It's been sooo long!

Well I'm going to start by saying to anyone that does enjoy reading this blog I'm very sorry for the lack posts. In between moving house and being very busy at work I haven't had much spare time to write anything. But I'm settled and back! 

My post today is all about some favourite products that I've been using over the past month or so. 

The first is a lovely exfoliator called Angels on Bare Skin from Lush. This is basically a putty in a pot, you take a scoop out, add a bit if water and rub over your face. It took a while to get used to as it kind of feels like you're rubbing something from the garden over your face but when you rinse it off you reveal clean, soft and fresh skin. If you fancy an exfoliator that's a bit different and feels good for you then I would recommend this. Oo it smells good too! 

My favourite foundation at the moment is Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua. After running out of Dior Airflash, I decided to give this a go and I'm so glad I did!  I use the colour 3 and it is blummin amazing (even better than Dior!) You need to shake the bottle before application as it's water based and it's quite thin but I've found that a little goes a long way.  I think that the best way to apply it is with my fingers for an even coverage. It's a very light foundation but provides just the right amount of natural coverage for me and paired with my Chanel bronzer (see previous blog post) my skin glows. I love it! 

I was very lucky to receive an Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette for my birthday (thanks Katie) and I have used it everyday since without fail! I absolutely love every single colour in the palette but my favourites are Suspect and Snakebite (beautiful together) and Chopper. I'm using my palette for an evening look tonight so watch this space for a tutorial.  

The final product that I'm recommending in this post is an old favourite that I've re purchased after a couple of years without it. It's Benefit's dandelion face powder and it's lovely. I use this as a very subtle blusher as it's a nice light pink with some very subtle shimmery flecks in it. I find to get the coverage I like I need to apply a few layers to the apples of my cheeks but even after a heavy application, it gives a very natural flush, perfect for everyday. I also quite like the cute little brush that it comes with. 

So that's it for my favourites this week. I'm about to start my make up for this evening which I intend to blog about next. I chopped a good few inches off my hair today eek! so I'm looking forward to experimenting with my make up as I feel new hair warrants an updated look.

Thanks for reading

Becky xx

 

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