Maybelline New York 'Bricks Bronzer'

Most people that know me know that I am not a big bronzer user. I have fairly pale skin and most bronzers just look too orange for me or are virtually impossible to blend on my skin tone. Most of my bronzers have now become eyeshadows and very rarely get used for their original purpose.

This Maybelline New York Bricks Bronzer is a bit of an exception. It gives such a pretty golden glow that isn't too orange and it's light enough to blend in with my fair skin without looking streaky or like I've got a bad fake tan. I do also love using it as an eye shadow on those days when I don't have much time as it gives a nice nude eye look without any fuss.

The bronzer itself doesn't work as a contour for me but I've found that sweeping some of it over my forehead, temples and cheeks gives me a little lift so I don't look so deathly pale.

The highlighter section is made up of a few small 'bricks' that alternate between a pale pink, a darker pink and a shimmery beige. You could use just one square if you were after one of the specific shades (and had a small enough brush) but I like to just sweep my regular brush over all of them together to get a really pretty glow.

I've also been trying out sweeping my brush over the entire pan catching the shimmery shades as well as the bronzer shade all together and using it in place of my regular blush and I find this works really well to give me a nice and natural looking glow on days when I don't want too much colour on my face.

The powder blends nicely and doesn't seem to have any smell at all that I can determine.

You only need to use a very small amount of it for each application as it is highly pigmented so it will literally last forever.

I like the compact plastic case but just wish that it had a mirror built into the lid rather than being see-through.

Overall though, I am a big fan of this bronzer and will continue to use it regularly. For the cheap as chips price tag you really can't go too wrong.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Michelle xx

***This product was sent to me for review but my opinions are completely my own***

The Balm 'Balm Jovi Rockstar Palette'

First things first, the only reason I purchased this palette was because of the name. I seriously didn't care what was in it, I just love the name of this palette and it makes me giggle every time I use it. Being a bit of a closet rock fan this palette literally 'sings' to be every time I look at it.

Novelty fun factor aside, this palette really is awesome and I just love how versatile it is. You can create a nice, subtle neutral/nude look as well as a more deeper smokey eye look depending on what you want to go for and it is a great one to take away for a few nights as it contains everything you'd need.

There are twelve eyeshadows in a great mix of matte and shimmery shades, a highlighter, a powder blush plus two lip/cheek creams.

It has a cute heart shaped mirror under the lid flap which is a good, decent size for using on the go. The shadows are easy to blend and buildable shades which don't seem to have too much fallout when applied.

It also contains four suggested looks on the bottom flap in case you are in need of a bit of inspiration on what look to go for.

The highlighter is out of this world in the shimmer stakes so a light hand is needed when using it but it does give a really pretty glow. I also love the powder blush shade as it's a great, everyday shade that goes with pretty much any look.

The cream lip/cheek shades are at both ends of the scale, with a nudish pink for everyday wear and a bright, intense red for a more playful makeup look.

(Eyeshadows - Metal-ica, Adagio, Blink 182, Iron Main-in, Allegro, The Stroke)

(Eyeshadows - Lead Zeppelin, Moderato, rem, Alice Cooper, Presto, Third Eye Blinded)

(Highlighter - Solid Gold and Powder Blush - Don't You Want Me?)

(Lip/Cheek Creams - Milly and Vanilly)

Overall, if you are a bit of a palette junkie like me then you will probably want this one purely for the novelty factor. I definitely get a lot of use out of it when travelling overnight as it's so easy to chuck in my makeup bag along with a mascara and some foundation and I know I have a complete makeup set at my fingertips.

Surprisingly enough, the cardboard packaging has stayed in pretty good condition too even after a fair amount of use and being knocked around in a bag. That's one thing that always concerns me with The Balm products but I haven't had any issues with the packaging on this one yet.

Does anyone else buy products purely for the novelty factor without caring what it actually contains or is that just me?

I hope you all have a lovely day!

Michelle xx

Rimmel 'Fresher Skin' Foundation

Hello everyone and Happy New Year!!

A while ago I received this Rimmel Fresher Skin Foundation to review and I've been putting it off constantly because I just couldn't make my mind up about it. Some days I like it and other days I feel like it's literally the worst foundation I have ever tried to use.

This foundation comes in a small, glass jar which isn't ideal to use in the first place and it always seems to have a really weird, oily residue sitting on the top if it hasn't been used for a day or so. I found that giving it a good shake before use mixes it together a lot better and helps with it applying a lot easier.

(Rimmel Fresher Skin Foundation in 102 - Light Nude)

This foundation is supposed to offer a lightweight and buildable coverage that doesn't clog pores and allows skin to breathe. It also contains an SPF 15 for sun protection.

The first thing that hit me when I started using this foundation was the super strong scent. It's quite overpowering and stays on your skin long after it is applied. I'm not a big fan of strong smelling products that go on my face so this put me off using it too much.

I also don't find that it has much coverage at all and to me it isn't easily buildable if you want more. My skin needs to be having a really good day for me to reach for this foundation as it's coverage works more like a tinted moisturiser or BB cream in my opinion.

It also wears off after only an hour or so and seems to separate on my oily skin if I don't set it really well with some powder first. It does feel lightweight once applied but it's not a foundation I would wear if I had a lot of meetings during the day or was going to be out and about a lot as it just doesn't have the staying power.

I've found that the best way for me to apply it is using a foundation brush to literally 'paint' it onto my skin. This is the only way I seem to be able to avoid streaks and to get an even finish. It just doesn't work for me if I try to use my fingers or a beauty blender.

(Rimmel Fresher Skin Foundation in 102 - Light Nude)

Overall, I find this foundation a big disappointment. It's just not worth the time and effort to get it to look good and that intense smell haunts me all day long.

Has anyone else used this foundation and actually liked it? Maybe there's a trick to using it that I haven't worked out yet?

Have a lovely day!!

Michelle xx


***This product was received for review but my opinions are completely my own***