Battle of The Glow Tonics - Pixi // Freedom // Botanics

I have been workin on this post for what feels like forever now!  If you didn't know, I love Pixi Glow tonic but at £18 a bottle I would prefer to find something on the cheaper side.  But I've given each of these brighten toners a thorough test and I'm ready to report back. All of these contain AHAs, which is a chemical exfoliator, that lifts away dead skin cells in way that is more gentle than your average facial scrub. I have a whole post on AHAs and their benefits, you can read it here.

Pixi Glow Tonic // £18

This has a massive cult following and for good reason. This little beauty uses Glyolic acid promises to even out skin tone, brighten, smooth, tone to reveal smoother more radiant skin. I was very secpital of this at first. I mean how good can a hyped up toner be? But this seriously took me by surprise! It reduced the dehydration lines on my forehead and helped the redness that blemishes had left behind. And really did, instantly leave my skin feeling and looking smoother. I use this every morning on cotton pad after cleansing.

Freedom Pro Studio Glycolic Glow Tonic // £6 (Currently on offer for £4)

The sister brand of makeup revolution has been on fire with their launches and dupes. So when I saw this at less than half the price of Pixi I thought I'd give it try. This basically promises to do all the same things as the Pixi one; even skin tone, brighten and leave skin feeling and looking smoother. When using this my dehydration didn't return nor did my redness. So I would so this is a pretty good dupe. I did note though that this didn't instantly leave my skin feeling smoother. I used this in same way as the Pixi glow tonic. I've tried to compare the ingredients (which is very hard) and I don't think this one has as many natural ingredients as Pixi.


Botanic Cleansing Toner All Bright // £3.99

Now this one is right at the end of the budget scale and Botanics as an overall brand I love so I was excited to try this. This contains natural AHAs which also helps to brighten, tone and reduce pores. This also contains way less ingredients than the other two. As I said I love Botanics as brand but this sadly didn't live up to my expectations. This broke me out and left my skin looking a little red. I persevered though in hope that it would eventually work. But it didn't. My skin just got worse.


Overall, this will be no surprise to some people but Pixi Glow Tonic won this battle, in terms of fast, effective results. However, the Freedom offering is a good dupe, if you are on a tighter budget then I'd go for that one. I personally would avoid the Botanics one.

Which is you favourite 'glow tonic'. Have you had a good experience with the Botanics one? Or is it just me?

Until next time...

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Best In Beauty // January

Everybody says this at the end of every month, but how quickly has January gone? It will be Christmas again before we know it. I'm got gonna lie though, I'm glad January has flown by and February is in sight! I've tried so many new beauty things this month it was hard to narrow it down to just a few products. But I have, so here we go:

Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless // $18.95                                                                                POST

I loved this foundation throughout January. Its a full coverage, matte foundation aimed at those with oily / normal skin. I have dehydrated skin and I'm surprised at how well this works for me. It doesn't dry my skin out, blends effortlessly and looks flawless on the skin. And the lasting power is brilliant, it stayed put all day until I was ready to take it of. This unfortunately isn't available in the Uk yet. But I got mine from Ebay.

EX1 Invisiwear Foundation // £12.50                                                                                  POST

Another foundation that I've been loving this month is this offering from EX. If a longlasting, Satin finish, seemless, flawless foundation is what you want, this is the foundation for you. I was pleasantly surprised by this, I cant believe how cheap it is for the quality of the foundation! This is definitely worth checking out!

Urban Decay Baked Flushed Palette  in the shade Naked // £22.50                                           POST

This lovely little compact houses a bronzer, highlighter and blush. But its the blush I love most from this palette. Its a stunning neutral toned mauve colour that looks beautiful on the cheeks. And in trusty Urban Decay style the powders are butter smooth, super pigmented and blend out with ease!

NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick // £6.50

I've been really getting into liquid lipsticks lately and these are brilliant. I have the shades 04 softly spoken and 07 Sandstorm. Softly spoken is a beautiful, dusty rose colour with brown undertones. And Sandstorm is a mid toned brown nude. Both of these look amazing on lips, although they do require a careful application. Once these have dried, they are so comfortable, it literally feels like I don't have anything on them. And the lasting power is crazy. I applied them in morning, without touching up they were still visable at 4 o'clock! And at £6.50 these are definitely worth adding to any makeup collection.

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara // £7.99

Mascaras don't normally excite, so the fact that this has featured in 3 posts already says a lot. I love love love love this. It lengthens, volumises, lasts all day and holds the curl all day. An all round brilliant mascara!

So that's everything that I've been loving this month! What have you been loving?

Until next time...

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REVIEW // EX1 Invisiwear Foundation

After hearing so many beauty gurus from across the pond raving about the EX1 Invisiwear Foundation, I just had to see what all the hype was about! This foundation is designed for people with olive and yellow skin tones. Little disclaimer - I'm not olive or yellow skin toned. But its rare that I'm not wearing fake tan, so I thought I'd give it go. The Foundation promises to look like skin and has light defusing pigments to deflect away from fine lines, wrinkles and general skin concerns. To create a flawless invisible base!

I picked up the shade F200 which is the second palest shade. Which is pretty impressive as normally I'm 4-5 shades from the palest, depending on the shade range. So this probably does cater to those who have darker skin tones. Although not great for those who are pale - but this is a foundation aimed at more tanned tones. The shade F200 is also a perfect match for me when I'm tanned.

The packaging looks wise is beautiful. Anything gold is a winner in my book and it has a pump dispenser. The foundation itself is on the thick side, which, at first, concerned me as it does claim to be invisible. But the foundation blended out with ease and did look seemless on the skin. I found my Real Techniques buffing brush perfect for this foundation. The coverage is a good medium but buildable. It covered the redness around my chin effortlessly. And left a lovely a satin, flawless finish. It didn't dry my skin out throughout the day either. It lasted well on my dehydrated skin too, it still look pretty perfect at the end of the day!

Overall, this is a brilliant foundation for £12.50! Way better than some foundations I've tried at the same price. I definitely see the hype around it. The gold packaging also gets 10 out 10. And if you have dry / dehydrated skin like me this would be a sound investment. I'm not sure how well it work with oily complexions though.

EX1 Invisiwear foundation is available here.

Have you tried EX1? What did you think?

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The Nude Lip Edit

I'm self confessed nude lip lover. Nude lips are so low maintenance and finish of any makeup without to much effort. I own way too many nude lipsticks for any normal person. But as much as I love nude lips, concealer looking lips are not for me. So today I thought I'd share with my favourite nude lipsticks and lip liners, without a concealer in sight!


MAC Velvet Teddy // £15.50                                                                                 POST

This is one of my all time favourite lipsticks. This is a beautiful brown toned nude with slight pink undertones, in the trusty formula of MACs matte lipstick line. No wonder Kylie Jenner loves it!

MAC Taupe // £15.50                                                                                              POST

Taupe is a pretty brown, red colour with slight mauve undertones. A perfect nude for those olive to darker skin tones. Again, in long lasting Matte formula. This is my go to when I want something slightly bolder than your average nude lipstick.


MAC Brave // £15.50

If pink-y nudes are what suit you better this is the lipstick for you. The shade itself is a lovely dusky, mauve-y pink colour. That can be worn for any occasion. The finish is satin so its perfect for those who find matte lipsticks a little too drying.

Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in the shade Velvet Beige // £6.99

This is a beige colour, no surprises there. But it has got pink, mauve-y undertones. So it adds a unique twist on your everyday 'nude' colours. The formula of these Colour sensational is brilliant. They have a satin finish and are so comfortable to wear on the lips. And they last a good 3-4 hours.

Rimmel Lasting finish Kate Lipstick in the shade 03 // £5.50                                               POST

This is such an under rated lipstick! Its a beautiful pink nude with a light brown undertone. The formula is great, easy to apply, long lasting and opoque!

NYX Butter Gloss in the shade Madeleine // £5                                                               POST

NYX is a brand that I'm quickly becoming obessed with, now its available from Boots. And their butter glosses are amazing. I reach for the Madeline in particular on days when I want a glossy nude lip. Its a sheer brown nude, that is so effortless to wear, but finishes almost any look. Its not sticky at all, just buttery smooth, as the name promises!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in the shade Mink // £7.99                                                 POST

I love the formula of these Super Lustrous lipsticks. They're Long lasting, non drying and just look beautiful on the lips. The shade Mink is a pale, brown toned nude.

Essence Longlating Lipliner in the shade Lovely Frappuccino // £1.50                                    POST

The formula, shade and lasting power of these essence lip liners is brilliant, considering they're £1.50. Yes £1.50!! They're super smooth to apply, they don't drag or pull the lips, they're opaque and last a long time! The shade lovely Frappuccino is a medium brown tone (although it looks rather mauve-y in the picture below). That is perfect under any nude lipstick! I've worn it under all the lipsticks above and looks brilliant with them all.

Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in the shade Addiction // £3.99

Addiction is a brown shade with pink mauve undertones. This is easy to apply, smooth and long lasting. It pairs beautifully with pink toned nudes, like Brave.

So there a little round up of my favourite nude lipsticks. What are your favourites?

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Best of The Drugstore // Skincare

As I mentioned in my previous 'best of the drugstore' post (you can read it here) that most of us are probably feeling the financial pinch after Christmas, I thought I'd share my best of the drugstore products. And today I have my Best of the Drugstore skin care. Lower end skin care can be a bit hit and miss, but I think there are some real gems hidden in the eisles of Boots and Superdrug. So here are my picks:

Boots Botanics Hydration Burst Dual Action Cleanser // £5.99

This is a relatively new purchase but one I love! This product is very strange though, its a gel that melts into oil when it comes into contact with water. This is designed for dehydrated and sensitive skin - like mine. And this really does give me a thorough cleanse without making my skin dry or tight! I like to use this as my second cleanser, after removing my makeup and my skin is left clean, fresh and soft.

Soap and Glory Scrub Your Nose In It // £9                                                               POST

I love, love, love this stuff! Its an AHA scrub that also doubles up as a mask. This lifts away dead cells, is deeply clarifying and refines pores! After use my skin is so soft, smooth and clean! I like to use this 2-3 nights a week, although if you have very dry skin I'd say only use it once a week as it can be quite drying.

Superdrug Vitamin E Refreshing Toning Mist // £2.99

This stuff is another drugstore love. Its a toning mist, rich in aloe vera to sooth and refresh the skin and Vitamin E to protect from the environment and many other vitamins to hydrate dry or dehydrated skin. I like to use this as a refreshing spray throughout the day when my skin starts to feel tight, or when my makeup becomes uncomfortable.


Soap and Glory Speed Plum Overnight Miracle Moisture Mousse // £14                      POST

This overnight moisturiser is brilliant for anyone with dry skin or those just looking for that extra moisture injecting that skin needs in winter. This has super light mousse like texture that really packs a punch in terms of hydration! This promises to leave skin soft, smooth, radiant and reduce fine lines for glowing happy complexion! After using this my skin does feel soft, smooth and hydrated!

Soap and Glory Speed Plump All Day Moisture Marvel // £13

Another great product from Soap and Glory in the form of this daily moisturiser. This promises to brighten, firm and moisture for smoother looking skin! This is works great on my skin. It leaves my skin hydrated and smooth all day. It's also a great base for makeup!

Good Things Manuka Honey Daily Moisturiser // £7.99                                                    POST

My skin loves this in winter. Its an intense moisturiser that is without Sulphates, mineral oils or Parabens. The skin loving ingredients include bees wax and royal jelly to intensely hydrate and bee venom to plump and firm!

Quick Fix Facials Anti Belmish Mud Mask // £4.99                                                       POST

If blemishes are your problem this is the mask for you. Whenever I have a break out I reach for this and it literally takes the heads of spots (gross, I know). It is formulated with a bunch of great ingredients like Dead seas mud, salicylic acid and tea tree to prevent and help breaks outs. This mask would be great for those with oily skin to use regularly.

Superdrug Face Mask // £2.59                                                                                   POST

These Superdrug face masks are brilliant value for money and perform like some with a much higher price tag! My favourites are:

• Superberry Exfoliating Mud Mask - this is a great gentle exfoliator and leaves my skin super soft and smooth after use.
• Aloe Vera De stress Mud Mask - I love this because it smells like my much loved Glam Glow and works in a similar way. Although, its not as good, it does leave my skin softer, smoother and more radiant looking.

So they're my top skincare picks from the drugstore. Have you tried any these? What are you top budget skin care picks?

Until next time...

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Makeup Lately

Today I have another makeup lately post for you! If you haven't read my previous ones, its basically my go to makeup I've been reaching for!

Base:

Sleek Barekissed Illuminator in the shade Monaco // £8.99

I swear this was called Bare Skin Illuminator, but apparently not. Anyway, I've been loving this as a primer. I do like a hydrating primer that adds a bit a glow to the skin and this one is perfect. The shimmer in it is very subtle, so nothing OTT for a day time look. It also creates a smooth, radiant base for foundation. And even better it helps my makeup last longer throughout the day!

EX1 Invisiwear Liquid Foundation // £12.50

This has been my foundation of choice and I love it. I plan on doing a full review of this soon. But this a great foundation. I believe its developed for those who have olive / yellow skin tones - I don't but I'm an avid fake tanner. The foundation itself blends so beautifully and lasts so long on  the skin. It also doesn't dry my dehydrated skin out either.


NYX Above and Beyond Concealer // £5.50                                                                 POST

I've been using a combination of the yellow shade and the fair shade to conceal my horrid dark circles. And this stuff is brilliant for it! Especially the yellow one. I like to blend it out with a damp beauty blender so it doesn't look to heavy under the eye. The only down side of these are they can be prone to creasing so setting it with a powder is a must.

Makeup Revolution Pressed Powder Bronzer //

For bronzer this has been my go to. This is warm toned so perfect for giving that sunkissed look. Its cheap and cheerful, well pigmented, easy to blend and lasts well.

NYX HD Blush in the shade bitten // £5.50

This has been my go to blush since I brought it! It's a plum shade with mauve-y untertones. This blush is so silky, so easy to apply and blend and, looks beautiful on the cheeks. This stuff is crazy pigmented, so apply with caution!

Topshop Glow pot in Polished // £9

I finally managed to get my hands on this after it was out shock in my local Topshop for so long. And I'm so glad I did. Its cream, chamayned toned highlight, that is subtle for everyday wear. I'm always a bit weary of cream highlighter because I find that they move the product underneath, this one doesn't. I apply a few dots to the tops of cheek, down the bridge of my nose and cupids bow, then use my Real Techniques Stippling brush to blend it in.

Eyes:

Zoeve En Taupe // £15.50                                                                                            POST

I've been loving creating a cool toned, icy eye look lately, with this palette. I take the Shade Spun Pearl all over the lid and blend through the crease with Gallery, and Wrapped in Silk in the outer v. All the shades in the palette are perfect for everyday wear, super pigmented, butter soft and blend like a dream!


Maybelline Lasting Studio Gel Eyeliner // £7.99

I've also been enjoying winged liner. And Gel liner is perfect! Its super black, applies evenly, lasts all day without smudging or flaking!

Maybelline Lash Sensational // £7.99

I'm so late on the bandwagon with this. I find that with drugstore mascaras your either a Maybelline mascara girl or a loreal mascara girl. Any Maybelline mascara I've tried in the past haven't really done it for me. But this!!! Its amazing! One of the best mascaras I've ever used. It gives long, volumized lashes that hold all day! It doesn't flake, or smudge and removes easily at the end of the day!

Revlon Super Lustrouis Lipstick in the shade Mink // £7.99

I been loving the low maintenance of a nude lip lately and The formula of these lipsticks is brilliant! They're long lasting with out drying and the shade Mink is a beautiful pale brown toned nude - which I love! Perfect for everyday wear.

So that's been my go to makeup lately. What's yours?

Until next time...

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The Matte Foundation Edit

As promised I have my Matte foundation edit! I surprisingly own a lot of matte foundations for somebody who isn't a massive fan of them! But foundations are my thing and I love trying all different types, in a bid to find the 'one'. Although I do have dehydrated skin I find I can get away with most matte foundations if I use a hydrating primer.

Stila Stay All Day Foundation & Concealer // £29.50                                            POST

I picked this on a bit of whim and I actually quite like it. This has a nifty concealer in the lid, which I'm too fussed about - its ok, not the best concealer I've ever tried. The foundation itself promises to be high definition, high performance product, that lasts all day, whilst delivering a flawless matte finish in an oil free formula. The foundation is very thick but easy to blend, it is matte as promised. And the coverage is medium but buildable. It did stay all day! It lasted around 8 hours easily. This wasn't to drying for my dehydrated skin either. Overall, a pretty good foundation!

MAC Studio Fix Fluid // £22

I imagine if you have oily skin this is the foundation for you! It has a good medium coverage, doesn't move for love nor money and is compelety matte! And the beauty of MAC is they have variety of shades to suit almost everyone! I have the shade NC25 which is a good match all though it leans a bit to yellow. I cant use this without a heavy moisturiser and super hydrating primer because it's just too drying! Anybody who has dry skin and has made this work for you, let me know!

Maybelline Matte + Poreless                                                                                      POST

I love the original Fit Me, the finish and the formula were brilliant but the lasting power wasn't so great. So when I heard it had been re formulated over in the States I had to get my hands on it. And this is one of my favourite matte foundations I've tried! It is completely matte! And so long lasting! without being cakey. I don't have any issues with my pores so I cant comment on that but my skin was flawless! I have the shade 228, which is a good match when I have freshy applied tan but I could probably do with a shade lighter.

Estee Lauder Double Wear light // £30                                                               POST

I've heard so many good things about the original Double Wear I wanted to see what the hype was about. But when swatching the original in store it just seemed too thick and drying for me. So I opted for the light version. The foundation claims to have sheer coverage with a natural finish but I'd say the coverage is more medium and the finish is matte. This also promises to control oil. I actually really like this! It's very thin and light on the skin but gives good coverage and this stays in place all day! It was near perfect when I came to remove it!


Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude 25 Hours // £7.99

This is another variation of its predecessor - Lasting finish. I hated that foundation! Thick cakey foundation don't do it for me. So when they brought out this I was intrigued to try it. The new lightweight formula promises to deliver flawless, poreless looking skin that lasts for 25hours. This is still on the thick side of lightweight foundations but I actually really like this! Once its blended skin does look flawless and problem areas are blurred. Does it last 25 hours? No (not that I wore it for that long) but It lasted around 8.

Loreal True Match Genius // £12.99                                                                   POST

A foundation, primer, concealer and powder in one! Sounds too good to be true. But I love this nifty little compact! Not going to lie I still use a primer and concealer with this. But this is so easy to apply (just dab your brush in), blends effortlessly and delivers great coverage, and flawless looking skin, that is matte! The staying power of this is impressive too - it was almost perfect when I wanted to remove it! I have the shade 4.N which is a perfect match!


Essence Stay All Day 16h Foundation // £3.80

I'm always a bit dubious of foundations that are under £5 but I heard a few good things. This promises to be easy to blend, silky on the skin, lightweight and stay all day for 16hours. This didn't last 16 hours it lasted a good 6. It is easy to blend and did feel comfortable on the skin, it didn't dry it out either. I have the shade 30 which is the darkest shade, which is disappointing - I'm not even that tanned! The coverage was medium to full. Overall, a good foundation for under £5.

Bourjois Air Matte // £9.99

If seemless, light but full, matte coverage is what you what then this is the foundation for you! The formula is so light and easy to blend but gives brilliant coverage at the same time! This is definitely matte but leaves the skin velvety to the touch! It doesn't smudge, transfer or melt it just lasted perfectly all day! Although if I don't use a good hydrating primer this can be drying on me, but I feel like this would work brilliant on oily skin! The shade 03 is a perfect match for me to.

Max Factor Face Finity All Day Flawless 3in1 // £12.99

Another hybrid that promises to be a primer, concealer and foundation in one. Its full coverage, matte, relatively easy to blend and lasted all day. I do still have to use a primer or its too drying and concealer. I have the shade 55 which is to pale for me. Overall, I'm not really fussed about this foundation - I mean its not bad but I prefer others.

Loreal Infallible 24H Matte // £7.99

I really don't get the hype around this foundation, everybody seems to love it. This claims to be lightweight, matte foundation, that lasts 24hours with out being cakey. The 1st few times I tried this I did like it but I've decided it's just too matte for me! It settled into laughter lines and kind of looked like it was cracking - but it didn't feel dry, strange! It left my skin looking flat and just not great! That being said I imagine this would work a lot better on oilier skins.

Maybelline Super Stay 24h // £8.99

Another foundation that promises to stand the test of time. This has micro flex technology to prevent cracking and setting in the wrong places. But what drew me about this foundation is it claims to look fresh all day. This and the Maybelline super stay setting spray (you can read about that here) are a long lasting dream team! This did stay all day until i wanted to remove it! The finish of this isn't compelety  matte but it isn't demi either - its somewhere inbetween! And this did stay looking fresh for most of the day! I'm not sure how well this would do on oily skins, but if you have normal or dry skin this is a matte foundation for you!


So there's the round up of the matte foundation I own! What are you're favourite matte foundations?

Until next time...

 

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Best of the Drugstore // Makeup

Recently I've been reading so much on spending bans, tips to save money, blogging on budget etc. I too am feeling the pinch after Christmas. But I'm not going to give you any tips on how to save money or enforce your spending ban because, to be frank, I'm rubbish at it! But what I am going to give is my top makeup picks for the drug store! I will also be posting my top drugstore skincare, hair care and everything else so keep your eyes pealed for those!

Base:

Seventeen Skin Wow 3 Way Highlighter // £5.99

Seventeen is a brand that I think is highly over looked by the blogger community! I think they have some great products at really good affordable prices. And this 3 Way highlighter is brilliant! This can be used as a primer for an all over glow, add it to foundation to give a dewy finish, or use as a highlighter on the tops of the cheek bones for a sculpted look. I love this as primer. My dull, dehydrated skin is instantly awakened. It glides over imperfections, leaving a smooth, glowing base for makeup.


Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation // £9.99

This was a tough category to whittle down! But Bourjois claimed the crown with their Healthy mix foundation. Everything about this foundation is brilliant. It has a good medium but buildable coverage, leaves a lovely subtle glow to skin and blends seamlessly into the skin. And at £9.99 a pop - a definite drugstore must have! The only down side is the lasting power. It only lasts around 5-6 hours before breaking down. But this is to be expected with most 'glowy' foundations.

Maybelline Fit Me // £5.99

Dubbed a dupe for NARS radiant creamy concealer this definitely rivals some high end concealers. Although I've not actually tried the NARS one I cant make the comparison - but this is definitely a good alternative to my trusty Urban Decay naked skin. Its has good coverage, its creamy, doesn't crease under my eyes and is perfect for highlighting!


NYX Above and Beyond Full Coverage Concealer // £5.50                               POST

I couldn't do this post and not mention this. I haven't had this long but its one of the best concealers I've ever used to cover my horrendous dark circles! I have the shade yellow (I find yellow shades way better for concealing my dark circles than salmon tones). Its rather solid in constancy and takes some working into the skin but once its blended my dark circles are gone! Which is impressive! I've also picked this up in a skin tone colour for any blemishes that decide to make an appearance.


Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder // £8.99

I tend to shy away from powders because most dry my skin out and leave my face feeling dry and tight - which is not a good feeling in the slightest. But this!! Is amazing, its so finely milled it doesn't cake or look cakey. It doesn't dry my skin out or leave it feeling tight. It just sets my foundation perfectly with out any fuss!

Blush & Contour:

Collection Contour kit // £4.19                                                                                        POST

Regular readers your probably bored of hearing about this now! But this is one of the best drugstore contour kits I've used! Not so much the highlight - I mean its okay but the contour shade is just brilliant! The shade is perfect for my skin tone, it blends easily, its not chalky at all and its well pigmented but too pigmented that you end up with crazy lines!

Max Factor Crème Puff Blush // £8.99                                                                        POST

These Max Factor blushes are the best that can be found in the drug store, in my opinion! If pigmentation, blendability and long wearing are what you want from a blush then these are for you! My favourite shades are 30 Gorgeous Berries - which is a lovely purple berry colour! And 5 lovely pink - which is a stunning pale pink shade. These blushes are buttery soft and blend out like a dream!


Makeup Revolution Blush // £1

Granted the Max Factor blushes are at the pricy end of the drug store blush scale. But these Makeup revolution blushes are brilliant for those on a tighter budget. They are easy to blend, well pigmented and have a great shade range. My Favourites are Treat - an orangey peach colour and Now which is very similar only more of muted orange colour with shimmers in it. And these are just £1! Yes, £1!!

Eyes:

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in the shade Crème De Nude // £4.99

I'm a huge fan of the colour Tattoo but this one in particular is my favourite! I like to use it as an eye shadow base. Its a creamy pale yellow colour which is perfect for hiding and discolouration, it also extends eye shadow wear and makes the colours stand out more.

Makeup Revolution Eye Shadow Palettes // £4 - £8

For Eyeshadow Makeup Revolution wins hands down! The brand offers a huge variety of palettes and colours and some pretty good dupes of eye shadows palettes. But the formula they offer at such low prices is crazy! All the palettes I have tried are pigmented, easy to blend and last all day! My favourites are:

• I heart cholocate palette - which has a stunning aray of a shadows inspired by chocolate. This also looks like a dupe of the Too Faced Chocolate palette.
• Redemption palette Iconic 1 - Has a beautiful collection of warm tones browns and nudes. This is very similar to the famous Naked palette.
• New-trals vs Neutrals palette - This palette offers a twist on your every day neutral palette, with colours ranging from burnt oranges to deep plums. This palette can create almost any eye look!

left - Iconic 1. Centre - I heart chocolate palette. Right - New Trals vs Neutrals.


Lips:

Maybelline Colour Sensational Matte Lipstick // £6.99                                      POST

The drugstore have really up-ed their lipstick game! And these Matte lippies from Maybelline are some of the best the drugstore have to offer! They're matte, creamy, comfortable on lips and super long lasting! The shade range in the Uk is pretty poor compared to the range in America but the formula makes up for it! I have all the shades available. You see them all in action here. But my favourites are Divine Wine - a beautiful deep wine colour and Nude Embrace - a pale brown toned nude.

Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Perfection Lipstick // £5.49

I had to give my Rimmel lipstick in the 03 an honourable mention! This is one of my favourite everyday matte lipsticks. Its a beautiful pink nude with brown undertones. The formula is great, it is creamy, opaque and easy to apply!

That's a lot of drug store products! I didn't include mascara because I just couldn't pick one! What are your favourite drug store products?

Until next time...



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Beating The January Blues With Beauty

I'm not gonna lie I haven't had the best start to new year. And I'm seriously struggling returning back reality after an amazing festive season! Being a self confused beauty junkie, beauty and pampering never fail to make me feel better. So today I give my top products that are helping me beat the January blues.


The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter // £13

After a long day nothing beats removing makeup! And I'm surprised I haven't spoken about this before - its amazing! The consistency is so strange. Its like lard but when its applied to face it melts into an oil that removes makeup brilliantly. After it has been removed it leaves my skin so soft and smooth.

Soap & Glory Scrub Your Nose In It // £9                                                     POST

If my skins looking particularly dull I like to go in with a scrub. And this is brilliant. It contains AHAs to really scrub away those dead skin cells. This also doubles up as a mask. 2 in 1 products are always a winner in my book! After use my skin is noticeably softer, smoother and more refined.

Superdrug De-stressing Aloe Vera Mud Face Mask // £2.59

A face mask that makes your skin looks better and de-stresses you is a must for beating those January blues. And this one wont break the bank either! The mask its self contains deep sea mud for a deep cleanse. And after use my skin does feel super clean and fresh, but not dry and tight.

PIXI Moisturising Sleep Mask // £18                                                            POST

All the things I've tried from Pixi have not disappointed me and this is no exception. This is a super thick, nourishing mask that works over night to leave skin moisturised, plumped and glowing. This feels so luxurious to use! I slap a thick layer on and massage it. My dehydrated skins thirst is instantly quenched! Which instantly makes me feel better.

Nuxe Rive De Miel // £9.50

Now I need super soft lips to accompany my super nourished face. And the hydrating properties of Rive De Miel are second to none! This is very thick formula to soothe any lip troubles! Because it is so thick I like to apply this in evening / overnight.

Vita Liberata NKD Skin Tinted Tan Liquid Dark // £12.40

Tan never fails to brighten my mood. I don't really know why but it definitely helps. I'm still yet to find the perfect tan - I really want one that gives a deep colour that doesn't need washing off. But this one comes seriously close! Its easy to apply, gives a good deep colour and doesn't smell of your usual fake tan. And this lasts for a good 7 days before it starts to go patchy!

Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter // £10

If I haven't tanned I like to smoother myself in a beautifully smelling cream! And this one is perfect. Its a thick lusxours cream which is a dream to apply, smells good and leaves my skin silky smooth and nourished!

Essie Nail Polish // £7.99

Freshly painted nails is another beauty step that leaves me feeling better. I love a fresh shiny manicure. I like to choose a colour that I really like to fight off those blues, rather than one that's in season. And Essie Mint Candy Apple is just beautiful - its a lovely mint green (My favourite colour). Essie Go Ginza is another colour I love. Its a beautiful pale lilac colour which also makes me look super tanned - so its a win win! Essie Luxedo is seasonal colour I like. Its a deep purple, almost black shade.

After I've done all that I'm already feeling better but to top a pamper season off its time to snuggle up on the sofa watching Netflix and light a candle of two...

Yankee Candle Tart Angels Wings  and Christmas Cookie // £1.50

These are two of my current favourite scents. Angels Wings is a lovely sugary, sweet vanilla scent. Which I found super calming and instantly relaxes me. Christmas cookie is another vanillary scent but is more buttery and rich.

So that's how I beat the January Blues with beauty. How do you?

Until next time...

 

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Battle Of The Setting Sprays - Urban Decay // Loreal // Maybelline

I am so happy the drug store and more affordable brands have jumped on the setting spray bandwagon. I've been putting them to the test and I'm ready to report back:

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray // £21

The most famous of the bunch - and most expensive is this offering from Urban Decay! This promises to keep makeup looking freshly applied for up to 16 hours without caking, fading or setting into fine lines. This has been a daily essential of mine for quite sometime now. The spritz itself is micro fine - so it doesn't feel like you're spraying water all over your face. And it dries instantly. Although I don't find this actually prolongs my makeup wear any longer than without but, it definitely keeps it looking fresher for longer and stops my concealer under my eyes from creasing! Hold this 10cm away from face and spritz 3-4 times with eye and mouth closed.


Loreal Infallible Fixing Mist // £7.99

Makeup to stand the test of time is only a few spritz away Loreal claim. With their setting spray you can achieve makeup that won't fade, cake or melt. It just looks fresh all day. I really like this and this is very good dupe of the Urban Decay one. It does exactly the same thing - Keeps my makeup looking fresher but not actually prolonging its wear. The only downside is the spray isn't as fine. But I can live with that as it's half the price!


Maybelline Super Stay 24 //

Who actually wears makeup for 24hours? I certainly don't. However, this promises makeup wear for up to 24 hours. This along with the others promise to keep makeup looking fresh all day. The first few times I used this I didn't really like. It was only when I stopped using it I realised how good this was! This really did keep my makeup looking fresh all day. The only problem with this is if you don't spray it far enough away, it dries leaving behind white spots. Not a good look! The mist isn't as fine as the Loreal or the Urban Decay versions. I've found spraying this around 20 - 25cm away from the face is best way to avoid those white spots! I cant find this online in the Uk to link for you guys and I can't remember how much it was exactly, but I'm pretty sure I paid no more than £8!

Overall:

After having tried these all with various foundations, I've found the Maybelline Super Stay setting spray is best for pro longing makeup wear. Although the urban Decay offering has the finest spray. The Loreal option is very similar to Urban Decay only at a much better price. But in terms of actually pro longing makeup wear and affordability Maybelline wins!

Have tried any of these? Whats your favourite setting spray?

Until next time...

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The Winter Beauty Edit

I have another seasonal beauty edit for you today! I thought I'd share my top beauty picks for winter. I haven't included facial skin care because I've spoken in depth about them previously. You can read all about them here. So without further ado:

Vaseline Spray and go moisturiser // £2.50 

I seriously feel the cold so slapping on cold body cream after getting out the shower is not something I want to do. But this offering from Vaseline takes all the effort out of moisturising. You literally spray and go, as the name suggests. This also relieves dry skin instantly and absorbs instantly, leaving behind no residue just super soft, nourished skin! A must for winter!

Garnier The Marvellous Moisture balm // £4.50

Along with my skin drying out in the colder months my hair does too. I used to swear by my trusty Lee Stafford hair mask but since discovering this, it has been somewhat neglected! This stuff is amazing! If dry, damaged, dull is your problem, this is your answer!  This is blended with Argan oil and camellia oils to instantly relieve dry and dull hair. Leaving you with soft hair that's full of life. I use this every time I wash mine and leave it in for 5-10 minutes for best results!

 

Elemis Pro Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm // £33

 

For extra hydration which is essential (for me anyway) in winter this Elemis Flash been does the job like not other. I've been using this a primer for an instant radiance boost and smooth base ready for make up application. This has non greasy and has no residue - a perfect edition to any winter beauty routine!

 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light // £30

 

What time of year is more perfect to rock matte skin than winter? Estee Lauder has you covered with this brilliant foundation. If like me dryness or dehydration is a problem and matte foundation can be a bit of no go, than this is foundation for you! This achieves flawless, matte (but luminous) looking skin in a long lasting formula - that doesn't cake or dry skin out. If you have really dry skin I'd recommend using a good hydration primer and moisturiser first.

Zoeva Rose Golden Palette // £15.50                                                           POST

My eye palette of choice is this beauty from Zoeva. It has a range of matte, shimmers and satin finishes all with rose gold and copper hues. I love a copper smokey eye and this palette is perfect for creating one. The rose gold shades offers a twist on this look which is perfect for the winter season. The formula of this palette is brilliant all the shadows are buttery smooth, easy to blend and well pigmented!

Maybelline Master Sculpt // £6.99

 

Trying to achieve those super model cheek bones is an all year round thing for me. And this contour kit from Maybelline is perfect. I have the darkest shade. The contour shade is a good cool tone so wont make you look like you've smeared round you face! And the highlight shade sets the contour off  nicely - its not to shimmery or glittery, just a lovely subtle glow!

 

 

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in the shade VaVa Violet // £7.99                           POST

 

Winter weather calls for dark vampy shades! And this Revlon lips is no exception. Its a deep purple colour that's not for the faint hearted! But I love it. And the formula of these lipsticks is brilliant. They're infused with Vitamin E to instantly hydrate lips in a long wearing formula!

 

Essie Cashmere Matte Nail Polish In the shade Wrap me Up // £7.99

 

To tell the truth I'm actually getting a bit bored of dark nails now. I'm a lover of nude / white nails and I love they way they make me look super tanned. This polish is perfect for those days! Its from their cashmere matte line which means the finish is matte with a soft pearl colour. The shade is a lovely soft off white colour with slight pink under tones. I oddly cant find this on any Uk websites to link for you guys, I did however, get mine from Boots.

 

Essie Nail Polish in the shade in the lobby // £7.99

 

This shade sums up winter in a nail polish! This offering from Essie is a beautiful deep red wine colour with purple undertones. And was my go to all Autumn!

 

 

What are favourite beauty products for winter?

 

Until next time...

 

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REVIEW // Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless

Why is the UK the last place to get any of the new beauty launches? If you didn't know Maybelline Matte and Poreless has been available in many other countries for quite some time now and still isn't available here in the UK yet. But me being the beauty junkie I am and after hearing everyone rave about this I simply couldn't wait any longer and took to the internet to get my hands on the stuff! I found this on Ebay - new, sealed and genuine (obviously). I absolutely love the original Fit Me But this doesn't last very long at all on me so I'm hoping this one will.

First things first, this is geared towards oily combination skin. I have dehydrated skin but I've found if I use a good hydrating primer I can get away with matte foundations.

On to the foundation. Maybelline claim that this is an ultra lightweight foundation that contains micro powders to absorb oil to keep skin matte all day. As well as matching skin tone and texture perfectly. Because it's a light weight formula it also won't skink in and exaggerate pores!

My initial first impression was the packaging. No pump! This is the most frustrating thing in the world. Ok, not quite but a pump would make it so much easier. I applied the foundation and it is lightweight for a matte foundation. Not the most lightweight weight foundation I've ever used though. But it blended in nicey with my Zoeva buffing brush. The rest of my makeup applied beautifully over the top. And the finish, as promised, was matte! I said earlier I did use a hydrating highlighting primer and this didn't show through. I was COMPLETELY matte. I'd say the coverage is medium to full. I got the shade 228 which is ever so slightly too dark. I don't overly have an issue with pores so I can't really comment on that but my skin did look smooth, even and well covered. The staying power way out lasted the original Fit Me! It lasted from the morning until I wanted to take it of at night. So I'm guessing this would last pretty well on those with oily skin.

Overall, no pump aside, this is a very good foundation! I imagine oily skins would love this! I was also very impressed that this didnt dry out and cake on me. So there's hope for dryer skins too. I'm even more excited for the UK launch now because I'm definitely going to a shade a that suits me better! Apparently there will also be a Maybelline Fit Me Smooth and Dewy for dry skins. I have heard this is just the original Fit Me renamed though - I will keep you updated on this.

As for the UK release date I'm unsure of this. Although when I was in my local Superdrug they were removing the Original Fit Me from the selves and the lady told me they were being discontinued, so I don't think it will be long!

Have you tried this foundation? How did you get on with it?

Until next time...

 

 

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Nivea Post Shave Balm As a Primer??

 

 

I will do pretty much anything (and I'm sure I'm not alone) to achieve flawless looking skin. Even if this means slapping men's shaving balm on as a primer! This is practice familiar to American beauty gurus. Who look pretty flawless so I had to give it try! What have I got to lose? I picked the replenish version to relive my dehydrated skin and the Sensitive version. They are both very similar only the Replenish version has a smell that is so strong and over powering! It smells strongly of your typical men's moisturiser. The sensitive one does still smell but no where near as strong!

 

The theory as to why this works so well as primer is because the main ingredient is Glycerol. And the makeup will cling to glycerol and stay put all day! So with high hopes I smothered this on my face and initially this did leave my skin so smooth, with no residue! My foundation applied beautifully over the top and so did the rest of my makeup! And looked great. I used it with several different foundations to see the outcome. And it faired better with some than others. Hydrating foundations lasted better than matte ones. But I find with my skin type if I'm using a matte foundation then I have to use a very hydrating / highlighting primer - such as Loreal Lumi Magique - to prevent it from drying out. So we'll just put that down to my skin rather than the primer.

 

So does it make a good primer? Yes it does. With hydrating foundations my makeup lasted around 6-7 hours before it started to break down. With Matte Foundation I got around 3-4 hours before the foundation started drying out and looking cakey - this doesn't sound great but if I use a matte foundation with no primer it dries out and doesn't look good straight away. So overall all I think this is pretty good primer for less than £6. I'm not sure how it well it would fair on oily skins or very dry though!

 

Nivea Post Shave Balm is available here £5.33

 

Have you tired Nivea post shave balm as a primer? What did you think?

 

Until next time...

 

 

 



Five Fantastic Face Masks!

After the festive season and new year, with all the junk food and just an unhealthy lifestyle in general my skin is has taken a hit and is far from looking its best. But I have some secret weapons that take the form of these brilliant face masks!


REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask // £32                                         POST

This little beauty is brilliant for giving life back to dull, tired looking skin. It is formulated with AHAs (if you don't know what they are read HERE) to lift away dead cells and exfoliate. It also deeps cleans, combats congestion, reduce blackheads and reduce the appearance of fine lines. This lives up to all that it promises. And after slapping this on and waiting for 10-15 minutes, then rinsing I'm left with soft, radiant, glowing skin! A must have for almost any skin concern. If you have sensitive skin though, use with caution!

Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask // £14

If blemishes / spots are your concern this is the mask for you! The Seaweed and clay in it deep cleanse the skin to draw out impurities and absorb excess oils. This stuff is amazing - if I have any blemishes this reduces their size and redness - after just one use! This also doesn't dry my skin out. I leave this for around 10 minutes or until the mask has set.

Superdrug Vitamin E Moisture Mask // £2.59 (currently on offer for £1.59)

When my skin is dryer and needing a bit of TLC I look to this budget friendly mask! This contains Grapeseed oil to deeply nourish and vitamin E to moisturise. After leaving this for 15 minutes my skin is noticeably softer, smooth and nourished feeling!


Glam Glow Youthmud // £25                                                                    POST

I feel like I've been banging on about this recently but this is, by far, the best skincare product I have ever put on my face! A blend of minerals, clays and essential oils promise to work for instant results in as little as 1 minute. It loosens dead skin cells by gently exfoliating,  hydrates, tones and conditions all in one step to reveal younger, smooth, more refined, radiant skin! This sounds like a lot of bold claims from a tiny pot, but this really does live up to all that it promises! Its pricy stuff but well worth the hefty price tag!

Superdrug strawberry Exfoliating Mud Mask // £2.50 (currently on offer for £1.69

A good exfoliating mask seems to work wonders on my skin and this purse friendly offering is not to be over looked! This contains White China Clay to absorb excess oils, strawberry extract to protect from free radicals and raspberry seeds to exfoliate. This leaves my skin feeling super soft, smooth nourished and glowing. As £2.50 masks go this is an excellent one!



Have you tried any of these? What are you favourite face masks?

Until next time...

Natural Everyday Makeup Look

Sometimes a heavy makeup look isn't ideal, especially in school or the work place, or sometimes I just like to go for more natural look. So I thought I'd share with you my 'natural everyday makeup look'!

Freedom Pro Studio Priming Water // £6

For primer this is perfect for natural makeup looks, Its lightweight, infused with skin care vitamins, easy to spritz on, smells great. And most importantly makes a brilliant base for foundation! It also makes makeup last longer! A complete bargain at £6!


Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude // £8.99

This foundation is perfect for giving a natural finish to the skin. Its demi matte so very skin looking. The coverage is light to medium but buildable. I personally prefer a lighter coverage if I'm going for a 'natural' makeup look. It's light weight, water like texture also makes it easy to blend to!

Loreal True Match Lumi Magique // £7.99

I do love a good under eye highlighting concealer but for a more natural look I like to opt for one that's not as "out there!" This True Match one is perfect for that. It conceals dark circles well and has a natural finish. The true match formula of this also means it blends out easily.

Stila Eyes Are Window Soul eye shadow palette // £30

For Eye shadow a browny nude look is my go too for a natural look. This Stila Palette is perfect it has a range of natural colours to create any eye look. I like to take the shade Light - an off white creamy matte shade - all over the lid, and then blend the shade "individual" through the crease for a natural, defined finish. To make my lashes look more full I also like to smudge "being" (a dark matte brown) along my upper lash line. This way more natural than liquid eye liner, in  my opinion.

Loreal False Lash Superstar // £10.99

To finish of the eye look mascara is definitely needed. I'm currently loving this one from Loreal. Its double ended, one end lengthens and the other volumises. This leaves my lashes looking long and voluminous, in two easy steps!

Max Factor Crème Puff Blush in the shade 05 // £8.99

For a truly natural finish I like to opt for blush that highlights as well. This offering from Max Factor is perfect for that. The shade is lovely pink with slight shimmers in it. I like to apply on my cheek bones to give a sculpted finish.

NYX Butter Gloss in the shade Madeleline // £5

To finish off the look this NYX butter is gloss is perfect! Its a sheer brown nude shade, which looks beautiful on the lips!

What are your favourite products for a natural everyday look?

Until Next Time...