A Tale of Two Brushes: Morphe M433 vs MAC 217

If there is one brush every makeup artist from here to edge of the Earth has owned at one time or another, it's the MAC 217. More than a humble blending brush, the 217 has the perfect tapered edges for crease work, while still being flat enough to lay down colour, and it's soft enough to blend everything out. If you asked me to recommend only one eyeshadow brush that would give you the most bang for your buck, it would be the 217. But what if I told you there was a dupe for a quarter of the price?

Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops: The Hyped Up Highlighter You Might Need

Oh boy, do we have a winner on our hands with this one folks. If you've been hiding behind a dial-up connection for the last month or so, you may have missed the launch and subsequent hype behind the Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops. With YouTubers and Beauty Bloggers raving about these little bottles of pure glow, I knew it was something I needed to try and let me just tell you, they completely lived up to the hype.

Shopping the Tarte 30% Off Friends and Family Sale

I don't normally do "shop the sale" posts because I am a bit of a makeup floozy and like so many products from so many brands. Tarte, however, is one of my favourite brands ever, and it's rare I come across something from the brand I don't like. Since they have their incredible 30% Off Friends and Family Sale going on right now (it ends July 27th, so hurry!), I thought I would share some of my tried and true all time favourites from the brand!

Urban Decay Razor Sharp Liquid Eyeliner Swatches and Review

If there is a brand that has been launching one incredible collection after another this year, it is Urban Decay. With the launch of their massive 100 shade Vice Lipstick range (more on that coming soon!), and the revamped liquid liners by way of the new 20 shade Razor Sharp Liquid Eyeliner, there is certainly no shortage of colour! I've got 11 of them and have had a play to put together a review for you, so keep reading for swatches and my thoughts...

Tarte Naughty Nudes Amazonian Clay Blush and Highlighter Collection

If you've ever read this blog before, you will already know that the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blushes are my favourite blush formula of life. Until a week ago I owned 9 shades, and that collection just gained 4 more and a highlighter thanks to the Naughty Nudes collection! I'm thrilled the brand expanded the range to include some warmer neutral shades, and while they're all gorgeous I have some definite favourites.

This Just In : Kevyn Aucoin Neo Bronzer in Siena

Occasionally a product comes along that almost looks too stunning to use as if I should never run a brush through it or God forbid my grubby fingers for fear that it will no longer have the appeal it did fresh out of the box. Or, perhaps that is just me, and you all could care less about how pretty a product looks (I doubt I am alone in that thought, though...). When the Kevyn Aucoin Neo Bronzer in Siena showed up at my door, I had one of those, "ooooohhhhhh" moments the minute I opened it. The sleek burgundy packaging gives no hints to the stunning ombre powder that lies inside. My first instinct was to close it up and squirrel it away for safe collecting, as to not ruin the stunning gradient from cream to coral to bronze. Don't worry, I got over that REAL quick and tested it out for you all, you know, in the name of good blogging...

500th Post: 10 Products I'd Cry About If They Were To Be Discontinued

If you'd asked me 3 years and 500 blog posts ago if I would still be writing Girl Loves Gloss, I probably would have had a doubtful answer. Over the years this turned in a sleepy little blog to something that people actually read occasionally! Whether you started reading 500, 395, or even 3 posts ago, thank you so much for you support. I get a bit emotional thinking about it, so here are 10 products that I might actually cry if they were discontinued. 

The Sun Safety Series : Coppertone Clearly Sheer

Welcome to a new series that will run throughout the summer focusing on safe sun practices and reviews of sunscreens in all price ranges! As a former tanning bed lover turned SPF advocate, I've made it my duty to get all my family and friends wearing sunscreen every time they go outdoors. Since I find choosing the right SPF product tricky, I'll be testing out several over the next two months to share with you all and hopefully shed some light on how you can protect your skin from sun damage, skin cancers and a myriad of other issues caused my pollution and UVA/UVB rays. 

Sunday Steals: ELF Contour Palette

It's been ages since I posted a good Sunday Steal, and I know it seems like most of the time I feature higher end makeup and beauty products but that is genuinely just because it tends to what I wear myself. Every once in a while however, I find a fantastic little find from the drugstore that boasts the same quality (or better!) as a luxury cometic item, without the fancy price tag. The ELF Contour Palette fits this bill perfectly. 

MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof Colour Sticks Review + Giveaway

Whenever I see a brand release a twist up shadow stick I get excited because let's face it, the convenience factor is super enticing. Years ago MAC released their Grease Sticks, which I remember having such high hopes for, only to have them turn into a creasing mess. Fast forward several years and brands have caught on to formulations that are crease-resistant and MAC is at it again with the Pro Longwear Waterproof Colour Sticks! I put 9 shades to the test to see if they lived up to their name and claim, so keep reading to see my thoughts, swatches and how you can win one in the hottest colour for summer!

The Estee Edit : What I Like, Dislike and Still Want to Try

Makeup house giant Estee Lauder has a new little sister by way of The Estee Edit - curated with young beauty attitudes such as Kendall Jenner in mind, the launch is meant to play up an edgier, less put together look. I recently got the chance to talk to some of the artists for the line as well as try out some of the best sellers from the range, and have some definite thoughts on the range. Here's what I did and didn't like, as well as the products that are definitely on my wishlist... 

Getting a Brighter, Whiter Smile with Colgate Optic White

This post is sponsored by the Colgate* Optic White TM/MC  #DesignerSmile Campaign. All views and images are my own.

I'm the first to admit I love a good bit of makeup. I'm not afraid of colour, or to go out in a full face, but at the end of the day I feel the most beautiful thing a person can have is a great smile. As a girl who had the full mouth of braces, retainers, elastics, neck gear (yes, I am admitting that on the internet!) and random other orthodontic work as a teenager, keeping my smile looking as bright as I can is a top priority for me. So when I was given the chance to try out some of the new products for the Colgate* Optic White^TM/MC  #DesignerSmile Campaign, I jumped at the chance! Keep reading to find out how I get my smile looking brighter and whiter in a few simple steps.