Handbag Cosmetic Essentials

As far as handbag cosmetics were concerned, I used to carry just a lipbalm, until I had one to many 'emergency' situations (tears, hayfever, colds etc) where I realised I needed to put something together to keep in my handbag. Today I thought I would give you a peak into my handbag makeup bag. This makeup permernanty stays in my handbag and is only used for touch ups and emergencies.

The makeup bag

The bag itself is the pefect compact size. It is a Ted Baker make-up bag, I have larger Ted Baker make-up bags that I use for travelling, they are always in such beautiful patterns. I usually purchase these in Boots. This one in particular was part of their Christmas collection. 

Ted Baker cosmetics

I have actually kept the original contents of the bag in there, as they are such great products. They are part of the Ted Baker Treasured Orchid Collection. The first being the Ted Baker Opulent Orchid Hand Cream. It smells so amazing I would definately purchase a full size version, it doesn't leave your hands feeling greasy or sticky either. The second product from this range is the body spray, again it smells absolutely amazing. It doesn't last all day like a perfume, but it's brilliant for a freshen up when your perfume may have faded. The final product that came with the bag itself is the lip balm, unfortunately it doesn't look like you can purchase this alone. However, it is another lovely product and hopefully the may introduce it into the permernant collection.

Revlon Lipgloss in Coral Reef

Swatching this it is quite thick bright coral colour, however on the lips it does become more subtle. I don't tend to put lipgloss on in the morning, I tend to stick to lipsticks. However, I do find it useful to carry a lipgloss in my handbag in case I went out after work or needed to freshen up my look. 

Miss Sporty Liquid Concealer in 001 Light

This is a great alternative if you love the Collection 2000 concealer. I picked this up one day in a makeup emergency so have kept it in my makeup bag ever since. It is a great concealer and super-afforable. It provides great coverage too. A concealer is an essential to carry with you.

Bourjois Volume Glamour Max mascara

I really like the brush on this mascara, it is really soft and full. It is unlike most of my other mascara's at home and I wouldn't usually purchase it myself. This mascara came as a free gift so I decided to use it as a spare in my handbag. I have used it to touch up and really like it. I carry this with me in case I want a more dramatic eye look.

Avon Super Shock Gel Eyeliner

This is one of my all time favourite gel eyeliners, it glides on and provides a really bold line. However, I have recently discovered the Rimmel Scandal Eyes eyeliner, which pretty much gives the same effect. I decided to keep the Super Shock in my makeup bag for applications later in the day.

It would be great to know what makeup products you keep in your handbag?

This week's most used products

I hope everyone has had a great weekend? I am sad it is coming to an end, but I am enjoying my writing my weekly sunday blog post tonight. This week I have been watching lots of YouTube videos in my spare time. I discovered Hannah Maggs this week and have been addicted to watching her videos, her family has a lot of personality, they are really fun to watch! I have also been purchasing some clothes ready for my new job, I am thinking of writing up a work wear post? I also ran the Race for Life this weekend, in the absolute pouring rain- you can see pictures on my Instagram account. I haven't done much today as I am aching so much!

There are four products I have been loving this week that have made a difference to my daily routine. I thought they were worth a particular mention as they have all been so fab!

Rimmel Salon Pro- Kate collection- 244 Goddess
I am in love with this nail polish, as well as being a great consistency- only two coats needed, the colour is really lovely. A nude peach that will go with any outfit and is really subtle, not one of those bright pastel peaches, this is much softer . It's one of those nail polishes that, at the end of the week, you take it off and apply it again. I have had this on for the week and will be reapplying tonight. There is also a soft pink colour in this collection that I may have to purchase next!

L'oreal Paris Nude Maqigue BB Powder
Recently my skin has become quite oily, my old powder wasn't really cutting it. So I decided to purchase this powder as it claimed to provide buildable coverage and provide a matte effect. It has really worked well for me, once my foundation has been applied, I lightly sweep this powder over the top and it completely mattifies the area and makes my skin look flawless.

Umberto Giannini Dazzling Shine Glossing Mist
I love Umberto Giannini, 1. for it's sleek packaging and 2. for it's beautiful smelling hair products. I use this spray at the end of blowdrying and styling, and I will be completely honest, I love this product mainly for it's amazing scent. It makes your hair super soft and smelling like you just stepped out of the salon. I love it as it doesn't provide any sort of stickiness to your hair, but just leaves a soft gloss to finish off your routine. I always worry about shine sprays that they will just make my hair look greasy, but this definitely wasn't the case. This is definitely worth a repurchase!

L'oreal Paris Lumi Magique Light Infusing Foundation
These beautiful foundation's are a third-time- repurchase for me. The formula is amazing, it feels really light to apply but provides amazing coverage. I purchased it in two shades as I can mix them together to get a perfect colour for my skin. I also wear fake tan a lot, so I can use the darker one alone on these days. It really is a glowing foundation. Recently I have been trying other foundation's but I found myself drifting back to Lumi Magique, as nothing else came close to them.

I will be back with a new post on Thursday, wishing everyone a happy week!

No7 Pop & Glow Cream Blush Stick

For those days when you want to feel brighter, highlighted and dewy, I would definitely recommend adding some cream blushes to your collection. I especially love them when my skin is tanned (from a bottle) and I am feeling more confident with bolder colours.

I first noticed No7 had added some new products to their collection a couple of months ago, they have definitely introduced some well needed, refreshing pieces. One of those is their Pop & Glow Cream Blush Sticks. Although only three shades are currently available, they are super smooth and creamy. I went for the shade 'Mango Sorbet' as I have a weakness for coral and orange colours. This is a great colour which highlights my cheeks, gives a dewy look and is a really buildable colour. Add as little or as much as you like. Start off sheer and build the colour to your needs.

At £9.95 they are more expensive than the Topshop Cream Blushes, which I love. However, Boots do have a 'buy one get one half price' offer on their No7 products at the moment. Plus, is there ever a time when you don't receive one of those £3 off No7 vouchers at the till? So I picked this up for £6.95, which overall is reasonable. 

Do remember, in this hot weather to keep your cream blushes in a cool drawer and out of direct sunlight. I have always lived by this ever since I left my beloved MAC Hue lipstick in the sun and found it in a sorry melted state on my car seat..

I shall upload a picture of the product on my cheeks this week. Have you tried any new No7 products?

On the blog today: Urban Decay

Urban Decay, they never fail to impress me. Of all their products I have tried, I have been disappointed by none of them. I am a huge fan of the Naked Palette series, in fact they are pretty much the only palettes I have been using as of late. So I was super excited when, taking a browse through Selfridges recently, the Urban Decay representative asked if I could pretend I was shopping at their counter while a photographer took some shots of me. In return I would receive some freebies! If you haven't visited the newly arranged Selfridges Birmingham Bullring store, you won't be disappointed. The beauty floor is pretty much make-up heaven. I was asked to pose in some staged photos to show their new product display and how the customer would interact with them. That aside, I was delighted with these cute mini's that I received, for all of less than 5 minutes of hard, strenuous posing.

B6 Spray Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray £21.50 
Urban Decay's answer to MAC's Fix Plus spray. B6 can be used before or after make up application, or can be used at night as part of your cleansing routine. Urban Decay claims that B6 is the first planted, stabilised form of topical B6. It claims to minimise pores, absorb oil and reduce redness. This is designed to be a drink for your skin, spray it on and your skin will soak it up.
I have used face sprays in the past and really enjoyed using them, I have used Lush Tea Tree Water and Avene Thermal Water as part of my daily routine in the past. So I welcome a new face spray in my life.
On first spray I notice as well as being cooling and refreshing, once dry my skin feels very soft. With a subtle, pleasant smell. It isn't a staple part of my routine yet, but I will definately continue with it and report back.

Eyeshadow Primer Potion £16
Primer Potion was once a permanent member of my make-up routine. After forgetting to re-purchase as usual, I must admit I fell into a routine as using concealer as my eyeshadow primer. After trying Primer Potion again, I can see why it is such a cult product. Once on your lids, when you apply your eyeshadow you will instantly see a difference. Eyeshadow applies bolder and smoother than ever. It will be crease free and won't budge all day long. I am most happy that they changed the packaging. The old packaging was leaving large amounts of product at the bottom that the doe foot applicator could not reach. The new, squeezy tube packaging ensures you are getting maximum use from your product.

Supercurl Curling Mascara £15
Of the three products I tried in this post, the Supercurl Curling Mascara is by far the winner. I have been dissapointed with my current mascara's for a while. As my eyelashes are naturally very straight, it takes work to get them curled, then make them stay put. Everything about this mascara is perfect, from the brush to the formula, it gave me thick and curled lashes. This is definately on my 'to purchase' list. Urban Decay claim that this product is: "packed with glycoprotein for lash thickening, moringa seeds to help with curl definition, and meadow foam seed oil and shea butter for conditioning and smoothing." They are definately correct, the brush grabs every one of your lashes and pulls it into a desirable curl. I am super impressed with this one. 

Do you like Urban Decay, do you have any recommendations for me to try?

Returning with a MAC bag in hand..

When I slowly packed up my blogging bag pack a while ago, I didn't think I would miss it so much, and over time realise what a huge part of my life blogging had become. People have asked why I don't vlog and blog any longer- at first I had excuses such as moving out of my parents home for the first time, finding my feet and making home purchases rather than makeup purchases. Now, quite a while later and life away from my parents home is the norm, I feel I have time again to blog and I can't make excuses any more. I am so excited to be sitting down in a comfy chair to write a post again. I have been contemplating this for a while and now it's actually happening! I hope to develop my blog by adding some health, fitness and life posts.

Now I know I have been gone for a while, but I have still been keeping a close eye on the blogging and YouTube world. I know we have moved on from the days when MAC was Holy Grail. However, why not come back with the good old stuff! I haven't bought anything in the MAC store for a very long time, but I start my new job very soon and I decided to use it as an opportunity to go for a classier, more stylish image that fits more with my age. I love fun and bright lipsticks, but decided I needed some more subtle nudes into my collection.

MAC Mineralize Blush- Gentle- £20
I am obsessed with blush at the moment, and after seeing the colour pay off from the Mineralize Blushes, I definitely wanted to take one home. I decided to pick up the shade 'Gentle,' it's a beautiful pink with a rose gold sheen to it. It is quite shimmery, so if you don't like shimmer, these blushes probably won't be for you. I love a shimmery cheek, so these blushes are perfect for me.

MAC Lipstick- Cosmo- £15
The first being 'Cosmo,' which is on the left, it's a Amplified Creme which is a finish I love because it's so creamy and bold. It's a deep red nude colour which really seems to enhance the natural lip colour. I would say it would be brighter the paler your skin. Today I have fake tan on so it is quite subtle but enhancing, I can imagine that if I applied it with my natural skin colour it would be much bolder.

MAC Lipstick- Hot Gossip- £15
I also picked up 'Hot Gossip' (below) which is much more of a pinky-coloured nude. It also has a slight shimmer to it which I really loved because it is every so subtle. It is a Cremesheen finish, which is another one of my favourite finishes. I can see me wearing it as my new everyday colour because it is such a lovely colour.

So that's all from me today, though I have lots of posts coming up so looking forward to next time!
If there is anything in particular you would like me to discuss or post about, please let me know in the comments below!

My thoughts: Rimmel Mascaras

I am very picky when it comes to mascaras. I like a brush that will catch each lash and not so big that it will transfer on to your eye lids whilst you are trying to apply it. I don't usually buy in to gimmicky style mascaras and don't need anything fancy to make me buy it. Favourites in the past have included Max Factor's False Lash Effect, Blink & Go's Long Lasting Black Mascara, Bourjois Volume Clubbing Mascara and Clinique High Impact Mascara. 

If you would be interested in a post on my favourite mascaras then let me know! :)

So, today I thought I would let you in on my experience with two of Rimmel's mascaras. First up is the Scandal Eyes Show Off mascara, which unfortunately really wasn't for me. 

The brush

I think the main problem here is the brush, which is far too big. There is just something I don't like about the bristles, I think they are too spaced apart which meant for me it just didn't feel right when I was applying it. They felt harsh and far too big to be coating my eye lashes properly. As the brush was so big it seemed to coat them all at once and smudge on to my eyelid at the same time. This brush also has a star shaped ending for the purpose of coating lashes individually. I felt that, again, this gave off too much product on my lashes and made them smudge prone, wet and clumped together. I have a feeling the end of the brush was an attempt of a Givenchy Phenonmen'Eyes mascara style, which I don't think was pulled off by Rimmel very well. 

The product

I don't know whether this was entirely down to the brush, but the actual product was very wet and took a long time to dry. I much prefer my mascaras to be a bit dryer as I think it gives off the best effect on the lashes. I paid £4.99 for this mascara when it was on offer, which is a very affordable price for a mascara, but I would rather pay a bit extra for one that was better. 

Overall 4/10

Ok, so I may be being very critical, but I really did not like this mascara from the moment I used it, and has been sitting in my draw ever since. It's a shame I didn't feel it was a great product, as the next one I have to talk about is the polar opposite in my books.

Next up is the Lash Accelerator mascara, which is way up there on my favourites list. 

The brush

For me the brush is just the right size, it's quite thin and small, which means it gets at each individual lash making them fuller and longer. The brush is also great for bottom lashes, the over all effect is great.   The product does claim to make your lashes 'grow' which I don't really buy into, but I think the way the brush is shaped does make the product apply brilliantly, which I can totally see why it would make you think that your lashes had grown!

The product

I have no complaints about the mascara solution itself. I bought this product while it was on offer at Boots as I had tried it before when it was first released, and loved it as much then. I think usually this mascara costs around £8, which I don't mind paying as I know it's a good product. 

Overall 9/10

Overall the Lash Accelerator mascara is a brilliant product and would highly recommend it!

Have you tried either of these products? What did you think of them?

H&M Nail Polish: Deep Deep Water

At first glance this colour looks amazing, and the name 'Deep Deep Water' fits it perfectly, so I am sad to say what a disappointment it was. 

I first applied it on top of a base coat, I applied two coats of this and loved the colour. And yet not even 2 hours later and not much done other than apply my make-up, the polish had chipped off on 3 of my nails. Not even just small chips, nearly all the paint off these three nails had come off. 

So the next day, I tried again and applied a top coat, and glitter coat to hold it on, and yet it still chipped just as bad. When I took it off with my regular nail polish remover, it left my nails stained blue and they are still stained up until now. Really disappointed and very much regret buying this product.

So there's not much else to discuss, a lovely looking colour but can not with stand much before chipping and staining the nails, even with a base coat. 

I am really disappointed, although it was only £1.99, I did expect better and really doubt i would purchase H&M nail polish again, which is a shame.

Instagram picture of my finished nails.