Five Current High End Favourites

Hi! So in this post I'm going to talk about high end products that I'm loving at the moment. I've done a similar post on my 10 Favourites Under £10 and this post only has five because I don't own all that many high end products.

Everyone likes a bit of luxury and I try to get a lot of use out of expensive products to get my money's worth! I didn't choose a particular MAC lipstick for this post, but they are pretty much firm favourites anyway - I did a post about my collection here.

1. Miss Dior Eau De Parfum

I don't talk about perfume much on my blog but I absolutely love this one, which I bought with my 21st birthday money. It was a close call between this and the Chanel Coco Mademoiselle as both are classy, feminine scents which come in gorgeous packaging that would look great on any dressing table (in Miss Dior's case, with a reflective bow.)

I'm not good at describing smells so I'll let Dior field this one. The notes are: Top Notes: Mandarin Orange, Middle Notes: Turkish Rose, Bulgarian Rose, Base Notes: Patchouli, Amber. I've tried a sample of the 'Blooming Bouquet' version as well which is lovely, and as the name suggests a bit more floral.

There's currently a '1000 points when you buy 2 or more selected Dior, 1 to be mascara or foundation' offer on at Boots, so that's £10 worth of points when you buy two Dior products!

2. Benefit Lollitint

My boyfriend kindly got me this for Christmas and I've really enjoyed using it ever since. I've tried mini versions of the other Benefit tints (Posietint and Benetint) and I really liked the pink one, Posietint and got a lot of use out of it. I didn't fancy splashing £24.50 on the full size Posietint though when I could just get the MeMeMe Poppy Tint dupe of it, which is available in Superdrug although I can't find it online. I'm not aware of any less expensive dupes for this 'candy-orchid' shade but it would be great if anyone knows of one?

However, you do get two uses for one with this gorgeous stain. It takes a little while to get the hang of applying it to the cheeks - Sharon the Makeup Artist did a really helpful tutorial here of how to apply cheek stains with a brush, since Benefit's own advice about applying it is a bit dodgy! It seems to last longer on the cheeks but I still like applying it either on its own or with another lip product; Mac's Pink Popcorn Lipstick and this stain are a combination I've been loving. It's quite a cool toned purpleish-pink so I think it's very pretty on pale skin in particular, but it would still probably suit a variety of skintones. The packaging is also adorable. I would love to own the mango/coral shade 'Cha Cha Tint' as well. I just wish these tints weren't so overpriced!

Here's a picture of me wearing Lollitint on my lips combined with Pink Popcorn lipstick on top, as well as on my cheeks, although it's not showing up in this photo! I'm also wearing the MAC Prep and Prime Highlighter which I'm going to talk about next...

3. MAC Prep and Prime Highlighter in Radiant Rose

I've actually owned this for quite a while now and I use it a lot. It seems to be lasting a long time (I'm getting my money's worth!) so I wonder when it will run out. This is basically a YSL Touche Eclat copy, which in my shade is a pale pink that works really well at adding radiance. As you can see it has a built in brush applicator and you simply click the product in, which has always worked well for me.

I typically use it around the eye area, so on my brow bone, over my concealer and sometimes on my eyelids to brighten them up and provide a base for my eyeshadow. It is very creamy and blends well. It's the best Touche Eclat dupe I've tried and I'm definitely going to repurchase it when it runs out, and hold on to the empty product so that I can do 'Back 2 MAC', returning 6 empties for one free lipstick!

4. MAC Patina and Satin Taupe Eyeshadows

Patina (left) and Satin Taupe (right)

I don't own many Mac eyeshadows but I find myself reaching for my pro palette quad more often than the famous Urban Decay Naked Palette, which I like but find a bit too warm toned for my skintone. I'm mentioning these two together as one favourite because they go so well together. As you can see I've used Patina more, but I do love both. Patina on me is a very wearable gold-ish brown which is amazing either on its own or paired with Satin Taupe, which is a slightly plummy taupe. They are neutral but still interesting shades - check out how Satin Taupe catches the light in the picture below!

Left: Patina, Right: Satin Taupe

If you've never tried Mac eyeshadows before these are the two that I would recommend as they are not only beautiful and versatile everyday neutrals but very easy to work with (Patina is slighly less pigmented compared to Satin Taupe, but still good.) I think the hint of plum in Satin Taupe would make it particularly stunning on green eyes while the gold tinge of Patina really brings out my blue eyes. Speaking of gold, I am very tempted to buy Amber Lights, a coppery bronze, as I've heard it's lovely on blue eyes. I'm slightly unsure about it though as it may be too warm-toned for my skin! If you own that one I would love to know what your thoughts are on it?

5. NARS Gaiety Blush

This is a gorgeous, cheerful, blue-toned bubblegum pink blush which looks a bit intimidatingly bright in the pan but is actually very wearable. It looks great on my fair skin and also seems to last a long time on my oily skin. It is great quality as you would expect from Nars, with just the right amount of pigmentation to give you a very flattering healthy glow without being overpowering.

Swatched and Blended 

That's it! If you fancy treating yourself, then I'd really recommend these.

I think I'm going to go on a makeup spending ban throughout June as I have more than enough makeup already and don't need any more, so I'm sorry but there won't be any new makeup bits to share for a while! I will probably review lots of products nevertheless though :)

What high end products have you been enjoying lately?

Sabrina xx

Disappointing Products

Hi, so today's post is going to be a bit negative I'm afraid! But I do think it's great to share what products have disappointed you so we can see the other side of the story and maybe even decide to save our money. I'm most disappointed with things that get a lot of hype and great reviews but end up not working well for me, but it just goes to show, opinions on cosmetics (especially skincare) are always going to be varied because of how personal they are. I still use some of these sometimes because I don't like to think I've wasted my money!

Firstly a product that isn't too bad but still a bit of a let down is the Good Things Blemish Control Gel Mask. I still use this directly on spots every now and then because it can be quite good at reducing the size and redness of them, but as a mask it's awful. It's an unusual face mask because it's thin and runny. It smells quite medicinal which isn't very pleasant, and it stings my face and makes my eyes water. I don't think the stinging was as bad when I first got it, but now if I was to apply this all over my face I would instantly have to wash it off again because it actually hurts! It's one thing feeling a product 'tingle' but clearly this is way too strong so it might be too much salicylic acid which is causing the stinging. If you have even slightly sensitive skin I wouldn't go near it.

I wasn't a fan of the Max Factor Wild Mega Volume Mascara. I usually love Max Factor mascaras but this one is a bit of a let down compared to the usual standard.

It wasn't the worst mascara I've ever used or anything dramatic like that, but it was quite clumpy and wet and therefore hard to work with. It takes a lot longer than it should to get the desired effect with this. The brush is slightly oddly shaped, which didn't really work as it picked up too much product from the tube. The packaging is eye-catching but a bit tacky compared with the usual look of Max Factor mascaras.

Last year I tried out La Roche Posay's Effaclar Duo after seeing a lot of rave reviews (Ruth at A Model Recommends loves this!) but unfortunately it didn't work for me at all. It claims to correct the appearance of blemishes but if anything it made me break out even more, so I suppose something about it irritates my skin. I persisted with it for a while because I really wanted to like it, and I still do try it again every now and then in case it works, so I've actually used up a lot of my tube. Luckily I got my money back with a satisfaction guarantee, which was very nice of La Roche Posay - I have no idea if they're still doing that offer but it would be great if they did!

Next is a lip product, and you'd think you can't generally go wrong with lip products as a swatch on your hand in the shop would show you how pigmented it is, and you can also smell the tester to make sure it doesn't smell bad before you buy it - however I must have forgotten to do that when I bought Rimmel's Apocalips, as this product smells so awful!

It smells horribly plasticky and I'm usually not too bothered about smells in lip products but when I wear this I just can't ignore it. I bought this back when there was a lot of hype around the Rimmel Apocalips because of its interesting 'lip lacquer' formula and gorgeous shades, however I seem to have accidentally chosen a bit of a boring shade - Celestial.

Maybe it looked prettier under the lights in the shop and it's not a terrible shade at all but I do think I have nicer pinks in my collection. That said if you can get over the smell the red shade does look stunning, I only didn't buy it because I already had a red and knew I wouldn't get much wear out of another one!

This one isn't that much of a disappointment, but I still haven't been a big fan of the Boots Essentials Fragrance Free Eye Makeup Remover Pads. They do remove eye makeup quite well and they're very handy when I have a lot to remove, but I can't stand how greasy they are to use. I need to use a cotton pad after using these to get rid of the oily residue around my eyes. They also cloud up my vision a bit for a while which is annoying. At £1.50 for 40 pads though I can't really complain - they still do what the job and are very affordable.

Months ago I bought Charles Worthington's Volume and Bounce Texturising Spray expecting great things as it gets raved about a lot and is considered a dupe for Oribe's Texturising Spray which is £38 (!!!) for 300ml, while CH's option is £6.99 for 150ml. I have quite fine hair which often goes flat even when I use volumising products, but I just can't get on with this.

I follow the instructions but barely see any volumising effect; it seems to just make my hair feel sticky and greasy and therefore weighed down, despite my attempts to rub it in. I wish it actually worked as I don't particularly want to fork out for the Oribe one! I'll keep trying and see if I can get it to work (I wonder if I'm spraying a little too much) but for now I'm loving Bumble and Bumble's Thickening Hair Spray which, combined with blow drying my hair upside down, can give me beautiful volume and thickness. I got a 50ml travel size of it free with a magazine and will definitely be purchasing the full size one when it runs out!

Do you have any thoughts on these products? I'm sorry if this post has been a bit moany/negative or if I bashed any of your favourite products, but I would be interested to hear if you swear by any of these!

Have any products disappointed you recently? I'd love to know what products to save my money on and avoid!

Thanks for reading!

Sabrina xx

An Ode to Miss Selfridge Ponte Blazers

Hi! So when I saw that Miss Selfridge were offering 24% off full priced items for 24 hours my first thought was that I'm going to have to snap up one of their blazers! *This offer has now finished, sorry!*

I noticed them a while ago when I was browsing in store, loved the look of them and was very tempted, but I decided to wait for an offer to come round seeing as though they're normally £39 (and I am a cheap skate, haha.)

I would buy almost every colour of this blazer if I could but I went for the peachy pink one (second on the left of the top row of the picture above) because I am unashamedly girly and know this is the sort of item I'd wear a lot. I love how these sort of items are very wearable and versatile as they can be dressed up or down depending on what you pair them with. My other favourites are the white and light blue ones in the top row, but the orange one is also quite striking.

Most of these jackets, including the one I bought, are actually in the Petites range but I'm pretty sure it won't be too short, and if it is I can always exchange it in store. I think these make a great cover up for Spring/Summer on those days where it's warm but you still need a light jacket, especially in the UK where it might rain at any moment!

What's your favourite cover up for Spring?

Sabrina xx

PS: I hope this post doesn't sound too much like an advertisement for Miss Selfridge, but don't worry they haven't sponsored me!

Rediscovery and Review: Soap and Glory Glow All Out Luminizing Face Powder

Does anyone else occasionally just have a random play with their makeup collection, finding old favourites that you may have forgotten that you had? I remember there was a big buzz around Soap and Glory's makeup line when it launched a couple of years ago. One product that I would rediscover if only I could find it would be the Sexy Mother Pucker (lol) Gloss Stick in Nudist - I don't know where it's got to but it's a brilliant product and I may have to check out another shade soon!

Anyway, I happily rediscovered the Glow All Out Luminizing Face Powder which is such a stunning product. It is a very light peachy pink which actually counts as a blush on my pale skin at the moment, although I usually use it along with a blush. I now use a mattifying foundation so I think this powder is a brilliant way to add a bit of a glow where you want it on oily skin (and possibly more suitable than using a liquid highlighter, like Benefit's High Beam.) Sorry that mine's looking a bit worse for wear, I've owned it for a long time!

As usual with Soap and Glory, the name is punny and the packaging looks good, although the cardboard/paper packaging is a bit flimsy. The good folks at Soap and Glory have actually recently repackaged it into a sturdier plastic compact which is a great improvement. This is quite expensive for a drugstore makeup product at £11 but it's currently in a '3 for 2' offer.

They say:

Use it to lift up your cheekbones or dust lightly all over for a 'moonlit' look. Featuring LIGHTSCRAMBLE™ Luminospheres Pigment Pearls and extended wear silicone technology.

Oh, Soap and Glory, you and your made up words. But yes, this does contain silicones, and S&G aren't shy about that, but if that helps this stay on longer on my oily skin, then I'm on board (she says, whilst googling silicones to try and understand whether they're good or bad.)

As for the colour, I'll let the pictures do the talking and show how gorgeous it is:

This is quite a heavy swatch, just to get the colour to show up!

Blended out. Sorry about the creepy vein!

As you can see, it is very radiant without being glittery in the slightest (which is the main thing that puts me off highlighters sometimes!) 

So basically...if you want a pink powder highlighter which blends well, adds beautiful radiance and a little bit of colour to pale complexions, then you may well love this as much as I do - I'm certainly going to be reaching for it a lot this Spring/Summer! 

Have you tried this product? What's your go-to highlighter?

Hope you enjoyed this post!

Sabrina xx

Mini Boots Haul

I swear it's practically impossible for a beauty-obsessed person such as myself to go into Boots intending to buy an essential such as toothpaste, without ending up with that and some other items that were...well, slightly less essential. That's what happened with this haul. To be fair, I didn't get that much - I really wanted to pick up a Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick as they all look gorgeous and are getting a lot of hype right now in the beauty world, but I resisted. (I know, go me! Haha.)

I've pictured the Nivea Daily Essentials Night Cream, £2.24, which I actually bought the previous week and mentioned in my last post. So far I'm really liking this product, it calms my skin down overnight when it's being a bit temperamental. The other night I was breaking out, used this product anyway (which I thought was a bit risky as it's quite a thick lotion) and obviously it didn't make the spot go away, but it did definitely help with redness and made my skin a bit happier. It's also very cheap especially as it's still half price at Boots so I'd definitely recommend trying it!

I also repurchased the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair which is one I've repurchased a lot. I've raved about this so much on my blog before so I won't go on about it except to say that it's absolutely worth the hype if you ask me! I am still using the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer on dark circles and this one is for using on spots and blemishes. I did a post reviewing the Nars concealer and comparing it to Collection here.

I had my hair done on the same day I bought these items and I decided to try a new hair treatment seeing as though the ends of my hair get very dry. I've also just had it coloured again so it's now definitely in need of some TLC. I deliberated between the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Colour Deep Treatment (I've tried the normal version and loved it, it smells so good) or the Garnier Ultimate Blends Colour Illuminator 1-Minute Treatment but got the latter because it was cheaper on offer for £2.99. I have the shampoo version of it as well which I quite like, especially for the smell (Argon Oil and Cranberry). I rarely use hair treatments because my hair gets greasy quite quickly but I'm excited to try this!

The last thing I got was Soap and Glory's Peaches and Clean Cleansing Milk which was also on offer for £6 instead of £8 and was the main impulse buy of the bunch seeing as though I might not have noticed it at all if it hadn't been on offer. However I'm looking forward to giving this a go, I was on the lookout for a new cleanser and this one gets very positive reviews on both Boots.com and Makeupalley. Also Khila (Miss Budget Beauty) raves about it a lot!

I just hope my sensitive skin gets on with this as it contains active ingredients/'glycols' (I know - blank face) and interestingly although Soap and Glory describe it as gentle and able to remove waterproof mascara, they also say not to use it on the eye area. I've used it a few times and so far, so good. It tingles a bit but other than that there are no signs of it irritating my skin. It had a very unusual minty yet peachy smell which I'm not sure what to make of yet. Also as usual with Soap and Glory the packaging is gorgeous.

Do you have any thoughts on these products? Have you made any drugstore purchases lately? :)

PS: This is obviously very unrelated to the rest of this post, but I saw this kimono over on Heather at Of Beauty & Nothingness' Summer Clothing Wish List and wanted to mention it as I'm in love with it as well as the whole outfit below...which adds up to £133! (Not including the necklace or sandals! I don't own a single kimono in my wardrobe as it's just not an item I would usually wear but I think this one is so beautiful:

Sabrina xx

Review: No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream For Normal/Oily Skin

Hello again! So I am now completely sorted when it comes to moisturisers. Last week I revisited my beloved Uni town (Aberystwyth) and popped into Boots there intending to just get the Nivea Daily Essentials Sensitive Night Cream, having quite liked a sachet sample of it I tried recently. It's also currently half price - £2.24 instead of £4.49, which makes it extremely good value. I only use it every other night at the moment because it's quite rich and I don't want to overload my skin, but I'm really enjoying using it (I may do a full review soon!)

I spent over £5 getting other stuff (including reduced-but-still-tasty creme eggs, oh yes) and was given a £5 No7 Skincare / £3 off No7 Makeup voucher, which came out very soon after I missed the last ones! This particular batch expired last Sunday unfortunately but I'm sure it won't be very long at all until the next ones. I always like to take advantage of at least one voucher, even if it's just getting their £7 Face Wipes for £2, which are quite nice but definitely overpriced. At the time of writing, there's a 3 for 2 on selected No7 offer.

So, again having tried out a sample and really liked it - I bought the Beautiful Skin Day Cream for Normal/Oily Skin, so I now have a moisturiser for day and night. It is normally £13.50 but with the voucher I got it for £8.50, meaning I got another voucher which I actually didn't want because I didn't want to be tempted into buying anything else!

This is what No7 promise about it on the box:

It seems like a thick, rich lotion in the jar but when you actually apply it on your face it sinks in incredibly well (especially if you do a gentle patting motion) leaving skin smooth and happy, and you can't feel that it's there. This means it leaves a great base for makeup, which is my favourite thing about it. 

The SPF of 15 is also a big plus for me as I rarely wear an SPF out and about in normal weather unless it's in my foundation - the same factor is also in the No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation which I purchased recently and will do a review on soon. Does that mean than when wearing both I have a factor 30 protection?!

Anyway, this addition of SPF does mean that that's mainly what this product smells of. I find it an acceptable, inoffensive scent but if an SPF smell in your moisturiser bothers you then you probably won't like this. Also, part of the packaging warns that this isn't suitable for sunbathing so it might not be a good idea to rely on just this for sun protection.

It works quite well for me at keeping oil at bay and mattifying my skin but it doesn't mattify all day long and I don't think it would work for very long if you are very oily.

This product does have a few downsides - firstly there's the jar packaging. It does look good and I know this only really means you need to wash your hands before applying; which is something you should probably do anyway no matter what the packaging of your moisturiser is, but to me it's still a bit unhygienic and annoying. Please can we have a pump packaging, No7? 

I'm not sure why No7 added Fragrance as it pretty much smells like sun cream!

My other bugbear is the fact that this has alcohol denat. This moisturiser, as with all No7 products is hypo-allergenic and it doesn't irritate my skin at all, but I'm still not keen on the inclusion of this irritating and drying ingredient. 

My skin is quite oily but on less oily days I find myself applying quite a bit to make my skin feel thoroughly moisturised. No7 also do a Day Cream for Normal to Dry Skin so if you have combination skin you may well feel unsure as to which one's best suited to you. I'd say that it would be a good idea to try a sample out of the one you think you're more suited to. I don't think this would be suitable for someone whose combination skin leans more towards being dry.

Overall, this moisturiser is really good (despite the dodgy packaging) and I'd recommend it!

Have you tried this product? What's your favourite moisturiser?

Sabrina xx

My MAC Lipstick Collection

Hi everyone! Today I want to share my thoughts on the seven MAC lipsticks I have, as I don't know about you, but I find it interesting to see what's in people's collections. It goes without saying really but I'm not trying to show off or anything with this post. It's funny because seven of one brand is a lot for most people but for a beauty blogger it's probably quite conservative!

Mac lipsticks get a lot of hype in the beauty blogging world, and for a good reason - they do such a wide range of shades and formulas in usually excellent quality, with a pleasant light vanilla smell as a nice extra.

They are quite expensive at £15.50 each (and Mac keep increasing the price!) so I like to go for more unique shades that you might not be able to get a good dupe for on the high street. The lipsticks come in simple yet sleek black bullet-shaped packaging unless they're released in limited edition packaging for collections or in 'Viva Glam' red casing like Viva Glam Nicki below:

From left to right: Plumful, Show Orchid, Pink Popcorn, Moxie, Viva Glam Nicki, Ever Hip and Vegas Volt

Swatched in the same order - click for a closer look!

1. Plumful
This is a lovely plummy/rosy pink. It looks darker and therefore less wearable in the tube but it's actually very pretty and easy to wear. I really need to wear it more as this kind of shade really suits my skintone (although I think it would great on a variety of skintones) and is a great everyday lipstick. It is a lustre finish but has a very good colour payoff.

2. Show Orchid
I've raved about this before on the blog here. It's a stunning blue-toned fuchsia pink. I think it was my second MAC lipstick, and it's been worn on countless nights out. It has an amplified finish, which means it provides opaque coverage whilst not being drying like a Matte finish - I think that's my favourite of the bunch!

3. Pink Popcorn
I bought this when it was out in the limited edition 'Reel Sexy' collection about three years ago - it is quite a nice purpley-pink and quite unique in my collection. I think I'm guilty of forgetting about this one and I should definitely wear it more. It's nicely pigmented despite being a lustre finish, and it's a pretty and wearable way to wear a purple-tinged shade. A bold purple colour, Heroine, was released in the same collection and is permanent, but I didn't think it would suit me.

I think it particularly looks great layered over Benefit's Lollitint, another lilac lip (and cheek) colour, which I might do a review on soon! Out of all the lipsticks, this one wears off the soonest, but I think that's quite typical for lustre finishes.

4. Moxie
This is the only matte lipstick I have by Mac and another limited edition one, released in the 'Mac By Request' collection. It's a reddish pink that is very nicely pigmented. Matte shades are known to be quite drying but I think this one isn't too bad - but it's always a good idea to make sure your lips are well moisturised before applying.

5. Viva Glam Nicki
This is a yellow-toned bright pink with a hint of coral, and to be honest, I slightly regret buying this - I really wanted to like it, but both the colour and the formula are a bit 'off' on me, at least while I'm this pale. It's not awful but I can't help thinking someone else should own it who would love it far more than I do! It has a satin, semi-matte finish.

However it's not really a shame nor a waste of money that this lipstick was a bit of a miss, as when I bought this MAC donated my full £13.50 to their AIDS fund. I think it's great of a big brand like MAC to donate to charity. I don't think this is available anymore, but the Viva Glam Miley lipstick that's currently available looks gorgeous and is a great way to treat yourself whilst giving to charity :)

6. Ever Hip
This was the first MAC lipstick I ever bought so, as silly as this may sound, it has sentimental value! It's another limited edition one unfortunately, but hopefully MAC will be nice and re-release it in a collection again soon, or maybe even make it permanent. The closest permanent dupes, from what I can tell from swatches online, are probably either Flamingo or Coral Bliss. I wouldn't be surprised if there were very close dupes available from the high street though!

This is a beautiful coral-pink which I wear a lot in the Spring/Summer months. It does look better on tanned skin but it's still a nice colour to wear when pale, as it really perks up my face! It has a cremesheen finish which is very comfortable but does wear off fairly quickly. As you can see, it's the most worn shade in my collection.

7. Vegas Volt
This is the most recent purchase of the bunch, as I bought this duty free at the airport before I went on holiday to Spain last July. I'd misplaced Ever Hip and wanted a bright coral shade to go with a tan. I checked online and saw that it wasn't very similar to Ever Hip, so I can justify having both - it is a much darker, more orange-toned coral and therefore slightly harder for me to pull off - both shades definitely look better when my skin is warmer. It has an amplified finish that, like Show Orchid, provides full opacity whilst not being drying at all.

So that's my Mac lipstick collection - for my next purchase I would love to try either Creme Cup or Angel!

You can buy Mac lipsticks here.

I would love to know, what are your favourite Mac lipsticks?

Thanks for reading!

Sabrina xx