loreal

Boots skincare haul! 

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Hello my little buttons! 

As I have run out of cleanser toner and moisturiser I decided a trip to boots was in order, so with the kids in tow off we went. I wasn’t sure whether to buy my usual or try something new, so I had an open mind. New skin care is risky business as you don’t know how your skin will react but being the spontaneous dare devil I am, I put back my trusted garnier micellar water and was drawn to the Boots Botanics ‘the Power of Plants’ range. Which also happened to be half price! On further expecting I saw that the whole range has been developed with Kew Royal Botanical Gardens with ingredients that have been proven to work. 

The first thing I chose was the Micellar 3 IN 1 Cleansing Brightening Solution BRIGHT. It claims to dissolve makeup, unclog pores and remove impurities. It contains brightening hibiscus and is alcohol, soap and fragrance free. Half price it was £2.24 so if it’s not fantastic I won’t be too disappointed. 

I recently review a mango face wash (click here to read) which sadly stinks of soap so I don’t really enjoy using it. I thought I’d try the Cleansing Foam Wash too, half price this was £1.99.

Ive been needing a daycream with Spf and was happy to see the Botanics range day cream has spf 15, not the highest but it’s better than nothing. Half price this was £2.49.

I couldn’t find a toner in the range so I’m guessing it had sold out, instead I chose Boots fragrance free Simply Sensitive Refreshing Gentle Toner with aloe vera. It was priced at £1.99. 

I really should of stopped there but 2 more items caught my eye. The first being a Botanics Microdermabrasion Polish RADIENT YOUTH which banashes dull skin for Renewed Radiance with protective ginkgo. I’m hoping this will really give my skin a good clearing out as with the heat wave we’ve been having my skins not looking that great, it’s been worse but it’s been better. Half price this cost £3.99.

The last item I bought which I’ve wanted since I first saw it advertised, L’oreal Pure Clay. It purifies while mattifying the skin with 3 pure clays and eucalyptus. The pot contains 10 applications and was on offer for £5 which means each mask only costs 50p! I love clay masks they do wonders for my skin and I’ve really missing using them. 

I also bought a spiderman toothbrush and toothpaste but didn’t think that would of been an overly interesting read! Hope you enjoyed this haul, my next blog post will be a superdrug haul! Have a great weekend.

Becca xxx 

May 2016 favourites!

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Hello my little buttons!

It’s that time of the month again when I think back to my favourite products I’ve been using this month and what I would recommend, here’s my quick round up of what I’ve been loving!

Purse perfumes

I love these little guys, they fit in any size bag I choose to use that day to freshen up while I’m out an about. I’m currently using the scent “cherish” from Avon in a spray bottle priced at £3.50 and “modern muse” from Estee Lauder in a roller ball priced at £20.

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L’oreal cushion foundation

I wrote a big old blog about this little gem, it’s converted me to glowy foundation! It’s so quick amd easy to apply, it has good coverage while still looking natural. There really is something magic about the formula I highly recommend it. If you would like to read more about what I think of this foundation, click here!

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Honey serum and moisturiser

Honey is huge in the skincare world right now, I’ll soon be blogging about all the benefits honey has, as I think you’ll be suprised just how good it is for the skin! I’m loving Hey Honey good morning honey silk serum, even though its travel size I’ve been using it for weeks and still have product left. A little goes a long way and it feels gorgeous on the skin. Using the serum with beegood Plump And Firm Moisturiser has been my secret weapon. The moisturiser keeps my skin hydrated throughout day and feeling super soft. My skin has been looking great since using these products (apart from a recent break out caused by a new face wash, the review for that is here!) my pores look smaller, my skin texture is looking much more even and less red, and my breakout is disappearing noticeably quicker than normal. Go team honey.

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Younique eyeshadow palette

No one could be more suprised than me for liking this one!!! (detailed review here) The palette has a beautiful selection of mattes and shimmers, I love the shade range as I didn’t have to reach for any other palette to complete my look. They blend beautifully, super pigmented and were honestly a delight to use.

I’d love to hear in the comments below what your monthly favourites have been. Did you like any of the products I mentioned?

Becca xxx

L’oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation Review

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Hello my little buttons!

I have been dying to get my hands on a cushion foundation since Lancome started the trend over here in the UK. I was tickled pink when I heard l’oreal were jumping on the band wagon as I really like their foundations so I had high expectations. The price of this foundation ranges between £9.99 – £19.99 depending on where you buy it from and is avalible in 7 shades. I bought mine online and chose the shade 04 Rose Vanilla, bit of a gamble but I was relieved to see on arrival that it was my perfect shade. Another huge selling point for me is that it contains Spf 25 which is really good for a foundation and means I can skip on the sun cream on ‘makeup days.’

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The packaging is simply adorable, pretty and pink with a metalic pink lid. Once opened there is a good sized mirror and a compartment for the little sponge applicator pad. Underneath is the foundation soaked sponge, it says in the instuctions once opened make sure you pop the top down tightly which I assume is to stop it drying out quickly.

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I was worried the foundation might feel slightly watery or dried out but I was wrong! It has the consistency of a normal creamy foundation and i was suprised how much product was soaked into the sponge, one dab with the applicator went a long way. The foundation is advertised as a summer glowy foundation, glowy foundations aren’t usually my thing. I tend to lean towards matte foundation formulas and add some highlight but in the summer this can feel a tad heavy and look fairly unnatural. On first application of the Nude Magique Cushion I decided to tap it on as specificity in the Instructions for a natural light coverage, I was slightly freaked out as I starting applying the product as it looked pretty shiney but as I built up more coverage and left it to dry I was pleased with the results, it had evened out my skin tone and given the skin a radiant healthy looking glow. I used a light dust of powder to set the foundation and after applying my usual makeup I was incredibly happy with the results, it’s looks natural and sat really well over my primer. (Freedom Makeup London priming water)

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Through the day the foundation wore really well, even after my natural oils started flowing it didn’t look crazy greasy. I took a photo after about two hours wear in the sunlight to show how it had settled into my skin and trying to capture the summer glow the foundation gives. Not sure if I achieved that but I did try lol!

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Maybe I do like this glowy skin thing after all?! I feel like I’ve had a really good skin day which is 100% down to the Nude Magique Cushion Foundation, here is a photo after 8 hours of wear, two of those hours were doing hardcore sweaty house work. As you can see it has moved about a little bit, but for a light coverage summer foundation I’m more than happy with that!

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The only thing I haven’t mentioned which I feel I must touch on is how the product is applied. Yes I love the formula, the package speaks for itself and I love the novelty and convenience ….but hygienically I’m not sure how I’m going to feel after using it several times. It’s going to be a pain having to wash the sponge after every application, even though my face is clean when I put my makeup on dipping the applicator in and out of the sponge it’s still mixing up product with my face germs lol. Im sure I’ll be able to get over this by keeping the applicator clean and only using it when I first apply my makeup, not dabbing in and out throughout the day. I had to mention this as I know it would be a real deal breaker for some people whereas other people wouldn’t even think of it like that.

Overall I think this is a great product I’d highly recommend, even with the applicator washing!!! The final result is so pretty and summery, it quick and easy to apply and you have great control over the coverage. I’d love to hear what you think of this product in the comments below.

Becca xxx

March beauty favourites 2016

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Hello my little buttons!

I realised I hadn’t written a favourites blog in quite a while, so thought I better get back on track. The past month I’ve really been enjoying playing with makeup, I’ve got some fab products I just can’t put down that I’d love to share with you! I think I have reviewed most of these products but I can still give u a mini break down of why I think they’re awesome. I’ve tried quite a few eyeshadow palettes this month, I’ve really been feeding my addiction lol, so I’m going to do a separate post on my favourite palettes from the month.

Product number one had to be Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow in the shade blonde. This stuff is incredible, it’s the perfect shade for me and is so easy to apply. Personally, I line the outside of my brows with a thin slanted brush, over drawing them slightly giving myself more of an arch. I then use the remainder of the product on the brush to fill the rest in. It’s so quick and easy and I love the end results. I’ll add a photo below. It lasts the whole day with zero touch ups which is fantastic, even in the rain there’s no smudging what so ever. Don’t get me wrong I’m not claiming to have perfect brows or to be a ‘brow queen’ but this definatly helps! It’s priced at £15 and I bought mine from Beauty Bay. If you are after a cheaper alternative Freedom Makeup London also do a brow pomade which does exactually the same thing for only £5!

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Next on the list is eyeliner pens. I tend to prefere a wet liner with a small brush but recently while looking at my eyeliner stash I realised I have quite a few eyeliner pens I’ve not even tried. So this month really has been the month of the pen, I’ve actually found it a lot easier to use than I used to. A few favourites have been Elfs new liner pen (it’s lost in my house at the moment it’s driving me insane not being able to find it) the formula is super dark and the nibs long and flexible with a super fine tip which is great for winging it out on the upper Lash line.

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Another range I totally forgot existed is Avon super shock liners, I have 3 colours and all three are easy to use and last really well throughout the day. I wouldn’t recommend the dark green although it looks gorgeous on it stains really badly!! I’ve found the pens that are the best to use are the ones with a long nib and fine tip, you have more control and they glide over the lids a lot easier.

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I do own a Rimmed Scandal eyes pen which has a short flat applicator, I found this a lot more challenging to glide across my aging eyelids lol they’re not as smooth as they used to be!!

Highlighters, highlighters and more highlighters. I just can’t get enough, highlighting and strobing is huge right now and I have officially jumped on the band wagon. I couldn’t pick one favourite as I’m rotating my collection but I can definatly recommend a few. I have a several highlighters in stick form that are super quick to apply, the one I’m reaching for most is Collection ‘Speedy highlighter’ in the shade ’01 Pearl Sheen’ it’s a beautiful peach pearly colour which is really flattering on my skin tone.

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For the creams I’m loving Makeup Revolution Ultra Strobe balm, I have the shade Euphoria which is a pinky toned highlight. An old favourite which I’ve mentioned many times is Essence Soo Glow which is a gold highlight, the cream to powder formula feels like a dream. Both apply evenly and blend in beautifully over makeup.

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For the powders I’m reaching for my Elf baked blush, which is a pinky toned blush but I also double as a highlight as it has the prettiest rose gold shine.

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I would also highly recommend the Makeup Revolution highlighting trio palette, it contains 3 huge pans of product including a gold pink and purple highlight. They last all day and look stunning. They also have individual baked highlighters if you wanted to stick with a certain colour.

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I’ve been reaching for my Freedom Makeup London Setting Spray a lot too, it helps my makeup last as well as De cakes my face if I’ve over powdered. I like that it’s not a huge bottle it’s great to throw in my hand bag to freshen up through the day.

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L’oreal Infallible matte Foundation is giving me life right now!!! I love the coverage, a little goes a long way and it makes my skin look amazing. It’s a great Base for any contouring or highlighting I feel like doing that day. It’s stays matte through out the day and doesn’t dry my skin out, it will forever be in my top 3 favourite foundations so I just had to mention it.

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So there we go, there was quite a few bits in this month’s favourites but I really couldn’t leave any out. All amazing products and none that break the bank. Total win win. What’s your monthly favourites I’d love to hear in the comments below.

Becca xxxx

L’oreal False Lash Sculpt Mascara

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Hello my little buttons!

I recently purchased L’Oréal False Lash Effect Mascara after hearing the huge claims L’Oréal were making in regards to what this mascara can do. Allegedly in One STROKE it can tight line at the roots, volumize at the core and fan your lashes out at the tips. My first thought was no way, in one stroke is that possible. After purchasing the mascara I straight away checked out this ‘magic’  wand, it was not what I was expecting at all. It’s quite hard to explain so I will add photos down below, it’s a long cone shape with two small combs next to each other. I was genuinely expecting a big chunky bristle brush or even a Benefit There Real! rubber brush dupe.

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On first application I have to say I was really impressed, the bottom comb almost hooks on to your lashes at the root causing a ‘tight line’ effect, it did add volume and fan my lashes out as promised. I used a few coats as I wanted to reposition some of my lashes but it really wasn’t 100% nessasary. I was very happy with the end result, although do be careful the first time you use it as it does feel different compared to a generic mascara, I did jab myself in the eye!!! On the photo below I litrally have eyeshadow and mascara on, no eyeliner at all.

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But second time round I was prepared and sculpted my lashes like a pro. It built up beautifully and I easily could of added more. When you first pull the wand out there is quite a lot of product on there so I recon it would work with one stroke for big punky thick lashes, I wiped some off for a more defined look. It’s also super dark which throughout the day has been one of the things I really noticed and loved. What I think is super unique about this formula is your lashes stay exactually where you want them to, as an example, I had curled my lashes but thought they needed an extra umph so after application I gently pushed my lashes up in hope they would stay there (which never happens) but omg they did stay up!!! Even when I moved them about to even out the fanned effect, once positioned they didn’t budge at all. It’s almost like hair gel for your lashes!!! Another bonus is later on in the day I could actually add more mascara on top of what I already had on and it looked gorgeous. I’m so impressed with this mascara, my new magic weapon for sure.

Love Becca xxx

L’oreal Infallible Matte Foundation – is it worth the hype?

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Hello my little buttons!

I was in the market for a matte medium to full coverage fondation, I mainly use bb creams or lighter foundations but I do like to have something with a bit more coverage for events and bad skin days. One of the first products that came to mind was L’Oréal Infallible Matte liquid Foundation, I’ve read amazing reviews and from what I’d seen in photos it looks gorgeous on the skin. I ordered mine online so took a bit of a gamble on the shade, I went for ‘natural rose’ as I’m fairly pale and have a lot of pink tones. As I’m getting older instead of covering up the pink I’m just going with it! Turns out the shade was perfect, it blended in lovely with my skin tone. I love the packaging, it comes in a tube with a small nozzle so you have full control over how much product comes out and you can see how much you have left as it’s mainly clear packaging. The black and red writing/detail looks awesome together as well.

Ive been using the foundation for a few weeks now and I have to say I absolutely love it. I’ve been buffing it in with a foundation brush, no I don’t have a beauty blender I realise I’m the only person alive who doesn’t lol. That a side even with the brush it blends in beautifully with my skin and layers up really well so I can take it from medium coverage to full coverage. It doesn’t cake up and still looks surprisingly natural for such high coverage. Even though it’s matte it’s not drying on my skin at all and even after a whole day of wear still looks fantastic. I have been using a primer as I always do and a light powder to set the foundation and my concealer. I’ve not needed to powder through the day what so ever which is a new thing for me!!! It mainly stays matte throughout the day but what I actually do like is as it settles you can see a natural glow through it which I think is what makes it look so subtle and real-skin like. I would definitely agree it’s water proof and steam proof as even when I’ve been out in the hammering rain it’s all still been in place when I’ve got back.

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In the photo I had been wearing the foundation for around 6 hours and had been rushing round sweating getting all my jobs done, it still looks great! I highly recommend this foundation and at £8.99 it’s easily replaceable when you run out.

Here’s a few more photos of the foundation:

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What’s your favourite affordable matte foundation? Comment below!

Becca xxx

My heatwave makeup! 

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Hello my little buttons!

Here in the uk, where I live we are experiencing a heatwave. As this is not my usual climate, (as anyone who’s been to the uk knows!) I am sweating, burning and just struggling in general!!! So the thought of putting on makeup was not pleasant to say the least, but I didn’t want to look like a tiered mess as I had plans today. So I decided to really strip it back and just use the bare minimum, here were the Heros from today’s face. 

Base

SPF is super important to me, and the product I used combined light coverage as well as protecting my skin from the sun. Loreal Skin Perfection bb cream. Comfy to wear, once it’s soaked in feels like there’s nothing on and with an SPF of 25 that me sorted! 

Powder

To set the BBcream and to mattify I used The Body Shop 3 in 1 powder foundation which alone provides medium coverage. I used a big fluffy powder brush and lightly dusted it all over, then using a smaller brush went over any problem areas like under my eyes and a few little spots. I wasn’t trying to fully cover anything I just wanted to tone it all down and even it out. 

Eyes

I decided to go with my Bourjois Color Band eyeshadow & liner pencil. I wanted something quick and easy that I could take with me and top up if needed. I own the shade 04 Rose Fauviste which is a gorgeous metallic pinky rose gold colour. It sets really well and I get a good 5/6 hours out of this before it needs topping up, even in this hot weather. There’s still a pretty sheen to the lids and minimal creasing. 

Lashes

WATERPROOF ALL THE WAY!!! Is normally my mantra, I love it’s staying power as I tend to wipe my eyes thought the day and can get panda eyes if I’m not careful with other mascaras. I have been using Gosh Length ‘n’ build which doesn’t say it’s waterproof on the packaging but I’ve found it lasts the same as my waterproof mascaras. I’ve had it on all day and it still in its place looking pretty. 

Lips

I wanted something fairly neutral, that I could apply through the day without a mirror and felt balmy and comfy to wear. I went for my Bourjois Colour Boost lip crayon in 07 Proudly Naked, its one of my favourite lip products for being so pretty, silky smooth to apply and easy to wear it also contains SPF 15. What more could I want?! 

  
Here is the finished look. Don’t you just love ‘no makeup makeup?’ So pretty and flattering on anyone, letting your natural skin do all the talking with just a touch colour to the lips and lids. I didn’t go for blush as I’m really rosy anyway. The only products I didn’t mention was my Rimmel eyebrow pencil in hazel and The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in shade 01 which I very lightly dusted all over. 

I hope you enjoyed today’s blog! What have you been wearing in the heat wave? Comment below and subscribe! 

June monthly favourites Time!

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Hello my little buttons!

Here are my June monthly favourites, I love reading about other peoples so thought I’d share mine. Summer is here once again so my makeup has been rotated towards lighter comfy looks that work on those hot sweaty days. These are the products this month I could not have been without, here’s a little run down of what I love about them. 

  
Starting with my face, this is Loreal Skin Perfection BB blemish balm cream. I’ve been reaching for this more and more, it’s light coverage, blends in nice and quick, it’s my perfect colour and lasts most of the day. It’s moisturising and most importantly has an SPF of 25. I notice my skin texture really improves the more I use this product and it really helps with break outs. 

 
Freedoms Makeup London Concealer palette. This is a new favourite I have reached for literally every day. I love that you can mix your own colours, it helps cancel out the blue under my eyes and hides spots like a dream. To apply this I have been using….


My Real Technieques Pointed Foundation Brush. As you can see it’s rather dirty!!!! This small brush is perfect for getting right up under my eyes and really blending the concealer in. It doesn’t hold much product so it’s great for fuller coverage as well as a lighter application. 

  

Freedom Makeup London Fixing Spray. This has been a life saver, I’ve tried a few affordable fixing sprays and so far nothing’s worked. Until now! If I have decided to go more ‘full faced’ with my makeup I have noticed a significant difference in how well it’s lasted as well as it feeling cooling and refreshing to use. 

  
Here’s how the 3 look all together! 

  
These 3 lip products have lived in my bag all month. The first on the left is Essence Lipstick in Natural Beauty, I’m also wearing it on the photo above. Perfect pinky nude easy to wear with nearly any look. The same goes for the next colour which is Freedom Makeup London lipstick in Whispers, a slightly darker pink but still in the same rosy family. Both last a good few hours, can be applied without a mirror and feel creamy and moisturising to wear. The last is Mua Cosmetics Sweet Sheen Lipbalm in French Violet. This is a really pigmented lipbalm, as well as feeling nourishing it delivers a lovely pop of colour. I like using this if I’m out and about without makeup wearing my sunnies just to bring some colour to my face. 

  
Last but not least, Rimmel Scandal Eyes in Nude. I use this a lot, and even more in the summer. It brightens the eyes and really opens them up helping them appear larger and more awake.  

I hope you’ve enjoyed this months favourites I’d love to hear yours in the comments below!