July Favourites

Better late than never!

Eylure Naturals False Lashes No 020

I have my friend Chloe to thank for discovering these bad boys. In my youth I loved a strip lash, but in recent years I've tended to go for individual lashes, because they look a lot more natural. As much as I love individuals, they are quite time consuming, which is why I love these. These are so easy to apply because they are so light and thin, you really can't go wrong and it doesn't look like you are wearing lashes. I love these so much, I went and bought the multipack.

Boots £5.29

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne Pop

I am a big Jaclyn Hill fan, so when I heard she was releasing this highlighter with Becca, I knew it would have to be mine. I ended up ordering mine from Sephora and paying shipping and tax because you know, I needed it. If you live in the UK don't do that, Becca are releasing it over here around September time so try and follow Take That's advice. 

I know everyone in the beauty blogosphere has been raving about this, but it is one of those few products that really is worth the hype. If you love your warm tones and your highlights, you will love this. 

I am genuinely considering buying another one when its released in the UK.

You know it's good if it makes you slightly crazy ;)

$38 Sephora

Bobbi Brown Creamy Matte Lip Colour in "Jenna"

I only include products in my favourites that I have worn all month long, but I have made an exception for this lipstick. I only wore this once, to a wedding, but its such a beautiful lipstick and I loved it so much, that I had to include it.

Jenna is a bright orange red, its completely matte and literally lasts all night. I topped up once but I didn't need to. The formula, the colour, perfect. 

£20.00 Bobbi Brown

Dior Lip Glow Colour Reviver Balm

I got obsessed with this a couple of years ago and I think this is my second or third tube. This is a lip balm which depending on the temperature of your lips, changes to a lighter or darker shade of pink.

Whenever I wear this I always feel my lips look really healthy, which is a weird statement I know, but they just look really plump and juicy! Its perfect for those no makeup days, where you don't want to wear a lipstick but still want some colour on your lips. I think I will always have a tube of this in my collection.

£24.00 Boots

Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara

This isn't something I would have ever bought with my own money, not because I don't love Bobbi Brown but I would never associate her brand with mascara. I got this from my work and it has been a revelation, its such a good mascara and Bobbi I'm sorry for ever doubting you.

This gives volume and length, after one coat I was loving it and there was minimal clumping. I was also sure this was would smudge but it doesn't smudge or flake, it doesn't even smudge on my bottom lashes and trust me everything smudges on my bottom lashes.

£23.00 John Lewis

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer

I really should have put this in my favourites last month but I completely forgot and now its nearly all gone *wah*

This concealer is the shit, it is the bomb.com, it is everything, it is life, it is oxygen, it is the Angel to my Buffy and you need it in your life. 

Reasons why:

1) Its creamy enough to use under your eyes for those pesky dark circles but its also got enough coverage to cover redness and spots. So you only need one concealer.

2) Unlike the NARS concealer, the brush doesn't drag on your skin. I know that might sound ridiculous but that really peed me off about the NARS one. 

3) It lasts all day

4) It's so damn creamy

Just buy it and thank me later

£17.50 John Lewis

NARS The Multiple in Orgasm

This has been in my makeup collection for so long and every time I have a clear out I come this close to chucking it out, but then I remember I bought it because J.Lo used it and it gives me hope that I could look like J.Lo and my life would be like Maid in Manhattan, although knowing me Anaconda is more likely.

In all seriousness though (serious makeup face) this is a really pretty blush/highlighter combo. The coral gold colour is perfect for summer time and I really should dig this out more often.

£29.00 Space NK

Project Pan - Update 5

This year I am making a conscious effort to use up as much of my makeup as I can. I have been saving all my makeup empties and sharing what I manage to finish each month. I started this as a way of downsizing my ridiculous makeup collection and also making use of what I have. 

Last month I managed to get through quite a few things, especially base products. There were some things that I loved and others not so much.

Diorskin Nude Glow Natural Glow Complexion Enhancer £28.50

I used this underneath my foundation, both as a primer and a radiance booster. This doesn't have any shimmer in it but the bright apricot colour really does give your skin a healthy glow. I enjoyed using this but it wasn't special enough for me to purchase again.

Diorskin Nude BB Creme £30.00

Now this I really loved. This has been hanging around my makeup collection a while and I had used it a few times but didn't think much of it. After using up my MAC Studio Fix Fluid I was craving something lighter so reached for this and didn't look back. This doesn't look or feel like you are wearing makeup but evens your skin tone out and takes away any redness. When I was wearing this someone commented that my skin looked really good, not my foundation but my skin. I don't think you can get a better compliment than that. 

This is also a great BB cream if you have oilier skin, as it has a slight powdery finish. I will definitely buy this again at some point.

Origins VitaZing £29.00

I hesitate to call this a tinted moisturiser because it doesn't provide any coverage at all, it really is just a moisturiser with a hint of tint. I used this as my base and it worked ok with a slightly heavier concealer but I did find my makeup moved around, as it is quite moisturising. 

This would be a great gym staple, or for that Sunday no makeup look. 

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer £17.00

This is looking a little battered because I had to take the pliers to it. It stopped pumping out concealer but I could see there was still loads in there, so with a bit of DIY from yours truly, I managed to scrape everything out. 

This is a great heavy duty concealer, which works equally well under the eyes and on the rest of the face.

MAC Lipstick in 'Lustering' £15.50

This lipstick made me realise that I hate MAC's 'lustre' finish lipsticks. They are too glossy and wear off really quickly, they don't leave behind a stain either which means you have to reapply constantly and to top it off, they are quite drying. Lustering is a pretty pink colour but I will be avoiding all lustre finishes from now on.

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long Lasting Eyeliner in 'Grenat' £19.00

I got this eyeliner as a Christmas present a couple of years ago and I love the colour. It was a rusty burgundy shade, really unique and great for blue or green eyes. I have to say this eyeliner was really long lasting and didn't smudge at all. In this case I would say the price was worth it for such a unique colour.

Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon in 'Champagne Diamonds' £19.00

I used up every single bit of this pencil, I could still sharpen it but the bottom bit was actually a wax and there was none of the pencil left. This was a super glittery champagne colour which was really easy to apply. I love cream shadow sticks as you only need one colour, they last all day and require minimal effort. I would definitely buy this again.

Total used up makeup = £158.00

May Favourites

May was a nice chilled month for me, I played drunken scrabble in a caravan, climbed the Malvern hills (just about), went to the Make Up For Ever launch, voted (for all the good it did) and spent a lot of time swimming. 

I don't feel ready for summer yet, I'll always be a winter baby but ho hum 7 months till Christmas ;)

For some reason all my favourites this month are on the pricier side but in my humble opinion, they are all well worth splashing the cash on. They wouldn't be my favourites if they weren't ;)

By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Frozen Quartz

If I could start my makeup collection again I would just buy every single shade of these. I wear eye shadow every day but I don't have the time to be faffing around with it, which is why I love these. I literally colour my whole eyelid in, and then just blend out the edges with either a brush or my finger tip. I love how these almost have a wet look to them and guaranteed whenever I wear one of these someone will ask what my eyeshadow is. Frozen Quartz is a mauve/pink shade, which has a really pretty sparkle. Pricey but definitely worth it.

£29.00 Space NK

Oskia Micro Exfoliating Balm

I imagine this is what baby cherubs would use on their face, if baby cherubs actually existed. This is the softest, smoothest exfoliator I have ever used. Its not gritty or scrubby, and because its a balm it melts into the skin. When I rinse this off I genuinely expect to look in the mirror and see a baby staring back, my skin feels that soft. 

Again another pricey product, but I am getting to that age where I am happy to invest in skin care!

Space NK £46.00

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow in Sun Tan and Sun Light

I have been obsessed with this for the past two weeks, I have to restrain myself from covering my entire face. In the pan this looks scary, the bronzer looks really dark and slightly orange but its completely different once you apply it. The coverage is sheer, so you can build up colour gradually and you can blend the edges away to nothing, so there are no harsh lines. Paired with the highlighter, this just makes your skin glow. For me this is a summer must have.

Charlotte Tilbury £55.00 (Available July)

Dior Nude Air Serum

I love this foundation on my skin. It completely evens out my skin tone and because it dries down to an almost powder finish, it makes my skin look so smooth. Its also really easy to apply and works best when applied in sections and blended with your fingers. 

Debenhams £33.00

The Bear by Claire Cameron

I have been reading the Game of Thrones books since September, so a break was much needed. The Bear is about a family and their two young children, who are attacked by a bear on a camping trip. The story is told from the 5 year old daughters perspective and that is what makes the book. Its a really easy read, I finished it in a week and had to stop myself from blubbing on the train on a couple of occasions. Reading it from Anna's perspective makes it all the more terrifying, she refers to the bear as a black dog chewing on a bone, not realising whose bone that is. 

I will say that it did frustrate me on a couple of occasions, as the story does skip around, children do have a short attention span after all and I did have to re-read a couple of paragraphs to work out what was actually going on, compared to what Anna thought was happening but overall a really good read. 

Amazon £7.29

Face of the Day with Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow in Sun Tan and Sun Light

This is a Face of the Day from last week when I went to BeautyCon London for work (I didn't stay long). I wanted to try some new products, as I have been getting a bit bored of using the same things all the time.

There are some new discoveries which I love, a few I don't love so much and some old favourites.

Face

Primer

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water and Cover FX Illuminating Primer

I have only just started using the primer water so can't report back yet, except to say I love the idea of a primer spray and it smells nice. I will let you know my findings once I've used it a bit more. 

As far as the Cover FX primer goes, I like it but I don't love it. I wish it was a bit more illuminating because its quite subtle and once I've applied foundation and concealer, you can't really see much in the way of a glow. I do really like the texture, as its light and doesn't have that awful silicone feel, but I can't really say I have noticed a difference in the wear time of my makeup. 

Foundation

Dior Nude Air Serum

I hadn't tried any Dior foundations until this year but since trying Dior Star and now this, I can say I'm fully converted. This makes my skin look really smooth, almost airbrushed, without being heavy and still letting your skin show through. I like to apply this with my fingers working in sections over the face. My only complaint is that it doesn't have the best wear time and I find it starts to fade on oilier areas like my chin and nose towards the end of the day.

Corrector and Concealer

Giorgio Armani Master Corrector and MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

I've only got a tiny bit of the MAC concealer left, I had to break open the tube with some pliers to get the very last of it out. I love that this concealer works well under the eyes and on blemishes and redness. It's high coverage and long lasting, I can see why this is so popular amongst MAC fans. 

Bronzer and Highlight

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow in Sun Tan and Sun Light

My latest obsession, I just love this. It makes me look like I've just come back from a two week holiday, bronzed and glowy my friends. 

Powder

Too Faced Primed and Poreless Pressed Powder

Still not loving this powder, but I'm almost at the end of it now. I definitely wouldn't buy this again or recommend it, it's just too ashy on the skin.

Eyes

Eyebrows

Illamasqua Precision Brow Gel in Strike and Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

Its not often I change my eyebrow combination, but I was clearly feeling experimental. The Brow and Lash Gel is not a new product, in fact it was my favourite until the L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper came along but the Precision Brow Gel is a new product for me. 

Compared to the Anastasia DipBrow, this is less harsh and more natural looking, but I just find these brow pomades a bit fiddly to use in general. I think I'll be sticking to my usual Hourglass pencil.

Eyeshadow

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

I dug this out because I wanted a matte eyeshadow and I knew this had everything I needed. 

I used W.O.S all over the lid with a mixture of Naked 2 and Faint in the crease.

Eye Liner

Delilah Slim Line Liquid Liner

I wanted a subtle flick, so used this on the outer third of my eye. I love the slim nib, it really lets you get a precise line but this smudged on me. Admittedly most mascaras and eyeliners smudge on me, but I would stick with my Stila Stay All Day over this.

Mascara

Benefit Roller Lash and Clinique Bottom Lash

When it comes to Roller Lash you either love it, or hate it and personally I love it. It takes a few coats to build it up but it really lengthens and curls my lashes, plus it doesn't smudge on me. Clinique Bottom Lash is a staple for me now because its pretty much the only mascara that doesn't smudge on my bottom lashes. I told you everything smudges on me!

Lips

Lip Liner

Jordana Easyliner for Lips in Tawny

If I had to pick between this and my MAC lip liners, this $1.99 bad boy would win every time. This is creamy, not drying and I really, really love the colour.

NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Bangkok

These NARS Pure Matte Lipsticks don't get spoken about much, but if you love a matte lip and you haven't tried these, you are missing out. My favourite colour in the line is Montego Bay and I have completely used that lipstick up. Bangkok is lighter in colour and pretty similar to my natural lip colour. It reminds me of that kind of Angelina Jolie, barely there shade.

Two New Discoveries

There are two new makeup launches that I instantly fell in love with from the first use and have been wearing every day ever since.

Charlotte Tilbury's hotly anticipated Norman Parkinson collection has caused quite the stir and its easy to see why when you look at the packaging. 

Sun Tan and Sun Light is the new cream contour palette from the collection. When I first saw it in the pan, I really wasn't sure if this would work for me. The contour colour looked quite dark and the highlight seemed like it would be too gold and warm for my skin tone, but after I tried it I fell in love.

I apply this with a synthetic brush and it blends beautifully, it gives a lovely sheer wash of colour, which you can build up if needed. I personally don't use it as contour but more as an all over bronzer and highlight. I don't have the original powder version of the  Filmstar Bronze and Glow to compare it too but I really love this version and think it will look stunning on tanned skin in the summer.

Next, the new Dior Nude Air foundation. This year I've used two Dior bases which are personal favourites for me, Dior Star and the Dior BB Cream. I was never a big Dior fan before, but after discovering how much I love their foundations, I'm definitely converted. 

Nude Air has a similar formula to Giorgio Armani's Maestro and L'oreal's Magique Nude. Super runny consistency, light coverage which melts into the skin and leaves a velvety/powder like finish. I personally love these foundations as they look natural, feel lightweight but provide a good level of coverage. 

This has a dropper applicator and I find this works best by dispensing the foundation directly onto my face from the pipette. I don't use a brush, I simply blend in with my finger tips and work section by section around my face. This melts into the skin and leaves my skin looking radiant. 

I really am enjoying this foundation, the only thing I would say is that it's not the most long lasting foundation and if I was going out after work I would definitely need to touch up. 

Two new launches definitely worth splashing the cash for. 

Face of the Day with NARS Outer Limits Eyeshadow

At the beginning of the month I mentioned that I was having a slight love affair with peachy toned makeup, so I thought I would slap it all on and do a Face of the Day!

Face

Illuminator

Dior Nude Glow Natural Glow Complexion Enhancer

I like to use this underneath my foundation to give my skin a radiance boost. I'm pretty sure this has  been discontinued by Dior, but either way there are a lot of similar glow boosting primers out there. 

Foundation

Dior Diorskin Nude BB Creme

This and the Smashbox BB Cream are the only BB creams I can say I really like. The Dior one is a winner for me because it has an almost powdery finish. I find other BB creams are just too wet or greasy, but this actually dries down on the skin and has a satin finish. I would highly recommend trying this if you like your base on the lighter side.

Corrector

Giorgio Armani Skin Master Corrector (Shade 1)

Don't buy this, buy the Bobbi Brown corrector instead, so much better.

Concealer

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

A good, heavy duty concealer, works well when teamed with a lighter coverage base.

Bronzer

Chanel Soleil tan de Chanel

A rediscovery that I have really been enjoying. This cream bronzer does require a good bit of blending to avoid orange stripes, but if you have the patience it really is worth it. You can really fake a natural, tanned glow with this. 

Blusher

MAC Mineralize Blush in New Romance

This is a blusher and a highlight in one, yaaaas! I am having a bit of a love affair with MAC Mineralize blushers at the moment, although I really hate the new packaging (wah)

Powder

Too Faced Primed and Poreless Pressed Powder

I moan about this powder every time but I'm just not a fan. Its kinda ashy and can completely take the glow out of your makeup, even when applied sparingly.

Eyes

Eyebrows

Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Long-Wear Brow Pencil in Grey and L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper in Dark Brunette

The L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper is a staple for me but I can't say the same for the Bobbi Brown brow pencil. I mentioned before that I like it, but it only lasted me a month. You just can't part me from my Hourglass Brow Sculpting Pencil.

Eyeshadow 

Bourjois Colorband 2-in-1 Eyeshadow and Liner in Rose Fauviste and NARS Outer Limits Shimmer Eyeshadow

Now you know how much I love a good cream eyeshadow stick but sadly I don't think these Bourjois ones are anything to write home about. The colours don't wow me, the texture is OK but they are a bit sheer, in general I'm pretty 'meh' when it comes to these, but they do work as a base underneath a powder eyeshadow. 

This new NARS shadow from the Christopher Kane collection remains the most beautiful eyeshadow I have ever laid my eyes on. Its a glittery, peachy/rose gold colour and it gives serious sparkle.

Mascara

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

This week I came this close to just throwing this Too Faced mascara in the bin, I just can't deal with the flaking. Honestly by mid afternoon I start to get little black specks of mascara underneath my eyes and by the end of the day its full on Uncle Fester mode. Now its dried out a bit I can say that I really like the volume and length it gives my lashes, but if it won't stay on my eyes, its useless! 

Its now been relegated to the Sunday mascara, because I hate Sundays.

Lips

Lip Liner

Jordana Easyliner for Lips in Tawny

I bought this lip liner in a Walgreens in Chicago for $1.99 (actually I bought two) and it is by far my favourite out of all the ones I own. Its really creamy, doesn't dry your lips out and the colour is the perfect nude. I'm going to Seattle in October and will be bulk buying more! 

Lipstick

MAC Kinda Sexy Lipstick

I had this lipstick many moons ago but somehow managed to lose it. I was in MAC recently and on a whim decided to buy it again. I'm so glad I did because I just love this matte peach shade. Its quite a muted shade but gives just the right amount of colour.

Face of the Day with MAC Lustering Lipstick

My Face of the Day posts have been a bit sparse lately, because I keep wearing the same makeup looks! 

That's the problem when you are trying to use up makeup, you have to use the same products regularly. I have had a rotation from my last FOTD post though, so thought I would pop an updated one up here.

Base

Dior Nude Glow Natural Glow Complexion Enhancer

This is something that I've had in my collection for ages and I'm pretty sure its now been discontinued by Dior. I apply this before my foundation and it just gives my skin a healthy glow. Its a strange one, as there is no shimmer in it, but the bright peachy colour just gives your skin that healthy look. 

I do enjoy this but its definitely not a must have. 

Foundation

Dior Diorskin Nude BB Creme

I am still loving this BB Cream. It provides enough coverage for me, lasts all day, doesn't feel like you are wearing makeup and the finish isn't too 'wet' unlike some other BB creams. Love this stuff.

Corrector

Giorgio Armani Skin Master Corrector (Shade 1)

Personally I find the Bobbi Brown Corrector does a much better job of neutralising dark circles under the eyes and would repurchase that over this Armani one in the future. But if you do find the Bobbi Brown Corrector's too heavy, you might like this, as the consistency is much lighter and doesn't crease.

Concealer

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

Although I like the lighter coverage the BB cream gives, I do find there are a few areas I want a bit of extra coverage. This concealer is great as the coverage is high but its still really easy to blend. I just hate the pump packaging, as it always pumps out too much product!

Powder

Too Faced Primed & Poreless Pressed Powder

Not my favourite powder and one I will be glad to get finished up. It provides good oil control but I just find it makes my skin look ashy. 

Bronzer

MAC Extra Dimension Bronzer in Alluring Aquatic

I have finally finished this bronzer, hallelujah! It was actually a really lovely bronzer but after using it for almost a year I'm craving a change.

Blush

Delilah Colour Blush in 'Lullaby'

Delilah is a new makeup brand that I have been eager to try for a while. This blush is such a beautiful spring pink and the texture is lovely. I can't wait to try more from Delilah now.

Highlight

Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight

I go through stages with highlighter and right now I'm a bit obsessed. I have to actually stop myself dusting this over my entire face!

Eyes

Eyebrows

Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Long-Wear Brow Pencil in 'Grey' with L'oreal Brow Artist Plumper in 'Dark Brunette'

I know, where is my Hourglass pencil?! Well I've actually just used it up and I recently went to a Bobbi Brown event, where I got a sample of these new brow pencils. 

I was really excited about these, as they are basically the same design as my beloved Hourglass (angled pencil, brush on the other end). I have the colour 'Grey' which obviously isn't the best match for me but paired with the L'oreal Brow Plumper, works fine. 

As a pencil I can't fault these and they are great for giving you that full but soft looking brown, also the colour range is vast, which is amazing for eyebrow products. But I will be going back to my Hourglass, purely because I have been using this for less than a month and have almost used it up already. 

Eyeshadow

Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon in Champagne Diamonds

Cream shadow sticks are a staple for me. I have to get ready quickly and these are the quickest things to use, just colour in your whole eyelid and blend out. 

This cream shadow stick is super, super glittery and looks so pretty on the eyes. This colour is specifically designed for blue eyes and the gold tones are super flattering. My one complaint with this though, is that the pencil doesn't self sharpen, but for such a pretty eyeshadow I'll get over it!

Eyeliner

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in 'Grenat'

I believe this was a limited edition colour by Chanel from one of their holiday collections. I find that if you have lighter eyes, black eyeliner is just too harsh. This russet red shade actually enhances my blue eyes whilst giving some depth to my lash line. I'm sure you can find a cheaper alternative though!

Mascara

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

So, I've been using the Better Than Sex mascara for about two weeks now and I will say that it has grown on me but the jury is still out. 

Yes this does give super volume and length, but its such a bitch to  apply. I have to really take my time to avoid getting mascara all over my eyelids because the brush is so big and you have to build up layers slowly to avoid a big clumpy mess. It still flakes on me by the end of the day as well.

 I am warming up to it, but lets just say, its no Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes! 

Left to right: Charlotte Tilbury Champagne Diamonds, Chanel Grenat, MAC Lustering

Lips

Lipstick

MAC Lustering

I know Spring is here when I start reaching for the pinky lip colours. 

This is a pretty colour by MAC, but its a lustre finish……Lustre's have a high shine but that means they don't last very long on the lips at all, after a couple of hours I find this has disappeared completely. It doesn't leave behind any colour at all, literally just slips right off and I find my lips feel quite dry afterwards. As much as I like the colour, its one I will be glad to finish.