December Empties

I didn't think I'd got through a lot of products this month but it turns out I did! 

Liz Earle Orange Flower Botanical Body Wash

This body wash is okay - I don't think it's anything special though. I prefer fruity or sweet scents so that probably explains why I didn't love this!

L'Oreal HiP Jelly Balm in Ripe

I love these little balms - I have about six others waiting in the wings! This shade is my favourite; it's a nice peachy colour. On the lips it's very sheer, glossy and moisturising.

Bath & Body Works Pocket Bac in Guava Grapefruit

I use these little guys a lot - I have one in every room! This scent is fruity and fresh.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation in Natural Beige 
I'm so sad that I've used this up! This has been my most used foundation this year.  Hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on another in the future. I wish they sold it here in the UK.

Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume in Brown
This has dried up now and whilst I did enjoy using it, I've been so impressed with my BeneFit They're Real that this made me feel a little 'blah' when I applied this for the last time. 

Clinique Turnaround Concentrate Serum
This little tube has lasted me forever. I think it's okay - when I first started using it, I did notice some improvement but over time I don't think it's done that much for my skin so I'll be on the lookout for a new serum now! Any recommendations?

Soap & Glory Pulp Friction Body Scrub
I reviewed this recently here. I've really enjoyed using this product and will probably pick up another once I've worked my way through all the other body scrubs I own!

Bath & Body Works Pocket Bac in Sour Drop
I wasn't super keen on this scent but I love these handy little pocket bacs. I've been through my stash and I'm horrified to see I only have two left!

Caudalie 1st Wrinkle Serum Eye Cream Smaple
I quite liked this eye cream, actually - I may have to pick up a full size.

Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion
This was a generous freebie when I picked up some Clarins products. It's absolutely lovely! It's very rich and a bit greasy so definitely not one to use in the mornings. It's very moisturising and smells delicious. The full size is £29 though...

Clarins Smoothing Body Scrub
This is another freebie (well, I got both together) and I really like this too. It's not as nice as the body lotion, though.

Tresemme Instant Refresh Volumising Dry Shampoo
This is my favourite dry shampoo and I will continue to repurchase it until I find something better. It doesn't give me the grey cast most other dry shampoos do.

Boots Essentials Nail Varnish Remover
I prefer this to the Superdrug one - it removes polish better. I don't get any peeling or brittle nails from using this. 

The Body Shop Papaya Body Butter
These body butters are my absolute favourite and I still have about three more to get through. This scent would probably be nicer in the summer but I love fruity scents all year round. 

Caudalie Quenching Sorbet Creme
I've not actually finished this but the pump has stopped working which is annoying since there's 1/3 of the product left. I've tried opening it but the texture looks a bit odd so I'm going to bin this. It's a nice face cream, shame about the packaging.






Did you get through a lot of products this month?


Stace xx

My Top Five: US Drugstore Products

I'm writing this post to help out anyone who's wanting to do a swap with someone in the US. I've done several trans-atlantic swaps over the last year or so and I've discovered some great products which I don't want to be without. This list is by no means exhaustive, these are just my personal favourites. 

You've probably seen these products mentioned lots of times before whether on this blog or elsewhere but there's a reason for that; they're great products!

(image from Makeupalley)

1 - Milani Liquif'Eye Metallic Eyeliner Pencils

I think these are brilliant. I have the black and brown but they also come in silver, gold and aqua. These glide on like a dream and their staying power is great, even in the waterline. They are very soft so it's hard to get a very precise line but that's rarely what you want from a pencil liner anyway. 

(image from the Neutrogena website)

2 - Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Make Up

I've been using this foundation since the summer and it's my go to foundation at the moment. The coverage is good - sort of medium, I'd say. They have a great shade range and you can check Temptalia's Foundation Matrix to find your match. It's one of those foundations I think everyone needs to try as it should suit a variety of skin types. I'd avoid it if you have very oily skin, though.

(image from the Cover Girl website)

3 - Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume Mascara

This is my new favourite mascaras. It's the first drugstore mascara I've tried which doesn't smudge or flake. I like how you can get a nice natural, volumized look after one coat and a more dramatic look with two. Again, I think this is one of those products everyone should try at least once. I've tried the standard formula in brown and the waterproof version in very black.

(image from the Milani website)

4 - Milani Baked Blushes

I have these in several shades. My favourites are Rose D'Oro and Luminoso. They are amazing quality and very comparable to MAC Mineralize blushes. They're easy to apply, the shades are very nice and they last quite a long time on the skin. The packaging is a bit naff so if you're a packaging snob, these may not be for you. Some of them have a bit too much chunky glitter for my liking (Corallina, for example). Otherwise, these are lovely blushes and definitely worth a try.

(image from the Wet'n'Wild website)

5 - Wet'n'Wild Palettes

I couldn't talk about US drugstore products and not include these. I really like the trios and the 8-pan palettes. The 6-pan palettes are half matte and I'm not a fan of mattes so that's why they're at the bottom of my list but if you like mattes, they're definitely worth a shot. The shimmer shades in those palettes are nice too. Three of the most popular palettes are Comfort Zone (an 8-pan of neutrals and some greens), Vanity (a 6-pan palette in neutral golds and browns) and Silent Treatment (a trio of cooler toned shades). I will admit that not every shade in every palette is brilliant but the pigmentation of most of these shadows is excellent and definitely comparable to higher end shadows. These palettes should not be missed!

I hope this was helpful to some of you! Let me know what your US drugstore favourites are if you have any!

Stace xx

FOTD: Yesterday's Red Lip

Here's a few photos of my make up yesterday - sorry they're not great! I was feeling a bit festive :)

Lips

Clarins Extra Firming Lip and Contour Gentle Exfoliator

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream (as lip balm)

MAC Viva Glam I Lipstick

Revlon Firecracker Super Lustrous Lip Gloss

Eyes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Too Faced Naked Eye Palette Shadows

BeneFit They're Real Mascara

MUA Clear Mascara in brows

Face

Rimmel Match Perfection Fix & Perfect Pro Primer

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation in 60 Natural Beige

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in 03 Medium

NARS Luster Blush

What's your go to look at the moment?

Stace xx

What's in my travel make up bag?

I'm going back home to Northern Ireland for a week today. I thought I'd share with you the make up I'm bringing with me. It's going to be a pretty relaxed affair (I hope...) so I've tried to only bring what I know I'll use. You'll recognise a lot of these products from recent reviews and favourites posts, I'm sure!

Brushes

Sephora Bent Eyeliner Brush

E.L.F. Crease Brush

Crown Brush Blending Brush

Revlon Eyeshadow Brush

Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush

Illamasqua Highlighter Brush

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

Blush

NYX Tea Rose Cream Blush

NARS Orgasm

Face

Rimmel Match Perfection Fix & Perfect Pro

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation 

Bobbi Brown Corrector

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

Eyes

Cosmetics A La Carte Brow Ink in Taupe

MUA Clear Mascara (for brow gel)

Urban Decay Naked Palette

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

17 Wild Metallics Cream Shadow in Wild Nude

Milani Liquif'Eye Eyeliners in Black and Brown

Physicians Formula Glam Eyes Cream Liner Trio for Brown Eyes

BeneFit They're Real Mascara

Lips

Lush Pow Wow Lip Scrub

Vintage Sister Chocolate Orange Lip Balm

L'Oreal HiP Jelly Balm in Ripe

Clinique Superbalm in Rootbeer

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks in Black Cherry and Mink

NARS Lipstick in Honolulu Honey

Do you think this is excessive? What make up do you take with you when you travel?

Stace xx

October: Five Favourites and A Couple of Regrets

Swatches - Milani Liquif'Eye Pencils in Brown and Black, Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in Illusoire, MAC Bare Slimshine, MAC Warm Soul

1 - Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Make Up in 60 Natural Beige

I love this foundation right now. The shade is perfect for me (NC30) and the coverage is light/medium so it doesn't feel heavy or look cakey. I've got about half of the bottle left so I'm going to have to hunt down a lovely US lady who can get me some more! I don't want to be without this foundation and that says a lot since I'm usually dying to try something new.

2 - MAC Warm Soul Mineralize Blush

This is such a nice blush. It's my perfect everyday blush as it goes with whatever eye or lip make up I go for. It just warms up my cheeks and adds a little sheen. It's not too glittery, either.

3 - Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in Illusoire

This is definitely the eye shadow I've been using most. I don't know if it's because it was so expensive that I feel the need to use it all the time or if it's down to the fact the texture is so nice and easy to work with. Either way, it's a firm favourite!

4 - MAC Bare Slimshine

I know this is a discontinued product so I probably shouldn't mention it but I can't pretend it's not a favourite. It's a nice nude-pink shade which looks really nice with most looks. I love how glossy it looks and it's very easy to apply.

5 - Milani Liquif'Eye Pencils in Black and Brown

These eyeliners are brilliant. They're so creamy and glide on so easily. The pigmentation is great and the staying power is very good. I don't use any other eye liner pencils any more! 

I have a couple of regrets this month too: Neutrogena skincare!

I picked up the Visibly Clear 2-in-1 Face Wash & Mask and the Visibly Clear Hydrating Spot Treatment a while ago just to have in case I had any breakouts. I get a lot of breakouts on my chin and this month was no different, so I tried out these two products. I'd used the face wash/mask before and thought it had broken me out but I was testing a lot of things around that time so couldn't be sure. However, this time I'm 100% sure this made my breakout worse. I only used it as a mask on areas where I had spots. The spot gel isn't much better, I was getting new spots daily and it was horrible. Now I have a lot of marks on my chin from the whole experience! I'm really unimpressed.

Have you had any favourites this month? Share!

Stace xx

Review: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup

Blended out swatch

Product: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup in Natural Beige

Price: $11.99 at Ulta

Description: 

"Liquid foundation is infused with an exclusive blend of antioxidants and SPF 20 to help retain skin¿s youthful glow. Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup Exclusive Antioxidant Blend SPF 20 by Neutrogena features a silky, lightweight formula that blends on easily."

What's Good About It?

I really like this foundation - it's one of my favourites. This shade is around an NC30 so it a touch too light for me right now but in the next month or two, it'll be the perfect shade for me. The coverage is good but it doesn't look cakey or feel heavy. I'd say it's a medium coverage foundation. I like the finish - it's a little dewy on me but I can powder it if I want to get rid of any shine. It's a drugstore foundation so the price makes it great value for money if you're in the US.

What's Disappointing?

The SPF 20 is the only major thing which bothers me personally as I do notice quite a white cast in photos. The fact it doesn't have a pump is also a bit annoying. Others might find this foundation a bit too dewy.

Overall Score & Comment: 8/10 - this is a great foundation, I'd recommend it to almost anyone as long as they didn't have very oily skin.

Have you tried this foundation?

Stace xx

August Favourites!

Unlike last month, I have been reaching for the same products over and over again in August so I thought I'd share them with you!

Origins VitaZing

I've been using this pretty much every single day. I find that it does even out my skin tone a bit so if I'm not going anywhere, I'll just wear this. I also find I need less foundation when I'm wearing this and that it's a good base because it's not too greasy.

Carmex

I do love my EOS lip balms but I'm using Carmex a lot this month. I think I'm addicted to the tingly feeling!

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B40

I've been using this a lot, particularly for nights out - I've done a full review on it here.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin in Natural Beige

This is another new foundation and I really like this for daytime (partly because it's a lot cheaper than the Chanel!). It's a touch too light for me just now but will be great come autumn and winter! I will probably review this soon :)

Milani HD Concealer in 03 Medium Honey

I love this! It's so lightweight but still covers well. I blend it in with my MAC 224 and it looks very nice.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Shadow Pencil in Rehab

This is so quick and easy to use. I find it doesn't crease on me even when I just use it alone, which is great! 

MAC Bare Slimshine, MAC Shy Girl & Barry M Toffee Lipgloss

I've pretty much been using one or more of these three every day this month. All of my brightly coloured lipsticks must be feeling neglected!

Do you have any favourite products from the month of August? Tell me about them in the comments!

Stace xx