Mini Make Up Haul

I squeaked with excitement when I saw that my local Boots store had gotten it's Nyx Cosmetics counter, and it was just being filled up that same day. So, I could pick anything I wanted... but as we all know deciding what to actually purchase was a real struggle. Here, I'm giving you my thoughts on the make up products that I picked up on that exciting day!

Review Nyx Lip Lingerie

Last week, the Nyx Lip Lingerie lipstick was released at Boots so I was more than excited when I received an email telling me I could now purchase them. The Lip Lingerie lipsticks are supposed to be the perfect nudes that will suit everyone, how amazing does that sound? However, the hardest part for me was choosing which shades I wanted. I decided to go with Embellishment and Bedtime Flirt after watching a few reviews of them on YouTube. Here's how I found them.

February Favourites

Hey there! It's nearly mid-February so I thought I would do a 'February Favourites' post of what I'm currently loving at the moment, and what I will probably be using throughout the rest of February. I noticed that I was using these things almost every day, even when I get newer things I just keep going back to them. So take a look and let me know what you think.

Styling over-the-knee boots

I was very hesitant about buying a pair of over-the-knee boots because being only 5ft I thought they would be way too long and make me look even shorter, but I decided to try a pair on and was pleasantly surprised by how great they actually look. So, now over-the-knee boots are my new favourite footwear and ever since I got this pair of boots I have wanted to wear them with everything I possibly can. And, I thought I would compose a post of a few of my favourite outfits to wear them with and show you how versatile they can be.

What's on my Christmas list this year!

As I get older, I feel like there are less and less things that I genuinely want to put on my Christmas list. My parents ask me every year what I want, and it just gets harder to come up with something because I usually buy anything whenever I want it. However, there are a couple things I have had my eye on for a while now, so what better to put them on my Christmas wish list this year! So, here goes:

Make Up Review: Seventeen Stay Time Foundation

 

You know when you're happy with your current foundation, but feel like looking for a new one just because there are so many products out there? Well, that was my reasoning for purchasing Seventeen's Stay Time 25 Hour Foundation, and the Miracle Matte pressed powder. I had already read some great reviews about the stay time foundation, so was keen to try it out for myself and I must admit that I am quite impressed already even after only a few uses.

L'Oreal make-up review

The other day I popped into my local boots because my current mascara was close to running out and I needed to replace my foundation. I have been using the L'Oreal True Match foundation for a few months now, and have been very happy with it, so naturally I thought to replace it. It is a great foundation that smooths and evens out my skin tone whilst being very light with medium coverage, but it is also very buildable without looking cakey whatsoever. At the moment there is £2 off the original price, so it cost only £7.99 which is a very reasonable high street price! And I love the new packaging style, it's very sleek and chic, making it look even more expensive than it actually is.

Currently, there is a 3 for 2 offer on all L'Oreal products, so I jumped at the chance to get a new mascara in with this offer (you know you would as well). I picked up the L'Oreal Voluminous Extra-Black which claims to build volume by 5 times and adds no clumping. I am very much impressed with this mascara, I think it gives pretty much the same effect as the YSL Faux-Cils mascara that I have been using. It does have quite a strong smell which can be a little bit off-putting at first, but who sniffs their mascara anyway?! This cost £8.49 and I would certainly purchase it again.

Next, I have putting off purchasing a primer for absolutely ages! But, I noticed my face becoming quite oily recently and my make-up was literally sliding off every time I touched it (not a good look). I decided that since my graduation is coming up, I really could not afford to let my make-up slide off because I need to look great in all the photos. So, I picked up the L'Oreal Infallable Mattifying Base Primer because I have seen it advertised in store and on a few blogs recently too. The 'mattifying' effect is really what had drawn me to this product because I really need my make-up to have some staying power. And guess what? It works! Honestly, I am so impressed with this primer (I add that I have never used a primer before) and I did not realise how essential a primer should be in your make-up routine. Only after smoothing a small amount over my face, my foundation glided on smoothly and whenever I touched my face throughout the day my make-up wasn't sliding off on my fingers, as what was happening previously. So a big thumbs up from me, and at only £7.99 you cannot go wrong!

What are your make-up essentials?

Hot Cloth Cleanser Review: Liz Earle vs. No7

I did a review of the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser (here) a while ago after I got my first bottle of the stuff. After using it for a good month or so I wanted to write a more thorough review. But, my bottle ran out and I soon found myself looking to replace it. However, after shopping in Boots I noticed the No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser and after doing a little research I decided to purchase it the next time I went in. So, after using this new cleanser for a while, I thought what could be better than doing a comparison post on two the hottest Hot Cloth Cleansers on the market.

The No7 cleanser costs only £9.95, whereas the Liz Earle cleanser is £14. But, I was quite surprised to find that the size of the No7 bottle is larger (200ml) than Liz Earle's (100ml), yeah it's double the size! So at this point, the No7 cleanser is winning because it is not only cheaper but has a bigger bottle with more product. Another thing I like more about the No7 cleanser is that the bottle is see-through so you can see how much product you've used/ have left. When my Liz Earle cleanser ended I had no idea it was coming to an end, so I had no idea to buy a replacement until it had finished. Usually I tend to buy more of a product when I know it will be running out soon.

Both cleansers will come with a muslin cloth to aid the cleansing routine. By far, Liz Earle offers the best muslin cloth and in my opinion it is 100% better quality than the cloth that comes with the No7 cleanser. I am not quite sure that you can tell in the photo (maybe if you click and zoom in) but the No7 cloth is a lot more loose-knit than Liz Earle's. And, I think Liz Earle's just feels a lot smoother and kinder to the skin, so hands down Liz Earle wins here, but I just use Liz Earle's cloth when I am using the No7 Cleanser at the moment because I have three of them, so why not.

When it comes to the product itself, there is a clear different between each cleanser, but they both do the same job really well. No7 is a lot more creamier with a nice clean smell, and removes all of your facial makeup with ease (including stubborn mascara). Also, the perfect-sized amount of product comes out with just one pump that easily covers your face and neck. Liz Earle has a really thick texture with a divine fragrance that no one can fault or even forget, and it too removes all makeup with ease. And a decent sized amount of product comes out with just one pump as well, that I manage to cover all of my face and neck. Liz Earle is packed with naturally active ingredients; rosemary, chamomile, cocoa butter, and eucalyptus essential oil. Whereas, No7 prides itself being hypo-allergenic and being created to provide tailored skin nutrition for healthy looking, bright and beautiful skin.

Honestly, I would say that both of these products are just as good as each other, and would use either of these in a heartbeat. But, I would personally purchase the No7 again after it has run out purely because it is a lot cheaper and offers more product (and due to personal funds). And, when it comes to the muslin cloth issue, I just use my Liz Earle cloths with the No7 cleanser because it is clearly of much better quality. If you are worried about this you can purchase the Liz Earle pure muslin cloths separately on their website (here). You can get 2 cloths for only £4.50 and then use the No7 cleanser, which still works out just as cheap as buying the Liz Earle cleanser on its own, and then you have the cloths for future usage.

So, there you have it. What are your views on either or both of these cleansers?

Mini make up haul

This is only a small make up haul and I got all my products from Boots, because they have actually got some really good offers on at the moment on both the make up and skincare range. I am actually surprised that I only came out with these five products, but I was determined to only get what I went in for (concealer and eyebrow pencil)... and a couple more.

Firstly, the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer is my all time favourite concealer, and believe me I have tried quite a few of the high street concealers since I started using it, and always end up coming back to this one. It says it lasts up to 16 hours and I would agree that it does. Also, I think it is one of the few concealers that actually match my skin tone because I have found many light concealers are not actually that light at all. But this one is nice and creamy, perfect for dry skin and to use on those dark under eye areas.

Next, the Maybelline Brow Satin eyebrow pencil is what I need to restock on. I have it in the shade 'Mahogany Red' and as a redhead I have found it quite difficult to find eyebrow pencils that match my hair colour. But, since finding this one a couple months ago it is my make up must have and I really hope that they never discontinue it because it is basically perfect for me and only costs £5.99. It has a twist up pencil at one end which you use to fill in the brow between the hairs and a brow powder at the other end. I would recommend this to any redhead out there still looking for their perfect eyebrow pencil!

The next product I purchased is Boots' own Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Peel Off Face Mask, which was £1.49 instead of £2.99. I have recently been after skincare products that will help soothe my skin and keep it clear and healthy at the same time. Tea tree oil and witch hazel are both known for their cleansing and calming properties on problem skin. So, I thought I would give this a try and hopefully notice a difference. Have you tried this product?

Lastly, there is a '3 for 2' offer on all Maybelline products at the moment at Boots (and Superdrug too) so I couldn't resist purchasing two more lipsticks from their Color Sensational range. Originally I wanted to try out their Color Drama lip pencils but they seem to have flew off the shelves, but there is always next time! I chose number 342 'Mauve Mania' from their plum range and also number 630 'Velvet Beige' from their nude range. Their lipsticks smell wonderful and I chose both of these because I am recently more interested in more neutral lipstick colours for everyday wear, and I hope these are long lasting (I will get back to you on that). Also, the cases they came in are so cute and stylish, who wouldn't want these to be seen in their handbag?

Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick no. 342 'Mauve Mania'

Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick no. 630 'Velvet Beige'