May Bank Holiday Haul - Skincare and Makeup

Apologies for the super long break since my last blog post, but work has been keeping me busy (The joys of being an NQT!).

Anyway, I decided to make the most of the bank holiday weekend and spent most of Saturday walking around London, from Holborn to Covent Garden and then onto Oxford Street. While I was enjoying the sunny Spring weather, I couldn't resist picking up a few things and even managed to cross two items off my wishlist.

 

I've taken more of an interest in skincare over the past few weeks and finally managed to buy the Pixi Glow Tonic, an exfoliating acid toner which helps remove dead skin cells without any of the scrubbing. I also came across the range of Origins Mask Pods, which were on offer in Selfridges (6 for £12, one retails for £2.50), and chose a few different ones to try out. I do like the idea of the mask pods as they allow you to try the mask without committing to a full size product, which helps when saving money.

I also purchased two makeup products, the Charlotte Tilbury Skin Perfecting Micro Powder in medium (on my wish list) and the Chubby Lipstick in shade 103 from new brand 3INA (which has a store in Covent Garden). I haven't been makeup shopping in quite a while, but I don't think my makeup collection needs to grow anymore. Hopefully I'll be sharing what I think of the products in a few review posts soon, although I'm not exactly sure when that'll be!
 

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You Beauty Discovery - June (Beauty Heroes)

This month's YBD box is following on from last months and focuses on beauty products that stand-out. The products range from body-care to makeup to skincare, with a few extra goodies included in the box. From the selection available, I chose the Crown C436 Mini Duo Fibre Blender Brush and the NUDE ProGenius Omega Treatment Rescue Oil (5ml).

 

The Crown Mini Duo Fibre Brush is the perfect size for blending in concealer. It's very soft and fairly dense, allowing you to buff in the makeup with small circular motions. I'm always on the look out for new and different brushes, so this is a good addition to my collection. I also chose the NUDE Treatment Rescue Oil as my skin has been going a bit crazy (oily, dry, sensitive and spotty). This oil is supposed to refine and clarify the skin, with key natural ingredients to help repair the skin. I'll definitely be using this over the next few weeks. The extra's included in this months box are a packet of Urban Fruit baked fruit snack, Good To Go Anywhere wipes trio, which are great for travel, and 2 Clipper tea bags in Green Tea and Red Fruits & Aronia Berry. Overall, I'm really liking this month's box, and with a retail value of approximately £17 (the brush at £7.39, and the oil working out as £9.66). These are both products that I'll be using regularly so it's definitely worth the £6,95 for the YBD box.


What do you think of this month's box?



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Three Product Makeup Routine - Foundation, Brows and Blush.

I really should be prepping for the start of my second school placement but here I am blogging instead =)

Today's blog post is basically about how I've cut my everyday makeup routine down to three products. My aim is to (eventually) be comfortable not wearing any makeup on a daily basis but until then, these three products will suffice. With early starts and not much time to take a break during the day, I've reduced the number of products that I apply before going to uni/placement. These are the products that are essential for me.

- I'm a big mineral foundation lover, so my Bare Minerals Original Powder foundation is the first to be applied. I only buff a little onto my face, enough to even out my skin without looking heavy and cakey.
- The next step is probably the one that takes the longest and it's my brows. Thanks to a bad habit (pulling out my eyebrow hairs at random), my brows are quite sparse and need a little shaping and colour to make them slightly bolder and more 'brow-like'. I either use the Illamasqua Brow Powder (Gaze) or the Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade (Dark Brown). Honestly, it just depends on how much time I have on that particular morning, as the pomade takes a bit longer to apply for a stronger brow, whereas the powder gives a softer look and doesn't take as long.
- The final step is to add a bit of colour on my face with blusher. At the moment, I'm loving the Bourjois Little Round Pot (16 Rose Coup De Foudre), which is a soft pink with subtle golden shimmer. Seeing as I do rub my eyes quite a bit during the day, I avoid eyeliner and mascara, and only apply a lipbalm to keep my lips moisturised.

I'm actually quite happy that my everyday face only needs three products. I do like wearing make-up, but for university and school placements, the bare minimum is perfectly acceptable (as long as I don't look like I've been up all night/only just woken up/any other reason here). And that means that I can have a few extra minutes in bed. Now if only I could minimise the amount of useless stuff I carry in my bag!



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British Beauty Blogger Dream Box II

I may have temporarily cancelled my YBD box subscription this month (I didn't really need/want any of the products available) but I couldn't resist purchasing the Dream Box II by The British Beauty Blogger and Latest in Beauty. With a total of 18 full, travel and sample size products (worth approximately £130) for the price of £21.95, I was logging into my Latest in Beauty account as soon as lunchtime came around. Unfortunately the site was down (because of the popularity of the beauty box), so I signed up on the waiting list and was able to purchase the box the next day. It's really no surprise that the box is jam packed with products. Once I had opened it up, I couldn't get everything back in to close it up!

The products included in this box are all hand picked by Jane (British Beauty Blogger) and I'm looking forward to trying them all out. Included in this box are the following products:                                                                                                                 

Ardell Natural Style Demi Wispies (Full Size)
Vichy Aqualia Thermal Light Cream (15ml)
Kerastase BAIN SATIN 1 (30ml)
Kerastase LAIT VITAL (20ml)
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick SPF15 (3.7g)
Mio Double Buff (50ml)
Sleek MakeUP Mini Pout Polish (4.5g pot)
LOLA Make Up Ultra Shine Lipstick (full size 4g)
invisibobble The Traceless Hair Ring (3x hair rings)
Agent Provocateur FATALE (2ml vial)
Eylure Brow Crayon in Mild Brown (0.23g)
Le Couvent des Minimes Gardener's Hand Healer (25ml)
The Body Shop Beautifying Oil (100ml)
NUDE Skincare Deluxe Pro Genius Treatment Oil (10ml)
Essie Nail Polish (1x 5ml)
Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Duo (full size)
Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream (8.5g)
Ciaté London Lashlights (6.5ml)   I'm most looking forward to trying the Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream, the Mio Double Buff and the Vichy Aqualia Thermal Light Cream. I can't believe I've never bought the Bourjois Bronzing Poweder before, so this product will also be on my first to try list. As I'm a big fan of the L'Occitane Shea Butter hand creams, I'm wondering how the Le Couvent des Minimes Gardener's Hand Healer will compare as it also contains 20% Shea butter.   Overall, I'm loving this box as these are products that I would never have picked up for myself (especially the Ciaté Lashlights and the Elizabeth Arden Lip Protectant) as well as products that I would have liked to try earlier, but my student budget doesn't allow for it. Hopefully I'll be posting a few reviews with my thoughts on individual products, but for now I'm just going to enjoying trying them all out (not all at once though!)

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Project Shoebox

Project Shoebox started out as a small facebook campaign last year, aiming to collect 40 shoeboxes filled with essentials for Bromley Women's Refuge. The total was more than double the number of boxes and a few additional essential boxes to keep supplies stocked up. This year, Project Shoebox has grown and is again collecting items that can be given as aid/gifts to the women and children at the refuge.

As a compulsive hoarder, I emptied out most of my stash last weekend and filled two boxes (each one smaller than a shoebox) with a bunch of products, from unused cosmetics to sample sachets of lotions and more. The truth is that I definitely don't need any of them (especially when I already have a lot to get through!) so to pack them in a box and post them to the Project Shoebox address was the obvious thing to do. 😊

If you're thinking of doing a little clearing up and 'de-stashing', make sure you don't throw away anything you could possibly donate for a good cause.
 

You can find all the details for Project Shoebox on the facebook page here. Don't forget to follow them on Twitter and Instagram too (@PRJshoebox).
 

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Sampling Foundation #4 - Bare Minerals bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation

Picking up on this mini series from where I left it in April, I recently picked up a sample of the new Bare Minerals liquid foundation (the whole name is a mouthful!). The formula is a combination of mineral foundation and a skincare serum with a non chemical SPF 20. As you may already know, my usual foundation is the Bare Minerals Original Powder, so I thought I'd see how the liquid one would compare in terms of shade match, coverage/finish and ease of use.

Personally, I love the powder foundation because it's so easy to use, simply tip a little into the lid, swirl your brush in, then tap off the excess and buff into the skin. It literally takes two minutes (or less) and I'm left with light-medium coverage without a heavy feeling on my skin. The bareSkin foundation requires a little more effort as you have to shake the bottle before you take it out. This is quite satisfying as you can here the ball inside mixing the product. Then I simply apply a 1-2 drops directly onto my foundation brush (in this case, it's the Real Techniques Expert Face brush) and dab around the face before starting to buff it in.

What are my thoughts? I actually really like the bareSkin foundation. It feels very light on the skin and doesn't oxidise once you've applied it. I apply enough for light coverage, but it can be built up (without feeling cakey) if you wanted more. The finish is dewy, and really does give you that glowing look (probably something to do with the fact that it is a serum foundation). It hasn't reacted with my combination/sensitive skin and lasts throughout the day - around 7/8 hours for me (I do set my foundation with a little MAC Prep+Prime Translucent Finishing Powder).

At the Bare Minerals counter, I was matched to two different shades, Bare Latte and Bare Sand. There was only a sample of Bare Sand available, which is the slightly darker shade, but once buffed into the skin (and it's the same with the original powder foundation) the slight shade variation didn't really make a difference. So, definitely get shade matched at your nearest counter before purchasing (and ask for sample to try at home). There are a total of 20 shades available so there is bound to be one that matches your skin tone.

Despite the little bit of extra effort required at the beginning, I really do like this foundation and I will (hopefully) purchase it after Christmas (downside of being a student, I have to prioritise my purchases). I think I've been converted from mineral powder foundation to liquid foundation!

Have you tried the Bare Minerals bareSkin foundation? What are your thoughts?



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You Beauty Discovery Box - September (Birthday Box)

Can you believe that You Beauty Discovery boxes have been around for a whole year? I remember signing up to the subscription boxes aftet reading Pyari Beauty's post on the October box last year. Since then, YBD has had some very good boxes as well as some not so great ones, but they are all worth the £6.95 that I pay each month.

 

This month, I decided to go for two makeup products, as I haven't actually purchased any new makeup since coming back from holiday (and probably won't until the post-Christmas sales. I've started my teacher training, so I am officially on a student budget!). I chose the Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pencil (Black Noir) and the Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm (Unique Pink). Both are travel sized products (roughly half of the full size) and both are suitable for everyday wear. The full size for each retails at around £11 (Eye Pencil) and £12 (Brilliance Balm). I've used the Pixi blushers before, but these two products will be nice to try out, especially as eyeliner and lip balm are staple products in my makeup bag (even though I have enough black eyeliner pencils already...oops!). Other products this month included a full size Toni & Guy Glamour Volume Plumping Whip, two Crabtree & Evelyn herbal tea bags, a £25 off voucher for Hello Fresh and a cosmetic sponge. 

What do you think of this box? Have you subscribed to YBD boxes?

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Dubai Holiday Haul =)

If you follow me on Instagram and Twitter, you'll know that I went away to Dubai at the end of August with one of my best friends. Along with enjoying the sunshine (up to 40^oC) and food, we also did plenty of shopping! I mostly picked up gifts for others, but I did treat myself to a few bits and pieces. And here's what I picked up!

Starting off with a little Jo Malone fragrance purchase in Duty Free.

 

Taking advantage of the Sephora store that was across the road from the hotel at the newly opened Beach Mall near JBR. Face masks to try out as well as a new felt tip eyeliner.

 

And I couldn't resist a trip to Bath & Body Works. Yes, these 3-wick candles weighed a ton, but they were on offer (3 for 160AED, which roughly works out to £26. A bargain when they were 90AED if bought alone!). My favourite scent (and a repurchase from last years trip) is Mahogany Teakwood.

I also bought myself a purple beaded kaftan, which I am hoping to wear for Eid Ul Adha inshaAllah
 (more pictures to come then).

Anything in particular that you'd like to see a more in-depth post on?



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Washing my Makeup Brushes

Thanks to a wedding at the weekend, I had a pile of makeup brushes that needed to be washed and dried. I'm quite obsessive about washing my brushes, and wash the brushes that I use daily at least once a week (there's only 5 of them). However, when it comes to special occasions, I make sure that I thoroughly wash all the brushes that I've used. This means that when I need to use these brushes again (particularly eyeshadow ones), I know that there won't be any pigment from the last colour that I used. Also, as I have sensitive skin, I don't want to irritate my skin by using brushes that have a build up of product after constant use.

I use the Dr Bronner 18-in-1 Castille Rose Soap to wash my brushes. It's easy to use, just pour a little into the palm of your hand and swirl the makeup brush in the soap, making sure that the water runs clear when rinsing out the soap. I then leave them to dry on a clean flannel. The soap is gentle and the rose scent not overpowering (I also have the lavender scent). I have to admit that it is a little time consuming and boring, but I'd rather spend time doing it than end up with a break out on my face!



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You Beauty Discovery Box - July

This month's YBD box features a shortlist of products which are travel friendly. Seeing as Summer has finally arrived in the UK, and many people will be off for a little break abroad (including me!), this box couldn't have come at a better time.

For my box, I chose the L'Oreal Miss Manga Mega Volume mascara and the Abahna White Grapefruit and May Chang Bath Gel (35ml). This month's extra's included Egyptian Magic All Purpose Cream (3ml), Agent Provocateur Fatale EDP (2ml) and Dove Men Care Shave Cream (50ml).

I'm looking forward to trying the mascara as I have read quite a few positive reviews on it. Even though I don't wear mascara very often, I'll be wearing contact lenses on holiday (rather than glasses) so I'll be able to apply more than my usual light coat when out and about. I chose the Abahna bath gel randomly after finding that the product I originally wanted was out of stock. I probably won't be taking it on holiday with me but I'll definitely be trying it at home. It's free from SLS, SLES, Parabens and artificial colour and is fragranced with 100% essential oils, so hopefully it won't irritate my skin and will leave a lasting scent =)


Overall I'm not wowed by this month's box, but at £6.95, it's not that bad =)

What did you get in this month's YBD box?



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What's On My Face - Everyday Makeup

As Spring has finally arrived (and Summer it hopefully on its way), I thought I'd do a little post with what makeup I'm using currently on a daily basis. To be honest, there isn't much change in my daily makeup between seasons, but I am starting to experiment with colour (although it still has to be work appropriate). I also skip eyeliner on most days and find that a little mascara just makes my face appear more awake.

And this is what I'm using at the moment:

Bare Minerals Prime Time Foundation Primer

Bare Minerals Original Foundation SPF 15 (Tan)

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade (Dark Brown)

Sleek Contour Kit (Medium)

MAC Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Pressed Powder

I try to rotate my blushers around so that I make use of all of them, but these are the three are I reach for the most. They aren't really Spring or Summer colours, but when applied with a very light hand, they add a lovely flush of colour to my face.

Illamasqua Cream Blusher (Betray)

NYX Powder Blush (Desert Rose) 

Illamasqua Powder Blusher (Hussy)

 

Mascara and lip products tend to be whatever comes to hand first. I only a apply a light coat of mascara, otherwise my lashes would be brushing up against my glasses (current favourite is a sample of Guerlain Cils D'Enfer Maxi Lash). My bag contains a few lip products, and always a Lanolips tube so I can apply when I'm out and about =)

Do you keep your makeup the same everyday? Or are you always trying something different?



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Urban Decay Purchases

A few weeks ago, I was window shopping (online) and found the Urban Decay Shattered Face Case on sale at Debenhams. It was in my November wishlist, and so I added it to my basket alongside the Triple Threat Pencil Set (you can never have too many eyeliners!).

 

The face case is just the right size for me to pack in my suitcase this Summer, which means I don't have to take any extra makeup other than foundation. It contains 5 eyeshadows, 2 blushers and a highlighter, as well as a Super Saturated lip gloss pencil and travel size 24/7 eyeliner pencil in Zero.

 

I seem to have a collection of travel size UD 24/7 eyeliner pencils and this trio of smokey shades just adds to it. They're all colours that I would wear regularly, and I know I'll get a lot of use from them.

 

Swatches of the pencils: Smoke (grey), Perversion (blackest black) and Sabbath (navy blue).

 

 

 

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You Beauty Discovery Box: February

My YBD February Box arrived last weekend. There was a great selection of products this month, and I decided to choose the GlamGlow Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment, and the Pixi Flawless and Poreless Primer (both with very long names!). Also, included in the box were samples BeyondDark Chocolate Moments of Pleasure and a large sachet of Charles Worthington Instant Amplifying Volume Treatment (also with equally long names!) =)

The products are a decent size, with the GlamGlow being 15g (full size is 15ml for £24.99 - unless I'm wrong, the product in the box is full size, only in a tube instead of a tub?) and the Pixi Primer being 12ml (full size is 30ml for £20.50). I think this box is definitely great value for money, and lots of people seem to agree as both the products that I have chosen are now out of stock on the YBD website. I'll be blogging about my experience using GlamGlow as is it such a well known product but it is on the pricey side, so I'll let you know whether I think it is worth the money or not. The Pixi Primer has been added to my little collection of primer samples. I haven't actually bought a full size primer in ages!

Are you subscribed to any beauty boxes? What did you think of the selection in this box?



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February #frootimasterclass

I had the opportunity to attend another one of Frootibeauty's masterclasses last weekend. This masterclass was quite different to the previous one and focused on this look from a recent blog post. I picked up a lot more tips and got to try a completely different eye makeup look to what I would normally go for at weddings and occasions. The use of a black base on the eye meant that the overall look was smoky and intense (compared to the smoky eye I did for the previous masterclass here). A big thank you to Safiyah for holding the masterclass (and for the goody bag at the end)! I loved it just as much as the last one and am looking forward to another one (although it won't be held for quite some time).

Here are a few pictures of the look that I created. Again the pictures were taken quite a few hours after he makeup had been applied, and I think it's stayed pretty much in place! Even though the Barry M pigment was a gold-ish colour, it somehow came out a bit more green when applied over the black pencil base (which wasn't what I was expecting, but kinda cool!). Also, the pigment sort of ended up all over the eyelid instead of just in the centre, which made it soften the look slightly.

Products I used were:
Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion (Original)
Avon Supershock Gel Liner Pencil (over the whole eyelid and on waterline)
Urban Decay Naked Palette: Sin (highlight), Naked and Buck (mixed together for skin tone shade), Dark Horse and Hustle (blend out the black base into the crease).
Barry M Pigment (44)
Motives Little Black Dress Gel Liner
Illamasqua Brow Cake (Gaze)
No7 Extreme Length Mascara

Rest of Face: (even though you can't see it)
Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation (SB12)
Sleek Contour Kit (Medium)
Illamasqua Cream Blusher (Betray)
NYX Lip Liner (Coffee)
MAC Lipstick (Twig)

I will definitely be using this technique for future occasions (any excuse to practise) =)
What do you think of this look?



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Illamasqua Sale Haul

Clearly I've spent quite a bit over the past month and this coming month I'm on a (sorta) spending ban. I love Illamsqua products, even more so when they are on sale! I got these two blushers for a total of £15. That's less than the full price for one and with free delivery. Win!

I use my Illamasqua Betray cream blusher almost everyday so I picked up another one in the shade Seduce. It's a warm rose shade with a dewy finish. I also got my first Illamasqua powder blusher in the shade Hussy, which is a matt finish candy pink colour.

Illamasqua blushers are super pigmented so I use a light hand and then soften it a little more with Bare Minerals foundation or MAC Prep and Prime pressed powder (so it gives a flushed look). 

Have you tried Illamasqua blushers before? Any other shades you'd recommend?

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Beauty Favourites 2013

I could do many, many blog posts on my favourites from 2013, but I decided to be really selective and choose only products and items that I really have been using the most (and liking!) throughout the year.

In no particular order, they are:

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. Whenever I apply liquid foundation, I always reach for this brush. It's small but allows me to buff the foundation in to create a smooth and flawless finish. I recently got the core collection and will be trying out the RT Buffing Brush to see if it gives similar results.

Illamsqua Eyebrow Cake in Gaze. This is part of my everyday makeup routine and I use it to fill in my eyebrows. I use the angled brush from Crown brushes (which I bought two of at IMATS). It's a great match for my natural hair colour, it's not black but not quite brown either (sort of in the middle).

EOS Lip Spheres and Lanolips. This year, I've been cutting down on buying lip balms and have stuck firm to these two favourites. I actually got rid of most of my novelty lip balms because they really weren't doing much to moisturise my lips and were taking up space (I had quite the collection!).

Bioderma has really been my skin saviour this year. Ever since I discovered the Atoderm range, I've been using it to treat and soothe any eczema that has come up. The Atoderm PO Zinc Creme keeps the skin moisturised and doesn't irritate it any further. The texture isn't heavy, which means the product is absorbed easily and I can apply my makeup over the top.

Lush Fresh Face Masks. I don't yet have a particular favourite as I want to try them all, but they are definitely worth the price. I only buy them every few months as they last up to 7 weeks and I can get approximately 9-10 masks from one tub. That's just over 50p per use!

Bath & Body Works PocketBac Hand Sanitisers. I have one in most of my bags, two at work and another on my desk at home. These miniature bottles of hand sanitiser are easy to carry around and perfect to use on the go. They come in a variety of scents, and I've got quite a few as backups.

Other products that I think come quite close to being favourites (and if I had done more than one post, they would have been on it) are the L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Creams, Bare Minerals Original foundation, Trilogy Rosehip Oil, Illamasqua Skin Base foundation, Sleek Contour Kit, RMK Cleansing Balm and Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stains.


What have been your beauty favourites this year?



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Boxing Day Sales [haul]

As I do every year, I went to the boxing day sales on Thursday at Westfield Stratford. As we got there quite early, we had finished shopping by 11am and left before the mad crowds and general craziness!

Here's what I managed to pick up on the day:

Lush Goodies! All the items were half price. The Christmas Kisses set includes the Bubblegum Lip Scrub, Chou Chou I Love You Toothy Tabs, Honey Trap and Santa Baby Lip Balms =)

 

 

Jewellery from Accessorize! Again, they were all half price in store =)

 

I also got the Guerlain La Petite Robe Noir 30ml Gift set for only £17.50 (unfortunately didn't manage to get a photo). I did quite a bit of sale shopping online on Christmas Eve as some of the ales had started early online. I ordered another Guerlain perfume gift set from Boots (the same one that I later bought in store...ooops!). It's a fragrance that I had my eye on in the summer when I was in Duty Free but I didn't get the chance to pick it up. As they say, good things come to those who wait! And seeing as the 30ml bottle retails at £35 alone, I couldn't resist! I ordered a dress from Dorothy Perkins and some Lily Flame candles which should also be arriving soon.

Aaliyah from Pyari Beauty tweeted about the Real Techniques brushes being on sale at Asda Direct, so of course I had to add the Core Collection to my basket. At less than £9, I couldn't say no!

Did you manage to pick up any bargains from the sales this year?





p.s. I'll be announcing my giveaway winner in a blog post tomorrow so do check back =)

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