Sleek Makeup Review and Holiday Gift Guide

Sleek Makeup (a popular brand from the UK) offers a variety of affordable cosmetics and beautiful pigments with the versatility to create endless looks to suit your mood, style and personal taste. From eye shadow, lipstick, blush, concealer and bases you can find whatever you’re looking for and the brand ships internationally.

With Christmas just around the corner we are all looking for the perfect gifts and some of my favorite products are the i-Divine palettes which include 12 silky mineral shades with mica particles that illuminate and enhance the eyes. These lightweight, travel friendly palettes come in a gorgeous range of colors and cute themes with trendy seasonal hues and rich, sultry finishes. 

The Enchanted Forest palette is inspired by fairy tales but the colors are anything but neutral and tame. The shadows are bold, sexy and deep with a pretty combination of warm and cool tones.

Colors from left to right: Glass Slipper (matte cream), Beatrice (matte pink/mauve), Perla (light shimmery purple), Fairy Godmother (pink champagne), Grand Duke (deep purple/blue), Drizella (bronze/grey), Pumpkin (shimmery gold), Prince Charming (matte teal), Happily Ever After (frosty grey), Anastasia (matte plum), Daphne (Shimmery teal/grey) and Lady Tremaine (shimmery brown/bronze).

I like inclusion of both matte and shimmer textures and the smooth formula applies well with little to no fall-out and good pigmentation. The shades in the palette are also well matched, long lasting and quite buildable especially with a good primer. The deep hues sculpt and contour beautifully while the others sweep across the lids effortlessly for flattering enhancement and highlight. The i-Divine palettes retails for just $11.99 so they make great gifts or stocking stuffers!

For people like me who have an obsession with gold eye shadow the limited edition 24 Carat Gold Standard Palette has a range of glamorous, glitzy hues that are perfect for party season! The luxurious pigments take holiday bling to a new level with four shimmer powders and two rich cream formulas.

I will admit that I am not a huge fan of many cream shadows because I usually find them a bit tedious to apply, prone to creasing and slick in texture. This formula however isn’t too bad because the creams are actually more like light glitter accents, the base color is simply sheer and the silver and gold sparkle shows up like a highlight. I don’t apply them over the mineral shadow because it tends to mess up the application but you can use them on their own if you prefer shimmer with no color or dab them onto the cheeks and lips.

The dark shimmery purple, yellow gold, medium gold and champagne silver are powder shadows with the same silky softness as the i-Divine shades but with a creamier, denser texture that makes the pigmentation more intense and vibrant. These shadows definitely make up for the lack of color in the cream hues and look stunning on the skin with a hint of metallic brilliance that really pops! The palette retails for $11.49.

The Barekissed Illuminator is available in four soft shades and the pearlized pink I have below is called Casablanca. This liquid highlighter can be mixed into foundation or applied directly to the cheekbones and body for luminous, glowing skin that has a healthy lustre. Unlike some powder highlights this one doesn’t settle into the texture of skin or lay flat on the surface, the formula provides a natural, multidimensional sheen with a hint of color to brighten dull complexions. I also like that it provides light, seamless coverage and blends wonderfully! The Illuminator retails for $13.49.

No look is complete without pretty lip color so today I’m sharing two options: bright and dazzling for party girls or tame and sophisticated for a neutral effect.

The limited edition Glitter Me Intense Sparkling Lip Gloss in the shade Private Jet is a bold pink embedded with golden glitter! The color goes on sheer to medium coverage and makes lips appear full and pouty. The creamy texture disperses the glitter evenly so it doesn’t feel chunky, sticky or cumbersome and the particles are very fine so the sparkle doesn’t look too loud. This hydrating, plush shade is fabulous for the holiday season and you can wear it alone or on top of lipstick. It retails for $7.49.

When I watched the Adele Live in London TV special recently I was impressed by her effortless beauty and I noticed that her nude lipstick looked amazing with thick winged liner. The Tinted, flesh tone Balm below in (Bon Bon) reminds me of the lip color she wore on the show with a pretty hint of soft peach. These creamy balms are enriched with fruit oils to keep lips soft and moisturized all day!

You can find these fabulous products and more by clicking HERE

Sleek Makeup Review: Limited Edition Nautical Collection

One of my favorite activities during the summer is spending time on the water and whether I’m strolling along the lakefront or enjoying a boat cruise there is something magical about being on the open ocean. This year I spent time soaking up some sun along the French and Italian Riviera while yacht gazing in beautiful Saint Tropez, Monte Carlo and Nice. The Nautical Collection by Sleek is an infusion of bold pigmentation inspired by the sparkling sea and crisp afternoons sailing to paradise. 

The i-Divine Calm Before The Storm Mineral Eyeshadow Palette contains 12 gorgeous shades with a range of pearl, shimmer and matte finishes to create a variety of fun nautical effects. The selection of deep sea blues beautifully compliments the lagoon green and pretty seaweed teal. The light shimmer shades- (Starboard & Ahoy) are luminous and great for highlighting while the darker matte hues (Barque & Adrift) sculpt the crease, define the eyes and transition colors between lid and brow. Although the palette is vivid and eye catching you also have the option of going neutral to suit your mood, style and wardrobe.

The pigmentation is also quite versatile, many of the shades can go from sheer to medium and with a good primer they build to full coverage for more intensity. The texture is smooth and easy to layer with little fall-out and the vibrancy lasts all day without fading. I also like that the compact is thin and small enough for travel so you can take it on the go and create makeup looks that evoke bright, tropical vibes. The palette retails for just $11.99.

Shades from left to right: (top row) Starboard, Voyage, Pacific, Cesium, Amphitrite & Sovereign

(bottom row) Ahoy, Barque, Adrift, Seaweed, Navy Shower & Lagoon

A beautiful summer day calls for a knock-out lipstick and the shade Ready to Sail is a classic red that will glam-up your pout in an instant! This high impact pigment is infused with vitamin E and nourishing oils to protect and provide ultra-smooth comfortable wear. Although the finish is semi-matte the formula doesn’t dry out my lips and it retains a light, moist layer without too much shine. The lipstick is also quite easy to apply and the radiant orange undertone is ideal for the season. The color usually last a few hours and fades nicely for a pretty sheer effect. It retails for $7.49.

The collection also includes the Blush by 3 Palette in Santa Marina consisting of warm beachy shades to compliment the brilliant ocean blues. The matte orange-coral brightens dull complexions for a youthful, vivacious glow while the deep rose-brown with a hint of shimmer adds contour and dimension. The middle hue is too light to be considered a blush on most skin tones and although you may be able to use it for highlighting it doesn’t contain any shimmer. These colors are also trendy for fall and the smooth texture is quite buildable. The palette retails for $14.99.

You can also purchase the Nautical Collection as a set which includes all of the products above and retails for $29.99.

Sleek also offers a variety of waterproof, smudge-proof liners to make your pretty peepers pop! I have the shades Noir and Blue Moon also fitting for the nautical, ocean theme. The creamy consistency glides on smoothly for sharp, precise lines and the color is highly pigmented so you don’t have to reinforce your lines by layering. The color may fade a bit if you are active or perspiring but overall the formula is nice! The only thing I would change is the packaging, I always prefer pencils that twist up and don’t require sharpening but you can pick these up for $7.49 and they come in a range of awesome shades including: Cobalt Blue, Canary Yellow, Cocoa, Dragon Fruit and Molasses.

If you like crème blush Sleek has created a great formula for even coverage and a seamless finish. These ultra smooth petal hues blend easily with your fingers and instantly transform into a lightweight powder with a supple, dewy-fresh finish. The shade below is Carnation- a fun mauve-pink and there are 3 other soft, silky hues to choose from to flatter all complexions and emit a lovely spring glow. The blushes retails for $8.99.

You can find these products and more fabulous collections on the website by clicking HERE.

*Press samples featured