REVIEW: L'Oreal Miss Manga Mega Volume Mascara in Black & Pop Turquoise

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L'oreal Miss Mange Mega Volume Mascara in Black & Pop Turquoise £8.99 each

Hey :)

These mascaras have a cool name, right? Anyway, first off I apologise for the sizing of the pictures, there was an error and I gave up! 

I bought these because I literally got suckered in by the name but they didn't disappoint. It took a few coats to build up the volume but they definitely delivered! 

I bought this product in 2 colours, black for everyday use and pop turquoise for more fun make up looks. Pop turquoise is a very true blue colour that really stands out on the darkest of lashes. 

The staying power of these mascaras is incredible giving 8-10 hours wear with not flaking or lash drooping, keeping your lashes curled and looking lovely all day.

The one is a christmas tree shape for extra volume on the outer last giving a sort of cat eye effect. I'm not too sure it does that completely but the wand worked really well for me anyway and curled my lashes well without the help of an eyelash curler which really impressed me.

The product itself, inside the tube is really pigmented (in the colours I bought) and quite wet, if you know what I mean, so make sure your lashes have dried before you go on to do the bottom lashes/fix any eye oriented make up blunders!

Overall I will definitely buy this mascara again and really want to try the Tropical Violet shade! 

Have you tried these mascara's? Let me know!


Alicia x
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TAG: Blogger's Made Me Buy It

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Image Source: weheartit


Hey! 

So I'm sure many of you have seen this tag around blogs and YouTube so I thought I'd give it a go myself! I got this from Kelsey Dawns lovely blog which you can view > Here!

(Also, I'm doing two posts today as this is just a tag! Still Sticking to my schedule!)

Who are your most influential bloggers? Who are the ones that you rely on for reviews and swatches?
I have so many! I mainly watch YouTube videos so my favourites would have to be Jaclyn Hill, Nicole Guerrero and Casey Holmes! Favourite bloggers are probably Kayleigh from Couture Girl and Em from Em talks (amongst a million others, they're all fab!)

 Do you buy a product solely as a result of one review from a favourite blog, or do you look for more reviews from others?
I definitely look for more reviews and youtube videos. I like to see how it works on different skin types :)

 What is your favourite item that you have ever bought as a consequence of blogs?
MAC Pro Longwear, no contest!!

What is your least favourite item that you ever bought as a consequence of blogs?
Revlon Nearly Naked foundation, it hated everything about it...

 Name 5 products you have bought recently as a result of blogs?
POREfessional, They're Real!, MAC MSF Soft & Gentle, Anastasia Brow Wiz & Revlon Pink Pout

 Have you ever given into a blogger hype? If so, which hype?
Yes! Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. Sad to say I really didn't get on with it. I want to try it again as I think I was inexperienced with my makeup application back then so I want to see if I'll get on with it on a second chance!

 Have you ever avoided a blogger hype? If so, which hype?
As Kelsey said, the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation. I find Rimmel foundations are too dark for me. Plus I'm an oily skinned gal so I have a fear of dewy looking skin haha!

 Is everything you buy based on blogger reviews or are there some items you buy without checking out a review?
Not everything, I tend to get sucked in by packaging so if I see something I like I'll usually buy it but I do like to do my research!

Alicia x
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First Impressions: Benefit POREfessional Primer

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Benefit's POREfessional Primer 22ml/0.75 US fl. oz. - £24.50, Debenhams

Hey!

I've heard rave reviews of this product, so naturally being of the oily skinned and large pored variety I had to go out and buy it on pay day.

I've always wanted to try this product and only purchased it on friday and I'm super excited to see what's in store for me and my make up in future! Since I haven't had it very long I'm just going to let you know how it fared over the weekend and how it affected my make up wear and looks!

What Benefit say: Quickly minimise the appearance of pores & fine lines for smoother-than-smooth skin! Apply this silky, lightweight balm alone, under or over makeup. Translucent, oil-free formula complements all skintones and helps makeup stay put. Contains a Vitamin E derivative, known to protect skin from free radicals.
*Source: The NPD Group. Value and Unit Line sales of the Total Prestige Other Face Makeup segment for 2013 Jan to Aug

This product has also won many awards, whilst being shortlisted for other, such as:
Best in Beauty - Best Pore Perfector, Woman and Home, 2011
Shortlisted - Best New Cosmetic Product, The UK Beauty Awards, 2011
Best Makeup Primer, Company Beauty Awards, 2012
Best New Make-up Product: Face - Prestige - FINALIST, CEW Beauty Awards, 2012
Beauty Bible Award Winner, Anti-ageing Beauty Bible Award, 2012
Best Pore Minimising Primer, Social and Personal, 2012
Best Porefector, Woman and Home Beauty awards, 2013

Pretty impressive! Now, i'll get onto what I thought. I applied this product at 1pm after washing, cleansing, toning and moisturising my face. I applied it from the centre of my face patting outwards, as that's what it said on the box, and concentrated quite heavily on places where my pores are the largest such as my cheeks and my nose. After this I applied my make up as normal.

I kept checking my make up throughout the day and usually (if applied at 1pm) my make up tends to start sliding around, due to oily skin around 5 hours later so I'd have to touch up with powder but I found with this on that didn't happen which really impressed me! Even after 8 hours my make up still wasn't oily, it was a little worn down from rain, wind, daily toils etc but no visible signs of oily skin which really impressed me. 

I've read a few reviews from people disliking this product saying it didn't do what it claims and so on. I was super scared I wouldn't like it, because it is quite expensive for what it is and I really wanted to find something that really worked for my skin type and luckily my first impressions are promising!

So far I am really like this product so lets hope it stays that way!

Have you tried Benefit's POREfessional? Let me know your thoughts!

Alicia x
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LIFE: Why I decided to leave Liverpool & University

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First off, let me start by saying that this post isn't here to put anyone off going to university or to be like "ew, why are you in university" etc etc. This was my decision and mine alone and that's that.

As some of you may or may not know, I started university in 2012. I went to Liverpool John Moores to study Journalism and ended up leaving/dropping out (if you will) shortly after starting my second year in Sept 2013.

I enjoyed living in Liverpool and appreciate all the friends I've made while I was there they are a lovely bunch. Liverpool is an amazing city and I would love to live there again sometime in the near future, but something just wasn't clicking for me concerning the course.

So basically, all my *teenage* life I knew I wanted to be a Journalist, interviewing celebs, getting top stories and chasing down leads and so on it all seemed so exciting and I was so excited when I got accepted into the course. 

Then when I actually got a taste of this "exciting" life, I just didn't want it any more and it was making me quite unhappy and stressed out. This troubled me because I thought, if I hate it now...why am I forcing myself to try and like it and make it my profession?

I went through my first year actually not minding the course too much but I knew deep down it wasn't for me and was hoping maybe I would grow to like it. 

I passed the first year and decided I'd try again in the second year, maybe the stress and adjustment to university life took it's toll on me. Needless to say in the second year it was even worse for me and I just knew this lifestyle and career path wasn't for me. I love blogging and that side and aspect of journalism, but that's about all I love about journalism. I love going to events and writing about them or reviewing products whether it be positive or negative, I even enjoy interviewing people, who are relevant to my blogs theme, and featuring it. However, the law, politics, newpaper shabang side of it, which it mainly was on my course, was just bringing me down because I felt like I was wasting my time and money.

I knew what I wanted to be and that was a Makeup Artist, I've always been creative with makeup and I've always loved applying it on other people and myself for many reasons. This clicked for me last April and I just knew this is what I wanted to train to do and to spend my time on. So when I went back to university in September and realised near on a month later that I couldn't do it anymore I knew what I had to do. I had to leave liverpool, get a job and just take the time to train to become a makeup artist, which is what I'm doing now!

Obviously there were other factors to me leaving, like I missed my family and my boyfriend so so much and I never had any money for anything when I was in uni. After my rent came out I had £400 for 3 months and there was next to no part time jobs. This stressed me out beyond belief as I have my phone bill to pay every month as well as feeding myself which meant I couldn't go home often due to being too poor, which was something I wasn't comfortable with at all, I am very much a homebird and I always want to be close to my family and the ones I love no matter what. I even missed my cats and my dog silly amounts and I knew I couldn't stay in Liverpool any longer.

This decision didn't come easy let me tell you. I spent countless nights thinking "what if I regret it and want to come back" or "what if people think I've left because I miss my boyfriend and think I'm pathetic?" It "how much debt am I going to be in, am I being stupid?" and you know what, in the end I thought f**k them people because they're the ones I do not need in my life and so I just spoke to the university about it and I left pretty much the same day and I've never looked back.

I didn't see any reason to delay doing, what I consider to be my future job, makeup artistry for a course I couldn't see myself getting a job with afterwards. Yeah it's a degree, but what use is a degree if you don't want anything to do with it? University isn't the be and and end all as I thought it was. My thinkings were "No uni = No job" but that isn't true.

Yeah I enjoyed my experiences at uni and yeah I had a good time and who knows, maybe if I took a course in something I actually liked, I'd still be there. But one thing is for sure, I wouldn't change where I am now for anything because I've learnt so much and grown from the experience and is made me even more determind to succeed in makeup artistry. One thing is for sure that i regret is all the debt! But that's easily solved with a little hard work!

 I'm currently training in makeup artistry and working as a sales adviser in Debenhams. So life's pretty good and all because I took a chance!

What're your thoughts on university?


Alicia x
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Beauty Storage Wishlist

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Products Pictured:
  • Ikea MALM Dressing Table - £90 
  • Ikea Alex (6) Drawers - £60
  • MUJI 2 Drawers Wide Set - £10.95
  • MUJI 2 Drawers Wide Flip Top Set - £11.95
  • Wall Mounted Nail Varnish Holder - £16.50
  • MUJI In Drawer PP Baskets Size 2 & 3 - £1.95/£2.25
Total - £214.60

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey!

So first off I want to apologise for the "stock" photo's but since I don't have the actual storage yet, I can't take real photos, so yeah, I apologise for the unattractiveness of this photo.

First off, my make up storage at the moment is DIRE. Some of it is in a set of drawers that also houses my sock and underwear and the rest is just scattered wherever it will fit, it's really making me hate the way my room is laid out so I need to sort it out pronto.

Second of all, I've no idea whether to buy this all in bits now, or wait until I move into my own place at the end of the year. I'm thinking in bits so I can just take it all with me but my room is so awful at the moment, I'd probably have no where to put it all!

Moving on I've seen a lot of this stuff in other peoples make up collections and it just looks so nice and clean and kept tidy so that's what inspired me to do this post.

What's your make up storage wishlist? Let me know!


Alicia x
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Maintaining and Upkeeping my bottle Blonde hair.

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Products Used:
  • John Frieda Sheer Blonde: Go Blonder Shampoo & Conditioner, £5.99 each - Boots
  • Provoke Touch of Silver Twice a Week Toning Treatment, £3.05 - Boots
  • TRESemme Keratin Smooth Deep Treatment Masque, £5.50 - Boots
  • L'oreal Elvive Full Restore 5 60 Second Saviour Masque, £4.99 - Boots
  • L'oreal Triple Resist Reinforcing Treatment, £3.99 - Boots
  • TRESemme Platinum Strength Leave In Conditioner, £5.69 - Boots
  • Boots Coconut & Almond Leave In Conditioner, £1.89 - Boots
  • Batiste Dry Shampoo Fruity & Cheeky Cherry, £2.99, Boots
  • L'oreal Hot & Smooth Hot Straight Heat Protection Spray, £3.69 - Boots
Hey!

Over processed hair needs looking after and I've had my every colour you can think of so taking care of it is really important to me. I try my hardest not to over straighten or over wash it (within reason) and to keep the ends moisturised and trimmed but sometimes you need a little extra help in the form of hair products and these are the ones I use!

I start by washing my hair with the John Frieda shampoo & conditioner as I want my hair to be a light as it can be and no look dull. Some people dislike this range but I find it really works for me and keeps my hair soft, if can dry it out a little though so I tend to only use it twice a week. When I'm not using this I just use whatever is in my bathroom which at the moment is TRESemme Colour Revitalise range. I also use the Touch of Silver treatment twice a week to keep my hair as blonde as it can be. My hair is verging on the silvery/blonde side now so I've calmed down the usage and only tend to use it once a week now as it can have a drying effect on the hair!

After I've finished shampooing etc I, once weekly, use a deep treatment masque for 15 minutes in the shower. My favourites ATM are the TRESemme Keratin one and the L'oreal 60 second saviour. I know its 60 seconds, but after 15 minutes the ends of my hair feel suuuuuper soft, can't harm to keep it on a bit longer!

Out of the shower I use a range of things, sometimes all together sometimes I mix and match. First I use the TRESemme Platinum Strength and the L'oreal Triple Resist. I spray Triple Resist into my rooms and ruffle my hair around then I put Platinum Strength all over my head evenly. After this depending on whether I'm going to blow dry or not I put some heat protectant on as well.

When my hair becomes damp, from blow drying/natural drying, I go in with my Boots Leave In Conditioner and then continue with the drying process. I also spray heat protectant in before hair drying and after if I'm going to straighten it straight away.

I try not to wash my hair too often, maybe once every 3 or 4 days because I like the natural oils to have a chance at nourishing my hair. Obviously I don't want my hair to LOOK oily so I use Batiste to keep it looking fresh and smelling lovely.

This is basically all I do to my hair and I';ve tried to explain it as indepth as possible but there really isn't much to it and I'm sure in fact I'm positive everyone knows how to apply products haha.

What products do you use? Could you recommend me any new ones that are good for keeping hair from going dry etc? Let me know in the comments below!

Alicia x
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REVIEW: Bleach London Super Cool Colour in Rose & Washing Out Liquid

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Bleach London Super Cool Colours Semi-Permanent Hair Colourant in Rose - £5, BootsBleach London Washing Out Liquid - £5, Boots

Hey!

*Side note: My hair is no longer the colour pictured above.

I can't be the only person who gets bored with their hair colour and just wants a change, right? Course I'm not!

I'm the type of person where if I get an idea in my head, such as what would my hair look like pink, then I can't get it out of my head until I've gone and dyed my hair pink to find out. This is exactly what I did!

One day after seeing loads of pictures on Instagram of girls looking stunning with different coloured hair, I thought stuff it! I'm dying my hair pink. I already had purple in the ends of my hair which made it easier for me to make this decision. 

I opted to use Bleach London after hearing so many good reviews about them (apart from the Parma Violets incident...ekkk!) It's a conditioner based semi-permanent hair dye that lasts 2-10 washes depending on the colour (lightness) of you hair and works best on prelightened/bleach blonde hair.

My hair was a kind of honey blonde when I put the bleach onto it so when I washed it off and dried my hair I was a bit disappointed that the dye hadn't become as vibrant as I wanted it to be but I still think it looked really nice.

The dye itself made my hair super soft and shiny and washed out quite easily.

To wash the dye out I used the Washing out Liquid which removes stubborn pigments and helps fade the colour without ammonia. This really helped me to remove the pink when I wanted to go back blonde it even made my hair smell really nice so I'm glad I bought it!

Overall I do like these dyes but would maybe lighten my hair more before I use another one!

Have you ever used this brand? Let me know!

Alicia x
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High-end Beauty Lust List for 2014

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Benefit The POREfessional £24.50, Debenhams
I've wanted this primer for I don't know how long but I am lusting after it soooo much! It's definitely on my payday wishlist.

Benefit Hoola Bronzer £23.50, Debenhams
I;ve heard good things about this bronzer as a contour powder. My only worry is that my skin will be too pale as a lot of people say it looks quite dark, so it could make me look streaky or muddy. So I will definitely be getting a sample before I move on to the big size.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask £22.00, Debenhams
I've seen this on everyone's blogs and I've never been one for face masks but for some reason this one I really want to try so I'll definitely be buying it at some point this coming year.

Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel Cream Bronzer £31.00, Debenhams 
Yet another bronzing product, how surprising. Since I am pale I do like to fake tan and bronze my face to add a bit of colour and life into my skin. If I don't I tend to look a little dead!

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette £37.00, Debenhams
I think this palette was pretty much on every ones Christmas list but I decided to swap it out for Make Up Geek shadows, but it's now firmly back on my list!

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Shame £15.00, Debenhams
I've never tried one if these lipsticks but have head they're really amazing and the colour shame just look amazing. Definitely cNt wait to try it out 

MAC Pro Longwear Soft Ochre Paint Pot £15.00, Debenhams
I know it's only an eye primer but come on we need out shadow to stay on as long as possiblr, so it's worth it! I've heard many a tale of the paint pots and I can't wait to get my hands on this one.

Yves Saint Laurent Manifesto Eau De Parfum £47.00, Debenhams
I haven't smelt it yet but have heard it just smells amazing so I'm definitely going to pop over to fragrance when I'm in work and grab a cheeky tester.  The bottle is so amazing too!

Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Ballet £23.00, Space NK
Now I think this is a little expensive for a lipstick/gloss but I've heard they're seriously amazing and plus it's around the same price for a Chanel lipstick right? So I can kind of, not really, sort of, a little but justify it...no I can't...

That was my high end beauty list list 2015 and I can't wait to try all these products!! didn't realise when i wrote it out that I can actually purchase the majority in Debenhams! Have you ever tried any of these?? Let me know!

Alicia x
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REVIEW: Rimmel's Fix + Perfect Pro 5 in 1 Primer

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Rimmel Fix + Perfect Pro 5 in 1 Primer - £5.99, Boots

Hey!

Being a person of oily skin, I need something to keep my make up on my face for a little longer than usual whilst also creating a barrier between my skin and my make up.

To do this I use a primer, primers main function is to prime the skin read for make up whilst also keeping the make up on longer looking like it's been freshly applied. This particular primer boasts a 5 in 1 action of smoothing, resurfacing, brightening, mattifying and protecting the skin all whilst keeping the make up in place. The big question is, does it?

Well first off I'll say that yes, it does. I love this primer and always end up going back to it after having a bad primer experience. My recent bad experience was with Seventeens Stay Time which you can read my First Impressions post of here. Yep, straight after I'd tried and failed to fall in love with that primer I ran back to my faithful Fix + Perfect and my skin is thanking me for it.

This primer has a slight fragrance to it which I quite like but thought I should give any potential buyers a heads up if you have very sensitive skin and can't use fragranced products. It also comes out as a white cream and goes onto the skin clear and blends in really well/does dry too quickly. It is a silicone based primer but that isn't an issue for me and I get along with it quite well!

I am on the look out for more primers and want to try Benefits POREfessional as I have oily skin and large pores so it sounds right up my street! Any other primers you guys are loving? Let me know! I'm always welcoming new product suggestions.

Alicia x
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HOW TO: Make a gingerbread latte at home.

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Hey!

So as the title says, this post is going to be letting you know how to make a Gingerbread latte just like the ones in Costa Coffee!

I love love love loveeeee the Gingerbread latte from Starbucks & Costa but hate that they're only seasonal, so I got thinking, can I make this myself? I then found out, yes, I can and it tastes virtually the same!

There are a few minor tweaks as, obviously, I don't have the same equipment in my home as they have in Costa. So this is the home version and everyone who has a kettle and a microwave can definitely take part!

Now onto how to make the most important part of the latte - the syrup. The syrup is what gives the coffee that gingerbread taste to it and this recipe will give you enough syrup to make a good 10+ drinks.

GINGERBREAD SYRUP

What you will need:

  • Weighing Scales
  • Measuring spoons/teaspoons
  • Ground Ginger (2 Teaspoons)
  • Ground Cinnamon (1 Teaspoon)
  • Granulated Sugar (200g/1 & a half cups)
  • Water (500g/2 cups)
  • Vanilla Extract (Half a teaspoon)...(for some reason it skipped my mind to picture it)
Method:
  1. Mix the water, sugar, cinnamon and ginger into a pan on high heat and whisk continuously, bring it to the boil.
  2. Once boiled, cover the pan with a lid of some sort, and let it simmer (reduce heat) for 15 minutes, whisking every 5 minutes.
  3. Once the timer is up, put the mix into a heatproof container and let it cool down.
  4. Once cooled, mix in the vanilla extract and store the mixture into the fridge. It should last up to two weeks.
Now you know how to make the syrup you can add it to whatever you like, hot milk, hot chocolate, tea, coffee and obviously lattes! Now let's move onto how I make my latte! (Frothy coffee)

LATTE

What you'll need:
  • A mug
  • An espresso cup/shot glass/ any small container for liquid of similiar size
  • Milk
  • Coffee granules (any)
  • A whisk/electric whisk/milk steamer (whichever you have)
  • A measuring jug/something to whisk/steam the milk in
  • Kettle
  • Microwave
  • Whipped cream (optional)
This part is where you can choose whether you want to go pro and do a proper latte or, if you're like me, do a different spin on a latte using common household appliances, but it basically comes out with the same end result!

Method:
  1. Fill you mug about half full with milk, then pour the milk into the measuring jug, add a small amount of Gingerbread syrup (I usually just go by eye and pour a bit in until I can smell it/the milk turns a tiny bit brownish)
  2. Place in the microwave for 1 minute (or steam the milk)
  3. Whilst the mix is in the microwave, boil the kettle and add 1 spoon of coffee to your small cup. Then pour the hot water in once the kettle has boiled, stir to mix the coffee.
  4. Bring the gingerbread milk mix out of the microwave once the timer has done and whisk it until you can see the milk becoming frothy/air bubbles appearing.
  5. Pour the gingerbread milk and the small cup of coffee into your mug, mix it together and enjoy!
There we have it, that's exactly the steps you need to follow to make your own gingerbread latte at home, easy right? They taste super good too! 

Please let me know if you use this method, I'd love to hear your feedback!


Alicia x
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REVIEW: Collection Work the Colour Cream Eyeshadow Pencil

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Hey!

Collection Work the Colour Cream eyeshadow Pencil in Denim Diva - £3.19, ASDA.

Eyeshadow pencils are great for a number of things when it comes to doing your make up. Such as when you're in a hurry and don't have time to do mess around with colours and shadows and brushes you can just draw on your eyes, blend it out with your finger and go. You can even use them during halloween to changed the colour of your skin as I did with my NYX jumbo pencil in Milk. I have them in numerous colours including, silver, gold, white, shimmery white and this deep shimmery blue. I have done a review of my shimmery white pencil - called Vanilla Sky - here.

These pencil are extremely pigmented and really creamy and easy to blend. I prefer to use this pencil with a lighter blue or blend it with a white pencil to make the colour a little lighter as it is so dark that by the time I've added other colours I look like I have two black eyes! Applied correctly thought these pencils are brilliant bases for eyeshadows.

The pigmentation as i said earlier is brilliant and they have a good 8 hour wear if not longer. They don't slide off my oily lids which is a plus and they don't fade. 

Thee pencils are possibly my second favourite drugstore cream shadows next to the Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo and they're really affordable too!

Have you tried this product before? Let me know!

Alicia x
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