Hey Sweeties,
If you cast your mind back to the Blogosphere Valentine’s Tea Party (here), you’ll have seen that one of the brands I met at the event were Glo & Ray, a brand to be honest I had never heard of.
Glo & Ray is a British company, drawing inspiration from the natural wonder of light. They look at harnessing each woman’s natural radiance to deliver a stunning collection designed to illuminate individual beauty.
Lipstick – La Amo Creamy matte lip colour in shade 612 Muse
Enriched with a unique blend of Light Colour Fitness Complex, our La Amo matte lipstick series perfectly defines lips leaving a matte finish for an on-trend take on a classic beauty look.
Featuring our NEW Hydro Wrapping System, our range perfectly softens and moisturises your lips whilst adding a pop of colour for instant impact.
Firstly, I really love the packaging of the product – a solid black bullet with a lid that clicks in place (always important), and I love the brand’s logo embossed onto the lipstick itself. The item as a whole is very sleek and compact.
To apply the lipstick is lovely, and glides on smoothly leaving my lips soft and moisturised as described above. Unless it is a liquid formula, I always apply a lip liner before lipstick just because the results are always better, and helps provide definition, which I often find the lipstick alone can achieve. In this instance, the Glo & Ray La Amo lipstick in shade 612 Muse pairs well with the Rimmel Exaggerate full colour liner in shade 063 East End Snob.
But, and this is a sad but, I don’t think it’s that matte, particularly in comparison to other matte lipsticks in my collection. For me, because the lipstick is so moisturising, it never quite mattes down enough to hold in place. When I test a new lip product, I always do it on a workday, as within the hour, or shortly after on arrival into the office, I will have a coffee and some breakfast. There is nothing wrong with lipsticks that do not last all day, but I like a product to stay put, at least so that at minimum I can have a coffee without worrying about reapplying.
That being said, if I know I am going to be eating and drinking in a reasonably short time-frame after makeup application, I either do not wear a lip product, or I choose a liquid formula that I am confident will not budge. The Glo & Ray La Amo lipstick costs £12; I do not think the cost is unreasonable, but I would not purchase it for its claim for being matte and staying power.
The liquid Eyeliner
This was the first of the products I tried and I have to say I was impressed. Since trying the Stila Stay All Day Liner (review here) and most recently the Soap & Glory eyeliner (here), I have developed a love for pen shaped liners with good nibs for accurate lining and flicking.
On first impressions, the product is a good strong black pigment that I felt the Stila eyeliner lacked slightly, and the product confidently lasts all day and I think it would probably take you well into the night also. As for the nib, it allows you to create a thin, accurate line but where it falls very slightly on points, is the strength of the nib; it basically flexes like a paint brush which is great for a curve, but on first time use it can catch you by surprise. Basically, use it lightly.
The eye liner costs £6.90.
Mariposa Quartet Eye Shadow –Misty Dark 402
Combining vibrant pops of colours with delicate neutrals, the Mariposa eye shadow quartet offers the perfect mix to illuminate eyes with multiple effects.
Natural mineral particles create a silky texture, which is both long-lasting and smudge-proof, achieving flawless radiance with perfect pigment.
On appearance, this is a lovely little eye shadow quad with silver metallic shades that look ideal for that date night smoky eye. On first impressions, the eye shadows are nicely pigmented and buttery to the touch, but I do not feel this comes out as well when applying onto your eyelid, but they do blend beautifully. I need to spend a bit more time with this quad palette and experiment some more to see if I can improve on the colour payoff.
The eye shadow quartet costs £12.50.
Glo & Ray: A Summary
For me, the stand out product is the liquid eye liner which I have continued to use. While I do prefer a stronger nib, I love the strength of the pigment and if you prefer a thinner line along your lashes (and aren’t really bothered with creating a winged look), you’ll love this.
For your money, I think Glo & Ray offers an affordable level of makeup that particularly for the lipsticks, sits mid-way between high street offerings and your higher-end makeup, such as MAC for example. I would certainly be interested to explore more from the brand if given the opportunity.
Have you guys tried Glo & Ray before?
Until next time x
