Review | Avon Mega Effects Mascara | Beauty Brags

Avon Mega Effects Mascara - £10.00

Hey guys! Yet another Avon product being reviewed today since I did order quite a few products on my last order - oops!

Today's review is solely about Avon's Mega Effects Mascara which is supposedly going to revolutionize the way we use mascara. Yeah, right, what beauty product doesn't say that? However, Avon does have something that might just back that up given that they have a completely unique and rather weird looking brush. After seeing that, I was very intrigued and just had to try it!

It's currently priced at £10 from Avon but is on a special offer which is a free 3-1 manicure tool when you spend £12 or more on selected products (one of which is this mascara so it shouldn't be too hard to spend the extra £2!).

Application brush

I opted to buy the 'blackest black' shade, purely because I never ever stray away from black mascara and would be far too scared to try any other colour quite frankly - I'm a creature of habit! However, they do have brown/black and navy shades available for anyone braver than me (which wouldn't be hard!).

As you can see from the picture to the right, the product splits into three when you open it. My first criticism of the product is that you really do have to pull the lid off quite hard to open it - but don't worry, just yank it and it won't break! Once you have the lid off, yank (again) to remove the dark pink stick from the black bottom of the product and, voila, there is your brush.

The brush is no longer than half of the size of my thumb in width which was a relief since Avon make it look massive in their adverts! And, surprisingly, it has been made to cater for eyelashes as it more or less covers all eyelashes in one brief upwards sweeping motion. Yes, it's strange at first but it's really not hard to get used to after the first few applications.

However, this isn't a 'going out' mascara - to get a night time effect, you would have to put over 5 coats of this on, at least! This is most definitely a mascara to be used during the day or when you don't want to overdo it at an office party - for any other purpose, I might be purchasing a different kind of mascara!

Overall, I might purchase this product again if I can't find anything better but not because of the brush - that part I love! I just wish Avon would make the packaging a little easier so it isn't a hassle to get the brush in and out of the bottle and make their actual mascara a bit thicker!

Have you tried Avon's Mega Effects Mascara?
Let me know what you thought!

Review | Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer | Beauty Brags

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer
- £4.19 from Boots

Hey guys! So you know that I love a good bargain and just hate paying over the odds for a beauty product unless I'm treating myself or there's just no other alternative. Based on that, I've tried to find a damn good concealer without having to fork out for the NARS Creamy Concealer which has been on my wishlist for quite a long time now (hint - if anyone fancies buying me a present!).

In any case, I have been recommended the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer so gave it a go - it's only £4.19 currently from Boots so it doesn't break the bank and you don't have to hate yourself until payday if it's no good!

Swatch of the product

However, this product is a really good concealer and so no hating yourself is necessary (phew!). It has a lipgloss-style brush to apply the product with and is a definite liquid texture as opposed to the matte products I usually go for.

I opted to buy the product in the 'cool medium' shade but they also have a darker shade and a lighter shade. I was slightly disappointed by that, I can't lie as they don't have a wide range of shades but for a product that works so well, it definitely should be available to a lot more people!

Firstly, the product blends really well with the skin. It doesn't feel like it's blocking your pores and certainly doesn't look that way either. It has a very lightweight feel and you would forget you had it on if you didn't have to get up earlier in the morning to put your makeup on! The texture is great, quite silky and is really easy just to blend in with your fingers after a few rubs.

The main test for me wasn't whether this product covered my spots and redness - although it did so perfectly! - but whether it covered the awful dark circles under my eyes. I've taken a photo of the product on my left eye and not my right in this post so you can see that there is a visible difference. Yes, it doesn't completely eradicate my dark circles but I really need to stress at this point how bad my dark circles are and how I'm honestly not exaggerating about that at all! Also, no judging my face with lack of other makeup, please!

All in all, I really do like this product and I love how it does cover a lot of my dark circles and brightens up my eye, especially when you apply it to the eyelid as well as below the eye. On a budget, this is great but I still want to try the NARS version!

Have you tried Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer? 

What did you think?

Let me know!

Review | Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water | Beauty Brags

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - £3.00
from Boots

Hi there!

Welcome to yet another super short and sweet post on a product that there's not too much to say on but one that's been advertising non-stop these past few months!

The packaging on this product is so beautiful and aesthetically pleasing that after seeing all the adverts practically on repeat when the product was first released, it was hard not to pick it up when I casually tried to stroll past it in Boots! When I bought the product from Boots, it was around £4.99 or thereabouts but currently is down in price at £3 online.

Anyway, the product is used for removing makeup and basically getting all the dirt out of your skin so that you're a lot less likely to develop spots and redness of the skin, etc.

Back of the bottle

So, is it a miracle product that will mean you will never struggle to take off makeup ever again and have clear skin forever? Probably not. However, it's actually pretty decent for removing makeup and cleansing the skin.

When I first used the product, I decided I would firstly take off all my makeup with my regular makeup wipes and then pop some of the product on to a makeup pad. When I the brushed the pad against my skin, I was amazed at the amount of makeup and dirt that was still on my skin, even after having "removed" all my makeup thoroughly (or so I thought) with a makeup wipe. No wonder I was still having breakouts with all that clogging up my skin!

So kudos to the product there - it is fantastic at removing makeup and dirt from the skin and I have had less breakouts since using it. However, it's no miracle cure and I do still get spots and all of the rest of the regular complaints about skin!

I did, however, find the product quite harsh on my skin although it says that it is for sensitive skin as well. Now, I don't usually have sensitive skin but I think I will definitely be trying the adapted version of this product specifically for combination and sensitive skin to see if that's any better! That product can be found on Boots also for the same price.

All in all, this product cleanses skin perfectly and removes makeup like a dream! You also get quite a lot of it and it leaves your skin feeling lovely and refreshed!

Have you tried Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Water?

Let me know what you thought!

Review | Avon Anew Beauty Tinted Lip Plumping Conditioner | Beauty Brags

Avon's Anew Beauty Tinted Lip
Plumping Conditioner - £9.00

Hey! So I'm pretty sure you guys are wondering why I'm doing yet another review of an anti-ageing product but bear with me and I swear you will not regret it!

As I've said in previous posts, I absolutely hate the size of my lips as I just don't feel they are in proportion to my face. Because of that, I think they look a bit strange and small when I put lipstick on so I always try to stick to a shade that will complement my skin tone and not stand out too much.

This product is a tinted lip plumping conditioner which essentially means that it's a lipstick that makes your lips bigger and softer. Perfect for me, right?

Product exterior

I opted to buy this product in a berry shade for £9 directly from Avon through my local representative in the shade of 'berry tint' as it's pretty much the kind of shade I always go for so I figured it would be safe and not stick out too much!

The product comes beautifully packaged and, personally, I think it looks very elegant in the white and gold packaging and gives the look of being very high quality and sophisticated. First impressions count for a lot and this product certainly doesn't fail there!

Application of the product

The lipstick is also very smooth to put on and so you can instantly tell that it's a conditioning product. For someone with dry, chapped lips like myself, this is practically a godsend and it's so easy to smack your lips together throughout the day to ensure the product is still applied evenly!

In addition to that, I love the colour! I was completely correct in assuming that the colour would be

Swatch of the product in 'berry tint'

like my regular shades and wouldn't make my thin little lips look too silly so it's great for using every day (which I now do!). But, the most important part is - does it make your lips look bigger? And the short answer to that is yes! It really does enhance your lips and plump them into a natural pout - no one would know you were using an anti-ageing product and it's done wonders for my self esteem!

I will definitely be ordering more of this product in different shades as they also have the shades 'rose' and 'honey'! I can't wait to try them and hope that you love this product just as much as I do!

Have you tried Avon's Anew Beauty Tinted Lip Plumping Conditioner in this shade or another?

Let me know what you thought!

Review | Sleek Eye Brow Kit | Beauty Brags

Sleek Eye Brow Kit - £8.50

Hey guys! I have something pretty special for you today if you'll excuse the photo of the already used product that doesn't look so pretty anymore!

I know most of you are probably addicted to Benefit and would never used any eyebrow kit except theirs, however, I just wasn't up for paying over £20 for an eyebrow kit that was getting mixed reviews so after browsing on Amazon, I came across one at over half the price at £8.49 from Sleek. It can also be bought from Boots and directly from Sleek at the oh-so dearer price of £8.50 (that's a good 1p saving!).

After reading the reviews, I opted to buy the darkest shade as many of the reviews said that they had opted for the colour they usually would and it was light. In my opinion, if you have brown hair or darker, you could get the dark shade. If you're blonde, obviously go for the light shade and I would say medium shades will probably suit anyone in between blonde and brunette more than anything!

The product was delivered very quickly (and freely, I might add!). When I opened it, I actually discovered that I had been given two products (shhh, don't tell anyone!) which was a nice surprise.

The product comes with a wax which should be applied directly to the brows first. The wax is pictured to the left of the first picture on this post and, as you can see, has been used numerous times already! There are two brushes that come with the product - one with a slanted edge and one normal. The one with the slanted edge should be used to apply the wax so that it's much easier to apply the wax to the curves and edges of your brows. The wax is actually surprisingly easy to apply - I usually trace the edges of my brows and then fill in from there to make sure all the hairs are nice and stuck in the shape I want them to be. You don't need much of it and usually just sweeping the brush across the wax gives enough for one application!

Before

After

Once the wax is applied, the powder can be put on so that the brow looks more natural and less like a slug resting above your eyes! The powder is also super easy to put on and should be put on with the small ordinary brush that comes with the product. You really don't need much of this either and just brushing the brush gently against the powder gives you enough to apply to one brow. And there you have it! Perfectly sculpted eyebrows. I've popped a before and after photo to the left and right so you can see the effects for yourself (and so you get to see my not-so-lovely face with no makeup except this on!). I do apply this product thinly though, so if you're wanting something darker then please don't be put off by this as my face just doesn't suit thick brows unfortunately!

I should also mention that the product also comes with a small tweezer which is great for getting rid of any stray hairs before applying the product. I thought that was quite a nice touch, especially given the price of the product!

Overall, I will definitely continue using this product and I can say with absolute certainty that I will not be running out any time soon - I doubt it will be finished by Christmas!

Have you tried Sleek's Eye Brow Kit?
Let me know what you thought!

Review | Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser | Beauty Brags

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant
Pore Eraser - £7.99 from
Superdrug

Hey again! I've got another short but sweet beauty review for you guys today, this time round under the spotlight is Maybelline's Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser.

I've show in the picture below the product I bought from Superdrug for £7.99 but I'm sure it's available in most other high street drugstores as well as places online such as Amazon. As you can see, it's not the cheapest high street product but I figured it was worth a short since it is much cheaper than it's Benefit counterpart.

But firstly, I'm going to say that the product is most definitely not worth the price. Nearly £8 for a high street product that is no bigger than the palm of my hand does not seem like much of a bargain to me at first glance and throughout using the product, I realised it most definitely wasn't!

The product comes out as a clear, gooey solution through the nozzle pictured but promises to reduce the appearance of your pores for "poreless skin". It felt quite oily on my hands but not overly and I didn't have any problem putting it on my skin. Upon application, I practically had my face pressed up against my mirror trying to look for some kind of difference in my skin ... to my dismay, there was none! This product was definitely not instant!

After several applications over many days, I realised that it wasn't to be and I wasn't going to get much effect from this product - if at all! It's been incredibly disappointing and has now been chucked unceremoniously into my mum's makeup bag to see if she has any more luck with it than I did!

I did notice, however, that although this product says that it helps makeup to glide on seamlessly, it actually made my foundation and concealer crumble on my face which was definitely not a look I was going for!

All in all, I would definitely not use this product again - maybe it just didn't suit my skin type or maybe it's nothing more than hair gel in different packaging.

Have you tried Maybelline's Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser?
Did you have any more luck with it than I did?
Let me know!

Review | Avon's Anew Ultimate Multi-Performance Lip Treatment | Beauty Brags

Avon's Anew Ultimate Multi-
Performance Lip Treatment
- £12.00 

Hey guys! So this review is slightly different to the usual beauty products I post on here as it's actually an anti-ageing product. Now, yes I've only just turned 21 and probably shouldn't be thinking about wrinkles and grey hairs, but it's never too early to start!

But that's not the reason I got this product. After flicking through my Avon catalogue, I stumbled across an advert for this product which immediately grasped my attention since it boasted a lip plumping effect. Since I've always wished my lips were bigger, I took a closer look and saw that it was an anti-ageing product which promised to plump lips (as lips naturally thin with age) as well as smooth the creases around the lip line. With those effects, I figured that my naturally average lips would surely become slightly bigger and more enhanced with this product and figured "why not?" and bought it for £12. And I most definitely have not been disappointed!

Avon's Anew Ultimate Multi-
Performance Lip Treatment
- £12.00

I won't lie, you don't get much serum in this product and I would much rather have a product solely for plumping rather than having the other end of the product for smoothing the lip line, but beggars can't be choosers and I'm sure the smoothing effect on my lips will be much appreciated when mother nature has her ways with me in a few years time! However, it's done me a good few months now although I'll probably have to re-order next payday (joys!). I've enclosed a picture of how the product splits into two parts so you can see roughly how much you will get. I'll also just pop the link to the product on Avon's website here so you can check it yourself!

Anyway, the actual product itself has been brilliant, especially for plumping my lips up to make my pout slightly more prominent without looking like I've had Botox. After using the product every day for around a week, I noticed that I had stopped hating the way lipstick looked when I put it on and I most definitely had a slight natural pout. Finally, my lips looked in proportion to my face and I am incredibly happy with the effects of it!

The smoothing aspect of the product has always proved to be useful as my lips have a tendency to chap quite badly and within a day of using this product, they were visibly less chapped and definitely didn't hurt as much (thank god!). Although I have been using my trusty old Vaseline at the same time, I occasionally revert back to this product if my lips are in particularly bad condition and I want a quick fix!

Quick word of warning however - if you do have chapped lips, this product is going to sting badly when you put it on! If anyone has ever used Blistex for their lips, the pain is slightly similar but obviously goes away within a few minutes. Because of this, it might be an idea to wait until your lips have healed a bit or are at least less cracked than usual before applying!

In all honesty, I don't think I could be without this product now - so happy I found it and finally love my lips!

Have you tried Avon's Anew Ultimate Multi-Lip Performance Treatment? 

Let me know what you thought of it!