THE BEST OF: MAYBELLINE

Whilst having a look around my makeup drawers the other day, I seemed to notice I had a wide collection of Maybelline products; some that I use daily and some that I tend to push to the back. So, I thought it'd be a wise idea to do my take on a 'brand focus' esque post, and share what I think are the best bits of the brand.

LIPS: I have quite my fair share of lip products, but for when I'm on the go, I always seem to throw a Colorsensational lippy in my bag. I think it's because I can slap them on without a mirror and they just seem to work well. To show just how much I like them, I even had Coffee Craze as my prom lipstick shade.

EYES: I think everyone knows of the Colour Tattoos, and I have 6 of them myself. On and On Bronze is the classic shade, and mine has near enough completely run out (and I will definitely be buying another ASAP), and is the best option for when you want a look that seems as though you have put the effort in, but really it was a one sweep wonder. Maybelline also do pretty well with mascaras. the Lash Sensational is my personal favourite and I've repurchased this countless times, but the Collossal Go Extreme and the Rocket and pretty good options too. I love how waterproof Maybelline mascaras can be and I'm always safe from smudging.

BROWS: The Brow Drama is one of the best budget brow gels I have found, and also one of the only ones to actually sit on the aisles of the drugstore. I go for the transparent, but I have tried the tinted ones too and they do a pretty good job aswell - something a little extra for the brows. I also actually use the Colour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe for my brows, something I've now been doing for months and don't think I will actually move away from. Like a Dipbrow alternative, this pot of wonder costs just under a fiver and gives me the perfect shade of ashy brown for brows that could last for days.

NAILS: Maybelline nail polishes also aren't a bad option. The Super Stay options really wowed me when I first used them - they genuinely were ''super stay''. For something a little quicker, the Colour Show 60 Seconds polishes are quick drying, but also rather pigmented and some of them can actually work with a single coat.

So, pretty impressive overall. Although I don't tend to go for Maybelline for base products (I prefer Bourjois, Rimmel and L'Oreal), their product range is pretty solid with quite a few gems in there. Definitely one I wander towards each time I go into Boots...

AN ODE TO COLOUR TATTOS

If there is one thing that rules my makeup collection, it's my vast collection of cream shadows, from MAC to Smashbox, but more commonly, the Maybelline Colour Tattoos - a drugstore alternative and some of the best I've found to date.

On and On Bronze stands as my favourite for the 'one sweep wonder' eye look I tend to go for on pretty much every day with school or work, to maximise the amount of time I get in my bed. It's a shimmery, mid brown/bronze that just looks incredible however you wear it - I like to put it down to magic. Permanent Taupe still stands as my brow product of choice since I pretty much praised it a long while back as my new budget breakthrough as a gel brow product, and I still love it just as much. It is ashy and long wearing, and literally looks amazing even when my brows need a tweeze.

Pink gold is perhaps a less used one, maybe because I'm a little scared that my green eyes won't go with the pretty pink shimmer hue and instead will leave me looking like I've got an infection, but if I'm feeling brave I will reach for it here and there. Another less used one is the Leather Effect Chocolate Suede, a deep smoky brown which I only use for serious occasions because quite frankly in natural light I can't quite rock a smokey eye. Then there is Timeless Black, an offering I tend to go for as a gel liner substitute, as the colour is so jet black and it is pretty malleable on the lid to get a good wing, although saying that if you were more daring than I am you could go for a major smokey eye with this as your intense base.

What colour tattoos have you tried, and do they live up to the hype that many (including myself) have created?

MAYBELLINE LASH SENSATIONAL MASCARA

A couple of weeks back my mascara ran out and I was on the hunt for a new option, and wanted to try out something I hadn't tried before. I stumbled across the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara in Boots on offer and thought I would give it a go to see how it worked, and I actually really like it.

I was using the Falsies (waterproof - as I choose with most mascaras if I have the option) but found that the formula dried out really quickly and I just didn't like it much, woah an unpopular opinion there. But this one is just the right formula and I love the wand. It is a plastic one (unlike some people I don't really have a preference, both a bristle and plastic ones work for me), and they call it the 'lash multiplying brush'. It has longer bristles on one side of the slightly curved wand, and then very short ones on the other that really hug and coat the lashes.

I could be wrong but this seems like a tubing mascara, as when I remove it it seems to come off in kind of chunks rather than a big panda eye mess which I quite like, and because it is waterproof, although harder to remove it really holds the curl and keeps my lashes look as long and defined as when I first applied all day long. Seriously, if you are on the hunt for a new mascara, definitely give this one a go, both length and volume combined in one tube with a serious hold to the finish.

FOUR DIFFERENT NUDE LIPS

What? Surely a nude is just, well -  a nude? Apparently not, as I reel off the 4 different types of nudes that rule my collection.

The Brown Nude - Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in Coffee Craze. I hadn't tried out the brown-nude trend until very recently, because it did quite scare me. This Maybelline offering is a nice introductory option as it isn't super dark, and it is quite cool toned too. I have to be slightly more careful with this when pairing it will a full makeup look as I can sometimes tend to look washed out but it's pretty manageable.

The Orange Nude - Kiko Smart Lipstick in 901. This was my go-to nude for a good few months at the start of the year and a recent rediscovery for me too. It is basically a nude with a slighty peachy/orange tinge to it so nothing too dramatic, but I really love this one with my skin tone. This might be my favourite formula of the bunch too.

The Pale Nude - Natural Collection Sheer Natural Lipstick in Autumn Sunset. This was actually one of the first products I can actually remember buying for myself, and it's gone through multiple melt repairs, but it is a sheer, balmy, slightly paler peachy pink nude which is super pretty and subtle for those only just starting out with lipsticks - hence why it was one of my first buys.

The Purple Nude - Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Cool Nude. This one is another more recent addition, and is quite the Kylie Jenner shade in my opinion. It is quite dark and intense, and also has a cool pink/tint of purple tone to it, which I really quite enjoy, and it works really well with a very simple matte eye and a slick of liner.

4 nudes, 4 different ways to wear them. Who wants to bet on how many more I'll be adding to the collection?

THE BUDGET BROW DISCOVERY

My usual brow products were coming to an end and I didn't really want to repurchase them as they weren't very accessible. For me, brow products are hard to find because my brows are so ashy naturally and a little darker than my hair colour and I find that a lot of brown pencils/shadows/products are too dark or too red and they make me look ridiculous.

I was reading a blog post and someone mentioned using the Maybelline 24HR Colour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe as a brow product, so instantly I went an purchased it, because its inexpensive and I had wanted it as a cream shadow for a while. What makes it suitable for my brows is the fact that its a lot more grey/cool toned than other products and its really long wearing because it sets, meaning I had no fears of it smudging. I think since the Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade became well known its a little less scary for people to be faced with a gel or a cream brow product, because I certainly wouldn't have ever considered this before.

I used my Real Techniques Eyeliner Brush to do small strokes and emphasise the arch of my brow and I love how they came out. You do have to be light handed as it is rather intense packed on so I literally dip my brush into the slightest amount of product. I also love this cream shadow as an eye product on its own or as a base, and it actually works nicely as a contour if you are really careful with it as it mimics a shadow rather well under the cheekbone, and I've actually got it on all three areas in the photo above.

Have you tried this for brows, or do you have any multipurpose favourites?

SEASONAL EYE COLOURS

It's that time again where the dark lips and dark eyes come around, and I swear I love it more and more each year. I'm a huge fan of a dark lip (recommendations please) but sometimes my natural eye makeup takes control and I feel like I need to shift the dark colours to my lids for a change, so I've devised a group of colours I think are a nice way to ease into things.

The first is Smashbox Limitless 15 Hour Wear Cream Shadow in Gemstone. It's fairly subtle, as blended out of the lid it gives a bronze-mauve/reddish tone and I really enjoy it for quick looks when I can't be bothered but want my look to be rather sultry. The other cream is the Maybelline Leather Colour Tattoo in Chocolate Suede which is a rich bronzed brown which I really need to come to terms with using without looking like I've rubbed my eyes too hard. It sets to a semi matte finish with a little shimmer mimicking that leather look, so it's hard to make the blending look good with it being such a dark colour.

As for powder, I find these need a little more work, but you really cannot beat the finished look. The first is KIKO 137 which is a strong red tone, which everyone was going mad for with the likes of Cranberry from MAC last year. I wanted to ease into it at a cheaper price and last year this was one of my favourites to wear on weekends with minimal makeup elsewhere. Finally is MAC Woodwinked; a gold, bronze, copper blend that slapped on the lid and buffed out gives a sheen of warmth that just reminds me of autumn leaves - how poetic, but there is some serious love for these shadows, and I've already cracked them out this year.

ONE SWEEP WONDERS

Do you ever have those days where you have left your makeup until the last minute, should be working, or need to leave the door in 20 minutes and when it comes to eyes you're not sure where to turn? Today I will be serving up my dose of 'one sweep wonders' - shadows that you can pack on, blend the edges and add a slick of liner/lashings of mascara and be good to go.

The one I'm sure you were all anticipating being in this post was the Maybelline Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze, the perfect cream shadow that when smoothed over the lids looks like you have put a ton of effort into your look.

Another cult one is MAC Woodwinked, a bronzey sheen of colour which looks good on almost all eye colours. If you have a spare few seconds, pack this on top of the Maybelline offering, take it on the lower lashline, and you have got the perfect bronze eye.

One that won't be for everyone, but one that I think looks really chic with a small liner wing is the Dainty Doll Shadow in Treat Her Like A Lady, a slightly taupe toned pale grey which seems to glow from my lids. I'm not sure where you can get this from any more after the line being discontinued but places like Fragrance Direct seem to have you covered.

Last but not least is something a little more catered for you pink-toned lovers. It goes by the name of Fine Wine by Wet 'n' Wild, and is a stunning shimmery rose (almost leaning on rose gold when you sweep it on lightly) which back in the day I used to wear almost daily.

What are your hacks for the quick fix eye looks?

POST-SPENDING BAN BUYS

As my spending ban came to a close, I was browsing the aisles like no other. Luckily my ban ended just before the Boots 3 for 2 came to an end so I managed to get in on the deals, which I can't complain about. I definitely enjoyed spending some money on what I love after having such a break.

In the clearance of my local Boots, I spotted the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Timeless Black for £2 and I thought it would be a good choice for a gel liner-esque product. For another small £2 I found the Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss in Bellini which is a milky peach-nude. The other 2 items on the makeup front were a repurchase of the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder, and a Rimmel Lasting Finish Blush in Santa Rose as a lot of people rave about this guy, and the colour is stunning and natural, perhaps a new everyday favourite?

Onto skincare, I got another Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser as it was on offer for £2.98 and I love this as my go-to cleanser. To prove my love for it, how about I tell you that this is my third bottle of the stuff. On the radiance path, I got 2 items from the Boots Botanics All Bright range. The first was the Cleansing Toner, as the whole 'chemical exfoliant' thang interested me and I thought I would start at the budget side of things. As well as this I got the Night Cream, and on first impressions this looks to me really hydrating as it is so thick, so I cannot wait to incorporate this into my routine properly.

Finally, I got the L'Oréal Studio Line #TXT Volume Supersizing Spray, as I am practically begging for some texture and volume in my hair, and from the first use I really like this, and for a budget price of £3.79 I don't think I could choose any better way to start getting into these products.

It's typical for me to have only just gotten off my spending ban and have a nice shop/splurge in Boots. Well... there isn't much that can separate a blogger from buying products...

CURRENT BEAUTY CRAVINGS #1

Bourjois Happy Light Foundation // Revlon Matte Balms // Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water // Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Paint // Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder // Bourjois Bronzing Primer // No7 Pop & Glow Cream Blush // Maybelline Brow Drama // The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer // Nuxe Reve de Miel // Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer // MUA Luxe Lip Laquer //

Since I have been on my rather lengthy spending ban (only a week and a half left now), I have been going crazy over all sorts of products, new releases, and even the things that have been around for a while, but I just cannot wait to get my beauty fix once my spending ban is over - watch out Boots. It's time to share what I have been lusting after recently...

There's a few things complexion wise that I have been craving recently, one of them being the Bourjois Happy Light Foundation. I recently rediscovered my Healthy Mix Serum and it makes me want to try this one even more. Another is the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer, one which Megan keeps egging me on to buy, and I think at some point I will have to give in and purchase it. This No7 Pop & Glow Cream Blush jumped out to me on the Boots website, as it just seemed like a really quick product to swipe on your cheeks for a bit of colour.
The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer is the priduct that everyone keeps talking about at the moment, and it just looks so glowy even through the stock pictures that I want to reach out and touch it. Another glow-getter is the ever so hyped Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder - I just feel like I want something a little more from my powder and this looks like it would give that. Finally on the complexion front is the Bourjois Bronzing Primer, and I don't know what it is, but something really intrigues me about this one.

Onto eyes, and I only have a few current cravings in that category. The first is the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, another product everyone is raving about at the moment. I have Lily Pebbles to blame for this one, as she is constantly hyping the Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Paint in Rich Russet, and it just looks like such a no fuss eye look. Lastly, the Maybelline Brow Drama has been on my wishlist for some time now, and for someone who has never tried a tinted brow gel/mascara, I am even more intrigued.

For lips, I'm sure you all saw the Revlon Matte Balms coming into this wishlist. In particular I am really interested in Audacious and Elusive, as I am getting into brighter colours. The Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm is one of those products that I have been wanting to try for ages, but never got round to doing so. Maybe one of the boldest lip products I have ever wanted to try is the MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer in the colour Kooky in particular which is a purple. Yep, you read that right. I don't know why I want this, or when I would wear it but I always go into Superdrug hoping it's there.

Lets hope some of these cravings go away before my spending ban is over, otherwise we could be in for a rather large spend up...

THE BUDGET BLACK LINER TRIO

Eyeliner has become a step in my daily makeup routine and after a few weeks to a month of consistent daily lining, my peepers look odd to me without the slightly winged, not too thick, black line of definition.

The Felt Tip Pen: This is my favourite option to go for of the three. I have totally got to grips with using the pen to do a line (pretty much even on both eyes, can I get a round of applause?), quickly in the morning and it stays all day. The felt-tip in question is the Barry M Blink Precision Eyeliner which costs something short of £5, so is totally bargainous. There is no doubt that I will be repurchasing this once it has dried out.

The Gel Pot: This is a new addition to the liner posse, but strictly speaking isn't actually designed to be a liner. This in fact is the Maybelline 24HR Color Tattoo in Timeless Black, but it is so pigmented, that once set, it almost doubles as a gel liner. Sometimes I am worried that it'll smudge being as it isn't actually a liner but I haven't had any issues yet. For £2 in the Boots clearance, it isn't bad at all.

The Pencil/Kohl: This is the option I am least familiar with, but this is one to go for when you want something a little more laid back or a bit more smudged out and sultry. This is the Avon Glimmerstick in Blackest Black, and this stuff is seriously pigmented. You have a short time after applying to smudge, move and wing this liner before it sets which is what I like about it. For £6 it isn't pricey either.

Three great liners at 3 budget prices, and I feel like my eye look is never complete without a slick of the stuff nowadays, and for just over £15 for the trio, you can't resist...

BEST 5 OF 2013: LIPS

Once again, I am sitting at the laptop screen, typing up the (last) installment of the 'best of 2013' series going on here on my blog, and many others too. Today we are talking lips, and I have nudes, brights and some moisture going on in this post.

The first one is MAC Faux Lipstick which isn't one that gets a whole lot of fame in the blogging world, but I blimmin' love it, just the perfect your lips but better shade. Being a satin finish, it isn't too glossy, neither is it so matte it totally deprives your lips of either. Just a nice in between semi-matte. Lovely.

Second on the menu is the Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart which was the lip colour that I guess took me through that transition into wearing brights in the past few months. This is balmy, slightly sheerer that other lipsticks, and the formulation is perfecto. I seriously love this one, and just writing this gives me the urge to go and purchase the entire range.

The Maybelline Baby Lips made their way onto the shelves this year in the UK and although we have limited shades, I have all 3 tinted ones and also one of the hydrating ones (the other two are on my wishlist, I promise), and although for moisture they don't do all good for me, the shade Cherry Me has has a good lot of wear this past half a year.

Then, the GOSH Soft n' Shine Lip Balm in Scarlet. How long am I going to ramble on and on about this one? This is one of the first neutral lip products I really became loyal too, and I still love it now. Basically, a glossy, balmy, sweet smelling, pink/plummy nude which is my go-to on an everyday basis. I would compare the formula to the Revlon Lip Butters just not as thick, and perhaps the colour doesn't stick around for as long, but I adore this nonetheless.

Finally, another one I bang on about, and wear on probably a weekly basis. Yes, it is the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey the perfect pink colour which is toned down so I feel like I can wear this everyday. To show how much I love it, the bullet now resembles some kind of stump, lacking in its pointed crayon-like tip. And yes, I have definitely gone a little cray-cray. 

Oh how I love lip products, and I expect I will be trying a lot more in the upcoming year.

 

MY RECENT BARGAINS

It would appear that I have been doing some shopping recently, but haven't managed to pay full price for anything you see in the image above. That makes the hauling sound a little better...right?

Starting off with skin, I purchased 2 items. The first being the Dr Jart+ Water Sure Gel, a hyaluronic acid based gel which locks in moisture, hence why I use it under moisturisers daily. Basically Hydraluron in a tub, and this cost me £6.50 a month back in a Boots clearance, unusually reduced from the £26.00 they still charge on the website. 
Secondly, I picked up the Garnier Moisture Match Wake Me Up Gel Moisturiser, which I have wanted for a while now, and what better than when it is over half off at £2.37 in Tesco - brilliant. Look forward in the next few weeks of what is ruling the skincare shelf, and you may see one, or both of these featured. 

Onto nails, I accidentally stumbled into TkMaxx, and found a pack of 3 OPI Nail Polishes for £6.99 - What?! I couldn't not pick this pack up, as it was almost half the price of one, for all three. I got A Roll In The Hague, which is a vibrant, slightly red orange, I Don't Give A Rottadam, a dusty, periwinkle with some iridescent, leaning on holographic glitter - and both of these are from the Holland Collection. The other, is called Stranger Tides, a slightly dusty, murky, pale greenish, nudish, hybrid, which belongs in the Caribbean Collection I believe.

Back to makeup. In tesco, on the same trip, I managed to find myself a wee bargain, when spotting this Maybelline Eyestudio Mono in 750 Chocolate Chic, which I thought was matte at first, but in depth, this is a slightly reddy, plummy, dark brown, which is matte in the 'base', but then it has some larger, sparse amounts of iridescent shimmer, and still looks smashing in the crease. This was reduced to 79p, as I think they were decreasing the stand. 
For the same reasons, I found a Maybelline ColorSensational Lip Marker in Wink Of Pink on a whim as it was £1.49, but I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I don't know whether it has dried already, or the colour payoff or maybe it isn't as pigmented as I remembered on the first use.

Finally, on Saturday, I was waltzing round Boots, as you do, and in a clearance, I found the Revlon ColorBurst Lipgloss in 040 Crystal Water, which I have wanted for so long, and the sticker said £3.50, which I thought was a good deal anyway, but as the lady scanned it through, it came to £1.50 - what a bargain! 

So, a bit of a long one for me, but this haul should have cost a total of £86.06, but instead, I paid... £19.64, and something tells me that is a great deal...