What's on the wishlist

It's that time of the year again in the UK when it starts to get cold and all you want to do is go home and crawl under your duvet for warmth and peace. Because most of my days are like that, I decided to take a look at my wish list/to buy list and then decided to put them together for this post. Because y'know, I have time on my hands people, even if I have no money!

Superdrug Haul

This post is long overdue because I actually purchased these bits about a month ago, but I'm still going to show it anyway because who doesn't bloody love seeing a make-up haul?!

My Daily Make-up Routine + Swatches

I’m not very experimental with makeup and so I reach for the same thing everyday, so I thought hey why not write about my every day make-up products. Although I’m hoping to switch things up with nude/neutral lip colours and different colour blushes, I thought today I’d talk about my make-up stash. My products and brushes are not in pristine condition because I actually use it on a day to day basis (read I am too lazy to wash anything for my blog). 

The first thing I do is prime my face. I’ve been switching between the Benefit Porefessional and my Smashbox Photo Finish Primer (oil free version) I got with my first purchase of my Smashbox foundation. I either use them separately or mix them. I didn’t really think I needed a primer but the other day I put my makeup on without it, because I was only wearing it for a few hours and I was like this feels WEIRD.  I then go in with concealer, I use the Becca Compact Concealer in the shade Chestnut (I think). I purchased this from Fragrance Direct for like £5.00 but it isn't available there any more. I didn't take picture of it open because it doesn't look all that great, but click the link and you'll see a much better one! I know people like to conceal after but this one states to conceal first. And I kind of prefer it that way if I'm honest. I use the Real Techniques Concealer Brush from their Core Collection.

I use the Real Techniques Buffing Brush to blend my concealer in. I then take the Foundation Brush from The Core Collection and dot the Smashbox Liquid Halo HD Foundation in Shade 10 around my face. I then go back with my buffing brush and make sure everything is blended in. Next I powder my face with the powder I got in my Sleek Foundation Base Duo in Henna (the foundation ran out a long time ago) and the Elf Powder Brush. I was completely clueless about powders when I bought this foundation and I still kinda am, but I keep this with me during the day to deal with the excess oil. 

Next is bronzer. I don’t always do this, but sometimes when I feel I am looking lacklustre I like to use it on my temples and under my cheekbones.I use the Elf Baked Bronzer in the colour Bora Bora. I have had this for over a year and I looks like I haven’t used it at all! I use it the Real Techniques Blush Brush, as I feel it just distributes the perfect amount and is a good size.

I then move on to blush. The only blush palette I own and really the only blushes I do own, are the Sleek Blush Pumpkin. As you can see it comes with three shades - P Pie, Squash and Latern (L-R). I used to use Latern a lot because I didn't really fancy the other two and I hated the shimmer in P Pie, but lately I have actually been reaching for P Pie and when applied lightly it is actually very nice.

Next I move on to my eyes, I use the Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Definer in my waterline and then comes mascara. I use the Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara followed by the Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara until I get my desired affect. Then I move on to my brows. Sometimes I do this before anything else (primer, concealer etc) and sometimes I do it last - it actually just depends on when I remember to do them!  I brush the hairs with the spoolie on the Maybelline Eye Master Studio Brow, I actually just use the spoolie now as I ran out of the product, I hated the product but I love the spoolie. I then fill them in with the Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil, sometimes I set them in place with Revlon Brow Fantasy (not a fan of it). I don’t really like (name) but I’m just using it up, I desperately love the Maybelline Brow Drama, so will be getting that again.

Occasionally I will do in with the winged eyeliner and when I that I use the Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner which I reviewed here, with my Zoeva Fine Liner Brush 315.

 L - R Sleek Smother, Revlon Black Cherry, Wet n Wild Sugar Plum Fairy and Avon Lucky Kiss.

Then my lips! I have a couple of colours on rotation that I use and like I mentioned here, I am just drawn to purple plummy shades. The ones I reach for weekly are Wet n Wild's Sugar Plum Fairy, Revlon's Black Cherry, Sleek's Smother and Avon's Lucky Kiss. Sorry one of the swatches is smudged, I totally forgot I had it on my arm!

So that’s it! I carry around a few bits with me for touch ups and definitely take my powder and powder brush with me.

I have a small make-up collection and really only plan to increase it with a few more products, but even what I have feels overwhelming to me sometimes. I am definitely a lip product lover, I just love how they can transform any look.

What products do you reach for on a day to day basis? 

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Recent Purchases

So I decided it was time to do a collective "haul" as I have acquired a few new bits that I want to share. These span out to about 2 months or so, I most certainly did not get them all in one go! 

Balm Balm Tea Tree Lip Balm - I decided to purchase this as my Nuxe lip balm had run out and this was much cheaper. I’ve used this daily since I got it and I have to say I much prefer my Nuxe one. This one wears off to quickly so I find myself reapplying throughout the day. With my Nuxe one I applied twice a day because it was that long lasting. This product is actually a multi use one, so I can use it for any bits of dry skin that appear during the day, but I carry hand cream with me at all times anyway. I don’t have anything really bad to say about the product as it is nice, but I will not be purchasing it again.

La Roche Posay - Serozinc - When I heard news that Serozinc was finally available to be purchased from a reliable seller and delivered to the UK, I was super happy. I placed my order in December and waited patiently for the New Year to roll around. I’ve used this about 4 times I’d say, so I am yet to form a proper opinion on it, however I did breakout when using this. During the time I was using this, I was also using another product, which is pictured above. It was also my time of the month, so I'm not 100% sure of the cause. What I will say though, is in the 4 times I’ve used this I’ve noticed that my skin has become oilier, which is bizarre because this marketed as controlling oil.

First Aid Beauty - Facial Radiance Pads - So if you read this my review on the FAB Cleanser with Red Clay you’ll know that I’ve been dying to try the radiance pads. I bought the Clearasil ones as something to try first, but when they ran out I decided it was time to upgrade. This arrived in December (after Christmas) so before the Serozinc, but it was the only new thing in my skin routine in addition to Serozinc so I am struggling to find the source of the breakout. The smell of this is a bit bleh, but nothing you can’t handle. I’ll have to reintroduce this into my routine as well in order to give my full opinion as for the time being I have stopped using it. I bought this from Feel Unique in the sale so managed to get a couple of pounds off.

theBalm Nude 'Tude Eyeshadow Palette - I was able to pick up this palette for £8.00 or so. I purchased it via Birchbox with points and an offer. I'm sure I purchased this back in December, maybe the end of November. I actually own about two eyeshadow palettes but greedy me wanted one that was raved about, so when I saw the chance to pick this up for a cheaper price I thought why not! I love the colours in this palette for a start, but I also love how all the names begin with an 's'. I haven't used this palette very much, but I'm hoping that going to change because of a product I bought below. I want to use this properly, so if I like it keep an eye out for a review & swatches! 

Zoeva Fine Liner Brush 315 - Zoeva brushes have been raved and raved about and whilst I’ve admired them from afar, I’ve never really felt a need to get them. However I stumbled across the fine eyeliner brush and it has sat in my ‘shopping’ bookmark for well over 4 months I’d say. I kept hoping I’d see one in store and just be able to pick that one up. I use this brush nearly every day (hence why it was so hard to bloody clean for the photo), with the Maybelline Gel Eyeliner. Sometimes I’m not sure if I’m going to do winged eyeliner and the I’ll do my mascara and I’ll be like crap. With this brush it doesn’t matter if I do it before or after, the angle of the brush means it won’t interfere with my lashes. The brush is also seriously thin (again making it hard to photograph) that it makes doing winged eyeliner a breeze. This seriously has made my life so much easier. I like to mix the Maybelline one and my MAC Liquidlast Eyeliner, because the Maybelline one ain’t as permanent as they’d like you to believe.

Zoeva Soft Definer Brush 227 -  The 217 is just a dream of a brush, it is so bloody soft! I looked into this because it has been named as a dupe for the MAC 217. Being an eyeshadow newbie, I didn't want to splurge out too much on expensive tools, and I already have the RT Eye Brush collection, so I just wanted something to add to that.  I have only used it once with eyeshadow and was there blending away and my gosh did it make a difference. My eyeshadow actually looked good, it’s a shame it was wasted because I wasn’t even going anywhere. Of course I cannot compare it to the MAC one because I don’t own it, but I’m pretty darn happy with it. I’m so impressed with these brushes that I’m going to have to look to Zoeva next when I need to fulfil my brush needs.

Ceramic Dish - I picked up this dish from H&M whilst I was doing my Christmas shopping. I already own a smaller version of it with a different style and I used it for storing the jewellery I use day to day and have it placed on my dressing table away from my other jewellery. However it was becoming seriously over crowed, so when I saw this big one I was like yes I need this. I wasn’t fussed about the design, but my gosh has this been so useful. They now both sit on my dressing table but this one is reserved those ‘day to day, but not day to day’ jewellery bits and the other really is my day to day one. This was only £2.50 but the one in the link is £2.99, because I couldn’t find this online, but to be fair the one in the link is much nicer. 

The Organic Pharmacy Skin Brush - This was my final purchase from Feel Unique.  I’ve wanted to start dry body brushing because I think I need to and because it has a lot of great benefits. It also feels damn therapeutic as well. I just looked up a bunch of brushes on Feel Unique and picked one I liked the sound of. I wasn’t looking for a particular brand, but after looking for the link for the post I realised it’s the same one that does that carrot butter cleanser, so good stuff there. It was out of stock for a while (such as the case with most of the brushes I looked at) and it out of stock at the moment too. I’ve used this about 5 times and I find it has the right firmness to the bristles. It’s good enough to feel like it’s doing something but it does not feel like it’s scratching my skin to death. I love that it has the handle for those hard to reach places, but then it has the strap so you can comfortable hold it in your hand. 

So those have been some of my recent purchases. I felt really good to knock some things off my list, I don’t know about you but I always seem to forget there are a bunch of things that I really want and end up impulse buying things that I could really do without!

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