Monday, 3 October 2016

Wishlist Purchases #3 ft. Urban Decay, NARS, Huda Beauty, Pixi and Beauty Blender

wishlist purchases nars urban decay pixi stila beauty blender huda beauty review

Is it really bad that this is the first of three wishlist purchase posts I have coming up in the next few weeks? I have definitely been feeling a bit spendy over the last few weeks in particular but as you will see, all the products have been in my wishlist for quite a while and what can I say, I like to treat myself! 

There are two bases here so I’ll give you a little context about my skin for reference first – it’s scarred from acne when I was younger and I still get a few hormonal breakouts, it’s extremely oily around my nose, forehead and chin but also dehydrated and my nose eats foundation for a living! I always look for full coverage, oil free foundation and to be honest I’m not sure why I still try bother buying new ones to try because nothing ever matches up to my beloved Estee Lauder Double Wear!

NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint
I bought this back before the summer as part of the Modern Minimalist box Space NK do and I managed to snag it with £15 off when they had an offer on. I definitely got swept up a little in the hype with this one and after reading a lot of positive reviews and being impressed with how the coverage looked in YouTube videos I took the plunge. I was really happy with the contents of the box as I had also wanted to try out the Orgasm blush and Rikugien lip pencil for ages too. 

I do have to say that for a tint this really does have impressive coverage. It’s a creamy liquid that blends in well on my skin (I like using a Beauty Blender with it) and it has SPF 30 so I loved having it on holiday with me in the summer when I was going out during the day and wanted some coverage and extra sun protection. In terms of lasting power, it’s not the best base I've ever had and I tend to need to powder it around lunchtime and by about 3 it starts to look patchy round my nose (nothing new there) and steadily wears off after that. It has quite a strong sort of SPF scent when you first apply it but I don’t mind it and the shade Finland is a good match for me. Overall, while I won’t be buying this again I can see myself finishing the tube and am looking forward to taking it on a mini sun break in November but it’s definitely one for short days when I don’t need my base to last all day.
 
Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation
Urban Decay is probably my favourite make up brand and being a huge fan of their eye shadows and lipsticks I was really excited to see they were adding a full coverage foundation to their lineup! Well not anymore haha, this has been the biggest makeup disappointment for me this year and I absolutely hate it! I got matched to shade 2.0 and while yes it does oxidise slightly it doesn’t go orange and the shade works well for me. The formula however is a different story! I have no idea what I’m doing wrong with this foundation – I’ve tried different primers, different application methods and it still looks like shite on my skin! 

It’s such a weird one for me because I wanted to love this foundation; it claims to be everything I look for when I try a new base – long lasting, oil free, matte, I could go on. I don’t find the pigmentation that impressive, it goes patchy and separates so quickly on my skin, and not just on my nose, we’re talking all over my face here. I will say that the matte claim is true, as awful as my skin looks with it on at least it’s not shining like a beacon like with other foundations I've tried but that and the pretty packaging are really the only positive things I can say about this. Do let me know if you have found a way to make it work, I thought I’d made it work better by using more silicone based primers but it’s still wearing off too easily! I made an account on Depop a few weeks ago (I’m @daniellebeautyblog on there) and this will definitely be going up once I’ve sorted out packaging etc.! Think I’ll just stick to the eye shadows and lipsticks from UD from now on!

nars velvet matte tint finland urban decay all nighter foundation 2.0
Swatches l-r: NARS Velvet Matte Tint in Finland, Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation in 2.0
Beauty Blender Liner.Designer
This is a totally unnecessary product but one I was intrigued by after seeing it on Cult Beauty! I have hooded eyes so eyeliner is always a problem for me and while I have used the tape trick in the past, I prefer doing my eyes after my base so it always took some makeup off or didn’t stick properly because I took too much tackiness off! To be honest I've only played about with this and tried it before taking my makeup off but it does what it says on the box and gives you three edges to use as a guide when doing your eyeliner. It’s really thin silicone and comes in a handy little plastic box to keep it safe, will be helpful next time I attempt liner but definitely not an essential item for most!  

stila perfect me perfect hue palette light medium

Stila Perfect Me, Perfect Hue palette in Light/Medium
I already have a post on this here but in short it’s a really handy little palette that includes five eye shadows and two blushes. The palette itself comes in four shades and I have light/medium which has a nice mix of bronze/brown eye shades and a bright and more muted blush. The blushers last well on my skin and are very pigmented but I would say the eye shadows wear off quicker and do tend to fade a little on me but I love the shades included in this palette and do reach for it often!

Stila Perfect Me Perfect Hue palette review eyeshadow swatches

Stila Perfect Me Perfect Hue palette review blush swatches

Huda Beauty Lip Contour in Bombshell
I was on a bit of a lip liner kick recently after getting on so well with Charlotte Tilbury Pillowtalk that when I heard how amazing these supposedly were I thought I would try one for myself! It is so pigmented, easy to apply and doesn’t drag the lips at all but I would say that the shade I picked for myself looks a little off on me. It’s quite red/orange toned on me and I was hoping for something a little more muted and pinker (basically another Pillowtalk lol). It really is a beautiful formulation though and I’m sure once I find a lipstick I like for over the top of it I’ll love it as much as Pillowtalk!

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Backtalk
Every time I was at an Urban Decay counter having a swatch of the new lipsticks, Backtalk would be the one I picked out first so when Feel Unique did one of their 10% off deals I took the opportunity to pick it up! Backtalk is in the cream formula and it is beautiful! The shade is a gorgeous mauvey pink and the formula is of course creamy and very comfortable to wear as well as being quite long lasting. As a serial lip balm applier, I don’t feel the need to put anything over the top of this for a good four hours which is usually unheard of for me! I also picked up a sheer shade in Wrong Number and can see myself getting a few more of these at some stage!

urban decay vice backtalk huda beauty lip contour bombshell
Swatches l-r: Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Backtalk, Huda Beauty Lip Contour in Bombshell

Pixi Glow Mud Cleanser
I have been wanting to get my hands on this for absolutely ages but it was always out of stock! I was excited to finally get my hands on it and see what all the hype was about a few weeks ago when I got it on Cult Beauty! It’s a huge bottle and you only need a tiny amount of product, I usually use it as a second cleanse at night so will wet my face then massage it into my skin for 30 seconds avoiding the eye area. My skin instantly feels cleaner and smoother, looks clearer and it’s so gentle, I’m loving it already!

Congratulations if you made it through that and apologies in advance for what will probably be haul spam over the next few weeks but I did buy the Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour and Eye Contour palettes and the Naked Ultimate Basics Palette so will have reviews and swatches of those coming up! Previous posts are linked below and if you want to see the Kat Von D and Urban Decay ones I have coming up don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin! 

See my last wishlist purchases posts here:
 
See my wishlists here:
 
Danielle xx
 
  

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Monday, 26 September 2016

A Working Week in Lipstick #2


workign week in lipstick mac charlotte tilbury urban decay rimmel nyx

Good evening everyone, hope you’ve had a nice start to the week! I thought I’d put together another working week in lipstick post after my first one here, so this is what I wore last week!

Monday
I was in a bit of a rush this morning and needed something quick and easy so went for Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Wrong Number (Sheer). This is pretty new to me and you might have seen it crop up on my Instagram here! Generally, sheer lipsticks are a big favourite of mine and this is no different! It’s a lovely medium pink shade with a nice gloss and although it’s not the longest lasting (which is to be expected) it’s so easy to apply and I know I’ll get lots of wear out of it!

Charlotte Tilbury KISSING Bitch Perfect lipstick

Tuesday
I went for what it probably my favourite lip combo at the moment today and chose Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillowtalk and Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in Bitch Perfect. Pillowtalk is the most perfect shade in the world in my opinion and I am completely obsessed with it! Its creamy, doesn’t drag on the lips, it’s long lasting and I just love the neutral dusty pink colour! I put Bitch Perfect over the top and love how they look together! Bitch Perfect on its own isn’t my favourite shade and it does have little glitter particles in it which I wasn’t expecting but I love how it looks over Pillowtalk and it lasts well on me!

urban decay vice wrong number charlotte tilbury pillowtalk bitch perfect swatches
Swatches l-r: Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Wrong Number, Charlotte Tilbury Pillowtalk and Bitch Perfect 
Wednesday
Since buying Pillowtalk, I have a newfound love for lip liners and Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pink Venus was next on my list. It’s a lot more of a true pink shade on my lips but looks a little peachy in the swatch but I guess it depends on the pigmentation of your lips! It has the same gorgeous formula as Pillowtalk and I also sometimes pair it with Bitch Perfect but today I went for Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss in 38. I finally jumped on the bandwagon with this one and I’m so glad I did! It’s meant to be a dupe for Bitch Perfect but I find it a little lighter in tone and not as long lasting! Still a gorgeous shade with a bit more of a shine to it and it’s really comfortable to wear and a lot more affordable that the CT!

Thursday
My lipsticks are stored in a few different places and some tend to be neglected if I can’t see them as easily as others and this is what happened NYX High Voltage Lipstick in Flutter Kiss unfortunately! Not anymore though because I forgot how much I love this lipstick! It has a very lightweight balm feel to it but has really good colour payoff and the shade is beautiful! I love lipsticks with a thin nib like this too as I find them so easy to apply! Definitely need to show this one some more love!

Friday
It’s finally Friday and to celebrate the proper start of Autumn I went with a darker shade for today! MAC Lipstick in Plumful (Lustre) is the only MAC lipstick I have and it’s a really lovely, easy to wear shade! It’s not the longest lasting due to the lustre finish but it wears off evenly and I sometimes pat it in after I’ve applied to stain my lips a bit more! I’ll definitely be getting a lot of wear of this throughout the next few months!  

charlotte tilbury pink venus rimmel 38 nyx flutter kiss mac plumful swatches
Swatches l-r: Charlotte Tilbury Pink Venus, Rimmel 38, NYX Flutter Kiss, MAC Plumful 
So that’s the latest instalment of my working week in lipstick! As I mentioned, you can see my first one here and I also did a working week in blush here! Do you own any of these lipsticks? What do you think of them?

Danielle xx




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Monday, 19 September 2016

Best Beauty Box Finds #1

best beauty box finds latest in beauty cohorted origins moa aurelia the balm vita liberata

Beauty boxes are probably my favourite way of trying out new products without having to commit to a full size or spend a lot of money on a product I don’t know will like. My favourite boxes are the kind that show you exactly what you are getting so although there are a few subscription boxes here, I don’t subscribe every month to a beauty box. I go for ones that show you what you are getting or at least give a spoiler of one of the products!

When I got the email about this collaboration in July I hit buy then and there! I love the Origins masks I already have so was excited to try more and I have become obsessed with this one in particular! It’s a pink clay formulation with jojoba beads that dries in quickly and when I rinse it off I am left with much smoother, clearer looking skin! I have problems with texture on my skin anyway as it is scarred from acne when I was younger and though my skin is mainly oily I get dry patches too so this is the most perfect all-rounder and one I will definitely be repurchasing a full size of!

This bronzer and kabuki brush were included is last year’s summer edit with Glamour magazine and despite the bronzer being one of the messiest makeup products I own because it’s a loose powder, it gives a gorgeous warmth to my face when I use it! The tan is meant to last for up to five days which I can’t say I agree with but I do use some form of chemical exfoliant on my face every day so maybe that’s why? The sample size has lasted me ages but although I really like the shade of this and am happy I got the chance to try it because of a beauty box, I wouldn’t repurchase it as it is so messy and the full size is £35.

vita liberata trystal minerals bronzer

MOA Aphrodite Oil from the Blogger Beauty Box
I was so happy to see this included the first time I bought the Blogger Beauty Box as I absolutely love my MOA The Green Balm, rosehip oil and it’s a full size product! I love applying this at night before I go to bed and my skin always feels so hydrated and nourished and always looks better the next morning! This is just as good as the Trilogy and Pai rosehip oils and perfect for those with acne scarring too! The Blogger Beauty Box is run by blogger Vix Meldrew and is only £10 a month!

When I saw The Balm Nude Tude palette was the spoiler for the March box I subscribed to the Cohorted box (then unsubscribed before I forgot and got charged for the next month’s box) as I had seen it included the year before and was gutted to miss it! Now I’m the first to admit I have a lot of eyeshadow palettes and because of this and my love for mattes, the Nude Tude palette doesn’t get as much love as it should from me. The matching primer however gets used every other day on rotation with the NARS Smudgeproof primer and works great at mattifying my eyelids and making my eyeshadow last longer! The tube looks small but this will last forever because you only need a tiny bit for each eyelid!

Another pick from Latest in Beauty - can you tell they do my favourite boxes! I've had a few of these mini Aurelia cleansers now and they are always a selling point for me when I see them in beauty boxes! It’s a cream cleanser with eucalyptus, chamomile, bergamot and rosemary and very similar to Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. I apply to dry skin and buff it off with a muslin cloth and it does a brilliant job of removing my makeup and leaving my skin feeling refreshed and super soft. The mini is perfect for taking a bit of luxury with you on holiday too! The full size is quite expensive so I can’t justify buying it as I do have quite a lot of cleansers to get through but it would be such a gorgeous treat for someone!

So that is part one of my favourite beauty box finds! I buy beauty boxes quite regularly so I can imagine this might become a new series for me! I've linked the products on their own as the beauty boxes I've mentioned are sold out now but I’ve also linked the websites so you can see what’s included in their latest beauty box if they have one!

Do you like beauty boxes? What’s been your favourite product you’ve received in one?

Danielle xx





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Monday, 12 September 2016

Product Empties #12

product empties danielles beauty blog skincare haircare bodycare makeup soap and glory

I’m back today with another empties post! I've finished quite a lot of full size products and its Soap and Glory heavy! I’ve also slightly changed the time I post at which I’m not sure if anyone actually notices (I know I don’t) but I’m so busy with work at the minute it’s easier for me to promote the post in the evenings for the time being! Anyway, admin over, onto the empties!

product empties bodycare soap and glory nivea

Body care
Soap and Glory Butter Yourself Moisture Lotion
I have quite a few S&G products to get through so I'll try and do them quickly! This isn't my favourite scent but it's lovely and moisturising! I'm a fan of the packaging until it gets to about ¾ of the way down then the pump stops working and to get anything out you have to keep the bottle upside down and squeeze it out or stick your pinky in which becomes a hassle! This is one I always seem to get in gift sets but not one I would go out to buy!

Soap and Glory Shower Jelly Clean on Me
This is one of the newest lines in the shower gel range and after being a bit disappointed with it on its own, when used with exfoliating gloves it works really well to scrub the remnants of my tan off! The formula is really refreshing too but it’s more expensive than the standard S&G shower gels that I love so I won't be rushing out to repurchase! 

Soap and Glory Mist You Madly Body Spray
I am obsessed with this, it's probably my favourite scent in the entire world, it's so musky and understated and I absolutely love it! It also lasts all day on me and it's only £6.50! I already have a backup open and a mini in my handbag! Give it a sniff if you get a chance!

Soap and Glory Heel Genius Foot Cream
I feel like everyone has probably tried this at some point, it's a lovely foot cream but I do get a bit bored of it by the time I'm finished mine because it lasts so long! Again I probably have about 5 of these stashed away from various gift sets so won't need to repurchase for a while!

Soap and Glory Hand Maid Hand Cleansing Gel
I love this stuff and always have one in my bag! It smells so much better than standard hand sanitizers and doesn't dry my hands out at all! Already repurchased!

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub
This is probably my least favourite body scrub in my least favourite scent! I don't find its effective at scrubbing my tan off (if you are just using it to scrub dry/dead skin it's probably OK) and I waste so much product scooping it out! I’m glad to be finished and can't wait to get back to my favourite Pulp Friction scrub!

White to Brown Body Wash
I got this in a gift set along with the tan last Christmas, it has the same scent of the tan which is quite nice but I didn't find it optimised my tan like it said it would and I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it again!

Nivea Invisible Anti-Perspirant
I usually use a roll on but I won this in an Instagram competition and loved it! I took it on holiday with me and it was so handy to just spray and go without having to wait for anything to dry in and it worked really well too! Will repurchase!

product empties skincare pixi fab biore lush garnier eucerin

Skincare
Garnier Express 2 in 1 Eye Makeup Remover
I won’t go on about this again but it really is one of the best eye makeup removers I've ever tried and works brilliantly to remove my waterproof mascara and eye makeup! I will continue to repurchase!

Pixi Glow Tonic
I absolutely love this toner! My skin always feel much clearer and looks smoother when I use it, its gentle enough to use every day and I have already repurchased a full size! It was also included in my forever repurchased post!

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads
I couldn't wait to be finished these pads. I love the concept of the pre-soaked pad but I really didn’t see a difference any night I used these and I don’t think they were strong enough for my skin! I won’t be repurchasing!

Eucerin AQUAporin Active Hydrating Care*
I have a whole post on this moisturiser when it was included in my skincare saviours but in short it is a lovely rich hydrating cream! I actually switched to using it at night even though it has SPF because it was too much for my oily/combo skin this summer but I think this would be great for dry skin types for the daytime! I have used a few different Eucerin moisturisers now and will definitely come back to them after a break to try some new products!

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips
I don't use these often but I like having a pack at home for when my nose just feels too bumpy and clogged and nothing else will work! I love these for getting rid of blackheads and they work so well on my nose! Definitely a repurchase for me!

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub
I use this daily and it gives me the perfect base for lipstick! It’s an absolute essential for me and I already have another one open!

REN Vita Mineral Active 7 Eye Gel
I got this in a little try me set and really liked it, it was very cooling around my eye area and I loved using it in the morning to reduce any puffiness. I prefer the Eucerin one that was included in my last empties so I will probably repurchase that over this REN one when the eye cream I’m using at the minute is finished.

product empties haircare vo5 loreal elvive

Hair care
VO5 Plump it Up Dry Shampoo
I love this stuff and like the eye makeup remover, it features heavily in my empties so I won’t bang on about it! It leaves no white cast, smells lovely and gives a little volume to my usually lank hair! I bought four the last time I spotted it in a shop because it's so hard to find!

L’Oreal Elvive Nutri-Gloss Shine Shampoo
I bought this hoping it would be a replacement for my beloved Nutri-gloss light shampoo that L’Oreal discontinued but this isn't sadly :( The light version made my hair so shiny but I just don't get that with this version. It smells basically the same but there is something missing so I won't be repurchasing!

product empties makeup benefit stay dont stray

Makeup
Benefit Stay Don't Stray Primer
This mini lasted me absolutely ages! I loved it at the start but the older it got the less well it worked on my oily lids which is no surprise! Still, I wouldn’t buy the full size because I’d never get through it and the mini lasted so long and is great value for money!

So that's another empties done and dusted and I have a box half full ready for another one! Have you tried any of these products? What did you think?

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own.

Danielle xx

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