First impressions haul

Hey dolls! I've purchased quite a few beauty bits recently that I'm currently testing before reviewing thoroughly, and thought it might be fun to write a haul post covering first impressions. I always enjoy reading about peoples' first impressions of new products, especially if those initial thoughts change over time, so here are mine. Enjoy!

Botanics All Bright Cleansing Foam Wash £3.99

I picked this up because I'm in need of a gentle yet effective face wash to use in the mornings and in the evenings as part of my nightly double cleanse. Botanics products are currently on sale in store at Boots, so I was able to get this for about £2. My skin can often appear quite dull so I'm hoping this gel, packed with brightening hibiscus, will lift my complexion a little as well as provide a gentle, soothing cleanse/pre-cleanse. I've used this once so far and immediately warmed to it. It has a subtle floral scent, foams well and leaves my skin soft and not at all tight or dry. So far, so good!

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Advanced Correcting Serum £13.33

L'Oreal's new Skin Perfection range is also on sale at Boots with 1/3 off the usual price (£13.33 as opposed to £19.99) I've been wanting to incorporate a serum into my skincare routine for a long time now but have never been able to find one gentle enough or one targeted specifically towards younger skin on the high street. I can't quite afford a more expensive brand so when I saw this I decided to give it a go. It's aimed at those in their twenties/thirties and claims to 'transform the appearance of skin quality', evening out skin tone and texture while minimising pores, which is exactly what I'm looking for. I've used it twice so far (morning and night) and it has a lovely texture, sinking into skin quickly and making a good base for makeup. I'm looking forward to seeing whether it makes a visible difference to the condition of my skin over time. 

Real Techniques brushes 'Expert Face Brush' & 'Blusher Brush'  £9.99 each

Real Techniques are currently buy one get one half price at Boots (I'm loving all these offers!) so I thought I'd venture into the makeup brush world, starting with perfecting my base. I am so excited about these! I don't have a big makeup brush collection by any means, and I've always relied on my fingers to apply pretty much any type of product, but having bought and used these two brushes I'm a complete convert. I didn't realise just how much of a difference using professional tools makes to how your makeup looks. The Expert Face Brush is incredible; the bristles are dense enough to offer high coverage when applying foundation and when blending concealer. Rather than liquid products sliding around my face, this ensures they settle where I want them to go. Spots and scars are covered so much more effectively than when I simply use my fingers. As for the shaped Blusher Brush, this is a miracle worker for flawless blusher application. One or two sweeps and I look instantly glowing. I can't wait to purchase some more Real Techniques brushes and build my collection!

MUA 1D Oh My Glow Blush 'Rose Riot' £3

I know, I know... I seem to recall tweeting something along the lines of 'I'd rather scoop my eyeballs out with a spoon then buy 1D merchandise' when I first heard about MUA's One Direction collaboration, but I stumbled across a few reviews and the cheek tints seemed to be received particularly favourably, so I had a little swatch and I'm seriously impressed. The pigmentation of this little twist-up cream blush is brilliant. 'Rose Riot' is a natural rose pink colour (duh!) and a little really does go a long way, unlike the awful Revlon cheek tints available in near identical packaging. The texture is initially creamy before settling into a natural powder finish and the product is seriously easy to blend. You can either dab a little on to your cheeks with your fingers or with a makeup brush to give a natural flush of colour.

Revlon Lip Butter 'Peach Parfait' £7.99

Another offer! Selected Revlon products are currently two for £10 at Superdrug. I wanted to try the new Lash Potion mascara and as that costs £9.99 I figured I'd throw in a Lip Butter pretty much for free. Bargain! I've always liked the look of 'Peach Parfait' and I've been using this constantly since I purchased it. I'm a huge fan of the generous colour payoff and moisturising texture, and this is a gorgeous natural peach shade with a slight shimmer. Along with 'Berry Smoothie', this is one of my favourite Lip Butter shades. 

Revlon Eyeshadow & Primer 'Metropolitan' £8.99

I spotted these palettes in US magazines months ago and had been hoping they would drop in the UK. Et voila! I know I should start branching out from neutrals but I can't help it, they lure me in every time! The 'primer' (the big rectangle) feels just like an ordinary eyeshadow texture-wise so I'm not sure what makes it different, but perhaps I'll understand more once I've experimented with the palette fully. Granted, I'm useless at shading and contouring my eyes, so I'm on the lookout for YouTube videos that might help me! Once I've practiced I'll report back. 

Revlon Lash Potion £9.99

This is another product I'd been lusting after for a long time after spotting it in US mags, and I was so excited to pick this up when I saw it in Superdrug. The packaging is gorgeous! It looks so mystical and pretty. Alas... I haven't had a good time with this so far *sobs* The brush is rather large and tends to catch on my lids a lot, meaning mascara smears everywhere, both under and over my eyes. I've found the formula to be quite clumpy and too 'wet', in that it creates a sort of sticky mess on my lashes and doesn't really volumise or lengthen as claimed by the product description. I am so disappointed. I've tried using it slowly and very carefully to avoid eye poke-age but still no luck. It just doesn't seem to work for my eye shape or lash type *major sad face*

Maybelline Baby Lips 'Minty Fresh', Peach Kiss', 'Cherry Me' £2.99 each

Hmm, it seems a lot of the products I end up buying originally feature on my 'seen in US magazines' list! These little balm sticks have caused lots of controversy since their UK release. Are they really any good? Are they overpriced? Are they just like any other lip balm? 

I saw quite a few comments made by beauty editors in various UK weekly magazines labelling Baby Lips as being 'BB cream for the lips' which immediately caused an eyebrow raise. What does that even mean?! 

Yes, these are just like any other lip balm, in my opinion... But that doesn't mean I don't like them! What were people expecting? It's a lip balm, guys. A lip balm. I'm finding them to be very moisturising and I particularly like 'Cherry Me' for the subtle red tint it gives. At £2.99 each these are certainly reasonable and worth the small expense. Although, I did also buy 'Pink Punch' and had a bit of an odd allergic reaction to it (extremely cracked lips and blister-like sore spots around my mouth) but as soon as I stopped using it, the reaction went away. I haven't experienced this with any of the other flavours available, but it's something to be aware of. I've never reacted to a lip product before so I'm not sure what happened, but, 'Pink Punch' aside, I really like Baby Lips and I've been reaching for them often.

That's about it, lovelies! What have you been hauling recently? Have you used any of the above? 

Baci e abbracci, 

                                                       

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Weekend haul: Sinful Colors, got2b and Topshop make-up

As I had £16 worth of Boots points on my card I thought I'd treat myself to a few bits and bobs over the weekend. I'm currently ever-so-slightly obsessed with nail polish, so I picked up four pretty shades from the new Sinful Colors collection. An American company, Sinful Colors seem to specialise in fun, 'trendy' colours, with the collection featuring lots of neons, pastels and glitters. They retail for £1.99 each, which is pretty fab. Here are the four I picked up:

L-R: Island Coral, Cinderlla, Winterberry, Soul Mate

I really like the pale blue shimmer 'Cinderella' and the dark brown-aubergine Winterberry in particular. The other two look quite similar but Soul Mate is a more pinky coral as opposed to orange coral. 

I also picked up a few hair products. The new range of Schwarzkopf got2b styling products were on sale for £3 each, so I chose the beach matt mermaid look texturizing salt spray and the Oil-licious tame & shine styling oil. 

I love a good salt spray, especially for when my hair is feeling a little flat. I also love a good hair oil for everyday use, and this one is such a great bargain. I've used it a few times over the last couple of days on damp hair, and it really helps to smooth split ends and nourish my frazzled highlighted locks. It has quite a thick texture, which I prefer as it feels more satisfying somehow when applying to hair in need of nourishment. Plus it smells lovely, quite floral but with a nutty kick too. A little goes a long way on my fine hair, and it doesn't make my hair at all greasy or lank. A winner!

Now for the really fun part... My mini Topshop make-up haul! I've had a few things from Topshop's range in the past, including a couple of lipsticks and nail polishes. I found so many gorgeous items this time that I couldn't resist picking up a selection:

From left to right: Eye Duo in 'Harlow Sunset' (£8), Smokey Eye Palette in 'Golden Aura' (£12), Kohl liner in Sable (£4), Nails in 'Ruthless' and 'Nice n' Neutral' (£5 each), Lip Bullet in 'Joyride' (£8). 

I am completely head over heels in love with this Eye Palette. I'm a sucker for neutral colours and these feel so soft and buttery. I've been wanting to try a plum shade for a while, and the duo shadow looked too good to resist. I usually use my trusty Mac eyeliner for definition but thought I'd try this Topshop one, and I'm so glad I did as it goes on extremely smoothly and doesn't pull or drag at all, making it easy to draw thin or thick lines depending on preference. 

Now, I wasn't actually looking to buy a red lipstick. I'm not sure if the lighting in Topshop is  funny or if I was just having a bit of a moment, but I *thought* this was a pink colour! It looked like a dark pink and I couldn't find a tester so I just went with it and bought it... Only to open it at home and realise my mistake. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with red lipstick, as some make my pale complexion look even paler, and some make my teeth look quite yellow. The trick is finding a red with blue undertones, and Mac's Russian Red is all my absolute favourite: matte finish, doesn't budge, and compliments my skintone (and my teeth!). So it was with some trepidation that I applied a coat of this Lip Bullet. To my relief I instantly loved it! It's a tomato red but not at all orange, so my teeth looked fine, and it has a lovely matte texture, meaning it doesn't bleed or smudge outside of the lip line. It makes a change from my usual pinks, nudes and berries, and I'll definitely be wearing it throughout the summer. 

Finally, I couldn't help but add a few more items to my nail polish collection! I love a dark, wine red and I also love nude colours, so these really stood out for me. The brushes are quite small, which I prefer as it means I don't end up with polish all around my nails, which is what often  seems to happen with bigger brushes. 

I'll be writing reviews throughout the week, and can't wait to share some swatches of the Eye Palette and Lip Bullet in particular. 

Browse Sinful Colors here

Browse Schwarzkopf got2b here

Browse Topshop make-up here