Review: Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

 I was running out of my Rimmel Wake Me Up, and my skin's been getting crappier by the day recently (thanks, summer heat), so I needed a concealer that could cover blemishes well.  After hearing all the hype around the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer, I decided I needed to try it.

I picked it up at Superdrug for £3.99, and didn't expect much from it for that price, yeah it might cover my spots/scarring for a bit but I was fully expecting it to wear off after a couple of hours - no way would a £3.99 concealer last 16 hours.

WRONG.

I have to jump on the band wagon and agree that this is a must-have makeup bag staple.  It goes on well, has full coverage, blends easily, doesn't go cakey, and lasts. all. day.

The concealer is available in 4 shades, Fair, Light, Medium and Deep.  I, of course, being the vampire-skinned, almost albino, ghostly pale person that I am, use the shade Fair.  The colour match is spot on, and the coverage is incredible.

Unlike some concealers I've used in the past, Lasting Perfection doesn't lose a lot of it's coverage when it's blended - which means I can wear a light-medium coverage foundation and let my skin breathe a bit more!

I use it over any redness, scarring and blemishes, and under my eyes - it takes a little bit of extra blending to make sure the under-eye area doesn't crease, but it usually stays put exactly where it's applied and doesn't budge all day - which is impressive in the heat we've been having in the UK recently - I'll come home and most of my foundation will have worn away, but I don't look too bad because my problem areas are still well concealed and blended to look, well, like normal skin.

I do find that if I apply it over a healing blemish / cystic that it doesn't sit very well, but nothing really does.  That's the price you pay for constantly messing with your face without realising I guess. (Read about how I reduce the size of blemishes here).

The only other 'Con' I have is that, whilst the product itself is transfer proof, the lettering on the packaging is not.  Pro Tip: Paint the concealer tube with clear nail polish as soon as you buy it, otherwise you WILL end up with black smudges on your hands, face, clothes, walls - everywhere.

Overall I do really love this concealer and will repurchase and repurchase and repurchase.

It's available to buy from Superdrug for £3.99, Boots for £4.19 or Amazon for £3.99.

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June 2013 Glossybox Review

Glossybox is a monthly subscription of 5 high-end beauty product samples (with some full-size products sometimes, too) for £10 + £2.95 p+p)

You can earn Glossydots by reviewing the products in a quick survey, or by inviting friends, and redeem points for a free box.  Each survey is worth 50 points, so if you review 5 products a month, every 5th Glossybox should be free.  You get 200 Glossydots for every friend that signs up and places an order (1000 Glossydots = 1 free box) 

The June Glossybox theme is 'Summer Looks' - the ultimate staples for any summer make up bag.  

The first product I received was a Helen E Shimmer Eye Powder - in Shade 22 - silver.  I've always associated silver with winter, what with it being not at all warm or fun.  It is very sparkly and shimmery etc, but I can't see myself using it until at least October.  It's a good sized pot (1.5g) of loose pigment, and can be used wet or dry.  But I can't help being disappointed that I didn't get a bronze/copper or even the olive green colour they have (Shade 25).  They have at least 14 shades I would use and rave about, but I got silver.  Sad face.

The packaging is really cute, a clear hexagonal pot with a silver lid, and a pepper shaker style dispenser.  I guess that contributes to the price - £5 for 1.5g.  I always find it hard to understand the price difference between products like these, am I paying for the quality or the name? MUA do a range of eye dusts that are very similar, and cost £1 each.  Barry M Dazzle Dusts are £4.59 and Makeup Geek pigments are about £4.50.  I don't see the justification and I can't compare the pigmentation as the silver seems quite sheer, but it doesn't really show up well on my skin tone - is it bad quality or is it my skin colour?

The range is available from Helen-E.com for £5 (Use the discount code PR13 for £10 off orders over £25 until 31/07/13)

The next product in the box was a lip tint from Figs & Rouge in Cherry Blossom.  It's by far my favourite item in this month's box, as it is

- 100% Natural Ingredients

- Petroleum Free
- Paraben Free
- Mineral Oil Free
- Free of Synthetic Colours & Aromas

It comes in really nice bright packaging, which looks like a paint tube, with a screw cap.  The product itself doesn't have a strong smell or that nasty plastic feel to it like some lip products do.  It's moisturising and has a nice colour - kind of a deep dusty pink.  

It lasts quite a long time on the lips and doesn't transfer too much.  It keeps my lips soft and doesn't look too shiny or sticky (and my hair doesn't get stuck in it either, #1 trait of a good lip product)

It can be applied either straight from the tube, with fingers or with a brush.  I keep mine in my bag and use it multiple times throughout the day when I feel it's wearing off a bit - and it's great for summer when my lips are getting dehydrated faster than usual due to the heat we're actually getting for once in the UK.

It retails at £4.95 for 12.5ml and can be bought from FeelUnique.com with free delivery.

Third in the June box was a Long Lasting Nail Gloss from MeMeMe - a brand that keeps popping up in my Glossybox, and to be honest, I wish it wouldn't.  

It claims to be a 'premium, long-lasting, high-shine nail gloss complete with maxi-brush for one-stroke application.'  What I've found it to actually be is an almost clear, very watery nail polish that lasted just long enough for me to see the result and wipe it straight off again.  There was no opacity except at the edges of my nail where the product actually ran to.  I've never had a nail polish that was so watery that it could run before, so that's unique I guess.

Maybe it's that I got the colour Ambitious, which is a dusty pink, but I'm leaning more towards it being a bad product.  

I definitely wouldn't pay £5 for this, but if you want to give it a try, you can use the discount code GBUK15 for 15% off from MeMeMeCosmetics.co.uk

Next up is a Hydrating Moisturiser SPF15 from Monu.

'Soft focus technology helps to blur imperfections and to correct skin tone. We use Zinc Oxide to provide a physical barrier against the sun’s harmful rays. This provides broad spectrum UV protection with good UVA to UVB ratio. Includes Vitamin E, an antioxidant, to fight free radicals. The best way to stop your face from ageing is to protect it from the sun.'

My general rule with moisturisers is that if I can't pronounce at least 50% of the ingredients, it probably isn't good for my skin, and the ingredients on this bottle read like a Swahili tongue twister.

'Aqua (Water), Zinc Oxide, C12- C15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dimethicone, Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG-100 Stearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ribes Nigrum (Blackcurrant) Seed Oil, Isostearic Acid, Polyacrylamide, Parfum (Fragrance), Tocopherol, Silica, C13-14 isoparaffin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Lactic Acid, Linallol, Xanthan Gum, Laureth-7, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Isoceteth-10, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cassia Alata Leaf Extract, Citronellol, Benzyl Salicylate, Farnesol, Limonene'

I've tried it, and it does moisturise quite well, doesn't smell, and extra SPF is great any time of year.  Again, the price isn't very budget friendly at £29.95/50ml, so I wouldn't recommend it purely based on that if nothing else, but if you want to give it a try you can use the discount code Glossy1 until 01/10/13 on monushop.co.uk

Last in the box was Huile Prodigieuse (R) OR from NUXE, a 'multi-talking desert-island dry oil... forumlated to be easily absorbed and illuminate all skin and hair types with a subtle golden shimmer that looks like it comes from within'.  I'll admit, it is subtle, as I didn't notice any difference at all really.  

The ingredients say to spray the oil into your palms and rub onto the face/hair.  However the sample I got didn't have a spray dispenser, so maybe that affected the application.  It can be used all over the body, face and hair but again, I don't feel that I can comment because the sample wasn't packaged correctly and I can't really use it as it's meant to be used.

At £34/100ml, I won't try to recommend it as that's a lot of money to spend on a product that may or may not work.  However, if you have tried it, please comment below to let me know the best way to use it!  

I also have a 15% off discount code for Nuxe.co.uk - Just enter GLOSSYBOXDISC before 30/6/13.

***Bonus Item***

I would like to mention that in this box there was a bonus item, a sachet of John Frieda Sheer Blonde Everlasting Blonde Shampoo and conditioner - however, being a full on ginge, I won't be using it.  

I do complete my beauty profile on Glossybox regularly, to make sure I get the products that suit me best, but I'm getting the feeling that the information gets lost somewhere.

Overall, the June Glossybox was a bit of a let down - some of the other products available would have been PERFECT for me - Frizz Ease Original Serum, Helen E Waterproof Lip Liner, Monu Soap-Free Facial Wash, Sarah Chapman Intense Hydrating Booster/Skin Tone Perfecting Booster, Gosh Growth Mascara, ANY of those would have been great, and all 5 would have been a great box.  Maybe next month will be better... maybe.

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Review: Olay Essentials Refreshing Toner

'Olay's refreshing toner blended to be mild on skin for everyday cleansing.

The Essentials alcohol free formula, containing extracts of cucumber and aloe, effectively lifts away remaining traces of dirt and make up revitalising skin appearance without over drying.

The result? Simply clean, refreshed, beautiful skin.

Dermatologically tested.'

After watching countless skincare routine videos on YouTube and reading about the benefits of a proper cleanse/tone/moisturise skincare routine, I decided to give it a try.

I originally made some rosewater with the roses I got for Valentines Day, but I think they had artificial dye in them, as it turned out bright red.  I used it a couple of times but didn't trust it on my skin, and so I picked up an Olay one while I was out about a week ago.  I've been using it every morning before moisturising and every evening between cleansing and moisturising.

The difference I've seen in my skin already has amazed me.  It's not as dry and flakey, I've got no oily patches, and best of all, my blackheads on my nose and cheeks are gone, and I've had no new spots.

My skin is the clearest it's been in forever, and it feels much healthier.

All I do with it is squirt some onto a cotton wool pad, and smooth it over my face and neck, working from the middle outwards.  It lifts any dirt left over after cleaning out of your skin, and leaves you fresh and glowing.

It does contain parabens, and I am planning on buying some rose water when I get chance to compare the results, and hopefully replace this if it works well enough, but in the mean-time I am happy with this.  However, if Olay want to bring out a version of this with no parabens, I would use that forever.

The formula is suitable for all skin types, and is alcohol free, so you don't get that horrible tight feeling after you use it, it's just cool and refreshing.

The price for the amount you get is amazing - Boots have it at £2.99/200ml, but I bought it cheaper from Home Bargains - about £1.99 - you can also buy it for £1.99 from FragranceDirect.co.uk (excluding delivery).

I would definitely recommend this toner as a new addition to your skincare routine, and if you keep up your use, you will see results really quickly.

I'm in love with it, can you tell?

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Quick Review: Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

A few weeks ago, when I decided that having more pan than powder was a bad idea, I decided to try something new - I usually get a translucent powder, or a very light shade, just to set my foundation - but I went for something different this time.

On an impulse buy, I got the Rimmel London Stay Matte pressed powder in the colour Silky Beige, which is basically just a natural skin tone colour.  Nothing crazy or super dark, just a normal colour that fits my light skin quite well.

After swapping foundations last month, I needed a bit of extra colour, as the shade I have does come off as a bit yellow in some lights.

I use a very light application on a large powder brush, and just sweep it across my T-Zone, chin, and a bit on my cheeks if I need it.  It lasts all day for me, which I'm impressed with, and uses natural minerals for shine control.

Although I like the effect this has, I am in the market for a new powder, something a bit more natural, without parabens and all the other crap they've thrown into this as filler.

For something cheap and easy to pick up, it is a pretty good product, and until I find something new to replace it, I'll stick with this one.

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Review: Glossybox February 2013

Glossybox is a monthly subscription of 5 high-end beauty product samples (with some full-size products sometimes, too) for £10 + £2.95 p+p)

You can Glossydots by reviewing the products in a quick survey, or by inviting friends, and redeem points for a free box.  Each survey is worth 50 points, so if you review 5 products a month, every 5th Glossybox should be free.  You get 200 Glossydots for every friend that signs up and places an order (1000 Glossydots = 1 free box)


February's Glossybox was Valentines Day themed - 'here to make sure you’ll have the night of your life whomever you end up spending it with.'  

I don't know if I got the leftover products no-one else would want, but I hated this month's box and wouldn't have chosen any of them.  This blog post will not be a good advertisement for Glossybox.  It is the first box I've actively disliked and been completely disappointed with - so if you're after an uplifting read, this is not the place to be.  Sorry.

The box itself is very pretty this month - with a big pink bow and pink tissue paper, very Valentines-esque.  That's where the love ends.  I honestly thought I'd never love anything ever again when I opened this box - like all capability for happy feelings had been sucked out of me.  Maybe the box contained some rogue miniature dementors, I don't know.


The first item in the box was an Anatomicals shower gel.  It's a full size, and it smells of rose, so I get to smell like Turkish Delight for about 3 minutes until the smell wears off. 

There's really not much to say that I haven't already said in the review of the last Anatomicals product Glossybox sent me - except that this isn't as nice as the grapefruit exfoliating body scrub.  

It is a good size, the packaging is nice and bright, but the smell doesn't last and you need quite a lot to get a good lather.  I wouldn't say it's worth more than the £2.99 it costs.

The next item was Sassoon Professional Illuminating Restore, a deep-treatment conditioner loaded with all the parabens and chemicals you could dream of, which you leave on for about 15 minutes after shampooing, and rinse out to find no change whatsoever to your hair, and get out of the bath/shower disappointed.

I just don't understand how a deep conditioner could contain three different types of alcohol.

It does contain Hydrolyzed Keratin, however it's in such small amounts that I don't see it doing much in the way of improving the condition of your hair.  I know I didn't notice any difference in mine, apart from that it was quite drying and made my hair very difficult to comb out.  

It's also a case of paying for the brand rather than the product with this - as it has a RRP of £20.75/130ml.  Vastly overpriced in my opinion.



Third in the box was the Fat Cat mascara from MeMeMe - a range I've wanted to try (although what I actually wanted to try was the foundation, and maybe the highlighter).  

If you're looking for a mascara that creates a look SO natural noone will believe you're wearing any at all - this is definitely the mascara for you.  The only way I could tell I had mascara on was when it fell onto my cheeks after about 5 minutes.

It's the thinnest coating I've ever had from any mascara ever - I don't know if it's the formula or the big bristle-y brush, but it doesn't seem to hold on the lashes, and it's not buildable.  Maybe I have freak-of-nature lashes, but every other one I've tried has worked for me.

It has a RRP £7.99/8ml, although I wouldn't recommend this mascara at all - there are far better high street mascaras out there for a fiver.



Next  was a loose shimmery eye powder from Mica Bella Cosmetics.  It does say on the description that it's a pigment, but I refuse to call it that as it is not pigmented well at all.  The description also boasts that it contains 100% Natural Mica - except for the possible Carmine and Titanium Dioxide.
Carmine is a colouring which is known to cause severe allergic reactions, and Titanium Dioxide is dangerous when inhaled in micro-ground form as it is in this product.
Aside from that, it's generally just not a very good product.  I wore it today in place of my usual dark brown crease colour, and it lasted all of about 30 seconds.  The shimmer disappeared when I was blending it out, and the rest either soaked into my skin somehow, or was blown away by a gentle breeze somewhere between leaving the house and getting to my car.  I was left with dirty brown smudge patches on my eyelids.  So cute.
Here's the kicker though, the RRP is £14.95/2.5g.  If you pay that much for this product, please seek professional help.


The final, and most insulting, product in the Valentines Day box was a lipstick from Miners Cosmetics. 'Perfect your pout with Miners Cosmetics range of stunning and vibrant Lip Colours.'
 I'll have to double check the shade I received, but I like to call it Slutty Robot.  Now if you do like to dress as a slutty robot, this lipstick is PERFECT.  For everyone else, however, you will want to rip your face off when you try it.
It's a frosted, shimmery, very light lilac/pink, and it feels and smells about as cheap as it makes you look.   It sits on top of the lips rather than being in any way moisturising, and just applying it for the photo to the left made my day a whole lot worse.

(The colour I have is 'Dreamer')
RRP. £3.99/4g. 


The people at Glossybox also added a heart shaped lolly to the box as an extra treat.  That was the highlight.  Hopefully next month will be a whole heap of amazingness, or my subscription will be gone.

Fingers crossed!


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Review: Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

Following on from my Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation review, it seemed only fitting to talk about the concealer from the range.

Truth be told, I actually bought this concealer first, in  an attempt to win the battle against my under-eye circles.  Now, I haven't quite won yet, but this has taken me a good way into the lead.

I bought the lightest shade (of course I did, I'm a ghost), and it's just a bit lighter than the Ivory foundation shade, which is perfect for making those eye bags disappear.

The concealer claims an anti-fatigue effect and radiant glow, as does the foundation, and they both deliver on these points.  This might not 100% disguise my under eye circles, but it gets 90% of the way, and with a bit of help from the slightly lighter colouring of Benefit's Erase Paste, they're gone, and this makes sure that a glowing, healthy-skin look is left in their place.

It's a liquid concealer, so I use it underneath my foundation and then I'll touch up a bit on top if needed - it blends really well, so I don't tend to worry about it caking up on me if I use too much - I've never had an issue with it gathering in creases or drying out in the month that I've been using it.

The packaging matches the foundation, with a bright orange cap, making it super easy to find in my make up box - thank you, Rimmel.  It also has an applicator - one of those sponge tips, and it's actually pretty good for getting the right amount of concealer - one 'dip' into the tube is enough concealer to do both eyes and any blemishes/redness too - so it'll last ages, I hope!

It's a high-street concealer, so it doesn't cost the earth - it retails at £5.49.  Boots currently have a 3 for 2 offer, so you could grab the concealer, the foundation and get something else free.  Bonus.

Here's a quick 'before/after' of my eyes using this concealer:

Before - No Makeup

After - Using Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

Overall, I do really recommend this concealer - it's light-medium coverage, but works perfectly to disguise redness and minor blemishes, used under foundation it can be built to cover under eye circles/more prominent blemishes.

I'd also suggest, if your under-eye area is quite dark, apply a bit more concealer over your foundation (either the same concealer, or a more creamy-based, slightly lighter shade concealer) and set with a translucent powder.

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Review: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

I've recently changed my foundation routine, replacing a couple of products, and my previous foundation (ELF Studio Flawless Finish Foundation) was one that didn't make the cut.

After looking into a few different foundations, I initially decided to go and buy Bourjois HealthyMix Serum Foundation, but when I got to Superdrug and tested it, it did NOT live up to my expectations, and so I tested a few others and bought Rimmel's Wake Me Up Foundation.

The bottle states that it has an anti-fatigue effect, radiant glow and SPF 15.  And for once, I can say that I have a foundation that lives up to it's claims!

This foundation works miracles on my skin - no uneven skin tone, no dry, flaky patches, no slipping off the oily bits of my face, it's amazing.  It gives my skin a soft, dewy finish (which still shows through my mattifying powder a bit, as just a glow) and it just makes my face feel more 'pumped up' and healthy, thanks to the peptides, which increase elasticity and help skin to recover more quickly.

I have it in the lightest shade, 100 Ivory, and it fits my skin really well.  It blends super easily., meaning no dirty marks around my neck, and doesn't crease or cake up.  It provides a light-medium coverage, but builds well for heavier coverage.

Wearing Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

I love the packaging, The glass bottle looks a lot less cheap than the usual plastic ones, and it has RIMMEL embossed on the side, which is a nice touch.  The orange cap gives it a bit of a twist and it does stand out against the others on the shelf, and was part of the reason I was drawn to try it.

The best bit about this foundation is that you hardly need to use any to get great coverage - I find that a small pump (about 1/3 pump) does my whole face, and lasts all day.  With 30ml in a bottle, it'll last a good few months, and I will definitely be repurchasing it, as I haven't broken out once in the week I've been using it.  Result!

At £8.99/30ml, it's a pretty standard price high-street foundation, and it's definitely worth the money.  I'd recommend this for any skin type, and there's a good range of shades, too.

Available to buy from Superdrug.com


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Review: ELF Mineral Blush

ELF Mineral Blush in Peachy is by far my favourite blusher of all time.  It's a 100% mineral based shimmery deep pinky-red, which complements my pale skin perfectly.

Its mineral based formula contains no parabens, no preservatives and no chemical dyes.  The colour comes from natural pigments, and Titanium Dioxide provides UVA/UVB protection, so you have that extra SPF where the sun would hit your cheeks.

The Mica in the product creates a kind of soft-focus blurring effect, so any wrinkles or uneven-ness underneath the product will be diffused and disguised very subtly.

The product comes as a loose powder in a plastic pot, and is dispensed through larger-than-usual holes.  It is incredibly pigmented, so a little goes a very very very long way.  My usual blush routine is as follows: 

1. Open pot  

2. Tip excess from lid back into pot, leaving a light dust in the lid  

3. Use blusher brush to pick up small amount from lid  

4. Tap excess into pot  

5. Blow brush 

6. Apply very lightly  

7. Use small fan brush to remove excess from face.

So, obviously, it will last me forever. 

It does stay on my face all day, not budging even a smidge.  Not a bit.  Even just using the tiny amount I do, my cheeks have a slightly flushed look until I go to bed.  The colour is hard to describe - it's more red than pink on the skin, but it's so sheer that it looks like you're... well... blushing a bit.  It has a slight shimmer to it which act like a bit of a highlight, so they're more defined.

I love it.  And for £5/3.4g, it's a bargain too.  I would recommend this to anyone with a face.

Available from EyesLipsFace.co.uk

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Review: Elf Studio Flawless Finish Foundation

This has been my go-to foundation for well over a year now, for one simple reason - it doesn't break me out.  There are many other plus points to this, but that is the main one for me - the oil free formula is great on my skin.

I started buying this back when it was about £3.75, and the price has jumped up to £6.75/29g now, which is why I chose not to repurchase - why not try something new for the same price?  It'll still be here if I decide it's the only one I can ever love.

Now it's not got the best coverage, and it doesn't last long, but it has SPF15 UVA/UVB coverage, and that's a must (you should try to get SPF in as many of your face products as you can manage, but if you can't get SPF foundation, opt for SPF moisturiser.  Make sure you have that protection there, or you're risking your skin looking old and tired too soon, as well as skin cancer.  Bad times.)

This foundation comes in a glass bottle with a black plastic lid, and a pump dispenser.  The down side to this is that, once the product is out of reach of the pump, it stops working.  For the past 2 months I've been unscrewing my bottle and applying it via the back of my hand.  Now, for people who don't know there's product left and don't unscrew the pump, that's a massive waste of money - about 1/3-1/2 of the bottle.  Not a small amount.

As I said, I've been scraping it out for about 2 months now, and a bottle lasts me around 3-4 months at most.  One pump/small pea sized amount is enough to do my whole face, and build it up in the areas where I need the most coverage (blemishes, redness).  It is buildable, but to an extent.  I wouldn't buy this if I needed heavy coverage, but it's perfect for light-medium coverage.

The texture is really silky, and it goes on really light.  It doesn't feel like it's sitting on your skin, it feels like it's soaking in like a moisturiser would.  It blends out really well, too, and I've never been left with a dirty line around my face/neck, so I'm pleased with that.

It comes in 6 shades - Porcelain, Sand, Buff, Caramel, Almond and Coco.  I use porcelain, which fits my light skin tone really well.  I do usually use the lightest/second lightest foundation shade available, but this is one of the best fits I've found for my skin colour.

As for longevity, it doesn't score a 10, that's for sure.  It lasts a few hours, and then seems to come off my skin, which is strange considering I don't have oily skin at all.  It just seems to wear away and my blush is left sitting on a naked face, and whilst that isn't so bad if you're using it for light coverage, anything more than that and you're not really getting any use from the product.

Overall, this is great for everyday wear if you have clear skin and want something lightweight on your face, but if you don't want your spots to be revealed half way through your day, this probably isn't for you.


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Review: Glossybox December 2012

Glossybox is a monthly subscription of 5 high-end beauty product samples (with some full-size products sometimes, too) for £10 + £2.95 p&p.

You can earn GlossyDots by reviewing the products sent to you in a quick survey, and redeem points for a free box. (1000 GlossyDots = 1 free box) 

'Tried and tested by the Glossybox Pros, Glossybox does the hard work for you'

The theme for the December box was 'Bejewelled' - festive treats that would make perfect gifts.

The first product in the box was Conditioning Whipped Cream by Milk_Shake, which I reviewed separately, you can read that review here.

'It's different to the other leave-in conditioners I've tried, as it's a mousse.  I was expecting it to leave my hair crunchy or dry, but it just leaves it super soft and bouncy.'

(RRP. £14.30/200ml, available for £10.76 from BeautyBay.com)

The second product in the box was a Nail Lacquer by Seche, which I also reviewed separately, and you can read that review here!

'On average, this nail polish lasts me between 5-10 days, whereas every other one I try chips within about 5 minutes - my nails just repel any colour that comes near them!'

(RRP. £9.95/14ml, available from Nails By Mail)

Third in the December box was the What A Complete And Utter Glosser. I Never Fake Strawberry Milkshake lipgloss from Anatomicals. 

I used it a couple of times before I checked the ingredients, the smell isn't super fruity, it's quite a plastic-y smell, and the texture was a bit too sticky for my liking.

it contains propylparaben, which you can read about here, and so I won't continue to use it.  

(RRP. £3.49/10ml)

Next in the box was Magic Touch by Rituals - 'An ultra rich, whipped body cream based on nourishing rice milk and the flowery fragrance of cherry blossom.'  

It has a great texture, is very light and fluffy, and hardly has a smell.  It goes on super smooth, and barely needs rubbing in, and the softness lasts all day.  

With a combination of Organic Cherry and Rice Milk, Antioxidants and vitamin E, alongside the anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and a whole host of other positive effects of Centella Asiatica, this is the ultimate in moisturisation.

It doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy or clogged, and hasn't caused me any breakouts, whereas other body creams usually do.

I definitely recommend trying this cream, and at £5/70ml, it's pretty affordable, too.  Available from Rituals.com (also available for £15/200ml)

Fifth in the 12/12 box was the Oh So Special i-Divine True Palette from Sleek.

It is a collection of 12 highly pigmented eye shadows, in fairly neutral colours and a couple of darker shades.

The packaging is really nice, a matte finish palette with 'Sleek' across the front.  The one thing I am disappointed with is the applicator.  I would have thought that companies would have stopped putting sponge applicators in with their products by now, in favour of a mini brush, but no luck.

The applicator barely picks up anything, giving the impression that it's a bad product, whereas if you use a brush, it works really well and you can create some great looks from this palette.

It does contain Propylparaben and Methylparaben, so I'm not comfortable using this on a daily basis (but I don't feel as bad about using this as I do body creams/moisturisers etc, that sink into the skin - when I use this it will be over a primer, to create a barrier)

RRP. £7.99, available from SleekMakeup.com

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Next Post: Coming Soon...

Review: HD Brows Bombshell Palette

I got the HD Brows Palette (RRP £19.45, available here) from my September Glossybox, and figured I'd give it a bash - I'd been using just eye shadow and an angle brush to fill my eyebrows in before that.

No brow product

 (I'd tried brow mascara and hated it, it made my eyebrows look clumpy)

The palette I received was Bombshell - meant for blonde hair but, to be honest, I think it's perfect for any shade.  It has a carbon and a nude shadow, along with two browns in slightly different shades.

It's packaged in a shiny black palette which clips closed and has a mirror on the inside, which is great for putting the stuff on instead of trying to push your face up to your big mirror to see what you're doing.

It comes with a teeny tiny double ended brush - one side just a regular brush and the other an angle brush.  After about a week, the glue weakened on my brush and I lost the regular side, but the angle side is safe, and that's the side I use.

Light application of eye shadow to brows

You could, of course, use your own angle brush - if you find that holding such a small brush doesn't give you the control you like.  This one does, however, have an excellent firm end, it doesn't drop colour and it puts it down really well.

It's so simple to use - all I do is pick up a bit of the darker brown on the angle brush, tap it off a bit and, starting just above the inside corner, I work up and out, just filling my brows in a bit.  The reason I start just above the inner corner is that it has quite a heavy pay-off, and I don't like that harsh line there, so I'll go over the inner corner at the end when the powder's mostly gone.

HD brow palette

I have naturally quite light eyebrows, so filling them in is a must.  I really like the result I get with the HD brows kit, it's not too dramatic, it fits my face well and lets me create a shape I like with no fuss.  The powder doesn't all fall down my face as I'm putting it on, you hardly use any of the powder so it lasts so so long, and it does not come off throughout the day.

The only time my eyebrow colour will come off is when I use a makeup wipe or wash my face.  It's smudge proof to the extreme.  I don't think I could ever go back to using just an eye shadow or, god forbid, eyebrow mascara again.


Related Post: Review: Elf Mineral Lipstick - Cool Coral

Previous Post: Stuff I Don't Put On My Face: Parabens
Next Post: Review: Seche Nail Lacquer

Everyday Makeup Products: Primers

This is going to be a list of the products I put on my face every day - First up, Primers.

If you're interested in buying any of these products, I'll put links in the descriptions :) *
*I was not asked/paid by any of these companies to mention any of their products.




 
Elf Studio Mineral Infused Primer
RRP £6.00/14g

This is BY FAR the best primer I've ever come into contact with - the feel reminds me of the GOSH gel primer - the one that feels a bit velvety - it's just SO smooth.  Once you start to run out, if you take the pump off, you still have about half the product left, and I think that's a shame for people who didn't realise and bought another unnecessarily.  It's fine if you just use the pump tube to get it out, but it seems like bad design.

The only other thing I'm not keen on is that the ingredients include methylparaben, ethylparaben and propylparaben.  That's a lot of parabens for one face.


This in mind, I've discontinued my use of my favourite primer, and have been alternating between the following two:

Rimmel Match Perfection Fix & Protect Primer
RRP £4.99/30ml

It claims to have a 5-point attack on dull skin, smoothing, resurfacing, brightening, mattifying and protecting!  It's ok.  It doesn't feel great.  It feels more like a watery moisturiser than a primer, but then I'm used to a gel, not a cream.  It doesn't seem to do anything for my makeup, either.  It's a shame really, I wanted to like it.

Witch Anti-Blemish Skin Clearing Primer
RRP £4.49/30ml

So far, so good with this one.  It has a nicer feel to it - somewhere between the two finishes.  It's not as smooth a finish as I'm used to but it has antibacterial properties, is fragrence free and oil free and has absolutely no parabens! so it's probably the one I'll stick with for my regular use.  It doesn't provide a bad base for makeup, and it helps with my pore-guilt - at least I'm clogging them with something helpful, right?




Please leave comments below to let me know anything you'd like to see!

Previous Post: Skincare Routine
Next Post: Review: Elf Mineral Lipstick - Cool Coral

Intro

First post. Okay, here goes nothing...

I spend most of my free time on YouTube watching makeup gurus, collecting little tips and trying them out - and never really going anywhere or doing anything where people will notice my face and think 'My, how lovely that contouring looks', or 'Well, she certainly has defined her crease well with that eye look'.  So I figured, seeing as it is actually something I enjoy, why not write about it?   It can't hurt, right?

Asking a blogger page rhetorical questions...  And so it begins.

So I'll give you the LD on my face, so you can get an idea of what I'm working with here.  I have sensitive, pale skin, with hormonal acne every few weeks.  I sound hot, don't I?

I don't have any photos of me makeup-less yet, but I'll be sure to add some in when I get round to taking them.  In the meantime, here's one of me with low-coverage makeup from the other day.

You can see a couple of blemishes (the piece of hair hanging down is strategically covering the one bad one I have right now) but nothing too major.

You can also see I have pretty dark circles under my eyes - my sleep routine is messed up right now! Good news for the concealer industry.





I'll do a foundation routine and probably give a few of my favourite products a review, and then who knows, I might actually get some looks on here.

Maybe.


Please leave comments below to let me know anything you'd like to see!

Next Post: Skincare Routine