My Travel Make Up Bag

Okay, so I brought far too much make up on holiday. I hardly wore any of it but I wanted to cover all bases and I could fit it all into a small make up bag. We went to Crete for a week and had a very relaxing time, hence why I didn't wear much make up. If we'd been going out every night, I would have probably made more effort.

For face products I brought my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B40 as it's the darkest foundation I own. Sadly it's a touch too light for me now so I only wore it once, the same goes for my Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Medium 3. If anyone has any recommendations for darker concealers in the drugstore, please let me know as I need one to fill the gap until I'm pale enough to wear what I already have. I brought my Illamasqua cream blush in Rude in case I wanted to wear blush but I ended up not using it. I brought the Illamasqua Highlighter brush to use with the blush and/or the foundation but again I didn't use it.

For lips I brought two balms - one from Yves Rocher which a lovely girl sent me in a swap. It's the best stick lip balm I've ever tried and I wish it was sold here in the UK. The other is just a Boots Soltan SPF 30 balm and I used both balms, obviously! I brought two Revlon lip butters; Tutti Frutti which I didn't use and Fig Jam which I did use because it's one of the five lip products I'm trying to use up. The two glosses I brought are also in my lip product challenge and I used both the Dior Lip Polish in 001 and Estee Lauder Pure Color gloss in Electric Cherry. I added the Sleek Eau La La liner in Moulin Rouge in case I fancied a red lip but of course, I was too lazy to use it!

For eyes I brought my NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base which I used a couple of times under shadows from the Wet'n'Wild The Gilded Age trio (sadly this is was limited edition but if you can ever get your hands on it, BUY IT!!) that I applied with the only eye brush I brought; the ELF Eyeshadow brush. I also brought an Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Shadow Pencil in Rehab but didn't use it. I used BeneFit's They're Real mascara a few times - it's not waterproof so I didn't wear it during the day but it was fine in the evenings. The only brow product I brought was some MUA clear mascara.

I went a bit overboard with nail polish and brought five Essie minis. I ended up putting Fishnet Stockings on my toes halfway through the holiday and Lady Like on my nails but I didn't use Size Matters, Very Structured or Bangle Jangle but that was mostly due to the nasty nail polish remover pads I brought with me and because I forgot my top coat.

So there you go, that's what was in my travel make up bag and what I actually used. I hope that was useful! Let me know what your travel make up essentials are.

Stace xx

FOTD: Easy Five Minute Make Up

I've been pretty lazy for the past week or so since I finished all my uni assignments and that laziness seems to have extended to make up. I don't know why since you'd think having more free time would mean I'd spend longer painting my face in the morning. I guess I'll get back into the swing of things as I start working on revision for my exams!

Here are some (pretty bad!) photos of the make up I wore on Friday. Please excuse my hair - the lazy theme extended to that also!

I started with a little bit of Clarins Beauty Flash Balm because my skin was looking a bit rubbish. On top of that I applied some NARS Sheer Glow foundation in the shade Santa Fe with my fingers. I used Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in Medium 3 under my eyes and on the scars on my chin. I then applied my NARS blush in Luster (which I've hit pan on! It's definitely love) with an angled blush brush.

I used a little bit of my Cosmetics A La Carte Brow Ink in Taupe along with MUA Clear mascara in my brows. After applying Too Faced Shadow Insurance on my lids, I used MAC Woodwinked all over my lid. I applied it with a flat eyeshadow brush and blended out the edges with a fluffy brush; ideally I'd have added a highlight on the brow bone but I didn't have one to hand. I love Woodwinked as an all over lid shade! I used the Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara sample from my most recent Glossybox. I should have a review of that up soon but if you want the short version; I like it. 

I'd already used my LUSH Pow Wow lip scrub and MAC Lip Conditioner so I just added a bit of my Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti. It's such a pretty orange-coral shade. I'd recommend picking it up if you can find it! 

What are your go-to products for lazy make up days?

Stace xx

She Said Beauty March 2012 Box

This box is the first offering from the latest (or one of the latest, at least) beauty box to come onto an already somewhat saturated market. The company is called She Said Beauty and the boxes are priced at £9 per month plus £2.95 postage and packaging. 

Of all the boxes I've tried, I think this box has the prettiest colour scheme. I'd prefer if it had a proper lid rather than the flip top. The magnetic closure is pretty weak so it opens very easily. The box is also a bit flimsy compared with others; mine was kind of falling apart.

I was pleased to see something other than shredded tissue paper (my cat gets that stuff everywhere). 

As with other boxes, inside there is a card with some information about the company and the products in that month's box.

Onto what's inside...

First up is a skincare duo from Comfort Zone.

 The combined size of these samples is 10ml. The full sized kit is 50ml and costs £52.95.

Both these products feel very greasy. The Recover Cream feels like an oily balm; it's got a very thick consistency and the Recover Concentrate basically feels like an oil. The blurb says these products are full of antioxidants and vitamins. I'm happy to give them a go but I'm not excited about these products.

[EDIT: This cream has dried out and we will apparently be given replacements from the company so I will update on that when I've received that!]

Next up is a trio of haircare products from Aveda. This little box of samples is so sweet! 

The kit comes with a shampoo, conditioner and Style-Prep Smoother all from the Smooth Infusion range. The samples are 10ml each with the full sizes costing between £15.50 and £18.50 each

The samples are teeny so I'd imagine I'll only get one use out of each. Honestly, I'd have preferred one larger sample because one use isn't enough to see how well a product works, is it?

The only make up item in the box is a Collection 2000 Cream Puff matte lip cream. I've owned a couple of these in the past but this time I received the shade Cotton Candy. I'm pleased with the shade because I know this range does offer some super pale shades which would have been really unflattering on me. 

This is a full sized product and it smells delicious. My only issue with the inclusion of this product is that it hardly falls into the 'luxury' bracket. She Said Beauty clearly state on their website that the box will contain five luxury samples. Collection 2000 Cream Puffs are priced at £2.99 for 5ml.

Next up is my favourite product from the box. I'd already seen some blog posts about what was in this box and most of them had received a black Orly mini (called Goth, I believe) which I wasn't interested in at all. I've tried Orly polishes before and quite liked them. It just so happened that I'd had my eye on this shade for a while!

The shade is Ancient Jade and it's a beautiful pastel blue/green - somewhere between duck egg blue and turquoise or something like that. I'm rubbish at describing colours so expect a Nails of the Day post with this soon!

This is just a mini bottle which costs £5 in places like Boots. I think £5 is a ridiculous price to pay for 5.4ml of polish when they full sizes can be purchased online for somewhere between £5 and £6. I've pictured it next to the nail file it came with so you can get an idea of the size. 

Finally, the box included a sample of Premae's Harmony Face Balm. Mine was actually open in the box which was a bit annoying. The packaging on this one is very flimsy. A full sized pot of this balm will set you back £18 for 50ml. 

I'm not entirely sure how to use this. I guess I should put it on my face but again it feels very greasy so I'm not sure how much it'll work for me! It smells very herbal and apparently contains Indian mango butter. I feel a bit 'meh' about this, to be honest. 

As a little extra, they included a 'tea bulb' by Jing. We've not used this yet but I'm excited to see how it blossoms!

All in all, it's an okay box. I'm glad they didn't go all out with lots of full sized high end products in this box. I think anyone who would prefer to receive some samples or products from lower priced brands would like this box. I've found recently that I'm often disappointed when I look through the contents of the latest box I've received but with this box, I'm pretty sure I was smiling!

If you're interested in signing up, visit the She Said Beauty site here.

 Stace xx

FOTD: MAC Chatterbox & Maybelline Tough As Taupe

I wore this to the library because I wanted to try out Chatterbox before wearing it out and about. Plus, the library is so dull, this lipstick totally brightened my day! Please ignore my eyebrows (euuuugh! I will pluck them soon, I promise...) and the fact nothing looks perfect - I did this in about ten minutes because I was so keen to get to the library (hmm.)

Products Used:

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

Clinique Even Better Foundation in 05

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Medium 3

Clarins Ever Matte Face Powder in 02 Transparent Medium

Dior Glowing Colour Blush in Strawberry Sorbet

MUA Clear Mascara (as brow gel, not that you'd be able to tell!)

Too Faced Shadow Insurance 

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tough As Taupe

Milani Liquf'Eye liner in Black

Bobbi Brown Everything Mascara

Jack Black Lip Balm in Black Tea and Blackberry

MAC Chatterbox

(Angry weird pose!)

I think I like Chatterbox. I'm not usually into pinks, especially bright pinks but this lipstick may have changed my mind. Tough As Taupe was pretty difficult to work with in comparison to the more shimmery shades from the Color Tattoo line so I'm not entirely sure if I love it or not. 

Stace xx

Weekly Make Up: Pink?!

I decided to go for slightly cooler toned products this week so stuck to pink blushes rather than my usual peachy tones. However, looking at the swatches...I might not be branching out as much as I thought! As a highlighter I've got my favourite, TheBalm's Mary Lou-Manizer and for blush I'm going to be using Dior's Strawberry Sorbet or NARS Orgasm. 

 L-R: TheBalm Mary Lou-Manizer, Dior Strawberry Sorbet, NARS Orgasm

For my eyes I've dug out my Urban Decay Naked2 palette and a couple of the Maybelline Color Tattoo cream shadows in Tough As Taupe and Audacious Asphalt. For liners I've got the Soap & Glory Supercat black liner which I didn't use last week (oops!) and my usual Milani Liquif'Eye in Black. I'm trying to use up my Bobbi Brown Everything mascara before it dries up so I've opted for that mascara this week.

For my base, I'll be using the Clarins Ever Matte foundation (although I do have a sample of Clinique's Even Better which I've been loving too!) I've got my Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach and Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in Medium 3. My setting powder is the Clarins Ever Matte in 02 Tranparent Medium. This has been working really well for me as a setting powder - it may have overtaken my MAC MSF Natural!

For primer, I'll be using my trusty Too Faced Shadow Insurance on my eyes and I've gone for Clarins Beauty Flash Balm for my face. I had mixed feelings about this product when I first used it but I've been really enjoying it for the past week or so. Expect a review soon!

For lips I've included a Jack Black lip balm in Black Tea and Blackberry, a 17 Mirror Shine lipstick in Beehive, a Clinique Superbalm mini in Currant, my Red Dwarf Pro Longwear lipstick from MAC and MAC Chatterbox. I have a feeling that this week is going to be all about the lips!

 L-R: 17 Beehive, MAC Red Dwarf, MAC Chatterbox

C'est tout!

Stace xx

Weekly Make Up: Something Old, Something New

Face

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

Clarins Ever Matte Foundation in 109 Wheat

Clarins Ever Matte Mineral Powder Compact in 02 Transparent Medium

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in 3 Medium

Eyes

L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara in Black

Milani Liquif'Eye Liners in Black and Brown

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Maybelline Colour Tattoo Shadows in Bold Gold and Bad To The Bronze

Bobbi Brown in Sepia Ink

Chanel Eyeshadow in Beige Lame

Cosmetics A La Carte Brow Ink in Taupe

MUA Clear Mascara 

Soap & Glory Supercat Liner in Black

Cheeks

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed

TheBalm Mary Lou-Manizer Highlight Powder

NARS Blush in Luster

Lips

Stila Lip Glaze in Apricot

Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain in Gothic

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Lip Gloss in Electric Cherry

Soap & Glory Lipstick in Naked Beige

NARS Lipstick in Honolulu Honey

Elemis Fresh Skin Loving Lips Lip Quenching Balm

I went for a mixture of old favourites and new products I want to try out this week - I've been enjoying it so far! I'm sorry this post is so late!

Stace xx

Tag: 42 Beauty Questions II

Next up, make up:

11) What foundation do you use?
I'm currently using NARS Sheer Glow but I also enjoy Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua and Make Up Forever HD. I've got a Bobbi Brown Skin foundation to use up, too.

12) How about concealer?
I have quite a few of those as well. I'm using Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection right now but I also like Estee Lauder Double Wear concealer and Bobbi Brown Corrector and Creamy Concealer.

13) Do you know your undertone colour?
I'm a little yellow toned - think NC in MAC.

14) What do you think of fake eyelashes?
I just received some recently, actually. I've never used them. I prefer natural lashes with mascara.

15) Did you know you were supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?
Yep, and I do.

16) What brand of mascara do you use?

Mostly BeneFit's They're Real but I'm also using L'Oreal Telescopic and Bobbi Brown Everything at the moment. They're Real is on its last legs.

17) Sephora or Mac?
MAC...We don't have Sephora in the UK, unfortunately.

18) Do you have a Mac Pro card?
Nope.

19) What makeup tools do you use in makeup application?
I use brushes for most things.

20) Do you use makeup base/primer for the eyes?
Yes, I always use Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

21) For the face?
I usually use one. At the moment I'm using MUFE HD primer. It's just okay.

22) What is your favourite eyeshadow? Colour or shade?
I tend to stick to neutral shades - usually something in the 'taupe' family. I like Patina from MAC and the lid shades in both Urban Decay Naked palettes.

23) Do you use pencil or liquid liner?
I mostly use pencil liner (Milani Liquif'Eye). I'd use a gel liner over a liquid liner any day.

24) How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
Umm...not very often? I've had more accidents with a mascara wand than an eye liner pencil.

25) What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?
Normally, I can't stand them. I own one which I received in a beauty box. It's nice but I don't think I'll be buying any more.

26) Do you use mineral makeup?
Nope.

27) What is your favourite lipstick?
I have to choose one?! My favourite nude shade right now is MAC's Lush Amber, which was limited addition. My favourite bold lipstick is probably Viva Glam I from MAC.

28) How about lipgloss?
Revlon's Nude Lustre Super Lustrous or Clarins Apricot Shimmer Instant Light Lip Perfector are my two favourites. I like the formula of NYX Mega Shine and Estee Lauder Pure Color glosses too, though.

29) What is your favourite blush to use?
Argh! It's so hard to choose. My all-time favourites are MAC Warm Soul and Dior Peachy Keen. I also love MAC Peaches and NARS Gina right now.

30) Do you buy your makeup on Ebay?
No, I don't really buy anything from EBay to be honest.

31) Do you like drugstore makeup?
As with any brand/price point, I like some of what the drugstore has to offer. My problem with cheaper make up is that I tend to buy three of everything! Revlon is my favourite drugstore brand available in the UK, particularly for lip products.

32) Do you go to CCO's? Cosmetic Company Outlet?
I think I went to one years ago but it's closed now. I don't think there are any near me.

33) Did you ever consider taking makeup classes?

Not really. I just watch lots of YouTube videos instead!

34) Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
I wouldn't say so, no. I've managed to find brushes which help me apply my make up quickly and neatly. Certain eyeliners and lipsticks are a bit messy sometimes and it is possible to be a bit heavy handed with blush but I try to stick to the 'start off with a little, you can always add more' mantra.

35) Name a makeup crime that you hate?
Really fake looking eyebrows bother me - I can't stop looking at them! Bold eyes and lips together is also too much for me. Obvious contour 'stripes' look silly, too.

36) Do you like colourful shades of makeup (lipstick or eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
I generally stick to neutrals. I do like brighter lip colours from time to time, though.

37) Which celebrity always has great makeup?
I think women like Catherine Zeta Jones, Sienna Miller and Kate Moss always have nice make up. I like the crazy looks Katy Perry wears - I think they really suit her.

38)If you could leave the house using just ONE makeup item, what would you use?
ONE?! Are you serious? I guess I'd go for a lip balm.

39) Could you leave the house without any makeup on?
Yeah, I pop to Tesco or the Post Office all the time with no make up on but I've been in a routine this year where I put make up on every morning so unless I'm having an off day, I'm always wearing make up when I leave the house.

40) Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?
I have some hyper pigmentation on my chin and I get really bad dark circles so I use make up to cover those. I think I look okay with no make up on but I prefer the even skin tone I get when wearing foundation and concealer.

41) In your opinion what is the BEST makeup line?
There are lots of great brands out there. I'd say MAC is the best in terms of their colour range. I like Chanel for a bit of luxury and Revlon is my favourite budget brand. It would be really boring to stick to just one brand, though!

42) What do you think of makeup?
I think it serves two purposes. First it can be used to enhance features and cover problem areas for a bit of a confidence boost. Secondly, it is a creative outlet which allows you to experiment with different colours and formulas to find out what you like best. It can also become a rather expensive habit...

...and on that note, that is all!

Stace xx

 

Ps - I tag anyone who wants to do this! Please link me to your post - I'd love to check it out!

This Week's Make Up Tin

 

Face:

MUFE HD Primer

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in Warm Beige

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Medium 3

MAC MSF Natural in Medium Plus

Tarte Exposed Amazonian Clay Blush

NARS Copacabana Multiple

I've kept the same primer as last week because aside from Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, it's the only primer I have. I'm trying to use it up so that I can try something new! The Collection 2000 concealer and MAC powder are staying because they're both working well for me right now. I'll have a review of the Bobbi Brown Skin foundation up soon for anyone who's interested. Tarte Exposed is a beautiful neutral blush which will work nicely with the eye and lip products I've chosen. I'm trying to use up NARS Copacabana whilst I'm still quite pale - BeneFit Watt's Up works much better for me.

 

Eyes:

Urban Decay Naked2 Palette

MAC Morning Frost Paint Pot

Milani Liquif'Eye Pencils in Black and Brown

Bobbi Brown Everything Mascara

Cosmetics A La Carte Brow Ink in Taupe

(not pictured are Too Faced Shadow Insurance and MUA Clear Mascara/Brow Gel)

Naked2 is growing on me - I like that a lot of the shades are good every day shades for me right now. Morning Frost Paint Pot looks lovely on its own or under several of the Naked2 shadows. The Milani eyeliners are a given with me, as are the Too Faced Shadow Insurance, MUA 'brow gel' and Cosmetics A La Carte Brow Ink. I'm using the Bobbi Brown mascara this week because it's nice for everyday looks.

 

Lips:

L'Oreal HiP Jelly Balm in Luscious

MAC Pro Longwear Lipstick in Red Dwarf

MAC Viva Glam V

Revlon Lip Butter in Creme Brulee

Jack Black Lip Balm in Black Tea & Blackberry

Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Wallflower

The HiP Jelly Balm is to go over Red Dwarf (it feels weirdly sticky on it's own), my Viva Glam V is almost finished so I'm using that up. Creme Brulee is a nice sheer creamy shade (I'm wearing it today). I really like this Jack Black lip balm; I don't think it's the best lip balm ever but I've been enjoying it. The Urban Decay Lip Junkie smells amazing so I had to include it!

I'm spending this week writing my dissertation...I say as I type a blog post or two instead! 

Stace xx

Make Up I'm Using Right Now

I used to have a make up bag of products which I switched up every week but over Christmas I got back into lugging out all my make up in the morning (it's in one big drawer). I'm on the hunt for new storage since I've downsized my collection considerably so I want to get back into having a weekly make up bag. By the way, if anyone has any suggestions regarding where I can pick up a small set of drawers for storage, leave them in the comments!

Did I say I'm going to have a make up bag? I meant a tin. A Burt's Bees tin, to be precise. Not that that matters at all! Here's what's inside...

MUFE HD Primer - I'm just trying to use this up. It's okay but it's nothing special.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Medium 3 - I like this because it's so quick and easy to use!

NARS Sheer Glow in Santa Fe - This is my current favourite foundation. It's easy to apply and leaves a nice finish.

MAC MSF Natural in Medium Plus - I got this recently since my Medium Dark was too dark. I love using these as setting powders or on their own on lazy days.

TheBalm Mary Lou-Manizer - I've been enjoying this highlighting powder so much recently. It's always the first one I reach for.

NARS Gina Blush - I picked this up in a blog sale last week and I've not had a chance to try it out yet so I'm going to spend all week wearing it!

BeneFit They're Real Mascara - This little guy is on his last legs so I imagine I'll only get another week or two from this tube. Best mascara I've ever used, though.

Cosmetics A La Carte Brow Ink - I got this in a Carmine box and it's been a revelation!

Milani Liquif'Eye Liners in Black and Brown - I think I have two back ups of the black...so I feel the need to use them up.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance - Does this product require an explanation? 

Too Faced Romantic Eye Palette

I've had this for a while but I've barely used it. My favourite shades are the ones on the bottom row. Green eyeshadow, anyone?

Elemis Fresh Skin Loving Lips Lip Balm - I've lost my 8 Hour Cream so this is my go to lip balm. It's light but moisturising at the same time.

Clinique Superbalm in Rootbeer - I'll be working on using this up this week. I like it but I've got so many glosses...

MAC Mattene in Delectable - When I got this I wore it a lot but I've not touched it since so I thought it was time to rediscover it.

Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector in 02 Apricot Shimmer - This smells amazing! It's one of my favourite glosses right now.

Do you do something similar to this? Or do you give yourself plenty of choice every day?

Stace xx