Fake A Healthy Face With BECCA Illuminate Wash Liquid Highlighter

For me, 2014 has been a good'un so far. I've gone from being a hermit who was stuck in a rut and couldn't be bothered with nights out, to actually having a social life and flying to other parts of the country on my own to meet up with certain friends who I don't see often enough but I've also been catching any and every bug there is. The latest I'm blaming on the air conditioning from a recent flight blowing a whole lotta nasty around the place. Seriously, as soon as I stepped off the plane I felt like death. Does this happen to anyone else? As I type this I have tissue stuffed up both nostrils (TMI?) a bright red hooter, bloodshot, watery, droopy eyes and a complexion which would rival that of corpse.There's one recent beauty purchase that has came to the rescue though - Becca Illuminate Wash Liquid Highlighter in the shade Moonlit. 

BECCA is a pricey brand but if you head over to Fragrance Direct you'll be able to bag yourself a few BECCA bargains. If you're placing an order, definitely add this to your basket if it hasn't sold out. As a rule, I don't like liquid highlighters. There are a few I love but generally I always go for powders. The texture of IWLH can only be described as perfect, not runny in the slightest nor is it thick and gunky. It's definitely a liquid highlighter as the name suggests but it feels very creamy which is why I think it works so well. It can be worn under foundation (light-medium coverage) as well as over. The brush applicator allows you to apply product exactly where you want it, for me this is cheekbones and down my nose then I pat it into my skin with my finger tips. When I think of BECCA I think of natural, barely there makeup and was worried this would completely disappear once worked into the skin but I'm really happy with how it looks. It does contain shimmer and is obvious but not in an obnoxious way. The colour looks quite solid in the swatch but once you start patting it into the skin the colour breaks up and you're left with more of a sheen and teeny tiny gorgeous flecks of champagne shimmer that catch the light. 

Anyone with dull skin will love this, it instantly perks up the skin without leaving any residue behind and on me it lasts until I remove it.

Have you grabbed any BECCA bargains yet?

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Blush Love: Bobbi Brown Shimmer Blush 'Coral 3'

Before I get on to my thoughts on this Shimmer Blush from Bobbi Brown can someone clear up the shade name for me? On the box and on the back of the blush packaging it says 'Coral 3' yet on the Bobbi Brown site and all other stockists I can only find 'Coral' listed in the Shimmer Blush shades. It's definitely real, I walked into Debenhams and bought it. Just not sure what the craic is with the name.

Name aside, I'm in blush heaven! This is my first dabble with Bobbi Brown blush and I'm already adding more to my ever growing wish list. My photos don't do this beauty any justice at all, it really needs to be seen in person and swatched. If you can do that and walk away from the counter blush-less, you're a stronger woman than I'll ever be. The texture/pigmentation is very similar to Urban Decay eye shadows (my fave) the swatch above hasn't been built up, that right thuuuuur is one swipe! Don't be put off by that though, applied with a fluffy brush (I've been using my Zoeva 106 Powder Brush) it looks incredibly natural and adds the most gorgeous glow thanks to the golden shimmer. I'm not sure how well the colour would show up on dark skintones, might work as more of a highlighter than a blush but I've tried it with some fake tan and when I'm my natural pale self, it looks great both ways. With a tan the golden sheen is more obvious which I prefer, it illuminates without looking glittery. For me it's the perfect day to night blush.

What are your thoughts on Bobbi Brown blushers?
Have you tried this shade?

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Blush, 19 quid directly from Bobbi Brown

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L'Oreal Glam Shine Balmy Gloss '915 Die For Guava'

Another lip crayon? Go on then.

Whilst looking for a new liquid liner on the Superdrug website and wanting to take advantage of the usual 3 for 2 offer, I added this little gem to my basket. I haven't tried all the dupes for the original Chubby Stick from Clinique so can't compare but what I can tell you is I prefer L'Oreal's offering over the much hyped Revlon Kissable Balm Stains.

L'Oreal Glam Shine Balmy Glosses aren't anything new, just about every affordable high street brand has jumped on that bandwagon. Essentially they're tinted balms in crayon form with pigmentation, texture and finish varying from brand to brand. After reading a few reviews on the L'Oreal version I was expecting the pigmentation to be poor. I'm not sure how the other 5 shades in the range fare but Die For Guava is strong enough to offer full coverage but can also be applied lightly for a barely there look. The formula is non drying, wears off evenly, keeps lips feeling hydrated and is easy to apply. Thanks to the twist-up packaging there's no need for sharpening and as promised, the finish is glossy but not overly so. The only downside is wear time. You will need to reapply often but I still think it's an absolute bargain even at full price (under 7 quid) but chances are you'll find it on offer. 

Die For Guava looks great when worn with only mascara and makes an easy daytime lip product but it's also great for nights out paired with winged liner and lashings of mascara. :) And for those who aren't a fan of minty lip products, there's no obvious scent.

What other shades from the Glam Shine Balmy Gloss range should I try?

L'Oreal Glam Shine Balmy Gloss, 6.99 from Boots and currently only 4.99 from Superdrug

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Sephora 12HR Wear Jumbo Liner '05 Beige'

I adore the Jumbo Liners from Sephora. They're creamy, don't slip around the eye lids or crease, last all day and are the easiest products in the world to apply. The other shade I own '04 Taupe' works brilliantly on it own, there's no need to layer eye shadow on top unless you really want to but I use it on its own. The only thing I do is blend out the edges. 

Sephora 12HR Wear Jumbo Liner in '05 Beige' is just as good as '04 Taupe' formula wise. There's no tugging or dragging at the delicate eye area as the liner is so smooth and creamy. It glides on and sets within a few seconds so if you were wanting to use it as liner and get your smudge on, you need to act fast. I have no complaints when it comes to pigmentation, staying power or formula, my only problem with '05 Beige' is that it isn't as wearable as it looks before swatched. You can probably tell in the photos it looks darker in the pencil than it does on the skin. It's quite a pale shade and looks stark against my fair skin tone, there's no way I could use it as a wash of colour all over the lid on it's own so what I've been doing is either using it as an inner corner highlight or as a base for shades such as Stilla 'Kitten' and Urban Decay 'Sin' before adding a darker shade in the crease to stop things looking too spangly. I don't own any of the darker shades but I'm wondering if they're as pigmented as the two I have? Let me know if you've tried them and if you have any shade recommendations. :)

What's your favourite fuss free eyeshadow?

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Love: Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush 'Icing'

Sorry about the lack of posts over the last week. I was so busy, didn't have a chance to sit down and type anything. The plan was to spend Saturday getting my draft on but being out on Friday night ment I spent most of yesterday sleeping and nursing the mother of all headaches. Still feeling rough today, you know you're getting old when a hangover lasts two days. Anyway, I NEED to talk about a highlighter. I've used it almost every day since receiving it, it also graced my face on Friday night and didn't budge even through hours of shape throwing. The highlighter in question is Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in 'Icing'*

Back in May I raved about the Watercolour Blush in 'Cherub' you can see that post here. In the cute dinky bottles 'Icing' and 'Cherub' look very similar but as you can see from the swatches, they're completely different. 'Cherub' is a blush whereas 'Icing' is a highlighter. When it comes to highlighters I'm always drawn to gold-y, champagne shades even though I'm fair and should probably stick to pinky hues. 'Icing' is pink but not overly so once blended, which makes it one of the most flattering highlighters I've ever tried. The texture make's it incredibly easy to work with, I apply it to the tops of my cheeks with my ring finger and whats left on my finger goes on my brow bone or down the centre of my nose. You can make it look as subtle or dramatic as you like but as there aren't any chunks of glitter, it's hard to go wrong.

The Watercolour Blushers are lightweight, you can't feel them on your skin at all and unlike powder highlighter/blush, they don't wipe off if you have a habit of touching your face throughout the day. Another thing I love about them is that they don't remove my foundation as I apply them which a lot of liquid cheek products do.

Have you tried Icing or any other shades?

Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush 'Icing' 14.49 from www.hairtrade.com

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*PR sample

The Pale Girls Contour: Dainty Doll Cream Blush 'Billion Dollar Babies'

I use the excuse of being pale as the reason for not being able to contour properly which is true to a certain extent but truthfully, I'm just cack handed. I don't contour all that often, who has time for that? But on the rare occasion I do, I almost always reach for Dainty Doll Billion Dollar Babies. Shades like NARS Douceur & Tarte Exposed can be used to contour on my skin tone too but Billion Dollar Babies is now my go-to face shaper.

This year Dainty Doll products have been popping up all over discount websites such as Fragrance Direct which is where I bought mine for under 2 quid, madness! It has now sold out but after a quick search online I found it on Amazon for under a fiver. Still a bargain. The reason Billion Dollar Babies works for me is simple - it isn't orange. It's an almost taupe-y, nude shade and creates really natural looking shadows anywhere you use it. It is a cream blush and that helps too, it's easier to blend and you can use your fingers instead of reaching for brushes when you're in a rush.

Billion Dollar Babies is one of those products I would never have bought if it wasn't reduced to such a low price. The colour does nothing for me in the pan but it's such a useful product to have.

What's your go-to product for contouring?
Did you get a few Dainty Doll Bargains?

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Have you entered my Paris skin care giveaway?

Love: Sephora Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencil 'Strawberry Delish'

Just a quick post today. If you read this post you'll already know I'm a big fan of the Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencils from Sephora. Sadly most of the shades are shimmery in an OTT way but luckily the one that jumped out to me was completely shimmer free. Strawberry Delish is as comfortable and easy to wear as Gorgeous Peach. I really love the formula and with Strawberry Delish there's a slight staining effect, so, even after the glossy finish has worn off you're still left with colour on your lips making it a great one to use on nights out when you might be a bit tipsy and the fear of clown mouth stops you reapplying. 

What do you think of Sephora Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencils?

Do you own any?

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Have you entered my Paris skin care giveaway?

The One: Sephora Contour Eye Pencil 12HR Wear 'Tiramisu'

You've maybe noticed I've been MIA from my blog this week. I had a midweek break booked for the end of the month (or so I thought) but after ringing the hotel to find out why they hadn't sent any confirmation I found out we were actually ment to be there in the next few days. So, blogging went out the window and those few days were spent rushing around like a blue arsed fly trying to get things sorted but while I was away I had the chance to really put some of the new goodies from my Paris haul through their paces.

I mentioned a few posts ago how I'm trying to get back in to wearing eyeliner more often but going for slightly lighter shades instead of the usual black. I've already tried one eyeliner from Sephora, you can see that post here. I loved everything about it, the formula was perfect, it glided across the lid with zero tugging, was long lasting and the pigmentation was fantastic so naturally while in Paris I headed straight to the stand/counter fully stocked  with endless rows of Contour Eye Pencils and spent a good hour getting my swatch on. The other shade I own is Flirting Game which contains shimmer so this time I went for Tiramisu, a completely matte chocolate brown shade that glides on just as effortlessly as Flirting Game. I would go as far as saying the Sephora Contour 12HR Wear Eye Pencils are my favourite pencil eyeliners, ever. Staying power is second to none which is something I've noticed with all Sephora own branded products. If they claim to be long lasting, they are! If you have hooded lids and tend to end up with liner transfer lines then these would be a great product to go for. You barely need to touch your skin with the pencil and you're left with intense colour that lasts for 12 hours as claimed.

If you're not lucky enough to live close to a Sephora but ever find yourself near one, make sure you pick up at least one of these eyeliners. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Have you tried these eye pencils?

Are you a liquid, gel or pencil girl?

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Enter my Paris skin care giveaway

KIKO Long Lasting Colour Lip Marker '103 Peach Red'

KIKO Long Lasting Colour Lip Marker '103 Peach Red'*

Lip Markers are something I love the idea of. In theory they sound great but in reality, they leave a lot to be desired.. Transfer proof, smudge proof, long lasting colour is something that really appeals to me as lip products in general don't last long on my smackers at all. I'm always gulping down water, coke or coffee and I'm a constant lip licker on top of that. I've only tried a few lip markers but haven't had the best experience with any of them. One dried out completely in less than a week, one smelt like permanent marker and the other made my lips feel raw.

KIKO Long Lasting Colour Lip Marker looks exactly like a marker. It's easy to hold and most importantly, easy to apply. With each use the nib is saturated in product but not to the point where it's going to drip everywhere. I've been using it several times a day to make sure it doesn't show any signs of drying out and so far so good. I love great smelling products and this is no exception. The scent is very sweet and fruity which makes me want to reapply more often than I need to and it doesn't have even the slightest pong of permanent marker to it.

The texture is extremely lightweight, it feels like water when first appled and even my mum who doesn't wear make up (she can't stand the feel of it on her skin) said she would be happy to use it as she could barely feel it sitting on her lips. It dries down within a few seconds to a matte finish and you can add as many layers as you wish to make the colour more intense. Once dry I wouldn't describe the feeling it leaves behind as moisturising but it certainly doesn't feel like my lips have been stripped nor does it make them flaky as the day goes on.

As I've already mentioned, lip products don't last very long on me. I'm not sure how many hours this should last as it just says 'long lasting' but I get around 4 hours before I really need to add another coat. It's paraben free which is always good and is available in 8 different shades.

Have you tried this lip marker or any others?

Are you a lip licker like me?

KIKO Long Lasting Colour Lip Marker £6.90 available from www.kikocosmetics.co.uk

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Don't forget to enter my Essence giveaway.

*PR sample

NOTD: Essie - We're In It Together

Essie 'We're In It Together'

My current NOTD is Essie 'Neo Whimsical' but I found these photo's from a few weeks back and thought why not upload them. Please ignore the icky looking scratch at the side of me finger, thankfully it's gone now.

The weirdest thing has happened, Essie polishes are lasting longer than one day on my nails! I think this shade lasted around 5 days before chipping.

Products Used:

O.P.I Nail Envy Matte

Essie 'We're In It Together' (2 coats)

Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Top Coat

Do you have problems with Essie polishes?

What colour is on your nails today?

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Don't forget to enter my Essence giveaway.

BarryM Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint 'Pomegranate'

BarryM Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint 'Pomegranate'

I'm a bit late to the party with this one but truth is I've never been a fan of BarryM. Yes the colour range and prices are fantastic but I always find the formula a bit too gloopy. While in Boots I stood glaring at the BarryM stand for a good few minutes before admitting defeat and grabbing 'Pomegranate' All the shades were really pretty but I own too many similar shades so this was the only one I walked away with but I'm really tempted to go back for more.

This colour is what I'm always drawn to when looking through nail polish stands but for some reason my camera really struggles to show the true colour! In real life it's alot deeper and more raspberry toned. It's the type of colour I reach for no matter the season. The formula is a bit thicker but compared to the rest of the BarryM polishes there isn't much difference to be honest but it does apply really well with a self levelling effect and it is indeed a one coater but I applied 2 coats as always.

The Hi-Shine claim is true, the gloss it adds to the nails is incredible even without top coat but I still can't decide if I think it looks like gel or not. Either way it's a gorgeous colour and one I'll get a lot of wear from. There is one bad point though, it started chipping quite badly on me after just one day but my nails are a bit of a pain at the minute so it could be my nails fault and not the polish.

What do you think of BarryM Nail Paints?

Have you tried any of the Gelly shades yet?

BarryM Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints are available from Boots and Superdrug

Don't forget to enter my Urban Decay Mariposa Palette giveaway!

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Dainty Doll Cream Blush '002 Orange County Girl'

Dainty Doll Cream Blush '002 Orange County Girl'

After my not so great post on the concealer pen from Dainty Doll I'm happy to say I love this product! It was complete bargain when you compare the £1.99 price tag to the RRP. The shade looks very bright in the pan but on the skin its really subtle, adds just the right amount of colour along with a gorgeous golden sheen but you can build the colour up (swatch photo). I find the best way to apply Dainty Doll Cream Blushers is with my fingers. Brushes don't pick up much product and unlike alot of cream blushers, it isn't cream to powder but if you leave it to set for a few minutes any tacky feeling you might be left with disappears.

Dainty Doll is for us girls with fair skin but darker skintones would be able to use it as highlighter. If you've been thinking about placing an order for this blush, do iiiit!

Have you tried this blusher or anything else from Dainty Doll?

Don't forget to enter my Urban Decay Mariposa Palette giveaway!

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NOTD: O.P.I We'll Always Have Paris

Have you been embracing the colder weather and dark Autumnal colours yet? I've only welcomed the latter with open arms. I love the dark nights but cant cope with being cold! In the photo is day three nails. They've lasted quite well with no chips or noticeable tip wear.

Products Used:

Kensington Caviar Base Coat

O.P.I We'll Always Have Paris (2 coats)

Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Top Coat

What's on your nails this weekend?

Daniel Sandler Lipshine Lipstick in 'Hush'

Hairtrade.com is one of the UK's leading online retailers of hair-extensions, hair care and beauty products. I've discorvered some of my favourite products through Hair Trade and this month I decided to try my first ever Daniel Sandler product. I've been aware of Daniels products for years now and had read tonnes of great reviews but to my knowledge nowhere local to me stocks the range so I've never been able to see the products in person.

Daniel Sandler Lipshine Lipstick in 'Hush' £13.25*

Lipshine Lipsticks offer a sheer wash of colour instead of the usual block colour you would expect from a lippy but the colour can be built up. The packaging is right up my street, its a deep, glossy, reflective silver. I love weighty, sturdy, well made packaging. It just adds something extra to the product and its always nice to whip it out in public (how wrong does that sound! I promise I'm talking about the lippy ;)) It also has that satisfying click closure.

The lipstick itself is perfect for the colder months as the formula feels so nourishing on the lips. Its enriched with a blend of special oils to moisturise and condition which makes it ideal for anyone with dry, or even cracked lips. It contains Vitamins A, C & E, SPF 15 and is preservative free. Hush Is a really natural shade and I'm not sure how to describe it other than 'my lips but better' Its the type of shade that is going to suit every single skin colour, go with any make up look and look great on women (or men) of any age. If I had to choose a lippy for someone I didnt know very well, Hush would be a safe bet. It adds just the right amount of shine but never feels sticky or gloopy like a gloss. It feels almost like a balm on the lips but with a bit more slip and it isnt going to highlight any dryness.

Have you tried Hush or any of the other shades?

Daniel Sandler Lipshine Lipstick £13.25 from HairTrade.Com

*Product sent for review

Revisited: Milani 3D Holographic

Milani 3D Holographic

A good few months back I done a post on the Milani polishes I'd ordered from CherryCulture but the photos werent great, I hadnt used top coat etc so thought it was about time I tried them out again. Milani polishes are brillaint - the forumla, brush, coverage. I love everything about them and wish they were easier to get hold of in the UK!

If you ever come across nail polish from Milani snap them up! I promise you wont be disappointed.