Blogmas - Day Eleven: My Foundation Collection

From L to R: Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW foundation, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation, MAC Studio Sculpt foundation & Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Tinted Moisturiser.

Hi guys.

Sorry that I haven't been posting over the weekend, work got a bit hectic and I was on so crazy shifts so I wasn't getting in until 11!  

For day eleven's post I am going to talk you through my foundation collection.  It is only small but I want to add to this and have a few foundations I want to try out in the new year.  

Foundation for me is a no brainer!  It has to be high end.  I know that seems a bit petty of me but I have tried drugstore foundations in the past and all of the one's I have tried all break me out the next day and I can never get one that matches perfectly.  High end foundations never break me out and all match my skin beautifully and have a flawless finish.  I don't mind paying the extra money for something that makes me feel comfortable in my skin.

Now my skin is quite dry and so I look for a foundation which has a dewy finish to it, three of which this applies to and one which I will explain below.

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW foundation.

I first tried this out when I purchased the Flawless Complexion Makeup Kit from benefit and there was a small sample size of this foundation inside.  I instantly fell in love with this foundation and went out to purchase the full size as soon as I could.  

I have the shade "Believe in me" Ivory and this matches perfectly.  I feel this has a medium to full coverage depending on how you apply it.  I have no problems with it creasing and it covers any imperfections easily.  It also has SPF 25 built in so I don't have to think about using an SPF under it (not that we need to worry about sun protection at this time of year in the UK!)  I can't detect a scent to it which is great for those who don't like scented products.  

The price of this is £26.50 and you can purchase this from Boots.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation.

I have recently written a post on this foundation which I will link here.  This has been my go to foundation as it is lightweight yet gives me the coverage I want.  

MAC Studio Sculpt foundation.

This was the first high end foundation I ever bought and although this is a good foundation, it isn't the one for me yet.  I find that this foundation is quite matte and sinks into my dry spots and clings to any imperfections.  It is also quite dark for me as well.  I have the shade NC25 and this is a good shade for me when I have a tan other than that, it doesn't work for me.  I am going to try and make it work by sheering it down with a primer or get a product which helps balance out the foundation.  

The price of this is £25.50 and you can purchase this from Debenhams.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Tinted Moisturiser.

My final product is a tinted moisturiser which I received in a Birchbox this year.  I used to love tinted moisturiser's growing up but as my skin has gotten older, they don't give me the best coverage I need.  

This has an OK coverage which is good for days I only want a natural look or days when my skin is behaving itself.  I don't normally reach for this but I know that when I need it, it is there for me.

The price of this is £27 and you can purchase this from Birchbox.

So that is my foundation collection.  I am going to try and purchase more drugstore foundations to see how they react to my skin but I need to get my confidence up in order to do this.

What is your favourite foundation?  Any recommendations for drug store foundations?

Bye for now.

Jess. X

My Lip Balm Collection

Hi Guys.  It's been a while since I last did a post like this (I may be a bit rusty).  I thought today I would show you all my ever expanding lip balm collection.  I feel that I have a few different brands and some of them are my favourite lip balms.

From L-R: Nivea Pearly Shine, Nivea Fruity Shine in Peach, Nuxe Reve de Meil, EOS in Blueberry  Acai, Nivea Lip Butter in Coconut, Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla Macadamia, Pixi by Petra Shea Butter Lip Balm in Ripe Raspberry, Nivea Lip Butter in Blueberry Blush, Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose, Nivea Sun Protect & Dove Shimmer lip balm.

Above is  my entire collection.  It is not the biggest or the fanciest but putting them all together shows that I like a certain brand.  Nivea for me is one of the best drugstore lip balms I have come across but the one that outshines them all is the Nuxe Reve de Meil (which I have a full review on here)

From L-R: Nivea Pearly Shine, Nivea Fruity Shine in Peach, Nivea Sun Protect, Dove Shimmer Lip Balm & Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm in Ripe Raspberry. 

The stick lip balm are very handy when I am out and about and need some form of lip balm on so grabbing one of these out of my bag is great for on the go.  The Nivea Pearly Shine, Nivea Fruity Shine and the Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm all have a slight tint to them so I use them if I want a wash of colour but don't want a full opaque lipstick.  The Nivea Sun Protect and the Dove Shimmer Lip Balm I only use during the summer months when I need that extra protection (Although I do only grab the Sun Protect lip balm mostly)

From L-R: Nivea Lip Butters in Coconut, Vanilla Macadamia, Blueberry Blush & Raspberry Rose.

As you can now tell, Nivea is my favourite brand of lip balm and when they released the lip butters, I was all over them.  As you can probably see from the photo that the Raspberry Rose and the Vanilla Macadamia are the most used ones as I have had them longer and I love the smell of them (in fact I love the smell of them all and don't have a particular favourite scent.)  The formulation of these are amazing...they aren't too greasy and they glide on like a dream.  They don't really have a tint to them although the raspberry one has a slight pale pink tint but it isn't really that noticeable.

Overall, like I said above my favourite lip balm has to be the Nuxe Reve de meil as this is the ultimate lip balm which saves my lips through the harshest winters.  

Which brand is your favourite?  Have you got a lip balm that you cannot live without?

Bye for now.

Jess. X

Varnish Friday- Fifty Shade Of Grey Collection

Back in December I did a Blogmas post on my nail varnish wants (post will be linked here) and within this post, I told you guys I wanted the new Fifty Shades of Grey OPI Collection which was released on the 1st January this year in connection with the release of the Fifty Shades of Grey movie which will be released on the 14th February.

As soon as I knew the collection had been released, I went onto Amazon and ordered the mini collection instead of the full sized as I don't go through full sized nail polish's quick enough and I thought it would be better and cheaper to get the mini sizes.

These six shades are so beautiful in person and the camera doesn't do them all justice!  Within the collection you get four Crèmes, three grey and one red, you also get a very shimmery silver and a glitter polish.  I haven't tried all of them, in fact I have only tried one and will be reviewing them individually throughout Varnish Friday.

My Silk Tie- This colour is a shimmery silver and I knew that this would be my favourite.

Dark Side of the Mood- This is a very dark grey crème and looks so beautiful.

Romantically Involved- This is a very beautiful red crème and would look great during the winter months as well as special occasions.

Embrace the Gray- This is the only colour I have tried in the collection.  It is a medium shade of grey crème that to me has a hint of blue running through it.

Shine for Me- This is the only glitter in the collection and is a clear base with small holographic glitter running through it.  This would look great over the top of any colour especially Embrace the Gray.

Cement the Deal- This is the lightest grey crème in the collection and I also think that Shine for Me would look good over the top.

All of these are very unique and would look great amongst any OPI collection as they are very different to other colours.

Have you got the collection?  Which one is your favourite?  

Bye for now.

Jess. X

Varnish Friday

Hi everyone.  Hope you are enjoying your Friday maybe Saturday.  Today I have you you lucky readers a new series.  This series will be an in depth look into my mini collection of OPI nail Varnish  (or as some call it...polish)  Each week will include an in depth review of a certain colour.  There maybe a few other brands thrown in the mix as well.  This week will be an overall look at my OPI collection.  I may have gone overboard with buying nail polish but I am wanting to start wearing it more often as my nails are in pretty good condition.

This post may be photo heavy but I have grouped them in sets of four and will tell you what each is called.

An overview of my entire collection of mini OPI nail polishes.

From Left to right: Haven't the Foggiest | Alpine Snow | Bubble Bath | Tickle my Francy

From left to right: Princesses Rule | Toucan do it if you try | Cajun Shrimp | Big Apple Red

From left to right: Malaga Wine | Lincoln Park After Dark | Don't Pretzel My Buttons | Nein! Nein! Nein! OK Fine!

From left to right: Unfor-greta-bly Blue | Suzi & the 7 Düsseldorf | Can't Find my Czechbook | Suzi's Hungary AGAIN!

From left to right: You're Such a BudaPest | OY - Another Polish Joke | My Dog sled is a Hybrid | Do You Have This Colour in Stock-Holm?

From left to right: My Voice is a Little Norse | How Great is Your Dane? | Race Red | 50 Years of Style

From left to right: Angel With a Leadfoot | Girls Love Ponies | Red Fingers and Mistletoes | What's Your Point-Settia

From left to right: I Carol About You | Kiss Me or Elf | My Silk Tie | Dark Side of the Mood

From left to right: Romantically Involved | Embrace the Gray | Shine for Me | Cement the deal

That is my collection for now.  I will be doing a more in depth review of each colour as Varnish Friday continues.  If there are any colours you specifically want me to review please let me know and I will make it happen.

Is there any colours from the OPI collection you can recommend?  What is your favourite colour?

Bye for now.

Jess. X

Blogmas day 24 : What's in my make-up bag (Winter Edition)

As if it is Christmas eve already.  My blog is already 24 days old and I have written a lot.  I know I promised a post everyday but as life is strange, I had to postpone some blog posts but I did get 24 posts up.  As promised, Today's will be a What's in my make-up bag blogpost.

I am away from uni but as my collection is very small, I have brought the majority of my make-up collection.  I will start from base and finish with the lips.

This post will be picture heavy.

Primer


My primer is quite a new product and I haven't had chance to try it out.  I have got Dr Jart's Recover Primer.  I received this in November's Birchbox and I am looking forward to trying this out.

Foundation

In September, I went make-up shopping and purchased a new foundation.  My foundation is M.A.C's Studio Sculpt.  I am NC25 and as much as I like this foundation, there are a few out there that I want to try and 2015 will be the year to do that.  This foundation is quite matte on my skin and sometimes clings to my dry patches (I have combination
skin and am trying to find a skincare routine to combat this)

Concealer

I don't use much concealer as I am quite lucky to not suffer with dark circles.  My concealer at the moment is Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer and I use fair.  I always purchase this and again I want to try other in 2015.

Eyeshadow

I currently only have one palette and am loving it.  I have Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette and it has a nice range of shade which are very complimentary to my skin tone.  My favourite eyeshadow is Tease and Bootycall.  I love those two shades together and that is my usual everyday eye look.

Eyeliner

I have two eyeliners that I use...one felt tip liner and one pencil.  I use Rimmel's Scandeleyes pencil liner on my waterline and I use Collection's Extreme 24 hour felt tip liner on my top lip to create a wing.

Mascara


I chop and change my mascara so often that the next time I do something  like this, it might have changed.  At the moment I am using Rimmel's Scandeleyes Flex in black.  I also have Maybelline's The Rocket and sometimes I use both at the same time.

Cheeks

I usually don't put anything on my cheeks as I feel that I always get it wrong but in 2015 I am
going try and use more cheek products.  The products I have at the moment are MUA's cream blush and as you can see in the picture, it is well used as the packaging is wearing off.  My other cheek product is a Lord and Berry bronzer in Sienna.  I haven't used the bronzer yet so I don't know
how it will look on my skin.

Lips

I have a few lip products in my make-up bag at the moment.  I have three lip products and 2 lip balms.  My three lip products are Rimmel's Apocolips in Big Bang, Revlon's Colourburst Matte Balm in Standout and Illamasqua Glamore Nude lipstick in Rosepout.  Rosepout has to be my favourite as it

 

suits my skintone so much.  My next favourite has to be the Matte Balm.  I have two lip balms one is Maybelline's Baby Lips in Peach Kiss and the other is a Pixi lip balm that I received in November's Birchbox.

Tools & Accessories

I have a pair of eyelash curlers, a Real Techniques Stippling brush, an eco tools angled liner brush, a Burts Bee's Cuticle Cream, a Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Hair Mask, six capsules of drinkwel (another product from November's Birchbox) and a small compact mirror.

My make-up bag is an old, grungy thing and I am kind of embarrassed to show it.  I am going to extend my collection further in 2015 so keep a look out for hauls and reviews throughout the year.

What is currently in your make-up bag and what are you looking forward to in 2015?

Bye for now.

Jess. X

Blogmas day 17 : Nail Polish Wants 2015

I don't often wear nail varnish/polish but when I do, I tend to wear nail polish with a slight shimmer as that is what I have found suits my skin tone better however there is a new collection that is due to be released on the 1st of January (or so I have researched,  correct me if I am wrong )  just in time for the highly anticipated (or at least for me anyway) Fifty Shades of Gray Movie and I am dying to get my hands on this collection.

http://www.reallyree.com/2014/11/opi-fifty-shades-of-grey.html#lightbox/0/

The collection has a nice selection of grey colours and a nice red.  There are a few shades that have really caught my eye.  There are six to choose from and if you are an OPI virgin (like me) chances are you will want them all.  Each bottle will retail at £11.95 however they will also be selling a mini collection of the entire set at £14.50.  

Each shade has a name that has some reference to the film/book.  

• My Silk Tie
• Romantically Involved
• Dark Side of the Mood 
• Shine for Me
• Cement the Deal 
• Embrace the Gray 

All shade names correspond to the order in the picture.

The shades I am really excited for are Romantically Involved and My Silk Tie although I will be purchasing the whole collection (whether in full size or mini is still to be decided)  From what I can tell, layering up Shine On Me with a couple of the other nail polishes in the collection will look stunning and it is a slight shame (in my opinion) that they haven't released them sooner as Shine On Me and Romantically Involved could be good Christmas colours.

What Nail Polish collections are you most excited in 2015?

Bye for now.

Jess. X

Blogmas day 13 : A very tiny Boots haul.

As I am going home for the holidays, I needed to pick up two items to go in my make-up bag.  These are staples that will forever be found in my small but growing make-up collection.  In fact these will be found in any make-up collection of any beauty fanatic.

Eyeliner can come in different types and in different forms.  The two I prefer at the moment are felt tip liner and pencil liner.  I will always try different brands and there is one pencil liner that I have found that I will use for a while or until I find another one that fits my needs.  Recently, however, I have gotten into felt tip liner and am in the process of trying different brands.  These were the two staples that I needed to stock up on.

Rimmel Scandeleyes eyeliner has been my staple pencil liner for a few
years.  I like the fact it is so creamy and doesn't pull at my eyelids.  It is easily smudge-able if you need to but dries and doesn't smudge once dry.  As it is waterproof you do find that once removed, there can be some leftover but that soon goes after a night of sleep!  I use this mainly for my waterline but sometimes I use this on the top lid depending on what look I want to go for.  I have tried other pencil liners but sadly non have been up to scratch to this.


Collection's Extreme 24 hour felt tip liner is my newest item to my collection.  I have never tried this but I have read some good reviews and am looking forward to trying this.  I use felt tip liner on my top lid and feel that it gives a clean line and looks nice paired with eyeshadow.  I only do a small cat eye as I am only starting to get used to using felt tip liner.

What brands do you use?  Have you got any suggestions for eyeline?

Bye for now.

Jess. X