Saturday 30 March 2013

Soap & Glory Archery Brow Tint and Precision Shaping Pencil - Reviewed!

In recent times i've become a little obsessed with all things brows, I used to be the girl who didn't do anything with my brows but how have things changed. I now always go out with a bit of powder and pencil brushed through them to make them look tidy. I recently had a Soap & Glory voucher to use and I decided to give this a whirl even though I hadn't heard that much about it which is very unlike me!
The packing is a basic double ended black pencil with pink lettering staying in the colour theme of Soap & Glory products. I like the fact that this is an all in one product with a pencil at one end and a felt tip liner on the other, perfect for putting in your make-up bag.
The brow tint side is a fine felt tip that is well pigmented and easy to draw on the shape of the brow. I use this to fill in any gaps because you can draw hairs in with this whilst in looking very natural. 

The pencil side is a waxy texture which I normally like however this one is a little hard meaning you have to press on fairly hard for it to show up which is really the only problem with this product. When it does show up on the brows it appears very natural.
Left Pencil, Right Brow Tint
Archery comes in two shades, I have the shade Love Is Blonde (the other shade is a brown called Brownie Points) which is a great match for any one with blonde or light brown hair which is hard to find in the drugstore. All in all this is a good brow product but the pencil side is a bit of a let down. I will keep using it but I don't think I would repurchase instead I will stick to the Collection Brow Pencil in Blonde which is cheaper and easier to use.


Have you tried this product?

Thursday 28 March 2013

Coral Fever!

It safe to say i'm becoming a bit obsessed with all things coral, pretty much every beauty product on my every growing wishlist is something coral. On that note today I thought I would share with you some of my favourite coral products.
First up nails, the first one I have is Rimmel Coralicious, this is an old favourite of mine and the perfect pinky orange. Next are three that are very similar  Revlon Tropical Temptation, Essie Tart Deco and Barry M Gelly High Shine in Papaya, each as pretty as the last one. 
Onto cheek products which is definitely one of my favourite ways to add a bit of coral to a make-up look. First up the Collection Shimmer Shades in Blushilicious (review) mainly for the coral shade, all the shades in this are lovely but the coral is a definite stand out. Next is MUA Shade 4 which is a bargain product and a lovely deep coral shade. Next is my favourite the Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Tipsy (review) the perfect amount of pink to orange is a super pigmented blush. Onto creams, Topshop Head Over Heels is the Tarte blushes sister just in a cream to powder finish and Benefit Cha Cha Tint is a mango coloured liquid blush which looks as good on the lips as on the cheeks.
Finally onto lips, not all of this a coral shades, more peachy but look great with a coral blush. First up the Miners Matte Factor in Peach the name sums up this lovely shade. Next Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in shade 16 is a lovely pinky coral, I love the formula of this lipsticks so much and I have my eye on a few more shades. Next Bourjous Rouge Edition in shade 17 which is a pinky lipstick that has a slight hint of coral when on the lips. Finally my favourite is the Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Fruitti, a bright orange lipstick that when it mixes with your lip colour makes a lovely coral shade.
So those are my current coral favourites, I definitely will be adding more to my collection over the next few months and I can't wait for Spring to properly start so I can rock the coral look. 

Are you coral obsessed? What are your favourite coral products?

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Origins Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Treatment - Reviewed!

As someone who has always had oily skin when my skin became a lot more combination I was a bit lost on what to do when I came across this cream which in my eyes has saved my skin. My skin has become more dehydrated yet it is still some what oily and a lot of creams feel too heavy on my skin apart from this one.
The product comes in a simple plastic pot which I like. The Make A Difference range comes in 3 different types of creams depending on your skin type all of which are designed to help with dehydration in the skin; I have the one for combination/oily skin. 
The product itself is a gel like consistency which smooths onto the skin without feeling heavy. No matter how much or little I apply it never feels heavy instead my skin feels smooth and hydrated. I use this mostly at night but if my skin is feeling particularly dry I will apply it during the day too and it feels lovely under make-up too. 
The cream has a lovely fresh scent to it which makes applying it even more enjoyable. I've had a lot less dry patches since using this and it hasn't broken me out or made my skin more oily in fact my skin has been less oily since using hydrating products like this. I would definitely recommend this product, in fact this is my second tube and I can see it being something I will keep repurchasing. 


Have you tried this product?

Sunday 24 March 2013

Snowed In!

So I don't have a beauty related post for you all today instead I thought I would share some pictures i've taken of the snow that has visited this weekend. Today marks the third day in a row that i've been snowed in which has resulted in my watching a lot of Dexter which is fast become one of my new favourite TV shows, i'm half way through season 2 already! 
 As you can see we can no longer see the road! I will say that I live at the top of a hill wear the weather is always worse. As you can see.
Hopefully the snow will leave us soon so I can get out the house and stop leaving off of tinned products! I was actually planning on picking up some Spring clothes this weekend and those plans obviously got cancelled! 

On another note I will say that i'm a bit bogged down with Uni work at the moment, I have my last exam on the 16th May and then my 3 months for Summer begins but until then a lot of essay writing and revision will be happening so if the blog post become a little sparse that's why but hopefully it shouldn't! I've also just booked the hotel and eurostar tickets for a trip to London and Paris at the end of June and i'm already getting excited for a week away!

If you have any TV shows or film recommendations to pass the time please let me know in the comments, I have a wide taste so feel free to recommend me anything good. Are any of you a fan of Dexter too? I can't believe it's taken me so long to check it out because it's right up my street! 

Are you snowed in too, what have you been doing to pass the time?

Saturday 23 March 2013

Stila Convertible Color in Lillium - Reviewed!

So I seem to be developing a bit of an obsession for cream blushes, I think a full post on some of my favourites will have to be made soon. One of my current favourites which has been grazing my cheeks everyday since I bought it is Lillium. 
Each of the Stila Convertible Color's comes in a colour coordinated packaging depending on the shade of the product which makes it easy to spot each shade. Each of the creams can be used on the cheeks and lips making a great lazy day 2-1 product. 
The compact comes with 4.25g of product and a decent sized mirror. The product is a slightly tacky cream which helps for it to almost stick to the skin as well as helping with blending.
The shade Lillium is a lovely dusky pink shade which in some lights even has a hint of coral too it. When applied to the skin it gives a natural flush colour with a lovely glow too. Even with a slight amount of powder applied on top a sheen still can be seen which I love. 

I apply after my foundation and before powder because I find it a lot easier to blend that way. I use the Real Techniques Stippling Brush which is perfect to use with cream blush. The product last well on my skin at around 6 hours before the colour starts to fade. This is definitely one of the best cream blushes i've tried and I definitely want to get my hands on some more shades, each of them are so lovely. 


Have you tried these? What are your favourite cream blushes?

Thursday 21 March 2013

Handbag Beauty Essentials

I am definitely one of those girls who carries a shed load of things in my handbag for any possible situations. Today I thought I would share the beauty products I lug around in my bag.
Most of the products I keep in my bag I put in this Laura Mercier make-up bag which I got as a part of a free gift from Space NK and it is the perfect size to fit all my beauty bits in. 
First up I have lip products, now this is the scaled down version of what I have because normally I have up to 10 lipsticks in my bag. *hangs head in shame*. The two lipbalms I have is the Soap & Glory Smooch Operator which smells lovely and makes my lips feel amazing the other being the Balance Me Rose Otto Intense Lip Salve. I always have two basic lipsticks, one being 17 Mirror Shine in Belle the other L'oreal Caresse in Tempting Lilac. The other is my current lipstick the Bourjous Rouge Edition in shade 17 which i'm really liking. 
Some hand products now, first up the Carex Moisture Plus Hand Gel, this smells really clean and isn't too drying. I don't go anywhere without hand sanitizer. My current hand cream is the L'Occitane Mango Flower Hand Cream which smells amazing and is super moisturising. Finally I got this nail file and holder from Primark which is perfect for your handbag and was really cheap. 
I always like to have mints and gum on me as well as some Ibuprofen in case I get a headache whilst i'm out and finally some plaster because you never know when you will need one. 
I keep my perfume in my Travalo which currently has Marc Jacobs Daisy in it which is one of my favourite perfumes and a small hairbrush because my hair always gets knotty. I also tend to have some pins and hair ties in my bag so I can put my hair up if it's annoying me.
Everyone needs a compact mirror in their bag and another essential I love is the Kleenex Shine Absorbing Sheets which I great if my t-zone gets oily. I also have some powder, the Collection Pressed Powder and the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in case I need to do any touch ups during the day. 

So those are my handbag beauty essentials feel free to tell me what things you carry around in your handbag and am I the only one who carries loads of lip products around with them!? What is your record?

 
 
 

Tuesday 19 March 2013

REN Resurfacing AHA Concentrate - Reviewed!

As a lover of any sort to glycolic acid treatment such as the Alpha H Liquid Gold, i'm getting a little bit obsessed in wanting to try them all! REN is already one of my favourite skincare brands and their Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask is one my all time favourites I was interested in trying other products from their radiance range, especially this one.
First up packaging, I love how simple it is and how it matches the colour scheme of the other products in the radiance range. It comes in a small glass bottle with a pipette to dispense the product.
Like the mask this contains glycolic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid and citric acid to remove dead skin cells and speed in the turnover of new cells. The product has a strong fruity scent like the mask, to me it smells like orange fruit pastels which I personally like. 
As I said above it comes with a pipette in which I take a few drops to cover my whole face. The product itself is like a thick liquid but not as thick as a gel, it as a slight tackyness too it which goes away as it absorbs into the skin. I apply with clean hands but you could use a cotton pad but you would waste product that way. I don't applied any moisturiser and serums after using this (like when using Liquid Gold) however REN do a serum that goes with this range and that can be used after the treatment which i'm definitely interested in trying.

After using this for a couple of months i've noticed after each use my skin feels extremely smooth and a lot less congested. Any redness seems to decrease along with any scarring seems to be less visible. I've also found it help with any dry patches I may have to feel less rough and my foundation therefore sits better on my face. 

I've found the product to feel gentle on the skin and does not sting when applied however if you have very sensitive skin I would be careful like with any glycolic treatment. All in all i've really enjoyed using this product and is a great once a week boost to the skin.

REN Resurfacing AHA Concentrate retails for £30.00.

Have you tried this product?

Sunday 17 March 2013

Storage Ideas - Muji Drawers

I picked up these Muji drawers last years but I recently moved them onto my bed side table and I have found I use them a lot more now. I posted a picture of them on Instagram last month asking if anyone would like to see a post on them so here it is! 
I have two of the wide drawers stacked from Muji with a lipstick and foundation holder from Amazon on top. I love how neat this looks and I find it makes me a lot more organised. 
 In the bottom drawer I have my cream eyeshadows, quick tip you should store these upside down to prevent them from drying out. I also have a few quads and eyeliners. 
The next drawer I have blushes, highlighters and bronzers that I am currently reaching for. I swap and change products out of this draw depending on what i'm liking at the time. 
The next drawer is the an overspill of foundations along with my current moisturiser and some powders. 
In the last drawer I have some lipglosses and balm stains, products i'm wanting to use and my NARS blushes. 
Onto of the drawers I have this acrylic unit that has space to hold my foundations i'm currently using and more favourite lipsticks. 
The lipstick holder section is teared so it's really easy to see each lipstick. 
In the back two sections have have some more lip products (I'm a lip product lover for sure!) and some concealers. 

Muji Wide Drawers retails for £10.95 each. 

Acrylic Make-Up Organiser retails for £7.99.
 
I love this kind of storage and I would definitely recommend getting some Muji drawers to store your current go to make-up in because it makes getting ready in the morning so much easier. 

Are you a fan of acrylic storage?

Friday 15 March 2013

Spring Make-Up Essentials

It is officially finally Spring although the weather isn't really showing it yet! Like any beauty addict a new season is the perfect excuse to give your collection a bit of a shake up and dig out some old favourites. Theses are some of the products I know I will be reaching for in the next few months. 
First up is bases, my favourite moisturiser at the moment is the Origins VitaZing SPF 15 (review). This is a light moisturiser with a tint to help your skin look glowing, it also has SPF 15 which is perfect for this time of year. Next is my favourite base at the moment, the Dr Jart Regenerating BB Cream (review), this feels light on the skin but has a good coverage and an SPF 30. I love this so much and would definitely recommend it. For foundation the Revlon Nearly Naked foundation (review) is a perfect glowing, light to medium with an SPF 20 for good measure. 
A highlighter which has had my cheeks glowing recently is the MUA Undress Your Skin Shimmer Highlighter, this is like Benefit High Beam in a powder and gives a lovely subtle shimmer to the cheeks. A product i'm a little obsessed with at the moment is the Topshop Head Over Heels blush (review), this is a cream to powder finish and gives an amazing glow and warmth to the skin. A great bargain product is the Collection Shimmer Shade in Blushalicious (review), rubbish name but great product. It has four well pigmented shades, and the coral shade is a firm favourite of mine this time of year.
Carrying the shimmery theme to the eyes the MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study (review) is the perfect champagne base for any eyeshadow look. A great bargain and a Naked 2 dupe is the MUA Undress Me Too palette packed full of neutral shades. Another favourite of mine is the Wet N Wild Trio in Walking On Eggshells (review), the bottom shade is one of my favourite eyeshadows ever!
Finally three lovely lip products, first being the L'oreal Caresse in Aphrodite Scarlett, a lovely bright pink shade that is very wearable and feels lovely on the lips. An old favourite of mine is the Miners The Matte Factor in Peach (review), the perfect peachy stain to the lips that isn't drying. Last but not least is the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Darling (review), a sheer lilac colour which when mixed with your natural lip colour makes the perfect pinky, purple hybrid which just screams Spring to me. 
So those are some of the products I will be reaching for this Spring, what will you be loving this Spring?  

Wednesday 13 March 2013

Green Smoothie Recipe

I've always been a lover of smoothies and last month I finally got round to replacing my broken blender and i've been blending pretty much everything in my kitchen! After searching for a few green smoothie recipes i've adapted them and made my own which I thought I would share with you today because it's super easy to make.
 You will need:
375ml of Almond Milk
1-2 Table Spoons of Yogurt
1 Banana
2 Kiwi Fruits 
A good handful of Spinach
First peel a banana and break into chunks, then cut in half the kiwi fruits and spoon out the fruit. Add all the ingredients into the blender and blender for 30 seconds to a minute until you can a smooth green liquid. 
Then just pour into a glass and enjoy! This amount of ingredients will make enough for two glasses/ 1 pint glass and i've found it will stay fresh in the fridge for one day. It takes around 5 minutes to make and is the perfect fresh start to the morning. 

Let me know if you make this yourself and feel free to tell me your favourite smoothie recipes!