My First ELF Order & First Impressions

Yay! What a haul, and all for the grand total of £14!

The lip products I got are the Hypershine Lipgloss in 'Bubblegum' and Liquid lipsticks in Strawberry and Raspberry.

My first impression was that I picked two seriously wrong colours in the lipsticks. At first I thought it was my own fault, but when I looked on the ELF website I found this:

Ok, so 'Strawberry' is essentially red, completely unlike what I thought it was, a peachy pink. The 'Raspberry' is a pinky mauve colour, not the mid-pink displayed. Humph.

I wanted to try the normal line of brushes too, the Concealer brush and Bronzing brush. I love the concealer brush, it seems dense and perfectly sized. I intend to use the bronzing brush for contouring, it is not as dense as I would have hoped, but what can you expect for €1.70?

The only studio line product I picked up was the blusher in 'Fushia Fusion', I honestly cannot believe how much of a NARS copy the packaging is! From the clasp and film sheet inside to the corrugated cardboard inside of the packaging, it is just so similar. I also got a much raved about All Over Colour Stick in 'Pink Lemonade'. First impression? This is teeny!

Finally, I needed new eyelash curlers so these are ideal. I haven't tried them yet, but they seem sturdy and good quality!

Expect reviews on all of these soon :o)

What do you think?

Did you ever get seriously mislead by the sample colours shown on websites?

H xoxo

PS. Have you checked out my Blog Sale yet?

FOTD using NARS Orgasm blush

I hauled NARS's cult blush 'Orgasm' in my ASOS Groupon collective haul, and since Mr. Postie delivered it it has been used every day.

                              

♡ 

No7 Intelligent Balance Mousse Foundation 'Tan'

 ♡ Isa Dora Bronzer 'Teracotta Glow' (to contour) 

♡ NARS 'Orgasm' Blush  

♡ MAC PaintPot 'Rubenesque' 

♡

Benefit Eyeshadow in  'Moody' (highlight) and 'Soft Shoulder' (lid)

♡ 

L'Oreal 

Telescopic Mascara 

                    ♡

 Barry M Eyeliner 'Navy Blue'

 

                    ♡

NARS lipstick 'Catfight' 

                    ♡ Barry M Gloss 'Toffee' 

 

Orgasm blusher is described as a 'peachy pink with shimmer', honestly I have nothing quite like this in my collection. Shimmery blushers never appealed to me as I always thought that it would enlarge my pores and look like I had dunked my head in glitter, as is the case with many cheaper blushers. However, this blush is so finely milled that the golden shimmer is subtle yet effective. The application honestly is foolproof. I would say that this is of better quality than any MAC blusher that I have used. I am a NARS convert!

 

Have you tried this?

Do you love it? 

Love H xoxo

3 Barry M Mini Reviews- Blush, Eyeshadow & Eye Crayon

Barry M is definitely my favourite drugstore brand, I love everything about them; the pigmentation, price points and variety to name but a few. So, this review has been a long time overdue! These three products are ones I use every day, and they are a constant feature in my makeup bag :o)

Trio Eyeshadow- Golden Goddess

 The set comes with an almost matte white (highlight), a gorgeous bronze with shimmer (lid) and a matte deep brown (crease).

As you can see, I have already hit pan on the middle shade there, this is because it is my go-to lazy day all over lid colour. The packaging is nice and sturdy, some dislike the design on the packaging however I think it is cute.

Highly pigmented colours as you can see. This is how I use them...

 Would I repurchase? Yes! I am looking for other shades to add to my collection.
Available here for £5.99 or €8.99.

Blush- Pink Orchid

This blush has taken a good battering in my handbag, hence the missing chunk!

Similar packaging to the eyeshadow, I really like it. It came with a little brush (useless) which I threw away. This blush is the brightest pink in the range, so naturally I was attracted to it! This blush is a matte colour with no shimmer which I like. Again, very pigmented as you can see below, although a little goes a long way. They also contain Vitamin E which is nice.. 

Would I repurchase? Yes, a well pigmented and easy to wear colour, gorgeous!

Available here, £4.59 (not sure of € price).

Shimmering Eye and Lip Crayon- Golden Bronze

This basically is a cream eyeshadow in stick form, however as it not dissimilar from my skintone I think it works wonderfully as a base. I am going to put it out there and admit, this is an INCREDIBLE dupe for MAC Rubanesque Paint Pot, it has the gold and pink shimmer and all. Full post on this is coming soon! This does crease after a long day, however it makes the shades in the Eyeshadow Trio pop. This plus the center shade of the Eyeshadow Trio is my go-to everyday neutral eye. 

Not a wonderful swatch, but you get the general idea.

Available here for £4.59 (still don't know the € equivalent)

Would I repurchase? Yes, I am very impressed by the pigmentation and creamy consistency.

Looks like a 10/10 for Barry M this time!

Have you purchased any of these? What do you think?

Love, H xoxo

REVIEW Jemma Kidd Make Up School: Cheek

So, as I am in fact somewhat of a beauty newbie, I was interested to try out a Jemma Kidd Make Up School palette. I chose two, this blush duo as well as an eye palette that review is coming soon! 

The shade I chose is Clear Pink/Rose.

The leaflet enclosed explained how to use the product apple of the cheeks blah blah, and how you can use the lighter shade for daytime and the deeper pink for evening. This surprised me as my initial reaction was that the light shade was a highlight. Personally that shade is far too pale for a blush as I do prefer a pop of colour. However in the picture I have used it as a highlight and I am impressed! 

 The colour is highly pigmented, even the pale shade.

Beautiful packaging also...

Avaliable here

Have you ever tried any Jemma Kidd products?

Love Hannah xoxo.

PS. At the time of writing I have 98 followers.. eeek! You would make my day if I could hit 100... :o)

Stuff I Bought on Saturday

As this Saturday was the first since Christmas I've had off work, it was clearly a cause for celebration. What better way to celebrate than shopping!

First port of call was New Look. Unusually for me, I didn't buy any clothes this time, just some lovely accessories.

TL: I haven't ventured into the scary world of DIY French Manicures for a very long time, however when I spotted this cute little inexpensive kit, I thought I would give it a go, again! I'm thinking French polish with Barry M Pink Iridescent over the top? :o)

TR: 100% plastic and totally tacky, but what can I say, I love! However I didn't realise that the rings had sizes (durrr Hannah!) and I picked up a M/L. It just falls off my finger instantly. I must return it for the smaller size.

BR: Last summer I wore flowers of silly sizes in my hair every day. I somehow remember it all beginning with some this size. Hmm, I should probably keep an eye on the situation! However, they are cute and I love the mint green. Available here.

BL: Lovely little pendant, nice change from the "Love" ones I keep being drawn to inadvertently. Available here.

From Superdrug I bought some body stuff, and some make up stuff too! 

 L: I've been experiencing really bad eczema on my legs lately, hopefully this E45 lotion instead of the moisturizer I am using currently will help clear it up.

R: If you have read my post on Products I Am Using Right Now, you will have noticed my love for the Original Source shower gels. This smells so zingy (best word I could think of to describe it!), it may be enough to wake me up in the mornings! :o) 

 L-R Collection 2000 'Extreme 24 hour Felt tip Liner"- I got this because I need to learn how to do the whole eyeliner-on-upper-lashline thing. This looks the simplest tool to practice with! Available here.

Barry M Kohl Pencil in Navy Blue (4)- This actually came free with two other Barry M purchases at Superdrug. Bargain! Available here.

Barry M Shimmering Eye and Lip Crayon in Golden Bronze (7). I'm a little confused by the name, not sure why you would want this colour on your lips! :o) Lovely on eyes though! Avaliable here.

Barry M Blusher in Pink Orchid (1). Pretty pink! Avaliable here.

I will be doing a more thorough review of these make up products very soon! Already I absolutely love the Barry M Eye Crayon.

Let me know what you think, as always I do love a comment! :o)

Hannah

xxx

MAC 187: How I Use Mine

The MAC 187 was the very first "expensive" brush I ever bought. It cost £29.50 and I purchased it from Selfridges on a trip to Manchester this summer. Extensive research went into my buying of this brush, as I have bought several make up brushes in the "classic" shape, just like the MAC 190, and have been extremely dissatisfied by it. I found my make-up got clumped in the fibers too quickly both wasting product and requiring constant cleaning. Grrr. :(

I have quite bad skin in that it's all different colours, pink/reddish and yellow-ish in areas,

as well as extremely sensitive. After effectively making my skin oily and spotty for years using Elizabeth Arden compacts, I switched to No.7 (UK brand available in Boots) Mousse foundation in Almond. I highly recommend it as it combines coverage with the foundation without being heavy on the skin. I must point out, though, it is NOTHING like Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse.. *shudders*

Plus, bargain price also of €15! It can be a little cakey if applied with your fingers but it's perfect with a brush. Enter my beloved 187.

The official MAC blurb is:

"A large full circular brush used for lightweight application and blending of face powder or pigments. Use to create soft layers or add textures. Made from a soft blend of goat and synthetic fibres."

- www.MacCosmetics.co.uk

The lovely white bristles on the brush do not remain perfectly white for long at all though, regardless of extensive cleaning! :(

Anyway this is how I make maximum use of my 187, for both foundation and blush - in one sitting!

Firstly I apply the foundation to the brush, then apply to my face.

Then, I take my pack of Primark Beauty 4 in 1 Deep Facial Cleanising Wipes

*N.B. I would never use these wipes to remove make-up or on my face in any way. I tried them one weekend when I had no cleanser with me. Major breakout alert! I think they're far too harsh on skin (they even smell all chemical-ly) yet at the bargain price of €1.50 (£1?) for a two pack they are perfect for cleaning brushes.

Then I just wipe the remaining product off my brushes using them.

You'd be seriously surprised about the amount of product remaining. Imagine if that was carried over to your next application- stale make up... Yuck!

Next, I have two choices. If I want a bright cheek colour I keep the brush in its damp state and apply my blush to it. If I'm going for a more demure look I rub the brush against a towel to dry it.

*The shade used in the picture is MAC powder

blush in Fleur Power.

Then repeat the process with a fresh wipe.

Hopefully one day I will be able to purchase the 188, a mini version of the 187 for my blush *sighs*... until then... :o).

Cheeky!!

Hannah xxxxx