Battle Of The Brands #1

Another new series for you today, I'm on a roll with these lately aren't I? Battle of the brands will involve me taking two of the same products but from different brands and comparing to see which is best. Today I'm doing creme eye shadow and going from the cheapest on the high street (Calvin Klein) to the most expensive, yep, a MAC paint pot.

Starting with Calvin Klein Creme Eye Shadow in Snakeskin Silver. You don't see these in many places, maybe the pound shop or on the Isle of Man 'Make up 4 Less'. They retail from £1.79 to around £6.00 on Amazon.

The packaging is sleek, a small plastic pot very similar to MAC paint pots and the colour of the lid reflects the colour of the product inside. I say this a lot but I really do like simplistic designs, they remind me of more up-market things and the words sophisticated and elegant always spring to mind. Maybe I'm going too far.. haha!

The eye shadow itself is very creamy and pigmented. You don't need much to get a full sweep of colour. I have two shades, this one and Bare Silk. Both are light colours, the latter a perfect inner corner or brow bone highlight while the former more of a base colour. 
The formula blends nicely and it lasts a good few hours though I wouldn't say all day.

Overall a great high street product for an ever greater price. I would recommend. 

MAC limited edition paint pot Morning Frost

MAC paint pots. Need I really say more? Famous in the beauty industry these little make up bag essentials are good - but are they really worth the hype? I'm not so sure. 

The packaging is typical for MAC - rounded and professional. Sophistication once again springs to mind but even more so this time. The clear glass pot is transparent with nothing but the brand printed on the side. All good so far. 

The formula itself I find to be quite oily and so a no go for those of us with oily lids but this could just be the shimmery shades. Feel free to inform me because I have no experience with any of the mattes. It does still however last all day without fall down or fading and even without a primer! WOW. 

Upon application you get quite light coverage but it is so easily built up and I like this. 

A good product but I struggle to justify spending £15 - FIFTEEN POUNDS - on it when I can pick up a CK creme shadow or Maybelling Colour Tattoo for the same quality but cheaper. I sometimes feel like with MAC, you just pay for the name. 

A swatch comparison. Which looks best?

I'd like to add that both brands chose creative and appropriate names. Good job guys. Also both products are best applied with your fingers (in case you were wondering which you probably weren't). 

So to conclude, for it's lasting power and design I'm going to choose MAC as the winner of the first battle of the brands but that doesn't mean I would personally chose it over other brands in Boots or Superdrug. Do you agree? Let me know in the comments.

I know this wasn't a very structured post, I'm still working on it but come back next Wednesday for more from this series when hopefully I will have improved!

Until next time

xx

Face Masks

Something I've been enjoying a lot lately is face masks. I've especially loved putting one on in the morning, letting it dry while I get dressed and potter about my room and then finsihing my normal skin care routine before putting on minimal if any makeup - my skin is really feeling the benefits. I obviously don't do this every day but I've been doing it a few times a week with various masks (mostly THIS one) and my skin is SO soft throughout the day, my pores are visibly smaller and feel cleaner and it just makes me feel skin confidient. Like everybody, look at my face! 

My favourite one and the one linked above is the Dr.Organic Rose Otto face mask. I bought it from Holland and Barrett for £7.39. It is a white clay mask of a very thick consistency. It claims to be deep cleansing (yep), anti aging (not sure) and restoring (yep). When I use this it instantly makes me feel relaxed, it smells lovely and it leaves my skin so clean and soft. 

Another from Dr.Organic is the Dead Sea Mineral mud mask, again from Holland and Barrett for £7.99. This one is rather soothing but it takes an age to dry and it annoyingly hard to wash off! I don't notice any particular skin benefits though it is good for a pamper evening. It claims to be detoxifying (not so sure), rejuvenating (yep) and anti-aging (we'll have to wait and see).

The Borghese Fango Active Mud Mask is one I have reviewed before and I didn't give it a good one at that. Now though, I have completely changed my mind and there will be a new review soon so look out for that!

Finally the Superdrug cleansing face mask is a really nice gentle cleanser that you can use regularly (not just once a week) and I like to include it in my skin care routine if I'm feeling like I have clogged pores or just oily skin then I'll go for this because it makes me feel clean. 

I'd really like to try some higher end masks and some from Lush (I've only ever tried one). Are there any you recommend? Which is your favourite face mask?

Until next time

xx

Favourites!

If you've been reading my blog for a little while you will know I am useless at monthly favourites, so I just don't bother! Every now and then I do like to share with you some things I have been loving and that is just what I would like to do today. Here is my first favourites of 2014. 

Yankee Candle - I picked up this candle from the simply home range in B&Q just before Christmas. It is called 'merry berry' but there is nothing particularly festive about it really (it is a strong scent that fills the room and I would say the dominant flavour is cherry), I like it a lot though and have been burning it regularly this year. 

Original Source daily scrub - I've always liked Original source body scrubs - particularly the mint and lavender ones - and the fact that they are so cheap is fab! The honey and cranberry one was on offer in Boots a while back and I've been using it as an alternative to my Soap & Glory Sugar Crush body wash. It is fresh and refreshing morning or evening.

Autograph nail polish -  (third from the left) I got this nail polish in 'Peach' from M&S some time last year but I've never really taken much notice of it, it has simply sat in my drawer unloved. I have been wearing it a lot lately though, it is pretty and bright, almost a burnt out orange. 

Smashbox Brow Tech To Go - Although I have broken the wax end (oops!) I still use this product every single day, I use the gel to keep my brows in place and it does a great job. 

Something else I have been enjoying this year is fairy lights. I put some up in my bedroom in November and never really turned them on but recently I always have them on and use them rather than my normal light. They're so pretty and make my room feel so cosy!

Finally, two things I cannot photograph are Fitness Pod and Twitter. I have been spending so much time on Twitter recently and have discovered a lot of new blogs which I'm loving (post to come soon) and joining in on twitter chats has been fun. 

With being on a mission to improve my health I have been using the fitness pods. If you've not heard of them, they are fantastic! They're like a private mini gym open 24 hours a day for just £10 an hour (that's just £3.33 if you go with two friends). Find out more about them here.

Is there anything you have been enjoying lately? 

Until next time

xx

Being Grateful

On Wednesday I wasn't feeling great, I failed by first driving test on Tuesday because of literally the SMALLEST thing and I had a migraine. So I took the day off from college, spent the morning in the pit that is m bed and then my day was brightened by the sun peeping through beneath the blinds. 

Armed with a picnic for myself and an abundance of carrots, apples and mints for the the horses I headed up the field to sunbathe, relax and spend time with my favourite - that is my 16.2 shire cross dark mare for those who don't know me well! - and as always, she cheered me right up.

I realised while I was up there that I might not have the latest technology or shoes or even expensive lipsticks and I may not be able to afford new clothes or products to review all the time (despite my ever lengthening wish lists) but what I do have is even better...

I have all of this to do whatever I please. To walk, to have picnics, to ride my horse. This beautiful landscape that surrounds me is my home, I am so lucky and I cannot imagine being without it. The thought of living in the city away from the fields and forests makes me shiver! I would hate to be away from my animals. The dogs, cats, horses, hens, goats, sheep.. This is who I am away from the makeup and I love every part of it!

Where do you go when you're feeling down? What are you thankful for?

I hope you enjoyed this little bonus post.

Until next time

xx

Rimmel London BB Cream Matte Review

I picked up a sample of Rimmel London BB Cream Matte a couple of weeks ago and tested it out yesterday to see what I thought, today I'm sharing those thoughts with you..

I wont say anything about the packaging because, as you can see, it's just a white sachet with a picture of the actual product. Basic. 

I first applied it at 11.30am (I was up before this I promise, I just didn't get round to putting on any makeup) and my first impressions weren't all that great, although I can say that it smelt aMAzing! 

Formula wise it is just like any other liquid foundation, in the picture it looks like a medium toned colour and when at first put on the skin it does look quite orange, but thankfully, it dried slightly lighter and turned out to be a perfect match for me (I'm usually on the lighter side of foundation shades). It did however cling to dry skin and look slightly cakey and flakey. It doesn't hide blemishes though it did conceal my under eye circles well.

You don't need much to cover your whole face and it blends in well. I first rubbed it on my skin with my fingers and blended out with my Real Techniques buffing brush. It evens skin tone well and I immediately noticed how it minimised my pores and how smooth it feels on the skin. Things were looking up!

This BB cream is light to medium coverage though you could probably build it up, I would only use it on good skin days. I wouldn't expect anything more from something that is simply meant to improve your skin rather than hide it.

At 2.00pm I thought the product had settled into my skin nicely and it looked really good. It was still very much matte and there was no redness coming out on my cheeks - for me, this is good. 

At 4.40pm after spending about two hours gathering sheep and catching lambs (this sounds weird I know but I do live on a farm, so not that unusual) it was still in place but my forehead was shiny. I suppose I really did put it to the test what with running around in the hot sun. 

At 7.30pm it was still good coverage and had no signs of fading, I can't tell you if it lasted longer than this though as at this point I got in the shower. 8 hours is still a long time for a BB cream and I was very pleased. 

So does it do what it says on the packet?

Minimises the appearance of pores - Yes!

Evens skin tone - Yes!

Mattifies - Yes!

Controls shine all day - Hmm no but I'd like to say it would had I not been getting so hot from running.

Smooths - Yes

Soothes - No, I don't understand this one. 

Conceals dark circles - Yes!

Helps prevent blemishes - I can't say as I've only tested it for one day so far.

Gives all day coverage - Yes! Well 8 hours at least. 

Overall I'm happy with this product and would definitely consider buying a full size tube. It is just £6.99 from Boots.

Until next time

xx

'No Make Up' Make Up

It's Spring time (YAY) and 'no make up' make up is really on trend - how great is that for those of us who like to make minimal effort in the mornings? haha! So today I thought I'd share with you how I create my minimalistic look. 

As a base I'm using just a BB cream (Rimmel 9 in 1), concealer (Rimmel Wake Me Up) and powder (Rimmel Stay Matte). This kind of make up is all about the flawless base but I don't like it to be too heavy either which is why I tend to go for my BB cream. 

I use the gel from my Smashbox Brow Tech To Go to keep my brows in place. I don't fill them in because it just looks unnatural on my face, but you can if that's what you like to do. 

To add a hint of colour to the cheeks I always use a peachy toned blush purely because it is closest to my natural skin colour and so looks subtle but does brighten the cheeks also. Today I'm using Bourjous cream to powder blush in 02 - Healthy Glow. 

For a no make up look it is easy to go without any eye shadow but I like to still define my eyes with mascara (Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless) and a little bit of colour - usually a matte brown in the crease. However, this time I used Suspect from my Naked 2 palette. 

Finally, on the lips I'm using one of my favourite lipsticks, Wet'n'Wild Silk Finish in shade 40 is the perfect your lips but better colour for me!

That's all I use to create a simple, soft 'no make up' make up look. It's an easy one that everyone can wear, if you try it send me a picture!

Disclaimer: Although this post contains a lot of Rimmel products it is not sponsored and all products were purchased with my own money. I just happen to like Rimmel. 

Until next time

xx

Liebster Award

Hello lovelies

I am extremely excited to tell you that today I was nominated by the lovely Veronica from Coat of Cosmetics for the Liebster Award. The best description I give you, if you haven't heard of it already, is that it involves one blogger nominating 11 other bloggers with below 200 followers (it was originally 3,000 readers, I'm not sure when or why it changed, but I think I like that it did) and should they accept they have to answer 11 questions from the person who nominated them and list 11 facts about themselves. They then nominate a further 11 bloggers (lots of 11's) and so on... it is similar to a chain letter. Can you get your head around that? It took me a while!

First I would like to thank Veronica, I am honored that you nominated me :) 

So here are my answers to the questions I was asked...

Why did you first start your blog? I was just starting to discover a lot of YouTubers and bloggers and really liked it. I wanted to start something up for myself so I turned to blogging; I'm too shy to make videos! Maybe one day though. I'm also really into beauty and photography and don't really have any friends who share that interest so thought blogging would be a good way to combine my hobbies and meet people with the same interests. So far, so good.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what would be the one must have beauty product you would need? This is such a hard question! I'm going to go with a moisturiser that contains SPF though. Being logical here - I'm on a desert island which means sun, which means sun burn and dry skin. I like to look after my skin. 

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? I'd probably stay on the Isle of Man but if I had to move I would go somewhere like Yorkshire or Norwich or maybe even further afield, I'm not sure. 

Sweet or savory food? Savory without a doubt :D

What is one feature you love about yourself? Hmm as somebody who has always struggled with anxiety and self confidence, there isn't anything really although I get a lot of compliments on my curly hair so I guess that. 

If you were granted three wishes, what would they be? 
1) Don't laugh, but I'd really like to be able to talk to animals. It would be so amazing and interesting. 
2) I'd like to not be so afraid of the world, I want to be confident within myself and travel too, so being afraid of boats and planes isn't a good start. 
3) Finally, I'd end animal cruelty, specifically animal testing. 

Is there a quote/saying you live by? and why? No. There are a lot of quotes I see and really like but none I live by because I usually forget them days later! Oops 

Who is your favourite musical artist/band? and why? I don't have any favoruites, though I'm a big fan of Jessie J and Demi Lovato because I just really enjoy their music and feel I can relate to it, having a connection to something, in my opinion, makes it more enjoyable. 

What's your favourite blog post that you have written? Oh gosh, I really don't know! Possibly my recent Maybelline Baby Lips post because I'm proud of the photographs I took and I like the product so liked writing about it too.

Favourite childhood memory? I don't have many memories, I'm growing more and more forgetful actually which is a pain! I used to have such a good memory. I think it would be anything before I started school. I was always happy and doing things I loved such as riding my shetland ponies or helping milk the cows or playing with puppies or skipping (I was never without a skipping rope) or something fun!

If you could meet a celebrity, who would it be? and why? I don't like the word celebrity and I'm just not fussed about meeting one. I'd probably be too shy to talk to them anyway! That's just me! I'd like to meet some of my favourite YouTubers/bloggers though, such as Tanya Burr or Louise SprinkleofGlitter. 

This is such a wordy post, I hope you still enjoy it! Now onto 11 facts about myself...

1. When I find something funny, I laugh to the point where no sounds comes out. I just look like a crazy girl vibrating with her mouth open! Not a good look but my friends find it amusing!
2. Even the smell of an egg cooking can make me feel sick. 
3. I have been inside Buckingham Palace. 
4. I have a slight obsession for scented candles. 
5. I love to read, if I find a good book then I cannot put it down until I've read every page. 
6. Despite having a huge collection of makeup and the fact I love wearing it, I often wear little to none in public because I fear what others will think of how I look. 
7. I am allergic to horses but in all my 16 years of living having never been without one, nothing will stop me riding!
8. I've never left the UK.
9. Big cities and busy places in general scare me. I prefer the slow, laid back pace of the country side. 
10. I had multi-coloured train track braces for just under a year - this is something I now regret *cringe*
11. Only two of my friends know about my blog, I'm too shy to tell my family or any other people in case they don't like it. 

Pheww! There we go, 11 questions answered and 11 facts told. I hope you enjoyed and following the TMI tag you now know all there is to know about me!

So I nominate... (not all of these bloggers have under 200 followers but all have below 300, I think they still deserve some love and I'd like them to take part!) 

Rachel from Heart Ocean Secrets

Georgina from I Totally Paused

Millie from Smudges of Thoughts

Daniella from Inside my cosmetics box

Beki from BekiLouiseBeauty 

Kathleen from KathleenPavey 

Adel from Palette: Pale 

Laura from The Confessions of a Professional Drama Queen

Sophie from Sophie Says..

Chloe from Chloe and her notes
And YOU! 

...and the questions I would like you to answer are

1. Which beauty product can't you live without?
2. What is your favourite animal?
3. You're on a shopping day with your friends. Which shop do you go to first?
4. Who or what is your biggest 'blogspiration'? 
5. You have the chance to spend a week in your dream destination. Where are you going?
6. What is something you can't live without?
7. What is your biggest pet peeve?
8. You've won a talent competition, what was your talent?
9. Autumn or Spring?
10. You have won £1,000,000. What will you do with it?
11. Dancing and cocktails or pizza and a movie?

The rules are simple, in your post you must acknowledge the blogger who nominated you and display the award, then answer the 11 questions you were given and list 11 completely random facts about yourself. Finally, nominate 11 blogs you think are deserving of the award, let them know you have nominated them and give them 11 questions!

Thank you again to Veronica for nominating me, make sure you all check out her blog, linked at the top.

Until next time

xx