What's in my holiday make up bag?

I'm so excited to be going to Turkey for 2 weeks with my husband & our two children!

It's a stressful time at the moment as we are moving again due to my husband's job so a holiday is definitely needed!

I love watching beauty bloggers on YouTube show what they have packed in the make up bag for their holidays/vacations, so I thought I would do one on here!  I will include a full product description at the end of this post :-)

I love my make up bag (I have one for my toiletries too!) which I brought recently for a sale price of £2.00 (originally £4.99).  The dark pink detailing is a PVC type material which will be easy to wipe clean, and the main part of the bag which is a gorgeous baby pink is a canvas material so I think this would be fine to go in the washing machine if it got grubby.  The bag is also lined with a waterproof lining.  Its a zip bag with a little gold heart dangling from the zip, very girly!

First thing I packed was my essentials...tweezers, lipbalm & eyelash curlers.  Although I may not use the curlers as I have individual eyelash extensions (I'm going to do a review on these before I go on holiday) and the curlers may tamper with them.  I haven't included mascara either as the extensions are full of volume & length so mascara isn't needed.

Then for the face.  I haven't packed any liquid foundations.  When I'm on holiday I love my skin to feel fresh & because I have oily skin I feel like a powder is essential.  I have packed powders which are three different shades as my skin will darken over the 2 weeks.  They are also powders which give light coverage but are buildable so if there are any areas which need extra coverage I can achieve this with the powders.  I have also packed a creme foundation which is a medium coverage which I will use for extra coverage or as a concealer in any areas which its needed.  I have packed my holy grail concealer but due to this being a light shade, as y skin darkens this may not be the best to cover any blemishes that may appear.

There is also a corrective powder compact which includes green, yellow, blue & pink powders to correct any redness on the skin which I will need as I can go a tad red when I'm exposed to the sun!

I have packed two types of bronzer, a matte one & a shimmer one.  I then have a shade to contour with & a shade just to apply on the cheek bones & apples of the cheeks to give a gorgeous, shimmery, sunkissed glow.

The neutrals palette is a MUST.  This will allow me to even out my eyelids over the 2 weeks & also the matte colours can be used to fill my eyebrows (I have brought two eyebrow pencils too just as back up as I'm hitting the pan on my two brow shades) If I want to dress up for a few evenings then this also contains the shades for a gorgeous smoky eye.

My make up brushes allow me to powder, fill in my eyebrows, contour, blend & add detail.  I rely heavily on my face brushes as although all my powder foundations include a sponge or puff, I prefer to apply with a brush as it's easier to control the amount of product you want.

I love wearing bright lips on holiday as I think it looks gorgeous with a tan.  My favourites are in my handbag which I'm using as hand luggage (Sleek no's 147 & 52) so I've only included one other shade which is a gorgeous sheen blue toned pink.

Coral is a massive colour this spring summer so I couldn't go on holiday without my Coralista kit.  It includes a blush, cheek tint, highlight & a lipgloss all of which are gorgeous & suit all skin tones which is perfect for taking on holiday.

These are obviously my choices, people may want to obmitt some of these products & include others.  This is just my preference and I hope you found this helpful.

Hannah xxx

Full product list:

- H&M make up bag 
- Superdrugs The Little Soothing Tin Lip Relief
- Maybelline FitMe powder 125 Nude Beige
- Maybelline FitMe powder 210 Sandy Beige
- Revlon ColorStay powder Light/Medium
- Revlon New Complexion creme foundation 03 Sand Beige
- Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer 2 Light
- Estee Lauder Chic To Cheek Tone Correcting Powder 01 Highlighting Powder
- Bourjois paris Poudre Bronzante Delice de Poudre 51 Peaux Claires/Medianes (matte)
- Benefit One Hot Minute (shimmery)
- MUA eyeshadow palette Undressed
-MUA eyebrow pencils Brunette & Blonde
- RealTechniques Blush Brush
- RealTechniques Buffing Brush
- RealTechniques Contour Brush
- RealTechniques Pointed Foundation Brush
- RealTechniques Deluxe Crease Brush
- RealTechniques Base Shadow Brush
- RealTechniques Brow Brush
- RealTechniques Pixel-point Eyeliner Brush
- Sleek lipsticks Shade 147 & 52
- MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick Insanely It
- Benefit Go Tropi Coral kit

Superdrug haul & mini product review!

I needed a new eye make up remover but a trip to Superdrug to get this ended up in a mini haul!

A few of these items I have heard raving reviews about, and with '3 for 2' on Bourjois products, I thought this would be an ideal time to try out these items for myself.

The first item is the Simple 'Kind To Eyes eye make up remover'.  This was on offer for just £2.00 for 125ml of product.  It literally feels like water as it is fragrance free.  Its also oil free so perfect for my oily skin & contains multi-vitamins to help cleanse while removing eye make up, even waterproof mascara.

I can suffer with occasional sensitivity on my eye area so this ticks all the boxes for me.  I simply put a little on cotton pads, place over my eyes & very gently wipe away the make up.  The eye area is so delicate its important not to rub and to treat the skin with                        extra TLC! 

It works amazingly!  I placed the cotton pad on my eye for 10 seconds, and when I removed the pad, the make up had lifted.  After a few gentle wipes, the area was completely cleansed.  There was no stinging or irritation or tacky residue left behind.  The product was absorbed quickly and left my eye area feeling really refreshed.

The second item was Superdrug's 'The Little Soothing Tin' lip relief.  My lips can feel dry

& chapped and I find this works wonders.  This is the second tin I've purchased and it's the same size as Vaseline so ideal to pop into your handbag in case your lips need a some help!  In fact I keep one in my make up bag which I put on my lips before applying make up & the other I keep in my handbag for on the go care.

It smells & tastes like menthol as well as containing camphor.  I find that it really moisturises and soothes and leaves a lovely cooling effect on the lips.  It's £1.49 for 20g and just a staple in my make up collection.

I couldn't pass on this next product as it is meant to be better than most high end concealer, and that is the Collection (previously Collection 2000) 'Lasting Perfection' concealer in shade 2 Light.  This is a very durable concealer which is amazing at covering under eye circles & any imperfections on the skin.

The dome foot applicator allows easy application & it blends perfectly.  It has a creamy texture and is relatively thick so is a fairly heavy duty concealer which I need for my under eyes circles which have darkened since having children!!

This was currently on offer at £3.69 (usually £4.19).  It states to have 16 hours worth of coverage while being transfer resistant.  I don't think any product is 100% transfer proof but this was pretty close.  I love this and is now my holy grail concealer.

The next product is a bronzer that I have heard a lot of positive comments on.  It's the Bourjois 'Delice de Poudre'.  What I love about this is that it looks and smells just like chocolate!! I got it in the shade 51 peaux claires/medianes which I presume is light to medium, however, there was a darker shade there.  This retails at £6.99 for 16.5g of product.


Its a matte bronzer so perfect as a contour or just to apply a slight bronzed glow to the face & body.  Its a good shade too, not too orange & a decent matte bronzer is hard to find in drugstores.  It has great longevity & a little goes a long way.  I tend to apply a minimal amount of bronzer to begin with anyway and build it up to get the look I desire to prevent looking too OTT.

The next item was Bourjois 'Intense Extrait' eyeshadow in shade 01 - Beige Dore.  This cost £6.99 for 1g of eyeshadow but this is so pigmented that a little goes a long way.

It is available in 10 exclusive shades but this one really attracted my eye.  It is a goldy/beige baked shadow with gold shimmer & silver glitter particles.  It claims to last 16 hours but due to me not wearing make up this long I can't comment on whether this is true or not.  However, after 10 hours of wear it still looked amazing.  Not quite as vibrant as when first applied, but still looked incredible.  It's hypoallergenic & paraben free so suitable for even the most sensitive of eyes.  This can be used dry and sweeped all over the lid, used simply as a tear duct highlight or can be used as an eyeliner when applied with a damp brush.  One layer of this gives amazing pay off and even though it seems expensive for 1g of product, this will last a very long time.

Also from Bourjois to take advantage of the '3 for 2' offer they currently had active, I purchased one of the new 'Rouge Edition' in shade 02 - Beige Trench.  There were 17 shades at my local Superdrug to choose from, however, there may be more available.  These shades ranged from nudes to bright colour block shades.

This has a lovely glossy finish and is a perfect 'your lips but better' shade.  It goes on so smoothly & really feel moisturising on the lips.  It lasted very well and my lips felt really hydrated & protected which I think could possibly be due to the orchid blossom extract.

I paid £7.99 for 3.5g of product.  On reflection, this isn't worth the money especially after testing my next buy.

This was a lipstick from the MUA range.  I have reviewed some of their eyeshadow palettes previously which I will link below.
http://allthingsbeautyxxx.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/mua-make-up-academy-eye-shadow-palettes.html

I purchased this in Shade 14 'Bare' and was just £1.00 for 3.8g of product! Not only that, where the colour is shown at the bottom of the packaging, this unscrews to reveal a corresponding lipgloss.

This is more of a peachy nude than the Bourjois lipstick which has darker blue undertones.


This applies sheer with a lovely finish and feels moisturising and for £1.00 the colour pay off is great.  There are 16 shades including nudes, pinks, plums & reds.  Considering a single MAC lipstick is around £14.00, you can basically buy every shade in the range for the same price...crazy!

I also saw MUA have brought out a fixing spray, concealer palette, BB cream and a gorgeous highlighter which looks like a possible dupe of MAC's 'Soft and Gentle' so I think these may be on the top of my 'To Buy' list.

Hope you enjoyed!

Hannah xxx

My Wedding Day Make Up xxx

When planning my wedding, the one thing I wasn't decisive on was the fact I wanted a make up artist to do my make up along with my bridesmaid's, Mum's & Mother in Laws.

After much research I decided to go with MAC.

I contacted her direct, booked a consultation & took my Mum & sister, who was my chief bridesmaid along with me.  The consultation was completely free of charge.  

I went in for my trial around 3 months before my wedding day. I had no idea what sort of look I wanted, all i knew is I wanted a long wearing, flawless complexion.  I didn't want anything too heavy as i wanted to still look like me!
A had requested a girl called Carly as a friend of mine had used her & she couldn't recommend her enough!

Due to my husbands work, we had to go on our honeymoon before the wedding so we flew out to the Maldives where we enjoyed a week of relaxation & a break from the stresses of planning a wedding.  It was then only a week from when we flew home til the big day!

I knew I would hopefully have a lovely tan, so I made sure I mentioned this to Carly at the beginning of our consultation as the colour she would be using that day would not be the same colour as my wedding day so she would need to make sure she brought a darker shade in her kit.

She started off my completely cleansing my skin of any make up & excess oils.  She colour matched me to a long wearing, oil free foundation.  I was getting married in June so this would ensure that it would stay in place all day if it was a very hot Summer's day.

I was in the chair for around 1.5 hours & could not have been happier with my final look! She then used & noted down the names of the products on a blank piece of paper with a face drawn on it so she could redo the look exactly for my wedding.

On the day she arrived promptly with a range of products in her kit.  I had already purchased the lipglosses from the store previously so that I could top up during the day & for the evening.  

I had a soft, brown smokey eye which was subtly winged on the outer corners.  My friend had given me 'PerfectLash' eyelash extensions so this set the look off amazingly!  Although there was a lot of make up applied, due to the fact you are being photographed & you want it to last all day, my face never felt cakey & not once did I have to blot my oily skin.  The end result looked better than I remembered.  

She managed to do all 3 bridesmaids who had a very simple, chic make up look, and both my Mum & Mother in Law in great time.  The total cost for the 6 make up looks was £350 plus travel expenses (prices may vary) and was worth every penny.  I didn't get to keep any products, this was purely the cost for her expertise but I'm so glad I did it.

The whole experience meant that I could relax, be pampered & not worry about a thing!

I have included a few pictures below for you to take a look, hope you enjoy & if you're getting married this helps in some way!

Hannah xxx

Carly applying my final touch ups

With my bridesmaids

Carly applying my final touch ups

5 hours after application

Bronzed, glowy, glamourous

Benefit 'They're Real!' Mascara review

I have never tried a Benefit mascara and I had heard that 'Bad Gal' was a very popular product.  When they brought 'They're Real!' out I decided to give it a try.
  
I purchased this from Debenhams for £19.50 and contains 8.5g of product.  Some drugstore mascaras retail up to £12.00 so this is really reasonable for a higher end product.  

This mascara is in one colour, jet-black, and claims to lengthen, curl, volumise, lifts & separate lashes.  I never thought there would be a mascara that could do more than one thing.  I always brought a mascara for lengthening, one for volumising & used eyelash curlers to curl! I was intrigued to buy this as i didn't believe it but actually the claims are correct, it really does do everything. If you like the dramatic lash look then this mascara is for you! 

'They're Real!' has an exclusive brush which is specially designed to maximise the performance of the mascara.  I like the formula as it's reasonably thin & applies on the lashes beautifully.  I like the 'ball' of bristles on the tip of the brush as this can be used to really emphasise the smaller lashes in the corner of the eyes.

I have images of before and after application.  This was demonstrating the look after two layers of the mascara and curling my eyelashes before I applied the product.  For more of an intense look, apply this mascara, leave to dry/set then curl the lashes being careful not to pull out the lashes when releasing the lash curlers.  I usually use Clinique 'Bottom Lash' mascara on my lower lashes but for the purpose of this review I used 'They're Real!'.

BEFORE

AFTER

I found the best method of application as follows:

To achieve volume, length & lift: Place the wand horizontally & move from side to side, root to tip

To curl and separate: Hold wand vertically & stroke up the lash.

I read that in a consumer survey;

94% saw dramatic length and volume

90% saw base-to-tip curl

94% saw visible lift

100% saw long-wearing results

This product is the fastest selling beauty product...EVER! 

That's why I would give it... * 5 STARS *

Hannah xxx

Sleek 'LACE - 367' Blush By 3 Blusher palette review

Sleek make up is quickly establishing itself as a very good drugstore brand.

I believe its only available from Superdrug, along with the Sleek website, but I heard that it is possibly becoming available in Boots (if it hasn't already).

The Sleek lipsticks have great pigmentation so I held high hopes for the blushers & was excited to give this a try.

This 'Lace' palette is 20g consisting of three highly pigmented blushers (6.67g each).  It retails at £9.99.  Individually, Sleek blushers retail at £4.49 for 8g of product so there's no major advantage price wise at buying the blushers in a palette.

The three shades are 'Crochet' which is a bright, orange/coral matte blusher, 'Guipure' is a dark peachy/pink shade with gold shimmer & the last is 'Chantilly' which is a matte pink undertoned coral.  All the shades compliment each other amazingly and would look gorgeous layed for a dramatic, intense look or simply worn individulally for a burst of colour.

Before applying these shades, especially 'Crochet' and 'Chantilly' I would tap off any excess powder before applying to the apples of my cheeks purely because of the high pigmentation & avoiding the 'clown' look!  'Crochet' appears to be more chalky than the other two so bare this in mind.
'Guipure' would be a stunning highlight colour on darker skin tones too.
However these blushers are worn, they would definitely suit all skin tones.

The packaging is slim line & quite small which is brilliant for travel.  The matte black packaging with black shiny branding makes it very chic.  The compact also includes a good sized mirror which is great for on the go.  It doesn't include a brush which doesn't bother me too much as I don't tend to use the brushes provided in products anyway. 

I love that this palette is a mixture of matte & shimmer and will definitely be my Spring/Summer staple.  It did not disappoint!

I would give this palette... * 4.5 STARS *

Hannah xxx

Sleek Lipstick Shade 147 'Peachy Pink' review

I purchased this after being impressed with the 'Shade 52 - Shocking Pink'.
(To read this review click the link:
http://allthingsbeautyxxx.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/sleek-lipstick-shade-52-shocking-pink.html)

Like the 'Shocking Pink' it is a matte finish, however, this appears to be more drying on the lips.  It settles in the lines on the lips more noticeably than Shade 52.  I would therefore recommend exfoliating & applying plenty of lip balm before applying this lipstick to ensure great results.

The pigmentation on 'Shade 147 - Peachy Pink' is incredible and builds up to be an amazing neon peach/coral which is great for summer and would look gorgeous teamed with simple make up, a white outfit and this lipstick for a pop of colour.

Again, this was £4.49 and appears to be a very popular shade from the Barry M range.  Coral & peaches are going to be massive this Spring/Summer & I think this would work on all skin colours.

If you prefer a more subtle pop of colour, then simply dab this onto your lips with you finger & build the colour up to how you feel comfortable.  Alternatively, wear a nude colour over the top to pale it out & tone the brightness down - this would be great if you wanted an everyday, on trend lip colour.  The same applies to 'Shocking Pink'.

Hannah xxx

Sleek Lipstick Shade 52 'Shocking Pink' review

With Summer fast approaching, I wanted to try out some gorgeous, bright lipsticks to wear.

There are so many amazing ones on the market now, both drugstore & high end but this one by Sleek really caught my eye.

The product cost £4.49 from Superdrug as I believe this is the only drugstore to date that stock Sleek make up.

The packaging is very chic with a matte black container with gold Barry M writing.  The name of the lipstick isn't printed, just the shade number so be aware of that if you intend to go out and purchase this for yourself.

These lipsticks are incredibly pigmented & have a good longevity.  The finish is matte but not overly drying and has a soft, smooth texture.  It glides on beautifully & seems to moisturise the lips on application.

Beautiful finish

This product has been compared to the sell out MAC lipstick Candy Yum Yum.  The neon shades of pink are very comparable.  I would say that Candy Yum Yum is slightly more sheer and not as matte & is more moisturising on the lips, however, at a cost of £14.00, Barry M's is a great dupe for a fraction of the price!

I will definately be purchasing more shades from this range. 
I would give this... * 4.5 STARS *

Hannah xxx

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation review

Foundation is the most impotant element when applying make up.  If the face hasn't been prepared properly, and the foundation not blended correctly, then it doesn't matter how the eyes, cheeks or lips look, the overall face won't look polished. 

I love trying new foundations, from light to full coverage.  Revlon's Nearly Naked really appealed to me as it appears to be the perfect everyday product.

Revlon Nearly Naked retails at £8.99 for the standard 30ml.  The shade I purchased is '130 Shell' and it matches me perfectly, better than any other foundation, drugstore or high end.  The shade range is great with 16 true to tone shades to chose from.  It also has SPF 20 which isn't great for photography.

The packaging, like Revlon Colorstay, is a glass bottle also with no pump which is disappointing as the foundation isn't as thick as Colorstay so controlling the amount you want is difficult.

I prefer to blend this onto my face using my fingers as this gave the most natural finish which is buildable if required.  Once applied, it evens out the skin tone like a dream.  Redness is covered but natural skin is still visable which gives a light feel.  It doesn't feel cakey on the skin & doesn't feel like you're wearing make up.

If you have acne scarring, blemishes or under eye circles then concealer will be needed.

I would recommend this for all skin types, although because of the natural finish, I needed powder to keep my oily t-zone at bay.

This product has been compared to Urban Decay's Naked foundation which retails in department stores for £27.00.  The similarities include texture, finish & longevity.

Below I have included before and after pictures to show the effects.

I was impressed with this foundation and would give it... * 4 STARS *

Hannah xxx




BEFORE



AFTER





Top 10 Beauty YouTube channels

I am addicted to YouTube & reading beauty blogs, not only for inspiration but also for ideas of how I can mix up my look and for tips on how to improve my skills.

I'm no professional make up artist, nor do I claim to be.  I'm purely self taught.  I LOVE 'all things beauty' and when applying my make up it's almost like a work of art in my opinion.  Starting with a blank canvas & adding make up to create a look.

Make up & skin care fascinate me & I enjoy trying new products.  I purchase all the items I review myself so there is no biased opinion.  All the products I buy I have either researched first & have wanted for a while or they are new products on the market that I want to give my opinion on so that you don't waste your money!  Obviously, opinions will differ so the final decision ultimately is yours, I'm simply here to help.

There are so many YouTuber's and bloggers out there so if you are interested in make up tutorials, drugstore hauls, reviews/first impressions then below are just a few of my favourites.


MY TOP 10 YOUTUBE CHANNELS:

1.  TANYA BURR - She is a make up artist from Norwich (my home town).  She provides amazing make up tutorials step by step on YouTube both high end & drugstore products which makes it appealing to everyone.

2.  PIXIWOO - Sisters Nicki & Sam also form Norwich (Sister-in-laws of Tanya Burr) also provide detailed make up tutorials both fashion & celebrity inspired.  Their combined knowledge on make up is incredible & Sam also has an amazing range of make up brushes available from Boots called 'Real Techniques'.

3.  LISA ELDRIDGE - One of the most experienced & lust after make up artsits in the industry.  Works closely with No7 at Boots.  Extremely experienced and talented & worked with some amazing people such as Kate Moss & Cheryl Cole while producing front cover looks for magazines such as Vogue.

4.  ITSJUDYTIME - An American YouTuber who's first impressions on products are brilliant.  They include demonstrations on how to apply along with hourly updates on products stay power, how the photograph & how they look & feel during the day.

5.  GOSSMAKEUPARTIST - An extremely honest man who provides amazing tutorials on highlighting, covering acne, skin care and product dupes.  Always gives an honest opinion & accomodates for both female & male viewers.

6.  ZOELLA280390 - Produces videos on fashion & beauty.  Amazing at beauty & fashion hauls and has a cracking sense of humour.

7.  SPRINKLEOFGLITTER - Like Zoella280390, extremely funny and produces videos based on beauty & fashion hauls giving inspiration on current trends in fashion & make up.





8.  MAKEUPBYTIFFANYD - Again an American YouTuber showing make up tutorials, favourite beauty products, tips on applying make up & occasional videos on fashion.



9.  FLEURDEFORCE - Her videos are mainly on beauty & fashion with videos showing her favourite products, new products purchased, reviews but very rarely make up tutorials.  This YouTube channel is ideal if you want to try new products but need inspiration or ideas.



10.  REALTECHNIQUES - The channel produced by Sam Chapman of Pixiwoo show casing her make up brush range.  I own some of these brushes so these tutorials on which brushes work best with which products is perfect! Only negative is the videos aren't uploaded frequently enough for my liking.




Many of these YouTuber's have blogs & other YouTube channels too so be sure to give those a look also!

Hannah xxx