Friday, 1 November 2013

October Favourites

Once again another month has passed and left me feeling a bit lost.. It feels like yesterday that it was just the beginning of September or the middle of Summer for that matter. Time defiantly moves fast, which I'm in two minds about.

Alas! Here is my first monthly favourites, consisting of products I've been using a lot this month and products of course that I'm liking.

First up is the Nivea Double Effect Eye Make-Up Remover which I'm now on my second bottle of already! It's a really good eye make up remover that hasn't irritated my eyes. I was previously using the Rimmel Gentle Eye Make Up Remover which I swear was leaving my eyes blood shot as well as not being very good at actually removing eye make up. This Nivea product though is really good at removing everything. It does leave an oily residue which doesn't both me that much as you can just wash that off with a bit of water. Before you use it you're supposed to shake the two different colours together which I keep forgetting to do, oops.
Boots | Superdrug

Next is another Nivea product which is the Oil Free Moisturising Day Cream. I bought this because I have acne prone skin, which I'm currently on medication for. One of the many woes of having acne prone skin is not only the acne itself but the greasy skin that comes with it. Since on the medication my acne has reduced dramatically and my skin has got less oily.. still I don't want to add any more excess oil to it when I don't need it. For me, this works well as a moisturiser beneath foundation and I don't think it's increased my breakouts. When you apply it, it has a cooling feeling which feels really nice and it also, makes the skin feel really soft. Although it's only 50ml it's reasonably priced at £4.00 and you can find it cheaper in Home & Bargains. Also, it is currently £3.00 in Superdrug.
Boots | Superdrug

Now for the lipstick that everybody has been taking about on the blogsphere, Rimmel Kate Moss in 107, a lipstick that I bought last year in Summer despite it being a Autumnal shade. It's a deep berry shade which has a red tinge to it. One of the things I like about it is that it's matte, as I think I suit matte lip products more than glossy. It is drying so make sure to use lip balm. It smells lovely though, I almost want to eat it. In my opinion, these are the best smelling Rimmel lipsticks. I defiantly need to buy myself more berry/purple toned lipsticks. Werdily, I always thought this lipstick didn't have a name but according to Superdrug the name is 'Wine', who knew eh?
Boots | Superdrug

Finally is something I didn't intend to buy, the limited edition Vaseline in Paint The Town. Now I bought this thinking it would tint my lips red, it doesn't it just makes them look a bit of a darker pink. I sort of bought this because of the packaging and the name which reminded me of the song Where The Lonely Ones Roam by Digital Daggers (featured on Pretty Little Liars, one of my many tv obsessions). I don't usually buy Vaseline because people tell me it's actually bad for your lips? Anyway, I think the best way to wear this is over another lip product to give a nice glossy shine. I've been wearing this a lot the past week and it does give a lovely look. Also it has a spiced berry scent which smells divine!
Boots | Superdrug

If you have any questions on any of the products mentioned, let me know :)

Thanks for reading,

Saturday, 19 October 2013

Rimmel Moisture Renew: As You Want Victoria (New Formula)

£6.49 - Boots and Superdrug
As many of you will know if you've been around on the blogsphere lately, Rimmel have vamped up their old Moisture Renew lipsticks. I presume they've done this to draw attention to the line, as it's been dwindling in popularity and hasn't had the same sort of attention as the Kate Moss range (which I adore). They have completely changed the packaging and the formula is different which I'll get on to later.

I bought the shade 'As You Want Victoria', the shade that seems to (oddly) be the one they're advertising most, despite it not being a very Autumnal colour. It is a bright glossy pink, which I didn't realise in the store, as the lighting was pretty dim.. I actually thought it was a deep dark pink, oops? However, I only have one other bright pink lipstick so it is very much welcome to my collection. The shade seems to be the new version of Funtime Fuchsia from the previous line, that or it is just a similar colour.

I like the new packaging but I don't think there was anything from with the previous. I do like the long shiny tube though - reminds me of the Revlon Lip Butters. They also have the same smell as the previous line, which the more I smell the less pleasant it gets.

The formula to me is what's strikingly different, it is so much more pigmented than the previous line. With one swipe, you have full lips of colour, no building up required. The old formula is very sheer in comparison.

Here's a swatch comparing it to Pink Chic and Cherry-Licious, shades I have previously reviewed when I first bought them, read here.
Top to bottom: As You Want It Victoria, Cherry-Licious, Pink Chic (One swipe)
I do like the colour but I'm just not feeling bright pink lips with it now being Autumn. If anything I'll be wearing this as an evening look with a smokey eye. The staying power is average, don't expect this to last through eating.

To be honest I'm not completely sold on the formula, although the formula is light on the lips, many of the shades have too much shimmer and sparkle in, which I personally don't like and it makes me look ridiculous.

I'm not sure whether I'll be buying anymore Moisture Renew's for awhile, especially since I'm looking in to buying more darker lipsticks, specifically mattes with good staying power. Let me know if you have any recommendations!

So, what do you think of the new line and colours, anything take your fancy?

Thanks for reading,

Saturday, 28 September 2013

Liebster Award!

Image not mine, credited to whoever created it

I was tagged by Kayleigh Wilkinson and Brodie White for the Liebster Award which was very un-expected but thank you both so much! I'd recommend you to check out both of their blogs :)

For those of you who don't know, the Liebster Awards are a tag question (sort of like a chain, but a nice one) were you nominate blogs to suggest to your followers to check out, in turn they answer questions you've set for them. It was created for us blogging 'newbies' who have less than 200 followers.

Firstly, according to the rules you have to give 11 facts about yourself, but since I'm awnsering two sets of questions I'll have to skip this otherwise this post will be ridclously long.

I will now answer the 10/11 questions that Kayleigh and Brodie has set me :)


Friday, 20 September 2013

Cheap and Cheerful


Many of you will know that Poundland/Poundworld stock beauty items and these are a few I've found in my local stores lately. I just can't help myself when they're so cheap and you really can't go wrong when they're £1 can you?

Now the whole reason behind why they are so cheap is because it's from old lines or (I presume) the companies that sell the products had too much leftover stock. 

I picked up a Calvin Klein Sheer Creme Eyeshadow (Tempting Glimmer) in Cashmere Plumb which I was very uncertain was real but I think there's a good probability it is as I read a review which stated that it was from their first beauty line a few years ago which was unsuccessful. 

The colour is actually a rather medium toned pink with a lot of shimmer in it. The formula of these are sheer so don't be expecting a Maybeline Color Tattoo sort of pay off although the one I bought is quite pigmented. The texture of this reminds me of a lip balm, as it's quite light to the touch. I haven't wore it yet but when I do I'll be interested to see what the wear time is like.
As you can also see I've picked up two nail vanishes. The first vanish is Lilac Pastelle by Revlon Nail Enamel which is a pretty lilac and it is still available in Boots! So that's a saving of £5.45 which is quite sufficient! The shade needs quite a few coats to become opaque because it is a bit watery. It claims '10 days wear' but it did chip quite easily on me. 

The second is the shade Wet Cement by Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear range. As far as I'm aware these aren't sold in the stores anymore but are easily available online. I have to say, I was very uncertain about buying this as I was firstly put off by the name (not pretty!) and the colour which looked odd to me.
I have to say though I really like it and the formulation is great, you only need one stroke to get full opacity although I did use two in hope of it lasting longer! It leaves a glossy finish to the nails and my nails feel quite smooth, sort of like when you get Shellac nails and they feel soft. Of course it doesn't feel as soft as that but you know what I'm getting at. I've currently been wearing this for 3 days and it hasn't chipped yet - success!

Have you checked out your local pound store lately, if so have you found anything good? I'll be checking in again to look for more Sally Hansen polishes and also, they had a few NYC products in Poundworld last time I went in that I wanted to buy but the colours were not my thing.

Previously I've picked up Nivea lip balms and a Boujois lip tint in there. So it's always worth a look.

What can I say, I just really love a good bargain...

Thanks for reading!

Sunday, 1 September 2013

An old favourite: Urban Decay lipstick in Requiem

Hey everyone, as you may know Urban Decay have recently brought out a new line of shiny lipsticks which really excited me as I love the brand. So far none of their products I have used have disappointed me in terms of quality and pigmentation. I can't wait to eventually get my paws on some of the shades!

The new announcement of the lipsticks made me think about my good ol' Requiem which I've been neglecting through the Spring/Summer months. I've had this for around a year or two and I bought it in a discounted make up store for around a fiver, which is pretty good going. Although it may be old and an outdated formula now, I still really like it.
Requiem is a sheer dark muted red which is velvety to apply to the lips because it has a really soft texture. It doesn't have the best smell (to be honest I'm not even sure what the scent is) but it isn't horrible. What isn't pleasant however is the artificially sweet taste the scent leaves in your mouth but, this can be overlooked as I love the colour it gives to my lips. 

For me, this is sort of my, 'my lips but better colour' as my lips are medium pink in pigmentation. The wear time of this lipstick is short, especially since it's sheer to begin with, but I don't mind re-applying as it is a lovely texture. 

Last but not least: the packaging. I'm not quite sure what Urban Decay were thinking when they designed this. It's certainly unique with the little dagger and odd shape but not practical. One thing I like it the way the brand name and dagger is engraved on the lipstick itself.
I'm really glad they've re-designed their packaging, as although it is cute it is not very sophisticated.

Swatch:
First swatch is one layer, the second is with multiple layers. As you can see it is slightly buildable and it is a lot lighter than it appears in the tube.
Although this is probably nothing compared to the quality of the new lipsticks it is still pretty good if you're looking for an easy every day lipstick that isn't too loud and proud. If you do want to buy one of these old things you can find them on places like Amazon or a discounted make up store like I did (prices will vary).

What do you think of Urban Decay's previous line of lipsticks? If you have one of the new ones how do they compare to Mac lipsticks which are around the same price?

Thanks for reading,

Friday, 30 August 2013

Can you afford not to? Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks

Hey guys! So I'm sure a lot of you will be aware with the website Fragrance Direct, which sells discounted make up, perfume, etc. Recently I picked up two of the Rimmel Moisture Renew for 99p each!! (BARGAIN ALERT) Which is a crazy price considering that they retail for £6.49 in the likes of Boots.
 I ordered Pink Chic (220) which is a barbie pink and Cherry-Licious (820) a cherry pink which unfortunately is frosted which I didn't realise when I ordered it.

These are quite artificially scented but not as much as the Rimmel Kate Moss lipsticks but there is still a rose taste/scent. This may be unpleasant for those of you who are not a fan of scented products - personally scents don't bother me as long as they are not sickening. They feel really nice and soft when applying and they are not strongly pigmented. The coverage of the lipsticks is probably light to medium as it is build-able. They are housed in a rather beautiful shiny purple packaging with the Rimmel logo on top like their other lipsticks. The plastic is quite solid, not flimsy and takes a bit of effort to take the lid off. These also obtain SPF 20 which is really useful and include vitamins and anti-oxidants.

In terms of the colours:

Like I said Pink Chic is a barbie pink, which looks brighter on the lips (at least on me). I don't really think this colour suits me much unfortunately but I'll give it a few tries. As you can see it has a fair bit of shimmer and looks glossy when applied to the lips.

Cherry-Licious is a wearable frosted lipstick although I still felt a bit unsure wearing it as I really don't like the frost look. This however has perfect coverage and sits well on the lips. I prefer this to Pink Chic as I feel it suits my pale complexion better.

Swatches:
Left to right: Cherry-Licious, Pink Chic
I'll defiantly be trying more as they seem perfect for College as they're not too bold. I've heard they're in Poundworld but knowing my look they won't have any in my branch. 

What do you think of the Rimmel Moisture Renew? Let me know below any shades you suggest!

Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, 9 July 2013

Recent Bargain Buys

Hey guys, hope you're all doing well. The weather here in England is currently very warm, 25°C to be exact! It's definatly starting to feel a lot more like Summer, although looking at the lack of bright colour in my wardrobe I don't feel at all 'Summer ready'. I'll have to get working on this!

I thought I'd share a few recent purchases with you guys, pocket friendly purchases to be exact.

£2.99 H&M
I'd heard a blogger mention about these, although I can't remember who as I didn't bookmark the post. All I could remember was that they were in H&M and so I popped in there and luckily found them.

They're stackable metal rings in different thickness and sizes, some sit above the knuckle and some below. The thing I like about these is that they're quite simple yet they have a twist. The idea of these is to wear them all on one hand but to me that feels a bit clumpy because of the thickness so I spread them out over two. But, for demonstration purposes I put them all on one.

These can be found on the website here. I like how affordable these rings are and I like the look of these ones here which I'll look out for next time I'm in store. Overall, I'm happy with this purchase, £3 well spent.

Around £14 in the sale - Urban Outfitters
So Urban Outfitters have a sale on, a really good sale actually. I think UO are some of the best on the high street as they do actually reduce things quite dramatically which is great for teenagers like me. 

I seen these on the website (they don't seem to be on there now) and I was doubtful that'd they would have any in store but they had quite a lot actually. They're not the ones I wanted (which were had more of a platform and seemed better quality) but they have grown on me and are comfortable to walk in. 

The sole is slightly worrying me a bit as it looks like it could ware down but I'll hope for the best. The reason I didn't get the other version was because they didn't seem to fit as well and felt lose. 

I do love the contrast though between the black and the metallic silver. They're from the brand Deena & Ozzy, I'd defiantly have a look in and see if they have any left as they're a bargain!

£5 - Asda
I was dragged to Asda the other day by my Mother and whilst milling around in the make up section I see that this had been reduced from £10 or so. I suffer from really bad dark circles and the fancy words on the box promise a solution. It is technically a concealer aimed to reduce the dark pigmentation of the under eye area through the caffeine and vitamins in it which apparently have been naturally sourced - whatever that implies.

In terms of the concealer it lightly covers up the dark circles in a creamy formula. Nowhere near the coverage of an actual  but it does do cover up fairly well. I don't find it offers me enough coverage so I do use Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection concealer over the top.

In terms of it reducing dark circles, I haven't used it enough yet to notice an effect. I doubt it will actually make a significant difference although I've read it helps with puffy eyes - something I don't suffer with so I can't comment on unfortunately. 

I'll keep you guys informed if anything miraculous happens.

£4.99 - New Look
Recently, I've been losing and breaking my sunglasses (accidentally of course) and so I need some new pairs. I was browsing New Look and found these which are a similar style to the Ray Ban Clubmaster but of course minus the designer price tag. I really like the top heavy approach as I find it quite flattering to the face.

I really like the pattern of these - it's a floral print but it's not very obvious unless you look closely. Could you say it's abstract? I don't know but I love floral patterns so it's a win in this category also.

Major bonus is that they actually fit well! I often end up buying ones which are too lose or too tight.

And that's it for my 'mini' sort of haul! Let me know what you've bought recently this summer!