My first Mac purchase (and some other bits this month)

Hello again! 

I'm going to start today by talking about my first purchasing experience at Mac as I actually left the store with a product hurrah! I know there's lots of hype around Mac products and I always see them used in tutorials and blogs but I just don't enjoy visiting the store. I have been into the concession in Selfridges a few times and everytime I go it is heaving with people and the staff don't seem to have the time to look at you, let alone help you out with selecting products. Also, I find the layout very confusing and there are so many products, I could really do with some help when I go in there. Needless to say, I usually have a quick browse then leave empty handed. But this time I was on a mission! 

I have a serious blusher addiction and it's been a few weeks since the last purchase, so I decided to visit the Mac stand alone store in Birmingham to get a new pinky blusher. It's a small store but yet again there didn't seem to be enough staff for the people milling around. It was daunting, but I had to go it alone. I managed to find the blushers after a bit of searching and shortlisted a selection of 3 pinky tones. Luckily I had the lovely hubby with me who pointed out that one of the blushers had a shimmer (not what I was after as I like to use a highlighter instead). I finally decided on the Satin Powder Blush in Fleur Power. The colour is pinky but isn't too bright, it almost looks as though it has some orange undertones to give a natural flush. 

I did have to stand in a queue for a while but when I finally got to the counter to ask for my product, the sales assistant was very friendly. She also offered me a primer sample which I jumped at! I got a little pot of the Prep and Prime skin base for combination skin (you are given a choice depending on your skin type which I thought was a nice touch).

I used the primer and blusher for the first time last night and my thoughts so far are good. The primer made my skin feel like velvet, it really smoothed and perfected my skin ready for my foundation and worked well with my Origins moisturiser too. I'm also happy with my choice of blusher. It is quite pigmented so I didn't need too much, but it glided across my cheeks evenly and worked well with my Real Techniques Blush brush. It'll be my go to blusher when my lips are quite natural and I'm focusing on my eyes.

So overall my Mac experience was ok, I think because I knew exactly what I wanted I could go it alone but if I'd have needed help I think I would have left empty handed again. Mac need more staff! Here's the blusher and primer at work.

Another purchase that I made recently and briefly mentioned in a previous post is the Origins Checks and Balances Frothy face wash. 

I love my La Roche Posay cleanser but I fancied trying something different. I decided on Origins after recently purchasing (and loving) the GinZing moisturiser, I thought that it was time that I tried some of their other offerings. I had a great experience at the concession in House of Fraser. I told the sales assistant what I was looking for and how much I wanted to spend and she pointed me in the direction of 2 cleansers. The other cleanser was a GinZing product with exfoliating beads. She tried both products on my hands and I decided, as I still have my Clarins exfoliator, to go for the creamy cleanser. I've been using this cleanser for about 3 weeks and I really like it. It does exactly what it says on the tube, you only need a small amount of product as it is quite rich and when lathered on your face it creates a really creamy froth. It leaves my skin feeling soft and clean and it isn't too harsh, so my skin doesn't feel as tight as it can do with other products. My only gripe is that when I tone afterwards I do sometimes get a small amount of dirt coming off on the cotton pad. It is only a tiny bit but I never had that with my La Roche Posay cleanser. Maybe because it isn't as harsh it doesn't leave my skin quite as squeaky clean. Overall though I do think that this is a good product and I think it has contributed to my skin looking quite clear and soft at the moment (even if I do say so myself!) Oh and it was only £18 which I thought was quite reasonable. 

My final recent purchase is the Sensationail Fuse gel varnish in the colour intens-so-fly (is it me or is that a really random name?) 

I've seen a lot of minty greens around and I think it's a really fresh colour for summer. I also have short nails and ,this might just be me, but I think these quirky colours really suit shorter nails. I will definitely be wearing this colour on my holidays this summer. 

Finally I did say that I would tell you my thoughts on my Origins face mask freebies that I received with my purchase of the GinZing moisturiser a couple of months ago. 

I've used 2 of the pods and I think they're really good. They tighten up nicely on the skin and require a lot effort to remove with a warm flannel but they have left my skin feeling brightened and I've had no unwanted breakouts after using them. It also did a really good job of removing bits of dead skin that tend to hang around my nose (lovely) So another fabulous Origins product! 

I hope this post has been helpful. I'm still thinking of setting up my own YouTube channel too. It would be great to hear if this is something that you'd like to see.

Thanks for reading. 

Becky xx

Daytime Make-up Routine

Hello! It seems like ages since I wrote my last post so to make up for it I'm writing a super long one today. It's been lovely to hear from people who are enjoying my blog and I've had a few requests to do a post on how I apply my make up. I am in no way an expert but I do really enjoy putting my make up on and using tips that I've seen on other blogs so I thought I would share how I do things. 

Oh and bit of a disclaimer- there are some truly hideous make up free/semi made up pictures of me I am sorry but I thought this needed pictures to stress the point a bit. So here we go... 

Step 1: Here is my totally naked face. I had a wash with Origins checks and balances foaming face wash (a new purchase-totally loving it-it's like washing in shaving foam!) toned with La Roche Posay Effaclar toner and moisturised with Origins GinZing.

Step 2: The first thing I do make up wise is apply a primer. I do this most days because I like the way it smooths out and brightens my skin and helps my make up to last. Today I used the Benefit That Gal brightening face primer.

Step 3: I then apply my foundation. Today I have used my Dior Airflash foundation in 202 with the Dior 12 foundation brush. To apply I spray the brush with foundation, work it over my cheek, then spray and do the other cheek, then a spray for the nose and chin and a final spray for my forehead. I spend quite a long time buffing the foundation into my skin as I like it to look quite natural.

Step 4: Concealer time. I've dotted No7 Instant Radiance concealer in 2 under my  eyes and No7 Stay Perfect blemish cover in Medium over spots and imperfections (I've got quite a few of those!) I then blended these into my skin with a No7 concealer brush which I think works better than using your fingers as you're not adding grease to your face or wiping away the make up. 

Step 5: Eyebrows. The photo is a bit scary for this but it all works out in the end! I used the Sleek Brow kit in 818. Firstly I use the rounded brush to apply the wax - you don't need much of this just a light covering to tame the brows. Then, I use the angled brush with a very light covering of setting powder. I colour in my brows as mine are very patchy and are totally different shapes so it helps to match them up try and make them look related. Kind of. 

Step 6: I'm using my Sleek eyeshadow pallette today so have decided to use my No7 eyeshadow primer first to keep my eye make up in place (I don't need to use a primer with my Dior compact, might be a quality thing?) I just shove my finger in the pot and rub it all over my eyelids not going above the crease. 

Step 7: I like to use a highlighter on my brow bone. Today I've applied a small amount of No7 Instant Radiance highlighter and smoothed it over with my fingers just to give a subtle sheen.

Step 8: Next is eyeshadow. I used my Front Cover fluff and buff brush to apply Sleek's Calm before the storm all over my eyelid. 

Step 9: I then layered Sleek's Thunder Storm (which is a goldy shade) over the top and applied Dust storm (a dark brown) to the outer edge of my eye blending into the crease and also underneath my bottom lashes, from the outer corner to just before the middle of the eye and Thunder Storm from the inner corner to the meet Dust Storm. (Ramble, sorry).

Step 10: I ALWAYS wear eyeliner but for some reason I didn't put it on today... So I went straight to ny Front Cover eyelash curlers to give my lashes a bit of a boost. 

Step 11: Mascara. Today I went for No 7 Exceptional Definition mascara in black. I've had this mascara for a few weeks now and it's starting to thicken a little which I love! It volumises and lengthens my lashes even more than it did originally. Brilliant stuff! 

Step 12: To avoid a big, shiny face I used a little bit of the Clinique Gentle Light powder in 3 over my forehead, nose and chin with a fluffy 17 powder brush.

Step 13: I've started to enjoy contouring my cheeks a little. So I used the bronzer from the Sleek contouring and blush pallette with my new Real Techniques Blush Brush (less than a tenner from Asda and I love it!) I suck my cheeks in and apply the bronzer in the hollows and extend it to my temples and apply a little under my chin(s).

Step 14: After bronzing I used the No7 Mineral Perfection blusher in Soft Damson on the apples of my cheeks with  the same brush. I find smiling helps the apples to stick out a bit so you don't go overboard on the blusher. 

Step 15: It's all about the highlighter on the cheekbones now. I used the Sleek highlighter from the contouring pallette with my Real techniques brush just on the cheekbones extending up the temples. 

Step 16: My final step is my lips. Today I used Tanya Burr's lipgloss in Picnic in the Park. It's a new gloss and I love the colour. It is a very natural peachy pink but unlike a lot of glosses it is quite pigmented so you can actually see the colour. The Brucie Bonus was that it was only £6.99 from Superdrug and it smells lovely. 

And that is it! I unclipped and straightened my fringe for the final photo and here it is...

Thank you for persevering through some truly hideous pictures. This make up routine is a day time routine for me, maybe a little more than I'd wear for work but for a trip to the shops or a day out somewhere (we are really into our National Trust trips at the moment- old I know!) it's a perfect look for me. I hope that I was of some help and please let me know if you have any tips/product recommendations etc.  

Becky xx

On the hunt for a cheaper face cream...

Hello everyone! This is the first of 2 new blog posts that I am writing today and it is going to be about a new face cream that I'm trying.

I know I blogged about the Clarins moisturisers not long ago but I'm nearly out of night cream (very sad times). So, I did a bit of research to see if I could find something that was going to be a bit easier on the bank account. Ideally I wanted a cream that I could use for both day and night. I had been having a look at some of the Origins products online and yesterday went to their concession in House of Fraser, Birmingham. 

Origins have a range of different lotions and potions all at different prices. I picked up one of the cheapest moisturisers, which is the GinZing energy boosting moisturiser for £23.

It says that you can use this day and night and claims to brighten and energise the skin. I tried it last night and it smells great and made my skin feel nice and smooth. It isn't as rich as the Clarins moisturisers but I think that might be a good thing as, although I love it, I was starting to get some breakouts. So far so good! 

I did also get a freebie with my cream (yey!) It is the Clear Improvement Active charcoal mask to clear pores. You get 4 little pods of product (1 per use) which I think is a decent sized freebie! I haven't tried it yet but it is their best selling mask apparently. 

I will keep you updated on how I get on! 

Thanks for reading.

Becky xx