Review // Collection 'Cream Puff' Lip Cream

'Collection' is a range of make-up I've never really paid much attention to before seeing as it's all pretty low-priced and so I assumed the products would be of low quality.

It's coming close to payday for me so I'm running a bit low on cash but need to refresh my make up so therefore thought I'd swap my usual Gosh and Barry M products for something cheaper.

I got this for £3 since I had saved up £6 on my Superdrug beauty card (it pays off not being able to say no to people when you're pestered to sign up to store cards!) so it was an absolute bargain. Usually it would be just under £9 but even that's still a bargain compared to other products.

I'm focussing mainly on the 'lip cream' for this post since I'm fairly into my lip products and a lip cream is something new to me. 

So it's in the same style as a lipgloss, as you can see. The product itself is very creamy (as you'd guess) and fairly luscious. Not to mention, it smells incredible which obviously doesn't affect the product's use but it's always a bonus! The coverage is equal to that of a lipstick and the end result is similar to a lipstain: the colour stays locked onto your lips with a lack of residue.

To illustrate this point, I tested it out on a piece of tissue paper. I've got a photo of my lips before and after I pressed them against the tissue paper. And as you can see, not much came off in the process and my lips look the exact same.

This is a fantastic product for people who don't like lipstain products and want a matte-lipstick style with that same staying power of a lipstain. 

Try it out and see if you agree! With Collection's price range, you can't really go wrong.

Empire of The Sun // Ice on The Dune

With the sun coming out to play recently, what better way to celebrate than write a review about a band with the word 'sun' in it's name? (Creative, I know).

If I said I'd always been a fan of Empire of The Sun, I'd be lying. I was aware of them, sure, but I wouldn't class myself in that fan category. I enjoyed listening to 'Walking on A Dream', it was heavily featured on my 'Top 25 Played Songs' on iTunes during the Summer of 2009. However, I can't say the same for their other release 'We Are The People' and so chose not to delve any further into their discography. 

I don't know what brought me to take an interest in their newest album when I saw NME tweeting about it. Perhaps it was that techno-indie music fan within me dying for something new to feast on rather than tiring out my playlist consisting of bands such as Delphic, Metronomy, Passion Pit, Friendly Fires, Fenech-Soler and Ou Est Le Swimming Pool. However, I am glad I took that plunge.

Although, I must admit overall I was kind of disappointed by the album. In my opinion, their single 'Alive' is the best thing about the album but there are a few other gems such as 'Ice on The Dune'. 

One thing is clear about Empire of The Sun, they know how to make a Summer anthem. They'd definitely be an essential at any festival and their music makes it clear that their gigs would be a lot of fun.

They've added to my techno-indie playlist but I don't think I'll make a habit of religiously listening to the album. Maybe third time's the charm. 

The Voice // A Talent Show Without The Talent

This morning I caught my first glimpse of the finalists for 'talent' show: The Voice and I'm honestly struggling to find words to express my views on the show as well as the contestants.

Now, I haven't ever actually watched an episode of the show so my opinions and views may be limited and are just coming from about five seconds of clips used on Lorraine this morning and a short interview. But normally if a show is using clips to illustrate their guests, they use something that portrays the show and the contestants' talents well?

What I came across was:

1) A Will.I.Am lookalike, 'mentored' by Jessie J and not the American rapper himself so it raises the question as to why she has chosen to fashion him this way. Maybe an infatuation with the man himself? Play it cool, Jessie.

2) Three other contestants who don't look like a celebrity (although I could argue that one had a striking resemblance to Velma from Scooby Doo but I'm not sure if a fictional cartoon character is valid) so are therefore forgettable, apart from their gruesome murders of some classic songs such as a screachy rendition of talent show audition favourite: Killing me Softly (Really? Way to show originality guys) which I'm sure will haunt me in my dreams tonight. 

Along with some pathetic jokes about how much of a 'legend' John Legend is (yet more originality from these guys) and tiresome anecdotes of a young contestant being awestruck by hanging out with Tom Jones, the interview with the contestants failed to rivet me at all.

I can see now why we hear nothing from the contestants of this show - who won last year's again? - if this is what they have to offer the world. And I certainly won't be tuning in on Saturday to see who wins to then be chewed up and quickly spat out by the music industry monster. I think I'll stick with Modern Family.

Blurred Lines // A Musical Mid-Life Crisis

I never fail to be disappointed by the British public's music taste and once again, I find myself scratching my head in confusion as I listen to 'Blurred Lines'. Most middle-aged men date a younger woman or buy a sports car when they're going through a mid-life crisis but for Robin Thicke, releasing a womanising pop song into the stratosphere seems to be the way to go.

The song also features Pharrell Williams and this was the main reason why I thought I'd see what all the hype around this song was as I am a fan of his work with N.E.R.D as well as his recent hit with Daft Punk but 'disappointed' is an understatement. Not only was I unimpressed by the song as a whole but the lyrics aren't the most creative I've ever come across and are simply crude. 'I know you want it' and 'you're a good girl' being the most apparent lyrics in the song are seedy, not to mention incredibly arrogant. Couple that with the fact the original music video for the song was banned by YouTube for being a bit too 'risqué' and it just says it all.

To add to all this disappointment, as I scrolled through Twitter one evening, a link appeared for a cover version of the song by rock band Queens of The Stone Age. It called out to me like a beacon of hope: 'yes, if anyone can save it, they can' I thought.

But no.

Not even Queens of The Stone Age can make that song sound any better to me. And so I came to the conclusion that the lyrics are so atrocious that it just cannot be saved. 

But somehow it manages to sell millions of records and top charts. Whether it's an infatuation for the artist's aesthetics, the reputation of the supporting artists or horny teenage boys needing to see the video, something's working for it.

But it's best to stick to the traditional methods of dealing with a mid-life crisis, Rob.

Peace // In Love

So I haven't written anything about bands for a while so I thought I'd share a new band I've fallen for recently.

Peace are a four-piece Indie band from Worcester, England.

If indie music is your thing, I would quite confidently bet money on you enjoying this band just as much as I do.

They have those staple blunt, melancholic vocals you'd associate with an indie band, which they've coupled with psychedelic guitar riffs and disco-rock drum beats. I almost feel like they could be a bizarre love child between a slight glam-rock and indie band.

Their music has quite an eclectic mix. They move flawlessly between classic hard-hitting indie anthems (such as Bloodshake and the Foals-esque Wraith) and slower, softer ballads with songs such as Float Forever and California Daze so I feel as if their recently released album 'In Love' has something for any indie music fan.

They could easily be on their way to becoming the next big thing in the indie-music scene - or at least I think they should be - and a festival essential.

They're currently touring around the UK and as I've said, their debut album is available to buy, or stream on Spotify, as well as their EP 'EP Delicious'.

Become infatuated.

Review // Kukee

A girl can never have too many accessories so it was a nice surprise to come across a website full of great jewellery that I'd never heard of before.

Kukee.co.uk offers a range of quirky (or kooky) jewellery at what can usually be seen as 'too good to be true' prices. However, don't let the low prices put you off: the cost may be cheap but the quality is not.

After seeing someone I follow on Instagram posting their purchases, I had a look at the website and couldn't resist buying something from it myself.

The website is too good to order just one thing so I decided to buy the rings in the above picture along with a crescent moon necklace and an ear cuff. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the items: they feel solid, robust as they're made from a metal plated material and not cheap plastic (which you may assume from how little they cost). As well as this, all the rings are fully adjustable which is a major plus as I've had several experiences in shops, such as New Look or Primark, where it has been difficult for me to find a ring which fits perfectly so making the rings adjustable means they can fit any sized finger comfortably so this instantly puts this website one above other retail stores, for me. But that's not the best thing. If you were to guess how much this haul cost me, what would you say? £25? More? Maybe, if you were shopping at a different store but at Kukee, I spent just £10.50 (plus £2.20 on p&p).

If that doesn't make you want to take a look at the website then I don't know what will.

After receiving this purchase, it's safe to say I've become a Kukee loyal. I wear my rings with every outfit and today, I made my second purchase.

Two rings and two necklaces for £9

The low prices they offer got me thinking: why don't all shops offer jewellery at similar prices? Even Primark, which is probably the cheapest fashion retailer, rarely have jewellery items on sale at £1 or £2. I did a quick search online and came across this:

On the left, a set of rings from Topshop priced at £8.50 and on the right, a ring from Kukee priced at £2.
Now, fair enough you get four rings for your £8.50 but looking at them just from the pictures, there's already - to me - a great distinction in the quality of the rings.
With the ring from Kukee, you get a choice between gold or silver plated and they look of a much higher quality (and like they should cost much more than £2) as well as looking far more representative of a cat than the Topshop items. I have seen someone on Instagram with this ring and they've expressed nothing but joy over it. I know which one I'd choose.
This just shows that although they're a cheap store, they keep up-to-date with the trends and offer good (if not better) quality items.

If you like the sound of Kukee, the owner of the store has recently announced that she is also setting up a vintage clothing shop - called Wild Wolfy - with just as low prices (items at £5, £10 and £15 - stated on the Facebook page). You can find out more about that here and here.

Enjoy!

Darwin Deez // Songs For Imaginative People

Fan of Darwin Deez? Can't wait another two days for the release of his new album?

Then you're in luck!

Soundcloud have kindly given us an exclusive stream of the full album to banish those withdrawal symptoms and sense of anticipation.
It can be heard here or here.

Enjoy!

Songs For Imaginitave People is released on February 11th 2013.