Shopping My Stash Summer Edition

Shopping My Stash Summer Products

Shopping My Stash Summer Products

If you have read my blog for a while now you will know that I’ve been on a bit of a mission to use the products I already have and not spend as much money on makeup (the struggle is real). That way I get to shop my stash which is always fun and it leads me to rediscover so many lovely products. I like to rotate my everyday makeup at least once a month so I thought I would share a few of the products I’m using at the moment.

W7 The Naughty Nine : Mid Summer Nights Palette

I bought this last year and I love it, it might be more of an Autumnal palette but this is such a fantastic budget friendly selection of eyeshadows. The quality is very good and much better that you might expect from such an affordable brand. It’s dubbed as a dupe for the MAC Burgundy Times Nine Palette. I can’t comment on that but the colours do look quite similar. You get 9 shadows in the palette and I like the range of nude toned neutrals & the fact you get a good selection of coppers, cranberries and a few nude pink tones. There is a nice mix of mattes, satin finishes and shimmers all of which are pigmented and blend well. It’s unusual to find good affordable matte shadows but these are very good quality, in fact regardless of price this is an outstanding palette and one I highly recommend checking out. I like this palette a lot!

W7 Eyeshadow Palette

NYX Vivid Brights Liner

These came out last Summer and would be ideal for a cute Festival look, I have the violet shade which isn’t as bright as some of the other shades in the range but it is still a pretty colour. This has a very fine brush which makes it easy and fuss free to apply, it gives you a very clean, precise line. The colour is quite bold but not overly bright and it lasts all day without smudging. I like wearing this violet shade in the warmer months it is a nice change from my usual black or brown liner.

Bioderma Sensibio AR BB Cream

This is a fantastic base if you suffer with redness or have acne scarring as this has amazing coverage without feeling heavy on the skin. It is a multi action skincare and makeup hybrid and gives you that perfect combination of dermatological care and a great tinted coverage. This will cover uneven skin tone, redness and give you a radiant, glowing finish without feeling heavy or greasy on the skin. It is a great Summer base because of its incredible skin loving ingredients – Ginkgo biloba, green tea and soy which help to inhibit the factors that cause persistent redness. The active ingredients also work to reduce inflammation and immediately soothe your skin. It is also feels very lightweight and comfortable on the skin but gives you great coverage and I love that it has SPF30 protection too.

Clinique Chubby Stick Super Strawberry

These crayon style lip products are some of my favourite to use and Clinique have some really lovely shades available. This strawberry one gives your lips a wash of hydrating colour. It has a fresh glossy finish and this light berry pink is very pretty and flattering, perfect Summer lip colour.

Summer Makeup Picks

Rimmel Super Gel Polish in Coral Queen*

I have all the shades from this new Super Gel Beach Ready Collection but I really like this bright orange shade the best. I have worn it on both my fingers and toes and it is a fun Summer shade. It is vibrant and looks great with a tan. Rimmel nail polishes are always very good quality and the formula is easy to apply, fast drying and pretty long wearing too, so for me they tick all the boxes!

Garnier BB Cream 5-in-1 Eye Roll-On Light

This Garnier BB Eye Cream has a roller ball applicator which makes it a great travel concealer – fuss free and no brush needed. It has quite a hydrating / liquid consistency which is what makes it perfect to use under my eyes. It feels refreshing and it perks up my skin and makes me look more awake. It’s that ideal shade which brightens but still provides good coverage for those pesky dark circles. I love that the product doesn’t sink into my fine lines which is often a problem for me. This little tube lasts me for months and as I said it is perfect to travel with or pop into your everyday makeup bag.

Essence Blush Up Powder Blusher

Essence Blush Up Powder Blush

How beautiful is this peachy pink blush from Essence – it screams Summer.I love that this blusher has a ombre gradient effect and you get 3 different shades going from a stunning orange to a pretty pink. You can either use the colours individually or sweep your brush across the shades and pick up a mix of all three colours. This is really pigmented and not too powdery or chalky. I like that all three colours are matte so no shimmer in this at all. I’m excited to use this over the Summer to create some pretty looks.

Essence Blush Up Swatches

Makeup for a Summer look

MUA Luxe Glow Beam Highlight Cushion in Gold

Over the past few years we’ve seen quite a few of the luxury high-end brands like YSL, Dior and Chanel bringing out cushion products inspired by the Korean beauty market and it’s never long before the high street follows suit. I love MUA as a brand and their product selection is fantastic and really good quality too, so when I saw that they had released a cushion highlighter I was very excited to try it out. It is a peachy gold highlight and it can look quite subtle or if you want more on an intense look you can build up the colour & effect to be more intense. I use it on the tops of my cheeks and under my brow bone and it applies so well to the skin, it doesn’t accentuate my fine lines and when it catches the light it looks so pretty

Favourite Summer Makeup Products

Urban Decay Beached Bronzer in Bronze* 

This is a really nice warming, matte bronzer, Its perfection. It doesn’t look muddy or orange, it warms up your skin so you look more sun-kissed and less like you’ve been tango’ed. I think for £20 that this is a great product to add to your makeup bag for Summer, especially if like me you like to avoid getting a tan but like to look bronzed and healthy. The packaging is adorable and the palm tree detail on the compact and the packaging is good quality, slim and you get a great sized mirror in the lid which is handy for reapplying your lipstick throughout the day.

What products have you added to your makeup bag for Summer?

*This post contains PR Samples and Affiliate Links

Rimmel Super Gel Beach Ready Collection

Rimmel Super Gel Nail Polishes

Rimmel Super Gel Nail Polishes

Rimmel Super Gel Beach Ready Collection* 

One thing I love about the warmer weather is wearing open toe shoes / sandals and having my toes painted a cute, fun Summery shade. Well it looks like Rimmel have me covered in that department. Their latest release are 5 vibrant Summer appropriate nail polishes quite aptly named the Beach Ready Collection.

Rimmel have had quite a few new product releases this year and for me many of them just haven’t lived up to the hype but I have been seriously enjoying these new Super Gel nail polishes. I do enjoy having my nails professionally done but like most people this just isn’t always possible and it can get very expensive so I’m always excited to try gel effect polishes especially when you don’t need to use a UV lamp to achieve that ultra glossy, long wearing mani. The new Super Gel polishes promise up to 14 day wear, chip resistant & no UV lamp needed.

New Rimmel Super Gel Beach Ready Collection

Coral Queen / Flamenco Beach / Dive Right In / Purple Splash / Sun Fun Daze

A Two-Step Gel Colour System For Salon-Style Nails

  • 2 Simple Steps
  • Up to 14 days of gel colour & shine
  • No UV lamp needed
  • Apply 1-2 coats of Super Gel colour, followed by Super Gel Top Coat to activate curing
  • The built-in base coat means there’s no need to prep nails to achieve a salon-perfect finish
  • Dries like a regular nail polish
  • Nails are given an incredible shine and a super-smooth durable gel finish that covers any nail imperfections
  • Easy to Remove

Rimmel Super Gel Nail Polish

All 5 shades needed to coats but that made the colour very vibrant and opaque. No streaks and the formula was easy to work with too. I would say that I didn’t get 14 day wear on my fingers but I did get 10 days on my toes. I opted for the Pink – Sun Fun Daze shade and it was super pretty and had a glossy glossy finish but the wear time just wasn’t fantastic.

I wouldn’t recommend these if you needed to rely on your manicure lasting for 2 weeks but the Super Gel range have some beautiful shades and as a nail polish they apply well too. I have to say I’m looking forward to using the bright Orange – Coral Queen shade on my toes it will look so cute at the beach.

  • This post contains PR samples

Essence Cosmetics SS17 Releases

Essence Cosmetics Blush Sculpting Palette

Essence Cosmetics Blush Sculpting Palette

Essence Blush Play Sculpting Palette – Play it Peach

This has to be one of my favourite products ever from essence & I have tried quite a few over the years. It’s compact, travel friendly and the 3 shades included are just beautiful. You get one highlight and two blush shades. The swatch I did of the highlighter simply doesn’t do it justice, the powder feels finely milled, you get very little fallout and it just gives you that subtle healthy glow. I like that it is a highlight you can wear as part of your everyday makeup, it isn’t super dramatic but suits my makeup style and I’ve been wearing it most days.

The other shades in the palette are beautiful peachy blushers, the define shade has a touch of sparkle to it and immediately reminded me of NARS Orgasam. It has that peachy, coral feel with a subtle gold highlight (not glittery in the least). The middle sculpt shade is a darker peachy pink and is matte it adds a lovely pop of colour. So this palette is well worth checking out. I think it comes in another colour option too if this Play it Peach trio isn’t right for you.

Essence Blush Play Sculpting Blush Palette

essence makeup swatches

Essence The Cushion Eyeliner

I have tried a few cushion foundations and blushers this past year and it seems this Asian inspired beauty trend is set to stick around a little while longer. It is nice to see affordable brands releasing their versions and essence have added a cushion eyeliner to their range for 2017. I must say I was on the fence about this product because I’m very loyal to my liquid liner pen but I actually found this to be surprisingly easy to work with. It comes in a small jar with a sponge (cushion) soaked in the product and you dab your brush on to the cushion and viola you are ready to apply. It was so smooth and precise to apply and I managed to get a very neat cat flick without the product bleeding in to my creased eyelids.

The product was very moist (sorry if you don’t like that term) so just make sure you lightly dab your brush on the cushion, so it doesn’t dispense too much product. If like me you like your liner to be very black you will love this. It dries down to a semi matte finish and it has good staying power, it didn’t smudge but it isn’t waterproof so just be mindful of that. After wearing it for the day it did show a little wear and my flicks had worn slightly but it still looked OK and for an affordable version I am very impressed with how easy it was to apply and how well it lasted. This is currently only available in black but I am hoping essence release a brown & a fun vibrant purple too.

affordable essence products

essence volume stylist fibre mascara

Essence Volume Stylist 18h Mascara

I’d say the products I recommend the most from essence are mascara’s. They always have such a huge selection and they rival any high-end brands so I was excited to try this new release for Spring / Summer. It promises 18 hour wear and voluminous lashes, I love my lashes to look long and healthy and I have to say this mascara is ticking all the boxes. The wand is made out of synthetic hairs and is a great shape for coating every single lash and being able to get right into those shorter inner corner lashes too. Because this mascara has fibres it is so good at adding length and volume without looking clumpy or heavy. I didn’t experience too much fall out, I’m a nightmare for rubbing my eyelashes and this stood up pretty well. The pigmentation is very black and I have been wearing a single coat as my everyday mascara but you can add another if you want to build up a more voluminous effect.

There is also a curl & hold version of this mascara, which sounds great for creating more of an evening look. Like I said you can’t go wrong with an Essence mascara, so make sure you check them out.

essence shine shine shine wet look lipgloss

Essence Shine Shine Shine Wet Look Lipgloss in runway your way & red carpet starlet

These live up to their name & really have that wet look. They are very glossy and pigmented on the lips I wouldn’t say they are the most long wearing but they look vibrant and pretty. The applicator is a nice shape and tapers to a point which makes it easier to apply and get a neat finish. Due to them having such a wet look they don’t wear too long on the lips, I found 2 – 3 hours tops and then I had to reapply.

I’m not a massive fan of lipgloss but I can appreciate how pretty these are and how comfortable they feel on the lips. I do have two of the more vibrant shades but if these are not your go to colours fear not because these are available in so many shades, from subtle neutrals right through to more bold pinks and purple shades. I think I’m going to pick up more of an everyday shade like So Into It! and wear it over my favourite Urban Decay Lipstick in Back Talk, I think the two will make a gorgeous duo. Let me know what colour you have your eye on? Oh & I can’t believe these are only £2 each.

Affordable essence makeup

Essence Colour Boost 1 Coat Nail Polish in Instant Match

This is currently on my toes and looks perfect for Spring / Summer. All I need now is some warm weather so I can wear some cute sandals. This range of polishes promise to deliver vibrant colour with just one coat, I have to say I did apply two but that is just because I like my colour to be super vibrant and I am terrible at applying nail polish. I think I could have got away with one coat though.

The formula was easy to work with and applied streak free and dried very quickly too. I already have my eye on the mint shade from this collection too. You can’t go wrong with mint for the warmer months.

What do you think you will be picking up from the new Essence releases? Their range is available in Wilko stores and online at www.wilko.com

  • This post includes PR Samples

Ideal Girls Night In

Ideal Girls Night In

Tonight between 7.30pm – 8.30pm I will be taking part in a virtual Girls Night in With Ideal World & I’m inviting all of you to join me in discussing all things from the perfect party snacks to your top tanning tips. The Twitter chat will coincide with a 3 hour event live on the Ideal World TV Channel (so make sure you tune in to that throughout the night) as there will be exclusive deals across lots of beauty products.

Ahead of the #IdealGirlsNightIn I have been testing out some of Ideal Worlds offerings and I have said it before that if you’re a beauty addict like myself it is a great channel / shop for discovering new brands and products.

Ideal Girls Night In

GelTouch Starter Kit £49.99 but will be £39.99 during the #IdealGirlsNightIn

One very exciting product that is launching on Ideal World tonight is the Gel Touch Starter Kit and Nail Polish Set. You can’t have a girly night in without doing each others nails and this kit will allow you to get salon quality gel nails at home. The Top Coat allows you to transform ANY nail polish into a GEL in only 60 seconds. So your nails will look cute and be dry in time so you don’t miss out on the popcorn! In the starter kit you get the Gel Touch 9W LED Lamp, Clear Top Coat and Gel Cleansing Wipes

Attitude Gel Touch Nail Polish Trio £17.99

As we are approaching Spring I think it is finally time to ditch the darker shades and opt for something a little more bright and fun on your nails. These Attitude nail polishes are a perfect selection of pinks and I will be painting my nails with the middle pink share & using the gel topcoat & LED lamp to make my manicure last that little bit longer. These trios are available in a few colour options, if pink isn’t your cup of tea.

Attitude Gel Touch Nail Polish Trio

Zhuzh! Tan Accelerator £15.99 (BOGO during the Ideal Girls Night In)

A good girls night in should 100% involve some fake tan, you can get your friends to help you get that all over even tan – in those hard to reach place like your back. Ideal World are quite well known for their Zhuzh tan enhancer products and I have used this Tan Accelerator before, it’s not a fake tan but and it is great at speeding up your natural tan. It works to stimulate your skin’s natural melanin levels & it comes in a handy spray bottle for fuss free application.

Zhuzh Tan Accelerator

Skinn Collagenesis Lip Stem Rejen Elite

Skinn Cosmetics are a skincare and makeup brand sold on Ideal World, they have a wide selection of products to suit all skintypes. I have a lip serum which sounds like it will help keep my lips looking smooth and diminish those pesky fine lines. We often forget about our lips in our skincare routine and it will be nice to have a product focused on protecting and hydrating this area.

Gel Touch Starter Kit

What is a girls night in without cosy socks, these super soft fluffy socks from Joules are perfect for relaxing and getting the Hygge feeling and of course I have some delicious Tyrrells Poshcorn & I may put a rather large mojito in my cute tumbler. Let the pamper begin!

I have spoken about Ideal World quite a few times on my blog but for those that are not familiar with them they’re a home shopping channel and you can watch them on the following platforms SKY 654, Freeview 22, Virgin 747, Freesat 812 and also via live stream at www.idealworld.tv

Also if you’re going to join in the with tonights chat make sure you’re following @IdealWorldTV and use the hashtag #IdealGirlsNightIn & they’re giving away goodies bags too.

*This post contains PR Samples