What's In My Makeup Bag?

This is just a general overview of what I’m currently using day to day and what I tend to take with me when I’m on the go.

Juicy Couture Makeup Bag: I’ve had this like three years now, someone bought it me as a gift for my 18^th birthday and it still looks good. It’s not the biggest of makeup bags but it is handy for carrying around your basic bits and pieces.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation: I haven’t had this long actually, I have been using it on and off for about two months. I really can’t decide whether I like it or not yet but I will post a full review when I have my opinion firmly set down!

NARS Laguna Bronzer: Pretty much the best bronzer on the market! Such a good colour as well as being easy to use and blend, reviewed here.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer: I use this to cover up blemishes and dark circles, it works well and stays put all day.

MAC Studio Finish Concealer: I have this in the colour NW20, so I use it to brighten up the eye area. I’m still working out if I like this or not as I don’t find the colour all that flattering, however I do really like the formula.

MAC Plumful & Crème In Your Coffee: 100% my favourite lipsticks at the moment! Crème In Your Coffee is a purpley nude shade and Plumful is a pinky toned colour, both beautiful!

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara: I have been using this for years, I even remember when it first came on the market! It’s definitely my favourite drug store mascara!

Hourglass Brow Sculpting Pencil: I love this, I love the packaging, the formula, the colour, it all just works. It’s so easy to apply and the spool is so handy!

MAC Mineralise Blush in Love Thing: This is my favourite blush, it’s such a pretty colour and it lasts ages. However it’s a very autumnal shade so I think I need to go on the hunt for something that feels a little more Spring-like! Read my thoughts on it here.

Charlotte Tilbury Feline Flick Shodo Liner: I have an on-off relationship with this liner, it’s best for when you’re on the go and need something that requires as little fuss as possible! Read the full review here.

Bourjois Effet 3D Gloss Shade 03: I use this over nude lipsticks to give my lips some moisture and a pop of colour. Doesn’t last anywhere near the 8 hours it proposes but it’s good for the money.

So there we have it! Hopefully it’ll be full of new goodies soon!
What have you purchased recently?

Han X

Michael Kors Rose Gold Double Strap Watch Review

Pretty much every girl and her handbag have a Michael Kors or Marc Jacobs watch these days, it’s actually harder to find someone without one. But I understand why, some of them are bloody gorgeous. I can’t say I’m a massive fan of the metal link ones by MK, some of them look a little to brash for me, so I was overjoyed when I came across exactly what I want in the form of this beauty. Michael Kors don’t actually seem to do many leather ones, I think I’ve seen about three but this is the one I fell in love with and just had to have. I’ve never owned a watch before, shocking I know, so I wasn’t sure whether I’d get my wear out of it but it’s safe to say I’ve never had it off. I bought it just after Christmas as a little treat to myself so three months on I’d thought I’d share my thoughts.

First off the double strap is something I haven’t actually seen before so it immediately caught my eye. It has a kind of fish scale pattern that I thought might look a little tacky before I got it but it’s subtle enough and compliments the rest of the watch rather well. My favourite part of it however is the actual face; I love the fact that it’s rose gold which we’re all crazy for at the moment. I also love how large it is, to be honest I thought the fact it didn’t have actual numbers was going to drive me up the wall and make it difficult to tell the time but that hasn’t been the case at all (I’m no Joey Essex). Although the design is very simplistic, there has been a lot of attention to detail. A tiny MK embossing adorns the crown (watch jargon for that little thing that sets the time) and the words Michael Kors sit on the front of the face, back of the face, on the inside of the strap and on the strap fastener. No forgetting who this bad boy belongs too.

Unfortunately I’ve had some trouble with it; only two months in the part of the strap that attaches to the face had completely teared and was literally hanging off by a thread. It wasn’t wearable at all, I was gutted so immediately took it back to Earnest Jones who sorted me out a replacement no problem. I think the reason it had given way was because it doesn’t sit on your wrist in the same way a watch would with just one strap would. It kind of sits at an angel and I think the tension on one side had just caused it to rip. I’ve decided that if it does it again I’ll be returning it and getting my money back as obviously there is a design fault if keeps continuing.

 

Hopefully this won’t be the case though as I do absolutely love it, it’s comfortable and doesn’t get in the way of anything despite it having a big face. Saying that, unfortunately a day after I received my replacement watch I went out, got drunk and woke up the next morning to find I made some great dirty big scratches on the glass. Very annoying, you can’t take me anywhere.

 

Michael Kors Rose Gold-Plated Double Strap Watch – ernestjones.co.uk @ £145

Do you have an MK watch? Have you had any problems with it?

Han X

The Day Facebook Asked Us To Bare All, What Did Our #Nomakeup Selfie Achieve?

 

So unless you've been living under a virtual social media rock over the past few days, you won't have noticed the influx of #nomakeup selfies that have taken over our timelines. Women everywhere have wiped away their eyebrows and laid bare their panda eyes and blotchy chins for all to see.

At first I'll admit I was sceptical, Tuesday night saw the odd one cropping up amidst pictures of tonight's tea and next doors dog. I took it as another Facebook fad that I didn't quite understand. However the following morning saw my Facebook feed peppered with 'nominations' and fresh-faced women ready to bare all in the name of cancer.

Of course there were still those questioning what this selfie overload was really about and what good it was really doing. Many a status bore something along the lines of "do something practical and get sponsored to help charity" and "these selfies don't achieve anything". True, they don't change the millions affected by cancer and they don't offer up a cure, but what they have done is put cancer, and not just breast cancer, at the forefront of everyones minds. Have you ever really seen this many people drum up support for one good cause in a matter of 48 hours? I haven't. It makes sense, the social media generation are selfie obsessed, barely a day goes by without coming across 1 or 10, so incorporating this into the way we generate charity awareness seems pretty genius to me. It was fun, took less than 5 minutes to do and absolutely everybody could get involved and feel they were doing something.

And they did do something, not only have these selfies got people talking about cancer, with people far and wide sharing their own cancer journeys, but they got the donation ball rolling. Despite the opinions of the cynics, nearly every other selfie I saw incorporated a screenshot of their BEAT texts to 70007. There’s no doubt that it’s pretty amazing but I personally don't think a bare faced selfie demands an immediate donation for it to be justified. But what I do feel is that it should inspire us to tip 50p into that charity bucket next time we walk past or encourage us to go out and buy a Marie Curie daffodil over the next few weeks.  If this is what happens then the job of the selfie has been done.  

Aside from the amazing support drummed up for cancer, I also watched in awe as I saw the whole female community get together and actually support one another. All too often we are told to see each another as mere rivals; women forget to back one another up. However the influx of bare faced selfies yesterday saw women actively encouraging those around them to get involved. There were women reminding other women that they were beautiful and for the first time I didn’t feel like I was going to be judged for uploading a selfie (which I sometimes feel happens even when I am wearing makeup). It was refreshing and there was a complete sense of ‘togetherness’ in the way people were embracing this challenge. Not only this, but as we are well aware, women everywhere are constantly fed those images of ‘perfection’, but yesterday made me realise that I am in fact normal. It was a relief to know that we all have those dark circles, spotty T-zones and not-so perfect pearly whites and for once women everywhere were welcoming them.

Social media is a wonderful thing and yesterday it really proved its worth. Reports have said that £15,000 was donated off the back of our beloved selfies and I for one am proud to have taken part.

Han X

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation Review

I have done a review on Estee Lauders Double Wear foundation in the past on an old blog of mine, but back then I wasn’t as in love with it as I am now. With that and the fact I have worn this for around a year I can safely say what it is that I love and hate about this product.

First off, the one thing I love about Double Wear is the coverage. It is medium to high which allows for building so if medium just isn’t doing it one day then you can work it up. I rarely have to use much concealer when I’m wearing this as it covers 90% of blemishes on its own, hooray! But one thing that surprised me was that aside from its ability to conceal and the fact it is on the heavy side of the coverage scale, it still sits naturally on the face. It doesn’t feel heavy and doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable which I have found even some lightweight foundations can do!

I personally think this is down to how matte double wear is. I would describe it as a semi-matte finish, because it doesn’t make my face look dry or moistureless but at the same time is the only foundation that keeps my oily skin at bay. It doesn’t slip or slide off my face and with regard to my comment about lightweight foundations making me feel uncomfortable, it is because after a while I start to feel the oils building up. All I want to do is reach for a face wipe! I hate that feeling, but DW doesn’t do this and that's why I always use it when I know I’m going to be out from 9am until late as it doesn’t let me down. Handy having such faith in a foundation huh?! It deserves it to be honest because it is good.

The only qualm I have about this product is the fact I can’t wear it everyday. The fact that it is so heavy duty means that it can break me out if I wear it relentlessly which is not good. Therefore that’s why I use it when I know I have a long day ahead as that is what I feel it’s good for. With that, I don’t always need full coverage to be honest so it hasn’t become too much of a problem. But another thing is the SPF, which is obviously all well and good but I definitely can’t wear this on a night out. It doesn’t picture well at all and gives me a white cast over my face, making me look really washed out and colourless. I’ve heard this is because of the SPF reacting with the light, so avoid if you plan on getting snap happy ladies.

Overall I think it’s a great foundation, I think it’d take some getting used to if you haven’t used a high coverage foundation before (like I had to) but once you find your way with it, it really is worth the money. I will definitely be repurchasing when I’m all out!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation - £27.50 @ selfridges.com

Have you tried this foundation before? Are there any medium-high coverage foundations you’d recommend?

Han X