Whats in my makeup bag? - Plus mini reviews

I thought I'd show you what currently lives in my makeup bag which I use every day when I'm just going to work and don't have time to do much with my makeup. I need to just get it on and get out the door. There is a mixture of higher end makeup and drugstore products - one of which has become one of my favourite mascaras from No 7 which I will be repurchasing.

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation, Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer and Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation - £30
Lightweight and like the name says, looks like skin. Blends effortlessly and has a light to medium coverage. It is best suited to normal/dry skin. I really like this foundation, in fact I love the range of Bobbi Brown foundations as there is something suitable for everyone. Considering I am shade 3 in the colour range (I have a light/medium skin tone) which is the 5th shade from lightest, there are plenty of shades to try - Alabaster (0) being for the fairest skin and going to deep dark skin with Chestnut (9), a total of 16 shades!

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - £5.49 Boots
This has what Rimmel are calling an 'Anti-Fatigue Effect + Radiant Glow' which is supposed to make your skin look brighter and more awake. What that means in reality is that there are teeny tiny light reflecting particles in the product which bounce light off your skin creating to effect of radiance. Does it work? Yes it does. I like to use it under my eyes because of this, my permanent dark circles could do with a bit of brightening up. I don't use it on spots though because I don't want to be doing any highlighting of them. The coverage is pretty good, most people would find it substantial unless you are like myself - the only thing that is going to rid me of dark circles completely is Photoshop.

Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer - £10 Boots
This is a creamy concealer which includes two shades plus a setting powder and powder puff. The lighter shade of concealer is a bit more whipped and creamy as it is supposed to be used under your eyes to brighten them up and the texture making it easier to apply with no drag. The darker colour is supposed to be used on blemishes. I'm not too keen on using it under my eyes as it can look a bit crepey and sit in the fine lines due to my dry skin. It does work really nice over spots and blemishes though as it melts into the skin seamlessly. The powder is way too light and doesn't look like a transparent powder at all to me so that bit in my opinion is useless to me plus it is not as finely milled as I like. The colour range is appalling too, there are only two colour combinations to choose from, leaving anyone who has dark skin left out.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, Topshop Blush Head Over Heels, Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner,
No 7 Lash Adapt Mascara

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural - £21
I've been using this powder for ages now. It is a great colour match for my skin tone and the powder is really finely milled. You can use it super lightly or apply it heavier. I've even applied it on it's own to even out my skin tone when I was in a rush. You get a ton of product in the pan too so even though it is quite expensive, you wont need to repurchase for a good while. There are 10 shades in the range and many people may find that they can cross over two colours because they are sheer.

Topshop Blush in Head Over Heels - £6
Topshop blushers are becoming really popular and I really like them too. This one is my favourite one because it gives a lovely natural glowy colour or you can build it up to become stronger. I love how the Topshop blushers set and still retain a slight dewiness. For the price of them, you can't really go wrong.

Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner - £14
I love a really inky black non flaky/smeary/runny eyeliner. I'm a fan of the feline flick so I need something that will stay put all day and not rub off if I get hot or run if my eyes water. I used to use a MAC Superslick but this one is cheaper and performs the same. It also has a different applicator, this one has a fine brush so you can get really thin lines but may require more practise and the MAC one has a tapered sponge applicator. I always found that the sponge would make me draw the line a bit thick at the flick and I'd have to remove and redo. This is one better for me. Oh and a lot of people find liquid liner hard to do, I've never had much problem with it but find pencil liners really hard to use unless I smudge them haha. The long handle of this one does make liquid much easier, it is like using a pen.

No 7 Lash Adapt Mascara - £12.95
This is a mascara I have really enjoyed using. It makes my lashes so full and voluminous. It doesn't flake on me and barely moves if I have watery eyes. Obviously it is not waterproof and it failed the onion chopping test (which my boyfriend found hilarious) but honestly, I don't like waterproof because it is so damn difficult to get off and I hate rubbing my lashes with remover. This one suits me perfectly well and even though it doesn't beat my favourite mascara, Chanel Inimitable Intense, Lash Adapt gives me just what I want from a mascara and the price isn't too bad. Oh and it lasts well too, usually a tube of the Chanel will dry out in a few weeks, making it useless. My Lash adapt is almost empty and I've used it for the past 3 months.

What's in your everyday makeup bag?

Jennifer xx

MAC Khol Pencil - Teddy

MAC's Kohl Pencil in Teddy is something that has been on my wishlist for a while. I've seen Pixiwoo use it in their videos and thought it was such a pretty colour. When it comes to brown eyeliner, I like something that is quite dark but still looks brown. Lighter browns don't look right on me as they are too light against my very dark lashes and I don't find that they give enough definition. Teddy is described as an intense bronze. It is a dark brown liner with bronze shimmer which makes it really pretty and sultry. As it is a khol pencil, you can smudge it and also use it on the waterline. It looks so good with gold, brown and bronze eyeshadow and is also pretty with green. I've mostly been using it along the outer part of my lower lash lines to give added definition and sometimes along my waterline. It is a flattering waterline colour because it is not really harsh like black can be and doesn't make my eyes look really small. I really like this pencil and would recommend it for any skin tone and hair or eye colour, I think it would work for everyone.

Jennifer xx

MAC Hey Sailor! - Powerpoint Eye Pencil Review and Swatches

MAC's Powerpoint Eye Pencils are very soft and creamy, the apply without dragging and last all day. I really like them. They don't smudge all over the place so I would hope that they would be good for the Summer months, especially with them being released with a Summer collection. They provide intense, opaque colour with one swipe and can be smudged before it sets. They aren't fully setting pencils, if you touch them, they will transfer but they stay well if left alone. They have such a pretty finish, there are pearlised particles in there giving a lovely sheen.  You might find that the gold is dupeable but the green is quite unique as most green eye liners seem to lean more blue or are darker. Bare in mind that these are not waterline safe although I've used the gold one on mine before I found this out and it was fine. If you have sensitive eyes, please don't use them inside your eyes. It is your choice whether to ignore MAC's warning though but it is probably a good idea to take notice of it.

Jennifer xx

MAC Fall Colour Eyeshadows and Chromagraphic Pencil

Here are a couple of Eyeshadows and a Chromagraphic Pencil I picked up from MAC's Fall Colour collection. All are part of the 'Wild Colour' section which consists of some amazingly bright colours. I chose Three Ring Yellow and Royale eyeshadows and Hi Def Cyan Chromagraphic Pencil.

Three Ring Yellow



Royale

Three Ring Yellow is a bright yellow with a green undertone. It is a Veluxe Pearl finish so is very soft and pigmented. It is easy to blend and work with. I like that it has the green undertone so it isn't a straight yellow, some people may find it easier to wear due to the green in the shade. It is quite similar to Sweet & Punchy eyeshadow which came out last year with the To The Beach collection. If you have this colour you may not want to get Three Ring Yellow. Sweet & Punchy is more of a yellowed green apposed to a yellow with a green undertone, in other words, Sweet & Punchy is more green. Sweet & Punchy is also a Veluxe Pearl and a little more pigmented.

Royale is a deep blue with a purple undertone (I found this a very difficult colour to capture so these pictures are not accurate). It is a matte finish so can swatch a little chalky but when used it works really nicely. It is a little sheer but still pigmented enough although may require a bit of building if strong colour is required. If so, a shader brush such as the 239 would be best for that. I used it in my crease with a 217 to crease diffused blending but built it up where I wanted.



L-R: Three Ring Yellow, Royale

L-R: Three Ring Yellow, Sweet & Punchy

Top: Sweet & Punchy
Bottom: Three Ring Yellow

Chromagraphic pencils are a new product to me but I read really good reviews about Hi Def Cyan so decided to try it out. It is a lovely cyan shade, I really like to use bright blues and teals along my lower lashes so I knew I'd get use out of this colour. I am really impressed with it, it is so creamy and pigmented in just one swipe. It dries down and doesn't move at all until you take it off and even then it doesn't want to come off! Chromagraphic pencils are PRO products so are available all year round at PRO stores or via phoning mail order if you do not have a store near you. It is nice to be able to get a few of the colours at regular stores in the meantime though. Some shades are not eye safe, this particular colour is not suitable for the inner rims (waterlines) of the eyes but can be used along lash lines or on the lids.

I highly recommend the Chromographic pencils and I would like to get the green and one of the nude shades when I go to the PRO store as they perform so well.

Jennifer

September 2011 Favourites

Here are my favourites for September, there was quite a variety of brands in there.

First up, a new perfume. One of my favourite bloggers, Vivianna from viviannadoesmakeup.com is a big perfume fan. I have noticed that we have quite similar taste in perfumes and when she said that this was her favourite perfume I decided to give it a go. It is Lady Million by Paco Robane. I would never have picked this up, the packaging isn't something that would have drawn me in, probably due to being a mega shiny golden diamond shape which doesn't really look very classy, although I do like it now for being a bit different. The perfume inside is gorgeous though, a typical 'me' type fragrance, floral and fruity with a bit of sweetness thrown in there for good measure. It isn't a headdy sweet or floral fragrance, I think it has a good balance. Top notes of Neroli, Lemon and Raspberry. Middle notes of Jasmine, Orange Flower and Gardenia. Bottom notes of Patchouli and White Honey. Yum!

Next there is VO5's Miracle Concentrate. I've seen this doing a little bit of the blog rounds with people saying that it helps with frizzy hair and keeping it looking glossy and healthy. I needed this. I use this after towel drying my hair then apply a few drops from the pipette into my hand and rub them together before running it down my hair. I focus it in the ends to stop them from flying away and then do the lengths and finally the top to smooth it all down. Then I blow dry my hair. It makes my hair dry quicker and always gives it a sleek finish.

I also ran out of my foundation, Chanel Vitalumire so needed to get a replacement but wasn't anywhere near a Chanel counter. I'd wanted to try Bourjous Healthy Mix after hearing a lot of good reviews so this was a good opportunity. Off I went to Superdrug and picked this up for £9.99, over £20 cheaper than my Chanel foundation! I found a really good match in Healthy Mix, better than the Chanel shade. It is a teeny bit lighter in colour and not as yellow. I really like this one, the coverage is a bit more than the Chanel one and it sets more so doesn't appear as dewy but still gives me a fresh complexion. I've been applying it with a MAC 187 and I get a really nice finish. I would definitely buy this again, I much prefer it.

The two eyeshadows are from MAC's MAC Me Over collection, I reviewed them here. The colours are Carbonized (the brown) and Mythical (the coppery colour). I've been using these a lot during September, they are so flattering and fit so well with Autumn. They go with a lot of my clothes too and are great for work. I've put them together in a few different ways and they always come out looking nice.

Underneath is MAC's Superslick Liquid Liner in On The Hunt. This is black and was in my favourites last month too. I've been using this pretty much every day. It is such a good glossy black and lasts really well.

Lastly, Blistex Intensive Moisturiser Lip Cream. My lips get ridiculously dry and chapped. I needed something intensive that was going to work. I saw this on Rachel's blog allthingsrachy.blogspot.com ages ago when she said that she gets very chapped lips when she has a cold and this is what she uses. I'd been meaning to give it a go and saw it in Boots one day and remembered her blog post so bought it. She was so right, it is amazing stuff! Seriously, if you get chapped lips and nothing else seems to be giving you the desired effect, go get this. It was relatively cheap at £2.59. It has a plastic slanted applicator so you can apply it straight from the tube. I tend to put a little on my finger and apply it like that so I don't put too much on, you don't need a lot.

Jennifer xx

March Favourites and Harvey Dog!

Happy April! I hope everyone had a good month, it was my boyfriend's birthday at the end of it and we had a great weekend doing things around the town he lives in and in Eastbourne :) I got to see the gorgeous Harvey dog who kept us both very occupied playing with him in the garden, he likes to jump on the trampoline! (photo at the end) I made birthday cupcakes and we went out for a yummy Sunday lunch.

Here are five products that I've liked over March.

First, in the top left, we have Sally Hansen nail polish remover for dry brittle nails. You might be thinking that it is just a nail polish remover but it is a really good'n. My nails like to peel and break and since using this my nails have been pretty good... apart from the one I banged so it bled and now has a lovely crack in it. Other than being very gentle on my nails and conditioning them when I use it, it makes removing nail polish a doddle. Even glitter comes off easier than any other bottled remover I've used. I got it from the 99p Store. BARGAIN! I'm going to stock up on a few bottles as they are so cheap in case they stop stocking it. It is also sold in Superdrug (along with other removers for different types of nails) for £2 odd.

Next to that is Batiste Dry Shampoo in Dark and Deep Brown Hair. I bought this before I got my hair dyed to see if I could get on with it as I didn't want to wash my hair as often as I used to. It is pretty good. It comes out an ashy black/dark brown so completely dissappears into my hair which is great. I've always been put off dry shampoo as they are usually white and having dark hair it would show. This is good for me to get an extra day before shampooing again. I don't know if I'd get any more than that because my hair can get quite lank if left longer than two days when using normal shampoo, so I get three days before the next wash out of this. It doesn't make my hair feel as nice as when it has been washed but it is fine, it looks okay and I can put it up and it wont look greasy. Thumbs up.

Underneath is the Urban Decay Naked Palete. I'm not going to bother saying much about this, it has been reviewed so many times all over the place. If you want swatches, Temptalia always has good ones. I've been reaching for this more often than usual, just to get quick neutral eyeshadow done. It is great if I'm in a rush to get to work (always happens) and has some beautiful colours. There are so many possibilities in this palete and you can add a single brighter colour to change it up a bit. I like to use green... surprise surprise. I love Virgin for my brow bone and Sin is one of my favourite eyeshadows, it goes with everything and great for brightening the inner corner. I also really like Baked and Darkhorse, I use them a lot.

Bottom left is MAC My Highland Honey Blush from the Tartan Tale collection. This has been a bit neglected so I decided to pull it out one day and then ended up wearing it pretty much all month. It looks a bit orangy but isn't, it gives a nice warmth so my cheeks.

Finally, Bobbi Brown Longwear Gel Liner in Espresso Ink. I absolutely love this. I'd wanted a brown eyeliner for ages but browns are often too light for my taste, I wanted something very dark, verging on black but wouldn't look so harsh if I wanted more subtle makeup. This is perfect. I love BB gel liners, the formula is great and they last so well. I often use this with neutral makeup, like in the Naked palete and also with greens as it looks more subtle. Definately a staple for me.

...

Anyway, here is the photo of Harvey on the trampoline that I promised. He is a seven month old Springer Spaniel and is just crazy. He loves to get in everything and since he discovered the trampoline you can't go on it without him trying to climb up haha. He runs in circles and pounces on you if you sit down and he likes to catch balls on it.

And here is one where he isn't leaping into the air so you can see his pretty face. I love him. This is his favourite spot in the garden. He is holding his newest toy, the peanut.

- Jennifer