Concealer Hunt

I'm quite fussy when it comes to concealers and i have to say until recently i hadn't found my holy grail concealer. The first concealer i tried was the Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer which was alright but it wasn't the best and since it was also a highlighter which looked terrible in flash photos. However now that I'm better at makeup then i was 2 years ago, I think I might give it another go as it would look good to brighten up my under eye. Just not on any spots or blemishes.

Hate using stock photos but i currently don't have the product.

I then went for Maybelline Dreamlumi Touch Highlighting Concealer which was again good but still wasn't what i was looking for and it creased under my eyes after a certain time. Also it wasn't the best at covering spots. At this point, I realise now that the problem was with me for picking two highlighting concealers instead of a matte one.

In 2013, around the time of my graduation i went on a hunt to find the perfect concealer and after reading thousands of reviews and watching tons of youtubers rave about it, i settled on the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer. It was amazing! It was creamy, covered up everything from spots to dark circles and only creased a little. If you used just enough, it almost didn't crease at all. I used it for a good 6-7 months and then i ran out of it. I went to the Bobbi Brown counter to get a new one and i had limited time so i just told them to color match by looking at my face (IDIOT). I thought i got the exact same shade but turns out i got Warm Beige instead of Natural Tan. It wasn't a big deal though because it was even a better match for my skin. Plus the shade wasn't that badly matched. The problem i had with it was that it wasn't as creamy as the first pot. I don't know if that's even possible but i felt like something was off and that the formula wasn't the same as the last one. I got it from the exact same store, it was the same name; "Creamy Concealer" but it just wasn't the same texture. So slowly i stopped using it and just used my Nars Tinted Moisturiser as a concealer and set it with powder. Overall the Creamy Concealer is a wonderful concealer, I just don't know why those two pots felt so different. Maybe it was my skin? I'll never know.

When i went to Boots a few months ago though, i instantly went to the Collection counter and looked for the concealer. After hearing only good things about the product, I knew I had to try it. They only had the shade 3 which seemed a little dark for me so i decide to go to another store and check all the colors. On my last day in London i went to another Boots and again(!) they only had the shade 3. I color matched on my hand(I'm just an idiot when it comes to color matching) and decided to pop two tubes in my shopping bag. I would've gotten 5 tubes but they had 2 left. That's how confident i was about this concealer. 

I started using it and i have to say; It is everything i look for in a concealer. It conceals perfectly, it is not cakey, it doesn't crease under the eyes(although it brings out my lines after a few hours, not exactly creasing though..), it is exactly my shade, it is very light consistency, doesn't feel sticky when you apply it and dries to a semi matte finish. It is perfect in my eyes! I'm already thinking about what I'm going to do once i run out of those two tubes! It's that good! 

Have you found the perfect concealer for you yet? What is it? Any future recommendations for me? 

Sleek MakeUp Face Form Palette in Light

I must say when i was in Boots the brand i was most excited to see was Sleek! I heard so much about the brand(mainly their blushers) from almost every single British beauty blogger/vlogger. 

I knew i wanted to get their Contour & Highlight Kit and try out their blushers. Two of the blushers i wanted were Pixie Pink and Rose Gold. Now imagine my excitement when i found out they had a new palette which contained both the bronzer, the highlighter and the Rose Gold blusher! 

The Face Form Palette contains every bit that you would need to do your face make up. Each item is incredibly pigmented, I love the bronzer as it's very pigmented but is quite easy to blend so it looks quite natural on your face. I love the highlighter for when I'm using a matte blusher and want to have a bit of a glow on my cheeks. It is also very good for your cupids bow and your brow bone as well as an eyeshadow. The blusher! I honestly can't find the right words to describe my love for this blusher! It's pigmented, glowy, gives just the right amount of color to make your cheeks pop... It is perfect in my opinion. A lot of people compare it to Nars Orgasm but I think color-wise this one is slightly better than Orgasm! As the blusher is quite glowy on its own i don't use the highlighter on top of it but as i mentioned i use the highlighter for other purposes. 

The packaging is smaller than i expected as everyone compares the products to Nars products i expected the sizes to be similar as well but the size is just right as you can fit the palette anywhere you want. I'm pretty sure the palette is smaller than my phone which is saying something. The packaging is also very durable, chic and is very simple looking which i like.

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I would definitely recommend this palette to everyone! If you feel like the colours don't suite your skin tone you can try out their other shades as they came out with 4 different ones; fair, light, medium and dark. It was £9.99 in Boots and it is also available in Superdrug.

British Drugstore Makeup Haul Pt. 1 (Lips)

As i said in my previous post i've recently been to London for a week. During my time i had a lot of fun seeing the sights in London and doing all the touristy things but one of the things i was most excited about was shopping! And not just any shopping; Drugstore makeup shopping! 

I know it sounds a bit mental but as a girl who loves makeup and has learnt so much from british "beauty gurus" on youtube not having certain makeup brands in my country drove me crazy. So when i went to Superdrug and Boots i went a little nuts. 

If i put all the things i bought in just one post it would be a massive blogpost no one would want to read. So i will split them into 3 parts! Lips; Superdrug and Boots. The reason i'll put Lips as an individual post is because most of the products were lip products as i'm quite obsessed with lipsticks i bought quite a lot of lip products.

First off i want to start with two of my favourite lip products from this haul which are the Topshop Lipsticks in Infrared and Brighton Rock. 

Brighton Rock; I love pink lipstick and this is a gorgeous matte bright pink lipstick! It stays on for hours without any need for a touch up which is a massive plus but also i don't know if this is an actual thing but it makes my skin look so much better. Not as in it hides blemishes and spots but the color of my skin just looks so much better with this lipstick and just compliments my skin tone. I love it.

Infrared; This lipstick is a velvet finish one unlike Brighton Rock but it looks lovely on every skin tone in my opinion. I got this almost 2 months ago when i was very pale and it just made my lips pop in the best way and now i have a strong tan and it still goes on perfectly and looks incredible. It is a BRIGHT orange! I never owned an orange lipstick before and the main reason i got this was because of Zoella. I'm so thankful that i did. And thank god i didn't put it back when i swatched it on my hand at the store. The photos don't do this lipstick justice; in real life the orange is ORANGE! I was very scared to buy it but it doesn't look as scary on your lips. Definitely a future favourite!

Infrared-Brighton Rock

I guess i should go with the favourites theme. My second favourite lip product i indulged in was the Tanya Burr Lipgloss in Exotic Island. Alright so i actually meant to get 3 of Tanya's lip glosses; Picnik in the Park, Afternoon Tea and Exotic Island. However, I've been to 3 Superdrugs and none of them had Picnik in the Park or Afternoon Tea. And they were having a 3 for 2 whilst i was there so each time i couldn't find the two my heart broke a little. In the end i went ahead and got Exotic Island and had to say goodbye to the other two :(

Exotic Island; This seemed very purply pink on the swatches i saw online and that was the main reason i wanted to try it. It isn't as purple as i expected it to be but it is a purple-pink shade with blue undertones. It has a sheer finish but you can build it up to a quite opaque finish. Especially if you put a dark pink under the gloss it does give you more of a purple lip look. I'd definitely recommend trying that as it looks very flattering. The smell of it is also very sweet and sugary but it isn't that strong that it would irritate anyone with a strong nose i believe...

Lastly i got the Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Unapologetic. I went to the Revlon counter and stood there for hours thinking "Do i really need anything from here? I know they released matte liquid stain things but is it really worth it?" Then i saw these. I swatched them all and in my opinion this is the best shade in the collection. It is definitely not a subtle lip color. It is completely matte and still makes your lips look very moisturised! 

Unapologetic; This is a matte balm stick that has pink and coral undertones. I know the packaging looks very orange in the photos but i can assure you that it is just the crappy lighting and the color is in fact very pink/coral. It is very comfortable to wear on your lips and it is indescribably pigmented. The only downside is that if you've ever used the Clinique Chubby Sticks the twisting part on Revlon is quite weak so once you started twisting it it feels like you broke something at first because it isn't supposed to be that "easy to twist". Aside from that i think this a very good formula for a matte lip product and i now wish i had all the other colours. 

Here are the swatches of these products;

Top to Bottom; 

Exotic Island

Unapologetic

Infrared

Brighton Rock

Thanks a lot for reading

Have a lovely day,

MissAnnaSparks

First Makeup Experiences

Oh boy! I was trying to empty the memory card i found inside one of my old cameras and i found these "selfies" of mine from 2009! I was around 13-14 in those photos and my style was very different from my current style. I cringe at those times now as most people do with their former selves.
   During those times, i used to go into my room, get my mothers makeup bag and my one black eyeliner and try putting makeup on myself.

    Not gonna lie, aside from the cringe-worthy pose i have to say my makeup doesn't look that bad here. I'm pretty impressed with my 13 year old self. I used to use my mothers Clinique Superbalanced Makeup Foundation and it was total SHIT for me... I couldn't have it on my skin for more than 15 minutes. After that i wanted to peel off my skin it irritated me that much. Though apparently it made my skin look really good. I don't think i had any blusher on my cheeks my cheeks are naturally very rosy so i just used to not put foundation over my cheeks and that was it. I am so impressed with my old eyeliner skills! Holy shit! I did that with a pencil and even now i can't do the flick that precise. Wow.

The lipstick in this photo was my first lipstick ever! It was a tester from Lancome L'absolu Rouge. For a tester its size was pretty great and i'm sure i still have it somewhere in one of my old bags. I'm tempted to find it because i really really love the color in this photo! 

The first thing that catches my attention in this photo is my uneven eyes! It looks like I'm squinting my left eye... 

This is what i did when i went out to the mall with my friends. (I don't think i ever wore that hat outside..) I'd put on the tiniest amount of mascara or put eyeliner in my water line and slap on my lipgloss from Claire's and i would feel so much older it's quite funny now. 

Have a great day,

MissAnnaSparks

January Favorites

    I'm going to have to change the classic "this month went by so fast" saying because it honestly felt like at least 2 months! I kept wondering when it would be over. It wasn't like I just sat around because when i do that days just don't go by. But i was out almost everyday either spending the day with my friends or at least going to the gym. I was very productive but it just couldn't end. I hope this won't happen every month because if that's the case, 2014 is going to be very boring.
    With that being said, this month i got to try a lot of new products. I was able to test out so many new products and go back to some of my old favourite ones. I have so many things i would like to share with you all(see how i use all as if anyone is reading this blog?).

Tony&Guy Sea Salt Texturising Spray

    I've heard other youtubers and bloggers talk about this so many times but i never got around to buy it as it was slightly pricey and i wasn't sure if it was worth it. The main reason is that since i've got quite a lot of hair which is also long, texturising hair products don't work on me. There is little to no difference when i use a product and I'm always disappointed. I got this from a beauty box before christmas and i really loved it! When i spray it onto my hair and scrunch it there isn't a visible difference. It doesn't give my hair that cute Zoella look. 

    What i do is, i spray it onto my hair when it's damp and after my hair air dries it gives me the perfect beach hair. I love my hair during summer whenever i get out of the sea. I just get the most natural curls/waves ever! So this is the best product to replicate that look. I also use it when i want to braid my hair. I spray some on my hair before i braid it and afterwards i spray a little amount onto the braid. When i untie the braid a few hours later the waves last all day without getting frizzy (my biggest problem with my hair.)

Philip Martin's Infusion Cream

     This is amazing! This might be my most favourite item of the month! I bought it because my hairdresser recommended it to me and like i said hair products don't actually do much for my hair so i was very sceptical at first but what lured me in was the scent. I'm terrible at describing scents but i guess you could say this hair cream has a spicy smell, it's not floral and it is very strong. I just use it after i brush my hair when i get out of the shower and i evenly brush through my hair with my fingers with this product in my hand. I can't praise this enough. My hair always feels soft after i use this, it doesn't weigh my hair down like most products, it lessens frizzy and puffy hair, it makes your hair smell amazing for two full days... It's just the perfect hair treatment in my opinion!

MAC Lustre Lipstick - See Sheer

     I wanted a MAC lipstick for a long time. I literally dreamt of owning a MAC lipstick. I know it sounds slightly mental but a part of me always said paying that much for a lipstick is just insane whereas another part of me said "But it's MAAAAAC!" So i had a long internal conflict about this purchase but a few weeks ago i was out with my friends and we decided to go into MAC. We went in and i just ran to the lipstick counter. While my friends were asking about some eyeshadows and eyeliners i had my little moment with the lipsticks and when my friends were done with their purchase the guy asked if i wanted anything and i thought "I saved some money in the past few months... I think i deserve this one." So i told him that i wanted a new everyday lipstick and he first gave me a matte nude which looked almost white on my lips so i told him i wasn't feeling it. He then gave me See Sheer and i just loved how it looked. It has orange undertones and it's very creamy but also isn't completely sheer. I really don't like sheer lipsticks on me so i always go for very pigmented lipsticks. I was surprised when he said it was a Lustre because i always thought my first MAC lipstick was going to be a matte or satin. But i love using this and whenever i put it on i feel extremely uplifted and confident. That's the power of a MAC lipstick on me.

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm

     Alright! I know this has been talked a lot in the past but i got this almost a year ago. The first time i bought it i loved it instantly. I loved the strong minty smell, how it wasn't greasy on my lips like other lip balms, how much it helped with my chapped, dry lips throughout winter time... I was almost finished with half of the stick when i suddenly lost it! I looked everywhere for it but i was never able to find it! Three months after i lost it i got a new one. I've been using it ever since. I use it after i cleanse my face in the evening and i use it before i apply my makeup. When i put on lipstick after i apply this on my lips, the lipstick looks much better in my opinion. 

 HATE IT! 

    So in this section i want to talk about a product that has disappointed me, something i wasn't very satisfied with.

    This months hate-it product is MAC Matchmaster foundation. I do so much research before i buy a foundation because i put that thing all over my face almost every day and i leave it there for at least 5-8 hours. It might break me out, make my skin oily, dry out my skin, look really bad on my skin... there are endless possibilities. I knew i was going to get a MAC foundation because i always read a lot of great reviews on them. I wasn't very sure about the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation which was a hit when i bought this foundation. I was supposed to get the Studio Sculpt one but when i was in the shop i decided to ask for help which is something i never do and after that i don't think i ever will. I told her the kind of foundation that i wanted and i told her that i had sensitive skin so a lot of the foundations irritated my skin after half an hour. She tried the matchmaster and the shade was perfect so i thought i'd buy it. That was the dumbest decision ever! Why did i even thought "if the shade matches it must me good"? That was a blonde moment for me. For a few months it didn't bother me but i never used it daily. I wasn't a huge foundation person then so i just used it occasionally when i was going on a night out with my friends. However when i started uni this september, i started going to the campus with a full face of makeup each day. Two weeks afterwards i started having massive breakouts on my face. My chin area felt very dry and i got patches of skin because of the dryness and it just looked very crappy. I can honesty say i looked much better without that foundation. While we were in MAC with my friends(when i bought the lipstick) i asked the guy who helped us about my foundation and he told me that whoever sold that to me was an idiot and had no idea what make up was because he only recommended that foundation to the elderly women. I really wanted to pour down the foundation on top of that womans head. She gave me an old lady foundation and it literally fucked up my skin. I never had any problems on my forehead but now because of her i have billions of tiny bumpy pimples. It's like i just hit puberty. Never buying a matte foundation ever again!

Wow! Very long blogpost! I wasn't expecting that! So these are my Loved and Hated products of January 2014. What are yours?