New Lancome Products On My Face

This is going to be a very picture heavy post but I wanted to show you how the Lancome Hypnose mascara made a difference to my eyelashes, and how this and the L'absolu Rouge lipstick work together for a pretty daytime look. Let me know what you think!

Eyes before mascara...

...and afterwards

The lipstick was a lovely moisturising rose colour and looked really subtle for daytime, I just applied it really quickly here so it's not perfect but you get the idea of how it looks!

Lancome L'absolu Rouge in Shade 6

And finally here's my whole face with both the mascara and the lipstick on...I look really moody here for some reason but I really wasn't! Potential sufferer of resting bitch face alert!

All I did for this look was apply foundation, highlighter and concealer as usual, then highlight cheek and brow bone with a dab of MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl. Then I filled in my eyebrows and applied cream blusher to the apples of my cheeks. I also applied the colour Naked from the Urban Decay Naked palette to my eyelids, and  curled my eyelashes. I then put on two coats of Lancome Hypnose Mascara, and finished off with Lancome L'absolu Rouge lipstick in Shade 6, applied directly from the bullet and then patted in with my fingers.

If anyone has done any other looks using some of these products then post a link! 

Recent Lancome Purchases (and freebies!)

When I walked into Moore's department store at home in Northern Ireland and was immediately faced with a 10% off everything beauty (including brands like Estee Lauder, Clinique, Clarins and Lancome) I obviously couldn't resist.

10% off beauty event at Moore's Coleraine.

I spent a while excitedly looking at anything and everything. As you can see above, there was a 10% discount on Estee Lauder doublewear foundation, but I've recently re-bought Rimmel Wake Me Up so had to reign myself in and resist!

I began talking to the lovely girl at the Lancome counter and she told me that in the event, a two-pack of Lancome's Hypnose mascaras were being sold for £28.50. Seeing as they're usually £22.00 each she had me right there. She also mentioned that it was the world's number 1 mascara, which I couldn't believe I had never tried, so the offer was too good to resist. I've always been a big fan of Givenchy's Phenomen'eyes mascara so this was a bit of a change.

After talking to the Lancome sales assistant for a while, I told her about some of my work as beauty editor for The Courier, and after I bought the mascara she gave me a free sample cleanser and lipstick to try out!







































The cleanser is Lancome's Gelatee Confort cleansing milk for dry skin, and whilst my skin is definitely more oily than dry I decided to use it to remove my eyemakeup last night, as I can sometimes get a few dry patches underneath my eyes. I applied it with a cotton pad and just gently swept it over my eye area and it felt really soft and delicate and removed my mascara and eyeshadow really well.

The little mini lipstick was Lancome's L'Absolu Rouge in Shade 6, and was a beautiful moisturising rose coloured lipstick, It's absolutely great quality and exactly the kind of colour I generally wear on my lips for daytime, so I was really pleased to have gotten it for free! As with all Lancome products it smells lovely too, which is probably quite odd to say about a lipstick but it's true!

I will do a proper review of the mascara within the next few days as I don't really feel as if I've had enough time to properly use it, but I will add a picture of my makeup using my two new Lancome products within the next hour.

Has anyone else tried this mascara? What did you think of it?

Green faced monster

Hi everyone!

I'm back at work again after a few days in my beloved Newcastle. Whilst most other 21 year olds are out getting drunk I'm sitting in with a romantic Chinese takeaway for one and a face masque, so of course I thought I'd share a few unflattering photos of the face masque experience with you!

Masque: Front

Masque: Back

Product: Montagne Jeunesse Virgin Olive Deep Cleansing Masque

Price: £1.00

Claims: 'Ultra moisturising,  leaves you with soft and supple skin that is super smooth and deeply cleansed.'
Rating: **

Looking like an alien...

...with spots

The Verdict: The masque was quite a light green colour and looked mostly like a traditional masque! It was quite thick and easy to put on, although I avoided my eye area. 

My friend who's studying beauty therapy told me to exfoliate before the masque or it wouldn't work, which I'd never heard before, and seems to be a useful tip.

The instructions said to leave it for 10-15 mins, and during that time it started to harden in different places giving me a rather fetching alien-with-spots look. 

I rinsed the masque off with water, which turned out to be quite difficult as it was so thick so I had to use a wipe as well. I rinsed it off about ten minutes ago and my skin feels clean but not as 'soft and supple' as the packet says. 

Overall, the mask was really cheap so I didn't expect miracles, but I did expect it to deliver on softening my skin, although it did leave it feeling clean, fresh and smooth.

Finally Nailing It

Hi everyone!

For ages I've been really confused by the big obsession with nail art. Partly because I'm pretty rubbish at it and partly because I'd rather concentrate on makeup, I just felt like concentrating on my face was a lot more worthwhile than spending time and effort on nails.

Nail Art Set: Urban Outfitters £6

Now I'm not going to say that I'm a complete convert but since getting gel nails I've kind of been won over. They're so glossy, strong and don't chip for ages. I also recently got a little nail art kit (pictured above) as part of a birthday present, and putting this stuff on is so easy even I can do it, and I have difficulty painting my own nails without getting polish on my fingers. All you do is paint your nails whatever colour takes your fancy, let it dry, polish your nails with a clear top coat and then apply whichever particular little gems you want while the nails are still wet, then just let them dry and you're done. Here I've gone really really simple, but I'm sure that with enough practice you could create some really original, beautiful looks.

The little kit is from Urban Outfitters and costs £6.00 which is well worth it when you consider that a bottle of nail beads generally costs around £4.00! 

If anyone has any nail art tips I'd love to hear them!

On another note, I started using the Real Techniques face brushes today and I'm already a massive fan, I've also been completely converted to Touche Eclat when applying it with the pointed foundation brush, as it goes on so much smoother than with the pen./fingers. 

Birthday Beauty Buys

Hi guys! 

It was my 21st birthday on Monday which was absolutely brilliant so thought I'd share some of my lovely presents I received from family/my boyfriend and of course some beauty buys bought with birthday money...I just couldn't resist!

The little Pandora ring was a lovely 21st birthday present from my parents! It's got my birth stone in it so I thought it was a pretty appropriate birthday present. My boyfriend got me the turquoise bracelet on my birthday and I think the two go pretty well together, but anyway, onto the beauty buys...

(Left-Right)

1. Grarnier Ambre Solaire Tinted Self Tan Gel

I've literally just put this on so I can't vouch for how it looks when it's developed, but it seems to have a decent tint, allowing me to see where I've applied it. However, my arms are already tanned and they're almost the same colour as the tint so I'm not 100% sure it's even, I'm sure I'll see soon enough!

 I noticed that in the earlier fake tan post there was no mention of gels so I wanted to put a little mini review of one on here.

On the front of the product it says it has 'no self tan smell', which is blatantly untrue in my opinion. It definitely does have a fake tan kind of smell, which doesn't put me off but might certainly put off others.

So far it has come out a nice golden brown colour but I will keep you posted as it develops!

*NB: It says on the tube not to be used on the face, but my skin generally doesn't react badly to fake tan, does anyone have any advice on whether it's safe or not/ the reasons behind this?

2. Real Techniques Your Base/Flawless Core Collection 

I have been eyeing these brushes up for SUCH A LONG TIME in work and finally bought them today with some birthday money. I haven't opened them yet as I'm going to use them to apply my makeup tomorrow but I absolutely can't wait.

I'm so much more orientated towards face makeup, coverage and highlighting than I am eye makeup, partly due to the fact that I had severe acne as a teenager, and so got pretty knowledgeable about the best coverage for each area of the face and how to highlight the best parts.

Included in this set are: 

Detailer Brush
Pointed Foundation Brush
Buffing Brush
Contour Brush
+ case 

Let me know if any of you have used any of these brushes before or have any advice on how best to use them!

3. YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch Highlighter in 2.5 Luminous Vanilla 

I bought this iconic product when shopping in Belfast as I again had a little bit of birthday money to burn. So far I've used it three times, and I'm not as blown away as I expected to be. It is a very good highlighter, but surprisingly it worked best for me when I used it over my usual full face of makeup to brighten it up a bit. However, I'm going to try using it with my new brush tomorrow to see if it'll make any difference! Does anyone have tips on how to get the best out of this product? I'd love to hear from you!

Nivea BB Cream in Light Review

Hi guys, since we're actually getting some lovely weather in Northern Ireland at the minute I thought I'd swap my trusty Wake Me Up foundation for something a little lighter on the skin. I managed to pick myself up the Nivea BB Cream for £4.00 while it was on offer. 

Price: £4.00 (on offer) for 50ml 

Claims: '5in1 Beautifying Moisturiser. Evens. Covers. Illuminates. Moisturises. Protects your skin.' 

Rating: **

I bought this BB cream on a whim as I wanted to try something that i could just wear to work that would be light on my skin and keep it moisturised, as we generally have the air conditioning blasting at the moment. I absolutely love Nivea products, especially the smell, so was really excited to try this.

It definitely had the trademark Nivea smell, but overall I was extremely disappointed by this product. It came out with a very orangey tinge, and while this got a little better when applied to the skin, it just looked like I was wearing a mask and didn't blend into my skin well at all. It provided quite a good coverage, which was definitely a lot better than a standard tinted moisturiser, but I saw no evidence of it 'illuminating' my skin whatsoever. 

It's quite possible that I just have the completely wrong skin tone for this product, but I simply couldn't get past what was, to me, a horrible colour. I'd recommend that people with light skin stay away, as even though it is labelled 'light' I feel like the orangey tint will not be good at all for anyone with blue or yellow undertones to their skin. 

It's not an absolutely awful product, and I probably will use it when I'm just pottering around the house or in the garden as it has SPF10, but I am 100% not swapping my usual foundation for this anytime soon. 

Fake Tan Troubles: Mousse, liquid or spray?

Hi guys, sorry I haven't posted in a while, work has been crazy! But today i thought I'd write a little post on fake tan, and which type is good for each area of the body, and a few pros and cons about each type. 

As I am a broke student as well as a fake tan addict I generally use St. Moritz fake tan which can be bought for around  £2.99 from various chemists and stalls. However, each time I bought tan I decided to try out a new method of application to see what was the best, so here are a few tips to help you decide which is best for you. 

This review is mostly based on the St. Moritz tan, although I have used others in the past. 

(My skin doesn't generally react badly to me applying tan not specifically for the face on this area, but if yours does then I would definitely invest in one specifically for the facial area.)

Mousse
Pros: Good for covering large areas of the body quickly such as legs, back, stomach, stays on after a shower.

Cons: If you don't spread it quickly enough it can dry in lines, can dry out your skin due to the mousse texture, hard to apply evenly on smaller areas such as neck and chest area.

Verdict: This is probably the type of tan I started with when I was younger. It's good for covering large areas such as the legs, but I really wouldn't recommend using a mousse anywhere near your face or neck as it is extremely difficult to apply evenly and dries out your skin a bit.

Rating: **


(L-R: Mousse, lotion, spray) 

Lotion
Pros: A lot easier to spread evenly than mousse, good for covering large areas of the body, less drying than the mousse, a little goes a long way, develops further within 4-6 hours.

Cons: Takes longer to dry, not easy to adjust coverage if you're in a rush.

Verdict: I definitely prefer to use a lotion for a night out, it give a bit more colour than a spray and applies more evenly than a mousse. However, it does take longer to dry.

Rating: ***

Spray
Pros: Allows for more precise application, gives a lighter, more natural colour than the lotion, dries quickly, can be applied straight onto the skin or onto a tanning mitt.

Cons: Can be a tiny bit drying on the skin, doesn't cover large areas as easily as a mousse or lotion, doesn't develop once applied, comes off quite a lot after a shower.

Verdict: Overall the spray version of this tan is probably my favourite. I use it on my face and neck as you can hold the can away from the face and spray for a light coverage, and then blend with a tanning mitt or sponge. It looks the most natural of all 3, perfect for someone who just wants to look like they have a natural tan. It generally comes off quite a lot after a shower however, so if you want to keep your colour up you have to keep applying.

Rating: ****

Sample Loving- Mini Reviews

Today in work I came across a lovely selection of new free samples to try out, including Vichy's new Idéalia BB Crème, Vichy Liftactiv Global Anti-Wrinkles and Firming Care and the new Emporio Armani Diamonds Rose eau de toilette. 

So far the Vichy BB Crème seems to be staying on well, but I've only had it on for about an hour. It smells quite like the Vichy Idealia Pro Cream, which if you've smelt it you'll know how gorgeous it is. I have the BB Crème sample in Medium, which at first seemed very dark, but has blended in well with my usual skin colour and doesn't seem to be wearing off, but I'll keep you posted on this one. It's £21.00 for 40ml so it's quite pricey, and personally I'd rather have the sample on for a full day too see how it stays on/wears off.

The other mini review of these samples has to be the new Emporio Armani Diamonds Rose fragrance. I'm not a massive fan of the original Diamonds, so was a bit sceptical about how this would smell, but I am completely and utterly in LOVE with it! It's lovely and light for Summer, and retains the smell of the original Diamonds but in a much softer, feminine way. In no way would I describe myself as particularly 'girly' in any other aspect of my life but with fragrance I 100% unashamedly am. To give you a very rough idea of the kind of perfumes it could be compared to, I'd probably put it with Flora by Gucci in Gorgeous Gardenia or L'eau by Nina Ricci. This perfume is priced pretty normally for Armani, at £27.00 for 30ml. If you like light, feminine fragrances please try this next time you're out as it's the nicest new perfume I've smelt in a long long time! 

Holy Grail Product! MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl

Hi guys, I haven't blogged in a few days because I've been working. The weather here in Northern Ireland is absolutely horrific at the minute so I thought that now would be the perfect time to share one of my all time favourite beauty products.

Product: MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl

Price: £14.50

Uses: Highlighting brow bone, cheek bones, cupid's bow and tear duct.
Rating: 5/5

This is definitely my 'Holy grail product' if I were to have one. I bought this after reading a few reviews on it and instantly fell in love. This product is really versatile and can be applied with fingers or a brush, and can be used on bare skin, over foundation or even over powder. At first I was a bit scared that using it over powder wouldn't give the same effect and it might go clumpy, but it really doesn't at all.

One reason I love it so much is due to its range of uses. I use it before blusher and powder but after concealor just under the arch of my eyebrow, on my cupid's bow and in the tear duct. However, the place where I notice it most is along my cheekbones. I usually place a few dabs on with my finger and then blend in to highlight the cheekbones beautifully (and make me look like I actually have some!) 

I sometimes use it on my eyelids too when I don't want to wear full eye makeup to highlight the area and make my eyes seem a little bit more awake. I really can't get enough of this product as for me, it makes my makeup look polished, and gives my usually oily skin a bit of a healthy glow. I'm definitely going to be repurchasing in this colour once I run out!

Have any of you tried any of the other colours of Cream Colour Bases? What did you think? 

Vitamin C Skin Reviver & Avène Eye Cream

Hi guys, just a quick post to show you my new beauty buys. I haven't tried either yet but I've heard a lot about both, especially the skin reviver!

Product 1: The Body Shop  Vitamin C Skin Reviver

Price: £14.00 for 30ml (They currently have a 3 for 2 offer going on though!)

Product 2: Avène Soothing Eye Contour Cream 
Price: £9.50 for 10ml (Boots)

Have you tried either of these? What do you think of them?

(P.S. I just noticed today in Boots that they have have a save up to half on Dr. Jart products, the Premium Beauty Balm Cream is currently £12.00 down from £24.00!)

B. Pure Micellar Water Review

Claims: 'Quick and easy 3-in-1 cleanser that dissolves impurities in a single sweep, no water required. Ideal for all skin types, even the most sensitive.'

*Cleanses- Removes impurities and makeup
*Tones- Restores pH balance whilst keeping the skin supple
*Refreshes- with cucumber juice extract
*Opthalmically approved
*Dermatologically approved

Price: Currently on offer for £3.32 (was £4.99) for 150ml (Superdrug)
Rating: 3.5/5

After hearing a ridiculous amount about the Bioderma Micellar water I decided I really wanted to try this type of cleanser. Previously I've been quite naughty with my cleansing and really only used Simple cleansing wipes, Rimmel eye makeup remover and the odd bit of Nivea Cream so this was an entirely new experience. I decided to try the B.Pure Micellar Water before splashing out on a more expensive version, but I've been very impressed so far.

 It took a bit of getting used to as the texture of cleaning my face with only water was quite new to me, and first of all I did wonder what the hype was about, but after the second day I can say that I'm a convert. I generally use 3 or 4 cotton pads soaked in the water in a circular motion on my face to fully remove my makeup. It's extremely useful that you don't have to bother with a separate eye makeup remover.

My skin felt really clean afterwards and completely free of makeup. The water didn't sting my eyes if it got in accidentally but I have heard of a few others saying that it's made theirs sting quite a bit so be careful.

The product claims to leave your skin refreshed and supple, whilst I felt my usually oily skin was definitely refreshed I still did feel the need to apply a moisturiser quite quickly after.

Overall I would rate this product 3.5/5. I'm not a massive cleansing product junkie though so others may rate it higher, but for the price and what it does I'd definitely purchase this again!

What did you think? Has anyone compared this to the Bioderma Micellar Water? 

Laura Mercier Eyebrow Palette & Body Shop Slanted Brush: Eyebrow Tips

I went to the Laura Mercier counter in Fenwicks Newcastle a few weeks ago to look for a new eyebrow palette and was very pleasantly surprised. The woman at the counter was very helpful and offered to give me a lesson on how to do my eyebrows properly to frame my face so I thought I'd share what she said.





Products used: 

Laura Mercier Brow Powder Duo in Soft Blonde
The Body Shop Slanted Brush
Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel

First of all, use an eyebrow brush to brush your eyebrows upwards so you can see which direction the hairs are growing.


Take an eyebrow pencil and lay it in a straight line by the side of your nose and the inside corner of your eye. Make a dot where the pencil ends near your brow and this is where it should start.

Using your eyebrow pencil again, and line it up with the side of your nose and outer corner of your eye, this is where your brow should end so make a dot here.

Next, using an eyebrow pencil, use light feathery strokes to fill in your eyebrows between the dots the way the hairs are growing, so pencil upwards for the inner half and upwards for the outer. 

Once you've done this use your powder and slanted brush to soften any harsh lines from your pencil and you're done.

(Tip: I use a dot of my MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl just below the arch to highlight the area, I'm sure any highlighter would do though. Give it a go, I think it really makes a difference!)

Have you got any different eyebrow tips? Let me know!

Recent Beauty Buys

I'm still getting started but thought I'd share with you some of my most recent beauty buys.
Reviews/more pictures coming soon!

Products:

*Urban Decay Naked Eye Palette (Original)
*Laura Mercier Brow Powder Duo in Soft Blonde
*The Body Shop Slanted Brush
*Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Pink
*Real Techniques Brushes-(L-R)  Blush Brush, Stippling Brush and Shading Brush

Have you tried any of these products? I'd love to know what you think of them! 

Product Review: LUSH Big Sea Salt Shampoo

Product: Lush Big Sea Salt Shampoo
Claims: 'Sea salt shampoo to give your hair lift and volume, make it easy to get a comb through and smell great for hours.'
Price: £11.25 for 330g
Rating: 4.5/5

As someone with notoriously fine hair I was really excited to try this product, and it didn't disappoint. In the past I've used pretty much every volumising product going; even applying salt spray or mousse after washing hasn't helped. 

The first thing I noticed when I used it was Lush's trademark amazing smell. You only need a really tiny amount of the shampoo as it has a really rich lather. The actual shampoo has quite thick grains which I initially thought could be really harsh on my hair but I was completely wrong, they broke as soon as I started to wash. The only thing I was a bit confused on was whether to use conditioner afterwards as my hair usually goes quite flat after any sort of conditioner, so I just left it.

I could feel that my hair seemed a lot thicker after washing, and to my surprise, despite the salt it didn't seem to have dried it out. After drying I was completely sold on this shampoo; my hair felt and looked a lot thicker and had a nice beachy texture without feeling like I'd done anything to harm it's condition.

Let me know how you've got on with this shampoo if you have a different hair type!