June and July Faves

So, seeing as I missed June faves time, I thought I would combine them with my July faves. This months favourites is a right mixed bag and quite a lengthy one so apologies in advance!

There are two concealers that I have been obsessed with lately and have used them every time I have worn makeup. One high-end, one drugstore. The first one is the much loved and talked about, NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer. If you’ve been following my blog for a while now, you’ll know that I’m not crazy about matte products, especially for my skin. I much prefer a glowy, dewy kinda look, so I was put off of this product for a while. But after checking it out for myself in store, and being on the hunt for a new concealer, I thought I’d give it a go. I honestly don’t know what I used before this? It’s THE best concealer I have tried to date. Do not be scared off by the name of it, it is nowhere near as matte as it is made out to be – but more of a velvety kinda finish, which I love. The coverage of this product is insanely good, it is super high coverage but doesn’t feel heavy or cakey in the slightest. It covers up everyyyyyything. I use this to cover any redness, or blemishes and to try and hide the darkness under my eyes to even out my skin tone a bit. It may look like there isn’t much product, but I have used this almost everyday and I’ve barely made a dent! This will last such a long time and I will most definitely be repurchasing!

The second concealer is the Rimmel Match Perfection Illuminating concealer. I use this after I have gone in with the NARS one and I use this to brighten under my eyes, and as kind of a highlighter I guess. I use it the same way I would use the YSL Touché Eclat as it has very similar qualities to that. I tend to apply this after I have done the rest of my makeup, particularly my eye makeup as it tidies and sharpens it up a bit, making sure there is no fall-out from the shadows, and I find it really enhances the rest of the look. As much as I love the Touché Eclat, I tend to reach for this one a little bit more as it has that bit of extra coverage! I need to buy a back up of this asap!

My foundation favourite this month, is something I didn’t expect to like as much as I do and I’m not sure why. I think because most of my favourite foundations are high-end, and this one is very affordable, but I couldn’t have been more wrong! This is the Milani Conceal and Perfect 2-in-1 foundation in the shade 02. I ordered this online and just guessed my shade and luckily it is the perfect shade for me during the summer. The coverage of this foundation is absolutely incredible, and gives the most natural looking finish. I apply this using my Real Techniques Stippling Brush and find that this gives the best finish. This is very similar to the Clinique 2-in-1 beyond perfection foundation, so if you’re looking for a cheaper alternative then I would definitely recommend this! I have used this most days throughout June and July, and when I haven’t used it on its own, I have mixed it with other products to give better coverage. I cannot fault this product at all!

Something I’ve never really been into before is brown eyeliner. Not sure why, I just usually reach for black, but when I was going through my makeup stash, I realised I was lacking a brown eyeliner so I went and picked one up! I can’t believe I have never used this before! The one I picked up was the Bourjois Kohl and Contour, and I apply it roughly to my top lash line, smoke it out a bit using my Zoeva Smudger Brush, pop on my mascara and I’m good to go! It is so much softer than black which can sometimes look a bit too harsh, and this is perfect when you haven’t really got time for eyeshadow or just can’t be bothered and is something just a bit different! I have been wearing this non-stop for about 3 weeks and I’m still loving it!

The Kiehls Ultra Facial Cream is something I have spoke about before so I won’t go on too much. But this is the most amazing moisturiser everrrrr. I have tried and tested so many in the past because I have been blessed with the most awkward skin, and I can’t find one better than this. My skin is oily, yet dehydrated so most moisturisers tend to just sink into my skin straight away and within five minutes, it’s back to how it was before. But this moisturiser keeps my skin feeling amazing all day. If I’m having a makeup free day, and I put this on in the morning, by the time I come to do my evening skincare routine, my skin still feels soft and hydrated. Honestly, just go buy it. I’m gonna buy the supersize version as backup for when I run out of this one! They also do an SPF version too!

Last month, the lovely people over at Palmer’s ever so kindly sent me a few products from the new coconut oil range. I love body oils, so was suuuuper excited to try this one out. And ohmygoodness!!!! 1) it smells like summer in a bottle?! 2) it leaves your skin feeling insanely soft and hydrated, but not at all sticky! WIN. This will definitely be coming on holiday with me!

I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned this product in a blog post before, and I have no idea why because I literally use it every single day. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in the shade Luminous Light is the only powder I will use to set my face. This sets makeup amazingly, and gives the most gorgeous glow. I was a bit hesitant at first because from first glance, it does look a bit like a highlighter but it just makes your skin looking incredible! I have used this every day for about a year now, and although I have hit pan, there is so much product left! I know Hourglass products are pricey, but this one is definitely worth the slightly hefty price tag!

Now, an actual highlighter. People have raved about MAC highlighters for years, but only recently have I tried one. I picked up MAC’s Mineralise Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle. It gives such a lovely glow, and is the perfect colour for my skin tone! And the pan is absolutely huge, I have no idea how I’m ever going to get through it all!

That’s all for this favourites post! I hope you enjoyed! Don’t forget to like and follow my blog!

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Links and prices below!

NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer

Rimmel Match Perfection Illuminating Concealer

Milani Conceal & Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation

Bourjois Kohl and Contour Eyeliner

Palmers Coconut Oil Body Oil

Kiehls Ultra Facial Cream

Hourglass Ambient Light Powder in Luminous Light

MAC Mineralise Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle

Disclaimer:
Some of these products may have been sent to me by a brand or PR company, however all opinions are my own and I only talk about products I genuinely use and love.

Summer Beauty Haul

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So over the past couple of days, I have either ordered online, or picked up quite a few bits from Boots and Superdrug, so I thought it was only right to do a little haul. Actually, I bought more than I realised so I will be doing two separate hauls; a beauty haul and a skincare haul.

Starting with all things make-up and beauty…

I went slightly OTT in Superdrug as they had a 3 for 2 offer across all cosmetics – well, it’d be rude not to, eh?

I am obsessed with matte liquid lipsticks and when I saw that Tanya Burr had released some, I had to try them out. The shade I picked up was Martha Moo, and this is the perfect nude shade with pink, mauvey undertones. It looks quite bright when you first apply it but darkens slightly as it dries. It doesn’t dry out my lips, or have that sticky consistency that others do, it is really comfortable to wear. The packaging of this product, and the rest of Tanya Burr Cosmetics, is absolutely gorgeous. They feel very luxurious considering the prices of the products and the products are of such high quality. I cannot wait for my local store to stock more of these products so I can try more out, I am particularly excited for the new eye shadow palettes!

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Something that I have been desperate to try for ages, but has always been out of stock in my local store, is the Bourjois Radiance Reveal Concealer in the shade 01. I am yet to find a concealer that beats the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, so I am excited to try this one out and see how the two compare!

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Not that I needed any new mascaras, but I picked up two new releases. The first one is by Maybelline and this is the Lash Sensational Luscious Mascara. I could not get on with the original Lash Sensational at all, as much as I tried and tried, it just wasn’t for me, however, I thought I’d give this one a try. The brush on this is very different to the original Lash Sensational and Maybelline describes it as an “extraordinary patented fanning brush”. I have used this a couple of times and so far, so good! It grabs every lash and really does give that “multiplying effect” that it promises to give.

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The other mascara I bought is another new release, but by L’Oreal and this is the Miss Hippie Mega Volume Mascara. This mascara has a bristle brush as opposed to a plastic brush, and really lengthens and volumises lashes, giving them a feathery, fluttery finish. I have only used this a handful of times but I am loving this so far and can’t wait to use it some more.

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Another new release by Rimmel is the Brow This Way range. I picked up the Highlighting Pencil and the Brow Styling Gel. I am a big fan of brow gels, I think they really help improve the appearance of brows, making them look sharper and more defined so I can’t wait to try this out – I got the shade Dark Brown. I have been searching high and low for a drugstore brow highlighting pencil so I was super excited when I saw that Rimmel had released one. I tend to use a regular highlighter as a brow bone highlight, so I am really looking forward to trying this out.

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Another new product from Rimmel is the 24hr Wear Colour Precise Eyeliner. The L’Oreal Superliner is my all time favourite eyeliner; however, I am always on the look-out for something even better. The shape of this eyeliner looks like it will be ideal for creating the perfect winged liner.

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From Barry M, I picked up a lip liner in the shade 17 which is a nude shade with brown undertones. It lasts really well and looks lovely paired with MAC’s Whirl or Velvet Teddy. I am super impressed and will definitely be picking up some more shades! I also picked up two nail varnishes from Barry M. I got the shade Dark Side of the ‘Shroom from the Sunset Daylight Curing range and Copper Mine from the new Molten Metal range. Barry M are my favourite brand for nail varnishes, the quality of them are amazing and they last such a long time.

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From Revlon, I picked up the ColorStay Foundation in the shade Buff. I have never tried this foundation before and have heard such great things about it, and seeing as I am on the hunt for a new drugstore foundation, I thought I’d give it a try. I got this in the satin finish for normal/dry skin as I much prefer a dewy, glowy look as opposed to a matte finish, especially for this time of year.

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The final thing, I ordered from Beauty Bay and is definitely more of a high-end purchase than high-street. This is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance eye shadow palette. I cannot get over how stunning this palette is! The packaging is really luxurious; a mauvey-pink colour and is also suede. Each and every shade is absolutely beautiful and I am SO excited to experiment with this palette! I will be doing a detailed review on this palette once I have tried and tested it out properly!

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That is everything make-up wise, that I bought recently! I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know your thoughts on any of these products or if you can recommend anything else you think I might like!

Links and prices below;

Tanya Burr Martha Moo Luxe Lip Gloss £5.99

Bourjois Radiance Reveal Concealer £7.99

Maybelline Lash Sensational Luscious Mascara £7.99

L’Oreal Miss Hippie Mascara £7.99

Rimmel Brow This Way Styling Gel £3.99

Rimmel Brow This Way Highlighting Pencil £4.99

Rimmel Colour Precise Liner £5.99

Barry M Lip Liner £2.99

Barry M Sunset Nail Paint £4.99

Barry M Molten Metal Nail Paint Copper Mine £3.99

Revlon ColorStay Foundation £12.99

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette £41

March Favourites

It’s that time of month again where I ramble on and on about all of the things that I have been loving for the past month.

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The first thing that I have been absolutely loving is NARS Sheer Glow. I have been using this foundation for such a long time, but it seems to have found its way to the back of my foundation draw in the midst of me trying out so many different ones. After sorting out my makeup collection, I found that I had the shade Santa Fe which I used all throughout last Summer, but my skin is slightly lighter this time of year, so I ordered another one in the shade Fiji. I completely forgot how much I loved this foundation. It has medium coverage, but could definitely be built up for a fuller looking complexion. This really brightens the skin, making it look more radiant and glowing.

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My next favourite is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I use this in the shade 1 Fair and this is perfect for brightening the under eye area and covering those pesky dark circles! This blends in super easy and lasts all day unlike some other concealers. It also works great to highlight other areas of your face. I could not be without this product!

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The next thing is a recent rediscovery and this is the Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen. This is really pigmented and the colour stays all day, which I find is such a rarity in the world of liquid eyeliners. The shape of the pen makes it perfect for creating a cat-eye flick and makes it so simple and easy to do.

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Another favourite is the Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder in the shade Vanilla. I find that powder is such a tricky thing to get right; too much and you look flat and cakey, not enough and you look oily and shiny. I have combination skin, so I have quite an oily T-Zone but I also have a few dry areas, so when I apply certain powders it does help control shine but it tends to cling to those dry patches. For a while now I have been on the hunt for the perfect lightweight powder and I think this is it! I would definitely recommend this product if you have the same problem as me. This powder makes your skin look more glowing and radiant as opposed to flat and cakey. I’ve heard that this a cheaper alternative to the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders… I do have one on the way (oops!), so I will let you know my thoughts on this when I am able to compare the two together!

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A skincare favourite is the Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser. I am in love with this product! It takes me a while to decide whether I really like a skincare product as it takes a while to really notice a difference. I try and use this scrub every day and if for some reason I forget, then I can really, really tell! It exfoliates and helps to smooth and brighten the skin, making it feel really refreshed! I really couldn’t go without this product; this has most definitely become a staple in my skincare routine!

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A non-beauty favourite is a coat from Topshop. I saw it in the shop and I knew straight away that I just HAD to buy it. I am very aware that I already have more than enough coats but I just could not resist. It is perfect for this time of year as it isn’t too cold, but it isn’t quite warm enough to go out without a coat. It is perfect for Spring and seeing as though I live in Britain, I thought that buying a Rain Mac would be a pretty sensible investment. I love it that much, that I bought it in blue and yellow.

That is all for this month’s favourites! I hope you liked this post, and let me know what you have been loving this month!

As you may have noticed, I have changed the layout and background of the photos for my blog posts, and I would really love your opinion on this; whether you like the new look, or if you prefer the older one, or if you have any other suggestions!

Also, I am considering starting up a YouTube channel, I’d love it if you could give me your thoughts on this!

Don’t forget to like and follow!

Thanks for reading!

Love, Meg x

Links and prices below;

NARS Sheer Glow £31

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer £4.19

Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen £6.99

Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder £8.99

Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleaner £18.50

Topshop Rain Mac £55

 

 

Boots/Superdrug Haul

I didn’t actually intend on buying THAT much to end up with me doing a haul post. My aim was to buy one or two drugstore foundations because I feel like I have so many high-end foundations and not enough drugstore. I also feel like I get stuck in a bit of a rut in terms of foundation, so I wanted to experiment and venture out of my comfort zone a little bit. I ended up buying four, yes, four foundations… amongst other things.

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First of all, I went into Superdrug as I was after the new Bourjois City Radiance foundation. However, Bourjois had a buy one, get one half price, so of course I HAD to buy something else. Because I was purposely after new foundations, I picked up the Air Mat foundation as well. I have heard such great things about Bourjois foundations and I have been trying these out over the last few days and I am really enjoying using them so far.

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Also from Superdrug, I picked up the Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette. I wasn’t necessarily looking for one of these, but it looks such good quality and I hadn’t got anything else like it in my makeup collection so I thought I’d give it a try. Makeup Revolution is such an affordable brand and this palette cost just £8! MUR is also supposed to be really good in terms of dupes and cheaper alternatives for more expensive products. I am really impressed with the packaging of this product and from doing several swatches, the powders seem really pigmented!

Now, onto Boots. I wasn’t planning on buying any more foundations, BUT, Rimmel had a 2 for £10 and I couldn’t resist. I knew the formulas of these foundations had been improved and I have heard amazing things from both of these products so naturally, I wanted to try them out. The foundations I picked up were the Lasting Finish and the Match Perfection. The Lasting Finish has a much higher coverage and the Match Perfection’s coverage is a lot lighter, so I thought it would be good to get both as they are completely different formulas. Both of these foundations have SPF 20 (bonus!), and I got them both in the shade 100 Ivory.

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The next thing was a repurchase. This is the L’Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer in the shade Light. This is so similar to the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat, however the L’Oreal version has slightly more coverage, but also works lovely as highlighter. If you don’t want to splash out on the YSL version, I would definitely recommend this as a cheaper alternative! I tend to use this to brighten up my under eyes and to highlight the tops of my cheeks.

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Something else I didn’t need, nor was I looking for, but I came across the Seventeen Define and Conquer Contour Kit. Seventeen isn’t really a brand that I have thought of or paid too much attention to before, but as I was looking at the stand, they seem to have some really lovely products that are so affordable! This product caught my eye in particular as the packaging looked luxurious and the compact appeared very NARS-like as did the inside of it. It has a big mirror and the powders look really good quality and seem to be quite finely milled so they wont appear too heavy when applied to the skin. I also like the fact that the highlighter is matte as opposed to shimmer, which I do prefer. I got this in the lighter shade.

I have never really been a massive fan of lip gloss. I just find that so many of them are sticky and uncomfortable. However, my friend recommended these two to try. The darker shade (401 Amen) is matte and the lighter shade (103 Protest Queen) gives a creamy, satin finish. Both of these products are so comfortable on the lips and the lighter shade looks great alone or on top of nude lipsticks!

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On to hair products. I have seen these products all over YouTube and other blogs and I was dying to try it out! This is the new Tresemmé Beauty-Full range. The thing that intrigued me about this, is that you condition before you shampoo. The idea of this is that it keeps all of the volume in your hair and doesn’t weigh it down; step 1 is the Pre-Wash Conditioner and step 2 is Shampoo. I am so excited to start using this and it was buy one, get one free!

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That is everything from my Boots/Superdrug Haul. Let me know if you have tried any of these products or if you can recommend anything you think I would like!

Links and prices below;

Bourjois City Radiance Foundation £9.99

Bourjois Air Mat Foundation £9.99

Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette £8

Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation £7.99

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation £7.99

L’Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer £8.49

Seventeen Define and Conquer Contour Kit £5.99

L’Oreal Lipgloss’ £6.99

Tresemme Beauty Full Pre-Conditioner £4.99

Tresemme Beauty Full Shampoo £4.99

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valentines Day Makeup Look

Valentines day is right around the corner, and I have the perfect look that will suit whatever it is you have planned, whether that’s going out with your other half, or a night out with your girls! This look is going to be all about the lips, with a very neutral eye shadow look, along with a cat-eye flick.

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You should prime your face before applying the rest of your makeup in order to keep everything in place all day and night. The primer that I use is the L’Oreal Mattifying Primer. Not only does this keep your makeup in place, it reduces oil and shine.

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Bourjois City Radiance is the perfect foundation for this look. It’s very lightweight and gives your skin a very glowing and luminous finish, without looking oily. It makes your complexion look very natural and radiant and just makes it look like your skin, but better! This foundation blends beautifully, and I prefer the finish of it when I apply it with my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge.

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The next product will come as no surprise, and this is my beloved Collection Lasting Perfection concealer to cover any dark circles under my eyes. I then go over this with the L’Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer Pen in the shade Light 1. This is a great dupe for the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat. I also use this to highlight my face; cheekbones, down the centre of my nose and in the middle of my forehead.

 

To contour, the Clinique Contour Chubby Stick is perfect! I apply this by drawing a line along the hollows of my cheeks and blend it in with a beauty blender. This gives a lot more depth and definition to my cheekbones, and I will then go over this with my L’Oreal Glam Bronze bronzer. This bronzer is very natural looking and is quite subtle.

I will then take the Revlon Highlighting palette and apply this to the apples of my cheeks to add a flush of colour.

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Next, is the Rimmel Stay Matte powder. I apply this to my t-zone to prevent any oil and shine and add this under my eyes to help set my concealer.

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I use the Soap and Glory Archery pencil to fill in my eyebrows and use the clear gel at the other end to help keep them in place. This product makes filling in eyebrows so easy and makes them look so natural!

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For eye shadow, I am using the original Urban Decay NAKED Palette. I use the shade ‘Sin’ all over the lid and as a brow bone highlight. I then use the shade ‘Naked’ in my crease and from the middle of my eyelid, outwards. To add a bit of depth and definition, I then take the shade ‘Buck’ through my crease and ‘Darkhorse’ in my outer V.  To create a cat-eye flick, I am using the L’Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim. This makes it so easy to do and is great for precision.

 

For mascara, I am loving the Maybelline ‘The Falsies Push Up Drama’ mascara. This is the perfect mascara for when you haven’t got a lot of eye make up on as it really gives a false lash effect, making your eyelashes look fuller and more voluminous.

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Finally, for lips. Valentines day is about all things red, so of course, this is going to be a red lipstick. Firstly, I line my lips to stop any bleeding from the lipstick, and the lip liner that I will be using is ‘Red Dynamite’ by Rimmel. The lipstick that I am going to be using is ‘Russian Red’ by Mac. This is the perfect shade of red and gives a matte finish, making it last a very long time and is not at all drying!

That is my Valentines Day makeup look and I hope you enjoyed this post!

Links and prices below;

L’Oreal Primer £7.99

Bourjois City Radiance Foundation £9.99

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer £4.19

L’Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer Pen £8.49

Clinique Contour Chubby Stick £19

L’Oreal Glam Bronze Bronzer £7.99

Revlon Highlighting Palette £9.99

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder £3.99

Soap and Glory Archery Pencil £10

L’Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim £6.99

Urban Decay NAKED Palette £38.50

Maybelline The Falsies Push Up Drama Mascara £7.99 (now £5.99)

Rimmel Lipliner £2.99

Mac Russian Red Lipstick £15.50