Nivea Men Post Shave Balm as a PRIMER

I am absolutely LOVING using this Nivea Men Post Shave Balm as a Primer. I came across this thanks to Nikkie Tutorials who is an amazingly talented make up artist!

In her video she talks about how she had ran out of her primer and moisturiser and noticed that her boyfriend had this and  so decided to give it a try and  after using this it  makes her makeup last ALL day.

I have never really found a primer that I liked so I never use to prime. As this product is really cheap at £3.00 at Asda at the moment, there was no arguing that I was going to try it.

When using this it is very 'liquidy' as Nikkie states and comes out quite quick so you need to be careful! It also does smell like 'man' but that soon goes once it is absorbed into the skin. It applies nice and cool and on the box it says that it 'alleviates skin redness and dryness' and 'reduces skin sensitivity' and 'skin will feel comfortable and smooth' 

This definitely makes my make up last, it's amazing! I don't think I would not be able to not use this now. My skin also feels incredibly soft after using and my skin doesn't become so oily throughout the day. I also like the coolness it has, it is quite refreshing. My foundation looks really good and I notice a difference if I haven't used this.

For £3.00 you really cam't beat this and I recommend to give it a try if you can.

Emma

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What's on my face updated

At the moment these are the products that I have been wearing everyday for my make up which has changed quite a bit since my last post What's on my Face Updated.

I have once again gone back to my Double Wear foundation which I apply with a beauty blender and I love the coverage this gives and it lasts all day. I keep this in place with the Rimmel Stay Matte. Before I was using Soap and Glory One Heck of  Blot but I was finding that it wasn't working so well  (my skin has become immune to it, noooo!) and so my skin was becoming oily throughout the day.

To give myself that glow and add some colour back into my skin I've been using Chanel Soleil Tan and Soap and Glory Solar Powder which as you can see the lid has broken off! Also I still use the NO.7 Blush in Coral Flush (this never changes and the sad part is that I can't find this on the Boots website any more in this shade :( ).

I use two mascaras which are the Max Factor False Lash effect which Iv'e always used but now I also like to use Maybelline Lash Sensational as that stuff just stays and creates length! 

I love Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow for brows and Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in Wheat  to sweeo over my eyes, plus the Soap and Glory SuperCat Eyeliner which isn't in the photo because I forgot to include it, silly me!

For lips I line with MAC Soar and then MAC Velvet Teddy and then sometimes I apply Carmex over the top.

What do you wear everyday?

Emma

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*Achieve that Healthy Glow All Year Round

*Photos are not my own and found via Google

Do you want to achieve a healthy glow all year round?  If that is a yes then carry on reading for my tips!

 There are some fun and healthy conversations happening over at *Aloha!
 *Aloha aims to make health 'simple, fun and accessible'. They care about the Quality of products, Simplicity, Honesty and Design. and they help provide nutritional support to maintain that already healthy lifestyle.

So how do I keep a healthy glow? Well here are 6 things that help me!

1.  Foundation - I think using a foundation that gives a glow like the Rimmel Wake me Up is a must. This is one of my favourites and it has a nice coverage with a glow but doesn't make you look oily.

2. Fake tan is definite for me to achieve a glow, it makes me look so much healthier and I feel a lot more confident with tan on. At the moment the Rimmel one is my favourite as its easy to apply, smells great! It has a florally scent and is also cheap too at £7.99! I also like He Shi and Bondi Sands.

3. Water - I drink over 2L a day and I find if I don't drink it then my skin looks very dull.

4. Sleep - I am a big lover of sleep! Waking up from a good night sleep and feeling refreshed makes me very happy :).

5. Clean Make up Brushes - I don't like using dirty brushes, the thought of the bacteria on them grosses me out and I don't want put that all over my face and get spots if I can avoid it! So I like to regularly clean my brushes/sponges and it always feels nice on the skin.

6. Finally eating well such as fruit/veg and nuts - I like to drink smoothies, eat lots of veg and snack on nuts. Checking out the healthy recipes on *Aloha has made me want to try so many such as their Flourless Almond Butter Fudge bars and their Protein Berry Mojito Smoothie !

Let me know how you achieve your healthy glow!

Emma

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Max Factor Colour Xpert Liquid Eyeliner

I can't even remember why I bought this eyeliner instead of my usual Soap and Glory one?? Whatever the reason was I am glad I did.

The Max Factor Colour Xpert Liner is £6.99 from Boots and comes in 3 shades,  Black, Anthracite and Lilac and online the Lilac looks blue? 

I have this in black and the greatest thing about this product is the lasting power! Oh my goodness it's so good and I struggle to get this bad boy off! It is a waterproof liner and I do not know a better eyeliner at staying on so well! I actually do remember trying this on the back of my hand and trying to get it off and it just wouldn't budge and I was just very amazed!

I am used to more of the pen types of eye liners but this is very thin and easy to use, the colour stays and doesn't fade or smudge and this is great for the summer.

What is your favourite eyeliner?

I also thought I had done a post on my Soap and Glory one but doesn't look like I have, so I'll get that up soon!

Emma

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Max Factor CC Stick

The Max Factor CC Sticks come in 5 colours for £8.99 from Boots. This one is for correcting redness but you can also get a yellow one for eye circles, lilac for dullness, a highlighter and pink to correct dark spots on light skin tones.

I bought the redness correcting one to cover blemishes so they don't look so angry and also the redness around my nose. These are in stick form so you are able to target the the specific problematic areas easily.

The CC stick is easy to apply and blend in but I can't say I am blown away by this. It does get rid of some of my redness but not much to be honest, I don't feel like it makes a big difference to my skin. However when I read reviews on this product they were mainly positive!

Would I buy this again probably not, though I would try the others they do.

Emma

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Diorskin Airflash Foundation - New Favourite!!

Don’t you love it when you find a new great product accidentally?

My new favourite foundation is the Diorskin Airflash, I stumbled across this whilst researching another foundation that I wanted to try but ended up purchasing this beauty. 

I’ve wanted to change my foundation for a while now. I use to use Revlon Colourstay mainly and also Estee Lauder Double Wear.  Both foundations are great especially for coverage but the Colourstay was starting to make my skin look weird, I don’t really know how to describe it but it didn’t look good!

Now that I have started using Diorskin Airflash my foundation looks so much better!  This foundation is different to most because it’s not a liquid or cream but a spray. I use the lightest shade which is 100 Ivory and it comes in 7 other shades.

From the Dior website:

‘The go-to solution for professional makeup maestros, Airflash brought the airbrushed perfection of spray foundation to daily makeup rituals.

New from the Dior laboratory comes an Airflash formula that is lighter and silkier than ever for a fabulously even, flawless finish. Paraben-free and suffused with fresh natural oils that evaporate as soon as they land, it settles imperceptibly as a silky-smooth film with long-wearing coverage but no visible texture. The result is instant: a super-smooth, velvety complexion that feels like a second skin, full of radiance and glow.’

This foundation suggests to  give it a good shake (great exercise for the arms ;) ) and then spray this direct on the face but I personally don’t spray direct as I would just get it so streaky and it would just be very, very, bad.  I spray this into a little bowl for a few seconds and then use my Sigma F80 brush to apply. A little goes a long way with this and it has great coverage, this is popular with wedding make up artists. It does smooth out the skin and is long lasting, plus the skin feels super soft. I read somewhere that this gives you the ‘Instagram skin’ look which I think it really does and it looks very natural. It doesn’t make the skin look oily  as it’s a matte finish but it doesn’t cling to dry patches either. It also feels like you’re wearing nothing!!

it looks like I have no jaw Lol!

I really love this foundation and it is a bit pricey at £33.00 but it is a 70ml size which is a lot more than the standard foundation size.  You can buy this from shops such as Boots, Debenhams, John Lewis.

Emma
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Ted Baker Lipstick Trio

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year! 

One of the presents I got from my sister was this Ted Baker Lipstick Trio. I love lip products and I always have to have something on my lips before I go out and this set has 3 perfect shades of Nude, Peach and Red.

These Lipsticks are nice and creamy and go on very easily. The only fault with these that I found are that they don't have the longest staying power.

My favourite shade out of the three is the Nude shade. This shade goes with everything and gives a subtle bit of colour to the lips.

Then there is the Peach shade which is a bit similar to the Nude but more pink.

Finally we have the Red shade and I don't own any Red like this colour which is a nice change!

I really like this little set which is from Boots (I can't find it on the site anymore as it was a Christmas product). Great shades and it comes in a nice tin which is great to keep bits and bobs in or take away when you travel.

What did you get for Christmas?

Emma

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Sleek Make up Brow Kit

I have found my new favourite brow product and it isn't expensive too! At £8.99 from Boots (Sleek products are also available at Superdrug) The Sleek Make-up Brow Kit is amazing! It comes in 4 shades 'Light, Dark, Extra Dark and Black'. I have very dark brows and I use 818 Dark which is a great match.

Before this I use to use my Naked Palette to fill in my brows which worked fine but I wanted to try something new, I love Smashbox Brow Tech but I didn't want to pay out too much, so this really suited me.

The Sleek Make-up Brow Kit comes with a brow wax and setting powder plus tweezers, angle brush and setting brush. On the Boots website it has a step guide on how to use it:

'Step One:

Using the tweezers enclosed, clean up any stray hairs.

Step Two:

Apply the shaping wax with the angled brush following the natural shape of your brow to define the brows’ shape, pressing gently as you go to ensure you do not get hard lines, blending as you go.

Step Three:

Using the setting powder, apply using the same angled brush, filling in any sparse areas, blending the wax as you go to achieve picture perfect brows.'

When I use this I have to admit I don't really use the powder not because it isn't good but I just favour the wax as I prefer the look it gives and I apply it using the angled brush. I love that it comes with an angled brush because I don't know about you but I really struggle to find angle brushes! It stays brilliantly and is just as good as the Smashbox Brow Tech in my opinion but half the price! It is everything I need in a brow product!

Have any great Brow product recommendations?

Emma

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Ariane Poole Cosmetics Website Relaunch

*Ariane Poole Cosmetics have relaunched their website at http://arianepoole.co.uk . Ariane Poole is an international make up artist with over 25 years experience. Ariane has worked with many celebs, models and royalty! Her philosophy on make up is that 'you should notice the woman not the make-up' - I love this. These cosmetics have been created to be quick and easy to use and fashionable. The Concealer Palette has been voted best product by She magazine and Ariane Poole Cosmetics were the first to launch a liquid mineral tint foundation in 2004.

There are many exciting things happening with Ariane Poole Cosmetics at the moment such as they are rebranding and repackaging products, Crystal Taupe is coming back and they are launching Christmas packages which at the moment, a free make up bag comes with the Christmas packages over £50.00.

I had a visit on the website which is very easy to use and navigate. There is a page which talks about the brand and also Ariane's Story. I love that her story is on the website as I love reading people's stories to how they have made it where they are today. There is an ask Ariane coming soon and you can book classes too. All the products look great and there are some really nice gorgeous colours. By visiting the website it's made me want to buy and try everything!

Take a look at Ariane Poole Cosmetics and at the moment there is free shipping! Yay!  Also one more thing is that shortly they will be  announcing a Free entry Selfie promotion with a £250 worth of Ariane Poole* makeup. All the lucky winner will have to do is share their promotion link on Facebook and upload a Selfie (later this week).

Enjoy!

Emma

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Rimmel London Apocalips - 304 Eclipse

The Rimmel London Apocalips is a lip lacquer which is £6.49 from  Boots. 

'The earth-shattering lip lacquer from Rimmel London combining the intense colour of lipstick with a lacquer like shine, Apocalips Lip Lacquer is an explosive make-up phenomenon that represents the end of colour as you know it. Packed with pure colour pigments, its lusciously creamy, conditioning formula promises a never-before combination of colour, shine and comfort that last and last. Available in 8 shades, from subtly sexy to spectacular.'

I bought this as I read a good review on it on someones blog (I'm really sorry but I can't remember whose it was! Slap on the wrist for me!) I love lip products and I always have to have a bit of colour added to my lips otherwise I think I look odd lol. At £6.49 I think this is a great price and so I bought the shade Eclipse, this is a dark berry colour.

I do like this apocalips, it has a great doefoot applicator and the colour is the best thing about this product. It is very pigmented which I love and a little is all you need. It has a nice shine and lasts too. The one thing im not so keen on is the smell. It has to me that cheap lipgloss smell that you use to get in magazines, remember those? I also find that you have to make sure you apply this very neatly and precise because it can look messy very easily!

I probably do prefer other lip makes like Revlon to this but this is still also great because I like the shades available.

Have you tried these?

Emma

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Whats On My Face - Updated

As it's coming more into Autumn I have changed up the make up I use. First off I am not longer wearing BB cream and have gone back to foundation, I have to admit I have missed the nice coverage foundation gives! I am using two foundations mixed together and the other slight changes are that I am using more lipstick now instead of crayons - I am loving Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait.  Finally I have started to contour more and so I am using Illamasqua in Hollow plus two concealers!

1.  Rimmel Wake me up Foundation and HD Forever Foundation -  When I first got the wake me up foundation I didn't like it all but now I am enjoying it. It gives a great glow to the skin and is a great coverage. I have also been mixing it with my HD Forever as it has such good coverage and as I am still using my He-Shi  tan (love this so much) that the colour now matches yay!

2. Soap and Glory Heck of a Blot-  This is still one of the best powders I have used and now I am getting the tin bit show through and the powder is breaking apart....noooo.  It makes my foundation last and prevents shine.

3. Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow- You can get these in so many different colours but hollow is good for pale skin. I have used this as I have been attempting to contour my face (I will get the knack one day)  but at the moment I have just been focusing on my nose haha.

4.  Soap and Glory Love at First Blush -  I am still using this but I am also started to use my Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Blusher as I think the shade is great for Autumn.

5. Rimmel Wake me up Concealer and Collection 2000 Concealer - For under the eyes I use the Rimmel Wake me up concealer but for those annoying spots I use the collection 2000 as it has great coverage and doesn't add a glow like the wake me up concealer as I want to hide my spots not let them stand out!

6. Soap and Glory Supercat -  This is still my favourite eyeliner because of how easy it is to use and create flicks.

7. Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara - I haven't found any other mascara that I like that adds volume to my eyelashes. They are quite stubborn little lashes. This doesn't clump and this purple one is meant to be suitable for contact lenses wearers.

8. Rimmel Lip Pencil and Revlon Lip Butters - I always line my lips with this Rimmel Lip pencil in 063 because the colour matches my lip colour which is great to even out the lips with. I also have been loving my Revlon Lip Butters again especially the shade Peach Parfait.

So there you have it guys but no doubt this will change again! Most of these products in Boots are on offer at the moment too! Wahooo.

Emma

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Whats on my face

Hey guys :) So todays post I thought I would share with you what I currently wear on my face. Its been so hot and humid in the UK lately that I dont like wearing much make up! But I have to wear something because I dont want to scare people lol!

1. Maybelline Pure BB Cream - I am really enjoying the fact that I can now get away wearing BB cream (thank you skin!) I bought this a while back but never used it because my skin wasnt great but as my skin has improved I thought Id give it a go as I find it too hot to wear foundation. This one is suitable for oily skin and contains Salicylic Acid and has an SPF15. It gives a nice light coverage and lasts well however I do find I have to powder a fair bit as it makes my skin look very shiny! But for the price of £6.99 it isnt bad at all.

2. Rimmel Wake me up Concealer -  This is a great full coverage concealer and is great for covering dark circles and only costs £5.49.

3.Soap and Glory Supercat - I absolutely love this eyeliner as it is so easy to use! Its great for creating flicks because its shaped like a pen. It lasts well but I do find I have to go over with my Rimmel eyeliner too for a darker colour. £6.00.

4. Revlon Matte Balm - I have this in the shade Elusive and its my all time favourite shade because its a pretty natural pink colour. I love the look of matte balms and its only £7.99.

5.Soap and Glory Love at First Blush - This is a great colour wheel of 4 different shades of pinky blushers plus a white. I just use my brush all over them for a nice natural colour. £11.00

6. Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot - As I said the Maybelline BB Cream makes my face look quite shiny so to prevent that I use this which is fab and helps it stay longer too. £11.00.

What make up do you like to wear when its really hot?

Emma

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Sexy Mother Blusher - Soap and Glory

I am not sure if you guys have picked up on this yet but I am really loving the Soap and Glory make up range ;)

I bought this Sexy Mother Blusher as I wanted a new blusher and because I thought the packaging was different so this little one caught my eye. This is £9.00 from Boots which I have to say for me the price is expensive for a blusher but if they have a 3 for 2 on maybe this could be the free one?

This comes in 3 shades - Pinker Belle, Berry Jamm and Onomatopeacha . I bought this in Pinker Belle because it was the shade I much preferred out of the 3. Its a cream blusher and is meant to 'glide effortlessly onto the cheeks with intense colour and a creamy finish.'

I dont put this directly onto my face as knowing me I would put too much on and become a clown! So instead I put a bit on the back of my hand and rub it on with my fingers. It goes on like a treat and lasts great too and Pinker Belle is a great shade for me.

I am a big lover of Soap and Glory Love at First Blush which I use on a daily basis! You can find that here  and this Sexy Mother Blusher is a great cream blusher!  I am very impressed with the Soap and Glory range and find myself trying more and more of their products.

Emma

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Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

This is my favourite foundation I have ever used!! I bought this for £28.50 in John Lewis in their lightest shade 1C1 Shell. 

I know this foundation is popular with brides for its stay wear and coverage, one of the reasons I bought it. If its good enough for a bride on their wedding day, its good enough for me lol!

This has an SPF of 10 and is a liquid foundation. It contains no oil which is great for oily skin types like me. Its also has great lasting coverage which is one of the things I look for in foundation. I also love that this foundation doesnt cause me any breakouts. It lasts me all day and I dont have to touch it up. The shade is also a good match for my ghostly skin! 

On John Lewis the product description is 'Keeps skin looking fabulous, breathing comfortably through heat, humidity and activity without changing colour, fading or coming off on clothes. Natural matte finish and SPF10 sunscreen to protect skin.' 

I can say my skin does feel like it can breathe and it does last through humidity and activity (I experimented with this through exercise ha!) I do think I have seen this rub off one time on a white shirt though, not a lot but it did come off a smidge.

The packaging is nice and is a glass bottle with a golden lid. It has also lasted me for ages, I bought a second bottle because I thought I was getting low but I was wrong and over a month since I bought the second bottle I am still not on it!

One thing that I find fault with is that it doesnt have a pump!  I hate having to pour and then if too much comes out trying to save it all and put it back in!  

Can you recommend any good foundations with good coverage? I love trying new ones! Also going a bit off topic but anyone recommend any good self tanners?

Emma

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Max Factor Excess Volume Mascara

£9.99 from Boots I bought this hoping it would be as good as their false lash effect which I use daily. This however was disappointing and should be renamed 'The Clumpinator' or something along those lines. Whenever I see or hear about this now all I think of is clumps and that's really only what it is good at doing.

From the Boots website:

'Excess Volume Intensified

Volumising base for excessively thick lashes

Intensifying lacquer for a polished jet black finish

Seals in volume for all-day impact

Easily removed with an oil-based remover

Ophthalmologically tested

Intensify your eye look with the Excess Intensity Longwear eyeliners '

This mascara has two ends 1 and 2,  number 1 is for extreme volume and 2 is the dark lacquer. Its quite a chunky mascara stick. What bothers me is that once you have unscrewed one end of the mascara wand the wand is attached to the middle part and so I find I am constantly having to switch it around in my hands to apply and  for me personally I would prefer the wand to be on the ends that come off.

 I have to agree it does give me good volume I wouldnt say it was excess volume though and once applied the mascara clumps and looks horrible. It also feels quite heavy on the eyes and I see it all the time! 

This does stay on forever which is good but also bad when trying to remove without an oil based remover as it takes a lot of effort! 

To me this mascara is like a cheap mascara you use to get in kids magazines!

STAY AWAY!

Emma

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Revlon ColorBurst Matte Lip Balm

I went shopping the other day and bought lots of make up from Boots. I spotted the Revlon Matte balms and had to try them because I love their Just Bitten balms.

I chose the last 205 Elusive Insaisissable shade which is a nice more on the natural side of a pink colour. 

I am really glad I bought this as I absolutely love it and is what I am wearing all the time! I just recently bought another shade 250 Standout Remarquable but I havent worn it yet because I just keep wearing this!

These are £7.99 from Boots and I love the matte finish. They apply nice and are lovely and creamy and a bonus is that it moisturises too!

It contains Shea, Mango and Coconut Butter and is retractable so no need for the sharpeners! They come in 10 shades. They still have the minty smell but that didnt bother me before. Once I have applied it I cant even smell the mint!

Have you guys tried these?

I have bought the Lacquer ones too which I also need to try :) 

Emma

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Seventeen On the Spot Concealer

This Seventeen On the Spot concealer which is £4.99 at Boots is a 'creamy concealer which covers and helps to treat, for healthier looking skin.'

This contains Salicylic acid to help fight blemishes and this concealer apparently gives you clearer skin in 4 weeks!  Sounds pretty good, anything to help clear skin gets my attention!

What do I have to say though is that this was a waste of my money. 

This can only be bought in the one shade which is medium...I dont understand why Seventeen would create one shade?? Weird...

I decided to buy this anyway because I read some reviews that it was easy to blend in even with pale skin but that was not the case for me. It just makes a nice orange patch on my face lol.  I havent used this more than twice because the shade is just completely wrong so I cant tell you if the clearer skin in 4 weeks is true.  

As this contains Salicylic acid it may also not be suitable for people who are diabetic or have poor circulation.

Overall this was my first Seventeen product I tried and I am a bit reluctant to try any more after this.  I have however just bought some Soap and Glory Concealer to try!

Emma

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Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Primer

I first heard of Rimmel's eye primer from Lily Pebbles where she stated this was a good alternative to the more expensive ones out there. 

This is only £4.99 which is nice and cheap! I love Urban Decay's Primer Potion but its so expensive that I wanted a cheaper primer because I would rather pay out on a more expensive foundation then eye primer.

I dont wear eye primer too often only when I'm going out. I went to London the other week and used this and it kept my eye shadow put all day which I was surprised because it was a very long day!

 I cant say it maximise the colour like it states.  It is also meant to make colour waterproof but I cant say I tried that out because my eyelids dont get oily. I have however read a review from someone with oily lids who used this and said it wasnt very suitable for them. It blends nice and well and the doe foot applicator is easy to use.  

I would say this is a great alternative if you just want to make your eye shadow stay put more then anything and for £4.99 I cant really complain as it does what I want it to lol.

Have you found any cheaper alternatives?

Emma

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