Products On The Repurchase List

You can always tell how good a beauty product is if it’s worth a repurchase! After trial and error, I have found some great products that I would no doubt be repurchasing in the future. There is countless products in my stash that I adore however I selected a small variety of products that I have either already repurchased or know that a repurchase will happen!

SKINCARE

Skincare products are tricky and definitely the sign of a good product if you know it is worth a repurchase! Whilst I will probably have more makeup options overall, there is some skincare products I know I couldn’t be without!

Clarins are one of my favourite brands and definitely a brand I need to try more from. One of my favourite products is their One Step Facial Cleanser. I am now on my third bottle of this stuff, it is so good! It is a quick and easy water based cleanser that is perfect for mornings to swipe over the face for a gentle and awakening cleanse. I’ve tried both the mint and orange variety and love both, this orange one however does leave a beautiful glow to the skin!

A bit of a skincare-makeup hybrid, the Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfecting Base, in short a lip balm. This is seriously underrated! I recently finished up a tube of this and had to repurchase asap as I just couldn’t do without this! It is the perfect lip balm for under lipstick, super moisturising and a great base. So worth the splurge!

After suffering from rough skin under my eyes, I opted for the Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado and since haven’t looked back! This is seriously moisutrising stuff, it is thick and super nourishing so great if like me you suffer from dryness or rough skin under your eyes. It may seem expensive for a tiny pot but oh my this has lasted me so long, in fact over a year (which I shouldn’t be admitting to!) and is still going strong!

The last skincare product on my list is from another brand favourite of mine, Origins. I’ve tried quite a lot from Origins but one of my favourite products from them right now is their Ginzing Energy Boosting Moisturiser. With the wintery weather making an appearance, my skin is feeling rather lacklustre and in need of hydration and this moisturiser is the perfect option. It is seriously moisturising and as it suggests a boost of energy! I need a full sized tub asap!

MAKEUP

First on the makeup list is an already repurchased item in the form of Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, my favourite ever concealer. I am not going to go on too much about this as regular readers will know the drill, this stuff is just seriously good. Thick and creamy with high coverage, perfect for blemishes!

Sticking to base related items, BareMinerals Complexion Rescue has became a favourite of mine over the last year. The perfect lightweight and low coverage base that offers the most gorgeous dewiness to the skin. It is essentially like your skin but better! A product I highly recommend trying if you are into glowy skin!

Another favourite of mine that many will be aware of, since I’ve mentioned it so many times is the Body Shop Honey Bronzer. This bronzer was basically made for my skin, coming in a range of light tones, it is the perfect shading for fair skinned gals (and guys) like me! It isn’t too muddy or orange in any way so creates a gorgeous warmth and sculpted look to the skin! My shade 02 doesn’t seem to be available and I have heard terms of it being discontinued(!) but there is other shades available!

Last but not least on this extra long post (sorry!) is a newbie to my stash yet one I already am obsessed with. It is the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper. I went off eyeliner for a long time and once I got this and I can’t stop wearing it! I seriously wonder how I coped without wearing eyeliner since it makes such a difference! For an eyeliner noob like me however this is an absolute dream of a product. The brush tip makes it easy to glide over the eye without tugging and it is super pigmented and seriously long lasting! So good!

What is on your repurchase list?

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October Favourites

This month, I definitely got my makeup mojo back! I picked up a few new goodies this month as well as finding great gems within my stash. So without further ado, here is my favourite products of the month..

Starting with base, I have three base product loves. I mentioned this in my Becca post but I am loving the Becca Backlight Priming Perfector for under makeup. It adds the most gorgeous luminosity to the skin and it’s just a great starting base for applying foundation on to. In terms of one of my go-to foundation products I’ve been using lately, it comes from an old favourite; Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue. Again, another glow giver product that makes my skin look beautifully fresh and dewy! Love it! It has light coverage but applies beautifully and the finish is so worth it!

To finish off my base, I also have a concealer love. I’ve had the Mac Prep and Prime Highlighter Pen in Light Boost for a while now but after getting into the habit of using it daily I am obsessed! It adds just the right amount of coverage and the yellow toned shade works perfectly to lighten my under-eyes. It has also lasted me so long despite the small amount of product!

Another love this month has came from Kat Von D and surprisingly is an eyeliner! I say surprisingly as I haven’t been wearing eyeliner for such a long time however when I got my hands on the Tattoo Liner I was desperate to start giving it a go again! Whilst it will take a bit of time to gain some courage to wing it out, I am loving using this as it is super easy to use. The pen style liner has a brush tip which makes it easy to glide on the eye without pulling and tugging which makes it a dream for an eyeliner noob like me. Definitely the best eyeliner I’ve ever used, this will definitely be getting a full size purchase!

Of course I couldn’t have a favourites post without a lip product, right!? Naturally I have more than one in this post! The first is from Urban Decay and was mentioned in my UD lipstick dedicated post here. I have been obsessed with the shade Backtalk, a gorgeous cool toned nude mauve pink in a comfortable creamy matte formula. I can tell it will be a long term favourite of mine!

The second and last product of this round-up is from Mac and one of their Retro Matte liquid lipsticks in the shade Lady Be Good. I am a huge lover of liquid lipsticks but it took me a while to finally get my hands on one of these from Mac however a little price decrease gave me the perfect reason to try one out! They recieved a bit of stick for these in reviews for the formula however I have to say I have been so impressed. The formula is comfortable enough and doesn’t feel overly drying. The applicator is also one of the best I’ve tried as it’s pretty wide so fits the shape of your lips much better than the standard doe foot applicator. The shade is a peachy nude which is super pretty and wearable!

What have you been loving recently?

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Summer Beauty Essentials

When a sight of sun is in the sky, my beauty priorities take a change from fuller coverage bases and sculpted, neutral looks to embrace the Summer vibes with bronzed skin and bright shades. As well as my makeup choices, my skincare also changes up slightly. With Summer in full swing, I thought I would share my top beauty essentials for dealing with the summer heat.

MAKEUP/NAILS

In terms of base, I love a lightweight glowy base for Summer. When the sun is shining, the last thing I want is a fuller coverage thick foundation so instead I love a light and comfortable tinted moisturiser/bb cream. My favourite is the BareMinerals Complexion Rescue which gives enough coverage for a light base and also provides a fresh glowy look to the skin all whilst remaining comfortable and moisturising on the skin. To add some extra glow to my skin, I love the look of liquid highlighters. They look soft and natural on the skin and can be worked in with foundation too. I am currently loving the Nars illuminator in Copacabana which blends into the skin beautifully.

To amp up the warmth in my skin, bronzer is such a must in Summer. It helps add a little definition to my face whilst giving me a little colour too. I am currently all for shimmery bronzers to add even more glow in my skin such as the Soap and Glory Wonderbronze which I have been loving. To add even more colour, I love bright lip shades at this time of year. There is nothing better than a bright coral or orange-y red to brighten things up. I will share some of my favourites later but I am loving Mac Relentlessly Red.

I also love bright nails as well, something I will also cover in another post. They look summery and great for enhancing a tan. I have so many Essie shades that I am loving but I am currently all for their new Summer shade Sunshine State of Mind.

SKINCARE

Obviously when the sun is out in full force, it is important to protect your skin. Having light skin, I need high protection for my skin in the sun so SPF is so important. I am currently using the Clarins Sun Cream for Very High Protection which offers UVB/UVA 50+ to help my skin stay safe in the sun. So having light skin means that tanning just doesn’t happen for me and I have to turn to self-tanning products. I am not much a tanning person anyway so a gradual tanner is all I need for a subtle bronzed glow. I am currently using the Clarins Golden Glow Booster to add in to my moisturiser for an extra glow.

Lastly, to keep hydrated I love hydrating mists. In the heat there is nothing better than a boost of hydration to stay refreshed and cool in the heat. I am all for the Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist which is a bargain and super hydrating on the skin.

What are your Summer beauty essentials?

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2015 Beauty Favourites: Base & Cheek Products

It’s that time for a mammoth of a favourites post! With 2015 over and done with, it’s time to look back at some of my top beauty products from the year. If you are a regular reader around these parts then most of the products may not be a big surprise to you! This is actually the first time I have ever done a whole yearly favourites so as I have so many products and didn’t want to bore you all with an essay of a blog post I have split this in to two parts. Today’s post will look into my favourite base/cheek products so foundation, concealer, blush etc. Then on Wednesday I will be rounding up my favourite eye/lip products. So I will stop blabbing on now and get on with my 2015 favourites…

Primer

There is only one primer that has ever really done it for me. That is without a doubt the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. I mentioned this already just last week in my December Favourites but this is holy grail level for me. I tried out a sample of this at either the end of 2014/start of 2015 and in one try I was completely blown away! I was of course also super happy to pick it up during a flight this summer were I got it for a pretty bargain! This primer creates such a velvety soft finish to my skin which lets my foundation slip on top super easily. It makes my makeup last super long like crazy and it still manages to keep my base looking fresh and flawless. Couldn’t recommend it enough!

Foundation/ Base products 

There is three base products that I truly fell for this year. All of which will be no surprise to you! Weirdly enough each one has a completely different finish from one another but it means I’ve got something good to cover all bases. First up, the tinted moisturiser lightweight base. BareMinerals Complexion Rescue stole my heart during the year with its flawless skin in a bottle formula. This is one for a good skin day as it does have a much lighter coverage. Although it basically gives you better skin, it is super glowy and fresh and makes you feel like a VS Angel, pretty much! Check my review for that one here.

For a more fuller coverage, night out option and just overall incredible foundation, Nars Sheer Glow wins hands down! I had been desperate to try this foundation for far too long and finally took the plunge earlier in 2015 and I am ever so glad I did! The shade Mont Blanc is the perfect fit for my skin and coverage is super buildable. It also doesn’t include SPF so is perfect for nights out! Just a perfect foundation in my books, check my full review here.

Lastly, a surprise new favourite came my way from the drugstore not too long ago. I don’t usually get on well with drugstore foundations although this seemed to work a dream with my skin. The L’Oreal Infallible 24h-Matte is the foundation in question. I never ever swayed towards matte foundations, with glowy and satin finishes more up my street but this formula is just great, it’s not too matte and has a nice natural look whilst still providing good coverage. At an affordable price, it’s such a great everyday option, check my review here.

Conceal & Correct

Concealer is always something I had been on the hunt for, something that provided good long lasting coverage without caking. The Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer seemed to fit the bill. This is just the perfect concealer for me when covering blemishes, it offers great coverage and is super blendable with a thick consistency. The fact I am now running out makes me feel pretty darn sad! I don’t know how to deal without my Nars concealer! Check my full review here.

At the start of the year, corrector is something I would never have considered. Not just because I wouldn’t have needed it but also because I probably never knew what it was. That was until the Bobbi Brown corrector made its way into my life. I get discoloration under my eyes and I turned to trying the cult BB corrector in a bid to fix up my blue under eyes. This product works wonders on me, the creamy formula is super easy to work with and blends in nicely on the skin without caking or creasing. It offers really great coverage too and hides any noticeable discoloration.

Cheek Products

At the start of the year I never cared so much for bronzer. I never really seen the need for it although that was until I tried The Body Shop Honey Bronzer. This is hands down one of my best makeup discoveries ever. The shade is just so perfect for my fair skin and isn’t too warm at all. As well as giving my skin a bit of warmth, it also adds shape and definition which I just love. It is also a complete bargain!

This year also saw my love for blush grow. I don’t know why I love it so much but I have always been forever looking for more blush to add to my collection. In 2015, I finally tried out the well hyped Hourglass brand. After getting my hands on the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit, I got to try out a couple more blushes and other products in their powder range. The one that I truly fell for though was Mood Exposure, a gorgeous mauve plum shade which looks super natural on the skin. The formula for these are also unbeatable! Check my review of the palette here.

What was your favourite base products from 2015?

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The Minimal Makeup Look

We all have those days were we want a fuss free makeup menu that will take a limited amount of time. I certainly have those days and since starting work this Summer I have nailed down a quick makeup routine that is easy and appropriate for a day at work. I am thinking those easy and convenient products but also ones that I can trust to create a good base. There are quite a few products in my stash that serve this purpose pretty well.

First up, when it comes to base I want something simple, lightweight but also creates radiant and flawless skin. Sounds like a lot but BareMinerals Complexion Rescue fits the bill. The light coverage base blends in like a dream and creates such gorgeous glowy fresh skin. Teamed with the Nars Creamy Concealer which gives the coverage it serves up a flawless base. Still sticking with the base, to warm things up a bit my new trusty Body Shop Honey Bronzer is a match made in heaven for my pale skin. For quick and easy application, the Rimmel Stay Blushed cheek tint works perfectly at adding a little flushed look to the cheeks. To keep on top of the glow the Topshop Glow Pot is the perfect product for adding a sheen to the tops of the cheekbones.

Moving on to eyes. there is nothing quite as easy and simple as a good eyeshadow stick. The By Terry Ombre Blackstars are as good as the hype suggests. The shade Misty Rock is simply beautiful and the formula is incredible gliding over the lids smoothly with a gorgeous finish. To finish the look, a quick swipe of the Benefit Bad Gal mascara for that natural fluttery style which is perfect for an everyday basis. For brows, the Soap and Glory Archery works wonders and is perfect for those minimal makeup days when you need something natural but still tidied up.  To finish the look, a simple sweep of the Clarins Lip Balm Perfector is a great choice, super moisturising and buttery smooth on the lips whilst still giving them a little colour.

What do you wear on Minimal Makeup days?

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Blogger Enabled Purchases

Looking at my entire makeup collection, a very large percentage of it was some way or another enabled by other beauty blogs. Usually every-time I plan on buying a product I turn to other blogs in hope to find out if I should really be spending my money on a certain product. Basically I am a sucker for hype and my collection proves that. I have gathered a small bundle of products that I own that I basically bought because blogger hype. Although as I say this is only a small quantity so if anyone wants a round 2 then let us know! Warning: long post ahead, get a cuppa!

Anyway on to the beautifully hyped products. First up is the base I have been obsessed with lately. BareMinerals launched their Complexion Rescue earlier this year and was soon featured in so many favourites posts of many bloggers/YouTubers. Since I started to find a new love for light coverage bases I had wanted to try this out. This definitely lived up to the hype. Easy to apply, weightless on the skin and the most perfect radiant skin. A favourite of mine for a long time to come! Check my full review here.

Continuing with base products I’ve also got a concealer from Maybelline, namely the Anti-Age Eraser Eye. Now this product got a lot of loving from Anna (Vivianna Does Makeup) and being a drugstore product there was no guilt in picking this one up. Now this concealer was so popular that I couldn’t even get my hands on it for such a long time. I went to every Boots/Superdrug in my city and could not find the shade Light in any of them. It was also sold out online everywhere. Until luckily it came back in stock on Feel Unique and I quickly snapped it up. I bought this concealer for under the eyes as I did have a gap in my collection for a good under eye concealer. Although sadly I don’t think this has filled the gap. The shade range (in the UK anyway) is atrocious. Two shades both of which are too dark for my skin but neither of them are incredibly dark either. So the shade ‘Light’ is basically too dark for me which doesn’t help when trying to lighten up my under eye area. Nevertheless the concealer is ok and I do quite like the spongy applicator which everyone seemed to dislike. Honestly it’s not any bit less hygienic than a doe foot applicator.

Moving on as I realise how long this post is going to become, sorry guys! Back to a bit of product loving. I recently picked up the Body Shop Honey Bronzer which was basically enabled by Estee (Essie Button) who raves about this all the time. This is just such a lovely bronzer. The shade range is perfect. For a pale kid like me it’s spot on. The shade isn’t too muddy or orange on the skin, its just the perfect colour that warms up the skin beautifully. I think this one will become a long time fave!

On to lip products. Two very similar lip liners gained a lot of attention in the blogging world lately. First up the Rimmel Exaggerate lip liner in Eastend Snob, a dusky pink my lips but better shade. Now this got a lot of hype due to its similarities to the also well hyped Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk which also makes my list. The shades are very similar but the Rimmel counterparts edge just that little bit darker. Although If I am honest the CT version pips this to the post by a large margin. I really am not a fan of the Rimmel liner, in fact I’ve hardly used it but have so little product left as it keeps breaking each time I use it. I also much prefer the smoother finish of the CT liner in comparison to the Rimmel one which I find a little too waxy on the lips. Another hyped lip product was the Clinique Lip Pop range that basically every blogger spoke about for weeks on end. A new lip range boasting a moisturising finish with good lasting power and good pigmentation. Basically these were meant to be the top dogs. I picked up the shade Melon Pop, a gorgeous summer appropriate coral shaded pink. The moisture with these lipsticks are definitely there, they feel super comfortable on the lips. Although one thing that does let it down is the lasting power. I have heard better for other shades but this shade in particular doesn’t tend to last very long on the lips which is a shame as it’s such a pretty colour.

Another highly hyped product that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on was one of the By Terry Ombre Blackstar eyeshadow sticks. After seeing Lily Pebbles and Tanya Burr sporting the ‘Misty Rock’ shade on several occasions I couldn’t resist any longer. The mauve-plum-silvery indescribable shade is truly gorgeous and a super unique colour. The formula of this eyeshadow stick is unbeatable. Super smooth and glides easily over the eyes without tugging but with all the colour pigment. See my full review here. I need more!

Finally! Probably the most naivest purchases I could ever make although not regrettable. The Nars Laguna Bronzer and Nars Orgasm Blush are two of the most hyped products around and of course I had to have them for that reason. I bought these two back last year when I first started getting into makeup but honestly I had no idea what I was doing. At that point I probably had no idea what bronzer was for never mind spending nearly £30 on one and a blusher when blush wasn’t really my thing and the shade wasn’t even particularly me either. Although step forward a year and as you can see that bronzer has been well loved although thats because I used it everyday after buying it then when I hit pan I stopped, true story *fear of repurchase*. The blush as well is truly gorgeous, with specks of gold shimmer it really makes your complexion glow and doesn’t sit flat. Even if I never bought them last year then let’s be honest I would probably would have picked them up sooner or later cause hype… ya know.

Did you get sucked into the hype with any of these products?

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August Favourites

Like every monthly favourites post it is pretty much a necessity to start with the how is it *enter month* already! Really though, how scary is it that we are now reaching Autumn! I remember last Autumn like it was yesterday, it feels like we haven’t even had Summer yet! Anyway scary thoughts aside, it’s time to roundup some of my favourite products from the month. I had quite a few favourites this month since I stuck to a pretty similar routine everyday during the month. Not out of habit or laziness but I found and rediscovered some favourites that I will cherish for a long time to come.

First up was a rediscovery for me after being left abandoned in my makeup collection. The Urban Decay Naked 2 palette is a classic well-loved product and it’s only took me like 8 months to properly get into it! I received this palette at Christmas and of course being one of the Naked palettes I knew it was a winner already. However since I had so many makeup free days and quick 5 minute makeup routines, I never really had any time to start lugging out any eyeshadow palettes so sadly this got quite neglected. Over the month though I have started to fall in love with this palette. As you would expect from Urban Decay the quality is amazing. The shadows are super pigmented, buttery and easy to work with. You can create so many gorgeous looks with this either for daytime or for a night out. I am super glad I started using this again as I love it! If you want to recall my full review and swatches, see my post here.

There is no surprise really that the BareMinerals Complexion Rescue would get a mention. This was such a raved about base product I had to pick it up and I am so glad I did. It’s the most perfect Summer base or for those minimal makeup days. It basically gives you a better version of your skin, think dewy and fresh. It blends in like a dream and has a pretty good lasting power too! A product I know I can rely on for years to come! Check my full review here.

If you remember earlier this month I posted about my love for Mac Brave lipstick. Obviously after it being my go-to choice for lipstick over the month it is well worth a favourites mention. This is such a perfect everyday lipstick, I am obsessed. It is like the more muted version of my favourite lipstick, Mac Twig. It’s a pretty dusky mauve pink that gives a little twist on a simple everyday nude lip. It totally lives up to the whole ‘my lips but better’. The satin finish is also super creamy and comfortable on the lips and is pretty decent in longevity too!

This month, I also discovered a killer eyelash combo. Benefit’s They’re Real mascara was always a favourite of mine but it got pushed aside lately to welcome the arrival of Benefit Rollerlash. To prevent any mascara wastage going on I picked it back up this month and realised what I was missing out on. Teamed with my Shu Uemura eyelash curlers it creates to die for eyelashes. They’re Real really lengthens your lashes although the curl was something that it struggled with. With a pair of amazing eyelash curlers it really opens the eyelashes and creates such a nice curl. The two together just looks hella fierce (I did just say that yes) and I love it. You can check my Benefit mascara trio review here.

Lastly was another newbie in my collection that I really couldn’t wait to get my hands on. The Body Shop Honey Bronzer is talked about a lot and for good reason.  I picked up Shade 2 which is still pretty light but a perfect shade. It really is a perfect bronzer for anyone with fair skin. It’s such a fine powder that blends in beautifully and being a matte formula it is super good for warming up the skin or giving a slight contour. It is also pretty affordable especially with all the amazing Body Shop offers so definitely one to add to the shopping basket.

P.S This post marks one year of monthly favourites posts! Yay! *celebration dance*

What have you been loving this month?

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BareMinerals Complexion Rescue

Lightweight bases were never really my thing. I was always in the illusion that I needed a heavy coverage base to cover my redness and any blemishes. Oh how wrong I was. After dabbling into the world of BB creams I have suddenly became all that interested in those lighter coverage bases. A product I heard rave after rave about was the Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue. A lightweight ‘tinted hydrating gel cream’ launched in time for the summer months. I finally caved into the hype when I saw a sweet deal on Feel Unique and I knew it had to be mine. As I always say foundations and bases can be a tricky field for me. I am usually always left unsatisfied with the exception of Nars Sheer Glow but I think I’ve now found a new winner in my books!

The Complexion Rescue leans more on the tinted moisturiser side of things with a very light but buildable coverage. It works well either blended with fingers or a brush. I tend to use a brush but both options still create a similar flawless result. As I picked it up online I was a little weary of the shade range and what would match me but I decided to go with shade 02 Vanilla which works out as the perfect shade for me. The finish of this base is very dewy. It is like your skin but better. It creates the most radiant and fresh looking skin. It really is the perfect no makeup makeup look. As someone with combination skin it works great on me and for someone with dry skin I can imagine the hydrating properties would also be greatly beneficial. Those with oilier skin types may need to rely on more powder for this one as the dewiness may be a little too much.

The lasting power of this base is also pretty decent. Every time I’ve worn this it seems to hang around for quite a while and even seems to look better as time goes on. It really is perfect for everyday wear and teamed with a good coverage concealer it creates the most flawless base. Also, with the addition of SPF 30 it really is a great base for summer and I really regret not buying this earlier as it would have been perfect for during my holiday back in July. Another great addition to this product (as if there wasn’t enough already) is the quantity. Now this base contains 35ml of product which is little more than your average foundation/base which is usually around the 30ml quantity. I don’t think I can rave about this product anymore, it really is the perfect base and one I can see myself repurchasing again and again.

What is your favourite base product?

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