Let It Glow

 So today I'm talking all things that glow. Ok, so maybe not all things that glow, just two things really which are the Topshop Glow Highlighters. If you're already fed up of me saying the word glow this is going to be one long post for you. Sorry!
Now I am a big fan of highlighters and I've tried a fair few in my time. The only trouble I have is finding something that is some what natural without looking either too shiny (example: Benefit High Beam) or glittery (example: Sleek Contour Palette Highlighter). After hearing such good things about the Topshop makeup range I decided for my first venture into their line I would try their cream highlighters in a pot called Glow and picked up both shades in Gleam and Polished.
My first impression of the product was good. I mean for the price the packaging feels of a high quality. (I'm not sure if it is glass but I'm going to say that it is) the glass packaging is sturdy and doesn't feel like something that is going to break easily which is great for clutzes like me. The product itself is just- I don't actually know where to begin. Both Gleam and Polished are creamy textures which are so easy to work with. I simply dab my finger into the pot and then blend it onto the tops of my cheekbones to add a subtle, sheer, non glittery glow. It is so easy to see why Topshop have called this product Glow because that is exactly what it does to your skin. You glow after applying this.
The main thing that I like about this product is that it is not glittery for one and can still be seen after you have set your makeup with a powder. Another reason I can't get enough of this is that I don't feel like it needs touching up half way through the day (which is perfect if you too are lazy and hate touch ups). And if you need yet another reason to convince you of the wonderfulness of this product a little goes a long way; it is so pigmented that a small dab on each side of the face is enough to add that subtle glow. Both shades are beautiful but I have to say I have been dipping into Gleam a little more this month as it is a more golden tone which I prefer for Autumn/Winter as it pairs really well with that darker makeup look. I think that both of these highlighters are great for all skin tones and I couldn't recommend them enough. If you are looking for a highlighter that isn't going to break the bank, give this a try as it is only £9.00 and by far my favourite highlighter I've tried.
So my question to you now is what else is worth trying from the Topshop beauty range?

The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of

Dewy, healthy, smooth radiant skin. Isn't that what dreams are made of? Well, I think I may have just found the way to your dream in the form of a plastic, corkscrew looking topped bottle. Yes, it is another product from Benefit and I have to apologise for the amount I bang on about their products but this, this is on another level.
So here's the back story: for as long as I can remember I've suffered from tight, dry, dull looking skin. No matter what I used nothing seemed to combat it's dryness and every illuminating product I've used just seems to be wasted on my skin. Enter Benefit Moisture Prep Toning Lotion. This little heaven smelling, thick, lotion of dreams has saved my skin. Literally. The idea behind this product is to use it before your moisturiser to help it sink in further and optimize the benefits of that moisturiser.
I have been using this every day for the last three months so it's had a fair test but within the first week I began to notice the difference it made. Dry skin? What even is dry skin I ask? After introducing this into my routine only in the mornings, my skin feels amazing. It's soft, it's smooth, it's not dry, my makeup stays on far longer without the need for touch ups, and well I feel like I actually have a glimpse of radiance to my complexion now. It all sounds too good to be true right? I have a fairly strict skincare routine which I refuse to change without a good need to, but introducing this bottle of heaven into my routine has been the best decision I've made.
Moisture Prep is made with a bunch of ingredients which are supposed to help with the appearance of fine lines and also help clarify and soothe the skin. Being only nineteen I'd like to think I have a fairly line proof skin so I can't make a judgement on whether the product helps with this issue. However, if you have dry, tired looking skin give this a go because I couldn't recommend it highly enough. For £23.50 I feel like I've had my money's worth. I mean, I have used this every single morning for the last three months maybe four, I can't quite remember) and it isn't as if I am running out very fast.

Cheap and Cheerful: The Body Shop Camomile Range

I'm not sure how new the Body Shop's Camomile Range is, or if it is even new at all but I can definitely say that it is a new addition to my skin care regime. After reading multiple reviews of the Camomile Cleansing Oil I had to go out and try it for myself. After reading all of these amazing reviews for this product to say I had high expectations for it would be an understatement. But it did not disappoint.
The cleansing oil removes all traces of my makeup (it does pretty well on eye makeup but I prefer to use a separate eye makeup remover for that area) in just two washes. I usually use two pumps on my face, lather it on, rinse off and then repeat just to make sure my face is completely rid of any makeup. Even though this is an oil it doesn't leave any sort of oily residue on the skin. Bonus! Also, this product is only £10. £10! That's amazing, especially for something that works so well. After the bottle became half empty (not half full no, when it reaches below half way that is very negative for a product you love) I rushed out to repurchase.
But I didn't come back with just the cleansing oil.
Oh no, I came back with the rest of the range to see if the wonderfulness of the cleansing oil was just a one product thing or if it was consistent throughout the range... The verdict? It is definitely consitent throughout the range. Let's start with the Cleansing Butter for £12. This works the same as the cleansing oil in the way that it breaks down all of your makeup and leaves no residue. However, I find that it is much more moisturising on the skin than the oil (probably why it is called the butter). Personally I prefer the butter just because I have dry skin and as I said, I find it is more moisturising on the skin. Plus I find that the oil tends to leak if i is lay down so its not ideal for traveling.
The last part of the range is the Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover, they do do this in a non waterproof remover version but I didn't pick that up as the majority of mascara I use is waterproof as I have extremely watery eyes (fun fact about me!). This is an oily formula based eye makeup remover that breaks down the makeup and not only can it be used on the eyes it can also be used on the lips. Being the best eye makeup remover that I have tried and being priced at only £8.00 this has definitely received a permanent spot on my skincare shelf. In fact, all three of these items that I've mentioned have earnt a permanent spot on my skincare shelf.
Thank you Body Shop!

P.S. I know I'm almost out of it all but I'll be running out to the shops on pay day and repurchasing the entire range *insert emoji of money flying away*

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the Real Techniques brushes: when there's a new brush or set out, I have to have it. They're so wonderfully soft, they apply makeup beautifully and wash like a dream. However, the one product that I never really paid much interest to was the Miracle Complexion Sponge. Having never used a sponge to apply my makeup before I wasn't really interested. But then everything went wrong: my base just wasn't sitting on may face right and by that I mean every foundation and concealer I tried just looked cakey. Enter the Miracle Complexion Sponge.

This orange beauty has caused some what of a debate amongst the beauty community. It seems you either love it or you hate it. After hearing some say that it has helped make their foundations look more natural looking on the skin I had to try it. Now, let me just say this sponge has saved my face from the curse of cake. There's something about it that just helps foundation sit on the skin and look like, well, skin! Typically I will apply my foundation as usual with a buffing brush or something similar, then I will pat the sponge (dry) on top. Personally I find that this step helps create a flawless looking base where nothing is sitting on top of the skin awkwardly.
Also, after complaining about never finding a concealer that covers my dark blue circles, this product has helped to make even the worst concealers I've tried cover those pesky panda eyes a little more; rather than wiping the product away like a brush would do, the sponge doesn't move the product away from the area where it has been applied.
The shape of the sponge is perfect for all areas of the face, if we can get past the chubbiness of my hands in the photo you can see that there's there's a flat side which I use to pat my base into my face (such rhyming poetic charm in this post today) and a pointed end which I use to get right into the creases such as around my nose and under my eyes. I think the only down side to this product is how long it lives, I mean I've had mine a good few months and it's starting to tear and lose it's shape slightly. BUT for a few bobbins I don't mind replacing it.

All in all I think this is a wonderful product as it is so versatile; it can be used damp to apply your foundation without a brush or dry. Although it can be time consuming to have to sit and pat on your foundation rather than just buff it in with a brush or your fingers, I definitely think that the result is worth it.

What's your view, do you prefer to use a sponge/beauty blender or not?

Blitzed Blemishes

Ok, so you won't know but I actually have really dry skin which is a bit of a nightmare (I do have a post coming up about a product that is wonderful for dry skin but today is not the day to get into that subject) but I have one other major issue when it comes to my skin. If you haven't already guessed it from my non funny post title that I thought was pure genius, I'll let you in on the problem now... Blemishes. Yes, we've all had them. Yes, we all end up attacking our face to pop the damn things and make our face ten times worse. But not all of us have a sudden case of acne across their chin resulting in 10 spots in one area at once with more appearing during the day.
Oh yes, you heard me right. This actually happened to me. I don't know why and it certainly wasn't a one time thing. I'd been dealing with an overly spotty chin for at least a month before I broke down and decided I couldn't deal with it anymore. That's when I spoke to a friend who works at Clinique who recommended this Anti-Blemish Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel. With the promise that it would help clear up my sudden spurt of acne I snapped up a bottle and added it into my skincare routine right away.
Fast forward to the next morning and everyone from my boyfriend, to my mum, to people at work noticing how much better my skin was looking I was unbelievably impressed. Fast forward again to a week later and my chin was practically blemish free. So, what did I do? To put it as bluntly as I can, and this may come as a shock to you if you're reading this post, I used the Clinique Clearing Gel. How about that? Anyway, enough with the sarcasm. On a serious note, all I did was apply a small amount (about a pea size) of this gel across the whole of my chin each night after I had moisturised. The feel of it is, bizarre? It feels like those see through masks you used to use when you were thirteen at sleepovers, the ones where you had to peel it off and half of it would get stuck in your eyebrows. You know the ones! Well, when it's drying it feels like that. Give it another two minutes and it's like nothing is there.
The one thing that you do need to be aware of, this stuff stings. And I mean stings like nothing you're expecting. But, it does the job. Now I'm not saying that this has helped clear up my sudden acne all together, I'm still suffering from the odd breakout but this has certainly helped keep the mass breakout I've been having under control and preventing it from spreading. I have now adopted the Clinique Clearing Gel into my skincare family and use it every night. It is recommended that you use it twice  day but I find that applying makeup above the spot gel makes the area look a little dry.
Do you have any recommendations for blitzing blemishes?

Soap & Glory Supercat Liner

For the past few months I have worn eyeliner practically every day. At first I started out with the Maybelline gel pot which my sister uses everyday and it looks flawless on her (I am a very jealous older sibling when it comes to these matters, let me tell you). But for me, the gel pot just didn't cut it. By the end of the day it was always sliding half way down my face and I resembled some what of a panda. Yeah. Not a good look.
Since the panda looking days I have been on the hunt for an eyeliner that can offer smudge proof, long lasting, pigmented flicks that are easy to apply because let's face it, like everything else I suck at eyeliner and need all the help I can get. I'd heard raving reviews about the Soap & Glory Supercat eyeliner so along I went to Boots with the intention to buy just that. That I did. And super this liner is. Every single good review that has raved about this liner, is down right true to every word. It is amazing. The formula of the Supercat liner is the blackest liquid eyeliner I have ever used and is not only pigmented but also really long lasting. And I mean long lasting. I have worn this from eight o'clock in the morning, right the way through work, come home and finally dragged myself to the bathroom at nine o'clock to take it all off and it still looks perfect.
As if that wasn't enough the packaging and design of the eyeliner itself allows for ridiculously easy application. Firstly, it looks like a pen. If this did not have any writing on it you could easily mistake this for your ordinary marker (or at least I would, but I'm not the smartest person you'll ever meet). The shap of the nib is wonderful as you can create such thin lines across your lid or bold and dramatic lines. Also, because this eyeliner is in pen form it makes creating a winged eyeliner look so, so, so, so (do you get the point yet?) easy.
I am now trying to justify spending money on the Tom Ford pen looking eyeliner (you know the one) now that I'm getting to grips with using this type of liner but I don't think my bank balance is quite ready for that. Nor is my explanation to my boyfriend when he sees how much I've spent on a "pen for my eyes". So for now I think I'll stick with this little beauty for only £6.00 from Boots.
Have you tried the Supercat liner yet?

DEAL OF THE WEEK YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO MISS

So many of you will not know but Debenhams are the mother of sales, I don't think there is a time that they are never not in sale, if it isn't a mid season sale, it's the blue cross sale or so much off of coats and boots. Anyway, every year they have a "mega week" where there are deals across the store. For us beauty lovers we can enjoy 10% off of health and beauty for the whole week. Did someone shout hallelujah?
Now, for all you Benefit junkies out there you'll be pleased to know that the smokin' eyes palette has been reduced to half price. Oh yes, you heard me right, the usually £28.50 palette has been reduced to £14.25. Now that, is what I like to call a bargain. Looking at the palette I wouldn't have even considered paying £28.50 for three eye shadows and "add ons" that I probably will never use, but at £14.25 I snapped one up for myself faster than you can believe. The palette itself seems handy for those of you who travel, it has almost everything you would need if you were on the go; sturdy case with a magnet closing, reasonably sized mirror, tweezers, small eyeliner and a brush that all slot in nicely within the palette. Although I wouldn't particularly use the eyeliner, brush and tweezers, it's always nice to have that option. Right?
Now, down to business. As I briefly mentioned the palette comes with three eye shadows: a shimmery pink which can be used on its own for a hint of colour on your lids on lazy days, or as a highlight shade, a shimmery grey/silver and a matte grey which you can see in my badly photographed images above. (Thumbs up for bad photography skills and moody faces.) Now, I am some what of a neutral girl (unless we're talking purple toned eye shadows, dear Lord they are my weakness) through and through and this is way out of my comfort zone but honestly? I love it. The shades blend beautifully together and can be used to create the most simple of looks or the most dramatic and bold looks. 

The only downfall to the palette for me is the two bottom products; brow zings wax and eye bright. Firstly let me just say that brow zings is a Benefit product I have never liked using (did I really just say I didn't like a Benefit product? Shock horror, somebody call an ambulance I think something's wrong!) but if you do and you use the shade light, you're in luck! Secondly, I LOVE eye bright. Having such small eyes means anything I can use in my waterline to make my eyes a little brighter is a must. But I don't like the way it is placed in the palette. I don't understand how I am supposed to use it on my waterline like I usually would when it is in this form. Instead, I've settled using it under my brow as a highlight (not all is lost).
With all this in mind I still think that this is well worth £14.25. So, will you be rushing out to Debenhams this weekend to grab your own smokin' eyes palette?

P.S the Benefit Peek-A-Bright Eyes palette (not one I own so can't personally recommend) is also on half price this week up until Sunday. Happy shopping!

Mascara's For Your Eyebrows?

Ok, so there has been a recent increase in the amount of brow gels or "mascaras for your eyebrows" as I like to call them hitting the shelves. The three main ones that have stuck out to me are the Benefit Gimmie Brow, Maybelline Brow Drama and of course the newest release being Rimmel's Brows This Way. Now, let's get personal for a moment. Ever since my dear old mother allowed my Auntie to hack away at my eyebrows with way, way, way too much wax I have had trouble with thin, sparse eyebrows. Three years later and they're starting to look much fuller and even (thank you to the girl at the Benefit Brow Bar who did such a good job getting them even again. You are my hero).

Now, I am not one for filling in brows. The whole concept of having to use a brush to flick powder through my eyebrow to add shape and thickness is daunting. But (and there is a but thankfully) when I stumbled across Benefit's Gimmie Brow earlier this year I've never not left the house without some form of product being wacked onto my brows. Gimmie Brow is in one word, wonderful. I was skeptical at first but it was my sister who convinced me that it would be well worth the £17.50 after the benebabe in Manchester demonstrated how much filling in your eyebrows can transform your makeup look.

Out of the three gels I'll be talking about in this post, Gimmie Brow is most definitely my favourite. It's like nothing I have ever used before. It fills in your eyebrows and sets them in place without having that shiny/waxy finish. I think the main thing that makes this product so different from every other brow gel in the market is that it has tiny fibres in it that work a treat at filling in any pesky gaps without making your brows look drawn on. All in all, I can't say enough good things about this product: it's easy, simple, quick and just wonderful to use. This has worked amazingly for me and I would 100% recommend it to anyone who is looking for a quick fix for sparse and unruly eyebrows.

Benefit Gimmie Brow is available in two shades: Light/Medium and Medium/Deep. I currently use the Light/Medium shade which is too light for my eyebrows but I can still make it work by layering the product a couple of times.

The second brow gel I have tried is the Maybelline Brow Drama. After seeing it in action on Sam from Pixiwoo and hearing her say she liked the product I had to go out and immediately buy myself one. And that's what I did. And that's where it all went wrong. The brush that comes with brow drama has a sphere shaped nib (nib? Is that the right description?) which makes the application of the product much harder than when using Gimmie Brow. Not only does it get all over my forehead and underneath my eyebrow making me look like I have some sort of eyebrow stubble or that I'm well overdue a waxing appointment, it just doesn't fill in the sparse areas. Not only that but the finish has a rather waxy look which I found was a little too obvious that I'd tried to fill my brows in.

I think that brow drama is a very love hate product. You either like it or you don't. Although I won't personally be repurchasing this if you want to give it a go it's available for £4.99 at Boots and comes in four shades.

Now we're coming to the end of this post with our final review of the Rimmel Brow This Way. This is available in three shades for £3.99 at Boots. When I first saw this I thought it might be a dupe for the Gimmie Brow because of the size of the bottle but when I got home there were a few things which stood out that are very different between the two. Firstly, the size of the wand. It is massive in comparison to the Gimmie Brow wand and I found that I've not been able to have as much control when distributing the product on my brows. Also, the amount of product that the wand picks up is insane. I think I spent more time wiping off excess product that I didn't need back onto the bottle than I did actually applying it. If you want to see this in action I recommend you watch Vivianna Does Makeup's new beauty launches video where she explains a little more and you can get a bit more of a feel for the product. For me, its a no go and I'll be sticking to my Gimmie Brow until something, if anything, better comes along.

If you've made it to the end of this post (yes, it was a very long one, I do apologise) leave a comment letting me know what your must have brow product is.