Review : Maybelline Falsies Mascara

Continuing my love for all things Maybelline, I realised that I have never actually given you my thoughts on one of my favourite mascaras by them, their Falsies mascara.

While I am not a huge fan of the packaging, it's certainly easy to find when I'm rummaging in my makeup bag! The really key element to this product that makes it a standout mascara for me is the brush. It is curved, Maybelline say that it is spoon shaped, now I've never personally seen a spoon quite this shape so I'll go with curved. It hugs my lashes ensuring that they stand to attention and look the longest I have ever been able to get them and keeps them there all day.

Now while I will admit it may have something to do with the fact that I am curling them first with some Shu Umuera eyelash curlers, no other mascara has been able to get my lashes separated, lengthened and curled the same way this mascara has been able to, and to have them they stay that way for a good 12 hours.

My eyelashes are naturally fairly long, not TiffanyD long by any stretch of the imagination but not bad. This mascara for me helps a lot and I would definitely suggest you try it out (it's not going to break the bank afterall). I would say however, not to judge straight away though. As with all mascaras sometimes they can get better having dried out a little after a few uses and this is one to fall into that category.

Review : Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse foundation

As I think I have mentioned before, Maybelline is one of my favourite affordable makeup brands. I really love their mascaras and lipsticks but something I've never branched out with is their foundations, as I have been a little stuck in my ways with brands like Mac and Bobbi Brown for my foundation needs. Having heard a lot of good reviews on their Dream Matte Mousse foundation I decided to give it a try.

The colour range for this foundation is good, with 13 colours in the range, from ivory to cocoa. The shade I picked up is ivory and the lightest of all 13 shades available in the UK. I like the packaging of the foundation, it's nice and wide brimmed for ease of application with either your fingers, or a foundation brush. Make sure you do the lid up tightly though because this product can dry out quite quickly.

My overall preference is a matte foundation. I am not overly keen on glowy foundations as I would rather my skin looked like skin and any glow be achieved with a highlighter like Nars Albatross or a Mac MSF. So I was very interested to see how this foundation performed, being sold as completely matte. It also has no spf meaning that it should photograph well.

It has a gorgeous velvety, creamy texture and blends seamlessly with your skin leaving it soft and silky. I apply it using my Mac 187 brush, but for areas where I want a little bit more coverage I use my fingers to apply a small amount. I do set it with powder and at the moment I am using Bobbi Brown's Sheer Pressed Powder which is by far my favourite pressed powder after Chanel's Poudre Universelle Compacte. I don't find that it looks heavy or cakey (the 187 helps with this) and it doesn't cling or accentuate any dry areas of my skin ( I moisturise first with Nivea).
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It lasts very well on my skin. Easily a 12 hour day, with minimal powder touch ups. Doesn't separate like I can find some foundations do and looks velvety and matte throughout the day but without looking fake or cakey. I have had no allergic reactions to it either.
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This is definitely a winner for me. I don't usually go for drugstore foundations but this has definitely restored my belief that some are actually better than the higher end brands!

UPDATE on shaving issues

If you read my haul post here you will know that I had been suffering from shaving rash / razor burn (I've come to the conclusion that it wasn't ingrown hairs) and I had bought a few things to help tackle the horrible burning issue - excuse the pun!

I am pleased to report that Dove's Pro-Age body lotion in conjunction with the exfoliating mitt have been saviours. Not only are my legs absolutely amazingly soft but the rash is fading by the day and the burning sensation has completely disappeared.

I am really pleased with the results that I've seen from using these products. The exfoliating mitt has been a godsend at keeping regrowth at bay and I haven't needed to reach for my razor nearly as often as before. The body lotion (which smells exactly like Neutrogena's Warming scrub) has made my skin baby soft, and I've been using it on the knees, elbows and backs of the arms too and cannot recommend it enough.

Sorry for the reused photo.

I'm sure that the shave gel and razor have also had something to do with the results I've seen. It is so much easier to glide the razor over my skin and the shave gel feels lovely and moisturising, plus it hasn't exacerbated the rash that I had which I wondered whether it might.

All in all I think I have found my new shaving routine and will not go back to any other system.

Review : Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Cleanser

As I mentioned in my June favourites post here the first thing to catch my eye about this product was the colour. Yes I am a sucker for anything pink - there I admit it! The next big thing to draw me in was the packaging. A nice user-friendly pump dispenser. So it was purchased for a mere £3.99 (I think) in my local supermarket.

What I think about the product itself...

It has a lovely scent which I adore for waking me up in the shower in the mornings. I personally find that it's quite gentle. For instance I haven't experienced any problems when I've used it too close to my eyes. I don't suffer from acne which this wash is aimed at helping but it has made my skin look lovely and clear nevertheless.

What I'm not so keen on...

It doesn't lather quite as much as I would like it to. Well okay it does but it takes the exact water to wash ratio to get this right! I have used Origins Papaya Enzyme Wash before and that lathers amazingly so perhaps I am comparing the two too closely. Because of the lather issue, I've used up quite a lot of the wash already and it has only been a month.

Overall would I recommend...

Yes. For the scent alone and the fact that it seems fairly gentle and not at all drying - if you're skin is normal. If you have acne, it would probably be fine for you as it's not harsh but I wouldn't imagine it would clear up your acne overnight, but definitely worth a try for the gorgeous smell alone! They also do a scrub in the same range which I will be trying after I have finished the St Ives Microdermabrasion scrub.

Have you tried any of the pink grapefruit range?

Sunday (last!) shopping and shaving issues

On Sunday (last week) I went into town on the hunt for some white and black gladiator sandals that were work appropriate. Luckily I found some for the bargain price of £5.00 each! So with that mission completed, I went on to see what other goodies I could find in Boots and Superdrug.

I picked up some really lovely Revlon nail polishes 2 for £8.00 in Boots, I got Lilac Pastelle and Tropical Temptation (currently being sported on my toes, in my new gladiators!). I also saw Barry M's Mushroom colour which I had to have. I am desperate to find something a little but lighter than OPI's You Don't Know Jacques. Sadly this colour isn't quite perfect but I do like it a lot and at £2.50 odd for a bottle, I don't really think you can go wrong! I also had a thought that I could add some white to it to lighten it up a bit so maybe I can do that.

Next up I wandered over to Superdrug (so much cheaper than Boots!) and was on the look for a new eye makeup remover and decided on Garnier's Clean Sensitive 2 in 1 Waterproof Makeup Remover (jees what a mouthfull!) which is a 2 phase liquid that needs to be shaken up to activate. I really like this so far, it's a nice user friendly flip-top bottle and it doesn't irritate or sting my eyes. I also saw they had St Ives on a 2 for 1 offer so I got their Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes and their new Elements Microdermabrasion Scrub (which is amazing by the way!) they seemed to have quite a few new St Ives bits, like an Olive scrub maybe? I'm very interested to try some more of their Elements range. Have you tried any?

On a slightly more personal note. This past week I have been noticing some spot-like rashes on my legs (mainly my shins). After a bit of Google research, (is it me or does anyone else find that Google is like worst case scenario for medical issues? I mean it says you either have something awful like cancer or some flesh eating skin disorder!) and came to the mild conclusion that it was maybe a shaver rash or ingrown hairs, neither of which are particularly attractive especially in the summer. The items I chose to help combat this were a body cream with AHA which helps to exfoliate the skin without granules. The only mass market product I was able to find with AHA in was Dove's Pro Age Body Lotion. I also picked up an Exfoliating Mitt which you buff over your skin in circular movements in between shaves or waxing to minimise hair growth and help to also exfoliate the skin.

I also then invested in a decent razor. I had previously used Gillette Venus razors but only the disposable ones so I purchased their Embrace razor with 5 blades (oh yes 5!). I also bought a Shave Gel. I usually just lather up my shower wash but I read that you should really use a specific shave gel because it helps to protect your skin, soften the hairs to be shaved and helps the razor glide over your skin. This is something I usually over look as an unnecessary product, but lets see if it really does make a difference!

Summer Essentials

Summer is well and truly here and I've switched up some of the things I'm using so here are some of my summer essentials. Save for the obvious sun-cream etc. the things that I have been adding / adapting in my routine are firstly I've been using a lighter foundation like Bobbi Brown's Skin foundation which has been a godsend and does not melt off my face throughout the day or look cakey. I've been loving bronzer which is high up there as a summer essential. Mac's bronzing powder in Golden is my bronzer of choice, it's quite matte but a very very slight shimmer but this doesn't really show up when it's on your skin. Urban Decay Primer Potion is also an absolute essential for stopping your eyeshadow from creasing in the humidity.

A peachy coloured blusher adds to the tanned golden look. Mac's Melba is a big favourite of mine. It's a beautiful consistency and I think it should be a staple in everyone's summer routine.

I've also been swapping my nude lips for a little bit more colour. I've been loving Mac's Speed Dial which is a cremesheen so gives a little bit of sheen for the summer which is great.

Don't forget to step up your perfume to a lighter scent. My favourites at the moment are Clinique Happy Heart in Bloom, DKNY Be Delicious Green Apple and Escada Pacific Paradise. Escada usually come out with a new summer scent each year, this one is a few seasons old but still up there with my summer favourites

And finally, everyone needs a little help in this department Nivea's Goodbye Cellulite cream is great for any areas that need a little bit more attention. Whilst I am not saying this will leave you dimple free, it will leave you looking like your skin is a little bit more even toned and healthy. It's also a lovely light gel which is nice and refreshing for the hot summer days and nights.

What are your summer essentials?

Products I am loving right now... June favourites

June has been a fairly successful month for me, in that I have bought minimal beauty products and have been really concentrating on using up some of the things I have in my stash. Along the way I have rediscovered some favourites too!
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First up is actually one of the few purchases I made in June and it is Neutrogena's new Pink Grapefruit Cleanser. I was instantly drawn to the gorgeous colour and the user friendly packaging when I saw this. It smells absolutely divine and It's been a godsend for waking me up in the mornings with it's zingy scent. I will definitely be doing a full review on this soon.

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Next up is another skincare item and it's Nivea's Day Cream. I have repurchased this cream quite a few times now and always come back to it. I love the smell and that it really sinks into my skin but feels very nice and moisturising. It's also been great under make-up this summer and has an SPF (although the packaging doesn't actually state the factor). It's really nice and affordable too.
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Onto make-up, for foundation I have put my Mac Studio Fix Fluid liquid foundation to the side, as it is much too heavy for summer and have started to use Bobbi Brown's Skin Foundation (the shade I have is Warm Ivory). I have been applying it as I usually apply foundation with my Mac 187 brush and it has been going on flawlessly. I have been loving the glow it's been giving my skin, and when I set it with Bobbi Brown's Sheer Pressed Powder or Mac Studio Fix powder foundation it lasts all day with no problems, yet looks as light as a feather.

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I have also rediscovered my Nars Bridal palette and in particular the colours Nepal and Ondine which have become my daily staples. I definitely want to try more Nars shadows, these are the only ones I own at the moment, what colours can you recommend?

What's your beauty style : TAG

1. What is your beauty style? (Natural, trendy, etc.)

I would say I probably aim for classic, feminine and polished. I don't really go in for trends and rarely venture into colours other than for lips, you wouldn't see me with bright eyeshadow or anything. I like to focus on flawless skin and glowy cheeks, long lashes and glossy lips

2. Where do you get your beauty inspiration from?

I mostly get my inspiration from celebrities (Olivia Palmero, Kim Kardashian) and then there's also bloggers such Hele (who sadly doesn't blog anymore *sob*) Tali, and then YouTubers like makeupbytiffanyd, lexielove, TheCurrentCustom and blushingpixie. I also seek inspiration from real life, what flatters me and what people compliment me on etc.
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3. What beauty products do you have the most of?

I would say it's probaly a tie between foundations and lip products.

4. What's you favourite/holy grail colour for:

Eyes: I love Blanc Type by Mac, extremely boring I know, but it's perfect for an all over lid colour for me, either alone, or with Patina or Satin Taupe.

Lips: I have quite pigmented lips and really dislike them so I prefer a nude lip, because it looks more flattering on me personally.

Cheeks: Peach or coral tones suit me best. I love Melba by Mac, that is by far my favourite blusher at the moment. 

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Nails: Either very light or very dark. I rarely use bright colours on my fingernails, they are saved for toenails. My favourite colours for fingernails are OPI Bubble Bath and You don't know Jacques (I like dirty taupe, greys) and Essie East Hampton Cottage

5. Three favourite brands of the moment:

1. Nars, slightly more grown up for me than Mac, and less hype and pressure to get the Limited Editions, if you know what I mean!

2. Revlon, probably one of my favourite drugstore brands. I love how they interpret trends in make-up for the lower end market.

3. Maybelline, yes yet another drugstore brand, which is another favourite. Affordable easily accessible products. I love their Falsies mascara, absolute HG material for me.

A big thank you to Tina for tagging me to do this post. I am sure that I have done it a few months back but I'm sure some of my answers have changed.

I will tag anyone who wants to take part, please comment with your blog link so I can take a look at your answers!