bareMinerals Blemish Remedy ♡

When skincare products make big sweeping statements I'm always dubious. One such product is the bareMinerals Blemish Remedy Anti-Imperfection Serum. The website description is as follows:

"Reveal your most beautiful self with skin calming ingredients to help reduce the appearance of blemishes. Our oil-free formula works in three ways to help improve skin's overall appearance."

Dermatologist tested. Non-comedogenic.

 Combats blemishes

Calms skin

Smoothes textures

I purchased after hearing a half decent review through the grapevine, persuaded as at the time my skin was pretty awful due to the stress of exams and all of the rubbish I had been eating whilst revising. After overcoming the hurdle of the rather hefty price tag (£36 to be exact) and googling what on earth 'non-comedogenic' meant (FYI it's that it doesn't cause acne) I ordered and began using the product. The directions instruct that three drops is enough to cover your whole face - I was at first hesitant to believe this, but alas it is correct and a very small amount of the product goes a very long way. This is always the first stage in my decision over whether something (usually an expensive something) is a good investment. There wouldn't be a chance of me repurchasing if it ran out too quickly for it to be worth the money.

As for whether the product does what it says on the tin; my verdict is that it does. The serum soaks into your skin straight away and doesn't leave it feeling at all oily, which is a serious plus point for me. And after around a week of use, my skin was by and large clear of spots and blemishes. Of course, you can't expect that any product is going to be a magical serum that will forever banish your bad skin - I don't think any brand is that powerful - but this seemingly did go a long way into calming down my current breakouts and reducing the blemishes caused by previous ones. On the whole I was quite impressed.

Have you ever tried this? Did you rate it highly?

Maddie x

Nivea vs No7 Eye Makeup Remover ♡

I am never not on the look out for great eye makeup removers - it seems that I always decide to love and cherish the eye makeup with ridiculous staying power, which is great during the day when you actually want your makeup to stay on your face, but when it comes to taking it off it becomes a bit of a problem. My holy grail Garnier Micellar Water seemingly found it's weakness in getting rid of my mascara, specifically Benefit's They're Real so I have been searching for the best removers on a drugstore budget. I have found that the best bet is usually oil-based removers - something I despise using on my face as a whole but that is so useful for getting rid of stubborn eye makeup. The top two that I have purchased so far are the Nivea 'Double Effect' and the No7 'Beautiful Skin'.

Both are advertised as catering for sensitive skin, with Nivea's product suggesting that it is able to remove "even waterproof mascara  & eye makeup without irritating the sensitive eye area". Let's assess this claim. The easy removal of waterproof makeup is definitely true, although having watched the television advert I can tell you that, surprise surprise, the 'one swipe' they promise is a complete lie. Moreover, the product most certainly does irritate the eyes, that much in fact that upon first use my eyes stung like crazy and I ended up a red, bloodshot, watering mess - although this has only happened once out of the twice I've used it now.

The No7 product is much kinder on the eyes, and seems to be the 'hypo-allergenic' that the bottle promises. It requires a similar amount of product with a similar amount of wipes to remove every trace, but does leave your skin feeling a little more oily than the Nivea product - this of course is not an issue upon the removal of the rest of your makeup.

The price is where the products are really divided. Nivea's product is a perfectly budget friendly £3.89, whereas the No7 product is a more pricey £8.50. If I was judging the products solely on this factor, of course Nivea's Double Effect would win every time. But for quality and the likeness to the product description, I have to choose the No7 product as my overall favourite; it does exactly what it says on the tin, doesn't irritate the eyes and, despite the price, is definitely the better investment.

Have you tried either of these products? Do you have any more eye makeup remover suggestions?

Maddie x

Favourite Matte Lipsticks ♡

Out of all my lipsticks, my favourites to wear are definitely mattes. I love the finish they give, and find them much easier to wear than most other products, as they're usually harder to smudge everywhere! I've collected quite the variety of matte lipsticks over the last couple of years, but there are two that really stand out to me as my favourites and the ones I always fall on for regular wear.

The first is Mac's 'Velvet Teddy'. Obviously this has become the holy grail lipstick for everyone and their cousin over the last year or so and this post definitely won't be the first you've heard of the infamous shade. The product glides onto the lips so smoothly, and it lasts hours and hours without showing signs of going anywhere - although it perhaps isn't the best to wear if your lips are dry, as it really can accentuate the condition of your lips and tends to cling to dry patches. It is a nude shade with a gorgeous warm undertone and it compliments many eye makeup looks - I love wearing it with a classic smoky eye.

The second of my favourites is the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in the shade 'Cannes', which is actually only a few shades away from Velvet Teddy - what can I say, warm and pink toned nudes are my thing. The applicator makes it so easy to apply and it has a super creamy formula that means it goes on really well. Once it dries it is extremely long lasting and can withstand pretty much anything that would usually leave you needing to re-apply (how many times have I said apply now... hahaha). NYX makeup is also really affordable, which is such a bonus!

Do you love these products too? What other matte lipsticks are your faves?

Maddie x

Favourite Drugstore Concealers ♡

In my opinion concealer is one of the products that matters most in every face of makeup. And with a huge variety available, both drugstore and high end, its often hard to choose the one that really will be that 'miracle product' you can't live without. After around five or six years of wearing makeup, you'd think I would have found it. The truth is, I haven't, but I do have several firm favourites. Here is my pick of the drugstore:

1. Maybelline 'Fit Me'

A relatively recent pick, after being introduced in 2015, I only found Maybelline's newest concealer product several months ago and it quickly became one that I would fall on for daily wear. It isn't the best coverage for under the eyes (although that does depend whether or not you spend half your life in the constant state of 'tired' that I do) but it is enough for spots and blemishes, and blends really nicely on top of both foundation and BB cream or tinted moisturiser.

2. MUA 'Hide and Conceal'

I don't use this for concealing in the usual respect, instead it's the product that I usually choose to put under my brows. For £1 it doesn't matter that I have to replace it about every month - and it comes in a great variety of shades, which means I can pick up a very fair one to highlight the brow bone.

3. Rimmel 'Wake Me Up'

I remember this being all the rage in the blogging and YouTube world quite a while ago, and I'm still using it. Unlike the foundation of the same name, which I personally find makes my complexion a little too 'shimmery', this works wonders for general blemishes and also under the eyes on those days when I don't look too much like a zombie in the morning.

4. Collection 'Lasting Perfection'

The staple drugstore concealer - forget that, the staple concealer in my makeup collection, is Collection's lasting perfection. The thick, creamy formula means that the coverage is amazing, it blends in really well and it really is 'lasting perfection' because it lasts the entire day. Definitely worth the minuscule £4 you pay for it - with this on top of my foundation nobody can tell how bad my dark under eyes are... hahaha.

What are your favourite drugstore concealers?

Maddie x

Makeup Bag Staples ♡

When it comes to packing my makeup bag to take somewhere there's always a handful of products that never fail to make it in. From base to lips, I've listed my main staples here:

• Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation: This is my favourite foundation for most days. It gives just the right amount of coverage for everyday wear and the range of shades is great too - although I find that mixing the lightest two shades actually gives me the best colour match in winter.
• Rimmel Stay Matte Powder: I think this is the most talked about drugstore powder in blogging history and I'm one of the masses - it's my favourite. I use the translucent shade to set my base makeup and it never fails. Due to it being translucent I can use it year round too.
• Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer: Again I'm one of the masses with this product, but it really is my go to. The formula is the perfect consistency to blend and has amazing coverage for under eyes and blemishes alike.
• NYX Tinted Brow Mascara: After using Benefit's Gimme Brow for as long as I can remember I discovered NYX's tinted brow mascara on recommendation of a friend and I can safely say that as long as I'm on a student budget I won't be buying the Benefit product again. This is a quarter of the price and works just as well - if not better for my brows, which are thicker and therefore the thicker brush works better.
• Mac Velvet Teddy: Another product that is the staple of many a makeup bag, Mac's Velvet Teddy lipsticks are like gold dust and it took me months to get hold of one in stock - I finally found it in duty free at Manchester airport last year. Now I've got it it's never off my lips and I wear it all the time, from going out to lunch to going out, it fits the bill for many an occasion. 
• Soap & Glory Supercat and Crazy Sexy Kohl: Soap and Glory eyeliners are my absolute favourites and both their Supercat eyeliner pen and their kohl pencil always make it into my bag. The kohl pencil stays put for the whole day without smudging even in the rain (or while crying at a film hahaha) - it's not going anywhere. I love the Supercat eyeliner because it's a pen and therefore way easier to apply than with a brush.
• Benefit Hoola Bronzer: My favourite bronzer due to the ease of application and the way it blends perfectly into any base of makeup. It is also so buildable, which is perfect for a variety of skin tones.
• Benefit They're Real Mascara: I have quite a few mascaras worthy of credit, but my go to every day is Benefit's They're Real. I love the fact that it adds so much volume and though it is pretty difficult to remove it stays put all day.
• Carmex and Eos Lip Balms: Of course lip balms are always going to feature in my makeup bag and my favourites are definitely the basic Carmex tube and also an Eos lip balm, which I find perfect for inside my bag because it never comes open and makes a mess! I liberally apply lip balm every day, and there's always one hanging around in whatever bag I'm carrying!

What are the staples in your makeup bag? Anything I should try?

Maddie x