February Favourites

Hey people, apologies for my lack of presence recently...I had no internet for a week and by the time I had access again, I'd kinda got used to going without and finally spent some time finishing up decorating around the house. Elyse's room is all done decorating wise and I couldn't be more pleased so I must remember to pop some photos up. Also, in case anyone may have noticed, I have merged my mummy and baby blog into this one as it started to make much better sense if I just throw in the odd related post here rather than having a whole other blog with a sparse amount of posts. If I have any parents reading, hopefully some of my baby/toddler posts will be useful reading to you in future :-)

I've been enjoying using up a variety of samples recently and getting to grips with skincare products that have become neglected in the "so, so" stash. All in all, I've had a bit of a topsy turvy month in terms of sticking to any products whether it be foundation, moisturiser, lipstick and perfume but it has been good to mix it up every other day and I've managed to collate a pretty good bundle of products that I've loved using the past month or so.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
I like to use this on a day to day basis under my make-up, it isn't the best product I've tried in terms of controlling oiliness but I love how quickly it sinks in. It also feels really hydrating, even on my dry patches of skin.
Monu Recovery Balm
This was almost ready to be dumped in my unloved skincare box until a recent mishap led to me slathering this all over my face. After cleansing my face, parts of my skin became really inflamed to the point where my face felt like it was on fire. This really helped to calm the inflammation down and ever since then I've been whipping this out anytime my skin has flared up. I've also been using it at night as a preventative measure for instance if I've had a particularly make-up heavy day, I feel like this generally prevents my skin from going crazy and breaking out all over the show.
Estee Lauder DayWear Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Oil Free Creme
I've received this little Estee Lauder sample with a Debenhams order and was looking forward to trying this out considering I have loved their skincare in the past. I was not disappointed in the slightest when trying out this moisturiser, it smells amazing (unless you don't particularly like the smell of cucumber?!), it sinks into the skin beautifully and my face feels super soft. It's an oil-free cream and whilst my skin is in this combination phase, it seems to perform well in terms of keeping the oil at bay and feels very lightweight applied. 
Anew Clinical Eye Lift Pro Dual Eye System
My last post was a rather longwinded review about this because I absolutely adore it and would repurchase it time and time again. There's not much more I can add to it as I pretty much raved the behind out of it last month so check out my full review here if you'd like to get the full lowdown on what I think about this little budget beauty superhero in a pot!
Toni & Guy Heat Protection Mist 
I love the way the product is dispersed out of this, it is literally like a mist of heat protecting goodness. This has definitely helped prevent adding to my halo of singed hairs which popped up from the endlessly, blowdrying my curly hair straight and not protecting it with products...sorry boff. 
Michael Kors Very Hollywood Perfume
Definitely one of my more neglected perfumes so it's been nice to finally get some use out of it this. I honestly have never been madly keen on this but I've found myself having a bit of a moment with it last month and for that reason, I had to include it as perfume is something I wear pretty much everyday.

 
MUA Heaven & Earth Eyeshadow Pallette
I've never fully reviewed this but it was included in another favourites post, if you'd like to see swatches and all that shebang, go here July Favourites. I have been using this almost every made up day from January to the present and I don't think I would have the nerve to wear eyeshadow as much if it wasn't for this pallette. It's fool proof to blend, creamy to apply, super pigmented, gorgeous shades and it only costs four quid. Nothing more to say.
E.L.F. Studio Powder Brush
Such a fantastic multi purpose brush and I would highly recommend this to any budding, make-up ehthusiasts considering it is so inexpensive. I've used it to apply liquid foundation and also powder products, it works just as well with both. Definitely one of the better brushes from the E.L.F. range.

ELF Studio Blush
I would say this is very similar to the Rimmel Santa Rose blush in terms of the colour although it is slightly less pigmented when actually applied to my cheeks. I have enjoyed using this on days where I want a subtle glowy, peachy cheek.
"MAC" Pigment
This is actually a complete and utter fake MAC pigment, and whilst I do not condone using fake products, I have to admit that this has become a bit of a guilty pleasure. It's a really good quality pigment to be honest and I love the colour so I can't help but dabble with it now and again. Having had a quick search around, I'd say the colour is very similar to the MAC pigment Mauvement. The whole not knowing what could be in it though definitely puts me off using it too regularly so I am going to look around for something similar.
Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer
Luna
I reviewed this not long ago and my love for it is still going strong. A perfect colour for an daytime, neutral face use or layer it on to make your lips pop. If you want to see my review of it, take a look here.
MAC Cremesheen Lipstick
Shy Girl  
Another lip product I reviewed not long back and without a doubt, on my list of failproof, nude lip shades. Like many others, I absolutely love MAC lipsticks but I cannot bear to part with my pennies on a regular basis to buy more so I much prefer to stick to the safer nude-esque shades.  
  Sorry if I've blabbed on, but I do feel like I had to make up for my lack of January Favourites as there has been so many products I've been using and loving recently!

What were your favourite beauty products last month?

Avon Anew Clinical Eye Lift Pro

I thought that now is probably a really good time to give my current eye cream a full review seeing as I have been using it for well over a month now. I'll be completely honest here in stating that I am no eye cream guru and I have only tried around 2-3 eye creams in my entire life. My poor peepers were neglected for many years until I really got into caring about skincare and the consequences of getting old! Nowadays, I feel almost guilty if I haven't used eye cream.

Based on my genes, it is more than likely that my eyes will age more so than the rest of my face. I already have quite dark shadows under my eyes purely from lack of sleep and going off family history, I will probably end up getting quite a bit of puffiness around the eye area. When I spotted this award winning eye cream in an Avon brochure, naturally I wanted it and luckily my mum overheard and got me this for Christmas. Come Christmas time I was absolutely scraping the barrel of my Clinique All About the Eyes sample so this was a much needed and wanted gift (thanks mum!). 

Not gonna lie, I was using this all wrong the first couple of days but I was still amazed by the results it had gave me. The product comes in the form of an upper eye gel and an undereye cream but I had been applying the cream to my undereye and eylid area, whilst only applying the gel to my browbone. However, I think you are actually supposed to just apply the cream under the eye. Regardless of my error, I noticed that the skin had significantly lifted and it appeared as though I had more eyelid than before (very technical explanation there, I know). This is something I have been longing for since I started experimenting with eyeshadow because no matter how brilliant I make my eyeshadow look, it always seems to be hidden due to the skin above my lid potruding over my eyelid and my small eyelids furthermore do not help! I also prefer to dab on eye creams unless I'm in a rush and I find that everything sinks in fairly quickly, something I definitely wasn't expecting from the gel half of the product. Just to note, the gel feels quite sticky when first applied but the tackiness completely disappears once it has sunk in.

Clearly, this isn't like your standard one step eye cream product and as much as my can't be arsed self thought I would really hate this concept, I actually don't in the slightest. In fact, it's safe to say I positively look forward to this step in my skincare routine. This retails at £19.50 in the UK which I'd say is very reasonably priced considering how good this product is and I will most definitely be repurchasing.

To sum it up, this little tub of wonder does exactly what it says on the front i.e. lifts your eye, and I would highly recommend it to anyone seeking out a new eye cream.

Available from: Avon for £19.50, currently on offer for £9.99!

My Favourite Perfume

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Eau De Parfum
Available from: The Perfume Shop for £47.50 

I was dying to add to my perfume collection because if I'm honest, I've had owned some of my perfumes for that long that they were starting to smell off, lovely. Anyways, my lovely Pops bought me this little beaut that I'd been desperate to get my hands on forever and I wasn't disappointed. Personally, I think it may be a little overpowering for some people and I can see why it might divide opinion. I happen to absolutely love it though and it is without a doubt, my favourite fragrance, period.

It is extremely flowery so if your not keen on that, this probably won't float your boat. It also has a really sweet smell to it but not in the sickly, sweet sense which I adore. I can't really think of anymore raving quotes to describe how good it smells I'd just suggest you take a whiff if your passing a perfume counter.

My only hang up with it is the price...obviously. I have the smallest bottle which is 30ml and the cheapest I've found it thus far was around the £45 (GBP) mark. Call me old fashioned but I remember the days when you could get a nice bottle of perfume for between £20-25! I'm perfectly aware that this is supposed to be a luxurious product and all the rest but I'm just sad my purse can't stretch to a full size bottle, therefore I tend to just wear this for special occasions or days where I just wanna perk myself up a bit.

So it's safe to say I clearly love this although it hasn't stopped me drawing up a rather lengthy perfume wishlist #extremelywishfulthinking. If you have any fragrance recommendations please do pop your suggestions below ;-) 

A Few New Additions...

After taking in all the hype surrounding Rimmels Apocalips Lip Lacquer's, I of course headed to Boots when I discovered they had a 3 for 2 on all Rimmel products. I looked through swatches, upon swatches and decided I was going to go for three shades from the Apocalips line; Celestial, Luna and Nude Eclipse. Unfortunately, they had sold out of Nude Eclipse online and in every Boots I cared to drag myself to which was a bit disappointing as this looked like a gorgeous colour when I swatched it on my hand. Instead I ended up purchasing Luna and Celestial, and not being one to miss out on a bargain I purchased the Moisture Renew Lipstick in Notting Hill Nude, as I've heard lots of good things about these lipsticks.

  

Apocalips Lip Lacquers
I'm honestly so impressed with these!! I haven't really dabbled with budget, lip products for a while and in the past I haven't really been impressed so these were a bit of a jump on the bandwagon purchase, so glad I did though. I love the doe foot applicator and I've found that the bottle design somewhat helps you to apply the perfect amount. If you happen to purchase one of these, you should notice when you first pull the applicator out, the neck of the bottle squidges the excess out and leaves you with the perfect amount to apply. They are super pigmented and when I compared my lips to the actual content in the bottle, it is pretty much match for match; you definitely cannot be disappointed with the colour payoff. As I'm a bit of a a wimp with semi-bright colours, I blot and dab to my hearts content which helps the lacquer not to settle in any dry bits of my lips and obviously takes away that initial "in your face" colour. For the swatches below, I've layered on the lacquer twice as it didn't seem to be showing up as bright as it is in person, so hopefully I've given you a good representation of how these particular shades look.

  

Celestial

I'd describe this as a blue toned pink and I think this would suit a lot of skin tones. It is such a gorgeous colour although I think this will end up being saved for the more heavily made up, special occasions ;)

Luna

I actually wore this today and was so scared initially but even the make-up hating boyfriend gave his approval and he normally hates anything other than nude, natural i.e. boring plain old me. This is such a gorgeous peachy colour and will be perfect for Spring.

Moisture Renew Lipstick
 I'd heard quite a bit of rave about the Rimmel Moisture Renew lippies but too be honest I'm really on the fence about all the hype surrounding them! I love the colour I purchased, it is literally everything I look for in a nude lipstick i.e. my lip colour but better, however the whole moisturing nature of it...I'm not completely bowled over by? I'm not sure why but it feels quite drying on my lips and I don't think it does anything in terms of nourishing my lips like it claims. I definitely think the MAC Cremesheen formula is a lot less drying and more glossy to apply, although this is a great alternative if your on a budget. There are loads of gorgeous colours, some of which I swatched on the back of my hand and they were all amazingly pigmented, which is the main thing I seek out when purchasing lipsticks. Overall, I'd definitely recommend giving these a try if your on a budget.

Notting Hill Nude

 Here are some more swatches of all three products swatched together.

Swatch taken in natural daylight.

Swatch taken with flash.

 I sincerely hope I've helped anyone considering purchasing these products. As always, I'd love to hear any comments on what I've spoke about and likewise, listen to what you've been buying and enjoying using!
 

Rediscovering Some Long Lost Treasures...

So you may of heard of the phrase "shopping my stash" which is where you dig out any, unloved make-up in a bid to save yourself from spending all that hard earned money on more make-up, simples! I had a quick look through one of my, erm... many make-up storage places (really need to sort this out...) and found a few hidden treasures that I've loved in the past but don't regularly use these days.

 ELF Studio Blush
Candid Coral

This is such a wearable, rosey peach toned blusher. I've been enjoying getting back into make-up again and love incorporating this into a simple daytime look.

ELF Studio Blush
Pink Passion

I was pretty worried about how vibrant this would look when applied but it's actually very buildable and can look really subtle if you have a light hand applying it. I dab a swirl of this onto the apples of my cheeks with a small blusher brush and buff out with my ELF Studio Powder Brush.

 MAC Studio Fix Fluid
NC25

I think this is probably my favourite foundation, although, Double Wear is slowly creeping up the ranks. I've literally been using the absolute dregs of this because it is the closest match to my skin colour, it creates a flawless finish and is so, so easy to blend. It's not as long lasting as my Revlon and Estee Lauder foundations and it can break me out if I don't cleanse my face properly....so, it's not without its flaws but what foundation is?

  
Rimmel Colour Show Off Lipstick
020 Shake Up Pink  

With all the snowy weather goings on, I decided to go for a bright lip for a change. I don't think my camera reflects the brightness of this lipstick as it's actually more of a vivid pink shade. This is quite creamy textured when you apply it but leaves a semi-matte finish, it's highly pigmented and doesn't dry out my lips too much, I've noticed it has quite a strong smell to it which is unexpectedly nice...almost like a sweet, fruity smell. I'm always really impressed with Rimmel lip products; the lip glosses I've owned don't leave a sticky feeling, there's an array of beautiful colours to suit all skin tones and they're not expensive to own (collect), winning.

  FOTD
Face: MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC25
Mac Studio Finish Concealer in NC20
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Medium
ELF High Definition Powder
 ELF Studio Blush in Pink Passion 

Eyes: HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette in Foxy
Maybelline the Colossal Volum Express in 100% Black
Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in Black 

Lips: Rimmel Show Off Colour Lipstick in 020 Shake Up Pink 


Have you been shopping your stash?
 

2012 Favourites...Reloaded

So I actually posted a favourites post a few weeks ago but as I was pottering around the house and tidying up, I kept finding myself thinking like this product should of soo been in there and why didn't I put this in?! I think I must of really rushed the post as it didn't 100% represent ALL of my favourites from last year....so I decided to do the whole post again! Here we go...

Dermalogica Clearing Skin Wash

My favourite cleanser to date although I think if I owned a full sized bottle of the Dermal Clay Cleanser I would love that just as much! This is quite pricey but trust me it is worth it if you suffer from acne. A little goes a long way and I think I have had this around 6 months (could be longer?!) and it feels like I still have about a third of the bottle left.

Clinique All About Eyes

This literally makes my eyes feel instantly more awake, refreshed and brighter. I requested this as a sample when placing a Clinique order and this little tub lasted me quite a while considering. The drawbacks of this are that it is quite expensive for a full size tub and I'm currently using a much cheaper Avon eye cream which works just as well if not better.

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution

I first heard about this through watching Lisa Eldridge on Youtube and I'm sure most of you reading will of heard all about this product either from blogs or Youtube as it has built up such a cult beauty product status. All the hype is completely deserved in my opinion, this is fantastic at taking every single bit of make-up off your face whilst not irritating the skin at all. It is hard to find  in the UK though so I do try and use sparingly and mostly for taking lots of eye make-up off.

Witch Anti-Blemish Skin Clearing Primer

I haven't tried many primers to be totally honest but this does pretty much everything I would want a primer to do regardless. It makes my skin look completely matte, provides a nice smooth base to apply makeup, helps my make-up last longer than it would without and all whilst helping to fight blemishes.

Clarisonic Mia

I couldn't imagine not having one of these in my life now after using it for a year. It has made such a difference to my skincare routine. I use it every other day just to give my skin a good clean and to thoroughly exfoliate it. It foams up most cleansers so much better than just using your hands which for me makes it feel like it's doing a much better job at cleansing your skin already.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

I may be guilty of not using this as suggested i.e. with the muslin cloth but I find that it works well for me regardless. This is one of those products I never really rated but when it ran out I really noticed the difference it made! It is my go to cleanser on days when my skin is looking a bit red and sensitive as it literally just calms everything down and somehow restores the pH levels.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo
Probably my favourite product of the year, this has helped my skin no end and it is an amazing base for make-up. In a desperate attempt to see if there was a smidgen of it left to use before a night out, I cut the packaging open (hence the stock photo) but no, literally every morsel was gone which is actually a good thing really. I get so fed up of throwing away products where I haven't used every single last bit because the packaging hasn't enabled me to. If you have combination to oily skin and are prone to breakouts, seriously consider trying this out....it is A-mazing.
DHC Cleansing Oil
I received this sample in a Glossybox a while back and I was so happy when I first saw it as I'd been wanting to try a cleansing oil for a while. It works really well at breaking down the first layer of make-up but I would always recommend using a regular face wash afterwards. I was dubious about using oil on my face as my skin is combination to oily but I didn't find that I had any problems with this as long as I cleansed my face afterwards aswell.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover
I raved about this in last years post so I'm not going to drone on again. This is great to use as a concealer or if your having a particularly bad skin day this provides the best coverage I've found from a foundation to date and I've tried A LOT. Be wary of finding a shade that suits you though as the shade range isn't exactly vast and everytime I've had a sales assistant match me they've matched me up either too dark or with a shade that is too peach toned.
MAC Studio Finish Concealer
This is so creamy in texture, easy to blend, long lasting and it covers really well on redness and dark areas. I use this everytime I'm wearing make-up and it's perfect for under my eyes where I have dark shadows and dry skin.
Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation
There's not really much more I can add to describe how good this foundation is as there are sooo many reviews about it. As it is more of a medium coverage, I like to add a few drops of my Estee Lauder Double Wear Max Cover Foundation and I think they work perfect together...the Bourjois gives your skin a nice, healthy glow and the EL foundation evens out any imperfections.
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer
I absolutely love this for concealing blemishes, the coverage is amazing for such a cheap concealer. I just wish there was a little more variety to the shade range as I think there are currently only 3 shades and the one I have (Medium) can look slightly too orange on me initially. Once blended in though you cannot tell at all.
E.L.F. High Definition Powder
I know this doesn't work for some people and other people love it, for me personally it is great for setting my make-up and getting rid of any shine in my t-zone. I think there is definitely a method to applying it however. If you swirl a brush in the powder then apply it to your face, you can really see that I have white powder on my face which obviously doesn't look good. I tend to apply it, tap the brush I'm using a few times till I'm sure most of the product has gone and then buff all that chalky residue away.
NYC Color Sun 2 Sun Bronzing Powder
I'm definitely keen to try a new bronzer as this one has a bit of a glimmer to it and I'd prefer something more matte. I have the shade Terracotta Tan and it can be quite orange on me during winter when I'm a bit paler, I'm usually around an NC25 MAC shade during winter. I have enjoyed using this despite my less than glowing review, the glimmer I was talking about isn't overbearing and one thing I actually only noticed the other day is that this is oil-free so would be great for any oilies.
Sigma F80 Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki Brush
I cannot imagine how my foundation would like without using this brush to apply and blend everything in. It literally makes my foundation flawless with no effort at all. The only drawback is that if you use thicker or higher coverage foundations it can be a complete pain to clean!!

Sleek Oh So Special Eyeshadow Pallette
I reviewed this nearly two years ago and it's still going strong. Super pigmented, really affordable and has some nice muted shades to create neutral daytime and smokey nighttime looks. There are loads of matte shades in there too which I love.
Maybelline The Colossal Volum Express Mascara
My current holygrail mascara, it makes my lashes look so thick and volumised. I have gotten through quite a few of these but I would be interested to try something different now as there are so many new formulas and interesting products out there to try. If you want to read my review on it click here.
Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
I'd never tried gel liner until I bought this and it has totally improved my eyeliner skills. I was pretty awful at trying to do cat eyes or even just applying along the lashline but this is so easy to apply, as you can control how much product your applying and build it up as you please. It glides on smoothly and lasts literally all day and night (I'm guilty of falling asleep after a few too many drinks with all of my make-up on and this looked exactly the same when I woke up!).
HD Brows Eye & Brow Pallette
There isn't much I can add to how much I love this as I've raved about it so much in the past. Whenever I've done friend's make-up they always comment on how good this is. I have my eyebrows threaded normally as I feel like this really minimises the need to maintain your eyebrows i.e. not much plucking needed between having them threaded. This looks so natural for filling in any sparse areas.
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Another product that works overnight (oops), my eyeshadow looked almost perfect after sleeping and it was all down to this. This was in last year's favourites post and for a very good reason. This makes blending eyeshadow a doddle and the lasting power it gives eye make-up is proven, by myself, to be impressive.

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector
My lip product of the year and I'm seriously hoping to collect the rest of the shade range because I love it that much.  In a nutshell it's like a lipgloss & balm in one so basically a perfect everyday lip product and for those reasons it's thrown into my bag every single day.

I hope I've not droned on too much and if you'd like to see my "2011 Favourites" then click here. Please feel free to post a link to your favourites from last year, I love to see what other people loved and used.

Thanks for visiting! 

Beating the January Blues

January is renowned to be the most depressing month in the year so I took preventative measures and made a few little purchases to cheer myself up (just in case), plus I had saved a Debenhams giftcard from my birthday so that came in useful finally!

Clarins Daily Energizer Cleansing Gel 

 This was a bit of an impulse purchase and I hadn't done much research into this, as I would normally with skincare products. My skin type is quite high maintenance so I have to be really careful with what I use on it otherwise it can become really dehydrated and breakout prone. As my skin is looking very pale and dull maybe due to all the rainy, the name gave me the impression it would give my skin a bit of a glowy boost. Whilst it didn't exactly make my skin beam and appear magically radiant, it is a fantastic cleanser nonetheless. A small amount foams up nicely and it feels like it's cleansing my skin thoroughly but gently, the smell is also rather nice. If I'm honest though, I doubt I will repurchase basically because I already have a better cleanser for my skin type than this and I do tend to dabble with different face washes unless I'm completely wowed.

Available from Debenhams. Price: £11.00.

MAC Shy Girl Lipstick

Before I start raving on, this photo does not do it justice at all! I'm not sure why but it photographs sooooo dark, could be the crappy light though. This is without a doubt, one of my favourite lipsticks to date. Just a perfect everyday, peachy nude colour and as always, the cremesheen formula doesn't let me down. It glides on so smoothly and doesn't dry out the lips at all. I get serious anxiety if I'm wearing anything darker than a light pink or peachy colour so I love the fact I can literally throw this on and not feel like I'm wearing it.

Also available from Debenhams. Price: £14.00

I'm sure I'm not alone in stating that I wish I had so many more MAC lipstick shades! At £14.00 a pop though, they are not exactly purse friendly. I would love to try out some more budget and drugstore lipsticks as I haven't really tried out many at all and the ones I have tried are either really drying or I just haven't ended up liking the colour. 

As always, I'd love to hear from you so drop me a comment in the box below, thanks for visiting!

Do you have a favourite brand for lipsticks?