IMATS London 2014 Haul + Experience

Last weekend was IMATS London, and I was lucky enough to get to go. As a beauty junkie, there's nothing more appealing than walking around a huge room filled with discounted makeup and incredible, talented makeup artists. 

I went on the Saturday with my friend, Louise, as we thought it would be slightly less busy, and I'm not too sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't too crowded. Don't get me wrong, you still had to (politely) push your hand through the huge gathering of people, in order to get near that lipstick you wanted to swatch so badly, but getting there early really helped! We were queuing outside at 7.45am (the doors opened at 8.30am) which meant the booths weren't too busy.

I picked up some bits that I really wanted, but managed to hold back enough so that I didn't faint from totaling up the prices when I got home! 

Lime Crime Lipstick (Centrifuchsia) - £10

NYX Powder Blush (Taupe) - £4.50

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream (Monte Carlo) - £4.50

Crown Brush (no number/writing) - £3

Crown Brush (C200 Deluxe Crease) - £3

Crown Brush (C149 Small Round Contour) - £2

Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer (Shade 4) - £14.80

INGLOT 5 Pan Freedom System Palette - £6

INGLOT E/S (448 Pearl) - £3

INGLOT E/S (465 DS) - £3

INGLOT E/S (358 Matte) - £3

INGLOT E/S (420 Pearl) - £3

INGLOT E/S (389 Matte) - £3

Considering the amazing quality of INGLOT eyeshadows, £21 for a full 5 pan palette was such a bargain, and I'm so glad I finally got my hands on the MUFE concealer as it's so highly raved about! 

I also got to meet one of my favourite Youtubers, Grace, from UglyFaceofBeauty, who I have been watching for 3 years - she was super lovely and so easy to chat to! I also saw a few other Youtubers, which was so cool, and some incredibly talented artists, like Einat Dan and Neill Gorton. 

It was such a fantastic day, and I really can't wait to go again next year (providing my bank account has recovered by then!). 

Blemish Busting Face Masks

GCSEs have left me with breakouts here, there and everywhere (OK, only on my face), due to stress and copious amounts of chocolate to get me through revision. As a result of this, I've been reaching for the face masks more than usual and I've found some favourites. 

I've spoken about Lush's Mask of Magnaminty before, but I just really, really love it as it does an amazing job of clearing up my skin. Now in a new self-preserving formula, it lasts for 4 months, and I find that I can usually use the smaller tub in that time if I use it once a week. It contains peppermint oil, honey, kaolin and ground aduki beans (thanks internet), which not only makes it cooling, but also exfoliating. Lush, you've done it again. 

I've been trying out the Avene Cleanance Mask for a few months now, and I've really enjoyed it. Although difficult to get hold of (Escentuals, I salute you) and only coming in a 50ml tube, I've found that a little goes a long way, and it does a great job at clearing up those pesky blemishes. 

Lastly, the SuperFacialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Pore Purifying Clay Mask (what a mouthful!) has been the mask I've been grabbing if I want my skin to feel more refreshed and detoxified. It contains salicylic acid and dead sea mud, allowing it to unclog pores and remove excess oils, reducing the results of breakouts. 

So, with another 2 weeks until my GCSEs are finished, I guess I'll be getting a lot more use out of these.

No7 Pop & Glow Cream Blush Stick

Recently, No7 have been bringing out a plethora of great products and ideas, from their fantastic mascaras, to their innovative foundation shade match service, but there's one new release that got my heart pounding that little bit more than all the others.

 

 

The No7 Pop & Glow Cream Blushes (£9.95) are chubby sticks for cheeks, in a handy  wind-up tube. They come in 3 colours: Mango Sorbet - a peachy coral, Rose Blossom - a cool, bright pink, and Classic Rose - a deep pink shade. They don't exactly break the bank, at under £10 each, and with those No7 vouchers flying around, they come in at under £7 -  a bargain if you ask me. 

L-R: Classic Rose, Mango Sorbet

The first one I got was Classic Rose. Although it looks quite daunting in the tube, and admittedly at first swatch too, it blends down into a beautiful deep-rose flush, a perfect transition shade from winter to spring. It is very buildable, and blends like a dream (I use my fingers). The texture is very different to many other cream blushes I own - it applies as a cream, and dries as a powder. I know this isn't unusual (I'm looking at you Topshop Cream Blushes), but they have a lovely velvety feel, and don't look cakey or too powdery.

I also bought Mango Sorbet, as I thought that it would look amazing in the warmer months. As with the other one, it has a lovely velvety texture and is very buildable. It blends into a stunning peachy shade, which is particularly flattering on those with paler skin.

They are very long-lasting and easy to touch up on the go - they're the perfect cream blushes in my books.

My MUJI Makeup Storage

Makeup storage is a very personal thing that depends on the amount of space you have, and the amount of makeup you own. I've stored my makeup in makeup bags piled on top of each other, and in drawers, divided using the stereotypical Glossybox get up. 

Since the Kardashians showed their acrylic drawers, the MUJI acrylic range really came into its own, as funnily enough, not everyone could afford their $300 offering. For a long time, I put up with my ASDA plastic drawers, but seeing as this wasn't the most pleasing to the eye, I decided to invest in the famous MUJI acrylic drawers, and I'm so happy I did. 

Last month, I joined the rest of the beauty blogging community in housing my most-used makeup in affordable MUJI storage. I bought 2 of their 2 Drawers - Wide, for just £10.95 each, and the Acrylic Desk Pot - 3 Partitions for £5.50. The storage itself is really sturdy, and the drawers stack on top of each other perfectly - I'd highly recommend them. These drawers fit foundations, and allow you to stack blushers and bronzers on top of one another. In the future, I may buy more of these, but for the time being, this arrangement is ideal for what I need.

The other acrylic organiser sitting on top of the MUJI unit is from WHSmith, and I believe it is still available in store, but there are many alternatives around on eBay and Amazon. 

Lush Evening Skincare Routine

Lush is a shop which I have loved for as long as I can remember. As I walk through any shopping centre, the sweet smell of bathing goodness fills the air and immediately drags my well-trained feet in Lush's direction. 

(WARNING: Long post ahead)

I've used their bath and shower products for years now, everything from the bath ballistics (my favourite being Dragon's Egg) to the shower gels (why can't Snow Fairy be available all year round?!), but something I hadn't tried until recently was their skincare products.

In the summer holidays, my Lush addiction spiralled out of control. I visited Covent Garden at least 9 times in my 6 week break, and unfortunately for my purse, the Lush flagship store is situated there. Lush Covent Garden is my favourite store - the staff are so friendly and what they don't know about their products isn't worth knowing. With the help of the incredible shop assistants, I've managed to make an evening skincare routine which has made a huge difference to my skin, mainly using Lush Skincare products. 

(N.B. I have combination to oily, teenage skin with the occasional breakout.)

Firstly, I remove my makeup using the 'Ultrabland' facial cleanser, suitable for all skin types. I work this cream cleanser between my hands and rub onto my face. I remove it, along with my makeup, using a warm, damp flannel.

Once or twice a week, I use a face mask, my product of choice being the 'Mask of Magnaminty'. As far as I know, this is Lush's only non-fresh face mask, making it last for 4 months instead of 3 weeks. It contains peppermint and is especially targeted towards teenage skin, helping to get rid of breakouts and spots. I leave it on my face for around 10 minutes, and then scrub my face using circular motions and warm water. After I have exfoliated my face with the mask, I wipe it off using a warm, damp flannel. This mask is great as it can be used on the body too, dealing with, in the nicest way possible, those pesky back-breakouts. If it is not one of those times a week where I use the mask, I skip straight to the 'Dark Angels' cleanser.   

I then double cleanse using the 'Dark Angels' cleanser, which contains Rhassoul mud, charcoal and black sugar to make an exfoliating cleanser. When the lovely shop assistant showed me this item, which in my opinion resembles soil, I was a little sceptical, but once she showed me how it worked, I was sold. I take a pound-coin-sized amount in the palm of my hand and mix it with water to create a thin paste. I work it on to my face and again, wipe off with a warm, damp flannel. Although slightly messy, it is totally worth it and has really helped clear up my skin. As it is a fresh cleanser, it lasts for only 3 months, however, I can see myself finishing this 100g tub. 

Once I have rinsed my face, I wipe my face over with the 'Tea Tree Water Toner Water'. I spray some on to a cotton pad and swipe all over my face. Tea tree is great for spots, so this has really helped to clear my breakouts. It is aimed towards those with oilier skin or spot prone skin, so this is great for me. I then apply my moisturizer, which is not from Lush (usually a combination of La Roche Posay's Effeclar Duo and Nivea's Regenerating Night Cream). To finish off my skincare routine, I apply my spot treatment to any of my blemishes. 'Grease Lightning' is brilliant. It is a gel which dries quickly and clear, meaning it can be worn during the day if necessary and does not rub off on to my pillow. It really helps to dry out my spots and as it contains tea tree and witch hazel, both known for being very effective when banishing blemishes, it is perfect for the job. It comes in a handy pump bottle, so I apply it to any spots using a clean finger and take it off in the morning. 

So, there's my in-depth evening skincare routine. In the morning, I only use the 'Dark Angels' cleaner and 'Tea Tree Water Toner Water', and then use a different moisturiser.

Lush skincare is something that I never thought about using but I am so glad I now do.

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks

The L'Oreal Rouge Caresse lipsticks retail for just £7.99 and have been around for quite a while, however, I have only just purchased my first few.

Much like the much-loved 'Revlon Lip Butters', the L'Oreal Rouge Caresses are light-weight, buttery lipsticks that feel more like a tinted lipbalm. Easy to apply, these bullets of lovelyness are handy for on the go and can be applied without a mirror. They can be applied as a subtle wash of colour, or can be built-up to be more opaque. As they are quite sheer, they are quite glossy and are great for summer. They come in a shade to suit everyone from bright pink, to nude.

The colours I have are '202 Impulsive Fuchsia' and '301 Dating Coral'. I picked these colours as I thought they would make great summer shades (and are colours I don't already have in my collection).

L - 'Dating Coral' (3 swipes, 1 swipe)         R - 'Impulsive Fuchsia' (3 swipes, 1 swipe)

'Dating Coral' is an orangey coral which isn't too bright - I find it really hard to find corals that suit my skin tone and that I am confident enough to wear.

'Impulsive Fuchsia' is a bright blue-toned pink that would flatter many different skin tones.

I really like the packaging as they are very sturdy and the top of the bullet is a metallic version of the colour of lipstick, making it easy to see which shade you are grabbing.

So, as I mentioned before, these can be compared to the 'Revlon Lip Butters' however, I think I prefer L'Oreal's buttery offering. They are not as 'slippy' so stay on longer and in my opinion, feel nicer on the lips.

The one downside of these products are that they sometimes cling to any dry patches on my lips so just make sure they are nice and smooth.

Overall, I would highly recommend the L'Oreal Rouge Caresses and they also have another version of this product - the 'Rouge Caresse Coeur de Perle', as these lipsticks have a pearly centre which gives a pearlescent finish. 

Pixi Early Bird Palette

Hi Guys!

So this post is about a new palette I have recently accidentally aquired whist browsing the shelves of Boots (sorry this blog will be a little picture heavy!).

The Pixi Early Bird Palette retails for £16 and I must say, it is totally worth the money, however, I picked it up for £8 on sale.

Firstly, it contains 3 blushers, each printed with either a fairy of the 'pixi logo' on top.

They are silky-smooth and each have great colour pay off.

There is a slightly shimmery peachy shade, a slightly shimmery light pink and a matte dusky rose (but a little bit darker). They are all really wearable colours and I find that they really brighten the face up. 

There are also 2 bronzers and a highlighter. Unfortunately, both bronzers have quite a lot of shimmer in them and I prefer more of a matte finish, however, the 2 shades make it great for many different skin tones.

The highlighter, on the other hand, is gorgeous! It has a very smooth texture and adds just the right amount of shimmer, without it being glittery - I also think that the lightest bronzer (top) could work as a highlighter for darker skin tones.

Lastly, are the eye products. The range of eyeshadows are supposed to take you from day to night and I think that they really do.

The 4 products down the middle are 'eye bases' and are primarily, skin-toned colours which are quite opaque and are used under eyeshadows to even out any discolouration on the eyelid. Again, these have a very smooth texture and I like that there are different shades as it is suitable for different skin tones.

 

The 'day' shadows on the left of the palette contain lighter colours, with the one darker one being a forest green - a nice change from black. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed with these eyeshadows.

All of the colours are shimmery (no mattes) which makes it difficult to define the crease. They are also mainly very light and very chalky. The first 6 (L-R) are extremely glittery and chalky which creates a lot of fallout.

I do quite like the mint green and forest green, but the mint colour is again, a little chalky.

The forest green (furthest right) is the opposite, smooth and shimmery, not chalky and glittery.  



Finally, the 'night' eyeshadows. Luckily, these are better quality and have better colour pay-off. They include one matte shade (similar to MAC omega, 3rd from left) and the rest are more shimmery than glittery. I particularly like the steel grey (2nd from right) and golden brown (5th from left).



Overall, I definately think the palette is worth the money, if only for the face products, however, the lighter eyeshadows are a little duff but the darker ones are really quite nice and comparible to some from the Urban Decay Naked Palette. Its handy for travelling and can create many different looks. It is my first product from Pixi and I think this is a nice one to start with.