Another little Essence haul!

Whilst I was in town this week, I popped into Wilko (supposedly just to pick up some wrapping paper) and ended up getting a few things from the Essence stand whilst en route to the checkout, oops.
I love their quick dry range of nail polishes, but was disappointed that they'd replaced them all with ones from the gel range.  I believe you can still order them to be delivered to store, but it's always a bit nicer to be able to pick shades out in person!  Otherwise, the stand was pretty well stocked, so I picked out a few other items to test out.

The first was a lipstick from their 'Longlasting' range, in the shade '15 Oh So Matt'.  It's a quite neutral brown-y nude shade, which I don't have anything quite like in my collection - the closest I could find was Soap and Glory's Sexy Motherpucker Gloss Stick in 'Nudist', but that's peachier and quite a bit glossier!  I'm still not quite sure if the shade washes me out on its own, but paired with Rimmel's Lipliner in 'East End Snob' it's perfect.  I think I'll get a lot of use out of it over the summer when I want very neutral, but still looking-put-together makeup!  I thought I should mention too that the scent is totally different to the other lipstick I have from the range, '01 Coral Calling' - the nude has a more fruity scent whereas the coral has more of a generic lipstick scent (not sure if all the shades have different scents).

I also thought I'd give one of their glosses a go, and as I don't really have any darker shades of gloss The shade I picked out was '34 Poppy Red' from their XXXL Shine Range which is a gorgeous orange-y red.  I did want to try the red from the longer lasting range, but the product actually looked like it had dried up inside the tube - not great!  I'm really happy with the one I picked though - it looks great over a matt lipliner/pencil and is nice for a sheerer wash of colour alone.  The product has a very light sweet scent, and it's really comfortable to wear - not sticky at all!

Lastly, I fancied giving one of their eyeliners a go and since they say that purple/taupe shades enhance blue eyes, I picked the shade '18 Berry Merry' which is a beautiful dark berry shade (as the name would suggest) with an almost coppery shine.  I'm really looking forward to using this in place of my usual brown liner in the waterline as it's soft but not too smudgy so should stick around well.  And the best thing - it was only 50p!  I love how the Essence range has good quality products (much better than their drugstore counterparts, MUA) but they're extremely affordable so you can afford to experiment a bit - I've yet to be disappointed by something from the range and would highly recommend checking them out!

L-R: Essence XXXL Shine Gloss '34 Poppy Red', Essence Longlasting
 Lipstick '15 Oh So Matt', Essence Longlasting Eyeliner '18 Berry Merry'

xxx

Summer eye look! Peachy golden shadow...

When I've got a little extra time in the mornings, I love to play around with different shadows and do a proper eye look.  Since it's been exam season for the last month too I've also been procrastinating a bit, oops, and spending some extra time on my makeup has become routine now!  I've loved wearing this particular look for the last few days, as it's not one that can be easily messed up, and I love the gorgeous peachy tones underneath the shimmer!

The finished look.  Apologies for the slightly dodgy lighting,
 the sun is just refusing to come out at the moment!

Firstly, I applied my Nars Pro Prime Eyesahdow Primer as if I don't use this my makeup melts off in a matter of minutes!  Then I added a thin layer of the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 'Creamy Beige', as this gives a slight orangey-tone underneath the other shadows.  (I'm not sure if this is still available as I had a lot of difficulty getting my mitts on one and this was several months ago.  I believe Mac Paint Pot in 'Groundwork' is very similar though, but it is quite a bit pricier!)  I then blended out the edges so there weren't any harsh dark lines, using my setting brush that had a little concealer left on it.  After that, using a fluffy brush I applied the Kiko Infinity Eyeshadow in the shade '219' all over the lid and also built it up a little in the crease.  I find that this, whilst being a beautiful rose gold shadow, can be a little too pink on my skin but over the top of a more orangey base it gives a lovely peachy effect.  These shadows are seriously longlasting though, and are extremely similar to the Burberry ones but are only a few pounds!  I also applied a little along my lower lashline using a smaller, pointier fluffy brush.  Finally I then applied a small amount of Stila Eyeshadow in 'Kitten' on the centre of the lids and blended it out towards the inner corner - this is so soft and pigmented that you need barely anything to give a gorgeous shimmery glow.

Finished off with a slick of mascara on the upper and lower lashes, it's good to go!

L-R:  Stila Eyeshadow in 'Kitten', Kiko Infinity Eyeshadow '219',
 Maybelline Colour Tattoo 'Creamy Beige' 

xxx

Neutral nails for pale skinned gals!

Essie 'Sand Tropez' Nail Polish

As much as I adore the lilac-greigey tinged nudes, there's always something about them on my skintone that just looks a little off.  As in 'hands a bit dead' off.  A while back though, I picked up a bottle of Essie's 'Sand Tropez' and was obsessed.  It's the perfect sandy, taupey, milky coloured nude that doesn't look a thing like tippex nails!  It also goes with pretty much anything as it's completely neutral which is something I'd been looking for for yonks.

The formula as per the usual with Essie polishes is great - opaque in two coats (with a base coat) and pretty longlasting.  I forgot to take nail pictures until a good few days had passed, yet there were little to no chips in sight!  All in all, definitely one to try out if you're super pale skinned and on the market for a nude polish.

xxx

The most luxe eyeshadow ever!

A couple weeks ago I got one of those emails from Debenhams, saying that they were running their 10 percent off beauty promo - so of course I headed over to the website to check a few things out!  I spotted that they now stock Burberry makeup, and as it's currently exam season and I'm feeling a tad stressed I thought I'd treat myself to something from the range as a little pick me up!

I decided on a shade of their Sheer Eyeshadow, as I'd seen some great reviews of it online.  The one I chose was 'Pale Barley', which is a gorgeous golden-taupey sheeny shadow that looks amazing alone all over the lid - paired with a slick of mascara.  Its the most expensive single shadow I've ever bought, but really do think it was worth the splurge as the colour is so unique, the shadow so pigmented and the lasting power (with my usual primer), oh boy.  Yesterday, I wore it for 16 hours straight with no creasing and little fading.  In comparison, a Sleek shadow with the exact same primer (Nars Pro Prime) it only lasts about 8 hours and then it's at risk of creasing - the joys of having oily skin haha!

Here's a swatch of just a tiny amount, to show how pigmented it is!
 I love how in some lights it's taupe, and others an almost khaki tinted gold.

Anyway, I definitely think it was worth the money and next time I feel like treating myself I'll be back for another shade from the range.  They'd also make a lovely gift, as the packaging is pretty special and the shadow itself comes in a lovely little velvet pouch!

xxx

A higher end makeup haul...

I'd like to start off by saying that don't worry, nope, I didn't purchase all this in one go!  It's a collective haul from the last month or so, as I didn't feel that every item warranted an individual post but I still thought it'd be nice to share them with you all...

The first thing I picked up was Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, which is a super dry, high coverage concealer.  It was super pricey, but I've actually gotten quite a bit of use out of it on those no-makeup days where I'd still like a bit of coverage on any scars or blemishes.  It's also great used over foundation, but I've found it's best to powder first and then layer up or you can start to move stuff around a bit!  The best thing is that the lighter shade (I've got the lightest palette, SC-1 if anyone's interested) is actually lighter than my skintone!  It's also yellow toned, so does the redness-cancelling job really well.  The darker shade (which annoyingly is the one you get more of) is pinker toned and is useful to mix in with the other one for when it's just too light.  I use a tiny flat brush to apply it with, and the stiffer bristles mean you can really pack on the product without it looking cakey.  Overall, I'm actually really glad I've got this in my stash, as it covers so much better that liquid concealer!  You also get almost 6 grams of product, and considering how little you need to use it's going to last ages!

Next up was the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara, which is super handy for when you want you lower lashes to look on point.  I do find it a bit of a faff to use though, and often can't be bothered so I might pass it onto my Mum so that it doesn't dry up before it's used up!  I love the cute silver design on the tube, which is probably part of why I was suckered in - but I do think it'd be worth the money if you tend to make a big mess with larger mascara wands.

Soon after, I splurged on my first Burberry Eyeshadow.  I'd been eyeing them up for a while, but they never had the shade I wanted in stock, and then when we actually passed a counter in duty free we had to rush to catch our plane and I didn't have time to stop, sadtimes.  But I got my paws on one eventually, and I'm super happy with it!  I've actually done a proper review of it, which should be the next post up here!

Finally, last week I saw that Escentual had a sale on.  I was picking up some of my usual bits and bobs and then on a whim decided to treat myself to a new lipstick!  I'd been really good up until then, and had been on a bit of a lip product ban but 20 percent off was a too good offer to miss!  I picked out one of the Rouge Dior Lipsticks in the shade 'Rose Bonheur' as I'd heard good things about the range online.  It's the perfect my lips but better shade for me, and although it's quite sheer the colour sticks around for a decent amount of time with no awkward fading.  The scent is also lovely - a more sophisticated version of love hearts sweets!  One that goes with everything, and since I don't have a lot of nude lip products I didn't feel to guilty about picking it up!


xxx

This week's nails - Barry M 'Damson'

This week's nail post is about the second Barry M polish I picked up a while ago in my drugstore haul...

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in 'Damson'

'Damson' is a gorgeous bright, royal blue shade that's perfect for perking up an outfit!  I love the glossy effect you get from the Gelly range of polishes, and this particular shade dries super fast and is opaque in two coats.  It does have a rather strong plastic-y smell though, which may be offputting for some but I tend to do my nails in the evening so by morning the scent has faded enough that it's not much of a bother.

I'm one of those people that tends to stick to more neutral nail colours, so there's not too much going on if I'm wearing a bright lip or piece of clothing, but something about this shade just keeps me coming back (I've already painted my nails with it several times in succession...)  Definitely one to check out if you're in the market for a budget friendly blue nail polish!

xxx

The palest drugstore foundations!

Up until a few months ago, the only liquid foundation I owned that matched my skin was Bobbi Brown's Skin Foundation in the lightest shade, Alabaster.  It's a great foundation, but with my skin having more dry patches than this time last year, it wasn't working as well for me as it used to.  I decided to give something new a go, but as I didn't want to be experimenting with high end products (which at about £30 a pop were a bit out of my price range) I had a look round Boots to see what I could find...

The first product I found was the Loreal True-Match Foundation in the shade 'N1'.  This is a little yellower in tone than the Bobbi Brown but once blended in with my Real Techniques sponge matches my skin really well.  I love how this gives really natural coverage, and the lightweight, runny texture of the product makes it really easy to apply.  The lasting power is pretty good for this - about 8 to 10 hours with primer and then it starts to separate on the oilier areas of the face.  It also, like the Bobbi Brown, has no discernible scent which is great.  Definitely one to give a go if you're on the hunt for a good light-to-medium coverage foundation.

A few weeks ago though, I saw that Rimmel had released a new shade in their foundation ranges called 'Light Porcelain' which is almost exactly the same as the Bobbi Brown shade - maybe even lighter!  I decided to try out their Lasting Finish Nude foundation, as I was still looking for something with longer lasting-power, and fuller coverage that would still look natural (okay, a little optimistic but hey!)  This does actually live up to my expectations though - a couple of days ago I left the house at 6 in the morning and it was still looking nice at 9 at night!  I haven't tried it out (or the Loreal one) sans primer yet though, as I know my skin will eat up the product by lunchtime - but it'd be interesting to see and compare lasting power without primer at some point... It does apply really nicely though, without emphasising drier areas of skin, and also has buildable coverage so you can layer on a little more where needed without any issues!  The only thing that lets this one down is that the product has a quite strong fruity-floral scent - luckily it doesn't affect me but I can see this being a bit of a letdown for people with sensitive noses or skin which reacts to added fragrance.  Otherwise, I'd definitely recommend it (especially since it's one of the cheapest foundations you can find in the drugstore!)

L-R: Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation 'Alabaster', Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude
 Foundation 'Light Porcelain', Loreal True-Match Foundation 'N1'

xxx

Sephora haul!

A few weeks ago, I visited Rome with my family and to my great excitement whilst in the middle of sightseeing I spotted a Sephora store!  I knew that there were a few stores in Italy, but wasn't sure if there was actually one in central Rome (Google maps claimed the only one was at the station, which is a good hours walk from the city centre) so hadn't really expected to be able to pay one a visit.  However, we happened upon one and I immediately ran in and grabbed a few items whilst my family waited patiently (read: confusedly) outside.  I only picked up a few things because my budget was limited to the few euros I had in my purse - darn you roaming debit card charges!  But I'm really chuffed with what I purchased and thought I'd share my thoughts on them here...

I'd read quite a bit about the Cream Lip Stains, which are a range of beautiful matte liquid lipsticks that are priced somewhere between drugstore and Mac as they're from Sephora's own range (this was my only gripe about Sephora Italy - everything is a few pounds more expensive than in the States or France) but I think they're well worth the £10-ish price tag.  They have a pleasant light floral scent, and apply really easily - much much nicer than the Bourjous Rouge Edition Velvets which are the most similar thing around that price range you can get in the UK.  They also don't budge unless you eat something seriously oily, and even then they fade gently - and you don't even feel them on the lips!  I chose the shades '01 Always Red' which is a true, neutral toned red and '03 Strawberry Kissed' which is a gorgeous dark pink shade.

Next on my list was one of the brushes, from their own brand range again.  I picked out the Pro Airbrush Concealer Brush as I haven't got a brush quite like it, and I'd also seen quite a few rave reviews about it!  I'd previously been using my Real Techniques Setting Brush for undereye concealer, but this has blown it out of the water!  I find that if I start off by applying with fingers, and then blend out with the Pro Airbrush it gives such a smooth, even finish that doesn't look cakey at all.  I also like how the head of the brush isn't too big so you can be precise (i.e. not end up blending product all over the place instead of where it's really needed!) but it's large enough that blending only takes a few seconds.

There wasn't quite an "aisle of doom" in the store I was in, but there was a carousel full of travel minis right by the checkout!  I decided to pick up a little bottle of their Triple Action Cleansing Water (which isn't pictured as I've left it at home, sorry!) I have yet to try it, as I decided to use up my little bottle of Bioderma first but I thought it'd be great for travel and it was only a few euros.  I also grabbed one of their 4 Way Nail Buffers as you don't really seem to see them in UK shops anymore - and my nails can be quite rough sometimes after removing polish so I thought it might be interesting to try out!

I did have a look for the 'Formula X' nail polishes, but they didn't seem to stock them which was a bit disappointing.  There was a Marc Jacobs stand though, which was quite exciting!  All in all, I had a lot of fun shopping in Sephora and am really pleased with the products I picked up!

xxx

My new favourite mascara combo!

I love the pink and gold accents on the packaging
- which is usually just black all over!

On my last trip to Superdrug, I picked up a tube of Max Factor's False Lash Effect mascara.  Over the last couple of weeks I've absolutely fallen in love with the beautiful fluttery lashes it gives - the picture below is after almost 12 hours of wear, and you can still see the curl!  It's not massively volumising unless you start to build it up, which I actually rather like (as most of the time I like to keep my makeup natural looking!) but as I said before it really does hold the curl despite the fact it isn't the waterproof version.  It doesn't crumble or smudge at all, even with my super watery eyes and at the end of the day it washes off nicely with my usual cleansing oil.

After using the dinky little wand on Benefit's Roller Lash it did take a while to get used to the mahoossive wand on Max Factor's - but I quickly got the hang of it and now really appreciate how the larger wand allows for faster and easier application.  I do use a separate mascara for my lower lashes though (Clinique's Bottom Lash Mascara), as even with the smallest of regular mascara wands I tend to make a mess!  

Overall, I'm really pleased I picked this one up and would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting super long curly lashes that are still natural looking.

xxx

Last week's nails - Barry M 'Eat My Dust'

I picked up a couple of new nail polishes last week, which I talked about in my drugstore haul - but now I've tested them out I thought I'd let you guys know what I thought of them!

Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Nail paint in 'Eat My Dust'
£3.99 from Boots

The shade I used first, and am going to talk about here is 'Eat My Dust' from their Speedy Quick Dry range.  Applied over a base coat, it only takes a couple of coats for pretty much full opacity, and it dries fast (but not much faster than the Gelly polishes to be honest!)  I did test it out on its own to start with, sans base, but within a few hours it all began to peel off which wasn't great - so I'd definitely recommend using a base coat with this range even if you're in a rush!  The colour is beautiful though - a  creamy pastel blue with a hint of lilac.  However I did find that after a day or so the lilac tint disappeared and it became a true sky blue on the nails (as you can see in the swatches) and lasted chip free for about five days with my usual Sally Hansen Insta-Dry top coat.

For comparison I've popped it next to the shade 'Almond,' from their Gelly range, in the picture below.  Unlike 'Almond', 'Eat My Dust' hasn't got that greige-y nude thing going on, and is much lighter in colour which is perfect for springtime!  Also, compared to the Gelly range these polishes have a great sized brush, that's similar to the sort you get from Essie.  This makes doing your manicure a bit less fiddly!

All in all, I'm really glad I picked this shade up and really want to give the mint green from the range a go!
Next nail post I'll be reviewing the other Barry M polish from my haul, so keep an eye out for that in a week or so's time...

xxx

Wears of the week #3

Apologies for the dodgy pic - the lighting in my uni room is a bit rubbish :/

It's been forever since I did one of these posts, but to be honest there's not been much clothing excitement up in these parts!  However, since the sun decided to show it's face (somewhat intermittently) my outfit choices have become a little less jeansandajumper-y...


Asos Leather Shopper Bag (similar)
I purchased this a couple of months ago, and have used it on a daily basis since.  Even though it was only £30, the leather is beautifully soft and the bag itself is super roomy and lightweight.  My only bug-bear would be that the little Asos leather tag fell off within the first week, but the bag itself is nicely made, and only strains at the handles when you really overload it.  An excellent buy - am even getting my Mum one for her birthday!


New Look Pointed Flats
These, I've actually only had for a week - and I've worn them constantly!  They do rub a bit at the heels and where the laces meet but having gone for the size up they're super comfortable on my toes, and look gorgeous on.  They're a pretty good dupe for the Aquazurra pumps, which are waaay out of my price range but I love the style of these so much I may have to look on the high-street for a leather version that'll last longer...I think Dune do a pair?


H&M Striped Tops (here and here)
H&M have so many gorgeous things at the moment, that when I went in store armed with a 20 percent off voucher I had no idea what to get!  In the end I just picked up some more basics (their £4 t-shirts are ace) and a couple of striped tops.  The first is more of a fine knit jumper but is viscose so feels like a supersoft cotton, and the other is just a loose fit tee - the only problem is that my uni town lacks a store so I can't pick up any more till the summer vacation starts, boo.


Aubergine coloured Levis!
These shorts came off eBay, nearly a year ago now.  I adore the colour, and they're the most comfy things ever.  With a pair of black tights and ankle boots they look great - not too dressy but the colour adds a bit of interest.

xxx

Revlon Colourburst Balm Stains - Review and lip swatches...

I recently picked up a couple of extra shades of the Revlon Colourburst Balm Stains, which I briefly talked about in my drugstore haul post.  Having used them for a little while, I felt I could give them a proper review now and can compare all three shades that I own from the range!

'Honey' I've raved about multiple times previously...it transforms on the lips to the perfect soft pinky-berry stain shade that stains the lips beautifully.  The formula of all three of these dries out my lips a tiny bit, but is so lightweight and comfortable to wear - some people aren't fond of the minty scent but I love how it feels soothing - a little like Carmex.

'Lovesick' is a lovely bright cool-toned pink that because it's somewhat sheer, isn't too in your face!  This one stains the lips immediately though, so beware - any chapped areas will be left bright pink on removal.  I'm really looking forward to wearing this throughout the warmer months and hope that this will help me build up the courage to try out a more opaque version of the colour!

'Rendezvous' looks pretty daunting in the bullet - completely orange - but in reality is extremely wearable.  Because my teeth aren't the whitest in the world, I tend to avoid super warm toned lip shades but as this looks like more of a dark orangey red on the lips I can just about pull it off!  It does make dry patches more noticeable than the other shades, but much less so than other lighter lip colours I own.  It also did require a bit of building up to get the result pictured, but I don't
really mind as once you've applied it the colour sticks
around long after the product has worn off!

xxx

Huge drugstore makeup haul!

This time last week, I decided I'd head into town for a little shopping pick-me-up.  And ended up going a little bonkers in the aisles of Boots and Superdrug!  I thought It'd be fun to share them with you, as I don't often purchase this many items in one go - oops...

It's been at least a couple of months since I purchased any lip products, and since I absolutely love the Revlon Balm Stain in 'Honey' I thought I'd try out some other shades from the range.  In a post last week I mentioned I had a gap in my lipstick stash for a bright pink and an orange lip colour - so when I was in Boots I picked out 'Lovesick' and 'Rendezvous'.  They both look gorgeous, so fingers crossed the wear time is just as good as 'Honey'!  I also happened to wander past the Barry M stand, and I ended up grabbing a couple of their polishes - who can resist, right?  'Eat my dust' is a gorgeous pale, pastel blue that pulls a tiny bit lilac, and it's from their Speedy Quick Dry range which I was curious to try.  'Damson' is the most stunning bright blue shade, from the Gelly Hi-Shine range (which I've been super impressed with before).  Plus, they were buy one get one half price, so it was a win-win situation!

In Superdrug, there's also a 3 for 2 on currently but across all brands.  I'd heard a lot about the Max Factor Creme Puff blushes, and how they have a very similar glow-y effect to the Hourglass ones but at a fraction of the price.  Since I love Rimmel 'Santa Rose' as it's the perfect natural blush for my skintone, I thought I'd give '10 Nude Mauve' a go - which is very similar but adds a little more dimension to the face as it's not totally matte (I've already tried this out aswell, and it's super soft with very little fallout so applies like a dream!)  I also decided to try out Rimmel's (relatively new) foundation, which is the Nude version of their Lasting Finish formulation.  As I have a tiny bit more colour in my skin post-holiday, I think '010 Light Porcelain' should be a pretty good shade match - thankyou drugstore brands for finally catering to us super pale people!  Finally, I knew that my Benefit Roller Lash was on it's last legs so I was on the market for a new mascara.  In the end, the lovely counter staff pointed out that Max Factor's False Lash Effect had several pounds off, making it cheaper than the other two products which meant I got it for free!  I'd seen Suzie from Hello October talk about this, and since her lashes always look amazing I thought it was definitely worth a go.  Plus, the packaging is super pretty (I think part of the profits go to the Marie Curie trust, which is awesome too).

And just as a little add on at the end, whilst I was in Wilko (getting ice cube trays if you must know!) I stopped off at the Essence stand and chose one of their Longlasting Lipsticks in the shade '01 Coral Calling' It's a lovely, bright peachy coral and was only a couple of pounds.  It has a similar scent to their lipliners - slightly chemically woody cherry but isn't strong at all (or that offensive to be honest!)

xxx

Asos wishlist...

If I ordered everything that caught my fancy on Asos, my student loan would be gone in a heartbeat.  There are a few things though, that I've let myself add to my 'saved items' for when the next 20 percent off student sale comes along...



Becksondergaard Oversized Perrine Scarf
Throughout the winter, I've used my star-patterned scarf but now that it's getting warmer I fancied something more lightweight.  This one is still pretty pricey for just cotton, so I may wait until its in a  proper sale before picking it up - but the tiny red detailing round the edges is lovely and I can see this going with practically every outfit.  We shall see...

Vero Moda Lace Insert Blouse

I always find that viscose tops, although they crease like a b****, are the comfiest things around besides cotton.  This one is so pretty and summery looking, and I can see it being dressed up with a pair of heeled sandals, or dressed down with some trainers.  

Asos Oval Classic Retro Sunglasses
I actually only have a couple of pairs of sunglasses that halfway suit my face shape - and both are wayfarers.  One is a pair of ahem Ray-ban homages, purchased on holiday in Santorini and the others are Emporio Armani ones that I got for a great deal a few years back.  My Armani ones however rub a lot of my foundation/concealer off as they basically rest across the middle of my face - so I fancied a pair with nose pads that might do this slightly less!  Fingers crossed these fit my massive head...



Asos Triple Triangle Swing Earrings and Asos Tiny Triangle Earrings
I adore rose gold jewellary, but there hardly ever seems to be a middle-price bracket.  It's either the sort where the plating wears off in a week or the uber-expensive vermeil.  These fall into the first category I suppose, but as they're earrings only the post comes into contact with the skin so the plate should last much longer than say, on a ring.
The first ones look a little edgy, which is exactly what I've been looking for - I love the chandelier-type earrings but find they weigh down on my ears far too much nowadays and these look to be the perfect inbetween.  The others are much daintier, but since my very similar pair of Pia hammered studs have been worn on a daily basis I thought these would be nice for a change!  Also, I might have made a cheeky purchase in the shape of a rose-gold faced watch (Topshop have the 20 percent off for students promotion on right now) so these would go beautifully with it!






Vila Classic Trench Coat
Recently, I've been hunting up and down for the perfect trench coat.  I thought I'd found it in this one from New Look, but it just didn't look quite right as it fell a little too far past my knees.  This looks quite a bit shorter, but I love how it looks a bit like a pea coat but in much more lightweight material.



xxx

The best for blemishes!

You know those days when you take your makeup off just before bed, and discover that a real corker of a spot has risen from nowhere to take over the middle of your face?  Previously - I'd panic, squeeze and regret.  Regret a lot.  Recently aswell, as my immune system has been a bit haywire (thanks very much, Vitamin deficiency) even if I so much as gently prodded a blemish it would develop into a cyst from hell...
After a couple of months, I think I've managed to train myself to deal with my skin a little more gently and look after the breakout-prone areas a bit better.  A few products have helped with this, and I thought I'd share them with you today as some of them are real gems!

For that breakout-prone area...

Boots Skin Clear Ultra Treatment Cream is the main thing I'll use.  This, I dot pretty much all over my face before applying moisturiser in the morning.  I've taken to using a bit of Tea Tree and Witch Hazel solution aswell at this point, spritzed all over the face and neck.  I feel like both of these calm down any areas that might look a bit suspicious, especially those that may have flared up overnight.  Distilled Witch Hazel is also pretty darn awesome, if you've got a corker of a zit that hurts a lot it'll help a lot with the inflammation - plus it's dirt cheap!  It's the sort of thing that's kept upstairs with the Arnicare in Boots, but worth hunting down.


To stop that spot in it's tracks...

From the same Skin Clear range, the Ultra Rapid Action Spot Gel is amazing to use overnight or in the day when you're not wearing makeup.  It's the same sort of formula as the Nick Lowe Gel I used to love but a fraction of the price, and I think it works so much better.  It does dry out the skin a little, so if you're using it for more than a couple of days then make sure you use a super hydrating moisturiser on the healing skin afterwards.  Despite this, I now swear by this stuff.  Even if a spot has almost come to a head (gross, sorry!) this slowly but surely calms it back down - and if it's a small one then it can make it disappear overnight.  I've heard that Origins' Super Spot Remover is supposed to be like this, but is obviously much pricier, and I'm chuffed to bits with how well Boots' offering works.


And for when your skin feels clogged up...

On my skin, I trust the Origins Clear Improvement Mask implicitly.  If a particular area feels like its brewing up a spot, I'll apply a little of this for 20 minutes or so and I feel that it really does help with calming it down.  I do use this all over occasionally, but much more so in just treating individual areas as it can dry out the skin a little.

All in all, I try to avoid the strong, real antiseptics unless absolutely necessary as the bacteria on your skin can become resistant - which is bad news.  Instead, all the options I've mentioned here are either natural extracts or oils or are Salicylic Acid based, so you can keep the Savlon or Sudocrem for when you've got a proper cut or scrape!

xxx

The perfect tinted moisturiser for pale skin...?

Last summer, I had a very close relationship with my Missha BB cream.  It was my go-to base pretty much every day, as my mineral powders weren't quite cutting it on the longevity front through those warmer months (aka sweaty betty days!)  However, this year I fancied giving something new a go for those days where I want to even out my complexion a bit, but not add much coverage.  Having seen a couple of reviews of Lush's Colour Supplements I went and swatched them in store - and to my own chagrin wasn't expecting much.  But one of the shades was a perfect match to my skintone - and I mean perfect!

The shade I use is 'Jackie Oats'.  Below, I've shown it next to Nars' Creamy Concealer in 'Chantilly' which is probably the ghostliest concealer on the market.  Lush's offering though, is actually a tad lighter and has no orange tones whatsoever so completely blends into my skin without being ashy or grey (which was an issue I had experienced with the Missha).  It also has a pleasant oaty scent, which I guess comes from oat milk being a key ingredient.

L-R: Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer 'Chantilly', Lush Colour Supplement 'Jackie Oats'

How the product works, is that you mix it in with your usual moisturiser to create a nicely pigmented but still sheer base.  Obviously, the finish isn't going to be particularly matte unless your moisturiser does that anyway, but I've found that it doesn't separate or slip around during the day.  You also only need a tiny dab of product per usage, so although you only get 20g of product it should last a while.  Also, if I'm looking particularly grey I'll add a little of the Body Shop's Radiant Highlighter - which adds a lovely non-greasy sheen!

Lush Colour Supplements are priced at £9.50, the shade 'Jackie Oats' is available in stores and online here.

xxx

Here comes the sun

Having just published my first post in well over a month, I thought it'd be a good idea to explain what happened - i.e. why I went awol for so long!

I'd been feeling pretty rubbish since Christmas, after that nasty bout of tonsilitis that I caught at work grrr.  By early March though it was getting ridiculous - and after having to leave a couple of uni exams mid way through after nearly passing out on the invigilator, I decided enough was enough and it was time to go to the doctors.  After what seemed like every test under the sun, I got a diagnosis right at the end of term...it was Vitamin D deficiency!  It was such as relief to know it was easily fixable, and long story short, after a month of extra strength supplements I finally feel back to normal.  I've still got to keep them topped up, but hopefully since the sun has started to show it's face up north I'll be able to get some the normal way aswell haha.

Anyway, after a lovely Easter break recuperating (although it flew by with all the stuff we crammed into it!) I'm looking forward to getting back on schedule - both with Uni life and blogging.
Here's to a great Spring and Summer!

xxx

Counting up the corals...

I know for a fact that I've got so many sheer, pinky-coral lip products that they're practically coming out of my ears!  I'd never really lined them all up before though - so I thought I'd share my somewhat messy armful of swatches with you in case anyone else would find the colour comparisons useful...

From L-R: Soap and Glory Gloss Stick 'Fuchsiaristic', YSL Glossy Stain '111', Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil 'Red Square', Dior Lip Glow '4 Coral', Korres Lip Butter 'Mango', Nyx Butter Gloss '6 Peach Cobbler', Revlon Lip Butter 'Juicy Papaya', Barry M Gloss '11'

The most long lasting of the bunch are the YSL and Nyx, which really don't shift unless you eat something oily.  Rather surprisingly these are followed by Barry M's offering.  Despite it being extremely sheer, it really sticks around for a good few hours!  'Red Square' is a bit of an odd one out - not a coral at all - I just scribbled a bit on my arm to see how orangey it really was, and honestly it pulls a lot cooler than you'd think.

I use the Korres Lip Butter almost constantly, as it's so ridiculously hydrating - and then I'll usually top it up with the Dior Lip Glow as that feels pretty much the same but in stick form.  The Dior does change from an almost orange colour to a light fuchsia after a while, but is still quite a bit more pigmented than the original version.  The Revlon is pretty good as a budget dupe, but I do find that it needs quite a bit of building up to get the colour payoff you can see in the swatch and is a little waxier in texture.

Last of the bunch there's Soap and Glory's Sexy Motherpucker Gloss Stick, which is a very sheer hot pink.  Looks gorgeous, but for some reason I haven't used it lots.  'Nudist' gets a heck of a lot more love (and tbh is looking rather battered) - possibly because it's a bit more unique?  I might start popping this in my bag more so it gets a bit more use, perhaps as a slightly brighter alternative to my beloved Revlon 'Honey'!

All in all, having lined them up I feel there's a place for a more pigmented orange and maybe even a hot pink for the spring/summer?!  I've had my eye on a couple of Revlon products for a while, shall keep you updated with what I end up picking up...

xxx

Speedy review: Benefit's Roller Lash mascara

A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a copy of Elle on the way back from the station.  It came with a dinky little tube of Benefit's new mascara, and since it just so happened that my current tube was drying up I thought I'd give this one a go!

Benefit Roller Lash mascara £19.50, Boots

Firstly, I must say that I'm a big fan of the sleek, skinny brush.  I'm always prone to smearing mascara all over the place if the brush is too chunky, so I was already feeling optimistic...

Above: before mascara
Below: after applying Roller Lash

I don't particularly find that the bristles separate very well though, as the wand tends to pick up a lot of product.  Most days, I've had to comb through afterwards to de-clogg my lashes a bit.  However, the amount of impact you get from a couple of swipes of the brush is amazing.  Having curled my lashes, Roller Lash somehow manages to curl them up even more...and best of all, the curl sticks around all day long!  There also isn't the issue of smudging or crumbling, and I've found it a heck of a lot easier to remove than it's sister product They're Real.  All in all, I'm not sure if I'd pay up for a full tube of this at the moment as high end mascaras are a bit out of my budget, but I'm going to keep on using this one and see how it goes!


xxx

Lip balms galore!

Over the last couple of weeks, whether its due to the weather or just me being a tad stressed out, my lips have been a bit of a wreck to say the least!  Other than super hydrating glosses that somewhat disguise the damage for special occasions - I've stuck to lip balms, layered up with a little lip liner that's a similar colour to my lips (to even the edges up a bit).  Whilst I'm doing my skincare, I usually apply a little of the Origins Drink-Up Intensive mask (£23, John Lewis) to my lips and allow it to sink in.  This has seriously helped with the peeling (tmi, sorry!) I've had when they're healing up and hydrates really well underneath whatever's layered on top.  After this...


Korres Lip Butter in Mango (£8, ASOS)
Really nicely pigmented, and smells heavenly.  Like YSL lip products!  It's super creamy, and although it delivers the same colour as a sheer lipstick it never seems to cling to any dry spots.  Love love love, and I'm using it up like nobody's business.

Dior Lip Glow Colour Reviver Balm (£23.50, Boots)
Pricey, but is like the Korres Lip Butter in stick-form!  Great for on the go, when you don't want to be sticking your mitts in a pot but are in need of a top up.  It's one I always seem to go back to, hence why it ended up in last year's favourites!

Body Shop Cocoa Butter Lipcare (£4, The Body Shop)
This is my holy grail balm for overnight - if you've been stressing a lot (for me, about exams) and biting your lips it soothes any sore spots so by the morning the redness is seriously calmed down!  Plus, it comes in at a couple of pounds if you grab it on sale.  Oh, and you may want to eat it - it smells that good.


Honourable mentions go out to the slightly less frequently used, but still loved:

Nuxe Rêve de Miel Balm (£9.50, Escentual)
I tend to pop a thick layer of this one on top of the latter overnight, just to seal everything in!  You wake up in the morning with it still on your lips!

Burts Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm (~£3.50, Amazon)
Then finally, I always seem to have a tube of this in my handbag.  It's seriously tiny and light to carry, and is also great for a mirror-less mid lecture top up!

YSL Volupte Sheer Candy in Dewy Papaya (£25, Boots)
Although it's the most lightweight of the bunch it leaves a gorgeous shine and is completely non-sticky.  Plus, the ritzy tube - oh yes!

xxx

Makeup Revolution...Iconic 3 palette swatches!

A few months ago, whilst in London I made a trip to Superdrug Marble Arch and managed to get my hands on the Iconic 3 palette by Makeup Revolution. I'd heard amazing things about the brand, and since I've always wanted to try out one of the infamous Naked palettes I thought this would be great to see whether the colours suited me!  I picked the Iconic 3, because the range of taupey-pink shades was gorgeous!!

Worn with a primer (which I cannot go without - even with high end shadows) these last all day on the lids.  They also have excellent pigmentation and blend easily with a fluffy brush.  For £4 you get 12 shadows, and in total 14g of product which is a bargain!  This particular palette does have a wide range of shades, but is lacking a dark, matte brown and a champagne highlight shade - other than that I can't really fault it for the price.

The shades don't appear to have names, but above are the first 6 (lighter, pinker-toned shadows)
and below are the last 6 (taupey, purple-toned ones) which are super highly pigmented.

And here's the palette overall.  I prefer the packaging to MUA's equivalent,
simply because there's less plastic and more shadow!

xxx

5 Lessons learned...

A rather different sort of post today - skimming over the superfluous, yet somewhat useful things I've learned over the past term of University.  Most of this seems blindingly obvious...but in all honesty I didn't think any of the scenarios mentioned below would happen!


No. 1

Bring a stepstool.
I clock in at about average height (5'6), so thought I'd be alright on the reaching-things-front, but spent the first few weeks of term balancing precariously on my wheelie chair to get up to my top shelf.  What with the skincare/ makeup/stationary/laptop/miscellaneous-food-rubbish situation going on on your desk - you're gonna need that space!  Needless to say, once my folks back home witnessed the rather wobbly process whilst on Skype - a stool of some form was added to the list.  I now have a super cute, black and white dotty one from Dunelm that does the job nicely.


No. 2

Weather appropriate clothing.
Pester anyone you know who lives in the area you'll be living about how cold it is - and trust their advice.  Up North?  Bring more than one wool jumper...and a bobble hat.  Although, the distinct lack of winter clothing in my cupboard has allowed me to go a little nuts with my student loan *proud owner of 4 oversized scarves right here*
Which leads me onto the next one...


No. 3

Mum isn't watching.
Okay, my bank statements are going home...but without the judgemental eyes of anyone (other than the college porter) it's incredibly easy to go overboard with your Asos orders.  Trust me, it seems like a good idea to get 5 pairs of shoes at a time so you can pick the ones that are just right - but carting them back to the centre of campus, or god-forbid, town is an utter pain in the backside.  Instead, either save the money for when you're home or get your shopping sent to store so you can try it all on and dump what isn't right, straight away!  (Or be good and save the cash for next year's books...maybe)


No. 4

Food on campus is expensive.
Not takeaways - actual fresh food.  Despite the fact that you can get an awesome sandwich for a few quid at lunch, when you're actually craving something a bit less carb-heavy and healthier, you're a bit stuffed.  Small bottle of Copella = £4 *squeaks*  Get familiar with Asda deliveries!
Although the snack-y stuff isn't so extortionate, try to bring a decent stash of your favourites along so you aren't carting them back from the shops on a bi-weekly basis.  Nevermind the spare kitchen towels - fill the boot with Cream Crackers I say!


No. 5

Know when something's up.
On a slightly more sobering note - I spent the last few weeks of term in a pretty bad state.  Physically, I was alright.  Mentally, I was drained.  Turns out it was Vitamin B deficiency, so I wasn't absorbing nutrients properly (hence the tiredness etc)...now I have a huge pot of supplements to take.  Yucky taste and smell, but they really have made the world of difference.  Take notice of your body - remember, you've still got years left to party!


xxx

*the list
Parents coming up for a visit?
These are the items that will fill their car boot (think: stuff you had back home you never knew you couldn't function adequately without!)

2014 Makeup Favourites

I guess you could say that 2014 has been a year of makeup discovery!  At the end of 2013, I started a part time job over the weekends so my budget wasn't constrained to whatever I had leftover from birthdays/Christmas/etc.  Despite this, I'm still absolutely in love with the shelves of Boots and Superdrug and some of the best surprises of the year have come from Wilko - which previously I didn't even know stocked beauty products!  My main weakness is still lipstick, and my Muji drawers can attest to this as there's now an overflow section *oops* but here I'll be including the ones I've gone back to time and time again over the last twelve months :)

So here we go...

Base (foundation, concealer etc)...

To be honest, I've loved the Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation and Concealer for years now.  It was the first base product range I found that actually matched my skintone (the shades Porcelain and Blondie respectively), and although I've strayed for a month here and there it's the one I always come back to.  Sometimes though, with those super dark or red areas I need more coverage - and the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in the shade Chantilly does the job brilliantly.  I use it under the eyes and pat a tiny amount into blemishes, the coverage is great but not drying.  My only gripe would be that it can be a little too yellow-toned, but blended out it's perfectly fine.

I also use a green colour corrector on a daily basis, even if I'm just using concealer and don't need the coverage but just want to even out any redder areas (cheeks, chin, marks from spots).  It also blends out seamlessly, and I swear by it now!  Seriously, if you're super pale go give one a go!!  My most used one has been the Max Factor CC Stick, but there's a great cheaper alternative from Natural Collection - and I recently picked up a cream version from Kiko which I'm trying out now.

Finally, powder-wise it's not much of a surprise that I'm mentioning Soap and Glory's One Heck of a Blot powder.  The only way I can describe it is that it fixes things - your skin looks ever so slightly smoother and you can use as much as you like throughout the day without things looking cakey.  I've almost run out, so it's almost time for a trip to Boots!  At the end of the summer, I also fell for the hype around the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders and decided to splurge when Space.nk had one of their £10 off promotions on.  Was it worth the money...?  As a highlighter, probably not.  But Ethereal Light is so light and finely milled that it makes your skin look incredible dusted over as a finishing powder.  I use it on days (read: everyday at the moment) when my skin looks a bit grey and lacklustre, but I can't be bothered with a lot of foundation.  Also, a perfect colour match!


Cheeks and Eyes...

With cheek products and eyeshadow, I tend to be a little flighty.  I usually use something for a month or so on a daily basis, and then totally forget about it.  One thing I've stuck to all year long though is the Body Shop's Honey Bronzer - the lightest shade works great on my skin at either creating a bit of shadow under the cheekbones or adding some warmth all over - I can't really fault it!

I've also used (but they're not in the massive heap in the picture *oops*) a couple of Sleek blushers off and on all year.  My local Boots doesn't stock them - which is a bit of a pain - but I'd love to try out a few more shades.  The two I've got (Rose Gold and Life's a Peach) are quite sheer, but they're great value for money.

And the cream of the crop - the Laura Mercier Palette I nabbed in the summer sales this year.  Eyeshadow-wise, I adore the formulation and pigmentation (I've used the shades Crystal Beige and Sable constantly, and Coffee Ground as a liner almost daily), and the blush in the shade Barely Pink is the perfect not-too-pink, natural, matte blush.  The mini Pony Tail blending brush is fab too, and I've actually been reaching for it more than my Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush (although I still love the latter for a wash of colour on the lids!)

(Nars Pro Prime also needs an honourable mention, despite it being a beginning-of-December purchase.  No jokes - it increases eyeshadow wear time from about half an hour to 12 - absolutely amazed!!)


Lips...

As I said earlier, I was well behaved and managed to narrow it all down to a couple of favourites.  First up is the Dior Lip Glow Colour Reviver Balm - okay, technically this is two in itself as I have both the original and the coral shades - but I love them both equally!  The minty, vanilla scent and the smooth-but-not-too-sticky texture make it a winner.  And the colour changing feature is just plain awesome.

Then there's a Mac Lipstick in Plumful - which everyone loves - and quite rightly so!  It's such a lovely pop of colour that's not too pink or berry toned, doesn't highlight any dry areas and smells divine.  I've also been using Patisserie, which is the same formulation - and although I love the colour the glitter tends to emphasise chapped lips a lot.  I'm hoping that I'll get better results with it in the warmer months though, when the weather isn't so harsh!


Brushes and tools...

Brush-wise, this year's winner is the Real Techniques range.  I use the Blush Brush every day - pinched together for bronzer and dusted along the cheekbones for blush.  The Starter Set is great - I especially love the Accent Brush for smudging out shadow as a liner, and the Liner brush for applying cream concealer to areas that you don't want to be heavy handed.  To apply mineral concealer I also use the No 7 Smokey Eye Brush - which is the perfect size - to pat and work it in until I've got the desired coverage.  My favourite though, has to be the Setting Brush, it's fluffy and so so soft so I can use it for blending concealer under the eyes and even for buffing in mineral powder (to the hard-to-get-to areas that most need the coverage)!

(Also) not pictured, but deserving of a mention are the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Scissors...these took a while to get the knack of - but now I can shape my brows beautifully without worrying about irritating my skin by plucking them like crazy!

And last of all - eyelash curlers!  Up until about this time last year, I'd been using a cheap pair I'd gotten as a part of a gift set yonks ago.  In hindsight, they must've been decent - as they did the job for a long time!  But when I was in London, around my birthday time, I decided to treat myself to a brand-spanking-new pair from Shu Uemura.  And they're pretty darn great.  They fit snugly into my smallish eye socket, and despite daily use (and abuse) they're just as solid as the day I bought them!



Happy 2015 everyone!!!

xxx