Hide and seek

Vichy laboratories Dermablend - starter kit

* Glossybox sample. Full size corrective cream stick retails at £19

I received this in Junes Glossybox. It is basically a sample of 6 difference shades from the Dermablend high coverage corrective cream stick foundation, which is described as camouflage make up. The 6 shades included are light, opal, porcelain, nude, sand and bronze. 

It claims to be able to hide and conceal irregular pigmentation, blemishes, intense redness and dark under eye circles and bags. It had SPF 30 which is always a bonus, is fragrance free, hypoallergenic and also water resistant.

So, what did i think???

As a foundation i personally think the formula is far too drying, and i don't even really have dry skin. I have tried it as a concealer though and have really liked it. It is thick and creamy which is what a good concealer needs to be. To apply it i have been using either a concealer brush or my ring finger, i have found that the finger option works best though as the formula needs some warmth to prevent it looking cakey. The coverage is great and i like the formula, but looking at the 'so called' before and after images (which are amazing by the way), im just not feeling it. Yeah its good coverage but the images they have included show miracles not just a bit of make up!!! When i have applied it to small blemishes, they do look smaller but are still visible just less red.

What do i rate it??

As a concealer 4/5

As professional camouflage make up for severe skin flaws 2/5 - i think it promises something that it does not deliver.

x x x

Mouthwatering melon

E.L.F conditioning lip balm (SPF 15) in Mellow melon

£3.75

I picked this and a few other bits up from the E.L.F website when they had a 30% off code a few weeks ago. I popped this in my basket as i figured a girl can never have too many lip balms, right?!? 

I thought the colour looked lovely and the name 'Mellow melon' sounded delicious.

It comes in this clear plastic pot, which if i am honest is alot bigger than it needs to be. I really like the shade and the formula is nice and moisturising on the lips. The shade is a really deep pinky coral which is perfect for the summer months. I must admit i was some what dissapointed with the scent, or lack of it. I was expecting a lush juicy water melon scent, but no such luck!!! It just smells of a basic lip balm if i am honest.

x x x

June Faves

Just wanted to share some products i have been loving this month!!!

Make up bits:

1// Nars blush - Orgasm

2// Bourjois Paris liquid eyeliner - Liner Pinceau

3// MUA eye shadow pallet - Heaven and earth

4// Carmex lip balm - Mint

5// No7 nourishing lip shine - Peach

Skin care bits:

1// Kleenex - Facial cloths

2// Botanics - Soothing eye make up remover

3// Nspa - Hot cloth polish

4// E.L.F - Make up mist & set

Random bits:

1// No7 - Luxurious foaming shower oil

2// Nina Ricci - Ricci Ricci perfume

3// Alberto Balsam - Tea tree tingle shampoo

4// Alberto Balsam - Tea tree tingle conditioner

:)

x x x

Heaven and Earth

This is one of them products that is mentioned time and time again, but i thought i would add my 2 cents. Its the MUA professional eye shadow pallet in 'heaven and earth' and it retails at Superdrug for just £4.

It includes 12 neutral and earthy shades ranging from pale shimmers to the deepest bronzed browns. Think of it as a cheaper Urban decay naked pallet if you will, obviously with different shades, a lesser quality but mainly a hell of a lot cheaper.

The shades sadly don't have names, so to show them off i decided to take photos in groups of 4 and them swatch them:

As you can see they is a huge range of colours and shades, and something to suit everyone. The quality of the shadows is surprisingly good... they blend well and aren't at all chalky. I would say the pallet is maybe missing some matte shadows as shimmers aren't everyone's cup of tea, but i mean for £4 this pallet is pretty top notch!!!

It has been announded this week that MUA are releasing a new neutral pallet soon called 'Undressed' (undressed looking and sounding quite similar to naked 2 anyone?) So if you like the look of Heaven and Earth keep your eyes peeled for this one too.

x x x

All the way from the U-S of A #part2

As you may have seen in my previous post my boyfriend has just recently got back from America... He brought me back a few AWESOME gifts that i thought i would share :)

There was a Macy's bag and also a Sephora bag - these gifts were already getting a thumbs up from me haha!!! I have already written about what was in the Sephora bag HERE, so now for what little goodie awaited me from Macy's:

My all time favorite foundation, which is of course Estee Lauder's Double wear (stay in place make-up). This product is so so so talked about, with about a 50-50 split of people who love it and cant live without it & those who hate it and would never use it again. Think of it as the marmite of foundations if you will. I, of course am 100% a lover of it.

I am the shade 2N2 FRESCO (01). I got matched up as this shade by the lovely Estee Lauder MUA and i would say she was spot on. If you ever are taking the plunge for a high end foundation i cant stress enough the importance of either getting your skin tone matched up or trying a sample to see if it really is for you.

This is my 3rd/4th bottle of double wear, so i really know its love as i have never repurchased any other foundation this much. 

So why do i love it so much? 

Its thick and the coverage is unreal... i mean so far i haven't found anything this cant hide. I don't have bad skin by any means but i get the odd blemish and i have scars from previous ones. I also have large pours around my nose and this magic stuff just smooths over everything leaving my skin looking smooth and flawless. Its also oil and fragrance free.

Why do so many people dislike it?

Its thick... plain and simple. Its pretty full coverage and some people (the lucky devils) really don't need that. I can see why some people dislike it, but i actually like the flawless, covered look it gives. Some people also say that it gives them 'ghostface' is photos and certain light (due to the SPF), but hellllllo i am pale anyway so cant say i have ever experienced this. Most people also complain about the packaging, and i will agree with the 'haters' on that. Don't get my wrong i love the thick glass bottle with gold accents, it screams luxury (and when i'm forking out £26 a pop i want luxury) but it doesn't have a pump so getting the product out can be difficult, and i do feel that when your nearing the end of the bottle a lot gets wasted.

In the winter months i rarely stray away from this foundation, but now we have hit summer and some freakishly warm weather, i do find my skin sometimes needs something lighter and a chance to breath. On these days i obviously still want coverage, so i find that using a minimal amount of this as a sort of concealer on blemishes and 'those' areas works really well with a lighter foundation on top.

I love it, and can see myself repurchasing it forevermore. 

it retails at £26.50 for 30ml HERE

(he picked it up in Macys for around £35 which works out about £22 i think)

 x x x

All the way from the U-S of A

So my boyfriend has just been for Florida for 2 weeks, and i must say he excelled himself with the presents :)

Imagine my face when i saw this little bag being unpacked ^^^

 & inside was this little beauty!

It is of course the infamous Nars blusher in probably the most talked about shade - orgasm (risque name i know, but i actually quite like that about the brand as it makes them stand out).

Orgasm is described as peachy pink with a shimmer - may i add the most gorgeous golden shimmer ever!!! As with all Nars products, i love the packaging and yes it will get grubby etc but i love the whole look of them. I cant wait to wear this, especially if this glorious weather keeps up as i think the shimmer will be perfect.

You can buy Orgasm here for £21.00

but he picked it up in America for $28.00 from Sephora, which works out around £17-£18!!

Boy did good!!!

x x x

MAC Dame

MAC - Satin powder blush

in DAME

£17.50

Dame is described as a sophisticated blue pink. But don't let the word blue put you off haha, i mean who wants a blue face?!?

Its a lovely pink shade with a slight shimmer to it... In the pan the shimmer seems to have a purple sheen to it which is where i imagine they get the blue tones from, but it doesn't transfer like that to your face. With blue undertones you would expect this to be quite a cool tone, but on my (snow white) skin the shade is actually warming and doesn't make me look washed out or pasty which is a big thumbs up from me.

I really like the formula, its so soft and super easy to blend.

This is actually my first MAC blush and i am now wondering why o why i put off buying one so long... I can see myself picking up a few different shades in the near future :)

At £17.50 MAC blushes aren't cheap, but they are great quality with a great shade range. A little goes a long way so they will last you ages too. 

If anyone can suggest a nice MAC blush for pale-ys like myself let me know :)

Thank you!!

x x x

GOLD by Giles - Eyelash curler

I picked this up from the new GOLD by Giles make up range that launched this week, simply just because i could do with a new one. 

It retails at £3.99.

I cant say i was expecting too much from this with it being a cheap price point but im far from dissapointed. It does the job perfectly and doesn't feel like you are pulling your eye lashes out which is always a bonus!!!

The down fall is that it doesn't come with a replacement rubber strip like most do... so once that's been over used thats it. Awh well, for under 4 quid you cant ask for too much i suppose! 

x x x

GOLD by Giles - Buff

So last week saw the launch of the second GOLD by Giles make up range exclusively for Newlook & this one looked impressive. 

I picked up this eye shadow quad in the shade 'Buff', it retails at 3.99.

I really like these shades as there not too 'in your face' but still a nice splash of colour.

I was really suprised by the quality of these eye shadows... They are really creamy and really pigmented. The colours are lovely and all have a slight shimmer which looks really nice.

Cant go wrong for the price i reckon!!!

x x x

GOLD by Giles - Scandal

So last week saw the launch of the second GOLD by Giles make up range exclusively for Newlook & this one looked impressive. 

I picked up this eye shadow quad in the shade 'Scandal' & it retails at £3.99,

I liked this one as it was earthy shades that will be really wearable day to day.

I was really suprised by the quality of these eye shadows... They are really creamy and really pigmented. The colours are lovely and all have a slight shimmer which looks really nice.

Cant go wrong for the price i reckon!!!

x x x

GOLD by Giles - Blush

So last week saw the launch of the second GOLD by Giles make up range exclusively for Newlook & this one looked impressive. 

I picked up two blushers, a pinky one in the shade 'Angel' and the bronze one in the shade 'Goddess'.

These retail at just £2.99.

This is the shade 'angel' and i actually quite like it. Its a lovely pink colour and has a slight shimmer meaning it has a bit of a highlighting affect to it. 

This is the shade 'Goddess', and i would actually say its more of a bronzer than a blusher?!? 

Not for my skin type at all but it is a lovely colour, and has a shimmer too it also.

Im impressed by these blushers, they are really nice quality. Super soft and easy to blend. The colour pay off isn't massive at first but its buildable.

On the down side, they include the shittiest brush i have ever seen, ever.

x x x x

If you like what you see and enjoy what i ramble on about a little vote HERE would be so so so appreciated! xxx

GOLD by Giles - Lip gloss

So last week saw the launch of the second GOLD by Giles make up range exclusively for Newlook & this one looked impressive. 

I decided to give the lip glosses a go as there was some lovely shades and they only cost £1.99

I picked up the shades 'Ruby red', 'Berry' and 'Bellini'.

(Left to right)

I really like that its a blush applicator as it makes putting it on a breeze!!!

I love the colours and think that they actually seem to give a good colour pay off considering they cost £1.99!!! They also aren't at all sticky :)

All in all a great product for the price i would say!

x x x x

My brushes (cleaning and storing)

 

Storing:

I keep my brushes in this little glass jar, which i got for wilkinons for about £4. I like them all out where i can see them, and it makes finding them really easy (theres nothing more annoying than trying to track them down when your in a rush).

Cleaning:

I dont get around to doing it as much as i should or would like too... but i make a point of doing it when my brushes really need it. At the moment i have been using ELF brush shampoo which is only £3.50

It makes cleaning the brushes a breeze!!! I just pop them one by one under hot water which gets rid of alot of the excess make up. I then pop a dollop of the brush shampoo into the palm of my hand and rub it into the bristles. The shampoo is really gentle and doesn't smell at all like some other cleaners, it foams up but only slightly - just enough to do the job. Then with a good rinse under the hot water Ta-dahhhh sparkling clean, good as new brushes.

They then obviously need to dry, which is the annoying bit as some of the thicker brushes can take ages!!! They need to be reshaped and also need to be laid flat to make sure that no water gets into the handle and loosens the bristles.  

(brushes are a mixture of Real techniques, MAC, ELF and models own)

Leave them to dry then bish bash bosh... All done.

x x x