Amazing Drugstore Foundation! Bourjois Healthy Mix Review

Two foundation posts in a row? I must be going crazy. I suppose that's what happens when you're stuck at home due to flooding.

Anyway, a few days ago, I was browsing my local boots store when the Bourjois stand caught my eye. It's not a brand I usually go for, but I remembered hearing great things about Healthy Mix Serum Foundation and that's it's comparable to Mac Studio Sculpt. I had enough Boots points to have it for free, and the offer of the corresponding concealer proved too tempting.

The foundation supposedly contains all sorts of magic miracle ingredients, but it seems likely that these exist in such tiny quantities that they'd make little difference to the health of your skin. I have my doubts about the "vitamin-rich fruit therapy" containing lychee, goji berries and pomegranate acting like some kind of wonder drug, but my god- it smells amazing. It's a fresh, fruity smell, without being artificial or overly sweet. All I'm saying is, if Bourjois came out with this fragrance in perfume form; I'd probably bath in it.

So, according to the bottle, Healthy Mix is a gel-based foundation providing 16-hour wear whilst being hypo-allergenic. For the RRP of £10.99 you get 30ml- not bad for something that won "product of the year 2011".

I'm a big fan of gel based foundations as the need for a primer is reduced (although in the pictures below I have a little tough of Bare Escentuals Prime Time) and they seem to last the longest. It also makes them somewhat water resistant. That's the first similarity to the Mac product.

The other similarity comes in the form of the coverage and the finish. It's a medium coverage product with a semi-satin finish. In that respect, I find Healthy Mix to be identical to Studio Sculpt for less that half the price. If anything, I even prefer the finish of the cheaper product, as I find it requires less setting, and dries somewhat smoother. It's also a little less streaky to apply, and I do so with the Elf powder brush. It dries fairly fast, but doesn't cling to dryness and lets you blend it to your heart's content. In all honesty, I think this product really does last. I haven't tested it for the full 16 hours, but it was still going strong after 12, so it beats Mac in that respect.

For me, the only negative aspect of this foundation is the shade range. I'm an NW15, so I went for the lightest shade in Healthy Mix- 51. It works fine, but in an ideal world it would be a little less yellow. Admittedly, my local Boots store is small, but there were only 4 shades of this foundation on display, and there are only 5 available in the website! Certainly, none of this would be suitable for anyone much darker than NW30. Shocking!

So yes, I think that if you match the colour range and you like a medium satin finish foundation, this is the best example out there. It doesn't feel heavy or greasy but makes my skin feel all moisturised and lovely- even if the hype about magical super fruit seems a little too good to be true.

I have the concealer too, which is just as good as the foundation. Just watch out for the slight variance in the shade range. A 51 (vanille clair) in the foundation is not the same as a 51 in the concealer. Oh, and this product is apparently contains apricot and raspberry. Whether that's true or not, it smells yummy. In the picture, the concealer is the top swatch, and the foundation is below.

In the pictures I haven't set the foundation with powder so you can see the true finish. I couldn't resist a little bit of Nars blush in "Sin" though, and I have Mac Cremesheen Glass in "Just Superb" on my lips.

That's all for now!

Rach

xx

Best and Worst Foundation- Drugstore and High-end

I am a foundation junkie. Cream, gel, liquid, mineral, BB cream- you name it, I've tried it. Of course, there are a whole load of great products out there (as well as a fair few terrible ones) so here are my thoughts on just a few of the best and worst on the market.

I'm hoping to keep this post short and sweet in comparison to my last one, so today I'll only be covering liquid products. Powder will have to wait its turn!

THE BEST

Mac Face and Body (my shade is N1)

http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/158/393/Products/Face/Foundation/Face-And-Body-Foundation/index.tmpl

Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Totally. Spending £26 on a foundation might not seem a lot to some people, but for me it's a substantial amount of money. The great thing about this product is its size. It's a huge bottle (120ml) meaning that it lasts a really long time. I've had one bottle for about a year, even though I use it about 4 times a week. It's really sheer with a buildable coverage, so it's not to everyone's taste, but it works well for my skin- especially in the summer when I don't need anything too heavy. It's a little bit dark for me, but Mac don't make a lighter version, so if you're an NW15 like me, be careful. Oh, and you'll have to set this foundation really well with a good powder if you want it to last as it tends to slide off the skin a bit.

Mac Studio Sculpt (My shade is NW15)

http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/158/4386/Products/Face/Foundation/Studio-Sculpt-SPF-15-Foundation/index.tmpl

This is the newest foundation in my collection, and so far, my favourite. It's gel based, so lasts all day even without a primer, and leaves a beautifully smooth medium satin coverage. It matches my skin colour perfectly (as ever with Mac, there's a huge range of shades), and I love the tube style packaging. It's not a cheap foundation so I want to be able to squeeze out every little bit and get my money's worth! I also love the fact it's got an SPF in it as it's good to know you've got a little extra protection on top of your moisturizer/sun block.

Revlon ColourStay (My shade is 150- buff)

No link I'm afraid, the Boots website didn't want to cooperate. (RRP £8.99)

Bit of a controversial one- people seem to either love of hate this product. You have to blend it really fast, because it sets quickly and tends to cling to patches of dry skin if you're not careful. However, with a liberal application of primer and a good brush (come to me, Real Techniques buffer!) it's gorgeous. Revlon ColourStay provides a fairly heavy coverage with a matte finish- covering all manner of skin-based disasters, and it gives you a total confidence boost, so I like to see it as a "push-up bra for the face". It's my go-to foundation for when my complexion won't behave itself, and I like the fact I don't have to touch it up in the middle of the day. My one tip is to make sure you moisturize properly if you get slightly dry skin. If your skin is really dry, stay away entirely. It won't flatter you.

THE WORST

Benefit You Rebel Lite Tinted Moisturizer

http://www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk/product/view/you-rebel-lite

Yes, yes. I know it's not officially a foundation, but I want to scream from the rooftops about how bad this is. I dislike benefit as a brand in general as I find it overpriced and bad quality (although they have produced some corkers- Hula Bronzer, High Beam, Lemon Aid), but I thought I'd give this product the benefit (Ha) of the doubt and try it out with an open mind. Biggest waste of £23.50 I could imagine. I bought the "lite" version because I have the complexion of a dead person, but it's so yellow. I don't know of anyone who possesses skin with such a repulsively neon hue, but they need to see a doctor. Even if you do persevere and  put the stuff on your face, it melts off in seconds leaving a sticky, greasy residue as if you've cleansed with the contents of a deep fat fryer. However, I never like to waste a product- especially not one so expensive- so I've been known to apply a conservative amount to act as an SPF under my foundation or to tackle unusually dry skin around my eyes. Benefit describe this product as "defiantly different"- probably because it's more awful than any other tinted moisturizer on the market.

Rant over.

Maybelline SuperStay 24hr (my shade is ivory)

http://www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Superstay-24hr-Foundation_1042352/

Mayebelline is probably my favourite brand for a small budget, but this foundation is truly awful. It's thick, sticky, and way too orange- even in a light shade. I bought this online, and "ivory" seemed to be the lightest, but it looks horrendous on my skin, and I'll have to give it away to someone with a bit more of a tan. Not that anyone will want it though as it's a nightmare to apply and look totally uneven if you attempt to blend it over even the slightest of imperfections. I found it really patchy as well, and it gives you a horrible sensation of having something very heavy on your skin all day. It melts so much in the heat that when I take my glasses off, the inside of the frame is covered in orange goop. I'd stay away from this one, but do try out Maybelline's other products... their smokey eye pencil is amazing!


That's all for today, but I've got my eye on Chantecaille's "Just Skin" (I won't let go of that £57 without a fight!)

Rach
xx

Real Techiques Brushes- First Impressions

I've been toying with the idea of getting some new make up brushes for a little while, but deciding on what brand to go for hasn't been easy! I settled on Real Techniques because I've heard they're comparable to Sigma, but lower in price and more easily available. Oh, and being the cheapskate I am, they were on offer on boots.co.uk (buy one get one half price) which made my choice a bit simpler...

Right, so that's all of them- eleven in total. Each set retails at £21.99 (although I got one of them half price), the stippling brush was £11.99, and the blush brush retails at £9.99 (on offer for £5). My rusty maths skills tell me that I spent a total of £49.98 with free delivery. At full price the brushes would have cost £65.98, so I saved a grand total of £15.98. I think the Real Techniques brushes are great value. Although parting with £50 is a little bit painful, you've got to remember that high-end brushes like Mac cost between £20 and £40 each, and I don't think their quality is one bit superior to these little gems.

For a bit of background info, this line of brushes was created by Samantha Chapman who is a YouTube vlogger and a fantastic make up artist. Her YouTube channel (Pixiwoo) is well worth a look if you're not familiar with it, as she uses the Real Techniques brushes in all her tutorials.

I've got so many good things to say about these brushes, even though they've only been in my collection for two days. However, I HATE the design. The brush handles are made with aluminium with a black grip so they're light weight and tactile. Yeah, I get where Sam was coming from on this, but I just think they're a bit ugly. Each type of brush has a corresponding handle colour: the yellow brushes are from the "flawless base" range, the purple are "enhanced eyes", and the pink are used for a "perfect finish. Clever idea, but not well executed. Besides, the website maintains that each brush is multipurpose (which is definitely true) so why limit then with colour coding?! Sexy sleek black ones would be preferable, but I'm over it when the brushes are so damn good!

Oh, I should probably mention that all the brushes are made of the same Taklon duo fibre bristles. This means that they're super soft, fast drying and 100% cruelty free- ideal for a vegetarian with a guilty conscience like me!

That's enough rambling- let's get onto the first set of brushes: "The Core Collection."

Presented in a clever case-come-stand, this range is comprised of "flawless base" brushes and I absolutely love it. From left to right, we have the contour brush, pointed foundation brush, detailer brush and buffing brush.

• The contour brush is perfect! It's small, but an ideal size for getting into the hollows of my cheeks. It's dense enough to pack on colour, yet still being really good for blending.
• As for the foundation brush, I like it, but I would never use it to apply foundation. It's tiny! It would take about six months to do my whole face using that thing. However, anyone who read my previous post about the Superdrug concealer brush will know that I like big brushes for that purpose; and this is ideal. It's a little bit scratchy, but works really well to flawlessly hide dark circles. 
• The brush intended for concealer- the detailer brush- is a bit too small for my taste, but I really like it as a lip brush. 
• The buffing brush is absolutely gorgeous! it's the perfect size and creates and amazing HD finish when used with a bit of powder (Mac MSFN all the way!) 

Next up: "The Starter Set"...

I don't think this set is quite as wonderful as the core collection, but I'm still really glad I bought it. From left to right we have: the deluxe crease brush, the base shadow brush, the accent brush, the pixel-point eyeliner brush, and the brow brush.

• The deluxe crease brush is lovely and dense with a domed shape. It's really soft and fluffy, but quite big so not ideal for detail work. Fantastic for diffuse, subtle looks though.
• The base shadow brush is fairly self explanatory. Perfect size, nice and soft. What more could you want?
• I was skeptical when I first received the accent brush. It's sooo small! What use could it possibly be? Turns out, it's great for smudging powder along the lash line for a really smokey look. Love it.
• The eyeliner brush is the only brush from this range I really do not like. It's too thick for liner, and I prefer an angled brush like the Mac 263, or the even the cheaper Eco Tools version.
• The brow brush is lovely, but a little bit thick. I don't have very big eyebrows so it tend to apply more heavily than I want. It's so soft and high quality that I'm sure I'll find another use for it.

I am aware that Real Techniques also makes a brush set called "Travel Essentials", but I didn't buy that one because it contains three brushes, two of which come in the other sets. However, I bought two of the individual brushes (not available in sets).

Unlike the other brushes, these have flat bases so they stand up. I don't understand this at all! It's not conducive to good storage because they're so easy to knock over when left standing, and too thick to put comfortably in a brush jar with limited space. Saying this, they're fantastic brushes, and probably my favourite out of everything I purchased.

• The blush brush is so damn fluffy! It's a little bit tapered, and something about it makes it amazing at picking up lots of colour and dispersing it evenly over the cheeks. It's quite big, so can double up as an all over powder brush.
• The stippling brush was a lot smaller than I was expecting. It's so so dense though, so really puts the Elf version to shame. It takes a little while to do your foundation with it because of the size, but it's totally worth the effort because it creates the most beautiful finish you could imagine.

Overall, I'm going to give Samantha Chapman's Real Techniques Brushes a solid 7.5/10. Amazing quality, good price, but they're not as pretty as I'd like and I think some of them aren't well considered as far as size goes. If you want a bit more information here's the website:

http://realtechniques.com/

Rach
xx

Mini London Haul and Springsheen vs Orgasm

If you want to save money, don't go make up shopping in Covent Garden.

Having no will power whatsoever, Mac and Space NK proved too bigger a temptation for me, and in total I spent £92. Ouch. I'm struggling to justify that kind of expenditure, but I'm telling myself that they're staple products that have been missing from my collection, and it's birthday money, so I might as well enjoy it.

So here's what I got:

(Ha, just realised "Ricepaper" is upside down)

Nars Blush in the coveted "Orgasm"
God, I've wanted this for so long! Living in the middle of rural Devon, there isn't exactly an abundance of Nars stockists. In fact, the closest is 65 miles away in Bournemouth- somewhere I don't often venture. I was reluctant to buy it online due to the fact I couldn't test it out, which I think is vital when you're spending a lot of money on a product (in this case, £21). Anyway, it's just as gorgeous as I knew it would be. It's really shimmery yet wearable, and the peachy-pink tone is perfect with my skin. It feels as though it would be a really universal colour, so I'd recommend it to anyone. I'm not even going to mention the packaging; everyone knows how sexy it is. My one little grumble is the way I was treated by the staff in Space NK. The girl who served me was really rude and snobby, and it felt like she assumed that as a teenager, I'd know nothing about good quality make up- let alone be able to afford it. Not only this, but she was clearly anxious to serve me as quickly as possible so I'd leave the shop. I guess this isn't the fault of Nars though, but Space NK. Won't be shopping there again.

In my normal style: there's a terrible swatch for your enjoyment below.

This blush got me thinking. I've heard it's pretty similar to Mac's Springsheen, so I thought I'd test this out for myself.

Okay, so they're fairly close. However, "Orgasm" seems to have more of a pink tone, whereas "Springsheen" is more orange/peach based. I think I prefer the colour of the Nars product, but I'd say Springsheen is creamier and more pigmented. Nars blushes also happen to be £3.50 more expensive and 1.2 grams smaller than Mac blushes, but I'm happy to have both as I think they work equally well as everyday colours.

Mac Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation in NW15
I was shocked to be matched to NW15, as it's so so light. Seems to work really well though, and appeases my "winter skin" perfectly.The general online consensus is that it can make your skin look a bit dark and cake-y, so I think having an abnormally light shade might not be a bad thing. It's a heavy powder, with full coverage, so I'll be wearing it alone; without liquid foundation. I'm lucky to have well-behaved skin, so I don't need massive coverage, but I bought this for those "bad skin days" or when I'm feeling too lazy for proper foundation, and just want to dust on a bit of powder. The powder is presented in a lovely compact, with a large mirror, and a applicator sponge in the bottom compartment.

Mac Paint Pot in Painterly
My first Paint Pot! I've wanted one for a long time just to apply under eyeshadow. Being entirely lazy, I just couldn't be bothered to buy one previously because they're a bit boring. What I mean to say is that I'm a total magpie, and when I go into any make up shop, I head straight to the exciting shiny things and tend to ignore the staples. I'm so glad I bought this though because it's better than any eyeshadow primer I've ever used. "Painterly" is a neutral tone with a pink base, and is the closest Paint Pot to my skin colour.

Just to avoid confusion, "Painterly" is the top swatch. Ignore the eyeshadow below. I couldn't be bothered to wash my arm between swatches (that's dedication for you).

Mac Eyeshadow in "Brun" "Cork" and "Ricepaper"
Anyone who read my previous Mac eyeshadow collection post saw that I was desperately lacking basic neutrals. During my splurge in Covent Garden, I decided to rectify this, and purchased three shades: "Brun" "Cork" and "Ricepaper." "Brun" is the darkest of my choices, and is black-brown a satin finish. It's highly pigmented and will be a great crease colour; as well as a perfect match for my eyebrows. "Cork" is a mid tone warm brown. It's also a satin finish and one of those colours that can be quickly thrown on all over the lid for an easy look. The last colour is "Ricepaper" and I have to say I'm absolutely in love. It's a frost, making it very shimmery. It's really close to my skin tone, so doesn't show up terribly well in the swatch, but is a gorgeous highlight colour, without being quite as stark as something like "Nylon" or "Naked Lunch." I'm sure I'm going to be getting a lot of wear out of all of them.

Anyway, that's it for now, and I'll be keeping myself distracted to avoid any more little shopping sprees.

(apart from maybe Elf or Coastal Scents :P)

Rach xx

Top 4 High Street (drugstore) Lipsticks

So, my last post was a little bit high end for my liking! It's not that I don't like expensive make up- I lust after it- but that's not what this blog is all about. Today, like a true penny-pincher, I'm introducing the 4 high street (or drugstore to our friends across the pond) lipsticks I cannot live without. Here they are:

From left to right we have: 17 Shine On in "Flirty", Barry M Lip Paint number 150, Maybelline Colour Sensational in "Midnight Plum", Elf Lipstick in Sociable.

Same order applies to the swatches below.

As you can see, the first two colours are neutral, everyday colours. The second two colours are bright and brave- ideal for parties and nights out while still being wearable.

17 Shine On in "Flirty"

I bought this six months ago, and I don't think they still make it! I wish I'd bought more of these at the time, because it's a really soft and silky formula. It's a muted rose colour- almost nude. I wear it a lot and it matches almost all make up looks. It's not as shiny as the name would have you believe; but I like that as I think it makes it far more wearable. The only problem is that it isn't terribly long lasting, so reapplication throughout the day is necessary. I can't remember what it cost, but I imagine it was under a fiver. 

Oh, apologies for the horrible lighting. I should also mention that all the pictures are without lip liner or gloss so you can see the true colour.

Barry M Lip Paint number 150

Apart from my Mac Mattene Lipstick in "delectable", this is my favourite nude! In fact, they're really similar in both colour and consistency. It's gorgeous and creamy and really long lasting, with slightly browner undertones than the 17 product. It's also more matte than the previous product, which I personal like, but I occasionally mix things up with a layer of gloss. I wouldn't be without this one, and it's available for the very reasonable price of £4.49.

Maybelline Colour Sensational in "Midnight Plum"

With winter on its way, I couldn't resist this lovely dark colour to jazz up my look. It's a little bit daring as it's very dark with a considerably amount of shimmer (doesn't show up in the picture very well). Also very creamy, and super long lasting- making it ideal for parties. It does tend to stain the lips a little, so don't forget a balm underneath. It cost £7.19, and I have another from this range in a nude which is almost identical to the Barry M.

Elf Lipstick in Sociable

This is undoubtedly the cheapest item in my collection. Elf sent it to me by accident when I place a huge order with them a few weeks back (although I'd happily repurchase it for the grand price tag of £1.50). I was skeptical at first- glittery raspberry isn't my colour. But no, I was wrong! It's a really fun, playful colour and if you don't have the guts to wear it full-on, it's easy enough to tone down with a brown gloss. It's kind of a strange one, because the lipstick itself is matte, but it has rather large chunks of glitter in it. Not something I'd normally go for, but it really works! The great thing about this lippy is that it lasts and lasts and lasts, but it takes a little work to make it go on totally smoothly. I absolutely love it though, and I plan on purchasing all of the Elf lipsticks in the future. 

Oo-er, be prepared for the unsightly close-up of my face- complete with huge dark circles from too much coffee and too little sleep.

Right, that should be enough to settle my conscience about banging on about high end products! Although saying that, I'm off to London this weekend and I'm going to irresponsibly squander some of my birthday money in the Mac store and Space NK. Be prepared for a post!

Rach xx

My Little Mac Eyeshadow Collection.

I'm poor.

There, I've said it. I'm just another teenage girl who enjoy living a lifestyle she has no financial means of supporting. So, it's needless to say that my Mac collection is pretty limited. I currently have 10 Mac shadows, with three more planned with my birthday money. I thought it would be interesting to post a little something about the shades I do have, and why I think Mac eyeshadows are the best on the market. So, without further ado, here are the culprits.

As you can see, I don't have many, and my collection is certainly lacking a lot of key shades. I currently have Ricepaper, Cork, and Wedge on order because I just love my neutrals. I'm also considering purchasing chrome yellow because I've got a bit of a  yellow eye make up fetish at the moment. (I blame Beyoncé).

These guys are the gems of my collection. At least one of them makes an appearance every day- if not two or three. From left to right we have: Gesso, Brulé, All That Glitters, and, you've guessed it; Carbon.

Some of these shadows are great, but I don't wear any of them on a daily basis. From left to right we have: Venus, Crystal, Tilt, Pink Venus, Motif and Orange. 












**WARNING** I'm terrible at doing swatches. If I'm this bad at putting make up on my arm, it's a wonder I can get it looking half decent on my face.

1) Gesso- "vivid white" matte. I would honestly be a little bit lost without this shadow. It's so variable and fun to work with as it can be applied lightly for a subtle highlight or built up for an intense and interesting look. The quality of this product makes it the best white eyeshadow out there in my opinion.

2) Brulé- "soft creamy-beige" satin. I use this pretty much every day. As you can see it's really close to my skin tone so makes a great base for a neutral look, whilst concealing my blemishes.

3) All That Glitters- "beige with gold pearl" veluxe pearl. Now, this is a sexy colour. It's really pigmented and shimmering but perfectly wearable in the crease. I use this shade a lot.

4) Carbon- "intense black" matte. I haven't applied this shade particularly well in the swatch (I did warn you), but it's the perfect deep black. No shimmer, no sparkle, nothing fancy- just black!

5) Orange- "neon orange" matte. You probably think I've gone mad looking at this colour, but no; I assure you I still have most of my marbles. I'm really into orange make up with dark brown eyes, and I also like blending it with other warm colours for a sunset themed look. I guess that is a bit crazy, but you can't hide behind neutrals all the time! I love this shade, but I would say that you have to work hard for decent colour pay off.

6) Motif- satin. I don't think Mac make this colour anymore because I can't find any trace of it on their website, and I've had it for a few years. It's a really pretty iridescent shadow, and it looks gorgeous if you have the time to work with it. I just get a bit bored and inpatient though because it's not quite intense enough for me.

7) Pink Venus- "washed pink" lustre. It's so glittery, pink, creamy and bright! Like Barbie vomit! Let's just say, I went through a phase. I wish I suited pink because it's a dream to work with, but it just makes me look  ill when I wear it on my eyes. I have had more success using it as a blush... food for thought...

8) Venus- satin. Again, this one is a few years old and was actually a present. There's no trace of it on Mac's website so I think it's fairly safe to say that they don't make it anymore. In all honesty, it's no great loss. It's a shimmery cold silver-grey. Not for me. However, I will say that as with all Mac shadows, the quality is excellent.

9) Crystal- "violet duochrome with pearl" frost. This is a lovely colour, and looks different under every light. One minute it's a glowing violet and the next it's a steely grey. I like it a lot, but it's difficult to use on my skin without looking like an extra from the Twilight films.

10) Tilt- "violet with blue green pearl" frost. Again, I love this colour and it's always the first one I reach for when doing a blue look. Unfortunately, I don't wear blue that often because it just doesn't look right. Lovely shade for darker skin though.


So, there you have it, my little collection. I plan to post a review of my new shadows as soon as I get them. Very excited!
Rach x

BIRTHDAY! :D

So, tomorrow is the long awaited 18th birthday! I'm quite excited about my first legal drink, but mostly about the big party I'm having with friends and family. I've been debating the hair and make up look for the event, and I've decided on a neutral smokey look with a braided updo, to avoid clashing with my bright green dress. (Pictures to follow soon).

I've asked for lots of bits and pieces from MAC, so I'll see what tomorrow brings, and I'm sure there'll be a few reviews on the way. I'm actually considering posting a little something about my little MAC eyeshadow collection. We'll see what happens :)

Rach xx

What a week!

I can't believe how busy I've been this week! I've been helping out with hair and makeup for a musical being directed by my friend- Oh! What a Lovely War. Everyone has worked so hard to pull it off, and it was absolutely fantastic. I'm really grateful that I got to help out. :)

It's been really good fun, and certainly a new experience but I quite possibly underestimated how much time and effort it takes to do full Pierrot makeup on 20 (fidgeting) cast members. With a limited budget, I had to be a little creative- no fancy brushes or grease paint; just good old fashioned face paint and Pritt Stick for those unruly eyebrows. In the end, I decided not to go for anything too detailed or time consuming, just bold and striking. (little skill required :P)

Nice costume, Dan.

E.L.F Brush Collection and Reviews

Since I discovered the company, I've had a love-hate relationship with E.L.F cosmetics. Even though a few of the products can be a bit hit-or-miss, I think their range of brushes is pretty damn decent. I have 12 E.L.F. brushes- 6 from the regular line at £1.50 each, and 6 studio line at £3.50 each (although they now retail at £3.75). To satisfy the teenage stereotype, I'm too lazy to wash all my brushes and photograph them for this post, but I will put links to the E.L.F website.

NORMAL "PROFESSIONAL" LINE:

Total Face Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~39.htm
This brush is a little bit bigger than the website would have you believe, and it's had split reviews. Although there have been complaints in the beauty world that it's prickly and uncomfortable to use, I haven't noticed any problems. It's not the softest brush in the world, but it's nice and dense with little shedding- even after over a year of use and regular washing. I normally use it with loose powder, but I guess it would work for all over bronzing if you're that way inclined.

A solid 7/10!

Bronzing Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~43.htm
Screw Mac, screw Sigma- I'd be LOST without this brush. For even the clumsiest among us, it makes contouring incredibly easy; and creating ultra-defined cheekbones no problem at all. Watch out, Benedict Cumberbatch... You've got competition! ;) I use this brush daily for bronzer and blush and I absolutely love it. For me it's the perfect size to get in the hollow of my cheek, but a few people have complained that it's a little scratchy like the total face brush. Can't go wrong for £1.50- give it a go!

Has to be a 9/10.

Defining Eye Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~44.htm
This has to be my least favourite of all E.L.F brushes. When it arrived, it seemed to have glue in the fibers, making it all clumped up and spiky. Not good. After a few washes it was okay, but the brush head isn't very dense so it's difficult to apply strong colour. Sometimes I reach for it when applying subtle colour to the outer part of my eye, but that's about it I guess. The angle is pretty nice, just a shame it's not better quality.

3/10

Smudge Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~262.htm
This little guy is fairly new to my collection, and made an appearance in last week's post. I haven't used it as much as I though I would, but it's nice and dense and great for creating smokey looks. If you're a make up beginner, I'd recommended this tool for smudging out eyeliner or shadow around the last line. Easy Peasy!

I like this brush and I should use it more- 7/10

Eye Crease Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~223.htm
Also a new one, and I absolutely love it! This brush does what it says on the tin, and is great for sticking a bit of colour in your crease. I like using this to apply a concentrated amount of shadow for a really dramatic look. It's nice and small and dense, so it's almost like a pencil brush.

9/10

Eye Shadow Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~41.htm
This is my everyday eyeshadow brush and it's perfect. Does exactly what you want it to do, and it's ideal for packing colour onto the lid. It's soft, dense and great value for money. What more could you want?

Can't fault it- 10/10.

STUDIO LINE:

Angled Foundation Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~138.htm
One word (not really a word) to sum up this brush: "meh". Yeah. it's okay I guess. Good quality- soft and dense. I don't really use it for liquid foundation though- I think it's a bit streaky. However, I will say that the angled edge makes it perfect for getting into tricky places such as the side of the nose.

5/10

Powder Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~136.htm
Oh God. Where do I begin?! Well, I rarely use this for powder (maybe to pack on a bit of Mac MSFN if I'm having a bad skin day) but it's an everyday staple for liquid foundation. I love this with Mac Face and Body, but it also works with a heavier foundation, and could even be used to apply a tinted moisturizer or BB cream. It's the softest brush I own, and it's incredibly dense and this is what makes the finish so flawless.

10/10

Fan Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~137.htm
I don't use this THAT much, but it's just as soft as the other brushes and good for applying setting powder or dusting away fallout on the cheeks from eyeshadow.

7/10

Stipple Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~227.htm
I have such a love-hate relationship with this brush. It's soft, but just so damn flimsy. I can't really use it for foundation. but it works well for blush as it fits perfectly over the apples of the cheeks. Don't bother- get the powder brush.

5/5

Concealer Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~140.htm
Don't bother. Seriously. It's small and scratchy so I can't use it to conceal under my eyes. I do sometimes use this to pack concealer onto blemishes and spots; and I've even used it once or twice for cream shadow. Really not worth the price tag- however small it might be.

BLEHH.

3/10

Eyeshadow "C" Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~141.htm
This little gem is good for absolutely everything and it's almost like the big daddy of the smudge brush. If I'm in a hurry I use it for packing on a lid colour, or to smoke-out the crease. It's a bit clumsy for precise application but it's good value and multi-purpose. Rachel likes!

ALL DONE. Sorry. That was unnecessarily long and rambling. I hope this gave you a good idea of what's hot and what's not (god, I hate that phrase). I should probably mention I used to have a couple more E.L.F. brushes, but they've gone walk-abouts. I haven't got any of the bamboo brushes either, which are more expensive, but I hear they're comparable to Ecotools. If you stuck with me to the end you deserve a medal!

Until next time,

Rach x

E.L.F. Cosmetics Purchases

Since I discovered them, I've always loved E.L.F. cosmetics. Maybe that's what comes from being really stingy and reluctant to splash out on high-end brands; or maybe they're a genuinely brilliant company.

Ever the tight-arse, I took full advantage of E.L.F's £25 when you spend £50+ offer. Taking this into consideration I paid about £37 for everything I got, along with free delivery. Great!

Delivery was really fast (ordered on a Friday night, arrived on the Tuesday) and everything I paid for was present in the carefully packaged cardboard box with no breakages whatsoever. The company didn't get my order bang-on though, and in typical E.L.F style they accidentally gave me a free lipstick in "Sociable"- turns out to be a really great colour!

So here's what I got:

• Lipstick in sociable
• Smudge brush
• Eye crease brush
• Smokey eye palette/beauty book thing
• 2x Smokey eye edition beauty book (one's for a friend)
• Eyeliner and shadow stick in pearl/glow. (studio)
• Eyeliner and shadow stick in black/smoke (studio)
• Matte lip colour in coral (studio)
• Matte lip colour in tea rose (studio)
• Mascara primer (studio)
• Lip liner and blend brush in wine (studio)
• Contouring blush and bronzing powder (studio)
• Blush in gotta glow (studio)
• Fake lashes in natural
• All over colour stick in spotlight
• All over colour stick in golden peach
• All over colour stick in persimmon

Phew! So yeah, quite a lot of make up. This isn't my first experience with E.L.F and I've always been impressed with the value for money considering the quality of the products you get. All of the standard line products retail at £1.50, the Beauty Books are £6 each, and the studio line products I purchased were all £3.75, although a few items from that range do cost a little more. I have to admit that some of the products can be a little hit and miss. I absolutely adore the all over colour sticks, but I've found that the matte lip colours are a pain to apply as they don't seem to go on smoothly. My Beauty Book seemed no where near as pigmented as the one I bought for my friend which is crazy. Maybe it's from an older batch or something, but I should have checked to see which one was better before parting with the nice one! As for the eyeliner and shadow sticks- I am absolutely in love. The black eyeliner is so gorgeous, creamy and long lasting, and the pearly colour makes for the most beautiful highlight. The lipstick is a really nice addition, despite the colour being very bright and glittery- something I'd normally shy away from. I'll just throw in the swatches of the all over colour sticks- they really are a great alternative to a cream blush as they apply well, are perfectly pigmented, and can even be used on the eyes and lips. Not bad for £1.50 a piece.

(L to R: Spotlight, Golden Peach, Persimmon)

If you're just starting out with make up, I cannot recommend the brushes highly enough. For £1.50 each, they are perfect. The quality is high, so they don't shed at all and they're really soft. The studio ones are just as fantastic; the powder brush is my all time favourite and I plan on writing a little something about my E.L.F brush collection at some stage.

I'll leave it at that for now, but I'm sure there'll be reviews and more swatches to come at a later date.

Rach x

A Few Bits and Pieces from mememecosmetics.co.uk

I've always been a fan of Groupon, and when a great deal on makeup comes up, I'm normally too easily swayed to resist. So when a £45 voucher to spend on mememecosmetics.co.uk was available for £18, I snapped it up!

To my knowledge, MeMeMe is a UK based company who sell into Superdrug stores across England. I've had one or two pieces from their range before, but I've never really given them that much thought. I picked out a few products from their website and they were delivered in 4 days. I think the products should have cost just under £50 altogether, but with my Groupon code I paid a lot less, excluding the rather pricey £3.95 delivery.

The products arrived securely packaged, and nothing was broken or damaged in any way. All good so far!

So, here's what I purchased!

• Flawless Loose Powder (translucent)- £5.99
• Correct and Perfect Concealer (buff)- £6.99
• Shimmer Stack (pink)- normally £9.99, on sale for £7.99
• Boho Balm Lip and Cheek Tint (taupe/coral)- £6.50
• Dew Pots (Woodland Truffle, Deadly Berry, Silk Dusk)- £7.25

As you can see, the packaging is really lovely; especially the Boho Balm which has a bit of a vintage feel to it. The main perk is the mirror in the shimmer stack compact. It's HUGE, making it ideal for chucking in your bag ready for on-the-go touch ups.

Honestly, I was disappointed with the Dew Pots. Nothing wrong with the consistency or quality; it's just the colours weren't quite what I was expecting. I was hoping that Woodland truffle would be an ever-so-slightly shimmery neutral shade, but it seems I've ended up with an incredibly glittery dark gold. Pretty, but not what I wanted. I was also expecting Silk Dusk to be a darker reddish pink, but it's a muted shade of rose- very warm with a lot of shimmer. Deadly Berry, on the other hand, is far browner that the website suggests and less sparkly than the others which is interesting. Nice enough, but it's very, very dark. I guess this just goes to show the perils of buying make up online.

(L to R: Woodland Truffle, Silk Dusk, Deadly Berry)

Moving on, I'll just mention a few words about the Boho Balm, as this is one of MeMeMe's most popular products. It's advertised as a lip and cheek tint, and I believe it is available in two varieties. Saying this, the only one available on the website was the coral and taupe one, which suited me just fine. I gave it a little go and on the lips it's stunning in either shade- long lasting and nicely pigmented. Maybe it's just me, but it was HORRIBLE on my cheeks. Honestly- I looked like I had some kind of unfortunate skin condition due to its sticky, blotchy finish. I was going to post a picture, but it was just too much of a train wreck. Sorry. 

 

Coral on the left, taupe on the right. You get 11g of product, which is a decent amount for something I'll only really use as a lip colour.

Taupe on the top, coral on the bottom. Note that the taupe is slightly pinker than it appears in the tub. Maybe this is why it looks so horrific on my face.

I'm not going to bang on for too long about the Shimmer Stack or Flawless Powder. They're both decent products and do what they say on the tin. However, the gem of this little haul is undoubtedly the concealer kit. I was a bit nervous about buying something I couldn't match, but I went for the lightest shade to suit my Twilight-esque skin colour. It's a perfect fit- warm enough to be brightening without being too intense. It's a creamy product making it comparable to MAC's Studio Finish, but I think that this is even better. The cream is coupled with a translucent powder which sits in a little screw tub below the main product. When this is applied over the concealer it gives the most beautiful flawless finish and can cover all manner of blemishes no problem at all. The power is best applied with a fluffy eyeshadow blush. I'm currently using a Sephora one. My one little grumble is the lack on shades available, as there aren't any shades suitable for dark skin. Poor show, MeMeMe!

I'm sure I'm going to have a lot of fun messing around with my new products. All in all, ordering from a company I know next to nothing about has been an interesting experience, and I certainly wouldn't have done it at full price. In all honesty, I'm not entirely sure that some of these products were worth their price tag. £7.25 a pop for a bog-standard cream eyeshadow seems a bit steep, but I would have happily paid double what I did for the concealer. Just goes to show- you win some, you lose some.

Amazing Concealer Brush at an Amazing Price!

There's nothing quite like that little feeling of victory you get from finding a great bargain. Honestly though, I wasn't expecting to discover anything worth raving about from my scavenge through Superdrug's own brand of make up brushes. How wrong I was...

I've been looking for a decent concealer brush for a while now without a great deal of luck. Everything seems too small to be of use (E.L.F Studio Line- I'm talking to you!) or too expensive. So far, I've managed to resist the lure of the MAC 195 brush, and finding this little high street gem has banished temptation completely!

I'd actually gone to Superdrug to check out the Real Techniques range, but the display looked like it had been attacked by a taklon-hungry monkey, and the store was almost entirely sold out. I'd never taken any notice of Superdrug's own brand brushes before, but curiosity got the better of me and I decided to purchase the "Blending Brush" for the hefty price tag of £1.99. Interestingly, it's not predominantly marketed as a concealer brush, but as an eyeshadow blender. To me, it seems far too big for its intended purpose, and I think the company is really missing a trick by not calling it a concealer brush on the packet.

It was hard to get any idea of the quality of the product through the garish cheap packaging, but for the money I thought it wasn't the end of the world if it turned out to be crap. I was pleasantly surprised when I got it home to find that the synthetic brush head was very soft, yet stiff enough for working with a liquid product. The main positive about it is the size. It's chunky enough that working under the eyes takes only a couple of seconds, whilst being slim enough for more fiddly areas such as around the nose. It works well with both cream and liquid concealers. I've tried it out with my E.L.F All Over Colour Stick and my MAC Select Moisture Cover- both resulting in a flawless finish. Arguably, the most impressive thing about this product is that it does not shed one bit! Amazing for such a cheap little thing. It hasn't lost a single hair so far, even when I've washed it.

Of course, for £1.99 it's not perfect. It could do with being a little bit denser to make application smoother. This really is my only complaint though, and wouldn't stop me repurchasing the brush. Because of its size (about a half an inch in width) , it's not ideal for detailed work such as scars and blemishes so I'm sticking to the pointy end of my Beauty Blender for this. However, I think that this is a fantastic staple for and brush collector on a budget and I know it's going to be getting a lot of use.

My First Review! Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr.

Before I found this product I was never really into cream eyeshadows. Sure, I had a couple of E.L.F ones and a MAC Paint Pot, but Mayelline Color Tattoo's are absolutely fantastic! They each cost £4.99 and you get 4 grams per pot (according to the interwebz), which is a bloody good deal for such a great product.

I currently own 4 of the eyeshadows (L to R) in "Turquoise Forever", "Endless Purple" "On and On Bronze", and "Permanent Taupe". As you can see from the snaps, the names are pretty self-explanatory, but the colours on the lid don't resemble the actual product at all! Three out of four of these shadows have shimmer in them, but "Permanent Taupe" is matte and seems to be my favourite so far. I bought the first two of these products (bronze and turquoise) in my local Boots store, and the others were purchased in Superdrug. As far as I could see, the rest of the range is very shimmer-intensive, with the exception of taupe, of course.

The colour in the pot is very true to the colour on the skin. These eyeshadows, on the whole, are incredibly pigmented with amazing payoff. A little goes a very long way indeed, so I imagine I'm not going to be running out any time soon. My only gripe is with "Endless Purple" which is ever so slightly more sheer than the other shades, as you'll be able to see from the swatches. All this means is that you have to work a little bit harder to get the same amount of intensity on the skin as you do with the others, but it's not a major issue at all.

(L to R: "Turquoise Forever", "Endless Purple" "On and On Bronze", "Permanent Taupe")

The consistency is what makes this product so lovely. Each one is very creamy, and blending is an absolute breeze. I think this is what makes them so wearable- you can blend them to be as strong or as muted as you wish. I'm favouring application with a stiff, synthetic brush at the moment, but I've also managed to create a few looks with my fingers. I've found that applying them to the upper lash line on a flat brush adds a pop of colour to my eyeliner, so the Color Tattoos are definitely multi-functional. They dry fast, but not so fast that you can't work with them and they don't crease at all, even after a full day's wear. Oh, and when they say 24 hours, they mean 24 hours! I'm a little ashamed to say that after a heavy night recently, I went to bed in a full face of make up and woke up to find my eyes exactly how they were when I went to sleep- not even slightly smudged. I've also tested them out in the shower, so I think it's pretty safe to say they're waterproof too. Of course, this means that you're going to have to use a good quality remover to get them off- the standard baby wipes might not do it.

I should probably say a word or two about the wonderful packaging. The pots are ridiculously tactile I'm finding myself obsessively cradling them. For such an inexpensive product, the packing is seriously substantial- each shade is presented in a satisfyingly chunky glass pot with a screw top. Just a word of warning- I've noticed from other reviews that the packaging in the States is slightly different, as are the available shades, so this is something to watch out for.

Honestly, I cannot praise this product highly enough. The colour and consistency is that of a high end brand, but at a fraction of the price you really cannot go wrong. As a base for other shadows, a liner, or on-the-go all-over lid color, Maybelline Color Tattoos really do tick all the boxes. BUY, BUY, BUY!

Where to begin?

I've been meaning to get this whole blog thing underway for a ridiculous amount of time now. I'll start by introducing myself; I'm Rachel.

I'm 17 (18 in a month- bring it on!) and currently studying for my A-levels, whilst keeping up a weekend job in a café, bakery and ice cream shop. I guess you could say that this makes me a pretty typical teenager with pretty typical teenage finances- I'm as poor as a church mouse. So, it's somewhat unfortunate, I suppose, that I've got a rather expensive hobby which is hoarding make up, fashion and beauty products like there is no flippin' tomorrow.

I'm sure I can't be the only girl who enjoys a lifestyle she can't financially sustain, so I guess jumping on the blogging bandwagon and passing the occasional thought on the affordable-beauty-product-of-the-moment can't be such a bad idea.

I've just had my final splurge of the year (or so I tell myself) on a couple of online orders from e.l.f.com and mememe.com, so I'll have plenty to witter on about for a bit. Very excited to get going on the nitty-gritty of the cosmetic world so I'm going to keep my little intro short and sweet for now! Hopefully I'll get the hang of this blogging thing nice and quickly.

Rach.