THE HUNT FOR A PEEL-OFF BASE COAT

feat. Maybelline Color Show Latte - one of my fave "barely there" shades

Once you've experienced the convenience and satisfaction of peeling off your nail varnish you'll never want to go back to a bottle of remover and a pile of cotton wool. I have been using the nailgirls 3-in-1 Base/Top Coat for a good year and although it is not marketed as a peel-off base coat, it does exactly that. It dries down quickly, lasts for a good few days, and then simply peels off when you want to get rid. Although it wasn't without flaw - it can a little gloopy, it sometimes flakes rather than peels, and it probably isn't the best for weak nails, I was content. I first received a bottle in a beauty box, then I trolled ebay for a second but have now not been able to get my hands on another. So, the search for a replacement has begun...

After a few half-hearted attempts to look up potential peel-off base coats on google, I finally gave in and just decided to pick up something from my local drugstore to try. With no particular plan in mind for what I wanted to purchase, an offering from Maybelline caught my eye.

I thought that at £2.99, this was worth a try. I've tried it a couple of times now and first off, this stuff is thick. It also requires a bit of drying time. The first time I used it, I tried to go straight on with a coat of colour and it did not go well. The thick and quite gloopy formula mixed in with my first coat of colour and became a bit of a stringy mess. I would recommend wiping off about 90% of the product which comes out on the brush and attempt the thinnest layer you can on each nail and then stick on a bit of Netflix while you wait for it to dry.

If you manage a thin enough layer you can probably go in with your next coat after a couple of minutes. I have to say I'm a three coat kind of girl so I layer up my polish and then top it off, of course, with some Seche Vite.

The second time I tried this, things actually seemed to turn out pretty well on the surface. I was off to sleep (I always paint my nails before bed) and they still looked good in the morning. Unfortunately, halfway through my day I looked down at my nails and one was completely bare with no polish to be seen. It does what it says on the bottle - it peels off... a bit too easily. It peeled off when I wasn't even looking - hence the bare thumb nail in the picture above.

I think I'd suggest you give this one a miss. I might give it one more try but if my polish can't even last 24 hours then the peel off perk might not be worth it in this case!

Please leave any base coat recommendations in the comments... it looks like the search will continue.

STILA IN THE GARDEN

Okay. Right. Let's get serious. Who doesn't love a good eyeshadow palette?! I hauled this little beauty from TK Maxx here a while ago but it's taken me a bit of time to get around to finally putting it to the test. On the whole, I pretty much stick to my tried and tested neutrals but I thought this palette might stretch me slightly out of my comfort zone. I've never really dabbled in the world of green on my eyes and I thought it was about time.

These shadows are definitely of high quality - the pigmentation is there and the formula is buttery and lovely. I'm not sure exactly how I much I love the green on me, but this is a great fall palette and there's enough variety in there to create lots of different looks.



I do like how it looked, but I think next time I might add a touch more warmth into the look. You can see it in action in this video. I think I'll definitely be open to trying more shadows from Stila in the future and playing with this palette more and more this autumn.

Have you tried any Stila shadows? What did you think?

GRWM: TOO FACED BOUDOIR EYES

Remember when I used to blog? Yeah, me either really. But I want to come back...! I absolutely love watching tutorials and GRWMs on YouTube but I hardly ever film any of my own! So I thought I'd just film a little bit of myself getting ready... and this is what happened. This is one of my favourite kinds of looks to wear. A bit of soft glam. Love.

Tell me what you think! :)

MARCH FAVOURITES 2015

It's the end of the month, so time for my monthly favourites! I love keeping note of the products I've been loving throughout the month so I can share them with you every month. Hope you enjoy this one!

Tell me one of your March favourites in the comments! :)

xo

LOOKFANTASTIC BEAUTY BOX - MARCH 2015

I've been really loving my beauty boxes lately. I definitely let the promised higher value justify spending a little extra on beauty products. "It's alright if it's a bargain!" Today, I'm unboxing the latest edition of the Look Fantastic beauty box on my YouTube channel. It's a pretty great one, so take a look if you want to see what's inside!

You can even still get your own here: bit.ly/lookfan

Tina xxx

THE BALM BLUSHES

I'm not often blown away by a blush, but I have been really impressed from these two from The Balm as of late. The Balm is sort of that inbetween drugstore and high end brand in terms of price, as these blushes come in between £15.50 and £17.50.

Frat Boy is a gorgeous universal blush with both peach and pink tones running through. I've found it pairs well with almost any make-up look, so I reach for it often when I don't want to think too much. Down Boy is more of a mix of pink and purple. Both blushes are very pigmented, which I'm not always a fan of, but they blend so easily into the cheeks and take practically no time to add the perfect amount of colour to the apples of the cheeks. That makes them perfect for a busy lifestyle where quick and easy is so crucial.

I have to say the quality does match up to the slighter more expensive price in this case. I'm already looking into more blushes from The Balm, or maybe even a different product. Have you tried any? Will you be trying these?

Tina xx

(Happy to be back!)

GLOSSYBOX VS BIRCHBOX - JAN 2015

So, I've definitely been slacking a little (a lot) on blogging and youtubing but I'm back with one of my favourite videos to film. I compared my first subscription boxes of 2015, from Glossybox and Birchbox! Hope you enjoy it :) what did you get in your boxes this month?

IN THE MAIL #4 - MakeUp Revolution Haul

Makeup Revolution have built up a well established reputation of great quality makeup at ridiculously low prices in the blogging world. Because of that, their website can be a dangerous one. However, this time I reigned it all in and only ordered TWO things. I'm patting myself on the back right now...

My main objective when visiting the site was to finally get my hands on the Pro Fix Amazing Makeup Fixing Spray. I've read many a rave review on this £5 steal but have never been able to get my hands on it! I check my local Superdrug every time I go past but it's never, ever, ever in stock, and I can't even find it on the Superdrug website any more!

My little travel size of the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray has been getting a lot, a lot* of love recently and my every day usage has left the bottle running dangerously low. Not wanting to splash out £20 on the full size and knowing another travel size just wouldn't cut it I turned to the budget alternative. I'm so excited to give it a try and see how it compares. I have high hopes.

Quite a few other products from the range went in and out of my basket before checkout, but only one made the cut in the end. I've been on a bit of a highlighter kick lately so thought it was time to branch out. I almost went for the standard peach but thought that was a bit safe so instead opted for the Pink Lights highlighter. I read a couple of reviews and it was all positive so I thought at £3, it was worth a shot. It swatched amazingly (I expect no less from MUR), so I can't wait to get it on my face! It's such a gorgeous pigmented lilac shade. I'll keep you updated.

It's been a while since I've gotten my hands on some new MUR stuff. I hope it lives up to the rest!

Have you bought anything online lately? Have you tried either of these?

Tina xx

*(I'm repeating for emphasis...it's not a typo)

LAURA MERCIER FOUNDATION PRIMER

This is a bit of a "I tried it once, and I already love it" post. I've only been using it for a couple of days so I'm not sure if it'll last the distance (only time will tell), but I just had to share anyway. The Laura Mercier Foundation primer (£29) helps to make my make-up apply so smoothly. As we're now into the colder months, my skin has been suffering with dry patches galore. So not fun. There had been a few days in a row where things just didn't look right. The first time I used this primer I immediately noticed a difference. Everything just sort of sat a little bit smoother.

Not only that but my make-up still looked pretty good after a full day. We're talking 12 hours. I am majorly impressed with this stuff so far. It has a slightly silicone texture but is a bit more liquid-y than your average primer. It has a hint of smell which I can't quite place, but nothing too offensive. It goes on clear and sinks into the skin almost immediately even adding a hit of hydration. There are so many different versions of this primer: oil-free, hydrating, radiance and the list goes on, so there's really something for everyone.

There are really no complaints so far and I may or may not have already ordered the hydrating version too (my skin neeeeds it). I really have been finding some primer gems lately. You may see me raving about some others in the near future.

Do you have a favourite primer? Have you tried this one? You can get on the House of Fraser website for £29.

Tina xx

EMPTIES/PRODUCTS I'VE USED UP ~ OCTOBER 2014

Empties videos are some of my favourite to film, and watch (other people's of course). I usually manage to get through enough products to warrant doing them every month, so here is this month's take! Hope you enjoy it. (My box is already getting filled up for November... eek! Exciting!)

THE BUDGET BRONZER

My make-up collection is predominantly drugstore packed. It's where I shop the most often, and what I use most of the time. I only really reach consistently for high end products when it comes to eyeshadow (palettes galore!), and bronzer. NARS Laguna is a much loved favourite of mine, and more recently I've also become more accustomed with Benefit Hoola.

The more affordable bronzers in my collection have come and gone in recent months (as I destashed a little with a blog sale - check here for my latest), but I still have a few I held on to, and one that I hadn't given a chance to shine until recently.

The Ultra Bronze from MakeUp Revolution is a huge matte bronzer (15g!). The size is sort of awesome but a bit of a storing nightmare. It doesn't fit anywhere! I absolutely fell in love with it as soon as I swatched it in Superdrug, but it became neglected as I didn't have anywhere to put it and it got a bit forgotten about. Finally, I just decided to put it in my blush/bronzer drawer on top of everything else, making it impossible to miss. Since then, I've been using it every day! I've often found cheaper bronzers lean on the orange side but this is more a cool-toned shade perfect for contouring but not too cool. I still use it to bronze all over and to warm up the skin and the smooth texture is so easy to blend out.

You can pick it up in Superdrug (if you're lucky - they go quick!) or online here for only £3. Such a bargain! Highly recommend giving this one a whirl especially if you have a lighter skin tone. It works great for me!

OCTOBER UNBOXINGS

I can admit that I've been slacking a little in the blogging department this last week. However, I did upload two unboxing videos on my YouTube channel. My usual Glossybox VS Birchbox showdown as well as a Love Me Beauty unboxing. Hope you enjoy these for now, and I'll have a new blog post up soon. Promise!

BLOG SALE - MAC, BENEFIT, CLINIQUE & MORE

So, I've found myself here again... I didn't think I'd be having another blog sale so soon, but let's do this. Leave a comment with what you'd like to purchase and your Paypal email address if you would like to purchase something.

Terms:

1. Postage within the UK will be £1 for small items (large letter size) and £3 for larger packages.

2. I'm unlikely to post internationally (it's too stressful), but leave a comment if you really want something and we can discuss it.

3. If you wish to receive your parcel via Recorded or Special Delivery, postage costs will need to be adjusted.

4. I only accept payment by Paypal, and do not accept any returns.

5. Items are sold on a first come, first serve basis and I will hold items up to 24 hours.

Happy shopping!

MAC BROOKE SHIELDS GRAVITAS PALETTE

Let's talk about this beauty. I honestly took these pictures as soon as I opened the box so I could capture the shadows in all their new, untouched beauty. This is the latest pre-made limited edition palette from the MAC Brooke Shields Collection - the Gravitas palette. There are 15 gorgeous eyeshadows with a mix of limited edition and permanent shades. I broke down and swatched every shade in this video. I honestly can't get enough of this palette. If you can get your hands on it, don't hesitate!

AUTUMN BERRIES FROM THE DRUGSTORE

When it comes to Autumn, I'm all about the berry lips. I went through my collection and picked out five of my favourites which in all honesty, are fairly similar in shade but vary in application and finish. You may not need all of these, but I would definitely recommend at least one.

• Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil in Berry Much (£4.99) - I reviewed this little pencil when I first purchased it here and not much has changed. I'm still loving how easy it is to apply. I thought that a chubby pencil may be more difficult to get a perfect lip outline but it's actually quick and easy. The formula is so soft and creamy and there's no tugging on the lips. I don't often wear this alone but it works perfectly as a base for pretty much any of the other lip products in this post.
• Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in 30 (£5.49) - This was a recent Essiebutton inspired purchase, and it is essentially a non-matte version of the 107 classic with maybe a tiny bit more purple. The Lasting Finish formula is gorgeous - I pretty much love every Rimmel lip formula. This one is quick and easy to apply.
• No7 High Shine Lipgloss in Plum Blush (£9) - I thought I'd include a glossy option which is slightly more sheer and perfect if you want to effortlessly transition back into darker lips. This is a little less in your face but still has those gorgeous berry tones that encapsulate every thing autumn. It has a slightly tacky finish but isn't sticky. They're giving out the £3 off coupons at the moment, so now would be a perfect time to grab this for £6!
• Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick in 107 (£5.49)  - the classic. I love how affordable Rimmel lipsticks are and this is one of the best. I did a little review here. This was the original lipstick which made me fall in love with the darker wine berry shade and pretty led me to every other purchase here.
• Rimmel Apocalips Matte Lip Velvet in Meteoric Matte (£6.49) - As I wasn't a fan of the original Apocalips lip lacquers, it was surprising to me how much I loved this. I already wrote a review here, and I'm still enjoying using this. I'm not sure about the "matte" title as this never fully dries down to be matte and is prone to transferring (so, be careful!), but I actually really love the slightly glossy finish and the fullness effect it gives to my lips. 

You can probably tell from this post that I found the tone of darker lips that works for me and I just ran with it. I would recommend any of these lippies and they'll definitely be the ones I'll be reaching for most in the next few months. I chose the No7 gloss today - transitioning and all that.

Hope you enjoyed this! What's your autumn lip go-to? 

Tina xx

ESSENCE LOVE ME, CUPCAKE!

I've been sort of discovering the wonders of Essence over the last few months after finding their products in my local Wilkinson's. Their prices are so affordable and so far, I've found a lot of loves. I picked up this polish over a month ago but I've only just tried it out, and I'm impressed. Love Me, Cupcake! is a gorgeous lilac-grey shade with an adorable shade name. It's like nothing else in my (humble) nail polish collection and as I am a fan of purples and neutrals when it comes to nail polish, this is perfect for me!

Usually, I am strictly a three coat polish kind of gal, but this only took two coats and I didn't really see need for a third. The brush is wide so application was easy. I've only had it on a day but so far it's looking perfect still. I've heard raves about the Essence polishes from others so I'm hoping for a couple more days of wear from this! Definitely worth a look at only £1.60 and they have a huge range.

You can browse their collection online here, or check your local Wilkinson's. Also, you can see what other Essence products I've blogged about on this tag.

Tina xx

SANCTUARY SPA MINIS HAUL

When it comes to my local Boots store, I'm pretty sure I could almost navigate my way through the make-up aisles blindfolded as I know them that well. However, I am not as well practised in the skincare shelves. I tend to stick to my tried and tested products and don't often branch out into new territory. So, as there is a huge 3 for 2 offer running now on facial skincare products I thought I would try some new things.

Sanctuary Spa is a brand which has been on my radar for a while. I was excited to see that the minis were included in the 3 for 2 offer as I love testing out skincare before I commit and these are all between £2-£3. I may have gone a little crazy - I practically got one of everything. Here's the run-down.

I don't think I can count the amount of YouTubers I've heard mention the 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask and my interest has just peaked and peaked over time. I'm dying to test out the whole "thermal" heating face mask thing. I don't use masks half as often as I should and I'm hoping to get a couple of uses out of this little packet. I didn't stop at one mask, but I also picked up a sachet of the Moisture Boosting Mask. Now that the days are getting shorter and colder, I'll do anything to keep that moisture in my skin so I'm interested to see how this one goes. I love the simple and colourful packaging of this brand.

Next up, I grabbed some of the mini tube samples. You can see I'm really into moisture right now as I also purchased Illuminating Moisture Lotion. I've been loving my illuminating products and am eager to carry the summer glow into autumn. I love using a fuller coverage base but sandwiching it between illuminating products (brightening primers and highlighters galore). I also grabbed the Night Concentrate as I'm almost out of my current night cream and am looking to try something new.

Finally I picked up the Pore Refining Toner as I'm always keen to see if there's a toner which can compare to my Liz Earle favourite. I think I purchased almost every mini on the Sanctuary Spa stand, so hopefully I'll have a good idea of the brand once I've tried them all and maybe they'll even be a follow up post. Let me know if you want one!

Have you tried anything from Sanctuary Spa that you loved? Am I missing anything?

Tina xx

CURRENT EVERY DAY MAKE-UP DRAWER

My every day make-up drawer is probably my favourite of all the drawers in my make-up collection, because it's full of things I'm loving right now. If I'm consistently grabbing a certain product, it will end up here. I change up one or two things almost every day so I thought I would show you what's in there right now and then make an updated video every month or so. Hope you enjoy it!

15% OFF BENEFIT AND BARE MINERALS - 48 HOURS ONLY

Sale alert! The brands Benefit and Bare Minerals are currently 15% off on feelunique.com when you use the code BEAUTY15. Just a quick notice if you didn't get the email. I'm already tempted by a couple of Bare Minerals products (I've been loving their stuff lately!). Don't forget this includes all the Benefit Christmas stuff including the palette I posted about the other day (shown below). It's only on for 48 hours finishing tomorrow! Go on, treat yourself ;)

Tina xx

CHALLENGE: OVER BY OCTOBER - RESULTS!

My little blog has grown quite a lot since I posted a little challenge post back in August which I named Over by October, so this may be the first time you're hearing of it. You can read all about it here if you want to catch up, but essentially I challenged myself to finish off a rather large amount of products and now I'm here to tell you how I did. It might be a long one... let's do this!

The Primers

Benefit Stay Flawless 15 Hour Primer Sample (£24.50) - This really wasn't much of a challenge as I only had a tiny bit of product left which I flew through. I did really like this primer but I haven't found myself reaching for the full size (pictured) once this was done. The stick form is convenient but after reading reviews I was always paranoid about it drying too quickly before I could get my foundation on. I'm not sure if it's worth a price tag of £24.50 (I got my full size much cheaper in a blog sale), but it definitely prolongs the wear of your make-up.
Caudalie Day Perfecting Fluid (£38) - This product just seemed to go on forrrrrrrr-ever. This was a post-moisturiser/pre-primer step as I didn't find it moisturising enough on its own. Essentially it was just a bit of extra SPF which I actually grew accustomed to having in my routine. I can't imagine a time when extra SPF would be a bad thing (minus days with flash photography - so, pretty much never). I managed to finish this up just in time and am kind of missing it. I doubt it'll be a repurchase any time soon though.

Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer (£8.99) - I did get through quite a bit of this tub, but it felt like a real chore to use this one. I didn't find that it was helping my makeup to last, or doing much at all really - I was just using it ... to use it. There's not much left so I'm not sure whether I'll keep going or not. There's so many drugstore primer options out there now and this wouldn't be my first (or second) choice.
Benefit Stay Don't Stray Eyeshadow Primer (£20.50) - This is another little tube that just wouldn't end. It never did quite enough to stop my eyeshadow from creasing so I would dot it under my eyes as a concealer primer(?) or over my other eyeshadows primers (it has a slight tint). It was definitely a step I did not need but I was committed to the challenge! I think there's still a bit left but I'm not getting rid of this until it's all gone!

Dr Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner (£39) - This was honestly the primer that would never end. I used it every day and it just wouldn't finish! I'm sure there's still a little bit left in the tube but I just decided enough was enough. I don't suffer with large pores, so it's hard for me to judge pore-minimising primers but this gave me a nice smooth base. It contains (and smells of) tea tree so that's a selling point if you're interested! I won't be repurchasing, as now I need to tackle my full size of the Porefessional from Benefit... it could honestly last a lifetime at the rate I was going.

The Face Products

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder (£3.99) - I'm pretty sure I gave up on this a few days into the challenge. It was just too smashed and too messy. This will be a repurchase at some point but probably not for a while.
Maybelline Fit Me Concealer (£5.99) - This was about my third tube I've finished up of this concealer so there's clearly something that's been drawing me back. The coverage and consistency of this pretty much makes up my ideal every day do-it-all concealer. It has about a medium coverage and isn't too thick. I already bought another in a slighter darker shade to use on my face rather than under my eyes. I'm trying out some other options right now, but I'm sure I'll go back to this in the future.
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (£4.19) - This is a go to for blemishes and I still have plenty of back-ups. I think I got through most of the product but it was definitely time to say goodbye - I've had it for way too long!

The Mascaras

I mentioned in my original post that I'm a harsh critic when it comes to mascara. I think these three were already on their way out when the challenge begun, but I still have a few thoughts to share.

L'Oreal Voluminous Extra Black Mascara (£7.65) - This mascara was always a bit of a surprise to me. I'm not sure what prompted me to purchase it as I could only ever find it in store in the very bottom right corner. I'd never seen anyone use it or read reviews but I actually grew to quite like. For a non-waterproof formula, it actually held a curl pretty damn well. It has a pretty standard brush which I liked (and kept) and it is extra black. I think this could very well be a repurchase in the future.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara Sample (£19.50) - This offering from Benefit kind of went the other way for me. I had high expectation but it never really wow-ed me. I found the brush pretty awkward too. The whole "ball at the end" got in the way - just not my thing.

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara (£23) - I'm sort of undecided on this one. I think I need to give the waterproof version a try as I like the brush and the formula, but it just didn't hold my curl. Watch this space.

The Creams

I thought I would struggle with this little section, but I seem to have triumphed - I'm so proud! As a neglecter of all things body moisturiser (I know it's bad), this was a serious achievement for me.

Whish Lavender Body Butter (£15) - I only really got one use out of this as it was pretty much already empty but I do love it. It has the perfect amount of lavender scent and sinks into the skin quickly - I couldn't ask for anything more.
Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser (£14.50) - I think I threw this away so I couldn't photograph it but it's on the original post. I've mentioned my mum's love for Liz Earle a couple of times and while it's all well and good (seriously, we never run out of anything LE), I find that if you don't use up this moisturiser it definitely expires. It starts to smell a little plastic-like and funky which I think thistub was on the verge off. I managed to finish it up just in time though, and I do like it but it's just not my favourite. I'll be using my mum's but I won't be hoarding any tubs for myself.
Vaseline Essential Moisture Lotion (£4.99) - I feel like this is what teenage Tina (speaking in third person makes me cool, right?) thought all moisturisers were like. It's just that bog standard, cheap drugstore moisturiser - it's quite liquid-y in texture and it does the job. It's nothing luxurious, it's smells pleasant and it won't cost you much. You can't really go wrong, but you can go bigger and better. If I were to repurchase, it would definitely be in the spray & go bottle.

The Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter (£13) - And finally, I have one more body product! The Satsuma body butter from The Body Shop smells so good. This scent hangs around for ages and I lurrve it. Again, I didn't have much left and it was only the small size but I'll definitely go back for more Body Shop body butters in the future - once I get through all the other different body butters I already have of course.

And we're done! This was definitely a mammoth post, so if you made it this far I salute you! I'm thinking about doing another one of these posts maybe an "Over by 2015" edition? Let me know if you'd be interested and get using up your products. I promise it's very satisfying ;)

Tina xx