Battle Of The Brands #2

This week's choice of product for battle of the brands is lip crayons and I chose Bourjois vs Revlon. 

- so much shadow and bad photography, sob -

The Revlon matte balms have not long been released. They are available in Boots for £7.99 and Superdrug for a mere £5.99 among other stockists. There are a range of colours available for all skin tones. 

They are described to be stains with a velvety matte colour and lip balm feel. Lightweight and moisturising. 

I have the colour Striking which is a lovely red, nothing like the online swatch I must add. I agree it is matte and lightweight though I would not say it is velvety or moisturising. Though it isn't at all drying either. I had originally planned to tell you that it feels nothing like any lip balm I have used either but after a few more days of wear it actually does feel similar to a balm and is almost nourishing. It is rich and long lasting and I just love the colour.  

It goes on easily and is just lovely to wear. Revlon are really on the ball this year!

As for packaging it is a classic chubby stick style. The stick itself represents the colour inside, it has a silver end - just like the Bourjois Colour Boost - and is not too large in size. A staple handbag piece I'd say. 

Boujois Colour Boost lip crayon is Red Sunrise is more of a luscious glossy lipstick. The shade I have is a vibrant almost blue toned pink, perfect for S/S time. The packaging (and naming) is almost identical to Revlon's though Bourjois released the colour boost first. Is it OK to say there was some copying going on here?

The product is £7.99 is Boots and Superdrug and I personally think there is a much more attractive colour range. 

The lipstick itself is soft and moisturing, the lasting power is similar to Revlon though I find it does sometimes fade to that dreaded bad lip liner look. Oh no! 

From the swatches you can see both have excellent colour though I think Revlon is slightly more pigmented. They are both appropriately named (nothing crazy unlike some items you'll find) and I really like them equally. However, I do have to pick a winner since that is the whole idea of this series so I am going to chose Bourjois Colour Boost. 

Revlon are doing amazingly with their releases recently and I do love my new chubby stick but I just think Bourjois is that little bit better! 

Which is your favourite? Do you agree with the winner? Leave me a comment. 

Until next time

xx

Wishlist #1

Hello lovelies

So I've seen a lot of wish list posts around and I haven't done one since before Christmas so I've decided to start a new series of wish lists, a different one each week, starting today with makeup. 

Although I'll admit this is not the best put together collage this is what's on my current makeup wishlist (if only the money fairy would drop by my house).

MAC mineralise skin finish in soft and gentle - This has been on my list for a while and I am desperate to try it out!

Illamasqua glamore collection nail polishes - I adore the look of these and the thought of 'adult glitter' makes me smile. I'd like to try two out of the three shades (the orange doesn't appeal).

Revlon highlighting pallete in peach glow - This looks so perfect and I'm on the hunt for a new highlighter for Spring. They say this is a good dupe for the Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks but more affordable so I'm up for that.

MAC blush in Petal Pink - From the 'A Fantasy of Flowers' collection of 2014 this blush is right up my street. There are a lot good reviews about MAC blushes and I feel like this one is a good place to start.   

Revlon Colorburst Matte Lip balms - These look like my kind of lip product. I'm all up for shimmer and gloss but a good old subtle matte is as good as anything. 

Bare Minerals Make-up - I'd like to get into mineral makeup because I'm never happy with how a foundation makes my skin look and I'm not the best at colour matching. I want to look after my skin more this year and so cutting back on the product is a good place to start. 

Bourjous Colour Edition 24hr - As a fan of the Maybelline Colour Tattoos and the old swipe and go eye looks, I just have to try Bourjois' new cream shadows. This is one of my favourite high street brands and so I'm excited to see what they can offer.

Ted Baker Make-up Bag - I need a new (and bigger) make-up bag and the Ted Baker ones are so beautiful (and so expensive). I've been lusting after one for a while now (remember my Christmas wish list?).

Benefit Gimme Brows - These were released this week and from the reviews I have read they look great. A tinted brow gel that looks natural and doesn't go crispy? Surely such a think doesn't exist? We shall see!

That's all for this wish list - it was a long one I know. There'll be a new one next Thursday.

Until next time

xx

Christmas 2013 Beauty Wish List!

Hello

Where has 2013 gone? I cannot believe that it's the 10th of December already! Well with Christmas so close I thought what better to talk about than a couple of products I'll be asking Santa to leave under my tree this year.

Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. What makeup junkie doesn't have this beautiful piece on their wish list this year?! I am in love with the eye shadow shades in this, well done Urban Decay. You've done good yet again!

Bourjois Shine Edition Lipstick. Now i'm already a big fan of Bourjois products - their nail polishes, foundations, blushers and bronzers are amazing - but their new lipsticks look fantastic, I particularly like the packaging.

Too Faced No Make-UP Make Up. Too Faced is renowned for its cute, elegant packaging and this new palette is so pretty. I think it would be perfect for somebody just starting out also. 

Ted Baker Diamante Bow Make Up Bag. I'm in the market for a new makeup bag and this one from Ted Baker is gorgeous. Retailing at £25.00 from ASOS it is a little too pricey, but ahh, I can dream... 

Clinique Whole Lotta Candy. Chubby sticks are huge in the makeup industry at the moment, we've got the Clinique chubby sticks, the Bourjois colour boosts and the No7 lip crayons. The new mini range from Clinique called 'Whole Lotta Candy' is a fun festive twist on the already amazing chubby sticks. Two Ton Tomato is my favourite.

Taylor Swift 'Enchanted' Perfume. I'm not much of a perfume person but this looks and smells so great. 

So that's all on my beauty wishlist for now. What about you? Comment or tweet me the one thing you'd like the most from your nearest beauty counter. 

Until next time

xx

All Bronzed Up (High Street)

Hello

We're leaving Autumn behind now (which is actually when I had hoped to get this post up.. oops!) and moving steadily into the Winter months where the days get cooler but as does our makeup. 

Personally, in Winter months I like to go with the pale/natural look with maybe a bit of contour. I avoid the bronzed up look. I do know however, that a lot of you like to keep your tan all year round so today I'd like to talk about three high street bronzers you may (or may not) want to invest in.

Note that I'm not discussing these products because they are my favourites nor because they're the best on the market but simply because they are the only ones in my collection. Despite being a massive contour-er, I'm really not that much of a bronze-y person...

So we'll start with Maybelline SunGlow pressed bronzing powder because it was the first bronzer I ever bought (we're not counting the compact I got from a Zoey 101 magazine aged 8, okay? pfft. It's not like I collected every single one just for the makeup or anything).

The packaging isn't great, much like the Rimmel Stay Matte powder it's cheap and easily broken. The lid doesn't screw on properly and the product falls out of the pan every single time I open it! It's simple, though, and I like simple. 

I really do like the slogan 'dust on a touch of sun'. It's simply fantastic. Every bronzer should have a slogan like this one. It goes well with the imprint of a sun shine on the powder also. 

The colouring is quite subtle but far too easily gives you a nasty orange tint. A little is a lot with this product. 

Well since we're going in order of purchase today, I picked up this cheap little compact from Superdrug at the beginning of the year. I like the perfectly sized, cubic packaging made from clear plastic. It's a handy thing to keep in your handbag. It's well priced to at just £1.00! I've always loved MUA for their prices. 

I believe this is in shade 3. It works well on fair skin as a contour or a light bronzer on the high points of the face. For a cheap, "drug store" product I give this full marks. 

And finally, my most recent (I'd say early Summer this year) bronzing buy, the love it or hate it, most raved about bronzer by the beauty bloggers. It's the Bourjois chocolate bronzer!

This is quite a controversial product since a lot of gurus, such as Zoe (Zoella280390 on YouTube) have made clear how much they love it while others, such as Gabrielle Rose (Velvetgh0st on YouTube) have said they're not so much a fan. 

Me? I love this bronzer! More recently I've been using it as a contour when I can't find my beloved Sleek contour kit. It works as both. 

The smell is more like cocoa butter than chocolate but either way I can't get enough of it. I'm sure you know I'm a scent obsessed kind of girl so anything fragranced has my attention. The colour pay off is good, a warm golden colour which I guess can be a little orange if you're super pale, but this is definitely my favourite. 

I'm not financially well off enough to afford high end products unless they're gifted to me so I'm not an owner of any top bronzers but if I was I think I'd like to give the Nars Lagoona a whirl. Hint hint to friends. Christmas is coming ;)

Until next time

xx

Stop! You're Making Me Blush

Hello

A bit of a quirky title today, non? Well if you couldn't guess today I am talking about blush and how to find the best one for you. Are you a pink or a nude kinda girl? Matte or shimmer? Cream or powder? Gel or Mousse? 

I'm basically going to talk about the variety of blush products I own and their pros and cons for different skin types. So if that sounds good to you, read on!

Let's start with with the basic of basics; just a powder matte blush. I have a bunch of these. My favourites include Sleek Flamingo and Life's A Peach and No7 Honey. If you've read any of the numerous posts in which I've talked about my Honey blush you will know just how much I love it and that I have majorly hit pan and need to repurchase!

Powder blushes are good for women with normal to oily skin types because they do a good job of absorbing oil and so wont slip around your face therefore turning you into a lop-sided clown. Nobody wants that. The benefits of powder blushes are that they give a more natural look - a subtle tint shall we say - and they are easy to apply to the skin so you are a lot less likely to go over board and again end up looking like a clown (no offence to the clowns of this world).

Cons, however, are that the colour doesn't last as long as say, a cream or liquid formula and if it does last, it may change slightly depending on the oiliness of your skin. 

You can pretty much get hold of most colour blushes but the main shades are pinky/peachy/rosy colours and a good all round palette for those with a budget I find, is the Body Collection Dusy Pink blush set (see below). I really like this and I picked it up in Scotland for less than £5 - bargain. 

You can also pick up shimmery powder compacts such as my MUA blush in shade 5. 

(on my nails I am wearing Bourjois gel polish in beige distinction with a London cosmetics clear glitter top coat)

If you are going to wear a shimmer on your cheeks it is best if you do not have oily skin or else you will just highlight the oiliness and it, uh, wont look good to say the least. Each to their own however and if you think you can pull it off then go for it. 

Next up is one of the most popular blush types these days and that is acream formula, for this I only have the one product which is Romancefrom No7. I'll admit that I am fairly new to creamy products and I haven't used this too much but I really do like the application and how easily you can blend. So far so good. 

A cream blush is best for women with normal to dry skin due to its hydrating qualities and it will also stick better to a non-oily skin type. 

Benefits are of course the hydration, the easiness of blending, long lasting and the pretty glowing finish. 

The disadvantage is that it is slightly less easy to apply subtly. 

Now lets combine the two and discuss Bourjois's cream to powder blush.  

I really like the packaging of this and the shades are super cute. The product itself is just like a cream blush in the container but once it's on the skin it is a lot more powdery and therefore carries the qualities of a powder. My only advice for this product is be accurate with your application because once it's on it is hard to blend out. All in all, though, this is a very good product which would suit normal/combination skin.

With only two remaining categories (for me anyhow since I have no experience with liquid tints or cheek stains) I would like to talk about my favourite. The mousse blush. I am a big fan of the Maybelline DreamMousse range, particularly their blush and foundation. I do, however, currently only own the blush which is fantastic. 

A mousse blush is similar to a cream but a lot lighter and very easy to blend. You definitely do not need a lot of product on your brush or finger to get noticeable coverage. I would recommend this to women with normal/dry skin because on an oily surface this would melt away and look terrible. 

Pros are definitely blending, lightness and lasting power but cons are that it is too easy to go OTT and it doesn't work for oily skin. 

I forgot to take this one on my little trip to the outdoors for photographing. Oops!

Anndddd finally we have the gel formula. Everything seems to have a gel version these days; eye liner, foundation, eye shadow, blush, lip products. The whole darn lot. I guess it must be pretty good, eh? 

Well I think so anyway. 

I do love my gel blush from coty (which I cannot seem to find anywhere on the internet or in town so where did my auntie find this for me?!) in shade 01 Highlighter. Most gel blushers come in little tubes where you just squirt some onto your hand and blend onto the skin using your finger. It looks radiant and glowing. Beautiful! It is off course suitable for normal and dry skin but I think it could work on oily skin too so long as your skin is not overly oily. 

The pros are that is looks good and is easy to apply and the only con I can think of is that it may not work well on oily skin types. 

So which blush is for you? Which is your favourite? I hope this helped you decide. 

Until next time
xx 

My Current Beauty Favourites

Hello

Today I'm trying out something new! I have for you my current beauty favourites. I haven't done a 'favourites' post before so I hope you enjoy!

Another Illamasqua edit.

I will include a reliable link for every product so that should you like the sound of it, you can try it too. 

Let's start with the biggest of them all and by far my favourite-ist (nope, that's not a word. I made it up). Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash. I. Love. This. Smell. Sometimes I just take of the lid and sniff, it's an addiction almost like drugs. Not drugs though - I don't and never will condone the use of drugs nor do I use any substances not prescribed by my doctor for medicinal purposes. Anyway, getting back on track I really like everything about this product, from packaging (cute and quirky as ever) through scent and price, to how it works. It leaves me feeling clean and fresh. 

Moving out of the shower, I have two moisturisers I've been loving over the past couple of months; first a fantastic facial moisturiser. I have shopped my stash and rediscovered my Clinique dramatically different moisturising gel. It's hard to find since the release of the dramatically different +, but I do love it so all the same. It is super hydrating and a good primer for under foundation. I used it on my poor burnt face during our British heat wave and it worked a treat. Yipee. 

Also I have got into the routine of doing a full body moisturise after I get out of the shower. I tried a couple of products but my favourite is definitely the Soap & Glory Butter Yourself five fruits super rich smoothing body cream. This also smells divine and I find it to be such a good body butter for my skin. Me likes a lot. 

The final moisturising product in my favourites is my beloved vibrant cherry lib butter from Marks & Spencer. I've had this for a while and mainly carried it to school but since leaving school in May I have just rediscovered it. I'm almost out but for now it's my top lip product!

Next up I have been enjoying my real techniques makeup brushes (thank you for these perfect tools Sam Chapman!), the crease brush and buffing brush in particular. If you haven't tried these already then do so right now right here. Go on! You know you want to. 

You may have figured out by now that I am a makeup junkie. I may not have the money to splash out on big brands or buy a lotta products but over the years my collection has more than doubled in size. Let me tell you about some of the things from my collections I have been loving recently so much that they have made it to my favourites...

To start us of it will come as no surprise to you to find my BourjoisHealthy Mix Serum gel foundation in here because in my review I raved about it enough! To read more click here. I have been loving Bourjois on the cheeks as well this month in the form of the cream to powder formula blush shade 02. This is a lovely peachy orange colour which I think is just so pretty.

I have been wearing a nude lip pretty much every day recently and my top two products are my MUA lipstick in shade 16 (nectar) paired with my Collection 2000 love your lips lip gloss in shade 2 (delight). I really like how this looks on my lips and it goes perfectly with the Bourjois blush. 

I feel like this has been a very long post today but only two products remaining, both of which are for the eyes! My mascara which I have been using non stop for its non-clump and super curl qualities is actually a cheapy little thing from a brand called Evie Mae in brown.. It came as part of a vanity kit (which you can pick up from eBay here) from a fundraiser catalog a few years ago when I thought nothing of it. Now, though, I am really regretting not using it more earlier on. 

I have also done a little 'shop my stash' and rediscovered my No7 define & shimmer eye palette which contains four silky looking autumn colours all of which are beautiful on the eye.

 I particularly love the chocolate brown either in the crease or all over the lid. The best part about this product is that I got it free when I bought a No7 mascara. This is no longer available from Boots but you can find it on eBay. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and it wasn't just me rambling on about some makeup I like. I really recommend each product mentioned today and I hope you will try some out for yourself and enjoy the just as much. 

If you have a blog or YouTube channel and have uploaded your monthly/current favourites then leave me the link in the comments so I can take a look. 

Until next time
xx

Bourjois Health Mix Serum Gel Foundation Review

Hello

For months and months I have been wanting to try out this foundation and finally I have bought it and today am reviewing it for you. I'm so excited! This is the Bourjois Health Mix Serum Gel Foundation. 

This product retails at £10.99 from Superdrug but you can find it at a cheaper price of £8.99 in various other shops and websites. 

I've been seeing people rave about this foundation on YouTube a lot throughout the year and that, as well as the packaging (it just draws me in) made me buy it. I'm so glad I did. 

Since it's one of my favourite things about this foundation lets start with the packaging; simple really. There is nothing cute or fancy about it. It's just standard Bourjois Healthy Mix colours and design. I just love the tall, slim bottle, the fruity theme and the red cap. It just attracts me - but that's just me. Maybe I'm going a little crazy... 

Something else which I love about this foundation is the smell. I love the fresh, fruity scent - it's summery and awakening. I think you will like it. 

The thing you all want to know about though is the actual foundation. So it's a lovely gel consistency which I find fantastic for blending into the skin. On the bottle it says only a light coverage but I find it to be medium to full on my face as you can build it without looking cakey. It's great if you're after a natural looking complexion but at the same time you want to hide those nasty lines and blemishes. 

There is not a wide range of shades for those with darker skin tone and it has a very yellow undertone so for those with pink undertone skin I wouldn't recommend this to you.

I'm the lightest shade (51 - Light Vanilla) and I find the foundation works best by applying with a pointed foundation brush or the real techniques buffing brush and then blending with a stippling brush. 

Consistency of the foundation is relatively thick but also slightly runny. I find a little bit goes a long way.

The product claims to last 16 hours providing a 'radiance-boosting, even  revived complexion' but I would say that is loses it's touch after about 10-12 hours. 

Containing vitamin rich fruits such as lychee, goji berries and pomegranate this really is a good formula for the skin.  

I've heard lots of people say how they think that due to it's reviving, anti-fatigue formula this foundation is more suited to mature skin. Given, an older woman could use this foundation and get along with it but as a teenager I really love this foundation on my skin too and I know a lot of my friends who enjoy using it also. I'd say it's for normal/combination to oily skin (the matte finish helps if you're a little oily around the T zone) but it is perfect for dry skin too as it blends right over dry areas giving a lovely dewy, radiant look.

My over all rating is 9 out of 10 because although at the moment this is my holy grail product I wouldn't say it is 100% perfection. What product is?

So there we go! I hope I didn't bore you too much with this review and as I always say if your own opinion differs to mine I cannot be held responsible as everyone is unique within their own mind. My opinions are honest. 

Until next time

xx