New In My Beauty Stash #5

Naked Heat Eyeshadow Palette

New products in my makeup bag 2017

I thought I would share a few new products that have made their way into my beauty stash, some of which I’ve been using for a couple of months and one that just came through my letter box last week (but I’m already head over heels in love) can you guess which product that it?

The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG 30ml

I have a post coming up in a few weeks talking a little more in depth about my favourite products from Deciem but I wanted to put this particular product in this post mostly because I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a product as much as this one or seen such incredible results as quickly. I have been using this Caffeine Solution everyday since I received it back in April & I simply adore it. I would say the best way to describe it is as a lightweight serum that has a slight tackiness to it which once applied feels weightless yet hydrating and soothing on the skin.

You apply it to around your orbital bone (around your eye area) and it helps reduce puffiness, reduce dark circles and it has actually reduced a patch of pigmentation I had to the edge of my eye.

  • Caffeine – Constricts blood vessels to reduce discolouration and swelling.
  • EGCG – Sourced from green tea, EGCG has strong anti-inflammatory properties, and is also proven to reactivate dying skin cells.

It is without a doubt my favourite product from The Ordinary & that is saying something because I’ve tried quite a few amazing products from this range but this solution has visibly reduced uneven skintone and my eyes have never looked as healthy. It is like liquid sleep. I can’t sing it’s praises enough but if you did need any more convincing to try it yourself the price tag might just sway you – this 30ml is only £5.80! Now all I ask is that you don’t buy it in bulk, leave me a bottle or two.

Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara

Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara £21.00

This is the latest mascara release from Lancome & I am usually a huge Lancome Mascara fan but this didn’t really cut it for me. I get that Lancome (I think) are trying to appeal more to a younger market with this Monsieur Big Collection as the packaging isn’t as sleek or luxurious as you’d expect from Lancome and the promise of up to 12x volume and 24 hour wear is a little far fetched. I found the formula too wet and hard to apply to coats without it looking clumpy. One coat gives you a good amount of volume and it is a very ultra black formula but for £21, I think I will stick to my beloved Hypnose or the Doll Eyes.

Batiste 2 in 1 Dry Shampoo & Conditioner

To be honest I prefer the stand alone dry shampoo, I wasn’t entirely sure how to use this for the best results. I found that if I put too much on my roots it made them look a little greasy & If I sprayed too much through the length it made it feel icky. With it costing more than the actual dry shampoo I would say stick to that don’t over complicate things with adding a dry conditioner to the mix. The only plus of this product for me was the fruity, Summery scent, which I really liked.

Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro £28.00

I’m quite happy with my brow routine at the moment so I haven’t actually been using this on them, I have been using it as an eyeshadow primer & also on it’s own all over the lid. So the Eye & Brow Maestro comes in 8 shades and it has a cream formula which is also waterproof so for me it has been working so well on the eye. This formula doesn’t crease and it stays put all day long. I have the shade 05 Auburn which is a gorgeous as a soft taupe / brown shade. I do love a cream shadow simply because they are lightweight on the lid, this formula does not crease and their effortless to apply (I tend to use my finger to blend). I am smitten with this.

New Urban Decay Heat Palette

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye Concealer

I bought two shades of this in a blog sale and OMG I’ve never (ever, ever) tried such a full coverage concealer. This stuff is seriously full coverage and waterproof. That being said you’d think at first glance that it would be too thick to use under your eye, worrying that it would gather in all those pesky fine lines (which you do not want to draw attention too). If use use just the smallest amount and I mean a slither of product and really blend it in you have yourself a concealer that will cover anything and last all day without accentuating fine lines or looking cakey. It’s infused with high-performance pigments and anti-aging peptides, vitamins, hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid and antioxidant.

This concealer is great at covering anything you could name, blemishes, redness, dark circles and even help reduce the appearance of wrinkles. It has changed my life. I have found myself just using this in the areas that need coverage and not even reaching for a foundation. My makeup routine just got a whole lot quicker.

Naked Heat Eyeshadow Palette

Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette £.39.50

The internet has been going crazy for this new release from Urban Decay, I really like that they’re always adding to their Naked range and some of my most worn and best loved palettes are from the Naked Collection. I adore the Naked Ultimate Basics (all matte) and the original Naked Palette is still my absolute favourite (apart from the fuzzy packaging. So this new addition to the Naked family is a beauty, I feel like it has been very well thought out, you get 12 warm toned shades that are perfect for every season. You get a stunning selection of warm earthy shades with everything from amber toned neutrals including warm browns and burnt oranges to deep red browns and glimmering coppers.

  • Chaser – light nude matte
  • Ounce – ivory shimmer
  • Sauced – soft terracotta matte
  • Low Blow – brown matte
  • Lumbre – copper shimmer w/gold pearl shift
  • He Devil – burnt red matte
  • Dirty Talk – metallic burnt red
  • Scorched – metallic deep red w/gold micro-shimmer
  • Cayenne – deep terra-cotta matte
  • En Fuego – burgundy matte
  • Ashes – deep reddish-brown matte
  • Ember – deep metallic copper-burgundy

Naked Heat Eyeshadow Palette Urban Decay

Urban Decay Heat Palette

Ember / En Fuego / Dirty Talk / He Devil / Lumbre 

As with all the Naked Palettes, there is a nice mix of finishes and textures including mattes, micro shimmers and two smooth buttery light base shades. Urban Decay eyeshadows are always fantastic quality, richly pigmented and easy to blend as this palette does not disappoint. So say that I’m thrilled to bits to have this in my collection would be an understatement.

So what is new in your makeup bag lately? Let me know if you have tried any of the products I’ve mentioned.

*This post contains PR samples

New In My Beauty Stash #4

new in my beauty stash May 2017

Over the past 5 weeks or so I have made a few purchases so I thought I would give you a quick low down on them.

Nip & Fab Eyeshadow Palette in 01 Sculpted £10.95

I know most of you are aware that Nip & Fab have added makeup to their range and it is available in some Superdrug stores. I was super excited to see the stand in my local store and I was very restrained to only buy one item, when I could have gone to town and bought the entire collection. I almost bought the foundation but I just couldn’t resist this beautiful 12 pan neutral eyeshadow palette, it is so ‘me’ and all the shades are ones I wear on a daily basis which means I will (and have been) get alot of use from it.

The packaging is slim, sleek and feels so nice, I like that it is clear so you’re able to see all the shadows, there is something so satisfying about that! As I said you get 12 shades and they’re a good mix of creams, deep browns and taupes. 8 of the shades matte but you also get 2 shimmers and 2 shimmer infused mattes, so a great selection.

nip and fab eyeshadow palette

new nip and fab eyeshadow palette

Bath & Body Works Pocketbac in Melon Forever £2.50

I always have a couple of these hand sanitisers on the go they’re so good to pop in your handbag for keeping those pesky germs at bay. This Melon scent is from their new Summer launches and it smells damn good, a mix of sweet and fruity. Let me know what your favourite scents are, I quite often get the Warm Vanilla Sugar or anything Christmas scented.

B. Pure Sensitive Micellar Cleansing Wipes £2.99

I have bought a few products this year from the B. Pure range which is exclusive to Superdrug & I have been impressed with them all so far. These Micellar Wipes were free when I bought their Exfoliating Cleanser and I have to say as far as face wipes go these are very good. You get 25 wipes in a pack and they have a hard plastic close top which is fantastic at keeping the wipes fresh and moist for longer. The wipes are soft, fragrance free and gentle on the skin, they are enriched with Witch Hazel, Vitamin E, Aloe and Cucumber extract. So very hydrating, antibacterial and soothing for the skin. I have purchased a second pack of these because they’re super handy to have in my makeup bag. If you haven’t tried the B. Range from Superdrug then I highly recommend checking them out, they have a great selection of makeup and skincare.

Bath and Body Works Pocketbac in Melon Forever

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanser £5.99

I can’t get enough of the Superdrug own brand skincare, they have a few collections all focused on different skin concerns. This time I picked up their hot cloth cleanser which also came with a muslin cloth & it was only £4 which is an utter bargain. This has such a creamy texture which feels so nice on the skin when you’re massaging it in. It breaks down makeup with ease but I would say if you like to wear quite heavy eye makeup then you might want to go in first with an eye makeup remover as this doesn’t always remove all my mascara. Using a muslin cloth is a great way to gently exfoliate the skin without being abrasive and I love the feeling of cleansing my face using a warm cloth. The cleanser was so gentle, it didn’t sting or irritate my eyes and it left my skin feeling smooth, clean and refreshed, I might even go so far as to say radiant.

essence luminous matte bronzing powder

Essence Luminous Matte Bronzing Powder in 01 Sunshine £3.00

Essence have released some beautiful products into their Spring / Summer collection and I couldn’t leave the shop without this bronzer. This bronzer is available in two shades, I opted for the lighter of the two and it gives me that perfect mix of warm and glow. The outer bronze ring is matte and the inner ring has a subtle luminous glow. I swirl my brush so it picks up both colours and add it to my cheekbones and down the bridge of my nose and it leaves my skin looking healthy, bronzed but with a subtle fresh glow.

The powder feels silky smooth and it reminds me of my beloved Soap & Glory Solar Powder and it gives a very similar satin finish. As I said it has quite a subtle colour pay off which makes it a great everyday bronzer.

So those are a few new additions to my stash this month, let me know if you have tried anything from my roundup & let me know what new products you have discovered recently.