Penhaligons; Fragrances for the Eccentric!!!

I have to say this is my first foray into the luxury fragrance brand that is Penhaligons, established in the 1800's, they understand the emotive power of scents and how it can unlock memories. They strive to create original scents for the discerning eccentrics of today, and as I like to think I'm a little left of centre, I think this might be the beginning of a long long affair with the brand. They have created 2 new (male and female) fragrances to reflect the smells of the British Coast.

Penhaligons Blasted Health and Blasted Bloom

First up is *Blasted Heath (Male), it's scent is based on the smell of the ocean breaking against the shore, this is due to the top notes of Aquatic Accord, Seaweed Absolute and Clary Sage. It has heart notes of Green Leaves, Clearwood, Tobacco Absolute and Whiskey Accord, which adds a layer of earthiness and woodiness to the fragrance. And finally are the base notes of Patchouli Essence, Alaskan Cedarwood Essence, Gaiacwood Essence, Vetiver SFE and Musk, which is said to give it an assertive masculine character.

Penhaligons Blasted Heath and Blasted Bloom

Then we have *Blasted Bloom (Female), this is more focused on the freshness of the wild flowers found along the British Coast, merged with a little bit of earthiness. It has head notes of Wild berries, Aquatic Accord and Green Leaves. Heart notes of Eglantine Rose, Pink Pepper Co2 and Hawthorn. And finally Base notes of Alaskan Cedarwood Essence, Clearwood, Moss and Musk.

I am rubbish at describing fragrances, which is why I have stuck with the website descriptions, one thing I will say though is don't be restricted by the gender assignments, my favourite of the two is actually Blasted Heath. These fragrances aren't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but then would you expect anything less from a perfumer that prides itself on creating scents for the eccentrics?! At £124 for a 100ml bottle and £90 for 50ml, I suggest smell before you buy, they are Eau de Parfums however, and do last well on the skin. If you like the English conutryside or spent a lot of your holidays buy the sea, I reckcon at least one of these is going to take your fancy.

Have you tried anything from Penhaligons? You can find these here

*Pr Sample

Charlotte Tilbury Mini Miracle Eye Wand; 8 Hours sleep in 2 clicks???

Foundation Files; This is where I test out different base products, from concealer to powder, tinted moisturiser and foundation etc, over a period of 7-14 days and post my findings. (Follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Bloglovin so you don't miss a post) So let’s get started!!!
First off some information about me; Skintype: Combination (leaning dry in winter and Oily in Summer). Shade Reference: in between MAC NC45-50/NW43. Undertones: Yellow/Neutral.

Charlotte Tilbury Mini Miracle Eye Wand

Brand: Charlotte Tilbury

Name: Mini Miracle Eye Wand

Coverage: Light to Medium

Shade: 4 - described as a golden peach shade for tan to deep skin tones with warm undertones that works with Light Wonder Dark 10 and Magic Foundation Shades 9 and 9.5.

Swatch:

Charlotte Tilbury Mini Miracle Eye Wand Swatch

What The brand says: DYNAMIC DUO LIFT & LIGHT REFLECTOR; Five years in the making, my genius MINI MIRACLE EYE WAND is the antidote to tired, dull and exhausted under-eyes. It is the perfect 5 actions in 1 Miracle Wand for everyone – because the whole world is tired! When you are tired the colour drains from your face making you appear more sallow, grey with dark circles around your eyes. MINI MIRACLE EYE WAND creates the appearance of 8 hours sleep in two clicks by expertly covering dark circles and lines, smoothing out bags or hollows, brightening the eye contour and hydrating the skin’s surface for a dewy, luminous finish.

CLICK 1: The hydrating Eye Cream is enriched with specially-tailored under-eye agents that make the skin feel firmer and tauter.
CLICK 2: Inspired by photographer’s silver light reflector the light-weight ultra-brilliant light reflector is packed with “a million lights” micro-particles that brighten shadows, conceal discolouration and diffuse the appearance of under-eye hollows.

Wear time (with/without primer): This has great wear time, even if the rest of my face is a little shiny, I don't find that an issue under the eye where this is applied. But my under eye area is not oily, like my T-zone on my combination skin, this does not crease on me either (again not usually an issue for me anyway).

Price (ml): £29 for 3ml

Pros: Great for travel
Lightweight
None cakey
5 shades
Eye cream contains; Shea Butter extract, Jojoba oil, Olive oil, Sweet Almond oil, Hyaluronic acid to name a few.

Cons: Expensive for a small amount of product
Darker end of shade range could be extended
Does contain some alcohol in the eye cream, although a little further down the list
Eye brightener contains talc and silicone

Suitable Skin Types: All

Ingredients: To be updated

Oxidation: None

Any Other Information: This shade is said to work with Light Wonder Dark 10 and Magic Foundation Shades 9 and 9.5, on the Charlotte Tilbury website, but I am shade 11 in Magic foundation and this shade works great for me. It's also nice that the eye cream contains

Conclusion: This works great in conjunction with the Magic Foundation and really does brighten the under eye and disguise bags. The eye cream feels really nice and soothing, I have applied this before and after applying foundation (prefer application before foundation), as I feel it can do the most being applied closer to the skin and prevents the applicator from getting dirty. The eye brightener gives light to medium coverage, if you need something heavy duty, you will need to apply this after your usual concealer.  I think the addition of the eye cream is great if you have really dry skin under your eyes, as you can apply the cream during the day without disrupting your make-up too much, and reintroduce moisture to the area. It loses points on the price point for the amount of product though, then again Charlotte Tilbury is a luxury brand.

*Rating: Lust

*Ratings; Hate, dislike, Like, Lust, Love

NYX Cosmetics; Conceal, Correct and Contour Palette!!!

Foundation Files; This is where I test out different base products, from concealer to powder, tinted moisturiser and foundation etc, over a period of 7-14 days and post my findings. (Follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Bloglovin so you don't miss a post) So let’s get started!!!

First off some information about me; Skintype: Combination (leaning dry in winter and Oily in Summer). Shade Reference: in between MAC NC45-50/NW43. Undertones: Yellow/Neutral.

Brand: NYX Cosmetics

Name: Conceal, Correct and Contour Palette

Coverage: Medium

Shade: Deep

Swatch:

NYX Cosmetics Conceal, Correct and Contour Palette swatch

What The brand says: Colour-match your skin with this perfecting and correcting palette to conceal correct or contour. With six shades to choose from in each set you can cover up problem spots, even-out imperfections and accentuate your best features in a flash. Use these buildable colours on their own or combine them to create the ideal tone.

Wear time (with/without primer): This has really good weartime, especially when worn on skin rather than over the top of foundation, it does require a touch-up or two thorughout the day to keep it looking it's best.

Price (ml): £10 for 1.5g

Pros: Affordable
Great for travel
3 palettes for different skintones

Cons: May not use all the shades in the palette

2 shade in the palette are very similar
Could use an extra palette for even darker skintones
Hard to get hold of in the UK

Suitable Skin Types: All

Ingredients: Will update soon

Oxidation: None

Any Other Information: Nyx have a pop up stand in Selfridges in London for about 6 weeks (Ending around mid November), some of the items are also available on selfridges.com, so if you've been meaning to get your hands on some Nyx products I wouldn't wait around.   

Conclusion: I really like this palette, it has all I need for colour correcting, concealing, highlighting and contouring in a palmsized travel friendly palette. I'm a little unsure of how to use the yellow shade, but I've been mixing it in with one of the lighter shades (which I use interchageably) to highlight with and that's worked well.

*Rating: Love

*Ratings; Hate, dislike, Like, Lust, Love

Studio Waterweight SPF30 Foundation; Is this the best foundation from MAC yet?!

Foundation Files; This is where I test out different base products, from concealer to powder, tinted moisturiser and foundation etc, over a period of 7-14 days and post my findings. (Follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Bloglovin so you don't miss a post) So let’s get started!!!

First off some information about me; Skintype: Combination (leaning dry in winter and Oily in Summer). Shade Reference: in between MAC NC45-50/NW43. Undertones: Yellow/Neutral.

Mac Studio Waterweight SPF30 Foundation

Brand: Mac

Name: Studio Waterweight SPF30 Foundation**

Coverage: Sheer - Medium

Shade: NW50 

Swatch:

Mac Studio Waterweight SPF30 Foundation Swatch

What The brand says: Introducing an innovative foundation that delivers colour in an ultra-fluid, elastic gel- serum formula. With a virtually weightless feel, this hydrating formula is extraordinarily comfortable, lasting for hours. With stay-true colour and sheer medium buildable coverage, it softly blurs imperfections such as pores and fine lines. The unique dropper provides you with a drop of perfection.

Wear time (with/without primer): This foundation has great wear time on my combination skin, I don't even need primer, it lasts all day without touch ups, if I'm going out after work then I'll touch up to keep my makeup going through the evening.

Price (ml): £25.50 for 30ml

Pros: Good shade range
Lightweight
Long lasting
Buildable coverage
SPF 30 with no flashback

Cons:

Suitable Skin Types: All

Ingredients: Will update soon

Oxidation: None

Any Other Information: Pipette style dropper applicator. It's not my shade and very red on me, but once I highlight it balances it out somewhat. Once I was done testing, I started mixing in a little Face & Body foundation in C7, which is a little light for me and it was a better match. This is a foundation I would definitely purchase in my actual shade as I like it that much.

Conclusion: I absolutely love this foundation and that says a lot coming from an anti-macaholic (is there a hashtag for that?! lol), it's so lightweight, the type of coverage I like and lasts really well on the skin, with a demi-matte finish. It can be applied with a brush or fingers, I apply 4 drops onto my buffing brush and buff into the skin, applying a couple extra drops to build coverage where needed.

*Rating: Love

*Ratings; Hate, dislike, Like, Lust, Love
**Pr Sample

Foundation Files; Becca Blotting Powder Perfector - Tinted

Foundation Files; This is where I test out different base products, from concealer to powder, tinted moisturiser and foundation etc, over a period of 7-14 days and post my findings. (Follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Bloglovin so you don't miss a post) So let’s get started!!!

First off some information about me; Skintype: Combination (leaning dry in winter and Oily in Summer). Shade Reference: in between MAC NC45-50/NW43. Undertones: Yellow/Neutral.

Becca Blotting Powder Perfector - Tinted

Brand: Becca

Name: Blotting Powder Perfector

Coverage: None

Shade: Tinted

Swatch:

Becca Blotting Powder Perfector - Tinted - Swatch

What The brand says: An oil-absorbing powder that mattifies skin and sets makeup for a long-lasting perfected soft focus look. This non-drying micro-fine powder controls shine without adding noticeable color or texture. Imperfections are softened while the appearance of pores are minimized for a velvet smooth finish. Use after foundation application to set makeup or alone for touch ups throughout the day.

Wear time (with/without primer): This has great wear time, once applied I don't need to reapply for a few hours, however I did find towards the end of the day more frequent reapplication was required to keep shine at bay.

Price (ml): £29 (10.8g)

Pros: Controls oil
Comes in a handy pouch

Cons: Would benefit from one extra shade being added to the line

Suitable Skin Types: Combination, Normal, Oily

Ingredients: MICA, SILICA, DIMETHICONE, OCTYLDODECYL STEAROYL STEARATE, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRAISOSTEARATE, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE. MAY CONTAIN: CI 77492 (IRON OXIDE), CI 75470 (CARMINE), CI 77491 (IRON OXIDE)

Oxidation: None

Any Other Information: It comes with a powder puff, which I never used, it's housed in a mirrored compact, and the little zip up pouch and is a great addition.

Conclusion: Every summer the hunt for the perfect products to keep shine at bay is on, this year I found one such product, the Becca Blotting Powder Perfector. This comes in 2 shades, tinted and translucent, I picked this up from SpaceNK. I use this mainly to touch up throughout the day, I found that when used to set my base if I was a little too heavy handed it would initially make me appear a little ashy, but this doesn't happen during touch ups. it can also be used as a finishing powder, once setting powder has been applied to also prevent this.

This powder is great for absorbing oil, without getting cakey and heavy, as it has little to no coverage it hardly alters the colour of your original make up. However repeated application is required the longer you've had your makeup on, as the mattifying effects don't last as long, . I can see this product becoming a stable feature in my summer makeup, for keeping shine at bay.

*Rating: Lust

*Ratings; Hate, dislike, Like, Lust, Love

Charlotte Tilbury's Magic Foundation

Foundation Files; This is where I test out different base products, from concealer to powder, tinted moisturiser and foundation etc, over a period of 7-14 days and post my findings. (Follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Bloglovin so you don't miss a post) So let’s get started!!!

First off some information about me; Skintype: Combination (leaning dry in winter and Oily in Summer). Shade Reference: in between MAC NC45-50/NW43. Undertones: Yellow/Neutral.

Brand: Charlotte Tilbury

Name: Magic Foundation

Coverage: Medium - Full

Shade: 11 described as a deep bronze for Deep to Dark Skin Tones with Warm Golden Undertones

Swatch:

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation Swatches

What The brand says: Magic Foundation is a miracle in a bottle that transforms skin for all ages, skin tones and skin types. I have worked with laboratories for five years to create a “hyper-intelligent” formula that gives full-coverage yet feels completely weightless, with all the anti-ageing and protective benefits of a luxury skin cream. It conceals imperfections, glides on like a dream, and literally feels like a second skin. Whether your skin needs just a bit of perfecting, or you struggle with a frustrating issue like acne, melasma or rosacea, Magic Foundation will give you a perfect looking skin day, every day! Chose from 15 beautiful demi-matte shades to match every skin tone from Lily Cole to Lupita Nyongo. 

Magical Laricyl: A concentrated mushroom extract that firms skin. It instantly tightens pores whilst flooding the skin with moisture, for a comfortable, nourished yet flawless finish.
Genius Hyaluronic Filling Spheres: What makes Hyaluronic Acid so beneficial is its ability to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. These “genius” spheres absorb into the skin and plump up wrinkles from within. In 1 hour skin looks smoother and firmer, plus more supple and youthful.
Super-Charged Vitamin C (VC-IP): Vitamin C is a well-known antioxidant that fights the damaging and ageing effects of free radicals. Magic Foundation is the first time this new super-charged Vitamin C has been used in a foundation. With consistent use, it helps skin build new collagen (essential for youthful elasticity), reduces the appearance of age spots by 75% in four months, and reduces the appearance of acne after 9 weeks.
Broad Spectrum SPF 15: Protects from damaging rays so skin can retain a healthy, youthful look.

Wear time (with/without primer): This has good wear time, but I do require a couple of touch-up on my combination skin without primer, a good mattifying primer will extend the wear and keep shine at bay for much longer. I can imagine on my skintype a mattifying primer would not be needed during the colder months.

Price (ml): £29.50 for 30ml

Pros: SPF15
Skincare benefits
Extended shade range
Comes with a pump
Gorgeous packaging
Lightweight
Non cakey

Cons: Needs more darker shades
Big jump between shades 11 and 12

Suitable Skin Types: All (extremely oily skins prep accordingly).

Ingredients: AQUA/WATER/EAU, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, TALC, CETYL PEG/PPG-10/1 DIMETHICONE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (NANO), GLYCERIN, NYLON-12, HDI/TRIMETHYLOL HEXYLLACTONE CROSSPOLYMER, ZINC OXIDE, ACRYLATES/DIMETHICONE COPOLYMER, PHENOXYETHANOL, BENZYL ALCOHOL, SODIUM CHLORIDE,MAGNESIUM SULFATE, HYDROGEN DIMETHICONE, SODIUM DEHYDROACETATE, ALUMINA, DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE, DEHYDROACETIC ACID, POTASSIUM SORBATE, BENZOIC ACID, DIMETHICONE, TETRASODIUM EDTA, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, ASCORBYL TETRAISOPALMITATE, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, SODIUM HYALURONATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, SILICA, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, FOMES OFFICINALIS (MUSHROOM) EXTRACT, PEG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, [MAY CONTAIN/PEUT CONTENIR (+/-): TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)].

Oxidation: Yes, it oxidises slightly after being on the skin for a minute or 2, if you produce a lot of oil it will also oxidise slightly as the day goes on.

Any Other Information: A new brush has been released, touted to work alongside this foundation, the Magic complexion Brush, which retails at £45. This brush was used on me at the counter, and while it was very soft, it did shed a bit and the MUA had to keep picking bits of bursh hair off my face. I just use a buffing brush.

Conclusion: As you can see from the swatches, shade 10 appears darker than shade 11 due to the very orange undertone, this is even too orange for me and I a little orange in my foundation. The MUA agreed that I probably needed a 10.5 for an exact match, but the undertones in 11 matched my neck and chest, while 10 made my face look darker than these areas. I don't agree with the shade description of 'deep bronze', but it definitely has a warm golden undertone.

This foundation is great for something that offers good coverage, it feels so lightweight on the skin and does not look heavy or cakey. Lets not get it twisted, it isn't magic (no foundation is), that's just marketing, but I admire Charlotte Tilbury's passion. You can pick up Magic Foundation here and here.

*Rating: Lust

*Ratings; Hate, dislike, Like, Lust, Love

Psychology Sunday; What is Anxiety???

I've always wanted to combine my training/day job and love of all things beauty on my blog. I came up with the idea of TheFoundationDirectory's Psychology Sunday, where I periodically write posts about mental health related issues. 

TheFoundationDirectory Psychology Sunday; What is Anxiety?

For abit of background and context I work in mental health and have done for over 11 years now, I originally qualified as a Occupational Therapist in 2004 and then went on to complete postgraduate studies in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in 2010. I will be adapting these posts as I go along, and initially they won't be weekly.

I would first like to say we all have mental health (just like we have physical health) and from time to time we require treatment and/or support to deal with difficulties with our health, be that through medication or Therapy. Part of my reason for doing this is to breakdown the stigma and encourage more people to talk about mental health and some issues they may encounter with it.





I thought I'd start with Anxiety, one of the most common mental health concerns.
 
What is Anxiety?; it's a normal phenomena that presents itself physically that we will all experience from time to time in our life. It becomes a disorder when it starts to impact on your day-to-day function or peaks to an uncontrollable level during a specific situation e.g. phobias. For some people it can mean constant and unnecessary worry about any and all aspects of daily life or future events that may or may not even occur. There are many different types of anxiety disorders; Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Social Anxiety, Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Mixed Anxiety and Depression (MAD), Panic Disorder and Phobias to name a few. (I will go into detail about each one as this series evolves).

Symptoms: As I said for most the symptoms of Anxiety present themselves physically, for example shaking, breathlessness, increased heart rate, restlessness, sleep problems, upset stomach, tension, poor apetite, panic attacks, headaches and obviously constant worry etc. You may experience some or all of these, and you may worry about things that haven't happened or are unlikely to happen or no amount of planning or preparation could prevent from happening e.g. a natural disaster etc.

Treatment Options: There are many treatment options for Anxiety, and the best option for you may depend on the type of anxiety you suffer with, but CBT is effective at treating most types and is usually easy to access through a GP or self referral depending on where you live. One of the things to mindful of is 'self-medication' e.g. alcohol to calm nerves, drugs etc, these can sometimes just create dependency and do not address the issues causing the anxiety.

One of the things to note is you're not alone, like I said Anxiety is one of the most common, and even if you're not aware you probably know someone who suffers from it. If you are concerned about this or any other mental health issue, please see your GP, there is treatment out there that can help you feel better.

Please comment below and let me know what you think of this post/idea, or contact me on social media also let me know what other posts you would like to see.
Thanks

Alex

GELTOUCH LED Topcoat

As someone who perpetually struggles to get more than 3 days chip free wear out of nail polish, I was intrigued when offered the chance to try an LED Topcoat at a recent Debenhams Press Day. I had heard of DIY gel manicures before, but was intrigued because this one was different to the ones I was aware of. GelTouch LED Topcoat can be applied over ANY nail polish and gives up to 10 days chip free wear and is easy to remove, by buffing, soaking or peeling off.

GelTouch LED Topcoat Starter Kit



I was given the opportuinity to try this for myself at home, I received the GelTouch Starter Kit, which contains a cute compact LED lamp, the Gel Topcoat and some cleansing wipes. I started by applying my nail colour in the usual way, basecoat, 2 layers of colour and you have to let this completely dry before you can apply the top coat. Once the polish is dry I applied one layer of topcoat and cured this in the lamp for 60 seconds, cleaned off any sticky residue with the provided wipes and I was done. completely dry, shiny nails that should last up to 10 days, depending on how hard you are on your hands.

GelTouch Topcoat Starter Kit

I got about 5 days before a chip appeared, by the 6th day there was a little bit of tip wear, on the press day 2 coats of the Topcoat were applied, each layer cured for 60 seconds. So I think for future applications I will try this. I'm very happy with the GelTouch Topcoat, I like the fact that I can still use all of my many nail polishes and extend there wear in one very easy step, plus it's cheaper than getting gel nails done at the salon.

The Geltouch Starter Kit and the new Glitter Topcoats that launch for Chrsitmas will be available on Debenhams.com any day now. Have you tried any at home gel manicures?

DHC Resveratrol Range

I have long been a fan of DHC, their Mild Lotion is one of my favourite toners for hydrating the skin, and their Acerola range is great for evening out the skintone. We all know Japanese skincare is said to be ahead of the curve, so when I heard of the Resveratrol range I was excited to see what wonders DHC had in store.



DHC Resveratrol Skincare Range

Being a 30 plus blogger I'm fortunate that anti-ageing is not massively high up on my agenda, however I do want to preserve what I have for as long as possible, so I see skincare with anti-ageing benefits as a bonus. The Resveratrol Range contains Resveratrol (obviously), which is a polyphenol antioxidant found in the skin of red grapes, that helps to fight the visible signs of ageing. Resveratrol is also a phytoalexin, one of 600 microbial compounds produced by plants to protect them from adverse conditions, including UV rays, harsh conditions and climate. In lab studies, it has been shown to promote the Sirtuin “longevity” gene, I'm not sure how or whether this can be transferred to humans through topical application, but if anybody can get it to benefit the skin my money would be on a Japanese skincare brand. The range also has moisturising cereal extracts to help boost skin’s natural moisture barrier and bolster it's defences against environmental stresses.

First up is the Resveratrol lotion, to save on any confusion let me explain that DHC call their toners 'lotions', because they are so hydrating. This deeply hydrating Toner promotes smoother more resilient skin, it has a light scent, it's applied after cleansing with fingers or a cotton pad.

Next up is the Resveratrol Essence, this moisture promoting booster is a well known extra step in your skincare routine for Japanese women, and has slowly started to make it's way to the UK. This lightweight serum textured essence is applied after toner, but before moisturiser and gives an added layer of hydration to the skin. 

And the final product in this range is the Resveratrol Cream, an intensive 'age-defying' moisturiser, it cushions and seals all the moisture onto the skin. It's a very thick cream, but not greasy, I think this would be good for both day and night depending on your skin type.

Despite words like 'age-defying' I think anti-ageing skincare should be looked at as a way to preserve what you have and make small improvements to your skin, after all nothing will help you 'defy' your age other than genetics or surgical procedures. This range however is a good place to start, each item cost £43, so not the cheapest, but also not the most expensive when it comes to anti-ageing skincare.

Have you tried anything from DHC, you can find the Resveratrol range here?

GOSH Velvet Touch Matte Lipsticks

Last week I attended the GOSH A/W15 Blogger event to see the product lanches for the new season. GOSH are launching new nail products (A Base Coat, Topcoat, Cuticle Oil and the Fast Dry Drops) as well as a new foundation, which is NOT brown girl friendly despite having 10 shades!!!



GOSH Velvet Touch Matte Lipsticks
 

But I have to say the stand out product for me are these new Velvet Touch Matte Lipsticks, there are 8 shades and I love every last one, in fact I've not stopped wearing these lipsticks since I got hold of them.


GOSH Velvet Touch Matte Lipstick

These drugstore, creamy, pigmented, none drying Matte Lipsticks are fab, which is probably a result of the added oils, vitamin E and a dash of hyaluronic acid. These are a steal at £6.99, seriously if you are a matte lipstick lover you have to get your hands on these (and I don't say that very often), you can find them here. 

GOSH Velvet Touch Matte Lipstick Swatches

Don't be fooled by the sheen in these swatches, they dry down to a matte finish, but not too drying, although do ensure your lips are well prepped. Are you a matte lipstick fan?