Why did I buy this?! - PRODUCT REGRETS

Hey Everyone, today's post is a video talking about products that I purchased that unfortunately didn't work out!

 Please don't take offense if something you love is in here, I am simply explaining why these things didn't work FOR ME and hopefully that might save some of you the trouble of a mistaken purchase if you have similar issues to me, whatever they may be.

If you want spoilers-




Products Mentioned:

Nivea For Men Post Shave Balm for Sensitive skin
Urban Decay Naked Skin One and Done Hybrid Skin Perfector
Benefit Shy Beam
The Balm Cindy-Lou Manizer
Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette
Illamasqua 'Fatale' Eyeshadow Quad
Illamasqua 'Reflection' Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Large Duo Pro Palette


If you'd like to keep up with my posts and videos follow me on Twitter:
@sleepybewty

I hope you enjoy.

SLEEK Matte Me Lip Cream Swatches and Review - 10 SHADES - *6 NEW SHADES*

Hey guys! Sorry this post is a little late and also sorry for my absence recently, the short story is I have been having computer troubles and busy working at the same time, so I had about a months break from blogging but I'm back now!

Anyway, today's video is a swatch video and review of the new Matte Me Lip Creams from Sleek.

Not only is it featuring all of the new six shades, but also four of the old ones, so you can see if you want to pick any of those up too, or see the difference in colours etc. plus I throw in my two cents on how the new creams compare to the older ones and where I think these liquid lipsticks fall on the grand scale of liquid lipsticks.

I hope this is helpful and you enjoy!

First Impressions: UD Naked Skin One & Done Hybrid Skin Perfector

Hey Everyone, Today's post is a video featuring my first impresssions on the new Urban Decay Naked Skin One & Done Hybrid Skin Perfector (what a mouthful!). In this video I not only speak about what I think of the new foundation/tinted moisturiser hybrid but also decide what works better: brush or blender?

I hope you enjoy it.



On a side note: I wanted to apologise for the lack of written content on my blog lately! I realise it has been heavily video based lately and so I'm going to be trying to balance things out a bit more. Thanks for you patience.

Nailtiques Formula 2 Protein Treatment - Update Part 2

Hey Everyone, finally the second part of my nailtiques treatment update is here! After initial reservations in part 1, check out what I now think of the product after further use.

Here's a link to part 1 if you haven't caught that yet:
http://sleepybeautyblogger.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/nailtiques-formula-2-protein-treatment.html

Thanks for watching, and I hope you enjoy.

Benefit New Launches 2016!

Hey everyone! I'm really excited to be sharing this huge Benefit haul with you today! I wanted all of their new releases SO BAD and I managed to shop around and find deals good enough for me to justify buying almost the entire collection.

My plan is to hopefully share a first impressions video with you all over the next couple of days, but for now I just wanted to share some photos for those of you looking around online trying to figure out if you need these products in your life. One thing is for sure - they sure are pretty!

First up is this cute little Hoola set! Now I realise Hoola is not a new product and I have to admit I have never used it before even though everyone raves about it! However, Benefit have just released this special set where you get a min Porefessional Primer and Watt's Up! highlighter for the same price as the bronzer on it's own which is £23.50.

The first of the new range is Dew The Hoola a liquid matte bronzer with a pump, a liquid version of their Hoola powder. This is actually a sample that I got in my Birchbox this month, the full size bottle if you haven't seen it already is beautiful! I'm both excited and nervous to try this as liquid bronzers are really not my thing and I am so fair! Full size £22.50

I hate it when people say 'this is everything' but honestly... this Hoola Bronzing and Contouring Brush  is so gorgeous! It's incredibly soft but also dense and the design is stunning. It's feels wonderfully weighted in the hand. £17.50

One of the products I was most excited about, the Hoola Zero Tanlines body bronzer. This is a 12 hour self tan without the horrible smell and with this great applicator in the lid to avoid streaks. £19.50

My final product to share with you is this new matte liquid highlighter from the Dandelion range Shy Beam. I think this will work beautifully with the other products from the Hoola range even though they weren't strictly from the same set of products although I'm a little unsure about that nail-polish-style application. £19.50

Couldn't forget the free bag!

If you are interested in seeing this products in action please check out my next first impressions video which will be shared a couple of days after this! Let me know if you are tempted by any of the pretty new releases from Benefit.

Battle of the Lip Balms: The Quest for the Ultimate Balm

Today's a big one! I've actually been planning on writing this post for probably over a year. For real. But what possessed me to finally put fingers to keyboard for this post was that I think I have actually found it - a new holy grail lip balm.

Perhaps you have been through a similar hardship in your life. I had been addicted (and I'm sure many of you out there will know I mean that literally - once you start on balm there is often no going back) to my holy grail lip balm since my mid-teens. My mum used to just fill up my Christmas stocking with this lip balm in the hope it would last me through until the following Christmas. But after a few empty shelves and cold sweats in the night, I finally had to admit the fact that one day, it was gone. After years of addiction, my favourite balm had been discontinued in the UK and so began the search for a new holy grail balm.

It has truly taken me years to find another one that I am happy with. And if you want the low-down, keep reading.

Today I will compare 7 lip balms for you in the hope I can point a few of you who are struggling along the same quest to an answer.


1. Nivea Essential Care Lip Balm (with shea butter and jojoba oil) £1.65

To me, this is a pretty staple lip balm, and one that I'd be willing to bet most of you have tried already if you don't have one laying around the house somewhere. It's the kind of product I would pick up at the airport when I've forgotten to pack the lip balm I actually wanted. 

Pros: It's cheap and as far as I am aware, it's ingredients are genuinely moisturising for your lips and not the sort that will dry them out dramatically in the long run while giving temporary relief which can often be the case with this sort of price range.

Cons: It has a funny, chemically smell which I don't like and the formula feels kind of dry to me. Don't get me wrong, it's not drying because it's a moisturiser, but comparatively, this balm feels very thick and dry on the lips as opposed to more oily formulas. I also have to re apply this extremely frequently.

2. Nuxe Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm with honey £9.50

Heading to the other end of the price scale, is this potted formula by Nuxe. In general I prefer sticks of balm as they are so much more convenient but I love this one. It has a similar consistency to Vaseline but none of the drying ingredients in Vaseline.

Pros: Very hydrating and doesn't have to be re applied for HOURS. Great to hydrate your lips overnight, just put some on before you turn out the light. Pleasant smell from the honey ingredient. Long lasting in every sense.

Cons: The pot isn't so easy to carry around and it's messy to apply and perhaps even a little unhygienic. The formula gets quite hard in cold temperatures. Pricey.

3. Nuxe Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Stick with honey £5.50

This stick version of the Reve de Miel balm is much more convenient than the pot and feels nice on the lips. While it's almost half the price of the pot version, it's worth noting that while you get 15g of product in the pot you only get 4g in the stick, so you aren't getting more for your money with this in reality.

Pros: More convenient packaging and a nice to apply formula. Cheaper than the pot (but you get a lot less product).

Cons: Not long lasting at all. I find myself re applying this very frequently unlike the pot version. Also I found myself getting through the stick itself very quickly.

4. Caudalie Lip Conditioner £5.50

The same price as the Nuxe stick, this lip balm also has a similar formular. It feels just as nice to apply but lasts longer than the Nuxe stick.

Pros: Convenient stick packaging, long(ish) lasting, nice to apply formula and feels nice on the lips.

Cons: It has that typical lip balm scent and is a little on the pricey side for the amount of product.

5. Arrow Boost Colour Enhancing Lip Balm £11.00

I have to admit, I'm still unsure about this one. Unlike the other products mentioned, this one is tinted so it's nice for adding a little bit of colour to the lips especially on a busy day.

Pros: Nice, convenient packaging, tinted (if that's what you're after), lovely minty smell!

Cons: Very pricey at £11 for 4g of product, and I'm not sure how hydrating all that minty perfume can be for your lips.

6. Agent Provocateur Titillation Lip Balm (and Nipple balm set) £23.00

Please excuse the wear of this product first of all! I've had it a while. This lip balm is part of the 'Titillation' set from Agent Provocateur and as far as I am aware isn't available separately however I wanted to throw it in here. This is a tinted balm and has that slightly stingy feeling on your lips that some lip products do. It has a Vaseline-like texture. It comes in a set with an identical pot of 'nipple balm' and the price varies greatly so shop around. The price I included here was just the most expensive price I came across. I like this one.

Pros: A nice tinted balm, long(ish) lasting, cute packaging with a mirror inside (insert shocked face), lovely smell and that 'lip plumping' tingle.

Cons: Part of a set, packaging is a little inconvenient, pricey.

7. Lanolips Golden Ointment £17.99

We made it! Through the battle to the holy grail. While this product seems on the expensive side, and sure it's a large payout, it actually works out as one of the cheapest as you get 50g of product in this large tube for £17.99. Also, it's not solely a lip balm but intended to nourish severely dry skin of all kinds. I put this on the back of my boyfriends dry knuckles in the winter months. 

Pros: Value for money in terms of amount of product for the price, smells lovely (thanks to the manuka honey), lasts for AGES (the most long lasting of all of these), more convenient packaging than a pot and a nice formula. A little goes a long way, for a long time.

Cons: A high payout when you buy it although it will last a long time, and you have to use your fingers to apply.

So here's my final ranking of these 7 lip products from favourite to least favourite:

1. Lanolips Golden Ointment  £17.99  50g

2. Nuxe Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm with honey  £9.50  15g

3.  Caudalie Lip Conditioner  £5.50  4g

4. Agent Provocateur Titillation Lip Balm (and Nipple balm set)  £23.00  10g + 10ml

5.  Nuxe Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Stick with honey  £5.50  4g

6. Arrow Boost Colour Enhancing Lip Balm  £11.00  4g

7.  Nivea Essential Care Lip Balm (with shea butter and jojoba oil) £1.65

Thank you if you made it this far!

I also want to note that I like all of these lip balms mentioned in this post. The idea of this was to help you find one that you like, there are none featured here that I would say don't try. I have tried plenty of others that I didn't like, but this is all about ones that I do. So I hope if you are searching for 'the one', that this post gave you some ideas of what might work for you.

I hope you enjoyed this, and please, please let me know if you have your own holy grail balm - I'm eager for suggestions!

First Impressions - Freedom Makeup London Pro Artist Pad in Black Arts

Hey everyone,

Today's video is on my first impression of the Freedom Makeup London Pro Artist Pad in Black Arts.

I am really enjoying this palette!
Check it out for my thoughts and there's some photos below.

Nailtiques Formula 2 Protein Treatment - Update Part 1 (2 Weeks)

Hey everyone, one of two videos being uploaded today, this one is a two week update on how I have been getting on the the Nailtiques Formula 2 Nail Protein.

Thanks for watching, and I hope you enjoy.

Makeup Revolutions Swatches Part 2: Mermaids VS. Unicorns Palette

Hey everyone,

Today's just a quick one as I'm afraid I'm pretty poorly this week, which is also why there was no YouTube post on Thursday. Just sharing with you some swatches of the colourful Mermaids vs. Unicorns palette from Makeup Revolution. Swatches of the Flawless Matte palette are still to come, but there are so many shadows in that one I didn't manage that this week.

First, a few images of the palette itself:

And then on to the swatches. Unlike the Mermaids Forever palette, the shades in this palette are unamed:

A few notes on this palette:

• These shadows are of a nice quality. While you only get 12 in this palette as opposed to 32 in Mermaids Forever, my opinion is that this palette has a more universal quality and is less hit and miss than Mermaids Forever.
• All the shadows are pretty highly pigmented, the strongest being those bright blues and turquoises.
• There's a fair amount of fallout from some of these and they take some building but not tonnes. 
• As I said in my previous swatch post - I REALLY RECOMMEND USING A PRIMER.
• It's a STEAL at £4.00 and personally I would say well worth the money.

Makeup Revolutions Swatches Part 1: Mermaids Forever Palette, Bronzers and Highlighters

Hey Everyone! So as promised, today's post will feature swatches of the products I talked about in my video earlier this week. However because their are SO MANY shadows in these palettes I am featuring the Mermaids Forever Palette, the Vivid Baked Highlighter in Golden Lights, the Vivid Baked Bronzer in Rock on World and the Summer of Love Bronzer in Love Hot Summer in today's post and the other items (The Mermaids vs. Unicorns Palette, Pure Pigment and Aqua Seal and the Flawless Matte Palette) will be in my next post.

First up, the Mermaids Forever Palette.

I have included the names of all the shadows in this photograph so that it's as easy as possible to match up the shades in the palette with the swatches below.

Okay so that's the whole of Mermaids Forever swatched close-up for you.

A few notes on this palette:

• The really lightest two shades in particular, especially Forever don't show up that well at all.
• All of these shadows have been swatched heavily on top of a primer to get as much colour payoff as possible without applying them wet.
• A couple of these shades are appalling when used dry - try them wet and they really pop
• The quality of these shades varies a lot from one to the next. A few of them takes tonnes of building up, most take a fair amount of building, a few of them one stroke and BAM - tonnes of colour so experiment.
• USE A PRIMER (I can't stress enough how important that is with this palette)
• My favourites: Enchant, Ariel, Pink Sea, Waves, Fishtail, Turtle, Treasure, Prince

Okay! Last but not least we have a swatch of the bronzers and highlighters from the video:

Swatched, semi heavily so you can see the colours but with nothing underneath this time. 

the Summer of Love Bronzer in Love Hot summer, the Vivid Baked Bronzer in Rock on World and the Vivid Baked Highlighter in Golden Lights. These are all nice but powerful! So use a careful hand. I'm keen to try their pink highlighter too, and their new strobe cream.

That's it for today, come back next week for part 2!

Makeup Revolution HAUL + REVIEW

Hey Everyone! It's Thursday which means it's YouTube day and I'm reviewing a selection of products from highstreet beauty brand Makeup Revolution available online and from Superdrug in the UK. It's a bit of a long one so get comfy.

MAJOR SWATCHES of all of these products will be up over the next few days so stay tuned to see these products in more detail.




I hope you enjoy.

Bioderma Hydrabio H2O Micelle Solution Review: Cleanser for dehydrated/dry skin

Today I'm really excited to be telling you about one of my absolute favourite products I have been using recently! It's the Hydrabio Micelle Solution cleanser from Bioderma and it looks like this:

Now, I have been using the Philosophy Purity cleanser for a few years now and while it didn't blow me away, I liked it enough to re-purchase a a few times and stick with it. However, I recently received a sample of the Bioderma Sebium Micelle Solution cleanser in my Birchbox a little while ago. I'll be honest - I was almost determined to hate it. First of all I was irritated that once again, Birchbox had sent me a product that was unsuitable for my skin type as I have dry skin and Sebium is for oily skin. Secondly I just really didn't like the idea of a cleanser that you didn't rinse off afterwards. It was unsettling to me. 

So I used it once because I like to try everything I get once (unless I'm pretty sure it's going to bother my skin) and went 'eh' and shoved it in a draw for a cleansing emergency.

However, a curiosity was ignited and after a little while I noticed I was running out of Purity I decided to purchase a bottle of the solution for dehydrated skin, along with some other Bioderma products.

I LOVE THIS! It's half the price of the Purity cleanser at just £10.20 for a 250ml bottle (I also got a couple of pounds off in the sale) and it feels lovely and hydrating on my skin. Now that I am used to it, I love the fact I can just put a few drops of this on a cotton pad and remove my make up or cleanse my skin and I can do it anywhere. I also feel like I am getting my face SO clean with this but it doesn't feel harsh at all. 

WARNING: THIS MAY BE A BIT GROSS

But I wanted to share this photo with you. This is the result of the cotton pad after cleansing my face IN THE MORNING after already removing my make up and cleansing my face before bed the previous night:

I just feel like it's getting all of that dirt and oil out of my face without leaving me dry and dehydrated afterwards. Now obviously this is a cleanser and so not a super hydrating product but as far as cleansers go, it's the best I have come across. I even honestly believe that my pores have stayed clearer than they usually would after using a pore remover strip and then continuing to use this cleanser.

So as you can tell, I am so impressed. If you suffer from dry or dehydrated skin (I realise these are not the same thing but think it would be beneficial in both cases) I cannot recommend this enough and for only £10 a bottle, I think it's great value. 

I'll be keeping an eye on other Bioderma products after this one.

Have you tried any of the Bioderma Micelle Soltuions or maybe an alternative brand? What did you think? 

I hope you enjoyed this somewhat excitable review.

Spectrum Collections Brushes Review

Wow, it feels like this video has been a long time coming! I had to reshoot it a bunch of times, but fortunately that meant I had more time to play around with the brushes and get to know them a little better.

If you're looking for clearer images they are below, I hope you enjoy!

 From left to right: Flat definer, A16 Precision Crease, B04 'Atlantis' Tall Angled Blender, A13 Short Smudger, B06 Tall Tapered Blender, A02 Angled Foundation, Tapered Finishing Brush

Sugarpill 'Trinket' - Sugarpill's first liquid lipstick (Review)

Today is going to (hopefully) be a quick one! A review on the first liquid lipstick from Sugarpill Cosmetics in the shade 'Trinket'. Now this product was limited edition and sold out in minutes however, Sugarpill have hinted that they might possibly be re-releasing the lipstick itself but if they decide to it won't have the same sexy packaging design by Bei Badgirl.

Now on to the review! I tried this product on as soon as it arrived in the mail and firstly, the colour is BEAUTIFUL! No really, I am obsessed. To me it is a nudey-rosey-mauve with stunning gold shimmer. Glitter doesn't seem like the right word, although it does glitter, it has so much glitter in it, and the glitter is so fine, that it almost just looks like an incredible golden shine. The shimmer intensifies as the lipstick dries after application. Now I have quite fair skin so it looks a little darker on me than it might on others, however it also seems like that nude-mauve colour that I have been searching for (and think I have finally found in a matte version - tune in for that soon) and it's super flattering.

The finish is unique and you can't quite capture it in photos although I think it photographs beautifully. Not only is the shade stunning, I think this is also honestly the most comfortable liquid lipstick I have ever worn and not drying at all. Because of the shimmer however, it does highlight those cracks and signs of dry lips so make sure you exfoliate and moisturise first.

Lastly, it is very long wearing. I wore this out to a 3-course Lebanese meal and only topped it up once, after desert, but it was still holding up pretty well to be honest. I was eating creamy cheese sauce, balsamic vinegar, ice cream... and this baby, although worn a fair amount in the centre, was still going impressively strong.  

I had to include some pictures of the super cute packaging. Look at it!

So as you may be able to tell, I am in love with Trinket. I think it ranks as my second favourite liquid lipstick but may well edge it's way up to first position with a few more wears. It is easily the most comfortable. A beautiful formula and I cannot wait for more liquid lipstick releases from Sugarpill coming this year. 

When those babies hit the store, all I can say is BUY, BUY, BUY!

REVIEW + DEMO: Unbranded Straightening Brush from Amazon

Hey Guys! Today I have this review and demo of a very cheap straightening brush that I grabbed on Amazon. This was my first time trying out the brush so take a look if you are curious about these. Also, apologies, this was meant to go up yesterday but I had some internet connection trouble. I am trying to get in to a regular posting routine which should include a video every Thursday and a written post on Saturdays!

 I hope you enjoy.

Let's Talk Liner: MAC Into The Well

MAC Into The Well eyeshadow/liner in Beg For It

Today I want to briefly talk about this eyeshadow/liner from the MAC Dark Desires collection that I purchased before Christmas. I was on the lookout for a new liner after my l'oreal pen ran out again and I hated the smudginess I was getting from my eyeko FAT liner throughout the day. I went for two: the MAC fluidline and their Into The Well shadow which is supposed to double up as a liner. I picked the shade Beg For It which is their matte black. 

The shadow comes in this sturdy sleek packaging, and features a dip or 'well' in the middle. The idea is, you wet your brush and swirl in around in the well a little, so you can use the middle part for liner but keep the rest dry for a shadow.

I chose this mainly as I had read about the whole collection on makeupandbeautyblog and Karen seemed to love these and raved about how easy they were to apply. I noticed from her photos that the black didn't look overly dark but decided to go for it anyway.

Wellllll, it is easy to apply. I wet my angled brush like the one in the photo at the top, swirl it around a little and draw on that line. However, it's soooo grey! It's just not black. It's like drawing with ink on your face - but watery ink. I really want a jet black liner and this just isn't that. Especially as I like to wear shimmery eyeshadows (take advantage while you're young boys and gals) and I feel like that comes through underneath, and I don't want that. As for the shadow, I haven't used it for that, I'm not really a black, smoky eye person but it seems like a pretty great matte black if I'm honest. Straight up matte black, lots of pigment. Nice.

So what's the verdict? If you're looking for a matte black shadow, go for it. For a liner, it's really easy to throw on in the morning, I find it hard to go wrong with this and that's great! But the colour's all off in wet form and it leaves a big void where my blackest-of-black liner should be.