New MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer in Aflush and Halcyon

Everyone still loves a velvet lip product, don’t they? I for one am still a big fan so I was very keen to try out some of the additions to MUA’s line up of velvet lip lacquers, which were introduced earlier this year. Most velvet products seem to be brighter or reds, hot pinks and funky colours such as blues, purples and blacks, so I was really keen to test out a nude shade and a girlier shade! MUA released two more shades; Serene, a very light, blue based pink and Tranquility, a brownish nude. I’ve seen Serene in stores but skipped it as I know it will look awful on me, but I’ve yet to find Tranquility which I am desperate to try!

These wear and perform exactly the same as the existing shades, which you can read my thoughts on here, should you be so inclined! (NB, get Criminal, it’s better than the Lime Crime hot pink.)

The TL;DR Instagram photo!

much presentation very luxe wow

‘Halcyon’

This is my favourite out of the two! A peachy brown, this is surprisingly pretty and has a hint of retro creamsicle (a phrase only a beauty blogger or makeup artist could use and mean it, no?) to it that I just think is delightful. I’m on a big nuetral kick at the moment so this will be getting a lot of wear this summer, along with the largest sunglasses I can find! This applies like a dream in one coat.

MUA ‘Aflush’

I’m not entirely sure I can pull this colour off without a beehive and ten layers of lashes, but it’s certainly a pretty colour. A light, blue based pink that leans toward the neon in real life, I can see this one being teamed with a flower crown at a sunny festival! Not quite for me personally but you can bet it’s flying off the shelves! This one is a little bit of a bugger to apply –it can get slightly patchy, so I’d advise waiting for the first layer to dry before topping up.

A friend in the know told me all the stock has gone to Superdrug stores, but that you can expect to see them online soon.  If you can find them, you can take them home for the bargain price of £3!

Will you be looking out for these?

Purple FOTD with MAC

I did not leave the house and did absolutely nothing this day except my makeup and finally reading Death Note (which, hello, worst ending ever amirite), so naturally, enormous lashes happened. Let us examine further:

Eyes: MAC Paint Points in Dangerous Cuvee and Blackground, Very Violet Eyeshadow. Nude shadow on browbone from MUA palette. Brows Rimmel Hazel and touch of dark brown from MUA palette. Lashes Eyelash Laboratory (cheap but super awesome Korean lashes)
Lips: MAC Up The Amp, with a touch of Pink Noveau in the centre, Creamsheen Glass in No Apologies.
Cheeks: MAC Autoerotique


Ugh, I looooved this look! Dangerous Cuvee is a new baby for me, and I have to say, I love it. I’m never really that drawn to MAC Paintpots for some reason, but this one screamed my name and I just had to have it – it’s a deeper silver with subtle green and pink shimmer in it that just elevates it slightly. Ooh, it’s lovely, and juuuust about work safe! What’s been on your peepers lately?

Thanks for looking at my mug!

My first Memebox: 10MinuteBox

A month or so ago, I got rather annoyed when the one beauty box I subscribed to seemed to think that tea and notebooks were somehow beauty items. Nope. Cancelling my subscription, I decided to try out  Memebox, which is a Korean beauty box subscription service. Korean cosmetics are known for being super cute and for having great/interesting skincare, which are of course things literally everyone is interested in, no?

Memebox seems to work a little differently to usual boxes - they do have a monthly box, which seems to sell out, and they also have one-off boxes as well. If you go onto their site, there are a variety of boxes available, and you can buy them as a one-off as opposed to a subscription, which I think is great. It’s hard to determine which is the regular monthly box as there are so many to choose from – including themed boxes such as a green tea box and boxes for dudes, and the larger Superboxes – and the website isn’t super explanatory - but I believe it’s the numbered boxes.

Buying boxes gives you points which you can use off of your next order or in the store- this order shipped late, so I was given points to spend, which I immediately put toward another box! They do take a while to ship boxes after they're bought, but you're let know the shipping date and my box was here five days after it actually shipped, which is great as it came from Korea! They're a little more expensive than the average £10-15 beauty box - I believe after conversion into pounds, this was £18.

The box I chose was the 10MinuteBox:

"The hottest Memebox has just arrived! It comes with the most perfect make-love-happen-now beauty products that will get you all polished up for a night you'll never forget!"
The premise of this box was getting ready for a date quickly so I was hoping for makeup items in this box!”

Cute box, no? Let's see what I got - all products are the full sized version:

 

Aromalab EverEssence Designer Fragrance Oil in 8 Women ($34)

I'm not a huge fan of perfume oils or rollerballs, but this is pleasant enough. I don't get the jasmine promised on the box, but I do get a light rosy musk at the start drying to something a little more woody. This will live in my desk drawer at work for a little pick me up during the day but I can’t see it being a staple.

Hope Girl Powdery Body Perfume ($49)

cheers box

HOW cute is this? This is what I got the box for - cute brands that I've never heard of! I'm not sure how useful this product will be - it's a silica-based powder that claims to absorb sweat and keep you feeling fresh, with a subtle scent. Mine is in the scent 'Tropical Lovers' and it's a subtly sweet, coconut-y sort of scent. It’s a light scent, again, pleasant enough. You can apply with the puff in the lid, or unscrew the top to dip a brush in, or to refill. If I don't wind up using this powder – which remains to be seen to be honest! - I'll decant my regular face powder into it because it is so darn cute!

 

Hope Girl Milky Balm Lipstick in Red Burgundy ($24)

Oh, glory, glory! More leopard print! In the form of a burgundy lipstick, nonetheless! I have no qualms here whatsoever – the packaging so right up my alley it’s ridiculous. And as for the lipstick itself? Lovely! Creamy, opaque, not too glossy, no slip and very comfortable. This ticks all the boxes. I’d buy more from the brand. The star item in the box in my opinion!

Secret Romance Hair Essence Lovely 60ml ($39)

 

This is a 'pheromone hair essence that leaves your hair smelling like a sensual rose all day.' It also claims to nourish and increase shine. I can't read the ingredients as they're in Korean, which makes it harder to determine what it might actually do! This is an oily-feeling serum with a light, powdery scent, but I'm not sure it smells of rose - perhaps it's a little masculine smelling?! I can't put my finger on it but I like it. From trying it out quickly, a little goes a long way! I'll be trying this out further to see if I can coax a little love back into my dry ends! I am also totally convinced the pheromones in this will turn my other half into a crazed sex beast.

Laboratory Eyelash ($5)

legit and professional application is definitely not straight from the box with no glue at all, nope nope

These are so cute! And how cheap are lashes out there? Pretty jealous. These are chunky yet still manage to have a thin lash band - so in my eyes, basically pretty perfect. Can't wait to use these properly, they are banging!

So...would I get another Memebox? Ahem.  I already ordered one before this one came, but basically, yes, I'm excited to get the next one! A nice mix of unusual items  - which is the point! – that are all full sized,  good value compared to the price of the box, great customer service, you’re not tied in to buy one each month. Yep, yep, yep. Memebox are doing it right.

Have you tried this box? What's your favourite subscription box?