17 Single Eye Shadow Swatches; Statuesque and Mardi Gras

I’m a huge fan of the 17 eye shadow formula. They are so smooth and pigmented. You would never in a million years guess that they cost only £3.89. Here I have to gorgeous neutrals. In the pot picture Mardi Gras (a bronzy almost but not quite taupe shade) is on the left but just to confuse matter it’s the other way round in the swatch. The other shade ( Statuesque) is a pinky red bronze. 

Both have an almost metallic finish. They glide on and blend very well. I’ve never had problems with fading or creasing but I do always use a base. The packaging is nothing special. It’s just a black plastic pot with a screw off lid. I do like the clear window so you can see the colour you’re looking for. 

With the trios you sometimes find some variation in the quality. I haven’t come across a terrible one but some are definitely better than others. I only own three of these single shadows but all three are really very lovely. 17 seems to have moved away from the tween image and has become a respectable budget brand with some really high quality products. Hats off to them, I’d happily buy more of these. 

*I bought these myself*

Finished! November Edition

Few things are as gratifying to me as getting to the bottom of a product. It helps alleviate the guilt of having bought so much makeup. I’ve actually been very good lately and my spending has all but ceased. With the exception of one pigment set from the MAC Tartan Tale collection (does anyone want a post on that?), the newest Sleek Palettes (apparently there is ANOTHER coming out by the end of the month) some tinted lip balms and £1 glitter liners I haven’t bought anything in the last month. Oh... that’s actually quite a bit. Never mind. Anyway the following products have reached the end of their lives and are heading to the great makeup stash in the sky. Most of this stuff has been reviewed by me so check the tags for full reviews if you want.  Skin care first;

Simple Kind to Skin Vital Vitamin Night Cream – Some people complain that this is too basic and not rich enough for them but I find this to be perfect for my skin. I’m 23, I don’t need super heavy moisturisers but I do have the odd dry patch. This does the job beautifully and I have already started using my next tub. It’s £5.99 for 50ml but Simple’s stuff is always on offer in Boots or Superdrug. 

Estee Lauder Gentle Eye makeup Remover – I know some people love this but unfortunately for me it was a disaster. The skin under my eyes reacted really badly to the point of flaking and peeling. It stung my eyes too. Just goes to show what works for some won’t work for everyone. Thankfully I got this free as a gift with purchase but needless to say I wouldn’t buy it. 

Nivea Q10 Lip Effect lip balm – This is what appeared when I asked my husband to pick me up a ip balm at the supermarket. I think this is supposed to be an anti ageing lip balm... All I know is it tasted pretty awful and didn’t do a whole lot for my lips. As such it was relegated to the post of ‘bedside table lipbalm’ to be slapped on before bed. I wouldn’t bother buying it again. 

It’s been a bumper month for mascaras going off. I’ve noticed that all of these have the older style wire bristles and I’m sure this type goes bad faster than rubber wand. Here are all the makeup items I’ve finished recently;

17 Clear Definition Mascara – I used this for my brows. It still has plenty of product left but as you can see traces of foundation have turned it a delightful shade of murky brown. I liked this a lot but I won’t buy it again because (drum roll please)...... I have found an even cheaper clear mascara for my brows. Yes, cheaper than £4.69. Score. 

Lancôme Virtuose Mascara – As mascaras go this was nice enough but it wasn’t ‘oh my god this is amazing’. I’ve had cheaper, better mascaras. Like the 17 Wild Curls actually. At £20 a pop I certainly won’t be buying it again. 

17 Wild Curls Mascara – This was definitely a winner for me. For £6.29 you get some rather sexy packaging and a really nice mascara. It had started the flake off and smell a little funky though so I knew it had reached the end of its useful life. I’ll buy another one day but I have a tonne of mascaras to use up first. 

Estee Lauder Lash Primer Plus – This was a little sample that came in a gift set. It’s just a white base coat. I didn’t find this did much for me and I spend long enough doing my makeup in a morning, I don’t want to add yet another step in! If lash primers are your thing you might like this but I wouldn’t personally buy it again. 

Estee Lauder Projectionist High Definition Volume Mascara – Again this is a sample size. I actually really liked this. I have lots and lots of quite thick lashes so normally volumising mascaras end up giving me one great big eyelash all clumped together. This did a really nice job of separating my lashes whilst making them even thicker and more dramatic. At £18.50 I’d have to be feeling very flush to buy a full size tube but maybe one day I will treat myself to one.

Collection 2000 Illuminating Concealer - This was a decent undereye concealer but thepen applicator got properly disgusting towards the end. Washing it made it worse. I don't think I'll repurchase it though I do still like it as a concealer.

And finally my Maybelline Dream Creamy foundation has bitten the dust. I *think* this is the UK version of the US Smooth Mousse but correct me if I’m wrong. Now I don’t think this is a bad foundation. I can see that it would be perfect for someone with dry- normal skin who wanted a dewy finish and light-medium coverage. Why I bought it with my combination/ oily skin, preference for matte finishes and full coverage I will never know. It looked waxy and oily on me and lasted roughly half an hour on my super oily nose. I persevered and used it up but I won’t buy it again. 

What have you used up recently? Have you been trying to curb your makeup spending too? Let me know in the comment xx

*I bought all of the above items apart from the 17 Wild Curls Mascara which I was sent by 17*

A tale of two powders

I’m always on the lookout for a good pressed powder for touch ups throughout the day. At the recommendation some of my lovely readers I decided to pick up the 17 Shine Control Pressed Powder. I happened to have one of the £5 vouchers for No7 so their Crème Touch pressed powder came home with me too. Both 17 and No7 and Boots own brands so I thought I might be fun to do a little comparison. We’ll start off with the basics:

	17 Shine Control	No7 Creme Touch
Price	£3.49	£8.75
Amount	10g	20g
Price per gram	34.9p	47.45p

Hmm. It looks like per gram 17 has the edge here. Don’t forget though that with those vouchers the No7 only costs £3.75. Both come in rather plain black packaging however not all plain packaging is created equal. Yes both have those useless little puffs but only the budget (17) option comes with a mirror. The 17 compact feels a bit sturdier too. For some reason the No7 powder has a twist off lid which doesn’t feel that secure and frankly is a bit of a pain when trying to use it on the go. 

Here is the 17:

And the No7

When you get to the actual product though the situation is reversed. The No7 feels much more finely milled and yet is more densely packed than the 17 powder. It feels somehow better. It blends well and has never once left me looking cakey. The 17 has a tendency to be a bit dusty with powder flying everywhere as soon as a brush gets near it. It feels slightly chunkier too though not to the point of making you look cakey. It’s just not quite as fine as the No7. 

The colour selection for the 17 powder is erm... one. You get Neutral or nothing. It’s quite pale but I find it does sometimes oxidise on me slightly. No7 gives you a slightly better colour range with 4 shades, I have shade 01 Translucent. This shade is VERY pale. Don’t make the mistake of getting Translucent thinking it’ll be a one shade fits all deal. It will probably look ashy on you if you have darker skin. I have not noticed the crème touch oxidising on me. 

In terms of oil control the 17 powder is better. I need to blot slightly less often when I use it. The no7 does an ok job though and certainly leaves a more natural finish. I suppose what I’m trying to say is I’d like the No7 powder in the 17 compact and with 17’s oil control. Too much to ask? As for which I’d repurchase I think the hunt for the perfect pressed powder will probably go on. If I’ve run out and I have another voucher I’d maybe buy the No7 again but the 17 is a bit too messy for me even though it does do a fab job of suppressing the shine. 

*I bought these myself*

Brow Basics: 17 Clear Mascara

I love my Benefit Browzings however I don’t always have the time or feel the need to properly wax and powder my brows. I have black brows and lots of ‘em so definition isn’t a problem. What is a problem is the fact that the hairs are quite long and if I don’t do something to keep them in place I look like Worzel Gummidge. I wanted something quick, cheap and idiot proof to swipe on and at £4.49 this fit the bill rather nicely.

The wand is rather handy with short bristles on one side and longer, more comb like ones on the other. This makes me suspect that this isn’t really being marketed for eyelashes at all though it says on the packaging for brows or lashes. Answer me this people, have you ever used clear mascara as actual mascara? What is the point? Maybe I’m missing something here... Anyway it is perfectly designed for combing through my unruly brows.

The gel itself is none sticky leaving a really subtle finish. It doesn’t look like there is anything on there is just keeps the hairs in place. I like it! It’s subtle and easy enough to use every day. I’d say I use this 5-6 days a week and Browzings 1-2 days. Just don’t rub your eyebrows after application (no I don’t know why I felt the need to either). It will disintegrate into dandruff. This never happens unless for some reason you decide to fidget with them. I think I was trying to see if they ‘felt weird’ with the mascara on?

This lasts pretty much all day on me but if it’s particularly hot and muggy you might want to consider popping it in your bag for another quick swipe. There is only one problem with this. I am OCD. I like things to be a certain way. Clean for a start.... after a month of use this is not clean. I will spare you the photo but trust me, this once clear mascara is slowly turning a murky beige. You can’t help but pick up a tiny bit of foundation when you apply it as my brows are the last thing I do in the morning. I doubt I’ll finish the tube before I have to throw it out but then again at that price can I really complain?

So there you go. 17 Clear Mascara – it ain’t groundbreaking but I don’t know what I’d do without it xxx

*I bought this. My reviews are always my honest opinion. For more info see the disclosure policy to the left*

Broken Belle...

Not too long ago I raved about the new 17 Mirror Shine On lipsticks. I stand by that review, they are fab. There has been a lot said about their fragile nature though. The very softness and creaminess that I love so much about them makes them prone to breaking, especially in this warm weather. ‘It won’t happen to me’ I said... ‘I’m too careful’ I said...

Yikes. I depotted it into a sample jar and now have to use a lip brush to apply it which frankly is a pain in the bum. Just a warning to you. Don’t leave these anywhere warm. It might even be a good idea to pop these in the fridge for a few minutes before using them on warm days. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! Xxx

*The above product was bought by me and broken by yours truly too. My reviews are always my honest opinion, for more info see my disclosure policy in the menu on the left hand side*

17 Dolly Mixture Eyeshadow Trio

I recently reviewed a couple of other 17 eyeshadow trios and mentioned that I’d been eyeing up Dolly Mixture. The lovely people at 17 then kindly sent me one! Happy days :-) Dolly Mix is a new trio that came out for the summer and boy are they summer colours. That shadows are bright and matte and for your pennies (£4.99) you get a candy pink, baby blue and pastel yellow. They really do look like ...erm... Dolly Mixture!


The shadows themselves are highly pigmented and super soft. So soft in fact that you run the risk of them becoming powdery so it is essential to tap any excess off your brush in order to avoid fall out. A good sticky base is useful too, I like NYX jumbo pencil in Milk as a base to really make the colours pop. The swatches below (with and without flash) are done without a base, you can see these aren’t for the faint of heart!


I love this little trio. My favourite way to wear it is with the yellow over the lid, pink blended in the crease and the blue on my lower lash line. I’ve worn it the past three weekends actually. Love it! Xxx

*The above product was sent to me by PR. My reviews are, as always, open and honest and sending me a product does not guarantee a good review. For more info check out the disclosure in the menu on the left*

17 Wild Curls Mascara

Oooh shiny. The packaging of this stuff has been distracting me every morning. Ahem. Here we have the latest mascara offering from 17. This has been the blogger favourite du jour for the last couple of weeks and my review will be no exception. I love this mascara.

Now everyone wants something different from their mascara. Me? I want something that won’t drag out any curl I manage to bully my short, thick lashes into and something that won’t make them congeal in one great eyelash/ mascara clump. This does both jobs quite nicely. Below is a photo of naked lashes and after that one coat of Wild Curls.




I find it gives excellent definition to my lashes. One coast gives a subtle, natural look. Add another layer and the volume quickly builds up (though over 3 coats and it does start to become clumpy). It isn’t hugely lengthening on me but it is light enough not to drag down a curl. It’s a nice, deep, inky black and I believe there is a brown version too.

The wand is medium sized (smaller than BadGAL, bigger that Rimmel Sexy Curves) with varying sizes of criss crossed bristles. I really like the wand actually. I find it grabs all the itty bitty lashes in the corners and makes it easy to wiggle it through the lashes.

I love the effect this mascara gives me. It’s black, separates my lashes and not a clump in sight. It’s been holding up better against my watery hay fever eyes than my Sexy Curves has too, though it isn’t waterproof. I love the packaging too. Heck it’s just a good mascara. Unless you’re looking for crazy volume or lenth... then it might not be for you. All I know is that at £5.99 at Boots (with free gift at the moment I believe) I am far happier with this than I am with the Lancôme Virtuous that I paid nearly 4 times as much for. A rant about that particular mascara is on its way...

*The above product was sent to me by PR. My reviews are, as always, open and honest and sending me a product does not guarantee a good review. For more info check out the disclosure in the menu on the left*

5 Minute Makeup

Picture the scene if you will; it’s 7am. I am supposed to leave the flat for work erm... now. I personally cannot leave the house without some slap on. It’s sad I know but last time I went to work barefaced I was asked if I was sick and wanted to go home. I need some multi tasking products that I can throw on without having to wash too many brushes (why is it that it’s only on the days I’m rushing I’ve forgotten to wash my brushes the night before?) and without too many steps. Behold my go to panic face.

Clinique City Block Sheer: Does the job of – moisturiser, primer, SPF

MAC Studio Fix Powder: Does the job of – foundation, setting powder

MAC Stereo Rose MSF: Does the job of – blush, highlighter

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow: Does the job of – eyeshadow primer, eyeshadow

17 Wild Curls Mascara: Does the job of... well mascara. It just happens to be my current favourite

Garnier Eye Roll on Concealer (not pictured because I’m an idiot): Does the job of – under eye concealer, eye cream

Maybelline Watershine Gloss in Strawberry Carats: Does the job of: lip balm, lipstick, gloss

The only brushes required for this is a kabuki for the Studio Fix Powder and a blush brush for the MSF. Generally I don’t *need* a concealer for spots as my skin is pretty clear unless it’s that time of the month. The Benefit Creaseless Cream just gets dabbed on with a finger and I find it lasts all day without creasing on me whether I use a primer or not. I say that Stereo Rose does the job of a highlighter as well as a blush solely because it’s shimmery so I wouldn’t add to that with a highlighter anyway.

As my skin is quite oily in places the Clinique is all I need in the day time for moisture. The SPF25 is a great bonus too. One of my favourite items here has to be the Maybelline gloss though. It’s quite pigmented so I don’t feel the need to layer it over lipsticks as you simply can’t see them under it. It’s also supremely moisturising and a gorgeous muted strawberry colour with gold pearl. These are actually my favourite drug store lip glosses.

The whole thing takes about 5-10 minutes to slap on and whilst the end result isn’t as polished as I prefer it allows me to leave the house without confining myself to the shadows. What about you folks. Are you happy to leave the house barefaced? What makeup item do you simply have to apply before facing the world? Let me know in the comments! Xxx

*I bought the above product with my own money. I always give my honest opinion of a product. For further info see my disclaimer in the menu on the left*

NOTD – 17 Nail Xtras Crackle Top Coat & Barry M Mushroom

Three brief points before we get to the picture. 

1.  I loathe ‘Xtras’. It’s extras. End of.

2. I was mortified to discover I didn’t own a white polish to put this on top of. I have a white base in my head for this manicure. It’s on my to buy list!

3.  How freaking long it it since I did a NOTD? Don’t judge the state of my nails, they have been very neglected. 

The 17 top coat is a pale, cool toned gold. It shatters well but I’ve found it has a tendency to wrinkle a little too. I think I’ll get more use out of this than my black Barry M top coat despite the wrinkles. It costs £3.99.

*Bought by me*

17 Eyeshadow Trios: Pretty in Pink and Forest

Whilst stocking up on hay fever meds in Boots (roll on Autumn...) I decided to cheer myself up with a cheap and cheerful makeup purchase. It didn’t stop me sneezing but it did make me feel a little less sorry for myself. Here we have two eye shadows trios from Boots brand 17. The pink is, shockingly, called Pretty in Pink and the green is Forest.

Pretty in Pink is the more pigmented of the two. In fact it is insanely pigmented and very creamy to apply. There is a bright fuchsia, baby pink and a lavender/ lilac that goes on much lighter than it appears in the pan. All three are very shimmery, almost to the point of being frosty. The formula exceeded my expectations, it is smooth and vibrant and blends easily. I have never experienced any fading with it.


Forest is pretty but slightly less impressive. There is a deep forest green, paler mint green and warm yellowed beige. These are slightly less shimmery than the shades in Pretty in Pink and possibly as a result are less pigmented and a little less smooth. They aren’t chalky as such, they just don’t quite measure up to Pretty in Pink.


For £4.99 you get a fairly substantial amount of shadow (I’m not sure of the exact amount). I will probably be checking out a couple of other colours. The Dolly Mixture trio is calling my name.... xx

17 Mirror Shine On Lipsticks

One of the latest offerings from Boots 17 brand is these rather funky looking lippies. At only £4.49 they are a perfect budget treat for me. The website claims “Get ultra glam, slick colour that creates the illusion of fuller, luscious lips”. I picked up a couple of eyeshadow trios too but I’ll leave these for another day.

Here I have Nudist Peach and Belle. Now despite having a drawer full of gloss I have to confess I’m a lipstick girl at heart. As much as I love the look of gloss I HATE the feel of it on my lips. Unfortunately my super dry lips sometimes aren’t up to carrying off lipstick so gloss is my only option. These lipsticks are a solution to this problem. (Nudist Peach is top, Belle is underneath). You might be wondering why there is no swatch on Nudist Peach. This is because my darling sister stole it before I could photograph one. Charming.



Naked Peach is a gorgeous toffee coloured nude, Belle is a deeper pink. Both are incredibly sheer with a high gloss finish and a hint of colour. They look like a gloss on but feel like a lipstick. They are also very moisturising. The sheer finish means you can chuck these on without a mirror. If you want opaque colour these aren’t for you. However if you want something light and easy to wear, or an alternative to sticky lip glosses this is a winner.

I think these are a super easy and wearable option for summer. I’ll definitely be picking more of these up. What are your preferences, gloss or lippie? x

Boots 17 offer/ Haul

I do love a good bargain! At the moment at Boots when you spend £6 on their 17 brand products you get this adorable little nautical tin, eyeshadow in Viva Diva, mini eyeliner in azure and Fast Finish polish in Knockout Red.



Aren’t they sweet! The shadow is surprisingly good quality. It has a lovely metallic sheen that flashes gold. It is soft and not at all chalky. The pencil is a little hard but the deep blue is gorgeous so I will definitely use it. The polish is a true bright red that will be spending much of the summer on my toes methinks. I think my small collection of Dazzle Dusts might be going to live in the tin... The eyeshadow is on the bottom, pencil on the top.

I spent a little more than the obligatory £6. I honestly never ever look at the 17 stand. Even as a teen I was more drawn to the No.7 stuff... old before my time? But at the prices I decided it was definitely time to give it a go. I got Shine On lipstick in Bonbon for £3.99, a lip pencil in Rose Blush for £2.49 and the crowning glory (in my opinion) the Blush and Glow highlighter/blush duo in Peaches and Cream (£3.69).


Working from left to right here we have the lippie, a neutral pinkie toffee colour that I probably won’t wear till autumn. It’s a touch drying but lasts fine, nothing a bit of lip balm can’t sort. Then the pencil which again is a bit hard and does drag on my lips. It’s a good match for Bonbon and will go well with any slightly darker neutral lipstick. Then we have Peaches and Cream which looks just as yummy as it sounds. The highlighter side is a lovely shade of ivory with a gold sheen when it catches the light. The blush looks fairly dark in the pan but on it’s a warm reddish coral with the same gold sheen. It isn’t in any way glittery but it certainly isn’t matte. Both blend fairly well though they are just the teeniest bit chalky. Nonetheless it is a gorgeous, practical and handy little pot of loveliness. If you want to pick something up from 17 this would definitely be the thing I would recommend first.

Hope everyone is well! xx

17 Mirror Shine On Lipstick Take 2

I’m annoyed with myself for buying more of these. I previous had two, one of which was stolen by my sister whilst the other just melted into a goopy mess. This is their greatest flaw (I’ll get to the good bits in a minute). These are so soft and prone to breaking that I’m planning on keeping them in the fridge until winter comes around. Despite this these lippies are immensely popular and for good reason. They cost only £4.49 and are often on a 3 for 2 offer which I took advantage of to buy these. They are an unusual compromise between a lipstick and a gloss offering semi sheer colour with a high shine finish. I also find them very moisturising. 

Here I Have Bee Hive (pale peach nude), Purple Haze (deep purple berry tone) and Peace (neon coral). All of these are shimmer free but impart a juicy glossy look to the lips without the goopy feeling f wearing a lip gloss. I have uber pigmented lips which unfortunately means that Bee Hive just doesn’t look too good on me. I have to prep my lips extremely well otherwise it shows up every imperfection despite the moist, forgiving formula. On the other hand Purple Haze and Peach show up well on me and look rather bright and summery. 

The sheer nature of these mean that you can just chuck them on without needing a mirror and go but you still get enough colour to make it worthwhile applying it. I’d take these over lip gloss any day as I just prefer lipsticks. The only downside is their tendency to break off and melt but this annoys me enough to make me wonder why I did buy more and I definitely won’t be purchasing any more shades. They look great but I’m terrified I’m going to break them every time I apply them. Meh ...

*Bought by me, again*

Pan Porn

Apologies to anyone who Googled kitchen related erotica and ended up here, this is just about makeup. Yesterday an incredible thing happened to me. I was innocently applying my makeup before work and BAM. I hit pan not once, but twice. This never happens to me. I got me thinking, how many things do I have that have hit pan?

Not a lot. Obviously I have hit pan on other things in the past. I go through foundation, concealer and pressed powder on a regular basis (or I did in the days before I had 5 powders and 7 foundations... eek!) but I have never ever hit pan on an eye shadow or blush. The lesson here is buy less and use some stuff up. Slap me if you catch me buying anything!! Currently showing pan are:

Benefit Browzings. Only the wax side and only because for some reason I dip my brush in the same place every day. This will live forever I’m sure. 

Maybelline Dream Mouse Concealer. Not pan technically but jar. This is also immortal and just refuses to be used up. 

17 Oil Control Pressed Powder. Half of this ended up on my face, the other half became a cloud of dust every time a brush touched it. It’s VERY powdery. 

ELF Complexion Perfection. I’ve had it for ages and should use it more because I really do like it. 

Revlon Illuminance Cream Shadow. This is the brown shade from the Copper Canyon quad. I like these as bases (over primer) for eyeshadows that are prone to fallout. 

How often do you hit the elusive pan? x

*All bought with my own pennies*