Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara

When you find a good mascara you know. It is immediately apparent, this isn't something that grows on you. Instant results and instant impact. I recently returned to using one of my all time favourites and it dawned on me, I have never blogged about it! So here it is... my review of Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara in shade Noir (black)

Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara

What Marc Jacobs Beauty say 

Major drama. Over-sized lashes. Velvet-like look.

Experience ultimate volume and the look of thick, false lashes with Marc Jacobs' Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara. The lash-maximizing, curvy brush places the most volume at the hard-to-reach centre lash line, and the defining tip styles lashes for major drama.

The super-concentrated black pigment delivers the greatest visual impact, and the Flash Volume Complex™ creates instant, smudge-proof length and volume in three strokes or less. 

Wearing Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara

My thoughts 

I absolutely love this mascara. The brush style wand picks up every single lash, lifts and defines them , coating them in a rich, black shade giving a sexy, fluttery look to the lashes. No smudging or flaking, this mascara lasts the day.

I give this mascara a mega 10/10 

Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara costs £22 

*Gifted 

Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara Review

Are you looking for a new mascara or not happy with your current one?

I have been so impressed with the new Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara that I reach for it every day.

Lancome say 

Meet Monsieur Big. Forget all the others.

UP TO 12X MORE VOLUME:
Its volumizing brush provides big impact at first stroke, for bigger than life lashes, like never before.

BIG SOFT BRUSH :
Its bristles made of exceptionally soft fibres hug lashes with incredible softness and ensure a smooth application, while separating and lifting lashes effortlessly.

NO CLUMPS, NO SMUDGES, NO TOUCH UPS: The innovative formula easily glides on lashes and leaves them perfectly put for up to 24 hours. Its ultra-dark pigments create the blackest intensity possible.

It's a match!

My lashes with Monsieur Big Mascara applied 

My thoughts 

For me this ticks all the boxes.

The mascara lifts the lashes and thickens them with a nice rich black colour. The brush style wand picks up each lash, defines them and then lengthens them beautifully.

There is no flaking or smudging whilst wearing and it lasts all day.

For long, fluttery lashes I love this mascara.

10/10 from me.

Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara costs £ 21

MakeUp On The (School) Run.. In Just Five Minutes

I am most definitely a never leave the house without foundation kind of a woman, I have very slight rosacea and it is important to me to achieve a flawless as possible look. Since recently having had a baby I am time precious. Each morning I need to get me, the baby and my 8 year old son to school on time... something has to give and I am just not ready to let go of the makeup completely...

Step forward ReCover Correct and Conceal Red, I use this fantastic concealer with just two other great products for a simple and super fast look. In less than 5 minutes I am ready to face the day.

Shade Light 

ReCover say 

Instantly correct and conceal facial redness. We’ve used specially selected yellow-toned pigments in our feather-light formulation for a seamless, ‘no makeup’ finish. Our soothing gold-plated applicator tip delivers a super fine layer of product, neutralising redness and disguising imperfections. Experience the next generation of concealer, exclusively developed by our expert makeup artist and founder, Annabel Jardella.

My thoughts 

I never thought I would see the day when I would just use a touch of concealer instead of foundation but that day has come and I am happy to step away from the foundation for the purposes of this challenge...

Well I have to say I am pleasantly surprised. I apply ReCover on the red bits of my face (on my inner cheeks and the odd blemish evening everything out so brilliantly I have the perfect canvas for the makeup. The product works exactly like it promises. It is really fine and barely visible when blended. I like the cool touch applicator and you really only need a teeny, tiny amount for great coverage and concealment. A lovely natural face.

I pair the concealer with Max Factor Colour Intensifying Balm in Classy Cherry, this is a nice sheer and buildable lip product but can be applied without using a mirror. It can also be applied to the cheeks for a sheer pop of colour if needed. A real go to for me. For impactful, rich dark lashes I opt for Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara. 

There you go, a quick made up look in less than five minutes using just three products. 

ReCover Correct & Conceal Red costs £28 for 15ml and comes in six shades. I was sent shade Light.

*PR Sample

My Favourite Beauty Products Of 2015

For my favourite beauty/makeup products of 2015 I went for the products I reached out for the most in my makeup bag...and unsurprisingly the products took in my eyes, cheeks and lips!

You would have had to have lived under a shell not to notice the trend for contouring (made really famous by Kim Kardashian) and not being blessed with lovely cheekbones this has been one trend that I have been embracing in a small way.

I love to accentuate/fake my cheekbones with the extremely affordable SEVENTEEN Define & Conquer Contour Kit which costs just £5.99 from Boots. It is a really simple way of defining and illuminating the face contours and comes with a handy instruction sheet to help you.

I simply adore a good nude lippie, lord knows I have plenty in varying shades but as you can see by how much the one above has been used,  this is my favourite everyday shade and formula - Max Factor Colour Elixir in shade Simply Nude and coming in at £7.99 is the perfect price for everyday use. My lips but better.

Finally, readers of BeautySwot will know that I don't use fake lashes or inserts so I am always on the look out for mascaras and products that enhance my natural lashes... Estee Lauder's Little Black Primer was an absolute essential last year with its multi uses. Promising to tint, amplify and set it does it all. Use alone for pretty and natural lashes, use as a primer under your mascara to give the 'wow factor' to your mascara. It thickens lashes, lifts and lengthens. My favourite use is to set the mascara you are wearing with a final coat of the LBP. It makes the mascara waterproof which is absolutely essential for me in the Summer as I suffer from Hay Fever. I also used it at my sister's wedding and there were many tears of joy but my mascara stayed firmly in place. A brilliant, brilliant product. It costs £20 but is worth every penny.

So there you have it, my favourite products of 2015. What were yours?

Holiday Makeup By Day With SEVENTEEN

I recently spent a fabulous week holidaying in Ibiza, the week consisted mainly of lounging by the pool, the waterpark and a few brilliant day trips out and of course visits to the beach. I know it is known as the party capital of the world but seriously there is so much more to Ibiza than just the club scene. If you haven't been I highly recommend making a visit.

As a beauty lover I do tend to travel heavy when it comes to make up despite trying very hard to narrow down some faves, I just like to have options!  This time however, I was sent a few bits by the lovely team at SEVENTEEN to try, so I pretty much pushed aside/emptied out my usual faves and those tried and tested to take a leap of faith in these products....

During the day by the pool I like to keep things simple (I have a son aged 7 and we spend A LOT of time in the pool!) so I just went with my really high sun protection, a light coverage of the SEVENTEEN CC Cream which has SPF25 to just even out my skintone and hide those pesky blemishes.. I must say this CC Cream is a fantastic product, a little went a long way and it was the perfect shade for me (medium) but more on this in my next post - Holiday Makeup For Evening. 

I also opted for some highlighting magic from the SEVENTEEN Skin Wow Primer, this gave a beautiful dewy and super healthy appearance to my skin. Described as a 3 way HIGHLIGHTER GLOW & PRIMER, I used it all three ways and loved the way it lit up my skin, blended well so that its cool tone looked completely natural and just gave a wonderful glow and all round pick me up.

The biggest leap of faith by far was the SEVENTEEN Waterproof Mascara which promised the following - Both waterproof and smudge resistant this non clogging mascara lengthens lashes and lasts all day. As I mentioned, I spent a lot of time in the pool and we also had an adjacent water park that featured a HUGE bucket that tips its entire contents of water on to you if you stand under it. My son thought this was hilarious and made me stand directly under it, the cheeky thing!

So was the waterproof mascara up for the water challenge? I can confidently give this a massive thumbs up and resounding yes. It passed the water test with flying colours. Only the teeniest tiniest of smudging and no panda eyes in sight. I wore this mascara all day everyday. As a waterproof mascara this gave great definition and length to my lashes, was light and the formula wasn't thick or gloopy.

SEVENTEEN CC Cream £ 6.99
SEVENTEEN Waterproof Mascara £4.69
SEVENTEEN Skin Wow Primer £5.99

*Sponsored post 

Max Factor Masterpiece Glamour Extensions 3-in-1 Volumising Mascara Review

It's the final day of Mascara Week on BeautySwot.com and where yesterday I was reviewing a golden oldie, today I am reviewing a brand new mascara. Max Factor Masterpiece Glamour Extensions 3-in-1 Volumising Mascara (to give it its full name!)

Max Factor say

Deliver the finishing touch to a striking make up look with instant length, volume and intensity.

• The instant impact wand captures, lengthens, volumises and intensifies each lash from root to tip.
• The instant impact wand has short bristles, making it easier to reach every lash, which allows maximum contact between mascara formula and lash for instant volume. Whereas bigger brushes have longer bristles, which get in the way and make it difficult to coat each lash.
• The inside out wand combs through every lash from root to tip, coating them with our carbon black fibre formula containing volumising particles, which make your lashes appear thicker and in turn, darker and more intense.
• In addition to volumising particles, the innovative formula in our 3-in-1 mascara contains lash extending carbon-black fibres for thicker, longer and more intense lashes.

Containing volumising prills which form spherical wax particles to make lashes appear fuller and 30,000 black carbon fibres this new mascara really volumises, lengthens and darkens lashes in a quick application.

My thoughts 

I have long been a fan of Max Factor as a brand, I have liked quite a few of the mascaras - they seem to love my lashes! So of course I was keen to try this new release, especially when it promises to do so much.

As you can see from the pics above the wand is smallish, thin and the bristles are quite short compared to some other mascaras. The wand is also narrower at the base but widens at the end.

I followed an application tip from Max Factor Make Up Artist Caroline Barnes - To achieve fanned out lashes use the wand in stages. First pull the inner lashes towards the nose, then pull the central lashes upwards and finally the outer lashes towards the temple.

I liked this mascara although I am still baffled by its design.... the thinner, smaller wand does aid application and it does lengthen beautifully. The rich black shade stands out much more in real life than captured in the photo below and lashes are really defined. Volume wise Caroline Barnes recommends using the mascara in your usual way,  I will try that next time but it doesn't do a bad job at all with the fanning out method.

However.. the biggest downfall of this mascara is that just two hours after application it started to flake, in fact I think you can see evidence of this in the after photo. This was disappointing as the Max Factor mascaras I have used previously haven't done this. I wonder if this is the carbon fibres that are present in this version?

Before 

After 

Max Factor Masterpiece Glamour Extensions 3-in-1 Mascara £10.99 

*PR Sample

Lancome Hypnose Mascara Review

Day 4 of Mascara Week on BeautySwot.com sees me reviewing Lancome Hypnose Volume mascara. This is a mascara that was launched way back in 2004, although there have been a few spin offs, the original is still being sold as its classic formula is one that has clearly stood the test of time. 

Lancome say 

Turn up the look of volume of your lashes with Hypnôse!

Build up to 6 times more volume without clumping. The PowerFull™ Brush helps deliver volume that you control. Glides through for lash separation and even application from base to tip.

Benefits : made to measure volume, smudge proof, ultra-light

How to apply Hypnôse Mascara
Apply to lashes from the base to the tips. Use a zigzag movement to add thickness and separation.

My thoughts 

This is a sample sized mascara that was part of a GWP but the brush is exactly the same as if you were purchasing the full size version.

I really love this mascara, it provides lashes with a good rich black colour, it super lengthen the lashes and makes them look altogether luscious and plentiful. The brush is more like a traditional style of brush and it allows you to reach in and pick up every single lash with no mess. I like the fact that you can apply over and over if necessary and lashes are still soft to the touch.  As you can see from the after pic lashes are also completely clump free and I do not feel like I am wearing any mascara.

For real impact I have to say I love this mascara.

Before 

After 

Lancome Hypnose Mascara costs £22.50 and is available in black and brown.

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara Review

Day 3 of Mascara Week on BeautySwot.com sees me reviewing the brand new mascara from Benefit - Roller Lash. 

The one pictured above was a special sample sized mascara that was given away with the March issue of Elle Magazine. Unusually it was given away before it hit the shelves!

Well I couldn't resist trying this new mascara out and so I promptly went to buy the magazine. The packaging on the sample version is slightly different from the actual full sized mascara. The lid on that one has a hair roller design.

Benefit say

Why we love it!

It’s a roller for lashes! The eye-opening Hook ‘n’ Roll™ brush grabs, separates, lifts and curls…while the instant curve-setting formula holds for 12 hours.

Curl Power!
97% said it visibly lifts lashes*
87% said it gives long-lasting curl*
94% said eyes look more wide open*
*consumer panel survey on 31 women after 4 weeks

How to apply
Gently wiggle the wand from base of lashes to tip. Repeat across your lashline, making sure to catch every lash.

Easy-to-remove
Contains Provitamin B5 and Serin, ingredients known for their lash-conditioning benefits
Water-resistant
Ink black
Satin finish


My thoughts 

Benefit's 'They're Real' mascara is one that has really split opinion, it seems to be one that you either love or hate. I personally LOVE it. I have so many comments asking me if I am wearing false lashes when I wear it so I give it a major thumbs up.

However whilst I like this mascara, I just like it. I don't think I would be tempted to shell out almost £20 for it as I don't think the after warrants the price tag (on my lashes).

There is no doubt it does what it claims, it does lift and curl the lashes but I would have liked to have seen a bit more thickening properties for me to have given it 10/10. It does also add pretty decent length as you can see in the pics below. The design of the wand means that application does get quite messy which is a bit of a pain.

However it does also get extra points for its staying power, the curl holds all day. It also doesn't smudge or flake.

Have you tried this mascara?

Before 

After 

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara £19.50

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes So Couture Mascara Review

Day 2 of Mascara Week and I am reviewing L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes So Couture Mascara. Now the original Volume Million Lashes is one of my favourite mascaras so I had high hopes for this one.

L'Oreal say 

Volume Million Lashes dresses your lashes in a liquid black silk for lash by lash definition.

• Refined volume
• No clumps
• No stiff lashes

The Couture brush has been tailored by experts to coat every lash without clumps. Its extra soft & small bristles gently thicken the look of each lash while its rigid wand enables you to spread the formula evenly from root to tip.

My thoughts 

This mascara came as part of a gift with purchase when I bought two L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipsticks. 

My lashes seem to like the rubber type of wands and the shorter bristles. I find this wand really easy to use and it certainly grips every single lash which you will see from the after photo later. The mascara coats my lashes with a wonderfully rich and dark black colour. I have reasonably dark lashes already so I chose the 'Extra Black' version for real impact and it doesn't disappoint. As the name suggests it gives fantastic volume to the lashes and fans them out. The only thing it doesn't really do is curl the lashes. That isn't something that bothers me too much as I really like the result and the definition that this mascara gives.

As for wear I don't find it smudges or flakes at all through the day.

Before 

After 

I would buy this again most definitely.

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes So Couture Mascara costs £10.99

Estee Lauder Little Black Primer Review

Kicking off Mascara Week on BeautySwot.com is Estee Lauder's latest release - the Little Black Primer. Whilst technically not a mascara I wanted to try it out and see if it, like denim is with fashion, would become an essential part of my makeup routine...

Estee Lauder's Little Black Primer £20 

Estee Lauder are asking us to think of it as a Little Black Dress for the lashes - another perennial and wardrobe essential.

It can be used in three ways

- Tint: Colours and lifts bare lashes so they stay silky black throughout the day and even overnight.
- Amplify: As a primer, it’s the optimal mascara base for volume, lift and length.
- Set: Brush over mascara for a long-wearing, water-resistant topcoat that helps reduce smudging and flaking.

My thoughts 

Tint - I already have dark lashes so for me the first use as a tint was pretty ineffective. This would be fantastic for those with lighter lashes but made little or no difference to my lashes when worn alone. 

Amplify - As a primer this is just fantastic, unlike traditional lash primers which are white this is a black one and one single coat helps improve a mascara immensely. You need less of your usual mascara, it thickens lashes (something I personally am looking for in a mascara), it lifts and lengthens beautifully. Full marks as a primer. 

Set - Once again I was suitably impressed. The Little Black Primer when used over your usual mascara sets mascara beautifully for no smudging or flaking at all. It also holds the lashes in the uplifted position and so the result is that mascara looks as fresh as the time you applied it (for me this lasts from day to night). For me is the bonus that I can make any of my mascaras waterproof by applying this over the top. Excellent!

Final thoughts.. 

I love the curved thin brush as it allows a non messy application and coats every single lash. I won't use any mascara now without setting it. 

*PR Sample

L'Oreal Makeup Gift With Purchase Offer - L'Oreal Paris So Couture Gift Set

I have had my eyes on a few makeup bits from L'Oreal MakeUp for a little while now and so when I saw they had a GWP in Boots worth £30 (which incidentally came with the mascara I was wanting to try) when you spent £14.99 I had to indulge.

I bought the following items

L'Oreal Paris Color Nail Gold Leaf Top Coat
L'Oreal Paris L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick by Color Riche in Nude Vibrato and Nude Ballet

*I spent £22

and received the following 

Gift With Purchase -  L'Oreal Paris So Couture Gift Set

Containing all full size products of

L'Oreal Paris Million Lashes So Couture So Black Mascara

L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Lipstick in Scarlett Creme 

L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Nails in Exquisite Scarlet

L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Le Khol in Immaculate Snow  

I'd say that was a bargain!

No7 Lash Impact Mascara Review

Boots No7 Lash Impact Mascara has been my go to mascara recently. Featuring a more traditional brush it promises Intense volume control.

No7 says 

Turn up the volume for dramatic looking lashes with maximum clump-free layers.

Hypo-allergenic.

My thoughts 

This fibre brush is easy to use and the mascara leaves lashes looking fuller. The brush lifts and coats every lash, giving the effect of more volume and very decent length and as my after shot shows without clumping. It doesn't flake or smudge.

I like this as a day mascara as for evenings I like a bit of thickness in my lashes but this mascara does exactly what it says.

Before 

After

Boots No7 Lash Impact Mascara in black costs £13.50

*PR Sample

October 2014 Glossybox - Andy Warhol Inspired Pop Art Collector's Edition Box

Ooh I absolutely love the print on this month's GlossyBox! The Andy Warhol Pop Art design is so apt for a beauty blogger and is bright and cheery for this dreary October ... I will have no problems recycling this after I have used the contents.

As ever though, the outer is very nice but do the contents live up to expectation...

What's inside the October Glossybox

Inside my box features no less than 4  full size products, a fairly generous perfume sample and a bonus sample product.

From Left to Right -

Etre Belle Cosmetics Liplift Peel € 12.95 (Full Size)

They say - Get replenished and defined lips in an instant with this moisturising lip exfoliator. The gentle formula removes dead cells, refining the skin's surface for perfectly soft lips.

Out of all the products this is probably the one I am least enthused about getting use from as my lips are in pretty good condition, but you never know with the changing weather this could come in useful.

Yves Rocher France Quelques Notes D'Amour 5ml sample (Full Size £33 for 30ml)

They say - This scent encapsulates the feeling of falling in love through fusing notes of Damascus Rose , Guaiac Wood and Patchouli.

I like perfume samples and this is handy to pop into my weekend bag. This scent is lovely too, a bit like a delicious Turkish Delight.

So Susan Cosmetics Flutter Mascara £14.95 (Full Size)

They say - An intense carbon-black mascara formulated with hyaluronic spheres to help you achieve the darkest, curviest lashes possible.

I am always up for trying new mascaras and this sounds good, watch this space for my review!

Nuxe Creme Fraiche de Beaute Mask £19.50 (Full Size)

They say - A 24hr moisturising mask which hydrates and soothes the skin, instantly reducing discomfort or redness. Skin is left looking radiant and relaxed.

I am a big fan of Nuxe products so I am looking forward to trying out this mask which sounds ideal for the Winter months.

Ciate London Paint Pot £9 (Full Size)

I received Talent Scout a purple creme shade that be dressed up or down.

Bonus product - Rimmel London BB Cream Matte (sample size)

They say - This mulitasking 9 in 1 skin perfecting makeup cream with a natural formula contains kaolin, witch hazel and salicyclic acid for a flawless matte look.

I haven't tried this BB Cream so I will be interested to see how I get on with it, watch this space for the review..fingers crossed it is shade perfect!!

Final thoughts

This month's box represents outstanding value and with a great mix of products enclosed.

Thumbs up.

*PR Sample

No7 Extreme Length Mascara Review

No7 say

With No7 Extreme Length Mascara you can open your eyes to incredibly intense, fluttering lashes. Its smooth formula is perfect for building up your lashes without any clumps.

The exclusive, uniquely shaped flexible brush grips and extends each lash for maximum length and eye-opening definition. It is easy to build intensity by adding the mascara to individual lashes, even those in the corners of your eyes.

My thoughts

I was given this mascara as part of the #MyNo7Feeling challenge and liked it so much that I have found myself reaching for it more often than not.

The brush/wand is rubber based and the bristles are short. I find that that particular wand suits my lashes. It lengthens and defines my lashes beautifully in two coats. There is no clumping, no flaking and no smudging all day.

Impressive. The perfect day mascara.

And finally, the obligatory before and after pics!

Before 

After 

No7 Extreme Length Mascara costs £12.50 

*PR Sample

#MyNo7Feeling Look 6 - Seven days Of Makeup

Today Hurricane Bertha was due to hit the UK in some shape or form. Torrential rain and high winds were predicted and so it only seemed right to choose the following trio for Look 6.

Makeup For Look 6

Boots No7 Extreme Length Mascara in Black 
Boots No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Blackcurrant 
Boots No7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow Quad in Purple Haze

Ooh these purples shades are really quite juicy, the blackcurrant nail polish is wonderfully dark and rich and only required 2 coats for full opacity. Purple Haze eyeshadow quad has 3 purple shades as well as a gorgeous grey and the mascara lengthens and separates, no smudging or flaking.

Purples and greys also really make my green eyes stand out so I know I will be getting a lot of use of this quad. Very pretty and the nail polish will take me right into Autumn and Winter. Love, love, love the Look 6 collection.

To complete the look I used the Spice blusher from earlier this week to bring warmth to my cheeks and paired it with a peachy nude on my lips.

Look 6 

Face

Blackcurrant Nails

*PR Samples