Olympia beauty haul part 2: Swatches!

Happy friday people! I hope this week has treated you well?

As promised here are the swatches from my little Olympia beauty show haul. See part 1 here

My show purchases

My show purchases

NYX butter glosses

I always have at least one butter gloss in by bag at all times. They give a lovely wash of colour that isnt too over the top for every day wear. Definitely a make up bag must have for me.

Tiramisu & Madeline

Tiramisu & Madeline

with flash

Natural light without flash 

with flash

With flash

NYX Butter lipstick

Lovely feeling on the lips although very sheer. If you don’t like anything too heavy coverage wise then this is for you. I’d be interested in hearing what some of the darker colours are like though. So if you’ve tried them link me to reviews please 🙂

Snow cap

Snow cap

Without flash in natural light

Without flash in natural light

With flash

With flash

NYX High voltage lipstick

This is my favourite lipstick ever! I love it more than (dare I say it) VELVET TEDDY!! It stays on for hours and is so pigmented you literally just need one sweep and it gives perfect coverage. I am 1005 buying more for my pro make up kit.

'Stone'

‘Stone’

Without flash in natural light

Without flash in natural light

With flash

With flash

NYX Eyeshadows

These are really highly pigmented and for like £4.50 I think they were a bargain!

Without flash in natural light

Without flash in natural light

With flash

With flash

Inglot amc gel liner in black 

I’m still new to wearing eye liner myself but this is a pretty intense black liner which can be hard to find. Its easy to apply and glides on like a dream. However once its on it will not budge so if (like me) you find it hard to get your liner right first time remember a little goes a long way, also have some make up remover and q tips handy for any mistakes so you can clean up quickly before it dries. Don’t say you haven’t been warned!

Gel liner in Black

Gel liner in Black

Without flash in natural light

Without flash in natural light

With flash

With flash

Milani Bronzer & Blush

These had been on my wishlist for some time. I mean just look at them, what girl wouldn’t love them?? And they didn’t fail to impress. I love a coral blush on myself and I also find it suits many other skin tones but some are afraid to try it & are put off by the colour thinking it wont suit them.

Go on, try it and let me know what you think!

Milani Bronzer in 'Amber nectar' & Blush in 'Coral rose'

Milani Bronzer in ‘Amber nectar’ & Blush in ‘Coral rose’

Simply beautiful!

Simply beautiful!

Taken in natural light

Taken in natural light

This weeks manicure!

I’m still sporting shorties but went for a raspberry shade this week.

Gelish in 'Rendezvous'

Gelish in ‘Rendezvous’

Have a fab weekend!

Sam 🙂 x

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30 day blogger challenge: Today’s face 

  
Just a quick post of ‘today’s face’ and what was used to create it.

Base: 

  • urban decay naked skin in shade 2.0 
  • La girl pro conceal in orange- to correct my dark circles
  • Pro longwear concealer in NW15 to conceal
  • Ben Nye banana powder to set.

Contour/blush:

  • Mac ‘matte bronze’ to contour
  • Lord & berry blush in lotus
  • Mac soft & gentle to highlight

Eyes:

  • Anastasia Beverley hills eye shadows in A touch of lilac (all over lid & brow bone) dark chocolate shimmer on outer corner & also used as liner) & Metal (patted onto lid & inner corner.)
  • Max factor false lash effect mascara on top & bottom lashes

Brows:

  • Naked basics palette colour ‘faint’ used to fill in brows 

Lips:

  • Khroma beauty (Kardashian collection) double take lipstick & gloss in ‘nectar’

  
Wow these iPhone photos aren’t very forgiving! Okay don’t mention the brows! They are so not my friend at the moment.  I’m trying to grow one back, hence one being majorly shorter than the other see  Here for an explanation. This was also taken before work and I hadn’t done my hair yet but hey, I can’t be perfect all the time 😏

  Close up of the eyes 

What are your everyday make up essentials? 

Let me know in the comments 

So that’s my face today! Hope you enjoyed. 

Sam 🙂 x

30 day blogger challenge: Favourite concealers

  
As you can see I have quite a collection. I’m always buying the latest concealers in a hope that one of them will actually do what they say will & transform my face to make me look flawless, rested & youthful. I’m still yet to find one that makes me look 18 again. But here are the ones that make me look a little more normal. 

Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer £4.49  This for me is one of my holy grail products! I couldn’t be without it. I use it every day and I have every shade in my professional kit. I’m yet to find something that beats it.

It gives me amazing coverage for my dark circles,doesn’t crease, is light reflecting and it stays put all day & night. And at £4.49 it’s a total bargain! 
Seriously if you haven’t tried it, you need to! 

George @ Asda under eye concealer £3.99 
Another great one!  Perfect for brightening the eye area when you need that extra boost over your regular concealer. I use it for nights out and it also doubles as a highlighter. 

No word of a lie this baby rivals YSL touché eclat for me. And personally I prefer it. 

Barbers Daly for Tesco £3.99 

Excuse the state of this one I’ve had it for a while. It lasts forever!  Another bargain buy, a little definitely goes a long way with this product. It is the perfect consistency to conceal blemishes & it gives full coverage. Lovely & creamy formula, which applies well with a brush or fingers. 
Other recommendations:

Urban decays naked skin concealer £19 

  Another full coverage concealer. I loved using this in the summer when my skin was in better condition. But if you have dry skin (like I normally do) then I wouldn’t recommend it as I found it sticks to dry patches and also badly creased under my eyes. Which is unfortunate as their matching foundation is the complete opposite. 

NYX above and beyond full coverage concealer 

 The fullest coverage I have ever found in a blemish concealer. Stays put and the little pot lasts literally forever! Best applied by dabbing into blemish with a clean finger. 

Next on my concealer list are the LA girl concealers & correctors. I’ll review as soon as they arrive 🙂 

Do you have a favourite? Let me know in the comments. 

Sam 🙂 x 

30 day blogger challenge: my make up wishlist 

  
Here’s my make up wishlist, you might want to grab a cuppa. Could be a long night.

Enjoy! 

 Too faced Melted- liquid lipstick 

 Vegas Nay for too faced ‘stardust’ palette  
 Mac Giambattista Valli lipsticks 
. I unfortunately missed out on these beauties when they launched 😔 thinking I’ll grab them on payday. I’ll never make that mistake again! 

 Too faced – sweethearts perfect flush blush.  Look how beautiful they are. I don’t want to use them. I just want them to look pretty on my dressing table. 

Anastasia Beverley Hills cream contour & powder contour palettes.   
I want both purely so I can decide wether I want it to be a cream contour day or a powder contour day. 

La girl- concealers and velvet blush/contour sticks 

   

 
Becca highlighters.

  Any one! I don’t care which!  I just need one like yesterday 

Too faced- Born this way foundation 

  

I want naturally radiant skin that looks like I was born that way! Well that’s what it promises. I’ll let you know if it’s true if I ever get my hands on these lovelies 😬 

I also want to try crown & morphe brushes. 

Actually I don’t want that much really. Do I? 

So if someone could show this to my husband before Christmas it would be greatly appreciated 😉 

What’s on your beauty wishlist? 

I’d love to hear, let me know in the comments. 

Sam 🙂 x

 

30 day blogger challenge: My everyday make up. 

  
Just a little post on the make up I use on a daily basis. 

Yes it’s a lot for just daytime and no I’m clearly not a natural beauty. But oh well we can’t have everything in life can we? 

I wear a mixture of high street & high end, and what I use at the moment I’m pretty happy with. It has taken me a very long time to find out what works for me and what doesn’t. But one thing I have learnt over the years is just because something has a designer name on it doesn’t mean it’s a great product. 

So here’s what I use on pretty much a daily basis for everyday/work and what I use each product for

Base:

 

  • Illamasqua skin base shade SB03- applied all over to create an even base 
  • Mac Pro longwear concealer NW15- used to cover any redness 
  • Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer shade 1 light – applied under eyes to brighten & cover dark circles
  • Ben Nye Banana setting powder- to set foundation

Blush/contour/highlight

  

  • Illamasqua blush in Lover – used on cheekbones to give a flush of colour
  • Mac bronzing powder in matte bronze- used to define cheekbones & shade sides & tip of my nose.
  • Mac mineralize skin finish highlighter in soft & gentle -used sparingly down the bridge of the nose & on cheekbones 

Eyes/brows 

  

  • Make up academy (MUA) eyeshadow in champagne- used on brow bone, Los & along lash line to brighten my eyes.
  • Mac factor false lash effect mascara in black- on top & bottom lashes to open up the eye. 
  • It cosmetics brow power in universal Taupe- used in soft strokes to fill in any sparse areas & lengthen my brows slightly.



Setting spray 

  

  • Mac prep & prime fix+ make up prep/fixing mist -used before applying my base and after Ive applied everything to keep my make up in place & keep it looking fresh & dewy.

Another amazing product I couldn’t live without, for tips on how I use it click Here

Sorry for the horrible car selfie!  I hate posed pictures and this certainly isn’t one of my finest 🙈 

What are your go-to products for your day look? 

Let me know in the comments 🙂 

Tomorrow’s post is : My beauty wish list. It will be a long one, no question about it 😉 

See you then 

Sam 🙂 x

30 day blogger challenge: my skincare regime 

  Looking after your skin is really important no matter how old you are. This is something that’s always been drummed into me. But I’ll be completely honest and admit that after a few glasses of vino cleansing, toning & moisturising aren’t exactly on my list of ‘things to do’ before I pass out on my pillow. But brownie points to those who do! Your skin will thank you one day. 

Considering I’m qualified in facials and know a hell of a lot about how to look after my skin, my skincare routine is pretty basic and I really should invest a bit more time and money into it. But I’ll add that to my list of things I should do but don’t. 

So here are the products that are working for me at the moment. 

 

Good old Garnier Micellar water. One of my holy grail products! I can’t recommend it enough. Removes my make up with minimal effort, doesn’t dry my skin out And is cheap as chips! 

  
 Lancôme gel éclat clarifying cleanser. I use this morning and night. It doesn’t make my skin feel tight which having dry, sensitive skin is kind of hard to find in a face wash. Smells lovely and gives me that squeaky clean feeling but doesn’t leave my face feeling dry. 

  It’s an oldie but a goodie! Olay beauty fluid My nan swears by it and she looks amazing for her age just to add. I use this as a night cream as a few specific night creams were way too rich for my skin so I’m yet to find one I like that works for me. And yes I know I need to jump in the anti ageing bandwagon but I can’t bring myself to buy a ’30-40′ version of face cream now that I’ve entered that age bracket according to Olay & Garnier. So thanks for that 👍🏼 !! 
  Embryolisse lait creme concentre is my day cream of choice. It has many uses (find out Here) but it hydrates my skin and acts as the perfect primer before I apply my make up, it instantly gets rid of any dry patches on contact! It’s like a little miracle in a tube. (It’s also in my professional make up kit too) 
  
Benefit- it’s potent: my current eye cream of choice, purely because it came in a recent birchbox. But it does what it says on the tin-sort of. (it’s really a jar) it brightens and hydrates my eye area a bit I suppose but I’m yet to see it fade my dark circles and give me ‘younger looking eyes’ who even writes that stuff?? I’m 30 not stupid 😒 

  
Garnier- goodbye dry facial wipes. I switch between these and the Micellar wipes for those lazy evenings where I don’t have the time or energy to do the usual routine. Better than nothing right? WRONG!! 

Cleansing wipes will dry out any skin type worse than the Sahara! So don’t get attached to those soggy little wipes that pretend to make your life easier. 

Use make up wipes daily & wonder why your skin never co-operates? That’s the reason. 

So that’s my honest, but probably not so great skin care routine. (If you can call it that.)

Are there any skincare products you swear by? 

Let me know in the comments 🙂

See you tomorrow 

Sam 🙂 x 

30 day blogger challenge: A beauty box review -Birch box first impressions

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I have been subscribing to birch box for about 9 months and this months is a little disappointing for me especially as it’s their 5th birthday box. Maybe I was expecting too much.

The box is pretty but the samples aren’t great this month, as I rarely swap my regular hair products and this months (as with most other months) are mainly hair related.

I have taken pics holding the products so you can get an idea of the sizes.

Laura mercier facial polish 11.3g/0.4oz (£26 full size price)IMG_4163-0

This I will use, although it is a tiny sample. I suffer with very dry skin so I can always use a facial exfoliator. And I am a fan of Laura mercier products!
John masters organics- citrus neroli detangler 30ml £16 full size price)


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This will get thrown in a drawer and never get used. I mean, why give me a bottle of detangler and a brush? I’m 30, I think I’ve mastered the art of removing knots from my head thanks. It does smell nice though. Very lemony.
The birch brush £5.99

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See above, it will probably live in one of my handbags never to see the light of day again.
Laqa & co cheeky lip pencil in ‘cray cray’ (£17 full size price)

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A gorgeous bright coral, chunky lip & cheek pencil. This will go in my make up box and I’ll enjoy looking at its bright cheery packaging but unfortunately it’s not a very wearable shade for my skin tone. But it is a decent sized sample and would lay someone quite a while.IMG_4155

Beauty protector body wash (£8 full size price)

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It’s probably enough for maybe half a shower with the amount of shower gel I use. The packaging is cute but it smells very sweet, too sickly sweet for me.
Benefit- the POREfessional (£15.50 full size price)

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Decent sized sample. However I’ll never use it seeing as I have DRY SKIN! Come on Birch box don’t you check our beauty profiles?! So this is basically useless to me.
So that was my Birchbox! I’m giving it another month to see if it improves but if not I’ll be cancelling my subscription.
What did you think of this months birch box?

Do you subscribe to any other monthly beauty boxes?

I’d love to check some more out so please leave recommendations in the comments 🙂

Tomorrow’s post is: my make up collection!

Sam 🙂 x

30 day blogger challenge: My favourite foundations 

  
Foundation is something most of us use on a daily basis to make ourselves feel a little bit more normal before we leave the house. So finding the right shade, coverage & Consistency that best suits your skin tone & type is rather Important. 

I see so many girls who have orange faces & white necks it’s unreal. So make sure you are matching people! I’ll try to get a post up soon on how to choose the right shade but for now here are my favourites. 

Illamasqua skin base shade SB03 £32.50 
This is my holy grail foundation! It has lovely coverage alone but can also be used as a foundation and concealer. I Just apply with my Real techniques buffing brush, then add extra where I need more coverage with the real techniques stippling brush. This is also in my professional make up kit for clients I love it that much. 

Mac studio fix in NC15 £22

 I had heard good things about studio fix so decided to try it myself. It didn’t disappoint and I wear this on nights out when I need a little extra coverage than what skin base offers. I do prefer this to Mac pro longwear as I find that formula quite drying on my skin. But studio fix stays in place all night long without drying me out. 

Rimmel lasting finish 25 hour- light porcelain £7.99 

 This has THE best coverage in a foundation that I’ve ever tried. And it’s perfect if you are on a budget. I love a full coverage foundation, I don’t naturally have nice skin so this is a godsend for those days when you really need to cover everything up but still look like you haven’t caked your foundation on. I like to buff this into my skin in a circular motion with my real techniques buffing brush (I love this brush can you tell?) it gives you a lovely finish and your skin still looks like skin! 

Urban decay Naked skin shade 2.0 £27

 Please excuse the state of the bottle, it’s now empty and ready for the bin! 

I posted about this for my August empties/favourites post so I won’t go on about it too much. But it has a lovely consistancy and although I’d personally need a lighter shade for daytime this would be a perfect everyday foundation. It’s light diffusing so gives you a nice healthy glow, and it feels light on the skin but you can build it up if you need to.

So there are my personal favourites. 

What is your favourite foundation? 

Are there any that you’ve tried and disliked? 

Let me know in the comments 🙂 

Sorry for the lack of yesterday’s post. I’ll make it up to you I promise! 

Tomorrow’s blogger challenge is:My make up collection! 

See you then 

Sam 🙂 x

30 day blogger challenge: my make up brushes 

  
I never realised just how important make up brushes were until about a year ago. 

I’d always used my hands and a sponge applicator until I discovered the real techniques brushes on the pixiwoo channel. They literally changed my life. And I’m not exaggerating. It’s amazing how those tiny wooden sticks with fluff on the end can completely transform the way you apply your make up.

 I went on a bit of a mad one a while ago buying brushes in all different shapes and sizes and by different brands, high street & high end until I finally learned how to use them and what each one was for. It was an expensive mistake put it that way. As a lot of them I don’t even use. 
I’ll go through my favourites just to show how many from my collection I actually use regularly to hopefully give you an idea of what not to waste money on if you only wanted to invest in maybe one or two.

I have a mixture of brands from high end to high street: Real techniques, Mac, Sigma, Royal & Langnickel, Bare minerals, Lancôme, Illamasqua, Japonesque etc. And I used to be a firm believer in ‘buy cheap buy twice’ but to be completely honest with experience it isn’t necessary to spend a lot. 

 My Real techniques collection 

My ‘couldn’t live without’ brush has to be the real techniques buffing brush. (5th from right) 

I use it every day to buff in my foundation, it gives nice even coverage but can also be used to apply blush/bronzer/powder.

The expert face brush is a close second. (4th from right) I use this on the days where I need extra coverage. 

The sculpting brush (far right) is perfect for those that are new to contouring. But I personally prefer the actual contouring brush (3rd from right) it’s just a matter of preference. 

The stippling brush (second from right) is good for achieving that ‘airbrushed’ look. I use it on a night out where I sometimes wear a bit more make up. It’s also nice to apply cream products (cream blush or highlighter) 

  Mac contouring brush & real techniques sculpting brush. 

I do use my Mac contouring brush occasionally, it gives a more precise contour (if you like the really chiselled cheekbone look then this is for you) but I’d say it’s probably best for a make up artists kit rather than an everyday make up brush. So In my opinion don’t bother, it is on the pricey side too at just under £40.

 Eyes  L-r Sigma blending e25, Mac 239,253,212 & royal & langnickel bc445

The Mac 253 & 212 push liner brushes are my favourite for lining. I can’t apply liner to save my life wether it be from a pot,liquid liner, cake etc but these little lovelies make my life easier. The push liner gives a nice soft line for daytime when used with black or brown eyeshadow, also a perfect look for older ladies as it’s less harsh than a dark black liquid or pencil liner. 

The Mac 239 is again one I use every day, perfect for packing colour onto the lid. But it isn’t an essential. There are many more that will do the same but it was a brush I THOUGHT I needed months ago. 

The sigma e25 & R&L bc445 are my favourites for blending. Blending used to be something that was hit and miss for me but these brushes literally do all the hard work for me. So id definitely recommend them, they are reasonably priced too. I picked up the R&L brush at the Olympia beauty show for less than £6. And the sigma was less than £10 although customs charged me £14 for the set I purchased 😬 

Crown & karla brushes are on my wish list but if you’ve tried them let me know your recommendations! 

So they were my brushes! Hope you enjoyed! 

Do you have any favourite brushes that you can’t live without? Let me know in the comments! 

Tomorrow’s post is my favourite mascaras. 

Sam 🙂 x

August empties/ favourites

Here’s my first empties post!

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In my entire life I don’t think I’ve ever used up an entire product before getting bored half way through and buying something different. But I’m on a spending ban enforced by myself in an attempt to try and use up the products I already own. (I did start last week but an unexpected trip to Tk Maxx set me back)

My first is:

Mac prep & prime fix+ (£17)

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It’s quickly become one of my ‘can’t live without’ products. I now use it literally every single day. It had been in my kit for a while and I just assumed it was a setting spray hence the name ‘fix’ BUT I did some googling and discovered some uses that make up artists swear by. And they’ve changed my life! Okay maybe not my life exactly but my usual make up routine. Heres how I use fix+ :

Spritz some onto your face before or after your chosen moisturiser for an extra moisture boost (or both if your skins really suffering)

Spritz onto your foundation brush to help your foundation glide on more smoothly  

Spritz onto the face after applying foundation and concealer & allow to dry before applying powder to keep your make up in place longer

Spray onto your eyeshadow brush before applying your chosen eyeshadow to really make the colour ‘pop’ and intensify the colour

Use it to thin cream or compact foundation for a more sheer coverage (decant product, never spray into the compact)

I’ll definitely be repurchasing, it’s been a godsend for my usually dry skin. I would certainly recommend trying it if you haven’t already.

Have you tried any of the above tips or have any of your own to add?

Urban decay: Naked skin foundation in shade 2.0 (£27)

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I allowed the consultant at the UD counter to match me up for this foundation. Which I should have known would be a mistake as no make up counter assistant ever selects the right shade for me wherever I go (#annoying ) however, it was okay to use on nights out as I go a little darker for evening make up.

So! Coverage was okay, I normally like something a little thicker so the liquid consistency took a little getting used to but it’s buildable which was good for me. I apply it with the real techniques buffing brush, allow to dry for a few minutes then use a beauty blender to add extra coverage where needed. And voila! ‘Naked’ skin that looks flawless and even, without the cakey look that some other foundations can give when they lie and say their product is buildable 😬

I will purchase this again after the spending ban 😉 but a lighter shade that will suit my pale complexion.

Stila stay all day 10 in 1 beauty balm (HD illuminating beauty balm spf 30 £26 duty free)

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I purchased this on my flight to Cuba a few months ago. I used it whilst on holiday and it gave a lovely glow with a subtle hint of colour. I don’t usually leave the house without make up at home but this gave me the confidence to go foundation free so that’s definitely something that impressed me.

However now I’m home and tan-less I can no longer wear it alone & team it with my normal foundation on those days where your skin needs a little pick me up.

It would be lovely for a make up artists kit as it’s perfect under foundation for a nice dewy, slightly illuminated effect (similar to Mac strobe cream)

Will I repurchase? If I can find it again yes! I haven’t seen it anywhere since 😦 So if anyone knows where I can pick one up please let me know! As id definitely like to add it to my holiday make up bag.

Embryolisse lait-creme concentré 30ml (£13 boots.com)

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What can I say, it’s amazing stuff, it instantly smooths my normally dry slightly flakey skin, and creates a smooth canvas for me to apply my make up. It also doubles as a primer (and has many other uses such as cleanser, make up remover, repairing mask, after shave cream, baby care product) My make up stays put all day without looking dry and it works great on my make up clients too as it stops shine on oiler/combination skins so it’s a win-win situation. Although the packaging was a bit pants as its a metal tube, so even when you squeeze a little out it still floods the cap.

Have you tried it? Let me know why you thought in the comments

I have already repurchased the larger-gold limited edition tube from boots.com £20 (pre spending ban!) the tube has been updated on the larger tube so no mess with that one.

George under eye concealer (Asda £4.50)

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This baby Rivals the YSL touché éclat for me. NO LIE! And at £4.50 it’s a total bargain. There’s no reason for you not to try it. I use it after my correcting concealer to brighten my eye area and it can also be used for highlighting. A little really does go a long way and it does exactly what it says on the tube. I can’t remember what made me buy it as id never normally pick up a supermarket own brand (make up snobbery I know, I’m not proud of it) but I’m so glad I did. I can honestly say I love this product and I can see this being one of my make up bag staples.

September 30 day challenge.

In an attempt to blog more regularly I’ve created my own little September 30 day challenge. The posts will be short and sweet but I hope you guys will be able to get to know me a little better.

So if there’s anything you’d like to know or see here leave a comment for me 🙂

Sam x