So I’ve done a bit of shopping recently and from the photos it probably looks like I’ve done a fair bit of damage and I have (kinda). Because this haul is a collective one, I don’t feel too guilty (it’s amazing how I am able to consistently justify my shopping habits). Spending a little bit of money often is better than spending a lot of money all at once right? (See what I mean?)
In no particular order, I’ll start with the Superdrug spree which happened across two trips. Now the reason why this involved two trips was because I was looking to make an order online but some of the stuff I wanted for some reason wasn’t available but I managed to eventually track it down in store. Also, it’s worth noting that at the time of both purchases, Superdrugs were running their 3 for 2 promotion across all makeup brands and products. Ahhhh….now you understand.
One of the products from my online purchase was the Max Factor Face Finity All Day Primer. Now I wasn’t on the hunt for a new face primer but what drew me to the product was that it contained an SPF of 20. I’ve become a lot more conscious of my skin and protecting it from the sun but some of the foundations I own ( like Nars Sheer Glow and Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum) don’t have SPF in it (it seems a shame if I can I only use it in the evening) and I also don’t tend to use skincare with in built SPF. That means if I want to stay protected from the harsh sunlight, I’ll have to wear a separate SPF post skincare regime but pre makeup application.
The the Max Factor Face Finity is a two in one product really. Being a primer it acts to keep your makeup in place for longer whilst simultaneously provide protection from the sun, so in a sense there is no need for an extra step of applying SPF if you already include a primer in your makeup routine. I have to admit that I don’t usually use primer on an everyday basis but there are some good ones that I have tried which really makes a difference in the longevity of my makeup. If its the difference between using no primer and a separate SPF or using a primer that has an in-built SPF then I’ll choose the latter (if my foundation doesn’t already have an SPF inbuilt). I have only used this Max Factor one a couple of times and so far I seem to be getting on quite well with it. The texture is really light which is great as it doesn’t interfere with your makeup or leave you looking like Casper.
The Loreal Infallible Lip Liner in the shade 708 Always Toasted is also one of the products I purchased on my spree. Like I need another lip liner. I’m not much of a lip liner person but sometimes I feel the need for it especially if I’m rocking a bright, bold lip. From that statement it probably doesn’t make sense that the shade Always Toasted is actually a pinky nude. I blame Anna from Vivianna Does Makeup for being the enabler (again). I think this is the closest shade to my own natural lips that I’ve ever seen or used in a lip liner and might just encourage me to try wear it more than every 6 months. I think coupled a slick of a nude-pink lipgloss on top, they would work well together.
The third product is Rimmel’s Moisture Renew Lipstick in the shade ‘In Love With Ginger’. Yes I do realise that I’m late to the game with this. Like seriously late but there is a reason for this. I’ve never been a fan of the colour orange. Whether it’s clothes or makeup, I always steered clear of the vibrant hue. Whenever I’ve gone to swatch it in store, for me the orange overpowers the red so even though it’s an orange toned red, all I ever saw was a vivid, in-your-face orange and it scared me to be totally honest with you. Now I’m not sure what has happened since, but ever since it’s started to get a little bit warmer here in the UK, I’ve been finding myself stealing cheeky glances over at the orangey shaded lipsticks in store. I dipped my toe in the water with Rimmel’s Lasting Matte Finish lipstick by Kate Moss in the shade 110 Vibrant Coral which as the name suggests is a coral but with a strong orange undertone. I found it surprisingly flattering and brightening against my complexion. In Love With Ginger is a completely different kettle of fish though. Its a red with a strong orange presence which is a lot more bright and ten times more bold. The slightly glossier finish also makes it even more eye catching and for me, the orange tone is reminiscent to the summer time sunsets. Rimmel and orange is where it’s at for me at the moment.
The next three I picked up could have easily been four, five or even six but I had to exercise some serious self-control and thankfully for my credit card, I walked out with just the three. They are the Loreal Paris Color Riche L’Ombre Pure eyeshadows in 106 Breaking Nude (matte finish), 200 Over The Taupe (shimmer finish although it says Nude?) and 502 Quartz Fume (again a shimmer finish, although it says Lumiere). These eye shadows are like nothing I’ve come across before although a few of the beauty bloggers I’ve seen have compared it to the Loreal Infallible eyeshadows but in a pressed form although I’ve not tried them to be able to comment (never seen them in any shade I like and it seems that the US have the best selection of shades, you lucky buggers). The texture is ridiculously silky smooth which ups the amp in terms of blendabilty. With there being twenty shades to choose from, I knew I’d find one or rather a fair few that I liked. Having tried them once, I’m totally smitten and you can expect to find me trying to get my mitts on a few more shades. Move out of my way…
The next product is one I’ve had my eye on for sometime but I, surprisingly, couldn’t justify buying it. Why is that you ask? It’s because I’m talking about a pressed face powder. I started late in the game when it comes to powders but I found that as my skin has become more combination -oily, I needed the help of a powder to keep things (in other words, the oil) at bay. I’ve used the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder from day one and have always been happy with it because it does the job and is cheap, making me very cheerful. However, a few months ago I invested in the Chanel Natural Finish Pressed Powder as it comes in a compact with a handy mirror making it a great device for touching up where needed when on the go. It really didn’t have to be Chanel but it makes me feel that bit more glam when I just casually pull this out of my handbag to apply my lippie (lame). Last week I accidently dropped my Rimmel powder and unfortunately for me, the powder shattered into pieces making a huge mess on the dark wooden floorboards (you should have seen how fast I had to dust pan and brush it up and wipe it down clean before my boyfriend suspected that anything had happened). I could have just carried on using the Chanel one but if like me, you like to have one in your makeup bag at home and one in your handbag when you’re out and about (even more lame). So I saw this as an opportunity to purchase the Mac Mineralise Skin Finish Natural. However, I think they seem to have changed the packaging because the one I purchased recently comes in a compact with a mirror. Result!
Whenever I’m killing time and happen to walk past a Space NK, it’s always resulted with me handing over my credit card. In my recent trip to the store I found myself standing over the Laura Mercier counter and before I knew it, I picked up the Secret Camouflage in SC4. I’ve heard loads about the compact concealer duo; one dark shade and one light shade, enabling you to mix up your perfect shade whatever shade you are at different times in the year. This is more heavy duty compared to the concealers I’ve been using of late. The only thing that came close to the Secret Camouflage cream concealer was the MAC Studio Finish Concealer I used to use back in the day. I’m hoping this will come in handy for my really bad skin days which calls for something more heavy weight to conceal wherever and whatever necessary.
Being a big fan of the Charlotte Tilbury Iconic Liquid Eye Pencils in Verushka Mink ( a deep grey) and Elizabeth Violet, I had to return to Selfridges to get my hands on the shade Marlene Midnight, a deep navy shade with a subtle touch of pearlescent sheen to it. I have been really into using coloured kohl pencils as an alternative to black just to jazz things up a little and I think you can afford to go a bit more bold with colours in the summer (although purple and navy aren’t exactly the most adventurous shades out the but they do the job of lining and defining but with a subtle hint of colour).
Have you purchased anything of late that you care to share?