Bare Minerals 'Frame and Define' Review

I've not tried anything by Bare Minerals before, so when I had the chance to choose something from Chemist Direct, this was a brand I had in mind. I chose to treat my eyebrows to the 'Frame and Define' in universal light. The styler claims to be an all-in-one, delivering perfectly polished brows, which is what we all desire, right? 

When it arrived, my first impressions was regarding the neat, yet stylistic packaging. I think products with pretty packaging makes it all the more lovable. I also like the twisty design of the pencil, much more fun than sharpening every week or so. The only issue is that I have no idea how much product I have left!

In total honesty, I thought that this styler could have done with a brush.. this was before I discovered that when you pull the other end of the pencil.. there IS a built in brush.. *blonde moment*. So it has everything you need to create the perfect style for your brows. The colour is almost seamless to my natural shade and the formula of the product means that I don't go through it too quickly.. a problem I seem to have had in the past with eyebrow pencils.

One last nifty little trick that this product has in store is the 'tips and tricks' pamphlet inside teaching you how to get the best results. For me, who doesn't get along very well with the whole eyebrow procedure, this is actually very helpful. Overall, I was rather impressed with the product and most definitely consider repurchasing.   

If you want to try this for yourself, you can pick it up from Chemist Direct for £12 (RRP £13). Also, let me know what products you use for your eyebrows or if you've tried this one?

This product was courtesy of Chemist Direct who are one of Europe's largest online pharmacies. They stock a vast array of beauty and healthcare products and ship to many countries around the world. I have also found that many of the products are cheaper than finding them in store and delivery is SUPER fast! Chemist Direct also have some useful services such as an online doctor and a blog in which they provide customers with handy tips and advice.

L'Oréal NUDE Magique Eau De Teint Foundation Review

(C/O Chemist Direct)

I have been wearing foundation for about 6 years now, and still I feel like I am yet to find the perfect product for my skin. I am extremely pale and usually have "normal" skin. Recently I have found my skin to be fairly oily but I think this is a result of the last foundation I used which was the Rimmel 'Wake Me Up.' I also have a real problem with the whole 'looking orange' thing when I wear foundation, please tell me I'm not the only one?

Recently I chose to try the L'Oréal Nude Magique Eau de Teint in 100 Porcelain (told you I was pale!), which claims to be a feather light foundation feeling as light and fresh as water. The back of the bottle reads, "Instantly fuses with the skin blending seamlessly to leave a silky, second skin effect. What bought me was the claim of a naturally even and shine free look. It's also worth mentioning that this foundation has an SPF of 18 which could be useful for the upcoming summer.

My first impression was about the consistency of the foundation and how similar it is to a liquid rather than any other foundations I have tried. I like this idea because it blends so much easier into the skin as well as feeling light and breathable as the claims suggest. I love this because in the warm weather, there is nothing worse than wearing a heavy, cakey foundation and feeling as though your make up is just melting off! So the barely-there feeling is comfortable and fresh. Due to the consistency, it is however a little difficult to apply and get out of the bottle because it just runs everywhere! But I feel as though the benefits outweigh the negatives here.

With regards to the coverage of the foundation, the claim of having 'undetectable coverage' is fairly accurate. It is really light coverage that truthfully is like a second skin effect. Having tried various BB creams, I would say this foundation is the step between a BB cream and other foundations. Personally I feel like my skin tone is quite uneven so I like having slightly more coverage than this provides but like I said before, this is really lovely for the hot weather. 

Lastly, I have to mention how much I love the packaging. This product feels expensive because of the glass bottle, and I love the purple shine, it just looks pretty and pricey!

You can purchase this foundation through Chemist Direct for £8.99 - RRP is £9.99. Let me know if you've tried this product before and how you got on with it, or any other questions in the comments :)

This product was courtesy of Chemist Direct who are one of Europe's largest online pharmacies. They stock a vast array of beauty and healthcare products and ship to many countries around the world. I have also found that many of the products are cheaper than finding them in store and delivery is SUPER fast! Chemist Direct also have some useful services such as an online doctor and a blog in which they provide customers with handy tips and advice.

2013 Beauty Favourites (Belated - whoops!)

Before you say anything, I know I'm probably the last to jump on the bandwagon and this is also quite belated. However, I used these products consistently throughout the year and I can't see them leaving my make up bag any time soon! These are my staple day-to-day beauty items, which I think are useful for any kind of occasion. 

First up is the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle. This is a beautiful subtle shade that gives highlighted areas a radiant glow. I tend to use it as a highlighter across my temples and the top of my cheekbones to brighten up my complexion. It blends easily and if you don't have a make up brush for the application, using your fingertips would work just as well. In photo's, this looks really pretty when it hits the light, but it also adds a bit of sparkle to my everyday makeup routine. I think it's quite pricey (£20ish?) but luckily this was a birthday present last year and it's definitely going to last me a good couple of years before I need to repurchase. 

Next is another MAC product. I'm not actually a massive fan of MAC, I just have a couple of pieces which I absolutely love, but I can't justify their price tag enough to centre my entire make up collection around them. This is one of their paint pots in 'Bare Study', which is a shimmering champagne colour with a creamy consistency. Sometimes I just use this as a base for my eye shadows because it allows pigments to stick, reducing fall out and providing a pretty shimmer. It can also be used as a quick and easy fix by sweeping it over the lid with your fingertips and voila, you're ready to go! A very versatile product that looks gorgeous however you apply it. The only issue is the price, as I believe this retails for roughly £15 and I do go through it quite quickly.

A very popular product in the beauty blogger-sphere, made famous by Samantha Chapman from Pixiwoo, the real techniques brushes are every beauty guru's must-have. And rightly so, because they do an amazing job. I own the core collection, the stippling brush and my newest favourite: the expert face brush. For a long time, I was using the Stippling brush to apply my foundation and it worked really well, so well in fact that my best friend also fell in love with it and I had to buy her one before she stole mine! I've recently converted to the expert face brush which I find to be softer and better at blending into the skin. The other shown is the contour brush which I obviously use for contouring! Whether it's highlighter, bronzer or blusher, I find that the shaping of this brush allows easy application and blending. They're also fairly affordable, the core collection being roughly £20 for 4 brushes and I picked up the expert face brush for half price in boots at £5.. Also, yes, maybe I should have washed these before photographing them but it proves how well loved they are.. right? 

Since my hair now reaches my lower back, I've wanted a tangle teezer for God knows how long! But it was one of those products I could never justify as I already owned countless amounts of hairbrushes. When I started uni however and moved into a flat with 3 other girls, my hairbrushes began mysteriously disappearing.. Hmmm. So when I was casually perusing TK Maxx and found this bright number I decided to snap it up quickly. Firstly, I love the contrast of bright orange against the purple, I think it looks really funky. But for practical reasons as well, this is a really ingenious product. Sometimes people describe my hair as a birds nest, but it has never been easier to untangle than with this. Also, it is so portable, living comfortably in my make up bag. I believe it was just less than £5 which I see as completely reasonable.

Finally, my last beauty favourite of 2013 has to be the YSL Shocking mascara in black. At the start of the year when I began working full time, I bought this for myself as a treat, justifying it by the extra income I was earning. This was a mistake as now, a poor student, I have to repurchase it every few months, and it's not cheap at roughly £23 a pop. However, it has to be the best mascara I've ever used. The formulation is so smooth that it applies like a dream, never clumpy, perfect every time. I love how fine the wand is, making it easy to get into the corner eyelashes and the volume it provides is incredible. Volume is the one quality I must have in a mascara and Shocking just does it for me! I think the packaging is also super classy and I really couldn't big it up enough. There's no going back for me now!

So those are my absolute favourites of 2013 with regards to beauty, I'd love to see what everyone else's were and if any matched mine? Post yours in the comments so I can check them out :)

Diva

This is the outfit I have been living and dying in recently. I've had my eye on this ballet wrap dress from ASOS for ages now and just didn't get around to buying it. I'm always hesitant to buy online just in case the fit isn't right and i have to fuss around with returns, but with ASOS it's free returns and i managed to find a discount code so i just HAD to buy it! However i didn't need to return this beauty and i'm very tempted to buy it in black as well. It's just so versatile, I've been wearing it in the day layered up with chunky tights, boots and scarves as pictured above but you can also wear it out at night with heels, a waist belt and a leather jacket. I love this cranberry colour too - so perfect for A/W12 and i have a strong feeling this will end up being my Christmas dress!

The ballet wrap effect on the dress is also really flattering. As you can see it's fitted at the top and then flares into a skater style skirt which i think works on most body types. I actually opted for the petite styled one because i'm so short and i love the length. It's not too short to be inappropriate but it's enough to still be stylish. I literally cannot recommend this enough, it's definitely a staple piece in my wardrobe and a gorgeous investment. Don't be surprised if the next outfit post contains the black version - I am sorely tempted!

Lipstick - Diva by MAC

Ballet Wrap Dress - ASOS

Fur Waistcoat - New Look

Chunky Tights - Tesco

Furlined boots - Tesco

I wore my new MAC lipstick with this dress which is Diva in matte and it's an absolutely beautiful dark red vampy colour. My friend Grace bought it for me as a belated birthday present (thanks if you're reading!) and i absolutely love it! I don't think you can get away with the colour in other seasons but for A/W12 I have been wearing it everywhere! The pigment in this lipstick is brilliant, I'm considering doing a review on it - is that something you readers would like to see? You can also really see my ombre in these photos, I've been debating on whether or not to dye my hair a darker shade for the winter, what do you guys think?

Just a quick little update - Thank you all for helping me reach 300 GFC followers! I feel like over the past couple of months i took a little step back from blogging, but now I have quit one of my jobs and i have more time and energy to focus on this again so hopefully you will be seeing more of me! I've actually just attended an event called "Dining in the Dark" which was really exciting and I can't wait to share with you guys. 

What have your staple pieces been this A/W? Have you tried a ballet wrap dress before?

Purity Organic Skincare

I was very lucky to receive a few products from Purity Organic Skincare for review purposes and i have to say, i am a convert to this brand. They are not only fantastic quality, but also extremely affordable, each product being under £10. I've really enjoyed using these products, not only are they completely practical, but they have an element of luxury about them too.

The first product i'd like to talk about is the facial wash which is "a blend of sweet almond oil & aloe vera in a plant/sugar based foam to cleanse, soothe & protect your skin." I use this after removing the majority of my make up with a baby wipe, and then gently massage this onto my skin. It really does leave my skin feeling cleansed and soothed. My favourite things about this product is the texture and how it becomes a foam-y lather. It makes the application so much smoother. These products are also certified organic so it feels like you're giving your skin star-treatment. (£4.99)

Next, i'm really excited to talk about this product, it is most definitely my favourite in the range. The regenerating overnight moisturiser is the most rich and creamy moisturiser i think i've ever tried. The texture feels buttery, it really is just lovely and i will be re-purchasing this, i feel like it's one of those life changing products where once you try it, there's not turning back! Because it's so rich, you only need the smallest amount so it will last you ages. My friend tried some of this when she stayed over and agreed with me, it's a lovely product. All the products are fragrance free too, so they suit all skin types. (£7.99)

The anti-ageing moisturiser is also a lovely product, however if you've been following me for a while, you'll know i'm not a huge fan of anti-ageing products. I feel like it's always good to prepare, but my skin's still in the teenage-stage at the moment! I like the idea behind this product though, Purity have used only a handful ingredients which are supposedly "intelligent" ingredients to exemplify that "less is more" in beauty. A few of these ingredients include: coconut oil (my favourite!), sweet almond oil, avocado oil and cranberry seed oil. (£7.99)

I'm not a huge fan of mask's simply because i get really uncomfortable with things just sitting on my skin, but i gave the anti-aging serum and mask a try and i was pleasantly surprised with the effects. I don't think i'll be using this much, but i can appreciate the way it helps to repair and tone the skin. I'll be saving it for days when my skin needs that extra boost. This would probably make a lovely gift for mums, aunts, grandma's etc, for £8.99 it's still affordable and you get a really generous sized product.

I was pleased to receive the facial moisturiser because i don't have any good ones and i find that my neck can get a little grubby without using an exfoliator. However, because i have sensitive skin, i find it hard to find a product that's not too harsh. This purity one has been lovely to use, and it really deep cleanses my my pores. I only use this a couple of times a week though because i don't want to irritate my skin too much. This product also has coconut shell and coconut oil in it, placing it solidly in my favour! (£5.99)

Finally (if you got this far, give yourself a pat on the back!), another one of my favourites in the range is the conditioning cleansing lotion make-up remover. I love the feeling of this product, it's lovely and cooling on my eyes when i take off my make-up and it feels quite refreshing which is sometimes what you need after a long day. Sometime's i use this in conjunction with the facial wash and my face ends up feel cleansed, refreshed and moisturised.. perfect combination if you ask me?  (Super affordable at £4.99)


Have you tried the purity range? What's your favourite product?

Introducing: 3BrokeGirls

Just a quickie today, this week is manic for me, I literally have a jam-packed schedule from appointments, exams, prom and birthdays so blogging will have to take a back seat. I'll be back on Saturday. For now it would mean the world to me if you checked out my first ever venture into Youtube land with my 2 besties, Grace and Alley.

I've been wanting to start up a Youtube account for a little while now, but have been too nervous and also i don't have a good enough camera! I also thought my video's might be too boring? I don't know. So when we came up with the idea to create a collaborative channel, 3BrokeGirls. I was so excited because it would appeal to people with a wide range of interests. You've got Alley with her musical showbiz and GAY WEDNESDAYS! and Grace who's got an extensive interest in video games, books and films etc and of course myself who will be coming at you with more fashion and beauty related videos. 


I'm really excited to start this up because not only is it a lot of fun for us and you guys, but also because the three of us are going our separate ways this year with university and all, so this is going to be such a great way to stay in touch and interact with each other! So far we only have the one video up, our little intro if you will.. But new video's will be coming out really soon. Please hop on over, take a look, like, subscribe, comment! And just have fun really. 
Do you have a youtube channel? Leave your links below!