Jemma Kidd I-Tech Liquid Eyeliners Review

So, I love good quality make up; the sort that is mostly found on make up counters and in boutiques (read: expensive), but I can't often afford the price tag that comes with them any more. Jemma Kidd make up is on the lower end of the scale, but a step or two up from drugstore make up brands, with prices starting at around £9.00 for an eyeliner pencil.

I had always wanted to try some Jemma Kidd make up, and you can imagine my delight when I discovered their I-Tech liquid eyeliners were available on beauty bargain lovers favourite, Fragrance Direct. And for just £1.99 each; a steal considering the RRP is around £10.50!

From the moment I saw them online, they instantly reminded me of the liquid eye liners that B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful (the late sister company of Lush) once sold. I once had about fifty different colours of them in my collection and I LOVED them. (To be honest, that's an understatement! I was obsessed). So, I had to order the Jemma Kidd ones to find out if they could possibly live up to my old favourites.

I collected the three shades available on Fragrance Direct over a couple of orders, and also bought some for my best friend and little sister. The colours consisted of a deep chocolate brown called Aesthetic, a dreamy emerald green called Contrast, and a beautiful stormy ocean blue called Abstract.

In appearance they look very similar to the B Never Too Busy... eyeliners. The packaging is made of strong plastic, with a clear pot so you can see the inviting colours of the make up. The lids are a matte black with the logo and brand name adorning them in bright pink. I personally think they look tasteful and I like the simplicity of the design. The lids have a screw fastening, which is easy to use, and should keep the make up from coming open in bags and make up bags.

The outer packaging is made from sturdy cardboard, like most high-end make up packaging, and the design is sleek and simple. No fuss, just simple red and black and a few words. It certainly has that high-end charm.

"Make a statement without saying a word. Quick dry, extreme last liquid liner in classic black to bold brights. Fine brush for professional application. Remove with an oil based make up remover."

I really agree with this statement, and I will explain more in just a moment...

"Jemma's fashion fix: Liquid liner every time for after-show party glamour that lasts and last; dusk till dawn."

Each eyeliner has it's own brush inside the lid, which has a long handle to get to the bottom of the pot, and a fine flat brush for achieving perfect and precise neat lines. Each time I've used these eyeliners, I've created the neatest eye liner looks I've ever managed in my entire life. Honestly, I'm terrible at achieving neat eye liner, but I have no problems with these. The brush makes it so easy to get in close to the lash line, and whip it across in a straight line.

Here are the swatches of the eye liners taken in natural daylight. In the photo above, I altered the levels and contrast of the photo, but it's still true to the real colours and vibrancy.

The photo above hasn't been altered at all. This is what you get. Freckles sold separately.

So, the colours are all absolutely beautiful. All of them. They're all so bold and vibrant, and oh so pretty.

The green is probably my favourite. Mostly because I have a thing for green eye make up. This one looks like a gleaming pool of liquid emerald that I just want to swim in, and it really makes my brown eyes pop. The blue reminds me of the sea on a stormy day; of choppy waves crashing towards the shore. I could sit here and look at the colours of it all day. The brown is a stunning chocolate brown and bronze colour, and I find this shade so beautiful. It's a great alternative to black, and versatile, too. 

The biggest surprise to me was how long-lasting they are. Once you apply these quick-drying liners to your skin, they're not going anywhere for quite a while. They will last an entire day without so much as bleeding or fading, which is brilliant... but, that also means they take a bit of effort to wipe away at the end of the day...

It took me about five minutes of scrubbing my hand raw with a cleansing wipe to get those swatches off my skin. You should be able to see how red my hand looks. It wasn't too big a deal, but it wouldn't be possible to use the same force on and around the eye lids, so the make sometimes ends up remaining in place for a day or two.

I'm very impressed with all three of these Jemma Kidd eyeliners, and they are definitely just as good as my old favourites, and some of the best eyeliners I've ever used. Not bad for the bargain price of just £1.99 each! All three colours are still available through Fragrance Direct, and you can find them here.

Have you tried Jemma Kidd's i-tech Liquid Liners yet?

Bright Eyes

A year ago, I wouldn't have thought anything of spending fifty quid on something I wanted just after pay day. It's not that I had a high income, as I didn't, but I was quite the impulsive and frivolous shopper. I was one of those girls who spent the majority of her disposable income during the first week or two of the month, and spent the last two weeks scraping by. I know I'm not the only one...

Today, fifty quid is a big chunk of my income, but I don't feel like I go without because I've learnt to spend wisely. I buy the things I love most online using discount codes and promotions where possible or sell old things on ebay to buy new ones. My wardrobe is now filled with beautiful clothes I wear regularly which were bought on a budget.

I spent a couple of days last week deciding between a forest-green shirt from H&M, or some Lush make up. I really wanted to buy both, but I couldn't afford to, so chose the make up.

 Lush brought out a new make up range called Emotional Brilliance in July, which I was immediately very excited about as I adored their late Sister make up company Bnevertoobusytobebeautiful which folded a few years ago. I probably owned at least three quarters of the range. Now Lush have introduced a small make up collection of cream eyeliners and shadows, lipsticks, mascara, and bases, which I personally think are very similar to the make up B used to sell which makes me very, very happy!

I ordered the parcel on Saturday and it arrived yesterday.



I ordered three eye liners, and a toner tab. They were very well packed in biodegradable materials.



The hardest part for me was deciding what colours to choose this time, as I like them all. I eventually chose to buy a vibrant lime green (Healthy), a two-toned peacock blue (Motivation), and a bright purple (Feeling Secure), which are all eyeliners. Although the idea with Emotional Brilliance is to wear the colours we're first drawn to on their colour wheels as the colours we're drawn to on different days tell us what moods we're feeling. Healthy was actually one of mine (how ironic!), but I feel most people will just buy the colours they like at the end of the day. I was drawn to a bright orange lipstick on the colour wheel, but I don't think I'd ever wear an orange lip.

I also treated myself to this toner tab called A Token to the Forest Gods as it was only £1. I haven't used the toner tabs before, but this one has a lovely citrus scent, and the reviews for it on their website were very positive. The idea is to pop one in a bowl of hot water, and let the steam cleanse the face (the face of course, lowered above the bowl with a towel over the head to trap in the moisture).

Everything in the box...

Lush also provided a free copy of their catalogue, The Lush Times, which is great as I spilt a drink over the last one before I had a chance to read it.  There are also some applicator brushes in the 'Fighting Animal Testing' bag.

The bottles are a really good size, but still small and light enough to take on the go. They're about the size of a nail polish. They're each meant to have a eye liner brush in the lid, but for some reason Motivation was the only one fitted with one. I was a little peeved, but luckily I have an eye liner brush as I really couldn't be bothered to return them. The brush is easy to work with, but quite short, so I think a longer brush would be needed to reach the bottom anyway.

The colours are all very brightly pigmented. It doesn't take much product to get a vibrant result- which is usually a look I prefer, but they're also blendable for softer looks and don't dry straight away. They can also be used as eyeshadows and worn together. Each of the colours is absolutely stunning and just like the old B shades I used to love. I can't decide which I like most!



I'm not sure if you can see the pink and yellow marks on my hand, but those are stains left behind from the purple and green liners after removing them with a cleansing wipe. They did later come off with soap and water, though.

To give you an idea of size...

My current Lush eyeshadow collection. I bought the bronze-gold 'Happiness' eyeshadow a week or two ago.

I haven't done a full image for my closed lids as my eyebrows need sorting and my make up wasn't that neat, but I tried out Healthy over the lids and Motivation as a liner on top of it yesterday. I'm also wearing Benefit's They're Real! Mascara on my lashes here.

And this is the result...

The liners were very soft and nourishing to my skin, went on easily, and didn't budge during the six hours or so I kept my make up on. I'm very impressed with the products, and will be buying more from the range in the near future. I've read quite a lot of reviews with people not happy with the £14.50 price, and yes they are expensive, but they're fantastic quality and the pots give you a lot for your money. They're perfect for a bit of pay day indulging! They're also great vibrant colours, vegan, and not tested on animals! What more could you ask for? I never begrudge spending a little more on make up that hasn't brought harm to defenceless animals.

Lush have definitely provided me with a new obsession and as always, I'm a very happy Lush shopper!

Have you bought anything from Lush's new make up range yet? Are you planning to buy in the future?