Top 5 Blushes: Drugstore and Highend

Blush is slowly becoming my favourite think in makeup. I go through stages of loving specific categories in my collection and blush is now taking over my lip product obsession. So, in light of that revelation, I thought I would bring you a post on my current top 5 favourite blushes.

B. Cheeky Blusher in Candy Cane 

I've raved about this since the first time I used it. You can read my full review here if you fancy giving it a peek, but in short it's just a great blush for  my pale pals out there and it's one that is impossible to over do which is great for my heavy handed ways.

You can get it here for just £5.99 or in selected Superdrug stores. 

MUA Blusher in Lolly

This was the blush that turned my onto coral/orange blushes. I used to avoid them like the plague  but after trying this I've found they really suit my skin tone. I have really red/pink skin so the orange tones don't emphasie that and I love it. You can read my full review of  the MUA blushes here. 

You can pick these up in Superdrug store or online here for just £1. 

Bourjois Cream Blush in Nude Velvet 

Bourjois are kind of famous for their little round blush pots, and the cream blushes are the latest addition to that line. Nude Velvet is a gorgeous nude/coral/orange shade, and is actually quite similar to MUA Lolly but in a cream form. You can read my full review here if you fancy. 

You can pick it up in places like Boots and Superdrug or online here for £7.99

Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Thrust 

I won this gorgeousness in a giveaway from Aqeela Keela and fell in love with it pretty much on first sight. It's insanely pigmented, long wearing and great  for fall makeup looks. I didn't wear it too much in the summer but the deep purple/pink tone looks great for a more dramatic makeup look now we are hitting the autumn/winter season. 

You can pick it up here or at Illamasqua counters/stores for £18.

Fashionista Blush in Juicy Apricot 

I've wanted this for quite some time, and when MUA took over Fashionista and slashed the prices I took the opportunity to snap it up. It's a peachy coral shade with gold glitter running through it. I usually prefer a matte blush but this give the skin a glowy quality without making you sparkle like a 21st century vampire.

You can pick it up here for just £1.65. 

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B. Stunning Vibrant Eye Shimmer Cream Eyeshadow in Bittersweet

I've had some major issues with my eyeshadows creasing recently. I've never really had an issue with creasing so I don't own many eyelid primers or bases like MAC paint pots. Since the issue with creasing, I've invested in a few too many bases and primers. 






The B. Stunning Vibrant Eye Shimmer Cream Eyeshadow in Bittersweet  is just one of the bases I've brought to try and tackle the problem. It claims to be a luxurious cream shadow, giving an intense metallic finish. B. suggests using the cream eyeshadow as a eyeshadow, a base for powder shadows or as a eyeliner. 



I can see me ever using this as a liner because it just isn't pigmented enough for that but I've tried this alone and as a base and I loved it. It didn't crease on me at all when set with a powder, but unfortunately when worn alone it crease like nothing else. 



The colour is a gorgeous bronze/brown colour is a beautiful warm toned shade with a nice amount of shimmer. Unlike some other shades (Golden Sand) the shimmer is just that, shimmer. There is no chunky glitter, meaning the consistency remains creamy when blended over the lid. 



The shade reminds me a lot of the Illamasqua Liquid Metal Cream pigment/shadow in Enrapture. It's not quite as intense as the more expensive counterpart but with a little bit of building up you can get a similar finish.


    
At just £6.99 a pop, I think it's a great deal. You can usually find them on some kind of offer too, so it can work out cheaper. The brand is also totally cruelty  free, so no nasty animal testing happening here! 

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B. Stunning Vibrant Eye Shimmer Cream Eyeshadow in Golden Sand

The B. Stunning Vibrant Eye Shimmer Cream Eyeshadow in Golden Sand is the just one of the cream shadow offerings from B. The range is exclusive to Superdurg store, and from what I can tell it's essentially going to be something like No7 for Boots. 

They have a great skincare range with something for almost everyone (maybe not acne prone skin) and they have a makeup range. The prices are pretty reasonable and the quality is pretty great too. I've raved about almost every B. product I've tried (examples here and here) because I'm pretty impressed with the brand. 

They kindly offered to send me a few bits after my B. Cheeky Blusher ran out, and the Cream Shadow in Golden Sand was one of the items I got to try. I had already tried on the the cream shadows (bittersweet) and was excited to try a lighter shade for more everyday wear. 



Sadly, this one isn't as fabulous as the darker shade but it's still a nice base for shadows. I wouldn't use this alone, because it applies as more like a creamy shimmer/glitter rather than an actually shade. It is very similar to the Eternal Gold Colour Tattoo, so if you own that I would say try a different colour of these. 

The formulation of these cream eyeshadows are great, it's just the pigmentation of this shade that lets it down. These are great at holding other shadows on top of them, and they don't crease on me at all. It's easily blendable over the lid, despite the lack of pigmentation. 

I have used this as an inner corner highlight, and because of the shimmer/glitter in the cream it works really well. It lasts ages on the tear duct, and doesn't irritate my eyes like a powder shadow can if I put it there. 

You can pick these up online or in store for just £6.99 a pot here. They are slightly more expensive that the adored Colour Tattoo Eyeshadows, but they do have some unique shades that Maybelline don't offer so I would pay the extra £2. Bittersweet is a favourite of mine, and I would recommend checking that out if you get a chance. 

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July Favourites: HD Brows, Blood Brothers and Shane Dawson

So, it's August! How the hell did that happen? I swear it seems like it was New Years like 3 hours ago. I can't be dealing with time moving this fast! Anyway, now I've done the obligatory intro that everyone does, I'm going to get on with my July favourites. 

Makeup and Hair

HD Brows Blusher (2) and Bronzer (2) 

I've recently reviewed these, and since posting the reviews it's brought them to my attention again. I've been loving the blusher for adding a healthy and glowy flush to the skin, and the bronzer is great for contouring the face lightly and adding warmth to the skin tone. They both work for my pale skin, which is great and they last all day on my skin. 

blusher review here 
bronzer review here

Le Kair Natural Carrot Oil Cholesterol Creme

 I featured this in a haul post quite some time a go and also have a review up which you can read here. I brought this from a site that focused on Afro-Caribbean hair products, and fell in love. I've recently rediscovered this after trying out some other conditioners and realized how much I love it. I've used this as a hair mask and a leave in conditioner and it works well as both. It helps tame frizz, nourish hair and it doesn't smell awful either. It's also ridiculously cheap. 

haul here
review here

Maybelline BB Cream in Light 

I think it's law that in summer, you must ditch foundation and head to the BB cream (or even CC creams now). Following the crowd, as I normally do, I ditched my believed Estee Lauder foundation that I normally wear every day and tried getting used to a bb cream. I've been loving this because the finish is great for my dry skin, and I've been using this when I'm not at work. I can't quite leave my Double Wear behind for work because I need to something to cover and last.

B. Eyeshadow Palette in Glisten 

I've been loving subtle neutral eyes recently. I used to love super dark and intense eyes but for the summer I've been trying to ditch the black (it's really hard) and go with nice summery colours. These shadows are great for creating a nice eyeshadow look that you can see on the eyes but it's as harsh as some of my winter looks can be. The rusty brown colour is my favourite, but all of them together create a great look. 

 Youtube

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I've recently got right back into watching YouTube videos. I have gotten a better internet connection at home, and without uni I have spare time (too much!). I've been subscribed to Shane Dawson for ages, but I've never watched one of his videos.  I've started watching them, as despite the slightly offensive humour I find him hilarious. I prefer his vlog videos but he's a funny duck in just about all of them, vlog or main.

Music

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I've recently discovered TwentyForSeven on YouTube. I don't know how I haven't been subscribed to them for ages but I'm not officially addicted to their music.  I found them after watching their very popular cover of Bruno Mars' When I Was Your Man but my all time favourite from them has to be the cover of Bad by The Cab or the 2012 Mash Up Song. 

I've always rediscovered my absolute love for the Foo Fighters. Wasting Light has got to be one of my favourite albums EVER. 

Books

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This month I've read (or at least started reading) two books! One I read in about 2 days at the end of the month. Blood Brothers is a very popular musical (I'm planning on writing up a post for my very new Book Blog) and was written by Willy Russell. I finally got a hold of a copy of this in book form and read it in two days. It's just as amazing in book form as it is on stage, and I highly suggest going to see it or reading it. 

I've also been loving the latest addition to the Bloodlines series, which is a spin off of the Vampire Academy series. The Bloodlines series focuses more on Alchemists than vampires, but it just as great as the original series. I'm on the third book and am loving it. It might be worth checking out if you like YA reads.  

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*this post contains mention of PR samples

B. Loud Volumising Mascara in Jet Black

B. Loud Volumising Mascara in Jet Black, link £9.99

The B. Loud Volumising Mascara in Jet Black is a mascara with huge promises and a huge wand that is meant to help it back them up. Unfortunately, the mascara isn't all it's made out to be. Don't get me wrong, I think the mascara is good but it's not amazing. 



It is very comparable to the Rimmel Scandal Eyes. So if you like that, you'll love this. I found the brush to be almost identical, but the formula is slightly drier which makes it easier to apply and avoids any mess when blinking or applying. 



Once applied, it lasts all day long. I found that it stayed in place without smudging or flaking. It was easy to take off without too much scrubbing. The 'tube' formula means all you need to do is apply some water to the lashes and gently rub them with a cotton pad. It really is a nice dark black colour as well, so it turns my stubby very blonde lashes into a darker frame for my eyes. 



There are two reasons I don't love this mascara. The brush is so big that I find it almost impossible to apply to my bottom lashes. The second reason is that while it claims to be volumising it gives a very natural look that takes far to long to build up the big lashes I like to wear. 

 Honestly, I wouldn't repurchase because it doesn't work for my short, very straight lashes but I would like to try something else from B. to see if I can find my dream mascara. 

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B. Colour Conditioning Lipstick in Petal

The B Colour Conditioning Lipsticks claim to be perfect for those not wanting a full coverage lipstick but something that provides a soft sheen on the lips. It contains vitamin E, shea butter and aloe vera. 

The lipstick applies quite sheer at first but it is buildable. That is just another reason for me to love this lipstick. Sometimes I like a sheer lipstick, and other times I like something a little more opaque and bold. I can get those options with just one product which is a total bonus.
 
The colour, 017 Petal, is lovely for everyday wear, even when built up to a bolder finish. It's not a normal nude colour but the nude undertone makes it wearable. The rosy pink tone to the shade just gives it that something extra.  


 
 I love the packaging of this lipstick. The slim packaging means it can fit just about anywhere if you are stuck for space in your bag and  it's just nice to see something a little different from the generic lipstick tubes mist brands adopt. 

I love that the brand is cruelty free. I wish brands highlighted their morals more because it draws me too them. I like that this brand carries the BUAV logo, because not many do and it can be hard to find out their stand points on animal testing.

You can pick up the B. Colour Conditioning Lipsticks from selected Superdrug stores or online here for £6.99. 
  

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B. Active Day Cream

The B. Active Day Cream is an anti-aging cream targets at people between the ages between 30 and 40. It claims to smooth and firm the skin with concentrated tetrapeptide, hydrate the skin with hyaluronic acid and have an anti-fatigue effect with niacinamide and proteolea. It also has SPF15 and UVA filters to protect from the sun. 

The B. range offers three levels of skincare, targets skin in it's three phases. The first phase is for people in the 20's and is packaged with yellow highlight. The green highlighted packaged (which contains this day cream) is for people in their 30s and 40s and makes up the products for the second skin phase.  The final stage is targets at people 50 and over, contains purple highlights over the packaging and is meant to firm up the skin. 

Instead of picking up the day cream for skin phase 1, I grabbed this once because I thought it might be slightly more nourishing and hydrating. I know I don't need the anti-aging properties, being only 19, but it's never too soon to start taking care of your skin.  


 
Anyway, I picked this up in hopes that it could help combat my dry skin. I've always found that anti-aging creams hydrate my skin better than regular lotions and potions. The fact that this contained hyaluronic acid only made me want to try it more. 

 

The texture is really nice, but it might be slightly to rich for some people. I found the thick formulation to be something comparable to night creams I've tried in the past. It is fast to sink into the skin though, and it feels lovely once you've applied it. It doesn't leave any kind of residue on my skin and it gives me a nice base in which I can easily apply makeup onto. 

After using this for about 4 weeks, I found that my skin was leaning towards the more 'normal' side rather than it's regular 'dry' type so it works perfectly for me and if you have dry skin I would highly recommend giving this a try.




The packaging is very bulky, but it does have a luxurious feel to it. The brand is marketed as a premium brand so the weighty, and classy packaging helps aid the image that want to promote. So, while it's not ideal for traveling it does look nice sitting on top of a dressing table or vanity. 

 

One final thing worth noting is that the brand is cruelty free. It's not tested on animals, and it carries the cruelty-free international logo to highlight that fact.

You can pick up the B. Active Day Cream in selected Superdrug stores or online here for £11.99.

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B. Refined Exfoliating Cleanser

I picked this up when the B. skincare range was on offer in Superdrug. If you picked up a day cream you got this for free, so I snapped them up while I had the change. I'm a lover of the brand, and don't think I've tried one thing that has really disappointed me. The makeup is great and from what I've tried of the skincare, that's great too.  

 The B. Refined Exfoliating Cleanser claims to gently polish the skin to help reveal a smoother and brighter complexion. It's a creamy exfoliator that help with dull skin, remove impurities and unblock pores. The micro-beads buff away old skin cells and refine the skin surface. All you need to do is massage it into damp skin and rinse with warm water. It's £5.49 a tube from Superdrug stores or online. 

The texture of this cleanser is something I both love and hate. As a cleanser that could be used everyday, this is great. It's not too coarse so it's not going to scratch your face off, but you can feel the grain in the cream so you know that it's exfoliating. 

I hate it because it's just not coarse enough for me. I love an exfoliator that you can really feel working, and this just doesn't do it for me. It cleans my skin, but it's just not rough enough for me. 



It says this is for normal to oily skin, but I have dry skin and it works for me. It doesn't dry out my skin at all, in fact it's actually nice on my dry skin. It also says that you should use this about twice a week, but I don't think that's necessary either. It's not that abrasive and it works for me everyday. 



The great thing about this is that it's cruelty free, like everything else from the brand. It's also made in the UK and it makes me a little happy that you can find quality products that are made in the UK and not imported from other countries.



The packaging is pretty standard and nothing that special. It's a nice white tube, with grey detailing. It's not the cheapest looking thing, but it's not that luxurious looking either. It doesn't bother me that much because I use this in the shower, and no one sees it but me. 

P.S: Have you entered my Nars giveaway? It ends April 29th, so head on over to it here for your chance to win!

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PS: After re-reading this I feel like it's full on innuendo but lets hope it's just me and my immature mind :p

Best Drugstore Neutral Eyeshadow Palettes | Sleek, B, MUA and more

Sleek i-Divine Palette in Au Natural (link)
 I'm sure everyone has heard of Sleek and their brilliant eyeshadow palettes. They are great quality, with great pigmentation, blendablity and lasting power. The packaging is great. It's sturdy with a nice big mirror for travel and on the go touch ups. They are sneaking up in price but if you are on the look out for a brilliant neutral palette for under £10 this "Au Natural" palette from Sleek is worth the investment.


Beauty UK Eyeshadow Palette in No4 Earth Child (link)
 This is a palette and brand that if often overlooked in my opinion. These little palettes aren't going to beat out MAC or Urban Decay but they are great value for money at only £3.99 for 8 shadows, and come in a nice range of colours. Earth Child is a great selection of neutrals with hints of khaki for those who want something other than brown.

B.Complete Eyeshadow Palette in 132 Glisten (link)
 B. is quite a new brand to Superdurg, and is brilliant. I have quite a few reviews of the brand and I love nearly everything I've tried from them. The eyeshadows are great quality with nice pigmentation, good blendability and long wear. Glisten is a great group of 4 shadows that complement each other well and create a nice neutral look. 

MUA Professional Palette in Undressed (link)
 Everyone and their dog have given this and it's follow up counterpart a go. Undressed, and Undressed Me Too are only £4 each and contain 12 eyeshadows each that are very close dupes for the Urban Decay Naked and Naked 2 Palettes. They are great quality for the price, and are great for almost any occasion.

Maybelline Eye Studio Palette in Bronze Drama (link)

 Maybelline are my favourite brand in the drugstore. They have something great in almost all categories and their eyeshadows are no exception. The eye studio palettes are four complementary shadows and Bronze drama is great every day palette that can create beautiful looks on the eye. 

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B. Radiant BB Under Eye Concealer

   The B. brand has done nothing but impress me with only 1 little bump in the road. It's not to expensive but it feels a little more luxurious than your average drugstore brand. 

I picked the B. B.Radiant BB Under Eye Concealer up with high hopes. I really wanted a new under eye concealer, after my Wake Me Up concealer started running low. I was really intrigued by the name and concept of this. The idea of a BB concealer is something that I don't really understand but all I could think of was that it was meant to be a lightweight concealer with just enough coverage to hide imperfections. 

B. Radiant BB Under Eye Concealer in 124 Light, £7.99 link

That's really what it is. It's a very lightweight formula, but it doesn't really have that much coverage. It's great for me because my dark circles are minimal at the moment. If you have really bad dark circles or areas that you want to cover up, then I would try something else. 

I wish there was a slightly lighter shade, but this matches my skin perfectly. It blends into my foundation like a dream and it doesn't crease. I would only benefit from a lighter shade because I wouldn't mind a little more brightening colour under my eyes. 

B. Radiant BB Under Eye Concealer in 124 Light

The packaging is very similar to all the other under eye concealers out there. It has a twist up bottom, that pushes the product through a brush tip applicator. It's a little unsanitary, but if you use for yourself only, and avoid blemishes you might be okay. You could also just brush it onto the back of your hand, and use it with your fingers. 

This is free from pesky shimmer and glitter than some people put in under eye concealers, so I love it just that little bit more. if you have any areas like redness this can cover it to because it's not got that shimmer in it. It doesn't cover spots all that well but scars and things like that are a little more blurred if you use this.

One final things to add is that this concealer, and the entire brand is cruelty free and it carries the international cruelty free logo on all it's products.  It's suitable for vegetarians and vegans too.

You can pick up the B. BB Under Eye Concealer from selected Superdrug store, and online here for just £7.99

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B.Radiant Illuminating Foundation

I'm on a mission to find a dupe for the amazing YSL Touche Eclat Foundation. It hasn't happened yet, but I have been getting pretty close and discovering some amazing foundations. This, the B. Radiant Illuminating Foundation, being one of them. 

B. Radiant Illuminating Foundation in 010 Linen, £9.99 link

It's really nice in packaging, which is a huge bonus for me. The bottle is glass, and the fonts etc looks really nice on it. It feels more expensive than it is, and I love that it has a pump. It seems strange to comment on this, but the pump dispenses the perfect amount of foundation too. 

It offers a dewy finish, and it brightens up the skin. The foundation offers a light coverage, but it can be built up a little. I helps me hide what I want, so I love it. It takes out the redness in my skin, helps tone down  but not erase the million freckles that  frequent my face and it evens out my skin tone. 

It claims to have 8 hours wear, but without setting it, that's not going to happen. It lasts about 5 or 6 maybe if I don't set it but with a light dusting of powder it lasts 8 hours and even a little more. 

B. Radiant Illuminating Foundation in 010 Linen

I have the shade 010 Linen, which is the lightest shade they offer. It is yellow toned, but if you are looking for a nice pale shade but want something a little more pink toned I would say 020 Rose Ivory is your best option. It matched my skin, but I wanted something a little more yellow to neutralize my pink skin tone. 

You get 29ml, which is a slightly random amount but it's close to the standard 30ml you normally get with foundation and it is cruelty free.  It also contains UVA/UVB filters, and hyaluronic acid. It's great for my dry skin, for those with oily skin please go grab something else. This will slide of your face like nothing else. If you have combination skin, you might be able to get away with it, but I would say use a good primer and really set it with powder.  

Overall, I love this B. Radiant  Illuminating foundation. I leaves a nice dewy finish and brightens the skin. I would highly recommend it for people with dry skin. You can get it from selected Superdrug stores, or online here for just £9.99.


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