Barry M Wink Black Marker Pen for Eyes Review.

What they say: “Barry M’s Wink is a liquid eyeliner pen that is set to revolutionise your makeup routine. The thick felt tip nib enables you to achieve varying thickness by adjusting the pressure and the angle of the pen, giving you a professional look".

I have been wearing this eyeliner daily for the last few days and I love it. Here’s the breakdown:

Texture, Opacity & Application: This marker has quite a thin consistency which allows for an incredibly smooth line to be drawn. This is the easiest eyeliner I have ever used; the only thing that comes close is the Bourjois Liner Feutre. Some eyeliner pens run out of ink halfway along the eye and need shaking before continuing but this one doesn’t do that. I find the nib makes it really easy to draw thick or thin lines depending on how hard you press. I was really very impressed by how well this eyeliner pen performed – I really recommend this to people who are new to liquid liner.

Colour: The thin consistency means two coats are probably needed if applying over eyeshadow especially shimmery ones. This doesn’t bother me at all because it is so easy to use. The colour left behind is a soft classic matte black. Once on, the colour stays true all day.

Packaging: I think the pen itself looks pretty awful and very 1980s. This is definitely a product that shouldn’t be judged by its cover. The plastic is very high quality and the lid ‘clicks’ securely into place meaning no chance of the product drying out or leaking everywhere.

Price & Availability: This is so cheap at £4.59 and I prefer it to my MAC Blacktrack Fluidline. Incredible.

This gets a huge 8/10. I would get a 10/10 if it was waterproof; I have noticed a very small amount of smudging when my eyes stream from waiting for my train in the freezing cold wind we seem to be having so much of. I love London but I hate the weather!

Sleek New Skin Revive Foundation Review.

What they say: “A light to medium coverage, silicone-based oil-free liquid foundation. The weightless formula creates a naked feel to the skin, good coverage and a natural flawless finish.
Apply a small amount then blend with a sponge or use a professional brush for a flawless look."

Texture & Coverage: The texture of this is really unique; when it comes out of the pump it almost holds its shape on the back of my hand. It feels more like a gel than a normal liquid foundation and blends really easily. I applied this with my Real Techniques slanted foundation brush and it left no streaks at all. It’s a light formula whilst giving quite a medium coverage. I would say this is comparable to MAC Face & Body in texture but with more coverage. As it is quite a hydrating foundation it feels really nice to wear all day especially in the cold weather we are having. A bit of powdering under the eyes and down the nose is probably needed depending on skin-type (mine is normal/dry).

Colour: This comes in a massive 30 shades which is amazing for any brand let alone a drugstore brand. I got mine in the lightest which is ‘Shell’ and it matches to my yellow-based pale skin really well. The 30 shades cover different undertones too so everyone from the palest to the darkest should have no problem finding a match to suit them.

Packaging: This comes in a glass bottle with a plastic pump. The packaging looks a bit cheap and tacky because the pump is in a horrible silvery-grey colour. Personally I think they should have designed it with a black pump in keeping with the rest of the brand’s packaging. The pump itself works brilliantly though, I use two pumps for my whole face.

Price & Availability: This is about £7 for 35ml which is amazing value. Sleek have done it again. I got mine from Superdrug and it’s available online here and in the US.

I give this a 7/10 – I prefer foundations to have slightly more coverage but that’s just a personal opinion and I wish the bottle’s looks lived up to the actual product inside.

Sleek Berry Collection: Mossberry Kohl Pencil Review.

What they say: “Sleek MakeUP’s gift to you this party season is the limited edition Berry collection! Get berrylicious this Christmas with this three piece collection featuring rich, sultry berry tones. Add a flush of warmth to your cheeks with Fenberry blush, for the perfect wash of crimson rose. Flattering festive eyes will be yours with Kohl Pencil in Mossberry, a deep burgundy chunky liner that is easily smudged for a cloud of berry-hued smokiness around the eye. Finally finish the look with True Colour lipstick in Cranberry, a matte mulled wine toned shade that will add a kick of spiciness to your party look!”

Texture: This is quite a hard pencil so I recommend warming it slightly with a hair dryer before trying to use on the eyes. I actually prefer to use this as a lipliner with the Cranberry Lipstick in the collection. As a lipliner I think the texture works really well – as an eyeliner I’m not too convinced.

Colour & Opacity: The colour is a beautiful purply wine colour, I’m not sure I can pull it off around the eyes though. As I said before the colour is perfect for the lips and blends in well with the colour of the Cranberry Lipstick.

Packaging: I love the chunkiness of this pencil, it’s the same size as the Mr Frosty pencil from Benefit. I find the size makes it surprisingly easy to line and define the lips. You will need a dual sharpener with this though.

Price & Availability: This comes with the rest of the collection for £9.99 from Superdrug.

This gets a 6/10 from me. It’s my least favourite piece from the collection but being good on the lips has saved it from being confined to the bottom of my makeup draw. Check out my reviews of the Cranberry Lipstick and the Fenberry Blush!

Sleek Berry Collection: Fenberry Blush Review.

I have a few Sleek blushes and the only one I used to use was the ‘Rose Gold’, not anymore. The colour of this is STUNNING.

What they say: “Sleek MakeUP’s gift to you this party season is the limited edition Berry collection! Get berrylicious this Christmas with this three piece collection featuring rich, sultry berry tones. Add a flush of warmth to your cheeks with Fenberry blush, for the perfect wash of crimson rose. Flattering festive eyes will be yours with Kohl Pencil in Mossberry, a deep burgundy chunky liner that is easily smudged for a cloud of berry-hued smokiness around the eye. Finally finish the look with True Colour lipstick in Cranberry, a matte mulled wine toned shade that will add a kick of spiciness to your party look!”

Texture: This is a matte blusher so it’s not quite as buttery as the Sleek shimmer blushes but it is still a dream to apply and blends flawlessly. Even though this is a matte texture it is far from chalky and as with all Sleek products it is highly pigmented. I think this is amazing quality and very wearable.

Colour: I love the colour of this. The matte texture allows this colour to be worn with a dark lip without being overwhelming. I really think Sleek have found the perfect partner to their Cranberry Lipstick (review here). I think this will work on many skin tones depending on how it’s applied.

Packaging: Again, I have no complaints on the packaging at all. The red foil writing on this one makes it stand out from the rest of my Sleek blushes and makes it look special.

Price & Availability: This comes in the Berry Collection which retails at £9.99 from Superdrug. Bargain.

8/10 – It is perfect for winter and Christmas parties. Check out my other two reviews of the Cranberry Lipstick and the Mossberry Kohl Pencil!

Sleek Berry Collection: Cranberry Lipstick Review.

What they say: “Sleek MakeUP’s gift to you this party season is the limited edition Berry collection! Get berrylicious this Christmas with this three piece collection featuring rich, sultry berry tones. Add a flush of warmth to your cheeks with Fenberry blush, for the perfect wash of crimson rose. Flattering festive eyes will be yours with Kohl Pencil in Mossberry, a deep burgundy chunky liner that is easily smudged for a cloud of berry-hued smokiness around the eye. Finally finish the look with True Colour lipstick in Cranberry, a matte mulled wine toned shade that will add a kick of spiciness to your party look!”

Texture: The texture of this lipstick isn’t too dissimilar to the texture of the MAC Matte lipsticks. It is quite drying so I recommend applying a light lip balm before wearing, without lip balm fine lines will also be accentuated. The matte formula makes the lasting power phenomenal, only light touch-ups are needed after eating or drinking. I don’t find this uncomfortable to wear at all.

Colour:  I love the colour of this; it’s a perfect pink-based dark red. I think it would suit a lot of skin tones from pale to dark. I have quite pale skin but it doesn’t drain any colour away from me, in fact it livens up my complexion well. I personally think this one is quite easy to pull off, far easier than the dark purples that are around at the moment.

Packaging: This comes in the standard Sleek packaging which apparently is similar to NARS. As this is part of a limited collection the writing on the lipstick is red foil instead of the normal patent black. I think it looks way more expensive than it is!

Price & Availability: The whole collection cost me £9.99 from Superdrug - quite a bargain considering you get a kohl pencil and a blush too (reviews to come). I really hope they make the lipstick permanent!

I’d like to give this a 7/10 – I don’t want to get too attached because I won’t be able to replace it. Check out my review of the Fenberry Blush and the Mossberry Kohl Pencil from this collection!

MAC Fascinating Eye Kohl Pencil Review.

What they say: “A soft-on pencil liner that lines, defines and shades the eyes with rich colour and a silky-smooth, matte/pearl finish. Ophthalmologist tested.”

Texture: This is definitely one of the best white eye eyeliners around. It glides on without tugging or pulling and doesn’t hurt to use on the waterline. I find that you only need to apply one layer for full opacity as it is extremely pigmented. Because this is a kohl pencil, it is also really great to use as a base for bright or light colours. I usually put this on in the morning and it lasts all day on me which is great considering it isn’t marketed as being long-lasting or waterproof.

Colour: This pencil really is a true white and really makes the eyes look wide-awake when worn on the waterline. I really think this is worth the money; Rimmel do make a white kohl pencil but it is much more sheer and doesn’t last as long.

Price & Availability: This is £13.00 from anywhere that sells MAC which is pretty much everywhere! It sounds expensive on first glance but I have had mine for well over 18 months, I use it every day, and it barely looks like I’ve touched it.

It’s another 5/5 from me - I may have to start reviewing things that I don’t like!

Bourjois Volume Fast & Perfect Mascara Review.

What they say: “Innovative new mascara : The new auto rotating brush instantly and evenly wraps around each lash for a false lash volume effect in 30 seconds flat* The brush rotates 360° and coats lashes from root to tip with no overloading guaranteed.”

Let me start by saying that this totally lives up to its claims. I think of this like an electric toothbrush – you just have to hold the brush in the right place and let it do the work for you.

Formula & Brush: The formula is a pretty standard volumising formula which is neither to dry and thick or too wet. The brush has quite densely packed bristles that really grab even the tiny corner lashes. The star of the show is the rotating wand – it really does work. There is no need to re-dip the brush because it deposits mascara from all sides. I found no clumping and it really separates all my lashes which is a great achievement for a volumising mascara.

Colour & Lasting Power: This comes in one colour which is called ‘Starting Black’. It is a true jet black. This lasted all day on me that includes a walk to the station in the wind, all day of work and an hour at the gym; pretty good if you ask me considering it isn’t water-proof.

Packaging: The packaging is cool, it has chequered detail in keeping with the racing theme.

Price & Availability: £11.99 from pretty much anywhere. £10 from ASOS online. The only other product that’s like this is the Dior 360° which retails at an eye-watering £29.50.  

5/5. It’s really great.

Louise Young LY24 Brush Review.

What they say: “Very fine brush for precision eyelining.”

Shape, Feel & Ease of Use: This brush is pretty much the same as the MAC 210; a very fine liner brush that is great with gel & liquid liners. The bristles are fairly long so they move and bend freely which allows for a very fluid line with minimal bumps or skips. The handle is also quite long and tends to get in the way and touch the mirror slightly when doing close-up work. I tend to use this brush in conjunction with a MAC 209; I use the LY24 to do the eyeline & the 209 to add in the flick. I find the taper & stiffness of the 209 is better for achieving a tidy and precise flick.

Quality: This is amazing quality. I have been using and cleaning this brush about five times a week for the past year and it still looks brand new.

Price & Availability: I bought mine from www.louiseyoungcosmetics.com and it was £11.00.

I give this a 4/5 – I wish the handle was slightly shorter to stop it touching the mirror! All in all, this brush is worth the hype in my opinion.

Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara Review.

What they say: “Sexy, sultry, pure unadulterated black mascara for full, voluminous lashes. It's as BAD as you want to be!”

Formula & Brush: This is a volumising mascara so the formula is quite dry and thick. I find it takes ages to build up any volume but after 3 coats it does give quite thick lashes. The brush is stupidly big; too big if you ask me and I don’t find it makes it very easy to get to the roots of the lashes without poking yourself in the eye.

Colour & Lasting Power: This review is on the black variation. I also have this in blue and I find it pointless but that’s another story! I have to say the colour is fabulous, a definite carbon black which is great. I also experienced no smudging or flaking and it lasts a whole day.

Packaging: As with all Benefit products, the packaging is divine. I love it. Very good quality and eye-catching.

Price & Availability: This is £16.50 for 8.5g of product. This does dry out quite quickly although not nearly as bad as YSL Faux Cils! That one’s a shocker. Personally I find this over-priced and over-hyped.

2.5/5. It isn’t a bad mascara, it just doesn’t blow me away. A cheaper dupe would be the Boots 17 Va Va Voom Volume mascara which is only £6.29, it’s virtually the same.

Sleek Storm Palette Review.

What they say: “The Storm i-Divine palette comprises of 12 strong and rich shades perfect for accentuating the eyes and creating natural looks. The velvet-touch consistency gives full and shimmering coverage to the eye lid for maximum effect. Each shade can be applied alone for a dramatic effect or mixed to create a personalised look.”

Texture & Payoff:  These eyeshadows are extremely pigmented and are a dream to blend. There are three matte shades and the rest are very metallic, as with all Sleek palettes the matte shadows can lend towards being slightly chalky. I always need to use a primer with these shadows; they last for about 4-5 hours on their own which is fine for an evening out but not for all day at work.

Colour: I think this palette is really versatile and has the right mix of light and dark colours. I would say this is quite similar to the Urban Decay Naked palette in terms of wear-ability. These can colours can also be used as liners and highlighters making it even more useful. This palette is great for creating loads of different smokey eye looks.

Packaging: This comes in a really high quality plastic palette with a good sized mirror in the lid. Very easy to transport. I wish all the palettes had their names written on the front, I have 6 Sleek palettes and I can never tell which one is which.

Price & Availability: This palette is only £6.49 for 12 gorgeous shadows which is just beyond a bargain. Available at all good Superdrug shops.

5/5. Sleek really give expensive brands a run for their money and this palette proves that.