What's In My Overnight Makeup Bag

I stayed at my mums house overnight last night, I just started putting away what I took and as I enjoy these types of post I decided to blog it.

 It's 10:30pm so I apologise for the bad lighting, if you would like me to review any product I mention drop me a comment below.

The Bag

Just a bog standard, 3 for £3, clear plastic, makeup bag from Boots.

Base Makeup

MAC Fix+

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

MAC Studio Finish Concealer

Lancome Poudre Majeur Excellence Loose Powder

Cheeks

MAC Desert Rose Blush

MAC MSF Soft & Gentle

MAC Harmony Blush

Sleek Contour Kit

Eyes

NAKED 2 Palette

Rimmel Brow Pencil

MAC Painterly Paint Pot

HD Brows Brow Gel

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

DJV Beautenizer Volume Lash

ELF Eyebrow Kit

Cosmopolitan Eyelash Curlers

Lips

Rimmel Lip Pencil

Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick 101

Figs and Rouge Lip Balm

When I whipped out my makeup bag this morning my mum and sister had a good laugh at the size of the bag and amount of products. I don't think this is too much, do you? Everything serves a purpose right?

What do you take? 

Poshe Super-Fast Drying Top Coat

Poshe Super-Fast Drying Top Coat £8.50 here

What They Say:

Poshé Super-Fast Drying Topcoat is a five-time Allure Editor's Choice winner, which for an independent brand that doesn't advertise is a serious achievement and testament to its effectiveness. This protective top coat has an extremely diverse, loyal following of beauty addicts and celebs, from Kate Beckinsale and Elizabeth Taylor to Jessica Simpson. Poshé stops nails from turning yellow and is even safe for cancer sufferers and those in remission to use as it's free from Formaldehyde & Toluene.

My Opinion:

Five-Time Allure Editors Choice Winner! You've gotta be kidding me! 

I've been using this for a couple of weeks now and feel like it's had a good enough road testing to be able to review. 

Firstly let me tell you I have tried to make this work! I started by using it as intended as a top coat, it chipped almost instantly. 

I tried again paying more attention to the tips of my nails, it still chipped a lot very quickly. 

I then tried sandwiching my nail polish by using it as both a base and top coat, the whole nail colour popped off in one!

There are cheaper and better quality top coats on the market. 

What I will say is that it is indeed super-fast drying but what's the point of a top coat that needs a top coat? 

I've given up trying to make it work, mine has gone in the bin! Don't waste your money on this one.

Rating:

♥♡♡♡♡

Have You Tried This?

What's Your Favourite Top Coat?

Disclaimer: Link provided for convenience, I am not affiliated with this brand or product
Image: Cult Beauty (It was impossible for me to get a clear photo myself)

Favourite Foundations

My Favourite Foundations

L-R Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, Bourjous Healthy Mix, Illamasqua Skinbase

1. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua - B50 £32 here

Coverage: Light/Medium

Finish: Dewy

Buildability: Very Buildable

I used to have oily skin, I was a huge fan of Chanel Matte Lumiere (discontinued) however since I had my daughter my skin type has really changed a lot. I would class it as combination however the majority of the time my skin leans more towards the dry end of the scale. So when Matte Lumiere was discontinued rather than purchase Perfection Lumiere, which was the new foundation released a hybrid of the discontinued Matte and Pro Lumiere I decided to try a lighter, water based more dewy foundation and I purchased Vitalumiere Aqua. 

My first application I used my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, it applied ok, I wasn't wowed and it still showed on my skin.The main reason for be buying this was how natural it was said to look, undetectable on the skin therefore I was pretty disappointed.

For my next application I used my beauty blender sponge and it applied patchy, maybe because of the damp sponge and a water based foundation combination. At this point I was really disappointed, it's not the cheapest of foundations and I've always really enjoyed Chanel foundations. 

Refusing to be defeated the next time I used Vitalumiere Aqua I went back to basics and applied it with my fingers, it was beautiful! I've continued to apply it this way since. The heat of your hands warms up the foundation and really allows it to work into your skin. This then gives the illusion of no makeup, just lovely, dewy skin.

I would recommend this to anybody with dry skin wanting a healthy glow.

2. Bourjois Healthy Mix - £9.99 here

Coverage: Medium

Finish: Natural

Buildability: Buildable

Firstly notice I haven't put my shade above, this is because I can't remember my shade as it's so long since I had it.

 I was under the impression that Bourjous had discontinued their darker shades as I have three Boots stores close to me, one being a megastore and every time I've been to repurchase Healthy Mix the darkest shade they have 54 is too light for me however as I love it I have been buying it anyway and adding a bit of my Illamasqua Skin Base in SB12 to match my skin. 

While looking for a link to add here I saw Superdrug offer an additional four darker shades online. 

Healthy Mix is my most repurchased foundation ever!

 I never wore foundation before I was pregnant,  I just never felt the need to. I still have pretty good skin, breakouts are very rare. I had a bad time when I was around 11/12yrs however once that cleared up and luckily left no scars I haven't had a problem since. Anyway, when I was pregnant I developed the 'pregnancy mask' (can't remember the actual medical term) and had crazy pigmentation on my face. I went straight out to buy a foundation to even out my skin and Healthy Mix was the one I chose. It was the delicious, fruity scent that swayed my decision as being pregnant and craving fruit I actually wanted to eat it! Luckily though I loved the foundation, smooth application, medium coverage which covered my pigmentation and a nice natural finish. 

Three years on I still reach for this most days over my high end foundations. 

Healthy Mix has been likened to the discontinued Chanel Pro Lumiere. Having never used Pro Lumiere I can't comment on that

I would recommend this foundation to anybody. 

3. Illamasqua Skin Base -SB12 £27 here

Coverage: Medium

Finish: Natural/Skin

Buildability: Buildable

The main reason for me buying this foundation was the tag line 'ultimate skin realism'. That's the look I prefer, I want my skin to look like skin. 

Does it live up to its claims? It certainly does! I like to buff this into my skin with my Real Techniques Expert Face brush and it is practically undetectable yet still covers any redness and imperfections. 

The shade range is fantastic too stretching from pure white to darkest ebony, a shade for everybody. 

The only problem I have is with the packaging, the tube becomes harder and harder to squeeze the right amount out the more you use it and I anticipate that near the end I will need to cut the packaging open or lose a lot of product. 

Again I would recommend this foundation to anybody. 

Have you tried these foundations? How did you get on with them?

What's your favourite foundation? 

Any recommendations you think I should try?

Please comment below.

Disclaimer: All links provided are for your convenience, I am not affiliated with any of these brands.

Jouer Highlighter - Champagne

Jouer Highlighter - Champagne

After receiving a sample of Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint with a Cult Beauty order I tried it and was so impressed I purchased the full size that same evening. 

Whilst placing my order I decided I wanted to try more of their products and this highlighter took my eye.

It appears really pink in the pan but as you can see in the swatch below it shows up a lot more golden/beige on my skin.

It's a really lightweight formulation, it applies nicely with a stippling brush but I prefer to use my fingers as it just melts into the skin and leaves behind this beautiful sheen. Not to mention it contains vitamin e and shea butter which we all know are fantastic for our skin.

It lasted all day on my skin which is pretty dry at the moment however the way it melts into the skin I think will give it great longevity on oilier skins too.

Overall this is one of the best highlighters I've tried, I will be adding shade Tiare to my collection and trying out many more Jouer products, I can see them quickly becoming my favourite brand.

Jouer Highlighter £16 available here

(Link provided for your convenience, I am not affiliated with the company)

50 Random Facts About Me

1. 2nd June 2010, the happiest day of my life. I gave birth to my beautiful princess Lyla Kendall.
2. My nickname is Pebbles, apparently I looked a lot like Pebbles Flintstone as a baby.
3. My favourite colour is pink my boyfriend won't let me buy anything else that's pink for our home, he says our house is gay!
4. Due to my love of makeup the other half calls me 'Dippy with her Lippy!'
5. I have 2 older brothers and one older sister, I'm the youngest by 10yrs!
6. I have 9 nieces and 3 nephews, I love them all to pieces
7. Family is the most important thing in my life
8. I absolutely love penguins, if I ever win the lottery I will keep them as pets
9. I'm from Liverpool and my family are all Evertonians
10. My favourite ever holiday was 3 weeks staying with my family in Vancouver (I've been twice so far) with a week in L.A in the middle

11. I would love to emigrate to somewhere hot but would probably miss my family too much
12. I have 3 beautiful God Daughters
13. I would love to be a Makeup Artist and plan on doing so when I am well and able
14. I have a phobia of anything that flies especially butterflies, moths, wasps and dragonflies
15. I love mafia films, my favourite film is Godfather II
16. I am totally obsessed with The Vampire Diaries, totally team Delena!
17. My favourite cuisine is Italian, tagliatelle pollo al forno? Si per favore!
18. I would not leave the house without mascara
19. My favourite soap is Home & Away, I'm fairly sure I'm the only person in the country that still watches but I bloody love it! Heath Braxton ♥
20. My favourite band is Oasis and has been since I was 7

21. My favourite chocolate bar is a Starbar
22. My alcohol drink of choice is Jack Daniels with Diet Coke
23. Mojitos are my favourite cocktails
24. I'm a pretty good cook and if I ever the time I'm considering having a cooking blog also
25. My favourite fast food is KFC
26. I could only eat chicken for the rest of my life and wouldn't care
27. I can only have my Telly/Radio volume on an even number or 33 and I have no idea why
28. Cherries are my favourite fruit
29. I'm fanatical about Christmas I start my shopping in June, start burning Christmas candles as soon as it gets cold and my 8ft Christmas tree is up part way through November
30. I love Karl Pilkington, the things he comes out with are absolutely hilarious!

31. I really despise adverts, thank the Lord for Sky+
32. I'm half Irish, my dad is from Co Wexford
33. I would love to go to Australia but it will have to wait until Lyla (and any other children I have) is older, I think it'd be unfair to travel so far while she's so small
34. My favourite flowers are lillies even though they're apparently the 'funeral flowers'
35. I can't wait to have another baby but will wait until Lyla starts full time school
36. I would rather go to the pub with friends for a natter and a laugh than clubbing
37. Everytime I go the cinema I fall asleep and miss the end of the film, even if I'm really enjoying it
38. I'm a shopaholic!
39. My favourite book series is Sophie Kinsellas Shopaholics series and the film was a bitter disappointment
40. I love karaoke

41. I love snuggling up with my princess and watching Disney films
42. 9 is my favourite number
43. I love being crafty and artistic
44. I love to have candles around the house, my favourite is Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir which I burn in our bedroom
45. My favourite part of a night out is the getting ready
46. I can't drive, I've never felt the need to but am hoping to get my license sometime this year
47. My perfect car would be a pink Beetle
48. My signature scent is Ralph Lauren Romance
49. I love singing, dancing and playing with Lyla. Her happy, smiley face melts my heart
50. I want to start adding video makeup tutorials on here but don't know if I'll have the confidence to speak to a camera

I did it! Wow! This is harder than it seems! Hope you've gotten to know me a bit better.

d.j.v. Beautenizer Mascaras Reviewed

Always on a quest to find the perfect mascara I spotted these in a duo set on Cult Beauty a few weeks ago and was intrigued. I googled them and read some varied reviews so I decided to try them for myself. 

I got a pretty good deal, both mascaras for £27. Cult Beauty no longer have the duo for sale however you can buy them separately. After this review you may only want one of the two anyway. 

I think the simplest way of doing this review is looking at one at a time. So let's take a gander eh? 

d.j.v. Beautenizer - Fiberwig LX £18 here

What they say:

Fibrewig is a hi-tech fusion of brush-on, false-lash filaments & a hypoallergenic, liquid-to-film lash coating that you apply like regular mascara. The glossy formula holds the volumising, lengthening fibres in place for lashes so voluptuous you'll cause a breeze when you blinc. You can literally sleep in it & it won't flake or smudge, but removal is easy, with a quick soak in warm water it just slides off without any rubbing. As long as still wet, you can build up & out as much as you want.

Lets look at the brush seems as this is probably the first thing we do when buying a new mascara. 

Fairly basic lengthening style wand, curved to fit your eye shape with fairly short bristles.

What does it do? Lets see!

No makeup. 

(I struggled for light it's been a miserable day I can only apologise for how deathly white and washed out I look I was literally squashed against the window)

Curled Lashes with One Coat Applied

Two Coats

My Opinion:

I'm not going to beat around the bush, I don't like it! I don't think it does anything special. 

My lashes are fairly long naturally although the ends are very fair (no idea why, my hair is nearly black and I'm olive skinned).

 I would get the same outcome by curling my lashes and applying any bog standard mascara except unlike this I would be able to let a bog standard mascara dry between coats and build volume too.

Its not that Fiberwig does nothing, you can see little squiggly,  thin fibres on the ends of my lashes but I don't think that makes the lashes look longer, they just look a mess.

I feel that mascara is a very personal preference, I don't like it but that doesn't mean you wont. If you are already a lover of Fiberwig and disagree with me then please leave me a comment below. Tell me why you love it and how you use it and I'll give it a try.

d.j.v. Beautenizer - Volume Lash £18 here

What They Say:

Instead of fibres this mascara uses bodybuilding particles in the same 3D, film-coating formula as Fibrewig. Not for the fainthearted, this mascara gives you lashings of lashes so voluptuous & long they'll accentuate your eyes like a Manga cartoon. VL contains Panthenol for flexibility & definition, & a silk protein derivative for resilience. The formula is so budge-proof you can even sleep in it without smudging, plus it removes with a quick warm water soak so no rubbing or lash damage.

Lets have a nosey at the wand.

I'm a lover of voluminous lashes,  the more va va voom the better! I favour huge bristle wands as in my experience they're the ones that give you the most volume.

When I saw this wand I was really disappointed and wasn't expecting anything from it, lets see how I got on eh?

No Makeup

Curled Lashes, One Coat. 

Top - Two Coats Without Flash

Bottom - Two Coats with Flash

My Opinion:

The photos speak for themselves, I abso frickin lutely love it!

This is the best volumising mascara I've ever used!

The formula is like nothing I've used before, it's not dry but it's not wet. It's pretty thick but easy to work with. It's hard to explain the application but if I had to I would say it feels like dragging volume from the roots to the tips of your lashes. 

I usually wear one coat, I don't think it needs a second but that's just my preference. 

I will never be without this little magic wand for the rest of my life! I just can't see anything beating it, it's that good!

If you are wondering do they team up well to give length and volume? I experimented a little bit and this is what happened:

Volume Lash Over the top of Fiberwig 

Fiberwig Over the top of Volume Lash

My Opinion:

I wouldn't recommend using Volume Lash over Fiberwig unless it's Halloween! Again it's personal preference, you might like this look but to me it looks like tangled tree roots and I don't very much like to wear them on my face!

Fiberwig applies well over Volume Lash however to me it doesn't make enough of a difference to bother!  I'll just stick with my Volume Lash one coat wonder!

Have you tried either of these? How did you get on?

What's your HG mascara? 

Disclaimer: All products stated were purchased by myself with my own money. All views are my own. Links provided for your convenience I am not affiliated with any company spoken about. 

My Favourite Blushers

This was so hard to choose just 5. One of my favourite blushers I actually use to contour so I left it out and will do a 'My Favourite Contour Shades' post at some point this week.

L-R Vivo Baked Blush - Rouge Shimmer, 

Estee Lauder Signature Satin Creme Blush - Berry Light,

NARS - Mata Hari, NARS - Desire, MAC - Desert Rose.

Clockwise Estee Lauder Signature Satin Creme Blush - Berry Light, Vivo Baked Blush - Rouge Shimmer, NARS - Mata Hari,  

MAC - Desert Rose, NARS - Desire.

L-R MAC - Desert Rose,

Estee Lauder Signature Satin Creme Blush - Berry Light, 

Vivo Baked Blush - Rouge Shimmer, NARS - Mata Hari,  

NARS - Desire. 

1. MAC -Desert Rose £17.50 here

If you've read my Favourite Nude Lipsticks Post you will not be surprised to learn that as well as my dusky pink lipstick obsession I'm also a huge fan of dusky pink blushers. 

They're just so easy to wear! A nice natural flush.

Desert Rose is a matte formulation which I also favour, I like my blusher to be matte then strategically add my highlighter.

Desert Rose is highly pigmented, finely milled, very blendable and on me, lasts all day.

2. Estee Lauder Signature Satin Creme Blush - Berry Light

Firstly let me apologise for the state this blush is in. My daughter (Lyla 2yrs) has a fascination with mummys makeup and is slowly but surely ruining it all! I can't repurchase this blush as it is no longer for sale, I'm not sure if it was limited edition or has been discontinued, either way I'm gutted especially as my little angel gouged so much of it out! Luckily a little goes a long way.

This is a creme to powder blush, I've found the best way to apply it is with fingers or a beauty blender. Its like the creme version of the former blush (yet another dusky pink product), its very natural, easy to wear and long lasting. 

3. Vivo Baked Blush - Rouge Shimmer £4 here

Vivo was doing the rounds on beauty blogs over the summer, I had a look for their stand in Tescos while I was doing my shopping but my local store doesn't stock their products. I wasn't too bothered if im honest, I do like trying out new brands especially when I've heard rave reviews and their prices are very competitive but nothing caught my eye. Shortly after Christmas I got a marketing email from Vivo, they had an offer on which I can't remember but it was pretty good as when I started shopping on their site my shopping basket didn't seem to be going up in price no matter what I put in it. Anyway I picked up a good few baked blushers amongst other things ( haul when I get chance).

When I swatched this blush I could not wait to get it on my cheeks! As I said earlier I much prefer matte blushers but this is a shimmering blush and I love the sheen it gives. 

Its a beautiful true coral which really compliments my olive skintone. I use it as a blush and highlight, it applies sheer at first but colour builds really nicely, therefore I build the colour on my cheeks and use it sheerly down the bridge of my nose, cupids bow and tearduct area. Using a separate highlighter would be total glitter ball face. I already know I'm going to get so much wear out of this come summer, its the perfect summery blush.

4. NARS - Mata Hari £21.50 here

Mata Hari is not a million miles away from my beloved dusky pink but leans slightly more cool toned. It has a matte finish and is very natural on the cheeks. In my opinion Mata Hari is such a versatile shade it would look gorgeous and natural on everybody. 

As with NARS blushers in general Mata Hari is packed with pigment and therefore I can see it lasting me pretty much forever as you only need a light hand to apply.

You may already be aware but if not I'm giving away this blush to one lucky follower here.

5. NARS - Desire £21.50 here

I have no idea what made me buy this blush but I'm glad I did. It's really different than what I usually go for and so bright! 

Desire is a blue based bright bubblegum pink, sounds really scary but you can build it up or sheer it out as much as you want. 

As I said earlier NARS blushers are highly pigmented and this is no exception. It has a matte finish which as I've said already is what I prefer my blushers to have.

I tend to reach for Desire when I'm looking particularly pale and need a complexion pick me up or for a night out.

What are your favourite blushers? Do you own any of these?

Disclaimer: All links are provided for your convenience, I am not affiliated with any of these companies. 

Favourite Lipsticks Part Four - The Ones That Didn't Fit In

L-R : Revlon Lip Butter - Candy Apple, 

YSL Glossy Stain - 13 Rose Tempera, 

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick - Wild Orchid.

(Swatched in same order as above)

1. Revlon Lip Butter - Candy Apple £7.99 here

With this being a 'lip butter' it didn't really fit in with my Favourite Red Lipsticks Post but it has been my most worn lip product for the passed 5 months! I'm not going to ramble on about the formulation,  packaging etc everything that could be said has been said several times over. 

I love how easy this is to wear and apply (no mirror needed), it's been in my coat pocket since around September as its perfect for a pop of colour on the go. Its a gorgeous sheer red orange and builds really nicely. I wouldn't be without it.

2. YSL Glossy Stain - 13 Rose Tempera £23.50 here

I felt this didn't fit in with my Favourite Pink Lipsticks Post with it being a lipstick/gloss/stain hybrid but I couldn't leave it out. Its definitely one of my most used lip products. 

Again the formulation and packaging has been yapped on about over and over so I won't get into that except to say I love it!

Rose Tempera is a yellow based pink which would suit most skintones, it really brightens up my complexion. 

The only negative I can say about this shade is that it does give your teeth a slight yellow tinge as do most yellow based lipsticks however if your teeth are well looked after I wouldn't worry.

3. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick - Wild Orchid £7.49 here

This didn't fit in with any of my favourite lipsticks posts. 

Wild Orchid a dupe for MAC Show Orchid is a very purple fuchsia with strong blue undertones which unlike the former really makes your smile sparkling white.

This isn't a most reached for lippie but I really do love it. I prefer to wear Wild Orchid on a night out or in the summer as it really packs a punch and can be quite in your face.

Wild Orchid is nice and creamy on application and goes on really nicely, it's opaque with one swipe, wears well and has a lovely sheen.

What are your favourite lipsticks? Do you own any of these? 

Please link below if you've done a favourite lipsticks post, id love to have a read.

Disclaimer: All links provided are for your convenience,  I am not affiliated with and of the companies stated.

My NARS Giveaway is still running,  you can enter here.