Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Lovely Pink

The beauty world went crazy for these little beauties recently, after being dubbed as dupes of the ever so popular (but crazily expensive) Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes. I'd spied these on a few blogs when they were first released and recently got my hands on one of them in the Boots 3 for 2. 

Max Factor Creme Puff Blushes (£8.99) are baked with a marble effect finish and come in 6 stunning shades: Lovely Pink 05, Nude Mauve Pink 10, Seductive Pink 15, Lavish Mauve 20, Alluring Rose 25, and Gorgeous Berries 30. I chose the shade Lovely Pink which is the lightest of the 6. As ever, Max Factor certainly don't let us down with the packaging. These little blushes are housed in the cutest little round black and gold pot with a clear lid so you can see the shade inside. The formula is to die for. It feels so velvety soft on the cheeks and not powdery or gritty in the slightest. For a light blush it's still really pigmented and leaves a subtle flush with a lovely glow on my light/medium skintone. Having said that, I'm not super fair so I kind of wish I'd chosen the darker pink as I think it would show up on my skin a bit more. Looks like I'll have to get myself back down to Boots (any excuse). I still get plenty of use out of this though, as I find it lovely on a day to day basis when I don't want to wear much makeup but just want to give my skin a healthy glow.

I think, for the price of £8.99, these blushes are fantastic value and certainly a welcome addition to any makeup bag.

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Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hr Nude Foundation

When it comes to affordable drugstore foundations, Rimmel are the winners in my eyes, with their Match Perfection foundation being my absolute favourite on the highstreet. They recently rebranded their Lasting Finish 25hr foundation, along with a new 'nude' version of the original. Rimmel say:

"Medium coverage foundation that feels hydrating and moisturising. Lightweight formula blends instantly into the skin creating a nude, pore less effect. Sweat, heat, humidity and transfer proof for unto 25 hours".

Having dry, dehydrated skin, this sounded like the perfect foundation for me. I like a medium coverage that's lightweight and moisturising and it didn't let me down. I chose the shade 100 Ivory because I've been really pale through the winter, but now I've been on holiday and got a bit of colour it's too pale for me. No biggy. Using my Real Techniques Buffing Brush, I really, really like the finish it gives. It's lightweight, blends really nicely and leaves a healthy, dewy glow to the skin. The coverage is certainly medium, and is buildable without being cakey or clinging to any dry patches. I can't say I've tested it for 25hrs (who does that?), but I found after good 6-8hours it still looked relatively decent, only needing a touch up on my chin which always seems to quaff any foundation before any other areas of my face.

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hr Nude Foundation retails at £7.99 and is available in 6 shades.

Have you tried Rimmel's newest base offering?

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Seventeen Define & Conquer Contour Kit

Seventeen Define & Conquer Contour Kit. £5.99

Not gonna lie, I have non-existent cheekbones, so when I spy a contour kit on the highstreet in sleek packaging, I'm hardly gonna walk past it am I? Contouring is quite a scary concept to me as I have quite a round face so it's hard to get that definition without it looking like I have two brown stripes on my cheeks. Having said that, I'm not one to give up, and think it's more about the technique than anything else. Seventeen is a brand that's really bringing it at the moment, so I knew I needed to give this a go and see how I got on. I chose the shade fair, as the medium one looked far too scary in the pan. No orange cheeks here please.

Firstly, let's take a moment and appreciate the packaging. It's very NARS, but without the rubber finish that seems to attract every little mark. The mirror inside is the full size of the lid, and has now become my makeup bag's new compact mirror (it's the little things). Inside are 2 powders; a highlight shade and a contour shade. Both powders are amazingly creamy and not chalky in the slightest. They're highly pigmented and so easy to blend, making this perfect for the contour novices like myself. I find I use the contour shade a lot more than the highlight, but that's just because I use my MAC Soft & Gentle as a cheekbone highlight and find that's more than enough. The contour powder is the perfect shade for adding that natural definition without looking over-bronzed and fake. I tend to apply it with my Real Techniques Contour Brush into the 'hollows' of my cheeks when I make that ever so attractive 'sucky fish face' (howl). For £5.99, this is a great product and has really helped me in achieving at least some kind of definition to my face.

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What's In My Holiday/Travel Makeup Bag?

So the time has come! My brother and his lovely fiancé are getting married in Malta on Friday so we're off on a week long holiday today (I'll most probably be in the air as you read this). My first holiday abroad in almost 4 years (our Honeymoon being the last time), and I've been stressing over what to pack for weeks. Going abroad is stressful enough, but this time I've got a toddler and a 9 week old baby to pack for aswell - milk, bottles, sterilising equipment and a MASSIVE amount of nappies means I really have to be tight on what I take for myself. I sat down with a little list on my phone of the essential makeup items I'd need and then went through my stash and picked the most travel friendly items, as well as some special bits that I just couldn't leave behind. Being bridesmaid means my makeup needs to be on point on the day, as well as being able to withstand the heat for a long day without being overly heavy.

Face:
Primer - L'Oreal Lumi Magique

Foundation - No7 Instant Radiance / Rimmel Wake Me Up / Bare Minerals Original Mineral

Concealer - Benefit Fake Up (light) / Collection Lasting Perfection (cool medium)

Powder - Rimmel Stay Matte (transparent)

Bronzer - Seventeen Define & Conquer Contour Kit (fair) / Bare Minerals Warmth

Blush - Max Factor Creme Puff (lovely pink) / Max Factor Creamy Touch (soft pink) / Bourjois Sun Cream Blush 06

Highlight - MAC Soft & Gentle MSF

Eyes:
Primer: Benefit Stay Don't Stray

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette / Kiko Longlasting Eyeshadow Stick (07 Golden Beige)
Eyeliner: Soap & Glory Supercat / Rimmel Scandalayes Waterproof Kohl Kajal (nude)
Brows: Eye of Horus Brow Define (dynasty) / Benefit High Brow (linen pink)
Mascara: Lancome Hypnose Star / Benefit Roller Lash

Lips:
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Nordic Berry Lip Balm
MAC Creme Cup
MAC Saigon Summer
...& not on the photo: Tanya Burr Lipgloss (champagne toast)

Suddenly realising I haven't really packed light. It's sooo hard!!!
See you all in a week :) xx

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April 2015 Favourites

So another month has been and gone and we're now into May! May is such a wonderful month as we're slowly heading towards the days where we can leave house without wondering if we need a cardigan, a coat or full on hat, scarf and gloves. Funny old weather we have in England but I wouldn't have it any other way (ok maybe I'd make it a bit warmer in the Summer, ha). Anyhow, here's what I've been reaching for during the month of April...

I'm obsessed with dewy skin and am constantly on the hunt for products that are gonna make me look like the girls on Made in Chelsea (highly doubtful, I know), and I've really been loving the L'Oreal Lumi Magique Primer. I actually prefer to mix a bit of this into my foundation as opposed to applying it all over as a base. It turns any foundation into a luminous one and just gives the skin a lovely glow. Next is a hydrating concealer that's unlike any other I own and I can't get enough of it. Benefit Fake Up is a strange consistency, almost like a balm with a sheer pigment in the centre. It's so hydrating which is great for my dry skin. As it's sheer it's not great for blemishes but it's fantastic under the eyes to cover dark circles and make me look like I've had a good night's sleep and not been up and down to a 9 week old! (See my review here). Next up is an eyebrow pencil to rival all others of this kind: Eye of Horus Brow Define*. It's very rare that I find a brow product in which I love both the formula and the shade. I often find that medium browns are far too warm for me, but not this bad boy (review here). Next up is 2 lovely everyday lip products. MAC's Creme Cup was my first ever MAC lipstick and a huge favourite among beauty bloggers. I've been reaching for this pretty much every day this month as it's a lovely spring shade and so easy to wear. When I've fancied something a little bit more girly and glossy I've been loving the Maybelline Colorsensational Elixir in the shade Blush Essence. It's such a nice non-sticky formula and so easy to apply. I actually won this little beauty in the lovely Beth Dean's Spring Giveaway and it's the first one of these I've tried. Got my eye on the orange one next!! The fragrance I've been reaching for since it dropped through my door is the newest addition to the Britney Spears Fantasy Range - Rocker Femme Fantasy*. The Original Britney Spears Fantasy perfume is one of my favourites of all time and this one is a sweeter, more creamy twist on the original. A perfect fragrance for the season.

What have you been loving this month?

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