May Birchbox

I might have been initially reeled in to buy this month's Birchbox by the beautiful marble design - I am a sucker for it! However, before actually going ahead and purchasing the box I took a look at what was actually going to be inside and was pleasantly surprised by what was on offer for this month. 

I have been so excited all week ever since I ordered the box and it finally arrived and yes it looks beautiful on the outside and the pink pull out draw insert is so cute that I will definitely be displaying this box on my vanity, but I was so delighted to receive the products inside. There is a range of different items inside, including a full size product and I am actually excited to try out every single one of them. I also love that this month, Birchbox is all about little changes that can make a big difference to your daily routine, and I have been wanting to change up my rituals and what products I use as of late. 

Marsk-Mineral Eyshadow 'Vanilla Frosting' Full Size RRP £14.49

This is a pigmented powder eyeshadow that can be used as a wash of colour over the lid or as part of an intense smokey look. I gently coated a brush in the powder and then swept it over my eyelid; it's soft and made from natural ingredients which makes it perfect for my sensitive eyes, and it is super glittery and sparkly. Before checking out, you can choose from the shade 'Fifty Shades' or 'Vanilla Frosting' and I chose the latter as I can create more versatile looks with this shimmery white shadow. 

Doucce-Punk Volumizer Mascara RRP £18

I am currently on a lash extensions hype so at the moment I have no need for mascaras, however soon I want to give my lashes a break from the extensions and head back into using mascaras, and this one is going to be the first one I grab for. This is described as a volumising mascara and I love big lashes and I hope this is exactly the look I will achieve when using it. There is a jumbo fibre mascara wand which looks perfect for grabbing every single lash. 

Laura Mercier-Foundation Primer Radiance RRP £29

I have actually been wanting to try this out for a long time, and this is also a big reason as to why I chose to buy the May Birchbox edit this month. I have heard great things about this from Youtubers and bloggers and went straight ahead and used this the very next time I went to do my make up. This made my skin smooth and left it with a radiant glow, preparing my skin for foundation. I am also happy to say that this made my make up last throughout my working day, so basically if this is everything you want in a primer then definitely try this out. 

Whish-Firming Body Cream Rice Milk RRP £27
This is something I am curious to try out as I am always sceptical as to how much these types of products work. The cream is described as being able to firm and smooth your skin for a toned and even result by stimulating blood flow and reducing inflammation, so I am excited to start using it. It contains organic ingredients; shea butter, cocoa seed butter and green tea.

Beauty Protector-Protect & Volume RRP £18.50
I love the smell of this, it smells fresh and clean and you can slightly smell the product in your hair during the day but you can't tell that your hair has any of the product in apart from the scent giving it away as it light and non sticky. This added a slight lift and volume to my hair as well as making it look shiny and healthy. 

I am really impressed with this months Birchbox and have already determined that I will definitely be repurchasing the Laura Mercier primer. 

Three High Quality Highlighters

Make Up Revolution I Heart Make Up 'Goddess of Love' Highlighter - £5.99
Urban Decay Afterglow Highlighter in 'Sin' - £19
Barry M Illuminating Strobe Cream 'Iced Bronze' - £4.49

I have put together three great highlighters that differ in price, formula and brand. I was first attracted to the heart boxes from Make Up Revolution as they looked like amazing dupes of the blushes from Too Faced, and I am a sucker for such cute packaging. At first I tried the blushes from Make Up Revolution and after being very impressed with them I decided to try one of their highlighters. This also turned out to be a great product, not particularly as pigmented as the other two highlighters I have picked out but a good product for only £4.99. It gives a natural and subtle glow to the skin, and it has a pink sheen to it, not my favourite in a highlighter but as it is not strongly pigmented it does not show up on the skin with too much of a pink shine. 

After watching Manny MUA rave about the Urban Decay highlighter in 'Sin' I was easily persuaded and went and bought it when it was finally back in stock! It is super pigmented and I always get comments whenever I am wearing it. If you are looking for a higher end product for highlight then this one should definitely be the top of your list! 

If you are looking to try a cream product, the the Barry M strobe stick is great and really affordable. It is easy to apply and blend, without smudging or moving your foundation and although there are only two shades to choose from, I am really pleased with the champagne shade of Iced Bronze. 

Highlighter is by far my favourite make up product and so my collection is always growing and very varied. What are your favourite highlighters? 

Physicians Formula - Shimmer Strips Natural Nude

Physicans Formula is a brand I have been wanting to try for quite a while now but unfortunately it is not sold, or widely available in the UK. Amazon have a few products with quite a hefty price tag, and so when my best friend recently visited America, she very kindly bought me an item back. 

The first thing I noticed when I found this brand was the very pretty and photogenic packaging, which is dangerous territory for me when purchasing products, I get drawn in by attractive packaging and products sometimes before necessarily knowing much about the product itself. 

I wanted to try the Shimmer Strips Custom All-in-1 Nude Palette for Face and Eyes. This is a multifunctional, versatile product, which states that it can be used to accentuate cheeks and enhance the eyes. All 12 shades differ in colour and are all beautiful natural colours. The strips are pigmented, and can either be blended together or worn separately; the whole box provides the essentials to a natural face. I use this product as bronzer, highlighter, eyeshadow and it can also be used as eyeliner. The colours aren't too shimmery but still provide a lovely glow, it can also be built up to give a really intense highlight. 

A mirror, appplicators and directions are all compactly fit into the small, pretty packaging. The product doesn't irritate my sensitive skin and it has many purposes, overall a really good, versatile product. 

May Favourites

Magnitone Pulsar - I was very generously sent this product by Magnitone to test and review, which I have written a whole blog post about here, so I won't go into too much detail, but this product is so great for cleaning and cleansing your face of any make up or dirt. You can choose your own cleanser to use with it, and it can also be used for full body use, or to soothe skin after shaving. The pulsar uses a sweeping motion and glides across the skin as you guide it. I use this twice a day and is now my favourite step in my skincare routine. 

Garnier Moisture Match Protect and Glow - I was recommended this range from someone on Instagram and for some reason I had no idea about it! There are a number of different moisturisers in this range for different skin types. I picked up two on my last visit to Boots but wanted to include this one in my favourites as I have been loving using this one daily. This is a light lotion that smells lemony and fresh which contains light reflecting pearls to give a healthy looking glow to the skin. I like to put this one on in the morning before my foundation, I find that it helps my foundation to sit better on the skin. Plus, this lotion contains SPF20. 

Seventeen Wow Skin Highlighter - This is another product that I have reviewed on my blog before, but for some reason I stopped using it, until recently when I picked it up again and now it has become a part of my make up routine. The highlighter has three different uses, to prime, to use as a stand alone highlight, or to mix with your foundation. I enjoy using it mixed with my foundation the most as it adds a healthy glow to my skin.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation -  Again, a product I have recently reviewed on my blog, but it is still new to me, and after finally parting with my pennies last month, I am so pleased it is in my make up collection. I wouldn't describe this foundation as dewy, but it does give a glow to the skin, with a more satin finish, making the skin look healthy and natural. The foundation does stick to dry patches and so ex-foliating regularly and applying a moisturiser, one with spf as this foundation doesn't have one, helps it to blend nicely and sit on the skin well. 

Flat Contour Cosmetic Brush - This is my favourite buy of the last month! From Ebay this brush was only £1.89 and if you love contouring then this cheap, but great quality brush is one you definitely need in your collection. I find that this brush picks up just the right amount of product and is an ideal shape/size to add good definition to your cheeks before blending it in with a soft brush to get rid of any harsh lines. 

Max Factor Skin Luminizer Foundation - This is the foundation that I have been enjoying mixing with the seventeen wow skin highlighter, I find that they work perfectly together to give a nice glow to my skin, and even though the foundation does this in itself, I found that when mixed with the highlighter it sat a lot better on my face. It is a very natural looking foundation with light to medium coverage and I was surprised at how well I could colour match myself as I find this quite difficult to do with drugstore foundations due my fair/pale skin. 

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in 'Nudist' - This is my new favourite lip product for a subtle hint of colour, I find it is my natural lip colour but better and it is moisturising but not sticky on the lips. I like the vanilla scent and I think the packaging is cute, with a twist up tube for easy application. 

W7 Eye Palette

In The Buff: Lightly Toasted Natural Nudes palette is just one of four eye palettes from w7 in this collection, the other three being In The Buff, In The Nude and In The Night. What drew me to this collection was the fact that they look very similar to the Naked Palettes from Urban Decay and were so much cheaper in price. I chose the Lightly Toasted palette as it contained shades that I have always worn on my eyes and feel comfortable wearing, as well the fact that I know I can make use of every shade in the palette. 

Each palette contains twelve very pigmented shades for just £4.99. This palette contains colours that are neutral but they can be built up to create a darker, more intense smoky eye, making this palette perfect for bringing your look from day to night. I find that these colours last on my eyes without creasing or moving and the palette comes with a dual ended brush/sponge, which I don't always use when applying but it is still pretty good. 

Also, I need to discuss the packaging of this product. It comes in a metal, tin case, not cardboard or plastic, thank goodness and so the eyeshadows are well protected by the sturdy case.  

From left to right: Teddy Bear, Wonderland, Cracker, Happy, Lady Luck, Twister, Di Di, 

Delilah, Magic, It's A Dream, Up In Smoke and Dawn. 

All in all, a really good buy, with a range of shades to take your make up look from day to night. 

Until next time,

Laura Elizabeth xo

Nars Sheer Glow

Nars sheer glow is by far one of the most talked about and blogged foundations there are. I'm quite proud of how long I resisted buying this, but after reading many reviews and just imagining it being in my make up collection, I finally took the plunge. One of the reasons why I held off buying this for so long was not just the price, but because no where near me has a Nars counter and so I could not get colour matched, after so much research I internet matched myself to 'Mont Blanc' and was very happy when it arrived as it was the perfect match - well done me! I wouldn't say this is a dewy foundation, although some people describe it as such due to the name, but it has more of a satin finish that gives a glow to the skin to make it appear healthy and natural. It does stick to any dry patch of skin so I ex-foliate regularly and always apply moisturiser before use, usually one with an SPF as this foundation doesn't have one. 

The only downside to it I would say is that it does not come with a pump, although the packaging is lovely it can get messy if you have a wobbly hand like I do, so for an extra £3 you cant go wrong, and that way you aren't using excessive amounts of the product each use! 

Overall this foundation blends well, there are lots of colours to choose from and it gives a flawless finish that photographs beautifully. 

Laura Elizabeth xo 

My March Favourites

Jimmy Choo - Eau De Parfum 

I loveeeeee this perfume. The first thing I noticed about this perfume was that it smelt like no other perfume I currently, or had previously owned and that it really didn't remind me of any other perfume I have smelt or sampled before on a shopping trip; it's distinctive. It is by no means a new perfume, but it is already one that I know I would re-purchase in the future and it has definitely earned its place in my favourite perfumes after only owning it for a little over a month. The one thing that baffled me however was that a number of reviews I had read about this product criticised the staying power of it - stating that the original 'strong smell fades after an hour.' In my own experience I can definitely say that I strongly disagree with these reviews, and I can certainly vouch for this product as it is one of only five perfumes in my collection that lasts all day! After wearing it for many hours the smell is still strong on my skin at the end of the day, and sometimes if I don't put my shirt immediately in the wash I can still smell it the next day! Now you might say, 'well that's all good and well, but how much of the product do you actually spray?' and my reply would be very little -  a little does go a long way with this product! It's a sweet perfume, with fruity, musky, warm spice scents.The bottle and packaging is cute and it really looks beautiful on my vanity table. 

L'Oreal Paris - Skin Perfecting Advanced Correcting Serum

I bought this product at the beginning of March and I can already see a clear difference in my skin. It claims to hep correct and improve the appearance of skin quality and although my skin could still use some help, this product has definitely made a difference. It is aimed at people in their 20's and 30's and really does give my skin the boost it needs. It makes my skin feel satiny and smooth and you only need to use a few drops morning and evening either alone or before your moisturiser. It has a nice smell to it, the cream isn't too oily and the bottle is cute. 

                                                          

Sleek Blush - Rose Gold

Blusher never used to be a part of my daily make-up routine, I would usually opt for a contour and highlight or a good bronzer and rarely bother with blusher at all. However the past few months I have been really enjoying using a blusher to dust some light colour on my cheeks to give a healthy look to my skin. This product I have owned for a while now after reading many reviews that said it was a great dupe for the Nars 'Orgasm' blush but I just rediscovered it and have been using it nearly everyday during March. The gold pigments in this blush are very pigmented but overly glittery, and the colour transfers onto the skin nicely. It is considerably cheaper than the Nars blush so if you want a cheaper alternative I definitely recommend this. 

MUA - Power Brow Shape and Highlight

I have recently written a review of this product on my blog a few posts ago, so I won't go into too much detail - link: MUA Power Brow Review This product has a small nib for the brown colour and the end is a shimmery highlight - both are highly pigmented for such a cheap product and make it easy to define my eyebrows. 

Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil - Nude Perfection

This is the first of four lip products in my favourites this month. The product is pretty much a dupe for Mac's 'Velvet Teddy' which is also in my March favourites however I find it has a different texture and finish on my lips than the Mac lipstick has. It dries my lips out slightly and doesn't give as nice a finish or smoothness to my lips, despite this the colour is lovely as well as the pigment lasting around two hours before it even slightly disappeared. There are nine colours in the range and for £4.99 they are good buy. 

Mac Matt Lipstick - Velvet Teddy 

Even though this is a matte finish lipstick in comparison to the Maybelline Lip Pencil this product does not leave my lips dry at all. I didn't really own a perfect nude colour until I bought this, and have found that this product looks different on different skin tones. It is a brown nude colour but not at all orangey and has great staying power.

MUA Velvet Lip Lacquers

I love the packaging of these, I think they look really high end despite them only being £3. I was slightly disappointed as they didn't completely transfer onto my lips  the same colour as they looked in the packaging or when swatched on my hand. However the colour's I picked out were still nice - 'Halycon' and 'Tranquility' and are highly pigmented. I have fairly thin lips and so applying these are quite difficult, but once they dry they sit nicely and have good staying power for the price of the product. 

Top - 'Halycon'

Bottom - 'Tranquility'

So these are the products I have been loving this month and will probably continue loving throughout April! What products have you been enjoying this month? Have you tried any of the products I have mentioned?

-Laura Elizabeth xo

My Current Favourite Highlighters

MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighting Powder - Pink Shimmer

Seventeen Skin Wow 3 Way Highlighter 

the Balm Mary-Lou Manizer Luminizer 

MAC Pearlmatte Face Powder - Pink Buttercream

These are just a few of the highlighters in my collection and it's fair to say that a good highlighter product is my favourite step in my make-up routine. These four are my current favourites and I have an internal battle every morning on which one to use! 

In my opinion all four give a totally different effect on my skin but similarly give a spectacular finish, providing my skin with a lovely glow. They range in prices, but I have to say I am so impressed with Make Up Academy's highlighter product, at just £3 you can't go wrong! It gives a radiant glow to my skin and works just as well the more expensive products from the Balm and Mac. 

The Seventeen highlighter has three amazing uses to it, to prime, to add to your foundation (giving an effect similar to Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation) and to add to the tops of your cheekbones for that perfect highlight. After using the product in all three ways, I have found that it gives a lovely luminous glow however you choose to use it. 

Mac's Pink Buttercream unfortunately was a limited edition product, and can also be used as a subtle pink blush or a glowing highlight. I find it gives the best results when I swirl all colours of the product together on one brush. 

The Balm's Mary-Lou Manizer is probably my top top favourite highlighter product. I find that this gives so much colour to the face and it is super pigmented so a little goes a long way! I'd class this as a champagne shade however I think it would look lovely on any skin tone. 

What are your thoughts on these products? What are your favourite highlighter products? I'd love to know!

-Laura Elizabeth xo 

Make Up Academy Luxe - Powerbrow Shape and Highlight

I totally bought this product on a whim, with no previous research and after not reading any review or blog post prior to purchasing it. I didn't want to get my hopes up, 1) because its an eyebrow product and good ones are hard to find, 2) this make up range is fairly cheap and so it might not be as good as more expensive brands (although I know this isn't necessarily always the case) and 3) I have products from MUA which are perfectly good, but like I said, it's an eyebrow product! These products have to be good, and I've tried many that just haven't been all that great. 

However, I was really pleasantly surprised! Before using this product, my go to eyebrow product was, believe it or not, a powder palette from H&M which I used with the small angled brush that came with it, and this was my holy grail product for getting my eyebrows just right. Despite this, I fell in love with this product immediately and have been using it every day since. I find it works best for me when I use it light handedly - using a small amount of the product and building it up. I got mine in mid brown, and I believe there are only two other shades, 'fair' and 'dark brown' however I'm not 100% sure on that fact, there could be more, however these were the ones in stock when I was in Superdrug. 

The product has a small nib which twists upwards at the bottom to make more product available, and the other end has a highlighter which although is quite a pearly almost pink colour, which I wasn't too keen on at first, it compliments the brown colour beautifully. The only downfall I would say it has is the product can be easily smudged, so I would recommend using an eyebrow mascara or setter on top to keep the product in place. 

Sleek Contour Kit Review

Hello lovelies, I have a number of posts lined up this week, the first one is a review of the Sleek Contour Kit priced £6.49. Available here: 

http://www.sleekmakeup.com/face-contour-kit-light
http://www.superdrug.com/Sleek/Sleek-Face-Contour-Kit-Light/p/608327#.VOJIgPmsVaQ
http://www.boots.com/en/Sleek-MakeUp-Face-Contour-Kit_1395740/
Note: The colour of the different shades on the websites are not identical to the actual shades of the kit so I recommend going and having a look in a store or doing further search online if you are unsure of which colour will be best for you!

Mine is in the shade 'light' and as I'm quite pale this is the perfect shade for me. If I want a more bronzed, darker contour the product is easily build-able and super easy to blend; (I love using the contour brush from Real Techniques in the Core Collection set to apply this! Currently on offer at Gordon's Direct for £11.50! http://www.gordonsdirect.com/real-techniques-core-collection.html?gclid=CjwKEAiAx4anBRDz6JLYjMDxoQYSJAA4loRmO2DuAZnJlWtT3oMXLpUsK3X2qytuz2yNr8id-zYF5BoCdnbw_wcB ). The bronzer is matte and pigmented. 

The highlighter is also lovely, one I reach for daily, it's not too glittery or sparkly, but gives a lovely glow to the skin, and is also very pigmented. 

Overall, this is a product that I would definitely repurchase and one I would recommend for someone who is new to contouring, the kit also comes with a leaflet on where to contour and how to get the best out of the product!