Me and my skin.

This post has been inspired by a video I stumbled across on Youtube by My Pale Skin (link to video) and it really got me thinking about the journey I've been on with my skin. 

My skin is something I've always had a love-hate relationship with. One day it'll be smooth, matte and look amazing, the next I can be an utter grease ball and have flaky skin. I've always felt self conscious of my skin as I'm quite freckly on my arms and face and have been on a never ending battle to find a foundation which covers the freckles on my face. 

After looking through some old photos not so long ago, I realised how different my skin is now to when I was a teenager. I stumbled across a photo of myself I took when I was around 17, now to look at this you'd think okay..your skin isn't that bad, but trust me, under that foundation I was hiding a multitude of marks. When I look back at this photo, I realise how self conscious I was as a teenager, and how much this has effected me right up until this day. And I now realise how much it shouldn't have done. 

Throughout my teenage years, I went from pillar to post with my acne. One day I'd feel confident enough to go out without foundation on as my skin had cleared a little more, other days I would sit and re-do my foundation 2-3 times before I even left the house because I didn't think it looked right. I frequently wore long sleeved tops to cover my arms or wore 3/4 sleeves because I hated how my freckles looked, despite people telling me that they're nothing to be ashamed of and that actually they're a sign of "beauty". I also remember at one point, I wanted to give up because nothing I used or wore made me feel any better.

Fast forward 5 years and I'm now in my early 20's (22 to be exact!) and it's a completely different story. 

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not fully there yet. I still have the odd breakout, my skin is still very much so going through phases of being greasy, dry, freckly, spotty. I also have a lot more red pigmentation in my skin now then I did back then. But I now know how to manage it better. It's amazing after 5 years how much different I feel. I go out a lot more often without makeup on now, and if anything my freckles are more noticeable now than they were back then. My face no longer bothers me, if I get a spot I think hey, it'll go, it might leave a scar but I now know how to tackle it, should I need to. 

Another thing I've always worried about throughout my teenage years and into my 20's is stretch marks. The skin on the rest of my body is very very fair, so any little mark stands out like a sore thumb. I've always had stretch marks on the sides of my boobs and the very tops of my thighs, but I've always worried about getting stretch marks on any other part of my body. My stomach mainly, as I've always been extremely self conscious of this area and if anything, I've done everything in my power to stop getting stretch marks and it's worked.

However, all of this changed when I had my appendix out last August. 

This is the first photo I've taken of my stomach since last year (apart from the day after I had my appendix out to show my sister my scars) and it honestly makes me feel so sad looking at this. 

Before anyone asks, I haven't lost a substantial amount of weight, nor have I put it on. This all started appearing around 2 months after having my appendix out. I don't have any words to describe what it feels like for me to look at this photo, and to post it on the internet. I remember showing someone these because I didn't know what products to use to make them fade and the words uttered out of their mouth have stayed with me since. "You look as if you've had a baby, or you might as well have done with those". 

To me, this has knocked me back so much. As I said previously, I'm really not bothered by my face any more but this? This gets me down every single day and I don't know what to do about it. They're deep, they're red, they're itchy and they're sore. I hated my stomach to begin with and this just tops it off really. 

I know stretch marks fade with time and a lot of you might be thinking "well how many people actually see your stomach..." but that's not the point. I know they're there and I don't know when they'll go. 

Having my appendix out has really left a mental scar for me, one that I'd rather forget. These stretch marks are a daily reminder for me of what I went through, how scared I was and how helpless I felt. The doctors told me that I'd only have a tiny scar on my stomach, which is actually slap bang in the middle of that huge stretch mark on the left side of my stomach. Now I'm left with these. Yes it upsets me and in fact it's upset me writing this post, but I need to get to grips with having them and learn how to love them, because they're here to stay. 

This post is to just remind myself that although I may not have the perfect skin, I just need to be a little bit more grateful for the skin that I do have. 

Do you have any skin imperfections, if so what are they and how do you deal with them?

♥

What's in my makeup bag - March 2015.

I've not done one of these posts since August last year and I thought I'd just do a quick update. (Link to previous post) I'm still using the same makeup bag (Cath Kidston) but some of my makeup items have changed. 

Let's jump right in to it! 

1. Nivea Pearl Beauty roll on deodorant. This was in my previous post however this is actually a new tin as I use this daily. Again, I repurchased this for £1.00 from Lidl which is where I tend to get my toiletries from nowadays! 

2. Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hr Foundation in Light Porcelain. I've been swapping between two foundations recently as my skin cannot decide whether it wants to be dry, oily or a bit of both. This is a perfect colour match for my skin and although my face does get greasy after about 6 hours, it is still a very good foundation. I actually picked this up from B&M bargains for about £2.00! 

3. MUA kohl eyeliner in jet black. I finally replaced my eyeliner a couple of months ago!! This is just your standard black eyeliner. This lid actually has a sharpener built in which is SO handy. Not particularly long lasting, but then again no eyeliner is on me! It's a very creamy eyeliner so is great for smudging. This was only £1.00 from Superdrug, so I'm pleased! 

4. I Heart Makeup Lip Lava in Forgiven. Oh my god I LOVE THESE THINGS. I've wanted these since they were released but only just got round to purchasing them. These are so pigmented, long lasting and such great quality for the price. This is such a handy sized tube, I keep this in my makeup bag all the time now. I purchased this off the MUR website for £2.99. 

5. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. I should really get a new one of these as my cat got hold of it...it now has tiny little teeth marks in it! I love this sponge, I was really against the whole beauty blender hype but now I would never go back. I have been switching between this and my duo fiber brush this month because I found that some days a brush just does not want to work on my skin. I'm pretty sure everyone knows what this does...I bought it from Superdrug for around the £6.00 mark. 

6. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in translucent. This has been a staple in my makeup bag for years. It's the powder that I keep going back to time and time again but it just works on my skin so well. I very rarely have to top my powder up when I'm using this, it really does keep me matte! This powder has been around for years, I remember using it when I was about 16 years old! You can purchase this from Rimmel stockists for around £4.00.

7. Essence Get Big Lashes Vol Curl Mascara. If you've read through my top mascara post, you'll know that this is my firm favourite. I picked this up a couple of months ago when my local Wilkinsons store started stocking Essence. Now I'm really picky over my mascaras...they have to make my lashes look false, full and pretty much never flake off. This mascara does all 3 and for the price, I think that's pretty friggen amazing. I picked this up from Wilkinsons for £2.30. 

8.  Essence all about matt! oil control makeup base. I've never been a huge fan of primers however as soon as I hit my 20's, my skin has gone a little bit crazy. I suffered with acne in my teenage years but lately I've been suffering with oily skin. It's weird, one day I will have really dry skin, the next will be oily. I picked this up from Wilkinsons and really didn't know what to expect, however I was quite impressed. I wouldn't say it makes my makeup any more matte than it normally would be but it definitely keeps in it place longer! I notice if I ever forget to put in on before my foundation. For some reason I can't find a link to this on Wilkinsons but I'm pretty sure it was only about £2.00. 

9. Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in dark brown. Good god I've had this for as long as I can remember...I've actually got a new one waiting to be used in my makeup stash and to be honest I think I'll swap this over pretty soon. I've used this eyebrow pencil right from the point of when I started filling my eyebrows in as I find it really easy to create definition with this. I do find, however, that when I use the brush it tends to actually wipe this product off? I don't know if it's because it's old but I do have to go back over with a powder. I picked this up from Superdrug for £2.99 but you can also get it from good Rimmel stockists. 

10. Makeup Revolution Foc & Fix Eyebrow Shaping Kit in medium/dark. Okay I know I'm not the only person that's head over heels in love with Makeup Revolution but seeeeriously this brand has me hooked. I love this mini palette, it's the perfect match for the eyebrow pencil I use but it just creates that little bit more definition which I need. It comes with 3 shades varying from light brown to dark brown. I have to say, I haven't actually used the wax as of yet because I find the powder has such good staying power in my eyebrows anyway. I picked this up from Superdrug for £2.50 but you can also pick it up directly from the Makeup Revolution website. 

11. Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Combination/Oily skin in Ivory 110. This foundation is one that I just keep coming back to. I previously used the Normal/Dry skin formula in my teens and found it was literally a perfect match for me. Now I've got more oily skin, I've opted for the combi/oily formula and I have to say I'm in love with this foundation again. I love the finish this leaves on my face, it's almost powdery? I know some people won't like that but I very rarely get oily skin from this foundation. The only time I do is if I put too much primer/powder on with it. This foundation has serious staying power on my skin, I can wear it for a good 14+ hours without it budging (yes, I really wear my makeup for that long!). Needless to say, I will repurchase this foundation time and time again for as long as it's made. I picked this up from Superdrug for £12.45 but you can also get it from Boots for the same price. 

12. Superdrug Compact Puff. These come in a pack of 3 and I've always used these to apply my powder. I have never found a technique as of yet that's more effective in applying my powder. Again, these were from Superdrug for £1.89 but you can pick them up from almost anywhere that stocks makeup sponges/tools. 

13. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in shade Fair. Who in the beauty universe doesn't like the concealer? I'm going to admit, I've literally only started using it this month and it's safe to say I'm yet another person that loves it. It really does live up to the hype, however I find it a little too thick to use under my eyes as it can feel quite heavy if not blended out enough. I get extremely high coverage off this concealer and yes, it has incredible staying power. I picked this up from Boots for around £4.00 however you can also pick it up from Collection stockists such as Superdrug. 

14. Primark hair bobble. A statement in my makeup bag, alongside bobby pins. I'm forever searching for something to tie my hair up with as it really irritates me sometimes! I picked up a huge pack of these for £1.00. 

15. Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner in Black 1. This is another product I keep coming back to time and time again, I even have a stash of these waiting to be used! I don't use as much liquid eyeliner any more as I tend to opt for a toned down look however this is one that I find works the best for me. Some people say this burns their skin but I have never found it to have done that on mine. It lasts all day on my skin until I take my makeup off. I picked this up for around £2.00 from Superdrug. 

16. Primark compact mirror. I've had this in my makeup bag for a while now, I find it really helpful to keep in there in case I have any issues with my contact lenses or if I need to have a quick look at something. Considering this was only £1.00, this has lasted so well! It seems pretty robust and doesn't seem like it's going to break any time soon. 

17. Boots Precision Grip Straight Tweezers. I actually keep two pairs of tweezers in my makeup bag purely for the fact I always lose one. I love the feel of these, they have a slightly rubberised texture to the grip so they're really easy to hold. Also, I find the straight edge helpful when taming my brows! I picked these up from Boots for £3.80. The second pair I keep in my makeup bag are from Superdrug for £1.80. 

18. Superdrug Eyebrow brush and comb. I only recently purchased this as the brush on the end of my eyebrow pencil has gotten a bit grubby. It's a basic eyebrow comb, but it does the job. I picked this up for £1.99. 

19. Wilko Premium Stippler Found Brush. I actually really like Wilkinsons when it comes to makeup accessories because even though they're quite cheap in price, the quality doesn't lack. I've used this brush so many times and washed it out time and time again, I'm yet to see one bristle fall out. Seriously, this has to be the only brush I've had where the bristles haven't fallen out! I didn't want to spend a lot on a duo fiber brush as I wasn't sure if I'd like one or not but I was pleasantly surprised. I purchased this for £4.00. 

My god, this makes me realise just how much I carry around with me, no wonder I get backache so often! I hope this has been an interesting post to read! 

♥

Makeup Revolution collection.

First of all, let me apologise for the absence from this blog lately. I've had so much going on, I've left my job, I've been quite poorly, I've been doing Insanity and to be honest, my heart just hasn't been in blogging lately. However, I'm back! I'm back with a positive attitude.

So without further ado, let's actually get on with this post! Today I'm going to be showing you my Makeup Revolution collection. It's a small collection but I felt it was worthy of posting, and  I felt as MUR is firmly earning it's name in beauty, it's time to add my two pence. 

On the top row we have the Focus & Fix eyebrow palette, Conceal and Cover palette and the much sought after (well...not this one!) I Heart Makeup Death By Chocolate palette. 

On the bottom row we have the Flawless 32 eyeshadow palette, Iconic 1 eyeshadow pallette, as well as Iconic 2 and Iconic 3

I didn't actually take a single photo of the eyebrow palette as it's literally a standard trio of eyeshadow shades with a wax. I normally use the colour above the wax as I find this suits my skin tone the most, it lasts all day and yeh, it's a basic eyebrow palette!

Let's have a look at the Conceal and Cover palette. I purchased this for £6 and I bought this thinking that yes, I'll use every shade and I'll love it and be converted to this. Sadly, this wasn't the case. I've only used 2, maximum 3 shades out of this palette because the staying power just isn't that great and the further down the palette, the more orange the tones get. Now I actually swatched these in the shop to see what the payoff was like and what the colours were like and I thought they were a good match. Maybe I just have a dud? I don't know. I'm more than likely going to pass this on to someone who has darker skin than me, but if you're someone with multi toned skin then this would be perfect for you. 

 The I Heart Makeup Death by Chocolate palette is the newest in my collection and I LOVE it. I've worn shades from this palette every single day since I bought it. I'm pretty sure this was £7.99? I wanted the white palette for so long and I've not been able to find it anywhere and it has been out of stock on the website for as long as I've been checking so I finally bit the bullet and bought the Death by Chocolate palette. Firstly, I love the packaging and I know this is one of the things that has caused a divide in the beauty world, some love it, some hate it. Personally, I love it. It makes the palette chunky, something that I really like. And a bonus with this palette is that is has a full size mirror in the lid which is actually very handy. When I opened this, I don't know if it's psychological but I actually thought it smelt quite...cocoa power...y? Please tell me I'm not going insane and other people have smelt it too? Either way, this palette has a gorgeous mixture of mattes and shimmers which are super wearable, the colour payoff as expected is absolutely amazing and the longevity again, as expected, is extremely good. I'm still on the lookout for the white palette but seriously don't over look this one, you'll be surprised. 

The Flawless palette is one of the largest palettes I have and for the money (£8) I thought the quality of these eyeshadows wasn't going to be so great. My god, wasn't I wrong! I love this palette, it's got such a large mixture of colours and again, it's between mattes and shimmers. I've created so many looks with this palette, it's a firm favourite right now. Colour payoff is to be expected, quite pigmented and long lasting. However, I find these shadows work best with an ever so slightly damp brush to really get that shimmer to show. The packaging is the standard MUR black, slimline palette with the full size mirror, which I really love. I'm surprised that such a budget brand has this type of packaging to be honest but I'm pretty sure it's not just me that likes it. The shades in this palette are such a warm tone, apart from the few at the top which I use as either a base colour or a transition shade. I especially love the second to last row, the colours make my eyes look so green when I use them. I'm pretty sure there's another palette called Eyes like Angels (or something along those lines) but I wasn't too keen on those colours but again, I'm not going to overlook it as I may change my mind in the future. 

 Ahhh, the Iconic palettes. These were the palettes which have lead to my obsession with MUR, as I found out they were a very very good dupe for the UD Naked palettes (which I refuse to part with my money for!). I'd never heard of the company before so after doing a little bit more investigating, I've grown to love them. Even though the packaging on these are a little different to the newer palettes, I still don't feel let down. I purchased these at £4 each which in my eyes, is SO cheap! These palettes are absolutely amazing payoff, again with most of the MUR palettes these are a mixture of shimmers and mattes but in the most gorgeous warm tones. These have taken a bit of a back seat in my collection as it's expanded but after looking at them this morning, I definitely need to start using them again. 

If you're one of these people like me who become addicted to Youtube, watching people buying all these new MUR palettes and raving about them, as soon as you get one you will understand why. I'm not sure just how long Makeup Revolution has been around for but their products are a firm favourite of mine and thousands of others. I don't know how they release so many new palettes so frequently (I've even heard that it's possibly MUA repackaged...I don't believe that!) but this company have certainly taken the beauty industry by storm and for good reason too. I'm slowly going over to the I Heart Makeup range too with their lip lavas (omggg!) but I thought I'd give you an insight in to my collection that I have at the moment. 

Have you tried anything from Makeup Revolution or from the I Heart Makeup range? If so, what are your opinions? 

♥

Top 3: Mascaras.

The last few months have been a huge change for me regarding my makeup. I've been more adventurous with both applying and purchasing makeup I necessarily wouldn't have done beforehand. One thing I'm quite...anal (shush!) about is my mascara. I like big, thick, dramatic lashes. My natural lashes are quite dark, long and thick anyway but I like serious lashes! The only downside is the price of most of the mascaras I like is normally over £10 and I'm sorry but I'm just not okay with spending that amount on a mascara. This is why I shop around and try out mascaras people normally would pass their eyes over. 

My top 3 mascaras price range is from £2.30 to £7.99, but each of these have topped it as my favourite because they all do the same thing, which is making my lashes thick, long and dramatic. 

The first mascara is Essence Get Big Lashes volume curl mascara.

Essence has taken the beauty world by storm and for quite a good reason too. I've tried a couple of their products and have been seriously impressed with them. This mascara is a good, thick formula and even though I've been using it for a couple of weeks, it doesn't seem like it's dried out at all which is a good thing because 99% of mascaras I've owned in the past have dried out in a couple of weeks! The tube itself is quite large, so it's easily to hold whilst you're applying the product. The brush itself is a classic bristle brush, but it's quite large which means it can cover more lashes in one swipe. It's also curved, which obviously means (or is supposed to...) it changes the shape of your lashes. And yes, this mascara costs £2.30. An absolute BARGAIN. This, for me, has taken over a firm favourite of mine because it does exactly the same as the more expensive mascara I will mention in this post. It makes my lashes long and thick in one swipe and is easily buildable for more dramatic lashes. I love the formula of this mascara, I love the brush, it doesn't flake off on my face and doesn't clump easily either. Did I mention it was only £2.30? This mascara retails at Wilkinsons both in store and online. 

The next mascara is Rimmel Extra Super Lash.

This was one I had been using for years as it was the cheapest I could find. Again, this mascara has a curved brush but I didn't actually realise you could get just a straight brush in this mascara too. To me, this has quite a wet formula so you have to be careful when you're applying it because if you blink it'll go everywhere! I found this was better after the first week or so of use as it had dried out a little. You definitely have to build layers with this if you want thick lashes but it definitely gives you long lashes in one swipe. The tube itself is quite thin so it doesn't feel like you get a lot of product but my last tube lasted me quite a while. I'm not sure I'd repurchase this mascara now I've found better ones, but it was one I had repurchased time and time again, normally for around £4.99. It's widely available with Rimmel retailers and online too. 

The last and possibly the most popular mascara, Maybelline "The Falsies" mascara.

This mascara is just amazing. I've used this on and off for YEARS and something just keeps bringing me back to it. This mascara gives you thick, dramatic lashes in one swipe but again is easily buildable for even more out-there lashes. The brush is almost flat and curved, it's really odd but it gets lashes I didn't even know I had. I found this mascara would crumble quite easily which was rather annoying as I'd end up with black flecks on my face throughout the day. The only problem I have is that it dries out REALLY quickly, its fine for about the first couple of weeks then it goes dry and crumbly. I love the brush on this mascara, I have tried the "flared" version of this and wasn't so keen as they seemed to have changed the shape of the brush and found it a little more difficult to reach my corner lashes. Honestly, this would be my staple if it wasn't so expensive too! It retails for around £8 in almost every drugstore, so it's easily available. 

So, there we have it, my top 3 mascaras. Which mascaras are your favourites?

♥

What's in my makeup bag - August 2014

I get asked quite frequently what makeup I use, so I thought I might as well do a "What's in my makeup bag" post. 

My makeup bag is a Cath Kidston cosmetic bag (now discontinued) but I'm pretty sure I picked it up for £8. They normally retail at £12 and are available from independent Cath Kidston retailers as well as on the Cath Kidston website. I love this cosmetic bag as it's not too big (basically it fits all my rubbish in there..) and it's also made from a fabric you can wipe clean if you get any makeup on it, which inevitably I have. If you know me in person, you'll know my love for Cath Kidston is a bit unhealthy and this just seemed like the right thing to add to my ever growing collection. 

So, what's actually in my makeup bag?  

1. Collection Cover Up stick in Light. I've used this for quite some time and I absolutely love it. It takes me a while to get through it as I don't really have many blemishes that need heavy coverage. It's a great consistency and lasts all day on me, I prefer using stick concealers compared to liquid for this reason. I bought this from Boots for £1.99 although it's sold in every Collection retailer.

2. Seventeen Stay Time foundation in Soft Ivory. I cannot rate this foundation enough, it's literally my favourite purchase I've made in a while. It's amazing coverage, not cakey nor does it budge once I've set it with a powder. I've used it nearly every day since I bought it and the bottle still feels pretty full of product. It's medium to high coverage which I love, it doesn't feel heavy on my face if I've built it up. I will definitely be repurchasing this, it retails for £6.49 in Boots and there's normally an offer on the Seventeen range so keep a look out. 

3. Nivea Pearl Beauty roll on deodorant. Am I weird for keeping deodorant in my makeup bag? I like the hand size of this deodorant and it lasts me AGES despite using it every single day. It's one of my all time favourite deodorants as I can smell it all day and I feel like it gives me great protection against sweat (yum!). This is probably one of the best roll on deodorants I've tried and for £1.00, you can't really complain. It's widely available at this price, I think I even got mine from Lidl! 

4. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge. I was seriously against the hype of the Beauty Blender but caved in, as usual. I had been using a foundation brush for YEARS and have never thought of applying my makeup any other way, until I watched reviews on this. This egg sized orange sponge makes my foundation flawless, regardless of how quickly I put my makeup on. It's best used damp (I find, anyway), it almost doubles in size and it really does a good job of blending your makeup into your skin allowing you to avoid hideous tide marks! It's also really easy to clean and doesn't mis-shape when drying again. I've been using this for a couple of months now and will never ever look back to applying my foundation any other way. It retails for £5.99 and is available from Boots and Superdrug (or anywhere that sells Real Techniques items!). 

5. Maybelline "The Volum' Express" Falsies Flared mascara. I've tried getting myself away from this mascara but seriously, I can't. I've tried Max Factor, Rimmel, Barry M but this ALWAYS seems to be my go-to mascara. I've used the original version of this mascara for years and it always gives me the most dramatic blackest black lashes I've ever had from a mascara. I didn't actually realise I'd picked this one up but the shape of the brush really accentuates the lashes and makes them look fuller. It doesn't flake off onto my face either which is SO nice not to have! It's easy to take off and doesn't seem to dry out quickly in the tube either. It's not cheap, retailing at £7.99 roughly, but you really do get what you pay for with this (I think anyway!). If you're looking for a decent mascara, please try this as I can't rate it enough, I even converted my Mum! Again, this mascara is widely available from Maybelline retailers. 

6. Micronor contraceptive pill. Yes, this is kept firmly by my side! I tend to take this the same time as I put my makeup on so I never forget to take it. I've loved changing to this pill, it's made me feel a hell of a lot better about myself. Blah blah, yeh...it's a pill haha! 

7. Hair bobble probably from Primark. I always keep one in my makeup bag as I'm forever searching for one to scrape my hair back whether I'm at work or at home. 

8. Sleek Kohl Eyeliner in Black. I can't seem to find a link to this on Boots or Superdrug which shows just how old this eyeliner is..I really should get a new one. It's a basic black eyeliner, it lasts on the waterline quite well however I'm not sure how well it lasts on the eyelid as I use liquid liner. I bought this from Superdrug probably about a year and a half ago, I think it was around £1.99. Yeh I'm gunna buy a new eyeliner when I'm next in town...

9. Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Dark Brown. This is a staple in my makeup bag as I simply love it. I've used this a lot over the past two years or so since I began filling my eyebrows in. It's not waxy, it's basically a kohl eyeliner with a brush on the end of it. It makes my eyebrows look more defined and shaped, but still looking quite natural. The shade range isn't that great in these, but I chose Dark Brown as I wanted more..darker eyebrows than my light brown/ginger brows! It retails widely for £2.99 and lasts for AGES. 

10. Eyeliner sharpener, I'm not even sure where this was from. I'm pretty sure I nicked it off my Mum though...

11. Collection Fast Stroke liquid eyeliner in Black. I've used this eyeliner so many years, probably since I was about 13! It's a basic liquid liner and lasts all day. It doesn't crack, flake or budge if you touch it. I've heard a lot of reviews saying people feel this burns their eyelids (!) but I've never ever had this and I've used it for years. The nib on the "brush" is like a felt tip pen which I love as I can control where the eyeliner goes. Retailing for £2.99, it's cheap and cheerful but definitely does the job and I will repurchase this for years to come. 

12. Pocket mirror from Primark. You can't actually tell from this photo but it's a pastel pink with white polka dots on it. It was £1.00 and it feel really sturdy. It has two mirrors in it which don't feel like they'll fall out any time soon. It matches the theme of my makeup bag quite well and basically comes with me wherever I go! 

13. Micropore surgical tape. Okay so this is a new but logical addition to my makeup bag. I'm forever being asked to take my piercings out at hospitals etc but have been told it's acceptable to tape them up. So instead of me spending hours removing my jewellery, this is staying in my makeup bag so I can whip it out and cover all my piercings! 

14. Lypsyl lip balm in Strawberry. I don't know if the formula of this lip balm has changed but oh good lord it's dry! I've used this before and don't remember it being like this. I chucked this in my makeup bag as a last resort lip balm. I can't say it's really moisturising but yeh..it smells nice. That's about it. I'll probably be replacing this soon. I think it was around £1.00 so not a huge loss. 

15. Chapstick in Cake Batter. I loooove this lip balm. It was a gift from Florida off my Sister, I was so excited to get it. It's super moisturising and lasts well on the lips. It smells absolutely divine. I've written about this on a separate post but yeh, I'm gutted this isn't easily available in the UK. I'm not even sure how much it cost her but I'm gunna go on a mad hunt to find a UK retailer once this runs out!

16. Powder applicator puff (thing..). I think I got this from Superdrug in a pack of 3 but I can't seem to find a link to these anywhere. I could do with replacing this too to be fair. I'm pretty sure they cost me around £2.99. 

17. Collection Pressed Powder in Ivory. This is my go-to powder as it sets my foundation really really well. It lasts me quite a while despite me using it every single day too. I buy this in the shade Ivory but it looks white in the pan, but it settles on the skin almost translucent. It doesn't feel cakey once applied and can be built up if needed. It retails for £1.99 in Boots and Superdrug but also wherever sells Collection. 

18. Boots Precision Grip Straight Tweezers. These are always in my makeup bag as I hate losing tweezers. I can't even think of how many I've lost over the years! These are pretty basic and are easy to hold. They're tweezers, nothing special but do the job. I bought these from Boots for £3.80. 

So there you have it, every single item that's in my makeup bag. I actually enjoyed writing this post and it's made me see just how little I actually use on a day to day basis!  The contents in my makeup bag rarely change, but I love reading these posts on other blogs so thought I'd give it a go!

♥

Seventeen Stay Time foundation

Seventeen Stay Time foundation in "Soft Ivory"

If you have read my previous post on the Gosh x-ceptional wear foundation, forget I ever posted it. This foundation has literally stolen my number 1 position for foundations! Don't be fooled by the simple packaging, this really does pack a punch and is worth the money.

 Last weekend my boyfriend took me shopping (as any other weekend...) and I needed some more foundation due to the Gosh I recently purchased finally running out! I was completely torn between two. Revlon Colorstay which is my absolute all time favourite foundation, or Seventeen Stay Time. I'd seen really good reviews of the Seventeen and obviously have previous experience of Colorstay. So me being me, I bought both and ended up spending £20 on foundation...the day I got paid. Whoops. Priorities all wrong! 

From the picture above, you can see this foundation promises a lot. Up to 25 hours wear time, SPF 25 and full coverage. I needed to try this out as it just really seemed too good to be true. I've never used a foundation from the Seventeen range before (exclusive to Boots) and I'm so happy I picked this up. 

I eagerly removed my makeup I was wearing and opened the packaging on this bottle. I love the fact it has a built in pump in the lid. It's very similar to a MAC lid (however, never used their foundation but have seen a LOT of videos on youtube using it!) which instantly had me drawn to this product. It's actually quite robust and deposits the product really nicely and doesn't feel like you're pumping nothing if you know what I mean! The packing as I've previously mentioned is actually quite simple and reminds me a little of Benefit makeup...a bit. The shade Soft Ivory matches my skin tone perfectly although I feel like if my hair was any darker, it really would wash my complexion out as it's quite a...dull? colour. Basically I'm trying to say it has no depth but don't know how to say it! 

As we can see from the photo above, I have quite red and patchy skin. Thank my teenage years for giving me horrific acne and hormonal skin (luckily I'm not left with too many scars..) with dry patches. I'm also covered in freckles although they're not showing up too much on this photo. Now I'm into my early 20's, my skin has taken a turn and is now more combination/oily. I really do have a hard time finding a foundation that I can build up to a high coverage without it feeling super cakey and having my face end up as an oil slick after a couple of hours. This claimed to be a full coverage and boy, it really is. I apply my foundation with the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge by stippling my face after I've dampened it slightly with water. (This sponge, may I add, is a newbie in my collection and I'm LOVING it. I'll do another review for this, I just haven't gotten round to it!) I love the finish this foundation gives me. It's not sticky, it's not dewy but not overly matte. I only need 1 to 2 pumps to cover my whole face and neck as it blends really easily but I'm not sure if this is due to how I apply it as the foundation itself is really quite thick in consistency. You could quite easily add another layer to make it super full coverage but I find that this amount is enough for me. I don't have to use concealer when using this foundation either as it's that good at covering blemishes! Once it's sat on my skin for a minute or two I then powder my face with my regular powder. 

Now the question you're all waiting for, how long does it actually last? Well put it this way, on a 10 hour shift at work where heavy lifting is included and so is working is a hotbox of a warehouse, it has actually lasted all day and even goes on to last all night. I'm yet to test if it's really going to last for 25 hours but I'm impressed at how long it lasts even now. I don't get a shiny nose either which is huge for me as I usually get to about 4-5 hours then find myself powdering my nose. It genuinely looks the same at the end of the day as it does first thing in the morning when I apply it.

This is after wearing it for around 7-8 hours and I took this photo in natural light. I'm so in looooove. I'm so impressed with this foundation and already want to go out and purchase another ready for when I finish this one, I'm scared Seventeen will discontinue it in the mean time! I really would like to try some more products from the Seventeen range as I haven't done since my early teenage years and it seems like they have more to give now judging by their makeup stands! 

If you're looking for a full coverage foundation for a really good price, I'd suggest this one to anyone. It retails for £6.49 and is only available from Boots as far as I'm aware. Go on, try it. You'll be surprised. 

♥

Gosh x-ceptional wear makeup (foundation)

Shade 11 Porcelain. 

Now, if you were to know me in person, you'll know I'm on a never ending mission to find a foundation that actually matches my skin tone. Being a natural redhead, I have extremely fair and freckly skin. Throughout the years of wearing makeup, I've tried endless brands of foundation hoping that they'll be "the one" for me. Up to now, I've only found one other that even comes close. Until I discovered this foundation. 

When I search for a new bottle of foundation, I'm not expecting to find much. I'm fed up of reading reviews on miracle products that claim to do everything under the sun, which in reality turn out to do...nothing. I've tried high end foundation, high street foundation, I've even tried makeup artist foundation. All of which have either been too orange, too low coverage or end up sliding off my face. So, after trawling the internet for what seemed like the thousandth time, I ended up looking at GOSH cosmetics. I found a product called "x-ceptional wear makeup" with mixed reviews, but the price instantly had drawn me in. £5.99 for a product that claims to give me a beautifully matte finish with exceptional coverage which lasts for hours.  I started to think well,how good could this actually be? I wanted to try it, and I wanted to try it NOW! So I decided to take a trip to my local Superdrug and find a shade that fit my skin. 

The shade selection isn't that vast in this range, so I imagine if you have an "inbetween" skin tone you might have to mix two together. In my case, shade 11 Porcelain ended up being a perfect match for my skin tone. I made my way to the checkout, handed over the product along with some others and made my way back to my car. 

I was SO excited to try this product out, so I immediately removed my makeup I was previously wearing and started the whole application process again. I applied my Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser to my skin (which, may I add is now my holy grail moisturiser since my sister converted me..!) and let it sink in. I then began to apply the Gosh foundation. 

First impression? Well the packaging isn't that interesting and the dispensor isn't that great. You'd easily use more product than needed if you're not careful whilst squeezing it out. The product itself is very, very thick. I mean, I applied a tiny dot on my cheek, blended it in and it instantly covered my freckles. Wow. I was seriously impressed even at this stage. So, I continued to apply the foundation to my face, ensuring my jawline was fully blended and all areas were covered as I feel it'd be easy to spot any non covered areas. I let the foundation sit on my skin for a couple of minutes then set it with a powder. Hallelujah, a foundation that actually matches my pale redhead skin tone! My skin looks flawless, in a non-porcelain doll way. 

I decided to test drive this product for a couple of days before I was fully converted. One of these days included a very hot (and muggy!) day at work, which involves a lot of lifting and moving about. This foundation seriously lasts all day. Not even a tiny bit sliding off my face. The only thing I'd say is that the area around my nose became a bit...powderless? after about 6 hours but I would have expected that on that day as it was seriously humid. 

All in all, I am immensely impressed with this product. I'd recommend it to anyone to try. It's definitely proven what it's promised and for me, that's what's going to make me repurchase this when I run out. I'd even go as far as saying it's taken over my love for Revlon Colorstay and for one hell of a saving too!...so I'd just like to say a huge thank you to GOSH for finally making a product that is pale enough for us extra-pale girls and actually provides what the packaging says it does! (Well, for me anyway.)

♥