Kevyn Aucoin blush & highlight haul

Kevyn Aucoin is one of my all time favourite high end luxury makeup brands. I just can never go wrong with them (minus the neo setting powder which in all honest was a fail and a half), as the products are pigmented, creamy and the packaging is to die for - as expected from the king of makeup.  I picked up two blushers in Fira (a beautiful red), and Pravela (a sweet warm toned pink). Two of their celestial skin liquid lightenings in starlight and candlelight. As well as their highlighting powder in star light. Reviews will be coming soon, as I'm curios to see whether the £42 liquid highlighters are worth the money when theres so many affordable liquid highlighters on the market now.
Honestly did I need to splash out? no I was a sucker for the packaging and whilst I was supposed to be on a no spending spree. I'm ashamed to say I did purchase this mainly for the aesthetic value and cuteness.

It's Skin Mangowhite cleansing cream

I've been heavily into double cleansing, for the past year. Whilst many people tend to go for oils to melt down makeup before using another cleanser, I personally enjoy cleansing cream.

The It's skin mango white cleansing cream includes mangosteen extracts to moisture dry skin, mulberry extract to brighten skin as well as green tea extracts. It's skin also state that the product has been skin safety tested, which really pleases me as they've certified that this is good and safe to be used on the face. You also get a good 200 ml of product which definitely lasts and makes the product worth the price.

I love this cleansing cream because I actually find myself reaching for it even when I'm really tired. It has a lovely light scent and is a light creamy consistency, it breaks down my makeup without leaving oily residue on my face. My face always looks bright and feels moisturised after using this cleansing cream, and there is no visible makeup residue or dirt on my face. I do believe that this product would be equally as effective to use alone and then followed up with micellar water.

Overall, I will definitely repurchase this product and recommend it to friends and family!

The ordinary Niacinamide 10% review

In the past you may have seen my review of The Ordinary azealic acid suspension cream, which I really enjoyed thus making me explore more the ordinary products, so stay tuned for in depth reviews of a few more items :)

Niacinamide is an ingredient that has been proven effective in helping with skin concerns such as uneven skin, large pores, dull skin, and aging skin. However as this is a high strength formula, it is always advised to patch test it first to avoid a bad reaction to the amount of niacinamide in the serum.

Whilst I had previously raved about the Azealic suspension for lightening dark spots, the Niacinamide formula is one of my favourite the ordinary products because it has transformed my skin. After using the serum for about a 2 weeks, I had already noticed a huge improvement in my skin texture and pores as well as the over all evenness of my skin. I also have way less break outs, and no longer have the large under the skin bump kind of pimples - not sure whether this is because of the nit

There are some potential issues I've encountered. Firstly, my overall face "whitening", this is because Niacinamide surpasses melanin from reaching the surface, great for dark spots, not so great when your entire face is naturally brown and you want to keep it that way. Also any products you use before the serum may interfere with it and cause a slight burning sensation so its best to keep your routine minimal when introducing this.  The serum can also be drying, so for those of you with dry skin, you might experience some more dryness but nothing that can't be combatted. And also the fact that it can sometimes cause products you use after to pill, which is why I advise to keep your routine minimal for best results.

Overall , I really enjoy this product and the improvements it has made to my skin. I will definitely repurchase this and as part of a good routine it can really help your skin get to where you want it to be.

Nella Fantasia Honey Snail ultra moisture cream review

The Nella Fantasia honey snail cream, as the name suggests is a moisturising cream that combines the properties of honey and snail secretion in skin care.

The product claims to moisturise, help fine lines, wrinkles and elasticity with ingredients such as shea butter, hylaronic acid and adenonicine. It can also be used either as a moisturiser or as a sleeping pack, by heavily piling it on before bed.

The moisturiser is a thick sticky cream, so sticky in fact that sometimes it is difficult to take the hygiene seal thing off. This means that it does require longer to sink in then a lighter moisturiser. However it is deeply moisturising. As my skin is not that dry, because i've finally sorted out my skincare routine. I don't personally need a moisturiser this heavy and moisturising. You do get a hefty 100g of product, so I've been using this as a body moisturiser but might just pass this on to a family member. It hasn't caused any acne or problems for me, in fact its the opposite, it doesn't actually do anything major for me which is why I'm not a huge fan of it. However if dry skin is your concern, then I would recommend trying it out!

Make up Forever HD foundation review

Whilst in Spain, I visited sephora which I had been dying to do..although the brand selection wasn't huge I did manage to get the MUFE HD foundation and let me tell you ... it's amazing!

The HD foundation is meant to give you a flawless look in flash photography/studio lighting - by blurring imperfections on the face it's supposed to achieve that soft focused flawless look.

It's a medium coverage liquid foundation, I apply this with a real techniques brush and it does seamlessly blend it to my skin perfectly and give good coverage yet it doesn't feel heavy or cakey so -sometimes I don't even use concealer and this baby has got it all covered well. Now as for the flash photography aspect, I do agree that the face looks significantly more flawless and even when a flash photograph is taken, this is definitely a foundation for times when you'll be having your photograph taken. And since it lasts for about 8 hours on me, it definitely lasts the whole night so there's no worries there.

If you have dry skin be warned it will stick to dry patches and accentuate them unfortunately! another downfall is that this isn't the best foundation for oiler girls though it is oil free it still has a slight dewy finish and the sales assistant did tell me that they also have a matte foundation which would be better suited.

So the MUFE HD foundation is definitely a new holy grail for me, it's the perfect foundation for going out and when I want that flawless finish because on a day to day basis i'm fine with just bb cream. The shade selection is great and there is definitely a shade for everyone! If you have a make up forever near you I definitely recommend you go see the foundation for yourself but the downside might just be the price tag! 

Summer & Holiday favourites

I haven't posted in a while because of holiday stuff - I went to spain at the end of June and I'm actually going back tomorrow but I definitely wanted to squeeze in a post of some of the summer favourites I'm loving throughout the hot season especially when on holiday.

As we all know, spf is vital and although tanning is huge during summer essentially it's skin damage - but since I'm already brown I don't need to tan and get darker so I use a pretty high spf of 45. The  Missha all around safe sunblock essence is my current favourite for my face because it's so light and not thick or heavy like body sunblock.

I also have been wearing the & other stories moire green nail polish which is the loveliest light sea foam green and looks especially amazing in the summer season.

I have two blush products I've been using non stop - first off is the Kevyn Aucoin creamy glow duo which I feel like I go on about...It's just so tiny and easy to travel with and the two shades are perfect for summer. Although I prefer cream blushes to powder blushes in general, I have been adoring the bobbi brown shimmer brick in rose. Although I think the Nectar shade is way more suited for summer because of the beautiful coral-peach shades. But the reason I've been loving the shimmer brick is because it gives both a beautiful blush and highlight at the same time so you can achieve that sun kissed look with just one product! Also the shimmer isn't chunky glitter it's very finely milled and smooth which compliments the skin nicely.

For the lips I've been using the dior lip glow a lot, because it has spf 15, tints the lips and is pretty much lip balm. Although it doesn't offer much colour I've been reaching for it a lot for some reason!

The Prada Candy perfume is my go to summer scent - I won't try to explain the scent because it will just confuse you, although it is supposed to be in the "warm spicy" fragrance family (whatever that means). I just love this scent because it's not overpowering but very feminine and lingers on you for a long time which I love because I always feel like perfume fades rapidly on me although whether it actually does I'm not sure.

Finally, the Skin79 seaweed cooling mask is a hydrating and cooling wash off face mask. Although this doesn't do miraculous wonders the skin it definitely does hydrate and cool the skin which does help if you've got sunburned. I do use this a lot because it's a very simple mask and doesn't irritate my skin and it's nice to use a simple mask!

So those are my favourite summer and holiday products so far!

I hope you enjoyed this post x

Mini Haul | Nars, Too faced, Aveda, Philip Kingsley!

I recently went shopping with my lovely mum after my exams, and we did pick up a feeeeew things - so of course I just had to share! Some of these are products I've been wanting to try for a long time so once I've trialled and tested them reviews will be up.

I'll start off with the products that my mum picked up for herself but I wanted to share anyway since I'll probably try them out too. My mum swears by aveda products so she picked up the Aveda smooth infusion glossing straightener which is part of their new straightening line I believe and is meant to significantly straighten wavy to curly hair when the line is used consistently.  My mum also bought the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Extreme, which is a pre wash hair mask raved about by so many beauty bloggers. Because of the hype and price of the mask, I really do hope we end up with Nicole Shcerzinger healthy-silky-long-beautiful hair or I'll be quite disappointed.

I also picked up the No7 sheer temptation lipstick in peach coral, I got one of those "£3 off" coupons on no7 from boots so I just picked this up and it's actually really lovely. I also bought my first Too Faced product, the Too Faced la creme lipstick in Bon Bon. When swatching I was torn between the bright colour bon bon and the MLBB Spice spice baby, but since it's summer (yes I'm gonna call the roller coaster weather in England summer) I bought the brighter raspberry colour BonBon.

Finally, I picked up the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in the shade ginger medium 2, slightly a touch to dark but since I'll get slightly darker in summer I can totally work with this. A much needed purchase.

Soap and Glory - Feel good factor review

I've been wanting to try out soap and glory's beauty bits for a long time now. So on a recent visit to boots I decided to pick up the Feel good factor aka they're translucent BB cream.I've been using this quite a lot recently and I'm quite taken by this little product.

Straight off, I would not consider this a BB cream as it gives absolutely no colour (being translucent). They do however jointly market it as primer, moisturiser and UV protector - this part of significantly pleases me. It's pretty much a do it all product. When used alone it gives a slight sheen to the skin which I love for no makeup days and lazy days. I can go out or stay in and my skin is still protected with the spf 25 and moisturised, whilst having a subtle glow and very slight colour correction.

The feel good factor can therefore also be used as a primer/makeup base since it smoothes out the surface of the face. I personally don't have a major issue with pores, however my mum tried it and it did improve the appearance of her pores but nothing too major. I love how the product is quite thick and creamy with a nice soft scent, yet it doesn't make your skin oily, or heavy or leave the 'sunscreen cast'.  It just leaves a nice canvas for you to apply your makeup. It's definitely a product for all skin tones and types.

I feel like this a handy little multi-purpose product to keep with you especially whilst travelling or for the up coming festival season, since it combats 3 areas at once. It's also handy if you don't always remember to moisturise, prime and put on spf - or if you just don't have the time.  However for the price of £12 it does seem a little pricey. Luckilly I got this on offer for £8, and I probably would purchase it again if it's on offer. But for the full price? I already have some spf, primers, and moisturisers that I should use up..

Haul: SpaceNK, Origins, Illamasqua, Kevyn Aucoin, Hourglass!

The Body Shop : All in one BB Cream review

This is one of the first makeup products I've tried from the body shop, and so far I'm content with the purchase.

The consistency of the BB cream, is light weight and liquid so it pretty much feels like skin, therefore it's no surprise that this is a light-coverage-hydrating-dewy-finish bb cream. You can build this up on certain areas you need a tad more coverage, however all you need is a bit of concealer and you're good to go if you're going for a natural look. But for people who need full coverage, this can work as a great base but unfortunately won't perfect and cover the face like a foundation or heavy duty bb cream would. I think this is a great BB cream for anyone that's looking for a natural dewy bb cream, or something to wear to school to even your skin tone and hide some blemishes without looking to obvious( if your school is strict) cakey or heavy. It's really hydrating and personally I love it. My only qualm is that sometimes, I'll put it on and because there's no immediate difference like with a foundation, I literally wonder "Is this even doing anything?" because I think I'm used to dramatic effects, where as this is more subtle and natural.

I would recommend this to anyone who's looking for a decent western BB cream, but for anyone who's looking for something with higher coverage (to cover up scars, acne, pigmentation etc)- this isn't the one. Also, as it's supposed to adapt to your skin colour, it might not mesh well with really pale skin tones as it can tend to look too orange and dark even in shade one. 

Best of all, this wasn't tested on animals as it's from the body shop (yay)

Lazy girl : Makeup

Bobbi brown moisture rich foundation - £30 , Smashbox O'glow - £21 , Max factor false lash effect mascara £10.99 , max factor smoky eyeshadow - £6.99 , lioele bubbi bubbi tint - £7.99

I'm a lazy girl. I don't even wear makeup to school because I literally oversleep everyday and get ready in 15 minutes (not even kidding). But when I go out, I'm still kinda lazy and a creature of habit, I wear literally the same kind of makeup look all the time and I always go for the 'natural' or 'barely there' look although I do switch up products. This look is something that I've worn quite a lot recently, most of these products double up so they have multi use which is great for traveling or doing makeup in a rush! I've omitted primers, bases etc since I don't really bother putting them on when I'm in a rush or feeling too lazy.

The bobbi brown moisture rich foundation has spf 15 which is great since you won't have to put your own spf on underneath (although technically you still should) I usually put this on to my skin with my fingers, this foundations lasts a good 8 hours or so on me so I can skip primer. I then gently pat on some smash box o glow gel blush, which gives you the loveliest rosy glow (review here).  On to the eyes, I've kept it simple with the max factor smokey effect eyeshadow, this has two colours which you create a smoky look with or you can just use as separate eyeshadows. I tend to use the darker colour as a substitute for eyeliner to keep the look very natural and effortless, and the lighter colour I'll just sweep across my lids.  Next max factor false lash effect mascara, in black/brown - this colour is so natural on my lashes but it definitely gives the false lash effect. And finally for my lips, lately I've been using this lioele bubi bubi tint in coral, it's such a moisturising lip balm which gives your lips a lovely coral sheen - so basically gives you colour and moisture at the same time yay.

Lioele active therapy ampoule whitening review

Lioele active therapy ampoule -£10

Ampoule's are pretty popular,  they're concentrated serums and essences that help target specific problems like dark sports , skin elasticity, moisture and so on. The lioele ampoule, is a Korean brand, ampoule targeted at evening the skin tone and whitening dark spots.

Consistency wise, this is just like a tad thicker then a regular oil - scent wise it's not too strong but definitely quite 'oil like' (i'm so rubbish at describing scents).  As it's an ampoule, it comes in dropper form.

Well, I do have acne scarring and dark spots since I'm a scratcher and popper (sigh), I use this when I need it like sometimes I'll put it all over my face but other times I'll just dab it onto the actual dark spots. It's not your everyday treatment, but If you do use it frequently or during the day, please wear SPF as your skin is way more sensitive to sun damage. 

So finally, I think the ampoule has definitely helped with my dark spots, pigmentation and scarring! I've been watching a specific dark spot from acne scarring to see whether it has any effect, and it has considerably gone and is now barely visible which I think goes to show that it works.

I really like this and would totally recommend this to anyone looking to even out their skin care or to target acne scars, dark spots etc however some other more easily accessible in the UK products would be the Kiehl's corrective dark spot solution , Decleor excellence de l'age  and Clinique even better clinical dark spot corrector. Although these aren't as cost effective as the Lioele ampoule.

Smashbox O-Glow intuitive cheek colour review

Smashbox O-Glow - £21

I've been trying out the smashbox o-glow cheek colour, smash box I believe is an american brand that's stocked in boots lately - although it's in boots I wouldn't count it as drugstore, as it's a bit pricey for some bits and is located amongst the higher ender brands such as clarins, benefit etc.

In essence, this is a clear gel that upon contact with your cheek/skin it adapts to your PH level to create a perfect berry coloured glow to suit you.  On my skin it's a rosy colour, which you can build up for more intensity but as I go for a natural look 1/2 layers of this is great to give me a pop of colour and a healthy rosy glow that is reminiscent of Victoria's secret.

I would really recommend this product to anyone who is able to try it, yeah the price tag is high for a cheek tint, but it's an absolute favourite for me and you can play around to get the kind of blush you want with this also, a little goes a long way so I don't think i'll finish this any time soon. I am loving the healthy look this gives me! I know some cheek tints are more red based which doesn't suit me, but this gives me a lovely pink glow as the name would  suggest.

There is a slight downfall ,which is that it can get kind of powdery when on top of one of my foundations, nothing that some careful blending can't fix ..but if you wear high coverage make up everyday then this might not mesh well with it.

I'm hooked, and I am dying to try some more smash box products...If only my bank would let me!

Skin saviours

 

Lush mask of magnaminty - £9.95 // Spot patch £3-5 // La roche posay effaclar duo - £13

Since the new year has begun,  I've noticed a lot of people including my friends are focused on detoxing their skin / treating their skin etc etc basically just getting rid of impurities and trying to maintain clear and fresh skin. So here's 3 simple products that can help with acne, breakouts and pores to help you clean up your skin this year, and I must add that I do not in any way have perfect skin but these are 3 products I constantly reach for as they are of course my skin saviours.

The lush mask of mask of magnaminty is, like the name suggests, a minty multipurpose mask that helps treat your skin in terms of acne, pores and sebum production. It also has exfoliating properties so you can use it as a scrub when you rinse it off your face (or back as it can also help those who have bacne).  This mask isn't a miracle product but I definitely find it helps when I'm breaking out or am getting oily and it isn't harsh plus the ingredient are natural and definitely will help with acne if used continually. I personally use this once a week if i need it, and I'm always pleased with the soft glow it gives me. They retail for around five pounds for a smaller tub and nine pounds for the bigger one which I own and I do think it's worth the money as you get a lot of use out of it.

I haven't seen spot patches/treatments in the UK, but in Asia they're quite popular as theres almost an immediate effect. The patches are basically either clear or skin coloured (like a plaster) round stickers which you stick onto your spot and the sticky side will stop your spots from spreading, absorb the acne secretion and soothe any burning or aching. I usually put one on at night if I have a particularly big spot or one that's sore and red and the next morning it'll have reduced in size or gone. I've also found that sometimes the lush make doesn't help sore spots to go whilst this does.  You can buy these online from taiwan or other asian countries and they ship within a week, give them a try!

Finally, la roche posy effaclar duo needs no introduction or explanation as to why it's a skin saviour, this stuff is amazing! 

December favourites

Burberry sheer foundation - £35   

I've never really been a fan of foundation as the ones I had tried never really colour matched well and i felt like they were cake and just sat on my skin like a mask. This december I dug out my burberry foundation and decided to mix it with a spf moisturiser, the ration was about 1:2. I had some red breakouts and I felt self conscious but the mixture was just what I needed! it was pretty much a diy tinted moistener and gave me a healthy, dewy glow and covered my redness and evened out my skin, plus the moisturiser lightened the colour of the foundation so it matched me perfectly. It wasn't high coverage as i used more moisturiser then foundation but if you want to try it out you can play around with the ratio. It was very moisturising, not cakey and just felt like my skin but better.

Max factor false lash effect mascara (black/brown)  - £10.99

I posted a while ago about my benefit they're real mascara which I thought was my holy grail mascara. But I recently got this mascara, from max factor, in the colour black/brown which is just a dark brown and I adore it.  Rather then a carbon black false lash effect that black mascaras often give, i find this mascara just darkens your lashes giving a natural looking yet full effect that is perfect for a simple look or no makeup look. I usually use 1-2 coats of this but I'm sure that if you build it up you can get the 'false lash effect' it states, but for me I don't really need/want that.

Max factor eyeshadow (bronze haze) - £7.99

This is a 'smoky eye effect eye shadow stick) that i've been loving this month. Step 1 is golden champagne colour and step 2 is a deep chocolate brown with a reddish undertone, the two colours can be worn together for a smoky eye or individually. What i actually like is the difference in shapes as step 1 is rounded which makes it easy to apply all over the lid whereas the sharp edge of step 2 is great to line your lids with and it allows you to have precision. It's a really creamy shadow and I haven't really found anything to complain about! I really want to buy another colour soon.

La Roche Posay effaclar duo -£10

The effaclar duo is such a highly raved about product and many people say it's their skincare saviour so I wonder what took me so long to try it out! I mentioned earlier that I've been having some problems with breakouts and this has helped a lot. It's not an overnight treatment but it definitely helps the breakouts clear faster then if you weren't using it at all. Also it helps with pores, which isn't a problem for me, but I know many people have issues with enlarged pores. It's a very light cream that sinks in immediately but you can feel ever so slightly that there's something on your skin, but I kind of like that.

Thanks for reading if you managed it this far! hope you all had a great christmas and enjoy the new year x

Bobbi Brown Hydrating face cream review

Bobbi Brown hydrating face cream - £37.50

I usually purchase Korean skin care products, but recently I've felt like it's all abit of a hassle purchasing on line and not even knowing whether you'll like the product or whether it'll work and benefit your skin. I mean don't  get me wrong I  still love asian cosmetic and skin care products especially they're whitening range, they have amazing products and prices! But sometimes I guess you want something a little close to home and a brand you trust, that's when i turn to Bobbi Brown.

The moisturiser is  very light and not sticky at all. It has a dewy finish and works well underneath make up. I do believe this is suitable for sensitive skin types as my mum used to use one too and she has very sensitive skin. As for hydration, it hydrates well and I don't feel like my skin is drying throughout the day. I adore this product besides it's £37.50 price tag and 50 ml jar, I'm sure you can get similar results from cheaper products and ones that have more product in them too!

I would love to repurchase this product simply because I know it works, but I love exploring new products and why pay that much for a moisturiser when you might just find a better one which is easier on the pocket too.

The face shop: Real Nature Jelly mask pack KIWI - Review

"Kiwi Jelly Contains fresh kiwi extracts Kiwi are known for their high and rich vitamin C content and it supplies the skin with moisture and nutrition resulting in Firm, soft, smoother and youthful skin."

The jelly wash off pack comes in a little jam jar type packaging which is really cute and lightweight and pretty small but still has a lot of product, I also really like the protective lid as some other brands don't actually give you that and it encourages more hygiene but unfortunately the pack doesn't come with a mini spatula so you have to use your fingers or your own spatula.

The consistency of the pack really is jelly like but once on the skin it thins out easily, it also has small kiwi seeds which I guess don't serve any purpose but emphasise the whole 'natural' aura. The scent is really fruity which I love. I don't think it smells specifically like Kiwi's more like a fruity cocktail.

 I usually leave the mask on for around 10-15 minutes and when I wash it off my face is visibly clearer and brighter, any red bumps i may have don't stand out as much and my skin tone evens out - admittedly these effects aren't permanent but because the pack is natural you can use it as much as you like within a week because the pack isn't strong nor harsh.
I really like this pack and would repurchase it but maybe in another type like the strawberry smoothie or apple fresh! I think this pack is definitely a cheap and easy go to for me and something I prefer in the place of sheet masks