October Beauty Favourites

This month I have a handful of beauty products that I simply can't be without! Im excited to share with you my October beauty favourites - hopefully you will see something here that you would like to give a go! What a month it has been - the Christening of Prince George for one (how adorable did he look?!) and I have also celebrated a few birthdays, including my mans 23rd birthday and I'm also now back at university for my finial year (eeeeeep!). I have had a pretty busy month to be honest! What have you guys been up to this October? 

Clay Mask By Una Brennan:

I bought this a while back during the summer and I must say I love this stuff! This month in particular this quick fix face mask, has been perfect for me. I have been super busy and when my skin needs a good deep clean I have picked this up every time. This mask contains Salicylic acid which has been proven to help unclog congested skin, it also contains oil-absorbing dead sea mud, rich in all things good for you skin. I have been applying this twice a week, five minutes before having a shower. I love the fact the formula feels light which is great for a clay mask, it also isn't tightening on my skin and once I have washed it off, it leaves my skin feeling clean and fresh. I have noticed that if I have any blemishes that won't budge this really helps to speed things up. This is my go to face mask, I highly recommend you grab this whilst Boots have 1/3 of Superfacialist skincare.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer: 

This concealer without a doubt has to be my #1 high street concealer! Firstly there isn't much to say on the packaging, expect mine is a little grubby and the writing has rubbed off, but the product itself is easy to blend, leaves my under eye area brighter, whilst concealing dark circles perfectly. What I also love about this concealer is that it isn't drying or cakey - which is great as I have very dry skin. If I do get the odd blemishes this concealer covers them well and if necessary the coverage is buildable. The colour match is perfect too and it doesn't crease under the eyes unless I use too much product. Overall this concealer from Maybelline is hands down a great product at an affordable price! I haven't used  another concealer expect this one during October.

Beauty Blender: 

Now this little beauty blender is a new found love of mine! It has worked perfectly with my Maybelline concealer and Giorgio Armani Foundation. To read a full review on this product click here. 

MAC's Naked Lunch & Sable Eyeshadow:

I have worn eyeshadow pretty much every day for the last month or so and I cant get enough of Naked Lunch and Sable from my MAC palette. They look gorgeous together, I have been wearing Naked Lunch all over my lid, with sable blended into the outer corners and the crease. Naked lunch is a warm pinky beige with a frost finish (shimmery not glittery) and this eyeshadow also looks lovely worn on its own all over the lid. Sable  is a lovely golden, bronzy plum which also has a frost finish. Im loving this duo it makes my blue eyes pop.

Left to Right: Naked Lunch / Sable 

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation:

I L-O-V-E this foundation. I just had to put it out there. I never thought in a million years I would spend *cough* £32 *cough* on a foundation, but I caved and I would happily cave again, again and again! This foundation goes into my hall of fame without a doubt! The formula is lightweight and when applied to the skin it somewhat looks invisible and it leaves the perfect finish - not too matte or too dewy. It gives a medium coverage which can be built up if necessary. Also the pump dispenses just the right amount of product and you have to love that! With the perfect pump and formula this foundation is effortless in application and applies beautifully with my beauty blender. It also contains no SPF which means you need to make sure you apply SPF somewhere in your skin care routine, but it is perfect as there is no flash back in pictures - perfect wedding day foundation! Overall, this foundation is admittably not the cheapest, but it has performed so well on my dry skin and gives such a flawless finish - nothing else makes my skin look as good as when I use this! It comes in a whopping 21 shades (I wear shade 4). If you are hunting for the perfect high end foundation, I would certainty recommend picking a sample of this up.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Fragrance Free:

 Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream (fragrance free) has been a staple in my beauty regime for a long time now and is yet to disappoint me! In my opinion everyone and anyone should own a tube of this cream! It is a skincare classic and award winning. Although it isn't a glamorous product, it is very practical and effective - it helps to calm, and relieve cracked skin, it also helps to sooth any redness or rough patches on the skin. I always have it with me in my handbag and I apply it every evening before I go to bed and it leaves my lips super soft and nourished. This month it has also been great at helping sooth the skin around my nose, as I have had a bit of a cold, once this is applied the area instantly is relieved and by morning totally repaired. I can't speak highly enough of this product! It is worth every penny! This is hands down my favourite lip care product above anything else and the perfect all in one cream. For 1 week only Boots are selling Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Winter Essentials Kit for £24.50 thats better than half price and 50ml of Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is £25 so you would be crazy not to get your hands on this.

What have you been loving this month?  Emily

Crown Brushes

I have been after some new make up brushes for a while now and although I would love to own a handful of MAC brushes, not only can I not afford them, I can't justify spending £20 plus for a brush! Like I have mentioned in previous posts I'm a very loyal fan and user of the Real Technique brushes (thank you Samantha for making such lovely brushes!) but they are looking a little sorry for themselves, so I thought I would branch out and try something new. 

I came across Crown Brushes online. I haven't heard too much about them until now and I must say Im thoroughly impressed by the quality of these inexpensive brushes - Im actually surprised that I haven't heard more about them! I bought a handful online and the Pro Blending Fluff (C433) is so similar to the MAC 217 but at £6.09! I bought six eyeshadow brushes and one stippling brush, which I have been using with my beauty blender to apply my foundation - they work perfectly together. 
Crown brushes start from £2.09 and the most expensive brush that I bought pictured here, was the stippling brush at £9.29 - bargain! Don't let the price put you off, they are technically a make up artist brand (if that makes sense!) and the brushes feel super soft and expensive. Im so impressed, that as soon as Im paid I will be placing another order.
If you are looking for some new quality brushes on a budget, I would recommend Crown Brushes. Delivery is just £2.99 and they arrived very quickly. I also received 10% off my order by using the discount code: FINBER2013. 
Have you ever tried any brushes from this brand? Emily

Star Buy: Beauty Blender Dupe

I have watched so many beauty gurus using this little sponge and rave about the finish it gives and all that jazz and to be honest I wasn't even slightly interested at the time, I couldn't think of worse way than to apply my make-up with a glorified sponge (sponge application reminds me of Halloween makeup!) But boy was I so wrong! I too have become mad for the beauty blender! I was pleasantly surprised to say the least.
I bought one online via eBay just over a week a go, as I couldn't justify spending £16 on what is effectively a sponge and to be honest there can't be that much more of a difference between the original and a copy surely? So instead I opted for a £2.95 teardrop beauty blender. When it arrived I wasn't all that excited, but I got to using it straight away the next day and the results were amazing! The beauty blender its self, feels rather like a soft stress ball. Initially it is quite small, but once dampened it expands to nearly twice the size (as seen in picture). You can use it wet or dry, but I found the results are flawless when it is dampened. I apply the product (foundation/concealer) onto the back of my hand and then use the beauty blender to apply it to the area needed. I use the blender in a bouncing action, patting it onto the skin (effortless), it leaves no lines or visible streaks after application and I can't believe how good my skin looks after using it - it applies liquid foundation and concealer beautifully. I use the pointed side to reach under the eyes (its fits perfectly) and around my nose and mouth and I then use the base of the blender for the larger areas like my cheeks and forehead. I have also used it to apply cream products and it works perfectly for this too. And for those of you that are worried that it will only give sheer coverage you can use this blender to build up coverage too. 
Beauty blenders are reusable so need to be cleaned after use. I have been throughly soaking the sponge and then applying a little bit of baby shampoo onto the sponge and rubbing it onto the palm of my hand and then rinsing (I repeat this if necessary) and I then finish cleaning it by squeezing out the excess water and leaving it to dry. You can just rinse it under hot water and squeeze out the excess after each use, but a thorough clean will stop bacteria causing breakouts etc. 
I must add that I'am a loyal lover of my Real Techniques blending brush to apply my foundation I didn't think I would ever EVER say this... but I may have found a competitor - for now I have set aside my much loved RT brush! Overall, I am so surprised by the finish this little sponge gives - my skin has honestly never looked so good! I whole heartily recommend this product, they are amazing. Flawless skin for under a fiver... Bargain.
Have you ever tried a beauty blender? Or a dupe? Emily

Recent purchases #2

"Oops! ...I did it again!" thats right I did just quote Britney Spears! And yes I have done it again, I have only gone online and in store and bought some new additions to add to my make-up and skincare collection! I love reading haul posts, reading what other people are interested in buying and trying out. And recently I have been spending a fair amount of time reading other posts and lusting after products and then adding them to my ever growing beauty wish list on my iPhone! So today I have a little haul of my own to share with you all and if there are any products here you would like to me review, just leave me a comment below.
Cidal Soap - £1.99 I bought this soap on recommendation of the lovely Em Sheldon from Emtalks. She has mentioned this product many a time on her blog and as it was so cheap at just £1.99 for a twin pack... I thought why not? Might as well give it a go! This soap can be bought from Boots or your local chemist and is simply an antibacterial soap, which claims to effectively cleanse the skin leaving it feeling soft and smooth and spot free. Im hoping I will be able to rave about this product just as much as Em does! Im yet to find a cheap skincare alternative and hopefully this will be it.
Bourjois Happy Light Foundation - £7.99 (Saved £4) This year Bourjois has been a stand out brand for me. Im a huge fan of their nail polishes and lip products, but I'm yet to try one of their foundations. I was after a drugstore foundation anyway as I currently use my Giorgio Armani Foundation daily and although it is hands down the best foundation I have ever used, it is a little pricey and to wear it daily seems a waste. So, I have taken the plunge and bought Bourjois's new Happy Light Foundation in shade 51. Bourjois claim this foundation blends seamlessly giving a natural, luminous and undetectable finish. The formula also gives a light coverage and it comes in 5 shades. Hopefully I won't be disappointed.
Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara - £12 I love Clinique's bottom lash mascara it has been a staple in my everyday make-up for a good six months or so and I recently ran out and I couldn't not buy a new one! Now £12 might seem a lot for a mascara, let alone a bottom lash mascara, but Im one of those girls that comes home at the end of the day with serious panda eyes! I have tried many mascaras but this bottom lash mascara is ideal, the brush is genius - It is super small (and super cute!) and the formula long lasting, lengthening and smudge proof.
Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate - £36 My skincare routine was lacking a little something and after doing a little reading online, I found I had a gap in my evening skincare routine. I had been hoping to purchase Estee Lauders night repair serum, but I couldn't quite justify spending nearly £50 on a serum. So instead I have opted for Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate and although this serum isint the cheapest, it was a cheaper alternative. This serum has had a lot of rave reviews from some well known bloggers, including Estée (Essie Button), Ruth (A Model Recommends) and youTuber Ingrid (Missglamorazzi). Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate replenishes the skin with moisture and amongst other benefits it helps to recover radiance by morning. I can't wait to give this a go.
YSL Volupté Shine Lipstick No15 - £24 This was very much an impulse buy! I went for a "browse" in Debenhams (to be honest browse really means I'll have a look and probably buy something!) and walked out with my second lipstick from YSL (oopsy!). Their lipsticks are worth every penny in my opinion. Firstly the formula of the volupte shine lipsticks is by far the best of the best! They are creamy and glide effortlessly onto the lips, giving a sheer sweep of colour. The formula also leaves yours lips nourished and looking plump (if you get what I mean!). The packaging of these lipsticks is beautiful, rather like a piece of jewellery. I bought shade 15 'corail intuitive'. I will most certainly being doing a review on this lippy.   Teardrop Beauty Blender - £2.95  I bought this little sponge on eBay after months of watching beauty gurus use them to apply their make-up. I have never been a fan of using a sponge to apply my make-up, but I'm curious to give this a try! The teardrop beauty blender can be used wet or dry to apply concealer, foundation and cream blush or bronzer.
MAC Sable Eyeshadow - £10 After watching Tanya Burr recently flash her MAC neutrals palette on youTube, I couldn't help but get my hands on a new addition for my palette! I bought Sable which is a lovely golden, bronzy plum with a frost finish, which is shimmery (not glittery) and by far my favourite eyeshadow finish from mac. This eyeshadow is the perfect addition to my MAC palette. 
Have you tried any of these products? What have you bought recently?  Emily

Loving This Lipstick: MAC Lovelorn

MAC Lovelorn Lipstick £15

This time last year I owned one lipstick...Thats right, just one, I was a lipgloss lover and I never considered the fact that I would soon after become a lipstick lover! And as a result I now own over 30 lipsticks! Don't judge, I earn my own money and as a result spend it on what I like and in this case make-up and beauty products... thats just what I do, I am a beauty addict after all.

I have a handful of MAC lipsticks all of which I wear often, however over the last couple of months or so I can't stop reaching for MAC's Lovelorn. No matter what time of the day, I keep finding myself gravitating towards this lippy! Lovelorn is a sheer, blue based glossy pink. It is just such a super pretty colour and has a lustre finish so the formula is light, glossy and buildable. I also find with lustre finishes that the pigmentation doesn't stick to the dry bits on your lips, which if you haven't had the chance to exfoliate, is just the perfect finish. It also doesn't dry out your lips and infact I find lustre finishes are very nourishing. It is most certainly a no mirror needed lipstick and it glides on perfectly with no need to add a gloss on top - so perfect for everyday wear, or when your in a rush. Considering how glossy the finish is, I only reapply every 1-2 hours and the colour doesn't transfer onto the teeth (which is always a bonus!). This lipstick just ticks all the boxes for me and although it is a little pricey at £15, I have struggled to find a decent dupe. However if you are looking for  a lipstick in a similar shade and you are on a budget try L'oreal's Rouge Caresse in number 04 which is also a lovely glossy pink.

I highly recommend this lipstick to everyone and anyone - I would hands down say it is my favourite lipstick currently. It is the perfect pink for everyday wear and perfect for those who are new to lipstick.  I don't see my love affair with this lippy ending anytime soon! When this runs out, I most certainly will be running to my nearest MAC store to pick this one up again.
Do you own this lipstick? What is your current lipstick love?  Emily

Makeup must have #2: theBalm Mary Lou Manizer Luminizer

theBalm Mary Lou Manizer Luminizer £15

There is nothing I love more than a good highlighter! It is one of those make-up products that puts the cherry on top of the icing except, on the top of my face - my cheekbones, cupid bow and brow bone. Back in August Feelunique had their summer sale and boy did I splurge! One of the products I got my hands on, was theBalm's Mary Lou Manizer Luminizer and I have fallen head over heals in love with it since! I have many highlighters among them, two of my favourites are MAC soft and gentle and Benefits watt's up, but this highlighter from theBalm tops them all.

theBalm have done a fab job in creating this soft, shimmery champagne highlight! It isn't glittery like MAC soft and gentle and it isn't over shimmery. It applies smoothly and has been so finally milled, so not powdery at all. It gives a rather glowly sheen to the skin, which is just super pretty and flattering on my skin tone. I would imagine this would work perfectly on all skin tones - warm and cool. I have been told when I wear this, that I look "radiant" - and of course, it is always nice to receive compliments -makes you feel good! I sometimes suffer from dull skin, as my skin is super dry and this product has often been my savour, giving my skin the lift and boost it needs.

I like to wear this mainly on the top of my cheekbones. I initially used my finger to apply this product but found it looked too obvious, so instead I a take a small brush (contour brush from Real Techniques) and sweep it across the cheekbones (note a little goes a long way with this product, it is super pigmented!). Also a little tip which I picked up online - brush highlighter from the top of your nose, on to the top of your cupids bow and chin in one brush stoke. On nights out I like to use this as an eyebrow highlight - it is just perfect for this! I have on occasion even worn this as an eyeshadow and if you are a regular reader of my blog you will know how much I love products that can be used in multiple ways. Also the packaging is super fun and it comes with a compact mirror - a bonus in my books! You also get 8.5g worth of product so great value for money.

(The product in these swatches have not been blended.) 
In my opinion this has to be the BEST highlighter I own and that is a statement as I have worn Benefits watt's up to death over the last few years and vowed I wouldn't find anything better! If you are a lover of highlighters like myself and don't own this one I highly recommend you get your hands on it! And for those of you that down own a highlighter at all, firstly you are missing out and secondly, don't waste any time or money on anything else - this is a MAKEUP MUST HAVE! It is available to buy online here at feelunique.com for just £15 which is amazing value for money! Feelunique also offer free delivery - have I managed to tempt you? 
What is your favourite highlighter? Do you own any products from theBalm?

Emily