Ok, maybe my headline is not entirely true (clickbait alert!) but it does feel like it: e.l.f. is back and in a way it is new, for the first time at Superdrug stores.
I first found out about e.l.f. many years ago, at the very beginning of my blog life; the prices were super appealing and the products good. A massive hit in the US, in the UK they were only available online.
Eyes.Lips.Face. (e.l.f., you silly) fell off my radar a few years ago and getting the invitation to their launch party was like meeting an old friend. It was however, and old friend that grew up and is frankly looking quite hot.
From the range to the packaging, but mainly on quality, the brand has improved massively. It looks the part, and does the deed. And the prices are still quite unbelievable.
I have to start with the Intense Ink Eyeliner in Blackest Black (£4.50). I love a pen liner (bet you never heard me saying that, right?!).
Precise, super black and with an amazing finish and durability. Maybe the nib is a tiny bit on the soft side for me, but that in no way compromises performance. Love it.
Now, a gem: the Lip Scrub Exfoliator (£4.50). Looking like a lipstick and behaving like one (almost), just circle over the lips, massage gently and rinse to get rid of dry skin and get kissable lips.
Mine is Sweet Cherry and tastes lovely so double the joy. I’m a bit obsessed with his one.
The Nude Rose Gold eyeshadow palette (£12.50) is a little joy: super wearable shades, very compact and perfect to carry around for a day to night transformation. Pigmentation is decent and they are super soft and blendable.
The brushes are a good deal. I got a Precision Airbrush Blender powder brush (£12.50), which is packed with bristles and super soft. Their star Precision Multi Blender Massager Brush costs only £14.50. I really want to try that one!
The Natural Glow Face Palette (£9) is also a great makeup bag addition. Personally, the highlighter does not shine enough for me, but I’m not the rule.
It gives a lovely, discreet yet noticeable glow to the areas, and has that important discreet bronzer for contouring or just a healthy glow. The blusher shades – both peach – are amazing, silk and matte, just how like I like them.
The handy Baked Highlighter and Blush in Rose Gold (£5) delivers a bit more shimmer on the golden highlight front, it’s not too glittery but also on the discreet side; the blusher is the fave rosey peach shade and again, another addiction to on the go makeup bag.
Also, scrape the surface a bit before using. Only criticism is that their face powders could last longer!
The Radiant Gel Lip Tint in Dewy Berry (£5) is from their Aqua Beauty collection, and is a stain that intensifies on the lips. It does remind me a bit of lip oils, but not stick and with colour that sticks!
Not something I’d wear an awful lot, as love bold, but I see it having a place in more natural productions.
You can get the extensive and full of gems collection exclusively at Superdrug, online and at more than 200 stores around the UK from 1st June 2017. You can, of course, still buy from the e.l.f. UK site directly!
Happy birthday! 2017 marks 10 years of EcoTools and 
Airbrushed finish: duo fibre that works well with powder, creams and liquid foundation, to buff that base right in. Personally, I think this one could be a bit firmer but does a great job creating that foundation for the makeup.
The sturdy canister is great to protect brushes while in transit. And looks great on a dressing table.
This lovely 
Did anyone say iridescent? Well, believe your eyes, Sleek Makeup has brought out yet another killer highlighter palette, and it comes with some friends. The Distorted Dreams collection carries all the holo vibes.
The creams have a beautiful colour colour shift and opalescence in pink (Anodise), blue (Beam) and green (Refracted). The powders are a quite shimmery, a cool pink with some glittery particles (Blurred Lights) and a tanned gold (Sweet Delusion).
The hashtag GlazedAF could not be more appropriate and only a cool AF brand like Sleek could put it out there.
The Matte Me Metallic Matte Smooth Lip Cream liquid lipsticks are quite amazing – a bit of molten metal for the lips. Sadly, alone, none do much for my complexion, but they are amazing to layer on lipstick, especially at the centre of the mouth!
And there are three shades to choose from: Roman Copper, a warm and deep rusty copper, Rusted Rose, an intense muted pink with purple undertones (Carol really likes this one) and Volcanic, my fave, with that slight beetle wing colour shift between light pink and subtle green. So pretty!
Now, in my book, makeup and women empowerment go hand in hand. Makeup makes my outside look like I feel inside and ready to take on the world.
The #MyTrueBeauty campaign continues the brand’s commitment to Global Education by supporting Glamour’s The Girl Project with a $100,000 donation and the launch of 3 limited edition makeup brush collections raising awareness to the project’s work.
The EcoTool brushes are super soft, durable and extremely efficient tools. Their light-coloured bamboo handle is comfortable and the pink ferrules make this set super sweet.
The limited edition Women’s Empowerment Collection is composed of three sets: 
Many a time I have raved about multi-use products. And every time I find one, well, I rave about it.
The new MultiTech line is very different from all the lot. First, all the brushes have the same shape, called Point, in different sizes, from XXXS to XXXL, plus a sponge.
Now, the design is sleek: monochrome with the brand in bright pink. The bristles are ever so soft, the brushes are packed with them and the shape really works in a multitude of ways. Plus, they are comfortable to grip.
The versatility of the shape really works: the L Point, a bit more tapered, will do well for highlighting and also blusher if angled.
I will stick with powder for XXXXL Point: one sweep covers a huge area. Great for a healthy sweep of bronzer. I see this being my hero for subtle body shimmer application in the summer, especially legs! It will fare really well with shimmer cream, and for those who use it, body foundation and cover ups.
I must start this post with the admission that I fell out of love with beauty boxes a while ago but the March Glossybox really made me see the excitement with these monthly beauty delights.
The March edition came brimming with some of my favourite brands and two full size products I truly love (and *may* even have graced the blog before!).
Of course, the formula is the amazing one we know and the Somerset Meadow fragrance is light and fresh: a sunny summer morning in green fields in a tube. And in its 25g, it is the right size for your handbag.
The other three versions are much more neutral and I have the 
It is reportedly a must have on Mrs Beckham’s travel bag so if it is good for her, well, I am in. That aside, it is a great product; a fantastic moisturising base for makeup which I use quite often, so glad to have a travel size.
To be used twice a week for 5-10 minutes for manageable, shiny hair.
It contains antioxidants and it is very hydrating to help banish puffiness and dark circles, morning or night! Behaves well under makeup and you just need a little bit.
We’ve all been there: great party straight out of a stressful day in the office. And now with the end of year parties in full swing, it is likely you are finding yourself in that situation more often than not.
For skin that has been in the office (and in party mode) the 
To refresh your makeup, invest in a little multi-tasking palette which doesn’t take much space and will go a long way.
For you lips, my newest obsession, liquid lipsticks are just perfect as they are quick to apply. At the moment, Kat Von D Vampira is my autumn go-to shade and scream edgy party look.
A small deodorant goes a long way – I love the little 
Sore feet? Carnation has a fabulous range to maximise your heel-wearing span and I love this Anti-Blister Stick, which minimises the party-busting shoe rubbing.
Make sure you always carry flats; I love these 
For extra hair oomph use a good dry shampoo. I love the 
I always carry a good brush with me, and this mini 
Has barely made it home for a shower? This tiny Gillette Venus razor is perfect for shaving on the go. Showers in the office or the gym? Done! Just make sure you rinse the floor well :)!
Finally, to smell good, nothing better than a roller ball fragrance. The 
Never thought I’d openly talk about wearing my subversions and perversions, but hey, here we are.
Subversion is a classic eyelash primer, white in colour to coat all lashes previous to receiving the mascara. The formula is creamy and the brush is a medium size, with bristles the pick all lashes.
Perversion is the ultra black mascara with a large brush. Despite the fact the brush is almost on the too large side for my taste, it does work very well. The formula is creamy and thick, and it gives decent separation and superb volume, lacking a bit in lengthening.
I got those (plus my all time favourite Eyeshadow Potion Primer) at the launch of the new Urban Decay shop at Carnaby Street, London. The European flagship store in split in two floors of all UD colourful fabulousness.
And I hear Urban Decays is opening three more stores in the UK by the end of the year: London King’s Cross (24 Nov), Nottingham (1 Dec) and Liverpool (9 Dec).
Sleek is bringing the sparkle back. And they don’t it by halves: living proof is their new Rockstars collection, just launched.
Perfect for Christmas and by that I mean all the parties soon to commence, the Rockstars collection has two sides.
On the lighter side, Diamonds in the Rough with a lot of rose, golds, champagnes and peach in their eyeshadow palette, with two rich cream shades; the golden one makes the best highlighter!
All metallic and beautiful, including the gorgeous Scandalous lipstick, a metallic deep red and a highlighting soufflé in pretty shimmery peachy pink, called Pink Opal.
The Superstar lipstick is a metallic shade of deep warm purple with iridescent particles, also present on Scandalous.
The highlighting soufflé here is Smoky Quartz, a gorgeous slightly glittery light gold, perfect for cheekbones but even better for finishing the eyes with an intense shimmer on top of colour.
The bullet on the lipsticks deserves a chapter to itself: faceted, they have a sculpted shape, cut as the jewels they are.
Who remembers last year’s furore about the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar? At a very affordable £35, when you spend £35 on non-food items, the 2015 calendar delivered great value.
And the “Christmas tree of love” (ok, I made it up) shape? How amazing will that look in your home in the run up to Christmas?
Now, the deal is the same. You get over £250 worth of beauty products, covering skincare, makeup, hair, body and nails for £35 when you spend £35 in non-food items.
What my favourites are, you ask? Well… I have to say it is hard to pick… My top three are (drumroll)..
Eyeko Skinny liner – a fabulous pen eyeliner that changed my life and ignited my love of pen eyeliner. It’s super black, precise and durable. Enough said.
Alpha H Liquid Gold – a resurfacing “all-in-one” product dubbed the overnight facial is a quick fix for skin. I love Alpha H, so was very happy to see this in the calendar. The miracle product for the party season (I may have put it back on the calendar on day 1, maybe).
Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse – a multi-use oil for face, body and hair, it is a blend of six precious oils. Delicious! And fab for winter skin.
I can’t leave out the M&S Autograph nail polish in Cranberry, which is super festive and fabulous, exclusive for the calendar.
So Many Lovely Things 