Garnier BB Cream - combination/oily skin

Hello everyone, I hope you are well!

Today I'm going to be sharing a review on the Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector for combination to oily skin.

Garnier BB Cream combination to oily skin (Light) - £9.99 

(I got this on offer for £7.49 from Superdrug however I would happily pay the full amount!)

I was slightly apprehensive about trying this BB cream at first because a while back I ordered a sample of the original Garnier BB cream and didn't have a very good experience with it at all. It didn't agree with my skin whatsoever and the consistency was far too thick and I found it to be quite greasy! 

Luckily this BB cream is nothing like the original which is a pleasant surprise! It has a more watery and runny consistency which in my opinion is much better. It hasn't broken me out! (woohoo) and it also manages to keep shine and oil under control for much longer than my regular foundation I was using previous to this (double woohoo!)

I have COMPLETELY cut out foundation from my make up routine... yes that's right! No more foundation for me and my skin is definitely enjoying the benefits of being 'foundation free'. The texture and appearance of my skin has transformed majorly since using this product. I'm not saying it is 100% spot free and my skin is in now way perfect, but the change is still very noticeable!

Directions

Smooth Miracle Skin Perfector on to clean skin, as you would your normal moisturiser. 
To increase coverage, just add another layer!

• I apply this using my fingers after cleansing my face, I do use this alongside my regular moisturiser as I think it applies much more evenly and it glides onto the skin much better.

Summary 

Pros:

• Oil free
• Non comedogenic
• Keeps shine at bay
• Contains SPF 20
• Light to medium coverage
• Evens skin tone

Cons:

• Limited colour range (only available in light or medium) 
• I think the packaging could be improved slightly as the product tends to leak out into the lid.

Overall I think this product is brilliant and definitely worth a go! I would recommend this product to anyone with combination to oily skin who is wanting to try a BB cream for the first time but is unsure about which one to try.

(Pictures taken with iPhone 4s)

What is your favourite BB cream? Have you tried this one? Let me know!

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Bloglovin'

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*Please be aware that any offers or prices mentioned in my posts may have changed by the time you read them.*

INIKA - Review

Hello everyone, I hope you are well.

I have now finished all my assessments at university and have come home for Christmas! It has been a while since I last posted as I had so much work to get through.

Today I am going to be reviewing three INIKA Mineral eyeshadows and a skin illuminisor.

Mineral Illuminisor* (3g) £17

(Close-up of illuminisor powder on the skin)

I wasn't overly impressed with the illuminisor, I didn't find it gave my skin a natural glow as I felt it looked far too glittery on my face. I prefer products that are more shimmery than glittery, I did find that the illuminisor worked really well as a highlighter on my brow bones.

Directions

• Apply to the highlight areas of the cheeks, brow bone and temples.
• Dust over cheekbones and decolletage to enhance complexion and create an all-over healthy glow.
• Mix Illuminisor with moisturiser for glowing legs and arms.

Summary

Pros:

• Non-comedogenic
• Lovely packaging

Cons:

• Too glittery
• Pricey

 Mineral Eye Shadow* (1.2g) £14.50 each

 (Left to right: Coco Motion, Gold Dust, Gunmetal)

I was extremely impressed with these eyeshadows, I have enjoyed experimenting with them and have come up with some really lovely makeup looks.  The colours are highly pigmented, they are easy to apply and they blend beautifully!

Here are the 3 colours I tried out:
Coco Motion -  a divinely earthy matte brown.  Perfect for creating depth and definition. 
Gold Dust - a pale, shimmery gold. Great as a highlighter or blended with other colours. 
Gunmetal - a metallic silver (with a hint of purple) which looks like mercury when applied wet or over black eyeliner.

Directions

• Pick up a little powder, press the product into the brush, tap off the excess and apply as desired.
• Create amazing metallic or iridescent looks by layering one colour on top of another.
• Add water for use as a liquid eyeliner.

Summary

Pros:

• Highly pigmented
• Can be used wet or dry to add different textures
• Multi-purpose can be used as eyeliner as well as eyeshadow
• Blend well
• Natural ingredients - suitable for people with sensitive eyes
• Lasts a long time 
• Lovely packaging

 Cons: 

• Slightly pricey

Overall I've had a good experience with the products, I think the eye shadows are fantastic and I will definitely be purchasing more of them in the future! I like that all the INIKA mineral products are non-comedogenic, this means they don't clog your pores or cause breakouts! 
These products are slightly pricey but for the quality of the product, I think it is worth it. They are in a similar price range to MAC eye shadows and think they are just as good, they will last me a while too as a little bit goes a long way!

Have you tried any of the INIKA cosmetics?

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

*Disclaimer PR sample - My opinions are still 100% honest

Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara

Hello everyone,

This is my all time favourite mascara.

 Lancôme Hypnôse Volumising Mascara (more info)

I got this mascara as a gift from my boyfriend for my birthday and I love it, it has been one of my favourites for quite a while now! I like how long and full it makes my eyelashes look. It is buildable and doesn't clump together like other mascaras that I have tried in the past.

With just a few coats of this mascara you can dramatically transform your lashes, you can use this for both subtle and dramatic eye make-up looks, which I think is fab!

"The supple texture of this exclusive formula turns into an ultra-light fluid with endless playtime, enabling you to build your lashes, over and over, without smearing, smudging or clumping."

"With its 1,000 sensor bristles, the Power Full™ Brush delivers made-to-measure lash volume that you control. With each sweep, it glides through your lashes for perfect separation, while evenly applying the mascara from base to tip."- Lancôme Website

(Taken with Canon A3300is)

Summary

Pros 

• Thick bristles.
• No clumping.
• No smudging or flaking.
• Gorgeous, sleek packaging.
• Contains vitamin B5.

Cons

• Quite expensive compared to high street brands, retails at £21.

This is such a gorgeous mascara! I'm so happy to have it back in my life, I would be lost without it!

Have you tried any mascaras by Lancôme? What are your thoughts?

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

Caudalie Beauty Elixir - Review

Hello everyone,

Today I am sharing my review of the Caudalie Beauty Elixir 100ml* (more info)

(Taken with Nikon D3100) 

This product is available on the Caudalie website and FeelUnique.com and is available in 2 sizes 30ml (retails around £10) or 100ml (retails around £30).

This product is amazing, my skin has never looked so good and I swear this product has something to do with that!

I use this product in the morning after cleansing my face and before applying my moisturiser. It has a cooling sensation which is why I like using it in the morning as it makes my skin feel refreshed and energised.

You can use this product throughout the day to keep your skin feeling and looking fresh, it can also be used to set your make-up.

Ingredients

• Grape
• Orange blossom
• Rose
• Organic balm mint
• Rosemary

The Caudalie Beauty Elixir is 100% natural fragrance and paraben free! Another thing I like about this product is that it's not tested on animals!

Directions
 
Shake before use. Close your eyes and mist onto face before applying your moisturiser and at any time of the day to refresh the skin or set your make-up.

Summary

"Inspired by the "elixir of youth" used by Queen Isabelle of Hungary, Caudalie Beauty Elixir smoothes features, tightens pores, and gives the complexion a burst of radiance. An excellent base for make-up, this water awakens the skin in the morning and livens it up before a night out."

"For all skins lacking radiance. Caudalie Beauty Elixir is an exceptional anti-dull complexion treatment and a wonderful after-shave for men."

Pros

• Radiant complexion
• Less spots and blemishes
• Smoother and brighter skin
• Gorgeous packaging
• Pump/spray application
• Smells amazing 

Cons

• Slightly pricey

Overall I really like this product and will definitely purchase a new one when this runs out. Even though the product is slightly on the pricey side for a poor student like myself, I do think it is worth the money. I have seen a huge improvement in my skin and after trying a fair share of over the counter creams and spot sticks, I think I have finally found my holy grail product!

The ingredients in this product are of a high quality which I think justifies the price!

Have you tried the Beauty Elixir? What do you think?

*Disclaimer PR sample - My opinions are still 100% honest

 

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

Tutorial ' Warm Shimmer' - MUA Undressed Palette

Hello everyone, 

Unfortunately my laptop has decided to break just when I had planned lots of posts for this weekend! 
My boyfriend has kindly let me use his laptop so I can put up a post for you! Gotta love him! It's going to be a while until my next post so please bear with me!

Now for the fun part...
This is currently one of my favourite autumn eye make-up looks, I have been loving this as well as brown smokey eyes! 
I have decided to call this look 'Warm shimmer'.

I used the MUA Undressed palette and the Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR in '35 - On and on bronze' to create this look.

Eye base

• Urban Decay Primer Potion (over whole eye area and brown bone).
• Maybelline Black Kohl eye pencil (over whole eyelid upto the crease. Lighly line the top and bottom lashlines too).
• Maybelline Colour tattoo (over my eyeliner upto the crease I feel this helps to give a nice base colour to work on) Any brown/bronze cream eye shadow should work!

Eye shadows

After applying my primer and base colour, I used shades 6,5 and 1 from the MUA Undressed palette.
These colours are stunning and I think they are perfect to create make-up looks for autumn and winter!

1. I used shade 6 over the top of the Maybelline Color Tattoo shadow, I think the golden shimmer gives more texture and depth to the look.
2. Next I used shade 5 which is a light matte brown on my crease and slighly above the crease to blend out any harsh lines. I also applied it underneath my bottom lashes.
3. Then I used shade 1 underneath my brow as a highlight colour.

(Pictures taken with Canon A3300is)

I kept my cheeks and lips simple by using a warm, peachy blush and nude lipstick. I applied a few coats of my favourite mascara and voila! The look is complete!

What are your favourite make-up looks for autumn? 

If you want try out this look I would love to see how it turned out for you so leave your links below!!

Thanks for reading!

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV

Hello everyone, I hope you are well!

Last week my lovely boyfriend ordered me the Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV (Vol.4) for £29.99 on a Wowcher deal from JustShe.co.uk  and since then I have been impatiently waiting for it to arrive and this morning it finally did! (Not that I had been waiting very long at all!)

(Taken with Nikon D3100)

The colours in this palette are gorgeous, I am so excited to try them out!

I will be doing a full review of this palette as well as make up tutorials, let me know if there are any specific looks you would like to see using these stunning shades! 

Have you tried any Urban Decay Palettes?

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

August Favourites

Hello everyone, I hope you are all well!

Today I am sharing my August Favourites with you.

 

MUA Glamour Days Palette £4.00

This palette is gorgeous! I love how pigmented the colours are and they last me all day without creasing. The colours are gorgeous shades of both matte and shimmers, I have really been enjoying them this summer!

Ben Nye Banana Powder $7.99 (£5.00)

I have been LOVING this powder, I have done a full review on this which you can read it here. I love how flawless it makes my skin look and how it controls my shiny face all day!

MAC Sculpt and Shape - Accentuat/Sculpt

I don't know a price for this as I believe it has been continued but I got this from The Sunday Girl's blog sale a few months ago and have really been loving it! I use it to contour my cheeks and my nose etc I use the lighter shade to highlight my cheekbones and brow bone.

Sleek Blush - Flamingo £4.29

This is such a gorgeous pink colour, it is very pigmented and gives a gorgeous pop of colour on you cheeks. You can layer this blush up or down to intensify the colour or to give a more natural subtle hint of pink.

 (Taken with Canon A3300is)

Xen Tan Deep Bronze Luxe - Dark 236ml £28.99 approx*

I have only used this a couple of times but think the quality of this product is amazing! The colour goes on evenly and it smells like vanilla which I think is gorgeous and makes a change from the typical biscuity smell of other self tanners. I will be doing a full product review on this soon so I won't blab on too much about how I love it here!

Sinful Colors - Tapping Nails 15ml £2.99

This is such a gorgeous summery orange colour it looks lovely against my skin tone and I like that it has tiny gold flecks in it, it really adds depth to your nails!

Eylure False Lashes £5.35

This brand of false eyelashes are my favourite! They have such a variety of different lashes from natural look to dramatic evening lashes! I use these lashes over and over to, they last quite a while before you have to buy new ones. I always keep a few boxes handy though just in case!

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment 200ml £7.99

I have been using this hair treatment twice and week and I have to say it is doing wonders for my hair! It makes it feel silky soft and smooth! I will be doing a full review on this as lots of you have asked for one so I will get that up asap!

PanOxyl 5% Cream £3.00 approx

As you probably know by now I suffer from terrible skin! I bought this cream around March time but stopped using it after a few weeks because I got impatient waiting for it to work! I have recently started using it again over the past few months and have seen such a huge improvement in my skin!

Thanks for reading!

*Disclaimer this post contains PR Samples - My opinions are still 100% honest.

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

Ben Nye Banana Powder - Review

This product has become very popular among the world of beauty! If you are a fan of Kim Kardashian you will know that her makeup artist uses Banana Powder to set her concealer. 

Even if you aren't a fan of Kim Kardashian there is no denying that her make-up always looks flawless and well I can dream that by using this product my skin will look just as good as hers does!
After watching many YouTubers raving about this product I decided it was time to get my hands on it!

Unlike translucent powders, this Ben Nye Luxury Banana Powder is yellow based which helps to prevent your skin from looking ashy and compliments my skin tone well. I use this to set my under eye concealer as well as applying it to the highlighted parts of my face, I feel it helps to brighten up my under eye area making me look more fresh and awake! 

The powder is very light on the skin and doesn't sink into any creases on your face. It still gives fantastic coverage, I love watching my dark under eye circles disappear!

I use my Cosmopolitan Perfection Blender to apply the product, this is the best method I have found so far.

I purchased my Ben Nye Luxury Powder in the shade 'Banana' from Camera Ready Cosmetics, the product itself costs $7.99 which is around £5.00 (remember it will cost around £5.00 extra to get it shipped to the UK) I was very impressed at how quickly I received the product, I got it shipped from America and it took just over a week! You can also purchase this from eBay in the UK but I found this website was the cheaper option.

(You might be able to find the product cheaper elsewhere but I am sharing with you where I got mine from. If you know of a website or store in the UK that sells this product for cheaper then let me know!)

(Taken with iPhone 4s and Nikon D3100)

Pros

• Controls shine
• Doesn't adjust foundation colour
• Brightens face
• Yellow based - compliments many skin tones
• Parfum free 
• Lots of product (even in smallest size)

Cons

• Lack of availability in the UK

Personally I think this product is worth paying the money for. I purchased the smallest size but still think it will last me quite a while as a little goes a long way!

Have you tried Ben Nye Banana Powder or anything similar?

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

MUA Eyeshadow Palettes - Review

I purchased the MUA Heaven and Earth palette from the MUA website and got Glamour Days free for spending £4.00! I was so happy when I saw this offer as I have been wanting to buy MUA palettes for a while now!

I have used some of the eye shadows and already I think they are fantastic! The quality of them are pretty good, you get 12 eye shadows for £4.00 what an absolute steal!

Heaven and Earth - Neutral colours for a natural look.

Top row

Bottom row

Glamour Days - Shimmery and matte colours to add a pop of colour.

Top row

Bottom row

(Pictures taken with Canon A3300is and Nikon D3100)

The formula of the shadows are very pigmented and soft, they give a little fall out but nothing to complain about! The staying power of the shadows are good and last for quite a while, even without using an eye primer!

The packaging isn't amazing but it looks nice enough and I'm not always bothered about the packaging on products as long as what's inside is good quality. The colours of the shadows don't have names which for me isn't too much of a big deal but I know many people like to refer eye shadows by their names etc. I am also not really a fan of the applicator that comes in the palettes and prefer to use my own eye shadow brushes instead.

Pros:

Pigmented, colours to suit many skin tones, great quality and value

Cons:

Not a fan of the applicator


What do you think of the MUA palettes? Do you have a favourite one?
Leave a comment and let me know!

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural - Review

Hello everyone,

Today I'm going to share my thoughts on the Mac Mineralize Skinfinish.
I bought this powder in 'medium dark' this usually costs around £20 but I actually got this product for much cheaper from a website called Fragrance Direct  I paid just £14!

What Mac say about this powder:

 'A luxurious domed face powder with minerals, slowly baked to provide a dimensional yet natural-matte finish. Provides perfect low coverage. Use to set and fix foundation or as a touch-up throughout the day.'

What I think:

I have been using this for just over a month and I agree with what Mac say. My skin looks so flawless after I've used it. I use this as a setting powder to set my foundation and so far I think it is extremely good!

 (Taken with Canon A3300 IS)

I have oily/combination skin so I like to use two different powders, I use a mattifying powder by Rimmel that is specifically designed to combat shine on my t-zone and then use the Mac Mineralize Skinfinish on the other parts of my face. I find that by doing this it helps to keep my skin looking matte and shine-free for longer and because this powder is so fine and smooth it applies evenly and leaves the perfect amount of coverage on the skin.

As well as having oily skin my skin can also be very sensitive at times but this product hasn't broken me out! Huge bonus!

Summary 
 
Pros: 

• lightweight
• fine powder
• easy to blend 
• natural-looking

Cons:

• quite expensive

For me I think this product is quite expensive for what it is, however I do think Mac products are high in quality and you definitely get what you pay for!

Have you tried the Mineralized Skinfinish powder? Leave a comment below and tell me your thoughts!

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

Revlon Lip Butter - Cupcake

Hello everyone, hope you are well.

I finally got my hands on a Revlon Lip Butter! I used my Boots points that I had been saving and got myself the shade 'Cupcake' and I have to say I LOVE it!

 

The consistancy and texture of the Lip Butter is lovely, it goes on smooth and creamy like a lip balm but has more pigmentation like a lipstick.

I think these are a great alternative to lipsticks, if you don't like wearing lipsticks or don't feel 100% confident wearing them but you want a hint of colour on your lips then I recommend this product to you! It is a subtle way to add a pop of colour for Spring/Summer!

The packaging is cute and pretty and compliments each Lip Butter Shade (Cupcake is a pink colour so the product has a pink cap).

The downside to this product is the price and the amount of product you get. Each Lip Butter costs £7.99 (currently on 3 for 2 at Boots) I think this is a little on the pricey side considering there isn't a great deal of product!

(Taken with iPhone 4s)

Cupcake is a nice blue based light pink colour, I like how smooth it feels and the slightly glossy finish it has. The picture above shows what one coat of colour looks like on the lips, this product is buildable so the more layers you put on the more vibrant the colour will look!

Pros

• smooth application
• moisturising
• pretty packaging

Cons

• doesn't last long on the lips
• not very pigmented
• small amount of product

Have you tried the Revlon Lip Butters yet? If so recommend a shade you think I should try next!

Natasha Carly x

 Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton