Zoeva Rose Golden Eye Set | Review

Zoeva Rose Golden Eye Set*

Have you ever seen a set of make-up brushes this beautiful?! The rose gold packaging, the crisp white bristles, the cute little box it comes in... Zoeva, you know the way to a blogger's heart.

I will never forget the day I ditched my sponge applicators for a real set of make-up brushes. Without sounding dramatic, it really was the day my make-up game changed. Gone are the traumas of patchy foundation and unblended eyeshadow.  Give the artist the right tools and she can create a masterpiece. Give her an eyeshadow kit with a foam brush and, well, you get my failed smokey eye photos circa 2010.

Zoeva are my go-to brand for make-up brushes now as 1) IMO they are just are on par (if not better than) MAC, 2) amazing quality and 3) have no ridiculous shipping/ tax/ importing fees. We don't have a whole lot of options for high quality brushes here in the UK. There's the extremely expensive high end options then the low end but nothing really in between. It's either stick with Real Techniques, shell out £20 a brush at MAC or order online. Zoeva are only about £7.50 shipping fees which to me is worth it given that these brushes work out to barely £4 each in this set. I reach for the 227 blending brush over my MAC 217 which cost me a crazy £17.

So, not only do these brushes look dreamy on my vanity, but they really do the job. Thanks to these brushes I can really get the make-up looks that I want and have complete control over application and blending. You have everything you need (and more) in this kit. My absolute favourites are the 227 for seamless blending, the 231 for packing on colour right into the outer v, and the 238 which allows you to have total accuracy for smoking out the eye with a tiny bit of dark matte shadow. Also, the 332 brow line is one of my favourite brushes - ever - for defining and highlighting my brow bone. It really does take your make-up to the next level.

Overall I can't recommend this kit enough to anyone who wants to up their eyeshadow game. At £50 for 12 brushes it's incredible value compared to high end brands and definitely rivals them in quality. I couldn't imagine doing my make-up without it now.

Have you tried this? Are you a fan of Zoeva?

Lydia Rose,

xoxo

Benefit They're Real Push Up Liner & Mascaras - In Colour! Review

Benefit They're Real Liner & Mascara in 'Real Colours'*

We all remember the launch of Benefit's Cult 'They're Real' Push Up liner this time last year. As a lover of the 'They're Real' mascara, I was fully behind the hype of this revolutionary liquid liner set to answer all of our uneven flick woes. It was my first major beauty blogger event in London and I was so excited to one of the first bloggers to hear about it and try it. Armed with my goodie bag I thought about my perfect flicks all of the way home - only to be totally, well, deflated.
 If you're like me and stuck the liner in a drawer to gather dust alongside other disappointing releases, then this might be the time to get reacquainted. There are plenty of reviews of the liner out there, like the mascara, it's a marmite product where bloggers either are head over heels in love or really don't get along with it.
But when the colour range landed on my doorstep I just had to have a play around with them. This liner isn't like any others out there and does require a little bit of patience and getting used to. But trust me, anyone can get the knack of this, and once you've got it, you'll love it. My technique is putting the mirror right under my face and getting right in with the liner against my lash line and using it in small strokes. If you're wanting to drag this across your lid in one line, it's just not going to happen. The formula is amazing but dries really quickly so you don't want to be layering over it, just gliding it on slowly in small movements.
I went for big blue flicks with the mascara and I really loved this ultra dramatic pop-art look that I ended up with. What I really like about this range is that it encourages you to be a bit more creative, but it's really easy to work it in to your usual look. If you're wanting to do something toned down but with a pop of colour, the blue liner is more of a dark navy which makes a really easy alternative to black. The purple is also a really deep colour that is easy to wear but just adds that extra element to your make-up. At first I thought I would never be brave enough to wear these, but actually, it's opened up my mind to a whole new range of colours that usually I wouldn't go near. I'm also loving the green which looks surprisingly neutral and will look so beautiful on brown eyes. The browns are great, too, especially for minimal make-up days. But if I had to pick a favourite, it'd definitely be the electric blue mascara, especially with a plum smokey eye.

Overall I really like this launch and for any Benefit lovers it's a great way to repurchase one of your favourite products but try it out in a whole new range of colours. If you need any more inspiration, just visit a Benefit counter because the girls' takes on the colours just look so beautiful and will get you inspired to try something new with your make-up!

Would you try this? What do you think of the new colour range?

Lydia Rose,

xoxo

Vilamendhoo, Maldives

Forever21 White Playsuit* | Missguided Elephant Top & Shorts* | Boohoo swimsuit | River Island Sunglasses

The milky glow of the Maldivian moon swallows the sky, dripping its pallid light across the dimming azure blue waves of the ocean. The sea rolls gently over the lips of the island sand, reclining and returning like the promising caress of a lover. Cradled in the crooked arms of the moon's glow, the island springs to life; fruit bats pulse through the dark, island birds lurch into their echoing calls.

Tracing the imprints of towering palm trees against the watercolour pinks and oranges of the Indo-Asian sunset, they seem too perfect to have been placed there by accident. As though arranged by the hand of an artist, the island is always poised for some surrealist interpretation on canvas.

The Maldivian night isn't like any other night. It's punctured by clusters of stars, a universe free from the permanent blanket of pollution which sallows our earth. As arms cut through the pool in evening swim, scents rise from the heart of the island, where cooks work to the clockwork of three meal times each and every day. Jasmine, cardamon, and garam masala intertwine with fried oil and sugar, twisting with the sea breeze in an enchanting aroma.

Room boys sweep the sand from still hot verandas, lizards from palm tree to palm tree, the bellies of crickets reverberate from the shrubs.  Imprints of bare feet are left behind to be washed away as the crabs scuttle and burrow, racing the sweeping tide line. These island dwellers speak a secret language; they cheat life, they get to stay here forever.

Laughter bubbles in private jacuzzis. The thunderous pressure of outdoor showers smack tiles. Evening dresses drape across the beach, cologne mingles with the scents of herbs, tablewear clangs, wine is poured as honeymooners dine in the dark. 

The island itself is a memoir. Laden with the serenity of a reminiscence;  love, laughter, paradisaical tranquillity, the excitement of embracing new experiences. Isolated from the rush of modern life, you remember, or learn, how to be present in the world. Heaven on earth.

Lydia Rose,

xoxo

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