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'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 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!)
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.
I wonder if it's possible to get so passionate about a nail polish that you dedicate The Smiths lyrics to it, although the thought process behind this title is perfectly logical. See, the nail polish in question is Rimmel Lasting Finish Nail Polish in Double Decker Red. The song There is a Light That Never Goes Out has a line in it which goes:
If a double decker bus crashes into us, to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die
You see the connection? It made me laugh at least (I like to imagine that somewhere Morrissey is reading my blog with his cup of tea and having a little chuckle at my post titles, it's always for you Mozza)
I tried to keep my big DSLR out of the reflection but 'frankly, Mr Shankly' I did a bad job. Also, excuse my chubby fingers (although 'some girls are bigger than others').. Okay, I'll stop before this gets too far, I guess 'I started something I couldn't finish'.. Darn it, wrong album.
Anyway, back to the nail polish. This stuff is hella good. I actually bought this nail polish about a year ago and I remember thinking it was average, nothing special, pretty run of the mill, but upon trying it again, I have completely fell in love. It's super opaque, this is what threw me off the very first time I used it. My thought process was that it was super opaque so I only needed one coat, then when it chipped super easily, I was annoyed and I couldn't be bothered with it. This time, I was a lil bit frisky and went for two coats. You get such an even finish and even without a base coat, you get longevity, we're talking 3-5 days, which is decent for my piano playing hands anyone who plays a musical instrument knows that nail polish tends not to stick around too long (it would probably be longer for you if you don't bash your hands around on the piano) but even without a base coat it doesn't stain your nails. The colour is also a lovely bright red and one that would suit any skin tone, plus because it's so bright it seems pretty summer appropriate.
It's a winner for me - nice one, Rimmel. Now for the song you've all been waiting for...
As I said in this video I don't really want to do seasonal favourites anymore. Whilst I love long chatty videos, I feel like I've gotten to a point where they're way too long but not in a nice way, so I thought short, snappy monthly favourites would be a better alternative, at least for now. I just think long chatty videos are really time consuming to film, really time consuming to edit, and they're really time consuming for you to watch so y'know I've got to do what's best for all of us here in the family of fashion, beauty and an existential crisis. So, as I said I'd do, it's the first Wednesday of the month so 'tis favourites time y'all.
1. L'Oreal True Match Foundation
I know this has been raved on and on about in the beauty world but I do always convince myself I won't like over-hyped products (and I always come to the conclusion that over-hyped products are over-hyped for a reason, damn me and my hipster tendencies). First of all, the shade range in the True Match Foundation is one of the best on the markets covering all undertones and many different skin colours, which for me is already a pretty big selling point. Secondly, the coverage is medium but can be built up to a full coverage, and it's quite hard to find a foundation with a good shade range and medium-full coverage. Thirdly, it's pretty easy to blend so you don't get any strange lines on your face from using a brush.
2. L'Oreal True Match Concealer
To go with the foundation, I have the concealer. I've heard mixed opinions on this but I personally really like it. Again, the shade range is pretty good for such a full coverage concealer. I find this pretty good at covering up both spots and under eyes, but it can crease under the eyes if you don't set it with powder pretty quickly.
3. Collection Cover Stick
I never used to like cover sticks, I used to find them drying and just generally not great, but I decided to pick this one after I couldn't find my beloved Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in my shade (seriously, I went on several occasions and Warm Medium is always sold out) so I gave this a swatch and was immediately baffled at how creamy this was for a concealer stick, plus it's a lot more yellow in tone than the Lasting Perfection concealer which for me is a plus. I do find that the way this best works is if I mix it with the L'Oreal True Match concealer and warm it up between my fingers then swipe it under my eyes and powder, I've never tried a better combination to cover up my dark circles.
4. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
Ah, another blogger favourite. I haven't much to say about this except that it's pretty finely milled so it doesn't make your skin look powdered, but it does keep my oil at bay for a good 5 hours before needing to touch up. I just use the transparent shade to set my makeup, but I do recommend it if you're on the lookout for a powder.
5. Maybelline The Colossal Volume Express Mascara
I've wanted to try this for so so long because Maddie used to talk about it all the time before discovering a new favourite (which like every other blogger at the moment is the Lash Sensational mascara, I refuse to try it until the hype dies down a little bit) so I thought I'd give this a go. I'm not sure if it beats the L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara yet but I've only been using it for a week so perhaps it needs to dry up a bit more, I do really love it though as it volumizes your lashes without looking super clumpy, the formula is great and doesn't transfer, it's also pretty easy to do your bottom lashes with it.
6. Makeup Revolution Iconic 1 Palette
I've had this for a while, and if you remember in my Full Face of First Impressions: Makeup Revolution video I wasn't thoroughly impressed with this palette. I liked it, but I didn't think it was as good as the Iconic 2 Palette regarding pigmentation. I think it was also because the shades in it are quite warm toned and those aren't usually the tones I reach for, but now that it's coming up to Spring I'm loving using the paler shades, and I think now it's been worn in a bit, the pigmentation is better.
This month has been full of mocks, revision, and stress but if internet window shopping isn't the best way to procrastinate in a time like that I don't know what is.
I'm probably the last person in the blogger world who hasn't tried any of the Rimmel Kate Moss lipsticks. Don't get me wrong, I've swatched them and they're lovely, I just haven't ever known which one to pick up. I love the look of this shade though, and I've been wanting another kinda-nude-kinda-brown-kinda-pink lipstick for my everyday lip.
My thought process was that I wanted a new dress for summer, so obviously I go for black. This is pretty inexpensive and it looks flowy and comfortable, and generally a versatile doozy of a dress.
I'm not sure if I've ever said this on here before and it's the weirdest thing - I'm a little bit terrified of wearing jeans, I haven't actually worn them in nearly 2 years. I really want to start wearing them again but skinny jeans are just a no from me until I feel a little more confident with the whole leg area, so I'm looking into Mom jeans as they look comfortable and a bit 90s (in a good grungy kind of way, not flares with sequins going halfway up the leg). I like these ones from H&M, although I think I'll have a look around charity shops and Primark and generally cheaper shops - don't really fancy spending £30 on jeans if I'm scared of wearing them!
I really need some new brushes. I only have one set and the odd single one, and I'm not being bourgeois like ugh one pony is not enough, it's nothing like that but I would like some to alternate with so I don't have to wash them so frequently. Plus there are some in this set that I don't have anything similar to, so it would be pretty nice to just expand my collection. I also like how it comes in a case because I'm hoping to go on a little holiday with some buddies from school so it would be nice to have some travel-friendly brushes!
I'm not picky about brands here but I really want to try a tinted brow gel. I like the sound of the Maybelline one and it's pretty inexpensive. Again, because I'm hoping to go on a mini holiday, I'd like something that's a bit quicker to use than eyeshadow or pencil. Plus, everyone seems to be talking about tinted brow gels at the moment so I've been wanting to try them for quite a while.
When I was about 12 and started building up my makeup collection, I had a massive eyeshadow palette from Claire's Accessories, one mascara and a few lip glosses. This probably wasn't the best set for a rambunctious tween to start with, this resulted in heavy black eyeshadow to try and represent my adoration for My Chemical Romance (no mascara, no blending, yep I'm talking straight up panda eyes). So, here I am now telling you my favourite drugstore and high street makeup options to start up your own kit. If you're well experienced in the world of makeup, this is essentially just my best picks if you will.
FOUNDATION:
First of all, the low coverage low budget option is Makeup Revolution's The Matte Effect foundation. This costs a mere £2 and gives you a tiny bit of coverage, and it works as a nice base to put makeup on top of. This doesn't live up to the claim of being matte and it actually applies very much like a moisturiser (so do not fear my dry skinned chums) - so it doesn't live up to its claim of being matte but this isn't a problem if you use a powder.
Second of all, the medium-high coverage which is slightly more expensive but well worth the price is L'Oreal's True Match foundation which pretty much everyone in the bloggersphere loves, and for good reason. There's such a wide shade range suiting all undertones which was important for me, I find it ridiculously hard to find a match for my peculiarly undertoned mixed race skin but this fits the bill pretty darn well. It blends really nicely but gives you a fair bit of coverage, this is £9.99 but that's pretty average for a foundation and for a foundation this good it is well worth it.
CONCEALER:
I really struggled picking just one for this one because there are some that I like that I know a lot of people will hate or the shade range is really bad, and frankly I don't want to recommend to anyone who, like me, isn't white or orange a concealer that won't work for them. So a nice creamy, medium coverage concealer with a pretty decent shade range is the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, I think this is just a good all rounder.
POWDER:
My absolute favourite powder, which is probably not a complete surprise given how many people love it, is the Rimmel Stay Matte powder. This doesn't mattify you to the point where you're 2D but it does help to keep your makeup in place and keep your skin looking like skin, I use the transparent shade because I only use it to set my makeup but they do other shades so you can use it for a light coverage.
Another powder I quite like is the Collection Sheer Loose Powder, this is good if you have to majorly mattify your face. I stopped using this because I felt like I was looking 2D but if you have oily skin this is definitely one to give a go because it really helps keep oil at bay.
BROWS:
Very politician-like of me, I have a tendency to flip flop regarding my brow routine. When I want to go for a pencil, I love the P.S Love Brow Pencil which I own in both Medium and Dark (depending on whether I want a strong Delevigne-esque brow or just a nice natural look). This has the perfect degree of waxiness so it's not so pigmented to the point where your brows are heavier than my sense of shame (and that's pretty heavy bro), but it's also not at all scratchy.
For powder, at the moment I'm been loving using Makeup Revolution's mono eyeshadow in the shade Delicious - this is a lovely ashy, almost grey-brown-taupe shade that blends in with my eyebrows really well. Although, I also love Makeup Revolution's mono eyeshadow in the shade Mmmm although this is a little bit more warm toned than Delicious. Basically, the Makeup Revolution mono eyeshadows are pretty good anyway so you should have a look and see if you can find a shade to suit your brows.
EYESHADOWS:
My favourite eyeshadows ever are the Maybelline Colour Tattoos, they're super pigmented, long lasting, work as a base, work alone - generally the dog's bollocks.
If you prefer powdered eyeshadow, I love Makeup Revolution's Iconic 2 Palette as it offers cool-toned brownish-neutral-you-get-the-drill shades and when I'm not using the Colour Tattoos, I'm using this. The other palettes and mono eyeshadows by Makeup Revolution are great too, but I just think this specific palette is the most wearable of them all.
EYELINER:
I don't think I've gone a makeup-wearing day without liquid eyeliner in the past two years, so I've tried out a fair few, but my favourite without a doubt is the Collection Fast Stroke Liquid Liner - this is super super black, I'm talking black hole black, I'm talking the prospect of my future black... Okay, you get the point. It's also super long lasting and fairly easy to use, and although it's not waterproof, it generally doesn't budge.
Without a doubt, the Rimmel Scandaleyes kohl pencils are the best pencils on the market. They're creamy, pigmented and fairly long lasting. I've found that they do fade if you use them in the waterline but it's barely noticable and they're just generally good pencils, and very affordable too.
MASCARA:
My favourite mascara is L'Oreal's Miss Manga Mascara. It lengthens, volumizes and doesn't flake off throughout the day. It's just a darn amazing all rounder.
LIPS:
If you're not sure what kind of colour lipstick you want, I would definitely recommend Makeup Revolution's range. There's a massive shade range, plus they're only £1 so you can find out what kind of shades suit you.
For lip gloss, I would recommend the Max Factor Colour Elixir Lip Gloss. These aren't the cheapest, but I do really like them despite the fact I don't really wear lip gloss anymore. These aren't at all sticky but in spite of that, they're fairly long lasting, plus there's a nice range of shades from nude to bright.
BLUSH:
I'm not a massive blush wearer and this isn't strictly a blush, but the Maybelline Baby Lips range work really nicely as a subtle blush/highlighter combination. I remember reading that Lily Melrose saw that behind the scenes at a runway, baby lips was being used as a highlighter and blush behind the scenes, and it does help create a very subtle blush which is great if you're starting out and don't want anything too harsh.
BRONZER:
Okay this isn't technically a bronzer, but I love the Makeup Revolution eyeshadows in the shade Delicious and Mmmm (yes, the ones I mentioned in the Brows section) but these are fairly cool toned and work for contouring or warming up the face, plus they're only £1 so they're very good at least to start out on.
HIGHLIGHTER:
My favourite highlighter currently is the Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter, these come in a few different shades, they're so pigmented and only cost £3, plus they double up as eyeshadows, so if you're starting out on contouring and highlighting and all that face-sculpting jazz, this is a nice inexpensive one.
