Finally, back with a new post!
So, a few weeks ago, I was attempting to teach my makeup-challenged friend a way around her makeup bag. However, TO MY SHOCK HORROR, she had one brush… One. How has she survived up until this point, I hear you cry. I know, I know. So I told her that I was able to find her some useful tools at a bargain price from E.L.F. and she wasn’t disappointed! (Not going to lie, I bought brushes for myself too, of course!)
It’s come to that time of year when we are all thinking about what to dress up as this year. I do know that there are many people who poo-poo the eerie festivities but, if I’m honest, I will use any excuse to break out the face-paints and a bit of a creative streak.
Because, you know, ‘normal’ makeup is all well and good but there is only one time of year, only a few occasions, when you have an excuse to paint yourself as a pumpkin or some undead creature.
Alas, here is my look from last year. Luckily for me, there was a special presentation of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ and, of course, I decided to go as Magenta. (Though I was the only one in my group to be in costume, they are clearly too dull for my liking!)
And I like the way you move. (Yep, I’m quoting Whigfield, you can judge me, I care not.)
So my lovely co-author and close personal acquaintance, Oily Baby, suggested posting our makeup looks. I guess it’s a good idea to show that we, you know, wear makeup and aren’t talking out of our butts. She was on it quickly, I was not, but here it goes.
I perused the aisles of my local pharmacy last week with a friend, stopping at the Barry M stand, as per usual. This range of polishes caught my eye. Their website describes them as: “Hi shine Gel effect Nail Paint [that] provides an extra glossy finish”. I mean, who can turn that down?
Except. Except, well, it’s awful. I invested in the colour above, Key Lime, as I can’t turn down a bright varnish. My friend told me, she told me that they were awful but would I listen? Hardly.
The varnish goes on lumpy, with bubbles forming in the varnish. It takes about eighteen hours to dry (that’s an exaggeration but you know what I mean) and when it does finally manage to dry, it’s too thick and scrapes off easily.
Yeah, it’s cheap enough, so you shouldn’t expect much. But, for me, it’s a pity since I have other varnishes in this brand and they’re pretty good, in fairness. Really disappointed this time around.
Verdict: Please, for the love of god, don’t buy this.
Afternoon peeps,
So, for a while now, I’ve ventured to the Benefit counter in my local pharmacy. I’ve purchased a few products and have been given others as gifts. For the price, I have contemplated whether or not the products are actually worth the money. Clearly, the packaging is beautiful and really gives a nice impression as a gift but, besides that, why should one buy this brand? Following, there is some of the list that I have collected and my reviews of each (because I know you clearly care about my opinion), enjoy…
My first foray into Benefit was with their ridiculously popular mascara They’re Real. (£19.50/$23.00)
One of their cheapest products and, as far as I’m concerned, one of their best. It separates. lifts and accentuates lashes, while not looking too clumpy. It’s somewhat drying – as I have found with a lot of mascaras – but that isn’t a huge deal in my book. Better it’s a bit of a pain to get off, instead of creating the dreaded ‘Panda Eye’. It’s very dark black, of which I’m a huge fan, and gives great volume. All in all, it’s pretty much worth the money and lasts for quite some time. (I still sometimes use the brush for other mascaras, even though this particular one has run out.)
Verdict: Worth the money.
Up next, Erase Paste, according to their website: “brightening camouflage for eyes and face“. ($26.00/£19.50)
Now, this one I’m torn on. It comes in three shades, 1. Fair, 2. Medium and 3. Deep. However, there isn’t that much of a difference between them. (Clearly they aren’t in the act of having this concealer for darker skintones.)
Anyway… It’s very creamy and silky, with great coverage. My mum loves it for just this reason, she has a number of blemishes on her skin; age spots, wrinkles and some broken capillaries. Erase Paste leaves them almost non-existent. “BUT THAT’S GOOD, RIGHT?” I hear you cry. It is good, it’s brilliant and she is delighted with it. However, I feel that for the delicate eye area, it is too heavy and, as you try to blend, it can crease and pull at the skin. I think that’s pretty detrimental to younger skin and isn’t all that necessary unless you have some extremely visible blemishes that you would like to conceal. So, by all means, use this if you are looking for OMG!COVERAGE but if you’d rather a lighter feeling concealer, this isn’t for you.
Verdict: Somewhat worth it, depending on what you are looking for.
But fear not, because Boi-ing might just be the concealer for you. ($20.00/£17.50)
Boi-ing comes in five shades, a lot more variation than that of Erase Paste and it’s cheaper too. For me, this would be more suited to younger skin. It’s lighter and easier to blend, great for under-eye areas. Having said that, it’s a bit drying and there are a ton of concealers – much cheaper – that do pretty much the same thing.
Verdict: Not worth it, plenty of cheaper concealers that do the same job. (See: E.L.F. Studio Complete Coverage Concealer, £3.75, at www.eyeslipsface.co.uk)
Lemon Aid is a “colour correcting eyelid primer“. ($20.00/£16.50) It’s yellow, hence the name, and its apparent appeal is that it can be worn with or without eyeshadow over it.
This is okay. It’s definitely suited to paler skintones and it does give a wide-eyed look but I personally don’t feel that it’s brilliant as an eyeshadow primer. It’s average, at best, and there are a number of non-yellow dupes for people who aren’t into that look.
Verdict: Not worth it, cheaper primers available that work just as well, if not better, and suit more skintones. (See: Essence I Love Stage Eyshadow Primer, $1/€2.50, www.essence.eu)
That Gal face primer ($29.00/£22.50) was something I bought spontaneously.
Acquired with a makeup voucher that was burning a whole in my purse, I trawled the Benefit counter for something I had yet to try. I was looking for a good primer and the TOO ENTHUSIASTIC Benefit person was all over this product like a fly on shit.
Yep, it’s brightening and it smells good but, really, that’s it. It didn’t smooth my face or even out foundation as much as I would have hoped. It’s a bit pink for my liking – since I’m already too pink naturally – so I think this may work better on someone with slightly darker, oilier skin.
And that bitch said it was for dry skin. I felt like I’d put water on my face -_- Fool me once, etc., etc.
Verdict: Not for me. (See: Gosh Velvet Touch Foundation Primer, €19.99, www.goshcosmetics.ie and at Superdrug).
High Beam is like the Holy Grail of Benefit products ($26.00/£19.50).
Okay so, admittedly, it’s good. In fact, it is very good. It highlights one’s features like a dream – although is a tad on the shimmery side – enhancing those loverly cheekbones and eyebrow bones… As if your face has been licked by a unicorn. I don’t really have any problems with this, except the price. I, personally, don’t think that it’s worth it. Considering the previously mentioned E.L.F. does a dupe for pretty much all of Benefit’s highlighters; High Beam, Moon Beam and Sun Beam. Check them out here: http://eyeslipsface.co.uk/en/restofworld/shimmer/shimmering-facial-whip/invt/1200
Verdict: Nope, not when E.L.F. is on their case with a fabulous product that does EXACTLY the same thing.
Overall Verdict:
So, if you are interested in Benefit products, buy them, I wouldn’t tell you not to. But, basically, there are a huge number of duplicates out there for a literal fraction of the price. Obviously Benefit‘s packaging is prettier and all that but I, personally, would rather spend the money on other brands.
That’s all folks!
Your friendly neighbourhood D.S. back again. (TWO POSTS IN TWO DAYS, I knooow.)
After weeks of waiting, my patience finally wore thin and I invested in a new foundation.
Due to my corpse-like colouring, I find it extremely difficult to get a foundation that ticks all of my boxes for things such as dryness and coverage.
And then a friend recommended MAC Studio Sculpt, a near life-changing moment. Here it is in NC15:
According to MAC, this foundation is: A luxurious, creamy foundation that delivers ultimate hydration while instantly revitalizing the look of dull and dry skin. Innovative gel-based system provides outstanding skin feel and a medium, buildable coverage with a natural satin finish. Micronized silicone coated pigments improve skin adherence and blendability while helping to maintain colour purity. Offers broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection with SPF 15. Comfortable on all skins, but especially suited for normal-dry and mature skins.
I have to admit that, after wearing for a few weeks, this foundation is my new favourite. It comes in warm (sallow) and cold (pink/blue) complexion colours from 15 to 50, rising in fives each time. That’s the one problem I have, however, I’m NC13 and this isn’t pale enough for me. THOUGH, it doesn’t make a real noticeable difference so finding your own colour shouldn’t be that difficult either.
This foundation is purrfect for dry skin; just because I have the crustiest of faces, I like to use moisturiser underneath but those of you with non-reptile complexions probably wouldn’t need that.
Do you worry about the sun? (You should, fyi.) Well this has SPF 15 and UVA/UVB protection so even in the winter, you’re protected. Huzzah!
The light-reflecting pigments are great for distracting from those crazy blemishes and it’s easy to build up the coverage for those pesky hormonal times. (Girls, you know what I’m talking about!) I, myself, tend to wear a little extra concealer on my pink cheeks if I don’t feel like caking myself in foundation. But, each to their own.
Before, if I ever slept in my foundation – which I wouldn’t recommend to anyone – I would have woken up with my face looking like I’d rolled around in the Sahara; with this I can wake up and actually look mildly refreshed and somewhat glowing. WHO KNEW?! It just goes to show how moisturising and hydrating it is.
Because of this reason, this wouldn’t be that suitable for those with Normal/Oily skin. Don’t fret, though, there are a ton of foundations for those of you blessed with your own built-in moisturiser.
MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation is $31/€36.50/£25 (Ireland is so ridiculously expensive, ugh).
MAC is available in stores around the U.S., Britain and Ireland (and other countries, I’m sure) and on their website: http://www.maccosmetics.com/index.tmpl, http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/
Enjoy yo bad selves!
– E x
Dry Shite back to business!
Reminded today, by my colleague and fellow ethereal, transparently-skinned goddess, that we actually HAVE a blog.
Soooo, I decided to give you all the low-down on my current makeup bag. I’ve been collecting eye shadow palettes for the last couple of weeks, loads of colours altogether for a cheaper price… Sure where would you be going?!
Make Up Academy is my current go-to for all things eye shadow palette-y. It started with a search for some nice nudes, near impossible to find in my price range. But a search in my local Superdrug store saved me (not literally but, you know)…
Et voilà, there it was, the M.U.A. Undressed Palette. (Undressed… Nude… Get it? Oh lol!) Anywho…
It contains both matt and shimmer nude shades and darker metal shades. It’s basically a dupe for Urban Decay’s Naked Palette. The colours are SUPER pigmented, surprisingly so, for a palette that costs £4/€6. Great for both day-time and night-time looks, with the mix of textures. Great for blending. I personally love the gunmetal blue one, though it wasn’t even the colour I bought the palette for. (I love these palettes for just that reason, they give you options you never really thought of before!)
Another palette I love is the M.U.A. Heaven and Earth collection. GOD, IT’S JUST SO NUDE. Mainly shimmer colours, it’s perfect for natural, summer looks. (I love to use the palest shade for highlighting.) The colours blend together perfectly too, ALL OF THE SMOKEY EYES FOR YOU. (Another use: eyebrow darkening!) It’s a multi-functional addition to the auld make up bad and definitely the one I use the most.
Looking for some colour? The Glitterball Palette is a good buy. Not necessarily ‘glittery’, as the name would suggest, a nice light shimmer is what to expect. What I like about it is that it isn’t harsh on the eyes, like most glitter shadows I’ve tried, it’s smooth and doesn’t really crease. Another problem I don’t have with these, is the bits falling off the brush and onto my face/into my eyes. Seriously, that’s not a good look on anyone.
My favourite shadow is the peachy colour, it looks super pretty on blue eyes; actually, this would suit almost any eye colour. The colours are really pigmented too so a little goes a long way, unless you are up for being noticed. Great for night-time looks.
I should add that I usually use an eye shadow primer under my eye shadow so it could change the quality, texture or pigment of the shadow as it is placed on the lid.
Palettes are available in Britain and Ireland, in Superdrug and other pharmacies. Also on their website: http://www.muastore.co.uk/index.php/
As I collect more, I too shall review them.
Happy Spending!
Your resident dry bitch here!
SO, recently, I acquired the EcoTools Buffing Brush for my collection. Due to my constant and excessive viewing of Pixiewoo Youtube makeup tutorials, I have desired a buffing brush all of my own. As their flawless skin seemed to be made even more flawless by their buffing brushes. Though they are obviously able to spend more on makeup tools than myself, I found a buffing brush well within my price-range.
Et voila:
I’ve used it for a few weeks now and, seriously, I cannot think of a better investment I’ve made recently for my crusty face.
It buffs foundation into the skin, making it appear as though your face is that naturally fabulous, as opposed to just laying the foundation ON your skin. You need only use a small amount of foundation and it goes a long way.
However, if you are one of those people who would prefer to cover every flaw, to make it known that your face is caked in an icing-thick layer of foundation, then this is not for you.
I’ve had problems with brushes before, stippling/flat/etc. foundation brushes are unfortunately not made for skin like the Sahara.
For all of my fellow desert-skinned loverlies out there, I can’t imagine a better brush for covering a mangy dry patch.
Luckily for the Brits and the Irish, these brushes are on sale in Boots Pharmacies, where I bought mine.
Another reason to buy, cruelty-free and eco-friendly, for those nature-conscious peeps out there.
Also, the website: http://www.ecotools.com/buffing-brush
Enjoy!
WHY IS SKIN SO HARD 