My Top Two Favourite Refreshing Summer Sprays

Hey lovelies,

Today I thought I'd do a quick post featuring my two favourite - ever - face sprays!

I adore face sprays as I find they're quick, easy and super refreshing. I love using them during my skincare routine, morning and/or night, during the day and even over makeup to quickly hydrate my face. I have oily to combination skin and even though primarily these face sprays are for hydration and dry skin, I still find they work amazing with my skin! Especially, as the weather gets warm they're great for cooling the skin down, even more so if you're lucky enough to be going away somewhere hot this summer!

My first favourite is a drugstore offering and is by Lush! 'Eau Roma Water' {£7.95} is affordable and packed full of amazing ingredients, free of chemicals and perfectly suitable for sensitive skins. It mainly contains lavender and rose water which are amazing for calming and soothing the skin. I purchased this a few months ago and ever since I've completely adored it! It's great to use during the day to calm the skin down, but is also perfect morning or night as a toner in your skincare routine. Overall, I've been using it any time I can - especially because it's so affordable I won't mind when it finally runs out because I'll be straight out the door to purchase another one. I recommend this to all skin types as I feel any skin at any age would definitely benefit from this.

Second, is definitely a more higher-end product made by Caudalie. 'Beauty Elixr' {£11.50} is a well known within the blogger community for good reason. This spray is beautiful, smells delightful and the packaging is so gorgeous it would of sold me even if I hadn't known about the product itself. It features beautiful ingredients such as grape, orange blossom, rose, balm mint and rosemary. Another product to calm and soothe the skin. I prefer using this morning or during the day. It's great over or under makeup as it just seems to magically make my makeup sit so much better and removes any cakeyness that was going on. Honestly, if this works for Victoria Beckham then you know it's good!

A quick, extra honourable mention is Kiehl's 'Oil Eliminator' toner which is another great one, that's perfect at refreshing the skin - although doesn't have as many skin benefits as the two mentioned. Click here to view the review. 

Thank you for reading,

Please comment below if you know any face sprays that are great as I'd love to try out some more,

Battle Of The Primers - Round 2.0 {Review}

Hey Lovelies,

I thought I'd finally get round to reviewing a second set of primers as they are one of my all time favourite beauty products! I find they make such a difference to your skin and your makeup! Furthermore, my Battle of The Primers Round 1 | Link, is one of my most popular posts on my blog so I was dying to revisit the post! Also, if you are confused on what a primer is, how to use it or any other questions they will most likely be answered on my first primer post, but if not feel free to comment below!

Also if you're wondering why there's a lot of Seventeen products I'm not sponsored by them, I find they're just really cheap and was recommended to try both of them.

Primer 1 - Seventeen Skin Wow! 3 Way Highlighter £5.99

This is described as "Use to prime, add to your foundation, or apply onto cheek bones to lift, lighten and wake up your skin with a luminous glow."

I normally use this either under my foundation or mixed in with my foundation and I adore how lightweight it feels on the skin! I also find it doesn't add to my oilness - although I normally steer clear of applying it to my t-zone and use a mattifying primer there instead. It leaves my skin with a lovely, natural glow that is perfect any time of the year and the fact you only need a tiny amount for how cheap it is, is perfect!

Although, the only issues I have with it, is beginners need to be super careful with how much you use as if you end up pumping/applying too much it can leave your face looking like a disco ball.

But besides that slight issue which can easily be resolved with time I adore this primer!

I would recommend it to anyone and everyone - especially someone with dull skin that desires a quick pick me up!

4.5/5

Primer 2 - Seventeen Flawless Poreless Primer £5.99

This is described as "Apply with fingers allowing the silky primer to create a smooth canvas ready for foundation to glide onto".

Sadly this one didn't live up to the expectations I had built it up to, as even though it's extremely cheap like the other Seventeen primer and did leave the skin smooth, soft and silky I found it didn't help foundation apply any easier than usual.

I also found it didn't help enhance lasting time of my make-up, and my t-zone only remained matte for a few hours. It also didn't really hide any of my pores and I found I had to use quite a lot of the product to see an actual difference. Furthermore, I felt it left quite a similar feeling to the Benefit primer which I reviewed previously | Link, it also reminds me of the new YSL primer that has just been released. Even more so, I didn't like the fact you have to put your finger into the product to apply it, as I find it becomes quite unsanitary and it definitely isn't great for acne/sensitive prone skin.

I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone unless you have simple, normal skin and just want a cheap, easy to use primer to help aid foundation application.

2/5

Primer 3 - Nivea Daily Essentials Hydration Primer Normal/Combo £4.99

Nivea describes this primer as being "An even and smooth base for effective make-up application; helps your make-up stay put, absorbs instantly thanks to its light texture and uses an effective hydrator for lasting moisturisation."

Overall, I really like this primer and tend to use it around the more drier, dehydrated areas of my face - e.g. my cheeks. It leaves my skin much smoother, softer and supple which prevents cakiness and has a pleasant smell all nivea products have. I also like that it has built in skincare benefits as well.

I also have pretty much 0 negative comments to say about it besides the packaging, as the fact it's a jar makes it quite bulky and heavy to carry around and also it's quite unsanitary instead of something like a squeezey tube.

Besides that, I would recommend this product to pretty much anybody, especially as Nivea has also released one for people with sensitive/dry skin types. The only type I'm not sure it would suit is extremely oily skin types.

4/5

Primer 4 - Becca Line and Pore Corrector £14.99

Becca explains this as a "non-oily primer prior under-eye concealer, eye shadow, lip-liner application. Gives soft focus effect to minimise lines and refine visible pores. Free of paraben, preservatives and fragrance."

I normally use this as a normal, all over face primer - especially focusing on my oily areas (the dreaded T-zone), as I wasn't aware that it could be used specifically for other things so I'm definitely going to give it a go in other areas. But, for what I have been using it for I've had very mixed feelings about it.

As I love that it keeps my skin matte and oil/grease free for a decent amount of time. I also like that Becca doesn't put any nasties in their product, this is especially great for me as I have sensitive skin.

But, the feel it gives is extremely silicone-ey which I don't honestly love and I also feel it doesn't do anything for my pores. If anything, I feel after a few hours they're more visible than if I hadn't used the primer in the first place. I also find its pretty expensive for how little it does.

If I were to recommend this primer to anyone it would be more normal - combination skin types, especially anyone with sensitive skin that is trying to find a primer that won't upset their skin but still does something.

3.5/5

Overall, my favourite primer this time round was the 'Skin WOW' by Seventeen and I'm still loving using the Smashbox primer from the previous Battle of the Primers. 

I hope this was helpful and if you have any questions or recommendations don't hesistate to comment! Please also don't forget to follow me on social media - I follow back!

Love,

My Favourite Cleansing Wipes, Ever.

Hey lovelies!

Today I thought I'd do a short and sweet post on a recent finding that has honestly changed my life!

A while back I picked up the Primark 'Skin Therapy Sensitive Skin Fragrance Free Face Wipes' (longest name ever) and honestly I was blown away by them. I usually hate makeup wipes as I feel they tug at the skin, don't effectively remove any of my makeup, aren't wet enough and leave my face red and stinging. But these wipes didn't do any of this!

First of all they were damp enough to effectively remove my makeup without having to tug and pull, especially around my eyes. Although I must mention I do go in and properly cleanse after using these. And, they're fragrance free so they didn't irritate my extremely sensitive skin. I must admit, I mainly use these in times where I'm rushing, on a journey and want to remove my makeup, or i'm slightly, very tipsy from a night out and don't know my left from my right - never mind go into a full 6 step skincare routine. I believe they're around the £1 margin so I honestly recommend picking up a packet when you next see them!

Thank you for reading,

Please don't forget to follow me on BlogLovin and everything else (i do follow back!),

Drugstore Haul featuring Kiko Cosmetics

Hey lovelies!

Today I thought I'd change up my blog posts a bit and instead of doing a product review I'd do a mini haul of products I've recently bought! This year I'm trying to limit how many new beauty items I buy, so I can limit how many products I actually own!

The Haul

So, the first place I went was Kiko, which has recently just opened in the past 3 months in my city centre so I was super excited to visit them after all the positive reviews they've been receiving over the past couple of weeks. I bought myself a highlighter stick, as even though I do own highlighters none are this type and it seems like a really easy and simple way to apply highlighter. It was called the 'Radiant Touch Creamy Stick Highlighter' (which is a hell of a long name), and was only £8.50! Which is amazing considering the Benefit 'Watts Up' is £24.50! I bought the shade '101 Rose' which is a pinky highlighter, and I only own one type of highlighter in the pinkish shade (instead of champagne) which is my Benefit 'High Beam', so I really wanted to give it a go as I find these type of shades look a lot more natural on me instead of the champagne shades.

The second thing I bought from Kiko was three of their 'Smart Lip Pencils' which are only £2.50 each! (Honestly amazing!) I bought the shades; 710 'Rouge Noir' which is a berry/wine colour and perfect for these winter months, 711 'Light Plum' which is as the name suggests a light plum, mauve-y colour and finally the shade 712 (honestly I didn't intentionally buy them in order) 'Rose Mauve' which is a mix between MAC's 'Soar' and 'Whirl' lip liner - perfect for that Kylie Jenner look. So far I've loved them! A review will be upcoming soon of the lip liners so look out for that! Also, if you scroll to the end of this blog post I did some swatches of the products!

From top to bottom: 711, 710, 712

The final few things I bought we're just some bits I'd mainly run out of. I repurchased my La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo [+] | Link,  which I honestly adore and have come to realise I can't live without. Then, I bought some Duo Striplash Adhesive white clear | Link, I haven't purchased this before but I hear so many positive reviews on it and there's been plenty of times I've bought lashes and come to realise it doesn't come with any lash glue! So, I'm then stuck with an open box of unused lashes but have no way of sticking them to my eyelid! Next, I bought some Tanya Burr Bambi Eyes Lashes | Link, as I haven't tried any of them yet! (Review upcoming). And finally, I bought myself my alltime favourite false eyelashes, Ardell Fashion Lashes Demi Black 101| Link.

Swatches

Thank you for reading lovelies,
please don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts or on any other of my social media which you can access on the left hand side of my blog,

LUSH Love Lettuce Fresh Face Mask Review

Hey lovelies,

On my blog today is a review featuring the 'Love Lettuce' mask by LUSH, which claims:

Brighten your complexion with nutrient-rich agar seaweed gel, soothing and moisturising honey and almond oil, and gently exfoliating almond shells. This mask is simply fragranced with French lavender, which has a calming effect on the mind and helps to balance the skin’s sebum production. 

Link

As soon as I read the description highlighting it's suggested for normal-to-oily skin types I was completely hooked. Especially as it's supposed to balance sebum production and give a calming effect - which is perfect for my sensitive - combination skin.

Overall, I really enjoyed this mask! I wouldn't say the smell is as amazing as some of the other face masks LUSH sell, for example the cupcake mask. But, overtime the smell actually did grow on me and I wasn't opposed to it after my third use. Also, I adore the slight exfoliation this mask gives to the skin as it's effective enough to leave my skin soft and smooth to touch, but it doesn't leave it rough, red or dry afterwards! I normally leave my LUSH Fresh Face Masks on my face for around 20 minutes depending on what I'm doing during the day and how much time I have to let it set on my face. I found this masks also did give me a slight glow - but I must state this wasn't a massive change! But, I feel this is perfect for oily skin types out there as I find moisturising masks which usually I have to look for to give me that glow, leave my skin super oily and greasy in a few hours afterwards. Something this mask didn't do.

But, I must state that sensitive skin may want to be weary as even though the exfoliating element is quite gentle it was sometimes a bit too harsh for me on my cheeks - which are my more sensitive, drier areas. 

Furthermore, the fact it's green is great for that old-school face mask feel but meant I had to be super careful moving around when I had this on as green is a damn hard colour to get out!I would recommend this to anyone with oily skin to combination skin and I will definitely be picking up another one of these next time I'm in LUSH! P.S. If you're interested I have reviewed a few other of Lush's face masks including; Cupcake | Link, Dark Angels Cleanser | Link and Cosmetic Warrior | Link.

Thank you for reading,

Herbal Essences 'Bee Strong' Strengthening Shampoo & Conditioner Review

Hey lovelies,
Today I thought I'd do a review on a Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner I've been using religiously these past few months. Just as starter information, I have very long and tremendously thick hair that can be quite dry - especially during these chillier months. I bought the 'Bee Strong' Shampoo and Conditioner as it claims to help deal with combing damage by strengthening your hair with ingredients from the likes of apricot and honey. So, immediately I was intrigued - due to my hair easily getting damaged by everyday use, such as combing.

Bee Strong Strengthening Shampoo

Initially, I did like this product as I adored the smell and especially because it lasted ages in my hair. Even more so, the shampoo lathers super easily and isn't difficult to work through my thick hair. But, there are many articles out there that claim herbal essence shampoos are full of nasty chemicals that are actually awful for your hair. But I didn't notice any difference in my hair - either it improving or not. So, overall I wouldn't purchase this product again as even though it smelt delicious it wasn't anything special and believe there are much better products out there that actually make a difference to the strength and health of my hair.

Bee Strong Strengthening Conditioner

Out of the two products, this is the one I preferred the most and would recommend if it came down to it. The thick, creamy conditioner easily detangled my hair and smelt just as luscious as the shampoo. It yet again sinked into my hair at a decent rate and the smell lasted for days after washing.  sadly, even though this was a decent conditioner it still didn't improve my hair. So, I yet again would not repurchase this product and it honestly was quite a let down. 

But I am willing to try the strengthening cream and intensive mask in the 'Bee Strong' range, purely because I loved the smell and the idea behind this hair care range. 

Furthermore, I don't think I would recommend the conditioner to very thin, or greasy hair types as the conditioner is quite thick. Which for my thick hair was great, but for others may weigh it down or increase greasiness.






















Thank you for reading lovelies!
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Superfacialist Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil Review

Hey lovelies,
Welcome to my review today and I believe this post has possibly the longest name, ever. I've been dying to renew this cleansing oil for a while now as it was the first ever cleansing oil I've ever tried! It sells at a purse friendly price of £10.99. Which I feel is a completely fair price for how little you use each time, resulting in it lasting you months on end! (Mine did!) If you haven't heard of 'Superfacialist' it's a brand by Una Brennan who is a renowned facialist and skincare specialist who has been in the business for over 15 years! So, this woman knows what she is talking about. The brand 'Superfacialist' is meant to be suitable for all skin types involving natural ingredients, highly researched scientific ingredients and lovely scents. Therefore, making cleansing your skin that much more enjoyable and feel like a little bit less of a chore.

The Basics

This product is friendly to all skin types, but I especially recommend it for oily/combination skin types. Now, you may be screaming at me through the computer screen right now but honestly cleansing oils are perfect for oily skin types. As, oily skin produces excess oil due to it not having enough to start with, so if you enrich your skin with natural, helpful skincare oil it can result in your skin producing less oil. This cleansing oil is meant to help with ageing (something I wasn't fussed about), but to also produce a healthy glow to the skin by reviving the skin and, giving it a fresher feel. It contains vitamin C, olive, grapeseed, cucumber, rosehip and rosemary oils and vitamin E.

How to use?

You use this daily to remove your makeup, or to just deeply cleanse the skin. You dispense a small amount in the palm of your hands and massage between your hands. Then gently rub into the face, disintegrating all your makeup and deeply cleaning your skin. Then, add water when you are ready to rinse it off and it will turn into a milky consistency. Finally, follow up with your normal cleanser to double cleanse which is recommended by Una Brennan.

The Review

I adore this product and are already on my second bottle. I think the packaging is also great, as it allows you to squeeze just the right amount out - preventing you from wasting any, and it also lets you see how much product is left. This was perfect for me when it came round to needing to repurchase it. This oil is amazing at takes off my make-up and even puts up a strong fight against any waterproof eye makeup I may be wearing. I also love this for taking off my makeup as it isn't harsh nor does it tug nor damage my skin which I used to find with cleansing wipes and other cleansers. So, the fact this is super gentle is perfect for my sensitive skin. Even more so, the smell of oranges is delicious and makes the use of this even more enjoyable. I will definitely be repurchasing my third bottle. Especially, as this didn't make my skin oiler or greasy. 

Thank you for reading lovelies!

Please don't hesitate to comment or follow me on BlogLovin,

Victoria Louise x

Halloween Make-up Look {Drugstore}

Hey lovelies!
Today I thought I'd do a post showcasing what I got up to on my halloween! For any of you that don't know, I'm currently studying at university so halloween was a massive night that had pre-bought tickets sold waaay too early on.

A few photos of the night

My Make-Up Look

The Make-Up Look:

1. Firstly I applied two primers to my face, to improve the appearance and longevity of my make-up during the sweat filled night. I applied the Becca 'Line and Pore Perfector' primer to my t-zone, and I applied the Nivea 'Daily Essentials Hydration Primer' for combination skin to my dehydrated cheeks.
2. Second, I covered the dry-redness in my cheeks with Benefit's 'Fake Up' concealer in the shade 'Light'. Then, I evened out my skintone with Revlon's 'ColorStay Foundation' for combination/oily skin, in the shade 'Sand Beige'. I used the beauty blender to apply this.
3. After letting my foundation set for about 5-10 minutes, I went in with some concealer to cover any breakouts and to cancel out my dark circles under my eyes, using Collection's 'Lasting Perfection Concealer' in the shade '2 Cool Medium'.
4. Then, I lightly dusted my face with ELF's 'Tone Correcting Powder' in the shade 'Cool', using my sigma F30 powder brush.
5. Fifth, I went in to do my brows. I firstly brushed them through with a spoolie and then used my Benefit 'Brow Zings' to do my brows, in the shade 'Medium., - using the brushes provided. Ultimately, to then set my brows I used Maybelline's 'Brow Drama' in the shade 'Medium Brown'.
6. Then, next was the biggest step - eye makeup. Firstly, I primed my lids with Sigma's 'Eye Shadow Base' in the shade 'Persuade', using the sigma F70 concealer brush. Then, using my Naked 2 palette I mapped out my crease with the sigma E40 brush using the shade 'Tease'. Then, using my Naked 3 palette and my sigma E55 brush I applied 'Trick' to the whole of my lid, which is my all time favourite eyeshadow shade ever! Then, to darken up the crease using the E40 brush I applied MAC's 'Sketch' and also to the outer half of my eyelid. Ultimately, I blended all the shadows together with my MAC 217 brush and dusted on some MAC 'Nylon' eyeshadow as a highlighter on the brow bone and inner corner of my eye. Then, I tightlined my waterline using Rimmel's 'Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Liner' in 'Black'. Then, I finally gave myself winged eyeliner using Soap And Glory's 'Supercat' liquid eyeliner in 'Black Extreme'.
7. Finally, I was onto contouring. I started out using the Real Techniques contour brush with Bourjois' 'Bronzing Primer'. Then, to contour I used my Space NK cheek contour brush, with Benefit's 'Hoola Bronzing Powder', which I applied to the hollows of my cheekbones, temples and jawline. I then went in a blended the bronzer, and made sure I had no harsh lines left with my sigma F30 brush.
8. Next, was blush and highlighter. I applied Barry M's blusher, in the shade 'BL4', to my cheeks using sigmas F40 brush. Secondly, to highlight I used Benefit's 'High Beam' on my cheekbones, and blended with my fingers. Then, to add a final highlight and set my make-up I dusted over my whole face using my F30 brush with Hourglass' 'Lighting Palette'.
9. Finally, I swiped over my lips Tanya Burr's lipgloss in the shade 'Chic' and added some Ardell Demi false eyelashes to finish off the look.

I hope you enjoyed seeing a few photos from my night and liked my make-up look!

Thank you for reading and please don't forget to follow me on BlogLovin!

Also, don't hesitate to comment below with what you went as or did for Halloween! 

Victoria Louise x

Dupe for Bioderma: L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution

Hey lovelies!
Today I thought I'd do a review on a skincare product I've been using for a good three months now - it's the L'Oreal Paris Purifying Micellar solution.

Now for those of you who don't know what micellar solution is, it's pretty much water that removes and breaks down your make-up. It's similar in aspect to eye make-up remover but normally has additional benefits, such as it's also a cleanser and is normally extremely lightweight and gentle.

The L'Oreal solution claims to:

1. Dissolve make-up
2. Unclog pores and remove impurities
3. Tone and soothe skin 
4. It also states it's suitable for sensitive skin

I've used this at night to remove my make-up, especially my eye make-up by soaking it on a damp cotton wool pad and then lightly rubbing my face. I then go in after with a cleanser, twice (once to fully remove my make-up and the second to get into all my pores).

Now, firstly I agree with the fact it dissolves make-up as it does break down my eye make-up fairly easy but I wouldn't say it completely removes it. I definitely have to go in with at least a cleanser once, possibly twice after using this with make-up on. Furthermore, it's unscented which is great but I still find it stings my eyes every so often but that's as far as it goes for upsetting my skin. I've found it hasn't made any difference to unclog my pores nor toning my skin - especially as I use a separate product in my skincare for both of those things. I would say it doesn't soothe my skin either but ultimately it doesn't upset nor aggravate it. The one thing I love about it is how quick and easy it is to use for the cheap price is is. I love using this when I've come back from a late night out and I'm too tired, and possibly not in the right state, to remove my make-up properly. I would recommend this to the lazy skincare girls out there - this will be your lifesaver! Another thing I love about this product is the packaging (odd I know), I just really like that the packaging is so simple and you can see how much product you have left. Furthermore, how it's dispensed is great as it's really easy to control the amount you want, so you don't accidentally waste half a bottle on over soaking a cotton wool pad. 

Now, is it a dupe for the Bioderma? I'd say no. From the limited uses I've had of Bioderma, I'd say it doesn't compare. Although this product is fairly average if you're looking for a cheaper substitute I would try looking somewhere else. Although, if you're done with splashing out and wanted to settle for something that isn't as amazing as Bioderma than I'd definitely recommend giving this a go. I'd also say this is suitable for any and every skin type so do not fear in using this product. (Unless you're obviously allergic to a certain ingredient or are extremely sensitive then be careful)!

You can purchase this here.

Thank you for reading!

Please don't hesitate to follow me on BlogLovin, or subscribe to me on here!

Victoria Louise 

Spot-Fighting Drugstore Skincare Review

Hey lovelies,
Sorry for the lack of posts but I've just been so busy with exam prep! I thought I'd do a post today reviewing three products I've been using for at least the past three months now, as I've been trying to reduce the amount of spots I get, read on to find out if it worked.

Clean & Clear Advantage Spot Treatment Gel

I bought this a while back in hopes I could tame any spots that appeared on my face through stress or just hormones, as my previous spot treatment didn't do a single thing, and wow did it work! Now I honestly love this treatment as even though there isn't a lot, it's cheap and you only need the tiniest of amounts. It states it will "After 4 Hours, spot size and redness are noticeably reduced". Now I can't comment on the four hours as I only apply spot treatments at night as I don't like how it sits under makeup but that could just be me. But after waking up my spot has either completely gone or dramatically reduced! I think I will definitely repurchase this and the fact there's still loads left when I've been using it pretty often highlights how much you actually get for the price.

You can purchase it here for £3.49.

The Body Shop Blackhead Tea Tree Exfoliating Wash

I've had this for a while back and after researching this wash to put a link to it when I uploaded this post I realised this is no longer being sold. But, honestly you're not missing out. I found this exfoliating wash did nothing for my face nor the blackheads on my nose I was trying to combat. The wash was a nice creamy texture which was the only plus side, but the fact it didn't reduce any blackheads - it's main purpose, I found left it to be a great disappointment. Even more so, the 'crushed apricot stones' were too harsh for my sensitive skin and even more so I could not use this as a wash. I had to limit my use to it to once-to-twice a week. 

Biore Warming Anti-Blackhead Cleanser

And last but not least, is Biore's anti-blackhead cleanser and this is undoubtedly my favourite product! I've purchased this for a second time and absolutely adore it. Firstly, it's cheap which is always positive. Secondly, it warms up when you're massaging it into the skin which is a) SO COOL and b) helps you realise it's actually doing something. Now, I must admit it didn't dramatically reduce the amount of blackheads I had but it reduced the amount of breakouts and also reduced the amount of spots I had that were under the skin. I also really like the smell and find it's just a really lovely product. But, although it's not too harsh I did find it better to limit it to using it every other day due to me having combination skin but besides that it's lovely! My only wish would be to change the packaging so that you could see how much product is left as you can't tell as it's all white.

You can purchase here for £4.99.

Thank you for reading!

Please let me know in the comments if there are any spot fighting drugstore products you know of that work miracles! Don't forget to subscribe and/or follow me on BlogLovin!

Victoria Louise x

Battle Of The Primers {Review}

Hey lovelies!

Today I'm going to do a post on a big review on a few primers I've tried over the years, including drugstore and high end, and will be comparing them with each other.

{UPDATE: I've done a Battle of The Primers 2.0, which you can check out here.}

What is primer you say?

It's a product that allows your make-up to be applied easier, gives longer lasting length, reduces appearance of fine lines and pores and enhances and improves the appearance of your make-up. You apply this after moisturiser but before foundation/concealer.

Personally for me, primer is a massive part of my make-up routine as I feel it just massively improves your make-up and the fact I have combination skin means it helps prevent my make-up from sliding off my t-zone for longer. Although, I believe any skin type should use primer, it's just about finding the right one for your skin.

1. NYC Cosmetics Primer for £2.49

This is the first ever primer I ever bought and is by far the cheapest. It claims to "fade redness, boost radiance and revive tired skin." This primer has quite a light texture and is similar to a moisturiser, it also contains shimmer - not glittery pigments! I find this does help enhance youthfulness and does give me a more glowing complexion but can make my face seem really shiny - especially in areas that are already shiny from oil, i.e. the dreaded t-zone. But, it does help my foundation apply a heck of a lot easier and does disguise pores. Furthermore, at the moment it's only in one shade which is white, I find the fact it's white helps enhance my skins glowy-ness but I do hope they will release a wide variety of shades. I wouldn't say this primer for me is perfect but out of the only two drugstore primers I've ever tried this is definitely my favourite - so far in saying I've recommended it to my friends and family when they've decided they want to try out a primer but don't want to part with half of their bank account.

3/4

2. Benefit the POREfessional Primer for £24.50

This well known primer has been circling the beauty world for years now, and I can understand why. I first came across this primer when my Mum decided to buy it, a random purchase at that, years ago before it was hyped over. After discovering how smooth it made my skin feel I began to start sneaking in to my mothers bathroom and stealing it so I could achieve this silky finish with my own make-up. This continued until I was caught and had to end up buying my own primer (the NYC one). But, recently I bought a truck load of stuff off Benefit, haul post here, and got sent this wonderful primer as a tester - so now I don't need to steal my Mum's! It states that it 'minimises pores and fine lines for a smoother-than-smooth skin' I can fully agree with this! I love the fact the texture is quite a creamy balm so is a lot easier to apply, it's skin-toned coloured as well which is perfect for me as it adds that extra coverage and I find I only need the tiniest bit on my t-zone! So, if you want to try out a more expensive primer then I would definitely recommend this one to just about anyone - being as it's so versatile!

4/5

3. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light for £25.00

So far this is my all-time favourite high end primer! This comes out white but actually applies clear and is of a gel-like consistency. I love the choice of primers smashbox sell and the fact my one, the 'light', is oil-free which helps a hell of a lot with my oil control on my t-zone. I find this primer does everything the Benefit one does and more! This one actually helps my make-up last longer and prevents my t-zone from getting oily for that much longer. I can actually tell the difference when I'm wearing this. The only thing that could possibly make it better is adding coverage like the Benefit one does, but besides that it's lovely!

5/5

4. W7 Prime Magic Camera Ready - Anti Redness for £3.15

This is one of the few primers I've tried that I've fully hated! This comes out green and literally feels like play-doh, no not attractive. I bought this in hopes it would disguise some of my redness, but sadly it didn't disguise any. I feel W7 have tried to copy Smashbox's primers but have sadly not succeeded. Luckily, this primer wasn't expensive so didn't leave a massive dent in my bank account but it's still disappointing. This primer, for me, I also found didn't really enhance my make-up, improve make-up application nor help my make-up last. 

1/5

Thank you for reading lovelies!

I hope this was helpful in giving a better light on primers and a few of the ones out there, please comment, subscribe and follow me on BlogLovin!

Winter Beauty Favourites 2/2 {Eyes&Lips - Inc. Swatches}

Hey lovelies!
Sorry I didn't post the second half of my winter favourites last week but I have had exams and they have been my priority but, here it is. This post includes my favourite eyeshadows for winter and my favourite lip products. Although, most of these I do wear quite a lot - bar the strong lipstick colours as I've only recently started to venture out of the pinks and neutral colours. If you want to see swatches, please scroll down to the end of the post.

Eyes

From L-R: MAC Woodwinked, Rimmel Smokey Quartz, Look Sexy Smoke,
Guerlain Turandot, Urban Decay Naked 1

First is MAC's 'Woodwinked', £10, and is the first eyeshadow I ever bought from MAC. I adore this colour and love how it can be used on it's own or mixed with other eyeshadows for a look with greater impact. It's a lovely warm-toned gold colour and although I wear it all round I think it's perfect for christmas, especially for a christmas party look! Secondly, is Rimmels Mono Eyeshadow in 'Smokey Quartz', £4.49, this has slightly less pigment but is still gorgeous to wear! This is a more cool-toned soft gold and looks beautiful with a cat eye.  Thirdly, is Look's 'Triple Hit Trio Eyeshadow' in 'Sexy Smoke', £7.50. This is a very basic smokey eye-kit and is quite blue toned, I also find the medium tone isn't very pigmented BUT I adore the look it creates and I'm going to be featuring it in a blog post soon! Next is Guerlain's eye shadow palette in 'Turandot', now this sadly was limited edition but at the moment it is being sold on eBay here. This eyeshadow palette is gorgeous, the colours are perfect for autumn/winter, they're richly pigmented and they're a bit different for me not too adventurous. Finally, is the famous Naked 1 palette, £37, and although I do love the whole palette during colder months I normally gravitate towards, 'Half Baked', 'Smog', 'Dark Horse', 'Toasted' and 'Hustle'. There's not much I can say about this palette that hasn't been said - apart from it's beautiful!

Lips

From L-R: Topshop Beguiled, Sleek Cherry, Topshop Wicked
Topshop Fox, Rimmel Apocoliptic, Topshop Deception

Firstly, is Topshop's lipsticks in 'Beguiled' and 'Wicked', £8.00. I adore these lipsticks purely because they're amazing! The pigment, consistency and just about everything is perfect for me. Although they may look the same, 'Beguiled' is a lot more of a darker wine colour, and you can't have too many lipsticks right? Next is Sleek's lipstick in 'Cherry', £4.99. I love this because it's a sheen and also hydrates my lips which I find necessary during the winter months. Yet again quite a similar colour but it's a lot richer - as you may have realised I started to get quite obsessed with the "vampy" style lip colour. Thirdly, is Topshop's Lip Cream in 'Foxy', £7.00. I love this because it's so creamy, smells of buttercream, looks beautiful and has superb pigmentation. I find this is perfect when I don't feel confident enough for a red lipstick as the gloss gives it a softer look. Fourthly, is Rimmel's famous Apocolips in 'Apocoliptic', £6.49. If you've not heard about these then where have you been?! These are gorgeous and this shade especially is perfect for going out on winter nights. Finally, is another Topshop product, it's Lip Liner in 'Deception', £5.00. This is a lovely lip liner and is a perfect shade for my Topshop lipsticks.

Swatches

Urban Decay's 'Naked 1' Swatches

Rimmel, MAC, Look Swatches

Guerlain's 'Turandot' Swatches

Topshop & Sleek Swatches

Topshop & Rimmel Swatches

Thank you for reading! Apologies if this is long and also for not posting over Christmas but I was super busy! Please don't hesitate to comment, subscribe or follow me on BlogLovin. You can also get my posts sent directly to your email so you never miss out, just fill in the box at the side of this post.

Victoria Louise x