Cream Shadow

Shopping My Beauty Stash June 2015

- Vicki 4 Comments

Shopping My Stash June 2015

Benefit Dallas £23.50 – I have had this boxed blush for so long & I have hardly even made a dent in the product. A little goes a very very long way with this. It is too dark for me in the colder months but as soon as my face gets a little colour its perfect. It gives a really pretty bronze glow to the skin, I like to sweep it across my cheek bones & across my forehead, its a really nice dusky shade and I am so pleased I have rediscovered it just in time for Summer.

MUA Eye Define Lengthening Mascara* £3.00 – This is a really good mascara for separating the lashes and giving them length, its not going to make your lashes look think & full so if like me you have quite naturally thick lashes then this will make them look long and fluttery. I can’t believe it is only £3, I seriously love it & it lasts ALL day with out flaking or transferring. This is a very intense black so if you like your mascara to be jet black this is a great option. It’s a mascara thats well worth adding to your makeup stash. I try not to have too many mascaras on the go at once because they dry up too quickly, so I’m only using this one right now & Its all I need.

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush – This is still the prettiest blusher I own, its looks so cute in the pan, I would say that you need to build this up to get a good colour pay off but I guess it would work well for people that only like to wear a hint of colour on their cheeks. They say this blush is infused with

‘natural plant extracts which have been shown to promote a feeling of happiness by mimicking the effect of Endorphins and helping protect the skin from environmental stress’ 

I don’t know about that but it sounds good and if it works then that’s fine by me. I noticed that this blush also had a little light reflecting quality to it too, making the cheeks look really healthy with a pop of colour. Anything that makes me look a little brighter and healthier is going to get the thumbs up from me.

Rimmel Scandal Eye Shadow Paints in Rich Russet  £6.00 – This is a liquid cream eyeshadow & the colour pay off is incredible. It looks wet when you first apply it & I like to blend it in with my ring finger (so easy to blend). They apply evenly and do not budge once the formula has dried. They look slightly metallic but not glittery, I really like wearing this on its own all over the lid & you can build up the colour to be really intense. I have no idea why i haven’t bough more of these because they are easy to apply, great pigmentation and they wear all day.

bareMinerals Mineral Veil Finishing Powder* £21.00 – I haven’t tried too many products from this brand but the few things I have tried are so good. This powder is my new favourite setting powder, it is so finely milled & feels almost like velvet. It never looks too much on the skin and I like that it doesn’t add extra colour, it is a cream colour but it doesn’t show up on the skin, it looks almost translucent. If you like a really matte finish then this might not be for you, it does stop me getting oily throughout the day and does a very good job of keeping my makeup looking fresh and in place. I also like that it gives your skin a silky smooth & helps blur imperfections and it looks so natural. And it won best mineral base in this years InStyle Best Beauty Buys 2015 

Korres Lip Butter £8.00 – These are amazing & I have talked about them on my blog so many times but this one in Wild Rose is my favourite Summer lip colour. They’re essentially a lip balm with beautiful pigment. They feel hydrating and soothing on the lips whilst adding great colour, this shade is a pretty berry colour & although I do have to reapply throughout the day the colour is pretty and perfect for days when you want to wear little makeup but still like your lips to have some colour. This will be permanently in my handbag over the coming months.

Seventeen CC Cream in Fair £6.99 – This is a budget friendly tinted moisturiser – I wouldn’t say its amazing at colour correcting but I like my base to look natural and not look to heavy and this does that. It is a creamy formula that can take a little effort to buff into the skin but if you take the time you will get a nice coverage that will stay all day. It gives the skin a matte (ish) finish but with a healthy glow too, after a couple of hours it does start to look more dewy on me but I have quite oily skin & I don’t mind that it does that. It also has SPF 25 so a good lightweight option for Summer.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

Blogger Influenced Beauty Purchases

- Vicki 8 Comments
Blogger Influenced Purchases

Blogger Influenced Purchases

I read so many blogs & I have purchased quite a few products over the past couple of years based on reviews and recommendations from some of my favourite bloggers. I thought I would share with you some of my favourite products that I discovered due to fellow bloggers.

Barbara Daily Longwear Cream Shadow Sticks

These are amazing and I discovered them thanks to Describe The Sky – I saw them on Vicki’s blog & rushed out that night to Tesco & bought 2 shades. I have done a full review of them here with swatches. These are better quality than my Bobbi Brown ones & that’s saying something. They are beautiful and wear a really long time, they’re effortless to apply & the packaging looks luxurious & pretty. If you like to wear cream shadows then you need to get your hands on these.

Olivine Love & Roses Beauty Mist

I really like face mists and always have one on my desk. I use them to keep my skin hydrated, to refresh my makeup and I think the scent of this one, in particular, is quite soothing. I saw it on Sandra’s blog – Beauty Balm earlier this month & knew from the packaging alone that I needed it. The packaging is very Pinterest worthy, it’s a glass bottle with a gorgeous font. It looks very pretty on my desk & I highly recommend trying it if you like to use a face mist.

Soap & Glory Love at First Blush

I spied this multicolour blush on Through Chelsea’s Eyes last year and thought it looked like a pretty Spring Blush & it so is. It offers great pigmentation as well as a pretty highlight. I like to swirl my brush and pick up a little of each colour & apply it lightly to my cheeks. They have updated the packaging since Chelsea bought her’s and it now comes in a much more durable plastic compact.

Bourjois Colorbrand Eye Crayon in Brun dadaiste

I have quite a collection of chubby crayons for eyes & when A Beauty Junkie in London blogged about these Bourjois ones being released I wanted them all (I still do) I limited myself to one just so I could see if they worked for me & they are really good. No creasing on my lids and the pigmentation is spot on. I will be heading back for more colours.

Pixi Lash Line Ink

Lilly Melrose always used to blog about this & I have been through quite a few of these over the past couple of years. IIt’sthe perfect liner for achieving that super precise cat eye flick with no fuss or mess. The nib is long & thin and goes into a really fine tip that is sturdy but still has flexibility. It doesn’t drag on your lid and the liner goes on evenly and very black. I will always repurchase this.

Soap & Glory Solar Powder

Vivianna Does Makeup sold this to me after I saw it on her video last year. I’m so glad I have this in my collection now because I use it daily, I can’t even remember what bronzer I used to use before this came along. It gives a natural glow & it never looks orange or muddy. I LOVE it, I have hit pan on it & the rubbish (cheap) cardboard packaging is almost ready to give up the ghost so I am in need of a new one. If you’re quite pale then this is the perfect bronzer for you.

Revlon Photoready Skinlights Primer

Kate from Ghostparties was my influence for purchasing this primer & Katie has the most gorgeous flawless skin so I just had to get it. This primer is great at giving the skin a subtle brightness, not shimmery but a peachy pink glow & I have worn this as a primer under my foundation or if I am going for more of a dewy look I mix a little with my foundation. This bottle is going to last me a long time as you need very little product. It is a great addition to my makeup routine & amazing at keeping my skin looking bright & healthy.

I’d love to know what products bloggers have inspired you to buy. I have quite a few more but I’m saving those for part 2.

Barbara Daly Long Wear Eye Shadows

- Vicki 14 Comments

Cream eyeshadow sticks

I first read about these Barbara Daly Long Wear Eyeshadows on Describe The Sky & being a cream shadow addict I had to pop to Tesco to get a couple. I bought the colours Shimmer Sand & Shell, both very safe neutral colours but they’re the sort of shades I will get the most wear from. These were a bargain at £3 each and I have been thrilled with the quality and colour pay off.

Cream shadow sticks

Barbara Daly Shadow Sticks

I own quite a few cream eyeshadow sticks from brands like Rimmel, Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier and ELF these Barbara Daly ones are on a par with my Bobbi Brown one in terms of quality and how long they last. They’re fantastic quality at a fraction of the cost. I wear both colours I bought alone all over the lid. I apply the product directly to my eyelid and either blend out with my finger or a fluffy blending brush, either method works well. These blend very easily and after a couple of minutes they have dried enough that you won’t be able to blend them & they stay in place for HOURS! Much longer than my Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks

Cream Eyeshadow Swatches

Shell // Shimmer Sand (facing away from the light)

Product Swatch

Shell // Shimmer Sand (facing the light)

Shimmer Sand – This is a very pretty peach/ nude tone with a hint of bronze and a metallic / frosty finish. This really brightens up the eye & helps you look wide awake and fresh. This is so pretty worn all over the lid and the pigmentation is intense & lasts all day long. You can put a primer on before hand if you have oily lids or if you just want to make extra sure its not going to budge. These have a lovely rich creamy texture that as I said is very easy to blend. Its not overly shimmery so can still be worn during the day, I would day its more metallic than shimmery – its not glittery at all. I’m seriously impressed with these for £3.

Shell – This is a light pink with a gorgeous yellow toned champagne colour which again is pretty all over the lid or as an inner corner highlight, this colour really adds brightness to the eye & opens it up. These long wear shadow sticks are incredible quality and the packaging is sleek and looks a lot more expensive than £3. They do start to crease a little on me after about 5 hours of wear but I do have quite crinkly eyelids & I just blend it out with my finger & that does the trick.

If you have access to a larger Tesco that sells Barbara Daly then get yourself down there & grab a couple of these, you won’t be disappointed. I’m heading back to get the darker black shade as I think that will be so good for an easy smokey eye.