CODE Beautiful Fabulous Lip Duo + Giveaway

If social media has made me self-conscious about anything, it's the size of my lips. I wish my top lip wouldn't disappear when I smile & that my bottom lip wasn't wonky from a childhood accident. Lip fillers seem like the best solution to my issues & even though I've found a fantastic nurse to perform the procedure, I'm still a bit anxious about getting it done. It's impossible to scroll through Instagram without seeing thousands of girls with cosmetically enhanced lips & most of the time, it looks amazing on them. However you often come across people who have gotten the most awful looking trout pouts. You can get weird lumps & the risk of necrosis is also pretty scary. Plus despite my previous snakebite piercings, I'm not the biggest fan of needles! So for something a little less permanent, lip plumping products are a much safer alternative. Visually you won't get quite the same impact but at least you don't have to worry about butchering your face in the process. I've been testing out a couple of lip enhancing products that I was kindly gifted by CODE Beautiful. They specialise in creating handbag essentials that are effortlessly effective & flawlessly reliable. As such they only have four products in their whole collection. I received their Lip Intense Plumper & Soft Smooth Lip Liner which promise to deliver more defined, volumised & hydrated lips without a needle in sight. Both products are cruelty free & vegan friendly.





CODE Beautiful Lip Intense Plumper in Nude Rose* (£20)
This plumping lip gloss has such a unique formula. The gloss has been infused with coconut oil, sweet almond oil & castor oil for an instant boost in moisture as well as peppermint oil to give it a tingly plumping sensation. However the special ingredient is something that CODE Beautiful have called Hilurlip. This is an exclusive blend of hyaluronic acid, tripeptide-1 & dimethicone to help redefine the natural contours of the lips & create a more sculpted look. It promises to give you fuller lips over time. Hilurlip also contains compounds that protect the lips from sun damage & help to minimise the appearance of small vertical lines. The more you apply the lip gloss, the better the results!

The gloss comes in this gorgeous rosy pink shade which naturally makes your lips look larger. It's nowhere near as pigmented as it looks on the wand, in fact it becomes a very sheer baby pink that just adds a pretty tint to your lips. When you first apply the gloss you will feel an intense tingling sensation that lasts for about twenty minutes. During this time your lips will gradually plump up, creating a fuller pout whilst smoothing out the appearance of fine lines. The Lip Intense Plumper won't last through eating or drinking but the effects are still noticeable even after the gloss has worn off. I find it really comfortable to wear, it feels instantly moisturising & isn't sticky at all. It's one of the smoothest, silkiest glosses I've used & applying it becomes very addictive! After about a week of use I noticed that my lips were looking fuller without any product on so it definitely has a long term boosting effect. The results are very natural looking but it still makes me feel more comfortable with the size & shape of my lips.





CODE Beautiful Soft Smooth Lip Liner in Nude Blush* (£18)
Although the gloss looks pretty by itself, the real magic happens when you combine it with this lip liner. The formula of this lip liner is one of the nicest I've ever tried. It glides over the lips with the greatest of ease & blends out smoothly with no harsh lines. It's a lip liner, lipstick & lip plumper all in one. The liner is packed full of ingredients to stimulate collagen, condition & give volume. You can just wear it as a traditional liner to prevent feathering or contour your lips but I prefer to fill in my lips with liners as a long lasting lipstick. This allows you to overline your lips without it looking too obvious. I think the rosy pink shade is beautiful & naturally enhances the colour of my lips. It makes my lips look so smooth & youthful. If you wear it with the Lip Intense Plumper it doesn't last through eating but if you wear it by itself the colour will stay put for hours. One of my favourite things about this lip liner is the packaging. It features innovative self-sharpening technology so you get a perfectly pointed tip every time. You just turn the lid clockwise until you hear it click & your lip liner will be ready to go!


Bare lips

Wearing the Lip Intense Plumper

Wearing the Soft Smooth Lip Liner

Wearing the lip duo


Overall I'm really happy with these products from CODE Beautiful. They both look gorgeous whether worn alone, with each other or combined with other lip products. I love how they feel on my lips & although the results are subtle, they look fantastic. Plus this natural level of fullness is certainly more believable than suddenly getting 2ml of Juvederm injected into your lips! This fabulous lip duo will instantly enhance the look of your lips as well as increasing volume over time so they're well worth trying for both short term & long term results.

Fancy winning a set of these amazing lip products? I have teamed up with CODE Beautiful to offer a Soft Smooth Lip Liner & Lip Intense Plumper to one lucky person! Just use the widget below to enter. The giveaway ends on the 18th of June 2019. The full terms & conditions can be seen at the bottom of the widget. Good luck!

Win The Fabulous Lip Duo From Code Beautiful #14

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May Favourites

e.l.f. 16hr Camo Concealer
Does anyone else remember the early days of blogging when you couldn't look at a single beauty blog without seeing e.l.f. hauls everywhere? They were a bit of a novelty for a while because you could only get their products online in the UK & the prices were absurdly low. I, for one, am so grateful that they now have stands in Superdrug because they have so many new products & it's really helpful to be able to swatch everything in person. One product that immediately caught my eye was their 16hr Camo Concealer. I love anything full coverage & the shade range really impressed me because there's something for everyone whether you have cool, neutral or warm undertones. I picked up Fair Warm which is an extremely pale shade with light yellow undertones. I swatched it next to few other concealers in Superdrug & it's so much lighter than Revolution's Conceal & Define Concealer in C1. This really sold it to me because I've always wanted that highlighted undereye look without having to use a true white concealer. The 16hr Camo Concealer provides full coverage with a matte finish. The formula is quite thick but it applies smoothly & feels lightweight on the skin. It dries down really quickly so you have to work fast, preferably applying it to one area & blending it out before moving on to the next. It covers everything exceptionally well, lasts all day & definitely gives me that brightening effect. In fact it might be a little too light for my skin so I sometimes mix it with something else. I'd say that the only downside is that it can be quite drying & if you have a lot of fine lines under your eyes, this might not be the best option. But if you want something that will cover every single imperfection, this is a great concealer.

Revolution Conceal & Define Foundation
As a huge fan of Revolution's Conceal & Define Concealer, I was really looking forward to trying its foundation counterpart. I bought the shade F1 because I use the concealer in C1 & it's a great match for my skintone. My first impression was that it's basically the same as the concealer, just in a bigger bottle with a even larger doe foot applicator. After using it for the past few weeks, I'd say that's a pretty accurate assessment & I'm okay with that! This foundation provides lightweight but buildable coverage with a satin finish. I absolutely love how it looks on the skin. It hides blemishes & pigmentation whilst giving a smooth flawless finish. You can really layer it up for a truly full coverage base without it looking cakey. The formula feels creamy & comfortable to wear. I've had no issues with creasing & it doesn't emphasise any dry patches. It does last a long time on my skin but my t-zone gets noticeably oilier by the end of the day. Nothing a little powder won't fix but you might want to bear that in mind if you have very oily skin. Overall I'd have to say it's one of the best foundations I've tried in a long time. If you like the concealer, you will love this foundation.

Schwarzkopf got2b Glued Spiking Glue
This little yellow tube of hair gel is a multipurpose marvel. I originally picked this up because I saw some makeup artists using it instead of brow gel. You just get a little mascara wand, add a tiny bit of gel & brush the hairs upwards for natural looking bushy brows. I've tried it a few times now & really love the effect. If you have unruly brow hairs, this stuff will soon whip them into shape! Then I noticed some people on YouTube using it to secure lace front wigs. Now that I've sworn off the bleach I can't dye my hair fun colours anymore so I thought that wigs could be a great alternative & lace fronts give you the most realistic looking hairline. I never thought that hair gel could be used to glue wigs down but this gel is so powerful, it kinda makes sense! I also use it as a traditional hair gel in conjunction with a medium-bristled toothbrush. I mainly use it when I go to the gym because I have loads of annoying short bits near my hairline that always fall down when I put my hair in a ponytail. By brushing those bits of hair with the gel & the toothbrush, you can get really close to the scalp & they'll stay in place through even the most extreme workouts.

Pixi Vitamin-C Tonic
I've really started getting into Pixi skincare lately. I loved their Retinol Tonic so much that I had to go out & get the Vitamin-C Tonic right away. Just like with retinol, it can be difficult to find vitamin C products that are effective without irritating the skin. Pixi's toners aren't the most concentrated products but they still work wonderfully. The mild formulas are suitable for all skin types & are gentle enough to use on a daily basis. Vitamin C is such an important ingredient in skincare because it helps to promote healthy collagen production whilst boosting the skin's luminosity. This toner is a fab way to supercharge your skincare routine with vitamin C. It's made from a blend of citrus extracts & ferulic acid to brighten the complexion and gently exfoliate the skin as well as protecting against free radicals. The probiotics in this brightening toner help to protect & balance the skin's barrier. The toner feels very fresh & hydrating on the skin so it's really lovely to use. It has a gorgeous sweet citrus scent that reminds me of orange sherbet. Over time this toner promises to gradually diminish signs of sun damage, fine lines, scarring & other imperfections. I've been using it every day for a whole month & I've definitely noticed a difference in my complexion. My skin tone looks much more even, my pores are less visible & my face is glowing. This toner hasn't irritated my skin at all, which is something I was slightly worried about when I first bought it. I'd highly recommend this product as a gentle brightening solution & will be repurchasing it when I run out as I love the results!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Gel
ABH brow products are my absolute fave & their Dipbrow Pomade is probably the best thing I've ever put on my eyebrows. So when they announced the arrival of their Dipbrow Gel, I knew I had to get my hands on it. The timing was perfect because every Anastasia brow product I own is in the shade Medium Brown which was looking a little ashy on me with my new hair colour. I went to the ABH counter in The Trafford Centre so that I could try out the other shades in person & ended up coming away with Dark Brown. It's a little bit deeper & warmer than Medium Brown which is exactly what I was looking for. Dipbrow Gel is basically a liquid version of Dipbrow Pomade. It's a highly pigmented brow gel with a long-lasting, waterproof formula so you can rub as much as you like, your brows won't be going anywhere. The unique formula adheres to brow hairs, creating the appearance of fullness & dries down to a seamless matte finish. It has made the process of doing my brows quicker & easier than ever before. One of the things I love most about this product is that you can dip a brow brush into the gel to add more definition or create individual brow hairs for a more realistic, natural look. It's an incredibly versatile gel & I rarely feel the need to use anything else. It might well replace every other brow product in your collection!

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