EMPTIES #1

I love trying out new products all the time; however, that usually comes with the cost of having a lot of half finished products. Being a relatively new blogger, I sometimes forget and throw something out before thinking about whether to save it for a post or not. That being said, here are a few empties I've remembered to keep, and what I thought about them.

1. BOURJOIS HEALTHY MIX FOUNDATION (£9.99) 

This is EASILY my favorite drugstore foundation ever. It's basically been the foundation I've worn 90% of the time since buying it, and rivals many of my other high-end bases. I love that it has medium coverage, but still looks like skin and wears really well throughout the day. It would be my no.1 base if it weren't for these two things: I got the color 54 Beige, which is a close match but a tad dark and on the pinky side, I wish they made more yellow based shades; and although I love the finish, after a few hours I can look greasy even when I use a primer and powder. It's an easy fix, but I wish it came in slightly less dewy finish. I would definitely repurchase this again though, maybe try shade 53?

2. MAYBELLINE ERASER EYE CONCEALER (£7.99) 

Once again, a favorite. This alone with the foundation above has been by base of choice over the past year or so. It doesn't crease, lasts pretty much all day, and I love the twisting mechanism and applicator. It comes as a close second to my beloved Nars creamy concealer, but doesn't quite make it. The downfall is that I can only use this concealer for under the eyes and not for blemishes, so it's not very multi-purpose, but I'd still repurchase it nevertheless.

3. ANASTASIA BROW WIZ (£15.50) 

I know, I know, everyone and their mother has raved about this so I'm not going to go on about it for too long. Tiny nib to draw in hair-like strokes? Check. Range of colors? Check (I use Brunette). Spoolie? Check (and the best spoolie i've ever had, btw). There's not much else I need from a brow pencil. I will say that before repurchasing, I will be testing out Soap & Glory's version as many people say they're pretty much identical.

4. FIRST AID BEAUTY DEEP CLEANSER WITH RED CLAY (£18.00) 

This will be the only product in this post that I don't rave about. Did I like it? Yes. But did I love it? No. I think it did a pretty good job at cleansing my face, it didn't dry it out in any way and left my skin feeling clean. However, it didn't do anything special. My pores and oiliness remained the same throughout using it, and I found it a little difficult to wash off after massaging it into my skin (I'm still not on board with the whole use a flannel thing on the daily). If you have very oily skin it may be worth checking out I suppose, but I'd definitely recommend the mask from this range over the cleanser. Verdict? No repurchase.

I hope my opinions were somewhat helpful, and I'd love to know what you think of these products or what products you always repurchase. Leave a comment below!

5 PRODUCT FACE

Although I love having my me time and applying makeup in the morning, sometimes I want a more minimal look that doesn't call for a lot of products or time. On a day where I'm rushing, don't feel like having stuff on my face, this is what I usually go for:

1. Undereye concealer

I'm not the kind of person that stays up late at all. I'm usually in bed by 10/11 and asleep by 12. For some reason though, I have really dark under eyes that no amount of sleep or hydration can fix. This can easily make me look tired/sick when I'm not so i usually like to cover those babies up. My current favorite product for this is the Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer (£7.99). It's light, doesn't crease, and has good coverage - all the things I look for. I also dot it between/around my eyebrows and down my nose as that's where I get redness. Another favorite of mine is the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (£22.00), but I've run out and I'm trying to use up other ones I have around to justify my repurchase.

2. Brows

I feel (as a lot of people do) that my face looks odd if I have any kind of makeup on with no brows. Mine aren't super sparse or thin or anything, but they're quite patchy so when I'm going for a natural look I like to fill them in with a light powder to make them full but natural. This means I go for non other than my Anastasia Brow Duo (£17.00). I find a powder to work best for this as pencils or pomades can look too strong and drawn on.

3. Mascara

I love me some mascara. After lipstick, this is probably my favorite makeup product. It can seriously make you look a lot more awake and alert than you really are - something we all need in the morning. I don't have any I'm really loving right now, just alternating between what I have open to finish them up.

4. Blush

I never thought this would be in my minimal look, as although it's something I use everyday, I didn't think it essential. However, I find that a nice blush can really perk up your skin and add diminution, especially if you're looking a bit tired. With a minimal look I like to use a one with a shimmer running through it to add a nice glow to the cheeks. My go-to is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette (£56.00) as the three colors are all lovely, easy to blend and stay put.

5. Tinted balm/Sheer Lipstick/Lipgloss

My final step is always lips. No matter how minimal the look I like to have a sheer color on my lips be it from a gloss, balm or lipstick. Nothing too bright or bold though, as it can look imbalanced if the look is very minimal. Something like the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments ($22.50), Jouer Sheer Lipsticks (£18.00), or Maybelline Color Elixirs (£6.99) are great for this, but the options are endless really.

I also usually do a quick translucent powder down my T-zone to decrease oiliness throughout the day, but that's totally optional if you don't usually powder, or don't live in a super hot country like me. Let me know what some of your 5 product face essentials are, I'd love to hear.

LOVING LATELY #1

So I realize I haven't done any favorites on my blog so far, but given that I'm only posting once a week at the moment I don't think monthly favorites will be a thing. That being said, I do want to share some of the things i've been loving over the past few months.

BEAUTY

I have been obsessed with the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation (£9.99). I have the shade 54 Beige and I think it's a good match for me, but maybe a teeny bit too dark. I  wanted to pick up 53 Light Beige, but they didn't have it in stock, so next time I'll see if I can get that and hopefully it'll be a better match. I've also been liking the Kiko foundation I mentioned in my last post. I do get a bit shiny when I wear it, but I think it's because I've been using a very hydrating moisturizer in the mornings, so I'm going to switch to a less intense one and see how it goes.

Ever since I started really using my Lorac Pro ($42.00) palette 3 weeks ago, I haven't picked up any other eyeshadow since. The colors are neutral, but still so beautiful and diverse that you can create many different looks with it. They blend like a dream and I just can't get enough. Some of my favorite combos are Pewter all over the lid with Mauve in the crease, or Lt. Bornze all over with Taupe in the crease - both with Nude as an inner corner highlight - beautiful! I definitely understand the hype around this palette.

Next we have brows. I'm never exclusively a powder/pencil/pomade kind of gal as I rotate between them frequently, and will switch it up depending on the kind of look I'm going for. Over the past few weeks I have definitely been reaching for my Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Dark Brown (£17.00) over the others as it's so quick and easy to use, especially when you're overdue for an eyebrow threading.

The final makeup product I've been reaching for a lot is the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Berry ($22.50). It's very nourishing and comfortable to wear, and gives enough color to make it look like you have something on. It's definitely going to be a handbag staple for a while.
The last two beauty related items I've been obsessed with are the Kiko Nail Lacquer in 511 Metallic Mercury Purple (£3.90) which lasts a good week with minimal chipping (score!) and the It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product ($18.00) which tames frizz and keeps my curly hair super soft.

NON BEAUTY

This may seem very random, but my two non beauty items that I've been obsessed with lately are a pair of sport leggings, and some Quay sunglasses. I got these leggings from adidas a couple of months ago (can't find a link to them online) but I love the bright colors and they're super comfortable. Also, the print doesn't stretch out when you wear them which is a big plus in my book. They also came in a blue/green color which I want to keep an eye out for because the fit is just so nice.

Finally, my last favorite are these White Quay Invador Cat-Eye Sunglasses (£27.00). They're so cute and funky without being over the top, and I get compliments whenever I wear them. They're also quite inexpensive for relatively good quality, and in general I think Quay make awesome sunglasses.

Let me know some of the things you've been loving lately in the comments below, I'd love to hear. x