Shopping My Stash / #4

Still acceptably warm so I stick with the Neve Cosmetics Flat Perfection Smoothing Powder Foundation in light neutral - I'm really enjoying mineral foundation this summer. Switched to the Laura Mercier Radiance Foundation Primer because - as I mentioned in my previous Shopping My Stash - the mineral primer is a bit 'meh'.

For the eye, I used the bareMinerals READY Eyeshadows 2.0 in The Vision: it's pretty low maintenance, easy and fast to apply - I also used the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion but it wasn't really necessary because these eyeshadows don't usually crease on me. Lined my waterline with the Max Factor Liquid Effect Pencil in black fire and used Lancome Hypnose Star mascara for the lashes with a coat of Kiko False Lashes Concentrate Building Base mascara, too; finally, a touch of Benefit Eye Bright in the inner corner.

I always try to keep the rest of the face dewy when I use a powder base: I alternated the Kiko Glow Touch Cheeks & Lips in 01 bitter margarita - on cheeks and lips - to Clarins Instant Light Blush in 02 coral tonic as highlighter plus Kiko Colour Explosion Multi-Tone Blush in 04 bold coral plus L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick in 303 coral & floral.

Right into my corals and Kiko stuff this week - what have you been enjoying lately? :)

FOTD - Rainy Afternoon

Yep, cut my fringe a wee bit. I used my new Tweezerman shears which give more of a 'square' finish; I quite like it, especially when I tie my hair up - look very tidy and put together. Anyhow, I desperately need a proper haircut. Last time I had an haircut was March 2012 (The shame!) and it's just not acceptable. I've been trying to grow my hair, just for a change... but I just can't see myself with long hair - I definitely think I suit short hair more.

Onto the make up....

Face: Daniel Sandler Retexturizing Face Primer, Lancome Teint Miracle foundation in 010, Giorgio Armani Master Corrector in pink, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in medium, Cover FX Bronzed FX in golden peach;

Eyes: bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 4.0 Limited Edition in the rare find (Surreal & Eureka), Neve Cosmetics Occhioni mascara, Becca Line + Illuminate Pencil in fiji; 

Lips: Bobbi Brown Lipcolor in party alice (not pictured).

FOTD - A Snow Day in March

l-r/t-b: ted baker lip crayon, urban decay blush, rimmer scandaleyes, bareminerals' frisson

Face: Benefit the Porefessional, Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Make Up in 3.0, Mac Mineralize SkinFinish Natural in medium, Giorgio Armani Master Corrector in pink, Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer in 07 Warm Light, Urban Decay Afterglow Glide-on Cheek Tint in Crush;
Eyes: Rimmel Scandaleyes in 003 Bad Girl Bronze, Rimmel Scandaleyes in 005 Nude, bareMinerals Frisson eyeshadow (from The Rare Find palette), Soap & Glory Thick & Fast mascara;
Lips: Ted Baker Lip Crayon no4.

Haul / FeelUnique

Last week, I placed a cheeky order on FeelUnique.com; most of the products had been reduced for the sale so I decided to cross few items off my wishlist ;)

Caudalie Beauty Elixir

 I'm sure you all know this spray and I've been looking forward to try it myself for a while too. I didn't want to commit to a full size bottle so I picked up the 30ml bottle for under a tenner.

I was, mostly, worried about the scent but so far It doesn't bother me - hopefully I will see an improvement on the appearance of my skin too.

bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 4.0 Limited Edition in The Rare Find

 There is another limited edition quad, The Happy Place, which is also stunning but I decided to go with this one because of the more 'unusual' shades. 

I, totally, fell in love with Eureka from this palette as soon as I saw it; I adore my Becca Line + Illumited Pencil and I use it quite a lot but I don't have any olive/khaki shadows.. so you can say it was overdue. ;)

I also can't wait to try Frisson, which is a matte reddish brick colour - should work well with green eyes.

These bareMinerals shadows are just fantastic: the quality is really good and are some of my favourite eye products! I also have one of their duo - you can check it here!

Yes to Cucumbers On-the-Go Cucumbers Essentials Kit

Finally, I bought this samples kit from Yes to; I haven't tried Yes to before so I was curious to give it a go and I chose the Cucumber line because it's targeted for sensitive skin.

Have you tried this brands before?

xxx

FOTD / Cinema Date

We went to see Skyfall at the weekend - the husband is a fan and I do like watching the James Bond films too, they are entertaining after all. Plus, the iMAX is always the best experience EVER! ;)

Face: Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24hr Foundation in BD40 (not a great fan of this foundation - I prefer the Lancome Teint Miracle which is in my Top5 favourite foundations), Giorgio Armani Master Corrector in pink, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in medium, Benefit Sun Beam, Becca Fine Pressed Powder in Sesame, Bobbi Brown Shimmer Blush in 3 Coral (love this blusher! it's so pretty and easy to wear - I don't find coral blushes always look good on me. I'm not a fan of the packaging, tho... I'd have liked a mirror, at least);
Eyes: bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 2.0 in The Vision (I fall in love with this set every time I use it; the quality is really good and I would never thought I could pull off these colours. I can't wear a full on black smokey eye but I like the smoky effect I can achieve with this duo), Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Revlon GrowLuscious lashliner in Espresso, Clinique Bottom Lash mascara, Clinique High Impact mascara, Kiko FalseLashes Concentrate Building Base mascara;
Lips: Collection 2000 Cream Puff in Fairy Cake.

FOTD & OOTD - Christening

Face: Ysl Touche Eclat Foundation in BR40, Giorgio Armani Master Corrector in pink, Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer in 07 Warm light, NYX Cream Blush in Glow, Givenchy Sari Glow blush in 43 Maharani Pink, bareMinerals Original SPF15 Foundation in N20 medium beige;

Eyes: Lancome Hypnose Star mascara, Chanel Ombres Perlees de Chanel (pink and purple shades);

 Lips: Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart.

 Some friends baptised their baby boy, few weeks ago, so we went to the church and to the party afterwards; I forgot how pretty that dress is - it's from Topshop 2009 and I haven't worn it enough. It's a one shoulder and I teamed it up with this h&m cropped cardi... also from ages ago.
Accessories:
 Bangle - Claire's,
Rings - Topshop,
Shoes - Office, 
Bag - Mango, 
Earrings - Swarovski.

I do love an hot fuchsia outfit! :)

Debenhams 6/6 - part 1

Right - I wrote this post eons ago but it got forgotten in my draft folder... Le sigh!

You may have already seen some of this items used in FOTD/FOTNs... but I decided to post it anyway as they are some nice and interesting products, worth sharing. :)

I also realised it was way too long so I split it into 2.

bareMinerals Quick Change Brush Cleaner: I bought this to clean my brushes, between washes.
This is a fantastic product - gets rid of the darkest eyeshadows quickly and leaving the brushes dry. It also has a very pleasant smell.
I will definitely re-buy when I run out.

Mac Chromagraphic Pencil in Process Magenta: I couldn't resist this lip pencil... the colour is just so stunning... a true, bright magenta. This need to be applied with extreme precision as the staying power is impressive and leaves a stain, even after I've wiped it off with some remover.
The pencil gives a matte finish that I, personally, like on his own and I don't top it up with any lipstick. Bright statement lips with glossy eyes is the look I'm going for (and a sleek ponytail!)
There are about 10 Chromagraphic Pencils that were released in 2010, part of the PRO store; I'm just a bit annoyed as these pencils are also described as multi-use but some of them are 'not to be use on the lip area' or 'not to be used on the eye area'... Process Magenta is one of the latter and I would have, totally, experimented as an eyeliner, too... shame!

Mac Paint Pot in Rubenesque: Impressed with the quality of Painterly Paint Pot so I decided I wanted a shade with a bit more pizzazz... also, something with a bit of shimmer to use as a base when I layer neutral eyeshadows.
I'm so glad I got this colour - it's absolutely stunning and the one that I gravitate towards the most, recently.... when I don't know what to wear, I go for Rubenesque as it makes for an interesting eye colour, effortlessly.
It's described on the website as a golden peach with gold shimmer which I couldn't have formulated any better - spot on!

Duo Adhesive: I don't use false lashes very often but this is supposed to be the best glue on the market... so I picked up a tube to try out.
ummm, not much else to say - it's glue, guys... but let me know if you use it, too! :)

... continue to part 2 ^_^

FOTD - @ IMAX for The Dark Knight Rises

 

Face: Ginvera BB Cream, Ysl Touche Eclat in no.1, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in medium, Mac Blush Ombre in Azalea Blossom;

Eyes: bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 2.0 in The Vision, Revlon GrowLuscious mascara, Benefit Eyes Bright;

Lips: Ysl Glossy Lip Stain in no.17. 

... btw, about the film, I thought it was amazing - loved it and I would, happily, go to see it again tomorrow! Also, it was my first experience with the imax and it's great: it really sucks you in - no comparison with the sh**y 3D - it's so much better!

FOTD - Festival in the Park

This make-up is from a scorching day spent in the park with some friends... I packed up on the spf, for sure! ;)

Face: Clinique CityBlock Sheer SPF25, Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF30 in Alaska, Giorgio Armani Master Corrector in pink, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in medium, Urban Decay Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tint in Crush, bareMinerals Original SPF15 foudation in N20 medium beige, Urban Decay Dew Me setting spray;

Eyes: Rimmel Colour Mousse 8hr in 008 Sassy, Revlon GrowLuscious mascara;

Lips: Mac Chromagraphic pencil in Process Magenta, Nars Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Mexican Rose.

FOTD - Day at the beach

Face: Clinique City Block Sheer SPF25, Estee Lauder DayWear BB Cream in 01 Light, Giorgio Armani Master Corrector in pink, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in medium, bareMinerals Original SPF15 Foundation in N20 medium beige, Clarins Instant Light Blush in Coral Tonic, Clinique Fresh Bloom blush in 01 peony;

Eyes: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, bareMinerals READY duo in The Vision, Revlon GrowLucious mascara;

Lips: Ysl Rouge Volupte' in 8 Fetish Pink.

close-up of the eye look using bareMinerals READY

so, you may have noticed I have changed the 'format' of FOTD - I think a visual of the make up used it's, definitely, more interesting then just a list of products... what do you think?? xx

bareMinerals READY - first thoughts

Recently, I mentioned that I'm getting hooked on bareMinerals - I'm very impressed with all the products I've tried so far: staying power is good, colours are pretty... mineral make up has, definitely, made great improvements in recent years.

Anyway, bM just came out with a new line READY, including eye palettes, finishing powder, blushes... the difference? They are pressed powders. 

In my opinion, a good decision as I was complaining about the mess in my review here.

I went and bought an eyeshadow duo. They remind me of the Nars duos - also because the packaging is the same rubbery material. This is - definitely - a lovely set for 19quid!

I chose The Vision because I don't have anything quite like this. Also, the dark one - Mirage - looks pretty similar to Lorac 3D-licious eyeshadow which was on my list and considering this is not a colour I would use very often, it's a good compromise (price-wise too). It's a brown with a blue duo chrome, really pretty.

The lighter shade - Illusion - is the prettiest powder blue without looking chalky.

They appears like powder but transform into cream, don't crease and they blend very well too.

I may pick few more colours - The Phenomenon, Hidden Agenda and Paradise Found are top of my list.

Btw, did you notice that Debenhams Beauty Club Card - they add a random 500 points into your account, sometimes? They are not points that you have earned but bonuses (like a fiver fallen from the sky) that needs to be used pretty fast, tho (usually in 2/4 weeks time) otherwise you'll loose them... anyway, I thought to mention it as I lost some myself in the past and used this promotion in the above purchase.

Have you tried this product... or looking forward to? :)

FOTD - a day in Edinburgh

FACE:
Murad Skin Perfecting Primer Dewy Finish
Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H in 30
Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer in 07 Warm Light
Becca Fine Pressed Powder in Sesame
Nars Cream Blush in Cactus Flower

EYES:
Bare Minerals High Shine EyeColor in Vapor*
Max Factor Liquid Effect Pencil in Black Fire
Dior DiorShow New Look mascara

LIPS:
Nars Cream Blush in Cactus Flower


* talking about BM here - http://fashion-olic.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/debenhams-36.html

close up of the BM eyeshadow

Debenhams 3/6

MAC Blush Ombre in Azalea Blossom

Finally, I managed to get my hands on this blush. Originally, It was a limited edition in the Spring Forecast Collection 2010 but I missed out. Luckly, it has been recently re-issued in the Daphne Guinness Collection.

Disappointed about the packaging as, although it's a limited editon, it's nothing special but the ordinary black Mac pot.

The product itself... ummm, I'm not sure either. I like the ombre' mix between pink and violet, resulting in a cool pink tone... but it feels a bit waxy and it doesn't write too well... I might just have to try and scratch the surface and see if it improves. 

Is anybody else's having the same problem with this blush?

Bare Minerals High Shine EyeColor in Vapor

I've only recently been discovering this brand... I think the mineral foundation is excellent so I have high expectations for other products too. :)

I decided to try the eyeshadow: there are sooo many pretty colours, they are all vibrant and with dimension. I picked Vapor as I don't have anything similar in my collection; it's a rich, high pigmented blue-ish grey.

I really like it: it's very cream and goes on beautifully without creasing. Being a powder, tho, application can be a bit tricky and definitely not something I reach for when in a hurry. 

Also, I'm not a fan of the packaging - it's very messy and feels like there's not much product in the tube. Apart from that, I'd like to try other colours too - have a look at Meteorite or Moonshine... aren't they gorgeous?!

Finally, I was so thrilled to receive a sample of Especially Escada eau de parfum as I love it!!!

Btw, I don't know what's the deal with Debenhams freebies with online orders: sometimes they send you a sample, sometimes they don't and doesn't even seem to be connected to how much you spend... boh!