August Empties

It's empties time again! I didn't get through a lot of products this month but I did use up more make up items than in previous months.

Garnier Body Tonic Sugar Scrub

I mention this body scrub far too much on this blog but it really is my favourite! I've already bought another tube of it.

Sanctuary Mum To Be Shower Oil

I got this as an extra in a swap once and thought it was a bit strange to be sent something meant for pregnant women but I decided to use it up anyway. It's just okay.

The Body Shop Green Apple Shower Gel

I love the scent of this product; it really does smell of apples. It's not the most moisturising shower gel out there but I still like it.

Osmo Berber Oil Rejuvenating Shampoo

I enjoyed using this shampoo. I recently reviewed a trio of products from this line (here) including this shampoo. 

Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturiser

This moisturiser is great if you have blemish prone skin. I apply a thick layer of it before bed when I feel my skin needs it. It also works well under foundation so I sometimes use it in the mornings too. I've already picked up a couple of new tubes of this.

Revlon Lip Butter in Fig Jam

This is/was my favourite lip butter shade. It's a dark brown/plum shade that is a lot more flattering than it sounds! I actually tracked down a MAC lipstick to dupe this because Fig Jam is sadly not available in the UK. 

Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Sample

I mixed this with my Chanel Perfection Lumiere foundation sample to help with staying power/oil control and loved the combination but I won't be heading out to pick up the full size of this.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss in Electric Cherry

These glosses smell delicious and I love the non-sticky formula. This particular shade looks a bit weird on me (according to my boyfriend anyway!) and it was limited edition, I believe, so I'll not be repurchasing it. I am interested in trying other shades from the Pure Color gloss range, though.

Maybelline One by One Mascara

I liked this mascara and reviewed it (here) but I don't think I'll be repurchasing it for a while because there are so many other mascaras I still want to try.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Sample

I used this up by mixing it with the Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid and loved the results but on it's own I wouldn't recommend this foundation. 

Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Sample

I really liked the effect of this mascara but it was so dry and quite difficult to use so I'm not sure if I'd purchase the full size. Besides, I've not managed to find a UK seller which stocks this.

MAC 188 Brush

I want to cry about this one! This isn't an empty as such but I managed to break/ruin my MAC 188 brush. I was washing it and pulled a little too hard on the bristles so the whole brush head popped out. I've had this brush for well over a year and it was my favourite highlighting brush. Let this be a lesson to you all...be nice to your brushes. 

Sally Hansen Insta Dri Top Coat

I've already repurchased this. It's frustrating when I have to get rid of these when they're still half full but they just become too gloopy to use.

Did you use up many products this month?

Stace xx

Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Makeup

I'd been keen to try the Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Makeup since it launched. Estee Lauder claim that this foundation is 'Fresh, flawless, radiant. Ultra light, ultra breathable, oil-free' and it sounded like my perfect foundation. A lot of bloggers and YouTubers have compared this with Chanel Vita Lumiere Aqua which is my current foundation of choice so I was expecting great things. 

I was matched to the shade 3WN1 and given a substantial sample to try out. On the subject of shades, this foundation comes in 16 shades as opposed to the five shades Chanel offer with the Vita Lumiere Aqua. They cater for warm, cool and neutral undertones. I'd say 3WN1 is just a hint too dark for me right now and in MAC terms it's around an NC35.

I've tried applying the Invisible Fluid with my fingers and found I needed a lot of product so I prefer using it with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. I like to use the Vita Lumiere Aqua in a similar way. 

In the photos of my face I've used a little MUA primer and Bobbi Brown Corrector under my eyes but no concealer or powder. 

The coverage is definitely on the sheer side. I have a few healing spots on my chin and as you can see, it's not really done anything to hide those. I also have some redness in my cheeks that it doesn't cover sufficiently for my liking. It's sheerer than Vita Lumiere Aqua. I like sheer/light coverage foundations but the fact that the Invisible fluid didn't even out the redness in my cheeks means it's probably too sheer for me. I'm happy to use concealer on blemishes and dark spots but not over half of my face. 

When I initially apply the Invisible Fluid, the finish isn't particularly dewy. It reminds me a bit of the Bourjous Healthy Mix Serum finish-wise. It looks nice for a couple of hours on me and then it all starts to fall apart; or melt away. I don't have very oily skin but this product makes me look like an oil slick if I don't use powder. I don't mind having to use a powder but the fact the foundation looks quite matte/satin when first applied meant that I didn't think I needed to powder, especially given that this is an oil free product. 

If you have pretty clear skin that only needs a little evening out, this could be a great foundation for you, especially if you wanted to try Vita Lumiere Aqua but couldn't find a good shade match. I really wanted to like this foundation but unfortunately it's fallen short for me. It is priced at £27 for 30ml and can be purchased from Estee Lauder stockists.

Have you tried it? What did you think?

Stace xx

Wishlist Wednesday: I Need A Job!

So, the job hunt has officially begun and naturally Boyfriend and I have been talking about the things we need (read: want) for our new flat that we can't afford until we're both working. Naturally, I've got a  wish lit a mile long of products that are just too expensive for me to justify buying right now. Here are a few examples:

Image from Esteelauder.com

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair

£58 for 50ml

I've heard mixed reviews on this product so I really want to try a sample first. This product has been on my wish list for a long time but the price keeps putting me off buying it. Have any of you tried it?

Image from clarisonic.co.uk

Clarisonic Mia

£120

I've been debating buying a Clarisonic for so long but I'm terrified of the 'purge' phase as my skin's looking pretty good right now. I'm a big fan of exfoliation (does that sound as strange as it does in my head?) so this is something I should probably try at some point.

Image from yslbeauty.co.uk

YSL Le Teint Eclat Foundation 

£28

I might end up picking this up with my Boots points if I can because I'm dying to try a sample and if I like it, I can see myself buying the full size. I'm almost out of my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua which is £3 more expensive. I've been really enjoying sheer/light coverage foundations recently.

Image from johnlewis.com

Dolce & Gabbana The One EDP

£54 for 50ml

This is my all-time favourite perfume and I've not owned a bottle of it for a while. My current pricey perfume (Prada Candy) is on it's way out so I'm planning on replacing it with this.

Image from beautybay.com

Babyliss Pro Porcelain Conical Wand 

£23.95

I've been contemplating buying one of these ever since my hair become too long to use my old curling tongs on but I keep talking myself out of it because I don't know if I'd use it much and I'm terrified of burning my face or fingers!

If you own any of these products, let me know what you think of them!

Stace xx

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

A Little Lip Product Challenge

I'm really enjoying actually being able to finish up products. As you may have noticed, I've been gradually downsizing my make up collection so that I'm left with only the products I want to use regularly. Lip products are a huge weakness of mine so in order to keep my lipstick spending under control I've set myself a little challenge.

I've picked out five lipsticks and glosses that are on their way out and I'm not allowed to buy another lip product until I've used these five up. They are:

Revlon Lip Butter in Fig Jam

I love this! I've been using it to death and I'm kind of annoyed that it's not available here but I'm sure I'll manage to get my hands on this if I want to repurchase.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss in Electric Cherry

This gloss smells delicious and the texture is lovely; it's not sticky at all. It leaves a sheer hint of cherry red on the lips. I've got about 1/5 left.

Dior Lip Polish in Radiance Expert (?)

I'm not 100% sure that this is the shade name as it doesn't say on the packaging. This is the oddest lip gloss I've never used because of  the unusual rolling applicator. It's fun to apply but it doesn't have a great scent so I'll be pleased when I've used it up. I've got around 1/3 left.

17 Mirror Shine in Beehive

I'm not typically a fan of 17 products but I caved and bought three mirror shines back before Christmas because I kept hearing about this shade in particular. I've enjoyed using it but I don't like the packaging and wish it had a less plastic-esque scent.

Clinique Superbalm in Root Beer

This little thing has been 'almost finished' for the longest time! I like the Superbalms from Clinique and have several other mini ones from a set which are handy for popping into my bag. They are really moisturising, as the name would suggest. I think they're one of those sort of 'under-hyped' products, actually. 

Watch out for some of these in my May empties post in a few weeks! I hope I can control the urge to buy a new lipstick at duty free when going on holiday...expect a Wishlist Wednesday post full of lip products!

Stace xx

April Empties: Skincare & Make Up

I got through a crazy amount of products this month so this is the first of two empties posts. I finally started using up all the samples I've accumulated over the past six months or so! I'm going to try and keep these posts as short as possible, I promise.

Boots Skin Tonic in Damask Rose

I like the way toners with rosewater work on my skin. I don't think this particular toner is available any more but I think I'm going to pick up the Botanics version soon.

Clarins Extra Firming Day and Night creams

These were surprisingly good. I complained a lot about receiving anti-ageing products in my Glossybox but I did enjoy using these. I won't be repurchasing them right now but I will keep them in mind when I need to use these sorts of products regularly.

Clarins Gentle Foaming cleanser

This was only a small sample so it's difficult to say how much I like it. It was okay but I don't think it was anything special.

Clarins HydraQuench lotion

This would be a great moisturiser for anyone who has dehydrated skin. I found that it was a bit greasy on my t-zone, though.

Clarins HydraQuench Intensive serum

This product feels very strange. It's much runnier than a typical serum and leaves an odd dry feeling on my hands afterwards. I did like how it made my skin feel, though.

Clinique All About Eyes Rich eye cream

This little sample pot lasted me about three months. I'm using a sample pot of the original All About Eyes right now but I think this is the one I'll repurchase as the thicker texture means that I only use a tiny amount each time.

Clinique Moisture Surge moisturiser

I enjoyed using this lightweight moisturiser. I've got another sample pot which I'm excited to use! I would consider buying the full sized product.

Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector serum

I wasn't impressed with this product. It was quite expensive but I had some dark spots on my chin which I wanted to get rid of so I decided to invest. Unfortunately it ended up giving me more spots which kind of defeated the purpose! I did notice some lightening but it wasn't enough to make me repurchase. 

Estee Lauder Idealist serum

This product made my skin feel much smoother but after a couple of weeks' use I didn't notice any lasting effects.

No7 Quick Thinking wipes

These are my all time favourite face wipes. I always pick up a pack or two when I have the £5 off No7 vouchers. 

Sanctuary 5 Minute Thermal Detox mask

This is a really nice thermal mask; the colour is a bit terrifying but I do feel that it helps keep my skin clear without drying it out. I'd consider buying this again but I think I want to try something different next.

Bobbi Brown Everything mascara

This was a pretty average mascara in my opinion. It's not something I'll be buying again.

Elemis Loving Lips Quenching lip balm

 I picked this up on a whim and I was quite pleased with it. I don't know if I'd repurchase it but it's a light mint-scented balm which is surprisingly moisturising. 

Jack Black Black Tea and Blackberry lip balm 

I was excited to try this product but I've not been overly impressed. It kind of just feels like a thicker version of Vaseline and I don't think it's very nourishing. It just sort of sits on top of my lips. It does smell nice, though.

NARS Pure Radiant tinted moisturiser in St Moritz 

This is just a small sample but I like the product. I'm considering purchasing a full sized tube for my holiday but I'm unsure of which shade to go for. It smells lovely.

Revlon Grow Luscious mascara

 I reviewed this quite recently and I have mixed feelings about it. It's not something I'd repurchase.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance eye primer 

I really enjoyed using this product and this little tube lasted me over 18 months. I'm trying a new primer now but I'd highly recommend this to anyone who finds Urban Decay's primer potion to be a bit too gloopy.


Phew! Watch out for part two tomorrow!


Stace xx

A Little Weekend Make Up Bag

I went to see a friend on Saturday night and tried very hard to restrain myself make up-wise! It turns out that even though she finds it frightening that I can name eye shadow shades just by looking at them, she isn't too terrified by my make up obsession. I even told her about this little blog (hello if you're reading, you know who you are!)

Anyway, here's what I settled on:

Lips:

MAC Lip Conditioner

Estee Lauder Pure Color gloss in Electric Cherry

17 Mirror Shine lipstick in Beehive

(check out how used the gloss and lipstick are! I'm getting much better at using up products...)

Eyes:

L'Oreal Telescopic mascara

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze

Collection2000 Lasting Perfection concealer

(I kind of regret not bringing an eye base as the Color Tattoo did crease a bit)

Face:

BeneFit Watts Up! highlighter

MAC Warm Soul mineralize blush

Real Techniques Contour brush (for the blush)

Clinique Even Better foundation in 05 Neutral

Clarins Ever Matte face powder in 02 Transparent Medium

So that's it! To be honest, I wasn't 100% happy with the products I chose but since I only had to use them together once, it was fine!

Stace xx

Weekly Make Up Challenge #2 - Lip Gloss - My Thoughts

This past week I've been wearing a different one of my favourite lip glosses each day. When it comes to gloss I prefer something with a little bit of colour but nothing with lots of pigmentation because I find it ends up all over my face. I'm not a huge fan of very sticky glosses but don't like it if they're very watery either. I realised that I've not been wearing gloss much over the past few months and since it's one of the products that goes off a bit more quickly, I want to get back into using them more often. Here's what I've been wearing:

L-R: NYX, 2true, E.L.F., No7., Estee Lauder

Monday - NYX Mega Shine in Beige - $3.99 (Cherry Culture) or £7 (Love Make Up) for 11ml


I really like these glosses. I have another in Smokey Look and want to get my hands on Natural and Tea Rose at some point! You get so much product for your money. I think Love Make Up keeps pushing up the price of these; I'm pretty sure a month ago they were £4.99. This smells like cherries so may not be for everyone but it doesn't bother me. The wand is pretty big so I find you only need one swipe per use. This shade has no shimmer, which I like and is pretty pigmented. This isn't sticky but does last a good three to four hours on my lips (without eating or drinking).


Tuesday - 2true in Shade 1 - £1.99 


I've had this one for a while. I picked it up along with a two other 2true products because of the 3 for £4.99 deal on 2true in Superdrug. This is a pretty colour on me - it's a nice dusty rose sort of shade. I like the smell - it's a coconut scent. This one is probably the stickiest gloss I'm trying this week so it lasts a bit longer on me. I'd say I get a good five hours out of this. The main issue I have with it is that only a very small amount of product comes out on the wand so I need to dip it back in quite a few times to get enough gloss out.


Wednesday - E.L.F. Mineral in Bare - £3 for 6.5ml


I like this gloss. It's a nice neutral shade and really suits me. It's sticky but not too sticky and the pigmentation is good enough to wear it alone. It looks like a really teeny tube but you actually get more product in this than the Estee Lauder one I used (see below!). Again I found I needed to dip the wand in several times to get enough product out.


Thursday - Poppy King for No 7 in Allure - £11


I think this is a bit expensive sounding for what it is - a drugstore lipgloss. BUT I really like this. The colour is lovely on my olive-ish skin and it lasts pretty well too. It's very creamy feeling and not sticky at all. 


Friday - Estee Lauder Pure Colour Gloss in Electric Cherry - £16 for 6ml


Okay so this is pretty pricey for a gloss but I really like it. It's not sticky at all, which means you do need to reapply quite a lot. Also, the name 'pure colour' is a bit deceptive as this is pretty sheer. It smells pretty strongly of marzipan or something like that. This only lasts an hour or so on me. It's good for topping off red lipsticks but I like it on it's own too. So, not the best value for money but still a decent gloss in my book.


I didn't wear anything other than lip balm over the weekend so only managed five this week! 




Overall...


I don't have any hits or misses as such because I like all of these glosses. The NYX is definitely the best value for money if you can get it in the US. The Estee Lauder is a nice gloss for a treat. 

Do you own any of these? What do you think?

Stace xx

PS - I'm sorry I don't have more photos - my "lovely" boyfriend spilt coke all over my laptop and now I'm using his which has some weird operating system which I can't figure out how to rotate photos on...EEP! 

Review: Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero Smudge Lengthening Mascara

I got a trial size of this mascara a while ago so I thought I'd share my thoughts on it now that I've had a chance to try it out. 

Close up of the wand

Product: Double Wear Zero Smudge Lengthening Mascara

Price: £19.50

Description:

15-hour staying power.
Lashes that last.
Zero smudge.

Extreme wear. Extraordinary length. Unstoppable power-now the smudge-free lash look you see in the morning is the look you keep all day.

What's Good About It?

This mascara is the only mascara I've tried which doesn't smudge off on me. I've worn this in very hot weather and in the rain without any smudging or running. It is pretty lengthening on me too. I like the way it makes my lashes look because it doesn't clump easily like more volumizing mascaras tend to. This comes off pretty easily when you want it to, as well.

What's Disappointing?

This leaves my lashes feeling very dry when it's on. I guess this is common with waterproof mascaras but I worry that it's not good for my lashes so I don't wear this all the time. I think it's a bit pricey for what it is. It's good but I don't know if it's good to the tune of £19.50. 

Overall Score/Comment:

7/10 - I like it but I don't love it. It does what it claims to and I really appreciate that in a mascara. If I don't find a cheaper alternative, I may well purchase a full size of this.

Have you tried this? What did you think?

Stace xx

Yesterday's Simple Neutral Make Up

I liked my make up yesterday but didn't have the time to take photos before I headed out so I thought I'd just share the products I used. I had to run errands all day so just went for a very simple, neutral look. My boyfriend thought it was pretty, too!

First up, EOS Lip Balm in Lemon Drop

I use this all the time, I'm really getting through it! This is great for priming lips for lipstick as it's not too thick or greasy.

Then I applied L'Oreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer to the areas of my face where I have larger pores.

This was a first for me, I just ran out of my POREFessional from BeneFit so I've moved on to this. The texture is so weird! I think it worked okay - I need to test it out some more before forming my opinion on it!

Next up is a layer of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B40.

I use my fingers to apply this and love it! Review coming soon.

I conceal with Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Concealer in Light/Medium.

This is a little too light but I only use it under my eyes at the moment and it looks fine there.

I used MAC Warm Soul on my cheeks and Improvise as a highlight.

L-R: Improvise, Warm Soul

I love this combination! It's really natural looking on my skin tone. These blushes are strange though, you'd think that Improvise would be the more pigmented of the two but in reality it's pretty sheer.

On my eyes I applied a layer of Indianwood Paint Pot from MAC (this is a DIY pot of Indianwood and Rubenesque) and two coats of Avon SuperShock mascara in Black. 

I'm not a huge fan of the Avon mascara so I'm trying to use it up!

On the lips I used a little bit of MAC Shy Girl and topped it off with a layer of the yummy smelling Toffee lipgloss from Barry M.

I love this combination! I was never a fan of nude lips really but I like this.

Here are some swatches:

Top L-R: EL Concealer, Chanel Vitalumiere, L'Oreal Primer

Bottom L-R: Indianwood PP, Shy Girl, Barry M Toffee

L-R: MAC Improvise, Warm Soul.

I think I'll be reaching for most of these products more often to recreate the look I did yesterday.

Do you like any of these products? What's your favourite simple make up look?

Stace xx