My February Wishlist

Can you believe January is nearly over already? Everyone has been wishing for it to be over, but my gosh, I feel like I've blinked and it's disappeared! Anyway, February's wishlist has been really easy for me. I feel like I haven't purchased anything in a while, when in actual fact, it's only really been a week (if you can count a nude lipstick!). One of my New Year's resolutions is to branch out more with my make-up. I love reading about new beauty trends and hauls that other people have been involved in. The amount of products on my boots wishlist is ridiculous, yet that's exactly where they seem to stay. I'm one of these savvy savers that will wait until I absolutely have to buy something- and then I can finally justify making a purchase. I love people who will go out and purchase newly released products purely to test it and share their opinions with their readers, but I know I could probably never be one of those people, because i'm so money conscious!

So today I thought I would share with you a few products from the many wishlists I have, in the hope I will actually go out and purchase them! After reading tons of reviews and getting lost in blog posts, I've narrowed it down to 5. 

1. Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette- Oh my gosh, I don't have words to describe how pretty this palette is. The Gwen Stefani palette is new to my list after recently seeing so many bloggers rave about it. It's super pretty and I love the fact that the palette consists of nude, smokey and glitter shadows. This is the kind of palette I would take on holiday with me, since there are so many styles you can make with the colours. Plus I've read they're super pigmented! The only reason this is on my wishlist rather than in my make-up bag is the price. The fact this is £40 makes me so sad!

2. MAC Lipstick 'Rebel'- I have three main groups of lipstick colours- red, nude and bright pink. I tend to stick to those because I have such light skin, I can't imagine many other colours looking right on me. There's something about the Rebel lipstick though that I just love! The deep purple colouring is so pretty and I definitely need to give it a try! If all fails, it could always become my go-to Halloween gloss ;) 

3. Maybelline Lash Sensation Mascara- Ok, Ok, you're probably sat here thinking 'Really? you don't own this yet? Where have you been hiding?'. The reason I don't own this is because I've purchased quite a few Maybelline products (20+) in the past, and I feel that they have just never been what I hoped for. I'm all for trying new things, but it has made me a bit dubious about bothering with the brand. Though, I haven't read a single bad review about this mascara, and I know Maybelline are known for 'hitting the nail on the head' with their mascara ranges. 

4. Beauty Blender- Before you sigh again, I do actually own a few beauty blenders, just not the official ones! I couldn't bring myself to spend £16 on an item that is essentially a glorified sponge. I bought the Real Techniques version in the sale after Christmas (for £3!) and it's really come in handy when trying to blend my concealer. The only thing I found with the Real Techniques version is that after the first wash, it started crumbling and breaking up. Therefore, I feel it's time to take the plunge and buy the real thing!

5. Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation- I feel like I've finally found a really nice foundation to suit my dry complexion (Mac Studio Sculpt), but it's such a high coverage foundation, I don't always want to wear It every day. On good skin days, I don't have a lighter foundation to wear instead to let my skin breath. Queue Bourjois! I've heard so many good reviews about this foundation. The fact that there are so many components that help your skin, and the amount of moisture it gives, I think it really deserves a place in my make-up bag.

Let me know below what beauty products are currently on your wishlist.

Maybelline instant Age Rewind Concealer | Review

I'm forever having love/hate relationships with concealer, as I have never been able to find one i'm 100% happy with! I bought the Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer after reading so many people raving about how well it works. I've pretty much used the product up, so I thought it was finally time to give my opinion again! 

First of, I can't decide whether or not I like the sponge applicator. It's a good idea in theory, except it's hard to wash, since it links directly to the product (I didn't want to risk getting dirty water in the concealer itself. So you're left with the same dirty sponge throughout the products 'life', which makes me cringe just thinking about all the germs and dirt buildup you're essentially smearing back on to your face. 

I also found that after using only half of the bottle, the top part that you're meant to twist suddenly stopped working for me. It then became a bit of a challenge for me to get the formula out of the bottle. Hassle that I can't be bothered with!

                               

Now if you're able to put that aside, the concealer itself is fairly good. It's not amazing, but it's not the worst I've ever used. It definitely fits the profile of drugstore make-up. The formula is pretty thin, with a medium pigmentation. It does an average job for concealing small skin blemishes. But for days where I have had limited sleep, I probably wouldn't reach for this. This concealer is better for younger people, who don't have to worry about bags or puffy eyes. I personally would want a thicker, more creamy concealer to feel like i'm doing any justice. 

So yes or no?

I wouldn't pay the £7.99 that it is being sold for. I would probably buy it again if it was on a reasonable sales offer, since it's convenient to have in your bag, without needing the extra 'tools' to apply it. Other than that, I would give it a miss. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Primer | Review

I've got through many tubes of Rimmel Fix & Perfect Primer since I last talked about it. I can confidently say I've found a primer that will stay in my make-up bag for a long time yet. You can read my review here. Though with that being said, I've realised I need to start trying other products too, since I'm one for sticking to the same old item until the day it's suddenly discontinued! So when I was browsing stores a few days ago and saw Rimmel Lasting Finish Primer on offer (here), I thought I should give it a chance, since I love their other one so much. 

The Lasting Finish Primer is a creamy lotion type primer. It's awfully thick considering it's meant to  smooth over your skin. I've found you need to use a lot more of the primer too, in order to cover your full face, because it is so easily absorbed into your skin. It's really quite hydrating on my forever dry skin. If you're like me, and get horrible flaky skin, it does an excellent job at moisturising to give you an easier canvas. 

As for extending the wear of foundation by 8 hours? I haven't found it's made any difference to my make-up. If you're looking for a cheap end basic primer, if you have fairly dry skin or if you're already using long wear foundation, I would definitely recommend you at least try this primer as an alternative to the one you're already using. Otherwise, I would give this one a miss. I think the Fix & Perfect primer is a lot better suited to me, but I tried!

So yes or no? 

If you're looking for a good all-round primer for the same price, I would really recommend the Rimmel Fix & Perfect Primer instead. It does the job 100 times better!

15 Beauty Mistakes You Need To Stop Making

With summer officially starting in just three days, I thought now would be a good idea to create a list of mistakes I used to mistake as a rookie. Some of these are common sense, and some of these are things I know my friends still do!

1. Not cleaning your make-up brushes.. Seriously, I know the hassle, and it's such a chore, but your skin will help you for it!
2. Matching your foundation to the back of your hand.. I never thought twice about doing this in high school, and never understood why my face was so orange afterwards..
3. Sleeping in your make-up.. C'mon, stop being lazy! Think of your pores here!
4. Applying make-up to dry skin.. The amount of moisturiser I have to use is ridiculous, but I would rather do this each day than have flakey foundation.
5. Curing your eyelashes with mascara already on.. This is only a recent thing i've stopped doing, because it used to save me time.
6. Applying your make-up in the wrong lighting.. Natural lighting gives you a much better view. 
7. Keeping your old make-up for too long.. I used to be awful with this, and then wondered why my foundation was suddenly 2 shades darker when I next wanted to use it!
8. Applying the wrong shade of concealer.. I've found applying a lighter shade of concealer can help brighten your skin a lot!
9. Applying too much foundation.. It's not attractive seeing somebodies foundation dry out on their face, or rub off on their collar!
10. Not changing your foundation to suit the seasons.. Using waterproof and cream based make-up in the summer will stop it from literally melting off your face.
11. Not testing your make-up before you purchase it.. The packaging may look nice, but products often oxidise and change colour when it comes in contact with the air. 
12. Shading your brows too dark.. Using a pencil that is the same as your natural eyebrow often makes it look too intense and full on, opt for a shade lighter.
13. Not blending your face to your neck.. Having an orange face and a white neck is never a good look. Luckily this is one thing I always remember. 
14. Applying too much mascara.. Two coats is plenty, anything else often starts to make your eyelashes clump together and that sight isn't pretty. 
15. Over bronzing.. Don't apply bronzer to your whole face. Many people make the mistake of applying it like a normal powder, or using it like a highlighter. Big no!

Comment below any beauty mistakes you've made in the past!

MAC Studio Sculp Foundation | Review

Being a newbie, It's only been a year since I bought my first MAC product- the Studio Sculpt foundation. I had been having a love hate relationship with my Wake Me Up foundation for a while, and decided it was time to move on.. 

Since i'm completely useless at matching my skin tone to the right foundation, I took a trip to Selfridges and relied entirely on the lady at the counter to hook me up with something. She was so lovely and messed around with a few different foundations until she found the right combination for me, turns out I have pretty dry skin! I asked for a full coverage, long lasting foundation and the lady recommended the Studio Sculpt. 

I bought the shade NW20, which adds a bit of colour to my ever pale face! It really is full coverage, and can last a night out, or day at work, which i'm happy about. I use my Real Techniques brush to blend, I found it works really well with the Studio Sculpt foundation. I love the fact it also mattifies as you apply it to your face. It dries really fast so your skin doesn't feel oily, yet is also really full of moisture. 

I'm on my second bottle now- they last around 6 months with me applying it every day, which is really good for me! For £25, I think it's a great 'investment', and lasts longer/looks better than drug store brands that I used to have to buy more often. 

What's your favourite MAC product?