Maybelline 'Baby Lips' Review #1

I'm sure I don't even need to give the Baby Lips an introduction, because, quite frankly it seems as though everyone has jumped on the Baby Lips bandwagon. Before they came to the UK, I was also included in the group of people who could simply not wait to give them a try, and to put it nicely - I have a very strong opinion on this lip balm 'sensation'.

As soon as I could get hold of them, I got two Maybelline Baby Lips in the shades 'Cherry Me' and 'Peach Kiss', so I am going to break down both of the and review the complete products and my opinion. I hope you enjoy!

 Peach Kiss

                                                                                        Cherry Me >





                                                                       


Colour
The colours are pretty self explanatory, 'Cherry Me' is a deep pink shade, whilst 'Peach Kiss' is a lighter, peachy shade. Both shades have a pretty good pigmentation and for a lip balm, they are definitely one of the best I have tried. Although the pigment is good, the Peach colour is not a colour I would be happy to wear on a regular basis as a colour alone, this is because there is shimmer in large amounts (verging on glitter) in the colour, and it just isn't very flattering on the lips.

Below is 'Cherry Me'. Above is 'Peach Kiss'

Scent
Alike to the colours, the scents are quite obvious within the name as well, and true to their names, one smells of Cherry and the other Peach. They are both quite pleasant smells - so this is definitely a high point.
Packaging
I am definitely a fan of the packaging of baby lips, the colours are vibrant and relevant to the product, as well as the sturdy packaging making them easy to travel with throughout the day, which of course, is expected of a lip balm.

Review
So, it all sounds fine and dandy so far - as far as a product goes, Maybelline have done everything right. Correct? No. My experience with these LIP BALMS has been pretty terrible. As far as a lip balm goes, they are useless. Both of these products simply sit on top of my lips and do nothing but rest there while the oil spreads to the edges of my mouth and causes breakouts.
I was so excited for these products and love Maybelline as a brand, but I am so disappointed with them, as they do not hydrate the lips in any way, nor do they help with chapped lips - which caused a lot of problem for me in the winter when I most needed a good lip balm.
On the upper side, I have been told the non-pigmented Baby Lips are the best, particularly the 'Hydrate' product. Unfortunately at the moment I am completely put off the balms for the foreseeable future.

In regards to an alternative - sticking with Vaseline is the best option and an absolute favourite of mine. To complete the post with a final dupe, I feel as though a great option instead of the Cherry Me Baby Lips is Vaseline Rosy Lips. The shades are quite similar, and have equal pigmentation - but I can assure the Vaseline will, at very least, hydrate lips even a small amount.

I hope you enjoyed the first review and there will be many to come in the future,
Thank you for taking the time to read.

~ Lou x

Mac 'Brave Red' Lipstick Dupe #3

Mac Brave Red Dupe - Natural Collection Cherry Red


Things are just getting better and better! We were sooo excited when we were in boots swatching endless amounts of lipsticks and suddenly we found a perfect match for a Mac lipstick no less!! This lipstick is from Natural Collection (sorry to any international readers) and it is only £1.99,which is an amazing price to pay for an incomprehensible dupe for one of the most desired lipstick brands out there.


The name of the Mac lipstick that we have found a dupe for is 'Brave Red' and comes from their Cremesheen range. The texture feels so luxurious on the lips and is easy so apply and wear all day. The colour itself is not a pure red with a hint of pink in it which makes it perfect for people who don't feel confident enough to go 'all out' with the iconic bright red lip but still want the boldness of the colour. The Mac lipstick is also easily blendable so a little can be applied and blended out with a brush to go for a much more subtle every day look of a deep pink. For me, the lipstick is quite long lasting but does not survive a whole meal but then lets face it, not many do!

Now onto the natural collection one. For me, the colour is just as long lasting as the Mac one and appears to be more pigmented, with the red looking fuller however this does mean that this colour isn't as easy to use blended out for a subtle look. On the other hand once the colour has rubbed off, you are light red stain on the lips which means that even if all of the bold lip does not remain during the day, your lips will still have a healthy colour to them. This look may be able to be achieved by applying a light layer of the lipstick, blotting it and blending out well with a lipstick brush.

Overall the colour dupe is great and for an everyday lipstick it would be silly not to buy Natural Collection's version instead. I mean the packaging isn't nearly as luxe as the Mac sleek black packaging with its white plastic so as a gift Mac products always win but for you, just tell everyone it's the Mac brave red. People will never know!


Rose x

Urban Decay 'Naked' Palette Dupe #2

Urban Decays 'Naked' Palette is quite possibly one of the best neutral palettes on the market and is definitely a collection essential. It comes packaged with a gorgeous chocolately velvet case, and includes 12 bronze-hued classic eye colours. Unfortunately, the price isn't as gorgeous, so that's where we come in...

The Naked Palette (£36)

Twelve beautiful shades in the Urban Decay 'Naked' Palette.

Fortunately, this time around, MUA have come to the rescue with their 'Undressed' Palette. Firstly, take the £36 Naked prize and divide it by 9, for those of you who are quick with maths - that leaves £4 - the fantastic price of the 'Undressed' Palette.

The Undressed Palette (£4)

Similar colours? YES! To say the very least!

With every single shade being an almost exact duplicate, you can't really go far wrong.


As well as the colour, the similarities don't end there. MUA's palette also has intense pigmentation (which is always great.)
As expected, the lasting power isn't as strong as the UD shadows, and there is a considerable amount of fallout, although, when it comes to travel, the MUA palette has the better packaging in comparison to the flimsy lid of the Naked Palette.

Here are some swatches of the shades...

The MUA shades are simply named Shades 1 - 12 in the
Urban Decay Palette order. For example, UD 'Virgin' would
be MUA 'Shade 1' and UD 'Darkhorse' would be MUA
'Shade 8' and so on.

I also did a look, to show you guys the comparison on my eyes and the shade similarities.

As above, the UD shadows are on my left eye (right eye in image)
and the MUA on my right eye (left side in image). I used 'Virgin' (Shade 1)
in the inner corner, 'Buck' (Shade 5) over the lid and 'Darkhorse' (Shade 8)
in the outer corner and crease.

Overall, in my opinion, if you don't have the Naked palette, then don't rush straight out, with your almost £40 to buy it, but certainly try the Undressed palette first, even if to simply see if you're a fan of the colours. If you already own the Naked palette, then of course, the Undressed is not an essential, but if you're a regular traveller, the Undressed palette may be good to look at if you don't want to carry the Naked around a lot, as the packaging is lighter are certainly more durable.

Thank you for reading,
See you again soon,

~ Lou x

Mac 'Charcoal Brown' Dupe #1

 The Mac Eye Shadow in 'Charcoal Brown' is probably one of their staple eye colours for both eyes and eyebrows, as the colour can be used for everyday use, for a smoky eye, etc. As with all Mac eye shadows, it is easy to apply and comes in a sturdy packaging which makes it perfect for a colour which is such a handbag essential.

Mac 'Charcoal Brown' Eye Shadow

One of Mac's staple eye colours.

 The best, and cheapest, dupe that we found is from the Natural Collection (sold exclusively at Boots, unfortunately making it only UK available) and is one of their fragrance free eye shadows, in the shade 'Crushed Walnut'. This shade appears different at first, but swatches to be almost exactly the same (maybe even nicer, than Mac's Charcoal Brown!) as it is actually more pigmented and is a fuller brown colour.

Natural Collection 'Crushed Walnut' Eye Shadow

A close competitor from Natural Collection.

 On the other hand with closer inspection there is a faint amount of shimmer in the Natural Collection product, however I have tried this as my eyebrow shade, and when it is swatched, this shimmer is unnoticeable! Although, if the shadow is packed heavily onto the eyelid, there is a resemblance of some sparkle there, 
 All in all, this shade is amazing for the price (£1.79 in comparison to Mac's £12.50 eye shadow price) and I find the colour much easier to build on the eye than Mac's Charcoal Brown, as it is easier to pack onto a flat shadow brush from the pan.

 The sturdy packaging, also, is not dissimilar to Mac's although you do have to keep unscrewing the lid, making it not quite as easy to access on-the-go. The stay power is still amazing, so if you are unsure on spending Mac prices, for one eye shadow, the Natural Collection dupe could be for you!

The colours differ slightly, as shown.
Charcoal Brown has more of a yellow
undertone, whilst Crushed Walnut
appears to have a deeper undertone.
These differences are unnoticeable
upon the face.

The colours in their pans.

 Thank you for reading, and don't forget to stay tuned to new posts twice weekly, and leave any feedback you find necessary. 

~ Rose x

Introduction: New Year, New Blog

Hi guys,

It's a new year with new beginnings - and so, the beginning of a new blog.
Welcome to allheart1215!

We're here to help you - and ourselves in the process - save as much money as possible on make up, but still getting the most from the products you buy!

This is a quick introduction as to what you can expect from our blog, and a thank you ahead of time, for taking the time to read this.

- Blog posts should be posted every Wednesday and Saturday (obviously this may be fluctuated for many different reasons but is our general guideline)

- Each blog post should include a different duplicate (some posts may be slightly different if a topic is requested or seems appropriate)

- All feedback and constructive criticism is welcomed and don't be afraid to request things you would like to see.

Our first dupe post is due on Saturday 4th. I think that is about it for now. Please don't forget to ask any questions you would like answered, we hope you have all had a fantastic new year, and here is to 2014.

~ Lou x