Inside this GORG pink metal suitcase, you will find 10 of the most popular Soap & Glory products, mostly skincare with two makeup items:

This year, the Boots Star Gift Set for Christmas 2016 is one you don't want to miss. Trust me. The Whole Glam Lot gift set is normally £60, but you can get it for half price at just £30! (And if you work for Boots, like myself, you can get it for £26.25!!!!) - And because I work for Boots, I can tell you that you can still get your hands on this beauty until.... Thursday, 15th December (2016).

It's an absolute steal and would make a fabulous Christmas present. It comes in a little mini suitcase, covered in selfies from Soap & Glory fans over the year! 

I'm really impressed with the section this year, there's something for everyone and a great mix of some of Soap & Glory's best sellers. My particular favourites are the Sugar Crush Body Wash (smells of lime, so amazing!), the Mother Pucker Lip Gloss and Hand Food Hand Cream.

All of the products within the set excluding the case are worth £78.64, so to get everything as well as the case for £30 (or £26.25) is absolutely incredible value and there is no doubt that this set will sell out VERY quickly, as all of the Soap & Glory Star Gifts sell out early due to the brand’s popularity and value for money. I can’t think of any female who wouldn’t want to receive this set for Christmas, it’s such a gorgeous gift and I love the combination of skincare, bodycare and makeup.

Around a week ago, I hit Boots to check if I could find anything that would draw out a few spots I’ve been getting lately, and the design of the Quick Fix masks really drew me in. It looks very simple and powerful, and more at home with men’s skincare than the pretty products that belong in with the women’s skincare.

There was quite a few different Quick Fix masks, but I went for the for congested and lifeless skin. I wanted a clay mask as I find it draws out spots ad impurities really well but there wasn’t any and I’ve used charcoal products before and got on well with them. As well as charcoal, the mask contains dragon fruit and cinnamon.

The colour of this mask is really unusual, I expected it to be pure grey but it has a blue tinge to it. If you look really closely, it’s grey with lots of tiny blue specks. It has an unusual smell too, kind of fake? But nice at the same time. To use, you spread a thick layer on clean skin and leave for five to ten minutes, before removing with warm water. I’ve used this twice, and I left it on for around an hour both times. Not on purpose, just because I always get too comfortable and lazy when wearing masks. I definitely wouldn’t advise leaving the mask on this long, as it turns from being purifying to being really drying and my skin felt quite stripped afterwards. I tried it again for around 15 minutes and it was a lot less stripping, although I did still need a good moisturise afterwards.

Despite being quite drying, I do really like this mask. I’ve had a few spots while testing it out and it’s definitely helped to draw out my smaller blemishes. I feel like my skin looks and feels smoother after using it each time too.

I would recommend this mask if you suffer from blemishes and blackheads and don’t want to spend a lot on a face mask, but I’d also recommend you get a good moisturiser so you can hydrate your skin again afterwards. I’ve recently found these two products which are more expensive but work amazingly on cystic acne, so I’d recommend them 100%.

Have you tried any Quick Fix face masks? Or have you got a favourite mask I need to know about?

Barry M (available here)

One of the best brands to pick up whilst in the UK as it still isn’t too widely available everywhere else, their Dazzle Dust are quite underrated if you love shimmery shadow but their nail paints are a must try and very affordable. They offer everything from nail care to glitter and gel effect polishes.

Bourjois (available here)

Available quite readily in Europe Bourjois has really high quality products at great prices. Although their foundations break me out I think they are a great drugstore option for anyone that doesn’t have sensitive skin. Their blushers are some of my absolute favourites but their concealers and lipsticks are also worth a look.

Collection (available here)

Very affordable drugstore brand, I personally find the Lasting Perfection Concealer a little drying but it’s very affordable and highly rated by so many people that it’s a must try.

Gosh (available here)

Surprisingly this was the hardest brand for me to pick a top product from, everything is nice but there isn’t really anything I can’t live without. Other than the Velvet liners, the lipsticks and blushers are also both really nice.

L’Oreal (available here)

L’Oreal True Match foundation is an absolute must have with a nice colour selection but the liners, neutral eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks are also worth picking up.

Makeup Revolution (available here)

Known for offering affordable alternative to cult beauty products, their palettes and lipsticks are great alternatives to highend brands.

MaxFactor (available here)

Although I love the whole range, no other drugstore brand offers better volumising mascaras than MaxFactor, I don’t have a particular favourite but all the ones I have tried have been great.

Maybelline (available here)

Great all round brand but the Instant Eye Eraser is a great alternative to highend concealers and I would quite happily swap my usual cocnealer for it. I also really like Dream Flawless Nude Foundation, Brow Satin Eye Pencil and their Color Sensational Lipsticks.

Models Own (available here)

Models Own started by offering nail polishes and I still think it’s what they do best. My favourite colours are Beach Bag and Utopia although their Hypergel and glitters are generally great ranges.

MUA (available here)

Anther super inexpensive UK beauty brand, their eyeshadow palettes are also great value for money!

Real Techniques (available here)

Probably my favourite brush brand, their original collection is still by far my favourite along with their sponge, I would personally skip the bold metals collection (although they look beautiful) as they’re pricier and not as soft.

Revlon (available here)

Revlon is a great brand for almost everything and it has quite a makeup artist feel to it. If you like lip crayons then Revlon do the best affordable ones.

Rimmel (available here)

Theres so many great items from Rimmel, the whole Exaggerate range is excellent, I love their lipsticks and I reach for their foundations and concealers regularly.

Sleek Makeup (available here)

Has a special place in my heart as I use to blog about Sleek endlessly when I first started blogging. Palettes, blushers and Matte Me in Birthday Suit are all well loved in my collection.

Soap & Glory (available here)

Slightly higher price point in comparison for drugstore products but I adore their body products. Other great product include Brow Archery, Supercat liner and Thick & Fast Mascara

Topshop (available here)

Not strictly drugstore as it’s available only in Topshop stores but a great price point. All the lip products, blushers, bronzers and nail polishes I have tried have been fab but the glow highlighter has to be the best cream affordable one I own.

Would love to hear your drugstore recommendation in the comments, are there any drugstore secrets I am missing?

So, although no a full review, I desperately urge you to order this palette, you will not regret it! 

I have finally dipped my toes in to the world of Colourpop, I don't know what took me so long to be honest? $5 eyeshadows that have so many rave reviews, I knew I would be in for a treat. So after deciding on a selection of eyeshadows and blushes (which I will review separately), I eagerly awaited my parcel.

I decided on four warm-toned eyeshadows that I thought would be all be suitable for Autumn: La La, On The Rocks, Mittens and Hustle. 

La La is a true rose gold in a ultra-metallic finish. This is just so pretty and looks great just blended across the lid or paired with one of the other three shadows for a more intense look. It is highly metallic but is still lovely and smooth to apply and blend. 

On The Rocks is a vibrant true bronze with gold and violet glitter. If you like bronzy gold shadows then this is a must as it is great shade for all seasons, and looks beautiful when the shimmer catches the light.

Mittens is a deep warm brown with red violet undertone in a matte finish. This look amazing with green eyes used in the outer corner and blended through the crease. The perfect shade for fall and quite a unique shade for a matte shadow.

Hustle is a burgundy violet shadow again with a matte finish. This is a deep plum shade which is intensely rich and again makes the green in my eyes really pop. A lovely color for the coming months.

These shadows are something else, I know the word buttery gets used a lot when describing eyeshadows but these truly are. The swatches above and below are literally one dip into the pan with my finger and then swiped once on my arm. They are unbelievably creamy and intensely pigmented and can be applied either with fingers or brushes depending on preference. As they are a cream to powder formulation, there is no fall-out from these and are very easily blended. They are also incredibly long-wearing and last all day without creasing, which for a budget eyeshadow is so impressive. I can't get over how beautiful they all are!

Every brand seems to be jumping on the liquid lipstick bandwagon, and Essence have released five shades of Liquid Lipstick and they retail for just £2.50 each from Wilko. The new Essence Liquid Lipsticks are described as being a 2 in 1 formula which combines the coverage of a lipstick, with the shine of a lipgloss. The packaging is very obviously inspired by the Dior Fluid Stick packaging, with a lipstick bullet shape within the centre. I really like the packaging, and that the lids are colour coordinated to reflect the shade inside which is perfect if you own multiple shades.

From the five shades on offer, I have three of the shades; 01 Colour Party, 04 Show Off! and 06 Make a Statement. Even though the shade range is pretty limited, I’d like to think they’ll add more shades in the future as Essence usually have really great shade ranges across their makeup line, but the shades do cover all bases with nudes, pinks and a couple of reds so there’s bound to be at least one shade that’ll suit everyone.

Each of the Essence Liquid Lipsticks have a doe foot applicator which is quite narrow rather than the rounded shape you usually get with a doe foot applicator, and I find this narrower shape makes for a much more precise application, and the middle of the applicator features a small well which holds extra product so you don’t have to keep dipping the applicator back into the tube for more product which again is similar to the Dior Fluid Sticks.

Colour Party is my favourite shade from the three that I own, and is a pretty light pink which looks a little bubblegum-esque in the swatch above but on the lips it’s a lot more muted I can assure you. Show Off! is a bright reddy coral shade which almost looks neon on the lips, and Make a Statement is a dark reddy brown shade which isn’t particularly flattering on my pale skintone, but I imagine it’d look lovely on darker skintones. They feel quite smooth on the lips, with no detectable scent whatsoever and the weartime is around one to two hours, with Show Off lasting the longest from the three shades that I own.

I’m not entirely sure I’d describe these as being liquid lipsticks, as to me they’re more of a pigmented gloss. I do have to do quite a lot of swipes to build up the colour for an opaque finish, and I’d definitely say even then they don’t give the coverage of a lipstick like they claim. Due to their glossiness, they are a little sticky but not uncomfortably so, but they’re not perhaps the lip product of choice if you have long hair on a windy day as it could get a little messy. I would recommend using a clear lipliner with the Essence Liquid Lipsticks as they all have the tendency to bleed a little; especially Make a Statement but for £2.50 each, I think they’re really nice glosses but don’t buy them expecting a full on liquid lipstick like the Lime Crime Velvetines or the Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipsticks, as I think you’d perhaps be disappointed.

 

Nothing excites me more than a brand new Makeup Revolution release.. what can I say? I’m an addict. When I saw that they’d launched a collection of matte blushes, I was extremely excited to try them, especially as I don’t like shimmery blushes. The Makeup Revolution Matte Blusher Collection consists of six shades, with each shade costing just £3 which is insane as each of these blushes contain a very generous 8.9 grams of product.

 

 I really love the packaging of these blushes.. slim, circular plastic compacts with clear lids so you can easily see which shade is which. The packaging feels very sturdy, and has a nice and secure closure so I’d be more than happy to carry one of these in my makeup bag without worrying about it getting broken or opening and getting damaged.

 

I really like the range of shades they’ve chosen for the collection, as they’ve not gone for the typical pinks and peaches.. there is genuinely a shade for all skintones, and as you can see from the photos above, there’s some seriously bright shades which you rarely see within the drugstore and certainly not at £3 a pop. I really hope they extend the shade range even more, and perhaps consider ‘duping’ some of the crazy shades within the new Urban Decay Afterglow Blush Collection.. I’d love to see Makeup Revolution create a purple blush like Urban Decay’s Bittersweet.

 

 

All six shades of the Makeup Revolution Matte Blusher Collection are incredibly pigmented and you only need to tap your brush into each blush very gently as the pigment is so strong. The blushes all feel really silky and smooth, with an almost velvety consistency which only kicks up a little bit of excess powder when using a fluffy brush which really surprised me, as cheaper blushes tend to be quite powdery. I find all six shades easy to apply, but the three bolder shades (New Rules, Dare and Divine) do need a little more extra work, but that’s the same for all brands with bright blush shades in my experience. The weartime is very impressive at a minimum of four hours across all shades, but I can clearly see them on my cheeks upto six hours later, albeit a little faded but for £3 you really can’t complain.

 

Until trying these blushes, Sleek were my favourite drugstore brand for blushes but these have definitely taken over.. they are incredible blushes, and the shades are all so pretty. My favourite shade from the collection is Beloved as I love a good peachy coral, but I really like how Divine looks against my pale skin. I have to admit I’m a little intimidated by New Rules as it’s almost red, and reminds me of a slightly pinkier version of MAC’s Frankly Scarlet Blush. I cannot recommend these blushes enough.. £3 is beyond amazing for blushes of this quality, and you can buy all six shades for £18 which is the price of just one MAC Blush, and the pigment and quality really does give highend blushes a run for their money. Even though I’m a real matte blush girl, I’d love to see Makeup Revolution release a collection of shimmery shades too, especially after being so wowed by their Matte Blusher Collection.

 

As you all know, Real Techniques released a brand new set of brushes in the guise of their 'Bold Metals' Collection. 7 brushes that are described as premium brushes aimed at professional makeup artists and makeup fanatics. The brushes come in three colours, GOLD, SILVER & ROSE GOLD.

Soap and Glory is one of my favourite drugstore makeup brands, and I loved every single product I’ve ever tried from them so far. The Soap and Glory Solar Powder Bronzer is a product I’ve loved after for quite some time, but was put off purchasing it incase it was too dark for my skin but I decided to bite the bullet and buy it as part of their 3 for 2 offer. The Solar Powder Bronzer is £11 and is described as being a multi-shade shimmering bronzer and highlighting brick and is available in just one shade. The packaging has just recently been changed in the last month to a plastic compact which is great news, but I have the original packaging which is made from cardboard which isn’t ideal as it gets very shabby, very quickly so the new plastic compact would be a lot better.

 

The Soap and Glory Solar Powder Bronzer is divided into two sections, with one half of the powder being a dark shade of bronzer and the second half of the powder is a lighter shade. In the middle of the powder, there is a raise S&G which has a metallic pink overspray which makes the powder look stunning.. there’s no doubt about that, but I hate oversprays as they wear off so quickly so in my opinion, they’re completely pointless. The darker shade within the powder is completely matte, and is a warm orange toned bronze shade, whilst the paler shade is a light tan with golden shimmer. I was surprised by the shimmer in the lighter shade, as I’ve read so many reviews saying that it was a matte bronzer, but it definitely isn’t matte as you can see from the swatches so I’d perhaps skip this bronzer if you don’t like shimmery bronzers.

 

Both shades of the powder are very smooth and buttery soft, with the lighter shade being the softest.. they’re both so pigmented, and you only need to tap your brush into the powder lightly to pick up enough product for your whole face. Even though the darker shade is quite warm toned, I think it works well as an all over bronzer to warm up the complexion but I like to use a fluffy brush like the Real Techniques Blush Brush for a subtle bronzing. I personally don’t like shimmery bronzers as I don’t find them very flattering, so I use the shimmery pale shade as a blush rather than a bronzer, and it looks really pretty and reminds me of Benefit’s Rockateur. I think this is a lovely bronzer, and it’s such great quality for a drugstore product but I’d really like Soap and Glory to create a matte version, as it would then tick all of the boxes to be the perfect bronzer

 

With brows being big at the moment (literally), a whole new market has been opened. There are now more brow products on the shelves of Boots and Superdrug than ever before, with most brands providing their share of make-up to brow power. Soap and Glory won me over with their body washes and moisturisers many moons ago, but I have never been that convinced by their make-up- especially after trying those Sexy Mother Pucker lip-glosses. Although I didn't know it then, this Archery brow pencil and tint was going to change my morning routine.

 

I was really sceptical when buying this product, not only because it seems you're essentially paying £10 for a brow pencil, but because I'd heard from some other bloggers that it wasn't all that. This product doesn't come without a few flaws, but I love it nonetheless.

 

I'll start with the positives; I absolutely love how the pencil end is quite chunky. It's not a pencil as such, but more of a thinner crayon in look and texture. It's really soft, but not in the way that kohl liners are. It has the perfect texture for filling in brows, provides a lovely natural colour, and you access the pencil through a handy twist-up mechanism to minimise waste through sharpening.

Overall, while it would be sweeter if it cost a bit less than a tenner, I will still definitely be re-purchasing this at some point. It's so easy to use, so great if you're a brow beginner. I would also recommend this to anyone suffering forms of hair-loss who are struggling to draw on or create brows, as this Soap and Glory pencil does make them seem very natural. Soap and Glory Archery brow pencil comes in dark ('Brownie Points') or light ('Love is Blonde) and is available online or in Boots.

If you are travelling, you can use the felt tip as an eye liner. You could also use it as an eyeliner for a natural everyday look (i.e. school)

 

WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE BROW PRODUCT??

I have a combination skin type, and this scrub works perfectly for me, removing dry skin and eliminating blackheads and blemishes! I've been using this product for around about two weeks now and I have got to say it's the best face scrub I have ever bought! I find it to be quite a deep cleansing face scrub and I feel when I use it, it does what it says on the bottle!

 

It's such a beautiful scrub and always leaves me feeling clean and refreshed, not to mention it smelling absolutely divine! I don't like to use anything harsh on my skin and this scrub is perfect for that as it is very gentle and easy to wash off. However as much as I love this scrub, there is one downside :( it tends to leave my skin a little more dry than usual-but nothing that using a good moisturiser wont fix! ( I would recommend any nivea day creams, they're very lovely, and you get get them for all skin types. )

 

So, to wrap this up, I find this product to be very fresh and simple, it does what it says it's supposed to and I love it, especially the scent, it's absolutely gorgeous!

I also use the facial wash in the mornings, as I don't have to remove any makeup. The facial wash also has the same sent as the scrub, and still leaves my face feeling soft.

 

 Leave any comments, or yours/or your favourite blog URLs down below and I'll be sure to have a look!

Recently, I’ve read many blog posts from the ‘Starting Off Project’ designed for makeup beginners. I really wish that I’d heard about it earlier, because I love the idea. Because of this idea, I have decided to share a selection of makeup and beauty products that I would advise you to begin with!

By no means feel like you need to use every single one of these products, it’s just a brief idea of the sort of things I think are good from the drugstore!

 

 

♡ Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation in the shade 201 'classic beige'
♡ Nivea Tinted Moisturiser in the shade 'Natural'
♡ Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear concealer in the shade 3 'medium'
♡ Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in 001 'transparent'

 

 

 

♡ Maybelline Falsies Waterproof Mascara
♡ Ardell False Eyelashes 'Demi Wispies'
♡ Maybelline Color Tattoo in the shade 'On and On Bronze'
♡ Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner 24hr in the shade 01 'Black'

 

♡ All Real Techniques brushes. My favourites (if i had too choose) are probably Buffing brush, expert face brush, blush brush and the deluxe crease brush.

 ♡ Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Lipgloss in the shade 'Candygloss'
♡ 17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in the the shade 'Beehive'
♡ Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in the shade 'Kiss me Coral'

 

   

For me, Real Techniques have always been one of the best makeup brush brands on the high street. Not only are they affordable but they're great quality and last incredibly well. After the launch of their more premium collection, Bold Metals, I was wondering if the core collection might take a back seat but I'm glad to say I was wrong as they've just released the fantastic Sculpting Set.

 

Contouring has been a massive trend over the past couple of years and the Sculpting Set is going to be your new brush BFF if you're looking to highlight and contour. It's a three brush set - two are new and one is a reissue - with a setting brush, fan brush and a sculpting brush.

My favourite of the three is the Sculpting Brush which is the perfect shape and size to help get a chiselled cheekbone look. It has short, densely packed bristles which allow you to work with creams and powders, blending the product in for a natural finish. Because of the bristles, it does work a little better with cream products than powders, and it fits perfectly in the hollows of your cheekbones.

The Fan Brush is great for when you want a very light application of any kind of powder product. The shape and density of the bristles means that this only picks up a light amount of product each time, so if you're worried about over-doing things then this will be a great brush to have. Sweep it over cheeks for a natural blusher flush or for applying highlighter to the tops of your cheekbones.

While the Setting Brush might be a reissue, I think it's a great brush to have. It's the perfect size to apply a small amount of powder to help set your makeup and it's soft enough not to disturb your foundation underneath when you use it. The shape also means you can easily get in to smaller areas around your nose without any issue at all.

Like the rest of Real Techniques' brushes, these have all been colour coded to help make finding the right brush easy; the Sculpting Set all feature pink metallic handles which definitely makes them stand out from the rest of the brushes in my collection! The bristles are the usual cruelty free synthetic hairs which really seem to wear well and last forever so although these might be a more budget option, there's definitely no scrimping on quality.
The Sculpting Set is available now from Superdrug and costs £20.99.