February 2013 Favourites

My February favourites... only a little bit late!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation

I love this foundation, I have had quite a few busy longs days so I have been choosing to wear this foundation on days I know I need the extra oomph, it gives my skin the right amount coverage and a lovely healthy glow.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

I've struggled with some new foundations not mixing well with my combination/oily skin so this powder has been a god send for me!

Maybelline Colour Tattoo eye shadow in Pink Gold

I love this eye shadow, it's a really pretty colour that really compliments my pale skin. 

Rimmel Blush in Pink Rose

I originally went into Boots to buy Rimmel's Santa Rose blush as I used to be obsessed with it when I was younger, but I swatched this by accident and loved it, it is a lovely pink colour which gives a nice glow so you don't need to use a highlighter.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl eye liner in brown

I mentioned this in my January favourites and I included it again, as I am still loving this eyeliner and have been wearing it everyday.

L'Oreal Studio Secrets Anti-Shine Mattifying Primer

I've had this for a very long time and never really used it, I tried it recently as a last resort to help combat my shiny skin with a new foundation as nothing else was working, and I have been really impressed as I have noticed a difference in how shiny my skin becomes during the day!

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Extra-Black

I always go on about how much I love this mascara but recently I went back to my mascara addict ways and have been testing out quite a few different mascaras (review series coming soon!) but I went back to this the other day and fell in love with it again, it's soo good! 

Ooops I forgot to include my Bourjois Rouge Edition lipstick in shade 17, I love this lipstick and often pick up shade 17 in Boots and think ooh this is pretty, go to buy it again then realise I already have it! You can see the picks and full review here.

Elaine

What's in my Handbag? My everyday lipsticks

My handbag is jammed packed full of everything, as an outreach worker it doubles up as my mobile office too, so it's a struggle to find anything in a rush and every time I went to grab a pen I seemed to find a lipstick, so I had a good sort through of my bag at the weekend and found 5 lipsticks in there, not including lip balms!

All of the lipsticks I found are my everyday lip colours that I reach for the majority of the time.

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse - Tempting Lilac

This lipstick is a mix of dusky pink and mauve lilac, I wasn't sure if this shade really suited me when I first got this, but I find it gives your lips a nice perk of colour.

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse - Dating Coral

This is one of my all time favourite lipsticks, if I am looking a bit tired or a bit blah I love wearing this lipstick as it really brightens up my make up, I've been wearing it quite a lot recently as me and the dark mornings aren't mixing well.

I'm really loving the L'Oreal Rouge Caresse lipsticks they are so nice and easy to wear, they give a nice glossy sheer swipe of colour. I think they are great value for money for £8.19 and easier to wear than the Revlon lip butters, you can find them here.

17 Mirror Shine - Beehive

17 recently changed their packaging from a blue bullet to black square packaging with an in built mirror, the consistency of the lipstick have also changed and they aren't as soft. I think the colour used to have a hint of pink but now it's more of a beige neutral colour, it's a shame as I loved the original but this version is good to wear for everyday. You can find them here.

Revlon Lip Butter - Macaroon

This is a really lovely berry colour with a hint of gold shimmer, it's not too dark so I wear but you can build up the colour for a more dramatic look. You an find the Lip Butters here.

Rimmel Apocalips - Celestial

Every beauty blogger has mentioned the Apocalips from Rimmel, when I saw all the swatches on blogs I knew I had to get this shade when it was released, and so did quite a few people, I had to go to a few Boots to get one. It's a really pretty pigmented dusky pink shade. You can find them here.

(L-R) Celestial, Dating Coral, Tempting Lilac, Beehive and Macaroon

Have you counted to see how many lipsticks are in your handbag??

Elaine

January 2013 Favourites

So last year I wasn't the best at getting my favourite's posts done, I think I did 3 if that, this year I'm going to be more organised and get a post up each month. I haven't done a favourites post in a long time so there are a few things that I'm really loving at the minute, quite a few things are new but that is because I have been trying out presents that I was given at Christmas, I think for future posts I will include makeup that isn't new to me but that I have rediscovered in my collection.

Real Techniques Brushes: Buffing Brush, Blush Brush & Contour Brush
These brushes are amazing, they are really easy to use and find they really help your makeup look it's best. I have found that the blush brush is great when using bright blushers as it picks up the right amount of blusher so you can build the colour or just get a hint of colour.

Sleek Blusher in Pixie Pink
I bought this after seeing Tanya Burr using it in one of her youtube videos (here), I don't really have many blushers and wanted to expand my collection. It is a really bright pigmented pink, but if you only use a small amount, you can build up the colour that bests suits you. I have really enjoyed using this blusher and have worn it nearly everyday.

MUA Cream Blusher in Dolly
I bought this when MUA first released their cream blushers, I never really wore it though as it seemed a bit of a faff, but recently I have been experimenting with the blusher and I absolutely love it. It does require a bit more effort than powder blush but it's worth it, I especially love blending the colour into my skin with my Real Techniques Stippling Brush. It gives my skin a really nice natural glow.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Liner in Brown
I already have the nude eyeliner from this range and really liked the texture of the liners, so I bought one in brown, the liner has a slightly metalic finish to it which I really like, it's great as a normal liner or smudged out for a smokey finish, I have worn this practically everyday this month.


Topshop Crescent Moon Highlighter and Sleek Bronzer in their Face Form Palette
I have really been enjoying learning to contour and find these products have been great to create a really lovely subtle contoured look. You can see my review of Sleek's face form palette here.

(L-R) Topshop Crescent Moon, MUA Dolly, Sleek Pixie Pink & Rimmel Scandaleyes

Barry M White Foundation Creme
I recently did a post on this (you can see it here) but this is a must for my pale skin, don't know how I managed without it... oh yeah I looked orange all the time!



Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish
I know I'm late to the party with this one, but I love this cleanser, I use it everyday and it's perfect for my winter skin, it's also brilliant at taking off my eye makeup.

Liz Earle Brightening Skin Tonic
I've never really been that fussed about toners before I know I need to use them to make sure my skin is cleansed thoroughly and they help to close your pores but I never really see a difference in my skin after using them, that was until I started using this toner, my skin looks brighter and more healthy after I use this toner. It's not a miracle worker and my skin is still in bad condition but I can see a difference when I use this. I love it!

Clarins Hydra Quench Moisturiser for Oily/Combination skin
I'm still loving this moisturiser, you can see my full review here, it feels lovely and rich without being too heavy or greasy, it has been an essential part of my skin care this winter.

Bioderma
The bloggers best friend. When I was in Paris in September I was sure to stock up on this as it is much cheaper over there as there isn't a stockist for it in the UK. Bioderma is essentially a cleansing water, but it is really gentle and doesn't leave my skin feeling tight or sore. I don't use this everyday but I have got in the habit of keeping it by my bed for days where I have been too lazy to wash my face with my Liz Earle or Emma Hardie cleansers, and that is why it's in my favourites I love being able to use it when I'm sitting in bed, it might not be the thorough double cleanse i probably should do but it's better than going to sleep with makeup on (which I have been guilty of too many times).
Rumour has it that Boots will be stocking Bioderma later in the year!

Full product reviews will be coming soon!

What are your January favourites?

Elaine

2012 Favourites... Makeup

When I was thinking about the different makeup products that I wanted to include in my 2012 favourites that list was getting very long and I was getting a bit concerned this post would turn into a bit of an essay, so I cut the list down and decided to only include the products that I turn to all the time without thinking and that list was easy to make. So here are my 2012 favourites...

L'Oreal Million Lashes Mascara
This is my all time favourite mascara, I love it!! I talk about it in this post.

Garnier BB Cream
I love this BB cream it is perfect for my combination/skin, it's really easy to wear and BB cream has lasted ages I bought this back in May (i think) and I still have loads left and I wear it everyday! You can read my post here.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation
I really like this foundation, it is medium coverage and really does last all day, I know a lot of people compare this foundation to Revlon's Colour Stay foundation, which I have, but I think that the double wear gives a much better finish compared to the colour stay, you can find the foundation here, I will do a post soon!

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
This powder is brilliant, there is not much I can say about a powder but it keeps my skin nice and matte all day and for only £3.99 it's a bargain, although since I have been using the Garnier BB cream I haven't been using it as much. You can find it here.

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer
I recently did a post on this, which you can see here, but I am obsessed with concealer and use it everyday!

Collection 2000 Extreme Liner
This range of eyeliners are really great felt tip liners which can rival other brands such as L'Oreal and Rimmel for only £2.99. It's mentioned in a post here and here.

Avon Super Shock Gel Liner
I use this liner on my waterline and it is such a great true black I love it, I bought it from Ebay but you can find it here.

Benefit Blushers
I've included the Hervana blusher in my favourites, but I could easily wear any of my Benefit blushers any time. (You can see my post here and here)

I love all 3 of these lipsticks, they are so easy to wear, I have a LOT of lipsticks but I reach for these the most.
Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti (You can see my post here)
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain Balm in Crush (You can see my post here)
L'Oreal Rouge Caress in Dating Coral (You can see my post here)

MUA Heaven and Earth Eye Shadow Palette
I know everyone raves about the undressed palette, which I also have, but the Heaven and Earth palette is always the range of eye shadows that I reach for most often for daytime and evening makeup looks. I just realised I haven't done a post on this so I will get some swatches done soon, in the mean time you can find it here. 

Real Techniques Brushes
This year I have become really interested in using makeup brushes, I never quite understood the need for them before I became a blogger but now I am obsessed, especially with Real Techniques brushes, I first bought the Stippling Brush which I love, I got the core collection for Christmas so I can't wait to try them.

What have been your favourite makeup products this year?

Elaine

My Kate Rimmel Lipstick Collection

My name is Elaine and I'm addicted to Kate Rimmel lipsticks.

I was having a hunt through my makeup box the other day and I realised that I have quite a few Kate Rimmel lipsticks! I have a bit of an obsession with lipsticks at the minute and I often forget just how many I actually have... oops.

I go back to the Kate lipsticks quite a bit because I think that they are such good value for money, the lipsticks are really creamy and extremely pigmented, they aren't drying at all so they are easy to wear. I do find with the new matte collection it is best to put a lipbalm on before applying the lipstick but I think thats the same with most matte lipsticks. 

The Kate lipsticks also have had 3 seasonal launches so far so they keep up with make up trends really well. 

Shades 12 and 03 are from the first range of Kate Lipsticks.

Shade 16 is from the Spring/Summer range.

Shades 111, 101, and 107 are from from the most recent range of matte lipsticks.

(Swatches below)

(L-R) Shades 12, 03, 16, 111, 101,107

My favourites are  shades 12, 03, and 16, but I think it's because I have had them longer so I am more used to them, perhaps? My least favourite is shade 101, I just don't think it suits me at all, I've tried wearing it a few times with different makeup looks but I'm never happy and end up rubbing it off, which is annoying as it was the shade I was looking forward to the most from the new matte range, and with the drama I had getting it in the first place. I will end up giving this to a friend.

When the new matte Kate lipsticks were being launched I actually bought shades 111 and 101 from their facebook shop before they were launched in the shops, mainly because I am quite impatient and they had an offer running that if you bought two products you got a free nail polish, I'm a sucker for an offer so I bought them. If I'm honest I regret it and didn't have the best experience with Rimmel's customer service. 

When I received the lipsticks in the post I was most excited about trying shade 101 and of course with my luck that shade was missing from my order, so I contacted Rimmel via twitter and they advised me to send a message via facebook, which I did. A couple of days later I received a response saying they would look into my missing order, and that was the last I heard. I sent facebook and twitter messages asking for an update but no one responded, I received the missing lipstick a week later no note saying sorry or anything, I was left feeling very irritated that no one had acknowledged my requests for information. I even sent a message saying how disappointed I was that no one had gotten back to me and that I won't be buying anything else from their facebook shop and still I got no response. Of course during this time the lipsticks were released in the shops! So I will not be purchasing anything more from their facebook shop and will just be patient in future and wait for products to launch in the shops!

I really like the Kate lipsticks and think they are great quality which is probably why I will end up with more, but bad customer service really puts me off a brand.

What makeup range are you addicted to?

Elaine

NOTD: Rimmel Peppermint

This Rimmel Lycra Pro nail varnish has been my favourite summer colour, I love it! I originally bought it as a dupe of Essie's Mint Candy but it is actually more of a brighter colour when it is applied. I have been wearing this constantly! 

In the photo I have applied one coat of my Essie ridge filling base and 2 coats of the peppermint. The varnish has quite a large brush so it is very easy to apply.

However I wouldn't say that it lasted 10 days, I've had it on for 2 and it has already started to chip on the edge of my nails. But I would still highly recommend it for the colour alone.

You can get Peppermint here.

Elaine

Some Shopping Goodies

I finished work early this afternoon so thought I would have a little wander around the shops, I spent a bit money than I would have liked... oh well... so here is what I bought.

From The Body Shop

Fuzzy Peach Shower Gel for £2 in their sale, originally £4, this smelt absolutely gorgeous so I had to get especially at such a bargain price.

Vitamin E Moisture Serum for £10, I don't normally spend a lot of money on my skincare but I bought this to replace my Caudalie SOS thirst quenching serum that I got in my Glossybox. I have only tried the Body Shop serum on my hands so far and I have to say the hand I tried it on did feel softer, so I'm really excited about trying this out, I will get a review done soon!

From Boots

Kick Ass Concealer from Soap & Glory in light for £10, I really wanted an under eye concealer and don't really like the brush/pen concealors so thought I would give this a try, I know a lot of other bloggers have raved about this for ages but the price has always put me off but I just thought I would suck it up and try it out, so I will get a review done as soon as possible.

Rimmel Lycra Pro Nail Polish in Peppermint for £4.99, I love this shade of green, I can't wait to try it out! I have been trying to avoid nail polish as my nails are in such a state but I think it's time to start wearing polish now! So I will do a NOTD soon.

Don't forget about our Essie Trio giveaway which ends soon, you can enter here.

Elaine

NOTD: Rimmel Beige Style & Matte Finish Topcoat

Since buying the Rimmel Lycra Pro Matte Finish Topcoat sometime last year I've been addicted, I know matte nails aren't as huge/on trend as they were last year but I still can't stop using it. I personally think it looks best on dark colours or natural shades like the one I'm wearing today - Rimmel Lycra Pro 365 Beige Style. 

These are two of my all time favourite nails varnishes and to be honest it wasn't until today I realised they were the same brand and make, I love the wide yet easy to use brushes and I find they only need two coats (only one of the top coat), dry fast and last really well.

PS. I've been wearing this all week and I was really shocked to see Elaine had blogged and was wearing her matte nails this week too - great minds and all that!

Rachel

NOTD: Matte Rimmel Blue My Mind

Please excuse the state of my nails!

I originally bought this because it looked like a really vibrant royal blue with a hint of purple, but when you apply it it's actually an in between of royal blue and navy... oh well I still love it. I have used my Rimmel Matte Top coat as well, I love matte nail varnish I use it as often as possible, it can give an ordinary nail varnish a really great edge! 

March Favourites!

Here are a few things that I have been loving this month!  


Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara

I had been dying to try this since it's launch last year but could never bring myself to spend £18.50 on a mascara. 

But my lovely friend Sophie got me the travel size version of the mascara from Sephora when she was in New York, and it's soo cute, I really wish companies in the UK sold smaller versions of their products I would be more likely to try out a variety of their products.

I really like this mascara and have been using it all the time, it really adds length to your lashes and the plastic brush adds definition to each individual lash with the spikey end of the brush allowing you to reach your smaller lashes. I love mascara that adds volume and this manages to do this whilst adding definition. I will definitely be buying this when this one runs out!

Topshop Lipstick in Innocent

 I have mentioned this lipstick before so I won't go on about it, but I absolutley love it! It's the first Topshop lipstick I've had and I will definitely be getting more, the lipstick feels really nice on and the colour is really pigmented. For some reason my camera isn't picking up the lipstick colour very well, it's actually a really nice subtle barbie-ish pink!

Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in shade 12 

This is a really nice orange/red lipstick, I love it! The lipstick was only £5.49 so a bargain too! This was my first bright lipstick so I was a bit unsure about the colour, but it's really easy to wear. 

Rimmel Colour Show Off Lipstick in Kiss Me

This looks very much like the Kate Rimmel lipstick but it's not! I had just bought the the Kate lipstick then saw this on a blog sale and had to have it, this is one of Rachel's favourites too as she has had it for over a year. This is more of a neon red than orange/red. I got this for £1 but you can get it in Boots for £6.29.

17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in Bee Hive

I've mentioned this before and I still love it, it's only £4.59 from Boots. This lipstick is a perfect nude lipstick with a lovely pink tint (which the camera hasn't picked up again...!), it's more of a sheer lipstick which is perfect to wear during the day.

As you can see I've gone a bit lipstick mad this month, but I'm trying to be a bit more adventurous with my makeup, especially with my day makeup and I think lipstick is the easiest way to do it.

Rainbow Nails!

This is a post to show you all the different nail varnishes we used to make our new header!

(L - R)

Miss Sporty - Black

No7 - Night Silver 62

Topshop Nails - Starlight

No7 - Betty Blues 280

Barry M - 312 Indigo

No7 - Totally Teal 330 (one of our all time favorites)

Barry M - 291

(L - R)

Barry M - 299 Racing Green

Misguided - Misstique

Topshop Nails - Green Room

Barry M - 304 Mint Green

H&M Nails - Wanna Pepperoni (WTF?)

Barry M - Acid Yellow 300

Collection 2000 Hot Looks - 30 Sherbet Lemons (Awful! see Need for Neon post)

17 Fast Finish - Go Go 

(L - R)

Xtras - Phox 11

Nails Inc - Tate 

Barry M - Raspberry 273

No7 - Hot Pink 40

Topshop Nails - Painted on 002

Revlon - 990 One Perfect Coral

17 Fast Finish - Pink Grapefruit

Ruby & Millie - Orange 300C

Misguided - Misstaken

(L - R)

MAC - Dark Angel

Miss Sporty Clubbing Colours - 344

17 Lasting Fix - Parma Violet

17 Lasting Fix - Woo Me

Nails Inc- Jermyn Street

Topshop Nails - Mannequin 002

Topshop Nails - Hyperreal

Missguided - Missellaneaous

Rimmel Lycra Pro - 365 Beige Style

Nails Inc - Elizabeth Street