Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter's

Another thing I'm probably quite late to the party with coming at you this week in the form of the Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter's. Something that I've had my eye on for a long time and for some reason I didn't ever pick them up. I seem to be going through a bit of a lip product obsession though so it seemed a good a time as any to try these out!

I was very pleasantly surprised with how pigmented these lip butters are! The texture of them is so lovely and comfortable to wear and completely moisturising - especially seeing as my lips lately have resembled the feeling of sand paper! I got the colours 'Pink Truffle' and 'Berry Smoothie'. 

Pink Truffle looks like a 'your lips but better colour' with brown undertones but also what looks like a slight hint of red undertone when built up. With a few coat this builds up to a lovely deep glossy colour. Berry Smoothie is slightly more pink-toned and again build's up to be quite intense despite being a lip butter form.

I'm so impressed with these and will definitely be picking a few more shades up, I might even spring for the bright colours!

What lip products have you been loving recently?

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

So I'm probably a bit late to the party on this one but I couldn't let this pass by without a mention! I've read mixed reviews about these but lately my other concealers weren't really cutting it for me and I didn't want to fork out for the NARS Creamy Concealer just yet as my skin seems to be having a little change around so I thought I'd try this out seeing as many people have said the Maybelline Fit Me one is a dupe.

I've been using this for a little while now and I am completely head over heels for it! I use this primarily for concealing my under eyes, but my favourite thing to do is use it as a highlight. I particularly like to put this on the tops of my cheekbones and love the natural glow it gives my skin. Recently, I lost this for a couple of days and found that nothing else I had worked quite as well as this does, needless to say I ran out and bought a back up!

This gives fairly good coverage, I have quite dark under eye circles to contend with and it does a good job of highlighting and covering the most part. The texture is quite wet but I like that as it means you have a bit more time to blend it. I find it then sets well as well and stays pretty much all day! I've even used this dotted around the whole of my face as a quick make up job and loved the finish it gave!

Have you tried this concealer before? Let me know of any other recommendations!

Current Favourite Foundation

Rarely do I find a foundation that I actually like. I go through stages of wearing foundation or just swearing off it completely. I'm definitely more of a tinted moisturiser gal' for day to day but I find having quite bad acne scaring it doesn't always give me enough coverage and I still haven't found one that lasts. (The Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser is top of my list to try though!)

I have combination to oily skin so I'm always looking for something to mattify my skin but not stick to my drier patches. I'd watched a video of someone on YouTube trying out the new L'Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation and knew it would be for me! 

It's a fairly medium to high coverage matte foundation that doesn't even feel like you're wearing anything. I use a miracle complexion sponge to just push this onto the skin and damp if my skin is slightly drier one day and the finish is amazing! It claims to last for 24hrs - not something I've tried but it does seem to last really well. I still get a slight shine wearing it all day but nothing like I have with other foundations. Definitely a foundation I'd recommend for oily skin and such a good price!

What's your favourite foundation of the moment?

REN Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial

Recently I've felt my skin has been quite dull and I seem to be getting some really sore spots and breakouts that leave me with quite bad scars. I've reduced the amount of make up I'm wearing and try to keep my skin make up free as much as possible but nothing seems to be working. Until I tried out the REN Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial Mask. 

This stuff is truly amazing! In just the first use I was immediately hooked! I've heard some really good reviews about this but am always sceptical when it comes to masks whether they really do work miracles. This one definitely didn't disappoint! 

I used this in the morning and noticed an immediate difference. My skin looked and felt brighter and a lot more smooth. My spots and scars seem to look a little reduced and not so angry, almost as if a veil had been placed over them.  Just overall, my face looked a lot brighter and more radiant meaning that my make up looked a little better through the day and I didn't really feel I needed to put as much on.

The only thing I didn't really like about this was the smell. I am really sensitive to scents though and I love the product so much I can definitely forgive this one little thing! This is the first product I've tried from REN and I'm definitely going to have to try a few more!

Have you tried anything from REN I should look for?

Soap and Glory Skincare Series - 5 - The Fab Pore 2-in-1 Pore Purifying Mask and Peel

Even just reading the name of these Soap and Glory products I feel slightly tongue tied! Today is the fifth instalment of a little series I'm doing every month looking at a product that I've tried from the Soap and Glory Skincare Range which I absolutely love!

This past month or so I've been trying out the 'Fab Pore 2-in-1 Pore Purifying Facial Mask and Peel'. This is a mask that you leave on for 15 minutes and claims to battle breakouts, minimise large pores and exfoliate the skin.

This mask is a light green colour sort of paste which goes on quite thick. I apply quite a good layer over my whole face really focusing on my T-zone and over the tops of my cheeks where I seem to get quite large pores. I then leave it on for the 15 minutes and use a soft cloth to wipe it off with warm water.

Using this mask I think has definitely helped pep up my skin a bit! After using it I notice that my skin is a bit brighter, a lot smoother and it has been helping me control my breakouts a bit (seeing as I've been having so many of them lately!) It has small micro-beads in as well which really help exfoliate. The scent of this isn't too strong and it just leaves my skin feeling nice and fresh!

Have you tried any good masks lately?

Soap and Glory Skincare Series - 4 - Puffy Eye Attack Turbo-Boost Hydragel

My fourth product I've looked at this past month or so as part of my Soap and Glory Skincare review series is the 'Puffy Eye Attack Turbo-Boost Hydragel'. This is an eye cream that is supposed to help with dark circles under the eyes and puffiness. 

With first use, I found that this made my eyes sting slightly but I seem to have found that with first use of a lot of the Soap and Glory products and that it goes away by the second use. I noticed results however almost immediately! Within a couple of days I did see a slight difference in brightness and a slight reduce in the puffiness under my eyes! (I'm not great at sleeping so my under eye circles are quite bad!)

I use this both in the morning and evening after I apply my moisturiser and dab a tiny amount in all under my eye up to the inner corner and all the way to the bottom of my dark circles with my ring finger - this is the best finger to use as it doesn't pull on the skin at all! I also found that this was nice and moisturising for under my eyes when putting on concealer. Before using this I found that under my eyes was really dry and my concealer didn't sit so well and this has really helped to stop that!

I've used this for over a month now and really like it! I skipped using it a couple of evenings to see if I could notice any difference and again it was almost immediate! The next morning my dark circles were a lot worse and I struggled to cover them!

The tub for this is 14ml so it's really nice and compact and you only use a tiny dab so this will definitely last ages and I definitely recommend it a try! 

Have you tried any new skincare products lately you've loved?

(Also if anyone has any recommendations I'd love to hear them, I seem to be having a tough time with my skin at the moment - breakouts, make up not lasting, pigmentation issues - so I'd love to know if anyone's tried anything they would recommend for a girl with combination skin!)

Soap and Glory Skincare Series - 3 - Instant Radiance Energy Boost Balm

In my third edition to my skincare review series of Soap and Glory products I've been trying out the 'Bright Here Bright Now Instant Radiance Energy Boost Balm' (bit of a tongue tangler!). This is a skin-perfecting cream which claims to lift, energise, tighten and brighten the skin and give a super-radiant glow! My skin has been lacking recently and I feel I quite often go through stages with my skin where it just seems a bit dull and doesn't react well to my make up, so thought I would try this out and see if it helped at all.

 

At first try of this one, as with many of the other Soap and Glory products, it did tingle slightly whilst it soaked in, but by the second go I didn't even notice it was on my skin! It has a bit of a strong scent when you initially pop it onto the skin which I didn't like too much, but doesn't smell at all once rubbed in and soaks in really easily. The formula is pretty much that of a light moisturiser, which is how I like to use it, or it can be mixed in with your foundation/base products. 

I've noticed a slight difference with this, using it in the morning and letting it soak in before doing my make up. I've definitely noticed a bit of a skin-perfecting element (I don't expect it to do much without actual concealer added in as I do have quite bad scaring) and think that it just adds a bit of life to the skin with a bit of a radiance. It's not too brightening that you glow (I have combination skin so was slightly weary but I don't get any more oily in my t-zone than before using it) and it just adds a little highlight where needed! I think it would be really nice to use strategically as a subtle highlighter if you wanted!

I'm definitely going to be trying this out mixed in with tinted moisturiser next!

Have you tried any skincare products recently you've loved?

Review - Maybelline Color Drama Lipstick

As mentioned in my Autumn Beauty Wishlist I have been searching for ages to find the perfect berry lipstick. I'm not entirely sure if this is what I'm looking for but it's definitely close. The Kiko Ace of Diamonds lipstick in 27 'Refined Burgundy' is top of my list at the moment but I'm yet to try it out in real life. So, when I spotted this new reveal by Maybelline and the perfect colour, I just couldn't resist picking one up! This is the Maybelline Color Drama Lipstick in 'Keep it Classy'.

It the tube you don't see the colour so well, but when on the lips this is a great deep berry that has a hint of purple . It's definitely a statement colour but so effortless to apply that it can be worn everyday. It's a really nice formula, light on the lips and no scent as such so really easy to wear. You can use it as a stain patting it onto the lips or straight from the crayon to create a much darker look. The pigment is definitely one of the best I've tried and doesn't have to be built up too much to create maximum effect! Being a pointed 'crayon' shape, you also don't necessarily need a liner as you can easily draw around the shape of the lips and fill in.

Staying power isn't the best as such, I wore it all day on the weekend stopping for lunch, drinks etc and did have to reapply after every time, however I think building up and blotting layers before first application or maybe applying a similar liner all over the lips in the morning will definitely help it stay and stop just the outline of the lipstick remaining after a sip of a drink.

I really love this lipstick as a whole though and will definitely be going and picking it up in a few more colours!

Have you tried these yet? What lipstick are you loving at the moment?

Soap and Glory Skincare Series - Facial Wash

So recently I decided to start a little series for my blog of a brand that I absolutely love! I have always had quite troublesome skin (as many teenagers find) and am extremely strict with myself when it comes to skincare. No matter what, I will always remove all my make up at night, cleanse my face (not with a facial wipe either) and moisturise without fail. However, like many people, I still strive for that perfect, blemish free skin and am always eager to try new things. 

Soap and Glory has become one of my favourite make up and body and bath brands over the years and from the get go of them being in Boots I fell in love with pretty much everything they bring out.  Quite conveniently a couple months ago, I was just coming to the end of my facial wash and wanted a new one, so popped into Boots and picked up this 'Face Soap and Clarity 3-IN-1 Daily Detox Vitamin C Facial Wash'.

This facial wash is really lovely, it feels and smells really fresh and does leave your skin feeling really clear even when you've had a full face of make up on all day. It has tiny 'scrub beads' which gently exfoliate and get rid of any dead skin. The first time I used this it did feel slightly odd as I had used the Liz Earle Hot Cloth cleanse and polish for a while, however for only £8.00 (and also normally either on 3 for 2 or special offer) you can't really go wrong. The 150ml bottle has also lasted me about a month or more using it both morning and evening every day so well worth the price and more!

I'd always rather spend a bit extra on skincare as in the long run it means you would hopefully not have to wear as much make up. I'd definitely recommend giving this a go if you want a bit of a change up in your skincare routine (as long as you check it fits your skin type which it should hopefully do most) and want to try something new!

Let me know if you like this little series or if you have any skincare products you really like?

Love Hope xxx

Mini Make Up Revolution Haul

Recently, as I mentioned a couple of blog posts ago, I visited Superdrug's new Beauty Studio in Cardiff. So obviously, being the make up addict I am, I had to pick up a couple of bits. I ended up picking up 3 products from the Make Up Revolution range that I have never seen (other than online) or tried before. I've not been using them for too long but so far I really like them!

I picked up the eye shadow palette in 'Iconic 3' which has some really lovely pink nude shades. The eye shadows have a good pigment and payoff for everyday neutral colours. I really like these for just a wash of colour over the lid, particularly with the shimmery shades and they blend quite well when you build them up. As many people have probably said before I think this is a good little dupe for the Naked 3 Palette if you don't want to splurge and a bargain at £4!

I've always wanted to try a 'baked bronzer' but been a bit hesitant as to what it would look like. I swatched this one in the shop though and thought it looked just beautiful! I wouldn't use it for a contour as I would some bronzers, but it adds a beautiful very subtle shimmer when I apply it to the top parts of my face that the sun would hit naturally and gives off a lovely glow. I also tried this as an eye shadow when I was in a rush and loved the easy bronzed look that just gives a touch of highlight when needed.

This Blush and Contour palette is great! I picked it up in the shade 'Hot Spice' which consist of some coral shades, a couple of light grey/pink toned contours, a baked blusher and highlighter, perfect for travelling! They're really lovely and pigmented and blend well as a contour easily. The blush shades also look really nice and natural and are really easy to wear everyday or built up for a bit of a stronger evening look.

I'll definitely be purchasing more from Make Up Revolution soon!

Have you tried anything new lately? Or is there anything from Make Up Revolution I should pick up next?

Love Hope xxx