Building A Makeup Collection on a Budget | Part 1
14 February 2017
This post has been in the works for some time now but last week, I was talking to a friend who is getting into makeup and trying to build herself a collection; she mentioned how expensive makeup is. So I decided to gather my thought together and finally complete this post. If you are building yourself a collection or just interested in saving money on makeup, then I hope you find this useful.
Look out for sales
I absolutely love a good sale, Superdrug seem to always be on one sale or the other. They sometimes have a 3 for 2 sale or buy 2 of a brand for a certain price. For instance, I was able to get a Sleek Cream Contour Kit and Sleek Eyeshadow palette on a deal for £10 instead of the full price of £20. Boots is also good for discounts. Debenhams also goes on sale every now and then, I have been able to get 10% off MAC items, which was great. The easiest way to save money, is to shop when there is a sale.Join the Newsletter
If you are on the mailing list of a company, they can email you about product releases, free delivery offers and new deals. I get emails from MAC advising me of their new product launches, free delivery offers and every now and then, a deal to save money. Most recently, they had a lipstick and lip pencil deal where you get a MAC Lipstick and Lip Pencil for £24 as opposed to £28.50.Loyalty and Discount Cards
Debenhams, Boots, House of Fraser and Superdrug have discount cards that you collect points on and either use to purchase or part purchase beauty products. In Debenhams, you get points every time the card is scanned and when you get up to 500 points, you get £5 off any beauty product. My Debenhams Beauty Card now has £5 on it so I can get £5 off my next purchase in MAC, Urban Decay, Makeup Forever etc. Boots gives you points but you can only spend what you have on your card, you can’t use it to get a discount but as a payment card.Clearance Items
Boots and Superdrug often have items on clearance. My sister pointed out to me that our local Boots had NYX items on clearance, I was able to get a Lip Lingerie for £3.25 as opposed to £6.50, the NYX lip cream I got was £3 and not £5.50. You can also get damaged products at a reduced price. I got an MUA eyeshadow (rrp £4) for 90p because an eyeshadow was broken. So far, I have not missed that eyeshadow.
Check out the High Street
High Street brands are really stepping up their game. You'd be surprised the great items you can find if you only take the time to look. You can build your collection majorly on drug store makeup. You can even get some great dupes for high end makeup. Brands like Makeup Revolution are seriously coming for high end brands. I think Makeup Revolution is going to dupe all the popular high end items, they have dupes for the Urban Decay Naked palettes, MAC Mineralise skin finish and so on.
Shop Around
I always shop around for clothes, food, shoes; why not makeup as well. In my shopping around, I found that Debenhams beauty card has a much better deal than House of Fraser. In Debenhams, I only have to spend £170 on beauty items to get £5on my Beauty Card but I have to spend £500 in House of Fraser to get £5 on the card. Best believe Debenhams has my patronage. In the same vain, I noticed that Superdrug sells the Real Techniques brushes about £1 less than Boots, it’s not a lot but every little helps.
What are some of your favourite tips to save money on makeup?
10 Beauty Favourites Under £10
7 February 2017
Revlon Colorstay Foundation
This is the best foundation I have tried from the drugstore. Boots and Superdrug sell this foundation but don’t sell the darkest shades which is absolutely annoying (rant for another day). I purchase this foundation from eBay and always get it for between £5 and £7. The Revlon Colorstay foundation reminds me of my MAC Studio Fix Fluid. It has a matte finish with an amazing buildable coverage. It is very long lasting and never looks cakey on. This foundation performs as well as my High End ones for a fraction of the price.LA Girl Pro Concealer
If you have been around for some time, then you have probably heard about this concealer. The LA Girl Pro Concealers are just amazing. It cover blemishes perfectly without caking into the pores. This concealer is very creamy and works well to hide problem areas. I have to say the best thing about this concealer is the amazing shade range at its price.The Ordinary High Adherence Primer
When Gossmakeupartist rates a product, I have no choice but to believe him. When he did a video about a £3.90 primer for oily skin, I decided I had to have it. This primer is changing my oily skin life. Although it is a silicone primer, it has a creamy texture as opposed to this siliconey feel (for lack of a better word) that silicone primers usually have.This primer blurs pores out of sight and creates a beautiful canvas for foundation to go over.W7 Banana Dreams Powder
This loose powder was featured in my January favourites. It is a finely milled powder which controls oil without giving a cakey appearance. This banana powder does not leave a chalky appearance on the skin. It works perfectly for setting under eye concealer without creasing or looking ashy.Makeup Revolution Rock on World Baked Bronzer
If you read my Low End Highlighters post, then you would have seen me mention this amazing bronzer. This baked bronzer is the perfect highlighter for my mocha skin. Rock on World is so pigmented, I can't even explain. It looks great on and is extremely long wearing. The golden tone gives such a great sunkissed glow.Kiko Precision Eye Liner
I am not big on winged liner because I have the most unsteady hands. But the KIko eye liner is amazing for when I want to channel my inner Amy Winehouse. The liner has the ability to draw a black precise line without smudging and it has amazing staying power. This highly pigmented eyeliner dries quickly to a lovely matte black.Sleek Blush Sahara
I cannot rave about this blush enough. It is a matte orangey brown shade. Sleek Sahara is the perfect blush for me, it warms up my face and add the perfect natural flush of colour to my cheeks. It just seems to go with every look. I also love using Sahara as a crease colour. I don't think you can go wrong with this £5 blush.Real Techniques Expert Face Brush
No matter how many foundation brushes I fall in love with, I always come back to loving Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. This brush is a dream come true.NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams
My post cannot be complete without mentioning a great lip product. These are a must have for lipstick lovers out there. They have a unique texture. It is extremely soft, glides on smoothly and easy to apply but they dry matte. My favourite shades are London, Monte Carlo and Havana.Maybelline Color Tattoo
Color Tattoo is a highly pigmented cream eyeshadow. They have amazing power and do not crease. They are creamy making it easy to apply them. They are very versatile and can be used as either base, eyeshadow or eyeliner. I use the Color Tattoos as a base for my eyeshadows and they increase the colour payoff of eyeshadows. My favourite is shade Crème Rose. It works as a perfect base for any eyeshadow shade.
What are your favourite beauty products for under £10?
25 Blogger Cliches
31 January 2017
Prior to blogging, I read a few blogs and spent countless hours on Instagram but I was oblivious to the trends among bloggers. Since joining the blogging scene, I have read a whole lot of blogs, followed Instagram pages and I have noticed a few similarities among bloggers, cliches one may call them. I have decided to share them.
1. Ikea Alex drawers - Because where else are you going to fit all those eyeshadow palettes
2. Ikea Skukar plant pot - Who cares what they were created for, I'm just going to store my for makeup brushes in them because everyone else is doing it
3. Fur rug - Can someone say Ikea ...
4. Ikea white desk - Let's hope it never gets dirty
5. Minimalist Instagram Theme
6. Acrylic Makeup Storage -If it's good enough for the Kardashians then its good enough for me
7. Cinema Lightbox - My blog name or blog post has to be in bright lights
8. Candles - especially Jo Malone
9. Marble Background
10. Succulents
11. Flat Lays - A good flat lay is worth more than a thousand photos
12. Rose gold props - The flat lay is incomplete without the rose gold
13. Flowers - Who knew Peonies were so photogenic?
14. Blurry Background - The beloved 50mm lens to create the perfect bokeh effect
15. Kate Spade stationery - I mean they look great on camera
16. Girl Boss book - Does anyone read the book or is it just for the aesthetics
17. Rings as props - especially rose gold
18. MacBook/ Imac
19. Staged desk shots - Because a good desk shot can tell any story, just read the caption
20. Fashion Magazines - Vogue and Elle seem to be good blogger reads
21. Framed inspirational quote - She believed she could so she did
22. White, minimalist blog - Because all that colour is too distracting.
23. H and M home - Basically
24. Tea/ Coffee shots - Do you drink the tea after you post on Instagram? Or was the coffee never hot to begin with?
25. Macaroons - Are they ever eaten or just to be double clicked on Instagram?
This was a fun post for me to write and I hope you enjoy it. I am guilty of 14 cliches and counting because we never know, I may decide to visit the home section of H&M.
Have you noticed any of these cliches? Which ones are you guilty of?
January Favourites
27 January 2017
I honestly cannot believe it’s
almost the end of January and payday has finally come. Oh how time flies. I wanted
to share with you guys some of the beauty products I have been enjoying so far.
Every time I put on this
foundation, I fall in love all over again. For me, Double Wear ticks all the
boxes. Long lasting, amazing coverage and neutral undertone. What more could I
ask? You can read my in depth review here.
Zaron Volumizing Mascara
Zaron Volumizing Mascara
I got this mascara as part of
a Christmas present and I am super impressed. The mascara wand is really
something. It separates the lashes and coats every single lash without clumping.
I hardly ever have the patience for falsies so I love that this mascara gives
an instant boost to my lashes by lengthening and adding volume. The only down
side is Zaron is a Nigerian brand and not easily accessible in the UK.
I kept reading reviews about
the Makeup Geek eyeshadows and decided to take the plunge and buy a couple to try
out. Cocoa Bear is a lovely reddish brown eyeshadow. It is buttery smooth and
blends very easily. Cocoa Bear looks perfect in my crease.
Corrupt is a buttery black eyeshadow with subtle
shimmers in the pan that are not visible on the skin. It is amazingly pigmented,
the colour payoff is just wonderful. The pigmentation is phenomenal, honestly;
one swipe gives an opaque colour. It is also quite long lasting
NYX Eyeshadow Spellbound
I bought this eyeshadow because I read it was a dupe for MAC Sumptuous Olive, although I am unable to comment on whether it is a perfect dupe or not but I absolutely love it. Spellbound feels very smooth and blends with little effort. It is a lovely olive green shade that complements my dark skin perfectly. I apply this wet to intensify the colour and I apply it over an eye primer so it lasts all day.
NYX Eyeshadow Liquid Gold
Liquid Gold is a deep copper gold eyeshadow. It’s not exactly a true gold, neither is it a copper shade but a lovely blend of both colours. This eyeshadow has a smooth formula and glides on easily. It is very pigmented, I honestly cannot believe the price. Such a great value for money.
W7 Banana Dreams
NYX Eyeshadow Spellbound
I bought this eyeshadow because I read it was a dupe for MAC Sumptuous Olive, although I am unable to comment on whether it is a perfect dupe or not but I absolutely love it. Spellbound feels very smooth and blends with little effort. It is a lovely olive green shade that complements my dark skin perfectly. I apply this wet to intensify the colour and I apply it over an eye primer so it lasts all day.
NYX Eyeshadow Liquid Gold
Liquid Gold is a deep copper gold eyeshadow. It’s not exactly a true gold, neither is it a copper shade but a lovely blend of both colours. This eyeshadow has a smooth formula and glides on easily. It is very pigmented, I honestly cannot believe the price. Such a great value for money.
W7 Banana Dreams
This banana powder is a really
smooth, finely milled, high quality powder. It was love at first try. It is
absolutely amazing to set my under eye concealer. The silica contained in it
keeps oil under control. It does not crease and doesn’t look ashy on my dark
skin. This powder photographs perfectly, there is no white cast and it come off
ashy on camera. I also prefer the packaging of this powder as opposed to the
shaker bottle that other banana powders come in.
Cherry Blossom is everything.
This liquid lipstick never fails. It is a blue-toned red lipstick – my favourite
kind of red. It looks wonderful on my dark skin. The lipstick has good staying
power, it still looks good on the lips even after a sumptuous meal. It dries to a lovely matte finish but isn’t uncomfortable on
the lips and it doesn’t flake like many liquid lipstick. It applies on smoothly
and I didn’t experience any patchiness.
I have had my eye on this perfume since I took a whiff of it on my friend, so when I stopped by Boots and found a set on offer as part of their Boxing day sales, I knew it was meant to be. It’s such a sexy scent without being overbearing. It has a feminine fresh scent but is not overly sweet. It’s sensual enough to wear in the evening and still able to attract compliments during the day time. Plus the rose gold bottle looks great on any dressing table.
My sister left this pencil at
my place and her loss is my gain. I am allergic to the Soap and Glory skincare
products so I never tried their makeup items for fear of allergies. But this
kohl pencil is everything. It is a creamy, highly pigmented black matte eye
pencil. It doesn’t run and it is long wearing. I am highly impressed.
Burnt Pepper is a warm terracotta matte blush. With this blush, a little goes a long way, it is really pigmented. It is very creamy and soft, making it a dream to blend. It looks wonderful on my skin tone and gives the perfect flush of colour and it is long lasting.
What beauty products are you enjoying this month?
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation
24 January 2017
For the longest time, all I knew about Estee Lauder was their skin care range which my mum used religiously. I couldn’t believe they stocked makeup. I was even more surprised to find that they catered for darker shades.
Over a year ago, after reading and watching a good number of reviews about this foundation, I decided to take the plunge and purchase the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation. At the Boots counter, I was recommended this foundation in the shade Truffle, this shade was not perfect for me and I had to resort to mixing the foundation with a different one. I have absolutely no problem with mixing my foundations to create the perfect shade. The problem for me is that when I spend £31 on a bottle of foundation, I honestly don't want to have to mix it to make it work. It is safe to say I was not impressed with this foundation the first time around. But I believe in second chances so I decided to give the Estee Lauder Double a second chance. I went into the store to get matched for the second time around and this time, I got matched with the shade Deep Amber 7N1. I can say that Deep Amber is the one, it has a beautiful neutral undertone which I almost never find in foundations that cater for the darker woman.
Estee Lauder Double Wear comes in a beautiful see through glass bottle with a gold screw cap. The bottle has quite the luxurious feel to it. It does not come with a pump which can be very annoying because sometimes I overestimate the product I need and end up having to waste some. The upside is that the MAC pump fits the Double Wear bottle perfectly so I just use that.
I am always on the lookout for a long lasting foundation with a flawless finish that of course, matches my skin tone. I can say that I have found all of this in the Estee Lauder Double wear. It is marketed as a medium coverage foundation but I think it is more full coverage. This foundation is lightweight but is quite pigmented and has an opaque coverage. It is very buildable and a little does go a long way. Although this is a medium to full coverage foundation, the consistency is neither too thick nor too runny.
It has a beautiful finish. As a girl with oily skin, I am very impressed with how matte this oil free foundation is. It is also neither drying nor does it settle in the pores. This foundation dries matte and it is water resistant. It also endures heat. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it is sweat resistant, but it does well with higher temperature. Estee Lauder claims that this foundation is transfer resistant, I can’t really comment on this as I always set my foundation with powder that usually transfers.
Even with my oily skin, I did not experience any break outs with this foundation. This foundation has an amazing lasting power. It has stood the test of time. I have worn it for over 10 hours and it still looks great. The Double Wear foundation blends very easily, it spreads evenly on the skin to create the flawless base I am always looking to get with my foundation.
They have an amazing shade range which each come in Neutral and Warm undertones. One thing that sold me on this foundation is the fact that it comes with a neutral undertone for my dark shade. I find that most foundations for women of colour, tend to be too warm. Another beautiful thing I noticed about this foundation is that unlike most of my other foundations, it does not oxidise. The foundation does not change colour as the day goes by, so what I see at 9am is what I get at 5pm.
I love the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation so much, it has knocked off all my other bottles of foundation and has won a spot in my list of holy grail foundations.
I wouldn't recommend this foundation to someone with dry skin because it is oil free and dries matte but if you are like me and you have oily, acne prone skin then this is a perfect foundation for you. Also the SPF in the foundation may not go well with flash photography. I never take photos with flash so I am unable to comment on that fact. You are also able to get a sample that last 10 days so you can try out the foundation and see if you want to commit to a full sized bottle.
What is your holy grail foundation?
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