Etude House Disney Princess Happy Ending FOTD: Purple Lipstick, Here I Come!

In my previous post swatching the Etude House Disney Princess Happy Ending collection's makeup items, I mentioned that I wanted to do an FOTD (face of the day) post with some of the items from the Disney Princess collection. Well, I did! And it turned out to be my first-ever time wearing purple lipstick, too!

For this look, I used the following products below. I used the Snow White Precious Mineral BB Cream in shade No. 2 (the lighter of the two shades), the Belle Rose Cheek Blusher in #1 Pink Rose Shine, the Cinderella Fairy Glitter Shadow in #3 Evening Party, and the Belle Purple Rose Lips Lipstick. I've neatly assembled all the products below, so you can take a look at them! Because the collection didn't have an eyeliner, but I wanted to wear one, I ended up wearing my Etude House Play 101 Pencil in #50 (swatched and reviewed, and also FOTD'ed before, too), which is a deep neutral brown. I also used my Shu Uemura Hard Formula (previously called H9) Brow Pencil in Stone Gray (which I've been using even before I started blogging, but I've never reviewed - I'll need to do that sometime!).

Etude House Disney Princess Happy Ending products I used for my FOTD: BB Cream, eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick.

I figured I couldn't go wrong with these products. Sure, the purple lipstick might look a little unconventional to some (although on me it's a bit more like a purply-berry shade, as seen in the previous swatch post), but I figured that it's hard to go wrong with a good colour of BB cream, a neutral deep brown eyeshadow (with glitter and sparkles, too!), and a pink blush, right? Turns out, this look was actually quite pretty, if I do say so myself!

Etude House Play 101 Pencils FOTD: Makeup Look with the Pencils on Eyes, Cheeks, Lips

In my Etude House Play 101 Pencils review, I shared swatches of the these nifty little multi-tasking pencils on my arms and lips, but wasn't able to fully swatch them on other places, like eyes and cheeks. And also on my Instagram page, I've received some questions about how the pencils blended out on drier skin patches like cheeks. So, I decided the only way to resolve this question was to actually do an FOTD (Face of the Day) with the Etude House Play 101 Pencils!

For this look, I used almost every shade of pencil in my arsenal - 15, 26, 28, and 50 (swatches re-posted below . The only one I didn't use was 20, because it was hot pink, and I wasn't sure how to incorporate it yet. But I'm sure that will come another day!


Etude House Play 101 Pencils Swatches: 15, 20, 26, 28, 50

My HG Lipgloss: Sally Hansen Luminous Lipgloss

Behold, my Holy Grail of lipglosses. This is the ultimate HG (Holy Grail, if you haven't figured yet), and no other lipgloss inspires such rabid love from me. It's not drying, it's gorgeously pigmented, just the right finish, and cheap to boot! It's my go-to when I don't know what to use, and it's also the one gloss I reach for when I'm having one of those no-brainer days. This has been my favourite lipgloss, because it goes with every look I can come up with. Want to know what it is?

Ta-da! None other than the humble Sally Hansen Smile Brightening Lip Treatment in the shade Luminous. Although it claims to be a lip treatment, it's really more of a lipgloss than anything else. And it also claims to make your teeth look whiter, but I'm kind of meh on that claim (my thoughts are it sort-of-does, but only because the colour range consists of of cool-toned, blue-leaning shades to visually make your teeth look whiter). But despite all the marketing schtick, and despite the humble packaging and doe-foot applicator, it's the most perfect lipgloss I've ever come across in my entire life. I first bought it on a whim on a Walgreens trip for groceries (funny how I go in for greens and come out with makeup), and since then I've never strayed.

Oh Sally Hansen Luminous, how do I love thee, let me count the ways! Well first, the pigmentation is excellent. Although it's a gloss, it's possibly one of the most opaque glosses I've seen in my years of makeup lovin'. One other reviewer called it almost like a liquid lipstick, and I think I agree. Just take a look at that pigment!



Secondly, the colour of Luminous is excellent. It's the perfect shade of neutral-pinky-brown, which is pretty much a very universal colour. And it's also not too dark or too light, making it suitable for most skin depths. Also, being a neutral-toned shade, it would suit both warm and cool-toned girls. This really is a shade that would look good on anyone, and could go with any outfit or any makeup look, serious!

Thirdly, the finish of Luminous is just perfect for me. I personally hate lipglosses with big annoying bits of glitter, or are too sticky, or are too drying on my lips. Fortunately, Sally Hansen Luminous is all of these things. The only complaint I have is that the Smile Brightening Lip Treatment range has a minty feel and smell which stings my lips when they are peeling and sensitive. And I'm not a fan of the smell, either. But I'm more than willing to put up with it because it's just so perfect otherwise.



Now that I've raved on and on about the Sally Hansen lipgloss in Luminous, what's the other side of the coin? Well, other than the minty smell and tingling feel, I have one HUGE complaint to make about this lipgloss - it's DISCONTINUED. *Cue wailing and screaming* Yes, Sally, why on earth did you do this to me? What have I ever done to you to make you hate me so much? I've bought your nail polishes, I used your lipgloss, I even tried your nail polish remover - why? Why? Of all the products to discontinue, why my HG lipgloss?

Anyway, yes, I believe the Sally Hansen Smile Brightening Lip Treatment range has been discontinued for awhile now (possibly a year or two?). Back then, when I was still living in Chicago, when I found out it was going to be discontinued, I systematically went from one Walgreens to another, and one QVC to another, hunting down all the unopened tubes of Luminous still lying around. Unfortunately others must have caught on, because I only have two - *gasp* ONLY two backups.



To be honest, I have no idea what is going to happen when my last tube of Sally Hansen Luminous runs out. I think I'm going to cry for days, LOL! I haven't found any shade that's quite like it (I think Bobbi Brown's Brown lipgloss is a similar colour, but it's just so much more pricey), and I haven't found a replacement for it. Of course, I have a gazillion other lipglosses and life will go on, but oh, how I will miss Luminous when it's gone.

Sleek Bare Minimum Pout Polish: Swatch/Review/LOTD

Sleek Makeup has released Bare Minimum Pout Polish as part of their Nude Collection, as the perfect complement to a nude lip. I personally feel that the Pout Paints are one of the more underrated products in the Sleek Makeup line (some of the permanent Pout Polish colours were swatched before) as a lot of attention is given to the eyeshadow palettes, leading to some of the lesser items missing out on all the fuss. This lack of fuss doesn't mean the Sleek Pout Polishes are a bad product however, I've had a few and I quite like them.

Bare Minimum, the latest Pout Polish to be released by Sleek Makeup, comes in the same large, flat pots as the normal Pout Polishes do, and it also has SPF15 to boot. I actually quite like the smell of Bare Minimum - it kind of smells like a minty vanilla. Yummy. The ony gripe I have is that I'm not very keen on lipbalms in pots, because you have to stick your fingers into them to apply the Pout Polish, and that is pretty unhygenic and gets your fingers all dirty.



In the pot, Bare Minimum looks like a beigey-pink neutral shade with a hint of brown, but once you actually swatch it, it applies very sheerly. There is a hint of colour and gloss, and not much more. Well, the name of this Pout Polish is Bare Minimum, right? So no surprises here, LOL.



On the lips, the texture is nice, and feels very moisturizing. I also like that the Pout Paints are not sticky at all. Bare Minimum leaves behind a slightly beige tint of colour on my lips, but not very much since it's so sheer. The natural colour of the lip shows through instead, but is muted by the slight beige tint. The Pout Polish leaves a glossy, high-shine finish that I think is quite nice.



If you're looking for a sheer nude lipbalm that moisturizes your lips and isn't sticky, I think Sleek Makeup's Bare Minimum Pout Polish would definitely be worth looking into. Personally, although I'm not a fan of lip stuff in pots, I quite enjoy using Bare Minimum.

(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)

Budget Beauty EOTD and LOTD: Beauty21's 3-for-£10

Much as I can be a sucker for anything pretty, packaged, and pricey, I do love discovering gems that aren't expensive, primarily because as a student on a limited budget, I'd have to starve myself for a month before I could even bear to entertain the thought of buying a Chanel eyeshadow. I have to admit, with my makeup obsession, I'd be tempted to do that, but I know that with my lousy sense of self-control (hence my immense stash of makeup and nail polish), I wouldn't even be able to starve myself for 5 minutes. So I usually attempt the cheapskate tactic of buying drugstore instead. Fortunately, there are plenty of awesome but inexpensive items out there to keep a girl on the budget happy.

Enter Beauty21, a cheap and cheerful online retailer that also dispenses advice on the side. In addition to being a retailer, they have an "Ask the Expert" section, courtesy of established makeup artist Sara Hill (an actual makeup artist! Not some badly-informed customer service personnel like some other companies *coughMACcough*), and they also have some interesting articles on their site. And shipping is cheap - local shipping within the UK is a mere £1.50, and overseas shipping is £4. That's a serious bonus for me - being a major cheapskate, I can't tell you how many times I've passed over a deal because I didn't want to pay shipping!

And since I've just admitted to being an I-want-that-deal-but-I-don't-wanna-pay-shipping cheapskate, my favourite section in the entire store is OF COURSE the 3 for £10 section (located HERE), encompassing a range of drugstore brands that contains a good array of drugstore products from staple brands (Rimmel, Maybelline, Bourjois, Sally Hansen), covering pretty much all the basics - lipglosses, eyeshadows, mascara, blush, and some nail treatments. I like it; it works out to be cheaper than waiting for the items to go on sale at Superdrug, and you get to mix and match across different brands, which rarely happens during drugstore sales. Some of the items are still in stores (like the Sally Hansen nail treatments, so if you're a regular user of any one of those it's probably cheaper to buy three at a go and stock up), and some of the items aren't carried in drugstores anymore, which is pretty cool if you like finding things you can't easily get in stores.

And since I wanted to prove that beauty doesn't have to cost a bomb, here's a demonstration of what you can get for your £10 in Beauty21's 3-for-£10 section:



I know! Isn't that adorable? It's a pocket-sized eyeshadow duo by the staple brand of European drugstores, Bourjois. This is the Petite Guide de Style Perfect Harmony Shadow and Contour palette. It contains two coordinated colours that you can use in a variety of ways to make your eyes pop. I got the colour 16, Crazy Baby.

Isn't that cute? I know you're going to want to see a picture of the inside of this little palette too, so here you are:



This duo consists of a shimmery vanilla colour and a forest-y ivy green colour. Isn't it pretty?

And it even comes with a tiny little mirror. I'm not sure how useful a mirror if this size is, but gosh it's cute:



That's only one out of three items though. The next item I got was Rimmel's Extra Super Lash Mascara:



And here is a close-up of the brush. This is your typical mascara brush with a tapered end:



And for the last item, my personal favourite, Rimmel Stay Glossy Lipgloss in Mauve Addiction. You know I love mauvey, rosy lipgloss shades, so this is definitely up my alley:



And a look at the brush. This brush is pretty interesting, and I don't think I've seen a brush like this one yet. It's a modified doefoot applicator, where both sides of the applicator can be used to apply the gloss to your lips, instead of just one side like your typical doefoot. I think that's kinda cool.



That photograph shows just one side of the applicator. The other side is also similarly slanted to allow you to apply lipgloss with both sides, instead of one. Nothing groundbreaking, but pretty nifty. Then again, doefoot applicators are my favourite, so I'm biased.

Of course, it would be immensely cruel of me to post pictures of these items and not show you how they look once applied. So, I did an EOTD and an LOTD using the products above!

Here's my EOTD. I have to admit I cheated on this one, and supplemented it with a brown shade from the Sleek iDivine Safari Palette. But you get the idea:



The highlight and lid shades were from the Bourjois Crazy Baby duo, the crease/contour colour is a shimmery dark brown from the Sleek Safari Palette (for those of you who want to know exactly which shade it is, it's the shade all the way at the bottom right corner). And then I lined with Stila Smudgepot in Jade. The mascara is Rimmel Extra Super Lash.

Not too shabby eh? I did find that the Bourjois duo was not particularly pigmented - it was decent, but required a couple of layers for the colour to be true to pan. The shimmery vanilla shade was also less pigmented than the ivy green shade, but it's nothing that is too difficult to work with. I did notice that the instructions said you can use the shades wet, though, so perhaps if foiled they might be more vibrant, but I didn't try them on wet. These were all worn dry. I really should try out the ivy green wet though, it looks like it could be gorgeous when wet.

The mascara was just okay for me. I wore it a few times, and I think it's better at adding length than it is at adding volume. It was decent, but not spectacular. I think it might work best on girls who have lashes that are numerous but short. Of course, mascara is very user-dependent, and one person's holy grail can be another person's trash bin item (case in point: Maybelline Full n'Soft mascara. It's universally loved, but did jack squat for me). It does generally seem to get good reviews, though, which is why I tried it in the first place. *Mutters* Stupid wimpy Asian lashes...Makes finding a mascara so hard...*Kicks a rock* The consistency of this mascara is also on the wetter side, so I do think this will get better with more use as it dries up slightly and takes on a more creamy consistency.

Wear time on both items was pretty good. I wore this EOTD out for one day, and at the end of the day I experienced neither smudging nor creasing, and only slight fading. The mascara stayed put and didn't smudge. They actually fared better than I expected!

Anyway, on to the lipgloss! I somehow knew I would love this by just looking at the picture on Beauty21's website, and what do you know, I was right! Do I have lipgloss telepathy or what?

First, here's a picture of my naked lips, just so you can see how beautiful the lipgloss is and really appreciate it on me:



So now that I've made you suffer by looking at my naked lips, here is what Mauve Addiction looks like on:



Isn't it a beauty? I totally hearts this. It's a beautiful glossy wearable shade of mauve. When Rimmel called these Stay Glossy, they weren't kidding - these are really glossy! I can imagine these looking totally awesome with matte makeup everywhere else - the glossiness of the lips will contrast the matte makeup nicely. And I generally hate glitter in my lip products with a passion, but the glitter in this one doesn't show up much at all, so I think it's still work-appropriate. I also really like the formula of the lipglosses - they are similar to the Revlon Super Lustrous lipglosses, but slightly more tacky, which is a plus for me, because I do find the Revlons a little bit too "wet" for my liking, and wears off a little too fast. But they're similar enough, so if you liked the Super Lustrous range, you'd probably like this too.

In terms of weartime, these were pretty good, as far as lipglosses of this nature get. They didn't last past a meal (but then again I've yet to find one that does), but they definitely lasted longer than the Super Lustrous did on me, and they basically stayed on as long as I didn't eat. I really like this gloss, and the Nude Signature colour looks really pretty too...

For £10, I feel this isn't bad at all. It's almost a complete look - all we're missing is the blush. What do you think? Good value for £10?

(The three featured products were sent to me for review. I am not paid for this review. This review is my full and honest opinion.)