Holy Grail: Foundation

Every Wednesday for the next few weeks I will be doing a series of my Holy Grail beauty products.
These are my must-have products that I couldn't bear to be without.

I thought I'd start off this series with my ultimate Holy Grail: my Foundation.

I absolutely SWEAR by Bella Pierre's Mineral Foundation (Shade: Ivory).

My skin really isn't the best, and I would never even dream of leaving the house without foundation on. I envy those who can!
For years I'd use liquid foundation and concealers, and have tried many different brands, yet my skin always felt suffocated.

A few years ago my friend took me to a Bella Pierre stand to have a make over. I was VERY scepticle - I have red areas from where acne had scarred my skin, and I doubted a powder would ever cover them. But I was amazed that it worked as well as a liquid foundation, yet it didn't feel as heavy.
-I bought some straight away, and within about a week of using it I noticed a big difference in my skin:
Any breakouts I had went away, and whilst using it I had virtually no breakouts at all!

Eventually the price of the product went up and I decided to look else-where for a foundation. I tried other brands of mineral foundation (lily lolo & Bare Essentials) but they weren't the same. I even tried liquid foundation again, and with all of these I noticed I had more and more frequent break-outs.

I have since gone back to Bella Pierre and will never leave them again! Yes £35 is a lot for a foundation, but I definately feel it's worth it! - it lasts absolutely ages.

The dreaded before and after shots:

This is a little embarassing, but you can see how well it neutralises any redness on the skin, and gives it a healthier look.
Note: The foundation in the 'after' photo is only roughly applied to give an idea of its coverage. When worked in a little more it will not look chalky like it does here.

THE BENEFITS THEY LIST:

Bellapierre 5-in-1 mineral foundation contains just four natural ingredients; four minerals which are kind and gentle, protective and nurturing for the skin - Mica, Zinc Oxides, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide.
FIVE IN ONE FOUNDATION:
• Concealer
• Foundation
• SPF
• Finishing Powder
• Setting Powder (Veil)

THE BENEFITS I FOUND:

Clearer skin
Covers red skin amazingly
SPF protection
Acts as a concealer
Perfect for all seasons, especially summer
Feels lighter on the skin


How I use it:

1-Tap a small amount into the lid
2-Use a Kabuki or Buffer Brush to pick up the product, and buff onto the skin
3-One you have applied the foundation, now is the stage you'd use it as a concealer (should you wish to): Use a Concealer Brush to apply it to desired areas, such as blemishes, around the nose, under the eyes etc.

I will do a 'Guide to Mineral Foundations' post sometime soon because I feel there are some bad ones out there, but this one is amazing!
For this post I just wanted to share with you THE Holy Grail in my make up collection, and I hope it's helped give another option to anyone who's still looking for their 'perfect' foundation.

NOTD

 

I wanted to share with you the nail colour I've been absolutely loving recently!

Its by Famous (sold in Superdrug) in Tempting Taupe, and it's been my go-to shade for most of the summer.

I just think it's such a lovely unusual shade, and I have received a few compliments from it. It's such a versatile colour - perfect for work or day looks, yet it's deep enough to compliment an evening look too. I think it's such a sophisticated colour, and looks great on nails of any length.

I'm not going to pretend to be any kind of nail expert, and so this probably wont be too much of a regular type of post on here, but I will be sharing any nail colour I happen to fall in love with.

But for now this my ultimate nail polish.

I'd love to know what you think!

Project Pan

Recently I've found myself trying to spend more than I actually have, and buying things I want, but don't really NEED.

It's got to the point where I can't go into town without buying something (even if it's just for £1).

So to try and 'cure' myself before it gets out of hand, I've decided to go on a spending ban, and join on the bandwagon of doing a 'Project Pan'.

An 'imaginative' photo of empty pans...

Most people will do a Project 10 Pan (or any number of their choosing), where they go on a spending ban until they've used up that number of the products they already own.

However, I'll be doing mine a little differently:

Instead of allocating a number of products to use up, I will be doing this project for a month and setting a challenge to see how many products I can get through in that time.

-If it goes well I will maybe carry it on for the next month etc.

Today is pay day for me, so I will be starting it today until next pay day (5 weeks from now).

Rules:

- For a month I am not allowed to purchase any new make up/skincare/haircare products

- The only products in this category I am allowed to purchase are cotton pads, and hygiene products should I run out completely!

-My project pan will span across make up, skincare and haircare, and I will use all the products I've been hoarding and attempt to re-discover old favourites, or new products I've bought but never got around to using. 

Please note that there are a couple hauls I haven't posted up yet, so if you see one up here during my spending ban it's from before this spending ban (though if I DO break my ban, I'll make sure I say so you can all tell me off :/)

I would love to hear if anyone else is doing anything similar, or if you'd like to do this version with me I'd love the company! 

Its going to be a tough month :(

First EOTD with Tutorial

I remember the first piece of make up I ever used was an eyeliner pencil. Since then I have been obsessed with eye make up, and the main area of focus when it comes to doing my make up is the eye.

So naturally I've been wanting to do an EOTD for quite some time, but for whatever reason I just hadn't got around to it.
I thought I'd get the ball rolling with the eye make up I was wearing in my 'Perfect Mascara' post after being asked by the lovely Epiphannie.

This is pretty much a Bargain version of my go-to eye look, which usually is achieved using my Dior 5 Coleurs palette.

However, for THIS look I used the Palette from my 'Bargain Post' for this eye look.
Here are the colours I used:

How To:

1: Using an Eyeshadow Brush, highlight the brow bone with the off-white shadow.
2: With the same brush, pack the pearl-pink shadow onto the eyelid up to meet the highlight.
3: Apply the light-pink shadow to the outer third of the eyelid to the bone just above the crease.

4: Using a Pencil Brush, apply the bright fuchsia shadow just under the lower lash-line, and bring the colour up to the eyelid crease. Then use a Blending Brush to blend the colour out.
5: Using the Pencil Brush again, apply the dark-plum colour to the eyelid crease, contouring the eye and giving the look more depth.

6: Define the eyes with a winged-effect using a black liquid liner. (I used Rimmels 'Exaggerate' liquid liner)

7: Finally, Curl the lashes before applying desired Mascara. (I chose my new favourite: Collection 2000's Collagen Curl)

I love this eye look as it can be worn during the day, and it's easy to turn into a night look by just using one of the dark brown or grey shades in the outer corner of the eye, with the addition of false-lashes if you wish!

I hope you like this look, will be back with more soon!

Sleeks Pout Paints

Superdrug currently have an offer on the new Sleek Pout Paints selling them at 3for2, so I took advantage of this offer to try out 3 of them for myself!

'Peek-a-bloo', 'Mauve Over' & 'Minx'

A Mixture of 'Peek-a-bloo' & 'Mauve Over'

What Sleek Says: "Apply the tiniest drop of pout paint to your lip brush for complete coverage. Can be used alone or mixed with other shades within the range.

FYI, a little goes a very long way!"

Mixing Palette

All 3 Colours Gradually Blended

Pout Paint Blends:

Minx - Peek-a-bloo

Minx-------------------------------------------50/50--------------------------------Peek-a-bloo

Peek-a-bloo - Mauve Over

Peek-a-bloo-------------------------------------50/50------------------------------Mauve Over

Mauve Over - Minx

Mauve Over ---------------------------------------50/50-------------------------------------Minx

I've never tried another product like this before, but I'm really impressed. 

These Pout Paints have amazing colour pay-off, and I love how they can be combined to create different shades/colours.

From 3 colours I managed to get 12 different outcomes. They have a total of 11 shades to choose from, so the possibilities are huge!

You can apply them straight to the lip for a strong colour, or for the colour-shy you can 'water it down' by using a lip balm (I suggest Lush's Ultrabalm) before-hand and applying a thin layer of the paint on top.

-And a little really does go a long way!

Tip: For whiter looking teeth it is recommended you use lipsticks with a blue undertone, so the 'Peek-a-bloo' is a must buy as you can add just the tiniest amount to any lip paint or even your favourite lipstick, and there you have it - whiter looking teeth! 

I am in love with these paints, and will be going back to superdrug asap before the offer ends! :)

July Overview

This post is way overdue! But here it is anyway; an update of what I got up to in July.

1 - My OH visited me for the first time in sooo long (it's usually me making the journey to visit him) so we made the most of the rare sunshine by going for a bike ride - He wanted to ride for 30 miles(!!!) and I have never gone further than 7 before - but luckily his bike broke! Hehe

2 - A really bizarre thing I've been addicted to doing recently is icing digestives! I'm far too lazy to bake so I've convinced myself this is the next best thing...

3&4 - I met up 2 of my friends for a meal in London (One on the left and me on the right, the other is not pictured) They both live and work in the big city, living quite envious lifestyles!

We had our meal in the new Madison Roof Top Terrace Restaurant in St Pauls.
In all honesty I was disappointed as I expected so much more from it.
They'd whited out the top of the windows to block out harsh sunlight, but it made the outside look gloomy and depressing even though the sun was shining. The menu was less impressive, hence I settled for an unadventurous burger.

However the company I had made it a great night, and I loved catching up with them! We followed up with a trip to the Champagne Bar before making our way home.

5 - Last but not least: My beautiful new shoes from my New Job!
I landed a job in Jane Shilton, which means I am no longer broke - hence the shoes! I absolutely LOVE them. Though I now have my eye on a £75 bag :/

The Search For My Perfect Mascara...Over?

For years I've been trying and failing to find my perfect mascara.

Below are just a few of the Mascaras I've tried on my hunt for a mascara that actually works on my stubbourn lashes!

-Up until now I've been unsuccessful.

The Problem:

I have 'Camel' lashes: Very long, but dead straight and limp. Instead of curling up like most lashes, they grow straight down.
They do not like to curl, and without mascara they look non-existent.

With most mascaras I've tried I have found it difficult to achieve a curl, and ALWAYS need to use eyelash curlers. But even with this the mascara does not let my lashes hold the curl for long, and within less than a minute my lashes look as though I haven't bothered!

The Solution:

Collection 2000 Collagen Curl £4.99

Collagen Curl has been a lifesaver!

I love the curved brush, and the mascara itself is what I've been looking for.
The waterproof version (pictured above) has a much drier consistency, and to begin with I was sceptical because it reminded me of a dried up old mascara. But when applied it holds the curl beautifully!
-I still need to use curlers, but this time the curl not only stays for more than one minute, but actually lasts all day!

The non-water proof one has a much better texture when applying, but still holds exactly the same.
There is no flaking, and I'm so impressed. It's one of the cheapest mascaras I've tried, but it beats higher end brands hands down!

Tips for a Beautiful Curl:

Curl Lashes: For a long lasting curl I recommend heating metal eyelash curlers under a hair dryer for a few seconds, then curl lashes gradually, closing the curlers lightly and holding for about 10-15 seconds.
1st Coat: Apply Collagen Curl mascara and leave to dry.
Optional: For an added boost I curl my lashes one more time, very lightly just at the roots without heat (or your mascara will melt)
2nd Coat: You can use Collagen Curl again, OR if you wish to make you lashes more volumnous I'd recommend Rimmel's Day2Night mascara, using the VOLUME option (pictured below).

Rimmel Glam Eyes Day2Night Mascara £5.99

 The Result:

Achieved using a mixture of the 2 mascaras for a voluminous curl

**UPDATE**
Collection 2000 have since discontinued this mascara, so now the hunt is back on.

Make Up Haul

I had a welcome surprise at work yesterday when I found a payslip waiting for me!

-I've just started working there and so was not expecting to get anything for another month.

So of course I took advantage of the increase in my bank balance and went shopping!

TK MAXX

Rotary Holder £5.99

I love TK MAXX for its homewares section, and whilst browsing I found this rotary holder which would be perfect for storing make up brushes, pencils, mascaras, or anything else you can think of. 

-I'll be using mine to section off my eyeliners, lip liners, eyebrow pencils etc.

Eyeko Tinted Cream £4.99 (RRP £8.95)

I also picked up some make up bargains like Eyeko's Limited Edition Tinted Cream for nearly half price!

It says it can be used as a moisturiser, eye cream or highlighter.

I really like the colour of this and can't wait to try it out. The only thing about it is that whilst swatching I found it dried quickly which may make it difficult to blend.

The skin on my face is very temperamental so I'd be very interested to see if this will break me out.

Eyeko London Lips £4.99 for all three (RRP £6.50 each!)

This was such a huge bargain! I got 3 lipglosses for less than a full priced one!

And I love all three of the colours (they come in a pack so you can't really choose all 3)

The only downside to these lipglosses is that they're sticky. Personally I can't stand them if they're sticky, but the colours are so pretty I think I may make an exception for these!

Studio Basics 4 Piece Mineral Make Up Travel Brush Set £5.99 (RRP £9.99)

These brushes are fabulous!

I don't know if you can tell, but they're so tiny, but such good quality!

I really wasn't expecting much from them because of their price, and plus I'd never heard of the brand before.

But I'm so glad I decided to get them because now all doubts about them have gone!

You can't really see in this photo but the bristles are very densely packed, and are soo soft even before washing.

So far I've used the Bronzer Brush and it's amazing.

Miss a Kit £3

Now this is a bit of a random purshase!

I'm pretty much a sucker for multi-use items as well as products that are handbag sized, so when I saw this I couldn't help myself.

I know it's a bit naff looking, and its baby pink (not really a fan) but at £3 I got it anyway!

It has 15 uses:

Mirror, Flashlight, Scissors, Nail File, Tweezers, Pen, Pill Box, Perfume Bottle, Knife, Ruler, Bottle Opener, Screwdriver, Bottle Opener, Sewing Kit, and Key Chain.

Pull-out tweezers & pen stylus

Corkscrew, knife, bottle opener, scissors & nail file/ruler (on the other side)

Mirror, sewing kit, travel size perfume bottle, light, pill box/container

Personal 911 Kit £3 - plasters, nail file, hair band, dental floss, tweezers, sewing kit & double sided
'apparel tape'

Love the idea of this. So many times I've needed a nail file, or a hair band etc. So when I saw this 'emergency' kit I had to get it. 

It's such a handy tin as you can always take out something you wont need and swap it for something you do (I'd swap the apparel tape for safety pins).

Again, it's handbag sized - what more can I say!

SUPERDRUG

3 Minute Miracle Deep Treatment Sachets, 99p Each

I'm pretty sure I'm killing my hair as it's in awful condition at the moment! 

I remember I used to always use Aussie's 3 minute miracle back when my hair was lovely and soft, so I thought I'd try it again. I couldn't decide between which one to get so I thought I'd see which sachet works for me.

Charles Worthington Hair Serum £1.89

I don't usually use hair serum as I feel it makes my hair lose any of the volume I'd managed to give it. 

-However, as I said, my hair's started to get in really bad condition, so I need all the help I can get to tame it. 

As before, I was sold by the fact it's handbag sized :/

As hard as I tried, I couldnt stop myself from wandering into the make up section.

I wasn't as bad as I thought, and ended up only buying these (I've been known to come back with more!)

-Famous currently has an offer of 3 for 2 in Superdrug, so I picked up 3 of their lip products. 

Famous Lipstick Shade 4, £4

I love the design of this lipstick, and think it's so pretty. However the lipstick doesn't always 'click' into its lid so sometimes it does come out - though if you take care to make sure its secure then it will stay in place.

Anyway, the important bit! The Colour: I really like this colour (obviously - I chose it!).
It's a nice rose colour, but not too strong. It's very subtle but not sheer, the colour pay-off is very good.
-Too many times I've picked up what looks to be a nice colour, put it on and found it's too sheer/strong. To me this is perfect!
And it's very easy to build up the colour to make it stronger should you wish to go bolder. (or if you like it sheer, apply it with a lip brush to lips that have been coated with lip balm)

£4 each

These are two shades from their Diamond Shimmer collection.
-Personally I'm really not a fan of glittery make up, but these are very subtle and are more of a shimmer.
These would be lovely used alone and over a lipstick to give it that extra kick. I love both of these colours, and will definitely be experimenting with these over different lipstick colours/shades.

Accessorize Lip Gloss in 'Idol', £3

Unfortunately this lipgloss wasn't on offer - I just liked the colour!

They have another lipgloss in the same colour as this, but in a deeper shade. I opted for the lighter one for once as I'm trying to be a bit lighter in my colour choices and experiment a bit more with my lip colours.

And that's it so far! 

I will do more in depth reviews of some of these products (the Tinted Cream, the Brush's and possibly the Hair Treatments) once I've had a chance to test them out properly.