Take 3: Highstreet Concealers

Maybelline Eye Eraser in Light £7.99 - Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in 52 Medium Radiance £7.99 - L'Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer in 1 Light £8.49

When it comes to drugstore concealers, I find it so hard to find the right shade and texture for my skin type. This means I tend to have to use different concealers for different needs and parts of my face, but I think with this trio I might have cracked it! I know 3 concealers seems a bit excessive but luckily these last for ages and they're all under the £10 mark and all have different uses.

Let's start with under eyes. Maybelline's Instant Anti-Age Eye Eraser in 'Light' totally lives up to the hype for me. Yes I might not need anti-aging underneath my peepers but the consistency, applicator and effect it gives is fabulous. You twist the product up so you can get the exact amount you need out the sponge as well as being able to see how much you have left which is a massive plus for me. The sponge applicator aids to softly pat the concealer into a V shape under my eyes and the texture is creamy yet light so gives great coverage without looking cakey at all. Blended in with a damp beauty blender this stuff looks airbrushed and skin like, whilst still covering dark circles effectively. My only niggle with this product is that I would like the shade 'Light' to be a tad lighter to give a more highlighting effect but in terms of coverage this is great and you could even use it on other parts of your face as a 2 in 1.

For all over concealing I've been using Bourjois Healthy Mix Correcting Concealer in '52 Medium Radiance'. I didn't get on with the foundation as it oxidised badly on me, but I really wanted to give the concealer a go after reading good things. You get so much product in this tube and the dispenser makes it easy to get just the right amount you need in a hygienic way. I tend to squeeze a little out and apply with my Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush and buff it over blemishes and any redness around my nose. It is relatively thick and quite creamy making it easy to blend and cover well. This lasts all day and I do not have to reapply at any point. I wish I had got a shade lighter as it can be a little dark depending on my base but with proper blending it isn't an issue and it doesn't oxidise like the foundation did.

Lastly the concealer I use for highlighting is L'Oreal's Lumi Magique Correcting Pen in '1 Light', which I have repurchased numerous times. This is basically a dupe for the YSL Touche Eclat, although the texture is more pigmented and thicker. I use this in the inner corners under my eyes most days to brighten the area up and if I'm going for a more sculpted or radiant look I will pat some in down the bridge of my nose, my brow bone, cupids bow and middle of my forehead. It is easily blendable with a light texture and although it is definitley highlighting it isn't stark or unnatural looking for every day.

I still want to try high end concealers but I'm pretty impressed with these 3 from the drugstore. What is your favourite concealer? Have you tried any of these? xxx

The Weekend Face #1

As you may or may not know, Matt and I met at Uni but he has since graduated and got a big boy job in London, meaning our relationship has gone from seeing each other every day to every weekend. We are quite lucky its not too far to travel, however I am an appalling packer and find it virtually impossible to pack light. I've been making a conscious effort therefore to try and squeeze down my make up bag for the weekend and plan ahead (although I am still terrible at this!) Among making my case a little lighter (the amount of skincare I take is not ok) trying to condense my make up bag has lead to me using well loved things I had forgotten about again and mixing up my make up routine. So I thought it might be interesting to show you what I take as a mini series on the weekends I go down to visit, but leaving out the standard staples as that would get boring!

Lets start with the base. I chose Healthy Mix as it gives light to medium coverage, which is buildable and also helps to perk up and hydrate my skin in this horrible weather (review soon) with the usual culprits of Benefit's Erasepaste for under eyes and Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer for any redness or blemishes. My new powder of choice - Rimmel's Stay Matte - was put to the test to set my foundation and keep oil at bay, but I'm not seeing much difference between this and my previous 17 Miracle Matte powder. Finally a dusting of 'London' from my Fashionista palette (amazing for travel) along my cheekbones combined a blush and highlight in one.

For my eyes, I chose to go for a natural look and began by lining the waterline with Rimmel's Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl in 'Nude' and swept 'Naked' from my Urban Decay Naked palette all over the lid. This palette is amazing for travel as it has shades for every occasion so I take it with me everywhere as you can probably see from the battered packaging! I took 'Virgin' also from this palette as my brow highlight and used Bourjois Intuitive eyeliner to deepen my lash line - still not too sure on this one but a review will be coming soon. Lastly, lashings of my two favourite mascaras completed this look. 

For lips I took two lipsticks - Kate Moss for Rimmel 107, an amazing deep red which I have been obsessed with recently and wear for both the evening or day and Barry M lip paint in '101' - a milky nude shade. As my eyes were pared down I either went for a bright pop of red or combined both of these together in the style of Lisa Eldridge to brighten up 101 which can be a bit dead by itself.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! Let me know what you think of these products xxx

The Poorly Face

Recently I've been under the weather like most people around this time of year and so havn't been up to putting on a full face of make up. However, when illness strikes I like to use more subtle make up to make me look a little less sick, which in turn makes me feel a bit better.

To start off I apply Revolution Organics Freedom Glow Beauty Balm in 'bronzed' all over my face and blend in well with a stippling brush. This gives a healthy, natural glow which contains moisturising oils such as coconut and jojoba, and aloe vera to sooth and condition, perfect for dehydrated skin and dry areas such as round the nose. I then applied Benefit's Erase Paste in 1 and Lasting Perfection Concealer by Collection  in 1 to cover up any other redness and dark circles. To perk up  my complexion a little more, I blended some Hocus Focus by Soap and Glory onto my cheek bones and places that would naturally catch the light.

For my eyes I used a tiny bit of the new Rimmel Scandal Eyes waterproof kohl liner in 'Nude' on my water line to brighten them up and defined my brows with a little of a Rimmel eyebrow pencil in 'Hazel'. I didn't tend to wear mascara but on the days when I felt it was needed, a few coats of L'Oreal Million Lashes was suffice.  Lastly, I lightly lined my lips in the perfect shade for my natural lip colour - 'Eastend Snob', another Rimmel product, this time their Exaggerate Full Colour lip liner. I then blended this all over my lips to give them some natural definition.

What make up do you wear when feeling under the weather? xxx

My 'Summer Face'

Today I thought I would try a different post as I have been doing a lot of reviews lately and thought it would be nice for you to read something a bit different. Even though the weather this Summer has been quite temperamental, I've shyed away from heavy and time consuming make up and updated my make up regime to easy, quick and lighter make up suitable for warmer weather. The above picture are the products I have been using on a daily basis as a standard summer face. I sometimes switch up my eyes or lipsticks depending on my outfit and mood but overall this is my staple make up at the moment. Sorry in advance about the quality of the picture, the natural lighting isn't great due to gloomy weather and some of my products are a bit battered from traveling and everyday use!

So to begin with, I mix my 17 BB cream in 'Light' mixed with a pump or two of Soap and Glory's Hocus Focus to brighten up my dull complexion and blend all over my face with my fingers to melt it into my skin. The BB cream has relatively good coverage but I cover up my under eye circles and any blemishes with Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I then dust 17 Miracle Matte pressed powder over my face lightly as I am on the oily side with a large powder brush and then blend Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer all over my face with a MAC blending brush. This powder is great as it gives my face a bit of warmth without dulling down my complexion with a light, silky texture. I dot some extra Hocus Focus on my brow bone and top of cheek bones for a highlighter, a product which I have really grown to love as it is multi purpose and gives a lovely natural glow. I then give a light dusting of Benefit's Thrrrob powder on my cheekbones with a stippling brush to give a flush of colour.

For my eyes I fill in my brows with Bobbi Brown Mahogany eyeshadow (not pictured) then using my finger blend a thin layer of Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 'On and On Bronze' over my lid, which is a great natural colour for blue eyes that is easily buildable into a stronger colour if you so wish. To finish my eyes I put a few layers of my favourite mascara of the moment, Masterpiece Max by Maxfactor.

Finally, a few coats of a Revlon Lip Butter in shade Creme Brulee and I am good to go!

I have done a few reviews of the products mentioned which I have included links for. What do you think of my 'Summer Face'? Do you include any of these products in your every day routine? xxx

Dalliance in Duty Free

When we were off on our holiday to Turkey, upon arrival at the airport we were told that our flight was delayed for around 2 hours. I of course therefore spent the majority of that time having a look round duty free. I only got a few bits and bobs which were Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer, Erase Paste by Benefit, 17 Miracle Matte pressed powder and Max Factor Masterpiece Max mascara. All the products I bought needed to be replenished as they had been used up and they were also all different brands to the ones I was using before, mainly due to hearing good reviews.

Benefit Erase Paste: This product was a bit of a risk as it normally retails for £19.50 and even though I got it for around £15, I still think it is a lot to pay for a concealer, especially as it is a tiny pot. I had previously been using Rimmel's Hide the Blemish in Sand, but it was pretty rubbish especially under my eyes where it would wear off really quickly so I bought Erase Paste as an alternative due to it's claim of being a 'brightening' concealer and because of the thicker, creamy formula. It came with a little spatula and instructions of how to use it which I thought was great and is always an added bonus with Benefit products, however I never really used the spatula after a few tries as I think it is more of a marketing way to use more product than you actually need. Another plus was the cute pink packaging, which I am a sucker for anyway as I think the presentation of Benefit products is great. There are 3 choices of colour and I went with no. 1 fair which was the right choice for me. Overall, I enjoy using this product as it gives good coverage and will last a long time, although I'm not sure of it's claim to 'brighten' and I would recommend using this with foundation when you are looking for more coverage rather than with a BB cream or tinted moisturiser. I will have to use it over a longer period of time to determine whether the quality deserves the price tag. 

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer: After hearing loads of good reviews for this from my favourite bloggers and youtubers I thought I would give it a go, especially when it is the bargain price of £4.19. I have the shade 1 Fair and am pleased to say that I really like it too :)! Yay! The shade matches my skin tone and although it is a liquid formula, which I was a bit wary about, it gives really good coverage on blemishes and under-eye circles without being too heavy, and enables you to layer it if needs be without being obvious. I have been using it with my BB cream as for the moment I haven't been using foundation at all, so it will be interesting to see how I think it fairs with my regular foundation (Maybelline's Dream Matte Mousse). I would definitely repurchase this and recommend it to others.

Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara in Black: I am a massive fan of Max Factor mascaras as I think they are really good quality for the price. The one I normally buy is Xperience as I recieved it for my birthday and loved it ever since, although it is meant to be volumising I think they are better for definition and length. I decided on the Masterpiece Max mainly just because it was a pound cheaper at £9.99 and I used to use it a while back. Since using it, I don't know why I ever stopped because I love it and is my new go to mascara. The Xperience is great for a more day time look, however I think the Masterpiece Max is great for day but can also be layered effectively for evening looks too without the aid of another mascara, therefore putting it above the Xperience for me. I would be interested if you have used any other Max Factor mascaras/products and what you think of them :)

17 Miracle Matt Pressed Powder in Ivory Porcelain: Previous to purchasing this I had been using MAC's Blot Powder in Medium and to be honest I was really underwhelmed :( It was my first MAC purchase in a while and I so wanted it to be better than the drugstore brands and worth the higher price, however I can't really tell the difference between the two powders (which is a good thing for 17!) This powder was £3.99 and for the quality and the packaging I thought it was a great price. It includes a compact mirror and a little sponge too which I thought were lovely added extras. One of the main features I like is that it is oil free, and as I have oily/combination skin this really appealed to me. The only downside is that it says up to 16 hours shine control but I don't think it comes near to this. I have been using it with a BB cream though which make me more oily anyway, so hopefully once I have tested it with foundation it will give me better results. Overall, I think for a drugstore powder it is great quality for the price and it does the job.

If any of you have some advice/recommendation on powders I would love to hear them! xxx