Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts
11 January 2016

Value Your Self(ie)

Hi!

First of all, I'd apologise for the title, but part of me thinks it might be the best thing I've ever written. So instead, I'm gonna go ahead and give myself a pat on the back for being hilarious.

Second of all, hello. It's been a while since I did the blogging thing, I hope I haven't forgotten how this thing works. I don't have any excuse really, other than I was focusing on getting myself happy and healthy, so I'm happy enough with the time out. I am back now, I can't promise a post every week, but I'll try my best! In terms of life achievements, all you've really missed is me losing 3 stone (GO ME) and I saw Star Wars and The Martian, both of which were most excellent. I mean, I did other things, but those felt like the main things. I'm not sure what that says about my life, but I don't really care, so there's that. 

The new love of my life.
With that all out of the way, let's chat about selfies. I get made fun of on a fairly regular basis for the amount of selfies I take, and that's fair enough, I do take an alarming amount of selfies. There's a lot of chat about people who take selfies, none of it particularly heartwarming. The majority of the opinions I've read about them generally follow the whole 'could you be any more in love with yourself?' (I hope you said that in a Chandler Bing voice) train of thought. It's not good. There seems to be a resounding belief that selfies are a sign of a vain, vapid generation who care only about themselves. Allow me to offer an alternative view because, after all, what's wrong with loving yourself?


I used to hate having my photo taken, even now I get a bit antsy if I'm not the one holding the camera. I'd look at every photo of me that was taken and pick out every single flaw. My face was too fat, my eyes were too small, my nose was too weird, what the hell face am I making? Everything. Everything was wrong with those photos, even if someone said it was a nice photo, they were lying. When I was in the height of my depression, I couldn't even stand looking at pictures of myself. I would actively avoid the three thousand pictures my Mum has hanging up around the house, because to me, they were just a reminder of my failure. All I wanted was to be able to look at a picture of myself and be happy with what I saw. 
After a while I learned how to manage my mental health and take better care of myself, and I taught myself to not automatically doubt everything I did, and that burgeoning sense of confidence and security was just awesome. Suddenly I didn't feel like shit 24/7, there were brief moments when I actually thought 'y'know, I'm not too bad!', and soon those moments happened more frequently. Then I fell in love with makeup and it was like a whole new world (I, 100%, started singing the song from Aladdin there, I hope you did too) opened up to me. It was like magic! This was something that allowed me to control how I saw my face, how others saw my face, I could hide what I wanted and enhance what I liked. I was finally in charge, and after years of feeling like I wasn't, it was a glorious feeling. 

With the makeup, came the selfies. Every time I liked what I'd manage to do with makeup, I'd take a photo of it, and instead of hating everything that I saw, I'd see something that I liked, which felt like a life achievement to me. Being able to compliment yourself when you've gone for so long only able to put yourself down, is just the best feeling in the world. When I hear someone complaining about people taking selfies and hear them say 'they are so in love with themselves!', a large part of me thinks 'good. I hope they are'. Because when did it become a problem to love yourself? I'm not saying that posting selfies is going to cure the great issues of the world, and sure, like everything there is a limit, but if that photo made that person feel good for even just a moment, then what's the problem? 
I don't post pictures of myself to gain anyone's approval, the only person's approval I need is my own. I couldn't care less if someone doesn't like a photo of me, because if I've posted it, it means I like that photo and that's all that matters. Sure, when I post my 389th selfie to Instagram and get a few likes, I'll not deny that it feels nice, it feels like a little internet compliment, even if it is just someone double tapping picture. I challenge you to find anyone who doesn't like a compliment, and if they say they don't, they're lying. And you should probably compliment them because they sound very sad.

I don't post selfies because I think I'm the best looking person in the world, I post them because I do think I have a nice face, I do like what I can do with makeup and I do feel pretty, and I don't think any of that is a problem. Those pictures might be 'vain', 'vapid' and 'ridiculous' (thank you social media for all your opinions, as always) but they made me feel good about myself in a time when I didn't think I could, and my opinion of myself is far more important than anyone else's. 

The next time somebody tries to make fun of you for taking selfies, ask yourself; how do you feel about that photo? If the answer is that you think you look bomb as hell, then post that picture to every piece of social media in existence because the world deserves to see a moment of you being happy in your own skin. It's a bizarre turn of events when we're trying to teach everyone to love themselves, but the second they show a sign of doing it, there's someone right there telling them to reign that shit in. Don't reign it in, love yourself proudly and publicly because you deserve to. 
If you're the person who makes fun of people who take selfies, try it for yourself. Take a photo of yourself that you like and point out five things that you like about it, and if you don't feel marginally good about yourself after, you're probably a robot. 

I'll leave it there because I've already lost this blog post once and I won't risk it again. I hope you all had a magical Christmas and a wonderful New Year! I can't wait for 2016 because I feel like it might be a great year, and maybe I'll actually post some blog posts! We'll not place money on that though. I will chat to you all soon(ish),

Be happy and be kind,
Becca xo
01 April 2015

Spring Lips: Orange and Coral Edition

Hi!

So I know it's been a bit, I took a week off for myself just to chill. Running the blog and working can sometimes get a little bit much to keep up with! But I'm back and, despite what the weather is trying to tell me, I am breaking into the spring makeup. It may be stormy, the rain may be lashing down and it may be cold as frig, but I will have my bright lipsticks! So I have rescued my poor colourful lipsticks from their neglected place at the back of the drawers. YOU'RE FREEEEE! 

This edition will cover some of my favourite orange and coral bright lipsticks so prepare yourself for pictures of beautiful lipsticks!

Orange can be a fairly hard colour to work with so I have a range of sheerer colours, up to the more vivid colours but if you're fearless, go for it! Topshop has some really gorgeous vivid, bright oranges in their makeup range and they are beautiful. 

We'll start with the lipsticks first:

(In order of the swatches left to right)
Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Heartbreaker- £4.99
Makeup Revolution Amazing Lipstick in Bliss (I think, curse my need to peel all the labels off everything!)- £1.00 (srsly)
Makeup Revolution Amazing Lipstick in Divine (I think.) -£1.00
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Carnival Spirit- £7.99
Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in Coral Tonic- £6.99
Maybelline Vivid Colour Sensational Lipstick in Shocking Coral- £6.99

The highstreet has a really great range of lovely bright lipsticks in time for the Spring/Summer season. Maybelline in particular always has some fabulously bright colours. Their Vivid Sensational range is one of my absolute favourites! If you want to go for one to start you off with the bright colours, the Revlon lipstick is a lovely sheer wash of colour that you can build up when you're feeling a bit braver.

To the rest!

(Again, in order of the swatches left to right)
Barry M Loudmouth Lipgloss in Show Off- £3.99
Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Orange Punch-£7.99
Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Temper- £16.50 (purchased in sale for £5.00 because I am not P.Diddy and I'm not paying 16.50 for a lipgloss, are you insane?!)(I mean, I totally would if I didn't have to pay rent as well.)
Barry M Gelly Lips in Sigma Coral- £4.99
Maybelline Colour Sensational Elixir Lipgloss in Mandarin Rapture- £6.99
Revlon Colourstay Lip Stain in Cannes Crush- £7.99

Barry M have a really lovely range of bright lip colours out at the minute and I am particularly in love with the Gelly Lips range. I'll pop at in-depth review up soon, but spoiler alert! they are kind of awesome. Again, if you're looking to brighten up your lip wardrobe, but don't want to go too crazy with colour, the Bourjois Colour Boost crayon gives a really lovely wash of colour with out being too intense.

There you have it! Some of my current favourites for Spring and Summer. It may look like Winter outside, but my face WILL look like it's ready for a day at the beach! I hope this is helpful and I'd love to know any of your favourite bright lip colours. I'll pop up the next instalment of this next week, so if orange isn't your thing, you can look forward to a pink/purple edition! 

I'll leave it there for tonight, don't forget to follow me on Instagram and Like my Facebook page to keep up with blog posts and all sorts of shenanigans! (By shenanigans, I mean selfies. And makeup pictures.) Also, let me know what you're favourite bright lipstick is, I'm always on the hunt for more! I hope you're all well and I will chat to you soon.

Be happy and be kind,
Becca xo
20 March 2015

Review: Makeup Revolution Salvation Palette 'Run Boy Run'

Whaddup! 

I felt like mixing up my greeting, just the kinda wacky person I am. I hope you all had/have/are having a fabulous day! Allow me to make it better by encouraging to spend all the money on makeup. You're welcome.

Makeup Revloution are a fairly new brand on the market that really picked up interest towards the end of last year. Being an eyeshadow addict (it is a real and sometimes concerning habit) I was immediately sold on the palettes that retail for £6.00 (£6.00!!). The Salvation palette's come with 18 eyeshadows, 12 of which are shimmer and 6 are matte and there are 7 in the range to choose from. I have the one I'm chatting about today and one other that I'll talk about at a later date. 

This is the Makeup Revolution Salvation Palette in Run Boy Run. First up, let's chat packaging. The palette is a remarkably sturdy plastic case, which is even better considering the price. Compared to the Makeup Academy palette packaging, a brand that is incredibly similarly priced, for an extra £2.00 you get a full sized mirror and a palette you can be confident in knowing probably won't break the first time you drop it. 
As you can see there are 12 shimmer shades, ranging from the more delicate neutral to the more bold colours (forever in love with that cranberry shade) and 6 matte shades. As with a lot of palettes, the shimmer shades are a good deal more pigmented than the mattes. Not that the mattes are bad, I was actually pleasantly surprised by how pigmented they are.


 The swatches show the top row, down to the bottom row of matte shades. As you can hopefully tell, these are incredibly pigmented, this is just one swipe of each shade. The only ones that don't show up very well for me are the palest in the palette, but that's more down to my ghost-like complexion rather than a problem with the pigmentation! The bottom row of shimmers might actually be my favourite row of eyeshadow from any palette, ever. They are so beautiful. The red shade actually makes me happy inside. If you want to start experimenting with red eyeshadow, I'd definitely recommend this palette just for this eyeshadow. The colour would compliment all eye colours, but especially blue and green eyes, that bottom row would just make your eyes pop! The matte shades, like I said, don't pack quite the same punch, but given the quality of the other shadows, it would be exceptionally difficult. They are a little bit chalky, but nothing awful. They take a little bit of building up for a more concentrated dose of colour, but they are super for using as transition shades or for a little bit of definition. They are a wonderful addition to the palette, I'm always happy to see more matte shades, it allows for a bit more variation in looks. 
This is the palette in natural daylight and it is glorious. I could happily use it everyday. It does also come with a long eyeshadow applicator, but it was one of those rubbery things and I fairly promptly lost it. I'm also almost nearly certain it came with a plastic sheet of the names of the eyeshadows, buuuttt I also lost that. Winner! 
Overall, it's a beautiful palette that won't break the bank. If you're looking to introduce a little bit of colours to your neutrals, I couldn't recommend it more. If you're interested in purchasing, you can get it from Superdrug, or on the website here. I'd really recommend checking out the rest of their products, they have some absolute gems! I'm a huge fan of the £1 (£1!!) lipsticks.

I'll leave it there for tonight. If you've used any products from Makeup Revolution, let me know what your favourites are down below, or you can find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. I'm thinking of running a competition on Instagram soon, so definitely pop by and give it a follow to find out when it's on! You can find me here. I hope you're all well.

Be kind and be happy, 
Becca xo
05 March 2015

February Favourites!

Hi!

The belated February Favourites is here! SCREW YOU ENGLISH WEATHER, I WIN! This is the month in which I realised I have a full-blown, uncontrollable addiction to makeup shopping. Oh dear. Let's look at all the stuff I have been loving and trying to smear all over my face. In one go. Here come the pictures!
I liked a lot of stuff this month, so let's get started with the eyes!
L to R; Topshop Wax and Wane, MAC Blue Brown Pigment, Barry M Starry-Eyed Palette
Let's chat first about my never-ending love for eyeshadows, shall we? As you already know, I got the Lorac Pro Palette 2, back in January, and you can read my review of it and check out the swatches right HERE, and it has become pretty much my go-to for all of February. I am especially in love with the matte shades which I am using to blend out pretty much every makeup look. A new addition to the collection is the Barry M Starry-Eyed Palette. I'll admit to being a little bit of a snob when it comes to drugstore brands, but this palette has been such a pleasant surprise! I posted about it on my Instagram a while ago, which you can check out HERE, and I've been using it since! I also posted about the GLORY that is the MAC Blue Brown Pigment. Guys, this might be one of the most beautiful things of all time. Like, ALL TIME. The duo reflects are out of this world, I've already told my loved ones that I want to be buried with it. A fairly new addition is the Topshop Chameleon Eyeshadow in Wax and Wane. I bought this when my sister was over visiting at the end of February and I cannot stop looking at it. It is gorgeous and has most gorgeous sheen and the multi-facets are just beautiful. 
 Onto face products I've been loving! Since I bought the Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit it has not left my makeup table. It is such a great product, especially for my Caspar skin. I had struggled to find a good contour that was easily available in the UK (unfortunately my NYX Taupe Blush has seen better days) and this has got such a lovely cool tone. It does look a little darker in the pan than what comes out but the quality was really impressive for the price. I would say do use a light hand and blend out well, but if you've been looking for a contour, then this might be for you! The other face products are the Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray, which has quickly become an absolute essential for me. This just guarantees that my rosy cheeks are held at bay for a little while longer! The other favourite is the MAC Prolongwear Concealer and mine is in NC15, and this is definitely worth the hype. The pump is very temperamental, there is definitely more of a scent than my other concealers, but the product is SO GOOD. I have always had creasing under my eyes and this is the first one I've ever used that isn't totally destroyed after 10 minutes, for that alone, it's love. I could probably have gone a shade lighter (Caspar for life) but it does a great job hiding my dark circles. 
L to R; MAC Rebel, Topshop Armour, MAC Hang Up, Revlon Matte Colourburst Balm in Shameless and Sultry.
 These were the lipsticks I was loving in February, all are new additions (I know, I have a problem!) except MAC Rebel, which was a Christmas present from my lovely sister. It is a gorgeous red-purple, which can appear more one or the other, depending on your skin-tone. On me it tends more towards purple, which is even more perfect because purple lipsticks are my favourite! Which you can also see with my Revlon Colourburst Balm in Shameless. I has lusted over this for SO LONG, and then one fateful day I found it in Boot's and it has been love ever since. The other MAC lipstick I am loving is Hang Up, which is a much darker red than it is showing up in this photo which is so disappointing. It has a slight brown undertone that I am especially happy about because I am discovering a new obsession with brown lipsticks at the minute. It's like the 90's are happening all over again! This brown obsession is where Topshop Armour and Revlon Matte Colourburst Balm in Sultry. The Topshop lipstick is a glorious metallic brown affair which I would normally run a mile from, but for some reason I am in love. The Revlon Balm is a more red-brown than it is showing in the pictures (SO ANNOYING) and it has become my go-to 'neutral' shade (I don't go very neutral. Ever). 
 And finally, film of the month is the UNBELIEVABLE The Guest. I already have a review of this up which you can read right HERE. When my sister was here I made her watch this (wasn't too hard, it has Dan Stevens in it. She literally SWOONED at him. SWOONED.) and I remembered how amazing this show is. It is batshit insane in the best way. Everyone should watch this immediately. Especially since Dan Steven's is now going to be the new Beast in the live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast! Fall in love with him before everyone else and then you can be a total hipster about it. Top life tip!

Alright, I have rambled on for long enough so I'll leave it there for tonight. Let me know all your February Favourites, or if you've tried any of these products, let me know your thoughts on them! You can hit me up below or find my on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. I will chat to you soon!

Be happy and be kind,
Becca xo
02 March 2015

Foundation Smackdown: Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation vs. L'oreal Infallible

Hi!

I keep meaning to blog more and put up some more film posts, but it appears that as soon as I finish work the only thing I can do is sleep. And Instagram. Ultimate achiever! This was also meant to be a February Favourites post, but due to English weather not being able to tell that it is now meant to be Spring instead of Winter, it's too bloody dark to take photos. Oh life. So instead let's talk about one of my never-ending struggles: the search for the PERFECT foundation. And apologies in advance for the unbelievably crap photos!

Since I first ventured into the terrifying world of foundations when I was 14, smearing my mum's 3-shades-too-dark-for-me foundation allllll over my face, I have struggled with finding 'The One'. I have alternated between the too dark to the 'holy shit, it's Caspar' shades. Top Tip: just because you have rosy cheeks and pale skin, DO NOT think that the palest foundation of life will help you solve the problem. It won't. It'll make everything worse. Much worse. There are so many options out there, foundations for oily skin, dry skin, normal skin. Then there's the Matte foundations, or the Dewy foundations, or the What The Hell Does This Do foundation. I have tried them all. Well, not literally them all because that would be insane. (I am trying though...)

Most of my Foundation adventures are within the drugstore range because I am yet to be confident enough in an expensive foundation to want to spend money on it. I mean, what if I hate it?! I'll have spent £27 on a foundation I HATE, and I can't deal with that pressure. Although, Nars Sheer Glow is looking mighty fine...

SO, let's compare two foundations that claim to do the same thing: last all freaking day. 
My main desire in a foundation, is longevity. As I've said before I have rosy cheeks (like, super rosy) and all I want in life is a foundation that hides them all day and makes me look like an Instagram makeup artist. Is that so much to ask? (yes)
When I saw these, it seemed too good to be true, two drugstore foundations that could cover the rosiness for longer than an hour?! I was in. I've been using them both for about 1/2 months, and now it's time to discuss.

First off, neither of these foundations last all day. I am slowly and painfully coming to the realisation that this is just not something that is destined to happen for me. The L'oreal Infallible does last a considerably longer time than the Rimmel Lasting Finish, which is funny since the Rimmel one actually claims to last an hour longer. I don't know if it's just that it doesn't agree with my skin type, but it rubs off my nose so easily and leaves me looking a bit Rudolph for my liking. The L'oreal does fade, but not quite to the same extent. In terms of coverage and application, both look remarkably similar and offer the same decent amount of coverage, but the L'oreal Infalliable seems to buff into the skin better. With the Rimmel Lasting Finish, it seems to cling to every tiny hair on my face, and I have never thought I even had a particularly hairy face until I used this foundation. Which is funny, because that is the exact problem I had with the first packaging of the L'oreal Infallible, which I once bought about 5 years ago in a totally different bottle. I actually hated that foundation; it clung to my skin in the worst way and oxidised horribly, but about 2 years ago, L'oreal rebranded and changed the formula to give us the Infallible we have today. I really love this foundation for my skin type, it sits nicely on the skin without feeling too heavy, it's more easily buildable than the Rimmel Lasting Finish, which could look a little cakey. 

With any foundation, as I've said, it very much depends on your skin type. A foundation I hate, could be your holy grail and vice versa. I think mine might be a little dry for the Rimmel Lasting Finish so the L'oreal Infallible works well for me because it sits comfortably on top of the skin, rather than clinging to it. Colour wise, they are both a good match, but I'd say the L'oreal Infallible just takes it for me because the L'oreal colour match range is actually pretty fabulous for pale skin and matches my pink undertone. Rimmel can be a little shade too dark and yellow for me, but this is definitely one of the better matches. 

If you're interested in these foundations, you can get them in Boots or Superdrug, the L'oreal Infallible retails for £9.99, and the Rimmel Lasting Finish goes for £7.99. 

I'll leave it there for tonight, I hope you enjoyed this surprisingly long post about stuff you smear on your face. If you have any Holy Grail foundations, please let me know, I am open to all options! You can hit me up below, or on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, all the links are on the side, I'd love to see you there! I hope you're all well, and I'll see you soon.

Be happy and be be kind,
Becca xo
23 February 2015

Highstreet Hits: Makeup Academy Baked Trio

Hi!

My sister was visiting us over the weekend, and it was lovely, but I am now VERY SLEEPY. So it'll be a quick one tonight. A good one, but a quick one. 

I remember when Makeup Academy makeup launched, the promise of great quality makeup for unbelievable prices was too much for me and I immediately bought everything I could. I am yet to grasp that just because makeup is cheap, doesn't mean I have to buy everything. I am forever spending the equivalent of an expensive item and lots of cheaper things. Please tell me I am not the only one that does this?!

Fortunately, the Baked Trio eyeshadows are fabulous and worth every penny. Even if that wasn't actually a lot of pennies to begin with. 
L to R; Smoke Screen, Chocolate Box, Innocence, Passion, Pink Sorbet
I have got all of the available shades and one (Passion) which appears to have now been discontinued. The palettes are mostly neutral colours, excluding Smoke Screen and Passion, the former is perfect for a dark smokey eye, whilst Passion is great for a pop of colour. My personal favourites are the 3 neutral palettes, which is unusual for me because I normally prefer something a little bolder. 
L to R; Chocolate Box, Innocence, Pink Sorbet
With flash
Natural Light
As you can see, mine are well-used and adored, they are pretty much my go-to if I can't figure out what shade I want to pop on. I can put them on and know that they will look fabulous and I know they will go on without ruining my face. There is a little fall-out, but nothing that makes me want to claw my face off á la old school Urban Decay.
The pigmentation of the palettes is unbelievable, especially when you consider the price. These retail for only £2.50, which is utter madness. And the colours are beautiful; they are shimmery, creamy and they go on wonderfully. If you aren't fussed on shimmery eyeshadows, it goes without saying, these won't be your thing. However, if you are of the shimmer persuasion, you will LOVE these. I am particularly happy with the darkest shade in the Innocence palette, which is a lovely dupe for Mac's Satin Taupe, and it is gorgeous! If you feel like these might be something you would like, you can pick them up in Superdrug OR you can get them online right here. The new packaging is slightly different to mine, but the eyeshadows are still as lovely. Promise!

I will leave it there for tonight! Let me know what you think of Makeup Academy, are you a fan, or is there another Highstreet brand that has your heart? Drop me a comment below, or hit me up on my Facebook, Twitter or my Instagram (which is pretty much the love of my life right now). I hope you're all well and I will chat to you soon!

Be happy and be kind,
Becca xo








18 February 2015

Worth the Hype? Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eyeliners

Hi! 

I said I'd be back, and here I am. PAT ON THE BACK. I mean, I'm late but I was having my heart TORN OUT AND STOMPED ON by The Originals (do you watch this?! Can we discuss?! Elijah!).

I'm tempted to make this the world's shortest blog entry and just say; yes, yes they are. Because they are, in fact, completely worth the hype and the money. Which, if you're trying to not buy them, doesn't really help you at all. Sorry!
I have gathered up a collection of 7 of these beautiful babies, and will very happily carry on collection them until I have them all. The pigmentation of these eyeliners is in-bloody-sane. I have never used a more creamy eyeliner in my life, so the payoff you get is unbelievable. The colour range you get is actually what draws me in the most. I love adding these to the waterline for a pop of colour, and because of the texture of the pigmentation, they last for absolutely ages in the waterline. The only thing I will say is, because of the creamy texture, I find it best to set underneath with an eyeshadow, just to make sure they don't smudge. 
Top to Bottom; Dime, Flipside, Honey, Deviant, Stag, Covet, Bourbon
L to R; Bourbon, Flipside, Stag, Deviant, Honey, Covet, Dime
These are my absolute favourite eyeliners, the only thing that stops me buying them all immediately is the price. These retail at £15.50 each, you can get them from here or here, if you're in the States. They are definitely a pricier item, but for the quality and the amount you get they are worth it in my mind. I've had most of mine for over 5 years and they're still going. If you don't fancy splashing out that much for an eyeliner, Essence's Long Lasting Eye Pencil has a great range of colours, which you can look at here. They aren't as pigmented, but for £1.50(!!), you can't go wrong. Rimmel Scandaleyes liners are also fabulously pigmented and can be found in any Boots or Superdrug, the only problem is finding the full range of colours. And the range of colours is really what sets aside these liners, Honey and Covet are two of the most beautiful liners I've ever seen! 

Alright, I'll leave it there for tonight! If you have any liner recommendations, leave them down below, or hit me up on Facebook, where you can give the page a 'like' to keep up (subtle as always), Twitter, or Instagram (which I am never off). I will chat to you later!

Be happy and be kind, 
Becca xo




17 February 2015

High Street Hits: Rimmel Kate Moss Lipsticks

HI!

Sorry for the late post, I was meant to pop up a film for Friday but I got distracted by sleep. I am a top grown-up. And then yesterday I went shopping and spent all the money I do not have. But we're here today and then there'll be a post tomorrow also. I am good. 

Onto the hit! I am a sucker for a lipstick. Lipstick and eyeshadow are my problem areas when it comes to my makeup addiction, I want them all. Some of my ultimate highstreet favourites are from the Rimmel London range, their Moisture Renew lipsticks are delightful, but my particular favourite has to be the Kate Moss range. 
The lipsticks in the black packaging are a creamy, satin finish, whilst the ones in the red packaging are a matte finish. Neither have any shimmer or frost at all, which makes me happy because I do not like a frosty lipstick, it reminds me of too many teenage mistakes. The matte colours are a little drier, but that sort of goes with the territory of a matte lipstick. They are still definitely the creamiest mattes I've ever used. 
L to R; 09,07,08,01,111,107
These are the babies that I have collected and love and adore. I don't have a lot of nude lip colours, purely because they don't suit my Caspar pale skin, but the 07 and 08 lipsticks are glorious. They are a nude, but with a lovely brown (07) and purple (08) undertone. The shades look a little more orange in the photo than they are in real life. For the reds, 09 is a lovely red with a beautiful purple undertone, whilst 01 is a more pure red. Shade 111 is a super orange-red matte colour that is crazy bright. My favourite though, is 107, an amazing dark purple-red. If you want a lipstick similar to Mac 'Rebel', without paying the Mac pricetag, I'd definitely recommend this one. 

If you're interested in the Kate Moss lipsticks, you can find them in any Boots or Superdrug.

Alright, I'll leave it there glorious people, I hope you're all well and having a lovely day. If you wanna chat, you can hit me up below, or find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, I would love to see you there. If you like my blog, you can always give my Facebook page a like to keep up with all my posts! 

Be happy and be kind,
Becca xo
11 February 2015

Dupes #1: Benefit Porefessional vs. L'oreal Nude Magique Blur Cream

Hi!

First things first, L'oreal need sort themselves out and stop giving their products the LONGEST NAMES OF ALL TIME. Apart from that, we're pretty good. 

I am so tired, so very, very sleepy. And I still have to wash my hair, and I have A LOT of hair. I mean that in a Rapunzel, it's hella long kinda way, not in a weird way. ANYWAY. I'm obviously delirious. Which I can tell because it just took me 6 attempts to spell 'delirious'. 

Let's chat about some primers, shall we?
I had heard A LOT about Benefit's Porefessional on account of I spend a lot of time on YouTube. It was this magical solution to cover up any pores and generally improve the appearance of your skin. So, obviously, I had to have it. Except I saw the price of it, cringed internally, and continued buying terrible primers, just because I didn't want to spend big money. I tried nearly every primer from the high street to no avail UNTIL I found the L'oreal Blur Cream, which is nowhere near as expensive. And I liked it a lot, but because I have no self-control, I still bought the Porefessional. But if you think about it, I was performing a good deed and doing research for this post, I just didn't know it yet. (That's what I'm telling myself, and you can't take that from me!)
Benefit's Porefessional retails for £24.50, which, to my poor bank account, is a hefty price tag for something that goes underneath the makeup you actually see. It is a creamy product and a little goes a long way. You're meant to only really use the product on areas with open pores and it's designed to, essentially, fill up the pore and make makeup appear more flawless. It has a skintone pigment to it so it blends in nicely but it is also quite fragranced, so if you don't like fragranced products on your face, that may be something to consider. It is a great product. I'm not sure what I can say for either in terms of stretching the longevity of my makeup because I pretty much bathe my face in setting spray. I would say, both aren't especially moisturising, so they aren't fabulous with dry skin, definitely moisturise before applying.
L'oreal's Blur Cream retails for £9.99, and is almost always available in some sort of deal in Boots or Superdrug, normally a 3 for 2 which is my downfall every time. It is incredibly similar to the Benefit product in texture and appearance. It is not as creamy as the former, so it comes out of the bottle in the weirdest way. I mean, that's not a downfall for the product, just something I notice every morning. The bottle is a good bit harder than the Benefit product so it makes the product a little harder to squeeze out. The L'oreal product is designed to be an all round skin perfecter. I can't say that it 'perfects' my skin at all, but it certainly fills in any pores. You do need a little more of this product than the Benefit one, but you actually get more product in the tube, 25mls versus the Benefit's 22ml serving. 

I'd say, if you don't wanna spend the monies on the Benefit primer, the L'oreal is damn close for less than half the price. If you have large pores, both do a fabulous job smoothing out the surface of the skin. Like I said, I bathe in setting spray so don't know if they improve the length of your foundation, but they do make it go on much more smoothly. Truthfully, I do prefer the Benefit one, I like the texture more and coz I like feeling fancy with my pretty products. So vain, I know. But the L'oreal is my everyday, go-to.

I'll leave it there for tonight! If you have any more dupes, or just wanna chat, you can find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Or, as always, you can drop me a comment below. I hope you're all well and I'll chat to you on Friday!

Be happy and be kind,
Becca xo


04 February 2015

Review: Lorac Pro Palette 2

HI!

It'll be a picture heavy post and a quick one today on account of I feel like actual death warmed up and then stamped on, chewed up, spat out and then flushed down the toilet. I look as sexy as that sounds. Ergh.

Something that IS sexy though (smooth segway) is the Lorac Pro Palette 2. If you watch YouTube at all (YouTube 4 lyf) then you'll be familiar with the ridiculously beautiful Lorac Palettes. They are every beauty guru's favourite, and now I have one! And I am VERY HAPPY about it. I even did a dance!

Onto the Palette!
LOOK AT IT! It's so beautiful! Like, super fricking beautiful. The palette itself is made up of 16 cool-toned eyeshadows, the top row is made up of matte shades and the bottom is all the shimma shimma shades. And they are all so, so lovely!
Flash

No flash
The matte shades are all incredibly pigmented, especially the Plum and Navy colours, which were actually near impossible to remove. But in a good way! The only problem shade for me is Buff, the palest matte shade. I think it's designed to be a browbone highlight, but because I am apparently ghostly pale, it's actually a little too yellow for me. It's still a beautiful shade, just not a great highlight for pale folk. The swatches are all one swipe, so you can see how intense the colour payoff is, the only one not quite as dark is the black, which could do with being a little darker. The shadows are all buttery and beautiful and super easy to blend. And I am very happy to have a palette that understands that mattes are just as beautiful as the shimmers! 
Flash
No flash
The shimmer shades are INSANELY gorgeous and again, super buttery and easy to blend. Unlike the first Lorac Pro Palette, which is a lovely warm-toned palette (that WILL be mine) the shimmer shades in this all lean towards the cool end of the spectrum. Honestly,I adore all of these shades, but a personal favourite has to be Rosé, which is a lovely rose gold, and Chrome, which has the most beautiful gold/silver sheen. They really need to be seen to understand how gorgeous they are! 

Now comes the only downside to people not in the U.S. This palette isn't actually available worldwide. 'Why would you review a palette I can't buy?!' I hear you cry, waving pitchforks, but fear not! You can get this palette on www.amazon.com, which dispatches the palettes from Lorac and Lorac is marked as the seller so you know you are getting the genuine product. OR, you can go to www.nordstrom.com, who also sell Lorac palettes and other goodies. I will say, worldwide shipping and customs work out a good bit cheaper with Amazon, so if you do want the palette but nothing else, I'd probably advise going for it here. The customs and shipping is all included in the price which comes to £40 roughly. The palette itself retails for $42, so it's not an awful price in the long run to get the palette shipped from America. What I'm saying is, you should TOTALLY BUY THIS. 

Alright, I'll leave it there for tonight and return to my rightful place on the sofa to watch terrible films and make myself feel better. If you have any palette recommendations, leave them down below or hit me up on Twitter or Facebook. I'd love to see you there!

Be nice and be kind,
Becca xo
02 February 2015

Favourites: Liquid Liner Edition

HI!

I am having a bad day. I am severely ill. Deathly ill. This may be the last time you ever hear from me. Let's make it a good one!

I have been buying liquid liner since I was 13, and that was largely because I saw somebody else wearing it and it looked awesome on them. Thus began the journey to master the liquid liner, a journey that continues till this day, and no doubt will continue until I am 75 and refusing to acknowledge that my eyes are too wrinkly for a winged liner. My first liquid liner was the Collection Fast Stroke, which, if memory serves me right, was £1.99? Ah the hours I lost desperately trying to get that bad boy to go on my eyes in something slightly resembling a straight-ish line. Good times! I have branched out (slightly) since them, so let's run through my current favourite liquid liners! 
Top to bottom: NYC High Definition Liner, Soap and Glory Supercat, Collection Extreme 24 Hour Liner and Illamasqua Precision Ink.
So, obvious disclaimer here. Obviously I have not been lucky enough to try all the liquid liners (a girl can dream!), these are just my personal favourites from those that I have used. If you have any suggestions, definitely leave them down below for me!

Let's start with NYC High Definition Felt Tip Liner. I bought this after struggling with the liner I had been using at the time, possibly a Maybelline one. The problem I was having was that the previous liner kept smudging on me, which was an absolute pain in the arse, as you can imagine. I stopped by my local Superdrug where I found this lovely. I will always prefer a felt-tip style liner, largely because having misspent my youth attempting to master the bottle liners, I realised it was doomed to never happen. And, even better, this only costs £2.99, which is a bargin! Superdrug also often run offers on the NYC brand where none of the products reach over £2.50, ACE. 
The liner itself is great, particularly for the price. It is a slightly drier formula that requires a little bit of building up to deepen the pigmentation but it does dry very quickly, so you never suffer the dreaded 'I blinked when my liner was wet and now I've ruined my face' situation. The tip can get a little floppy after a lot of uses, which makes the liner a little more difficult to apply, but for the price and product, that's a minor complaint. You can get it here.

Next up is Soap and Glory Supercat Carbon Black Extreme Eyeliner Pen. How I wish they would shorten the names of the liners. This is fairly new to my collection. My sister bought some makeup at the Boot's S&G makeup stand when she was visiting me, and got a 2nd free liner so she gave it to me because she's wonderful. This liner retails at £6.00, so again, not breaking the bank. Even better, it's usually on a 3 for 2 offer (how I love Boots). It is a super pigmented black with a lovely tip for precision. It's a lot sturdier than the NYC liner. The formula is a little wetter than the other so it takes a bit longer to dry, but once it's on it is very long lasting. You can get it here. And definitely check out the rest of the Soap and Glory makeup, its fabulous!

Then we have the Collection Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner. I have this in a lovely turquoise and a purple colour. When they say '24 Hour', they are not messing around AT ALL. This is, without question, the longest lasting liner I have ever used. Ever. As in, it's actually quite difficult to get off. It is very similar in formula and pen style to the Soap and Glory, it's a sturdy tip and great pigmentation. The colours are lovely as well. It retails for £2.99, and if you're in the market for the longest lasting liner of all time, then this may be the one for you! You can get it here.

Last up, we have the Illamasqua Precision Ink. I have these in Havoc, Scribe and Wisdom. They are a beautiful prune purple (worst description ever, but I swear it's lovely!), a stark white and a gorgeous bronze/gold brown. 
Top to bottom; Wisdom, Havoc and Scribe.
These are seriously pricey for a liner, retailing at £20, but Illamasqua has a legendary sale every once-in-a-while and I got these for £7.50, which is a total bargin! These are some of the only 'bottle' type liners I own, the tip (thankfully) is not flimsy in the slightest and is actually very similar to the tip on the pens. It does take a little getting used to the handle, but asides from that, I love them! The formula is quite unusual, it is obviously wet, what with it being in a bottle and all, but it dries very quickly. It looks as though it would be quite runny but it's actually quite thick, I would say try and avoid getting it in your lashes because of this. it can make applying mascara a little difficult. The colours are part of what makes these for me, they are so unusual and I love wearing something a little different to my black once in a while. You can get these here.

And a special mention to some other favourites!
These are the Collection Glam Crystals in 'Rock Chick', 'Shake it Up' and 'Funk' and they are fabulous. They retail for £2.99 and are super pigmented for glitter liners and come in a great range of colours. They're a great dupe for the Urban Decay Heavy Liner glitter liners that cost £14.00, not quite as pigmented, but still a great liner. You can get them here.

Alright! Enough rambling tonight, I will chat to you all again on Wednesday, providing I haven't died between now and then (I am VERY ILL). If you have any liner suggestions, leave them down below, I'd love to check them out. Or, you can leave me a comment on any of my social media, I'd love to see you there! My Facebook is Becca Button, please pop by and give me a like, or I'm always on Instagram here, username is @_beccabutton! I will see you again soon (hopefully).

Be nice and be kind.
Becca xo







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