Saturday 4 January 2014

Beauty | New Year, new purchases!


Gosh, it's been a while since I last blogged a beauty post! I'm trying hard to stick to a schedule but with the wedding fast approaching (three weeks from today!) it's proving mighty tricky to post as often as I'd like to *sad face* I thought I'd do a little 'first impressions' post of the beauty booty I've been hauling lately, seeing as it's a brand new year which can only mean one thing: new beauty discoveries!

 While I may still be on first impression terms with some of the goodies pictured above, I've already started full blown, long lasting love affairs with one or two things! 


It's true, I'm a sucker for celebrity perfume! I always pick up a new bottle in the January sales. This year I went for 'Taylor', Ms Swift's 3rd perfume offering, and oh my is it a beauty! While 'Wonderstruck' and 'Wonderstruck Enchanted' are quite sweet and 'fruity floral', 'Taylor' has more of a musky aroma and as such makes for a wonderful Winter fragrance. I picked up this 30ml bottle as part of a set including matching shower gel and body lotion in the Boots half price gift set sale, meaning I paid only £11.50 for this beauty! Bargain! (Last time I checked there are still sets available online!) And can we take a moment to admire the bottle? How cute is the little pearl detailing around the neck? Adorable!


I can't resist a primer, and so upon spying this colourful little tube in Boots (and after having sneaked a peek of a review over at Kirstie's gorgeous blog) I had to give it a go. Claiming to 'instantly vanish pores', Maybelline's Instant Pore Eraser promises perfectly smooth skin. It's clear in colour and has a strong 'silicone' texture (which I'm not a huge fan of, to be honest), but I've found it does a pretty good job of smoothing out my pores and lessening any redness and uneven skin tone, so all is forgiven on the silicone front. I reckon if I had clear skin I would wear this without foundation on no make-up days, as it makes my skin look nice matte and smooth, but alas because of my current skin woes I'm loathe to do this yet...

OPI Nail Lacquers 'The More The Marry-ier Minis'

Aren't these colours adorable?! So romantic and perfect for a wedding..! I received these as a Christmas present and I love them! I'm a huge fan of pinks and nudes and these are no exception. I haven't given them a try yet but I'll be sure to report back with my verdict! I had to include them in the photo as they're so mini and cute in size, haha. 

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Light Infusing Foundation (£10.99) 

I usually go for a matte base but recently I've found my skin looking a little dull, which isn't helped with it being so grey and miserable outside. I decided to try this out as with the aim of injecting a bit of a glow to my Winter worn complexion! So far I'm loving the results, as my skin definitely looks less dull after smoothing this on, although I do need to set it with a little powder as there's a fine line between dewy and greasy. It's super comfortable to wear and the colour match is pretty good with my pale skin, which is something of a relief! Coverage is medium, I'd say, meaning I do need concealer on problem areas afterwards, but this is something I've come to expect when using a high street foundation so it's not really a problem. 

L'Oreal Le Blush 'True Rose' (£7.99)

I've been on the lookout for a brighter blusher for a while and this little pot has just the right amount of punchy colour and shimmer to satisfy my blush requirements. I team this with my Real Techniques blusher brush for a gentle flush of colour. It definitely helps perk up my ghostly complexion in the mornings!

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker XL 'Pink Out Loud' (£10)

This came as part of Soap and Glory's 'The Yule Monty' bumper gift set, which is packed full of amazing Soap and Glory products! As a super fan of the brand I was excited to give this little gloss a go, and it has quickly become a firm favourite of mine. It gives a very slight hint of colour and tingles like crazy, which I really like! My only word of warning would be to avoid wearing it with your hair down if it's windy outside... I keep making this mistake and getting gloss all over my face, which isn't particularly attractive. Oops! 

L'Oreal Glam Shine Balmy Gloss 'Sin For Peach' (£6.99)

A bit of an impulse buy, I realised after purchasing this that I already have quite a few nude balm sticks... Ah well! I actually love the texture and colour of this one as it's a little darker than others I've tried and it feels really moisturising. It's easy to apply and doesn't require a mirror, making it handy for on the go application. I'd like to try some of the more adventurous colours in the range such as the plum coloured stick as I fear I'm becoming too comfortable wearing nudes! 

Makeup Academy Undress Your Skin Radiant Under Eye Concealer (£3)

This is in fact a repurchase of a much loved product; it's bloody brilliant! From the thick and not at all watery texture to the light reflecting particles that instantly help deflect attention away from my tired peepers, this is one of my makeup bag must haves. And it's a total bargain! I don't often repurchase makeup from cheaper brands as I usually end up falling for base products from slightly more expensive ranges, but this is without a doubt one of the best bargain finds I've ever come across during my Superdrug sprees. Run and get one right now, I urge you!

Seventeen Miracle Matte Loose Powder (£5.49)

I like applying a light dusting of loose powder to set my makeup and I decided to try Seventeen's newest offering, in part due to it's matte promise. Now I know that might seem to conflict with my aim for more 'radiant' skin, but actually this works really well with L'Oreal's Lumi Magique foundation! As far as I can tell Seventeen's Miracle Matte comes in one universal translucent shade, and it works with my pale skin perfectly. I've found I don't need to re-powder much throughout the day when using this (although I do have bit of an addiction to powder so I can't say I've stopped completely!) The only gripe I have with it is the packaging, as there isn't a powder puff included and although powder puffs are generally rubbish for applying product, they do come in handy for preventing spillages when the pot is rolling around in my makeup bag! When opening this I have to be careful as often a lot of powder has collected right underneath the lid. 

Et voila, we've come to the end of my new purchases rundown. I've got some fun wedding related beauty posts lined up over the coming weeks, so hopefully there won't be such a long gap between beauty posts throughout January! Have you purchased your first products of 2014 yet? I'd love to know what you went for!

Baci e abbracci, 
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4 comments :

  1. I would be tempted to buy the Baby Skin pores eraser purely for its packaging, haha. So cute! I'm also a big fan of nude chubby sticks! Let this be the year we branch out a little, Imogen. Plum coloured balm stick, here we come haha. xx

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  2. I love the L'Oreal Glam Shine range--the Dare The DragonFruit is a lovely shade. Looking forward to reading your wedding beauty posts! enjoy all the excitement in the next few weeks x

    thebeautyfairground.blogspot.com

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  3. Will definitely be looking out for that baby skin primer!
    Made In The 1990's.

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  4. Gorgeous buys! Hope you enjoy them, I love Miracle Matte and Baby Skin x
    Sweet Dreams

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