Putting Rimmel's Provocalips* lipstick to the test

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Rimmel's lip ranges. They're affordable, easy to pop on and wipe off and are always on 3 for 2 in Superdrug, or at least it feels that way to me! But Rimmel liquid lipsticks? Well I've simply never tried one. 
I've been a little spoilt with liquid lipsticks, as I didn't get to the game too early, and so the first brand I tried was NYX. They are just fab at bringing out well pigmented, long lasting lip colours. 
Rimmel's Provocalips range* comes with the tagline '16-hour kiss proof lipstick', so a couple of days I decided to put this to the test.

My NYX lipstick collection

2016 really was the year of the liquid lipsticks. It seemed like just about every single brand out there brought out a range of them, and the market was awash with masses of new colours, formulas and styles. Goodbye tube lipstick, hello liquid.
Despite the massive influx of new liquid lippies out there, NYX has remained my favourite brand for this particular type of makeup. At the beginning of 2016 I didn't own anything by NYX, but now I'm feeling pretty proud of my little collection. I find that their products are so long-lasting and well-pigmented that no other drugstore alternatives come near to my love for them. An added bonus is that they're also cruelty free. 
From bottom to top, the lipstick shades I have swatched are as follows: Lip Lingerie in Exotic, Liquid Suede in Stone Fox and Soft Matte Lip Creams in Buenos Aires, Morocco, Copenhagen and Moscow. As you can tell, I've gone for a broad range of colours in this little collection. Over the past year I've been experimenting with some fruit inspired makeup looks over on my YouTube, and so 'Moscow' and 'Buenos Aires' were purchased for those. 
Out of all of the types I've tried, the Lip Lingerie range has the greatest staying power on my lips. 'Exotic' is my go-to work liquid lipstick. It's a nude that appears only a little darker than my lips, and doesn't rub off after a cup of tea or two. The Soft Matte Lip Cream in Morocco, however, is my favourite pigment. It's such a bold, coral-y red that I can't get enough of. It makes me feel festive in Winter and bold in Summer. I am in love. 
Do you own any NYX lipsticks?
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Rimmel's The Only 1 Matte Lipstick Range*

I am a massive fan of Rimmel lipsticks, let's be honest. If you've been around here for a while you might remember me talking about their Rimmel by Kate 15th anniversary collection, or my love for some of their core nude lip colours. Anyhow, I love how easily their lip colours glide on and the shape of the lipstick itself makes application super easy. But, in recent months I've started to move slightly away from these favourites to more long lasting liquid lipsticks in order to keep my lip colour on for longer without reapplication. 

You can imagine my absolute glee and *pinch myself* moment then when Rimmel were kind enough to send me their whole new matte lipstick line. I was in a state of disbelief all day when these came through my door - I just couldn't believe that they would take the time out to send their new line to me for my little blog. I felt like a truly lucky girl. They've released nine new shades for this line, ranging from a dark berry red all the way to a 'your lips but better' style nude. 

Matte lipsticks are what it's all about in Winter in my opinion. In Summer I tend to go for creamier, paler nude colours. Dark, vampy looks (my favourite at this time of year) need a little bit of a more long-lasting impact in my opinion, as it's so much more obvious when they begin to wear off. 

Last week me and my boyfriend celebrated our four year anniversary together, and this package landed on my doorstep on that very day. So, when we went out for our special evening meal together, I went armed with 'The Matte Factor'*, which is a red hued purple. This one actually reminded me a little bit of MAC's Sin, but without the high price tag. 

My first impression of the lipstick was put down a little bit by its scent. I don't know why they decided to go with something so strong, and it smells a little bit like flowers, or very sugary sweets. However, (thankfully) the smell does wear off once the lipstick has dried. After that, however, I was well and truly impressed. It survived wine, four or five cups of green tea and a good two/three rounds of sushi without showing much wear! I brought the lipstick out with me just in case it was needed for a top-up but I ended up going home with my original layer on. 

I am so so excited about this release from Rimmel - finally we have a good quality matte lipstick for an affordable price (these come in at £6.99, but are on 3 for 2 at Superdrug at the moment). The range of nudes, darks and brights is also pretty impressive, and if there's one thing that I love about lipstick ranges, it's when they have pretty cool names for each shade. From bottom to top on my arm swatch, the shades are as follows: Leader of the Pink*, Call the Shots*, Salute*, Take the Stage*, High Flyer*, Trendsetter*, Look Who's Talking*, Run the Show* and The Matte Factor*. All of these names scream 'I'm a sassy girl in control of her own life' to me, and I love the idea of thinking that I can and will do/be any one of these things when I wear the lipstick. 

Have you tried these yet?

*Although products in this post were sent to me for the purpose of a review, all opinions are as always my own*

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Rimmel by Kate 15th Anniversary Lipsticks

We all know how much I love a good Rimmel lippy. And if you don't, have a peek at this post to find out. They're creamy, totally affordable, and last a few hours of me chatting and sipping before rubbing off. Despite not being the most long lasting lipsticks in the beauty world, they're something that I put my trust in and come back to time and time again.
So, when I saw this dreamy rose gold packaging for the new 6 shade 15th anniversary collection I knew I had to give it a go. Seriously though, have you ever seen a prettier lipstick packaging? The new range is split into two halves really - three reds and three nudes. I obviously wanted to give one of each a go, and these two proved irresistible.
First up I tried it in the shade Muse Red, which honestly? Now sits in pride of place as my second favourite red I own, overtaking MAC's Russian Red. Madness I know. It seems to me to be such a classic, statement red, and has a slightly blue undertone, rather than orange or pink. This has been something that I keep rattling around in my bag to replenish during meals and evenings out. 
Then we have Boho Nude. Even the name is dreamy. This is a slightly taupe-y beige based nude that has revolutionized my daily makeup routine. I don't know about you, but I feel a little bit nude myself if I go into work without a quick smear of lipstick. This has been such a nice, subtle one to pop on just before I head to work, without all the faff that putting on a matte or liquid lipstick involves.
Have you picked up any from the range?
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August Favourites + Life Update

Right, so this post was meant to go up four? Five? days ago now and yet here we are. I've been a little AWOL from the blogosphere and life in general for almost a week now due to being ill and then rammed with lots of long shifts at work (ugh). But, I'm lucky enough to have this Monday off (praise the gods of irregular customer service work hours, right?) after having worked allll weekend, so I've actually got time to share my August favourites with you!
I'm sorry about the really long rambly nature of this post but, urm, I've been up since 6 30am, and am writing this at 8am, which is basically unheard of in Steph's life. I'm much more of a night owl than an early bird, let's face it. So, yeah, tiredness is creeping in and my brain doesn't start to fully function for a good couple of hours. At least it's partly down to working lates at the pub rather than pure laziness, which makes it okay, right?!
So, what was August filled with for me? Disappointingly, not a summer holiday to some far off toasty destination filled with sun loungers and cool breezes. BUT, I did get to visit Camden again, which I've written all about for you here. We made the trip down for my sister's birthday, and it definitely made me want to visit more parts of the UK before the year is out, so *fingers crossed* Nourish ME will have some more travel posts coming soon! I also finally started to feel settled in my new town, secure in my part time job and landed my first big freelance paycheck for an editorial position I have on an academic journal. All in all, despite a little mental health setback mid-month, August was pretty fab for me, and now I'm excited to see what September holds!
My favourites for the month are pretty much entirely beauty related, but as I've been trying to really up my makeup skills this summer, it's hardly a surprise. First up is a lipstick in the shade Boho Nude from the new Rimmel by Kate 15th Anniversary range. I love pretty much everything about this range, I'm not going to lie - the dreamy rose gold packaging, the creamy formula, the hue of the lipsticks themselves, the list goes on. I'm wearing this in the picture above, which gives you some idea of the actual shade. It's a brown based lipstick with beige tones that is neither too light nor too dark for my pale skin tone. This has been my go-to every day at work for the past few weeks and I just can't get enough!
Alongside this, I've been reaching for my MUA Undress Your Skin shimmer highlighter in iridescent gold. It's getting to that time of year again when shimmer highlight and berry lips are all we need to feel totally Autumny and I've definitely been preparing for this in all the right ways. This totally suits my pink-toned pale skin and I'll definitely be wearing it all through the coming months!
Next up, we have some skincare favourites. We all know how much I loved Garnier's micellar water, after I finally jumped on that bandwagon a few months ago. When I ran out, I wanted to give their Pure Active micellar water a go to see how it compared. It's been really great at removing all of my grotty makeup at the end of the day, even my waterproof mascara, but I do think the original still slightly tops it. 
A little bit of a fun favourite is this new(ish) Love Hearts hand soap from Carex. I usually avoid liquid soap as I recently found out that this is what was setting off the eczema on my hands that I was suffering with. But, I HAD to have this - it smells like love hearts, so how could I resist? I can use it sparingly with no reaction on my hands so this has worked well alongside my normal soap bar. I've tried pretty much everything else in Carex's fun range - bubblegum, strawberry laces, cola bottles, so I could hardly not give this a go!
And finally we have the odd one out here - socks. I have a bit of a thing for cute, quirky socks, and if my anxiety is feeling bad in the morning, popping one of my favourite pairs on does lift my mood, as odd as that may be. I couldn't resist having these adorable little koala socks (similar here) with bobble ears in my favourites this month, and so many people have commented about how much they want them on my Instagram! 
Here's my video roundup of my favourites, which is a little more coherent (I hope) and a lot less rambly. I'd love it if you gave it a watch!

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Rimmel by Kate Nudes

Summer 2016 so far for me has been all about embracing the nudes. I definitely feel as though darker colours are much more an Autumn style for me, but this is the first time I've ever really considered the power of the nude lippy. I've always thought that nudes were, well, more than a little pointless, because obvious you may as well leave your lips bare if you're not going bold, right?! All I can say now is that I've definitely learnt the error of my ways. Nudes are my one true love and they make for the perfect addition to my daily work makeup.
Way back in March I told you guys all about my newfound love for Rimmel by Kate's lipstick range, and promised an update as soon as I expanded my collection. Rewind to almost the end of July now, and it's safe to say that life really did get more than a little in the way. But, I am back to talk about my love for two staple nudes in the collection: shade 03 and shade 08.
Having looked at shade 03 online I am so glad I always make sure to check any potential lipstick purchases out in person (when I can of course). Shade 03 is the first one I've pictured above, and as you can see there's a subtle orange tint to it, which is what makes me really love it. However, any images I've found online show it as being a totally pale pink colour, which it really isn't! 
Shade 08, which is a much more pinky nude with a hint of brown, used to be my all-time favourite. It's so easy to gloss on and it gives my lips a hint of colour without being too in-your-face. But, shade 03 may have just overtaken it with it's cool orange undertone.
All in all, I am more than a little in love with these lipsticks - they offer a subtle wash of colour and come in at an afforable price. My one bug bear would be that they really aren't that long-lasting, so you do need to reapply if you're going out all day.
Have you tried any of the Rimmel by Kate range? What are your favourite nudes?
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First Ever NYX Haul

Oh MY word guys I think I've fallen in love with a brand. Is that a thing now? Can we do that? Because I picked up some goodies from NYX a couple of weeks ago and I've fallen head over heels for everything. You know when you do a little makeup haul and you end up hating half of the stuff you get? I was kind of expecting that, especially as I can be a bit iffy about going too bold with colours. BUT, NYX have done themselves proud because literally everything I picked up has been amazing.
I know I usually do a bit more of an introduction to my posts before rushing straight in. but honestly I'm so excited about this one that I couldn't resist taking the plunge. I've only just moved to a new town (well I've been here about a month now) and realised that there is a Boots with a MASSIVE NYX stand a five minute drive away from my house. So I had to go and check it out right?! I've been on the hunt for a physical NYX stand for months because I really didn't want to try a new brand out for the first time by buying stuff online. It's really hard to see exactly what you'll be getting that way, and you can't really judge the size of the products etc etc.
So, I gleefully headed off into the depths of Boots to discover a world of beauty. After about an hour of perusal (of course) I had finally decided on my products, and most importantly the shades I wanted! Although I'm super happy with what I picked up, I've definitely caught the NYX bug and I can totally see myself popping back in over the next few weeks to expand my new collection.
First of all, I wanted a good nude. Now, you can probably tell from my pictures that in the end I didn't actually get one (whoops), because I thought from the packaging that the Soft Spoken Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick was lighter than it actually is. Having said that, I would class it as an almost-nude, and for darker skin tones it would be a totally rocking nude. I included two pictures of this in the post because, as you can see, in some lights it looks completely brown, and in others there's a slightly pink hue to it. Ultimately it is brown based, and even reminds me a little of Kylie's range!
Next up I went for some brighter colours. I've been keeping almost wholly to nudes this summer, as I've discovered an unforeseen love for them. But, bright weather needs bright lippy right? I picked up the NYX soft matte lip cream in both Morocco and Copenhagen. Copenhagen is a dark purple liquid lipstick, and is fairly similar in colour to MAC's Sin. However, it comes in at almost 1/3 of the price, and doesn't dry my lips out anywhere near as much: all in all this makes it a winner in my eyes. Morocco is a very orange-toned red and has possibly become my favourite lipstick ever?!?! It's such a gorgeous colour and you can bet I'll be wearing it for the rest of the summer.
All three lip products come in at under £6 and the quality of them makes this an absolute bargain. They've survived the summer heat, a long day at work and eating and drinking without coming off completely. In fact, all I noticed was that the half of my lower lip closest to my mouth (if that makes sense) had lost the colour, but the rest of my lips were a-okay after a good 6+ active hours. These goodies offered me my first glimpse into the world of liquid lipsticks and honestly? I'm not sure I ever want to go back to traditional formulas.
And finally we have a little brow product. Moving to a new town means I don't have access to my old trusted brow queens, and honestly I haven't been able to find a place that I think I can trust yet. So my brows are in a little bit of a state. I picked up NYX's sculpt and highlight brow contour in ash brown/medium beige. I've been using this with my MUA brow kit (to fill in the centre of my brows) and this combination has totally changed my opinion of my brows. Suddenly they seem acceptable to go out in public with and I am so glad to have this extra boost of confidence. 
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Makeup Revolution Haul

This is going to be a super quick Sunday post. I've got my first day of my new job tomorrow and I'm super excited and nervous. I'm really hoping that my blog doesn't get kicked to the wayside because I'm focusing on work, but I've got about two months' worth of post ideas stored up so hopefully things will go smoothly. Anyway, moving on from that brief life update, I just wanted to talk to you guys about some Makeup Revolution products that I've absolutely fallen in love with recently.
First up is my favourite of the group, the pressed powder in porcelain soft pink. This is an absolute bargain in my opinion - it costs £2 from Superdrug and totally perfects my base. I apply it after my foundation and it evens everything out and avoids making my skin look cakey. I'm not going to lie, it only lasts me two months or so at a time, but for such a low price I really don't mind repurchasing it often. 
The colourful Mermaids vs Unicorns eyeshadow palette is another absolute steal in my opinion. It's only £4 and has such a wonderful range of well-pigmented colours. Although I probably won't use the two darkest shades, the rest provide me with a wealth of ideas for days when I'm feeling a little adventurous and don't want to stick with my standard nudes and coppers. I actually bought this originally because I had been so inspired by Aria from PLL's eye makeup, and I'm hoping to recreate some looks soon, so keep your eyes peeled! 
The one thing I was disappointed in was the Amazing Lipstick in Rebel With Cause due to it's lack of pigment. I had been inspired to buy a vampy purple after falling in love with MAC's Sin (post here), but this £1 Makeup Revolution purple was almost invisible on my lips and lasted less than half an hour. Saying that, I do want to give the new rose gold lipstick range from them a try, so we'll see how that goes!
I hope you enjoyed this post and I didn't ramble on too much! What are your favourites from Makeup Revolution at the moment?