Where to Save: Makeup Edition

I love a bargain. It's the best feeling when you can find a product where the quality vastly outshines the price. I own a mixture of luxury and affordable makeup and I have tried and tested all different categories of makeup to give you my picks on what makeup items are worth heading to your local high street for.

Mascara

I have tried my hardest to find a high-end mascara that curls my eyelashes, makes them thicker and fuller without weighing them down and I have not found one yet. Thing is, you can't trial a mascara out properly before purchasing it and so whenever I have purchased one from a luxury brand that claims to be the holy grail of mascaras, I'm always disappointed with the end result.
With mascara that is more affordable, I find that I can trial more out without spending a fortune, and so I do have a few go-to favourites that give me the results that I want - I will list and link them below!
-  Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof Mascara (£8.99/9ml)
- Kiko Unforgettable WP Mascara (£7.20/9ml)
- L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Waterproof Mascara (£10.99/9ml)

Eyeliner
I think it's so easy to find a brilliant eyeliner without spending too much. Eyeliner only lasts a few months, so I think if you can find something you like for under a tenner then you are definitely winning. From liquids to pencils - the high street has so much variety that I don't feel the need to look elsewhere! I've now found my holy grail liquid eyeliner for under £3, which I can create a thin and defined line, to a more bolder statement look:

- Collection Fast Stroke Eye Liner (£2.99/3.8g) 
- L'Oreal Paris Super Slim Eyeliner (£6.99)
- Rimmel London Scandal'Eyes WP Eyeliner  (£4.49)

Nails

If you are like me, and like to chop and change your nail colour weekly, then the high street can provide a variety of colours, textures and formulas to please anyone. I love finding the needle in the haystack when it comes to shopping for nail polishes, because I think every brand can vary so much (luxury polishes included!). Just because you might pay over £15 for a nail polish, doesn't mean that it's less likely to chip - nails are one thing that is affected by general wear and tear of your daily living. I've found some formulas in the high street that I would wholly recommend to anyone looking for nail polishes that can last for up to week without chipping. 

- Maybelline Forever Strong Gel Nail Polish (£4.49/10ml)

- Kiko Perfect Gel Duo (£7.99/2 polishes)

Lips

Similar to nail polishes, I think you can find a really nice selection of lip products on the high street, again with different textures, formulas and colours. I think because lip products are something that you will tend to reapply throughout the day, regardless of the price, you don't need to spend too much cash, whether you want to is a different story! I'm a massive fan of nude lip colours, and I'll list a few of my favourites below: 

- Nip and Fab Makeup Matte Liquid Lipstick (£7.95/2.6ml)

- Revlon Ultra HD Gel Lipcolour (£7.99)

Brushes 
No matter what makeup you purchase, it's so important to ensure that your tools are just as good as the products. In the last decade, we can see a massive increase of affordable but high quality makeup tools. I believe makeup tools are worth investing in, and finding the right ones for the right price can be difficult, but not impossible. Anything by Real Techniques is an automatic win - I've never been disappointed  in their products and they are so multi-purpose, sometimes I use them for what works for me, rather than what they are meant to be used for!
- Real Techniques Blush Brush (£9.99)
- Real Techniques Sculpting Set (£19.99)

- Kiko Blending Brush 200 (discontinued)
- The Body Shop Eyeshadow Brush (£9.00)

So that is my round up on all the makeup products that I think is worth getting for an affordable price tag. I would love to know if this is something you agree with, or whether there is something else you think is worth sticking on this list.
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Curently Testing

I've been on a bit of a make-up ban recently. In the last few months, I haven't bought much, just using everything in my collection, just to finally finish some products, so I can justify new purchases in the future. I had finally finished a few items so I treated myself to a couple of new products that I am now currently testing. So I'll give you my first impressions!

Revlon Ultra HD Gel Lipcolour (£7.99/1.7g)

This product is a hybrid between a lip colour and a lip balm. Formulated with Hyaluronic Acid, this product merges skincare and makeup, which I love. I find products like this so easy to use and need less maintenance throughout the day. You don't need to constantly reapply if you don't want to and just let it fade naturally, or you can reapply without needing a mirror. I just love how the ball is in your court, I think this is how make-up is supposed to be, you calling the shots rather than the product. Hopefully that made sense! I love the shade ranges of these, they were all quite wearable, but I love my nudes. This colour is a nude for me, but is probably a nice browney pink for anyone with lighter skin. 

Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof (£7.99/9.5ml)

Lash Sensational is one of the most hyped mascaras of the past year and this is the first time I am trying it. I know! I'm the worst beauty blogger! But since my mascara ran out, the Lash Sensational was the next mascara on my radar. I have to get waterproof, since my lashes don't hold a curl without a waterproof formula. My thoughts: I think I need to wait for the formula to dry out a bit, since it's so wet at the moment, it's a super messy mascara to apply, and my lashes are quite thin, so my eyelids get the brunt of the product, which is not the look I was hoping to achieve! Apart from that, when I can concentrate most the product on my eyelashes,  I do like this product - I think it lengthens and adds blackness and thickness to my lashes. I think it's super nice to layer this up too. It does hold my lashes up too, but I think that'll get even more better when the formula is more dry.

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner (£16.00/0.55ml)

I've heard amazing things about this liner, and it did not disappoint. I love how precise the nib is, like out of all the eyeliners I think  I have ever tried, this is the most precise application I have ever gotten. Surprisingly, the nib is an actual brush, which I thought would make the eyeliner more messy and more prone to mistakes. However, this beats my Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner which had a felt tip applicator. I'm so quick at doing a winged liner look, which is a feat because I don't apply liquid liner on a daily basis, it's something I have fazes of, and currently this eyeliner is prolonging my liquid winged liner faze for now.
In terms of it's longevity, this liner has withheld the most brutal of English weather, which included a waterfall-like rain on one occasion, and my eyeliner was still exactly as it had been when it was first applied! I would recommend this to every liner lover out there!

NYX Profession Matte Makeup  Blotting Sheets (£5.50/50 sheets)

My Sephora Blotting Sheets were life, and unfortunately they ran out so I wanted to try a blotting sheet for around the same price point and I knew NYX produced some. They have a selection of different types of blotting sheets, but I'm a believer in simplicity and there was just one job I wanted to be done properly, and that was to get rid of the oil and shine on my face. After using these from NYX I think I prefer the Sephora ones. These NYX ones feels like grease proof paper, which feels a bit cheap for me. it's not that thick either. I feel like I have to use two sheets for my whole face, whereas with the Sephora ones I found that I could use both sides, because the oil wouldn't really secrete through to the other side. I'm going to still use these NYX ones up, but I think I'm either going to have to head to a Sephora or find another brand which supplies them next time. 

So that's the few beauty bits I've been testing for the past few weeks! Some products I have had longer than others, so that's why I can give more of a full review of it! I would love to know what products you guys are trying out!
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2 Affordable Everyday Nude Lips

I'm not a major lip product person. I've found it super difficult to find what works for me, and it's only recently I've began to delve a little more into what actually suits me. I suit neutral browny pinks, with either a shimmer or glossy finish. I really don't suit matte, unless I am wearing super high-coverage foundation, which I don't tend to go for anymore on the daily. In the past month I have found not one but two of my everyday go-to lip products which are both from Italian origins incidentally!

Kiko Milano Pencil Lip Gloss (£3.90)

I love Kiko, I find that it is one of the few stores that actually sell more quality items on the high-street for an affordable price. This find is no exception as it delivers on every aspect. The pigmentation is great, it's not too intense that you have to use a mirror to apply it, but it is also noticeable when you have it on. It has a cream finish which lasts a good few hours and I find that it is so comfortable on the lips and keeps them moisturised too, which is good for these colder months. Another aspect that sold me on this product is that it doesn't leave any residue on the lips once it's faded away, which is always a plus. The colour is a pinky nude with a hint of shimmer, which is not chunky and just adds some depth to the lips. I am just in love with this product, I have been using it religiously and have been taking it with me because it's so travel friendly. Kiko has a selection of shades, the one I use in is in shade 11!

Catrice Cosmetics Beautifying Lip Smoother (€4.99)

While I was in Italy two weeks ago, I spotted this product in an Italian cosmetics shop. It called to me because it looked like a dupe for the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfecter, which retails for £18.00. I have to say, it appears like a really good dupe! It's light on the lips without being sticky, and you can actually see the colour pigment. It adds a sheen to the lips, rather than a gloss, which makes this product sophisticated and very wearable for any occasion. I personally like to line and fill in my lips with a lip liner and then go in with this gloss as a finishing touch. I love the applicator too, it's a sponge which evenly apply's the product and just feels really nice! All in all, this product is really nice, for touch ups and even for finishing a look off, it's easy and just something I have been reaching for lately!

Lately, I feel like my commitment to my lips has improved due to these two products. I would highly recommend them as they both add something to the lips without being too high maintenance or too over the top. 

I would love to know if you have tried any of these products and what lip products you use on the daily! 

Be sure to follow me on Bloglovin for beauty related posts, I usually have a new post every week however, I am thinking of increasing it to two posts a week!

Two Lipsticks to Carry you Into Autumn

To me, it's already Autumn. September is about change and starting afresh and so it's no wonder I am stuck in the mindset that it's already Autumn. Autumnal make-up is bold and captivating and I have two lip products to share that will help you achieve bolder looks with minimal effort.

The first product is bareMinerals Pop of Passion Lip-Oil Balm (£17.00/3.1g) in the Shade 'Plumberry Pop'. This product is fantastic for those wanting to get into lipsticks, but don't like the faff surrounding it. This shade is a lovely sheer plum/berry shade that's brilliant for this coming season. Since it's sheer, it's perfect to take on the go and is so low maintenance that it's akin to lip-balm. This product however is better than traditional lip-balms because of it's oil texture, which keeps the lips moisturised and looking hydrated. I think this shade looks so nice with gold eye-shadow, as it makes the gold pop even more and just really puts a look together!

The second product is more of a statement lip, and it is the NYX Liquid Suede (£6.50/4ml) in the shade 'Soft Spoken'. This is actually the first NYX product that I've tried and so far I actually really like it. So this is a liquid lipstick, so it's designed to stay on the lips and not be as easily transferable as traditional lipsticks. This product has good longevity and isn't drying on the lips, however before application you should be going in with a nourishing lip-balm. I think the preparation before applying this product is important as you want to make sure your lips are hydrated and flake free and then the application will go more smoothly! The shade of this product is so nice too, it's a slightly darker classic brown-pink colour that's currently on trend and so will suit a wide variety of skin-tones. When I wear this product I like to go with a more nude but polished look, so I will keep the rest of my make-up more on the brown side, but perhaps have a thicker liner or add more mascara to add more of a statement.



























So those are my two autumn lip picks, I would love to know what shades/colours you gravitate towards in autumn!

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Long Lasting Make-up tip? Yes Please

For some reason when I think of long-lasting make-up I envision a model with a ton of matte make-up on her face. This post is not going to be that. Instead this post is based on a more realistic and accessible way to get make-up to look as though it hasn't melted away during the day. 

I want to say, and this is from my personal experience, that less make-up is better if you want to look semi-decent at the end of the day as you did in the start. I find that if I wear less eyeshadow, less blush, less foundation, I look more like the woman who left the door at 8am. If I put more make-up on then when I come back 9 hours later, you can really see how much I tried in the early hours of the morning. 

I really have been encompassing this idea into my daily life, on Mondays I have a 9-6 day at uni, and so I am out the door at 8am and back home at 6.30pm, so I really try to use a minimal amount because God knows my head will be in my hands at the end of the day!

My Monday make-up routine consists of me firstly priming my face with the L'Oréal Infallible Primer (£7.99/45g), then I go in with my NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation (£32.00/30g) - I add half a pump to my face, trying to just even out my complexion rather than masking my face. I then fill in the sparse areas of my eyebrows with the Mono Eyeshadow 'MMMM' from Makeup Revolution (£1.00/2.3g), (this is quite warm toned, and it does a good job but I've recently discovered a new favourite!). My next step is to add mascara, my currrent one is the Loreal Million Lashes Waterproof (£9.99/2ml) and it's awesome! I then proceed to set my make-up with the Chanel Natural Finish Loose Powder (£36.00/30g), and then add a bit of the bareMinerals Pop of Passion Lip-Oil Balms (£16.00/3.1g) - these are great because they reduce down into a stain and so actually do great for making your lips look naturally pigmented! 

For some reason, this sounded like a lot of steps, but I swear I can do it all in around 5 minutes! Also I try to make things as sheer as possible! 

I would love for you all to try to minimise the make-up that you have on on your crazy busy days, I can guarantee that you will notice that you don't look quite as worn down by the day, because you didn't look so done up at the start of the day! It's about reducing that gap. To me, when I look at the mirror when the day is almost over, I don't have to deal with creased eyeshadow, smudged liner, or blush that is half way down my face and although I love make-up, I don't enjoy looking like that!
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Review: bareMinerals Pop of Passion Lip Oil-Balms

If I had to talk about what person I am in terms of make-up,  I would say I focus more heavily on eyes and my base. In terms of lips, I get...stuck. I try to find colours that suit me but most of the time it just goes dreadfully wrong, so I just end up wiping away my effort. Recently I tried bareMinerals Pop of Passion Lip Oil-Balm (£16/3.1g) and I realised where I was going wrong...

On first impression on applying, these bareMinerals Lip Oil-Balms apply evenly adding a sheer coat of colour with the leverage of being worked into more of a block colour, which is nice as you have a choice on how you would like to look. However, what really amazed me about this product is how comfortable it feels on your lips and I think part of that is due the ingredients: it  is enriched with passion fruit seed oil with vitamin E and so really delivers moisturisation front, feeling more like a lip balm treatment than a lipstick, which is honestly a feeling that I love, especially in winter time!
When you first apply it is has a normal glossy hydrating finish, but within the hour this begins to dry down into a beautiful stain. I love this because you can just forget you are wearing it and just go about your day knowing that it won't end up in your teeth! This product has great longevity when you compare it to how sheer it is! It lasts for a few hours and fades nicely.

The packaging is really cute, I love the design! I think this is really travel friendly as the product is encased in plastic and so it's lightweight but also the colourful packaging would make these really easy to find in the black-hole that is a women's purse!

Left to right: Nude Passion, Pink Passion and Plumberry Pop

I have three shades: Nude Passion, Pink Passion and Plumberry Pop, and surprisingly I love the actual colours more than the nude, which really can tell you how much these really do add something to your look. I think the colours look a bit strong in the packaging, but when applied on the lips these are all wearable shades, I prefer to wear them quite sheer because I'm still fairly new to lipsticks.
Nude Passion, I would describe as a baby pink nude, I think you can just slightly see that baby pink coming out on my swatch below, it's a lovely colour for everyday! Pink Passion has to be the one I was the most scared of applying, it looks really bright! However when I got the guts to apply this I found that this emulates and deepens a natural pink lip and I think this would suit many people! Plumberry Pop is a shade which is perfect for this type of year, I like that it is colourful without being too deep and when this reduces down into a stain it's really lovely also this shade is the most long lasting since it is a 'Pop' shade!

Left to right: Nude Passion, Pink Passion and Plumberry Pop.

I think this is perfect for beginners but also I just think this is great for anyone who wants to brighten up their look. If you need a lightweight, hydrating pop of colour then this is the product I would recommend, I think the price is worth it because I know this is something that I will get a lot of use from in all seasons, I don't think a moisturising lipstick will ever go out of use!
I would love to know what you guys think of this, and what lipsticks you tend to reach towards! Let me know in the comments down below!
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Anjna

April Favourites 2015

This month I have been obsessed with a few new things...

I recently did a review of The Sephora Collection Nano Lip Liners (€5.00/0.025oz). I bought it when I went to Paris earlier this month and I cannot stop wearing it! What I love about it is that it's a creamy formula so the application is very smooth on the lips, but it dries to a matte finish which ensures that it stays in place. I love how tiny it is too! It's perfect for travel and to touch up in the day! I have the colour '06 Pretty Praline'.

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My next favourite is the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (30ml) which I got  in this months BirchBox and I really do love it, it comes with a muslin cloth which is amazing for taking off make-up while exfoilating at the same time. The texture of the product is like a cream so it's really easy to massage it in, but then the texture changes into a balm so you can really tell it's doing some heavy duty cleansing. The only negative I have to say is that I think I am going through this quite fast but I'll let you know on Twitter how it fairs!

My next skincare favourite is Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentreate (£36.00/30ml) which is my total skin saviour, if you haven't tried it you really need to. It's an oil which you put on at night and while you sleep it calms your skin and makes your face look so much better in the morning. It really is a miracle in a bottle. This is my second bottle so far, I know that it might seem expensive but the first one lasted me just under a year so I really think this is worth investing in. The reason why it's in my favourites is because I have been applying a bit of this in the morning because my skin is getting dry and it doesn't interfere at all my make-up. For more information click here.

My last beauty favourite is the Laura Mercier Kohl Eye Pencil (0.8g) in the colour Violet - I love this eyeliner, the colour is so unique and wearable, it is as the name suggests Violet, a dark purple and blue! I got this in the BirchBox too and it's just amazing. I have to say that the formula isn't that creamy, so it can be a tiny bit hard to apply but the lasting power is completely worth it. I love wearing coloured eyeliner around this time of year because it just adds something special to your look. I think it's well worth investing in Laura Mercier eyeliners if they have the same quality as this one! 

Like I said earlier I went to Paris this month and one of the things I picked up is this super dinky little Paris Tray from one of those touristy shops, and there has been something in it every day. I chuck my keys, pens and mini notepad into it, sometimes even spare change. It's so useful to have a place to keep all my bits and bobs so they aren't scattered around my room and desk. It's a total favourite of mine because it's a really nice reminder of my trip and for the price (which was around €3-5), it's well worth it. 

What has been your favourites this month? I would love to know :) 

Anjna x

Review: Sephora Collection Nano Lip Liner

As soon as I tried this product, I knew I had to tell people about it. The Sephora Collection Nano Lip Liners (€5.00/0.025oz) are so cute that I just has to buy one when I was in Paris earlier this month!

What I love about this is that it's pigmented and but also more of a creamy matte formula - as opposed to the Rimmel London Exaggerate that I spoke about a while back (which is also good but way more matte). This basically means that it glides on really nicely, it doesn't feel too drying on the lips and also you can wear this product by itself (or make it more of a lipstick by adding some clear lipbalm to it, which is another way I wear this). 

I have worn this like crazy already, I only bought it two weeks ago and I have already sharpened it, so I feel like I will use this up really quickly, even more so because it is so small! I am glad I got to try it, cause it is awesome and I just feel like this would be great for people just getting into lip liners as it is really not much of an investment or if you wear a statement lip colour every now and again. Although their colour range is quite limited, the colours that they do have are really nice. The colour I have is called '06 Pretty Praline' which is more of a  'my lips but better colour' and that's the reason why I have been wearing it so much!

The only semi negative thing I have to say about it is that it doesn't last all day on me, it lasts for around 4 hours nicely and then starts to fade away, but that's probably due to it being a more creamy formula on application. Underneath lipstick it lasts slightly longer but that's because there is an additional layer to get through. I still like this as a product and I know this will be one of the make-up products that I will finish. I think if you generally suffer from dry lips then this will be the perfect product because it won't cling to those dry patches awakwardly :)
I've heard that MAC do the best lip liners - what do you think?
Anjna x

DIY: Your Lips But Better

Hey guys :)

So it has been a personal mission of mine to find a lipstick which is just my lips colour but better. So far I haven't had any luck in finding something that I feel comfortable wearing on a daily basis - I would love to find something that I could whip out and apply without a mirror. So that's when I thought - why don't I just make my own lip colour. Sounds crazy but it's really easy - here is my top trick to achieving the your lips but better look.

Step 1: Lush Santa Baby Lip Tint

Step 2: Maybelline ColourSensational in 740 Coffee Craze

First you need a red lip tint - I have one from Lush called Santa Baby(£5.95/8g), It's really pigmented so I just apply a little to my lips. Then take a nude lip stick which is suitable for your skin-tone, the one I used is from the Maybelline ColourSensational line in 740 'Coffee Craze' (£6.99/3g), super affordable and really creamy. Apply the nude lipstick on the top of your red stained lips and it will mix together, forming a pink shade that complements your skin. That's it! It's so easy and works every time, if you want it to be more pink, add more lip tint, if you want it to be more nudey then apply less lip tint or add more lipstick. What I love the most about this trick is that the lip colour lasts, even after the lipstick itself has faded, the lip tint still provides the same colour and really easy to top up!

Left: Maybelline, Right: Mixed Maybelline 740 and Santa Baby

Top Left: Maybelline, Top Right: Santa Baby
Bottom: Mixed together

I think the swatches above will help you to see how much of a difference it makes to the colour of the lipstick when you mix them both together, the Maybelline Lipstick is sheer but with the lip tint, it's more of a block colour but still wearable.
If you want to find out more about the Maybelline nude lipstick I used click here. They have all shades of nudes so I'm sure you can find your match!

I hope this helps you guys! Especially if you guys have been struggling like me :) You can use any brand you want, I'm sure it will work out :) 

Thanks for reading, 

Anjna

Rimmel London Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner Review

Hey guys :)

First of all Happy New Year! (I know we are a couple of days in but the thought still counts), I hope you guys have had an amazing holiday :) Today I am going to be reviewing the Rimmel London Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner (£3.99/0.25g) in the colour 018 Addiction.

What I like:

1) Price: This is the first ever lip liner I have ever purchased and the reason I chose this one is because of the price and colour. At a very affordable £3.99 the price allows you (if you are like me) to test drive lip liners to see if it is for you and if it isn't then you haven't really lost out that much.

2) Longevity: So this is the reason I wanted to try lip liners - because we all know most lip sticks don't last that well on the lips. I can truly say that finding this has completely changed the game for me - it lasts for hours! This product has a matte finish and that is why it can stay on for as long as it does compared to cream formulas. 

3) Colour: I picked this product because of the colour - it's just a lovely pink (with a slight hint of purple) shade with some brown tones in it which makes it look very natural on the lips. It's a shade I think will look lovely on almost everyone.

4)  Packaging: So packaging-wise lip liners are quite slim and compact in general. Specifically, I love that this product is a twist up liner than a pencil, it just saves so much hassle when you don't have much time and it's so travel friendly. 

5) Quality: I love that I can apply this as a full on lip colour, a lip liner and underneath lipsticks so my lip colour last longer - it truly is quite multifunctional and worth the money for sure.

What I don't like: 

Drying: So having the benefits of longevity and having a matte finish usually means dry lips, which this product is guilty of. So although I don't mind that little fact too much, be sure to add lip balm prior to avoid having nicely coloured, but overall dry lips (it will help the ease of application too).

I think you guys can see that I was very impressed with this product :) I urge you guys to try it if you like the sound of it - I can't really fault it since it does everything and has exceeded my expectations and I know I will be obsessed with buying lip liners now. 

I hope you guys have enjoyed this review,

Thanks for reading, 

Anjna