What's in my makeup bag 2015

The last time I wrote one of these blog posts was back in October 2012. Had I have known it was that long ago, I would have done this sooner.

Quite a few of the products have changed and since 2012 I have ditched the BB creams and powder and opted for a single foundation instead. There's an obvious distinction between summer and winter makeup too and it seems that I currently have a bareMinerals and Benefit obsession, but rather than babbling on, here's what I've been storing in my makeup bag in 2015 so far...



Rimmel Wake Me Up Make Up Foundation (£8.99/30ml) has actually been my go-to foundation for a couple of years now and I find it really hard to steer away. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't last the longest but it is great at giving skin a real boost in the mornings. It's super light and does give skin an instant flawless finish. I like to apply mine with a slightly damp makeup sponge (No7 Flawless Finish Sponge).

Benefit BADGal Lash Mascara (£17.50) is a product I received as a gift at Christmas. I'll admit, it's not really my mascara of choice but it's in my makeup bag as a backup and great for popping into your handbag on a night out.

Benefit Porefessional Primer (£22.05/22ml) I absolutely love this product but tend use it quite sparingly, on top of my makeup to stop any particularly greasy areas. This product is a true gem!

bareMinerals Original SPF15 Foundation (£22.50) is probably my most favourite foundation, ever, ever, ever! I was introduced to this around five years or so ago, by a PR friend who insisted that I give it a whirl. Despite being totally anti-powder, I was converted and I've re-purchased ever since!

Benefit Posietint (£22.50) is a bit of an undecided product for me. I like the idea of a tint but hate the shade and therefore, it gets used very rarely. If anyone wants to recommend any other tints with a slightly less than luminous shade, please let me know in the comments below.

Benefit Erase Paste Concealer and Highlighter (£18.45) is another product that I love which is great for masking pesky spots. Although the shade is slightly too dark for my skin tone, dabbing over with a sponge and setting with a little powder blends this concealer perfectly. 

Estée Lauder Advanced Time Zone Age Reversing Line/Wrinkle Cream (£54/50ml) is currently my moisturiser of choice. I recently blogged about this fab product and explained why I will be sticking with this it for some time. 

bareMinerals Stroke of Light Eye Brightener (£22) was a product that I received as part of the bareMinerals Flawless Future Collection. To be honest, I find highlighters a slight waste of time (someone please tell me how to use this product more effectively) but I keep it in my make-up bag just in case. If you would like to read further, you can do so in my blog post here. 

bareMinerals Frame and Define Brow Styler (£13) is great for a quick fix. Although there isn't much else you can say, the brush on the end is perfect for taming unruly brows. 

Maybelline Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara (£7.99/9.5ml) I don't want to say too much about this product, because I will be reviewing soon in my Mascara Monologues series. Maybelline claims that this product contains their first "layer reveal brush to capture the tiniest of lashes you didn't know you had" as well as claiming to volumise and define the look of longer lashes. Keep your eyes peeled soon...

L'Oreal Paris Touche Magique Concealer (£8.19) also took pride of place in my makeup bag in 2012 and providing L'Oreal doesn't discontinue it, it will very much remain as my go to concealer for another three years. 

Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream (£25.50) this is a little sample pot I picked up off the internet, because I wanted to see if eye creams were worth the hype. Honestly, no they're not but it makes me feel better about myself knowing that I'm at least one step closer to minimising future wrinkles. 

Benefit Brow Zing (£24.50) a gift from my sister after she swore that this was the best eyebrow product to ever exist on the planet. It's pretty good, doesn't smudge or run and relatively easy to use. Because the brushes are quite small, it's a little fiddly, but nothing you won't get used to after a while. Shades are very limited however, the lightest of the three I find is quite dark for me. 

Rimmel Glam Eyes Liquid Eye Liner (£5.29) I have been using Rimmel's liquid eyeliner since white eyeliner, on the eyelid, coated in brightly coloured eye shadow went out of fashion in the early noughties (if you were born in the late 80s, you will remember this dreadfully embarrassing fashion statement in secondary school). As much as I have tried gel liner, pen liner and pencil, nothing gives that super sleek line like a liquid liner, which is why it is still very much one of my must-have daily makeup products. 

Revlon Colourburst Laquer Balm (£7.99) in my bid to wear more lip products, I purchased this. I suffer horrendously with dry lips in the winter and the Triple Butter Complex has been brilliant at allowing me to wear a lip colour, without drying too much. I would definitely recommend for anyone who wants an easy, daily colour to wear. 

Benefit "That Gal" Brightening Face Primer (£20.25) aside from Porefessional, this is my other favourite primer but instead I apply this to the whole of my face to act as a base. It smells a little like bubblegum, which makes it slightly more fun to wear and really helps makeup stick. 

La Roche-Posay Targeted Breakout Corrector (£9.50/15ml) I blogged about this product back in February in my Best Beauty Products for Blemishes post and raved about how quick-acting this was at diminishing blemishes. This is still a favourite product of mine a year later. 

Max Factor Masterpiece Transform Mascara (£9.99) I have been using this mascara for some time. My favourite part is the brush - it's small which means it coats all of those tiny lashes you usually miss and perfect for bottom lashes too.

Maybelline Line Refine Expression Soft Kohl Liner (discontinued) your pretty standard black, pencil eyeliner which I believe, might have been discontinued. Not a huge wow product - what you see, is what you get. 

Eco Tools Bamboo Domed Bronzer Brush (£9.99) I really like Eco Tools make up brushes mostly because they're quite natural. They're 100% cruelty-free, the handles are made from bamboo and the bristles are extremely plush. They really are a lovely brush to use and don't cost you the earth to purchase!

So there we go, there are a lot of products in my makeup bag at the moment. I'd love to see what you keep in your makeup bag, so please leave links below! 

The Mascara Monologues: bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara

So, you may have recently read one of my blog posts last month – bareMinerals a Flawless Future Collection (if not, you can have a sneak peak here). I raved about how much I loved this collection, but didn’t divulge much information about the Flawless Definition Mascara. That’s because I wanted to dedicate a whole separate post (because I loved this product ALOT!). So here goes...

When I started writing the Mascara Monologues I never imagined that I would come across a mascara that I well and truly loved. All the others have been a bit mediocre, so I came to the conclusion that maybe I just had high expectations. However, this beaut left me more than impressed.

When you look at the product from the outside, it’s not the type of product that would stand out on the shelf. Its matte black...and...that’s about it. The wand is...simple...and...that’s about it. What else is there to love? But this mascara is so god damn good!

First of all, the small 360 fine-toothed wand comb grabs and coats every single eyelash, even those hard-to-reach lashes in the corners. It covers them and gives them a dramatic lift replicating those that false eyelashes create. Lashes look full of volume and defined. The staying power is incredible too – one coat is enough to last you from day to night and it doesn’t smudge, run or disappear.

The bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara has to be my favourite mascara to date and I will definitely repurchase again and again. Or at least until another fantastic product comes along.

The bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara is available from www.bareminerals.co.uk for £16/10ml. 

What did you think of the bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara? Do you have any others you could recommend?

bareMinerals: a Flawless Future Collection

If you are regular reader of this blog then you will know how much I adore bareMinerals make-up. So imagine the squeal that left my mouth when I recently discovered a fabulous offer on Feel Unique (via Money Saving Expert).

Now, I have never purchased a ‘group’ of products like these. It has been the occasional item here and there, so the whole bulk buy is new to me and also one of those things where I will plan on using every single item, when in hindsight I won’t. Needless to say, I absolutely love them.

I won’t talk too much about the Original SPF Foundation because I have previously spoken about it here, but the other products are also great. To start with the Clear Radiance All-Over Face Colour is great for giving complexion a quick boost. During winter we start to lose our natural summer glow and this is great for giving skin a subtle hint of radiance without looking too overdone.

Secondly, the Frame & Define Brow Styler (in Universal Taupe) is just your simple eyebrow pencil. I really, really like this product and its all down to how slim the nib is. I usually use a well-known Benefit eyebrow product, but often find the brush really hard to work with, so the Brow Styler from bareMinerals is perfect, plus the colour is a very good match too – I have mousy brows so finding a colour that isn’t too dark is often quite difficult.

I’m not really a huge fan of highlighters. They’re one of those products that I know are important, yet I’m really unsure on how to use them (note to self: must YouTube) and therefore they end up sitting in a drawer until they’re ready to be thrown out. I imagine the same habit will follow with the Stroke of Light Eye Brightener. bareMinerals claim to immediately brighten and defuse dark shadows around the eye area, as well as reducing the appearance of fine lines over time. Now, as much as I want to believe this, I’m not sure I can. I thought this was what eye creams and concealers were for, but we shall see.

Now the Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss (in Go Getter) is, by far, the most impressive product in this collection. I usually HATE, and hate is a very strong word, lipgloss – they’re sticky, slippery and disappear within minutes and trust me, I have tried a fair few. I put this to the test at the weekend. I was drinking and eating and it did a real good job of staying put and I only reapplied on a couple of occasions. The colour is nice too, a subtle pink that can be worn anytime – day or night.

Now, I really don’t want to discuss the last product, Flawless Definition Mascara too much because I will be reviewing it in my Mascara Monologues series. But I will let you into a little secret – it got me more excited that the gloss. So keep your eyes peeled soon.

All of these bareMinerals products can be purchased from www.bareminerals.co.uk or www.feelunique.co.uk. Prices are below:

Original SPF Foundation £25
Clear Radiance All-Over Face Colour £19
Frame & Define Brow Styler £13
Stroke of Light Eye Brightener £22
Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss £16
Flawless Definition Mascara £16

The Mascara Monologues: Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara

If you read my last blog post (if not, then you can read it here) you may recognise this little product that I picked up in my latest beauty haul. Although more of product that I picked up on a whim, I have been rather impressed so far. 

To start with the silver packaging is quite sleek. The separate coral and turquoise branding gives the mascara more of a summer feel - turquoise being the perfect colour combination for its waterproof version, obviously. 

As for the look, I absolutely love the wand. The unique brush has been inspired by professional hair styling brushes, with spherical bristles to help coat each and every lash with the perfect amount of product, and I've got to admit it really does work. Plus, it's clump free too.

The Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara is pretty high up there on my list of perfect mascaras and at just £9.99 its affordable too. It is definitely worth the purchase, especially if you are looking for a budget high street product that gives fantastic results. 

The Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara is available from Boots £9.99/12ml. 

Post holiday beauty haul

Okay, so the holiday blues have officially set in. This time two weeks ago I was enjoying a cocktail on a sun lounger overlooking the Gulf of Thailand. Humph! So in order to cheer myself up, I took a trip to Boots to buy some much needed items.

Now while I was in Thailand, I had the opportunity to try some authentic coconut oil. Although a little smelly and by this I mean not at all like coconut, I decided that I had to buy some once I was home, which is why I picked up Garnier Ultimate Blends The Sleek Perfector Oil. I’ve really been into the whole the Argan Oil thing and I’ve heard positive things about coconut oil, so I thought it was best to jump on the bandwagon before it left without me.

Now that we’re well into July and I figured what a perfect opportunity to ditch the blusher and replace with a gorgeous glowing bronzer. Problem being my dog ate my bare Minerals brush so I was after a quick replacement. After toying between Real Techniques and Eco Tools, I finally opted for the Eco Tools Domed Bronzer brush. My reason? Because it was bigger – it was that simple.

Now this is where I get to the essentials. Nivea Daily Essentials Refreshing Facial Cleansing Wipes, a really boring product that I re-purchase at least twice a month. Writing that has reminded me that I must find a more eco (and purse) friendly make up remover. Secondly, a new mascara. In my quest to find the perfect mascara (you can follow the Mascara Monologues here) I obviously opted for something new - Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara. More about this in the next instalment of the Mascara Monologues soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

Despite not purchasing much, I came away feeling a little better that I wasn’t sat in 35 degree heat and sipping on a mango daiquiri. I guess the sunny British weather will keep me distracted for some time.

Please leave links below for your latest hauls. Or if you have any recommended products, I’d love to hear those too.

The Mascara Monologues: Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara

So, February’s Glossybox arrived and out jumped this beaut – Maybelline’s Big Eyes Mascara. A mascara that comes with two brushes in one – one for your upper lashes and another for lower lashes.

Upper lash wand 

Lower lash wand

 

Back when I was working as a beauty writer I remember Clinique launching their lower lash mascara and although it wasn’t a massive hit, I remember thinking what a brilliant idea. It seems a shame that this one followed in its footsteps.

Maybelline mascara’s are usually pretty good, most of which live up to their claims, so it seems such a shame that this one left me slightly disappointed. Claiming to push up upper lashes for a wide, volumised effect and magnify lower lashes, I was so gutted that I found it really hard to work with. Don’t get me wrong, the upper lash wand is great but what it really lacks power in, is the amount of product it uses. It barely applies any and three coats later, I was just about fine. The biggest downfall was the lower lash wand. I struggled to apply product to the lashes because it felt like it was just gliding over them rather than actually applying. The ability for it to have a lasting effect is also its downfall. By the end of the day, I might as well of not been wearing any. A shame when I had super high hopes.

Don’t get me wrong, despite my review I will not give up on Maybelline mascara. Other versions have been fantastic – in fact Maybelline Great Lash Mascara was my go-to mascara for years. Needless to say you can buy Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara from most drug stores £8.99/9ml.

Have you tried Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara? How did you find it? Can you recommend any others that are similar?

The Mascara Monologues: Benefit They're Real Mascara

The hype for this product a couple of months ago was incredible. Not only did I see it advertised everywhere, but every beauty blogger in the blogosphere was reviewing it. But now it’s my turn.

I was bought this product for Christmas, as a gift from my sister after she’d discovered it a month earlier. I've always loved Benefit products - the sleek and quirky designs, they're exciting and look great. But as much as it pains me to say, I was a little bit disappointed by this mascara.

Ill start with a positive and trust me, there are plenty! Regular readers of Jade's beauty blog will know how much I appreciate a plastic mascara wand. What makes this one slightly different from the rest is that it combines two wands in one - a standard brush with a slightly rounder end to curl and separate the lashes. Despite Benefit claiming that the wand curls and separates, for me it did the opposite. I found the product slightly too clumpy and not near as 'natural' as other, cheaper mascaras that I have used. But maybe this is down to how heavy the finished product is causing it to clump rather than separate.

Aside from the wand, I was really impressed with the staying power of there product. In fact, it's better than any other mascara I've used before. Benefit claim that the mascara won't smudge or dry out and they are 100% spot on. Despite this, removing the mascara takes some welly! No matter how often I wash and wipe my eyelashes, it takes a good couple of goes before it's gone. 

For me, Benefit's They're Real Mascara was a little bit hit and miss. If the product didn't clump as much then I would definitely re-purchase over and over again. Yet because of this, I'm not sure I could justify the price tag for a product I wouldn't be overly happy with. I'm not saying I wouldn't ever use it again, but it certainly wouldn't be my go-to mascara. 

Benefit They're Real Mascara is available for £19.50/8.5g from www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk.

Lancôme Hypnose Drama gift set

Last week I turned 26. A milestone age in my opinion. I no longer belong in the 18-25 age category. It also dawned on me that I would be in the Overs category on X-Factor too.

However, being 26 isn't bad. I'm proud of what I've achieved and how far I've come. Aside from the soppy stuff, you also get the best gifts too! 

One of my favourites was this very special gift set from Lancôme. The Hypnose Drama gift set comes with two mini versions - the Bi-Facil and Crayon Khol Noir and the full sized version of the Lancôme Hypnose mascara. 

Being a beauty blogger, I'm embarrassed to say I've never, ever used a Lancôme product before. I could never justify the price tag, and so, I just awed from afar. But now I can definitely say the products are certainly worth the money.

 

In my quest to find the ultimate eye makeup remover, I think I may have found a very strong contender. The Lancôme Bi-Facil is a sensitive, non-oily liquid that almost melts eye make away in one sweep. A full bottle of this stuff costs a pricey £26, but you really don't need that much. 

Another product that came with this gift set was a mini pencil eyeliner. Pencil eyeliners are about as simple as they come, but this one has definite staying power and doesn't budge from the moment you apply until you remove it at the end of the day. In fact, I'd tested out on my hand and two days and two showers later, it still was there. I wasn't sure how I felt about that at the time, but it's actually a perfect day to night product. 

The last product in this gift set was the Hypnose Mascara. Mascara is my favourite kind of makeup product and I was gutted to be so disappointed by this one. For a £22 mascara, I thought it was going have a bit more of an impact. Instead I found the wand too clumpy and the mascara slightly flaky and there's a perfectly good reason for this - natural bristle wands and me do not get on. I find that they hold too much product and don't give lashes the natural look a plastic wand does. 

Apart from the disappointment with the mascara, I was really impressed with the other products. I'm not sure I'd pay out the amount to buy the eyeliner and mascara but I'd definitely invest in the Bi-Facil. 

For more information on Lancôme products, visit www.lancome.co.uk. 

Full-sized products are priced at:

Lancôme Bi-Facil £26/100ml

Lancôme Crayon Khol Noir £16

Lancôme Hypnose Mascara £22 

No7 Lash Adapt Mascara

This new mascara from No7 boasts beautifully volumised lashes from one coat up to six, defining lashes for a more dramatic look the more coats you add. After six coats, it's worry what damage it might do, but according to the experts it contains jojoba oil to help nourish and condition - thankfully.
Here's a quick insert from the press release, showing how each coat of mascara can dramatically change once added on top of another.

I can't wait to get my hands on this mascara and will be first in line at my local Boots on Wednesday.

Can you recommend any volumising mascaras? I'm always on the look out!

Max Factor Perfect Fusion Mascara

I've been using this product for a couple of weeks now and I'm still undecided. I love that the wand coats every single lash, but not as thick as I would like. It comes with pretty amazing staying power - no flakes and sticks all day - but I'm not fully convinced by its volumising claims. This mascara is more for your everyday make-up, rather than evening.

I'm still on the look out for the perfect mascara, so if you guys have any recommendations, I'd appreciate them very much!

Clinique summer...

Summer is slowly coming around and ever since we had that sudden heat wave, I've started to store away all my winter make-up and replace it with some lighter, summer alternatives.

You're probably wondering what this has to do with Clinique? But in April they launched their limited edition summer trend which contains a selection of holiday essentials in a cute vibrant bag. Inside the bag comes The Chubby Stick, Limited Edition Almost Bronzer SPF 15, Lash Power Mascara and SPF 35 Targeted Protection Stick.


The Limited Edition Bronzer SPF 15 comes with two separate bronzer shades, one lighter and one slightly darker for a slightly matte, sun-kissed glow. Some bronzers put me off slightly because they contain too much shimmer, which leaves you looking too sparkly in the sunshine. This one has a subtle shimmer in the darker shade, but this barely shows on your skin and gives a perfect matte finish.

For smudge, flake and smear-proof mascara, the Lash Power Mascara Long-Wearing Formula could be right up your street. According to Clinique it comes with a 24 hour water resistant formula and uses an advanced thermal technology to resist humidity. The lovely Camilla at Clinique also said that it's so hard-wearing, only warm water will remove it! I'm yet to try it on my own eyelashes, but I've always been impressed with Clinique mascara in the past that I'm sure this one won't disappoint.

Lastly is the SPF 35 Targeted Protection Stick - the perfect handbag staple for when you get caught short and need to protect your face from burning. Also it's small and safe enough to use on your lips, under your eyes and tops of the ears where we often miss. I absolutely love it and it's stayed in my handbag since.

What I love about Clinique is that SPF is key in a number of their products - apart from the Chubby Stick which would have finished off nicely had it contained an SPF too. It can be hard to come across a lip balm containing an SPF too, so it's a shame they didn't include one.

What do you guys think about new summer trend? Are there other trends you've been impressed with in the past?