Beauty on a Budget

One common perception many of us make is the idea that make up has to be expensive to be worth buying. Wrong. For the past few weeks I have been exploring beauty kit items which have cost me less than £10 each. I have chosen my top 5; including products which already exist in my daily routine, and a few newbies which I have added to my collection.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

This is one of the products I came across from my hand swatch tests I tend to do in Boots. I tried this on my hand at lunch time and throughout the whole day (including a gross sweaty workout) the colour was still on my hand. It tingles slightly on your lips, but the colour is rich and the softening balm keeps lips nice and soft. I would state this is as good, if not better than some lip tints I have tried of luxury brands as it doesn't dry out the lips and the colour comes out just as vibrant as it seems in the packaging. I chose the colour "Lovesick" after searching high and low for a deep fuscia pink which I felt suited me. 

 Price: £7.99 from Boots or Superdrug

L'Oreal Super Liner Gel Intenza

My favourite basic, everyday product by far. I purchased my first pot of gel eyeliner about 6 months ago, and it is STILL going strong. I wear eyeliner on a daily basis, and to know how long this has lasted me makes me realise it was worth every penny. I have tried other gel eye liners, such as Rimmel, Barry M and Maybelline, but this was my ultimate favourite. It does not smudge even after a long day at work, and the brush it comes with is perfect for both thin and bold application. This is definitely an essential buy.  

Price: £9.99 from Boots, Superdrug or online

NYX HD Eyeshadow Base Primer

I bought this shadow primer from the Professional Beauty Exhibition last week, and I have to say I was skeptical but for £5 I thought why not? I am so glad I got this. I am constantly frustrated by the eyeshadow crease problem. There is nothing worse than spending a lot of time creating and blending the perfect eye make-up look, only for it to be ruined an hour later. This will definitely be incorporated into my eyeshadow routine more often. The formula is lightweight, and effortless. A great base for any eyeshadow. 

Price: £6.50 from the nyx website , although I paid slightly less at the beauty expo, it's still worth the full amount. 

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Shadow Stick

This is another product which survived my hand swatch test and stayed on my skin with vibrant colour after a whole day. I decided to go for a purple tone, as I think it works well with everyday and creative looks. I have used the eye shadow stick both by itself on the crease of the eye, and as an eyeliner at the bottom of lids to make an everyday eye make up look pop with colour. The shadow is easy to blend with the use of a good brush, I was pleased with the result and largely impressed with the staying power. 

Price: £4.99 at Boots or Superdrug

E45 Moisturising Lotion

I am aware its not make up, or in fact a real face moisturiser, yet it is somehow one of my favourite products that I cant live without. As mentioned in previous blogs I find it hard to be happy with a moisturiser, especially after spending much money hunting for one that suits my skin. I have decided until I ever come across the “perfect” moisturiser this will remain my go-to cream. Its cheap and cheerful and never lets me down, the perfect base for all my make up. E45 keeps my skin hydrated and feeling smooth whatever the condition it is in. 

Price: £5.50 for 500ml at Boots







As mentioned above most of these products are easy to buy on the high street or online, looking out for the Boots 3 for 2 can also be very useful at times. Although I still love my MAC, Bobbi Brown and Dior these products can be expensive to maintain and at times a cheaper alternative works to an advantage. 

Do make up products have to be expensive to be effective? 

Please feel free to post any skin care tips, products or comments you may have which could benefit others. 

Skincare: Is It A Girl Thing?

This week I have decided to go back to basics and focus on what I feel is the most important part of make-up; skincare. Looking after your skin is the basis of any beauty regime, this will reflect whether you decide to apply make up or are having a day off and ditching the foundation.  Once you have cracked your perfect skin routine it its like hitting a goldmine. 

Skincare is an underestimated part of daily routine for many, it is especially important if you lead a busy life, or breakout due to weather, stress, or skin type. It is important to experiment with products and brands before you get the results you want. 

My 3 top tips for healthy skin : 

•   A good diet is key
• Don’t cheat in your beauty routine
• Tea tree oil is your saviour 

Image Source:
www.atasteofkoko.com/product-spotlight-resource-natural-spring-water-giveaway

Healthy inside and out

It may seem obvious, but if you arent eating right, or keeping yourself hydrated with plenty of water then this will reflect on your skin. I am sure you have all had the hefty weekend; alcohol, a hangover diet, and to go with it rough feeling skin. Like most I learnt this the hard way; as a chubby teenager who binged on fizzy drinks and an unhealthy diet I was faced with terrible spots and unhealthy and uneven skin. I  now try to drink as much water as I can throughout the day, carrying a bottle of water with me in my bag encourages me to get into a habit of drinking it any chance I get. 

Don’t Cheat: Cleanse, Tone and Moisturise 

Image Source: www.clinique.co.uk

By avoiding cheats I mean take your make up off every night, no mater how tired or lazy you are feeling; make up left on your skin can allow dirt to build up in your pores. Take your make up off in the gym, seriously, no guy is going to like the sweaty running foundation and panda eyes so clear it all off before you work out because the sweat and make up will only anger your skin. Don’t wash your make up off with water, this is such a no-no, invest in some wipes or remover, they don’t have to be very expensive in order to be effective. 

One of my favourite brands for skincare products is Clinique, which works well for both females and males. Although this brand may not be for everybody, I have found the “blemish prone” range cleared up my teenage skin and I have now moved on to the combination skin range, which is continuing to work wonders. Although I speak highly of the cleansers and toners I am not a big fan of the moisturiser. 

Moisuturisers  are my biggest beauty nightmare. I have still not come across what I would class as “my perfect moisturiser.” Currently I am relying on the good old fashioned E45, which has never let me down. With skin that tends to get very dry, it helps to smooth rough areas, it’s also lightweight as apposed to some thick and heavy feeling moisturisers. 

Using a scrub one or twice a week can brighten and smooth skin when it is feeling rough. For blackheads I cannot stress the importance of a scrub, just twice a week in circular motions where the blackheads appear will help smooth the skin and clear the blackheads. My new beauty find is The Body Shop’s microdermabrasion Vitamin C scrub. After using this my skin feels instantly refreshed and smooth for up to three days.

Image Source:

www.superdrug.com/healthcare/superdrug-tea-tree-pure-tea-tree-oil-10ml/invt/657593

Tea Tree Oil

I will never get tired of mentioning this; Tea Tree Oil is your best friend. Just this week I had a big skin break out, within 48 hours it went from being unmissable to unoticable thanks to my trusty little bottle, which only costs £3 in superdrug. You can buy either pure tea tree oil, or the distiled version that can be applied directly. I have used both, and I can't say one works better than the other. Although the bottle is small, only one drop is needed at a time so it lasts a long time. 

As a female I consider myself lucky as most skin imperfections can be covered if needed. Clear skin acts as a basis for those who wear make up, it is also a healthy reflection for those who want to feel comfortable in their own skin. For men it is especially important to take care as regular shaves and hair removal on the face can often aggravate the skin, if this is ignored (which often happens) it can only be made worse. I have heard many males say "girls are lucky, they can cover blemishes." I ask my readers the following question: 

 Do you think clear skin is as important to males as it is for females?

Please feel free to post any skin care tips, products or comments you may have which could benefit others. 

Do Cosmetics Equal Confidence?

Hi Guys, 

Welcome to the first entry of my blog, of which I hope many will follow. For my first post I felt it would be best to express the reasons behind the start up of my blog and share some background information on myself. 

With the beauty industry booming, people want to look (and feel) better than they ever have. I found that from living the city life over four years I  became drawn to new products, methods and looks which I would have never previously had the courage to take on before. I took inspiration from passers by, make up counters and magazines and my love for all things that make-a-girl-up began.

I grew up in a small town, and moved to an even smaller village before turning to city life for higher education. My area did not have many places to shop, and high end beauty products were difficult to get hold of in my hometown. From a young age I went from a tomboy, to a teenager who was useless with her looks. I had little to work with, little inspiration and to be honest little hope with my elder sister knowing even less than I did. I was introduced to the world of beauty by my aunt, an experienced high level beautician. This new world taught me that no matter how you felt, giving yourself a little attention would create the smallest pick-me-up and change your mood. 

In the words of Yyves-Saint Laurent "The most beautiful makeup for a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy"

I went into University a plain jane, as well as an unfortunate hair cut I had never worn lipstick or blusher and the only make up I owned was a pencil eyeliner and foundation from the days of teenage skin. I took particular interest from many of the girls around me at University, the make up they wore, how they did their hair and the confidence some of them carried through. As time went on I began to experiment with cosmetics, skin care, hair tools and hair products. 

Moving forward my looks have evolved and this has had a knock on effect in my confidence, which shows on the inside and out. I have come across many who feel appearance compromises brains, if you spend so much time looking after your looks you can not be spending enough time on the things that matter but I have to say I strongly disagree. Spending just 15 minutes longer on myself in the morning makes me feel fresher, and allows me to start my day with a better perspective; which I try to carry throughout. I have never compromised learning for my hobby if anything I feel they have gone hand in hand, and my confidence allowed me to gain a better social perspective and feel comfortable in my own skin in a new world with new people. This in turn gave me the courage to take on new and exciting challenges both within my education and now in my day-job.

Don't get me wrong, every individual has their day off; hair scraped back no or minimal make up and a PJ day are needed However, once I step out of my house the simple tinted moisturiser and a touch of bronzer for shopping to smokey eyes and volumised hair for drinks with the girls can instantly change both my look and feel. 

In my future blogs I will aim to discuss some new products I have come across, including picks of my favourites, new methods and looks as well as developing my knowledge about the world of beauty and asking my readers to share their tips and views with me. I hope you will continue to show interest in my future posts and support me on my journey of becoming an aspiring beautician. It won't happen over night, but watch this space.

For now I ask all my readers one question do you think cosmetics can give you a confidence boost?

Please feel free to post any skin care tips, products or comments you may have which could benefit others.