Bargain Brightening: SEVENTEEN Skin Wow Concealer

The past few weeks have been a bit of a clicky-pen-concealer-testing flurry in my house.  This Paul & Joe colour correcting one has been a bit of a hit for particularly blue-circled mornings, and this Seventeen* one has become a hit for a number of reasons, mostly because it's actually a concealer, where the Paul & Joe one isn't.

At just £4.99, it's a bit of a bargain too, particularly for something which can be used to brighten the undereye area, to add subtle highlights on the cheekbones, browbones and cupid's bow (not that I know anyone who does that for a normal day's makeup), and basically anything you'd use Touche Eclat for.  The similarities between it and Touch Eclat are obvious, from the golden clicky pen format, to the well-pigmented-but-not-heavy texture, to the brightening that doesn't come from glitter or shimmer.  Skin Wow blends well, and remains in place throughout the day - on dry skin days I find it does settle a little into my fine lines, but only after six hours or so, and it's only noticeable if I scrutinise my undereye area.  A little more eye cream than usual helps prevent any settling.

Given that Skin Wow is £4.99, and Touche Eclat is upwards of £20, and they're both just as great at brightening my undereye area, I know which I'll choose to repurchase.  Hint:  it's not Touche Eclat.

Disclosure:  PR sample

* I know they want me to use ALL CAPS now but I can't bring myself to do it in a chunk of text.  A title, sure, but throwing some ALL CAPS into a review feels a bit too shouty.  Apart from when I'm making a point, of course, such as right now.

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

BUY THIS NOW: Kiko Cosmetics Mosaic Highlighter in 01 Future Light

This beautiful Kiko powder is part of their futuristic Generation Next collection, and it's a dead dupe for Guerlain's iconic Meteorites.  It contains gold, green, white and purple tones to even out and illuminate the skintone (like Meteorites) and gives an oh-so-subtle light reflecting glow - so much so that you'll need to enlarge the swatch above and squint to see it.  The effect on the face is subtle - not glittery, not shimmery, just pretty and glowing (like Meteorites).  Better yet, it costs a mere £14.90, compared to £37.50 for a tub of Meteorites pearls. Oh, and it's more portable.  Buy it now, immediately, from one of Kiko's stores or online at their website.  Seriously.  If you like glowing skin, you won't regret it.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

NOTD: Invogue Parakeet (Nails Inc feather dupe)

Imagine my surprise when I saw yet another high-end polish dupe sitting bold as brass on the shelf in Stratford Superdrug. This is starting to become a real phenomenon.

These "feather" polishes are about as close to Nails Inc's versions as you can get without actually printing Nails Inc branding on the bottle. They don't have the beautiful avian-themed designs on the lids, true, but inside the bottle, the tiny filaments suspended in clear polish are pretty much identical.



There are 4 in the Invogue feather range - Parakeet, with peach, yellow and blue feathers, is the one I picked up first, although I also later snagged a bottle of Jaye Bird (blue and white). You can also (if you're quick, these are popular) get Sunset (peach and white) and On the Money (green and yellow) Invogue feather polishes, each costing £3.49 in Superdrug.

Nails Inc's line-up cost a decidedly-more-pricey £11 a piece, and reiterate the colourways above, with different names obv. Peach, yellow and blue is Chester, peach and white is York, and blue and white is Cornwall. There's also a fifth Nails Inc feather colourway, which is a beautiful peach and pale blue mix called Edinburgh.

Nails Inc also do some very interesting DIY feather "kits", with loose vials of feather filaments, base coat and top-coat. So they still have some exclusive feathery offerings.

Are Invogue being profoundly cheeky to nab Nails Inc's feather idea and sell at a cheaper price? Or is all fair in love and capitalism? The Nails Inc bottles are certainly prettier and more covetable, but even if I had £44 to spend on feather polishes I doubt I'd be persuaded just on packaging. I feel kind of uneasy about how closely Invogue have modelled their colour choices on Nails Inc's, but maybe, as with the rash of magnetic polishes last year, the manufacturer who supplies these polishes only produces a set few mixes.

Who knows.

As for the Invogue polish itself, I can't fault it. The pictures here show 3 coats over a clear base coat, and as you can see there are plenty of filaments packed into the formula. Application is more of a "dab" than a "drag" affair, but even with a relatively casual approach you still get good coverage after the second coat. The finish is bumpy, though not snag-your-tights bumpy like some of the more audacious glitters out there. I added a couple of coats of Mavadry to even things out a bit.

Removal is hellish, and results in a shower of tiny coloured bars all over you, your clothes etc. I strongly recommend the tinfoil method for getting this stuff off without scratching up your nails.

I haven't tried any of the Nails Inc feather polishes. They cost £11 each... and I'm not made of money.

Invogue feather polishes, £3.49 each at Superdrug

US drugstore Lippmann dupes

If I were Deborah Lippmann, I'd be reminding myself that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The hex glitter polishes that were her hallmark are everywhere at the moment, but I've never seen anything quite so blatantly "inspired" as these two dupes I picked up in the States recently.

Revlon's Whimsical (430). Compare to Deborah Lippmann Glitter in the Air

Deborah Lippman Happy Birthday (left), and Milani Jewel FX polish in Gems (right).

And 2 coats of each polish, swatched, same order. (On, er, a chewing gum packet. My nails were busy.)

Have you spotted any nail polish dupes lately? Are there any UK dupes we should know about?

Boots No 7's Illamasqua nail dupe

Boots No 7 recently revamped their Stay Perfect nail colour collection with some superb new shades - a variety of vivid cremes, rich metallics and wearable sheers. Having tried and played with the full range at a recent event, I've been particularly struck by Dollar. It's a rich metallic deep teal that reminded me strongly of Illamasqua's lovely and unusual Viridian polish. Here's Dollar worn on the nails.

My impression was so strong that I decided to do a comparison...

Dollar is on the left, Viridian on the right. It's worth pointing out that there are three coats of Dollar here, but only two of Viridian, which is thicker and more pigmented and also has a darker, bluer base. It's a pretty close match though, don't you agree?

Dollar is £7.00 for 10ml, available from Boots No 7 counters nationwide. Illamasqua's Viridian is £13.50 for 15ml.

Disclosure - Dollar is a PR sample

Amazing £4 MAC Duochrome Dupe from Accessorize

Good evening ladies. Thanks so much for joining us. Without further ado, let me present to you: My left hand.

And introducing: My right hand.

Spot the difference? Look closely now. Crap photography aside, I mean.

Would you in fact believe that one hand sports the limited edition cult Mean and Green from MAC's Venomous Villains collection, £8 for 10ml, while the other is daubed with a humble £4 for 10ml high street nail polish, namely Aztec by Accessorize?

No, not even Gemma could tell the difference between the two polishes on my nails. (And that is saying something.) Virtually identical. Possibly the closest dupe I have ever seen.

If you're playing close attention while applying, you'll note that the Accessorize polish has a thicker and more bottle green coloured jelly base - MAC's is sheerer and less blue-toned. But it's imperceptible after 3 coats, as you can see above.

Accessorize have brought out an entire range of cosmetics in the last month, although we've been unable to find the full set of products in store despite hunting the high-streets of London. There are various duochromes available, and if this one is anything to go by you should have no trouble duping all 3 MAC Venomous Villains duochromes and the Orly Cosmic FX collection to boot.

Happy shopping!

Dupe Alert: MUA Lip Gloss Tube = MAC Lip Gelee

Disclosure: PR sample

I've professed my love of MAC Lip Gelee before - they're juicy, shiny glosses in the style of the classic Lancome Juicy Tube, but with an absolutely silky and non-sticky texture.  They cost £12 a tube.  Above, I'm wearing a gloss which has almost the exact same silky, juicy texture - and it's from budget brand Make Up Academy (MUA), which costs just £1.  Yes, £1.  

Like the MAC counterpart, the MUA gloss doesn't last a particularly long time on the lips, and like the MAC counterpart they're best reapplied often to maintain maximum shine.  The similarities continue on the pigmentation front: both glosses look much more intense in the tube than they do on the lip, applying as a sheer wash of colour.  The swatch above is of shade 4, which looks a little bit too orangeypeachy in the tube for my liking, but applies as a sheer peachy pink with golden shimmer.  The biggest difference, to my mind, is in the scent - the MUA gloss smells of sweeties, a little like Love Hearts.  Mmm.

I'll definitely be picking a few more shades up.  If you'd like to try one for yourself, they are available from Superdrug for the very reasonable price of £1.  

Mavala and Elle 25th Anniversary Polish

Disclosure - PR sample

Believe it or not, Elle magazine is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. 25 years - that's a lot of fashion. I'm imagining 25 years' worth of back issues right now, and it's got to be a pretty big pile of mags.

Anyway, to mark the occasion, they've hooked up with Swiss manicure miniaturists Mavala to create a limited edition nail shade called - what else? - Elle. When I first read the press release I was expecting something bright, maybe a hot pink or a dark red, something timeless. However this is a decidedly contemporary shade, a grungy sludgy slate colour that leans towards mauve.

Personally, I love it. I'm a fan of both the shade and the application (which typically for Mavala is smooth and creamy, opaque in 2 coats). As a halfway-type shade that hovers between two colours, it's right up my street. However I can't help but notice the similarity to a certain Chanel it-polish that's just been released.

For an anniversary shade celebrating the iconography of a long-running publication, this is kind of surprising. I get that fashion is about being conscious of the latest trends, and that's something that Elle prizes highly. But an anniversary polish would have been the perfect opportunity to express the brand in a unique, original way. What I'm seeing here is less about Elle's anniversary and more about tying in with what other people are doing at the moment.

What do you think? Does this polish sum up the Elle brand for you, or is it just a dupe?

Mavala's Elle will be exclusively available at John Lewis from 1st September, priced at £3.95 for 5ml.