Mini giveaway-NOW CLOSED

I'll be neglecting this blog over the next few weeks so to make up for my absence I'll be running a small competition to giveaway a few goodies to readers. To enter all you need to do is be a follower of this blog and tell me which beauty item you could not live without and why. Just leave your answer on this post. I'll announce the winner on 27th May 2010 so remember to leave a valid email address so I can contact you.

I have a Sleek 'Storm' Palette and a Regene Vita Aqua-SPA Rejuvenating Mask to give away so far but I will probably be adding a few more bits. I know it's nothing amazing but it's free!!

Added:
Bourjois Effet 3D Lipgloss in No. 3 Rose Idyllic

Good Luck

A xx

ELF Beauty Encyclopedia

I placed my elf order at the beginning of April and the Beauty Encyclopedia's were not available then (hummmph! ) so if anyone has one already or is planning to get one I'd like to know what you think of them.

Avène

Everyone loves receiving freebies and after the tiring day I had (8 hours on my feet!) the small package that was awaiting my arrival home was well received. Avène had sent samples of their Extremely gentle cleanser and Skin recovery cream calming after I recently filled in their skin diagnosis form to find out which product would suit my skin. I wasn't expecting anything but they have obviously used the information from the diagnosis to send me suitable samples. I'm looking forward to trying out the Skin Recovery cream as my face has been irritated quite badly by the industrial strength AC where I spend my working hours.

Are there any moisturises you would suggest that would last under AC?

Busy

Due to the fact I have to work and the fact it's highly stressful I have been tired and busy.

Update 1: My new lipstick melted today! I left it in my car and thanks to the sun I have a malformed lipstick!
Update 2: I've not had the time to exchange my mascara to the Define-A-Lash Volume! I'm eager to test out this range!
Update 3: Still unable to sort out my MAC foundation.
Non beauty related, though it is a beauty, my leather armchair arrived today!

For Sale: MAC Mineralize Satin Finish Foundation in NC30

Mineralize Satin Finish Foundation inNC30??? I need MAC Studio Fix in NC25 (I think)... basically it need to match up to with MAC Face and Body Foundation in C3. The MAC Mineralize Satin Finish Foundation in NC30 is a little dark for me, so it makes me a little too yellow. 

The story behind this brand new bottle of foundation is this: I bought it in Brighton which is roughly an hours journey away on the train. I was with my BF and so I couldn't spend a lot of time umming and arrhing about it! I got home and got out the last dregs of my old MAC Mineralize Satin Finish Foundation in NC30 and decided I really need Studio Fix as I can see the horrid blemishes on my cheeks. These blemishes aren't from spots, they are just broken capillaries which seem to have increased! Anyway I can't afford (time and money) to go to Brighton to exchange it. :(


Suggestions are also considered! :)

Undecided

I had a few chores to do this (late) morning and it gave me an excuse to pop into town afterwards. I headed towards Boots to look for mascara as my Maybelline stylist is almost running out and is now discontinued (I don't know why Maybelline decided this because it is a very good mascara!). I found one similar and decided to get it (I've not tried it yet though), it was in a green tube called Define-A-Lash. It was between the green tube or the pink one (Define-A-Lash Volume). I'm still kind of undecided... I might just read some reviews before opening it.

I also found myself purchasing one of the Maybelline Colour Sensation lipsticks! I wanted a pinkish tone but not too overbearing so came away with Ambre Rose. The hue is pink but the undertone is mauve/lilac which I think suits my colouring... My brain think this to be correct from having a design background the colour spectrum says purple and yellow compliment. Yellow being my skin undertone. See a design degree did come in handy! Haha.

Lipstick £6.99, Mascara £7.99

e.l.f review - eyelid primer

When I ordered the primer I was secretly hoping this would be a 'holy grail' find and that I wouldn't have to splash out on the Urban Decay eye primer potion I had been eyeing up (no pun intended!) , but seriously at £1.50 what was I really expecting?

For me the smell of a product going anywhere near my face is very important, so imagine the horror when I sniffed the elf primer, and to double check I wasn't being over fussy I asked my boyfriend to have a sniff - we made the same conclusion, the primer smelt like emulsion paint. Gross!!

The consistency of the primer wasn't much better. It was clumpy and gel like. Is that how they're suppose to be as this is the first eyelid primer I've ever bought?Applied it dries to a matte finish but I didn't think the coverage wasn't very good as I saw no difference to my eyelid. I chose not to keep it on because of the smell so whether it lasts will remain a mystery.

I definitely DO NOT recommend this even at £1.50!

e.l.f review - the packaging

If make-up was judged by its packaging e.l.f would be right at the bottom. It's hideous, makes the brand look cheap, and there is way too much of it. The packaging for their minerals line is recyclable so their website states, but what about the other stuff? I'm no tree-hugger but I do try and recycle as much as possible, even if it's to have a guilt free conscious knowing that I've done my part.
Each brush presented in their own plastic pouch with cardboard backing inside. A little excessive!
Felt like I was ripping open a pen packet
Yuk! Looks really cheap.
This was all the packaging ready for the bin.

E.l.f state they prioritise their products, rather than their packaging, to provide quality and value but surely by not using a spot varnish finish on some of the boxes they would save some money and not providing unnecessary plastic pouches for each brush would help the environment?
My advice, lose the poorly shot images and stick to one plain colour with simple text!

Reviews of the products coming soon but here's hoping they're not as awful as the packaging.

Just in case

Not beauty related but just in case you want some Mickey Mouse sunnies but can't afford the Jeremy Scott originals I saw some imitations available here!!

http://shop.cooliohigh.com/product/exclusive-paparazzi-mickey-minnie-mouse-shades-black

Lippy

I don't usually wear lipstick but it's because I can never find any I like. I tend to buy lipsticks and then wear them for a very short period of time (maybe 1 week) and then decide I dislike the colour. Yes it's a waste of money!

I was wandering John Lewis last year and ended up chatting to the YSL sales assistant. I wanted a lipstick but was really unsure of what colour to get, so I played it safe and asked her to help me find an everyday lipstick that was natural looking. I tried on a few and finally picked one from the Rouge Pure Shine range (No.6).

I quite like it because it glides on smoothly and it's incredibly sheer (yet it shows up on your lips). It almost feels like you're putting on liquid because as soon as the stick touches your lips it melts and a cherry scent is released (the scent is nice and not too over powering). Overall it's a pretty girly natural colour and very moisturising (even contains SPF15) but the down side is that it does come off easily.

e.l.f haul

Is it possible to get quality make-up at a cheap price? Apparently you can and it comes by the name of e.l.f.. I received my mini haul this morning and will let you know what I think of their products over the next few weeks (may be a bit longer as I have exams to revise for). A x

Something Spontaneous!

I'm not the type of girl who plans ahead when it comes to getting a haircut. I will suddenly get an urge to have it cut, I don't usually know what I want done either! I've had long hair for a while now and I'm fed up with my dry ends and the dullness to it.

Here is the before and after pic:

Taken in the evening.

Taken today with natural light.

I like the fact my hair will dry quicker and I'll be a lot cooler in the summer! 

High Street Vs High End (2)

After Lazy M did her comparison I thought I'd do one as well. I've used Maybelline Great Lash Blackest Black Mascara and Exceptionnel De Chanel Intense Volume and Curl Mascara in Smoky Noir, can you tell the difference?


The Maybelline one is quite wet and coats the lashes quite smoothly put prone to sticking together . I found this mascara weighed my lashes down as well as made them look a bit spidery.

Chanel's mascara is slighter drier and the wand has a combination of long combed edge and short bristles. This ensured my lashes were well coated yet neatly separated. My lashes looked more voluminous without being weighed down. It also looked more natural than the Maybelline one but that may be down to the shade.
Overall if your budget is tight then the Maybelline is worth purchasing at £4.99 as the Chanel Mascara will set you back £20.95

High Street Vs High End

Can you tell which eye has the Maybelline and Estee Lauder mascara?

If you're not oriental/asian you may be thinking "has she got any mascara on?!",  yes I have very short eyelashes! I am a common short lashed Chinese and need my mascara to lengthen and volumise my lashes. I have used quite a few different brands of mascara in my time but have found Maybelline and Estee Lauder to work for me so far.

The Maybelline one has a plastic brush/comb end and I think this really helps to coat each of my sparce lashes evenly. It is quite wet and so sometimes if I'm not careful my lashes can stick together but overall I like the added length. It's also waterproof which I need because non waterproof mascara tend to give me panda eyes towards the end of the day.

The Estee Lauder mascara was given to me by a friend's Mother. I liked it because it didn't smudge into panda eyes and it wasn't even waterproof! It did add length but it didn't coat my lashes evenly, so there wasn't enough volume that I would have liked. This one is good to wear as an everyday mascara as it feels and looks natural

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

Across the blogosphere I've been reading rave reviews about the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, so with my Ipsa foundation running low I nipped to my local Boots to see what the fuss was all about and whether this foundation could work for me. After a lot of testing in-instore I came away with Vanilla 52.

Above you can see the test I've done. In the first image I have no primer on, just moisturiser. You can see my skin has some freckles and blemishes. (My skin is in a sorry state at the moment). In the second image I have applied a single layer of the foundation and already you can see it has evened out my complexion, though some freckles are still peeking through. With 2 layers most of my freckles are invisible and my skin looks clear.

In comparison with my Ispa foundation this is slightly thicker in consistency so I have to apply a little more effort to blend it into my face. There's a rather distinct smell to it which I find overwhelming but that may be because I'm used to a foundation that doesn't smell.
I have quite dry skin and even drier patches around my mouth area which I'm constantly battling with. What I like about my Ispa foundation is that is doesn't highlight these problem patches too much, unfortunately with the Bourjois foundation it does, and in these areas the foundation looks a bit cakey which I know will bother me when I'm out. It also sits in lines if not blended enough.

I went out for a walked and at first my face looked quite dewy but on returning my face had lost its original radiance. The problem patches were also a bit more obvious. Not great.
So overall for £9.99 this foundation does the trick. If you have normal skin that doesn't dry out then this foundation is perfect and totally worth the money. If like me you have quite dry skin then be wary!! I'll be interested to see how this foundation last on a night out with my face getting hot and sweaty!

If you want to read about the product and all the 'benefits' it offers check out the Bourjois site.

Night Cream

I once read that it’s a good idea to spend a little more on night cream than on day cream, at the moment I am following this advice (though still on a budget) and a few months ago I bought a night cream from Boots. It’s Boot’s own brand from their Time Delay collection, it states on the front that it’s wrinkle reduction. I’ve not reached that wrinkle stage in my life yet (I’m under 30) so you may wonder why I’m using this cream! Well as the saying goes, “prevention is better than cure”!
I am rubbish at noticing any visible difference when using beauty products but I am good at knowing whether I like it or not! I can say I do like this product, it’s light on the skin and blends well. It almost feels like a gel hence the lightness of it. Once it’s on the skin it feels lightly moisturised and barely feels like you’ve put anything on your face, this is a good thing because who want’s oily stained pillows?
I can’t remember how much it cost so I looked on the boots website, I can’t seem to find it but there were similar products in that range for around £11. M x

£1 Primark eyelash curlers

My trusty Body Shop eyelash curlers desperately needed replacing but I had put off the task of finding a suitable replacement for quite sometime. After trying to get a cheap pair in Boots but coming away disappointed I saw these in Primark for £1. A total bargain! And the good thing is they’re actually really effective at curling eyelashes! A x

Hello You Beauties!

Welcome to our beauty blog. We’re two cousins who have pretty busy lives that render us tired and too lazy to primp and preen ourselves as much as we’d like to. We’re both on pretty strict budgets and can’t readily afford those lush skin care or make-up goodies seen in high-end glossy mags. The point of this blog is to share with ladies like us things we buy, try or use that we like or dislike.

A & M xx