VIVO Cosmetics Baked Bronzer in Sunkissed

Since receiving VIVO’s Baked Bronzer at TOWIB, I have been using it for those early mornings when my skin looks a little less ‘pale and interesting’ and more pasty and dull. I heard most people describe this as more of highlighter than a bronzer, but on my skin it imparts a good bit of colour. I’ve been teaming it with some of Too Faced Chocolate Soleil as a contour.
I have been applying it with my MAC 190 and blending it out with my MAC 168, it has a lovely, and easy to blend texture. I’ve found the best way to wear this for me is at the top of my cheekbones, if I wear it on the apples of my cheeks it does tend to accentuate my pores.
O me it’s a gorgeous gold colour, and although it’s quite light I think it has enough warmth that it would work brilliantly as a highlighter for darker skintones, without looking ashy. If you want a pop of colour to pair with this, it looks gorgeous teamed with VIVO’s Baked Blush in Peaches and Cream.

I can see myself using this a lot over the festive season, I think it would look great for nights out with some black liner, and a red lip.
For a mere £5 this is a really versatile, and great quality product, that despite being a bronzer I would use all year round and not just in the summer. It gives a lovely glow to the skin without being obvious or overpowering. If you’ve wanted to try MAC’s Mineralize Skinfinishes but not fancied the price tage that comes with these would be a great product to try.
VIVO Cosmetics is available in selected Tesco Extra stores.
Disclosure: This product was given to me free of charge at TOWIB.

Top 5 Blushes

It seems I have acquired quite a lot of new blushes lately, so I thought I would compile my top 5. I’m not talking colours here, I’m judging them on their overall performance. I think Blush is one of those great products that can really waken up your complexion, and I think it’s really important to find the right balance between something that gives you a glow and a not ending up with disco ball glitter all over your face. Cause let’s face it that’s not so attractive.
Vivo Baked Blush (£4.00) : I have two of these lovely baked Blushes in Red Shimmer* and Peaches and Cream, both are smooth, pigmented and really easy to blend. They don’t contain but give cheeks a gorgeous sheen, which means I can skip using a highlighter. Perfect for those early mornings.
Dainty Doll Blusher (£12.50) : I have this in 002, a lovely pale pink shade which is fairly shimmery. This is a great Blush/Highlight for nights out. I find it a little to shimmery for daytime, but for a night out it is perfect swept across the top of the cheekbones. As it doesn’t impart much colour it works brilliantly with dramatic eyes
Benefit Boxed Blushes (£23.50) : The most expensive blush in my Top 5 but worth every penny. There’s a small range of classic shades, with something to suit everyone. Dandelion was one of the first blushes I owned, and I still love it, the colour gives a perfect pop of pink. Coralista and Sugarbomb are also gorgeous wearable shades.
Illamasqua Cream Blush (£16.50) : I love that these cream blushes give a great dewy glow, that lasts all day on my oily skin. They’re a lovely consistency, and blend really well with just fingers. Despite Illamasqua’s reputation of being a brand for your alter ego, this line of cream blushes contains some brilliant staple shades for everyday.
Fashionista Blush* (£4.00) : Another great high-street blush, these come in a great range of shades, with matte and shimmer shades. These are really pigmented so you will only need a small amount. They also blend really well together to make a custom shade for your skin. Juicy Apricot and Butterscotch are must haves!
So there’s my favourite blushes, do you love blush as much as me? What are your favourite blushes?

Products marked with * are PR Samples.

FOTD: Dark Lips and Earthy Eyes

This is the make-up I wore yesterday, which I came up with after having a bit of a play with my VIVO shadows, it was maybe a little OTT for a trip to my local, but nevermind. I think this would make a great simple Halloween look for like a with or something similar, but you would maybe wanna go a bit darker/greener with the eye make-up and add some really dark contouring.

Face

Bourjois Bio Detox Foundation

Collection 2000 Concealer

Estee Lauder Doublewear Powder

Eyes

VIVO Eyeshadows in Rich Chocolate, Goddess and Golden Leaf*

Sleek Eyeshadow in Noir

VIVO Black Eyeliner Pencil*

Bourjois Ultra Black Liner Feutre

VIVO Lengthening Mascara*

Lips

Dainty Doll Lipstick in Couture mixed with some Black Gel Liner

Mac Brick  Lip Liner

Products marked * are PR Samples

VIVO Eyeshadows

If you want cheap and cheerful cosmetics that still manage to pack a punch in terms of pigmentation and quality, you won’t go far wrong with VIVO Cosmetics. Today I’ll be having a look at their Pearl and Matte Shadows. I’ve got Shades Goddess, Golden Leaf and Rich Chocolate to review.

All three shades are very pigmented, but have that slightly greasy feeling you can find with some cheaper shadows. This does mean however that they are very easy to blend and aren’t chalky. I find the best way to work with this type of shadow is to pack it on with a dense brush or even you’re finger and then use a fluffy brush to blend it out.

A quick note on the matte shade, the texture is slightly drier than the pearl shades, but if you use a soft fluffy brush to apply and  blend it, it applies beautifully.

For £1.50 I don’t think you can go wrong with these, and with all the great high-street eyeshadows being released of late, I’m far more likely to be itching to get myself to Superdrug, Boots or Tesco than Debenhams or John Lewis.

How beautiful are those shades? I really love all of these shades together, they make for a lovely earth toned smoky eye! There’s a lot of great combinations to be had with VIVO’s eyeshadows, and when you can get three shades for £4.50 you can’t lose!

 

Disclosure: These eyeshadows were provided by PR for consideration.

Bronze Smoke FOTD

I’m really not getting on with my camera today! Thinking it might be time to buy a new one, but being as I have a whole tenner to last till payday and am squirrelling away all my money towards a deposit for a house, it isn’t looking likely!

I’m going to  the pub for dinner tonight with my boyfriend, his mum, auntie, and cousins.I wanted something simple that I could do over my existing make-up, so I went with a simple brown eye, and a bronzed peach cheek using Fashionista Blush in Juicy Apricot, from my custom palette. My skin is looking dire at the minute, probably due to my currently awful diet. Working shifts mean I have no set eating pattern and snack on junk I buy at work.

For the rest of my make up I used;

FACE

Bourjois Bio Detox Foundation

Collection 2000 Lasting Finish Concealer

Eyes

Sleek Oh So Special and Sparkle Palettes

Vivo Eyeliner in Black *

Revlon Grow Lucious Mascara

Vivo Brow and Eye Kit

Lips

Sleek Pout Paint in Mink

I’m already tired and I haven’t even gone out yet, but I can’t wait to get some lovely pub grub! How have you Mondays been?

Vivo Cosmetics Ultimate Brow and Eye Kit

I picked this up whilst doing some food shopping as I don’t have any dedicated brow powders, and none of my eyeshadows looked quite right. It comes with three brow powders, a clear brow gel, and a angled brush and sponge (both of which are not really of much use, but that was to be expected).
I’ve been mixing the shades together, to create the right shade to balance out the make-up I have on. The matte powders are smooth and the best thing is they aren’t chalky ( I hate nothing more than fall out near my brows!).

Most people should be able to find a colour to use in this kit, and if not the colours can be easily combined. I haven’t seen anything like this on the high-street before and this is definitely one of the stars of the Vivo range. If you haven’t found you HG brow product yet I suggest you try this out. It might just be it.
Vivo’s Ultimate Brow and Eye Kit costs £5 and is available at selected Tesco Extra stores. 

P.S. Todays the Last day to Enter my Giveaway!

Vivo Cosmetics: Peaches and Cream

A sneak peek of the gorgeous new addition to my blusher collection. Review to come soon!

Vivo Cosmetics Baked Blush in Rouge Shimmer

‘A stunning baked blush with pink undertones to give all over warmth and colour to your complexion’

When Vivo first started appearing on blogs one of the products that really drew me in was the Baked Blushes, which show obvious similarities to Mac’s Mineralize Skinfinishes. Available in four shades (Peaches and Cream, Rosy, Cinnamon Glow and Rouge Shimmer) I was sent Rouge Shimmer to try out.

Not a shade I would normally be immediately drawn to as I would worry that it would be slightly to red for my colouring, I have been pleasantly surprised by this shade.  The veining is a deep warm pink that leans slightly red, with the base being more of a warm rosy pink. It offers a glowy finish, but isn’t glittery in the slightest, and really offers that gorgeous lit from within glow.

It’s a lovely warm colour, that’s great for autumn, and should work on most skin tones, due to the warmth of the shade.
I apply with a Mac 168, and brush it lightly against the surface to pick up just enough product to give a pop of colour to the apple of the cheek. The powder is smooth and not gritty, and blends really easily.

Swatched and blended out on the left, and heavily on the right, to see this in a full face shot, take a look at my Vivo Cosmetics FOTD.
Overall this is a product I’m very impressed with, and being the blush fiend that I am I’ll no doubt be picking a couple more of these up!
You can find Vivo Cosmetics at selected Tesco stores and the Baked Blushes are priced at (£4.00)
Disclosure: PR Sample
~
Don’t forget to enter my giveaway!

Vivo Cosmetics FOTD

I was very excited yesterday when some Vivo Cosmetics dropped through my letterbox and couldn’t wait to get my hands on them! Being as I was at work yesterday evening I had to keep things fairly subtle, but I really enjoyed using the products.

I was sent the Pearl Eyeshadow in Golden Leaf (£1.50), Baked Blush in Rouge Shimmer (£4.00) and Primer (£6.00). From first impressions I love all of these products, I’m gonna have a little more of a play with them today, and write up some individual reviews, so watch this space!

Other products I used:

Face: Bourjois Bio Detox Foundation in 51, Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Shell, Estee Lauder Double Wear Powder in Shell, Collection 2000 Lasting Finish Concealer.

Eyes: UDPP, Gold from MUA Heaven and Earth Palette, Boujois Liner Feutre Ultra Black

Lips: Dainty Doll Lipstick In Material Girl