Beauty Survey

I saw this on Laura's Blog...thought I would give you an insight into my current routine. I figured that my break-outs might be due to the fact that I kept changing my products so often so I'm trying to stick to as few as possible at the moment.

Make Up
My Foundation: If I'm out the whole day or evening, I'll usually use Revlon Colorstay because it really is fantastic for its staying power, especially if combined with Lancome Pure Focus T-Zone Mattifying Gel. But if I'm feeling lazy though, I'll stick on the Max Factor Miracle Touch Foundation...it's quite a nice consistency for day-wear.

My Mineral Foundation: Hmm...I've not been convinced by Mineral Foundation yet but I'm thinking about trying out the NYC Pressed Mineral Powder Foundation. Will keep you posted!!

My Powder: I'm currently using a combination of MSF Natural and the Revlon Colorstay Powder. I hardly need to blot during the day now!! FAB!

My Mascara: Maybelline Define-a-lash and Clinique Lash Power Mascara. Combined with Benefit She-Laq it WILL NOT BUDGE!!

My Blush: Hmmm...probably my biggest weakness. I'll use the Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick in Bronze and MAC Bushcreme in Blossoming (I think).

My Eyeshadow(s): Clinique, Rimmel, Body Shop. I do have the Revlon quads but I don't rate the pigmentation on them. My favourite of all time is the Shimmer Cube, it can be used wet or dry and has great pigmentation.

My Day Cream(s): Boots No7 Beautifully Balanced Day Cream and Beauty Serum underneath occasionally.

My Beauty Product Brand(s): Oooh...MAC, Clinique, Body Shop, Revlon, Rimmel to name a few

My Essential Beauty Product: Eyeliner (any!) with She-Laq...I'd be lost without it!

My Favorite Makeup Product(s): Concealer, Blusher and eyeliner.

My Perfume: I love my Anna Sui Secret Wish, it just smells really special and girlie. The Body Shop Rose Cassis is really nice for everyday use - nice and light.

My Nails: Plain and simple, I will usually apply a couple of coats of light pink. I played piano and violin for years so I don't think I'll ever be used to long nails!!

My Feet: I very rarely tend to my feet...oops! But when I do, same as my nails, I just keep it clean and simple.

My Hands: Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector

Three Products to bring on a deserted island: ONLY 3?? Eyeliner, Razor and Select Cover-up

Women I admire for their beauty: Lucy Liu, Thandie Newton, Rachel Bilson, Emma Bunton, Katie Holmes, Kate Hudson...

Woman with the Best Sense of Style: Hate to jump on the band-wagon but Cheryl Cole is amazing!!

My Favorite Fashion Publication(s): Glamour, Cosmo, Company...

Who did you get this from?: Laura's Bloggy BLog

xx

My Christmas Presents...

OK so I know there's still like 4 days till Christmas but my lovely parents have already given me my presents. My mum gave me me £££ to spend in MAC which was amazing...so I bought the following items.

Adoring Carmine Face Brush Set (LEFT)
Adoring Carmine Eye Brush Set (RIGHT)
MAC Paintpot in Bare Study
MAC 134 Brush
MAC Cream Colour Base (CCB) in Virgin Isle

I love my haul...I will try and take some photos soon. Although I've been using these items near enough everyday since I got them!! The CCB is amazing and is going to last me AGES because of how 'in your face' the colour is so all you need is literally A TINY BIT on your fingers.

I was hoping to get a DAB Radio / iPod Dock from Dad but we ran around town looking for the best ones and couldn't decide. So I just got a docking station to connect to my existing hi-fi system. I also got a gorgeous winter coat from Warehouse in the SALE (I thought they weren't meant to start until AFTER XMAS?!!). Here's an idea of what I'll wear later today to the Christmas Carol Service and Dinner!!


21 Decenber 2008 by ickleangel96

Mmmm...better go and get ready! xx

Mini-Haul and a Nice Little Discovery

So I had my last exam of 2008 today and despite being completely broke, I still made time and room in my pocket for a couple of things I picked up at Cheshire Oaks

If you live up in the North West, it's DEFINITELY worth checking out Cheshire Oaks. You'd be surprised at what you could pick up at The Cosmetics Company and also at the Revlon store!!

From the Cosmetics Company I picked up the Clinique Superdefence Triple Action Moisturiser for Combination / Oily Skin. I was looking out for a slightly richer moisturiser to use at night. My Dramatically Different Gel is great but felt that in these winter months I should use something a bit richer. Trying out a sustained new skin-care routine...I'll give you an update in a couple of weeks' time!!

Despite only picking up one thing, I love going in there. They have a lot of Clinique (skin care and cosmetics), Bobbi Brown, Estee Lauder, Prescriptives and MAC stuff. Especially stuff that might have suffered the dreaded mini triangle curse on the MAC website. I found a couple of nice Beauty Powders that I might consider investing in. I also spied some FAFI palettes and other bits and pieces I've not seen in a while. Same goes for Bobbi Brown...it can be a bit hit and miss in there though. But it's worth having a nosey! Can't wait for the post-xmas sales...it'll be a regular haunt on the way home from college!! :D

Revlon...why didn't I consider going here when I decided to try the ColourStay Foundation. It was about 40% cheaper than Boots. I picked another one up in True Beige. It is an AWESOME foundation...usually use it for Nights out or if I'm out all day. It truly stays. If I use it with the Lancome Matt Base, I hardly need to use Blot Powder. Bought the Colourstay Eyeliner and see if that stays as well!! Picked up Bare it All that Lollipop26 talked about there as well for under £2!! Amazing.

Was watching Michelle Phan on Youtube the other day and wanted to see if I could get a colour corrector. Wish I could get a wheel of cream concealers..do MAC do something similar? But anyways, I bought a cheapo one from Natural Collection so I'll see how I get on with that!

Does anyone else have a fabulous hidden haunt??

My basic collection...

OK so I thought I would start with my collection for the face. These are the items that sit in my drawer at the moment which I may or may not always use. The items which I will go through will be my primers, foundations and also my concealers. Are you sitting comfortably? Good.

Primers


My Primers by ickleangel96

My first encounter with the primer came really because of my skin's tendency to oiliness during the day. So I needed a product which would soak up the oils and provide a matt base to start with.

My first purchase was the Ruby & Millie Pre Base 0 which has a pinky colour to it and applies completely matt. It absorbs the skins' oil very effectively and comes in a tube form so it was quite handy to carry around to re-apply instead of taking powder with me especially in the summer. The consistency is a little clay-like so I really wouldn't recommend it if you have dry skin. I tend to only apply it to my T-zone area to soak up the extra oil as the texture doesn't really allow products like Benetint or creme-based cheek colours to be blended effectively.

The next product I bought was the MAC Prep + Prime. I'd heard a lot about this product and thought it would be a great investment. But on first use, I found the texture a little bit greasy. I also didn't really like the pump as I couldn't control how much I got with each application. It does, however, provide a nice smooth base to work from. But again because of the packaging it's hard to use as a touch-up product during the day.

My latest purchase is the Lancome Pure Focus T-Zone Gel. It has a gel-like consistency and comes in a tube packaging (already a plus!!). It's not as greasy as the Prep + Prime but not as drying as the Ruby & Millie so it's a good middle ground product. I've only used it a couple of times so I'll keep you updated!

Liquid Foundations


My Liquid Foundations by ickleangel96

Over the years I've tried all sorts of foundations and due to my tendency to change my mind every 5 minutes, I've collected a fair few items in this category!! I'll start with the lightest coverage products to the fuller coverage ones.

Clinique Moisture Sheer Tint in Beige - this is essentially a tinted moisturizer but unlike some other products which tend to be overly rich, it's very light and perfect for a summer's day when your skin feels pretty good and you want the lightest of coverage. It's oil-free and gel-based so it's great for combination / oily skin!!

Clinique Almost Makeup in Deep - this is better in the sense that it does give a better coverage when your skin needs a little more help but it still doesn't feel very heavy on your skin. The one thing I don't like is that if it hasn't been used for a while the water elements starts separating so it needs a good shake. It has to be said that its claim to be "Waterproof" doesn't seem to hold up very well - it's staying power isn't great.

MAC Face and Body Foundation C5- I went into MAC with the intention of getting a foundation which gave me a good coverage without looking like it's been caked on and really didn't expect to be getting this but it's better than I expected. It's water based so there's no greasiness to it. The shade's great and it blends pretty well with brush, sponge or fingers. The finish is a little illuminating but a touch of powder deals with that. A great autumn / early spring foundation.

Clinique Superfit Make up 07 Honey - this was probably my first high range foundation and I used to use it all the time. It claims to have long-staying power but in my experience it isn't great in that respect. But it doesn't sit heavy in my pores and my skin doesn't feel suffocated with it on. But I probably wouldn't get it again. I would recommend it as a starter foundation for combination skin - but test the shades well in a good light. I was recommended two different shades in the same day by two consultants.

Clinque Stay-True Makeup 27 Stay Nude - still on my quest to find long lasting foundation. A nice surprise actually. I picked this up in a discount store in Chester and thought I'd give it a try. A slightly heavier product but still comfortable to wear though. A nice matte finish and good coverage but doesn't stay as long as I would need it to. But a good half-day foundation.

Benefit Playsticks Paper Dolls - a stick foundation. Not a big fan of this. I bought this with the intention of using it as a touch-up stick. The colour's great but it's too rich for my skin.

Prescriptives Total Protection Makeup and Multi-Purpose Makeup stick (Vellum 03 Y/O) - I had been DYING to try this out because I'd heard how the colour really is PERFECT for every skin tone. The coverage is medium - full so not so good for daytime wear but a good night foundation. You really don't need a lot of product each time. It's quite thick and needs to be blended it well - best with fingers! I bought the with the intention of using it on the stubborn areas like blemishes.

FINALLY Revlon ColorStay Foundation Sand Beige / Natural Tan - I bought this on recommendation from lollipop26 after hearing about its staying power. So far so good...only had it a day or so but it stayed pretty much intact through a whole day of college and a dinner with minimal touching up required!! I'll keep you posted!

Powder Foundations


Powder Foundations by ickleangel96

My first product was The Body Shop All-in-One Foundation which was amazing at the time but now I've come to find that there are better products out there which fit the description.

Diorskin Forever Compact 030 - this is an OK product. With hindsight, I probably wouldn't have spent the money on it. It's a little heavy and doesn't really stay forever! Need to use it up though!

MAC Studio Fix NC35 - this is pretty good. You'd need a couple of touch ups during the day but apart from that, pretty good coverage and good colour.

MAC MSF Natural Medium - I LOVE THIS PRODUCT. I use this either on its own (sponge application for better coverage) or on top of foundation to help with staying power. It's got a gorgeous finish to it and a brilliant texture.

Clinique Almost Makeup 04 Natural - I bought this to complete the liquid version and I prefer the powder. This is my MSF substitute. The finish is very natural and it gives pretty good coverage as well. Very light on the skin and sits very comfortably. A good stand alone product in summer and early autumn.

Clinique Superpowder Double Face Powder 22 Matte Bronze - this was great in the summer as I didn't need bronzer after applying this. After watching lollipop26 use MSF Natural Deep Medium as a bronzer I tried it with this product and it gives a similar effect so trying to use this up so I can get the MSF!

L'Oreal Infalliable Makeup 120 Vanilla - mmm. I'm fairly neutural on this product and to be honest I haven't taken it very seriously. I'll give a better review next time!

Concealers


My Concealers by ickleangel96

I mainly have 2 types of concealers...lighteners and blemish controllers. I've got a few of each (excessive I know!) so I'll run through my thoughts quickly.

YSL Touche Eclat 02 - everyone raves about this but I don't think it's better than the others as it claims to be. It does lighten but for that price, I would go for something like The Body Shop Lightening Touch 03 or Clinque Airbrush Concealer 04.

I swore by Benefit Boi-ing 02 for literally years but I've fallen out of love with it now sadly. It has a more orangy-golden undertone to it which makes it not compatible with my skin tone. It's still a good cover-up but does dry up. My preferred choice is now MAC Studio Finish Concealer NC30 which is similar in consistency but available in more shades so easier to match up. The products I'll usually carry around with me is either Diorskin Sculpt 002 or Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer 03 Medium - they're both handy for middle of the day touch ups but I think I prefer the Dior for its consistency.

My other concealer is the MAC Select Cover-up NW25. It's quite useful to have this to mix with the Studio Fix Concealer for healing blemishes when a thick concealer would just worsen the situation.

Powders
My life savers - anyone with oily T-zones will be screaming out for these beauties!! I use MAC Blot Powder Pressed Medium Dark, Prescriptives Virtual Matte Level 2 and Revlon ColorSty Pressed Powder Medium. The Revlon is a bit too dark and I sometimes use it as a substitute bronzer. For me, there's not a lot to choose from between the other two..matter of preference I suppose. Both are good for touchups on nights out, etc.

Summary
The thing with the basics is that different products (especially foundations) suit different times. But the essentials are to invest in a good coverage foundation, a powder to set / blot out the shine and a concealer or two to hide those pesky blemishes / dark circles. Hope you find this useful and I'd love to hear from you!

J xx

My first attempt...

So after reading the likes of lollipop26 and yummymummy blogs I've decided to join the club and share with you all my love for all things make-up. It's only in the last few weeks / months I've realised the amount of stuff I have and how maybe I'm not great with the application or getting the most out of my products. Hence why I've started reading blogs and watching videos and getting recommendations from them. The downside is that I've ended up buying so much more than I should do!! Oops.

The idea of the blog is to hopefully weed out my failures and share with you little gems I've learnt along the way and to hear more about your stories and ideas too....so here we go!!