Eyeko Me & My Shadow Waterproof Shadow Liner

I've had a bit of a brand epiphany for me this month. Apart from an ancient pair of eyelash curlers I'd not used anything from Eyeko, and then twice in one month their products change my eyeball's life. One of which is the Me & My Shadow waterproof shadow liner. A duo ended, all in one pencil wonder product.

This twist up pen is mid-width between a liner and chubby eyeshadow pencil. It has a blending brush on the other end perfect for creating that smudgy, smoky eye.

The crayon itself is a creamy formula that sweeps straight across the eye, without snagging or dragging, leaving intensely pigmented colour. I use the brush end to blend and smoke out into my desired shape.

As the product is cream and I have oily eyelids, I did find that I needed to set with a powder shadow in a similar shade; after which there was no creasing or colour fade.

This is a perfect grab and go eyeshadow stick that's perfect for holidays (or even festivals)!

Available here... 

My 4 product skincare routine

Warning : Garnier Heavy Post!

My skincare routine seems to have settled in the last 2 or 3 months, which is like an eternity for a impatient commitment phobe like me! 

So, kicking it off with Micellar water. If you've not heard of micellar water before, it's basically lots of little micelles hanging about in water. Micelles are attracted to dirt and lift it away without the need for rubbing the skin. I love it and especially so with Garnier's ranges. I just pop a little on a cotton pad and remove my make up and then repeat with another cotton pad to cleanse.

To wash my face, I've been using Hibiscrub. It's an anti-bacterial scrub (usually for hands etc) but is a clear skin miracle. This radioactive pink liquid has done for me what no other facial wash could. If I want a deeper cleanse I use a facial cleansing pad such as this one.

Garnier's Moisture Bomb moisturisers have been a recent discovery but the duo are already firm favourites. Although specifically for dehydrated skin, I find it actually helps to control my greasy skin. For more in depth reviews read here and here.

Being strict with my skincare has definitely helped improve it; you definitely get out what you put in. 

I'm continuing my search for an eye cream - any recommendations?  

Rosie for Autograph Highlighter Powder

Now we've started seeing a little more sunshine in the month, it felt like the time to break out the glow. 

Although I love the highlighted dewy look, most products left me looking greasy and almost sweaty (nice, right?). 

Pootling around M&S, it's almost impossible for a rose gold addict to avoid the Rosie stand - unable to resist, I picked up the Highlighting Powder!

As ever with the Rosie makeup range, the packaging is beautiful and great quality. The powder sits beneath a mesh (rather than just holes in plastic) which minimises the mess factor. 

The highlighter has a champagne tone and subtle shimmer. The powder is very finely milled so blends well leaving a soft, radiant glow. A little goes a long way which justifies the £15 price tag.

All that's left to say is...

Glow. Come at me!

Reverse Hair Washing

In the past several months I've seriously fallen out of love with my hair. Previously, I've slapped any old shampoo and conditioner combo on, foregone heat protectant, serums and the like, all with no consequences! Now, it's frizzy, dry, greasy and flaky all at the same time.

After scouring the internet for miracle products I stumbled across the theory that conditioning your hair first will actually improve the overall condition of your hair. So, I gave it a go...

After wetting my hair, I applied conditioner liberally to the ends; concentrating the product on the hair you would have in a ponytail. Leaving the conditioner on, I shampooed the roots until squeaky clean and then rinsed everything out thoroughly.

After drying I instantly noticed my hair was smoother and less frizzy. I had such a volume lift that I definitely was not expecting. The added bonus was the greasiness factor - or lack of it!

This method does take a bit longer to do but isn't it worth it for a stronger, silkier, more voluminous barnet?

May Birchbox

The Birchbox for May came in the form of a massive scratch card; 2 lucky people will apparently win a holiday - I was obviously sent the wrong box as it wasn't me (*humph*).

So after 10 minutes of scratching off the silver from my box's lid, I eventually delved in. First out was the Spectrum Unicorn Tears beauty sponge. I have a few of this type of sponge anyway but it's always nice to have a clean one - does anyone else find them extremely hard to keep in a respectable state?

Next up was a teeny tin of Puriskin. This product is a treatment for scarring and marks, which I have in abundance, so I'm definitely going to be giving it a go. I feel like the sample is a bit stingy but maybe a little goes a long way... We shall see - watch this space!

I am particularly delighted with this Eyeko offering. As a brand, Eyeko always deliver in my opinion and first impressions seem to hold true. This mascara is a super black, pigmented formula on a curved, lash line hugging brush. Bravo!

As always, the box had some 'space stuffers'. There is a polishing balm from Philip Kingsley and Cleansing Cloths from Ole Henriksen. I may find a use for these in the future but they'll currently be residing in my junk drawer.

Overall, Eyeko was the saving grace of the box! I'd have been majorly disappointed if it hadn't been present. I still feel as though Birchbox is slightly lagging - can they claw it back? 

Earlybird Snack Boxes - First Impression

I'll admit I'm a bit of a sucker when it comes to subscription boxes - I've had them all, from beauty to recipes. When an Earlybird advert popped up on my Instagram feed I just couldn't resist a peek. To my pleasant surprise there were a variety of snacks that could be tailored to your diet (for me, gluten free), and a herbal tea! I was sold and promptly signed up...

The website is very user friendly and caters for almost all food allegerns and diets. Simply, pick your dietary requirements and then you can scroll through the snack options and bin anything off you really don't like!

Part of the reason I like subscription boxes so much is the novelty of receiving something special in the post, something in which Earlybird excelled in. When I opened the box, they had personalised the insert leaflet which I think is a really nice touch! 

The portion size of the snacks is surprisingly generous and the quality of the ingredients far out weighed my expectation! 

Not only will these make good mid morning snacks but also great toppers for porridge and smoothie bowls! 

Earlybird snack boxes are £4.95 (including P&P) or try it for half price with haile-6115...

*Not sponsored, I just love me a snack*

Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner

Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner || £2.99

On my re-venture back into the life of the wing, I felt compelled to try a budget product to see if liquid liner truly required substantial investment.

Packaging wise, I'm a bit of a fan; the long handle is great for control. The concept is rather reminiscent of a quill and ink well, a little retro but that in itself holds its own charm.

The liquid liner is very pigmented and would apply with a darker intensity if the nib wasn't so firm. The lack of flexibility almost scrapes off half the product you have just applied. However, this can be fixed by going over any patchy areas with a slightly lighter pressure.

I was most impressed by the longevity. At the end of the day there was little fading and no smudging or transfers. 

If you can forgive the slight patchiness on first application then this is actually not a bad budget buy! 

Rediscovering Rimmel Wake Me Up

I first used Wake Me Up before the concealer game got serious. Unfortunately, I wasn't such a fan of it back then - everything about the product was great with the exception of the glitter. The formula had so much shimmer in it I felt like a discoball!

So here we are a couple years later and in the spirit of second chances, I repurchased this concealer, intrigued as to whether Rimmel could change my opinion.

I applied the product under my eyes with trepidation but I needn't have feared. Gone was the glittery unpleasantness and in its place a dewy, radiant, creaminess that brightened my under eyes far beyond what I expected. I have no idea whether Rimmel have changed the formula but hell, this isn't the formula I remember!

Although the product is a liquid, it's thick enough that it blends well and is easy to control. I was also particularly impressed with the longevity. Even on a day where I didn't set my make up, I had only one crease. Just. One!

I am firmly converted and Wake Me Up will most definitely be welcomed back into the fold of my make up bag!