Chocolate, Bunnies and Something Extra Special.

TOO FACED –

Bronzers

Too Faced, as a brand, sits in the same category as Benefit for me. Slightly confusing as their price tag doesn’t really match they’re young and fun packaging, but despite that the products always impress. If you can see past the not my cup of tea packaging, you’ve got yourself a really lovely brand with great products.

Something they are well know for is their huge range of bronzers, there are eight in total and there’s literally one for everyone. Lots of people have been asking which one would suit their skin type or would suit summer/winter, therefore due to Too Faced getting bigger in the UK, I thought it would be a good idea to create a little guide to each bronzer and who its aimed at.

January Wish List.

Unlike many other wish lists, which usually are fairly long, this wish list isn’t that long. Mainly because there are a lot of things I’m interested in, however wish to try them and test them in-store first. Therefore I have split this into ‘Wish List’ of products I most definitely want, and ‘Try List’ which are products I want to try first to see if I like them or not.

Wish List

Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup Compact

‘Giorgio Armani Beauty introduces a new expression of Maestro Haute Couture foundation. Its revolutionary texture is now available in a compact. 
This multi-purpose product conceals like a foundation, offers precision touch-ups and camouflages blemishes. 

Maestro fusion makeup compact is a new sensual and enveloping step. 
Its extraordinary formulation transforms application into a unique sensory experience.’

Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush

‘The F80 is one of the SigmaX High Definition face brushes made with Sigma's synthetic HD filament. The flat top kabuki brush from Sigma has a black handle and tightly packed dense head. The flat surface of the brush allows you buff products to achieve a flawless finish. Perfect for applying and blending liquid and powder products.’

Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin-Calming Face Mask

‘Dr. Weil for Origins™ Mega-Mushroom Skin-Calmin creamy treatment mask with Hypsizygus Ulmarius, Cordyceps and Reishi mushrooms along with Ginger, Holy Basil and Turmeric rushes to relief to challenged skin to help soothe signs of compromise. Chinese Black Bamboo Leaf Extract, celebrated for centuries as a symbol of eternal youth, helps quell and calms visible redness and reactivity. A unique blend of marine algae and moisture-replenishing plant extracts helps revitalise and restore luminosity to stressed skin and rebuild a protective barrier to help avoid future flare-ups.’

Fat Face Protea Check Pyjama Shorts

‘Cute check shorts with frill edges and lace trims. Pearl buttons, soft brushed cotton, frilled edge and herringbone drawcord.’

Try List

(Basically this is a list of products I want to really test this month and hopefully like and buy)

Origins Quick-Hide Longwearing Concealer

‘Shadows, wrinkles and redness will never know what hid them. Soft-focus filters diminish fine lines and flaws. And the creamy, fix-it-and-forget-it coverage floats over skin with the greatest of ease. No creasing, no caking, no stuck-in-one-spot. Long-wearing. Heat and sweat resistant.’

Too Faced Absolutely Flawless Concealer

‘Creamy, pigment-rich, buildable formula smoothes on easily to provide sheer-to-full coverage. A naturally powerful combination of Vitamins A, E, and Chilean Tree and bark extract moisturizes, fights puffiness, and firms skin to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and the loss of elasticity. An innovative blend of Natural Marine Peptides and hyaluronic filling spheres help to increase eye area's hydration level to smooth surface imperfections.’

NYX ND Photogenic Concealer Wand

‘This lightweight cover-up obscures imperfections, discoloration and under eye circles, without ever looking cakey or obvious. Little wonder the Concealer Wand is one of our best-sellers. The concentrated, emollient-rich formula goes on like a dream, and creates medium to heavy coverage. Use the lavender for sallow skin, the green to reduce the appearance of redness and the yellow for under-eye darkness’

As you can see, there are 3 different concealers on this list. The main reason for this is because I’m attempting to find the perfect concealer to help cover mainly blemishes without being overly heavy. Therefore these are the top 3 concealers I have found which don’t cost and arm and a leg.

Lancôme Gloss in Love – Shades 383 and 385

‘This moisturising lip gloss envelops lips in a brilliant high-shine, while our innovative double-sided applicator provides customisable coverage. Our unique curved Lip Shaper coats the lower lip while the pointed Lip Liner precisely defines the upper lip for a sophisticated look. Choose from 12 instantly addictive shades to create your own shimmering, show-stopping lip effects.’

Dior Addict Gloss – Shades 122, 382 and 771

‘Its magical formula gives lips unprecedented mirror shine and incredible comfort. Its secret: the Mirror Shine Complex with polarized crystalline micro-spheres that adjust the reflection of light to create the magic of a perfect mirror.  The gel lipcare formula, enriched with hyaluronic acid spheres, plumps and moisturizes lips for an intensified volume-boosting effect.’

Dior Pore Minimizer

‘A skin-refining primer that mattifies and refines the skin, minimizes pores and smooths fine lines immediately upon application. Its formula evens out the complexion and erases blemishes with a sheer and weightless finish.’

Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser

‘Maybelline Baby Skin provides a matte finish and leaves the skin fresh, soft and protected. The gel texture in Baby Skin instantly helps to vanish pores and makes the skin feel light. 

Yes this is the battle of the pore minimizer’s…high end vs. drugstore.

Whats on your January Wish and Try lists?

Favourites of 2013.

Firstly, I'm super sorry about there being no pictures in this post, my phone for some reason won't link to my laptop, therefore I can't upload them. 
Never the less, here are my 2013 favourites!

Make-Up

Best Primer – Too Faced Primed and Poreless Pure Primer

Best Foundation - Dior DiorSkin Nude BB Cream + Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation

Best Concealer - Dior DiorSkin Nude Skin Perfecting Hydrating Concealer

Best Bronzer – Jouer Sheer Matte Powder and Bronzing Duo (only the bronzer)

Best Powder – Still on a mission to find the perfect powder (however I may have found it…watch this space)

Best Highlighter - YSL Touche Eclat

Best Contour - Still on a mission to find the perfect contouring product!

Best Blusher - Dior DiorBlush Vibrant Colour Powder Blush in Rose Cherie

Best Eye Primer - Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Eden

Best Eyeshadow – Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette (I was going to say Naked 3, however I thought as its only come out, it wasn’t fair to take the spot light away from the amazing Naked 2 Palette)

Best Eye Pencil - Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Liner in Nude

Best Mascara – L’oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara

Best Brow Product - Benefit Brow Zings in Light

Best Lip Balm - Dior Addict Lip Glow

Best Lipstick – Dior Rouge Dior in Rose Trafalgar 565 (now renamed as Vogue)

Best Lipgloss – Lancome Gloss in Love Pink Pampille 341 (definitely need to add more of these glosses to my collection)

Nails

Best Nail Colour – butterLondon Polish in Disco Biscuit + Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Taboo

Best Base Coat - butterLondon Horse Power Nail Fertiliser 


Best Top Coat – I really want to say Seche Top Coat, however I’m not going to because I find it has a tendency of peeling/lifting, therefore I’m on a mission for the perfect top coat.

Best Cuticle Product – Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream

What are your favourite products of 2013?

Mini-Boots Haul.

Recently I went to Boots to do some Christmas shopping. I tend to buy most of my presents for my friends from boots, theres always something for everyone, especially for those people your unsure about what to buy. Whilst there I bought a few other things, some were essential because I had ran out or not far off running out, others are things I've been eyeing up for a while and decided I couldn't walk past them any longer. 

I'm planning on doing individual reviews on most of these, so I won't go into too much detail.

The essentials.

L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Waterproof Mascara.

I normally have the original version of this mascara, however as its coming up to winter I thought the waterproof version would be better suited. It is amazing for giving incredible length, a curl that lasts all day and a touch of volume, which is exactly what I want from a mascara. I have never know it to clump, smudge or flake and the brush is so easy to use. I really don't like those thick brushes that some other drug store and high end mascaras have, I find them to hard to use, and don't find they always coat every lash. This on the other hand does an amazing job of making it look like you truly are wearing false lashes. Another thing I love about this mascara is that its build able without clumping, I use on coat for really natural luscious looking lashes during the day, then sometimes add other coat or two for really show stopping incredible lashes for a night out or when I'm going somewhere nice.

Batiste Dry Shampoo.

Batiste Dry Shampoo is the best dry shampoo I have ever used. Not only is the quality really good but its also really good value at only £4 and really easy to pick up from Boots and Superdrug. I know there are some other dry shampoos which are meant to be good, but are far more expensive. Nevertheless, I believe if its not broken then why fix it. It does the job and smells amazing. Currently I'm loving the 'Blush' version, which is really florally and leaves my hair smelling amazing. However I think next time I'm going to either get the 'Oriental' (warm notes of rite, flowers and rich coconut) or 'Floral' (delicate notes of blossom, rose, orange and peach) version, which are the newest from the brand.

Too Faced Primed & Poreless Pure Oil-Free Primer. 

Not long ago I picked up the original version of this primer. I did at the time think this 'pure' version was discontinued because I couldn't find it anywhere, therefore I resorted to the original. Now. I'm not saying the original isn't amazing because it is, however this version is aimed at sensitive, combination skin, which sums my skin up exactly. The website states its clear (whereas the original has a strange pink tint to it,) oil-free, and helps to minimise and sooth rednessness whilst helping erase pores, fine lines and imperfections. Im really excited to try this because it sounds amazing. I will be writing a more in-indepth review as soon as I've gave it a good try out. Im expecting great things from this primer.

The not so essential.

Chanel Taboo Le Vernis Nail Colour.

I haven't actually ever seen a Chanel nail polish which really took my eye before. Normally I see one I like the look of, take note of the name and look for a dupe for it. The main reason for this is because I haven't always justified paying £18 for a nail polish. Lets be fair, its pretty steep even for Chanel. HOWEVER. This nail polish caught me totally of guard. Its been raved about all over the internet and I haven't ever seen a polish which could even come close to how amazing this is. I planned only to go to the counter to have a look at it, however it is truly amazing and I ended up buying it straight away. Personally I think its incredible. Its a rich, deepened red-toned purple with iridescent shimmer that reflects red, violet, pink and coppery-red. Seriously its like galaxy in a bottle!

butterLondon Petrol Nail Polish.

I have been waiting for ages for this to be released. I was actually worried it wouldn't look as good in person as I was hoping for, however it does truly look like petrol in water. Its a beautiful purple/blue duo which changes depending on the light. I've been reading a lot of reviews about this, and it sound amazing. I originally was planning on trying it as an overcoat on top of black, however some people say it looses some of its colour which I think could be the same for Taboo also if you used it for layering. Therefore I think I will try it alone and over different colours to see which gives the best result. Never the less this is something completely different from anything I have in my collection. 

If there is anything specific you would like me to review in-depth first leave me a message and I will be sure to get it written and posted as fast as I can.

xox

October Wish List.

Not long ago I did two wish lists, one on high-end/luxury products I really wanted, and one on drug store products. Not long after I posted that, the list began to grow. I decided as different products are released every month, I thought I was a good idea to start doing a monthly wish list.

Therefore this is the "OCTOBER WISH LIST!”

I know sometimes when people do wish lists, they can just end up being a long list of products. Therefore I thought I would narrow it down to 5 products each month, and have a mixture of luxury and drug store products. Alongside this give a little description of what they’re meant to be like from their website descriptions.

So lets begin…

butterLondon Nail Polish in Petrol Overcoat.

This is a new release from butterLondon, as part of their Illusionist Collection. The website describes it as a sheer, tornate overcoat, which can be brush on top of any butterLondon lacquer to transform the shade, or alternatively can be use alone. Overall creating the opalescent sheen of oil reflected in rain. Now this is something I have tried before from another brand. However as much as I loved it, the formula of that brand wasn’t amazing, and trying to apply it was rather difficult, therefore I chose not to repurchase it. Therefore I’m really happy and excited butterLondon, whose polishes are of incredible quality are releasing a nail polish of this type. I have really high hopes for this polish, just hope it doesn’t let me down!

Mario Badescu Aloe Vera Toner.

I haven’t tried too many Mario Badescu products, actually only one other product and that’s the silver powder, which I actually will be repurchasing but that’s for another post (coming soon). My skin is sensitive however also combination due to having a rather oily t-zone, and my main concerns are large pores and blemishes, and obviously the sensitivity. Therefore finding skin care products I like and that work can be rather difficult. However this toner sounds amazing. It is designed for sensitive skin; therefore its alcohol-free, which is something I think, is really important. The main ingredient is obviously Aloe Vera, which helps to sooth and calms the skin, whilst other properties in the toner help lift and remove pore-clogging debris from the skin. I was struggling at deciding between this and the cucumber alternative, however I thought I would give this a go first due to the soothing properties and if it doesn’t give the results I’m hoping for, then I will try the cucumber one.

Too Faced Primed and Poreless PURE Primer.

Now, not too long ago you no doubt remember me raving about the Too Faced Primed and Poreless ORIGINAL Primer, which helps to provide a smooth and pore-free canvas for foundation. I really liked the primer because it did exactly as it said it would, providing the perfect canvas. However, whilst looking online I came across this PURE version, which is aimed at sensitive skin…yey. According to the website this version is a colourless oil-free formula, whereas the original has a slight pink tint to it, sometimes causing a slight chalkiness on the skin if you applied too much. The main reason I want to try this version is because it states it not only erases the appearance of pores and other imperfections, but it also helps sooth and minimize redness. This is something I often get due to how irritated my skin can be, and in fact helps brighten the skin. The soothing properties alone are what made this primer stand out in comparison to the original and other similar pore erasing primers. Hopefully this primer will live up to its amazing product description and glowing reviews.

Too Faced Snow Bunny Luminous Bronzer OR Too Faced Pink Leopard Blushing Bronzer.

Recently I have found myself looking at some of the Too Faced products. The main problem with Too Faced in the UK is that its not as well known as it is in the US, therefore it can be rather hard to find and try the products before buying them. However I think this Snow Bunny Luminous Bronzer would be just perfect not only for winter, but also for my paler skin as my summer glow begins to fade. The problem I have with bronzers when I’m a little paler is that they can tend to look muddy. Therefore due to the 4 very different shades in this bronzer, I thought it could help combat the muddiness I get from most other bronzers, as well as giving me a really pretty winter glow.

Alongside this I was also looking at the Too Faced Pink Leopard blushing bronzer. This also has 3 different shades aims to help combat muddiness and give a beautiful glow to the skin. I like it for the similar reasons to the Snow Bunny version, I think it would give the perfect pinky-peach flush which I think looks amazing in winter as its not too much. They both contain shimmer, so if you don’t like shimmer then you might want to stay clear. However I think especially in winter, a bit of shimmer helps to give a healthy glow to the skin, when actually thanks to the freezing temperatures and central heating it’s anything but.

I really cant decided which one I prefer between the two, therefore I think I’m going to have to find somewhere that stocks them…and try them both out to see which I prefer.

TIGI Catwalk Oatmeal & Honey Intense Nourishment Mask.

Ok, do I need a new hair mask…not particularly. Is this really necessary…maybe not. However is this the first mask TIGI’s Catwalk collection have ever released…yes it is. Therefore I think that’s a good enough reason for me to give it a go. This is meant to be a really intense mask aimed at moisturising and conditioning dry, damaged hair leaving it smooth, soft and silky. This mask I think could become a serious god send when it comes to winter, as my hair is already seeming so much dryer due to the cold weather then it normally does. Now the one thing that really stood out for me when reading about this mask is that even though its an intense mask, it doesn’t weigh down or coat the hair, which is something I have found with other really intense mask, leaving my fine hair really flat and weighed down. Alongside this the ingredients look really good too, everything that’s in this mask is there to help nourish hair, not for a place holder or to help it smell nice. Also to add it has added heat protection elements, therefore this means it will also continue to help protect hair even after you’ve used this mask.

Overall this month it's a real mix of products that are on my wish list, which isn't always the case. I think due to it coming up to winter, I'm really looking for products which can really get me through winter and help transition from autumn to winter.

Whats on your October Wish List?