Paul and Joe 10th Anniversary Collection...Meow!

I recently received an email from Asos, telling me about the new range of Paul & Joe cosmetics that have been released, to celebrate their 10TH Anniversary. I have seriously never seen anything so cute in all my life! P&J designer Sophie Albou loves cats and has channelled this love into the new Limited Edition Meow cosmetics collection. Prepare for utter cute and adorable pictures...

There are three lipsticks in the range: Miaow (Soft Pink), Sex Kitten (Nude) and Catwalk (Peach). The lipsticks feature an inlaid paw print design to celebrate their 10TH Anniversary. They are enriched with moisturising Orange flower water and Jojoba oil. The packaging is so eye-catching and is sampled from their clothing range. I adore these, it would almost be a shame to use them as they look so cute with all the little paw prints on! These are my favourite products from within the range.

  

Picture 1 courtesy of b-glowing. Picture 2 courtesy of Asos.

There are three eye-shadow palettes in the range: Kitty Cat (Pink and Purple tones), Purr-fect (Green tones) and Siamese Please (Brown tones).

Picture courtesy of chinese-luxury.

Each palette contains an inlaid cat design and the shades come in contrasting shimmer, satin and matte textures. Again the eye-shadow colours contain moisturising Orange flower water and Jojoba oil. The gorgeous packaging designs are again samples from the P&J clothing collection. I received the Siamese Please palette to sample, here are some swatches:

There are three blusher sticks in the range: Catfight (Red), Glamour Puss (Nude/Cream) and Minou (Pink).

  

Picture 1 courtesy of b-glowing. Picture 2 courtesy of Asos.

The design is of a cat in a top hat...beyond cute! Along with the lipsticks, these are also my favourite products from within the range! They glide on to provide a rich, creamy, powder finish. Again, they contain moisturising Orange flower water and Jojoba oil. I think it's fab that a cute cosmetics line contains moisturising ingredients. It just goes to show that the range has been thought about with the user in mind, rather than just thinking that it doesn't matter what's in the lipsticks, the cute factor will make them sell. I received the Minou blusher stick to sample, here is a swatch:

       

There is also a matte pressed powder in the collection. Although I don't use pressed powder I am totally sucked in by the packaging - it's adorable! There is a cute cat print on the front of the compact and then when you open it you can't help but go - aww! Aswell as there being a cat shadow print on the actual powder, the powder puff is in the shape of a paw and has a paw print on it! The pressed powder comes in one colour: Cinnamon (see picture below).

Picture courtesy of b-glowing.

There are also three nail polishes in the range: Kitten Claws (Soft Pink), Manekineko (Hot Pink) and Tigress (Beige). Although they are cute shades, the nail polishes don't draw me in as much as the products with the cat designs. Although I am sure the quality is still top notch. There is moisturising Orange flower water in these and a Pearl calc to protect the nail.

Picture courtesy of b-glowing.

Lastly, there is a Black waterproof gel eye-liner in the collection. It is smudge-proof and contains quick dry oil so the eye-liner sets instantly (perfect!). It also contains film polymers that ensure a long lasting finish. The gel is enriched with moisturising Orange flower water. This also contains White Lily extract. A fine brush also comes with this product, for easy application.

  

Pictures courtesy of Asos.

My mum loves cats and we have three at home. I showed her this collection and she couldn't get over how cute everything is!

The products range from £10-£28 and are available from Asos and Paul & Joe counters.

Can you resist buying anything from this range? Or if you have anything from this range, how hard has it been to use the items when the designs are so cute?!

Much Love,

Gem XxOo

Disclaimer: I received The Siamese Please palette and Minou blusher stick to sample, hence the fact that there are only swatches for those two products. My opinions are and always will be 100% honest. See the disclaimer tab for more information.

MUA Love Heart Range...

Picture courtesy of Imagekind.

Those of you that are fans of MUA (sold at Superdrug and online) will probably know that they have launched a new 'Love Heart' range, consisting of 6 gorgeous pastel colour nail polishes and 5 luscious lip balms that are available throughout February 2012.

What's not to love? A bargain make-up brand, lush pastel shades perfect to prepare for Spring and Love Heart sweets - which were a favourite of mine as a kid and I am still partial to the odd packet even now!

I had the chance to sample a couple of the lip balms, which was nice to be honest as my local Superdrug never seem to be up to date with most of the ranges of make-up - they still only have the original £1 line from MUA!

I got to sample 'Hot Lips' and 'Great Lips' but there are three other colours/shades available in the collection. I adore the Love Heart message names on them, so sweet!

Pictures (apart from the swatches) courtesy of MUA.

The samples I have received provide a sheer wash of colour without being too much and feel really moisturising on the lips. The same as with most lip balms, if you eat or drink the balm tends to come off, but because the colour is fairly sheer it is easy to just slick some more on, without worrying too much about applying it perfectly (so the colour doesn't end up everywhere) or having to use a lip brush (although I know some people prefer to do this instead of using the fingers).

The nail polishes remind me of the Nails Inc polishes in terms of their shape. They also have Love Heart message names :-).

Picture courtesy of Superdrug PR.

(L-R LOVE U 24/7, U R FAB, I WANT YOU, U ROK, U & I, I <3 U)

All nail polishes and lip balms from the range are £2. Absolute bargain! You know how with some make-up ranges you want to buy the whole range but can't really justify doing it because of the price? Well, with this range you don't have to feel guilty because the whole range is only going to cost you £22!

As I have sampled some of the lip balms and they are 10g each, I can tell that they are going to last a long time! I can imagine the nail polishes will aswell.

Like I said, the range is being sold in Superdrug (I can't see the range on the Superdrug website at the moment, so you may have to pop into your local Superdrug store) and online during February 2012. I am not sure whether they are still going to be available after this time, so if you are lucky enough to have them in your local Superdrug (if you don't want to purchase online), I would recommend going to snap up some or all of the range! Guaranteed to brighten up any make-up bag or collection!

What are your favourite items from the range?

Are you lucky enough to have the range in your local Superdrug?

Much Love,

Gem XxOo

Disclaimer: As stated above, I received two of the lip balms as samples to try out. My opinions are and always will be 100% honest. See disclaimer tab for more information.

Miners Cosmetics...

When I was approached by Miners Cosmetics to become a reviewer of their products, not only was I honoured to be approached by a beauty brand, but also thrilled to be able to try out a brand I had never tried before. Making my reviews and opinions on them fresh.

Having received and sampled some of their beauty products, I have wondered why I haven't seen their products on the high street. Then I found out they are only sold online and in quality pharmacies. There was a time when I never used to buy anything online and I never really have a need to go into specific quality pharmacies. I do think they would do well being sold on the high street in stores like Superdrug and Boots. They are amazing value for money!

Miners Cosmetics are always in the press (I found this out from their website and the one magazine I tend to buy, I don't think they are covered in) and celebrities use their products. You can see some press coverage here. Miners Cosmetics was established in 1937 and they have over 70 years experience in bringing innovative and affordable make-up to the masses. They take inspiration from the leading trends and colours on the catwalk. Miners Cosmetics are constantly evolving and changing to keep up to date with each seasons must have look.

I wanted to carry out this review of the samples I have received so far and share some pictures with you to make you more aware of the brand and their products. Like me, I am sure there are plenty of girls out there that haven't heard of this brand before, or if you have, haven't seen the products on the high street and have wondered where they are being sold.

Here are the first set of samples I received. They are Pearls for Girls lip glosses. The range is made up of six illuminating shades. Each pearlescent shade has a gorgeous, iridescent finish. The lip glosses have pearly artwork surrounding the casing, which is centred entirely on its pearl theme. The glosses have a twist up end, which means the lip gloss release can be controlled and there won't be any waste. They are also ideal for people on the go, as everything is in one, rather than the tube and applicator being separate.

From left to right, top to bottom: Oyster, Pearly Girly, Pearly Kiss, Pink Pearl, Mother of Pearl and Crushed Pearl.

The brush applicator is really soft. Here is an example of what the brush looks like with the lip gloss being released:

 

The lip glosses have a lovely fruity smell. They aren't sticky at all, but soft and moisturising. They feel like a lip balm on the lips. Pearly Girly and Pink Pearl look extremely similar in colour on my pictures. They look different in the tube (they are lip glosses three and four in my very top picture), but come out very similar when applied. My favourites are Pearly Kiss and Crushed Pearl. I love these colours and how they provide a wash of colour to the lips, whilst making the lips so smooth and moisturised. The lip glosses are £3.49 each and can bought here.

Here are the second set of samples I received. They are Define and Line liquid eyeliners. The range is made up of three classic colours; black, brown and blue. The matte black bottle makes these eyeliners look sleek and professional. I love how compact they are and if you had all three they would all fit snugly in your make up bag without taking up a lot of space.

                                  From top to bottom: Blue, Brown and Black.

As someone who isn't a huge fan of liquid eyeliners, I was pleasantly surprised using these to find that they are really easy to use. The smaller applicator/handle gave me more control and my hand wasn't shaking all over the place, as I was closer to my eye and could get right in there. I have tried liquid eyeliners before with a longer applicator/handle and found it really hard to apply the eyeliner, as my hand was so far away from my face, it wasn't as controlled. The brush is also really pointed and defined so it is easy to create the perfect line and/or flick. I did learn not to go straight in there with a lot of product on the brush, because if you don't get the line thin enough it can end up on the top of your eyelid as it takes longer to dry. Start off with a small amount of product on your brush and it dries in seconds, then just build your line up that way. They are also amazingly smudge-proof, so you can rest assured it will stay in place all day, until you want to take it off. My favourite is the blue-I love how it makes the eyes stand out! The brown is lush aswell though, it gives a dark, mysterious look to the eyes. The eyeliners are £2.99 each and can be bought here.

                                     Picture courtesy of Miners Cosmetics PR.

Here are the third lot of samples I received. They include five city inspired colours and make up this years Miners Cosmetics Autumn and Winter nail polish collection. Again, the packaging is really sleek looking and compact, so won't take up much room where ever you choose to keep them. Here are the names behind the colours and the inspiration behind the names (as stated by Miners Cosmetics):

London's Calling - There is nothing dull about this gorgeous mushroom hue. Taking inspiration from the heart of London Town, London's calling is the perfect party shade for the new season.

Fairytale of New York - New York is the worlds most celebrated 'concrete jungle', with an eclectic mix of breath-taking buildings, skyline and stunning parks. This deep emerald shade takes the gorgeous colour from the Cities urban escape - Central Park with the brash, cosmopolitan attitude of the socialites found in Greenwich Village. It's the perfect shade for a heady fashion junkie!

Weekend in Paris - Paris...j'adore Paris, the romance capital of the world! Delicious delights of the Patisserie, breath-taking works at the Louvre and the stylish stores lining the Champs-Elysees - this shade emulates everything Parisian, a fashionable colour for the true romantic.

Plum - this is a new colour that has recently been added to the collection. For some reason it doesn't have a city based name, but is a gorgeous deep plum colour.

I find it easier to apply nail polishes when the bottle has a longer handle/brush. I am not sure of the exact reason for this, I just find it easier to work with. These nail polishes have a long handle/brush, so the application is really easy. I applied just two coats of each to get the above look for all my swatches. They dry in approx a minute and provide such a gorgeous glossy finish. My favourite colour is Fairytale of New York-I love the emerald green colour, it looks stunning on the nails! They are just £2.99 each and can be bought here.

They have plenty more products on the website, such a huge range, I feel it's a shame if people don't know about it. Especially as the prices are so reasonable and the products don't lack in quality at all. I look forward to telling you about more of their products in the future...watch this space!

You can find their website here.

Thanks so much for reading my post-please follow, like and comment :-).

Much Love Gem XxOo

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Disclaimer: I am a reviewer for Miners Cosmetics, so the above products were sent to me for review consideration. I do not have to review them, but I chose to, because I love the products and feel the brand needs more awareness. All opinions are my own and 100% honest.

Pictures: All pictures unless otherwise stated are my own. If you wish to use them please credit my name by them-Gemma Tranter.