Make-up Beauty Haul

Saturday 28 June 2014

Hey everyone!

I've had a few interviews lately with different media companies for internships/jobs, I'm hoping that one of them will get back to me and I'll finally have a full-time job! Being unemployed is the worst thing because I like spending money on beauty and clothes so I've really had to hold back.



Anyway, I went on a little online shopping spree and bought a few beauty products that I thought I'd share with you guys.

Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder




The face powder made famous by Kim Kardashian. I tried out a sample of this Ben Nye setting powder a while ago and loved it so much that I bought the full tub. This luxury powder in Banana really suits skin tones with a yellow/golden/olive undertone. I love to use this to set my under eye concealer as it gives it such a flawless finish. The powder is finely milled and really smooth. It's also inexpensive so it's definitely worth trying if you haven't already.

Ben Nye Neutral Set Colourless Face Powder



This neutral set powder is amazing. I use this to set my whole face and it's colourless so it's suitable for all skin tones. I love the consistency of this. It's even more affordable than the luxury powder and I got this in the huge 8oz tub, so it's definitely going to last a while!

Make-up Forever HD Invisible Cover Foundation




This foundation has been hyped about so much that I thought I'd give it a try. I got the shade #153 Golden Honey which is described as a medium olive colour. I personally think this shade is a little too yellow for me, which is a shame because the actual product is pretty good. Though the coverage is medium-buildable and gives a nice light satiny finish, I still prefer my MAC studio fix (NC42) over this. 

Mehron Celebré Pro HD Make-Up




I have always wanted to try out a cream-based foundation, so I did a little research and chose what I thought would be a good match for me. I'm so glad I got this foundation, it is amazing! It gives you full coverage without looking cakey. It also looks so natural that you can't tell you're wearing foundation. This range comes in 20 shades to suit light, medium, medium-dark, dark and eurasia skin tones. It is also super affordable as well, retailing at the same price as a drugstore/high-street foundation. I got the shades Eurasia Fair and MD1. Eurasia Fair would match those with NC30-37 skin and MD1 with NC45. I mix a tiny bit of MD1 with Eurasia Fair to get my perfect skin tone. MD1 is very orange/pink toned whereas Eurasia Fair has an Olive/Yellow undertone.

So there you have my recent beauty purchases. I hope you found this helpful, please leave comments below - thanks for reading!




The Vampire Diaries: Insurgence 6 weekend

Tuesday 17 June 2014

Hey everyone!

Today I'm bringing you a slightly different post. As some of you may know, I am a huge fan of The Vampire Diaries (especially seasons 1 and 2, for obvious reasons) and the episode reviews I used to do on my blog were quite popular but I stopped doing them because I wanted to focus my blog more on beauty and fashion. Anyway, I attended Insurgence 6 last weekend, which is a Vampire Diaries convention that's held in Birmingham. 

I went with my little sister and I had SO much fun! I got photo's with Paul Wesley (Stefan), Michael Malarkey (Enzo) and Steven McQueen (Jeremy). 
The stage talks were great and Paul Wesley definitely stole the show when he arrived on Sunday - he's SO funny! I'm glad I got to briefly meet him at the photo ops, though it was way too rushed. I didn't wear heels in any of the photos so I look so tiny! haha. I also got to meet all the guests at the autograph session, they are all so very nice. My favourites were Paul, Michael, Zach Roerig and Rick Cosnett. I wish I got more photo ops as well. Our photos got delayed to Sunday so that's why my hair is all over the place! Here are my photos with some of the cast:





Have you been to any conventions lately? Or were you at Insurgence 6 as well? Leave comments below :)


My Top Concealers and Correctors

Tuesday 10 June 2014

Hey everyone!

While baking in the hot summer weather here in London, I decided it was about time I did a blog post on my favourite concealers. I've included a mix of high end and drugstore/highstreet concealers so you guys can see cheaper alternatives to the more pricey ones. I've also mentioned at the end concealers that I would love to try. 








Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer 

This is probably my favourite concealer at the moment. I use this as an under eye concealer to brighten the area and get rid of my dark circles. For the affordable price, it is definitely a great concealer. It covers small blemishes and really does a good job of making you have that bright Kim Kardashian under eye glow. I would say this is more of a peach toned concealer with slight yellow tones in it.




MAC Pro Longwear Concealer NW35 


A favourite amongst bloggers, the pro longwear concealer offers full coverage to blemishes and scarring. It's quite thick in consistency but a little goes a long way. This is a good concealer to have for those horrible breakouts!




Maybelline Fit me Concealer #20 Sand 


Another great concealer from Maybelline. It's supposedly very similar to MAC's prep + prime highlighting pen and I can see why. It's a little thinner in consistency and has a gorgeous yellow toned formula. It's great for those with strong yellow undertones and works well to highlight the face.




Garnier Caffeine Anti-Dark Circles Roll On Medium



This concealer has a lovely cooling effect when applied under the eyes. It instantly wakes you up and makes you feel rejuvenated. Not only that, it also doubles as a good under eye brightener. In my opinion, I wouldn't say it conceals blemishes/acne very well but it does brighten the face and gets rid of dark circles.




MAC Studio Finish Concealer NC42 


This is possibly the best concealer for covering blemishes and severe acne. It could also possibly cover tattoos (though I have not tried). I use this to cover any breakouts and to define the outer shape of my eyebrows. The colouring is very similar to MAC's studio fix foundation, which I like to use in conjunction with it. 


MAC Prep + Prime Highlighting Pen Bright Forecast



I love to use this to highlight under my eyes, forehead, cupid's bow and chin when I'm doing a full face make up look. It definitely highlights the area and provides a nice glow. I've got mine in bright forecast which I use as a corrector as it's a peachy colour, so it counteracts any green and purple under the eyes. 


MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer NC35 


This concealer has a nice creamy texture and blends really well. It covers any imperfections and basically does what it says on the tin. It doesn't cover as well as the studio finish concealer but I find this is easier to apply and blend out.




Bobbi Brown Corrector Light Peach




This corrector by Bobbi Brown has had so many good reviews so I gave in and bought this corrector - I only started using this recently but I love it already. Though the shade 'light peach' is a touch too light for me, once I apply a concealer over it it looks fine. I might do a more in-depth review on this corrector when I've used it a fair bit more.






Concealers I would love to try:


Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer


I have wanted to try this concealer for quite some time now. It is still relatively new and is known for it's enriched hydrating, multi-action skincare benefits and light diffusing technology. I will definitely get my hands on this when I get the chance.


Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer


Though this concealer is more on the pricey side, it is worth it according to many beauty vloggers! It is described as a concealer that mimics the appearance of healthy, radiant skin, which to me sounds like a perfect everyday concealer. I have a feeling this will be on the wishlist for a while!


I hope you found this post helpful. Leave all comments and suggestions for future posts below. Thanks for reading!




Hot Summer Nights...

Sunday 8 June 2014

Hey everyone!

I've made it my mission to blog a lot more this month, as it's summer and I have a little bit of extra time on my hands. I've forgotten how much I enjoy blogging and connecting with all of you!

Today I bring you with an Summer night out outfit post. I recently went to my friends engagement drinks and wanted to wear something comfortable yet glamourous so I opted for this navy skater dress I bought recently from ASOS. The brand is called Club L and they offer the most amazing dresses (and outfits in general) for petite girls like myself. At only 5ft 3.5" I sometimes struggle to find a dress that isn't too long and that flatters my figure.

This gorgeous dress ticks all the boxes; it's short, navy, has a flattering skater style flare and a pretty floral pattern.

Dress: ASOS Heels: JustFab


I paired this dress with my current favourite pair of high heels from justfab.co.uk. These are their zarah heels and are coincidently, a dupe for the lace up heels that were available (and sold out) at Zara. I actually forgot to wear a necklace and accessories in this outfit shoot but I would have gone with a statement necklace and an elegant clutch to finish off the look.


I went with neutral make-up and false lashes to add some glamour to the overall look.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks for reading!


May Favourites

Friday 6 June 2014

Hey everyone!

Welcome back to my new and improved blog. I've had a few changes in the design and layout as I wanted my blog to look more sleek and elegant. Hope you like it!




The past few weeks have been hectic as I've been attending many weddings, engagements and receptions. It is wedding season after all! So this blog post is a little delayed. Nevertheless, lets get started shall we?

MAC Pearlglide Intense Eye Liners: Designer Purple & Petrol Blue


I bought these Pearlglide intense eye liners from MAC in the colours Designer purple and Petrol blue and I have to say, it's probably the best glitter eye liners I have ever used. The formula is so smooth and creamy and it glides on the skin so flawlessly. I used the petrol blue eye liner recently all over the eyes and it looked amazing - they do dry up pretty fast once applied so you do have to blend it out fast. I was going to purchase the pressed pigments but decided on these instead as I preferred the overall look of it.

Sephora Cream Lip Stains: Always Red & Strawberry Kissed



These are honestly the best lip stains I have ever tried, the photo's don't do them any justice! They are fully pigmented and long lasting and come in a range of beautiful colours. Always red is a true classic red colour that will compliment almost any skin tone, especially asian skin tones in my opinion. Strawberry kissed is more of a pink with red undertones. It is such a flattering bold colour and would look amazing with minimal make-up and mascara! The lip stains have a velvety matte finish. I find myself reaching for these a lot lately and I can't recommend them enough.

Revlon Colorstay Foundation #360 Golden Caramel



I don't know where to even start with this foundation - it is hands down the best drugstore/high street foundation I have ever tried. This Revlon colorstay foundation has definitely made the holy grail list. It is quite similar to MAC's studio fix fluid (which I have in NC42 for reference), only a little thinner and more natural for everyday use. It has a natural matte finish and they come in a range of different colours so there's one to suit everybody. These foundations also come in 2 different formulas; Normal/dry and Combination/Oily which I think is bloody brilliant! I have combination skin and find this foundation lasts about 8 hours which is perfect when you're on the go, at work or going on a night out. I bought mine online as they don't offer my shade in the UK unfortunately.

MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Soft Ochre




This is a nice little paint pot by MAC to prime your eyelids before make up. Soft Ochre is a lovely light yellow based nude. I like to use this when I want to wear lighter shades of eye shadows as it makes the colours pop. It lasts all day and does tend to crease a little bit but nothing too noticeable. Either way I love this product! :)

Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick - Almond


  
After receiving this beauty from my little sister on my birthday, I've been using it religiously ever since. It is none other than the foundation stick by Bobbi Brown. It is great for contouring. I got this in a few shades darker than my skin tone and find it suits me perfectly to create shadows in the face.

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer



After hearing rave reviews about this primer in the blogosphere, I thought it was about time I tried it out for myself, and boy did it live up to my expectations! This primer forms a great base for foundation and lasts for hours. I used to use Benefits Porefessional primer but I didn't really like it. I know, shocking. I just find it didn't last well on my skin. However, this primer by Smashbox is definitely one of the best I've tried and is my favourite this month!

Charles Worthington Texturising Spray



Firstly, apologies for the bad quality photo! This texturising spray by Charles Worthington instantly creates bigger hair, I kid you not. If you're looking for more volume and texture, I definitely recommend trying this out. I've used this for the past month and it makes dull hair look more appealing and bold, it's been a life saver!

Batiste Pixie Lott Dry Shampoo



As soon as I heard Pixie Lott joined the Batiste bandwagon, I had to try out her dry shampoo! As with all batiste dry shampoos, this instantly refreshes greasy hair in between washes. This also has a lovely floral scent.

Olay Complete Care Day Fluid SPF 15



I ADORE this moisturiser so so much. It has reached holy grail status in a matter of days. Not only does it provide amazing hydration to the face, it contains SPF 15 which is vital for everyday wear. It also doesn't create a white cast in photos and it has a non-greasy formula. The fluid is light on the face as well so it doesn't feel like you have SPF at all. It also smells amazing. Highly recommend this product to anyone! 

Vaseline Spray and Go Body Moisturiser - Aloe Fresh



I am quite the lazy person at the best of times and this body moisturiser definitely caters for that lazy part of me! It is quick and easy to apply and absorbs into the skin instantly. It is also easy to use for top ups if you feel your skin needs extra hydration during the day. I got this in Aloe fresh, which I think is my favourite scent out of the ones available.

Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Lotion 




This 'make up for legs' lotion by Sally Hansen instantly makes your legs look gorgeous upon application. I find this lotion is more matte than the spray version of the product, and I personally prefer the lotion over the spray, mainly because it's less messy and easier to apply. Sally Hansen's airbrush legs are hands down the best tanning/leg make up products on the market in my opinion. These come in 4 different shades and mine is in the shade medium, which is a touch darker than my skin tone but it still makes my legs look super lush! Highly recommend.


So there you have my May favourites! This blog post turned out to be a little more long and in-depth than I expected but I hope you enjoyed reading it. What were your favourites from May? Do we share the same favourites? Let me know in the comments section below!



 
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