Friday 1 November 2013

My First Beauty Post! Products I'm Loving Right Now

Hi guys!

Apologies for not posting for quite some time, my school work's been crazy at the moment!

Anyway, today I thought I'd do my first beauty post. I will say now I'm no beauty expert or anything, I'm merely reviewing products that I like and sharing it with you guys. Who knows, it may help you greatly!

I'd also like to point out that these photos were taken with my iPod as my camera is rubbish and wouldn't take very clear photos (I apologise if some of these are really bad as well!) . At some point I will try and get a decent camera for this blog as I suspect there will be lots of pictures to be used! 

I'm going to try to be as organised as possible, so I'll probably organise them into things like skincare, makeup, nails etc. I'll also try and stick to budget-friendly products so that if you do want to go and get them they won't cost you an arm and a leg, but for more great cheap and cheerful wonders (not just beauty, but fashion too!) go and visit Meg's Budget Boutique!

Okay, so here we go!


Skincare


My first skincare product is the Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser, £3.79 at Superdrug. As someone with mostly dry skin, I'm always on the lookout for products that will nourish my skin, without feeling too greasy or rich, and since I watched one of Tanya Burr's videos about teenage skin, featuring this product, I thought I'd buy it and I've discovered that it is perfect - my skin feels nicely moisturised, it sinks into the skin quickly and isn't overly scented. And what's more, I literally only need to use a pea-sized blob to cover my whole face (although I leave my forehead till last because that's the oiliest part of my face and needs very little product), so it lasts a long time... I bought this at the beginning of August and I'm only about halfway through the bottle! Overall, I think it's great value for money and you should definitely check it out, although I wouldn't recommend it to those with oily skin (I think you'll be better off with an oil-balancing one, which Simple also do).




Next on the list is the Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturiser, £3.55, also at Superdrug. My mum first bought one of these bottles for normal skin and said it was really nice, so one day when I was in the shower I used a little bit of it (sorry Mum!) and was impressed with the results. Not long afterwards my mum got me the one for dry skin and I've used it nearly every day (I can afford to go a couple of days without moisturising with this product, which is an added bonus!). I use it mostly on my legs, which get driest the quickest, and it only takes an extra minute or so in the shower as opposed to at least 5 minutes after showering (plus the waiting around for it to sink in and not feel sticky or greasy), which when I'm in a hurry to get ready is a godsend! It's the perfect lazy girl moisturiser, and having started using this near the beginning of September and have just run out, I would say that's good value for money, don't you?
 

Makeup


First up is the Limited Edition Vaseline Paint the Town Red Lip Tint (that's quite a mouthful, isn't it? Haha), £3.49 at Superdrug. I actually saw this in Tesco and was intrigued by it, so I bought it and I am surprised! It is quite a dark red when you see it in the tin but don't let that put you off... Once you've applied it it comes out more like a rosy pinky red, if that makes sense? I'll put a picture so you can see for yourself haha. I always find that I like to wear something that will give my lips a hint of colour, just to define them a little bit, but won't necessarily clash with whatever eye makeup I'm wearing, and this is perfect for those of you who are easing yourself into wearing makeup or for you girls who want to wear colour on your lips without being told off at school. It's nice and cheap, it nourishes your lips and is lightly pigmented... What more could you want? An all-round great product! 


Left to right: Vaseline Paint the Town Lip Tint, Barry M Lip Liner and Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick 

The next two products kind of go hand in hand. First is the Barry M Lip Liner in Red (Number 3). Occasionally I will wear this on its own as it's a nice bold shade, and it's a nice soft pencil which doesn't drag across my lips when applying it (especially if you put a bit of lip balm on beforehand, which I always do to stop my lips drying out). Plus, if you don't get on with it (because I know everybody is different), at just £2.99 it's not a massive waste of money. The second product is the much talked-about Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107. I actually saw this in Tesco a couple of months back for £5.50 and bought it out of pure curiosity, and I loved it! Since then, Meg and Zoe (Zoella) and even the almighty Tanya Burr, who has featured it in one of her videos, and other beauty bloggers have been raving about it. I usually apply the Barry M lip liner first and the lipstick second as I find it gives the lipstick more staying power (a tip I picked up from the lovely Pixiwoo ladies... check out all these names I'm dropping haha!) Anyway, I love the slightly vampy edge that this lipstick has, but it's also suitable to wear during the day, which I have done a lot more lately. Just make sure you have it with you to top up during the day if you're going to be eating or drinking!

Next on the list is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I first heard about this on one of Meg's videos and then Zoella herself was raving about it so I thought I'd give it a go. And wow, were they right! This is my second tube and it is amazing at covering spots and blemishes, especially if you're like me and have persistent dark circles under your eyes! The only downside is that the writing on the packaging does wear off after a while (as you can probably see in the photo), but at just £3.99 from Superdrug, it's hardly significant is it?
Next up is the Rimmel Extra Wow Lash mascara. This was actually part of a Christmas present from my friend Holly, but after a bit of digging I've found it is £5.49 from Superdrug, and I've literally only just got round to using it as I've previously been using other mascaras that were either presents or, in one case, one that I'd found when going through some bags (I guess it pays to check stuff before you throw it out!). Anyway, I was a bit sceptical about this but in all honesty I'm rather impressed. My lashes are short and fairly curly so anything that promises length is worth trying and I found that although my eyelashes weren't super long after applying several coats, it really does open up your eyes and doesn't feel heavy, even after I applied quite a few coats (one or two never really does it for me!). All in all I think it's a very good product!


Nails


Left: Blood Orange. Right: Lychee 

I couldn't really do this sort of post without mentioning the Barry M nail varnishes, could I? They are great value for money at just £3.99 each and come in so many gorgeous shades, and I'm loving the Gelly range at the moment! The colour that I'm wearing which you can see in some of the photos is called Blood Orange and is an amazing bright red, perhaps not for those who prefer more muted shades but a lovely colour nonetheless haha! Another staple is Lychee, which is a lovely beige/nude shade and is perfect for those who want to put something on their nails but don't want something too outgoing.




Also on the list is the Maybelline Super Stay nail polish in Midnight Red. I've recently been looking for a nice dark red colour to put on my nails as we approach winter and I think that this one definitely nails the berry trend for this season (see what I did there?). At £4.09 I think it's a reasonable price and it promises 7-day wear with no chips (I'm not sure I can vouch for that, then again as I'm still at college/sixth form my hands may go through more than other people's), and the finish looks very much professional, almost as if I've invested in a gel manicure, which is always nice!


Brushes




First up are the Real Techniques brushes. Created by Sam from Pixiwoo, I first heard about the Stippling Brush on one of Meg's videos and thought I'd do some more digging. My first purchase was the Expert Face Brush, which at £8.99 from Boots may seem extravagant for a foundation brush but it does an amazing job and I love it! I use it to apply my foundation and also to blend my concealer in, particularly around my eyes. I also purchased the Starter Set for £21.99, also from Boots. Again, this may seem pricey for eye makeup brushes but it is an investment worth making, and they are great for when I'm doing a show and need a good smokey eye. When I'm not doing that, though, I sometimes use the Deluxe Crease Brush from the set to blend my concealer. All of these brushes are so soft and really help you achieve professional results.

Left: Asda blush/bronzer brush. Right: Asda powder brush

My other favourite brushes are my blush/bronzer brush and my powder brush which came as part of a kit from Asda, a Christmas present from my sister a few years ago (so unfortunately I can't tell you how much it was). They are unbelievably soft and are so nice to apply product with, so I just thought I'd throw them in!


Hope you guys enjoyed this post, I hope I've been helpful to you guys even though I'm certainly no expert when it comes to this sort of thing!

What are your favourite products right now? Let me know in the comments!

Lots of love,

Fliss xx