False Lashes

I am often found browsing the beauty section in TK Maxx hunting for a bargain, so I got very excited last week when I saw rows and rows of false lashes. I spent about 20 minutes dithering about which ones to get as I had a pile of about eight pairs that I wanted but had to restrict myself to just two. I finally chose the two below – Ardell Demi Pixies and Lash Addiction Sex Kitten. They were £2.99 each

The Demi Pixies are the typical lash style that I go for they flare out at the outer edges and are fairly wispy. My eyes are quite small with a small lid so I think they can easily be drowned lashes that are too big and thick. However my second choice is a very full lash I am not really sure what I was thinking when I bought these! I tried them on today and I think it probably is best if I stick to the wispier types, but I won’t give up just yet maybe it is just a case of getting used to seeing myself with huge lashes.

I am definitely loving the Ardell Demi Pixies though they give the perfect ‘bambi’ eyes and elongate my eyes giving them a more almond shape due to the longer lashes on the outer corners but still look natural-ish. I tried them with just some simple black eyeliner.  you can see below my natural eyelashes with some mascara on and then with the Demi Pixies on underneath.         

xx

Everyday Favourites

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer in Sand

I have been using this everyday lately, as I have been having a lot of breakouts, which isn’t normal for me, so I have been needing to conceal a lot. I love this concealer because it is so creamy which is great as my skin is very dry in winter and I find that some concealers can go on cakey and flaky therefore just drawing more attention to the area. I love the packaging of this as well with the cute little mirror not that I have ever used it, but it is good to know its there in case of emergency.

Stila Matte Eyeshadow in Kalahoo 

I have had this eyeshadow for about a year and only in the last couple of months have I realised its potential. It is a matte taupe cool brown the perfect shade for filling in my eyebrows, which are a medium/dark brown. I had been using Mac Brun eyeshadow, which gives a lovely strong defined look but is better suited to evening. I then saw a video by Lisa Eldridge who used Benefit Bossy on her eyebrows just to give them a bit of definition for daytime. I realised I had a dupe for that sitting in my draw and is perfect for filling in the brows more naturally and gives a gentler look.

2true Liquid Eyeliner in Black     

This eyeliner only costs £1.99 from Superdrug so I wasn’t expecting miracles, but it has actually surprised me. I find it easier to apply using a Mac 210 brush instead of the applicator it comes with, but what really impressed me is that this eyeliner lasts all day and still looks pretty much perfect when I go to take it off before bed.

Illamasqua Cream Blush in Lies  

This has been on my wish list for ages, I finally took the plunge and bought this in January as it was 25% off in the Illamasqua sale. When I saw it I thought that it too pink to be a highlighter but when you swatch it it’s a beautiful pearly light pink that just gives the perfect glow on the skin, and this lasts really well for a cream product, we all know that they have the tendency to slip away after a couple of hours but I could still detect Lies on my face eight hours after applying.

Illamasqua Highlight Brush         

This brush is amazing, it is super super soft and silky and feels like a cloud on my face. It makes highlighting fool proof as it is the perfect size for the top of the cheekbone and the synthetic brushes buff it in seamlessly.

Bourjois Eyeshadow in 90 Blanc Diaphane

I have been wearing this everyday in my inner corner to brighten and make my eyes look more spaced out. It is perfect has just the right amount of shimmer and blends out easily. This eyeshadow always makes me want to try more Bourjois eyeshadows, hopefully there are more that are as lovely as this one. 

Search for the perfect cleanser continues...

I have been very curious lately about micellaire solutions ever since bioderma sensibo has been appearing on blogs and youtube. They are very appealing to someone who can be a bit lazy when it comes to cleansing. I can be enthusiastic for a couple of weeks when I get a new product take for example hot cloth cleansing but when the novelty wears off it all just seems a bit of a chore.

I originally wanted to get the bioderma one but because I would have to order it online and pay postage and packaging bringing the total cost to about £20 plus the fact that I might turn out to hate micellaire solutions put me off. So I went to boots with an advantage card full of points waiting to be spent and purchased Vichy 3 in 1 Purete Thermale Micellaire solution for £10 or rather 1000 points. I did have my eye on the La Roche Posay one but it always sold out! (Must mean it’s amazingly good, possibly holy grail material!!)

I mainly use this as an eye make-up remover although it does claim to do three things
1. Cleanse the face

2. Remove eye make up

3. Soothe the skin – no rinsing required

I love this as eye make-up remover because it just feels like water. My eyes can be very difficult they go red, sting and water when most products are put near them, I have found that when I find a remover that doesn’t sting my eyes it isn’t effective in dissolving eye make-up quickly resulting in a lot of rubbing, which we all like to avoid because rubbing the thin skin around your eyes will just lead to lots and lots of wrinkles. I just squirt the Vichy on to the cotton pad so that it is mostly soaked then press it onto my eye and hold there for about 30 seconds or more, I then just do a couple of gentle wiggles with the cotton pad to dislodge any stubborn mascara leaving my eyes clean as a whistle and not pink, therefore no panda eyes to wake up to in the morning. It doesn’t irritate at all as it is alcohol free, soap free and colorant free, however it is not scent free which I am okay with but it can bother some people.

I have used this all over my face to cleanse it feels refreshing and is very effective at removing make-up, but there are cons to using this as a face cleanser such as you go through it so quickly because it is just like water (if only it was as cheap as water), it takes about three cotton pads soaked with Vichy to get a perfectly clean face. This product does leave a residue which I think helps to hydrate my skin but I do have fairly dry skin so if you where oily I could see how that could be annoying. I don’t think you should have to rinse your face because that is one of the unique selling points of this product is that you don’t need water which can actually cause your skin to dry out, I found this hard to believe until I didn’t use any water when cleansing for a few days and did notice a difference, that my skin wasn’t feeling like it was going to crack open with dryness.

When I finish bottle of Vichy I am not going to repurchase just yet as I want to give La Roche Posay and Bioderma a whirl first and have a battle of the Micellaire waters!

xx