Secret Beauty Blog

Illamasqua haul!

secretbeautyblo — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 09:59:09 +0000

I’m back! Sorry for the short hiatus, personal issues sometimes get in the way of blogging but I’m back now and have lots planned

As soon as I heard about the Illamasqua Skin Base foundation I desperately wanted to get my hands on it, it sounded exactly what I was looking for in a foundation and I needed a new eyeliner so that’s how this accidental haul came about.

From L-R

Pressed powder in PP 120 £19.50

Nail varnish in Lament £13.50

Skin Base foundation in SB 06

Cream blusher in Dixie £16.50

Precision Ink in Abyss £17.00

As you can see I’m really into coral at the moment!

Nail polish in Lament

Illamasqua nail polish is the best EVER! The formula is amazing, the brush is amazing, the lasting power is amazing… Just everything is amazing!

Cream blusher in Dixie

Dixie swatched in natural sunlight

Absolutely love this! I suits my colouring so well, and it has more slip and it slightly sheerer then the other Illamasqua cream blushers I own which makes it a lot more wearable as I don’t have to spend as much time blending and applying.

I’ve had everything a little while now so I’m able to give a short review on everything -

Skin Base foundation -

I have mixed feelings on this, initial application is perfect. It covers well and is a very close match to my natural skin tone but unfortunately it’s just too dewy for my oily skin. Although it applied well it did still feel tacky when I powdered (I always, always powder) and after a few hours I was very shiny. If you don’t know the background on Skin Base it’s basically Illamasqua’s take on the Asian BB creams, which combine skincare properties with make up. I felt it was very moisturising, maybe a bit too much for me but if you have normal/dry skin this is definitely something to try.

Pressed powder -

I’ve been using the Illamasqua powder foundation for a while as a setting powder when I need a heavier coverage and do enjoy using it, it is a bit heavy but as a touch up throughout the day it’s perfect. It didn’t react badly to my skin or break me out and it smells like cake mix! Being as it was too heavy I thought I’ld give the pressed powder a try but unfortunately I really don’t like it. When you first apply it seems to highlight every blemish on my face. It gathers in little clusters and just generally looks unflattering, I’ve never had a powder perform like this before. Not only does it look bad, it provides hardly any coverage and I highly suspect it broke me out.

Precision Ink in Abyss -

LOVE LOVE LOVE. I don’t think I can be without this product now. Being the semi-goth I am I wear Amy Winehouse style cats-eye flicks every day, and it’s the only eye liner I’ve ever used that can hold up through a full working day and a full nights head banging! I wore this to work all day Friday and went out Friday night, and when I woke up Saturday morning my flicks were still perfect! It has the most perfectly shaped fibre tip, and the colour really is a deep, true black. Worth every penny, I will re-purchase this forever.

Nail polish in Lament -

As I mentioned above I’m a HUGE fan of Illamasqua nail polish, it’s lasted on my for a full week before I’ve got bored and changed it but I’m pretty sure it could last a fortnight. The formula is perfect and the shades are so unique it’s quite a challenge to find a dupe. Lament is a very neon coral, and just screams Summer! This also looks lovely on toes, and will be what I will be sporting on holiday

Cream blush in Dixie -

Really loving this, I have Sob and Libido which are very pigmented and can be a bit hard to work with as you literally just need to touch the pad of your finger to get a full cheeks worth of colour. Dixie is a bit more sheer, and thus easier to work with taking just seconds to blend in the mornings. I find it lasts a full working day, but I do need to touch up if I’m going out after and it does make me feel a tad greasy but a quick sweep of powder soon gets rid of that. I really like this teamed with a light tan for a natural Summer flush, and has easily become part of my daily routine.

Have you bought anything from Illamasqua lately?

(psssssstttt! At the moment, Illamasqua have an amazing Summer sale on!)

Beauty maths – lime shower gel

secretbeautyblo — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 09:11:57 +0000

Next to blusher my most favourite beauty item to purchase is shower/bath products. I LOVE taking a shower with an amazing smelling shower gel or soaking in a bath filled with fragrant bubbles but I hate to think how much money I’m quite literally pouring down the drain. I absolutely LOVE Lush but with a bath bomb costing around £4 on average just for one bath it’s a lot of money to spend, especially when most chemists/supermarkets/pound shops offer big brand bubble baths which you can get at least 10 baths from with change from a pound.

Gone are the days when I used to spend £21 on a shower gel (Clarins, I’m looking at you!) and onto raiding the high street for budget body goodies. I’m a big fan of Soap & Glory, and look forward to discovering more of their new offerings (and collecting my Boots points along the way!) Another brand I absolutely adore is Philosophy, the Amazing Grace fragrance is so soapy and fresh I could wear it all day every day and never tire of it. They also do some of the most amazing shower gels I’ve ever used I £19 a bit too much cash to part with, especially with the speed I seem to get through them!

Whilst browsing the Boots website I noticed they are now stocking Philosphy and had a good look around, stumbling across this ‘Luscious lime foaming bath & shower gel’ which sounds good enough to eat!

”Put a refreshing twist on your shower routine with philosophy’s luscious lime foaming bubble bath & shower gel. a little squeeze of lime is just what you need to quench your thirst for revitalization. the high-foaming formula provides a rich, moisturizing lather to gently cleanse and condition skin, leaving it feeling super soft. the zesty scent of luscious lime refreshes your body and your senses for the ultimate pick-me-up.”

Mmmmm! But I was good, and just filled up my basket and then closed the browser (LOL, does anyone else do this?)

Then whilst in Superdrug buying hair dye I took a look at the shower gels and came across the Original Source Lime shower gel, which smells AMAZING and was on offer for just 89p! I only bought it last week and already it’s a good 3/4 used, we have 4 shower gels in the bathroom and everyone seems to be using this so it seems I’m not the only fan. It smells amazing, lathers like a dream and makes me feel clean and fresh. It doesn’t feel particularly moisturising but it doesn’t strip my skin either and for the price I don’t really mind.

So the Philosophy is £14 for 480ml and the Original Source is 89p per 250ml, which would you choose?

The prettiest purple eye shadow….

secretbeautyblo — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:26:06 +0000

… Is only £1!

Whilst shopping in Superdrug for pocket tissues for when hayfever rips my nose apart I found myself browsing the cheap as chips MUA stand. I’ve got a couple of shadows from them and I’m really impressed! The mattes are so-so but the pearl shadows (similar to MAC’s veluxe pearl) is absolutely amazing in terms of pigmentation, lasting power and shade range.

I picked up shade 9, which is this gorgeous shimmering purple.

Swatched with no base, see the gorgeous duo chrome! It really looks stunning in the light, it flashes a gorgeous velvety purple to a lighter almost blue shade. This is easily comparable to a high end shadow, the formulation is buttery soft and blends like a dream.

Worn over NYX white shadow base, and applied with my finger.

I love it! If you have an MUA stand in your local Superdrug these shadows are definitely worth checking out.

£1 from MUA at Superdrug

Carolina Herrera 212 POP!

secretbeautyblo — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:22:22 +0000

I have a somewhat emotional attachment to Carolina Herrera 212 fragrances as the original ‘Ice’ variant was one of the first fragrances I ever purchased, I picked it up in the airport on my very first without-the-parents holiday to Greece at the tender age of 16. I absolutely adored it, the packaging was shocking pink and it smelled like a Summer holiday in a bottle. I was also a big fan of 212 Sexy for nights out, the sleek little round bottles were perfect for popping into your handbag and I used to liberally spritz myself on every toilet break, choking out everyone in the cubicles. All the 212 fragrances have this amazing off-musk scent that’s hard to describe yet very unique, and 212 POP! samples the same notes but with a delicate breeze of citrus making it lighter, and perfect for the warmer months.

Housed in funky, faux-ice cube the packaging screams Summer and the bright pink bottles are perfectly cute and girly. I love how the bottles are small and portable, there’s nothing worse then lugging a huge bottle of perfume around with you! If your familiar with the 212 scent this doesn’t fair too far off from the original with the signature sweet, parma violet musky base notes. Whilst these notes are not as prominent as the original they are the ones that stick around after the more floral citrus notes have long gone. It opens up to a very generic, sweet citrus which although sharp is quite faint but is quickly replaced by the sugary musk. For a Summer fragrance it lasted surprisingly well on me, it’s now 4pm and I spritzed this on before I left around 9. The only downside for me is the price, it’s £36 for 60ml and personally I think it should be around the £20 mark for what it is.

£36 for 60ml

Available from The Perfume Shop

How much is your face worth?

secretbeautyblo — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 09:02:23 +0000

This is a bit of an old ‘tag’ post but I was looking at my makeup collection recently and wondered just how much I had spent on it all. Now it would be a bit of a task to tally everything up but I could easily put a price on my most used everyday products, so here they are! I didn’t purposely try to pick my most expensive items, these are genuinely what I use every morning for work.

All prices taken from the brands official websites (and escentual.com for the Vichy & Jack Black where I purchased them)

Clarins Skin Illusion foundation – £24.00

Vichy Dermablend foundation (used as concealer) – £15.50

Clinique stay-matte sheer powder (to set base) – £20.00

MAC Blot powder (for touch -ups) – £17.50

Clarins Mosaique bronzer – £26.00

No.7 blusher – £9.00

Clinique Superfine liner for brows – £11.00

Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara – £20.45

Illamasqua Precision Ink liner – £17.00

Jack Black lip balm – £7.25

MAC Creme D’Nude lipstick – £13.50

Which all totals to….

£181.20

Oh wow…. I really didn’t think it would be that much! I’m not a makeup snob or anything, but I do think you should really invest in good basics like foundation and mascara. Having oily skin I do need a good powder and I’ve pretty much tried every drugstore brand going and nothing compares to MAC Blot. Likewise with my foundation, nothing really compares to Clarins Skin Illusion and no mascara has given me lashes like Lancome Hypnose. I could probably cheapen everything else down with a drugstore alternative but makeup is my only vice, and sometimes you’ve just got to treat yourself

How much is your face worth?

What I spent my No.7 vouchers on

secretbeautyblo — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 09:16:26 +0000

I LOVE when Boots give out the No.7 vouchers! When I used to work for them, combined with staff discount the face wipes and nail polishes were free! I’m always a sucker for a bargain and I can’t help myself but have a nose around the stand when I get given a voucher. Here’s my latest purchases.

As I have a bit of an obsession for blusher at the moment and absolutely LOVE my No.7 powder blushers I thought I would give the Cheek Tint in ‘Peach Silk’ a try. I’ve also been wearing my MAC Creme D’Nude lipstick a lot lately and thought maybe a lip liner would help it last, so I also picked up the Perfect Lips Pencil in ‘Nude’.

First thoughts – I love the blush! The colour is perfect on me, I find some peaches can wash me out and look a bit odd but this is like a peach/bronze so works really well on my skin tone. It has a slipper texture which makes it a dream to blend, but you have to be quick as it soon dries down to a powdery finish. As with most cream blushers (bar MAC CCBs) this lasts half a day on me, and has practically disappeared by lunchtime but with my oily skin I find this happens with most cream formulas.

The lip pencil is super creamy, and I love the fact it’s in a twist up dispenser (I hate sharpening pencils!). I’ve so far worn it with my MAC Creme D’Nude and found it has made it last longer and it makes it look a bit neater. Sometimes with nude lipsticks my naturally pigmented lips show around the edges, but with this pencil I can block them out without adding concealer/powder. It’s smooth and easy to apply, just what I wanted.

No.7 Cheek Tint in Peach Silk on the left – Perfect Lips Pencil in Nude on the right

The Cheek Tint usually retails for £9.00

The Perfect Lips Pencil usually retails for £7.50

All available in-store and at Boots.com

The current vouchers expire on the 19th June!

Nars Dogon (EOTD)

secretbeautyblo — Mon, 30 May 2011 08:11:32 +0000

Released with the Nars Summer 2011 collection Dogon really is the stand out piece. Infamous for unusual shade pairings Nars have really hit the nail on the head with this one. A gorgeous duochrome taupe paired with a deep, sooty black this is one duo I know I will rely heavily on for smoky eyes on a night out.

From in-store swatching I’ve noticed some Nars duo’s can be hit and miss when it comes to pigmentation, and as I mentioned earlier some shade pairings are a little odd but I have no faults with Dogon! The taupe shade is buttery soft and easily buildable, I could wear this as an all over lid colour with a lil touch of liner for day to day. I think the black is the blackest shadow I’ve ever used! I literally pressed the pad of my finger lightly to cover my whole crease, I would purchase this duo for the black alone it’s incredible.

Swatched over NYX eyeshadow base to show the true colours.

In the pan the taupe looks a bit ‘blah’ but on the eye it shimmers and transforms into this amazing pink/green/dusky grey taupe, my picture doesn’t really do it justice it is absolutely beautiful and a must have if you’re a taupe fan.

I used my NYX eyeshadow base as a primer, layered the taupe all over the lid then blended the black into my crease, outer v and lightly along my bottom lashline.

As with all Nars duos you get 4g for £23.50 and it’s available to buy here.

Current lust list….

secretbeautyblo — Thu, 26 May 2011 09:03:25 +0000

A girl can dream, right?

Nars – Cheeks Set £55.00 (Worth £82!)

As if I don’t have enough cheek products already…. But this is just too good of a deal! And I don’t have any of the products included so for me this is a must lust have. I wish Nars did more of these blush duos.

Juliette Has a Gun – Not a Perfume £59.00

I had a small sample of this and it smells absolutely incredible. Very unique and very me.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess – Sea Star Bronzing Blush £29

Another cheek product, but this is oh so pretty! I love cheek products that double as both a blush and bronzer, perfect for holidays!

Shu Uemura – Eyelash Curler £20.00

My ELF curler has almost given up the ghost, the pads are knackered and the ’scissor’ mechanism is a bit off-point so I really want a good quality pair as I really think they make a difference in my eye makeup and what with these having such a cult status I’ld love to give them a try!

ModelCo Fibre Lash – Brush On False Lashes £35.00

I LOVE the concept of this, the look of false lashes with the simple application of a mascara? Sign me up!

MAC Sheen Supreme – Supremely Confident £13.50

I love me a good nude and the texture of these lipsticks look amazing.

What’s on your lust list?

A twist on a classic… Calvin Klein Eternity Moment

secretbeautyblo — Mon, 23 May 2011 12:59:27 +0000

Described as a “mouth-watering, luscious” scent, Calvin Klein Eternity Moment is an eau de parfum spray that offers a fresh new take on the signature Eternity fragrance for women. The sensual fragrance blends notes of pomegranate, florals and Chinese pink peony blossom to create a fresh, delectable aroma.

I absolutely LOVE Calvin Klein Eternity. Originally launched in 1988 (when I was just a year old!) Eternity has been a best seller ever since and has legions of fans. I really started getting into fragrance aged around 14 and loved strong, vibrant scents that entered the room before you did. Eternity still is one of my favourites, the base note of sandalwood is very prominent and flutters around a dominant mix of musk and floral. I always have a bottle on the go and it never fails to get me compliments, and the odd raised eyebrow when I tell people what it is!

Eternity Moment was launched in 2004 with the ad campaign fronted by Scarlett Johansson. I recently picked up a bottle (unsniffed) for the bargain price of £27.99 (100ml, CheapSmells.com) after reading numerous rave reviews. I wasn’t disappointed when it arrived on my doorstep yesterday morning! Perfect for the warmer weather, the heavy sandalwood base makes way for a cleaner, lighter musk but still retains the sexy floral which lingers on the skin. On me the peony really makes an appearance, then quietly dries down to a musky light floral which has a hint of the unique Eternity blend. Although I wear the original day and night I find Eternity Moment is better suited for office/day wear as it is slightly less cloying, and more of a Summer scent.

Unfortunately I think this has now been discontinued as it’s extremely hard to find in usual fragrance outlets, but if you’re a fan of the original Eternity I would highly recommend a sniff of this. I’m going to order a back-up before it’s off the shelves for good!

From £17.95 (30ml) from Cheap Smells.

GlossyBox!

secretbeautyblo — Thu, 19 May 2011 10:09:29 +0000

Now unless you’ve been living under a rock (or just don’t have Twitter!) you would know GlossyBox mania has got everyone excited. As soon as I had heard about them I signed up straight away, I LOVE the idea of getting deluxe samples delivered to my door and at just £10 I thought it was very reasonably priced. Some argue you are just paying for what would get free, but I’ve never received a 30ml Nars item free before

A bit more info about GlossyBox -

If you want to regularly receive luxury product miniatures from top brands that fit your care and styling habits, then simply register on our website. The unique appeal of GlossyBox is that as a recipient of the box you can create your own personal beauty profile on our site. This information will help us to choose the right products to fit your needs and tastes.

The GlossyBox will be sent out monthly. In addition to high-end luxury product miniatures, the box contains product information, application notes and tips and tricks about beauty and style. Our GlossyBlog publishes interesting features on a regular basis.

Our product selection is original and innovative. You can try them out in the comfort of your own home. GlossyBox enables you to try out the luxury product miniatures in your own time without the annoying interruption of sales pitches. If a product has caught your attention you can easily learn more about if from our website. If you would like to buy the product, we can direct you to an online supplier. You can also choose to provide us with product feedback, which enables us to improve and adjust the content of your next box to better suit your individual needs. You receive a GlossyDot for each completed feedback sheet. With 20 GlossyDots the next box is free.

I received mine this morning and thought I would share it with you, if you’re still on the fence about signing up.

My box contains -

Nars Orgasm Illuminator – 30ml
All For Eve Lipstick – Eve Red
Bionova Lab Bioactive Cleanser
Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Rapid Repair Spray – 25ml
Como Shambhala – Invigorate Body Lotion – 50ml

I love the beautiful packaging! I’m very pleased with my box and in terms of value I’ve paid more then £10 for that same Nars illuminator from eBay.com which was half the size! Also, the All For Eve lipstick retails at £10.50! The other 3 products I’ve not heard of but look forward to giving them a go.

Did you order a GlossyBox?