Ellen Tracy Thick Stick Lip Color Review

Ellen Tracy, more prominently known as a designer label that decided to dabble in cosmetics- and this is why she shouldn't have. The Emma Tracy Thick Stick lip color pencils looked beautiful at first. From the small and travel friendly packaging, the colours stood out and are actually very reminiscent of a cross between the Revlon Balm Stain, and Nars Velvet Lip Pencil. When swatched they were balm-like, glossy with slight shimmer, and the pigmentation was subtle but still visible (for some). At this point I appreciated that they were not a lipstick, but more of a tinted lip balm. When applied to the lips they were undeniably soft, with very minimal amount of colour pay-off. Upon application they were soft at first, but after a few seconds of being on the lips, the product had seeped into dryer parts of the mouth, and clung to them like icing to a doughnut. The lighter shades in this set were very similar in not only shade, but pigmentation- they were basically the same colour three times over, and did not compliment darker skin. The two red shades were slightly more manageable and pleasant, as they provided more pigmentation and definition to the lips. Overall these name-less bad boys are relatively moisturizing on the lips, but have a very unflattering formula with poor colour pay-off and shade range. They are pretty to swatch, but have no stain power or benefit- harsh but true.

Purchase the pricey, and disappointing set here..

2015 Makeup Trends

Eau Natural/ Dewy Skin 

With runways giving us less on the face and more on the eyes, it's easy to notice that natural looking skin will definitely be on the cards for 2015. Marc by Marc Jacobs has leaked the word "sweaty" to describe the complexion of upcoming seasons, and this most certainly will involve some high shine. So, out with your old powder compacts and in with the finest dewy setting spray! Although perspiration seems to be the theme, cream highlighters will be a perfect way to re-create this trend from the comfort of your own make-up bag. For a more glamorous and refreshing vibe, the MAC Fix+ not only retails for a reasonable £15.50, but can be sprayed before and after makeup application to create a dewy and healthy finish to the skin. If you're on the hunt for something with more of a sheen and glow- The Body Shop Radiant Highlighter & MAC Strobe Cream will give you a run for your money. Both can be mixed in with your foundation, applied before or after or just simply applied to the places where light will naturally hit your face; cheekbones, cupid's bow, centre of nose and forehead. If you're not quite ready to depart from your powder-based products, then by all means create this glow using your favourite powder highlighter. One of my personal favourites is NARS Highlighting Blush in 'Albatross'- a product that adds a golden sheen to the higher points of the face, helping to add that 2015 glow and enhance healthy looking skin. 

The Body Shop Radiant Highlighter £12.00

Bright Liner for SS15 

With this year being all about enhancing your natural beauty, it's nice to see a bit of colour here and there. Bright liner has been an on-off trend for years now, and with the help of Pat McGrath- it's made it's way back. I find that a natural, barely-there face looks outstanding with just a subtle pop of colour- like bright liquid liner. Something that Lime Crime mastered months ago, but is definitely a product and trend that will make any eye colour pop. It's the perfect way to interpret this Spring/ Summer without wearing all the colours of the rainbow- minimalism is key to keeping it classy ladies. This being said, Saint Laurent showcased another trend for this year- graphic liner, why not incorporate the two? A natural face, glowing cheeks and a bright liquid liner?

Louise Gray for Topshop Long-Lasting Eye Liner 'INTENSIFY' £7.00

Soft Brown Smokiness 

The smoky eye, something that can go from 'oh so glamorous' to "who just punched you in the face girl?". With brown it's easy to get right, and this shade will compliment you light eyed ladies without a shadow of doubt. A wash of colour on the lid will leave you feeling on trend and will add a subtle, naturally sultry shadow to the eyes. Using a smaller shadow/ pencil brush will enable you to smudge your choice of brown eyeshadow onto the lid, and underneath the eye- making them stand out more. Blending will be key to making this work, if you're not feeling that confident start off with a lighter brown shade and then get darker, and smoky as you get more confident. 

MAC E/S - Soft Brown, Woodwinked & Expresso, £13.00

Pop of Purple & Berry 

Whether it be a layer of lavender on the lids to a smudge of berry stain on the lips, this year is calling all purples and reds out to play. A look that can easily be adapted because let's face it, not everyone can pull off lilac purple on the lids without looking washed out- or ill. For the lips, aim for a natural impact that isn't anything too precise, but still effective. Apply in smudge-like manner to create an effortless stain, much like what we saw backstage from Topshop Unique SS15. 

MAC E/S - Beautiful Irish, Parfait Amour & Sketch, £13.00

So, by touching down on just a few of this year's upcoming trends, you can gain some insight on what is going on backstage in the fashion world, and recreate trends yourself. A natural face is easily achievable- it's all about bringing out your inner beauty with some sort of ease- plus a pop of colour here and there. If Rocker-Chic is more your thing, then check out SS15 fashion images for some metallic vibes by Anna Sui and statement liner by Givenchy.

What are some of your favourite SS15 makeup and hair trends?

Japanese & Korean Skincare Haul

It's no secret that nobody does beauty and skincare like the Japanese, so for a while now I have been trying to get my hands on a few products. If you are a lover of all things cute and are looking to venture out in the world of skincare, then join me on this haul of all Asian goodness.

 Biore Men's Pore Pack (Black) (Limited Edition) £4.90

When Japanese beauty brand Kao collaborate with Biore- this is what you get. Pore Strips are often always expensive in the UK and aren't as effective. I purchased these Men's Pore Strips in the hope of trying something different, and also wanted a pore strip with a bit more behind it. This product claims to remove blackheads from both the nose and chin AND also contains a "pore tightening formulation". I'm not really sure why the sheets are black- supposedly it's easier to see the effects.

 Shiseido Senka Perfect Oil, £8.46

Shideido is the fourth largest cosmetic company in the world today, and £8.46 for 150ml of 'Perfect' oil- how could not? I read online that the Shiseido Senka Perfect range in Japan, is one of the best-selling skincare lines and takes the fancy of many of the younger generation. The packaging is adorable and durable. This product comes with a working pump and surprisingly has a thin consistency, it can be used dry to remove product from the eyes and face- including anything waterproof! So excited to try this out!

 DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, £16.05

This product is definitely one of the more 'available' and well-known Japanese products. It's a little bit more pricey than the other drugstore oils but apparently is well worth it? Like the Senka Perfect Oil, it's a oil based cleanser that is to be used dry and with such a small and natural ingredients list; I think this has potential. It again, is very thin in consistency and the packaging is very simple- almost looks like something you would get from the chemist. 

Etude House Wonder Pore Brush, £5.61

 Etude House is actually a Korean brand, more commonly known for their cute cosmetic range, so when I saw they had a skincare line called 'Wonder Pore'- I couldn't resist! This was sort of a random purchase to fill my basket but I was also on the hunt for a good facial brush. Some might say the packaging is childish but I think it's just beyond cute- only Japanese and Korean beauty brands can get away with shit like this. The facial brush itself is nothing like the abrasive Body Shop brush; it's soft on the skin and has it's own little box to prevent bacteria- thoughtful!

Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner (10 in 1), £16.05

So again with the packaging, it's just too cute right? I was very intrigued by this slightly pricey fancy toner because of the 10 in 1 factor, lets go through them shall we? 

• Balance skin's ideal pH level
• Refine skin tones
• Keep the elasticity of pores
• Remove skin surface's dead skin cells
• Cleanse pore insides with cooling effect
• Deep cleanse pores (^^ aren't these the same thing? hmmm)
• Minimize appearance of pores
• Control a large amount of sebum
• Moisturize inside and outside of skin
• Complete smooth glass-like texture (what does that even mean?)

Despite not wanting my skin to look like glass this product has had some really good to average reviews online, so I thought why not? From looking at the ingredients list it's definitely not comparable to my natural LUSH Cosmetics toner and has a very considerable amount of alcohol in it (wouldn't recommend for sensitive skin types). Mixed opinions on this product, but can't wait to try it!

Hope you all enjoy this post from me; keeping it short and sweet! Anyone that knows me, knows how obsessed I am with Japanese culture and products so I am extremely excited to be sharing this with you guys! If you have tried any of these products let me know what you think of them, or if you have any other Asian skincare/ make-up product faves comment down below!

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