Topshop Lips | 'Firecracker'

It's no secret to anybody that I'm a fan of Topshop's make up line and if you have not tried anything from them yet then I urge you to, even if it's just a little pink nail varnish you pick up I assure you that you'll fall in love and keep going back for more! This is my fourth lipstick from Topshop and I bought it the other week after lusting after it for such a long time. Topshop's lipsticks cost £8.00 (but £7.20 if you have a student card), which makes them one of the higher priced lippie lines on the high street (although some from Revlon are now creeping up to this mark), but their quality is above and beyond their price tag and they can give Mac more than a run for their money. I'd rather have two Topshop lipsticks than one from Mac!

My shade of choice was Firecracker, and no, your eyes are not deceiving you - this is a bright orange lipstick. Bright orange. It looks a little bit red/orange in the photographs and also in the bullet when you see it in real life, but oh no no no this is just orange. There's no denying that it's a bold statement colour to be wearing, but if you want a splash of colour on your lips then why not go all out? There's no pictures of me wearing it because I'm a little camera shy, so I hope this picture will suffice:

That's a little bit of lovin' from me to you right there! Isn't the colour just amazing? The finish on Firecracker is 'Velvet' which means that it is smooth and creamy with about the same amount as shine / gloss that you would get from a balm. The pigmentation is far from compromised by the velvety formula though and just one sweep gives a medium coverage on the lips which is great if you want to wear this more subtley, or a couple more sweeps can easily build it up to the full works of full and opaque coverage. The wear time is pretty good too and lasts for a few hours but leaves a gentle stain of colour on the lips, although be careful when you apply it because I smudged this onto the skin around my mouth and struggled to get the orange stain off! Definitely just looked like a had coldsores or had been messy eating my spag bol!

It's not one for the faint hearted, but it is an amazing statement lip colour that makes a change from classic red and would look amazing on holiday and on hot summer days (that's hard to imagine when it's currently snowing!) because I can just picture it complimenting tanned skin incredibly well. Hurry up sunshine so I can get some more wear out of this beauty!

Is this a lip colour you think you'd be dabbling in when summer rolls around?

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Holy Grail Make-Up: YSL Touche Eclat

Well this little pen of golden goodness and wonder is going to be given a nomination for the 'most awkward and annoying product to photograph for a blog post' award from me. Huuuge frustration took place trying to get this post together, but it's done now and we're here to appreciate and sing the praises of one of the UK's most popular beauty products: YSL Touche Eclat. For me, this a 'holy grail' make up item and one that I can't live without and turn to on practically a daily basis (of course I would technically be able to live without it.. I would just prefer not to). I've tried some of the cheaper dupes out there but I just feel that nothing else will ever be able to compare and come close to the quality and luxury that YSL offers.

This product can often be confused as being solely an under eye concealer, which is what I used it for for quite a long time too, but it is supposed to be used to highlight, illuminate and add radiance. It is a highlighter, not a concealer. Although it doesn't make any promises to conceal dark areas I still find that it is effective and does the job more than well enough for me. It is my favourite way of using this product as I find that it has enough coverage for dark circles and also brightens up the eye area too; something that all of us need from time to time when we haven't had the best nights sleep in the world. The image below shows my eye with nothing but mascara and Touche Eclat so you can see that the coverage is high. Dark circles? What dark circles? If on a day where more coverage is needed then I will apply the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer and then apply the Touche Eclat on top to take advantage of it's light reflecting properties to bring more brightness to the area.

This is a brand new one and I can't say that it didn't hurt forking out £25 for just 2.5ml of product but it literally is my favourite item of make up, ever. From the high end name tag, to the luxurious golden pen, to the soft and delicate brush applicator, to the perfect complexion matching shade, to the coverage, and all the way to it's primary function: highlighting. It's important to understand how this product can be used to it's full potential and not simply for concealing under eye circles. Completing a make up look, sculpting and brightening a face and adding extra dimension to any appearance is achievable with something as simple as the click of a button and the sweep of a brush.

Blended out gently with the fingers in the desired areas (under eyes, cupids bow, brow bone, center of the nose, tops of cheekbones) it provides long-lasting light reflection and brightness to make the face seem more awake and radiant. No discoball shimmer or glitter, simply a 'glow from within' - ha I hate the description 'it makes you look glowing', but this really does (in the best way possible).  

It's not for everybody and some people can't quite understand the hype or justify the price tag, but for me it is a 'must have' and the perfect 'pick me up' product, and if it can't save me from looking tired then I should be worrying! I have the shade #1 which is 'luminous radiance' and also the 'original highlighter' shade so that it should be suitable for most people, but since June 2011 there is now also a wider range of shades available; some more pink, some more yellow and also darker and more olive toned shades too.

This can be bought from any YSL retailer, such as Debenhams, for £25.00 (link)

Do you love the YSL Touche Eclat highlighter as much as I do?

Should I be considering trying the foundation now too? 

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Review: Nivea Express Hydration Primer

So, which category do we put this one in then?

Is it skin care, i.e. a moisturiser?

Is it make up, i.e. a primer?

Nivea: What is it?!

This is what Nivea says:

"A light gel cream which absorbs instantly so you can apply make-up right away. Moisturises your skin with effective Hydrators & Vitamins for long-lasting hydration and provides an even and smooth base for effective make-up application. Helps make-up to stay in place"

Okay, so it's basically a two-in-one product and we all love those don't we, kill two birds with one stone and all that, especially if it's something that is going to reduce the time spent on a morning routine. What this 'gel' does is acts as a moisturiser and a primer, which is clever because they are both the stages that I tend to neglect the most. I don't know if I'm the only one, but I get too frustrated in a morning having to apply moisturiser, hang about until it's all sunk in, then dig out a primer, then a foundation, then a powder, blah blah blah just layering more things onto my face, and if I was to skip any step then it would be a toss up between the moisturiser or the primer (I know it's naughty not to moisturise..). 

So this is the perfect moisturiser for any lazy bones out there just like me who like to minimise these steps and it works to hydrate the skin as well as prepping and priming the skin ready for the day's make-up, as well as helping it to last longer (although not dramatically longer, maybe just an hour or two).

The gel consistency helps it to be light on the skin and be really quick at sinking in, which I love because it means I don't have to sit and twiddle my thumbs before I can slap on some foundation! Since using this I have found it to be just 'okay' at performing its combined functions; it's not the best or the worst moisturiser, and it's neither the best or worst primer either. But it performs adequately in both areas and for the price (£4.99, regularly discounted to £3.99) then it's hard to grumble. For someone who isn't too fussed about spending a huge amount on their skincare and likes the lazy girl way out of a product being a 2-in-1 then this will probably be perfect for a lot of people! I like using it when I don't need a moisturiser that's too intense and for just basic every day wear when it's nothing special, it makes a great cheap and cheerful make-up base.

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Review: Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer || RRP: £4.19

 

Less than a fiver for the best concealer ever? Well that's something I can get used to! Since starting using this the only thing I've regretting is not welcoming it to my life sooner! I have nothing but praise for this little £4 tube of wonder that beats any high end brand concealer. Thick and creamy in consistency with incredibly full coverage, but blends out easily to not look obvious and although I'm not sure on the full '16 hour' claim, the wear time is still pretty impressive and withstands both full working days and long nights out.

 

I have just one problem with this product ..one! And that's that it doesn't take very long at all before it looks like the picture show just below. But that's hardly a big deal is it? A little bit of writing rubbed off the tube is nothing to worry about. Every other thing about this gets a big, big thumbs up from me!

 

 



Using the doe-foot applicator this works fantastically well covering both under eye circles and blemishes without going cakey/creasing (okay well it creases under the eye a little bit but what do you expect when it's your eye?). I've this concealer in two shades (1 - fair, and 2 - light) but you can see that there's quite a big difference between them on the bottom picture below. Most of the time I use 1 - fair, but if I've got a bit of fake tan or a darker foundation on then I can just mix in a touch of 2 - light to make the shade more appropriate. It's also available in shades 3 and 4 too.

 

 

 

If somebody told me that I could only have one item of make-up for the rest of my life then this concealer would be a serious contender to be 'the one'. If you've not tried this yet then I urge you to try it and you won't look back! £4.19 well spent!

Sleek Face Form Palette

Hey girls! With the recent release of the 'Naked Flushed' palette from Urban Decay (here is a good post by Christine on that palette: link), I thought that this would be the perfect chance to talk to you all about a much more purse-friendly dupe that you can pick up from your local Superdrug: Sleek's 'Face Form' palette. 

Sleek's high street offering of a very similar looking palette to Urban Decay's version will set you back just half the price at only £10.00 which is incredibly reasonable for a 3-in-1 product. So what does this 'Face Form' palette contain? Well, it's only everything that you need for perfectly contoured cheeks! This handy little compact contains a matte contouring powder, a shimmer highlighting powder, and a shimmer blush in the shade 'Rose Gold' (a very popular Sleek blush on it's own). The packaging is basic but still classic and contains a mirror too which is a nice little bonus. It comes as a sleek black case that is a very small, compact size which makes it ideal for travel - I'd much rather be carrying this around with me than three separate products!

Both the 'Contour Kit' (just the contour and the highlight) and the 'Rose Gold' blush are popular products from Sleek and I'd been lusting after both of these for quite a long time, but when I was mooching around Superdrug and just happened to see all three of these lovely powders in one compact little case I was sold and I hopped down to the till and handed my tenner over with pleasure!

All of the three shades are lovely and 'buttery' and I've been reaching for this on most days as it's all you really need; just a light sweep of each over the cheeks makes such a difference because they're so well pigmented (sorry that there's no pictures of this on my face), and I got the shade 'Light' which is perfect for my complexion but it is also available in 'fair', 'medium' and 'dark' so there should be something for everyone! 

Topshop Lips | 'Macaroon'

Hey, what's that? Hannah likes Topshop lipsticks? Oh really.. you should have said. 

Priced at £8.00 each (£7.20 if you're a lucky owner of a student card), lipsticks from Topshop are on the higher end of highstreet make up price spectrum, but they are every bit worth those few extra pennies. On par with the quality from Mac and with a huge range of shades and finishes available there is something for everybody to be found at the Topshop make up stands. Sticking with my standard colour of a bright pink, but opting for a different finish from usual (velvet), Macaroon became a new member of my collection a couple of weeks ago and was welcomed with open arms with summer days in mind.

Being a 'velvet' finish as opposed to matte, means that it has a lot more of a creamy texture and is far more moisturising on the lips, although the wear time is slightly compromised. It still lasts for a good 3 hours because needing to reapply (providing you're not eating or drinking in this time) and the colour gently and evenly fades away but does not leave a stain on the lips. It feels nourishing like a balm but with still quite a bright pop of colour and a glossy but non-sticky finish. This is a very wearable shade, suitable for every day wear and is a calm coral-y peach toned pink - I love it!

And here it is in action!

(Squinty squinty because it's sunny)

What do you think of Topshop lipsticks?

Do you have any recommendations for me? ..I'm think of trying Sartorial next!

What's In My Make Up Bag?

Wow. I am literally in shock! This is my big old make up bag that cost me just £3.00 from Primark that I never, ever empty or attempt to sort out in any way shape or form. I travel back and forth between home and university more or less every weekend and this is what I call my 'essentials bag' that travels with me as there's bits and bobs of make up etc at both ends of my life but these are my core products that I'll always be reaching for wherever I am. It's pretty hefty for a bag of 'essentials', especially when I've always considered myself as low maintenance!

 

At the start of September this bag set off with pretty minimal contents but has since accumulated to quite a large amount, but surprisingly the bag is still no where near to be bulging - it fits SO much inside it. I haven't ever really known what's inside this bag until I decided to take the snaps for this post and I started scooping everything out and I don't understand how it all even fits in there? Of course bear in mind that I don't wear every single one of these products every day; they're just my favourites that I pick and choose from, so here's what's in my make up bag:

 

The Base:
The Body Shop Mattifying Day Cream | Benefit The Pore-Fessional Primer | Caudalie Perfecting Day Fluid | Witch BB Cream | The Body Shop Tea Tree Primer 

The Face:
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder | Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation | Benefit Sunbeam | Topshop Holidaze Bronzer | YSL Touche Eclat | Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

So much love for these three and it's obvious from the scruffy state of their packaging!
 

Minis and sample sizes are perfect for the make up bag!!
Benefit The Pore-Fessional | Benefit Sunbeam | Clinique Chubby Stick | Clinique High Impact Mascara

The Eyes:
MUA Single Eyeshadow | ELF Brow Kit | Rimmel Scandaleyes Nude Eyeliner | Benefit Instant Brow Pencil | MaxFactor Masterpiece Beyond Length Mascara | MaxFactor Masterpiece Colour Precision Eyeshadow | Barry M Metallic Liquid Eyeliner | Clinique High Impact Macara

The Lips:
Revlon Lip Butter in 'Berry Smoothie' | Clinique Chubby Stick | Carmex Cherry Lip Balm | Blistex Relief Cream | Balance Me Lip Balm | Einstein Lip Therapy Balm
Are these all really necessary??

30ml Next 'Just Pink' Perfume

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream | The Body Shop Vitamin E Eye Cream

Miscellaneous:
Tweezers | Bracelet(?) | Plenty of hair grips! | Make up brushes

Real Techniques Core Collection Brush Set

For just a day to day basis there is so much in here that I don't use, especially lip balm wise! I'm going to have a little sort through and probably down size it a lot! 

Yep, it all fits in!

..Fits in AND zips up!

♥