ELF Maximum Coverage Concealer in Porcelain

 

I was running out of my trusty Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, so thought I'd add ELF's latest offering to my basket while ordering. You get 20ml for £3.75, which is amazing! I wasn't sure if the lightest shade, Porcelain, would match my skin tone, but it does. It's perfect for the fair skinned among us! I really like the packaging. It's simple, but sleek. It's more hygienic than a doe foot applicator, but you have to be careful not to squeeze too much out because you can't put it back in! The formula blends well, doesn't look cakey, and leaves a dewy finish. Some people may think it would give a matte finish because of the 'oil free' claims, but it doesn't. If you have dry skin, it's great, but you'll have to powder if you have oily skin, like myself. The slight problem I've had with this product is that it creases on my eyelids, even after blotting, priming and powdering. You may be able to avoid this if you let it dry for a few minutes. I don't have the time, or patience, to look down for a few minutes in order to avoid my eyelids creasing though, especially in the mornings! I cannot comment on how long it lasts because I use a primer under my make-up, which I suggest you do too if you want your make-up to apply better and last! The main aspect I look for in a concealer is coverage. This concealer has a medium-high coverage, I would say. Now, this is where I have to disagree with a claim it has. It claims to cover tattoos. How can it cover a tattoo if it can only just cover a blemish? I tested it below:

No, I don't have a rubbish tattoo on my hand - It's just a pen marking for demonstration purposes. The first photo shows just the pen, the second photo shows 1 layer of the concealer, and the third photo shows 5 layers of the concealer. Yes, it has covered well, but I think any product would make a substantial difference with 5 layers on. I also think it would take many more layers to completely cover (it's more noticeable in real life).

Overall, I like this concealer, but don't love it. It could so easily be a great product though, which is annoying! I like the packaging, the amount of product you get, the price, and the coverage is okay. However, I would prefer it not to crease on my eyelids. Also, I think it's an extreme claim to say it covers tattoos. If that's the case, every other concealer I've tried covers tattoos too, with tons of layers!

Will I repurchase? Most likely, if placing an order anyway. I won't actively seek to repurchase it though.

It's my birthday!

I've turned 20 today! For me, this birthday is the important one. Not only am I no longer a teenager, but I've turned 20 on the 20th. I'm not doing anything today though, apart from revising. My parents don't get paid until next week, so at the end of the month, they're buying me the 9 books I really want and taking me out for a meal. I'll show you my birthday presents, along with the books, in a couple of weeks :) I'm not a fan of sponge, so prefer not to have a standard cake for my birthday. A couple years ago, I had a triple tower cheesecake birthday cake, and this year, I decided on a pavlova. As well as this, my sister got me some apple crumble and lemon meringue cupcakes. I know they're sponge, but cupcakes are different! For one, they provide just the amount of sponge I can enjoy, two, they have deliciousness on top, and three, they're ever so cute.

I was happy to jump into the next year of my life during my teens because it meant I was growing up, but now, I don't want to grow up! It's scary. I'm just going to keep being myself and doing what I do though. Age is just a number, after all!

Update - More photos of the pavlova:

ELF Haul

 

Studio Cream Blush in Heart Breaker, Studio HD Blush in Headliner, Studio Baked Blush in Peachy Cheeky

Studio Bronzer in Warm, Studio Eyebrow Kit in Medium, Studio Maximum Coverage Concealer in Porcelain

Studio Stipple Brush, Bamboo Complexion Brush

ELF, e.l.f, Eyes Lips Face, you know what I mean!
Looking back through my blog, I can see that I hadn't ordered from ELF since April 2012! Since then, new releases didn't excite me and they increased their prices. Their mineral lipsticks are now £5, so it's cheaper for me to go into Boots or Superdrug! However, last week, I saw that they had quite a few new products available and a free delivery code was going around, so I 'treated myself'. The products I picked up were either products I've wanted for ages or new releases.
I picked the the Studio Cream Blush in Heart Breaker. The blushes were originally £6.50, which I think is overpriced for ELF. However, they were in the sale for £3.50. I was undecided between Flirt, a cool toned pink, and Heart Breaker, a warm pink. I ended up choosing Heart Breaker because I feel like warm blushes suit my complexion better. The texture is really weird! It's like sponge/clay. I'm excited to use it.

The Studio HD Blush in Headliner intrigued me because I've never owned a liquid blush before. I've seen that they're incredibly pigmented, so picked up the lightest shade. The bottle is very small, but I can see it lasting ages.

The next blush I ordered was the Studio Baked Blush in Peachy Cheeky. I love baked blushes and don't own another peach shade. I'm hoping this will suit my complexion well!
The Studio Bronzer in Warm was the next product to be added to my basket. I've wanted this for years, but never added it to my basket because some people didn't like it. I then thought that there's always going to be people that don't like something, and everyone is different, so ordered it. 
The Studio Eyebrow Kit in Medium is my third one. I use it every day!

I then ordered the Studio Maximum Coverage Concealer in Porcelain. I love my Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection one, but I'm running out, so thought I'd try something different this time. You get a whopping 20ml! If I end up liking it, it'll be a huge bargain. The shade is perfect for me, too.

Another product I've wanted for ages is the Studio Stipple Brush, but it was out of stock for a long time. My cream blush collection is growing, so wanted something that would apply them well. I've currently been using a normal blush brush, but it's quite dense and picks up a lot of product.

The Mineral Bamboo Complexion Brush was a bargain. I couldn't pass up a £3 bamboo brush in the sale. I've got a few of the Studio Complexion Brushes and love them, so knew I would love this too. The hairs are light in colour, which is good and bad. You'll be able to see how much product you pick up, but you'll see how dirty it'll get. But, then again, that's a good thing because you'll be reminded to wash your brushes!

I didn't repurchase any of the brushes I already own this time - I have too many! It's always tempting at £3.75 a brush though.

Wordless Wednesday

Primark and Superdrug Buys

After handing in my assignments this morning, I went into town with my mum, and here's what I bought! I intended to buy a bag and floral scarf, but couldn't see any I liked.

The Primark pyjama bottoms (£6 and £5) are so beautiful and look a lot more expensive than they are. They're also thick and feel like great quality. The purse was only £4! And again, I think it looks more expensive than that. When I saw that they are now selling aqua coloured hair turbans (£1.50), I was very excited. I love my hot pink one for practical reasons, but don't like the colour, so I'm glad to now have this! The foot cushions and heel shields were £2 and £1.50. They're boring, but they'll help look after my feet. I also bought some t-shirt bras, which were £6 for 2. I've been wearing Primark t-shirt bras for years - I love them. They give you a nice shape, last, and are incredibly affordable. I did buy some underwear as well, but they don't fit, so I've given them to my sister. The reason they don't fit is because Primark have changed their sizes. Instead of 8-10, 12-14 and so on, the sizes are now 6-8, 10-12 etc. I was a perfect 8-10, so didn't have to try clothes on because I knew they would fit. I'm going to have to try things on now though. However, the pyjama bottoms I bought are also 6-8s, and they fit fine because they're elasticated. A lot of underwear is elasticated too, just not the pairs I bought. I'm just hoping I'll still be able to fit into their jeans!

From Superdrug, I bought the pearl necklace, seen on the pyjama bottoms, for £4.99. I've been wanting some shorter necklaces, and this will go with anything. I also bought the Rimmel Scandal Eyes eyeliners in Nude and Taupe for £3.99 each. I bought the nude because my eye area can get quite red (I'm blaming my ginger gene for this!). I picked up the taupe shade because I like wearing taupe on my lower lash line and smudging it out. I've just tried them out and like them already. They're really creamy and pigmented. I have the nude on now, and as well as concealing the redness I have, it's also brightening my eyes. I bought the last three items for my mum. The MUA eyeshadow in shade 30 was £1, and the Barry M nail polishes, in Silvery Lilac and Teal, were £2.99 each.

And that's it! I hope you enjoyed this post. When I arrived home, I bought the bag I'd been eyeing up on eBay and a bag organiser, which I'll show you when they arrive! I also have an ELF order in the post... oops.

Figs & Rouge Cherry Blossom Tinted Lip Balm

Natural lighting, flash

As soon as I laid eyes on the new lip balms from Figs & Rouge, I knew I had to try one. The other two varieties, Coco Rose and Mocha Orange, are shimmery, so I gave them a miss. Cherry Blossom sounded right up my street though.

How beautiful is the packaging? I think it's the prettiest product I own. The scent is delicious. It smells like sweets, but I can't pin point which ones. I thought it was going to smell more floral, so I was pleasantly surprised. As you can see in the third photo, the formula is thick, which I was pleased about. This means it stays on longer than other liquid lip balms. It's also tinted, and I love tinted lip balms. My lips are a very pale pink, so even this subtle tint shows up on me. I'm not sure how pigmented it will be on darker lips though.

This lip balm is normally £4.95, but it's currently on offer for £3.96 on the Feel Unique website (click here to view). They also have free delivery on all products. Although it's more expensive than your standard lip balm, I definitely think it's worth it. It's 100% natural, beautifully packaged, smells delicious, tinted, stays on for hours, and works. If the new Cherry Blossom hand cream smells like this, I'll be purchasing that too!

Favourite Books of 2012

2012 was the year I submerged myself into reading again. I love reading so much, more than ever before. I've just asked for 9 books for my birthday this month. The books above are the ones I loved the most. As you can see, there's quite a few! I will also be mentioning a few more that were either read on my dad's Kindle or were from the library. I won't be giving you the blurbs because this post would be even longer! Amazon and Goodreads should provide you with everything you would like to know.

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins - This was the trilogy that got me into reading again. I think I read them in May and then created my Goodreads account just after. Even though I can't remember everything in them right now, I remember that I love them, and I know that as soon as I start reading them again, the details will come back! This trilogy had a perfect amount of action and romance for me.

The Maze Runner trilogy by James Dashner - I only read this trilogy last month, so my love for it is still fresh!  From the Amazon and Goodreads ratings, I thought these books were going to be good, but I didn't expect to love them. I can't tell you what they're about because it would ruin them for you. As you go through the books with the main character, you learn the answers to so many questions. I think that's why I was hooked - I had so many questions I wanted answering. These books are purely action, and great for both genders.

Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth - The third book is coming out this year! I'm so excited! Here's the basis of what the books are about: They are set in a dystopian society. Within this future society, there are 'factions'. Factions are groups within the society which consist of people with the same characteristics. There are five factions: Abnegation (selfless), Dauntless (brave), Erudite (intelligent), Candor (honest) and Amity (peaceful). Once a teenager turns sixteen, they take a simulation test, which determines the faction best suited to them, and then they have to decide which faction they want to be apart of. Tris' test results show that she has characteristics suited for multiple factions. She's a Divergent. She has to decide how she would like to live her life. Once her decision is made, she is put through her paces to see if she can survive in the certain faction. Corruption then breaks out across society, and the decisions Tris makes from then on will determine who lives, and who doesn't. Insurgent then carries on from this. Society is in a state of war, and you get to see each faction in depth. Again, they are a mix of action and romance, so they definitely kept me on my toes!

Delirium and Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver - The third book is also coming out this year! I love, love, love these books. They're set around a dystopian society believing that love is a disease. The main character also believes this, until she falls in love herself. They do not fall directly under the romance category, especially the second one. They are full of action. The ending of both of these books left me surprised and wanting more.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver - I'm loving Lauren Oliver. This book is just beautiful and gets you thinking about your own life. It's about this girl who dies, and then she lives her last day over and over again. Each day, she tries to do something differently to save herself. Putting it like that makes it sound morbid, but it's really not.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - Another book that gets you thinking about your life. There's this girl who has a small life, has never done anything exciting and just goes about her days. She ends up working for a family whose son has recently been in an accident and is paralysed. The relationship they develop changes both of their lives. The ending was sad and happy at the same time. It really does leave you with mixed emotions.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett - I was initially skeptical about this book because it was so different to anything I had read before. The reviews were so positive though, so I decided to give it a go. After the first chapter, I was not convinced. However, I continued and really got into it. It gives you an insight to what it was like to be black in the 60s. A truly beautiful story.

Switched, Torn and Ascend by Amanda Hocking (not shown) - I read all three in less than two days. I barely ate and slept! I want to buy these in paperback form soon. It's hard to describe it without giving anything away. I'll just roughly say what the blurbs say! When the main character was younger, her mother believed she was a monster and tried to kill her. Well, later she finds out that there may be some truth behind it. She learns that she was switched at birth and belongs to another species and society. We then follow her journey of learning about this society and her history. Again, this is a mix of romance and action.

Angel and Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly (not shown) - The third book of this is also coming out this year! I need to buy these in paperback form. I checked them out of the library, you see. I don't know why because the titles and front covers are awful. However, these books are great. In these books, there are angels and angel hunters. The angels are not your typical ones though. They feed on humans. The main character is half angel; something that everyone thought was impossible. An angel hunter finds her, and then you follow their relationship from then.

With the 8 books I've recently bought and the 9 I should hopefully be receiving for my birthday, there will certainly be more reviews to come! What books would you recommend?