FOTN: A Friendly Birthday Tea

We went out for tea a few days ago for a friend's birthday and I managed to snap a few photos of my make up before we left so I thought I'd share! I used a couple of products that I've not used in a while 

Reckon I look a bit cross-eyed in this one?!

I used a little Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach under my eyes and blended it in with my fingers. I then dotted some Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in Medium 3 on any blemishes (I have a few right now, grr!) or redness and buffed it in with my Real Techniques Buffing brush. I applied a layer of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B40 and buffed it in with the same brush. I put a little Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer under my eyes and used my fingers again to blend that in. I set everything with my Clarins Ever Matte powder in Translucent/Medium on an ELF Studio Powder brush before adding a tiny bit of NARS Laguna bronzer (I'm still learning to use this!) with a MAC 168. I used the same brush to apply MAC Warm Soul mineralize blush to the applies of my cheeks and used an Illamasqua Highlighter brush to add some of theBalm's Mary Lou-Manizer to the high points of my face.

On my eyes I used some NARS Smudgeproof Eye Shadow Base before filling in my brows with my Smashbox Brow Tech. I've lost my favourite brow brush so had to use a random small brush that I had. I then ran a little MUA Clear mascara through my brows. I applied Urban Decay's Half Baked eyeshadow on my lids and used more of the Mary Lou-Manizer on my brow bone and inner corner. I added some Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel eyeliner in Black Ink with a bent eyeliner brush (I love this sort of brush for applying liner) along my upper lash line and on the outer corner of my water line. I curled my lashes and my mascara of choice was the L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Waterproof. I applied two coats. 

I exfoliated my lips with Pow Wow lip scrub from LUSH and applied a little Nivea Milk & Honey lip balm before starting the rest of my make up. The lipstick I wore was MAC Freckletone. 

That's it! That sounds like a lot of products, doesn't it?!

Stace xx

July Haul

I didn't think I bought too many products this month but I guess I was wrong!

I needed a new shampoo so picked up the L'Oreal Ever Strong Reinforcing Vitality shampoo; it's from their new sulphate free range. Having tried (and enjoyed) another (much more expensive) sulphate free shampoo, I've been keen to try another one. The E45 lotion was a necessity because the skin on my back and shoulders has been feeling so irritated recently. It's a decent moisturiser in general and something that's handy to have on hand when scented lotions are too irritating.

I popped into The Body Shop because it's my birthday month so I had a £5 reward plus a £5 reward on my reward card. I needed to replace my African Spa Hand & Foot Butter so I used my £10 of rewards on that.  From the sale I picked up a Raspberry body butter, a Green Apple shower gel and a Passion Fruit cleansing gel. I stupidly thought the Passion Fruit cleansing gel was a body wash, though. I added a Born Lippy balm in Pinkberry at the till and I've been enjoying this lip balm so much. It smells like a strawberry Opal Fruit.

I picked up the famous Rub Rub Rub body scrub from LUSH and have been loving it so far. The scent is really unexpected; because it's blue I was expecting it to smell fresh but it's actually a lot more floral.

I did a little blog sale shopping this month. From a US blog sale I bought a mini Make
Up For Ever Smokey Lash mascara but unfortunately it's very dry looking so I don't think it's usable. I bought two more Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch and Cherry Me. Despite the naff packaging, these are great little tinted balms. I also picked up a Hard Candy 'bronzer' (what?!) in Tiki. It's a lovely highlight powder.

I accidentally bought another highlight powder from Lou's blog sale; this time it was Topshop's Sunbeam. This one is very pigmented and golden. I also bought a mini Burberry lip cover in Rosewood because I didn't get it in my Harrod's Glossybox and felt I was missing out! It's very cute.

I clearly had a thing for honey scented lip balms this month given that I purchased both the Nivea Milk and Honey balm and the Burt's Bees Honey balm. I have to say, I prefer the Nivea one. I picked up a couple of the new-ish Revlon Kissable Balm Stains in Crush and Rendevous. I wanted to try a waterproof mascara so picked up the L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Waterproof in Black; I've been enjoying using it so far. I had to replenish my stock of Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in Medium, too.

I attended a make up lesson at Urban Decay that I'd won and the make up artist used this concealer on me. I really liked the coverage and texture of it so I picked up the Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer in AFI. Expect to see a review on this sometime soon. The final product in this haul wasn't purchased by me. A lady I babysit for gave me this because she didn't think the colour would suit her. I've been hankering after a NARS Larger Than Life lip gloss for a while so it was a nice surprise. This is in the shade Place Vendome. 

Swatches

Hard Candy Tiki, Topshop Sunbeam, Urban Decay AFI, Collection Medium

Maybelline Cherry Me, Maybelline Pink Punch, Revlon Rendevous, Revlon Crush, Burberry Rosewood, NARS Place Vendome

If you'd like to see reviews of any of these products, please let me know!

Stace xx