First Purchases of 2014 (Makeup Haul)

 

So with Christmas over for another year and having received my bank statement for December (ouch!) it's that time of year where you decide that you really need to save some money after spending so much during the festive season.

Apparently I didn't get that memo and I've been out shopping over the past few weeks and have brought some amazing cosmetics which I'm going to share today.

 

The first thing that I've purchased were these makeup wipes from Superdrug. Recently I've been using some Sainsbury's own branded wipes just because they are cheap and easy to pick up, but I decided I should probably invest in some wipes that are actually designed to be used to take off makeup. These were also a complete bargain at only about £1.50 and although I have never used them before I thought that they would be worth the risk.

 

My obsession with nail polish continues. Barry M have recently released a new collection of matte polishes in a variety of colours. Their new polishes always intrigue me and after buying loads of their standard as well as jelly polishes I just needed to try this one. I picked up the shade 'Vanilla' costing me £3.99 from Superdrug.   

 

As Superdrug were having a 3 for 2 offer on all their Barry M products, it would be rude for me not to buy two more polishes. For my second polish I decided on this gorgeous burgundy shade called 'crush' from the new matte collection, which also retails at £3.99.

 

To complete the three for two offer, I needed to decide on one final polish. On the Barry M stand they had a picture of a model showing off one particular shade. I fell in love with it and decided that this would be the final shade that I would buy. This polish is part of the Hi-Shine jelly collection and is called 'Guava', also priced at £3.99 in Superdrug.

 

I actually brought another nail polish from Barry M a few weeks ago whilst I was shopping in Cambridge and totally forgot about it. At the time Superdrug were doing a 2 for £6 deal on all their nail polishes and so my friend and I got one each. I picked up this shade called 'blackberry' from the jelly range, saving myself 0.99p!

 

Living in a small town means that my local Superdrug doesn't sell any sleek products. After buying a blush and the contour kit online, I was desperate to get my hands on some of their other products, but wanted to be able to see what I was buying first. Luckily Cambridge had a whole stand of Sleek products, and it's fair to say that I went a little crazy.

 

The first thing that I picked up from Sleek was this gorgeous lipstick in the shade 'barely there.' Although I haven't used this product yet it claims to be a highly pigmented non drying and conditioning lipstick, which sounds pretty good to me! Costing only £4.99 it is also a bit cheaper than some of the other drugstore lipsticks out there so thought it would be worth a try.

 

After buying and falling in love with the Sleek blush in the shade 'flamingo' I decided that I would definitely need to expand my collection. With 11 shades in the collection it wasn't easy to pick just one so I brought two on this occasion, but could have easily brought them all! Oops.

 

I decided to go for two more pink shades, but these are no way near as bright as 'flamingo.' The blush pictured above is a lovely dark pink almost red shade with the slightest bit of shimmer in called 'flushed.' I can't wait to start using it and with it being priced at only £4.49 it is a serious bargain in my eyes.

 

The other blush I picked up for £4.49 was the shade in 'rose gold.' I've seen so many other beauty bloggers and vloggers rave about this shade of product and thought it was about time I got my hands on it too. It contains more shimmer than the other two blushes I have, yet will be a welcome addition to my collection.

 

This is where I think I got a little bit over the top and went a bit crazy with the sleek products. But whilst I was there I decided to pick up one of Sleek's eyeshadow palettes.

 

Typically of Sleek, the have kept their gorgeous black packaging for the palette and I'm so excited to try it out. They have a variety of palettes available but I got the 'Au Naturel 601' palette as I thought it would be one that I'd use the most.

 

Although I haven't used this product yet, I am seriously impressed with it at first glance. The colours inside look absolutely gorgeous and I love the mixture of both matte and shimmery shades in there. I also love the fact that each shade has it's own name and that there isn't one colour in the palette that I don't like. Perhaps the biggest bonus is that this cost only £7.99!

 

 

My final purchase over the past few weeks have been some new make-up brushes. I've had my eye on real-techniques brushes for ages and after receiving some for Christmas I decided to expand my collection. This resulted in a trip to Boots!

 

I decided to purchase the core collection, costing me £21.99. Working out at only about £5 a brush, they are seriously good value for money and even the woman in Boots told me that they are amazing!

Featuring a foundation brush, a brush for concealer, powder and contouring, I'm super excited about using these brushes alongside my new and old purchases, although I don't want to get them dirty! Haha.

Wow, it seems as though I've gone a bit overboard recently on products. One day I will learn to resist. (I hope)

If I Had £100 To Spend: Makeup

I saw this post back in September and it got me thinking about the makeup products that I would purchase if I was given £100 and so I decided to write my own version of the post. You can read Rosie's original post here: http://itsalljustrosie.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/if-i-had-100.html

Rockateur by Benefit £23.50
The first product that I would buy with £100 would be the Rockateur cheek powder from Benefit. I've heard amazing things about this particular product and seen some pictures of other bloggers wearing the product and it looks amazing. I wouldn't usually spend this much money on a blusher so this would be a product that I would treat myself to.

Mac Lipstick in Ruby Woo £15.00
I have had my eye on this lipstick for a few months now and so if I had £100 to spend on makeup this would definitely be a purchase for me. Described as a matt blue-red shade it is supposed to suit almost every skin-tone and would set me back £15. 

Image from www.maccosmetics.co.uk

Mac Lipstick in Crème Cup £15.00
Another lipstick from Mac that I would buy as part of my £100 spending would be this gorgeous looking shade called Crème Cup. I am a massive fan of pinky shaded lipsticks and feel this would be a great addition to my collection. I think I also featured this on my September wishlist, but I still haven't found the opportunity to buy it yet.  

Image taken from www.maccosmetics.co.uk

Mac Eyeshadow in Nylon £12.50

Having never tried an eyeshadow from Mac before and being keen to try out new shadows and expand my collection, another purchase would be the Mac eyeshadow in Nylon. From the description online it is a gold shimmery shade and I think this would compliment my hazel eyes. 

Image taken from www.maccosmetics.co.uk

Mac Eyeshadow in Blanc Type £12.50
As I am running out of the eye shadow I am currently using, I on the lookout for a new shadow to replace it. I came across this shade when browsing on the Mac website and thought it was a really lovely beige shade so I've added it to this post. 

Image taken from www.maccosmetics.co.uk 

Mac Eyeshadow in Charcoal Brown £12.50
This is turning into a 'If I had to spend £100 in Mac' post at this rate and so to end my spending in Mac I would finish off by purchasing a final eyeshadow in Charcoal Brown. I think this colour would be perfect for the crease and also to fill in my brows, so that's two purposes for one product. Brilliant. 

Sleek Blush in Rose Gold £4.49
I got slightly carried away when I was mentally purchasing products from the Mac website, so it leaves me with about £10 left to spend. I think for the last £10 I would go to Sleek and purchase two of their blushes because I have loved 'Flamingo' so much and would love to expand my collection even further.
  Whilst browsing on the website I came across this gorgeous shade. I've seen other beauty bloggers and Youtubers wearing this shade and it looks amazing. It would also be different from the blushes I already own and although it looks as though to have a fair bit of shimmer in it, I would still love to try it out.

Image from: www.sleekmakeup.com

 

Sleek Blush in Life's A Peach £4.49
For my final purchase I would buy another Sleek blush, this time in the shade 'Life's a Peach.' Although it looks extremely bright and orange in the picture online I would hope that like Flamingo it doesn't look as scary when it is on the cheeks as you don't need much product. That would bring my total to £99.98, leaving me with just 2p leftover. I'm actually surprised by the amount of products that I would be able to buy as I would get three blushes, 2 lipsticks and three eyeshadows for this price, with most of them being higher end products. 

Image from: www.sleekmakeup.com

Total: £99.98
It was a lot of fun to write this post and mentallu spend £100 on makeup and to plan what you would buy. However it has now made me want to buy all of these products, which may not turn out to be so great and will have a negative effect on my bank balance!

Beauty Things I Suck At

When it comes to applying makeup and following beauty regimes, we all have things we are good at and others that quite frankly we suck at. I was thinking about all the things I hate doing in terms of beauty because I am rubbish at them and thought that I would share these.
   

False eyelashes
When it comes to applying false eyelashes, it all goes wrong. It doesn't matter what type they are or if they are a full lash or individuals, I can never get them exactly right. One reason for this may be because I hardly ever wear them or it may because as I struggle to apply them I hardly wear them. I always struggle because I either don't apply enough glue or too much and then it goes everywhere and turns into a disaster. I also probably don't have the patience to take my time and apply them and I never know when the glue is tacky enough so I've found the best way to get over this is to avoid wearing them!

Applying primer before foundation
I am AWFUL at applying primer simply because I don't do it. I forget to prime my face so often and it's only when I'm halfway through applying my foundation that I remember. Bad I know, but when I realise I don't take off my foundation and start again, I just simply carry on with what I was doing. 

Applying eyeshadow underneath the eye
Eyeshadow is something I don't really get on with. I like applying it and I've started to wear more of it recently, it's just that I find it's not the best thing to do in a hurry. I cannot apply eyeshadow underneath my eye as part of a smoky eye look or for that matter any kind of look because it looks as though I've just been in the shower with all my makeup on and it has run. Major panda eyes! I remember when I first started to wear makeup I used to regularly wear very dark eyeshadow here and it looked awful so it just brings back bad memories. Now I stick to eyeliner, because it's much easier. 

Blending eyeshadow
Notice a theme here with eyeshadow? I admit, I can apply eyeshadow perfectly well to my lids if I'm only using one colour, but as soon as blending is involved I'm out. I cannot to save my life blend through my crease and end up totally ruining my eye makeup. Instead of a blended look, where you can clearly see the colours, I do a good job of blending all the colours into one, which really frustrates me. If anything, this year I really want to get better at this blending thing, so I can wear different makeup looks, so I guess it's time to start practising. 

These are just a few of the beauty things which I suck at, and if I sat here for longer I could probably think of lots more. Why don't you let me know what beauty things you suck at? 

What's In My Makeup Bag?

 

I've noticed recently that my makeup bag is becoming quite full. So full in fact that I can't actually shut it now, which isn't great when I take it out with me. Still, I thought that it would be quite interesting to go through what I currently have in my makeup bag, especially because I'm always interested to see what is in other peoples. 

  The makeup bag itself is from Marks and Spencer. However, because it was a gift to me I don't know how much it was and because it was brought for me a few years ago I don't think you can buy it anymore. 

Max Factor Colour Adapt Foundationhttps://www.maxfactor.co.uk/make-up-products/face/foundation/max-factor-colour-adapt-foundation

I've decided to organise the products for this post in a similar order in which I would apply them. Firstly is the foundation which I am currently using from Max Factor. This retails at £9.99 and I think it is reasonably priced although it is a bit more expensive than other drugstore brands. I use this product in shade 70 which is natural and the best thing about this foundation is that you do not need a lot of product for coverage, I usually only use half or one pump depending on the condition of my skin.

Helen E Cream & Concealer Duohttp://www.helen-e.com/cosmetics/face/cream-and-concealer-duo.htm

The next product is from a brand called Helen E. I've never seen this brand in Superdrug or Boots and I had this product for a few years before I actually started to use it. I got this particular duo from a Helen E stand at The Clothes Show Live and so paid considerably less than the retail price. The left side of the duo is a cream foundation called a 'skin smoother' but I haven't really got into using this because I prefer to use a liquid foundation. However, I regularly use the right side of the duo which is a yellow concealer. I use this under the eyes to cover up dark shadows and I think it really makes a difference. This product retails at £16.50 which is quite expensive for what the product is and considering that I don't use half of it I would recommend buying their concealer stick instead.

Max Factor Creme Puff Powder Compacthttps://www.maxfactor.co.uk/make-up-products/face/powder/max-factor-creme-puff-powder-compact

For powder, I'm currently using the Max Factor Creme Puff Powder compact in the shade translucent. As the foundation I'm using gives a good coverage, I use a translucent powder just to set the foundation and the concealer, instead of using it to add colour to my face. However, you can buy this powder in different shades and it retails at £5.99. I find that the powder gives a smooth finish to the face and I use the applicator provided to apply the product. 

Jelly Pong Pong Chocolaterie Palette
Not Available Online 

For blusher and bronzer I'm finding a palette by a company called Jelly Pong Pong really lovely to use. I picked this palette up from The Clothes Show Live around the same time as the Helen E product and so I'm not sure whether or not you can still buy this. It consists of 4 eyeshadows, 2 lipglosses and then this blush/bronzer duo which is the only part of the product I really use. However, once I have used this product up I will be experimenting with new products, especially if I cannot repurchase the bronzer or blusher. Each shade contains a small amount of shimmer but it also looks really natural on the skin and gives you a healthy glow.

Eyeshadow Quad Palette 

This eyeshadow quad has been part of my collection for a long time. I'm not sure where I got it from or how much it was, but I love the neutral colours which make them very wearable for everyday use. However, I'm not the biggest fan of eye shadow so I tend to use the bottom right colour to subtly fill my eyebrows. Using a small eye shadow brush I apply this product and you can see that it is well loved.

Rimmel Glam'Eyes Professional Liquid Linerhttp://uk.rimmellondon.com/products/eyes/glameyes-professional-liquid-liner
Max Factor Kohl Pencilhttps://www.maxfactor.co.uk/make-up-products/eyes/eyeliner/max-factor-kohl-eye-liner-pencil

For a typical everyday look, I usually apply both liquid and pencil liners to my eyes. Along the lower lash line and waterline I apply a black kohl pencil and I am currently using this one from Max Factor in the colour black. It applies really well to the eye as it is quite a soft consistency and I have also used it on the upper lashline because it blends nicely. These kohl pencils retail at £4.99 and are much longer than pictured, I think this one was a sample size.

  In addition to the kohl pencil, I also use the Glam'Eyes liquid liner by Rimmel. This retails for £5.29 and I have repurchased this product so many times because it is so easy to use and lasts all day. 

Mascaras L-R:
Rimmel Scandal Eyeshttp://uk.rimmellondon.com/products/eyes/scandaleyes-mascara
Maybelline Le Colossal Volum' Express Smoky Eyeshttp://www.maybelline.co.uk/products/144/eyes/mascara/volum-express-the-colossal-smoky-eyes/black/dark-001?shadeId=945
Maybelline Falsies Black Dramahttp://www.maybelline.co.uk/products/106/eyes/mascara/volum-express-the-falsies-black-drama-mascara/black-drama/001?shadeId=571

I always seem to have a lot of mascaras in my makeup bag because I find that I like to change what I wear on my eyes. The oldest mascara in my makeup bag is the Rimmel Scandal Eyes mascara and so soon it will be time to get rid of it. This mascara retails at £6.99 and I think it's a right bargain as it makes a big difference to your eyes. 
  The next mascara which I use if the Maybelline Le Colossal, which I find is really good for applying to the bottom lashes because the brush is quite small and thin. I find like the packaging advertises it adds volume to the lashes, but to enhance my eyes further I use this alongside the scandal eyes mascara. This costs £7.99.
  My most recent purchase is the Maybelline Falsies mascara and this will eventually become the replacement for the scandal eyes mascara. I've read a lot of positive reviews on this mascara and thought it was about time that I tried it out. I'm not disappointed by the product as it makes my eyelashes look really long and voluminous, and I find that I don't need to use an additional mascara alongside it because it can be applied to the bottom lashes easily as well. This product costs £7.99.

Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Tint
http://uk.rimmellondon.com/products/lips/1000-kisses-lip-tint

 As a change to lipstick or lipgloss, I brought one of these lip tints at the Clothes Show Live in 2012. It took me about six months to start using it but I find that they are a great alternative to lipstick. They are really easy to apply and really pigmented but they don't last for as long as I thought they would. I usually reapply this product after a few hours and I love that they have a balm with them to hydrate the lips. The two shades I've brought are 'Nothing but Nude' (above, top) and 'Timeless Tango' which is a brighter colour. (above, bottom) These retail at £5.99 each. 

Vaseline
http://www.superdrug.com/vaseline/vaseline-lip-therapy/invt/543876&bklist=

I find Vaseline is a necessity to have in my makeup bag for when I have dry lips, especially during the winter. I always have a small tin in my makeup bag and it's a total bargain for only £1.99. I also apply this on top of my Rimmel lip tints if I don't feel like applying the balm included with the tint.  

The Body Shop Colourglide Lip Colour
http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/make-up/lips/colourglide-lip-colour.aspx

During the summer months, I also have this pink lipstick in my makeup bag. This is a really summery colour and is really hydrating and pigmented. The lipstick itself is shade 57 called 'Pink Flirt' from The Body Shop and I love the packaging of the product. It costs £10 which is quite expensive but I brought it as a treat to myself. 

Makeup Brushes L-R:
Eyeshadow Brush by Jelly Pong Pong
Blush Brush by Colour Works
Foundation Brush by Superdrug

These are the brushes I typically use to apply my makeup. I use the eyeshadow brush to apply the shadow to my eyebrows as I find this brush is very precise because it is so small. Fairly self-explanatory, but I use the blush brush to apply my blush and bronzer usually and the foundation brush to apply my foundation.

Contents of my makeup bag