The Curious Ginger: Products Worth/Not Worth The Hype

Hello! 

So this week, we are going to share with you some products that we think are (or are not) worth the hype that surrounds them! I'm going to dive straight in...

Products WORTH the hype!

This first product is a bit of a no brainer. The Naked Palette from Urban Decay exploded onto the scene, and everyone was talking about it! Honestly, people still are raving about this.

They have good reason to, as this palette honestly is so so so so so beautiful, and has the ability for you to create a ton of different looks.

I didn't jump onto the Naked bandwagon (sounds a bit sketchy:P) until my most recent birthday, and oh wow, I have been missing out!

These 12 shades are so pigmented, and beautiful, and I love just experimenting to see what looks nice.

This is quite pricey, but If you are in to neutral eye shadows, you should definitaley invest into this! You will not regret it! :)

Now, this may not have LOADS of hype around it, but it is quite popular in the blogesphere.

This is the Soap & Glory Heel Genius Foot Cream. Apologies if you get grossed out by things like this, but honestly summer is just around the corner, and if we want to wear our nice sandals, we need to get our tootsies in tip top condition!

I like to put this on just before I go to sleep, and when I wake up, my feet feel so soft and smooth. It works better then any other foot cream I have tried before!

The Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, has quite a lot of hype around it here in the Uk, but I was a bit skeptical.

As soon as I tried this, I understood why. It removes all traces of makeup, without stinging your eyes. It doesn't break you out, or clog your pores, and the whole experience of using this is really pleasant. 

I have already repurchased this as I am about to run out of this one! If you have problem skin, then this is something you might want to try. It won't clear your spots immediately  but over time my skin has got a lot better, and if I do get a spot, If I keep using this, it goes down a lot faster than usual!!

Products NOT WORTH the hype!

This is the Garnier oil free BB Cream.

Personally I don't really get the whole obsession with BB creams, I got this to try it out and I wasn't blown away with the results.

For starters, as I am quite pale a lot of the western BB creams lightest colour is often too dark for me. 

I also prefer more of a medium coverage, so again this probably puts me off as most BB creams have very light coverage.

I think this would be good for days when my skin is having a 'good skin day'.

This is a bit of a controversial one as I know many people love this, but for me, The Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in the shade Honey, isn't all that great.

I don't know if its just the shade I'm not a fan of, but I also don't like how it looks on my lips. I feel it makes them look a bit plasticy, or too fake. 

My natural lip colour is quite dark/red so maybe if I try another colour, I would like this!

I do like the smell of these though. They have a fresh minty scent, which I think would be nice for summer.

And lastly, I dont think that the L'Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray is all that great either! 

I have heard loads of beauty bloggers rave about this so I got a little one to try out. 

I don't like the scent of this (but I have heard you can get an unscented version) and honestly, I don't think it holds a curl very well. It may just be my hair, but for me this doesn't work very well.

So, there are some products that I think are worth/not worth the hype!  Obviously if you agree/disagree let me know!  If you would like to see Megan's Post then click here.

I'll see you all soon, but in the mean time if you'd like to check out my blog then click here.

Do you agree with my choice of products? :) Let me know!!

May Favorites

Just like every other month that has come and gone, May flew by just the same. And just like all the others, this month I had many a favorite! I also acquired way more products than one could possibly neeed, but eh, yolo, right? Now, while I go bask in shame for my use of yolo, here's last month's favorites!

 Back to front, left to right: Benefit The Bronze of Champions kit, Coach Poppy Perfume Clinique Moisture Surge, KIKO Brow Gel, Buxom Big & Healthy Lipstick in Athens, e.l.f. Complete Coverage Concealer, e.l.f. Powder Brush, Real Techniqus Buffing, Contour, Crease, and All Over Shadow Brush.

If you read my blog at all, you know that I love the benefit kits. I'm sure I've talked about this one before, but I couldn't resist talking about it some more. I use the Hoola bronzer and the Whatt's Up highlight almost every day. These little kits pack in a lot of product, and I would definitely say that they are a much better value than the full size. If you don't know, Benefit is NOT stingy with the amount of product you recieve. In fact, I'm sure one could never possibly use up all of one of their boxed powders in an entire lifetime. That's why these "try it" kits are so amazing. For around $30, you get to try a lot and they will definitely last you a very long time. 

My e.l.f. concealer really isn't that big of a deal. It's a good concealer, especailly for $3, but of course there are better. I'm just trying to use all of this one up before I go to my higher end concealers. This one definitely get's the job done. If you're in need of a decent concealer on the cheap, this would probably be the one I would suggest most! The palette comes with four shades, so you can mix them together to get your perfect match. It's a pretty handy palette to have, I must say!

Last year for my high school graduation, my grandmother bought me this amazing perfume. It is probably one of the best gifts I have ever recieved. While you all know I love my Daisy, as far as scents go, this one is my favorite. Daisy is just my "favorite" because it's perfect for every day and I don't feel like I have to ration it out as much. This perfume is really good mix of sweet fruits and florals. I'm not even going to try to get any more in depth than that. It's really just the most amazing smelling thing ever.

My Moisture Surge is  new purchase, but it's not something that I'm exactly new to. I've been using this product off and on for probably the past three or four years. I've been having drier than normal skin lately, and my regular Neutragena moisturizer wasn't doing the trick. Moisture Surge is a pretty expensive product, I'm not going to lie. But like Benefit product, this one goes a long way! I'm talking a little dab on one finger will do more than enough for your entire face and neck. 

I have had this Buxom lipstick for well over a year and it has held its own as my number one favorite. It's the perfect coral color.  I actually have another in the color Milan that I love as well. It's more of a natural, my-lips-but-better. These lipsticks tingle on your lips, as they have a small amount of plumper in them. These lipsticks also last, and last, and last. I don't feel like these products are talked about enough, an they definitely should be! 

If you saw my last post about KIKO, you saw this product. It's nothing very special, but at the moment it's the only brow gel that I have. So that's that. 

And last but not least, we have my favorite brushes of the month, erm, ever! As you know, I, just like every other beauty obsessed blogger, am head over heels in love with my Real Techniques brushes. The application and coverage is always perfect and flawless. I use them every day and I don't foresee myself using any others until these fall to bits. 

My other favorite brush is the e.l.f. powder brush. I am sure that If I had the RT version, I would never use this one, but I can't complain. This brush is super soft and fluffy. It's perfect for applying powder to set your foundation. 

Well, that's all I have for you guys this month! What products were your favorites? Any thoughts on mine? 

P.S-I'm trying to work up the nerve to start doing outfit posts. I use to have a style blog, but those days are loooong gone. My style has drastically changed since then. Definitely in a good way! Just getting infront of the camera is not something that I enjoy doing. 

P.S.S- I am planning a giveaway soon! Well, as soon as I reach 100 followers on GCF. Spread the word, ladies, because what I have planned is pretty exciting! 

KIKO by Milano

Hey guys!

Today I'm bringing you one of my new favorite brands, KIKO. KIKO is an Italian brand made in Milan. I know that they have stores in a few Eurpean countries, including England and Germany. To me, KIKO seems like an Italian version of MAC. The plus? KIKO is way more affordable! I actually don't own any MAC products, so I can't really make that many comparisions but I know just based on store appearance alone, they seem very similar to me. 

 I don't have a ton from this brand, but I do have a decent variety of products. From the few eyes, face, and lip products I have, I can already tell that I love the brand!

These are the face products that I have. My two favorites are the powder and the dusty mauve color blush that I actually use for contouring. The powder is a baked mineralized powder that I'm going to say is probably very similar to the MAC Mineralized Skin Finish. Plus, it's only 10 euro, which is about $13, and I am pretty sure the MAC is much pricier. One of my best finds at KIKO has been the coral colored eyeshadow. It is what I have found to be the best dupe for NARS Orgasm blush. 

I love the KIKO Eyebrow Designer Brow Gell and the False Lash Concentrate. The Precision eyeliner is great too! I really love this nail polish too. It's a beautiful bright blue color that is perfect for Spring and Summer.

I'm sure you've all heard of the Beauty Blender. A lot of companies have their own version of this beauty sponge but I'd have to say that my KIKO blender is the best. The original Beauty Blender is designed to be used when wet, and upon doing so it doubles in size. I have the Sonia Kashuk version and I thought I liked it until trying this one by KIKO. Unlike the Sonia Kashuk version, this one actually increases its size and becomes super soft and squishy, like the original Beauty Blender, when wet. I also find that this one is much easier to clean. It still stains, but not as much. I love the finish that this gives me when I apply my liquid foundation. I refuse to use a brush because they just do not compare to this lovely tool!

left to right: KIKO lipstick in color 914, Colour Explosion multi-tone blush in 01 Wild Sienna,Soft Touch blush 102, Long Lasting Wet & Dry Use Eyeshadow in 218.

I absolutely can't wait for Fall to come so I can wear this lovely vampey purple lipstick! I love it paired with the multi tone blush! The colors go great together, in my opinion.

I'm sorry to tease my US readers with this lovely brand, but from those of you here in Europe, I hope you can find a way to get your hands on some products from this amazing brand!

Real Techniques Starter Kit

Hey everyone! 

Today I'm going to tell you all about the Real Techniques Start Kit, as promised. I absolutely love this kit so I'm definitely excited to share my thoughts!

Here is the official RT description:

"Boost your look with effortlessly enhanced eyes. Eye definition goes high-definition with this essential set:

• Includes 5 full-size brushes + case:
  • Base shadow brush: applies a smooth, flawless foundation of color
  • Deluxe crease brush: soft, oversized design for effortless contouring
  • Accent brush: designed for precision detailing, spotlighting, highlighting, and smudging
  • Pixel-point eyeliner brush: tapered cut is ideal for dense or fine eyeliner application
  • Brow brush: distinctive shape easily defines eyebrows
  • Panoramic brush case is a 2-in-1 case + stand
• Look pixel-perfect even in harsh light
• Ultra-plush, synthetic taklon bristles are hand-cut and 100% cruelty-free
• Extended aluminum handles are light and easy to use"

 Brushes from left to right: deluxe crease brush, base shadow brush, brow brush, accent brush, pixel point eyeliner brush.

I absolutely love this collection. I love it so much that I honestly don't know where to begin! Unlike the Core Collection, I use each brush for it's made purpose. I love each brush for exactly what it's supposed to be used for. 

My two favorite brushes are the base shadow and the deluxe crease brushes. The eyebrow brush comes in as my third favorite. I really just love all of these brushes, but those are the three that I use the most of. They're my everday brushes and they will probably continue to be until they fall completely apart.

The base shadow brush applies your lid color so evenly. The color distribution of this brush is like no other. The crease brush is a little big and it takes a bit of getting used to, but once you work with it, it builds and blends your crease color flawlessly. The brow, eyeliner, and accent brush all have excellent preciscion. I especially love the accent brush for applying a highlight to my inner corner.

If you've been considering purchasing these brushes, I really hope that this review has swayed you into doing so. I promise that you will not regret buying these! These brushes have helped me apply my eyeshadow better than ever before. When I say these brushes are worth their hype, I sincerely mean it!

Real Techniques Core Collection

Today, I'm going to be giving you my thoughts on the Real Techniques brushes by Samantha Chapman. If you have no idea what I am talking about, a, you really must be living under a rock, and b, you must be living under a rock!

For those of you who didn't know, I had gotten two of the Real Techniques brush collections a few months ago from Ulta when they were having a buy one, get one half off sale. For whatever reason, I couldn't get them to ship to my APO, so I had to get my mom to pick them up for me at her local store.Well, she finally came to Italy a few weeks ago with my RT's in tow. So now I can finally give you all my opinion on th Real Techniques brushes! 

The first thing I love about these brushes is their weight and durabilitary. The RT brushes are metal and a hard plastic and the weight feels really good in hand. I feel like you could run these brushes over with a truck and they would be totally fine! 

 Pictured from left to right: RT detailer brush (laying down) RT Pointed foundation brush, RT buffing brush, RT contour brush

These brushes were actually a lot smaller than I had originially pictured in my mind. Especially the foundation and buffing brushes. For me, the foundation brush is too small to actually apply my foundation. I use a Kiko beauty blender for that, anyway. I find it perfect for blending out my undereye concealer, though! I know a lot of ladies use the buffind brush to apply foundation, but I prefer to use it as a blush/powder brush. It's the perfect size for my cheeks, so for blush it works wonders. The detailer brush is perfect for concealing blemishes! It's definitely my favorite for that. The contour brush is absolutely perfect! It applies bronzer so effortlessly and flawlessly!

My two favorite brushes from the collection would have to be the contour and buffing brushes. 

I'd have to say that these brushes are a major, major win and get two strong thumbs up! The bristels are soft and are the perfect density. The handles are strong and sturdy, and the colors are really fun! I can definitely say that I am 100% sold and can completely back up the hype for these Real Techniques brushes! If you live in the states and are wanting to try these brushes, head over to your nearest WalMart or Ulta and grab them today! If you're not in the US, well then I don't really know where to tell you to get them, but Google it! DO IT NOW!

I hope you guys enjoyed this review! I'll be posting me thoughts on the Starter Kit tomorrow! Stay tuned!

Little Black Bag #4

I'm back with another LBB! Surprise, surprise. I am addicted, and I can't stop. They just make it so dang hard to stop! 

This weeks bag is from about 4 weeks ago. Shipping to APO addresses takes a really, really long time for those of you who didn't know. Back when I had opened this bag, they were having a promotion where if you opened your bag with a pair of shoes, you got a free purse, along with your other normal stylist picks. I jumped on this offer as fast as I possibly could. Especially because there was a pair of rain boots that I had been lusting over for a month and with this promotion I couldn't pass it up. I just couldn't!!!

I had opened my bag with these Henry Ferrera rain booties. They are so absolutely perfect and quite possibly the cutest rain boots I've ever seen! The bag that was originally in my bag was a white and red chevron MMS bag and I think I had red nail polish and red earrings. So my bag was pretty matchy matchy. I really wasn't a huge fan of the bag, so I traded and traded and ended up with this studded lime Nila Anthony number. I actually wasn't excited about it until I received it in the mail and I love it! 

The red bow detail really makes these booties! I can't wear regular rain boots because I have huge, manly calves. It rains just about every day here in Italy so rain boots are somewhat of a necessity. When I saw these on the LBB site I had to snag them!

 The inside of this bag is so fun! The bag is a top handle messenger but it also comes with a shoulder strap. The bag came packaged in a Nila Anthony dust bag which I really appreciated! Thanks, LBB!

I ended up trading my earrings I had for these 1928 horseshoe studs. I absolutely love them! They're so dainty and such high quality! I traded my nail polish for a few things and I very happily ended up with this Melie Bianco pouch. It's the perfect size to carry around my few makeup essentials, my ID, and some cash. 

Overall, I am very pleased with this bag! I'm still obsessed with my MMS mint studded bag so I won't be using this Nila Anthony one for a while, but it's still so very cute. I can't wait for it to rain again so I can wear my rainboots! 

If you're thinking of trying out LBB please use my link to do so!

Happy Friday!

Products Worth/Not Worth The Hype

Hey ladies!

It's Megan here, and today I'll be telling you all about my beauty hits and misses. Please know that these products are the ones that did/didn't work for me. If I happen to talk about some of your favorite products as products I hate, remember that this is soley based on my opinion! 

Products Worth The Hype:

Benefit They're Real! Mascara: This mascara just does wonders for my lashes. It lengthens them tremendously, it seperates like no other, and it even volumizes. I feel like I could put 10 coats on my lashes and they would never get spidery. This mascara is win all around.

Benefit Boxed Blushes: Benefit's boxed blushes are my favorite blushes ever. They're slightly expensive, I think they're around the $28 mark, but they're so worth it. I have used my Coralista blush almost every day for the past three months and I have yet to even start to make a dent. These come with so much product, you will never run out.

Wet N' Wild Eyeshadows: For the longest time I was put off by Wet N' Wild products. They were the products that I had used in jr. high when I first started getting into makeup. I didn't remember them being anwhere near as amazing as they actually are. I am so glad that I spent the $3 on my Comfort Zone palette (pictured above) because I use it almost every single day. They are definitely some of the more pigmented eyeshadows I've ever worked with.

Revlon Kissable Balm Stains: For the longest time I wouldn't jump on this bandwagon. But I have, and I won't be jumping off. These balm stains are the perfect every day lipsticks.They're hydrating, easy to wear, and give the most perfect amount of color.

Products Not Worth The Hype:

Revlon ColorStay Eyeshadow: I really just hate this. I own two of them, for whatever reason, and you really have to dig to get any sort of color pay off. I have seen so many raves about them and I just do not understand why. These eyeshadows are a complete miss for me.

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation: One word: Orange. 

Maybelline Volum' Express Falsies: This miss actually goes for most of the Volum' Express collection. My eyelashes are pretty short and sparse, so most mascaras are just a pain in the ass for me. The only mascara from this collection that I've gotten to work for me is The Rocket. Even it doesn't work every day for me. I blame it on my lashes, not so much the product. But alas, this is a miss for me.

Revlon Lip Butters: Oh no. I'm probably going to hit a nerve with the beauty community. While I do own quite a few of these lip colors, four to be exact, I am just not a fan. But I am crazy and I like to waste my money. I am a lipstick kind of girl. I like there to be a good amount of color pay off. I don't like tints or sheer colors. I like full on color. Even for day to day, I still like it to be noticable. These babies just don't do it for me. 

MAC Brushes: Once again, I'm probably hitting a nerve here, but whatever. I just don't like MAC brushes. Period. I find that my $3 elf brushes and my Real Techniques do a far better job. Not to mention they are much, much softer. If you're looking for new makeup brushes, don't waste your money here. Go with elf or Real Techniques. I would even recommend Eco Tools over MAC. 

Well, that's all for my hits and misses! I actually have so many more hits, but I figured this post was long enough. I hope that if you were on the hunt for any new products, this post helps you out! Honestly, it took me a while to do the misses because I like to do a lot of research on products before I buy them. I encourage you to do the same, before going out and spending your money. 

Until next week!