Monday 30 May 2016

IDOROTTKA LOVES: MY BEAUTY PICKS OF MAY 2016


Happy Bank Holiday Monday my Lovelies. May has come and gone so quickly, I can't believe June is already upon us. I have tested and loved a lot of new bits this last month and today I'd like to share with you my absolute faves, so make yourself a cup of tea, as we will be here for a while :)

SKINCARE:

The first two absolute hits of May and a little beyond are my new Ecolab Foaming Facial Cleanser (RPR £4.00) & Ecolab Face Toner (RPR £3.50) from the Rejuvenating series. Both were purchased from The Natural Skincare shop, which is my favourite place to shop online for natural & organic products. Both are SLS, Parabens free and are mostly made of organic produce. Ecolab is a Russian cosmetic brand which specialise in natural skincare, body care and haircare. I have a full review of both coming up this Wednesday, so watch this space. They are now staples in my daily cleansing routine and are perfect for suer sensitive skin, whilst having anti-aging ingredients - win win. 

Eucerin Sun Fluid Matifying SPF 50 (RPR currently on offer in Boots for £12.00)is a guest in my favourites for the second time now, as I just cant praise it enough. I wear it over my skincare and under the primer and it keeps my super pale & sensitive skin protected from the rays. I spent several days working from the garden in a full sun and I never burnt, which is news to me. It's not the cheapest, but works well under the makeup so definitely a re-purchase if needs be. 

The last two products are hybrids as you can either class them as skincare or makeup. First being Nivea Men Post Shave Balm (RPR currently on offer for £2.63 in Superdrug). I love this stuff as a primer. It works great with pretty much every BB/CC Cream/Foundation I work with and it's also amazing on top of SPF. It prolongs the wear of the foundation and stops it from shining its own light few hours after application. It also helps with filling in lines as it stops setting the foundation in them. Truly remarkable product. The second of the bunch is my MAC Prep & Prime Fix+ (RPR £17.00). I use it under and over makeup as it provides an extra level of moisture my dry skin longs for. It takes away and powdery finish to the skin, giving it natural glow. It is not a setting spray and it shouldn't be treated as such but it's a great tool. I'm on my 3rd bottle and can't see that changing anytime soon.





MAKEUP:

There are a fair few products I'd like to talk to you about this month and it's a good mixture of drugstore and luxury, so everyone should be able to find some inspiration from them :)

When it comes to my base I'm obsessed with these trio. Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue in Opal (RPR £26.00) is one product that I shall re-purchase over and over again. It's a tinted hydrating gel cream that just works beautifully on dry skin. You get a decent amount of pigmentation and if applied by fluffy flat top (Bare Minerals Heavenly Face Brush - review here) that's achieved most easily. It's not a medium coverage of course, but it works great at covering redness and giving the face the most glowing finish. I'm sadly already finishing up mine and I plan to re-purchase as soon as possible. an't live without this stuff. When it comes to concealers I look for high coverage and light formula as my under eye area is super delicate and prone to product getting in to dehydration lines, despite the skincare. Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer in Fair Neutral (RPR £17.50) works brilliantly. It's shade, formula and the finish is just perfect. It does set so you need to work with it pretty quickly and I recommend a powder to set it with to avoid creasing. Nevertheless it's a great tool at hiding the most visible dark circles and redness, so it's a winner in my eyes. Last but not least another favourite of mine is L'Oreal Infalliable Sculpt Contouring Palette in 01 Light/Medium (RPR £9.99 - on offer in Boots 3 for 2 and Superdrug buy 1, get 1 1/2 price)is the best cream contour product in drugstore at present. It's cool toned making it a perfect choice for those with pink/neutral undertones, it's super light and creasy, making it a pleasure to work with and it stays put (when set) all day long. Can't praise it enough, but believe me when I say it, it's my number one contouring choice for good few months now.





Eyeshadow palette of the month must be a newly launched Makeup Revolution Flawless Matte 2 (RPR £8.00). I already reviewed it for the blog recently and did a little look with so check out those posts, if you'd like to know more. I adore this palette. It's been on my eyes pretty much every day since I got it and it just works. I love the reddish shades, as well as traditions and taupe purples. Superb for everyday.

I have been known for my love of strong highlight and the choice of the month was my Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Pearl (RPR £32.00). It is the most beautiful white highlight, superb choice for pale skin!! It stays put all day (and night) long and it's so intense, you can't help but wonder if the shine is visible from outer space. I have a review on my Becca highlight family coming soon, but had to mention it in faves. If you follow my Snapchat (username: i.dorottka), you know I wear it nearly daily now. I'm in love with this stuff !!!

Two lipsticks that has completely stolen my heart in May are both of mauve undertone but both pretty it their own light. MAC Tribe Lipstick in Hot Chocolate (RPR £17.00 - sold out) is just the most gorgeous medium tone nude with purple tones. It hits both modern and 90s trend so well. It's a satin finish but lasts well, whilst keeping your pout moisturised. I love it. Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in La Raffinée is another daytime nude, lighter than MAC and more pink but also with mauve tones mixed in. I adore the formula, as it's matte but also feels hydrating. It's not the most lasting but when on, it just works. Be that daytime or to top off the evening look (review here).



ACCESSORIES:

I have 3 brushes this month I have been loving so much, I need to share this love with you my beauties. Starting off with already mentioned above Bare Minerals Heavenly Face Brush  (review here). It's a perfect foundation brush as it takes the light formula and gives you coverage you didn't dream off to achieve with it. I absolutely adore it with my BB/CC Creams. The only minus - it sheds quite a bit, especially if newly washed, but I forgive it as it's such a pleasure to work with. The second weapon of the choice is my new super Bellapiere Kabuki Brush (RPR £23.99). It is the best loose powder brush I have used in years and due to it being fully synthetic, you can also se it to apply foundation. It's soft and fluffy, dense but without being to dense. It's super flexible and washes easily. Definitely the one for powder in my opinion. Last but certainly not least is the MBrush in 02 (RPR £24.50 available exclusively on Minti-Shop). The MBrush line is created by Polish blogger Maxineczka (check out her Instagram for amazing looks) and it's sublime. Best quality bristles and handle covered in 24k gold makes this brush not only a pleasure to work with but also a beauty on your vanity. These are superb quality brushes with brushes so soft and comparable to famous Hakuhodo. 02 is a medium sized ball shaped face brush. It works beautifully with powder products. I love it for contour as it just fits perfectly underneath your cheekbone and blends the products easily. You can also use it for blush, powder and highlight, but for me, it is the one for contouring. 

What have you been loving in May? Is there any products here mentioned you also loved, or maybe they just didn't work for you? Make sure you share your observations below & I'll see you on Wednesday with another post :)

Thank You For Reading,
Love



Thursday 26 May 2016

❤ IDOROTTKA IS TURNING 1 ❤ BLOG GIVEAWAY FEAT THE BALM (CLOSED)



Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, haaaapppppyyyy biiirthhhddaaaay to me :) Yes, you've read it correctly iDorottka is officially one - old cow ;)

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for supporting me along my journey & sticking with me for so long !!! This is a safe space for me, I write, I take pretty pictures and I'm happy. Talking makeup is all I do, so getting this output has been a dream come through :)

To thank you my dear followers I will be running a little giveaway, just to show you that you all mean so much to me :) <3. You can all enter bellow using a Rafflecopter <3 Just a few rules:

  • You have to be 18 and over to enter this giveaway. Anyone above 16 can enter, if they have their parent/guardian permission.
  • The giveaway is open internationally.
  • The giveaway runs for a whole month - until midnight GMT 26th June 2016.
  • I will choose a winner using a random generator and film it (video clip will be available on my Facebook page). Winner will be chosen and contacted within 3 days of giveaway closing date.
  • You must follow iDorottka on Bloglovin' and Instagram to enter the giveaway. Other entries will count as additional.
  • You can tweet about a giveaway daily to gain additional entries.
  • You can share the giveaway promo picture on Instagram once to gain an additional entry, using hashtag #iDorottka1stBirthday.


Thank you again for making it such an incredible year for me :) I wish you all Good Luck <3

Thank You For Reading,
Love




Monday 23 May 2016

Monday with Makeup Revolution: Flawless Matte 2 - is it worth checking out?






I am a huge Makeup Revolution fan. In fact I wouldn't be here, if it wasn't for Adam Minto and co. They have inspired me to play with makeup and I have never looked back. I always look forward to new releases, however I'm more picky with my purchases now. My MUR collection is so large, I have to be, otherwise I'd end up sleeping outside to ensure my makeup is safe inside the walls lol.

I really enjoy the original Flawless Matte. I don't reach for it a lot anymore but it's a great one for crease shades in my opinion (full review here). I looked forward to Flawless Matte 2, hoping it'll be more warm toned than the original, for my eternal love of warm tones lol. Having seen sneak peeks, I've ordered it on a whim, mainly for 4 reddish tone shades. So is it worth getting? Let's see shall we?

Packaging is an usual Flawless collection shiny black matte with large mirror inside. I am glad there's no cheap applicator or brush to be seen, as I really don't see the point in them. It's sturdy and quite on a heavy side, so not really that travel friendly. However you are getting 32 shades inside which could potentially mean you only pack one palette.

When it comes to the formula it varies between the shades. Some pick up a very little product despite my usual 3 swipe swatch technique and some are quite chalky. I have only used around 8 shades so far on the eye so I can't say it for all, but with ones I used, there was virtually no fall out. Some shades are lovely and buttery and those make the palette worth picking up. Light beige shades have disappointed me as, they seem to have a very little pigmentation to them and they aren't very build able. Darker shades are generally better, with decent to excellent pigmentation.

From left (swatches in natural light): Flow, Look, Ranking, Whole 
From left (swatches in natural light): Less, Standard, Two, Sound
From left (swatches in natural light): Perfect, Order, Tone, WII
From left (swatches in natural light): Neat, Able, Nest, Known 
From left (swatches in natural light): Master, Rate, Top, Right
From left (swatches in natural light): Accurate, Finest, Notch, Vintage
From left (swatches in natural light): Ripe, Final, Valid, Beauty
From left (swatches in natural light): Matte, Famous, Total, Define
Shades I love:

I will highly recommend any shades in the last three columns. All are buttery with good pigmentation and easy to work with. The reddish toned column has gotten me totally obsessed. I also like the purple toned shades in the bottom row. They are gorgeous to work with. I like the beige to brown transition shades. The pigmentation is ok with most and product pick up is great. They will work nicely in the crease or for more natural makeup days.

Shades to pass:

Any light shades are a total miss for me. Product pick up is minimal, I had troubles even swatching them. They appear very dry in formula, not even chalky as there's not enough product pick up for them to be described as such.

Overview:

Although I don't love all the shades in Flawless Matte 2, the ones I do compensate for the rest. I still think the palette is worth getting if you're looking for drugstore range shadows. The reds will stole your heart as well as purples and greys. The transitions shades are also lovely. What's missing are good light beige/off white shades. Yes you can easily blend out with the ones in the palette but if you're looking for pigmented light shades, you will be disappointed.
The shades (tested over MAC Painterly base) have lasted on my hooded eyelids for 9 hours and didn't lose on intensity so it's definitely a plus when it comes to a lasting power. They are easy to work with, blend out great and the shades I loved didn't disappear when blended.

The palette will soon be available online and stationary in Superdrug, but for now you can buy it directly from Makeup Revolution for a mere £8.00. BUY HERE.

Thank You For Reading,
Love



Monday 9 May 2016

LIPSTICK HOARDER # : CHANEL ROUGE ALLURE VELVET IN 34 LA RAFFINÉE




I popped my Chanel cherry when it comes to lipsticks and I can't say I regret it ! I chose to use up my Cohorted discount (-35%) and managed to get a lipstick for mere £16.90, which is what limited edition MAC lipsticks are. I chose a daytime shade as I wanted to not only treat myself to a bit of luxury, but also to use it more than once. As you probably already know I love mauve shades and this pink nude has a perfect amount of nude & mauve mixed in to create a beautiful daytime shade. Perfect for any skin tone. 

When it comes to shopping from Cohorted store I have very mixed feelings. Yes, the discount was amazing, but delivery took 7 days, maybe even more, which based on any other online store quota is a little long. I have enquired after day 5 and got an email back within 48 hours, so CS is ok and within industry standards. My lipstick came packaged well, but in a box that was a little too big for single lipstick purchase. So these are my little cons based on the experience of shopping with Cohorted store.

When it comes to the lipstick itself, I can't fault it. Beautiful, highly polished luxurious plastic with the Chanel logo at the bottom. You have to press on the logo for the lipstick to 'pop'. The lipstick bullet is pretty small and I expected it to be a little bigger based on the packaging itself. It looks very luxurious and will be a staple product on any vanity and in your makeup bag. It's so pretty I can't stop staring at it.

Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in 34 La Raffinée is a velvet matte finish. It feels fairly comfortable on the lips and lasts up to 4 hours (with a snack and some drink). It is not the most lasting matte finish I tried, but it doesn't look too matte on the lip, not chalky at all. Application is beautiful, no dragging on the lips or a need for lip liner or lip brush to get to the contours of the lips. 




I absolutely love the shade, La Raffinée is a perfect nude, slightly darker, pink with mauve tones. It's your lips but better. It will work for daytime and to compliment any smokey eye look. I wore it in my last Emerald Glam eye look & it complimented it well. 

Would I buy any other shades? Probably not, unless they're on the same promo, as I truly don't think you need to spend £26 on any lipstick. Yes it feels luxurious and it's nice to treat yourself sometimes, but in my opinion MAC Matte finishes have a slightly  better formula to this one and last better on the lips, whilst being fairly comfortable to wear. I'm not saying I regret my purchase as I wanted to try the Allure Velvet range forever and treating myself to a bit of luxury from time to time is good for the soul of any beauty addict. It has quickly became my favourite go to shade, as I feel it looks amazing for daytime and compliments any makeup look. 

Have you tried any Chanel lipsticks? What are your thoughts? 

Thank You For Reading,
Love


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