Beauty Products

Autumn Beauty Favourites

| Suzi Tench

Autumn Beauty Favourites

With the weather turning colder, the need for central heating being switched on fast approaches, the nights getting darker and fashion moved towards a more cosy style a lot of women will be changing up their beauty routines and products so I thought I would share some of my favourite autumn beauty products.

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Clockwise from bottom left – Eyebrow Razor, Dr Botanicals Pomegranite Superfood Regenerating Sleep Mask, Pixi Mesmerising Minerals Eyeshadow Palette in Mineral Contour, Lush Ultrabland Cleanser, Pixi Mesmerising Minerals Eyeshadow Palette in Desert Sunset, Revive Micro Needle Facial Roller, Facial Brush, Eyebrow Razor (folded).  Centre – Lush Breath Of Fresh Air Toner.

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These are my Autumn favourite beauty tools.  The top item is my facial brush, which used with a cleanser, can help to brighten the skin by boosting circulation and removing dead skin cells.  At this time of the year, my skin can suffer pretty badly from looking lacklustre and dull so using this can help it to look brighter.

Second down in the picture is my microneedle roller, this tool has lots of super fine needles covering the roller part.  Using this once a fortnight can help to boost collagen which can help to reduce wrinkles, firm the skin and can help to reduce scars.  Another benefit is that it can help products penetrate the skin more easily.

Bottom of the picture is eyebrow razors, which can also be used as dermaplaning blades.  Dermaplaning can help to exfoliate the skin while also removing fine facial hair.  I have found that dermaplaning can help with dry skin and spots as it removes any dead skin cells.

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Lush Ultrabland is my favourite cleanser for the autumn and winter months.  It is a cream that you melt in your hands before rubbing over your face, then using a toner, or damp flannel, to remove the excess.  This cleanser is really oily and moisturising without being harsh or stripping any oils from the skin.  It is also really gentle on the skin.  This product is perfect for my skin which gets really dry when going from the cold outside into centrally heated environments.

Dr Botanicals Pomegranite Superfood Regenerating Sleep Mask is a trial version but I love it so much that once it is empty I will be purchasing the full-size version!  After cleansing my skin before bed, I apply a thin layer of this to my face then go to bed.  In the morning my skin feels soft, less irritated and dry, and looks glowing.  It is definitely some kind of miracle worker in my opinion!

Lush Breath of Fresh Air Facial Toner comes in this handy pump spray bottle and means that just the right amount is dispensed so there is no waste.  It contains rose absolute which is really calming for the skin and patchouli which is an astringent which helps to tackle spots and oil production.  I use this once I have cleansed my skin, just spritz it onto my face and leave to dry.  I have used this in the day when my skin needs a little pick-me-up too.

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I picked both of these Pixi Mesmerising Mineral Eyeshadow Palettes from my local Tk Maxx as I was looking for an earthy, copper palette that could be used for autumn makeup looks.  I couldn’t decide between the 2 palettes and in the end came home with both!  The first palette, on the left, is the Mineral Contour palette, the darkest shade is a charcoal black matte finish powder while the rest of the shades all seem to have a slight shimmer to them.  I was drawn to this one as it has a lovely range of brown colours which can all work on their own or in a combination to produce a fairly neutral coloured eye.  The second palette, on the right, is the Desert Sunset palette which has 4 matte or semi-matte shades (the red at the bottom, orange, brick brown and the darker brown) there are 2 shimmer shades – the bronze and copper shades at the top.  I was drawn to this palette as it was a bit brighter than the other, I really loved the shades of red, orange and copper and they were the shades I had been on the search for.  Both palettes are in shades that I tend to go for in the autumn and I know they will get good use!

Do you have any Autumn Beauty Favourites?  I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

I Heart Revolution Review

| Suzi Tench

Eyeshadow Review

About a month or so ago I was perusing my local Superdrug aisles looking for some inspiration for a new makeup look.  I had decided that, as summer was coming I wanted to freshen up my makeup, the easiest way being through eyeshadow.  My eye was drawn to the I Heart Revolution display – it is a very eye-catching display that is chock full of fun looking makeup in so many different colours!  I spent an age looking at all the different things that they have available (and have added a ton to my wishlist!!!) and finally decided to purchase the Unicorn Eyeshadow Kit.

Take your eye game to the next level. Starring nine dreamy shades from soft lilac to sparkling silver in matte and shimmer finishes, this magical palette is perfect for getting your beauty look down from day to night.

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There are 9 shadows in a white plastic pallet which has a clear, hinged lid.  The shadows are a mix of matte and shimmer finishes, 4 that is shimmer and 4 that are matte and one that looks a bit shimmery but applies more of a matte (the dark purple in the bottom right corner).

I love the packaging, it is nice to have a pallet that uses white as the casing rather than black, the clear lid is printed with metallic (almost mirror finish) pink wording and little stars.

The theme of “Unicorns” is apparent in the shadow which features raised unicorn heads on the shadow.  It all looks very cute.

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The shadow doesn’t come with any names but here is a brief description from my own perspective…

Top Row (L to R)

  • Matte lavender
  • Pearlescent white
  • Matte bright pink

Middle Row (L to R)

  • Metallic bright silver
  • Matte pale baby pink
  • Metallic pale yellow

Bottom Row (L to R)

  • Mattte mid-tone pinkish purple
  • Metallic pale blue toned purple
  • And lastly, the undecided matte/metallic deep purple
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In natural light

I swatched the shadows, using one swipe of each colour (the order is the same as given above) and you can see that the colours are fairly bright and apply evenly.  I did struggle to capture the matte pale baby pink and the metallic pale yellow which is a shame as in person they appear much brighter!

The application, as I said above, is fairly even and all apply with the same consistency.  I have found that they have not creased at all during a days wear (average of 8 hours), they blend easily and remove really well.  In the past, I have had issues with bright pink shadow pigment staining my skin but I am pleased to say that there are no staining issues from these!!!

I have surprised myself with how much I have been reaching for this pallet and that I have used all of the colours, normally with ant pallet I have a tendency to use the same 2 or 3 shades and ignore the rest!

I have used this shadow pallet for work, home and going out looks and some of my favourite looks are to use the matte pale baby pink over my whole lid and then complete the look with a swipe of eyeliner and some mascara.  The bright pink teams well with a silver inner eye and the deep purple used in the socket area.  I have used the metallic pale yellow all over my eye and then the matte bright pink in the outer corners of my eye with the silver on the inner corners.  The metallic pale blue toned lavender tends to get paired with either the silver or pearlescent white to accent the eye.

Have you got any favourite makeup pallets that you use?  I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

 

 

Top 10 Beauty Products

| Suzi Tench

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Today’s Top 10 Thursday post is all about my favourite Beauty Products!

  • Moisturizer.  Nivea Soft has been one of my favourite moisturisers for the last few years.  I find that  little goes a long way!  After washing my face in the morning I apply this then leave it to sink into my skin while getting dressed.  By that time my face is lovely and soft and I am ready to start applying my makeup.
  • Primer.  Barry M Flawless Primer has been something I have bought and rebought several times now!  I find that for my skin, which is dry in places and oily in others, this works really well as a base for all my makeup.
  • Foundation.  I prefer cream foundations over liquid or powder because of my skin being so temperamental and have found GOSH Foundation Plus+ to work really well with my skin and stays looking fresh all day.
  • Concealer.  I am a huge fan of Maybelline Dream Brightening Creamy Concealer.  The product is in a twist up pencil style packaging which makes for easy application and the product works wonders on blemishes and under-eye shadows.
  • Blush/Highlighter.  Collection Highlight, Blush and Bronze kit has been one of my all-time favourite kits and I am nearing the end of my second pallet.  The bronze is matte which is perfect for contours, the blush is a pretty pink tone which works really well with my skin tone and the highlight is shimmery without being ott sparkly.
  • Brow Kit.  I have only just started to really do much with my brows aside from plucking them and having them shaped and I am currently loving Collection Incredibrow kit which contains 3 powders and clear brow mascara.  The kit also comes with a handy applicator brush and a small mirror on the packaging.
  • Eyeshadow.  I recently bought I Heart Revolution Fantasy Eyeshadow Kit in Unicorn which comprises 9 shadows in pinks, purples, silver and white.  The finishes are matte, shimmer and metallic.  It has been my go-to pallet since I bought it and I have been able to create so many different looks with all the shadows!
  • Eyeliner.  I usually use a felt pen style liner but recently I have been using I Heart Revolution Fantasy Eyeliner in black.  The long handle on the applicator helps when creating a fine line and flicks as it gives more control to your movements.
  • Mascara.  I am currently using MUA Eye Define Nourish and Care mascara which I am finding really lovely to use.  It doesn’t flake or smudge and really helps to define my eyes.
  • Brushes.  I have been a fan of Real Techniques brushes for a long time but recently I have found myself reaching, more and more, for my Eco Tools brushes.  I have been really liking how my eyeshadow and highlighter applies with the brushes I have of theirs.