If you've been on the internet long enough, I'm sure you will have seen the coconut oil memes (exhibit A) but does coconut oil deserve the holy grail title it's been given? I take my memes seriously and have had coconut oil recommended for my type of hair for a long time so I thought I'd buy a £2.50 tub from Aldi just to give it a go (mans isn't going to spend £10 on a tub, all about that Aldi life).
The verdict is... it's pretty darn good! The first time I used it, though, I made the mistake of using it as my conditioner in the shower which in turn made my hair very crispy the day after, after a few of days of ridiculous crispiness it did go down and was just soft and textured, but I thought I'd mention this as something to bear in mind. I now put it on before washing my hair so I let it sink in a bit and then remove it with shampoo, then condition as usual, and this means my hair is textured and soft by the next day. I also like to use coconut oil to give my hair more volume by rubbing it in at the roots and teasing my hair a bit with my fingers.
So it works pretty well on my hair, but I had also heard it worked as a good makeup remover so I thought I'd test this out too, and I have to say, again, it works really well! It dissolves the makeup and then I wipe it off with a cotton pad, and if I'm feeling lazy I'll just leave my face after that because the oil residue does enough to moisturise my face, but otherwise I'll go and carry on with my makeup routine and do another couple of cleanses. I quite like this because it means I'm not really using chemicals or parabens or any of that nasty stuff on my skin and I think it's good to give your skin a break from all of that once in a while. Furthermore, since using coconut oil when removing my eye makeup, I've noticed my eyelashes have grown quite a lot. I'm not sure whether it's just coincidence but they just seem to be growing a lot faster than they used to, which is a plus.
Overall, coconut oil is definitely worth the hype in my opinion, and I only tried out a couple of its uses. I probably wouldn't go for the expensive tubs though when it's so inexpensive in Aldi, but each to their own!
This is a bit of a cop-out of a post, because it's a video. I much prefer to dedicate detailed blog posts to products I'm really loving and would wholeheartedly recommend, but I wouldn't necessarily wholeheartedly recommend every product in my current skincare routine, so I thought I'd do a video of it and talk you through what I'm using at the moment. If I ever do really love something though, you'll know, trust me, I'll probably talk about it on here at length.
I also didn't mention this in the video, but my lip balm of choice is Carmex Original. However, even though I do really like this one and would recommend it, I am on the lookout for a new one so if you are aware of one that doesn't test on animals (and if possible, is vegan) I would much appreciate!
A long time ago I received a couple of things from BornPretty to review but with the stress of University deadlines amongst other things, I haven't gotten round to it until now. As far as I know, these are cruelty free as the animal testing law in China does not apply to online shopping, but if you know any different please inform me - I wouldn't have accepted PR samples in the knowledge that the products were tested on animals.
First up, I received The Hotshop Eyeliner* which is a basic, black, liquid liner. It claims to be waterproof and long lasting, I didn't really test whether it was waterproof but it did pretty much stay put all day. I did find it flaked away a bit by the time I was ready to take it off but it had had a good 6-8 hours wear so I don't think that's too shabby. I like the nib of it as it's quite a lot like a pen so it would've been easy to apply my eyeliner flick (queue the cons of the product..) but I didn't find there was much liquid in the bottle at all, I'm not sure whether it's a bad batch, whether it wasn't sealed properly and dried up while shipping, or whether they just don't provide enough liquid in it. I kid you not, I've only been able to use this twice and it just won't cooperate because there's barely any liquid in there and some of it is quite gloopy. Furthermore, the packaging is a ripoff of a certain high street brand, which doesn't bother me much but I know some people would call the product out on its originality.. Considering it costs $5.10 (down from $7.28) which converted is £3.62 (or £5.16) I would not purchase this again just because I would not spend about a fiver on a product I could only get two uses out of.
Secondly, I received the 2 Pack Music Flower 24 Hours Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner* which comes in the shades Black and Brown. This claims to be smudge proof, long-lasting and waterproof. I'm not sure if I would agree with any of those claims. The gel is so creamy that it can slip around your face unless you set it with some black eyeshadow, however I do like how smooth it applies and the hard angled brush it comes with really helps in creating the perfect eyeliner flick. The packaging is plastic and looks quite substandard, but it is cheaper than any other gel liner I have tried so this is something I can forgive. At only $5.32 (down from $7.60) which converted is £3.77 (or £5.39) I do think this product is quite good value and it is something I have been reaching for quite often.
I actually have a discount code you can use if you want 10% off at BornPretty which is DNNH10 - happy shopping!
I decided to go cruelty-free recently so I thought I should buy some replacements for my makeup - if I'm wrong about the cruelty-free status about any of these, please feel free to tell me but don't shout at me, cheers.
I haven't got loads of favourites this month, partially because I haven't been shopping in quite a while but I've still got a few to talk about. Heads up, I'm going cruelty free so this should be my last favourites post with products that have been tested on animals (disclaimer: I'm not going to be preachy about it, it's my decision and it's entirely down to you if you want to follow suit or not)
P.S Love Your Skin Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes | I know face wipes have a really bad rep in the beauty blogger world and I don't use them everyday but y'know when you've had a late night, and I mean late as in you're not falling asleep until about 5am (I'm literally nocturnal at the moment) and you want to remove your makeup quickly, or if you're feeling really down and can't bring yourself to do the whole skin care routine, face wipes are useful k. You get two packs of these for £1 in Primark and they leave your skin so soft - something to bear in mind, I would use these only as a replacement for a cleanser/toner, they're quite gentle so they don't remove makeup (especially mascara) too well, but if you use a makeup remover, one of these, and a moisturiser you're set, and if you're not wearing makeup it's even quicker.
Maybelline The Colossal Volume Express Mascara Cat Eyes | I bought this on the recommendation of my friend Isabella because her lashes always look amazeballs and I love the original of this mascara. I have to say, I don't like this mascara much on the top lashes as it doesn't give as much of a volumised effect as I would like but I love it on the bottom lashes. It gives a natural volumising and lengthening effect, and the curved wand means it fits round the eye perfectly which is really helpful for the lower lashes as I always find it difficult to get the ones on the outer part of the eye.
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer | An old favourite but it's been sold out in every shop I've been to for months and months and I finally got to repurchase it, and I remember how good it is. I have complained about the shade range so many times and I do think this is a bit pale and ashy for me, but I layer it on with a darker, warmer concealer and then I don't have so much of an issue. It's just super high coverage but not too drying, plus it's pretty cheap. Rimmel Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner in Eastend Snob | OKAY, YEAH I BOUGHT INTO THE HYPE, LET'S MOVE ON . . . but after I've told you how great it is. This lip liner is a nice, muted pink - a sort of MLBB shade. It's creamy (but not too creamy) and you could definitely wear this alone. I prefer to wear a lipstick on top of it because I feel like pink can look a bit Barbie on me (not that there's anything wrong with that) but I do like a muted pink lip as I feel it livens up my face a bit. Collection Deluxe Lipstick in Charleston | This lipstick is very similar to a lot of lipsticks I own - kinda brown, kinda pink, but just that has never stopped me from talking about a lipstick in the past. This lipstick is inexpensive, comfortable to wear, not super long lasting but I don't mind topping up every 2-3 hours. Plus, I love the names of the lipstick in this range because they're all kinda based around different eras like 20s, 30s, 40s etc. - it's all very nice and #vintage.
I've tried to think of a million different days to drop this on my blog (I had a whole post prepared, I was going to slip it into one of my lifestyle posts, I was considering making a video . . . I had a lot of ideas) but as I'm becoming a vegan (permanently this time) I'm going cruelty free with my makeup and skincare and all that jazz too. I'm not going to be preachy about it because it's your choice if you want to follow that kind of lifestyle, but for me I just feel like I need to match up my lifestyle to my ethics.
I'm not planning on throwing out any of my makeup for multiple reasons. Firstly, I'm about to become a university student and I can't really afford to be essentially throwing away money - I know that sounds really bad but I'd be throwing out about half of my current makeup which comes up to a lot of money and mans is gonna be broke. Secondly, even if I did have the money to go and buy a whole new makeup collection, I would feel almost as if the animals were tested on for no reason. I've already funded the companies who test on animals and I can't take that back, throwing away the makeup would make it seem to me as if the animals were tested on for no reason - I hope that makes sense, I just feel as it would be silly to throw away my makeup even though that would make one heck of a cruelty free statement. So, here are the products I love but can't repurchase unless the brands stop testing on animals:
My favourite foundation - Maybelline Fit Me Foundation
As you know, this is my holy grail foundation. It matches my skin perfectly (and has a good shade range), it's easily blendable, comfortable to wear, has a nice medium coverage, and it's cheap, but Maybelline test on animals so I'm going to have to say goodbye to this foundation and hope I find a nice replacement - I'm considering going high end, so if you have reviewed any cruelty free foundations please leave a link to your reviews down below so I can check them out or just recommending some would be really helpful.
My favourite mascara - Maybelline The Colossal Volume Express Mascara
This mascara has unfortunately dried up so I can't really use it now anyway, but this was the bomb diggity. Length, volume, and it held a curl too. Here's hoping I can find a replacement that's not too pricey - again, any reviews or recommendations would be helpful!
My favourite eyeshadow - Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo
I have raved on about these so much and I don't know what I'm going to do when these run out (think I've got a while yet, I've used them nearly everyday for well over half a year and not hit the bottom). These last all day without creasing, they're very pigmented and blend quite nicely as well as work as a base. I'm worried I'm going to have somewhat of a cream eyeshadow related dilemma - please recommend some cruelty free ones if you know of any.
My favourite gel liner - Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner 24hr
I love love love gel liner, I think it's easier to use than liquid personally and the formulation of this is great. Admittedly, I've not tried out any gel liners from any other brands so hopefully I should be able to find one that's just as good, but I am going to miss this one when it finishes - although I have a couple of these and one of them I've had for about half a year and I've not hit the bottom or anything so this should last me a while.
My favourite lipstick - Maybelline Coloursensational Lipstick in Velvet Beige
This is my everyday lipstick, the formulation is nice and creamy - it sticks around for a few hours before re-application and just the colour is perfect for me. I think good lipsticks are quite easy to find so hopefully it shouldn't be too much bother to replace this one, but I'm going to miss it.
My favourite brow gel - Maybelline Brow Drama (okay I promise this is the last Maybelline product)
This product has been a staple in my makeup routine now, it keeps my brows looking natural but bushy and it keeps them place all day with very little effort. There are quite a few tinted brow gels out on the market now so here's hoping I can find a decent replacement, but I'll miss this one when it runs out!
My favourite kohl pencil - Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Eye Liner (see it's not Maybelline this time okay)
These eyeliner pencils are marvellous - creamy, pigmented, soft but not too soft. Perfect for the waterline and the tightline at a low price, these will be sorely missed. Although, there are a few other kohl pencils I want to try out anyway so maybe I'll find one that's of the same quality or possibly better.
A hella good concealer - Revlon Colourstay Concealer
This is a high pigment yet creamy and moisturising concealer that sticks around all day and has a decent shade range, which is why it really sucks that I'm going to have to not repurchase it especially as it's not too expensive. It's looking like I'm going to have to go high end for foundation and concealer, which I was considering doing anyway because I'm tired of having to make do with the shades they have at the drugstore but now I'm probably going to have to do it anyway.
Some top notch lipsticks - Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick
I think the Revlon lipsticks have such a great formula and their lipstick in Really Red is one of my favourite red lipsticks - it's matte but not drying, I also have one of their lipsticks in Smoky Rose which is a lovely sheer brown everyday colour for me. The lipsticks are around the £7 mark but they're so so good for the price, I'm very sad that I won't be able to repuchase any more from this range unless Revlon stop testing on animals.
My favourite nail polish - Essie Nail Polish in Licorice
This is my staple nail polish, I've used it so many times and about half of it is finished up. It's really black and glossy, dries really quickly, and only chips a tiny bit within a few days. This is a pricey nail polish so it doesn't hurt too much knowing that I can't repurchase this or any more from Essie (y'know unless they drop the animal testing) and I have tried other nail polishes of a similar quality (from Essence, cheap as chips and doesn't test - Essence is kinda bae) so whilst I'll be sad to let this one go when it finishes, I'm certain I'll find a good replacement.
Can you recommend any cruelty free brands/products?
Another month has rolled past and I've fallen in love with a whole new bunch of favourites. In this month's favourites video, I discuss 'the Kylie Jenner lip trend' and how I don't like the phrase anymore, strobing and how I don't like how strobing has become a 'thing', and how I'm grumpy and generally dislike most things . . . Enjoy!
Maybelline Fit Me Foundation (review here) | I've probably raved on about this enough on both here in the review and on my YouTube channel but this foundation is the closest match to my skin I've ever found in a foundation, it's a medium coverage so even if I am a bit paler or darker on a certain day (my skin colour fluctuates tremendously) it still blends in and looks really natural. It also gives a semi-dewy finish which I really like especially around this time of year, in terms of longevity it really stays put if you powder (which I always do anyway to be safe). I also think the shade range of this foundation is pretty fab at least in terms of darker skinned people, like my friend has very dark skin and even she found a match with this foundation which is something that doesn't happen much with cheaper foundations . . . Revlon Colourstay Concealer | Again, a base product with a pretty decent shade range. This concealer matches my skin very well, has a medium-high coverage, is creamy, and it's pretty easy to blend, so it ticks a bunch of boxes. I like to use a lighter concealer mixed with this one for under the eyes, but this is generally a safe one all around the face and one I think would work on all skin types. eBay Brush Set | I mentioned this in this haul and I've basically been using it every single day. It has pretty much every brush you might ever need and it was really cheap, plus when you whip this out in front of your friends that's a conversation starter right there. In all seriousness, when I was on holiday with my friends and when I've stayed round at friends' houses since, this brush roll never fails to spark a conversation. Maybelline ColourSensational Lipstick in Velvet Beige | As you may have picked up on, I am a big nudes girl when it comes to lipstick. It's funny because I never used to be, I thought it was a bit of a waste of time to wear lipstick unless it was like a red or a pink, but I'm a changed woman, and this is now my favourite nude lipstick. It's the perfect mix of pink and brown, it's very a much a MLCBB shade, it's comfortable to wear on the lips and I've been reaching for it practically every day. Primark Egg Makeup Sponge | When YouTubers and bloggers alike started mentioning makeup sponges that were over £10, I immediately thought it was a ridiculous concept. I didn't understand why someone would spend nearly £20 on a sponge on all things, but after seeing them being used so much, I really wanted to try one and when I saw one in Primark for £1.50, I knew that was my opportunity. Now I can say, this has revolutionised my life . . . or at least my makeup base life. It blends in concealer and foundation like a dream, a well blended dream. It really gives you a flawless but natural looking skin like finish. I've never used it dry because anyone who's ever used one will emphasize how it must be used damp, it takes a bit longer to dampen a sponge and the whole process takes a little bit longer but it's really worth it for that flawless finish. Primark Eyelash Curlers | Up until the beginning of this month, I was terrified of eyelash curlers - genuinely terrified. I still look at them and think they look like glamorised torture machines, but they seem to make such a difference when I'm watching makeup tutorials or even watching my friends use them, so I decided I wanted to try out a pair and I remembered someone saying the Primark ones were pretty good for the price, at £1 I could hardly say no, and I'm so glad I picked these up. Firstly, they're pink and white so even if you're not into the whole curling-your-lashes-with-a-torture-machine vibe, it'll look pretty bomb with the rest of your makeup. Jokes aside, these curl my lashes so well, and the handle-lever-mabobby is quite firm so you're not going to slam down on your eyelids and injure them (as my friend did and she decided to tell me this story seconds before I curled my lashes for the first time, thanks for that one Ma'Suma . . .) - basically, these are chip as chips (quite literally), they look super cute, and they do a pretty decent job. Primark Facial Brush | As you can probably tell, I'm having a bit of a moment with Primark's makeup utensils. I picked these all these bits up at the Aisle of Doom in the Primark in Westfield, and I knew that Primark did both a makeup sponge and the eyelash curlers but I had no idea they did a facial brush, something I had been quite interested in since seeing the electronic Clarisonic ones. This one is manual (which I'm not too bothered about at all), pink and white again (important to maintain the #aesthetic in all areas of beauty utensils) and only cost £1. It's made such a difference to my skin, my skin is noticeably softer, smoother and I feel like my skin tone is more even. I only use the more abrasive brush side if I'm exfoliating my skin post-shower-lemon-sugar-scrub-time or if I'm putting on makeup (which is only a couple of times a week at the moment because in the summer people cut me off hence I leave the house less, I joke I joke, but seriously I haven't left the house in days), then I use the rubbery side everyday because it doesn't massively exfoliate, and this has just really improved my skin and it only cost £1 (and I've been using it in conjunction with the next product I'm going to mention . . .)
Simple Facial Wash | I got this because my morning facial routine has been a little bit poor, like I used to use a facial soap and a moisturiser which is fine but now I've amped it up with this facial wash, the facial brush mentioned above, and a moisturiser. This facial wash, even without the facial brush, leaves my skin feeling so soft and smooth. It's not at all abrasive and I can imagine this would work on the most sensitive of skins, plus it only cost about £1.50 so it's not going to break the bank either. Rimmel Lipliner in Tiramisu | I think I first heard about this from velvetgh0st using it in a YouTube video and I really liked the look of it then but for some reason I didn't pick it up for ages, this is your standard brown/nude lip pencil. I really like Rimmel lip liners, I think they're creamy but not so creamy that you waste a ridiculous amount of the pencil in a short period of time, plus they're pretty cheap. I've been using this a lot with the Maybelline Lipstick I mentioned earlier but I just think this goes well with any nude sort of lipstick, and I've been wearing it every day I wear makeup. Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in Golden Lights | As I mentioned when I bought it, one of the reasons I bought this product was because The Smiths covered a song called Golden Lights and it's on their Louder Than Bombs album so I was interested just for that subtle reference (despite the fact, the song is not all that good . . .) but I love this highlighter so so much. I do have another Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter in Pink Lights but as the name would suggest, it's very pink and icy and it just didn't look great on my skin tone or at least nowhere near as great as this one does. This one is more of a yellow toned highlighter and it is quite pigmented but if you're using the right brush (I've been using a fan brush as of late) you get the perfect amount of glow (and not in an icky sweaty way), plus this only cost about £3 which is a bargain. Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara | I feel like 2015 so far has definitely been all about the tinted brow gels but I am a bit late to jumping on the bandwagon, I wasn't sure whether a tinted brow gel would be for me because my brows are far from sparse and they're not at all light, but this is really good for a more natural brow look. I like to run this through my brows and then add a bit of shape with eyeshadow, then use a spoolie to blend it all together. This gel does not budge until you use a makeup remover to get rid of it, and the tint isn't super strong so it's actually quite hard to go overboard on it. The brush is a bit weird because it has big ball at the top of it which did make me mess up the first time I used it, but once you've adjusted to the shape of the wand it's really not an issue, and this has really sped up my morning brow routine. MUA Pro-Base Prime & Conceal in Peach | I don't know if you remember but in my older YouTube videos (now unlisted) I used to use orange lipstick to correct my dark circles, this method works, but for only £2 you can get a proper corrector from MUA to do the same thing and it works much better. This is creamy and really does the job well, it's made it so much easier to correct my awful dark circles.
Recently I went on holiday with a bunch of friends to Lytham - a slightly different choice to your average Magaluf vacation but it was a lot of fun and the weather was great. I was going to do a travel makeup bag post before the holiday but I didn't really have time, and what I realised when I came back is that I packed a hell of a lot more than I needed, so this is present Bess telling past Bess what she should've taken.
Past Bess actually did pretty well on the base items and they all got used everyday. The only colour correcting item I brought and used was the MUA Pro-Base Prime & Conceal in Peach which I put under my eyes to cancel out dark circles, and believe me I didn't get a lot of sleep on this trip at all so it was definitely needed everyday. For foundation, we had the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 220 as it's the only foundation that matches my skin perfectly and it can be built up to a high coverage or left as a light one. For concealer, I brought the Collection Cover Stick in Natural Beige and the Revlon Colourstay Concealer in Medium Deep, Revlon's offering was a good all over face concealer because it's high in coverage whilst being creamy and it matches my skin pretty well, but for under the eyes I mixed it with the Collection Cover Stick as it's a bit lighter and helped brighten the undereye area. To set my under eyes, I used the MUA Matte Perfect Loose Powder in Translucent because cooking is the only method that works to stop my undereye concealer from creasing - how many 18 year olds have to deal with fine lines and dark circles? To set everything in place I used the Collection Pressed Powder in Translucent which is a pretty fine milled powder so you don't result in cake face but everything is set for quite a few hours, although it definitely disappeared a bit on my face when we went to Blackpool because the weather was scorching on that day.
In the brow department, past Bess probably bought a little bit more than was necessary as she packed both a brow pencil and a powder and a clear gel. All I actually used was Makeup Revolution's Mono Eyeshadow in Delicious and the Essence Clear Brow & Lash Gel, the brow pencil wasn't used once.
For the eyes I brought quite a few unnecessary things when really I could've just gone for the Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24hr in On and On Bronze which is basically the easiest eye product to use ever, the Collection Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner which is my all time favourite liquid liner and was used basically everyday (so it was a little bit pointless bringing a gel liner as well), Maybelline's The Colossal Volume Express Mascara which is without a doubt the best mascara I've ever tried as it ensures volume and length, and the Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Eyeliners in Nude and Black.
For contouring, I should've just brought the Makeup Revolution Mono Eyeshadow in Mmmm and the Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in Golden Lights - when you're travelling, it's definitely not the time to experiment with a cream contour stick that you've barely used before.
For lips, I brought an abundance of lipsticks as well as buying two more while we were there. I brought three nudes and a red, I didn't use the red once but I did use the Collection Lasting Colour Lipstick in China Rose nearly everyday and then I purchased Maybelline's Colour Sensational Lipstick in Velvet Beige and I wore that a lot too - I just can't be bothered with red lips in the summer, and I don't know why I thought the holiday would be an exception.
Over to you, what are your travel makeup bag essentials?
I didn't do a wishlist post last month because I had done quite a bit of shopping and there wasn't anything else I really wanted, however this month it's not the case and there are few things I have been eyeing up . . .
First up, I've been looking into buying a wireless speaker system from Panasonic because in the summer I really like to blast my music, plus the speakers on my laptop aren't amazing so I definitely should look into getting some external speakers and these ones are wireless which makes them a bit more practical. I really like the sleek, black design of the SC-ALL3 speakers and it looks quite small as well so it would be pretty easy to carry around and even travel with. Also, these particular speakers have mostly 4 and 5 star reviews on Amazon so they seem to be fairly popular.
Next up is something that was on my Spending Ban wishlist that I did a while ago and that's the Tangle Teezer (in pink, because pink is cute as heck). I said it at the time and I'll say it again, I'm not happy that they spelled it like 'Teezer' - shoddy spelling doesn't go down well with me, but this product seems to go down with a lot of people on YouTube with thick hair, which is something I have. I don't really like brushing my hair that often because it goes really frizzy but not curly at all (if you've watched some of my older YouTube videos, most of which are unlisted now, you'll see what my hair looks like brushed and it's not pretty) but before I wash it I have to brush it to get all the tangles out otherwise it'll go all matted and horrible, so I thought this would make the job a lot easier. I feel like spending about a tenner on what is essentially a brush to be quite expensive but for a really good product, I think it's more of an investment.
Lil secret - I've never used a primer before. I'm very skeptical about additions to the beauty industry, I've been treating primer as a more expensive moisturizer and I still believe these fancy setting sprays are nothing more than glamorized H2O (correct me if I'm wrong, I just hear so many people saying they don't do much for them), but it's summer and I'm tired of makeup separating on my oily areas so it's time to try a primer. I quite like the Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation (even though the shade range gives me problems as with most drugstore foundations) and I've seen quite a few good reviews of the Lasting Finish Primer, so I thought that'd be a good one to start out on - but if you have any other recommendations, please tell me!
I really love trying different brow products and after hearing quite a few good things about the Maybelline Brow Satin Eyebrow Pencil, I've decided I've got to try it. It seems a little Brow Wiz-esque but for a much smaller price tag, plus I'm quite intrigued by the eyeshadow sponge side too - if I get it, you'll definitely hear more from me on this one . . .
The last thing on my list is something that's been majorly hyped up in the YouTube world mostly by makeup artists, and it's the Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder. The reason I want to try this is because I've been majorly into cooking my concealer ever since I discovered it was a thing people did, it's essentially revolutionised my concealing life but I usually do it with a translucent powder, and I've heard that using a yellow toned powder would help brighten up that area also anywhere else where you might want to highlight. I never thought to look it up because I thought it'd be crazy expensive but it's actually only about £13 (sans delivery) for a big jar which I don't think is too bad at all, so I'm definitely hoping to order this at some point!!
What's on your wishlist at the moment? *This is a sponsored post
I tried to find other song lyrics for the title of this post, but I couldn't resist the Lana Del Rey reference (she is one of my favourite human beings, I like her a lot) but there are bigger things at hand than the sadcore queen . . . Okay, maybe not, Lana is important shiz but seriously I've found a foundation that matches my skin perfectly and, that too, is important shiz.
See if you can spot what's a little bit wrong with this photo, if you get it comment down below . . .
The foundation in question in the Maybelline Fit Me foundation which I haven't heard many people talk about on the bloggersphere or in the world of YouTube, the odd mention here and there but never any rave reviews. Here I am to fill the void. This foundation literally matches my skin's neutral-kinda-warm-but-kinda-not-sure-because-i-am-incompetent undertones and the consistency of it is like putting an extra layer of skin on the face, but not in a creepy White Chicks kinda way*. I hate to use the word dewy because dew reminds me of either grass in the morning or sweat, neither of which are things I really want on my face, but this foundation gives a semi-dewy finish which is really nice for the warmer seasons in my opinion. I usually powder afterwards anyway which makes it more neutral in terms of matt-ness or dewy-ness but this foundation just looks exquisite on the skin whether you use powder or not. It lasts pretty well on the skin although my oily nose eats it up, but my oily nose eats up most foundations, braver foundations than Maybelline's offering have tried and failed to stick around on my nose, however even against my nose Fit Me stands up pretty well, but I usually cook my powder around that area anyway so that's not too much of an issue.
One of the reasons I felt it especially important to inform you all on the amazeballs qualities of the Maybelline Fit Me foundation is because of the compliments I've been getting on it as well as how much I like it regardless. Basically, this foundation is under a tenner, has a pretty decent shade range, has a nice finish, and is generally just pretty fantabulous - this stuff is the shiznitz.
*Don't get me wrong, I love White Chicks but regardless of how many times I watch it, I still find their faces creepy. What's your favourite foundation at the moment?
I'm not going to do that annoying blogger/vlogger thing where I talk about how fast the month has gone, is it just me who finds that annoying? Am I just bitter? Unappealing personality traits aside, I have a bunch of beauty favourites to tell you about, and if you watch the video you'll hear about non-beauty favourites too - it's almost like an incentive to go watch my YouTube channel, y'know you might want to watch it. Max Factor Glossfinity Nail Polish in 119 Forever Glam | An extremely odd choice for someone who isn't a fan of loud colours in general, like my nails generally don't stray too far from black and red with maybe a glitter top coat around the festive season, but I really love this nail polish. The formula is ahmayzing, it claims to last up to 7 days and that's not a lie. I use two coats of this sans base coat or top coat, and it lasts me 7 days with minor chips - so if you did use a top coat or a base coat, it would probably last even longer. It also dries really quickly and you get a pretty smooth application, I think the formula's probably comparable to Essie, Essie's that tiny bit better, but then Essie is a couple of pounds more expensive. This colour is a bright raspberry sort of pink, which I like because I generally stray far from pink but this isn't a Dolly Parton kinda pink so it's definitely one to try if you want to venture into more bright nail colours.
Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Natural Beauty | I've actually owned this for a while but honestly I've been worried to use it because, like I said earlier I generally don't do pink in my makeup, but this is a really nice pinky nude sort of colour. It's a balmy consistency and it's sort of a MLBB lipstick deal, it doesn't last more than a few hours so you have to reapply but I've been wearing it nearly everyday this month.
InstaNatural Advanced Repair Scar Gel* | I honestly didn't think I would get any sort of major results from this scar gel when I received it, but it's actually managed to fade the few acne scars I've had on my face for a few years. My skin's pretty good but these few scars have always been there, however within a few days of using this day and night I noticed them fading and they're barely visible now which is almost unbelievable, but it works. It doesn't work on stretch marks though I might add, or at least not to the same effect it does on acne scars. Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Moisture Lotion | I've finally finished my tub of the Righteous Butter from Soap & Glory, it's taken me about a year and a half to finish this! Although. I think I might prefer this moisture lotion which I've finally been able to give a proper go. It smells sort of tropical so it just feels more summery, I also feel like it moisturises me a lot more than the Righteous Butter and I like the pump application, even though I think this might lead to be wasting more money. Rimmel 25hr Lasting Finish Nude Foundation | The first time I used this was actually in my first GRWM video on my YouTube channel (now unlisted, you can find it if you go all Sherlock though) and I hated it on first impression. To be fair, I was a bit paler because it was winter and I don't think using a brush to apply it was the best idea. However, I've been using this a lot now that my skin's getting a bit more tanned with the summer weather (don't let this delude you into thinking we get good summer weather in London, I just tan very easily) and I've been loving it. I'm still not a massive fan of the pinky undertones but if I blend it with my fingers it really meshes with my skin, and leaves a very nice looking base. *PR sample
It's been a long time since I did a big splurge on makeup, but as my exams have now finished I figured it was a good time to go out with my friends and buy some more. I had one of those situations where everything runs out at once, y'know how hard it is going into an exam with a weak eyeliner game because your holy grail ran out? Pretty damn hard I tell you, so it was time for a spree.
Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in Golden Lights - £3.00
Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 220 - £7.99
Maybelline The Colossal Volume Express Mascara Cat Eye - £7.99
Revlon Colourstay Concealer in Medium Deep - £6.99
Collection Pressed Powder in Translucent - £1.99
Makeup Revolution The One Blush Stick in Matte Malibu - £5.00
Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner in Black - £2.99
Maybelline Forever Strong Nail Polish in Mint for Life - £4.49
Collection Lasting Colour Lipstick in China Rose - £2.99
MUA Matte Perfect Loose Powder - £2.50
MUA Pro-Base Prime and Conceal in Peach - £2.00
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lip Balm - £1.89
Simple Kind to Skin Moisturising Face Wash - £1.75
Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner - £1.59
It's been a heck of a long time since I did a makeup tutorial (I already specified previously that when I say makeup tutorial, I'm not saying I'm a makeup artist or I have any idea what I'm doing, but for the sake of shorter post/YouTube video titles, I have called it a tutorial - #dealwithit) and I quite fancied doing the somewhat summery look I've been wearing recently. When I say summery, I mean as summery as it gets for me. I actually decided to do this tutorial different to my other makeup videos (which you may or may not have realised are now mostly unlisted) so this isn't a chatty one, let me know what you think! I really fancied shaking things up and I think I prefer these sorts of videos at the moment. Also, big change - the lighting is actually pretty good in this video and I actually look mixed race, amen!
Products Used:
Rimmel 25hr Nude Foundation in 400
Collection Cover Stick in Natural Beige
L'Oreal True Match Concealer in Sable/Sand 5
Collection Sheer Loose Powder in Translucent (Review here)
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent
Essence Brow and Lash Gel
Makeup Revolution Mono Eyeshadow in Delicious
Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 200 Soft Beige
Makeup Revolution Mono Eyeshadow in MMMM (Review here)
Colours by Technic Complete Makeup Palette
Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Pencil in Nude
Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Pencil in Black
Essence Lip Liner in Satin Mauve
Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Natural Mauve
How do you shake up your makeup for summer? (If at all, I evidently don't change up mine that much!)
Pictured are the shades: Forever Glam, and Snow White
. . . then you need to try out the Max Factor Glossfinity nail polishes. I'm not very good with nail polish whatsoever, so I need a quick drying, opaque, long lasting kinda deal when it comes to nail polishes otherwise they tend to get on my nerves, I'm sure you can imagine the struggle. The Max Factor Glossfinity nail polishes fulfil all my requirements and are quite possibly some of the best nail polish formulas I have ever tried. They claim to take 10 minutes to dry, and I verified this as I was about to film a makeup tutorial but I realised I had forgotten to paint my nails, so I decided to paint them and it lived up to the claim and was properly dry within 10 minutes. Super glossy nails that last 5-7 days, dry quickly and to an even finish? It's a winner from me, and it's going to take a lot of restraint not to buy the rest of the collection.
As you may or may not have picked up on, I cannot wear makeup unless I have somewhat of a cat eye going on. I don't care whether it's liquid or gel liner, I just need something on my upper lids to make me look a little less terrible (it's the main factor that helps me go from a generous 2 to a solid 4 on a day to day basis) but recently I'm just finding myself a bit bored with the eyeliners that I currently have.
Don't get me wrong, I've found eyeliners that I love but being the beauty blogger that I am, I just want to try out some new stuff that could possibly rival my current collection. I know that I love the Collection Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner which is matte, really black, pretty cheap coming in at £2.99 and fairly easy to use, and it's one that I've repurchased a fair few times. I'm also pretty attached to the Essence Waterproof Liquid Liner, which is also very black, very matte, waterproof, easy to use and it's also inexpensive coming in at £2.50. The most expensive one in my collection but one I really like to use is Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Black Chrome, it comes in at £7.99 but it's really easy to use and pretty long lasting, but it fails in the being-black-enough department, not that that's necessarily a bad thing because it makes for a slightly more neutral day-to-day look. These are all safe eyeliner options for me and ones I can, and have, repurchased.
But that's just not good enough for your average beauty blogger, I would really like to try more, I'd like to venture the aisles of Boots and Superdrug to try and find something to top what I've got. . .
Another month has gone by, I feel we're a little older, a little wiser, a little closer to our inevitable deaths and all that malarkey, so here are my monthly favourites . . .
1. FaceTheory C1 Cleanser*
I've only got the sample size of this because it was a PR sample, but I really like it! It really evened out my skin and left it feeling soft. What I really like about the FaceTheory products in general (I've got a moisturiser and toner sample too) is that you do a quiz on their website to establish your skin type and what works best for that, then you can buy skincare to match that. I didn't think much of the moisturiser and toner but they definitely worth bad, and it's definitely worth looking on the website.
I actually tried this out ages ago and I remember really liking it but for some reason I hadn't really used it since then, but at the moment I've been in some what of a rut with my makeup, I just really want to shake everything up products wise and try new things (I think it's because I'm stuck inside revising so I can't go out and buy or swatch things, roll on 16th June when my exams end!) so I've been shopping my stash and rediscovering products, and I've been using this nearly everyday - it's waterproof, very black, easy to apply, and it only costs about £2.50, brilliant!
3. Rimmel Lasting Finish Nail Polish in Double Decker Red (review here)
As I said in the full review of this product, when I first tried it about a year ago I really didn't think it was anything special - this was due to my own mistakes, I thought it was so opaque it only needed one coat and obviously this meant it chipped really easily - my stupidity really. However, I've tried it again and I'm having somewhat of a love affair. It's a bright red colour that's really nice for summer (although all year round would work too, it's just for me the brighter colours come out in the summer) and it lasts me 3-5 days which for a pianist is pretty decent. I only paid £1 for this as well because I got it from a market near my house, basically you get an even finish, longevity, and a nice bright summery colour.
4. L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Bois De Rose
I bought this a while ago but I hadn't really mentioned it on here before because I hadn't majorly used it until this month. It's a sheer, mauve, moisturising lipstick that I hadn't really worn much since buying it because I was very into my matte Kylie Jenner-esque lip colours, but now it's coming up to Summer I am just so off matte makeup whether it be lipsticks or foundation, so I decided to try this out again and I have been loving it. It's such a lovely everyday lip colour, it doesn't last all that long on the lips and I have to top it up throughout the day but that's to be expected with sheer lip colours. The packaging is also super classy too.
5. All Ways Natural Instant Oil Moisturizer Leave-in Conditioner
Something I get asked about a lot (more so in YouTube comments) is my hair, and I have been requested to do a hair care video so if you want that please let me know, I'm a bit on the fence about it because I don't do much, but something I have been using a lot for the past month (even last month but I didn't put it in last month's favourites for some reason) is this leave-in conditioner. Going to say right now, this would only really be suited to people with dryer hair or hair on the afro hair spectrum. My hair is a mix of afro and caucasian hair so I can get away with using this but I have to be careful not to go overboard, basically this is just super moisturising and just leaves my hair feeling soft. If I use too much, the next day it might feel a bit greasy and weighed down, but if I put it on my hair over the weekend and don't go out (revision life, ugh) then by Monday it's super soft and feeling healthy generally.
