high street makeup

ASDA The New Destination For Beauty

- Vicki 1 Comment
Beauty Products at ASDA

Beauty Products at ASDA

As most of us know, ASDA is a very popular destination for affordable fashion. I always kick off my Summer Holiday shopping at George as they do fab bikinis & beach cover-ups. Most people are not aware that ASDA is also a great destination for all of your beauty needs. Last year saw ASDA update & revamp it’s George beauty line, introducing over 100 makeup products from Contour Kits and Eyebrow Products to Lipsticks and Eyeshadows, so ASDA really has you covered in the makeup department. Oh! and best of all is that nothing in the range costs over £6. So whilst you are shopping for your wardrobe updates you can also pick up your favourite skincare & beauty products.

They also stock one of my top skincare brands, nspa. This is a brand that offers quality products you can afford. I have tried quite a few products from their range over the years and I’ve never been disappointed. In fact, they always exceed expectations and I have my Holy Grail products that I will always repurchase. If you haven’t spent time in the beauty aisle at ASDA you’re missing out on some great brands.

Affordable Makeup Products From George at Asda

George Cosmic Baked Blush in Galaxy

I haven’t used a baked blush for so long. I remember back in 2014 when they were super popular and every brand was releasing their version. I had forgotten just how pretty this swirled formulation can be, this Cosmic offering from George is in the shade Galaxy which is a very pretty flushed pink shade and it gives just the perfect amount of colour. Enough to lift any makeup look and give it a fresh, radiant feel. I love the glow you get from a baked blush and this one is a good mix of highlight and blush, it reflects the light and leaves you looking healthy. It is a very wearable colour and it has gone straight into my everyday makeup bag & I have a feeling it is going to be my goto blush this Summer.

George Matte Lipstick in Smooch

I am so excited to see that ASDA have a range of soft matte lipsticks and there is no denying that they look stunning in their trendy rose gold packaging. You can’t go wrong with a classic pink shade and this one is a beautiful, everyday option. The formula is quite dry but that is to be expected in a matte formula it applies evenly and the colour is pigmented and so pretty on the lips. I am pleased with this shade and want to get a few more shades, I am tempted by a red.

Pretty Pink Makeup From ASDA George

nspa skincare exclusive to ASDA

nspa Expert Rejuvenating Serum

If you’re worried about the first signs of ageing or want to reduce fine lines and improve skins firmness this lightweight serum from nspa is perfect. It is fortified with:-

Crocus Chrysanthus Bulb extract, proven to help reduce the appearance of ageing skin, increase skins firmness and give the skin a smoother, more supple complexion.

Millet Seed Extract, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and rejuvenate your skin while helping to retain moisture.

It has a nice lightweight texture and it is a great step to give your skin a nice boost of hydration and a step that targets those long-term skin concerns.

Beauty Exclusive to ASDA

nspa Beauty Rituals Smoothing Eyecream

Eye cream for me is one of those products of which I’m never 100% sure that they’re totally necessary. Although I do use them religiously because I don’t want to look back in years to come and wish I’d made more effort to keep those pesky fine lines at bay! So when it comes to this step in my skincare routine I am never very loyal to one brand the only criteria I have is price, I like my eye cream to be affordable and at only £5.00 this nspa one is just that. Oh, and it does contain Hyaluronic Acid which is a cult anti ageing skin care ingredient that everyone in the beauty industry swears by, so if the experts love it I will get onboard.

It is enriched with Hyaluronic Acid & Tetrapeptide to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and crows feet. Specially selected actives help firm and plump whilst enhancing radiance for a younger, brighter looking eye area.

nspa Beauty Rituals Face Masks

nspa have released 8 masks within this range, each mask targeting a specific skin concern. They have clay, moisturising and hydrating masks which includes a sheet mask. With all 8 costing only £1.50 each, this is such an affordable way add a mask to your beauty regime and have a little pamper. I love the sheet mask best of all as it is perfect to use after a busy week it soothes and rejuvenates tired dull skin. I always have a couple of the nspa beauty rituals masks in my stash, they come in this handy pouches which make them travel-friendly and ideal to take with you on your holiday.

The nspa range is cruelty-free & available exclusively in ASDA.

Affordable Beauty Products From ASDA

I love trying out affordable beauty products because I think we all know that price doesn’t always guarantee quality, at both ends of the scale. ASDA is bringing its ‘A’ game with its own brand beauty range from George and the nspa skincare products are not to be missed. Let me know if you have tried anything from either range, I would really like to hear your recommendations.

*This post contains PR Samples

Shopping My Makeup Stash August 2015

- Vicki 3 Comments

Shopping My Stash August 2015

Shopping My Makeup Stash August 2015 –

Benefit Boi-ing Concealer £17.50

In truth this is never burried too deep in my collection but I have been getting a few blemishes during August (stress of moving house) and Benefit Boiing is such a good concealer for covering up angry blemishes or even the dark scars that get left behind. I swear by this concealer, it is heavy duty but not cakey and it covers the offending spot ALL day long.

bareMinerals Mineral Veil – Translucent* £21.00

I have had this since March and have only recently discovered how good of a powder it is. I haven’t tried that many mineral makeup brands and the fact that you’re dealing with loose powder can be a faff but this has a great open & closing cap that you don’t get any fall out & that panic of it ending up either all over the bottom of your makeup bag or on the floor aren’t justified. Its so clean and easy to use, the powder itself is one of the most lightweight powders I have ever used, it is so finely milled and feels soft and smooth on the skin. I have been using it as a setting powder and July & August were great months to put it to the test, my makeup looked fab all day even during the crazy heat wave (which is now a distant memory).

What I love about this powder is it keeps oil at bay and stops my makeup deteriorating too quickly throughout the day. It helps make my skin look silky smooth and doesn’t dull down my makeup instead it helps it look more radiant and fresh. I know that bareMinerals does a version of this with SPF25 in which I would love to try.

Shopping Makeup My Stash

NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in New Lover £19.00

This lip crayon feels so comfortable on my lips, its glossy formula feels very hydrating. This is a dinky deluxe sample sized NARS Lip Pencil and its so cute. The colour is a deep rose pink with a slight hint of gold running through, its beautiful and it looks really flattering on the lips. I tend to gravitate towards lip pencils and find them easy to apply. I’m pleased to have rediscovered this and think I’m going to keep it in my handbag to use as my transition from day to night lip colour. I think it makes a pretty going out lip colour because of the gold shimmer. Now I need to go out more so I can get more wear out of it.

Rimmel Wonder’full Mascara £7.99

Its taken me months to open this new mascara, I am such a mascara hoarder and I have quite a few unopened tubes waiting to be tested. This was a new release from Rimmel either at the end of 2014 or beginning of 2015 and it caused quite a buzz as its key ingredient is Argan Oil. For me the formula of this mascara is too thin, it feels a little watery and I needed at least 3 coats to make my lashes look good and it wasn’t good at holding a curl. If you’re looking for a mascara that isn’t going to be overly dramatic but will make your lashes look defined and fluttery then this will be right up your street. The brush is quite big and very flexible and has plastic bristles which I don’t mind, and it was easier than I thought to use.

I’ve been using this more on low key makeup days, as it lasts well throughout the day and doesn’t make my lashes feel crispy (must be the argan oil keeping them feeling quite natural). I did like that this mascara doesn’t clump or have any crispy fall out, so thats a plus. Oh & the packaging is super cute – it comes in a shiny copper / bronze tube and looks very luxurious and stylish. I will use it all up but would’t repurchase, I prefer the Rimmel Accelerator Endless Mascara

Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Gorgeous Berries £8.99

How beautiful is this blush – I love baked blushers and this beautiful Creme Puff one from Max Factor has to be the best I’ve tried. There are six Creme Puff Blushers to pick from & It took me quite a while to decide, In the end I went for Gorgeous Berries which is just beautiful, and it adds such a pretty warm rosy glow to your cheeks. I have read a few reviews comparing these blushes to the Hourglass Ambient Light Blushers which is exciting as I don’t think I could spend that kind of money on a blush.

The shade I have gives your cheeks a really pretty wash of colour along with a sheen like glow, making it a two in one product. I love using highlighters & this blush gives you such a pretty glow so its not OTT. I am impressed with the pigmentation and just how pretty this looks on my skin. I want to pop back & get a couple more shades.

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.

Draw The Line

- Vicki 9 Comments
Rimmel Sandaleyes Liners

A few weeks ago I received a Boots gift card for my birthday which I quickly spent on makeup. Shock horror. Boots were having their 3 for 2 across all makeup items so I picked up a fair few things 3 of those being some Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliners. These are fabulous. I had wanted to try them for a while and had seen some really good reviews about the Nude colour, I was excited to try them out.

 Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner in Black, Nude and Bronze 

I’ve always been a huge fan of coloured eyeliner (I went back and got the blue and silver ones too) – even if it looks a little 80’s. I’ve found these waterproof Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohls really do stay put all day and I’m a devil for rubbing and messing with my eyes throughout the day and these stay put regardless. Rimmel claim they will withstand ‘tears, sweat, humidity’ and they don’t lie. These are stubborn and I was shocked with how well they lasted esp as they’re only £3.99.

They glide on the eye with minimum effort and they do not drag at all. They’re creamy and all of the ones I have tried (5 in total) are all really pigmented without having to go over and over the same line. They are an inexpensive way to get a flash of colour that will stay all day. Perfect for me as I hate to reapply when I am out and rarely carry much makeup with me .

The nude colour is perfect for the waterline to brighten tired eyes and make them look bigger. The black is a great bold black it’s really quite dark and that deep colour transfers well on to the lid or waterline. I also like the bronze shade for when I wear a neutral eye and it blends so well. It has a slight shimmer to it. Not glittery but when the light hits it looks almost metallic it’s really pretty.

These eyeliners come in 7 shades from a classic black to a gorgeous silver. I highly recommend you try to pick these up esp when on offer. Full price they are £3.99 from Boots. Such a total bargain. Have you tried any of these Rimmel eyeliners? How did you find them?