In Your Face: GOLD by Giles Highlighter.

 

GOLD by Giles Highlighter in Pleasure.

I’d tried the Gold by Giles nail foils (which I got frustrated with as soon as they started to peel off) and was excited to read in Look Magazine that a makeup range was coming out. I love a good bargain me so when I saw the range in my local New Look, I bought some bits to try. Along with this highlighter, I bought a lipstick in Pop and a lip gloss for £2.99 each- bargain. The highlighter caught my eye as I’ve been wanting to try one for a while but not known what to get. I think you can get the same product in a bronzer also. To start off on a bad note, the packaging feels really cheap; I know the price of the product is cheap but so is MUA and Vivo and their packaging is really good. The lid never stays on this highlighter which is really annoying cause then it just gets wrecked and messy in my makeup bag. I also don’t like gold but that a personal preference, and seens as though it’s the brand name I’ll let them off.

You get 8g of highlighter in a fat lipstick-type creamy consistency in an iridescent pearl shade (see swatch). I really like the colour as most highlighters look really gold in the tub (although I personally dunno if they’re gold on the skin) but that frightens me. As with highlighters, they’re more of a texture or effect than a colour per se. I’ve just been applying a bit directly onto the tops of my cheek bones and rubbing it in with my fingers as I’m unsure of what else to do with it? I think if I were to purchase another highlighter, I’d get a powder one as this one is a bit messy. However, it does blend really nice and give a nice shimmery glow. It’s super subtle, which is what I want from a highlighter and the light catches it really nice. This product has definitely convinced me to use a highlighter but I’m just not sure that this is the one for me. It’s nice but that’s it- it’s pretty average; it doesn’t wow me but it also doesn’t offend me. And sometimes that’s the worst of reactions, it’s just a bit blah. Have you tried any products from this new range?

In Your Face: Strawberries and Milkshake Lip Balm.

 

I love... Strawberries & Milkshake Lip Balm.

OK, so I didn’t need or particularly want a new lip balm; this was a complete impulse buy. I went shopping with my Gran, as I do most Sundays, and nipped in the local Superdrug. After loving my Avon Strawberry Body Scrub, I’m having a mini-strawberry-scented-things obsession! So when I saw this lip balm for 99p, I knew I had to try it. Just to put this into perspective, you get 15g of product (although the tub looks well bigger than that) and typically you get 20g in a Vaseline tin and 4g in a lip balm stick for wayyyyy more monies. I love the packaging of this lip balm- it’s super simple but I love the white writing on the black lid, the little love hearts and the pink product is visible inside. This product smells amazing (although sadly not as amazing as the Avon scrub) and it’s a treat just to open this and smell it! Although the glossy balm is pink in the tub, it goes on fairly clear which I quite like. It’s not at all sticky like some cheaper lip balms, one I got from H&M springs to mind, and is really smooth and moisturising. I like to wear lip balms around the house when I’ve got no makeup on as my lips are fairly dry and I prefer to wear lipsticks or glosses when I’m out in the real world. I sort of just carry this around with me and apply as needed. It doesn’t last very long, but tbh I enjoy the regular application simply for smelling that sweet strawberry smell again! They also do a Raspberry & Blackberry version which I will for sure by buying that’s a darker pink if I remember rightly. For the love of all things fruity, this is a beauty bargain must try!

Bilbo Baggings.

 

Bag- Accessoryo via Amazon.

I finally found an Alexander Wang Rocco replica with NON GOLD metalwork with the added bonus of having skull detail on the faux-leather. My search for this bag took me far and wide and I’d even enlisted the help of family members and friends on my quest- you see, I take shopping very seriously! I finally found this bad boy on amazon for £35 (plus it came with a skull print scarf, of which I have many). It came well quick in the post and I’m so chuffed with it! At first I was worried that it was a little big for an everyday bag but I’ve been using it everyday now and it’s just perfect. It has two small handles and a detachable shoulder strap which I’ve been using. It zips up along the top and inside has a zip pocket and two slide pockets perfect for your phone or mp3. What I love the most is the gun metal studs and metalwork, including the zips and clips for the shoulder strap. Its super soft too- I sure hate stiff faux leather- and it’s real big so you can fit all sorts in it. I’m thinking of taking this on holiday with me as hand luggage, hopefully its not too big. This post is essentially some love for my new bag, sorry!

Tell Me The Legends Of Long Ago.

 

Dress- Primark

Cardigan- Marks & Spencer

Leggings- Primark

Ring- Marks & Spencer Limited Collection

Nails- Look Beauty Nail Pop in Ribbon and Avon Nail Enamel in Luxe Lavender.

I finally got to wear my Primark summer dress! I got this agessss ago when the summery stuff just started coming out and have since bought it in pink and black cause for £6 each they’re a mega bargain! I love the Broderie Anglaise design on the top half- it’s a total copy of a designer and Topshop dress that was out last summer. It’s got an open back/hole sort of design which is a lil bit unusual but I’m planning on wearing this with a cardigan anyway. I love the elasticated waist too, it makes the top half of the dress drape nice and highlights my waist. I think this may be the only item of white clothing that I own! Although I do love the monochrome look, I’m usually too afraid to buy an all-white outfit so stick to patterns (usually polka dots and stripes) but I’m so glad I got this dress. It’s made of that thin t-shirt material so it washes dead easy and its super comfy to wear. I’m for sure taking these dress when I go on holiday!

I got this ring from M&S Limited Collection- pretty much the only M&S jewellery that I buy- because it’s massive and silver and I love the detail on it. I also really like the three turquoise coloured stones. I showed it my boyfriend and he said “that’s really nice, it’s reminiscent of them times in that era”- I have no idea what he’s talking about! It reminds me of Eastern jewellery which hyper embellished metalwork and bright jewels. Either way, I think it was about £7 from M&S so I don’t mind! I wore this on the day of my first exam last week cause it was boiling! I’m wearing my new Bourjois 123 foundation in this post, I dunno if you can see the difference really but irl it’s amazing!

Laine Blogger Award.

Emily at Describing Beauty has awarded me my first ever blogger award! Thank you so much, it's made my day!

 

The Laine Blogger Award:

1. Link back to the blogger who awarded you.

2. Blog about your award

3. Give the award to five bloggers and let them know

My five bloggers:

 Milly at Mini Adventures

Kirsty at Behind These Closed Eyes

Hayley at wifelifebeautyxo

Danielle Rose at A Blog From Blackpool

Beautilate

 

In Your Face: Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation.

 

Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation in Light Vanilla.

Now I’ve wanted to try Bourjois makeup for many years but since it’s one over the more expensive high-street makeup brands I’ve always gone either side with the cheap or high-end brands. That’s typical of me- the middle price range products get left out. Anyway, I’ve seen a lot of hype about their Healthy Mix foundation but never got round to trying it. When I saw that their latest foundation was on offer in Boots from £10.99 to £6.99 I had to try it. I swatched and chose the lightest shade 51 Light Vanilla which is a beautiful creamy beige with not a hint of orange in sight! The shade range isn’t that good if you’re not fair skinned I don’t think and there’s only 5 shades as far as I know.

The unique selling point of this foundation is the ‘3 correcting pigments’: 1- yellow anti-dark circles; 2- mauve anti-dull complexion and 3- green anti-redness (hence the 123 name). I think this has high promises of covering all these three issues so forgive me for being sceptical, but most foundations in my experiences only cover one and not the others. 123 Perfect is a runny liquid foundation that applies easily and sets with a powdery finish. It’s not at all shiny and I love matte foundations. It’s super smooth and buildable unlike some foundations which go all cakey. I’m most impressed by the concealing effects of this foundation; for me, it really does cover redness, blemishes and dark circles. It just makes my skin look flawless and so soft and smooth. Honestly, since using this foundation, I’ve only been using concealer for some horrendous stress spots I’ve been getting (damn you exams) but apart from that, the foundations doing all the work for me. Another amazing thing about this foundation is that it lasts all day and it looks as flawless at the end as at the beginning of the day! I think it does claim to wear for 16hrs- I don’t know that for sure but I do know it lasts a real long time. I have seen a couple of negative reviews of this foundation but I’ve got no idea why, it’s amazing! This has definitely opened my eyes to Bourjous makeup and I’ll for sure be trying out more products. What can I say? I’m loving using this foundation. Move over MAC, this is my foundation of the moment!

In Your Face: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural.

 

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium.

How did I forget to review this?! I think it’s cause I just use it everyday I just assume that everyone knows how amazing it is. Well in case you don’t, here it is. The MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural is a matte powder that you wear over your foundation to just even out and finish the look of your skin. I really like the packaging on this product, as I do with all MAC products- its sturdy, black and simple. Unlike other MAC powder compacts, I like how this has a clear lid so you can see the product; although this means that there’s no mirror but I’m not too bothered about that. I will admit that I have dropped this compact and my heart stopped! But never fear, not one crack appeared which I was well impressed with cause my Chanel one broke if you just thought about dropping it (slight exaggeration). Please note that I wouldn’t recommend throwing your makeup around just to see what happens- I’m just naturally dead clumsy!

Now I’d deffo recommend getting some advice when choosing the colour for the first time because I thought I was a Light or at most Light Plus but I guess it depends what look you’re going for. I decided on Medium after swatching the testers because it looked a well similar shade to my Chanel Poudre Compact in Translucent 2 which I used to use alt time. Well first off, this is so much better than the Chanel Powder I cannot tell you! Mineralize Skinfinish Natural is a really smooth, soft powder blend that isn’t at all thick or cakey. For me, it just finishes off my skin getting rid of any potential shine, although my MAC Pro-Longwear does most of the work in that department. Even over less amazing foundations, this powder covers red areas and blemishes and evens out the skin tone. It isn’t at all chalky or heavy, it just sits really nicely on the skin. You get 10g of product for £20.50 which I guess you could say is expensive but seriously, the quality just speaks for itself. I just love this product so much I cannot even tell you! It just makes my skin look perfect and lasts all day. Go and get it now!