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 Butter Gloss

I'm pretty much obsessed with NYX at the moment. I've loved everything I've tried, especially so with the single shadows and lip lingerie. I initially ventured over to the NYX stand to try out one of their foundations but chickened out and reached for my trusty Revlon Colorstay instead. However I couldn't walk away empty handed and picked up a Butter Gloss!

One of the things I love about the NYX lip stand is the picture boards where they feature certain colours on the lip. It was here I spotted and swooned over Sunday Mimosa. This super pretty punchy peach is quite the all rounder with just enough colour to compliment a smokey eye and enough colour to stop your everyday face looking washed out.

This is an opaque formula - you get a intense, rich colour pay off. The consistency of the gloss isn't too liquid either which means you get the colour without any settling or uneveness. 

On the subject of consistency, we then have to discuss texture. I don't know about anyone else but I'm really struggling to break away from the matte trend. I find glosses can be messy and high maintenance, not to mention a right royal pain when it becomes a magnet for hair on windy days. Long story short, I'm hesitant to welcome them back to the warm arms of my make up bag without good reason. However this product goes a long way in relieving my worries with an almost 'lip balm' feeling to it. My lips felt moisturised as opposed to sticky or gloopy. 

All in all, I'm still a matte lip kinda girl at heart but as gloss goes this is a pretty decent one. I love the colour and feel of it but I don't think I'm ready for the commitment of constant re-application again. Still, this will definitely be reached for when I want to feel a bit more glam!!

Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask

Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask || £1.49

In a mission to balance out my dehydrated skin I've been been eagerly seeking out intensely moisturising products. I recently switched from night creams to facial oil and whilst this has made a marked improvement, I still wanted something with a bit of an oomph. 

The Moisture Bomb day cream is so good I couldn't resist the lure of this mask. It promises an entire weeks worth of hydration in just 1 mask as wells as a reduction in fine lines and radiant skin. So does it deliver?

Well, first things first, lets talk about the packaging. It's humongous! The mask itself is also designed to fit Mr Potato Head - I found it extremely hard to get the mask to fit the contours of my face. The eye holes are tiny, cheeks are massive and god only knows what the deal is with the nose/mouth openings. 

After fumbling around with the mask I eventually got it to fit my face and then peeled the protective layer off so I was able to smooth the mask down a little better.

The tissue is saturated with a gel like serum which made it almost slimy but cooling and refreshing. After 15 minutes I removed the mask and rubbed in the remaining serum. My skin felt moisturised and slightly plumped.

However the results aren't particularly long lasting. The next morning, my skin looked dry around my nose and I had little breakouts on my forehead. 

All in all, I probably wouldn't use this mask again. The immediate results are good but for me, it doesn't deliver any long lasting impact.

nspa Deep Hydrating Facial Oil

nspa Deep Hydrating Facial Oil 

Summer has come. And gone. And come back again - *yay*! Whilst the sunshine is beautifully pleasant, the effects that the ever indecisive weather are having on my skin is particularly unpleasant.

To add a bit of context to this post, let's talk about skin type. I have oily skin that is extremely breakout prone. Having clearer skin is a massive thing for me. I've had spot issues for over half my life and the introduction of Hibiscrub into my skincare routine has given me skin clarity that I never thought possible! However, the product is harsh and my skin is lacking some serious hydration which leaves it dull.

Although I use moisturisers daily, I'm still left feeling somewhat wanting for that inner glowiness. I had read about the benefits of facial oils for ages but the thought of adding oil to my already oily face absolutely terrifies me - then I saw this product when I was browsing and so took the plunge...

I'm obsessed by the packaging. A pipette dispenser gives the product a 'professional' feel which makes it feel more expensive than it is. Also, does a pipette make any one else want to pretend to be a mad scientist? No? Just me. Ok, moving on... 

The oil itself smells quite floral but the scent is quite light so it doesn't become overpowering. When I rubbed some of the oil between my fingers I was surprised at how un-oily it was. With a deep breath, I applied around 4-5 drops to my face and massaged in. Instantly my skin soaked it up without any residue or greasiness left behind. Fast absorbing or thirsty skin? I'm yet to decide... 

When I awoke the next morning I dragged myself into the bathroom and caught sight of my skin. Woah. It look blinking lovely!

The tone of my skin was even and smooth. My pores were smaller. There was no shine but my face looked brighter and full. 

Despite the £6 price tag this oil delivers some serious results. In fact, my first impressions of this oil were so impressive that I replaced my night cream with this immediately.  

Amen to facial oil!

June Favourites

It's July and officially less than six months until Christmas. Santa, come at me. 

June massively had me feeling constantly meh so I'm attempting to reboot my drive with a Favourites post.

Lets start with chokers; more so, bandana's as chokers. Did I think I could ever pull this off? Definitely not. Alas, I felt less like the Milkybar kid and all the tumblr feels. 

Lashes definitely didn't help my mood this month, with my good old Demi Wispies causing me more havoc than I ever thought possible. In the end, I slung 'em in the bin and moved on to the 100 lashes from Eylure. These feel like they were made for my eyeballs... 

 Hold the pitchforks but I've always been of the opinion that Laura Mercier is over priced and not worth entertaining so when I saw the sample, I was genuinely annoyed. I wanted to hate it but... The smell is divine. My skin felt amazing. I never thought I'd admit defeat but I am, all the way to a £45 basket.

Absinthe may be a mistake on a night out but it certainly isn't on your nails! I am obsessed with this khaki toned polish. Bravo L'Oréal. 

I love Primark and I could list a number of favourites from there but I've narrowed it down to just two. The Chloe dupe bag has done the rounds but this is the first with tassels which I kinda like. 

These brushes cost £1 and are honestly so good! Especially the eye contour brush which has become my go to. I'm excited to try other beauty tools from Primark and definitely have my eye on the new oval brushes!

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! 

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...

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?