Changing The Colour and Finish Of My Foundation

My two main concerns when buying a foundation have always been the colour and finish it provides. How it would wear, and for how long, would come after. However, that's changed in recent months. As long as the formula of the foundation is good, I don't mind if it's a shade too dark, or not as luminous as I'd like. This is because I now have products to help with these.

NYX has just brought out these Pro Foundation Mixers (£7.50), and they actually have less expensive dupes of the next two products, but these weren't available when I was in need of them. The Pro Foundation Mixer I have is in Luminous, which is a pale champagne shade with teeny tiny gold shimmer particles. Once mixed in with your foundation and blended out, you're left with, as the name suggests, a luminous finish.

I've been using the Soap & Glory Hocus Focus Illuminator (£11) in my foundation for a couple months now, and it's very similar to the Opal shade of the NYX Pro Foundation Mixer. It has that pearly finish, which gives you a more natural glow.

I've raved and raved about The Body Shop Shade Adjusting Lightening Drops (£10), and because there wasn't anything like them on the cheaper end of the market, I bought an extra bottle. I didn't need to because NYX now has its own version with double the amount of product in, but it doesn't take away from what this product does. Not only do I use this to lighten any foundations that are slightly too dark for me, but I'll add a drop when concealing around my eyes, just to brighten the area.

Not only am I now able to get the exact shade and finish I want, it makes my foundations go further. If there's any illuminators you swear by, let me know. I've just bought the Gleam shade by NYX, but I'm looking for some other warm/golden ones!

Finishing Products and Hitting Pan

(This little blog turned seven this week! *celebratory dance*)

I try to not include products I've finished before in these types of posts, but it gets harder the more you find things you absolutely love and don't wish to change. Still, I've managed to do it this time... I think.

I've spoken about the Garnier Ultimate Blends Strength Restorer shampoo and conditioner before, which I really like, but I think I may prefer the Sleek Restorer ones. Like the name suggests, they leave your hair sleek and super soft, and unlike the Tresemme Platinum Strength ones, I can continually use these without my hair becoming weighed down.

I think this may be the first foundation I've fully finished. It's the L'Oreal Infallible 24H Foundation in Porcelain. I haven't used this on a regular basis for a while actually, but I remember liking it. It was full coverage, didn't look cakey or cling to places it shouldn't, and the biggest plus was how pale it was. I use The Body Shop Shade Adjusting Lightening Drops to alter the shades of my foundations now, so the colour isn't too important, but back when I didn't have them, this was my go-to shade.

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Hand Food is one of the best hand creams I've used, along with the L'Occitane ones. It just seems to have a lasting effect, whereas others, although I still like them, are quickly forgotten by my skin. The Sugar Crush scent is my favourite as well, and I'm so glad you can now buy it individually.

I don't know how I didn't wear lip liner up until a few months ago. It makes such a difference. The Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in Addiction is the first one I've finished, and have already bought another because it's a staple. It's a nude pink, leaning more towards nude, and it's the kind of colour I've been wearing a lot recently. It's creamy, pigmented, lasts all day, doesn't need sharpening, and is just £3.99.

I can't believe I've finished a serum, but I have. The Garnier Ultimate Blends Strength Restorer Serum was a joy to use. It smelt good, and it made my hair more sleek and soft, without ever looking greasy.

I didn't need any more shower gel, but how could I resist the I Love... Mango Cheesecake one? Mango cheesecake! It smelt delicious, and was only £2.99 for 500ml.

I haven't finished these next products, but hitting pan is a big accomplishment. I actually took the photo above a couple weeks ago, so the NYX HD Blush in Taupe is on its last legs, and I have another waiting to go. It's a great contour shade for pale skinned girls, and I prefer the new formula.

I bought Illamasqua's Cream Blusher in Zygomatic during one of their sales for £5-6 instead of £22, and oh man, it's my favourite blush. It's a nude pink, and one you can't go wrong with. I think I even love it more than NYX's Cream Blush in Natural, which was my favourite for years.

I have far too many eyebrow products, but I've only been using Freedom's Pro Brow Pomade in Soft Brown for the last couple of months. It's practically the same as the Anastasia Beverly Hills one, but £5 instead of £15.

Let me know if you've tried any of these products. I'm interested to know your thoughts on them!

I Need To Stop Buying Lip Products

Honestly. You know those storage holders which fit 24 lipsticks in? I have three of those just for the shades I can't bear to put away, and I've just had to order a fourth. Three said 'wow, you have a lot of lip products', whereas four says 'you may have a problem'. Butttt, there’s so many shades, so many finishes, so many formulas. I never used to wear nudes or lip liners, so the last few months have seen me exploring those areas, opening up so many more buying opportunities. The ones in this post kind of reflect that.

I wouldn’t have bought the Rimmel lipsticks if there wasn’t a stand where I work. They were simply impulse purchases on my lunch break. We have the shade Retro Red 53 from the new Kate Moss Red vs Nude collection, which is celebrating 15 years of collaboration. This is a deep, berry red. Then there’s another Kate Moss Lasting Finish lipstick in the shade Rossetto 03. It’s a nude which isn’t too pink, or too orange.

I travelled up to Exeter with my parents last week because my dad was getting a new tattoo. While he was doing so, my mum and I went shopping. When we popped into Boots and I saw the NYX stand, I let out a little sound of surprise and excitement. We spent a good amount of time swatching the products, but because I’ve already bought a lot from the brand in the last couple of months, and I knew I really should calm down on the lip product front, I left with just one Soft Matte Lip Cream. I used to love the shade Milan, and the Collection Cream Puffs, which are a similar product, but haven’t used them in so long. I picked up the shade Cannes 19, which is a terracotta colour. I don’t really have anything like this in my collection actually. The other shades I have in this colour family are brighter and more peachy.

On the same day, I also bought the Essence Long Lasting Lip Liner in Girl Next Door 08 from Wilko. You can only buy these in store, but my local doesn’t have a big enough stand to stock them, so I was very happy to find them up there. The shade I wanted was actually out of stock, and I thought this was far too brown at first, but decided to give it a try for £1.50. I love this product. I have some photos of me wearing it at the bottom of this post. Forgive the fact that they're poor quality and taken from my Twitter. I like wearing it on its own, sandwiched between two layers of lip balm so it’s not too drying. I’ve been using potted lip balm so it doesn’t disturb the colour, like a stick would do.

I love NYX, I love lip liners, and I love nudes, so the NYX Retractable Lip Liner in Nude 10 is a winner. It’s very similar in shade to the NYX Slide On Lip Pencil in Nude Suede Shoes, but I’ve been using this over that one because it doesn’t need sharpening.

Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in Retro Red 53, Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in Rossetto 03, NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Cannes 19, NYX Retractable Lip Liner in Nude 10, and Essence Long Lasting Lip Liner in Girl Next Door 08.

Essence Long Lasting Lip Liner in Girl Next Door 08.

Eyebrows

I don't really know where this post is heading, but I just wanted to talk about eyebrow products because I love them so much. Sad, but true. 

When I first started filling my brows in, I used a NYX Brow Powder Duo in Taupe/Ash. I think I won it in a giveaway, and then proceeded to buy my next one from eBay because NYX was extremely difficult to get hold of back then. Then, for years, I used ELF's Studio Eyebrow Kit (now £4.50). I went through a few in Medium, then found that Light was a better match for me. As you can see from the photo above, it's still very much loved, and I even have a back up in my drawer.

My favourite eyebrow product formulation now, though, has to be the pomade. I bought the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Soft Brown a couple years ago for £15 because there was nothing else like it on the market. By the time it started to dry out, other, more affordable, brands had released their own versions. Freedom Makeup's Eyebrow Pomades are just £5 (and their Duo Eyebrow Powders are only £3), and I have them in Soft Brown and Medium Brown. I also have the Illamasqua Precision Brow Gel in Strike, which was in a set I bought for a bargainous price. I haven't used this as much because it's quite dark, but it'd probably suit my eyebrows now that I've dyed them a darker colour.

My second favourite eyebrow formulation at the moment is gel. Not a solid gel, and not the gel which comes with a wand, but the almost liquid gel that comes in a squeeze tube. I have the Makeup Revolution Ultra Aqua Brow Tint in Light (£3) and NYX Eyebrow Gel in Brunette (£5.50). The NYX one is more intense than the Makeup Revolution one, and you have to work quicker, but with a small amount and the right brush, it's easy to use. I tend to just put a little on the back of my hand or the wipe I'm using to spot clean my brushes.

I'm still getting used to pencils. I'm used to using a brush for a softer finish, so find that pencils can look a little harsh sometimes. I have the Makeup Revolution Arch & Shape in Medium (£3.50) and the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Brunette (£7). The NYX one has high ratings and so many positive reviews, so if you're looking for a pencil, I'd recommend checking this one out.

I've recently bought two eyebrow mascaras. One is the new Soap & Glory Archery Volu-Boost Brow Fibre Gel in Talk of The Brown (£8), and then I dyed my brows darker a few days later, so bought L'Oreal's Brow Artist Plumper in Medium/Dark (£5.99). Both do a similar job, but you receive more than twice the amount of product in the L'Oreal one, which happens to be cheaper. Brow mascaras are probably my least favourite brow product, just because I prefer ones which do more, but they're good for layering on top to keep the hairs in place. You really need to have hair there in the first place, though.

In the photo above, I'm wearing Freedom's Eyebrow Pomade in Soft Brown, which is my go to product at the moment. Excuse the lack of makeup on the rest of my face!

I'm wearing the same product in the bottom photo of these two, but because they were taken on my phone, the colour is coming up cooler. I just wanted to show you some before and after shots of filling my eyebrows in.

I would love to know what your favourite eyebrow product category is, and if you prefer a natural or defined brow.

Lip Lining

If you'd told me a year ago that I'd be wearing lip liners, and nude ones at that, on nearly a daily basis, I wouldn't have believed you. When I've thought of lip liners in the past, I've thought of overdrawn lips and hard, scratchy pencils, but much like lip glosses, they've come a long way.

The Rimmel Exaggerate Automatic Lip Liners are probably the most talked about on the highstreet, with high praise and comparability to more expensive ones. They glide on with ease, aren't patchy, and last most of the day on my lips. One of the best things about them, though, is that they don't need sharpening. I bought Eastend Snob first because everyone raves about this shade. It's an everyday pink, which is very pretty indeed. I then wanted something a little more nude, and while Addiction looked a little too brown in some swatches, I went ahead and bought it anyway. I'm so glad I did because it's much more natural than I thought it'd be. At £3.99 each, these pencils are a steal.

I've bought a lot of NYX products recently, and one of them includes the Slide On Lip Pencil in Nude Suede Shoes, which was £5.50. Like the Rimmel ones, it's very creamy, maybe even a little more so. The only thing I don't like about it is that it needs to be sharpened, which wastes product. NYX offers a mechanical lip liner, which I'll no doubt be buying in a couple shades, but I liked Nude Suede Shoes the most out of the swatches I saw.

I love how a lip liner can make a lipstick last longer, or even be worn on its own, and I love how it allows you to create a fuller lip if you want to. I can really notice a difference when I don't draw an outline now.

The top left photo shows my bare lips, top right with NYX's Nude Suede Shoes, bottom left with Rimmel's Addiction, and bottom right with Rimmel's Eastend Snob. I haven't edited or colour corrected them at all, but I'd say they're probably a little deeper in person. I'm also wearing a lip balm under all of them to prevent any unwelcome dryness (they're still lip liners, after all).

Your lip liner recommendations are most welcome!

Beauty Purchases

I was being organised and took photos for multiple posts a few weeks back, but the error in doing this is that I've since bought more products! I'll just have to put the Zoeva brushes and lip liners in a separate post.

As some of you may know, I tinted my eyebrows not long back (you can find the post here), and while I still have multiple applications left, I wanted to give the Eylure Pro Brow Dybrow Dye Kit in Dark Brown a go. It's £7.49, you get up to 12 applications, and it has high ratings. I bought this from Superdrug because the Boots website only has the single application ones (which are £9.95!). It's not on Eylure's own site either, so I wanted to buy it now while I can still get hold of it.

NYX is one of my favourite brands, which is why I've bought eight products from them recently now that they're available at Boots. I've been loving the Butter Lipstick (£5.50) in Root Beer Float, so went ahead and bought Licorice (now known as Moonlight Night) as well, which is a deep plum shade.

I also bought the Micro Brow Pencil in Brunette (£7) because it's often compared to the Anastasia Beverly Hills one, and has great reviews. I'm still getting used to achieving a natural look with a pencil, though, because I'm used to powders and pomades.

The Intense Butter Gloss in Tres Leches (£5.50) is similar in shade to the Butter Lipstick in Root Beer Float. It's incredibly opaque, and basically a liquid lipstick with a gloss finish. I've since bought one of their lip liners in a similar shade, which pairs nicely with it.

I don't do much with my hair in terms of styling, but I'm obsessed with keeping my hair as soft and conditioned as it can be. The OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Miracle In Shower Oil (£8.35) is another product with high ratings, and can be used in multiple ways, so I thought I'd add it to my collection.

More eyebrow products, I know. It's a little ridiculous. I'd never tried a brow gel/mascara type thing before, though, so was curious. The Soap & Glory Archery Volu-Boost Brow Fibre Gel in Talk Of The Brown (£8) is a new product, and one I bought before I dyed my eyebrows darker. I can still use it, but that's why I then bought the L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper in Dark Brunette (£5.99). Again, it has great reviews, and it's cheaper than the Soap & Glory one, despite having more product in. I don't know if these types of brow products are for me, to be honest, but I'm going to try and make them work.

I've been using the Lush massage bars in the same way as their solid body butters, by smothering myself in them while stepping away from the shower. My skin feels great, so I wanted to get some more. You can see how far back I took these photos by the date on the wrappers, by the way. Anyway, I bought Pearl (£6.50) and Strawberry Feels Forever (£5.95). I've already reviewed Pearl, which you can find here.

While there, I picked up another Ultrabland because I always like to have a back up at the ready. Seriously, it's amazing.

Let me know if you've tried any of these products, and if you've taken advantage of NYX being readily available to us now.

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 Makeup

I know, another haul, but... well, I don't have an excuse. I spend a ton one week, and nothing the next. This is a week where I've exercised my bank account. A lot. 

NYX is one of my favourite makeup brands, so I'm glad us folk in the UK are now able to buy it from the likes of Boots, Feel Unique, and ASOS. Some other places stock it as well, but these are the main three I personally buy from. Anyway, I've had the blush in Taupe for ages. I love the shade for contouring (the majority of products are too warm for my liking), but it has hardly any pigment, and you have to scratch the product up each time you use it, which is why it was featured in my Love-Hate Relationships post. NYX have since reformulated their blushes (£5.50 a pop), so I had to buy a replacement. So far, I've found that it's softer and more pigmented, and just a touch powdery. I still think it's better than the old formula, though, despite this.

When the NYX Butter Lipstick (£5.50) also arrived, and said 'Root Beer Float' on the bottom, I thought I'd bought the wrong shade, but after a little research, I found that they've renamed the shades, and this was once Pops, the shade I wanted. I know many dislike this phrase, but it really is a 'my lips but better' colour. It's a combination of a nude and pink, which isn't so different to my natural lip colour. It's pigmented and creamy, and seems to wear well, but because it's close in colour to my lips, I'm not as certain as I am with darker shades. Moonlight Night, formerly known as Licorice, is next on my list of lipsticks to buy, even though I have enough!

I've been loving the Makeup Revolution Ultra Aqua Brow Tint in Medium, and have read many positive reviews of NYX's Eyebrow Gel (£5.50), so had to buy it to compare. I bought the shade Brunette, but because I've yet to use it, I can't tell you more than that. I'm looking forward to giving it a go, though, because I love eyebrow products.

I've recently been using a small brush to create a crisp lip line with my chosen lipstick for that day because I only own a couple lip liners, and they're all red. I wanted a more natural shade that enables me to create the illusion of fuller lips, and because so many people rave about Rimmel's Exaggerate Lip Liner in East End Snob (£3.99), I went ahead and ordered it. I'm excited to dip my toe into this makeup category, and if all goes well, there's a couple from NYX I'll be purchasing.

The Sunday Girl brought the GOSH Forever Matt Eyeshadow Sticks (£6.29) to my attention, and 10 Twisted Brown looked like a great shade to contour with because of its cool tone. From the swatches I've done, it's incredibly creamy and pigmented, so I just hope it blends well enough to be successful.

Let me know if you own any of these products, and what your favourite lip liners are.

The Products Which Didn't Quite Make It

I set myself a limit of fifteen products for my 2015 favourites, but I have to mention the ones above. They may have missed out on a spot at the top, but I still enjoyed using each and every one of these throughout the course of the year. I think I discovered all but one of them during the year as well, so I haven't gone on about them umpteen times before.

Soap & Glory One Heck Of A Blot Primer (review here) | I started using this towards the end of 2015, but it's better than a lot of other primers I've used before, and I'll be repurchasing soon. It doesn't live up to a lot of its claims, but it does make my makeup last well, and my eyeliner less smudgy. I also like the packaging; you can get everything out of the tube, and the nozzle allows for control.

Soap & Glory Glow All Out Luminizing Face Powder | I swatched this multiple times over the course of a year before buying. I thought it was beautiful, but for some reason, always put it back on the shelf. When I finally made the purchase and used it for the first time, I was actually disappointed. It didn't look as nice out of the store, and it was barely noticeable. I don't know why I thought that because I find it to be more than enough now. I find it too shimmery to be used all over the face, but think it looks beautiful on the tops of the cheeks.

L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Julianne's Nude | I wasn't into nudes and muted pinks before the summer of 2015. I don't know what changed, but I've been wearing shades like this one on a regular basis for months now. This particular one is very flattering, and the formula doesn't go patchy over the course of its wear. It stays looking good right the way through.

NARS Copacabana Illuminator | I bought this in a blog sale, and can see it lasting an age! The smallest amount gives a pearlescent, almost metallic highlight to the places you apply it.

Revlon ColourStay Foundation for Normal/Dry Skin in Ivory (review here) | For someone with oily skin, I was skeptical about this. I bought it over the one for combination/oily skin because it looked lighter. I've since bought that one as well, but find myself reaching for this one more. It has a thicker, more gel-like texture than my other foundations, and leaves my skin feeling more moisturised. It doesn't make me any more oily than I usually get, and seems to last throughout the day better. I just wish it had a pump!

Bourjois Bronzing Primer (review here) | A matte, cream bronzer that blends beautifully. There's not much more to say! I still want them to come out with a contour version.

NYX Concealer Wand in Green | I started using this in December, but still wanted to mention it. I've had the jar version of this for a long time, and started using it again in November. The colour really helped tone down my blemishes and rosacea before applying foundation, but the formula had dried out and become difficult to blend. This liquid version is much better, and incredibly pigmented!

No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter | I bought this all the way back in the summer of 2014, but haven't mentioned it much, and started using it again towards the end of 2015. I love cream products, and this one is no different. A dupe for the Clinique one, it's incredibly easy to use, blends well, and has just the right amount of shimmer. I'm a fan of the blushes from the range as well.

Stila Convertible Colour in Hibiscus | The NYX Cream Blush in Natural is still my go-to blush, but I also love this one. It's mostly the shade I love because I have nothing like this coral red in my collection, but the formula's good, too. It's harder than the NYX ones, almost like a solid gel instead of a cream, but it's pigmented and blends well. The packaging is also pretty, let's be honest!

Have you tried any of these? I'd love to hear your thoughts on them.

A Christmas Gift To Myself (and other things)

The Origins Glow So Nice Christmas Gift Set was in my post-Christmas sales wishlist, and the one I wanted to get my hands on the most. Its contents is worth £71.75, with the VitaZing alone costing £29. The GinZing eye cream is £20 to buy individually (in pot form), the KissZing lip crayon in Rosemance is usually £16, and the GinZing mascara sample is worth around £6.50. On top of this, you receive a mirror and little cosmetics case to hold it all, so the £40 price tag isn't astronomical. I still wanted to wait until after Christmas, though, seeing as we haven't got long to wait now anyway. However, I was browsing the Boots website the other night and saw that it was a third off, at just £26.66. Then I added it to my basket and my staff discount brought it down to £20.66. It had taken off double the amount of discount that is was supposed to. Seeing as it was nearly half price anyway, I decided to buy it then, because it's not guaranteed to be in stock after Christmas. I'm looking forward to trying all the products because I've heard great things!

The Boots website (and some stores) now stocks NYX, so I added the Concealer Wand in Green (£5.50) to my basket as well. I've had the pot version for a few years now, and after not using it for a long time, I've recently dug it out again. The texture is really thick and drying, though, so I wanted to get the liquid formula. I haven't used it properly yet, but it already seems to be a lot more manageable. 

I've decided to start using my Boots Advantage Card points before I get to £100, because I know that once I hit three digits, I'm going to withhold from spending them even more. The first product I bought with them was the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Creme De Rose (£4.99). This is supposed to be a dupe for MAC's Painterly. I don't wear eyeshadow, but thought this would be a beautiful wash of colour to get me into doing so. The lid implies it's a lilac shade, but it's actually a creamy beige.

I'm a fan of the Barry M Satin Super Slick Lip Paints I already have, so wanted to use my points to add 169 Mannequin to my collection. It's the nude that I wanted Nuditude to be. I find that it looks more brown in the bullet than it does when swatched, which suits me perfectly because the brown lip trend hasn't won me over yet. These lipsticks are only £4.49, so I'd definitely recommend checking them out. 

I know I've just posted a haul of sorts, but I can't help it if things catch my eye so soon after! Let me know if you've purchased any Christmas gift sets for yourself this year. They work out to be better value for money than buying the products individually, so they're a great way to sample a brand.

The Price of My Makeup Routine

I was looking back through old blog posts the other night when I stumbled across the how much is your face worth? tag I wrote four years ago. I couldn't believe that it had been over four years, and was sure I'd done one since then. As it turns out, I've written about my various makeup routines since, but have never calculated the cost of them since 2011. I thought it'd be interesting to see just how different my current routine is, and how much it costs. I can already tell you it's going to be a lot more expensive, because I used a £1.99 blush and lip balm in the old post, and the total was a mere £38.95. My makeup varies day to day, and I don't always use a bronzer and highlighter, but this is what I wore yesterday.

Revlon ColourStay Foundation in 110 Ivory | £12.49

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Natural | £5.50

Bourjois Bronzing Primer | £9.99

Topshop Glow Cream Highlighter in Polished | £9

The Body Shop All in One Face Base in 02 | £14

ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light | £3.95

Maybelline Gel Eyeliner in Black | £7.99

Maybelline Sensational Mascara in Black | £7.99

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon | £7.99

Total: £78.90

It's just over double the price of what it was four years ago, but I'm not that surprised! My makeup knowledge and skills have come a long way since then, and I'm now using products and brands I never did in the past. Also, the total is based on the retail prices, but I rarely pay that. I've never paid £14 for The Body Shop All in One Face Base, I recently bought the Revlon Foundation for £9.99, and I remember the Maybelline products being £5.99 each. Then there's discount codes and loyalty points, which I paid for the Bourjois Bronzing Primer with.

I remember this tag doing the rounds back in the day, so would love to see updated versions. I'd also be interested to see the total of your routine if you've never calculated it before. Let me know in the comments!

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?

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?

Lip Product Collection and Storage

I don't know when this happened. One minute I'm rarely wearing lip products, and the next I'm having to buy a third container just to fit them in! I didn't realise how many I had until I gathered them together for this post. I used to wear nothing on my lips because I thought I looked like a child playing dress up when I did. However, I wear very little eye makeup and have pale lips, so without some form of colour on them, I can look a little...  ill. The lipstick holders are from here, and I'm very happy with them. I'm able to easily see every shade I have, without having them scattered across multiple surfaces in my room. They're currently just £2.99, which is an added bonus. I'm not going to go through every lip product with you, but I'm going to link the posts and reviews to some:

My Lip Crayon Collection (with links to individual reviews)

Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick in Fraise Remix

Bourjois Shine Edition Lipstick in 1,2,3 Soleil

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya

NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balms

Barry M Loud Mouth Extreme Liquid Lip Colours

What lip products would you recommend I try? I have some slots to fill!

New Favourites #05

I've written positive reviews on most of the products above, but realised that they haven't been in a Favourites yet, so here we are!

The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil - £10/200ml - review here

I love both this and the Sumptuous Cleansing Butter, but have been reaching for this more often because it's quicker. Instead of unscrewing a lid and scooping, I can just pump. It removes all of my makeup well and leaves my skin feeling really soft. 

The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Body Mist - £7.50/100ml - review here

I have quite a few of The Body Shop body mists, and this is my new favourite. It smells like a fresh, juicy peach. Amazing.

Blistex Intensive Moisturiser - £2.59/5g at Superdrug, £2.63 at Boots

I have yet to mention this on Affordable Treats. Blistex were giving away 500 of these on Facebook a few weeks back, and I was lucky enough to win one. I wasn't expecting it to be anything special, but was blown away when I first used it. It feels like it moisturises your lips right the way through, instead of just the first layer of skin. I apply this at night, let the menthol do its thing, then wake up to moisturised, plump lips. I rarely have chapped lips, so cannot comment on if it helps to that extent, but it seemed to help my sister's. I'll definitely be buying another tube!

NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler - £5/6.5g - review here

Like I said in my review, I'm not usually one for gloss, but this is something else! It's not as orange as it looks in the tube, and it's not as pink as my swatch suggests, but a beautiful coral. It feels buttery, like the name suggests, but in a good way. It's also pigmented, lasts a few hours, and fades evenly. I also have Apple Strudel, but that shades tends to settle into the lines on my lips. Peach Cobbler doesn't.

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream - £10.50/300ml - review here

My sister bought me this from eBay for just £4.69 including P&P. It smells like lime cheesecake, absorbs into the skin quickly, and leaves it feeling moisturised. Couldn't ask for more!

Accessorize Daisy Necklace - £6

I normally include my non-beauty favourites in my Currently Loving posts, but thought I'd just include this little item here. I like jewellery, but don't wear a lot of it because I always forget to. I went into Accessorize with my sister the other day because she wanted a ring, and she picked out this for me. I was surprised it wasn't more than it was, and love daisies, so decided to treat myself. It's small and sits perfectly on my collarbone, going with most of my tops. I could have bought a lot more, but will probably wait for their next sale!

What have you been loving recently?

Decluttering My Makeup Basket #2

Before

After

The time has come to declutter my makeup basket again. If you didn't know, I have a basket on top of my beauty chest of drawers for my everyday products. Over time, this ends up being filled with much more! You can see my first Decluttering My Makeup Basket post here. Like I said there, no lip products are included here because they have their own section on my chest of drawers. They're organised in clear plastic lipstick holders, which I wrote a post about here. The eBay seller I bought them from has now lowered the price to just £2.87 including P&P!

So, many of the products that made the cut are actually the same as the ones in my first post (MUA's Cover & Conceal Concealer in Fair £1.50, The Body Shop's All in One Face Base in 02 £14, NYX's Cream Blush in Natural £5.50, ELF's Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light £3.95, Maybelline's Colour Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow in On and On Bronze £4.99, L'Oreal's Perfect Slim Super Liner £6.99, and Maybelline's The Rocket Mascara £7.99). If you want to see my thoughts on them, just head over there. I'll be talking about the others here!

I'm currently using MUA's Undress Your Skin Flawless Primer (£5) because I've used all my others. This one has a weird silicone-y feel, which is different to the gel and cream formulas I'm used to. My concealer applies smoother, though, and I haven't experienced any creasing around my eyes. Still, I haven't been blown away by it, so am on the look out for others. I currently have my eye on the Revlon and Gosh ones, so if you've used them, please let me know your thoughts.

To warm up my complexion, I've been using The Body Shop's Honey Bronzer (£13, review here). It's soft, matte, and blends well. It's also light in colour, so you don't have to worry about going overboard (it does take some building up, though).

I haven't even opened it yet, but have NYX's Powder Blush in Taupe (£6) in there. I've heard it's a great contouring shade for pale complexions.

I'm still using my favourite NYX Cream Blush in Natural (£5.50), which I talk about in the first post, but am now also using Illamasqua's Cream Blusher in Dixie (£18, review here). It's not as creamy, but is still one of the best formulas I've tried. Beautiful coral shade, pigmented, blends well, and lasts most of the day.

I'm also still using my ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light (£3.95), which is one of my all time favourite products, but I've started using MUA's Clear Mascara (£1) to set it. It's cheap and it does its job!

I'm currently missing some eyelashes (sad times), so have dug out my Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner (£7.99) to press into my upper lash line. I've had this for a couple years now, so was surprised it hadn't dried up! It's pigmented and lasts throughout the day.

What products are currently in your everyday routine?