Makeup is certainly one of the keys to my heart, up there with food and shoes. As a lover of all things pretty, I would obviously fall head over heels for Winky Lux, a gorgeous free from parabens, sulfates, gluten, phthalates, animal testing and any cruelty brand from NY, that lives up to their “addictive beauty” strapline.
I went to their magical event that gave me not only unicorn lattes, flower explosion and cuddles with their mascot, but also (and best part) exposure to their fabulously extensive range of downright pretty and excellent makeup.
It is hard to pick my favourite from the items I brought home, but I will start with one of their best sellers, the only one on this post that is not a launch: the Flower Balm, which is clear on the bullet, and works with your won pH levels to create the perfect-for-you lip stain.
To top off the prettiness, there is a real chrysanthemum inside, in different colours, and coconut scent. No wonder I love it! It’s so lovely to wear and gives lips that very healthy colour and a boost of
Brand new is the Watermelon Jelly Balm, a pretty translucent pink bullet and pretty watermelon seed packaging. Smells and tastes watermelon, so a delight for the summer.
And, as the Flower Balm, it is pH activated, so it creates the perfect pink for you.
My love of glitter is never ending, so I was happy to see the Disco Gloss (£13) in my little bag. I got the Foxy shade which leans towards orange-gold iridescent glitter.
However, as another pH activated product, the base turns into a darker shade of pink just like that. And it not sticky or gritty! I was very surprised at how much I love this gloss!
Another launch is the Matcha Lip Treatment (£13), with real green tea powder and food grade vanilla, as well as coconut and avocado oils, vitamin C and caffeine.
It is clear and works to soften, repair and protect lips. Smells good enough to eat and applies so well, giving the lips a very soft sheen.
The Pucker Up lip plumper in lemon cake (£17) is a very light gloss that delivers a light pink sheen and slight tingle for that extra plumping.
Finally, a non-lip product, equally pretty: the White Tea Tinted Veil (RRP £19). A very light tinted moisturiser, it is infused with calming white tea and contains pomegranate extract and vitamins A and E which together help protect and nourish skin.
And the best thing about it: it has that very important SPF 30. A downside is that it’s only available in 5 shades. I have medium-deep which is ok for me when tanned, but I suspect usually I’d be bang in the middle medium.
Also, if you are not a fan of scented makeup products, this might not be for you. As for me, I love the delicious smell. Texture is light, it applies very well and sits nicely on the skin, with average durability if not set with a powder.
For a light coverage product, I feel it offers decent evening out of colour and cover, especially bearing in mind I am a full coverage foundation person. Thumbs up!
I need to point out that packaging is absolute stunning – I live the lip balm/lipstick bullets, and the outer packaging is a work of art in every product.
A must see is their eye palettes and powders – I cannot wait to get my hands on them! And it does not stop there; for example, their Steal My Heart lipstick pills and highlighters are gorgeous. This selection is such a tiny dent in the Winky World of Wonders!
I love that they are trendy and indulgent, but use luxurious, interesting ingredients, the design across every single product is fabulous and the price point, in my view, fair. I am now a confessed Winky Lux fan – it does seem It’s a Winky World indeed!
And you can get Winky Lux products at Boots (including in-stores), FeelUnique, ASOS and Harvey Nichols. Also worth checking their website to see how much amazing stuff they have!
There was a time in my life I was all about the nail art. Not elaborate drawings, but details and ombrés were my favourites.
The finish is not glossy, but not totally matte, with a discreet metallic sheen. Some shades even have a slight texture that can barely be seen.
My favourite has to be the super pale grey lilac Push The Envelope. It’s super versatile, so close to white with a silver glimmer but not harsh. And easy to apply. Love.
Then there is the lavender shining mauve Cross-Body Heat, blood red Tote-ally In Love and indigo blue In Hot Purse-uit.
You will all know how much I love essie nail polishes: the formula, the fabulous brush, the great colours, limited edition collections and even the quirky names, so no surprise I have used each polish for a whole week!
Who doesn’t like mermaid hair? Somehow beach hair seems to fall beautifully into place with minimal effort.
Umberto Giannini to the rescue! The gorgeous Beach collection was designed to care for your hair and keep it looking amazing even when subjected to external aggressors. And the whole range is loaded with coconut oil goodness.
Most possibly the star of the range is the Pool Proof Leave-in hair Protection Cream (150ml, £8), dubbed the swim cap, it creates a barrier to protect hair against UV rays and chlorine/salt in the water.
A good spray is a must for beach hair – the Catch a Wave Coconut Oil Beach Texture Volumising Spray (200ml, £7)is just it. Different from other sprays I used, hair does not feel stiff – some may say it is due to the coconut oil . And it also has UVA and UVB filters to help protect hair and the uplifting scent across the range.
Finally, a product that is not really my thing: the Boho Beach Jelly – a Coconut Oil Scrunching Jelly (200ml, £7), it is great to enhance natural curls, shaping them and retaining softness and bounce.
My favourite from the selection I tried was the Pores Be Pure Skin Clarifying Mud Mask. This light mud mask feels very purifying and is quite gentle on the skin.
Taking about clearing, the Best Face Forward Daily Foaming Cleanser is exactly that: a fabulous, gentle everyday gel foamy cleanser that leaves skin feeling super clean and fresh.
Now, who doesn’t love an exfoliating scrub? The One Smooth Operator Pore Clearing Face Scrub purifies, gently exfoliates with pumice from volcanic rock.
Finally, the P.M. Perfector Overnight Hydrating Cream with black currant and liquorice for a long radiance, soothing and nourishing overnight skin workout. It’s light and absorbs very well.
Obviously it’s no surprise I am a huge fan of luminous and colour products for the face. I have a huge selection I actually use regularly, on rotation and I am glad to add those two to it.
As I mentioned before, I thought I was a bit out of the Seventeen range, but discovering it was a joy. And that doesn’t stop.
This little gem got me all excited: the Seventeen Cheek Stamp Blush is cute and handy.
Within this tiny little round box, there is a mirror and a cushion that picks up colour (which is on the lid) when its closed.
It is available in five colours, mine is Stare Struck, a shimmery old rose colour.
Seventeen is one of those brands I’ve been familiar with for a while, but never actually tried anything from.
Their Define & Conquer count our kit is super slim and fits well in any makeup bag. The highlighter is light and matte, which makes a huge change from all the powder highlighters I use, which have some shimmer in. It does work well to lift the highlighted points very subtly, which I really liked.
The kit also comes with an easy-to-follow, straight forward guide for application.
The Skin WOW! Concealer is clearly a dupe for the YSL Touché Eclat, and works in the same way, to highlight and conceal.
The formula is less rich than the more expensive cousin, and that reflects a bit on the pigmentation and overall effect, but means it blends easier.
We just don’t talk enough about our private bits and that’s a fact. Our intimate area is just as important as any other part of our bodies and should be cared for accordingly.
The bottle is small enough for the handbag. From looking at it, it could be a mouth spray, glass lenses cleaner, face mist, whatever.
So Many Lovely Things 