On Test: Primark Mascaras

Sometimes, you fancy a change or in desperation, need that specific makeup item!  I was in need of mascara...

 

Now, the old saying goes, ‘you get what you pay for!’ & I wanted to see if that was indeed true when I decided to purchase my new mascara from Primark - a store known for it’s bargain prices.  My only problem was, I didn’t know which one to go for, as they had quite a bit of a range.

 

So…I went for 3!

 

I purchased -

 

False Lash Queen

3D Lash Effect

Fake It

 

 

 

Now, I’ve used all 3 for a while & I keep changing my mind on which was the one I really liked…so, today, this is my current thoughts on each one! 

 

False Lash Queen...

 

 

I’ll start with this one, as I think personally, this one is the worst of the 3.  

It has the biggest brush head, which is fine, but to me, the formula doesn’t do much.  It’s ok, but its supposed to give you ‘dramatic volume’ & I don’t think it really does & the majority of the product (unless I really wipe over the brush with a tissue) goes on my eyelids!  It does the job as being a mascara but doesnt really give amazing results.

 

Next up is...

 

3D Lash Effect...

 

 

Firstly, this looks different to the other 2, as they are in pink packaging & this is a more expensive looking gold.  

The formula is very wet, so go careful when applying.  You do get used to this though - & this is why I keep changing my mind as to whether I really liked it or not! I must admit, I do now!

It really does give you a quite dramatic spikey look to your lashes, while lengthening them too.  It has a tapered brush which is neat & slim to give you that longer length & a bit of a curl.

 

And finally...

 

Fake It

 

 

Now, some people say all these mascaras are dupes for other more expensive brands - I’m not entirely sure which ones (do you know?) - but this ‘Fake It’ mascara is the closest I think to Benefit ‘Roller Lash’.  It’s not quite as good, however, if you are being careful with the pennies then this is a pretty good dupe.

It curls your lashes well with it’s hourglass shaped applicator & it is buildable to make your lashes look thicker & more dramatic.  And like the others it is a bargain price - only £2.50!

I’ll let you into a secret too - I loved the ‘Fake It’ mascara so much, that I’m on my second one already! 

(Although I’m alternating with the ‘3D Lash Effect’ at the moment…see, I’m still undecided on my fave!  I guess you can’t ever have too much makeup in life!)

 

So, in answer to the saying ‘you get what you pay for!’ - that’s not always true!  Primark makeup pleasantly surprised me with their mascaras.  

 

What’s your favourite bargain makeup?  Let me know!

 

Bee x 

 

The Perfect Way to Remove your Eye Makeup this Party Season

During this time of the year there are a lot of family get togethers or parties to go to & if those events tend to carry on way into the night, the last thing you feel like doing by the time bedtime comes around is removing your makeup, right?  (And especially if you have decided to wear that sparkly glittery eyeshadow you have been saving all year to wear!  There is no shifting that!!)  

Well, I think I may have found something that can remove even the most stubborn of eye makeup off in a flash!

Now, as many will know, I have a bit of a penchant for eyeliner ('a-la Claudia Winkleman!') & I don't need a party to go to, to wear it.  I wear it everyday - so I really need something good to remove it.

Going back to a few weeks ago - my mum gave me a free sample of an Yves Saint Laurent eye makeup remover she had received with her mascara (their mascara is amazing too!). I tried it out & I was sold!

That was it; I purchased a larger bottle.  The name is Yves Saint Laurent Top Secrets Expert Makeup Remover with Gentle Biphase.

And it's pink! 

All you need to do is shake the bottle up (so the 2 phases mix together), apply to a cotton pad & gently press & sweep over your eyes & sure enough it removes all your eye makeup.  As quick as that!   It can even remove waterproof mascara & lip products effectively.

It is also suitable for contact lense wearers (which I am!) & suits sensitive eyes too (ditto!).  It doesn't leave your eyes feeling like an oil slick either! 

It has taken me a long time to find an eye makeup remover that not only actually works but also doesn't sting my eyes!

Really happy with this product - a luxury brand that actually is worth the money.

Thank you YSL!  No more waking up with yesterdays mascara on my pillow & panda eyes!

Bee x  

What I bought in New York - Sephora / Bath & Body Works

It's been ages since I last blogged! Sorry! I will try to get back in the swing of things!  My day job as you will already know is as a mobile beauty therapist, so as we get towards the end of the year I am getting busier, but I will try my best to blog as much as I possibly can! (promise!)

Anyway, back to today's blog.  Back in September I went on what can only be described as a trip of a lifetime!  I went to New York & Memphis, Tennessee!  Both places are extremely different but incredibly amazing.  I would go back to both in a heartbeat!

And of course, when you are on holiday, you always bring a few purchases back with you.....or at least, I do! 

So, yes, I got a few things & amongst the various bits & bobs I managed to accumulate were, of course, a few beauty buys from that beauty 'mecca' Sephora! And of course, while in New York I couldn't escape (as well as Sephora) Bath & Body Works!

I absolutely fell in love with Bath & Body Works! Why on earth is this shop not in the UK?

So, lets dive in to the shop of dreams.....

I decided to get mini things due to weight & getting them back home.  To start with I bought shower gels in the mini 88ml versions.  
I bought - 
Japanese Cherry Blossom - one of the best smells ever! 
Warm Vanilla Sugar - a lovely sweet comforting vanilla smell.
And finally - Pretty as a Peach - really gorgeous. You can really smell fresh peaches in this. 
Can't wait to use all of these!  They all contain Shea Butter & Vitamin E; a super moisturising formula.

Onto the huge range of hand sanitizers!  I never knew that anti-bacterial hand gel could smell so nice! 
In the shop they had an offer on for 5 minis, or as they call them 'pocketbac' (29ml) & I love an offer, so why not?

I got -
(again) Japanese Cherry Blossom 
I Donut Care - amazing smell of doughnuts! (who would have thought, in an anti-bac?!)
Copacabana Coconut - literally smells like a Pina Colada!
Pumpkin Berry Crumble - sweet & lovely 
& finally, Coconut Pumpkin Latte - totally gorgeous!

So, as you can tell, I absolutely love all of these & I also bought a little sparkly gold holder to put a pocketbac in.  You then clip it to your bag strap, so its always at easy access. Genius! 

Finally, I purchased 2 candles.  I would have loved to have bought more candles, especially the 3 wicks, but I was worried again about getting them back.  I would have been devastated if they had broken.
As Bath & Body Works Autumn range was already in full swing, the scents were amazing.  The 2 mini candles I purchased were Pumpkin Pecan Waffles & Pumpkin Apple.  Both again, wonderful scents. The Pumpkin Pecan Waffles had a lovely sweet & comforting scent to it & the Pumpkin Apple does really smell of fresh apples. I can't wait to start burning them - I've resisted so far - I wish they were 3 wicks so they would last longer! 

Onto Sephora.  On a side note, there are so many Sephoras in NY!  Obviously, I wasn't going to miss a snoop around at least one! 

So, heres the low down on my purchases....

Firstly, I had heard so many good things about Sephora's own range & especially their masks.  So, I picked up Sephora's Anti-Fatigue (I need this!) & Energizing Pomegranate sheet face mask, their Perfecting & Brightening Pearl sheet face mask, their sheet eye masks in (again) Pomegranate & also the Moisturising & Soothing Lotus.  I'm really looking forward to trying these - I can't believe I haven't so far!  I feel a pamper night coming on....! 

Lastly, I purchased 2 mascaras.  I bought a sample size of Urban Decay's Perversion mascara & also Clinique's Bottom Lash mascara.  
The Urban Decay mascara is very good but you do have to be very careful how you apply it as it does seem to have quite a wet consistency.  Has anyone found this or is it just me?
Clinique's Bottom Lash mascara though is fab!  And perfect for me as I always seem to smudge my mascara on my bottom lashes! It has the tiniest of brushes so no mistakes are possible! (Even for me!)

So, yep, that's my roundup of the beauty buys from New York.  If you are ever in the Big Apple & fancy a trip to Bath & Body Works or Sephora, be careful, you may get a little carried away!! 


Bee x 


  

A Tattoo I Can Change Every 24 Hours! - Maybelline New York Color Tattoos

Why has it taken me so long to try out these?  I don't really know, but I'm glad I did! 

I can tell you straight away that the 24hr Color Tattoos by Maybelline are AMAZING!  

I try not to make life too difficult for myself (I don't always accomplish this, by the way!) & this includes makeup.  And these eyeshadows definitely do make it easy.  Would you like a wash of colour that looks stunning & takes zero effort?  I think so! 

They are so easy to apply as they are a gel-cream formula.  You can pop some on with your finger & blend or use your regular eyeshadow brush.  And believe me they do not budge! Hence the name Tattoo!  (It took me a while to remove the swatches off my hand for this blog post - they don't move!)

There are a mixture of matte & shimmer colours in the collection & I'm definitely partial to a bit of shimmer!  So, the colours I currently have are -
35 - On and On Bronze
65 - Pink Gold
15 - Endless Purple

The colour pay off is wonderful & once on the lid, the effect is stunning (you could use as a base for other colours too - they are very like MAC Paint Pots) - no one will ever know it only took you a few seconds to apply!  Definitely a good 'on the go' shadow!

The price point is not bad too, as the amount of product you get for your money will last you quite a while. 

So, have I convinced you yet to buy these?  I think so! 

On a side note, I'm late to the party yet again - I finally purchased Maybelline's Lash Sensational Mascara.  A lovely brush & easy to apply, but I'm still undecided if it is as amazing as everyone says.  It has been good but not sure if it is really outstanding....
Hmm...the jury is still out! 

So, that is it from me for now...till next time!

Bee x   

My April Favourites!

It's a new month, so I thought I would let you all know what I loved in April!

Keeping Fresh...

The first of my favourites for the month of April is a anti-perspirant!  It is the Maximum Protection one by Sure.  The current scent I'm using is Sport Strength.  They have other scents in the collection which all smell really lovely.

It is a solid formula which you twist up twice & then apply.  It does advise you to use it twice a day, but I feel it is enough to use once per day & keeps you feeling fresh all day, everyday!

I think this is the best anti-perspirant I've ever used & I highly recommend it. 

A great quirky place to eat...

Next up is a new restaurant discovery.  I've heard about this place before & it really intrigued me.  It's a restaurant called 'Bills'.  

As regular readers of my blog will know, I am gluten, wheat & dairy (cows milk only) intolerant & eating out can be somewhat of a pain.  So, you can imagine my relief when I found out that Bills does some great alternatives to your 'run of the mill' restaurants.

They do have some different dishes, with a variety of funky salads, gluten free bread, breakfasts....& amazing cocktails too! The only downer for me is a lack of desserts.  Yes, they do have gluten free ones but not dairy free.  I do sadly find this very common in many restaurants, but I guess, on the up side, its better for my waistline!!

If theres a Bills near you, go check it out.  I've not quite worked out the theme yet, but the vibe is definitely a bit quirky, with great furnishings & a little shop too, so you can take a bit of Bills home with you. 

My next favourites for the month are all about makeup.....

Better Lashes...

I have a love-hate relationship with my eyelashes!  Sometimes they look great & long.  Other times, they look clumpy & short!  I do find though, since using this new product they have looked a lot better.

So, its all down to 'They're Real' Tinted Primer by Benefit, which I received in a beauty box.

The colour is mink brown & is perfect to use either on its own or under mascara. 

It does seem to really lengthen my lashes & make my eyes look more awake!

I currently use it everyday before applying my mascara & I find that I don't need to put mascara on my bottom lashes as this primer already gives a good enough effect.

If you have never used a primer on your lashes before, I would strongly recommend trying it - I'm sure you will be impressed with the difference it makes!

A New Lip Colour...

So, I popped into Kiko a few weeks ago.  I fancied a new lipstick & wanted something that looked a bit brighter & not what I normally wear.  I had in my head that I wanted a coral/peachy colour.

Anyway, I ended up with colour number 902 in the 'Smart' lipstick range - my favourite range by Kiko & such great value for money! (see my review here)

Now, its not as peachy when applying it, as compared to the bullet.  It's probably more pinky (it's called 'pastel pink' on the website & looks more pinky there than in real life), but I love it.

It's a really nice summery colour (wishing I was somewhere hot right now!) & a lovely creamy consistency.

So, as you can tell, I came away rather pleased & it didn't cost much at all! Bargain!

My First 2 MAC Items...

As the title says, I've finally purchased two MAC products & I've been loving them!

They are a lipstick in the shade 'Modesty' & a lip liner in the shade 'Soar'.

The lipstick is a cremesheen, which is perfect for me as I have such dry lips, so I need something which is very moisturising.  The shade 'Modesty' is a lovely nudey pink which you can wear with everything. 

Of course, with my lipliner, I had to purchase the shade 'Soar'.  The shade everyone seems to love!  And I can understand.  It's a nice pinky 'lip' colour & again, seems to go with everything - with most lipsticks, or on it's own.  It is also very comfortable on your lips, soft & easy to apply.

Overall, very pleased with my MAC products.  Theres a few more added to my list now....best get saving!

So, thats what I loved in April.  What products did you love last month?  I'd love to know!

Bee x