Monday, 5 December 2016

Forever Repurchased #3

forever repurchased nivea eye makeup remover vichy aqualia thermal serum estee lauder double wear blistex relief cream niod copper amino isolate serum review

Do you ever start a series on your blog only to completely forget about it and leave a year between post numbers #2 and #3?  Yep, well today I’d like to welcome back Forever Repurchased to the blog! Much like my empties (which I’m very good at keeping up with even if I do say so myself) there will probably be a few products here you’ve heard me rave about before and at least one I have mentioned in previous posts in this series (see 1 here and 2 here)!

If I could only keep one item of makeup, this would be it. It is the only foundation I fully trust to last on my skin all day and not only that, this actually looks as good if not better at the end of the day as it does at the start! Usually a steep £31, I managed to get this in the Black Friday sales on Lookfantastic.com for around £24. My favourite way to apply is with a Beauty Blender as I find it easiest to blend like this and be aware that this foundation does set fast. It’s the fullest coverage foundation I own and although I went on somewhat of a foundation finding spree this year, I have no idea why I bothered when I already had the perfect foundation all along. If you have oily skin and want full coverage, get a tester of this, it’s amazing!

Another old favourite that I treated myself to a backup of during the Black Friday sales! This is my favourite serum – its lightweight, hydrating, soothing and just a dream to apply. My skin drinks this up and a bottle lasts me a good length of time. It does seem to keep creeping up in price though but thankfully it’s continually on offer through French pharmacy promotions on websites like Escentual.com and Boots! One thing I have noticed with this is they have changed the pump to a white one instead of the nice silver one they used to have which I thought looked a little more luxe! Oh well, as long as the product inside is the same we’ll be OK!

nivea daily essentials eye makeup remover reveiw

As a waterproof mascara wearer, oil based/two-phase eye makeup removers are my go to. I last featured the Garnier 2 in 1 Express eye makeup remover in a forever repurchased post and while I still love that one, when the Nivea is only £1.75 in Superdrug you pick up a couple to keep you going! This does a great job of removing my eye makeup quickly and gently, it just seems to melt it off and I don’t have to rub too hard or tug on my lashes. If you haven’t tired this before and struggle getting your eye makeup off you need to give this a go!

I featured this quite recently in my last empties post and I looked out for it during Black Friday but it seemed to be excluded from promotions unfortunately. I gave up getting it until a Deciem email popped into my inbox with some offers on the NIOD and Hylamide bundles, so yours truly saw this as a sign and snapped them up! The product comes with two little bottles and you pour one into the other then shake to make the serum which is a watery blue liquid that sinks in quickly. I haven’t got round to opening this just yet as it only came on Friday but my skin lapped my last bottle up. The serum is meant to work positively on the skins overall health so it’s in a constant state of repair and concentrates on texture, pigmentation, enlarged pores and more. I used this once a day (to make it last for as long as possible – it’s only a 15ml bottle!) and my skin always felt so smooth after use. All the time I was using it my skin was clearer and breakouts were much less frequent! I’m so glad to have it back and get it into my routine again and I would kill to get my hands on the 5% version of this stuff but at £130 it’s a little way off!

As a lip balm addict I probably exacerbate my dry lips but last month they were on another level!  My lips have never felt like how they did even when I was on Roaccutane. They were chapped, constantly flaking and I felt like I had 5 layers of skin on top of them – not a good look. None of my usual lip balms were doing anything for them so I took to Twitter for some suggestions! Caroline recommended Blistex to me and it was then that I remembered the Relief Cream that I used years ago. The next day I went to Boots and got myself a new tube and like it says on the tin, all I felt was relief. I cannot explain to you how amazing this stuff is if you suffer with dry/cracked lips, it is literally a miracle worker! My lips were back to normal within minutes!

blistex relief cream review

It comes in a little metal tube which you have to be a little careful with as once you squeeze it more will keep coming out! It's a small price to pay for such a hero product though and I won't be without this little tube ever again!

So those are my most recent repurchases! Let me know if any of these are favourites of yours!

Danielle xx




Monday, 28 November 2016

Smashbox Light it Up Christmas Sets – Lipsticks and Blush


Smashbox Light it Up LA Lights Blush Mega palette lipstick and mattifier set review christmas 2016

Blush and lipstick are kinda my thing so when spotted these on Instagram I knew they would have to be mine! I love Smashbox eyeshadows and their contour powder but haven’t tried anything from their lipstick range or the blushes so these two sets are perfect to try the formula out or just add to your collection!

They have collaborated with California neon artist Meryl Pataky to bring these limited edition sets out and each is housed in a neon plastic container. I originally thought this was a drawer but it’s a container with a lid that's really hard wearing and bright and perfect for makeup storage! You can see the Neon packaging a little better in this Instagram photo!

Smashbox Light it Up lipstick and mattifier set review christmas 2016

I actually first saw this while I was having my yearly flick though the Boots Christmas book and swiftly added it to my list then got it for my birthday a few weeks ago! I've wanted to try the Be Legendary lipsticks for ages now but a full size is £17.50 and I wasn’t completely sure what shade I wanted so this seemed like the perfect way to try the formula and a few different shades! I also think its great value – a full size lipstick is 3g but there are 6 minis in this set at 2.4g each as well as a Insta-Matte Lipstick Transformer. The 6 shades included are all in the cream formulation and the shades are Famous (a nude), Primrose (a perfect pinky nude daily type shade for me), Fig (a plum great for this time of year), Legendary (a bright red), Tabloid (a purple) and Inspiration (a bright pink).

Smashbox Light it Up lipstick and mattifier set be legendary famous fig primrose swatches
Smashbox Be Legendary crema lipsticks in Famous, Fig and Primrose
I’ve only tried half of the shades as the last three I mentioned aren’t shades I go for normally and I might actually just sell them but I’m really enjoying the three I have been wearing, especially Primrose! I have found that these creams aren’t as long lasting as say the Charlotte Tilbury KISSING lipsticks which is a little disappointing as the full size are still quite a high price point but overall I do really like them. They feel very moisturising and give a good amount of pigment. Plus the addition of the Insta-Matte Lipstick Transformer to put over the top giving you a velvety matte finish is a nice touch although the matte does still transfer a little!

I tried and I tried to resist this palette but when a 15% off email fell into my inbox I gave in and boy am I glad I did! First off, I love the matte black plastic packaging with the red edging and the huge mirror inside. The closure is not the most secure – it’s not magnetic and doesn’t snap but I still think it would be safe enough to travel with. Inside are 9 pans of blush, bronzer and highlight – 6 mattes and 3 shimmers. The top row sticks to coral shades and the second row covers berry shades then down the way are the rich shades, true shades and the right hand side of the palette is the highlight side.

Smashbox Light it Up LA Lights Blush Mega palette review

I have been using this nonstop since I got it and I love it! Matte blushes are my favourite so they have been in constant rotation. The palette is classed as a blush, contour and highlight palette and I think Rich Bronze is just a tad warm to straight up contour with but it’s lovely to warm up the face. As usual, I haven’t used the highlighters much but they are very subtle and would do great as a bush topper if you wanted something on top of the matte blush!

All the blushes have the perfect amount of pigmentation and are easy to build up and they last all day on my skin. I think this palette is exclusive to the Smashbox website as it’s not on Boots and like I said they always have great offers on if you did want to treat yourself!

Overall, I think these are two perfect gift sets for anyone looking to expand or add to their lipstick or blush collection and I’m so happy to have them in my own collection! Have you tried anything from Smashbox before? What makeup sets have you got your eye on this Christmas?

Danielle xx




Monday, 21 November 2016

False Eyelashes and my Application Tips

false eyelash application tips duo lash adhesive red cherry sam faiers

I remember the first time I wore a pair of false lashes years ago on a night out at uni and loving the difference they made. They were the Eylure Girls Aloud (Nadine) ones if I remember correctly and they just made me feel so much more “done” if that makes sense? I vowed I would never go out again without a pair of lashes on but that didn’t last long and I generally have a love/hate relationship with false lashes. On one hand I love the added length, volume and definition they give but I hate the extra time they take and as someone who is usually rushing to get ready, false lashes are the first thing to get left out unfortunately!

When I do wear them, I am mostly loyal to the infamous Ardell Demi Wispies and the underrated No.7 Natural Volume lashes but I was excited to try some new natural lashes when falseeyelashes.co.uk got in touch! It was perfect timing too as I was on holiday last week so had some extra time to apply them as we weren’t in a rush!

I was sent a couple of pairs so here’s what I thought of them and my application tips if you’re a newbie to lashes! Also, apologies I don’t have any photos of them on me but I forgot my camera when I was on holiday and I've never been great at taking close ups of my eyes! The falseeyelashes.co.uk website shows the lashes on a models eye though!

I knew I would get on with these as soon as I saw them! They are a gorgeous pair of lashes with a really subtle flare at the end of the lash. These are the first pair of lashes to fit my eyes perfectly and I loved that I didn’t have to cut them! They are really lightweight and comfortable to wear and came with lash glue included. I’ll say that I didn’t love the lash glue though – it felt a little like a gel but I don’t think the lashes felt as secure as when I use my usual DUO glue! The second time I went to use the glue that came with them I found it had dried around the lid a lot too so I was definitely glad I had my DUO with me!

false lashes by samantha faiers oh so natural review

I know I’ve read that Sam suffers with a compulsion to pull her eyelashes out so I think she is a great person to put her name to false lashes and there seems to be a few other lashes in her range if you want more drama!

red cherry false eyelashes 747s primrose review

Red Cherry is a brand I’ve heard a lot about but I had never tried and when I first saw these, I thought they looked so different to what I normally go for because they seem to have more length in the middle then taper towards each end. I had to trim these lashes by three segments as the lash line was so long! They are made of real hair and although the description says they are “short length falsies” I would disagree as they are quite long when they are on. Saying that, they do give a lovely full lash effect but are a bit more dramatic than what I go for. I do have hooded eyes though so that could be why I felt like that! These are also lightweight on the lash line but bear in mind that these don’t come with a tube of glue. This isn’t something that bothers me as I always have a tube of DUO and I find the lash glue that comes with most falsies dries out quickly and is only good for one application anyway!

red cherry false eyelashes 747s primrose review close up

Anytime I wear a new pair of lashes I like to have a few things by my side namely some tweezers, nail scissors and some DUO glue and then I’ll follow these steps!

1.      Gently remove the lash from the packaging and check how it fits against your eye. If it's too long for your eye line, trim the outer edge with nail scissors to fit. Bend the lash a little to loosen it up so it’s less likely to lift at the ends.

2.      Grab a pair of tweezers and hold the middle of the lash while applying a thin, even layer of glue all over the band.

3.      Hold for about 20 -30 seconds to allow the glue to half dry and go tacky so it sticks easier to the lash line.

4.      Using the tweezers, find the centre of your lash line and stick the band here then grab each end in turn and place them as close to your lash line as possible.

5.      Allow to dry then using the tweezers or your fingers make sure the falsies are blended with your own lashes – I sometimes add another coat of mascara as well!

Oh and just a quick word on DUO - I don't know how many tubes of this I have thrown out straight after opening because I though it was off, the stuff stinks! It has an awful fishy smell which is completely normal according to the Internet and it does dry scent free and clear thankfully!

The falseeyelashes.co.uk website has a really great range of lashes including Ardell, Eylure and House of Lashes as well as mascara and brow products at really affordable prices and they offer free first class delivery in the UK! I’ll definitely be ordering from them in the future!

Let me know what your favourite false lashes are!

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

Danielle xx



Monday, 14 November 2016

My Favourite Makeup Brushes #2

favourite makeup brushes zoeva real techniques morphe anastasia beverly hills

I did a “My Favourite Makeup Brushes” post way back last year and although all those brushes are still in daily use, there are a few more that I use regularly so I thought I would do a little update!

I really didn’t like this brush to begin with and it sat unloved in my brush pot because I found it left a streaky finish with my usual liquid foundations. That all changed when I got the Vincent Longo Water Canvas Crème-to-Powder foundation* recently. I found the sponge that came with the foundation didn’t give me enough coverage and my usual fail safe Beauty Blender had the same problem so I dug around for this and it works perfectly! It helps build up coverage and it’s so easy to work into the skin because the bristles are so tightly packed.

zoeva 102 silk finish brush real techniques blush brush review

This is a brush that I used to use daily about 3 years ago for blush until I felt it was putting a little too much blush on my cheeks and I switched to an angled blush brush (how many times can I say blush and brush in a sentence). Nowadays, I much prefer this as a bronzer brush and I love it with NARS Laguna and Charlotte Tilbury Bronze in particular!

As someone who has a tendency to be a little heavy handed with blush this brush is a godsend for blending! If I have gone overboard it does such good job of helping to fade it a little and make my blush look more natural!

real techniques duo fibre face brush morphe badger deluxe fan brush review

Morphe B8 Badger Deluxe Fan Brush
With my fear of highlighter, this brush means that anytime I apply it, it’s subtle exactly how I like it! The brush is very soft and I would prefer the bristles to be a little stiffer but it does the job and it didn’t break the bank!

I've been using this brush to highlight my inner corner and brow bone and really like it! It’s quite stiff and allows you to be quite precise too so is great for applying the likes of the Makeup Geek foiled eyeshadows all over the lid!

zoeva 232 227 luxe classic shader soft definer rose gold review

This has replaced my beloved RT angled shadow brush as my preferred eyeshadow blender brush now! It is the perfect size and just makes blending so easy and I now have three of these babies! I also have a full review of the set these last two brushes came in here!

anastasia beverly hills 12 large synthetic duo brow brush review

This brush makes applying Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade a doddle! It’s quite a stiff angled brush with synthetic bristles and it gives such a fine line it makes it so easy to apply hair like strokes through my brows! I love that it has a spoolie on one end too which makes it perfect to travel with!

So that’s my updated favourite brushes! I have to add that all these brushes wash up really well even though they are from different brands and I haven’t noticed any of them shedding which is another bonus!

As you are reading this I’m on holiday for my birthday (which is tomorrow!) but I’ll be doing my best to keep up with comments so do leave me one below and let me know if you have any of these brushes and what do you think of them!

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

Danielle xx



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