Unboxing Pink Parcel UK - April 2019 Edition - City Breaks*

Long time no speak guys, I'm sorry for the mini hiatus but things have been a little bit hectic in LouLouLand over the last week or so, with a new addition (post coming soon x ), and a huge fatigue flare but I'm back and raring to go with a very late unboxing of April's Pink Parcel.

I know I seem to say this every month but changes are again a foot at Pink Parcel, in the last few weeks I've received 3 or 4 emails from Pink Parcel, and from the CEO of Pink Parcels talking about up and coming changes to the service. The biggest change seems to be a change in the price, from June not only will the price of the box increase but there will also be an additional charge for post and packaging. I'm not 100% sure about what the price changes on all plans will be and what the P&P options will be so I'll let you know when I get June's parcel and then hopefully all will be revealed.

I can't say that I'm that impressed with the whole price increase thing especially since the box has been so hitty missy lately but hopefully it will be a guarantee that things will get better. A new revamped website is due to launch on the 20th May and hopefully that will be just the start of a few positive changes.

As well emails about the price rise, and the new website, I also recently received an email from Pink Parcel about the box design, well it seems as though that is changing as well. In a bid to go more eco friendly, over the new few months Pink Parcel will be using up all of their old style Cosmopolitan and Betty Boxes before the launch of a new, both eco and user friendly box later this year. Again we'll have to wait and see what happens but as I've said on many occasions I would love a box that i can reuse so here's hoping Pink Parcel are listening|!

Anyways on to April's box - again this was an all pads box and again I only received 23 items in  total. They've definitely cut back on the amount of sanitary products in the box but as I've said before I usually have a lot of stuff in back up so it isn't really a big deal for me but if you have heavier or longer periods then I don't think you can rely on just your Pink Parcel any more. I really hope that this is a concern that Pink Parcel take on board. As nice as the Wants box is, the majority of people probably subscribe to Pink Parcel because of the sanitary protection and if you still need to go out and buy some then it kind of defeats the purpose the box. I've ordered a mixed tampon and pads box for May's delivery so I'm curious as to how many items that I'll get this month.

As much as I probably get Pink Parcel for the convenience of getting sanitary protection delivered to my door, it is the Wants box that I really look forward to, and thankfully April's was a good one. The theme of April's box was City Breaks, and all of the products inside were perfect for either when you're on the go, or for a bit of me time before you go away.

Laritzy Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick - Tidal - 3.1g - Full Size - RRP $20 / £20

First up an item from a company that seem to be a bit of a subscription box staple, Laritzy. I've tried a dew now including the fab Dew Pot from the March 2019 edition of Glossybox (read my post here) and some pencils but I can't recall trying any of their lip products before.

To the best of my knowledge Laritzy are either a US or a Canadian brand, that are vegan. a 100% cruelty free, and paraben free.

April's Pink Parcel contained one of two shades of Laritzy's Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick, which is a long wear, highly pigmented, matte liquid lip colour. It's water resistant, non drying, and all of the shades adapt to your own individual skin tone. The shade that I received is Tidal, which is described as a Deep Mauve, but I definitely think it has more than a little hint of berry to it.

The first thing you notice is the taste and scent, it has a very coconut, vanilla type scent. The texture itself is very creamy, and because of the slanted sponge doe foot applicator it's quite easy to apply, because of the colour and the texture though you need to be a bit careful when you apply it avoid a smeared, bleeding jammy doughnut type finish.

After a moment or two though the creamy glossy finish gradually disappears leaving at first a semi matte, and eventually a true matte finish. As it dries you can feel a slightly tightening of the lips, but it isn't uncomfortable. Once it dries down there is hardly any risk of smearing or transfer - the colour stays put.

Despite the long wear and the matte finish I didn't find this that drying. Like all matte lip products it emphasised my lip lines, and the odd dry patch but it certainly didn't make my lips any drier. As I say the wear time was excellent and it faded fairly evenly - Even after countless cold drinks and salad with an oil based dressing, the outline was still strong and my lips were still covered in colour. 

It comes across as quite a deep berry shade on me, and it's a shade that I wouldn't normally wear but I do think that it works, not so much now if your a stickler for brights for the spring and summer, but come autumn and winter I think that this shade would be simply perfect. This product comes in loads of colours though so even if this shade isn't for you then I'm sure you would find something that would work for you on the Laritzy website.

INC.redible Be Shore To Shine Nourishing Sheet Mask - 1 Sheet Mask - 20ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £5

Next up a face mask, and every Pink Parcel in April contained 1 of 3 sheet masks from Nails Inc's beauty brand INC.redible. The mask I received in my box was crystal mermaid themed, and is specifically designed for tired skin. Containing seaweed, soy bean, and hyaluronate, this mask aims to nourish, energise, rejuvenate and soften the skin. I haven't had a chance to try this yet . but you can read my thoughts on another of the INC.redible masks here, and of course I'll let you know in due course what I think about this one. I can't find this specific mask online but the rest of the sheet masks in the  INC.redible range retail at around £5.

Daily Concepts Exfoliating Body Scrubber - Full Size - Est. RRP £5.17 - £5.19

Now I used to be a bath person, and to be honest if I still had a bath in my house I probably still would be, but now finally I get showers, they aren't really about relaxing their designed to get you clean as whistle in a matter of minutes. When it comes to showers I switch my products up all of the time but something that remains constant it my shower scrunchie, or body puff or dougal or whatever else you choose to call that ball of scrunched up net. It does exactly what I want it to and it's easy to clean just stick it in the washer every now and then and if it falls apart they're cheap enough to replace. Thing is though they probably aren't the most eco friendly of items, so that's why I was pretty pleased to receive something just that bit different in April's Pink Parcel. 

Made in North America the Daily Concepts Exfoliating Body Scrubber is clinically allergy and dermatologist tested, and it's environmentally friendly. The foam inside the scrubber is soy based which helps increase the foaming and effectiveness of any shower product. 

The scrubber itself features a slightly more abrasive side which features a cotton base layer, and nylon exfoliating loops, and a slightly gentler side with a cotton handle, and a cotton based towelling finish. The scrubber also features smart technology which lets you know when you need to replace you scrubber. In the picture below you can see a label which says "It's Me Time" - the writing on the label will gradually fade as you use the product until it completely disappears after around 90 days of use so you now when it needs replacing x

I haven't had a chance to use this yet but I do like the whole more eco friendly concept, and the quicker and simpler way of exfoliating. If you fancy trying one of these for yourself then you can buy one direct from Daily Concepts or from Amazon UK

Merci Handy Love & Hand Cleansing Gel - Cherie Cherry - 30ml - Full Size - RRP £3

Now I've had a few of these Merci Handy gels in the Flower Power fragrance already from various subscription boxes mainly the new defunct My Little Box UK, but I've never tried this particular fragrance before.

When I see the word cherry on a beauty product, it normally turns me right off, I hate bitter almond and a lot of cherry scents so I normally avoid them like the plague but thankfully this scent is more inspired by cherry blossom, so it is in fact a pleasant but quite strong floral, perfume type scent.

Just a small amount of this alcohol based gel, which contains eco friendly emollient pearls, cleanses and freshens hands, without leaving them too wet, dry, or sticky. The scent does linger with this particular one so it probably isn't ideal if your going to eating or preparing food but it does the job and cleanses your hands without water. 

The Merci Handy Love & Hand Cleansing Gel - Cherie Cherry comes in a pocket friendly 30ml bottle, and retails at £3. It's available from various retailers including direct from Merci Handy and Skinnydip London.

Dr.Organic Bioactive Skincare Tea Tree Wet Wipes x 20 Wipes - Full Size - RRP £2.99

There are two things that I normally keep in my handbag - hand sanitising gel, and some form of face or wet wipes, and April's Pink Parcel included both. 

Dr Organic are a UK natural based beauty brand, none of their products are tested on animals and they are all free from parabens, SLS, synthetic colours, DEA, phthalates, petroleum, glycols, mineral oil, silicones, and GM ingredients, and this particular product is also vegan.

Contains bioactive and organic, tea tree and aloe vera, these wipes are designed to cleanse, revitalise and refresh the face and hands.

Officially described as fragrance free they do have a slight tea tree scent combined with that slightly strange aroma that fragrance free products often have. These are a thick decent quality wipe and they are very wet to the touch. I haven't used these on my face but I have been using them to freshen up my hands and to clean make up swatches and as you can see the results even on a long wear product like the Laritzy lip colour, are pretty impressive.

These wipes retail at around £2.99 a packet and are available from various retailers including Holland and Barrett 

Fiat 500 For Her Eau De Toilette - 2ml

The final beauty product in April's Pink Parcel was a fragrance, and as I've said on many occasions I love trying out new scents so receiving a little perfume vial in a subscription box in my opinion is as good a way as any to try something new with very little risk.

Now we all know that Fiat are a famous Italian car manufacturer but did you know that they've now branched out into fragrance? Well they have, and I believe that Fiat 500 is their first female scent. The full size fragrance comes in a striking car bumper design bottle but here we just have a mini spray vial.

I don't know about you but I can normally tell within a few sniffs whether or not I'm going to like a fragrance, and I liked this one straight away. There was something that drew me to it and there was something that smelled quite familiar but what was it? I used it a couple of times and then I realised what it was - the Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater & Peppercorn Hand Therapy cream that I received on Day 19 of last years Glossybox All I Want Advent Calendar (read my review here).

It doesn't smell exactly the same but every time I've sprayed it or worn it, the first thing that I can smell is one of the key top notes of pink pepper, combined with the fruitiness of mandarin and lychee, then throw in two of my other favourite scents gardenia and jasmine, and it's no surprise that this one was a winner. It's fresh, yet warm, floral and spicy all at the same time.

My one complaint is that it didn't seem to last that long on me but never the less I would still consider buying the full size in the future. It comes in both a 50ml size which retails at around £29 and a 100ml which has an RRP of around £39, and it's available from various retailers including Debenhams.

Seed And Bean Organic Fine Dark Chocolate Sweet Orange And Thyme - The Little One - 25g - RRP £1.20

Ah Chocolate! No matter how much chocolate that I consumed over Easter there is always room for more, and this bar was a nice contrast to all of the sickly milk and white chocolate that I consumed over Easter. Seed and Bean are a 100% organic, British brand who produced a fabulous range of high quality chocolate, with some unusual flavourings. 

This particular bar is vegan and contains 58% cocoa, it's also palm oil free and the packaging including the foil is full compostable. This was a gorgeous rich dark chocolate with a nice citrus kick, and herbal green notes of thyme. I don't think this flavour will be for everybody but if you like the taste of Earl Grey and more adult citrus tastes then this could be something to try. This sized bar retails at around £1.20 and is available directly from Seed and Bean, and from various other retailers including Amazon UK

t+ Multea Lemon & Peach Green Tea + Vitamins - 1 x Tea Bag - 2g

Finally the drink and another regular brand for Pink Parcel t+. From the same stable as Vitabiotics, I've had a few different tea bags from this brand now and thanks to Mummy Lou I still haven't managed to try any of them yet, maybe this will be the one! It's basically a lemon and peach flavoured green tea bag that contains vitamins B12, C and Folic Acid. It retails at around £3.49 for 15 tea bags, and it's available from various retailers including Tea Plus direct and Amazon UK

So that was April's Pink Parcel, and despite the promise of change and the usual gripes, this was a pretty decent box, the value was certainly there and I'll use all of the products inside. What will May's box bring we'll well see x Let me know your thoughts in this box in the comments x

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

Unboxing Glossybox UK - March 2019 - The Empowerment Edition*

After the special Valentines Day, heart theme of the February box, the March edition of Glossybox has gone back to basics with a return to the traditional box colour palette of pink and black. The box itself is in the trademark dusky pink, the lining is black and pink, the paper shred is black, and the products inside are wrapped in pink tissue paper tied with a black ribbon. I love the limited editions that Glossybox often have but at the same time there is something quite stylish about their original black and pink design.

Underneath the ribbon, as per usual you find an information card, telling you about the box and the products inside, normally it's just a double side piece of card but in this box it's changed to a four page fold out booklet x

The theme of March's Glossybox is Empowerment and the box contains 5 product that are created by innovative and go getting entrepreneurs, sounds good doesn't it? but what is inside? well let's pull back the ribbon, and see...

Bellapierre Kiss Proof Lip Creme - Incognito - 3.6ml - Full Size - RRP £20

The first product is a full size item from Bellapierre. I've tried a few products for Bellapierre over the years, and my first product was one of their fabulous multi purpose, mineral pigment stacks. In the early days they were known just as a toxin, paraben and cruelty free, mineral make up brand, but nowadays they offer so much much more than just pigments and powders.

In March's Glossybox every subscriber received a full sized Kiss Proof Lip Creme. These are full coverage, long wear, liquid lipsticks, that go like a cream and have a matte finish. Glossybox customers were randomly sent one of 4 shades and the one I received was Incognito which is officially described as a "muted peach nude".

As you can see from the swatch below the pigmentation is superb, you only need a small amount of product for full coverage. Thanks to the slanted doe foot style sponge, applicator it's really easy to apply and it's easy to accentuate and stay within the lines of your lips. At first it looks quite creamy, but give it a minute or so to dry(the colour darkens slightly as it dries), and you are left with a matte, but not flat finish. Like all matte products it is slightly drying, and it does tend to cling to any dry bits that you have on your lips but it certainly isn't the most moisture sapping product that I've ever used. 

What about wear time, well it's pretty fantastic as it turns out. I've only managed to wear this twice so far but it's survived mashed potato, vegetable stew, and ice cream, and it still stayed put. It's pretty easy to reapply but if you don't bother to touch up it gradually fades and eventually it goes a little bit bitty. When I took my make up off last night there was still a bit colour of coming off my lips so yeah this is pretty long wearing. Obviously the matte look isn't for everyone though so if you wanted to put a gloss on over the top you could change the look and the finish. If you read any of my Glossybox Advent Calendar unboxing posts then you might have seen me mention a product called the Bellapierre Kiss Proof Lip Finish (You can have a read here if you haven't seen it). That product is specifically designed to be used alongside these lip cremes to add gloss, and prolong the life of your lip colour. I haven't tried the two together yet but it's definitely something that I'm going to be trying soon.

So nice colour, super long wearing, it should be love, and it very nearly is bar one thing! In application it doesn't smell too bad, a slight synthetic fruity scent but nothing too nasty, as it dries though it develops a not very pleasant plastic, newspaper, rubbery scent and taste, which lingers for as long as the colour does. To be honest I'm quite devastated about it, I love the product and I would happily buy more based on my initial impressions if it wasn't for the taste and scent. I'm hoping some flavoured balm or gloss while eradicate it, but only time will tell.

Bellapierre Kiss Proof Lip Cremes retail at £20, and are available from various retailers including Bellapierre direct, Look Fantastic, and Beauty Expert.

BYBI Plumper Lip Balm - 10ml - Full Size - RRP £9 

Next up the product that was trailed in last months box from 100% natural, cruelty free, and vegan company BYBI. Available from both ASOS and their own website, this full size, plumping lip balm is designed to soften, restore and protect the lips. It contains Shea butter, orange and grape seed oil, peppermint, cinnamon and chilli. 

At first glance the tube looks like it's made out of plastic, but it's actually an eco tube made out of sugar cane rather than plastic, so it's 100% biodegradable, and recyclable. The tube itself is quite hard to squeeze, not because of what it's made of but because of the thick consistency of the balm. The yellowish, waxy balm is really thick so you only need a really small amount. Despite it's thickness it melts on contact with the lips and its quite easy to massage in. With a a cinnamon and mint flavour and scent, it leaves a nice sheen on the lips. I did experience a slight tingling sensation, but it definitely wasn't painful or uncomfortable. Unfortunately I didn't manage to take any pictures of it on  but I didn't really notice any real change in their volume, I definitely noticed a change in the smoothness of my lips though and I like how it looked and how it felt so I'm definitely going to keep at and see if makes any difference to the condition of my lips in the long term.

Laritzy Cosmetics Dew Pot - Utopia - 3.5g - Full Size - RRP $20 / £15.30 - £20

Next up another make up item, and this is an item from one of those brands that you only ever seem to see in subscription boxed. I've tried a few bits from this Candian /US based, 100% cruelty free and vegan brand before, and I've always been pretty impressed. In fact I've already tried one of the Dew Pots before after receiving in August 2018's Pink Parcel (click here to watch my unboxing). The colour I received then was Wonder, an icy white, but in this edition of Glossybox I received Utopia, a warm rose gold. I know it looks as though there is more than one colour in the put here but I think it's just a slight separation of the pigment - now that I've swatched it, the whole pot looks the same colour

Dew Pots are basically smooth and creamy blend able highlighters, that suit all skin tones and all skin types. Because they are so creamy, you only need a small amount to add a subtle, dewy glow to the skin, but you can add more for a more dramatic effect. 

I've just applied a bit to my cheekbones here to add a bit of a glow. because it's so smooth and creamy it's really easy to apply it with your fingers, just pot a few dots on and then blend it in. You could use a brush or a sponge, but fingers do the job just fine. You can use it on top of make up or directly onto bare skin but I've used it on top of a face powder here, and it still blends in pretty well without too much caking.

I do love a highlighter so I'm always happy to add new ones to my collection, and this one is super pretty. This isn't the easiest of brand to get in the UK but you can buy this product direct from Laritzy and you can also buy it from the Pink Parcel Shop.

Essence Instant Matte Make Up Setting Spray - 50ml - Full Size - RRP £3

The fourth product in this months Glossybox, is from one of my favourite budget brands, the female founded Essence. I've been lucky enough to have worked with Essence in the past and I've bought products from them for years both Europe and now from Wilko.com in the UK. 

I have to say I'm a tiny bit cynical when it comes to facial sprays, and setting mists, do they actually work or is it just the quality of the make up underneath? I'm not sure but I still continue to buy them and use them. This is a new one to me though, it's oil free, lightweight and non sticky and it aims to mattify the skin, set make up and make it last longer.

I haven't had too much of a chance to use this yet, but based on a couple of squirts, it feels cooling on the skin  and it doesn't really have any scent bar that synthetic scent that fragrance free products often have. It did make my eyes water a little bit but I like the mattifying idea so I'm going to try integrate this product into my make up routine over the next few weeks to see how it performs. This is a full 50ml size which is valued at £3 and it's perfect for both your handbag and you dressing table.

The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter - 50ml - RRP £6

If you've been reading my blog for a while now then you'll know that I'm a bit of a fan of The Body Shop. I've been lucky enough to work with them on several occasions. I love a lot of their products but one of my long term favourites has to be their body butters. 

I've lost count of how many different scents that I've tried over the years, and March's Glossybox contained a 50ml size in either Shea, Coconut or Wild Argan. The one I received was their Coconut Body Butter. I would be the first to admit that coconut isn't my favourite scent but there is something about this particular product that I love. Containing virgin coconut oil from Samoa and Polynesia, this stuff has a real, fresh coconut scent, that a million miles away from the synthetic scent of so many coconut based body products. This is one of their ultra creamy body butters that is designed for dry to extra dry skin. It takes a while to absorb but it's worth the wait.

Because you need so little this 50ml size which retails at £6.00 will last you for ages, and give you that summer feeling even when it's snowing outside!!

So those 5 products made up March's Glossybox, and despite the odd quirk I'm very happy with the contents. I'll use all of the products, and all of the products bar the body butter are full sized, and even that is a decent, retail size. Considering the Bellapierre Lip Creme retails at £20, and the whole box on my plan retails at £13.25, again March's Glossybox is excellent value for money. The sneaky peek for April's Fruity and Floral themed box, is a Pomegranate Superfood Regenerating Sleeping Mask from Dr Botanicals, so if you're interested in getting your own box with a bit of a discount, then click my link to find out more x Let me know your thoughts on this box in the comments below, and if you have any questions please let me know xx 

Illamasqua Extinct "Go Nude" Lip Kit And Birthday Giveaway - CLOSED

Bar a brief affair with dark, vampy lips when I was in my teens and my current obsession with pink lipstick, I've always been a nude girl at heart. When I first started blogging the trend was for those blank out, dead looking nudes like Barry M 101 and GOSH Darling. They were were dry, cakey and unflattering yet we still bought them in droves and thought we looked like the bees knees! Hindsight is a wonderful thing!

Thankfully though the nude lip has moved on and whilst you can still pick up a concealer like nude if that's your thing, you can now find a multitude of nude lip shades, with warmer and more flattering undertones, to suit all skin tones, and all tastes.

I have quite a few in my collection now but you know me, I'm always looking to try something new and a bit different, so just before Christmas I picked up a lip kit from one of the most talked about brands of the moment, Illamasqua.

I don't own a lot of Illamasqua products compared to some other brands out there but I really like the ones that I do have, and I also love the ethics behind the company. I love both their powder and their cream blushers, I love their nail polishes, and I'm a big fan of some of their cream eye products. I've got to be honest and say though, the only thing that I've ever been disappointed with was one of their lipsticks. On reflection I think it was the colour and the texture that were to blame, Sonnet is described as a matte peachy nude, and looking back it was one of those nudes that just didn't flatter my skin tone, and I wasn't a huge fan of the matte finish at the time. Every brand deserves a second chance and the perfect way to try three different lip products at once was to get my hands of one their Christmas kits.

Released as part of the Extinct collection, the Illamasqua Extinct Go Nude Lip Kit was a limited edition for the festive season and retailed at £40 which was a pretty decent saving compared to buying the 3 products inside individually. The products come in a beautiful magnetic fastening box which features a metallic, holographic butterfly design.

Open the box and you're greeted by more metallic, holographic loveliness, and three full sized lip products, in three different formulations and in 3 different, flattering shades of nude.

Illamasqua Glamore Lipstick - Starkers - 4g

As I said before my previous Illamasqua lipstick experience wasn't the best, the colour wasn't that flattering, and I wasn't really a fan of the matte finish. The lipstick in this kit though is one of Illamasqua's Glamore Lipsticks which has more of a satin finish.

The shade that you get is Starkers, which is officially described as a soft flesh pink tone. Compared to a lot of nudes from back in the day, Starkers has a lot of warmth to it, it isn't too brown though, and instead it's a nice balance between peach, brown, and pink, and I think that it's a colour that would suit a lot of different skin tones.

As you can see the pigmentation is excellent, it applies easily without dragging and whilst it's not the most moisturising lipstick I've ever worn, it feels pleasant on the lips and it wears well, and fades evenly. 

All in all this is a decent formulation it wears well, and the colour is a nice wearable nude, that doesn't make you look ill lol. Illamasqua Glamore Lipstick in Starkers retails at £19.50 for an 8g tube.

Illamasqua Lip Lure - Bloom - 2.5ml

One of the biggest trend in lips at the moment, has to the liquid lipstick. Thanks to a certain reality TV star, liquid lipsticks are the thing to have in your make up bag. Whilst the real trend at the moment is for a matte liquid lip, the Illamasqua Lip Lure that you get in this kit actually has more of a semi gloss like finish

The shade that you get is Bloom, which is described as a pink nude, it definitely has a lot more pink in it then Starkers does, and in fact I would probably describe it as more of a neutral, warm pink, than an out and out nude.

Although this product is very pigmented, the precise shape of the sponge applicator makes it super easy to both outline and fill in your lips.

As I say this product is described as having a semi gloss finish, it's very pigmented and it feels quite wet on the lips, and it definitely behaves more like a lipgloss than a conventional lipstick, but it doesn't have the shine of a gloss, and because of the pigmentation it lasts a lot longer on the lips than a normal lipgloss would.

I've got to be honest and say that matte liquid lipsticks scare me a little, I've seen a few online that look really, really drying and as someone who has dry lips already, the idea of lipstick and crusty lips is not a good one. If you feel like I do then maybe the Illamasqua Lip Lure formulation is a one to try. You get the convenience and the pigmentation of a liquid lipstick but with none of the parched, matte look, and feel. Illamasqua Lip Lure in Bloom retails at £19.50 for a 2.5ml tube.

Illamasqua Lip Colouring Pencil - Woo - 1.4g

Lip pencils are one of those things that go in and out of fashion - I'm sure like me you know or knew somebody that insisted on wearing a dark liner with a pale lipstick. Terrifying and  unfortunately a trend that never seems to die with some people. It's frightening and unfortunately I think it's put some people off lip liner for life! I must admit I don't always use lip liner, but when I do use I can never understand why I don't use it all the time.

Done right lip liner can make all of the difference, if you have uneven lips like I do, then you can create your own even lip line in an instant and if you're clever you can even give yourself a fuller pout without a needle in sight. It's all about getting the colour right though, so go for a clear / silicone pencil or go for a one that goes with a few different lipsticks. This particular kit comes with an Illamasqua Lip Colouring Pencil in the shade Woo which is described as a soft nude. Again it isn'\t a concealer nude shade, it has a lot of brown in it, a bit of peach and a bit of pink. Personally I wouldn't use it alongside the Lip Lure which I think it a bit too pink but with careful blending and application you could definitely use it alongside Starkers which is just a touch lighter.

This is a nice soft pencil with good staying power. It isn't too soft though so it is easy to sharpen and it's easy to create a nice and defined line.

Obviously you can use it with any lipstick to line, define and reshape the lips, but like you can see below I've actually been using this pencil to fill in all of my lips. Not only does this give you another colour option, but you can also use it underneath either a sheer gloss (Benefit Hoola works really will with this one) or underneath another lipstick to make you lip colour last even longer.

Despite the bad press that they've had over the years, I really think that the lip liner does still have a place in our beauty routines. Get a good, wearable shade like this one and you can use it reshape and even up your lips, and you can also use it to get the most out of the other products in your lip wardrobe. Illamasqua Lip Colouring Pencil in Woo retails at £16 for 1.4g of product.

I think that kits like this give you a great opportunity to try out some new things, and I'm pretty pleased that I took a chance on this one. I've really enjoyed using all of the products in this kit, and I've enjoyed experimenting with different textures and different shades of nude. My best discovery is without a doubt the Lip Lure, I loved the colour, and the almost buttery, cushiony texture, and I definitely prefer the semi gloss finish, to some of the matte liquid lipsticks that I've seen elsewhere, Throw in the fact the Illamasqua are a ethical and animal friendly brand, and this kit really was a winner in more ways that one.

I have to say this though, after searching online I can't find this specific kit anywhere :( It was a Christmas kit and it looks as though the stock has gone for good. Don't worry though you can still buy all of the products individually all be it for a little bit more money, from various retailers including the Illamasqua website, Selfridges, Debenhams, and Beauty Bay.

However, I did mention in my previous post that I would be holding a little giveaway to celebrate my 10th blogging birthday, so if you want to get your hands on your own, and now very hard to find Illamasqua Extinct Go Nude Lip Kit than all you need to do is fill in the entry form below before the 18th March.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


This giveaway will be open worldwide, and you must be a follower of my blog in order to enter, I will be checking so please make sure that you fulfil all of the entry criteria x If you have any questions please leave me a comment and good luck x