Concealer | A few of my favorite things

Concealers are a very sure staple in beauty regime, I get dark circles and well it just isn't all too pretty, so I'm going to tell you a few of my favorites. There are some hight street and a couple of high end ones.

First off is my old faithful, I've been using it for years, and that's collections lasting perfection in shade fair or light, depending on the season. I use it everywhere, under my eyes, over blemishes and imperfections and anywhere I need it. It can get quite cakey if you apply too much, and crease unless you powder it, but it has amazing coverage which is what I need. Here

Next is a more lighter coverage concealer, but still a firm favorite is Bourjois healthy mix concealer. Again I use this where ever I need it, under eyes and blemishes. The only problem with this concealer is that it is very yellow toned, it doesn't bother me, but something to note. Here

Next is Benefits Boi-ing, A really pale, high coverage concealer, very similar to the collection one, just less cakey and drying. Here

And last but not least is Cliniques All about eyes concealer, quite like Bourjois, this one is quite yellow toned, but has a lot more coverage then the Bourjois offering, This one is currently my most used concealer. Even though it is for the eyes, it is still good for covering any imperfections. Here

As a side note, Another thing I want to mention is Garniers tinted eye roll on. I didn't want to include this with the others, because I don't use it as a concealer, I use it under my eyes to get rid of my dark circles before I put on my foundation. It is very pale so very good for brightening the under eye area.
You can find it Here

Do you use any of these or have any recommendations? Let me know in the comments bellow.

Eyeliner | A few of my favorite things

Eyeliner is a day to day staple for me, if I'm not wearing it, then I'm having the laziest of lazy days, or i'm ill. Either way, It's would definitely be one of my 'desert island products' and these a few of my favorites and a small review on each. It may help to know that I wear eye primer with all of these, even if i'm not wearing eyeshadow because my eyelids are crazy oily.




1. Loreal superliner Black Lacqure.
This stuff LASTS. It's super black, waterproof, and smudgeproof and comes in a little dippy pot with a sponge applicator so is easy to apply.


2. Topshop Magic liner
My current favorite felt tip liner. I was shocked with how well this stuff lasts. It isn't waterproof, but is water resistant. I've worn this in light showers/misty crappy rain and no smudges at all. It's also super black.


3. Barry M Gel liner
Your basic gel liner, which is super black, easy to apply, and long lasting. except it's super cheap! I highly recommend this if you like gel liners.


4. Collection fast stroke eyeliner (NOT the waterproof version)
You don't get much more basic then this. It's a great, long lasting basic liquid liner, it's got a stiff brush, so that's something to consider. It has a matte finish.


5. Barry M liquid liner
This one is basically exactly the same as the collection fast stroke eyeliner except with a shiny finish.


6. Eyeko VisualEyes liner
This eyeliner doesn't have the greatest lasting power, it is improved greatly with primer though, but the main point to this one is that it is incredibly precise. It is shaped like felt tip liner, but it's actually a very precise brush.


7. Benefit They're real push up liner
For the price this is, I hate to say it, but it is amazing. It is kind of difficult to put on at the beginning, but it seriously LASTS.


These are the main eyeliners that I've been rotating lately, and I'd recommend any of them!
Let me know if you know of any little liner gems

Tanya Burr's Lets Travel The World : Red lip series

I haven't written about a favorite red lip of mine in ages, and this one is quite different from the last few, as this one isn't a lipstick, it's a gloss.

To be specific it's Tanya Burr's lip gloss in Let's Travel The World.

There is a darker, more pigmented red then this one, called vampire kiss, which you can see in my big review Here, But sometimes I just want a more 'red blush' to my lips, especially in the gloss format, as I spend the whole time while wearing vampire kiss, checking that it has not caught in my hair and smudged all up my face.

If I did want to make this a bit more pigmented and bold, but not wear vampire kiss, I just put a lip liner on, colour my whole lip in, and then put this on top.

If you like red lips and want to try them out, but are a bit intimidated by bold red, then definitely give this a try, It's also really nice if you have a red lipstick but want some shine to it, you can just pop this on top and boom, you have glossy red lips.

Hair Diaries - Colouring (picture heavy)

I have probably been dying my hair since I was 13. Okay so they were only wash in wash out colours, but still, I was hooked.

Eyebrow threading : my experience and thoughts.

When I first had my eyebrows threaded, I wasn't planning on doing a post on it, because I wasn't that happy with the result, I try to keep things positive on here, So the picture below is actually about a 2 weeks after I had them done, so they are starting to grow back, So I do apologise for that, but anyway, On to my review.

I have umm'd and arhh'd for AGES now about getting my eyebrows threaded as I've never really liked the shape of my brows, and never really felt like I had an arch, so I was hoping that by getting them threaded they'd get some shape and arch.

I said to the woman who did them to not make them too thin, and neat as I like the bushy look at the front of the brow, I do not think they suit me when they look too neat. but after a rather painful process, I ended up with rather thin brows, and a VERY square front. They didn't look bad, But it was the complete opposite of what I'd asked for. I don't know if it was just to her, that was what she classes as bushy and full, or if she just didn't pay any attention to what I said, I don't know, but it bugged me. 

The actual pain is odd, like it was and wasn't as bad as I was expecting, it's hard to describe. It didn't hurt as much I expected, but it was a different kind of pain to what I was expecting. Kinda like a burn without the heat? I know that makes no sense, but that's what it felt like.

But me being me, not liking confrontation, I just smiled, said thanks, and left. I mean, it's not like I could kick off and she could stick it back on or anything. Luckily though, my brows grow quite quickly, so hopefully they'll grow back fast, but until then, I have to put up with ugly stray hairs growing everywhere.

If you don't like bigger, more bushy brows, then definitely give threading a go if you haven't already, but if like me, and you prefer the bigger brow, I'd stick to plucking them

Big lashes and bushy brows. How I do mine

If you asked me 1.5 years ago about my brows, I'd of probably just walked away from you, not because I'm rude, but because they terrified me. I'd had them waxed and tinted once, but that was it! I started getting into watching YouTube videos and realised that you can fill you brows in without looking like you've been attacked by a sharpie.

I definitely would say that brows are a key point of makeup lately, and will probably be getting bigger and bolder as we get into the colder months.

   

Brows

1. I always fill in the ends of my brows a lot more then I do the front. I just think on my brows that if I fill in the front, then it just looks too harsh and drawn on, So I usually just lightly run the pencil or brush, what ever i'm using, through the front and then go more heavy at the ends. Here I used the Eylure pencil in dark to medium brunette.
   
2. If you wanting more natural brows, whilst still giving some definition then you can skip step one, and just do step 2, which is coloured brow gel. The one I have is MUA's brow define tinted brow mascara in shade dark brown. Unlike in step one, I mainly use this brow gel at the front of my brows, it keeps them looking natural, but just more 'done'..? you get what I mean? anyway, it also keeps them in place without feeling crispy or dry, and because it's tinted, makes your brows look darker.

Lashes

1. I always always always curl my lashes other wise they're just straight and pointless. Then I put one coat of they're real on, I personally don't see the hype with this mascara, It's nice and I like it, don't get me wrong, but it's not WOW, it's just nice and natural.
   
2. I don't really wear false lashes, I've only really started in the past few weeks, and even then, I stick to very natural looking lashes, that just add a little bit of length and volume. I used The Ardell Demi Wisipies, but cut about a third off the end, as I only really wanted them to add some subtle length on the second half of my lash line. You can see in the picture the size I cut them (top pair in comparison to the pairs below it). And I used Eylure lash glue.
3. Oh, and if you're wondering what eyeliner I used, It's Maybellines gel liner, The one in the pot, not the pen. 

I am still such an eyelash newbie, so if you have any recommendations on styles you think I might like, let me know in the comments!

Revlon Nearly Naked foundation in shade Ivory

I will hold my hands up and say I have more foundations then anyone would need, I like to try new ones, trying different finishes and coverage's, But my main issue with them is shade. It's always either too dark or the undertone doesn't want to work for me, which is odd because I'm quite neutral so can usually get away with either, but sometimes they're just too pink for me, either way I'm never really happy with them so always keep getting new ones to try.

Not to mention my skin goes from oily to dry weekly, which doesn't help either.

I've got really heavy foundations and unless i'm having a bad week, I don't really think I need such high coverage, I was interested in other lighter foundations, but none of them seemed to have a good colour match for me, Then someone suggested I try Revlons Nearly Naked foundation, So I went to have a look and ended up picking up the palest shade, Ivory.

This foundation is fast becoming my everyday foundation, it's just so light and fresh on the skin whilst covering any bad bits and evening out my skin tone, Yes it does still need concealer with it as it is a light coverage foundation. I can't smell any strong fragrances in it, especially not when it's on the skin .
To say how light the foundation is, it does seem to last a while on my face, although I do powder my skin and wear a primer to try fill my pores a bit, so that's something to consider.

It also has an SPF of 20 which is an added bonus as my moisturisers don't have any in.

They have quite a good colour range, but only for pale to mid tone ladies, unfortunately they don't have many shades for darker skinned ladies.

If you're looking for a light coverage foundation, I'd definitely recommend giving this a try!  

You can find it in Superdrug, boots and anywhere that sells Revlon!

Let me know if you've tried it or are thinking of trying it.

Eyeko skinny liner

A week or so ago I get the Eyeko Alexa Chung eyeliner which a review will be coming for soon, but since trying that, I got looking at Eyeko's other eyeliners, and then when in town last weekend, I was just wondering around and looking at magazines when I saw that you could get this liner free with Glamour magazine, so obviously I picked it up. A £12 eyeliner free with a £2 magazine?! you'd be silly not to!

It's a really nice, basic eyeliner. I say basic because it's got the standard felt pen shape, with it being called 'Skinny liner' I was expecting something a bit thinner, but you can still create thin lines with it, you'll just have to use the tip! It isn't waterproof, but it doesn't claim to be, but saying that, it does last quite a while. On me it does begin to fade after a few hours if i don't wear primer, but I have crazy oily lids, so that may be something to consider. It's a really nice opaque black as well, but after using it for a while, it does seem to dry out a bit in the tip so you may need to go over it a couple times on the second eye, So I would recommend storing it upside down. I keep mine in it's box, balance against things on my desk!

It comes off really easily with makeup remover and a cotton pad as well, so you won't have to be scrubbing at it for ages and end up irritating your eyes.

So yes, If you're looking for a good, basic liquid pen liner, I would say give this a go, but for £12, you could probably find something very similar in Superdrug or Boots for about £3.

Bourjois rouge edition velvet lipstick | Review

(L-R Pink pong, Frambourjoise, Grand cru)

(L-R Pink pong, Frambourjoise, Grand cru)

Grand cru

Hey everyone

When I heard that Bourjois were releasing a matte cream lipstick, I got so excited. I love bold lips, but when they have a glossy finish I get so paranoid that it's going to smudge all over the place, so I usually try to stick to matte finishes.

Now usually when a lipstick comes with that 'Matte' Label, they usually have the unwritten 'drying' label, Well not these bad boys! They don't moisturise your lips by any means, but they don't dry them out.
When you first apply the lipstick, it really does feel like a cream and then dries down to a matte finish that is going to stick around all day. Even with eating and drinking you don't really need to reapply this, It does fade slightly, but only to a less bright version of what you started with, but it does stain the lips as well, which to me, is a plus.

It does have quite a chemically smell, but that usually disappears when you put it on your lips, so nothing major to worry about, but if you are really sensitive to scents, then you may want to give it a wiff in store.

A negative about this product is that it does take a while to set and dry down to that matte finish, and then by the end of the night, when i've reapplied a couple of times, and been eating and drinking, it just doesn't seem to completely set, which doesn't really make sense, unless it's something to do with oil build up on my lips or something? If you have noticed this, let me know!

I have 3 shades, 2 Frambourjoise, 6 Pink Pong, 8 Grand Cru.

• Frambourjoise is a pinkish red
• Pink Pong is a bright blueish pink
• Grand Cru is classic deep red

I really like these products, they don't feel too heavy, especially for a bright, bold, matte lip, and I recommend picking some up to try.

Something to note, I've only been able to find Grand Cru on ASOS.

If you've tried these or are interested in trying them, let me know down below!

Mid year wish list!

First off is something I've been wanting for a while now, Which is Estee Lauders Double wear glow.
I have the normal Double wear which I do really like, but it is just a bit heavy for everyday wear, So when I was visiting Estee Lauder I tried Double wear light and Double wear Glow. As soon as she tried it on me, I was really impressed, so she gave me a sample to try and I have been seriously impressed. It gives you really good coverage whilst not being heavy and, as the name would suggest, gives you such a lovely natural glow, you look so healthy, I love it! So it is definitely on my list.




Benetint is something I've wanted for as long as I've know the Brand. It gives such a healthy natural flush to the cheeks and lips (can you tell I'm going for the natural healthy look? ahah)




Ojan damage reverse resorative hair treatment plus, I tried a sample of the original one and it makes my hair feel so soft and so much nicer, So the full size of this one is definitely something I want to try.


I only really have my eye on these at the minute, but i'm still looking for a nude/natural lipstick, So if you know of any good ones you think I may like, let me know down below :)

Illamasqua Eyebrow Cake in Thunder | Review

(sorry about the odd pictures! I'm saving up to get a better camera)

Oh Lily Collins, what I'd give to have your brows. Unfortunately, like many others, I have got full on brow envy, and have searched far and wide trying to find something to give me some Lily styled brows.

I finally settled on a technique I like which includes a pencil, powder and setting gel. I may do a small tutorial on how I do them on a later date, but for now, I'm doing to tell you about my powder of choice, The beautiful Illamasqua Eyebrow Cake in Thunder, Ironically it's thundering right now as I'm writing this.

The Powder is a dark/mid tone brown, with a slight wax mixed into it, not to the point where you can see or feel it, but it just helps the powder stick to the brows and not budge. It has a very smooth texture which goes on like a dream, I use a small angled brush to just lightly fill in my brows with the powder, but it can be built up to create a very bold, yet still relatively natural look, because Bold brows obviously can't look completely natural!

I do really like this powder, and I usually use the MUA clear mascara to set them, but it really doesn't do much, so still looking for a setting gel!

For £15.50 it is a bit expensive, but definitely worth it! I 110% recommend giving this a try, and it comes in different colours for blonde to black brows, so there's a colour for everyone!
You can buy it from their website, or places like Debenhams.

Speak soon!

Mac Diva Lipstick | Review

If you know me, or read my blog much, you'll know i'm a sucker for red lipsticks, And this one is definitely not a let down at all.

A few weeks ago I saw a Picture of Hilary Duff wearing this absolutely beautiful burgundy/maroon lipstick, but I just couldn't find one that wasn't too brownish, not a glossy finish, not too dark, but still not too red. Is that too much to ask!?

Then when looking around Mac, I found Diva. It it such a beautiful deep burgundy red in Mac's amazing matte formula. The colour is more blue toned, but not drastically, so I think anyone would be able to pull this off. It's has got Mac's infamous vanilla sent, which I personally love but can hardly ever notice, just a really subtle sent when I smell it straight from the tube.
It stays put, wears really well, you'll get a good 8 hours out of these, depending if you're eating and drinking, but even then, it will still stick around really well! This is only my second Mac lipstick but I still want more! They're just such amazing quality and definitely worth the £15 price tag.

Let me know if you have an Mac lipsticks and if you recommend any, or any other lipsticks you think I'd like!

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner Pen | Review

Eyeliner is my thing, whether it's a full on cat eye or subtle definition, For me it's a must. But with having seriously oily eyelids and eyes that water more then a waterfall, it isn't easy to find things that will stick around for more then a few hours, or stay fully black and where I put it.

I've found a pencil liner I love which you can read the review for here, but still couldn't find any liquid/gel liners I liked that much, Yes i'd found some that would stay where I put them, but there was always something I didn't like about them.

Benefit are releasing a new Gel liner pen which got me very intrigued, especially with them claiming it to be 'The first of its kind', but then, In Superdrug, I saw that Maybelline have one EXACTLY like it so that went straight onto my birthday list.

Now I've only used this a few times already, but this is so odd! Not in a bad way, but it's definitely one that needs some practice to get right, and be warned, if it goes wrong, you will need and oily make up remover and cotton buds to correct it, because this stuff does not budge. it's in a little twist up pen, that has like a silicone, slanted tube that the liner come out of, but it is just a creamy gel that comes out, not a solid stick or anything, so you really only need it to be at the tip of the silicone tube, not coming out of it, or it will just smudge everywhere, but when you get that part down and sorted, it's actually quite easy to use, just like you were using a pen, Just remember, less is more!

It is an intense black, with not greyish hues to it at all. It doesn't fade, or budge at all, depending how heavy handed you are with it, it may need a few seconds to dry after you apply it, but that's all. I really can't think of any negatives for this, other then that you will need and oily eye makeup remove to get it off, and that it takes some practice to master.

Maybe not one for a beginner, but definitely one to try!

You can buy it from Boots or superdrug for £8.99, here. But Superdrug do currently have buy one get one half price at the minute, so thats an added bonus!

 (It comes with a small stopper, just to make sure no product dries up in the flexible silicone tube)

I'm Back! :)

Sorry that I've been MIA for the past like month! I really have no excuse for it at all, except i'm rubbish! But it was my birthday on the 5th so I've got a loads of new things to try out and share with you guys, so I'll have a brand new review post either tonight or tomorrow so keep your eyes open! :)

Speak soon!

Enrapture totem styler | Review

Hey everyone, long time no see.

This post is going to be slightly different as it's not a make up review, it's a hair styling product review!

Well, a hair styling product. If you know me, or follow me on social networking sites you'll know I love big, bouncy, voluminous curls and my mum being an absolute babe treated me to an early birthday present, the Enrapture Totem Styler, So you may be thinking that it's just the same as every other curling tongue out there, well, you're wrong. This magical little thing is split into three different heat sections so you can make so many different styles, you can have it set to 1-1-1 and have loose beachy waves, or 3-3-3 and have tight ringlets, or any combination in between, I personally like to go for 1-1-2 or 2-2-3 because then you end up with loose curls that get tighter towards the ends.

When I first took it out the box I thought it was really chunky but it's actually surprisingly light, It heats up super fast, but one thing that annoys me is that the LED light is just on, there's no indication as to whether or not it's at the right temperature or not, but other then that, I really like this styler.

It's usually quite expensive to buy at around the £50-£60 mark, but you can usually find them on offer, I actually found mine on Amazon for around £20 here. Such a bargin.

If you like curly hair, or are looking for a one stop curler, I definitely recommend this one.

Benefit wanna? Lipstick ♥

Okay, I know I said this would be up last night,  but I'm rubbish.

Here it is though!

This lipstick is such a lovely pinky/natural colour, which is really good for those days where you want to wear something but nothing too dramatic.

The formula of the lipstick is super nice and moisturising and doesn't cling to any dry patches or dry your lips out.
The only downside I would say about this lipstick is that because it is so moisturising, it doesn't have the greatest lasting power, about 2-3 hours, without eating or drinking, but because of the texture, it is so easy to reapply.

I definitely recommend trying this lipstick, even as just an everyday lipstick.

Barry M Lipstick review

I don't really know why, but whenever it's come to nude lipsticks, I've never really been that fussed, I've liked them, and think they look really nice on there people, I've just never really had much interest in them on myself, I think it may be because I'm paranoid i'll get the 'concealer lip' look, which I can't rock at all, or that it'll wash me out, so I've usually just stuck with wither bold lips, gloss, or nothing.

Super simple, natural make up ☮✌

Just a little quick one today, super simple, easy natural face, With barley there make up.

I used a small amount of Benefits Porefessional over my nose to cover up some of my pores. Here

I then used Benefits some kinda gorgeous in light, which i just put a few splodges on my face using the sponge provided, and then  blended in with my Real Techniques buffing brush. Here and Here

I used collections concealer in shade 2 light under my eyes. Here

I didn't use any blush or highlighter as I was keeping it all very natural.

I curled my lashes using my Vintage Company eyelash curler. Here

Using a few coats of L'Oreals telescopic mascara to add length to my lashes. Here

I lined my upper lash line with my Estee Lauder stay in place pencil liner in coffee. Here

And to finish it off, I used the powder side of my Benefit Browzings in dark to define and fill in my brows. Here