April Favourites // 2014

Products left to right (inc clickable links) - Nars sheer lipstick in 'Damage', Soap and Glory 'Heel Genius', Benefit 'Gimme Brow', MUA nail varnish in 'Plum Noir', Lush Tea Tree Water 

Wowza, where has the month of April gone? Even though it feels like its passed so fast, I'm so glad were slowly but surely getting into the warmer months! Anyway, lets get straight onto the bits I've been love love loving this month...

When it comes to the brows, everything has changed this month! I used to use my trustee 'Browzings' from Benefit but it was starting to run out so i thought id give this out as it was a relatively new release. The Gimme Brow is like a mascara for your eyebrows. I LOVEEEE IT! This is by far my favourite discovery all year. Ive been filling in my brows for years with either powder or brow pencil but i realised they're both too harsh for my face sometimes, but this gives the most amazing eyebrows. Im not going to go too in depth with this one because I'm going to do a full review of it very soon! 

My skin has been a little cray cray this month. Ive had more break outs then usual and i knew it was time i went back to lush and repurchased the Tea Tree Water. I used to use this all the time and make my way through bottles and bottles of it when i had oilier and more acne prone skin, but as my skin improved i stopped using it and didn't use any toner at all. Big mistake. My skin loves this stuff. Even though its cleared up a lot more from before, i still do get at least one or two spots at a time, but this stuff is back in my routine and I'm seeing the difference. My spots are at bay and when i do have break out the Tea Tree water helps reduce it. Tea Tree is antibacterial which means its perfect at fighting those spots and cleaning the skin of anything left on the skin after cleansing.  

Summer is slowly approaching and that means sandals and toes out… oh gosh! Ive committed to try to pamper my feet as much as possible so they look at least half decent before summer. This is my by far the best foot cream/foot mask I've tried and the strangest. Look, its blue. Thats weird enough for a cream i think. Its more of a thick gel sort of texture which you put on clean feet at night (I'm rather generous with it and put a rather nice slathering of it on) and put cotton socks over the top and go to bed. You wake up with the softest feet. I also sometimes use a little bit as a foot cream rather than the intensive mask way, which i find it can work well but does feel a little greasy and doesn't sink in quickly so id only do that if I'm not going out. All round 10/10! 

This is my very first Nars product and I'm impressed! Ive been wearing it so much this month. This is a gorgeous sheer lipstick that i can wear day to day and it looks so pretty. In the second picture i did two swatches the first being one coat and the second shows how the colour can be built up. Its so sheer and moisturising that one coat is nice as a little glossiness on your lips with a hint of colour but can be built up for more pigmentation. It also lasts for quite a while but does need a few top ups throughout the day but this is the case with most sheer lipsticks. 

Side note - The first picture shows the MUA nail varnish in 'Plum noir' but i totally forgot to put it on and take a picture, oopsy! It just deserved a mention that for a £1 nail varnish its gorgeous!

Thats really all for this month, have you tried any of these products? If so leave a comment and tell me what you thought to them? 

Amber x

Review // Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet

I couldn't resist picking up this new launch from Chanel even though I've never tried their foundations before and i was very tempted to get the Vitalumiere Aqua, but for 'blogging purposes' i went for this one. To be completely honest I've only wore this foundation a few times so this is more of a first impressions but it doesn't take me long to decide what i think of foundations. Im going to try to be as in depth as possible with this review because i know it can be hard to decide whether to splurge on a foundation that is expensive like this. 

Application - The first day that i wore this foundation i used my fingers to apply it but also used a brush, i then realised that on the little instructions leaflet inside it stated that you should use your fingers to apply not a brush/sponge. Ohh and it also says that you should shake it before you use it. So the second time i tried it i did exactly that. I did find that when using my fingers it was slightly harder to blend but thats only because the shade i got was slightly more on the darker side so i applied it all with my fingers and right at the end i would just buff in any parts that didn't blend well with my Real Techniques Buffing brush. 

However if you get a perfect colour match this shouldn't be a problem. I will say though, Chanel foundations don't seem to have the best shade range which is very disappointing when they're charging £33 for it!

So this is the before and after, i only used the foundation and skipped my usual concealing so i could see how well the foundation works on its own. I did add a little extra foundation on my spot and on my acne scars around my chin to give them some extra coverage. 

Formula - The formula is exactly what the name suggests 'Velvet' i don't think i could explain it any better. Its got that feel that something like the Smashbox primer gives or you could say its quite a powdery feel. It is definitely a matte foundation but it isn't like most other matte foundations. It still gives the skin a nice luminosity and doesn't look cakey at all. I'd say I'm probably going to use this in the warmer months when my skin is oilier but if you have normal, combination or oily skin then this foundation is probably great for your skin. Whereas dry skin gals, you might want to steer away from this foundation it might just make your skin look even drier. I do have dry parts of my skin and it didn't cling to these but a foundation that it dewier is probably better for dry skin. 

Coverage - This is a light foundation, as you can see in the before and after picture it doesn't cover everything but it does give a lovely even natural finish. I think it can be built to a medium coverage with an extra layer or so. I just love how even it made my skin look without covering it completely. Seen as the coverage was only a light/medium i wasn't expecting it to have staying power, but i was wrong! It really does stay put all day. 

     

Packaging - I personally love the packaging! I find glass foundation bottles like the YSL Touche Eclat foundation do look more luxe but they're just not practical, they're heavier, take more space in your make up bag and i know someone who actually dropped and smashed her YSL foundation in a glass bottle and it smashed. Ooops! Well you won't be having any of those problems with this, its nice and small in a plastic bottle. I also find the squeezer (i don't actually know what its called but ill call it squeezer) the bit where the foundation comes out its really good. Pumps often squeeze out more than you need, and ones that don't have pumps are just a pain. But this little squeezer makes it perfect for getting just the right amount out. I also tested this by turning the bottle upside down and none comes out until you squeeze the bottle. 

Overall id say that this foundation for me is great, especially as the weather is warmer and i need something more matte. Its got the right amount of coverage for me because i love light/medium foundations and even though its matte its still really brightening and luminous. 

I hope this post helps any of you who are not sure on whether or not to buy this :) Leave a comment and let me know if you have tried this foundation or what your views are on it.

Amber x

The Statement Lip // Orange Edition

Today's post is dedicated to the lovely girl working in The Body Shop in Sheffield I met a few weeks ago. I was just browsing in the store and i was approached by the girl working in store, who was actually wearing this lipstick. Even though its pretty bright and a statement lip, i thought i could never pull off orange, but she insisted it would suit me. I reluctantly said okay i'll try it. She put it on for me with a lip brush and then handed me the mirror and i was pleasantly surprised. Who would have known it, orange lipstick isn't as bad as it sounds!

The swatch above shows how pigmented and vibrant the lipstick is! I had never even tried The Body Shop lipsticks before this so i was slightly skeptical as i'm into my Mac's and Chanel's but this is on par with them bigger brands, if not better! The formula is a matte but its not drying at all, its still really creamy and soft. Its got great staying power too.. Win Win all round!

I think this lipstick would suit most people, but it more so on olive skin or people with a more yellow/warm undertone. I'm so glad i stepped out of my 'beauty comfort zone' and tried something new. 

Leave a comment and let me know if you have tried any Body Shop Lipsticks and what you think to them.

Amber x

A Nude Matte Lip.. High Street VS High End

Above L to R: Sleek in Birthday Suit, Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in 34 Raffinée. 

Theres no universal nude shade that suits everyone so finding the right one for you can be a little difficult. Ive found that to be the case for me anyway, i either end up with a lipstick that gives me that 'foundation lips' look which washes me out completely or a lipstick thats too light like a baby pink which doesn't suit my skin at all. This can be worsened when the nude colour is a matte, making an even more impossible task.
Todays a bit of a different post too, this is the battle of the High-street VS High-End, but who will win? 

Round one // The High-Street Nude - To those sleek smarty pants, YES I'm cheating because this is a lip cream (apologies for cheating but you will thank me later) but I'm classing it as a lipstick. Right, now thats out of the way, lets just appreciate how cool the formula on this 'Matte Me' lipstick is, you apply it as if it is a lipgloss, the same doe-foot spongy applicator, it goes on creamy and slightly glossy but dries completely matte, and when i say completely matte, i mean make sure your lips are in perfect condition before applying this to your lips. This stuff clings to dry patches on your lips you didn't even know you had. The colour 'Birthday Suit' is more on the too light side but it is very close to my natural lip colour. The colour pay off is fab and it stays around for hours without coming off. 

Round two // The High End Nude - Oh Chanel my beauty how i love you *insert lovestruck emoji*. The Rouge Allure Velvet formulas are by far the best matte formulas around, and I've tried my fair share being a matte kinda girl. Its creamy and soft and glides on your lips like.. well.. velvet. The colour of this is more on the pinky side of the nude scale and would probably only class as a nude on skin tones like my own, but its a beautiful shade regardless. Perfect pigmentation but the staying power on this one isn't as good as the Sleek. We can probably all agree who wins the prize for best packaging.. i won't even say it. 

Round three // The verdict - They both have their pros and cons and they're both two of my favourite matte nudes. The winner is pretty clear to me though and wins by a mile, and that is of course the Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet. *round of applause woop woop*. This isn't a packaging bias verdict, its purely because i use this one way more and the colour is just stunning and the formulation is something else. Well done Chanel, you did us proud! 

Hope you enjoyed this post guys, would you like to see more of these 'battle' style posts? leave a comment and let me know! and if you have tried any of these, what do you think to them? 

Review - Benefit Watts Up Highlight

For you contour & highlighting gals.. this one is for you. 

This is one that I've been drooling over for months but could never justify paying £24.50 on something that puts a little sparkle on my face. Of course i finally gave in.. for blogging purposes only. 

The Packaging - Well like all benefit products, this comes in cute quirky packaging. Im not 100% sure about the weird little sponge thing at the bottom.. its hard to use and i think to blend the highlighter its much easier if you just use your fingers. 

The pay-off - There is no denying it with this one, it is not subtle at all. You can easily go OTT if you just whack it on without caution. When i was at a benefit counter once, the woman told me just to place it on the top of your cheekbones and drag it upwards. Id say this can put way too much product on the face for a day to day look, i find it works best by dabbing it on the tops of the cheekbones and anywhere else you choose to highlight or dragging it then blend it in with fingers. 

Below is one swatch before blending: 

Below is after the swatch has been blended to create a more natural and subtle highlight:

The highlighter has a champaign shimmery colour that can be very complimentary to warmer skin tones. I personally love using this when I'm doing a bronzed look and i can imagine this looking gorgeous in the summer to add a natural sunkissed look with some bronzer. I can however understand why people find this highlighter too glittery, but i personally don't mind a little shimmer. 

The sum up - Id give this product a 8.5/10. I think its so versatile and can be used in so many different make up looks. I also inserted that last picture to show how much product you get for the price. It doesn't seem much but i can see that this is going to last me ages and i would say it is so worth the money. 


Have any of you tried this or any other highlighters, let me know in the comments :) 

Amber x

Bronzed Makeup Look

The Eyes - My trustee MUA palette came in handy for this bronzed make up look. Even though they're only around £4, the MUA eyeshadows are really pigmented and have a gorgeous pay off. I started with a lighter shade all over the lid and then the 5th shade on the bottom row (the shades don't have any names) to create the bronzed effect on the lid and crease. To apply the eyeshadows i used my Victorias Secrets eye brushes that i got as part of a travel kit. They're nothing amazing but they do the job i suppose. I also used a tiny bit of my eyebrow shadow on the outer corners of my eyes to create some definition. I also tight lined my top lashes with my SmashBox eye kohl and put a tiny amount on my bottom lashes to create a more smokey effect. 

The Eyebrows - My unruly brows really need some TLC but for now I'm just making do with the bushy brow look and filling them in with my Browzings eyebrow shadow from Benefit. 

The Lashes - I have to curl my lashes, if i don't mascara just doesn't apply well at all and i end up with straight flat lashes that looked weighed down with mascara. So the first step is to curl. Then i go in with my Thick and fast mascara for some volume and my They're real mascara to lengthen.  

The Base - I usually keep it simple on the base and don't go for anything too heavy. I concealed my under eye circles with my illamasqua concealer, then went in with my borjouis CC cream. Nothing too heavy as this was just a day time look. Bronzed and highlighted then done. 

Hope you liked this look, leave a comment on what you think. 
Amber x

Review: The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-In-Oil

The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil - £12

I'll put my hands up and admit that although I love buying skincare, I have never used or tried a serum before (yes a beauty blogger who has never used a serum in her life)! 

However I've always been one that uses oils, especially natural oils such as almond oil and coconut oil. So when The Body Shop released there new 'Serum-in-oil' I had to buy it. 

The science behind it: This overnight serum in oil is The Body Shops product with the highest concentrate of wheatgerm oil. Wheatgerm oil is a natural oil that is high in Vitamin E which is an antioxidant that helps protect and repair the skin. This product also contains other natural oils to nourish the skin including Sweet Almond oil, Sesame seed oil, Sunflower oil and Jojoba seed oil. Now some of you might be thinking it seems a little cray to be slathering all those oils on your face, especially those with oily/combination skin, but have a little trust in me, all these oils are really beneficial to the skin and I plan on doing a post soon with my favourite natural oils and their benefits. 

The packaging: How cuteeeee is this! I know its pretty much the same as all of the vitamin E range but i still love it. I adore the little pipette on the lid,  it makes it so much easier to get the right amount of product and it makes it feel a little more expensive and a little like the Estee lauder advance night repair serum. Plus its baby pink, and  girls love cute pink packaging right? well done body shop.. 

The results: I've been using this serum-in-oil for a few weeks now and I'm happy to say that The body shop has done me proud once more. I used to always use the coconut beautifying oil at night and I would wake up in the morning with plump soft skin but for the past few weeks I replaced it with this but I'm not sure which I prefer. This soaks in almost instantly and doesn't leave you feeling greasy at all. I wake up in the morning with lovely soft skin however I don't think it is as hydrating as the beautifying oil. I find this oil works best after exfoliating at night before bed, in the morning you can really see and feel the difference. My verdict on this one would have to be a 7.5/10. I think it is ideal for anyone who is starting to explore facial oils and i would say its perfect for any skin type (yes even you oily skin gals).

Leave a comment and let me know if you have tried it or what your favourite oil is. 

Amber x

Payday Wishlist #1

Pay day is slowly approaching and that means i can finally treat myself to a few things that ive been obsessing over, and even if i dont buy any, a girl can dream right?

The most expensive of the bunch and the one i want the most is this Canon 600d. As much as i want it i dont think im ready to pay that much money for a new camera just yet!

The two zara bags are exactly the same but i cant decide which colour i like the most... any suggestions?

The last two are beauty bits. I bought a chanel lipstick a month or so back and got a sample of this mascara and i want to go back and buy the full version, it made my lashes so long and thick.. I think im onto a new favourite here.

Although im trying to wear more glossy lips, i still cant help being faithfull to a good ol' matte lip, a new edition to my collection would be very welcome.

What products are you on the look to buy? let me know in the comments.

Amber x

Haul #1

I knew it wouldn't be long until this day came... a shopping trip that ended in more than expected. I've named this 'Haul #1' because I've got a feeling this will be the first of many hauls on Tootsbeauty. 

I'm known for wearing 'Jumpers and Jeans' almost all year round, and H&M have added to my extensive jumper collection. I don't usually go for pinks but I'm totally in love with this pastel pink jumper which i think is perfect for spring. I also got this oversized Khaki jumper, mainly because the colour compliments my ombre hair and partly the fact it was only a tenner (and who can say no to a good bargain?)

Beauty bits next...

Body shop is by far one of my favourite brands for skincare and with the new release of their Vitamin E serum-in-oil i couldn't resist popping in store to grab one, oh and three other unexpected items.

As i mentioned in my Illamasqua review post, I'm trying to get rid of my acne scars and hyper-pigmentation so i picked up the Vitamin C microdermabrasion in the hope that using this weekly will help with cell renewal to help reduce my scars, also with the help of the serum-in-oil every night.

I also bought a face-mask for a Sunday night pamper and i got slightly pressured into buying this pink hair chalk by a sales assistant!

Last stop was Superdrug. I have heard really good reviews on the new CC cream so i thought i would try it out (possibly a review on that soon). However, with 3 for 2 on Bourjois i also treated myself to a Colour Boost lipstick and a Colour Edition 24h eyeshadow.  I also thought id try this new Micellar make up remover by Garnier. I'm thinking about doing a comparison blog post between this and the L'Oreal one.. 

If you would like to see any reviews or if you have any of these products, let me know in the comments :)

Amber  

First Impressions: Illamasqua Concealer

Illamasqua - Concealer in shade 210 

I'm a sucker for sleek packaging and illamasqua certainly hit the nail on the head with this one. When my online order was delivered in a little black box filled with black shredded paper inside I could help but fall more in love with the brand (that I was still yet to try). 

Anyway... Onto the more technical stuff now. I tried this first a few days ago and was amazed by the coverage. As a girl struggling to treat acne scars and hyper pigmentation on my face, for now my best bet is to cover the problem. When I first applied the concealer it was quite tough and not creamy at all like some other brands I've used before. However when applied it covered my scars, hyper pigmentation, spots AND redness perfectly. Impressed. Then I wore it for the rest of the day to see how it would hold up. The results were not what I was expecting. It had Almost completely faded away and all my blemishes were back on show.

 It could have been how I applied it or what I set it with, but my first impressions of this is that it's great coverage but with little lasting power. Another downside was that it clung to my dry patches which just made them so much more noticeable. 

*a side note… i also broke out with four spots after using this, it could have been something else but I'm going to stop using this until my skin is back to normal and see if i use it again if i break out again..*

After all the high expectations, I'm quite disappointed.

The search for a prefect concealer continues....  

January Favourites

Can you believe it, the first month of 2014 is already over! This month I've discovered a few new products which I can't stop reaching for, one rediscovery, an all-in-one palette, a make up brush i swear by, and a sweet new fragrance. 

The tool - Real Techniques - Buffing Brush

If you're going to buy just one thing that i recommend on here, let it be this. Most people have probably tried Real Techniques brushes and for a good reason, they're just perfect. Out of the core collection this is by far my favourite and its probably one tool that i will always repurchase. I use it to apply and buff in liquid foundation as it leaves the most gorgeously blended make up that doesn't leave you with any patches or harsh foundation lines (a girls worst nightmare). The only downside is that you can only buy the brush in the core collection which is around £21.99, so it is quite expensive if you're not going to use the other brushes, despite that i still think its worth it.

The rediscovery - YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in shade 4 'Rouge in Danger'

How could i have stopped using this for so long? I went through a stage where i only wanted matte lipsticks so this one got pushed to the side but after trying it on again this month i have fallen back in love with it. Instead of my usual Ruby Woo Red, this is much more subtle and sheer on the lips which i can wear in the day without it looking too bright. It is really sheer but the colour pay off is still gorgeous. However, its one you've got to keep in your bag because it does need to be topped up quite a bit during the day. 

The New Scent - Victoria's Secret Body Mist in 'Dream of Kisses'

After buying 5 Victoria's Secret body mists in the sale that they had in Meadowhall, i decided to save the other 4 for when this one runs out. Ive got to say this has been one of my favourite things to wear this month, the smell is so gorgeous and sweet. To be honest i would never have bought it at its original £11 price mark, but for £2.50 in the sale i couldn't be happier.

The All-in-One - Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light

Since purchasing my first ever highlighter in this kit, I think I'm hooked onto the highlighter/contour bandwagon. The contour shade is perfect for my skin tone and the highlighter isn't too shimmery, which is nice to just put that bit of glow into your face without looking like a disco ball. The blusher isn't really to my liking, but its still nice to have it there especially if you're travelling you have all three products in one! 


That's all of this months favourites.. hopefully i will have a new post soon. Any suggestions please leave a comment :) 


Amber