Thursday 29 November 2012

MUA Professional Eye Primer

It wasn't until the other day when I looked in my makeup bag that I realised how many products I actually own from MUA. I remember when the first MUA products were released into Superdrug. I must admit I turned my nose up at the stand, blaring with the tagline "All products £1!". If it wasn't for reviews then I probably would have dismissed the whole brand. As I tried more and more products, the fonder I became of the brand. Since their first release, MUA have expanded with more and more products, and although their makeup doesn't remain all at £1, it is all very cheap and (mostly) good quality. 

On to the actual review!


This little gem works wonders. Eyeshadow just disappears from my lids within hours without any sort of product to keep it all in place. It seems pointless to spend time layering and blending eyeshadows for them to slide from my lids! This makes my eye makeup stay in place all day. Apart from MAC Paint Pots, I haven't tried any primers, (they're not too common in the drugstore and I simply don't have to money for high end primers!) so I don't have much to compare this with. However I don't see how anything can work better. Shadows stay vibrant all day, what's not to love! The actual product feels a little greasy when you first start to blend it in, but is then quickly absorbed and leaves a nice base for makeup. 


I can't recommend this enough, it works, it's readily available in Superdrug (if you're not from the UK, here's the link) and at £2.50 it's an absolute bargain.

Sunday 25 November 2012

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer


Before this, the only concealer I had used in about a year was the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer. It had come to the end of it's life so I decided to try something different. Although Collection's concealer is pretty full coverage, it's also pretty drying so it just wasn't doing it for under my eyes. When Boots had one of their fabulous 3 for 2 offers I picked up Bourjois Healthy Mix. 

I loved the Healthy Mix foudation, so I picked up the concealer in the same shade (52 for those curious) straight away. This is all I've used on my face in terms of concealer for a long time. The shade matches my skin perfectly. It isn't drying in the slightest which is why I find it perfect for the delicate skin under my eyes. I thought I would end up still using my Collection concealer for any blemishes, but Healthy Mix actually does a brilliant job of covering up any spots. It is very blendable and not too thick, so is ideal for larger areas, such as covering any redness.

For a long time foundation was a must-wear for me. If I was wearing any makeup at all, it was certain that I was slapping on the foundation as well. Now if I'm having a rare 'good skin' day then I brave it with only concealer and powder as my base. 

Healthy Mix costs £7.99, which coming from an unemployed (don't judge me I'm trying!) 16 year old is quite a lot for a concealer. I do find myself going through this tiny tube at quite a fast rate, but as it does the job I'm happy to pay a little bit extra for it.

What are you favourite concealers? Are you a fan of a creamy consistency or something a bit thicker?

Saturday 17 November 2012

These are a few of my favourite things..

I'm always looking for new blogs to follow, I love the excitement of spending an afternoon reading through the entirety of a new favourite blog. Today I thought I'd share with you a few of my favourite reads. I've tried to leave out most of the biggest beauty and fashion bloggers as I'm sure the majority of you will already read their wonderful blogs, and I wanted to introduce you to some new content :)

Vivianna Does Makeup: Okay I know I just wrote about not including massive bloggers but this has to be an exception. Vivianna was probably by biggest influence in starting blogging. I particularly love her Weekend Posts, where she describes one of her weekend rituals or tasks each week. The occasion fashion posts always appeal to me, I crave her wardrobe! Anna has a brilliant writing style, her posts are always an easy read, and really enjoyable, not just informative. 

Sleep and Water: This is one of my more recent favourite finds. If you want regular reviews purely on makeup, this is where to go. Her reviews are so very detailed, you can't help but trust her opinion. We share a similar taste in products so this is a particular favourite of mine :) Everything on Sleep and Water has such a clean feel, the blog layout, the large clear photos. Any makeup addict needs to follow this blog, the constant stream of reviews definitely won't disappoint you. 

P0lar milk: I discovered Rebecca's blog around the time I first started blogging. She was actually one of my very first followers! In the beginning I thought my little blog would remain unloved forever but then Rebecca came and followed me. I found her amazing blog that way and have adored it ever since. I love her consistently brilliant reviews, and her blog is beautifully designed. Rebecca does a lot of different posts other than just reviews, including 'How To's' which I am particularly fond of.

Write Like No One's Watching: I've read Charlotte's blog for well over a year. She's one of my absolute favourite bloggers, and recently (recently meaning yesterday) made my life by following me. Okay, this may be a slight exaggeration, but it meant a lot to me! Charlotte writes about her life, in particular her gorgeous son William. The main reason I love her blog so much, is that in short, she's bloody hilarious. Hilarious to the point where I actually have tears in my eyes. I don't know many people who can make a post about teething funny, but Charlotte manages it! 

I thoroughly recommend you check out all of these writers, they are all exceptionally brilliant. Please leave your own recommendations below, there's always room for another favourite blog!

Hope you're having a good weekend, and if you're not, remember there's only 37 days till Christmas ;)

Abbie

Thursday 15 November 2012

Collection Sheer Loose Powder



This powder is a holy grail item for me. Having oily skin, in a nutshell, sucks. Before using this I was finding myself powdering my face constantly. However on the average day (provided it's not too hot) this baby keeps my skin matte pretty much all day. Towards the end my nose is getting quite shiny, but the rest of my face is still pretty matte. One thing I really love about this product is that it doesn't collect under my glasses. I wear glasses on and off, so when I take a break from wearing them the last thing I want is to have powder marks around my nose!

I like the loose powder form, it is so finely milled that it never looks cakey, and doesn't exaggerate any dry patches too badly. It's definitely not the best powder for travelling, I think a nice idea would be a little swivel cover so it's easier to grab on the go, but considering it's only £2.99 I'm not complaining! I have the transparent shade so I don't have to worry about using different colours through the seasons. And it definitely does last long enough for this to be a problem! The two pots I've already been through lasted 6 months each, pretty impressive I think.

What products do you use to keep the shine away?

Monday 5 November 2012

October Favourites



I'm only five days late, it still counts!

The month has been so busy, today I started back at college after the glorious week that was half term. Sadly my Sunday was ruined with all the work I'd left till the last minute!

No7 Extreme Length mascara - I'd previously had a mini version of this and loved it, but until I recently purchased the full size I have forgotten how brilliant it is! I won't say too much as I have an individual review of this coming up soon, but it the wand makes it the easiest mascara to apply. It doesn't clump, adds length, and most importantly for me, a lot of volume.

Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer - Yet again I will do an individual review of this, it's too good to just briefly mention in monthly favourites! I decided my previous concealer just wasn't hitting the mark for under eye circles, so I picked this up. It has such a lovely, smooth texture, and blends seamlessly. I have shade 52, which matches me absolutely perfectly. It's pretty medium coverage, so I don't really use it much for spots, more for under the eyes and for any redness.

MUA Professional Eye Primer - It's been very, very occasional that I've used anything else to prime my lids with. It makes any shadow last absolutely all day. Also at £2.50 (I think) it's ridiculously affordable. 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush - I'm sure you've all read numerous reviews on these beauties so I'll keep it short. Crush is a gorgeous, deep, plummy colour - perfect for autumn. It applies like an absolute dream, is very moisturising and the stain lasts for quite a while. Crush is quite dark for everyday wear, so I've been patting it in to my lips to give just a hint of the gorgeous berry colour.

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Liner in Nude - Just a lovely pencil for brightening up the eyes! Read my full review here.

MUA Heaven & Earth and Undressed palettes - I've gone on far too much about these this month! Gorgeous wearable colours, so wearable I've worn them pretty much everyday! Read the Heaven & Earth review here and the Undressed here.

I'm pretty excited for November, despite the fact I have several exams lined up! I just have to remember, only seven weeks till Christmas! ;)