Sleek Whimsical Wonderland Collection

Forever bringing out exciting new releases and consistently keeping up with current trends without compromising on quality, Sleek is a favourite brand of mine and one that I've been a fan of since my teens. One of their latest launches is their Whimsical Wonderland collection which is a really fun, vibrant selection of eye, lip and cheek products. I was lucky enough to attend the launch party at Lights Of Soho - vlog here - and adore the range!

Sleek I-Divine Eyeshadow Palette in 'All The Fun Of The Fair' £8.99
These are some seriously pretty pastels! Trying this palette has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone when it comes to eyeshadow and I've highly enjoyed switching out my usual champagne wash across the lid for a pop of colour. It's not something I'd personally use on an everyday basis (I'm much more inclined to reach for Storm 90% of the time) but there are some really lovely neutrals in here that I've been pairing with a hint of turquoise or lilac along my bottom lashline. If you're into experimenting with colour, you're a makeup artist or you're headed to a festival then I think you'd love this, as the shadows themselves are fantastic quality and it won't break the bank if you just fancy a play.

Sleek Lip VIP Lipstick in 'Hot Tottie', 'Big Shot' & 'Fancy Pants' £5.50
I've raved about the formulation of the Lip VIP's and the shade 'Private Booth' countless times before so you no doubt know that I'm a fan, and now there are three limited edition shades in the range. 'Hot Tottie' is the one that immediately caught my eye as it's a stunning punchy hot pink that'd look beyond amazing with a tan, so I'll definitely be packing it when I go on holiday! 'Big Shot' isn't for the fainthearted as its a bold, strong lilac that looks pretty scary in the tube but is surprisingly wearable when dabbed on - think MAC Lavender Whip with way more opaqueness - or heck, swipe it on straight from the bullet and feel fabulous! 'Fancy Pants' is such a cute shade, an intense coral orange with a healthy dose of nude and nectarine that'd look divine with peachy skin and a smattering of freckles.

Sleek Sweet Cheeks in 'Hullabaloo', 'Lickety Split' & 'Tomfoolery' £5.50
Hands down, these are my favourite products from the collection so it's no wonder that they've wiggled their way into my makeup bag! Vivid pops of bright but sheer colour (like jelly, almost!) in twist-up gel sticks, I knew from the moment I swatched these that they'd be winners and I wasn't disappointed. Although they look intimidatingly pigmented, they're really buildable so you can control the level of intensity and I love sweeping these onto the apples of my cheeks then patting in with my fingers or the Look Good Feel Better Multi-Tasking Brush. They're that 'bright but transparent' kind of formula that adds so much health to the face, and can be worn under foundation if you want more of a subtle hint of blush. Go for 'Hullabaloo' for a classic fuchsia pink, 'Lickety Split' if you want to enhance your tan and 'Tomfoolery' for a deep berry that'll look simply amazing paired with either a bright or a vampy lip.

Despite being a neutral girl, it's nice to have fun with your makeup and add some vibrancy and 'life' into your routine, which this range certainly does! Have a swatch next time you're passing a Sleek stand, and make sure you check out those Sweet Cheeks blushes as they're incredibly long-wearing and the colours are gorgeous, I'm in love and want everyone to try them before they're gone! Summer makeup just got pretty whimsical and pretty wonderful.

A Hoola Lotta Bronze With Benefit

A new launch from Benefit = enough to put a spring in your step and a glide in your stride! It's always an exciting time when their latest products come out, and this time they've expanded on the success of their bestselling and award-winning Hoola Bronzing Powder. It might shock you to hear this, but I'd never actually tried any of their famous boxed blushes/bronzers before and this was my first, back in April 2016 would you believe - so it was a real treat to get my glow on with the original Hoola as well as the new additions.

Benefit Hoola Bronzing Powder £23.50
As I mentioned I've never tried this product before but I've certainly heard a ton about it. It's as much of a 'blogger favourite' as it is an 'everyone favourite' it seems, and after giving it a whirl myself I can definitely see why it has a cult beauty product status and it's definitely a classic in my makeup bag already. The formulation is silky smooth and the shade is the perfect bronze, adding an incredible warmth to the skin and blending seamlessly over bare skin or liquid/powder foundation. It's one of those shades that seems to magically work well on so many different people, and as someone with fair skin I can definitely vouch for it being an incredibly natural colour that I can even use as a contour without it looking overly obvious. A new firm favourite!

Benefit Hoola Bronzing & Contouring Brush £17.50
This paired with the previous item are an absolute match made in bronzing heaven, let me tell you. At first I thought the size of the brush would be too big to add shape and guessed that it'd be better for all-over bronzing, but the bristles have been beautifully tapered to fit the contours of your face and it's a dream for blending Hoola into your cheekbones, temples and jawline. Although the blue is cute I can't help but wish that the tips of the bristles were white as it'd look so much better in flatlays, but hey - that's a very minor thing! What I love most about this is how quick and foolproof it is and it's my go-to brush for bronzer these days, which is saying something as I'm a Real Techniques girl usually! All it takes is a swirl in the pan and a sweep across my face and I know that everything will be blended and looking seamless, which is perfect for everyday fuss-free makeup.

Benefit Dew The Hoola Bronzer £22.50
Okay, now this is exciting - a liquid matte bronzer? That's definitely not something I've tried before so I was eager to test it out and see how it fared against the powder bronzers that I'm used to. Although I've found that you have to be careful around your hairline and make sure that you blend, blend, blend - I do really like it and think it's gorgeous for giving you that effortless, beachy glow that we all crave as the weather starts heating up. The tone is very similar to the original Hoola, albeit a little warmer on me personally, and seems to melt into skin which gives a lovely natural finish. As it takes slightly longer to apply it's not something I reach for on a daily basis, but I'll definitely be taking this on holiday with me as it never goes patchy in the heat and it's perfect for mixing into lighter foundations to deepen the shade. And can we acknowledge the cute gold bamboo packaging!

Benefit Hoola Zero Tanlines All-Over Body Bronzer £19.50
Another newbie that I couldn't wait to try, my immediate thoughts about this were "I hope it's like a posher version of the Rimmel wash-off tan!" and after trialling, it kinda is. It has way more of a gel consistency and I have to sing its praises on how easy it is to apply. I think I've already used the word 'foolproof' in this post but I'm going to have to use it again - it's foolproof in the sense that even someone with as pasty limbs and who's as cack-handed when it comes to applying tan as me can get it right without a streak in sight. It does come with a little applicator in the lid which is a nice touch (Benefit are great at the little details) and means you get everything in one purchase, but I found it too small and fiddly - it's usually my legs that I want to tan and it's so much easier to use a tanning mitt instead. I've been going for two layers and can confirm that the colour is nice and buildable, although if you've got darker skin you might find that it's too light to really make a difference. For me this is one of those 'going out for dinner and I've decided to wear a dress at the last minute and I haven't fake tanned so let me slap a bit of this on'-type products, if you know what I mean! I'd recommend waiting a couple of minutes before getting dressed after using this as I did get some transfer onto a white top of mine, but I was applying the product to my chest whilst I was wearing the top so basically, that's my fault not Benefit's. 

The new Hoola range by Benefit gets a definite yes from me, as I don't think there's a dud product in the bunch and I'm really happy to say that I've found a couple of products that'll stay in my makeup bag (and on my face, consequently) for a very long time to come.