MUA Undress Me Too eyeshadow palette

I have MUA's Undressed palette and have used it that much some of my favourite shades have hit pan so when they released the Undress Me Too palette I had to buy it.

I like that there is a mix of pearl and matte shades that not only can be used as eyeshadow but also as eyebrow colours. Excuse my messy looking palette in the photo above!

On this palette the shades are named which makes creating looks a little easier. I'm not sure if these colours are going to be introduced to MUA's Fashionista fill your own palette range, it would be great of they did as I do have a couple of firm favourites already.

The shadows have quite a smooth texture and glide on my lids easily. The pigmentation is also really good but I haven't used the matte colours, I much prefer the pearl finish shades. I found that they also lasted the majority of the day but they do crease a little.

The palette is £4 so your can't really go wrong compared to some other 'nude' palettes this one is so affordable and I wouldn't even consider buying the others as I don't think the quality would beat this one.

This is available from MUA online and Superdrug stores. 

Review - MUA Every Lash Mascara

I picked up this mascara a while ago in Superdrug as it looked like a dupe for Revlon's Grow Luscious (amazing) mascara but for a fraction of the price.

The brush is a reasonable size which gives good definition and separates the lashes. I found it hard to build up the product and to volumise my lashes.

The mascara is a good black colour but I have to admit that it the best thing about this mascara.

During the day I do have a habit of picking my mascara off but when I started to attempt to pick this off it was like something I've never experienced before. It was like plastic. I did managed to get a bit off and it reminded me a bit of bin bag plastic. Then I tried to remove it properly and boy it didn't want to come off. I tried everything but it wouldn't budge. In the end I had to pick it off.

For £3.00 I wasn't expecting the world but I did expect more that what this actually was. I would not buy this again and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It is probably one of the worst products I have ever tried, and I've tried a lot!

Haul - York and Leeds Part 1

If you read my previous post you'll know I've recently been to York and Leeds and of course I did a spot of shopping and here is what I bought in York.

Paperchase

Pens - 60p each

Recipe folder refills - £1.75

Lush 

Mask of Magnamity - £4.95

Poundworld

Elegant Touch nails - £1 each!

Yorkshire Soap Company

 Bath Bombs - £2.50 each

Bomb Cosmetics bath bomb - £3.50 (approx I've lost the receipt)

Soap mouse - 40p

Cupcake bath creamer - £2.30 (again approx)

Boots

Smashbox Try It Kit - £19

Tweezerman pointed tweezers - £19.50

Botanics hairband - £4 (approx price)

Primark

Hair masks - £2 each

Topshop

Knickers - £4 each or 3 for £10

Eyeshadow palette - £7

Green glitter nail polish - £6

 Grey nail polish - £5

Eye liner brush - £4

Superdrug

Palmers Cocoa Butter cleansing gel - £3.95 (currently on offer at £2.63)

Witch Primer - £6.99 (currently on 3 for 2)

Deep Pore Nose Strips - £2

Garnier Moisture Match face cream - under £2.99 (was on offer, is currently £5.99)

MUA blushers - £1 each

Lakeland

Potato peeler - £1.79

Big Softy Dusting Cloth - £1.79

Piping bags - £3.99

Piping nozzles - £1.29

Walls Ice Lolly tin mug - £7.99

Part 2 of my haul will be up tomorrow!

L'Oreal EverStrong and EverPure conditioners

As I ran out of conditioner I thought I would try L'Oreal's new Hair Expertise range. I got the EverStrong conditioner and the EverPure Intense Mask.

The range contains no sulphates but unfortunately it still contains parabens, I didn't realise this until after I started using the products.

I really liked both products, they both contain essential oils which smell lovely. My hair was left feeling lovely and soft and well conditioned. The mask was a little runnier than I normally like but it worked well.

I would buy these again but only if they were on offer as at £5.99 for the conditioner and £6.99 for the mask I find them slightly expensive for what they are. These are available from Boots and Superdrug.

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation

Well the photo says a lot about this product as it is half gone!

Yes I like this product and I like it alot!

It gives an amazing medium to full coverage and it lasts all day. I think this shade is slightly too dark for me but when blended properly you can't tell.

I mainly use this when I have a night out as I need a product that will last as I don't tend to touch up when I'm out or during the day when I'm having a bad skin day.

This is £6.99, comes in 6 different shades and is available from Boots and Superdrug.

Review - MUA Matte Perfect Foundation

Remember when MUA had their half price sale on? Well this was one of my purchases. I have trouble finding foundations which give a matte finish so for a whole pound I thought I'd try this one.

It comes in three shades: fair, natural and almond and I got natural.

The shade is a really good match for me and the product itself I really like. It is quite a light coverage so is good for summer time daytime wear. I found that after wearing it all day my face did look a little shiny towards then end of the day so powder applications is essential but overall for the money you can't go wrong.

This is £2 and available from Superdrug or MUA Online.

Face Wipes: The best and the worst

Previously I have done two of these posts (here and here) and as I hadn't done one in a while I thought I'd get back on the face wipes testing wagon.

St Ives Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes - £3.05 for 35 wipes (Superdrug)

These wipes were a little thin but the did remove well. For the money they are ok but I don't think I would buy again. I'd rather spend a little bit more for thicker wipes.

My overall impression: 5/10

Olay Essentials Wet Cleansing Wipes - £2.49 for 20 wipes (Boots)

These smelt really fresh and removed well. They even took off my mascara when I was too lazy to remove it properly! I quite liked these but I've used other which I would buy before I considered to buy these again.

My overall impression: 6/10

Superdrug Camomile Facial Cleaning Wipes - 99p for around 30 wipes (Superdrug)

Hated these. They made my skin sting so bad it felt like my face was expanding. Ended up using these instead of baby wipes to clean my hands when doing my make up. Would never buy again

My overall impression: 0/10

Nivea Pure & Natural Facial Cleansing Wipes - £3.05 for 25 wipes (Superdrug)

These wipes were soft, moist and thick. I could remove all my facial make up with one wipe without feeling like it was falling apart. My make up removed well and they had a nice scent.

My overall impression: 8/10

It seems like I saved the best until last with these wipes as Nivea Pure & Natural wipes were the best. I have started trying out other wipes so my next post should be too far away. Let me know which wipes you would recommend I they might feature in my next face wipes post.

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation

When I saw that Revlon were bringing out a new foundation called Nearly Naked I knew I had to buy it.

The foundation comes in a sleek bottle and looks like something you would buy from a premium brand.  The only bad thing is that it doesn't have a pump on it, I don't now if you recycle an old pump from another bottle and then it would avoid accidental spillage.

I chose shade 150 Nude.

The first thing I noticed was how light the foundation was. It covered easily and left my skin looking dewy and fresh. I wouldn't use this to go out in for a night out as it i definitely a day product. As it is so light I am taking this on holiday with me as I don't was to be caked in foundation.

If you're looking for a light product then I would recommend you give this a try and I'm sure you won't be disappointed. It is priced at a very reasonable £8.99 and comes in 10 different shades. It is available from Boots and Superdrug.

Organix Macadamia Dry Styling Oil

I got this a while ago before it was available in the UK but have only just got round to using it as hair oils tend to last an absolute age.

This oil is made using Macadamia nut oil which gives hair a silky new life and it also includes Bamboo extract to help mend split ends.

I use a good sized 10p sized amount for my hair and sometimes use extra for the ends to give an extra moisture boost.

My hair is left feeling hydrated and smooth and in no means greasy or over loaded with product. The only down side to this product is that it doesn't have a pump top bottle so you have to carefully squeeze it out.

This is now available in the UK and is priced at £6.99 from Tesco and Superdrug.

MUA Kiss Proof Lip Stain

I had never used a lip stain before, all the ones from other brands seemed to be too bright but this shade from MUA seemed to be more up my street.

I bought Fabulicious and it is a pale pink shade. You simple paint onto your lips and let it dry. I found it dries my lips out a little but my lips were stained pink for most of the day. I think if I was out I would have to reapply to top up the colour but I would apply a gloss over the top to try to add a bit of moisture to my lips and it might even make the colour last longer too.

There are 3 different shades of lip stain available from MUA and they are a purse friendly £3 each.

MUA Cover & Concealer concealer wand

I had high hopes for this concealer wand by MUA. I had hoped Cover & Conceal was going to be like Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection concealer but I was a little disappointed.

The concealer wasn't as thick and the shade was really pale. I got Almond but it was really light and didn't blend with my normal foundation at all. For covering blemishes this would be ok to use for as I normally use under my eyes to cover my dark circles it had little impact on hiding them.

For £1.50 it's not too bad and I have used worse which cost alot more. Personally I'll be sticking to my Collection 2000 concealer.

MUA Matte Perfect loose powder

I always use pressed powder on my chin and forehead to try to keep shine at bay but had never used a loose powder. I seem to think that it won't work as well as not as much will be applied to my face. Well anyway I decided to try out a loose powder and decided on MUA's Matte Perfect powder.

This is quite a large pot so I imagine will last a long time. I normally tip some of the powder onto the inside of the lid and use a kabuki brush to apply to my face. I found that the results didn't last all day and I would have to reapply whereas with a pressed powder I normally only apply once in the morning.

For £2.30 you can't really go wrong but it's a faff having to carry around a brush with you and there's no mirror on the pot so reapplication isn't easy.

I don't think I would buy again as I much prefer a pressed powder.

Bourjois 1 Second nail polish remover pot

I love the Sally Hansen nail polish remover pots but they are so hard to get hold of, I had found an alternative from my local Home Bargains store but it dried my nails out so I decided to give the Bourjois 1 Second remover pot a try after hearing everyone raving about how good it was.

The sponge has a hole in the middle where you place your finger and you brush your nail against the sponge to help remove the polish. My polish removed well but I found that the post was slightly too long for my little fingers! Even though I liked the results I don't think I would repurchase as after a while it made my fingers hurt, if Bourjois changed the design of the pot then I would reconsider!

This is £4.99 and available from Boots and Superdrug.

Superdrug Tea Tree Nose Strips

Normally I use Biore nose pore strips but I unexpectedly ran out and didn't fancy paying her enough £8 for a pack so went on a mission to find a cheaper alternative. 

The ones I found were Superdrug's Tea Tree nose strips which were on offer with 2 packs for £3.99.

Each pack contains 5 strips and they had a subtle scent of tea tree.

Once applied I noticed they didn't seem as sticky as others I've tried and as a result when removed they didn't remove as many blackheads and nasty stuff as I had expected. For the money though you can afford to use these more often but I think I'll stick to my usual Biore ones.

Review - MUA Matte Perfect Primer

I got hold of this primer when MUA were holding their 50% sale so it was a perfect opportunity to grab a few things I'd been wanting to try out.

I love using primers and my face doesn't feel right without using one first.

As I suffer with combination skin which can get oily I need something to try to keep shine at bay. 

This primer is a nude colour and is a bit like a gel in consistency. When I applied it, it smoothed on my skin easy and left it feeling soft and smooth. It dried quickly and my foundation applied over it nicely.

It didn't dry my skin out and my foundation stayed put all day.

This is £4 and available from Superdrug or MUA online. 

Collection 2000 Cover & Go Foundation

I have to admit I wasn't really looking for a new foundation, I have 3 on the go at the moment, but when I saw this was on offer for £3.99 instead of £5.99 I decided that for a couple of quid I'd give it a go.

As well as being a foundation it has concealer in the lid and a little mirror. The mirror is no good for applying the foundation but for concealer application it is ok. The concealer itself is a little like Benefit's Boiing but it doesn't cover quite as well.

The foundation has a light to medium coverage and would be perfect for summer. I am planning on taking this on holiday with me in few months as I don't want a heavy product that will make my skin look cakey. 

As you can see it leaves a light, dewy finish and my skin felt like it could breathe not like it was covered in product. I think this will become my staple product for summer and for the price, even at £5.99, it is great value for money.

Revlon Photo Ready Primer

A couple of years ago I tried the Revlon Photo Ready foundation and didn't like it, it was far too glittery for my liking but now the range has extended to powders, mascara, blushers and primers I decided I should give the range a second chance. I chose the primer to try.

You can use the primer alone to even put skin tone or as I do under foundation to create a smoother complexion. I generally use a pump and a little bit to cover the whole of my face, don't know if this is too much but it's what I prefer. It dries quickly and my face is left feeling smooth and ready for make up. My foundation glides on and sets nicely. I have found that it does make my make up last longer and I don't need to reapply as often. 

My favourite rimer is by Witch but this one is a close second, I will certainly be repurchasing.

This is £11.99 an available from Boots and Superdrug.

Review - Bourjois brush concealer

I'm not a big fan of brush on concealers after doing my little blog post on how uneconomical they are way back in January 2011, read that one here.

But one thing that did sway me with this one was that it was free! You can't turn down a freebie can you? I didn't expect too much from it but I actually really like it.

The formation is quite thick and gives good coverage. The colour is a little dark for me but when I use with a certain foundation I have it works perfectly.

It also had staying power, I didn't have to reapply and it really did banish my dark circles.

I couldn't find a price for this online which does make me think it may be discontinued but if it is I'm sure you'll be able to find it in a discount cosmetic store but I'd have thought it would be around £8.

Review - MUA Professional Eyes Eye Primer

I'm really into primers at the moment especially as I don't have the time to constantly re-do my make up. I ran out of my usual Benefit Stay Don't Stray and have been trying to find a cheaper alternative when I came across this for a mere £3 in my local Superdrug.

This is a little more watery than Benefit's product but I think for the price it's just as good. It isn't as heavy but it does the same job. My eyeshadow and concealer stayed put for a long time, ok so yes I did have to re-touch once during the day but for £3 I'm certainly not complaining.

Have you tried this? What did you think? Do you use another primer, what would you recommend?