Maybelline Lash Sensational Serum Review

Hola!

Okay! Let’s kick 2019 off with a product review. Since the latter end of 2018 I started testing out the Maybelline Lash Sensational Serum. I love the mascara so when I popped into Superdrug to by a new one I spotted the lash serum and thought it might be worth testing out. 

I think most of us have one set of lashes that outshine the other. In my case my lashes on the right seemed to be much longer and thicker than on my left. The lashes on the left looked a little shorter and just didn’t have the same impact as my other side even with mascara. 

First of all let’s address some claims that the serum makes. The statement on the box says that ‘lashes look fuller and thicker in 4 weeks’, and ‘90% improvement in overall lash condition’. Now I ran my experiment over a longer period of time as I’m pretty sure the box said something like ‘people saw a bigger difference to their eyelashes after 12 weeks’. I don’t have the box anymore and didn’t make a note of that before I threw the packaging away (10/10 there for me being a reliable source of information). I also wanted to give the serum a fair chance and didn’t think 4 weeks was long enough. I ran my experiment on my lashes for around the 10 week mark. 

The directions said to use the serum on clean lashes in a morning and at night. I waited for the serum to dry before I applied my mascara. I can’t really comment too much on the product itself  as it is just looks like a thickish, goopy white/clear substance. It doesn’t have a noticeable smell and it dries clear. 

I didn’t really notice that my eyelashes looked longer because they were kinda long anyway. However, they do look thicker and I noticed that  smaller, new lashes had started to appear. 

I was going to put a before and after picture on here but looking back at my original ‘before’ pictures I realised that they would be of no help to anyone at all. I took them at the wrong angle and you can’t really tell what I was working with. Hopefully my little summary above gives you a rough idea of the outcome. I do have a decent after picture, but again I don’t think it’d be much help to you without a comparison. 

This retails for £14.99 and I know that there are much more expensive lash boosting serums out there so if you wanted to try a more affordable product then I would say ‘yes, go for it, give it a go….. but don’t expect to miraculously develop eyelashes that you’d find on Bambi overnight.’ I do think it works and if you gave it a full 12-16 weeks I’m pretty sure you’d see an even bigger difference than I did. 

Hope that this has been somewhat helpful and informative

Thanking you for stopping by.

A bientôt!

x

MAC Powder Kiss Lipsticks

As most will probably now have seen MAC have released a new range of lipsticks called Powder Kiss. They are a matte finish that don’t feel like your standard matte lipstick. In fact they feel like the opposite of a matte. They feel like a creamy lipbalm on application. They’re non-drying and super soft.

There are currently 16 different shades ranging from gorgeous nudes to fiery reds. Whilst they’re pigmented, the colour doesn’t go on as a thick block of colour. Instead you get a more blurred out romantic finish. Think soft focus and dreamy. If you’re wanting a lipstick for your wedding as the bride or bridesmaid then I think this would be a great option. Or, if you just want a nice, comfortable formula for every day then I would 100% recommend this.

It’s fairly long wearing but I wouldn’t say that it’s transfer proof. It does leave the classic lipstick mark on cups and glasses.

I’d recommend exfoliating and moisturising your lips before use as it does eventually settle into lines in the lip throughout the day. That being said it doesn’t look crusty or lose that lovely subtle pop of colour.

I bought mine in the shade My Tweedy, which is a blush toned nude. This would work best on light to medium skin tones. It has a ‘my perfect nude feel’ to it. It’s the kind of nude that would go best with peachy makeup looks.

They retail for £17.50 which I think is the same as MAC’s other lipsticks. I know some people might say that this is a bit expensive for a lipstick, but if you want to treat yourself and don’t like the feel of traditional matte lipsticks then I think you’d probably find it’s worth the £17.50.

Did I mention that it smells like outer shell of Cadbury’s Mini Eggs!? Not going to lie, this was a big selling point for me. If you love your MAC products and want a staple lipstick in your makeup bag then this is a sparkling little purchase.

Let me know if you’ve tried these too and what you think. Whats your go to lipstick?

A bientôt!

Ellie

x

 

Kiko Face Powders- The Underdog Brand

Hi there Guys,

Whilst I’m thoroughly enjoying blogging about makeup I thought I’d keep on sharing my love of Kiko with you.

I’m pretty sure I’ve said before that Kiko, in my opinion, are a tad underrated so I can’t help but want to sing their praises as their products are so good! I’ve recently been testing out the Matte Fusion Powder in the shade 04 to set/brighten my undereyes. It claims to have a natural matte finish which it definitely does. It takes away any excess shine, and as an oily gal, controlling the shine is paramount!

Because I bought mine in a lighter shade than my actual skin tone, when applied under the eyes it definitely has brightening properties. When I use this my undereyes don’t crease badly at all.

It’s worth pointing out that the powder is non-comedogenic, so for those of us that struggle with the odd breakout out and acne flair up, this is nicely reassuring that we can still use a face powder that is not going to make our skin even grumpier.

Okay, so…. Bronzer time. One word… AMAZING! I’m talking about the Flawless Fusion Bronzer Powder here. Enriched with argan oil it glides on like a silky, golden warm ray of sunlight. (The face powder also contains argan oil).

I’ve seen Kiko’s other bronzers raved about, I believe it’s their limited edition ones that catch people’s attention. But this is the unsung hero of Kiko bronzers. It sits in your makeup bag, looking all pretty and demure and then you apply it to your face and BAM! It’s like the cool nerdy girl from a 80’s/90’s chick flick that no one really paid attention to until she takes off her glasses and takes down her ponytail. Once you’ve tried this you’ll wonder where it’s been all your life. Although it’s matte it lifts your skin and adds a stunning glow.

These bronzers are geared more towards warming up the face so I wouldn’t suggest attempting to chizzle out your cheekbones with it. I have the lightest shade 01 and 04 (pictured). 04 is a bit more warm or orangey that 01 but with a light hand still looks natural. Again, like the setting powder, it is non-comedogenic. Both powders retail for £10.90 on the Kiko website.

Before I waffle on about these powders for even longer I’m going to leave it here and let you go and make your purchases.

A bientôt!

Ellie

x

Post Summer Haircare

Hi there guys!

We’re starting on a sombre note today and saying our goodbyes to Summer. What a beaut Summer it has been too, if a little humid at times. With those glorious rays of sunshine came tans (although mine had to be faked… as per usual), freckles and hair getting lighter.

While we can apply SPF to our faces and bodies, protecting our hair from excessive damage can be a little trickier. Now, I don’t believe in breaking the bank when it comes to keeping my hair healthy, so here are a few stand out products I’ve been using that have kept my hair fresh, soft and glossy. All of these products are from the same range bar one. And, altogether come to less than £10!! Less than £10!!

Before washing my hair I’ve applied a spot of  argan oil to my hair and really worked it all through from the nape of the neck. I generally leave this in for around 1 hour, sometimes longer if I have the time. Now I will confess, I forgot to include the oil I used in the picture, but it basically comes in a little brown bottle and is from the same range as the argan shampoo, conditioner and spray.

Next, I use the shampoo and found that the best way to get rid of the oil is to wash and rinse this through twice as the oil is quite thick. Then, a glob of the conditioner, again I run this through from the nape of my neck. and rinse thoroughly. Nothing groundbreaking here guys, just washing ma hair.

Just be aware that the shampoo contains Ammonium Laureth Sulphate and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate and can cause irritation to sensitive skin. I’m honestly not sure why they have Ammonium Laureth Sulfate as well as Ammonium Lauryl  Sulfate in the ingredients. According to beautifulwithbrains.com Ammonium Laureth Sulfate is considered to be gentle and is good for removing oils and dirt without drying the hair out. After doing a bit more digging too, the overall opinion on Ammonium Laureth Sulfate seems to be that it isn’t harmful or damaging to the hair or skin (which is ideal seeing as its in a shampoo right?!) I haven’t had any issues with this product, I just thought I ought to mention it incase anyone here avoids Sulfates in Shampoos altogether. For more information on Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate I’d recommend checking out https://www.greenpeople.co.uk/beauty-hub/blog/faq-als-vs-sls.

After washing and towel drying I spray the Argan heat protection spray all over which smells lovely. When I first sprayed it it definitely reminded me of something you would find in a professional salon.

After drying I use the Schwarzkopf argan oil. This is a non-greasy, smooth and silky product that keeps hair hydrated and soft. You only need to use a small amount as  a little does go quite a way. Overall after using these products my hair has definitely looked silkier and stayed in better condition for longer. My hairdresser even commented how shiny and soft my hair looked when I went for a trim a few weeks ago.

Thanks for popping over and I hope you’ve enjoyed the Summer as much as I have and look forward to Autumn too!

Bye for now,

Ellie

x

 

 

Essential Summer Makeup

Hi guys,

Welcome back and how very nice to see you again! As we’ve had one of the most scorching Summers to date in a long time here in the UK (as I’m sure everyone is very well aware), I thought I’d bring to you what makeup has been working for me during this particularly sweaty weather.

Getting makeup to stay on your face in muggy or just hot weather is not always the easiest. I was not blessed with bright undereyes and have a slight bit of pigmentation around my mouth. This, coupled up with being pretty pale isn’t something that screams summer glow. Don’t get me wrong, my skin isn’t horrendous, its actually fairly decent. It just lacks that healthy glow that a bit of makeup can give. If you identify with this then hopefully whats worked for me might work for you too.

Foundation

A heavy foundation isn’t always the best for your skin in summer, what with the heat and your face getting a bit sweaty and perhaps oily (like mine does) foundation can start to clog your pores. Also, I personally feel that a high coverage foundation in summer looks a bit too much sometimes. I either opt for a BB cream when I’m not at work or the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation. This might be a more of a psychological thing, but because the Healthy Mix is light coverage I feel like my skin is more able to breath. It gives you a really fresh glow and your skin just looks like skin.

For reference my skin is fairly oily on my forehead, cheeks and chin… maybe a bit on my nose too… all the usual places. I do blot my face every now and then but by the end of the day it still looks pretty good. I’d say I probably wear this foundation for around 10-12 hours, however it does claim to last up to 16. If you are super oily then this may not be your best friend but if you have dry to medium oily skin then you would probably really like this.

Just something to consider when checking this foundation out, the shade range is pretty poop! I think there are something like 6 shades maybe, and the darkest is still a bit too light for me when tanned. If you have lighter, yellow toned skin then you will probably find a shade to match you. Please Bourjois, bring more shades out with varying undertones out pronto because the formula is lovely!

BB Cream

When I’m not wearing foundation, i.e. on my days off, I will wear BB cream. I’m currently wearing the Garnier Anti-Age BB cream. This, as most BB creams are, is light coverage. It does feel nice and moisturising on your skin and my pores don’t feel clogged up with makeup thats going to make me break out. I believe this has an SPF of 15 in it, which is a must if you want to fight off skin damage from those pesky rays of sun.

Bronze and Blush

Bronzer is pretty much in everyone’s makeup bag, more so in summer. I generally opt for more warm toned bronzers as they look more natural, think of when the sun has just caught your face and giving you that lovely warm glow. One fabulous bronzer is The Body Shop Honey Gel Bronzer. It smells fresh, and delicious and is soooo easy and quick to apply. You can either use your fingers or a brush. I’m really funny about using my fingers to apply my makeup (I just dont like the feeling of makeup on my hands) so I use the Real Techniques Sculpting brush. It just hugs your cheekbones and fits the shape of your forehead PERFECTLY! Application takes seconds.

Blusher in Summer just finishes your face off nicely. I know quite a lot of people skip blush, but in Summer it’s so worth incorporating into your collection. It just gives your skin that little extra healthy looking boost. The Stila Aqua Glow blushers are really pretty, nice to blend out and not too pigmented if you don’t use too much. Just a small dot is needed. I also think more red toned pinks in summer look divine! A lot of people go for more peachy blushes (which are really easy to wear for near enough every skin tone) but I absolutely adore a strong more red toned pink like the blusher in the picture by Kiko. Sadly, the blush was was part of a limited edition collection last Summer so it’s no longer available, but if you ever spot one similar to this I would recommend testing it out. It really lifts your face and adds to the whole sun kissed look. It does look better with a bit of a tan though opposed to very pale skin.

Lips

Again, Kiko get a mention here. The Hydra Lipglosses are the nicest formula. They’re the type of gloss that is non-sticky and just make your lips look juicy! They are so shiny and glassy. If Kiko were to ever discontinue these I literally do not know what else I would use. The shades 19 and 03 are divine. I feel like they’re the type of lipgloss that, if you weren’t into glosses, would get you into glosses.

Setting Sprays

Two words: MAC Fix+. This stuff is magic in a bottle. I use it as a primer and setting spray. I definitely think it helps your makeup to last longer, especially in the smile lines department. When you spray it on after your makeup, after all powders have been applied it really adds dewiness back into your skin and takes away any powderyness.

The Barry M setting spray in the Dewy finish formula is also worth a mention. It’s much cheaper than MAC Fix+ but like Fix+, when used right at the end of applying your makeup, it does remove the look of powderyness and keeps your skin looking fresh. Again, if you’re super oily then you probably won’t love this but there is a matte version (which I haven’t tried). There’s also an illuminating spray too but when I sprayed the tester on my hand it appeared to have tiny specks of shimmer in it. If you want a glowy, illuminated look then maybe just stick to the dewy finish spray.

Thanks for stopping by peeps and taking the time to read through. Hopefully you’ve found something in here that’s been of some help when deciding on your next cosmetic related purchase. Have a great week!

Ellie

x

 

Testing Tanya Burr Makeup

Hi guys,

Today I thought I’d do a little testing brand makeup review. I thought I’d go for a brand that I’d tried before and throw in a few of their products that I’d not yet tested. This time I’ve chosen Tanya Burr’s makeup range to review. For anyone that doesn’t know who she is I’ll briefly fill you in. She’s a Youtuber who centres her videos on makeup tutorials, vlogs and lifestyle etc. She brought out her makeup collection a while ago but new products keep getting added. So in this blog post we’ll be looking at whether these products are worth trying or not.

Birthday Suit Eyeshadow Palette

First up is the eyeshadow palette, namely the ‘Birthday Suit’ quad. There are two mattes and two shimmer shades. The mattes are a dark cocoa brown and a more pinky toned light brown. The shimmers are a pretty soft pink and a lighter cocoa brown. First things first, the pigmentation isn’t very strong and the formula isn’t very creamy. However, they are buildable and bendable, not the quickest to blend but for an affordable drugstore palette they’re still quite nice. The shimmer shades are much the same. I’d probably say that the shimmery pink is creamier than the brown shimmer but you still need to go in with it a few times to build up pigmentation. The brown shimmer called ‘Cocoa Sugar’ (cute name eh?) is much more glittery and I think chalky might be the right term, forgive me if I’m wrong. There are visible chunks of glitter in this shade and there’s a fair amount of fall out. Out of all of the shades in this palette I would definitely say that this is the cheapest looking shade along with the formula. The shades are really wearable for everyday, it is just a shame about the quality.

Quality: 2/5

Selfie Lash Mascara

I haven’t really heard many people talking about her mascara (if loads of people have been talking about this then I’ve clearly been living under a bridge) but I was watching a ‘testing makeup’ video on Youtube and saw someone use this and I really wanted to give it a try. The packaging for this is really lovely. It has a luxury feel to it and reminds me of the YSL Baby Doll mascara packaging, yet the prices are miles apart, what with the Tanya Burr one being much more affordable. I don’t know why but I didn’t think it would be that good, yet the more I’ve used it the more I love it. It has a plasticky wand and thankfully it’s not too big. The formula isn’t too wet or dry and it gives your lashes a really lovely fluffy look. To me, my lashes look much fuller when I use this, it also gives a good curl. It’s not clumpy and it doesn’t crumble down your face halfway through the day. I’ll just point out one thing, I don’t think it is a lengthening mascara. When I’ve applied to my eyelashes they look pretty much the same length as they did prior to application. If you’re into your lengthening mascaras then this might not be for you. If, however, you’re happy with the length of your eyelashes but just want volume and curl (like me) then I think you’ll really love this product.

Quality: 5/5

Pink Cocoa Lipstick

Again, I need to mention the packaging of this product. It feels luxe, it’s quite heavy and like the mascara is in a gold case. Anyway, onto the actual product. The colour is pretty much as it’s described in the name. It’s a nude pink with a more brown undertone. It’s quite nice and moisturing and has a ‘my lip colour but better’ vibe. It isn’t super longlasting so it does need to be reapplied quite regulary.

Quality: 3/5

Lunch Date Lipgloss

I cannot say enough good things about this gloss! It’s moisturising, opaque, non-sticky, great smell etc. I believe it’ll suit a lot of different skin tones and goes with nearly every single makeup look. This was the gloss that made me a fan of glosses, up until that point i thought matte lips were the way forward and this changed the game. I just think glosses look fresher and make your lips look healthier and everything else more glowy!

Quality 5/5

As I’ve been writing this post I checked the Superdrug website for these products and none of them are there! However, when I  went into Superdrug…… pretty recently actually they were all there. I’m not sure if they’re out of stock and will restock (hopefully they will) but I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for them to come back on their website.

Thanks for stopping by peeps, please feel free to like, comment and follow.

Adios!

x

Glowing Pale Skin Essentials for Winter

Hola gals,

So here we are at the start of 2018 and the end of January. For most of us January is a bit of a slog and this January has been no exception for a lot of us. We’re all a little bit over the whole excitement of pulling out the winter woollies, thick tights and cosy socks and are pining for just a glimmer of spring sunshine. I’ve been trying to compensate for the lack of sunlight by giving myself a winter glow by putting some affordable drugstore products to good use. The Makeup Revolution liquid highlighter and L’Oréal True Match foundation I’ve never used before, the rest are firm favourites.

As a naturally pale chica I still want to have that radiant summer glow but modify it so that it’s a little more winter appropriate for my skin type and tone. For reference my skin is oily/combination and these are the products that I’ve found that work really well for me in the winter months.

First of all the body shop Instaglow CC cream is just amazing! It leaves a really lovely glow that lifts the skin from being flat and in need of a boost to looking more moisturised and fresh. Is has SPF 30 (and we’ve all firmly established now that SPF is needed all year round) and protects against UVA and UVB light.

Generally I like to mix the Body Shop CC cream with a gel based moisturiser and the Makeup Revolution liquid highlighter drops. I bought mine in the shade Euphoric Gold. I don’t like popping this on top of my foundation as I think it’s a little too glittery for my liking. However, mixed in with moisturiser, it gives the foundation a little extra something. Up close, and I mean, when you look really close, you can see small glitter particles peaking through but it really doesn’t look like you’re wearing kid’s craft glue glitter on your face at all!

Once all the moisturising is done and dusted the foundation that I’ve been throughly enjoying is the L’Oréal True Match in the shade 1D/1W, Golden Ivory. I’ve found that it is very long-lasting and gives good coverage. I only use one pump of the foundation as I don’t like full coverage even in winter. Any extra coverage I need I make up for with concealer (but we’ll come onto that in a bit). If you like a very dewy foundation then this isn’t for you. I’ve found that it’s a soft, natural finish. Not super matte but not uber dewy either. So, for we gals that are a tad oily it controls that really well and still looks flawless at the end of the day.

I’m not going to talk about this one too much as everyone and their grandmother’s cat loves this concealer. It’s the Colllection Lasting Perfection Concealer in the shade 01 Fair. For some this is still a little too dark for pale skin but I believe they have released a lighter shade which is great for paler people than me but I can actually get on with this one. It’s great coverage and feels extremely comfortable on blemishes and under the eyes.

Let’s be honest, in winter the elements are well and truly against us. Heaven forbid you want to wear eyeshadow and expect it to last all day. Well, we’ve all heard many a beauty guru big up the Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion or MAC’s Paint Pots as a holy grail eyeshadow base. What does the drugstore have to offer? The Collection Primed and Ready eye primer is for me, a hidden gem.  I have pretty oily eyelids ( surprise surprise), yet once this is set with powder I find that it helps my eyeshadow to last all day and prevents creasing. For £4.99 can you really go wrong in trying it out.

One of my favourite steps when putting my makeup on is definitely bronzing. In this step I go from looking like an anaemic pancake to looking healthy and bronzed. Can anyone relate? I have my summer bronzers and they’re great. But if I used them winter it’d look like I had a giant brown patch on either side of my face and forehead. For a more pale skin appropriate, melt into the skin type of bronzer perfect for winter I use the Kiko Bronzing Powder in the shade 01. It’s quite warm toned so not ideal for contouring, but if you just want to add a bit of warmth and dimension to your face then I would highly recommend this. Kiko do some great bronzers, they’re soft and smooth and the more shimmery ones are stunning but its worth noting that this one is matte. Despite it’s matte finish it gives the skin the boost it may need.

Last but by no means least is highlighter. This is where the magic happens. One product I’ve recently rediscovered my love for is the collection sculpt and contour duo. I very rarely use the contour pan but it is a good shade, don’t go too heavy with it as when pale it can look a little too dark. The highlighter however is so pretty. If you’re not into natural highlights this won’t be for you, yet if you want a subtle glow this just makes your skin pop. When applied with a fan brush just to the tops of the cheekbones is gives a gentle, lit from within look. There aren’t really any chunky glitter particles (thank goodness!) so you do just get a lovely soft focus glow. You can build it up to be more noticeable but for everyday It’s nice to have something more understated.

I know I haven’t featured a blusher in this but literally any of the Benefit blushers are an absolute winner. For pale skin Dandelion and Sugarbomb are perfecto! If you want something more affordable, Makeup Revolution do some great blush palettes. For instance the Hot Spice palette has pretty much any blush you’ll need. Beware though, the shades are very pigmented, so make sure to go in with a gentle hand. Again Kiko get a mention here as their blushers are gorgeous! Their packaging never fails to impress either.

I hope this has been helpful and if you fancy please tell me your favourite winter makeup essentials or just makeup essentials in general in the comments.

Adios!

x