Beauty | Weekly Roundup

Another week has flown by and it's really starting to feel like autumn outside! I'm sitting here with my slippers on, cup of tea in hand and a bottle of Olbas Oil at my side because, alas, I've gone and caught a cold. That hasn't stopped me from getting outside and enjoying the colder weather though! This morning Chris and I had a hearty full English breakfast at O'Neils followed by a brisk walk through the park on the way home, where we spotted some deer and snapped a few pictures of the autumn leaves. I love how crisp the air feels! 

This week I've been focusing on cultivating a good base for the colder months, testing out primers and reaching for skin brightening highlighters. Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer (£6.99) has been my go-to, with its creamy and not at all plastic-y texture being suited perfectly to the colder weather. It definitely helps anchor foundation and concealer, although it doesn't quite have the staying power of my trusty Revlon primer. Keep your peepers peeled for my primer comparison post, coming soon! Seventeen Skin Wow! 3 Way Highlighter (£5.99) (review here) has been my brightening tool of choice this week. I dab a little highlighter fluid across my cheek bones and brow bones before blending gently with my fingers, and the lovely white-silver tone picks up the light beautifully. The frosty finish reminds me of Christmas, which really isn't that far away now! Beauty Christmas lists at the ready!

Due to my cold I haven't been sleeping much at night, so an industrial strength concealer has been top of my makeup requirements! Another beauty bargain, I've been seriously impressed with Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Heavy Duty Under Eye Concealer (£5.49) which has the same thick yet blendable texture as Benefit Boi-ing concealer, my all-time favourite for covering dark circles. Phwoarr Paint is a truly brilliant dupe and I'd even go so far as to say I prefer it to Benefit overall due to the purse friendly price! It also works wonders at covering spots and blemishes and the formula doesn't melt or slide, which is more than can be said for my MAC Studio Finish Concealer, unfortunately. I'm really intrigued by Seventeen's other recent primer and concealer releases, as I bet they're just as impressive. 

I've been favouring a quick and easy neutral eye, reaching for Topshop 'Sable' Kohl Pencil (£4) and Maybelline the Rocket Volum' Express Mascara (£7.99). The texture of Topshop's liner is extremely soft and so easy to blend, and it's a beautiful rich dark brown shade which I tend to prefer to lighter, redder browns. It's great for adding definition when smudged with my ELF blending brush, or with a cotton brush if I'm at Chris's without all of my tools! I picked up Maybelline's the Rocket on a bit of a whim as I've been trying to find my perfect mascara, and after my bridal hair & makeup trial last Saturday I've realised I've been applying mascara incorrectly for a long, long time! No wonder I've always been so fussy! I apply this one looking down, as in not looking in the mirror at all, which sounds slightly dangerous but the results are so much better! I no longer suffer from transfer on my eyelids, and Maybelline the Rocket gives incredible volume with intense black colour. I'm hooked! I've also invested in a pair of Superdrug Eyelash Curlers (£1.99) which are brilliant at opening up eyes and adding some shape to lashes before sweeping on mascara. 

As for lips, I've been crushing hard on the new Rimmel Colour Rush Balm (£5.99) range. Pictured is 'Keep Mauving', a gorgeous autumnal deep berry shade that I can't get enough of. I've used this every day since purchasing and I can't recommend it enough, from the gorgeous berry colour to the sweet vanilla scent and truly long lasting colour and shine. My lips feel moisturised and soft, essential when battling a cold! Alongside the Soap & Glory Gloss Stick range these are my favourite lip crayons. I also picked up a brighter red shade which I'll be reviewing soon. Just gorgeous!

In terms of skincare I've been working hard at balancing my crazy skin's needs, what with the sudden drop in temperature and turning on of central heating. Face wise, I've been using La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo (£13) after reading rave reviews, and it really does seem to be helping calm blemishes without drying my skin. In the mornings I use this before applying primer, skipping moisturiser as I find it moisturising enough by itself. It gives a comfortable matte finish, a perfect base for makeup. In the evenings I let it sink in before applying a light layer of moisturiser for added hydration. While I wouldn't call it a miracle cure, Effaclar Duo is working well at maintaining balance and soothing inflammation, especially around my troublesome chin area. 

Body wise, autumn and winter inevitably see me reaching for Jergen's Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin Body Moisturiser (£5.99), which my Mum discovered on a trip to Michigan a few years ago. She came home with a huge bottle shortly before the launch of Jergens lotions in the UK, and when we saw that their Ultra Healing lotion was on sale here we stocked up! This handy little travel size tube actually came free with a magazine many months ago but I've got a big bottle with a pump dispenser in the bathroom, ready to be slathered on post-bath. Lightly scented with a balm like texture and fast drying formula, this lotion is the ultimate in winter comfort as it gives long lasting moisturisation and isn't at all sticky or tacky, which is essential when pulling on tights or skinny jeans! 

I hope you've had a wonderful week and are having an enjoyable, relaxing Sunday. Which products have you been reaching for over the past seven days or so? I'd love to hear your recommendations!

Baci e abbracci, 

         

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Weekly Roundup feat. Soap & Glory, Revlon and Maybelline

Another week, another roundup and once again I've found it tough choosing just three products to shine the spotlight on! I've actually cheated a little this week as although *technically* I've chosen three product types, I've thrown in an extra product from one of the same product lines just to add a little something special. I've settled on featuring Soap & Glory's new One Heck of a Blot mattifying face powder, two of Revlon's newest Lip Butter shades, and a Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour Color double ended lip colour. All three (well, four) products have featured prominently in my make-up bag over the past seven days and I'm excited to have a bit of a ramble about what makes each one so special. 

Let's start with Soap & Glory's newest offering, the brilliantly titled One Heck of a Blot Super-Translucent Mattifying Powder, cleverly developed to suit all skin tones. I've loved Soap & Glory toiletries and cosmetics from the very beginning and I've never been disappointed in any of my Soap & Glory purchases... and there have been quite a few! Fresh from my joy at their new Peach Party blush brick (which I reviewed here) I spotted One Heck of a Blot and had to try it out. I remember ages and ages ago reading a thread on their facebook page asking fans to suggest products they'd like to see and I remember thinking 'a pressed powder!' Et voila, my prayers were answered with this little beauty. 

Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot, £12 at Boots

I love Soap & Glory's kitsch packaging, from the use of fun puns in the product titles to the retro photos and bold pink font. The powder comes with a little embossed powder puff and a handy mirror in the lid, and it clicks shut easily, keeping it nice and secure in my ever expanding make-up bag. The powder truly is translucent  translating from a super pale looking shade in the pan to an invisible wash once applied. It's extremely light texture-wise and doesn't chalk or cake at all. I apply it with a big fluffy powder brush to set my foundation and concealer and it doesn't dull my base or make my skin look sallow, unlike some pressed powders I've tried in the past. 

The embossed 'POWder' logo is a nice touch, no?

Unblended swatch 

Blended swatch- invisible!

Does it work? It sure does! My face, notorious for turning into an oil slick come midday, has needed a lot less touching up during the day and One Heck of a Blot really helps keep my complexion matte and fresh. I'm not surprised at the great quality as Soap & Glory always release fantastic products at reasonable prices. I love that this powder doesn't leave any hint of a chalky finish and doesn't cling to patches of dry skin at all. It's invisible and super light weight yet so, so effective and I'd say £12 is a brilliant price to pay for a shine free face. This has worked much harder at keeping my make-up intact than any primer or powder I've tried previously!

Revlon recently introduced some new summery shades to their ColorStay Lip Butter collection and I immediately had my eye on sheer tomato red 'Wild Watermelon' and sheer fuchsia pink 'Sorbet'. While some of the Lip Butters give a shimmery, more opaque finish these two give sheer washes of shimmer-free colour. Although they have the consistency of a mosturising balm they're actually very pigmented and it's easy to build up a stronger lip look with a few swipes straight from the tube. 

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in 'Sorbet' and 'Wild Watermelon', £7.99 each at Boots

I love the texture of Revlon's Lip Butters and find they manage to keep my lips moisturised while delivering quite a long lasting dose of colour. My usual favourite is 'Berry Smoothie', a review of which you can find here, a shade which goes with everything and feels so comfortable to wear. I'm loving the sheer glossiness of 'Sorbet' and 'Wild Watermelon' (and I'm a sucker for the juicy names) and count these are my two new favourite fresh summer colours. 

L-R: 'Sorbet' and 'Wild Watermelon'

Again, 'Sorbet' and 'Wild Watermelon'

final purchase was a bit of a random one, and I didn't even swatch it in store. As I'm currently being a little more adventurous with my lip colours I felt drawn to trying one of Maybelline's Color Stay 24 Hour dual ended lip colour shades and although I worried it might be a little too purple it's actually a really beautiful red berry shade once applied. 

Maybelline Super Stay 24 Color in 'Raspberry'

The idea behind Maybelline's Super Stay dual ended lip colour is that you apply the long lasting liquid lipstick first, allowing it to dry fully before slicking on a coating of the clear balm to keep your lips moisturised and to prevent them from drying out, a common problem with long lasting lipsticks. Now, when Maybelline recommend letting the liquid colour dry, really do let it dry! I didn't on my first go and ended up with a horrible mess of patchy colour... But only because I didn't read the instructions given on the side of the tube! My second attempt was much more successful. The raspberry colour is highly pigmented and delivers a good even colour, although I did end up with a bit of a stronger lip line as I lined my lips with the tip of the foam applicator first. I did find that pressing my lips together too often before the colour dried made it a little patchy, so I'd recommend resisting the temptation to do so until it's fully dry or until you've applied a layer of balm on top. I would definitely recommend being extra careful when tracing your lip line as the colour really does stick immediately, and it's near impossible to dab away at mistakes without resorting to a make-up remover soaked cotton wool pad. It really does have super staying power!

Maybelline Super Stay 24 Color in 'Raspberry', £8.99 at Boots

Clear balm to be applied on top of colour

'Raspberry' is a gorgeous berry shade with blue/purple undertones. It makes my teeth look whiter which is always a plus! Plus it smells like berries which is a delicious plus in my eyes. I can't stress enough just how long lasting this is; I applied it in the morning to test it out and it was still going strong well into the afternoon without needing a top-up. It did eventually start to get a little patchy but another swipe of the balm helped even it out again. I also swatched it on my hand and the swatch didn't budge for two days. Two days! There's still a faded mark on my hand, and yes, I do wash my hands regularly! To take it off my lips I use a cotton wool pad soaked in make-up remover and have to rub quite firmly to take it all off. It really does lock to your lips, making it perfect for nights out when you want a low maintenance but bold lip look. The colour doesn't bleed or smudge and although you have to be very precise when applying it, it's well worth the effort. 

'Raspberry' without balm 

'Raspberry' with balm on top

Although the swatch looks a little sheer the colour is very much opaque and bold on the lips. It dries to a matte finish, and the balm adds a glossy sheen to it. You could wear it without the balm although it would depend on the condition of your lips. I absolutely love this shade and also picked up a bright coral peach colour as well, which I can't wait to review. At £8.99 each these are a little pricey but I'd say they're definitely worth it as they deliver on their promise of long lasting lip colour (although 24 hours? I can't say I've needed to leave it on for quite that long!) 

There you have it, my Weekly Roundup done and dusted for another week. What have your favourite products been this week? Have you discovered any hidden gems or have you been using your old favourites? Feel free to share below. 

Weekly Roundup feat. Neutrogena, Maybelline and MUA

Wowzers, hasn't this week flown by? I found it quite tricky picking my top 3 products this week as I've been using and loving so many different beauty bits and pieces. I settled on the following as I've been reaching for them every day and I haven't got at all bored of them, which is always a good sign! 

First up is Neutrogena's Visibly Clear Blackhead Eliminating Triple Action Cleanser 7 Day Rescue (what is it with long titles recently?!) It can be used in three ways: as a wash, scrub and mask. 

£4.49 at Superdrug

From what I can tell, this is a more concentrated version of their regular Blackhead Eliminating scrub and it's designed to provide intense, targeted action against blackheads with visible results apparent after only 7 days. On the back of the tube is the very impressive claim that '100% of users showed visible results after 7 days'. 100%?!! Well with a statistic like that I had to try it out! The percentage is based on 30 people using the wash twice a day for 7 days straight, which to be honest I'm not really sure my sensitive face can handle. I'm using it once a day on my t-zone (my chin in particular) and I will be reporting back in a future blog post to let you know if it really does have an impressive effect. 

What I can say so far is that, like all Neutrogena products I've used in the past, the quality of the  wash/scrub/mask is fantastic, from the fresh subtle fragrance to the way it makes your skin feel unbelievably silky soft after rinsing. The wash itself has a sort of very finely ground paste texture; it sort of reminds me of Arm & Hammer's baking soda toothpaste in that the scrub particles are very small and not at all rough. I'd forgotten how much my skin likes Neutrogena, and I've found this gives a lovely deep clean without drying my skin out at all. It's a wonderfully prep for make-up application and it has really been a joy to use so far. As for whether or not it actually eliminates blackheads? I'll let you know! 

My second pick this week is my current favourite lipstick, Maybelline's Colorsensational in '910 Shocking Coral' from the Vivids collection. Until discovering this and its sister colour 'Fuchsia Flash' which I reviewed here, I'd disregarded Maybelline lipsticks as 'not my thing'. This was based on never being able to find a colour to suit me, although in hindsight I think I was just looking at the wrong colour palette. Anyhoo, I picked up this bad boy of a lippie and I'm now a total fan of what Maybelline has to offer pout-wise. 

£7.19 at Boots

'Shocking Coral's is a very pink neon coral, which I really like as it's unusual compared to the more popular orange coral colours around at the moment. Super pigmented, super creamy, super comfortable, super easy to apply and super long-lasting, I haven't a bad word to say about it. Along with Soap & Glory's lipsticks, Maybelline's are now my faves. 

Two coats of Maybelline Colorsensational '910 Shocking Coral'

I had a bit of difficulty trying to get a good shot of me wearing 'Shocking Coral'... Sorry for the slightly bizarre beams of sunshine flooding the photo! It was the end of a loooong day and I didn't want to keep attempting to capture the colour in different locations around my house! I'd say it looks a little brighter in person but it does settle to a pinky coral as shown and I LOVE it. 

My final pick this week is MUA's Undress Your Skin Shimmer Highlighter. I've had this for months and months, and went through a period of using it every day without fail before abandoning it to test out other highlighters. But, as they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it; I've rediscovered it and I'm loving it even more than before. 

£3 Makeup Academy online store

The beautiful pearlescent silvery pink colour shows up really well on my pale skin and highlights  my cheekbones, temples, nose and browbones perfectly. It's subtle but can be built up in layers for extra impact, and I also use it as a brightening eye shadow. It's easy to blend and gives a lovely glow. Plus I'm a sucker for pretty packaging and the powder looks lovely in the pan.  

Quite an intense swatch, applied with fingers to show colour clearly

I apply it on top of blusher and it makes for a lovely finishing touch. I also use the matching under eye concealer which I've reviewed here, which is also great quality. I'm a big fan of MUA's Undress Your Skin range and am looking forward to trying the matching foundation at some stage in the future. 

What have been your favourite products this week? Share your Weekly Roundup in the comments below! 

Weekly Roundup feat. Topshop Eye Palette, Naturally Radiant Day Cream and W7 Candy Floss

Having returned home from a lovely trip to Brighton yesterday (involving lots of ice cream, walking and sunshine!) I'm ready to get going with my new Weekly Roundup series. Every Sunday I'll be writing about my favourite products of the past seven days, the things I've been using regularly throughout the week because I just can't help but love them so much. 

This week's fab three are Topshop's Smokey Eye Palette in 'Golden Aura' (£12), Superdrug's Naturally Radiant Brightening Day Cream (£5.99) and W7's Candy Floss brightening face powder (£3). 

I'm a sucker for a neutral eyeshadow palette and have an ever-expanding collection bulking up my many make-up bags. What intitally drew me towards Topshop's 'Golden Aura' was the buttery soft texture of the shadows and the shimmery golden finish of each shade. Plus, the packaging is a handy slimline case with a pretty polka dot design for decoration. Who doesn't like the added bonus of nice packaging?!

Topshop Smokey Eye Palette 'Golden Aura'

I'm determined to learn how to properly contour and define my eyes, as so far I haven't been able to find a foolproof technique for a novice like me. Topshop provide a handy leaflet explaining which shade to use for which part of the eye area, so I'm going to give it a go and see what happens! I'm thinking it might be a good idea to go to a beauty counter and book myself in for a professional make-over so I can learn how to do it from a professional. We'll see!

The lightest shade doesn't show up brilliantly in the photo but it's a lovely golden beige colour that works well in highlighting the inner corner of the eye (something even I can do!) and highlighting the brow bone. I really like the next shade up, a light brown taupe shimmer, and the darkest shade which is flecked with gold. It creates an almost green gold effect which is really pretty. I use it to line my eyes and add definition. The only downside I've found with this is that the outside of the packaging seems to pick up on smudy fingerprints easily and is a bit tricky to clean, but this isn't a huge problem in the grand scheme of things. 

About a month ago I purchased Superdrug's Naturally Radiant Brightening Day Cream for normal to combination skin in my efforts to find a day cream that would both soothe any anxiety-related dermatitis flare-ups and act as a good base for make-up while not being too heavy on my t-zone. According to the information provided on Superdrug's website the cream contains Kiwi Fruit (loaded with Vitamin C) and Mulberry Fruit to brighten skin, while Sugar Beet extract moisturises. This has since become my go-to cream in the mornings as it's light but moisturising, smells lovely and fruity and really anchors make-up well. Plus it has made a noticeable difference to patches of pigmentation and discolouration on my cheeks, chin and forehead left behind from past dermatitis and acne attacks, which I'm really pleased about. 

Drawing upon results from a trial of 50 people, Superdrug claims that after four weeks use 'skin tone appears refined and evened out'. While I still have areas of skin pigmentation that are proving difficult to shift, this cream has significantly faded an area of pigmentation on my right cheek that always used to show in photos no matter how carefully I applied a high coverage base. I'm thrilled that I've found something relatively cheap to combat marks, and it soothes current patches of dry skin brilliantly. I'd highly recommend this to anyone looking for a cream to tackle pigmentation and dullness as my face does feel a lot smoother and brighter having used this daily for the past month. I'm also a fan of the included SPF15 as I find it quite difficult to find face creams with SPF that aren't anti-ageing creams and I like using an SPF every day to protect my pale, sensitive skin from the sun. 

Benefit is one of my favourite beauty brands and I currently have a huge wishlist of all the Benefit goodies I'm lusting after. One product I used religiously before it ran out was the dandelion brighening face powder, which at £23. 50 is quite expensive, hence the lack of replacement so far! I love a good dupe and when I came across W7's Candy Floss brightening face powder I had to give it a go. 

Candy Floss comes in similar, albeit cheaper packaging to Benefit's dandelion. The base of the cardboard box actually fell off when I first opened it! But a little dab of superglue soon fixed that... The brush provided is very soft and doesn't feel uncomfortably synthetic, although I prefer to use my own bigger blusher brush to apply the powder. It's been a while since I used dandelion but from what I can remember Candy Floss in comparison gives a slightly darker flush of colour with a subtle golden shimmer. It works well as a brightening powder dusted over the cheeks, forehead and nose, and I also like to add more product on my cheeks as a blusher. I really like the gold shimmer it provides, especially for summer. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't remember dandelion being particularly shimmery, so in this respect the products differ. 

Candy Floss swatch

In the swatch above I've applied it to my skin using my fingers for a more concentrated effect and you can see the rose gold colour it gives. I love how easy it is to build up the colour to a depth I'm comfortable with and it blends wonderfully with my blusher brush. While I'd say it's quite different to Benefit's dandelion in terms of being a more shimmery, darker pink it works excellently as a brightening powder and blusher, and it's quickly become my main pink blusher over the past week. For only £3 it's a brilliant bargain alternative. I do miss dandelion's paler pink brightening powers though and I'm sure I'll be repurchasing as soon as I can afford to. 

There you have it, my favourite three products of the past seven days. Have you tried any of the above? What have been your go-to products this week?