Monday 30 September 2013

MAC Impassioned Lipstick Review


 
Impassioned. Another dangerously daring colour from the MAC Amplified collection, but one that I LOVE. It’s not for the faint hearted, probably not as vibrant and in your face as Girl About Town but it’s on that scale. It’s an electric pink shade and I love how it transfers onto the lips. It’s such a statement lipstick and can certainly add that extra something to the simplest of outfits. Like all the Amplified finishes, it is super pigmented and isn’t drying either. So you can have your statement lippy whilst keeping your pout moisturised! It's very long lasting and I’d suggest using a lip brush with this one, and certainly a mirror as the colour is so intense it can leave stubborn staining around your mouth, swatching on my hand was bad enough! About staining, this certainly stains the lips after prolonged wear, it can become quite difficult to remove and the colour is still reminiscent after cleansing, so make sure you do it thoroughly unless you fancy looking like the joker! But of course I am willing to put up with these cons for the simple fact that I love this beautiful shade!
 
Left - Swatch with flash/ Right - Swatch without flash. My camera unfortunately washed most of the vibrancy out of this colour, in person it is much louder than what is displayed on these photos. The colour is reflected best in the shot with the flash however.
 
 
Impassioned - £15 @ MAC

Have you ever tried this MAC shade? What is your favourite one?
Han X

Friday 27 September 2013

Benefit Bad Gal Lash Review


 
I find Benefit to be a bit like Marmite, I either fall in love with their products or I can’t stand them. For instance I trialled and tested the hugely popular They’re Real! mascara a few months back and failed to see the hype around it. It just did nothing for me whatsoever! However it’s not completely put me off Benefit mascaras so after deliberating somewhat in Sephora and being hurried on to make a decision from my boyfriend, I purchased Bad Gal Lash.

 
First off, I’ve took to it so much better than I did to They’re Real! It’s exactly my type of mascara. The wand is fairly sizable and probably a little daunting to some, but for me it’s the perfect shape. The wand fibres are compact and make the formula so easy to glide onto the lashes. You can literally get away with one quick coat, perfect for when you’re in a dash for work because you’ve watched Jezza Kyle ten minutes too long (all guilty of it). With one coat it thickens and elongates the lashes and with two you are able to gain a more dramatic, fuller look. The formula is deep black and isn’t too watery which is something that really bugs me in mascaras. It’s also super fast drying and doesn’t clump! Which is what I’ve learnt to expect with large wands, but thankfully Bad Gal is free from this!
The only thing I find a problem and an irritating one is that the full, long lash look you initially get doesn’t last long at all. It certainly doesn’t last my 8 hours at work as when I’m home my lashes look sort of limp and certainly not as full as when I set out. Perhaps it’s because I work so god damn hard (pah!) but it’s probably because it’s just not very long lasting!


I’ve come to the conclusion that this is perrfect for when you know you’re only going to be out for a few hours, but any more than about 4 and you’ll probably need to reapply! Gutted really because I just love the wand and formula! But hey, you win some, you lose some.
Bad Gal Lash - £17.50 @ Boots

Have you tried this mascara? What’s your favourite?

Han X

Monday 23 September 2013

Collection Creampuff Review


I’ve not had many products from Collection (previously Collection 2000) but the ones I’ve had I’ve always been relatively impressed with. I picked up this CreamPuff a few months back after my sister having one and being impressed with her results. I’ve got this in the shade Fairycake 3, which is another pinky coral shade (which I was able to wear yesterday because we had a bit of sun here in Manc!). I love the colour soo much, it’s gorgeous but unfortunately the formula is just too drying for me. The packaging is true to its statement in every way with “velvety soft, matte finish”, but my lips just can’t handle it! The formula goes on like a dream, it feels really creamy but after a while or so I find it sets and the matte aspect of it just dries out my lips and really irritates me. But alas! All is not lost as whipping a bit of Vaseline over the top not only sorts this but actually enhances it! I’ve found that adding a balm or gloss over the top gives the lips such a nice sheen, heightens the colour and takes away that annoying dryness! The fact that it is a matte finish also means that it sticks to and draws attention to any dryness I may already have, which I don’t find attractive!
 
 
> With flash, without flash
 
> With flash, without flash, Crabtree & Evelyn Apricot Orange Shimmer Lipgloss applied over the top
 
 
> With flash, without flash swatches
Another thing that won me over was the smell, it smells just like marzipan! I’ve been trying to work out what it reminds me of for ages and I think that’s what it is! Alongside that is the colour which has great pigment and allows for complete lip coverage so you can fully don the matte lip if you so wish! As for the price £2.99 is cracking, it’s just a shame it only comes in four shades!

Collection Creampuff - £2.99 @ Boots
Crabtree & Evelyn Apricot Orange Shimmer Lipgloss - £8.60 @ escentual.com

Have you ever tried these before?

Han X

Friday 20 September 2013

Bourjois Delice De Poudre Review



I had been after a new bronzer for a while and I had seen a friend of mine using this one by Bourjois, one of my favourite drugstore brands, so for £6.99 I thought why not. So far I have been pleasantly surprised; I have always been a little dubious of bronzers, living in fear of looking ompalumpa and not even realising. But thankfully I’ve always used it sparingly and with caution; heavy hands are to blame for a lot of makeup mishaps! 
 
 
The shade I bought in the Bourjois Delice de Poudre was in 52, the darkest shade they offer and I’ve found that it is just the right shade for me. The colour in the packaging doesn’t look too daunting anyway; it’s a nice shade of light tan but does have subtle orange undertones. The product is a matte finish with a slight hint of shimmer; this put me off at first as I thought I was going to look like I had been dipped in glitter but once on the face it isn’t even noticeable. But I suppose it all adds to that sunkissed holiday glow. It is also a product that can be used for contouring, the colour doesn’t apply to heavily at all and is so easy to build and blend, which is what I find useful with this stage of makeup, do it wrong and it can easily make you look like you need a wash!
 

Another notable thing about this bronzer is its acclaimed chocolatey scent. I wouldn’t say it screamed Cadburys, more a pleasant mix of chocolate and vanilla. But either way it smells pleasant and isn’t noticeable once applied to the face. The bronzer actually comes looking like a small piece of chocolate, with the product in the pan spilt into four, not good when your Mum’s got no biccys in and you have this staring at you. The only thing I don’t like about this, but it isn’t a major qualm is the packaging.  I really hate cardboard packaging, it’s not durable and isn’t attractive. But to be fair this one from Bourjois has stayed intact and is better quality than what I’ve come across in the past. Overall I think it makes for a great starting bronzer product, and even if you’re a bronzing sensation, I’d still recommend this fun and quality product.
Bourjois Delice De Poudre - £6.99 @ Boots
Have you tried this out? What bronzer would you recommend?
Han X
 

Thursday 19 September 2013

MAC Vegas Volt Lipstick Review


 
We all love the little black bullets of lip goodness that MAC cosmetics constantly tempt us with, and I’m only about to tempt you with more. Vegas Volt, not a new shade from MAC I’ll say, but it is one that I, alongside many, love.
 
 
Vegas Volt is from MAC’s Amplified collection, a collection that holds more of the vivid colours from the range, which are all gorgeous. What I love about the Amplified finish is that the pigmentation is so rich, the colour you see on the stick is pretty much the exact colour that’ll transfer onto your lips. They are also fairly moisturising, with them having a creamy consistency there is no need to add lipgloss, they keep the lips nourished on their own. Vegas Volt holds great lasting power too, you can get a good couple of hours out of it without reapplying, but of course, a touch up will be needed if you’ve been caught stuffing your face! I’ve worn this shade all over the summer, and I’m pretty disappointed that it’ll probably be shoved to the back of the drawer once the winter colours start creeping in. The shade is something between a coral and a subtle orange with yellow tones. I have been loving this colour in everything, from blush form, to polishes, to my bags and shoes. So if we do get one more surprising day of sun amongst these rainy September days, I’ll definitely be embracing this shade one last time.
 
^ Swatch with flash, followed by swatch without flash

Vegas Volt - £15.00 @ MAC
Have you tried this MAC shade before? Which ones are your favourite?
Han X

Hello...


I'm Hannah and welcome to Champagnetote, my personal blogging space that shall be primarily dedicated to my love of beauty, with fashion and style not too far behind. I’ll be posting my thoughts on products new and old, good and bad, enabling fellow bloggers and readers to get a feel of what’s worth purchasing and what’s not. I’m looking forwards to nurturing my creative space into something I love.

If you've come from my previous blog, she'smadeup then thankyou for your support, it's appreciated and so are any new readers. I decided on a fresh start as I wasn't happy with the layout, wasn't happy with the content, wasn't happy with the name and I wasn't giving it my full attention. Hopefully this blog will flourish into something I'm really happy with and proud of - I've even bought myself a blogging diary to keep me organised!
Cheers again,

Han XX