Danielle's Beauty Blog

Monday, 20 February 2017

Product Empties #15

OK, OK, I know I say it every time but I really didn’t mean to have this many empties again! They just get away from me so easily and before I know it I can barely fit them on my sticky back marble board! I’ll do my best to keep it short and sweet and will link any full reviews of the products I’m talking about too!

mint skin mud mask vichy serum dna renewal review

Skincare

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum

Probably my favourite serum ever, this is a constant repurchase for me! It’s lightweight, hydrating and sinks in quickly, I love it and you can hear more about it in this post!

Caudalie Eau de Beaute Beauty Elixir

I’ve went through a few bottles of this but I think recently I’ve been using mists that have more benefits for my skin. Saying that, this is lightweight and feels refreshing and I love the scent but I don’t think I will be repurchasing any time soon.

Papaya Gold Paw Paw Moisturising Balm

I bought this mistakenly thinking it was the cult Dr Paw Paw balm and I generally don’t like Vaseline/petroleum jelly type products which is what this feels like with the addition of Manuka Honey. I only used this on my lips overnight and it did a good job of keeping them hydrated but I probably won’t repurchase as I already have so many other lip products.

DNA Renewal Eye Renewal

I got this in a Cult Beauty GWP ages ago and I absolutely loved it! It lasted me ages too! It’s a lightweight cream that sinks in straightaway and kept my eye area hydrated. It was perfect for both day and night use and I was gutted when it finished! At £44, I won’t be repurchasing straight away but it is definitely a product I will come back to!

Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes Dark Circle Radiance Concentrate

Another Cult Beauty GWP special (can you tell I love those offers!) this only lasted me about a week but it felt a little thicker that the DNA Eye Renewal though still lightweight enough for day use. I don’t have massively dark circles under my eyes so can’t say much for its claims but again I would repurchase in the future though out of the two, I preferred the DNA Renewal!

Mint Skin Mud Detox and Hydrating Clay masks*

I have a couple of these masks here and I absolutely love them! I have a full review on both here but in short the detox mud worked wonder on my nose blackheads and the hydrating mask is perfect for the dehydrated skin I have round my nose! Both are gentle yet effective and I highly recommend them! I have some more to use up and I’m keeping some past for a wedding I have in March because I love the results they give!

Haircare

L’Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Re-balancing Shampoo

This was a very popular shampoo when it came out a while ago and I generally jump on anything that promises to help with greasy hair! Overall, I really liked the shampoo and I do regularly buy L’Oreal shampoos but this didn’t make my hair any less greasier. It did smell lovely and made my hair shiny so I would repurchase. I also have the shampoo and clay hair mask in this range so they will probably pop up soon too – conditioners take me ages to finish!

L’Oreal Elvive Fibrology Thickening Shampoo

It was a good month for finishing shampoo and here we have another L’Oreal one! Again, I really like these shampoos and the scent of them but as I have such long hair, volume doesn’t come easy for me. This didn’t weigh it down or make it go any greasier than normal so I would repurchase! I will however always miss the L’Oreal Elvive Nutrigloss Light shampoo that was discontinued!

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk*

This is a lovely dry shampoo, it smells so fresh! My hair always looked shiny rather than greasy when I used this on second day hair and though it’s a little dearer than what I would normally pay for a dry shampoo at £8, it’s often included in Escentual’s French pharmacy 1/3 off promotion and 3 or 2’s at Boots so I would repurchase when on offer! Full review here!

OUAI Treatment Masque

I got a pack of these in another GWP from Cult Beauty (can you tell I’ve been getting through my samples this month!) and having loved everythingelse I’ve tried from Jen Atkin’s range, this did not disappoint! It made my hair feel lovely and soft as well as smooth and I got two uses out of this satchet! I’m not completely sure if I’d repurchase though as I love the conditioner too and it does pretty much the same job and I always forget about treatments!

Bodycare

Soap and Glory The Scrub of your Life

This is probably my second favourite scrub from Soap and Glory (Pulp Friction always being my favourite!). I love the scent of this and though it doesn’t lather as much as Pulp Friction, with the help of some exfoliating gloves it does a great job of removing my tan! Will repurchase!

Sass Perfect Me Skin Concentrate

I’m only really realising this now but this is actually an intimate body product! I just used it on my legs after waxing or epilating and I loved it! My hairs grow back quite fine anyway because I have been getting waxed for years but this made my legs feel so smooth and I think the hairs grew back even slower! It’s scented but not very strongly and has a pump while the product itself is a gel like texture. I got this in a beauty box but I would definitely repurchase and try it on my bikini line too next time!

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel

My old favourite Snow Fairy, probably the most childish candy floss scented product ever but I love it! This is actually from Christmas last year, how bad is that? I have a few more to get through from Christmas just past too, its limited edition but I will repurchase when its back later this year!

Lush Rose Jam Shower Gel

This was the first time I’d tried the infamous Rose Jam shower gel and it smells lovely! It felt moisturising too and I actually get a lot of use out of these mini 100g shower gels! Would repurchase!

Balance Me Rose Otto Hand Cream

Not a fan of this at all, it felt greasy, took ages to absorb even when I only put a little on and I ended up only using this at night time because of this! The scent was OK but I would not repurchase this.

Nivea Age Defying Hand Cream

Now this I would repurchase! Nivea do my favourite hand creams ever, they smell amazing, absorb quickly and make my hands so soft as well as being affordable! I have a full review of their new look hand creams here!

Burt’s Bees Coconut Foot Cream

This is super sticky and takes a bit of work to apply but I absolutely love it! It smells lovely and works so well on rough skin on my heels and bottom of my feet. Would repurchase!

Makeup

NARS Sheer Glow

This is such a beautiful foundation! It has a medium/full coverage so it’s definitely not sheer and it doesn’t have a glowy finish either. I actually didn’t like this the first time I used it, I didn’t think it lasted well on my oily skin at all and it wore off really easily on my chin. After using it a few more times though I grew to really like it, it evens out my complexion and lasts all day now with a few powder touch-ups during the day. I am however glad to be finished this! I think it’s about two years old though it has a 24 month expiry date so it’s fine. I will definitely repurchase in the future as this comes quite close to my all-time favourite Estee Lauder Double Wear but I want to finish up a few other foundations beforehand!

SEVENTEEN Falsifeye HD Mascara*

This is a lovely mascara for a natural look. It gives a lot of separation and length to my lashes but I probably won’t repurchase because I rarely wear mascara that isn’t waterproof!

Beauty Blender

I am obsessed with Beauty Blenders, they give the best finish for me and I wouldn’t be without one now! £16 is a lot to spend on a sponge but Beauty Blenders definitely feel the softest to me and give the best bounce making it so easy to apply my foundation evenly! They also last a good 6 months for me washing it daily! Will repurchase!

Congratulations if you got through all that! I already have half a box full of empties I’ve acquired since taking the photos for this post so that will be up sometime next month! Let me know what you have been finishing recently or if you’ve tried anything I’ve talked about!

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

Danielle xx

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A Try not to Buy Haul

benefit blusher smashbox my digits charlotte tilbury secret salma pillowtalk review

I’ve been mentioning in different posts and on Instagram about my recent challenge to try not to buy beauty products so I thought I would gather a few of the products I have bought and give a little update as to how I’m getting on! I’ve been calling it a try not to buy as well because the word ban would have the reverse effect on me!

I started this just before Christmas and you will have seen my last big beauty purchase before trying not to buy anything last week with my custom ABH palette! This was a guilt free long time coming purchase as the single eyeshadows had been on my wishlist for the longest time!

Anyway, long story short, aside from being a spendaholic when it comes to beauty products, my hours at work have recently changed so I knew I would need to tighten the purse strings. I had been covering maternity leave for a woman and she came back a couple of weeks ago but wanted to job share so I’m still doing the same job just working part time now instead of full time. I knew it was coming and I’m still getting used to it, having days off is the best but I know I won’t be saying that when I see my pay at the end of the month!

I also started the process of applying for my Canadian visa/work permit late last year and it came through last month so I have a year to move to Canada and I will be spending my spare time researching and planning for that. I’ve always wanted to try living somewhere new and I know I won’t be able to job share forever so it seems like a good time to try it!

Ok, this is turning into more of an update/lifestyle post than I meant it to but basically, every year I am guilty of buying discounted gift sets and products in the sales so I thought late December was a good time to start trying not to buy. While it’s all well and good getting a bargain when you are a beauty addict, with boxes and drawers filled with new, unopened or back up products, buying more is pretty pointless when you are barely getting through what you already have and planning a potential move when you won’t be able to take it with you!

So, instead of snapping up the half price Soap and Glory Christmas sets (not necessary when you still have backups of backups from last year) or spending Boxing Day in the online Lush sale queue, I put my bank card down and man oh man do I feel all the better for it. I give into my greed way too easily; I can’t believe I haven’t taken this approach before. As you will see, I have bought some things but it’s nowhere near as much as usual and I don’t feel guilty for buying them!

smashbox my digits charlotte tilbury secret salma pillowtalk review

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Secret Salma

This was my first beauty purchase of 2017. I had a £15 Cult Beauty gift card that I had received in my last GWP and although it wasn’t due to run out to the end of January, I’ll admit, I wanted new makeup to play with! I went with Secret Salma in the end, a Matte Revolution formulation which I hadn’t tried before - a fact made all the sweeter that I didn’t have to part with the full £23 myself (now increased to £24)! I ended up having to pay delivery with this too which I usually refuse to do (I will buy things until I reach the threshold for free delivery!). I’m so glad I have it in my collection now though, it’s a beautiful deep plum/pink shade that is long lasting and though it’s the CT matte formulation, it feels hydrating and doesn’t exaggerate any dry patches I have on my lips!

Smashbox Be Legendary lipstick in My Digits

This lipstick shade had been on my wishlist for the longest time so I had been exercising self-control over this for quite a while already before getting my hands on it! I was planning on waiting for my Boots points to pile up to buy this but my Godson (or more likely my aunt!) got me a Boots gift card for Christmas so after unsuccessfully trying to use it online (who knew they don’t accept them?) I finally got my hands on this when I got to a big Boots. It doesn’t disappoint either - it’s the most perfect pinky/berry toned creamy lipstick that wears off evenly and leaves a gorgeous stain! I had tried the formula before and you can see my review and some more swatches of other shades here!

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Pillowtalk

I did cave completely when I saw this and had it ordered as soon as I got the email landed in my inbox but how could I not! Pillowtalk is my favourite lipliner so the matching lipstick had to be mine and the fact its limited edition meant it had to mine right now! Again, it’s the matte revolution formula and it’s a beautiful muted pinky nude with a hint of brown. I’d say the lipliner has a hint more mauve to it but I know I will get so much wear out of this!

smashbox my digits charlotte tilbury secret salma pillowtalk swatches

l-r: Smashbox My Digits, Charlotte Tilbury Secret Salma, Pillowtalk

Large Z Palatte

You might have seen a few posts on my Instagram about me depotting my Benefit blush palette. I never reached for it because the packaging was so bulky so I spent £17.50 (I don’t remember them being so dear!) on a new Z palette to pop them into! I know not everyone is a fan of Z palettes and they definitely are an expensive option for what is basically a card and a magnet but I love that you can see inside them and the sticky metal magnets that come included to stick on pans are so handy for covering the glue that sometimes remains after depotting! Since depotting, despite a few crumbles, I have been getting a lot more use out of the blushers and bronzer in the palette and I ended up depotting a few mini Too Faced bronzers as well !

Anyway, hope you didn’t mind that little try not to buy/update from me! Also, don’t be shocked if I cave and make a splurge on Cult Beauty if they do another GWP offer soon, I’m good but I’m not that good! Let me know what you’ve been buying recently or if you are trying to cut down your spending like me!

Danielle xx

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My Custom Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyeshadow Palette

ABH anastasia bevery hills custom neutral eyeshadow palette review

Anastasia Beverly Hills single eyeshadows have been on my radar for the longest time but although most ABH products are available to buy from Cult Beauty and Beauty Bay, unless you wanted a customs charge, the eyeshadows were out of reach for those of us on this side of the Atlantic! That was until shortly before Christmas when the ABH website expanded to include a UK site with eyeshadows ripe for the picking! EDIT: also available (and usualy on offer!) now at Look Fantastic!

The Anastasia pre-made eyeshadow palettes don’t appeal to me (part from the Mario Dedivanovic one which wasn’t sold here!) as they have too many shades I wouldn’t use/are too warm toned (Modern Renaissance I’m looking at you) so I was in my element picking the shades I knew I would get use out of for my custom palette!

After much Google swatch stalking, I started adding to my basket even though I thought £10 was a bit much for a pan. That was until I got to 4 pans and saw the price drop to £30 and the bundle offer pop up - £30 for 4 pans plus an empty palette or £50 for 8 pans and a palette and you can clearly see which offer I went for – it was Christmas after all!

Anastasia Beverly Hills single eyeshadows review 8 pan palette neutral matte

Anyway, here is my run down of the shades I got and swatches! As far as I am aware, the entire single eyeshadow range comes in a variety of finishes – satin, velvet, shimmer, metallic ultra-matte, titanium and duo chrome and being a creature of habit I went for mostly matte shades! I also think this was my last big makeup purchase before my try not to buy started up but more on that next week!

Anastasia Beverly Hills single eyeshadows review neutral matte

Lace

The lightest and I’m sorry to say it - most disappointing shade from the ones I picked – Lace is a light beige with a satin finish (I think!) that just does not show up on my lid at all! I’m pale and this is extremely sheer on me no matter how much I pack on!

Sateen

A gorgeous shimmer champagne frost that is so soft and pigmented and doesn’t give any fall out.

Birkin

A warm beige mauve ultra-matte that definitely stands out as the warmest in this palette and is a gorgeous transition shade.

Chiffon

A warm brown with a metallic finish and almost khaki undertones, like Sateen it’s really smooth to apply and beautifully pigmented.

l-r: Lace, Sateen, Birkin, Chiffon

Stone

An ultra-matte light ash grey neutral taupe that I like to put all over the lid.

Warm Taupe

An ultra-matte soft brown that is also in the Modern Renaissance palette and was one of the only shades I was drawn to! Another one that I either put all over the lid or position more towards my crease.

Ash Brown

An ultra-matte dark cool brown that I use in my outer V and can double up as an eyebrow shade for me.

Smoke

An ultra-matte charcoal brown I use as an eyeliner.

l-r: Stone, Warm Taupe, Ash Brown, Smoke

All the shadows are high quality, pigmented and last well throughout the day (I use a primer). The palette that came in the bundle is such high quality too! It feels sturdy, has a clear lid and the magnets feel strong. I definitely think if you are interested in getting some ABH shadows, wait until you have 4 or 8 you want because it’s a much better deal than buying 1 or 2 at £10 each. I like the shadows and they have a huge range of shades but I definitely don’t think they are worth spending £10 each on! The bundle deal I got puts the shadows at £6.25 each not including the palette which is on a par with Makeup Geek now they have increased their prices and I think that’s where they sit for me although overall I do prefer the Kat Von D matte formula!

Anastasia Beverly Hills single neutral eyeshadows review

In hindsight, I do wish I had picked up a few more shades that weren’t matte but saying that I use mattes daily so I probably wouldn’t be getting as much use out of the palette if I had!

So, that’s my 8 pan palette! Let me know if you ordered anything off the site or what your favourite shades are! The singles are also available on Look Fantastic here!

Danielle xx

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Five Things I’m Loving | January 2017

daniellesbeautyblog 5 things im loving nyx vincent longo seventeen laura mercier soap and glory review

I’ve mentioned on Instagram a couple of times recently but I’m currently attempting a ‘try not to buy’ rather than a full spending ban (I’d be sure to cave if that was the case!). With that in mind, I think posts like this will be cropping up a lot more as I get around to actually using the products I already have rather than buying new things I don’t need! It’s pretty makeup heavy this time round but here’s what I’m loving at the minute!

NYX Slide on, Glide on, Stay on and Definitely a Turn on Waterproof Colour Lip Liner in Nude Suede Shoes £5.50

Ridiculously long name aside, this is an amazing lip liner! I first saw it featured on Havanna’s YouTube channel and I ordered it soon after because it looked a lot like Charlotte Tilbury Pillowtalk lipliner to me! While it’s not quite the same, I love this in its own right! Like the full title says, it's creamy, applies easily and sticks around for a decent amount of time! Nude Suede Shoes is a beautiful pinky nude that goes with so many of my lipsticks and I love it with CT Bitch Perfect. The formula is gorgeous and I definitely want to get my hands on a few more of these!

charlotte tilbury pillowtalk nyx nude suede shoes swatch review

Swatches l-r: Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillowtalk, NYX Nude Suede Shoes

Soap and Glory Archery Brow Tint and Pencil Brownie Points review

Soap and Glory Archery Brow Tint and Pencil in the shade Brownie Points £10

Although the Archery 2 in 1 brush and pencil seems to get most of the attention where S&G brow products are concerned, there is something special about this one that keeps me coming back! It has a fine felt tip end and a screw up pencil on the other. I like to go in first with the felt tip end to build up more colour with some fine strokes then go over my brows with the pencil to add more shape. I always store this in a tub with the tint at the bottom to keep it moist so the colour doesn’t run out as quick! The pencil side is slightly thicker than the Archery 2 in 1 and feels a little waxier so helps to set hairs in place too. Overall, the lasting result is a natural, full brow and it’s made me want to explore brow markers a bit more as I love the result! See my review of some of Soap and Glory’s brow range here!

Soap and Glory Archery Brow Tint and Pencil Brownie Points review swatch

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

This is the second tube of this I have gone through and it’s such a lovely primer! I got both in beauty boxes ages ago but I’ve only recently opened this up and fallen back in love with it! It has a lightweight gel/cream texture, sinks in quickly, feels hydrating but doesn’t make my oily skin oilier and its smoothing without having a silicone ‘slip’. I did notice with my first tube that the quality of this went downhill the longer I had it open and it does have a 6-month expiry date so I’ll be trying to stick to that because it does such a good job of extending the wear of my foundation and making it look fresher for longer!

vincent longo creme to powder blush swan lake review

Vincent Longo Water Canvas Creme-to-Powder Blush in Swan Lake* RRP £33.50

I have been appreciating this so much more now its Winter and my skin is more dehydrated than usual! This has the most beautiful, unique crème to powder formula and feels amazing on the skin – it’s so cooling and refreshing! I like to use a Zoeva Cream Cheek brush to apply which makes it easy to build up the pigment. Swan Lake is a lovely natural pink shade with a slight silver shimmer and it lasts all day on my combo skin giving a healthy flush of colour! Its oil free, fragrance free, non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic and cruelty free and though its more expensive than my usual blushes (not counting my Hourglass palette!) it’s well worth the money as it’s so long-lasting and I barely have to touch the product to get payoff! I love this on my oily/combo skin so I can imagine those with drier skins would fall in love with it too!

Seventeen Miracle Matte Oil Free Loose Powder £5.49

A few months ago, I went on a powder buying session because my skin was getting too used to my beloved No7 Perfect Light pressed powder and I ended up buying this from their baby sister brand. Now I’m not the biggest fan of loose powder as it’s so much messier but I’m a convert for this stuff! It’s a very lightweight powder that doesn’t add any extra colour to my face, it just makes my makeup look better! I still get a bit of shine round my nose at about lunch time which is common for me but with this I can just add some more powder and it doesn’t look like my foundation is separating or rubbing off! It’s such a great price too and I have a feeling it will last me ages!

So, there’s my round up of my current favourites! Have you tried any of them? Tell me what you’re loving at the minute!

Danielle's Beauty Blog

Monday, 20 February 2017

Product Empties #15

Monday, 13 February 2017

A Try not to Buy Haul

Monday, 6 February 2017

My Custom Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyeshadow Palette

Monday, 30 January 2017

Five Things I’m Loving | January 2017