Wednesday, 10 August 2016

Too Faced Little Book of Bronzers Review



I had my eye on this beauty for a long tine last summer only to find that it was limited edition here in the UK, but on my 19th birthday lo and behold, this palette was gifted to me by my best friends who got it off the US website - one of the best surprises!

The bronzer book comes with 8 bronzers/ highlighters and cost £40. There is also the option to buy the bronzer individually and they cost £25 each.




From the top going clockwise, the shades included in the palette are:

Milk Chocolate Soleil - I use this for days when I want a "no makeup makeup look" it gives the slightest wash of colour and looks very flattering. It is a  very light colour and may not come up on darker skin tones.

Chocolate Soleil - This is one of my faves - I reach for this bronzer the most, it is one shade darker than the first one and is the perfect colour for my skin tone.

Snow Bunny - This one has 4 colours and can be used both as a highlighter and a glowy bronzer. I like to swirl all the colours onto my brush and use it as a highlighter.

Dark Chocolate Soleil - This is the darkest matte shade and is another gorgeous brown colour which I find myself reaching for. It is warmer than the rest of the matte shades and can be used lightly or can be built up.

Pink Leopard - This one is my fave shimmery one to use as a highlighter, again I swirl my brush into the pan to create an amazing colour.

Beach Bunny - This bronzer colour reminds me of the Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks, although it is not as shimmery. I don't use it as often as it is similar to the other ones, but still very pretty none the less.

Endless Summer -  This one is similar to the first one, only slightly darker. It also promises to be long as last for 16 hours. I am not sure about how much truth there is behind this as I haven't worn it for 16 hours, but it gives the desired effect.

Sun Bunny -  This one is very similar to the Snow Bunny and Beach Bunny and again looks amazing as a bronzey highlight.




The bronzers are perfect for every day, and my favourites are definitely the Chocolate Soleil and the Pink Leopard. The packaging so cute and is slim so easy to carry around. 

Overall, Too Faced bronzers are definitely one of my faves - they are so pigmented, buildable and smell amazing. However, I would say that I would only repurchase one that i really like as they are quite similar to each other.

Hope you've enjoyed!



Friday, 10 June 2016

High End vs Drugstore - 3 in 1 Face Palettes

I have been loving face palettes recently and two of my faves have been the Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette and the Rimmel London Sculpting Palette By Kate; I thought that I would do a comparison between the two .


Urban Decay has fast become one of my go to brands for makeup and I have been finding myself drawn to their products (so much so that the lovely lady at the counter I go to knows me). The Naked Flushed palette comes in four colours so there is a range for various skin tones, they include:


Naked
Native
Streak
Strip

I have the one in Naked (which was the original palette they came out with) and it cost me £23.50. All the powders are very silky and pigmented, they are easy to blend and perfect for on the go as not much work is needed to apply and blend out.

The bronzer is slightly warmer than the Rimmel one but gives the perfect bronzed look. The highlighter has a slight peachy undertone and the shimmer is so finely milled they can't be seen; it gives an amazing finish. The blush colour is perfect for everyday - it's a slightly deeper pink colour and would go with many skin tones.

Rimmel is a brand I will always love - it's one of the brands I got my first makeup bits from. When they came out with this Sculpting palette by Kate I knew I had to get my hands on it. They have two shades:


Coral Glow 002
Golden Bronze 003

I have the shade coral glow which is the lighter one and the palette costs £6.99. The palette is pigmented is slightly less pigmented than the UD palette but is very buildable. A few swipes of the product is needed to get the colour, but again, the powders are very buildable  and easy to blend - and the colours are gorgeous.

The bronzer has a more brown undertone, the highlighter has a more champagne coloured undertone and the blush colour is a more brighter bubblegum pink. With this palette I like to apply the bronzer and then the blusher straight on top where the bronzer is.

Top - Urban Decay Flushed, Bottom - Rimmel Sculpting palette 

The packaging for both is sleek sturdy and very travel friendly. Overall, I love both palettes and switch between the two depending on my mood. I would recommend both palettes, depending on the colours preferred. 

Hope you've enjoyed!

Wednesday, 8 June 2016

Face of the Day

I have not done a post in what seems like forever but exams, coursework and all things uni are over for now, and I can finally get back into it! Also I have finally made an Instagram account @thebeeinbeauty and I would love it if you could give it a follow!

I thought I would do a face of the day featuring the Carli Bybel palette from BH Cosmetics (which I have been loving) and which colours I used to get the look.

Products used:

Nivea Mens Post Shave Balm as a primer (also been loving this)
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Spiced Sand
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in the shade 3
MAC Skin Finish Natural in Medium Dark as a powder to set the face
Rimmel Sculpting Palette for bronze and highlight
The Balm Bahama Mama to contour and deepen the bronzer
Seventeen Sculpting Brow Pencil to fill in the eyebrows
Urban Decay setting spray
BH Cosmetics Carli Bybel Palette
MAC False Lashes Extreme Black mascara
Rimmel Lipliner in Spice
Gerard Cosmetics 1995 lipstick
Urban Decay Naked Lipgloss in Rule34






For the eyes, this is the look I came up with! The colours I used are the following:

Top row 3rd and 4th colour in the crease
Second row last colour in the outer corner to deepen the look
Mix the first 2  colours on the second for the inner two thirds of the lid 
The  darker colour used on the outer corner on the lower lash line to finish the look 


Hope you've enjoyed!


Thursday, 18 February 2016

Foundation Review - Estee Lauder Double Wear


I had heard many good reviews about the Double Wear foundation and so went in store many times to try it and get colour matched. After trying out samples, I decided to take the plunge and order it and it cost me £30.


There are many shades to choose from so suits a lot of people, and I bought it in the shade 4N2 spiced sand.

Application, Coverage and Finish



I have found that once you start applying it, you have to act quickly to make sure to blend it in because when it sets, it won't budge. It is advertised as "stay in place makeup" and I definitely agree with that. Once I have it on, it's there to stay! It is also described to have 15 hour staying power, and although I haven't worn it that long (only for up to 10 hours) but I really do think it would stay on.

It doesn't transfer but I have found that throughout the day my nose does start to shine (but only the tiniest amount) but with all the other benefits, I really don't find it a problem at all.

The foundation is full coverage and hides everything really well even with a little applied and doesn't feel too heavy. I have found that after it has set, it cannot be built up too much without it looking cakey, but this is just on my skin.

It gives a satin finish and really makes the skin look flawless and photo shopped almost - I love using it for events and long days.

Packaging



30mls of it comes in a small compact bottle so is very travel friendly and easy to carry around. It has frosted glass and looks very sleek. Although it doesn't come with a pump, I have seen people use the MAC one which seems to fit.

One thing to mention would be that it does have a slight smell to it - again I'm not great at describing smells - but it's not fruity or floral. It kind of reminds me of chemicals but it isn't unpleasant and wears off once on the face.

As you can tell, I LOVE this foundation overall and would recommend for anyone to try it out.
Hope you've enjoyed!

Saturday, 6 February 2016

Favourite Concealers (Drugstore)


I haven't really tried out many high end concealers, but I have tried out many MANY drugstore ones and I have finally found my favourite two which I absolutely love!
£3.99

The first one is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer which is a cult fave, and I have joined the bandwagon!

I have it in the shade 3 warm medium which suits my skin perfectly. I mostly use it to cover any redness and conceal spots in my face under my foundation. I use the Real Techniques sponge to blend it out and it instantly evens out my skintone and once I put foundation on top, it looks even and flawless. It is quite thick and  creamy so is good at covering and concealing but blends out very well. 

I have also sometimes used it under the eyes sometimes and it doesn't crease so that's another plus.
Sometimes when I'm in a rush I just use this concealer to even out my skin and then use powder or powder foundation and get out the door! This concealer is definitely a fave.
£7.99

The second one is the Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser Eye concealer and I have it the shade nude. I love using this once I have foundation on to highlight my under eye and the high points on my face. It's just the right shade to make it look natural and I love the way it glides on and blends out.

As you can see the applicator is a small spongey thing at the top, and not everyone like but, but Maybelline have said that it is antibacterial and I think it's a cool idea.

I would definitely recommend these to anyone, they are available in both Boots and Superdrug's and are very affordable.

Hope you've enjoyed!

Saturday, 30 January 2016

Foundation Review - DiorSkin Star Foundation

I got this Dior Skin Star Studio Makeup Spectacular Brightening Weightless Perfection Foundation on a whim (which I mentioned in a haul previously) when on a shopping trip with the bestie/ makeup buddy. I bought it from Boots and it cost me £32.50.

There are 16 shades in total and I got the shade in 040 Honey Beige. For some reason (and this hasn't happened to me with other foundations) it doesn't match me all the time. I have no idea what this is about but I have used it a  couple of times and it has sometimes matched me and sometimes it hasn't. Very weird. But the times it hasn't matched me I found that mixing it with a little Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 220 to make it a little more yellow.

It has SP30 which is amazing as it gives some protection and is always a plus.

Application, Coverage and Finish



It has a scent to it which I can't describe fully but it's a noticeable. It's not fruity or floral, and although I don't mind it, it may not be everyone's cup of tea.

The foundation on its own feels mousse like on the skin and gives medium to full coverage, depending on how much it is built up. I have no problem blending it in the skin, it glides on smoothly but does require a bit of work just to evenly distribute it. I always use the Real Techniques sponge as I prefer this over using a brush, but both ways work just as fine.

It has a satin finish, which is my favourite type, and looks very natural on the face. It can definitely be built up without looking too cakey which is amazing. I've only noticed this a few times, but it does transfer a little after a couple of hours of wearing it - so be aware if you are wearing white clothes!

The lasting power is good -  I've worn it for up to 8 hours and it has lasted overall but as I mentioned before, I have noticed that it has transferred a little sometimes. I have combination skin and my nose does start to shine halfway throughout the day, but nothing a little powder or blotting paper can't fix.

Packaging

I love the fact that it comes with a pump! The packaging looks so luxurious and sleek. It comes in a glass bottle with a black lid that has the CD logo and I love the way it looks.

Overall, I am not completely in love with the foundation, but I will continue using it as I do like it and see how it goes.

Let me know if you have tried it out and what your thoughts are, and hope you've enjoyed!

Saturday, 23 January 2016

Winter Clothing Haul

As winter is here and it's colder in January than it was in December, I thought I would do a little winter clothing and accessory haul to share some if the things I picked up and am wearing this winter.

£45.99

You know when it's winter time, it's jacket and coat time! I got this in the winter sales from Pull and Bear and I am absolutely in love with it! It goes with everything and jazzes up any simple outfit. It is normally prices £45.99, but there is always student discounts going on. 

£8.00

I like these skirts in the winter especially as they' re just comfortable to wear and easy to throw on to go out on cold, rainy and gray days when no one wants to get out of bed. I have one from BooHoo called the Helena Contrast Waistband Jersey Maxi Skirt which is cheap and very comfy.

£6.00

I don't know what these are called - thin jumpers? Sweaters? But I picked up a few of these in different colours from Primark as they go with everything and keep you warm.

£17.99

I love wearing suede boots - they're so comfortable and make me feel all cosy. There are from Deichmann



Summer is for side bags and clutches, but winter is definitely for big bags, which are large enough to stuff in scarves. I have no idea where this is from but it cost about £11



I always take advantage of the season to wear scarves (even if for just style purposes) and these are the ones I have been wearing. These are from Primark but I couldn't find them online. These were around £4 -5. 



I actually wear socks throughout most of the year as my feet get cold, so during the winter I always wear fluffy socks, and these are from New Look. These came in a pack of 2 for about £4. 

£8.00

Cosy fluffy PJs are the one for winter for sure and I love getting into them after a long day. Again, this is from Primark.

Hope you've enjoyed! 

Saturday, 16 January 2016

Collective Haul #2

I have been collecting bits and pieces over the last couple of months (some have been gifts and some purchased myself) and a collective haul has been long overdue!

This is the only non makeup product I got so I thought I would mention it first - I love this moisturiser as it absorbs into the skin really quickly and makes my face feel all soft and lovely!

I seemed to be the only one that hadn't tried this mascara so I thought I would pick it up.

This is my favourite liquid eyeliner, and this was a repurchase.

I got this Maybelline mascara because I was looking for a mascara wand that was quite large to provide more volume.

My Aunt absolutely loves these two products from Barry M and Maybelline so she got them for me and said I had to try them out ASAP!

As soon as this foundation came out, me and my best friend knew we had to get our hands on it as soon as possible.

I had heard many good things about this primer, and I have been really getting into primers recently so I decided that I would try it out.


I finally got my hands on these 2 foundations - they're cult faves and I cannot wait to try them out properly!

I got this in the Black Friday sales in the colour 1995, and I am absolutely in love with the colour!

This has been one of my faves! I got this on my birthday from my best BEST friend (shoutouts to Thasneem) and it has all the bronzers from Too Faced, I'm in love with every single one!!

This was a cheeky present from myself to myself, I got the starter kit in Tan which has the veil, the bronzing colour and 2 foundation colours as well as a mini primer and 3 brushes. So far I have tried it once and I really like the primer. 

That was my collective haul, and I will be doing reviews on some of the products.
Hope you've enjoyed!