My latest purchase in the quest of covering and hydrating my tired under-eye's is Benefit's Fake up Concealer in the shade Light. My regular concealer is Clinique's All About Eyes Concealer which has always been fine but just lately I've been finding it leaves my eyes a little dry and more tired looking (this concealer doubles up as a great blemish concealer too!) than before so I decided to jump in and purchase Fake Up for it's moisturizing purposes.

So as you might have guessed the moisturizing part of the concealer stick is on the outer with the concealer itself in the centre. Benefit say to apply to the under eye with light strokes and then blend into the eye area but I found it tugged a little at my under eye skin so I like to run the stick over the back of my hand to warm the product up and then apply with my ring finger.

The colour is perfect for me, so much so I can use it on blemishes on my face, as it's so moisturizing it doesn't highlight those dry blemishes at all. I do find that this concealer is a little too moisturizing to wear alone, you would need a dusting of powder to set however I like to use this as a moisturizing base and my Clinique All About Eye's concealer over the top. If you are looking for a moisturizing concealer then this is great, if you are looking for more coverage then not so great. The formula does live up to the hype of not settling into the creases of your eye or giving a cakey finish. 

I'm enjoying using this as a base for my Clinique concealer however using two concealers because they're ok in their own right is not really cost effective and I probably wouldn't repurchase wither. So the quest for the perfect concealer continues... 

Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara

A mascara that I have been loving lately is Bourjois 1 Seconde, from the Glamour Beauty Power List Box by Latest In Beauty.  This new mascara offering from Bourjois features a 'unique brush with spherical bristles to help wrap every lash in a 360 degree motion and the straight bristles help to create clump-free definition'. The formula is great, it is long-lasting and smudge free which is perfect for the up and coming rainy season. Although initially when looking at the brush it seemed quite bulky, it really does a great job of coating each lash without any nasty blobs in the corner of your eye or on your eyelids. This mascara doesn't so much build volume but helps lengthen and separate lashes for a more natural a polished finish. Retailing at £9.99 you can get this mascara plus loads of other great products (including Eyeko eye make-up remover wipes and Laura Mercier Primer) as part of the Glamour Beauty Power List box for only £15.99!  

Trial- Sized Tuesday's - Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

A couple of weeks ago I did a post on the fabulous Glamour Beauty Power List Box from Latest In Beauty and one of the products in it (one of the reasons I purchased it) was Laura Mercier's Foundation Primer (30ml). I know that Laura Mercier's primer, among a few other of her products, have achieved cult status in the beauty world so I really couldn't wait to get my hands on it and give it a go!  This primer is a gel consistency that absorbs into skin really well, not leaving an oil slick on the skin (which is a god send for me with my oily/combination skin!). One thing I like about this primer is that fact that it is undetectable under your make-up and it smells really fresh, kind of like baby wipes! The gel contains vitamins A, C and E which are said to shield skin from environmental damages that can age skin. Because of it's gel-like consistency I have found the advice of keeping it in the fridge great as it makes it more refreshing to apply in the morning and reduces any puffiness. I've been using this primer since Monday and can honestly say I'm really enjoying it. I wouldn't say it completely changes the finish of my foundation (MAC Studio Fix Fluid) but it does give me a little more of a dewy finish when worn underneath. I can't say it aids the longevity of my base any more than my regular primer (MAC Prep+Prime Skin) but it certainly doesn't shorten it.  As this sample from the Glamour Beauty Power List Box is 30ml (the same volume as most other primers) it will last a good amount of time, making that box well worth the £15.99 I paid for it! 

Topshop Lipstick Ohh La La

I do love a Topshop lipstick and whilst shopping for some essentials online last week I spotted an irresistible offer of 2 lipsticks for £12 so of course I obliged and chose two, one of which was the beautiful Ohh La La. Ohh La La is described as a 'Coral Blush'and has an ever so slight pearly finish. 

When I initially opened it it looked very orange, I wasn't sure I could pull it off however on it is an extremely wearable and beautiful peachy coral.

Excuse the grainy photo, but you get the gist...it's gorgeous right?! This shade is a velvet finish lipstick, it can be a little hard to wear on the lips because of the texture but I found it works best if you apply directly to the lips and buff in gently with your finger. Boy I wish I had bought this shade earlier in the year, I know this would have been worn all spring/summer!

Topshop Lipstick Inhibition

I posted a review on another recent Topshop lipstick (Oh La La) purchase the other day, in the same little haul I picked up Inhibition, a dark plum colour. With autumn on our doorstep I have desperately been searching for some vampy shades to rock and with Topshop having a 2 for £12 offer on their lipsticks I though what the heck.

Described as a velvet matte finish it actually initially feels a little waxy and moves around the lips when applying it, I found it best to apply and buff into the lips with my finger. 

I'm still on the bench with this lipstick. I like the finish however it sits on my lips a little weirdly and the natural colour of my lips peeps through. The colour is a little more purple toned than I was expecting and quite bold so it will take a bit of getting used to! 

Trial-Sized Tuesday's - BareMinerals BareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation Review And Swatch

A couple of weeks ago I received a sample of BareMineral's newest foundation BareSkin Pure Brightening Serum. I was really excited to try it as I've not really tried a lot of products by BareMinerals and the hype surrounding this foundation is quite big, so here's how I got on with it. Described as 'an ultra-thin silky texture' I couldn't agree more. I was surprised at how much coverage it provided for such a light foundation, it did glide on like a serum. 'One to two weightless drops transform, soften and smooth the appearance of your complexion' yes and no. For someone like me who has a bit of redness on the cheeks and quite a bit of acne scarring you'd definitely need more than one to two drops of foundation. It did look great on the areas of my face that need little coverage but I found I couldn't layer the foundation very well, due to it's serum type texture I ended up just moving the foundation underneath rather than layering it. I received a sample in the shade 'Bare Ivory' which was quite a good match, a little on the orange side (I'm off the self tan now we're stepping into autumn). My main bug bare with this foundation was the fact that anything I tried to layer on top of it be it my concealer or blusher just seemed to move the foundation underneath, it just wasn't settling into my skin! I don't suffer from dry skin, it used to be terribly oily however nowadays, blemishes aside, it is quite normal but after a few hours of wear the foundation went all weird and blotchy around my nose and mouth as if stuck to dry skin. As you probably can tell from my review I'm not a fan of this foundation. This foundation would be suitable for someone with normal skin who needs very little to no concealer for blemishes (in which case if that were me I wouldn't be wearing any foundation!). Foundation for me is a case of 'better the devil you know'...every time I get a little bored or something new comes out and I try it I'm usually disappointed and always turn back to my trusty MAC Studio Fix Fluid.

September's Birchbox Contents And Review

September's Birchbox has the theme 'Happy Days'...a celebration of new beginnings and reminiscing about our school days and well, just the things that make us happy. So here's what I received in my box this month...

Benefit It's Potent! Eye Cream

First up is Benefit's It's Potent!  eye cream (3g sample). I'm currently trialling this eye cream after receiving it in another beauty box recently so it's great to have a little back up as I'm enjoying using it. It's potent is a very thick, almost balm like cream that is packed with active ingredients including cocoa extract and apple extract to help microcirculation and collagen count. As well as being an awesome eye cream the packaging is so cute and looks great on your dressing table!

Agave Healing Oil Treatment

A product that tames frizz and helps heal damaged hair is something that is always welcome in my hair routine. Agave Healing Oil Treatment (4ml sample) is said to help build resiliency and boost radiance and shine. As well as being an intensive hair treatment it also doubles up as a body oil. I'm looking forward to trying this next time I wash my hair!

Korres Citrus Showergel

Showergel is always a product that I'm a bit blah about receiving in my boxes, but they are a practical item and I often do enjoy using them. Korres Citrus Showergel (50ml sample) has a lightweight formula and a refreshing citrus scent, perfect for an early morning pick-me-up!

Premae Mild Pro Dermabrasion

Anyone that reads my blog regularly will know that I love Premae's products! I already own the full size version of their Mild Pro Dermabrasion and love it. I received a 20ml sample which will be perfect to keep aside for nights away from home, this scrub has worked wonders (as part of a routine of Premae's products) for me blemish prone skin. Premae's products only include natural ingredients which I love and as a result of this have really noticed a difference with my skin.

Model Co Lip Lacquer Viva

A couple of weeks prior to despatch Birchbox subscribers were contacted to guarantee and choose between 3 products to go in their box (Model Co Lip Laquer in Viva or Morocco or their Power Lash Mascara) and I chose Model Co's Lip Lacquer  in the shade Viva. To be honest I only went for this product as I presumed it was going to be a matte or velvet product and was a little disappointed to find it was actually a gloss (I haven't done gloss since I was 14!). I'll give it a go, but I'm pretty sure this will go to my sister.

Also in this month's box as lifestyle extra's was a little clip photo holder and a bag of Urban Fruit (I received Strawberry). Not a bad box, but not the best either...after seeing the contents on various social media platforms I really wasn't that enthused when it arrived today. As with all beauty boxes you are going to get your not so great month's, fingers crossed for a better box next month!

Max Factor Lipfinity Review

I was thrilled to be selected by Product Testing to receive and review Max Factor Lipfinity lip colour in the shade 340 Essential Natural (I believe this shade is discontinued, however there currently are 20 other gorgeous shades to choose from).

Described as 'a revolutionary 2 step lipstick system that gives long lasting colour plus moisture' this lip product has some serious staying power, I'm talking so serious I struggled to remove it completely at the end of the day!

First off I will say prep your lips before applying, just a gentle exfoliation and a smidge of balm a few minutes before applying works wonders as this product can be a little drying and cling to any dry patches. After prepping lips simply swipe the wand across your lips, I found you need to work fast as it dries quite quickly and can look a little patchy if you go back over the area again.

The 'shine boosting' topcoat is a must to apply over the top to give your lips some moisture and sheen. The balm isn't at all sticky, it has more of a solid Vaseline feel to it. 

I really like the colour, it's a  nice subtle rosy pink, however looking online I believe it has been discontinued as I can't find this shade available anymore. Like I said previously this product really did live up to it's long lasting claims...I had to try 3 different make-up removers before I could get all of it off! It did last right from morning (7am) until the evening when I took my make-up off (around 8pm) but I did find I needed to keep applying the balm throughout the day as my lips would start to feel a bit dry. The fact the lip colour and balm are separate is good but not good in my opinion, great as you can just carry the balm around with you but not so great if you want both products in one place, they do have some products in their range that include colour plus gloss in one wand.

If you're looking for a really long lasting lip product I would definitely recommend this...and a good make-up remover!

Daniel Sandler Casablanca Lipstick & Cherub Watercolour Blush Duo

Daniel Sandler's Watercolour blushers have been something I've wanted to try for a while now and whilst shopping around for an autumnal berry shade lippy the other day I came across a bargain lipstick and blusher duo from ASOS, saving you 30% on the rrp.

The Watercolour blush in the shade Cherub is a richly pigmented lightweight liquid blush that gives a gorgeous wash of colour to your cheeks. You only need to squeeze the tiniest dot onto your finger, apply to cheeks and then blend with a buffing brush and the result is a natural glow. What I love about this liquid blush is you can build up the intensity of the colour without disturbing the make-up underneath. This blush claims to be waterproof...I am yet to put this claim to the test as I tend to avoid a downpour when I have a full face of make-up (who doesn't?!).

L Casablanca Lipstick
R Cherub Watercolour Blush

Casablanca is a deep berry shade of lipstick that compliments the blusher perfectly. Although this lipstick is matte it's not at all drying on the lips due to some lip-loving ingredients such as Shea Butter, Jojoba Oils and Vitamin A, C and E.

You can pick up this bargain duo from ASOS for only £20, these shades will take you from autumn to winter perfectly, I must restrain myself from buying all of the Watercolour shades as the formula is divine!

The Glamour Beauty Power List 2014 Box From Latest In Beauty

I absolutely adore Latest In Beauty's collaboration boxes with Glamour magazine, they are always excellent value and packed with a great variation of branded products that would each get used. Needless to say when they emailed me two weeks ago releasing a new box 'The Glamour Beauty Power List 2014' I ordered it straight away and waited impatiently for it to be delivered. When it arrived on Thursday although I already knew what the contents were I still let out a little shriek as I unboxed it. With a whopping value of over £80 but yours for £15.99 here's the contents...

• Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish  (30ml with muslin cloth) rrp £5.50
• Eyeko Mascara Off Wipes (10 wipes) rrp £6
• Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defense  (60ml) rrp £7.50
• Laura Mercier Foundation Primer (30ml) rrp £19
• James Read Sleep Mask Tan (25ml sample) rrp £12.50
• Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara (fullsize) rrp £9.99
• Maybelline Coloursensational Lipstick (fullsize) rrp £6.99
• Annual subscription to Glamour magazine (digital version for iphone/ipad) discounted by 62%

I'm already a huge fan of Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish (although I can't use it everyday due to my temperamental skin prone to hormonal break-out's) and I adore everything by Eyeko. The products I've most wanted to try from this box were the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer and James Read Sleep Mask Tan, the concept of an overnight mask that gives you a gorgeous glow in the morning is a winner for me.

I've purchased a few of the Glamour collaborations with Latest In Beauty and this has to be my absolute favorite as I genuinely will use every product! I imagine these boxes will go quite quickly so head on over to Latest In Beauty and buy yours today...you wont be disappointed!

  

Bobbi Brown Blusher - Coral Sugar

I did a post last Sunday on one of Bobbi Brown's latest blusher offerings 'PastelPeach' and mentioned I had also purchased this little beauty 'Coral Sugar'. I am like a moth to the flame with any product which has 'coral' in the name or description so when I saw Coral Sugar in the list of new shades I knew it had to be mine!

When I initially opened Coral Sugar I felt a little disappointed as I was convinced it was the same colour as another Bobbi Brown blusher I own Pink Coral (limited edition) but when you put the two together you can really see the differences between the two shades.

Pink Coral Top Left
Coral Sugar Top Right

Coral Sugar is definitely more of a pastel shade than Pink Coral and has clear lilac undertones compared to the flamey undertones of Pink Coral. This shade is a gorgeously fresh shade of pink. I'm struggling to pick the coral tone from the name, I would call it more of a pastel pink. Don't let my waffling put you off from trying it as it, like all other blushers from Bobbi Brown, is a gorgeous shade for anyones collection.

September's Pink Parcel - Contents And Review

You may have caught my post last month on my first Pink Parcel and it's contents. In case you didn't catch my post and don't know what Pink Parcel have to offer here's a little info on the fab subscription service tailored to your monthly cycle.

Pink Parcel is a monthly subscription service for your monthly! You can choose your brand, type and absorbency of either tampons or towels and they are conveniently delivered to your door a few days before your period with some lovely little extra's to cheer you up!

My weapon of choice is Tampax Compact. As I did last month I received an ample amount of (5x) Tampax Light, (7x) Tampax Regular, (7x) Tampax Super and (7x) Tampax Super-Plus to see me through. 

There was an issue with Pink Parcel's supplier this month which meant subscribers received their extra goodies a few days late. I did email their customer services about the missing items and they were quick to reply and just lovely. The wait for my extra goodies was well worth it as there were some fantastic items! 

• Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour Mascara £21 rrp
• Garnier 5 Second Blur  £9.99 rrp
• Witch Redness Relief Moisturiser (product discontinued from high st stores)
• Doisy & Dam Goji & Orange Dark Chocolate 40g
• Tea Pigs Chai Tea x 1 bag

If you like the look of Pink Parcel your first month is only £5.95 and every subsequent month is £9.95, not only convenient and a joy to receive but an absolute bargain! 

September's You Beauty Discovery Box

You Beauty Discovery  celebrates it's 1st birthday this month and they put together a pretty impressive shortlist of products to celebrate. On top of the fabulous shortlist of products including brands such as Perricone MD, Mavala and Eyeko they very generously included a full size Toni&Guy Glamour Volume Pumping Whip, a £25 voucher for Hello Fresh, a cosmetic sponge and some Crabtree and Evelyn tea! So here's my picks for Septembers box...

Eyeko Hydrogel Eye Patch

I adore Eyeko's products, needless to say when I saw their Hydrogel Eye Patches on the shortlist that was my first product choice made! I'm a big fan of under eye patches to help soothe tired eyes after a late night so these will be perfect for the forthcoming festive season (yep, I just mentioned it!). I received 2 sets of patches making the value of this selection £7.50...thanks YBD!

Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm

I've wanted to try some of Pixi's products for as long as I've seen them around but just never gotten round to it so I thought what better opportunity than now. I received Pixi's Tinted Brilliance Balm in the shade 'Lucent Glow' which is a translucent pink with subtle gold shimmer. I found it to b very hydrating and the cute sample size is perfect for throwing in your bag.

I say it every month and I'll say it again...You Beauty Discovery has to be one of my favourite beauty box subscriptions. Sure you don't get the element of surprise every month but I actually look forward to receiving my email with the shortlist of products and hurriedly logging into my account on the 1st of the month to order it! At £6.95 inc P&P YBD is incredible value for money and there really is something for everyone every month!

Bobbi Brown Cheeky Color Blush - Pastel Peach

Over the bank holiday whilst having a little browse at all the online offers I stubbled upon (much to my delight) some new shades of blush from Bobbi Brown. The first shade to catch my eye was Pastel Peach, a vibrant peach shade. As I had not seen a shade similar to this before I hurriedly added it to my basket, checked out and waited impatiently for it to be delivered. 

When I initially opened Pastel Peach it looked almost neon and I thought it was going to be way too bright for my (NC15) fair skin tone but boy was my initial reaction wrong! Like all of the other blushers I've tried from Bobbi Brown it has a silky, featherweight texture and blends seamlessly. Don't be intimidated by Pastel Peach's brightness, when applied it's the perfect matte shade of peach that completely lifts your complexion.

The only gripe, and I hate to say I have a gripe about a Bobbi Brown blusher as they are my all time favorites, is that as this is quite a light pastel shade it takes a fair few swipes to get a real pop of colour. Rather than this being about the product itself I think it's more to do with the shade on my skin tone.

I love this colour and find myself reaching for it almost everyday. I also purchased another new shade in the range named Coral Sugar which I will do a separate post on soon.

Urban Decay Naked Flushed Compact - Streak

Ok so it's probably not the right time of the year to be buying bronzers but as I'm a sucker for Urban Decay and a good old sale I just couldn't resist! I picked up the Naked Flushed Compact by Urban Decay last week from Feel Unique for a bargain price of £16 and my purchase definitely feels justified as this palette is just as impressive as their eyeshadows.

There are four palettes to choose from in this range, I decided to go for Streak as it has the lightest, more olive toned bronzer out of them all and the blush is a very wearable coral/pink. Streak leans more toward peachy/coral hues and would be suitable for fair/medium skin tones, although Urban Decay claim each is versatile for any skin tone I feel Strip (which is on the mauve side) would be too dark. The matte bronzer is the perfect shade to apply all over for a healthy glow with just a touch of the coral toned blusher needed on cheeks to give a healthy glow. The highlighter is rose toned and looks more natural in my opinion than your regular yellow/white toned ones.

Urban Decay Naked Flushed in Streak

This gorgeous trio is are just as pigmented as Urban Decay's cult eyeshadows. The texture is feathery-light and you only need the smallest amount for great colour pay-off. This compact is everything you need to take with you on your travels or even just as a space saving product in you make-up bag. You get a whopping 14g of product and a very generous sized mirror inside the case, making it an even more fantastic space saver. 

There may not be much of the summer left but I will be using this product as long as I can get away with it for. The great thing about this product is you can use the bronzer, highlighter or blusher individually or you can swirl together for just the right effect. Even at the full retail price of £22 this compact is incredible value and really does not disappoint.

Trial-Sized Tuesday's - Bobbi Brown BB Cream

I'm not one for BB Creams. Every single one I've tried has been totally off colour, most feel thick and greasy and they do very little for me coverage wise. I understand that BB Creams are not there to give you complete coverage, they are in essence a product that contains skincare and makeup in one package. 

I received a sample of Bobbi Brown's BB Cream in my last online order and I will admit when I got it out of the drawer to try yesterday I was on the fence without even trying it due to the poor experiences I've had with them before. I am pretty impressed with the ingredients this product contains-moisturiser, SPF 35 and foundation. There are 9 shades available in the range, I received the Shade 'Light' which is quite a good match for my skin.

This BB applied a lot better than others I have tried. Yes it feels like a creamy foundation but it doesn't sit on the skin like a greasy moisturiser it settles in and leaves skin quite glowy. I did find that I had to go back over with concealer for blemishes and acne scars, but I have to do this with most foundations so that's not biggy.

Whilst this is the best BB Cream I've tried so far I'm still on the fence about them in general. For someone with not particularly great skinI feel that if I'm going to go through the effort of wearing make-up I like to wear something with more coverage and a more perfect finish. This would be a great product for someone with relatively good skin, just to add a bit of colour and glow but sadly I feel it's just not for me.

August's Beauty Favourites

With August coming and going in a flash and September now upon us, reviewing my favourite beauty products from last month makes me kind of feel like I'm mourning the summer! I discovered some fantastic products throughout August and I'm going to be clinging to those summery buys until those early nights start drawing in. So here's my best buys of August, the products I've been reaching for everyday...

Body Shop Honey Bronzer

This amazing bronzer was also in my July beauty favourites, I did a post a few weeks ago with some swatches if you fancy checking it out for yourself. I've literally worn this bronzer everyday since I bought it, the shade (shade 2) is perfect for my fair (NC15) complexion and just gives you a totally natural, sun kissed look. 

N4 Super Comb Prep & protect

I discovered this gorgeous smelling leave-in conditioner in August's Birchbox. I did a post a few weeks ago about that box and the contents and this was my star product. Not only does it smell amazing but it leaves your hair so soft and more manageable. I loved this sample so much I went on to buy the full-size product and I must admit I now couldn't be without it in my routine.

Bourjois Cream Blush (R) Pink Sunwear

When Bourjois released their Summer 2014 products including these gorgeous cream blushers the blogisphere went nuts! Pink Sunwear was another product that featured in my July beauty picks. This subtle shade gives you a gorgeous glow and completely compliments my bronzer. I'll be sad to see this go in a drawer until next summer!

Essie Sand Tropez

One polish I've been taking off and reapplying straight away is Essie's Sand Tropez. This shade is the perfect greige that I will be wearing well into the Autumn/Winter. As with all of Essie's polishes that I've tried its fantastic coverage and I get around 3 days of wear before any chips appear.

Clarins Radiance-Plus Glow Booster

I did a post on this gradual tan a couple of weeks ago and I still feel now how I did then. This amazing gradual tan allows you do totally tailor your tan by controlling how many drops of serum you use a day mixed in with your regular daytime/nighttime moisturiser. This is one skincare product I will be rocking all year round.

Bobbi Brown Blush In Pastel Peach

I let out a little shriek inside when I saw Bobbi Brown had released new shades of their cult blusher. I hastily purchased two of the shades (post coming soon on those) one of them being Pastel Peach. This gorgeous shade looks great on cheeks for a little pop of colour. This is another shade I will be sporting for as long as the sun stays.

Lush Cosmetic Warrior Face Mask

This face mask is the best spot fighting mask I have tried in a long while. Anyone that reads my blog regularly will know that I suffer from horrible hormonal break-outs from time to time and this mask calms angry skin down and clears up break-outs. This is one mask I will be repurchasing now I've run out.

As much as I will miss the summer and will relish in those last few sunny days we have left, I am really looking forward to Autumn/Winter as there are some great products lined up for release and I can't wait to be sporting my favourite vampy lip and nail colours.