Current Beauty Favourites

Hey Everyone!

I've been absolutely loving each of these products over the last little while and thought I'd let you know exactly why. I am thinking of doing a non-beauty favourites too- let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to see in that. 

Makeup

S&G Archery in Brownie Points- This has made the long time impossible task of filling in my brows so straight forward. Its really defining and just the right shade. 

No7 Stay Precise Liquid Liner- I had a bit of a panic in the last few week because I had run out and couldn't find it in any Boots. After being reassured it hadn't been discontinued, I managed to find it well stocked in the one Boots I hadn't tried (phew). Anyway, this hands down beats any other liquid eyeliner I've ever tried, including L'Oreal Super Liner. 

Maybelline Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze- See full review here.

Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara- After getting a sample of this in a magazine I had to buy the full size because it is amazing. This has quickly become my HG mascara. It ticks all the boxes: length, volume, no clumps, and, unlike a lot of others, its not a pain to remove. 

MUA Lipstick in Shade 9- This has been a favourite of mine for years. It is non-drying, the perfect everyday colour and at only £1: it is an absolute steal.

MAC Lipstick in Girl About Town- Since receiving this as a birthday present last year, I wore this only from time to time because it was such a bold colour. I've been wearing it a lot on nights out lately though and the lasting power is absolutely amazing. Its such a good quality product and is really easy to apply.

Nails

Tanya Burr Nail Polish in Little Duck- I've been resisting Tanya Burrs collection since it hit shelves but I was delighted to receive 3 of her polishes for my birthday. I absolutely love mint nail polish but own none (surprising despite the size of my collection) and this is the first I used of the three. The colour payoff is excellent and it lasts a good few days without chipping.

Fragrance

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh- I'm a huge fan of Marc Jacobs perfume. I'm thinking of treating myself to another at duty free on the way to Portugal actually. Each one of the scents are fresh and sweet and beautiful. I reserve this for special occasions because its so expensive.

Body

Soap & Glory The Breakfast Scrub- The Breakfast Scrub is the most delicious smelling product ever- its like syrup/ pancakes/ sticky toffee pudding. It also leaves my skin super soft.

Hair

Batiste Dry Shampoo- When roots are looking a little greasy, Bastise dry shampoo is definitely a life saver. I had been using the 'blush' scent which comes in the pink bottle but it has that tell tale dry shampoo musty smell which I'm not a fan of. I picked up the 'fresh' scent as a little experiment to see if it would be any better and I was really pleased: thankfully it doesn't have the dry shampoo smell rather a fresher, perfumed one. The XXL Volume is more like a sticky, hairspray dry shampoo. It is brilliant for bulking up hair although the white colour is a little more difficult to work into the roots. 

Maybelline Color Tattoo Review

Hey Everyone!
With so much hype surrounding the Maybelline Color Tattoos, a few months ago I gave in and picked up the shade On and On Bronze. It took me a few weeks to really get into this product: I think it takes quite a lot of practice/ playing around to get the hang of how to use it. After a good while of everyday wear, I feel equipped enough to write a review (probably the hundredth you've seen, but here's my tuppence anyhoo).
The packaging is sturdy and practical. It is quite simplistic: not the prettiest product on a dresser but I guess its whats on the inside that matters. To apply, I use my ring or pinky finger and apply by small dabs on the eyelid. Only a little product is needed because the formula is so creamy. What is most striking about this product is the richness of the colour. The photograph really conveys its depth, shimmer and pigmentation. Its super buildable, so is perfect for if you're looking for a light base or a more intense look. I usually wear just this with a tiny bit of MUA matte eyeshadow in shade 19 (a dark brown) blended into the crease. The lasting power is better than standard drugstore powder eyeshadows, though it definitely does not last 24 hours (at least on my oily eyelids) and will sometimes crease after about 5/6 hours. It is not at all a pain to remove though- just a sweep of my Garnier Micellar Water does the trick. I think this product will last for a long time but I will probably repurchase when it does run out. I'd also like to try other shades.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water Review

Hey Everyone!
You have probably seen review after review of Garnier Micellar Water as its release has caused quite a storm in the blogsphere but I'm just going to add my tuppence worth and hope that the fact I'm now on my second bottle can provide you with more of an  insight than you have already. 

I originally bought this back in February as an affordable alternative to the amazing Bioderma. When I bought it in Superdrug it was on an introductory offer so was about £3.50. I've never delved into Garnier skincare before, in fact, until recently I hadn't really delved into any skincare besides my Simple Moisturiser. I finally realised that I needed to implement a skincare routine because my skin has went from bad to worse over the last few months, and an essential part to every skincare routine is makeup remover.
I use this with a small round cotton pad to remove my makeup at the end of the day. I usually use around four pads to make sure every spot of make up is gone. I've read on quite a few blogs that people find this a lot easier to pour than alternatives such as the L'Oreal Micellar Water. In my opinion, its actually pretty easy to pour too much onto the pad. I do really like the amount of product you get though- 400ml is pretty generous for the price. It claims that you will get 200 uses which, having now finished one bottle, I would agree with. Though remember, with four uses a day, you might have to repurchase more than you think.
I love that this cleansing water just grabs any make up it comes into contact with- even eye makeup, without much rubbing.  It does nip my eyes slightly but this is the case with every makeup remover I've tried so its not a big deal. I just need to remember to close my eyes tight. I really like the simple packaging and the fact that you can see how much you have left. It has a very clean scent which is pleasant but it doesn't seem overly natural to me- though the bottle does say 'No Perfume.' 
The one problem I had with this was when I had to take it travelling. I couldn't take the full 400ml bottle as I wasn't checking in baggage so I had to transfer it to a smaller bottle which proved to be quite the problem. The cap isn't designed to be removed, so in my attempts I broke a little bit off which made the bottle leak when it wasn't upright for the rest of the time I had it. The actual micellar water didn't fair too well in the travel bottle as it turned out- the liquid seemed to separate and form a white precipitate at the bottom. This gave me horribe flashbacks of the solubility problems I faced with my bio investigation. Not good. Moral of the story: don't attempt to transfer this to another bottle. I'm mighty relieved that now I have a fresh one. Perhaps Garnier should consider a travel size.
Other than that slight pickle I found myself in, I absolutely love this micellar water and I'm not even bothered about trying any other ones as I think this is the best dupe for Bioderma that I'll find. At the price of £4.99 a bottle, you definitely get your money's worth.
Have you tried it yet?

MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighting Powder Review

Hey Everyone!
For a good while I was absolutely obsessed with MUA and would buy pretty much every product they launched. From the affordability to the quality, I was sold. Lately, a combination of their plentiful new products and my building makeup collection means that I havem't been picking up their newest releases quite so religiously, but I am still very much enjoying trying out what I have.
The MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighting Powder initially appealed to me because of the surge of hype it received in the blogging community and because, lets face it, it looks great- its so swirly, frosty and shiny. It was actually sold out in a lot of stores upon its launch and the fact that I couldn't get my hands on it made it even more attractive. I was pretty impressed when I eventually bought it.
Pros: The actual product is actually a very creamy powder and I find that it is applied best with the Real Techniques Contour Brush. The colour is a cool, silvery white pink which is a nice alternative to the usual warm, rosy highlighters/ blushes. This highlighter, depending on how much you apply, adds a subtle glow to the cheeks without being disco-ball-like. 
Cons: The powder tends to sit on foundation rather than blend in with it, and by the end of the day the two can completely separate. I don't know if this is maybe just my skin type, it may not do the same for other people.   My MAC Mineralize Skinfinish  is still my HG highlighter, but to be fair, for the £19 price difference- it should be.
Overall: There isn't a huge selection of drugstore highlighters out there, so this is definitely worth a go at £3 a pop even just to give it a go and see if you like it or if you are new to highlighting and don't want to splurge on a high end one straight away.
Have you tried this?

Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me Review

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Over the time I've been blogging, I have managed to (somewhat) train myself to resist the hype of a product and only purchase it after making myself wait for a few months to make sure I actually want it. But, when I heard that Maybelline Baby Lips had launched in the UK- all of that logic went out the window and I wanted to get one immediately.
After searching quite a few Maybelline counters over the past few weeks, I finally found this at the very bottom of one in a small Boots store. What surprised me most was that they were well stocked and I could actually get my hands on the shade I wanted.

First off, I love the packaging. I think it looks really American and I like the young, bright and bold theme and clashing colours. I would certainly be drawn to these in the drugstore even if I hadn't heard of them. The actual plastic casing is however very light and seems a bit flimsy which I guess is only to be expected from such a reasonably priced product.

Bare lips

Wearing Baby Lips

As soon as you take the lid off, a yummy cherry smell hits you. The product is really silky and glides onto the lips really easily. It leaves a nice rosy colour on the lips which is impressive as mine are very pink anyway and it lasts a couple of hours. It does transfer a little onto cups etc but that's something we'd have to deal with with most other lip products anyway.
What I'm most impressed with is that, unlike Vaseline (my go-to lip balm), your lips don't feel dry when the product has worn off. Instead, they just gave a good, lasting dose of moisture.
For only £2.99- I think this is a great little product and will definitely be my go-to lip balm from now on.
Have you tried it?

Current Drugstore Wishlist

Hey Everyone!

Once again, partly due to the blogger twitter chats and partly due to my never ending need to try something new: I have accumulated another list of current covets from the drugstore. This originated as a "What makeup I'd buy if I got a job" list (I'm job hunting at the mo!) but I thought I'd share it with you all. 

Revlon Colourstay Foundation

I have wanted to try this or Photoready for ages- which do you like better? I've picked Colourstay for this list as I've seen it in a discount makeup store and I'm more likely to pick it up. The only thing I think would drive me crazy would be having no pump.

Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon

This is included purely because of the hype. I'm a sucker for a rave review, and unless you've been living under a rock for the last few weeks, you will know these are very, very popular with beauty bloggers at the mo. I am therefore very eager to get one to see for myself how good they are.

Sleek Face Contour Kit Light

I have wanted both the duo contour kit and rose gold blush by Sleek for ages so you can imagine my amazement when I discovered they'd launched a new palette combining the two. Surprisingly, I don't have one Sleek product but from what I hear, the blushes are a good place to start my collection.

Maybelline Baby Lips Balm

After months of lusting after this USA-only cult product, I was sooo excited to hear that they had launched in the UK! Next time I'm in Superdrug I'll definitely be hunting down one of these bad boys. They're also really cheap and have SPF!

Maybelline Falsies Flared Mascara

I'm a complete mascara junkie and I am constantly on the lookout for a drugstore mascara that can measure up to the high end ones. I have had my eye on this for a while and it will be what I pick up after my current mascaras run out.

L'Oreal Foundation True Match

I asked for some foundation recommendations on twitter and someone mentioned this and it is apparently great for my skin type.

So there we have it. What do you have your eye on from the drugstore at the minute?

L'Oreal Telescopic Waterproof Mascara Review

Hey Everyone!

I bought the L'Oreal Telescopic Waterproof Mascara quite a while ago now and have just given it a proper road test recently. I loved the regular Telescopic but when I wore it to school I ended up with severe panda eyes- so we had to part ways. Then the logical step forward was the waterproof version.

I really like the packaging of this mascara: it is a nice shade of blue, there is no rubbing away of the writing, its sturdy and handily: stands on a flat surface. The brush is super long, thin and angled at the tip which makes it really easy to get to the inner and outer lashes which are otherwise tricky, but it doesn't give a great deal of control. 

Application is a little tricky- I find the formula dries very quickly, so its sometimes difficult to work with and lashes can clump. 

On the lashes, the mascara offers great length and fair volume. I love how flared it makes the lashes and how it holds a curl all day long. Its also very black and remains like that all day with no flaking, fall down or smudging (which is an achievement considering my oily eyelids).

The thing that puts me off using this mascara is that its a nightmare to get off. I soaked my lids in Bioderma for a few minutes then and rubbed and rubbed until it finally came off. If an average mascara takes 5 points of effort to come off, this takes 20. On the upside, it doesn't budge a millimetre with water- so perfect for this time of year.

Overall, this is probably one of the better mascaras you can get in the drugstore, though it is also one of the most expensive. I'm a believer in you get what you pay for when it comes to mascara, and personally I would pay a few pounds more for a mascara that is just as nice on the lashes but isn't as difficult to remove. 

Have you tried it? What are your thoughts?

Guest Post: Hayley Loves Favourite Products For Under £10

Hello! I'm Hayley from Hayley Loves at lastyearsheroxo.blogspot.co.uk and when Julz gave me an idea of what kind of post she wanted, I jumped at the chance of doing this - my favourite products for under £10. I've been quite naughty lately, and have neglected high street brands and gone more for high end, so this has definitely given me the incentive to head on to my local Boots and appreciate the beauty that is affordable make up products.

I didn't realise just how much I reached for my Colossal Volume Express Mascara until now. I use it nearly every day, it's perfect for creating effortless, separated, long lashes. Apply a couple more coats and you're set!

If I'm looking for more statement lashes, I nearly always reach for L'OrealVolumnious 4X Mascara.  I didn't expect much from quite a thin brush, but this never disappoints. It never clumps and it's really good to layer with, if I ever need to apply more later on.

Everyone loves a good MUA product, and their Flawless SkinPrimer has been a staple in my make up box recently. It creates a smooth, velvety base that isn't drying and really holds onto my foundation. 

On the subject of MUA, I adooooore the MatteFoundations that are like, £2! This is my go-to foundation when I just need some when I'm running a couple of errands, but don't need a full face. It's not really matte at all, it leaves me with a dewy finish, so I think maybe oily skinned people should look elsewhere. It's medium-full coverage is really thick, but easily blendable and covers all my blemishes. Definitely repurchasing. 

I needn't rave about the Brow Kit too much, as you're all aware of how incredible it is. I use it every day, a mixture of the dark and blonde powder and it rarely smudges. And that's all I'm gonna say about that!

A cult product, the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer will be a repurchase till the day they discontinue it. Okay so this shade is a little dark for me, but it blends so well it doesn't matter too much. It's perfect for under eyes and blemishes, you know, I don't know why I'm preaching to the choir!

Finally, most peoples go-to shade this Autumn/Winter, the Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107. This deep, wine shade flattered nearly every skin tone with it's blue undertones and was perfect day or night. I still wear this now. It's not drying, perfect for a statement lip, smells gorgeous and looks really, really nice... if I say so myself.

Thank you very much to the lovely Hayley for writing the first ever guest post on Julz' Obsessions! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did- I'm having trouble restraining myself from running to Superdrug right now and buying it all!

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation Review

Hey Everyone!

I'm sure you've already read a lot about Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation, but since I got this for Christmas and have been using it more or less everyday since, I thought I'd throw in my tuppence. 

I actually tried this months ago as a sample came free with ELLE magazine and I had a pretty bad experience. A colour that was way too dark + an extremely generous sample = disaster. I was firmly put off. However, now I have Ivory - shade 100 which I think is the lightest available. The fact that it actually matches my skin gives me a much better judgement of how good it is! 

Firstly, I really like the bottle as its glass rather than plastic which gives it a more expensive feel and really sharp and eye catching with the orange lid. The consistency is really smooth and pretty liquidy (liquidy isn't a word but you know what I mean!) and gives a light coverage. I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting with the name 'Wake Me Up', but thankfully it doesn't scream and pour freezing cold water on you at 6am but leaves your face noticeably radiant. It's very brightening and perfect for early mornings. 

What I was most concerned about when trying this foundation was the glitter flecks through it. I was relieved to discover that you can only see slight shimmer if a really bright light is shining on your face. For this reason, I would recommend it as an ideal winter foundation, though I'm not sure how well it would fare in summer (in Scotland it would probably work all year round!)

Something which is annoying about this foundation is that is doesn't stay in place all day. It transfers quite easily (hello glittery hands) and tends to gather in some areas of my face by the end of the day. I have went back to Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation on the odd day and I notice how well it stays in place compared to Wake Me Up, although it isn't as brightening.

Overall, for the price and visible complexion enhancing payoff, I would say this foundation is definitely worth a go, though I think I will revert to Lasting Finish when this runs out!

Battle of the Bargain Eyeshadow Primers- Elf v MUA

Hey Everyone!

You may know that I have a lot of trouble trying to keep my eye makeup on all day- from eyeshadow creasing to mascara smudging, the problems are endless. A few months ago I ordered elf's eyelid primer (£1.50) and for Christmas I got the MUA Professional Eyes Primer (£2.50). I'm sure you will agree that if nothing else, you certainly get a good price on these products.

In terms of packaging, I prefer MUA as I think it has a slightly higher quality feel, whereas the elf primer comes in the boggest of bog standard tubes. The applicators are very similar, if not identical. I find the formula of the MUA to be slightly 'wetter' and it goes further than the elf. Both provide a smooth, sheer base for my eyeshadow which I like texture-wise. However, neither primer ensures a crease free day! I would say MUA primer has a slightly longer lasting power, but essentially, neither will last more than a few hours. In all honesty, I think the products are very, very similar, perhaps even from the same retailer with different packaging. 

Neither works wonders, yet neither is an awful product. I will continue to use both as they do provide a nice even base for eyeshadow.

My favour leans slightly towards MUA, despite the fact its more expensive, I think it does the job a little more effectively and will last longer. For the price, I would at least give it a try!

Wishlist | Current Drugstore Makeup Covets

Hey Everyone!

It seems like no amount of purchases will satisfy my constant wishlist. I think something new adds to my wishlist everyday! 

Maybelline The Falsies Flared Mascara

Revlon PhotoReady Foundation

Topshop Nails in Jem

Topshop Nails in Fallen Leaf

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation

Topshop Lipstick in Hazard

Barry M Nail Polish in Pink Silver

Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Eyeliner Nude

Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in Wine

Topshop Nails in Threadbare

Topshop Lip Stick in Clueless

Although I cannot possibly justify buying another bottle of nail polish, I think these shades are amazing and so Christmassy! I'd also love to get a dark lipstick for this time of year and a nude eye pencil to make me look more awake. Then I'd like to give The Falsies another go because it was years ago that I tried it and let's face it, what did I know then? I'm also loving Barry M's glitters- they're so opaque! And as always, I'm coveting a whole lot of Topshop makeup. 

Can you believe that if I were to buy all of this it would cost £71.44- eeek! Just for a few (11) drugstore products. Oh my- it doesn't even look that much! Goodness knows what the price would be for all my high end covets!

What's top of your drugstore wishlist?

Review | NYC Showtime Waterproof Mascara

I picked up NYC Showtime Waterproof Mascara in Superdrug for £1.99 as a kind of 'you will do until I find something better product' after my L'Oreal Telescopic ended smudging to the top of my cheekbones after only a few hours wear. I thought either it had a very short prime time or I needed something a little (or a lot) more long wearing. Without the £10.99 price tag (ouch!)

I was pretty much bang on the money with my first impression. This mascara is pretty much your average, not bad, not great product. The packaging is admittedly quite nice for how much it was. So far the writing has stayed intact and everything has stuck where it should be (classic signs of cheap packaging). The wand is pretty standard; straight, strong and brush-like without much flexibility or movement (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). The formula is quite dry which I like as I don't end up with mascara on my lid from blinking too quickly, yet it isn't too dry that it flakes. It definitely lives up to it claim of being waterproof, as it doesn't budge from my lashes even after a day at school (the ultimate test) and, what is most impressive, is that it is actually just as easy as a normal mascara to remove! No red eyes or endless scrubbing. 

However, it really doesn't do anything amazing for my lashes. It gives them a bit of definition, and can look decent if you apply 3 or so coats (I'm sorry, but who has time for that?) but it doesn't volumize or lengthen. For a natural, day to day, long wearing, affordable mascara, this is good. But, if you are looking for a bit of oomph- this isn't the product for you. 

I am still searching for a mascara that ticks all the boxes, and I now wonder whether I will need to wear a waterproof one all the time or whether there was just some weird smudging thing going on with my Telescopic.

Have you tried this mascara? Which one would you recommend?

Review | ELF Eyelid Primer

As you may know, I love a smokey eye, but what is insufferably annoying is when your eye makeup rubs off in the course of a few hours. There are a great many high end eyelid primers available which I have heard raved about constantly (hello Urban Decay Primer Potion) but for a lot of us that is way out of budget. At that point I turned to ELF and found the Eyelid Primer in Sheer for a tiny £1.50.

The packaging is fairly simple yet durable- so far no leakages or faded writing. It has a really nice formula; I apply one 'swipe' onto my crease and blend all over the lid and up to the brow. I love how it gives a very even surface and colour to my eyelid and provides a great base for shadow. It sounds weird, but it actually feels soft on my eye- like a blanket or something, and is therefore really smoothing. It slightly enhances the usual colours of the eye shadow and reduces creasing, though doesn't prevent it all together. Although it doesn't work exactly as I'd hoped, this product has still become part of my everyday routine because it provides a beautiful base for eye shadow.

Have you tried this? Can you recommend any other drugstore eye primers?