L'Oreal Paris False Lash Telescopic Waterproof Mascara

Mascara is the one item in my makeup bag that I like to switch up a lot and I don't exactly have one particular HG brand. A few of my favourites include Dior Show, Maybelline The Falsies and Benefit They're Real! and now I have another one to add to my list - L'Oreal Telescopic. I'd always seen Anna from Vivianna Does Makeup rave about this mascara but never really thought about picking it up until I ran out of my Falsies and headed into Boots in search of something new to try. I'm really picky about mascaras but since I trust Anna's judgement I decided to give it a go.

The main things that I look for in a mascara is length and volume (obviously) at the same time, sometimes I find it hard for a mascara to give me both of these together but Telescopic definitely does. I also really like the thin, plastic brush which makes it really easy to do my bottom lashes as well. I usually always prefer plastic mascara wands as I feel that they coat each individual lash and make my lashes look more defined. Also when L'Oreal say waterproof, they mean waterproof, like I can even put my face directly under the shower without it budging. However, there is also a downside to this - it's so bloody hard to remove! I really need to invest in a good eye makeup remover (any recommendations are welcome) but I've also heard Bioderma does the job nicely. Sadly, I've ran out of my Bioderma and haven't got round to repurchasing it yet so getting this baby off at night is a chore. It's worth it for long, fluttery eyelashes though, right?

Overall, I'm really impressed with this mascara and it's definitely one I can see myself repurchasing. I paid £10.99 for this at Boots which is a bargain compared to my usual Dior or Benefit one. Have you tried this mascara before? What's your favourite?

Summer Makeup Bag Essentials

Since it's now May and Summer's (hopefully) on it's way, I wanted to do a post on some of my Summer makeup bag essentials. I like to switch up my normal routine quite a bit when the Summer comes and go for a more natural, dewy look. I don't like my makeup to be as heavy and tend to go for brighter colours on my cheeks and lips. Here are some of the products I'll be using this year...

So when the warmer weather comes around I'll be swapping my full coverage foundation for a lighter CC cream. I usually swap between Laura Mercier Silk Creme and Armani Luminous Silk on a daily basis but I think I'll be keeping these for night time during the Summer. This month I've been loving L'Oreal Nude Magique Anti-Redness CC Cream which neutralises the redness I get on my cheeks and nose. I started off using it as a base but now I use it on it's own because I find it makes my skin look even and natural. I did a full post on this here if you'd like to see it in action. When this runs out I'll definitely be repurchasing it because for under a tenner it's a bargain compared to other CC creams on the market.

I've always been a powder blush kinda girl and avoided cream blushers because I wasn't sure about them. However, recently I've purchased my first couple and have been converted! I'm in love with my Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Glow Blush (and can't wait to buy more) and have also been using the Revlon Photo Ready Blush in the shade Pinched. This gives my cheeks a really dewy, natural look as it's quite subtle and perfect for every day wear. I find it harder to work with than my Kevyn Aucoin one but that's to be expected.

Two products I can't live without are bronzer and highlighter to achieve that Summer glow. I switch between my NARS Laguna and my Chanel Tan De Soleil but I think I'll be using my Chanel one more this year as it'll go well with the cream blushers. Still straying from the powders, I love Benefit Sun Beam to give me a gorgeous golden glow. I either mix a little bit of this into my foundation for a luminous base or use it as a highlight on my cheek bones, the bridge of my nose and my brow bone. I prefer gold toned highlighter's in summer because they look amazing with a tan.

I'll also be ditching the lipstick (sometimes) during the day and switching back to my lip butters for a more subtle, natural look. One of my favourite Lip Butters at the minute is Revlon's Juicy Papaya. There are so many shades in this range that I want to get my hands on!

So that's some of the products I like to switch to during the Summer months and I'm praying we get a hot one this year (not holding my breath, I live in Scotland). What products do you switch to in the Summer?

L'Oreal Nude Magique CC Cream - Anti-Redness

I've never really found an anti-redness primer or product that works for me, it always leaves my skin with that green tinge that just does not cover well with foundation. However, when I was in Boots the other day the new L'Oreal CC creams caught my eye and I noticed there was an anti-redness one and decided there would be no harm in trying it out.

The L'Oreal CC creams are 3 different colour correcting creams: anti-redness, anti-fatigue and anti-dullness. They help neutralise the appearance of redness, dullness and tired looking skin with their smart pigment capsules that transform into a lightweight foundation. A 5 in 1 perfecting cream that promises: flawless coverage, perfectly even skin texture, fresh dewy glow, 24 hour hydration and SPF 12. 

The anti-redness cream comes out as a green emulsion and transforms into a light foundation when blended into the skin (photos above). The cream works with the pigment in your skin and blends to the right shade for you so it doesn't matter if I'm wearing tan or not, it matches my skin tone either way (If you have really pale skin though I'm not sure I'd recommend it as it's quite yellow toned and might make you look a bit orange!). The coverage is light but buildable, in the photos above I only have on one layer and its taken away the redness and left my skin with a dewy glow. In the summer when its a bit warmer I think this would be fine for me to wear on it's own with a bit of concealer as it does even out my skin tone. Right now though I'm just using it as a base and because it's so light, it doesn't look cakey with my foundation layered over it. 

I've never tried any other CC creams to compare this to but overall I'm really happy with this product. It definitely neutralises my redness and as someone who swears by full coverage foundation, I think I might even be able to leave the house with just this on! The L'Oreal CC creams cost £9.99 and you can pick them up from Boots or Superdrug. Have you tried any of the L'Oreal CC creams and if you have what did you think of them?

L'Oreal Color Riche Intense Lipstick: #290 Plum Passion

After last weeks X Factor my twitter went crazy talking about the lipstick Cheryl Cole was wearing. I love Cheryl and it was such a gorgeous autumn shade so I had to find out what it was. Elle magazine did an online feature of her makeup and I found out from there that it was L'Oreal Color Riche in Plum Passion - I went straight on the internet to look for it. Unfortunately it was sold out on both Boots and Superdrug's websites, but I managed to find it on amazon for £2.99!! (it was about £8 from Boots and Superdrug).

When the lipstick arrived two days later, I was so excited to try it but when I opened it I was a bit unsure as it had glitter through it. I am not a glittery makeup kind of girl - matte all the way! However, when I put it on it was a gorgeous plum/dark red colour and you couldn't see the glitter at all. It goes on quite glossy but eventually fades to a semi-matte finish. I wore it all day in work and only had to touch it up at lunch time which I was quite impressed with.

The only thing I'd say I didn't like about it was the scent, it's really strongly perfumed and kind of smells like old lady perfume (you know what I mean). The scent does eventually go away and other than that I'd say this will be a lipstick i'll be wearing a lot during the Autumn/Winter period. I wouldn't pay £8 for it but at a bargain price of £2.99, I can't complain!

Did you jump on the band wagon and order Cheryl's X Factor lipstick? What do you think of it?

P.S sorry about the terrible application in the photo, it's a bit squint!

Melissa
xxx