Review: 17 BB Cream in Light

Ok, so I decided to jump on the BB bandwagon and about a week ago I bought 17's BB cream. I'm not much of a foundation girl so I thought this would be a good midway option between foundation and, well, nothing (the latter definitely not a choice for me)! I was interested in buying the MUA Cosmetics BB cream, but it wasn't in my local Superdrug. I went into Boots and had a look at No7's offering too, but I thought their "fair" shade was too dark for me.

There was actually a lot I liked about 17's BB cream before I had even tried it out. Their "light" shade was a good match for my extremely pale skin (there are two shades available; light and medium) for a start. The price tag of just £6.99 is also very attractive. The blurb on the box really sells it though;

"17 BB Blemish Balm is your 'no make-up make-up' - a cult wonder product that gives your skin a complete natural, flawless finish. The weightless all in one creamy formula blends seamlessly into skin; moisturising, concealing, smoothing and protecting." 

 It's key qualities are summarised on the front of the box;

• Evens skintone
• Covers imperfections
• Flawless finish
• Oil control
• SPF 25

Now I agree with almost all of these... 

The Pros

• The formula is exactly as described - weightless and creamy. 
• It was really easy to apply and blend, and I loved the natural looking finish. 
• It definitely evens out your skintone and my pores on my cheeks even seemed a little reduced. 
• The SPF is definitely an added bonus.

The Cons

• What I would say is that the "flawless finish" is only really true if you don't have spots; I found that it was quite good at covering small blemishes and fading spot scars, but actual spots I needed to apply concealer as well to achieve the "flawless finish". 
• This is the biggie - for me the oil control seemed almost non-existent. In fact, my skin actually seemed oiler! Half way through the day I'd look in the mirror and in certain places such as my chin, my make-up (I also use powder) had gone cakey. It had basically "gathered" together in patches and looked like it was sitting on top of my skin. I also had some shine on my t-zone. 

So would I buy this again? No - because of the oil control. I've actually stopped using it because I didn't trust it to not break me out in more spots. Since I've stopped using it my skin is only a tiny bit oily, which is normal for me. It's a real shame, because I could have lived with having to apply some extra concealer as needed! It could be perfect for someone else, just not for me.

The search continues...

Have you tried this BB cream? Are there any alternatives you'd recommend I'd try? 

Beauty Bird xx  

Review: No7 Extravagant Lashes Mascara

I haven't seen many reviews on this mascara, so I thought I'd get my two penneth worth! 

When I buy mascara I want one that has curl power; I love having really curly eyelashes. I have quite long lashes but they're naturally very flat and really need some oomph! I use eyelash curlers before applying mascara, but most mascaras I've tried just don't hold the curl. Then I found No7 Extravagant Lashes. I've dared to try other mascaras, including Maybelline, MAC and Clinique, but so far I've always gone back to No7. 

The description on the mascara is: "Extravagant loading for luxurious volume and a memory polymer that lifts and curls lashes". It is also hypo-allergenic.

Before:

After:

My gripe about this mascara is that it does stick some of your lashes together, so I do have to use a mascara wand to separate them. But at the moment I compromise that for the fact I get nice curly lashes. It also has quite an odd smell, but this doesn't really bother me as I can only really smell it strongly if I hold the tube/wand close to my nose - when applying the mascara I don't really notice it.

This mascara is £12.50, but I usually re-purchase it when No7 issue the £5 vouchers with Boots purchases. 

Have you used this mascara before? What do you think? Are there any other mascaras you'd recommend I try for serious curl power? (I've heard very good things about Benefit's They're Real mascara..)

Beauty Bird xx

Mother's Day Bargain Haul - Superdrug

I wasn't sure whether to do this haul post as the haul isn't actually for me, plus I wouldn't be able to review the items purchased if any of you requested one :-( But there are some brilliant bargains/special offers in the haul, which could be pretty useful (I hope!) to point out if any of you are heading to Superdrug soon for some every day essentials!

The haul is for my Mum for Mother's Day; when I asked what she wanted she just said some every day beauty/bath essentials that would save her buying some for awhile. My Mum is not the kind of Mum who you can buy pretty gift sets from The Body Shop for; she doesn't use body lotions or scrubs and the bath lily would probably end up in the bin! Plus she's a bargain hunter (I wonder where I get it from...?!) and would choke on her tea if you spent more than a few pounds on shower gel. So just to clarify I promise I'm not a cheap skate!!!

So we have (L to R):

• Superdrug Essential Face Wipes - Camomile - For Sensitive Skin (25 wipes) described as a "4 in 1 cleanser, eye make-up remover, toner and moisturiser". Normally ₤1.99 - on offer for ₤0.99.
• L'Oreal Elvive Nourish and Shine Highlights Shampoo and Conditioner 400ml per bottle. Normally ₤3.79 each - on offer for ₤1.84 each!! Such a good price for the size!
• John Frieda Frizz Ease Intensive Masque. ₤1.99 (no offer - expensive I think for what you get but Mum likes this as an occasional treat for her hair).
• I Love... Raspberry and Blackberry Bubble Bath and Shower Creme 500ml. ₤2.05 (no offer - but OMG I can't complain as it's an amazing price for a 500ml multi-tasker. I really want to try this.) 
• L'Oreal Elvive Full Restore 5 Conditioning Replenish Spray for "weak, limp and lifeless hair" - it's basically a leave-in conditioner. Normally ₤3.79 - on offer for ₤1.84. I've used the Full Restore 5 shampoo and conditioner before, which is brilliant and does make your hair look and feel really healthy, so I expect this product would work wonders too.
• Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Varnish in 260 Funtime Fuschia. ₤3.69.
• Impulse Body Spray in True Love and Temptation. Normally ₤1.99 each - on offer for ₤0.95 each. I always buy this for myself too if it's on offer.
• Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat - it says "no chip shine for up to 10 days, 30 seconds to set". Normally ₤4.95 - on offer for ₤3.99. My Mum loves her nail varnish and she's a busy lady, so I thought this would be perfect for her - if it does what it says on the tin (er, or box) then I'm definitely going back and buying it for myself!
• Palmolive Soft and Gentle Anti-White Marks Anti-Perspirant Deodrant 150ml. Normally ₤1.89 - on offer for ₤0.99.  

I bought all of these items this weekend (Mother's Day weekend) so the offers are current. Unfortunately I have no idea how long they're on for and it didn't seem to say anywhere in the store or online. But hopefully if you're heading to Superdrug this week you'll still be able to take advantage - let me know if you do and what you buy!

Beauty Bird xx

Beauty Bargain Alert! I Love... Cosmetics Ltd Lip Balm

I absolutely had to blog about this lip balm by I Love... Cosmetics Ltd as it is such good value for money!

The lip balm is called I Love... Raspberry and Blackberry Glossy Lip Balm and it's HUGE! 15ml to be precise! 

It's a gorgeous pink colour but as you can see on the shot below of it on my finger, it doesn't come out as pigmented as you might originally think, despite how intense the colour looks in the pot.

However once on your lips, it does give a nice glossy sheen of colour, which I think is great for a subtle daytime look. The balm itself is not sticky at all and feels really moisturising. It also smells divine! I love...!

So how much is this beauty of a balm? Wait for it... you might be shocked... £0.99!!!

I think this is amazing, considering the very comparable Born Lippy lip balms by The Body Shop are £2.00 for only 10ml. I would recommend trying this lip balm if you like The Body Shop ones; you'll be paying £1.01 less for 5ml more!

There are lots of other products and flavours in the I Love... Cosmetics Ltd range at great prices including shower gels and bubble baths, which I'll definitely have to try out after using this. You can get the range from Superdrug - click here to view on their website.

Have you tried any of the products from this range? What's your favourite?

Beauty Bird xx

NOTD: Grunge Glam

I haven't painted my nails in awhile - I'm a very impatient nail painter - but as I had some spare time I sat down with "Don't Tell The Bride" on BBC3 and went for it! I'm going to see my friend's rock band at the weekend, so I decided I wanted my nails dressed to match but with a girly edge! I've been inspired by nails with a solid colour base and a sparkly topcoat on blog posts by Makeup For the Inept and Smokey Eyes MUA so I decided to try the below varnishes for my own take on the look.

L to R:

Barry M Basecoat, Topcoat and Nail Hardener All in One (GREAT multitasking product!)

Rimmel I Love Lasting Finish in 500 Disco Ball (silver, blue and purple sparkles)

Rimmel Sixty Seconds in 805 Grey Matter

What I especially love about the Rimmel Sixty Seconds polish is that it has a larger brush, which for me, makes it easier to apply the varnish. 

So, put all these nail varnishes together and what do you get? Grunge glam nails! :-) (As you can see I'm not the neatest at painting nails, but the excess usually peels off the skin quite easily after I've been in the shower or washed my face.)

What's your favourite nail look or colour at the moment? Are there any you'd recommend?

Beauty Bird xx

Review: Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer

Last week I ran out of my normal under eye concealer - Clinique Airbrush Concealer, which I have been using for years and really love. But being on a tight budget this month and the Clinique concealer costing £16.00, sadly I resigned myself to finding a new, cheaper concealer.

I went into Boots to have a look at what under eye concealer was available for under £10.00. The first one I looked at was Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer, which was on offer - £4.99 down from £6.99! (I had a look on Boots website but it doesn't say how long this offer is on for.) Loving how much of a bargain this was, I didn't bother looking at anything else, picked up the lighest shade for my pale skin (ivory) and went straight to the till! Bit impulsive for me...! 

The description of this concealer on Boots' website is: "Experience our 1st gel-infused concealer that illuminates & hides imperfections for brighter and more awake-looking eyes".

My first impression of this is how orange the colour is, which fazed me a bit as my old Clinique concealer is quite pink.

The result of this is that you do have to make sure you blend it really well, but once on it seemed to be just as effective as Clinique. I applied this while tilting my face downwards in the light, as it shows you exactly the area of the dark circle to conceal and I've read that applying too much can actually make the dark circles look worse. I've tried to show the effect below - the left eye has no concealer and the right has the Dream Lumi Touch applied. (Apologies for the slightly scared/surprised looking eyes! :s)

I've read a few bad reviews on this concealer, such as the tube running out really quickly and it causing dryness on the under eye area. So I will feedback on this in a couple of weeks' time. But having only it used it for two days and costing me just £4.99, I think it's an absolute bargain!

Have you used this concealer before? What do you think of it? Would love to hear your feedback :-)

Beauty Bird xx

First EVER Blog Post...

Hello Bloggersphere! This is my first ever blog and the first ever blog post - I'm kinda nervous! This first post is just really for you to know a little bit more about me and what to expect from my blog.

MAKE-UP

I "discovered" make-up quite late on compared to most of my friends - originally my idea of putting on my make-up was a quick curl of my eyelashes and some clear mascara!! Oddly enough, I felt too insecure to wear much make-up; I didn't want to draw any attention to myself and I didn't want to get it wrong. Don't get me wrong, I don't slap it on now Big Fat Gypsy Wedding style, but I realised in my late teens that it can actually help with your confidence, it's creative, it's fun, it's individual and it's part of who you are. I'm definitely no make-up artist or expert, far from it - I still can't use dark eyeshadows as I end up looking like a drag queen every time!! I'm very pale with blue eyes, so this will affect the types and shades of make-up products I blog about. 

SKINCARE

I think I will write a separate, more detailed blog post on my skin history, but in brief I suffered from mild acne throughout my teens, which affected me deeply and unfortunately I still carry some mental scars from this period of my life. My skin is much better now, but it is extremely fussy and still spot prone, so I have to be very careful about what skincare and make-up products I use as the smallest thing can set it off. Therefore this will also affect the sort of products I blog about. 

I decided to set up this blog as a bit of a hobby really, so I can indulge in my love of all things beautilicious. I love reading magazines about new products, new ranges, make-up looks, skincare regimes, product reviews - but I love reading blogs even more, you get that more personal, honest touch from other people just like you, who aren't perfect and airbrushed like in magazines. If just one person gets something out of what I've written that will be more than I hoped for :-)

I think that's pretty much it for now - I don't want to bore anyone's socks off! :p 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and if you have questions at all please ask :-)

Bye for now!

Beauty Bird xx