REVIEW: Topshop Freckle Pencil - Forever young

Topshop Freckle Pencil in Forever Young

Now, i'm a bit of an odd one, for some reason, I tend to get obsessed with something, and a couple of years later, it becomes a big mainstream fashion. Thus I feel fed up, because i've spent a load of cash trying to find the item and own it, which means I buy about ten different versions that aren't up to the standard I want, and then when it's a high street hitter, I hate it because I realise i'm just so ruddy mainstream. 

So i've been faking freckles for about four years. I decided it was my raison detre, as my natural freckles have been bleached out from all my obsessive skin evening skincare from my late teens (read, borrowing my mates dodgy skin bleach and causing all sorts of awful). So yes, I have been desiring my 90's freckles back, and STAT. 

So I heard that Topshop were on that idea finally, and they have produced this WONDER, the freckle pencil. Now, I hear you cry, that you could just buy a brown kohl and be done with it, but trust me, i've tried, that stuff smears, or it's so hard to get it to make a mark on your face that you end up with massive great dots everywhere. The option i'd taken for the last few years has been using a Gosh Long Lasting Eyebrow Marker to lightly dot, and it's a good option, but not particularly realistic, even if it's lasts. When I heard topshop were releasing this I counted the days. It's ruddy summer, I WANT FRECKLES. 

Topshop Freckle Pencil

So as you can see above, i've given you a line, for colour, and a spattering of freckle like dots, and as you can see how freckle like they are, and hey, they pretty much ARE. Now, here I am, being brave again, showing my face, but I wanted to show how they look on a human face, no matter how MOON FACED I am, it's the effect, not the aesthetics of my genetics y'all....

Me, with freckle

So what you need to remember is pigment in your face caused by sun isn't uniform, so when you do these freckles, you need to be random as you can. The freckle pencil has the genius of being marbled, so it's a mix of two browns, like freckles generally are. The pencil, although long lasting once set, is also really emollient do the lightest touch can give the faintest of freckles. Other tips would be, make sure your base isn't too full coverage, as if it is, you'll end up looking a little pantomime, which isn't the aim, well, i'd assume. 

You can pick this pencil up from Topshop online for a mere £5.00. 

REVIEW: MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer in Reckless vs Topshop Velvet Lips in Velveteen Ribbon

MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer in Reckless

Now. Let me tell you something about me (because that's obviously why you're here), I am an obsessive creature. When I find something that I want, I will obsess and obsess till I get it. Not a lot of things actually meet the needs I have to become obsessed with them. However, when I heard that MUA were launching a more upscale line of products, I was intrigued. When I heard that they were releasing some long wearing, matte, liquid lipsticks that were like Lime Crime Velveteens. I WAS RAVENOUS.

I put the date on my calender of their release. Went to Superdrug to pick them up and....nothing. They weren't there. I logged on to the website. All sold out. I went to the superdrug website. Not there. So I contacted MUA and asked where I could get hold of them. They told me central london. So I went to central london. Every BLOODY STORE. NOT SODDING THERE.

Anyway, one colour came back into stock last week on the superdrug website, which I was directed to by a very kind reader of my blog, and I arranged for speedy delivery, and finally got my hands on my matte dreams! 

However, when waiting to find the elusive product, I dropped into topshop and they had their new Velvet Lips on the display, and the shade seemed to be a lovely vampy rich matte red, so, why not I thought!? 

TOPSHOP Velvet Lips in Velveteen Ribbon

So lets look at a swatch etc...

L-R MUA Reckless and TOPSHOP Veleveteen Ribbon

So as you can see, the MUA shade is a much pinker red, whereas the topshop is darker and more vampy. Both are sumptuous and give completely opaque pigment heavy colour in one swipe. They both dry down super true matte, and they both look awesome.

So where are they different?

Well price for one. MUA is £3, a true bargain, whereas TOPSHOP is £10 in comparison. 

Also in wear time. The MUA one lasts big time, through eating, drinking, kissing cheeks. It lasts mofo! However, it will start to wear after a few hours towards the center of your lips. Also, if you decided to eat anything oily it'll come right off, I discovered this after a cheeky mcdonalds trip after a rather messy all nighter at a mates birthday party. The topshop one wore off after about two hours. Seriously, TWO. It flaked off and crumbled mega quickly and it was pretty annoying seeing as it costs over three times the price! 

So if you were trying to choose between the two, I would go for the MUA every time.

However, the direct comparison, and obvious one, is the Lime Crime Velveteen, and I would say MUA isn't quite as good, but pretty close, and for the price difference, I would definitely invest in this first.

I should be getting hold of the rest of the shades this week, and i'll go crazy with a swatch party for your lovely precious eyes as soon as I do. I AM EXCITED! 

GO BUY THE LIPS!

HERE