Decluttering my Makeup Basket

I have this basket on top of my beauty chest of drawers, and it's supposed to hold my most used makeup (with the rest going in the top drawer). This just makes things easier to find and saves time in the morning. However, over time, more and more products are added to it, making it a cluttered mess! If I buy a new product, it'll end up in the basket. If I take something out of the top drawer, it'll end up in the basket. And yes, even hair ties end up in the basket.  So, after being strict with myself and having a good sort out, what has made the cut? 

No lip products have because they live in a lipstick container next to the basket. 

My MUA Cover & Conceal Concealer has, as well as a tube of Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer for blemishes. On a side note, how rubbish is the packaging of this? It's a new tube, and yet the black writing has already rubbed off! 

My chosen powder is The Body Shop's All-in-One Face Base in 02 because it gives a little coverage and a silky, matte finish. 

Moving on to cheek products (I'm going through this in the order I do my makeup!). I've decided to have NYX's Cream Blush in Natural in there, as well as two Dainty Doll Powder Blushes in You Are My Sunshine and Money Talks. You Are My Sunshine is a pinky peach with golden shimmer (it looks nothing like it does in the photo), and Money Talks is a cool toned brown. It's shimmery, so I don't use it as a bronzer, but it's a nice alternative shade for blush. 

ELF's Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light has also made the cut, which is no surprise! It's all I use on my brows. 

For lining my lower lash line, I've chosen a few products. NYX's Jumbo Eye Pencil in Iced Mocha is very well loved, as you can see! And I've also chosen Maybelline's Colour Tattoos in On & On Bronze and Permanent Taupe. Permanent Taupe is matte, so I use this when I'm not in the mood for shimmer. 

I've chosen Rimmel's Scandaleyes Eyeliner in Nude for when I wish to line my waterline. I don't do this every day because it hasn't lasted well the last few times I've used it, but it's supposed to make your eyes appear bigger and brighter, and I'm all for that! 

Then, when I have the patience, I'll use L'Oreal's Perfect Slim Super Liner. I'm too lazy to use it on a day to day basis, though! 

Lastly, Maybelline's The Rocket Mascara is my current everyday mascara. I think I ended up with 6 in my basket! And although I used them all, I've decided to use one up at a time.

Do you keep your everyday makeup separate from the rest? If so, do you slowly add other products to the mix so it gradually becomes cluttered like mine?

Summer Makeup Routine - Reviews and Swatches

The weather has clearly had an effect on my makeup choices, and without realising, I've changed my taupes and berries for bronzes and peaches! So, here's what I've been wearing over the last month or so:

I've been starting off using my MUA Cover & Conceal Concealer in Fair. I've actually been using this for about 6 months, and for £1.50, think it's pretty good! It has a light to medium coverage, and a dewy finish.

I've then been using my Look Beauty Mattify Me Powder to control any shine. I'm not fussy when it comes to powders; this is just the one I'm using up at the moment!

For brows, I use my trusty ELF Eyebrow Kit in Medium. In the Winter, I use the wax because it's darker, but in the Summer, I use the powder, which is lighter and warmer in tone.

To add some definition to my lower lash line, I've been using Maybelline's Colour Tattoo Eyeshadow in On and On Bronze. When it's colder, I tend to gravitate towards taupes and dark browns, but I've been loving this for the warmer months. 

Rimmel's Scandaleyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Nude is what I've been using on my waterline. This just brightens and makes my eyes appear bigger.

Then, I've been using my new favourite mascara - Maybelline's Rocket. I love every Maybelline mascara I've tried, and this is no exception. It does everything a mascara should without clumping a single bit. Great stuff.

I've used the flash for this photo so you can see the shades better! I like to change up my blush a little, and these are the three I've been using the most recently. 

NYX's Cream Blush in Natural is an all time favourite, whatever the weather. 

Dainty Doll's Powder Blush in You Are My Sunshine is a peachy pink with fine gold shimmer running through it (super pretty), 

and MUA's Lolly Powder Blush has been my go to orange blusher. 

Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bar in Juicy Peach, Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Peach on the Beach, Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Fuchsia-ristic, MUA Power Pout in Justify, Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in Coral Tonic, Collection (2000) Cream Puff Moisturising Lip Cream in Fairy Cake, and Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Pink Blossom.

Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bar in Juicy Peach, Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Peach on the Beach, Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Fuchsia-ristic, MUA Power Pout in Justify, Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in Coral Tonic, Collection (2000) Cream Puff Moisturising Lip Cream in Fairy Cake, and Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Pink Blossom.

As you can see, I change my lip products up a lot more frequently! And you can also see I'm going through a peach/coral phase. How pretty are they all? I'm going to have some individual posts on a few of these because they deserve some attention!



So, that's the makeup I'm currently wearing. I have swatches of the blushes, Colour Tattoo, and Scandaleyes eyeliner on my blog already, so just search for them in the search bar to your left :)

Easter Nail Fail

The nails above took me hours to do, I wasn't happy with them, and they weren't drying, so I've just removed them. Thankfully, I managed to take a rubbish photo on my phone before doing so. I wasn't going to show you them, but they took ages, so I may as well get something out of it! In case you're wondering, the blue nail polish is Look Beauty's Vintage, the yellow is Sally Hansen's Yellow Kitty, the light pink is Barry M's Strawberry Ice Cream, the lilac is Barry M's Berry Ice Cream, the white is Models Own Nail Art Pen in White (mine was clogged up, which didn't help matters!), the black is Models Own Nail Art Pen in Black, the orange is Barry M's Gelly Papaya, and the medium pink is Barry M's Gelly Dragon Fruit.

I think this will be the last time I try nail art for a while! I become obsessive and stressed, which is never fun.

Look Beauty Nail Pop in Dusky

 

After wearing a dark, gunmetal nail polish for a week and a half, I fancied a delicate, girly shade. Look Beauty's Dusky is a dusky, warm lilac with subtle shimmer. I didn't have any problems with the formula, and it took three coats to become opaque. I don't know if I would pay the original £5 price tag for it, but it's definitely worth the £2.50 I paid during the half price sale. If you fancy trying a couple of shades, they are currently on offer for 2 for £6.

Have you tried any of Look Beauty's Nail Pops?

Cream Blush Collection, Reviews and Swatches

 

Top row: NYX Natural, NYX Glow, Look Beauty Guava and Look Beauty Melon

Bottom row: MUA Blossom, Natural Collection Rosy Pink, ELF Headliner, Revlon Flushed and ELF Heart Breaker

 

NYX Natural, NYX Glow, Look Beauty Guava and Look Beauty Melon

MUA Blossom, Natural Collection Rosy Pink, ELF Headliner, Revlon Flushed and ELF Heart Breaker

I've really started to love cream blushes in the last year or so. I think they give a natural, radiant finish. My favourites are definitely the NYX ones. They're so creamy and pigmented! For my cheeks, I only need 1-2 light dabs with the stipple brush. The other cream blushes I own, especially the Look Beauty and MUA ones, require warming up with my finger to get to the pigmentation. Because of this, they're harder to use with a stipple brush, which is what I prefer to apply cream blushes with. The next two blushes have a liquid formulation, rather than a cream one, but thought I'd include them anyway. They're closer to cream than powder! The Natural Collection Rosy Pink blush is my least favourite out of the ones I own. It takes a lot of product to even show up on the skin. The ELF Headliner blush is a beautiful colour and extremely pigmented. I don't use it very often though because I'm too lazy to put the product on the back of my hand and then apply! Revlon's Flushed looks scary in the pan, but it's not that pigmented, making it very wearable. I do like it, but it's not as creamy or pigmented as my NYX ones, so don't tend to reach for it regularly. Lastly is ELF's Heart Breaker. It's a beautiful shade, but the formula lets it down. It's like molding clay, and all my finger and brush do is move it around instead of picking anything up. Therefore, it's incredibly hard to build up. The swatch above required a dense brush and heavy hand. I also have the Topshop cream blush in High Five, which I forgot to photograph. Again, I like it, but don't love it. And I hate the white packaging. It gets so dirty!

Do you like cream blushes? Are there any you would recommend me trying?

Look Beauty Collection and Swatches

 

Top row: Triple Hit Eyeshadow in LA Luxe, Make Me Blush in Pinch, Mattify Me Pressed Powder, Brow Perfect Kit

Middle row: Statement Eyes Eyeshadow in Cami, Fresh Cheeks Cream Blush in Melon, Long Last Liner  Eye Brightener, Fresh Cheeks Cream Blush in Guava, Stay Put Powder

Bottom row: Nail Pops in Beret, Vintage, Dusky, Flamingo and Petticoat, Loud Lips Lipstick in Berry Vamp

 

Make Me Blush in Pinch, Fresh Cheeks Cream Blush in Melon, Fresh Cheeks Cream Blush in Guava, Statement Eyes Eyeshadow in Cami, Triple Hit Eyeshadow in LA Luxe, Long Last Liner Eye Brightener

Loud Lips Lipstick in Berry Vamp

I've had these photos on my camera for a while, so thought I may as well post them! My Look Beauty collection has come from winning one of their giveaways and indulging in their 50% off sale. Their products are more expensive than other highstreet brands, so don't know if I would regularly pay full price for them. However, they are of great quality! The eyeshadows are creamy and pigmented, and the blushes are so pretty.

Do you own anything from Look Beauty?

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!

Swatch of the Day

Look Beauty's Loud Lips Lipstick in Berry Vamp

Look Beauty Haul

Earlier this month, Look Beauty cosmetics were half price, so I took advantage! I didn't plan on buying this much. My first order consisted of the Fresh Cheeks cream blush in Melon (left) and the Triple Hit eyeshadow trio in LA Luxe for my mum for Mother's Day (I already own it). These were £2.50 and £3.75 (all prices given are what I paid; half of the normal price). Then, a week or two later, I had the urge to buy more! The blush on the right hand side is called Guava and was also £2.50. The Long Last Liner Eye Brightener was £2. There's not many nude eyeliners on the market at the moment, so wanted to compare this to the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Nude. I also bought the Loud Lips lipstick in Berry Vamp, which was £3.50. I don't plan on wearing it that dark though. I'm going to lightly dab it on to create a stain. The packaging is pretty, but not very practical. The lid is magnetic and easily comes off. Lastly, I bought some nail polishes, which were all £2.50 each. The shades I bought are (from left to right) Beret, Vintage, Dusky, Flamingo, Petticoat, Sequin Effect and Pearl Effect. The last two are for my mum for Mother's Day. I own a couple of flakie nail polishes like Sequin Effect, but nothing like Pearl Effect, so can't wait for my mum to wear it.

A month or two ago, I also won £50 worth of Look Beauty make-up, so I'll show you my collection and swatches soon. I'm also going to be posting about my cream blush collection, so you'll see the blushes above featured. The nude eyeliner will be featured soon too, in a comparison review.

I've made three make-up orders this month (ELF, Look Beauty and MUA). It's not like me at all! I rarely buy make-up. All of it was bought at great prices though, so I don't feel too guilty.

I hope you've had a great weekend! I finished the last of my assignments and exams on Friday, so my weekend has been bliss, not having to write or revise! The rest of today will consist of taking more blog photos, taking the dogs for a swim, bathing them, and dyeing my mum's hair.