Monthly Favourites!

Hey beauties, here are some of the things I've been loving over the past month.

Something I’ve been wanting to get for ages was the Sleek hide it concealer in shade 04. It is definitely the best concealer I have bought. It is a shade lighter than my foundation shade which is great for brightening under my eyes. It is a stick concealer and is so easy to apply to my skin. It spreads smoothly and feels creamy when on my skin. It also has SPF15 protection.

Sleek have 6 shades available ranging from pale to dark skin, for a very decent price of £3.39.

I know I’m really late in purchasing Revlon ColourBurst lip butter but I finally managed to get one off eBay for £2 less than its retail price. If you continue to read my blog you will find that I buy a lot of my more expensive makeup from eBay or Amazon for much cheaper.  I got Raspberry Pie (010) shade and it has turned into one of my makeup staples, I carry it with me everywhere. It is so soft and spreads on my lips like butter. It suits my skin tone very well, so I would recommend it to anyone with darker skin. Some shades that would also suit dark skin would be Macaroon, Pink truffle, Berry Smoothie and Juicy Papaya.

I also love the Original Source shower cream in Vanilla milk and Raspberry. I picked this up from boots for only £1! It is on a special half price offer. It smells insanely good, I just wish it was edible haha. It leaves my skin feeling very smooth and soft, with a nice sweet smell. Definitely worth another purchase.

While I was in boots I also picked up the Natural Collection Moisture Shine lipstick for £1.99. What made me pick this up was the fact that it gives a sheer colour while also moisturising the lips. The colour is called cranberry.

Winter hats are one of the few things I actually like about winter. I recently got this purple winter hat as purple is my favourite colour. What I like about it is that even if I’m wearing quite a dull outfit or dark coloured coat I can put this hat on and it adds a pop of colour to whatever I’m wearing. 

Style Icon - Jourdann Dunn

Jourdann Dunn is a 22 year old model, who was signed to Storm after being scouted in Primark. I love her style because she always looks slick and clean, from her straight long hair to her fab skinny jeans.

Her legs are gorgeously long and slender which make skinny jeans, especially black leather ones, look great on her. Im still on the hunt for the perfect pair of black skinny jeans for myself.

I adore when she wears a beanie hat because it adds a cool 90's vibe to her outfits, plus they frame her face really well. Jourdann's makeup is usually nude and consists of gold eye shadow, nude blusher and nude or bold berry/red lip. This gives her a fresh faced look, that I will be aiming for this autumn. 

Another trend that a lot of people including celebrities have been indulging in is the oversized jersey top, worn as a dress. I think this is a great outfit because it puts a feminine stamp on an otherwise masculine basketball player top. It's wonderful that Jourdann can wear something a bit more urban, with the backward cap and still look slick. 

Starting off week 2: Concealer

Hey beauties,

Now I must admit I am not a huge fan of concealer and I only ever wear it on nights out.  I had never used concealer up until about a month ago and the one I bought was the Sleek Luminaire Highlighting concealer in colour 05. I am lucky that I do not have any serious blemishes but I do have dark circles under my eyes, which is why I need a highlighting concealer. This is the darkest concealer in the collection but I still find it too bright on me. It almost looks ashy, so I must always use a small amount under my foundation or powder.

The whole point to concealer is to hide any blemishes or bags that you have under the eye or somewhere on the face. It also acts as a colour corrector for example if you have dark patches under the eye, it will help to brighten them out. They come in different forms, such as:  liquid, cream or stick. Cream and stick give more coverage and are better for hiding blemishes. Whereas, liquid isn’t but is less likely to clog up pores. I would say liquid is harder to apply especially if you’re out n about as it could end up spilling everywhere.

It is usually wise to have two different shades of concealer, one for blemishes, spots and zits, the other for under the eye. Blemishes usually show up red in colour, so you would need a yellow based concealer. For under eye dark circles use a concealer which is pink based, these have brightening effects.

To apply my under eye concealer I place a few dots under the eye with my finger or the applicator. Then I use a blending brush to spread out and blend the concealer starting from the inner corners of the under eye outward. Remembering to cover up to the lash line and down to the bottom of the dark circle.  I then use my finger to dab along the under eye to press down the concealer.

A high end concealer I would suggest to hide blemishes would be MAC Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer. I have heard great reviews saying its lightweight but gives good coverage. It comes in a great range of shades for £15.00, which I think is quite good for MAC. http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/157/314/Studio-Finish-SPF-35-Concealer/index.tmpl.

A much cheaper alternative at £3.40 would be the Sleek Hide-it concealer as it comes as a stick so will be easy to apply. http://www.sleekmakeup.com/face/concealer/hide-it .

A good under-eye concealer would be the Clinique All About eyes concealer for £16.00 because it has many reviews saying it’s a great product. http://www.clinique.co.uk/product/1596/5161/Makeup/Concealers/All-About-Eyes-Concealer/index.tmpl?cm_mmc=GoogleBase-_-ShoppingFeed-_-Makeup-_-Concealers&77tadunit=e96f9bf6&77tadvert=29272565460&77tkeyword=&77tentrytype=s&77tentry=shopping_feed_ppc&gclid=CMObu6PQr7kCFa7JtAodL2wAXw. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and that I’ve covered all the basics in the world of concealer. Remember to follow me on Bloglovin and like this post, thank you xxx

MaxFactor Lipfinity Lip tint

  

Hey beauties,

While I was in Boots on Wednesday, I was itching to get a new lip tint. The only other lip stain/tint I had ever tried was the Collection 2000 colour pout, which does not give a bold colour at all. It is also not long lasting and fades completely after an hour.  So, I was in dire need of a new lip stain. I had heard a lot about the Maxfactor lipfinity lip tint, so I decided to take a few swatches. The colours were very full and pigmented which was exactly what I was looking for. I chose colour 09 Passion red as it seemed to suit my skin tone best. It cost £6.99.

I have been impressed with these tints so far and they are almost like marker pens. The lip tint has a fruity smell and doesn't taste too bad. However it does feel very sticky and dry on my lips so I would suggest applying a small amount of lip balm to them after putting on the tint. This will also give your lips a juicier and shinier look. Below are some picture of how my lips looked before, after I first applied the tint and an hour after I applied the tint. 

As you can see the colour does fade a lot after one hour, however there is still some tint left in the lips. I think the lasting power could be better especially as it says lasting lip tint on the label, I guess I will just have to reapply it every hour. If you know of a lip tint with greater lasting power please tell me in the comments below.
I hope you liked this post and please follow me on bloglovin, bye xxx

Starting off Week 1: Skincare

Hey beauties,

Welcome to my first post of the starting off project. This post is going to be all about skincare and some tips and tricks to give you clear, healthy skin.

Now the three words that spring to mind and will probably spring to yours when thinking about skincare is cleanse, tone and moisturise. They are the words used the most in skincare because they are the most important, but before I delve into them I just wanted to mention some rules you should follow to have clear skin.
1.      Always remove makeup before bed – This is very important because if you sleep with your makeup on they can clog your pores which will lead to blemishes and spots. Face wipes and make-up remover water are the best ways of removing them. I recommend Simple face wipes as they are very gentle on the skin. http://www.superdrug.com/clearer-skin/simple-cleansing-wipes-x-25/invt/949321
2.      Drink at least a litre of water everyday – this will flush out toxins and eliminate dirt that clogs up pores. It also hydrates and tightens the skin.
3.      Try to have some makeup free days – This can be hard especially if you’re out and about everyday, but makeup free days allow your skin to breathe.
4.      Avoid anti-spot treatments if you do not have spots - I know how tempting it can be to want to use these products to prevent spots, but in most cases it will produce them.
5.      Balanced diet – A balanced diet with the correct portions of fruit and vegetables will supply your body with nutrients and vitamins it needs to build up skin cells.

Cleansing

Cleansing is the act of freeing your skin from dirt. So, in order to effectively clean your skin, I would suggest using an exfoliating glove such as this http://www.superdrug.com/superdrug-white-body-glove/invt/227722 from Superdrug. And also use a facial wash such as Vitamin C Cleansing polish from the Bodyshop http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/vitamin-c/vitamin-c-facial-cleansing-polish.aspx?cm_mmc=FusePump-_-GoogleShopping-_-TagMan-_-Link&gclid=CLDBk_bQk7kCFVMPtAod6EoAGw. A cheaper alternative that I use is The Clean and Clear morning energy facial wash from Superdrug, which also contains Vitamin C http://www.superdrug.com/clearer-skin/clean+clear-morning-energy-daily-facial-wash-150ml/invt/272050 . This vitamin is an antioxidant that hydrates, strengthens and helps the skin repair itself. It is best to wash your face with it twice a day, but only use the glove once a day on your face. To exfoliate and cleanse just apply a small amount of facial wash to the wet gloves and rub hands together until you get a lather. Then slowly and gently make circular motions with the gloves around the cheeks, forehead, nose, chin and eye area. I would suggest using a separate pair of gloves for exfoliating the body. 

Toning

Toning gives greater strength and firmness to skin. It is also essential to use a toner after cleansing to remove excess cleanser which may clog pores. Apply a small amount of toner to a cotton pad and wipe over entire face. Do not rinse off toner! This is the toner I use from Wilkinsons.

Moisturizer

This is a step that should not be missed, especially if you have dry skin. It is important not to use a cream or lotion with too many harsh chemicals.  The moisturizer you use will also depend on your skin type. In winter, my skin is very dry so I use E45 cream. This cream is specially formulated to target dry skin. In summer I use a small amount of Palmers Firming butter, this smells very nice and has Vitamin E and ginseng in.

I hope you enjoyed my first starting off post. Remember to follow this blog on bloglovin and stay tuned for next Tuesday xxx

The 90's Tag

Hey beauties!
Thought I would try something different and do the 90's tag. I had a lot of fun answering these questions and it brought back a lot of good memories. Btw, some of what I mention may be from early 2000, but oh well it still counts.

1. Favourite Disney film? I didn't watch a lot of Disney films growing up, but the one that I used to watch over and over again was Aladdin. Who wouldn't want a genie who could grant you three wishes?
2. Favourite music artist? DESTINY'S CHILD! These girls were my life back in the day and I still have two of their CD's. I also liked TLC, J.Lo and Usher, but not as much as DC. Listening to their old hits Bills, Say my name, Bug a Boo and Independent Women makes me feel so nostalgic. A reunion tour needs to happen.  
   
3. Favourite film? - Matilda! I must have watched this 50 times and I still love to watch it now. 
4. Favourite advert? - The only advert I can remember is the milky bar kid advert. 
5. N'Sync or backstreet boys? - As mush as I love JT now, I was more into the Backstreet boys back then. 
6. Favourite game? - I was never into board games but I did have two Tamogotchi's and I would play Top Trumps with my friends. My favourite Top Trump cards were the Lord of the Rings. 
   
7. Favourite book? - I read a lot of Jacqueline Wilson and Roald Dahl books as a kid. The Illustrated Mum was my favourite Jacqueline Wilson book because it was interesting to see how a child around my age would cope with having a mother who is mentally ill and the book definitely opened my eyes. The BFG was my favourite Roald Dahl book, I remember reading it over and over again and it's pretty entertaining.
   
    
8. Favourite clothing store? - Tammy girl, I couldn't always afford the clothes in there but I would love browsing around on a Saturday, the clothes were so fashionable. 
9. Favourite Nick Jr show? - I never really watched Nick Jr, but I did watch CBBC and CITV. My favourite shows on them were Tracy Beaker, Bernard's Watch, Stupid and Girls in Love. 
10. Steps or S Club? - S club!!!!
11. What would you watch when you'd get home from school? - Recess, That's so Raven & Dexters Lab. 
12. Favourite TV shows? - This will be long: Keenan & Kel, Rugrats, Sailor Moon, Buffy, The Simpsons, Dragon Ball Z, Cow & Chicken, Goosebumps, Johnny Bravo, Sabrina The teenage witch etc. I probably spent about 70% of my free time as a child watching TV shows and I regret nothing. 
    
    I hope you enjoyed reading this post and I will definitely be doing more tags like this in the future. Remember to follow me on bloglovin and have a great day!

L'oreal Colour Infallible Review - 21 Sahara Treasure

My most recent buy was the L’Oreal Colour Infallible in colour 21 Sahara Treasure. L’Oreal has released many different shades which are all sold singularly at the retail price of £6.99. These shadows are very rich and pigmented. This is great for a night out, as they add quite a glamorous shine. In terms of packaging, it comes with a lid and a conserver, which packs the shadow down to give a more intense colour. Make sure you don’t throw this away!

 

This particular colour is matte but still looks shimmery on the eye. L’Oreal describes it as having a hybrid powder texture; essentially it is both a loose and creamy powder, which I agree with. It is long lasting and it shows up as a nice gold colour on my skin. It may show up differently if you have a different skin tone.

In terms of application I used a small eyeshadow brush as I didn't want it to be too concentrated. If you prefer it to be heavy, then I would suggest using your finger. To intensify the shimmer use a wet finger or brush.

Overall I think this is a great product and it met my expectations as I wouldn’t normally buy one eyeshadow colour unless it was good quality, which this is! 10/10