SEVENTEEN's Stay Time VS Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection

L-R SEVENTEEN's Stay Time, just Vichy's Idealia BB cream, Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection

Concealer is one of those products that I don't believe you have to spend a lot of money on. There are so many good ones on the high street that it'd be silly to go more high end. One of my all time favourite concealers is Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection. I've been using it for years and I've stayed true to it for so long - I even have it in all four shades it's available in - well, you never know do you? So when I heard about SEVENTEEN's Stay Time concealer, I knew I had to do a comparison post on the two as they claim to do pretty similar things.

SEVENTEEN Stay Time Concealer - £4.49

I bought this on Monday (double discount at work, couldn't say no!) and I'm so glad that I did. I have enough concealers to last me a lifetime and Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection has been a long term favourite of mine now. I didn't know what to expect from this concealer as I hadn't read any reviews on it as it's pretty new but I do adore SEVENTEEN as a brand so I was definitely excited. Although my expectations were mediocre, it has completed exceeded those and I'd go as far as saying it's replaced my beloved Collection 2000 concealer. The coverage on this is as full as full can get and as you can see from the images above, it covered up my nasty scarring much better than Collection 2000's version. It also doesn't budge on the skin once it's been set with powder. I'd say that this is Estee Lauder's Double Wear with more coverage in concealer form. It stays on the skin all day long until you want to remove it. Consistency wise I do like this as it's very creamy and easy to blend. It doesn't settle into any pores but you do have to work quite quickly as it settles fast.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer - £4.19

I used to think that the coverage of this was as full as full could get but after using SEVENTEEN's version, I'd say this is pretty medium-full as I'm definitely left with some redness peaking through after using. The consistency is basically the same as SEVENTEEN's concealer as it's creamy and easy to blend but I'd say you get a bit more working time with this before it sets. It's also very good at lasting on the skin and I've never noticed any nasty breakdown even though I've been using it for over four years. It is a little bit cheaper than SEVENTEEN's concealer although not by much and it does have an extra "Deep" shade available. 

For me personally, I prefer SEVENTEEN's Stay Time concealer as I do love the extra bit of coverage it gives me over my scarring. My scars are my number one insecurity and the concealer covers them entirely which for me, is a miracle. Both the Collection 2000 and the SEVENTEEN concealers are pretty similar so it's good to have an alternative when the other isn't available - I know I've had trouble tracking down an instock Lasting Perfection over the years.

Have you tried any of these concealers? What are your thoughts on them?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twitter|Facebook|BlogLovin|Instagram

Do you have a few spare pennies? Check out my Blog Sale here
Want to attend the Lincoln blogger meet up? Find out more information here.

Secrets of summer beauty revealed with Annie Levy‏

With the UK warming up, summer is very close on the horizon (I definitely found it hard to breathe yesterday with Wimbledon AND the heat) so perfecting the sought after smokey eyes is a definite "must-have" for us beauty obsessed. Luckily for us, World Duty Free and Biza Tax & Duty Free have teamed up with make-up artist to the stars Annie Levy to demonstrate how to create essential summer looks on one of my favourite social media platforms - YouTube. 

The videos are easy to watch, easy to follow and well, easy to recreate which it what it's all about really. My favourite video of them all has to be the Bronzed Goddess Look:

Ever since discovering the wonderful Half Baked by Urban Decay, I've fallen in love with all things bronzed and golden so this look is definitely very "me." Their Smokey Eyes video is also one to watch. Smokey eyes really is a classic look and ever since the rise of Miss Kim Kardashian, all of us have been wanting to recreate the iconic look - this video makes it exceptionally easy.

More tutorials are going to be added to the World Duty Free channel over the coming days so it's definitely worth subscribing if you're a YouTube geek like I am. It seems that these days there's nothing I love more than applying make up with YouTube on in the background - please tell me I'm not the only one guilty of this?!

The great thing about the World Duty Free channel is that Annie picks up the majority of her make-up must-haves at the airport to get her beauty buys tax-free at shops like World Duty Free and Biza Tax & Duty Free shops. These stores are in airports across the UK and if you're a premium beauty addict, you can get your items for 20% cheaper (I do believe that's the tax rate these days - please do correct me if I'm wrong). Another wonderful thing about tax-free stores is that often, brands release gems that are exclusive to the airport - when you come back home, not only will you be showing off your tan but also your latest MAC find that your friends won't have #braggingrights.

If you're lucky enough to be jetting off this summer then Annie has also put together her top ten tips for travellers to help get the perfect Summer-ready style:

1. Always, always protect your face from UV rays by using a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.

2. Tinted suncreams are the perfect product to use on holiday so you can avoid using make up yet still have the comfort of a base.

3. Mist sprays are invaluable in the summer whether travelling on planes or tubes, basking on the beach or sweltering in a stuffy office. Evian water spray or MAC Mineralise Charged Water Mist will be your best friend - refreshing and moisturising without affecting make up.

4. Waterproof mascara guarantees no more panda eyes when you take a dip in the pool or sea.

5. Subtle gold highlighters look amazing with a tan and are perfect holiday make up products. Use to enhance cheekbones, lips, lashes or decollete - they look amazing with a tan and are the perfect tiny size for travelling.

6. Gold highlighters look just as amazing on a tanned body but be subtle.

7. Don't forget to protect your hair in the sun especially if it's highlighted or coloured. Many brands do SPF for hair and make use of beach days and nights by combing deep conditioner treatments through your hard and then tying it back.

8. Shiny hair looks lovely with a tan but a lot of shine products make hair look greasy. Spray lightly onto a make up brush and sweep the brush over hair to avoid a greasy, weighed down look.

9. Buy the best hypo-allergenic sunscreen you can afford - your skin will thank you for it immediately and later on.

10. Don't forget sunscreen on your hands and chest even when you're not at the beach. After the face, these are the first areas to show signs of ageing like wrinkles and age spots.

I'm definitely someone who agrees with these tips especially number one. Sunscreen is incredible important to me and you can find my favourite sun protectants here. Unfortunately, I'm not going on holiday this year (as far as I'm aware) but hopefully next year I'll be sunning it up with my best friends as a big "farewell" and congratulations on our graduations (touch wood). 

What are your top summer tips? Will you be buying anything from Duty Free on your holidays?
*Sponsored post

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twitter|Facebook|BlogLovin|Instagram

Do you have a few spare pennies? Check out my Blog Sale here
Want to attend the Lincoln blogger meet up? Find out more information here.

REVIEW: b.liv by cellnique

Over the past couple of weeks I've been trying out a few products from the b.liv by cellnique brand. This is a brand that I'd heard of before but never tried any products from because unfortunately, it's not readily available in the UK. The products from the brand have been "driven by advanced, bio-technologically-formulated ingredients with a decade's worth of expertise in the beauty industry." I've mentioned both of these in my day time and night time skin care routine posts and quickly, they've become my favourite treatment products.

off with those heads blackheads sebum gel* - $49

When it comes to blackheads, I'm not someone who is willing to squeeze them out of my skin. It doesn't look pretty and it sounds painful so instead, I tend to use a face scrub in the hope that they'll eventually disappear. However, this gel makes it much easier. It's very light and cooling on the skin and I've been applying it once a day in the morning over my La-Roche Posay Effaclar Duo on my t-zone where I'm prone to blackheads. The product claims to remove blackheads and whiteheads in 14 days of daily application however I found that after five days, mine had completely disappeared. I've also noticed that my t-zone hasn't been as oily since I've been using this which means I no longer have to powder throughout the day.

shrink and tighten+ large pores diminishing night complex* - $49

One thing my skin suffers with quite badly is large pores. You can often see them glaring at you through my make up which isn't a pretty sight at all. So far, other than primer, I haven't found anything that combats large pores until I found this product. It isn't something that will eliminate them completely for good - I don't think any product does - but it does help to tighten them and make them look smaller. This has been formulated with L-ascorbic acid and it stimulates collagen production at night which helps to tighten pores. I've been using this every night as a serum on my cheeks and nose and when I wake up, my skin instantly looks firmer, brighter and my pores have been reduced - perfect for applying make up onto. On the website, I also found a little interesting fact about the bottle that I thought I'd share with you:

"Shrink & Tighten+ is a specially formulated concoction for large pores. It is intended to be half filled because of its delicate content, this is to ensure that its content is allowed to breathe and not compressed down. It has been clinically tested that if it is packaged in a higher volume, it would turn into a slightly darker colour."

immerse me face mask* - $25 for 10 masks

The majority of skin care products I use are for combination/blemished skin so when it comes to face masks, I usually like to use nourishing ones. My skin is combination and I do get a very oily t-zone but whenever I get a blemish, my skin feels really tight and dry around that area so hydration is very important to me too. However, if I was to use a hydrating skin care routine my skin would get pretty angry so a couple of nourishing face masks a week is enough to keep me going. At the time of using this, my skin was pretty dry around my spots and my foundation was clinging to the dryness which isn't the look I tend to go for. Luckily for me, the immerse me face mask contains 100% pure hyaluronic acid and it essentially acts like a balm for dry complexions. I'm not entirely sure what to think about this face mask - I'm definitely in two minds about it. On the one hand, it stung my skin a little bit, made my spots bleed and the mask was completely covered in the product that it was soaking wet and wasn't the most pleasant experience of my life. But on the other hand, my skin felt baby soft afterwards and my dry patches had been completed eradicated. So it definitely does the job and it does it exceptionally well but the experience itself isn't the best although I could probably overlook that in the future if needs be.

Not only are the products great, the service is great too. Cellnique offer free shipping and free samples with every order. They also have a 30 day money back guarantee so you can essentially try the products out before committing to them. I've definitely found two staple products that are now firm favourites in my skin care routine so I'd highly recommend having a look at the b.liv website as they have lots of different products for different skin care needs.

Have you tried anything from b.liv before?
*PR Sample

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twitter|Facebook|BlogLovin|Instagram

Do you have a few spare pennies? Check out my Blog Sale here
Want to attend the Lincoln blogger meet up? Find out more information here.

Pucker up for National Kissing Day

L-R Disney Princess Lip Smacker in Ariel, Barry M Lipstick in 162

On the 6th of July, all you taken ladies can rejoice and partake in National Kissing Day. I, however, will not be doing so being a good ol' singleton. But you see, kissing involves the lips and to me, lips equal lipstick so writing about this very special and completely meaningful day (sarcasm?) was something I just had to do being a beauty blogger and all. So boyfriend-less or not, hurrah for National Kissing Day - any excuse to whack out those lipsticks.

If you are planning on puckering up and showing off that pout then you're going to need a few little products to ensure it's looking beautiful and in tip-top condition. And floss picks are first on my list. The DenTek Complete Clean Floss Picks* - £4.40 are perfect as they remove food, reduce tooth decay, remove plaque, cleans the tongue and fight bad breath with their fresh mint flavour. They're great at getting to the hard to reach areas such as tight teeth and back teeth. They're also a lovely small size so they're perfect for popping into your handbag (in a smaller bag for hygiene purposes) for touch ups throughout the day. Secondly, you're going to need lovely soft lips if you want them to be kissable and I'm really loving the Disney Princess Lip Smacker balms* - £2.55 at the moment. The one above is the Ariel one which has a Calypso Berry scent and taste. It's absolutely delicious and I've been using it constantly throughout the day for weeks now. It does leave a weird pale purple tint to your lips but of course, you're going to be using lipstick so that doesn't matter too much. The Disney Princess balms are also really hydrating and they don't leave a nasty film/layer on the lips either. My lipstick of choice is the Barry M Lip Stick in 162* - £4.49. I'm currently loving red lips with a simple eye and this one is a really deep but completely wearable red. This is my first Barry M lipstick and although I've read a few bad reviews about the formula, I haven't had a problem with it. They're not necessarily moisturising lipsticks but I don't think they're drying either. 162 glides onto the lips and lasts really well which is great if you're going to be going out on a date. Of course, if you are going to be kissing someone, I don't think they'd be too happy with the colour choice as you'd be leaving your lipstick all over them but you know, that's the price we pay for beauty after all!

What are your favourite lip products?

xxx
*PR Sample

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twitter|Facebook|BlogLovin|Instagram

Do you have a few spare pennies? Check out my Blog Sale here
Want to attend the Lincoln blogger meet up? Find out more information here.

June Favourites

Don't you just hate it when products don't want to be photographed? However much I love my little apartment at university, I hate the fact that there's only one tiny window so the lighting is awful - I apologise for the photos #bloggerproblems. Anyway, it's been quite a month for products! I've really been enjoying many different products this month and although I had a little bit of a shock when I realised it was the 27th of June the other day, I'm excited to be writing my June Favourites. As I mention every month, I love reading these kind of posts so I'm definitely starting to write them more - two in two months, I deserve a medal.

Garnier 5 Second Perfect Blur Primer - £12.99

Although I've always said that this shouldn't be marketed as a "blurring" product, it is a lovely primer and this month, I've really enjoyed using it. In fact, I've enjoyed using it from the moment that I got it. Like I said, it doesn't blur my skin but it does fill in pores and mop up any excess oil throughout the day. It creates a perfectly smooth canvas for make up and foundation glides over the top of it. It's a real pleasure to use and the price isn't too bad either - I just wish they would market it differently.

Vichy Idealia BB Cream* - £21.00

I've never been a BB cream girl - I tend to think that they're a complete waste of time. But this one has definitely changed my mind. I won't go into too much detail about it as I do have a review coming soon (with before/after pictures so you can see the coverage) but it's a real pleasure to use. Not only does it smell amazing but it makes the skin look glowing and healthy, lasts for a good eight hours and has pretty decent coverage. I'm pleasantly surprised as it has quickly become my every day "foundation."

Macadamia Flawless* - £25.75

I've reviewed this product in full here and I still stand by everything I said. It's a very weird consistency and it takes some getting used to but after you've used it once, you will fall in love. It's a lovely weekly treat for me and my hair absolutely loves it. It's basically a shampoo and a conditioner in one that you apply to dry hair, leave on for five minutes and then rinse away. It leaves you hair feeling beautifully soft and nourished with a hell of a lot of movement and volume.

Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Princess Purrfect Hot Styler Spray* - £5.61

I've never really had a favourite heat protectant spray until this. I haven't been using it for that long but it's incredibly lovely. It's around the same price as most lower end heat defences but the reason why it's better is because it does more than just protect your hair against heat. It holds your style like a hairspray and smooths your hair down like a serum - it's essentially a three in one product. It sprays like an aerosol and covers the entire hair quickly and easily. When I first used this, I used it when I was curling my hair. Instead of my curls lasting a couple of hours - they lasted two days. Enough said.

FaceB4 Daily Cleansing Foam - £14.95

Over the past two weeks, I've raved about this product in my skin care routine posts. I used to hate foaming cleansers as other than stripping my skin completely of its natural oils, I didn't think they did anything special. But this one is incredible. It feels soft to massage into the skin and afterwards, your skin is left feeling supple and it looks glowing. It also helps to keep spots and shine at bay. I use this day and night to cleanse my skin but I don't use it for removing make up as it isn't the best at doing that - I'm a big believer of the double cleanse.

L'Oreal Go Neon Pop in Banana Pop* - £4.99

The most perfect summer nail polish. Ever. I'm completely and utterly in love with all things yellow at the moment and this is no exception. The formula is beautiful, it doesn't chip as quickly as most nail polishes and it leaves your nails looking shiny. I believe that pictures do the talking so you can see a swatch of this nail polish (along with a full review) here.

Dove Compressed Original Anti-Perspirant* - £2.89

Deodorant isn't the most glamorous product in the world but alas! We all need to use it. When I first heard about the whole compressed malarkey, I wasn't someone that believed it and it's safe to say, I didn't buy into it. But this little bottle of wonder is incredible and it's completely converted me. I won't go into too much detail as I do have a review coming up of this soon but it smells delicious and does the job perfectly. It also hasn't ran out yet and although I'm yet to use it up, I do believe it lasts just as long as the "normal sized" deodorants.

Models Own Lip-Stix in Ravishing Red* - £5.00

I love, love, love this lipstick! I'm someone who loves red lipstick but struggles to pull it off. This shade however, is perfect. It's not too blue or orange toned and it sits slap bang in the middle and suits every skin tone - I do believe. The formula is beautiful and the product glides onto the lips defining them and leaving them with an intense burst of colour and gloss. You can see my full review and swatch of this lipstick here.

What are your favourite products this month?

xxx
*PR Sample

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twitter|Facebook|BlogLovin|Instagram

Do you have a few spare pennies? Check out my Blog Sale
Want to attend the Lincoln blogger meet up? Find out more information here.