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 when Benefit released the Air Patrol BB Cream Eyelid Primer- I was pretty damn intrigued. It had never even crossed my mind that you would ever use a BB cream on your eyelids. I liked the idea of the soft CushionCalm tip which looked so lovely and squishy.

The Air Patrol primer contains a SPF 20 and is designed to help protect your eyelids against the sun, smoke and pollutants with its EnviroDefend complex. It also doubles up as primer to keep your eyeshadow from budging. I found that it does prevent the product from creasing and the you can apply it with the cushioned tip, but I find it's easier to blend in with your fingers.

I says only one click is needed per eye but I found it dried out really quickly and the cream of stuck in the tube, so you had to click more to push out the dried gunk- not nice! I'm sure that this would be a perfect applicator if the product was something like an eye cream for under the eyes and not a primer. It would be much easier to use in the evening or morning as a clear gel or moisturiser formula. As there is only one shade of this product- if you had super fair skin, it would be too dark for you- and if you had very dark skin then it would look super pale on you. 

I definitely wouldn't pay full price for this and I'm really disappointed as it has a lot of potential, it just fell a bit flat for me.

Often something new in the beauty world will come along and we will either love, hate or simply don’t give a toots about. However once in a blue moon something truly amazing will be discovered and it changes EVERYTHING!

This is it guys, I’ve just found my new beauty must have. I genuinely can’t live without it after using it everyday for a week.

Younique’s Moonstruck 3D Fiber Lash Mascara transforms my short, non existent lashes in 3 easy peasy steps! I mean seriously, it’s a game changer. It’s completely altered my daily routine and I don’t think I can ever go back to just using my regular mascara on it’s own.

So the 3D Fiber Lash Mascara is pretty straightforward. You get two products in your kit, 1 x transplanting gel which you apply over your normal mascara and 1 x natural fibers which you apply after applying the gel. You will see an instant boost in length and volume after applying the fibres it’s magic! Then to lock down your new amazing look, simply apply another coat of the gel to seal. The best part is that you can build with more fibres to get an extra boost- great for when you can’t be bothered with falsies.

I find the the product gives dramatic results without the clumpy mess you often get with regular mascaras. My lashes were lengthened up to 3x longer than normal and the finish is very natural.

I feel my rubbish photos are not doing this product the justice it deserves but if you look at my lashes without mascara, you will struggle to see them as they are that short and sparse. Least with this mascara you can see that I don’t have a bald eye…imagine what this could do for the lucky ladies who already have longish lashes?? Omg! :O

You will have to trust me on this one. If you want obviously longer, fuller, fluttery lashes – then this needs to go on your wish list!

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!

I have only had this palette for a couple of days now, but am already in love with this collection of shades, it really is a winner for any an occasion. Mac eyeshadows are just the best too, they are my fail safe brand that I can always rely on for great pigmentation, ability to blend easily and longevity.

I am so happy that I got my hands on this palette, I think it was the selection of shades that was missing from my collection. Although now I am seriously lusting after the Amber Times Nine Palette, so think it is only a matter of time before I cave, it looks like the perfect palette for summer!

 

I’ve tried a lot of different beauty boxes over the years, and so far my first Cohorted box has impressed me the most; and one I will be purchasing every month.

 

 I had so much trouble trying to order the box last month, as the site crashed over and over again, and by the time it was back online all the boxes has sold out. I was really disappointed by this, but tried again this month and was lucky enough to get July’s Cohorted box. This month the boxes didn’t sell out even nearly as quick as the previous months, it seemed that they had added more boxes available to buy. I hoped that this wouldn’t affect the quality of the items in the box, but I fear it might have slightly…

 

July’s Cohorted Beauty Box Contained;

 

This palette by Diego Dalla Palma is my favourite item within this months Cohorted box, and one that I’m really impressed with. It contains 6 eyeshadows, a lipstick and an eyeliner – a beautiful collection inspired by Snow White & The Huntsman. This isn’t something I would usually pick up myself, however I actually love it and know I’ll get use out of everything within this palette – and I think that’s the beauty of these kind of boxes. The lipstick, which is aptly named ‘Wicked Queen’ and is worth £15 alone, can be picked up separately from here. It’s a bright, blue toned red, which is great for making your teeth look whiter, and would look lovely on all skin tones. This has very quickly become my favourite red lipstick, due to its gorgeous shade, high pigmentation, comfortable formula and great wear time. The 6 full sized eyeshadows included in this palette are also right up my street, with 3 shimmery shades, and 3 mattes – perfect for both a day time or night time look. I love how they’ve named these shades – Snow, Shield, Mirror Mirror, Fairest, Destiny and Battleground, as they fit really lovely with the theme. A black eyeliner is also included, named ‘Dark Night’, which has a long wearing formula and is soft enough to apply comfortably, but also hard enough to get a good, defined line. This palette retails for £25, which is more than the cost of the Cohorted box, but if the contents were sold separately, it’s actually worth over £100, which is incredible value.

I’ve never actually faked tanned before (shock, I know), but it’s something I’ve been wanting to try out recently, so I was glad to see this St. Tropez lotion within this month’s Cohorted box. It’s a gradual 4 in one tan, which is said to help with tanning, toning, firming and moisturising your body. I’m trying to lose some weight at the moment, as well as toning myself up so this again, has come at the perfect time. St. Tropez are one of the biggest players in the Tan ‘game’, so I think it’s a great brand to be included within the Cohorted box. I’m impressed that it’s a full sized bottle (150ml) and is worth £20 – considering the box itself is the same price, so you’ve already made your money back with this product alone. I’m really looking forward to giving this a try, I’m hoping it will give me that summer glow that I’ve been yearning for. 

I’m a huge fan of anything matte, whether that’s lipsticks, eyeshadows or sports cars, so I was excited to see this nail polish from Nails Inc within the Cohorted box. This bright, hot red shade is from their London collection, and is named Gatwick – after the airport, which is the one I actually usually travel from. As all matte shades, this won’t last as long on your nails as a regular nail varnish, as the consistency is completely different. It dries really fast, so you need to be quick when applying so you don’t get streaks, but again this is another general trait of matte nail varnishes and isn’t specific to this Nails Inc polish. You’ll only need two coats of this as it’s really pigmented and is fairly thick. I really love this shade and the finish, so I’m looking forward to wearing this, and pairing it with the Wicked Queen lipstick from the palette also in the Cohorted box.

 

This Gucci body lotion is my least favourite item within the Cohorted box, and one that I’m actually really unimpressed with. Firstly, mine was really dirty, and seemed like it had been sat in a box in mucky, dusty box in a warehouse for years – I don’t think that matches up to the ‘luxe box’ that Cohorted offer. Secondly, this size lotion isn’t actually available to buy alone, which makes me think that they’ve just separated all of the perfumes and the accompanying body lotions from a gift set (like this) and sent those out. Since there was no sample of the fragrance, I think that defeats the object of the lotion, as it’s supposed to be used to layer up the scent. I’m not a huge fan of body lotions anyway, and I don’t like the scent of this at all, it’s too floral and over powering for me. Unfortunately Cohorted, I’m not impressed with this product and won’t be getting any use from it.

 

I’ve got mixed opinions on July’s Cohorted box, I really can’t make my mind up on it or not. The box itself retails for £20, and this month’s it is worth over £63. That is great and all, but I don’t think that it compares to a lot of the previous boxes, usually worth about £90. Don’t get me wrong, I really love the palette, and I know I’ll use the nail varnish and the St. Tropez tan, however I just don’t think that this box matches up in terms of quality and products to the previous months. Cohorted have had a lot of complaints about how quickly the boxes sell out, and how they’re aren’t enough available to everyone. I fear that they may have compromised the products inside this month’s box, so there was more available to sell. Good business for them of course, but not as good for me as the consumer. I’m going to try and get my hands on the August box and see how that compares, I honestly hope that this month has just been a blip, but we’ll have to see…

  

 

What do you think of July’s Cohorted box? Would you have been impressed with the contents? What’s your favourite beauty box?

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'

 

   

Benefit’s Roller Lash is described as being a super-curling and lifting mascara, and is billed as being ‘a curl’s best friend’. What makes Roller Lash so innovative is its ‘Hook n’ Roll’ brush which has custom-designed hooks to help catch, lift and curl every single lash. The formulation is supposedly ‘lightweight’ and is able to hold a curl for up to 12 hours. The brush is definitely unique to any other mascara I’ve tried although interestingly enough, Maybelline’s new Lash Sensational Mascara’s wand is very, very similar although there are no hooks on the wand like Roller Lash. 

I am fully aware mascara is such a personal product that will work for some people, and not for others but never have I been so impressed by a mascara with the first application especially as mascaras are never the best when new.. I find that they improve a few weeks after opening, when the formula has dried out a little.

The bristles are really well spaced out, thus being able to catch, coat and comb through every single lash so every lash is coated but combed out too to stop any spidery clumps forming. I was more than impressed with just one coat, but I have tried layering to two and three coats which is does really well if you prefer more statement lashes. It somehow magically curls every single lash so you can see them which is a flippin’ miracle for me and my straight pitiful lashes as you can’t normally see them. Once applied to the lashes, the amazing curl stays in place throughout the day without it crumbling and smudging onto my lower lashline which makes my sensitive eyes very happy.

What's your favourite mascara?