April Favourites

Hello beauties,

Another month has past and it is now time for me to take my university exams :( I will not be able to post much at all the next month so I wanted to apologise in advance. With that said these are the things I have been loving the past month...

If  you are from the UK you will know the sun has been making an appearance, while I am stuck in the library I have no hope of a real tan but Rimmel's Instant Tan Airbrush Spray in Matte looks beautifully natural. It costs £7.99 for 100ml which will either do 1 whole body spray or will last you a while if just doing arms and chest as I do :P

This Soap & Glory Antibacterial Hand Cleansing Gel smells amazing! It has a grapefruit scent and does not smell of alcohol like most sanitizers. This costs £2.50 for 50ml which is a little expensive so look out for 3 for 2 offers in Boots.

The MAC lipglass and blusher I have been really loving this month, I just love their cute pink shades. They create a lovely subtle spring make up look when worn together. The Lipglass is in shade Angel and costs £14 and the Powder Blush is in shade Immortal Fower, I think this shade has been discontinued but MAC have so many lush shades.

La vie est belle Eau de Parfum costs £44 for 30ml. This is rather expensive but if you love sweet smelling perfume then this is the nicest one you will find.

LOreal Paris Elnett Satin Heat Protect Styling Spray costs around £6 for 170ml. Unlike other heat protectors it does not make your hair go greasy more quickly, or make it look dry etc. It makes your hair smell nice and look and feel smooth and protects you from heat which is even more important when the sun is heating your hair as well as your straighteners.

What products have you been loving this month?

Ciao
  xxx

Review: Jouer bare beauty collection

Hello ladies,

 

I have previously reviewed Jouer Cosmetics blushing beauty palette (read here)and fell in love with this brand, the make up is so gentle on my sensitive skin and I love the product range. Jouer can be found on Cult Beauty who offer free shipping on orders over £50, 3 free samples with all orders and lots of other brand specific offers.

Price:

£45  This is the same price as the Blushing Beauty Collection. Jouer have two other sets; the Little Black Dress Palette and In The Red Kit which are a little more expensive at £52 each.

 

Review:

Essential Matte Touch: This can be purchased individually for £20, I personally would not pay this much for it but I do like the product. I use this as a primer on my nose and it works amazingly. My foundation stays put all day and my skin looks perfectly matte. This is the oiliest area of my skin, I would not use it all over my face as it would make it so dry, but if you have a little shine you combat then this works a treat.

 

Eye shadow Trio: The eye shadow compacts are exclusive to the sets and cannot be purchased individually. This particular compact has shades ‘Shimmering Beige’, ‘Taupe’ and ‘Dark Chocolate’. It is great for traveling as three neutral shades are all you need to create a smokey eye or a simple eye look. I have also found that the Dark Chocolate shade is perfect for filling in my brows, of course this will not be the case for everyone but Taupe I imagine would work well if you have mousy brown hair. The shadows are really smooth and highly pigmented and they don't crease at all.

Moisturizing Lip Gloss in shade ‘Nude’. These also cost £16 however shade nude is exclusive to this set. I love the colour and texture of this gloss, it is great for every day wear. It feels like soft cream or melted butter on your lips and does not feel sticky at all. It has relatively good staying power, reapplication is needed about every 2hours. This is a highly pigmented gloss, you wear it more for the colour not the gloss. Having said that it does look nice over lipstick, my personal choice is Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Notting Hill Nude.

 

Cheek & Lip Tint in shade Bare, these cost £16 individually, again this is a little expensive, however the tints are great quality. The product melts a little as it warms on your finger making it super simple to apply. I would choose this over all drugstore tints that I have tried. This colour applies much lighter than it looks, it is a like a soft pink with brown undertones. The shade is perfect all year round, particularly if you just want a subtle, natural look this is lovely applied lightly to your cheeks and lips with just a simple winged eyeliner.

 

I hope this has been useful lovelies, this is a brand I don't hear too much about but it always has very high reviews due to it's great quality. While these sets may not be kit essentials they are a cheaper way of buying a few pieces from the brand. If you travel as much as I do you will also fall in love for the interlockability of all of the products. It is so much easier when all of your products fit together compactly and you don't have to carry large make up bags.

Let me know if you have tried any Jouer products and what you think of them in the comments bellow.

Ciao
  xxx

Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place powder makeup

I have been meaning to review this powder for so long, I have been using it for about a year and love the finish it gives so wanted to share my two thoughts with you guys. 

I recently reviewed the double wear liquid foundations (read here). For reference this is a great powder to apply on top of the Stay-in-Place Makeup, it will provide you with a little more coverage than the foundation alone, but will not make you look cakey. The Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup is however much heavier, if you want to powder this I would suggest using Estée Lauder's Perfecting Loose Powder  as it is more light weight and no extra coverage is needed (Review).

This Stay in Place powder comes in about 30 different shades so you really can find your perfect match. I personally have two shades; 2C1 Pure Beige which is my match and 3N2 Wheat which I use if I have applied fake tan.

This has a dusty texture so will make your make up look more matte and, as the name suggests, stay in place all day. It has to be one of the softest powders available, it makes your skin feel silky soft.

Please do note though as with all powders oils will make them look darker, if you touch your face a lot throughout the day it may make it look a little blotchy. The website states that it "won't change color, even through nonstop activity" this is not the case, it is oil absorbing and all powders look a little darker as you sweat or as they absorb oil. This is not a blotting powder, so do not use it to combat oil, Soap & Glory Kick Ass Powder is great if you want to blot excess oil (review). This is a lovely light powder that will just sit on top of your liquid foundation and give that extra flawless finish.

I would not really say there is anything bad about this product if you are just using it as a powder. However, there is really no use for the sponge, this is not a great powder to use in place of a foundation. Trying to apply this with the sponge will make you look blotchy. If you have very oily skin and do prefer a powder foundation in stead of a liquid, my suggestion would be to try something like the bareMinerals Ready foundation. This would look a lot smother on the skin and would assist in combating your oily complexion.

At £31 for 12g of product this is a luxury powder compact, with that said I can assure you it lasts for ages as a little goes a long way, the website also offers 2 free samples and free delivery as well so do not feel pressured into buying at the counter you get matched up on; buy online here.

Ciao

  xxx

new MAC goodies (first impression reviews)

Hello beauties,

Those of you that follow me on twitter will know that I recently visited York, while I mainly went to sight see I thought I may get a little shopping done as well :)

I visited the designer outlet in which I found The Cosmetics Company Store with discounted Estée Lauder, MAC, Bobbi Brown etc. so of course I had to get a little mac!

Lipglass shade Angel

This is a very long lasting lip gloss, not too sticky and nicely pigmented. I love a pink gloss and I hadn't tried MAC glosses before, I can say I am very impressed by it. One coat lasts about 2hours, even if you have a drink, which is relatively good for a gloss. It has a thick texture which prevents it from bleeding (running over your lip line) and means it can be worn without a lip liner if preferred.

RRP £14 their price £9

Buy Here

Powder Blush shade Immortal Flower

With orange lips this seasons trend I wanted a more orange toned blush to bring all my make up together. This is a really subtle colour that looks really natural and feminine. It has a very soft pigment; for lovers of natural not vibrancy. It is very powdery/dusty, it makes your foundation stay matte but I would say tap off excess product; it is very easy to get too much on your brush.

RRP £18  their price £12.75

Eye Khol shade Heirloom

I have been looking for a khol to add a bit of shimmer to my inner corner instead of using powders which have been drying the skin. This is a beautiful pale lilac colour which I think will match any eye make up. It is relatively creamy in consistency but does not smudge too easily. I have also used this all over the lid, smudged with my ring finger. It is great for lovely looking 2second eye make up.

RRP £14 their price £9

Buy Here

While the make up is still relatively expensive, this shop is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area, I was tempted by a lot of other products but their range is of course very limited. They do not have many shades and I noticed most of the stocked foundations were for medium to dark skin tones. Honestly I could have spent a lot more in this shop but sometimes its nice to just get a few bits....and go shopping again soon :P

Ciao

  xxx

Review: Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundations

Hello ladies,

For me foundation is that one must have piece of make up. I love a flawless full coverage look so I was bound to try these products at some point.

These both cost £28.50 so I didn't rush into buying them. Estée Lauder counters will usually have samples of foundation you can take away with you, they will also book consultations where they find the perfect foundation look and colour for you and allow you to wear it out for the day and see how you get on. 

Shop Smart: On the Estee Lauder website you will get 2 free samples with orders under £50 and 4 free samples with orders over £50 as well as free shipping.

Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup (Blue Tube) If you hadn't already worked it out this one has the most coverage. I know a few people that are not too keen on the maximum coverage as it takes out the natural pigmentations of your skin such as blush and freckles. Personally I love that no concealer is needed and  blush and bronze can always be added.

The consistency of this is lovely. I have found most other full coverage foundations stay a little dewy on the skin as they are very thick. This seams to just soak in to my skin, even if you touch your face a lot it does not rub off at all.

Stay In Place Make up This comes in a glass bottle which looks lovely but honestly I do prefer a tube or pump. The coverage I would say is medium, but buildable. You definitely cannot build up to the coverage of the Maximum Cover, but if you are one of those ladies that don't want to hide your freckles but still want full coverage then this may be the one for you.

This has a thick liquid consistency rather than a creamy texture. Alone this stays in place just as well as the Maximum Cover, but ironically when applied over a silicone based primer this does not stay in place at all. I would say rather than using a primer with this product just use a thick moisturiser. Really though neither of these foundations require a primer.

I do have to wear concealer with this foundation, again this is not a full coverage it is a medium. A lovely everyday foundation, perfect for school or work where full make up may not be the dress code.

Everyone seems to talk about Double Wear as it being a really heavy foundation. It is heavier than other products but if it is full coverage you want then try the Maximum Cover, it is still much lighter than other full coverage foundations. If you are happy with a little less coverage then the Stay in place is not heavy at all once it has set.

For reference I use shades Bone or Sand in the Stay In Place foundation, dependent on how tanned I am, and shade Rattan in the Maximum Cover, much too dark for my natural skin tone but perfect when I am wearing fake tan.  

Ciao

  xxx

Review: Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon

Hello lovelies,

 

I love a good lip product but for some reason I had never tried one in chubby stick form (hangs head in shame).

Everyone raves about Clinique chubby sticks but I couldn't justify spending £17 on something I had not tried before, so thought I would get a drug store alternative.

 

Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon shade 4 Peach On The Beach

 

Price: £7.99 (buy here)

 

Good: This shade is perfection! It is an almost luminous coral orange, braver than the normal nude lip but perfect for spring.

The reason I chose this over similar drugstore products was its glossy look. In fact it almost looks like a gloss, but instead of feeling sticky this is like melted butter.

I love that this has an SPF of 15. It is so important to protect your lips but lets face it, sun cream tastes yuk and hardly any of us use SPF lip balm. I think all lipsticks should have sun protection.

 

Bad: These are not very long lasting, the intense moisture and full pigment lasts about half an hour. The product lasts a approximately 2hours before re-application is needed; not 10hours as the packaging states. I would also suggest only applying one coat, if you try to apply another its glossy texture will actually wipe away some of the pigment. One coat is enough though, any more and your lips may feel a little greasy.

I am also not a massive fan of how massive they are. lipsticks are nice looking and compact, where as these are not so luxurious looking and not overly travel friendly. Annoyingly, due to it's lack of staying power you will have to try and fit this in your travel make up if you have any plan to wear this all day.

 

As a side note, I cannot find a lip liner to match this shade anywhere. I personally don't mind, I use this kind of as a lip balm, but I know this may be a down side for some.

 

I guess it is a bit of a personal preference with this product, while the colour is beautiful and the creamy texture is lush I am not really a fan of it's crayon like appearance or size. I would say it is a cute spring summer purchase, but as lip products go there are much better all year rounders.

 

Let me know what you think of chubby sticks, have you tried this one

 

Ciao

  xxx

March favourites

Hello lovelies,

I hardly ever do favourites, but this month I just thought I would share with you a couple of new finds and a re-kindled love of mine.

So as you can see my Yves Saint Laurent Eyebrow Pencil gets a whole lot-a-love the shade 4 ash is a perfect match for me. The consistency is better than any (of the many) other pencils I have used.

The Double Wear stay-in-place foundation is a recent find but I keep reaching for this. It has the lowest coverage of all my foundations but it is very buildable and just feels lovely on the skin.

The Kick Ass powder from Soap & Glory you know I love. I reviewed it recently (read here!), I just had to remind you of how good this is not only at creating and keeping matte skin but at combatting that orange glow that pressed powders can give.

I reviewed the bareMinerals Ready Blush in shade 'the one' a few months ago, and I still can't get enough of this shade. it is a perfect natural looking blush which is great for spring.

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner This is my re-discovered love. I had not worn gel eyeliner on a regular basis for about a year! I recently got a Lancôme smudger and liner brush which has perfect precision and so I have fallen back in love with this long lasting creamy textured gel liner. I warn you this does smudge so I use a bit of mac fix+ to keep to prevent this. (brush review / Fix+ review)            

Benefits Badgal lash mascara has overtaken all (the billions) of mascaras I have got at the moment. This thick wand, that I normally hate, makes my lashes look so voluminous. It is by far the best mascara they make. For reference my lashes are relatively thick, long and curly already but honestly this mascara is the business.

It was so hard for me to narrow down my favourite Jour Cosmetics products this month, I am really enjoying them at the moment but I wanted to mix up the brands for you so these are my top 2. The products are all super luxurious but in particular the lip glosses. They are a gorgeous creamy texture and nicely pigmented, shade nude is my fave shade. The bronzer is also lovely, possibly a little orange if you are very pale but applied lightly it looks great and keeps foundation looking matte.

Comment bellow and let me know what your march favourites were and what you think of these products.

Ciao

  xxx

New/ up to date bloglovin account

Hellooo beauties,

As some of you may know a few months ago I changed my blog URL from vazquezb.blogspot.co.uk to its current buymebeautiful.blogspot.co.uk. I did this to make it more easily memorable; as it is the name of the blog, and because while I know how to spell my last name I know it is not the simplest in the world to spell.

I did not realise till the next day that bloglovin does not let you change your URL and while the past couple of month I thought I will just have 2 bloglovin accounts, I keep getting new followers on my old one which does not update with new posts :(

I am really sorry for the confusion, in 3days time I will deleting my old account and would love if all 60 beauties would re-follow me on my up to date account!

my link is  http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11699969 hope to see you there!

thank you for following
xxxxxxxx