That's Sleek!

I've been hearing nothing but awesome things about this brand, bout time I've checked it out!



They're so pretty!





Sleek Makeup is a UK cosmetics brand that has found its way to almost every corner of the cosmetic blogosphere! Here's what it says on their site:

Sleek MakeUP knows the importance of looking and feeling good in your own skin. That’s why we’re the only high-street makeup brand with a whopping 30 shades of foundation. We comprehensively and honestly cater for all skin tones, with fashion-forward and innovative products at truly affordable prices.



Sleek MakeUP’s fresh and trend-led products have forged an iconic following among makeup professionals and beauty enthusiasts worldwide





Blush By 3's Guipure has a wonderful sheen that shows on all angles!

 

They're pretty midrange, pricewise. Of course, if you're used to high end signature cosmetics, then $9.99 for an eye palette may look dirt cheap to you. But if you're the kind to go for drugstore brands, then this is right up your alley :) 

 

I've been pretty happy with my Coastal Scents 42pc Double Stack Shimmer palette that I wasn't really tempted to try Sleek, until I drowned from all the raves I read about it. Even my friends couldn't get enough of it. Well, on to the bandwagon.

 

It was sheer luck that I had just scored a 15% discount voucher from online shop Luxola. It's a Singapore based shop but they ship all over Asia, even the US. Their prices are a bit steeper than buying from Sleek's own site, but with the discount code and free shipping (minimum order os P1,300), then the total are pretty much head to head.





Really cute packaging



I got the i-Divine and Blush by 3 bundle, in Oh So Special and Lace, respectively. It's list price is P1,266 for the bundle. Less 15%, that's P1,076.1. Here's the Luxola breakdown:

P1,266 = Oh So Special + Lace bundle

Less 15% (discount voucher)

P1,076.1 = Bundle, shipping fee not included

From Sleek MakeUp, that's

$9.99 | P430 = I-Divine, Oh So Special

$12.49 | P537.07 = Blush by 3, Lace

$22.48 | P967.07 = Bundle, shipping fee not included.

Now, there's about a P90.00 difference between the two, with SleekMakeup cheaper, but Luxola has something I didn't find from SleekMakeUp - a free shipping promotion. Where SleekMakeUp will charge me about $9 for international shipping, Luxola can send it to me for FREE!

 

I know most people would stop dealing with numbers over P90.00 (roughly US$2.00) but I'm not most people. I sometimes like to split hairs, down to the last five peso coin :P Factoring in shipping costs tips the scale big time, on this particular case.

 

That is, if I reach the minimum amount required. For a purchase of P1,300, Luxola will ship my items to the Philippines free of charge. I scoured the site for anything else I want to try, but passed on every other item. On a whim I decided to just double my order, and sell the extra bundle once it got here. Sleek has such a good reputation, I wasn't even worried about having difficulty getting rid of it. In fact, I didn't even have to post it on sale, I just shared the photo on my wall and a couple friends went for the spare bundle :)

Couldn't wait to go to the post office!

 

 

It reached my local post office (PO) in 2 weeks, which is great time for international parcels. I only got billed for P80 at the PO (yay!!). Luxola also declared my parcel as a 'gift' and underdeclared the value.

 



It arrived in a an envelope made with bubble wrap (what do you call those things?). The bubbles in the wrap weren't the huge ones the size of a silver dollar. They're the usual tiny air bubbles. I would feel more comfortable if they added more padding, but my products got to me safe and sound, so I let that one slide.

Sleek i-Divine in Oh So Special



 

When I opened the package, O. M. G! It's so beautiful! And SLEEK! The color, the branding, the overall product packaging is really very cute and sleek at the same time! I wanted to snuggle with it LOL! I had a hard time getting the i-Divine to pop open, and even now, 3 weeks after, I still have trouble opening it, but the Blush By 3 palette snaps on and off just fine.

Not sure if that little bit of fall out is from the shipping, or they're just that way.

Just looking at the pan, the colors from both palettes look delicious! So delicious, in fact, that I headed over to SleekMakeUp's online site that very night. (Oh, trouble!)



Scrapping this

It came with the usual crappy eyeshadow applicator- a dual ended sponge type. Like most palettes, the default brushes or applicators they come with are pretty useless. If you want to make the most of your eye makeup, then invest in decent brushes. That's what everyone says, and with good reason!

 

I swatched everything, and they look great. But I didn't use them on my face just yet. I waited that coming weekend. I am just too lazy to put on makeup just to see how it looks, then wipe it all off within 15 minutes. As much as I liked the product upon opening, it didn't tempt me enough to go through the whole cleansing routine just to try.

I did manage to put them to work that weekend. So, is it really as great as everyone says it to be?

 

 

 

..... maybe I don't know how to maximize this palette, or I lack the knowhow to make the most of it.



Pardon the oil slick of a face you see

 

I find myself happier with my CS Double Stack eye shadows. The i-Divine seems to be giving more difficulty in blending. The lighter shades are well and good and creamy, but the darker hues are a bit stubborn to blend. Like I said, maybe I don't know HOW to do it right. But my limited knowledge seems to be sufficient when it comes to blending my CS shadows. Same brushes, same hand, same technique.

 

I have used the Sleek i-Divine three times (at least), and three times, I've encountered some kind of issue with blending out the darker shade.

 

 

Yeah, I sorta need to look like a deer caught in the headlights for any eye makeup to show. Darn hooded eyelids :P

 

All in all, the shadows sure look pretty, but I prefer to use my CS Double Stack for now.

The outer two shades are crazy pigmented, too crazy, and the middle one is subtle but beautiful!

However, when it comes to the blush, Sleek's Blush by 3 got my CS blushes beat by a mile- all for one shade- Guipure! The so-called NARS Orgasm dupe.

 

 

Check out the lovely sheen from Guisepe! On this photo, I wore all three blush shades. I only planned on using Guipure, at first, but I kept getting all the sheen but not much punch on the color. I decided to swipe my brush on Crochet for a touch of pink, and BAM! The color went on like WOOSH! One light tap was enough to add a touch of color on both cheeks. I swiped my brush on the third color, Chantilly, and applied, and got the same power punched hue!

 

Like with the shadows, blending could be an issue if with the blush but that's if (a) you got too much of the product on your brush, and (b) you're a bit slow on the blending. So take it easy. Don't slap it on, layer it one.

 

I could live without Crochet and Chantilly because I have a blush palette on my CS Double Stack, but Guipure is so much a favorite of mine, I want to take it with me everywhere! It gives more sheen than color, so I don't think I'd be wearing this alone, but layering a matte blush over it does wonders!

 

At P1,076.1 for a bundle plus P80 between the two bundles for the PO fee, that's knocks it up to P1,116.1 for a bundle- all in!

 

It's pretty safe to say that the Blush By 3 takes the bigger slice of the pie at P600, and the I-Divine for P516.10. If you factor in the spaghetti you'll have to buy the Little K for the trip, that's it's P650 and P550 respectively. Still an awesome price for such high quality products.

 

Overall, this was a good buy. If I don't have any other eye or blush palette with me, I'd be ecstatic with these Sleek babies :)