drugstore – Twenty Swans

Snap Reviews: Lip Creams from NYX and Collection

May 29, 2018May 5, 2018Swanna2 Comments

Hi everyone!

It’s taken me this long to finally try out the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream. Not surprising, to be honest! It was one of those things I meant to buy and try as soon as NYX landed in the UK a while back but for some reason, I never got around to it. But here we are now… I also picked up the Collection Velvet Kiss and after seeing how similar the two products are, I thought I would feature them in the same post.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream

£6.00 – Available from Boots, Debenhams and many online stores like FeelUnique, Cult Beauty and LookFantastic.

I really liked this at first – it goes on the lips quite pigmented but might need more than one dip in the tube if you’ve got bigger lips. It even goes on with a bit of a sheen before it sets compared to the Collection Lip Cream which already applies quite dry.

It appeared smooth at first but cracks showed up in my bottom lip later when I smiled. However, it was a lot less drying compared to the Collection Lip Cream.

Cannes is a cute pink shade that is like Bourjois’ Nude-ist to me, but a little deeper and warmer, perhaps. It just seems way more flattering on me than Nude-ist, and I can actually imagine myself wearing this shade a lot, so I’m going to try and find a very similar one in a formula I like.

Zurich is a lighter, coral ish shade. The coral tones prevent this colour from being too light and bland on me. This particular shade was a gift from TrayTray and I don’t think I would have bought this colour to try myself otherwise, so I was surprised to find this to be a cute colour for the spring and summer seasons.

Okay, this picture doesn’t seem strange at all on my phone but my laptop shows it as super dim and cool-toned. Anyone else?

Collection Velvet Kiss Moisturising Lip Cream

£2.99 – Available from Superdrug

This product was very obviously made to be a dupe of the Soft Matte Lip Cream – the tubes are almost identical apart from the slightly different finish on the lids.

Caramel is a very pretty nude brown shade I often struggle to find in stores because it’s all sold out. The price makes it a pretty irresistible pick-up if you like any of the small range of shades. This is the only nude brown shade. It has a very strong sweet smell that smells both delicious and slightly off-putting… sickly, maybe.

I’ve previously compared this to Velvet teddy in this post, so I’ll share the same photo below. It wears decently but I feel as if it is quite drying. On top of that, the tube feels quite empty and the applicator doesn’t pick up much product even when it’s new. Collection’s Lip cream only holds 5ml whilst NYX’s Lip Cream holds 8ml, so that might explain that.

Overall, I think I’m going to conclude that these lip creams aren’t for me – they didn’t really live up to the hype for me and whilst they’re not awful, they’re also not mind-blowing but I can see why the NYX ones are a favourite.

Until next time,

X

Review: NYX Intense Butter Gloss in Chocolate Crepe

April 27, 2018May 10, 2018Swanna2 Comments

Hi everyone!

It’s no secret that I have been loving glossy finishes as of late, so instead of rambling about it, let’s get straight to the snap review.

This was a birthday gift from my friend AT earlier in the year, swiped from my wishlist. I had tried the regular Butter Gloss in Praline, and it was great for a practically-clear gloss with minimal colour. I love layering it on top of nude lipsticks. But as you all know, my true love of glossies lies with really pigmented lacquers and stuff, so the intense version was on my radar.

The NYX Intense Butter Gloss costs £6.00 in the UK and is available at counters in Boots and Debenhams, and online at FeelUnique.

When I first swatched it on my hand it seemed a bit too dark and too cool-brown like Maybelline’s Brown Sugar. It ended up being a super nice shade on my lips, though – a slight warm pinkiness to it. A bit deep, but a great everyday shade.

It’s quite lightweight but you can still feel it on your lips because of the texture. Of course, being a gloss I don’t expect it to last at all but it will survive at least four hours without eating and with small sips of water during my work shifts. It does bleed more noticeably which is understandable as there is more pigment. But overall it actually doesn’t bleed that much. A lip liner is all that’s needed if that’s an issue. The pigment doesn’t settle into lip creases either and, as expected, it’s quite forgiving on flaky lips although those are still noticeable.

Yes, it’s a little sticky and my hair flies into it when I’m darting between shops with my siblings. But it doesn’t all adhere to my hair at once which is a little plus, I guess?

I’ve been wearing this an awful lot. Out of all the choices in my rotation this month, this one has been the most worn so far. I’ve just been loving the fact that I can wear this all day and have my lips still be plush and lovely by the evening. My mom, just before the aforementioned shopping, even made a comment on how glossy and nice they looked (so much so that she wanted to bite them, which I acknowledge is weird but I took it as a compliment so…). BASICALLY. I love this stuff.

I might not buy it in any other shade, though. This is literally the only shade that appeals to me in a gloss, as it would be the most forgiving. Bolder colours in a glossy finish are intimidating to me, especially the thought of them bleeding or wearing much more obviously.

Overall, this is a winner for me. I can imagine myself re-buying this a lot and it fulfils my need for a pigmented gloss perfectly.

Until next time,

X

Days since I last bought a lipstick: 116

Battle of the Supposed Velvet Teddy Dupes: Wet n’ Wild Bare It All vs Maybelline Clay Crush

March 2, 2018February 28, 2018Swanna7 Comments

Do you remember when MAC’s Velvet Teddy was the craze? It sort of still is, but nowhere near as much as it was a few years ago. Since then, a number of dupes have emerged for it. I wasn’t sure whether the shade would suit me so it made more sense for me to find a dupe before I went for it. As you might be able to tell, I didn’t buy Velvet Teddy in the end. Today, I’ll be comparing two of its dupes for you to have a look.

Maybelline’s Creamy Matte Lipstick in Clay Crush is £6.99 for 3.3g, and comes in the standard bullet shape. Wet N Wild’s Megalast Lipstick in Bare it All costs £2.99 as an add-on item from Amazon and comes with a similar amount of product in a rounded flat shape. I prefer the pointed bullet of Clay Crush for applying lipstick, but Bare it All wins in terms of price.

However, I’ve mentioned this before but the packaging of Wet N Wild’s lipstick comes with quite a few flaws. The product sticks up out of the tube from new and can’t be wound down, which is mildly annoying as the lid sometimes catches the product if you don’t remove it properly. On top of the that, the lid is prone to cracking and once it does that, the lid easily falls off when travelling. Luckily, it’s cheap to replace and the formula is stiff enough not to make too much of a mess. I haven’t experienced the same problems with Clay Crush thus far although I haven’t had it as long.

Now, these two products have very similar shades. So similar, in fact, that when I had to go back over the swatches, I had trouble remembering which photos I had taken first and which swatches were which!!

Bare It All has a stiff finish and drags across the lips. However, I don’t mind this personally. It’s just what I noticed when using these two products side by side. I do tend to get a stronger pigmentation on first swipe compared to Clay Crush although again, that doesn’t matter too much because I always layer up with many swipes anyway.

On the other hand, Clay Crush is very soft and lightweight. However, I noticed that it doesn’t cling to the lips as well, instantly showing lip lines, and needs topping up after a few hours to retain the smooth finish and not make those lip lines too obvious. Neither lipstick bleeds very much, if at all.

Lastly, here are a couple of photos to demonstrate how similar they are to each other. If I really had to differentiate them, Bare It All has a slighter mauve tone while Clay Crush is slightly peachier, but this barely translates on the lips unless you have a very trained or familiar eye.

Overall, I wouldn’t repurchase either because by using these two I have concluded that this particular category of nude is not for me. They both layer well under a deeper lip liner for a slightly darker nude and that’s how I’ll be wearing them until they are used up.

Of course, I also concluded that Velvet Teddy was not my kind of shade and didn’t buy that either. The cost of both these lipsticks together still add up to less than that of the original Velvet Teddy.

Until next time,

X

Days since I last bought a lipstick: 66

Lipsticks in Rotation – January 2018

January 22, 2018March 27, 2018Swanna5 Comments

Hi everyone!

In order to help me along with my goal of not buying any lipsticks this year, I, of course, have to shop my own stash a little. I wanted to wear more of the lipsticks down below and for some of them, also figure out if I like them enough against my other offerings before I decide to de-stash them. It’s also a fast chance to review ones I’ve never mentioned here before…

Without further ado, these are the lipsticks in rotation this month!

NARS Velvet Satin Lip Pencil – Rikugien (Mini)

This is sheer nude pink shimmer. I do like it, and it’s very pretty, but since I normally want noticeable colour, I just don’t reach for it a lot. I have a feeling this might be one of the first lipsticks to go but it might be worth experimenting with lip liners underneath. Maybe.

Wet n Wild Megalast Lipstick – Bare It All

I actually quite like this for its rather long wear and cheap price (£2.99 on Amazon as an add-on item!). I bought this particular shade because it’s an apparent dupe for MAC’s Velvet Teddy and I wasn’t sure how that would suit me. The plastic packaging also quickly got shattered after that holiday to Vietnam in my travel bag. I didn’t even wear it there much after discovering how much they love reds over there!

I wouldn’t repurchase this colour as I think it’s just a smidgen too light for my personal taste (although it doesn’t wash me out), but I’d consider similar darker shade like In The Flesh another time. Or maybe I should look for similar shades in less breakable packaging… Or maybe I just shouldn’t travel with it!

My favourite way to wear this shade is actually with a layer of NYX’s Butter Gloss in Praline on top for a lovely glossy nude lip, which is why it has joined my rotation. It’s also great on top of a muted red liner like Rimmel’s 1000 Kisses in Spice or Kiko Smart lipliner 103.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Kate – 08

I like this but haven’t been reaching for it much recently. It’s a mauve nude with a satin finish. I don’t think I’ll repurchase it once it’s used up, though. Sometimes I also like to layer it with Rimmel’s 1000 Kisses Lipliner in Spice which is clearly my go-to to warm up a lip colour.

Burberry Lip Cover Soft Satin – 04 Rosewood (mini, discontinued)

I LOVE this but haven’t been reaching for it much, probably as it’s so precious. It’s a brown with a hint of pink, and it’s not too sheer on me (unlike Rikugien) and can also be built up, making it a fabulous nude MLBB shade. In true Burberry fashion, even their casing and bullet are plaid patterned. I think this particular line of satin shades was discontinued, but from what I’ve seen of the Lip Velvet bullets, they still seem vaguely similar (they also have a Rosewood shade!) So I might check them out in future.

Lancome L’absolu Rouge 06 Rose Nu (mini) –

I got this as a mini from my mom. In fact, I think this is the oldest lipstick of the lot and it shows as it has the biggest dent out of my stash. I am hoping to finally finish it up this month or next… This is a classy, rosy pink that isn’t super opaque but can be built up well. It has a satin finish and is so comfortable to wear. I’ve had no problem reaching for this daily, and I’m not a girl who wears the same lipstick two days in a row! In fact, if it weren’t for the rapid expansion of my lipstick stash it would probably have been finished all those years ago…

Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick – Brown Sugar

This is a cool brown shade and is true to its name in that it’s super creamy. This actually hasn’t had more than a couple of wears since its review last year, so it simply needs a bit more love. I particularly wanted to try it out with different coloured lip liners, and I really like it over MaxFactor’s lipliner in Red Rush for that extra red tone. It’s quite opaque so I couldn’t apply too much and lose that tone, though.

Colourpop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick – Wild Nothing (limited edition)

This is a medium mauve toned lipstick that I find best described as a lighter version of the infamous Tulle shade from the original line of Ultra Matte lipsticks. It’s not the most flattering on me, though. This is another one that I want to experiment mixing with a coloured lipliner but Colourpop’s colours are so opaque I wonder if it would work. Maybe a lip topper? I’m not sure if this is still available on their site as it was from their Christmas collection in 2015.

I realised as I took swatch photos that all of these picks are neutrals in one way or another! Although Rose Nu is stretching it a bit towards the pink side, it’s still a great choice that suits anything. I think it just goes to show what a wide range of shades neutrals can encompass. On top of that, only two of these shades have separate reviews because beyond what I’ve said here, as I’ve not had much to say about these shades!

Fingers crossed I make a dent in these or finally decide which ones have to go…

Until next time,

Review: Superdrug Calm Skin 2-in-1 Serum & Moisturiser

December 22, 2017December 22, 2017Swanna2 Comments

Hello everyone!

I spotted Superdrug’s new additions to their own-brand skincare line whilst shopping around for Christmas, and thought I would pick something up to try. The Superdrug Calm Skin range aims to de-stress skin and includes an overnight mask, a cleanser, a facial spray and a facial oil. None of which break the bank at less than a fiver (or even £3) as far as I know!

The item that appealed to me the most was the Hydrating 2-in-1 Serum and Moisturiser (how does that work?) which costs £2.99 for a 50ml. It claims to instantly soothe, calm, and deeply nourish the skin as well as improving skin texture over at least 4 weeks. Well, mine has been in use for longer now, and regularly at that so I thought it was time to share my thoughts.

The bottle is very similar to their other serums in different ranges, such as the Simply Pure Hydrating Serum which has long been a staple in my routine. The textures of the Simply Pure and Calm Skin serums are similar, too. The Simply Pure feels fractionally less greasy which is part of why I love it, but there’s nothing particularly greasy about the Calm Skin so ??? I can’t pin it down either. Something is different but not largely so. The Calm Skin serum itself is also more translucent than the Simply Pure.

One of the things that made me drop my hard earned coins (literally, considering the price) on this was the inclusion of Niacinamide which is fifth on the ingredients list. Niacinamide is touted for its help with dullness or uneven skin texture caused by acne scars. The hyaluronic acid and chamomile are much lower down so unless you’re allergic to either, neither of those two should be the deciding factor if you’re considering buying this.

I have had both this and The Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% Serum in testing and therefore both will have contributed to the recent improvement in my skin texture, particularly a deeper acne scar becoming more even, and blemishes gradually matching the rest of my skin (!). However, I tended to reach for this more often The Ordinary’s option, one of the reasons being that I don’t need to dilute it for use and can just slather it on.

After using this, I realised how much I had been taking for granted the scent-less Superdrug Simply Pure hydrating serum, once again. If you recall I did not like their B.Hydrated Essence Lotion largely because of the sharp scent. The Calm Skin Serum & Moisturiser product also suffers from this but not as badly. Overall, it’s not off-putting and I got used to it.

Overall:

I like that it has niacinamide which actually did something.
It’s hella cheap.
Fragrance, as always, is a personal thing.
Does occasionally cause makeup to pill but is it just me or is it really hard to find skincare that doesn’t do that?????? I need help in that department, friends.

As a final point, I am halfway through my bottle after almost-nightly use of 2 pumps, so sticking at this rate I will take 2 months to finish this bottle (1 month if I used it both day and night). Not bad.

Take advantage of the superdrug skincare offers they often do for their own brand if you decide to pick this up! This is worth a try if you have coins to spare.

Until next time,

Short Review: Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter

February 24, 2017February 21, 2017Swanna9 Comments

Ever since highlighting took the makeup industry by storm I have refused to step onto that particular bandwagon. I usually join in on hyped bandwagons really late and this one seems no different, but really it’s extra special, because… I have oily skin. Shine is my natural enemy. I powder my face to bits because I know at the end of a work shift I’ll just shine! So I avoided this trend, but recently highlighting has just been calling to me and I finally thought, well this one is only £3 and it can’t hurt…

Makeup Revolution’s Vivid Baked Highlighter in Golden Lights is packaged in sturdy plastic with a clear lid. Nothing mind-blowing, but not downright terrible either. The design of the actual powder helps it, though. It actually looks pretty good for a product at that price point.

(Hey! My photos got better! I’m hella proud of these pretty shots.)

With the swatch below, I don’t think you can see the shimmer all that well. Swatched using my finger, I flattened some of that cool pattern on the powder, and it did come out a bit glittery rather than as a highlighted shimmer. However, with a brush on the cheeks, this shows up so subtly and not as chunky glitter at all. It’s hard to go overboard with this and the sheen it leaves is definitely gold rather than a white highlight.

You’d think that perhaps my skin in its oily stages would completely mask this highlighter by the end of the day. I dare say that anyone who isn’t familiar with highlight probably wouldn’t notice the difference. However, when I tried wearing it all day, a fellow makeup lover noticed the gold sheen even after I turned into an oil slick and I am genuinely baffled as to how, when all my (matte) makeup sort of melds together and looks glossy.

I think this highlighter has powers I just don’t understand.

Would I recommend this? I actually do not know. For anyone who has normal, not oily skin, I’d say give it a go for the glow! If you’re oily skinned like me, I am still figuring out whether I should have bothered. Personally, I think this was a bit of a novelty, hype-induced purchase.

Let me know what you think of this, if you have it!

Thanks for reading,