Autumn haul | Makeup

I have a theory that Superdrug pumps out some sort of pheromone throughout the store that attracts me to new releases and makes me buy things. Lots and lots of wonderful, beautiful things. What other explanation can there be?! I am so excited about every single one of these gorgeous makeup goodies! I felt it was time for a makeup bag overhaul now that we're transitioning into Autumn, and there are some truly fabulous makeup releases on Superdrug shelves at the moment. 

Maxfactor Whipped Creme Foundation 'Light Ivory', on offer for £7.99 (usually £9.99)

This smells suspiciously like Maybelline's Dream Matte Mousse and the packaging is identical to CoverGirl's Whipped Clean foundation (which isn't really a surprise as CoverGirl and Maxfactor are owned by the same company!) I thought I'd give a mousse foundation a go as I love a matte base and it has a lovely velvet texture that melted easily on my wrist when I swatched a sample. Whipped Creme delivers a 'demi matte finish' which sounds promising for Autumn/Winter. I can't wait to give this a go and see how it fares.

Bourjois Pourdre de Riz (Java Rice Powder), £9.99

How absolutely adorable is this little lime green powder pot?! The vintage detailing sold it to me on appearance (I know, I know, shallow!) I couldn't resist, it just looks so pretty. Re-released to commemorate Bourjois' 150th anniversary, their original best-selling 1879 Poudre de Riz provides 'an ultra fine, velvety texture, for a smooth, and radiant complexion'. It comes in a suits-all translucent shade. I can't get enough of how wonderful the design is, and I'm hoping the powder is just as good! I will be reporting back soon!

Bourjois Blush Exclusif, £7.99

Another Bourjouis product that caught my eye, Blush Exclusif cream blush promises to adapt to your individual skin tone, creating a personalised foolproof flush of colour. Admittedly I'm a little wary of these types of products, as the lip ones in particular always seem to develop into really strange shades on me! But I was intrigued by the idea of a colour adapting cream blush and I'm looking forward to giving this a go. Appearance wise, it's very much like Bourjois' line of cream blushers released earlier this year, and in the pot it's a very pale baby pink colour. 

Sleek Matte Me Ultra Smooth Matte Lip Cream 'Petal' £4.99

Sleek have released two new lip collections, Gloss Me and Matte Me. I only spied Matte Me in Superdrug and went for 'Petal' as I am obsessed with matte pink lips! This feels very light on the lips and dries almost instantly to a budge-proof matte finish. I'd love to get my paws on a Gloss Me shimmer gloss and give that a go as well, to have all my lip needs covered!

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer 'Fair' on offer for £3.69 (usually £4.19)

This is my absolute favourite concealer. It beats Benefit, MAC and every drugstore concealer I've used in the past. I love the liquid-cream texture which makes it quite thick and easy to blend on problem areas without it slipping or sliding. 'Fair' is the perfect super pale shade for my skin tone and this wonder concealer wand covers EVERYTHING. Spots, scars, redness; you name it, this miracle worker covers it. I know Collection Lasting Perfection is raved about by many a blogger, and I'm sure it also has it's haters, but for me it's absolutely perfect in terms of formula and finish. The only slight downside is that the writing on the packaging wears off within days, and I have found that the tube starts to dry out a little after a month or so, making it harder to scoop out the last few dregs of concealer. But for under a fiver I really don't care!

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr 'Metallic Pomegranate' £4.99

I'm determined to break out of my neutral eyeshadow rut this Autumn, and this pomegranate cream shadow is just what I've been looking for. I've seen a few bloggers rocking cranberry shades and figured this slightly darker, smokier pomegranate colour would be a great way to introduce a little colour to my eye makeup routine. I love how easy the Color Tattoo shadows are to use; they blend well and are perfect for someone like me who hasn't quite got to grips with using eye makeup tools! I can't wait to give this a go, and I'll be sure to report back with my thoughts!

Maybelline Browdrama Sculpting Brow Mascara 'Medium Brown' £4.99

My beloved Benefit Brow Zings kit is coming to an end, and I'm reluctant to use it all up before I can afford to replace it. It has lasted me a good two years and I'm so attached to it that I doubt any other brow product will satisfy me! However, when I spotted Maybelline Browdrama Brow Mascara I thought I'd give it a go and see if it was any good. I like the thought of using this when I'm having a 'casual' (aka 'lazy') day! 'Medium Brown' seemed like the best fit for me, although it's also available in a blonde shade and in a darker brown shade. I'm very fair skinned with naturally dark blonde hair, but I've found blonde eyebrow products look really, really strange on me, hence going for a medium shade! I like a bit of noticeable definition; not quite a Scouse brow but definitely some colour and shape! 

Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express 'Black' £7.99

For the life of me I cannot seem to find a mascara I'm happy with, and it's starting to really grate on my nerves! Recent tries have included Revlon Lash Potion (too wet and clumpy), Makeup Academy Every Lash (too dry and stumpy) and Seventeen Doll'd Up (it's supposed to curl but really doesn't, although it does lengthen!). The Rocket was the tube that caught my eye on Superdrug's Maybelline stand, so I chucked it in my basket and bought it without giving it too much thought. The best way to figure out the perfect mascara, right?! Chuck it in the basket and cross your fingers! When I opened it at home I immediately noticed it's got teeny tiny bristles rather than big bristles... I'm not sure how I feel about this! I've loved big bristles in the past but then Revlon Lash Potion had big bristles and I near blinded myself with it, so maybe smaller is a good thing?! I'm dying to try this out and see if it delivers. Fingers and toes crossed!

Real Techniques Shading Brush £6.99

My obsession with Real Techniques continues! I've been using the Expert Face Brush and Blusher Brush daily since purchasing a few weeks ago and I am completely obsessed! Brilliant quality and excellent results. I picked up the eye Shading Brush as I really want to practice defining my eyes properly with eyeshadow, and I've got a gorgeous new Revlon palette that I'd like to create some looks with (take a peek here). I can't wait to report back and tell of my eyeshadow application tales. Hopefully there will be a success story! 

Et voila, the first installment of my Autumn haul. Next up will be a skincare/bodycare haul, having recently popped into Lush and treated myself to a few beautiful smelling bits and bobs. Be sure to find me on Bloglovin' so you don't miss it! And feel free to comment below with your Autumn makeup faves and must haves. A girl can never chit chat about beauty too much!

Baci e abbracci, 

     

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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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