Thursday, April 11, 2013

On my face this week #5

This week I've been shaking my routine up a little bit and have introduced a couple of new products that i wouldn't normally touch (shows how brave i'm getting!) into my make up bag.


The first new product (not so exciting) is a foundation that I've read so much about over the last few months. I'm always on the look out for that holy grail of foundations and i think i may have found it! No7 Stay perfect liquid foundation is the perfect consistency for my combination skin, it's not greasy or oily and blends perfectly. The main concern for me when buying foundation is the coverage. Unlike some lucky souls i need a foundation that gives medium coverage as sometimes my skin can be pretty bad. No7. covers all my of my spots without making my make up look cakey, giving me the natural finish that i strive for. When i visited the counter i was pretty overwhelmed as No7. offer a lot of colours but the assistant was extremely helpful! They were able to match my skin tone very precisely to 'Cool vanilla' and the colour is exactly what i need. For anyone looking for an everyday foundation i cannot recommend this foundation enough.

My next new product is a blusher (surprise surprise) from Sleek which is slightly different from my normal blusher choices. As someone with pale skin i tend to go for a 'English rose' look with natural skin and pink-ish cheeks, however when i spotted this colour i had to give it a whirl. The colour is called Pomegranate and is dark red with hints of rose tones. I'm always worried that wearing red tones will make me look too harsh but i was very impressed with the finish on this blush. The texture is really pigmented which means it lasts all day, and its very light on application which for the mere cost of £4.49 is a steal!

The last product I've been reaching for this week is an oldie but a goodie! Sexy Motherpucker by Soap & glory provides lip plumping action and a fantastic colour as well as a beautiful shine! The lip gloss is designed to enhance the volume of your lips and definitely makes a visible difference. I use this gloss in Candy apple which gives a very natural, nude colour, perfect for wearing alongside a dramatic cheek colour. For someone who doesn't normally touch lipgloss (like me) this is a perfect starting point!

Sleek Blush in Pomegranate - £4.49
Sexy Mothpucker in Candy apple - £9


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Monday, April 1, 2013

March favourites

This month has been a gold mine of new products and it's been really hard to choose just a handful as my favourites. My main weakness is definitely buying new make up and this seems to have extended to cover skincare and hair products too...


I'm going to start with my star buy of the month which has to be Boots coconut & almond Leave in conditioner. This is by far the easiest leave in conditioner I've ever used as you simply spray in just before drying. There's no water, no mess and no fussing around timing how long it needs to be left in. I love the smell but it's not so over powering that you smell like a fruit salad. I've been using this daily and my hair is so much softer and easier to manage, and at £1.39 a bottle it is amazing value for money.

Next up is a soap and glory gem - Dr Spot. I asked for some suggestions of a fast acting spot remedy and this seemed to crop up the most so i decided to take it for a spin. It's a gel formula which is designed to help reduce the redness and calm inflamed spots immediately. I have been using this product twice daily on any pesky blemishes that have cropped up and it definitely helps to soothe them. This formula is quite strong and dries out the skin so i would be careful with over-use but it's one to keep in the drawer in case of unwanted visitors.

I've invested in a few new foundations this month and one that I've been really impressed with is the Revlon Nearly Naked in colour Nude (150). I picked this up in a Boots 3-for-2 deal (every girls downfall) and have been using this as an evening foundation. This coverage is quite heavy for me and i was worried it may irritate my skin but it's been fantastic. It gives a very natural finish and doesn't leave you looking like you're caked in make up. I've been teaming this with another high street bargain from Collection 2000 which is their Lasting perfection concealer. This is perfect for anyone with pesky spots or dark circles as it comes with a little wand. I tend to use a small brush to buff it in but it gives excellent coverage. 



My last make up favourite this month is another Smashbox purchase but this time it's for eyebrows. I don't spend a lot of time on my eyebrows as i have such a heavy fringe you can never see them. However i'm thinking about giving the fringe up (gulp) so I've been trying to keep on top of eyebrow maintenance  The Smashbox Brow tech to go is a eyebrow crayon rather than a pencil and has a slightly thicker texture. It doesn't require sharpening so is always ready to use, and has a slightly slanted edge which makes it easy to define shape. This product also includes a small gel and brush on the end which is designed to help the eyebrow stay into place once it's been brushed and drawn in. I really like this as it makes everything look neater! 

My last March favourite is the Barry M gelly polish or as it's formally known 'Hi Shine Gel effect polish'. I am a big fan of Barry M and own most of the colours (oops) but i wasn't convinced this polish would be any better than the standard formula. However after reading overwhelmingly good reviews i gave into pressure and purchased the polish in Prickly Pear (a pastal purple) and Papaya (a beautiful coral). The colours are gorgeous and look really summery, but what's most impressive about these varnishes is the shine. The gelly formula not only makes the colour pop but gives a lovely sheen to the finish. The texture seems to be thicker than the standard varnishes so you only need one layer and the last is fantastic. 

So that is where all my money has gone this month. What have you been buying this month?


Dr Spot - £8


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On my face this week #4

This weeks face has been all about simplicity and (as usual) keeping things as straightforward as possibly. With Boots AND Superdrug having 3 for 2 offers over the last few weeks (sorry bank balance) I have introduced some new products into my routine that I absolutely love.

This weeks focus has definitely been creating a good base. As someone who suffers from spots regularly i need a primer that smooths out my skin, providing me with a good canvas to work with. Enter Smashbox photo finish foundation primer! I'd read a lot about this before purchasing and it definitely lived up to the hype. I've been applying this primer straight after moisturising and have found it really helps to soften my skin as its texture is so silky and smooth. I'm always on the hunt for products that give me brighter skin, and this product definitely gives a glowing finish as well as helping my make up to last for much longer. I've been teaming this with the Me Me Me Beat the blues illuminator. Unfortunately i cannot take credit for this combination and i have the lovely ladies Nouvelle Daily to thank for this discovery! The idea of an illuminator is to highlight the good bits (the cheekbones or the brows) and combining this fantastic highlighter with the Smashbox primer makes my skin look dewy and iridescent  It's a perfect spring look, and takes no effort to pop a bit on in the mornings.


My next must have this week has to be the L'oreal false lash telescopic mascara. I'm fussy when it comes to mascara as i have quite sensitive eyes and not very much lash to work with but this mascara has ticked all the boxes. It delivers more on length then it does on volume, which is perfect for a natural, day time look. I absolutely adore the brush, it's very long and delicate which means you don't end up with huge clumps. As someone who doesn't wear any other eye make up i like some definition to my eyes and this mascara is ideal for that.

Last but certainly not least is my favourite product of this week (drum roll please) the long awaited and anticipated CC cream! I've been waiting to get my hands on a CC cream since their launch and after reading some positive reviews i decided to go with the L'oreal Paris Nude Magique CC Anti-Dullness Cream (what a mouthful). Now CC stands for 'Colour correcting' and the idea is it targets skin imperfections such as dullness or red patches, giving you a very even skin tone. I tend to have quite a dull complexion so i went for the anti-dullness which is a mauve colour. The texture of the cream is similar to a tinted moisturiser and gives a light coverage, so is perfect for the summer months. The formula is pigmented so it blends to your skin tone giving a flawless finish. It still baffles me that the cream blends so well without being initially matched to your skin tone, but it works! The product is very creamy and glides onto the skin wonderfully without making the skin feel heavy. I would definitely recommend this as a foundation replacement as i find even with my spotty skin it gives a very even coverage and even better it doesn't clog my pores, instead helping my skin to feel much clearer. 


What do you think of the new CC craze? 



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