Showing posts with label Concealer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Concealer. Show all posts

Tuesday, 24 February 2015

My Everyday Makeup Look

A quick run down of my current favourite, go-to make up look. I personally prefer to opt for dewey skin, a subtle smokey eye and of course winged liner! I used the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge for my liquid face products and Zoeva brushes for my eyes which I highly recommend! I am aware that my everyday make up may be a little full on for some of you but I genuinely enjoy playing around with different products and looks which I may as well wear somewhere! 

Face
Hourglass Veil  Mineral Primer
Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Mont Blanc
Nars Creamy Concealer in Vanilla
(For a full post of all my base products click here)
Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 02
Topshop Bronzing Illuminator in Illuminated 
MAC Mineralize Blush in Dainty 
Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder in Candlelight

Eyes
Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Dark Brown (review here)
The Balm Cosmetics Mary Lou-manizer over the lid.
The Balm Nude-tude Palette: Sultry through the crease
and Sophisticated blended through the outer third. 
MAC Nylon in inner corner. 
The Balm Schwing Liquid Eyeliner (review here)
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye-Pencil in Perversion 
Rimmel Wonder'full Mascara 

Lips
Dior Addict Lips Maximiser Gloss 

Let me know what you think!
What products do you wear everyday?



Friday, 13 February 2015

I'm All About That Base

Firstly, let me apologise for the not-so-subtle Meghan Trainor pun in the title. I seriously could not resist. A flawless base is rule number one for great make up application. Without it, the whole look just falls flat. Yet, luckily there is a huge, huge, huge range of products out there for anyone and everyone to fit particular skin tones, colours, complexions etc - but you don't need me to tell you that. I've tried out a long list of products in the hope of achieving a flawless base for the rest of my make up and although I don't feel like I'm necessarily there in my search, the products I am currently using are definitely helping me on my way. That isn't to say that I love every product I am currently using but instead they're teaching me what types of products work well for my oily-to-combination skin and what products certainly do not. So in order of application...Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer (here): To be very honest with you all, I do not feel this is particularly worth the money. For a minuscule 10ml you have to be willing to fork out £20 which wouldn't be so bad if a little went a long way but instead I find I need at least two pumps per application to achieve the full effects of this product. There are no obvious differences to my skin once applied other then a slightly subtle radiant glow yet that's not to say that this will not work out for everyone. Interestingly, I bought this after receiving a large amount of recommendations. Yet, disappointedly I feel my search for the perfect primer is most definitely not over. Nars Sheer Glow (here): I don't know if I can actually summarise into words how much I love this foundation. I am currently working through my second bottle and still love it just as much as the first. The radiant glow, medium to full coverage and easily buildable formula with not an ounce of 'cakeyness' (is that a word?) in sight. If you are on the hunt for a flawless foundation, you need to try this one! Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (here): This is one of my all time favourite concealers purely for its immense coverage, creamy consistency and its good application (with a lovely doe foot applicator) for both under the eyes and for concealing pesky blemishes. Although at £22 it is pricey, it does have a lovely performance. The only downside to this product being how quickly it drys out in the bottle. I feel some of my high street alternatives actually have a better competition when it comes to the products formula yet the good qualities weigh out the bad in my eyes so this still currently remains as a staple in my collection. Lastly, to set this all in place, I use the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light (here): This is my all time favourite powder and pretty much the only one I have used everyday for the past year and a half. I'm currently working through my second one of these and have just hit pan (yay!) which I feel, pretty much proves how much I love this. It's great at mattifying shine, adding a bit of extra coverage but certainly doesn't leave the face looking 'flat'. I can not recommend this powder highly enough!  

Let me know what you think in the comments!
What products do you use for a flawless base?

Sunday, 13 July 2014

Cosmetics Collection: Soap and Glory Make Up

I'm back again with another Cosmetics Collection for you! This time it's about another favourite drugstore Make Up brand of mine, Soap and Glory. With it's stand out packaging that's cute, quirky and slightly pin-up, this really is a great brand that takes quality and appearance into a lot of consideration. I thought I would focus this post mainly on the make up side of S&G even though I know they're best known for their incredible bath and body products as well as their excellent skincare but don't worry I will be doing another post all about the products I own from their other collections too because I love it all. 

1. Lid Stuff Flawless Finish Eyeshadow in What's Nude £10 
For the incredible price, this beautiful eyeshadow quad is an absolute steal. I love the fact that it's made up mainly of mattes with only one shimmer shade as pretty much everyone other palette I own is glitter galore. The shadows are creamy and apply beautifully with an acclaimed eight hour wear which I don't think I could argue with. This is a great nudes palette which would be perfect for travel considering it has the four main neutral shades you'd ideally want. 

2. Kick Ass Concealer in Light £10 (full review here
A lovely concealer made up of three combat shades that are great for concealing those under eye circles and pesky blemishes. With a salmon pink cream that works a treat for brightening up dark under eyes, a yellow toned complexion concealer that covers up spots completely along with counteracting redness and a translucent powder that works great when setting the creams to ensure they won't budge. All of this is then efficiently fitted into a nifty looking compact that you could throw into your bag and be ready to face the day. 

3. Archery Eyebrow Pencil in Brownie Points £10 (full review here)
One of S&G most talked about Cosmetic products. This intuitive product combines both a wax crayon and a subtle coloured tint that are the perfect pair for creating either the natural brow or big bold bushy show stoppers that even Cara Delevigne would be jealous of. The felt-tip end means you can effectively brush on tiny little hairs to both add volume but still ensure your brows still look like, well brows. Then this is when the crayon comes in. A great consistency and excellent pigmentation which fills in the brows perfectly so you're all good to go! 

A brilliant and beautiful product. A mix of bronze, peach and gold hues that when swirled together on a fluffy brush creates the most gorgeous illuminated, pretty in peach colour that's perfect for Summer. The different segments look pretty in the pan and even prettier on the skin and you have the power to create any look you want. You decide what shades you'd like to be more predominant by focusing your brush on individual segments to achieve either a more bronzed, blushed or highlighted effect or if you'd prefer the wild card, like myself, just go to town on the colour wheel and see what gorgeous, pearlescent shade comes up. 

A lovely, moisturising lip balm that smells so much like peaches, I'm tempted to eat it. This literally melts on your mouth during application and is so nourishing once on thanks to the Mango Butter in the ingredients. The main thing I love about this balm is the sheer add of peachy colour that although is simple, acts as a gorgeous shade for an everyday Make Up look. 

A super glossy, lip lacquer in a stick form that gives Clinique's Chubby Sticks a run for their money. This is moisturising, perfectly pigmented and lasts well on the lips. Not to mention the gorgeous shade Nudist that although appears slightly brown in the bullet, is actually a beige-toned peach when applied. Think MAC's Shy Girl but glossier. I feel like everyone should have this in their collection so go and get it!

7. Super-Colour FabuLipstick in The Missing Pink £9 (full review here)
The perfect pinky-nude that plumps up the lips as well as giving a lovely finish. This really is a gorgeous colour which, along with the great limp pumping technology, nourishing Shea Butter and ultra-shine qualities, makes the perfect pout in one easy swipe. 

So that's a full run down of my Soap and Glory Collection! Hope you enjoyed it.

Let me know what you think in the comments.
What's your favourite Soap and Glory product?




Monday, 23 June 2014

Cosmetic Collections: Benefit

This is the first of a new series I've been eager to begin over the past month or so on my little blog. The Cosmetic Collection series will basically be a weekly upload of each and every product I own from a certain brand with brief comments outlining wether I like, love or loathe each product. I am in no way trying to brag about the products I own and I completely understand if some of you think this is nothing and others think that my collection is slightly excessive but as I have mentioned in previous posts, make up is a passion for me and I will continue to collect it for along as it still makes me happy. The reason I wanted to begin this mini-series is because I quite often found myself wanting to try out an unfamiliar brands products but never know which item(s) to opt for first, I felt if I make individual posts on each and every brand I own, showcasing the products I found to really work for myself, it may help some of you select products that you will be pleased with too. So without further ado, here's post number one..my Benefit collection! 

1. Whole Lotta Lovin' Limited Edition
A Christmas Beauty Kit, made up of the perfect products that will come in handy on a day-to-day basis. With both Benefit's award-winning mascara, They're Real and their perfect bronzer Hoola, you really cannot go wrong with this little beauty. Not to mention a decent sample size of their industrial strength concealer, Boi-ing, the perfect trio of eyeshadows eg. Kiss Me, I'm Tipsy, It's Complicated and one of their creaseless, cream shadow in No Pressure! This really is worth each and every penny. I know it's limited edition but I'm just pre-warning you just incase it's re-released this Christmas and you want to get your hands on it! 

2. The POREfessional (£24.50) (full review here)
Probably one of the most talked about primers out there. Benefit's Porefessional has taken the beauty world by storm which is really no surprise with its smooth to touch, pore-minimising attributes and long lasting formula that keeps that foundation in place all day. There is really little to disagree with when it comes to Benefit's Porefessional being one of the best primers on the scene and believe me when I say if you haven't tried it yet, you really need to. 

3. Rockateur Blush (£23.50) (full review here)
A rose gold blush laced with shimmer to not only add some colour and definition to those cheeks but highlight them too. The flush this blush gives is pretty and practical and I often find myself reaching for this little boxed blusher more so then anything else. 

4. Sun Beam (£19.50 full sized)
A golden highlighter that works perfectly in the Summer upon sun-kissed skin. The liquid consistency emphasises the subtle glow that really takes on the effect of sunshine in a minature gold bottle. If you are interested in this product definitely get your hands on it now to sport over this Summery months. You honestly won't regret it. 

Really an average product when it comes to Benefit. I have mine in the shade Charcoal, a smokey grey that looks fine on but the application process isn't as seamless as it could be. I find the formula almost too soft and the staying power nothing to get excited about. It's certainly not a bad product but one I wouldn't hurriedly opt to buy again. 

6. Realness of Concealness (£23.50) 
A cute concealer kit that's armed with some of Benefit's best products. Put together with mini's including Ooh La Lift, High Beam, Lip Plump as well as Lemon-Aid and once again Boi-ing this really is a great starter kit for people who are new to Benefit but wish to try a range of products. 

6. Posie Tint (£24.50 full sized)
A pretty in pink tinted lip and cheek stain. This is great for when you want to achieve a natural 'no make-up' make-up look. I love this product for days when I want to wear as little products as possible. Plus a little bit really goes a long way, so even though the price is high, it is slightly justified. 

7. Bene Tint (£24.50)
A product that I believe to be Benefit's first ever cosmetic item. Similar to its neighbour Posie Tint but instead a rosy red shade that gives a natural flush to the cheeks and a 'your lips but better' hue to the lips. It's sheer but still has good pigmentation and once tried, it's easy to understand why this is one of Benefit's most hyped about products. 

8. Coralista Blush (£23.50 full sized)
A pretty, pigmented blush in a lovely, you guessed it, Coral shade. This blush is perfect for the Summer and is suited for ever skin tone. With a slight subtle shimmer, this product will look perfect for those Summer evenings or au naturel days on the beach. 

9. Dr. Feelgood (£23.50) 
Not one of Benefit's most talked about products but it's lovely all the same. The extra gimmicky packaging, finished off with the name was one of the reason why I was first drawn to the brand as a whole. A mattifying balm that works lovely under make up as a sort-of primer or above to blot away shine. This is a perfect product for oily to combination skinned girls like myself. Plus the extra bonus of it containing Vitamins A, C and E to help reduce the appearance of fine lines makes it a great multipurpose product that can't be argued with. 

10. Erase Paste (£20.50) 
A thick creamy concealer that camouflages blemishes and does a fine job of covering under eye circles too although the extra cream consistency has a tendency to crease after too long. This is a lovely product, not my go-to concealer but does what it says on the 'tin' all the same. The main downside to this product mostly being the limited shade range as unless you match the three melon-undertoned hues, you'd have to look elsewhere. 

Six mini lip glosses that come in an affordable set that showcases every shade from the Ultra Plush Lipgloss collection. This is a great kit as it allows you to try and test each and every shade before  splashing out on the full size product. Not to mention every shade included is ultra glossy and extra wearable. 

12. Lipstick in 'Finders Keepers'
I believe both the packaging and the shade have been discontinued to make way for the new swish lipstick designs from Benefit. Never the less, still a lovely pigmented lipstick in a mid-tone brown colour that saw me through many wintery months. I still have my fingers crossed that brown lips will be back in fashion this coming Winter. 

13. You Rebel (£24.50) 
Probably my least favourite Benefit product I've tried. A tinted moisturiser with SPF 15 with an extremely limited shade range of only two colours - You Rebel and You Rebel lite, both of which are very unusual colours that I cannot imagine suit a wide variety of skin tones. This came to be the first tinted moisturiser I used and for a long while after the only one, as the formula, consistency and application of this product put me off the idea as a whole. With the strong suncream smell, impossible blend-able formula and bright orange shade, this is a product I have struggled to get rid of for a while now. Alas, not all is failed as now Benefit have bought out a brand spanking new BB cream that claims to be bigger and better then anything else. I'll certainly be the judge of that! 

14. Watts Up! (£24.50)
A champagne coloured highlighting stick that works beautifully applied to a buffing brush and blended onto the cheek bones, brow bones and down the bride of one's nose. The cream to powder finish looks beautiful once applied and lasts a long while too, making this one of my favourite products from Benefit. 

Of course, I have used other Benefit products in the past that I have either used up or didn't have on hand during the making of this post but those products include multiple BADgal Lash Mascaras, multiple full sized They're Real Mascaras, Sugar Bomb Boxed Blush, "That Gal" primer, Brow-zings Kit, Hoola Ultra Plush Lip Gloss, the list goes on and on. If you'd like any information on said products, please let me know in the comments below and I'll get right on doing so. 

I hope you enjoyed the first post of this 'mini' series. Come back next Monday to find out the next Cosmetic Collection I'll be focusing on. Thanks for reading!

Let me know what you think in the comments below!
What is your favourite Benefit product?


Saturday, 15 February 2014

Beauty| Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer

Being someone that suffers with what seems like permanent dark, under eye circles, Concealer is a must in my make up routine and there is nothing more inconvenient then having a concealer that's perfect for blemishes but not for the under eye department or vice versa.  I have been an avid lover of the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer for years now but decided I needed a change. This is where the Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer comes in!

This is a perfect little compact concealer that comes with three steps to achieve that perfect, clear skin finish. I found it exciting applying this the first time round as it just worked so beautifully and eliminated all the bad areas, brightening up my face like no other concealer has ever done before. S&G themselves subtitle this product as a 'Three- Piece Flaw Camouflage Kit' a statement I definitely agree with. This product ultimately is great at covering over blemishes without appearing thick of heavy on the skin ergo creating a pretty, flawless look helping anyone to feel confident. 

It contains three different pans of product all with slightly different formulas, consistency's and hues to counteract all the flaws on anyones face giving the effect of porcelain skin. Step 1 is a Brightening Under Eye Concealer with a pinky undertone, perfect for eliminating blue circles and making even the tiredest of eyes appear awake. This paired with the Puffease technology ensures you that your eyes will appear new and improved after an application - a quality I can definitely appreciate! Step 2 is there for your blemishes, a nude with a yellowy-undertone Concealer with a ultra creamy consistency that applies to the skin beautifully and acts as a Make-Up miracle. 

And finally Step 3, the lightweight Powder, transparent in colour that literally feels weightless during and after application. This sets the creams ensuring that they are there to stay, protecting the Concealers from creasing and wearing away. I feel once applied, this product makes the overall look appear more natural and gives the effect of flawless skin that everyone craves. It uses Instafix Polymer Technology, a quality that enhances the products performance and adds a range of benefits, two for example being slight water-resistance and long-wearing on the skin. 

The packaging for me has to be one of my favourite things about the product. Not necessarily the way it looks as I'm not one for 'Cartoony' effects and 'Comic Book strip' writing but the general design of the item. It's small and compacted, a perfect item for travel with two levels that are easily interchangeable allowing you to take not only two but three different products around with you in the convenient little shell. This along with a mini mirror and a light sponge-applicator for the powder, a addition I never choose to use but for some of you this could be a great bonus, makes it a very nifty piece of work!
Bottom - Step 1 Under Eye Concealer   Top - Step 2 Blemish Concealer
As you can see from the swatches the products are thick and pigmented but sink into the skin beautifully allowing the skin to appear naturally flawless. Yet, once again, with a large amount of positives there aways has to be one negative which in this case is the lack of colour selection in the products, a common problem with high street make up. This product only comes in Light (pictured) and Medium meaning it's only suited for a narrow audience and so misses out a mass of prospective buyers who too could love this product. Something S&G definitely needs to improve on. 

Priced at £10 and bought from your local Boots, this a product everyone needs to get their hands on to try out the benefits for themselves.

Let me know what you think in the comments.
What's your favourite Concealer?

Thursday, 6 February 2014

Beauty| Soap & Glory Archery Brow Tint and Precision Pencil

Filling in the eyebrows is a necessity for some, me included and as much as I love my Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade (review here) there's nothing better then a cheap high street product that's there to assist for a quick and easy look on the more 'natural' days. This is where the Soap & Glory Archery Brow Tint and Precision Pencil comes in. 

When I think Soap & Glory my mind instantly alludes to there amazing body scrubs and miracle working, moisturisers but the brand also do really good quality make up for a decent price. I have already written one review on a S&G lipstick (here) which wowed me with it's amazing pigmentation and beautiful colour. This eyebrow pencil was no different when it comes to quality. I picked this up on a whim and had read little reviews on it and if I'm honest I wasn't expecting much. It was the Brow Tint that interested me mainly about this product as a felt a more staining formula would be ideal for long-lasting brows. As low as my expectations were, this product exceeded them completely. A double ended stick with the tint on one end and a waxy, crayon-like pencil on the other makes the perfect team for full, precise eyebrows. 

The revolutionary idea of this product is that you brush-on the coloured stain to create the fuller, -no-gapped effect and then perfect the shape with the crayon therefore manipulating your brows to achieve the exact look you want. The overall look appears more natural then most but the felt-tip end can be easily builded to create a more harsh contrast. As both ends are really fine there's no need to worry about filling in the brows too thick or over-doing the shape which is always a relieving thought. 

Having very dark eyebrows I bought mine in the colour Brownie Points, a slightly too light shade which is where the main negative becomes apparent. The pencil only come in two shades including this and Love is Blonde. This makes it very difficult for a vast variety of people who wish to use this product as there's a high chance that the colours will not match. Something I hope S&G will improve on. Nevertheless, priced at £10 it really is a more affordable alternative to some of the high end brow products which makes it hard to argue with. 
Brow Tint (Left) and Precision Pencil (Right) 
All in all, another great product from Soap & Glory, a cosmetics company that is swiftly making itself my almost, go-to brand when it comes to finding good quality products for an affordable price. I can't wait to try out more of their cosmetic items especially there Kick Ass Concealer

Let me know what you think in the comments.
What's your favourite Soap & Glory product?
xx