July 2013 Favourites

August 5, 2013 - Vicki 5 Comments

July was mostly lovely and warm with a few wet days here and there. Pretty much perfect weather, I even managed to get my legs out which is nothing short of a miracle. It was a really quick month and I spent a week of it in Scotland, I am learning how to really edit my makeup / skincare for travel. I’m becoming a packing pro. So let me tell you a little about my chosen 8 products.

balance Me pure skin face wash* – I had a small one of these cleansers which came free with last months Glamour Magazine and I love it. This full size was kindly sent to me by balance Me and I was thrilled to bits as I love this face wash. I have left my smaller tube in Scotland for when I visit my dad. This is one of the most gentle cleansers I’ve tried. It leaves my skin baby soft, don’t think that because it is gentle that it’s not effective at removing makeup because you’d be wrong.

This cleanser is very good paired with a face cloth at removing the days makeup and leaving the skin clean, hydrated and ready for your night-time skin routine. I used to use a different cleanser in the morning but that’s a little redundant right now because I have been using this balance Me one morning and night. balance Me pure skin face wash – 125ml for £16

Elemis White Flowers Eye & Lip Makeup Remover* – I use this before using the balance Me cleanser and they make a very dynamic pair. This removes my eye makeup in one swoop of the cotton pad. Swoop & the makeup is gone! No endless rubbing back & forth which is a very good thing as I’m fast approaching my mid 30’s I do not want to be rubbing my eyes and making unnecessary lines & causing damage. Oh no!

I’ve been using this every evening for a month and I’ve used about a third. I like that only a small amount of the liquid comes out the top at once as I have a tendency to waste these kind of products and that gets expensive. This product is bi-phase and this helps remove makeup and also cleanse the eye area. I find that it leaves my eyes feeling clean but not greasy even thought there is oil in the liquid. It even removes my Covergirl Waterproof Mascara and that’s some heavy-duty black war paint! I can’t say if this removes lipstick as I don’t wear lipstick 99% of the time (are you shocked) so haven’t put that part to the test. Elemis White Flowers Lip & Eye Makeup Remover 125ml for £19. I am reckoning it lasting me a good 3 months so that’s great value for money

No7 BB Lips SPF 15 – I bought this a while ago with one of those No7 vouchers (I love those). I like the packaging and the colour range. I bought the colour Blink Pink it comes out a real baby pink colour & gives your lips a hint of colour. The great thing about these BB Lips is they have SPF 15 in, perfect for summer & holidays, you get beautiful lips & sun protected too. I will be popping back into Boots at some point to swatch the others colours, of which there is 6. Let me know if you’d recommend any of the other colours. No7 BB Lips Beauty Balm 11ml for £8.50

Simple Moisture Boost Hydro Mist – I love a facial mist especially during the crazy heat we had in July. I get so hot and these face mists are a great way to cool down and most of them you can spray over your makeup and it won’t ruin it. This Simple one is really hydrating and if you keep it in the fridge it’s so cooling too. It sprays a fine mist and doesn’t just soak your face. When I’m not at home I carry this in my handbag for those moments when your skin feels clammy. If you haven’t tried this you need to give it a go. Simple Moisture Boost Hydro Mist – 50ml for £5.99

Sally Hansen Blue Me Away Nail Polish – This is the ONLY polish I have had on my toes during July. I bought this polish whilst I was in San Francisco in June and it is the prettiest shade of blue I have seen. It just reminds me of blue holiday swimming pools. It has been long wearing on my toes and I’ve had lots of compliments on the colour. You can get away with one coat if you’re in a rush but 2 coats looks fab if you have the time. Sally Hansen Blue Me Away – 11.8ml for £2.99

I wanted to mention quickly the cotton wool I use – Skin Therapy Large Oval Cotton Wool Pads. I get these from Wilkinson for 65p. They’re really good value and perfect for taking off makeup / nail polish and all that jazz. I stock up on these whenever I am in.

These have been my go to cheek combo for July and I love both these products in equal measures. NYC Smooth SkinBronzing Face Powder in the colour Sunny – I bought this in poundland and its my best beauty buy ever. This is a Matte bronzer and gives my skin a lovely sun-kissed glow. I think I have worn it everyday for about 3 months. 9.4g for $2.99

Sleek Blush in the colour Sunrise 924 – This comes off as a plum colour, it’s a really warm colour and it gives my cheeks a beautiful healthy glow. It is very pigmented with a pretty shimmer to it and the colour lasts all day on my skin with no touch ups. Sleek do some of the best value blushes. I do no own enough of them! Do you have any recommendations? Sleek Blush in Sunrise 8g for £4.49.

I know this next item isn’t a product but an old magazine – but it has been a favourite of mine and may I just say that David is looking mighty fine! No need to thank me, just enjoy!

Products marked with an * were kindly sent to me for my consideration and I am under no obligation to blog about them. My reviews are 100% my own honest opinions. x

Grid of Makeup #3

August 2, 2013August 3, 2013 - Vicki Leave a comment

I do these posts every couple of months as I don’t wear makeup everyday and when I do I often forget to take a photo of what I used. If you want to see the previous posts they’re here & here.

I really like to see what I have reached for most often and there is no better way that visually seeing what makeup you used. So I post Instagam photos and I’m surprised to see that I use some products a lot more than I thought. I definitely have some firm favourites.

In a couple of the photos I’ve used my Chanel single eyeshadows in the shades 45 Safari (a soft brown) and 76 Liberty (a pretty cream with shimmer). These are lovely quality and both colours look amazing worn alone all over the lid for a minimal effortless makeup look. I adore the packaging too.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser SPF20 – I didn’t think I used this as often as I seem to. I do love it and it makes my skin look amazing, healthy, glowing but still very natural. This is one of the only face products I own that wears really well on me and stays looking even on my skin. I would repurchase this in a heartbeat. Although saying that this tube is lasting me a long time. I have had it over a year. I like to apply this with my fingers and really blend it in.

My stand out product has to be my NYC Bronzer in the shade Sunny (its matte) as I bought it in the poundshop last year, not holding out too much hope of it being any good & boy was I shocked. It is something I have to stop myself reaching for on a daily basis so I my other bronzers get a look in. I can say it was a £1 very very well spent and I wish I’d bought the lot of them. I can say this bronzer would feature very high up in my top 10 products ever.

In the last photo I used my beloved Mac Amber Lights eyeshadow, this is just the prettiest colour. I’d describe it as a copper toned gold. Its stunning and looks gorgeous in the summer. I’m going to try to wear it alot more in August. I only own 5 Mac eyeshadows and this along with Woodwinked are my favourites.

MUA Undress Your Skin Radiant Under Eye Concealer – I really like the brightening effect of this under my eye. It is so easy to blend and a little goes along way. It’s a nice consistency and even on my more mature skin it doesn’t crease which is something of a mini miracle. For £3 its a must have.

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner I got the Christmas Box Set of 5 colours and I love them so much. They really are smudge proof after about one minute. You have very little time if you want to make a smokey eye with them or smudge them on your lower lashline. I mostly wear Moray – a beautiful green which looks so pretty if you have brown eyes, Angelfish – a pretty nude pink which is great for the waterline to brighten your eyes and lastly Oscarfish – A deep conker brown with a hint of shimmer, I love to use this to create a brown smokey eye. These eyeliners are worth the money and they last all day.

If there is anything I have used that you would like me to review just let me know. Also have you tried any of the products in my photos? I’d love to hear what you thought of them.

Too Many Mascaras

July 28, 2013January 12, 2015 - Vicki 5 Comments

I did a post a last October about the mascaras I was using, I think most of those have been and gone and I have a tin full of new ones. I seem to have so many on the go at any given time. I tell myself that they each do something different.

Avon Super Magnify Mascara – This has the weirdest brush with smallest bristles & at first I thought it was too small to do any thing with but I since realised that this mascara gives the most amazing length to my lashes. Don’t expect volume with this mascara because its not going to happen. It makes my lashes look so natural, healthy and very very long. I really like this.

Covergirl Flamed out Waterproof Mascara in Very Black Blaze – This is a nice mascara if you just want to use one coat and be done. It puts alot of product on the lashes very quickly. It is very black and gives the eyes drama not length but great thickness. I use this most days.

BarryM Lash Vegas Mascara in Black* – This has a very wet formula and I found it quite messy to apply. The brush wasn’t great at grabbing my lashes either. If you like the look of thick black lashes, almost spider effect then you might like this. But I wasn’t bowled over by it.

Clarins Wonder Perfect Mascara in 01 Wonder Black – I love the brush on this (I only have a small sample with purchase tube) but it seems to be lasting for ages. The brush is dense and quite big so it grabs all your lashes in one go. It adds volume and length, i have to say this mascara makes my lashes look WOW amazing. I am going to buy the full size.

Soap & Glory Thick and Fast Mascara in Super Jet Black – I really didn’t like this mascara at fist but when the formula dried up it redeemed it’s self a little as I stared to use it more. I often use this as a base coat and add another mascara on top. It’s not the blackest in colour and now that its almost coming to an end I wouldn’t repurchase.

Covergirl Lash Blast Luxe in 855 Black Emerald – I seem to have a thing for Covergirl Mascara. I just really like their formula and they last for ages. They never flake on me either. This one is lovely it gives amazing volume to my lashes and helps keep my lashes curled. This colour has a slight shimmer in – but you can’t really see that on the lashes. I also like the plastic brushes on these I find them easy to work with.

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara – LOVE LOVE LOVE this. I have to say right off the bat that this is my most used mascara out of the bunch. I really like the natural look it gives my lashes and it makes them look really long and separated. This tube has lasted me a while and it’s not dried out or flakey. It’s a really amazing mascara and I’d buy it over and over again.

Benefit BADgal – Sample Size, not a huge fan of this. I used to hate it and then try it again a few weeks later. I find it messy and it always ends up really flaking and landing on my under eye area. Not a fan of this at all.

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless 001 Black – It took me a few attempts to master the brush on this, as it is so bendy. I do like it and it gives crazy length to my lashes. I would say build it up slowly otherwise you will end up with clumpy lashes. This lasts well on me and its another mascara I reach for alot.

Covergirl Lash Blast 24 hour Mascara – This is my favourite mascara in my collection. Its so black on the lashes and the formula is perfect so you can build up to quite a dramatic look. I like how this separates and creates length. My lashes look almost false when I am wearing this. It gets 10/10 from me, I wouldn’t be without a tube in my collection

Have you used any of these mascaras? I would also love o hear any recommendations for black mascaras that give good length to the lashes.

*I received the BarryM Mascara at a bloggers event and I am under no obligation to use or review it.

Inglot Makeup Stole My Heart

July 20, 2013March 11, 2018 - Vicki 9 Comments

I bought my first Inglot Freedom System Palette last year whilst I was in Amsterdam and I absolutely love every eyeshadow I put in that palette. The quality and price are amazing, they also have such a wide range of colours and finishes. So whilst I was in San Francisco last month I wanted to buy a few more from Inglot in Macy’s.

This time I went for a 4 pan palette 3 eyeshadows and 1 blush. As with last time, it took me ages to decide what to buy, I even had to look at my Inglot blog post to make sure I didn’t buy the same colours again. So here is what I went for. All very me colours – quite neutral and easy to wear.

402 / 393 / 605 / Blush 28

This is my first Inglot Blush and its a really pretty pink, I will be going back for a few more colours. Have you tried any Inglot blushes?

I was so impressed with my last palette and this one didn’t disappoint the eyeshadows are creamy and very pigmented. They glide on and have great staying power. Inglot has become my favourite brand for eyeshadows, they tick all the boxes.

I only have positive things to say about all the products I have tried from Inglot and they are so reasonably priced. The packaging is slim and very sturdy, the lid is magnetic so it is great for travel, and if you want to build your own palette they literally have every colour you could dream of! I highly recommend Inglot & would love to hear what you have tried from this brand.

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July 2013 Favourites

Grid of Makeup #3

Too Many Mascaras

Inglot Makeup Stole My Heart