Wednesday 12 August 2015

My Current Top 6 Products for Under £10

I have realised that the Nails and Teapots beauty blog can often get a little 'high end heavy' at times. Which, although admittedly I do often tend to splash the cash more when it comes to my make-up. There are a lot of gems on the high street that need to be shown a little more love. I have previously done a post like this before (here) which was very popular so again, I am going to give a rundown of my six favourites items from the high street that will not break the bank. 

First up, is the Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Lovely Pink (£8.99) these entered the drugstore earlier this year and were a beauty blogger hype. They aesthetically appear similar to the Hourglass ambient lighting blushers, a Space NK favourite that costs about the same as all of the products mentioned in this post added together. Max Factor is probably one of my favourite high street brands as I often find their makeup is comparable with a lot of high end brands and isn't ridiculously expensive. Many a times I have found a mascara of theirs that has almost reached cult status. Their Creme Puff Blushers kill it in terms of quality, pigmentation and shade range. I feel there is a shade for everyone and all of which can be easily dusted onto the apples of the cheeks for a naturally flushed look. Each shade can be easily builded meaning it is difficult to overdo it and simple to manage. I have done a full review of a number of their shades which I will link here

Next, is the Soap & Glory Archery Brow Pencil in Hot Chocolate (£8) a product that is pretty much an identical dupe to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Whiz - a Sephora favourite. This product has been redesigned and previously had the brow pencil on one end and a tint on the other which although was nice, never really fitted well into my brow routine. So instead they replaced the tint with a spoolie brush which is perfect for styling the brow hairs before applying the product. I love it when brands listen to their buyers and this was definitely a case for that happening. The pencil is waxy but pigmented and applies easily with minimal pressure. The product lasts all day and the ultra-fine end allows for extra precision when aiming for that perfect brow. The only downside is the lack of shades that really only cater for blondes and brunettes. 

The Bourjois Velvet Rouge Edition Lipstick in Nude-ist (£8.99) is easily one of my most favourite lip products from the high street. It is the perfect 'your lips but better' shade that is super easy to apply with the handy doe-foot applicator. The formula is incredibly matte but is easily one of the least drying matte products that I have ever tried. Once applied this honestly feels like velvet on the lips, hence the name, making it one of my most comfortable matte lippy's. This shade is really opaque and lasts for hours so no drinking straw necessary. There are a variety of shades available in your local drugstore so do go check them out if you are after a marvellous, matte lip for day-to-day. 

The Rimmel Scandal Eyes Liners (£3.99) are some of the best eyeliners I have ever tried. I actually prefer to use their black liner over brands such as Urban Decay and MAC as I find the shade to be perfectly pigmented, easy to apply and most definitely stays all day. The shade I have been using  the most recently is Nude as I feel this is perfect to brighten up the eyes for a more Summer appropriate look. After each application I am always amazed about how much colour payoff this pencil gives without transferring. I seriously would happily never use another brand of liner again. 

I have raved about the Topshop beauty many times but I have seriously been loving the Topshop Lipstick in Nevada (£8) since their limited edition release of their most celebrated products from the past 5 years. Nevada is a perfect nude and reminds me a lot of MAC's Creme D'Nude but for almost half the price. The formula is ultra-creamy creating an opaque finish whilst feeling heavenly on the lips. I wore this pretty much everyday throughout the month of May and still love it now. It is one of those lip products that tends to always be in my bag ready for application. I have done a MOTD post where you can see me wearing this lipstick here

Finally, the L'oreal Colour Riche L'Ombre Pure Eyeshadow in Golden Nude (£5.49) is one of my all time favourite 'go-to' eyeshadows when I am looking for a simple make-up look that takes a matter of minutes. Each shade in this range has outstanding colour pay-off due to their pressed pigment formula. I own a number of the shades, some matte and some iridescent and I can personally vouch for the fact that they are seriously blend-able and pretty much the definition of a 'buttery' eyeshadow. These are some of those products that I would happily pay more for as they are that good in terms of quality and colour. If you are after an eyeshadow that you can wash all over the lids and go, then seriously check these out. 

I hope you enjoyed this post!
What are your favourite products for under £10? 

Friday 7 August 2015

July Beauty Favourites

Another month is over and already we are in August. If I blink again, I am scared that it will suddenly be Christmas! July seemed to fly by and considering I spent the first half of it loving life in Toronto, Canada, I say it has been a pretty good month also. I made a lot of new discoveries beauty wise as I finally visited my first every Sephora and most likely spent a combined total of three hours raiding each stand, swatching highlighters and lusting over a million of their rollerball fragrances. Thank the heavens each product I purchased made it on the journey home back to England where they take front stage in my collection. The majority of the favourites pictured above were purchased in Canada but nevertheless, most of them are available to purchase in certain stores and online for any UK readers out there. 

First up, is a product from a brand that I haven't ever tried but has always caught my attention. The Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Poured is a cream version of their renowned Opal pressed highlighter. The colour is a beautiful pale gold that gives a natural, glowy look to the skin without emphasising pores. The thing that I love the most about this product is the wear time. This lasts pretty much all day and doesn't eat away at your foundation leaving the base patchy, much like other similar cream highlighters. I apply this to the tops of my cheek bones and down the bridge of my nose using my ring finger and am always surprised about how beautiful it looks. The formula is easily bendable and looks far from cake-y. If you are after that instant J-Lo look, seriously track this down!

The Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushers are the best formulas of blush out there. Seriously, I would happily own all of these and never buy another blusher again. The product claims 12 hours of wear which is no lie. After application, that flush of colour is here to stay. I purchased a number of these from Sephora and already want to buy more. I have been wearing the shade Glisten throughout July and seriously cannot get enough of the perfect dusty-pink with a ever-so-slight shimmer dressing my cheeks. You can actually purchase a few of the shades from the UK QVC so I seriously recommend checking that out. I have got a blog post coming soon which focuses on my Tarte blush collection so watch this space. 

I have another fragrance favourite this month which I already regret not purchasing the larger size of. The Elizabeth and James Nirvana White fragrance was created by none ever than Mary-Kate and Ashley. I am not sure if I love it so much purely for that reason or wether it's because it has a perfect blend of musk and peony which are two of my favourite ingredients in scent. I love the sleek Gold and White packaging twinned with the easy rollerball applicator making it perfect for travel. Although the scent is heavy, I would happily wear this all year round and may have to make a cheeky online order for the biggest bottle they do and pay the ghastly oversea delivery charges, as honestly it is worth it. If you are heading to a Sephora soon, please pick this or the black version up as you really do need it in your life.

I have also been loving the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze, a brand that are always killing it in regards to their cheek products. I barely even looked at this product before purchasing it as I knew I would love it, just the same as their blushers and powders. The beautiful mix of highlighting powder and deep bronze is perfect for warming up the complexion and giving a subtle and healthy glow. Don't let the powder in the pan deceive you, it may look like their is barely any bronzer in there but trust me, this is seriously pigmented. The trick is to go in with a light hand and a large fluffy brush  and dust the product all over the high points of the face for the perfect bronzey-glow. The shade range is limited as there are only two to choose from but luckily this isn't too dark for my pale skin.

Finally, is a mascara that has potentially reached holy grail status. The Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara (weird, I know but I won't go on about it) is one of those products that has you hooked from the first use. I seriously could not get over how much length this gave me with serious volume. I have been using it everyday for the past month and it still continues to create long, black, thick lashes all day, everyday. The thing that I love the absolute most is that it does not shed in the slightest. I have had way too many love affairs with mascaras in the past that always end with me being fed up of having to remove little balls of black off my cheeks that just isn't worth the decent volume. If you are after a new mascara that will possibly change your life then please do give this a go.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my monthly favourites.
What has been a favourite product of yours from July? 

Tuesday 4 August 2015

MAC Casual Colour's

The Casual Colour's are a selection of products from MAC that are definitely not their most popular. In fact, I have literally never seen anyone talk about them, blog about them or even mention them but that might just be me. Like a lot of my past purchases, I discovered these when browsing through the MAC website trying to find things that I did not own. So of course, I didn't own these and naturally, I bought the majority - oops. The idea behind these little pots are meant to be easily convertible colours that can be used on either the cheeks or the lips. I personally prefer to use them as on-the-go lip options but patted onto the cheeks with the ring finger makes for a natural colour blush with a dewey finish that compliments a simple, summer make-up look.  Each colour is versatile and easy to blend but if you are planning on using these as a cream blush, I recommend setting these with a slight bit of powder blush for a more comfortable wear. I love how compact they are and make for great travel items especially since they're multi-purpose. My favourite shades are easily Lazy Sunday and Weekend Getaway for pretty and simple, everyday hues. Each pot can be purchased for £18.50 which may seem pricey but considering they can be used in two different areas on the face, I think they're worth the steeper price tag.

If you have tried any of these then please let me know what shades you love the in the comments!
What multi-purpose products do you recommend? 

Sunday 2 August 2015

Clinique Lip Pops

These new lipsticks released this Summer from award-winning beauty brand Clinique, are everything you need for the brighter months. No matter what colour you are after, the Clinique Lip Pop collection is guaranteed to have it amongst their 16 available shades. Packaged in perfect prisms that are each colour-coded depending on their shade and name, these lippies are a beauty collectors dream. As I am such a huge fan of their Cheek Pops that I had been obsessed with the previous Summer, I could not wait to get my hands on these as I was sure the quality would be outstanding. I was not wrong. Each shade is unique and beautiful, some neutral and muted for day-to-day wear, others bold and bright for a pop of confidence. The pigmentation for each lipstick is incredible, all of which are opaque but creamy, with a demi-matte finish that is completely perfect for Summer. Beige Pop has become my new everyday lipstick due to its hydrating formula and nicely, neutral colour. I have also been loving Poppy Pop despite the fact that it is a colour I would usually avoid due to its bright hue, yet I find the yellow undertones compliment my complexion. The only downside to this shade is that it will also highlight any yellowness in your teeth, so be aware! The other shades also offer a lot of option for any occasion and their sturdy and suitable packaging means they are perfect to pop in your handbag for on-the-go. At £16 a pop, they are a reasonably priced lip product that fits nicely between high street and high end. I cannot wait to get my hands on the rest of the collection.

Let me know what you think in the comments.
Have you tried the new Clinique Lip Pops?