Weekly Roundup feat. Soap & Glory, Revlon and Maybelline

Another week, another roundup and once again I've found it tough choosing just three products to shine the spotlight on! I've actually cheated a little this week as although *technically* I've chosen three product types, I've thrown in an extra product from one of the same product lines just to add a little something special. I've settled on featuring Soap & Glory's new One Heck of a Blot mattifying face powder, two of Revlon's newest Lip Butter shades, and a Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour Color double ended lip colour. All three (well, four) products have featured prominently in my make-up bag over the past seven days and I'm excited to have a bit of a ramble about what makes each one so special. 

Let's start with Soap & Glory's newest offering, the brilliantly titled One Heck of a Blot Super-Translucent Mattifying Powder, cleverly developed to suit all skin tones. I've loved Soap & Glory toiletries and cosmetics from the very beginning and I've never been disappointed in any of my Soap & Glory purchases... and there have been quite a few! Fresh from my joy at their new Peach Party blush brick (which I reviewed here) I spotted One Heck of a Blot and had to try it out. I remember ages and ages ago reading a thread on their facebook page asking fans to suggest products they'd like to see and I remember thinking 'a pressed powder!' Et voila, my prayers were answered with this little beauty. 

Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot, £12 at Boots

I love Soap & Glory's kitsch packaging, from the use of fun puns in the product titles to the retro photos and bold pink font. The powder comes with a little embossed powder puff and a handy mirror in the lid, and it clicks shut easily, keeping it nice and secure in my ever expanding make-up bag. The powder truly is translucent  translating from a super pale looking shade in the pan to an invisible wash once applied. It's extremely light texture-wise and doesn't chalk or cake at all. I apply it with a big fluffy powder brush to set my foundation and concealer and it doesn't dull my base or make my skin look sallow, unlike some pressed powders I've tried in the past. 

The embossed 'POWder' logo is a nice touch, no?

Unblended swatch 

Blended swatch- invisible!

Does it work? It sure does! My face, notorious for turning into an oil slick come midday, has needed a lot less touching up during the day and One Heck of a Blot really helps keep my complexion matte and fresh. I'm not surprised at the great quality as Soap & Glory always release fantastic products at reasonable prices. I love that this powder doesn't leave any hint of a chalky finish and doesn't cling to patches of dry skin at all. It's invisible and super light weight yet so, so effective and I'd say £12 is a brilliant price to pay for a shine free face. This has worked much harder at keeping my make-up intact than any primer or powder I've tried previously!

Revlon recently introduced some new summery shades to their ColorStay Lip Butter collection and I immediately had my eye on sheer tomato red 'Wild Watermelon' and sheer fuchsia pink 'Sorbet'. While some of the Lip Butters give a shimmery, more opaque finish these two give sheer washes of shimmer-free colour. Although they have the consistency of a mosturising balm they're actually very pigmented and it's easy to build up a stronger lip look with a few swipes straight from the tube. 

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in 'Sorbet' and 'Wild Watermelon', £7.99 each at Boots

I love the texture of Revlon's Lip Butters and find they manage to keep my lips moisturised while delivering quite a long lasting dose of colour. My usual favourite is 'Berry Smoothie', a review of which you can find here, a shade which goes with everything and feels so comfortable to wear. I'm loving the sheer glossiness of 'Sorbet' and 'Wild Watermelon' (and I'm a sucker for the juicy names) and count these are my two new favourite fresh summer colours. 

L-R: 'Sorbet' and 'Wild Watermelon'

Again, 'Sorbet' and 'Wild Watermelon'

final purchase was a bit of a random one, and I didn't even swatch it in store. As I'm currently being a little more adventurous with my lip colours I felt drawn to trying one of Maybelline's Color Stay 24 Hour dual ended lip colour shades and although I worried it might be a little too purple it's actually a really beautiful red berry shade once applied. 

Maybelline Super Stay 24 Color in 'Raspberry'

The idea behind Maybelline's Super Stay dual ended lip colour is that you apply the long lasting liquid lipstick first, allowing it to dry fully before slicking on a coating of the clear balm to keep your lips moisturised and to prevent them from drying out, a common problem with long lasting lipsticks. Now, when Maybelline recommend letting the liquid colour dry, really do let it dry! I didn't on my first go and ended up with a horrible mess of patchy colour... But only because I didn't read the instructions given on the side of the tube! My second attempt was much more successful. The raspberry colour is highly pigmented and delivers a good even colour, although I did end up with a bit of a stronger lip line as I lined my lips with the tip of the foam applicator first. I did find that pressing my lips together too often before the colour dried made it a little patchy, so I'd recommend resisting the temptation to do so until it's fully dry or until you've applied a layer of balm on top. I would definitely recommend being extra careful when tracing your lip line as the colour really does stick immediately, and it's near impossible to dab away at mistakes without resorting to a make-up remover soaked cotton wool pad. It really does have super staying power!

Maybelline Super Stay 24 Color in 'Raspberry', £8.99 at Boots

Clear balm to be applied on top of colour

'Raspberry' is a gorgeous berry shade with blue/purple undertones. It makes my teeth look whiter which is always a plus! Plus it smells like berries which is a delicious plus in my eyes. I can't stress enough just how long lasting this is; I applied it in the morning to test it out and it was still going strong well into the afternoon without needing a top-up. It did eventually start to get a little patchy but another swipe of the balm helped even it out again. I also swatched it on my hand and the swatch didn't budge for two days. Two days! There's still a faded mark on my hand, and yes, I do wash my hands regularly! To take it off my lips I use a cotton wool pad soaked in make-up remover and have to rub quite firmly to take it all off. It really does lock to your lips, making it perfect for nights out when you want a low maintenance but bold lip look. The colour doesn't bleed or smudge and although you have to be very precise when applying it, it's well worth the effort. 

'Raspberry' without balm 

'Raspberry' with balm on top

Although the swatch looks a little sheer the colour is very much opaque and bold on the lips. It dries to a matte finish, and the balm adds a glossy sheen to it. You could wear it without the balm although it would depend on the condition of your lips. I absolutely love this shade and also picked up a bright coral peach colour as well, which I can't wait to review. At £8.99 each these are a little pricey but I'd say they're definitely worth it as they deliver on their promise of long lasting lip colour (although 24 hours? I can't say I've needed to leave it on for quite that long!) 

There you have it, my Weekly Roundup done and dusted for another week. What have your favourite products been this week? Have you discovered any hidden gems or have you been using your old favourites? Feel free to share below.