Loving Lately #

1. Avon Colour & Contour Powder in Rose Glow
The colour and contour powder is a lovely duo it has a bronzer and a highlighter that looks wonderful on its own or swirled tighter for a radiant glow. The duo is easy to use and works well with my skin tone. Sturdy and practical compact that is perfect for on the go.

2. Rimmel Union Jack Eye Palette Heart of Gold

My friend gave me this palette and I’ve been using it ever since. I swirl all the shades together to make a lovely shimmery brown shade. The powder is soft and packed with pigment which I wasn’t expecting for a drugstore eye shadow. It lasts all day and I can see myself wearing these eye shadows all through autumn. 

3. Rituals Volume Mascara

This mascara was a sample that came in last month’s edition of InStyle Magazine. I was really excited to try it out because I’m a huge fan of Rituals bath and body products and never tried their make-up products before. The brush is traditionally shaped and has long soft bristles that collect a good amount of product from the tube. I find the mascara nice to apply but that maybe because the wand is smaller as it’s a sample version. I get amazing results every time I use this mascara, which is why I keep going back to it. It gives me long thick lashes that stay looking good all day, and I will be investing in the full size tube once I run low. 

4. Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Eyeliner Nude

I absolutely love this eyeliner because it very pigmented, waterproof and lasts all day long. This nude shade is perfect for everyday because it’s not as bold as white eyeliner but none the less beautiful. There are many other shades available which I’m dying to get my hands on.

5. MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation NC15

This is my go to foundation when I’m having my morning rush to get ready because it’s so quick and easy to apply. It’s a shade darker than my Studio Fix Fluid Foundation but it’s not massively noticeable. It has a decent medium to full coverage, long lasting, breathable and looks flawless. 

6. Avon Supershock Gel Eyeliner Flash

Flash is a lovely pearly pink that looks flawless on the waterline. It has a soft creamy gel formula that glides on with ease and is packed with pigment. Once set it lasts all day. Unfortunately these eyeliner are now discontinued but the original black and silver eyeliners are still available.   

7. La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo 

I purchased this because my skin was breaking out really badly and I heard really good things about it. The serum has a very mild fragrance, it sinks into the skin quickly and it makes a nice base for make-up. I honestly don't think it’s all it's made out to be because I still have pretty bad blemishes, but it does calm my spots and they look less angry and red, It also calms the redness on my skin and that's why I've been liking this product. Works well for my skin but not so much for my blemishes.  

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Mac Studio Fix Fluid in NW10 (LONG REVIEW)

I recently purchased Studio Fix Fluid in NW10 online from Mac Cosmetics. I chose NW10 because it’s the lightest shade of this particular foundation.  Mac says this foundation is supposed to have natural matte finish and a medium buildable coverage with a broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 15. Comfortable and lasting time of up to eight hours, applies smoothly, builds coverage quickly and easily. Contains specially treated micronized pigments and soft focus powders for a super-smooth look that helps to minimize the appearance of imperfections. Absorbs and dispenses oil, oil free.  I purchased this foundation because people rave about it and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, but Mac’s statement made me even keener to try this myself. Be aware when you purchase this foundation it does not come with a pump, but you can buy the pump separately.  I do find this a little odd as most bottled foundations come standard with a pump, I would love to know why Mac decided on this. I decided not to buy a pump because I figured if it doesn’t come standard them it must not be essential. 

Okay so I was wrong the pump is essential….the foundation is quite thick therefore a pump is needed otherwise it’s a long frustrating time trying to get the product from the bottle, I have no idea what Mac where thinking. The foundation has a general foundation scent to it but once applied the scent fades away. Like I said the consistency is quite thick and creamy but it applies beautifully.  I’ve used different tools to apply this including, a stipple brush, foundation brush, face brush, sponges and my fingers and I get a flawless finish every time.  In terms of colour it’s very pale perfect for us porcelain skinned people and it doesn’t change colour throughout the day. It has an impressive medium buildable coverage that does not look cakey or overdone.  But this is where things start to go downhill for me unfortunately, and it may just be my skin type or the time of the year I don’t know. Once I’ve finished applying my face in the morning it looks fantastic but within a few hours the foundation starts to disappear and all my blemishes are starting to make an appearance……this is not what I was expecting because I didn’t have a bad word to say until this happened. 

The next day I decided to use Mac’s Pro Longwear Concealer in NC15 to conceal any imperfections because it’s my current favourite concealer because it does such an amazing job, and I set the foundation with Mac Studio Fix Powder Foundation. It sounds like I had a face full of foundation but I only applied a small amount of the powder foundation. Again in looked amazing but would it make any difference in lasting time……I’m glad to say it made all the difference, it stayed put all day and remained looking fabulous.

My overall opinion is very mixed because I like everything about Studio Fix Fluid apart from the short lasting time and the pump issue. It looks great don’t get me wrong but it’s a chew having to purchase two foundations, a pump and concealer to get this make up to last.  Even though I love Studio Fix Powder Foundation and the Longwear Concealer and will re-purchaise I won’t re-purchaise Studio Fix Fluid because If I don’t have the two products just mentioned in hand I can’t get the foundation to work. But I will continue to use the combination till I use them all up because it looks truly amazing.     

So my search for the perfect foundation continues it’s such a shame I was so close to finding it. Please do let me know if there is any foundations you recommended me to try.  Also feel free to share your opinions on today’s post with me.  

Mac Studio Fix Powder Foundation NC15 – Review Coming Soon!

Mac Pro Long wear Concealer in NC15 – Review Coming Soon!

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Loving Lately

The heat is here and it’s been time to tone down my make-up. I recently bought L’Oreal’s True Match Foundation in Rose Ivory because it was the first foundation I ever used, so I was curious to see what I thought of it seven years later. In all honestly I was a little disappointed but I’ve put it to good use by using it on my legs to mask out little imperfections and it works brilliantly. I received Sleeks Pout Paints in 161 Minx & 154 Mauve Over in this month’s Glossybox and I’ve been wearing them ever since. The shades are perfect summer colours for me, a peachy nude shade and a hot purple/pink shade, they are made to be mixed but I like to be bold. They are best to be applied with a lip brush and they give a glossy full coverage lip. Lasting time is pretty good but nothing to rave about as the colour wears off in the inner part of the lips, leaving a bold outline. Even so I still love these lip paints and I really want to try other shades. Illamasqua Concealer 115 My all round favourite concealer right now, because it’s so smooth and creamy and covers up all my blemishes as well as hiding dark circles. The only niggle I have is it chips the nail polish on my thumb nail because of how the compact opens. Avons Eye Shadow Primer Wow I love this stuff and I think this is a dupe for Lime Crime Eye Shadow Helper, it has the same consistency and does exactly the same thing in exactly the same way but a lot cheaper. Sadly Avon is going to discontinue it!! Avons SuperShock Gel Eyeliner in Flash is a really pretty pearl/pink eyeliner that I’ve been using in the inner corners of my eye, giving a wide awake look that I just love. Its long lasting but Avon are also discontinuing this too, so I’m not going to ramble about it.

What have you been loving this summer?

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GOSH X-ceptional Wear Foundation in 11 Porcelain

Hello my beautiful readers, this evening I'm posting about a drugstore foundation for people with porcelain white skin like me. I picked this up a couple of months back when I was on the hunt for a skin tone match foundation. Being a drug store foundation this won't break the bank as its a cheap £7.99 for 35ml. I rather like the packaging because it's easy to use, doesn't cause any mess and I generally prefur foundation to be in squeezable packaging or with a pump. The foundation has a thin consistency which makes it easy to apply, although it does dry quickly. I like to use the RealTechniques Stippling Brush to apply this, and I work with one area of the face at a time rather than dotting it everywhere and buffing in. It gives a natural finish for the skin because of the high contents of micro-color and light reflecting pigments. Feels very even and flexible without drying out the skin and without the skin feeling encapsulated. Contains E-Vitamin and sun protection. I get a really good medium coverage, but I sometimes build to make it that little bit fuller coverage. The shade porcelain is very very pale and has yellow undertones, perfect for people who are as pale as me or to mix with other foundations to lighten them.  The finished look, looks dewy which I like but I sometimes apply setting powder if I want a matte finish depending on how my skin is behaving. The foundation lasts a good six hours on me before I need to powder.

All in all this is an amazing foundation for the price great for porcelain skin tone, medium coverage, easy to apply, long lasting, good for the skin, purse friendly......I have already bought my second tube because It's fabulous. 

You can buy this HERE.

Have you tried this foundation?

What’s your favourite drugstore foundation?

Leave a comment below and let’s talk beauty,

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Estee Lauder Double Wear Light

I bought Estee Lauder Double Wear Light a while after I bought Estee Lauder Double Wear Original. The original was almost perfect for me. The shade shell was a really good match to my skin and it gave a flawless full coverage, but It felt very heavy and uncomfortable and worst of all it broke me out something chronic. So that it why I decided to try Estee Lauder Double Wear Light. Unfortunately I made the silly mistake of not going into a department store and testing the shades!!! I ordered from the Estee Lauder Website instead. I chose the lightest shade: Intensity 1.0 as It looked very pale and I had confidence in Estee Laude's Foundation shades. 

When it arrived at my door a couple of days later I could not wait to test the foundation, and to my greatest disappointment it was not pale at all!!! I was incredibly annoyed with myself for spending £27.50 on a foundation I had not even tested! I deeply recommend everyone to test products such as foundation before you buy!  Anyway the foundation is packaged in a beautiful squeezable tube with a gold looking shiny lid, I think this packaging looks quite classy and expensive, but that's just my opinion. Its priced at £27.50 for 30ml of product. I do personally think it’s quite expensive but I don't mind paying those sorts of prices for base make up like foundation, primer and concealer etc. I believe I need to get my base makeup to look good or I won't look good at all. 

I kept the foundation in my make-up drawer hardly touched until the weather started to warm up. I wore this foundation properly for the first time one day when it was nice and sunny and pretty warm outdoors. The foundation applied really nice when used with Samantha Chapman's Stippling Brush, and it gave me a warm healthy glow. Even though I'm used to wearing the palest foundation I can get my hands on, wearing a warmer shade of foundation didn't make me feel uncomfortable at all, it actually made me feel really good about myself. This foundation does not give a full coverage like the original but it does give a sheer to medium coverage but it looks natural. It also controls oil and works superb for my combination to oily skin.  As the weather was warm I expected the foundation to start and feel uncomfortable and melt off my face throughout the day but it stayed in place perfectly. It’s one of those foundation that feels like I'm not wearing foundation and I got a good 10 hours wear out of it. When it came to taking the foundation off it was a lot easier to remove than the original, I would be on ages trying to remove every trace, and my face would become a little irritated from all the scrubbing.  The next morning there was no outbreak of spots, so that made me seriously happy. 

All in all I find this foundation to be great for summer it gives a warm healthy glow, feels comfortable, medium coverage, looks natural,  not effected by heat and humidity, long lasting, oil free, oil controlling, and it does not clog my pores. However I won't but this foundation again simply because of the shade, although it does look nice I prefer to use colour matching foundations and I add a bit of bronzer for the warm healthy glow. It works out a lot cheaper for me. But if Estee Lauder released this foundation in lighter shades than I would without a doubt try it and probably love it.  

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Empties

Oral-B Sensitive Alcohol Free Mouth Wash 300ml - £1.00

I first bought this mouth wash after I got my jestrum and labret piercings because the mouth wash I was currently using (Listerene) was to harsh for them. This mouth wash is really nice and pleasant to use because it is alcohol free, so you don't get that burning sensation. I bought this from Home Bargains for £1.00 but I haven't seen this mouth wash in any other shops. I really like this and I have repurchased and I probably will again. 5/5

Avon Naturals Kids Mango Crazy Hair Tamer 200ml - £2.50
I've been using this hair tamer for years because it does exactly what it says on the bottle. It combes any knots and tangles out my hair and makes my hair smell fantastic. I buy this product from Avon. This product comes in different fragrances. 5/5

Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Eye Liner 10ml - £5.29
As some of you may know I would be lost without liquid eye liner as its part of my everyday make up routeen. This is really good quality jet black liquid eye liner and I have repurchased over and over because its great. 5/5

Elemis Fresh Skin Exfoliating Wash 30ml sample Full size £12.00
Review HERE. 5/5

Planet Spa Bath Oil From Avon - 50ml £??.??

A really nice bath oil that helps to moisturise the body but doesn't leave you feeling greasy or oily. I won't be buying this again because it leaks out of the bottle and makes everything oily. 2/5

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in shell 30ml - £27.50

I've had this foundation for quite a long time because I didn't wear it that often. It has fantastic coverage and gives  flawless almost perfect skin. The shade shell is the lightest shade and its very close to being a perfect match to my skin. Unfortunately it feels way to heavy on my skin and breaks me out like crazy, being the reason I didn't wear it much. 3/5

Soap & Glory Super Eyes Wide Awake Lifting Eye Gel 15ml - £9.00

I'm a big fan of Soap & Glory, and I like all of the products I've tried apart from this one. Although it does give a soothing cooling sensation that's all I have found it to do for me. Big shame. 1/5

Rituals Magic Touch Whipped Body Cream 70ml - £5.00

I absolutely adore this body cream, the first thing that attracted me was the scent, I'm not sure how to describe the scent but its kind of floral, a scent I normally don't like. It's really nice to use and melts into the skin really quickly, leaving your skin feeling incredibly soft and smooth. I will be repurchasing. 5/5

Soap & Glory Breakfast Scrub Body Exfoliator 300ml - £9.50

Another Soap and Glory product I love. Its has a thick consistency and it is full of oatmeal grains that work to remove any dead skin cells. The scrub smells of honey and porridge, not to everyone's taste  but I think it smells divine. Almost good enough to eat. I will be repurchasing. 5/5

Morrisons sensitive baby wipes 80* - 4 packs for £3.00

I've been using these wipes for quite some time because they are cheap, last, and remove make-up superbly. They are sensitive, so they can be used on the eye area to remove make-up. I have bought these over and over. They are fab. 5/5

Soap & Glory Night cream In shining Armour 50ml - £13.00

This is my favorite Soap & Glory product so far. Find my review HERE. 5/5

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know what you think.