First Impressions feat. Becca, Kat Von D, Cover FX, Kiko, Marc Jabocs, Flormar

In March this year, myself and my boyfriend went to Vegas (for UFC 196), and of course I couldn't resist doing some makeup shopping to collect a few bits that I couldn't get my hands on back home. After coming back I was so busy that I didn't get a chance to sit down and try all my lovely new products, so I popped them into my 'to try' drawer and left them - until now!
There are still a few little bits from that Vegas trip left, and a bunch more in my 'to try' drawer so if you enjoy watching these kinds of full face of first impressions videos, please do let me know and I'll definitely do more! Below, I try out products from Becca, Kat Von D, Kiko, Marc Jacobs and Flormar! I've also included pictures of the products and written reviews below. Have a look...

The Video

(In the video I mentioned that I had a blush from Kiko as well. I forgot that I had the Flormar blush too so I didn't end up using it, but I do adore it! It's the Soft Touch Blush in 105, a neutral pink tone - my go-to!)

The Products

Kat Von D: Shade & Light eyeshadow palette

I love a good neutral palette and I love a good matte palette so this is my dream! The shadows have great pigment and blend very well. They are slightly powdery but I didn't find any 

fallout when I tested them. I always do my eyes first anyway, so if I did it wouldn't be anything to put me off them. 

Kiko: 293 infinity eyeshadow

As I said in the video I was disappointed with the lack of shimmer from this shadow when applied to the eye. When I swatched this in store using my finger on the back of my hand, it looked beautiful. So I later tried applying this with my finger to the eye, which did help to transfer the shimmer a little. However I had to keep doing this as everytime I had to blend the edges of the colour I would inevitably knock off the little glitter particles. So if you have this or a shadow with a similar issue, I would recommend first applying and blending with a brush to get a base colour on, and then using your finger to pat on the shadow on top.

Kiko: 02 Starry Pink loose pigment

(Left: Dry, Centre: Over white base, Right: Over glitter glue)

I quite like this, and will continue to play with it. It;s nice bright pigment to use as an inner corner highlight like I did, or would be cute in a spotlight eye. I used the Nyx jumbo pencil in Milk as a base for this in the video, which worked well but I did find that it started to lose pigment later in the day. So I also tested it with the Too Faced Glitter Glue. Colour-wise this didn't make it as bright (as the Nyx Pencil gives a white backdrop to it), instead it appeared a more pink and true to colour. I found that it did hold onto the shimmer particles that bit longer. So if you have this or a similar product I would recommend trying it with whatever bases and/or glitter adhesives you have, to achieve the best long wearing results.

Marc Jacobs: Fineliner

Not too impressed. I'm used to using a gel which gives excellent pigment and longevity, or if I do use a pencil it's usually a kohl, again to get the blackest black effect. So unfortunately this just seemed basic to me.

Cover FX: Custom Cover Drops

As I said in the video, although these are liquids, they do have an emollient feel to them. So I was concerned with how they would last on my oily skin. I wore it for a long day and found that the coverage remained. However, in certain areas like my chin and around my nose it began to have that 'separated' kind of look that a lot of my oily skinned girls will be familiar with! It wasn't terrible, as it was fine when standing back from a mirror, but up close I could see the effect. I later tried this mixed with my Flormar Matt Touch foundation (which I love for coverage but is OK for lasting), and it lasted slightly better. I then tried it mixed with Estee Lauder Double Wear (which I love for long wearing but coverage is a little less than my Flormar) as well using a Mattifying Primer underneath, and this worked much better. So if you are oily I would recommend a good matt foundation and/or primer.

Flormar: Perfect Coverage liquid concealer

I really enjoyed this concealer. Good coverage and lasted nicely. It does wear better on me with an under eye primer (I currently use Benefit Stay Don't Stray for this), but so do all under eye concealers as I have deep creases under my eye. I will definitely have a look for a lighter shade that I can also use for highlighting.

Flormar: Terracotta Blush On in '44 Pink Bronze'

Loved this blush! And I'm not a blush person so that's exciting for me. If you like warm blushes - like peach/apricot/bronze tones - you will like this. What makes it unique is the mixture of bronze with pink, and then the finish has a natural sheen. Altogether this gives such a healthy look, particularly for those with warmer skintones. I was also pleasantly surprised by the pigmentation! If you're trying this yourself use a little bit at a time.

Becca: 'Champagne Pop' highlighter

As Jaclyn would say..."Yaaass! Highlight on Fleek!" lol! I actually forgot this was one of the items I bought until I pulled them out again, and got all re-excited! I'm a huge fan of warmer highlights so I am so delighted with this! While it does have a golden undertone, it's still bright and doesn't appear yellowy. My new fav highlight me thinks!

Kiko: Precision Lip Pencil in 301

Another new fav! I love a good brown lipliner, especially one that isn't too warm, and that is also not a twist up. I'd been on the hunt for one I liked so I'm super happy about this!

Kiko: Smooth Temptation lipstick in 01

This is a lighter shade than I normally go for but I quite like how smooth and creamy the texture is. I will definitely get use out of it for doing ombre effect lips, as a lighter shade in the centre.


All in all I'm very pleased with my little haul of products!
I hope you found this interesting and maybe saw something you might like to try too!
If you have any questions about any of the products, please don't hesitate to leave a comment.
If you have any video requests as well do let me know!

Love
Christine
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