Top 5 Nail Polishes for Winter

One of my favourite things about Winter is that I tend to have more time for nail designs and overall upkeep! Keep your nails looking gorgeous all throughout Winter with these top 5 polishes!

Max Factor Glossfinity in Candy Rose (50)

I must admit, this first colour is an all year round colour. However, it’s beautiful to have on your nails as it gives you that smart look during this festive season, and ties your look together. This rose colour applies smoothly and looks so soft and warm on your nails. If you want to add an edge to it, adding a bit of sprinkles on top, which will put more emphasis on your nails 😉

Max Factor Glossfinity in Red Passion (110)

It’s safe to say to that everyone needs a red nail polish in their collection! And let me just tell you, this is the perfect shade! Perfect for the Christmas season, this pure red gives leaves your nails looking feminine and elegant for any event! Needless to say, Christmas is around the corner, so it can always be a little present from you to you 😛

Max Factor Glossfinity in Midnight Bronze (60)

Another festive must! You might recognise this colour from last week’s YouTube video. This stunning gold definitely makes the outfit looks even more special. Just like any of the Glossfinity range, this nail polish glides on smoothly and lasts for about a week (depending on how much you take care of your nails!). However, I do suggest going with two to three coats with this one as it is quite sheer at first.

Max Factor Glossfinity in

This gorgeous number might not be everyone’s first choice. However, this plum shade looks really smart on the nails and suits most skin tones. In itself, the colour is quite opaque so two coats are more than enough (I got away with one 😉 ).

 

Gel Shine Lacquer in Gleaming Teal (45)

Definitely a personal favourite! Also, featured in last week’s video, this colour is so luxurious and wintery yet original, since it is definitely not the everyday green you see and a perfect addition to your nail polish collection. Just like the plum colour, this beautiful shade barely needs two coats, and you’re good to go!

What are your favourite shades for Winter? Feel free to share your thoughts and comments below! 🙂

Until next time,

Elaine xo

Feeling Festive: Christmas Nail Art

Christmas is just around the door!! What better way to get into the  than to have nice-looking nails?!

In today’s tutorial, follow these easy tutorials that will leave your nails looking polished and stunning for the Christmas season!

And on that note, I’M ON YOUTUBE! Well, kind of (does not showing my face or speaking still count?)

If you give these designs a go, please share the photo by using the hashtag #MAXBEAUTY on Facebook and Instagram!

What are your favourite Christmas designs? Feel free to share your thoughts and comments below 🙂

Until next time,

Elaine xo

Review: Colour Elixir Lipstick

By now you most probably know my love for lipsticks. That’s why, in the past week I have reviewed Max Factor‘s Colour Elixir Lipstick! The line consists of  about 15 shades, however, I tried the colour Chilli (853).

As far as packaging goes, Max Factor never fails to disappoint! The packaging of the entire Colour Elixir line is glamorous with gold tones and shades. A small detail that I love about the packaging is that the actual lipstick colour can be seen at the bottom of the tube, which makes life easier when scouting for a particular lipstick (let’s admit, we’ve all been there!).

 The product is enhanced with Vitamin E, keeping your lips luscious and soft. This also adds with a smoother application as it glides on easier than regular lipsticks, which it did.Since the formula is so soft and moisturising, there is really no need to layer any lip balms/aids underneath, which is also means that it’s easier to wear in the colder months. Moreover, I found that even though it’s red (a soft red, to be exact), it’s still a “no fuss” lipstick – so it’s great for a quick fix.

The colour is obviously a creamy red, but with a slight metallic finish. I would consider myself a “numerous coats” type of person, as I want my lipstick to be opaque. That being said, this lipstick has good pigmentation and lasts for quite a while – I would give it a two rich coats. That being said, you would need to touch up if you intend on eating or drinking.

Needless to say, I will definitely be getting my hands on other lipsticks from the line – possibly a me-to-me Christmas gift? Hmm..we’ll see 😉

Have you tried any lipsticks from the Max Factor Colour Elixir line? Feel free to share your thoughts and comments down below 🙂

Until next time,

Elaine xo

– –

Disclaimer:

blabberbeauty is participating in a University of Malta project regarding Social Media Strategies. The team leading project ‘MaxBeauty‘ is collaborating exclusively with drugstore brand, Max Factor, to assess Social Media efforts. This will be done through blabberbeauty, therefore, this section of the website will be dedicated solely to this project.  Stay tuned for brand reviews, tutorials and competitions!

Review: Max Factor Crème Puff Blush

Throughout my makeup journey, I’ve come to realise that there are a few makeup items that simply make or break a look. My first choice, would be brows, of course, but I’ve also come to appreciate the power of blush. Many times, I’m rushing my makeup and decide to skip my blush, and believe me, I regret it EVERY time. Thing is that without blush, I look really washed out. Luckily (is it, really?) I am not alone! So for all of you blusher-lovers, read on for my latest review!

The product I’ve recently tested is the Max Factor Crème Puff Blush in Alluring Rose (25). This baked blush is a shimmery rose colour, with brownish undertones due to its marbled texture. The idea of a marbled blush really appealed to me as sometimes one tone colours can wash you out just the same. Therefore, I feel that this colour combo provides the right balance of warm and cool colours to the face, meaning that it would probably look good on most skin tones.

The colour glides on beautifully – however – you should be SUPER light-handed with this product as it’s quite pigmented. If you’re wondering – yes, I did look like someone slapped me when I tried it for the first time! Trust me, a little goes a long way. With that being said, the product itself is very buildable, so if applied gently, you can really be flexible with your application.

Since it does have quite an amount of shimmer to it, I would not suggest it for people with big pores as it will end up highlighting the pores themselves rather than your cheeks. Then again, you can always apply a primer underneath your makeup which should do the trick! On the plus side, due to the shimmer, it does leave your cheeks with that natural highlight, which looks beautiful for everyday makeup.

With regards to longevity, I was very impressed – it stays on me all day! I mean, it does fade slightly, but by the end of the day, there is always a tint of the blush. To ensure it staying on your cheeks for longer, what I sometimes do is apply a tad of the product BEFORE your powder and then apply powder of it. This gives a soft “beauty within” type of look, and looks more blended into the skin. You can stop here if you’re after a very natural look. However, after applying powder, I go in again with the blusher and voilà! You’ve got yourself super long lasting blusher! I swear, it works every time 🙂

What is your favourite blush? Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments below 🙂

Until next time,

Elaine xo

– –

Disclaimer:

blabberbeauty is participating in a University of Malta project regarding Social Media Strategies. The team leading project ‘MaxBeauty‘ is collaborating exclusively with drugstore brand, Max Factor, to assess Social Media efforts. This will be done through blabberbeauty, therefore, this section of the website will be dedicated solely to this project.  Stay tuned for brand reviews, tutorials and competitions!

 

Review: Max Factor Colour Elixir Gloss

It’s safe to say that one can never have too many lip products. Therefore, without further ado, here is my latest lip product discovery!

I am a lipstick kind of girl, so I normally dismiss lipgloss altogether. However, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try out the Max Factor Colour Elixir in Polished Fuchsia (60). Surprisingly, I don’t regret it!

The reddish-pink colour glides smoothly over the lips, for a gorgeous pop of colour. The product is infused with shine enhancers and smoothing oil, creating a conditioning formula that leaves your lips feel soft and moisturised with a high-gloss finish. Definitely gives you that “It’s my time to shine” feel – if you know what I mean!

I must admit, the lipgloss looks appealing just by the looks of the packaging. Apart from the packaging being stylish, it’s also quite light, making it easy to carry around when on the go. The lipgloss has a subtle scent to it that compliments the feel and application of the product. One thing I really like about this product is that it just glosses over any dry lines leaving you with a soft feel, rather than a patchy job.

This product is perfect for people who just want a hint of colour on their lips, while keeping them plump and moisturised.  The colour is natural looking and complimenting most peoples’ skin tone, giving off a “better than your lips” kind of shade. Mainly because it is a lipgloss, it does need to be re-applied or re-touched after eating and drinking, however it lasts up to 2-3 hours otherwise. I also tried it over lipsticks, giving them more depth yet a nice refreshing slight change in colour.

Which is your favourite lipgloss? Feel free to share your thoughts and comments down below 🙂

Until next time,

Elaine xo

– –

Disclaimer:

blabberbeauty is participating in a University of Malta project regarding Social Media Strategies. The team leading project ‘MaxBeauty‘ is collaborating exclusively with drugstore brand, Max Factor, to assess Social Media efforts. This will be done through blabberbeauty, therefore, this section of the website will be dedicated solely to this project.  Stay tuned for brand reviews, tutorials and competitions!

Review: Max Factor Masterpiece Mascara

Most beauty lovers would agree that we are constantly on the lookout for mascara that gives us BIGGER, BOLDER lashes. Read on to find out my thoughts on the latest mascara I came across…

This is the Max Factor Masterpiece Glamour Extensions 3-in-1 Volumising Mascara (woah, what a mouthful!), possibly making it into my top 5 mascaras. The product comes in beautiful sleek black and gold packaging, complimenting the long, thin design of the mascara tube. As the product name implies, it does look more glamorous than other mascaras at the drugstore.

Apart from its gorgeous packaging, the product itself is amazing! I’ve tried out quite a number of mascaras so far, but hands down, this mascara is the blackest of them all! One coat of this, and you’re almost set to go! The wand is really small in comparison to regular mascaras, which makes it perfect for the bottom lash band as well as for overall precision. However, the product does not pick up too much product, reducing the chance of mascara-malfunction!

What I also love about this product is that it is very buildable. Many times, mascaras tend to make your lashes hard and clumpy just after two coats. I can say that this is the complete opposite – for a ‘no makeup’ makeup look, one coat would be perfect. Adding more applications will give a fuller, more dramatic effect. With that being said, I never found my lashes to clump together at all.

What is your favourite mascara? Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments below 🙂

Until next time,

Elaine xo

– –

Disclaimer:

blabberbeauty is participating in a University of Malta project regarding Social Media Strategies. The team leading project ‘MaxBeauty‘ is collaborating exclusively with drugstore brand, Max Factor, to assess Social Media efforts. This will be done through blabberbeauty, therefore, this section of the website will be dedicated solely to this project.  Stay tuned for brand reviews, tutorials and competitions!

Review: Max Factor Lipfinity

Exciting news! 🙂

blabberbeauty is participating in a University of Malta project regarding Social Media Strategies. The team leading project ‘MaxBeauty‘ is collaborating exclusively with drugstore brand, Max Factor, to assess Social Media efforts. This will be done through blabberbeauty, therefore, this section of the website will be dedicated solely to this project.  Stay tuned for brand reviews, tutorials and competitions!

—

Let’s kick off the project by talking about my latest lip discovery (and you all know how much I love lipsticks), the Max Factor Lipfinity Lip Colour in Glistening (102).

On the packaging of this duo product, it is stated that it is long-lasting, lasting even up to 24 hours! I never really tried long-lasting lip products mainly because I never thought the products would live up to their claims. Also, for the past year I had on and off dry lips so I always opted for moisturising lipsticks rather than longevity.

First of all, this product is really a duo product as there are two steps for a long-lasting application. First the lipstick itself needs to be applied – it’s more of a liquid lipstick, consistency-wise. The colour is really pigmented and dries super quick. That being said, it’s also easy to apply and actually applies really smooth. Additionally, the colour you see in the packaging, is what it will look like once it’s on the lips!

After the first step is applied, you will have to wait around 30 seconds to continue to the second step. By then, the lipstick would have already gone tacky and probably dried. At this point, you will just need to go over your lips with a coat of the second applicator, which is a waxy product that seals everything in place and gives your lips that extra shine! 🙂 Throughout the day you would then only need to re-apply the second applicator and you’re good to go.

One thing to make sure when applying the product in general, is to have ‘dry’, clean lips – make sure no oil or product is on your lips before applying any of the Lipfinity range as the product won’t hold otherwise. Another thing to mention is that I have not tried this with any lip liner under it as I was told that it doesn’t really need one, which I have to agree.

After testing out the product a couple of times, I can definitely say that this one’s a keeper! It lasts all day! I’ve eaten and drank in it and it wouldn’t budge – especially if you re-apply from time to time, which I didn’t because I’m forgetful and lazy 😈

Needless to say, I will be definitely expanding my Lipfinity collection…I don’t know how I’ve been without them for so long!!

Have you tried any of the Lipfinity products? Feel free to share your thoughts and comments down below 🙂

Until next time,

Elaine xo

 

Healthy DIY: Almond Milk

Every Summer I say that I want to lose weight, but like most people, I love my food too much to give it up. However, this year I’m really going to try to lose weight – and more than lose weight, just be healthier. So even though my ultimate goal is to be lighter, I personally think that actually being healthy, is more important.

I am finding settling into a healthier lifestyle to be slightly difficult as in Malta, healthy things are expensive. On top of that, not everything that the UK and US use or rave about are available in Malta, making it harder to find alternatives and again, more expensive.

One of the things that I wanted to try out was almond milk. It is a great alternative to regular milk and is obviously plant based so if you are lactose intolerant or simply follow a vegetarian diet, I suggest you look into it 🙂 A week ago I came across a recipe to make it and thought I would give it a try, seeing that it is still quite pricey in Malta.

What I discovered was that almond milk is quite easy to make. All you would really need is the a blender.

 

To the almonds and water, I only added around 1-2 teaspoons of honey. I would suggest adding a bit more as by the end of it, the milk was still slightly bitter. However, if you really love the nutty flavour, you might want to leave it as is.

To strain the almond milk from the almond meal, I ended up using my Mom’s quinoa sieve that did the job. Ideally, using a cheesecloth or a thin kitchen towel, will give you results.

Tip: Make use of the almond meal be spreading over a baking sheet and dehydrating it in the oven (lowest heat) until dry. Throw it back in the blender to make almond flour, which can be used instead of regular (all-purpose) flour.

As you can see, I only managed to get around 1.5 cups of almond milk from the whole mixture. In the recipe, it seemed that it yields more than that. Can it be that I didn’t do it right? Unfortunately, it was not worth the time and money to make it – only had a small of glass of it to taste, and used the rest with my morning cereal. It might be worth buying the packaged one, after all.

Have you ever tried making almond milk? Any tips I should know about? Feel free to share your thoughts and comments below 🙂

Until next time,

Elaine xo

Event: Make Up Store Malta Makeup Weekend

Hey guys!

As you may know, I’ve been absent this past month due to my exams. To be quite honest, I’ve also been uninspired. I haven’t been buying new stuff because I’m really trying to stay within my budget and first make use of the products I really have. So please bare with me till I get back on track 🙂

Make Up Store Malta hosted a Makeup Weekend with offers throughout their ranges. For those of you who have never come across the brand, Make Up Store is a Swedish brand, with stores located in roughly 20 countries worldwide. With their ongoing offers all through the weekend, what better way to bounce back from my hiatus than to check it out?!

Located at Tigné Point, Level -2, I would say the store was quite busy. Luckily, it happened that I was having quite a hectic afternoon myself, so I decided to go in for a quick look around, and then would check out the products closely on another day.

Once you enter the store, the variety of colour simply slaps you in the face! I think that is what I really loved about their products! Everything looks sleek, yet vibrant and makes you feel like you’re in a Make Up Wonderland. To my surprise, they’ve got a number of ranges; microshadows and marble eyeshadow to powder foundation and skincare!

Another thing I liked (and will definitely be going back for) are their foundations – and more importantly, the foundations SHADES. So many drugstore brands only carry pinky foundations, leaving all yellow undertone people like me, unmatched. Thankfully, Make Up Store seem to have a decent range and shades that cater to a larger area of people.

Did I mention colour? If you’re a nail polish lover, you might want to check this brand out! And don’t get me started on eyeliners and lipsticks – almost every shade you may want, they’ve got. It’s truly amazing!

I noticed that they’ve got brush kits as well as palette kits which in my opinion, would be a lovely gift for someone who appreciates makeup.

For the event, they were giving out goodies bags when spending a certain amount. They were nice enough to give me one two goodies for going down to the store.

I ended up getting this beautiful matt blue pigment that makes you feel like a mermaid of some sorts – the colour is just breathtaking and so pigmented! Perfect for Summer!

I will definitely be going there again soon, because, I mean – look at colours!! Lastly, I would also like to mention the kind and helpful staff at the Tigné store (shoutout to Carl!) who greeted the customers that came through their doors with a warm welcome 🙂

Until next time,

Elaine xo

 

April Favourites 2015

Another month over, another month closer to exams and well, Summer (not that I’m too excited for it). Time is flying by me so quickly that I feel that I barely get the chance to test out new products. Nevertheless, here are this month’s favourites!

The Body Shop Shower Gel in Vanilla Bruleé

Firstly, it’s safe to say that I have too many shower gels from TBS. I normally like to finish one bottle and move on to the next. However, this month I was feeling a bit rebellious (hint: sarcasm) and decided to switch things up by using the Vanilla Bruleé one. This shower gel is feels really nice and milky on the skin, and literally smells like vanilla frosting. In my opinion, this is perfect for a pick-me-up or pamper day rather than everyday use – I think it’s because it’s texture feels more luxurious than normal shower gels.

 

Bourjois Paris Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation in Dark Beige (55)

I’ve recently stumbled upon this product, and again, fell back in love with it. It is still slightly dark for my skin, but when I mix it with my Rimmel Match Perfection, it balances out. I’m also hoping to get enough of a tan this Summer, to pull it off on its own. Colour aside, the texture of this foundation is not what you’d expect from a ‘gel foundation’. It not at all heavy or thick on the skin, but neither a barely-there foundation. Since it does still maintain its gel consistency, I feel that it kind of acts as a primer in itself, blending out your skin and reducing the look of pores. Moreover, it applies smoothly on to the skin and is great for most skin types (I won’t vouch for super oily or super dry skin types, though).

itStyle Rossetto (Lipstick) 24h Luxury Kiss

If you follow me on any of my social media, or even just here, you will probably know about my love for red lipsticks. Darker red lipsticks, to be in fact. This lipstick fits in perfectly with my growing addiction for these products. Not only is the colour breathtaking (that alone, makes me love it!), but it is also amazingly pigmented and lasts for eveeer! I have drank and eaten, still having it on my lips after! I can’t stress enough how much you need this lipstick in your life…

Makeup Studio Lip Liner Pencil in Black

Firstly, how weird is it that this product is a LIP LINER not an EYE LINER?! Secondly, I use this as an eyeliner. It’s actually really good for tight-lining and also nice to line your upper lid. It’s also quite a soft liner, almost like a kajal, making it easy to blend and smoke it out. I’ve lately been skipping the whole face of makeup and just going with doing my brows, eyeliner and mascara, so this has been perfect for that. Black eyeliner is a staple product, in my opinion.

Sushi

Ok, let’s just say that my recent obsession with sushi is an understatement. I know, I’m late to the party – I had tried it before but never really got the fuss about it, until now, of course. I am obsessed! The only downside to it is that it is quite pricey in Malta, and I haven’t learnt to make it myself yet. Other than that, I love it! Did I mention that already?

 

Damn. Now I’m hungry.

What were your faves this month? Feel free to share your thoughts and comments below! 🙂

Until next time,

Elaine xo