NYX Pore Filler

Using this product was a first for me altogether. Although I'm always moaning about my humongous pores, I've never actually even considered a pore minimising primer so I seized the day and invested £11 in what is essentially Polyfilla for one's face.

The packaging is the matte, rubbery material that attracts hell'a lot of dirt and as it's part of a makeup routine, it's not staying white for long. 

The product has a dry mousse consistency which doesn't make it the easiest to dispense. When it does decide to make an appearance, it has a skin tone tint that keeps the finish natural. My skin felt baby soft where I had applied it but still lightweight. 

I didn't notice any immediate difference and if I'm honest I was slightly disappointed....

But then I applied foundation and realised just how wrong I was! My skin looked flawless and those pores were no more. I even had compliments about how good my skin looked (which NEVER happens!). 

NYX have wooed me yet again. Can they do any wrong? Not in my eyes!

NYX HD Concealer

Continuing on with my NYX obsession, today's post is about the HD concealer. I am wary of layering too many products under my eyes (wrinkles people!) so I wanted something  lightweight, full coverage and brightening - not much to ask huh?!

The first thing I noticed is the variety of shades available. Without tan, I'm ghostly and my face usually matches the lightest shade of most concealers I've used so I was pleased there was a lighter spectrum for me to choose from. Fair is the second lightest shade with a yellow base tone.

The product is thick but blends well. With alot of concealers I find that the product 'spreads' too much whereas this concealer keeps the coverage where you need it. The finish is semi matte and didn't settle in any fine lines even without setting.

The brightness this product achieves lasts most of the day but I would advise setting with a powder for a night out to give it a bit more oomph! 

Mini Primark Haul - June

After gorging on Primark hauls on Sunday I've been itching to head over there and rummage around! However everything I planned on buying wasn't there *sob*, but I did pick up some equally lovely items instead.

Now, is it just me that uses a gazillion brushes to apply two eyeshadows?! I never seem to have enough so when I spied Primark's brush range I grabbed two; an eye contour brush and a concealer brush. Both are really soft to the touch and I like that they have sturdy bodies so I'm excited to see the result they give me....

The Chloe bag dupes have been doing the rounds lately and you can clearly see the influence here. I am undecided on the navy tassels on the bottom but they would be easily removable anyway so it's not too much of a hassle. It's spacious inside and has an adjustable strap so is a straight up bargain at £7.

My favourite find has to be this striped bardot shirt. I adore the rose gold embroidery outlining each stripe. The material is light so perfect for a casual Sunday in a sunny pub garden.

Finally, a treat for my trotters with these sandals. I'm really into the slip on shoe at the moment; they're easy and comfy but err on the side of casual. The metal hardware on these kicks the 'dressy' up a notch! 

Brushes - £1 each

Bag - £7

Bardot - £10

Shoes - £5

NYX Lip Lingerie

NYX Lip Lingerie | £6.50

In my last post I hauled my first NYX purchases and I can honestly see the products becoming firm favourites. I'm so impressed by the quality of every product I've tried that I'm busting to add even more items to my make up collection. Apologies bank account...

In the meantime let me rave about the products I have bought, starting with the Lip Lingerie liquid lipsticks! 

The Lip Lingerie colour range literally covers the entire nude spectrum but I chose two that were close to my own lip colour. Corset is muted beige with underlying grey tones and Lace Details lays errs on the side of pink but with a hint of lilacy-grey running through it.

The applicator is unlike the doe foots I've become accustomed to. It's longer and flat, curved to mimic the shape of your lip. It does  pick up more product but manages to keep it easy to control.

When both of these lipsticks applied streaky I could've cried. However, when I rubbed my lips together everything seemed to meld together leaving an even, soft colour. *Phew!* The formula is slightly tacky at first but this does dry after a minute or so.

Generally, I found they lasted well. I did reapply after eating and Corset settled on my dry patches after a few hours but it was easy to remove for reapplication. 

I will be buying other colours on my next visit to the NYX stand - I already have my eye on Beauty Mark (a true brown shade) for some serious 90's vibes!

NYX haul

When an email telling me NYX was hitting my local Boots landed in my inbox, I almost did an excited wee. For months I've been lusting over Instagram feeds and blogs waiting for this very moment.

The stand itself was a dream. Rows and rows full to burst with products begging to be bought. I swatched so much my hand looked like a contender for the Turner prize. Half an hour and a very bored boyfriend later, I'd whittled it down to just six products... I still want it all.

Perhaps my most eagerly anticipated purchase was the Lip Lingerie liquid lipstick. I bought two fairly 'everyday' shades; Lace Detail (a pinky 'your-lips-but-better shade) and Corset (a grey/brown toned beige nude). 

The HD concealer pops up on every 'My Top Five.. ' concealer post I've ever read so my hand was practically forced. Right?! I got this in the shade Fair to highlight my under eyes however I think this product has such a full coverage that I won't need to conceal beforehand! 

As we get into warmer weather I like to switch the dark smoky eyes for a contoured and defined look. It's so hard to find a completely matte shadow from an affordable range so imagine my delight when I found an entire matte range. Better still, I found my perfect contour shade - Get Naked. 

Highlight that could blind someone? Hello NYX Illuminator in Ritualistic. The highlighter looks pearly in the pan but when applied it's leaves a  beautiful champagne toned glow.

Finally, something to keep my beautifully blended eyeshadows in place in our ridiculously hot English summer (optimistic, I know), the Proof It waterproof eye primer. I hope this can battle the oil slick that seems to occur in warmer weather!

Even though I only completed my first purchase around 48 hours ago I'm so impressed I'm scouring reviews to create a shopping list for my next visit! I'd love to read some recommendations if you have any...

Eyeko Black Magic Mascara

Being addicted to false lashes means I've never really put too much thought into the quality of the mascara I use. I guess I'm so used to being underwhelmed by them that my attitude is a bit 'meh'; if it's black then it'll do right? 

Imagine my surprise when a Birchbox sample not only totally impressed me but made me feel comfortable enough to ditch my Demi Wispies. This never happens.

The particular mascara in question is Eyeko's Black Magic.

I'm rather fond of the packaging because it's a squeezy tube rather than your stock rigid type - I feel like this will help make sure you can finish all of the product. The mascara is accompanied by a rather adorable plectrum tool, designed to be placed on the eyelid behind the lashes to stop those dreaded smudge or transfer moments! 

The brush is shaped to hug the curvature of your lashlines. This ensures every lash is coated and keeps the application even without clumping. 

I reach for this particular mascara when I'm creating a smokier eye look. The deep black colour and volume intensifies the lash line, giving the eyeshadows a dramatic finish. 

At £18 it's definitely the most money I have spent on a mascara but I'm willing to break tradition for an item of this quality.

What's your favourite mascara? 

May Favourites

The end of another month has arrived and June is now upon us. An extra special month because it contain my birthday, even with the hesitation in my childish mind of turning 25. Is it just me or is that a proper adult age? 

I digress, on to my favourites...

First up are a few items from the Rosie for Autograph range at M&S. The entire make up range was well received by beauty lovers and the 'highlight' for me (pun fully intended) is the Highlighter Powder. A product for a perfect everyday glow! 

Keeping with the Rosie theme, I'm obsessed with her perfumes. With a light floral scent for the day and muskier, mature tones for the evening these bargainous perfumes are everything you need. 

I may be easily pleased but I'm definitely amazed by the concept of sticking a varnished fingernail into a pot, twisting it and pulling out an unvarnished nail. This isn't magic, but simply the Nails Inc Express Nail Polish Remover.

From nails to eyeballs... Why did no one tell me about Eyeko?! A mini mascara winged it's way to me via Birchbox and I loved it so much I bought the full size - something particularly unusual for me! I've been using the Me & My Shadow waterproof shadow liner to create a super simple smoky eye look which is a perfect companion to the Black Magic mascara.

Last up is skincare. Not to get too deep but Garnier has kinda been my rock recently. The Moisture Bomb range has been keeping the youth in - well, I exaggerate, but my skin is super hydrated after using this duo! 

What have you been loving this month?