The Underdog - Bobbi Brown's Pot Rouge

I've never really been a cream blush sort of girl. I can count on half a hand how many I own, literally, I own two, including this one. I've just never seen the appeal, and kind of felt like they undid the work of foundation on my skin, they always seem to highlight any blemishes or inconsistencies of skin tone.

Recently, I've seen a lot of reviews of the Stila Convertible Colour, and the Tarte Amazonian equivalent, and I really liked the look of them, so when I was in Selfridges yesterday, I thought I'd give them another try. 

I found the Stila counter, and tested a few different colours, and just felt like the colours looked really unnatural, and the formula was so sticky, almost like a lip gloss, I really didn't like them at all. 

Somewhat disheartened, I began to peruse the MAC (I really do need Brick O La...) and then I had a cheeky peek at the Illamasqua counter. They sell a similar cheek product, but again, the colours just weren't right for me at all. (however, I will be heading back for one of their powder blushes soon. Bright pink? Yes please...)

I sort of gave up looking really, but then I was searching the Bobbi Brown counter in Liberty's for the perfect concealer (yes, I'm aware that all I really do is shop), when I picked up what I thought was their standard blush, and found their Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks.

Now I'm pretty sure I haven't seen a single beauty blogger review of this, which always rings alarm bells with me before purchasing a product. Surely the fact I haven't heard of it at all means it's not good?

Not to be put off at the first hurdle, I looked at all the colours available, and thought, ah, this is why, they are all super dark or crazy pink, but the last pot I opened (why do Bobbi Brown keep all their products closed?! So annoying!) was this beautiful coral pink, aptly named fresh melon.

Anyway, enough of my inner shopping monologue, onto the product. It was love at first sight.

It has an absolutely lovely formula, it's pretty creamy and not sticky AT all. Quite surprisingly, it applies very differently to lips and cheeks. On your lips, one swipe is a sheer, moisturising gloss, two is a lovely, corrally lip stain that absorbs into your lips and stays put when drinking and eating, and dare I say it, even kissing. On the cheek, it gives you a very natural glow, accentuates the cheek bone and is great alone or as a contouring product. This looks a hell of a lot more natural on your skin than even a well applied powder does.

This is definitely going to be a staple in my everyday makeup bag!

(excuse the shitty quality photo, but I just wanted to prove how natural it looks on the cheeks!)

Do you have a favourite lip and cheek duo?

February Non-Beauty Favourites!

As promised, here comes the second installment! It was super easy to pick my non-beauty favourites this month, being somewhat a creature of habit, when I like something, I use it over and over and over again until something new and sparkly comes along!

The first thing I picked up was my gorgeous Anna Dello Russo for H&M Bracelet. I actually have two from this collection, my boyfriend got me this one and I picked up a gold, pearl and coral cuff, but I definitely wear this one the most. It's so quirky and unique, and it looks gorgeous with everything! I wish I'd picked up the snake one too now!

The second thing I wanted to mention is my Body Shop deep sleep. I think I've mentioned it before in posts, but I've been using it every night for a month now, and it really does help calm me down! Definitely a good investment for any other insomniacs out there!

I know it's weird to include TicTacs, but it felt rude not to! I literally get through like three big packs a week of these, I don't like mint and although I don't mind the orange and lime ones, these are like a dream come true. I keep them in my handbag and on my bedside table, they're so lovely!

I wanted to mention my latin rings now, siince I don't know if you can tell, but they're starting to discolour :(. I bought these for a bargain two pounds each in Marc by Marc Jacobs back in the beginning of January, and I've totally worn them to death since. They look super cute stacked on top of each other on my right ring finger! The top one means 'for you, forever' and the bottom one 'no one but death shall part us'. I really wish I'd bought more now, I'm seriously considering going back to see if they have any more!

This is one of my absolute favourite Banksy images, I picked this little wooden copy up in Camden Market before Christmas for about £4, and it lives on my bedside table. I love it so much! The guy I bought this from also had old Vogue covers on these, and I think they would look great all hung up together!

Isn't this purse just the cutest?! I picked this up (in two colours! I got pale pink too!) on a whim from eBay, for £3.58! It's great for me, because I never ever ever have cash and I carry the weirdest things in my purse, so I keep my Drivers License and bank card in the front, and then in the zip up section I have my Boots/Superdrug/Ikea/House of Fraser/Every other membership card, a couple of business cards, some hair grips and bands, and a lip balm. I didn't realise til after I bought this (always read all the details in the listing guys!) that the phone slot is actually for an iPhone 4/4s and some kinda Galaxy something or other, so I didn't think I'd be able to fit my iPhone 5 in there, but it fits perfectly. I love that theres a little hole so you can plug your earphones in, and I guess even charge it, whilst it's still in there!

Since I can fit all my essentials in here easily, I can kind of just take this out! It came with a little clip on wrist strap, but it also fits snuggly in my coat pocket!

A weird one, but I'm totally obsessed with my new notebook from Ikea of all places! With an Ikea family card it was only £2, and I had to have it when I saw that despite being plain paper inside, they had a plastic movable page with lines on, for you to put under the page you're writing on, and write straight! It's absolutely perfect for a crappy left hander like me who can't write in straight lines, and I love the pretty design too! I'm using this as a diary, and for blog post planning!

The pink Sharpie needs nothing said. It's pink and it's a Sharpie. It's awesome and you can buy a two pack in Tesco for about £3.75.

Last but not least I wanted to mention my Vogue On Alexander McQueen book. I got this for Christmas from a very clever mummy, but have only just had time to sit down and start reading. Alexander McQueen is my absolute favourite designer, and this book offers a unique insight into his mind and inspirations. 

So there you have it! What are your favourites this month, beauty or otherwise?!

February Favourites!

Well! I know February is a short month but did anyone else think that flew by?! Feels like only yesterday I was pondering over January's favourites! 

There's quite a few this month, and I'm also going to be a non-beauty favourites tomorrow (branching out a bit, I know) so buckle up, because I'm going to whiz through these and then get back to Uni work, since my deadline is 9.30 Friday morning.

Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation was an obvious choice, you can read my full review of it here. I've used it everyday since I bought it. No regrets! I'm absolutely enraptured with Benefit's Stay Don't Stray, it's my favourite primer EVER. I've actually been known to dab it on any redder areas of skin under my foundation, because it's just that good. I would smother my face in this if it wasn't too expensive. I mentioned this briefly here when I got it, but I will do a full review soon!

I finally treated myself to the Real Techniques Stippling Brush using my Boots points this month, and it's love, full review coming soon! As for the You Won't Believe Your Eyes, by Soap and Glory, I love the thick, creamy formula, and how refreshing the metal application balls make it. I put this on every morning without fail, and it perks up my under eyes quite nicely!

I feel like eyebrow pencil can make your brows look very artificial, my perfect answer to that is the Benefit Brow-Zings wax, which along with the shadows in this Benefit Smokin' Eyes palette, I have used every day! Again I mentioned this briefly here, but I will do a full review soon.

I new that the MAC Archie's Girls Pearlmatte Powder was going to be the love of my life before I got it, and I wasn't wrong. I love everything about this, and you can read my thoughts here.

Sometimes, I'm just not in the mood for a strong perfume, so I turn to my Body Shop Mango Body Mist. I spritz this a few times in the air in front of me, and walk through, so it's not too heavy whilst still smelling good. I love this fragrance, it reminds me of summer, and wakes me up when I need a little extra go in the morning.

I have a review of this and a couple of other products in this range coming soon, but I just couldn't miss out my new Tesco Vitamin E Moisturiser. It's an amazing dupe for the Body Shop equivalent, and it's a snippet of the price! I've been using this while my skin needs a little extra TLC with this horrible weather, and my skin feels super healthy! I can't find the online link for this product but it's available in most larger stores and it's about £1.50!

I finally got my hands on some Baby Lips when my mum and dad came back from Vegas this month and I'm obsessed! My mumma picked shade 30 Peach Kiss, since I love everything peach. This lip balm now lives in my handbag, it's moisturising, gives a sheer goldy, glittery colour, and smells just like skittles. I've heard a few rumours that these will finally be coming to the UK, I can feel a spending spree coming on, I'd love to try the cherry one!

So there we have it, my favourites for this month! Have you guys tried any of these products? Link me to your February Favourites, I love reading them! 

Back to Uni work for me... photographing makeup is much more fun! :(

It's Not An Obsession, It's Love...

So I was in Boots the other day, six bottles of Soap and Glory products in hand (what...it was 3 for 2!) when it was like my beauty life flashed before my eyes. Images of my shower, bathroom shelf, and makeup stash began to flash in front of me. I hastily dropped everything and headed back to my flat at warp speed to see if it was true

It was.

This is what I found.

And this is just products, I'm not even going to go into how much makeup I have.

The crazy thing is, this is the one brand where I actually use every product I own, and I love it!

Anyway, I thought I'd give you a little product rundown of my favourites. I love them all so much, I'm actually surprised you haven't been forced to listen to this sooner...

I bought Rich & Foamous after I moved to London, since the water up here is so different to back home, I get out the shower feeling like my skin is so dry it's about to flake off. I adore this, the clue is in the name, it is super duper foamy and makes your skin feel silky and smooth. Also, it's smells like heaven on earth, like pancakes and waffles!

My boyfriend's mum used to have this, and every time I'd stay at their house, I'd steal a handful in the shower. When she ran out (I think I was the only one who used it) I just had to buy one for myself. Aside from being a great exfoliant, this stuff is actually pretty reasonable, a little four-finger-scoop will do my whole body (and I've got a pretty big one) and this is less than a tenner. Plus, it literally smells like pancakes. What could be better?

I know the blogosphere is mad for Hand Food, and I am too, but if I had to choose one or the other I'd pick this. It's like a super intense older sister of Hand Food, it's marketed as a hand mask, slap it on thick before bed, pop on your pink Soap and Glory Gloves, and let it soak in overnight, but you can also use a little less just as a hand cream, and it's like Hand Food on steroids.

Peaches and Clean was the first Soap and Glory skincare product I bought (not pictured, but I also have Scrub Your Nose In It, all their different wipes, You Won't Believe Your Eyes and a moisturiser...) and it will forevermore remain my favourite. I love a multifunctional product, and as the bottle says, this is 4 in 1. I keep this in my shower and use it daily, but it also comes with me on trips, much easier than lugging around cleansers and toners and everything else!

 Are you as obsessive as I am? What are your favourite Soap and Glory products?

Wake Me Up!

So I'm getting to the end of my beloved Benefit foundation, and due to, ahem, insufficient funds, it doesn't look like I'll be purchasing a new one any time soon. Keen to have perfect skin for my upcoming birthday (March 18th, write it down guys!) I'm saving the last fifth of the bottle til then, so out I went in search of a cheaper bottle to keep me going.

Having read a lot of blogs on drugstore foundation, I headed to the shops thinking about either Maybelline's Fit Me foundation, or Rimmel's Wake Me Up. I had swatched the Rimmel one previously and really not understood the hype, so I was already leaning towards Maybelline, especially seeing as my Dream Matte Mousse served me so well during my teenage years.

At the Maybelline counter I discovered however, that the foundation had been wrongly named, I couldn't find a shade with the right undertones to suit me, the closest match I had made me somewhat resemble the same shade as an uncooked chicken, classy.

So I thought I'd try the Rimmel one again. I picked up the lightest shade, 100 Ivory, and tested it on hand, neck and face, and although not entirely convinced it was worth the hype, decided to go with it. I also picked up the matching concealer and a new Kate Moss lipstick, because, well, I challenge you to find a beauty blogger who can resist a 3 for 2.

So I tentatively tried this out using my lovely Body Shop foundation brush, and then my Eco Tools foundation brush, and found myself staring at a strange swirly skinned face in the mirror. In the midst of considering returning it, since streaky face wasn't exactly what I wanted, I decided to try applying it with my fingers. Thank god I did.

I've now got this foundation down to a routine of, cover face using fingers, tap on concealer in desired areas, and then using my Real Techniques stippling brush to buff half a pump of foundation over my whole face lightly. The outcome, I actually prefer to my Benefit foundation, at half the price!

Despite getting a lot of compliments on my good complexion when wearing my Benefit foundation, a lot of people have actually said that I look healthier wearing this, so it seems the packaging might be right in it's claims of giving you a 'healthier, radiant glow'.

I'd say this gives me medium coverage before I buff extra on, then you're looking at full, but natural coverage. It's got great staying power, even without a primer it will last the day! It's got a little bit of shimmer to it in the bottle, but that isn't actually noticable on the skin, I assume that's all part of the 'radiant glow effect'! It also has SPF 15 in it, not as much as Benefit's 25, but let's face it, the sun rarely comes out in England anyway.

I also really like the packaging of this product. It's an embossed glass bottle with an orange lid, and a pump that dispenses the perfect amount for a whole face. It feels sturdier, and it actually looks more expensive than my poor Benefit's plastic tube.

In terms of the concealer, when I first opened it I thought, 'clearly I've been ripped off here and it's just a little bit of the foundation in a different bottle' but actually, I really like it. It's not great for covering any redness, i.e. if you have a angry looking spot, or I have a little red scar on my cheek, so I won't be kicking out my MAC Studio Finish any time soon, but it's great for brightening up around the eyes, or at the side of the nose. And the bonus of it of course is that you buy it in the same shade as the foundation and it blends in impeccably.

The only downside I can really think of is the fact that you can only buy this foundation in eight shades, so it's not going to be for everyone. But for me, this is great!

Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation and concealer retail at £8.99, and £4.99 respectively, and are available from, well, everywhere.