Illamasqua Sale Purchases

I'm so happy I managed to get my hands on these beauties! Not only are they packaged beautifully and products I'll get a lot of use out of, but they were a complete bargain.

The Illamasqua Embellished Eye Trio caught my eye before Christmas, with its Precision Brow Gel in Strike, Vintage Metallix Cream Eyeshadow in Embellish, and Precision Gel Liner in Infinity. At £49, though, I couldn't justify buying it. Then it went down to £24.50, but for some reason I still didn't order. Then it went down to £14.70 last week, which was insane. The Precision Brow Gel, Strike, is the only shade available at the moment, and could possibly be too dark for me. However, with a light hand, I think I can make it work.

I decided to add the Intense Lipgloss in Mistress to my basket last minute for £6.60 (down from £16.50). It's described as a bright, coral orange, which is one of my favourite shades. I've also been loving pigmented, liquid lip products recently, so I can see this being used a great deal.

I love all the Illamasqua products I own, especially because most were bought at great prices in their sale.

What's your favourite Illamasqua product?

2014 Favourites: Part One

I wasn't planning on having this many favourites, so I've split them into a couple posts. As you can see, this one contains the makeup!

There's clearly a theme with the lip products, with them either being coral or red. The ones above are No7 BB Lips Beauty Balm in Berry Rose, L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Exclusive Reds Lipstick in Julianne, Maybelline Colour Elixir in Alluring Coral, NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler, The Body Shop Colour Crush Shine Lipstick in Sunset Romance, Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Frambourjoise, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon, and No7 BB Lips Beauty Balm in Geranium. Some are glossy, some are matte, some are sheer, some are opaque, but they are all absolutely beautiful.

Another lip product I've been loving is the Blistex Intensive Moisturiser. Hands down, the best lip balm I've ever tried. Unlike many, it doesn't just act as a barrier, but actually improves the condition of your lips.

I started wearing foundation in 2014, after not being able to get on with any for years. The No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation changed that. The packaging is practical, it's one of the lighter shades on the highstreet, it gives a full coverage, and doesn't feel heavy or look cakey.

The Body Shop's All In One Face Base in 02 is a product I've been using for a couple years now. It's silky and provides a little extra coverage. I've yet to come across anything better.

I don't like the handles of the Real Techniques Stippling and Powder Brushes because they take up so much room in my brush holder, but I've been using them nearly every day for the past year and they're still looking good. They've held their shape and haven't shed a hair, so I'm really pleased with them.

The No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter is just beautiful. It's the perfect candlelight shade and is easy to blend. 

The ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light. I've been through so many of these over the years. I used to use the Medium shade, but started using Light in 2013/2014 and find that it's a much better suiting.

I had a couple styes in October that lead to me pulling out my eyelashes (I know), and the Eylure Individual False Lashes saved the day. I only used the short ones to fill in the gaps I had, but they looked natural and weren't that difficult to apply. They didn't last more than a day because of cleansing, but they lasted through the day without any problems. 

Another product I started using for the same reasons is the Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in Black, and I now use it every day. It's jet black, easy to apply, and lasts all day, even on the upper waterline.

To my lower lash line, I smudge in the Maybelline Eye Studio Colour Tattoo Cream Gel Eyeshadow in On and On Bronze. It's a beautiful metallic shade that lasts all day.

Maybelline really is my favourite brand for eye products! The Rocket Mascara is another favourite of mine that I've been using for years. I don't find it clumpy in the slightest, and it really lengthens the hairs.

The last products are cream blushes. NYX's Cream Blush in Natural is my favourite blush of all time, and I've just hit pan! So proud. It's pigmented, creamy, and easy to blend. The Illamasqua Cream Blushers in Dixie and Seduce are also great, although not quite as creamy. The shades, though, are beautiful.

Are you a fan of any of these products? What were your favourites of 2014?

Decluttering My Makeup Basket #2

Before

After

The time has come to declutter my makeup basket again. If you didn't know, I have a basket on top of my beauty chest of drawers for my everyday products. Over time, this ends up being filled with much more! You can see my first Decluttering My Makeup Basket post here. Like I said there, no lip products are included here because they have their own section on my chest of drawers. They're organised in clear plastic lipstick holders, which I wrote a post about here. The eBay seller I bought them from has now lowered the price to just £2.87 including P&P!

So, many of the products that made the cut are actually the same as the ones in my first post (MUA's Cover & Conceal Concealer in Fair £1.50, The Body Shop's All in One Face Base in 02 £14, NYX's Cream Blush in Natural £5.50, ELF's Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light £3.95, Maybelline's Colour Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow in On and On Bronze £4.99, L'Oreal's Perfect Slim Super Liner £6.99, and Maybelline's The Rocket Mascara £7.99). If you want to see my thoughts on them, just head over there. I'll be talking about the others here!

I'm currently using MUA's Undress Your Skin Flawless Primer (£5) because I've used all my others. This one has a weird silicone-y feel, which is different to the gel and cream formulas I'm used to. My concealer applies smoother, though, and I haven't experienced any creasing around my eyes. Still, I haven't been blown away by it, so am on the look out for others. I currently have my eye on the Revlon and Gosh ones, so if you've used them, please let me know your thoughts.

To warm up my complexion, I've been using The Body Shop's Honey Bronzer (£13, review here). It's soft, matte, and blends well. It's also light in colour, so you don't have to worry about going overboard (it does take some building up, though).

I haven't even opened it yet, but have NYX's Powder Blush in Taupe (£6) in there. I've heard it's a great contouring shade for pale complexions.

I'm still using my favourite NYX Cream Blush in Natural (£5.50), which I talk about in the first post, but am now also using Illamasqua's Cream Blusher in Dixie (£18, review here). It's not as creamy, but is still one of the best formulas I've tried. Beautiful coral shade, pigmented, blends well, and lasts most of the day.

I'm also still using my ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light (£3.95), which is one of my all time favourite products, but I've started using MUA's Clear Mascara (£1) to set it. It's cheap and it does its job!

I'm currently missing some eyelashes (sad times), so have dug out my Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner (£7.99) to press into my upper lash line. I've had this for a couple years now, so was surprised it hadn't dried up! It's pigmented and lasts throughout the day.

What products are currently in your everyday routine?

Peaches & Corals

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Dixie, MUA Blusher in Lolly, NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler, Bourjois Shine Edition Lipstick in 123 Soleil, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya, Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Peach on the Beach

I'm so imaginative with my titles, I know. Shades of peach and coral are my favourite, so I thought I'd show you some of the best products I have in these colour families.

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Dixie - £18 - review here

This is incredibly pigmented, blends well, and lasts most of the day. It applies more pink than it looks in the pan, so the overall effect is warming and not in-your-face. It's not as creamy as my NYX ones, but it's still one of the best formulas I've tried. I bought this for £6.75 in the sale, so I'd definitely keep an eye out for their next!

MUA Blusher in Lolly - £1 - review here

This is the only orangey powder blush I own. It's a soft apricot with very subtle golden shimmer. It's soft to touch and blends well, but has a lot of fall out. Still, if you're thinking about trying an orange blusher, it's worth giving this a go first to see if the shade suits your complexion.

NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler - £5 - review here

My new favourite lip product. I normally dislike lipglosses, but this is something else. Pigmented, buttery, and lasts a few hours before fading evenly. I also have Apple Strudel, but don't like it as much. The colour is great, but it settles into the lines of your lips, which is a shame.

Bourjois Shine Edition Lipstick in 123 Soleil - £7.99 - review here

The formula of this range is similar to that of the Revlon Lip Butters, which I've become a fan of. 123 Soleil is an orange shade, but leans coral, steering it away from being garish. The formula's light, balmy, and lasts a few hours before fading evenly.

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya - £7.99 -  review here

This is a lot lighter, and is more of a peach/apricot, so looks natural. The formula is like the others, which I'm obviously a fan of at the moment!

Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Peach on the Beach - £7.99 - review here

I wore this a ton last summer. The colour is beautiful, and, again, the formula is light and moisturising. You can see what I prioritise in the warmer months!

Models Own Nail Polish in Beach Bag - £5 

I have yet to review this, but you can see a swatch of it on my Instagram here. It's a neon pastel peach, which is difficult to photograph, and takes three coats. If it was more opaque, it'd definitely be one of my favourite nail polishes, ever.

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Papaya - £3.99 - review here

A bright peach that's opaque in two coats. It looks dull and dark compared to the others, but it is a beautiful shade.

Sinful Colours Nail Polish in Orange Cream - £1.99 - review here

This is the light peach in the photo, and it's one of my favourites. It has silver shimmer in, which I'm usually not a fan of, but it's very subtle and just lifts the shade. It takes 2-3 coats to become opaque.

Sinful Colours Nail Polish in Island Coral - £1.99

You can probably find a shade similar to this in every range, but I love it. Straight-up corals that change from orange to pink in different lights are my favourite. It takes two coats, too, which is great for £1.99.

What are your favourite peach and coral products?

New Favourites #04

Lush Ro's Argan Body Conditioner - £15.95/225g

An in shower body moisturiser that leaves your skin feeling soft and smelling great. I found the rose scent overwhelming at first, but have gotten used to it now. It's expensive, and I don't think I'd have bought it if I didn't have credit to use, but it's impressed me. I think it'll be going on future birthday/Christmas lists! I'm reviewing this in the next couple of days, so look out for a more in depth review!

Lush Ultrabland Facial Cleanser - £6.95/45g

Removes all of my makeup, doesn't sting my eyes (so I can open them when I'm convinced someone's about to murder me in the shower!), and leaves my skin really moisturised. From other reviews, I was expecting to be left with a heavy film, but this isn't the case. Because I have combination oily skin, I go easy on the moisturiser after, sometimes skipping altogether (don't shoot me!). 

Naked Smooth Silky Conditioner for Straight/Longer Hair - £4.19/250ml

I've mentioned Naked conditioners in a few Empties now, but don't think they've featured in a Favourites before. Anyway, I love them. They seem to condition much better than other conditioners I've tried. I think my hair's becoming too used to them, though, so will stop using for a while, and then return.

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butters in Juicy Papaya and Wild Watermelon - £7.99 each - Wild Watermelon swatch and review here

Love! These are my first Lip Butters, and wish I'd bought them sooner. Juicy Papaya is a peachy shade, and looks surprisingly natural. It goes really well with my colouring. Wild Watermelon is a little more out of my comfort zone, but I've been loving this summery, juicy red. I'll be swatching and reviewing Juicy Papaya soon, so look out for that!

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Dixie - £18 - Swatch and review here

Creamy, pigmented, and blends well. On the cheeks, this translates as a peachy pink, and gives you a warm glow. It's not quite as creamy as my beloved NYX ones, but it's still up there. I paid £6.75 for this in the sale, and can't wait to pick up a couple more in the next!

What products have entered your Favourites recently?

Illamasqua Cream Blushers in Seduce and Dixie

Seduce, Dixie

Natural lighting, flash

I've only ever tried a nail polish from Illamasqua, and that was because I had an ASOS voucher. The products are more expensive than the amount I'm willing to pay for cosmetics. However, Illamasqua recently had a sale, and I couldn't refuse! I've heard plenty of good things about their cream blushes, so decided to buy Seduce and Dixie (after hours of looking at swatches and reviews!). They're normally £18, but were in the sale for £7.50. There was also a 10% off code floating around, so I ended up paying just £6.75 for each blush. Delivery is free, and I also got 56p cash back on each one - Result! I was intrigued by these because the formula looked similar to my beloved NYX ones; creamy and pigmented. Every other cream blush I've tried has been quite hard to touch, and requires warming up with your fingers before use. This means they're difficult to use with a stippling brush. Thankfully, these are like my NYX ones. They're not quite as creamy, however, but still impressive. On Illamasqua's website, Seduce is described as a warm, rose pink, and Dixie is described as a warm, coral pink. 'Raspberry' and 'coral' would be my descriptions. In the swatches above, I've swiped them with my finger, and then stippled them on so you can see how subtle and natural they can be.

Did you buy anything from the Illamasqua sale? Roll on the next, I say!

Favourite Nail Polishes - Glitters

Choosing just 16 favourite nail polishes in my Favourite Nail Polishes - Rainbow Edition post was incredibly hard, so I bring you part 2: Glitters! I used to dislike glitters, but have come to love them. Fine ones look pretty over every nail, and chunkier ones look great on an accent.

My first favourite glitter is Illamasqua's Creator; a black base with silver glitter. I bought this on ASOS with a £10 voucher, and I'm glad I did, but wouldn't pay the full £14.50. As much as I love bright nail polishes, I also love shades like this.

Sally Hansen's Oxide is more of a shimmer than glitter, but it didn't fit into my Rainbow Edition post! This is similar to Creator, but it's more of a gunmetal shade, and the glitter is much finer.

Models Own Ibiza Mix is a mix of green, blue, purple, gold and bronze glitter. Very unique, in my opinion. I used to hate chunkier glitters, thinking they looked tacky, but this looks very pretty on my ring fingers.

Models Own Party Pieces (exclusive to ASOS) is a mix of larger and smaller glitter chunks, and the colours include red, blue, green, purple, gold and silver. It's very fun and goes with most colour nail polishes.

Barry M's Amethyst Glitter is densely packed with blue, purple, pink and gold glitter pieces. I love this with darker blues!

Barry M's Pink Silver Glitter is so, so pretty. The glitter is very fine, so I don't mind wearing this on every nail. Glitter can be very bold, so I love that the colour is subtle to even this out.

Essie's Beyond Cozy is another fine glitter that I like wearing on every nail. Normally, the combination of gold and glitter screams tacky, but this colour is very cool toned, and can sometimes look silver, so I think it works. I wore this for Christmas 2012, and will probably wear it for Christmas 2013, too!

I also love my flakies nail polishes (Nubar 2010 and Gosh Rainbow), but haven't included them in the photo. They're so beautiful, with the flakes changing colour in the light. They look incredible over dark polishes!

What are your favourite glitter nail polishes? Are there any I absolutely have to have?

Nail Polish Collection!

 

Barry M: Clear, Indigo, Raspberry, Coral, Pink Flamingo, Strawberry Ice Cream, Berry Ice Cream, Pink Silver Glitter, Aqua Glitter, Amethyst Glitter, Boots Limited Edition, Gelly Blood Orange, Gelly Prickly Pear, Gelly Pomegranate, Gelly Blueberry

 

Essie: Mademoiselle, A Crewed Interest, Lady Like, Bikini So Teeny, Beyond Cosy, Mod Squad, Lights, Bazooka, Camera, Barry M: Gelly Papaya, Gelly Grapefruit

 

ASOS: Blake, Megan, Olivia, Gwen, Lauren, Lily, Maybelline: Hot Salsa, Nude Rose, GOSH: Holographic, Rainbow, Nubar: Nubar 2010

 

Illamasqua: Creator, Deborah Lippmann: Razzle Dazzle, 17: Sweet Kisses x2, Forever, Ruby Dazzle, Pink Grapefruit, Sally Hansen: Yellow Kitty, Himalayan Blue, Oxide, MUA: Frozen Yoghurt, Shade 5, BK (Glow in the dark nail polishes from eBay): Shade 13, Shade 14

 

Models Own: Nude Beige, Champagne, Disco Heaven, Ibiza Mix, Party Pieces, Mystic Mauve, Beth's Blue, Balearic Blue, Luis Lemon, Beach Party, Fluro' Orange, Hedonist, 3 in 1

 

Models Own Nail Art Pens: Black x2, Gold, Silver, White, China Glaze: Snow, For Audrey, Dance Baby, Make Some Noise, Secret Peri-Wink-Le, Flip Flop Fantasy

OPI: No Room For The Blues, Lucky Lucky Lavender, Shorts Story, Elephantisic Pink, Look Beauty: Beret, Vintage, Flamingo, Dusky, Petticoat

I haven't written a nail polish collection post in years! I've been meaning to for the last few months, but I just kept buying more... oops! Recently, I've only been buying shades I don't have anything similar to though, and I'm trying to slow down on the purchasing because I'm running out of room. For a beauty blogger, I don't think my collection is that big. I think it's bigger than the average girl's though! A lot of the nail polishes above have been featured on Affordable Treats before, so if you would like to see a swatch of one, just type it into the search bar. If I haven't swatched it already and you would like me to, just let me know.

I hope you enjoy your evening!

Nails of the Week: Illamasqua Creator

Illamasqua's Creator is so different to anything I have in my collection - It's black! I really do like it though. Surprisingly, this is opaque in two coats, has a fairly smooth finish, and doesn't stain.
Even though I adore this polish, I would never pay the £13.50 price tag. I bought it for £3.50 with an ASOS code. As an affordable alternative, I would suggest buying a plain black nail polish and adding a glitter top coat. 

Once this starts to chip, I'm going to add a flakies top coat (I have Nubar 2010 and GOSH Rainbow), which should look amazing.

Also, I've just bought the Models Own ASOS Exclusive nail polish. It looks so pretty! I used to dislike glitters, but now I can't get enough of them. I'm not a fan of really chunky monkey ones though - I like them to apply evenly and be opaque within a few coats.

I think I should limit how many nail polishes I buy in 2013...

ASOS Treats

Nail polish and socks are my weaknesses. Mugs are too, but that's for another post!

Thanks to yourvine.com, I had a £10 off code for ASOS. My sister also had one and kindly gave it to me (Yay!). With the first code, I ordered Essie Beyond Cosy (£9.95) and some cute Oysho socks (£5.99). With the code, these worked out to be about £3 each. With the second code, I ordered my first Illamasqua product - Creator nail polish (£13.50). I ended up paying just £3.50 for this, with free next day delivery.

I must admit, I wouldn't pay full price for these items (I don't like paying over £6 for a nail polish), but they are incredibly beautiful, so I'm glad I was able to treat myself to them for an affordable price. How gorgeous are the nail polishes?! I don't own any similar shades, so they were completely justified purchases ;) Both of them will be perfect for the Winter. Also, the Illamasqua nail polish came in a box. Fancy indeed!