Post Work Hauling

Today I felt like I needed a little pick me up, to take the edge of getting in late from work last night and leaving for work again at 5 this morning. So I paid a visit to Superdrug, armed with a 25% off receipt, curious as to how much I could save.
To get 25% off is really simple (and I’ve been kicking myself for normally throwing them away!), you just get your receipt and go to Superdrug Feedback, fill in a five minute survey about your visit in store. When you've completed the survey they give you a code to write in the space on the back of the receipt, you then take the receipt with you next time, and give it to the cashier. You can get 25% of Superdrug branded goods (also includes Sleek and MUA) and 10% off branded goods (L’oreal, Revlon etc) when spending over £10.
Today I treated myself to these beauties;




MUA Pro Palette in Dusk til Dawn £4



Sleek iDivine Oh So Special £6.49
Once I used my 25% off coupon, both palettes came to a guilt-free £7.86! There’s no way I’ll be caught chucking a Superdrug receipt in the bin from now on!
Do you make use of Superdrug’s discount codes?

NOTD–No7 So Simple

If you find yourself with a lot of No7 £5 vouchers burning a hole in you pocket, the range of nail polishes contains some great staple colours. So Simple is nude cream that doesn’t give my hands that dead look that some nudes can. It applies a little streaky at first and needs three coats, but with the new brush, and speedy drying time application is quick and easy.

No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour can be purchased at Boots for £7/£2 with a voucher.

Review - Good Things Miracle Mattifier

I’ve found lately that none of my moisturisers were really working for me, all leaving my skin too shiny for my liking and not sinking in quick enough. Good Things a skincare line that keeps getting my attention with its great-smelling, chemical free products that actual work. It doesn’t promise you that natural skincare will change your life, rid you of all blemishes and wrinkles etc it just promise to be free from SLS, parabens, mineral oils and other nasties. As well as that all their products are vegetarian and vegan friendly.

Miracle Mattifier is aimed at people with an oily skin type and promises to sink into the skin quickly so skin stays smooth, matte and is less prone to break out. Surprisingly it has quite a rich thick texture, as you will notice in the photo below, but it really does sink in quickly. I massage it in for a few seconds and there is no residue left behind, my skin is left smoother and more matte.

This makes a great base for make-up and I have been using it under Bourjois’ Silicone Free Bio Detox Foundation (which can be a bit tricky to blend) and it gives a great surface to work on.

For your money you get 100ml of product, which is great, as you only need the amount shown to cover your face, so a tube will last you ages!

If you have oily skin and are looking for a well priced moisturiser to help you keep it under control then Good Things Miracle Mattifier may be worth a look. I wouldn’t recommend it to those with drier skins, as you might find it doesn’t give you enough moisturisers, but Good Things do a couple of moisturisers (as well as a cleanser) aimed at drier skins.

You can find Miracle Mattifier at Boots, Superdrug and Sainsbury's where it retails at £7.99 for 100ml

FOTD–Brown and Smokey

Skin: Good Things Miracle Mattifier Moisturiser, Bourjois Bio Detox Foundation in 51, Mac Blot in Medium, Too Faced Bronzing Powder in Chocolate Soleil, Benefit 10.
Eyes: UDPP, Sleek Nougat,Bark  Regal and Noir (from the Au Naturel Palette) and the first to shades from the Top row of MUA Heaven and Earth Palette, Revlon Grow Luscious Plumping, GOSH Brow Gel.
Lips:  17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in Beehive

Make Up Academy: Heaven and Earth Palette

If you love your neutrals shimmery, with maybe a touch of glitter I don’t think you can go far wrong with this palette. I came about, the much talked about palette when I went to Superdrug to get the latest offering from Sleek, when I spotted this was the last one on the stand (it has been sold out ever since I started visiting Superdrug in search of it) I grabbed it without a second thought.

If you have £4 to spare, and you find this in your local Superdrug, buy it. I’m pretty sure every make-up lover out there can find £4’s worth of use for this. I think now between this palette and Sleek’s Nude Palette, I’ve got neutrals covered, no more will I lust over the infamous Naked palette that frankly I cant afford!

The shades in this palette are pigmented, creamy and very easy to blend, the only thing I would say is lacking from the palette is a couple of matte shades, particularly one suitable for filling in brows.  Which would of meant when I stay overnight at the boys I could just take the one palette with me and be all set, but for four pounds, I’m not going to complain!

Here’s some close ups of the shades:

Now for the swatches:

Top Row

Bottom Row

Overall I’m really impressed with this palette, I will definitely be checking out the rest of the palettes, especially since Lily over at  BBH, revealed you can use those 25% off receipts Superdrug give out on all MUA purchases, which brings the cost down to £3! I do love a bargain!

A Little Reminder…

Unless you have been hiding away for some time you will probably know there is a Models Own sale happening at the minute. As promised when they reached 50,000 likes on Facebook they released a code for 50% off all purchases of £20 or more (P&P is still it’s fixed price of £2.95, unless you spend over £25 once the discount has already been applied)

Being as it isn’t pay day for almost a week I haven’t been able to buy as much as I would of liked but I thought it would be rude no to buy a few bits:

I bought Nail Polishes in Purple Grey, Grace Green and Nude Beige. I haven’t tried Models Own Polishes yet but can’t wait to try these out!

I also bought a Lip Balm in Blackberry (read my review of the Fuchsia shade here) which looks like a great wine colour for autumn and winter.

I also bought a Lip Brush as for some reason my Mac one is constantly running away from me, and I can’t afford to spend another £15.

If your at all curious about Models Own products, now is the time to try them out! The sale finishes tomorow so get ordering!

False Eyelashes: A Beginners Guide

I can’t count the amount of times I have finished an eye look for a night out, then ruined it by spending up 2 hours (no I’m not exaggerating!) messing about with false eyelashes ending up with an eyelid covered in glue and having to start over. I like to think after all the failed attempts I pretty much have got the knack for applying false lashes now. Here’s my tips for applying them easily…

1: Finish Your Eye Make-Up First

Put on whatever eye shadow you’ll be wearing and I would suggest at least a thin line of eyeliner as this will blend in the lashes with your own and make them look less artificial. Look at the curl of the fake lashes, and try to give your eyelashes a similar curl, if you curl to much or to little the eyelashes won’t sit right and will look far to obvious. Now apply a coat of mascara, preferably one that separates and gives definition as oppose to one that thickens, I would recommend No7’s Exceptional Definition.

2: Prepping the Lashes

Something I have found to be very helpful when applying fake eyelashes, particularly heavier ones on a thick band (as oppose to the natural style ones that tend to have what’s known as an Invisiband) is to remove the lashes from the packaging, using tweezers, and to bend the band back on itself a few times. This will loosen it and make it a lot easier to fit around your own eye shape.

3. Check The Length

Everybody’s eyes are different shapes and sizes. Before applying glue to the lashes, put them against your own and check they fit your eye shape, if you find you need to trim some lashes off, do so from the outside corner. You also don’t want the eyelashes to hang below the outside corner of your eye as this will drag the whole of the eye down and defeat the object of using the lashes.

4. Patience, Young Grasshopper!

Now you want to apply the glue to the band of the lashes. When you do this the glue will still be of a liquid consistency, so if you apply it straight away it will slide around and will be very difficult to get it to stay where you want it. If you wait a minute or so the glue will become tacky and this is when you want to apply it,again using tweezers.  Don’t worry if you don’t get in the right place the first time, you have plenty of time to adjust it to the right place until the glue dries.

5. Finishing Touches

Once the glue dries (if your using white glue, it is dry once it goes clear) finish you look off by applying one last coat of mascara, this will blend in your own lashes with the falsies.

Inglot Eyeshadows; Some More Swatches

I’ve already waxed lyrical numerous times, so I’m not going to bore you with my continual rambling! But as expected being in London for me, means a trip to Inglot. I was disappointed however this time with the customer service which seems to have gone down the toilet since I last visited.  Despite my informing the sales assistant, I knew how the Freedom Palette system worked she continued to badger me, and tried to upsell me onto some ‘Rainbow Eyeshadows’ which were basically one pan with shades of the same colour, they cost £6 as opposed to £4.50, and to be honest they all seemed to lack pigmentation and the colours were pretty dull. As well as that the majority of the smaller shadows were out of stock (they are the cheaper option) so to get the colours I wanted I had no option but to buy the bigger pans.

Bad service aside, I picked up two palettes of four which after the recent price hike cost me about £23 each (a five pan palette cost me just £20 this January).

Anyway enough waffling swatch time!

If anyone wants colour numbers let me know, I did ask the SA to write them down for me on the receipt but she just looked at me confused!

Estee Lauder Pure Colour EyeShadow Duo in Platinum

Estee Lauder are fast becoming my favourite high-end brand, the Double Wear foundation being the best I have tried. So when I found myself at a loose end and with five hours to kill at St Pancras I visited the Boots, and my eye was immediately drawn to the Modern Mercury collection designed by make-up genius Tom Pecheux.

I had a very hard time picking just one item to splurge on as pretty much all of the lipsticks and eyeshadow duos were calling out to me. So I decided to pick the one I knew I would get the most use out of. Enter my new favourite neutral combination….

I have been without a decent highlight colour for a while and the white with subtle shimmer is perfect for highlighting the browbone or inner corner of the eye. The taupe on the right makes for a great daytime lid colour, with enough shimmer to stop[ it looking flat but so much you end up looking like a disco-ball. I have been pairing these with a bit of Mac’s Brown Down or Wedge through the crease for a simple five minute eye look.

The quality of these eyeshadows is great they are both smooth and apply well over a primer. They last all day on me without creasing, over either UDPP or TFSI.

The come gorgeously packaged with a very good sized mirror and a small brush and sponge applicator, I haven’t used the sponge applicator but the brush is of fairly good quality and will hold up if you find yourself without your brushes for whatever reason.

Estee Lauder continue to impress me with their consistently good products, and thanks to Tom Pecheux they are starting to lose their image of being a brand for older ladies, and are targeting a broader audience. I have a feeling I might find myself splurging on a few more bits from this collection come pay day!

You can find Pure Colour Eyeshadow Duos at Boots priced £22.50 for 3.5g.

Benefit Creaseless Creams–My Small Collection

I’m a big fan of Benefit’s cream eyeshadows, for those lazy mornings when your pressed for time, or feeling particularly uninspired,  team that with the fact they stay put all day, double up as eyeliners and bases for powder/mineral eyeshadows.
I either apply with fingers or a Mac 217, on bare lids, I find without a primer these still last all day on me, despite having fairly oily lids.

They are packaged in sturdy glass jars, so you will want to make sure you keep the lid on tight, to avoid them drying out. the design on the lids is classic Benefit, with a pretty, vintage-feel dove print.

L-R: R.S.V.P; My Dates My Brother, Get Figgy; Strut
I love using R.S.V.P, My Dates My Brother and Get Figgy for lazy mornings before I head off to work, or with a bold lip. I use strut as a base for smoky eyes.
These really don’t budge once you put them on, so they make great bases for powder shadows, if you’re not one for a dedicated eye primer.
Benefit Creaseless Creams can be found here priced £14.00 for 4.5g.

Are You Putting On A Mask Every Morning?

Image Credit

After reading  this article I found myself wondering why people seem to have such a desire to judge themselves against celebrities and make themselves feel bad for putting on bit of slap in the morning. So many times women are judged for covering up the ‘real’ them by wearing make-up, what if they don’t feel themselves without it? When did self-expression become an invitation for judgement?

I have no problem leaving the house with no make-up on, but I happen to like wearing make-up, I enjoy spending that time on myself in the morning and I wouldn’t roll in to work without putting a brush through my hair or my teeth; but nobody is commending celebrities for walking around with bad hair and breath that smells of last nights curry.

I’m sure some women do use cosmetics because of social pressures, but don’t judge all women by that thought, some of us like playing with lotions, potions and bright colours. What’s so wrong about that?

Recipe Time: Raspberry and Chocolate Cheesecake

My mum made this cheesecake a while ago and I thought I would share the recipe with you all as it was absolutely scrummy!

• 180g digestive biscuits
  
• 75g melted butter
  
• 100g milk chocolate
  
• 300g cream cheese
  
• 200ml double cream
  
• 75g sugar
  
• 150g raspberries
  
• icing sugar
  
• chocolate melted

Crumble the digestives in a food processor (or just whack them like crazy with a rolling pin), add the melted butter and mix. Place in a 20cm flan ring with a push-up base and flatten down with the back of a spoon.
Melt the chocolate in a microwave or a glass bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Mix the cream cheese, cream and sugar together until smooth. Add the raspberries and stir in, then add the melted chocolate and quickly swirl through.
Spoon into the flan ring and smooth over the top with a palette knife, then place in the fridge and chill for 2 hours, or until set.
Dust with icing sugar and a the melted chocolate and double cream.
Serves 4-6 (depending on how hungry you are!)

Review: Good Things Stay Clear Purifying Cleanser

I bought this as I wanted a cleanser that was quick to use in the morning and didn’t require any faffing around with a muslin cloth. I also wanted something that was SLS free, so when I spotted this at Boots, I picked it up.
It is free from parabens, sodium laureth sulphate and mineral oils, it is also suitable for vegetarians and vegans. It claims to use extracts of blueberry, mango and willow bark to ‘decongest the skin’ and keep ‘breakouts at bay’, I haven’t used it long enough to notice any skin benefits yet, but it does exactly what I need it to.

It’s a gel like consistency, but it doesn’t foam up a lot. After using this my skin feels comfortable and clean but not stripped; something that usually happens when I use foaming cleansers. I haven’t tested this cleanser’s ability at removing make-up because that isn’t why I bought it, I think a cream or oil based cleanser is necessary for make-up removal anyway.
It comes packaged in a simple white tube,so is perfect for travelling. Another thing I love about this product is the scent! It really does gorgeously and naturally fruity, a great scent to pick you up in the morning.
Here’s the ingredients for anyone who’s interested:

You can find Stay Clear at Boots priced £5.10 for 150ml.

Swatching my Stash–Barry M Dazzle Dusts

One of the first brands I got really into as a teenager was Barry M, I think I was seduced by all the bright colours and glitter, the Dazzle Dusts and Nail Paints being a firm favourite of mine (and they still are). While the Dazzle Dusts may not have the best texture on the market they easily match some higher end brands loose pigment offerings and are a snip at £4.99 a pop (although currently in a 2 for £7 offer at Boots)
There is a very wide colour range available, with something to suit everyone, from metallics, to taupes, neon brights to darker smoky colours. I challenge anyone to not find at least one Dazzle Dust they love.
At the minute I have 8 in my collection (I did have more but I think they may have been ‘borrowed’ by my sister).

Swatched with UDPP (top) and bare skin (bottom)
From L-R 14, 15, 75, 79

98, 64, 44,9
If your into your duochromes and metallics I suggest having a look at these little pots of joy as there’s many interesting colours to discover. I'm loving 98, for a smoky eye with lot’s of black mascara and a nude lip at the minute.

Barry M: Berry Ice Cream NOTD

Please feel free to excuse my cuticles!
I love this shade, its not as girly as your average pastel and is a really unique shade. As with most Nail Paints I have tried Berry Ice Cream applies easily and is opaque after two coats.
Berry Ice Cream can be found in Boots or Superdrug priced at £2.99.

Top 5: Red Lips

Every woman should own a red lipstick, or so they say. I myself own far more than one! Here’s my Top 5 from my stash:

From L-R:
Jemma Kidd Make Up School: Silk Touch Lipgloss in The Perfect Red (was exclusive to last months Red magazine)
Mac Lipglass: Russian Red (£12.50 available at MAC)
Urban Decay: Icon Lipstick in Revolution ( £13.00 available here)
Mac Lipstick:Ruby Woo (£13.50 available at MAC)
Mac Lipstick: Viva Glam I (£13.50 available at MAC)