New Drugstore Make-up And First Impressions.

I had a serious case of the Monday blues this week so by lunch time I decided to do the one thing that is guaranteed to pick my lip up off the floor and headed off towards Boots and Superdrug for a much needed (but totally not needed!) beauty hit.

The only thing I was really in need of was a new eyebrow pencil so I picked up the Maybelline brow satin in Medium Brown which is an ash toned brown, thumbs up! It's double ended with one side being a retractable gel pencil (love these as I'm a lazy sharpener) and the other side a sponge tip applicator that contains a powder meant for filling in any gaps and perfecting the whole appearance of ones brows! 

After 3 consecutive mornings of using the brow satin I'm sold on the gel pencil end, the fine tip and well pigmented but natural colour tone make for foolproof, faff-free brow fills which I'm definitely all about at 6:30 am! It reminds me of a favourite from back in the day the MAC brow pencil in 'fling'  but at half the price. I'm yet to venture to the powder end of this product because it's an unfamiliar concept and I want to have a bit more time for a play with it but I'll post my thoughts when I've given it a whirl
( I have heard good things though).

As Maybelline is currently on buy one get one half price I thought I'd give their new 'Lash sensational' mascara a go, not sure why because I've never found a Maybelline mascara that I've loved. I definitely prefer Max factor, L'oreal and Bourjois when it comes to drugstore mascara but because of the offer and how there's a bit of a hype around this one I found myself popping it into my basket.

Annnd this is sooo not the one to convert me to a Maybelline mascara lover, I like the idea of the tapered, curved rubber wand but that's about all because even after a 'Shu uemura squeeze' as always with Maybelline mascara this does nothing for my lashes, I don't hate it, it's just 'meh' it's a 'meh-scara' ;)

Rimmel 25 hour nude is the medium coverage version of the much loved full coverage Rimmel lasting finish 25 hour, a recent release and one that I was keen to try out. Aside from what I think we all agree is an ever so silly 25 hour claim (more like 6), it does what it says on the tin, it's reasonably lightweight formula means a little goes a long way and it blends effortlessly into skin, it does have a semi-matte finish which picks up on the annoying areas of dryness I have at the moment, but that aside it's not exactly hydrating but it is comfortable to wear. So a no-go for very dry skin days but on the whole I'm really liking this I can see myself using it as an everyday and evening foundation as it's the perfect middle ground, flawless finish without being full on.

Rimmel also has an offer on in Superdrug, currently it's any two products for £10 I knew that I wanted to get the soft khol kajal eyeliner in 'sable brown' after seeing Tanya Burr use it in a Selena Gomez tutorial last week, she raved about this pencil and it looked stunning on her so it instantly went on my drugstore to get list. I've only had chance to use this once so far but I loved it, it's so pigmented and creamy it glides on like a dream, and the colour is perfect for achieving depth and definition without being harsh for daytime wear also I'm really looking forward to using this for my favourite kind of evening bronze/brown smoky eye.

I'm going to carry on trying these products out and if there are any that you would like a full review on let me know, although the 'meh-scara'  mayyy already be in my unloved make-up drawer ...

What drugstore Make-up are you loving lately?

xxx

Superdrug haul!

Hi di hi! 

As it's coming up to Christmas I wasn't expecting to be using the word haul around here at least until the end of the month, but Christmas means cold weather and cold weather means dry skin, dry skin means sadness and that's just not allowed at Christmas time, it's the law right?

Oh the guilty conscious, you would think I had just dropped a fortune in Chanel...

...unfortunately not, but I did pick up some nice bits and pieces.

-Superdrug Brightening hot cloth cleanser 150ml

I started using this when my last Liz Earle cleanse and polish ran out, I really like the whole cleanse and polish method when it comes to cleansing my skin and I can't say that I noticed a great deal of difference between the two in terms of what they do for the appearence of my skin, I actually prefer the smell (and price) of this one so I shall continue to repurchase it.

-Garnier Micellar cleansing water 400ml

I got so excited when I saw this! A new contender to be a drugstore bioderma dupe! I've never actually tried bioderma but the whole cleansing water concept has always held my curiosity so I shall keep you posted as soon as I have given this a try.

-Garnier moisture match
24hr hydrating moisturiser-Dry to very dry skin 50ml

I wrote a full review on this earlier in the year (here) I love it, my skin loves it, and although it is always reasonably priced it was on offer for a teeny £2.98 today so my purse now loves it too!

Also I was in the market for a new mascara....dry,clumpy lashes actually make reindeer cry, and don't let me get started on what happens to them when you pass up a 3 for 2....(Oh for goodness sake what is my life??)

-Rimmel Glam eyes Day 2 night mascara

 Nothing new here, I remember there being a massive hype around this when it first came out either last year or the year before, I can't keep up, I didn't actually give it a go back then and wasn't really planning to pick it up but then I spotted the 2 nail polishes and grabbed it to make up the 3 for 2...

-Rimmel Salon Pro Kate Moss 711 'Punk rock'

Around 2 years ago I was obsessed with a NARS nail polish 'Galion' was it's name, I speak in the past tense, it is still available but as much as I have ogled it on line and stroked it in Space NK that one time, my nails are pretty rubbish so I have never justified forking out £14 for it and always had my eye out for a dupe, this my friends is the dupe! A dark 'stormy' grey with an undertone of purple, this picture does it no justice it is actually the polish dreams are made of  (well my very strange dreams anyway ;)) 

-Rimmel Finishing touch glitter top coat

Who can resist glittery nails in December? This is one of the 3 new topcoats from Rimmel a clear base laden with fine Gold and multicolour glitter I swatched this sneakily in the shop, (naughty and not advised especially in certain branches of Superdrug where you will be made to feel like a reprobate for doing so!) and it has to be the most perfect sparkly yet subtle finish for festive fingertips!!

So that's it no more spending for me, the word haul is now banished from this blog until Santa has been and gone, but do let me know if you are guilty of buying yourself pre-Christmas treats (It will make me feel lots better!)

xxx

MAC 'Snob' dupe

 *Dammit thurrrs fluff on my lipstick!* 

As you can see I haven't just bought these baby's home, both have lived in my lipstick drawer for quite some time, I rarely wear snob as it is so cool toned I find it hard to pull off and to be honest the only reason I bought it was because I was in Harvey Nichols for the first time and it seemed fitting, oh the logic!

 The Rimmel lipstick (101) is another cool toned Barbie pink, it doesn't have the vanilla-y delicious taste of MAC, it's more a fruity taste, or the satin finish of snob, it's a little more matte (I like both) but the fact that it is just those couple of tones warmer and those couple (or ten) pounds cheaper makes the 101 my personal favourite of the two and it makes a regular appearance in my make-up bag which must be the reason it's collected the most fluff. More logic right there! I'm full of it tonight ;)

What are your favourite drugstore dupes?

xxx

Drugstore basics- How do I choose the right foundation?

I'm presuming that if you have landed on this post then you are among the many women that walk into drug stores across the land and feel overwhelmed by the vast selection of cosmetics on offer, it is overwhelming, the cosmetics industry is super massive and growing all the time sometimes it would be nice, like most things in this day and age (ooooooh how old does that make me sound?? eek!) if things would pause, let us take a breather and catch up with it all. That's not going to happen though so I'll talk more generally about foundation, a tricky one to get right at the best of times, but throw in different finishes, formula's and a bunch of letters and numbers, it can be enough to make your head explode.Too dramatic??

Things to bear in mind when shopping for foundation.

These 4 things will work as your basic guide to picking an everyday foundation.

If you wanted a foundation for a specific occasion or one that will give you a specific quality to your skin then you would look at different factors, this is just the basic knowledge you need to be equipt with to begin.

1.Your skin tone- fair, medium,dark.

So that you know which section of the colour spectrum you should be looking at to begin with.Of course there are many variations within each tone...

2.Your undertone- cool, warm or neutral

  So that you pick a foundation with the correct base colour for your undertone

(The quickest way to check this is to look at the veins on your wrist if they are blue then you have a cool undertone, you have a warm undertone if they are more green, and if there is neither more green or blue then you have a neutral undertone.)

For example you could have fair skin but a warm undertone so you would want a pale colour foundation that is yellow based rather than pink.Those of us with neutral undertones should pick colours that have a balance of the two.

Just as a side note even if you have a cool undertone do steer clear of foundations that are overly pink based (fortunatley there aren't too many now a days!) as they never blend into the skin enough to leave a natural finish.

Test shades on your jawline in as natural a light as you can you will want to pick out the shade that best blends with your chest/shoulder colour.If you are stuck deciding between 2 shades pick out the lighter shade as you can always darken it with bronzer.

3.Your skin type normal, dry, oily or combination.

So that you pick a foundation with the formula and finish that is most beneficial to you regarding the application, longevity and overall look of the foundation you choose.

Generally, foundations aren't labelled up to specify which skin types they are most suitable for. Revlon colour stay shades do come in normal/dry and combination/oily however I can't think of another drugstore brand that specifically state skin type suitability on their foundation bottles.

4.Coverage 

This is personal preference all the way!

Ones to check out!

Normal-dry skin types

 Bourjois Healthy mix serum £10.99

Bourjois Healthy mix £9.99

Rimmel wake me up £8.99

Maybelline fit me! £7.99

Oily/combination 

Loreal True match (great shade range) £9.99

Revlon colourstay £12.49

Rimmel match perfection £6.99

Garnier nutritionist BB oil free miracle skin perfector £6.66

Bourjois 1,2,3 perfect £10.99

I really hope I explained this clearly and this was helpful to some of you!

Do tell me your drug store faves!!

xxx

Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation review

I'm a foundation freak, you may already be aware of this if you have read this blog for any length of time, but when I initially saw this a while back in Superdrug I wasn't falling for it as I normally would, no, it appeared that I had malfunctioned or something that day and I didn't even pick it up in fact I had a little chuckle at it rolled my eyes and walked right past without even having a nosey! I think it was the name of it which on any other day would suck me right in but that day it didn't, it irritated me instead I wasn't prepared to be disappointed by another bold claiming high street foundation and remember thinking how very sensible I was and giving myself a little pat on the back for turning a corner.

But then I stumbled across a few reviews on it and became ever so slightly curious, then I noticed it appearing in monthly favourite video's on You Tube, curiosity got the better of me and BAM I was all over it like a tramp on chips, and I'm so pleased I gave in...

 ...never in my life has a high street brand foundation excited me as much as this one does, there are a couple that have come close (Bourjois healthy mix and healthy mix serum and more recently L'Oreal Lumi Magique) but even then I have always found that one teeny tiny reason not to truly love them... ie it breaks me out a'la healthy mix or it isn't long wearing enough in the case of Lumi Magique and with them being from the high street that's fine I had pretty much made peace with the fact that there would never be the perfect high street foundation for me when Rimmel go and come out with this bad boy! In fact, in the past couple of weeks of using this every day I am 99% sure that I shall be declaring it holy grail!

I loves it!!

Half a pump
(the formula reminds me of a lighter cosistancy MAC studio sculpt)

Coverage: Medium buildable

Finish: Radiant, really brightens skin without being shimmery or overly dewy, flawless but definitely doesn't leave skin looking cakey or too 'done' 

Staying power: Rimmel claim 10 hours its more like 8 

Shade range: 7 shades- My shade is 200 Soft beige and I am an NC25/30 in MAC foundations  

Price: RRP £8.99 for 30ml Currently on the Superdrug website for £4.99

Packaging: Glass bottle/pump combo. 

Suitable for: All skin types, it definitely doesn't emphasise dry skin or sink into fine lines or pores nor is it so light and dewy that it will look greasy and slip on oily skin the only down side is the shade range.

Random info: It smells amazing, it must be all the vitamins!! 

 I get the song 'Don't wake me up' stuck in my head for hours every time I get it out of my Make-up bag!

Repurchase? Definitely! this is a product that actually does what it says on the tin.

Have you tried this?

xxx