Sleek i-Divine Au Naturel Palette

Okay, I know, I haven't blogged in like... 3, almost 4 months.  My laptop broke and I am incapable of getting anything done when I need to, so it took me a while to send it for repair.  By a while I mean 3, almost 4 months.  Whoops!

But on a positive note, i bought a ton of makeup in that time and have lots of posts coming up! Hooray for laziness and an addiction to beauty products - right? so let's crack on.

The Sleek i-Divine range is a series of super-pigmented mineral eye shadow palettes with a variety of matte, pearl and glitter shades.  My favourite one I have is Au Naturel, and it's been part of my daily makeup routine for... oh almost a year now (again, lazy blogger!). 

It has 12 neutral shades which would complement any eye colour.  They are surprisingly pigmented for 'drugstore' eyeshadows, and work well both as a wash of colour or for more defined/statement eye looks.

My personal favourites are Nubuck - the matte light grey, for a wash of colour over the lid, Cappuccino - the matte light brown, for a light contour through the crease, Bark - the matte dark brown for a deep contour on the outer edge or if I fancy looking like Lana del Rey for a day (who wouldn't?!) and Noir, the blackest black of all the black eyeshadows I've owned ever in the history of all time - perfect for lining the lashes or creating an intense smokey eye. 

I use these with the Real Techniques eye brushes - Base Shadow brush for applying the colour to the lid and crease, the Deluxe Crease brush for blending and the Angled Brow brush for liner (it gives a cleaner line than the smaller, fluffier brushes).

The shadows work well alone and tend to last a good 8 hours on me without a primer, but my eyelids don't tend to get super oily or anything.  With a primer I get a couple of extra hours wear and less smudging under the eye.

They are excellent shadows, especially for the price - £7.99! You can't go wrong with these. 

They're available from Sleek.com, and there are 17 palettes to choose from if this one doesn't feel like 'the one'. (also available from Superdrug and Boots)

As always, thanks for reading and if you've tried the products, or found my review helpful, leave a comment below! You can also like my Facebook page to be updated with new posts, or follow my blog on BlogLovin' 

Rach xo

Sleek Face Form - Contour, Highlight and Blush

'With multi-tasking elements such as contour powder, highlighter and/or blusher or bronzer, Face Form is the ultimate face definition kit in one neat compact designed to suit all skin tones.Please note: Face Form in Fair and Light come with contour powder, highlighter and blush. Face Form in Medium and Dark come available with contour powder, highlighter and a bronzer.'

It's no secret, I love contouring more than any other part of my makeup routine.  It's mainly because I have a massive moon face once I put on foundation, and nobody wants a moon face.  Anyone with skin like my own will know how daunting it is to contour your face - you constantly buy bronzer after bronzer and usually end up looking like you have some sort of skin condition - It's either orange, patchy or dirty looking.    Then there's the shimmer - even the matte bronzers I've used just love to put that little bit of shimmer in there.  The light hits it and bam, moon face again. 

Until I got this bad boy.  The Sleek Face Form - I am in love. 

The Sleek Face Form kit is a palette with a bronzer, highlight and blush, and comes in four different shades to suit your skin tone (Fair, Light, Medium, Dark).  I, of course, have the Fair one - being that I am 99% sure I'm in some way related to Caspar the friendly ghost.

I apply the contour powder first (you can see where I apply it in my How to Contour and Highlight blog - here), then highlight, and then blush.  I always do the highlighter before blush so that it doesn't give a solid stripe, because the blush blends over it a bit and softens it for a more natural look.

The bronzer in this kit is perfect for pale skin - it isn't orange toned, blends really well and gives a shadow effect to the face rather than an orange stripe.  I apply mine using an ecotools tapered blush brush, or a real techniques contour brush - depending on how strong I want my contouring.

The highlight has a slight pinky tone and gives a nice sheen to the top of the cheekbones, tip of the nose and cupids bow, without making you look like you just high-5'd a disco ball with your face.

The blush is a lovely pink with gold tones, it's really subtle and gives a nice healthy glow, and can be built up to give more of a dramatic look.  Again, I apply this with my ecotools tapered blush brush (because it is THE softest brush in all the land). 

I've had this kit for almost 6 months, used it every single day and have only just hit pan on the bronzer - the highlight and blush are still going strong!  It hasn't broken me out at all, and stays on all day.

I will definitely be repurchasing this when I run out - at £9.99 for 20g of high quality product, it's a bargain.  And the packaging is extremely convenient when you're getting ready in a rush.

The Sleek Face Form kit is available to purchase from Sleek, Boots and Superdrug.

As always, thanks for reading and if you've tried this product, or found my review helpful, leave a comment below! You can also like my Facebook page to be updated with new posts, or follow my blog on BlogLovin' 

Rach xo

July 2013 Glossybox Review

Glossybox is a monthly subscription of 5 high-end beauty product samples (with some full-size products sometimes, too) for £10 + £2.95 p+p)

You can earn Glossydots by reviewing the products in a quick survey, or by inviting friends, and redeem points for a free box.  Each survey is worth 50 points, so if you review 5 products a month, every 5th Glossybox should be free.  You get 200 Glossydots for every friend that signs up and places an order (1000 Glossydots = 1 free box) 

The June Glossybox theme is 'Seaside Splash' - the all-in-one pamper package that won't leave you high and dry.  The box is bright blue with seashells etc, and makes a nice change from the usual pink.


The first product in the box was Bamboo Style Boho Waves Tousled Texture Mist by Alterna Haircare.  It claims to add texture, volume and healthy shine to all hair types to create that 'just back from the beach' look.  

The bottle says that it can be applied to either damp or dry hair, and should be sprayed from roots to tips then shaped with fingers to create a loose, tousled style.  It basically works like any other sea salt type stray, and gives a really nice end result.  I used it when I was going out for a long day and didn't have time to dry my hair before I left, it ended up really nice and thick and shiny and didn't get too matted or tangled.

It contains Organic Bamboo Extract - to boost hair's strength, flexability and sustainability for stronger, healthier hair and also Blue Yucca Root, a natural fixative which is high in starch to create long-lasting style and hold.  The organic ingredients are grown responsibly and traded ethically, with their production and sales helping to support local communities whilst remaining ethically friendly.

It is also free from Sulphates, Sodium Chloride, Parabens, Gluten, TEA and Phthalates.

Although I enjoy using the product, I think that at £23/125ml, it is way overpriced, however, if they brought out say, a 50ml bottle for £5, I would definitely buy it.

Available to buy from GorgeousShop.co.uk for £18.40 with free shipping.

The second product in the box was Coola Mineral face SPF20 Unscented, a mineral sunscreen with a Titanium Dioxide formula for those who are Zinc sensitive.  it contains 98% natural ingredients, including:

Organic Acai Oil - high in Omegas 3, 6 & 9, Vitamins B1,2&3 plus antioxidant Vitamins C and E.

Organic Sunflower Seed Extract - promotes elasticity.

Organic Linseed Oil - contains Alpha-Linolenic Acids, which reduce redness and irritation.

Plankton Extract - rejuvinating phyto-protector.

Organic Cucumber Extract - calms skin.

It is also hypoallergenic, paraben free, ultra sheer, anti-aging, water resistant for upto 40 minutes, and contains no nano-sized particles, which aren't absorbed properly by the skin.

The directions say to apply evenly over the face in upwards strokes, and you'll have SPF protection in 30 minutes.  It also says to reapply every 2 hours (sooner if in water).

I used this on my long day in the sun, and only caught a bit of colour on my nose, but to be fair, I didn't reapply at all because I had it on underneath my makeup (which also had SPF).

Although I like the idea of this sunscreen being organic and mainly natural, I don;t feel that the price accurately reflects the value of the product.  You can buy face sunscreens from Boots or superdrug or Tesco etc for about £6/75ml, but this costs a whopping £29.99/50ml.  And it's only SPF 20!



Next up is Anatomicals Spray Misty For Me Facial Spritz - for normal, dry or sensitive skin.  It is a mix of lavander and peppermint extracts to refresh and rehydrate skin.  It can be used after cleansing to refresh the face, or after makeup to set your look.

This will definitely be a summer staple as it does exactly what it says on the tin (or bottle...) and is perfect for this sticky, humid, freak of nature weather we're having in the UK at the moment.

The packaging is pretty cute, with a lilac bottle and yellow spray pump, complete with Clint Eastwood on the back (Play Misty For Me), and it is a pretty decent size for the price, as with most Anatomicals Products - £6/100ml.

Unfortunately, I can't find this product available to buy ANYWHERE.  If you know where I can find it, please leave a comment below!





Number 4 in the July box is Pout Paint from Sleek - A range of intensive, long-lasting lip pigments that are made to be mixed to create your perfect shade.  I received 2 shades - Milkshake - a coral pink, and Peek a Bloo, a bright blue used to darken/cool the other shades.

I'm not going to lie, I wish I'd received a red and a blue, or a red and a pink, because mixing these two together gives you a lilac colour similar to the Anatomicals bottle, and that doesn't look at all good on my skin tone.  The pink on its own looks fine, though.

They last a good amount of time and don't dry your lips, which is great when you're super dehydrated from this heat.  I found the best way to apply them was to put a TINY dot on the back of my hand and use a lip brush to get it exactly where I want it and not let it feather outside my lips etc.

The colours are super pigmented, and I've read a lot of reviews comparing them to OCC Lip Tars, they seem pretty similar from swatches, and are half the price at £4.99/8ml

Available to buy from SleekMakeup.com and Superdrug

The final product in the box was a pack of Sleek Sticks Nail Stickers from Essie.  I haven't had chance to try them myself yet, as I have been doing way too much stuff with my hands and don't want to risk ruining them!

'Discover a whole new way to essie with our sleek stick nail wraps.  Now you can re-create chic looks fresh from the runway without picking up a brush. Essie’s UV-cured nail wraps mimic the feel of handcrafted nail art and last up to 10 days.'

I got a pack in crocodile print, although I prefer to think of it as giraffe print because I have a slight obsession.  They look great and very high quality.

The instructions say to make sure your nails are clean, pick a strip closest to the size of your nail, apply and buff off the excess with a nail file - simple!


One pack costs £9.99, and is enough for one application - quite expensive, but I'll write another blog when I have tried them to let you know if they're worth it!

Overall, the July 2013 box was a vast improvement on the past few boxes, but there were still a couple of the other items that I quite liked the look of - Ciaté Paint Pots and the other colours of Pout Paints.  Let's hope the August box is just as good!

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Review: Glossybox December 2012

Glossybox is a monthly subscription of 5 high-end beauty product samples (with some full-size products sometimes, too) for £10 + £2.95 p&p.

You can earn GlossyDots by reviewing the products sent to you in a quick survey, and redeem points for a free box. (1000 GlossyDots = 1 free box) 

'Tried and tested by the Glossybox Pros, Glossybox does the hard work for you'

The theme for the December box was 'Bejewelled' - festive treats that would make perfect gifts.

The first product in the box was Conditioning Whipped Cream by Milk_Shake, which I reviewed separately, you can read that review here.

'It's different to the other leave-in conditioners I've tried, as it's a mousse.  I was expecting it to leave my hair crunchy or dry, but it just leaves it super soft and bouncy.'

(RRP. £14.30/200ml, available for £10.76 from BeautyBay.com)

The second product in the box was a Nail Lacquer by Seche, which I also reviewed separately, and you can read that review here!

'On average, this nail polish lasts me between 5-10 days, whereas every other one I try chips within about 5 minutes - my nails just repel any colour that comes near them!'

(RRP. £9.95/14ml, available from Nails By Mail)

Third in the December box was the What A Complete And Utter Glosser. I Never Fake Strawberry Milkshake lipgloss from Anatomicals. 

I used it a couple of times before I checked the ingredients, the smell isn't super fruity, it's quite a plastic-y smell, and the texture was a bit too sticky for my liking.

it contains propylparaben, which you can read about here, and so I won't continue to use it.  

(RRP. £3.49/10ml)

Next in the box was Magic Touch by Rituals - 'An ultra rich, whipped body cream based on nourishing rice milk and the flowery fragrance of cherry blossom.'  

It has a great texture, is very light and fluffy, and hardly has a smell.  It goes on super smooth, and barely needs rubbing in, and the softness lasts all day.  

With a combination of Organic Cherry and Rice Milk, Antioxidants and vitamin E, alongside the anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and a whole host of other positive effects of Centella Asiatica, this is the ultimate in moisturisation.

It doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy or clogged, and hasn't caused me any breakouts, whereas other body creams usually do.

I definitely recommend trying this cream, and at £5/70ml, it's pretty affordable, too.  Available from Rituals.com (also available for £15/200ml)

Fifth in the 12/12 box was the Oh So Special i-Divine True Palette from Sleek.

It is a collection of 12 highly pigmented eye shadows, in fairly neutral colours and a couple of darker shades.

The packaging is really nice, a matte finish palette with 'Sleek' across the front.  The one thing I am disappointed with is the applicator.  I would have thought that companies would have stopped putting sponge applicators in with their products by now, in favour of a mini brush, but no luck.

The applicator barely picks up anything, giving the impression that it's a bad product, whereas if you use a brush, it works really well and you can create some great looks from this palette.

It does contain Propylparaben and Methylparaben, so I'm not comfortable using this on a daily basis (but I don't feel as bad about using this as I do body creams/moisturisers etc, that sink into the skin - when I use this it will be over a primer, to create a barrier)

RRP. £7.99, available from SleekMakeup.com

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