Gerard Cosmetics - the lip products

I was lucky enough to get my hands on some Gerard Cosmetics at the Beauty Bay Carnival towards the end of last year and since then it has been a bit of a love affair with the brand. The description of the brand is as follows: "Gerard Cosmetics was created with a true passion and clear vision to offer a solution to the everyday makeup blunders of women. This is a cosmetics brand created for women by women who empower each other and strive to offer products that are luxurious, accessible and endlessly chic.

So I was really lucky to be given an in-depth look into the brand and swatch and use so many products in one afternoon. Given the choice to choose a favourite product was so much harder than I had imagined, so with a little help, I now have Merlot and Berry Smoothie lipsticks and Ruby Slipper and 1995 Hydra matte liquid lipsticks and I just totally and utterly love each one and am determined to add to my stash.

Merlot and Berry Smoothie look incredible. The gold lipstick bullets are sleek, elegant and stand out amongst the crowd. Once in your handbag there is little chance you are going to miss this looking back at you, it calls to your inner magpie for being oh so shiny. The lids click on really securely and click into place, so thankfully there is little chance of them coming apart in your bag.

Berry Smoothie: This is described as being a neutral pink brown shade. It is opaque, giving full coverage and the pigmentation is really quite something. It glides on to the lips and has quite a creamy and once applied it dries down to a semi-matte finish with a really nice sheen. At just £6.90 this lipstick is such a bargain.

Merlot is quite a striking to look at. It has notes of a red and berry blend to create what has been described as a 'full bodied vampy hue'. It is not only Matte but is also packed with pigment and was created as an alternative to your classic blue based red. It glides on to the lips with its creamy almost buttery texture and is not at all drying. Priced at £11.50 this is a shade for your stash without question.

So I am really impressed with the lipsticks and given my obsession with liquid lipsticks, I was really excited to give Ruby Slipper and 1995 a try, the latter being incredibly popular amongst bloggers in America. Encased inside a slightly frosted looking tube, the gold lid is quite classy looking and again appeals to my inner magpie. 

Ruby Slipper is not a shade I would usually ever opt for, but there is something about it I just adore.  It takes on the classic dark red shade, applies like a liquid and dries down to become a dark matte red but it has an infusion of sparkling glitter which makes for a truly unique and dazzling effect.

It is a product you need to layer on a few times to get the full on vampy effect, but beautiful it definitely is. It doesn't budge once on the lips and as the colour begins to fade some 8 hours later, it still looks incredible.  Priced at £11.50 it is amazing value for money.

1995: This is the Gerard Cosmetics all-time best-seller and was inspired by the neutral hues of the 90's. A liquid to a matte formula that is long-wearing but comfortable. It has a Mauve and rose tone which flatter all skin tones and this is my favourite of all the Gerard Cosmetic products in this post, I just love it.

Again, once it has been applied it doesn't budge but does fade after around 6-7 hours and during that time I have never felt the need to re-apply. Priced at £11.50 this is the one nude you need in your stash.

Both of the Hydra Matte liquid lipsticks obviously are matte, but the texture is not at all drying when on the lips. Lightweight with no transfer, they last for such a long time once applied it is almost effortless to wear them.

This was my first venture into the world of Gerard Cosmetics and I have loved what I have used so far and they are a cruelty-free brand.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Sleek MakeUP Matte Me New Shades

I am a big fan of Sleek and their lip products, so when these beautiful shades came through my letterbox I was incredibly excited to give them a try because, well just look how pretty they are.

The three shades are Pastel Mattes and whilst they are not the normal shade that I would wear, they scream 'Spring' at me. Matte Me lipsticks are a matte finish liquid lipstick that is designed to glide onto the lips in one smooth application, with no need for a second coat.

The three shades from left to right are Crushed Lavender, Apricot Blooms and French Fancy. What I love about these shades is that the swatch is just one coat from the applicator and no more, they are just so pigmented.

As you can see Crushed Lavender is everything you expect it to be, it is a light lilac shade which is fully pigmented and would definitely see you stand out in the crowd.

Apricot Blooms is a beautiful peach shade which again is fully pigmented and quite different to anything else I own.

French Fancy is a beautiful shade of pink, it isn't bright Barbie Pink, it has a depth to it and is my favourite shade of the three.

As with the rest of this collection, these retail for just £4.99 and you can find them right here at Boots and here from Superdrug

*this post contains PR samples/Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise

Gosh Spring 17 Collection – the liquid Matte lipglosses

A few days ago I went off to see the launch of the Spring 17 Collection from GOSH and whenever there is a new launch you can guarantee there will be a product that just wows everyone and that is what I am sharing with you today - the liquid Matte lipglosses.

Said to have been inspired by urban nature, these brand new Matte lipglosses, not only give an amazing matte finish but the colour payoff and pigmentation far exceeds anything I was expecting to find. All of the eight shades are infused with Dandelion and LIperfecton, so they not only hydrate the lips but also increase microcirculation, in short, this means an instant improved blood flow within the capillaries which can increase the volume of your lips - WOW.

I am loving liquid lip products right now and they do seem to be everywhere. As bold and bright as the pigmentation is for each one of these they are incredibly moisturising on the lips and not at all drying. They glide on to the lips in one swoop and dry really quickly. Once on the lips, they tend not to budge for a good 4-5 hours and there is no transfer of colour.

The eight new shades within the collection are:
001 Candyfloss – a lovely soft pink nude 
002 Pink Sorbet – a dusty rose colour 
003 Nougat Fudge – a peachy nude shade 
004 Chinese Rouge – a beautiful soft red

005 Red Carpet – a bold red 

006 Berry Me – a beautiful soft berry shade 

007 Nougat Crisp – a darker nude 

008 Arabian Night – a gorgeous deep berry shade

My favourite shades from this collection is Berry Me and Nougat Fudge which are both just stunning and I have also worn Arabian Night which is a really pretty and vibrant shade. What I do love is that there is a great choice of shades right across the colour spectrum and something suitable for most skin types.

Priced at £8.99 each for me, these are liquid lipglosses to look out for. Do you have a favourite shade to wear from the Gosh Spring 17 Collection?

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

New Colour Vibe Shampoo

Change it up in 2017 with NEW Colour Vibe – wash in hair colour that is fast to apply as well as being totally fuss and mess free! Simply apply in the shower when washing your hair for maximum impact – with minimal time and effort required. 

Colour Vibe’s convenient and conditioning nature means you can start the week as a blonde, try Wednesday as a red head and the weekend partying with pastel tones. Or mash it up whenever you fancy with every colour in between. 

Colour Vibe is good to go wherever the mood takes you! How To Get The Vibe Simply wash your hair and shampoo as normal for a clean base to start from, wring out any excess water, then apply your chosen Colour Vibe and comb through to the ends to ensure an even application. Leave on for 5 minutes (or longer if you want a stronger colour), rinse thoroughly and condition as normal. 

Colour Vibe will cleanse, tone and care for your hair in an instant - whatever your colour choice, age or mood! There’s an amazing 13 shades to choose from and Colour Vibe lasts for up to three washes or until you start again.  The colours within the collection are:

• Blondes: Ice Blonde, Ash Blonde, Vibrant Honey Blonde, Soft Strawberry Blonde* 
• Reds: Warm Copper Gold, Radiant Red, Auburn*, Mahogany Brunette: Chocolate Brown 
• Pastels: Teal Breeze*, Lilac Dream, Pink Blush, Silver Touch

I was lucky enough to put these shades to the test and opted to try out Ash Blonde from the blonde range of colours and below are some before and after pictures of my hair. It is worth noting that of course in one wash my hair was not going to become bright blonde but what it did do was lighten the lighter blonde parts of my hair, which I was really impressed with.

If you fancy giving these a try then Colour Vibe is available exclusively at Boots and Boots.com priced at £2.99 and right now they are on a buy one get one for half price, so if there is more than one you want to try, then now is the time. 

• *Soft Strawberry Blonde, Auburn & Teal Breeze colours exclusively available at Boots.com

 • Colour Vibe won’t darken or lighten hair - blondes should use different blonde tones and pastels, mid tones should use mid reds, dark browns should use darker reds and chocolate brown. 

*this post contains PR samples/Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise