17 Hide & Chic concealer - Light Beige/Light Rose.

Hi ladies

Today I'm reviewing a concealer that joined my collection recently but has become my go to concealer as of late. I got both these concealers in separate swaps funnily enough but the one that matches my skintone and I use regularly is the light beige as the other one, light rose has a pink undertone. This retails for around £4.99 I believe although I can't seem to find it on the website so can't confirm unfortunately.

The concept is similar to the YSL Touche Eclat in that it is a highlighting concealer. Instead of the clicky button, the 17 version has a twisty mechanism to release the product.

I use this concealer to brighten up my under eye area on days I want to apply something to my face but don't want to wear foundation. The coverage isn't amazing as you can see from the swatches but that's not what I want from an 'everyday' concealer and I don't think that is the purpose. It's easy to blend and doesn't feel dry on my already sahara desert like skin so it gets a thumbs up from me.

I know there are quite a few highlighting concealer pens available on the high street now which I'm yet to try but at £4.99 this is quite a good option.

Till next time...Toodles! :)

GOSH Velvet Touch & Ultimate Eyeliners.

Hi ladies

You may remember I went to the GOSH S/S 2013 preview event in March and was given a bag of their latest releases. I've already reviewed their BB kit and gorgeous nail lacquers and now it's time to share my views on their eyeliner pencils. I have two types, the newer ultimate eyeliner range which is the twisty kind with a smudger on the end (£5.99) and the velvet touch liner pencils (4.99). GOSH is currently on 3 for 2 in Superdrug ;)

Back in Black, Raw Grey, Kind of Blue, FashionistA & Renaissance Gold.

One side has the smudgy rubbery thing (professional terms)

The other side has the twist up end with the product.

The velvet touch liners just come in standard pencil liner form. Renaissance Gold & FashionistA are in this format whereas the others are from the ultimate liner range.

Bottom to top - Back in Black, FashionistA, Raw Grey,  Kind of Blue & Renaissance Gold.

Right to Left: FashionistA, Raw Grey,  Kind of Blue & Renaissance Gold.

They really were as creamy to apply as the photo leads you to believe (not even sure if a photo can convey that). They just glided on and were so smooth and pigmented! Although raw grey was a dryer formulation than the rest. FashionistA has very visible silver shimmer particles as you can see.

The left hand side is after an initial rub (I let it set for a while first) and the right hand side is what was left the next moning! Impressive right? Obviously you don't apply liner to your wrists and the eyelid area tends to have way more creases + oil so I'm sure this isn't an accurate reflection of staying power but still thought I'd share.

Here are the looks I created using Renaissance Gold and Raw Grey as bases. I then used Urban Decay powder shadows on top to set the look and I really liked how it looked. They added a lot of vibrancy to the look and the dryer consistency of Raw Grey helped it to crease less (although it wasn't as smooth to apply) whereas the gold is unbelievably creamy so there was no tugging whatsoever and immense pigment.

I think something I will love using the grey liner for is to smudge it under the lash line using the smudger provided, like the photo above. I think smudging black under the lash line can make me look a bit crazy whereas this achieves the smokiness without being as intense.

In short, I think these GOSH liners are fantastic. Some colours I wouldn't really wear if I'm honest but that doesn't take away from the creaminess, intense pigment and lasting power. I now see why my cousin (who wears no make up whatsoever other than eyeliner) relies on GOSH for her everyday black pencil liner. For the price you get a fantastic quality product and these are probably the best pencil liners I've tried on the high street so far.

Have you ever used GOSH liners? I'm interested in trying the liquid liner next, any views?

Till next time...Toodles! :)

Betrousse Glitz and Glamour box.

Hi ladies

This morning I received a Betrousse Glitz and Glam box to my initial surprise. I soon solved that mystery but I thought I would quickly show you what I got. If you want a bit of background on Betrousse check out my post on their summer break box. I don't subscribe to any beauty boxes and in short that's because I hate wasting money on 'surprises' that more often than not I won't use but with Betrousse you know what you're getting which eliminates the let down factor. This box has a value of £70 but it costs £10 + £5 postage and you can purchase it here. I haven't used any of this as I just got it so this is a 'what is in the box' post.

Jason Normalising Shampoo - £7.29 (255ml)

JĀSÖN Normalising Shampoo is cleanses hair with natural, gentle surfactants whilst balancing the pH levels of the scalp with Rosewater and Chamomile. This shampoo creates a rich lather, removes residue and build-up without stripping or drying hair. With daily use this product promotes a healthy scalp and beautiful, healthy hair.

I have heard quite a bit about brand and look forward to trying out the shampoo.

Fair Naturally Mango & Safflower Body Moisturiser - £3.99 (200ml)

Deeply nourish and moisturise your skin with our luxurious Mango & Safflower Body Moisturiser, made with Fairtrade Mango Extract & Cane Sugar, which are known for their conditioning and moisturising properties. This subtle body moisturiser leaves your skin feeling irresistibly soft, smooth and nourished. Why not indulge yourself by following our fair naturally pampering regime; cleanse skin with fair naturally body wash and finish with fair naturally indulgent Body Moisturiser.

Mango & Safflower sounds interesting. With my uber dry skin I can never have enough body lotion.

Tulecos Tonifying Oil with Peppermint essential Oil - £33 (50ml)

The tonifying massage oil tonifies the skin with purifying Peppermint, Tea Tree,Lavender, Juniper and Orangevorganic essential oils properties. Other vegetable oils in this formula nourish, moisturize and soften your feet. TULÉCOS offers a range of high quality relaxing oils which are easy to use and ideal for performing massages without the greasy feel.

I'm sure my mum will appreciate this. I always pass on any feet related things to her. Usually it's creams but a non greasy oil sounds interesting.

Benta Berry G-1 Exfoliating cleanser for boys and girls - £14 (30ml)

G-1  high-quality exfoliating regulating face treatment made from 100% natural active ingredients: burdock, jasmine, mandarin, white dead-nettle, blueberry and ground apricot seeds. This G-1 treatment is enriched with the BENTA BERRY regulating exfoliating complex and combines the botamix (burdock, jasmine and mandarin) with white dead-nettle and zinc pidolate to control excess sebum and purify skin. With this combined action, it removes impurities and dead skin cells using the exfoliating properties of ground apricot seeds. Skin is soft and clean, and complexion is mattified. Its subtle fragrance was designed by a famous perfumer for both boys and girls.

I received a moisturiser from this brand in the last box which I am yet to use up. I remember hoping that it would smell like yummy berries but it doesn't really. This isn't gritty enough for me after a quick swatch on my hand but would be great for an everyday exfoliation because of the milky formula.

Make Believe Beauty Shimmer Lip Gloss - £10 (15ml)

Indulgent moisturising lip gloss for a luscious pout with a hint of shimmer.

Now to be completely honest, this isn't the sort of lip gloss I would ever use. It is full of glitter and is something I may have used 10 years ago (actually probably not).

I applied some nail polish last night after ages and I thought it went well with the tissue paper so I popped in a photo ;)

The contents of this box don't really scream Glitz and Glam to me at all but the point of Betrousse is if you spent your money on this you would know exactly what you were getting and therefore wouldn't be disappointed.

Till next time...Toodles! :)

Benefit Lip Plump - my first lip primer.

Hi ladies

I got a sample of this lip primer quite a while ago in a swap and I sort of forgot about it till I was going through my collection finding products to test out while I was doing nothing around the house. I figure that's the best time to test out new things because if it's horrendous you'll find out in the comfort of your own home without showing anyone and normally when you're applying your make up to actually go out you don't have time to experiment. Wow, that was one serious pointless introduction. This retails for £15.50 for 2.50g of product.

It comes in similar packaging to lip gloss with a doe foot applicator. This is a teeny cute sample and the product is a very weird matte, beige coloured creamy texture. It basically gives you nude concealer lips without being as drying. Benefit says to apply 2 dots on upper and lower lips, pat and blend, allow it to dry and then apply lipstick.

The problem I tend to have with lipstick is that the edges of my lips are much darker than the rest of my lips (quite common amongst Asians I believe) and I am now trying out a few other techniques to combat this (which I will blog about soon). As you can see the top photo is of my full on concealer nude lips and the bottom one is post lipstick application (MUA shade 11 in case you were wondering).

This lipstick has genuinely never looked so good. The colour is actually showing up true to colour on my lips which because of the natural pigment of my lips rarely happens. Also the darkness around the lips has been reduced which are the best things about this lip primer for me.

One of the functions of a primer is to help things last longer and I'm not entirely sure that is the case although the matte surface must help. I also don't need want help with plumping but others might do and I don't know if this actually does anything to aid that. At the same time by getting rid of the lip outline, it can make the area look bigger if that makes sense? A negative I have noticed with this product is that it makes that white ring form in the inside of my lips from where it is drying up so you need to keep a eye on that. Other than these issues I like that it blanks out the pigmentation of my lips without having to cover them up with foundation and therefore making the lipstick colour appear more vivid.

Have you ever used a lip primer? Which ones would you recommend?

Till next time...Toodles! :)

Swatched in store #1 - Garnier Perfect Blur Primer (before & after photos).

Hi ladies

After hearing great things about this new Garnier release from Grace of Allthatslap I was curious to try it out. I have previously reviewed a pore minimising primer in the aptly named porefessional and I wanted to see if the  high street alternative worked in a similar way. Having loads of primers in my collection to finish I couldn't justify purchasing so I just tried it out in store like a weirdo (taking budget blogging to a whole other level) and these are my initial thoughts. This costs £12.99 for 30ml.

It comes in squeezy tube packaging which is useful as there is no issue with a pump that can't reach the last dregs of product and it's travel friendly (although quite big). 

It comes out as a light pink almost mousse like texture. I wasn't actually going to review this based on one use but I found it hard to find before and after photos online (other than this great post by Ree from reallyree) so I thought of this as a social service. I kid of course. I have quite visible pores on my nose so below is what this primer did for me.

Eeeek why I subject myself to this for all to see is beyond me but it just seems so incomplete without it. I think it's obvious which is before and after right? Also, why I didn't remove my glasses is beyond me.

Really weird photo but as I no longer put my face on my blog I had to do some serious cropping. In real life, I found it made a huge difference. It reduced the shine instantly, the silica filled in the pores making them less visible and made it seem and feel smoother.

After I got home, I realised I have begun using the porefessional for the sake of it and just add a teeny bit on my nose before foundation. However, it is a lot more effective if I stop being tight and just add a decent amount. I've decided even when I don't wear foundation (which is a rarity anyway) this spring/summer I will remember to apply it to my nose and chin because it really makes a difference in making my skin look better without coverage. 

In short, I think the Garnier did a fantastic job and once my porefessional samples are done with (I still have a lot to get through) I will just buy the cheaper option.

Have you given this primer a go?

Till next time...Toodles! :)

PS Be honest do you find it weird I based a whole review on just one use in the shop? If you think it can't be accurate as a result please do tell me. I was hoping the photographic evidence would justify the post but all the same your opinion determines whether I do another one.

How far I've come, where I'm going & a little thank you :)

Hi ladies

I never really do posts like this. Any milestones I've reached before I've mentioned in passing in a normal post but I felt like dedicating a whole post to this.

200 posts & 50000 page views later (eeeek although I hear blogger stats are wildly inaccurate) yesterday I reached 200 GFC followers. This is a huge milestone for me and it makes me very proud. I've been blogging for 11 months and I have no idea where the time went. To other people 11 months might be a long time in which to get 200 followers (I've seen lots of bloggers begin after me and now have 3/4 times as many followers) but as I have said many times I have tried to remain very principled when it comes to building my blog. I haven't spammed, I haven't done the whole follow for follow and I've tried to give to other bloggers as much as I take. I check out the links of anyone who comments on my blog or sends me their link during the #bbloggers chat and I think it's only fair we all share the love a little bit.

Nowadays milestone seems to be followed by the word 'giveaway' all too often. I will say upfront that despite reaching this milestone I have no intention of doing a giveaway. I don't intend to do one next month either for my first blogiversary. It's got nothing to do with money (I have been offered sponsored giveaways before which would cost me nothing) and everything to do with wanting supportive readers that click the follow button because they like my content and what I have to offer. If you hold giveaways, please don't be offended. Each to their own as they say?

*Gets off high horse. Please don't hate me*

Moving on, you may have noticed the change in my blog header. When I created this blog I wanted the name 'All Made Up' but that url was taken so I stuck with mezmadeup as the url. I then created an email and twitter account and again, All Made Up was taken so I stuck with mezmadeup. Throughout the past year I have noticed some people calling my blog Mez Made Up so yesterday I bit the bullet and changed the name altogether. It's not a big change but I thought I would clarify all the same.

Sooooo, that's that. I just really wanted to share my joy of reaching this big milestone. I know GFC/Google Reader may soon be ending so if you already follow me using that, please follow me on bloglovin. I also have the Bloglovin social media button on the top right along with my twitter (check me out, that took me a good few hours I'll be honest). I've never had a link to my twitter on my blog so there's also that option should you wish to utilise it. I'm not the most entertaining on there to be honest but I'm always up for a chat.

Hope this wasn't too boring for you ladies. Thank you for all your support and kind words along the way, I really really appreciate it.

Till next time...Toodles! :)

Rediscovered #1 - ELF 100 eyeshadow palette.

Hi ladies

If you follow me on twitter you'll know that I recently found this ELF palette hiding in the depths of my cupboard. When I first got this from ELF cosmetics a few years ago I tried it out a bit and didn't really give it a second thought once I built up my eyeshadow collection. However upon rediscovering it I thought I would play about with it once again.

As you can see it has so many colours and the different colour families are grouped up in columns. It starts with the very light highlight shades and warmer golden/neutral shades. It then has lots of brights greens, blues, purples, pinks, oranges and then cooler neutrals. The final column is a mix of silvers and blacks.

As you can see, some of the pigmentation is better than others but that is to be expected with such an inexpensive palette. It's bound to be quantity over quality but having said that, I really enjoyed playing about with colours that I wouldn't spend money on buying in a single form or a smaller palette.

I played about with it using the primer from the ELF primer & seal duo and applied it all with the ELF £1.50 essential range eye shadow and blending brush.

I tend to play about with make up at night so I had to use flash which obviously alters the impact of the shadow. The colours obviously weren't as vibrant as you can see in the photos below.

Here I tried a pinky/purple look on the left and a greeny combo on the right.

I then went for a black and red combo on the left and a neutral brown on the right.

The one look I did with daylight. Ignore the lack of blending, it was a race against the sunset.

In short, if you have an extensive eyeshadow collection this isn't something you need. Over time I have tried to reduce the palettes I have and I'm glad in hindsight that I lost this for a while as this would probably not have made the cut. However, despite being powdery (which results in fallout) it makes a good palette for me to practise different looks without having to worry about wasting expensive product. As you can tell I need a lot of practise with eyeshadow application and I imagine this is going to make the best companion for it over the coming months. 

Although this particular shadow was a Christmas limited edition thing and is no longer available on the website they have a 32 piece palette for £5. Nobody and I mean nobody should ever buy things full price from ELF because they have codes flying out left right and centre. To keep up to date you could sign up to their emails. If not ELF cosmetics then one of those non branded palettes from ebay would be good if you're looking to experiment to save your more expensive make up?

Anyway this was a random post but I thought I could try and make this 'rediscovered' thing a series. What have you rediscovered lately?

Till next time...Toodles! :)