Cheap Treat Tuesday - W7 Chubby Contour stick

When I was given a gift card for Boots for my birthday I instantly knew what I wanted - the Clinique Chubby Contour stick. After nearly a month of waiting for it to come back in stock I found this W7 version on eBay. As it was only £2.95 my original thought was that I could buy them both and compare them however I absolutely love this so I thought I may as well keep the gift card and find something else to buy! 

I've never tried anything from the W7 line before but I'd heard a lot about their primers and eye shadows and when I seen this I thought there couldn't possibly be any downfalls about this product. 

Its's pretty much exactly the same as the Clinique version although this ones more matte and not as creamy but I have no complaints about that. Contour is really in at the moment and I think its here to stay so I like to try my hand at a few different ways of doing it. This way however is the easiest and most effective, I literally just draw on my face and then buff in with my Expert face brush. 

I thought this might give a bit of a muddy look especially as its matte but it doesn't! It makes my skin look so glowy and my structure look so defined! I really recommend this product and cant wait to try more from their range! 

Paige, x

Beauty by Benefit

 I'm a huge lover of Benefit make up, it was my first ever high end beauty brand that I first tried and also fell in love with. There's not much from the Benefit range that I don't have or haven't used before! However I thought these three deserved a blog post all on their own as their my most loved and used so I hope you like them just as much!

I would list these three as "the Benefit beams" but Benetint isn't actually a beam so I'm stuck on a savvy title to call the trio! I feel like sometimes these products lack the attention they deserve as they are a staple in any make up kit. If you go past a counter I really recommend you have a little peak at these and test them out, you'll be amazed!

Sun beam: A golden shimmer, perfect to bronze up the skin. This is the perfect highlighter, especially in the summer. If you dab this along your cheekbones this will honestly make you look like some sort of bronzed goddess. You can also put this under your foundation to give that glowy iridescence to your complexion.

 

Benetint: The first one that was released is in fact a lip and cheek stain. This is such a beautiful berry pink/ red colour and is buildable! You can create really intense and dramatic looks or on the opposing end of the scale- something really delicate and pretty looking. The great thing about this is that the brush is soft, imagine the pain rubbing a hard stick onto your cheeks and lips.. ouch! Its just like a big nail varnish really!

High beam; Pretty similar to Sun beam however a light pink shimmery colour. This again is also the perfect highlighter, you may have seen this mentioned in my top 5 favourite highlighters post where this was one of my favourites. I feel like this is suitable for anytime of year, it looks so pretty in spring though! I really suggest this for your brow bone, it works like nothing other!

Paige, x

Cheap Treat Tuesday!

Something a little different for a middle of the week treat to yourself! 

Is it just me or is anyone else really into white plates and bowls etc? They're so fancy looking and when I came across this I couldn't wait to tell you all about it. So I picked up two of these cute heart shaped dishes in would you believe it Pound land! Obviously only being £1 I thought I'd pick up two as it wasn't exactly going to break the bank. I initially got for my mam to put some nibbles in when she has people round but they can be used for anything and we now own quite a few!

I've currently got one in my room filled with jewellery which I think looks so minimalistic yet really cool too. Personally I think any blogger would love this as it looks so pretty in your bedroom either by the side of your bed or on your dressing table. The possibilities are endless, anything can be stored in them; make up, food, sunglasses, hair accessories or even your whole Muji draw full of samples- yes Sarah I'm talking about you! 

Also if you look below you'll see an interesting little box marked 'Lucy Addison Jewellery' and I'm really excited to show you all what's inside, she makes gorgeous handmade pieces so watch this space for an up and coming blog post all about that! 

Paige, x

Anastasia Beverly Hills - Dipbrow Pomade

Anastasia Beverley Hills is a brand that every girls wants in their collection and now and behold I have my first ABH product! I really really want the cream contour kit but sadly being in the UK its not as easily available. I've really been struggling with my brows recently and they were really uneven when applying product so I thought I'd try something new and go for the Dipbrow Pomade.

I've previously always used Benefits Brow-zings however I feel like I've grown out of it and its making my eyebrows look a little gingery where they first start which is an odd look! I'd seen a few reviews on this so after looking into it some more I picked my shade and it was on its way! I ordered it from Cult Beauty at £15 and it didn't take long to arrive. 

The product itself is just gorgeous, look at the packaging for a start, I love the rose gold detailing and the ABH logo! Dipbrow Pomade is basically just a tinted wax, a very very pigmented wax! I got this in the shade dark brown as I feel with my hair colour being dark this would suit me the post. The colour is very cool toned and makes my brows look more on the black side but I actually really like it! It doesn't give a "sharpie pen" look or anything. With the product being so pigmented light handed strokes are definitely suggested! I use a Real Techniques brush for this, one that came in the eye set just because its the perfect shape and size to quickly fill in your eyebrows! 

This is super easy to use and hardly takes any time to apply, it doesnt use much product to fill in your brows either which means this will last you for such a long time! I feel like this is a game changer in the eyebrow world and that nothing can compare or make my brows look this good! Another great thing is this stays all day, doesnt budge and is waterproof! I really cant express my love for this product enough! 

Paige, x

A product I regret - Urban Decay lip primer potion

Sadly there's always something in a girls make up collection that usually is a regret, this is mine. Make up isn't cheap and when you are really disappointed by a product its quite a kick in the stomach when you cant or don't want to use it again.

This was in a fall collection I believe and was £13. All my reasons as to why this product just isn't for me goes against the entire description of the product.  

"Our invisible primer lays a silky foundation for your favourite lipstick or gloss. Colour is truer, applies smoother, lasts longer, and will not fade or feather. The easy-glide formula feels velvety-soft, without the drying feeling often associated with long-lasting lip colour."

To start with it's so unbelievably drying, that dry you physically cant apply it on your lips. It drags across, not applying any of the product. So its pretty pointless when you cant even use it to begin with. I have to really press it into my lips and I'm not going to lie, it hurts! I've read other reviews and none of them have had this problem so it leads me to think I've just got a bad one from the batch. 

It does absolutely nothing, I've yet to see a difference this makes to my lipstick, if anything it makes it look even worse. My lipstick looks lovely on its own and then when I apply this beforehand it looks even sheerer and like as soon as I do anything with my lips, even speak, its going to come off. It also feels very waxy as if I've just put candle wax all over them which obviously isn't great. 

When it does apply its a thick gloopy wax like consistency, making my lipstick look all clumpy. My lips are made to look very uneven and very lumpy, which is really not a good look. I honestly have nothing good to say about this product, the packaging is nothing special and it doesn't smell or taste of anything.. other than wax.  I really, wouldn't recommend this. 

Paige, x

MAC Strobe Cream

As you all know I have very dry skin so to find a product that aims to either help it or help the look of it, I will most likely be purchasing. 

MAC Strobe Cream can be used in a variety of different ways, the most popular being under the foundation as a sort of moisturiser to illuminate the skin. This is how I use it anyway but it can also be used as a highlighter or just a general moisturiser mixed with a bit of water. One thing just to clarify is that I wouldn't use it everyday as it will clog pores, especially as its quite thick and glittery. Its perfect for the odd day when your skin just needs a bit of help to glow and to make your foundation routine look a little more flawless. 

I only use this in my T-zone and a bit on my cheeks or any dry areas. I can tell straight away my face looks more alive and awake and really does make a difference. If you have a matte foundation that's a little too matte, try mixing some of this in or underneath and it will make you have a whole new look. Every girl with dry or even dull looking skin needs this in their make up bag! Its quite a lot of product you get too so this justify's MAC prices as it will last you ages. You can get this Strobe cream in a smaller size too or also in a liquid form. 

Dont forget if you want a flawless, healthy looking face its not just your foundation but the steps you take before and after. This is a product I heavily recommend and will always use this.

Paige, x