September Makeup Buys

I spent more than I had hoped last month on makeup up but oh well, these things happen! I'm a sucker for an offer and there seemed to be a few going on. So here's what I bought and what I think so far...



Real Technique Brushes - Eyes Starter Set & Limited Edition Duo Fiber Collection

Last month I bought a few of my first Real Technique brushes and loved them (you can see last months buys here). Straight away I added the eye brushes to my 'must have' list so when I saw HQ Hair not only had 15% off selected Real Technique brushes they also had a 'up to 20% extra off' day, I couldn't resist not only getting the eye brushes but also the limited edition Duo Fibre collection.
Plus they do free delivery.. Bonus!
I haven't actually used these brushes yet but I actually cant wait. Real Technique's are one of those hyped up brands that really do live up to the hype and I actually haven't seen a bad review yet. 



Maybelline - Colour Tattoo 24hr Eye Shadow in 'Pink Gold' and 'Metallic Pomegranite'

Another favourite in the blogging world at the moment. I already have 'Permanent Taupe' and really like it, its not shimmery like these ones so also works great as a base. I love the colours of these new ones I bought and I think they work great blended together as well. These were only £1.89 from Direct Cosmetics. 


Urban Decay - Build Your Own Palette

I love Urban Decay and already have a few of their eye shadows. You get a free eyeshadow included with their 'BYO' palettes so they are great value for £14 for the six space or £8 for the four space.
I went for the six spaced eyeshadow palette which also comes with a little brush. I may do a separate post at some point to go through the UD eye shadows I have as I honestly love them and can't wait to build up my collection more.


Urban Decay - Tinted Moisturiser and De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray

These were more impulse buys when I was buying the UD eye shadow palette but i needed a new tinted moisturiser and always wanted to try the setting spray. So far I'm really liking the tinted moisturiser, I don't use it everyday, more when I want a simpler makeup look. I find it gives great coverage without feeling heavy.

I bought the setting spray in the smaller bottle as I really wanted to give this a try but wasn't sure how well it would work. I haven't tried any other setting sprays before but chose the 'De-Slick' one as I can get quite shiny on my forehead. I definitely think its worked when I've used it but I'm still not 100% sure how well. I think I'm going to have to try it out more (day and night) before getting off the fence!


Elizabeth Arden - Flawless Finish Ultra Smooth Pressed Powder in 01 Translucent

I needed a powder to 'set' my makeup and stop the shiny areas. I bought this on Direct Cosmetics (£8.99) when buying the Maybelline eye shadows. I use this pretty much every day and although it looks like it has a colour to it, it is actually translucent.
You don't need much and as you can see even though I've been using this nearly everyday for nearly a month it doesn't look like i've touched it, so I expect this will last some time.


Benefit - Boi-ing Concealer in 02 and Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer

Whilst attending a Benefit event (you can read about it here) I picked up a few products with 20% off. I had heard a few mixed thoughts about the 15-hour primer so when getting my makeup done this was a product I really wanted to try.

The makeup artist advised me that you don't blend it in (which is a common mistake). It's in a stick form that you apply by rubbing it over your face but then apply your foundation/base as normal over top straight away. This will then blend with the primer.

I really like this primer and am actually impressed. I definitely tell the difference when I haven't used it. 

The Boi-ing Concealer really is 'industrial strength' as it says. The coverage is great for spots I tend to get around the chin area but a little too heavy for under the eyes. Even though its not so multi-use its definitely become a staple in my makeup bag and I think a product I will buy again (if I ever finish it - you don't need much). 

Benefit - 'Double The Real' They're Real Mascara

This is a product I already had and love. I only had the small mini bottle so had to pick up this offer of getting a full size bottle and getting the mini size free (plus the 20% off). I love this mascara for everyday as it gives great length and honestly lives up to the markerting. I would probably be more likely to wear my Dior Blackout mascara for a night out as it gives more thickness and volume. 
Overall I do love this product and would definitely recommend this mascara as a great all rounder.


For those who liked the look of the Rimmel nail varnish in the first picture - its 405 'Loafer Love For You'


Any products you like the look of? Any you've already tried?

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August Beauty Buys

So here's what I bought last month and what I think of each purchase so far...

Real Technique brushes

I know these are loved in the blogging world and I don't really need to say too much. I love them and can completely see why they are raved about so much. They are great value (I snapped these up in the Boots 'buy one get one half price' offer so even better) and worth every penny. The brushes are super soft and I honesty think my make up looks better when using these to apply it. I bought the stippling brush, expert face brush, blush brush and the setting brush (which I'm using for highlighting). After getting on so great with these brushes I've added some of the Real Techniques eye make up brushes to my list of things to get. Definitely worth the hype in my opinion.

Urban Decay Naked Flushed palette

I didn't plan on buying this product, in fact before I saw it I hadn't heard of it but I was browsing the Urban Decay make up section and came across it. The palette contains bronzer, highlighter and blush. I hadn't really tried blush before and was looking to try it as I have read a lot of posts from other people that have previously stuck to bronzer but then tried blush and loved it. I also wanted a palette that was easy for contouring and highlighting so this was perfect. If I'm honest I was really indecisive before going to the till as I was thinking about getting the Sleek palette which I've heard good things about and is much cheaper however I had a voucher to use and so thought why not treat myself. So glad I did as I love it. I love the packaging (as with most Urban Decay products) and I love the quality of the product. A firm favourite in my make up bag this month.

Rimmel Salon Pro with Lycra nail varnishes

I love Rimmel nail varnishes but hadn't tried any from this range until I bought these. I picked 'Jazz Funk' which is a pink, 'Disco Fever' a purple and 'Punk Rock' which is a grey colour. I do love my bright nail colours but with autumn approaching I thought I'd try something a bit different so opted for a darker purple and a grey along with a 'safe' pink colour. Usually £4.49 each but I picked these up on a 3 for 2 offer so even better value. As they contain Lycra the Salon Pro range are supposed to be long lasting with gel like finish. I love the colours in this range so will hopefully pick a few more up soon.

Soap & Glory 'It's About Prime' eyeshadow underbase

I've been looking at getting an eyeshadow primer for a while now as my eyeshadow just doesn't last and what is still on my lids is just creased. Although this does do a pretty good job I just can't help but feel that there is something a little bit better out there. I've heard good things about Benefit's Stay Don't Stray and Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion but these are quite a bit more expensive and wasn't sure how good they'd be to take the gamble. Do let me know your recommendations. I will keep using this but I think I'll look to replace it with something else in my search for perfect eye makeup that lasts all day.

Soap & Glory 'Marvelips' Double ended colour and plump lip crayon

I didn't need this really as I have lots of lip colours in my make up collection but as the 3 for 2 offer was on (the other S&G product was a present for someone so not included in this post) I couldn't resist giving this a try. I do like the colour its very pigmented and really lasts, the downside is that there isn't any other colours to choose from at the moment. I think the highlighting end of the crayon does really plump up the lips, when applied to the centre top and bottom as instructed but I'm not sure if that lasted. I would definitely buy a few more of these if they brought out more colours because even as just a lip crayon with out the plumping effect they are worth it.

Palmer's Natural Bronzer

I'm not one for using tanning products that much. It was one of those things, like false eyelashes, that I didn't try enough when I was younger so that by now I would have perfected the look. So, I feel at 26 its a bit too old to be walking around with badly applied tan but these gradual tanning moisturisers are something I can work with. I've tried a few in the past and they've been ok, no complaints. However, this one does seem a lot more natural looking and I've had people make comment on how I've caught a nice tan from the sun. Of course I went along with it, little did they know I spent the weekend inside hungover and the 'natural tan' was in fact from this bottle. Result! 

Have you tried any of these products yet and do you like or dislike them?

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Patty & Bun

I know my previous post was all about healthy eating for good skin but as having a 'balanced' diet also includes having a big fat juicy burger every now and then its all good.

If you live in London and you like burgers then you have to visit Patty & Bun (if you don't like burgers then best not to go as they have very little else on the menu)! Its not new so you may have already enjoyed one of their amazing burgers but I only went for the first time last Friday. It wasn't the best time as it was rather busy and as they can only sit up to 30 (at a squeeze I might add) it meant queueing for a while. The wait was worth it though.... it was delicious! Everything a good burger should be. I had the Smokey Robinson which had caramelised onions, bacon and a smokey BBQ mayo. It looks very pink in the picture but it was cooked perfectly to medium/rare. We also had a portion of their chicken wings and chips with rosemary salt.

Its a 'get stuck in' kind of place so don't expect plates but for fast food that tastes great its well worth a visit. There have been quite a few burger places popping up in London that have a similar concept - gourmet fast food. But I've always heard great things about Patty & Bun which is why I wanted to check them out for myself.

Have you been yet? What did you think?

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Joe's Southern Kitchen & Bar

Me and my boyfriend, Cardene have spoken about various restaurants and food places we want to try and the list seemed to be getting longer and longer without crossing any off. So recently we actually wrote a few of them down and decided we would make the effort to try and go to at least one place on our list once a month. 

So, with that in mind Friday night was date night. We decided to go to Joe's Southern Kitchen and Bar in Covent Garden. I had heard about it in Shortlist magazine and thought straight away it was right up mine and Cardene's street. It used to be a Mexican restaurant  called Navajo Joe, but keeping up with what London wants right now they changed the place to have a more deep south American feel, where they know how to do good chicken!

Beer & Chicken.... He could not be happier (forgot to tell his face though!!)

Corn bread with paprika butter and green tomato chutney

Coq 'n' balls - Fried chicken and Monterey jack cheese balls with hot sauce

We picked a few starters and nibbles to try which were all lovely but my favourite has to be the wings....

Joe's chicken wings with sticky BBQ sauce

They went quick!

As lovely as the wings are the star attraction at Joe's is their signature 'Beer Can' chicken!! It actually arrives like this...

...and is then carved in front of you on a meat trolley. As you can see it's a whole chicken which has been cooked with a BBQ rub. Cardene said to me when it arrived that it didn't look very big... well as the old saying goes, 'looks can be deceiving'! This is definitely enough for two if not three as the menu suggests especially with sides. The sides we went with were whipped potatoes & chicken gravy and Bibb lettuce & avocado salad.

We were ridiculously full by the end, we even had to take some chicken home in a doggy bag. Well we didn't have to but it was so damn good I didn't want to leave any!
The fried chicken also looked amazing but I really wanted to try their 'Beer Can' chicken and also thought I'd go with the healthier option. I'm definitely tempted to go back to try the fried chicken and lots more from the menu. 

The service was also great, the staff were friendly and attentive. I really enjoyed the whole meal at Joe's Southern Kitchen & Bar. The food was lovely and the portion sizes were good. Its the first time in a long time I was so full I didn't even think about desserts! I guess there's always next time.

Hmmm now to decide where next on the list...?!

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Gettin' Lippy....

I love my lipsticks and glosses, probably the makeup I love buying the most. I have far more than I will ever need but of course that doesn’t stop me from buying more. Unfortunately I’ve always suffered from dry lips, summer and winter.

In the summer although they aren’t really dry and sore I still get dry skin showing through my lipstick if I don’t moisturise them and cracks in your lipstick is never attractive! In the winter when I was younger I would keep licking them because they were so dry but that would just make them worse and crack, it was a vicious circle. I had no clue what to do other than use Vaseline. Which don’t get me wrong did help and I still use it occasionally now but I have one or two other items that I love for my lip care.

Lush Lip Scrub - Bubblegum £5.25 (25g)

I have to admit I've newly found lip scrubs and thank goodness as my lips are in better condition because of it. To use it you just put a little on your lips and rub it in. The only downside I find is that the consistency isn't great as its quite dry and can be messy when applying. This aside though I love it for leaving my lips soft and smooth. It's great for getting rid of any dry skin or flaky bits on your lips. Lush do 3 different flavours, Bubblegum, Popcorn and Mint Julips. I know these are big within the beauty blogging world but if you haven't already tried them and suffer from dry flaky lips I'd recommend giving them a try. They are also great for just giving you a nice smooth base before applying a lip colour. As I suffer from dry lips I like to apply a lip balm before a lipstick or gloss....

Palmer's Moisturizing Lip Balm £1.89 (4g)

I have used many lip balms over the years and I love this Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Moisturizing Lip Balm (quite the mouthful). Its one of my favourites because my lips feel moisturised for quite some time after applying so I don’t feel like I have to constantly reapply which is great when I want to put a lip stick over top. It really locks in the moisture and lasts. Its enriched with Vitamin E and has the added benefit of SPF 15. This is always in my bag and I'm not sure if I'll find one i prefer. There are definitely prettier lip balms out there but for me this does the job best.


Now I've discussed a couple of my favourite lip care products heres a lipstick and lipgloss i've been loving recently...

Sleek True Colour Lipstick - Fuchsia £4.99 (from Superdrug)

I bought this for Wireless Festival as I wanted a nice bright colour. I'd never tried any Sleek Make up before but I can honestly say that after trying this lipstick I'm eager to try other products that they do (just waiting for pay day)! The packaging is lovely and sleek (I see what they did there) and it makes the range look high end and a lot more expensive than it is. 

The colour is nice and vibrant and I find that its quite lasting so doesn't require lots of re-applying. It's also quite moisturising which is a bonus for me. I have high hopes for the rest of their products.

DiorKiss Lipgloss - Berry Smoothie 

Ok so this isn't exactly new but I still love it! Its great on its own or over lighter pink lipsticks. It does have a bit of shimmer in it so great if you want to sparkle up a matt lipstick. I know Dior lip glosses aren't cheap but I do love them. They always look cute and they do some great colours. I'll be upset when this one runs out.

Have you tried any of these? What did you think?

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What's made it into my skincare routine? #1

I used to be very lazy with my skincare routine in the past, it was very much rushed and routine probably wasn't the right word to even use. There was no wonder my skin would be all over the place. I would sometimes have dry patches, sometimes breakouts and with not having a proper routine it was difficult to always know what caused them. My skin is so much better now and I can't believe I didn't take more care of it before. It wasn't that I didn't have good products, I just didn't have a routine and also didn't take as much notice in what products were right for me. I would assume that if it was a popular product it would be fine for my skin.... which is of course not true because everyone is different and what works for someone doesn't necessarily work for others.


Here are a few products that are part of my current skin routine....

B. Pure Micellar Water (£4.99 for 150ml)

This is a 3-in-1 Micellar water that cleanses, tones and refreshes the skin. I've found it really good for completely taking off my make-up and leaving my face squeaky clean without feeling like its 'stripping' my skin like some very strong cleansers and toners i've tried in the past (Yes i'm talking about Clinique)! Which is why I can believe it really is suitable for ALL skin types including really sensitive skin. It truly is such great value for money especially as it really does do all 3 things it promises on the bootle. The lazy girl inside of me loves this product as its quick and easy to use - just apply to cotton pads and sweep over the face and eye area and no need to rinse. I am quite keen to try out some of the other products in this range from Superdrug.

Neutrogena Multi-Defence Daily Moisturiser (£7.99 for 50ml)

I really like this for an every day moisturiser as its light weight and has the added bonus of SPF 15 which is essential when its as sunny as it has been recently! I use this in the morning and evening (when I'm not using No7 Overnight Radiance Boost - more on that in a moment). You can pick this up slightly cheaper than £7.99 which is the price listed for Boots and Superdrug by visiting cheapsmell.com. 

I'm really pleased with the results of using this product. I do love my Clarins HydraQuench Cream but for a more affordable everyday alternative this is definitely my choice.

No.7 Beautiful Skin - Overnight Radiance Boost (£16.00 for 30ml)

So as you might of guessed from the title, you put this on at night before bed. I bought this about a month ago. I use this instead of a moisturiser but only about 3 times per week. It is a hydrating serum which is also supposed to mildly exfoliate to give you fresher more radiance skin in the morning when you wake up. When I first used it I think I was expecting a more dramatic result. Although my skin felt good I can't say I felt 'wow this product is amazing' and not that different to just moisturising. Although I did hang on in there and carried on using the product around every other night. I can honestly say its grown on me and although subtle at first I do notice the difference. You only have to use a small amount so I can see this lasting even though its only a 30ml bottle. I think I'll definitely re-purchase this when I do run out as its now a firm part of my skincare routine.

Nspa Youthful Eye Cream (£5.00 for 15ml)

I have to be honest and confess this is the first eye cream I've ever used. I'm really pleased with this product so far. Not only is it great value for money but now using an eye cream is definitely something I'll always do as part of my skincare routine.
I'm really impressed with the nspa range, the products are so good and yet so inexpensive for the quality. I also use their Melting Cleansing Gel and reviewed it here if you'd like to  give it a little read.


Have you tried any of these products? What did you think?

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The Body Shop's Beautifying Oil

I love this stuff! I only bought this the other day in the Shea and also the limited edition Brazil Nut but already know I'm going to be using it a lot over the summer. It smells amazing but not too strong and it is such a lovely light oil. You can use it on your face, body or hair for instant moisture. I think I will keep to using it on my body especially my legs and arms.

It only comes in 100ml bottles and at the moment it's hard to know how quick i'll go through it. I don't think you need to use a lot as it spreads pretty well and absorbs quickly. I suppose it various depending on what you'll be using it for (hair, face, body or all three).

I'm definitely pleased with the results. Below is a picture of my legs (excuse the paleness i'm hoping my holiday next week will sort that out)... the right leg has no product on it and the left is after i've just put on the Beautifying Oil. As you can see it really is instant moisture.

The price is currently £9.00 for 100ml. I think it is pretty reasonable especially if you use one of The Body Shops many promotions that they are always running in store or online. I believe they currently have a buy one get one half price on all skin care which does include their full range of Beautifying Oils. I happened to be buying a few other bits so used a different promotion, spend £30 and get £15 off (so basically 50% off if you only spend £30). I would definitely recommend checking online first as you can use some codes in store but they only advertise them online. The shop assistant that served me didn't even know about the £15 off when you spend £30 so I had to show her it on my iphone. 

There are currently 12 different scents that the Beautifying Oil comes in so plenty of choice but it does make it hard to choose as they all smell so good.

Have you tried one of The Body Shop's Beautifying Oils yet? If you have which one and what did you think of it?

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My new beauty find..... nspa

Review of Melting Cleansing Gel by Nirvana Spa (nspa)

Im visiting my mum for a few days and forgot a couple of essentials in the rush to get all my stuff together and packed before work. So I borrowed some of her products and was shocked to find out a few that I fell in love with were from.... ASDA. Yep, thats right the supermarket. Apparently nspa, created by Nirvana Spa, is exclusively available from Asda. 

I tried a few products that my mum had and want to tell you about one of my favourites from the range....

The Melting Cleansing Gel (125ml) - £6.00

I have used a similar product from Clarins (Pure Melt Cleansing Gel with Marula Oil) which I really liked but as this nspa product is a fraction of the price of the similar Clarins product I know which one I will be buying next time. It feels great on the skin and also smells lovely. When you first put it on it is a very soft gel that feels like it melts on the skin, once you put a little water onto your face it turns into a cleansing milk which you then rinse away.

  

My beauty products and make up range from more expensive brands (Dior, Clarins, Nars etc) to less expensive high street brands (Garnier, Neutrogena etc). If I can find products that are more purse friendly but can do what the more expensive products can do i'm all for it. I feel nspa do this perfectly. I will definitely be picking a few products up from this range and cant wait to try more out.

I'm all for 'Against animal testing'!

Currently there is an offer on in Asda to make these products even better value - buy two for £8. Its such a bargain that even if you just want to try them out or need a cheaper alternative until you can afford your more expensive favourite products its well worth it.

A few other products from the range...

Find out more about this brand here. Let me know if you've tried any of their products and if you recommend any.

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