Illamasqua | Lipstick in 'Sangers' |

Sangers // £16.50 // 4g //

Illamasqua are a company that I've always loved for their original concept behind their products. I've never had the opportunity to try anything from them before, but when the 50% twitter code came about I couldn't resist purchasing a few bits which had been on my wishlist for a while.

I'm a massive fan of lipstick, in particular red, so this product is right up my street. I wish the packaging was a bit more weighty to make it feel more luxurious but the design of the packaging itself is nice. This lipstick has a creamy formulation, although its not that pigmented and needs a few swipes to build up a nice opaque colour. It leaves a matte finish without being drying in the slightest and stays put for most of the day. The classic red shade (desribed as 'blood red') means it is perfect for all year round and fits in nicely with my other red lip products which are all on the darker side of the spectrum. The pictures I took for lip swatches didn't come out well so I've put one from a recent event I went too instead and my instagram.

I really love this lipstick as I think the quality and the colour are lovely and its been a regular occurrence in my make up bag. I already have more on my list! What is your favourite product from Illamasqua? Would you try this lipstick? xxx

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Bourjois Bronzing Primer

Bourjois Bronzing Primer // 18g // £9.99

First of all, excuse the pictures! My pot was like this when I bought it so doesn't look that pretty for the photos. Secondly, you may have noticed this is my first post in a while. Life got in the way and I have been super busy but I am hoping to get back to my normal routine soon. Now lets get on with the review...

Last year I did a review on the Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer - if you read it you would know that I fell in love. Fast forward a year and there was recently news about a whole Chocolate range being released, which made me really excited! This product in particular intrigued me as there was whisperings that it is a dupe for Chanel's infamous Soleil Tan de Chanel, which I have been lusting after for many months now.

The tub is quite small for the price, but for a fraction of the price of the Chanel version I can't grumble too much. With one colour to suit all it can seem a little daunting in the pot and upon first swatch, as it is not too dissimilar in appearance to milk chocolate mousse (it looks a little orange in my pictures) However, if properly blended, you are left with a subtle glow. If you are as fair as me I would approach this with caution - its quite easy to over do it so use a little at a time, blend well and add more if needed. I normally use my fingers for this but a stippling brush would probably be good too. It has a really soft, silky texture and smells a bit like holidays, so a little different to the chocolate bronzer.

I personally liked this best when I had a touch of a natural tan and used it instead of foundation, but used underneath a foundation or BB cream it brings a warmth to your complexion which looks natural. This also means I've found you use less of whatever base you follow up with, giving a more natural look which is perfect for the warmer months. The bronzing primer definitely lives up to its claims as a smoothing primer, which evens the texture and tone of my skin, however it did little for my pores. It is also meant to mattify which is true to an extent - it definitely doesn't add to the oiliness of my skin but it doesn't seem to keep it at bay either. The longevity is also quite good, but no better or worse than a normal base. I'm not normally a massive fan of primers for this reason as I've only ever found one which really prolonged my make up.

Overall this is a lovely summer product which I will certainly be getting a lot of use out. I'm also interested in the big bronzer they have bought out and the BB Bronzing Cream. Have you tried this product? What is your favourite item from Bourjois? xxx

P.S. This is the first time I've done a 'face' picture as I don't normally like putting my face on the blog, but a hand swatch wouldn't really show this product properly. I hope it's ok (it was also spur of the moment so my hair is still a bit wet!) 

NOTD: Color Club | Reign in Spain |

The Wanderlust Collection // 4 mini pack //

As soon as I saw this colour in this month's Birchbox I fell in love. A mix of peach and coral with a neon/pastel finish make this perfect for summer and a bit different to the typical neons you get around this time of year. I've been obsessed with all things peach and coral at the moment, so this varnish will go really well with some new pieces I have recently bought for my wardrobe. This colour is so nice that a stranger on the tube asked me to write down the name of it for her - if you've ever been to London you will know people barely even look at each other on the tube so this is a massive credit to the polish! The pictures unfortunately don't do the colour justice, I think the best representation is the bottom one from my instagram.

'Reign in Spain' is part of another collaboration between Birchbox and Color Club (see this NOTD for the other) named the Wanderlust collection, consisting of 4 special summer shades in mini bottles. The formula is just as good as Insta-This - only 2 layers of colour needed for an opaque finish, tip wear by about day 3 and no major chips to be seen at all. 

The only pain is that to get one of these polishes on the Birchbox site you have to get the whole set - and considering I got two in my Birchbox I don't really want two duplicates to get my hands on the other half of the shades (although the green 'London Calling' is literally calling my name!)

What do you think of this colour? What are your favourite summer polishes? xxx