BioEffect EGF Serum Review!

Serums have become very popular in the past few years and a new ‘holy grail’ one has recently hit the market, named ‘BioEffect EGF Serum’.  If you haven’t heard of it already I’m surprised, because its being hailed as the next big thing and it seems like everyone is after a bottle of this wonder product.

Back in February I was given a sample of BioEffect and was introduced to the product.  I learnt how it had been developed, what its ingredients are and how it works.  I’ll admit I’m terrible with the science behind products but basically BioEffect is the next big anti-aging serum because it contains EGF: Epidermal Growth Factor, ‘a substance which occurs naturally in human skin and which has the ability to speed up the rate of cell turnover within the skin.’   One thing I think is pretty great is the fact that this serum took ten years to research, and two of the scientists for BioEffect won a Nobel Prize for their research – cool, huh!

Another thing I love about this product is the fact that it contains only 9 ingredients, yes, a miracle product with only 9 ingredients! 

What I think - BioEffect recommend using this as a night treatment because it is extremely nourishing and great for use before bed.  I find I only need two drops of this serum to cover my whole face and neck, which is fab because I only have a 5ml sized product so I’m not going to get through it too quickly (the biggest size they do is 15ml, you really don’t need to use much!). 

The formula of this is extraordinary and I find it really difficult to explain, but its like a silky water-like substance which spreads easily over the skin.  Once rubbed in, I find that my face becomes a bit sticky and tacky for about 30mins after application (another reason to use it before bed) and because of this I tend not to apply it in the morning.  The morning after using it however, I always, always notice a difference.  My skin honestly looks glowing, my skin tone looks slightly more even and I look really healthy.  Two days after first using this my Mum commented on how beautiful my skin looked, and that was after two uses, no lie!  When I use this I feel like foundation isn’t necessary, because it makes my skin look great.
Also, BioEffect doesn’t bring me out in any spots, which is a massive bonus for my acne prone skin which normally reacts to new products. 

As I said earlier, I’ve been using this since February but I personally only use it three times a week before bed (on the other nights I use Quinoderm which is an acne cream, review to come!). This means that it becomes a nice luxury treatment a few times a week and it will also last longer this way!

Now on to the only negative bit – the price!  As a student I could not have afforded to try this, the 15ml tube is £125!  However the 5ml is £49.  When I first heard the price of this I nearly fainted, but after using it and seeing the difference I will happily part with another £49 (birthday money?) for a new one.  Also, I can’t comment on its ‘anti-aging’ properties as I’m only 22, but I will continue to use this and hopefully will be wrinkle free by the time I’m 60 (if I’m still blogging I’ll let you know, haha!!).

You can buy the product and watch a video on the science behind the serum on their website here.

Have you ever tried BioEffect? What is your Holy Grail skincare product?

XX

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Sleek True Colour Lipsticks Part #2

Today I have FIVE more Sleek lippie swatches and mini-reviews for you! Are you ready to see these beauties?

L-R Coral Reef (sheen), Papaya Punch (matte), Mulberry (sheen), Vamp (matte), Baby Doll (sheen).

Coral Reef – I love, love this lipstick, the colour is so beautiful and kinda unique I think; its a pretty pink with a slight coral tint. This is a sheen lipstick so its lovely and moisturizing. Perfect for this summer.

Papaya Punch – This is super similar to Coral Reef except its matte, so its a tad drier (so apply lip balm before hand), and its a bit more orange. Again, I love this colour but just wish it was a bit more moisturizing.

Mulberry – Super scary in the tube but once on the lips its pretty wearable, but only in the winter I think (I couldn’t imagine anyone wearing this in the summer), or anyone wanting to support the ‘gothic’ trend. Its a dark purple/burgundy/red. The formula of the lipstick is really lovely and silky, almost looks like you’re wearing a gloss on top of it.

Vamp - I have fallen in love with this lipstick. I have never owned nor worn a dark red before, I’ve always stuck to bright reds but I feel very mature and sophisticated when wearing this. It’s a matte which is definitely vampy and works really well with smokey eyes and pale skin. My little sister has actually run off with this (grrrr!) because she also loves it.

Baby Doll – I think this colour is so pretty and adorable but I don’t think it suits me AT all. Its a super pale baby pink, but really drains any colour from my face (you can see in the swatch above it makes my skin around my lips almost look grey!). I think this would only work on quite tanned skins, or for fancy dress!

What I think – Now that I have tried out five more of these lipsticks, I’m even more impressed with Sleek and their ability to create affordable, good quality, pigmented products. At only £3.99 each these lipsticks are a bargain in Superdrug stores. You can see swatches of another four of the True Colour Lipsticks here.

What’s your favourite Sleek lipstick shade?

XX

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The Body Shop’s Honey Bronze range!

Ever since hearing that the whole of The Body Shop’s current bronzing range is being discontinued (yes, all of it), I have been very excited to see what they’d bring out in its place.  Queue the Honey Bronze range!  Consisting of five products (with different shades of course).  I’ve got reviews and swatches of two of those products today, but more pictures of the rest of the range at the end of this post!

Couldn’t wait to get my hands on these particular babies, the Shimmering Dry Oil and the new Bronzing Powder.

 

Shimmering Dry Oil

I think this will be a big hit this summer.  A dry oil with a gorgeous tan colour and a hint of shimmer.  I’m the palest and it gives me a very natural, glowing colour which I love, but it also looks superb on darker skin tones (after trying it out at work on everyone!).  The shimmer isn’t too noticeable so I’d say its suitable for everyday use all over the body.  It rubs into the skin well and evenly, and dries pretty quickly so your not left feeling oily all day.  It does have quite a strong scent which I think is meant to be honey, but instead it just smells like a floral butter to me (odd, but true!).  Gorgeous colour, easy to apply and moisturizing, thumbs up from me!

Bronzing Powder in shade Fair Matte #02

When I heard that TBS were also going to start catering for more skin tones, a la pale and dark, I may have jumped for joy and squealed a tad.  FINALLY! To start off with they’ve made four new bronzers and #02 is perfect for me.  Can you believe that?  I’m actually not #01 for once!  It does look super super pale in the pan but on the skin its a lovely, natural tanned shade and actually quite a nice contour colour as well.  I would even be tempted to try #03 for more of an obvious bronzed look.  This is a matte shade so it looks natural and is perfect for daily use.  I love the honey comb pattern on the powder and the big mirror in the lid is great too.  I’m sure they’ll be a bronzer for everyone in this range.

The rest of the range - (sorry about the rubbish picture, I took it on my blackberry before work!)

Bronzing Gel for face – This is a great product which you can apply all over your face for a natural tan.  It’s quite similar to their current Shimmer Gels but this hasn’t got any shimmer, its literally a brown gel that gives you some colour.  Unfortunately this is way to dark for my skin, I popped it on my hand and it just looked ridiculous, but I’m sure it’d look lovely on everyone else.

Lip Nectar in Honey Beige (the golden brown one) and Honey Bunch (the orange/coral shade) – Similar to the current Hi-Shine lip glosses but with added Community Fair Trade organic honey for extra moisturization.  These are beautiful and have a slight sparkle but are a tad sticky.

Brilliance Powders – Not pictured above, but are exactly the same as the current brilliance powder but with a softer brush (the old one was quite rough and bristly, the new ones are more like their soft makeup brushes).  I think the colours may also be slightly different. 

The Honey Bronze collection will be out at the end of May and will be joining the permanent collection!  Priced between £9.50 - £17 I think!

Will you be getting anything from this range?  What’s your favourite bronzing product?

xxx

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5 Outfits!

I’ve taken so many outfits posts recently and so I decided to put them all into one post instead of separate ones.  I did cut my fringe in-between these posts because it was getting a bit long and annoying, especially since the season of hayfever is upon us – don’t want a heavy fringe irritating my eyes AND my roots were done in between!  Anyway, here they are!

#1

Top – H&M, Black Skirt – Vestry, Tights – Primark, Nail Polish – NuBar Palau Coral

I have an addiction to buying tops like this one, very thin fabric, kinda baggy, in grey colours and slightly cropped at the bottom.  This was only £6.99 from H&M and they had quite a few colours so I’d quite like to get some more.  Perfect for throwing over a bikini on holiday!

#2

Shift Dress – Primark, Belt – New Look, Tights – Primark, Lipstick – Toxic Tale & Morange MAC lipsticks, Nail Varnish – Stargazer.

I wore this to go to The Royal Albert hall a few weeks ago to see Alex Zane do some stand up comedy (he was incredible – so beautifully gorgeous and hilarious.  He even started talking to me in the act and he made some really funny jokes up about my ghost hunting photographs!).  My hair here is the same one I did in my Goody Simple Styles video here.

#3

Top – Miss Selfridge, Jeans – Topshop - petite, Black Vest top (underneath) – M&S. Nails – Kiss Nails.

Wore this to the theatre with my Mum.  My little sister works in Miss Selfridge and this is her top but I borrowed it!  Again, same sort of style as the first one in this post, sheer though, which I like.  This jeans are super skinny and have little zips down the side of each ankle which is cute.

#4

Dress – Cult.

I wore this dress to the Nars event (followed by a night on the town with uni friends) a while back – its one of my favourite summer dresses, however I unfortunately can’t wear a bra with it otherwise I can’t breath so its a very liberating dress to wear! 

#5

Sheer Blouse – Primark, Jeans – Miss Selfridge - petite, Black vest top – M&S

I love this blouse and I bought it a while back, but I didn’t know how to wear it (originally I thought of wearing ir over leggings, but because its quite long it looked rubbish).  Then I had the ingenious idea of tucking it into my fav pair of black jeans and it doesn’t look too bad!  I teamed it with heels for a bit of height and I felt sophisticated (I wore this to Shakespeare's Globe last night to see some comedy!).

Ins – Warmer weather,
Chai tea,
M&S chocolate peanuts (the best!),
My weekly graze box,
Having more spare time now that I’ve handed my FMP in at uni.
Outs – I DON’T WANNA LEAVE UNIIIIII! I’m going to really miss it and my friends and being a student!  Time to live in the real world. 
Installing my FMP/Degree show – I’m terrible at hanging stuff and I’m petrified of ruining my work. 

Blogs to follow –
1) Bec’s Blog - http://beclounor.blogspot.com/ One of my good mates at work has just started a blog and its great.  She’s absolutely, ridiculously beautiful as well, so go follow her!
2) 25FLondon - http://madein1985.blogspot.com/ Great blog, easy to read with perfect swatches!
3) A Vain Woman - http://avainwoman.blogspot.com/ Another fab blog with amazing clear photographs and great reviews.
4) Ghost Parties - http://www.gh0stparties.com/ Kate is adorable and does great video tutorials & outfit posts!

What are your favourite blogs?  I’m after more to read!  What’s your favourite spring outfit?

XX

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Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Review!

Bobbi Brown have recently launched their new Creamy Concealer kit, as well as a new Concealer and Corrector.  I was invited along to the press launch of this new concealer kit to try out the new product and we were given a master class by the Head of Artistry, Paul Herrington, on how best to use it!

 

The event itself was great – we drank champagne, snacked on the most incredible jerk chicken and had a good play with the products and I got to talk to other bloggers and journalists which was nice!   They filmed this video below and I appear in it about four times which is quite surreal, but funny also!  Have a watch and see me learning how to apply the product and being made up!

 

Anyway, on to the concealer.  I was matched to the shade ‘Porcelain’, and each kit contains a creamy concealer and a sheer finish pressed powder which basically blots any oiliness after applying the concealer, giving your skin a matte look.  The concealer really is quite creamy and does tend to be smudge-able in warmer weathers so the powder is perfect for touching up and blotting any excess oil.  The compact also includes a mirror in the lid.

What I think:  I can definitely see a difference when wearing this and not.  My eyes do feel and look more awake when its on and it does a great job of concealing blemishes.  The only downfall I can find in this is the fact that it is SO creamy – on a hot day this has smudged below my eyes, bringing all my black eyeliner down with it (leaving me with panda eyes).  I suspect this will be absolutely perfect for autumn and winter but I will still be wearing this throughout summer – just very lightly on my eye bags and blemishes, because it does a fab job of covering them.

What’s your favourite concealer?  Can you see the difference?

XX

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Tattoo aftercare – what to use (& my personal tattoos!)

Those of you who have seen a few of my outfit posts will have noticed I have a tattoo on my foot.  In actual fact, I have three, I got my third just last month! 

Its a Snooks family tradition that on my Grandma’s (<3) death day (20th April) we get something significant done to our bodies – one year my Mum got a tattoo, the next both of my parents got a belly piercing etc.  For a while now I’ve been wanting another tattoo (they are extremely addictive) and I convinced both of my parents to have them with me (I have THE best/coolest rents ever, huh!). 

I knew that I wanted lyrics, Morrissey/The Smiths lyrics to be precise so it was just a case of choosing the actual lyrics, the font and deciding on placement.  I decided on song words from The Smiths ‘Handsome Devil’.  I absolutely ADORE Morrissey and The Smiths – I was brought up listening to their songs and going to see Moz in concert and his songs rubbed off on me!  I love the quote I chose, its completely ‘me’.  In terms of placement, I knew that I wanted it either on my side or back, and I chose to justify the quote to the right and have it on my right side.  Here’s a photograph.

I absolutely adore it.  My tattoo artist did such a good job writing very gently – I didn’t want it to be too big, I wanted it quite dainty and he managed it (although he said afterwards that it was like writing on a grain of rice!).

And my other tattoo’s -

This was my first tattoo.  I got it on my 18th birthday as a present from my parents and its on my foot.  I love having a foot tattoo, especially when I wear heels.  One line above does need touching up but apart from that its perfect!

This was my second and its on my hip and travels down towards my lady parts (sorry about the bikini shot – I realised I don’t have ANY pictures of the placement of it apart from this cringy photograph.  Its just to give you an idea of where it is)!  They’re roses and not many people know I have this tattoo, its kind of a secret thing.  I didn’t want any colour in this, or in any of my other tattoo’s, I’d prefer them to have a similar look/theme and I want them to look gentle and feminine, not too loud.  I had this tattoo and the one above done by the same man, Ivan, at my local tattoo studio – I absolutely adore his style of tattooing and how detailed they both are, but unfortunately he left last year and so I got another guy who I like and trust in the same studio to do my most recent.  If I ever do decide to get another then I’d definitely go back to him.  (In the coloured photograph above it looks kinda blue, but its actually black!)

AFTERCARE

For the first two weeks after having your tattoo done, your supposed to wash it gently with a damp cloth and apply a moisturizer straight after, about 2-3 times a day.  I’m very obsessive about this and make sure its always moisturized – it will heal quicker this way and won’t be too itchy when it comes to scab off, and it won’t peel too much.

Bepanthen – this is actually a nappy rash cream but it works incredibly for using for the first week after you’ve had it done.  Its super soft and the formula is thick, creamy and moisturizing.  It doesn’t have a scent but because its white and thick it may transfer onto some of your clothes – this isn’t a problem, you can always wipe it off.

Tattoo Goo – This is probably a bit of a con because its really similar to Vaseline or any other moisturizing jelly, but it contains olive oil, wheat germ oil, cocoa butter, lavender oil, beeswax etc – all great natural ingredients to help repair and moisturize the skin.  This is good because its clear it doesn’t transfer onto clothes.

E45/Aqueous Cream – everyone has probably used this before once in their life and you can use the little tubes of it on your tattoo, preferably in the second week, after a first week of using something more thick and intense.  Good to carry around on you for dry patches, etc anyway.

In the second week after having the tattoo, my artist recommended using any kind of moisturizer that you know you don’t react you or have any problems with – for me this would be any of The Body Shop’s Body Butters (Cocoa Butter pictured above), Vaseline’s Coca Butter moisturizing oil, Korres Quince Body Butter etc. 

Your tattoo should heal pretty quickly if you keep it moisturized.  Mine healed super quick (because the writing was so gentle I think), it took just over a week and a half.

So that’s a quick over view of my tattoos and my tips and products to encourage it heals nicely!

Do you have any tattoos? What did you use to heal them?

XXX

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Ahava Velvet Cream Wash (Sensitive skin) review

I have a secret – not a great one but one which only my close friends know.  I can’t use shower gel, with the exception of one (Femfresh).  This is because I am SUPER super sensitive and react to EVERYTHING.  I can’t use bubble bath either and so bath time is normally very boring for me.  Femfresh is a great product, very gentle on my skin and lady parts and I don’t react at all, but its hardly an exciting product or one to shout about, is it!

Well – recently I was introduced to Ahava Shower gel’s.  For the past two months I’ve actually been using a shower gel (HOOOOOORAAAAYY!).   This is so exciting for me, girls!  I can’t believe I’ve actually found a product that I don’t react to. 

I’ve been using the Mineral Botanic Velvet Cream Wash in Honeysuckle and Lavender which is recommended for sensitive skin (the brand also make shower gels for normal to dry skin).  The formula of this shower gel is amazing – it really is like a velvet liquid and it almost has a silky look to it in your hands and it leaves my skin SO soft.  I know its sad but I actually look forward to having a shower because of this product. 

One of the best things about this shower gel is that it is SLS and paraben free and allergy tested which is probably why I don’t react to it.  Because it is SLS free it doesn’t foam up, instead it literally glides on the skin like a creamy velvet.  There are six other shower gels in the range and they all vary to suit your skin type, whether its normal, dry or sensitive.  I love that this brand are suitable and cater for all skin types.

 

You can purchase it online here and you get a massive 500ml for £15.  Which is going to last me ages as you don’t need to use much.  My Mum and Sister have also been using this (they both have sensitive skin too) and they moaned and complained when I took it back to my flat with me, ha!

Have you ever tried Ahava products? What’s your favourite shower gel for sensitive skin? X

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New Cid Cosmetics Reviews!

I was recently introduced to the New Cid range and I haven’t looked back since.  I think they might just be my new favourite makeup brand!  Read on to see why.

i-glow (Shimmery blush) in Coral Crush

When I first starting seeing this on blogs I fell in love.  I knew I needed it in my life and I absolutely adore having it in my possession.  Its absolutely stunning and just perfect for all year round!  Its a shimmery rose gold blush with golden veins running through it which gives you the most beautiful glow.  I’m ill at the moment (I have a cold) but I’ve been wearing this daily and it’s really putting the life back into my dull face.  The compact is handy as it has a big mirror inside.  I just love this blush, it retails at £24, which is pricey but I suspect its going to last forever as its domed shaped and I haven’t even made a dent it yet.  Its also nice and pigmented so you don’t need to use lots!

i-smoulder (Smokey eye pencil and shadow) in Ember

Seriously now, New Cid have got it going on.  This product is just GENIUS!  So it has a kohl pencil on one side (shaped skinny one side and thick the other as you can see in the photographs above – perfect for achieving thick or precise lines, see swatches for proof).  And then an eyeshadow on the other end, already on a sponge for easy application!  What more can you ask for!!!?  There is a pressed eyeshadow powder in the lid of the sponged side so that every time you close it and open it, its ready to go and coated with shadow. 

These smoulder pens come in ten different shades, ranging from silvers to purples to blue.  What I love doing is applying the shadow all over my top lid, then lining my eyes with the pencil.  You can even apply the pencil and then smudge the shadow over the top for a gorgeous and easy smokey look.  £17.50 – great investment I think, especially for when your travelling, you don’t have to carry around multiple products.

i-flick (Double ended liquid and kohl liner)

Why isn’t every makeup brand doing this?!  Another genius product, a liquid and kohl liner in one, pretty self explanatory but incredible for someone like me who uses both liquid and pencil eyeliner daily.  This has really helped me narrow down my makeup bag when out and about.  The liquid side has a felt tip like nib, but better because its moveable so it allows you to easily line and follow the shape of your eye (if that makes sense?).  £18.50 and only available in black I believe. 

i-groom (Eyebrow grooming pencil)

My new favourite eyebrow grooming product.  This has a eyebrow pencil on one side and a grooming brush on the other.  Normally I just pencil my brows in and always forget to comb them because I can’t be bothered digging the comb out, but with this it makes it so easy as they are together.  This only comes in ONE shade (Neutral), and it apparently matches everyone!  I think this is true – my eyebrows are really dark and it still fills them in perfectly.  The pencil has a waxy texture so your brows stay in place all day and its very gentle so its almost impossible to over do it with this, but easy to build up.  Again, a slanted pencil so that you can achieve thick or skinny lines.  £15.50.

i-gloss (Light up gloss with mirror) (shade Honey Pot).

I think this may be the prettiest lipgloss I own.  I have the shade ‘Honey Pot’ which is absolutely perfect for everyday use because its neutral but with gorgeous gold shimmer undertones to it.  The applicator is a brush instead of a sponge which is fab and the brush also lights up when you apply it for easy application (you can see the lights in the photograph above!).  The case also has a mirror on the side.  I’ve been trialling this on top of every lipstick I own and it suits them all. £16.

(will review primer in a separate post!)

What I think: If you can’t tell by all my gushing I am now a complete New Cid Cosmetic fan, I honestly can’t find any faults with any of the products I have tried. 

The fact that they are all perfect for use on the go is just perfect (especially for me who travels between my flat in London & my family home in Essex every week).  The prices may look a bit expensive at first, but if you think about it you’d probably pay £10 for an eyeshadow and £6 for a kohl pencil anyway.

Are you eyeing any of these products up?  What’s your favourite ‘on-the-go’ product?

X

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Hairstyles: Fishtail plait & goody buns!

I am normally pretty boring with my hair; I always wear it down because its pretty long and it gets kinky if I wear it up. However recently I’ve been wanting to be more adventurous with my hair – I’ve been wearing plaits and high buns and pony tails and I’ve enjoyed wearing my hair differently.  So I’ve filmed two, yes two, short ‘how to’ hair tutorials!

The first is a fishtail side plait which is very ‘in’ at the moment.  Its super easy to do but does take some practise.  I hope I’m understandable in this video – I had to film it a few times and was getting aggy at myself for it not looking right!

The second film below shows you how to do two buns (neat and messy), with the Goody Simple Styles ‘Spin Pins’ which you can see a review of here.  Many of you asked to see how they actually work and how to actually use them so I hope this short video helps!  (Please ignore my under-eye bags in this video!)

I hope you enjoy these films!  I’ve quite enjoyed doing hair tutorials so if you give me some ideas of more then I’ll be more than happy to give it a try.  And if you try any of these looks yourself  then do let me know/show me a photograph, I’d love to see :D

What’s your favourite hairstyle to do?  Tempted to get the spin pins now?

XX

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Clinique Chubby Sticks (& event!)

I have been a very busy blogger recently attending lots of events and I have some exciting new products to show you all!  The first of which are the new Clinique Chubby Sticks!  The event was held at the Estee Lauder offices in Central London and we were greeted with the biggest jelly tower – how bloody cool is that!  Amrita (6 Inch Stilettos) and Jen (Beauty Junkie London) had a giggle prodding and poking them – they had extra gelatine in so they wobbled like crazy.

 

We had a chance to talk and play around with the new Chubby Sticks that have just been released – they are basically like a sheer lipstick/balm and come in eight different colours.

I was given six to take home and try out, swatches below!

We managed to take a photograph of all eight of them, which you can see below – swatches below on the lovely Amrita’s hand!

What I think – I’m pleasantly surprised and impressed by these little beauties and they have become firm staples in my handbag.  I can’t get over just how moisturizing they are, it actually just feels like you are applying lip balm, just with a great tint of colour.  These are super sheer but you can build them up to be more pigmented.  I quite like the fact that they are so sheer, it means I can apply without looking in the mirror and they aren’t too heavy to wear in the summer. 

Also, to get more product you simply twist the bottom, like a lipstick, this makes it much easier than a lip crayon that you have to sharpen and waste lots of product.  My favourite from the range is ‘Whole Lotta Honey’, which I’ve been carrying every where and wearing every day and I also adore ‘Woopin’ Watermelon’ and ‘Mega Melon’.

These retail at £13.50 a stick – which I’ll admit is expensive, but if it doubles up as a lip balm then I think its worth it.  My lips haven’t felt so soft wearing a lip colour in a long time.

Which one of these are you eyeing up? What’s your favourite sheer lip product?

xox

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