My Makeup Dis-Organization

No, ladies, this will not be a post showing you cute little vintage trays and tins of strategically jumbled makeup, nor will it be a post of militant acrylic storage showcasing rows of lipsticks and blushers.  This is real, these are my “piles” that seem to creep into every corner of any room I tend to inhabit.  I like the idea of cute and tidy makeup storage, but it just hasn’t happened for me yet.

I dread the thought of  trying to wipe away the inevitable layers of dust and fingerprints that would accumulate on the Muji type storage.  And my hatred of shopping is not conducive to collecting kitschy vintage holders over time.  So here it is, in all it’s non-glory, my makeup storage (if you can call it that)!

The mantle aka my hairdressing station-You may recognize this area as I use it to photograph products, but while not being used for blog purposes, my hairstyling products tend to accumulate because there’s a nice big mirror and a plug for my hair dryer all in one convenient area.  Odds and ends, such as the micellar waters I was rotating through for the micellar water challenge also tend to build up in this area.

The coffee table nail technician-This stuff used to just lay willy nilly all over the shelf on our coffee table to be within easy reach in the evenings when I tend to do my nails.  But somewhere along the way, I gathered it all up into a Glossybox (probably when the mister got sick of stepping on stray nail polishes).  I keep some hand and foot creams, nail art tools, whatever polishes I am currently into, nail polish remover, and that crappy Glossybox branded brush to dust off my keyboard.

Everyday essentials-This is my box of everyday makeup and stack o’ pallets I keep in the bathroom.  That box pretty much has anything I’d want for my work makeup or a night out in it.  I don’t suggest storing makeup this way (although I will continue to do it).  The sunlight has made the black rub off of my MUA palettes and made them look kind of nasty.  I would prefer to do/keep my makeup in my bedroom, but because mister and I work different hours, there are days where I’m getting ready and he’s still asleep.  So I have my crap spread over the house out of consideration for him.

Surplus storage-I made this Glossybox drawers awhile back and well it looked cute at first, I have overfilled and battered it a bit and I am actually looking at getting some a bit sturdier.  Currently this sits on my dresser and house my perfumes on the top, makeup I’m not using, samples I’ve received, and my nail polishes in the bottom.

So there, I hope that made you feel better about your makeup storage (if you have it) or lack of (if you don’t).

So tell me ladies, are you neat and tidy with everything in its place?  Or do your things tend to accumulate into their own little makeup/product colonies like mine do?

xx

Rimmel 9 in 1 BB Cream

I went out on my lunch hour for a Boots/Superdrug mission the other week because originally I had wanted to pick up another tube of the 17 BB Cream.  But being a beauty blogger, I couldn’t pass up the chance to try a new product or a bargain for that matter (the Rimmel BB Cream is currently on offer at Superdrug for £4.99).

This bb cream claims to prime, moisturize, minimise pores, conceal, cover, smooth, mattifiy, brighten and help protect your skin.  As for priming, I did find it stays in place very well, especially in hot weather.  Some reviews complained that it got cakey around the nose and chin area, I didn’t have this problem, but I did apply a thin layer and I also powdered my t-zone with the Rimmel Stay Matte powder.  Another complaint was that it gathered in pores and made them appear larger, I’ve never really had an issue with large pores so I can’t really comment on this.

It is quite sheer so you do need a concealer with it, you will see in the before and after pic, I have a lovely spot on my chin.  It didn’t really cover this and it’s not really buildable either so definitely very light coverage.  I did find it evened out my skin tone and made my face look smoother.  It is quite matte, which surprised me as I am used to the 17 BB cream which is quite dewy.  And the SPF 25 is definitely a plus for me in the summer time.

Before and after shot, I like that it evened out my skin, but still let my freckles come through.  I prefer lighter coverage, especially in the summer.  In comparision to the 17 BB Cream, I can’t really say I like one better than the other because they are quite different.  Overall, I really do like the Rimmel BB Cream, I have it in light and it’s a really good match for my skin tone.

One thing to mention is that it is a very thick and creamy formula (excuse my freckly veiny hand).  I applied with my fingers and it does set quickly so you do have to work fast to work it into your skin.  Despite the thick formula, it does sheer out and doesn’t feel heavy on the skin.  Overall, I really like this bb cream and I’m glad I decided to give it a go.  I think it will definitely be my go to face product for the summer.

Have you tried Rimmel BB Cream?  Or are you totally over bb creams?

xx

NOTD: Mint and Confetti

I told you I wanted layer my L’Oreal Confetti Topcoat on absolutely everything!

This is over ELF’s Mint Cream Nail Polish, which is a decent dupe for Essie’s Mint Candle Apple.  The formula is quite streaky though, I did have to do 3 coats, but once the Confetti topcoat went on it looked fine.  I used the Barry M topcoat and this lasted about a week without chipping, I absolutely love that topcoat!

I’ve been getting a ton of compliments on it at work, which is nice because it does look a bit unusual.  The confetti topcoat is my new favorite lazy way of nail art in some ways.

What’s on your nails at the moment?

xx

May Empties

It’s that time again, where I go to the H&M bag I keep in the corner of the bedroom and dump its contents onto my bed to photograph before they are bound for the recycling bin.  And my husband watches this all in awe, wondering why I am photographing my hoarded bag of trash.

Skin Therapy Fragrance Free Facial Wipes-But wait, Mandy, aren’t you giving up the facial wipes as part of your New Year’s resolution?  I have fallen off the wagon again, with the Escentual Micellar Blind Trial I kind of gave up properly washing my face in the evenings and have resorted to face wipes and micellar solutions.  For shame.

Soap and Glory Clean on Me-Loved this shower gel and it lasted ages!  I probably won’t repurchase though as it is a bit of a splurge and I am perfectly happy using £1 Original Source.

V05 High Volume Hairspray-This hairspray did the job, but I do prefer my Got2B Collagen Lift Hairspray.

MUA Every Lash Waterproof Mascara-I haven’t finished this mascara, but have decided to bin it as it is impossible to remove!  Nothing will make this budge without a lot of scrubbing and a lot of lashes falling out.  It’s just not worth it.

Montagne Jeunesse Passion Peel Off-This is probably my favorite mask from Montagne Jeunesse, it smell good enough to eat and makes my skin super smooth.

Superdrug Cotton Rounds-A staple with micellar solutions, already repurchased.

Docteur Renaud Raspberry Soft Cream-This face cream was amazing, smells like raspberries and made my skin perfectly moisturized without being too shiny.

Soap and Glory Flake Away-A little of this goes a long way, used it on my elbows and other dry bits (I can’t believe I’d had this since December 2011!).  I won’t repurchase at the moment because I am currently using up a huge tub of Sugar Crush.

Have you tried any of these products?  What have you used up in the month of May?

xx

Graze Breakfast Box

I received a code to try out a graze breakfast box recently.  Graze has introduced a box containing four punnets of porridge and not one to say no to free food, I gave it a go.  I am not a huge breakfast person, in fact I skip it during the work week (naughty, naughty, I know).  But I do eat it on the weekends and I love porridge as a healthy snack option.

Currently the breakfast box retails for £2.99 and is available exclusively by offer code (which you might find at the end of this post…).  There are 8 porridges to choose from, 4 that come with honey and 4 without.

I received blueberry and lingonberry, cherry and almond with honey, coconut and date with yoghurt covered seeds, and fig and blueberry.  Coconut and date was my favorite so far, the yoghurt melted of the seeds and gave a nice sweet taste to the porridge.  The cherry and almond was quite nice as well, the cherries are plump and tart and the honey adds a nice sweetness.

Have you tried the graze breakfast box?  What does your morning start-up consist of?

Code for a free box! V47ZH9J

xx

Escentual Micellar Blind Trial Part 1

I happen to be one of the lucky 100 bloggers who are currently participating in Escentual’s Micellar Blind Trial.  We each were sent 7 20ml dropper bottles labelled A-G, each containing a different micellar water.

We will be testing the different micellar waters over the course of 14 days and recording our thoughts and preferences on each one.  I have personally been loving trying out the different samples!  We will then be completing a survey at the end of trial detailing our thoughts about each sample.

The seven samples include:

- Dior Instant Cleansing Water

- Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals

- Caudalie Make-Up Remover Cleanser Water

- Avene Micellar Lotion Cleanser and Make-Up Remover

- La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution

- Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micelle Solution

- Vichy Purete Thermale Calming Cleansing Micellar Solution

Can’t wait to find out what each sample actually is, I’ve been keeping a record of all my thoughts so it will be interesting to see which brand I prefer!

Have you tried any of the micellar solutions being trialled?  What’s your favorite micellar water?

xx

L’Oreal Colour Riche Confetti Topcoat

I have never wanted a nail polish as badly as I wanted this topcoat.  And for some reason right at the time I wanted it, it was sold out everywhere and pretty much impossible to find.  So I waited and I checked every Superdrug and Boots every time I passed by, only to be disappointed with an empty shelf.  I couldn’t even find this little bugger online!  I think it has been about 2 months or so now since my initial obsession started so when I stopped into Boots with a voucher I had the other day and saw stacks of the L’Oreal Colour Riche Topcoat Confetti, I let out a squeal of joy and snatched that baby up!

It’s so gorgeous, it’s my perfect topcoat.  It has large and small black and white hexagons and also a very fine silver glitter, pretty pretty.  It applies somewhat evenly, I did have to go over a few nails a second time to get an even distribution, but it’s pretty simple to achieve an evenly dispersed look.

Here it is layered of 17 Fast Finish in Caribean Coral.  I can see myself wanting to layer this over all my nail polish in the forseeable future.  It just gives such an interesting look, that’s not too over the top.  It also is reminiscent of the gorgeous Illamasqua speckled polishes that I could never justify buying, but at £4.99, I’ll happily fake the look with the L’Oreal Confetti Topcoat.

Have you tried any of the L’Oreal Colour Riche Topcoats?  What’s a beauty item you’ve been lusting over, but can’t manage to get your hands on?

xx