Category: Beauty

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Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream | Review

I never got excited by the BB/CC cream trend when it really boomed a couple of years ago. I had much oilier skin back then, and I honestly saw them as glorified tinted moisturisers, which some probably are. I was much more into matte finish, higher coverage foundations. However, recently my skin has become much more manageable and also slightly clearer, I have become more interested in dewy and light coverage bases. There has been a fair amount of hype around this one – I mean, Lisa Eldridge likes it so obviously I had to try it…

The Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream retails at £9.99 and is available in 4 shades. All Bourjois bases are very limited on their shade range, but comparing this to other BB and CC creams which sometimes only have one or two shades, this is actually quite good. I picked up the shade 32 Light Beige, which I find works well for when my skin is on the more tanned side (roughly Mac NC30). It claims to have 3 pigments of colour correction: apricot for anti-fatigue, green for anti-redness and white for anti-dark spots. It also claims to be extremely hydrating and contains SPF 15.


On first application, I was pleasantly surprised. I was mostly impressed with the colour correcting aspect as it seemed to even out my skin tone incredibly, particularly in terms of redness. It covers well but doesn’t look like you have a whole load of coverage. With other tinted moisturisers or BB creams I’ve tried, they’ve tended just to add a tint to the skin but did nothing in terms of coverage, but this really lives up to its claims of colour correction. I found that it was definitely enough coverage for me for day to day wear, with a little added concealer when I needed it. I also really enjoy it for using underneath other foundations as it creates a really nice smooth and even base. 

In terms of wear, I found this to wear reasonably well on the skin. Seeing as it claims to be a hydrating base, I wasn’t expecting too much in terms of longevity but I found that it hadn’t faded or creased throughout the day, although it does tend to get a little shiny in places. My skin does still get slightly oily, but is dehydrated around the nose, but I didn’t find that it got patchy in those dehydrated areas like a lot of other foundations. Setting this with a powder and/or setting spray seemed to fix the oiliness. 

All in all, I can’t say enough good things about this CC cream. The coverage, the wear and the SPF makes me think that this will be my go-to summer base, and I may even be tempted to buy a lighter shade for the colder months. I really love Bourjois bases and they haven’t disappointed, so if you are on the lookout for your perfect summer base, maybe this is a good option for you.

–RachelElizabeth

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Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Hot Pepper | Review

Liquid lipsticks are having their moment right now and it seems that everyone is lusting over these Bourjois versions. I’m a big fan of liquid lipsticks in general – I usually opt for a matte finish and a long-lasting formulas and liquid lipsticks always seem to be the best option. So, does this live up to its hype?

The Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipsticks retail at £8.99. I picked up the shade Hot Pepper which is a bright slightly orangey-toned red, a very typical me shade. The shade range is a little limited but there does seem to be some incredible bold colours on offer. The formulation of this lipstick is incredible, and is potentially one of the best liquid lipsticks that I have come across. It applies slightly sheer, but unlike many others (i.e. Hourglass Opaque Rouge) you can actually build up layers with this. I am all for layering lip products as this does wonders for the longevity and also means that you can actually touch up throughout the day without it getting cakey and feeling really gloopy on your lips.


However, I actually didn’t need to touch up this lipstick. This lasted so long on the lips, and the only way to remove it is with some sort of makeup remover or cleanser. It wore impeccably through eating and drinking and managed to look fresh all day long. It is matte so does feel slightly drying but it is by no means as drying as other formulas out there. 





















So if you can’t tell by my gushing for this product, I am completely in love with this lipstick. If you love your bold colours like me, then these are an absolute must have. This is potentially the perfect long-lasting formula, and I will be very surprised if I don’t ‘accidentally’ pop a few more of these in my basket on my next trip to Boots…
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Tom Ford Wild Ginger

An orangey-red is possibly my favourite lip colour to wear ever. There is something about a bright punchy firey-red that is so striking, yet really flattering and easy to wear. Every time I went to a Tom Ford counter I always had to swatch this on my hand but just couldn’t justify the price tag. Apparently my boyfriend was taking notes as I ended up receiving this as an anniversary present!

Wild Ginger is a bright orange based red. When you first apply this lipstick it is very creamy and leaves quite a creamy and glossy finish but as it wears throughout the day the sheen fades and it becomes more matte. For a creamy lipstick this is surprisingly long lasting – it stayed on my lips through eating and drinking. Also can we take a moment to swoon over the packaging? Stun-ning. 

This is obviously a splurgy purchase at £36, and I wouldn’t say that you need this in your life. If money isn’t an issue then it is definitely a great luxury purchase, or if you love the shade, maybe its something to put on your next christmas or birthday wish list! Having the lipstick, I am absolutely head over heels in love with it and I probably would repurchase or ask for it again if I ran out (however I am one of those weird people that for ages after I get it still apply it from the back so I don’t ruin the embossed TF!)























What is your opinion on luxury makeup? Do you think it’s worth the money?

–RachelElizabeth

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Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara | Review

Just over a month ago saw the 10th anniversary of this best-selling mascara, and Debenhams were selling it for only £10! I was in the market for a new mascara, and naturally, this was a deal I just couldn’t pass up. Even though I’ve had it a while now, it did take me quite a long time to decide how I felt about it. I feel now that I’ve tested this out long enough I can finally give you my verdict…


Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara retails for £22.50. The main issue I had with this mascara was that when brand new it is incredibly wet. My lashes are naturally quite long (although very blonde, explaining why they look non-existent in the before picture!) and I found that when I first got this the application did end up getting quite messy. I think I prefer and am more used to a slightly drier formulation, but once this started to dry out a little bit and I made sure I only applied to the upper lashes when looking down in the mirror, this wasn’t so much of an issue. 

Lancôme says that this mascara’s main asset is that it adds volume to the lashes. I do think that this is the case, and what is great about this mascara is that it adds volume and coats the lashes incredibly quickly, and it doesn’t take long to get a dramatic result. However, if you’re one for layering many coats of mascara, this one doesn’t do too well in that area. I find because it is quite wet, it tends to clump if you add too much. Overall I like the look that it gives to my lashes, it is extremely black, and is quite lengthening as well as volumising. 

In terms of wear, I find that when I wear this alone without any eyeshadow on, it can transfer on to my eyelid and brow bone, but bear in mind that this happens to me with loads of mascaras. If you have oily eyelids or you find that mascara smudges on you then you may want to skip this one. However, I find it wears well when I have got eyeshadow on as this helps to keep the eyelid from getting oily throughout the day. It also keeps my lashes looking really curled throughout the day. 











































Overall, I don’t think I’m 100% sold on this mascara. Its quite upsetting as this is such a popular mascara and I had quite high hopes for it, but not everything works for everyone. It is no means a bad mascara, I do like it and I will use it up, but I don’t think it is my perfect mascara, and it is definitely not the best I’ve tried. Have you tried Hypnôse before? Let me know if you haveany mascara recommendations!

–RachelElizabeth
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Makeup Geek Eyeshadows | Review and Swatches Part 2

So this is part 2 of my first venture into Makeup Geek eyeshadows. If you missed part 1, you can check it out here. This second instalment is focusing on the darker shades that I got. I felt like I had been lacking some really good matte browns in my collection, so I made sure to get some really essential shades that I can wear all the time.


Latte is described as a ‘matte medium brown’. This is slightly cooler than some of the other shades I bought, but works really well as a crease colour. The texture, the payoff and the blendability of this shadow are excellent, and I can definitely see this as becoming a staple in my collection.
























Frappé is described as ‘medium maple brown matte’. It isn’t too dissimilar from Latte but it is different enough in undertone as it is much rosier and warmer to warrant having both (at least that’s my way of justifying it…). Much like Latte the formulation is again really excellent, as it is really pigmented and smooth, and really easy to blend into the crease. 























Cocoa Bear is described as a ‘matte reddish brown’. This is a really interesting shade as although it has really obvious red undertones, it is still really wearable as a crease shade (I find it much warmer in person than in these pictures below). As I mentioned in part 1 of this review, I have been really liking warm smokey eyes on me recently, as it really brings out the blue in my eyes. Again, this is a beautifully formulated eyeshadow, and probably one of my favourites that I ordered.























Mocha is described as a ‘deep matte brown’. It is much cooler than Cocoa Bear but it isn’t overly cool or too grey. This sort of colour is an essential for me as I always use them as eyeliner on more natural days. This is another richly pigmented and smooth shadow that I would highly recommend. 






















In terms of size, these are the same as Mac eyeshadows, and therefore you could put them in a Mac palette if you wanted to. I ordered a Z Palette from Love Makeup, but you can order them from the Makeup Geek website – the one I wanted wasn’t in stock when I placed my order. I got the small palette and it fits 9 shades in perfectly, but they come in several sizes depending on how much you want to fit in. 

I am overall really impressed with the shadows that I ordered, and I have been reaching for them on an everyday basis. For the price, you really can’t go wrong as they are all incredible quality. If you are interested in other shades, there are swatches of all the shades on the Makeup Geek website, which I think is super helpful. I would definitely say they are comparable to Mac eyeshadows, and if your budget doesn’t quite stretch to the likes of Mac, then I would 100% recommend checking out the shadows Makeup Geek. I am very tempted to order some more!

–RachelElizabeth
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Makeup Geek Eyeshadows | Swatches and Reviews Part 1

The Makeup Geek line was released a few years ago now, but it has recently been getting a lot more hype on YouTube. If you didn’t know, the line is the creation of Marlena, MakeupGeekTV on youtube, and currently consists of brushes, eyeshadows and pigments.  I have been eying these up for a while, particularly because it seems that she has personally put so much effort into her line, and is very much in control rather than going through another company. Staying on the safe side, I ordered 9 neutral eyeshadows in the pan, and I must admit, this was one of my most exciting orders in a long time. This post includes 5 of the 9 shades I ordered, so if you are interested in the others I bought, check back tomorrow… 

Each shadow in the pan is $5.99 (approximately £4) available here, making these an incredibly affordable option compared to the likes of mac. Shipping was very cheap and arrived in two weeks, which isn’t bad considering it came from the US. Be warned, I did have to pay £14 in customs charges which is a bit annoying, but it didn’t hurt quite as much as the shipping and the shadows themselves were very affordable. 


Shimma Shimma is described as a ‘metallic champagne’. It is a frosty light pinky-beige shade, which is perfect for highlighting and sweeping all over the lid to brighten. This shade is so creamy and pigmented and is really easy to work with. I did find that the shimmery shades seem to fade a little throughout the day but that’s nothing that a good primer can’t fix. 























Peach Smoothie is described as a ‘light peach beige with a soft matte finish’. It is a pretty light pastel peach shade. This was a little disappointing as it doesn’t pack as much of a punch as I wanted it to, and it feels a little dry in texture. It is however, still decently pigmented and is nice to sweep over the eyelid to create a warm eye look. I’ve been gravitating towards slightly more orangey shades for the summer and I find this to be a great base colour for those looks.






















Glamorous is described as a ‘shimmery bronze gold’. On my skin, at least, this pulls a bit more coppery and orange than gold. However, I find shades like this look more gold and less orange the more tanned I get, so bare that in mind if you are a darker skin tone than me. Other than Shimma Shimma this was the only shimmery shade I ordered, and this is the same beautifully buttery formula. It’s incredibly pigmented and absolutely stunning for bringing out blue eyes in particular.























Crème Brulee is described as a ‘medium sand colour with a soft matte finish’. This is probably one of my favourites that I ordered. It is a mid-tone brown shade which leans more on the warm side, and is really nice for a transition colour in the crease. It is much more buttery and smooth than Peach Smoothie, and blends beautifully, which can be an issue for matte shades. I think that everybody needs a shade like this, a couple of shades darker than your skin tone, which can be used in pretty much every eyeshadow look.























Chickadee is described as a ‘matte yellow orange’. This shade was another buttery matte shade, but it is slightly powdery when you swirl your brush in it, but I didn’t find that this affected how it applied or blended. Now you’re probably questioning my statement that I bought all neutral eyeshadows, but hear me out on this one. To warm up any smokey eye, it looks absolutely stunning to put a shade like this right above the colour that you have put in your crease. I also bought this with the intention of experimenting with colour, and orange looks absolutely stunning on blue eyes. 























So that concludes part one of my Makeup Geek Eyeshadow review, but make sure you check back tomorrow for the rest of the shades I picked up…

–RachelElizabeth
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Manicure Monday #17 | L’Oreal Pistachio Drage

Ever since the L’Oreal ‘Le Blanc’ collection came out I have been drooling over all of the shades. It consists of four gorgeous, almost white, pastel shades. I had my eye particularly on this shade, which was always out of stock in every Boots or Superdrug I went into. When I finally found it, I grabbed it straight away and haven’t looked back since…

L’Oreal Perfection Color Riche in Pistachio Drage is a creamy mint-tinged white shade. Surprisingly, for a pastel, it is decently opaque in one coat, but it definitely still needs two. I have never tried any L’Oreal polishes before, but I was pretty impressed with the formula – it wore well on the nails and wasn’t too prone to chipping. The shade itself is absolutely stunning; in some lights in leans more towards white, and sometimes it is much more of a true mint shade. The bottle is on the small side for a polish, but if you’re like me and have an embarrassingly large collection, then you will probably still not reach the end of this…
























Pastels are always all the rage in spring, and it seems that L’Oreal have really hit the nail on the head with this collection. I’ve had to stop myself getting carried away and buying the whole range, because they are all so stunning. If you are in the market for a new pastel, then this is probably right up your street. 
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Manicure Monday #16 | Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Blueberry

Funnily enough, I used to detest blue nail polish. I hated how it looked on my nails and I would never wear it. Over the past year or so, my favourite nail colours are generally shades of blue (Nails Inc Baker Street being a prime example). Recently I’ve been pining over these gorgeous pastel periwinkle shades, and today I bring you a new favourite in my collection. 

Barry M Gelly Nail Effects in Blueberry is a gorgeous light periwinkle shade. I find that it is a little too dark to be a pastel, but it isn’t overly bright – it sits somewhere in between. As I have mentioned before, the Gelly range from Barry M is incredible – it lasts a really long time on the nails, it is seriously opaque, and the shine competes with Seche Vite. I think that this is one of the newer shades of the line, and it makes me incredibly excited that they will be continuing to add to the range. 
























I am obsessed with this colour, and can see that it is going to be a spring and summer staple. This range is quickly becoming my favourite budget nail polish line – it has something for everyone and the formula is to die for. 

–RachelElizabeth
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Sleek Eyebrow Stylist | Review

























I’m not one to try too many brow products – I’ve found one I like (Mac Eye Brows in Fling if you’re wondering) and I have consistently repurchased. This may come as a surprise as I am quite fickle when it comes to other makeup categories… However, when there is a lot of hype around a product, I do become a little intrigued, and normally it’s not too long before it’s in my basket and coming home with me.

The Sleek Eyebrow Stylist (£5.99) comes in three shades. Having blonde hair, I picked up the shade light. My eyebrows are quite dark, but I tend to pick lighter shades so that they don’t look too stark against my hair or skin. This pencil is quite a sheer formula, which I quite like in a brow pencil – it makes it much harder to go overboard. It’s also quite a hard pencil, which is great if you want a more natural look, and will last longer than a creamier formula as you won’t use as much product. In terms of the shade, it matches perfectly with my brows – it isn’t too warm and orangey or too cool and grey. It sits in the middle, creating a natural looking shade. The pencil is quite thick, which makes it hard to create individual brush strokes, but if you only need to fill in sparse areas, this isn’t an issue. It also has really good lasting power.

The addition of the spoolie is one of the best aspects of this product. A lot of brow products are including them now, and I think that they all should. Brushing the brows up before applying the pencil allows you to shape your brows, and then brushing them through after application makes them look much more natural.

Below is a before and after of my brows:























As you can see, I have pretty full brows, but they are a little bit sparse, particularly at the front. This brow product is great for natural looking brows, and I would say great for those who haven’t tried brow products before. It’s pretty foolproof, and almost impossible to have a heavy hand. I really like this brow pencil – I don’t know if it has quite overtaken my love for the Mac offering, but it is definitely a close one. 

–RachelElizabeth
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Inside My Sister’s Makeup Bag

Introducing to RachelElizabeth, fellow beauty addict and my older sister Charli. We both started watching YouTube at around the same time (a long long time ago), and she, much like myself, has a rather large beauty stash. I’ve wanted to include her on the blog for a while, and as she often travels back home to visit I thought there was no better introduction than having a nose in her makeup bag. She is a Physiotherapist, so I asked her if she could explain the makeup that she wears on an everyday basis, and, of course, the fun things she adds to spruce it up on the weekends.


“Working in a hospital means I don’t get the chance to top up my makeup throughout the day, and as I have oily skin I like to use products that keep me as matte as possible. On a daily basis, I start by prepping the skin – firstly, I use the Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray and then prime with the Rimmel Stay Matte Primer. I find the combination of these products has been the best base to apply makeup on top of. For foundation, I use the Mac Studio Fix Fluid in NC15, followed by concealing under the eyes and any blemishes with the Mac Pro Longwear Concealer also in NC15. This concealer is the only concealer I have tried that doesn’t crease under my eyes, and it stays put on my skin even at its oiliest. To set this all in place and to add a bit more coverage, I use the Mac Studio Fix Powder, again in NC15. To bring a bit of colour and subtle contouring to the face, I switch between the Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder in Shade 03 and Nars Bronzing Powder in Laguna (not pictured above). My favourite everyday blush is the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed as I find it is natural enough for daytime when used with a light hand. To fill in my brows, I use the MUA Pro-Brow Ultimate Eyebrow Kit – the medium brown (top right) is the perfect shade for my brows. I used to use Mac Eyeshadow in Omega but I find the MUA option much more pigmented. I then set my brows with the Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara in Dark Blond. Finally, I curl my lashes and apply mascara. I use two different ones because most mascaras smudge on my lower lash line. My favourites are the Chanel Volume De Chanel Mascara for my upper lashes and the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara as it doesn’t smudge or transfer throughout the day. As a final step, I like to use the setting spray once more, just to lock in all the makeup.


“When I’m not working, I like to add a little more excitement to my makeup. In terms of eyeshadow, I like a light shimmery colour on the lids. For this, one of my favourite combinations is the Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in Shade 13 as a base and the Bare Minerals Nude Beach Eyeshadow. For a little definition, I like to take the bronzer I’ve used that day and blend into the crease of my eye. All three naked palettes are also my go-to eyeshadows. I love winged eye liner and for this I like the Bourjois Liner Pinceau Liquid Eyeliner – it is a nice matte black shade and it doesn’t transfer onto your brow bone. I also like to brighten my waterline with the Mac Chromographic Pencil in NC15/NW20. One of my favourite steps is highlighter, and for this I use the Chanel Poudre Signee De Chanel Illuminating Powder which I think was limited edition, but I love it because it has a very fine golden shimmer running throughout. For a more natural lip, my favourite is the Mac Lipglass in Nymphette as my all time favourite shade in lip gloss is pink with gold shimmer. For a brighter lip for spring and summer, I recently bought the Mac Lipstick in Full Fuchsia. This is great as it is not too matte but not too glossy, it wears really nicely and isn’t too drying.”

–RachelElizabeth


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