After doing my Shopaholic video I got together a fair amount of products that don't get used as much as they should. There's a good mix between high-end and drugstore items, all only used a handful of times, if at all.
This is my first ever blog sale and I was a little hesitant in doing one, just because there's always an element of danger when it comes to selling things online. However, all these lovely products need a new home and they deserve one. You can find the array of goodies by heading to the top nav bar an clicking Blog Sale, or just click here!
Have a mooch around, see if anything catches your fancy. I'll be keeping the Blog Sale page on the top nav bar for a fairly long time so you can always check back.
Nudes are a 'must-have' in any makeup collection and it can be a complete mission to find the right shades for your skin tone. In my opinion, it is important to get a pinky tone that compliments your skin rather than going for the completely erased lips look. A good nude should enhance the colour you have naturally and allow any other bold makeup choices to shine through.
I very rarely go for a really bold makeup look, I like to keep my tones quite earthy and natural so nudes are a very large part of my lipstick collection. My top two most used nudes have to be from Rimmel, the first one, Rimmel Kate 03, is one of the oldest lipsticks I own and it has made me proud on many occasions. The 03 is the most peachy toned of my nudes and I prefer to use this one when I have a really bold eye as it mutes out my lips enough to let the eyes pop.
The second of the amazing Rimmel nudes is my most recent purchase, Rimmel Asia. This one is a more muted rose shade and is great if you want to go for that slightly darker 90's nude that seems to be fairly popular at the moment.
When I'm looking something a little warmer I reach for my only Maybelline lipstick, the Color Sensational lipstick in Velvet Beige. I bought this when I had chocolate brown hair and wanted something to compliment my new hue. It is very similar to Asia, but with a stronger pink undertone, which also makes it a little lighter.
Finally, we have the MAC lipstick, a lipstick collection post just isn't the same without a cameo from MAC. This was the first ever MAC lipstick I bought and we had a bump start. At first I didn't like how it applied and clung to the dry patches on my lips, but now we've established a rhythm and it has become one of my favourite nudes. Definitely a more pink toned nude, I prefer to apply this and blend it out with my finger to give it a more natural look.
All of my nudes have a very creamy moisturising texture as I have dry lips and nothing makes a lipstick look un-natural like when it is clinging to all your dry parts. I have a range of tones to suit any hair colour as I'm a bit of a hair dye fiend, which you might have noticed if you watch my YouTube videos. It really is important for a nude lipstick to enhance what you already have, I'm all about the natural beauty.
Do you have those few products that manage to cling to your makeup collection despite you never using them? They sit comfortably in your draws or pots with the hope that you will learn to love them, I've now made this into a Toy Story scenario that will make it harder for you to chuck them, sorry. But the harsh truth is that they have to go, they can't stay in there forever. This week I had to go in and extract some products from their place of rest and throw them into the ever-waiting rubbish bin.
The first thing that has to meet its doom is one of my many mascaras, the Rimmel Scandaleyes Flex mascara. I bought this mascara as soon as it came out so I could review it; let's just say I wasn't bowled over. Despite the fact that it didn't really do much for my lashes, I kept it hidden away in my draw. I don't know what it is about mascaras that means I just can't throw them away, I think I was hoping that if I kept it for long enough I would learn to love it, however I did not and now it is time to say farewell.
Next up we have two Maybelline products, I usually love Maybelline but these two just didn't give me the wow factor I expected from them. First off there is the Fit Me! Powder, I bought this after all the hype around the Fit Me! Foundation (which I have yet to try). This powder basically disappeared after about 1 hour, it didn't set my makeup and I may as well have not even bothered putting it on! Then we have a Eye Studio white eye shadow that I bought to use as a highlight. I know that white eyeshadow can be a difficult thing to get right pigmentation wise, but this was pretty disappointing. I ended up throwing it to the back of my collection and I actually forgot I had it, sorry little eyeshadow but you must go.
Finally we have the Maxfactor Facefinity All Day Flawless Foundation. This foundation wasn't cheap so I was pretty gutted when it just didn't work for me. This was supposed to be a 3 in 1 foundation that provided a built in primer and concealer, however I found it to be very drying and it stuck to any tiny dry patch on my face.
And so the these little guys have to wave goodbye, take a bow and make their way to the land of trash. It makes me sad to throw away any products, I like to get my moneys worth out of everything I buy but if it doesn't work, it doesn't work.
I am a huge lover of the Color Tattoos from Maybelline, they are super easy to use for those days when you are running a tad bit late. I got Permanent Taupe because it looked like the perfect matte day shade which is always handy to have in your collection.
This is a matte taupe brown, which is great as an all over colour or used as a base. I like that you can blend this out easily with your fingers to give a soft taupe eye, when blended it has a similar look to MAC Omega.
The only thing I dislike about this shade is that it is so dry! Compared to my other Color Tattoos, this one is super drying. I find it really hard to blend on the eyelid because it drags, making it look a little patchy.
I think because of this flaw it would be best used as a base rather than on it's own. It looks really nice under a matte powder shadow like MAC Omega or Brun.
Have you tried this shade? What do you think of it?
This is one of the newer shades here in the UK, it is a really gorgeous iridescent steel blue. It has a shimmer of purple through it when caught by the light and would make an excellent base for a cool toned eye.
I will say that the formula of my newer Color Tattoo's are not quite as good as the old ones. I have found that this is a little bit drier than my others and is therefore a bit harder to blend. It's also not the easiest colour to wear with it being a pretty bright blue shade.
Despite all this, it is a unique shade which stands out amongst the rest. It does have the amazing staying power of the other Color Tattoo's but my only issue is that it is a little hard to work with.
It's time for my monthly favourites! Just like last month, I've thrown in a few music and random favourites. Plus rthis time you can check out my Luvocracy page! I've made a collection especially for my September Favourites just for you guys! Well I hope you all enjoy and remember to tell me what you've been loving this month.
One of my more recently purchased Color Tattoo's, Eternal Gold is a rich gold cream eyeshadow with a slightly yellow tone. I bought this as a bit of gold always makes blue eyes pop and I thought it would be a rather nice highlighter for the inner corners.
Out of the three I bought, this one has a more moisturising feel, the others being a pretty dry feeling formula. This has fine pieces of gold glitter mixed in and I find that this causes the actual eyeshadow to break up and appear blotchy. Because of its slightly blotchy tendency, I wouldn't use it on its own, I would use it as a base if you want some of that gold glitteryness to shine through.
It's not my favourite Color Tattoo purely because it just isn't easy to work with, but when you've figured out the best way to use it, it looks gorgeous.
(From Left To Right: Peach Kiss, Pink Punch, Cherry Me, Intense Care, Mint Fresh, Hydrate)
Many UK bloggers and beauty enthusiasts have had to sit idly by watching US bloggers rave about the Maybelline Baby Lips. They told us how wonderful, delicious and conditioning they are whilst we watched on and longed for them in our lives. But no more my fellow UK beauty nuts, they are finally here, they have well and truly invaded our British shores.
I will admit that I've waited a very long time for these to jump over the pond, I was so excited that they are now available to me, that I bought them all. Every last one. One can never have too many lip balms (I tend to lose them in the black hole that is my handbag) and at £2.99 a pop, they're a bargain.
There are six different types of Baby Lips currently available: Hydrate, Pink Punch, Peach Kiss, Cherry Me, Intense Care and Mint Fresh. I have to say my favourites are Pink Punch and Cherry Me, these give a really sheer colour which is handy when you want a splash of colour on the go. They also smell the most delicious out of the six. My least favourite is probably the Intense Care balm, it's not that it's a bad lip balm; it's just that it doesn't offer anything new and exciting. It has no smell and no colour so it is basically just a normal everyday lip balm. I do love that they have their names on the lid, it was especially helpful when I took all the lids off them and couldn't remember what lids went on which.
(Cherry Me)
(Peach Kiss)
(Pink Punch)
As for the others, well the hydrate balm is a little bit greasier than the rest but still just as comfortable to wear. The rest feel pretty much the same, nourishing but wear off fairly quickly. I wouldn't say I've seen or felt any long term benefits from using these (I pretty much use them everyday) but when my lips are feeling a little parched, they add that little bit of hydration to keep me sane.
After hearing all the hype about these little guys, I have to say I'm not disappointed but I'm not blown away either. They are really nice lip balms, especially the tinted ones. They don't give the 8hr moisturising effect as stated as they don't really last all too long. But they do keep my lips feeling nourished throughout the day, have a lovely smell and are super comfortable to wear. They don't feel greasy like other lip balms I've tried and I have to say that they are definitely up there in my favourite balms.
Have you tried the Baby Lips? Worth all the hype, or no?
I cannot believe that it is September and nearly time for me to embark on my final year of University! I feel like I'm getting old far too quickly! But since August has passed us by, it is time for me to share all the things I've been loving this month.
Skincare I've been a bit skincare obsessed this month so it was really hard to pick one thing I've been absolutely loving. But saying that, I have to say I'm in love with the Clarins cleansing milk for oily/combination skin. It's the first cleanser I've ever used where I can really feel a difference in how oily my face is at the end of the day. I'm not going to say too much because I have a full review planned so you'll have to stay tuned for a bit more info!
Makeup
There's been a few re-discoveries for me over the last month. I've been loving my Maybelline gel liner, which I've had for a fair amount of time now. I love it for creating winged out cat eyes and it just has amazing staying power!
I've also been loving my Maybelline Color Tattoo in On And On Bronze/Bad To The Bronze. It's my go to 'omg I'm late for work and I look a mess' eyeshadow. You can slap this on with your finger and no matter what, it will look amazing.
My final makeup product is the Clarins blush, oh my is it a beautiful little thing. Not only is it stunning to look at, but it is so pigmented and looks gorgeous on fair skin. I've been using this every day since I got it and it is a firm favourite in my little collection. If you would like to see more of this beautiful being, just click here.
Fragrance
I don't have a massive fragrance collection (actually is pretty much non-existent) but I'm working on it. I did a little post on The Body Shop Madagascan Vanilla Flower body mist here so I won't go into massive detail, what I will say is it smells so delicious I sometimes just sit and sniff it!
TV
Usually I'll stick to my beauty favourites in these posts/videos, but I wanted to include some of my more random favourites as well! I'm a big lover of TV shows and this month I've been getting back into my Breaking Bad. It's really difficult to get into at first but I'm nearing the end of season 4 and things are heating up. So excited to watch the final season to see how it all goes down!
Music
I love music as much as I love beauty so it's essential that I include some of my musical favourites. I'm a massive fan of The Civil Wars and their new album did not dissapoint! I love their gothic folk sound and it is so sad that they have parted ways. What will I do without them!? Another (surprise to me) favourite is Jay Z's album Magna Carta. I'm not a big rap fan so I was surprised how much I love it! Probably not for those who find bad language offensive :/
Websites & Apps
I've been a bit of a Pinterest fangirl lately, I'm on there constantly and can not seem to pull myself away! I've been getting loads of inspiration and motivation from their lately, when I wake up in the morning and don't want to go for a run, I look on pinterest and remind myself why I run in the first place.
So
I'm out of the Best In Beauty Competition guys :( sad but it had to end
sometime. Thank you to everyone who voted for me throughout the
competition!
This week I decided to do a second disappointing products video, it's been a few months since I did my first one, so I thought I'd do another! People seem to like watching them anyway. Like all of my videos, you have this sparkly new post to go with it (If you don't like watching videos). So let me talk you through some of the products I have purchased that just didn't live up to my expectations (or what they claimed to do on the tin/tub/jar etc...)
Oooof I was so excited to use this after I fell head over heels in love with the shampoo and conditioner. It smells exactly the same and has a lovely thick and creamy texture to the product. Just what I love in a hair mask. However it does nothing. Literally nothing. I may as well just put yogurt on my hair. I use this after a shampoo and instead of conditioner, it doesn't specifically tell you how to use it, the directions are pretty vague. I was expecting it to make my hair super duper shiny and silky soft. Nope, I actually prefer to just use the normal conditioner, I think it's more moisturising! Really let the Bee Strong collection down majorly!
Maybelline Fit Me Powder - £5.99
I got this because I wanted to stray away from my much loved Rimmel Stay Matte powder and try something new. It wasn't a wise decision. I'm pretty sure this shade is a tad dark for me and it is the lightest shade they do. My main issues with this are the fact that it just dissapears! You powder your face and poof! 10 minutes later it's gone! It also doesn't control shine at all. I wore this in a video once and I couldn't believe how shiny my face was. I haven't tried the Fit Me foundation, but I'm intrigued to know if that is any good.
MaxFactor Facefinity All Day Flawless Foundation - £11.99
I'm not going to rant on about why I don't like this foundation because I've already done a full review of it here. But I will say this, It is drying, sticks to dry patches and oxidises like a cray mo fo!
MaxFactor Max Colour Effects Mini Nail Polish - £3.99
The mini MaxFactor nail polishes have some gorgeous shades, my favourite being 'Fantasy Fire' a beautiful iridescent purple. However the formula is just... ughhhhhh! It is extremely watery and thin which means it takes about 100 coats to get your nails the same colour as the bottle. These aren't expensive by any means, but from a brand like MaxFactor, I expected a lot better.
I'm going to be doing full reviews on the MaxFactor nail polishes, the Bee Strong hair mask and the Fit Me powder if you want to read a more detailed rant and have a look at some snazzy pictures.
Have you tried any of these products? Do you have any products you've bought recently that have majorly let you down?
