Whats in my current make up bag?

Hello!
I haven't done a post in some time now...life got in the way for a bit, kids, house and work. I feel like I now have a good routine, everything is back in order, life is good and I really miss sitting down and talking about products! So I thought I would ease myself in with one of my favourite type of posts..."Whats in my current make up bag?" These are a few things that I have regularly been grabbing recently. Some things have actually changed since my last one of these although there's still some old faves in there!

 So without further a do...

1 | Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Radiance Shot | £19.95
This is one of those products I used for a while and didn't really know why I was using it but after a couple of weeks of using this every night I noticed a huge difference in my skin. I suffer from dry skin and this has massively helped, my skin feels smoother and a lot less dry. If I am having a day where I don't want to wear too much make up I now think my skin looks OK if I pop a pump of this on, it just makes my skin look less dull! I honestly couldn't rave about this product more if I tried.

2 | Garnier skinactive Day cream | £5.99
I love a lot of Garnier products, this is one of my favourite day creams, its really moisturising as it contains shea butter and great if you have dry skin. It is fast absorbing and leaves my skin feeling really soft. It has a slight fragrance to it but it's not over powering. 

3 | Becca Ultimate Cover Foundation | £32.00
I recently  got this when looking for a change from my holy grail Estée Lauder Double Wear, I wanted something with similar coverage but more moisturising. I have really enjoyed using this, it is a medium-high coverage foundation. They say this foundation is suitable for all skin types but I don't know how well it would last on oily skin but for my dry skin it works really well, it is not as matte as double wear, it gives you quite a dewy finish which I personally prefer. It feels really light on the skin which I love! When applying this foundation a little goes a long way, if you use too much it starts looking a bit cakey. The only real downsides I found from this product are that it takes a little while to set and it does transfer if you don't fully set with a powder. Overall have I found a real contender and will I stop buying Double wear?...No, my search continues! I use the colour Porcelain

4 | MAC Eyeshadows | Wood-winked & Naked Lunch | £10.00 each
These are two of my all time favourite MAC shadows, I have re-purchased these numerous times. Naked Lunch is really pretty all over the lids for a minimal make up look, its a light Shimmery pink. Wood-winked is the perfect gold, I love this on its own all over the lid with a bit of naked lunch on the inner corners of the lid. These are almost now gone and I will be buying these again!

5 | Benefit Hoola | £13 (Mini) £26 (Normal)  £38 (Mega)
If you don't know what this is...where have you been for the last like 10 years?! I have been using this for many years and it is something that is ALWAYS in my makeup bag. It is the perfect contour colour. The Pigment is amazing. These little boxes of last FOREVER, this mini one will easily last for 6 months even though I use it everyday. Benefit Bronzers and Blushes are by far the best in my opinion. There is even a light version of this now if the original is a bit too dark for you!
* £5 off Benefit orders 

6 | Rimmel Stay Matte Powder | £3.99
I have mentioned this in many of my past blog posts I don't use an awful lot of powder as I do have dry skin but I always sweep a bit of this on my T-Zone. I do wish they'd adapt the packaging of this though. The plastic lid always ends up cracking, which then leads to the powder eventually smashing. - I use the transparent one

7| Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade |£19.00
I love this, and since discovering it 3/4 years ago I haven't used anything else. This pot and an angled brow brush is all you need. This lasts all day doesn't transfer or wear off until you scrub it off! Really easy to use. I will continue to use this! - I use the colour Soft Brown

8 | Maybeline Hyper Precise Liquid liner | £5.99
I am always trying different liquid liners, in fact I have 4 different ones I am trying at the moment. I prefer the felt tip style liquid liner, I find them so much easier to apply compared to ones with brushes. This one has really impressed me, it is jet black not grey like a lot of them seem to be. It has a really fine tip meaning as the name says you can get a really precise line and it doesn't seem to dry out quickly. 

I hope you enjoyed this little post. I am trialing lots of new skin and hair products at the moment so I will update you with those soon! 

June Empties | 2015

Hey Guys!

I thought I'd do an empties post as I have been saving my empty products in a box and the box was getting quite full! These products are my empties from the past few months.

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub | £8.00

"Smashed Brown Sugar & Sweet Lime, Almond Oil & Macadamia Grains"

I love this scrub as I love most Soap and Glory products. This has lasted ages, I got it for Christmas and probably opened it in February so it has lasted for several months. Is smells incredible... a sweet, citrus-y scent that really wakes you up in the morning. I will probably re-purchase this just for the smell!

Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter | £7.00

"Pistachio, Almond and Sweet Vanilla Scent"

Once again Soap & Glory do not disappoint on scent. This is a completely different scent to the body scrub, it’s a sweet vanilla scent....it smells edible. I love Soap & Glory's packaging they have humorous names with witty quotes on them. I don't know if I'd personally re-purchase this, as much as the scent was amazing the product itself was a bit meh, but I'd be happy if I received it as a gift.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation | £31.00

I don't have a single negative comment on this foundation. I am in love with it. I first caved and purchased this foundation last year after reading outstanding reviews on every blog that I came across. This foundation has changed my life (Ok, a bit dramatic I know!). I have done a full review on this here. This foundation is hydrating, dewy, medium/high coverage and makes your skin look flawless. If I was being really picky the one mini downfall is that it doesn't come with a pump, but you can buy one separately! Will I re-purchase this? OF COURSE!

Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express | £7.99

I have done a full review on this also here. I really like this mascara and I have re-purchased it a couple of times.I feel it gives good length and volume, it is affordable and the packaging is quite cool. I prefer the Maybelline Falsies mascara but I think I purchased The Rocket when I had completely run out of mascara and the only shop I could get to had run out of The Falsies. This is a good high-street mascara and I probably will end up re-purchasing.

Bourjois Paris Bronzing Powder | £7.99

This isn't technically an empty but the bronzer has smashed so it is going in the bin. Not a massive fan of this powder, I find it quite orange-y on my skin tone and I don't personally think it blends very well. Also people say it smells like chocolate....I don't know what kind of chocolate they eat but I don't think it smells like chocolate, not like the Too Faced one does anyway!

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer | £4.19

You have more than likely read every beauty blogger bang on about this product, this is such a great high-street concealer. In fact I ran out last week and went to get some more today and it was sold out in every colour. It has really high coverage and is really affordable. I will re-purchase this as soon as it is back in stock in my Boots!

Estee Lauder Double Wear | £29.50

This is a great foundation and I have been using it on and off for about 6 years. It is really high coverage and lasts all day without fail. The only downside to this foundation is as I have dry skin it does cling to dry patches. It also has SPF in it so flashes back on photographs. I always say I'm not going to re-purchase as it dries my skin out, but always seem to go straight to it when I don't know what other foundation to try. Having said that I have now found Nars Sheer Glow so maybe I won't re-purchase...but no promises!

Current Every Day Makeup | May 2015

Hello, my lovelies. I thought I would do an updated current make-up post as a lot of my everyday products have changed since my last one! 

Skin | 

I have recently been trying the ARAD Day moisturiser, which I have been enjoying. It is a thick rich cream and has been great on my dry skin, I picked it up when I was in Homesense the other day, I haven't heard of the brand before so thought I would give it a go. 
I have been using an old favourite of mine the Estee Lauder Double Wear, although this foundation isn't great on dry skin, I find if I moisturise well it isn't a problem, I love the coverage of this foundation and the staying power is like no other! For concealer I have been using a mixture of Mac Pro Longwear concealer under my eyes and the famous Collection Lasting perfection on any blemishes. I really like both of these concealers although I do find that the collection creases under my eyes which is why I use Pro Longwear. 

Arad Day Moisturiser | Estee Lauder Double Wear | Mac Pro Longwear | Collection lasting perfection

Eyes |

On my eyes I have been using both my Urban Decay Naked 3 palette and a few of my Mac eyeshadows. The main colours I have been using from the Urban Decay palette are Limit and Nooner, I like to use these through the crease. The two Mac colours I have been using are Naked Lunch and Woodwinked. 
I have been using Eyeko Black Magic Mascara and Maybelline Master Precise felt tip eyeliner. I'm not a massive fan of the Eyeko mascara I feel it doesn't volumise or lengthen my lashes but its OK for eveyday use. Whereas I love the Maybelline Master Precise it is probably one of the best highstreet liners I have used, it is really simple to get a precise line (hence the name).

Collection Eyebrow Kit | Naked 3 Palette | Mac Eyeshadows

Eyebrows |

I have been using the lightest colour in the Collection Eyebrow Kit as I have recently gone blonde again, this is a great affordable eyebrow kit, but as with most palettes I chucked the brush that came with it away and I just use my own angled brush to apply. I then finish them by using the Eyeko Brow Gel which I love. 

Eyeko Brow Gel | Eyeko Black Magic Mascara | Maybelline Master Precise 

Cheeks | 

On my cheeks, I have been using my Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Palette which I recently reviewed (here). Also I have been using the MUA Undress Your Skin Shimmer Highlighter in gold, This is a great highstreet highlighter which is a really pretty colour and is affordable.

Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit | MUA Undress Your Skin

MUA Undress me too

If you follow me on instagram you'll know that I am completly obsessed with MUA's Undress me too palette at the moment. I really like wearing gold/bronze colours on my eyes everyday.

The colours in this palette are very good quality considering the palette retails at £4.00! These shadows are really highly pigmented and are very blendable. If I am going for a natural look I will use ‘Naked’ across my lid and ‘Lavish’ in my crease and, if I want a bit more colour, I will use ‘Devotion’ and ‘Dreamy’. ‘Shy’ is a lovely highlighting colour, so I have been using this on my brow bone everyday. I am looking forward to using the darker colours for a night out.

I find that the colour lasts all day on my lids, but if I want to make it stay even longer I have been using my Maybelline colour tattoo eyeshadow in Eternal Gold as a base for the shadow.

This palette comes with 3 matte colours and the rest are shimmery. I think this is definitely one of my favorite MUA palettes. I do want to get their ‘Dusk till Dawn’ palette! I love MUA as a brand I think it’s brilliant. The products are all so cheap, yet they are actually very good quality.

Have you tried this palette? What is your favorite MUA product?

Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express | Review

Hi Guys! As you may know I purchased Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express this week. I have used Lancome Hypnose Drama for the past 3 years and wanted to try something else. Hypnose Drama retails at £22.00 so I really wanted to try something cheaper, I heard so many people raving about the rocket so thought I would give it a go. 

Maybelline's description of the rocket is "You'll love this mascara because it's glidable and goes on lashes so cleanly, leaving a glossy finish. You don't need to apply many coats as our Jet Glide brush charges big, explosive volume in Rocket time."

My first impression was that the packaging is quite cool and I find that the shape makes it easy to hold and apply. I was a bit worried as it is a plastic brush and I usually prefer the traditional bristle brushes. This was £7.99 which isn't really cheap but I have found that mascaras are generally over priced in drugstores on the plus side it was in the 3 for 2 at BOOTS, saying that it is still a big difference on the £22.00 I'd usually spend on lancome. 

Before

Before

With Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express

With Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express

So overall I do really like this mascara I feel that it can clump so it isn't "clump free" but then I think that all mascaras can. I think that it gave my lashes a good amount of length and volume whilst also giving them a nice curl. I will definitely  buy this again as the price tag isn't that bad and its just as good maybe better than any high end mascara that I have tried.

Have you tried this mascara? What were your thoughts?


 

Everyday Make-up / FOTD

Hi Guys! Today I thought I would do a post on my everyday makeup. This look I have pretty much been wearing every day for the last few weeks. I always do this, I get stuck doing the same makeup look for weeks as its easy to get into the routine of grabbing the same make-up everyday. The only thing that does change is lipstick I try to wear a different one everyday. 

So for my skin I start with using this YONKA moisturiser - I got this in a Joliebox and I really love it, I have really dry skin but this is really moisturising this is £35.00 via the birchbox shop. I have been using my Laura Mercier silk creme foundation which I love I have it in colour beige ivory, I tend to use Estee Lauders double wear but I found that it really dried my skin out. Laura Mercier silk creme foundation has good coverage and feels nice on my skin I use my real techniques buffing brush to apply this. My favorite concealer is this collection 2000 lasting perfection  which I have in light 2. I then use my Rimmel Stay Matte powder which i have in 001 transparent, this is by far the best powder I have used it doesn't make you look to matte and it lasts all day.    

For my cheeks I use this little glow cheek block buster which I will also do a review on because I have fallen in love with it and its from Primark!! My mum bought me this a while ago and to be honest I just chucked it at the back of my make-up box thinking it would be rubbish, after finding it and using it a couple of weeks ago I realised I was very wrong and I really like it! I also use my Benefit Coralista (Excuse the battered box, it is rather old).

I have been using this liquid liner from Natural collection for the past few weeks and I love it! It costs just £1.99, its easy to apply and it lasts all day! I will do a review on this sometime this week.

I have started using this again recently. I got this in my media makeup kit when I was at college. You can get this on the Crown brush website for just £22.99. you can see the colours I use and they are just the neutrals. 

This is my current favorite lipstick and its the Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in 107. 

 

Boots Haul

Today I went to boots to get a few things I needed. Whilst there I spotted a couple of other things that I have been wanting to try for a while. 
One of the main things I wanted to get was some new mascara, as my Lancome Hypnose ran out last week. I really wanted to try something different so I got Maybelline the rocket volum' express, I have read so many good reviews on this mascara so I am looking forward to seeing how good it is. 

I also needed a new brow pencil so I just picked up the Rimmel professional eyebrow pencil in 002 HAZEL. 
Whilst at the Rimmel counter I couldn't help but notice the Apocalips lip lacquers that I have seen so many people blogging about, I could have happily picked up all of the colours but I stopped myself and just picked up one colour - 400 BIG BANG. 
Rimmel also have a eyeshadow primer which I have never noticed before and most eyeshadow primers are high end and expensive so I thought I'd give the Rimmel one a go. Finally I picked up a lip liner from Natural Collection in the colour ruby rose. I really like a few of the natural collection items that I have used recently and all of their products are so cheap, I am currently using their liquid liner which I love and it was only £1.99!

Just to let you all know, boots have their 3 for 2 on make-up at the moment. 
I will do reviews on each product once I have used them a few times. 

Little shopping trip!

I went shopping today and got a few bits I needed/wanted before Christmas.

First up I really wanted a Christmas Red lipstick as I have recently lost my favorite YSL red lipstick. I got one of the Rimmel lipsticks from Kate Moss's range. I purchased it in the colour 01 which is a dark red.

Then I really needed a liquid liner as I have just run out of my Maybelline gel liner. So I decided to try this Master precise liquid liner.

Finally I have been looking for a Christmas jumper everywhere and I found this really cute one with reindeer's on it which I think i am going to wear on Christmas day!