Shopping My Stash August 2016

September 2, 2016 - Vicki 1 Comment

I have been de clutering my makeup stash for the past few weeks & the positive side to that is finding product you forgot you had. So I have been shopping my stash again, if you don’t already do this, I highly recommend it. Its nice to rotate your makeup so you’re not always using the same things.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo[+] Unifiant*

I have only just posted about this & its not a product that I have rediscovered, instead this is quite a new release and one that I have fallen in love with already. Its an extension of the already very popular Effaclar range from La Roche Posay they have added mineral pigments to give you a lovely even coverage. They currently only have 2 colour options & I have the lightest but this feels beautiful on the skin, very lightweight and lets your skin breath. I am excited to keep using it as I have been getting a few blemishes around my jawline and I am hoping this helps cover them and also clear them up a little quicker.

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Lustre in Seduction

I am 100% not a lipgloss wearer, I only own two (which for a makeup junkie is quite impressive) this Charlotte Tilbury offering is simply beautiful. It gives my lips the perfect sheen and the colour payoff is impressive, also it has good staying power for a gloss. This is a pretty nude pink shade and I think its a nice everyday colour, every positive thing you have heard about these glosses is so true. They’re comfortable, great quality and this shade is pigmented. I am excited to rediscover this, I don’t wear much on my lips in the Summer, apart from a lipbalm with SPF, so I am excited to wear a few more autumnal shades.

Essence Make Me Brow

LOVE this product, it is comparable to the Benefit Gimme Brow and this brown shade is a perfect match for my dark brows. It gives them a good amount of colour and covers any sparse areas and keeps them in place too. The brush is small and helps you to be precise with the product and only £2.50 everyone should add this to their makeup bag. Again as we head into Autumn I tend to fill my brows in a little darker and I will be reaching for this a lot more.

bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer

This is an incredible concealer, it has such a fluid consistency which makes a little go a long way and also means it feels very hydrating. I do have quite a few lines around my eyes and if my concealer is to heavy or drying it sinks in to them, this is one of the best concealers for not doing that. Thats not to say that after a long day its still 100% in place but it does stay in place for a very long time and its doesn’t accentuate my problem areas. Its great at brightening and offers good coverage for dark circles and redness too. This will be coming with me to my brothers wedding later this month as I know I can rely on it to coverup any imperfections.

Rimmel Blush in 050 Live Pink

These are the sweetest little blushers & super affordable too. I have also been neglecting my blusher drawer since getting the Zoeva Blush Palette and I have not really used anything else. This is an easy to wear soft pink shade with a pretty of gold sheen. Its quite pigmented but not too bold, I love how tiny it is & I’m thinking I might take it to Amsterdam with me. Let me know what Rimmel Blush is your favourite

INIKA Mineral Foundation

I have been using my Jurlique Rose Silk Powder a lot over the Summer because its translucent and doesn’t give me any added coverage. As we head into the cooler days I do like to wear a powder that gives coverage too, the INIKA Mineral Foundation is a beautifully lightweight loose powder and I use it to set my foundation on days when I want my makeup to look flawless. This can be worn as your foundation and its really natural but also offers a good amount of coverage but as I said I enjoy using this as my setting powder & it does an amazing job. I have had this pot for over a year & I have used it a fair amount over that time and I still have so much product left. I am very excited to use this again. Oh & this is available in 8 shades.

L’Oreal Eyeshadow in Eau de Rose

I have so many nice palettes that I very rarely use my smaller quads or single shadows very often and when I first bought this a few years ago I used it all the time. I love the dark mauve shade in this quad, its such a rich shade and you know its the perfect Autumnal shadow. All the colours in this quad are pretty, the lighter colours are nice worn alone all over the lid if you want more of a subtle look, or you can go to town and smoke it up with that beautiful deep shade. I love the packaging of this too & the way the shadows are all slotted together, the colours look so pretty together in the pan. I am very pleased to have this in my everyday makeup bag.

La Roche Posay Unifiant / bareMinerals Concealer / Charlotte Tilbury Lip Lustre / Rimmel Blush

Givenchy Phenomen`Eyes Mascara

This isn’t a rediscovery either, I’m just trying to use it up. It is the perfect case of not needing to splash out on a high-end mascara because price doesn’t always reflect quality. This is a very black mascara but i’d say that is the only positive thing I can say about it. The wand is just odd, the ball makes it very strange to use, and very hard to get used too. The formula smudges too, don’t use this on your bottom lashes at all as it ends up transferring so badly. I would recommend any of the Lancome or Marc Jacobs mascaras over this, if you want a high-end option but we all know that the drugstore options are incredible too! Not a fan of this at all.

What makeup products have you rediscovered this month.

Current Foundation Line Up

March 18, 2016August 13, 2017 - Vicki 8 Comments

L’Oreal True Match

This has been a favourite foundation of mine for ages now & I always make sure I have a bottle in my stash. I have the shade Vanille & its a really good match for me, I think they have reformulated since I last purchased it & changed the packaging slightly too. This foundation always blends really well and sits lovely on my skin. It gives me a medium coverage and I love the silky finish it gives my skin. Its an affordable foundation and one I reach for when I want a base that I can rely on, it never feels heavy or greasy.

Bioderma Sensibio AR BB Cream

I wear a lot of BB creams, they tend to be quite low coverage but this Bioderma one gives more coverage than the average BB cream. I like to use this when my skin is looking red and a little stressed, this BB Cream is a skincare and make-up hybrid and specifically to combat redness. I love the coverage and the radiant finish, it contains SPF 30 so your skin has a little more protection from the suns harmful UVA & UVB rays. A cocktail active ingredients reduce inflammation, anti-irritant allantoin and canola immediately soothe, and glycerin promotes hydration.

Glo & Ray CC Foundation

This is a lovely CC Cream, its great at evening out skin tone and still letting your freckles show through. This glides on the skin, blends beautifully and adds a much needed luminosity to my complexion. If you want glowing, healthy but still quite a natural base then this Glo & Ray offering is very good value for money. Its a particularly lovely base for the warmer months, as it lets your skin breath and never feels heavy.

Bourjois CC Cream

This is a skin correcting base which contains three colour correcting pigments – Apricot for anti-fatigue, Green for anti-redness, White for anti-dark spots. I do have redness across my cheeks and this does a good job at reducing that and evening out my skintone. It feels nice on the skin & never goes greasy over the course of the day. I reach for this during the day, when I want a lightweight, natural coverage just to perk my skin up.

Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude

I love this product but HATE the packaging, this formula is quite watery and if you knock the bottle over you better believe me it will go EVERYWHERE! I wish it had a pump. If you take time to blend this is it will give you the most beautiful flawless finish. The longer I wear this throughout the day the better is seems to look on my skin.

INIKA Mineral Foundation

I use this mineral foundation in two ways, if I want a lovely lightweight quite flawless foundation I will reach for this but I also like to layer this on top of a liquid foundation for more coverage and a smooth soft focus finish. This mineral foundation is very fine and easy to wear, it has SPF15 and is a great base to wear as the weather gets warmer – as it never looks greasy or heavy on the skin. I use this almost daily, as I said either alone or as a finishing powder and I still have so much product left. A pot will last you ages! I have to say I wouldn’t travel with this because its just a powder explosion waiting to happen, but thats the only negative.

BareMinerals Complexion Rescue*

This Complexion Rescue feels like you have nothing on your skin but makes you look like you have healthy, radiant skin. I hear some people say they like to apply this with their fingers but I think I get a better finish when I use my beauty sponge. This has a cocktail of skincare benefits including,

Olive derived squalane – nourishing, hydrating and boosts the skins ability to regenerate
Marine botanicals – help refuel thirsty skin and enhance skins appearance
Water loving humectants,Tehalsose and glycerine- which locks in moisture
Heart leaf globe daisy – an antioxidant, defends skin from from environmental aggressors
Calcium and Magnesium – help replenish the skin and promote the skins moisture balance
SPF30 PA+++ this also contains a broad spectrum SPF to protect the skin against UVA & UVB rays

So it truly is makeup with added skincare, its one of my favourite ever makeup bases and I highly recommend giving it a go if you like a natural, light – medium coverage.

Rimmel Match Perfection

This is quite a hydrating foundation and this is the one I reach for when my skin is dry and I need a good amount of coverage. A little product goes a long way and I like to use a beauty blender to get an even flawless finish. I like the luminous finish this gives, I find that I do have to powder through my t zone otherwise I will look shinny by the end of the day.

As you can see I am very much a drugstore foundation kind of girl. I think you get get incredible quality bases on the high street and they perform as well as more expensive alternatives. What foundations do you have on the go right now & let me know if you have any recomendations.

*PR Sample

January Beauty Favourites 2016

February 3, 2016February 3, 2016 - Vicki 6 Comments

Inglot Freedom Palette

I have two Inglot Freedom Palettes, this is my 10 pan but I also have a 5 pan palette and I love them both. You get a magnetic board & can pick from so many colours to fill your palette. It took me ages to decide on the 10 colours for this palette but its my dream palette. The shadows are incredible quality, pigmented and great value for money. I think Inglot eyeshadows are amongst the best out there, I use this palette so often and its a really good one to travel with as its slim and you know that you like every shadow because you filled the palette yourself.

Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Blusher in Ecstasy

This has to be one of the most pigmented blushers I have ever used, to say you need very little product on your brush is an understatement. You get two beautiful cheek shades in this blush, the outer shade is a dark peachy pink with a pretty frosted finish, and the shade in the middle is a more true pink with the most gorgeous gold shimmer running through. I absolutely adore wearing it. The packaging is weighty, it looks and feels luxurious, with the added rose gold touches that Charlotte Tilbury includes making it look extra special.

PS Love Velvet Matte Lipstick Crayon

You never know when buying more affordable products if they’re going to be any good but I am pleased to say this Velvet Matte Lip Crayon is pretty damn good. Its not too drying on my lips and the colour is really pretty, it is a deep raspberry plum shade which is one of my favourites to wear. Its pigmented and for a budget matte lip colour its surprisingly long wearing.

Max Factor Velvet Volume False Lash Effect Mascara*

I really like the plastic wand on this mascara, it helps coat every single lash and give the illusion I have considerably more lashes than I do. I wear two coats of this mascara which makes my lashes look long and fluttery, not heavy or weighed down. Your lashes still feel flexible even after a couple of coats – not brittle at all. Its a great mascara to have in my collection & I have worn it so much in January.

Chloé Eau de Parfum

I instantly fell for this perfume. Its a lot more of a feminine scent that I usually wear but OMG its beautiful. How cute is the bottle too? The perfume features top notes of Lychee, Freesia and Peony, middle notes of Lily of the Valley, Rose and Magnolia and base notes of Virginia Cedar and Musk. Its light scent but one that you can smell all day long and I think as the perfume settles on your skin throughout the day the becomes a lot more rich and smells so good. I only have the 30ml of this right now but I will be treating myself to the larger size as soon as its all used up.

INIKA Mineral Foundation

I like this because its lightweight and looks so natural on my skin, I use concealer as normal then sweep a light application of this all over my face with a kabuki brush. It gives a good amount of coverage and gives your skin that velvet smooth finish. I also like that it has SPF15 in & Its very easy to reapply throughout the day. It is a little messy to travel with but its a good everyday foundation and it won’t break you out. Also this pot has lasted me months & it doesn’t look like I have made a dent in it, there is so much product left. Its great value for money.

What have been your most used products this past month & have you used any of ones I have mentioned?

*PR Sample

Shopping My Stash October 2015

November 16, 2015 - Vicki 3 Comments

Shopping My Makeup Stash

INIKA Mineral Foundation*

I’m not someone that uses mineral makeup, I am so clumsy and often I get more on the floor or my vanity than I do my face. In a nutshell loose mineral products scare me & the potential for mess is huge! I saw this INIKA powder foundation in my stash & I thought it was high time I used it again, I used it a little when I first got it but over time it was pushed to the back of my stash. I have been using this over my liquid base, which is usually my bareMinerals Complexion Rescue and it adds a little more colour and coverage but not full coverage by any means, so still quite natural but it looks so flawless and smoothing.

I am in love. I don’t think my base has ever looked as good and I use very little powder so it never looks overdone or like I have on a lot of makeup. I can’t believe I have never tried this before. I also like that this is 100% vegan and cruelty free. The powder also contains Titanium and Zinc Oxides provide natural sun protection with SPF15.

Lord & Berry Twistick in Shut Up

I absolutely love lip crayons and think they’re such a no fuss quite effortless lip option and this Lord & Berry one is a gorgeous Autumnal shade. Its a deep berry and is very pigmented on the lips. Its quite a creamy formula so it won’t dry out your lips but it also means you will have to reapply throughout the day but the colour is just gorgeous. So pleased to have re discovered this and I have been keeping it in my handbag and using it most days.

Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium Deep

LOVE this product, its all I have been using in my brows. Its natural but gives them enough colour so they looked filled in but not too dramatic and I like that it also holds my brow hairs in place so they look neat and tidy on my face! The brush is just the perfect size its small enough that you won’t get product all over your forehead and you will be able to tame those brows with precision. I have repurchased this on many an occasion and & I can’t believe I had forgotten about it. I blame the house move, I am only now getting my makeup stash in order and rediscovering products. If you haven’t tried Gimme Brow you need to, its a must have in my opinion.

etos Smokey Eyes Eyeshadow

I don’t use this to create a smokey eye but I like how pretty the shadows are and think they look natural on the lid and are ideal for a fresh daytime eye look. I bought this a while ago in a chemist in Amsterdam and I have hardly used it (eyeshadow hoarder) but this pink tones in this trio are pretty and not the colours I would normally use so I have been enjoying experimenting with those and creating a very pretty mauve pink eye look.

Shopping My Makeup Stash November

Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Foundation

I do have a lot of foundations (too many) so I need to have them on rotation, that way I use them instead of gravitating towards just one. This month I have looked out my Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Foundation this gives a beautiful satin finish to the skin and I am always shocked with how little product you need because it blends out so well. I would say that if you are prone to dry skin this foundation does cling to any dryness so use a primer or just make sure you moisturise well. I love the bottle too but I do wish it had a pump, as I said before I am clumsy and this is just a disaster waiting too happen.

The Body Shop All in One Instablur Primer

This has quite a thick gel formula and I find it takes a little time to work it in to the skin. I don’t often use a primer but I have had this one open for almost a year and I didn’t want it to go off and have to throw it away before I had the chance to really put it to the test. I use this to smooth my skin and give it that blurred effect, you don’t need a lot of product otherwise it can feel quite greasy on the skin, I apply it to my forehead, chin and a little down the sides of my nose. I do think my makeup applies well over the top and makes it look smooth, I wouldn’t say this was good for smoothing over blemishes but it is good as a primer if you want to achieve a flawless look with your foundation. I won’t repurchase because I like the Laura Mercier Primer better

Bath & Body Works Pocketbac in Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin

I am on the fence about the new B&BW packaging but I couldn’t resist a Autumn scent & this is sweet but not in a sickly sugary way. These are just a fun product, I know they contain alcohol before you all say how drying they are for your hands. I just love the range of scents and they’re a good way of keeping hands sanitised. Let me know what your favourite scents are.

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.

Givenchy Phenomen`Eyes Mascara

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BareMinerals Complexion Rescue*

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PS Love Velvet Matte Lipstick Crayon

Max Factor Velvet Volume False Lash Effect Mascara*

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etos Smokey Eyes Eyeshadow

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