Latest in Beauty - Clinique & British Beauty Blogger Edit

Ooh- look at this box of goodies. (spot the rest of the fragrance sample!)
If you've been keeping on top of the beauty box world recently (which is hard, there are so many), you'll know that the British Beauty Blogger (Jane Cunningham) has curated this Latest in Beauty Box in collaboration with Clinique.
I'm currently on a skincare hunt to try to sort out my skin, which has gone CRAZY, and who knows why. Anyway, this seemed like a bargain for £18, and includes four skincare samples, two full size (!) make up products and a tiny sample of the Happy Fragrance.

The two moisturisers included are the Dramatically Different + and Moisture Surge. Having reactive, acne- prone skin, I like to read reviews and ingredients lists before I put anything on my face. I did a bit of googling on these both, and the Dramatically Different moisturiser has a fair few negative reviews, and seems generally not to be very popular. Furthermore (ooh, fancy), it has mineral oil in, which, according to Caroline Hirons- who I trust with my face- is a no-no for acne-prone skin. So, I think I'm probably going to give this to a friend or a sister because I do not want to risk it. The Moisture Surge moisturiser looks really exciting, however. The reviews look good, the ingredients look mineral oil-less, so I'm saving that one for Summer when I need a bit of extra nourishing.

The word 'soap' with 'face' just scares me a little bit, so I'm a bit apprehensive about using the Liquid Facial Soap, but we'll see when I give it a go. The Make- Up Remover looks promising, even if it is in a weird medicine- like push down bottle thing. Good description. Definitely keeping these for travelling, so handy!

The make- up products are a High Impact Mascara and a Chubby Stick in Plumping up Pink. I've never tried either of these before- I have plenty of the Revlon lip pens which I love a lot, so I'm excited to try the original. I did wack a bit on, but I have no make- up on today so I just looked really weird. I will reserve judgement to another day. It's a fresh, mid pink and a lot more sheer than I expected, but I like that, especially in the summer time. The mascara will remain a mystery until I have finished the other four I have on the go at the moment.

Clinique Happy just reminds me of that bit in the film Juno, but that's probably just me. It smells citrus-y and fresh, but I'm not totally in love yet.


Overall, I think beauty boxes like this are a great way of trying out a brand, and a really budget- friendly way to stock up on some sample sizes for holidays!
I did get this on the first day it came out, and I have since seen it has been out of stock, but keep your eyes peeled if you're after it because it might be restocked!
Thanks for reading!
Lou x

3 Products Worth the Hype

 Beauty can be expensive, and in the world of YouTube and Blogging, there are so many products which get hundreds, even thousands, of mentions. So, it's very hard to know- especially when you can't afford to throw your money around and not get results- what is worth your money. All three of these products are fairly 'hyped' in the internet beauty world, and I have to admit I bought them all a little bit because of bloggers/ youtubers recommending them, but have found that all three are totally worth the splurge.

1. Naked 2 Basics palette. Urban Decay eyeshadows in general are the best I've ever tried. I also own the regular Naked 2 palette, but I feel that the Basics 2 is such a staple in any make- up lover's collection.
Skimp and Stark are perfect base and highlight colours. Skimp is more shimmery, and Stark is a little darker and more matte. (Skimp is pretty invisible in this swatch picture, because it's the same colour as my skin.) Frisk is the perfect eyebrow colour for me, but also is a lovely cool-shade taupe for the crease, or even all over the lid. Cover is a beautiful neutral/ warm mid brown. Primal is a darker, more chocolate brown, and Undone is a deep, pigmented black.
So, you can do everything with this palette. Aside from Skimp, they are all matte shades, so you can do everything from eyebrows, highlight and eyeliner, from anywhere between natural to smokey. I can't recommend this palette enough, I've never seen anything as compact and matte- heavy on the highstreet, so I definitely think this is worth the £23 pricetag.

2. Clinique Pop Lip in Beige Pop
First of all, the formula is like nothing I've ever tried before. Creamy, comfortable and moisturising, but still pigmented and beautiful on the lips. Secondly, this colour is my perfect nude.

It's peachy, nudey, and beautiful. Perfect for everyday, or to balance out a smokey eye in the evenings. I have tried a couple of the others in a shop and they feel the same as this one, so I'm definitely looking to pick up a couple of different colours, probably Grape or Melon Pop, and at £16 they aren't as painful as a lot of high-end lipsticks.

3. Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado.
This seems to be a lot of people's favourite eye cream. At 21, I'm just starting to notice my eyes getting a little bit worn, obviously I'm not ageing dramatically, but I like to keep my eyes moisturised so they don't age prematurely, and so that my make- up sits a little nicer. This is thick and nourishing, but sinks in after 10 or so minutes, and just feels so lovely on the skin. It does nothing for blueness under the eyes, so if  that's what you're looking for, this isn't for you. BUT if you want nourishing, creamy goodness- even if it is a strange shade of green- then look no further.  This is £18 so it's not too bad as far as eye-creams go, and definitely a good one to start with.

Thanks for reading!
Lou x

Four Budget Blushes

So, I'm having a bit of a blusher moment. I think its the warmer weather, I just want to have beautifully flushed cheeks All.The.Time.

These are four really good budget options if you are after a new blusher for Spring and Summer,  all with amazing lasting power and an even application.

From left to right-

Make Up Revolution Vivid Blush Lacquer in Rush. -This is an interesting liquid/cream blush formula which comes out really pigmented and beautiful. Now, there is definitely potential for clown-face here. You have to use a VERY light hand, you literally need the smallest smidgen dotted on the apples of your cheeks, and then go ahead with a blending brush- or your fingers- and blend it. And, let me tell you, this blends out like a dream. If you've gone a little overboard you can sort it out with a quick swipe from your foundation brush/sponge to merge it all together. Lovely. Really nice natural colour which lasts all day long.

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Blusher in Onamatopeacha. - First of all, I have a lot of love for the name. Second of all, I have a lot of love for this product. The handy stick formula makes this really quick and easy, and unlike the make up revolution blush lacquer, this goes on quite sheer and is one you build up rather than blend out. Obviously, you would blend this one out too... but you know what I mean. Despite the swatch, it is really subtle on the skin, with the smallest hint of sheen but no glitter. Lovely for a natural peachy cheek and perfect for summer.

Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Lavish Mauve.- This is a colour which I would normally steer well clear of, as I would assume it would be too dark for my fair skin. But, used with a light hand, this is a beautiful bronzer-blush-highlight hybrid. It adds a bit of depth, a bit of a pink flush, and has a lovely shimmer running through it which really brightens up the cheeks. Amazing.

Sleek Blush in Pixie Pink. - This is a lovely blue-based pink which is no way near as scary as it looks in the pan, believe me. The colour is actually very sheer and buildable, which I absolutely prefer to scary unblendable pigmentation. Such an easy colour to wear, and definitely a go-to for a matte pink blush. 

Hope you enjoyed these recommendations,

Thanks for reading!

Lou x

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Mascara Promotion

Mascara is one thing which I find more 'completely terrifying' than 'very exciting', unlike most other make- up. I know what I like, and I am VERY hesitant to try new things, basically because a lot of things just don't work for me. My lashes generally just need a lot of work, two coats at least, and not much seems to hold the curl like my 17 Va Va Voom mascara. 

However, sitting in my 'reserves and overspill' section of my drawer was the Maxfactor False Lash Effect Fusion mascara,which I bought probably a year ago now. 

Firstly, pretty impressed that it's not dry.

Secondly, that 'giving everything a second, third and forth chance' is true, even for mascaras.

I whipped it out today and gave it a proper go, and I am AMAZED by the results. I remember that the other times I've used it that it gave me no volume, and didn't hold a curl at all. Well, my lashes were obviously having a bad day those times because this thing holds a curl really, really well.

I don't even think this picture does credit to the lashes. 

Volume is maybe not what we've got here. Instead, it's separating, lifting, and SUPER lengthening. Love it.

The only thing with my 17 mascara is that it's very volumising, and when layered up can get quite dramatic very quickly which isn't always what I want. This one needs two layers- but what mascara doesn't, especially on my lashes- and it builds beautifully, keeping everything separated and fluttery- looking the whole time.

So, this mascara is being promoted from the box into the make- up bag, and I am very excited to use it some more.

Thanks for reading!

Lou x

Match Made in Lip Heaven ~ MAC Brave and Rimmel East End Snob

Being on my second Rimmel East End Snob lipliner already, I can safely say- it's a good one. The perfect colour and the perfect formula for a lipliner- works well on it's own and with a lipstick, gloss or balm on top. 

Having spent my time searching for my perfect MAC pink, I settled on Brave. I wanted something a little darker, than my lip colour but still wearable for every day, and this is a really really nice lipstick which I would definitely recommend. 

And- amazingly- I have found that it is almost exactly the same colour as East End Snob and that they work beautifully together. Fab-u-lous.

Here's a lovely swatch with East end snob on the left and Brave on the right. What a perfect match.

If you can only afford one, I would recommend the lipliner, as it is £4 and really really worth your money. Longlasting and a beautiful, every day colour. It is slightly dry, which is why it works wonders with Brave over the top (Which is a Satin finish), but wack on a gloss or a lipbalm and you'll be good to go!

Thanks for reading!

Lou x

Kiko Skin Glow

When Kiko say Glow, I say yes please.

 This is a nifty little number somewhere between a moisturiser and a glowy primer. It claims to be a light effect day cream which has SPF 10.

 It comes out of the tube looking like it has a tint to it but when you rub it in it just becomes transparent. The only down side to this is the tiny tiny glitter particles which run through it. BUT. I have tried it under foundation with direct sunlight, and you can't see it, I promise. 

I use this when I am applying make up in the middle of the day and it's been hours since my morning skin routine. It adds a light layer of moisture and makes a really nice base for foundation.

It somehow evens your skin out a tiny bit before foundation, so you could in theory wear it without any foundation on top,  but the glitter particles makes that a risky move, unless you want to look like Edward Cullen. And if you do, this is definitely for you.

In terms of moisturising, I wouldn't use this as my only moisturiser, as it is pretty light- definitely not enough for my de-hydrated skin- but if you only need a bit of moisture this might be enough for you.

I would recommend this as a really nice, purse-friendly moisturising, brightening primer which looks super high-end in it's beautiful pink packaging. Very impressed.

Thanks for reading!

Lou x