Gotcha Covered Concealer

Gotcha Covered Concealer || £5.50

Full coverage. Dewy finish. All day wear. These are the three selling points of NYX's Gotcha Covered which, in anyone's book, would seem the perfect equation for a concealer. Does it deliver or is it just bait on the beauty fishing line? 

Rather than a doe foot applicator this comes in a squeezy tube, much like a foundation. As you would expect from a heavy duty concealer, the product is quite thick so it is doesn't dispense easily as the nozzle is quite thin.

On first applying to the skin this product feels horrible! It is thick and sticky - in fact, it really reminds me of that cheap Halloween grease paint. Regardless, I continued applying the concealer to the areas I wanted then blended out with my Beauty Blender. 

What. A. Difference.

The stickiness subsided and I was left with bright, dewy skin!

I went ahead and set it with the tiniest dusting of powder and it looked glorious. I was super impressed! The dark circles, redness and blemishes were hidden and they remained so all day. True to their word it stayed put, even on my oil slick face!

This is definitely a concealer for someone who likes to look 'made up' - even though it blends well, you're not going to pull off the natural look wearing it. However I love the finished result so if you can bear a couple of seconds of stickiness then this concealer is definitely worth it!

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! 

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...

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!

Autograph Ultimate Wear Concealer

M&S Autograph Ultimate Wear Concealer • Light •£7

I wandered into my local M&S with the full intention of nabbing some Rosie H-W goodies only to be greeted by a "coming soon" banner over a stand... Grrrrrr.

 Not wanting to leave empty handed I thought I should see what the permanent Autograph stand had to offer me. And besides, I needed (ok, wanted) a new concealer.

Firstly, can we take a minute to appreciate the packaging. It feels so timeless and classic. So high end for a high street price. 

I bought the shade Light, but there is also a Medium shade. As you can see from the swatch, it is lighter than my tone but it's perfect as a brightener.

This concealer is so creamy that I actually did a little squeal of glee when I first swatched. It glides on so effortlessly. It blends like an absolute dream and it cost less than my lunch?! £7. Only seven English pounds. Amazing!