ELF Active Collection

When I first heard that ELF were bringing out a Active Collection, I just KNEW I needed to try it out. However when I first cast my eye across the products included in the collection I was a little disappointed with the choice. Out of the seven products in this range, only two jumped out of the screen at me. I expected there to be a foundation or at least a concealer and was surprised and disappointed that those products weren’t included in the range. Never the less, I put the Post Workout Cool Down Mist and Sweat Resistant Mascara and Brow Duo STRAIGHT into my basket and headed for the checkout.

Post Workout Cool Down Mist £9

Pros:

• Very refreshing
• Light and fresh scent
• Travel friendly
• Doubles as a setting spray
• Lasts all day

Cons:

• Cap easily falls off
• Availability 

Having tried and loved ELF’s Makeup Mist & Set setting spray previously, I was eager to trial the Cool Down Mist once I read it doubles as a setting spray. On arrival of the much anticipated delivery, I hastily gave my new product a spritz. First impressions easily became lasting impressions, the scent and feel is instantly refreshing, potentially a little too much spritz pressure but that’s a minor issue. Due to the skinny design of the bottle it is easy to chuck in your bag, however watch which pocket or section you put it in as the cap has a tendency to pop off which could lead to leakage, and nobody wants that.

Initially I used the mist it as a refresher post workout, as the name suggests, however, recently I have been using it on a daily basis as my staple setting spray. Honestly, it’s brilliant. I will apply my makeup for the day at 8am, work all day, go to a workout class at 6pm, with no touch ups and although my foundation begins to drip off with the sweat, I’m still presentable and well covered…until I start to mop up my sweat with blue roll. Only then do I start to lose my coverage. Overall I would highly recommend this spray, it’s refreshing, locks in makeup all day and doesn’t cost a bomb.

Sweat Resistant Mascara and Brow Duo £7.50

Pros:

• Lengthening Mascara
• Good formula consistency
• Stays in place all day
• Sweat-resistant

Cons:

• Would be good as individual products
• Availability 

I hadn’t heard or experienced the most positive results with ELF mascaras, they’re often the wrong consistency and lack much impact on the lashes. The Sweat Resistant Mascara on this duo however, is incredible. This mascara has quickly taken over from Perversion by Urban Decay as my everyday mascara. It’s incredibly lengthening, stays put all day and can survive the most brutal workout. From work to gym to party, this is an absolute MUST for all those on the go gym lovers. When it comes to the brow end of the duo, I must admit it’s not something I often find a need to use. I switch between a brow pencil and brow powder, depending on occasion, so when I use my powder I find the setting gel end of this duo perfect for locking the pigment in, whereas on a pencil day it is not a necessary addition.

So what’s the verdict?

ELF have successfully spotted and gone someway to fulfil the increasing demand for workout-friendly cosmetics, however I question the inclusion of certain products as specifically “Active”, for example the Blend it Out Silicone Sponge Duo, I fail to see how this set is any different to a standard set. Otherwise it’s a clever collection with beautifully designed packaging that, in terms of the products I’ve tried, definitely lives up to it’s promises. The one major downside to this collection is it’s UK availability, unfortunately this range is not available in Superdrug, so the only option is to buy online. It’s not all doom and gloom though as ELF often have incredible deals whether it be free postage, free products or both. 

Primark Workout

Light Weight Foundation Stick

Price: £2.50

Pros:

• Easy to apply and blend
• Lightweight
• Cheap
• Buildable
• Good colour match for my skin

Cons:

• Availability
• Silicone-like smell
• Needs multiple layers
• Feels greasy
• Not long lasting

Much like many of others, I’ve had a long standing speculative view on own brand cosmetic products from clothing shops, especially relatively low budget chains such as Primark, H&M and New Look. However, with the growth of selection and promotion around the beauty products these companies are offering, as well as the majority of them being cruelty free, many of us, myself included, have begun to consider these products more and more. In the past I have used Primark’s own brand night creams and been pleasantly surprised with the results, therefore my opinion on such ranges has improved, although I will always approach with caution as these companies tend to produce a selection which can be very hit and miss.

Whilst visiting my fellow Sparkle Sister in her home town on the other side of the country to mine, we stumbled upon the very sparse, but very real, Workout makeup range Primark have to offer. I’m always on the look out for new products to try which can withstand my leaking forehead whilst at work setting up trampolines and coaching my athletes. I picked up the Light Weight Foundation Stick in Porcelain, which is the lightest shade they offer, I had never used a stick foundation before so I saw it as an opportunity to try a new form of foundation as well as test out the product’s claimed durability against sweat. I initially applied this product on a lazy errands day, much like I did with the Sport FX products to be on the safe side incase the application proved difficult or my skin reacted.

When I took the lid off and twisted the stick up, the first thing I noticed was a very potent and unpleasant silicone-like smell, persevering I applied the product onto primed skin, at this point it became apparent that this foundation has a greasy texture which matches the smell. On the plus side it is reasonably lightweight and offers a very light and natural coverage, depending on your preferred coverage, this is a buildable product so I would personally recommend at least two layers to get any kind of coverage going. If you have particularly marked or problematic skin, this isn’t likely to cover anything major up, it just creates a slightly more even based to work from. In terms of the tone, it is almost a perfect colour match for my skin tone, however there is not a lot of choice in the range for the wide spectrum of skin tones we have as a human race, I just happen to fit into the selection of tones they offer.

Once I knew I could easily apply and blend out this foundation and my skin didn’t react to any of it’s ingredients, I gave it a test run on a work and gym day, paired with Primark’s No Sweat, Sweat Resistant Mattifying Face Powder (£2.50) which I had picked up on the same day as the foundation. I honestly saw no more staying power than my usual day-to-day products, if anything the Primark Workout range was as good as gone way before my normal coverage would have been. In conclusion, this isn’t the best range, but not the worst either, I can see myself using the face powder from time to time, as a stand in for when I’ve finished my preferred Collection Primed and Ready Invisible Setting Powder, which I can safely say, I’ve hit the pan with. This could be a great day-to-day range of products for those who prefer their natural skin to show through a light layer of foundation to even the skin tone out, however I would not suggest one should expect these products to withstand a workout, you truly get what you pay for.

Bastiste Shield My Locks, Heat & Shine Spray

Price - £4.45 (Boots)

Pros

• Easy even application
• Cruelty free
• Keratin & Inca Inchi Oil
• 230°C Heat Protection
• Adds volume

Cons

• Not travel-sized
• Slightly drying

Cruelty free, affordable hair products are one of the hardest things to find on the high street, so when I received my June 2017 Glossybox, containing Batiste’s Heat & Shine Spray, I was over the moon to discover this well known cruelty free brand made a heat protection product. Luckily I’m blessed with naturally wavy hair which occasionally forms it’s own ringlets, so I rarely need to style my hair, I’m also incredibly lazy with my locks. However, on the odd occasion I do straighten my hair, whether it’s for a night out or to simply get another day out of it, I am insistent on the use of heat protection.

First of all, I was incredibly impressed with receiving the full sized version of this product in my June Glossybox, so a big thank you to them. However, the downside to the size of this product is it’s not the easiest to transport around and it doesn’t currently have a travel-sized option. As a 22 year old who loves a good boogie but lives in the countryside, I often get ready for a night out in the bedrooms of friends who live in the city. So naturally any products, that I don’t use daily, with a travel sized option would be perfect for those of us who are always the guests at pre-drinks. However, if you’re often the host or style your hair daily, then the size of this product is ideal as it will last you well.

What sets this product apart from other heat protection products I have used in the past, is that it’s an aerosol rather than a spritz. Personally, I find this far easier to apply and achieve total coverage before styling, it also seems to soak into the hair quicker than a spritz, so you can get to styling a lot quicker without frazzling your locks. As the name suggests, not only does it protect your hair against the damage heat styling causes, but with the help of Keratine and Inca Inchi Oil, this spray gives your hair that added shine. An added bonus to this product is the volume it gives to your hair, much like Batiste’s offering of dry shampoos. The only draw back in terms of how this product works is I felt it left my hair feeling kind of dry, I’m not sure whether this is because it’s an aerosol, it’s not fully protecting my hair or another reason. However, it doesn’t dry up my hair enough to put me off using this product.

So far, I am a fan of this product, however I am open to trying out other products that are more hydrating than this one, but as I mentioned, affordable cruelty free hair products can be a challenging feat. For now, Batiste is a reliable cruelty free brand and £4.45 is definitely a reasonable price to pay.

Derma v10 Pastels Hair Colour (Paradise Pink)

Price — £1.99 (Home Bargains)

What’s in the box?

• Colour Cream tube
• 2x Conditioner sachets
• Application Brush
• Instruction Leaflet
• Pair of Gloves

Pros

• Cruelty free
• Vegan
• Cheap
• Easy to apply
• Accurate colour indication
• Recyclable packing
• Ammonia free

Cons

• Not much product in the tube
• Strong smell

As an avid self hair colourist with a soft spot for pastels, Derma V10’s semi-permanent Pastels range naturally jumped right off the shelf at me, with the bright, graphic packaging and generous price, it would have been rude not to investigate further. Upon picking up the box, I immediately searched the information for their philosophy, which, to my delight is vegan and cruelty free. Another nice touch to add to their planet friendly philosophy is that they have made their packaging recyclable where possible. On top of all this, it works!

Instantly sold on this product, in the cosmetics aisle of Home Bargains, I opted for the shade Paradise Pink. This was partly a safety choice as I know pink is a good colour for me and if it turned out horrendous, I knew it would fade easily. A couple days before using this product, I touched up my roots using Jerome Russel’s Bblonde Maximum Blonding Kit No.1, my favourite bleaching product. This prepared my hair for optimum pastel pink results.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was the colour cream tube is not particularly sizeable, and this became even more apparent throughout the application process. I’m not one for thoroughly following the instructions all the time, instead of the suggested method of application using the brush provided, I went for a more free-handed scrunch and hope for the best option. Although this may not be the ‘correct’ way, it definitely utilised the product more effectively as the cream would not have gone as far using the brush method. This said, I still needed to call upon the rest of my go-to pink Jerome Russel bBlonde Maximum Colour Toner to get close-to full coverage. Although I have quite a lot of hair, it is still short enough to only require one box of dye.

Once the 30 minute development time was up, I hopped in the shower to wash the dye out and followed up with a 3-minute conditioning hair mask (White Hot Intense Lustre Mask) to refresh and nourish my locks after subjecting them to bleach and dye within a matter of days. After drying, I am incredibly happy with the result, due to the pastel nature of the product, any areas I missed during application blend in and add slight dimension, rather than it being a block colour.

Overall I loved this product, one box would be the perfect amount for most dip dye styles, however if you’re looking to colour your full length (mid-length to long), you will almost certainly need at least 2 boxes, but hey, at £1.99 a box, you’re still saving!

Before

After