Some Products I've Been Enjoying Recently

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge | I last mentioned this in a First Impressions post back in February (here), and said I liked it, but still had my reservations. My foundation applied better with it, especially when damp, but I wasn't keen on replacing it every 1-3 months. Due to an offer and multiple discount codes, I've since bought two more for around £3 each (usually £5.99). Thankfully, I haven't had to use them yet because my original one is still doing a great job, two months down the line. The finish it gives is natural, and it's great at blending. I also find it to cover those blemishes which have scabbed over well. The sponge is able to mold around every crevice. Sounds gross, I know, but we've all experienced it! I don't really know where to store it when it's still damp, though, so it tends to just sit on my chest of drawers next to my makeup basket. The stains are there for life as well, but I've accepted those!

Revlon Super Length Mascara | This was another product in my First Impressions post, and I didn't have strong feelings for this either! It wasn't clumpy and gave my lashes that fluttery effect, like Maybelline's Mega Plush, but I wasn't blown away because I love my Maybelline ones so much. I've been using it every day since, though, so that must say something, and it doesn't flake either. I'll still go to Maybelline first when I need a new mascara, but I'd be happy to repurchase this one.

NYX Butter Lipstick in Root Beer Float (formerly known as Pops) | I've been loving these nude pink shades recently, and the formula of this one is very creamy and pigmented. It lasts considerably well, too, considering how creamy it is. It looks more brown in the tube than it does on the lips, but once on, it's incredibly natural, and not too dissimilar from my natural lip colour. Since taking the photo above, I've also bought the NYX Intense Butter Gloss in Tres Leches, which is a similar colour. I've been loving this as well, so will have to do a swatch post soon.

Rimmel Exaggerate Automatic Lip Liner in Eastend Snob | I've been wearing this with Root Beer Float, so thought I'd talk about it next. They don't look like they'd go well together, but Root Beer Float is more pink than it looks, and this is less pink than it looks. It seems to be a cult classic, and has been compared to Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk. It gives off a nice amount of pigment, and isn't at all scratchy, which is what I associated most lip liners as being. It lasts all day on my lips, and you don't even have to sharpen it. Plus, it's only £3.99.

NYX HD Blush in Taupe | I owned and loved the colour of the old Taupe, but it had no pigment, so I was happy when I got my hands on this. It's so much more pigmented! I actually have to be really careful when contouring with it. It feels a little chalky when swatched with your fingers, but it doesn't come across like that on the face.

Maybelline Creamy Mattes Colour Tattoo in Creme De Rose | My eyelids have some red discolouration to them, so I usually conceal them. They get quite oily, though, so even with a primer, they can crease a little. I bought Creme De Rose hoping to use it as a wash of colour, and start wearing eyeshadow. It ended up being so close to my skin tone, though, that you couldn't even tell I was wearing it. I started using it in place of my concealer instead, and it works really well. It barely creases, and it keeps the oil at bay much better. I've even been using a little under my eyes, where those fine lines are. It's on the cool, pink side, so I wouldn't use it anywhere else on my face, but it works well around my eyes. It's been compared to MAC's Painterly Paint Pot, so if you have your eye on that, try this first and save yourself some money!

Have you tried any of these products? And if you've tried both the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge and Beauty Blender, is the latter worth the extra money?

New Products | First Impressions

I wanted to have a little natter about the products I've picked up recently, so why not turn it into a blog post?

The only time I really buy from Illamasqua is when they have one of their epic sales. I love the products I've bought from them in the past, but they're so expensive full price. This year, I held off until everything in the sale was 70% off, and bought the Powder Blusher Duo in Lover & Hussy for £7.80, down from £26, and the Cream Blusher in Zygomatic for £6.60, down from £22. On top of this, I used my 15% off birthday discount, so they were quite the bargain! Lover and Hussy are soft and pigmented, just as I'd expected. I do have similar shades and formulas from other brands in my collection, so I probably didn't need them, but am sure I'll get plenty of wear out of them anyway. Zygomatic is so beautiful. It's the perfect nude pink. It's not as pigmented as the other cream blushers I've tried from them, but I like that. It makes it easier to blend.

I finally caved and bought the Real Techniques Complexion Sponge. What I really wanted was the Beauty Blender, but I'm not willing to part with £16 for a sponge just yet, so settled on this £5.99 alternative. So far, I think it does apply my foundation better than my brushes, but I don't know if I'll repurchase. You have to replace it every 1-3 months, whereas my brushes last years. I don't know. I like it, but it hasn't become a holy grail yet.

The new Revlon mascaras were on offer at Boots for £6.99 (down from £9.99), 3 for 2, and I managed to use student discount on top of my staff discount, so I couldn't resist trying a couple. I've never tried a Revlon mascara before, and am very much pro Maybelline in this area, so didn't know what to expect. I'd read that the green Super Length one was generally preferred, so my sister & I both chose that one, and then I thought I'd try the red Ultimate All in One because the brush was so small. I've used them a couple times so far, and I think I prefer the green one. It doesn't clump your lashes at all, and leaves them looking natural and fluttery, similar to Maybelline's Mega Plush. The brush on the red Ultimate All in One mascara can pick up too much product because of its size and plastic bristles, meaning it has more potential to clump, but it's still okay. At the moment, I don't regret buying them, and will continue to use them, but will probably stick to my trusty Maybelline ones in the future. I'll let you know if this opinion changes when the formulas start to dry down.

What are your thoughts on these products?

Love-Hate Relationships

There are some products I have nothing but love for, and there have been a few I can't stand. Sometimes, though, a product comes along which divides my feelings.

Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer

Love | The coverage this gives, and the fact that it doesn't crease on me like other products do. I sometimes still get the odd crease here and there, but it's nothing like I experience with alternatives.

Hate | The shade. The lightest shade, Light, is too dark for me. I can just about make it work, but it should be lighter to brighten the area, as well as conceal. Also, the packaging is annoying. I actually don't mind the sponge, but taking the lid on and off gets messy because it's difficult to not touch the product-soaked applicator. 

NYX Powder Blush in Taupe

Love | The shade. It's perfect for fair complexions to contour with because it's not orange in any way.

Hate | The pigmentation. I don't know if it's just mine, but the pigmentation is really, really poor. I have to swirl my brush with great force to even pick up a little product. My finger doesn't even pick anything up, so I couldn't swatch it for you. I think I'm going to have to scratch up the product.

Real Techniques Brushes

Love | The quality. They're soft, dense, and are still going strong after a couple years use.

Hate | The handles. I know I'm not alone when I say this, but the handles are just too bulky for my liking. They take up too much room in my brush pot. I know the whole point of them is so they can stand up, but I'd rather keep them in the same place as all my other brushes.

Do you have a love-hate relationship with any products?

Recent Purchases

You know when you buy something here and something there, and you don't feel as though you've bought much recently? And then you gather these purchases together and realise your shopping habits haven't changed? This is how this post came about.

I'll start with the items dominating the photos. I bought the Aussie products on a 3 for £10 deal, but they're now 3 for 2, which works out cheaper, annoyingly. I picked up another bottle of the Miracle Hair Insurance Leave In Conditioner because I use it all the time. Then I opted for the Mega Shampoo and Conditioner. This was last month, and I've nearly finished these now. I really like them, so may include them in my next favourites post. They don't leave my hair as soft as the Tresemme Platinum Strength range, but they're more light weight. Because I've been impressed with these, I then bought two shampoos and a conditioner from the Miracle Moist line.

I bought the Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Nude Mauve (£8.99) with my Boots points, then went back and bought Gorgeous Berries. Pigmented, illuminating, blend well, and I don't have shades like these in my collection.

I've been using the Real Techniques Stippling Brush daily for nearly two years now, and was considering buying another. Then one found itself on my store's clearance stand, so I had to buy it. Normally £11.99, but I think I paid £4-5.

I also bought a couple more packs of the No7 Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Wipes. These work out as 42p with the £5 off vouchers and staff discount, so I like to stock up when the vouchers are around.

The last bargain purchase from Boots is the Origins Mask Marvels Gift Set. £20 down from £50, you receive the Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask, the Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask, and the Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask. These are 75ml instead of the full sized 100ml tubes, but that's still a hefty saving! The 100ml tubes are £23, so these 75ml ones work out as £17.25 each. £20 instead of £51.75 isn't bad at all. I've heard great things about these products, so I'm excited to try them.

The Blistex products were half price in Superdrug, so I stocked up on the Intensive Moisturiser because it's the best lip balm I've ever used. Definitely worth more than the full price of £2.59.

You can always rely on The Body Shop for a bargain. The Vineyard Peach Body Mist was £3.50 down from £7 in their current sale, and the Cranberry Joy and Vanilla Brulee Home Fragrance Oils were just £1 down from £4. They smell delicious, and I've been burning Cranberry Joy since I received it.

Let me know of any bargains you've purchased recently, and if they're still available for me to buy myself!

2014 Favourites: Part One

I wasn't planning on having this many favourites, so I've split them into a couple posts. As you can see, this one contains the makeup!

There's clearly a theme with the lip products, with them either being coral or red. The ones above are No7 BB Lips Beauty Balm in Berry Rose, L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Exclusive Reds Lipstick in Julianne, Maybelline Colour Elixir in Alluring Coral, NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler, The Body Shop Colour Crush Shine Lipstick in Sunset Romance, Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Frambourjoise, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon, and No7 BB Lips Beauty Balm in Geranium. Some are glossy, some are matte, some are sheer, some are opaque, but they are all absolutely beautiful.

Another lip product I've been loving is the Blistex Intensive Moisturiser. Hands down, the best lip balm I've ever tried. Unlike many, it doesn't just act as a barrier, but actually improves the condition of your lips.

I started wearing foundation in 2014, after not being able to get on with any for years. The No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation changed that. The packaging is practical, it's one of the lighter shades on the highstreet, it gives a full coverage, and doesn't feel heavy or look cakey.

The Body Shop's All In One Face Base in 02 is a product I've been using for a couple years now. It's silky and provides a little extra coverage. I've yet to come across anything better.

I don't like the handles of the Real Techniques Stippling and Powder Brushes because they take up so much room in my brush holder, but I've been using them nearly every day for the past year and they're still looking good. They've held their shape and haven't shed a hair, so I'm really pleased with them.

The No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter is just beautiful. It's the perfect candlelight shade and is easy to blend. 

The ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light. I've been through so many of these over the years. I used to use the Medium shade, but started using Light in 2013/2014 and find that it's a much better suiting.

I had a couple styes in October that lead to me pulling out my eyelashes (I know), and the Eylure Individual False Lashes saved the day. I only used the short ones to fill in the gaps I had, but they looked natural and weren't that difficult to apply. They didn't last more than a day because of cleansing, but they lasted through the day without any problems. 

Another product I started using for the same reasons is the Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in Black, and I now use it every day. It's jet black, easy to apply, and lasts all day, even on the upper waterline.

To my lower lash line, I smudge in the Maybelline Eye Studio Colour Tattoo Cream Gel Eyeshadow in On and On Bronze. It's a beautiful metallic shade that lasts all day.

Maybelline really is my favourite brand for eye products! The Rocket Mascara is another favourite of mine that I've been using for years. I don't find it clumpy in the slightest, and it really lengthens the hairs.

The last products are cream blushes. NYX's Cream Blush in Natural is my favourite blush of all time, and I've just hit pan! So proud. It's pigmented, creamy, and easy to blend. The Illamasqua Cream Blushers in Dixie and Seduce are also great, although not quite as creamy. The shades, though, are beautiful.

Are you a fan of any of these products? What were your favourites of 2014?

Recent Purchases

I wasn't planning on posting about these items, but was in the mood to blog, so here we are!

Primark bag - £12

I've never owned a formal bag, but with uni about to end and interviews about to begin (hopefully), I thought it was about time I did. I'd heard people talk about this being similar to the Zara Office City Bag, which I quite liked the look of, so decided to buy it. However, once in store, I wasn't sure, so left it. Then I found one I liked in H&M, but it looked very similar, and was £24.99 instead of Primark's £12, so thought I may as well get the cheaper of the two. It's smart, practical, and I like the texture of it. I've already taken the Atmosphere 'leather' tag off, though, because it just cheapened it.

Primark shopper bag - £1.50

Cotton shoppers are so handy to have around, and you can't complain for the price!

Primark white face cloths - £1.50, and duck egg 'luxury' face cloths - £2.50

I've started using Lush's Ultrabland cleanser, so was in need of some face cloths... there's nothing else to say here!

Superdrug Face & Bikini Wax Strips - £4.29 or 2 for £5

The only wax strips I've ever used were some ones I won in a giveaway a few years ago. I finally finished those recently, though, and was in need of some more. Lack of variety and mixed reviews left me undecided, but then I came across these. I'm hoping they perform well, but if they don't, I haven't lost a great deal of money.

Real Techniques Blush and Expert Face Brushes - £5.87 and £5.29 from Asda Direct

I use the Powder and Stippling ones every day, and wanted to try these two next. I couldn't resist when I saw the prices; so much cheaper than Boots. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya - £7.99 from Boots

After falling in love with Revlon's Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon, I wanted to get my hands on this beautiful peach shade. There's currently a huge 3 for 2 going on in Boots, but I'm ever so indecisive, so just left with this. Will be kicking myself later, no doubt.

Do you have any of these products?

The Makeup Brushes I Use

I have somehow ended up with three pots of makeup brushes, even though I wouldn't consider myself an obsessive. I have ones from ELF, EcoTools, Real Techniques, MUA, Models Own, and even eBay, but the ones above are the ones I use in my daily routine.

Real Techniques Powder Brush (£12.99 at Boots, £10.99 at Superdrug) - I've given the Boots and Superdrug prices because they're the most accessible, but you can get it cheaper online from various places. I paid around £8 for mine from Amazon, and I've seen the brand stocked on discounted cosmetics sites, too. Before this, I was used to paying ELF's price of £3.50-£3.75 for a powder brush, so this was a splurge. I've been using this nearly every day for 9 months now, and definitely think it's worth it. It's a lot bigger than any other powder brush I've used, and has maintained its fluffy and soft qualities for all this time.

Real Techniques Stippling Brush (£11.99 at Boots, £10.99 at Superdrug) - I bought this the same time as the other, and paid around the same price. I use my NYX Cream Blush in Natural on a daily basis, and use this to apply it. I have about 4 stippling brushes now, but always pick this one because the hairs are shorter and slightly more dense, allowing me to blend the product in better. It does mean it picks up more product if you're not careful, though, but I'm used to that. 

MUA Eyebrow Brush (£1.50) - I used to use ELF's Studio Small Angled Brushes to fill in my eyebrows, but haven't touched them since buying this. It's thinner, meaning it doesn't get clogged with product, and allows you to be more precise. It's a bargain, too!

ELF Studio Small Precision Brush (£3.75) - I don't wear eyeshadow on my lids, but like applying a little to my lower lash line to give some definition, and I opt for this brush to apply it. It's the perfect size.

ELF Eyelash and Brow Wand (£1.50) - After I've filled in my brows, I give them a brush through with this. I've had this one for years, and it's still going strong. It's cheap and it does the job!

I also love my eBay brushes, which look similar to the Real Techniques ones. You can find my post about them here. I've just had a look at the seller's listings, and they've put the prices of all the colours back down below £2. They range from £1.63-£1.99, and come in blue, purple, pink, red, and yellow/gold. The seller also has the EcoTools brushes and sets I've blogged about before for just a couple of pounds.

What are your favourite makeup brushes?

Real Techniques Brushes

Real Techniques brushes have been raved about so much, and although some would say they are affordable, I didn't want to pay around the £10 mark because I'm used to paying ELF's £3.75. Last month, I was very close to purchasing some from iherb.com because they worked out a lot cheaper than buying them from the likes of Boots. However, I reluctantly closed the page because I didn't need any more brushes. However, a couple of weeks ago I found them discounted on Amazon, and couldn't resist (they've gone up in price now). I paid £7.99 for the Stippling brush instead of £11.99, and £8.66 for the Powder brush instead of £12.99. Although many would say these were bargains, I still paid more than double what I normally pay for a brush. So, do I like them? Yes. They're soft, dense, don't shed, and wash well. However, I don't think they're that much better than my ELF Studio ones. They are different in shape to the ELF Studio Stipple and Complexion comparisons, though. The Stippling brush is more dense, and the Powder brush is much bigger. I also like how these stand up on their own because I have no room left in my brush pots!

So, these get a big thumbs up from me, but if you don't want to spend £8+ on a brush, ELF's Studio range is a great alternative, in my opinion.