Continue reading “Current Makeup Hits and Misses | April 2016”
Summer Beauty Essentials
February 2015 Favourites | Makeup, Skincare, Haircare & Body
This month seems to be filled with rediscoveries – I recently repurchased the balance Me Radiance Face Oil (full review here) and it has been doing my skin wonders. For those of you who have oily/blemish-prone skin and are scared of putting oils on the skin, don’t be. This really helps to clear any blemishes I have without drying them out. It nourishes and balances my skin and is overall a great product. For the body, I have been loving the Rituals Fortune Scrub. It is a really effective exfoliator without been too harsh and scratchy on the skin. It has a citrus scent which is very invigorating and fresh in the shower which I love. A rather random favourite this month has been the LaVanilla The Healthy Deodorant in Pure Vanilla. I picked this up while I was in New York as I was looking for a more natural deodorant and I have to say this stuff actually works wonders. It keeps my underarms dry all day and it smells really sweet but isn’t so strong that it competes with your perfume. Speaking of, my favourite scent of the month has definitely been Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium. I received this a christmas present and it is one of the most unique and interesting perfumes I own. It has a combination of vanilla and coffee notes which results in a sweet, rich yet dark and sultry scent.
I feel like favourites posts are meant to be fairly text heavy, so I hope you find these mini reviews useful! I didn’t include any lip products in this post as I always have so many favourites that this may have turned into a dissertation… Let me know your current favourite products below!
–RachelElizabeth
Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Grand Cru Review and Swatches | Blogmas Day #7
It’s not nice giving a bad review of a product, but sometimes it just has to be done. What has upset me the most about this is that I love another shade in the range, and have heard so many people praise the rest of it. There are still some shades that I have my eye on, and I won’t (and neither should you) be put off by one dud shade. Have you tried any from this line?
FOTD | Halloween Edition – Pop Art
Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream | Review
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.
Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Hot Pepper | Review
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.
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.
–RachelElizabeth
Manicure Monday #10 | Bourjois Amande defile
Regardless, I decided to choose the Bourjois Paris So Laque Nail Enamel in Amande Defile, which is quite similar to the Essie option, but perhaps a smudge lighter – a pale duck egg blue shade. This formula really is gorgeous – it’s opaque (which can be an issue for pastel colours), long lasting and incredibly shiny. Bourjois is a slightly more expensive brand on the high street, this polish coming in at £5.99, but I think the formula is good enough to warrant that still affordable price tag. The rest of the shades also look gorgeous and I’m surprised I haven’t already picked more up! This is one of my favourite summer shades, and it was one of my most worn of last year.