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CharlottePick




Enola_Jay

WE'RE BACK!

First of all...

Sorry for leaving you all!

It's been SUCH a hectic few months for the two of us; Charlotte's moved away to start her English degree (whoo!) and Enola's got herself an internship while she does her foundation year in Fine Art. We are busy ladies! But fear not, The Hush Peony is getting up and running again and will be better than ever this year.

We'll be bringing you all the usual cosmetics reviews, along with news of our various outings and countless recommendations! There's a lot planned, you lucky people. We hope you're looking forward to 2014 as much as we are, it's going to be a BIG year!

Watch this space gang!

Benefit - They're Real! Beyond Mascara

Jet-black, lengthening, long-wearing mascara from Benefit

One of Benefit’s top selling products, a cult favourite amongst beauty bloggers and my personal favourite mascara. None of Benefit’s products have ever disappointed me; the quality seems great, the packaging and names are cute... many of their products are some of my favourite ever (e.g. The Porefessional – which I will blog about soon) and this is one of them. Yes, once again I am jumping on the beauty blogger’s ‘HG’ bandwagon and saying that this mascara is exactly that.

The first time I used They’re Real Mascara I honestly believed I had found the mascara I had been searching for and that I would never need search again. That belief still stands with me and until I hear about a mascara surrounded by as much positive hype as They’re Real, this shall stay my one true mascara.

Why I love this mascara so much… It gives my relatively short, blonde lashes instant length and volume like they have never had before. I generally apply one or two coats of it and afterwards it looks and feels like I am wearing false lashes - they are that long. For me it definitely is long-wearing (a little too long-wearing… but I’ll get to that), lengthening and the consistency is smooth and does not make my lashes clumpy... ticks all my boxes.

The packaging of the smaller version (4.0g) that I am reviewing, is out of the Primping With The Stars Kit by Benefit and is the only size of it I have had, but I believe the packaging is pretty similar to the full-size one. The shiny silver and dark grey packaging is fabulous and the brush – attached to the lid, is well-designed and is quite firm plastic (but does not scratch).

Though I may love it dearly, I personally have four problems with it.

1.)  It is very very very hard to get off - like waterproof mascara – and even when I think I have got it all off, there is still some there the next morning.

2.)  It claims that it curls and I just don’t see that effect on my lashes… it definitely lengthens, but curls… I am not too sure. I always have to use eyelash curlers before I use it.

3.)  It also claims to separate lashes… once again I don’t see that on my lashes and I usually have to wait until it has dried and then use a lash comb to separate them.

4.)  At £19.50, it is rather expensive for a mascara and I find it hard to justify spending that much on it, though having tried the smaller size I got in the Primping With The Stars kit, I would buy the full-size.

Overall, I will always (until I find one that I love even more) re-purchase this mascara. I love its packaging, name, consistency and how long-lasting and lengthening it is. I just wish it was easier to get off… if anyone has the same problem with this mascara, have you got any tips on how you get it all off? I would love to hear them if you do!

The full-size version of this  mascara  costs £19.50 and can be found on asos, in John Lewis, Boots and Debenhams.

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Rimmel; Stay Matte Pressed Powder

 Stay Matte pressed powder from Rimmel

Reliable and affordable - this is has become an essential in my make up box in recent months, it works to set just about every liquid foundation you can think of. And who doesn't love the little Rimmel crown that's embedded in it? I love a bit of attention to detail!

I admit, I've had unfortunate experiences with Rimmel's powders in the past [too dusty, too orange, too prone to vanishing after 5 minutes..the usual..] but this one has yet to disappoint. 

    

Rimmel 'Stay Matte' Long Lasting Pressed Powder. Shade: Transparent

Used on its own, on primed skin, it only offers a light coverage, which is fine if you're lucky enough to have a good canvas to work on! When used on top of a liquid foundation as a setting agent, it gives a nice even covering without altering colour too much. However as with all Rimmel's skin products, you really do need to ensure you have exactly the right colour as they leave little room for error. Being ridiculously pale, I use 'transparent' and it's warm enough to look healthy without that 'orange/yellow' tint you can sometimes find in lighter powders.

Though it does reduce shine effectively, it does need touching up 2 or 3 times throughout the day. Other than sometimes feeling excessively 'powdery' if you have dry skin, it's a neat little product and great to have stashed in your bag. From experience, I recommend powder puffs over brushes with this one.

This product retails at around £4, and can be found on the Rimmel site, or in Boots, Superdrug and Tesco

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Chanel; Rouge Allure Lipstick

Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour [Shade: Passion 104]

Rouge Allure lipstick from Chanel 

Vivid, durable and ever so stylishly packaged this may well have been one of the best presents I have ever received. 

As you can expect, it's every bit as high quality as its predecessors and has a wonderful 'click' motion when you pop it out of its case [that really is half the fun]. Sleek and simple, it's an instant classic. Not to mention being virtually impossible to open by accident, so it's never going to wreck the inside of your favourite bags.

Application is smooth and surprisingly light for such a strong shade, leaving you with an even coat from which to build up the colour to your desired intensity. The trick with this product really is in the layering, as although it retains its brightness throughout the day, you really do want to play it safe; nothing looks worse than fading lipstick. Apply and blot 3x for maximum effect would be my advice. There are about 20 different shades in the 'Luminous Intense Lip Colour' range, with everything from deep plum to a dusty peach; though from experience, I've found the darker the colour the better, as some of their lighter shades can verge on being offensively bright if you have paler skin. Still, if neon pink is your thing, then go for it!

One of few faults I've found with this lipstick is that if anything, it's a little too long wearing. While it's great to be able to slick on some lippy and forget about it for the rest of the day, if you smudge this stuff there's virtually no getting it off. A steady hand and face wipes are essential when you're putting it on; take your time and it'll pay off. Chanel also do a great range of lip liners, so if you really want that precise finish, check them out and you'll find a colour that suits your lipstick shade perfectly.

And now for a photo of my mouth!...Vivid colour with a satin sheen

This lipstick retails at around £22-27 and can be found either at Chanel, or in Debenhams, Boots and Selfridges&Co

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