Showing posts with label lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lifestyle. Show all posts

Monday, 14 September 2015

W7 Naked Palette Dupes - Daisy Reviews ♡

Its another dupe day! W7, British beauty brand known for creating flawless dupes of beauty cult brands including Benefit, Maybelline and Urban Decay, including the industry renowned Naked Palettes. The question is; do they even reach anywhere near the standard of the real palettes?

Eyeshadow has always been my downfall when it comes to saving money, seeing a release of a brand new palette from one of my favourite brands tends to resort in both a squeal of excitement, and an empty pocket.

In my opinion, Urban Decay and Too Faced are the leading the high end brands when it comes to eyeshadow. The buttery, soft texture of the Urban Decay shadows along with the long last pigmentation creates the perfect formula for a great eye look. The Too Faced packaging is so irresistible, along with the little fall out and gorgeous pigmentation also makes them a front runner.

At Clothes Show Live 2014 (my favourite annual event) I picked up the Urban Decay Naked 1, 2 and 3 dupes from W7 at 3 for £10! Even in my best efforts it was still hard to reach the crowded stall; thankfully a worker saw my desperation to get my hands on these palettes. I've never really tried that much from W7 (apart from a press sample parcel last year, see my Instagram, sophielouisaxo), but their products always do catch my eye in TK Maxx. 

Already being a devoted Urban Decay fan and owner of their products, I was pleasantly surprised by these. The three palettes are almost IDENTICAL to the Naked Palettes, they include very similar shades and packaging with the shades arranged in the same order. Unfortunately I wasn't impressed by the tin packaging as the lid of my In The Buff : Lightly Toasted fell off within a week. With that being said, the actual product is much 
better.



In The Buff : Lightly Toasted = Naked Palette
A lovely mix of 12 warm and neutral shades, both matte and shimmer creates an ideal budget palette that can create an array of both day and night looks. Even though the shadows are almost identical bar a few shades, the packaging is the only difference as its not suede/velvety like the Naked Palette. The pigmentation is stronger in some shades than others, especially 'Delilah' and 'Di Di'. 'Magic' and 'Toasted' are the most identical. There are a few shades that don't match compared to Naked, but for such a good price you can't go wrong.

In The Buff = Naked 2
This palette is probably the most popular with beauty bloggers as it includes some beautiful shades, including my personal favourite 'Camel'. In The Buff has some very similar shades compared to Naked 2, and if used with an eye primer (I used Tarte CC Cream Base Eye Primer) the palette can result in a lovely, long wear look. It includes a small applicator, with one small brush end and a sponge applicator end. This palette again includes warmer tones, perfect for olive complexions, but can be worn by anyone!

In The Nude = Naked 3
Naked 3 is known for its lighter, rose and pink toned shades perfect for fair to light complexions but I love it for lighter looks or summer time. I have found that with this palette you have to use a lot more product on the eye unlike the first two palettes, but I still think it was worth the little price. The packaging is undifferentiated from Naked 3, but comparing £38 to under £10 this is a perfect gift or something to add to a makeup geek's collection.

PROS: Pocket - friendly price, great dupe, good pigmentation
CONS: Tin packaging, product fall out, grainier texture 

Overall, I would recommend these palettes to someone who is looking to spend a little less, try these out before buying the Naked Palette(s) or an eyeshadow beginner.

They are available from Amazon, eBay, discount beauty stores/outlets and websites or the W7 website here.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram @sophielouisaxo and @bethxkate

xoxo,
Soph and Beth
♡











 

Monday, 24 August 2015

Batiste Stylist Range - Daisy Reviews♡

Batiste, the nation's hair hero found in handbags, bedrooms and bathrooms galore. With a brand new range of products hitting the shelves, I could not resist trying them out!

Batiste is a brand that I have always been loyal to. When my hair is looking tired, or I'm attempting to squeeze an extra few hours (or a day) in without washing my hair, a spray of dry shampoo really gives an oomph (along with an amazing scent!) 

Known for their award winning line of dry shampoos and plumping powder, Batiste have taken their products to the next level with their brand new Batiste Stylist range; a line of six products fit for all types of hair. The packaging and design now appears to be more sophisticated, yet still sassy. The line still features the ever bright, eye catching patterns staying true to the roots of the brand's vision. The newly released range includes: Smooth It Frizz Tamer, Oomph My Locks XXL Plumping Powder and XXL Volume Spray, Hold Me Hairspray, Texture Me Texturising Spray and Shield My Lock Heat + Shine Spray.



For the past week I have been trying out the XXL Volume Spray and Heat + Shine Spray.

Shield My Lock Heat + Shine Spray - 

Press Release - 'Keeps your locks looking hot without the heat damage with our 2 in 1 heat protection and shine spray. Shielding against heat up to 230 degress your locks will stay protected against even the hot styling tools'

For the past year, I've been obsessed with the Garnier The Sleek Resister Oil (coconut oil) for heat protection but after using this multiple times I may have changed my mind. What I much prefer about this is the fact that I can just lightly spray over my hair instead of spreading oil along the ends, usually resulting in sticky fingers! A few squirts before straightening resulted in soft, silky hair which is much more than I expected. Easy and effective, this is one product that I'm likely to go back and back to again, well done Batiste! 

Oomph My Locks XXL Volume Spray - 

Press release - 'Take your hair to new heights with this instant backcomb in a bottle. (---) Infused with Keratin and Inca Inchi Oil known to help strengthen and care so your big do stays healthy too.'

At first I was a bit hesitant about trying this as the Heavenly Volume Dry Shampoo really dried out my hair. Having excessively thick hair I had to be weary of the amount of product I was using so I didn't end up with a lion's mane! I was very happy to see that this product is definitely an improvement; my hair didn't feel dry and lifeless but still had a lift of volume. However, this did act well against my hair when I used it to add some height to a pony tail; the little extra I needed for my look. I wouldn't say this is my favourite product I've tried, you do get a lift of volume but not as advertised. I would consider purchasing, but would head straight to the rest of the range first.

Overall I am really impressed with the range, both the packaging and the product have proved that Batiste is more than a bottle of pick-me-up dry shampoo! The new visuals and branding are excellent, along with a fantastic and affordable range of products to make both you and your hair look and feel good.

Remember to share your summer styles on social media with #BatisteStylist.


Batiste Stylist Range is out now and exclusive to Boots, with products starting at £3.99.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram @sophielouisaxo and @bethxkate

xoxo,
Soph and Beth
♡

*This post includes press samples





Sunday, 3 May 2015

Upbeat Protein Drinks - Daisy Reviews♡

As the summer draws near, there's always a push to start eating healthier and exercising more. For this we need energy, and what is a better way than a bottle of Upbeat?

When we think of protein drinks, we picture body builders and weights, not a fun and light drink that has 20g of protein and a low fat content. Upbeat is a whole new way of getting the right amount of protein into your body, without the sugar and calories.

Upbeat comes in a range of flavours; Strawberry, Blueberry & Raspberry, Mango & Passion fruit and the brand new Chocolate & Orange. Another appealing factor is the fact that they are all under 150 calories, and give you fuel for the day ahead. The taste of each flavour is not too overpowering, and we found they fill you up for hours and are a healthier snack.

Having tried the three fruit flavours previously, it was exciting to see the Chocolate & Orange hit the shelves. Being people who enjoy exercise and being active, energy is always needed and Upbeat is a great pick-me-up. The package is eye catching and overall, an enjoyable drink.

Upbeat Drinks are described as 'a bit of extra willpower'. Remember these are NOT meal supplements and should be consumed as a snack! 


Upbeat Drinks are available from Holland & Barratt for £1.75 each or are currently £1 from Tesco!

Have you ever tried an Upbeat drink?

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram: @sophielouisaxo & @bethxkate

xoxo,
Soph & Beth
♡