Hyped: The Maybelline Champions

You might be sick of reading about these two.  I won't lie, I am too and often skip on by the reviews of the On and On Bronze Color Tattoos and the Eraser Eye Concealer because how many times can you read the same thing over and over again.  I avoided the hype particularly on the Color Tattoo's for what must have been years and here I am...I've finally given in.

So let's start with On and On Bronze as this was the one I was definitely most excited to try.  The majority of my eyeshadow collection are powder.  In fact, this is one of only two cream eyeshadow to grace my stash.  The shade itself is great; easy wearing, perfect for wearing every day, it adds a subtle gleam to the lids which I think can be easily built up to pack a real bronze if you fancied for the evening.  It's pretty much been a go to for me in all honesty!  The Color Tattoos leave a beautiful sheen to the eyes which I think can only look nicer as it gets into the warmer months - think a more wearable, every day version of the MAC Eye Glosses.  This all said...I don't think I'll be picking up any more shades because my heart has already been stolen by the Jouer Long Wear Creme Eyeshadow as mentioned in my January Favourites.  The Maybelline texture feels almost like Vaseline compared to the mousse like cream shadows from Jouer, and whilst the Maybelline Color Tattoos are long wearing, the Jouer version beats it and dries to a nice powder finish.

The Maybelline Eraser Concealer...damn it took me a long time to get hold of this one because it was constantly sold out.  I went for the shade Light, and I actually really do quite like it.  It really brightens under my eyes and conceals dark circles nicely.  I wouldn't say it's a completely flawless concealer - it's definitely a natural looking concealer and isn't completely opaque but I quite like that, even for covering blemishes because it just gives a natural finish.  I love wearing this on the weekends without foundation too - it brightens my entire complexion and just makes everything seem a bit nicer.  

I also don't see why everyone is moaning about the fuzzy applicator tip being unhygienic - if anything, it's more hygienic than doe foot applicators, because you're not dipping the wand back into the product and contaminating it.  It's no different to any other concealer unless you're telling me you honestly wash your wand.  It looks grubby because it's not white like when you bought it and the tip can touch the inside of the cap, but I think that it applies really nicely so no complaints here from me.  I have found though that this settles pretty much on application into fine lines around my eyes.  I'll often apply it, set it, finish the rest of my make up and have to go back and buff the creases out with a setting brush before leaving the house and then I'm good for most of the day.  I think I'd buy this again, but I might try out a few other concealers before committing to this one...

Have you given into the hype too?  What are your thoughts?

February Empties: Make Up and Hair Care

The final installment of this months empties is some make up and hair care bits!  There's not too much, but still a couple of bits worth sharing!

The frankly horrendous looking tube on the left is actually a tube of clear mascara from Collection and it's their Little Mix Full On Clear Mascara.  I was looking for something cheap and cheerful to sweep my brows into some sort of shape, and this did the job perfectly.  It doesn't leave them looking white, doesn't feel overly crispy and keeps brows in place.  The only downside is that the tube itself is clear so you can see your product getting coloured with any brow wax/powders that you use.

This was the first time that I'd tried the Rimmel Match Perfection foundation and I have to say I do quite like it.  I've already bought a second bottle of this and used it as my day to day foundation all the way through Winter.  It is really light weight, not at all heavy and blends nicely into the skin.  My one downside to this is that it's just a light coverage foundation, and leaves the skin with a glowy finish.  Sometimes, I love this aspect of it, but only when my skin is having a seriously good day, and when it's not so warm.  I think I'll be swapping this for a matter foundation come Summer, because it does have the tendancy to make me look a bit oily.

I got this little bottle of Maghrabian Oil in a Glossybox forever ago, and it's not one I'll be picking up again.  I've honestly had this so long, and I just don't ever see any difference in my hair when I use it.  It's not any more hydrated, not particularly any smoother and I just think that there are better hair oils out there for the price.  A hair product I have loved though is the John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Shine Shock.  This adds amazing shine to my hair without making it look greasy, really illuminates the brunette tones in my hair and helps to smooth it all down.

The blank tube on the end is actually a Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer.  Like with the Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer, I'm going to go against the blogger grain and declare that I don't like this concealer.  Yes, it's got great coverage, but I just find it to be so drying and almost cakey on my skin unless I try mixing it with some sort of eye cream...maybe...it's one to test as it's not exactly pricey, but as it stands, I'm not a fan.

Have you tried anything from this months empties?  What concealer would you recommend?

LUSH Jason and the Argan Oil Shampoo Bar

When I got the Jason and the Argan Oil Shampoo Bar for Christmas, I really wasn't expecting that much.  I'd never heard of a shampoo bar before, and the closest I've been to trying one was when I went for a Turkish Bath whilst on holiday in Turkey where I got brutally scrubbed with a bar of Olive Oil soap all over my sunburnt scalp before being drenched with a bucket of cold water after being steaming away in a steam room.  Ah memories.

All this aside...this shampoo bar was actually amazing, and you really do get your moneys worth with this LUSH product - you supposedly get eighty uses from one bar!  I've used mine so many times now I've lost count, and the bar still seems to be in pretty decent shape and seems to have a lot of life left in it.  Jason (for short) smells like the Rose Jam shower gel, but I don't find that the scent lingers in my hair unfortunately.  Also, I really wasn't expecting it, but for a solid shampoo this gives off the most amazing lather ever.

I have quite fine hair which tends to be lacking in any body whatsoever without a big of help, and found that using this alongside a separate conditioner really weighed down my hair.  Used on its own though, my hair looks super shiny, really healthy and even had a natural bounce whilst still feeling pretty soft.  I did notice that it really brought out the red tones in my hair, which I also quite like!  When ever I manage to finish this one, I'll definitely repurchase another along with a little storage tin - I currently use the bag I got it in to keep it safe, but a tin would be much better and would be perfect for taking this little guy on trips away!

I've already got my eye on the next shampoo bar I'd like to try - Montalbano, which was recommended to me to help keep product build up at bay.  I'm a regular user of dry shampoo, so it's something I'm always worried will be sitting on my scalp.  In fact, all of the shampoo bars on the LUSH website look to have incredible reviews of all of the bars so I think your best bet if you want to try them is to nip in store and see which is the one for you!

Have you tried a LUSH Shampoo Bar?

February Empties: Skin Care

So my mission for starting a regular blog posting schedule has dramatically failed.  For some reason, just as I gained momentum, the momentum quickly ground to a full on halt.  I can't believe that I haven't posted since the end of January; it's the longest I've ever gone without posting anything...  I honestly can't believe we've hit March now - where the hell did February go?  It feels like it's only just finished being Christmas and here we are almost at Easter.  In fact, this whole year has gone fast - can you believe it's almost a year now since Liam and I came to first view our house?!  Even though I've not written a hello in a while, sharing my thoughts has still been on my mind and I've collected a nice box of empties again.

Probably the product I'm most sad about finishing this month is Soap and Glory's Smoothie Star Body Milk.  I absolutely love this moisturiser, but I have such a stash of moisturiser at the moment that I just can't physically justify buying another bottle.  It smells incredible, like an oaty, almondy flapjack.  It's also really light, but really hydrating so this would be an ideal moisturiser to use in the morning instead of a richer body butter, or on a warmer evening.  I also finished the Soap and Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter.  It smells similar to Smoothie Star, but there is something about it that makes it smell a bit sharper than the Body Milk, and for some reason I didn't like it as much.  It was nice to use, but I wish it smelt identical to the Smoothie Star.  This lathered up really well, and left my skin feeling really soft.

From The Body Shop this month, I've finished up a sample size of the Vitamin E Moisture Cream.  I've already repurchased this in the bigger size and I love it - it smells amazing and really hydrates the skin.  I've been using this in the evening when I don't want a really rich cream to sit on my skin.  I've also finished the Camomile Cleansing Oil which again, I've already repurchased.  I don't think I can be without this anymore; I'll have a review up on this at some point, but if you haven't tried it, get on down to The Body Shop and get it.

I was sent the Eucerin Even Brighter Night Cream* quite a while a go now, but never really used it religiously.  It's supposed to even out skin with hyper pigmentation.  I think this would work for me in terms of acne scarring maybe, but I honestly don't think I used this regularly enough to see the benefit.  It was quite a thick, rich cream, but it was very easy to apply and you don't need to use much.  I'd definitely try this again to see if it lives up to claims of evening skin tone.

I bought the Clearasil Superfruits Refreshing Facial Pads on a Caroline Hirons recommendation as they were hailed as a high street version to the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads.  Now I've not tried these because they're expensive, so I gave these a go.  These smell super sweet, and leave my skin feeling really refreshed but not at all tight, or leave it looking red.  I think these have been helping with congested pores around my nose, and I'm already onto my second tub.  I am in a bit of a fluster now though, because I've gone to link you guys and can't track them on Boots or Superdrug so I hope they're not being discontinued!

Finally, the Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2 in 1 Wash and Mask is actually a repurchase of mine already.  I do actually really quite like this face wash.  Like the Clearasil Superfruits pads, this has Salicylic Acid in, and has a creamy, ever so slightly grainy texture.  It doesn't foam, and is just really nice to use.  I tend to see a difference in my skin when I've been using this daily, so I'll eventually repurchase this again.

That's all I've got for you for today, but I've still got some empties to talk about including some make up bits!  I'll be back again soon!

Have you tried anything from this months empties?

*This product was sent to me for consideration

Favourites: January 2015

As promised, I'm starting off the year as I mean to go on and am sharing with you today the bits I've been loving this month!  I haven't done a favourites post since...I think it was July 2013.  I don't tend to buy myself bits too often, so I've always worried that I'd just have the same favourites month in month out, but with my mission to clear through my ridiculous stash of bits, I think I should have something different to share with you every month!

Starting with my ultimate favourite for this month - The Body Shop's Almond Body Butter.  I've had this in my stock for a while now, but had been working my way through other body moisturisers.  I can't even begin to say how much I love this body butter - it's super moisturising, but this one smells incredible.  Even though it's just almond, I feel like it smells a smidge like a cherry bakewell because it's also a bit sweet!  But because of all that...I'm absolutely gutted that this seems to have been discontinued.  I can't see it online, and when I asked The Body Shop they told me to check outlet stores and the sale in April - please let me know if you spot it!

The lip balm that I've loved this month is LUSH's Lip Service.  I got it for Christmas from Liam's parents and spoke about it in my LUSH Christmas Haul - I've never tried a lip balm from LUSH before but I really like it!  It smells a bit orangey, but it's not a tangy citrus scent...more of a sweet orange scent.  It's really helped my lips this month - they were seriously dry when I was poorly with the flu!  Revlon's Matte Balm in Sultry has been my lip shade of choice this month.  I have already spoken about it here, so I won't bang on about it again, but it's definitely one that's worth checking out if you're into the whole 90's lip look.

I have a review of this coming up soon, but don't wait for it - you need the Jouer Long Wear Creme Mousse Eyeshadow in your life.  I have the shade Dusk and I hardly wear anything else.  I bought the Maybelline Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze this month to see what the fuss was on that - it's got nothing on Jouer.  I've already got my eye on the rest of the shades, particularly Galaxy and Twilight!

This month, I also picked up my first Illamasqua Cream Pigment in the shade Delirium.  It was in the sale already, but I got an extra 15% off with my birthday discount code!  It's been my contour of choice since I bought it, and I can't see myself switching to anything else anytime soon - it's really long lasting, and creates a beautiful natural shadow on the face because of the grey undertones.  I've been applying it with the Eco Tools Complexion Blending Brush as it's perfect for contouring.  It's paddle shaped which makes it ideal for slipping under the cheekbones, and because the bristles aren't super dense you can easily blend upwards!

What have been your favourites this month?

NARS Digital World Lip Pencil Coffret

Following on from Monday's Face Facts post, I thought I'd share with you my thoughts on the NARS Digital World Lip Pencil Coffret.  I won this set through a giveaway on Tasha's blog Hello Freckles and I can't thank her enough - definitely go and check out her blog!  The NARS lip pencils have always been on my mind, but I've never committed to buying one myself.  Unfortunately, this gift set is no longer available but I thought I'd still share it with you because there is only one set exclusive shade meaning you can still get your hands on most of the colours if you like the look of one of my swatches!

The set contains three Satin Lip Pencils which are Descanso, Torres Del Paine, and Yu and two Velvet Matte Lip Pencils which are Iberico and Cruella.  I'll admit I was pretty worried about the two lighter shades completely washing me out or giving me a concealer lip, but I actually really quite like them!  The bold shades are my favoutites, but I am surprised that I like the lighter shades too.

Swatches Top to Bottom - Cruella, Iberico, Yu, Torres Del Paine, Descanso

The formulas for these are really nice, but I feel like I have to say I don't think they live up to the longevity I'd read about.  The Velvet Matte Lip Pencils last around three hours before they've faded a bit or have come off a bit patchy if you've been eating or drinking.  I found that the mattes do leave a stain behind, but the colours really need reapplying again if it hasn't faded evenly, so I always made sure to be carrying mine around with me.  The formula was also quite drying which is to be expected with a matte lip, so I shan't complain too much.  The matte formulas did last a little longer using a liner underneath.

The nuder Satin Lip Pencils lasted a couple of hours before fading, but Yu lasted a good three hours the same as Cruella and Iberico.  Yu even left a gorgeous stain behind!  These were really moisturising and comfortable on the lips - far better than any moisturising lip crayons I have that are from high street brands.

Descanso is a nude peach with pink undertones.  This was my favourite of the lighter shades, and the one that I wear the most day to day.  It's so easy wearing, and definitely fits into the 'my lips, but better' category.

Torres Del Paine is a light peachy coral shade, which I do like but haven't worn as often as the other lip pencils.  It looks pretty similar to Descanso on the lip, but it does pull slightly peachier.  I think this will be great to use in Spring/Summer to use when creating a really fresh make up look.

Yu is seriously an in your face colour, but I really love it.  I don't own any lipsticks that are similar to this shade - it's a bright fuchsia with violet undertones.  I think it really brightens the face, whitens the teeth and looks insane with simple make up and a jet black cat eye.

Iberico is unfortunately the exclusive to this gift set.  It's a bold orange with red undertones and is the shade I've worn the most.  I love how it can be worn day or night.  It applies opaque in one swipe and really is a great shade - I hope they bring it back permanently!

Cruella is the only shade I'd heard of before receiving this set.  It is a deep red with blue undertones and was my lip of choice for New Years Eve!  The swatch on my lips looks a lot brighter in the photograph than it is in real life - it's the darkest red I own!  It definitely looks more like the swatch on my arm.

As far as shades go, I think I'm pretty covered.  The only one I might need to add to my collection is Palais Royal which is a gorgeous plum shade!  But that can wait until next Autumn I think!  Whilst I love the boldness of the Velvet Mattes, I think I'm leaning towards the Satin Lip Pencil formula, just because they feel amazing on the lips.  The Mattes were just a little too drying for me, and for a high end product I'd want to make sure that I got plenty of wear from it.

Which shade is your favourite?

Face Facts: Orange Pop

It's been quite a while since I've written one of these Face Facts posts!  I hate taking photographs of myself.  If you didn't know/couldn't tell, all of my blog photography is done on my phone.  I don't have a super fancy camera and I don't have fancy lighting so something I find quite hard is taking a quality photograph of myself.  All of this said, I really enjoy doing these types of posts and maybe in the future when I maybe have invested in some kit, I can look back on these and compare my old style to the new!

Onto the look...I'm fed up of being cold now, I'm just not a fan of Winter and can't stand being freezing all the time.  I decided I was going to hop into Spring a bit early this year - I've started to dismiss my darker lips in favour of bolder and brighter ones and the look I've been reaching for a bit quite lately is this one!

FACE FACTS

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer in 002

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in Ivory

Maybelline Instant Anti-Age The Eraser Eye Concealer in Light

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Translucent

Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Delirium

Naked Palette - Buck

NARS Eye Paint in Black Valley

Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara in Black

Barry M Brow Kit

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Iberico

Real Techniques Buffing Brush

Real Techniques Setting Brush

Eco Tools Complexion Blending Brush

Eco Tools Full Powder Brush

Naked 3 Palette Dual Ended Eyeshadow Brush

Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush

Topshop Nails in Concrete

I started by prepping my skin with the Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer in 002.  I won this on a giveaway before Christmas (it and some other goodies look a total state because a nail varnish smashed during transit!) and haven't really used it too often.  It's really nice actually; velvety rather than feeling like your skin is coated in silicone so I'll start making an effort to use this more.  For foundation, I have been using my Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in the shade Ivory.  This is actually my second bottle and it's currently my every day foundation - really illuminating with a medium coverage.  I concealed my under my eyes with the ever hyped Maybelline Anti-Age concealer and I like it, but I'm not sure if I love it just yet.  I only got it the other week, and I'm pretty hard to please concealer wise.  I set that with the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder.

I contoured my cheeks with the Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Delirium and ohhhhmahgod...I love it so much.  I only got it last week, but I've used it every single day since I bought it.  It creates the most perfect shadow that looks really natural.  I then blended that up lightly to give a hint of colour to my cheeks but nothing to dramatic because I wanted quite a simple look.  I used the shade Buck from the Naked palette to quickly add some depth to my eyes by applying that into my crease, and lined with the NARS Eye Paint in Black Valley.  For mascara, I chose the Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara.  I hated this when I first got it because the formula was so wet and application was always so messy, but it's okay now - I don't think I'd buy it again though when it runs out.

For my brows, I once again used my Barry M Brow Kit.  I use this every day, but again I don't think I'd buy this again.  It's pretty warm toned and I just feel that there must be something better out there to try.  I have a review of this coming this week so keep an eye out for that!  And for the main part of the look, I used NARS Iberico on my lips.  This was a lip pencil that came in the Digital World Lip Pencil Coffret and is currently my most used shade!  It's a warm toned orange red which is really in your face - I love it and don't own anything like it already!

What's your current go-to make up?