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

October Empties!

Baylis & Harding Sweet Mandarin & Grapefruit Hand Soap

I really liked the scent of this and it's not too drying on my hands. The bottle lasts ages! I will definitely repurchase.

Bath & Body Works Island Nectar Pocket Bac

I love the scent of this and pocket bacs in general. I have lots in a little drawer and use these all the time. If I lived in the US, I would repurchase this scent!

Soap & Glory Clean On Me Shower Gel

This was another travel size bottle I used up. I like the scent of this but think I'd get bored of a full size bottle.

Sanctuary Spa Essentials Body Wash

The scent of this was strange but it did moisturise well. This was another of my travel sized products that I used up!

N-Spa Coconut Ice Cream Body Scrub

As a scrub this was pretty poor. I will not be repurchasing.

Superdurg Restoring Skin Care Oil

I bought this as an alternative to Bio Oil but I don't think it's anywhere near as good so I used it up pretty quickly. I won't be buying it again.

The Body Shop Brazil Nut Body Butter

I love this body butter scent! I already have a back up and will continue to repurchase.

Tresemme Instant Refresh Dry Shampoo

This is my favourite dry shampoo so I will repurchase this over and over. It's great for girls with darker hair as it's not as powdery as other dry shampoos.

Superdrug Acetone Nail Varnish Remover

Not much to say about this one - it works well so I can't complain but I'm not fussy about nail varnish removers, anyway.

Sally Hansen Insta Dri Top Coat

There's still half of this left. I love it as a top coat but am disappointed at how gloopy it's gone. I have since repurchased this but am on the hunt for a better top coat!

Rimmel Base Coat

This has also gone gloopy so has to be binned. I wouldn't buy it again - I've invested in a better base coat.

MAC Lip Conditioner

I loved this but can't justify repurchasing it until I get through the ten million other lip balms I have!

MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer

This is not an empty but I'm getting rid of it - it's terrible

MAC Shy Girl Lipstick

This is broken and almost used up so I'm getting rid of this too. Wasn't a huge fan of it.

Milani HD Concealer

I really like this for under the eyes. Unfortunately this is now too dark for me but I've used it up and have a lighter shade to hand!

Eyeko Big Eyes Mascara

I've only used this about five times but it's gone off now so it needs to go. I wasn't the biggest fan - it made my lashes very clumpy and was a pain to remove. Thankfully this is no longer available!

N-Spa Coconut Ice Cream Body Cream

I wasn't overly impressed with this - it wasn't very moisturising. 

No7 Quick Thinking Wipes

These are my favourite wipes - I always buy them when Boots are giving out their £5 off vouchers. I already have two packs waiting in the wings!

(some of these products are missing from the photo - sorry!)

Did you finish up many products this month?

Stace xx

NOTD: Barry M - Raspberry

Barry M - Raspberry

(Essie Fill The Gap, Three Coats of Raspberry, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri)

I love this colour! I used to own it and used it once before giving it away. I think it was the formula that put me off a bit - I did need three coats to get an even finish. I think it's such a nice colour for this time of year - it's not too in your face but it's not a neutral either. I hope to get a lot of wear out of this one!

What do you think?

Stace xx

NOTD: Essie - Sew Psyched

Essie - Sew Psyched

(Essie Fill The Gap base Coat, Two Coats of Sew Psyched, Sally Hansen Insta Dri top coat)

I can't believe I didn't try this polish sooner. Application is amazing! It's almost opaque in one coat which is rare in an Essie polish. I really like the colour too, it goes with most neutral autumnal outfits. I'll definitely be wearing this one quite a lot!

What do you think?

Stace xx

Epic Shower Gel Haul from The Body Shop!

I popped into The Body Shop today on a bit of a whim. I have their discount card and it expires in January so I wanted to make good use of it. There was a bit of a sale going on so I went a bit mad (read: I bought way too much!) and spent a total of £32.50. 

However, I ended up with eight shower gels, a body butter, a body lotion, a perfume, a hand cream and a shower lily which is pretty good if you ask me! Here's a break down of what I got, what I paid and how much they should have cost:

Wild Rose Hand Cream - 30ml - RRP £5 - I paid £0!

I'd reached my £5 reward on my card.

Almond Body Butter - 200ml - RRP £12.50

Almond Shower Gel - 250ml - RRP £4

Cream Bath Lily - RRP £1.50

I paid £8.50 for all three.

Bath & Shower Gels in Dewberry, Fuzzy Peach, Green Apple and Raspberry Ripple - RRP £4 each/£16

I paid £2 each/£8

Banana Shampoo (I will probably offer this to someone else - I hate bananas!) - RRP £4

I paid £2

White Musk EDT - 30ml - £9

White Musk Smooth Satin Body Lotion - 250ml - £9

White Musk Sumptuous Silk Shower Gel - 250ml - £8

I paid £15 for all three.

I also picked up Passion Fruit and Papaya shower gels. The RRP for those is £4 each and I paid £2 each.

The total should have been £77 so I basically saved a whopping £44.50!

I know I've been doing a lot of hauls recently but I thought I needed to share this in case any of you are Body Shop fans!

Stace xx

Review: Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Illusoire

Before I used it

The mini brush

Heavier swatch on the top, sheerer on the bottom

Product: Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in 03 Illusoire


Price: £22.50 for 4g (including travel sized brush)


Description: “This intensely shimmering long-wear eyeshadow offers true versatility. An innovative gel texture that is both soft and cushiony allows it to be worn as eyeshadow or eyeliner. Includes a specially designed shadow/liner brush, developed specifically for this unique formula.”


What's Good About It?
This is going to be a bit of a rave review because I absolutely love this product. It can be worn sheerly for a nice wash of colour or can be built up for a more intense look. The texture is very easy to work with and not something to be scared of. The colour is one I think will be universally flattering; on me it seems to look a lot more purple than it does on some others. I'd describe it as a plum-taupe or something like that! When applied correctly, this is totally crease-proof. Even though it's shimmery, I still wear this during the day and as long as I keep the rest of my face pretty neutral.


What's Disappointing?
I don't think the inclusion of a brush was necessary; I mean, it kind of works but these so easy to apply with fingers that I don't really see the point of using a brush unless it's being used as a liner. I am a bit concerned about how long these will last before drying up but I guess only time will tell! These are the only two little niggles I have with this product. I should add that it's best to build this up in layers. The first time I used it, I put on one thick-ish layer and it did crease since I didn't use a base. Since then I've been using it in thin layers without a base.


Overall Score & Comment: 9/10 - I think every girl should own this. I was sceptical for a long time but I'm so glad I caved and bought this. The other shade I want to try is Epatant but I think this particular shade is more versatile for a wider range of skintones.

Do you own any of these? Any thoughts?

Stace xx

10% Off at Beautybay.com

I recently used this site to buy the Essie Fall Mini Collection and thought the service was pretty good. Their prices are very reasonable on certain brands and an extra 10% off is always good! They sell everything from haircare and skincare to cosmetics and nail polish.

UK shipping is totally free as well - I love that! I don't know why I always begrudge paying shipping. Probably because when I order a lipstick which would cost less than £1 to ship, I have to pay £3-4 instead!

Anyway, if you're interested, check out their site here!

Happy shopping :)

Stace xx

NOTD: Chanel - Particuliere

Chanel - Particuliere

(Essie Fill The Gap base coat, two coats of Particuliere, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat)

This is my favourite neutral and in my opinion, it's worth the high price tag for me because I wear it all the time. It's easy to apply and lasts well. It goes with most outfits and is appropriate for all occasions. I can't really say much more!

What do you think?

Stace xx

Boots Haul - Soap & Glory, Sanctuary, No7, Revlon & Essie

I got some coupons for extra points from Boots so went a bit mental. They have 3 for 2 on all skincare and bodycare and £5 off No7 products. I've not bought any bodycare products since the summer so I think I'm allowed...These were purchased in two separate purchases and I got almost £15 of Advantage Card points and saved over £20 which is pretty good in my opinion!

Soap & Glory

The Breakfast Scrub - Smells yummy! I'm not a fan of the scent of Flake Away anymore (I think I overdosed on it!) so I'm trying this instead.

Sit Tight - The best firming body cream ever! This stuff really works and I've not owned a tube in a while so I picked one up when on my mad rampage in Boots.

Pulp Friction - Okay, so I got another scrub! I've not been using scrubs recently for some reason. I used to be an exfoliating queen! This one smells much more fresh than the Breakfast Scrub and it lathers up so I can see myself using this in the mornings.

The Fab Pore Facial Peel - I've been wanting to try this for a while. I don't know why it's called a facial peel since it's not a peel off mask...

Sanctuary

Moisturising Foot Lotion - this was my 'free' item. I was looking for a good foot cream so decided to try this.

5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask - I tried a sample of this (I posted about it recently - look out for the blue face!) and liked it so picked up the full size.

No7

Quick Thinking 4-in-1 Wipes - These are my absolute favourite face wipes, I'm sure I mentioned this before! They're too expensive for me at full price but for £2 with the voucher, they're a bargain!

Revlon

Facets of Fuchsia Polish - I was sucked in by the hype! I've used this once and it took forever to dry so I ended up smudging it and taking it off straight away. I will try it again before giving up. Someone suggested using it for an accent nail over OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark so I might give that a go! 

Essie

Fill The Gap Base Coat - I've been looking for a good base coat for a while; both to help prevent staining and to make my polish go on more easily. So far, I'm really liking this. It leaves my nail feeling very even and a bit matte so polishes do go on more evenly. 




No more hauling allowed for a while now! 


Stace xx

Carmine Beauty Box - October 2011

The "Beauty Box" has become a hot topic in the beauty world in the UK over the last six months or so. First we had Glossybox who committed the cardinal sin of including a non-luxury brand in their box and sneakily upping the price of their boxes. Then Boudior Prive stepped into the ring. I was initially attracted to their service but after seeing the first box I felt a bit 'meh'. I think the brands they include are a bit *too* niche and I don't really want to receive tea bags in my beauty box. In addition, I won a voucher for a half price box in a competition they had early on and I asked about it a few times but never received the voucher so on a personal level I was a bit miffed!

I've seen a couple of YouTube videos about other beauty boxes available here in the UK but I don't know enough about them to comment.

So why did I decide to give Carmine a go? 

I was watching a video about the first box by one of my favourite YouTubers/bloggers. You can check it out here. I liked that I could still order the box she was talking about unlike with other services which keep you waiting a month or more for your box. I subscribed on Sunday and my box was here by Thursday. The box costs £10 with £2.75 postage and packaging. 

What do I think of the box?

Packaging-wise, I don't think it's as pretty as some of the other boxes but the big black box is sturdy and I'm planning to fill it up with nail polish! My cat also loved the packaging which meant I could look at the products without him pestering me. Teddy's very into his beauty products, don't you know?

The contents of the box wasn't a surprise to me, but that's okay as there was one thing in there I was excited about. Here is what was included:

Balance Me - Super Moisturising Hand Cream, 30ml

I'm really not a fan of the scent of this. It smells like something my granny would like. However, I've used it several times and it is nice and moisturising without being greasy. It's a nice size for my handbag and a very decent sample size.

Daniel Sandler - Eye Delight in Peach

This is a full size loose eyeshadow. Now, I hate loose eyeshadows; I spill them everywhere and find them a pain to work with. I would never buy one myself but I think these boxes are great for trying things you wouldn't normally pick up. The colour is pretty and using it isn't as frightening as I thought it would be. The shade is very light though and on my lids is barely visible. I'm planning on trying this as a cheekbone highlight next. 

Trind - Nail Repair Natural

This is another full size product. The instructions state it should be used daily for two weeks and regularly after that in order to maintain healthy nails. I paint my nails very often so I'll be trying this as a base coat, I think. My nails are in pretty good condition but I don't think using this can hurt. I've not used this yet so can't comment on how it works.

The Balm - FratBoy All-in-One Shadow/Blush

This is the product I was most excited for and I'm not disappointed. I've never owned anything from The Balm before but I've always wanted to try their products. The colour is perfect for most skintones as a blush. I don't think I'd use is as a shadow, to be honest. It's pretty long wearing, too. This was yet another full size product.

Caudalie - Quenching Sorbet Creme, 10ml

I've become a bit of a French skincare fan since trying Embryolisse and Bioderma so I'm excited to have this to try. I used it last night and my skin felt lovely and soft this morning. I'm already considering buying the full size once I've used up this sample. 

Overall, I think this box contains a really good mix of products. I think there's something for everyone in here so I think Carmine has done a great job in that respect. I think the selection of brands they've chosen is excellent. I don't imagine there will always be three full size products but I don't mind that as long as the samples are decent sizes. I'm excited to see what they include next month!

If you're interested and want more information, you can check out their website here.

Thanks for reading! Have you subscribed to any of these beauty boxes?

Stace xx

I think he enjoyed this month's box almost as much as me...

20% Off: CherryCulture.com & Sleekmakeup.com

I just thought I'd share these two offers with you!

First up, Sleek are doing a flash sale today (20th October). They're offering 20% off between 2pm - 4pm. This offer is open to those in Europe and the US. Click here to go to the site.

Secondly, Cherryculture.com are offering 20% off everything until the 23rd October. They sell NYX and Milani amongst other things and their prices are already very reasonable. I've used them before and shipping to the UK is around $14 which is pricey but the products are so much cheaper than in the UK that it's worth it if you make a big order.

Happy shopping!

Stace xx

MAC Stereo Rose Giveaway on Makeupandbeauty.ie!

Sorry for another photo-less post but I thought some of you might be interested in entering a giveaway to win a MAC Stereo Rose MSF. Click here to check it out :)

Stace xx

Teeny Tiny MAC Posh Paradise Haul

Initially I wasn't going to buy anything from this collection. I'm trying not to buy any lipsticks/cream eyeshadows at the moment because I've got so many and want to use what I have before it goes off. However, I was in a MAC store last week and swatched some of the mattenes. I really liked the texture of them and I'd been lusting after a particular paint pot so I rushed home and placed an order on Debenhams. I order most of my MAC products from there so I get the Beauty Club points!

Delectable Mattene

Genuine Treasure Paint Pot

This isn't the best texture wise, I think it's a bit like my Vintage Selection paint pot in that I'll need to use a couple of layers to get an even finish.

Brow Pencil in Spiked

I was watching a Pixiwoo video about brows when I was making my order and it inspired this purchase! 

Swatches!

Delectable, Genuine Treasure, Spiked

Did you pick up any of the new paint pots or mattenes?

Stace xx

NOTD: Essie - Cute As A Button

Essie - Cute As A Button

(Essie Fill The Gap Base Coat, Three Coats of Cute As A Button, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat)

I've owned this for a while but am only getting around to trying it out now. I thought it would be a bit too neon for me but in most lights, I think it's okay. I like the colour against my skintone and think this will look great as a pedicure in the summer when it eventually comes back around

What do you think?

Stace xx