*sorry about the bad photo, it was taken at night time
Hello everyone, so I'm back after many months...many people won't be bothered but if you do want to read my excuse explanation then I'll leave it at the bottom of the page, otherwise read on!
So, the other day I went to Boots, and stuff happened. I was actually going in there intending on buying the famous YSL Touche Eclat - despite being on a budget. I justify this because ever since my MAC Prep and Prime highlighter ran out I've missed using a pinky brightening pen under my eyes and wanted to see what all the fuss was about with Touche Eclat (I actually did buy it once ages ago from Cheap Smells, now called All Beauty, as it is slightly cheaper on there, but I barely recall if I liked it or not because it ran out suspiciously quickly. I should really have chased them up about it at the time because it makes me wonder if I had a dud).
My other excuse is that I've not bought myself new makeup in ages (basically just mascara and concealer late last year when both of the old ones were running out) and so when you think about it that £22.50 (it was on offer at 10% off) was probably what I would have spent on random stuff anyway if I hadn't decided to stop buying more makeup items I don't need, because I wasn't running out of those things at all (lipsticks, eye shadows, blushes etc). Plus, you've got to treat yo self once in a while, right...?
Fun fact: this video was posted on my birthday.
Anyway yes - the lady at the counter didn't need to sell this to me much at all. One odd thing was that she told me it was a concealer but I'm not sure this is true - I mean, as I understand it, you use it under your eyes to brighten, not conceal. I fully wasn't expecting this to cover up my dark circles, just to really help cancel out the darkness under my eyes and help make me look like I've had my eight hours (when really I've been writing blog posts at half midnight).
Another thing that was tempting me was that I had these vouchers from boots to boost my points - these are great as they're easy to redeem and you can get loads of points quickly. So when I did this haul I gained about £9.50 worth in points! Another way I boost my points is through the offers on the app, which are sometimes better than the coupons they send in the post. For example, I have a coupon left to get 200 points when I spend £20 or more before 15th March, but another one on the app gives me 400 points if I spend £20+. So obviously I'll go with that one, and before 15th March I'll head back to Boots to get some more things, mainly essentials as like I said I don't really need any more bits of makeup! The app can be a bit glitchy but if you don't have it you can still access the same offers under your advantage card account page on Boots.com.
But yeah, YSL Touche Eclat is one of the most iconic makeup products of all time and sometimes it's just nice to own a beautifully packaged, top quality luxury beauty product. So I don't feel too bad about buying this, but if I repurchase it, it will probably be using my points!
I've used it a few times and really like it so far, I get terrible dark circles so anything that makes me look more awake is a winner. I might do a full review in the future, so let me know if that's something you'd be interested in!
The next thing I bought was a Soap and Glory Foam Call Bath and Shower Wash. These body washes always smell amazing and are a nice treat (not that they're expensive at £6.50, but this is a fair amount to pay for a shower gel) and I got 200 points for buying a soap and glory product. I haven't tried this particular one before but I'm pretty sure I'm going to enjoy it, these are great products.
My Garnier Micellar Water was running low so I decided to try out Nivea's offering in the micellar water trend - the Daily Essentials Sensitive 3in1 Micellar Cleansing Water, which I've also heard good things about. It's currently half price at £1.84, but I wouldn't really buy it full price as it's not as good value for money as the Garnier one, which gives you twice as much product for not much more money (it's also on offer quite often).
Staying on skincare and another points offer was to buy a Boots Skin Clear product - they do a lot of offers around this range and in taking advantage of them I've ended up with so many spot sticks! I decided to try out their Deep Clean Daily Face Wash, which was only £2.99. Reading reviews before I bought it I could have sworn some people said it had beads in it, which I wasn't too keen on - I wouldn't really want to use an exfoliating wash once or twice a day, it's too harsh. But it doesn't have any beads - I don't know if they might have reformulated it since these reviews were written? But anyway so far I'm liking this. I've heard that foam washes aren't that great for the skin as they can dry it out but to be honest I like using them, they give you more of a feeling of having a squeaky clean face than milky/lotion type cleansers like Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean do (don't get me wrong I like that cleanser a lot, but it doesn't make your skin feel as clean as foam washes do).
In case you wanted to have a looksie inside
And another skincare item I bought, again from Boots' own brand range, is their Boots Essentials Cucumber Moisturising Cream. To be honest when I picked this up at Euston station a while before I bought this other stuff I just needed a new moisturiser and couldn't be bothered to look up loads of reviews, but the ones for this seemed promising. It's aimed at all skin types, so I knew it wasn't going to do anything special, but I'm really enjoying it - it's refreshing to use, not too heavy, and makes my skin feel nice and soft. The only thing I don't like is that it takes ages to sink in to my skin, so if I'm getting ready in the morning and want to do my foundation it's a little annoying if the moisturiser hasn't finished sinking in. But yeah, I wasn't expecting anything too fancy from this but I quite like it, and you can't go wrong really at £1.50. I think quite a lot of people have tried the eye cream in Boots' cucumber skincare range, but I'd recommend this too if you're looking for a good, cheap, basic moisturiser.
My excuse for being a bad blogger:I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but I have a bit of an obsessive personality. Not that I get hooked on drugs or anything like that haha, but I get periodically obsessed with things like songs, chocolate/sweets/snack types, and makeup. When I stopped blogging it wasn't just because I'd slightly run out of ideas and couldn't afford to keep buying new products all the time (this is another thing - there shouldn't be too many hauls, because I really want a holiday and living in London now is expensive!) it was also because I just wasn't all that bothered about makeup anymore. And if I'm not interested in or passionate about it, I don't think it would make for a good reading experience for you (and writing experience for me) if I forced blog posts just for the sake of it. Besides, moving to London was quite a big change last year, so I had so much on my mind with my new job and everything that blogging and makeup and beauty just sort of got sidelined. So apologies if anyone has missed my blog (doubtful, but thanks very much if you like my blog that much!). I don't know how often I'll blog from now on, but I have a few posts in mind, and I'm getting a bit back into beauty, so we shall see. ;)Hope you enjoyed this post! Have you tried any of these products? Sabrina xx
Hey everyone! So I went out in Stafford on Saturday and I quite liked how my makeup turned out, so I thought I'd write a post on it! This post turned out a longer than I thought it was going to be...
I forgot to include the Porefessional sample in this photo so let's pretend it's there too haha
I had moisturised my skin with the Avene Cleanance MAT Mattifying Emulsion, letting it sink in for a while before I primed my skin with Benefit's Porefessional, which I have a few sample sizes of (one was with a gift set, another with a magazine.) I don't think I like it enough to purchase the full size one when my samples run out - it's a nice product but I don't think it makes much difference on my pores and I feel like the siliconey formula is quite dupeable on the high street. However my makeup did last quite well despite me getting all sweaty in a nightclub - I'm not sure whether it's down to this, my foundation, my powder or just the combination of all three!
For foundation I went with the YSL Touche Eclat Foundation, which is the only high end foundation I own. This contains no SPF so it's ideal for night time makeup. When I bought it my skin was more normal and less blemish prone so because it's quite glowy and my skin became oily I was put off using it a bit. When I applied it last night though I really liked it - it blended beautifully when I used the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. Its coverage was light to medium but buildable without becoming cakey, as I did need to apply a little more than I normally would because of the amount of blemishes I have. (Quick foundation tip: obviously you can start applying it wherever you want on your face, but if you have an area that you think needs more coverage then you might like to start applying your foundation there.) I think I have the lightest shade and it matches me perfectly.
I did still powder it with MAC Blot Powder as although the dewy-ness of this foundation is nice, my oily skin means my face risks looking shiny as the night goes on. Again I have the lightest shade although this powder has barely any colour as it's not intended to add any more coverage! I have very much hit pan but I'm not sure I'd repurchase as it is expensive at £20.50.
I went for a neutral eye look because of how bright my lipstick (MAC's Show Orchid) is. So I blended together the MAC eyeshadows in Satin Taupe and Patina, which I've raved about before here.
Left: Patina Right: Satin Taupe
Swatched in the same order
I also applied Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Stag which came with the Naked on the Run kit. I rarely wear eyeliner but this one is great - a flattering dark brown with a lovely smooth formula. It also stays put for a long time, as the name suggests!
This lipstick is one of my all time favourites:
MAC's Show Orchid lipstick
For mascara, I used two - I used the Seventeen Falsifeye HD Mascara first because it's great for length, then I topped it up with Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara. As much as I like the 17 mascara I think I prefer the Maybelline one as it's better for volume and it also seems to hold a curl longer. I did a full review of the Maybelline mascara here.
Top - Soap and Glory Glow All Out, Bottom left: Mac's Blot Powder, Bottom right: Benefit Bella Bamba
For a mix of highlight and blush (because of how pale I am this product is like a blush on me!) I used Soap and Glory Glow All Out Luminizing Face Powder (review here) at the top of my cheekbones and then applied Benefit's Bella Bamba Blush to the apples of my cheeks - I love this blush but haven't wanted to rave about it on here because it's sadly been discontinued! Benefit should definitely bring it back. As you can see the packaging has faded as I've owned and used it since Christmas 2011!
I used the L'oreal Brow Artist Plumper in Dark Brunette, which is a ridiculously easy way to tidy up your brows, as I'm not fussed about properly attempting to fill them in.
The finished look.I feel like I look a bit evil in this photo lol.
As for my nails, it didn't really match my outfit but my current NOTW is Rimmel's 60 Seconds in Pulsating:
I really like this colour! I wouldn't say it dries in 60 seconds but I think it does dry slightly sooner than normal. (I can't find this online but I'm fairly sure it will still be in stores, if I'm wrong then I'm sorry!) I've had this for about five years and it's still going strong and applying well, and there's some gorgeous shades in this line!
Also if you're wondering (after my last post) if I've used the Nice and Easy Root Touch Up Kit yet - nope! I'm waiting for the right time; I didn't want to use it on Saturday in case it went wrong and I also don't want to use it before Thursday as I have a job interview that day! But I will give it a go soon and report back. :)
Hope you liked this post, and thanks for reading! Sabrina xx
I've actually used this up at an alarming rate and the first thing I have to mention is the smell. It might not be to everyone's taste (not that you want to eat it) but I'm with Mikhila (Miss BudgetBeauty) on this one. I love it. It's quite strange, being peachy yet minty at the same time, but I find it really refreshing and maybe even relaxing!
I was a bit confused about this product at first. I normally use foaming cleansers but apparently they can strip moisture from your face so I thought this would be a good alternative, but I wasn't sure how I was supposed to use it. I mean, it is a cleansing milk, so should I use it as my makeup remover? Should I use it with a flannel? The answer is basically you can use it however you want, but it needs to be left on for at least 5-10 minutes or it won't have had a chance to do anything. I really like how it just gently tingles as I leave it to work. Sometimes I'm knackered and just want to take my makeup off, do my teeth etc and go to bed, so in that case I just leave this on while I do other stuff. Miss Budget Beauty has even said before that she's left it on overnight! So in that way it's sort of more a face-mask-that-doesn't-dry as opposed to a normal cleansing milk.
It doesn't sting and it actually seems to moisturise a bit while it's there. I have used it both for normal cleansing and for makeup removal and I think it works well for either, although an important thing to remember is you shouldn't use this bad boy to remove your mascara - it will hurt your eyes. It's gentle, but not gentle enough for eye makeup. It will definitely help make sure every last trace of foundation/concealer/blusher/bronzer is gone from your face though. Soap and Glory claim it 'melts away makeup' and it does! I typically use face wipes or cotton pads to remove the cleanser, along with warm water.
If you're a regular reader then you'll know that my skin is usually pants, so I won't bore you with too many details! But yes, my skin is quite oily/blemish prone and the only reason I'm not quite 100% in love with this product is because it's not really done anything to help fight breakouts. To be fair, this product is aimed at all skin types so that tells me right away that it's not going to tackle a specific skin issue, though if you have dry skin I think you'll quite like the moisturising feel you get whilst you leave the product on. If you have very sensitive skin you might want to avoid this because of the glycols it contains. If you buy this and are nervous about whether you might react badly to it, maybe do a patch test on your neck just to be safe.
Another thing that was a downside and is more my fault than the product's is the fact that I couldn't work out how to lock the pump before I went travelling down south to see my boyfriend, so I wasted some of that peach-smelling-creamy-goodness in the little bag I put it in! Does anyone know how to lock the pump?!
Anyway, let's round up the pros and cons:
Pros:
The smell
Attractive girly packaging
Somewhat moisturising
Tingles but doesn't sting
Melts away makeup as you rub it in
The smell
For all skin types so universal
Cons:
You need a separate eye makeup remover
Might not be suitable for very sensitive skin
Can't lock the pump packaging
For all skin types so not targeting any skin issues
Here are the ingredients:
Overall, this is a great cleanser, even if you only want to use it for makeup removal and then use something else afterwards just to be sure. It's definitely worth trying. I would probably repurchase this for the smell for makeup removal and then use Micellar Water/cotton pads for getting rid of eye makeup. At £8 normally that's a bit pricey for a makeup remover so I'm probably more likely to buy it again when it's on offer. Speaking of which, it's in a 'buy one get second half price on selected Soap and Glory' offer at Boots right now.
Edit: I just realised that not only has the packaging changed again, but the amount of product has been increased from 200ml to 350ml which in my opinion makes this product great value for money! Hopefully Soap and Glory won't decide to increase the price soon to reflect that, but still it's great to see a brand increase rather than decrease the amount you get and not change the price.
I hope this post was helpful!
Have you tried this product? What's your favourite cleanser right now?
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?
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:
