COLLECTION 2000 METALLIC CREAM EYESHADOW IN PLATINUM (£2.99)

Okay, so this product has me damn confused. 

Last week I picked up Collection 2000's Metallic Eyeshadow in Rock 'n' Rose and was pretty pleased with it. For £2.99, I figured it was a pretty cool-looking product and worth a purchase. However, this week, after picking up Platinum and testing it out, I didn't like it.

It feels kind of weird on your eyes as it's wet and you're left sitting there unsure whether to allow yourself to blink or not. I found the pigment disappointing, so once the first 'layer' had dried, I added another, which prompted it to get scaly and flaky. Then it decided it didn't want to blend at all. I was really disappointed and, since I was in a rush, resorted to patting some grey eyeshadow over the top and using it as a base (which worked excellently).

However, there's a twist, when I swatched it on the back of my hand to take pictures for this very blog post, the pigment was sufficient and the formula blended amazingly. I'm left somewhat confused. Were my eyelids in a weird mood that day? Or was I just being extra fussy?

Referring to the swatch on the back of my hand, I love the colour. It's a metallic taupe and, if it was this colour on my eyelids, it would look great with a dark brown or even black in the crease.

I'm definitely going to give this product a second chance since I liked Rock 'n' Rose and I'd really like to get hold some of their other colours.

SLEEK STORM I-DIVINE PALETTE (£8)

After recently discovering Sleek's blush powder in Pomegranate and being seriously impressed, I deemed it only logical to get myself one of their eyeshadow palettes. Their Storm palette lept out at me because of its range of colours and finishes, and for under a tenner, who could say no?

The packaging is essentially a bigger version of the blush compact, black, slim and light-weight with a decent-sized mirror.

The powders themselves are soft, pigmented and last almost as long as Urban Decay shadows for a fraction of the price. An absolute dream to blend with a brush or your finger without being too crumbly in the palette, this product is amazing as all get-out.

The first colour (top left) is a gorgeous, gold shimmery shadow. It reminds me a bit of Half Baked by U. D.

Next is a shimmery cream, perfect as a highlight.

The first matte in the palette is a warm nude that blends out beautifully.

Although this looks similar to the first shadow in the picture, when swatched it's a lot yellower.

I'm usually not a fan of wearing pink on the eye (although you wouldn't know considering how many times I've reviewing and liked pink eye products), but this pink has strong brown undertones when blended out and would look amazing on blue or green eyes.

Possibly my favourite shadow in the palette, this purple looks similar to Urban Decay's Rockstar in the palette but in fact comes out a lot more rusty-looking.

Shimmery browns add a bit of spice to a neutral look and this one's lovely. It has an almost coppery tone to it so, once again, would look sexy as hell on blue eyes.

This iridescent blue looks grey in some lights, blue in others and would make brown eyes pop.

Probably my second favourite shadow in the palette, everyone needs a shimmery, dark green in their makeup collection.

Shimmery blue, again, looks amazing on brown eyes.

Probably the only shadow in the palette that I don't see myself using very often, a matte mid-brown. It would probably look decent in the crease whilst using a lighter shade on the lid.

A pigmented matte black, does what it says on the pan.

This palette is perfect for anyone wanting to buy some top quality, pigmented, blendable eyeshadows but don't have the cash to splash on products by more high-end brands. It contains everything you need, mattes, shimmery, neutral, bright; a great addition to your makeup kit.

COLLECTION 2000 METALLIC CREAM EYESHADOW IN ROCK 'N' ROSE (£2.99)

I'm not very familiar with cream eyeshadows; in fact, they kind of scare me. They look messy and unmanageable and everything I wouldn't want from an eye product but when out browsing the makeup shelves the other day, I saw Collection's Metallic Cream Eyeshadows and was drawn in.

I'll be honest, it was the colour that sold me; well that and the £2.99 price tag. We all know I'm a sucker for metallics and pink is a lovely colour to wear in the summer, so this was just too enticing to pass up.

I really like the packaging; I know it just looks like a plastic tube, which it pretty much is, but something that puts me off about most cream eyeshadows is that they're often presented in a little pots where you, if you don't have the right brushes, have to continuously dunk your fingers, leaving prints and germs. 

The applicator is handy, since you can either apply it directly onto your eyelid or the back of your hand. 

The formula is soft but isn't as pigmented as in the pot. It blends out nicely and dries well so that it won't budge, even without the aid of primer. In fact, something I loved using this for was a base colour. You apply it over your lid as if it's primer, then apply shadows of your choosing over the top. It adds a metallic, pretty sheen to your regular eyeshadow while giving it a cute pink glow.

Overall this is a cute little product which is a cool addition to your summer makeup. It adds a little edge to any look and doesn't cost an arm and a leg so isn't a gamble. I definitely intend to purchase some more.

SOAP & GLORY: ONE HECK OF A BLOT (£12)

It's official, I've found a new favourite face powder and, surprise surprise, it's by Soap & Glory.

For around six months now, I've never strayed from my go-to powder Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder but recently decided I should branch out a little and since I'd heard a lot of great things about Soap & Glory's One Heck of a Blot face powder, I thought I'd give it ago.

As ever the packaging is cute-as-'heck' (although I feel as if the compact opens the wrong way... you'll see what I mean if you get it).

The powder itself is translucent, something that's a huge plus for me considering I find it difficult to get foundations that match my skin tone. It's incredibly soft without being crumbly and mattifies without clinging to dry patches of skin. It also lasted pretty much all day on me without primer; it even endured one of my afternoon naps, which is pretty good going.

£12 is pretty much the going rate - if not less - for a decent face powder so the price is more than worth it. If you're stuck for a face powder to buy, this is perfect as it works perfectly, isn't too pricey and takes out the hassle of having to test out different shades.

BARRY M: RASPBERRY (£2.99)

When I first picked out Raspberry nail polish by Barry M, I was looking for a sexy red, as the only sexy red I have at the moment is sparkly and not what I want for summer.

Swatches online made it look red, whereas the name Raspberry made me think it was more pink and after getting the bottle through the post, I was none-the-wiser!

What I got was the most gorgeous, sultry red, which is slightly pink in certain lights; I'd describe it as a raspberry compote, really intense and rich. I loved it as soon as I applied it and, as always, it lasted around 4-5 days without chipping. It only needed 2 coats, as ever with Barry M nail polishes and was wonderfully cheap.

Another Barry M nail polish for the favourites list!

SOAP & GLORY: FLAKE AWAY BODY POLISH (£7)

It's been a while, so what better way to get back into blogging than with a Soap and Glory review? Their Flake Away Body Polish is a fine scrub, which reminds me of sand both in colour and consistency and is a great little product.

As you can see from the picture, I've used it up pretty quickly (within a month of purchasing). It both smells and feels good on the skin. It contains large grains of sugar to scrape away dead, dry skin, but also contains Shea butter to keep you moisturised and smooth. My only two criticisms are that it does get used up quite quickly as it's thick and you need to use quite a bit, and that it can get quite messy as it dissolves in the shower.

 Only £7 for a generous pot, you'll find it difficult to discover a decent exfoliator cheaper than this and considering it's not even labelled as one, I'm looking forward to trying many more of Soap and Glory's body scrubs and actual exfoliators.

MAY '13 FAVOURITES

Another month has passed us by so here is my usual monthly favourites post. 

I'm going to start with a brand I've made no secret about loving: Soap & Glory. 

I've reviewed a few of their products this month but my favourite has to be The Righteous Body Butter. It's rich without being greasy, something which is a god-send in this hot, sticky weather, and smells gorgeous. Seriously great value for money.

My next favourite is another Barry M nail polish: Indigo.

With Indigo, what you see is what you get. The colour is awesome, a really gorgeous purple-blue with a hint of metallic about it. For a cheap nail polish, it holds up really well and is a great spring colour.

Yay, my favourites this month contains a mascara!

Collection's Big Fake Ultimate mascara has the 'wow' factor. First of all 'wow! They sell mascaras this cheap?' And then 'wow' because it's actually really good. It curls, thickens and lengthens your lashes without clumping or smudging. It does dry out quickly but considering what you get and how much you pay for it, I'd say it's worth it.

Sleek is a brand I wasn't familiar with but this next favourite has encouraged me to search them out and order more of their products.

Pomegranate is a gorgeous, warm pink blush with a slight shimmer. It's really pigmented, so can be lightly applied for natural looks or heavier for an evening look. What's great about this blue is it'll work all year round, not just in Spring or Summer so is a great buy.

I haven't written a review about this next item but it's been a favourite perfume of mine for a while, which once in a while I'll rediscover and fall back in love with.

Ed Hardy's Hearts and Daggers perfume is sweet and fruity, perfect for Spring and Summer. I don't find it sickly but the smell definitely lasts. 

My final favourite isn't a beauty product, it's an album. 

I wrote a review recently for The Dillinger Escape Plan's new album One of Us Is the Killer and, for the most part, have been loving it. One for the metal fans to check out.