My Makeup Setting Champions

There is nothing worse than spending time creating the perfect face of makeup only to find that within an hour or less, it has started to clump/cake/run/melt/smudge or otherwise. If you're anything like me, you want to do your makeup in the morning and have the confidence that it's going to last at least until you get home again.

There are a few products that I use every time (yes, every time) I do a full face of makeup that I want to last the day. These are products that I've recommended to friends or family time and time again so I thought I'd share them here. 

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer | £29 from John Lewis

If you follow a lot of beauty blogs, you've probably already heard about this one. I know, the price makes me cringe too. I received this as a sample from Birchbox months and months ago, and the same bottle is still going so it definitely goes far. It's worth the price tag for this incredible product. No other primer has been able to hold my foundation in place as well as this. It doesn't work as well for every skin type, but if you have oily skin like me then this might be the miracle you've been waiting for. See if you can get your hands on a sample to try first, but you'll know after one application whether this will work for you.

Dr Jart V7 Turnover Booster | £28.75 from Beauty Bay

Before any product is applied to your skin, you need a good skincare routine. You've heard it many times before but it's the truth. I play around with the moisturiser I use but this is the serum I use day and night. My skin has never looked better and primers/foundations sit on this like an absolute dream. Again, it's expensive - sorry! However, it's another case of a little going a long way with this. I received it as a sample from Birchbox a long, long time ago and have been using it twice a day for the past 3 months yet still have over half a bottle left. Invest in a good skincare routine and you will find your makeup applying so much better and lasting just that little bit longer too.

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray | £21 from Debenhams

Once I have finished applying a flawless face of makeup, I give this bottle a shake and spritz it all over my face. It is light and dries quickly, but somehow miraculously manages to stick the makeup in place. It's like a glue or protective film on your face. It's weightless and isn't sticky so you do forget it's there until the end of the day when you check your makeup and see it is still perfectly in place. I've recommended this to most of the people I know. Pricey, I know - but so worth it!

Lipcote Lipstick Sealer | £3.69 from Boots

I have been using this for years and raving about it to anyone who will listen. I used to see it advertising in the back of magazines and never really took notice until I spotted it in Boots one day and thought I'd give it a go. You just apply this over your lipstick, let it dry and then you're set for the rest of the night. Eating, drinking, talking or kissing won't ruin your lipstick with Lipcote on it. 

I've been using this since my uni days and honestly, I'd wake up in the morning with mascara and eyeshadow down my face, hair a mess and foundation long gone - but perfectly formed red lips. No fade, no transfer and no smudging. It really, really works. For £3.69, give it a try and watch yourself rave about it too. 

The picture above is one I've been using for about a year now so it is a little grubby, sorry! 

I hope this was helpful to some of you. Definitely leave your suggestions for make-up setting products in the comments section below!

Tabitha 

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Review | Sleek's Matte Me

You guys know how much I love Sleek products from my previous posts. I was in Superdrug the other day which is unusual for me since the local Superdrug is quite small compared to the giant Boots we have. I am so glad I went though because their makeup collection is just next level. I spotted that they had a Sleek stand and it had an entire range of products that Boots didn't. So of course I went to town on the entire section.

I'm still trying out some of the products that I got but my stand out favourite so far is the Matte Me lip colour that I picked up. There was a range of shades but as a fan of a bright red, I had to try out the Rioja Red first.

It is gorgeous! I've not really ventured into the world of liquid lipsticks before now, preferring my traditional creamy/balmy lip colours that I can then set with Lipcote. I might just be converted now though. The colour of this is just beautiful.

The consistency is thick and creamy. It applies smoothly with the thin applicator which helps keep things precise. I put this on bare lips so I can't say how it performs with a lip liner, though I'm not sure you'd need one with this product.

It dries almost instantly to a matte finish that won't budge. Long lasting lip colour is always important but particularly so with bright red shades.

It does dry completely, though. The texture becomes like paper which can be a bit uncomfortable. However, you can remedy that by whacking on some of the Max Factor Lipfinity balm which puts some moisture back and helps your lips feel smooth without smudging the colour.

There's a whole range of shades but I'm guessing it's quite popular since the Sleek Website is sold out of this and other colours. Definitely pop into your local Superdrug and see if they have some in stock to test out yourself. For £4.99 a tube, you can't go wrong.

I picked up one of their True Colour lipsticks in a deep burgundy colour that I'm trying out now. I'll post a review of that shortly so definitely check back here :-)

Tabitha

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My Little Box | May 2015

This month's theme is Provence and the box design is just gorgeous! Once again, it took a little longer for me to get My Little Box in the post this month. A colleague of mine who signed up for them too got hers a week and a half before mine arrived. It's worth the wait though.

My Little Box May 2015 Contents:

L'Occitane Mer & Mistral Shower Gel | £12

L'Occitane Roses et Reines Hand and Nail Cream | £14

L'Occitane Verbena Body Lotion | £20

L'Occitane Verbena Leaf Soap | £4.50

My Little Beauty Eyeshadow Crayon | £9

My Little Box My Little Doll Magnets | £6

My Little Box Embroidery Cuff | £15

L'Occitane Mer & Mistral Shower Gel

This stuff smells so amazing. It's a fresh scent that just invokes the ocean in my mind. I'm really pleased with the size of the sample too. Definitely 4 or 5 showers worth in this bottle.

L'Occitane Roses et Reines Hand and Nail Cream

I've just finished the Caudalie Hand Cream sample I was working on so I was excited to see this. However, I really don't like the scent. There's something distinctly 'Grandma's Yardley' about it. The texture of the product is very thin so a little goes a long way. It definitely made my skin feel soft and nourished but I couldn't put up with the scent. 

L'Occitane Verbena Body Lotion

Now this is lovely. I'm pretty sure I've seen this before but I don't remember it smelling so good. It's like a peppery lemongrass and a wonderful quality. It is thin textured again so a little goes a long way. It sinks into my skin so I don't have to deal with that awful sticky feeling. Definitely a winner for me.

L'Occitane Verbena Leaf Soap

When I read the description on this from My Little Box, I was a bit skeptical. I've always associated soaps with drying and felt the last place I would put soap is my face. However, I can admit I was wrong. Not only does this soap have the incredible lemon scent of the body lotion, but it also exfoliates as well as moisturises. My skin felt smooth and hydrated afterwards. Who doesn't want that?

My Little Beauty Eyeshadow Crayon

I love this eyeshadow crayon! I swatched it as soon as I opened the box and have been impressed with it ever since. The colour is a metallic dark brown with a hint of gold shimmer. It goes on really creamy and blends effortlessly. Once it 'dries' it stays put. The swatch on my hand took 5 minutes to scrub off under a tap so this is definitely a long lasting product. The colour is perfect for my ghostly skin and blue eyes so I'm pleased.

My Little Box My Little Doll Magnets

This was a really cute idea but mine wasn't pre-cut well enough so when I tried to press out the dolly, I ended up taking off her legs. Still, it was a really cute bonus and just another added touch which sets My Little Box apart from the rest to me.

My Little Box Embroidery Cuff

Again, a really cute bonus touch. I'm loving the creative vibe of the beauty boxes this month. I don't wear cuffs myself as they fall off my deceptively un-chubby wrists too easily. That said, decorating it is a fun project and it would make a great gift for someone.

So once again, a really lovely box from My Little Box. It could still be my biased love for all things French but I genuinely adore receiving these boxes every month and have been recommending them to everyone. As always, if you're interested, check out the My Little Box website for more information and to subscribe to them. 

On a personal note, I've got a brand new camera so I'm hoping the images will be a better quality moving forward! I tested it out with this post so let me know what you guys think :-)

Tabitha 

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9 Things You Notice When You Cut Off Your Hair

I very recently cut 12 inches in length off my hair and I'm loving it! That said, there are a few things that I've noticed.

1. Everything feels bright, breezy and fresh
Suddenly you can move you head without the weight of all that hair and it feels....weird. Good, but weird.

2. Styling time is cut in half...then half again
15 minutes to brush, 30 minutes to straighten and style etc - how did you put up with this for so long?! Now it's 2 seconds to run a brush through and it's done.

3. Blow-drying hair isn't a marathon event anymore
A 45 minute activity suddenly fits into an ad break and washing your hair more than once a week isn't hilariously impossible.

4. Multiple £'s in savings on hair products and dye
That penny-sized amount of shampoo and conditioner is actually enough now. Okay, so it took a few washes to get used to not using half a bottle of each and you might still stock pile back-up bottles like before. But taking advantage of every shampoo 3 for 2 you see is now just good sense instead of a necessity. Don't forget you also now only need one box of hair dye instead of three too.

5. Phantom hair washing and brushing 
The first time you wash it yourself and are surprised by the hard stop at the end of your now shorter hair followed by those first few brushes where you forget it's shorter and the end of your hair takes you by surprise every time.

6. You can put it in a ponytail without weight training first
Simple updo styles or even the humble ponytail take seconds rather than 20 minutes of brushing/smoothing/holding up hair that weighs way more than it should.

7. The VOLUME
Hours spent teasing, texturising, spraying and using every volumising technique in the book just to get your roots to do anything other than lie flat against your scalp are a thing of the past with shorter hair.

8. You don't spend half the day getting your hair trapped
Car doors, zips, bag straps, bra straps, seat fabric, and at its longest even trousers were a hair trap ripping it out at every turn. Not anymore!

9. You miss it
As much maintenance, pain and effort it was to keep it that long, you will miss it from time to time. But it will grow and before long you'll want to chop it all off again :-)

Birchbox | May 2015

The May 2015 Birchbox is themed "Free Your Mind" and it is all about releasing your creativity and trying things you wouldn't normally. It starts with the box design which a fun design that us subscribers get to colour in.

Birchbox May 2015 Contents:

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Tinted Moisturiser in Light | £27
Wah London Nail Art Pen | £7
Parlor by Jeff Chastain Moisturising Sea Salt Spray | £17
Whish Three Whishes Body Butter in Almond | £14.50
Jelly Pong Pong Caribbean Sun Bronzer Duo in Martinique | £15.95
Number 4 Lumiere d'Hiver Reconstructing Masque | £36
Birchbox Colouring Pencils

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Tinted Moisturiser in Light
I suppose it's always going to be difficult with products that need to match a person's skin tone, but unfortunately I'm unable to make any use of this. I did try it on my face in case it blended well, but sadly I ended up looking like an orange on top of a Milky bar. It seems to go on easy enough with a hydrating texture that sat on the skin nicely - just a shame about the shade.

Wah London Nail Art Pen

This month was another month where you were able to select your preferred product and it was a choice of this pen, press on nails or a nail polish. I don't think I sent my selection in time (I wanted press on nails) so I ended up with this pen. I like my nails quite plain myself though it was fun to experiment with this pen. It comes with two distribution methods - pull the top off for a fine pen and unscrew the lid for a thin brush. The pen was great for intricate designs but the brush function isn't for clumsy hands. The consistency of the product is very watery so it dripped everywhere. It did dry quickly though.

 Parlor by Jedd Chastain Moisturising Sea Salt Spray
With summer coming up, this is the perfect product for creating tousled waves and texture. It's made with almond oil so it didn't feel drying on my hair. It also smells like peaches and cream which was a lovely bonus. I do love a hair product though so I could be biased.

Whish Three Whishes Body Butter in Almond
I can't get enough body butters at the moment so this was a welcome addition. I love the scent of this product. It's like bathing in almond milk. My skin stills feel soft and smooth the day after using this so I'm definitely impressed. I don't see this particular sample lasting very long.

Jelly Pong Pong Caribbean Sun Bronzer Duo in Martinique
I'm not a fan of this product at all. For starters, it took several attempts by myself and others to actually open the damn packaging. Then the actual product itself was so lacking in pigment that it's hardly worth the effort. I thought maybe it might have just been stiff because it was my first time opening the packaging, but after shutting the lid again I literally can't get it open. So disappointed that there's two makeup samples this month and neither of them can actually be used.

Number 4 Lumiere d'Hiver Reconstructing Masque
This one I'm saving for the next time I highlight my hair so I can't tell you much about it. That said, I've used samples from this range before and was impressed so I have high hopes for this. You can't go wrong with a good hair mask after-all.

All in all, not a great month of products for me this month. I started to colour in the box but the colouring pencils weren't a great quality so I didn't really enjoy it. I know my sister will love this though - Phoebe does love a good colour-in task. I am hoping that June's Birchbox is better but at least I've still got the May My Little Box to come.

Tabitha
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