Hey you,

I’m back with another review of course but first can we just talk about this bloody weather? Why has it decided to snow all of a sudden? I was so excited about the sun coming out and now the Beast from the East has well and truly arrived. Nottingham has seen pretty much non-stop snow over the past few days and I think we’re all over it. Especially when I live at the top of a hill and need to get to uni most days. Anyway, with that rant over let’s get on with the review. Today, I’m going to be talking about one of Primark’s (many) new makeup ranges. I’ve always been a fan of their low priced clothing and great value for money homeware but they have only just started paying close attention to the trends within the beauty community. They’re just so on the ball with keeping up with the latest thing, I honestly don’t know how they do it and how they churn out so many products so fast! I popped into my local store last week and I was so impressed with how much their makeup ranges have improved.

I spotted their “Nudes” range straight away. Does it remind you of anything? Yep, there are some serious KKW/Yeezy S6 vibes up in here. If Primark are trying to dupe those ridiculously pricey products, I think it’s definitely worth taking a closer look as these could save us a lot of money! Who doesn’t want to save money when it comes to makeup? In terms of the packaging, they’ve ticked every box in my opinion. These nude and pinky tones are everywhere at the moment too so they did a pretty good job picking up on that. My bedroom at home is a mixture of pink and grey so anything nude fits right in – I’m super excited to add these bits to my collection.

2 x BLENDER SPONGES – £2

I have tried Primark’s beauty blenders/sponges before and I was so disappointed. It was kind of like smacking small rocks against your face which wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. I noticed that there were some included within the “Nudes” range and I thought I would give them another shot. I was pleasantly surprised, I absolutely love these! They feel expensive – I know this sounds strange but they feel firm and well made (pretty much exactly like my actual Beauty Blender). I think these are such great value too at £2. I would happily pay £1 for a beauty blender every time I needed one as my usual sponges cost a fair bit to replace. I simply hold these under the tap and squeeze out any excess water before applying my foundation with them – they work just fine! I will definitely be buying more of these.

EYELASH CURLER £1.50

I’ve always kind of thought these things are a myth or a gimmick. Growing up, my best friend always used one every single day and swore by it but I just never really thought it would make a difference. You’ll have to excuse the state of my eyebrow but I just thought it was worth showing you the results. I’ve always had long eyelashes but they literally do NOTHING and it makes me want to cry, they just stay straight no matter what product I’m using. So somehow, my brain started working properly and I realised that eyelash curlers were the solution. These worked wonders on my lashes and actually made them do something for once. I’ve been using these every day since I bought them! Also, my lashes are still curled when I wake up so these must be doing a good job!

2 x TWEEZERS – £1.50

I know this is pretty boring but I was in dire need of some new tweezers. Last year I started using false eyelashes and I would use my regular tweezers to apply them and after a while they just got a bit sticky and clumpy and so they couldn’t be very accurate when I needed to sort my brows out (as you can see from above photo of my face hahah) I like that this pack includes average sized tweezers but also some more narrow-headed ones for more precision. Plus they’re pink and my old ones were boring and grey so yay!

MATTE LIQUID LIPSTICK & LIP LINER – THRILL SEEKER £3

NOPE. Straight up this disappointed me SO much. First of all, it’s super drying and it literally made my lips look and feel like shrivelled up prunes. Secondly, the lip liner broke off as soon as I got it out to swatch it, so I had to hold the tiny nib in my hand to try and get anything from it. Thirdly, I do not rate lip liners that aren’t pencils as you basically get zero product and if it breaks like mine did, there’s literally nothing you can do about it. Finally, the liquid lipstick dried a kind of brown/coral nude and not the pinky toned nude that it looked like it would be. It made me look so washed out. Also, it smelt of chemicals and didn’t have that typical toffee smell that most liquid lipsticks have. Overall, I’m very disappointed and Primark definitely need to work on the formulas of their lip kits.

MATTE EYE SHADOW PALETTE – £4

I was so impressed with this palette given it only retails at £4. It’s so beautifully packaged – very similar style to the Kylie Cosmetics 9 pan palettes. The colours are really pretty and elegant and they work well together, especially for Spring. I think the pigmentation of these shadows is so good, I didn’t have a single problem with blending them out and none of them were patchy. The only thing I will mention, is that the final shade I swatched (bottom right of palette) is supposed to be a purple, but no matter how many photos I took, the brown undertones took the limelight. I would really recommend trying this palette out as it’s not that different to those that I’ve spent more money on from higher-end brands. Well done Primark!

METALLIC EYE CREAM – ENCHANTED – £2

I love a good cream eyeshadow and I rarely find ones that I love, I tend to use Kiko’s cream shadows. However, I was really pleased with how this turned out. It’s pigmented, it’s creamy and easy to blend and it’s available in a few gorgeous shades. I love using this as a base for when I do halos or cut creases. I can’t wait to use this on holiday – it will look so pretty when it catches the light. I really recommend trying these out as they’re fab quality but also great size for your makeup bag.

BODY SHIMMER DUST – £4

YES. I am loving this product. It’s pretty much a luminous powder that blends out to add a gorgeous glow to your skin. It makes me look so much healthier and polished and I am obsessed with it. The packaging is so sleek and luxe too, it looks so much more expensive than it actually is. I also really love the little sponge/pad that it comes with as it’s so soft and works so well with the powder. You also get a huge amount (11g to be precise) of powder which will go A LONG way. I can’t wait for summer when I want to add a natural glow/shimmer. I absolutely recommend this product, it’s so gorgeous and it blends out so easily to add a stunning natural glow. 10/10.

Overall, I think this range is brilliant. Although the liquid lipstick was an absolute no from me, the rest of the products were all great and barely cost anything. I think they’re onto something here and they’re certainly giving Kim K something to panic about when it comes to price tags. Let me know if you want me to review any of the other Primark make up ranges as there are a few that have caught my eye. I hope you enjoyed this review even though it’s quite lengthy. I wanted to go all out with this as I tried reading some reviews myself and they didn’t include that many of the products. Let me know what you guys think of this range and whether or not you’ve tried or want to try any of the products included.

N xxxx

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Birchbox is a UK beauty subscription service that sends beauty boxes to their subscribers containing 5 goodies every month. You don’t have to worry about lifelong commitments or any contracts, you can cancel anytime with a monthly subscription – no fuss whatsoever! The monthly subscription costs only £10 per month! You can edit your beauty profile on their site in order to ensure you get sent products that are suitable for your skin/hair type and personal preferences. Birchbox is so great for discovering new brands and products. I have been subscribed to Birchbox for over a year now and I look forward to receiving their boxes every month. I’ve gone on to buy lots of the things I’ve received because I have loved them so much. Every box you receive is beautifully packaged, some months are designed and inspired by artists and companies. One month the box was created and designed in partnership with Oliver Bonasand I use it to store makeup in as it’s so beautiful!

This month, Birchbox teamed up with British fashion designer Matthew Williamson. The box is truly the epitome of luxe design and it’s so perfect for this time of year. I feel like December is a month that for some people, can be really stressful. Many seem to forget to take a minute to relax and pamper themselves and this box has definitely motivated me to do just that!

So let’s take a look at the first item…

(FULL SIZE) Pixi – Shea Butter Lip Balm in Natural Rose : £8

I actually already own a Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm in the shade Honey Nectar which I love, so I was super excited when I saw another one in my December box! It adds the perfect amount of colour without drying my lips out completely, however for some reason I don’t feel like it’s as moisturising as my previous lip balm by Pixi. I would have liked a more nourishing product for this time of year as this is when my lips are chapping like there’s no tomorrow. I will definitely still use it, just not if my lips are in need of help. Natural Rose is a gorgeous nude-pink shade, perfect for more natural looks. The packaging has a vintage feel to it which is adorable and it’s the perfect size to keep in your handbag.

Baïja Paris – Caramelised Honey Body Scrub : £14.90 (via the Birchbox shop)

I had never heard of this brand before but after looking on their website it’s clear that they sell lots of other beautiful products too. This body scrub smells INCREDIBLE, if you imagine freshly made caramel or fudge – something along those lines. It’s made up of 97% natural ingredients which I love as I feel it would be a real treat for my skin. It’s perfect for exfoliating and scrubbing away dry and dead skin to make you feel fresh and moisturised. I cannot wait to have a cosy pamper night in with this!

ModelCo – Contour Stick : £13 (via the Birchbox shop)

I am not blessed with chiseled cheeks so I’ll happily fake it until I make it. I was so happy to see this contour stick in my December box. For the last couple of years I have been completely hooked on the Barry M contour cream sticks (which I will be including in my every day makeup items post – coming soon!) however, I’m so excited to try something new. The one that I currently use is quite cool toned which sometimes doesn’t work for a warm summery look. This product seems nice and warm toned which will be perfect for Summer and natural holiday makeup. I also love that the end is pointed which means contouring can be done with precision. When I was swatching the product I was surprised at how creamy it was and how well it blended! This is something I look for in contouring sticks as I’m not a fan of streaky cheeks and I like products that blend like a seamlessly. I use a dewy foundation and this would glide perfectly over it to create a healthy and glowing makeup look.

Sand & Sky – Brilliant Skin Purifying Clay Mask – £39.90

Is it just me or are there some strong Nip+ Fab vibes from this packaging? This product particularly caught my eye as I love a good face mask on pamper nights. The product is claimed to detox, invigorate and brighten your complexion (yes please). The main ingredient is pink Australian clay which apparently draws impurities out from the skin. The product also contains soothing aloe vera and pore tightening pomegranate.

(FULL SIZE)Spectrum Collections – B04 Angled Blender Brush – £4.99

I practically squealed when I saw this brush poking out from beneath the other products. I always say you can never have too many blending brushes so this one will be going straight into my collection. I love that it’s angled so that you can be precise with your shadows. The colour of the brush also had me drooling as anything gold or rose gold always catches my eye and matches my aesthetic in my bedroom.

Overall I think this box is worth the money that I paid for it (£10) as the products are all very luxurious this month and there are two full sized products included which together have a total value of £13! Let me know if you are subscribed to Birchbox and what you thought of this box or if you are subscribed to any other beauty boxes, I would love to know!

Go ahead and use my link (here) to subscribe and you will get £5 off your first Birchbox!