Blog - AbiJBailey

Make Up Of The Day, Featuring New Products

2/8/2015

Hello Everyone!
Happy Sunday!
I wasn't sure if I was going to post today, hence why I'm posting so late.
I bought a couple of new beauty products on Friday and wanted to use them today. I was pleased with the look so I thought I'd share it with you.
It's a grey smokey eye with a pretty pink lip.

Make Up Of The Day, Featuring New Products

Make Up Of The Day, Featuring New Products

Make Up Of The Day, Featuring New Products

Let's ignore the split in my fringe and the fact that my skin is rubbish at the moment (thanks hormones).

Make Up Of The Day, Featuring New Products

Face

Make Up Of The Day, Featuring New Products

Primer: Rimmel 'Fix & Protect Pro'
Concealer: Rimmel 'Lasting Finish Concealer'
Foundation: Rimmel 'Lasting Finish 25 Hour With Comfort Serum'
Powder: Rimmel 'Stay Matte' in '004 Sandstorm'
Blush: *new* Make Up Revolution in the colour 'Sugar'

Eyes

Make Up Of The Day, Featuring New Products

Make Up Of The Day, Featuring New Products

Brows: (product not pictured because I'm an idiot) Rimmel 'Professional Eyebrow Pencil' in the colour 'Dark Brown'
Eye Shadow Stick (used as a base): *new* 'GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick' in '04 Brown'
If you read my last post (here) you'll know I wanted more of these eye shadow sticks, so I bought two more, haha!
Eye Shadow: 'Resist' from the Urban Decay 'Naked On The Run' palette
Eye Liner: Maybelline 'Lasting Drama Up To 24H Gel Liner' in 'Black'
Mascaras: Maybelline 'Lash Sensational' in 'Black' and Collection 'No Clumps Definition Mascara' in 'Black'

Lips

Make Up Of The Day, Featuring New Products

Lipstick: *new* NYX 'Butter Lipstick' in the colour 'Little Susie'

So that's what I'm wearing on my face today!
I've basically booted summer out of the door and am sooo ready for smokey eyes and dark lipstick and all that good stuff!

What season do you like best for make up trends?

Thanks for reading and I'll speak to you soon,

Abi xxx

GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Sticks

26/7/2015

Hello everyone!
Happy Sunday.
My GOSH Forever Eye Shadow stick soon became a staple while I was on holiday. I've had it for months but threw it into my make up bag last minute and I'm so glad I did.
Today I'm going to talk about all the things I love about my little eyeshadow stick because I think it's fab and feel that everyone should know about them (although you probably already do!)

GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in Light Copper 3

GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in Light Copper 3

GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in Light Copper 3

They are metallic eye shadow sticks and I have the colour '03 Light Copper'. I bought mine from Superdrug and it was £5.99 which I think is a perfectly acceptable price for the amazing quality. They do loads of colours; I really want to get more but when I looked the other day I was looking for more 'everyday' colours and they only had dark blue and violet. I might still go back and get them though as they'd be perfect for a quick smokey eye!

GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in Light Copper 3

Out of direct sunlight.

GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in Light Copper 3

In direct sunlight

The colour pay off of this little crayon is insane. I love how you can vary the degree of intensity too- you can either cover your eyelid with it and blend it out, or you can add a little to your eyelid and blend it for a subtle shimmery look.
They're waterproof too which was perfect for when I was in Spain because boy was it hot! My eyeshadow didn't crease or absorb into my skin at all.

GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in Light Copper 3

Out of direct sunlight

GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in Light Copper 3

In direct sunlight

They are so creamy that they blend like a dream.
They're also perfect to use as an eyeshadow base, especially with shimmery eye shadows on top as it'll really make them pop.
I use a brush to blend it out but you could easily use your fingers which makes these eye shadow sticks perfect for on the go.

GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in Light Copper 3

Can you tell that they're super long lasting? This was after a few vigorous rubs with some make up remover on a cotton pad. Don't let that make you think that you have to rub at your eyes to remove it though because you don't. I just wanted to show you how good the staying power is!

I honestly can't get enough of this eye shadow stick!
It's a real time-saver in the morning too as you don't need to spend a lot of time applying and blending eye shadows. You can just pop this on, blend it out and move on to eyeliner (or whatever's next in your routine!)

Have you tried any of the GOSH Forever Eye Shadow sticks?
Let me know your thoughts!

Thanks for reading and I'll speak to you soon,

Abi xxx

P.s when will I stop using so many exclamation marks? Probably never.

'Rose Hill' Lipgloss & '1995' Lipstick By Gerard Cosmetics

28/6/2015

Hello everyone!
Happy Sunday!
As usual I'm going to start by apologising and explaining a few things...
If you read my last blog post (here) I mentioned that my next post was going to be about my favourite pieces that I had bought from Primark the day before but when I looked back over the stuff I bought, it was all very boring!
Plus I've worked the past three Sundays, the weather has been very hit and miss and I've worked a lot of evenings (never my choice!) so trying to find time and the right light to take photos of anything, has been a huge problem.
So like I said, I won't be posting every week just for the sake of posting, especially as I'm trying to feel more 'me' again.
Anywaaaay, enough of the waffle and excuses! I just hate not posting but I can't do three million things at once either!
This is going to be a looong post, so brace yourselves.

'Rose Hill' Lipgloss & '1995' Lipstick By Gerard Cosmetics

I'm going to explain to you the major ordeal that was involved with this order... It's just a long explanation of why it took so long for the delivery to get to me so if you want to skip over this part, feel free!
Shaaanxo (a beauty youtuber) posted on Instagram a promo code that Gerard Cosmetics had given her to give to her followers and the deal was a lipgloss, lipstick and whitening pen (as the company used to be Whitening Lightning) bundle for £17 (plus all their worldwide shipping is all free), so I thought 'ooh I've wanted to try their lip products, I'll make an order'...
I made the original order in March, and it arrived on Thursday, haha.
Here's the thing, at the time I made the order, Gerard Cosmetics were switching to Fed-Ex as their delivery company so I made the order, got the email to say it should arrive within about two weeks of the shipping confirmation email. I waited about a month and never got anywhere so I emailed them again and they explained that as my order is international (as it is an American company) it would take about 3-6 weeks, so I waited again and still nothing so I emailed them back with my order number and a girl emailed me back (the ladies I spoke to were so helpful and friendly) saying that my order had been lost (probably due to the change over of delivery companies) so she sent out my order again for me and told me that it should arrive within a couple of weeks of the shipping confirmation order email. I never received a shipping confirmation order email. So I emailed them back again and this time I received an email with the Fed-Ex tracking number and a link to track my order. It finally arrived on Thursday and I'm so pleased!

'Rose Hill' Lipgloss & '1995' Lipstick By Gerard Cosmetics

Even though it was such a long-winded order, the ladies I emailed were so helpful and gave me a discount code for my next order because of the inconvenience. I think I will make more orders in the future because the price is right and they do everything with such a personal touch.
I ordered 'Rose Hill' and '1995' because they are Jaclyn Hill's creations (another beauty youtuber) when she paired up with Gerard Cosmetics. There were so many colours to choose from, I didn't know what to pick! So as I love Jaclyn I thought it'd be nice to try out her own lip product concoctions.

'Rose Hill' Lipgloss & '1995' Lipstick By Gerard Cosmetics

It arrived in a box and inside the box was this pouch wrapped in beautiful pink tissue paper. I was already thrilled before I'd even opened it!

'Rose Hill' Lipgloss & '1995' Lipstick By Gerard Cosmetics

'Rose Hill' Lipgloss & '1995' Lipstick By Gerard Cosmetics

I even received a personalised thank you card! Plus how perfect is that hand writing?

'Rose Hill' Lipgloss & '1995' Lipstick By Gerard Cosmetics

'Rose Hill' Lipgloss & '1995' Lipstick By Gerard Cosmetics

'1995' Lipstick by Gerard Cosmetics

'1995' Lipstick by Gerard Cosmetics

Jaclyn called it '1995' as she created it during the time when the '90's lip was back in fashion and trending everywhere. This is a great browny nude with a touch of red in it. I was also swayed because I was born in 1995, haha.
It's a lovely matte formula but not a long laster unfortunately as it's quite sheer. Maybe if I layer it and blot it a few times it might have a longer wear.

'1995' Lipstick by Gerard Cosmetics

'1995' Lipstick by Gerard Cosmetics

It's a bit more brown in real life as it looks quite red here. Struggling with the natural daylight!

'Rose Hill' Lipgloss by Gerard Cosmetics

'Rose Hill' Lipgloss by Gerard Cosmetics

You definitely cannot fault them for their packaging! It is gorgeous. The gold is beautiful and so shiny and they just look really classy and high end, I wish my camera could have picked it up more. The lipgloss has a little mirror on the side of the tube and even two bright LED light bulbs in the cap so you apply it anywhere!

'Rose Hill' Lipgloss by Gerard Cosmetics

'Rose Hill' Lipgloss by Gerard Cosmetics

'Rose Hill' Lipgloss by Gerard Cosmetics

It looks more red in the photo but it is quite pink in actuality. I can't really remember the reason behind naming this 'Rose Hill' I think it was because she wanted a rosy pink colour and her last name is Hill (?), she explained it in the video when it was originally released so you can see that on her channel if you wish!
It's a lovely summer pink, think of watermelon and roses and you're there.
It's quite a thick, sticky formula, it isn't noticeable on the lips but it does make it a bit trickier to apply. It might be better worn over a lipstick as opposed to on its own. I'm not sure how long it lasts as I haven't worn it outside yet!

Whitening pen by Gerard Cosmetics

Whitening pen by Gerard Cosmetics

I'm excited to start using the whitening pen! Once I've been using it for a while, I'll make sure to do a review on it and let you know my thoughts on it.

'Rose Hill' Lipgloss & '1995' Lipstick By Gerard Cosmetics

Congratulations, you've made it to the end!
I'm sorry that was such a huge post but I had a lot to say, and a lot to show you!
Hopefully that makes up for not posting last week.

Have you bought anything from Gerard Coametics?
What are your thoughts about them?
Let me know in the comments!

It's highly unlikely that I'll be posting next Sunday as I fly out to Spain with my family in the afternoon! I'll be there for two weeks, so it's going to be some time before I'm back blogging!
I'll hopefully have lots to share with you when I get back though.

It's nearly July, so have a wonderful month and I'll speak to you as soon as I can!
Thanks for reading,

Abi xxx

Rimmel 'Lasting Finish' Concealer Review | 5 Things Friday

22/5/2015

Hello everyone!
Happy Friday!
I've bought a lot of stuff recently so expect a few hauls and review blog posts coming up.
Today I'm reviewing the Rimmel 'Lasting Finish' Concealer.

Rimmel 'Lasting Finish' Concealer Review

Rimmel 'Lasting Finish' Concealer Review

Rimmel 'Lasting Finish' Concealer Review

Coverage

Rimmel 'Lasting Finish' Concealer Review

I wear shade 020/Ivory and have oily skin.
It claims to be high coverage and conceal dark circles, imperfections and discolouration.
I agree with all of those statements; it doesn't completely erase my dark circles but it definitely lessens them. It covers redness excellently and it covers blemishes really well too, especially as it's a creamy consistency so it doesn't cling to dry spots.

Pigment

Rimmel 'Lasting Finish' Concealer Review

The pigmentation is lovely, it's not too yellow or too pink.
It's a available in three shades- Porcelain, Ivory and Warm Beige
Porcelain looks to be more yellow toned, compared to Warm Beige which is more pink toned.

Blendability

Rimmel 'Lasting Finish' Concealer Review

It blends really smoothly, again due to the creamy consistency. I apply it with my finger and blend it with my finger, I then soften it with my foundation brush.
It doesn't lose all of it's coverage or pigmentation, once you've blended it, either.

Wear

Rimmel 'Lasting Finish' Concealer Review

It claims to last all day and I agree with that. It varies from day to day, but I tend to have my make up on for around 15 hours a day, and it sits nicely, doesn't feel thick or cakey and it doesn't rub off.

Price & Novelty

Rimmel 'Lasting Finish' Concealer Review

It costs £5.49 and I love that it comes in a pot!
It's not like the creamy concealers that come in a stick, as I find those quite greasy and they just rub off instantly. It has the coverage of a stick concealer but the consistency/staying power of a liquid concealer.
I've been using this for about six weeks and I've hardly made a dent so I think it will last ages.
I like that it has quite a big surface area too, so you can pick up a lot of product at once, saving time.
I'm not too keen on the packaging, I think it looks a bit cheap, but it has a nice tight seal so it won't dry out!

Overall I really love this concealer! I bought it on a whim because I wanted to try something new and my regular concealer was running out. It's also the matching concealer to my foundation.
I didn't expect to love it as much as I do!

Have you tried this concealer? What do you think of it?
Leave me a comment!

Thanks for reading and I'll speak to you on Sunday,
Abi xxx

How I Achieve Long, Thick Lashes

17/5/2015

Hello Everyone!
Happy Sunday to you!
As promised, today I'm going to show you how I get long, thick, fluttery lashes.
No false lashes, lash extensions or growth serums needed.

How I Achieve Long, Thick Lashes

To achieve this, I use three mascaras. I know to some people that seems like a lot, but I LOVE mascara; if I could only have two beauty products, it'd be mascara and lipstick.
The three I used are:

Maybelline 'Lash Sensational' £7.99, L'Oreal 'Miss Manga' £8.99 and Rimmel 'Wonder'Full' £7.99

Maybelline 'Lash Sensational' £7.99, L'Oreal 'Miss Manga' £8.99 and Rimmel 'Wonder'Full' £7.99
I'll go into more detail about them at each step.

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara

How I Achieve Long, Thick Lashes

I love Lash Sensational, it has a spoon-shaped brush to catch all the little lashes and if you use the other side, it helps to separate your lashes further. It has a really black pigmentation too and the formula is wet but not too wet, so you can build coats easily, without it clumping or just getting wiped off.
The first step is to coat your lashes with a few coats of Lash Sensational to lengthen and define your lashes. Look at the difference with just a few coats compared to bare lashes.
P.s. please ignore my brows, they were NOT on point that day.

Rimmel Wonder'Full Mascara

How I Achieve Long, Thick Lashes

When I first used Wonder'Full, I really didn't like it, I thought the formula was too wet and it didn't make any sort of impact. It sat in my draw for a few weeks before I thought to use it again and I'm glad I did! It had dried up a tiny bit which made all the difference.
The brush has lots of little bristles and gives you a really natural look, perfect for 'no make up make up'.
This is the second step, to further define and separate the lashes, I apply lots of Wonder'Full.
In this photo I have a lots of coats of Lash Sensational and Wonder'Full on the left and lots of coats Lash Sensational on the right. Even though Wonder'Full is a defining mascara, do you see how it's thickened the lashes?

L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara

How I Achieve Long, Thick Lashes

I was never that interested in Miss Manga, it just never drew me in, but my mum bought me one and I tried it and was pleasantly surprised. Lovely volumising mascara. It's a bit drier than the other mascaras but still wet enough to prevent clumping.
Here on the left I have Miss Manga on, compared to the right with just Lash Sensational and Wonder'Full.
That's the final step; to apply lashings (haha) of Miss Manga to add real volume and impact.

How I Achieve Long, Thick Lashes

Here's the end result! Apologies for the poor lighting!

I just keep repeating the steps until I get the length and volume I am looking for.
I would say these are my holy grail mascaras at the moment, I really suggest getting one (or all three) of them if you haven't got them already!

Have you tried these mascaras? What do you think of them?
Are there any mascaras you think I need to try?
Leave me a comment!

Thanks for reading and I shall speak you on Friday!

Abi xxx

Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'

19/4/2015

Hello everyone!
Happy Sunday to you.
Today I'll be talking about the Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'.
I have about eight, if not more, eyeshadow palettes. They're mainly high street and I should stop buying them but I can't help it, I love me an eyeshadow palette and no one shall stand in my way *cue evil laugh*
I took the photos on different days so apologies that the colours look slightly different!

Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'

Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'

Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'

Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'

I walked past this in Superdrug and fell in love instantly.
The colours are so feminine and can be used for daytime or nighttime looks. They're a mix of matte and shimmer shades.
The palette is £6 which is a little bit more expensive than usual but you do get a doubled ended eyeliner/highlighter pencil with it.
I am always pleased with the quality of Make Up Academy, especially as you pay so little.

These colours are so pigmented and blend wonderfully as they're a creamy powder consistency. The black (Smoke) is so dark, it's excellent to set your eyeliner with.
I love that the eyeshadows are big in the pan, you can really pack the colour onto your brush.
The top row from left to right are; Air, Cherub, Charm, Refine,
Entrance and Adore.
The bottom row from left to right are; Astral, Grace, Smoke and Sepharic.
It's such a versatile palette and is already one of my favourites.

Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'

Top Row (L to R): Air / Cherub / Charm / Refine / Entrance / Adore

Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'

Bottom Row (L to R): Astral / Grace / Smoke / Sepharic

Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'

Make Up Academy 'Elysium Palette'

I'm not really an eyeliner pencil sort of girl, but it blends out really nicely so would be perfect for the bottom lashes and to create a smokey eye.
The highlighter is a bit unusual. It's quite yellow toned and doesn't blend very easily but I'm not complaining, it might be good in the waterline.
Overall, I'm very pleased with this palette and could talk about it all day!

Do you have this palette? If not, have I convinced you as to why you need it?
Leave me a comment!

Thanks for reading and I'll speak to you again on Friday.
Don't forget about the survey in my sidebar, thank you!

Abi xxx

'Can't Live Without' Beauty Essentials

22/3/2015

Hello everyone!
Happy Sunday.
Today I'll be sharing with you my absolute, can't live without, beauty essentials.
I thought in this blog post I'd just include drugstore/high street favourites.

Can't live without beauty essentials

Face

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

L'Oreal True Match Concealer

L'Oreal True Match Concealer (4/Beige) £6.99
Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder (004/Sandstorm) £3.99
Not the powder I usually use because I couldn't get it in Boots or Superdrug, so I think they must be taking it off the market *sniffles*. I like this one though, it does the job.
Now I had to find a new concealer when my favourite Maybelline one was taken off the market a couple of years ago (I don't get much luck) so I bought a couple of different concealers and didn't like them that much; they were ok but they didn't compare to my Maybelline one! Until I found this one which I love a lot, it's just quite expensive for such a little amount- I feel like I'm always having to buy more.

L'Oreal True Match Concealer

Eyes

Make Up Academy

Maybelline The Colossal Go Extreme Mascara

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara

Maybelline

Maybelline The Colossal Go Extreme Mascara

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara

MUA 'Undressed' Palette £4
Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Liner (Black) £7.99
Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil (Dark Brown) £2.99
Maybelline The Colossal Go Extreme! Mascara (Leather Black) £6.99
Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara (Very Black) £7.99
A very well loved eyeshadow palette; it gives super colour payoff and they're lovely to blend. Such a good price for such amazing quality.
My holy grail eyeliner (if you read my blog a lot you'll know how often I go on about it!) super easy to use, really long lasting and stays black all day- it doesn't get absorbed like kohl.
Love this eyebrow pencil, super soft so it blends really well and its a great colour match. Nifty little comb/brush on the end too.
My favourite mascaras at the moment. Lash Sensational has a spoon shaped brush so it catches all the little lashes and separates and defines them wonderfully. The Colossal adds loads of volume without being clumpy.
Mascara is my faaaaaave.

Lips

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick (730/Revlon Red) £7.49
Quite possibly my all time favourite red lipstick and that's even compared to my Mac one which I love A LOT. So that's saying something! Cannot beat Revlon for lip products, I've said it time and time again and I still stand by it.

So those are my ride or die beauty products!
What are some of your 'can't live withouts'?
Leave me a comment!

Don't forget about the survey at the right of this post! thank you

Thank you for reading and being so supportive, it means so much to me ♥

Speak to you soon,
Abi xxx

New Years Work Party | Outfit & Make Up Details

28/1/2015

Hello Everyone!
Midweek blog post for you! I went to my work party Sunday night (I know, weird night to have a party on) and decided to share with you my outfit and make up details. Apparently I thought it'd be a good idea to attempt to get high quality photos in terrible lighting as I was running out the door. My usual.
I had a really fun time and it was such a good turn out! It was lovely to see my work friends outside of work too.

The Outfit

The Accessories

Dress - New Look in the sale for £12!
I liked that it had 3/4 sleeves and went down to my knees, I thought that made it more appropriate for a work event and added a bit of maturity.
Shoes - Primark last year for £14

Watch - Sainsbury's, last October, £25
Gold cuff - Primark, £5
Rings - Primark, £3 (I'm guessing, I can't remember, they came in a set)
Rings on my watch arm - they were my Nan's ❤️
I also have a necklace on from Accessorize, which was a Christmas present from my friend
Nail Varnish - New York Colour, 'Greenwich Village'
Perfume - Anaïs Anaïs

The Make Up

Eyebrows - Rimmel 'Professional Eyebrow Pencil' in 'Dark Brown' (not pictured because I'm stupid)
Eyeshadows - Urban Decay Naked Palette, I used 'Smog' all over the lid and the blended 'Dark Horse' into the crease, then put a little bit of 'Half Baked' as an inner highlight. I also blended 'Dark Horse' under my lowerlash line.
Eyeliner - Maybelline 'Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner'
Mascaras - Urban Decay 'Perversion', Maybelline 'Lash Sensational' (bought this recently- LOVE it) and Rimmel 'Lash Accelerated Endless'
Primer - Rimmel 'Fix & Perfect Pro' in '002'
Concealer - L'Oréal 'True Match' in '4 Beige'
Foundation - Rimmel 'Lasting Finish 25H' in '100 Ivory'
Powder - Rimmel 'Match Perfection' in '103 True Ivory'
I don't normally wear that much face make up! But I was going out and knew it was going to be hot in the party and I wanted it to last.

Sorry for the horrendous close up - yeeash!

Hope you enjoyed that little snippet, I'd like to do more OOTDs and FOTDs in the future!

Thanks for reading, don't forget my social networks are at the top!

Speak to you on Sunday,
Abi xxx

Everyday Make Up Essentials

28/9/2014

Hello Everyone!
As usual, I'm going to start with an apology:
Sorry I didn't post last Sunday, I had my job induction all day Thursday and then they wanted me to work 9-5 on Friday and 9-6 on Saturday so by Sunday I was a) absolutely shattered and b) totally unprepared to do a blog post.
I am prepared this week though!
Since I've become an adult and go to work each day, I needed to find a make up look that was easy, and professional but still pretty, so here are the products that I use to create that look.
Basically this is my 'holy grail' every day products!

Base.

I've found a new moisturiser! Garnier Pure Long Lasting Shine Control Moisturiser. It's very similar to the other Garnier moisturiser I love, but this one helps to prevent shine. I wasn't keen at first, it felt sticky once I rubbed it in and that weirded me out, but I've been using it for about three weeks and it really has helped control my shine as well as keeping my skin smooth and hydrated. It's £1 cheaper than the other one too which is a bonus! I use it before bed and after I've washed my face in the morning.
The only reason I bought the primer is because it was in a Rimmel two for £10 offer so I bought it along with the foundation. I only paid £2 but usually it costs £6.99 so that was a bargain! It's the Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer. I really like it, I think it has also helped combat my shininess issue. It smells a bit like suncream though which might put some people off.

Face.

My concealer is from Essence which is a new make up range in Wilkos. It's the Stay Natural Concealer, I really like this one because Maybelline have stopped producing my favourite concealer (it's been months and I'm still not over it) so I had to find a replacement and I went through a couple and really didn't like them, but luckily I've come across this little gem and I love it! Perfect colour match, coverage and blendabilty. Plus is only costs about £2! I use the shade 04 Soft Honey. It has a little brush tip too so applying it is easy and controlled.
I bought the Rimmel Lasting Finish 25HR foundation because Gabby from youtube (VelvetGh0st) raved about it in one of her vlogs and I really wanted to try a new foundation. There's nothing wrong with the other one I was using I was just bored of it! This is a liquid consistency, which made a change because I tend to stick to mousse. I was a bit weary because it is a dewy foundation and being so shiny I usually steer clear of dewy foundations and stick to matte, but this makes a nice change, I didn't think I'd like it as much as I do. It's fuller coverage than I usually get and I really wanted a fuller coverage foundation. It cost £7.99 (I think). Would recommend!

Eyes.

These are the products I use to create my everyday eye look. They are the MUA (Make Up Academy) Undressed Eyeshadow Palette (which as you can tell, is well loved and I've hit pan on most of the shades), the Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara, this is fab because one end is a tiny brush for your lower lashes and the other is a volumising brush/mascara, the Collection No Clumps Mascara which is excellent for lengthening and separating, and my trusty Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner (I couldn't find the link to the one I have so this one is VERY similar).

Recently I've been using the shimmery shell pink shade (top row, second from the left) everyday because it really brightens your eyes and makes the eyeliner and lashes really stand out. I've had this palette for a looooong time (probably not all that hygienic, but hey, I'm not blind yet!) and I love it, I'm a huge fan of MUA anyway but I really love their eyeshadow palettes. That fourth eyeshadow from the top left is probably my most favourite eyeshadow EVER and I'm almost tempted to buy another palette just so I can have that colour back. It's like a shimmery champagne/gold colour. Ugh *swoons*.

I know I talk about this eyeliner a LOT but I love it. I've used it for four years running and it's the best eyeliner I've ever used. Can't live without Gel Eyeliner! It glides on easy, lasts all day and is jet black. Brill.

Lips.

I forgot I had this lipstick until recently. I'm usually a BOLD lip kind of girl and now that I've started my first job (eek) I've tried to rein it in a bit, to look more professional. So I've been rocking a nude lip which is very unlike me but I like it a lot! Makes my eyes stand out which is always nice (especially as a glasses wearer). This is a MUA lipstick. Mine is Shade 11, but this too is quite old now (I'm terrible, I know) so now Shade 11 is a different colour to mine. It's ultra moisturising, has great colour pay off and for £1, how can you complain?

That was a HUGE post, I do apologise! Congrats if you got this far!
Next Friday (the 3rd) is my birthday, so next weekend's post will probably be about that.

I shall speak to you soon!
Thanks for reading,
Abi xxx

e.l.f Make Up Brushes

14/9/2014

Hello everyone!
Recently I needed some new make up brushes and as much as I like the Real Techniques brushes, they can be quite expensive. I remembered the eyeshadow brush I have that I've used everyday for years and I still love it just as much. It's from e.l.f, so I thought I'd head over to the website and have a little look. I ended up getting four. Can you believe they're only £1.95 each?!

These brushes are such great quality, especially for the price. The hairs never fall out, they blend beautifully, they are easy to clean and they have been ergonomically designed so they are really comfortable to hold and easy to use.

This is the Smudge Brush and I wanted one of these for smudging (funnily enough) eyeshadow along my bottom lash line. So far I have been using it to highlight my brow bone as it's the perfect size.
Click HERE if you want to read what it says on the website.

This one is the Crease Brush which is a bit smaller than the Blending Brush so it makes blending out your eyeshadow really precise so that there are no harsh lines. You could also use it to apply eyeshadow to the bottom lash line.
Click HERE to read what it says on the website.

This is the Blending Brush, so this is a bit bigger than the Crease Brush so if you're blending colours together or blending out, it gives a softer effect.
Click HERE if you want to read what it says on the website.

I've used the same blush brush for ages and it's fine, but it's a short handled one from H&M and you can't clean it because the hairs get matted so I wanted to try a new one, just for a change and for hygiene reasons! This is the Bronzing Brush but I use it for blush. It's angled so it gets a bit of getting used to, but it picks up and applies colour nicely.
Click HERE if you want to read what it says on the website.

Just thought I'd let you know about these amazing brushes! Can't believe they're less than £2 and such fab quality.

Loads of my friends left for uni this weekend, so if you're in the same boat, I hope everything goes smoothly for you! I'm already thinking about when I can go and visit my friends!

Thanks for reading, speak to you soon,
Abi xxx

H&M 'Smoky Eyeshadows' Palette | Review

24/8/2014

Hello everyone!
Today I thought I'd do a little review of this eyeshadow pallete I bought on a whim, recently.
(Sorry about the weird shadows, it was really sunny when I took the photo!)

Let's start with the basics; It's from H&M (obviously), it cost £3.99 and they do four different 'Smoky' sets which are very tonal (greys, blues, browns and pinks) and one 'Nudes' set (very neutral colours such as skin tones and taupes)

As you can see, they are very pigmented!

Pros
- They have good colour pay off, but to get a good pigmentation it's best to apply with your finger tip, rather than a brush
- Last all day
- Don't crease
- Didn't flake/irritate my eyes

Cons
- Could have the issue of staining (the blues in particular stained my hand and finger tips! I haven't used them on my eyes yet)

I really like them and will be using them again! They're perfect for travel too as the palette is small and slim so it'll fit into a make up bag easily. The colours are complimentary so you could create a range of looks within the one palette, which is handy too.

Do you own any of the H&M Eyeshadow Palettes? Let me know what you think of them!

I'll speak to you soon,
It's coming up to my blog's first birthday soon!
I'll be doing a post about that on the actual day :)

Abi xxx

Beauty Haul/Review

13/7/2014

Hello everyone!
Hope you've had a fun weekend.
I've done a fair bit of shopping recently so I thought I'd show you the beauty bits I've bought over a couple of shopping trips. A massive bonus is that everything was very affordable and reasonably priced!

This is the No Clumps Definition Mascara by Collection and its excellent, really lengthens my lashes and is very buildable, and its also only £3. The I <3 Punk Jumbo Eyeliner Pen is from a new make up range in Wilkos called 'Essence' and I was a bit weary because I am so attached to my Maybelline Gel Eyeliner, I didn't think I could use, let alone like, a different eyeliner. I've also never had much luck with eyeliner pens as they're always too watery. It claims to be 'deep black, water resistant, long lasting and smudgeproof', well I used it for the first time today and I can agree that it is deep black, long lasting and smudgeproof but I don't agree with it being water resistant because I tested it on my hand and it washed off very easily, but I'm not looking for it to be waterproof so I'm not bothered! It's easy to use and I think this was only £1.60 or something too! Bargain!

This is the Oil Control Make-Up Base (ie a primer). I can't really give it a thorough review as I wore it for the first time today and have only been wearing it since about 2pm but from that, I really like it. I struggle with oily skin and this primer claims to 'balance out oily skin, minimise the appearance of pores and improve make up wear'. I think I look less shiny, my pores look smaller and I haven't had to touch up my foundation or powder and for only £3.50 you can't really complain! Especially as I was considering buying the full size version of the Smashbox Photo Ready primer that I had a tester of (and loved) and that's £25!
Think I'm really going to like this Essence range!
I have heard nothing but good things about the Revlon Lip Crayons and as I mentioned in my last blog post, you cannot go wrong with Revlon lip products. I bought the Revlon Colourburst Lacquer Balm in 120 'Vivacious' and the Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm in 205 'Elusive'. These were two for £10 in Superdrug and considering they are £8 each I would have been mental not to get two! I have worn the Lacquer Balm and I absolutely love it, the colour is gorgeous, it's really pigmented, it's long lasting and it smells of mint and leaves your lips tingly. I haven't had chance to wear the Matte Balm yet but I have tried it and I love the colour and the matte effect, it's not drying like a lot of matte lip products. The colour is the perfect nude/pink colour I have been looking for.

We all know I like nail varnish A LOT so how could I pass up a 2 for 3 on all nail stuff in Superdrug? I bought the two matte colours (Copa Cabana and Rhossili) with the pale pink (Strawberry Ice Cream) and as I was only repurchasing Strawberry Ice Cream, because mine had gone thick and gloopy, I was really pleased to get it for free! On a separate occasion I bought the grey (which is just called Grey, how imaginative) and the blue (called Blue Moon). I went for the matte shades purely because I liked the colours! They are very pigmented, dried quickly and look really nice matte, the only issue is that they chip and peel quite easily, this could be down to the basecoat I used but I'm not sure, just thought I'd mention it! They are £4 each. I bought the grey because I don't have a grey and I wanted it to go with an outfit I had planned and I bought the blue because I really wanted a very pale blue. This one is nice because it has a slight shimmer to it which I like! I am a HUGE fan of Barry M Nail Paints and I especially like that they are only £3. I feel like I've said 'like' too much now.

Anyway there's a little insight into my recent beauty buys!
Have you bought anything you're particularly fond of recently? Let me know!

Thanks for reading, I didn't realise I had that much to say!

Speak soon,

Abi xxx

I have a bit of an addiction... | Lip Products

6/7/2014

Hello everyone!
Yep it's true, I have an addiction to lip products so I thought I would show you my favourite ones. Sound good? I might make this a little series because I have an addiction to most make up products!

This is Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 'Fire and Ice' and is a bright summery red. I am a HUGE fan of the Revlon lip products, especially the lipsticks, they're super creamy, long lasting and really pigmented.

This is another Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick and this one is called 'Revlon Red'. This is a typical deep red and it's also creamy, long lasting and very pigmented. Love it. Very classy.

This is a Maybelline Colour Sensational lipstick and this is in the colour 'Neon Red'. It's more of an orangey red and is quite sheer but buildable, it's nice for summer time (how coincidental).

This will always be one of my favourites because it is such a vampy dark red and I love it, I can't get enough. It's a shame it's summer because I LOVE dark lipsticks and can't really get away with it at the moment (although I'm still going to try). This is a Collection lipstick in the Lasting Colour range, I love the name 'Queen of Hearts' too. Just a side note, I've had it a while and it still says 'Collection 2000' on the sticker so I'm not sure if they still do it, I'll be very sad if they don't :(

On to the pinks, I'm not normally a fan of lipgloss (and I've mentioned it in my Current Beauty Faves post a while back) but you cannot beat Revlon for a good lipgloss. This is Revlon Colourburst in 'Adorned' (love the name) and is a proper neon pink colour, the swatch does it no justice! I get so many compliments on this lipgloss, it's beaut.

This is a another dark colour *swoons* and this is Barry M Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint in number 156. This is a really deep pinky purple and it's such a nice colour. It's more of a plum purple so it's easy to wear and not too daring. I miss the rubbish weather when I could get away with these vampy shades! Roll on autumn!

As you can tell, I've had this lipstick a long time and I've nearly run out, I've had it so long that the print has rubbed off the bottom (which is why I didn't take a photo of it) I looked on the Barry M website and I think it is the number 145 or 146, I can't really tell. It's just one of their normal Lip Paints. This is more of a blue toned pink but it's just a typical bright pink colour. It's easy to wear and also very summery (are you detecting a theme?).

Now this is a bit weird but I thought I should include it anyway because it's one of my favourite combinations. This is a massively old (and by old I mean at least six years) lip pencil that came in a make up box/set thing I got for my thirteenth birthday (I think) and this is an old Rimmel lipgloss. The lip liner is like a perfect nude/pink and I like to fill my lips in with it completely and then blend it with a layer of the sheer lipgloss. It's one of my favourite lip looks! (Thinking about I should probably bin the lipgloss for sanitary reasons, but oh well)

So those are my favourite lip products,
Thanks for reading and I shall speak to you soon!

Abi xxx

Superdrug and Primark Haul

22/6/2014

Hello everyone!
Like I said, I did some shopping with my friends on Wednesday and thought I'd show you what I bought.

I'll start with the boring skincare essentials/hair necessities.

I had totally run out of moisturiser and I've really got into the habit of using it in the morning once I've washed my face and at night before I go to sleep and it's made a big difference. I use Garnier PureActive Anti-Imperfection Daily Moisturiser, it claims to make skin feel smoother and look more even, mattify the skin, reduce the appearance of blackheads and tighten pores. I can vouch for that!
I also bought some more pointed cotton buds, I know that sounds mental but they're perfect for clearing up make up mistakes like smudged mascara or eyeliner because they're pointed and precise at one end and flat and wide at the other to cover larger areas. I dip them into eye make up remover and couldn't be without them!
I also bought two big banana clips from Primark because a) they were £1 and b) it's getting hotter here and I like clipping my hair up and out of the way, and I have a lot of hair so I need big clips.

My favourite-est thing in the whole world: Make up. I bought two Real Techniques brushes, a lighter version of my current foundation and a new bright pink Barry M Lipstick.

This one is the Silicone Liner Brush, and if I'm honest, I don't think I'm going to get on with it. I have only used it once, but I just didn't like it. It's like a rubber nib and it picks up basically a glob of gel eyeliner and it just makes applying it too thin in consistency and too thick in width. It IS good for getting sharp points though. If anyone has it, let me know how you get on with it!

This one is the Shading Brush (meant for eyeshadow) but I bought it to blend out my concealer, it blends really nicely which is no surprise! Real Techniques are fab brushes.

My foundation is the Rimmel Stay Matte and I bought it in the shade 103 True Ivory because I already have the shade 200 Soft Beige and it is much too tan for me! I would have originally bought True Ivory but normally Ivory shades are always much, much too pale but this one is the right shade. It's name is a bit misleading though. It's a really nice mousse consistency and blends out really well and has a nice coverage. (I would put a photo in but it would just be the packaging and it seems a bit pointless.)

This is a Barry M Lip Paint in number 52, I did swatch it on my hand but the photo did it no justice! I'm wearing it today and it's like a neon baby pink (sounds horrendous but it's really not). It's a perfect shade for summer, especially with a tan.

Now onto fashion! These are all from Primark. I bought a top (Which was only £5!), a pair of chunky pink shoes and a gold cuff.

This is just a simple button up with a tie at the bottom. It's sleeveless with a collar and has large sunflowers all over it. I really like the sunflower print for summer and although I try to avoid tie fronts, because I don't feel I have the stomach for them, I seem to be drawn to them! This one is long enough that only a little bit of skin peeks through.

These were £14 and originally I wanted them in black because my current black shoes give me blisters! but they didn't have my size so I settled for the gorgeous hot pink colour instead... what a shame! They're really easy to walk in because of the chunky platform heel and you don't feel like you're going to fall out of them thanks to all the straps. I'm a little bit in love with them and desperately need an excuse to wear them out.

I've been looking for a cuff for ages because whenever I go out, I have my watch on my left wrist but there's never anything substantial enough to go on my right wrist. Now I have this. I have teeny wrists though so things like this never fit me properly!

That was a HUGE post, congratulations if you got this far!

Just thought I'd show you what I bought because I haven't been shopping in months (mainly because I hate it and usually have no money, haha!) but I felt like since I've left college now and finished exams, I deserved a bit of a treat.

Thanks for reading and I shall see you next week!

Abi xxx

Current Beauty Faves

11/2/2014

Hello everyone!
This week is going to be a post about the beauty items I am loving at the moment, some are new items and some are items I've had for a while now but I just thought it'd be nice to share them with you.

Let's start with face products. Here we have the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation (£5.99), Maybelline Super Stay 24H Concealer (£6) and Real Techniques Expert Face Brush (£9). I got the primer with a lot of other mini Smashbox cosmetics as testers that came in a set that I got for Christmas (I just googled it and on it's own it costs £25! I think the whole set came to about that). I was never really that bothered with primer, I used the MUA one which is nice but I didn't see an outstanding difference but this one I really like, it makes my concealer and foundation just glide on and sit really nicely and it makes my skin look and feel smooth. The foundation is a product I have only been using for about a month but I really like it, I was worried at first that I had bought it a shade too dark and that it would make me look orange but it doesn't, it blends well with my skin tone and is a lovely mousse consistency that blends really easily. As for the stay matte property that is definitely true as throughout the day my T-zone can get quite shiny as I have oily skin but this helps reduce the shine and I find I look less shiny throughout the day. The concealer is something I have been loving for a long time, it conceals my dark circles and my blemishes and blends nicely with my skin tone, so well that for a long time I never bothered with foundation and just wore concealer and loose powder! It lasts well but I've never worn it for 24 hours solid to confirm it! The Real Techniques brush is a tool I'm glad I bought because I used to just blend my concealer/foundation in with my finger tips, which works fine, but it gives a much nicer, well buffed finish when you use a brush. I especially like this one as it is dense but not too dense and it is comfortable to hold and the brush is not too big.

This is the MUA (Make Up Academy) Smokin Palette (£6) and Benefit's They're Real mascara (£18). I've had the Smokin Palette for quite a while now as my best friend got it for me for my birthday (definitely did NOT take a photo of it whilst I was out and send it to her as a hint, nope, didn't do that) and I love it, it's my 'go to' palette. I use the black to set my gel eyeliner everyday (Maybelline's Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner 24H, which thinking about it I should have included in this blog post because I've been using it for nearly three years and have nothing but good things to say about it. Oops, live and learn) and I tend to wear the goldy brown shadow on the far right a lot, I also like to use the white shade with a bit of the black for contouring or the grey/khaki shade next to the black for everyday looks. The colours are very pigmented and last all day and they blend nicely, the only problem is is that they tend to crease once you've been wearing them all day, but I would expect that after about nine hours! The mascara is one of the best I've ever used, I got it for Christmas because I don't think I'd usually spend that much on a mascara purely because I'm broke half the time. It's a lovely consistency and the brush is fantastic at separating the lashes and making them super long. it also has bristles at the end which makes doing your bottom lashes nice and easy. Love it.

This is Barry M's Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint in 156 'Vicious Violet' (£4.49) and Revlon ColourBurst Lipgloss in the colour 060 'Adorned' (£7.99), I swatched them on my hand and on a piece of white paper which was a bit pointless because the lighting is rubbish and you can't see their true colour. The Barry M lipstick is a lovely plum colour and it becomes a more intense purple if you layer it, otherwise it is a pinky plum colour which isn't too overpowering. The Revlon lip gloss is one of my all time favourites, and I usually hate lip gloss because it's always windy and my hair ends up stuck to it and then it gets pulled through my lip gloss and across my face and its just a nightmare, but this is such an intense, almost electric pink colour and it's so pigmented and lasts all day and, ah, I just love it so much!

I know this isn't technically beauty but it's my favourite scent to wear at the moment, it's Loverdose by Diesel (£30.99 as it came with a shower gel and body lotion as a gift set from Christmas) and I love a lot of things about this perfume, one being the edgy, jagged heart shape. It lasts all day and isn't too overpowering; it has a sweet coconutty, floral scent- it's delicious.

So those are the beauty items I am loving at the moment, just thought it would be nice to share!

I might be back before Sunday this week as I'm going to see Taylor Swift tomorrow and I am so excited I don't quite know what to do with myself! So I might do a blog post in the week, while it's still fresh in my mind.

Speak to you (very) soon,

Abi xxx