What are your Happy Products?

Today’s post is an ode to those products that just make you feel happy. You know the ones, no matter how you feel, what you’re about to face that day (or what time of the month it is!) there are certain products that we reach for to make us feel extra sparkly and confident. The trio that contribute to my happy face are there for me no matter what, so without further ado; let me introduce you to my Happy Products:

Third in the trio is the Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon. Before I discovered these formulas I stuck to very nude, creamy lip colours that just add a hint of a hue to my pout. But after the purchase of Bourjois ‘Fuchsia Libre’ this all changed! The lip crayon is sheer but has a very pretty glossy finish and it packs an amazing pink pigment onto lips. I can only describe the effect as ‘juicy’ because it looks fresh and brightens up the pout with a moisturising sheen. I always reach for this product when my face is looking grey because it instantly brightens my complexion and adds colour without being too overpowering. At the same time this pigmented, glossy formula is an evening essential, wonderful at being layered up to add a pop of fresh pink to brighten up an evening outfit.

Second in the Happy list is the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Santa Fe. We had a bit of a rocky relationship at the start but our troubles have now been well and truly amended and my love for this formula is going strong. The Sheer Glow is literally radiance in a bottle. The smooth, satiny feel texture melts into the skin to create a velvet smooth finish that can either be blended in to look nude or built up to create an airbrushed, medium coverage. The best feature of the formula is the soft, glowing undertone as it instantly perks up, evens out and highlights your skins natural luminosity. I reach for this bottle of glowing goodness in the evenings to create satin skin, but also use it on grumpy skin days where I need to add a touch of radiance and coverage to perk up my complexion.

The last in the Happy Trio is Benefit Watts Up highlighter. This champagne highlighter can be smooshed on, blended into or striped on top of any complexion to instantly transform you from drab to fab. Excuse the timely cliché but it is literally that good. Formulated in a wind up stick with a buffer housed in the opposite end, Watts Up is precision perfection and easy to apply at any time of the day. Glide it on top of cheek bones, under the brow and down the centre of the nose to add a soft, champagne radiance to the skin. I reach for this product every day to add a glowing, natural and undetectable radiance to my skin that instantly uplifts both my complexion and my mood. And that accolade hails it my number one Happy Product!

So there you have my Happy Products. The trio of complexion sparklers that perk me up, smooth me out and eek out radiance on both my good and grumpy skin days. So only question that remains to be asked is…what are your Happy Products?

The Perfect Liquid Eyeliner?

I think I may have found the perfect liquid eyeliner. Strong statement I know, but hear me out…

Benefit Magic Ink is a jet black, glossy formula that applies smoothly and easily and doesn’t budge. Seriously, this eyeliner stays in place ALL DAY. I can apply this product at 7.30 in the morning, complete with flicked out cat wings at the side and when I return home dishevelled, tired and looking a bit worse for wear at the end of the day… would you know it? My eyeliner is still in tact!

I’m a bit of an eyeliner fiend and a glossy black line is one of my makeup staples. I’ve tried lots and lots of brands, from pharmacy to premium and this little guy has been my favourite of them all. No creasing, no crumbling, no fading and retaining its gloss throughout the days makes it rank highly in my liner stakes.

The design of Magic Ink is also amazing. It’s housed in a traditional style liner pot but there’s an element to this that is crucial in the way it applies to the lid. The brush handle is long which makes it easy to press against the eye without getting fingers in the way, and the place where you hold the handle has been ‘coved’ out so it’s sits perfectly between your thumb and finger. Steadying your hand is crucial in the liner process and this design makes it about 100X easier for you hold it comfortably and glide it across in a steady line.

A jet black, glossy formula that stays all day and has been designed for ultimate ease? That’s why this little pot is my favourite liner of them all!

Have you tried Magic Ink before?

Autumn Colour Haul!

A quick trip into town led to the inevitable perusal of the beauty aisles of Boots. Always a big mistake! Here’s the low down on my mini-autumn themed haul;

First up and something that I’m excited to try is the Max Factor Smoky Eye Effect Eyeshadow in Bronze Haze. The dual ended product pairs a soft, shimmering golden base with a rich, hazel bronze partner. The latter is tapered and looks like it could be used in the crease or as a smudgy liner, perfect for those days when turning on snooze is essential!

Second up and another eye product caught my eye: the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Eye Shadow Paint in Rich Russet. I’ve heard lots of amazing reviews about this product and after swatching it, decided that the pigmented, glossy finish will be great for evening makeup paired with a feline flick and thick, volumous lashes. Tweezermans watch out, you might have found your new partner in crime!

The Scandal Eyes range had another product that caught my eye, the Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 012 Bronze. This product looks promising, the colour is rich and lovely for autumn and the waterproof formula suggests it might be a liner that stays in place. I’m thinking this product will be great on rushed mornings where a scribble of this warm bronze tone near the roots of my lashes can be blended out to achieve some sort of definition around my peepers.

Finally, one more Rimmel product. They were just bringing it today! I’ve heard amazing things about the Apocalips Lip Lacquer range and decided that 600 Nude Eclipse would finish of my new colour range perfectly. It’s a glide and go formula, just slick it on and you’re out the door. Monday 9am lecture? I’m ready for you!

What are your autumn favorites?

A Guide To: Premium Beauty Shopping

Welcome to the ‘A Guide To’ series, written to give advice and friendly hints and tips about beauty related issues! For my first post I decided to concentrate on ‘Premium Beauty Shopping’ as it can be quite daunting and, of course, expensive! I like to think that all the shopping research I’ve done over the years has made me a pretty savvy beauty shopper. So from first time beauty buyers to those looking how to nab a bargain, below is my guide for getting the most premium beauty for your buck.

For the first time beauty buyers:

1. Don’t be nervous:  Chances are if you’re reading this then you love beauty products. Consultants also love beauty products. That’s your common ground! It’s a chance for you to have a good, juicy chat about the brand or the products you love with the person that knows them best. So remember to relax, enjoy yourself and have a lovely, beauty focused time.
2. If you do feel nervous or pressured, just walk away: Remember when shopping that it’s your money so that makes it your choice. If you’re made to feel uncomfortable or pressured then take your custom elsewhere. Just say ‘I’ll have a think about it, thank you for showing me.’
3.  Book in advance:  If you’re new to premium beauty shopping and nervous about approaching the counters, a good tip (and the thing that I did) is to ring the counter beforehand and ask for an appointment. Pre-booking is great because they know you’re coming to see them which makes approaching the counter easier for you. Mention on the phone which products you’re interested in so you’ve got the first hurdle out way.

For savvy shoppers:

1.  Look out for discount days: Department stores House of Fraser and Debenhams each hold individual extravaganza events throughout the year where all beauty products are 10% off. Take advantage of these days, research by checking their websites, Facebook and Twitter. One major tip is John Lewis price match both of these store events so they have double the amount of discount days in the year. Winner!
2. Take advantage of any reward systems:  It goes without saying that if a store has a points system, take advantage of it. Boots, the card that needs no introduction, has a legendary point system. House of Fraser and Debenhams both have Beauty Clubs were you are rewarded throughout the year and John Lewis has just introduced their first Beauty Club too. The choices are endless.
3.  Do your leg work: All premium beauty counters are managed individually. So alongside national product launches they will host their own events on counter. These events are usually worth booking in for if you’re due to buy any new products, because 9/10 you’ll receive an excellent goody bag of samples and sometimes even full sized products with your purchases! Brands that I know are great for events include Benefit, Clinique, Origins and Clarins. To find out about any events, either ring the store or pop into your counter of choice to ask.

 Essential tips for everyone:

1. If you find The One, keep going back: Finding a brand consultant that you’ve got a great rapport with, feel comfortable around and enjoy is a great feeling, you leave the store with a little happy glow inside. At the end of the day, the products that we buy are exactly the same world over, it’s the service that makes the difference and if you’ve found someone you like and trust then keep buying your products of them. Chances are you’ll be put on some sort of ‘favourite client’ list and be the first to know about exclusive deals and freebies.
2. The sample dilemma: I personally only ask for samples if I’m buying a product from the brand as I think it’s a give and take thing, I’m giving you custom so you give me freebies. If you’re not buying anything you can still ask but chances are the answer will be no.

Thank you for reading and I hope this has given you a little bit of guidance in battling the premium beauty jungle! If you have any issues you’d like some help on then comment down below.

Hannah x

Lovely Lashes with Tweezerman for Benefit!

My lashes are sneaky little things. Au naturel they are light brown and unnoticeable, so when I apply mascara I’m so thrilled to have luscious dark lashes that curling them is rendered unimportant.

But I’ve been thinking for some time whether or not to try lash curlers again (more on that below), and charged up with curling knowledge from my beauty blog reading and perusing the beauty isles at the weekend means I am now the proud owner of a pair of proper grown up eyelash curlers.

I have used similar contraptions before, in the makeup ‘dark days’ where I used to load my lashes full of Bourjois Volume Clubbing mascara and then *winces* trap, squeeze and torture my delicate lashes into a thick, rigid curl. It’s painful just remembering the amount of lashes I used to rip out during this process.

A few years later and with a more stripped back, less is more approach to beauty I’m ready to give my ladies a little squeeze again.

I was interested in the Tweezerman range as I’ve heard great things about them, I use their tweezers anyway and I know they come with a lifetime guarantee which is always a handy bonus. It was at this great moment that I stumbled across, wait for it… Tweezerman for Benefit! Who knew? That sealed the deal for me, and a happy Hannah trundled on home to try out her new lash contraption.

I wasn’t sure if they were going to make a huge difference to me or if they would hold their curl but I’m so pleased to report back that I’m thoroughly impressed with them. I’ve heard of the ‘3 squeeze rule’ which consists of  base, length and tip but with the Tweezerman for Benefit range I just snuggle my lashes in at the base, squeeze with a little bit of pressure, release and repeat. And wow, what a difference this makes! Fanned out, long, curly lashes have been revealed and it has made such a difference to my makeup routine, I now need less mascara to achieve the ‘I have lashes’ look which equates to less time in the morning waving a loaded mascara wand around my bleary eyes. Result!

The pack also comes with three replacement rubber pads so I have every faith that it is a purchase that will last me for a very long time. Unless I lose it, which with me is always a possibility!

Have you been living under a rock like me and not tried curlers in recent times? Or if you have, what are your favourite ones?

The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Reviver Update!

I recently blogged about a mini The Body Shop haul which you can read here, and the last product I chose was the Vitamin C Skin Reviver which was highly recommended by the sales consultant. She told me it was one of their best sellers and as it was 3-for-2 I thought I’d give it a go.

I love this product! I originally blogged that I didn’t know whether it would be best used as a serum or a primer due to the brazil nut oil, but the texture lends itself more to a primer type product.

It is the softest texture and is so lightweight it’s untrue. Despite the weight it smooth’s out skin like some heavy duty primers out there and it erases any shininess on my skin. It’s been formulated to give your skin a glow, and as there’s no bronze or glitter in this product it is undetectable on the skin. It also smells ah-mazing especially if like me you love a citrus scent.

Another great feature is that foundation goes on top of this product very well, it actually makes my base products look more polished and air brushed when worn underneath. I really can’t rave enough about this; I’ve even worn this instead of a foundation on good skin days.

Very happy indeed with this and at only £14 for 30ml it’s a steal! Have you tried this product before or anything else from the range?

Benefit They’re Real Mascara

Hello and welcome to my first beauty blog post! To make this post special I decided it needed to be about my favourite beauty product, ever, and after a lot of pondering I narrowed it down to Benefit They’re Real mascara.

I used to be a bit of a mascara floozy, flitting from one brand to another without ever settling on anything permanently. So it came as a bit of a surprise that when deciding on what product to choose as my ultimate fave, I realised this product has been a staple in my makeup routine ever since it was launched two years ago.

Let me let you in on a secret… sans mascara my lashes are nothing less than ordinary. My natural lashes are light brown and straight, but I find this mascara is the only one that can transform them into dark, defined and curled lashes in, and this is the important bit, in just one application.

I could whittle on for pages about how great this product is, but rather than that here are the main reasons I love it;

1. The wand has a great design, it has long and short bristles to capture and lengthen every lash. And I do mean every one!
2. The end of the wand houses a unique domed which has bristles sprouting at angles to grab your side lashes from root to tip so you can extend them to achieve that fluttery look.
3. You also use this to push up through your main lashes to add curl and definition, something that you can’t do with an average mascara wand.
4. I find that this dome on the end of the wand is also amazing at defining your bottom lashes, just point the wand at them and brush them down in sections for definition and length.
5. I need just one application to get the definition I need. Perfect for time poor people who want that extra two minutes on snooze mode.

It’s priced at £19.50 and it normally lasts me for a couple of months which makes it good value too!

If you haven’t tried this product then get yourself down to your nearest Benefit counter and ask for a demonstration, you won’t be disappointed!

What are your beauty faves?

Hannah x