The Weekend Face #1

As you may or may not know, Matt and I met at Uni but he has since graduated and got a big boy job in London, meaning our relationship has gone from seeing each other every day to every weekend. We are quite lucky its not too far to travel, however I am an appalling packer and find it virtually impossible to pack light. I've been making a conscious effort therefore to try and squeeze down my make up bag for the weekend and plan ahead (although I am still terrible at this!) Among making my case a little lighter (the amount of skincare I take is not ok) trying to condense my make up bag has lead to me using well loved things I had forgotten about again and mixing up my make up routine. So I thought it might be interesting to show you what I take as a mini series on the weekends I go down to visit, but leaving out the standard staples as that would get boring!

Lets start with the base. I chose Healthy Mix as it gives light to medium coverage, which is buildable and also helps to perk up and hydrate my skin in this horrible weather (review soon) with the usual culprits of Benefit's Erasepaste for under eyes and Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer for any redness or blemishes. My new powder of choice - Rimmel's Stay Matte - was put to the test to set my foundation and keep oil at bay, but I'm not seeing much difference between this and my previous 17 Miracle Matte powder. Finally a dusting of 'London' from my Fashionista palette (amazing for travel) along my cheekbones combined a blush and highlight in one.

For my eyes, I chose to go for a natural look and began by lining the waterline with Rimmel's Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl in 'Nude' and swept 'Naked' from my Urban Decay Naked palette all over the lid. This palette is amazing for travel as it has shades for every occasion so I take it with me everywhere as you can probably see from the battered packaging! I took 'Virgin' also from this palette as my brow highlight and used Bourjois Intuitive eyeliner to deepen my lash line - still not too sure on this one but a review will be coming soon. Lastly, lashings of my two favourite mascaras completed this look. 

For lips I took two lipsticks - Kate Moss for Rimmel 107, an amazing deep red which I have been obsessed with recently and wear for both the evening or day and Barry M lip paint in '101' - a milky nude shade. As my eyes were pared down I either went for a bright pop of red or combined both of these together in the style of Lisa Eldridge to brighten up 101 which can be a bit dead by itself.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! Let me know what you think of these products xxx

Review: 17 Miracle Matte Foundation

£5.99 at Boots

A few months ago I purchased a few bits in a blog sale and this foundation was one of them. It caught my eye due to being oil free and has added SPF. I also picked up the 'Stay Matte' powder prior to this in duty free and liked it so was influenced by this to test out the foundation to see if I liked it as much.

I used this on nearly a daily basis when I first received it, replacing my beloved Dream Matte Mousse for a while. Although I still love the latter, this gives  more coverage (medium, buffed to full) but still with a natural finish and is more suited to my summer skin tone (I have the shade 'fair'). As you probably already know, this summer I have favoured BB creams over foundations for the more natural glowy look, but on days where I want a bit more coverage or am having a bit of an oily day, I find myself reaching for this. I have tried this foundation both with and without a primer and it has lasted a really good amount of time with both, although it is definitely not '16 hours' like it states. The only place I have had to touch up is my chin.  I don't think I will ever have 'matte' skin but this does a lot to help that problem. I do find myself having to give a light dusting of powder but this is only in late afternoon after I've been wearing it all day.

The packaging may not be as luxurious than high end brands but it is practical and it's pink (thumbs up from me) with a clear body so you can see how much you've got left, so it doesn't really annoy me. I also like that it has a pump to dispense the right amount of product without being really messy, although this pump can get blocked with dried product from time to time. The shade range is also great for the more pale ladies, however for darker skin tones it is practically non-existent.

If you are looking for a budget matte foundation, then I urge you to give this a try. I also really recommend their BB cream (review here) which has been a staple in my daily routine. Overall from the 3 products I've tried from this brand I have been really impressed and will definitely look into some more of their products.

Have you tried this foundation? What else do you suggest I should try from 17? xxx

My 'Summer Face'

Today I thought I would try a different post as I have been doing a lot of reviews lately and thought it would be nice for you to read something a bit different. Even though the weather this Summer has been quite temperamental, I've shyed away from heavy and time consuming make up and updated my make up regime to easy, quick and lighter make up suitable for warmer weather. The above picture are the products I have been using on a daily basis as a standard summer face. I sometimes switch up my eyes or lipsticks depending on my outfit and mood but overall this is my staple make up at the moment. Sorry in advance about the quality of the picture, the natural lighting isn't great due to gloomy weather and some of my products are a bit battered from traveling and everyday use!

So to begin with, I mix my 17 BB cream in 'Light' mixed with a pump or two of Soap and Glory's Hocus Focus to brighten up my dull complexion and blend all over my face with my fingers to melt it into my skin. The BB cream has relatively good coverage but I cover up my under eye circles and any blemishes with Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I then dust 17 Miracle Matte pressed powder over my face lightly as I am on the oily side with a large powder brush and then blend Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer all over my face with a MAC blending brush. This powder is great as it gives my face a bit of warmth without dulling down my complexion with a light, silky texture. I dot some extra Hocus Focus on my brow bone and top of cheek bones for a highlighter, a product which I have really grown to love as it is multi purpose and gives a lovely natural glow. I then give a light dusting of Benefit's Thrrrob powder on my cheekbones with a stippling brush to give a flush of colour.

For my eyes I fill in my brows with Bobbi Brown Mahogany eyeshadow (not pictured) then using my finger blend a thin layer of Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 'On and On Bronze' over my lid, which is a great natural colour for blue eyes that is easily buildable into a stronger colour if you so wish. To finish my eyes I put a few layers of my favourite mascara of the moment, Masterpiece Max by Maxfactor.

Finally, a few coats of a Revlon Lip Butter in shade Creme Brulee and I am good to go!

I have done a few reviews of the products mentioned which I have included links for. What do you think of my 'Summer Face'? Do you include any of these products in your every day routine? xxx

July Favourites

This is my first ever favourites post! I love reading other people's posts and watching YT videos like this as it makes me confident at trying products I've been thinking about sampling and also gives me some new suggestions to have a look at. This post features a mixture of skin care and make up :)

Skincare

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish: Ever since purchasing this last month I have loved it! From the packaging to the product it hasn't let me down and I understand now why there were so many rave reviews. I may be late on the bandwagon, but now I've got this brand on my radar I'm looking forward to trying some of their other products and will be keeping this as a staple in my skincare routine. I'm not going to go into too much detail as I have an upcoming post dedicated to this lovely product. (Edit: see review here!)

Neutrogena Grapefruit Facial Wash: Again, there is an upcoming review of this on my blog and is a new item in my facial skincare regime. I'm really enjoying using it in the mornings as the scent and formula wakes me up and refreshes my face nicely. 

Make Up

Revlon Lip Butters: I've just done a post on these so you can see how much I love them and why here! An update since then though is that I have recently purchased my third in the shade 'Creme Brulee' and I love it just as much as the others! I've been getting into my nude lips recently and this is a wonderful addition - it is a lovely soft nude, which is sheer enough to let some of my natural lip show through while still giving shine and a wash of colour with lots of nourishment. If you aren't that big into lipsticks and colour but want to dabble in lip products this is an excellent way to introduce yourself to both.

Urban Decay Naked Palette: This has been such a good investment purchase. Since buying it I've used it nearly every day and love the selection of matte and glittery shades, the quality of the eyeshadows and their colour payoff. You can create so many looks for day and evening by combining the different shades and I suggest it is a good palette to buy if you are into the natural look or are wanting to experiment. You can see my full review here. 

17 BB Cream: This has been a key staple in my every day make up routine this summer. I've been shunning foundation for the summer and this has to be my favourite BB cream that I have tried so far as it has good oil control, added SPF and good coverage. Every time I use it I like it even more :) If you want to read my full review for this you can read it here. I am looking forward to trying some other BB creams and am going to do a post soon on all the ones I have tried and what I think of them.

Hope you enjoyed reading my favourites :) Are any of these featured in your favourites post? xxx

Review: 17 Blemish Balm

       

This is one of the items I received in a recent blog sale (see what else I got here). Although I already owned a BB cream prior to purchasing this, I have been wanting to test out a few different types and brands available to find the best one out there for me i.e. my skin type and coverage-wise because I have been using them a lot more, choosing them for every day wear over foundation. This is the second BB cream I have tried and I think I prefer it to my Garnier one, although I would like to try the new oil free version of this for a better comparison, which was not available when I purchased the original as I got it when they had just come out in the UK. At £6.99 it is 3 pounds cheaper than the Garnier BB cream although you do get 20ml less.

The shade I have is 'Light' and it is a good match for my skin tone. I don't use moisturiser after cleansing and toning in the morning when using a BB cream as my skin is already on the oily side and BB creams are normally very moisturizing anyway. I apply it with my fingers to help it melt into my skin and blend better, and also mix it with my Soap and Glory 'Hocus Focus' (see a review of that here) but I would also like to try it with the real techniques buffing brush. The main concerns with BB creams is that the staying power isn't effective but I have found this product to last all day, although the mattifying effect doesn't and so I do have to touch up with powder, however nowhere near as much as with the Garnier BB cream. The formula of this is a bit thicker than that of the Garnier and therefore gives a thicker coverage, however it is still light enough for my freckles to show through but not my pores! I've tried this both with and without a primer and it works well with both - I don't think using one changes the product. I also really like that it has added SPF 25 to it which I have become more conscious of recently in my face products.

BB Cream rubbed in

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this product and would purchase it over the original Garnier BB formula, however I will update as to whether I prefer the oil free version! So far, this has been my favourite though. Other BB creams I would like to test out in the future include Clinique's SPF 30, Maybelline Dream Fresh, Ginivera Green Tea and Origins A Perfect World and Vitazing.

What BB creams have you used and would you suggest? Have you tried either of these? xxx

Blog Sale Goodies

I have been sooo excited for this package to arrive since I bought some item's off Maisey's blog sale and luckily I didn't have to wait long to receive it :) It was my first ever purchase from a blog sale and most of the items I had bought were ones that I had been wanting to try for a while and others were just because they were a bargain! I think blog sales are such a good idea as they enable the seller to declutter their beauty/make up collection but instead of wasting the products they get given to buyers who really want the products and will get good use out of them for a fab price. I thought the way they were packaged in an old glossy box was a really nice surprise and made it feel like a lovely treat :)

I will give a quick run down of the products I bought but much like my other hauls I will give proper detailed reviews of these products once I've had a few weeks test run to give them a fair analysis.

17 BB Cream in Light: I already have a BB cream by Garnier which I really love, but I have wanted to trial a few others to determine a favourite. This one really appealed to me as it is relatively cheap, has SPF 25 in it and also claims to have oil control too. I'm really hoping I get on with this one as it sounds really good.

Soap and Glory Hand Food: This has been something I've been wanting to try as I love hand creams and I also love Soap and Glory products. So far I've used it once and it smells delicious, just like their Flake Away scrub which I love. So far, so good!

17 Miracle Matte Foundation in Fair: My go to foundation is Maybelline's Dream Matt Mousse as it is great for my combination/oily skin and has a light coverage, so to top that will be pretty hard! I have been using it for a while now though so thought I would give this a go as an alternative. I also really like that this product has an added SPF in it so it will be interesting to see how I get on with it. Normally during the day I  have been using a BB cream so will test this some time soon!

L-R: Cupcake & Raspberry Pie

Revlon Lip Butters in Cupcake and Raspberry Pie: These are one of the products I've been meaning to test out and both the colours are ones I have been interested in purchasing, along with Tutti Frutti. I love the packaging and the cute names of the colours and upon swatching I really like the pigmentation which is brighter than I thought it would be. I have tried on Cupcake and really like it but haven't been able to test out how long wearing they are yet. The only let down is that I thought they would be a little larger in size.

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in 03: For a while now I have been wanting to test out a nude coloured lipstick and this is my first purchase of one. I am a fan of Rimmel's lipsticks as I think they are a nice formula and have lovely pigmentation, so I am excited to test this out. It is a bit of a darker shade of nude than I would have normally bought but you never know I may love it!

Sephora Anti-Shine Primer: After already owning 2 other primers, this probably doesn't seem like a necessity but I have been looking for a primer that can help me keeping matte and I haven't fallen in love with the primers I already have so it will be exciting to test this one out. I really like Sephora products too, so I hope this won't let me down. 

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer: This is a product I'm glad I managed to buy in a small quantity as it will save me splashing out on a full size one and potentially not liking it. I have read mixed reviews on this and I know  it didn't do a thing for Miss Budget Beauty but for others it has worked really well, so I wanted to see if it would do anything for me.

Benefit Thrrrob Powder: I love Benefit powders simply because of the packaging, the smell and the fact they last forever! I have owned many different kinds over the years but I have never purchased Thrrrob and thought I would try it for a bargain price. It is a really pretty pink, a bit darker than Dandelion and as I like pink blushes this should suit me well.

So that's everything! Thanks again to Maisey for the super quick delivery and lovely presentation :) Have any of you tried these products and what are your thoughts on them? xxx

Dalliance in Duty Free

When we were off on our holiday to Turkey, upon arrival at the airport we were told that our flight was delayed for around 2 hours. I of course therefore spent the majority of that time having a look round duty free. I only got a few bits and bobs which were Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer, Erase Paste by Benefit, 17 Miracle Matte pressed powder and Max Factor Masterpiece Max mascara. All the products I bought needed to be replenished as they had been used up and they were also all different brands to the ones I was using before, mainly due to hearing good reviews.

Benefit Erase Paste: This product was a bit of a risk as it normally retails for £19.50 and even though I got it for around £15, I still think it is a lot to pay for a concealer, especially as it is a tiny pot. I had previously been using Rimmel's Hide the Blemish in Sand, but it was pretty rubbish especially under my eyes where it would wear off really quickly so I bought Erase Paste as an alternative due to it's claim of being a 'brightening' concealer and because of the thicker, creamy formula. It came with a little spatula and instructions of how to use it which I thought was great and is always an added bonus with Benefit products, however I never really used the spatula after a few tries as I think it is more of a marketing way to use more product than you actually need. Another plus was the cute pink packaging, which I am a sucker for anyway as I think the presentation of Benefit products is great. There are 3 choices of colour and I went with no. 1 fair which was the right choice for me. Overall, I enjoy using this product as it gives good coverage and will last a long time, although I'm not sure of it's claim to 'brighten' and I would recommend using this with foundation when you are looking for more coverage rather than with a BB cream or tinted moisturiser. I will have to use it over a longer period of time to determine whether the quality deserves the price tag. 

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer: After hearing loads of good reviews for this from my favourite bloggers and youtubers I thought I would give it a go, especially when it is the bargain price of £4.19. I have the shade 1 Fair and am pleased to say that I really like it too :)! Yay! The shade matches my skin tone and although it is a liquid formula, which I was a bit wary about, it gives really good coverage on blemishes and under-eye circles without being too heavy, and enables you to layer it if needs be without being obvious. I have been using it with my BB cream as for the moment I haven't been using foundation at all, so it will be interesting to see how I think it fairs with my regular foundation (Maybelline's Dream Matte Mousse). I would definitely repurchase this and recommend it to others.

Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara in Black: I am a massive fan of Max Factor mascaras as I think they are really good quality for the price. The one I normally buy is Xperience as I recieved it for my birthday and loved it ever since, although it is meant to be volumising I think they are better for definition and length. I decided on the Masterpiece Max mainly just because it was a pound cheaper at £9.99 and I used to use it a while back. Since using it, I don't know why I ever stopped because I love it and is my new go to mascara. The Xperience is great for a more day time look, however I think the Masterpiece Max is great for day but can also be layered effectively for evening looks too without the aid of another mascara, therefore putting it above the Xperience for me. I would be interested if you have used any other Max Factor mascaras/products and what you think of them :)

17 Miracle Matt Pressed Powder in Ivory Porcelain: Previous to purchasing this I had been using MAC's Blot Powder in Medium and to be honest I was really underwhelmed :( It was my first MAC purchase in a while and I so wanted it to be better than the drugstore brands and worth the higher price, however I can't really tell the difference between the two powders (which is a good thing for 17!) This powder was £3.99 and for the quality and the packaging I thought it was a great price. It includes a compact mirror and a little sponge too which I thought were lovely added extras. One of the main features I like is that it is oil free, and as I have oily/combination skin this really appealed to me. The only downside is that it says up to 16 hours shine control but I don't think it comes near to this. I have been using it with a BB cream though which make me more oily anyway, so hopefully once I have tested it with foundation it will give me better results. Overall, I think for a drugstore powder it is great quality for the price and it does the job.

If any of you have some advice/recommendation on powders I would love to hear them! xxx