TED BAKER MAKEUP BAG & SLEEK

A while ago, ASOS had a 20% off sale for students so being in my last two months as a student, I decided to seize the opportunity and purchase the Ted Baker makeup pouches I have been eyeing for a while. 

The pouches come in an assortment of candy colors as well as black. I feel like these bags will never go out of style as they come with a classic bow detail.

ASOS did not state the sizes of the bag so I kind of guessed with the price.

This is a medium sized wash bag, and it comes with a grey bow and rose gold hardware (which is stunning!) I chose the nude color as I felt like it would be a more long lasting color as a wash bag (this size is perfect for traveling). With the 'Ted Baker' logo printed in script in the front, this bag is in a plastic, faux patent material on the exterior and is lined with a more silk-like material.

This would be too large for an everyday cosmetic pouch but would be perfect for (like I said) traveling, or even sleepovers/staying over at a friends. It is a great size, spacious but not too bulky. 

I then purchased the smaller size in a pistachio color. This is also great for carrying brushes for traveling, but I intend to use this as an everyday makeup pouch for carrying my essentials. It is in the same material as the Nude, but comes in a mint/pistachio color with a white bow. 

Just for your reference of the size, I snuck a couple of makeup items in there and there is plenty more room for more! 

Next, I did some sneaky shopping at Superdrug with Zen (my fellow blogger here on Bethni.com), and we took advantage of the 3 for 2 offer that's going on at Superdrug (3 for 2 across ALL cosmetics and makeup! How could you say no to that?). So we limited ourselves to only 3 items, and I got myself two items from Sleek and one item from Revlon.

Sleek Blush in Lace, £9.99

 First off I got the Sleek Blush in Lace. I picked this up mainly for the dark coral and orange peachy color as I thought they would make an excellent addition to my makeup collection. Priced at £9.99, I felt like they were extremely good value. The color in the center is almost a dupe for Nars Orgasm, except with a bit more shimmer. Let me know if you would like me to review these blushes and swatch them! Packaging, needless to say is "sleek" and compact, making it great for travel.

Sleek I Divine Eye Shadow Palette - Storm, £7.99

I then got myself another Sleek palette because I loved my 'Oh So Special' palette which I got from a beauty box. These 12  color eye shadow palettes are priced at £7.99 only which I thought was an amazing deal especially for the brilliant quality and pigmentation. I'm definitely seeing myself as a collector of Sleek and can't wait to get my hands on more! This palette has some neutrals but my favorite color from the palette at the moment is the bottle green color which is something I don't own at all. Cannot wait to use this palette! 

Revlon Photo Ready Cream Blush in Coral Reef, £7.99

Lastly I picked up a coral blush from Revlon. I have been wanting to try these but never got round to it so I am glad I got this in a 3 for 2 promotion. I loved the look of it swatched on my hand - have yet to try it on my face though. I thought it would be very creamy and tacky, but it actually does transform slightly into a powder form making it very light and weightless for the Summer. Have you tried it? Let me know what you think!

That's all for now, hope you enjoyed this blog post and leave a comment down below letting me know what you think of the products I just got! :) 

REVIEW: STILA IN THE LIGHT EYE SHADOW PALETTE

It's been circulating the beauty world of YouTube, and lucky that I got my hands on this a while back. I am also going to include this in my May Favorites as I have rediscovered it since all the hype (spoiler alert too late now). I have been using this palette a ton this month which brings me to the review!

Just a quick peak at the back where all of the color names are. Obviously I had misplaced the Smudge stick so it will not be in the photos but I will review it all the same.

Sneaking a quick review of the palette itself (exterior and packaging). The palette comes nice and compact which is perfect for traveling. It is thinner than the Naked/Naked 2 palette which is its winning factor. It comes in a soft rose gold/metallic taupe color which makes it look extremely similar to the Naked 2 palette, apart from the fact that instead of tin it is made in a very thick cardboard material. 

Shadow color names are on the back of the palette which could be a little annoying but to be honest, when you're doing you're makeup, when do you ever need to know the name of the color you are wearing!

This palette lasts for 12 month after opening/first time use, but me, being the naughty makeup addict I am, I have used this for almost a year and am not planning to throw it out anytime soon. It's too good a palette!

The palette comes with ten colors from champagne/pearl colors, to warm copper colors, and finally Stila has thrown in some cool and dark tones in there too. 

Side note, my favorite and most-used colors to use are: Kitten, Sunset, Champagne and Sandstone. 

Swatches of the first row. 

Bare is a matte pale nude color which is perfect for the base color on the eyes. However the color is very translucent on the skin, especially when it is pretty much the same color as the powder I use as I am slightly pale. 

Kitten is a huge favorite amongst many YouTube beauty girls such as AllThatGlitters21. It is very shimmery, with a soft copper tint. It is also one of my favorite eyeshadow colors full stop.

Bliss is very similar with kitten except with a deeper saturation. It has a very warm rose gold tone and has a slight shimmer. 

Sunset is a warm milk chocolate color with shimmer. 

Sandstone is a matte chocolate color.

I personally prefer the shimmery colors as opposed to the matte colors in this palette. All colors are extremely pigmented (except for Bare) and are very visible on the eyes/skin. 

The bottom 5 are cooler tones which I use less of. 

Champagne and  Glided Gold are rather warm colors. With champagne being, well, obviously a champagne color with an slight mustard/orange tint. Glided Gold in my opinion is very similar to Sunset however it is less saturated. On the palette it looks like a dusty gold color, but on the skin it transfers as a bronze color. 

Luster is not as intimidating as it looks on the palette. It has an olive green undertone which I think is quite unique. 

Night Sky is a charcoal blue color which I think is gorgeous. 

Ebony is a matte black color which is an essential to any travel palette, perfect for adding to the outer corner for the evening to intensify the eyes. 

In terms of texture, the Stila eyeshadows can be very crumbly. This makes it easier to have fall outs when applying the eyeshadow so I would heavily recommend using an eyeshadow shield or a tissue, or you can do the complexion after the eyes. 

You can probably see from the above that the eyeshadows come off a little dusty with little specks. 

Just touching on the Smudge Stick really quickly, it isn't exactly a smudge-proof eyeliner. Obviously if you want to smudge out your eyeliner then it is perfect for those intense looks for the evening. However I would not recommend it as a daily eyeliner. The smudge stick that comes in the palette is a dark brown. 

So that is it for the palette review. If I missed out anything please do let me know in the comments. 

Would you repurchase this palette? 

No, I would probably buy Kitten and Sunset on its own and skip the entire palette as I feel like I only use those colors most. 

Would you recommend it?

 I would definitely recommend it to someone who isn't a beginner at makeup, but you don't have to be super advaned to use this palette either. Just beware of the fallouts. The colors are extremely easy to match and blend together, so just make sure you know which color goes with which before applying. 

You can buy it here. 

Hope this helps!

Lots of love,

HAUL: Spring & Summer Beauty Products!

I'm back with a haul! This blog post is an extension of the previous blog post (click here to read it) where I will be featuring a couple of products from the video but since then, I have also sneakily purchased a couple more things. 

Note: These photos have not been edited so you can see the true color of the product :)

Dior Poudre Shimmer (Rose Diamond)

I had to feature this product first because it is my favorite. This gorgeous highlighter/blush/all over face powder is incredible - just simply the packaging is enough to suck you in. 

The blush/powder comes in a navy compact with the silver Dior logo embossed on the top, as well as CD which flashes within the layer of the packaging according to the angle. Very glamorous and lovely to carry around in your purse.

The powder gives off a very iridescent, shimmery, rosy glow. It just warms up the skin tone without being too overwhelming. The brightest shade also allows you to highlight which makes the compact very versatile. 

Next stop was Topshop and I ordered these nail polishes online. I was meaning to try out Topshop nail polishes for a while as I have heard great things about them but was never keen on trying them. Until I found two colors that I really liked...

Topshop Nail Polish - Gone Fishing

I love how this jade green color isn't a mint, yet it isn't a pure green color. It's just one of those 'in-between shades' which I'm a huge sucker for. Haven't tried this on my nails yet though.

Topshop Holographic Nail Polish - Wistful

I ADORE this nail polish! I tried it on the first day I got this and I love the holographic effect. Although it dries up to a little bit of a matte finish (without a topcoat), it gives a gorgeous look to the nails. The color is a bit of a 'fall' color for me, but I do think that it's super pretty. Subtle, yet unique. 

Topshop Lipstick - Macaroon

 I am absolutely loving this coral lipstick from Topshop. I saw Zoella mentioning this in a haul and I have been eyeing it for a while but never ended up getting it. So I decided to treat myself to a coral lipstick as I own more coral lip glosses but no coral lipstick (it just does not make any sense!). 

My first impression: the lipstick is pretty creamy, but it also seems to be quite drying. Color is buildable, but I'm not sure about the hydrating factor - definitely need a thick layer of Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream underneath.

Barry M Gelly Nai Paint - Grapefruit

I then went on ASOS to do a bit of shopping so I could get more use out of my student card (sneaky). I have been meaning to try the Gelly Nail Paints from Barry M as I was not a huge fan of their original or Texture Effect nail polishes. This one surprised me as it honestly does give a 'jelly' look with a glossy, solid finish. 

Then from Boots I picked up a couple of Revlon Lip Butters because I absolutely love these and didn't feel like I had enough of the new collection/Spring colors. 

From left to right:

Juicy Papaya, Sweet Tart, Sorbet

Left vertical streak: Sorbet

Top: Sweet Tart

Middle: Juicy Papaya

Bottom: Topshop Macaroon

I then got two of the L'Oreal Lip Stains which were 2 for £15.00 from Boots. However I picked up the wrong color! Darnit. 

Am looking forward to trying these though as I have heard about them for quite a while until I finally caved and picked them up. 

Butter London Nail Polish - Kerfuffle and Fiver

I have always been a fan of Butter London nail polishes, although they are way overpriced here in the UK (£12.00 each), the formulations are amazing! Picked up these two very summery macaroon colors (coral and soft mint). So far I have only tried Fiver (soft mint) - it looks slightly paler than it does in the bottle. I would say Essie's Mint Candy Apple is a dupe of this one. 

One thing I bought from ASOS a while ago with my student discount was this Michael Kors rose gold chronograph watch.

This is my second MK watch so far and I have yet to get this resized. But I love them and think they are super stylish. Although quite a splurge, I love the timelessness of their watches and as always, I am a sucker for rose gold. 

A while back I also picked up the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream from John Lewis. I owned one previously but it came in a jar which I didn't like. Since the texture of this cream is extremely sticky and has a thick consistency, I wasn't a big fan of dipping my fingers into the jar. I then realized that it also came in a tube, so I got the tube instead and gave the jar I had to my mother. Loving this cream so far. It is amazing for the lips, on any dry patches on the face and just works well as a versatile cream. 

Toni & Guy Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray

I suffer from very fine and flat hair so I was looking for something to give my hair a boost of texture. Heard about this from Zoella once again and picked it up at Boots a while back. Have used this once and although it gives my hair a coarse texture, it does the trick as an affordable product. 

I am gradually swapping out my Sigma brushes and replacing them with Real Techniques brushes. I have had my Sigma brushes for way too long (3 years I think) and they are beginning to get a bit worn since the bristles are falling apart and sticking onto my face when I do my makeup (which has not happened before). After using the Real Techniques face brushes I fell in love and decided to gradually replace my Sigma ones at a slow pace. Got this Enhanced Eyes Starter Set for approximately £20 which I thought was very reasonable. 

I told myself I did not need anymore shampoos as I still have a couple to finish off before I fly back to Hong Kong, however I could not help myself. I got a great deal on this Tigi S Factor Smoothing Salon Size Shampoo & Conditioner on FeelUnique.com and the scent is incredible! Smells of strawberries & cream just like everyone said it did which always sucks me in. Cannot wait to try this but I see myself shipping it back to Hong Kong in a couple months time instead of using it now and not being able to finish it by the time I go home. 

Rimmel ScandalEyes Kohl Eyeliner Pencil (Nude)

Justification: I don't own any nude eyeliner pencils! I have always just gone for champagne/pearl/white but realized that nude can give a more natural look for those casual days. 

Also from ASOS I got the POP Cat Eyes Eyeliner. Initially I thought it was quite innovative as it comes in an angled shape, but I honestly do not like this product at all! The color is not solid, it comes out more like a grey color. The thickness of the line is difficult to control, and the cat eye effect was not as easily achieved as expected. Moreover, the eyeliner smudges extremely easily - I was not happy. 

POP Peak Performance Mascara

Another product I thought was innovative was this mascara from POP. Can't review it yet as I have only used it once but I must say - this takes a bit of patience and practice. 

It has a very innovative design which enables you to coat lashes (even if you have short lashes), but the product comes out in a blob and makes applying very difficult unless you clean the brush, but then you'll have to twist the bottom again to get more product out. It's a very confusing product IMO, but like I said, I need some time to figure this out. 

So that is it for my haul! Quite a long one but I hope you enjoyed it. If you would like to hear about my further thoughts on these products do let me know!

Meanwhile please check out my YouTube channel for a new video every 2-3 days! I have been working extremely hard on YouTube as I have found my passion for making videos :) It's extremely fun (yes, talking to a camera can be fun!) and I enjoy the entire process of prepping, filming and editing! 

Hope you all have an amazing weekend!

Love,

REVIEW: KERATIN FOOT MASK

So I have always been a fan of hand and foot masks - I don't think they are particularly popular in Western countries like the States and the UK, but in Korea you can get them everywhere. I have always gone back and repurchased these because they are so good! The one I used today was the BeBe foot mask from Etude House. 

So first of all it is in a cute plastic packaging - the emphasis in the graphic design on the front is the heel, so I thought, "Perfect!". I have the worst heels - hope it's not TMI but I have really bad dead skin on my heels because I don't wear slippers or socks a lot. I've tried the foot scrub from LUSH but that didn't really help either so I wanted to try this. 

This is what it says on the back:

"Easy and comfortable foot care sheet that makes sleek and clean feet with the effect of removing keratin, relaxing the foot odor and others by wearing it." 

So I gave this another try the other day because I remember I didn't really care for it a lot when I used it last year. 

So when you open the packaging this is what you see

Open it up and this is what it looks like (like a very flat baby diaper or a granny underwear!)

You basically have to cut down the middle of the sheet so you get two sheets (duh!). Then you stick your foot in the hole where it's been cut off, soak it in for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes and remove. 

The good thing about these foot masks is that you can still go about whatever it is you are doing and you don't have to just sit there and do nothing for an hour and a half. The outside surface is plastic so it protects the keratin from getting everywhere, whilst you are just simply soaking your feet in the keratin inside the plastic sock. 

The stickers are there for you to make sure that your feet stays in the sock and that it doesn't budge, but I didn't find the stickers helpful at all. They are quite flimsy and they keep falling off. 

So after an hour and a half, I removed it and washed off the solution  (which doesn't smell particularly good). It says on the back that "after four to six days, the keratin is naturally peeled off and the keratin is completely peeled off after 2 weeks".

To be honest, I don't think anything peeled off - either that or I didn't notice it. I also didn't notice my feet being softer or smoother. Once again I am disappointed with this product, but the other two that was in the first photo (Rich Butter Hand and Foot mask) work similarly but are extremely moisturizing. Love those two products! This keratin one just did not do it for me. 

I remember the first time I used it I peeled off the keratin a couple of hours after using it because it was annoying me so bad. It was basically like peeling off dried off glue - I didn't think it was my dead skin that I was peeling off - merely the solution. Not much of a difference before and after.

So there's my rather negative review of the Etude House BeBe Foot Mask!

I would definitely recommend the other two because they are amazing, but this keratin mask I just felt like it did nothing to my feet.