Tuesday T. Bryan: 2012

Monday 31 December 2012

2 True Nail Polish; shades 02, 5, 41; reviews + photos

I was doing some Christmas shopping in Bristol City Center a few weeks ago. Whenever I go shopping I buy a hell of a lot more for myself than for anyone else, and I know I'm not alone. Clothes, make up, food, drink - I'll have it all.
Anyway, one thing I was after was a gold glitter nail polish top coat. I'm pretty fussy when it comes to cosmetics; I looked in Debenhams, Harvey Nicks, Boots, Superdrug, etc etc, and couldn't find "the perfect polish". However, I did come see a shade in Superdrug from a dirt cheap brand called "2 True". I've actually never bought anything from them before (I don't really think I even knew they existed), but "Shade 5" from the Crystal Nail Polish collection caught my eye. The 2 True cosmetics were all in a 3 for £5 deal, so I bought "Shade No 02" and "Shade No 41" from the Glossy Wear collection, too.
The photo below on the left shows my nails after one, two and three coats, and at the bottom is a larger photo of my nails after three coats (no top coat).

Shade No 2: This one is from the Glossy Wear collection. In the bottle this shade looks pretty immaculate, it's a glittery opalescent pearly white colour, but on the nails it's really translucent which is disappointing. The photos to the right show my nails after one, two and three coats. Some of you will be happy with the results, but I still wasn't satisfied with it after three coats. I like really do like this iridescent shade, but it doesn't deliver enough impact for me. It would probably look great after a fourth coat, but four (or more) coats is too much hassle for me. I have only actually used this polish once (for the photo to the right), so I can't report how good the wear is, but the bottle says "up to 5 days wear" so I wouldn't expect anything too impressive!

Shade 5: This is the one that caught my eye in Superdrug. It's from the 2 True Crystal Nail Polish collection. It's such an immense colour. It's fully made up of gold, bronze and pink glitter, so as you can imagine it's quite translucent, but after a few coats it's stunning and almost completely opaque. It really is an epic party shade! It dries really quickly which is great. It's pretty hard wearing for a cheap polish, too - I was wearing three coats and two top coats, and it lasted 4 days before any chips or peeling appeared.
There are 6 shades in the Crystal collection, and I'm planning to get the red, purple and pink next, they look gorgeous.
If you're a lover of glittery polishes, you won't be disappointed.

Shade No 41: I'm a lover of red nail polish, so I thought I'd give this one a try. It's a bright glossy shimmery red, a very "girly" shade from the Glossy Wear collection. I like the colour, but it just isn't dramatic enough for me, it doesn't have enough depth. It takes three coats to get this polish opaque which isn't too bad, but it's a pain if you're in a hurry, and it's not very quick drying, either. Anyway, unlike "Shade No 02", I have given this one a chance to test out it's staying power. I didn't notice any major chipping for about three days, but it did start to peel quite quickly, which I suspect is mainly due to the amount of coats you have to apply to get it opaque - I was wearing a base coat, three coats of this polish, and two top coats (I imagine "Shade No 2" has similar wear).

2 True nail polishes are available for £1.99 from Superdrug.

© Tuesday T. Bryan Photography
DO NOT USE IMAGES WITHOUT PERMISSION. Copyrighted material

By Tuesday T. Bryan.

Sunday 30 December 2012

3x Avon SuperShock products; Gel eyeliner, pencil eyeliner, mascara; reviews + photos

There are quite a lot of products in Avon's SuperShock range, and I have three of them; SuperShock Eyeliner in "Blackened Metal", SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pencil in "Black", and SuperShock Mascara in "Black" in the limited edition packaging. So I thought I'd give them all a review in one blog.

First I want to share my thoughts on my favorite product of the three, my SuperShock Eyeliner in "Blackened Metal". I'd heard good things about it from friends, and I can see why! Its a gel eyeliner which comes in a little glass pot, and is currently available in three metallic shades; "Blackened Metal" is a very dark grey/black packed with silver shimmer (see my "swatch photo" below), "Shimmering Sapphire" is cobalt blue with light blue sparkles, and "Flashy Brown" is a metallic shade medium-dark brown/bronze.

I went for "Blackened Metal" as I'm not a fan of bright eye make up on myself. I wish this product was available in matte black - I can't fault this shade at all, but it would be nice to have it in plain black, too. Anyway, I really love how build-able this shade is. When first applied it's fairly light and translucent, but when you layer it up it becomes a gorgeous dramatic dark grey / "almost black", packed full of sparkling silver shimmer, I love it!
I can't explain how good the wear is; I work 18 hour days, and it looks just as stunning at the start of my day as it does at the end... it doesn't even need any touch ups! It's also smudge-proof and crease-proof. The formula is silky-smooth, but it does feel quite greasy on your hands and it's a pain to get off your skin and brushes with water alone (so try not to make a mess with it!).
Obviously you'll need an eyeliner brush to apply this product. A brush isn't supplied, but Avon do sell one separately for £4.00. My assistant's sister uses Avon's eyeliner brush and tells me it's good, but I use my MAC 263 Small Angle Brush which is available for £16.00 from the MAC website.
Avon SuperShock Eyeliner is available from your Avon representative for £6.00.

Now it's time to discuss the eyeliner pencil, Avon SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pencil in "Black".
Although I do like this product, I personally don't think it's as good as the SuperShock Eyeliner. If they made the SuperShock Eyeliner in this deep matte black I'd buy it in a shot!
On your skin this liner lasts all day, the wear is fantasic. Again, it's completely smudge-proof and crease-proof. However, on your waterline this product just doesn't work for me; it fades and begins to run very quickly, and literally within minutes I have no liner left on the corners of my waterline at all which is disappointing. Again, this product is silky-smooth but quite greasy; you need to be careful not to make a mess with it as it's almost impossible to remove with water alone, in fact it's even more difficult to remove than the SuperShock Eyeliner due to the dark shade. The pencil is very soft which makes the application smooth and drag-free, but it also means it wears down fairly quickly so you'll need to sharpen it quite a lot.
Avon SuperShock Gel Pencil Eyeliner is available from your local Avon representative for £6.00.

Lastly, my Avon SuperShock Mascara in "Black". They only sell this product in black, but that's no problem for me. They also sell a SuperShock Max version which I'd like to get my hands on! I bought it a couple of months ago in the limited edition packaging; it's metallic red with gold writing and stars and really is quite pretty, now and then they sell it online and in the brochure for a limited period.
This is a volume boosting mascara, and it really does work. I have fairly short lashes and they're quite thick anyway, so I usually go for a lengthening product, but I'd heard great things about this one so I had to give it a go. It thickens my lashes really well! And it coats my lashes for root to tip which gives me a nice dark lash line without eyeliner. It doesn't clump which is always a winner. It also dries very quickly - my "everyday mascara" was Maybelline Great Lash for about 2 years as it was an all-round beauty bar the fact that it took too long to dry which could lead to it getting messy, but Avon SuperShock (and my No7 Extreme Length Mascara) have now replaced it! The photos show the thickness and length of my lashes after using Avon SuperShock Mascara.
Avon SuperShock Mascara is available from your Avon representative for £8.50.

© Tuesday T. Bryan Photography
DO NOT USE IMAGES WITHOUT PERMISSION. Copyrighted material

By Tuesday T. Bryan.

Image - below: The photo below shows all three products together; SuperShock Eyeliner on my upper lid, SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pencil on my waterline, and SuperShock Mascara on my lashes.

Friday 28 December 2012

Revlon ColourStay Overtime & Maybelline 18h SuperStay - lip colour reviews + photos

To give my lipstick staying power, Lipcoat is an absolute dream (it defiantly needs a review soon). And I pretty much hate lip gloss, the vast majority of them anyway, particularly the "wet look" ones that look like they're melting off your lips.
However, I quite like lip colours that are almost "a cross between lipstick and lip gloss". I understand that sounds quite vague, so I'm writing a review of two of the cosmetics I place in this category. These are Revlon ColourStay Overtime Lip Colour and Maybelline 18h SuperStay, both in two stunning shades of red. The photos just don't show how amazing these colours are. Click the photos to enlarge them and you'll get a better feel for what they're like.
(I've had both these products for quite some time, as the photos show!)

Revlon ColourStay Overtime Lip Colour in "On-Going Flame":
This colour is incredible. It's one of the most classically beautiful shades of red I own, and I own a lot. It's completely matte, so if you like a bit of sparkle this one probably isn't for you. You can also layer the colour; if you only apply a light coat it looks a slightly "pinky-red" colour, or you can apply a full coat to reveal a gorgeous bold red (see the "swatch photo" below for the colour variation).
I also like how quickly the colour dries. Some of these products take ages to dry before you can apply the top coat, which can be a real pain as you're meant to keep your lips apart while it dries, however this is not the case with Revlon's ColourStay.
The glossy top coat is great, too. It's completely clear with no shimmer or sparkle, and it gives a lovely shine to the red. It's non-sticky which is always a winner (I think sticky lip glosses were what made me dislike lip gloss so much).
It has incredible staying power; I apply mine in the morning and take it off before I go to bed, and even after 18+ hours wear that fabulous red is still as good as when I first applied it. You will need to touch up the gloss top coat after you eat, though.

Maybelline 18h SuperStay Lip Colour in "538 Crimson Crystal":

Now, if you're a lady who prefers some sparkle, you have to try this colour. It's the ultimate party shade of red - bright, bold, and packed with hot pink shimmer and has a bronzy undertone. You can layer this colour just as you can with Revlon ColourStay, but this is slightly less opaque so you will need to apply a bit more (again, see the "swatch photo" above for colour variation). I always wear two or three coats before applying the top coat.
Unlike the Revlon's product which drys quick as a flash, this product is pretty slow drying which is quite disappointing.

This colour does actually dry out my lips quite a lot, but this is where the top coat comes in. It's a fantastic moisturising balm which instantly hydrates your lips and gives a healthy looking shine. I prefer it to the Revlon ColourStay gloss top coat by far. I do find myself needing to reapply the top coat a lot throughout the day which can be irritating, but at least you'll never run out as can buy the top coat separately.
This product has some epic staying power, too. It does me proud on my 18+ hour days just as Revlon ColourStay does, however I do find it starts to flake a little if you don't keep reapplying the moisture top coat, especially after eating and/or when I've had it on for about 10 hours.

So, all in all, two great products in two gorgeous shades of red, both with amazing staying power. I love them. If I could combine the two, I'd take the Revlon product and replace the glossy top coat with Maybelline's moisturising top coat!

© Tuesday T. Bryan Photography
DO NOT USE IMAGES WITHOUT PERMISSION. Copyrighted material

By Tuesday T. Bryan.

Monday 24 December 2012

Avon Nailwear Pro+ in "Tweed" - review + photos

I bought quite a few new nail polishes from Avon recently, and this one needs a review for sure. It's from the Nailwear Pro+ collection, and the shade is called "Tweed".

First of all, the colour. It's a gorgeous deep shade of maroon, and is a nice addition to my collection of red polishes. It's incredibly glossy, and it doesn't lose that shine as it dries which I love.

Sadly, this stunning colour and shine is ruined by two things...
1. The consistency: It's very thin and runny, which makes it a pain to apply and almost impossible not to make a mess with (however this does make it easier to remove).
2. The opacity: I've added three images to this blog (one above, two at the bottom); the first one is of my finished nails after two coats and a top coat, the second image is of my nails after one coat of colour, and the third photo is of the colour chipping. As you can see, one coat is very unattractive. It's possibly the patchiest polish I own! I was hoping my nails would be saved by the second coat, but that was not the case. After two coats most of the polish is opaque, but it still looks patchy. Quite disappointing!

To be fair, my camera's flash does make the polish's opacity look a hell of a lot worse (but it also helps show off that gorgeous glossiness). After the second coat and a top coat the patchiness was barely visible without really focusing on the nails, they looked almost completely opaque, and personally I think that the killer shade and the mirror shine make up for it. I didn't give my nails a third coat, but I suspect it would make them at least 95% opaque. I'll have to try the extra coat next time I wear it.

The image to the right shows my nails after 2 - 3 days of wear. I always experience this sort of chipping with Avon's polishes among may others, so I was expecting this. However, try not to let this put you off; my nail polish usually chips very quickly on the tips of my nails as my tips are very thin, so if you have healthier nails than mine I expect you'd get much more life out of it!
Usually I'd touch up the chips, but I removed my polish after this as I fancied a change.

Clearly this polish has it's good points and bad points. Personally, even taking into account the consistency and opacity problems, I'm glad I bought this polish. As I said, the gloss and lovely maroon colour do it for me, and those good points just about make those two issues bearable! Maybe a third coat will do the trick...♥

© Tuesday T. Bryan Photography
DO NOT USE IMAGES WITHOUT PERMISSION. Copyrighted material

By Tuesday T. Bryan.

Wednesday 19 December 2012

☆Barbara Daly Moisture Foundation & Concealer + Avon Oil Control Powder - reviews + photos☆

I thought I'd do a review of my "everyday" foundation and concealer. I have lots of both types of these cosmetics, but Barbara Daly's are my most used and I wear them pretty much every day.

First off, my foundation. I use Barbara Daly Moisture Foundation in "Ivory".
It's always done me proud and I've bought it several times. It lasts ages, too - I've been on my current bottle for about 5 months and, although I wear it everyday, there is still loads left and it hasn't started to dry out or separate or any of that horrible stuff that some foundations start to do after you've had them "too long".
As the name suggests, it's moisturising. I actually rarely get dry skin, but it's great for keeping my skin hydrated in England's cold winter air.
It has a great consistency, too. It's quite thin and gives light-medium coverage, which I love as I like some of my freckles to show through, but it's also build-able and blend-able. It doesn't feel at all heavy on your skin, and it has great staying-power. It's also gives a matte finish, which is great if you have combination skin (like me!). The moisuriser absorbs quickly so you don't have to wait before you can continue applying your makeup, unlike some moisturisers and tinted foundations I've tried.
You apply it with a little sort-of spatula which is attached to the lid. You could then use a foundation brush or sponge, but I find it best just to work it in with your fingers.
Barbara Daly Moisture Foundation is available for £8.00 from Tesco stores and online.

Next, my Barbara Daly Concealer in "Fair".
I much prefer my concealers in pots than one's that you apply with a wand or a stick, so this one is a winner for me. I apply it straight with my fingers rather than using a brush as it's just easier to apply and blend. Again, it lasts ages - I bought this 5 months ago with my foundation and, although I use it daily, I still have over half left. It hasn't gone dry or horrible in any way, but make sure you apply it with clean fingers so you don't get anything unwanted in it.
It's seems ever-so slightly on the oily side, but it doesn't look or feel oily at all on the skin. The coverage is beyond perfect, it's super easy to blend, and gives a 100% matte finish. I use it under my eyes and on my lids - it has excellent staying-power and doesn't crease, and also helps my makeup to stay put for longer.
Barbara Daly Concealer is available for £5.00 from Tesco stores and online.

I always finish set my foundation and concealer with a powder, mainly to help control shine due to my slightly oily skin. My favorite product for this is Avon Colour Trend Oil Control Pressed Powder in "Translucent". It keeps shine at bay and, when used with my foundation and concealer, it gives my skin a totally flawless finish. I keep one in my makeup bag, one in my car and one in my handbag at all times so I can top it up when I need to.
Avon Colour Trend Oil Control Pressed Powder is available from your Avon representative or online. Prices vary.

...And here is an image of what the three products look like together! They're my perfect everyday combination.

Now, obviously I don't go out just looking like this, so I've uploaded a photo of today's finished makeup and my chosen products below...

- Barbara Daly Moisture Foundation in "Ivory"

- Barbara Daly Concealer in "Fair"
- Avon Colour Trend Oil Control Pressed Powder in "Translucent"
- Avon True Colour Eyeshadow Quad in "Attraction"
- Avon SuperShock Mascara in "Black"
- Avon Perfect Eyebrow Pencil in "Blonde"
- The Body Shop Cheek Bloom in "Desert Rose"
- No7 Moisture Drench Lipstick in "Siren"

Sunday 16 December 2012

M&S Limited Collection nail polish in "Jewel" - review + photos

I've always loved M&S's make up. It's great quality and the shades are just fab. Usually I use make up from the Autograph range, but I saw this nail polish from the Limited Collection range and instantly fell in love...

Source: Google Images

First things first, the shade. This one is called "Jewel". I'd say it's a sort-of burgundy, but it's impossible to pin it to one colour because of how it changes in different lighting. In the photos I've used my camera's flash, but in another light it's a purple/red tone. It's packed with light-reflecting shimmer, which is excellent for the party season. In the image to the right I've added a silver star-shaped nail decor, and I've used 2 coats of Rimmel London's Precious Stones polish in "Diamond Dust" on my ring finger, and 2 coats of my No7 strengthening top coat.

This polish has a nice consistency. You only need 2 coats for it to be perfectly opaque, which is how I think nail polish should be. It dries quickly, too - I found that when you've finished doing the first coat on all your nails, you can start you second coat straight away. It seems pretty hard wearing, and with a top coat it stayed completely chip-free for 3 days. In fact, I've been wearing it for 6 days now, and I haven't had to touch up my left hand once, but I have had some small chips on my right. Not bad for cheap nail polish...

Image - right: Rimmel Precious Stones in "Diamond Dust".

I will defiantly be getting some more shades from the Limited Collection rage. The nail polishes are currently sold at £3.50 each from M&S.
Rimmel London Precious Stones nail polish is available for around £4.00 from drugstores, supermarkets and online.

© Tuesday T. Bryan Photography
DO NOT USE IMAGES WITHOUT PERMISSION. Copyrighted material

By Tuesday T. Bryan.

Saturday 8 December 2012

Trying my hand at "Ombre Lips" using eyeliner!!!

© Tuesday T. Bryan Photography
DO NOT USE IMAGES WITHOUT PERMISSION. Copyrighted material
(Yes, I do have my teeth whitened...)

I've always though Ombre lips look really artsy. I've never been much good at them, but I saw a way of doing them on the internet somewhere the other day which used eyeliner and lipstick, so I gave it a try. Here's how you do it...

1. Cover your lip area lightly with concealer or foundation (I don't actually know the benefit of this, but I did it anyway. It's probably just for "staying power". I used foundation).
2. Line your lips with a black eyeliner pencil. The line needs to be fairly thick. I used Avon Colour Trend Double-Ended Kajalstick in "Pitch Black" ("Silver Star and Pitch Black").3. Smudge the liner slightly inwards towards the center of your lips.
4. Apply lipstick all over your lips, using less over the liner and more in the center of your lips. Darker opaque colours work best. I used Avon Ultra Colour Rich Lipstick in "Red 2000".

- I'll take this opportunity to say that I really like all of the Avon Ultra Colour Rich Lipstick shades, I have loads of them, but "Red 2000" is so gorgeous. I am mad for red lipsticks, especially matte shades, and this one is a winner. It's a gorgeous classic block colour, but probably not for those who are shy of bold lipsticks! The consistency is great, too; it's really moisturising, but not so much that it gets messy. It's got great staying power, too (so try not to smudge it!).
I'll have to do a review of all my red lipsticks one day. It will defiantly be a long one, I've got so many... I love them!

- The Avon Colour Trend Double-Ended Kajalstick is great, too. It's a new product and there are 3 shades, but I only have "Silver Star and Pitch Black". The other 2 colours look very bright, and I prefer neutral colors for my eyes. I only used the "Pitch Black" end for my Ombre lips, obviously! Application is easy; it doesn't drag and it stays on well, and it's soft enough to smudge if you want to. I do prefer Avon Glimmerstick eyeliners (which I'm dying to review), but this is a lovely product, especially for the tiny price tag.

So, Ombre lips. I've done them before, but this is the first time I've used eyeliner, and now that I have I'm excited about trying out some other lipstick/eyeliner combos. I think the combination of black and a bold matte red is stunning, and I have to use it in one of my upcoming photo shoots! Defiantly not an everyday look though, not with the black liner. Give it a try!

© Tuesday T. Bryan Photography
DO NOT USE IMAGES WITHOUT PERMISSION. Copyrighted material

By Tuesday T. Bryan.

Image - below. I had no eye make up on, that's why I'm covering my eyes! The pink varnish is Barbara Daly Make-Up in "Liquid Lane" (I've already got a review for it lined up!).

Friday 7 December 2012

Avon Speed Dry+ Nail Enamel in "Rebel Rose" - review + photos

My first review is of a new nail polish on the market, Avon Speed Dry+ in "Rebel Rose."

I love this shade. It's a chic magenta which is lovely and vibrant, but not too bright to try out if you're not one for bright colours (although I do love them myself). It's completely matte and comes out exactly the same shade as it looks in the bottle, although in the image my nails are ever-so-slightly shimmery as I used "Avon Nail Experts 24k Gold Strength" polish as a top coat.

The polish is the perfect consistency; it's not so thin that you have to apply a ridiculous number of coats, but it's not so thick that it never dries. I found that it was flawlessly opaque after 2 coats.

As the name "Speed Dry+" suggests, it's a quick drying polish which is always a good point. No one likes waiting for their nails to dry! I've rocked this beauty twice so far, and I used the second application as an opportunity to try out "Avon Nail Experts Liquid Freeze Quick Dry" spray, which is brilliant stuff, but I'll save that for another review as it deserves one of it's own.

It did begin to chip slightly on the tips and around the cuticles after a few days of wear. This doesn't really bother me as I don't mind touching-up my nails now and then, and I change my nail polish every few days anyway. However, if you wear your polish for longer than I do then be prepared to keep the bottle in your handbag to deal with any unwanted chips!

Overall, I think this is a great nail polish in a stunning colour. And at £6 a bottle, you can't go wrong!

© Tuesday T. Bryan Photography
DO NOT USE IMAGES WITHOUT PERMISSION. Copyrighted material

By Tuesday T. Bryan.

♥About me♥

Beauty and food journalist. Bath, UK.
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