Showing posts with label makeup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label makeup. Show all posts

Brand Spotlight #2: Soap&Glory


So I'm obsessed with Soap&Glory and adore a large range of products so thought I would share some of my favourites! Soap&Glory is a brand I've loved since I was thirteen and living in Thailand where I was introduced to the Righteous Butter (something my mum and I still use!).

But as we have a lot to get through, let's get going.

Makeup wise, I haven't tried that many things but it should be no surprise that Brow Archery is one of my favourites. It's the perfect ashy brown for my hair and it just looks wonderful. The nib is really fine and the spooly is wonderful! But recently, I've been trying the Brow Archery 2-in-1 which is similar to the brow archery but instead of a simple pencil, it has a tinted brow wax which has the perfect amount of colour and waxiness. Ideal for those no makeup days where the brows still need to be tamed.

Soap&Glory skincare has been something I've seriously ignored until recently but I'm a woman obsessed. I've never been big on day creams but the Speed Plump All Day Moisture Marvel is brilliant. It smells incredible (the marshmallow Soap&Glory scent) and works really well. It sits really well under makeup but doesn't make it look greasy or anything like that. And then for night, I've been loving moisture masks and with a fourteen hour flight looming, I needed something that worked in flight as well. The Beauty Sleep Accelerator is incredible and I honestly think it might be a slightly thicker dupe for the Origins Drink Me Up Moisture Mask. It smells of mango and is incredibly moisturising but leaves my skin fresh and glowy in the morning. 

And onto bodycare, I couldn't not mention the Righteous Butter because I've been using it for donkey's years and it's the best. The scent isn't too overpowering and it sinks into your skin straight away. The one pictured is from the christmas scent, hence why it's little (which is great for travelling) but normally, the tub is much larger!

Have you tried Soap&Glory? What are some of your favourites? 

This post may contain items that have been sent to me for review. All opinions are my own.

The Foundation Edit


I've never been a foundation gal. It's never really been my thing which is why I've never shared a post like this before as it is slightly different to what I normally do. For some reason, I've surprisingly accumulated a fair amount of foundation and bases so decided to share!

Let's start with the high coverage bases...
Yves Saint Laurent Touche d'Eclat was one of my first foundations and definitely my first high end. This has a lovely full coverage finish but leaves everything really nice and glowy without seeming caked on. The only downside is the SPF which does cause major flash back in photos but for average day time, it's perfect. Then Bourjois Healthy Mix is probably a drugstore equivalent of the YSL as it gives a similar high coverage yet glowy finish. It's more high coverage than the YSL but the texture on skin doesn't make it obvious that I'm wearing foundation. And finally, the newest addition is a Kardashian favourite, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk which has no SPF so is my choice for going out. It's an incredible flawless finish and doesn't need a primer to last all day.

Then onto lighter bases...
I definitely reach for these far more than any others as I rarely wear a full face of makeup to university. bareMinerals Complexion Rescue will always be one of my favourites as it's surprisingly high coverage for a gel like texture. The packaging says you can apply it with your fingers but I would definitely advise using a brush as it leaves a more flawless finish. Then onto a new one, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser is a great one for days where you simply can't be bothered. It's easy to apply with fingers but has enough coverage that it doesn't need too much concealer. And then, Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint and this is exactly what it says on the tin, it is definitely a skin tint and wouldn't be ideal if you suffer from breakouts as coverage is limited, however, it does sit well over concealer.

And for matte...
Illamasqua Skin Base is a really nice finish. It dries incredibly matte so if you are drier, this probably wouldn't be the best finish as it can cling to dry patches. I definitely use a glowy base or an illuminator under it as I find it can make my face appear a bit one dimensional but it gives such a flawless finish that is ideal for a full face of makeup. 
And the L'Oreal Infalliable Matte is a blogger favourite and I love how it applies. Similarly with the Illamasqua, it does sometimes cling to dry patches but it does last all day and definitely doesn't need powder or anything like that.

What are some of your favourite skin bases? 

This post may contain items that have been sent to me for review. All opinions are my own.

The Last Minute Gift Guide for Her


If you're reading this right now, you've left your christmas shopping a little bit too late...

With barely ten days till Christmas, the shops are packed and even thinking about the state of the Trafford Centre makes me shudder. But just because you've left it a bit late, doesn't mean you can't buy fab gifts for either your friends or your family.

Soap&Glory is one of my go to brands for gifts because lets be honest, their gift sets are incredible. They have an incredible range of sets for various price points so you can go all out luxury or keep it under £10 if it's a secret santa pressie.

The Bright and Bubbly gift set is not only stunning to look at but comes in at the £10 mark. It includes some of the more classic Soap&Glory sets such as Hand Food, Scrub of Your Life, Clean on Me, Righteous Butter as well as a loofah. The glittery box is definitely beautiful and could even be used afterwards to store bath bombs or your bath things in!

Then for the girl who loves moisturiser - Three Times Butter is slightly cheaper at £8 and is such a nice idea! The set includes smaller tubs of Righteous Butter, Sugar Crush and Smoothie Star body butters so is a great way of not feeling guilty about not using up an entire tub of body butter!

Then, if you've got loads of friends and really can't afford to spend too much, the Soaprise set of christmas crackers is a great idea. The set may be £16 but contains six crackers filled with minis from Soap&Glory. A fab way of getting your friends a little something without breaking the bank.

And then moving to luxury, Charlotte Tilbury Palettes always deliver the goods. Pictured is the Golden Goddess Palette and seems perfect for Christmas with it's glittery golden tones - very christmas party-esque. It's definitely more expensive at £45 but is a lovely luxury present for a very special someone.

This post may contain items that have been sent to me for review. All opinions are my own.

Brand Spotlight #1: Jeffree Star


So this is a new series that you'll start to notice over on the blog, brand spotlights and before anyone gets antsy, these aren't sponsored and are purely my way of introducing new brands onto the blog!

In the UK, one thing we are deprived of is quality liquid lipsticks. Sure, there are versions on the highstreet (Bourjois, I'm looking at you) but there simply isn't the range and variety that I need in my life. Don't get me wrong, I adore the NYX Lip Butters but they seem to disappear from my lips in record time and really don't hold much staying power. 

So I needed a quality matte liquid lipstick that wouldn't budge and wouldn't turn a funny texture but also holds the pigment that I need in my life.

Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipsticks were an answer to prayer in some respect. Fair enough, they aren't available on the high street but considering they arrived within a week and I had ordered them from the US (without those pesky customs charges) I'm beyond impressed. They're about $18 each which with the current exchange rate is about £10 so they're not too astronomically priced but honestly, they're worth every penny. The website even stops customers from buying more than two of each colour!

I started off with two, and then two more and they were soon my favourite lipstick. Their incredible colour range from wearable nudes and reds and funky blues and greens, they're incredible. They're also not tested on animals and are cruelty free and I believe vegan (but don't quote me on that).

My current favourite nude is Celebrity Skin and my favourite bright is Redrum

Even if you are UK based, I would definitely recommend ordering yourself one as this lippy is sure to withstand those Christmas parties that are swiftly approaching.



Ultimate Christmas Party Makeup


So, Christmas is almost upon us and soon as will the Christmas parties...

Christmas parties are a great way to get away with majorly glittery makeup and deep vampy lips because what is more festive than golden glitter?

I think using a good primer is the first step to Christmas party makeup to make sure that your makeup lasts! I typically would go for something like the Too Faced Hungover Primer but I've been loving the MAC Prep + Prime Fix + which is slightly unusual as it is a spray primer. What makes it so brilliant is that it contains glycerin which helps make makeup stick. This is also perfect if you want a more intense highlight or are using a looser glittery eyeshadow.

Base wise, I always opt for a foundation that doesn't have SPF just in case someone uses flash (because there is nothing worse than the dreaded flash face). The Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation is my go to for winter because it is fairly high coverage but has a lovely glow that isn't too dewy and greasy looking. If ever I wear a full face of makeup, this is perfect as it gives you a flawless skin finish.

This Illamasqua Palette in Neutral is far from natural but the bronzey shade is gorgeous. The shadows are so pigmented and beautiful and is ideal for a subtle glittery look that screams christmas. I love darkening my crease and then using the bronze glitter shade over my entire lid which looks incredible. Paired with a cat eye, it looks amazing.

And then lip wise, MAC Diva is fairly new in my collection but it's fast becoming my favourite because it is a wonderful deep blue toned red shade. Definitely line your lips first to make sure it doesn't budge but it's beautiful.

What are your go to Christmas Party looks?

This post may contain items that have been sent to me for review. All opinions are my own.

Currently Testing #1


Apologies for a bit of a blogging break from my end, the lighting has been abismal which has meant that I haven't been able to get the photos that I want (and I've slightly dubious about these ones...).

But anyways, I've been testing quite a lot of new makeup so decided to do a bit of a first impressions type review.

Glossier Skin Perfecting Tint is something I've been wanting for ages but they don't ship to the UK but I managed to get hold of it as it seems ideal for those no makeup days or when I go on holiday and really don't want to wear full skin makeup. I have the shade light and I definitely was worried it was going to be too pale but because it's so sheer, it's perfect and doesn't appear too light on my skin. It's very sheer and glowy so not ideal if you have breakouts but otherwise it covers any redness you might have!

Then onto another light base which is the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser which was definitely chosen in mind with my Sunny christmas holiday. At the moment, I am liking it. For uni, I tend to opt for basic tinted moisturisers and this is perfect. It has quite a good medium coverage but definitely seems buildable. It has SPF which is a bonus and so far seems to be ideal.

And finally, a lippy! I've recently become obsessed with the MAC Matte Lipsticks and really like the formula so when the shade Diva arrived on my desk, I was thrilled. It's your stereotypical deep berry red but definitely has more of a purple tone which is quite different for me but so far I'm loving it. 

What are you currently testing?



Beauty Inspiration #1 Luminous Skin


The glowy/dewy/luminous skin hype is typically associated with summer but honestly, I don't see why it isn't winter wearable either. Having spent hours (honestly) researching ways to achieve this look and find the magical products that make your skin appear lit from within but it turns out that there is no magical solution but it's essentially down to hydrated skin. (Also, a way to make this post slightly more amusing might be to drink every time I use the words "dewy" or "luminous".)

I've been getting into the habit of chucking on all of the moisturiser and letting it sink in for a couple of minutes before applying my makeup and honestly, it makes my skin one hundred times better and glowy and also my skin is feeling less like the sahara desert. I also find that using an oil or overnight mask before bed means that I wake up with a nice glow that definitely also makes a difference.

But onwards. Once you crack your skin moisture (I don't care if you're an oily gal, you still need to moisturise), it's onto actual makeup products. Before you move onto foundation, make sure you do your concealer first because then you don't have to worry about blending as applying your foundation will do that for you. 

I find that to achieve a dewy and luminous look, then you really really don't want to use a matte foundation (kind of obvious), but if you're still a high coverage gal then go for something like the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk or the Bourjois Healthy Mix but if you don't mind relying more on concealer, the NARS Tinted Moisturiser. Although there is definitely a technique to achieving the Gigi Hadid glow, her makeup artists rarely apply masses of foundation and prefer to opt for more lightweight skin bases so I would say going for a tinted moisturiser is ideal.

And then, that glow. For blush, cream blushes are ideal (likewise with bronzer) and liquid highlights are perfect for that dewy look. When I'm going all out, I dab MAC Strobe Cream onto my cheekbones, the tip of my nose, my chin and my brow bone. This gives an amazing wet look and just looks insane (in the best way). And then once this is settled, I sometimes use a fan brush to apply the Laura Mercier Illuminator in Indiscretion which is stun-ning. I apply this lightly over the areas I've highlighted for a final glow.

But yes, this is definitely a look I'm going to be wearing quite a lot this winter because I'm all about breaking those beauty boundaries. What are some of your favourite beauty looks this season?

Flake Away Lips


With the cooler months in full swing, there are days where my skin gets so dry it feels like it's ready to shed (almost like how snakes shed their skin) and my lips are no exception.

I love my matte lipsticks so as they can often be quite drying (and sometimes cling to dry patches) so I take extra care to make sure my lips are always moisturised and soft but with so many lip balms on the market, it can be quite tricky to find one that really works.

My first step is exfoliating. I love Lush's Mint Julips because it's minty and sweet. It's basically a simple combination of sugar and oil so if you don't want to spend any money then mixing sugar with olive or coconut oil would come up with a similar effect. 

And then I load on the balm. Depending on how I'm feeling, I switch everything up but my current favourite is the Glossier Balm Dot Com which is probably one of the best lip balms I've ever tried. It's incredibly moisturising and I find putting this on before I head to bed leaves my lips soft and flake free in the morning. 

What are some of your go to maintenance lip products? 

Chip Free Glossy Nails



As much as I love the constant glossiness that gel nails gives, I can't afford to pay out £25 each time I get them done so I resorted to finding my own super glossy combination that I can do at home without any guilt of seeing the transactions come up on my bank statement.

First is the base coat which mattifies the nail and prevents the nail polish from just peeling off. I've been a longstanding lover of Seche Vite so their Ridge Filling Base Coat was a no brainer. It leaves a sheer white finish which is great for sheer nail polish as it amplifies their colour. 

Then onto the colour - above is the WAH girls Nail Polish in Wifey for Lifey (name = slightly dubious) but it's a lovely natural baby pink that looks good with everything. I've been switching between this and Essie's Wicked depending on my mood.

And finally, a potentially controversial option is the top coat. I've used Seche Vite for years and I honestly thought it would remain that way and never change but I spotted this in boots. The WAH Girls nailpolish emerged from a nail salon famed for nail art (their insta is incredible), and because they know their stuff, I decided to give their Super Glossy Top Coat a go. It's bloomin' brilliant because it's super glossy! (I still love my Seche Vite but this is ideal for that gel nail look).

What are some of your favourite nail options?

Stereotypical Berry Lip Edit

 

When I was compiling a list of blog posts that I wanted to get up and scheduled, my brother jokingly suggested that I should share my favourite deep red lipsticks and use the word "autumnal" at least twenty times, so that's what you're getting (however, no autumnal...).

I tend to reach for matte lipsticks in autumn and winter, that way the bold colour doesn't look too bold. My current favourite at the moment has to be Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in Unicorn Blood which is a brown toned deep red and oh my goodness, the lasting power on this is incredible. Jeffree Star has to be some of my absolute favourite liquid lipsticks and I order them from America simply because they're worth it.

Then onto a long standing favourite, Sleek's Dare which is a beautiful matte deep red. I discovered this last year and I was really impressed - it lasts forever and has a really nice finish! Plus, it's about £4 which makes it a serious steal. It's quite drying but I find if I put on a layer of chapstick, it's not too bad!

Then onto a slightly brighter option, is Maybelline Color Drama in Red Essential. It's oneof the few budget versions of the Nars Lip Pencil on the highstreet and it's rarer that these pencils come in a matte form. They're really well priced and I have several different colours because they're simply lovely!

And high end and a more muted option is MAC Whirl which used to be a lip pencil but was recently brought out in the form of a lipstick. This is gorgeous - very Kylie Jenner but there is something about the colour that works well in autumn. It has a mauve undertone that really makes it lovely with a smokey eye.