get this collection before it is too late from your nearest stockist in Malta and Gozo.

Love,

Lola

xoxo

***Disclaimer: This product was sent to me by Pupa Milano for review purposes. I was not paid to do this review. What I wrote in the review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

 

EBay Music Flower Eyebrow Pomade [Review]

Ebay ... my biggest vice. 

I'm always on the lookout for new cheap Ebay makeup. I'm used to seeing the now ever so popular MeNow liquid lipsticks, the concealer palettes and other beauty related things [I have many Ebay beauty reviews, if you want to check them out], but when I saw this Music Flower 3 pan eyebrow pomade, I was quite pleasantly surprised. 

I got mine from HERE and it cost me $4.44 with free shipping.

For that price you get this cute compact with 3 different brow pomade shades and a mini double-ended brow brush.

What made me want to buy this is that it has 3 pans filled with different pomades: a black, a dark brown [slightly red-toned, I think] and a light caramel shade.

This way you can easily pop open all three of them, and create a custom shade for your brows. 

All three pomades come with a lid, which ensures that they won't dry out.

The brush is also quite nice to use, and while it is not of the highest quality, it does the job. One side is sturdier than the other, but I like to use both sides depending on which part of my brows I'm filling in: I tend to use the angled, softer side for the front of my brows, and the other side for the tail.

I somehow have lost the picture of the swatches, but you have to trust in me on this one. They are super creamy and super pigmented, and I just love using them. You can get a natural finish, or slightly bolder ones depending on how much product you use.

They are also really long lasting, and stay put throughout the day.

You should definitely check them out!

Love,

Lola

xoxo

Etude House Big Cover Concealer BB & Concealer Cushion [Review]

The Etude House Big Cover line was launched end 2015/ beginning 2016, and as soon as I saw the 'Big Cover' claim I wanted to see what it was all about, and what type of coverage it could offer.

Apart from these 2 I have, you can also get the concealer in a stick form, in a 3 pan palette or with a doe foot applicator.

I got mine from my usual seller and they cost me $13.38 for the BB, and $8.94 for the concealer. You can get yours from HERE and HERE.

First off, the Concealer BB, which comes in 3 different shades. Mine is in shade 'Sand', and it is one of the darkest BB creams I have, which is a nice change to the usual really pasty ones.

You get 30ml in a rather hefty glass(?) bottle, and it has a whopping SPF50. As I was saying in the beginning of the post, what drew me to buy this Etude House Big Cover BB cream is that this one claims that is is a 'Concealer BB', a claim which is very true. It is a sort of concealer/ BB hybrid, and it comes with impressive coverage: medium with first application, which can be built to a higher coverage.

It comes with the hugest doe-foot applicator I have ever seen, which makes it look like one huge concealer bottle. I use the applicator to apply this on my face, however if you don't like that idea, you can easily apply it to your hand, and use it from there.

Since this is a hybrid, it has a thicker than normal consistency, and so it need more blending than the usual BB cream does. Usually I apply normal BB creams with my hands, but with this one I find that if you apply it with a damp beauty sponge you get better, seamless results.

It has a soft, powder like scent, but nothing too strong.

I always set this with powder, and I find that it's best if you do, as I think that this can easily settle into fine lines.

After setting it with a good powder, I find that my nose starts turning oily after about 4 hours of wear, and my whole face [especially my forehead] after about 6 hours, after which I would need to re-powder everything.

It reduces redness, and if you don't have really dark under eye circles, you can easily use this one product for everything.

From the same line I also got the cushion concealer, which comes with this soft, cushion like applicator. 

This Etude House Cushion Concealer comes in quite a good range of shades: 3 of them to match the Concealer BB, a mint, a peachy/pinky, and a white [highlighter] one. I opted for a lighter shade than my BB, and I got it in the shade Vanilla.

It has an SPF of 30 [weird for a concealer, huh?]. 

To disperse the product, you click the bottom part of the tube. I have grown to love concealers which come with this type of applicator, I find it very convenient. This has a really good size too, smaller than the Maybelline Age-Rewind concealer, which I think makes for better application.

It offers really good coverage, and also gives my under eyes a brightening effect. Since I got this in a lighter shade than the BB, I only use it on my undereyes rather than to cover any spots and pimples.

I like to blend it also by using a damp beauty sponge, which makes application easier and less likely to streak.

I have been using these 2 products everyday, and I do recommend that you try them, especially you people who are blighted with oily skin like I am.

If you have dry skin, I suggest that you try the Cushion concealer out.

Love,

Lola

xoxo

Etude House Dear Girls Oil Control Pact [Review]

I was on the hunt for a cheap, travel friendly compact powder when I decided to get this Etude House Dear Girls Oil Control Pact. 

If I'm not mistaken this is part of a larger collection by Etude House. I got mine from HERE for $7.33 including shipping.

To be honest, the packaging was what made me press the buy it now button. Unlike other products, I had never seen this or did some research about it first.

It comes in a cute compact, with a mirror and a puff, which fits nicely in the palm of my hand. 

The powder is white / transparent, and has a light perfume scent. 

I have mixed feelings about this product. 

When I first got this, I tried powdering all of my face with it. I didn't like it. Although it is transparent, it does leave a kind of white / pale finish. It gives minimum coverage, so this would be better if used for touch ups. However, it does control oil on the long run.

So I've now started using this only for touch ups, as I carry it around in my bag in case of emergencies.

Having said that, I do think that this does break me out whenever I use it. I didn't think too much about it when it first happened, as I tend to  use multiple new products at once. However, I do think that I break out more when I use it.

I wouldn't re-purchase this, but if you're a young teenager who wants cute packaging and an oil controlling powder which doesn't break the bank, I think that you should try it out, as all other reviews I read about this didn't say that it broke them out. 

Love,

Lola

xoxo

TonyMoly Merry Atom Mini Cusion Blusher [Limited Edition | Review]

TonyMoly released this Merry Atom collection as part of their Xmas limited edition range. I couldn't resist not grabbing this as 1) I'm a sucker for manga, 2) I've got a weakness when it comes to cute packaging, and 3) after all the hype around cushion foundations, I wanted to test out a cushion blusher.

I got mine from this seller HERE, who is one of my most used ones, for $9.99, however I checked it out today and it is $11.99 - of course since it's a limited edition Xmas range, you'd better hurry up and get yours if you so wish.

This TonyMoly Merry Atom Mini Cushion Blusher comes in 2 shade varieties: #1 Strawberry Sugar Cake, and #2 Red Velvet Cake.

Mine is in shade #2:

As per standard cushion packaging, this comes packaged in the cutest compact ever. It has 2 separate levels: one for the sponge / puff applicator, and one which nestles the cushion product. 

It also comes with a handy mirror, making this blusher super handbag friendly and ideal for touch ups on the go.

If you're not familiar with cushion products, the product per se is nestled in a sponge applicator, which you need to press on with your puff in order to release the product. This way, you will only dispense the correct amount every time you need to use it. 

The blusher is very liquidy, and so a light hand is necessary when applying this. 

Even though this shade is called Red Velvet, I find that this colour verges more towards the coral, rather than a red velvet shade. 

It does give a lovely pop of colour, and is rather buildable too - should you want a stronger blushed up look. 

It is easily blended, and if you're not comfortable with using the puff, you can easily use any other brush that you want. 

It lasts for a good 5-6 hours on me, afterwhich it starts to fade nicely.

This is a nice blush to use, especially for those who have dry skin, or those who prefer a dewy look.

Hope this helps, feel free to leave any comments / questions about this product down below!

Love,

Lola

xoxo

Lola Loves Sparkles International Giveaway | And the Winner Is ... [Giveaway | Closed]

And so another giveaway has come to an end! Thank you all for participating, and well done to the winner!

Keep posted for future giveaways <3

I've already emailed the winner, and she has three days time to email me back with details - if not I will have to choose another winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Much love, as always

Lola

xoxo

Lola Loves Sparkles | 2015 Drugstore Favourites [MakeUp | Cosmetics | Faves]

Hope 2016 is treating you well.

After watching countless of 2015 favourite videos, I thought that I should share my own!

Starting with base products:

Starting from left:

Holika Holika Clearing Petit BB Cream: This Korean BB cream comes in 4 different types, and it is one of the best products for oily/combination skins [it works for me!] Love the price, the packaging, the product. I've reviewed this back in 2013 [read it HERE] and you can get yours from HERE.

Etude House Goodbye Pore Ever: Another Korean product, this time a makeup primer. This should target pores, however I find that it's not such a great pore filler [but maybe that's because my pores are HUGE]. This works really well as a normal primer though. Read my full review HERE and get it from HERE

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation: One of my makeup staples - I've bought this countless of times. Love the coverage, the finish, and the price! Read my full review HERE. 

L'Oreal True Match Foundation: Another one of my holy grails, however I love the old formula better than this new version. I need to go out on a look out on Maltese stands to check if I can still find this! It's not dewy, it's not matte - it gives you healthy looking skin without looking too OTT. Read my review HERE

L.A. Girl Pro Conceal: Numerous beauty gurus rave about this concealer, and now I know why! I love it, my mum loves it, everyone does! There's a huge variety of shades, super coverage, cheap price. I've compared it with the MAC Prolongwear in this review HERE and I get mine from HERE

Catrice Cosmetics Prime and Fine Mattifying Waterproof Powder: What an amazing powder! So amazing that when it came out that it would be discontinued, a lot of my friends went out to buy backups. I've had more than 5 of these throughout 2015. It's perfect for setting your undereye or your entire face, gives a lovely smooth finish, good at oil control. Really inexpensive. Not sure about the waterproof claim though. If you see this on a Catrice stand, trust me and get it [and back ups!]

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer: Another amazing drugstore concealer which unfortunately isn't available in Malta. So I either get it through send on, or when I'm over in the UK [or if somebody I know is over there]. Love the finish, love the consistency, I really WISH this was available locally!

Sleek Trio of Blushers in 'Pink Sprint': One of my favourite things to collect is blushers - I never go out of the house without having any on. My most used blush in 2015 is undoubtedly this trio by Sleek. Love the pink tones, super highly pigmented [use with caution!] use each shade separately or mix them to get your own custom shade. Check out my review HERE.

Essence Soo Glow Cream to Powder Highlighter: 2015 has been the year of strobing and highlighting and contouring. It is very difficult to find a good drugstore highlight, and I normally use a normal shimmery eyeshadow instead. However, I love layering powders on creams. This Essence highlighter has a good payoff, nice finish, and nice shade too! Read my full review HERE

Essence Lash Princess Mascara [the Green Version]: I LOVE both versions of this mascara [both the green pictured here, and the peach] It gives such a nice effect to my lashes: longer and fuller. It also doesn't take a long time to dry, and does not smudge or budge. And for the price ... Wow. Definitely try this one out girls!

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara: Even though this mascara claims to give a false lash effect, I find that on me the effect is more natural. Still, I have used it ever since I got it, and I'm using it still. Love the formula, like the brush. Check out my review HERE

Essence Liquid Ink Eyeliner in Waterproof: What an amazing liquid eyeliner! The colour payoff, the longevity, the price, the brush. 10/10 from my behalf. I've heard that this is going to be discontinued though ... must stock up! I have kept 2 empty tubes because I love the brush so much.

Ebay 15 Eyeshadow Matte Palette: I must admit that I don't really use drugstore eyeshadows [I love UD too much!], however when I couldn't find a nice warm toned brown shadow, I turned to Ebay. And the shadow in the middle of this palette is the reason to why I got it. This palette has ok pigmentation, and it isn't that hard to blend. See swatches in my review HERE and get yours from HERE

Catrice Eye Brow Pencil: My most loved eye brow pencil of 2015 [and last year's too!] I've re-purchased this a number of times: lovely pigmentation, it's a good shade for my brows, stays on throughout the day, awesome price.

Etude House Color My Brows: This brow mascara comes in 5 different shades, so you'll probably find a good match. Love the finish, does not give my brows a plastic-y, hard feel. It also has a good sized wand. I use it both in combination with the Catrice pencil, or on its own for a more natural effect. Get it from HERE

2015 has undoubtedly been the year of the liquid lipsticks. Everyone and their mother came out with their versions: from high to low end. from Sephora to Ebay.

MeNow Generation Liquid Lipsticks: These are, I think, one of the best Ebay finds of 2015. I have eight of them [check out my review with full swatches HERE]. Love the price, love the pigmentation, love the longevity. There's a wide range of shades [30+] Totally check them out. Get yours from HERE. [Sidenote: They've gone a bit up in price, ever since they've been raved about. A lot of US and UK sellers are selling them for a more expensive price. so do your homework carefully!]

Imagic Beauty Lipgloss Liquid Lipstick: A while back I also stumbled across these cheap Ebay liquid lipsticks. They're also super matte with a nice finish and a nice pigmentation, however their consistency is on the thinner side. There are 12 shades in all, I have 3 of them [my review with swatches HERE. Get yours from HERE

Pupa Milano I'm Lipsticks: If you love soft touch feel lipsticks with a hint of shine, than you should totally check the I'm range by Pupa. There's a wide shade range, the finish is gorgeous, longevity is amazing, packaging is really chic, and pigmentation superb! Check out my reviews HERE and HERE

Rimmel London Apocalips: Another liquid lipstick, but this one comes with a gloss/balm on the other end. Really amazing pigmentation, does not dry out the lips, super staying power. The only downside to these is that there aren't many shades [around 6 I believe]. If you want to try out liquid lipsticks but you prefer having a gloss applicator because you suffer from super dry lips, go for this one.

Milani Easy Liner in Sugar Plum: Ever since Carly Bybel talked about this shade, I was sold! Love the fact that you don't have to sharpen this, love the smooth application, love the color payoff. This shade is truly an amazing one - and perfect for Autumn and Winter! I use this dark shade both with vampy lip colours, reds and dark pinks for a subtle, ombre look. 

Etude House Soft Touch Auto Lip Liner: Another Korean favourite, these lip liners are gorgeous and a bargain! Mine is in a dusty rose shade, and I normally use this as a lipstick - it's that soft and creamy. Really good longevity too! This shade is my lips but better shade, seriously gorgeous. Can also be used under nude and pink lipstick shades. Get yours from HERE

So that's it chicas! Of course this post could have gone on forever - there are so many products that I've used and re-used during 2015. But I feel that these were staples in my makeup bag! Hope this post helps you out, 

Love

Lola

xxx