Baby Pink Nails!

When it comes to nail polish I tend to go for fun pastels or darker colours like navy, grey and black. The only pink nail polish I had in my collection, until recently, was my ELF nail polish in Passion Pink, a darker bright pink shade with gold shimmer running through it. However, I am starting a new job soon and wanted a  more subtle, but still pretty, nail colour.

My first stop was Barry M, and I found exactly what I was looking for pretty quickly. Baby Pink fits in well amongst my mint greens, pastel purples and peach nail colours. The colour is exactly what the name says, a beautiful baby pink. I often find paler pink nail polishes to be a bit wishy-washy and nondescript, but I love that this shade still packs a punch and is a very definite colour on the nail.

I don't tend to like shimmery pearlescent polishes, opting for either shimmer-free shades or nail polishes with actual chunks of glitter in them so I often go to Barry M for nail polish as they have a great range of colours to match my fussy requirements. 

I've had this on for 4 days straight without any noticeable chipping, which is quite a record for me. If it hasn't chipped in a couple of days then I've normally peeled it off anyway. Hopefully this durability will come in handy for working.

I absolutely love this colour. It could just be cos it's not normally a colour I'd opt for, but I find it so refreshing and pretty. It's a great colour for Summer, but will be a great staple all year. 

And at £2.99 for 10ml it's a fantastic buy!

xxx

Read my thoughts on ELF Passion Pink nail polish here! http://beautyimaginarium.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/elf-reviews-part-two-concealer.html

What's In My Makeup Bag? #1 FACE

I always enjoy 'What's In My Makeup Bag?' blog posts. I like to know what people are using day to day and what they like enough to consider them essentials in their makeup bags, so I thought I'd do one of my own!

I don't have a huge makeup bag, and I don't think I carry around an excessive amount of products, but everyone has different opinions of what is essential and what they're likely to want or need throughout the day, so here's mine...

FACE
Foundation: I don't carry around a foundation everyday, especially if I'm carrying a lot about that day, and often concealer will fix any skin dilemmas that may arise. But I do often throw it in my bag before I go out, despite the fact I don't think I've ever re-applied foundation when out and about, unless I was going somewhere to get ready (like a friend's house before a night out or a special occasion where we want to get ready together) or if I'd rushed out without time to do my makeup (which is rare!). At the moment I am using the NYC All Day Long Foundation, which I love for a cheap foundation. It lasts really well and when hotter days come along it doesn't slip or sweat off.

Read my review of NYC All Day Long Foundation here! http://beautyimaginarium.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/nyc-all-day-long-foundation-review.html

Concealer: I carry concealer at all times! I used the Rimmel Hide The Blemish stick concealers for a really long time, until I recently bought the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer. I know this concealer has a lot of fans on blogs, and I understand why. I love it! It lasts throughout the day, has great coverage, allows you to pinpoint blemishes, and doesn't go cakey when built up. This has quickly become a staple in my makeup routine and I don't go anywhere without it.

Read my review of Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer here!
http://beautyimaginarium.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/collection-2000-lasting-perfection.html

Powder: I am always a bit scared when I get my powder out of my makeup bag. I've suffered from broken powders, bronzers, blushers and eyeshadows many, many times in my life! However, in the Summer I can get a bit shiny, especially if I'm running about a bit and therefore like to keep powder on me for a quick fix. I always buy translucent powders because I am quite fair, I use the palest foundations generally, and I don't want any coloured powder that may not match up well and would look very obvious on my pale base. I was using Rimmel Stay Matte translucent powder untiil that broke recently, so I am know using Collection 2000 Pressed Powder.

Powder Brush: To apply my powder on the go I use a blusher brush by FCUK, which is great because it's slim and doesn't take up as much room as perhaps a larger powder brush would, and I only tend to put powder on a couple of places on my face, so it's good for keeping powder exactly where I want it.

Read my review of Collection 2000 Pressed Powder here!
http://beautyimaginarium.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/collection-2000-pressed-powder.html

Eyebrow Pencil: I actually use a pencil eyeliner for shaping and colouring my eyebrows. I often get a No7 gift set for Christmas or birthdays and these (luckily) often include the No7 Amazing Eyes Pencil in Brown. I really like this for my brows as it's easy to do light individual strokes and the colour is quite ashy so it doesn't leave me with gingery eyebrows (which has happened in the past). Eyebrow products may not be considered essential to everyone, but my brows aren't very dark naturally and are quite sparse, so I like to fill them in to make them more defined, and consider this one of my makeup musts everyday. I probably wouldn't use these liners for my eyebrows if I wasn't getting them in gifts as there are cheaper brow products out there, or even just eyeshadows, but when I've tried eyeshadows I've found it hard to find the right shade. Also these pencils are really convenient for on-the-go makeup.

Mascara Spoolie Brush: I keep an old, clean mascara wand in my makeup bag to brush through and shape my brows before adding pencil or brow mascara.

Brow Mascara: I have only started using brow mascara the last few months, but now I don't know how I ever managed without it!I use the ELF Wet Gloss Lash and Brow Clear Mascara. I keep it on my despite the fact it's never required touching up or another coat because hairs have fallen out of place. I find once I apply it in the morning, my eyebrows are set all day.

Read my review of ELF Wet Gloss Lash and Brow Clear Mascara here!
http://beautyimaginarium.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/elf-reviews-part-one-eyeshadow-eyeliner.html



Part Two of What's In My Makeup Bag? coming up!

Thanks for reading! xxx

E.L.F Reviews (Part Two) - Concealer, Eyeshadow, Nail Polish, and Bronzing Brush!

E.L.F Tone Correcting Concealer (Retails for £1.50)
I didn't have high hopes for this concealer, not because of the brand, price or the look of it on the site (I did buy it after all), but because I bought it in the shade Rosy Beige, whereas I would normally buy foundations or concealers in Ivory or their palest, or close to palest, option. However, Ivory was out of stock and this looked like the next palest shade.

I think I got carried away by the fact I needed a new concealer, it was the main reason I went to try E.L.F to be honest, and by the price. I would normally run a mile from pink toned foundations or concealers, as I have some pink to my skin which I am keen to tone down or cover up.

I do actually like the product. I like the formula, the packaging and the way it applies to the skin. It has a doe foot applicator which is great if you want to pinpoint blemishes. In order for me to get use out of this shade, I am using it as an under eye concealer, as I do often have dark circles and I know that orange or pinky shades are meant to counteract the blue. For this job, it is working great.

One thing I was unsure of is the scent. When on the website it said 'Scent - Sugar Orange' I didn't think much of it until I received the product and gave it a go. It does have a definite sweet orange scent to it, not overpowering, but the smell is definitely there. I didn't particularly mind this, and as I am using it around my eye area it is unnoticeable anyway. However, if you are sensitive to scents, and would use this around the nose and mouth, this might not be for you. From the E.L.F website it also looks like this concealer comes in quite a good shade range, especially for people with darker skin tones, who I know tend to struggle to find products catered to darker skin on the high street.
I generally like this product a lot, and I think it's a great concealer. It's a shame it's not really my shade but I'd definitely buy this product in Ivory when it is back in stock.


E.L.F Duo Eye Shadow Cream (Retails for £1.50)

I was really excited to try this product. I loved the colours in the Sugar Cookie duo, and normally am a big fan of cream eyeshadows. While obviously there will always be some cream eyeshadows that crease, they generally work very well for me, possibly as I have drier skin.

This product did not work well for me. On the packaging it arrived in it claimed to be longwear, crease resistant and blendable. I'm not really sure how they can even make the claim that it's longwear or crease resistant. Within minutes of putting it on my lids, it was creasing and over a half an hour period I had to run my finger back over it to fix it several times.

Seeing that it was not going to work well for me to go out in, I put an eyeshadow over it. This did seem to stop the creasing, and my shadow didn't crease throughout the day either, so as a base for eyeshadows this product could be great.

However, I didn't buy this for a base to other eye colours. I bought it because I loved, and still love the colours in this duo. One half is a beautiful shimmery pale pink, and the other is a lovely glittery gold. If this product had of worked for me, I'd have been over the moon because I loved the shades, and think it would have made a gorgeous look for summer. It's also a real shame because the duos look to come in amazing colours, and I would have undoubtedly bought more if the formula had have been better.

I'm not keen to waste a product though, and luckily the colours I bought it in work really well as a subtle blush and a golden highlighter for the summer when I won't be wanting to use a lot of powder products, as I prefer a dewy and glowy look.


E.L.F Nail Polish (Retails for £2.50)

I am a nail polish addict. I've been trying to ration myself lately to use up some of my existing ones before they dry up or go too thick, but when I saw Passion Pink on the E.L.F site, I couldn't resist.

The colour looked beautiful on the website, but I have to say I didn't personally think that the colour that arrived looked the same. Online it looked like a kind of milky opaque pink, without any shimmer. The Passion Pink that I got was much more of a hot pink with a gorgeous metallic gold running through it.

I have to say though, while this might be bad in other cases, I was very happy with the colour in the end. I love it a lot more than the one on the site, and it just looks a much more interesting and fun colour than I thought it was going to be.

I usually prefer nail polishes without shimmer, just cos I prefer the look of block opaque colours. But I love this. The shimmer is really subtle but still beautiful, so it doesn't look like you have really sparkly nails. The gold running through it is really different as well, and will be perfect for the summer months (if they ever arrive...).

It applies really well to the nail, although sometimes there's more product on the brush than there looks so that can lead to the odd accident. A lot of nail polishes have too thin a brush with them, but I felt like this was just the right size and would only take one or two strokes to cover the nail.

I'm normally the kind of person that really layers up nail polish. I like it to look quite thick and to be completely opaque, but with this I did two coats, and felt it looked great without keeping on adding more. I found it dried relatively quickly as well, as long as you don't layer up before it's properly dry, which is good because I am really impatient and will inevitably touch something and ruin it all. It lasts relatively well on the nail. Over 3 or 4 days I didn't have any chips (and I didn't use a top coat), however there was some wear on the top edge of the nail where some had worn off, but not noticeably.

I also like that the formula is apparently 'infused with Vitamin E for stronger, healthier nails', so you don't feel like you're doing damage to your nails.


I'm over the moon with this nail polish, and will be looking into the other colours in the future. But be warned, it may not look the way you thought when it arrives!

E.L.F Bronzing Brush (Retails for £1.50)

I'd tried contouring before, but never really had the right brush for it, and I had seen that a lot of people owned this angled brush from E.L.F so was keen to buy one.

Although the website calls it the Blushing, Bronzing and Blending Brush, the brush itself just says 'Bronzing Brush' on it. I don't think I'll use it for blushing or general bronzing because I prefer bigger, rounder brushes for that. But for contouring and highlighting I found it just right. The angle allows you to be really precise and as it's not too thick, you aren't left overdoing it.

I really like this for contouring and am pleased I bought it, but for other purposes I would probably look to other brushes.


That's all my E.L.F purchases done. I am on the whole really happy with them, and will definitely be looking to E.L.F in the future for my make-up needs. I am quite a fan of make-up shopping and looking at and testing products in person though, and found it quite hit and miss as someone who normally buys high street brands which, even when you buy online, you are aware of what you're getting. But for these prices, the quality for these prices, and the range I think E.L.F is brilliant!


(E.L.F Review Part One - http://beautyimaginarium.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/elf-reviews-part-one-eyeshadow-eyeliner.html)

xxx

Bronzing Brush - £1.50 - http://eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~43.htm

Cream Eye Shadow Duo - £1.50 - http://eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~67.htm

Nail Polish - £2.50 - http://eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~62.htm

Tone Correcting Concealer - £1.50 - http://eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~68.htm

E.L.F Reviews (Part One) - Eyeshadow, Eyeliner, and Lash and Brow Mascara!

So I got a bit carried away and ordered 7 products from the E.L.F website last week. Having never owned an E.L.F product, I was very excited to try them out, and have been incorporating them into my everyday make-up routine since they arrived.

E.L.F Single Eyeshadow in Totally Teal (Retails for £3.75)

I had my reservations about the colour of the free Studio eyeshadow I got with my order.

Don't get me wrong, I love a freebie, however as it's not a colour I would normally wear I was dubious as to whether I'd get any real use out of it, as opposed to if it were more of a neutral shade.
However, the colour is gorgeous and beautifully pigmented, so I have set about finding ways I could use it for different looks. In the summer I sometimes like to have a natural or golden eyeshadow on my lid and line the underneath with a blue or green, and this worked really well for that with a damp liner brush.

It's very buildable, so you can use it for a wash of teal over the lid, or for a really dramatic heavy eye look. It says on the packaging that the product is crease and fade resistant. I haven't worn it all over the lid for a long enough period of time to really test this, but it did last well as a liner, and there was no fall-out from it, despite it being pigmented. If the product really is crease and fade resistant, it would be fantastic for make-up looks for nights out. It can also be applied wet for a more intense and longer lasting colour.

From the website, the other shades in this range all look beautiful as well, and I'd definitely be keen to try this product in one of the softer colours as I really like the consistency and pigment of the product, as well as how well it applies.

E.L.F Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Black (Retails for £1.50)

I've never been a huge fan of eyeliner pens. While they are good for precise application and don't give you the leaking or smudging problems that some pencils or liquid liners do, I've always found the nib to dry out quickly or the colour to just not have the intensity or be as opaque as I'd like. I'm willing to accept this is probably just me being fussy. When I wear eyeliner on my upper lashline I like it to be very defined and opaque, not necessarily thick, but I just don't like the look of smudgey eyeliner or undefined liner on me.

But I thought it was time me and eyeliner pens tried to settle our differences. As (hopefully) summertime approaches, I won't always want to be wearing a lot of make-up, and while I love the liquid liner look, it might tend to look a bit heavy for everyday when I'm not out and about doing anything special. It also appealed to me that this pen is waterproof as in the warmer weather I am a big fan of waterproof eye products that you don't have to worry about melting off of your face or transferring.

The nib for this pen is fantastic. It's really thin so you are able to achieve a great eyeliner flick, and you can build it to be as thin or thick a line as you fancy. When I applied this eyeliner, it stayed in place all day, and it stayed put through some tricky eyeliner odds.

However, I did find it quite hard to make my liner as intense as I like it, but as I've said I bought this for the days when I don't really want that look, so I think it's something I'd get used to. But if you are looking for a good intense solid eyeliner line, I wouldn't buy this product for that.
If you like subtle but defined, then I think this product could really be for you, and it is fantastic for that look.

E.L.F Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara

I really love having my eyebrows well shaped and defined. I feel like good eyebrows really pull a make-up look together. I use a No7 Amazing Eyes Pencil in number 10 Brown to lightly fill in and shape my brows, but have often found that sometimes the hairs will fall out of place. I have in the past used a tiny bit of Vaseline over them to keep them in place, but it's not very resistant, so I have been wanting to buy a clear mascara for a while.

It's been one of those products that hasn't been top of my list, so I always forget it when shopping, however I am so glad I finally bought one. I think it is brilliant and is now a necessary step in finishing my make-up off. The packaging says the formula has protein conditioning properties, but doesn't describe what that does. It could possibly help promote the growth of lashes and eyebrows, but I couldn't be certain.

The product has one end for lashes and one for brows. While I'm sure the lashes end would work just as well for brows and vice versa should you run out of mascara. The brow wand is slightly thicker than the lashes wand, and isn't tapered. It applies perfectly to the brows and allows them to be shaped however you want them.

The formula dries fully, so you feel really assured that your brows won't be moving, and it doesn't leave them looking glossy, coated in product, or anything that would make them look unnatural. The mascara has worked really well for me both over colour I've used for my brows and just on them naturally for a simpler, more everyday look.

I have also been using the clear lash mascara for my bottom lashes. I often find putting black mascara on my lower lashes can look a bit much on me for the daytime, and can make them look a bit long and spidery. So this was a great alternative to define them, whilst looking natural. It would also work really well over black mascara if you wanted to experiement with glossy looking lashes.

This product is a firm favourite of mine and I will be repurchasing when I run out!



Hope you enjoy reading! So far I am really pleased with my E.L.F buys and definitely think, with the prices and the variety, that I could be onto a new personal favourite brand!

xxx

Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara - £1.50 - http://eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~12.htm
Waterproof Eyeliner Pen - £1.50 - http://eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~101.htm
Studio Single Eyeshadow - £3.75 - http://eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~145.htm

Mini E.L.F Haul!

I had never bought anything from the E.L.F range before, but knowing how popular and purse friendly they are, I thought I'd have a look for a few alternatives for the items in my make-up bag that I was running low on.

Over the weekend, the E.L.F Facebook page had discount codes for free delivery when you spend £10 and also a code to get either an eye shadow from either their Studio or Mineral ranges. I probably wasn't originally going to spend £10, but with delivery normally at £2.95 I thought it was worthwhile to take advantage of this offer.

The main item I was after was a new concealer. I bought the Tone Correcting Concealer in Rosy Beige (£1.50). I normally would have bought the shade Ivory, but it was out of stock and I thought this shade would probably be fine when I am slightly more tanned or even just to use under my eyes.

The next item I went for is the Waterproof Eyeliner Pen (£1.50). I normally use liquid or gel eyeliners as I normally like quite defined eyes, and also I find that pens can dry up pretty quickly. However, I thought this would be great for when I wanted a thinner line and I also love that it's waterproof, so fingers crossed it doesn't dry up too quickly!

I'm a big fan of good eyebrows, and rarely, even on the most minimal of make-up looks, will I go out without my brows filled in a defined a bit. I really like to have a definite shape to my brows so I bought the Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara (£1.50) to keep them in place on nights out or long days, or to just help define them without using a product like a brow pencil or eye shadow to fill them in.

I then wanted a cream eye shadow for the summertime for a more natural, glowing look, so I bought one of the new E.L.F Duo Eye Shadow Creams in 'Sugar Cookie' (£1.50), a shimmery gold colour on one side and a frosted pinky peach colour on the other. I'm very excited to try this as the colours look gorgeous, although there is a bit less product in the pot than I expected.

For quite a while I had wanted a good contour brush, and most people seem to think that the angled brushes are best for the job so I bought the Professional Bronzing Brush (£1.50). Although it's had some mixed reviews, I've never had a good brush suitable for contouring really so I'm excited to see how it works and what effect it gives.

At this point my basket was at £7.50 so I wanted something around £2.50 or more to qualify for the free delivery and eye shadow. I went for a nail polish as I love nail polish and am always keen to try new colours and formulas. I didn't have any pink colours, so I decided to buy Passion Pink (£2.50). I actually prefer the colour a lot more in real life than the one shown on the website. It's a lot brighter in real life and from the bottle it seems to have a beautiful metallic gold running through it.

For the free eye shadow I opted for a Studio shadow but you couldn't select a colour so it was a bit of a lucky dip. I was sent the Single Eyeshadow in the colour Totally Teal. I'm not too excited about the colour, not because it's not pretty, it's a lovely vibrant teal, but I just would have preferred a more wearable shade. But in the summer I may use it to line my lower lashes so hopefully it will get some use.

I'm looking forward to trying and reviewing my purchases and hope they're a good quality for their brilliant price!

xxx

All products bought from eyeslipsface.co.uk

(Sorry for the poor photo quality, my camera on my phone has decided to hate me!)