Skincare: Garnier Moisture Match Goodbye Dry

Hi lovelies, ahh I'm so happy right now, it's the start of my four weeks off from placement/uni & the heatwave is starting to show its presence. Sun = everybody happier :) I want to introduce you to my newest bargain cream I've added to my skincare routine....and oh what a little gem it is.

I was in Boots last night looking for beauty products to buy for my sisters 30th birthday (me last minute as usual rushing around) as I was on my way to her house after for pizza and a girly night with friends as she's 5 month pregnant.  Boots had really good deals on where every beauty product line was buy one get one half price which came in very useful.  I had been eyeing up this moisturiser for weeks now ever since they were released and had even tried to order a free sample off Garnier's website but it wouldn't work, and as I stumbled across it so I popped one in my basket to go with my sisters present thinking she can review it and let me know if its good or not.  I was then delighted to get to the till and the woman behind the counter told me it was buy one get one free on all Garnier skincare...so I got mine free, bargain!

               

 Now bit of a background on my skin....it's a mixture of everything really.  It's combination although I now mostly have those little spots that are UNDER the skin but still show, I think it's off past scarring when I was younger as I had really bad skin.  It can also be a bit oily around my t-zone, but is incredibly dry on my cheeks and I often get dry patches which are such a pain.  For that reason I am always looking for a deep hydrating moisturiser that doesn't take ages to skin in and leave you looking oily after application.  I currently use Oil of Olay in the summer months which I have done for years (however this still leaves me dry sometimes) and Avene Rich Hydrating Cream in the winter months.

There are five different types of moisturiser in this range, which has one to tailor every skin type.  They include Protect & Glow-for normal skin, Start Afresh-for normal/dry skin, Goodbye Dry-for dry/very dry skin, Wake Me Up-for dull skin, and Shine & Be Gone-for combination/oily skin.  There was no doubt about it...I needed Goodbye Dry at the moment.  First of all I loved the pretty packaging the cream comes in very girly and pretty as this always hooks me in to buy.  Also I absolutely love the fact the moisturiser comes in a tube as you can definitely control the amount you use, and I just find it's way more hygienic than sticking your fingers in a pot/jar.  Another thing I love this product for is the consistency of the cream...I ALWAYS struggle to get this right, it's either too thick and gloopy or too thin and watery but this cream is just right-rich & hydrating but non-greasy.  On first application the cream felt as though it just literally drank up my dry skin and not just sat on the surface and dried up a few hours later (like my Oil of Olay does sometimes).  But this was very nice and absorbed into my skin very quickly and made a great base for my primer and makeup. 

My skin didn't break out with adding this new product in (as sometimes my sensitive skin does this) the cream is quite rich so you don't need a huge amount.  It felt very gentle and refreshing on my skin and has a nice strawberry scent.  My sensitive dry skin has seen a big improvement since using it, and cannot recommend this enough, especially for the price too.  Currently on offer in boots Buy One Get One Free on all Garnier skincare for £5.99.

Beauty: MAC Face Highlighters

For me personally, I only started using highlighters around a year ago as I always thought it would make my shiny combination skin worse.  But then I became obsessed with MAC makeup after watching you tube tutorials of celebrity make up artists and soon discovered I needed them in my make up bag.  These are two of my favourite MAC highlighters, but I also love Benefit's high beam & have just bought a MUA highlighter to try out...which I will be reviewing soon!

If your new to using highlighters there basically made for highlighting the high points of your face.  This can include your cheek bones, eyebrow bone, and your tear duct.  Also you can highlight your chin and nose, although I tend to highlight just my nose as it makes the face appear slimmer.  I've never tried highlighting my chin as for me sometimes this can be my problem skin area which I don't particularly want to enhance.

I always think when your not confident at highlighting yet, just using your fingers and starting to highlight just one or two areas first is always a good starting point, that's how I done mine as I didn't have a clue initially. Here's a good guide on Kim Kardashians face that her make up artist tweeted a while ago as a guide.  I know it seems a lot but this is more for the full on face guide to highlighting & contouring and which shade should be there.  As I say if your not confident you can just pick a few areas from this guide to get you started.  I'm still not confident in doing all of this yet.

MAC Strobe Cream

This strobe cream has been accredited with being a beauty cult favourite and is very popular among celebrity make up artists.  It is described as the "ultimate quick fix for the skin and is super powered with potent botanicals.  It is said to distress, moisten, freshen and boost the look of dull, flat or tired skin."  It is fully loaded with a vitamin zap and green tea.  I find this is a lovely consistency and like the fact it comes in a big tube, it gives the skin a lovely sheen finish with a nice dewy fresh look, but with no glitter ball effect which for me is perfect.  It's very easy to apply and you can apply it with your fingers and it can be buildable on how much highlight you want.  I can definitely see why this is a favourite, and have found it looks lovely on photos.  You can buy this at MAC's website, there are two sizes- the 50ml tube like mine for £23.50 or there is a much smaller 30ml travel size tube for £12.50...much friendlier on the purse.

MAC Colour Base in "Pearl Frost"

These are fairly new to MAC with only being released a few month ago.  It is described as a "versatile & multi purpose highlighter."  I've found it is very versatile as it can be applied directly to bare skin, or layered over foundation, moisturiser or powder.  They are very easy to use and can be applied with a brush, sponge or just using your fingers.  Personally I just use my fingers, or for a special occasion I have used it with my Real Techniques Stippling brush which has also worked well.  I absolutely adore this one, I think it's my favourite of the two.  It has a lovely frosty sheen creamy finish and looks very natural on cheekbones, eyebrow bone and down the bridge of my nose.  The thing I love about most is I think these pots are great for beginners or pro's and love the fact there are five different shades.  This one in pearl frost is the second lightest shade as I wanted this purely for a highlighter.  The other three shades darker than this one are more of a bronzer type shades.  I have been eyeing up the one in shade "Hush" for a while now as I think that will go perfect alongside this one to contour next to the highlighter.  You can buy these at MACs website for £15.00

Here's me wearing pearl frost colour base-I have no makeup on here just the highlighter to give you a rough idea as I was having a lazy stay at home day!  

What do you think about highlighters? Which products do you use?

Empties Post #1

Ahh I just want to say sorry for my lack of posts the past few weeks as things have been pretty hectic for me lately! Unfortunately my uni course doesn't finish in May like the majority, mine runs right through until September...but today is the first day of a lovely four weeks holiday! So...the past few weeks have been pretty crazy...I have been working on a busy hospital ward doing 13 hour shifts and having a 4 year old and lots of essays due in (hence the lack of blogging). I found out I passed my dissertation (yay!) and also got my first staff nurse job secured for when I finish in September....Woohoo! Finally, these last three hard, sweat, blood and tears have paid off and I could not be happier.  So here's the beginning of a lovely four weeks off with only my FINAL EVER essay to hand in next week, then from august my final 7 weeks as a student nurse before I'm in my blue nurse uniform...scary!  The flowers you can see in the photo are from my lovely fiancé for getting my first staff nurse job :)

So...I've got lots of posts scheduled but wanted to try this one first as I have seen lots of people write these kinda posts and find myself obsessed with reading everyone else's.  I also thought I would never be able to collect lots of empty products as I'm forever buying new stuff...but quite impressed with what I have used up (if not a little proud feeling ha)  Sorry about the quality of pictures, I cannot wait until September when I ask the other half to buy me a DSLR camera for my graduation present! So here's my first empties post..

 

Batiste Dry Shampoo Light & Blonde

I used to use the normal batiste dry shampoos with no hint of colour in like the cherry one but this is my second time using the hint of light blonde colour and I really like it.  Unfortunately it doesn't have the same lovely scent that comes with the other ones but for when my hair needs a little extra pick me up/volume or if I have been lazy after a 13 hour shift and cant be bothered to wash my hair..I find this is great to use especially behind my ears, for my fringe and on the roots.  I prefer using this one because as I have my hair coloured blonde the roots do show quite quick so sometimes this disguises my awful roots when it's time for the hairdressers again.  Definitely a repurchase product.

 

Rimmell Fix & Protect Primer

 I know this is a cheap high street product but for me the packaging is a little boring and not very appealing...Unfortunately I won't be repurchasing this just because for me the consistency was too much of a runny liquid.  By that I mean I usually like primers to be a thick consistency what you can feel literally drink up the shine on your face, but I felt this one just glided over.  And because of this I found my makeup didn't stay on that long as it would have with previous primers I have used.  I would definitely prefer spending a bit more money on a thicker consistency.

 

Aussie Colour Mate Shampoo

 Ahh how amazing is the peach smell of this shampoo? I could literally just soak in the stuff!  I bought this and the 3 minute mask (but that's not empty yet) and I really like them both.  Only little negative thing is I find this one states for coloured hair but I find it doesn't actually make my colour any better/shinier which is fine as I just put a mask for coloured hair on after.  But this definitely rinses all the product build up out my hair and I always feel it cleans it well.  Definitely repurchase....if not just for the smell!

 

Sheer Blonde Conditioning Treatment

 I've actually repurchased this for years now as I find it leaves my hair silky smooth, lasts much longer than the Lee Stafford masks, has a nice smell, and helps to calm the frizz down.  Firm favourite of mine!

 

Avene Eau Thermale Spring Water

 This is the second small tube of this spring water I have tried and I couldn't be without it now....next purchase I make will be the much bigger bottle you can get.  I find this is perfect for me as it is for sensitive and irritated skin.  It's a very versatile product and can be used for many things including nappy rash, razor burn, after hair removal, sunburn, to calm down facial redness, after exercise, in summer, during travel, or to set makeup.  Personally I have been using it as more of a toner after I have cleansed my face I use this then put on my moisturiser.  It's great for making you skin feel soothing and clean, great for removing all traces of my makeup, and also for setting my makeup for special occasions (a bit like MAC Fix + spray).  Firm favourite of mine :)

 

Lee Stafford Hot Shots 4 Blondes

 I think I have said in a previous hair post these are great for toning your blonde hair to a more ashy blonde...I bought these in a 3 for 2 offer in boots, they are good and make my hair a lovely colour and gets rid of all the orangey tones, but have found cheaper alternative blonde toning products.

 

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment

 I really love this hair mask as I find it leaves my hair in great condition, super soft and silky...only down side is the small tub for the price.  This is the best mask I have used so far but think I am going to try the Macadamia one next!

 

Sudocrem Tube

 And finally, I tend to use sudocrem on my face when I feel a spot coming on (lovely, I know) and it really helps take the redness away and calms it down.  I used to use the little tubs of this but when these tubes came out I prefer to use these as I find them much more hygienic then sticking your hand in a tub, especially when its being applied on my face. A definite repurchase.

 

Hope you enjoyed my first empties post, it was fun doing it :)

Let me know what you think

 

Touch of Sparkle || Glam Phone Cases

Afternoon ladies, I just wanted to do a quick post on this gorgeous new phone case of mine...it looks good enough to eat right?  I was originally on the hunt for a phone case after buying a new iphone and wanted to protect it as they are so easy to slide out of your hands! (FYI my last iphone slid into my cup of tea as I had a cuppa in one hand and the iphone in the other...oops) So when I was looking on twitter I stumbled across TouchOfSparkle_ @TouchOfSparkle_which make customised gorgeous phone cases, key covers, ipad covers, diamond glasses and lots more.  You simply just personal message with your order of what you want, pay over PayPal and expect to see it in the post about 4-5 days later.  I was super happy with the price only  being £15 including postage & packaging and it arrived in the post around five days later on a Saturday which I was very impressed with as this must have took a few days to make. 

 

I didn't have a PayPal account originally  but it was very simple to set one up and only took 5 minutes.  I know this case is very "out there" & girly which is exactly the look as I was going for a change...and think it is super blingy! It arrived in fabulous condition and although it has lots of beads etc attached they are not flimsy and haven't fell off.  The company does lots of different designs and have just started making a MAC makeup phone case...Is your phone needing a little updating?  Check them out :)

Beauty: Mac Studio Fix Vs Rimmel Stay Matte

Hello Ladies, this post is going to be about comparing a MAC powder and a budget version Rimmel one.  MAC is one of my all time favourite makeup brands after only discovering it 2 years ago and I think they offer a great variety of powders. However I had read from a lot of beauty bloggers that the rimmel stay matte was worth a try as the powder was getting a lot of rave reviews...so decided to compare the two. Before buying MAC I could never find a powder that lived up to its claims of hours of endless shine. 

I think everyone that applies makeup should own a good powder as for me it is an essential part of my makeup routine both for quick daytime makeup or night time full makeup. Even if you haven't got oily skin what so ever, I still think powders are great for setting your foundation and making it last. I know the dewy look is in at the moment but I like to add a dewy look with my highlighters on top of powders. So here's my comparison....

MAC Studio Fix Powder NC30

 This powder is described as a medium coverage powder foundation but personally I just use it as a setting powder on top of my MAC foundation. I adore this for the great coverage it gives and find it buffs into my skin great with the Real Techniques powder brush. It has great staying power and I find my slightly oily skin doesn't shine through even after a lot of hours when I've been on a night out or at work. It is without a doubt the best powder I've used that offers such high coverage for marks/spots on my face whilst controlling shine.  I find amazingly i don't have to apply this again throughout the day/night. I will definately be re-purchasing this when it eventually runs out, as you can see from the picture its still in great condition for being just under a year old so personally i think its worth the £21.50 price tag as it lasts ages. However, just a tiny niggle I have...last time I was using this powder for a night out I noticed when my friends were taking pictures on every picture I looked as white as a ghost as though there was a flash shining on me...I looked it up on internet and it seems it is quite common with this powder. Although that night I did wear my MAC face & body foundation for first time... and that is meant to be AMAZING for professional photography shots (a lot of models/celebrities use this for photo shoots so I haven't a clue if it was down to this or not.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - Warm Beige

 I first heard about this powder after hearing a lot of bloggers reviews claiming this was just as good as other high end brands and at only a fraction of the price at £3.99...so I was obviously a little dubious on first testing. However I am pleased to say I cannot really fault this budget powder. First off it makes my skin look just as flawless as it would using the MAC Fix powder, it sets into my skin nicely without drying round any marks/spots, controls my shine and has a nice matte effect. The one little niggle....it doesn't last as long as the MAC Fix, as for a night out I have to reapply it as I find it only lasts about 4-5 hours BUT taking everything into account (and the price) I think this is a great alternative and have been using this one for work or day time makeup allowing me to keep my MAC Fix for nights out/special occasions.

Have you tried either of these? How did you find them?

Beauty: MUA Lip Boom

Hello beauties...how lovely has the weather been? I've been off work since Tuesday and been sunbathing in the garden and got quite a nice little tan, lets just hope it stays like this over the weekend so everyone can enjoy it :)  Today I'm reviewing this lip boom in shade 'OMG' which is a beautiful summery coral shade which I fell in love with and had to buy!  This was made in collaboration with Alexandra Burke (X Factor) with MUA and retails at a tiny £3.  MUA describe it as a lipstick and highlighting gloss that creates fuller curvaceous lips for a dramatic illusion of volume.  You can wear it four different ways-the lipstick only for a matte look, lipstick with the gloss in the middle to create fuller lips, the lipstick with the gloss all over for a sheer finish, or the gloss on its own for a sheer pearl finish, and it comes in 8 lovely shades to choose from.

When I first opened it I didn't expect much for the price...and I thought it looked quite drying but I couldn't have been more wrong as once applied it is a great creamy moisturising matte lipstick.  I think it will be great to brighten up an outfit for those lovely summer nights in the pub we will all soon be enjoying.  I think this coral shade is great and I'm really impressed with it so going to buy some different colours in it next time I'm in Superdrug.

Just a quick review tonight ladies

Let me know your thoughts on the post

Love hearing from you

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

 

 

I decided to buy Bourjois healthy mix foundation as I had read on so many blog posts that beauty bloggers were loving this....and I am always on the hunt for that perfect high street priced foundation! I decided to get the shade "light beige" as it was the second lightest shade but the first one was too pale for me.

However I'm sad to say I was quite disappointed with this because I was expecting it to be really good....first of all the things I like about this foundation is the packaging, pump dispenser and the price. Also it had a really nice dewy look to it. The reasons I didn't like it was first off the colour...the swatch on the picture looks fine but once on my skin I found it a bit orangey looking, but the shade below was far too pale. The second thing was that it clung onto EVERY tiny bit of dry patches/blemishes and made it look cakey and flakey which is not a good look. I even tried this foundation on three separate days when my skin wasn't dry but found it still clung onto any blemishes. And thirdly...each time I tested it I left it on for my usual daytime and I was gutted to see on every occasion the foundation only lasted 3/4 hours later after applying, even with my usual primer and powder applied as normal, but it would stay clung onto dry patches/blemishes.

Sadly I won't be buying this again, will stick with my trusted MAC & Estée Lauder for now... And keep on hunting for a good high street foundation. Dont get me wrong I love other products from Bourjois, guess this one is just not for me! 

Hope this review helps, would love to know how you have found this foundation or if your thinking about buying it.

 

Beauty: Bourjois Cream Blush

To celebrate Bourjois being 150 years they released four cream blush shades...like replicas of their much loved original blushes but in a lovely creamy formula! When I was shopping in Superdrug I couldn't resist having a try.  I tested all four shades on my hand in the shop and bought the one I liked the most and what I thought would suit my face...the "Healthy Glow shade number 02"

When I got home I was desperate to test it out properly and began applying it with my fingers at first then blended it in further with my Real Techniques stippling brush....straight away I thought wow I lurve this blush so much! It has a lovely creamy texture but changes into a powdery finish once on the skin. Amazing thing is although it finishes like a powder it doesn't look dry, it shows a gorgeous dewy effect-but by no means "shimmery or glittery" which I adore about the product. It comes in the lovely little compact and has a mirror inside. I've since put this on with just my fingers without using any brushes and it looks the same finish. The colour healthy glow is a beautiful coral colour....perfect for the summer :) I think it's a beauty must have and urge you to try it!

Let me know if you have bought this one or any other shades, or if your thinking of buying it :)