Archive for September 2013
September Favourites!
Woah, September absolutely flew by! I know everyone has said it, but seriously, I feel like September only started last week. However, October is an exciting month as I will be turning 18 so bring it on! I don't actually have a massive choice of favourites this month, but here's to what I have chosen.
Dream Matte Mousse.
I’ve previously had a bit of a love/hate relationship with
Dream Matte Mousse, but I’ve changed the way I apply it and I love it. Dream
Matte Mousse was probably my first foundation I bought when I was venturing
into make-up and, not going to lie, I probably just caked it on with my
fingers. However, I’ve now learnt to use it in a way that gives a light
coverage. I lightly press my buffing brush into the pot, not picking up a lot
of product, and buff it into my skin. It gives a really even, light and matte
(obviously) finish. It’s perfect for a really basic make up look as long as it
is applied appropriately.
So Matt Top Coat by Bourjois
I purchased the matte top coat months and months ago but it’s
only recently that I’ve been loving to use it, especially matte black nails! I
love bourjois nail varnishes, so decided I couldn’t go wrong with their matte
top coat, however I’m sure there’s plenty more out there.
Nivea Hydrocare Lip Balm
With the colder weather approaching, my lips have been
getting really dry and I’ve found this hydrocare lip balm to be a miracle! I apply
it while doing my make up so my lips are nice and moisturised for any other lip
products I’m going to use. I apply the lip balm a few times throughout the day
and again before I go to bed.
Alcohol Gel
I've actually been quite addicted to alcohol gel since August. I purchased a massive tub for a festival I was going to, and since then I have been using it religiously. I haven’t had a particular favourite brand, but I have been
addicted to using alcohol gel/hand sanitizer. Soap & Glory and M&S both
do lovely hand sanitizers, but I’m not particularly loyal to any. I use it
constantly throughout the day and it really does make my hands feel cleaner and
just generally more hygienic.
Fun – Some Nights
I have had this album on repeat for months! Probably one of the best albums I have ever purchased.
Normally when I listen to an album, I only like half of the songs, but I love
all of the songs on Some Nights. It’s such a motivating album, I’ve seen Fun
live twice and they sound as good live as their album!
My final favourite is statement necklaces. September has
been the month of statement necklaces for me, they just make a simple outfit a
little bit more exciting. I’ve picked up a few from Primark recently for £3/£4 –
bargain! I must admit, I am quite fussy about them, but when I’ve found one I
live in it.
Inside my Make Up Bag...
I recently had a clean out of my make up bag, so it was the perfect opportunity to show you what I currently have in it. This isn't necessarily the make up bag I take out on a daily basis, in my opinion, it is too excessive for carrying around with me. This is the make up bag that is on my dressing table, and stores the make up I am currently wearing. On a day-to-day basis I tend to just carry around concealer, lipstick and powder. A few of these products were mentioned in my August favourites, and the majority of them are quite common products which you may even have yourself, and for this reason I haven't gone into much detail about them.
Products:
Tangle Teezer. Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 100 Ivory. Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer in 040 Soft Beige. Rimmel Scandal Eyes Mascara. Nivea Hydro Care. Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 05. Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colour in Bare Pink. Victoria Jackson Lip Liner (Unsure of the colour - Sorry!)Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm. Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze. Natural Collection Eyeshadow duo Mink and Sable. Victoria Jackson 2-in-1 Brow Gel and Liquid Liner. Benefit bronzer/blusher in Dallas. Flormar Foundation Brush (and foundation samples). Alien Fragrance. Roll on Vera Wang - Lovestruck.
Every make up day is different, but these are my turn to trusty products. Before applying my make up, I do moisturise my face and I also use eyelash curlers on a daily basis, although I am on the hunt for a better pair, any recommendations?
Do you know of any make up products that I need to complete my make up bag?
Boots Health & Beauty
A Little Haul
Well, well, well... I was suppose to be on a spending ban but... this happened:
In my defense, I did find some good deals. Boots currently have a third of Soap and Glory so it was the perfect excuse to try some new products. The first product I purchased was the Soap & Glory Ultimelt Deep Purifying Hot Cloth Cleanser. I have previously used the Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean 3-in-1 Wash off Deep Purifying Cleanser which I really liked, so I thought I would try another Soap & Glory cleanser. The hot cloth cleanser was down to £6.67 from £10. I've only used the cleanser a few times, so far so good. In my opinion, I would say it is better at removing my make up than the Peaches and Clean one, but I'm quite disappointed about the scent! All the Soap & Glory products I've tried (which is a lot) have smelt gorgeous but the smell of the Hot Cloth Cleanser is not my bag. Also... the new packaging of Soap & Glory products. I loved the old, fun, quirky packaging. The new packaging is nice, it looks very clean and smart but I definitely prefer the older packaging.
The other Soap & Glory product I picked up was the Soap and Glory Scrubatomic Daily Face Polish. I am yet to use the product, but picked it up as it was down to £6 from £9. I would definitely suggest checking out the Soap & Glory products, especially while they are reduced. Unlike the Ultimelt, the Scrubatomic smells goooooood.
I also picked up one of the Natural Collection Duo Eyeshadows. I chose the Mink and Sable combination, two very natural colours, perfect for the day time and a great price. I know everything in the Natural Collection line is under £2, so a bargain for two eyeshadows! I have previously tried the Natural Collection tinted moisturiser which I wasn't a fan off, I found it patchy and hard to blend in. However, I'm liking this eyeshadow duo. The pigmentation of the eyeshadows isn't great, but they do stay put for a long time. For this duo, I cover my eyelid with Mink and blend Sable into my crease. I will definitely check out some of the other Natural Collection Eyeshadow Duos.
Another make up product I picked up was the Rimmel Match Perfection foundation. I am a big fan of the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation, but I like to mix things up a bit. I wear both the Wake Me Up and Match Perfection in 100 Ivory. I know that in Savers, their Rimmel collection is all priced at £5 or less, so I would have picked it up in there. However, it was down to £5 in Boots, so I thought I'd get my Boots points out of it. I have been wearing it for a few days and I really am loving it. Although the Wake Me Up foundation is meant to leave a "radiant glow" I would say that I prefer the glow from the Match Perfection foundation. I will see how it goes for a few weeks.
And finally, I picked up the No7 Soft & Soothed Gentle Toner. I honestly only picked this up as I had one of the trusty No7 vouchers, which meant I had £5 off. I think the toner worked out at £2 or £3 which isn't bad at all! I haven't used the product yet, but I'm excited too. The No7 vouchers are valid until 6th October, so definitely try and pick one up. I have another ready and waiting.
Also, Boots have a 15% reduction on their iTunes voucher, so I picked up a £15 voucher as they always come in handy.
I would just like to add that I know these photographs aren't brilliant, but I am adjusting to a new camera.
In my defense, I did find some good deals. Boots currently have a third of Soap and Glory so it was the perfect excuse to try some new products. The first product I purchased was the Soap & Glory Ultimelt Deep Purifying Hot Cloth Cleanser. I have previously used the Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean 3-in-1 Wash off Deep Purifying Cleanser which I really liked, so I thought I would try another Soap & Glory cleanser. The hot cloth cleanser was down to £6.67 from £10. I've only used the cleanser a few times, so far so good. In my opinion, I would say it is better at removing my make up than the Peaches and Clean one, but I'm quite disappointed about the scent! All the Soap & Glory products I've tried (which is a lot) have smelt gorgeous but the smell of the Hot Cloth Cleanser is not my bag. Also... the new packaging of Soap & Glory products. I loved the old, fun, quirky packaging. The new packaging is nice, it looks very clean and smart but I definitely prefer the older packaging.
The other Soap & Glory product I picked up was the Soap and Glory Scrubatomic Daily Face Polish. I am yet to use the product, but picked it up as it was down to £6 from £9. I would definitely suggest checking out the Soap & Glory products, especially while they are reduced. Unlike the Ultimelt, the Scrubatomic smells goooooood.
I also picked up one of the Natural Collection Duo Eyeshadows. I chose the Mink and Sable combination, two very natural colours, perfect for the day time and a great price. I know everything in the Natural Collection line is under £2, so a bargain for two eyeshadows! I have previously tried the Natural Collection tinted moisturiser which I wasn't a fan off, I found it patchy and hard to blend in. However, I'm liking this eyeshadow duo. The pigmentation of the eyeshadows isn't great, but they do stay put for a long time. For this duo, I cover my eyelid with Mink and blend Sable into my crease. I will definitely check out some of the other Natural Collection Eyeshadow Duos.
Another make up product I picked up was the Rimmel Match Perfection foundation. I am a big fan of the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation, but I like to mix things up a bit. I wear both the Wake Me Up and Match Perfection in 100 Ivory. I know that in Savers, their Rimmel collection is all priced at £5 or less, so I would have picked it up in there. However, it was down to £5 in Boots, so I thought I'd get my Boots points out of it. I have been wearing it for a few days and I really am loving it. Although the Wake Me Up foundation is meant to leave a "radiant glow" I would say that I prefer the glow from the Match Perfection foundation. I will see how it goes for a few weeks.
And finally, I picked up the No7 Soft & Soothed Gentle Toner. I honestly only picked this up as I had one of the trusty No7 vouchers, which meant I had £5 off. I think the toner worked out at £2 or £3 which isn't bad at all! I haven't used the product yet, but I'm excited too. The No7 vouchers are valid until 6th October, so definitely try and pick one up. I have another ready and waiting.
Also, Boots have a 15% reduction on their iTunes voucher, so I picked up a £15 voucher as they always come in handy.
I would just like to add that I know these photographs aren't brilliant, but I am adjusting to a new camera.
Any other Boots bargains I should know about?
August Favourites
Soap and Glory is one of my favourite beauty buys, I absolutely love the Soap and Glory hand food and their Sugar Crush body scrub. In August, I was loving the Soap and Glory Smoothie Star Body Milk. I just apply the lotion all over my body after showering and let it soak in. All the Soap and Glory products smell divine, and this one is no different; a really sweet scent. The product is 500ml and will last me months and months, therefore I don't mind paying £10 for it. Sooo moisturising and long lasting, highly recommend this product.
The next product I was loving throughout August was the Batiste Coconut & Exotic Tropical Dry Shampoo. In August I went to a four day festival and this meant no showering, and therefore dry shampoo and baby wipes became my best friend. I've found that the Batiste dry shampoo is my favourite out of the very few I've tried as it doesn't leave my hair looking too white. I admit, it can spray on white but it is so easy to massage in and hide. Always make sure you shake dry shampoo before applying it. Also, the Coconut and Exotic Tropical smells nice. Highly recommend dry shampoo for festivals or just applying it to day old hair to add some texture.
Another hair product I can't get enough of is the Schwarzkopf got2b Glued Blasting Freeze Spray. I've never really been much of a hairspray lover as I hate the way it can leave my hair feeling, but this "freeze spray" has completely changed me. A little really does go a long way and the key is to definitely hold the product arms length away while spraying it. I picked up number 4: Screaming hold and I probably don't need it as strong as this as I only use a little bit on nights out to ensure hold
Through out August I have been on summer holidays and only found myself wearing make up on proper days out. When I am going to work it is just a case of concealer and mascara, and my make up routine doesn't change much. In the sun, I try to avoid wearing make up as much as possible, but for evening time and the cooler days I have been loving the following products.
In July, I went on holiday to Turkey for a week and while I was there I came across a beauty store called Flormar. This wasn't a brand I was familiar with but I decided to have a look. After the first trip there, my friend and I were hooked and wanted to go back all the time! Because of the currency differences, Flormar worked out to be really really well priced for us and we went slightly over board with what we needed. Anyway, I picked up the Flormar Foundation Brush and I absolutely love it. I pop some foundation on my hand and then apply it to my face using the brush. It blends in so well and is just an enjoyable product to use. I even use it to apply my blusher. I don't know if you can purchase Flormar in the UK, but I would suggest checking it out if you can. Also, as we spent over a certain amount we received a complimentary make up pallete which I love!!
For my eyes I have been loving the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze. This is such a great colour for day or night, on its own or as a base. The lasting power of the colour tattoos is amazing and once they're on, they don't budge! I actually picked On and On Bronze up in Tesco, for just over £5 I believe.
And to conclude my August favourites, it had to be a lip product! Not just any lip product, but the Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colour in Bare Pink. This is probably my all time favourite nude lip colour. Although it is named "Bare Pink" it is almost beige. I just think this is a great casual colour or can be layered up with a nice gloss to create a more dressy look. The staying power isn't amazing, but I always find myself topping up lippy anyway.