Mac “Stone” Lipstick

Posted on July 21, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Having been a cult favorite for some time now, Mac cosmetics has finally come out with some of their signature lip pencils in lipstick form. The color “Stone” is a sexy matte greyish taupe brown that is so on trend right now! This color is muted on its own for everyday use or can be vamped up with some gloss on top for a sexy night transition. I personally would not wear it unless I had a full face just because it makes my skin tone look a little sickly on its own. With a nice highlight and blush, cat eye and bold lashes this lippie is sure to call everyone’s attention. Check it out on Mac’s website or try it on in store! Link down below.

Toodles, Ari

Charlotte Tilbury

Posted on June 26, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Well, Well, Well guess who finally caved and bought some Charlotte Tilbury products. Yes you guessed it, little old me (Gwen). I have been wanting to try some of her products for about a year now but as you may or may not know they are pretty pricey. I am the kind of girl who will save her pennies for a few months and prance my way into a shop excited to bring some new goodies home.

On to the Brand, or shall I say the woman behind the brand. Charlotte Tilbury has been a makeup artist working in the fashion and beauty industry for over 20 years. She attended the Glauca Rossi school of makeup in London, took all of the tips and tricks she has learned and created her own line of skincare and cosmetics. Her products are loved by many celebrities as she often creates the looks for red carpet events and photo shoots. Well then on to what I purchased right?

I picked up the setting powder, blusher, concealer and lipstick. Below you’ll find further description of each product and my final thoughts. Also isn’t the packaging to die for? Such a sucker for anything rose gold! The Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder is described as a breathable micro-fine powder with soft focus made to blur away lines and imperfections. It also has rose wax and almond oil which keep the skin hydrated. I have been testing this powder out for about two weeks now and I love the velvety texture of it. I also love how it is very lightweight and does not give that sort of caked on powdered look.

The Cheek to Chic swish and pop blusher is meant to provide a youthful flush of color on your cheeks. It has a creamy and buildable formula along with a light flex technology made to provide a luminous finish. I chose the shade Ecstacy and I feel it is a great peachy pink color, especially on sun kissed skin. It it suggested that your swirl your brush around the outer part of the blush blending it towards the temples of your cheek bones, you then pop the middle shade onto the apples of your cheeks (hence the name swish and pop).

The Retoucher Concealer is described to have ultra covering, and color correcting texture with a hydrating complex of black tea which provides moisture to the under eye area. It is also made with a lipo-siliconic compound made to create a natural veil of color blending seamlessly into the skin diminishing the look of lines and pores. I personally think it does a great job at illuminating the under eye area (if you like that Kim Kardashian sort of look as I do) but I have not noticed any of the other claims.

Matte Revolution lipstick is the last item I purchased in the shade “Red Carpet Red“. What’s really unique about this lipstick is the square shaped tip making it a bit easier for application as it mimics a lip brush. It is also infused with lipstick tree and orchard extract which keep your lips hydrated. It was also created with 3D glowing pigments which create the illusion of fuller and wider lips. As a self proclaimed lipstick lover I truly love the formulation of this lipstick. It wears well (for a good 5 hours with mild eating) it does not feel drying and the shade I chose is the perfect red!

Hope you all enjoyed this haul/review of my new found loves. If I had to choose two products out of the four as total must haves they would be the Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder and the Matte Revolution Lipstick. The Blusher and Concealer are products you could find from other inexpensive brands.

These along with her other products are available on her website Charlotte Tilbury . Although I purchased my items at Selfridges in London because you are able to book an appointment and have a makeup artist apply the products before making your final purchase.

Till my next post,

xx, Gwen

Real Techniques Sculpting Set

Posted on June 15, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Makeup brushes are the kind of item that will either make or break your look, am I right ladies? I am not one to normally splurge on brushes because I believe you can achieve flawless looks with some of the lower end brands, which brings me to speak about Real Techniques! This is by far my favorite brand of brushes! They are affordable, blend amazingly well and do not shed. I own quite a few of them as does Ari and we both absolutely adore them.

If you haven’t heard of Real techniques, it is a brand launched by two sisters (Sam and Nicole chapman). In 2008 they started a YouTube channel and then followed with the launch of their brushes in 2011. They now sell a wide array of brushes ranging from $6-$26.

Now this set I will be speaking about is the sculpting kit ($20). It comes with three brushes, one for sculpting, a fan brush and a setting one. Here’s a closer look

From left to right:

Sculpting brush is great for contouring. It’s angled shape fits perfectly into the hollows of your cheek bones and it is dense enough where it doesn’t grab too much product. Just make the fishy face blend the product and you’re good to go!

Fan Brush is exclusive to the set and it is utter perfection! It’s thin and fluffy enough where a light dusting of product is distributed. I feel this one is perfect for highlight on top on your cheek bones, tops of your brows, center of the nose and cupid’s bow.

Setting brush is another amazing brush! Setting under the eyes can be a bit tricky but with this one it fits nicely under your eyes or anywhere else you want to set (such as your t-zone for my oily girls).

All three of these brushes are super soft and blend products with ease. They can also be used on powder, cream and liquid formulas. What more could a girl ask for?
Hope you all enjoyed this review of my new favorite brushes! Do you guys have any Real Techniques favorites? If so let me know which ones in a comment! I believe this set is sold out on their website but can be found at Superdrug and Feelunique in the UK and at Ulta in the US.

Till next time lovelies,

xx, Gwen

Makeup Forever-Blue Sepia Palette Review

Posted on June 3, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Today I bring to you this limited edition makeup forever eye shadow palette “Blue Sepia”. I found this lovely at my local Marshalls for the low price of $16.99 compared to its original price of $45! It is an older season item but can still be found online and or in stores like TJMAXX and Marshalls. Inspired by the 1950’s it features a petrol sparkling blue color that really makes your eye pop! I mainly was attracted to it because of the varying soft brown shades that I figured were perfect to use as a base or transitional colors for any shadow look. Two shades are completely matte and even perfect for use on your eyebrows! It also came with a mini double ended shader brush, crease and an angled eyebrow brush not pictured here as I could not find them after use. It is compact and perfect to throw in a travel bag for everyday neutral looks while having the black and blue color options to intensify it to your liking for night.

The pigmentation varies with each color (the darker matte colors show up a lot easier on my tan skin). Feel free to use a medium like fix plus or eye drops to intensify the iridescent or satin colors. Pictures below are with and without flash.

Until the next one, XOXO Ari

New product alert: Covergirl Review

Posted on May 19, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Hi there lovelies! Fun news: Covergirl was gracious enough to contact us and mail out two new products that are just about to launch! Super exciting right? One of my favorites from Covergirl is the Lashblast Fusion Mascara, makes them really pop! Naturally I was elated when we were sent this package with their new mascara and eyeliner. I’ll be demonstrating some before and after photos and of course per usual give you my honest opinion on these products. Let’s begin!

The mascara is called the “super sizer” and it claims to build up to 400% more corner to corner volume. The applicator brush is made of rubber and it starts off thin and becomes fuller as you reach the top. There are also tiny little bristles in between the larger ones for an added grip on your lashes.

“Intensify Me” is a liquid liner but has the control of a pencil liner. The paddle shaped tip gives you two looks in one, lay it flat and it creates a thick and dramatic line turn it sideways creating a thin and elegant line.

Here are some before and after photos (now please be kind everyone I am not wearing any concealer and my under eye lines/ bags are insane)

Natural Lashes

Two coats of the super size mascara

Thin application of the intensify me eyeliner

My overall thoughts: I feel the mascara is great for lengthening as you can tell in the photo they practically touched my brows after applying two coats. The formula isn’t too wet or gloopy which I really like and my lashes also appeared darker, this is due to the smaller bristles I mentioned before. Does it volumize your lashes? I don’t think it does as much volumizing as I would like it to. I feel this had a more lengthening affect on me.

On to the liner: I really loved the concept of the paddle tip making super easy to use either side for whichever look you’re going for. The formula dries quickly leaving a satin finish. As I mentioned above I am awful at applying liquid liner but this consistency is really smooth and glides on beautifully!

Thank you again Covergirl. Such a pleasure working with you!

Signing off as

Easy, Breezy Beautiful Cover-Gwen

Fresca Vox Box Review

Posted on May 17, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

All I can say is WOW! I received this influentster fresca vox box complimentary in the mail and was amazed at the amount and quality of the products. Each item was sent for testing purposes and I couldn’t be more excited to share with you guys my honest opinion on the products. Lets get started!

First things first lets talk about the fact that I was actually in need of shaving cream, bonus! This shaving cream from the brand Pure Silk has a cool spray nozzle and luxurious feel and smell. It lathers well and leaves my skin feeling super smooth. The coolest feature is that the can itself is rust proof aluminum which leaves no room for that unsightly gross brown residue anywhere near your shower.
The neutrogena healthy skin boosters facial cleanser is compared to other neutrogena products. It smells great, minimal lather and not too over drying (although I always use a moisturizer after regardless).
I am obviously already tanned skin but my legs are always a shade lighter then some other parts of my body since they don’t see the light as much. This Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs product goes on smooth, its easy to blend in and a little goes a long way. It just provides a slight wash of color to even out your skin tone (it will not cover any bruises or imperfections as I was hoping). It works well If I was ever in a bind and needed to even out tan lines or my pale legs.
The NYC expert last lip lacquer is definitely top 2 items received in this box. The color pigmentation is outstanding and its not sticky at all. With a pleasant candy smell, high shine and only priced at 3.99 you really can’t lose. I would have never purchased this product and now am obsessed and want to buy all of the colors!
Lastly one of the most surprising and cool items were the Jafra Blends of various mix and match scents. These remind of of essential oils and last a lot longer than some traditional perfumes. The scents vary from Blackberry Juniper Magnolia, Sea Salt Rose Petals and Violet Pomegranate. All of the scents smell spectacular (my favorite being Sea Salt Rose Petals). They are fresh, clean and I love the fact that you can mix and match. Everyones phermones are different and the combinations are endless on different people! You can basically customize your scent and tailor it depending on your mood. Such a cool concept and product and I definitely would purchase the larger bottle in Sea Salt Rose Petals.
I did not try the Not Your Mothers Shampoo and Conditioner seeing as I prefer using curly hair friendlier products (all natural) but Im sure they would go great with my sister Gwen’s hair type and I will be saving them for her to test out.

Thank you once again to Influenster for sending this vox box over for review!

XOXO Ari

Paris is always a good idea

Posted on May 2, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Another bank holiday has rolled around in England causing the urge to book a quick city break. I chose Paris! the city of lights, one of those most magical and romantic cities of all time (so I’ve heard). I am insanely excited! I wanted to quickly share with you all what I packed for my long weekend getaway. Focusing on makeup and some key pieces I felt were necessary. I also got some fun tips from “Parisian Chic” a style guide by Ines de la Fressange. Let’s begin!

Choosing what makeup to bring is always so hard for me, especially lipsticks I mean how can a girl anticipate what color she’ll want to wear for the next three days? (Champagne problems). I tried to focus on my holy grail products and a variety of what I consider to be classic lip shades.

For clothes I pretty much chose basics ie; jeans, a denim button down, striped t-shirt and a little black dress for a night out. Two pieces I want to give special attention to are my faux leather jacket and side slit blouse. I purchased them both at Newlook.

A motorcycle inspired jacket can easily transform an outfit into chic and edgy. I love the contrast of pairing it with something a bit more feminine to balance out the asthetic of the look.

This side slit blouse is all the rave in London (I’m assuming it is back home as well). I love the slight sexiness it posses as you’re mostly covered up in the chest area but can show off a bit of skin without being too much.

If you haven’t already noticed I am pretty much obsessed with wearing black. Normally I am all about color but lately black pieces have taken over my wardrobe. Wearing black makes me feel like I’m in a classic piece (even if it’s only a plain black t-shirt). This was also confirmed while reading the “Parisian Chic” book.

Stay tuned for my Paris adventures!

xx Gwen

Maybe she’s born with it

Posted on April 13, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Spring time is finally upon us! I am so excited to bring out some bolder and brighter lip colors now that the sun has decided to come out and play. Maybelline has launched some fun new products lately including these velvet lipstick pencils. I first purchased two colors from the Maybelline Color Drama range back when I attended London Fashion Weekend. I opted for a deep plum color and a blue toned red. I have recently added some brighter shades to my collection and thought I would share them with you all…

From top to bottom
Fab Orange: A fiery orange toned red perfect for those caliente summer nights!
Fushia Desire: An amazing blue toned hot pink shade, great with a flowy sundress!
Nude Perfection: No better name to describe this peachy beige nude shade, a good option when you’re on the go but need a hint of color on your lips

These velvet lipsticks glide on your lips just as the name suggests, super velvety! The texture is incredibly creamy and pigmentation is amazing! I do have to say they aren’t as long wearing as you would want them to be but I myself don’t mind having to re-apply every few hours or so. Also, I read a blog post stating that these could possibly be a dupe for the NARS velvet lipstick pencils (I cannot give my personal opinion on this as I do not own the NARS one) but hey for the inexpensive price tag of only £4.99 I would definitely give the Maybelline ones a go!

(To all my U.S peeps I am not sure if these are being sold back home yet, I know don’t kill me for posting things that aren’t available, I’m sure they will be soon)

What are some of your favorite bright lip shades for spring? Share down below!

xx Gwen

Colour Pop LBB Lippie

Posted on April 9, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

On my recent trip to London to visit my sister Gwen, she gifted me this awesome Colour Pop lippie! This brand is all the rage now and with good reason. The products are so pigmented, affordable, a great color range for all skin tones and they don’t test on animals! I mean could it get any better? The packaging is clean and straight forward. I wanted to share a couple of lip swatches to show the great color pay off and how cool the product really is. This rich plum wine color featured is called “LBB” named after the creator and blogger LittleBlackBoots. It is a matte finish but not drying at all and glides on easily. Below I show it “as is” and with gloss over. I also love the personal touch of the post card! This seems like such a great company and Im excited to see more from them.

I added a slightly nude gloss on top and the lighting is different in this photo. It just goes to show how versatile and pretty this color is!

LBB matte Lippie

Brows on Fleek

Posted on February 20, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

If you’re someone who’s all about makeup I am pretty sure having perfect eyebrows is at the top of your list. I personally would much rather have a nice full set of brows (very Cara Delevingne esque) but hey beggers can’t be choosers right? Which brings me to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. This guy is my ultimate holy grail! Whether I want to go all out “brows on fleek” mode or I want to keep them au naturale looking this tiny little pencil gets the job done! Being the makeup enthusiast that I am, I could never cease to search for other amazing products, which brings me to the Soap and Glory Archery pencil. Holy moly this is basically the same product as the Anastasia but at a more affordable price (Archery: £8/$12 vs. Brow Wiz £15.50/ $21). Here’s a side by side comparison of both.

Left: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in the shade Dark Brown/Brunette

Right: Soap and Glory Archery in the shade Hot Chocolate

Both have a twist up pencil/crayon on one end and a spoolie on the other.

Left: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Right: Soap and Glory Archery

(Please excuse my eyebrows, they are not on “fleek” at this moment but will be soon)

Left brow: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Right brow: Soap and Glory Archery

I filled them in pretty heavily in order to see if there is really a difference in shades. I would say the Soap and Glory Archery has a warmer undertone while the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz is a true dark brown hue.

If you were to ask me which product is best, I would honestly say they are both amazing! Archery is a bit more budget friendly, you can find it in a drugstore (Boots in the UK carries Soap and Glory’s entire makeup line), it is highly pigmented and blends in wonderfully. The Brow Wiz is one of Anastasia’s best products as its known to glide on smoothly giving your brows amazing definition. You will not be disappointed with either one of them.

Hope you all enjoyed this side by side comparison of products. I love finding dupes and affordable options for us gals looking to save a few pennies. Are there any products you have an amazing dupe for? Leave your comment/suggestion down below! Also if you can think of any makeup products you would like to find a dupe for, leave me a message as well, I would be happy to be of help!

xx -Gwen