Ciate London x Smiley

[unpaid/sample] You’ll have guessed from my Cloud Soaps last year that I like smiles! I’m quite a smiley person so this was always going to be right up my street. When you see a smile you almost always automatically return the gesture so yes, I was grinning at a lip gloss.

The main events for me from the Ciate London x Smiley collection really are the Pump Plump gloss containing hyaluronic and a bit of ‘cooling agent’ (a mystery – no mint or eucalyptus listed) that I can’t reason for it’s existence unless you have, er, hot lips. On the lips it feels a tiny bit tacky, but that gives the formula better hold than usual for a gloss. There’s a smattering of blue pearlescent particles which brighten and there’s the merest hint of pink to the finish. Pump Plump is £20.

The surprise of the Ciate London x Smiley collab is the Glow-To Illuminating Blush. It’s a quad that a year or two ago would have been called a highlighter collection, but Ciate London has brought it back to just illuminating blush. The colours are absolutely stunning.

I mean, it’s all sorts of cute anyway but it’s not until you swatch it that this palette springs to life. I was thinking that I’d like these shades on my lids more than I’d like them on my cheeks but I feel where you will sit with that is how much you like highlighting.

See what I mean? All the shades have got some background gold which just flings light at the actual colour. I’m definitely going to try all of them on my lids but please bear in mind that not all face colours are deemed suitable for eyes – as we know from various Class Actions in the USA. I’d risk it but I’d be remiss not to remind you of that detail. It’s £27. There is an eye palette for £29 but I don’t have it here.

As well as some nail wraps (described as ‘the latest nail innovation’ – where were you 6 years ago?), there’s also a beautiful and big yellow Smiley mirror. It’s hand-held with a ‘take time to smile’ message on the glass (£18) but I need both hands usually for make up application so I’m not sure what I’d use it for other than just gazing at myself. The final product I’m showing is the Ciate London x Smiley Lip Mask (£14) which is my best buy from this collection I think. The lid is smiley, the pot is pretty and the balm is deliciously lemony. You can wear it as an overnight mask or just as a regular balm, although it is richer than most so you don’t need much. If you just want day to day balming, there’s a stick version for £9. Actually, now I look at the website instead of the products I have here there are several more products, some on offer, some not. You can have a browse HERE.