My Everyday Makeup

I thought I would do a little post about the makeup I currently use on a daily basis. I always get into a little routine with the same products then once I get bored, I'll switch it up a bit and change the colour products around like lipstick, blush and eyeshadow. I've been rocking a dark or bright lip for so long, that I wanted to dull it down a bit and go a bit more natural. I'm enjoying it a lot. I feel like my face looks a bit more fresh. These are the current products i'm using!

Nars Sheer Glow in "Mont Blanc"

Maybelline FitMe Concealer in "Light"

Erase Paste Concealer in "No.1"

Sleek Blush Face Contour Kit in "Light"

Sleek Blush in "Mirrored Pink"

HD Brows Kit in "Vamp" 

Estee Lauder Eyeshadow Duo in "Raisins"

Benefit "They're Real" Mascara

Stila Smudge Stick in "Damsel"

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in "13 - Peach Passion"

I hope you enjoyed this little update. I love having a nosey into everyone's makeup bags and I also find it useful to see what others are loving so I thought you'd like to see mine too. I want to review a few of the products mentioned separately as they deserve an individual rave, but for now I thought it'd keep it sweet and simple.

♥
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Little Online Shopping Spree

It's not all that often that I will buy things from the comfort of my own home. It's not that I don't like online shopping, it's just that I tend to shop more on the High Street. However, come pay day, there were so many things I wanted to buy/try that I wasn't all that sure i'd be able to get hold of in the shops. I went onto the feelunique website (which is just brimming with every product you could ever think of) and bought the above items. 

The first thing that accidentally hopped into my virtual basket was the Caudalie Beauty Elixir. I've heard such amazing things about this face mist, so of course, I had to give it a whirl and see what all the hype was about. The next thing that ended up in my basket, was the Benefit Erase Paste (bought in 01 fair). This is actually my third pot of this stupidly-overpriced-but-equally-amazing undereye concealer. I absolutely love it, and when I reach the bottom of the cute little pot, I always get that horrid feeling of dread & despair at having to fork out another £19.50 because I can't really live without it (trust me, I have tried). There was also a little deal where if you bought a Benefit product you got a little "Cha-Cha Tint" for free. It's a lovely mango lip and cheek stain, much like the benetint and posietint, but being peach, A LOT more up my street. I think this will be really pretty in summer. The last thing I bought, was all because of Millie Mackintosh. If you are familiar with the TV programme "Made In Chelsea", then you will know who I'm talking about. She is absolutely gorgeous, but one thing that always makes me ultra envious, is her healthy golden glow. I recently read a blog post she did, where she says that she uses "Institut Esthederm Self Tanning Face Cream" so naturally, I needed this in my life. I can't say i've ever heard of the brand before, but i'm looking forward to seeing if I magically wake up looking like Millie....(I can only hope right...). 

Let me know if you'd like to see any reviews of the above products once i've put them to the test!

♥

You are a radar detector.

This was going to be a sort of "face of the day" type post...but alas, the stupid gloomy weather meant that trying to get a photo of my makeup was near enough impossible. The only place i could take a photo was with natural light by the window, yet this also meant it bleached out a lot of my face. So i'm hoping this is satisfactory for your les yeux. It's pretty basic anyway, I went very neutral today but i shall list everything i used below:

♥ L'oreal Studio Secrets HD Foundation
♥ Benefit Erase Paste
♥ Bare Escentuals Foundation to set
♥ MeMeMe Coral Blusher
♥ MeMeMe Highlighter in Sunbeam
♥ Mac E/S in All That Glitters
♥ Mac E/S in Spiced Chocolate
♥ Chanel Khol liner in "Ambre"
♥ Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara

Earrings are also from New Look in case anyone else thought they were as cute as i did. Hair scraped up in a top knot...which i am finding a lot more difficult at the moment as my hair needs a good cut, i also think it looks a smidgen ridiculous since i've ombred my hair. It's like i've decided to pop in some extensions which are completely the wrong colour and then tied my hair up. ;) Of course, that is not the case.

♥

Shop Zoella

As of late, it has become increasingly clear i have a lot of things i just do not use. Clothes and makeup mainly and the odd accessory/electrical item. I do love having a good Blogsale but there is so much hassle involved with a massive list of items for sale on one post, i find it can get a bit much scrolling through 50+ comments to see who got what.

So for this reason, i have decided to create my very own blog shop. Don't be fooled into thinking it's going to be an all singing, all dancing proper shopping website, it has all the same elements of this blog, but im hoping it will be so much easier to maintain and sort through. Also giving you all the option of searching for something you might want. Have no fear, it shall be very straight forward, i don't do complicated. I could have chucked it all on Ebay, but i like to give my blog readers a chance to grab it first, and Ebay is the devil for selling - I dont want to pay for more than one detailed photo thankyou very much.

The same rules will apply when asking to buy an item, just simply state your paypal email and your country. Which also brings me on to say it is Interntational :)

The posts will just be in MUCH smaller batches rather than the typical 20+ items, so makes life easier for the both of us in the long run.

Click the Shop Header Below to take you to the website, or the widget to the right (which some of you have already spotted, and for that, i praise you for being alert, loyal bloggers) Please go and follow & give the info a quick read before i start putting items up for sale.



There will definitely be something for everyone, i have way too much stuff which you need to take off my hands.

I would really appreciate if you could spread the word about the shop, obviously not all of you are always interested in my blogsales but it's worth a follow just to keep updated with any new items.

Thankyou fellow bloggies.

Benefit Erase Paste

I purchased this under eye concealer when i spotted it in a House Of Fraser sale about 7 months ago for around £14. I am ALWAYS on the hunt for an under eye concealer which will make me feel better about the dark circles under my eyes (bain of my life). I used it every single day on the inner corners of my eyes and just under my eye (not the whole area) I mostly used it on top of my other favourite under eye concealer (GOSH Touch Up Concealer No. 2) so i wasn't using it generously, just sparingly & in very small amounts.
When i finally ran out of it, i didn't start to panic, but i did notice in photos that no other under eye concealer made me look so awake & refreshed.
When i noticed, i ran to Boots and spent the whole £18.50 on a new jar...i wouldn't ever be able to justify spending so much on any other concealer let me tell you. I do still think it's massively overpriced, but i think Benefit are clever, because they know that people like me become addicted to it's magical light reflecting and dark covering properties and buy it anyway.

The concealer itself comes with a teeny tiny little plastic spatula which can be used to scoop the right amount out of the little jar, although, i only think this is beneficial if you have artificial nails as the jar is quite small and so scooping with long nails becomes quite the task.
I personally just use my finger.
The consistency of the concealer is what makes it so amazing. It's very thick, but very creamy and easy to blend, thus making it easy to get the desired thickness or even when mixed with another concealer. It also means that you only need the tiniest amount..and i mean tiny.
Obviously with creamy concealers there is always the probability of it creasing or smudging off but i find this stays put for such a long time, and can be set with a light finishing powder if you wanted or had oilier skin.

I think i will be buying this concealer until Benefit decide to stop making it, or if the brand ever comes to an end. I love everything about it (besides possibly the over exessive price tag for the amount you get)

What product do you swear by, to an extent where you would pay stupid amounts to have it?
♥

Jewels on my Jacket.

Outfit
Baggy Striped Top - Topshop
High Waisted Shorts - Topshop
Sequined/Jewelled Jacket - Oasis
Black Bow Pumps - New Look
Nails - Barry M Mushroom
Ring - Primark

Face
Gosh Touch Up Concealer #2
Benefit Erase Paste #1
Mac Studio Sculpt Foundation NW20
Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus to set
Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in So Ceylon on cheeks

Eyes
Two Faced Shadow Insurance
Inglot Eyeshadow 422 all over lid
Maybelline Khol liner in black
Max Factor Masterpiece Max mascara

Lips
Mac Creme D'Nude Lipstick

♥

The Smart Casual Combo.

Face:
Benefit Erase Paste no1 under eyes
Maybelline Mineral Cover concealer on blemishes
Bare Escentuals Foundation in Medium Beige
Sleek Contour Kit to contour and highlight
Mac Sun & Moon blush

Eyes:
Nars Ondine all over lid
Nars Mekong in crease
L'oreal Superliner in Carbon Gloss
Barry M Black Kohl eyeliner
Estee Lauder Sumptuous Mascara

Lips:
Gosh Darling lipstick

Nails:
Revlon Minted

Wearing:
Blazer - New Look
Pink sequin shouldered top - H&M
Leggings - New Look
Black Patent Boots - Primark
Flower Ring - H&M
Swallow Brooch - Bootsale
Necklace - Frock Exchange (Mums Shop)
Spider Earrings - Boutique
Silver Heart Bracelet - Watlings Jewellers

♥

Face & Outfit of the Day

Face
♥ Bourjois healthy mix foundation in 53 (bleached out slightly by flash)
♥ Bourjois healthy mix concealer in 52
♥ Gosh touch up concealer in no 2 under eyes
♥ Mac Mineralize Skin finish natural in medium
♥ Benefit Coralista blush
♥ Benefit Hoola bronzer

Eyes
♥ Too Faced shadow insurance
♥ Mac Blanc Type all over lid
♥ Mac Showstopper in crease
♥ Mac eyebrow pencil in Lingering
♥ Chanel Kohl Liner in Ambre
♥ Estee Lauder Sumptuous mascara

Lips
♥ Body Shop Lipstick col. 52



Outfit
♥ Leggings - Zara
♥ Top - New Look
♥ Slinky grey cardigan - Apricot
♥ Blazer - New Look
♥ Plimsoles - Topshop

♥

FOTD

Here is what i wore yesterday..It's nothing too "out there" in fact it's rather casual.
I curled my hair with the Cloud Nine straighteners & kept the makeup fairly neutral.



Face:
♥ Mineralize Satin Finish foundation from Mac NW20
♥ Benefit Erase Paste
♥ Mac Mineralize Skinfinish natural
♥ Benefit Coralista blush
♥ Benefit Hoola to contour

Eyes:
♥ White Frost E/S in inner corner
♥ Star Violet E/S in crease/outer V
♥ Showstopper E/S in crease/outer V

Lips:
♥ Mac Snob L/S

♥

FOTN

A collage of a few snaps of a night out last week.
I thought you might want to see what i wore/how i did my hair & makeup.
I also did my friends' hair and makeup, they looked b-e-a-uutiful.



Outfit:
Top: New Look,
Skirt: Primark,
Belt: Vintage,
Tights: New Look,
Shoe Boots: New Look
Bracelet: Watlings
Ring: Karen Millen
Earrings: Fake Chanel

Makeup:
Maybelline Mineral concealer
Studio Sculpt foundation
Benefit erase paste
Mineralise SkinFinsh Natural in medium
Benefit Hoola bronze/contour
Benefit Coralista blush
Benefit Highbeam to highlight
Sunday Best Mac E/S all over
Starviolet & Carbon Mac E/S in crease
L'oreal Superliner Carbon Gloss eyeliner
Maybelline Pule Perfection Mascara
Chanel eye pencil along lower lashline
Revlon corner lashes with Mac Duo glue
Creme D'nude Lipstick
Bourjois Lipgloss nude 33

♥

My 5 Current "Go-To" Blushers.

Throughout the past few months, i have been using the same handful of blushers over & over.
I have quite a nice collection of blush too, but i just keep going back to these beauties.
At some point, I am going to have to give my other blushers some well deserved attention but for now, i will share with you the 5 that are very close to my heart. ha.

P.S I'm sorry about my lack of eye makeup and generally lacking full stop on the makeup front today..but it's all about the blush..right?



Illamasqua Powder Blush in "Tweak"



This blush was kindly sent to me by Alex over at Illamasqua as she had seen it in my wishlist. I absolutely adore the colour of this blush. It's a shade i don't often see. I'd say it was a red based hot pink. I know it looks scary, but honestly, you just need the smallest amount and it brightens up your whole complexion. I honestly think that warmer tones suit my skin alot more than cool tones. I have been wearing this alot during the winter because i think it gives your cheeks a naturally "cold-kissed" glow (been out in the cold) I am one of those people that doesn't go pink when cold, or after exercising, so this is perfect. I'd also like to add that it's the most pigmented blush i own.

Mac's Mineralize Blush in "Daft Pink"



This blush came out with a collection earlier on in the year, and i instantly knew i'd love it. I get so many compliments on my skin when i wear this. It does give you a healthy glow. However, if you don't like small particles of glitter or a sheen..this isn't for you. As my skin is mostly dry/combination, i love a bit of a sheen to give my face more dimension. I'm going to have to slow down with this one, as it was limited edition. If you are after something similar, The Body Shop came out with a mineralize blusher not long ago, it didn't look similar, but had almost the exactly same effect on the skin. They had a few in the winter sale, so you might still be able to find one of those somewhere.

Benefit Powder Blush in "Coralista"



Since I recieved this at Christmas, i have worn it to death. I don't care if coral is typically a summer shade for the face, it brightens up my complexion and softens it. Sometimes pink can get a bit boring & when that's the case, coral is perfect. I think because my skin is a "warm" shade, coral is easier for me to wear. I can't wait until the sun starts coming out so i can really whack it on with my bronzer. haha.

Illamasqua Cream Blush in "Sob"



I love this one when i am going for a "doll faced" look. What i mean by that is just simple pale matte skin, long full lashes, and simple lip & eye colours. This cream blush gives the ultimate dewy effect, it has a gorgeous shine to it, and when paired with flawless matte skin, it looks so pretty. It's got a much blue-er undertone than anything else i own, and for this reason i don't wear it as much as the others. I wore it alot more towards the start of winter when I still had a bit of face colour from the summer, otherwise it CAN make you look slightly cold. I still wear it at the moment though. It looks pretty with brown neutral eyes and a neutral lip colour.

Mac's Powder Blush in "Well Dressed"



A favourite of many, the trusty Well Dressed. A gorgeous milky pink with slight shimmer. It goes on smoothly, blends well & looks good with ANY makeup look. Pale or sunkissed, this blush will suit my skin whichever. The only thing i WILL say about this, is that Illamasqua puts Mac to shame when it comes to pigmentation. In order to get the achieved amount on my face i do have to go back a few times, whereas Illamasqua's blushers are very highly pigmented..and i believe they are around the same price.

What are you're current "go-to" blushers?
♥

Review: Benefit Powderazzi

It's true..i sing "Powderazzi" like Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi", it was inevitable though right?
I asked Father Christmas for this, and low & behold, there it was under my Christmas tree come December 25th AM. Never underestimate that friendly bearded chap.

I do not own any of the individual blusher/bronzer boxes from Benefit. The reason being, i could never justify spending £22 on one. (I actually believe they have increased them to £23.50 now..boo) so when this cute little box came out around Christmas time..obviously it was a good opportunity to try out 3 different bronzers/blushes all at a very good price.



The three cheek colours included are: Hoola, Dallas & Coralista..funnily enough, the three i was most eager to try.

The first thing i love about this product is the packaging..its bright, colourful, and works. I also like that it's thinner in depth than the original boxes, which in my opinion, are a lot more bulky than they need to be. Of course, a few moths down the line, cardboard is not going to be as pristine as plastic.
The little brush is adorable, but i haven't had to use that yet, i'm going to keep it for emergencys only as i think it's just too cute to dirty up. It is very soft, and i know a fair few people who do use the brushes for applying their blush with no problems at all.



The powders themselves have a surprisingly creamy consistency. I was worried they would be quite chalky, but i was not let down. The girl who was showing me the box before Christmas was saying how these are actually more pigmented than the original. How does that work? Why would they do that? I'm guessing because it's a smaller size, they upped the pigmentation in order to get more uses from it. I have been using this everyday since Christmas and i'd say it's holding up extremely well. I absolutely love Hoola & Coralista. I have had so many compliments on my cheeks and skin when wearing this combination. Dallas i'm not such a big fan of..as of yet. I think it's a gorgeous warm colour, but i want to wait until the summer before i wear this one, as i think i need a bit more colour in my face for it to really benefit me. (HA benefit..get it...hmm)

This cost £25 but was also in the sale after Christmas. I'm not sure you can get your hands on this now, but what i will say is that it was totally worth it & i'm now a Benefit blush/bronzer convert. Maybe this is why they are so expensive?
If you are considering buying a pretty little box in Benefit for £23.50, even if it seems a bit pricey, in my opinion, they are really good quality. The packaging may be a total fail when it starts falling apart, or if it ever got wet..but the colours are so pretty & they are soft & very easy to blend.

Which is your favourite Benefit cheek colour?
♥

Face of the Day

I went out for a family meal today, and this is how I made over my face & hair...





I don't want to sound like i'm blowing my own trumpet but i really liked how my foundation looked today. Considering how awful my skin looked this morning, i thought there would be no chance of me showing you my face at all.
I decided to use 2 layers of moisturiser (i woke up with a weirdly dryer face than normal ..possibly because im a doofus and forgot to moisturise before bed) & i really feel like it made such a difference.
I then decided to use my Mac Mineralised Satin Finish foundation mixed in with the Body Shop Tinted Glow Enhancer, which i have previously reviewed but didnt think too highly of it, now I think I love it, my face looked so much more awake and healthy. I don't know if the camera shows this too well, but trust me, i was pleasantly surprised by the results.
Also, i don't know if you noticed..but i forgot to put my mascara on before taking pictures...how can you forget mascara? sheesh, totally wasn't with it obviously. I did put it on after taking the photo's though :)

Face
♥ Gosh Touch Up Concealer under eyes
♥ Benefit Erase Paste in corners of eyes
♥ Maybelline Mineral concealer on all other blemishes
♥ Mac Mineralised Satin finish foundation
♥ Body Shop Tinted Glow Enhancer mixed with foundation
♥ Light dusting of Bare Escentuals to set
♥ Benefit Hoola to bronze & contour
♥ Benefit Coraslista on cheeks

Eyes
♥ Two Faced Shadow Insurance to prime
♥ Nars Abyssinia E/S (Pleasures of Paris palette) all over lid
♥ Mac Corduroy E/S in crease
♥ Chanel Eye Khol in Ambre on top lid & along bottom & waterline
♥ Mascara = BIG FAT FAIL. (later on i did apply Maybelline Pulse Perfection)


I also had nothing on my lips OR my nails..look how vile they look!...I'm a FOTD FAILURE. haha
Oh, & my top is from New Look :)

♥

When I set out to buy one thing...

...I always end up buying something else. Isn't that always the way though?

I actually went into town to purchase the new sims game (I know, i know..i'm 19 years old, why do i want that?) haha well if you must know i love it & i have always been a fan ever since the first sims came on the scene 10 years ago. The good old days of "Hot date" and "Vacation"..Me and my friend would spend hours creating characters that looked like us and then running and ruining theirs lives as we pleased. Who doesn't like playing god?

BTW..for those of you who share this obsession, i highly reccommend Sims3. I'm not here to do a full blown review don't panick, but it's so much fun & hours simply fly by. It can get a bit addictive so i would suggest you set aside some sims time. :D

Anyway, I bought the Sims3 game and then thought "right, well..i'll be off then" but i still had time to spare as my boyfriends brother had driven me in and he was off doing his own thing. So obviously i strolled into a few shops. Here are my purchases..

I managed to find a glamour mag. I looked in most shops and they didn't have any. But M&S had a lovely supply. This month Glamour gave us all a treat and threw in a Benefit BADgal mascara. (Many people's HG mascara) If any of you hadn't already noticed this i suggest you run out a grab one while they're still around.


I then bought "Well Dressed" blush from Mac as i'd heard alot of good feedback from other makeup junkies. I had swatched this a few times beforehand and thought it was gorgeous. It's a very pretty baby pink, and brightens my complexion nicely :)

In Mac, i also purchased "Hue" lipstick. This is a gorgeous nude and i'm so surprised i didn't already own this because i am loving it, and it should be a staple in any Nude-Fan's collection.
I also purchased the Barry M lip paint in 53, a gorgeous coral. The colour does seem quite scary but it actually comes out a very pretty sheer colour.


In Superdrug GOSH is currently 3 for 2 and i took up on this offer as my mum has asked me to pick up a concealer for her, so i bought the eyeshadow base (Pictured in first pic). Which is gorgeous white with blue iridescence. I have yet to test it for its staying/non creasing power. I also picked up this "Light N Shine lip glaze" in NO5. I picked this up because i was going to buy the Mac Dassleglass in Fantabulous as it was a gorgeous purple with blue specks, but this..being ALOT cheaper and having a similar appeal grabbed my attention. I LOVE IT. It's my new favourite lipgloss. It's not overly cheap at around £8-9 but it's alot cheaper than the dazzleglasses, plus this comes with a cute mirror on the side and lights for applying gloss in dark places.. :)


Some rather rubbish swatches.. (Sorry girlies...The snazzy camera is not so good at focusing on closeups in artificial light..think this shot took about 20 attempts)[Top to Bottom: GOSH Light N Shine in NO.5 (does not do it justice AT ALL), Mac Hue, Barry M Lip paint in NO.53, GOSH Eye base - no name, just black tube)

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend..I'm off to play the Sims now..ha
♥

I LOVE Bootsales - NARS 3 for £1

Some of you will know what i'm talking about when i say "Boot Sales", some called them jumble sales i think. But anyways, It's usually a gert field filled with car's selling all their old junk.

My mum has dragged me to these since i was born pretty much & this morning when she came into my room at 7.15am i almost turned over and went back to sleep.

I AM SO GLAD I DIDN'T, LOOK WHAT I FOUUND!!

Nars Deep Throat Blusher

Nars Lipglosses "Boogie Nights" & "Bilitis"

Not my usual colours, but would look FAB on a night out!

And how much for all of these?

£1 (!!!!)

Bobbi Brown Lipliner in "Nude"

Cuteee Little Jars of highlighting powder! I don't know the company but they're just adorable & look gorgeous on the skin.
Benefit Lipgloss in "Didn't Hear It From Me"

This beautilicious bunch only cost me

50p

And then i found lots of Smashbox goodies...& we don't have this brand in the UK. So i grabbed these...

Smashbox Eyeshadow's "Ingenue" & "Wrap"
Smashbox Shadow Trio "Wide Angle" and Smashbox Cream Liner Duo in "Putty/Midnight Brown"

The Smashbox Goodies were

50p

for the lot!!!

I cannot stress to you enough ladies...PLEASE go to bootsales. I was so chuffed with these finds & I want you to find some amazing things too. If you look through the junk you are bound to find something. It's like searching for diamonds :)

I think this is the cheapest Haul ever & Is way better than Ebay.

and i know it's early on a sunday morning...but so what? Look how much money i saved & It was so much fun.

If you look through your local paper, it will tell you where and when the sales happen. They are mostly every sunday :D

I also have some sugar sweet and barry m things to show you that i purchased on thursday, so look out for that post too.

♥