how much does beautiful cost?

Hello chicas,

I've just read  Thats what Sophie Said blog post 'How much does my face cost' and am in love with the concept. When I set out writing my blog I aimed to always promote reasonably priced items that are still amazing, so I could not help but try it out today and see just how much it cost me to achieve todays look

Skin Care:

Smashbox It's Your Prime trio: £14
No7 Beautiful Skin day cream: £7.50 (£5 off coupon)
The Body Shop Tea Tree skin clearing foaming cleanser: £5.00
The Body Shop Tea Tree skin clearing toner: £5.00
Total: £31.50

Skin care is everything for me, I used to suffer from terrible dry flaky skin so I have spent a lot of time finding the right products and I don't feel that these products are over priced as their

quality is very high. The primer is just a trial at the moment (see my previous blog here) my regular Revlon primer is around £5 cheaper so I am happy with this total.

Face:

L'Oreal Paris True Match foundation: £6.99
Bourjois Delice de Soleil bronzing powder: £8.99
Estee Lauder Double Wear stay in place powder makeup: £27.50
Total: £43.48

Defence: I don't normally use this powder foundation except for when my skin is looking very oily, normally I would use a Sleek powder which is around £20 cheaper so I am not too shocked at this total.

Eyes:

B.All lengthening Defining & Volumising Mascara: £6.66
L'Oreal Paris Super Liner black lacquer: £5.49
Estee Lauder five color eye shadow palette surreal skies: £35.00
Total: £47.15

Ooops! so I do not normally wear this eye shadow normally I would wear none or one from L'Oreal Paris or The Body Shop which are much cheaper but If you are using the Naked palettes like a lot of ladies are then maybe we all need a re-think on how much we really want to spend on our everyday look.

Lips:

Elizabeth Arden Color Intrigue Effects Lipstick pink honey pearl: £9.75 (Sale)

Bourjois Levres Contour: £4.99
Total: £14.74
Overall Total:
So I did not do too well today, in my defence, I do usually wear cheaper eye shadow and powder foundation however I was going out today so wanted a really matte face and shear eye and lip so felt I needed the higher priced items to achieve this.
I have worn a lot of make up today and some days I would not use primer or eye shadow or lipstick & liner so overall I am not too shocked by my total giving that this can easily go down by about £60 at least on an average day. I think this has been a really important learning tool and would really promote all girls to do this and think if there are any products that maybe are not worth their retail price.

Always remember girlies that your skin care products are the most important, if you look after your skin you will be able to showcase your true natural beauty without all these cosmetics.

Hope you have enjoyed this post please comment if you would like any product information or if you have any cheaper doups :P

Ciao

  xxx

smashbox: It's your prime

I just had to pick this little set up at the till at boots the other day, although I am happy with my Revlon Photoready perfecting primer which I talk about in a previous post. I have not yet tried many other primers on the market so when I saw this cute little box with all 3 primers in it was just a must have.

It was £14 which is a reasonable price for 3 primers and its the kind of product that if you have a bad one then its just not worth using it. I have used around 6others and tested many whilst in the shop and I think you should be looking to spend around £8+ to get a really good one that genuinely holds your foundation on throughout the day.

Photo Finish Foundation Primer 12ml

This travel size tube normally retails alone at Boots for £12.50 so you can see this set is really good value for money. This primer boasts a blend of vitamins A & E, grape seed extract and green tea. It can be worn alone or under foundation as it helps to create a mattified smooth skin look and finish which eliminates finer lines and pores. Unlike other primers this does not leave your skin dry but I would still suggest moisturising your skin 5mins before application to ensure that your skin stays moisture intact.

Simply apply a pea sized amount of the product to clean and moisturized skin using your fingertips and see an instant improvement to your complexion. (always remember to wash your hands before using them to apply products as this will help prevent blemishes)

Photo Finish Hydrating under eye primer 5ml
This boasts to be the first primer solely dedicated to the skin under your eyes due to the delicate nature of the skin. It keeps concealer in place and prevents that cakey look when it settles into any fine lines therefore your eyes look much fresher and more awake. This primer claims to hydrate, prevent the appearance of dark circles, puffiness, fine lines and wrinkles, whilst improving skin texture, tone and clarity. It is infused with caffeine, peptides and optical diffusers which apparently help to slow down the ageing process. Overall I really like this product, I don't suffer with dark circles nor do I have many fine lines so I don't think I will use this on a daily basis but I would definitely purchase this again to wear on special occasions. Apply a small dot of the product (as pictured) to your ring finger and dab gently across the under eye area.

Photo Finish Lid Primer 0.5ml

So I have kind of fallen in love with this primer, it creates the perfect base for eye shadow and does not crease throughout the day like others do. This can be worn under shadow or alone as it is slightly tinted it works as a subtle highlight to the lids and helps diminish any darkness or discoloration of the lid so perfect for a super natural look.

Dab 2-4 small dots over your lid and blend with a gentle dabbing motion with your ring finger.

Hope this has been useful for you ladies, please leave comments if you have a favourite primer I may wish to try.

Ciao

  xxx

Pukka Up!

Hello ladies,
One of the easiest ways to introduce a pop of colour in to your look is with a beautiful lipstick and as I love pink here are a few of my favourite pink lipsticks :)

Collection 2000: Lasting Colour lipstick in Bubblegum(RRP around £3)
I love this bright colour and I love how moisturising these lipsticks are! I don't think this colour is for shy people or for everyday but for a little bit of girly fun match this with subtle rosy cheeks or a floral outfit and you will look très chic.

 

Maxfactor: 510 English Rose(RRP around £7)
This lipstick is not super long lasting and only offers reasonable moisture for your lips but I am in love with the subtle sheen and cute shade of English Rose. This is a perfect everyday lipstick for girls with a fair-medium complexion.

No.7: Moisture Drench in Mulberry(RRP around £9.50)
As you can see this is a more earthy colour with a pink undertone, I love this shade as it is super natural and goes with most outfits. The lipstick rely moisturises your lips and provides SPF15 protection, there is a slight gloss to the lipstick due to is moisturising quality but generally is a great matte effect lip colour.



Revlon: Color Stay in Ultimate Suede(RRP around£9)
This is such a cute pink shade and certainly brings that pop to a natural make-up look, it provides medium moisture to the lips and has a really strong pigment so even when the lipstick wears it leaves some pigment on your lips. I would match this with a pastel floral print outfit to fully bring out the colour. 

Maxfactor: 655 Lilac Wine (RRP around £8)
I love the sheen to this lipstick I think it makes the shade look original and super chic. It is long lasting and offers medium moisturising quality. I'm personally not a massive fan of maxfactor lipsticks I don't feel they offer an extensive range of colours nor provide moisture but they are hard wearing and boast a high pigment so if you forget to pop your lipstick in your bag you don't need to panic as this will usually last the day.

Revlon Color Burst in 050 Berry Smoothie (RRP around £8)

This is my all time favourite shade lipstick in my favourite range. The color burst range is so glossy and so full of moisture it makes your lips look super kissable! there is not a strong pigment but because of the glossy quality I find myself loving how subtle it is. It is not long lasting but it is so smooth you will probably end up using the range like lip balm.

 

Hope this has been helpful ladies, please comment bellow if you have a different favourite, I'm always looking for recommendations.

 

ciao

  xxx



My must have/ favourites; Cosmetics

Hello lovelies,

Time for a favourites blog I think :) Here are a few of my go to cosmetics at the moment and why I like them so much, some of them I have been using for years and some are recent finds that I will be buying again, so here we go...

(Please note these are not my pictures as most the labels on my products have worn off)

The first two products are my all time favourite products that I could not live without, they are my desert island must haves along with a boat and a phone with signal :P

The Maxfactor False Lash Effect retails for around £11 and claims to wrap each lash right to the tip for a false lash effect, and for my lashes this is the case. I am lucky to have long lashes that are reasonably thick and I find most mascaras leave my lashes spidery or clumpy where as this applicator I feel is perfect for creating curly voluminous lashes. I don't think it would be great for adding length but the thick applicator has only short bristles so not too much product is left on the applicator when using preventing clumps and allowing you to apply multiple times if you feel you want thicker looking lashes.

The L'Oreal Paris Super Liner in Black Lacquer retails for around £8 and I cannot stress enough that every girl needs this! If you are ever in a rush, struggle to apply liner in a straight line or cannot find a liner that stays in place all day even if you rub your eyes or walk in the rain or cry then this is the liner for you. The applicator is not a brush like most liquid liners it is stiff, short and thin and therefore provides perfect precision. There are other liners in the range which I also love but the Super Liner has a glossy/ glittery look to it so for every day use I would suggest this is the product you use as it provides a more matte finish.

The Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer retails at around £12 and is my favourite drug store primer, I have oily skin but using other primers has left my skin looking dry, this primer still takes away my shine but still leaves my skin feeling moisture intact. It creates perfect smooth looking skin ready for foundation, but I also use this primer even on a make-up free day as I just love how silky my skin feels when I use it.

The L'Oreal Paris True Match foundation retails around £10 and as the name suggests you really can find your perfect skin colour match as there are so many shades available. This foundation I imagine is not great for those with super oily skin but if mixed with a powder or used over the primer then this product looks great. It gives medium coverage, full coverage if dabbed over concealer, and lasts all day.

Bourjois Delice de Soleil bronzing powder retails around £9 and is the best bronzer I can find. I have a light complexion but think this product would create great contour for much darker skin than mine also. Unlike a lot of bronzers on the market this is fully matte and more shockingly the applicator provided is actually good! the brushes bristles are not too stiff and it is not too small so that a quick upward swipe on the cheek leaves a perfect contour line. I love the packaging the fact that the mirror is such a good size and can swivel so if you are using it to apply all your make-up on the go the brush does not fall out and powder up your outfit.

Rimmel London's Moisture Renew lipstick in 720 Notting Hill Nude retails around £6 and as you can see is a perfect nude shade. I spent a long time looking for a decent nude lipstick, I did not want anything too pale or too glossy and this lipstick felt like a revelation. The shade is nearly the shade of my natural lip and as suggested keeps lips moisturised, it lasts all day but I do like to use the Lipcote (as pictured) to prevent lipstick stains on glasses.

So that is the end of my must have/ go to product list. I'm sure this list will be added to so I will try to keep you updated if I find some new amazing products.

Thanks for reading 
Ciao
  xxx

Skin Care for beating breakouts

Hello chicas,

Since this is my first blog I wanted to start of with something I think is muy importante; skin care...

Every girl will be using different products dependant on her skin type but one element of skin care I think most girls will go through at some stage is prevention of oily skin or breakouts.

I am personally rather lucky, I went through my 'spotty' stage for just a couple of months during a summer holiday to Barcelona, the holiday snaps were not so beautiful but since then although my T zone is oily (nose and above my brow), I don't tend to suffer from breakouts.

Like most girls I have tried a LOT of different products but I have found that The Body Shop's Tea Tree range offers the best selection of products to prevent breakouts. I would always encourage people to use natural products and as The Body Shop uses natural products, sourced sensibly, are vegetarian friendly and do not test on animals you will come to see I use a lot of their stuff! :)

Here are my must haves from the range...

The Cool and Creamy Wash is £5 and as you can see from how empty the bottle is I use this every day and I love this product! You find with most facial washes that they only target one or two functions, this however I have found not only keeps my skin clear and less oily, it holds in the moisture and generally gives the skin a good wash. The tea tree smells so fresh and I can't see myself reverting back to any other face wash so I highly recommend this product.

 

The Skin Clearing Foaming Cleanser is also £5 and aids in removing impurities from the skin whilst irradiating excess oil. I do love this product and if you are suffering from a breakout then this is a 'go to' but to be honest I don't use it too often, I find that the creamy wash and toner work well enough without this but like I said if you are having a breakout then I would suggest using this also just to speed up the progress of clearer fresher looking skin.

The Toner is £5 for 250ml and as stated on the bottle gets rid of any impurities left on your skin. In doing so skin looks much fresher and I have found that my skin no longer takes pigment from my makeup leaving a more flawless complexion when not wearing make-up. As the bottle also claims, this product makes your skin more mattified, this is great for those with oily skin like myself, using this in the morning before you apply your make up stops that shiny nose from making an annoying appearance :)

The Skin Clearing Lotion is just £3 for 15ml or £8 for 50ml. I like to use this after applying the toner, this helps to re-hydrate my skin. I have been applying this in upward sweeps to my face and neck every other day for the past month and I really do think this product works. My skin is much softer when I use this, again my make-up appears more mattified and my make-up seams to last longer when I have used the lotion. I would avoid applying close to your eyes as the strong scent can make them water but this product really makes your skin feel fresh throughout the day.

So these were just my 4 must have products, but should you wish to explore the rest of the range available, click here.

Thank you for reading and I hope this has been useful.

Ciao

  xxx