New In My Beauty Stash #3

April 21, 2017January 2, 2018 - Vicki 1 Comment

Collagenesis by Skinn Stem Rejen Facial Serum

I am excited to use this, it contains ingredients to help firm, lift and contour the skin’s appearance it is formulated with three new active ingredients: Glacier Water, Snow Algae Powder and Alp Rose. This serum sounds hydrating and just what my skins needs right now

KIKO Less is Better Eyeshadow Palette

I’m going to be that person who declares their love for a palette that has sold out. The lovely Steph gifted me this KIKO palette which was from their recent 20th Anniversary Collection which centres around the no makeup, makeup trend. It is such a cute size and you get 9 neutral, wearable colours. They’re not all incredibly pigmented but you can build them up. I am excited to use it a little more.

Tangle Angel Detangling Brush

If it is good enough for Kim Kardashian, the word on the grapevine is that she uses one of these Tangle Angel Brushes and she has gorgeous hair. The Tangle Angel brush has flexible detangling bristles. It is anti-static antibacterial and heat resistant oh & it is also pink! My niece keeps trying to pinch it, so I am going to have to buy her one too.

The Body Shop Eye Colour Stick in Nevada Gold

I love an eyeshadow stick – they’re great for applying your makeup super quick and you don’t need to use a brush, just blend it out with your finger. These ones from The Body Shop are waterproof and enriched with babassu oil and beeswax. They don’t crease and the colour stays put. I have the Nevada Gold shade which a pretty champagne gold which works for me as an everyday colour.

Lancome LA Base Pro Hydra Glow

I have only used this a couple of times but it does give a nice subtle dewy, glow to your skin and it makes a lovely primer. Unlike most primers this Lancome offering is formulated to have some fantastic skincare benefits too. It contains a, Cocktail blend of 14 actives, the Nourishing-sensation intensely hydrates, plumps, and continuously charges the complexion with moisture for rose petal smooth and healthy skin, perfectly prepared for the layering of foundations, with extend wear all day long.

DHC Oil Blotting Paper

These are handy to have in you bag for days you want your makeup to last but you don’t want to keep applying powder to dull the shine. These natural hemp fiber papers are brilliant for discreetly stopping shine on the go and are more effective at absorbing oil than synthetic alternative. I always have a pack in my handbag, they don’t lift off your makeup but are great at absorbing oil.

B. Pure Sensitive Micellar Cleansing Wipes

Theses were free when you purchased another product from B at Superdrug. These wipes are very moist and great at removing eye makeup. They don’t try out my skin or leaving it feeling tight. I have since purchased a couple more packs, great for having in the cupboard.

This post contains PR Samples

Travel Size Skincare for Berlin

April 20, 2017January 28, 2018 - Vicki 1 Comment

I am heading off to Berlin this week and I have raided my sample box – these are the ones that I am taking with me.

Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Eye Mask

I love to use eye masks and I always save a pack of my favourite ones for when I go on holiday. These Shiseido ones are super fancy and you only have to leave them on for 15 minutes to get the benefits, so they’re ideal to use when you’re rushed for time. They are expensive so I do try and leave them on as long as I possibly can. These just pep up the skin and help hydrate, depuff and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and dark circles. I love them

GlamGlow SuperMud Clearing Treatment

One of my favourite face masks – and I have been saving this sachet to take with me on holiday to keep my skin looking its best. I like that you can use this mask as a full face mask or a spot treatment – I think I will just use it on my nose & chin to keep my blackheads at bay and my skin smooth.

&Other Stories Sardonyx Fire Body Lotion

I haven’t tried this Sardonyx Fire range yet but I know I love the &Other Stories body lotions. I have been through quite a few bottles of the Fig scent and find the formula to be nourishing and quite thick. This sachet will keep my legs smooth and looking their best whilst I am away.

La Roche Posay Rosaliac CC Cream

I have had a couple samples of this CC Cream and have been impressed with how well it covers redness and imperfections. It is lightweight but the coverage is pretty decent. It also contains SPF30 which makes it a great base to use whilst I am on my City Break. This small tube will last me the whole time I am away.

Estee Lauder ANR Synchronized Recovery Complex

One of my favourite night treat treatments also how cute are these mini sizes! This is incredibly hydrating and helps my skin look well rested. It reminds me that I need to invest in the full size version ASAP.

CoLab Dry Shampoo

The only dry shampoo I buy now. It never leaves my hair feeling dirty or full of product. I like all the scents but I came across these minis in Superdrug for 30p each so I cleared the shelf & now I have a supply of minis for days!

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

I don’t use a primer but I we are planning to go out in Berlin so I thought I would make an effort. This makes my skin look so smooth and my makeup does wear longer when I use it.

Origins Ritualitea Feeling Rosy Face Mask

You have to add water and mix up the powder then smooth it over your face. This one is South African Rooibos Tea & Rose which they say will feel fresh, smooth and rejuvenated. It is soothing and comforting which sounds perfect for combating the travelling and pollution of a city break.

Philosophy Amazing Grace Bath & Shower Gel

Not a brand I have used too much from but I like to take my own shower gel when I go away. I don’t use it as a shower gel but I take it out and about with me to use as a handwash, I hate the handwash they have in public toilets and I am that person who takes their own.

Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay

Made with Mediterranean Rose Clay, Canadian Willow Herb and exfoliating Jojoba beads this is a two in one face mask. It exfoliates and deep cleans and is the perfect mask to keep my skin looking its best. I like how it keeps my skin smooth, soft and refreshed.

Best Lipsticks For Spring

April 19, 2017August 23, 2025 - Vicki 1 Comment

Winter seemed to last forever, and I am so happy to see the nice weather returning. Spring always gives me a push to have a clear out, and my makeup stash is always in need of a cull. Whilst I was in the process of having a right good sort out, I took the opportunity to switch up the products in my everyday makeup drawers, and I am sharing with you the lipsticks I want to wear this Spring. Now that I have them all lined up I can see that I haven’t really pushed any boundaries and that pink is for sure featuring quite heavily.

bareMinerals Pop of Passion in Blushing Passion

I adore this because it gives the lips a very light wash of colour & is very much a tinted lip balm so it is a perfect option for popping on so you look somewhat put together. It has a nice creamy texture which feels comfortable and hydrating on the lips, and the colour is nice and neutral. These are available in 8 shades and would be a nice Spring addition to your makeup bag.

Rimmel The Only 1 Matte in Salute*

I don’t own too many matte lip products, but the Rimmel The Only Matte Lipsticks are incredible. I have popped this pretty nude pink shade into my makeup bag and I have been wearing a lot already, it does feel dry on the lips but in no way uncomfortable. The staying power is damn good and the colour is gorgeous and freshens up any Spring look.

Armani Lip Magnet in 505 Second Skin*

Now, I have spoken about the Armani Lip Magnets on many an occasion because they’re simply fantastic. They apply with ease and feel incredibly comfortable on the lips, the weightless formulation which is a combination of water, oils and pigments means that it fuses to your lips giving you that high concentrated colour. The water gradually evaporates, allowing the oils to deliver a rich, intense colour that is also 4 times thinner than a liquid lip colour. I like this shade because it is a very pretty nude pink, it’s so easy to wear and looks fresh on the lips. The Lip Magnets come in a range of 18 shades from wearable reds and pinks to more vampy plums.

Clinique Chubby Stick Super Strawberry

Lip crayons are just so effortless to apply and so many brands have released them over the past few years, but there is just something about the Clinique Chubby Sticks that I absolutely love. The Chubby Sticks come in 16 tint shades & 8 intense shades they’re all wearable I’ve been using the Super Strawberry shade these past few weeks, it is a sheer rosy pink shade. It has a glossy sheen finish and because it is also a lip treatment and is loaded with mango, shea butters and vitamin E, your lips feel nourished and protected. These are fab to have in your handbag / makeup bag, let me know what shades you wear.

Urban Decay in Backtalk

This is one of my all-time favourite lipsticks because It is the perfect nude, and it works as a daytime lip option if you’re going for minimal makeup or as an evening option to compliment a more intense look. This formula is the Comfort Matte and I would say it has a soft creamy, matte finish and doesn’t dry out my lips at all. Backtalk is a mauve, nude shade and like I said is a gorgeous everyday colour, if I use a lip liner underneath It wears for hours without going patchy or gathering in my lip creases. If there is one lipstick you buy from the Urban Decay Vice Lipstick Collection, it has to be this one, I guarantee you’ll wear it all the time.

L-R bareMinerals Pop of Passion in Blushing Passion / Rimmel Matte in Salute / Armani Lip Magnet in 505 / Clinique Chubby Stick Super Strawberry / Urban Decay in Backtalk / Essence in 12 Blush My Lips

Essence in 12 Blush My Lips

How vibrant and pretty is this pink shade from Essence it screams Spring. I tend to shy away from bright colours, but this just brightens up my makeup and does some sort of magic which compliments my skin tone perfectly. I have said it so many times, but Essence Makeup is one of the beauty industry’s best kept secrets. If you haven’t tried them you really need to they have a fantastic range of affordable but fantastic quality makeup and I can’t say enough good things about them.

Do you like to switch up your makeup bag for Spring? Let me know what lip products you’ve been using lately.

PR Sample

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation

April 4, 2017August 9, 2019 - Vicki 2 Comments

Last year I tried the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Cushion Foundation and really liked the coverage & the finish so I was super excited to get the opportunity to test out their latest release, the revamped Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear. This liquid foundation is celebrating 20 years of success and along with a name change it also comes in a new frosted chic bottle and more excitingly Lancome have introduced more shades.

Before I get into the foundation I just want to mention the La Base Pro Hydra Glow*, (I have only used this once so far) it is a makeup primer which has a brightening pink tone and is designed to give your skin a beautiful radiance whilst keeping your makeup looking fresh all day / night. Unlike most primers this Lancome offering is formulated to have some fantastic skincare benefits too. It contains a :-

Cocktail blend of 14 actives, the Nourishing-sensation intensely hydrates, plumps, and continuously charges the complexion with moisture for rose petal smooth and healthy skin, perfectly prepared for the layering of foundations, with extend wear all day long.

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation*

This foundation has grown quite a following over the past 20 years and it is easy to see why. This liquid foundation offers that perfect lightweight formula which can easily be built up to give you that gorgeous full coverage finish. It is easy to go from a medium to a full coverage without applying too much product or having that heavy-looking finish. It has a semi matte, velvety smooth finish that never looks flat. It leaves your skin looking radiant and very healthy but don’t think because it is full coverage that it will look cakey because that is 100% not the case, you can tailor this foundation to your needs by building up the coverage when / where necessary.

I found applying this foundation with a damp sponge gave the best finish and coverage. A sponge allows me to apply less product and get flawless, even coverage. What do you like to apply your makeup with? sponge, brush or fingers?

What Makes The Difference?

Eternalsoft Polymer – allows increased comfort level with ultra‑long wear
NAI pigments – specially coated pigments maintain consistent pH level with skin, so colour stays true all day
Perlite and Silica – two of the most effective oil absorbing ingredients

I wear shade 025 Beige Lin which is the perfect match for my quite pale skin. This foundation is oil, fragrance and transfer free and has SPF15.

To celebrate this foundation turning 20 Lancome have made it a lot easier to find your ideal shade by offering this foundation in 40 shades. So you can find the shade that matches your complexion, undertones and colouring perfectly. With Lancome’s larger palette of shades more skin tones are catered for and you can finally say goodbye to not being able to get hold of your perfect shade. I have been wearing a shade which is a great match for my skin whilst it isn’t tanned but I will need to wear a different shade when Summer comes.

For me this foundation ticks a lot of boxes. I like the coverage, finish, how comfortable it feels on my skin and the fact it doesn’t go greasy throughout the day.

You can either use the, Shade My Power Lancome Shade Finder to match your perfect shade or head to your nearest Lancome counter to be matched.

*PR Sample

Let's talk beauty

Unbiased beauty product reviews & tips

Makeup