Disappointing Products #2 | Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer

Quite often I find myself enabled by the beauty blogosphere, especially when a product is harped on about for a long time.  Usually, I fall in love with the products and I hardly ever regret purchasing them, but sometimes there's a runt in the litter.  I picked up the Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer (I swear product names are getting longer) after hearing the likes of FleurDeForce and MissGlamorazzi raving about it.  I bought the lightest shade Ivory, as I'm quite fair and the lightest shades are usually perfect.  After the first use I was left totally disappointed. 

This product is supposed to be a bit like the much loved YSL Touche Eclat in that it's a highlighting concealer.  When I first applied the product I noticed that the brush was extremely hard and dragged on the skin, not ideal around the delicate eye area.  The sound thing I noticed was the colour.  The concealer is very yellow and left my under eye area looking slightly jaundiced, instead of bright and healthy looking.  I also found that it didn't have a lot of highlight to it, unlike the Touche Eclat or Collection's Illuminating Touch Concealer.  

Overall I was left thoroughly disappointed with this product.  The only upside is that it's only £6.99, so it hasn't exactly left me majorly out of pocket.  I know that so many of you love this concealer but for me it just didn't do anything.  Perhaps I picked up a duff tube, who knows! 

What's you're favourite highlighting concealer?

Rimmel London Apocalips Lip Lacquer

'Big Bang'

'Celestial' 

'Galaxy'

Rimmel's latest offering to the beauty market are their lip laquers, also known as the Apocalips.  They were launched in shops last Wednesday (23rd Jan) and were on 3 for 2 in Boots, so of course I obliged.   Rimmel claim that these have the same intense, rich colour of a lipstick but with the shine of a gloss.  Some might argue these are their answer to the YSL Glossy Stains and although I haven't tried those for myself, I can see some comparisons.  

The colour range is great, boasting eight different colours, ranging from nudes to bright pinks and fire engine reds.  I picked up 'Big Bang', a gorgeous red, 'Celestial', a light rosey pink, similar to Topshop's Innocent lipstick and 'Galaxy', a purple toned pink.  I initially wanted to pick up 'Nude Eclipse' as from swatches on blogs, it seems like the perfect nude, but it must be the most popular of the bunch as it's nowhere to be seen!  

The pigmentation of these lip products is fantastic.  The doe foot applicator has a small pocket in the middle which holds colour, allowing the perfect distribution of product on the lips.  Although they have a high shine finish, they aren't at all sticky and if you prefer a matte lip, blotting with paper keeps the intensity of colour but takes the shine away.  They last for 3-4 of hours before needing a top up and can feel a bit drying on the lips after a while, but once you've reapplied that feeling goes away.  My favourite of the bunch is Galaxy as it's a slightly more subtle berry colour.  At £5.99 a pop you can't grumble.  They have great colour pay off, a decent amount of staying power and a whole lot of punch.  I'll definitely be picking up some more from the range! 

Have you tried the Apocalips?

American Goodies

If I could have one wish, it would be that Sephora would re-open in the UK and with it bring all the fantastic American brands that I've been so desperate to try.  Although you can get the brands on eBay, the shipping is usually more than the product itself so I've always steered clear.  Last Tuesday I was tweeted by a company called Cosmetics and Candy, telling me about their new company that sold American products and shipped them to the UK.  I was a bit dubious to begin with, but after looking and seeing so many products I'd been lusting after for so long, I placed and order and they arrived through my letter box yesterday.  

Before I get onto what I bought, I thought I'd share my experience as I know a lot of people were dubious to place orders with them.  The price of shipping is dependent on how many items you buy, ranging from £2.80 for one item to £15.05 for 24 items.  I paid £4.80 for four items which I think is a bargain, considering most UK companies such as ASOS charge £3.95 for standard shipping, and this package had a lot further to travel.  It arrived within a week and I was also pleasantly surprised that I didn't have to pay any customs on top of my order (I wont say this will be the same with every order and the company do state that you may get a further customs fee).  Their customer service was impeccable and they also have a feature where you can request products.  I know I'll be purchasing again - especially since they've just added the Tarte Amazonian Clay blushers!

So, onto what I bought.  From left to right I purchased:

L'Oreal Colour Riche Caresse Aqua Lip Lacquer in Berry Persistent; £8.49 - I believe this is L'Oreal's answer to the YSL Glossy Stain and is similar to the new Rimmel Apocalips.  I bought this berry shade and on first impressions it applies lovely.  There are several other shades that I would like to try as well.

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Peach Satin; £6.99 - This product has been around for at nearly a year in America, and it seems like Maybelline aren't planning on launching them here.  I picked up a peachy shade ready for spring and like most people, all I've done since getting it in the post is play with it.  The texture is weird but the colour payoff seems great.  

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Mascara; £11.99 - This is a brand I've never tried but heard a lot about.  All their products are formulated without the nasties including Parabens, harsh chemicals and synthetic preservatives.  I've heard a few YouTube guru's talk about this, including Fleur so I'm hoping it's as good as the reviews claim!

Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette; £11.99 - I cannot tell you how long I've been wanting to try this.  I've almost caved numerous times on eBay.  This palette is raved about among the US beauty bloggers and it's a favourite of Allure Magazine.  I'm excited to give this a try and seeing if it's really as good as they say! It comes with two concealer shades, a neutraliser and a setting powder - a great travel kit.  

There's my mini US haul. Will you be giving Cosmetics and Candy a visit?

Collection Illuminating Touch Concealer vs. Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat

No matter how much beauty sleep us girls get each night, those pesky under eye circles just wont disappear.  Highlighting products are brilliant at disguising dark circles and the reigning product on the market has to be YSL's Touche Eclat.  Unfortunately, with luxury comes a hefty price tag, so if you can't quite afford £25 then read on...

The infamous Touche Eclat comes in a gold pen with a velvet 'Y' to one side giving it an ultra luxe look.  It's important to remember that the Touche Eclat is branded as a highighter and not a concealer, which it is most commonly mistaken for.  If you have extremely dark circles, I would go in with a concealer first and then use the YSL over the top to brighten the area. The product is a salmon pink to help counteract the purple tones found under the eyes.  There's 10 shade variants depending on your skin colour. To apply the product, you click the button to the bottom of the product and run over the areas you wish to brighten.  Its a lovely creamy formula and blends well under the eye, but like most concealers or under eye products, it creases. I find that once I re-blend where the product has creased it looks a lot better.  You get 25ml of product and I've been using mine on and off for the past four months and have yet to find any tell tale 'running low' signs.  

Most high street brands have a dupe for the YSL Touche Eclat. My favourite of the bunch is the Collection Illuminating Touch Light Diffusing Concealer.  The big difference between the two products is that this is a concealer, so it has more coverage than the Touche Eclat.  I was worried that this would mean it would be quite 'cakey' looking under my eye, but this was not the case.  Although it has more coverage, it's just as light as the YSL alternative and blends just as nicely.  Collection have a limited shade range, only carrying three different shades for this product. The only problem I have is that the brush is quite stiff and drags on the eye, which isn't a good thing.  The packaging isn't half as luxurious, the lid comes off quite easily, but for £4.99 you can't really grumble.  

If you have some cash to splash, treat yourself to the Touche Eclat as it's an amazing product and really helps brighten the skin and under eye area. If you're a little strapped for cash however, I recommend the Collection alternative, which has slightly more coverage.  

How do you hide your dark circles?

August 2012 Favourites

It's that time again and without sounding cliched - just where has this year gone?! Not long to go until I start my third and final (eek) year of university but that's a whole other post.  I don't religiously blog about my favourite products as some months I can't come up with an amount I deem suitable.  This month, as the weather got warmer, I kept tabs on just what I was using so much.  The majority of products I have reviewed in depth and I will leave links for those at the end of the post.  

When I've worn make up this month, I've kept it fairly simple and natural.  I've re-discovered my love for Bourjois' Healthy Mix Serum foundation, which is my cheaper equivalent of Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua.  Under the eyes and along the bridge of my nose, I've been loving YSL's infamous Touche Eclat.  Another Bourjois favourite is my Little Round Pot blusher in #16 which both smells and looks amazing on my cheeks.  When it comes to lips it's either been Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream and a lip balm or one of the two pictured above.  Topshop's Innocent is a lovely rose colour which looks good both straight on or patted into the lip - if I fancied an injection of colour I reached for Jemma Kidd's Hi-Shine Hydrating Glosstick in #4 Hibiscus (bit of a mouthful).  On my nails, I've been loving Essie's Watermelon - a gorgeous hot pinky red shade which looks equally amazing on toes.  

My two skincare standouts have both been from Origins. After having a horrible time with my skin at the beginning of the month I started using the Out of Trouble face mask which has helped clear up active breakouts and reduce the amount of oil, especially around my T-Zone.  When I bought the face mask I was also given two samples.  I've really been enjoying using Modern Friction (which I keep calling Micro Friction - #fail) which has helped get rid of any redness or scarring that breakouts have left behind. Definitely thinking about a full size purchase! 

L'Oreal's Ever Pure hair care range has really stuck out for me, for at least six weeks now.  I use the Colour Care and Moisture system which leaves my hair feeling like silk - plus they smell heavenly.  Once a week I will slather on the Reinforcing Intense Mask and leave in my locks for about an hour before washing out.  As I have bleach blonde hair, it can be quite porous and it's important to give it a good soak to help better its condition.  I've come back to my Moroccan Oil Light, which is nearly all gone (sob).  I prefer the light formulation as it doesn't weight my hair down but still does the job.  

What have been your favourite products this month?

Full product reviews: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation; Bourjois Little Round Pot Blush; Essie Nail Polish; Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Hydrating Glosstick in #4 Hibiscus; L'Oreal Ever Pure Colour Care and Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner; L'Oreal Ever Pure Reinforcing Intense Mask; Origins Out of Trouble Face Mask

A Spanish Beauty Haul

If you read my Sephora Wish List post (here) you would have known that as well as the blazing sun, I was excited to visit the local Sephora.  I was finally able to get my hands on some long sought after Make Up Forever products, as well as some other bits that had been high on my wish list for a while.  I also visited the duty free shop at Malaga airport too.  I posted a photo on Instagram of my Sephora bag (which, yes, I kept...) and was asked to write up a haul post, so without further adieu.  

SEPHORA

I wasn't in the market for a new primer, even though both my Porefessional and MAC Prep and Prime were running low.  While the make up artists - who by the way were extremely friendly and helpful - were trying to match me up, they used this green primer (shade #1) to neutralise the pink undertones in my skin. I would have said no to it, but they showed one side with and the other without it.  The side without the primer was distinctively orange, not a good look so needless to say I was sold on the primer.  

What I was in the market for however was the MUFE HD Foundation.  I was matched up to shade 117. Something I did notice about MUFE products - their shade numbers are all jumbled, they are not in numerical order from lightest to darkest, which might be something to do with the undertones in the products but it still made it confusing.  I've now used this foundation twice and I like it so far.  I will be reviewing this in a few weeks time to give it a fair trial.  

I also wanted to pick up the MUFE Full Cover concealer after hearing great things about it.  I was matched up to shade 4 (again, shades aren't in numerical order).  I've also used this twice now and on first impressions I think the packaging is great.  It has a long, thin nib which dispenses the product in small amounts, perfect if you hate wasting product because too much has come out of the tube.  

For a very long time, I've wanted to try the infamous YSL Touche Eclat.  I'd saved some euro's specifically to spend in Sephora and decided to finally cave and buy it.  I picked up shade 1 and like the other products, have used it twice now.  I really like it so far - I'm quite freckly after being in the sun everyday and I find it covers up the ones under my eyes perfectly and also illuminates the eye area.  The packaging is so luxurious - gold with a velvet 'Y' shape on the back, definitely an indulgent product.  

I picked up some Yes To Cucumber wipes as I've heard a lot of good things about them.  I find that they remove a lot more than standard wipes from Boots and they aren't that much more expensive. I might stock up on ASOS next time they have a 20% student event or something similar.  

I also managed to get the Sephora Professional Mineral Powder Brush #45.  I have yet to use this, simply because I wanted it clean for this blog post.  Like I mentioned in a previous post, YouTube guru meganisobel raves about this brush for both liquid fondation and also cream product application so I thought I would give it a go.  Because I bought 3+ make up items, I got 40% off of it, which was an added bonus.  

What I love about Sephora, is that they give samples with purchases.  I received a deluxe size Porefessional which was welcomed as my full size is running low and I love the product.  

DUTY FREE

I didn't pick up much in duty free.  I was hoping to get one of the MAC travel sets, but they didn't have any at Malaga airport.  I needed a new bottle of Stella McCartney's 'Stella' perfume, as the one I purchased in the January sales was running low.  They only had the 30ml bottles in the limited edition prints, which I didn't mind as they are beautiful.  

Whilst on the plane out to Spain I spied this Elizabeth Arden kit and decided that if I had some euro's left over on the way back I would buy it.  Miraculously Sephora didn't bankrupt me (although, it was hard not to buy everything) and I bought this kit. Another holy grail product for so many women that I had yet to try. You get the original Eight Hour Cream, the hand treatment and a lip stick which has SPF 15 in it.  

I'm looking forward to trying out all of these products and sharing my thoughts on them with you.  Are there any products in particular that you would like to see a review on? 

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Beauty Lust List #1

You may have read my beauty favourites of 2011, but now I am looking to find some new products to make my 2012 favourites.  Mainly hair and make up products, here is what I'm wishing to try this year (excludes any feature releases I may not know about yet, obvs).  

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10  

1.  Lush I Love Juicy Shampoo; £4.75-£15.50 - When I first read the scents that were included in this shampoo, I must admit it had me druelling a little bit.  Fresh pineapple, orange, lemon and mango juice to name a few.  This is supposed to be a great clarifying shampoo as well as good for the scalp - both I need help with.  Since going a bright shade of blonde my scalp has been more sensitive due to the bleach and I've always used lots of products in my hair.  

2.  Macadamia Deep Repair Masque; £18.50 - I've been eyeing up the Moroccanoil Restorative mask for a while now, but after reading rave reviews (and admittedly seeing the less hefty price tag) I now want to try the Macadamia range.  The scent is supposed to be amazing and the results even better.  

3.  Lush; American Cream Conditioner; £4.25-£13.50 - Another Lush product... I'm all for conditioners that a. smell incredible, b. nourish my hair and c. aim to strengthen hair, so this seems like a match made in heaven.  

4.  Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment; £11.50 - I've almost finished with my Moroccanoil Light, which I've enjoyed using but this product appealed to me more.  The word 'healing' in the title had me hooked as my hair needs the extra nourishment these days.  Like Moroccan oil, this product has argan oil in it as well as Macadamia oil.  Unlike the Moroccanoil, this product can be mixed with the Deep Repair masque for extra nourishment.  

5.  Lush King of Skin; £4.95 - ANOTHER Lush product, I've gone a little Lush mad after discovering Snow Fairy.  Another fruity offering, this time Banana, that moisturises the skin in shower.  I'll probably need to invest in a tin to stop this melting away! 

6. YSL Touche Eclat; £25.00 - I've heard only good things about this product and I always look at it when I'm at the beauty concession.  Need I say more?

7.  Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronze Universal; £29.00 - Since buying a Chanel foundation, I've always had one eye on this bronzer.  Currently Chanel are repackaging and it's not in stock anywhere so I will have to wait a bit longer to try this product.  

8.  MAC Party Parrot Lipstick; £13.50 - From the Iris Apfel collection, this lipstick is a gorgeous pink coral colour.  I've been branching out with slightly more colourful lipsticks as I think it suits my complexion and hair colour well.  Unfortunately it's out of stock - like most things in the collection so it's another waiting game!

9.  Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki; £13.99 - I've wanted to try this brush for a while but couldn't justify shipping.  With the discovery of Love Makeup I might be able to grab it at a fraction of the price! Do you know any other UK stockists?

10. Benefit Hervana Powder Blush; Price TBC - This is Benefits latest offering, available in the UK from the 28th January.  After seeing Amarixe's post on this blush I've been lusting after it.  It's a matte blush, rather than their favoured shimmers (Thrrrob, Bella Bamba etc) and it looks gorgeous when swatched.  

That's it for my 2012 wishlist, but I want to know what's on your beauty wishlist?

Spring and Summer Unwrapped

*McQueen S/S 2011


New year, new season.  I know i've been posting a lot about the new year, but there really is so much to cover.  

The S/S are unravelling in stores all over the country as we speak and thanks to ELLEs supplement: The Runway Edit, I can tell you the main looks you'll be needing this summer.  

The 10 key trends you'll need to know about are;

1. 70s - Bellbottoms, butterfly collars and loud colours.

2. Colour - The bolder the better.

3. Oriental - Kimono's and Cheongsams galore.

4. The longer the better - Midis and maxis were a hit on the runway.

5. Minimalism - For those who can't pull off colour... Everyday.

6. Print - Floral is a given, but try the new 'scene' prints.

7. Sporty Chic - Tracksuits with a twist. 

8. Erogenous Zones - Whack those pins out.

9. Glam Rock - Channel your inner Mark Bolan.

10. Romance - Pastels and lace.

This seasons key pieces for your wardrobe are;

- Wide Trousers

- Sheer Blouses - New Look do some great ones in an array of colours, if you can't quite afford YSL.

- Platform Wedges

- Neon Totes

- White Shirts - Topshop are saints for these.

- Trouser suits - H&M have some great fitted blazers along with matching trousers this season, to save you saving up for a Stella McCartney.

- Lace Dresses

- Longer Skirts

- Slip Dresses

Next year I will count down to Christmas with this...

Selfridges; £60

Move over personalised chocolate advent calendars, it's all about opening the door to find Chanel or YSL.  
At Selfridges for £60 you can have this amazing advent calendar filled with all your favourite beauty brands.  


Thanks to my best friend for finding this little gem.

Beauty DVF Style

According to Vogue.com, my favourite babe Diane Von Furstenburg is launching a beauty line to go with her successful fashion line, DVF.  


The beauty line will have several products, a perfume, skincare and a make up range.  The first of the DVF beauty line to be released later this year, will be a perfume Diane has been working on for the past year and a half with former YSL Beauté president, Chantal Roos.  


A passionate Diane spoke about her new venture as a 'natural extension' to DVF.  "Everything I do in life has to do with how much... I want every woman to feel strong, beautiful and confident. When you have such an intimate relationship with women there is no way that you can do it more than with the beauty business."


Although this is new for DVF the brand, it is not unknown to Diane who launched a perfume and accompanying make up range in 1983 called Tatiana.  


I can't wait to see what this fashion belle has in store for us!