Friday 31 January 2014

• Oops... // beauty haul •

So I know I said in my last haul that I was on a spending ban until February...
This happened.

I specifically ventured into Boots last weekend to get my hands on a few of the infamous Revlon Matte Balms, but I have to say that after endless swatching and half an hour of browsing, I really wasn't overly impressed. Instead, I ended up filling a basket with other goodies.
Casey Holmes' video on the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge sold it to me. I'd been eyeing up this product for months, since I love the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, so when I saw it in Boots, staring up at me from the shelf, I had to nab it. More influenced purchases were the Bourjois Happy Light Concealer and the Seventeen phwoarr Paint (thanks to Kate at gh0stparties). That woman could talk to me about drying paint and I would still look at her in awe, open mouthed, believing anything that she says. I've very nearly run out of both my Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer and my Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer - why is it that when things run out, they take a partner with them?! - so I had to buy two more (there's my justification...) I got them both in the lightest shade so I could use them for under my eyes, but the phwoarr Paint looks as though it could also be used on my face, which is rather lovely. And finally, the Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash...drooooool. This literally smells heavenly. Like actual heaven. A mixture of lime and sugar, this will knock your socks off in the morning with its zesty scent. It's amazing!
I'd really been enjoying the Soap and Glory The Ultimelt Hot Cloth Cleanser so I knew I'd be repurchasing this one. I have a few cleansers on the go at the moment (blog post coming soon...) but I always find myself coming back to this one. It's really creamy, gentle and smells fresh - it's the perfect morning cleanser. A shopping trip isn't complete with a trip to LUSH, so I had to repurchase my LUSH Tea Tree Toner Water as I was so close to running out. I always make sure I have another one to hand - I'm not sure how my skin would react if I didn't! This really is a lovely toner, so gentle on the skin and all natural. I use it on a cotton pad after my cleanser, and I sometimes just spray my face with it as a little "pick-me-up". My cotton pads of choice are the Boots Baby Large Cotton Wool Pads. I like to use them when removing my make up with coconut oil (blog post here) as they are so big and cover a large surface area, cutting down make-up removing time significantly. (Does anyone else hate removing their make up or is it just me...?)
I was so excited when I saw the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate as my local Boots doesn't usually have it in stock, and I'd been lusting over it for weeks! I haven't even swatched it yet as it's too beautiful-a-colour to just swatch and rub off, so I think tomorrow morning may be the morning that I try this beauty on my eyes. Another gorgeous purchase was the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe, another shade that I'd been struggling to get my hands on - I was starting to think that this shade was just a myth, and didn't actually exist. I feel like I've searched high and low to find this, I will guard it with my life! The Maybelline Coloursense Nude Lipstick in Tantalizing Taupe really caught my eye as it's unlike any other nude that I own. I swatched it in the shop and found it to be more of a peachy brown, which is nice, because I only own pinky nudes. This is a glossy formula which is also unlike any other nudes I own, so I'm really looking forward to trying this one out.
There have been mixed reviews about the Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser so I thought I'd pick it up and throw in my two cents. I didn't even get a chance to swatch it in the shop as this one was the only one left (and when this happens, it only makes me want the product more...) It's been compared to the Benefit Porefessional quite a bit, but I think that I'm going to go into it with an open mind - I'm not going to compare it to other primers, and I'll just take it for what it is. A review will be up on that soon, I'm sure. The Bourjois Java Rice Powder is also another hyped product and has been likened to the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder. I can't say I'll be able to compare the two, as I've not tried the Hourglass Powder, but from what I've heard about this Bourjois one, it's meant to be a pretty good dupe. The idea is that the powder sets your make up but doesn't leave a matte finish, and gives a glowy look to the skin (particularly when light reflects on your face). I'm looking forward to trying this one as I've never tried anything like it! Lastly, I got the Bourjois Liner Feutre for free as I'd spent a certain amount of money on Bourjois products. I'm not usually one for felt liners as I find them to be messy and unforgiving, but since it was a freebie, I'll give it a go - who knows, I may be pleasantly surprised.

And they're all the products that I bought...argh, I was SO close to February (7 days to be exact) but I just couldn't manage it. It's not easy having a Boots nearby, OK. And if you're wondering about the random pairs of shoes in the first photo, my friend is having a baby so one of the presents I bought her were these cute little shoes from Boots (they were in the sale so I can't find the link, sorry!) The other pair are from John Lewis and were £40 reduced to £19.50 - again, in the sale, so no link I'm afraid. I've been wearing them everyday for work and they're sooo comfy, and I'm really into brogues at the moment! That's it now though - no more buying til birthday month (which is March for me) so I really need to restrain myself - these little goodies should keep me going up until then!

Have you treated yourself to anything lately?

Daniela

Monday 27 January 2014

• The world's easiest chocolate fudge brownies // recipe •

I loooove it when recipes only have a few ingredients, which is why I went for this one when I had a baking session last weekend. It's so quick, easy and they taste amazing. They take no time at all to make and there's minimal washing up to do at the end - what more could you ask for?!
Prep time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 24

Ingredients:
• 200g milk chocolate
• 200g butter/marg
• 400g self raising flour
• 6 medium eggs
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder

























Method
1. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a pan over a low heat. Keep stirring. Turn off the heat when it's nice and smooth.
2. Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk them up.

3. Gradually stir in the sugar and eggs.

4. Mix in the self raising flour and the cocoa powder. Whisk until there's no lumpy bits. (I realise it looks a bit grim at this point...bear with me).

5. Pour the mixture into a greased or baking papered square/rectangular tin. 
6. Put the brownies in the middle of the oven at Gas mark 6 (no need to pre-heat, don't worry!) and check on them after 20 minutes. Poke a skewer through the center of the brownie mix - if it comes out really gooey, keep them in for a few more minutes. If it comes out semi-gooey, this is good, the best fudge brownies are the gooey fudge brownies!

7. Slice the brownie mix into 12 (three columns and four rows) and you're good to go! They should look a little something like this...
Told you they were easy :) Happy baking! I'm off to eat the remaining 3...

Daniela

Sunday 26 January 2014

• Unexpected perfection // MUA cream blush // review •

I wasn't overly excited about trying out the MUA Blusher Perfection Cream Blushers as, for £2, I expected the quality to be nothing better than "okay". I picked up the shades Dolly, Yummy and Bittersweet. And they are bloody lovely. (click on the names to be directed to the Superdrug site).




My previous favourite cream blush was the Bourjois Cream Blush in 02 Healthy Glow, a gorgeous peachy pink colour (click here to be directed to the site) but I think it's more suited to Summer. It was then time to move onto a deeper shade; I'd already fallen head over heels for cream blush at this stage, and was so reluctant to go back to powder, so I began my hunt for Winter cream blushers.

Packaging
Small, simple, easy to use, easy to travel with, a clear lid so you can see the colour clearly...good. The fact that all of the writing rubs off the packaging - not so good. For £2 a pop though, I'm not going to cry about it.

Colour
Dolly - A rosy pink colour that I think would suit many different skin tones.
Yummy - My personal favourite of the three. A really deep, dark pinky/plummy colour with a hint (and I mean, really small hint) of a reddish undertone. It's absolutely gorgeous for the Autumn/Winter months and I can't get enough of it. It leaves a kind of "I've been frolicking out in the snow all morning" look. This one looks scary in the pan but is beautiful when sheered out and blended into the skin.
Bittersweet - A baby/Barbie pink colour which would be suited to pale skin tones. I think this would look gorgeous on girls with blond hair, too.
As you can see, they are all very pigmented - the swatch was only one swipe of my finger, so the colour payoff is amazing.

Finish
When blended with my ELF Stipple Brush (click here for my review!) it blends to such a natural, soft finish. The blush never looks cakey and doesn't add an extra layer on top of your make up, it just kind of melts into your skin for the most stunning glow. The blendability is incredible and it's so easy to work with, yet it sets pretty quickly so you don't have to hang around for it to dry. It leaves a dewy finish, so if you're looking for that kind of thing, these blushers would be amazing - if you want a matte look, these blushers also look perfect with powder brushed over the top.

Longevity
I don't particularly look for longevity in my cream blushers as my make up tends to fade throughout the day anyway, however I haven't noticed any fading with this product in particular. I guess it's pretty standard when it comes to staying power.

Opinion
I've never enjoyed a cream blush as much as I do these, and I'm seriously so so impressed with them. I use them every single day and love the way they look. The shade range is great - I think there are 6 shades, which for a drugstore brand (and a cheap one at that) I think is rather good. I really recommend trying these out and they've become a real staple in my make up routine. I always reach for them as they never let me down, and I'm in love with the look they give my skin! £2 each, come on...go get you some.

What's your staple product in your make up routine?

Daniela

Wednesday 22 January 2014

• Best kept budget beauty secrets •

I've been trying to take care of the way I look since about the age of 12/13, whether that means taming my frizzy hair, keeping my spots at bay and attempting to look more awake. A few little tips and tricks have helped me in my quest to look healthy and glowy, and I thought it was my duty to share these with all of you!

Hairdrying my cream products
As strange as it may seem, you'll often find me hairdrying my cream products - this includes cream blushes, eyeliners and sometimes even lipsticks (when I'm using a lip-brush with a bold colour). I just find it makes the products go on so much nicer, and in the case of the eyeliner, I find that I'm not tugging so much at my eye. I only hairdry the product for 10-15 seconds but it does make such a difference. Especially in this cold weather, cream products (blush in particular) isn't as creamy as it would be in the warmer months, so this just warms up the product and transforms it into a really creamy consistency. PS. how many times can I say creamy in one sentence? Really need to work on my vocab...

Vaseline for eye cream
Currently £1.99 from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.
A bit of an odd one, I started using Vaseline as an eye cream when I was about 16. I find that it conditions my lashes, makes my eyes less puffy in the morning and moisturises my under-eyes so concealer is a dream to apply. Now I know there's some controversy surrounding this topic and some people think that it's a bad idea to put petroleum jelly on your skin, but this has been my eye cream of choice for 5 years and has never let me down - it works for me!

Sudocrem on spots
Currently £2.55 from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.
I used to have quite bad acne (fun times) which was so bad that I had to go on a course of Roaccutane. Alongside this medication, my doctor suggested using Sudocrem on my worser areas to see if that would improve it at all. I can tell you that it just worked wonders. I know that the Roaccutane obviously went a long way in helping to clear my skin up, but I have carried on using Sudocrem on my spots since then (6 years) and it calms down the inflamed areas so much - I've also since been told that my parents used to use this on their spots when they were younger, so it really is an age old secret!
Something in this magic cream really calms the skin, which is why it's often used for nappy rash - the only thing I don't enjoy is smelling like a baby's bottom all day! I usually slather this on my face at night (sometimes like a thick all-over-the-face mask) and wash it off in the morning - cleanse, tone then moisturise as normal. If I have a really angry, inflamed and open spot (sorry for the graphics) I'll dab on a light layer of Sucocrem in the morning, not apply any make up on top and wash it off at night. Because it's white, it does do a good job at covering the redness, so I feel I can get away with no concealer. The cream works great at drying out the skin, subsequently drying the spot out and it's just a miracle worker.

Nude eyeliner - Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 005 Nude
Currently £3.99 from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.
Everyone knows that putting nude liner on your bottom waterline will make you look more awake as it cancels out the redness from lack of sleep, however I don't see many people using it to lift up their brows and creating a very natural highlight. When I want a nice defined brow, I sometimes don't want to risk ruining it by adding a matte white or shimmery white highlight, so this works perfectly. As it's an eyeliner, it has a very small pointy nib, so I can really highlight where I want to. It's also great for cleaning up any brow powder mistakes - great for when I'm shattered in the morning and can't even see what's going on in front of me!

Cotton buds
Currently 65p from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.
Cotton buds! The big dogs of the beauty world! Great for cleaning out your ears, correcting any mascara mishaps, drying out your eyes ready for eyeliner...whaaat I hear you ask?! I have very watery eyes in the morning, to the point where I have to spend a good few seconds wiping away my tears first thing (less dramatic than it sounds) so when it comes to applying eyeliner, it tends to run down my face before I've even picked up my next product. This frustrated me no end so I decided one day to give this a go; I run the dry cotton wool bud along my top and bottom waterline and apply eyeliner (waterproof or normal) straight after, et voila! It doesn't budge all day and seems to stick to my eyes really well. Winner!

Coconut oil in your hair
Currently £6.99 from Holland and Barrett, click here to be directed to the site.
I know, I keep banging on about it...I've made it fairly obvious that I love coconut oil and will forever use it regularly in my routine. I lather it on my hair to deeply condition and to tame any flyaways, it's used on my body to moisturise it and it takes off my make up like no other. I use it so often that I'm now not sure what I'll do without it. In 2012 I decided to switch up my skincare to a more natural one and have succeeded so far - the majority of my skincare products are LUSH, I make my own body scrubs (click here for that DIY post!) and I use coconut oil for a multitude of purposes. Don't get me wrong, I have a long way to go until I'm completely au naturale, but I'm getting there - this coconut oil makes me feel a hella natural, which is always a good thing!

That's it - 6 budget beauty secrets that I swear by. Kind to your pocket, and kind to your skin :) I hope you try out these tips and tricks and enjoy them. I loved writing this post because I believe that you can have great skin whilst not breaking the bank! Sharing is caring, and all that.

Do you have any tips you'd like to share?

Daniela

Sunday 19 January 2014

• The Liebster award •

I firstly wanted to say thank you so much to those of you who are reading my blog, have subscribed to my blog, comment on my blog etc, it really means a lot to me. When I first started at the beginning of the year, I never thought that so many people would read it - I love signing into Blogger at the end of the day and reading your wonderful comments, and receiving emails to say that I have another follower on Bloglovin. So, thank you!

I've been tagged by 5 lovely ladies to do the Liebster Award tag. Now I'm not going to lie, I am a blogger newbie, so I did have to have a cheeky Google to see what it was... and I instantly loved the idea of it! The rules are as follows:

1. Mention the person who nominated you, and link their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions they have asked you.
3. Nominate 11 other bloggers who have less than 200 followers.
4. Create a new set of 11 questions for your nominees.

Thank you to Abigail, Mia, Mel, Nisha and Belle for tagging me!


Abigail asked me:

1. Whats your favourite food?
Sushi. I absolutely love the stuff! I have to have it wasabi and ginger, though - I love anything with real strong taste.

2. Do you have a phobia?
I don't like flying or being in traffic jams. I'm not sure they're phobias, but I try to avoid them unless I really have to do them.

3. What would you change about yourself if you could?
The fact that I panic and stress. I need to chill!

4. If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would really love to go to Switzerland. It looks so beautiful in photos, and I love snow. I'd also love to learn to ski. I've said 'love' lots in this answer...love love love!

5. Whats your favourite book?
The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak. It's absolutely beautiful. I've recommended it so many people and they've all agreed that it's a moving book.

6. Whats your most embarrassing moment?
I don't think I can really pin point one moment, I tend to do embarrassing things everyday! I'm not easily embarrassed though to be honest.

7. What 3 items would you take to a desert island?
A razor (why don't people on desert islands in films/LOST get hairy legs? I don't get it.) SPF and a good book.

8. What's your favourite season and why?
Winter! I love being all snug in lots of layered clothing. It's so nice to be indoors when its either snowing or raining outside, with a cup of tea and someone to cuddle up to. I also like to wear my wellies and step in puddles.

9. If you could be a famous singer or actress, what would you be?
An actress. I think that singers are very talented, but actors have to take on so many roles and learn so many lines, have to be up so early and sometimes live away from home. I admire them.

10. When was the last time you laughed and why?
About 10 minutes ago when my rabbit ran into the glass door (don't worry, she's ok!)

11. What's your favourite colour?
Pink!

Mia asked me:

1. Why do you blog?
Because it gives me a chance to unwind, express my opinion and connect with others with the same interests as me.

2. If you could be an animal, or anything besides a human, for a day, what would you be?
A bird. I'd love to be able to fly.

3. One place you'd love to visit someday and why?
Switzerland, it looks beautiful and I love snow!

4. Favourite horror movie.
I don't like horror movies, so I can't really say! At a push I'd have to say Orphan (is that a horror movie? I thought it was pretty horrifying...)

5. Favorite band/singer, ONE song from theirs and why did you choose it?
Beyonce - Smash into You. It's an oldie but a goodie. I love it because she has the most incredible voice and the song is singing about love in a subtle kind of way.

6. Favourite book or book series.
The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak, and the Harry Potter books.

7. What is your special place? (ex. corner of room, coffee shop, etc.) and why?
I'd have to say sitting around my Nonna's (grandmothers) kitchen table. I used to call it my second home, and I love the nostalgia that the kitchen brings.

8. Something you'd like to try before the next season starts?
Wearing my new wellies. And thicker winged liner!

9. If the world's ending tomorrow, what will you do today?
Cliche, I know. But get all of my family and friends together, cook up a storm and have a big family meal, one last time. Tell everyone I love them and just be together.

10. If Spongbob's the main character, then why is Patrick the star?
This is the question of life, I'm afraid. Up there with the chicken and the egg debate...

11. Superpower you want to have?
To have healing powers!

Mel asked me:

1. What are your 3 best features?
My eyelashes, my conscientiousness and my ambition.

2. When was the last time you did something you shouldn't have?
About an hour ago when I ate another French Fancy when I really didn't need to!

3. Summer or Winter?
Winter, I love it! I love layering my clothes and wearing vampy make up.

4. Who was the first band/artist you saw live or, if you haven't seen anyone, who would you like to see live?
I saw Beyonce for the first time when I was 12 and it was incredible!

5. Favourite brand for shoes?
Vans! Couldn't live without them!

6. What was the first album you ever bought?
Destiny's Child, I must have listened to that album 100 times over.

7. When (assuming you do) did you start wearing make up?
I guess this doesn't count the time when I was about 2 years old and my mother found me in her make up bag with lipstick smeared all over my face? ...I started properly when I was about 12 years old. I used to love concealer and mascara (nothing's changed!)

8. What is your TV guilty pleasure?
I can't say I watch much TV, I'd much rather watch YouTube, however I do love a good documentary. Breaking Bad is also amazing and I've been known to watch 5 episodes in one evening...don't judge me.

9. Who is your favourite actor/actress?
This is a tough one! I really like Leighton Meester (Blair Waldorf) from Gossip Girl.

10. Do you prefer drugstore or high end make up?
I am a massive sucker for drugstore, purely because I love buying lots of make up at once, and my bank account can allow it when it's all affordable make up! High end is lovely every once in a while though - I really cherish my expensive make up.

11. Dress up or dress down?
Depends on the occasion! Dress down when I'm just going about my day to day duties, dress up if it's an occasion. I do feel more comfy in dress down clothes though :)

Nisha asked me:

1. Why did you start blogging?
It seemed like fun. I've been reading blogs for a few years now and recently thought to myself that I could maybe give it a go. I'm still surprised to this day that people are reading it and subscribing, and I'm so grateful!

2. Heels or flats?
Sorry to disappoint but...I'm a real flats kind of girl!

3. What's your favourite season?
Winter, always :)

4. Which one beauty product could you not live without?
Lip balm! My lips chap like no other!

5. Are you an introvert or extrovert?
Introvert...It takes me a while to let myself go when meeting new people, however I love meeting new people and am rather chatty when I'm getting to know someone.

6. What's your favourite clothes store?
I've really been loving Fat Face recently! Their new Spring stuff is gorgeous. I also love ASOS and have recently hauled a big clothes order (click here for the post!)

7. Favourite lipstick?
Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 107. It is absolutely amazing, I can't get enough of it.

8. What's your dream job?
A primary school teacher. Luckily, I'm on my way and will be qualifying in June!

9. What are you most proud of?
My First Class Honours in my Psychology Degree. It hadn't quite hit me until graduation day when I saw that my parents were so proud of me.

10. What's your favourite quote?
Enjoy the little things.

11. Your favourite cocktail?
I don't actually drink alcohol, but if I had to choose one, it would be Pina Colada. I love anything that remotely resembles a dessert!

Belle asked me:

1. What is the reason that you started blogging?
I've been reading blogs for a few years and recently decided that I'd like to express my own opinions on certain products and other little occurances in life!

2. Who is your biggest inspiration?
My Nonna (grandmother). She came from nothing and has made something for herself. She has so many stories to tell!

3. Drugstore or High-end? Your reasons.
I'd usually go drugstore because I love buying lots of things at once, and don't fee so bad when they're all affordable. I do love high-end because I like a bit of luxury in life, but drugstore just is where I shop the most.

4. Whats your favourite go to make up look?
Light covering of foundation, concealer to brighten up your undereyes, defined brows, lots of mascara and a vampy lipstick!

5. You're stranded on an island. Pick three celebrities to be there with you.
Beyonce, Will Ferrell and Zoella (is she a celebrity? I'll count her as one!)

6. What are you looking up to this year?
Finishing my teacher training and getting a job in a primary school!

7. Where is your favourite place to write your blog?
In my bed, propped up on my billions of cushions with my fairy lights and lava lamp on.

8. Favourite beauty book? Favourite non beauty book?
I haven't read any beauty books. My favourite non beauty book is definitely The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak.

9. When did you start vlogging? Do you have a YouTube channel or are you willing to start one?
I'll never say never but at this present moment in time, I'm just finding my feet with my blog and really enjoying it, so there are no immediate plans for a YouTube channel.

10. Skinny jeans or boyfriend jeans?
Skinny jeans all the way. My bum gets lost in boyfriend jeans! They don't flatter me at all unfortunately.

11. Tell us something about yourself.
I once learnt how to move my eyebrows in time to the Cadbury's advert like those 2 kids...yeah I had a lot of spare time during Sixth form.


And that's it :) Thank you to the lovely ladies for tagging me!
My nominees are:

Lauren - http://makeupbylaurenox.blogspot.co.uk/
Anna - http://beautyypie.blogspot.co.uk/
Bea - http://beasbeautyblog.com/
Lucy - http://lucylocketchats.blogspot.co.uk/
Lauren - http://thatgirlcalledlauren.blogspot.co.uk/
Sophie - http://littlegreensofie.blogspot.be/
Ana - http://analeote.blogspot.pt/
Charlotte - http://charlottehavs.blogspot.co.uk/
Esme - http://justalittletouchofme.blogspot.co.uk/
Grace - http://thegluelessscr4pbook.blogspot.co.uk/
Minnie - http://blogsbyminnie.blogspot.co.uk/

My 11 questions to you are -
1. Why did you start blogging?
2. When did you start blogging - and why did you choose that particular time to start up that blog?
3. What is your favourite make up brand?
4. Which do you make more of an effort on - hair, make up or clothes?
5. What is your favourite blog? Name and link :)
6. What do you enjoy the most about blogging?
7. Why did you choose your blog name?
8. Drugstore or high end make up? And why?
9. If you had £1000 to spend on make up, what would be on your shopping list?
10. Where would you like to go the most in the world?
11. Give one weird and wonderful thing about yourself.

I really enjoyed doing this tag - thank you again to those 5 of you that tagged me!

Daniela x

Friday 17 January 2014

• Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation // review - on acne scarred skin •

Currently £10.99 from Superdrug, click here to be directed to the site.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in 52 Vanilla
It's no secret that I love this foundation - I've raved about it on my 2013 beauty favourites post and mentioned that I wear it everyday. I wanted to write this post to show mainly the coverage of the foundation and how it covers up my acne scars, whilst providing you lovely people with my review on the product.

Packaging
The packaging is cute, nothing amazing about it but does there need to be? I enjoy the fact that there's a pump which pumps out the right amount of foundation needed to cover your entire face (why can't other companies get this right?!) and which is useful for sanitary reasons. The signature red cap is rounded, showing the difference between the serum and the normal foundation, and is secure enough to not flimsily pop off in your handbag - this is a personal annoyance of mine, so this packaging is spot on in my eyes.

Type
The serum foundation is, as it a suggests, a serum texture. It's a liquid foundation which is sort if gel-like in consistency and is medium in thickness. For reference, it's not as thin as MAC Face and Body, but not as thick as MAC Studio Sculpt.

Coverage
The coverage is medium-buildable and as you can see in the photo below, covers and fills scars. It also disguises any redness and literally never looks cakey. It can be sheered down to a light coverage by applying half a pump and blends beautifully. It's pretty hard to cock this up and I usually apply one or two layers to get my desired coverage.

Shade range
The colour range isn't great to be honest; it's pretty restricted to fair to medium skin, which is a real shame.

Opinion
I reach for this more than I do any of my other foundations. I've not compared it to the normal Healthy Mix foundation as I didn't bother to buy that one when I bought this one, I was so impressed by this. It fills pores, covers my scars, hides my redness - to me, it's perfection in a glass bottle. In all honesty, if it weren't for the fact that I'm a cosmetics whore and buy new bits and bobs all the time, I don't think I'd ever buy another foundation again (do not fear though, I will - all in the name of reviews and blogging of course). 
I prefer this to my high-end foundations and can't fault it in any way other than the poor shade range. One thing I have found, though, is that I had to go a shade lighter than my Healthy Mix Concealer - for some reason, the shades of the concealer and foundation don't quite match up. Hey ho, that's what testers in the shops are for, I guess.
Anyway...I shall leave you with this very flattering photo of my exposed acne scarred cheek (damn you, skin) compared to a photo of the same cheek with one layer of the serum foundation. Pretty good, huh? Admittedly, I used to cake my face in thick foundation to cover up my scars (Dream Matte Mousse was my best friend) but now I kind of...embrace them? In a weird kind of way? Yeah, I had acne. Yeah, it was horrible. But there are maaaany many many worse things in the world than a few spots. And with a foundation like this, I don't mind them. Side note - along with the foundation, I also think I've grown up a bit and realised there are more important things to life...and as I've matured I've realised that actually, people don't really care as much about your face as you think they do!
I hope you liked this post and found it useful. If you haven't gathered by now, I freakin' love this stuff.

Have you tried the Healthy Mix Serum Foundation? If so, what did you think?

Daniela

Thursday 16 January 2014

• To buy or not to buy // ELF brushes // review •

I picked up the ELF brushes a few months ago when they were having a free delivery weekend. I didn't expect much, if I'm honest - I'll never forget when Wayne Goss said you should skimp on make up and spend on brushes. I had that in mind when I placed them in my basket but nonetheless, I clicked the checkout button.


Laura asked me to review the brushes as she'd seen that I'd used them in my brush cleaning post - so you can thank her if you find this post useful :)
ELF Professional Blending Eye Brush
Currently £1.50 from ELF, click here to be directed to the site.
This brush is domed and perfect for crease-work. It gets right into the socket of your eye and is small enough for keeping colour in the right place! Because of its domed shape, it distributes the shadow in a direct place and the brush works itself at blending. I wouldn't personally use this to apply eyeshadow as I feel it works best as a blender (as the name suggests) as it doesn't tend to pick up much colour, but I really recommend it.

ELF Stipple Brush
Currently £3.75 from ELF, click here to be directed to the site.
One of my favourite brushes of all time and certainly my favourite of my ELF collection is the Stipple brush. I use this everyday for applying my cream blusher and it blends the product so, so beautifully. It gives the most natural finish and best of all, it doesn't move your foundation around your face. I also really enjoy the synthetic brushes to apply cream products and a plus with this one is that you can see when it needs washing!

ELF Professional Eyeshadow Brush
Currently £1.50 from ELF, click here to be directed to the site.
If you want a light application of eyeshadow, this is the brush to go for - it doesn't pick up much pigment but it might suit you if you like the subtle look. Even though it's called the professional eyeshadow brush, it is fluffy enough to be used as a crease or blending brush but I prefer to use it as a shadow brush when I'm applying powder shadow on top of a cream shadow. Of all of the ELF brushes, this one wow's me the least, but I still use it as it's in my collection and works fine. I just think there are better brushes for the job!

ELF Kabuki Face Brush
Currently £6 from ELF, click here to be directed to the site.
This really is the softest brush I've ever come across. I love the way it feels on my face and makes applying powder a breeze - it only picks up a light dusting of the powder and is so big that it distributes it evenly on your face, ensuring you're not left with a cakey patch. Because of its size, it really doesn't take long to apply your powder as it covers most of your face in a few sweeps. I would, however, steer clear of using this for blush as I can imagine it would add the colour to a larger surface area than intended - not good.

That's just the lowdown on my opinions of the ELF brushes. Cheap, cheerful and not bad quality. I reach for the face brushes everyday and I do prefer them to the eye brushes. I will be venturing into Real Techniques eye brushes soon as I've heard great things about them - it's probably worth spending that little bit more to know that the quality is tip top, but these ELF brushes a nice little starter set to add to your kit.

*I just wanted to add that a friend of mine has just purchased a few of the ELF brushes and the bristles on some of the eye brushes feel completely different to mine - they feel sharp, which is rather strange. I guess it's hit and miss with some of the brushes?!

What do you think of the ELF brushes?

Daniela

Wednesday 15 January 2014

• The most thoughtful gift •

Whittard - Teas of the World

People kept telling me that I would love the Christmas presents my brother was getting me. He started his first full time job this year (well done, Maz!) and I knew he'd thought really long and hard about what to buy for me. When I opened this unexpected present my first thought was ahh awesome, right up my street! The second was wow, he's really thought about this one...
 Currently £20 from Whittard, click here to be directed to the site.
When you receive gifts like these, you're already in a good mood because you get to use something that you really enjoy. Once you're over that initial excitement, you're left feeling really grateful that someone has taken an interest in the kind of thing you're into. I was honestly chuffed, and surprised to be honest, that my brother had given me this thoughtful gift - it's easy to give someone generic things like chocolate and slippers (although I'm not complaining, I love these gifts too!) but to know that someone has gone out of their way to buy you something that reflects your interests is really...touching. Yeah, I was touched, that's the right word for it.

This set boasts 9 teas from around the world. There are 20 tea bags in each box (I love it when tea is boxed!) and they're presented so beautifully. I love the detailing of the pictures! On each box is a description of where the tea is from, the history of Whittard and Chelsea and how to make the tea (not as simple as it sounds...in some you have to use lemon, in some sugar, in some no milk). Teas include:
    English breakfast
    Lapsang Souchong
    Ceylon
    Assam
    Earl Grey
    Russian Caravan
    Spice Imperial
    Sencha
    Jasmine

My favourite is the Lapsang Souchong - a tea from China, it was smoked over pinewood fires and has a really strong woody fragrance. I love it!
This set just makes mornings that little bit nicer; we all need some sort of variation in our lives. I guess it's something to look forward to (in a non-sad, I-have-no-life kind of way). I'll say my mantra again..."enjoy the little things". If you're a tea-lover like me, and enjoy experiencing teas from different parts of the world, you'll love this set; for £20 I think it's fairly well priced - you get more for your money compared to Teapigs prices (although Teapigs is a hard one to beat, I give you that).


I hope you enjoyed this post, bring on next Christmas!


Daniela

Tuesday 14 January 2014

• Eating my way to a healthier 2014 •

Quite simply, I don't do exercise. So I won't preach to you about being healthy under the false pretense that I am the 'Mighty Healthy One'. I've been there, done that, got the sweaty t-shirt, but the gym just isn't the place for me. And if you think I'm going running out in the wild...well I'm sure you've never seen a cross between a duck and an octopus before (waddling, flailing arms...you get the picture).

Instead of exercise, I have always adopted the healthy eating approach. Now I don't mean a diet - the only diet I've ever been on is the "see-food diet" - I just mean a change in lifestyle, or even a change in shopping lists.

Here are a few things that help keep me feeling and looking healthy:

1. Honey and lemon drink every morning. Boiling water, half a squeezed lemon and a teaspoonful of honey is the right way to go. The lemon cleanses, the honey is an antioxidant and great at fighting any nasties that might be lurking inside you (best one to use is Manuka honey, crazy expensive but worth it) and boiling water helps the water absorb into you as opposed to cold water. 

2. Walking. Ok I say I don't do any exercise, in fact I type this whole spiel about it, but I do try to go on a walk once a week. This is only usually a 10 minute walk though so don't get too excited. I go for a walk not for any weight loss/muscle gain purposes, but purely to de-stress me. I am a bit of a panicker so when I get stressed, I get really stressed. Walks help me to clear my mind. I try to leave my phone or any type of technology at home so I don't have anything on me, I can just walk and walk and take in the fresh air and the scenery around me.

3. Sweet potatoes. These are a God send. I try to have sweet potatoes at least once a week, either as a substitute for a normal jacket potatoe, baked with other vegetables or even mashed. They're a superfood so they're ridiculously good for you, and very tasty too. A bonus is that they don't contain any carbs - free food, yesssss! Can't get much better than that. I recommend giving them a go - swap them with normal potatoes and you'll feel much better about piling more onto your plate (take it from one who speaks from experience).

4. Blueberries. Or berries in general. Blueberries in particular contain more antioxidants than most fruit, veg and spices, claim to increase memory and prevent cancer, and thin your blood to prevent blood clots and heart attacks. So why on Earth do we not eat blueberries in every single meal? Because they're expensive, that's why. There is, however, a way around this. You can pick up frozen blueberries, or frozen mixed berries, from the supermarket (ASDA do them for around £2 - click here for a direct link) and add them into your diet this way. I really enjoy them in porridge (if you follow my instagram, there's usually a porridge/berry related post on there - ddiraimo92) and snacking on them straight out of the freezer.

5. Sleep. I used to think I was just lazy and needed my sleep, but I genuinely feel sick if I don't get 7+ hours. I was told I had Anemia when I was 16 and that's when it all started to make sense. But whether you have Anemia or not, sleep is such a crucial component of leading a healthy lifestyle. It goes hand in hand with water, walking, sweet potatoes, berries etc. You can have all of those things, only have 2 hours sleep and still not be a healthy individual. Now I know that some people work best on 4 or 5 hours sleep - and if that's normal for you then great, go ahead - I'm just talking about people who only get 2, 3, 4 hours sleep, feel rubbish because of it, and still don't manage to increase their sleeping time. For me, more sleep = more energy, more energy = more time to spend doing the things I love, so really it's a no brainer. It's just something to think about.

That's pretty much it! I'm sure I do tons of other things to stay healthy, but I make a conscious effort to do the above on a regular basis. I hope you enjoyed reading this post and it inspired you to make some healthy changes :)

Daniela

Monday 13 January 2014

• Got some goodies // beauty haulin' - high end & drugstore •

This was the last of the hauls until February now as I simply keep spending my money far too often. You have no idea how sad this makes me *sigh* but it needs to be done. So for my last haul for the next few weeks, I decided to make it a good'un.
Stila Seeing Stars Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner Set,
Nail Wheels,
 Rimmel London Space Dust Nail Polish in Total Eclipse, 
Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 05 Candy Shimmer, 
Stila Breast Cancer Awareness Palette with Lipglaze Set in Positively Pink
Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Super Volume Mascara in Superjet Black.

Stila Seeing Stars Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner Set
Currently £25 from Escentual, click here to be directed  to the site.
I've heard so many good things about the Stila Smudge Sticks so when I found them in the sale for £6.25 (£6.25!!!!!) down from £25 with a value of £60, I popped them straight into my basket. With a deal like that, it would have been rude not to. I've not tried these yet so I can't say much about the longevity, but from the swatches on my hand, I can definitely see they are really very pigmented. Here we have Stargazer, Angelfish, Tetra, Moray and Oscar fish (love the names). I've tried to rub them off and when I went to remove the swatches, I had to really work to remove them, which is a plus point for someone that is constantly rubbing her eyes! I will write a full review of these as I'm rather intrigued by them! (The smudge sticks are usually £13 each so I think I bagged a real bargain here!)


Nail wheels
Currently £2.99 from eBay seller, click here to be directed to the site.
I bough these nail wheels from this eBay seller as I thought that nail posts would be made a lot better if I had some nice long nails to swatch on. For £2.99 I received 10 wheels of 18, which is an absolute bargain! Like normal nails, you can remove the nail polish with nail polish remover, but unlike human nails, you don't have to apply a base coat. Winner!

Rimmel London Space Dust Nail Polish in Total Eclipse
Currently £3.99 from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.
Whilst reviewing and swatching the Rimmel Space Dust in Moon Walking in this post, I bought it upon myself to add more of the gorgeous polishes to my ever-growing collection. Sure enough, I hopped along to boots the next day and picked up this beauty! I haven't tried this on my nails yet but judging by moon walking, I'm sure the formula is much the same - packed full of glitter and opaque in just one coat. I'm so excited to try this one out as Rimmel never disappoints!

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 05 Candy Shimmer
Currently £17 from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.
This is a repurchase as I've already used a tube of this and I absolutely love it. The formula is so moisturising and the gloss doesn't dry to a sticky, tacky feeling which is a must have for me when it comes to gloss. It's surprisingly pigmented and the colour 05 Candy Shimmer is a beautiful peachy pink colour. It looks perfect with a 'no-make up make up' look and as the name suggests, is very natural. Great for work or school! The scent is a really light, faint vanilla scent which I looove - the scent reminds me of a toned-down version of MAC lipsticks. The sponge applicator is really soft on the lips and a great way of applying the product - you can really control how much you put on. The final plus point is that this tube lasts aaaages - I bought it in Spring of 2013 and used it most days, and I've only just run out. Love this stuff!

Stila Breast Cancer Awareness Palette with Lipglaze Set in Positively Pink
The set is unavailable, however the blush is currently £12 from Stila, click here to be directed to the site.
Again, this product was in the big Stila sale and was an absolute bargain at £3.25. There was no way I was resisting great quality products for that price! From the swatches on my hand, the blush is a gorgeous light pink colour that I'm sure will give a very natural wash of colour to the cheeks and is quite pigmented so is best used with a light hand. The matching lip glaze is not as pigmented as I thought it would be, and is slightly sticky, but I can't judge yet as I haven't tried it on my lips. I will write a full review on these products when I've had a proper chance to play with them.

Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Super Volume Mascara in Superjet Black
Currently £10 from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.
I'm always on the hunt for a new mascara as my favourite of all time is rather expensive (a post on this is coming soon!) so I've been trying a variety of drug store mascaras lately to reduce cosmetics costs. This one has a super fat brush which gets smaller towards the tip and from what I can tell, the formula seems quite wet. I've not tried this yet as I'm currently finishing off my Maybelline the Falsies, but when I do, I'll be sure to write a review!

There you have it, my last splurge this side of February. I just cant help myself! I think if I sing this mantra in my head before bed, don't buy any more cosmetics, don't buy any more cosmetics, I might wake up and actually not spend any more money. Hmmm...we'll see.

Have you bought anything for yourself lately?


Daniela

Sunday 12 January 2014

• Top 10 nail polishes // glitter & colour block •


When the lovely Rachel from RachiiRawr asked me to collab with her on a nail post I jumped at the idea because a) her blog is cute and b) I can't get enough of nails.
I have chosen 3 glitter polishes and 7 colour block polishes, ranging from drugstore and what could be considered high end (the likes of Essie and Jessica).
2 coats of polish have been applied to each nail and I'll go into a little more detail about why I love them.

POPBeauty Nail Glam in Aquatic Glitz
Currently £6.50 from POPBeauty, click here to be directed to the site.
This was one of the first glitter polishes I ever purchased, and I fell in love with the formula, the colour, and quite simply the amount of glitter that they have packed into it. This little nail polish really packs a punch and goes on so opaque from the first application. I love the turqoise/baby blue/greeny colour, and the name Aquatic Glitz really is very fitting. I loved it so much that I bought another a few days later (bit of a nail polish horder, me) along with some other colours from the range - Lavender Glitz, Confetti Glitz and Pink Glitz. This one really stood out to me though and I would go as far as to say its my favourite glitter polish of all time - ooh controversial. As with all glitter polishes, it is a bit of a bugger to get off, but to be honest I tend to pick my glitter polish off anyway (shhh, we all do it). Go get you some!

Maybelline Colorshow Brocades in 220 Knitted Gold
Oooh now this is just bloody lovely, isn't it?! It's no wonder all of the beauty bloggers rave about it. It's different from normal glitter polishes - it has a gold underlayer so can be worn alone rather than over a base colour. In some lights the polish is a real true gold colour, in some it's a pinky rose-gold colour, and in others you can't see the base colour at all, just the glitter on top. It's such a strange and beautiful product and I've never seen anything like it. Now onto my favourite bit, the glitter. The size of the chunks varies and if you apply 2 or 3 coats it sort of finishes with a duck egg/snakeskin effect (in a pretty way, promise) - I'm not selling it, I know, but you'll know what I mean if you've tried it. I have to say that the absolute best thing about this polish is that the chunks of glitter are evenly distributed over the whole nail (said for effect in italics, because this is kind of a big deal). It annoys the hell out of me when I find my perfect polish, it looks all fine and dandy in the bottle, then I apply it onto my nails to find that it's a wild, patchy mess. Not great. This, on the other hand, applies like a dream. Unfortunately, it is sporadic in it's appearance in Superdrug, so you'll have to keep an eye out for it. But if you haven't picked it up already, it's worth going through the hassle of finding it.

Rimmel Space Dust Nail Polish in Moon Walking
Currently £3.99 from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.
Rimmel just never lets me down for nail polish. They seem to have it spot on with their colours, glitters, base coats, top coats - you can never go wrong. So when I received this little beauty in my stocking, I was pretty chuffed as I already had an inkling of what was in store for me. The purple/lilac polish is packed full of silver glitter, as similarly to the Maybelline Knitted Gold, the glitter is distributed evenly on the whole of my nail. The polish is so opaque even after one coat and I often just leave it at that (with a top coat, of course). At £3.99 I think it's an absolute steal as I've tried higher-end polishes that haven't matched up to this! I'm excited to try the other colours in the Space Dust range - I'm off to Boots tomorrow, watch this space...

Avon Nailwear Pro+ in Orchid Splash
Unfortunately I couldn't find a link for you to buy this product, so I suggest you make it your mission to find a local Avon representative and snap this one up. I've been on the hunt for the perfect pink for what feels like forever, so last year when my housemate was wearing this on her nails I had that moment where it feels like time is slowing down and all you can focus on is the nail polish. I don't even care how dramatic that sounds, because it is exactly what happened. After swooning/screaming out of excitement (I'd found the one) I was all over that Avon catalogue like a rash. The colour is just...oh the colour. Its a cross between the best pink and the best lilac. Job done. Just. Just get it. Please. You so wont regret this one.

Barry M Hi Shine Gel Effect Nail Polish in Lychee
Currently £3.99 from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.
Now I'll admit, I jumped on the bandwagon with this one. It was allll over YouTube, blogs, Pinterest and lots more internet thingy-ma-bobbys. I was a victim of obsessive product watching and reading. The gel effect polishes are in general all fantastic; I'm sure you know all about them, but just in case, I'll say that the formula is really thick and really opaque. Sometimes I get a bit riskay and only wear one coat, without a top coat, dun dun duuuuun (I know right, what has happened to me?! Changed woman). It's pretty much what it says it is - it leaves a gel effect with a high shine. If you've ever had gel nails done professionally, the finish is very similar to that. The longevity of the polish isn't too bad, but to be honest I'm mainly into it for the colour. It's so hard to find the perfect nude that doesn't make your hands look pale and doesn't make you look like a granny. Well this is it. You're welcome.

Barry M Nail Paint in 341 Cappuccino
Currently £2.99 from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.
The only way I can describe this colour is purpley/mauve/brown/grey. It's the perfect Autumn/Winter colour and I think it's very underrated; no-one ever talks about poor little Cappuccino! This one is more for work/school and I found myself reaching for it when I felt like I needed to look more professional the next day. I'd say it's more of a mature colour, but none the less a beautiful one. You don't always want to be sporting bright red or fluorescent yellow; this is just a really classy, really cool polish. It's not trying to be anything it's not and its lovely in it's own right.

KIKO Nail Lacquer in 340 Light Blue
Currently £3.90 from KIKO, click here to be directed to the site.
I actually bought this in Naples, Italy about 3 years ago before KIKO became popular in the UK. I can remember walking into the shop and thinking, England really needs one of these. This polish really caught my eye. I find it hard to pull off blue sometimes because I'm really quite pale, and blue can often make my hands look un-feminine which isn't great. This is such a light colour though, kind of a princess-blue (reminds me of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin) and I think it's a really pretty colour. I swear this polish is unchippable and is made of steal - many brands should take a leaf out of KIKO's book. KIKO has shops in London, 3 I believe, so for those of us who don't live in London we unfortunately have to order online. I really hope that KIKO opens up shops all over the country though, the cosmetics really are excellent quality.

Essie Nail Polish in Geranium
Currently £10.95 from Liberty London, click here to be directed to the site.
I was so excited when I received this polish in my Glossybox at the start of 2013 (a year ago, whaaat?!) as I only owned four Essie nail polishes at the time and loved them. The quality of them is fantastic, they're not thick or gloopy and I've had mine for years and they've not dried out. Just for that reason, I'm willing to pay a bit more for them. Geranium is a very bright red/orange and looks more orange than red in most lights. It goes on glossy and needs two coats for it to be completely opaque, which is what I would expect from a nail polish anyway. With a top coat, this nail polish has been known to last me for a good 5 days which is pretty impressive as I'm never sitting still and I'm always doing things with my hands. I'd love to get my hands on more Essie polishes and will be putting them on my next beauty shopping list!

Topshop Nail Polish in Solar
Currently £6 from Topshop, click here to be directed to the site.
I was gifted this by my lovely housemates as one of my birthday presents a few years back and it's the perfect "me" shade. I love the duo-chrome look of the polish - when it catches certain light, its either a greeny/gold or a rosy pink colour. It's something a little different than you're average Joe gold colour and it's quite an interesting one when you've been wearing more sophisticated, girly polishes during the week. On the Topshop site, the instructions are to use a base coat, two coats of this and a top coat for best results, but I actually think you just need one coat of this. It won't be completely opaque but it will give a softer finish to the nails, a little more girly. It's a lovely colour and I'm looking forward to trying more from the Topshop make up range.

Jessica Nail Polish in Blue Blast
Currently £10.50 from tsbeautyshop, click here to be directed to the site.
Lastly, I've really been enjoying the Jessica Nail Polishes recently. The quality of them is fantastic and they're so chip-resistant its unbelievable. Used in nail salons around the UK, I'm down with the notion that if they're good enough for the salons, they're good enough for me. A little on the pricier side, I do think you're paying for the brand name as there are excellent quality polishes in the drugstore, but I would have felt wrong not including this polish as the colour is just amazing. As I previously mentioned, it's hard to find a good blue polish for people with pale skin, and this one is just such a cool alternative to the generic bright pink or bright reds. I love it on my toes for summer, too. It's definitely one of those polishes where you want to show off your tootsies around the pool.

And that's it! Some beautiful, great quality nail polishes. I hope this has inspired you with your next nail-painting session. Go and check Rachel out if you have a few spare minutes, she writes lovely posts & has her nail post coming up too!

Daniela

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