Following on from the Vanity Box review I did on the clothing and accessories last Friday, today’s review is all about the make up products they sent me.
First up is the Vanity Box Ameli Soft Primer- $32.50
Thoughts: I am not an expert on primer as I’ve only just started using it recently but this one has worked better than any of the others I’ve tried so far. The texture is very different to others I’ve tried, rather than being runny and kind of like a thin moisturiser this one is more like a gel which is a little sticky. I think it works so much better because of the slight stickiness so when you put other products over the top, it grips them super well. I’ve been trying out wearing blush and without the primer it rubbed off very quickly, with my FOA primer it lasted around 6 hours, with this it lasted maybe 8-10 before needing re-application so I was quite impressed. It goes on very smoothly and feels very velvetish. As far as the smell goes, it is scented very lightly with something fresh and a little floral but mostly it just has that “expensive cosmetics” smell. At $32.50 it’s fairly mid range as far as price goes, the bottle is about average so I think it would last around 3 months of every day use. VERDICT: Grips products very well and locks them in, pleasant but not overpowering scent, mid range price but reasonable value for someone wants long lasting make up. DO WANT. Ameli Eyeshadow pots- #61 Orange Skin- $13.00
Thoughts: I have 4 different colours to review on these pots so firstly some general thoughts on them. The pots are made from a shiny dark silver plastic, they look quite sleek and are very light so you could take them in a handbag if you needed. That said they are pretty damn big so if you wanted to take more than one colour it probably wouldn’t be much use. They feel fairly sturdy to use and are easy to open and shut (even with long nails). Some of them came with round foam applicators. I threw those away because they were the diameter of the container and so seemed too big to be used on the eyes with much precision. Ok thoughts on this specific colour, I have always hated oranges so I was worried when I got this that I would automatically dislike it. I gave it a try though and it’s kind of growing on me. I still hate oranges in general but I managed to wear this in a way that I didn’t feel weird so I’m going to experiment with it more and see if I can overcome my fear. The colour itself is what I would describe as teracotta, it has a very smooth consistency and while being fairly pigmented it’s still quite subtle and easy to blend. So nothing to fault about the actual shadow, I just am not good with this colour XD VERDICT: Not my colour, good quality shadow, large amount of product justifies the price if it’s a colour you use all the time. DO WANT (but not for me) Quick swatches of all 4 colours left to right: Dress Killer, Orange Skin, Arabian Night, Pink Spot
#176 Dress Killer Shadow- $12.50
Thoughts: Depending on the light this is either a nice dusty pink or purple. It has a slight blue shimmer to it which creates a really pretty effect in different lighting situations but can only be seen if you look really closely. Again it goes on very smoothly, blends beautifully and feels very light on. This is the kind of eyeshadow that feels like you’re not wearing anything. The colour is something I would wear very often and I think it’s quite versatile because you can wear it plain for a natural look or dress it up with lashes etc. Verdict: Great quality, nice colour, versatile and lasts well through the day. DO WANT. #511 Arabian Nights- $16.50
Thoughts: Very interesting colour combination, it’s a very deep purple with a silver shimmer to it but the base appears to be a brown. It blends really well with the other colours in the range and they all compliment each other nicely. Very pigmented but I found it was much easier to get the base purple/brown to stick to my lids than the actual shimmer so I had to pack on quite a bit to get the shiny aspect. Fantastic as a dark colour to blend and give a little pop of light but if you’re looking for something super sparkly this probably isn’t it. Other than being a little harder to apply, this has all the same positives as the other colours: smooth, stayed on well and blended nicely. VERDICT: Just like the others it’s a good quality shadow. Not as shimmery on as it looks in the pot, great for blending and adding depth to other colours. Good as a complimenting colour. DO WANT. #503 Pink Spot- $16.50
Thoughts: ZOMG SHINY. Yes that was my first though! This one is for serious glitter lovers, it is a super shiny highly pigmented and sparkly Barbie pink. I can see this making some serious 80’s music video themed outfit appearances. I think a lot of people would be put off by the intensity it has in the jar but when it’s actually on it blends beautifully and can be thinned down to add just a touch of pigment and sparkle. When it’s thinned out a bit it’s more of a pastel baby pink with shimmer. I like this a lot because it gives you a lot of options while still being cute and sparkly. For a shimmer this intese it’s very smooth and just like the rest in the range it blends well and last all day. VERDICT: Great quality, very versatile colour, the brightness in the pan might be a bit off putting which is a shame considering how wonderful the shadow itself is. DO WANT. All in all I was very impressed with the quality of everything and I think it rivals some much more expensive brands in terms of cost to product/quality ratio. Now here are some shots in action!
I’m wearing the Orange Skin all over my lid, the Dress Killer on the outer 1/3rd in a C shape and Arabian Nights along the lash line.
Quite a pretty natural look!
I’m still not completely sold on the orange but what do you guys think? ^_^
|
