Monthly Favourites - February

I am posting this a little bit early this month and I do hope you will forgive me. I am been very busy working on some really exciting test shoots to expand my portfolio. While these shoots are brilliant experience for me, they have meant that my blog has been a little bit neglected. I will get back on track in the coming weeks and have just invested in a fancy new tripod and light which means I will no longer have to bribe my husband to take pictures of me. So stay tuned for a few more tutorial type posts in the coming weeks. 

Makeup Forever Foundation Brush #100 - I tend to use Makeup Forever's HD foundation a lot when I am working and I recently invested in one of their brushes. It has a round tip which is different from your usual flat foundation brush. I find the round tip helps to 'push' the foundation in to the skin giving it a more flawless finish.

Revlon Matte Balm in Striking - I wrote a full review of these (which you can read here). While the matte texture has taken a bit of getting used to, i'm loving this punchy colour at the moment. There is something quite uplifting about applying a vibrant lip colour when the sky is so grey. I can't wait to see which colours they release next.

Bellápierre Eye-shadow Trio​ - I picked up this eye-shadow set featuring the colours Champagne, Earth and Cocoa at my local TK Maxx for about £15 in November. It also came with 2 brushes and a makeup base. Like anything by Bellápierre, the pigments are strong so you only need to use a tiny bit of product to get an amazing effect. They are really pretty for day time looks and I am now stalking my local TK Maxx to see if they have any more.

Clinique Moisture Surge Gel Creme - I have been slathering this on every night in Winter and my skin has escaped any major dryness. I love how it feels as if it is creating a barrier on your skin yet at the same time it is very light-weight.  Well played Clinique ... well played indeed.

Luxe versus Less, Illuminators. Becca versus Revlon

I recently invested in a product I had wanted for absolutely ages - the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal, only to get it home and realise it is rather similar to the Revlon Photoready Skin Lights in Bare Light. Something happens to me in Space NK. I go into a vortex and my eyes glaze over. I can't remember what I already have or what I really need and end up spending way more than I meant to. For this reason, I don't venture in there often as I just can't be trusted.

Obviously I had to do a comparison. First off the Becca version is much creamier than the Revlon which is much more liquid. I find the creamier texture easier to blend and you can get the product exactly where you want it without over doing it. If you are planning to mix it with your foundation then I find the Revlon one easier to mix and a little lighter to wear over the entire face. 

As you would expect, the Becca packaging is much more luxe however I do get annoyed with these pumps as they also dispense way more product than you need. Even though the Revlon is runnier in consistency, is is much easier to get the amount you want out of the tube so you don't end up wasting it.

As you can see from the swatches, once blended into my hand they are almost identical. Becca's version does come with the addition of being SPF 20+ which is a bonus if you live somewhere where the sun actually shines. Obviously in London this is not really necessary.

Top: Revlon in Bare Light, Bottom: Becca in Opal

Partially blended ....

Fully blended and you can't really tell which is which ....

The Becca comes in 4 shades, and it is £33.00 / $66.00 for 50ml. The Revlon also comes in 4 shades and it is £11.99 / $29.95  for 30ml. While I love the Becca brand, the packaging and the whole philosophy behind the makeup, I just can't ignore how good these Revlon illuminators are ... and at almost half the price I think I will always have them in my kit and perhaps keep the Becca for personal use for those days when i'm feeling expensive!

Revlon Colour Burst Matte & Laquer Balms

Welcome to Revlon Kissable Balm Stains version 2.0. Regular readers of my blog will already know how much I love the originals. The colours Honey and Crush are my particular favourites. Suffering from constant dry lips, I have never been a huge fan of matte lip products but in the spirit of keeping with the times (and the fact that my lips are now in good shape thanks to my By Terry Baume de Rose), I wanted to give them a try.

The Boots 3 for 2 deal gets me every time ....

I went for the colours Elusive, a soft pink and Striking which is an orange-based red. Of the two, I actually prefer Striking as it works well to give a bit of a kick to my usual Winter uniform of black and grey clothing. Elusive will come into it's own in Spring I think.

Top: Striking,  Bottom: Elusive

They all have the zingy mint feel that the original balm stains have. It reminds me of Blistex. 

Boots released these with a 3 for 2 deal so I also purchased the Laquer Balm in the colour Demure. I don't need this but it was basically free. Enough said. The colour of the Laquer Balms is very sheer and better suited to the warmer months for me. 

I don't feel that they have the same staying power of the Kissable Balm Stains which is a shame. If you like drawing your lipstick on using a crayon format, then you will enjoy using these. Priced at only £7.99 here they are a good budget alternative to other products out there but I must say that I do prefer the formula of the Kissable Balm Stains over the Matte and Lacquer versions.

My Favourite Things - October

I thought I would share a few of my favourite makeup  and beauty things that I have discovered throughout the month of October. 

MUA Matte Palette. MUA just keep delivering with these amazingly well priced palettes. It features 10 matt shades which was exactly  what I need as my eyeshadow collection was weighing far too heavily on the shimmery side. Seriously, it is only £4.00 pounds here and the quality is great. You can't go wrong! They ship internationally too.

Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Muscle Gel. This stuff is dreamy. Rubbed on after a night time bath, it encourages an extra deep sleep. I got this inside the Liberty Beauty Bag a while back and it has been a great discovery. The full size of this product is currently on sale for £17.60 here, with free international shipping. I am also a massive fan of the Aromatherapy Bath Oils .. check them out, they are amazing! 

Karla Cosmetics Face Charts. Created by the amazingly talented Karla Powell, I had been searching for something like this for a long time. Having previously been using MAC face charts I had stolen off the web (i'm sorry MAC) and printed on copy paper, the paper quality on these ones is lovely. Karla is also currently holding a competition - the creator of the best face chart will be assisting Karla on one of her upcoming shoots. I am working on my entry right now! You can buy these here for £11.00.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush is the perfect berry stain for my lips right now. More details here. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. This is still my current favourite luxe splurge. I have been using it on myself and on photo shoots and i'm loving it. More detailed review here. 

I can't wait to see what favourites November throws up for me.  

Raspberry Crush

As the weather cools down here in London, I find myself reaching increasingly for the one colour of makeup. Raspberry, claret, cranberry and oxblood. I can't seem to get enough.  

These are the products I am using on high-rotation until I get over this little obsession of mine. 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush - this is my second purchase of this product as I used it all summer long in the colour Honey. I love the texture, the staying power and the subtle amount of colour it gives. I also love the price, hello £7.99 ... You can buy this from Superdrug (UK) and Priceline (Aus) for $17.95.

Kiko Velvet Matt Lipstick in Cherry Red (609) - this was an accidental purchase as I wandered past the Kiko store last week after vowing not to buy any makeup. It was £6.90 and a luscious colour. I was powerless. You can buy this online here if you are based in the UK. For a list of countries that they ship to go here. Unfortunately Australia is not currently on their list.

Pixi Beauty Sheer Cheek Gel in Rosy. This colour can look a little scary in the tube but it goes on in such a sheer way that it gives the look of a lovely natural flush. £12.25 from Beauty Bay with free international shipping.

For a full review of this product go here. 

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate - rusty tones can be scary to apply around the eyes. You need to get the colour just right or the results can be pretty awful. This gel-cream eye shadow has a brownish undertone which is key in avoiding the 'i've been crying all night' look. It is a shade you need to try. £4.99 from Superdrug (UK) and Priceline (Aus) for $11.95.

For a full review of this product go here.  

Cheating a Radiant Glow

Lately it has been all about cheating my way to a radiant glow and in my quest for dewy, youthful looking skin I have come across some great products. There are many ways you can achieve a glowing look but my favourites are to either add a shimmery liquid to my foundation or to subtly high-light certain areas of the face.

My stash of illuminators and highlighting products

Revlon Photoready Skinlights have just been reintroduced to the Revlon range and I am really enjoying using them. The product is a lovely light liquid that you can mix in with foundation or use over the top of your foundation to highlight. There are 3 colours in the range, and I have purchased 'Bare Light' and 'Pink Light'. It is really simple to work with - just add a touch of 'Bare Light' to your foundation for a lovely all-over glow, or a few drops of 'Pink Light' patted along the cheekbones and under the arch of the brow to add a subtle highlight to the face. At only  £11.99 a pop, I think they are a makeup kit must have. You can get your hands on these in the UK here. In Australia you can buy these are Priceline here for $29.95 and at the moment they have a 3 for 2 offer on. Run. 

L-R: Bare Light and Pink Light

Clinique Uplighting is another great liquid product that is easy to blend. It comes in 3 shades - Natural, Bronze and Blush. It is good however I struggle a little with the packaging as I find anything with a pump dispenser pumps out way more than you need which equals a fair bit of wastage. The Natural shade is my pick of the three. It costs £21.00 and you can buy it here. In Australia this costs $48.00 and you can buy it here.

Those of you who read my post on the Liberty Beauty Gift Bag (here) will know that in there I received a small size of the Nars Illuminator in Orgasm. This is a cult product so I had high hopes going in and I wasn't disappointed. It is similar to the Clinique but in a slightly pinkier tone. It glides on like a dream, gives the perfect amount of highlight and can even act as a subtle blush. Definitely another Nars addiction happening here and I will certainly be investing in the other shade 'Copacabana'. There are 4 colours in the range and they cost £22.00 here. In Australia they cost $48.00 and you can buy them here.

Nars Orgasm and Clinique Uplighting

Bloom Illuminiser

One of my all time favourite cream highlighter is from the Australian cosmetics line Bloom. It comes in stick  form which makes it very easy to apply without accidentally over-doing it. A little bit goes a long way and it lasts forever. It comes in one shade only which is a 'champagne sheen' but it gives good glow. It costs $35.00 and you can buy it here. They do ship internationally if you are UK based but the rate is quite high unless you spend $100 to qualify for free shipping.

Just remember not to over powder your face after applying these products or you will undo all your good work.  

If you prefer your makeup in powder form, you may want to check out the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle. A light dusting of this on the high points of the face can be really pretty. I think powders are easy to be a little over zealous with so go easy with the application to avoid looking too sparkly.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle