Review: MAC Studio Tech Foundation

What product is it?

MAC Studio Tech Foundation (My shade is NW15). As with most MAC compacts it comes with a sponge and mirror.

You can see a swatch of this on my skin here:







(Front)







(Back)






(Product)





How much does it cost?

£23


Where can I buy it?

Either from a MAC Counter, Store or from their website/s:

MAC Cosmetics UK (UK)

MAC Cosmetics (International)


What is the formula like?

The MAC website description for this product describes it as "A tri-system blend of water, emollients and powder. Looks solid, glides on as a soft, creamy emulsion. Provides a natural matte, powder-perfect finish. Smooth to blend, easy to work with: provides a full range of coverage. Light diffusing: softens lines, creates a fresh, flawless finish. Good on all skin types."

Studio Tech has a very creamy formula. I found it applied well to the skin and blended nicely. It definitely leaves a matte, powder finish. I would personally use my hands to apply this as I found the formula quite streaky with a foundation brush. It works best with the warmth of your fingers. If you really detest the idea of using your hands then it also works nicely with a sponge.


What is the coverage like?

This was one of its downfalls in my opinion. I have pinkish/mild red undertones in my skin and I found I had to apply another layer of this to correct those areas of my face. The plus side is even after applying a few layers it still feels light on the face. Many of MAC's other foundations (such as Studio Fix Fluid) can feel very heavy just after one layer, let alone two. So this is a great light feeling foundation for Summer time. In the first photo below you can see one side of my face with one layer of this foundation and the other with two. (Also note in the first photo I have no foundation on my chin, just to show you the extent of the redness of my breakout)

I have marked which side of my face has 1 layer which has 2. You can clearly see the side with 2 layers looks better but there is still some redness showing through. The second photo demonstrates a third layer of this foundation.

Left Side: 2 layers

Right Side: 1 layer





(Up close)





Full Coverage (3/4 layers)





I also thought it would be interesting to show you how well this covers red spots. I have a few right now because I am nearing that 'time of the month'. I always suffer breakouts around this time, it's lame, I know.

Anyways, here I have applied 2 layers over the top of my spots. The one on my chin is a 'dry' spot meaning it's red and has dry skin around it. The others are regular spots. The reason I am pointing this out is so that you can see how well it covers dryer spots (with dry skin around them) compared to normal ones.


As you can see it does a pretty good job of covering up with two layers (I haven't used any concealer on top of it):





What is the lasting power like?

Not bad. It all depends on what you do in the day and how well your skin holds makeup in general. Foundations work differently for different people so please take what I am about to say as general advice and not 100% confirmation.

If you're just working inside (say at school/university or in an office) then this will last you most, if not all of the day, no problem.

If however you lead a more active life (say your job involves being outdoors, being active or if you just play sports) then you might not get the same results.

I really hate to say this about a MAC foundation but after going to the gym with this on I found there was barely any of it left on me once I was done. I've got drugstore foundations which have stood up to my workouts better than this one. I have dryer skin for the most part too (I usually only get a little shiny when it's super hot outside) so I'm not sure how someone with oily skin would get along with this. I'm guessing not very well. Their other foundations that I own last much longer on me.

Nevertheless I do love the light feeling of this and the coverage, once achieved, is really nice.

Maybelline Express Finish Nail Polish

Shade: I am reviewing Onyx Black here but they come in a variety of colours.

Cost: Varies from £3 to £4 depending where you buy it. I bought mine from Boots. You can also buy this online anywhere :)






What is the colour pay off like?
Very good. You get a nice deep black colour and pretty shine.

Yes, I know my nails aren't perfect. That's alright :)




What is the drying time like?

Absolutely excellent. I can not praise this enough. It says 40 seconds on the bottle but I swear it didn't even take that long. I was absolutely thrilled because my number one pet peeve with nail polishes is bad drying time. I have so many other polishes that take forever to dry or need so many coats before you get the result you want but this only needs one coat. It's fantastic.


What is the consistency of the polish like?

Great. It's not gloopy, thick or difficult to apply.


How well (accurately) does the brush apply the polish?

It's a regular brush so much the same as any other. It glides on pretty nicely.

Is it worth the money?

YES! If you're like me and have no patience with nail polish drying times then GET THIS. It's too awesome for words.

Review: Max Factor Miracle Touch Foundation

I bought this foundation nearly two weeks ago now and I have used it quite a few times. Here's my review of it :)

The shade I purchased was 'Creamy Ivory'.

The Product:



What is it?

This is a cream foundation with a silky/creamy texture.


How do I use it?

You can use a sponge, a brush or your fingers to apply it. The product as you can see, comes with a sponge inside the case:



How much does it cost?

A little pricey at £11.99 from Superdrug though in comparison to high end department store foundations like MAC, that price is pretty damn good. (Most high end foundations set you back at least £19 upward.) I believe both Boots and Superdrug offer a free Max Factor concealer when you purchase any Max Factor foundation too so score :D (The concealer is actually pretty good too.)


What is the coverage like?

I have a fair complexion with a little redness in my cheeks. I found this covered my redness very well and it made my skin tone look fresh, picture perfect and really even. The foundation itself claims to offer medium to heavy coverage. I think it is definitely true to its word. (This coming from somebody who is very accustomed to using high end foundation!) I am in love with the coverage of this. The formula is also like a dream. It's creamy and glides on like butter! It's perfect, even when you have a cluster of bumps on your face like me, it will still smooth over them nicely.


What's the staying power like?

Great! It lasted me all day! I do have patches on my face that get both dry and oily and I can say it worked very well for both areas of my face.

Any scent?

No, none at all.


What about the packaging?

I actually had some issues trying to open the bottom compartment to retrieve the sponge as I couldn't find the ridge that allows you to open the case. The packaging is split into two parts. The top part is a glass round jar that contains the foundation itself and you twist this to open it. The bottom is a shiny black plastic case that you flip open to retrieve/store the sponge. This is good because it prevents your sponge from spreading grot onto your foundation but can also be viewed as a hassle since you have to put the packaging back together to store it which means attaching the glass part to the plastic part. I wasn't particularly bothered by this personally though.

Review: MAC Face And Body Foundation

Product: MAC Face And Body Foundation
My Shade: C1





Swatch




How much does it cost?

£23 from any MAC store or online at MAC's website. Please be aware that the price varies with delivery charges if you order online.

Does it have a scent?

No, it's completely unscented.


How does it work? How much coverage do I get?

MAC Face and Body Foundation is a liquid foundation but unlike Studio Fix Liquid Foundation, (and the majority of liquid foundations out there) this is much thinner. It goes on like water and then dries fairly quickly enabling you to spread the foundation and blend it into the skin effectively. The coverage is sheer so you will see a much more natural coverage than any other thicker foundation.

Unlike Studio Fix this does not have SPF. Foundations with SPF reflect light in flash photography and this can make you look ghastly white so if you want picture perfect appearance whilst clubbing for example then this is very ideal. Go one shade darker than normal if you want extra coverage as this is very sheer. SPF is essential and I still stress the importance of using it but if you want to go clubbing for example you aren't going to need SPF so this factor will not matter.

Read here for more information on the formula of this product.

How do I apply it?

Use a foundation brush or your fingers for best results. A sponge won't be as effective due to the formula being thinner which will cause your sponge to absorb most of the product. In all honesty I apply this with clean hands as I have found this to be the best method.



What's the perfomance like?

Like all MAC Foundations this has exceptional lasting power. I have worn it for 8+ hours and it has lasted nicely. It would certainly stand up to heavy clubbing!


What about removing it?

This comes off easily. I personally use a facial cleansing wash to take it off but use whatever method you're happy with.

How about the packaging?

This comes in a 120ML plastic bottle. It has a screw cap lid and a small nozzle to enable more control on how much product you want to extract so less waste!

Any down points?

Only in that the useability may be difficult for some people who are used to thick liquid foundations. You will find this much thinner and blends much differently to your usual liquid foundation but once you get past this, it's excellent to use.

This is also pricey but it lasts a very long time so you do get your money's worth.

Some people have also complained that this makes their shiny complexion shinier. I don't have an oily complexion but I did notice after 8 hours wear that certain areas of my face had a little shine. This was easily resolved with some blotting powder but I imagine for anyone who suffers with an oily complexion that this may be hit or miss for you.

Superdrug Tea Tree Facial Wash

Superdrug Tea Tree Facial Wash With Natural Tea Tree And Peppermint Oils

Price: Approximately £2.60




Claims to remove makeup, dirt, oil and encourage a spot free complexion. Tea tree has antiseptic qualities and peppermint is used for its therapeutic and cooling effects on the skin.

Packaging

This facial wash comes in a clear tube with a very simple green lid and leafy design on the front. The clear tube allows for you to see just how much product you have left and thus helps to reduce the amount of wasted product whilst the squeeze tube itself reduces mess and allows you to extract the exact amount of product you desire.

Texture



Product is in a liquid gel form. When lathered it feels very soft. The photo here shows what the product looks like out of the tube in daylight.


Scent

Absolutely gorgeous scent. As with many of Superdrug’s facial washes, this smells divine! It has the familiar scent of tea tree combined with a sweet peppermint scent. Let it be known I hate peppermint in general. The taste and smell of it repulse me but it smells SO good in this face wash! I was surprised I liked it because of my general dislike for peppermint but that wasn’t the case. It’s a very pleasant smell.

Wash, Lather, Rinse – Or How To Use This Product

This easily lathers in water. Rinse your face with luke warm water to begin with. Don’t try and massage this over dry skin because the product won’t spread over the skin easily and it’ll essentially feel quite rough if you try to do this. Then take some product in your hand, lather it under some luke warm water and spread over your face. Spread the product gently (don’t yank or push/pull your skin around) and evenly, avoiding the eyes. Finally rinse off with cool water to close pores and soothe/cool the skin. Pat dry with a dry, fluffy towel.


How Well Did It Work?

I used this facial wash for over a month before I wrote this review so I got to know it pretty well. I wanted a good facial wash to remove my makeup and clean my face. I also wanted something to clear up my skin and at the end of the day and that is exactly what I got. I noticed the number of zits I got decreased after I started using this daily. If you don’t use it daily it won’t be effective. Use it morning and night to see good results. It took my entire facial make up off very well and left my skin feeling very refreshed and clean. It also left my face smelling nice according to my boyfriend. Haha.


Buy Again?

Oh I will. Not only is this product cheap but it smells fantastic and it does exactly what I need my facial wash to do. I even bought the travel size to take with me when I go away so I must’ve liked it a lot as I’ve never done that with any other facial wash before.

Dior - Dior Show Blackout Mascara Review

Price: £19 from any Dior counter

Now you have seen the price, we're practically done with the bad points of this mascara. Stupidly expensive but infinitely worth every single penny. I used to spend at least £5 to £7 per time on a new tube of mascara hoping it would live up to its promises and give me the volume I wanted. In the long run I end up spending over £100 a year on multiple tubes of mascara and no mascara I've owned so far has come close to this one. This might just save me some pennies because instead of spending £100's a year trying to find a good mascara I can now spend £19 maybe twice a year.

Because let me tell you, the tube is huge and it'll last me a good few months. It's big enough to ensure you're getting enough product for your money.



The wand, as you can see by the pictures, is also huge. A huge wand is important if you're after some volume. It covers ALL of your lashes in just a few sweeps and has a fine tip which is useful for getting at the inner lashes.



I heard about this mascara a few times from a friend of mine - Leesa - who always said how amazing it was which is what enticed me to the Dior counter in the first place. When I tried it I realised why she raved about it so much. It gives absolutely fantastic volume and length. Not to mention some nice lash seperation.

The only downside is the price. £19 a time is expensive but if you take into consideration how much you might spend on a few volumising mascaras a year then you're not really breaking the bank too much and this does the job SO well.

If you're looking for a mascara that will give you dramatic volume, amazing length and lash seperation then definitely get this mascara. The lasting power is amazing too and there are no flakes, smudges and no nasty scent.

One thing that isn't so much a bad point but something to be wary of is the removal of this mascara. Because the lasting power is so good it takes a little bit of effort to take it off. You'll need a good cleanser or some baby oil (pick one that is suitable to use to remove your eye make up) to take this off. Let the cleanser/baby oil soak into your lashes and this will make the job easier.

Three words conclude how I feel about this mascara. The same ones my friend Leesa used to describe it to me. Infinitely worth it.

MeMeMe Eye Spy Eye Liner Pencil in '01 Cleopatra'

MeMeMe Eye Liner Pencil in 'Cleopatra'

Price: I paid two different prices for each pencil I bought as I got these from Ebay. You can get them from Superdrug for almost £4 which is horrendous so get them off ebay much cheaper instead!






Packaging

Sleek and silver with two lids on each end. One lid for the smudger and one for the pencil end. The lid on the smudger end never stays on though :(

Scent

No scent

Texture/Colour

Creamy texture and deep dark black pigmentation. Colour pay off is excellent.

What Does It Do?

Defines the eyes and can also be used to create a soft smokey appearence by smudging it around the lash lines.

How To Use It

You can use this all over the outer eye, including on the waterlines. I wear contact lenses and it caused no irritation whatsoever when worn on the waterlines. It has a convinient little smudger on the opposite end to the pencil so you can flip it over and use this to create a soft smokey look :) The smudger works pretty well. I tend to just use the edges rather than the flat surface of the smudger as it's a little chunky for my taste. Does the job though!


How Well Does It Work?

It goes on extremely well and lasts about 5 hours on the waterlines before you need to top it up which is pretty damn excellent as it's very hard to find an eyeliner pencil that will stay put on this area of the eye in particular. It stays on all day on any other part of the eye. You don't have to work to get the colour to show and it glides on comfortably and softly. The only problem I noticed with this was that because it is so creamy it smudges like crazy if you aren't careful. If you have an oily complexion you could still use this but I would recommend setting it with a black eye shadow (apply black eye shadow over the eye liner) to stop it from sliding everywhere and keep it lasting a long time. For its lasting power and colour pay off this is one of the best eye liner pencils I have bought.


Buy Again?

I actually already did get another one. I bought both pencils from ebay as in Superdrug these pencils cost almost £4 which is a disgusting price for an eye liner pencil in my opinion. I'd never pay that for an eye liner personally. I spent just over £2 for each pencil on ebay.

Collection 2000 Sheer (Translucent) Loose Powder

Collection 2000 Sheer Loose Powder in 'Translucent'

Price: £4.99 from Superdrug












Packaging
The powder comes in a sifter jar which is basically a make up jar that is covered with a plastic lid that has little holes drilled into the top to allow powder to come through. Most convenient way of packaging loose powder as it allows you to just tip out what you want and it saves a heck of a lot of waste. There is 20g of product in this jar so there's a lot of powder for what you pay :)






Scent
This product has no scent.

Texture/Colour
The powder itself is pale beige in appearance but it's translucent so it is practically colourless when applied. This is useful because it will matify your face but won't alter the colour of your foundation/blusher. From the appearence I presumed it would feel a bit chalky but it didn't. It felt very soft.

What Does It Do?

Translucent powder is used to set your facial make up. Some also reduce shine on oily skin. Powder basically gives your face a matt finish and helps your foundation to last longer throughout the day. Some powders also reduce shine and have SPF. This one contains SPF that protects against UVA and UVB, silk and vitamin E. It is translucent which means it is colourless when it goes on and won't change the colour of your facial make up.

How To Use It

Tap a small amount of powder into the lid using the sifter jar and pick up with a powder brush. Tap/blow off any excess and apply to your face using circular buffing motions. Blend carefully along the jaw line. Remember a good translucent powder should never leave streaks on your face.


How Well Does It Work?

When I bought this I figured it would be your average joe powder. It is after all Collection 2000. Not that I have anything against drugstore brands but this brand in particular have really turned it around. I expected it to be crappy in comparison to more expensive powders but this isn't true at all. The quality of their products has got SO much better. This powder blends beautifully. It really mattifies the face too. After I applied it I felt my skin and it just left my skin feeling unbelievably soft. I did not expect a drugstore loose powder to be so good.

Buy Again?

It only costs £4.99 and you get a huge 20g jar for your money. It worked wonderfully for me and kept my face matt all day. I am definitely buying it again.

Superdrug Vitamin Gentle Face Wash

Superdrug Vitamin Gentle Face Wash

Can be purchased at Superdrug for £1.99



Packaging

The product comes in a squeeze tube which is the best kind in my opinion as it allows you to get all the product out and reduces waste. The one downfall was the flip lid as it was extremely hard to open. Excellent if you wish to travel with it because there's no chance of the lid coming open but it got really annoying after a while. I'm not sure if it was my product that had a faulty lid like this so I intend to buy another and see if they are all the same.

Scent

GORGEOUS coconut scent! I couldn't stop sniffing it when I bought it and I still can't now!

Texture/Colour

Comes in a smooth fairly thick pearly white liquid

What Does It Do?

This wash is intended to clean your face of facial makeup and general oil/dirt buildup. It's very gentle and suitable for sensitive skin.

How To Use It

It's best to use this to wash your face every morning and night as it will leave your skin clean for the night/morning and by keeping your face clean before you go to bed and when you wake up you are reducing the amount of dirt/oil and this will help prevent blemishes. Wet your face and then squeeze a little of this into your palm. Lather it up with a little water and spread over the face. Rinse thoroughly with clean water and pat dry with a nice dry, fluffy towel.

How Well Does It Work?

In order to test how well this removed my facial make up I washed my face once with it and then used a baby wipe over the whole of my face to see if it left anything behind. It cleaned EVERYTHING off after just one wash which was excellent. Even when I had liquid foundation, blusher and loose powder on it took it ALL off.

Buy Again?

Oh yes. This product is excellent! Great smell, removed ALL my make up and left my skin feeling clean and soft. Plus the cost of it was really really cheap :) I love it.

Witch Natural Beauty Stick Review

As stated in my 'COMING UP' entry, I have been testing the following products for the past month or so:

Witch Natural Beauty spot treatment stick
Superdrug Vitamin facial cleansing wash
MeMeMe Pencil Eyeliner

(NB: I have yet to try the Superdrug exfoliation wash because I am still using my St Ives and didn't want to open a new bottle of product until this one is finished.)

So the next few entries will be individual reviews of these products to keep everything nice and neat. Enjoy :)

Witch Natural Beauty Stick



Can be purchased from any good drugstore/supermarket for approximately £3. I got mine at Superdrug.



Price
It varies depending on where you buy it but I paid approximately £3 from Superdrug.

Packaging

You get 10g of product in a small, palm sized chunky tube. The product comes in stick form and is clear blue in colour. It has a twist cap and to get the product you have to push it up from the bottom. The only downfall to the packaging is that once you have pushed the product up there is no way to push it back down other than by replacing the cap and pushing down, then twisting to secure it which forces the product back down into the tube. It works just fine but it would be easier to have a retractable pump as the lid tends to cause a bit of scratching on the stick and it's a bit fiddly.

Scent

Since it's a Witch product it has the familiar Witch Hazel scent. To me it also has a hint of tea tree. It has a very clean, pleasant smell.

What It Does

It claims to breakdown excess oils and fight the bacteria that cause spots. It can be used for all skin types but states that it is especially effective for oily/combination skin. It is not tested on animals.

How To Use It

You push the product up from the bottom of the tube and apply on to your spots. Do this in a dabbing motion. It states that you should do this as soon as you see your spots appear and you can apply it as often as you like.

How Well Does It Work?

The main reason I bought this was because I wanted something to fight the blemishes that I get around the time of my periods and because I wear foundation quite a lot and wanted something to prevent the bacteria on my face spreading and causing more blemishes when I had my breakouts.

When I applied the product the one thing I noticed aside from the pleasant smell was how cool it felt on my skin. I liked that because it means if you have a sore spot or an inflamed spot this will definitely help to reduce the redness and the swelling. It is also very moist despite looking like a dry stick of product.

My skin type is combination but I get more dryness on my skin than anything (but there are other factors that make it combination) and I noticed this dried my blemishes up straight away. It's effective but because my skin is dry in places it made my skin so dry it flaked a little bit around the blemish so if you have dry skin be wary of that and make sure your skin is moisturised before you use this. If you have oily skin this will be more than great for you because it'll help control the oiliness around your blemishes very well.

It's also important to dab the stick on and not rub it on. Don't use the stick like you would a roll on deoderant as doing so can leave a white powdery residue when the product dries. Just dab onto the spot once or twice and that will prevent this from happening.

I used this four to five times during the day and it dried up my blemishes within a day. It didn't get rid of them but it did help reduce their appearence very quickly. I just also want to mention that I drink lots of water so I believe this would've assisted the stick in clearing my skin up within this time.

Overall I really liked it. It cooled the swelling of my spots making them less red which made them easier to cover up with make up and it's antibacterial too which is a great bonus. It worked fairly quickly but in order to speed up the clearing process you must use this at least four to five times a day. I used this once, twice and three times on different days to test it and I found it was most effective when used more frequently during the day. When I used it less than four times it only barely did anything but dry my spots a little.

The fact that it comes in such a small tube makes it easy to slip into your bag so you can carry it with you to keep applying it during the day :)

Urban Decay Primer Potion

I heard a lot about this product before I bought it and to be honest I was put off buying it for a long time by the price. It has been around for quite some time but recently I decided to take a look on Ebay to see if anybody was selling it at a reasonable price because £15 to £18 for an eye primer is beyond ridiculous. I was thrilled to find a seller who was selling the 10ml bottles for just £9. I read many reviews beforehand also and many people said they loved this product so I figured I would give it a try.

If you do not know, Urban Decay Primer Potion is a cream that you blend over your eyelids before adding eye shadow. It claims to stop eye shadow from creasing and fading.

I have now tried this product five or six times and the majority of those times were on nights out or a long days at university. I also wore it for cheer and dance practices to really test its strength.


Packaging:

As you can see in the photo below, it comes in a purple curvy genie shaped bottle. The packaging itself is very cute but it's not practical at all. Once you've used half of this bottle you will need to cut the packaging and de-pot the product (put it into a sample jar) in order to be able to carry on using it and that's really crappy. This is because of the shape of the bottle, the fact that there's no room for the wand to twist around to pick up product and because the wand only reaches a certain point in the bottle due to its length. At first you're led to believe you have run out of product but in fact there's probably two whole month's worth of it still stuck to the sides of the bottle! I won't enjoy doing this eventually because I don't really want to damage my packaging because I paid for it. I think Urban Decay really need to sort that one out.





In the meantime you can find a great tutorial on how to de-pot your UDPP here:

Clumps of Mascara

I also actually e-mailed UD to complain about the packaging and they told me they were working on new packaging and appreciated my feedback but were unwilling to offer me any compensation for any product that went to waste because of their packaging. Think what you will of that.


Texture

Smooth, creamy texture. Blends over the eyelids beautifully. I read reviews that this was 'drying' but it isn't drying at all. It's so smooth and soft. I love the way it feels and goes on. I really wish they could make liquid eye shadows like this because it just goes on so wonderfully.


Scent

This product has no scent

Performance

As I stated above I wore this under my shadow during either a night out, long day at uni or my cheer/dance practices to REALLY test its power. When I am at practices I jump, dance and get really hot and sweaty.

What I found was it did prevent creasing but it didn't prevent fading when worn on its own without any kind of cream shadow over the top. That was disappointing. I would recommend wearing this and then applying a cream shadow over the top to give your shadow extra staying power. Otherwise you'll find your shadow will only last about 6 to 8 hours before it starts to fade. When worn with a cream shadow your eye shadow will last all day and at least half, if not all of the night! Mine went on all day and all night but it depends on your skin type as to how makeup will work on you.

So would I purchase this product again? If the packaging were better (say in a tube), I would definitely. It's awesome. Every eye shadow I had that would crease up on me no longer does. I love it and I wish I'd tried it sooner. I think I'll just wait until they re-design the packaging and make do until then. I really don't want the hassle of cutting up a bottle and de-potting product everytime I need a new bottle of this stuff.

My advice is not to buy it in department stores because they'll charge you the earth for it. Look on Ebay instead.

Wet N Wild Eye Shadow Trios

Wet N Wild Trio Eye Shadow Compact

(There is no name on the product and might I add I hate it when companies don't put a name on their products!) It says the colours are suitable for any colour eyes which is great :)






Price:

Usually £3.50 but this particular trio is currently being sold at New Look for only £1.50 on sale.

Packaging:

Comes in a very cute compact which has a flip lid that clicks open/close. It also has a mini mirror that slides out very easily out of the side of the compact.

Texture:

Not as silky soft as other shadows I've tried. Not really rough either but less soft. They're tightly pressed so you don't get a lot of fall out which is good because this reduces product waste when you pick the shadows up with your brush.

Scent:

A barely there scent but it's not bothersome and you don't really notice it.

Pigmentation (Colour Pay-Off):

The swatches in the photo were done without a base just to show you how great the pay off is :)



This particular trio has a green, brown and an olive/sage colour shadow in it.

The colour pay-off is really good! I bought Wet N Wild shadows like these when I went to California and I remembered the pigmentation was wonderful which is what prompted me to buy them again and why I got so excited to find them for only £1.50! Use a good base to keep the colour lasting!

Ms Makeup Eye Blending Brush

I already own three other Ms Makeup brushes and I had no idea that they also had this blending brush until I visited Boots' larger department store and saw it there.

Since I was aware of the quality of these brushes of course I snapped it right up.

Ms Makeup Eye Blending Brush



Price:

Approximately £4 and can be purchased from Boots drugstore.

Feel:

The bristles are REALLY soft! They feel silky smooth :)

Blending Performance:
Blends beautifully. Because this is a huge fluffy blending brush I find it's particularly ideal for applying eye shadow as a highlight to the brow bone since it blends it out so well. It can also be used to apply shadow but be careful because with the size of the brush it might send your shadow all over the place.n It's fairly compact too (which means the bristles are glued in quite well to the brush handle).

Bristle Fall-Out:
I got some bristles falling out the first time I washed this brush which was disappointing but since then I haven't noticed anymore falling out.

Miss Sporty Liquid Eye Shadow

Miss Sporty just released their 'Be Connected' range. They consist of (24ml) mini liquid eye shadows and lipglosses. They cost £.199 per end and you can click the eye shadows together with the lipglosses. This is very handy for popping into your handbag as it saves space by having two items in one stick instead of two in this case. I didn't need anymore lipglosses so I went for two of the liquid eye shadows instead. (However you can't click two eye shadows together)

You can find Miss Sporty products here:

http://www.miss-sporty.co.uk

They claim to last up to 10 hours and also claim to be crease resistent.


Top to Bottom:

'Sublime'

'Allure'




Swatches

Left: 'Allure'

Right: 'Sublime'




Texture:

The texture is as expected for liquid shadows. Almost like a thin-ish mixing medium (think a thin-ish liquid foundation kind of texture) feel to them. Applying them with the wand is best as using your finger causes bad colour pay-off.

Pigmentation(Colour Pay-Off):

Really good. If you use your finger to apply these shadows you'll have to work a little to get the colour to show up but if you use the wand you'll find it shows up immediately and strongly. A very compact brush (a concealer brush for example) is okay at applying these shadows.

Scent:

The shadows have no scent

Lasting Power:

I put these on in the morning before I went to uni and they went on smoothly and had no creasing. The colour lasted all day and the shadow itself stayed put all day. However, they did crease up on me almost immediately after drying. This may have had something to do with the base I used (I used a cream base each time) so I will try them with UDPP (Urban Decay Primer Potion) in the near future and update this section to see how they worked out with that. This was the only disappointing element to these shadows.

Blendability:

You can blend powdered shadows around these and over the top fairly easily but because they are liquid shadows they don't work as well for blending as powdered shadows. The shadow will dry up and stick to the skin and once it has dried you can only remove it and not really move it around.

Removing:

I take off my makeup using baby wipes with a little baby oil on them and these came off in one or two quick swipes :)

No7 Blusher Review

I have only become a fan of No7 makeup within the couple of months or so. Before then I'd never really tried any of it except for their liquidfoundation which I am not really a fan of. I got this blusher as a result of spending over £5 at Boots. When you spend £5 or more they give you a voucher that entitles you to £5 off any No7/Ruby and Millie product.

I went shopping for my mum to get a present for her friend for her birthday and I spent £25 on the present so I got 2 vouchers.

The second I have yet to spend but with the first I got the blusher below. It's in 'Petal' and it's a mineral (powdered) blusher. They have approximately three or four other colours are available but since I'm fair, I went with the lighter of the range. No7 products are all Hypo-Allergenic and NOT tested on animals :)




I swatched this in the store way before I had this voucher and I was a little sceptical about the colour. I thought it would be too pink for my skin tone to begin with but I took the plunge and bought recently since I'd run out of mineral blusher and needed a new one.

Price:
Normally £7.50 but I got it for £2.50 with my £5 voucher :)

Texture:

The texture of this blusher is SO soft and light. It's packed tightly which means you don't get any product 'fall out' when you dip your brush into it. This is good because it means your product won't get wasted everytime you apply it.

Scent:

Barely there sweet smell to it and you have to sniff it up close to smell anything at all.


Packaging:

Lovely packaging. It comes in a neat, oval shaped black shiny compact that has a flip lid and it closes with an easy click. No struggling to open or close it. Fits nicely into one's handbag!

Blendability:

Blends beautifully! I wear it over liquid foundation and it goes on very smoothly and evenly. Use a big fluffy blush brush for best results.


Pigmentation (Colour pay off):

Buildable which means you can apply a little for a naturally flushed look or you can build it (by applying more) to create a stronger night time look.

St Ives Apricot Exfoliation Facial Scrub

Here's my thoughts on ST IVES Apricot Exfoliating Scrub. I bought it recently at half price from Tesco. Originally it costs about £3.99 and I got it for £1.95. It comes in a 150 ML squeezy tube. You can still get it half price at Tesco if you're quick. It is for all skin types.




So why use an exfoliation wash to begin with?

Well it's more ideal than anything to exfoliate because this process removes impurities and dead skin cells from the surface of the face. A build up of either can encourage blemishes. By removing the dead skin cells you are also removing impurities and thus helping to prevent blemishes. It's important not to ignore the neck when you're exfoliating as this area can become dry and rough. This scrub in particular also claims to make your skin 'radiant'.

By also having smoother skin you will create a better base for facial make up like Foundation and powder. For obvious reasons your make up will blend better over your face if dead skin cells are removed regularly.

It is up to you how often you want to exfoliate your face but up to two times a week is the most ideal.

Formula

So here's the actual formula. As you can see it's creamish white in colour with very fine exfoliating 'bits' (for want of a better word!). It spreads very well and you get a closer exfoliation because of the fineness of these 'bits'. You also get more coverage since there's more scrub in the formula and it goes further.



Scent

The smell is quite tangy. It reminded me of marzipan more than apricots to be honest. Apricot flavoured marzipan perhaps? It has a definite tang just like a strong soap. It's not a gentle sweet apricot smell which is kind of what I expected but nevertheless the smell wasn't too bothersome.

Directions

As with all exfoliation washes you first wet your face and then take some formula in your hands and spread all over the face (taking care to avoid the sensitive areas around the eyes) and gently rub in circular motions to activate the exfoliation process over the entire face. Do this for about a minute and then rinse. Pat dry with a clean, dry towel.

End result

After using this scrub a few times I found it left my skin feeling very smooth and soft. It also gave me a bit of a fresh glow which was nice. It feels a lot more gentle because of the fineness of the formula so it doesn't leave your skin feeling raw like many exfoliating scrubs and mitts can.

The only let down was the smell. I would prefer something a bit sweeter in smell but nevertheless this scrub is pretty good and I would definitely buy it again.

Collection 2000 Volume Sensation Mascara

I promised a review on this one and after a good few uses here it is!

Collection 2000 Volume Sensation Mascara in 'Black' / Non-Waterproof
Price: £4.99






I love this mascara. It's buildable and it seperates the lashes nicely. If you rotate the brush against your lashes it gives great volume. I have naturally long lashes that are medium thickness and I always look for mascaras that can give me that extra thickness and I found this did the job very nicely.

The formula is non scented and the colour is extremely 'deep' so the pigmentation is very good as a result. (I know some people really care about colour pay off in any kind of make up...well I do anyway!) The texture of the formula has a medium thickness to it which helps for building the thickness of the lashes.

The brush tip is chunky but it's not as hardcore chunky as CG's 'Lashblast'. I think the size is just right, they've gone for wideness rather than length which prevents the tip of the wand from stubbing you in the nose but if you have a smaller face/eyes still be careful with larger wands.

As far as removing it goes, well, it's very easy to remove for the most part but if you layer your mascara like I do you will have to work slightly to get it all off. It stays on all day too. I wear contact lenses and it doesn't irritate at all. Plus the packaging is extremely cute.

The only downside to this that I could see was the fact that it is buildable which means you have to work a little to get that volume but it is worth it when you do.

Well worth it. Especially for only £4.99 :)

Boots Botanic Tinted Moisturiser Review

Hello all :) Thought I would write up a review before I head off to bed.

I recently made the decision to stop wearing foundation (unless I am going out for the night clubbing or something similar). I wanted something that would give me an even complexion and make me look healthy without taking ages to apply and looking cakey. I normally use MAC Studio Fix foundation but even wearing it every few days was making me break out. It is supposed to be oil-free and I drink lots of water and take good care of my skin but I felt like it wasn't doing my skin any good from the break outs I was getting from using it. Also I never have time in the mornings to spend ages blending foundation over my face. It takes too long for my liking. I wanted to find something quick and easy to give me a healthy looking, even complexion in a decent amount of time.

So I have decided to give my skin a complete break from foundation and I recently bought a tinted moisturiser as a result. I looked online at various ones that were within my budget (I was looking to spend less than £5 on one). I also looked at reviews for the products I was finding and what stood out was quite a few that highly recommended Boots Botanic Tinted Moisturiser.

The reviews I read were so good/convincing that I actually took the plunge and handed over my 3.99 for a 75ml tube to find out if what was being said was actually a true in any way.

This is the product description from the Boots website:

"The Botanics range combines active plant extracts in carefully balanced formulations to give you the right product for your skin type. Botanics Instant Glow Tinted Moisturiser boosts the skin and guards against free radicals, formulated with Ginkgo a renowned tonic. Botanics Instant Glow Tinted Moisturiser contains a complex of antioxidants shown to stimulate microcirculation and protect skin, along with Echinacea which protects collagen, and reduces the visible signs of ageing. Plant extracts at levels that really work, combined and formulated for unbeatable product performance. Naturally. Authenticated by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew."

The product itself:








Some of the reviews described the appearance as 'mud-like' but to me it looks more like liquid foundation when you squeeze it out of the tube.

It's very light in texture and very easy to blend. I expected a mud-like thick texture but it isn't like that at all.

It also smells very nice. Just like a regular moisturiser to be honest, it's a slightly sweet medicated kind of smell. Don't take that the wrong way either, it's very pleasant.

The reviews claimed that it was more suitable for fair skinned people and very buildable for those with darker skin. That wasn't true for me. If I apply even the slightest bit too much I do end up looking like an orange but if I just use sparing amounts I am fine. I have to be too careful with this which was horribly disappointing as now I'll have to fuss and make sure I haven't put too much on. One day I actually applied it and went to the bathroom a minute later only to see an orange line around my chin. That was disappointing.

When I first applied it I was terrified of looking like a tangerine. The colour of the stuff in itself is enough to send a fair skinned person like me running for the lemon juice and salt. I guess I had reason to worry on that one. When applied sparingly it did give me a very natural looking complexion. It does also give you a bit of a healthy glow too so it lives up to what it says it does. It's wonderful for someone like myself in that respect because I'm so fair I often rarely have that natural glow that you get with naturally tanned/darker skin. This gives me that glow that I want.

All in all I do like it very much. I only wish it was as buildable as the reviews claimed. The best part is there's no need for me to remove it at the end of the day like I would have to with my foundation and it contains organic ingredients that take care of my skin :)


I am really pleased with it but I won't be buying it again because it's not as lightly pigmented as I originally thought. I want something I can blend into my face and even using a tiny bit too much of this made me orange and I would prefer something that didn't do that. The price is excellent though. It's good for the skin, not tested on animals and it's affordable. If you are a very tanned person this will be excellent for you. If you're fair like me, use it sparingly or it will turn you into an orange. All in all it gets a fair thumbs up from me.

I am planning to contact Boots and give them my feedback on this product and maybe they can use that to come up with something for us fair people ;)

Massive Haul With Reviews

These are some products I have had from a few weeks (the shadows/liner) to a few months (blush/hairspray and powder). I've tried and tested them all and now I'm going to review them :)

Tresemme Heat Defence Hair Spray - Smooth (Purple strip) - From any good supermarket or drugstore. Approximately £3 to £4.



You spray this over damp hair before drying/styling with hot tools like straighteners or curlers and it is supposed to protect your hair from heat damage, reduce frizz and promote shine in your hair. My hair tends to go very greasy if I use a lot of product on it and I found if I used too much of this it did make my hair a little bit greasy. All you need is a couple of spritzes over your hair. The spray itself is very light and smells very pleasant. My advice is to spray the dryer parts of your hair and avoid any areas that get greasy quickly. The spray pump occasionally needs a few squeezes to get a finer spray of the actual product as it has a tendency to jam and 'spit' rather than spray. It is difficult to tell if it actually protects my hair from anything and how well it does so because you'd need a microscope and lab coat for that but all in all my hair comes out smoother and shinier after using this. I personally can't do without it, I love the smell and the way it leaves my hair. Plus it's super cheap. I got a buy one get one free offer on mine from Tesco. You can buy Tresemme products at any good supermarket or drug store.


No17 Eye Dazzle Shadow in 'Good As Gold' - Approximately £3



I am going to be perfectly honest about my feelings toward this dust. The pigmentation was disappointing for No17 as I am used to their well pigmented mono shadows but if you pack this on a damp brush and use a cream base it will show up eventually. However it's hard to blend (the colour just fades away if you so much as move the shadow with your brush) and it fades quickly. I paid about £3 something for this and it wasn't worth the money. The good points are it has a very natural shimmery appearance to it so it would be ideal for a beginner who could apply it for day wear into night wear. It would be very nice over a more pigmented shadow to add a really nice shimmer. The colour is also very pretty once it shows up. Not bad but not great.


Maybelline Liquid Stay Shadow in 'Persistent Peach'. Not available in stores anymore but you can still buy it from Ebay. I paid about £1.70 but the prices vary from seller to seller.



This comes in a 6ml tube and has a sponge applicator. The applicator sucks up the product like no tomorrow and it is advisable have a good base on the lid beforehand. Also keep your cotton buds handy because this goes absolutely everywhere as a result of the applicator and you will find you'll need to clean up a lot. Don't try and sweep it on either because the colour disappears completely. In order to get it to show up you have to dab it on. But even then I found it creased. I even tried applying some to my MAC brush and dabbing it on but that just made it crease and smear all over the place even more. It's a liquid shadow but it feels like you're applying water to your lid as opposed to a shadow with the texture of a mixing medium for example which is kind of what I expected from a liquid eye shadow. It says it is crease resistant on the tube but that wasn't what I found. I hated the mess it made and the colour was more white peach thanks to the runny texture than the light orangey peach I was expecting from looking at the tube even after building it. Thumbs down :(



No7 Liquid Eyeliner - £8.50 from Boots




Very thin application brush which means if you want precision you've got it. Fair play to this it does go on very neatly. However the applicator is so thin that if you wanted to do a 'wing' effect you'd be there forever 'colouring in' the line to make it visible because the brush is so thin. If you like thin lines with your liner you will love this. Good for beginners as it doesn't all splodge on at once due to the application brush being so tiny but a little too pricey for an eyeliner. I got a £5 off voucher for mine from Boots but I wouldn't have spend £8.50 on it otherwise. It's 6ml in size and doesn't even have enough product for the money for my liking. However I do like it all the same. The pigmentation is high and the consistency of the liner itself isn't too shabby. Not too thin or thick and so far it has not flaked. I wore it on a night out dancing and it was going strong when I came home.


Rimmel Extra Super Lash Mascara in Black (Non Water-proof). Approximately £3 from any good drugstore or Ebay.



Everyone knows how much of a fan I am of Rimmel mascaras and I figured this one might be a let down since it wasn't as expensive as Lash XXX but I was very wrong. It's actually on the same level, if not slightly higher up than Lash XXX. The only thing this does not have is the benefit of the de-clumper fine comb that Lash XXX has. It's buildable and has a lovely texture (not overly thick or thin) and very little smell. What you can smell is pleasant. It gives me enormous sky high lashes and I love it. Also gives you fairly thick lashes. You can even curl with it and I did not use eyelash curlers at all but I got a huge curl out of this simply by rotating the wand against my lashes. I do not usually get a big curl unless I use curlers with my mascara but this saved me the fuss of using my curlers at all. Major thumbs up :)

Bourjois Shimmer Shadow in Beige Metallique. £4 from any drugstore.



Omg lovelovelove this shadow. I was a bit apprehensive about trying another liquid shadow after the disaster with Maybelline's but this beats Maybelline liquid shadow into the ground and thensome. The colour is more light peach than beige but I loved it all the same. The applicator is a sponge tip once again and that was the only downfall of this product. I find the sponges make the shadow crease a lot because they soak up so much product and make the shadow splodge all over my lid. I would highly recommend sweeping some of the product from the sponge onto one side of a compact (not a fluffy shadow brush) eye shadow brush and then dabbing it over the lid. It can get messy since it is a liquid shadow but I had nowhere near the amount of mess with this shadow that I got with Maybelline's. It only takes 2-3 applications for the colour to show up and trust me, it's a gorgeous peachy shimmery colour. Perfect for a natural day look or to blend with a darker shadow for the night. It blends really well too :) I swatched some on my hand at the store and expected the high shimmer to be duller once I got to daylight but it wasn't. It's such a gorgeous shadow and I like it so much I will be using it in my next tutorial so you can see the colour. Plus it lasts a really long time provided you use a good base but that applies to any shadow. I love this so much I am going to buy the other colours when I can :D


Collection 2000 Translucent Pressed Powder approximately £2.99



Translucent powder is used to help your foundation last longer. Some powders help control shine and have an SPF depending on which brand you buy. I think this one has an SPF but do not quote me on that!

Fairly fine powder it does a fairly good job of concealing mild shine attacks. I don't have oily skin but if I did I don't think this would do it any good or conceal any shine but then again, it does not say that it is a shine controlling powder so you can't expect it! It has a nice texture and since it's translucent you can hardly see it once it is applied. Very good for beginners who just want to practice using powder. You apply this to a fluffy brush, tap off the excess and buff it over your foundation or over any area of your face you need it. It conceals redness okay but not greatly. Some people buff it over their blusher too. I tend to only do this if I am using cream blusher because if I am using a powder blush it will just pick up the powdered blush and send it all over my face with the translucent powder. Does a good job of keeping my blusher lasting though. I like it.


Maybelline Dream Mousse Blusher in '01 Dolly Pink'. Approximately £3-4 from any good drugstore or Ebay.



This is a mousse blusher which means you can not apply it using a brush and if you did, good luck to you because you'll probably either not see any colour at all or see too much depending on what brush you're trying to apply it with. Oh, and you'll most likely get clumps of product stuck in your brush. (Awesome.) Best applied with a sponge or fingers. I apply mine with clean fingers.

Lots of people complain that these blushes don't show up but maybe it's down to my fair skin that I can see it clearly on mine. I LOVE the colour of this in particular because it gives that fresh pinky flush colour to my cheeks which is perfect for the daytime. I wouldn't use this for the night because it's too light. It also has a shimmer running through it so if you don't like shimmery blushes or have oily skin then you may not like this.

The texture is very very soft and there's no smell. I like creamy blushers because they blend much better into the skin than mineral blushers but it is all a matter of personal preference at the end of the day. Some people like mineral blushers because they're supposedly better for the skin but each to their own on that one. I still like cream blushers. This one is buildable too but I only have to put a little on in dabbing motions with my fingers and it shows up fine. I then blend it into my foundation and it still shows up fine. You could use this to add a touch of shimmer to your blush if you find it doesn't show up well on you. Either way I love it and it has been known to last all day one my face once I set it with my translucent powder.

Superdrug and Boots Haul With Reviews

Hey all. I just wanted to share with you the stuff that I bought today. I got 2 nail polishes from Rimmel for 3.99, No17 Black Perfect Definition eyeliner for £2.49 pencil in 'Onyx', Nivea face and body moisturiser with jojoba oil for £1.55 and vitamin E and a Ruby and Millie slanted liner brush for £5. I'm going to offer photos and a review of everything. Enjoy!


The nail polishes (On the left is 'Tangerine Queen' number 050 and on the right is 'Green Grass' number 236. Two for £3.99 at Superdrug):





My whole hand wearing the nail polishes:



Close up:





Nail Polish Review:

Highly pigmented. What you see on my nails is only two coats of the polish applied in one go. They dry really fast (under 5 minutes) and go on smoothly. Rimmel claim the polishes are long lasting and chip resistant so I will test that out in the next week and get back to you on it. But I am completely in love with the colours. You can buy any two Rimmel polishes at Superdrug for 3.99 currently.



No 17 Perfect Definition Eye Liner in 'Onyx' (£2.49 from Boots)



No17 Eye Liner Review:

I have used No17 pencils for years now and I love them. The only downside is you do have to reapply before the end of the day if you wear this on your waterline. Otherwise it lasts all day and the colour is highly pigmented and nice and dark. I believe you can buy other colours in this pencil so if black is too harsh for you try another colour such as grey or brown. These pencils are soft and glide on quickly so you don't have to spend ages going over the same spot.



Ruby and Millie Slanted Liner Brush (£5 from Boots):




Ruby and Millie Slanted Liner Brush Review:

I have used Ruby and Millie brushes before and I can tell you the quality is really really good. I got a dome shaped shadow brush about a year ago and it hasn't shed one hair. I've used it a ton of times too. These brushes are really good. I have not tried this slanted liner one yet but I am guessing it's going to be great since I have already tried one from this brand before. In all honesty this cost me £5 which is three times as cheap as MAC brushes and it works exactly the same as my two MAC brushes that cost me about £18 each. If you can't afford MAC or hate spending too much on brushes then Ruby and Millie ones are an awesome bargain. I don't personally like Ruby Hammer that much, I've seen her on various shows and I know I don't know her in person but she irritates me with her harshness but I'll give it to this brand, it's damn good. Oh, and I will be using this in my next tutorial and explaining how to use it :)


Nivea Face and Body Moisturiser with Jojoba Oil and Vitamin E:



Review of Nivea Face and Body Moisturiser with Jojoba Oil and Vitamin E (£1.55 from Superdrug):

I happily found this today at Superdrug. It is the moisturiser I referred to in my entry about Skin Care which can be found here: http://sparklyshellcosmetics.blogspot.com/2008/06/skin-care.html
It sinks into the skin very quickly and does not have an overwhelming scent. It is a bit like baby cream or Sudo cream in all honesty but it's smooth and leaves your skin feeling really soft. It is also very light and has a soft texture so it won't be too oily on your skin. Works well mixed with foundation too.