Ličila.si: Freedom makeup

Po zeloooo dolgem času imam za vas spet nekaj lušnih reči iz spletne trgovine Ličila.si - tokrat so vsi bombončki znamke Freedom. ;) Čeprav sem malo snoba in načeloma posegam po kozmetiki višjega cenovnega razreda, moram reči, da me znamke kot so Freedom, I Heart Makeup in podobne, velikokrat zelo lepo presenetijo s svojo kvaliteto.

*Freedom Makeup

Hello darlings! Today I'll be talking about a few beauties from Freedom Makeup I was sent quite a while ago and just didn't get around to properly review them (though I have been using them). :) I got this trio from Ličila.si, so go check out their site if you're on the hunt for more affordable makeup candy!

Freedom Makeup offers two kind of primers - Pro Mattifiy and Pro Primer, I got the latter. I'm not a huge primer fan and I rarely use them, though I do appreciate them and know that they can make a huge difference when you need your makeup to look flawless and stay on longer. I can't say I was blown away by this primer but I absolutely wasn't disappointed with it. It's a very nice primer with a clear gel formula that's very different to the 'fluffy' texture of Garnier's 5s Blur (the only other primer in my makeup collection at the moment). Whenever I use a primer I only apply it to my T-zone or over the areas that need a bit of 'perfecting' and this one did a nice job at smoothing out my complexion where my pores are a bit more enlarged and visible. It worked nicely with liquid and mineral foundation. It didn't clog my pores or caused any breakouts. I didn't notice my makeup lasting any longer than usual but that's probably due to the fact that my makeup tends to stay on pretty well if the weather isn't extreme (as in very hot and humid). For a mere 6,95 € I think it's a great primer. :)

Professional Pro Blush in Beyond

The second product I tried out was one of their Professional Pro blushes in the shade Beyond. This blush is a great alternative to Sleek's Rose Gold blush or Nars' Orgasm. It's that lovely pink with tons of fine golden shimmer running through it. It is a bit more warm toned and a bit more powdery than Sleek's blush, but still applies very nicely and has great color payoff. The packaging isn't really pleasing to the eye neither is it super sturdy but it does seem to shut pretty securely and hasn't randomly opened up on me yet so I guess it would be ok for traveling. But... for the price of 1,95 € I think it's an awesome blush. :)

Pro Contour in Fair

And last but certainly not least is the Pro Contour in the shade Fair. Again, this is a great alternative to Sleek's Contour kit or in my case a much better option - both shades are completely matte and both are much more suitable for my pale complexion. The bronzing shade is great and I can definitely make it work but it is a tad too 'redish' for my taste, I prefer my bronzers to be a true, neutral brown shade (like Too Faced Chocolate Soleil in Milk Chocolate). Still... I CAN make it work. :) The highlighting shade on the other hand is just perfection... it's a wonderful vanilla, off-white shade that's great for highlighting under the eyes or other parts of the face without the unnecessary shimmer. The formula of both shades is a bit on the powdery side but both apply very nicely and can be blended out. The amazing price of just 4,95 € makes this product even better. :D

Product comparison: Benefit Hoola vs. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil

Hello darlings! Quite some time ago I asked my readers for some feedback and a lot of them (a lot of you) expressed a wish for more product comparison posts - drugstore vs. high-end, similar products, dupes and so on. Whilst I probably won't do much drugstore vs. high-end posts (since I'm a snob and mostly buy high-end makeup) or dupes (since my makeup collection really isn't that vast), I can certainly compare similar products for you and maybe help you decide which ones to get. To start this series of I decided to compare two similar bronzers that are very well known and loved by many. :)

Benefit Hoola - Comes in a cardboard box that doesn't just look cute but also feels pretty secure and sturdy. It has a tiny mirror inside which is usable, I guess. You also get a small brush with it and again, it's usable but I prefer to use a normal, full-size bronzer brush. :) 

The shade of this bronzer is a true warm brown without any orange peeking through (man do I hate orange bronzers with a passion). It's great for warming up the skin or for contouring but if you're really pale it might be a tad too dark for you. Fortunately it is very blendable and I think almost any girl could get it to work for her. You really need just a small amount of it so don't even think about swirling your brush around and applying it directly to your face. :) All in all, a gorgeous bronzer.

Price tag: around 33€ for 8g (lookfantastic.com)

Hoola on the left and Chocolate Soleil on the right

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil (in Milk Chocolate) - This bronzer comes in a normal compact. The new packaging is golden and a bit less well made, the older packaging was much, much better and looked better as well, but this one also works. :) It also has a lovely, functional mirror inside.

The shade of this bronzer is quite a bit lighter than Hoola and much more on the cooler side and that's precisely the reason why I prefer it. It just works much better for my pale complexion and ends up looking much more natural. I don't have to be too careful when applying and it's also super blendable. The make or brake with this bronzer is probably it's scent - it has a wonderful chocolate scent to it that will be a plus for some and a huge minus for others. I personally love the scent and it makes me want to use it even more. :) 

Price tag: around 32€ for 10g (beautybay.com)

e.l.f. Contouring Blush & Bronzing cream

Hello my lovelies! I'm really sorry for not posting anything this past few days... I just couldn't get around it. :) I have a ton of posts to write, so be on the lookout - I might be posting every day. Anyhow... today I'm going to be talking about e.l.f's Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream. I mentioned it in my 'January favorites' post and a lot of you said you'd like to know more about it.

I first saw this product on Sandra's blog (The Black Pearl Blog) and I fell in love with it right away. I hopped it would be good and when I finally got it, I was not disappointed. This is my first cream blush/bronzer and I have a feeling I'll be getting more of those soon. :)

The duo comes in the typical e.l.f. packaging that resembles Nars' packaging but isn't 'rubbery', it's just a smooth plastic case, which I prefer since it doesn't get dirty and you can clean it with ease. It's very sturdy and feels very secure so it's definitely travel friendly. 

The real magic however, is inside... Both the blush and bronzer are gorgeous. They have a very creamy formula that's also very pigmented (I was swatching Illamasqua cream blushes just yesterday and I can say that they are just a tad more pigmented and just a tad creamier). Now, high pigmentation might scare you at first, I know it scared me when I was swatching both. I though I would never be able to use them, I would end up looking like a clown. Fortunately both blend like a dream, seriously... even if you apply too much, you can still blend everything out, tone it down with some powder... and ta-da, you look like a million bucks. :D I really love how natural both of these look - the blush gives such a lovely color and healthy glow to your cheeks, the bronzer is great for contouring (I usually go over it with my Too Faced Chocolate Soleil to set it in place). I found that both of them last all day on me and don't 'move around', but I do set everything with a powder and a setting spray.

I apply both with a brush (haven't tried applying them any other way) - I use my RT Buffing brush to apply the blush and my RT Contour brush to apply the bronzer. The price is absolutely fantastic for such a great product - 4.51 € (on the UK site) and $3.00 (on the US site). The only downside is that this product is only available in one shade - St. Lucia. I really hope they come up with more shades or at least more shades of cream blushes. :)

So, what are your thoughts on this product? Have you tried it?

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer in Milk Chocolate

Hello my lovelies! Today I'll be reviewing Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer... again. Why again? Because I've reviewed it before, only the first time I was reviewing the 'original' and now I'll be reviewing the same product in the shade called Milk Chocolate. It is a lighter version of the original - a bronzer suited for even the palest of girls. :)

Sooo... The original Chocolate Soleil didn't really work out for me. It was gorgeous but it was just too dark for me. I needed to be really, really careful with it and apply just the tinniest amount and then blend the heck out of it, so I wouldn't end up looking like a Jersey Shore girl. It just wasn't a pleasure to use, because I was always worried how it would turn out, so I ended up giving it away. :)

Fortunately I discovered BeautyBay this year and the first thing I saw was that they carried Too Faced (I think I squealed a little at that point). I immediately browsed around and found Chocolate Soleil, but was surprised when I saw there were two shades to choose from - the original one and a lighter shade. I checked out some reviews (which were all very positive) and decided to get it.

I've been using it for over 3 months now and I absolutely love it. It's just the perfect shade for me. It's a light brown color that doesn't look orange or muddy when applied. It's great for bronzing up the skin or for contouring. Even though it's a totally matte color, it does give a very subtle sheen to the skin, if you look close enough (as you can hopefully see in the swatches bellow). And the scent... well, I just love anything that smells like chocolate, so you can imagine how much I love this. :) But for all of you who don't like the scent or don't like scented makeup period, I can tell you that the scent does not linger on your face.

I would say the only thing I dislike or don't particularly like about this product, is the packaging. I much prefer the older packaging, it looked better and it felt better (like it was of better quality). I mean, it's not like this new packaging is bad, it just fells a bit cheaper than the older one. It still shuts securely and doesn't open easily.

What's the price tag, I hear you ask? Well, like most Too Faced products, it's up there - I got it for 27.70 €, but currently you'll be paying 30.60 € for it on BeautyBay.

Click here to see how the bronzer looks on me (I used it in my recent FOTD). :)

Have you tried this bronzer or would like to try it? What's your favorite bronzer, do you even use one?