Everyday Effortless Eye Looks

Long time, no posts. It has been a busy, busy week. In fact I cannot believe that it has only been a week since I last wrote in here. The past few days have really been non-stop and filled with 6am  starts that won't finish before bed time (mine is around 11pm - the latest! so we're all good). 

For days like these, all you want is long-lasting make up that can help you look a little more presentable for any occasion. Therefore, I rely on some beautiful everyday effortless smudge pots to get the job done. From just going to university, to meeting friends or even doing some volunteering, these will cover all situations.

For days when I want a very natural but bright make up look, I reach for my Stila Smudge pot in Kitten. A super hyped shade from the Stila eyeshadows. A very pretty shimmery nude/slightly pigmented champagne colour. I like to wear this on its own with some eyeliner. Your look bigger and it brightens up the whole complexion. This is also such a versatile smudge pot as it can be used as highlighter or eyeshadow base. 

If I want a bit of colour but still want to have a fairly natural overall look, I would reach to my ELF smudge pot in Ain't That Sweet. A pretty soft pink shade. The quality of this smudge pot is not as good as the other ones being mentioned but it's still a good low budget item. 

For the later hours of the day, I tend to go for the darker colours like the beautiful Maybelline Color Tattoo in the shade On and On Bronze. The name really says it all and there has been plenty of presentations to this holy grail. In a more coppery tone I love the Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish Cream Eyeshadow. I've spoken a little more about it in my August Favourites. Last but not least, my Lord & Berry Velluto eye pencil and shadow in Samoa. This is a shimmery grey/metallic shade. 

These are such easy everyday options for eye make up and some of them make it look like you've put much more effort into your make up than you actually did. So small and compact which make them perfect to carry around too.

What are your favourite everyday effortless staples for eye make up?

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Make-up Haul And First Impressions

I was given a few store vouchers a couple of weeks ago and amongst the eligible stores to spend them on there was Boots and Superdrug so I decided to pick up a few things to try. A make-up was obviously a must alongside with some first impressions.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Concealer - this really is a mouthful! We all know everything about this holy grail, no presentations needed. I've used one before and decided it was time to stock up and bring this wonder back into my life. Still pretty damn good. Not really a fair first impression here. 

Bourjois Radiance Reveal Healthy Mix Foundation - I absolutely adored the Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation and this one is just as good. Gives you such a flawless glowing but yet natural finish and I love it. Great medium coverage; I barely conceal anything but my dark circles after applying this. I think someone has said that this is a dupe for the NARS Sheer Glow; you let me know as I've never tried the NARS one. 

L'oreal Color Riche Lipstick - pretty sure this is one of the satin from the range; I picked up the 266 shade which is Rose Saphir a very pretty slightly dark pink-mauve. Fairly long-lasting and nourishing. Comes in a very glam looking light gold packaging - very easy on the eyes.

Bourjois Color Boost Glossy Finish Lipstick - another lipstick crayon; got this in the shade Sweet Macchiato, a very pretty autumn shade - a dark red with brown hues. 

L'oreal Brow Artist Shaper - a duo precison pencil and setting wax which also comes with a brush for your brows. Not very happy with this, the pencil is far too soft and pigmented. I'll give it another try but so far, not impressed.

Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten - we all know this shade from the old Stila days and instead of the powder I got the hassle free smudge pot. Such a pretty colour; looks so beautiful on its own too. Love.

L'oreal Brow Artist Plumper - just a clear brow gel. I apply this very lightly as you don't want to get a wet effect on your brows. Does the job but no wow factor here. 

Bourjois Sun Cream to Powder Blush - I've been loving cream blushes lately and really want to get my hands on those convertibles that Stila does. Anyway, I was looking for something more brown but not a bronzer per se so I picked up this in the shade 05. It's a very pretty dark peachy shade and contains a tiny bit of shimmery to it. It's so easily to apply - swirl your fingers on the pot and blend it on your cheeks. 

Maybelline Brow Satin Eyebrow Pencil - more brow products - I'm on a roll here. I am so very pleased with purchase. The pencil harder than the L'oreal that I've mentioned above giving you a much more precise and in my opinion natural look to the brows. On the other tip there a smudge sponge with powder for a soft and easier application. 

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Brand Focus: E.L.F.

Up until March I had never purchased anything from ELF. I was more than aware that the brand was highly affordable and people did enjoy some of their products. However, the idea of having to shop solely online without the possibility of physically seeing the foundation shades or feeling the brushes bristles always put me off of making an order.

It wasn't until I stumble upon Kathleen Lights videos that I really started to want to try a few things from the brand. As I had a trip to New York coming up I definitely thought it was the perfect excuse to pop into a store and see everything right there and then. By the time I went over to America my list of products to try was fairly big and useless to say I brought to this side of the Atlantic a pretty big bag of goodies.

The fact that everything is so inexpensive creates a great opportunity to try a lot of different things. I was very impressed with the quality of some of their products. I would highly recommend giving it a go if you're in searching to add a few items to your make up collection without leaving your bank account next to zero.

Here is a list of a few things I've tried and in my opinion are a really good quality for the value.

Brushes - the studio range is pretty good and they stock a good variety too. Some of my favourites include the Contouring Brush, Ultimate Blending Brush, Eyeshadow "C" Brush, Flawless Concealer Brush, Blending Brush. Some of them are even less than a fiver. Can't beat that. It's a good option if you are lazy when it comes to cleaning your brushes (like me) and want to have more options available. 

Eyeshadows - their baked eyeshadows (singles or trios) are very pigmented and they stock some pretty amazing. I have Toasted and Burnt Plum and their trio in Brown Bonanza and will definitely make a cheeky order soon to get my hands in a few more shades. 

Lipsticks - unfortunately the UK website doesn't stock the lipsticks I have and adore. I am a satin lover. A lipstick for me needs to be quite nourishing and I can only find that in most satin ranges. However, ELF stocks lipsticks which can be nourishing without being totally satin and definitely without being matte. My favourites and the ones I would like to try more shades from are, the Matte Lip Colour and I also got a tinted lip balm which couldn't be any more pigmented. Although I reckon this may have been discontinued as I can't locate it in any of their websites. Disappointing. 

Foundation - I actually fell in love with the foundation I bought and that's all I used for months. My bottle is about to finish. The Flawless Finish Foundation offers a medium coverage and definitely a flawless airbrushed finished. It last quite a good time although it doesn't work for me for warm environments as the shine starts to come through like there's no tomorrow. Still, highly recommended. For £7,50 it is definitely good for the price tag.

Blush/Bronzer Powder - the Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder is the only blush or bronzer I got at the time as I was curious to see if this was a dupe for any of NARS shades of blushes and bronzer. This little duo has a pretty good pigmentation and it is handy to carry around.  

 Have you tried any ELF products? What would you recommend?

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A Prime Combination

Oh primers. What a wonderful thing! So, I decided to share with you today the primers I am loving at the moment and why they work for me. I first discovered Stila One Step Correct through an advert on YouTube. You know those rather annoying adverts that delay the videos we are trying to watch? Exactly. In theory this was a miracle product. We all know that primers can have different colours corresponding to the concern they are suppose to target. Therefore, the beauty of this Stila product lays on being a 3 in 1 kind of thing. The pink tone brightens up the skin and helps reduce signs of hyper pigmentation/sun spots. Green hides blemishes, reduces redness and the blue gives you overall a more even skin tone. I apply this after my moisturiser and before foundation and definitely see how it improves my complexion even at its worst days. Skin looks clear, skin tone more even and fairly smoother.

However, to completely smooth out all the blemishes or any problematic areas I might have at the time, I use the Elf Poreless Face Primer after applying the Stila One Step Correct. This is my final step before moving on to my make up. The Elf primer is a beautiful product that gives you that very flawless airbrushed look. Foundation goes on evenly as the skin becomes absolutely heavenly smooth with this. I apply a really small amount of it as I find it to be quite concentrate. It does contain silicone but its texture is so similar to foundation that I imagine the traces of silica to be minimum. If you are looking for a affordable smoothing primer, I would definitely give this one a try as it is incredibly inexpensive and shows great results. 

This is my primer duo for a more flawless make up application. What's yours? 

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Beauty: Where To Splurge

Having a beauty blog, following blogs, watching YouTube videos or even being a girl for that matter, puts you in a place of great temptation to go out and shop. Oh if you only knew how much time I spend scrolling through the ASOS app ... It is not surprising that for most of us there is surely a careful consideration before spending our earned money on something. So today I decided to share with you where I normally spend a few more of my pennies and why. 

When it comes to beauty, skincare products are something which I normally won't budge on. There are great drugstore skincare ranges but given that my skin can sometimes be quite unpredictable, I often reach out for more high end brands to get the job done. If you have good skin then everything will look good on you (almost) - that's my motto. 

Foundation is another big statement when it comes to spend a few extra pounds. Again, there are great products for all skin types, coverage and purpose at the drugstore! Revlon ColorStay, Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation, L'Oreal Paris Infallible Matte Foundation are a few of my favourites. I  personally feel that a high end foundation will back you up even at your worst (skin) times. 

Eye-shadow palettes are for me a great way of having a variety of options all in one place. They seem indeed rather expensive however, if you think about the fact that a Maybelline Color Tattoo is about 5 pounds, a Urban Decay Naked pallete with 12 shades at 38 pounds works out quite well - just as an example. 

Primers. A good primer can perform so many miracles when your complexion is just not collaborating much. In this category I stay a little divided as I am currently loving some much less expensive primers from the drugstore. Although I can only say wonders about the more high end ones I've tried in the past. My love for the Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch is still very much alive. 

And finally, brushes. These can be a hit and miss in my opinion. I reckon it is more a matter of brand rather than high end or drugstore. I mean, no one denies how great the Real Techniques brushes are. We all have a great love affair for them. 

What products do you normally splurge on?

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Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette

It's finally here! - and by here I mean in my hands. Although, I have a confession to make: I never bought any of the Urban Decay palettes except the first Naked Basics. I always felt that not all the shades were for me so I wouldn't really get a great use out of them. However, if I had to pick one of the 3 I would probably have bought the Naked 2. 

But now, the Smoky is upon us and I really appreciate how you they have combined matte and shimmery, nude and darker tones all in one. You get 12 shades which are soft, very pigmented and easily blendable with a long lasting stay power. 

On the left side of the palette you will find the shimmery shades in a range of warm bronzes which includes a beautiful cream colour with a very light rose hue to it, a light bronze, a dark bronze, a silver taupe and also a metallic grey (High, Dirtysweet, Radar, Armor and Slanted). Following on to matte shades, Dagger, Black Market and Smolder go by a dark grey, a black shade and a dark purple/plum specifically. These are the darkest colours of the entire palette. On the right side you can find a combination of matte browns. Password is your light regular taupe, Whiskey your standard dark matte brown, Combust a very pretty cream skin toned pink and Thirteen I would say its a very light cream/beige. 

I find this new addition to be the perfect selection to create a day to night look and the perfect addition to any make-up collection. I definitely can see myself using it everyday from now on. 

Have you splurged on the new Naked Smoky Palette? What are your thoughts?

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MAC Matchmaster Foundation

A couple of years ago, back when my interest in make-up was definitely not as big as it is now this foundation was very much adored. I was over in America for my brother's wedding when one day decided to head over to MAC and with the help of a member of staff I left the store with a much lighter wallet. Of all the stores I could have gone to, I went to MAC. That's to show you that I didn't really know what I was doing. But you gotta start somewhere, right?

According to the official merchandiser, the Matchmaster Foundation includes in its composition pigments which enable the foundation to adjust to your skin tone in order to give you a flawless medium coverage. And it also has SPF 15 so was the ideal choice for the LA weather at the time. Sounds like the dreamy foundation. And it was - it easily became a favourite of mine and I remember wearing it every-single-day. But then, I lost interest and the few times I went back for it, I hated it. 

However, some weeks ago, I decided to give it a try again. As I was organizing my foundation stash, I was also looking for something with a decent coverage that I could use at work without feeling the need to peel my make-up off after 2 hours into my shift. Because my current job involves far too much running about and warm environments, I tend to not worry a lot about my make-up and in fact try to wear foundations that I don't like so much anymore. I normally just want something that will even out my skin tone nicely enough and that keeps the shine at bay. 

So I went back to try the Matchmaster and it was better than what I expected. The medium coverage is pretty decent specially if you like light foundations. The finish is slightly dewy giving you a flawless and even complexion. I used this with and without a setting powder as well as with and without primer and I must say that it's great at keeping that shine under control. I also found that even after long periods of wearing it, didn't seem to crease at all - t-zone included. I have the shade 1.5 and all around I see why this can be a really good product however, it has a unusual yellow undertone to it and that is why I am not completely sold on this one. Some days it works out quite well but some others, maybe my skin just doesn't collaborate and it gives me a bit of an ill look. No one wants that. 

If I would repurchase this? Probably not. I actually have no idea if they have reformulated the Matchmaster since I bought it but I have experienced other foundations that work better for me. 

Have you ever tried the Matchmaster Foundation? What are your thoughts?

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