Review: MAC Zoom Lash Mascara

Wow, this mascara really didn’t do it for me. The packaging is pretty simple and it looks quite professional and sleek so I like the packaging. The color is really nice - I have it in Plush Black and it’s a really dramatic dark black. 

But, I was very disappointed with the actual product. It’s wet and ‘gloopy’. You can see in my picture how wet and gloopy it actually is! When you take the wand out of the mascara tube, you're left with this horrible mess on the end of the brush. I applied the first coat of mascara and it definitely did thicken and lengthen my lashes. It was clumpy though, and I was already disappointed. Then I applied a second coat and… Wow. It was really clumpy! After brushing through it a million times with a disposable mascara wand, my lashes looked okay but still quite spidery!

I applied it in the morning and wore it all day. I was tired when I got in at night and washed my face but didn’t bother taking off my mascara (I know, I know, but I was really tired. We're all guilty of not taking our mascara off every once in a while!). When I woke up the next morning, I looked in the mirror and was amazed. It looked exactly as it did when I put it on - long, thick and super black! And no flakes, surprisingly. 

This mascara isn’t in my favorites but I’m not going to throw it out. It looks quite nice if you apply two coats of a different mascara and then apply one coat of this MAC mascara! It really just adds a bit more drama. I would definitely not buy this again. Not worth the money at all! Sorry MAC.

1/5 ♥

Review: ELF Studio Cream Eye Liners

The colors I have are in black, gunmetal, coffee and white. I am in love with these cream eye liners! I'm not experienced with cream eye liners - in fact, I'll be honest, these are only the second cream eye liners I've owned. But, these are everything you could want in a cream eye liner! They're pigmented, easy to apply, long lasting and creamy. What more could I ask for?

The packaging of this product is gorgeous and they look very nice and professional. A little bit bulky but I'm not bothered by that at all. It comes with a twist off lid that you have to make sure you close properly or your cream eye liner will dry out. Overall, very attractive packaging! It also comes with a little brush which is very similar to the ELF Small Angled Brush, just with a shorter handle. I do prefer to use the ELF Small Angled Brush to apply this rather than the brush it comes with, but you can definitely work with the brush provided if you have to.

The colors are so pigmented! They're absolutely gorgeous. You don't need to keep going over and over to get a good, strong color. The staying power of these is pretty good, although after around five hours I noticed a little bit of smudging at the outer corners of my eyes. These are so creamy and easy to apply, too. I could never get my eye liner just right, yet with this I can achieve the perfect (well, almost!) line.

Swatches above! From left to right: coffee, gunmetal, black. I accidentally smudged the gunmetal liner at the bottom, sorry!

I really recommend these and I am definitely going to repurchase more.

5/5 ♥

Review: Clean & Clear Dual Action Oil-Free Moisturizer

I have mixed opinions on this moisturizer. It's a love/hate thing!


I was looking for a good moisturizer to use under my makeup. This is definitely not what I was looking for! It doesn't feel oil free, it feels so oily and greasy on my skin! Even if I use a little bit. And it takes ages to soak in!

It claims to 'prevent spots and blemishes' which, for me, it really doesn/t Also, whenever I put this on, it makes my skin tingle and go quite red, though I do have sensitive skin so that could be why.

This moisturizer has really helped my dry skin though. It's not magic, it's not going to work miracles and I still have a few dry patches but my skin is a lot smoother than it used to be. 

I've repurchased this twice but I don't think I'm going to repurchase it again. 

2/5 ♥

Review: ELF Studio Blush Brush

I adore this brush! It's so soft and feels really nice on your skin. Also, you can use it for so many different things! I mainly use it for applying blush, bronzer, highlighter. Since it's slightly tapered, it works really well for contouring, too. I've heard quite a few people say that they use this for liquid foundation but I don't know how that would work, I've never tried it. Another good thing about it is that it fits perfect onto the apples of my cheeks! 

If you've read my other reviews on the ELF Studio brushes you'll probably be so bored of hearing this but honestly, it looks and feels so professional. I've not had any fall out and I've washed it over ten times. It's such high quality and for only £3.50, it's pretty good! 

I really recommend this. I used to struggle with applying blush as most brushes were far too big and made me look like a clown but with this I get the most perfect application.

5/5 ♥

Review: ELF Studio Stipple Brush

This brush is probably my least favorite out of all of the ELF brushes I own. It's just too flimsy! It picks up product well and works perfectly for putting the product on but for blending? It just doesn't do it for me. The bristles are far too flimsy. I think it'd be a really good brush if only it was more densely packed.

I've seen a lot of people buy this for applying liquid foundation and they've been disappointed because it's not the best for blending. If you are going to buy this to blend in a foundation, I really wouldn't bother. 

On the bright side, I love the appearance of this brush. As I've said with all of the other ELF brushes, it feels sturdy and looks professional. I've had absolutely no fall out, either!

It's only £3.50, even less if you catch it on sale like I did, and I think it's a good brush to have, but I've yet to find a use for it.

Update: I've found a use for it! It's really nice to lightly dust on setting powder. 

3/5 ♥

Review: ELF Studio Complexion Brush

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about this brush is that it's so soft! The bristles aren't scratchy at all. It's perfect for dusting powder products over the entire face. I personally like to swirl this in my ELF Complexion Perfection and apply it over my face, it works really well for that. It could also work for applying bronzer to achieve a healthy, sun kissed glow.

Another thing is the overall appearance of it. It looks and feels so professional, sturdy and expensive, when really it's far from expensive at just £3.50. I've never had any fall out from this brush either.

Definitely think everybody should have one of these brushes in their collection.

5/5 ♥

Review: ELF Studio Powder Brush

Yes, it's the ever so famous powder brush from ELF! You've probably already heard so many things about this brush as it's honestly so good, one of my favorite brushes!

I won't lie, when I received it I was very disappointed as a few of the hairs on the brush were sticking out at an odd angle because of the way it had been packaged. I contacted ELF about this and they were very quick to reply, and told me to wash it and it'd be fine. I washed it and let it dry. A few of the hairs were still bent. So I washed it again and this time I put a hair band around the hairs to keep them in place whilst drying. It still didn't work! In the end, I actually had to cut - yes, cut - the hairs that were sticking out off with scissors! It was only a few hairs and the brush works perfectly now, but I thought I'd mention it as I believe in completely honest reviews.

That is the only bad thing I have to say about this brush and to be honest, it wasn't the brush, it was the way it had been packaged. Other than that, I am in love with this brush! I completely understand why there's so much hype about it. It's so soft and densely packed, perfect for buffing in products! The handle feels very professional and sturdy too. I've had a little bit of fall out from it, but nothing major. Only one or two hairs whilst I was washing it.

This brush can be used for so many things! Buffing in liquid foundation, applying powder/blush/bronzer, blending out products/harsh lines, and so much more. I like to spray my ELF Makeup Mist & Set onto this brush and stipple it onto my face. This really is worth every penny. Talking of money, I got it for £2.10 or something around that as they had a sale on. It's originally £3.50 which I think is ridiculous (in a good way!) for a brush of such good quality. 

Overall, I absolutely love this brush and will be purchasing another soon. I really recommend this!

Edit: I actually now use this for applying my cream foundation and it works like a dream! I cannot recommend this brush enough.

5/5 ♥