25 Day’s Of Beauty: Day Six

Welcome back to 25 Day’s Of Beauty. We’re very near completing our first week of unboxings and it’s definitely be a mixed week.

In today’s box I received a Autograph Kohl Pencil in Black. There are no fancy bells or whistles on this product. It’s just a black kohl eyeliner that looks like it’s softer than the other pencils you can buy

I’m not going to use this product. I don’t wear eyeliner, it gives me too many flashbacks to my teens. It’s another product that’s just going to sit in the box until I give it away or donate it to charity. It seems to me like a filler item that’s just been included as something to just make up numbers. I have to say so far this year I am unimpressed by this calendar and will more than likely buy a different one next year.

Marks And Spencer Beauty Advent Calender Days Six And Seven

Welcome back to Days Six and Seven in my 25 Days of Beauty Series where I show you what I get in my Marks and Spencers Advent Calender.

In Day Six's box I recieved a generous sized tube of the Philip Kingsley The Elasticizer. This is another one of those products that features in the calendar every year. And considering I've recieved it for the last two years running, I've never actually tried it. From what I can remember it's a pre shampoo treatment that's supposed to nourish hair and comes in several scents. This is the Pomergranite and Cassis scent but I have recieved the original before as well as another I can't remember. 

 And in Day Seven's box I recieved a product that is exclusive to this calendar and can't be found anywhere else. It's the Skyn Iceland Berry Lip Fix. And when I say you can't get it anywhere, I mean it. There isn't even any information about this on the M&S website. I do love a good lip balm/lip fix product so I've been wearing this today instead of my normal Palmer's lip balm. It's nice, it hasn't done anything extraordinary to my lips and feels a lot different to the type of lip balms I normally use. I will definitely continue to use this and see if it changes how my lips look and feel over a longer period of time.

Festive Skincare Saviours

 

Tis the season of joy, goodwill, good food and parties. Christmas parties, family parties, New Years Eve parties, December is the month that is filled with many a social event. And whilst it's fun and games, we all sometimes let our routines slip and it soon shows on our skin. So today I've rounded up a handful of products that will love and look after your skin throughout the festive period, without adding extra steps or extra time into your routine.

Okay so it's an obvious that there will be times during the month when you don't want to spend ten minutes stood in front of a sink meticulously taking off your make up. Wipes are the easy option for a quick make up removal but I personally can't stand how wipes make my face feel afterwards. Which where this first product comes into play. The B Stubborn Make Up Remover is the perfect no rinse make up remover that isn't going to dry our or irritate skin like a wipe would. It's bio phase formula breaks down even the toughest of make up and leaves skin feeling clean yet still soft and not stripped of it's natural oils. It works wonders on lipstick, mascara and foundation, leaving no trace behind. If wipes are your thing then you do you boo but if you're not a massive fan of wipes and want something to break down make up whilst still looking after your skin then I'd highly recommend this or something extremely similar.

If you can find the time and energy to stand in front of the sink, first of all I commend you and secondly, I suggest trying a nourishing balm or cream based cleanser. They're thicker in consistency and work better at nourishing the skin whilst simultaneously removing make up and any dirt that's built up throughout the day. My all time favourite cleansing balm has to be the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm. It's thick, it easily breaks down make up but it also nourishes and leaves skin feeling super soft. Clinique's Take The Day Off Balm and Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish are also brilliant products that work in a similar way to the Emma Hardie but cost a fraction of the price. Things such as central heating, cold weather, alcohol and too much junk food can play havoc with the skin, something these products won't be able to reverse but will be able to diminish any effect it can all have on your skin.

If you've had one too many late nights this festive season, then under eye patches are going to be your best friend. These little miracle workers will help depuff, soothe and awaken tired eyes. There are so many different variations on the market but my absolutle favourites come from Skyn Iceland. They're a material/hydra gel mixture that work to soothe and depuff the under eye area. These are naturally cold when you first apply them but can also be placed in the fridget to make them even cooler. Their cooling properties help to reduce any puffiness that lack of sleep, late nights or too much processed sugar can cause. They may not do a lot to help with your dark circles but will create a smoother, hydrated canvas for the ton of concealer you may need afterwards. I always stock up at the beginning of December so I have enough to see me through any work parties, late nights wrapping and nights out with the girls.

Are the late nights catching up with you? Does your skin not look it's greatest? Don't worry my last skincare saviour will help get your skin into tip top condition once again. If you're like me and you enjoy taking your time getting ready for a night out, I highly recommend taking fifteen minutes out fo your dance party to apply a sheet mask. Sheet masks are the only kind of mask you'll need throughout the festive period. Usually made of a hydro gel or fabric combination, sheet masks give skin a quick pick me up without the need for washing off or interrupting your busy schedule. They can easily be worn as you do tasks around the house and don't require any extra steps after removal. My favourites are both from Garnier. Their De-Tiring Lavender Infused Moisture Bomb Sheet Mask and the Fresh Mix Replumping Sheet Mask are little skin wonders and have really helped my skin when I've needed something to make it look presentable. The De-Tiring mask helps to reduce the signs of fatigue whilst delivering a week's worth of hydration to skin which is slowly released over a period of time once you've removed the mask. It's perfect if your skin is looking a little dull after one too many late nights and it's lavender scent is also perfect to help you unwind after a long day. And their Fresh Mix Mask is a DIY mask in which you fold together and squeeze the essence up into a dry sheet mask, ensuring that it's as fresh as it can be when you apply it to your skin. This delivers the same amount of hydration as a 30ml bottle of serum and really works to hydrate and replump the skin whilst only taking up fifteen minutes of your day. I have these backstocked so I don't run out during the festive period as from the way I'm going, my skin's gonna need a lot of TLC this festive period.

Marks And Spencer Beauty Advent Calender Day Six

Welcome back to Day Three in my 25 Days of Beauty Series where I show you what I get in my Marks and Spencers Advent Calender. I know I said that yesterday's box was my favourite so far but today's has surpassed that. 

In today's box I recieved a miniature Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick. This has been one of the products I've been most excited about recieving in this calender. This is the shade Perla, which looks like a very pale pink shade in the tube but actually dries down to a darker more mauve toned shade on the lips. I actually already own a miniature of this shade from one of their Christmas sets but had never worn it until today. 

There's a good reason why they're called the Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks. I put mine on about 10am this morning and have only taken it off about ten minutes ago (5pm) and it hadn't budged at all. I ate, drank and spoke a lot today and it didn't wear off or disappear in the slightest. I didn't think this shade would suit me but it did once it was dry on the lips, the mauve undertone showing more with my fairer skintone. Applying this was a dream, it glided easily on the lips, was highly pigmented and dried down fairly quickly as well. The doe foot applicator had enough flex in it that you didn't lose control as you applied it, making touching up any rough edges or correcting anything along the lip line a piece of cake. I honestly didn't expect this to wear as well as it did, not because of the product but because I'm a bit of a mouth breather at the moment. I've been struck down with a cold and can just about breathe through my mouth, so I thought that the matte texture would be a lot drier and more uncomfortable on the lips but this didn't become dry, irritating or uncomfortable as I wore it. I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of this shade, especially during the Spring months.

Mark's And Spencer Beauty Advent Calender Day Six

Welcome Back to Day Six of my Mark's and Spencer Beauty Calender Unboxing.

In today's box you get a deluxe sample size of the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner. This liner is one of Eyeko's best selling liners and has a nib that helps create either thin defined lines or thicker cat flicks. It also has a long lasting formula so it won't smudge, run or fade.

First Impressions: I'm not a big fan of liquid liner purely because I can't do it. However the look of the nib of this liner makes me believe I could actually do my eye liner and not look truly horrendous. I'll let you know how I get on with it if I remember.

Halloween Week: Halloween GRWM

Welcome back to Halloween Week! It's only a couple of days away now and everyone is planning their outfits and make up looks for their various parties or what not. I however am not, I will be working on Halloween so no trick or treating for me. That's not going to stop me enjoying Halloween though so today I thought I would talk you through the look I plan on wearing to work on Monday.

After my skincare routine I go in with my Barry M Hydro Fix Primer Water. This adds a really nice moisture boost before foundation. Then I pop a little bit of the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer down the centre of my face. This helps keep my foundation in place as it usually disappears from there first. It also helps with my pores and means my foundation doesn't sink into any enlarged pores I may have.

Then it's on to foundation. My favourite at the moment is the Dior Star Foundation. I only have a sample but it's a very generous sample that just keeps giving. I dot this all over my face and then go in with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. I love the coverage this foundation gives, whilst still looking natural and skin like. This covers even the worst of my redness and any blemishes that decide to pop up.

Moving onto concealer and I've fallen back in love with my Maybelline The Eraser Eye. It blends seamlessly in with my foundation, covers my dark circles and doesn't crease or fade. A damp beauty bops this into place flawlessly and leaves the under eye area looking brighter and more awake. Then I pop a bit of the Collection Lasting Perfection over any redness that the foundation hasn't covered and as a bit of highlight under the eyes. I go in again with the damp beauty blender to blend that all in.

Once my concealer is done I like to set everything in place. I take the Real Techniques Setting Brush and my Collection Pressed Powder to set under my eyes. I like how well this powder sets everything into place without making it cakey or dry, especially under the eyes. For all over my face I take the same powder and my large fluffy B Powder Brush and brush it down the centre of my face and along the edges.

Mascara Time! And recently I've been loving Benefit's Roller Lash. It has a curved brush that fits well to the contour of the eye and one sweep of the wand gives mega volume and definition. Usually I need to use Benefit's Tinted Lash Primer to give my lashes that wow factor but with this mascara all I need is my eye lash curlers and a couple of layers of Roller Lash.

Finally onto lips and as it's Halloween let's get out of our comfort zone. Sure it's not that out of my comfort zone but it's something that I wouldn't dream of wearing any other time of the year. I start of with the PS Love Lip Liner in Hot Gossip. It's a vibrant purple shade that glides beautifully along the lips and makes lining lips a dream. Then I fill in the rest of my lips with the Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Shameless. It's such a vibrant purple I don't think I could pull it off any other day than Halloween.

As I'm working I have to pair this look with an all black ensemble which just makes this look pop. I'd pair it with my cat ears if I could find them but alas I'm without them. Keep an eye on my instagram on Monday for a shot of this look more than likely sans cat ears.

Lip Product Week Day Six: Primark Super Matte Liquid Lipstick Review

Welcome Back to Day Six of Lip Product Week. Today's post was going to be another slightly disappointing post but luckily for both me and you a discovery at the beginning of the week completely turned this post around.

At the beginning of the week I said that the MUA Luxe Liquid Lipsticks were the most budget lipsticks for the week but then I found this new Primark lipstick tucked away in the corner of my new in box. And this is the most budget lip product of the entire week.

This is Primark's Super Matte Liquid Lipstick. I picked this up a couple of weeks ago when I was out shopping and was eager to give it a go. There are only four shades in total and none of them have shade names which is a bit of a pain. The one I picked up is this deep berry, purple toned shade which would have looked lovely in the upcoming seasons. And I said would have because unbeknown to me when I brought this it's full of glitter. And not just a small bit, I mean a whole lot of glitter which can't be hidden when this is on the lips. Once this has set down, it doesn't budge and especially with this shade you have a ridiculous glittery lip look that whilst looking good at a festival doesn't really suit well with everyday life. Because of this I wasn't going to put this on for the week, not wanting to really write a bunch of bad reviews during this particular week.

However when I went to Primark in Basingstoke at the beginning of this week and raided their lip product section I found another shade that looked like it had a bit more potential. And at £2 it wasn't going to break the bank if this didn't work either. Oh how happy I was when I tried this out. Instead of being chock full of glitter, this is a standard block colour which is ridiculously high in pigment for such a budget price. It is neither a tomato red shade or a blue toned red shade and will suit a whole host of skintones. And it doesn't have a speck of glitter in it.

Both shades come with a slightly longer than average doe foot applicator that isn't too firm but isn't too flexible either. It bends just a little bit to make following the line of the lip easier but it won't leave you with an uneven line. When you apply this you aren't going to be overloaded with product, there will be enough on the applicator to do at least one lip. If you're good though you can make this stretch over both lips and just need to dip back in to make sure nothing is patchy or streaky looking. And when this dries down this is not going to budge. Not budge at all. It takes a more oil based bio phase eye make up remover to remove this it's that good.

Once applied this dries down to a matte finish that you will feel on the lips but it's not that matte you feel there's no moisture left in your lips. A bit of lip balm popped underneath or gently over the top will help to keep lips moisturised while you wear this. If you eat anything remotely greasy or oily whilst wearing this then it will transfer and move around but you can easily reapply this. It may make your lips feel tight and dry but because of the high pigment in the shade it's more of a high maintenance product. Definitely brilliant if you've got a long night out that doesn't require eating.

Overall I'm impressed more by the red shade than the berry shade. There are lighter shades in the range but they both look like they wouldn't suit my skintone. When they say super matte they really do mean super matte and for such a budget price it's pretty impressive. It's unknown how long these will be in Primark so if you see one then I highly recommend picking one up.

Have any of you tried these? What did you think? Let me know in the comments.