Vikky Anna - Page 3 of 25

Pony Maker Velvet Kiss Lip Colour

July 10, 2017 Leave a Comment

I have such a love hate relationship with liquid matte lipstick. On the one hand I love it because I dislike reapplying lipstick throughout the day, and so the lasting power of liquid lipstick is one I hold very dear. On the other hand I absolutely can not stand how most liquid lipsticks tend to parch your lips to the point of unbearableness; where your lips look ridiculously dry, flaky and feel very uncomfortable (Kat von Di comes to mind).

On my recent trip to Asia I came across a brand called Pony Maker, which I believe is a startup brand and recently launched at the end of last year (2016). I swatched a few colours and fell in love with the shades, which are mostly neutrals, very wearable, and right up my street. So I decided to purchase a few to try, because the price is also really reasonable at £34 for 4 lipsticks (about £8.50 for one lipstick). I settled for 4 shades, which are Clair de Lune, Madeleine, Amour de Fleurs, and In the Mood for Love.

I guess I didn’t have that high an expectation since Pony Maker is a small, unknown brand, which in my mind at the time could not possibly compare with well known, well established, and much hyped brands selling exactly the same kind of product. But the formula and the shades really blew me away, especially when it’s clearly much better than some well known brands that I have a major gripe with for being so expensive but with a really disappointing drying formula.

Pony Maker Majorly Velvet Kiss lip colour has a semi watery consistency which makes it really easy to apply as it glides effortlessly on your lips. It also doesn’t dry out too quickly and you have a good minute or so to perfect and tidy up any uneven edges. It dries to a beautiful, velvety, and most importantly, incredibly comfortable finish that doesn’t feel dry when you pucker or press your lips together. Another perk is its impressively long and comfortable wear-time, even after a meal or drinks, and the way it fades out evenly and naturally so you don’t get that unsightly dark lip liner look.

The shades are gorgeous and truly catered for liquid lipstick enthusiast, i.e. nude, neutral, 90’s inspired hues, which are very wearable and work really well for both day time and night time looks. All in all I think I deserve a good pat on the shoulder for discovering a truly amazing liquid lipstick brand that tick all the boxes with a reasonable price tag that’s not designed to rip you off, but still deliver the same or even better quality compare to some well-known brands out there.

My current beauty favourites

June 22, 2017 Leave a Comment

I’m not in the habit of doing a blog post on monthly favourites because, 1) I am a fickle creature who chop and change all the time, 2) I am also quite hard to please and it takes a lot for a product to grab my attention and become my holy grail. After six months into the year (where has the time gone by the way?) I’ve managed to round up a few items that I have absolutely been enjoyed using, some are recent discoveries that I’ve very quickly grown to love, and some are slowly but surely working towards a holy grail status.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette in Surreal Light. Althought this palette was brought out way back last Christmas, I’ve only just acquired it a few months ago. I’ve already done a full review of this palette here if you would like to have a read. But in short it’s one of those versatile palettes that you can get full use out of every single item. This is a super handy palette that I can chuck in my travel bag and it will take care of all my makeup needs.

Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer. This is a heavy duty concealer in terms of coverage and lasting power. I absolutely love this concealer because it’s just so effective and everything I need in a good concealer. If you have dry skin, don’t let the word ‘matte’ throws you off, because if used correctly it is not at all drying. I use a damp mini complexion sponge to dip into the pot to gather the product and then bounce it under my eyes, and I get a full coverage that lasts all day, plus my undereyes remain hydrated without any creases.

Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser. I had been holding out for so long to buy this much hyped tinted moisturiser because the price really threw me off. It now retails at £61, which has increased from £55 when it was first launched a few years back. I did a full review here if you want to find out more details. Despite the staggering price tag, I hate to say I’ve fallen in love with it. It transforms my skin into a natural, radiant, healthy-looking complexion, and been absolutely perfect for sping and summer, when I want my skin to look like my natural skin but more perfected.

Ouai Texturising Hair Spray.
I used to be an Oribe Dry Texturising Spray girl through and through. I was completely faithful to the product and never thought anything else could sway me. But I’m afraid to say I have been swayed, and for justifiable reasons. Although Oribe does give me volume and texture, it doesn’t seem to last very long on my hair and by midday my hair is in need of oomphing up again. It also makes my hair greasy and sticky, and need washing the next day. Ouai texturising spray on the other hand feels really weightless, gives beautiful texture and volume, but most important of all it holds my curls and style for days, up until my hairwash day.

Real Technique Mini Miracle Complexion Sponges. As someone who has dry skin, I always struggle with my under eye concealer and constantly trying to find new ways to prevent creasing and dry patches under my eyes. These mini complexion sponges have been a godsend and an answer to my under eye concealer woes. The mini version is a perfect size to use around under eye area, and the hydrating sponge is so cooling and soothing and keep my concealer fresh as well as counteracting any dryness.

Heliocare Oral Capsules. I’ve always struggled with the idea that applying sunscreen to my face in the morning is hardly a guarantee that my skin will be protected from the sun throughout the entire day. Almost all topical sunscreens need to be reapplied every couple of hours, especially if you have prolonged exposure to the sun. And what can a girl do if she has a full face of makeup on? Reapplying sunscreen on top of makeup is out of the question. Removing makeup to reapply sunscreen and then redo the makeup again is even more unthinkable. These oral capsules by Heliocare solves the problem for me completely since it protects your skin from inside out against the sun. In the summer or when I’m on a holiday I take two capsules in the morning, and if I’m going to have prolonged exposure to the sun I will take a third one around lunch time or early afternoon, and that takes care of my sun protection needs. So easy and effective!

Byredo ‘Blanche’ perfume. This beautiful scent by Byredo really needs no introduction. ‘Blanche’ is a sweet and floral scent with a hint of musk, which makes it so sophisticated and seductive. I always feel really confident when I wear this scent and love carrying a 12ml travel-size with me in my makeup bag to freshen up with a few spritzes during the day. I will definitely be exploring more scents by Byredo since I love this one so much.

What have been your beauty favourites so far this year?

Recent purchases and first impression

June 19, 2017 Leave a Comment

I managed to pick up a few makeup bits and bobs on my recent shopping trip and thought I would share them with you in my blog post today, along with my first impression of the products.

I first picked up two shades of Lancome Matte Shaker, which I was pretty excited to try since I love the Juicy Shaker so much and always have at least one handy in my makeup bag. The idea of the same packaging and applicator (which I adore from the Juicy Shaker) but in a matte formula was too tempting to resist. Most of the shades are pretty bold (and I’m not a bold lipstick wearer in any way shape or form), so I settled for two that are on the more subdued side; Beige Vintage and Energy Peach. Beige Vintage is a classic deep rose pink shade, and Energy Peach is a coral peach colour. To be honest I am majorly disappointed with the formula, which takes ages to dry, slip-and-slide, transfers on to everything, and can hardly be called a matte lipstick in my opinion. The lasting power is non-existent, and after a meal and a drink, the colour completely disappeared. In terms of colour range I also wish that there are more nude/neutral shades available as opposed to the current mostly bold shades. So on first impression I am sadly disappointed with the Matte Shaker, and wish I’d checked out reviews first before I bought it.

The second item I picked up was Benefit Galifornia blush. I have never been disappointed with any of the blushers from Benefit and this one is no exception. Galifornia is a beautiful peachy shade with finely milled shimmer that adds a beautiful glow to the skin. I love that it goes on quite sheer, making it easy and manageable to build up the colour while keeping everything looking very natural. Best of all is the scent! Galifornia has a delicious malibu/coconut scent, very similar to Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess, which is my all time favourite summer perfume. This is a summer blush through and through, and makes me very happy everytime I use it.

The last item from my shopping trip was Urban Decay eyeshadow in the shade ‘Laced’. This is abit of a random buy but I wanted to get a single eyeshadow in this mauvey, lavender hue for traveling. Laced is a universally flattering colour, which suits everybody and goes well with every looks. So this is another winning purchase that I’m super happy about :)

Have you done any beauty shopping lately?

My current go-to summer bases

June 1, 2017 Leave a Comment

Summer is all about dewy, glowing, radiant skin, and lets face it, I’m not that lucky to have such a complexion without the need of some extra help. At the same time summer is also about letting your skin breath and keeping your skin looking like skin as much as possible. So today I am going to show you my current go-to bases for the summer months, which allow me to kill two birds with one stone i.e. giving me beautiful radiant complexion while keeping my skin looking fresh and natural at the same time.

The Body Shop All-in-One BB cream. A moisturising cream with pigment beads that burst and turn into your skin colour as you massage it on to you face. Gives light to medium coverage and surprisingly does a decent job at even out my complexion and covers minor blemishes. I love using this on days when I’m not doing anything special but still want to look decent and put together. I love that it is hydrating, looks very natural, stays fresh all day, and affordable.

BareMinerals Complexion Rescue. I absolutely ‘adore’ the cooling and hydrating formula, with a unique beautiful gel-like consistency, which is such a joy to apply especially on warm summer days. It gives a very beautiful dewy effect to the skin, and a light to medium coverage. Also gives SPF 30 PA+++ protection, which definitely comes in handy during the summer months.

Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser. If you follow me on Instagram you will know that I waffle on about this tinted moisturiser almost on a daily basis just because I love it so much and can’t get enough of it. As the name suggests, it makes your skin looks beautifully natural, like it’s ‘just your skin’ but more radiant, more polished, and basically the best version of yourself. Despite being labeled as a tinted moisturiser, it gives a decent medium coverage and has a thick but lightweight texture. I love that it makes my skin look incredible while feeling like I barely have anything on.

IT Cosmetics CC Cream. This is something I gravitate to on days when I need more coverage from my foundation. It gives a very decent medium to high coverage, and an extremely beautiful ‘glow’ to the skin. Has a thick but not at all heavy texture, and a noticeable citrus scent (which I’m not such a fan of but some people seem to like it). Also has a very high SPF protection of 50+, which again is great for summer.

Guerlain Lingerie de Peau. This is a really beautiful ‘perfecting’ foundation that feels like second skin. I adore this because it feels incredibly lightweight for a foundation and does an amazing job at making my complexion appear super perfected and polished. It gives medium coverage and is a great foundation option in the summer because it’s very comfortable to wear and looks and feels undetectable on the skin.

What are your favourite bases to wear in the summer?