April Favourites

 

I can't believe it's now May! It really feels like only a few weeks ago I was popping open the Bucks Fizz on Christmas morning... Now it's time for the warmer months (hopefully) and I've been enjoying adding a little more colour to my face. The perfect product for this has been Soap & Glory's Solar Powder.

Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum | Review

It's strange how I came to love the Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum so much as I'd actually been avoiding Origins for about a year after suffering a reaction to their GinZing moisturiser. I'd been wandering around the counters at John Lewis and noticed the serum on the side and gave it a quick try on the back of my hand and then wandered off.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light | Review

The one product I have never splurged on or bought high end is foundation. I never really wore it throughout my teens and then the first one I bought was Bourjois Healthy Mix when it first came out which I loved and re-purchased multiple times. 

Under Eye Concealing Combo

 I thought I'd kick start my foray back into blogging with a mention of my favourite under eye concealers at the moment. Getting used to early starts every day (for some reason Oscar has lie ins, so getting up at 7 is a novelty...) has left me having a major need to conceal my dark circles. 

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Review

I got myself my first bottle of Liz Earle's Instant Boost Skin Tonic when my skin was going through a particularly bad breakout. I'd been using my Cleanse & Polish but thought that pairing it with this might make them work even better. 

Benefit Girl Meets Pearl | Review

If you've read my blog for a while you'll know I'm not always bowled over by Benefit's products and found that they don't normally live up to the hype surrounding them. Nevertheless, I was on the lookout for a new blusher and having never tried one by Benefit despite their good reputation, I thought why not? So, I originally went to the Benefit counter with my eyes set on grabbing myself Rockateur. I tried it out and found it made me look like I'd had one too many glasses of wine so decided to see if there was anything else that took my fancy.

I happened to give Girl Meets Pearl a quick swipe and fell in love with the golden pink sheen it left on the back of my hand. I swiftly moved over to a mirror to give it a go on my cheekbones and found that it left me with a gorgeous glow - no glitter, just a 'lit from within' glow.

We'd had a chat with a lovely girl who was on the counter about the best makeup brushes after she'd caught me eyeing up Benefit's offerings and between her and my sister telling me that they thought it looked nice, I decided to buy it there and then.

I bought it as an early Christmas present for myself and I struggled to keep it smuggled away inside it's packaging for 2 weeks before Christmas but it was worth the wait and I've been loving experimenting with how best to wear it. I've tried it out as an all over primer underneath my foundation, blended in with foundation and applied over the top. 

The packaging is super cute with the rose gold finish and you dispense the product by twisting it up from the bottom. I usually twist it a full twist or less to give me a generous amount and it's not particularly messy to apply as you can quite easily control how much you want to come out rather than it all splurging out suddenly.

Girl Meets Pearl is lightly fragranced, it's a bit fruity and smells like raspberries to me but it is very subtle and you don't notice it after you've applied it.

Using it as a primer, the glow doesn't show through quite as obviously as it does when blended with my foundation. I haven't noticed it give my foundation any extra staying power but it doesn't go patchy or uneven throughout the day. My favourite ways to apply it are definitely mixed in with my foundation for an all over subtle glow and then apply it directly to the high points of my face. When applied to cheekbones etc it looks so pretty, you can dab it on quickly to brighten your face a little or build it up to give you gorgeous, luminous skin. 

Overall, I've been really impressed by Girl Meets Pearl and it's probably my new favourite highlighter. 

What are your favourite Benefit products and highlighters?

HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette | Review

This review has been a long time coming. I've been the happy owner of a HD Brows palette now since I received one in a long ago Glossybox and since then, it has been the only product I have used for filling in my eyebrows.
I absolutely love the sleek black palette, the powders are reasonably sized on the inside and last for a really long time and it has a handy mirror for on-the-go application yet it's still small enough to fit in my makeup bag and take away with me. I don't normally bother with freebie brushes as they're not usually great quality but I actually really like the one that comes in the palette and use it on a daily basis.

I always use Dark Brown as the main shade for my brows, as it looks really natural on me and matches my hair colour perfectly. I start applying it midway down my eyebrow filling in the midsection and tail and then use what's left of the product on the brush at the front of my eyebrow to keep it looking natural as I'm not a fan of a strong brow on myself.

I then take the shade Carbon and apply that to any sections that are a little sparse and to the tail to give more definition. Even though this is black it doesn't look overly dramatic and blends nicely in to keep my eyebrows looking au naturel and not too heavy. I put a quick slick of Maybelline's Brow Drama on to keep them in place and I'm all done.

The palette is fantastic quality, all the shades are really pigmented, super blendable, longwearing and I've had my current palette for nearly 2.5 years and I've only just now started using my new palette. It's also a handy little bonus that it doubles up as eye shadows, I've used Carbon countless times for a smokey eye and it is seriously black. It also works really nicely for lining the upper lash line when you want something a little softer than liquid liner.

Overall, I couldn't recommend it highly enough and it is probably my all time favourite product, if you read my post here, you'll know why it's been such a lifesaver for me. It has saved me from many eyebrow disasters by filling in any gaps and given me defined eyebrows that I never thought I'd have.

L'Oreal Studio Line #TXT Volume Supersizing Spray | Review

I picked this up a few weeks ago in the hopes of bringing some life to my straightened hair. Although when my hair is left in it's natural state it is quite thick, when I have blowdried and straightened it the roots tend to fall completely flat and it's not a good look.

I'm fairly wary of putting lots of product into my hair once I've styled it as I want it to last as long as possible to save on heat damage/ styling time. I was interested in the L'Oreal Studio Line #TXT Volume Supersizing Spray after hearing positive things about it being a dupe for the famous Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray at a much more affordable £3.79 so I scurried off to Boots in the hopes of picking one up and was eager to try it out.

Sadly, I can't give this a positive review. I found that despite using it numerous times and spraying it directly into my roots and also into the lengths of my hair, it does nothing for me other than make it feel like I've got product stuck in the roots of my hair without giving them a boost at all.

It doesn't give me much volume or texture in the lengths of my hair, I've tried using it when I've just styled my hair straight and when I've curled it and it's just doing nothing for me at all. I really hoped that I'd found something to bring some life to my hair but the hunt is still on for an affordable texturizing spray. Next on my list of budget alternatives is the Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Texturizing Spray, which is double the price of the TXT Spray but will hopefully give me what I'm looking for.

Have you tried the TXT spray? Do you have any good alternatives?

Collection Does It All 5 in 1 Mascara | Review

When I picked this up a few weeks ago, I think it was a fairly new release although correct me if I'm wrong. I have been pretty pleased with most of the products I've tried from Collection - namely the Lasting Perfection Concealer being the blogger favourite and one that has only recently been added to my collection but has now become a daily staple in my routine.

So after being suitably impressed, I decided I'd foray into their mascara selection and decided that Does It All sounded like something worth trying as it claims that "with its enhanced multi-bristle brush and five way formula; curling, volumizing, lengthening, longwearing and conditioning - this mascara really does it all!" But does it?

The packaging is not something that really attracts me to the product. Sure, it catches your attention but I tend to prefer your standard black mascara packaging although it definitely makes it easy to spot it in my makeup drawer! I'm also not a huge fan of the shape of the tube, it's quite large compared to my other mascaras and the brush is a bit annoying to hold onto due to it being so rounded at the top.

The brush itself is actually a really great design and reminds me a lot of Benefit's They're Real! mascara except when you take this one out of the tube, it's not full of excess product and you can just apply it straight onto your eyes. I curl my lashes first and then apply two coats of the mascara to my top lashes and one coat to the bottom.

So, how does it hold up to it's 5 in 1 claims? 

• Curling - I think that it actually does hold up the curl really well throughout the day, there's no drooping and they don't seem weighed down - my eyes definitely look more open although I haven't tested it on my lashes uncurled to see if it actually helps to curl them.

• Volumizing - The first coat is pretty lacklustre and it doesn't really add that much at all to my eyelashes. If I wanted my eyes to look really natural but still awake, then one coat might be good enough. Sadly, it tends to clump a bit on the second coat (although not awfully) even though it does make more of an impact but it puts me off trying to apply a third coat to see if I can get any more volume.

• Lengthening - Again, not the best - you need the second coat to see any real effect and although there is some length added, it doesn't quite make them long enough for my liking and I need to add some Telescopic or Define A Lash to get the length I'm looking for.

• Longwearing - I think it does live up to this claim, my eyes still look fully made up by the time I come to take my makeup off at the end of the day and it doesn't flake off although I do end up with teeny smudge marks on my lower eye which is annoying, I've tried adding primer beneath my eyes but it doesn't seem to help. It has quite a gel like consistency on the lashes which does make it a bit of a pain to remove, you definitely need an oil based remover to get all of it off fully.

• Conditioning - Not much to say about this, I definitely haven't noticed my lashes feeling any more or less conditioned after using it but as I haven't been using it daily, I couldn't say for sure.

So overall, this has turned out to be a fairly negative review. Despite everything I've said, I don't find this to be a bad mascara but it's just not one I'd reach for every day. For £4.99, I'm not too disappointed by it and to be honest, it could work as a cheap dupe for They're Real! albeit with a little less oomph.

What do you think to Collection? Have you tried this mascara?

Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning | Review

This had been on my wishlist since forever and I finally managed to get it at Christmas much to my delight (let's pretend I didn't actually buy it myself and then tell my boyfriend it was from him, ahem.) I'd read so many glowing reviews of it and I couldn't wait to try it out and see if it worked for me.

I'm not a religious fake tanner although I do feel more confident when I'm a bit bronzed. I've been using Xen Tan Mousse Intense and absolutely loving it for my body, but I wanted something a little more subtle for my face that I could apply regularly without too much hassle.

I like to apply it at night with a cotton wool pad to save from any potential staining on my fingers and also because I feel it's distributed a bit more evenly across my face as the product is quite light in consistency.
I apply it after I've removed all of my makeup to my face (taking care to avoid the hairline and eyebrows) and décollete and I tend to use about 2 applications the size of a penny for coverage to my satisfaction.

I was worried that it would leave me looking tangoed or break me out but I'm pleased to say that when I wake up in the morning, I have a lovely natural looking, sunkissed glow that is not orange in the slightest and it leaves my skin feeling soft and moisturised to boot.

I like to apply it about twice a week and it doesn't seem to be going down too quickly at the moment. I'm really pleased that I finally got my hands on it and when it does run out, I'll definitely be repurchasing as it just does the job perfectly. It's not the cheapest at £18 from most stockists but I picked mine up on Escentual for £14.40 and it arrived within a couple of days.

What do you think to facial tanners? Have you tried the Clarins one?

Origins Mask Marvels | Review

When I saw this little set available for a mere £25, I was completely sold. I've been wanting to try Origins products for so long but with a full size mask costing in the region of £20, I never really had the spare cash to treat myself. Fortunately, my parents were kind enough to get me these and I don't think I've ever been so excited to take my makeup off.

The set consists of the Drink Up Intensive overnight mask, the Clear Improvement charcoal mask and the Drink Up 10 minute mask. I was really intrigued by the charcoal mask and Christmas couldn't come soon enough as I'd been suffering from a hormonal breakout and really wanted something to help clear my skin. My skin varies between normal/dry and normal/combo and I have occasional, small breakouts just to give you an indicator as to how these masks might work for you.

Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

I popped this on after removing my makeup in the evening and it applies very similarly to a thick moisturiser. It has a lovely fruity scent which smells fresh and not overpowering, it makes me feel nice and relaxed when getting into bed. It has a very smooth consistency and you apply it all over your face to leave your skin to "drink up" overnight so you can awaken to amazingly glowing skin. When I wake up my skin feels super smooth and plumped up, it makes me look so healthy! It doesn't leave any greasy residue and it hasn't clogged up my skin at all as well as ridding me of the pesky dry patches that I get around my cheeks and on my forehead. 

Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask

The Charcoal mask was probably the one I was most eager to try after hearing so many rave reviews and it does not disappoint. I apply this fairly thickly over any problem patches and then a little more sparingly over the rest of my face. This one also has a smooth texture and after you've applied it, it starts to dry out leaving your face feeling stiff and tight whilst it gets to work. The first time I used it I applied less and only left it on for 10-15 minutes and although my skin felt nice after using it, it didn't really make a massive impression. The second time I used it, I applied it thicker and left it on for about 40 minutes (I got distracted reading a book, ha) When I rinsed it off the second time, I felt my skin looked visibly clearer and it also felt a lot more clarified. I have been using it a couple of times a week since I got it and already my skin is looking better. I think with continued usage, it will help to keep on top of blackheads and other nasty blemishes. 

Origins Drink Up 10 Minute Mask

Finally, the 10 minute hydrating mask. This one I applied after having a shower and cleansing just to give my skin a bit of a moisture boost before applying my makeup. It's fairly similar to the Overnight mask but with a thinner consistency and it smells deliciously peachy. For me, this is probably the one out of the three masks I could take or leave, yes it's nice but it's not an essential when you have the Intensive Overnight mask. I think if you wanted to you could leave this one on overnight too but you'd probably have less intense results.   

Overall, this set is fantastic value for money - you get three 75ml tubes for £25 when 100ml tube retails for around £20. When they eventually run out I'll definitely be repurchasing the Charcoal Mask and the Intensive Mask, I might try one of their many other enticing offerings as a replacement for the 10 Minute Mask, the GinZing Moisturiser is calling my name...
Unfortunately, this particular set is now sold out but if you're interested in seeing what Origins have that's suitable for your skin type, click here.

What do you think of Origins products? Do you have any recommendations for me? 

Naked 3 Palette | Review

I don't own any of the Naked palettes, I've been tempted by the original Naked and Basics palette quite a few times but could never quite justify the cost. When I unwrapped this on Christmas Day, needless to say I was thrilled. When I heard that Naked3 was being launched, I knew I'd definitely have to get my hands on it, I was instantly drawn to the rosy tones in it as I find they work well with my skintone and hazel eyes.

The packaging is lovely and definitely my favourite of the collection, I hate the texture of velvet so thats always put me off from the first Naked. However, I do find that it feels flimsier than I expected it too - I thought it would be more of a sturdy tin but it feels quite light and plastic-y. The shadows are lay out in the same style as the other palettes, 12 in a straight row.

 Another couple of minor things I noticed were that occasionally when you come to close the palette, one side sticks down before the other has clicked into place and my Darkside shadow has been put in wonky so that some of it sticks out above the rim but like I said, they are only minor issues and don't impact on how the palette functions in any way.

The palette comes with a double ended brush, one end for applying and the other for blending. The quality isn't fantastic and I wouldn't use this brush solely for applying my makeup - I'll leave that to my trusty 239 and 217. What I do like the brush for though is using it as a spare blending brush, I only have the one and it does a fine job of just softening the edges when my 217 is covered in a darker shade.
You also get 4 little sachets of Urban Decay's famous primers to try out, each one supposedly lasts you a week. I've only tested out the original primer so far and it's a nice little bonus to be able to try all of their primers out.

The shades are light to the left of the palette and gradually get darker. I find that the shadows next to each other are always complimentary, so if you're in a rush you can just apply three shadows that are next to each other depending on how intense you want it to look and you're probably good to go.
Despite this, it's a really versatile palette and you can mix and match all of the shadows to your hearts content, they all blend with each other beautifully. I love how you can create a really subtle look for the daytime and then vamp it up for the evening with the darker shades, it makes it the perfect palette to take with you on your travels as you will always have something wearable no matter what you're doing.

Whilst the majority of the shades are shimmer/metallic based, there are three matte shades which are Strange, Limit and Nooner. I love to use the matte shades as a base generally and then add a mediums shade all over the lid and a dark one in the outer corner and in the crease, pretty standard. My favourites are probably Nooner, a matte plummy brown which is a darker version of  Limit, Liar which on me is a coppery shade and reminds me a little of MAC Woodwinked and Mugshot which is a super pigmented metallic taupe shade.

l-r Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick

l-r Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart

On the whole, the quality of the shadows is fantastic. I do have a little fall out on some shades, namely Dust and Factory but they are really pigmented and the lasting power is brilliant. I do use a primer with them but I don't have any fading or creasing and they are very smooth and buttery to apply. When I layer them up they all blend together without a problem and they look seamless on your eyes.

Overall, I am so impressed with the palette and I have worn it every day since I received it and plan on doing so for the foreseeable future! There are so many looks that you can create with it and despite £37 sounding like quite a lot to splash out on a palette, you do get 12 full size eyeshadows for that price which are high quality.

If you fancy treating yourself and you love a little bit of rose gold (who doesn't?) then I don't think you can go wrong in grabbing yourself this palette.

What do you think of the Naked3? Do you like rosy tones or do you prefer the other Naked palettes?

Rimmel Moisture Renew - Transparent Lipliner

I'm not sure why I decided to get the Rimmel Moisture Renew Transparent Lipliner, I only have one old lipliner in my whole makeup collection that needs to be thrown out. I think maybe because I've only recently started wearing lipsticks and I tend to stick with fairly light shades that don't require ultra precision or staying power. Nevertheless, I was intrigued by this as it can be worn with any lipstick.

Upon first use, I have to say I felt a bit underwhelmed. I don't know what I was expecting from a lipliner that's got the word "transparent" in its name, but you can't tell where you've put it on your lips in any way. It's got quite a tacky, matte texture and even though it has "moisture renew" in it's name, I wouldn't say that I find it moisturising in any way on my lips - but unless I used it on it's own, I wouldn't say that it was drying. Despite it feeling a little uncomfortable on the lips, it glides on easily and the turn-up nib makes it quick and convenient for use.

I apply it all over my lips as a base and then apply my choice of lipstick on top. I have found that it definitely does increase the wear time of my lipsticks by at least an hour or two and it helps keep the lipstick on the inner part of my lip, y'know that annoying bit where no matter how many times you go over it with your lip product of choice, it never quite stays on.

Overall, even though I couldn't say I've been blown away by it, I'm still pleased I have it in my collection (especially for the price!) and will continue my quest for the perfect lipliner. I quite like the look of No7's Nude lip pencil which I believe Lisa Eldridge helped to create. Well, if it's good enough for Lisa...

What do you think of lip liners/pencils? 

Collection Deluxe Lipstick in Talullah

I've been meaning to try one of the Collection Deluxe lipsticks for absolutely ages but it kept on slipping my mind whenever I went shopping. I finally remembered and found it a fairly early decision to pick out Talullah, a pretty, muted pink.
It has a soft vanilla scent and applies very smoothly to the lips, no dragging involved. It can be worn sheerly or built up to pack a bit more of a punch, I prefer to layer it on a bit more as it's such a lovely shade. It is perfect for the winter months as not only does it look good, it's really moisturising on the lips too; containing Shea Butter, Avocado Oil and Vitamin E to keep your lips nice and nourished.
The wear time is standard for a creamy lipstick - about 2 hours but with a lipliner underneath I managed to eat and drink and still have some left on my lips, albeit quite faded but not patchy.
Overall, for £3.99 this lipstick is amazing - it has great texture, colour and wear power for it's price and I'll definitely be checking out the other colours in the range.

Garnier Fresh Essentials 24hr Hydrating Day Cream | Review

After being so pleased with my Garnier Moisture Match (review here) I decided that I'd pick up another by Garnier and give it a try. The Fresh Essentials 24hr Hydrating Day Cream caught my eye whilst I was browsing feelunique and into my online basket it went. My skin changes from season to season and I'd found it changing from normal/dry to normal/combination at the start of Autumn.

The pot is very lightweight and neat, it doesn't take up too much space in my makeup bag although it's not as convenient as a tube. The only pro to having a pot to a tube is that you can get all of the product out easily, whereas with a tube, I get to near the bottom and it's such a pain to get the final bit out!

The moisturiser has a gel consistency and feels cooling and refreshing on your skin. It soaks in fairly quickly and it leaves my skin feeling smooth and not greasy. It has a mild fruity fragrance which I enjoy, it helps make me feel more "fresh" in the morning, I'm not sure why!

I've been using it for a couple of weeks now and I haven't noticed any problems with it irritating my skin or causing any breakouts although if my skin has any dry patches, it doesn't do much to help with the dry areas and my foundation clings to them a bit, I'm not sure if that's the foundation or the moisturiser at fault there... Also, the moisturiser is for normal/combo skin and not geared towards dry skin, so I can't really complain about that!

Overall, I'm pleased I picked it up although when it runs out, I'll probably try a different one just because I like to experiment. It does everything it says on the box and you can't ask for more than that! I picked mine up for £4.85 from feelunique but it can be found at Boots and Superdrug for £4.99.

What do you think to highstreet moisturisers? Do you prefer high-end?

Benefit They're Real! Mascara | Review

If you've read any of my recent mascara reviews, you'll know I was less than impressed with Benefit's They're Real! mascara. I got it as a freebie in Elle in the Summer and I was really excited to try it after hearing all the rave reviews. However, I was left disappointed as I found it super clumpy and found that it didn't hold a curl so I tossed it to back of my drawer in a huff and that was that.

For some reason, last week I was rooting around in my drawers and it came surfacing to the top, I thought I might as well give it another try out of curiosity and was left feeling surprised when I actually quite liked it. It's made my lashes dark and thickened them like I've never before seen.

So, what's changed? To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. It's possible that the formula has gone a little drier since I got it making it easier to work with or maybe my mascara preferences have changed, but whatever it is, I've been reaching for it most days this week.

By no means would I describe it as perfect, I still find the formula quite difficult to work with as it seems so thick. The brush is a plastic bristle type and this is usually my favourite sort; I've found that the little spiked ball at the end of the wand is brilliant for coating those hard to reach lashes and then using the regular part to comb it all back through leaving me with no clumps.

It does dry fairly quickly and I find I do have to work fast with it to come out how I want it to. It now seems to be keeping the curl in my lashes really well, I did get a new curler though so perhaps it wasn't the mascara that was letting me down but my curler.

Although I find it extremely long lasting, it doesn't flake on me but it has been leaving me with little smudge marks underneath my eyes after a few hours wear which I haven't had with many of my other mascaras. This is a bit disappointing as you obviously don't want to be worrying that you've got smudge marks on your face when you've gone out or when you're at work.
As for removal, it is a pain to remove at night unless you have an oil based make up remover, then it's not too difficult.

Overall, I've definitely been impressed with the results that I get from They're Real! It's given me the thickest lashes I've ever had but it's not without its faults. I really love the design of the brush and whilst it does give good volume and hold a curl it also smudges and isn't the best to take off in the evening. I have the smaller version which retails for £9.50 and the full size retails for £19.50. I don't think I could buy the full size version as £19.50 for a mascara is extremely expensive and I'd probably want to try other mascaras at a similar price to see how they compare if I was willing to splash the cash.

Have you tried They're Real!? What are your thoughts?

Nivea Daily Essentials Double Effect Eye Makeup Remover | Review

My Clarins Eye Makeup Remover is almost empty and when I nipped into Superdrug the other week to grab a couple of essentials I spotted the Nivea Double Effect Eye Makeup Remover on offer for only £2 and after hearing good things, I decided to pop it in my basket.

It's a two phase solution so you shake it up first to mix the oil and the water and then apply it to a cotton wool pad and then place it on your eyelid and let it do the rest of the work. I found that you have to shake it really vigorously to get the solution to mix and stay mixed for a decent amount of time, or else it just separates really quickly.

I tend to leave it to soak on my eyelid for about 5 seconds and then gently go from the inner to outer corner of my eye. Depending on how much makeup I have on, it can take anywhere from about 2-10 swipes to remove it all but it does remove it ALL. I've tried it on a variety of products like normal/waterproof mascara (Benefit's They're Real! - notoriously difficult to remove but this manages it), gel liner, liquid liner, cream and powder eyeshadow. You do need to work at it a bit more for the gel liner and waterproof mascara but it doesn't leave my eyes stinging afterwards even if I've been a bit over enthusiastic/rushing to get it off.

It does leave a slightly oily residue around my eyes but as I tend to remove my eye makeup first and then the rest of my makeup, my L'Oreal Micellar Solution picks up the oil and my skins left squeaky clean and oil free.
Overall, I'm pleased I picked it up and it's definitely my new go-to for stubborn eye makeup. It's a total bargain at £2 and even at it's normal price of £3.49, I'll definitely be picking up another when it's runs empty.

Maybelline 24H Colour Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate | Review

I am now failing terribly at the #bedn challenge but this cold has really taken my energy out of me! I'm finally starting to feel a bit more normal after 5 days. Anyway, I've been meaning to review this for ages, I think it may possibly be my most loved eye shadow ever. Even more than MAC's Satin Taupe and that's saying something!

I only own two Colour Tattoo's; On and On Bronze and Metallic Pomegranate and I've been super impressed with them both. On and On Bronze I've had for a while now (like, 1.5 years) and it has started to dry up a little but I think I did leave the lid off a couple of times, woops.

This is just the perfect eye shadow colour for Autumn/Winter. I did worry that it would make me look ill but it's just a gorgeous warm shade that really brings out my hazel eyes. It's a really smooth, creamy consistency as you would expect from a cream eye shadow and it's extremely pigmented.

I tend to dip my little finger in the pot and build it up gradually so I don't end up with a patchily applied eye shadow as it does dry quite quickly and it will not budge once it's dried.  It looks lovely on it's own but I also love to blend a little Satin Taupe or Espresso into my crease to make it a little smokier and add a pop of Nylon into the inner corners and it really does look so pretty.

As you can see, it is a deep wine/burgundy shade with flecks of gold glitter running through it. You can definitely see the glitter once applied but I really like it, I love a bit of sparkle. It doesn't feel gritty in any way and doesn't irritate my eyes. The staying power is brilliant, I apply a primer before anyway but there's no creasing and it looks the exact same in the evening when I remove it as it did when I first applied it.
Despite it's long lasting properties, it is not a problem to remove at all and comes off easily leaving no trace behind.

Overall, I just love this eye shadow and I'm eyeing up a variety of purple based shadows now to add to my collection, I'm looking at you Cranberry. On a side note, the Naked 3 Palette is looking gorgeous with it's rose hues, I don't currently own any and this one looks like it may well be the first that I'll purchase!

Bourjois Happy Light Matte Serum Primer | Review

I know, I know, another Bourjois product... What can I say, they're really bringing out some great products this year! I picked this up whilst it was on offer for £6.99 rather than £10.99. They do a Luminous and a Matte primer, I decided to go for Matte as I already own quite a few illuminating products and now I'm not pregnant, my skin has gone back to it's usual "combination" status and I'd noticed my skin becoming oily around my t-zone. The Luminous serum is for normal/dry skin and the Matte recommended for normal/combination skin, so if you have majorly oily skin, I don't quite know how long this would last on you.

The packaging comes up slightly smaller than the Healthy Mix foundation but with a similar feel, except this one is in a glass tube rather than plastic. The pump is really handy and one of my favourite things about the foundation and the primer as you can dispense the exact amount that you want without making a mess.

The serum is a pretty baby pink colour and has a gel-like consistency, when you put it onto your skin it feels very cooling and refreshing. After you've blended it in and you can't tell that you're wearing it, it's not greasy or sticky. I did find on my first few uses that after I'd applied my moisturiser and put it on, the product was sort of coming off my skin in little rolls... I wondered what was causing it so I tried a different moisturiser and I haven't had any problems since!

I tend to apply it just across my nose and cheeks and on my chin and forehead between my eyebrows as these are my main problem areas, leaving the rest of my face un-primed. It sits seamlessly beneath my foundation and other makeup products and it has made my skin look so much more awake and fresh, my foundation sits much better on my skin than when I apply it just after moisturising and it's given my skin more of a "finished" rather than natural look.

In terms of mattifying the skin, I'd say it does a perfect job of making my skin appear less shiny but without making it look dull or lifeless. It has also really helped to keep the oily skin at bay, keeping it mattified and shine free for 8 hours plus.
Overall, I'm really happy that I picked it up and it's become a staple in my makeup routine, I've never used a primer before so I don't have any to compare it to, but it does everything that I'd want a primer to do; keep my makeup in place for longer!

It's currently still on offer at Boots for £6.99 but full price in Superdrug at £10.99, so snap one up now before it's too late.

Bourjois Java Rice Powder | Review

I have absolutely been loving Bourjois this past year. They were previously a brand I completely overlooked but now I own a fair amount of products by them and I love them all.
The latest addition to my growing collection is the Java Rice Powder. Bourjois are celebrating their 150th anniversary this year so they decided to re-release their best selling powder with a 21st Century spin.

The exterior packaging is just so cute, I love it! The interior though I'm not a massive fan of. Despite it having a rotating function so that the powder is kept shut off for travelling/storage purposes I still find it a pain trying to get the right amount of powder out and it still spills all over the inside, no matter how hard I try to stop that happening.

The powder itself though, is a treat. It has a distinct floral scent to it, it reminds me a little bit of talcum powder but I think it smells lovely! Really old fashioned and I feel all fancy applying it to my face. It doesn't linger though, if that's not your cup of tea.

Upon first inspection/swatch it looks a pearlescent pink colour with little particles of glitter that looks a bit too much to apply as a all over face powder. However, once applied with a big, fluffy brush the powder gives you a lovely, healthy glow with no glitter particles in sight. It comes in a transparent shade, so it is suitable for all skin tones too - bonus.

Not only does it manage to illuminate your skin but it works fantastically as a setting powder, mattifying your skin to keep those pesky oily spots at bay throughout the day. I don't have massively oily skin, just a little across my my t-zone but it helps keep it less shiney for 6-8 hours before it could do with being re-applied.