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

May Empties

Hello!

I'm getting much better at holding on to the products I use up over the month; I've started keeping a bag on the back of our bedroom door and just putting empty products in there when I'm done. I got through a decent amount of stuff this month although most of these products were things that were already partly used before this month - I didn't go through three full hand sanitizers in four weeks!

Make Up For Ever HD Primer

This was just okay - I won't be repurchasing as I've tried better primers.

NARS Sheer Glow in Santa Fe

I'm glad I used this up as it's much too light for me now! I actually wore it for the last time on the flight. I'll probably pick up another bottle of Sheer Glow at some point but for now I have several other foundations on the go.

Lancome Hypnose Drama sample

I liked this but the wand is an odd shape that I find a little difficult to work with and it's so heavily scented which is off-putting too. I'm unsure if I'll buy the full size.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact in B30 sample

I only really used this to review it and I don't imagine I'll ever be spending £39 on the full size.

Clinique Super Balm in Root Beer mini

I've got several of these minis and they're so handy for handbags. They're really moisturising and I think they're pretty underrated in the online beauty community. This shade was my favourite; it's a nude-brown colour but it's pretty sheer on the lips.

17 Mirror Shine in Beehive

This was another of the products in my little lipstick challenge so I've managed to use up two of the five now. I liked this product but I'm not a fan of the packaging/scent so I don't think I'll be hunting down another.

L'Oreal Telescopic in Black

This was a nice mascara which gave me a serious amount of length but I find it to be a bit too clumpy for me so I'm not sure if I'll buy another. I think L'Oreal mascaras seem so expensive for what they are too.

Boots Nail Polish Remover

This is hands down my favourite nail polish remover and it helps that it's super cheap! I've tried others and I keep going back to this one.

3 Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitizers

These are such handy little products - there's usually one in my handbag. I wish we could get Bath & Body Works here in the UK; my bank balance is probably glad there isn't, though.

Seche Vite Top Coat

This is just too gloopy to use now. I hate when that happens because one day it's perfectly usable and then overnight it becomes stringy and thick and a pain in the behind. Gaaah!

No7 Quick Thinking Face Wipes

There will usually be a pack of these in my empties posts because they're my favourite face wipes and I always stock up on them when there are some No7 £5 off vouchers going around. 

The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion

I can't rave enough about this face scrub! This is probably the sixth or seventh tube I've owned. I started using it about four years ago and I just keep going back to it. I've done a full review of this if you're interested in checking it out.

Boots Cucumber Eye Make Up Remover Gel

This is a cheap and cheerful eye make up remover which feels lovely and soothing. It's not the best if you wear a lot of eye make up or stubborn waterproof mascaras.

Clinique All About Eyes sample

I've been really impressed with the two All About Eyes samples I've tried. I was using the rich version at night and this during the day but since I used up the rich I was using this both day and night. I think if I do repurchase I'll probably go for the rich formula as I've already found a cheaper daytime eye cream that I like and I think I need the thicker formula at night.

Clinique Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser sample

Don't get this in your eyes! It stings so badly. Other than that, this is a pretty nice cleanser which left my skin feeling squeaky clean. I used this every other day to remove my make up.

SKII Skin Signature sample

I got this in the Harrods Glossybox and I have to say it's one the best products I've received in those boxes. It left my skin feeling nicely hydrated without any greasiness. This stuff is way out of my price range right now, sadly!

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Daily Moisturiser sample

I used this as a night cream and it's nice for that. It is very thick though.

Clarins Extra-Comfort Toning Lotion sample

This toner is so strange - it feels like something between a gel and a liquid. I just used it because I'm out of toner but I don't think I'll be buying the full size any time soon.

Clarins Hydra-Matte Lotion sample

I used this on days when I was feeling a bit oily and it was okay in my t-zone but not moisturising enough on the rest of my face. If you have oily skin this could be a nice daytime moisturiser in the summer.

Caudalie SOS Thirst Quenching Serum sample

This was another Glossybox sample and it's just okay. I've used the moisturiser from this range and loved it so I was a bit disappointed that I didn't like this. It just made my skin produce too much oil so I could only use it at night. It's very runny so I think I ended up wasting quite a bit of it. The tube was only about 20% full anyway!

Soap & Glory Pulp Friction Scrub

This was a repurchase for me - it's a great scrub and I like that it's foaming as it meant I used a lot less.

Garnier Body Tonic Sugar Scrub

This is my favourite scrub - it leaves my skin feeling and looking so much better than any other scrub ever has. I've got another tube waiting in the wings!

Superdrug Dry Shampoo

My favourite dry shampoo is from Tresemme but I only buy it when it's on offer because I go through it so quickly. This was a stand in product but it worked pretty well and I will probably buy it again if I needed to. It's much nicer than Batiste which leaves my hair looking white and feeling clumpy.

Ayuuri Natural Coconut Body Wash

This was in the last Glossybox I received and it's okay - it's very moisturising which I appreciate. I wasn't a big fan of the coconut scent, though.

The Body Shop Fuzzy Peach Shower Gel

This stuff is a no-brainer - I love the scent!

Nip & Fab Dry Leg Fix

I bought this from Buyapowa a long time ago and wasn't overly impressed. It's just alright and I probably won't repurchase it.

I'm sorry this post is so long, I just don't like mentioning products without forcing my opinion on you! If you want any more information on the products please let me know and I'll link you to a review if I've done one or just let you know more of what I thought in the comments.

Stace xx

My Foundation Collection

Foundation is a key product in my make up routine and one I'm quite fussy about. I've tried countless foundations (I'm still working on the Foundation 101 tab for this blog) and it's been difficult to find formulations I like in a shade that matches me. These are the six foundations I currently own so I thought I'd run through them and tell you what I think. 

 I have a slight yellow undertone to my skin and it tends to darken very easily in the summer months. My skin is usually combination; I get quite oily in my T-zone and normal/dry elsewhere so I prefer a foundation with a satin or slightly dewy finish. I get the odd blemish on my chin and quite dark under eye circles but I prefer to conceal those with a separate concealer so I like foundations which offer light to medium coverage.

First up is the most expensive foundation in my collection. I purchased Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B40 last summer and wore it almost exclusively during August and September until it became too dark for me. It has a light texture which can be built up in layers depending on how much coverage I need. I like using my fingers to apply this one but I'll be trying out with my Real Techniques Buffing brush once my skin is dark enough to wear this shade again! The finish of this one is on the dewy side but I find I can easily combat an oily T-zone with a little powder. I had been contemplating picking this up in B30 but as you see, I already have some other great foundations which match me when my skin is lighter. I have really missed using this, though!

Next up is the newest addition to my foundation family and also a shade which will suit me best during the summer months. Illamasqua Skin Base in Shade 11 is a teeny bit pinker than my Vitalumiere Aqua in B40 but I don't find that it looks overly pink on my skin. This foundation has a much thicker texture and is more of a medium coverage foundation. I've only used this one two or three times so far as my skin isn't quite dark enough to wear it yet but when I did apply it I used my Illamasqua Highlighter brush. I think I will also enjoy using this with my fingers when I want less coverage. The finish of Skin Base is less dewy than Vitalumiere Aqua but not at all cakey or heavy looking if applied correctly. 

I wasn't sure whether or not I should include my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus in this post because I tend to use this more as a setting powder than a foundation. However, I have used this as a foundation over a bit of Origins Vita Zing moisturiser in the past. The coverage is surprisingly good when I apply it with my E.L.F. Powder brush but I have two issues with this product. First is the powdery finish I sometimes get when using it but I find that a spritz of Fix+ helps eradicate that. Secondly I find that I this powder doesn't control the oil in my T-zone particularly well so I have to be careful which moisturiser I use underneath it.

I bought this tube of MAC Studio Moisture Tint in Medium Dark at Christmas time because Medium Plus was much too pink for me (unlike the MSF Natural which is about right when I'm paler). It smells like paint or something but other than that, it's a really nice tinted moisturiser. It's much less dewy than any other tinted moisturisers I've tried (perhaps aside from the NARS offering) which I really appreciate. The coverage is decent for this sort of product and the staying power on my skin is great. I wouldn't say this product is particularly moisturising so it's not for anyone with very dry skin. I've been reaching for this quite a bit recently but it is still a touch too dark for me. I apply it either with my fingers or the Real Techniques Buffing brush. 

I started using this foundation when my Vitalumiere Aqua became too dark for me and now I've only got a little left but I'm so scared to use it all up! This is the Make Up For Ever HD foundation in the shade #125 and it's my go to foundation for a night out. I like it because it doesn't feel or look cakey yet the coverage is pretty decent and it wears well on my skin. I usually apply two thin layers with my Real Techniques Stippling or Buffing brush. I just wish Make Up For Ever was more easily accessible in the UK.

The final member of my little foundation family is NARS Sheer Glow in Santa Fe. This is the lightest shade I own and the one I've been using most recently. I have about a third of the bottle left but this is just a smidge too pale for me now so I'm going to mix it with my MAC Studio Moisture Tint, I think. This is one of those foundations that is just so reliable for me. I remember when I was testing out the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation a month ago and when it broke me out I went back to using this and it made putting on foundation a joy once again! The texture of this is a little thicker than some of the others in my collection but as a result I use a lot less of it each time. I can apply this with almost any foundation brush I have and sometimes I even use my fingers; it's just so easy to work with. The finish isn't as glowy as you'd expect but I do need to powder my T-zone if I want it to last all day.

L - R:  Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B40, Illamasqua Skin Base in Shade 11, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus, MAC Studio Moisture Tint in Medium Dark, Make Up For Ever HD in #125, NARS Sheer Glow in Santa Fe

Apologies for the messy swatches - blame the MAC products. I should probably point out that the inside of my arm is much, much paler than the skin on the rest of my body/face,  just in case you all thought that I've been walking around with an orange face!

You may have noticed that I don't have any high street or drugstore foundations in this post and that's because there's only been one drugstore foundation I've tried and liked that doesn't break me out. Unfortunately for me that foundation was Neutrogena's Healthy Skin which isn't even available in this country.

 Anyway, I hope that was useful to some of you and please let me know which foundations you like in the comments!

Stace xx

An All-Over-The-Place Tin of Make Up!

This week's make up is a bit all over the place! I've still not got a lot of time in the mornings to get ready so I'm trying to keep it simple but I've got a few new lip products I want to try out so I've tried to choose products which cover all bases.

Lips:

Dior Lip Polish in 001

MAC Cut A Caper Lipstick 

(picked this up from a blog sale after wanting it for ages!)

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie

MAC Quad with Satin Taupe, Patina, Woodwinked & Twinks

Eyes:

MAC Teddy Eye Kohl

Cosmetics A La Carte Brow Ink in Taupe

MUA Clear Mascara (which is no longer clear! Yuck!)

Milani Liquif'Eye in Black

MAC Vintage Selection Paint Pot

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara

Face:

MAC Redhead MSF

MAC MSF Natural in Medium Plus

NARS Orgasm

MUFE HD Primer

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection in Medium 3

Chanel Perfection Lumiere in B30 sample

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in 3.5 Warm Beige

Stace xx

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

Super Quick & Easy FOTD

I've been pretty lazy with my make up recently. I've found a few products which I really love recently and I've used quite a few of them in this look. It's very quick and easy and it should go with most outfits.

Spot the horrible chicken pox scar! :(

This is the less-happy version of the first photo...

Products used:

Rimmel Match Perfection Fix & Perfect primer

MUFE HD foundation in 125

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer

NARS Orgasm blush

BeneFit Watt's Up highlighter

Too Faced Shadow Insurance eye primer

MUA Clear brow gel

Urban Decay Naked palette shadows - Hustle and Toasted

BeneFit They're Real mascara

Vintage Sister Mint Chocolate lip balm

Revlon Super Lustrous lip gloss in Nude Lustre

Do you have any go to products or make up looks right now?

Stace xx

My Halloween Face - Meow :)

I know this is late/irrelevant now but I thought I'd post it anyway. I didn't have much time to get ready and we weren't doing anything really special. I found some cat ears amongst my jewellery so decided to go with some feline make up. This was really simple and something almost anyone could do as long as you have a steady hand and a lot of gel liner! 

The flattering angle!

Products used:

MUFE HD Primer

MUFE HD Foundation in 125

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Medium

MAC Warm Soul Mineralize Blush

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Illusoire

MUA Clear Brow Gel

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Liner in Black Ink

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry

BeneFit They're Real Mascara

I just wore a mostly back outfit with some dark grey suede-feeling leggings (not exactly kitty fur-like but still...) and of course, the cat ears.

What did you dress up as for Halloween? I can never think of a costume!

Stace xx