The Review: Tarte Blushes

Let's take a moment to admire the pretties shall we? Ahhhhh...

Tarte is a relatively new brand to me, it's not readily available in the UK (unless you're willing to pay nearly double US prices to get it off QVC, which I am not) so my first forray into the brand came when my lovely Canadian friends Vanessa and Alexandra sent me some products! I've not tried much, but I've fallen head over heels for the 12 Hour Amazonian Clay Blushes. 

The lovely Alexandra sent me Captivating after I won her giveaway (woohoo!), a beautiful matte peach which really sculpts the cheeks and make me look like a better version of myself. I then bought Fearless in the states, a really beautiful bold pink, which gives me a really natural looking flush.

What really impresses me about these blushes is the wear time, when they say 12 hour, that's not an exaggeration. Even if my foundation doesn't hold out, these do! 

Have you tried anything from Tarte?

The Review: Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper

The Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper has received a fair amount of love in the blogging community recently, so naturally, when browsing the aisles of Sephora, I had to have a look. I was skeptical about picking this up, since I was quite happy with my Soap and Glory Supercat Liner, which is slightly cheaper, and much more readily available in the UK. Curiosity, however, got the better of me, and this made the transatlantic trip home with me, to be put to the test at my dressing table.

I should take a moment here to explain that I am something of an eyeliner noob. I can't do gel liner, or liquid liner in a brush and pen form for the life of me, and even pencil liner is iffy. The Supercat Liner works for me because I can basically angle it from the corner of my eye, pointing up the edge of my brow, and press it down, which gives me the perfect base for a winged liner. 

The main difference between Supercat and the Tattoo Liner is that Supercat has a foam tip, not unlike that of a felt tip pen, whereas this one is a very fine bristled brush. Because it's so fine I can basically lay this right in the base of my lashes, and create a really really fine line which I love! Because the bristles aren't as firm as the nib of Supercat, it is a little trickier to create a wing, but after three or four uses I got the hang of it. This has a more precise end, which makes creating a precise wing a lot easier. I've had trouble with the end of the Supercat Liner misshaping before too, which I would assume won't happen with bristles!

As far as formula goes, This is a little wetter than Supercat, which I like, it's more like a true liquid liner, and you never have to build it up. The liner itself is jet black, and once it's down, it's going nowhere, I've got perfect wings til bedtime. 

I was skeptical, but I think I'm a Trooper convert! There will definitely be a sneaky Sephora order when I run out!

What's your favourite liner?

The Review: Illamasqua Blush Duo

I've been on a bit of a blush love train recently (I blame Vanessa), and one of my current loves is the Illamasqua Blush Duo in Lover and Hussy. I picked this up at a bargain price in a blog sale, and it had only been swatched once. I had actually wanted this last summer but never got around to picking it up, so I was so pleased to come across this!

For starters, the packaging is definitely on the bulky side but I have actually found myself reaching for it because of the mirror inside, for everything from plucking my brows to doing my eye makeup. I don't know what's special about it but the mirror is really nice! 

So onto the product itself, I wasn't sure whether I would love the shade Lover, a bright matte apricot shade, just because it is pretty bright, but it looks really lovely on the cheeks. Hussy is a gorgeous bright matte candy pink, just perfect for summer, it really perks up the complexion. The powders are really soft and pigmented, so you only need a tiny bit, I can't see me hitting pan on these any time soon. The wear of these is excellent too, they will still be intact on the cheeks by bedtime, even after a hot sweaty day in London, no mean feat I assure you.

This is my first forray into the world of Illamasqua blushes, but it certainly won't be my last!

Have you tried any products from Illamasqua?

The Dry Shampoo Battle

Even when my locks are freshly washed, I like to use Dry Shampoo to style it. I just find it adds a little grit and texture to my hair making it easier to style, and hold it's volume. Also, I find that my hair gets oily quickly these days, and 24 hours after washing, I need a little dry shampoo to perk up my roots. That being said, I'm pretty picky in terms of what I use, so I thought I'd give you a rundown of the dry shampoos in my stocks at the moment. I have a fair bit, but I use it so much that I get through them pretty damn quick, so I like to stock up when they're on offer. 

First up is a newbie to the ranks, the Lee Stafford Original Dry Shampoo for Oily Roots*. This is one I've been reaching for for day old hair as opposed to freshly washed hair, since it's one of the most cleansing in the stash. I like this because it makes hair feel clean, without feeling dry, a winning combination in my books. 

The current favourite is the Dove Hair Therapy Refresh + Care Dry Shampoo, a shampoo that doesn't leave a white cast, and makes your hair feel freshly washed, no grit, no powder, no dryness, just clean and soft locks. 

I picked up the Girls Only Dawn Til Dusk Dry Shampoo in an emergency root cleansing situation, but I actually really like it. It makes my hair look clean, but also really bumps up the volume in my roots. You can however feel it in your hair, and by the end of the day it does get a little itchy. 

The Tresemme Instant Refresh Volumising Dry Shampoo comes a close second to Dove's offering. Cleanses your hair without leaving a white cast, but because it can leave a bit of a gritty finish, it's good for texture and volume. Doesn't leave your hair feeling as clean as Dove's, but it's great for styling.

I have a few cans of Batiste Dry Shampoo* on the go, Cherry*, Dark Brunette*, the Original* and this one Tropical*. I find Batiste Dry shampoos to be much of the same, they make your hair look clean but not really feel clean, and they add good volume, but that's because they leave quite a heavy residue in your hair. I use this stuff, but it's definitely not my favourite, and to be honest, I'm not sure I'd repurchase any of them. It's worth mentioning that I loved these until I discovered the others.

What is your favourite dry shampoo? Which should I try next?

The Review: Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins

As the weather has turned downright torrential, and you can't leave the house without approximately fifteen thousand layers, it's only natural that your skin gets drier. I've turned my flat upside down looking for the perfect antidote to dehydrated winter skin, and the answer lies in this little pot of goodness. 

You guys know I love the Origins Ginzing face cream, it's my favourite morning moisturiser, so I guess it's only natural that I've fallen in love with this for the evening time, the Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins. In consistency it's fairly similar, it's a light gel like texture, it doesn't feel heavy at all. I'm using the oil free formula, just because I don't feel like I need anything richer. I pop this on in the evening before bed, and in the morning my skin is plumper, more hydrated, but not in any way oily, or greasy, it leaves no residue. It smells just like the Ginzing one too, orangey and lovely. 

I've noticed a massive difference in my skin since using this, it's healthier looking, and not dry at all. This face cream is massively pricey, but I find that these last so long it's worth it, I've been using my Ginzing one religiously since July and I still have a third left.

What products are you using to keep your skin hydrated? Happy Christmas Eve!