Bourjois Colorband eyeshadow stick in Mauve Baroque review & swatches

I love cream eyeshadows in pencil form, so I thought I'd try what Bourjois had to offer. Their Colorband 2-in-1 eyeshadow crayons have received a number of enthusiastic reviews, so I picked the shade Mauve Baroque to try out. 

What I love about this crayon is the brownish purple shade with some kind of silvery sheen, its softness and budge-proof formula. 

However, in the swatches of other bloggers the colour looked way more pigmented and intense. A single swatch is sheer, almost transparent, needs building up a lot to achieve a wash of colour. 

I mostly use cream eyeshadows as bases for my powder eyeshadows, so I don't really mind, but if I intended to use this on its own, I would be bit disappointed.  

Under powder eyeshadow, this crayon performs exceptionally well. It enhances the colour and makes eyeshadows last.

 It's a good option if you don't want to invest in higher end products, but if I were to choose I'd go for similarly priced automatic pencils by Kiko, which are way better pigmented.

Max Factor Velvet Volume False Lash Effect mascara review

I must say I'm a big fan of Max Factor mascaras, so I was super excited to reach for their new offering Velvet Volume False Lash Effect mascara. The name promises exactly what I need and, given my experience with Max Factor mascaras, I was more than certain I would get fluttery, voluminous lashes, but none of that actually happened. 

The oversized wand with its sparse, prickly plastic bristles disposes hardly any mascara in one go. To make my lashes stand out a bit more I need to add coat after coat, which I don't really have the time to do in the morning, and nonetheless the result is never good enough.

The mascara is perfect for those of us who are into no make-up looks, very natural, separated lashes, for me it was a waste of money. 

End of story. 

Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation review & swatches

When I sat down to review this Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation SPF15 I was astonished to notice that I didn't have a single picture of the product in its box. I cannot explain how this is possible, but apparently I'd started using the foundation and put off taking pictures until some later time. Nevermind. Pictures of a product which has been put to a very good use will have to do.

The packaging is both good and bad. 

I like the metallic brown cap and the ingenious twist-up pump, which is truly innovative, but it's kind of messy as the nozzle isn't long enough and the foundation spurts on the cap more than on the back of my hand. 

The bottle itself is made of frosted plastic, which is more lightweight than glass and won't shatter on your floor tiles, but it's kind of chap and makes me feel that the packaging doesn't justify the steep price tag  and doesn't give me the sense of luxury which I expect from such a high-end product.  

The product inside has been named by many the best foundation in the world and the reviews are more than confusing. Some said it was moisturising and glowy, others praised it for its long-lasting formula, perfect for oily skin. Everybody stressed the natural finish, comfort of wearing and medium to high coverage.

Well, I happen to disagree.

My road to liking this foundation was long and after many trial and error applications I made it finally work for me, but I don't believe that an average user should spend any time experimenting with a high-end product. Make-up is supposed to be foolproof and work instantly, without primers, powders, setting sprays and what not.
The thing is that this foundation remains tacky even when it sets and although it doesn't look particularly oily on my oily skin, I would describe the finish as natural, I cannot go on to apply other face products without dusting my face with a fair amount of powder, which in turn makes my make-up noticeable and cakey.
The coverage is medium, no matter how much I build it up, my dark spots remain, but the make-up gets heavier and heavier.

My way to use this foundation is quite unusual, but I've noticed that it actually works on my oily skin.
I use face products in the following sequence:
moisturiser⇒primer⇒lightweight powder⇒a small amount of foundation⇒sheer, dry powder⇒bronzer, blush etc.
Products applied in this way not only give me flawless make-up, but also reduce the appearance of pores, prolong the wear time and keep my face shine-free for longer.

In the end I found myself liking this foundation, but I notice nothing that would explain the super steep price tag. 

Maybelline Master Precise Eyeliner review and swatches

I'm not a fan of liquid eyeliners. They drag on my eyelids, they dry out too soon and they aren't waterproof. But there's no denying that they're faff-free compared to gel liners and with the right tip and formula they can be satisfactory enough for me to use. 

I've never tried any super high-end ones and given the fact that I'm not loyal to my make-up tools, it makes no sense for me to invest a fortune in something that would be dry before I used it up. That's why I keep exploring drugstore options to see if they're any good.

Maybelline Master Precise has both advantages and disadvantages. 

What I like is that it has a long applicator with a super pointy tip, which makes it possible to draw ultra fine lines. It's flexible, but sturdy enough to give me full control over the application.

The line it draws is a deep matte black, but not the blackest black in history. It lasts pretty much all day with minimal fading.

Master Precise seems miraculously resistant to drying, I've had it and used regularly for over 6 months and it's still as good as new.

The downsides are that the applicator isn't soft and doesn't glide pleasantly on my lashline. What's more, the ink barely reaches the tip of the applicator, so the best method to use this is to lay the applicator flat along the lashes and use its central part to draw a line. 

This eyeliner is not waterproof, but it has no tendency to smudge on a rainless day. 

Maybelline Master Precise is no holy grail of mine, but it's a pretty decent drugstore pick for cat-eye lovers. I won't repurchase cause I believe there are better options just waiting to be discovered, but I encourage you to try this one out, especially if you manage to get it with a good discount.