Tips For School Makeup

It's the beginning of September, which means a lot of you will be returning to school, or maybe even starting at a new school. So, I thought I'd do a post on school makeup.


I want to start by saying that I'm sure most of you who are school age don't even need to wear makeup, so please hold back from doing so if you don't need it…what's the point in smothering your face with foundation if it's already clear and imperfection free? However, I know some girls suffer with spots, blemishes or if you're in the older years then you just would like to wear a bit of makeup anyway, maybe to cover those under eye circles.

TOP 4 PRODUCTS -
Concealer is a girls best friend. Concealer can help you cover up any areas you aren't happy with, maybe there's a blemish, or uneven skin tone you want to target, and you can do this without having to slap foundation all over your young skin. A concealer like Collection Lasting Perfection is perfect for school days, it's heavy coverage so if you have spots (which we all get in our teen years….and as we get older too sadly) it will help to hide those and boost your confidence, it's also very long lasting so it shouldn't wear off over the long school day, even if you're doing P.E. For under eye circles I'd recommend Rimmel Wake Me Up, it'll definitely give the illusion that you've had a good nights sleep.
Waterproof mascara was a must have for me during my school days. I always felt a bit naked if I wasn't wearing mascara, and it always made me feel so much better about myself if I had it on. I like the waterproof versions because they tend to stay on longer, also if you get all hot and sweaty during P.E it won't smudge and go all down your face. There's loads of waterproof mascaras in the shops, but I recommend any from L'Oreal.
Face powder was something I went through quite a bit of in school. I didn't wear foundation until my last year, but I did wear a mineral powder. I liked it because it gave me the tiniest bit of coverage, which is all I needed, and it stopped me getting shiny throughout the day. Rimmel Stay Matte is great, and so is Maybelline Fit Me.
Lip Balm was in my bag at all times…actually I kept it in my pencil case! I never had a tinted one, my school was too strict for that, but I used to carry around a plain Nivea lip balm just to keep my lips hydrated.

That's all the makeup I used to wear during my school years, but if I was there now I'd probably also wear an eyebrow pencil to give my brows a little definition - Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil is my favourite. An eyeliner just to line the top lash line - I'd choose brown over black as it's more natural and not so harsh, again Rimmel is the best for eyeliners. And lastly maybe a natural matte bronzer - nothing dark, orange or shimmery, just something to give my face a little bit more colour, Soap & Glory do a fantastic duo bronzer.

I hope this post has given all you school goers some help, and I hope you aren't as self conscious as I was because honestly there's no need to be! 

x

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Galaxy*

If you haven't heard of the Apocalips Lip Lacquers from Rimmel then where have you been?! On Mars? The Moon? Were you born yesterday? These products have been talked about a lot in the blogging world since their release early last year, with everyone raving about them and buying all the shades. I did try them when they first came out and thought they were great, but I kind of forgot about them..until the lovely people at HQHair.com sent me the shade Galaxy to try out.

Galaxy isn't a shade I would have immediately opted for, especially around this time of year. It's quite a dark berry/plum shade with shimmer running through it, very much an Autumn/Winter colour. Don't get me wrong, it's super pretty and I'll definitely be reaching for it in the colder months, but for Spring/Summer it wouldn't be my personal choice.
The formation of these lip lacquers is lovely. They're a bit of a lipstick/lipgloss hybrid, as they apply like a lipgloss and have that liquid consistency but they're a lot thicker and extremely pigmented. When they dry they have quite a satin finish, and they're surprisingly matte, which can lead them to being a tad drying after a few hours but a quick top up solves that problem. The staying power is what really wins me over with these, they last ages! I didn't expect them to be quite so long lasting, but even if you're eating and drinking they'll last a good few hours, in my experience.

The packaging of the apocalips is one of my favourites from the high street. The tube is regular sized, but it's been jazzed up. You can see the shade of your lip lacquer at the bottom, then it fades up to black and the lid is shaped into almost an irregular prism shape, which I think is edgy, interesting and sticks to the 'apocalyptic' theme. I also adore the doe-foot applicator, so easy to use and picks up product really well.

Overal I think the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers are fantastic, real gems of the high street lip products. There are 10 shades, ranging from nude, to pink, to red, there's something for everyone. I'd definitely recommend trying these out if you haven't already, at £5.99 with free delivery at HQhair.com you can't go wrong.

Have you tried this product?

x

The Products I Reach For The Most - Spring 2014

I like to switch around products I use quite a lot, but I thought I would share with you the things I have been reaching for almost every single day throughout the last few months.

I've always been had a problem with foundation not sitting right on my skin. It takes me ages to buff it in so it looks natural, and it can look either cakey or cling to dry patches (whatever foundation I choose), but recently I've been using the Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Reviver and it's been sorting that problem out for me, it's becoming a holy grail product. Full review here.
Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation has quickly become my favourite foundation ever. I feel it just works well for my skin, it feels moisturising and fresh but still gives me a good coverage that isn't heavy.
NYX Blush in Taupe, I use this to contour. It's the absolute best shade for creating a shadow effect under the cheekbones on pale skin, far better than using a bronzer.
Urban Decay Naked 2 eyeshadow palette. The best. All the shades are beautiful, creamy, pigmented, blendable and a dream. I use this every day! You can create so many different looks with it.
MAC Lipstick in Fanfare. I got this for my birthday in March and I adore it! It's a cremesheen finish, and I adore that formulation, the colour is so pretty and perfect for Spring.
Last but not least - Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent  is just the best powder for me. I have dry skin so I don't like powder to be heavy, which Stay Matte isn't. It's nice and light but manages to keep foundation and concealer set in place for a long time.

Which products do you reach for the most?

I'd love to know!

x

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer | Review

Concealer is a makeup product I cannot live without. When you have the right one it will make you look more awake by hiding those under eye circles and will hide your blemishes to make your skin look more flawless than it actually is.
Normally I stick to my Collection Lasting Perfection concealer - it's cheap, it has amazing coverage, lasts a long time and conceals anything I want it to, however recently I've been finding it quite drying on my skin, so I picked up the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer to try.

I'm not the biggest fan of the Wake Me Up foundation, purely because it clings to dry patches and has glitter particles in it, so if you're in the sun you'll end up with that Edward Cullen effect. I didn't expect the concealer to have the same sparkly bits in it, I mean why would you put glitter in a product that's supposed to hide blemishes? That'll just draw attention to them! But I was wrong, the concealer does contain the same glitter particles, so it can't be used on blemishes…annoying!
I could rant on and on about the glitter particles, but I shall just say that they're pointless, make you look kinda weird in the sunlight and the Wake Me Up products would be a lot better without them.
Sparkles aside I do like the concealer - I adore the texture, it feels light, not at all dry and blends without any problems. The coverage isn't as high as the Collection concealer but it's still good, concealing under eye circles well. Rimmel claim this has an 'anti-fatigue effect', which I suppose it does, it does make me look more awake. They also say it illumines, which is achieved by those glitter particles….I don't want a concealer/highlighter hybrid, especially for blemishes, thankyou very much.

Without concealer (left) With Concealer (right)

So, I have a definite love/hate relationship with this concealer. I love that it's so non-drying and really covers those circles you get after a not so great nights sleep, but the glitter in it ruins it for me. For the price of £5.49 you can get better.

ENTER MY MAKEUP GIVEAWAY HERE

The Lipstick I'm Currently Loving

Lipstick's are my favourite of all makeup products. I love wearing different shades, trying out new brands, and I like how a look can be completely made just by what colour you're wearing on your lips.
My all time favourite lipsticks from the high-street/drugstore are the Kate Moss for Rimmel ones, and lately I've rediscovered my love for shade 19.

Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick in Shade 19 (£5.49) (damn I wish they gave them proper names!) is a kind of deep, warm pink colour, with nudey undertones and it's slightly berry like, in my opinion. I do find this a difficult colour to describe, thank goodness for pictures! Anyway, whatever colour you call it it's gorgeous. It's quite neutral but adds a lovely colour to the lips, which I love. I especially like how the shade looks on my skin tone, I think it suits me well and I always get compliments when I wear it. So if you're quite a pale girl this lipstick might be worth checking out, actually check it out whatever your skin tone -  I think it'll suit everyone!

This lipstick is from the Spring collection of the Kate Moss lipsticks. I don't know if the formulation is slightly different but it definitely isn't quite the same as the original line. Firstly the smell is different - I can't put my finger on what it smells like, it's not unpleasant it's just different. The pigmentation is still amazing, undeniably great, and the colour payoff is outstanding.
I find this lipstick to be a touch more drying than the other Kate Moss lipsticks I have, it's not super drying but with the other lipsticks I kind of forget I have anything on my lips, whereas with 19 I can definitely feel something there. I also found it didn't last quite as long as the others - still a good 3 hours but if you're eating or drink it fades quite fast. It applies easily and smoothly and doesn't go weird if you have slightly flaky or chapped lips.
I completely love this lipstick all in all, I think it's brilliant quality for the price and I highly recommend it to anybody.

Have you tried the Kate Moss

lipsticks?

x

Have you ENTERED my GIVEAWAY yet? :)

Beauty Bloggers Tag!

I've seen a few bloggers doing this 'Beauty Bloggers Tag' and always find reading them very interesting, so I thought I'd do it myself! I hope you enjoy this sort of post.

Why did you start blogging and how long have you been blogger for?

I started blogging about a year ago, but started putting posts up regularly about 5 months ago. I started blogging for a few reasons - I had been reading beauty blogs for a while and was inspired by other bloggers to start, I was really starting to get into makeup, skincare, etc and wanted a way of sharing my experiences with everyone and getting to know other bloggers who had the same interests as me!

Who's blog did you fall in love with first?

Honestly? I can't remember. I'd say Zoella's was probably the first I found and read every single post, but Anna from Vivianna Does Makeup and Hannah from A Little Beauty Spot (who's new blog is here) were two of the others I remember reading at the beginning of discovering the beauty blogging world!

What was the first blogosphere hyped about product that you bought?

Was it worth the hype?

That would be Nars Luguna bronzer! Every blogger these is seems to adore this product, and I was so intrigued so I bought it and yes, it's definitely worth the hype. I love it and use it all the time! 

What are you five favourite things about blogging and being a beauty blogger?

1. Having my own little space on the internet to share my thoughts and views on different products.

2. Other bloggers! I love discovering new blogs, reading reviews, favourites, wish lists, etc (I could spend hours going through Bloglovin' looking at the new posts from that day), and getting to know people. I've actually made a good few friends from doing this!

3. Discovering products. I find that unless you read beauty blogs really amazing products can pass you by! I'm also someone who does research before I buy anything, so finding out how people got on with things is great before I go out and buy it myself.

4. The creative side. I feel like since I left school I don't do anything creative, but having this blog enables me to take photographs, decide how to lay things out and also experiment with different products, which I find a great way be creative. 

5. Comments! I love getting comments on my blog posts from all of you, it really makes my day.

What have you learnt from being a beauty blogger?

When I first started blogging I didn't realise that writing blog posts can be quite hard work, a lot of thought goes into every part of a post and also design and layout of the website itself. I learnt never to compare yourself to other bloggers…if I did that I'd feel like a failure, because I don't have the largest amount of followers, but that doesn't matter! It's all about enjoying what you do.

What have you changed since becoming a beauty blogger?

Makeup storage…I've got a lot more makeup now, so I had to invest in some proper storage. I've also changed the way I do my makeup - I've picked up a lot of tips and tricks along the way.

What advice would you give to a beauty blogger starting out?

Don't do this just to get free products! That won't happen straight away, if ever, and you need to put a lot of work in before so. Also, if you don't have a passion for what you're doing it will come across in the posts. Don't write unless you really want to - again, it comes across in the posts, I've read a lot of blogposts that lack so much because the blogger obviously 'couldn't be bothered' on that day. Make good use of social media - twitter, Facebook, instagram, etc - it will really help your blog to grow.

What are your top 5 makeup brands?

This is no particular order!  MAC - I think I had to say that, it's surely in every beauty bloggers top 5, I just wish they were a tad cheaper. Rimmel - I think they're the best high street makeup brand, they do great and affordable foundations, lipsticks (especially the Kate Moss range), blushes, eyeshadows, eyeliners (the best), concealer, etc. Revlon - mainly for their lip products. Nars - ohhh their packaging and pigmentation makes me adore them. Soap & Glory - I haven't tried many things from their makeup range yet, but what I have tried, swatched and looked at has been amazing quality.

Recommend your top 5 beauty products

(reviews linked)

Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipsticks - I think these are the best highstreet/drugstore lipsticks out there, the price is so affordable, the colour range is fantastic, the lasting power is long, the packaging is great and the feel and finish is up there with the high end brands.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate - A night time oil that you apply post toner and pre moisturiser, it adds moisture to the skin, doesn't break me out, and helps fight against imperfections.

Collection's Lasting Perfection concealer - beauty blogger favourite and lives up to the hype - high coverage, non-drying, cheap and lasts all day.

MAC Mineralize Skinfish in Soft & Gentle - the most beautiful highlighter there is. 

Sleek Contour/Face Form Palette -  the contour palette consists of bronzer and highlighter, and the face form has a blush included as well. All highly pigmented, well packaged, and very affordable. A really great product if you're just getting into makeup. 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Vs Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation

Rimmel foundations are, in my opinion, the best high street/drugstore foundations. I find the colour range to be good, the price to be excellent and the product you get is fantastic quality.
I own and regularly wear both their Wake Me Up foundation and the Match Perfection foundation and I thought I'd do a little comparison post about them!

Without a doubt Wake Me Up is the most popular of the two, with practically every beauty blogger raving about it, and the hype that surrounds it is deserved but I can't help but feel it's a bit exaggerated.
Wake Me Up claims to have an anti-fatigue and radiant effect on the skin, which is achieved by the dewy finish and the sparkly particles that run through the liquid….which I'm not a fan of. If you're wearing this foundation and you're under strong light, or bright sunlight you will end up looking like Edward Cullen, I just find it a bit too shimmery. The coverage is medium and buildable, and I love how smoothly it glides on. If you have dry skin though I do find this sticks a little bit, so exfoliating before is a must. The wear lasts all day on me (I have normal, sometimes dry, skin).

Match Perfection is the less talked about foundation of the two, but I prefer it. The colour range of this foundation is great, if you're super pale go check it out because they have a shade that is very very pale! I have the shade 100 Ivory. This foundation I find gives me a more anti-fatigue look than Wake Me Up, however it contains no glittery bits! The liquid goes on really smoothly and is a dream to blend, it looks lovely and natural on the skin while still giving a good coverage - I'd say this is  medium coverage foundation, but it can be sheered out or built up a bit as well. It's quite dewy but with a little bit of powder over the top it looks perfect. The wear is amazing too, lasts all day on me and my skin continues to have a healthy look about it. Another thing I adore about this is it doesn't make my skin feel clogged up, with some foundations I feel like I just want to get a cleanser and get everything off my face, but with Match Perfection that isn't the case at all. I also find you need less of this compared to WMU.

Wake Me Up is £8.99 and Match Perfection is £6.99.
Overall I'd definitely say Match Perfection is my favourite, and it's my most worn foundation.

What's your favourite highstreet

foundation?

x

The Best Nude Lipstick

A nude or very natural lipstick is a staple in any makeup bag! I find it a struggle to find the perfect nude lipstick for me. Either they make my complexion look washed out, give me the look of 'foundation lips', are too pale or too dark, or cling to any dry skin, however I have finally found a nude lippy that does none of these things.

Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick in 03 has become one of my most worn lipstick's since I got it a few months ago. I'm a massive fan of the formulation of this lipstick range, I have about 6 of the collection and I'm always after more! The 03 shade didn't disappoint.
It's a gorgeous pinky, slightly brown, nude lipstick. I'm fairly pale but it looks fine against my skin tone, doesn't make me look washed out and gives my lips a tiny wash of colour (it doesn't blank them out, huuurrrah).
The formulation is phenomenal, super pigmented and wonderfully creamy. It applies like a dream and stays put for about 4 hours, maybe more.

This lipstick has been a very welcome edition to my collection and I'm glad I bought it! I'm happy I found my perfect nude, to pair with smokey eyes or just for a minimal makeup look.
This retails for the bargainous price of £5.49! You can buy it here!

What's your favourite nude lipstick?

x

My Current Eye Makeup Routine!

Doing my eyes is my favourite part of my makeup routine, I'm definitely a lipstick lover but I enjoy doing my eyes the most - choosing the shadows, applying them, blending, choosing an eyeliner and mascara, ahhh. The last few days I've been reaching for the same products when it comes to do my eye makeup.

I've been using Stila eyeshadow in Champagne, which you can see swatched HERE all over my lid, then in the outer corner I've been using a grey shade from a Rimmel palette called Brixton brown, you can see that swatched HERE, then I blend them. I take whatever's left on the brush slightly under my eye. Then I use Maybelline's black gel eyeliner to draw a thin line and a slight flick.
I finish off with a couple of layers of Maybelline's volum' express the rocket mascara.
I like this look because it's not OTT but it's pretty and neutral, all the products last a long time as well.

What's your current favourite eye product?

My Favourite 3 Eyeliners

Finding a good eyeliner can be quite tricky. You want one that's a good colour, easy to apply, easy to blend, isn't expensive, is nicely packaged and lasts all day. I've tried a lot of eyeliners, and these are my top 3 that I reach for most often and absolutely love.

The first one and the one I use most often is the Maybelline gel eyeliner in black. I use this all the time! It's amazing, it comes with a little brush which makes it easy to apply, it creates a lovely look and it lasts for as long as you need it to! For £7.99 I think it's a bargain.

Next up is Rimmel Scandal Eyes Kohl liner in black. This eyeliner is waterproof so I mostly use it on my waterline. It doesn't budge all day, it's easy to apply and blend and the colour is jet black. Sometimes I find black eyeliners come out almost grey, but that's not the case with this. It retails for £3.99!

My last favourite is a liner I actually only really use around Winter time because it's slightly festive I think. It's the Avon Glimmerstick Diamonds Eyeliner in black ice. This is a twist up creamy pencil liner  (yay for no sharpening!) that has slight specks of glitter running through it, it's super pretty and would be perfect for Christmassy parties! This is only £6!

Top to Bottom -
Maybelline Gel Eyeliner
Rimmel Kohl Liner
Avon Glimmerstick Diamonds

What's your most used eyeliner?

How To Make Your Lipstick Last Longer

I'm a big lipstick lover, but something that can really annoy me about lipsticks is having to touch them up when they start to fade…especially the bolder colours! But I have come across a few ways to make your lipstick stay put much longer.

What You Will Need 
- A toothbrush, preferably an old one so you don't ruin the bristles
- A lip balm
- A concealer or foundation
- A lip liner
- A lipstick
- Face powder
- Powder brush
- Tissue

1. The first step is to exfoliate your lips. You can use lip scrubs such as the one from Lush, but to save money just get an old toothbrush, damp it with some water, and scrub at your lips to remove any dead skin.

2. Use a lip balm to moisturise your lips to prep them for lipstick. I'm using the Nivea essentials lip salve. I do this before doing my makeup, then after I've finished everything but lips I wipe away any excess lip balm.

3. Blot some concealer or foundation (trust me) onto your lips. It will act as a primer for your lipstick. Make sure you blend it in.

4. Use a lipliner similar to the colour of your lipstick of choice to outline your lips. Make sure to blend it softly so there's no definite line once you apply lipstick. This lip liner is Rimmel's lasting finish 1000 kisses lip liner in 061 Wine.

5. Apply your lipstick! I used Kate Moss for Rimmel in 107.

6.  Place a layer of tissue over your lips, and use a brush to apply some loose or pressed powder onto your lips through the tissue. The tissue helps to make sure only a very thin layer of powder goes on, but it's enough to set the lipstick in place. 

7. If you need to add a bit more colour after using the powder go in with another layer of lipstick. 

BONUS TIP -

If you're using a bright lip colour and you're worried about it getting onto your teeth then put your finger in your mouth, make an 0 shape with your mouth, then slide your finger out of your mouth.

Any lipstick that was on the inside of your mouth, and bound to get into your teeth, has now been removed and is on your finger.

Rimmel Glam Eyes HD 5-Colour Eye Shadow in Brixton Brown

It's no secret that I'm a huge Rimmel fan. They're my favourite highstreet makeup brand, their lipsticks are my favourite, as are their foundations.
I was in Boots the other day and I saw this eyeshadow palette, the Glam Eyes HD 5 Colour Eyeshadow palette in Brixton Brown. I hadn't seen it before (it launched early October) and I thought the colours looked right up my street and super Autumnal, so I bought it.

In this 5 shadow palette you got a very dark shimmery grey, a super shimmery champagne colour, a dark brown that looks ever so slightly purply, a soft earthy green that is matte, and in the middle is a gorgeous coppery red with not too much shimmer. Beautiful.

What I love about this palette is you can create a really subtle daytime look with it, but also a super smoky nighttime look, and that red in the middle makes it perfect for this season.

The colours are well pigmented…not amazing, but good for the price, apart from the green which is shockingly badly pigmented, I can't seem to even see it once applied and is quite chalky..but the other 4 are great.

They also surprisingly didn't crease on my eyes! I wore the copper/red all over my lid and the dark grey just on the outer part of my eye for about 6 hours with no primer and they hadn't creased at all. 

L-R Top 2 shades and middle shade

Bottom 2 shades

This palette is £6.99 and there are 3 different ones in the collection.

Purchase here.

What's your favourite shade out of the 5?

The Autumn/Winter Nail

Happy November!
We're well into Autumn now and Winter is just around the corner. During these seasons I change up my nail colours, so I thought I'd share my top 5 Autumn/Winter nail varnishes with you.

L-R Avon Cherry Jubilee, Rimmel Lycra Pro Beige Babe, Studio London Cloudburst,
Studio London Mink, Eye Candy London All Night Long

Autumn/Winter nail colours tend to be a lot darker, and cold shades.

L-R Avon Cherry Jubilee, Rimmel Lycra Pro Beige Babe, Studio London Cloudburst,
Studio London Mink, Eye Candy London All Night Long

My personal favourite of the 5 is Avon's nail wear pro in Cherry Jubilee, it's a gorgeous deep red that's almost burgundy coloured. This shade is the varnish I wear most often in the colder months, and goes with the majority of my outfits. I also find it looks really lovely against paler skin tones. This varnish also lasts well, and dries super fast! You definitely need more than one coat though.
The second nail varnish is Rimmel's Lycra Pro in Beige Babe. I really love the colour of this, it's a browny beige that looks lovely on. I love the applicator because it's nice and thick. Rimmel claims this lasts up to 10 days but I found it only lasted about 3 days on my nails.
The third one along is by Studio London, it came in a set, and it's called Cloudburst. Cloudburst is a lovely navy almost black shade. Navy seems to be very 'in' on nails at the moment so this is really lovely. I also like that it looks black in some light, blue in others, and sometimes grey.
The fourth nail varnish is also by Studio London and came from the same set, this one's called Mink. I don't know quite how to describe the shade, but I'd say it's mauve. It looks very pretty on and it's a great choice if you don't like going too dark on your nails. I love the Studio London nail varnishes, they dry super fast and last a long time on the nails. Only complaint is the small brush applicator.
My last choice is a classic black. Everyone needs a black nail varnish! This one is my favourite and it's called All Night Long by Eye Candy London…I don't see much about this brand, but I got this in Sainsburys and think it's great! The colour lasts a week on my nails and it dries amazingly quickly, which is always good.

What's your favourite nail colour for 

the colder months?

What's In My Handbag Makeup Bag?

Yesterday I had a little trip up to London for a meeting, and in my handbag was my little makeup bag that I carry products in that I might need to use for a touch up during the day, I thought I'd share it with you!

My makeup is new, my gran gave it to me so I have no idea where you can get it but it's by Hardwells.
It's so nice, the fabric feels really durable and it's such a cute design.

You may think I carry too many products around, but actually I only normally touch up with powder, sometimes concealer, and of course lipstick throughout the average day…but I always carry around things just in case! The day I don't will probably be the day I need the products!

My Rimmel Stay Matte powder is always with me, it's the best powder I've used - not heavy but doesn't let shine through and lasts well. I have a NYX blush in peach which is actually pink, and also my Nars luguna bronzer which I adore. I carried my Real Techniques blush brush to apply those 3 products.
The fashionista eyebrow kit is something I can't live without, so that was with me! As was the concealer I'm loving at the moment - Rimmel Wake Me Up in Ivory, perfect for covering up those under eye circles which were in full force on the day - getting up at 5:30am on a Saturday wasn't ideal…damn early trains! I had Maybelline's rocket mascara which I love, and I think I now prefer it to the falsies.
Lastly the two lip products, Carmex to keep my lips soft, and my new lipstick which I might do a review on - Kate Moss for Rimmel in 03, it's beautiful nude that doesn't completely blank the lips out.

What makeup products do you carry around in your

handbag?

x

Rimmel Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush - Pink Rose

As it's now Autumn I'm swapping in my peach and coral blushes for more pink and mauve toned blushes, and the one I've been wearing the last week is Rimmel's Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush in Pink Rose (what a mouthful!).

I've had this blush for about a year but haven't actually worn it that much because I wasn't at all impressed when I first got it.
Rimmel are my favourite high street/drugstore brand for makeup, they're very affordable and do brilliant lipsticks, lip glosses, foundation, concealer, I even love their nail varnishes, but I think they slack when it comes to blushes.
The packaging is shockingly bad, it's flimsy plastic, the lid always falls off yet it's hard to open and it just feels tacky!
However, the blush inside isn't as bad as the packaging (thank goodness).

Pink Rose is a rosy darkish pink (hence the name) colour, with a slight bit of silver shimmer in it - just enough to brighten up the face on these cold, dark Autumn days.
I find the texture of this blush isn't amazing, it's quite soft but still rather powdery but very pigmented! You really do only need a bit on your brush, and when applied like that it looks very natural and just brings a bit of colour and glow to your face.
Rimmel say it glides on smoothly, but I found it quite difficult to blend…maybe I've just been spoilt with Sleek.
Rimmel also claim the blush lasts 6 hours, which it might do…until it completely disappears, but it fades on me after about 3 hours.

Overall though, aside from the very poor packaging and not amazing texture, I do like this blush.
The colour is gorgeous, and it's great for an everyday look and if you don't need the makeup to last for ages!

For £3.99 I'd say this product is worth a buy, just don't carry it around loose in your handbag or it won't last long! Buy here.

Autumn blush recommendations

would be very welcome!

x

My Top 5 Autumn Lip Products!

Ahhhh October, when real Autumn starts to kick in. Colder weather, brown leaves covering the ground, jumpers and boots start to appear and it's time to change over from the summery makeup and go for more season appropriate choices, so I'm going to share with you my top 5 Autumn lip products!

L-R Rimmel Kate Moss 19, Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie,
Rimmel Kate Moss 01, Rimmel Apocalips in Celestial

(note - the colours look VERY similar in that photo but check the swatches below)

Lets get the boring, but essential, product out the way first - Carmex. Best lip balm I have used so far.

There, done. Now onto the pretty ones -

Autumn is the time for darker lip colours, berry tones and of course reds! 

It's no secret that I'm a massive fan of the Kate Moss for Rimmel lipsticks, and surprise surprise 2 of them have made it into my top 5 Autumn lip products! The first being number 19, I ADORE this shade - it's actually a lot more natural than it may look, it's a dark pinky brown and so perfect for a natural Autumnal shade, I often wear this dabbed in gently to my lips for a nice nude colour.

The other Kate Moss lipstick is 01, which is a true red. I've only worn this a few times (I'm not brave enough to wear it for an everyday look) but I love it a lot. It's a lot brighter than it looks in the tube, quite glossy and the lasting power is phenomenal. Reds are definitely are brilliant choice for Autumn and Winter!

Next is the Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie. I wear these lip butters all the time, they're the perfect thing if you're not into wearing heavy lipsticks or want something with nice colour payoff but still looks very natural. Berry Smoothie is a pinky purple with no shimmer in it but it's lovely and glossy.

Last but by no means least is Rimmel Apocalips in Celestial, I wore this to death last Autumn! It's a deep pinky purple, it applies like a dream and dries fairly matte and lasts a lot longer than you may 

think. 

Top to bottom - Rimmel Kate Moss 19, Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie,Rimmel Kate Moss 01, Rimmel Apocalips in Celestial

All these products can be purchased HERE!

What are your Autumn must-have lip products?

My Summer Beauty Essentials

As it was the first official day of summer yesterday, I thought I would share you with some products I think are essential for summer!

1. A light coverage foundation with an SPF, if it has no SPF then make sure you get a moisturiser with an SPF in it, BUT don't wear both an SPF foundation and an SPF moisturiser, as layering them cancels them out. My foundation of choice is Rimmel Wake Me Up (surprise surprise). I love this foundation a lot, when applied with fingers you can create such a lovely light coverage but it still makes your skin look really great, and as it creates radiance it is perfect for summer. You can buy it here for £8.99.

2. A cream blush. Cream blushes make the skin look a lot more radiant and glowy than powder blushes do, and I've found they feel lighter as well. My favourite is NYX cream blush in Natural. I did a more in depth review of this blush here in my May Favourites, and you can buy it cheapest from Amazon here for £4.99.

3. A bronzer, I think in the summer if you look pale it is more noticeable, so a bronzer to create a 'bronzed' look is essential for me. The bronzer I love most is Nars Luguna, it's amazing. I love it both for conturing, as it's only got a very very slight shimmer that doesn't really show on the face, and also just to bring a bit of colour to my complexion as the colour isn't orange at all and it lasts a long time. This is quite pricey at £26 but if you want to treat yourself then you can buy it here!

4. A brown eyeliner. I think in the summer a black eyeliner can look way too harsh, dark and wintery, so I like to use a brown, I used to hate brown eyeliner but now I think it looks so pretty - especially darker browns - it just gives a much more subtle look. The one I am currently using is Stila Smudge Stick in Damsel, which you can buy here.

5. A lighter, glossier lip colour. I don't know about you, but sometimes I find a proper lipstick too much in summer as they can often look matte or feel heavy, so I opt for either the Revlon lip butters (the one in the photo is strawberry shortcake, but I adore them all) or a lipgloss, this one is Revlon colour burst in Pink Ice which is a lovely light pink with shimmer. You can buy these both from here.

6. A summer colour nail varnish, summer is not the time for dark colours on the nails like black, dark blue or purple, etc. Although I HATE Barry M nail varnish this colour has to be one of my favourite summer shades, it's a lovely light, kind of duck egg, blue called Blue Moon, which you can buy here for £2.99.

7. My last summer beauty essential is a summery scented body moisturiser. I love this spray on one from Soap & Glory, it is called Girligo Body Moisturising Mist, it smells so lovely, of peach, strawberry, jasmine, mandarin and musk. It is such a summery, light scent and it works so well at making the skin softer, it also feels really refreshing when you spray it on and sinks in so fast. You can buy that here for £6.50.

That's it for my summer essentials!

What are your summer beauty must haves?

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Today's Makeup!

Today's Makeup

I'm one of those people who likes to change around what makeup they wear daily, I don't have a staple daily makeup routine or anything - however the past couple of weeks I have stuck to practically the same things, and I thought I'd share it with you!

I use my RImmel Wake Me Up Foundation, I know so many love this and I'm one of them. Best high street/drugstore foundation. 

My Fashionista Brow Kit, I got this from Superdrug for about £4, so cheap and works so well.

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer

Sleek Face Form palette in Light - I love this so much, £10 for an amazing bronzer, highlighter and blush - bargain.

Sleek Storm Eyeshadow palette I love Sleek a lot, these eyeshadows are great! I've been using a shimmery one (second along, top row) and a medium brown for the outer corner and crease (second from last, bottom row).

Stila Smudge Stick waterproof eyeliner in Damsel I got this free with a Stila eyeshadow palette and I really like it, it's a dark brown so it's more subtle than black, I like to blend it in to the eyeshadow at the lash line so it's not a harsh line.

Maybelline Falsies Mascara - love it. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya I featured this in my May Favourites which you can read and see swatches of here, I love it a lot. Such a pretty colour.

What makeup have you been wearing daily recently?

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Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss for Rimmel London - Review

I have been absolutely loving lipstick lately. I feel naked now whenever I have nothing on my lips.
I think lipstick can make you look a lot more 'done up' and makes you feel better about yourself.
I've always found lipsticks don't tend to last well on me, they fade after as little as half an hour! So when I heard great things about the Kate Moss lipstick collection I thought I'd give them ago.

I really wanted a deep red lipstick so that was my first purchase (the shade 01) and I loved it so much that a few weeks later I bought two more, shades 20 and 05.

 Shade 01 is a quite a dark, deep red, however it looks lighter when applied. It's a really gorgeous colour, a classic red, that is perfect for going out or casual.
Shade 20 is quite a bright fuchsia pink and I LOVE it, I think it's my favourite out of the three. I was a little bit nervous before I bought it because I never normally wear colours like that but it looks really lovely on. It's not too bright but it's bold and I think it looks especially nice as my skin is fairly pale and I have dark hair and eyes. This is from the spring collection.
Shade 05 is a lovely pink, not too bright so can worn casually but at the same time very pretty and you can build it up to make it darker and bolder.

Left to Right - Shade 01, Shade 20, Shade 05.

What I love about these lipsticks is that they last AGES! Hours and hours, they claim to last up to 8 hours, which I am sure they do on some people, for me they probably last about 4. When I wore the bright pink (20) the other day the colour didn't fade when I ate or when I drank, amazing. They are super moisturising, if you suffer from dry lips like I do these will be brilliant for you, they don't dry my lips out at all! And they dry quickly, so it actually feels as if you have nothing on your lips!
The colours in the whole collection are great (Kate Moss picked them herself, well done her! Fantastic selection), they are SO pigmented; a little goes a long way and I think these will last me a long time.
I think the packaging is great as well, they feel nice to hold and look smart and the lid doesn't really easily come off which is great if you're going to keep them in your handbag or makeup bag.
Another thing I love about these is they smell and taste amazing! Some lipsticks smell and taste chemically, these smell of different fruit. The red smells of cherry and the bright pink (20) smells of raspberries! Lovely, lovely, lovely!

Top to Bottom - Shade 01, Shade 20, Shade 05.

These lipsticks are priced at £5.49 which I think is brilliant for the quality of them, and there's often a 3 for 2 deal on in Boots for Rimmel products.
I highly recommend trying these lipsticks out if you haven't already, I can't recommend them enough and I shall be getting some more shades!
Round of applause for Kate Moss and for Rimmel London!

Get shade 20 here!
Get shades 01 and 05 here!

Do you own any of these lipsticks? Or will you be trying them?

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