My Best Products For Summer!

Hi! :)
My post for you today is my best products that I think work best for the hot summer days...
Admittedly here in the UK we do not get a whole lot of hot summer days but still...when they come around its useful to have the right products ready!
I think the most important things for summer products is that they are lightweight, yet long wearing so I've compiled this little list of my favourite products :)

 

1) Simple Kind To Skin Sun Kissed Moisture Cream

 

Streaks...Orange skin...nasty smell...just some of the perils of fake tanning.

However, this is an amazing alternative!

This is a moisturiser that you use twice a day and it slowly builds up a natural tan really slowly. There are no streaks, it looks natural and not orange and it doesn't have a lasting smell!

I usually have to use this for about a week or two before I notice a difference but it is perfect for making you look like you've been sat on the beach and it works well as a moisturiser for the hotter months too, being not too heavy yet it still provides moisture.

 

2) Rimmel London Match Perfection Skin Tone Adapting Concealer

 

I really love this.

This is my second tube and I will definitely buy another one soon because mine is running out.

This is really lightweight but is really brightening too.

I use this as a touch-up product as it instantly brightens my under eyes and banishes any cakiness that can sometime form after long days.

And because it's so lightweight, your face doesn't feel all clogged up with product.

 

3) E.L.F Tinted Moisturiser

 

I've mentioned this a few times here and I still love it.

I love tinted moisturiser instead of foundation when its hot out.

This tinted moisturiser in particular gives a really pretty glow to the skin and I absolutely adore the way it evens out my skin tone without being heavy on the skin.

This allows skin to breathe and the best bit is its only £1.50!

 

4) Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner

 

I adore these too.

These last ALL DAY. They will cling onto your lids even through water and look simply beautiful.

They are a little pricey at £14.50 but the colours are amazing and quite unique.

They will not fade throughout the day and their beautiful colours make them a staple for me all year round, but also particularly in the hotter months.

The shades I have are Peacock and Bluefin and I've done a review of these which you can read HERE as it includes swatches too!

 

5) NYX Single Eyeshadow in Aloha

 

This is a really great shade and just light and pretty enough for summer.

 

It is a pink/champagne colour with lots of shimmer and it really brightens up the eye.

This is one of my favourite shadows from NYX and definitely the one I've used the most.

 

That's it!
Thank you for reading my post, what are your favourite products for summer?

Libby x

"Would You Rather..." Makeup Tag!

Hi!
I was browsing through other beauty blogs recently and came across a tag that is quite old, but nevertheless I decided it would be pretty fun to do! :)
This is the "Would you rather...?" tag and I thought it would be slightly different from some of my other posts but also maybe help people find out more about my preferences
makeup wise :)

 

1.) Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lip glosses or lose all of your palettes and eye shadows?

 

I'd probably rather loose palettes and eye shadows because you can't do much without things like mascara and eyeliner! But I'd be miserable to see them go as I LOVE eye shadows!

 

 2.) Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?

 

Never be able to cut it again. Right now my hair is pretty long (I'm trying to grow it down to my waist, at the moment it is down to my stomach) and I'd HATE to cut it all off as I love hiding behind my hair when I'm feeling shy:)

 

 3.) Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?

 

To be honest as I'm ridiculously fair skinned I don't tend to wear a lot on my cheeks, but when I do it is usually a pale pink colour so I guess I'd have to say pink!

 

 4.) If you had $1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup?

 

Hm...tricky. I guess clothes if I had to choose now (going through one of those phases where I hate my entire wardrobe...) but I think if you asked me that in a week my answer could be completely different!

 5.) Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick?

 

Probably eyeliner as lipstick...that could create quite a cool goth look and it would make it funny to see people's reactions on the street....it does you no harm to look a little foolish from time to time!

 6.) Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?

 

As I live in the UK we don't have Sephora, but I'm guessing it probably would have more choice than MAC so I'd have to say Sephora :)

 7.) Would you rather only use one eyeshadow color or one lip color for the rest of your life?

 

One lip colour. I wouldn't mind that too much as I tend to gravitate towards the same nude/pink lip colours anyway! I love eye shadows and would get incredibly bored just wearing one a day!

 8.) Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?

 

I think I'd rather wear summer clothes in the winter...it would be cold...but maybe I could make winter a little cheerier if I was wearing bright, summery clothes!

 

 9.) Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round?

 

Bright! I normally wear bright nails anyway, regardless of the season!

 10.) Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?

 

I'd rather give up my favourite lip product. I tend to focus on my eyes more than anything else and I don't tend to do a huge amount of different lip looks anyway.

 11.) Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun?

 

...Maybe messy bun? I'd get bored of a ponytail faster!  I do tend to wear ponytails and messy buns quite a lot anyway :)

 

 12.) Would your rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lipgloss?

 

I'd rather never wear lipgloss. I could always use lip balm! I love painting my nails and doing different designs and I think you can make your nails look so much more interesting than you can make your lips!

 13.) Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or sharpie them in everyday?

 

..This is hard :P I have no idea. I guess I'd rather have sharpie eyebrows than none...but both of these options sound pretty horrific to me!

 14.) Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?

 

I guess nail polish. Although I have more nail polishes than I can shake a stick at I do love makeup and I think it is more versatile...I think I'd miss makeup more!

 

 

So there you go! There is my tag...sorry it's quite a text-heavy post!

Thank you for reading...if you've read all of this you are amazing! :P

By the way...I tag everyone reading this!

Libby x

Makeup Look: Smoked Blue & Gold Eyes

Hi!

I was playing around with some make up this morning and thought I'd show you my creation...
My favourite colour ever is blue and I love to combine it with a smoky eye and also with gold colours, so I thought I'd combine the two!

 

 

 

 

I used mainly Urban Decay shadows and liners today but with a  few exceptions.

 

Here are the products I used:

 

 

 

 

E.L.F Eyelid Primer

E.L.F Duo Eyeshadow Cream in Black Liquorice (I used the darker shade as a base)

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk (Used on the inner corner near the tear duct and also dotted and blended below the brow bone)

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Bluefin (on the top lash line)

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero (Bottom water line)

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Electric (smudged below the bottom lash line)

Stila Fibre Optics Mascara

Urban Decay Naked Palette

 

 

 

I used the colour Creep patted all across the lid and then blended it out with a fluffy brush.

I then added a small amount of Gunmetal on the centre of the lid to blend it out.

I used Sidecar on the inner part of the lid and blended.

After adding the NYX pencil below the brow bone and near the tear duct I added the colour Virgin as a highlight.

I lined my top lash line with the Stila liner in Bluefin

I used the Urban Decay pencil in Zero on the bottom waterline and then smudged the colour Electric below the lash line.

I then added a pop of gold on the very inner corner of the bottom lash line which was the colour Half Baked.

I then added 2 generous coats of the Stila mascara!

 

I really adore the mix of blue, black and gold together and I really like the finished look!

I ADORE the Stila liner that I used and I've done a review of it HERE with swatches if you're interested to see the colour on it's own, it's a really stunning colour!

 

I hope you enjoyed this look!

I'm open to any requests if you have a look you'd like me to try out :)

Thanks for reading!

Libby x

 

NOTD: Fantasy Fire (04/06/2013)

Hi! :)
I have another Nail Of The Day for you today where I show you a nail look I'm wearing and also a little review of the polish (sometimes polishes) in question :)

 

 

 

Feel free to click on the images above to enlarge them...

The nail polish that I'm featuring today is a Max Factor Max Effect Nail Polish in "Fantasy Fire"

 

This is one of the most beautiful shade I have and I think I might pick up a backup bottle of this because it's so beautiful but the bottle is pretty tiny and doesn't hold much.

In different lights this shows pink, purple, green, blue and orange. It is really stunning.

 

Unfortunately this doesn't show up amazingly well on it's own and because its small I don't want to use a load of coats of this, so I've found a base coat to give it a bit more power :)

 

 

I found this polish in my collection that seemed to match the base coat of "Fantasy Fire" pretty well.

This the Collection 2000 Hot Looks Fast Dry nail polish in "Parma Violets".

 

I added two coats of this to make a base colour...

 

 

Then I added one coat of the "Fantasy Fire" colour...you could add two but because I'm so worried about running out I only added one. Two would intensify the colour, but for me, one coat is enough.

 

 

This is the trickiest colour to photograph....but take my word for it...this colour is beautiful.

 

It also seems to last pretty well without chipping! I'll definitely see if I can pick up another bottle of this! :)

 

EDIT:

Whilst sitting out in the sun today I managed to get a couple of slightly better shots that show the amazing colours that run through this polish!

One of my nails is chipped which is sad but it was my fault as I was playing guitar for ages!

 

Thank you for reading!

Have you tried "Fantasy Fire"? :)

Libby x

 

 

Makeup Look: Rainbow Eyes!

Hi!
I was playing around with my 120 pro palette earlier and came up with this rainbow make up look, which I thought I'd just quickly show you!

I used all shadows from the 120 palette which I will point out in a minute! :)

 

 

 

It was grey outside and I noticed that my eyes looked boring...so I piled on some of the brightest shades I have :)

 

 

 

 

The photos don't really do it justice...in reality the shadows were even brighter!

 

Here are the products I used:

 

E.L.F Eyelid Primer

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk (as a base)

Bourjois Khol & Contour Black Eyeliner

Stila Fibre Optics Mascara

120 Pro Palette  (mine is my Fraulein 38)

(You can find this at www.amazon.com by typing in "120 eyeshadow palette".  Its listed under different brands but the palette is the same, they just ship it to different companies who stick their label on it)

 

I've circled the shadows from the palette that I used:

 

 

 

First I used the red shade on the outer corner and blended it out, and then added the slightly darker red right in the crease for definition.

I blended in a mix of the two orange shades and blended this into the red.

I added the yellow shade, then green, then blue and then finally the purple right on the inner corner and blended these together.

I brought the red up in the crease and blended this out.

I used the NYX pencil in the inner corner and topped it with the shimmery white eye shadow, which I also blended below the brow bone.

I smudged the same colours under my lash line and added black liner to the water line.

I could've added liner to the top lash line to define the eye a bit more but I wanted the colours to stand out more so I skipped this. Instead I added generous coats of the Stila mascara to define the eyes.

 

So there's the look I created!

Let me know if there is a particular look you'd like me to try...simple or complicated! :)

 

Have a good day :)

Libby x

 

 

*REVIEW* Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation

Hi! :)

I have a foundation review for you today. I purchased the Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse as one of my first foundations years back...and I recently repurchased it to see how good it was now that I've broadened my knowledge of all things make up! :)

 

This cost around £7.99 and you can get Maybelline in Superdrug, Boots and some supermarkets :)

 

My shade is 010 Ivory which is a pretty good match but a tad dark. It's fine if I blend it well but if I pile too much on one area it shows as being a little bit too dark.

I wonder if they've redone all their shades/shade names because when I used to buy this I used to be in the shade 020 Cameo...which was lighter than this shade which is 010.

*shrugs*

I don't know! Overall there is  good colour range though so it's fairly easy to find a shade that will match your skin tone. According to the website there are 14 shades overall and you get 18ml of it.

 

 

I've had this for a few weeks now and as you can tell I've used quite a bit of it! :)

 

Pros:

• The texture is unlike any other foundation I own. I remember this being one of the reasons I used to like it and I'm pleased that it's still got that nice texture. This is a mousse but it feels really creamy and smooth to touch... It feels like pearls...but in mousse form. :)
• The colour match is pretty good for my skin
• This blends into the skin really well. I use a flat foundation brush for this and then if I need to, the E.L.F stipple brush to blend it in but usually I don't need to.
• The coverage is pretty good! I'd say it was medium coverage. It covers redness really well!
  The finish is matte. I have dry skin and I don't need to put on any powder on after this. The fact that it gives a matte finish makes it so useful and convenient especially if you're in a rush as I don't need to apply anything else other than this.
• Being a drugstore product, it's available easily and only costs £7.99.
• You get a decent amount in here which means you won't run out easily.
• The packaging is really sturdy, with a plastic lid and glass jaw which is heavy and makes you feel like you're getting a good deal for your money.

 

Cons:

• If you have dry skin (like me) this can cling to patches of dryness and emphasize them a lot...I'd recommend that you make sure your skin isn't too dry before using this!
• If you apply too much of this it will look cakey and powdery...I think you need to use it a few times to get the right amount so that you learn not to over apply.
• The staying power isn't great on this. That is to be expected seeing as it's not a liquid foundation topped with powder. The staying power isn't appalling, but sometimes I've put my hand to my face accidentally and its come away with the foundation on it quite easily.
• Some may feel the packaging bulky and it isn't really easy to store because its round.
• The formula dries out quite quickly meaning the texture isn't as much of a mousse and turns to a strange kind of powder.

Oveall, I do really like this foundation! In my opinion the pros outweigh the cons.

I think this foundation is definitely worth trying out as long as you can make sure that you will commit to it because you need to use it before it starts to dry out. The texture is great for a few weeks but then after that it will turn dry and powdery.

If its going to be a product that you use every day then its worth it!

The coverage it gives the skin is really good and I love the finish. It's matte, but not flat or powdery as I can still see my skin just peeking through because it's not as heavy as a liquid foundation.

 

I'd recommend trying this out! :) Or at least going along to a shop and having a look at the testers because seriously...I love the texture of this. :)

 

Thank you for reading my review! Have you tried this foundation?

Libby x

 

 

 

I Heart Drugstore Makeup Tag!

Hi :)
I have a tag post for you today and this time I got the idea from a  video that I literally just watched!

I watched the "I Heart Drugstore Makeup" tag video from emilynoel83 - a youtuber I actually love! I'd highly recommend you checking out her videos, I find them very informative and I trust her opinion more than anyone else's!

So lets get on with it :)

1. What is your favourite drugstore makeup brand overall?

 

Although here in the UK I can't get E.L.F products in stores, I still would consider them to be a "drugstore" brand as they have great budget prices. I have a lot of E.L.F in my makeup collection and I have so many products that I adore and its great to know I didn't pay a fortune for them!

I also am obsessed with Sleek, which is a UK based brand but you can get it online also.

They are slightly more expensive than E.L.F but they have the most beautiful eye shadows!

2. What are your favourite face, cheek and lip products?

 

At the moment my favourite face product is my Hard Candy Glamouflage concealer. Again, I cant get this in stores in the UK but it is still a drugstore brand (I think this is $6 in the US) and I use it pretty much everyday!

I'm also getting a lot of use out of my Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation as it blends in so well and is great for when you are in a rush as it mattifies so well I don't even need powder on top of this.

 

Cheek product would have to go to E.L.F. I recently reviewed the All Over Colour Stick in Spotlight (which you can read HERE) and I absolutely love it. Gives such a beautiful glow to the cheeks.

 

I'm not a huge lip product person but I do love my Rimmel London Moisture Renew lipstick in "Nude Delight" - definitely my favourite lipstick!

3. Least favourite product?

 

I think this would have to go to my Accessorize face primer...I really didn't like it.

Normally I love Accessorize products but this had badly thought out packaging, was messy to use and generally wasn't worth buying for the price.

You can read my review HERE if you are interested :)

4. What is the best makeup bargain?

 

I think I'd have to say the eye shadows from MUA.

Most of the MUA line (including the shadows) is £1 and for that you get 2g of gorgeousness.

I've currently got 7 and I haven't found one that I don't love.

 

5. What is your favourite underdog product? (Something you love that often gets overlooked?)

 

I've used the Bourjois Khol & Contour Eyeliner for ages now and even though now I've tried out many others I always go back to this one. I find that it looks very dark and potent on the lashline and it's not overly creamy but not overly dry either, making it the liner that lasts the best on my waterlines. I think it's only about £5 too and I'm currently on my second one. :)

6. A drugstore product that is overpriced?

 

Um...I don't have much of an answer for this. The only thing that I can think of is the Revlon ColorStay Foundation which is about £12/£13 pounds here. I love this foundation so I'm happy to pay for it but it still feels ever so slightly steep for a drugstore foundation.

7. Show your best drugstore dupe(s)!!

 

I don't have a huge amount to say here as most of the time I don't buy many high end products very often.

Generally, I've found that the Sleek eye shadows do tend to compete with the quality of many other high end shadows like MAC and Urban Decay.

 

I've found Sleek dupes for the Too Faced Natural At Night Palette too:

 

Sleek "Taupe" = A less crumbly/messy version of Too Faced "Night Light"

Sleek "Moss" = Too Faced "Moonstone"

Sleek "Honeycomb" = Too Faced "Spotlight"

Sleek "Conker" = Too Faced "Eclipse"

 

I generally feel that Sleek's shadows are incredible quality and rival higher end brands.

8. Drugstore product that isn't worth the hype?

 

E.L.F nail polishes.

I dislike these - A LOT.

I've bought 3 in the past on separate occasions because I thought that maybe I just got duds or maybe I was being too harsh but I hate all of them.

It feels like I'm painting plastic on my nails. I'm definitely not a fussy person when it comes to nail polishes, far from it, but these feel plastic-y, cheap and they take forever to dry so they end up looking smudged too. They are far too thick and gloopy and it's a shame because I LOVE so many E.L.F products.

 

I'll stick to my Collection 2000 Hot Looks Fast Dry nail polishes...only £1.79 and amazing quality!

 

So there you go! There is my "I heart drugstore makeup" tag...and I have to say I genuinely do love drugstore makeup! Why pay an arm and a leg for something when you can get it for less? :)

By the way...I tag all of you reading this! :)

 

Thanks for reading!

Libby x