Beauty Confessions Tag

 

Hello again! I found out about this tag from lifewithb and actually I've completed another tag through reading her blog, which is awesome by the way! I love getting inspiration from other bloggers to post on my own blog. I think most people have a bit of a beauty addiction and I'm certainly no exception to that; this tag was super fun to do and very easy because there's so much to talk about. If you're interested in beauty, keep on reading!

1. What is your biggest beauty product addiction? (Lippies, blushes, highlighter, bronzer, mascara, etc.)

I'm in love with pretty eyeshadow palettes at the moment, but honestly I think it's lipsticks as I own so many lip products. I have so many liquid lipsticks and lipsticks but literally when I swatched my lipstick collection for a post I realised how many lipsticks I actually have, as well as how many of them are red, haha! I am trying to buy more of a range of products and shades now.

2. How many products do you have from your addiction?

I actually have so many lipsticks... In total there's probably at least 15, which doesn't sound like much but without realising I always seem to end up having more lipsticks suddenly appear! Aside from lipsticks and considering my whole make up collection I definitely own too much stuff. I have a stacking make up box and five make up bags as well as pots full of brushes. The addiction is real!

3. What is one type of beauty product you hate? (highlighters, hairspray, etc.)

I'm not a fan of hairspray, although that's likely from years of overuse from when I was a dancer. I'm also not a lover of cream products, like cream blusher or highlighter because they feel super sticky on my skin; another thing I hate is too dark foundations... Even most ivory shades are too dark for me, which is a nightmare.

 4. What has been your biggest challenge in beauty? (ex: a technique you learned or leaving a beauty comfort zone)

It has to be the perfect cat eye flick! One eye is always perfect and then the other just won't ever match. It irritates me every single time. Aside from that, I have my boyfriend to thank for encouraging me to understand that less is more. I know that sounds a bit pathetic but I used to wear a complete full face all day, every day and my skin was so bad. Now I let my skin breathe much more often, but at the same time it's hard to be fine with wearing only a bit of concealer and mascara for everyday. It sounds so self centred but it was so difficult for me to learn to love my natural face!

5. What is one beauty comfort zone you don’t ever think you’ll leave?

In all honesty the one product I need in my life is mascara, I really love the ways it opens up my eyes and helps me to look more awake. Another thing I love is a classic red lip, I always feel so sophisticated and 10 times prettier when I've got a red lipstick on for a night out.

6. What is one beauty thing you suck at? (ex: eyeliner like cat eye or taking your makeup off at the end of the day, etc.)

I mentioned in another of these answers that I'm awful at the cat eye look; one eye is always good and the other awful. I'm also not great at contouring; I'm always trying to improve my technique and I've watched countless YouTube videos on how to contour like a boss but I always end up looking like I've got three different shades in straight lines across my face... Even blending doesn't work wonders for me.

7. What is one thing in beauty that you don’t understand its hype? (Technique, trend, etc.)

There are so many weird trends and techniques around at the moment, like using a tampon and other crazy stuff as a beauty blender... I'm always freaked out by textured nails too, like velvet or fur and stuff. I have no idea why but I just hate it!

I have no one in mind to tag to complete this 'tag', but if another blogger is reading this, I'd recommend this tag as not only is it fun to complete it's another post idea which is always great! :)

 

Beauty Favourites #2

Throughout March, there has been so many beauty related products that I've loved; to the point where I felt like I has so many things that I'll need replace sometime soon, oops. My absolute favourite right now has been the Batiste Dry Shampoo in Blush, which I snapped up a huge fan in Superdrug for about £3, less than half the RRP. I've fallen in love with the fresh floral scent it gives to my hair. I have a habit of showering in the evenings so overnight my hair looses its freshness a little, but bit a quick spritz of Blush my hair definitely feels fresh and clean again but I head off to work for the day. A massive hate of mine is having greasy hair but I love sleep so using dry shampoo is a great way to have the best of both worlds for me. I've also been loving the Garnier Skinactive Micellar Cleansing Water for sensitive skin. I bought mine for the bargain price of £1 in Poundland and honestly my skin feels so much better since I started using it. It is a bit of a faff to use all the time but my skin definitely has had less blemishes since I started using it, which is fantastic.

 

There was always going to be a perfume on this list because if you know me or read my blog then you'll know how much I'm in love with perfumes. Lately I've been loving Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Blush because not only does it smell amazing it's also so lovely to look at, although it's fairly expensive priced at £54. The pink shades of the bottle and fragrance is lovely and feels so feminine and soft. I've also been loving the Fortune Favours The Brave eyeshadow palette by Makeup Revolution, which also looks lovely in person and for blog shots. For £9, it's much cheaper than Daisy Dream Blush but it also feels like good quality or that price. What I love about the shadows is that they're not strictly one colour, they have shades running through the overall shade so it makes blending on the eyes so much easier. There's also such a range of different shades within the palette that it I feel like there is so much potential for different looks with this palette. Plus, it looks lovely in photographs which is always a must for any blogger!

 

I've been obsessed with two Sleek highlighters for a couple of months now, but I feel like it's only during this month that I've managed to master the art of putting highlighter on my face successfully... I'm such a blogging fail, haha. Sleek Solstice needs literally needs no introduction as it seems like every blogger on the planet is in love with it, but I do prefer the Sleek Midas Touch palette, which (much to my disappointment) is actually a limited edition so will be super difficult to track down soon, sadly. For the insane price of £10 each, you do get three powder shades and one cream shade in each palette, so there is a shade to suit everyone. I'm not massively keen on the blue or purple shades, but considering I use the other shades regularly I've definitely gained more than my money's worth and they're great glows shades without looking too shiny, which I love. I definitely prefer more of a natural highlight for everyday make up looks. Earlier in the month I popped into Superdrug, (surprise, surprise) and bought three highlighters; Ever Glow Lights by Makeup Revolution, Iridescent Gold and Pink Shimmer by MUA. All three of these highlighters are an absolute steal at £3 and are so pigmented it's amazing! I feel like I simply dust the products against my skin and I'm shining bright!

 

Lastly, these four products are my all time favourites and I'm forever using them to the point that I really, really need to get some spares for when I run them to the ground (which is likely to be very soon!). In terms of mascara, I've been loving the Bourjois Volume One Seconde for the past year or so and I do get some lovely compliments on my lashes whenever I wear it, which is such a fantastic confidence boost. It's fairly pricey at £9.99, but I would say it's worth every penny as it lengthens and separates lashes so well I've been asked if I'm wearing falsies! It's also super black, which I adore in any mascara. Similarly, this month I've rediscovered a love for Maybelline The Colossal Volum Express which I had worn for literally years until I was converted to Bourjois; it's cheaper, at £7.99 but just as good. I think it's more of an everyday mascara as it doesn't feel so heavy on my eyes but at the same time I love it just as much. It's so black (I use the 100% black version) and the fiber brush works so, so well for me as it doesn't scratch at the lashes at all. Both of these mascaras are stunning and I don't need to use eyelash curlers beforehand with either of them, which is great as low maintenance is always great, especially if you're like me and forever running late!

I have always and will always be obsessed with red lipstick. I feel like having pale skin and blonde hair works so well with red lips, I feel so much more glamourous with just a swipe of red lipstick. At the moment I'm torn between two gorgeous lipsticks; the iconic Ruby Woo by MAC, which at £16.50 is not a purchase that I made lightly, but honestly it's just stunning. I love a matte finish lipstick as you always jazz it up with lip gloss if necessary, although I prefer to stay matte. There's something timeless about the ruby shade of red and it just feels so classic and out there; something about Ruby Woo makes me feel so confident in myself. Likewise, a cheaper alternative is the L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Pure Red Collection in the shade Blake Lively. Priced at £6.99, it looks and feels like a much more high end product. Having a similar skin tone to Blake, I was daring and ordered this online and I was not disappointed in the slightest. It's a lovely ruby shade and completely matte, yet it doesn't feel drying on the lips, which is unusual for a red lipstick as they're usually quite dry on the lips. Both of these lipsticks are really long lasting and don't need touch ups often, even after food which is why I love them so much. Is there any beauty products you've been loving this month? Let me know in the comments! :)

 

My Lipstick Collection

A few days ago I decided that it would be a good idea to have a sift through my lipstick collection to see what products I actually have, as well as to see which brands and colours actually suit my skin tone. To be honest, up to this point I had no idea about how many different shades of the same few colours I actually owned. I've touched on some beauty products before on my blog but on the whole it's always been more of a lifestyle based blog. However I do love beauty and make up so it makes sense to go more into beauty as I do own a lot of make up and it is something that I am interested in. I'm forever watching beauty gurus on YouTube so I have a definite case of 'social media made me buy it', oops. I don't have the largest collection in the world, but I definitely have more lipsticks than I'd realised!

 

I honestly never realised how many variations of pink and red lipsticks I own... I have 3 lipsticks by Bourjois, which is one of my favourite ever brands for make up. I've never bought a product from them that I've disliked. The first is a liquid lipstick, Rouge Edition Velvet in the shade Frambourjoise. Priced at £8.99, it's definitely a product to invest in only when you're certain but I personally love it. It applies really smoothly and doesn't feel drying on the lips, it's a strong red with a hint of blue tones. I'm a fan of the matte finish as I feel like that's why it lasts longer, it dries quickly and holds well on the lips. The other 2 are regular Rouge Edition lipsticks in the shades 13 Jet Set and 35 Entry VIP. Number 13 is much more of a dark red, it has a hint of a berry shade and looks lovely for more autumn based looks, whereas number 35 is literally my make up bag staple shade. It's more of a pinky raspberry red and I've had so many complements on this colour that I always feel really confident when I wear it. The lipsticks cost £7.99 which is reasonable as they're supposed to last 12 hours and I do think they last really well; I wear 35 for all occasions and have rarely reapplied it.

 

I also own 2 Kate Moss for Rimmel lipsticks in the shades 111 Kiss of Life and Lasting Finish 01. I had extremely high hopes for the Kate with Rimmel range and thus far I haven't been disappointed; both of these shades are incredibly pigmented for the bargainous price of £5.49 each. I feel like 01 suits my pale skin really well, it's a classic cherry red and has a slight shimmer which I'm not usually a fan of, but in this lipstick I'm definitely converted as it's super flattering. I don't know if it's supposed to have a slight blue tinge but on my skin it definitely does. 111 is much more of a warmer toned red and is equally as flattering on my skin. It's a matte shade which I do prefer and it does provide quite an intense colour especially for the price. I would say it's more of an orangey red, so it would suit more of a range of skin tones. Neither of these lipsticks last particuarly well, you do have to reapply quite consistently but that being said for the price you can afford to do so without complaint.

 

I've recently started using 2 lipsticks from Maybelline from the matte range. I do prefer a matte lip, I think because you can work the colour into the lips without it drying out. The shades I own are 882 Fiery Fuchsia and 965 Siren in Scarlet. Both lipsticks are £6.99 and feel fairly creamy on the lips; they dry completely Matte but feel creamy and apply well. 965 looks lovely against my skin as the creamy texture hides any dry lip patches. The best way to describe it is that's it's a classic Hollywood red; definitely a warmer toned red but unfortunately I've not found it to last well on the lips. It does leave a little stain, but it's not strong enough without reapplication but as the application is so buttery that's not a massive issue for me. 882 was a bit of a surprise buy for me, I swatched it in a Superdrug and instantly fell in love. I'm not usually a fan of pink on my skin tone as it's quite pinky anyway, but this one is definitely a vibrant pink, but somehow on my skin it has more of a red tone which I like. The buttery texture is nice and it feels like it glides on the lips. It doesn't have the longest staying power but it's not difficult to reapply the lipstick so I can live with that. 

 

Lastly, I have the perfect fiery red shade from MAC in Ruby Woo. I feel like everyone has a favourite classic MAC lipstick and this one is definitely mine. I've already mentioned that I love a matte lip and this is probably the most well known and hyped lipstick shade, ever. It's incredibly long lasting but I have to say I've found it quite drying on my lips which is a little disappointing. It's super pigmented, you literally only need to apply it once throughout the whole day and it seems to last forever. It's quite a cool, blue toned red; the kind that makes your teeth look seriously white, which is an added bonus. It's not a cheap option, priced at £16.50, but I would say it's worth it as it makes my face look put together with minimal effort. Another favourite of mine is Pure Red Blake by L'Oreal from the Paris Colour Riche Collection. I persuaded myself to buy this as Blake Lively has a similarly porcelain skin tone to mine and so I thought would be a great red. It's very bright and stands out really nicely against my skin with its matte finish. I'd describe it as a raspberry shade as it's slightly purple toned and it lasts amazingly considering it's bargain price of £6.99. It stains the lips well and it doesn't feel drying on the lips, this is probably my favourite of all of the lipsticks that I own but I do have to carry it around for reapplications whenever I wear it. I wasn't aware of how many red toned lipsticks I owned until I did this post... I love them all, but these last two are definitely my favourites, alongside the Bourjois Entry VIP. I don't know what it is about a red lip, I always feel so put together and classy whenever I want to feel confident. Do you have a favourite red lipstick?