Alpha H Liquid Gold - Review

Hii Lovelies!

Sometimes it takes stopping using a product to really see the difference it makes and this has absolutely been the case in my experience with Liquid Gold. It has been a good few months since i got caved to temptation and picked up Alpha H's most famous product and throughout my testing it i hadn't been overly impressed. Now considering the level of hype around this product i was pretty much expecting it to work miracles, and unsurprisingly it doesn't. So a little deflated i popped this back in my drawer and there it sat for around a month or so.

Had it not of been for our glorious UK summer heatwave this year i probably would of cracked it back out a little earlier, but with alpha hydroxy acids making your skin more sensitive to sun i thought it was well left alone for a few more weeks. Just for reference, my dry skin (generally) isn't too bad. I do get blackheads, have large pores and lately suffer with the odd huge hormonal spot or two. But generally, i do not suffer with large breakouts or acne. So I'm not sure exactly what miracles i was expecting?!

My skin has been weirdly, playing up a treat lately. I've narrowed it down to one or two products but am still not sure who was the culprit for my out of character breakouts. So due to this I've gone back to basics and only used products i know work well with my skin and even though i didn't see great effects the first time round i decided to give Liquid Gold another bash.

Now i won't go into the ingredients because frankly my knowledge is extremely limited so I'll keep it to just how the product worked for me. I'm a facial scrub kinda gal but sometimes i feel it is a bit too abrasive, so using this has been a real change for me. While i haven't seen vast improvements in my skin I've been able to see a noticeable difference in the texture of it. After a few weeks use my blackheads are significantly smaller and the overall feel of my skin is a lot softer and smoother.

I apply a few drops on my fingers and smooth over my face 2 - 3 times a week (the cheapskate in me really doesn't like to waste product by having it eaten by cotton wool like the directions suggest you apply it). As having quite dry skin i was worried about not using moisturiser over this like they suggest, but I have not noticed it drying my skin out in the slightest, my skin actually feels quite refreshed after. Liquid Gold is a little pricey at around the £30 mark, but you can find great deals online and on QVC.

Is this really worth the miracle product status every blogger under the sun gives it? Probably not. Is it a damn good non abrasive method of exfoliating, hell yes! It may not live up to the large claims online, but I am thoroughly enjoying using it. Would i repurchase it? It has a bit of a hefty price tag, but if i found a good deal on QVC (they often have Today's Special Value prices, or if i remember rightly they do a larger 200ml bottle for a little more than the regular price) then yes i think i would. I've even got my eye on their accompanying night cream.

I purchased mine from Look Fantastic for £31.50 per 100ml.

Have you tried Liquid Gold?

 Did it live up to the hype for you?

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Limecrime's Red Velvet Velvetine - Review

Heya Lovelies!

Long time no post!

You may have spotted this little gem in my IMATS haul post and seen Limecrimes Velvetines absolutely everywhere on the internet. This is my first Limecrime experience as their regular lipstick range has more of a glossy finish and I'm more of a matte lip girl, so these are right up my alley!

Velvetines are a liquid lipstick of sorts, that dry down to a beautiful matte finish... So i had to eventually get my paws on one! They only currently come in two shades of red; Suedeberry and Red Velvet and i opted for the latter because it was the only one available at the time! Red Velvet is the deeper of the two, giving it a more traditional, sexy, pin up red kind of feel, absolutely perfect with a winged liner.

Formula wise these are very, very liquidy and much more than i had expected. The closest comparison i can link them to is my beloved Fyrinnae's Lip Lustre's but i find the Limecrime offering a tad drying on the lips, which is something i don't get with my Fyrinnae favourites. 

Application is a little tricky with Red Velvet as i find you have to keep your lips apart while the product sets, otherwise you end up with an unflattering line. But once it has set, it does not budge! The colour is beautiful, the formula is long lasting and price wise its not too bad at around the £12 mark here in the UK. My only little gripe is that it is a little drying like i mentioned earlier and application is a tad on the finicky side, i prefer to apply it with a lip brush rather than the doe foot applicator provided.

Overall i think this is an absolutely beautiful red and for the matte red lip fans out there this is a real must have product. But do i find myself reaching for it over my other similar red mattes? Not really. I feel my YSL Matte gets a LOT more use, even my Riri Woo simply because they are so much easier to apply. And for liquid formulas like this i would wholeheartedly recommend Fyrinnae's Lip Lustres if you haven't already checked them out. But, saying this if Velvetines were released in a whole host of colours, i would sure be tempted to pick up a few more!

These are available directly from the CutEcosmetics and Love Makeup here in the UK for £11.50. 

Have you tried any Limecrime products?

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Illamasqua Blush in Hussy - Review

Heya Lovelies!

Oh Hussy, where have you been all my life?

This is a review that is really past due, i ordered this blush in the Illamasqua 50% off sale... Yeah, that long ago! But for a little while it sat unloved in my "box of things that need testing" and I'd wrongfully looked over it for a little while. Well not anymore!

Hussy is probably my favourite blush so far this year and yep, that is quite a big statement for me. I've had a few Illamasqua blushes in the past but opted for crazier shades so they don't get the love they deserve, but me and Hussy are now firm besties, she'll be getting a lot o' love from now on.

Hussy is a gorgeous matte candy bright pink and I'm officially in love. Its a little bold for something I'd normally reach for but I've been learning not to so heavy handed and its working beautifully for me. I like to apply the smallest amount at a time, blend, then build up at the intensity i want. I've always been a shimmer kinda gal when it comes to blush but lately I've found myself growing fond of mattes, i find it more flattering and then i get to make good use of my highlighter collection...

Illamasqua blushes are priced at £18 for 4.5g of product, which shocked me a little considering how large the pans are. But despite the average product size all the blushes I've tried pack a serious punch in the pigmentation department, so they will last a long, long time! They have a generous pro discount of 40% for MUA's and other industry professionals and also often run discount promotions, so keep an eye out on the website, Twitter and Facebook pages.

If you're a fan of pink you're gunna love this little beauty!

You can find it in store or on the Illamasqua website.

What is your favourite Illamasqua product?

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Seascape Uplift Body Wash - Review*

Hello Lovelies!

Uplift Bodywash* is the second product I've tried from the Jersey based brand and if you've seen my previous review you'll know I'm already quite smitten. Seascape have some lovely brand ethics and their products contain no nasties like parabens, petroleum, silicone's and are suitable for vegetarians. They also source many of their ingredients locally and are a certified carbon neutral. They tick many, many boxes for all you ethically and environmentally conscious shoppers! You can find a whole host of information on the brand and their ethics on their website here.

It has been a long while since I've tried a new body wash or shower gel because I've been very much set in my ways with my current products, so it was a real nice change to try out something new. Uplift contains 100% natural Jersey eucalyptus, lime and lavender oil and the result of these three give it a lovely refreshing scent. My nose can really pick up on the lavender and eucalyptus but not so much the lime. Its not a scent i would personally go for, but saying that it is one I've been really enjoying. The fresh scent is perfect for those mornings when you really do not want to get up, as the name suggests it really is uplifting! Its a very clean scent, so with the hot sticky weather we've been having here in the UK its a welcome change to my usual sickly sweet picks.

For £16 you get a nicely sized 300ml bottle and some lovely packaging, I'm one of those weirdos who doesn't like binning such loveliness. I can't be alone there? Another perk of this is that it lathers up a treat! Its my bug bear with shower gels that you have to use half a bottle to get a good foam, well not with this! A little dollop is enough to do your whole body, it even works quite well as a bubble bath.

Overall although this is not something I would of chosen myself I'm actually really enjoying it, I've had to remove if from the bathroom because apparently my Mother is too! Its a bit of a splurge at £16 but with the quality and Seascapes background and ethics would make a perfect gift for someone special or a little treat for yourself!

You can find Uplift and other Seascape products from their website and HQ Hair here.

What is your favourite body wash?

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* Product sent for review consideration but all opinions voiced on My Makeup Obsession will always be 100% honest and my own. You can view my disclaimer here.

OCC Conceal - Review

Hii Lovelies!

OCC Conceal has been on my radar for quite some time, i read and watched rave reviews around its launch time and have lusted after it ever since. But with my awful luck as soon as I'd finished up my current stash of concealers this little gem was out of stock nearly everywhere (i really don't like paying postage if i can help it) so i decided to wait and get my paws on it at IMATS.

 

This was actually the only OCC product i picked up at IMATS this year, i know... its shocking! But i was trying to be restrained after last year spendathon. OCC Conceal comes in 10 shades 5 with red based undertones and 5 yellow based meaning there is really something for most skin tones, even if you have to mix. Now I knew i wanted R0, but i probably should of had a little swatch at R1 too but the booth was manic so i just popped my order in for the one colour. R0 is quite possibly the lightest concealer I've seen excluding the Illamasqua whites. If you struggle to find concealers pale enough for your skin tone I'd give this a looky!

It has quite a thin consistency but with superb coverage, i find it covers my under eye circles with just a smidge of product. Like all concealers (in my opinion) it does need setting though or it will crease. Sadly, I'm a little too dark to use this for covering blemishes currently but i do think this would work great for it. I'm going to need to buy R1 now aren't I?

You get an extremely generous 8g of product which is considerably more that most concealers (some of those clicky ones only hold just over a gram, shocking!) and as you need the smallest amount of product i can see this lasting a long, long time just for personal use. Priced at £15.50 its in the mid price range, but even though i paid £10 show price if i ever run out, I'd be more than happy to order a full priced one online.

Overall OCC Conceal is a pretty darn good concealer, I'll now need to go grab the darker shade and have a play around ASAP. For my pale lovelies, seriously check this one out if you've yet to find a decent concealer for your complexion. For everyone else, go check out their shade range!

OCC Conceal is available in the UK from Cult Beauty. 

What is your favourite concealer?

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