Instant Summer - Maybelline Dream Sun Bronzing Blush

WOW! Long time no see eh? I do apologise! Anyway, I'm back with a summer review of a new product from one of my fast growing favorite high street make up brands - Maybelline.

They claim Dream Sun Bronzing Blush is a ' natural tan looking tan plus a pop of blush for a fresh rush of color.'. We all love a 2-in-1 product, so I gave it a go as the lightest shade looked perfect to give my casper-like skin a sprinkling of healthy sun tan.

What can I say except it looks pretty on the outside and it looks even better on. It delivers an all over glow or a more concentrated cheek blush when wanted. After a sweep of this you're left with the best fake it radiance I've ever experienced!

This has become one of my summer staples - especially on holiday in sunny Lanzarote!

If you're looking for a quick sweep of sunshine, I'd definitely recommend this beauty. At only RRP £6.49 (Available from Boots) grab it while the sun's still out!

Any other favorite bronzer/blush duo's out there?

The Perfect Double Act: Bourjois Volume Clubbing Mascara & Liner Feutre

You know when you're certain you don't like a particular make-up item since the beginning of time, but you can't really remember why? That was me and felt tip eye liners. But lately my usual gel eyeliners have been clumping and drying up and generally looking a bit worse for wear, so I decided to experiment with Bourjois Liner Feutre in Noir, as it was on offer in Boots along with my ultimate favorite mascara - Volume Clubbing in Waterproof Black Party. 

These two are definitely the best of friends to create either a daytime or dramatic winged out glamour look on the eyes. And another bonus is they won't budge all day and night long, so no need to worry on those sweaty nights out in packed clubs. (We've all been there.)

For me, this mascara is just the ultimate volumiser. I use Volume Clubbing day and night, as I know it's waterproof enough to stay put through anything the day might throw at me. I usually switch between this and Rimmel Volume Flash Waterproof, as they're the best I've come across. As you can see the brush is nice and big, but not too scary. 

This little beauty makes cats eyes far easier than I'd ever imagined. With my usual Gel pot eyeliners, I found that I could only create one kind of 'flick'. This has much more control, and allows me to tone it down for daytime with a thinner line and smaller flick. But when I need to ramp it up for nighttime, I can easily draw the outline of a more dramatic wing, and simply colour it in! I think I'll definitely be experimenting with more felt tip liners from now on. I'm yet to wear this through day and night, but I've a feeling it has incredible staying power. You can pick up Bourjois Volume Clubbing Mascara and Liner Feutre from Boots with £2 off both at the moment. 

Do you have any brilliant make-up double acts?

Transformation: Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

Now if I haven't mentioned before, this powder is my absolute make-up bag essential. I would never use another powder. Now those are strong words, aren't they? I discovered the other week that Rimmel has given their miracle product a very pretty makeover. 

The Rimmel crown logo is now beautifully embossed in the powder. Who doesn't love a little bit of extra luxury? This is easily the best low budget powder. And at £3.99 it makes my foundation budge-proof all day long. 2 words: miracle worker. 

What's your favourite powder to use on top of foundation?

MUA: The Best £3 You'll Ever Spend?

Why hello! It sure has been a while. Insert childish guilty face here... 

Anyway, I'm back and I urge you to scour behind your sofa's, the corner of your handbag and purses for a spare £3. You will not be disappointed. 

This new Make Up Academy highlighter is part of their new 'Undress Your Skin' collection, which is said to be the next best thing to Urban Decay's ever expanding Naked range. 

A beautiful iridescent pink, this instantly became my  new holy grail highlighter after the first use. Used on the tops of cheekbones, brow bones and along the length of my nose, it instantly brightens the complexion creating an amazing glow. Even if you don't use it on concentrated areas, a light sweep over the whole face with a large brush creates a glowing complexion. It reminds me in that sense of a really good dupe of MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish. 

I really can't put this down, and cannot recommend it enough. Even if you've never really tried a highlighter before, this is perfect as it is just so easy and a delight to use. And £3 for this much quality product? What a gem.

Have you tried anything from the 'Undress Your Skin' collection?

Dainty Doll Haul: First Impressions

So, if you were incredibly quick off the mark last week you may have been lucky enough to snap up Nicola Roberts' make up range, Dainty Doll, at some unbelievably discounted prices on certain cosmetic websites. I'm talking £1.99 and £2.99 per item, when the RRP's of some of the products are normally £20+. Sounds crazy, right? So naturally I had to snap up a few select items as Dainty Doll is a range I've never crossed paths with before and I was indeed curious.  

I have a complicated relationship with foundations, but for £2.99 I thought I'd give this a whirl as Dainty Doll is designed specifically for very fair skin tones such as mine. Liquid Foundation wasn't available in shade Light, which I thought would be ideal for me, so I took a risk and ordered Very Light, with the thinking that I could always use a tad more bronzer or just save for the winter months when I'm having a very pale period.

So yes, this foundation is VERY light, as you can see. On my first try with it I wasn't too sure, but after setting with my usual powder and applying my usual blush and bronzer, I actually like the flawless finish it creates. I'd say this is a medium coverage foundation, so I'll probably save for when I'm having a good skin day. 

The next item I got was Concealer Hot Pour in 002 Light. I've yet to try this as I'm still using my HG MAC Studio Fix Concealer and am positively addicted, so let's wait and see.

I still have a strange relationship with cream blushers, I need to be in the mood and have time to perfect them. But after 'Orange Country Girl' was dubbed as the 'cream version of NARS Orgasm' I just had to see for myself.

And it actually went on like a dream with a beautiful sheen. Sold! 

I picked up a few powder blushers (I could have ordered all 4, but restrained myself). The first is 'My Girl', a candy pink and is a great everyday colour. I don't own many this bright pink so thought I'd try something a little different. 

'Money Talks' looked such an interesting colour, I just had to have it in my collection. I'm still trying to decide if I should save this for contouring or light bronzing, but nonetheless it's a great winter blush as it's such a muted colour.  

Again, I could have snapped up the entire collection of lipsticks, but decided my purse would appreciate it if I didn't. I stuck to the one, 'Baby Love', as it looked a perfect pinky-nude to compliment the 'Money Talks' blush. I've yet to wear this and give it the all day test but on first impressions it's extremely moisturizing, however the colour pay off doesn't seem great.

Have you tried Dainty Doll?

Illamasqua 'Encounter'

As part of my (inevitable) mega overspend on Illamasqua in their January sale, I picked up lipstick in 'Encounter'. Described as a 'classic brick red, matt finish', it's simply just that. It's the perfect red with an irresistible matt finish suitable for any occasion, and needless to say it's kicked off a red lipstick obsession and I've been loving wearing it for weeks now. I love Illamasqua lipsticks for their durability, I can put this on at the start of the night and there's no need for any touch ups after sipping drink after drink. What's not to love?

 

Did you pick anything up in the Illamasqua sale?

Nails Inc. & Orly haul (that cost £4.50!)

No, your eyes do not deceive you, £4.50 I said. For all these.

Now, I don't have the best luck in the world, but I certainly did last Saturday. I just so happened to be stumbling around boots buying my essentials, when I reached a lovely little reduced make-up section. And as I stood there perusing the Nails Inc. and Orly polishes that were reduced to £5.50, a lovely Boots employee turned up and started stickering said polishes at 50p - happy days! Admittedly  one or two of them aren't in the best condition, but this can easily be solved.

From left to right: 

Nails Inc, 50p each: St. John's Wood, Hoxton Crackle Topcoat, Fishnet Magnetic in Piccadilly, Warwick Avenue, Designer Matte Finish in Heathrow, Lanesborough Place and Montpeller Square.

Orly, £1: Mani Mini Lacquer Trio: Beach Cruiser, Skinny Dip and Glowstick.

Has anyone else picked up any absolute bargains recently?   

Mini MAC Haul

So, if I haven't let slip already, I'm a bit of a MAC fan. And what do me + left over department store Christmas vouchers equal? A little splurge on the MAC counter, naturally. This is what I picked up:

Mineralize Eyeshadow in Ice:

Grabbing my attention immediately, Ice is such a captivating and pigmented colour that I thought would be great for swishing over my eyelids on an everyday basis, especially those mornings when time is of the essence.

Powder Blush in Sunbasque:

Lately I've been gearing more towards the peachy/golden tone of blush, and to be honest Sunbasque had been on my wishlist for way too long! It's a great wearable shade with just a little bit of shimmer, and looks great used with highlighter on the tops of the cheekbones for a glam night out. I wasn't sure it would work with my (incredibly) pale skin tone, but I was wrong. Instead it's simply a nice change from the usual pinks! 

Is there anything you've been craving from MAC?

January Empties (Long Time No See!)

Well, after a longer than intended break from blogging (due to lack of a laptop and blogger being difficult to use on an iPad!) I'm well and truly back with a little January empties post. These are the products I've loved this month and have rapidly worked my way through like nobody's business..

Illamasqua Concealer in CC135: This has fast become my ultimate concealer, the best in the world by far! It's coverage is absolutely amazing which you'd expect from a theatre make-up brand such as Illamasqua. A little goes a long way with this and some days when I'm feeling incredibly lazy I can get away with wearing this on it's own with powder, missing out foundation altogether. The shade range is another mega positive about this concealer, there's a perfect match for everyone. I'm a CC135: 'light with neutral undertones' kinda gal. A definite make-up bag staple from now on.

Nivea Daily Essentials Double Effect Eye Make Up Remover: This is simply amazing. With one or two swipes this can easily remove the most stubborn of waterproof mascaras and eyeliners. I'm not usually one to use an eye make up remover, opting for the old baby wipe approach instead, but it's safe to say this is much easier, less time consuming and more effective. Hooked!

Tresemme Liquid Gold Restorative Complex: I'm going through a stage of trying all the 'argan oil infused' hair oils and I really loved this one from Tresemme. I normally use it after towel drying my hair, and it instantly transforms the condition of my hair like magic. A lot softer, manageable and shiny. This is now a new stage of my hair care routine as I can't imagine what my hair would be like if I didn't use it! 

Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer: Another Nivea product! But I'm really appreciating them lately. I can't believe the perfect daily moisturiser and primer has been invented. This product was everything I hoped it would be and more! My foundation loves it, my skin loves it.. Not sure I'll ever use another moisturiser again! I especially love the gel formula and how fast it's absorbed by the skin, not to mention how long it makes my make up last.   

What products have you emptied this month?

NOTD: Autumn Cool

A little NOTD post. Today I'm wearing Models Own 'Nude Beige' which I got free with this week's More! magazine. Absolute bargain! This cost £5 on it's own normally, when More! is only £1.50, unreal! And Models Own are my ultimate favourite when it comes to nail polish. Out of the choice of two free nail polishes, I was instantly drawn to this cool autumn shade of nude. 'Nude Beige' is so understated and classy, it'll never look out of place. I think this shade will be great also as a base coat for a glitter polish, I've yet to experiment! Absolutely love!

This Week's Poundland Treasures..

I just thought I'd share with you some great little bargains I picked up in Poundland this week! Here we have two Nivea lip glosses that are also conditioning balms. And the first two words I will use to describe these are.. yummy and beautiful! I love a good lip balm, especially when it's got a touch of colour and a wonderful smell. And for £1 each (RRP £6.42 for two on Amazon, an addition to the £9.99 shipping cost) these are definitely my new favourite toys. As far as I'm aware these are not sold in the UK, and look like they're primarly popular in America? Not quite sure on that one, if any american readers would like to offer up information. 

 

 

On the left we have my favourite of the two 'Gloss Wonder Balm' in Mango Butter. The smell of this is so yummy, I just know I'll be licking it off as soon as I've put it on my lips. (May need to go and stock up, then.) It contains Argan Oil which I know is going to make my lips incredibly soft, which is just what's needed for these freezing, harsh to skin months ahead. It's an all round perfect everyday balm, with a touch of pinky/coral colour. And most importantly neither of them are sticky at all, which will help to avoid the hair-to-face look that we all absolutely adore in these windy winter months...

 

On the right, 'Volume Shine Wonder Full' claims to have a collagen booster to plump lips, and it does just that. On top of being a wonderful smelling, moisturising gloss, this also makes lips appear noticably plumper without the often annoying tingling sensation you find in other plumping glosses. And with a touch of coral colour, this is another everyday beauty which could also be brought out at night.

 

 

What have you dug out in Poundland recently?

 

 

MUA Blush Perfection Cream Blusher in 'Dolly'

The beauty blogging world has been going slightly crazy over this new product from MUA ever since it was released not so long ago. And being a cream blusher virgin (fears over blending, pigmentation, addicted to powder blushers etc etc..) I decided to jump in and snap one up to try for myself, picking up shade 'Dolly' which seemed closest to my usual favourite and most wearable pinky/rosy/coral hue.

 

 

  

 

...And boy am I addicted. I'm completely won over by this cream blusher. Yes, it takes a lot of blending and is perhaps a little more time consuming than a powder, but it is definitely worth it! The end result is a natural flawless touch of colour that can be built up to a stronger pigmented look if you wish.

 

 

There's nothing I don't like about this product. The packaging, the price and the quality make this yet another success from the ever-growing brand MUA, and I'm definitely going to pick up the rest of the shade collection. You can pick them up here on the MUA website for an incredibly reasonable £2, or at Superdrug stores. My next venture is to try both NARS and Illamasqua cream blushers, as I've heard amazing things about both.

 

I think it's safe to say I'm converted... What's your current favourite cream blush?

NOTD: Rimmel Precious Stones

A quickie! Nails of the day featuring Rimmel's new offering Precious Stones in (001 Diamond Dust)! With Rimmel's Lycra Pro (398 Black Pearl) used as a base.

 

I can't stress how much I love Precious Stones! I actually don't think I needed a base colour, as the polish by itself seemed brilliant coverage. This could easily rival the likes of OPI, Nails Inc and other high end polish brands who've brought out similar products.

 

I've found my perfect winter sparkle nail! What's yours?

My Foundation Stash!

 

Now I don't really make a secret of the fact that I am a foundation fanatic! Whenever a new one pops on the shelves I'm always excited to try it. So, I thought I'd do a slightly different post sharing the foundations currently taking up space in my make up bag!

 

 

Max Factor 'Facefinity All Day Flawless 3 in 1' - (Shade - Warm Almond) This is the latest addition to my collection! As far as I know, it's the newest Max Factor foundation, but correct me if I'm wrong! I'm going to do a full review on this, because I've been so so impressed with it. I bought it on a whim in Superdrug where it was on an introductory offer at £8.99 instead of £11.99. It claims to be a primer, concealer and foundation all in one with all day lasting power. I've never used a Max Factor foundation before as I've never been a major buyer of their products, no particular reason! But this is one amazing 'does everything' foundation and I'm currently wearing it every day!

 

Rimmel 'Lasting Finish 25 Hour' - (Shade: Ivory) Now this is my 'sweat proof, transfer proof, night out proof' foundation! I've been using this for years as my staying power essential. You can pick it up in most places for around £5, and for the product you get, that's an amazing price. I can put this on in the morning, work all day, and then carry on through to a night out without having to worry if I'm shiny, cakey or it's rubbing off on my clothes. Highly recommended to those with a busy and hectic lifestyle!

 

Sleek 'Be Beautiful Blemish Balm' - (Shade: Very Light) I've professed my love for this BB cream on a previous post, which can be found here. But in summary, this is a great alternative to foundation, with amazing coverage for those who feel they have something to cover. A great day to day, easy to wear foundation.

 

MAC 'Studio Fix Fluid' - (Shade: NC15) I've also given this miracle worker it's own post over here. This is my high end foundation and one that I can always rely on and will continue to re-purchase! It gives amazing coverage with not a lot of product, and is a perfect daytime foundation with the added SPF. As noted in my post, the only downside is that after around 6 hours I start to look slightly shiny. But, over time it definitely grew on my as a HG product.

 

Bourjois '1 2 3 Perfect' - (Shade: Light Vanilla) When this first came out there were absolutely loads of blog posts about how great it was, another Bourjois foundation that was adored by all. I had a similar experience with it I must say. It's amazing at doing what it says on the bottle - giving a flawless, even complexion. My only complaint with this is that it turned me orange. Before putting the foundation on the skin it was the perfect ivory colour. However, when blended and applied it suddenly turned much much darker?! It's a strange one. I'd be interested to know if anyone else experienced this?

 

Rimmel 'Match Perfection' - (Shade: Ivory) So I might have accidently saved the worst till last.. I was so unimpressed with this foundation. It's meant to 'adapt to the colour and texture of your skin', but it really didn't. It was thick and gloopy, didn't blend, was sticky, went streaky when powder was applied on top.. Just endless problems. Don't think I'll be buying again!

 

What's your favourite foundation?

 

Illamasqua Pure Pigment in 'Furore' - THE Multitasker?

                 So here comes another review of another amazing Illasmasqua product. It's no secret that they are fast becoming my favourite brand (which is a biggie) and I wanted to share with you another addition to my growing collection.

     

 

Pure Pigment in 'Furore' (a champagne peach shimmer) is a bit of a multi-tasking beauty.

Illamasqua say Pure Pigments are 'Made to be played with. A metallic, high-shine, pure-colour powder that highlights eyes, cheeks and brows. Mix with eye shadow, blusher or use it on its own to intense effect. Bring out your bold side'

 

When introduced to this by the lovely Illamasqua assistant, she suggested I use 'Furore' as an every day eyeshadow, a highlighter, and mix it in with my foundation for an unmissable glow. I've been using it every day in one of these three ways, and it's safe to say that it's now got the seal of approval to be a HG highlighter, amongst other uses!

 

 

Applied on the brow bone and along the top of the cheek bone, 'Furore' creates an unmistakable sheen to absolutely make up look.

 

 

I'm now really excited to expand my collection of pigments, and start to mix them together to create different looks! You can find the full range here.

 

Have you tried any Illamasqua Pure Pigments and what do you use them for the most?

Sleek 'Be Beautiful Blemish Balm' - Review

 

Now, if I haven't mentioned before I am NOT a BB cream kind of girl. It's foundation all the way. I like full coverage and a matte finish. After trying to get on the BB cream bandwagon time and time again, they just weren't for me due to the fact that they were too thin and provided no coverage for my sometimes problem skin.

 

However, then I discovered Sleek's Be Beautiful Blemish Balm. I don't know what it was, but I saw this not long after it's release in Superdrug and I was too intregued not to buy it. I think my attention was primarily caught by the 'full coverage' and 'conealing' description.

 

 

Sleek say: "Be Beautiful Blemish Balm is Sleek MakeUP’s latest multipurpose product that can be used as a primer, tinted moisturiser or can be built up to be worn as a foundation. This multi-tasking wonder balm has countless skin loving benefits:
- Not only works hard to nourish and conceal imperfections but also protects the skin from harmful rays with SPF15.
- Is highly moisturising, has anti-aging properties all whilst providing full coverage.
- Enriched with red algae extract which provides anti-ageing properties and protein peptides that work to repair the skin.
- Contains jojoba oil that provides a moisturising formula, creating a smooth and flawless base, concealing imperfections whilst preventing discolouration and dehydration lines.
- Vitamin E protects the skin from early stages of UV light damage and reduces the formation of free radicals that could lead to premature ageing.
- Vitamin C brightens the complexion leaving your skin with a youthful and luminous finish.
- The range includes 4 shades specifically for fair and darker skin tones."

 

 

I honestly have to say, I am completely won over by this product. After trialing it for around two weeks, I've come to the conclusion that for someone who loves full coverage like me, this is the perfect lighter daytime foundation option.

 

The balm comes in 4 shades - Fair, Light, Medium and Dark. Shade '801 - Fair' is really light and a perfect match for my sun deprived skin.

 

 

 

At first try I wasn't happy with the streaky mess it left when trying to blend on my skin. But, after much patience and lots of blending, the result is a perfected and flawless base and definitely as much coverage as a good high end foundation with the added benefit of being a moisturising balm. I'd definitely compare the coverage to MAC's Studio Fix Fluid. 

 

This being the end result when my usual Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder in Translucent is used over the top:

 

 

Pros

 

Really full coverage with the added effect of almost 'blurring' blemishes.

 

Lasts a good 8 hours when used with powder.

 

Creates a flawless and even base.

 

Cons

 

Some people may struggle with 4 shades if you are inbetween-er, a wider shade range could be an improvement for Sleek.

 

For people who prefer a matte finish like me, powder is needed as a finishing touch. But definitely worth it for the long-lasting end result.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Sleek's Blemish Balm is an amazing product that I will continue to purchase as my daytime foundation alternative. I was shocked by the amount of coverage it offers for a BB cream and by the flawless base it creates.  It is definitely a great alternative for a full coverage daytime foundation junkie like myself, who sometimes has a few spots/blemishes to try and cover.

 

What's the best BB cream you've tried?