Hi Guys,

Over the weekend I popped into my local Aldi for my weekly food shop and could't help but browse by the Special Buy aisles. You know the ones I'm on about! They are like a treasure trove of amazing things you do and don't need. They had some amazing homeware but my eye was drawn to the beauty and skin care! You may have seen on my Instagram that I picked up the Hot Cloth Cleanser (£3.99) and Glycolic Pads (£2.49) but another item I got my hands on was this Lacura Naturals Eyeshadow Palette (£5.99). I didn't waste any time and put it straight to the test as I know things don't last very long in Aldi and if you like it, I want you to still be able to get your hands on it!

A few weeks ago I was sent the HAX Cut Crease Kit (£20) which is available exclusively to ASOS. Cut crease eyeshadow has become one of those Instagram trends that I just love and is great for making a statement. It is not the easiest look to create, so when I heard about this kit I was intrigued as it claimed to have everything you need to get that perfect cut crease look, but I did have my reservations. Could it really help me to 'master the cut crease like a pro'? Read on to find out.

So in the kit you get an eyeshadow palette with three colours, light beige for the lid, dark brown to cut the crease and medium bronze to blend through the transition. You also get a double ended brush, liquid liner, stencil (to use as a guide for the cut crease and liner) and an instruction card to guide you.

The first thing that stood out to me was that there was no cream base to cut the crease with or prime the lids with. Usually in my experience this is necessary to get that really clean defined line. I was really determined to only use the products provided in the kit however, as it is marketed as a complete tool kit to get the cut crease look. See what I created below.

As you can see the look I created with the kit is no where near as defined as the cut crease on the box  however I still think it comes across quite nicely. It is definitely more of a subtle look and this is largely due to the fact that the eyeshadows were not as pigmented as I hoped they would be. Also as I said previously no cream base is included in the kit so it is really hard to create that clean definite line, however the stencil provided does help to create a somewhat defined crease. The stencil also works really well with the liquid liner to get the perfect flick. One of my favourite things in the kit has to be the liquid liner. It's consistency was perfect and the nib on the liner was the right size to create that defined look. 

Another pro is the double ended brush. One end is fluffy which helps with the blending and the other is very small and rigid in order to create the line for the crease. I can see myself adding this brush to the rest of my collection.

I think this kit would be perfect for a make-up novice who doesn't have their own collection of makeup at home to get this look, or for someone who maybe just starting their collection and practising their techniques, or even as a gift. I would love to see a cream base added and even false lashes as I added my own here (Kiss Lashes in 'Midnight') to complete the look. The stencil and liner in the kit is definitely a selling point for me, especially if you struggle with your liner as it saved me a lot of time.

What are your thoughts on the Cut Crease? Have you ever used a stencil to get a makeup look?

Amina xx


*PR sample. All opinions are my own.

Hi Guys,

This week I am bringing to you a review of the Revolution Pro Lipstick Collection in 'Noir'. Revolution Pro are a brand under the umbrella company Revolution Beauty London, formerly Makeup Revolution. I have a few pieces from their vast range of brands in my make-up drawer but I must admit it has been a while since I have purchased from them. So when Safiyah Tasneem asked me if I would like to guest post I was more than happy to oblige.

Compared to the other brands under Revolution Beauty London I feel like Revolution Pro is less about the packaging and more about the product. Which is always a good sign. It is a little more serious than it's sister brands and this also matches the name as I'm guessing by having Pro in the name these products are targeted to those looking for high end products at an affordable price. They have a comprehensive range of products from foundations to primers, from eyeshadow palettes to highlighter palettes.

I wasn't sure what to expect, especially when I saw the price tag, £7 for 5 lipsticks! That works out to £1.40 per lipstick. But I wanted to give them a chance! Don't judge a book by it's... price tag... and all that. Anyway, in the box you get 5 lipsticks, as this particular one was the Noir collection all the shades were quite dark in tone, however they also have a pink, red and nude collections and matte versions too. 

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the whole lipstick in general. The first thing I noticed when I applied was definitely the texture of the lipstick. It was so creamy and soft to touch and felt  very moisturising on the lips. I then noticed how amazing the colour pay off was. When it comes to the wear test I would say the lipstick lasted a good 5 hours. And even then I did have a stain left on my lips so they weren't completely naked, however I felt like I needed to re apply after this time. Bear in mind I had eaten during this time too. This really impressed me as the whole time I was wearing the lipstick my lips felt really conditioned.

However the softness of the product did lead to one of the lipsticks breaking when I swatched later on my arm. This could have been due to the fact it was 27 degrees outside, but also the product is very creamy so be careful. But like I was saying, it applies like a dream. I would definitely recommend wearing a lip liner as with the softness they were also prone to bleed a little from the lip line, however this was expected and was quite minor. 

The pigmentation of the product really blew me way. The swatches seen here are one swipe swatches so you can see just how much colour applies. The shades range from a purple to terracotta and back to a deep berry colour. I think if you are in to your darker shades then this would make a great purchase. I am definitely into my nudes so will definitely be purchasing the nude collection. I love that revolution beauty are making make-up affordable for the masses. Don't get me wrong, I love my high end products, but I think these are fab for every day wear and for those of us who need to count our pennies. I don't feel like the product resembles the price tag whatsoever. I would never guess from wearing it that my lipstick only cost £1.40. It definitely has got me thinking about the money I spend on make-up!