Urban Decay Primer Potion Comparison

I was lucky enough to receive the Naked Palette for Christmas last year, it still feels odd saying last year! I also received samples of 4 of the Urban Decay eye primers. I wasn't actually aware that there was more than one version of the Primer Potion but it was great to actually try these all out so I could decide which one was best for me. I've used different ones over the past month and I'm going to share my thoughts on each, they're actually all very different!

I'll start with the original... This primer differs from the next two I'm going to talk about as it dries transparent. It helps to even out the skin tone across your lid but wont add any colour. This is one of my favourites of the four. I think this would be a good one to go for if you tend to wear different types of eye-shadow as it would work for shimmery or matt shadows.

Next is Eden. I'm really torn between this and the original primer. This primer dries a nude colour which I find is really great as a base and helps to make nude colours stand out a bit more. It just kind of gives you a clean slate to work with. It is matt, which is great for me as I tend to stick to matt shadows on a day to day basis. If you're into your shimmers and glitters then this might not be the best for you.

The complete opposite of this is the third primer, Sin. This is a shimmery primer which is a pinky colour, its actually similar to the shade Sin in the first Naked Palette. This primer really helps to make shimmery shadows pop and look that little bit more shimmery. It's actually a really nice colour all on its own!

The least used primer was the Anti-Ageing primer. I didn't use this much simply because it's not a prouduct that's really aimed at my skin type. It is similar to the Original primer because it dries transparent. Its a different texture which actually makes it a little easier to apply. This is thinner and less tacky than the others, this feels more like a moisturiser. I don't know if this has any effect on the staying power of the shadow but it seemed to work just as well.

I am so torn between whether to go with the original or Eden. I'm thinking I'll probably end up going for Original to start with, simply because it is a bit more versatile. Of course there's always the option of getting both...

Products first impressions

This week I ordered a few 'essentials' from boots. At least I call them essentials... mostly just to justify buying them to myself! They were pretty basic things though, but I thought I'd share my first impressions because its easy to overlook everyday things that aren't all that exciting!

First on my list was the Vichy Life Serum, I wrote about this on my wishlist post earlier. As you can see I'm wasting no time getting started on ticking items off this list, I've got my eye on the Tarte Palette next...

I really love the packaging of this product and the fact that its a pump dispenser, rather than having to squeeze it out of a bottle. I feel like there's less waste this way and you can get just the amount you need. As for the actual product, I love it. I had already had a sample, which is why I decided to purchase the full size. One thing I really love is the smell, it has a lovely scent and it also makes my skin feel really soft.

Next up is Bumble and Bumble Colour Minded Shampoo and Conditioner. I bought this because for the last couple of months I've coloured my hair auburn. I love the colour but as anyone else who's an unnatural red head will know, reds fade quickly! Mine seemed to fade after a few washes, almost back to my original blonde. Not wanting to dye my hair every couple of weeks, I read up that sulphate free shampoo is the way to go. So that's why I went with this one! I used this shampoo today and I cant comment yet on how effective it is at stopping colour fading because you cant really tell after one use. But I can tell you that this shampoo and conditioner makes my hair feel lovely. It feels soft but not flat. Some shampoo makes my hair really shiny and soft but it takes all the texture out and I'm left with hair stuck to my head. I actually feel like my colour looks a little bit brighter, now that might just be me thinking that but it was already starting to fade and it seems a bit more vibrant. I went with the smaller size because its isnt cheap and I thought I'd better try it out first before getting a bigger bottle.

I also got the Rimmel lasting finish foundation. I had been using Rimmel wake me up foundation and mixing it with a lighter BB cream because it was a tiny bit dark for me and call me crazy but I actually like to be quite pale. Not an unhealthy pale just a nice pale! Anyway, I ran out of this and went on the search for a new foundation. I came across this one and decided to give it ago. First impression is that it smells great, not overpowering but it just smells nice. Which isnt essential in a foundation but its a nice touch. I went for Ivory and it actually matches me perfectly. It's a full coverage foundation, but when blended in it could be a medium. I don't feel like I really need to much coverage, especially when I'm also using concealer but this gives a good cover. It's meant to last 25 hours, I don't know why 25...seems a bit random to me. I'm not sure about this yet but I've had it on most of today and it seems to be staying.

I got 2 brushes with my order, a Real Techniques Stippling brush and a Bare Minerals brow master brush. I used both today. The stippling brush is really good at buffing foundation into the skin to give a more natural finish, which is great because no one wants cakey make-up!

I really love the Brow brush from Bare Minerals, I like that there is a brush one end for combing through the eyebrows ad then a brush the other for applying powder. The brush for applying powder is thin so you can get a nice precise line and it was really easy to use to do my brows. Also considering I have been using a small eye-shadow brush for my brows recently it makes a huge difference.

I ran out of cleanser recently and I didn't have another, aghr! So I had to purchase some more, I'm not to fussy with my cleanser and I'm just going through testing different ones until find a favourite.I went with Garnier Simply Essentials soothing and cleansing lotion. I chose this because its good for sensitive skin and since I use cleanser everyday I like to go with something that's fairly gentle. I used this today and I don't have any complaints, I like it and it makes my skin feel cleaner, which is all you can really ask for. It was a good choice!

Let me know if you've tried these products and what you think, since they're still fairly new to me it would be good to know other peoples experience using these products.

xxx

19th Birthday!

So today was my 19th Birthday, I woke up to snow this morning, although it all melted away pretty quickly! I didn't get up to that much today but last night we headed to the cinema to watch Daddy's Home. Definitely worth a watch, it was hilarious! Today was pretty chilled, but that's how I like it.

I like to reflect on what I've done this past year but I don't tend to plan much for the year ahead, just go with the flow! Saying that though, I do actually have things I want to achieve this year. Number one is to move out and it looks like I'll be on track to do that in the next 6 months or so...very excited! I'd also like to pass my driving test this year. I started taking lessons last year and hopefully this year I'll get it finished! I also want to really work more on my blog this year, I want to post more often and post better content. I'm still getting to grips with everything and it will take time of course but I'm learning, slowly but surely.

As for what I did this year...the main thing for me this year was passing my apprenticeship (both the worst and best thing I've ever done) and getting a job. I was lucky to be taken on at the same place I did my apprenticeship, I know a lot of people in my class had to go out and find jobs elsewhere at the end of theirs. I also started driving lessons, which was a big step because I was so nervous! I put it off for so long and I'm so happy that I finally started!

I feel like I have grown and changed (for the best) a lot this past year and I'm looking forward to see what next year brings! Now I'm off to eat some cake and do a bit of online shopping!

xxx

Lush 'Love and Light' Hand Cream

I'm still ploughing through all the Lush gifts I got for Christmas. My bath bomb and bubble bar supply is slowly shrinking though, maybe time for another trip to lush soon! One item I received in a gift box was the Love and Light hand cream. I've never tried a hand cream from lush before so it was great to get something I probably wouldn't have picked up. Although lets be honest, I'm sure I would have tried it out myself at some point! 

Dry hands, luckily, isn't something I really have a problem with so I do tend to neglect them sometimes. I really shouldn't, especially not during the winter months, so I've been keeping this at the side of my bed to remind me before I go to sleep and when I wake up to use it. This tactic is working pretty well so far! 

The actual product is really good, I wasn't sure what to expect, as I haven't tried any of the lush hand cream before but I wasn't disappointed. From what I've read in other reviews this hand cream is quite light compared to others, I cant comment on that but I can say that it is light and not sticky at all. It absorbs well into the skin and this makes it perfect to apply throughout the day or in the morning. There's nothing worse than having greasy, sticky hands, euckk! Although it is light it is still so great for moisturising hands! I have a patch of dry skin, kind of like eczema on my hand and I've tried lots of different creams in an attempt to clear this up. It's not cleared up completely but it has been massively better since using this cream and it's no longer flaky and dry. For this reason alone I love this product and will definitely be getting it again! 

Then there's the scent. I have to admit I didn't love the smell at first. But after using it for a little while I've started to really like it. It smells of oranges, as this product contains orange oil and its actually really calming. It's not to strong of a scent though, if it was super strong I don't think I would like it half as much, but its just right! Definitely worth grabbing this next time you're in Lush! 

xxx

A new goal every month

This month I've given up takeaways, that might not sound like a big deal to some of you, giving up takeaways for 4 weeks but to a Pizza Hut addict like me, its hard! Just typing the word pizza makes my mouth water. I decided to give it up because in December I ate...excessively. This includes lots and lots of takeaways, I don't think I touched anything remotely healthy. It has actually been a bit easier than expected, I think this is partly because its January and I cant actually afford to indulge in my usual takeaways. Also after a December full of bad food I'm frankly sick of looking at junk food, not something I thought I'd ever say! 

So after making it halfway through this month without caving in (don't speak to soon, there's still a way to go!) I've decided I want to try and do something every month. Maybe by the end of the year I'll be able to give up chocolate for a month...HAHA! 

Most of the things I do are just habit and I figure that if I can go a month without something then I can probably live without it. Some of these goals I think I'll stick to and some I will probably drop as soon as the month ends! But lets see how it goes, I'll do a post at the end of this month when I've decided on Februarys goal, I already have an idea of what I'm going to do...

Hows everyone else's new years goals going?

xxx

4 Products I want to try in 2016

I know its just been Christmas, is anyone else still a bit depressed that its all over? but I have already started thinking about products I want to try out this year. The 'what I got for Christmas' posts and videos really aren't helping matters! However this year is focused largely on moving out into my first place which is great but it is also expensive, so spending on beauty products will have to take a bit of a back seat, as much as I hate to say it! I'm sure I will still find excuses to treat myself but I'll just have to think a bit more about what I get. That said, here's my list of 4 products I definitely want to get this year: 

Vichy Idealia Life Serum- I got a small sample of this with a Feel Unique order and I loved it! It made my skin feel noticeably better even after only a few days use. Its quite pricey compared to what I usually go for but I'm willing to pay when it comes to looking after my skin. I've had the tester sat in the bottom of my make-up bag for ages, I'm guessing I put it there to remind myself to get some! I spotted it in there this morning and I just tested the remaining product on the back of my hand to see if it was actually as good as I remember...it is, smells great as well! It's currently on sale at boots! I also really like the word Serum...

Benefit They're Real Mascara- My life will not be complete until I am the owner of a limited edition They're Real Mascara. I haven't tried this mascara before but I've seen it everywhere and its about time I got it. Of course when I found out there was a limited edition version decorated in Swarovski crystals, I decided I had to get that one. I'm not sure how limited edition it is, i.e. when it will stop being sold but hopefully I'll get in before its gone!

Tartelette in bloom clay palette- I have seen this on a couple of blogs and youtube channels and it looks so lovely. Like most, I am a fan of my neutral shades and this is full of gorgeous neutral shades. I can see myself using most of them for just everyday make-up. I also love the names of the shades in this palette, my personal favourite is firecracker. 

Benefit Lip Tint - I'm not one to go for a bold lip, or a bold anything for that matter. But lips particularly I usually like to keep natural, I usually just apply lip balm throughout the day and don't bother with any other product. But there are some days when I feel like doing a little bit more. They have 4 shades of lip/cheek tint, my favourite is posietint so that's the one I'll be trying out first. 

And that's all...well I say that's all, there's plenty more and no doubt more will be added to my list but these are the things I've been lusting after the most at the minute. What products are you hoping to try out this year? 

xxx

Cleaning out my closet

I'll admit I'm a bit (ok, a lot) of a clothes hoarder. This has resulted in me having a wardrobe full of items I don't even wear, some items have never even been worn. Its hard to see what you do have and don't have and its also not much fun getting ready when you don't actually like most of the pieces you own. I have some things that don't even fit properly.

I was scrolling down my feed earlier this week and saw this post about starting a minimal wardrobe. I thought now was the perfect time to start with it being a new year and all. My goal here is to only own prices I actually wear, that means no hanging onto pieces I love but know deep down I will never wear. How many items do you own that were bought only to be stuck in the wardrobe and never taken out again. I know I have a LOT. Also my style has changed over time and I'm more interested now in buying more quality pieces rather than buying a lot of cheap stuff. Not only will the better quality pieces last longer, it also means that I'll have to think a bit more before I buy something, rather than just buying it on impulse.

Today I cleaned out my wardrobe, I do this quite often but this time I ACTUALLY got rid of things I know I wont be wearing. My wardrobe looks pretty empty now, but I actually love that, its like a blank canvas.The basic idea of having a minimal wardrobe is that everything you own is something you love, its also a general rule that everything you buy should be something that is versatile and can be paired with other pieces you own. Also 1 rule is that you're only allowed to buy 5 pieces of clothing for every season (WHAT!) At first when I read about a minimal wardrobe I thought it meant only owning a few pieces of clothing, which frankly, I would not be able to do. But after further reading I discovered that it simply meant getting rid of things you don't want in your life to make room for new. That I can do!

The main reason I am doing this now is that I feel like after a few years of trying different things out, I have found my style and I know the kind of things I like to wear. My style has changed a lot and I really dont like a lot of the items I own now so I am basically starting from scratch. Which personally I think is great. I have been in need of a long awaited clear out for a long time and now's the time!

xxx

Simple Eye Make-up Remover

In this post I'm going to talk about a product that I haven't had for long at all but I already love it and I wanted to share. Its make-up remover, maybe not the most exciting product but its something we all use. More specifically its Simple Eye Make-up remover. 

Let me start by saying that I have really sensitive skin in general and the skin around your eyes is extra sensitive. My eyes also tend to react badly to products they don't like, they go all puffy and red and its just not a great look. So I am very cautious now when buying anything meant for my eyes. Annoyingly though, my eyes are the place where I probably wear the most make-up and all that eye-liner and mascara needs taking off at the end of the day! 

I have previously just been washing my face then cleansing and that gets rid of a lot but not all of my make-up. So I picked up the Simple eye make-up remover. I chose to go with the Simple brand because I've never had a problem with any of their products and find that they usually do the job without irritating my skin. They're perfume and colour free, I think these two factors are usually the biggest culprits irritating my skin. I love products that smell great but for products I use everyday, particularly ones I use on my face, I like to go as natural and gentle as possible. 

This make-up remover is great! Its very gentle, sometimes I get a bit of stinging around my eye when I wipe it but with this I don't get anything. It literally feels like I'm just using water on my face. It still does the job though and does it really well. I struggle to remove all of my liquid eye-liner with my usual methods but this honestly makes it so easy! Its so gentle that it doesn't really even sting when you get some in your eye. I'm not going around pouring this stuff in my eye and I don't recommend that you do either but its inevitable that its going to get in there a some point, especially if you're as clumsy as I am! 

Price wise this is also great as its only £1.49 at Super Drug and the bottle should last a couple of months, depending on how much and how often you use it of course. I would really recommend this, especially if you have sensitive skin like me. 

xxx

This weeks make-up buys

I went into town earlier this week and inevitably ended up in Superdrug. I was there mostly just to stock up and replace products I'd run out of but I still thought it would be nice to share my buys. 

Maybelline Falsies Mascara - I have been using this mascara almost everyday for quite a while now and I really like it. It curls as well as lengthens my lashes. Its also only £8. It does need replacing every few weeks, like most mascaras, as it does get clumpy. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Primer - This is a new purchase. I needed a primer because I don't actually use one and my foundation usually wears off pretty easily over the course of the day and by mid day my skin looks pretty much how it did pre-make-up. So I decided to give this a try, I actually got a sample of it in a Feel Unique order and I liked how it felt on my skin. Saying that I haven't really had it long enough or tested it out enough to tell you how I feel about this one. The real test will be seeing if it can make my foundation last all day while I'm at work. 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - I've used this concealer in the past a lot and I really like it so that's why I've gone with this one again! It doesn't give the best coverage ever but it does help to make your skin appear a bit brighter, which is exactly what I need first thing in the morning, especially under my eyes. I also use the Wake Me Up Foundation and I quite like my concealer and foundation to match, is anyone else like that?! Maybe I'm just a weirdo!

Lottie Tweezers - Not much to report here! I just needed some new tweezers because I had 'misplaced' mine. I'd been searching for them for a couple of days and of course as soon as I bought these new ones they turned up!

Burt's Bees lip balms - I actually got these from Holland and Barrett. I don't usually go in here but my boyfriend wanted to go to look at protein (so boring). I had no idea they sold Burt's Bees lip balms, i picked up a cherry one and an ultra conditioning one. My lips are a big problem in that they're always chapped and dry. The ultra conditioning lip balm is working really well so far though so maybe I can finally sort them out!

That's all I got this time! There's a few more products I'd like to try out soon, maybe I'll post a wishlist!  

xxx

New year goal #1

First of all, Happy New Year! I hope you all had a lovely night :)

The last week (or two) has been a week of food, food and more food. Its been great for me but not so great for my hair, skin or anything else for that matter. My skin particularly is suffering, its feeling dry and looking dull. Thankfully by some miracle I haven't broken out in tons of spots! I haven't been drinking a lot of water at all and my skin really suffers when I forget to drink a lot, on top of that I've been eating lots and LOTS of sugar. I also stopped taking my vitamins which definitely had an impact! 

My skin routine has also taken a bit of a bad turn, I've been getting a bit lazy and its just adding to the whole problem. So I've been promising myself that come 1st January I will get back into my usual routine. Looks like the 1st January has come! and its only 3 more days till I'm back to work, how did that happen?! 

So with that said, my first goal of the year is to get myself back into my routine and to start getting properly back into eating healthier. I'm not about to start any drastic diets or anything, I've already had a text trying to sell me detoxing tea! 

Before the new year I also started a bit of a workout routine, I didn't stick to it all that well I'll admit but hey, it was December and its hard to stick at a healthy lifestyle when delish food is being thrown at you left, right and centre. I also have no willpower, especially when it comes to chocolate, my sweet tooth is ridiculous! But now is the time to get back on track. I wasn't planning to loose any weight, just to tone up but I think I'll do a little bit more cardio now, just until the extra Christmas weight is gone! I'll probably blog a bit about it on here, mostly to keep me motivated, if I know I have somewhere to come and kind of measure my progress then it will hopefully keep me from giving up!

Now I'm off to eat some porridge, down a load of water and have a bit of a pamper session! 

xxx

Urban decay naked palette

I was so excited this Christmas when I unwrapped an urban decay naked palette! This has been on my wish list for a while now and honestly if I hadn't been lucky enough to receive it as a gift this Christmas I would have probably gone out and bought it myself eventually! I asked for the original palette as that's the one I could see myself using most often. 

I've used it pretty much every day since Christmas and I've barely made a dent. My favourite shades for everyday use are Virgin, Buck and Naked. I didn't know if I would be a massive fan of the more sparkly shades but I actually love them. I love all the shades and I'm sure I'll get plenty of use out of all of them, even the darker shades that you probably wouldn't use for everyday wear. 

The palette also came with a brush, which is actually really great. One side applies the prouduct while the other is meant for blending. 

In the box along with the palette was also some samples of urban decays primer potion. I don't know why but I have always thought there was only one primer potion, but turns out there's 4 different types?! You get a little sample of each. The info says that each sample gods over a weeks worth of primer. When I first read that I looked at the little samples and thought, pshh yeah ok...but I've used the original primer every day and I only have to use a tiny amount so it will probably actually last longer.

So far I've only used the original primer, but I'm looking forward to trying the rest! It definitely makes a difference so I'll be getting the full size primer once the samples are all used up! 

I won't bang on for too long about this as no doubt many of you already own at least one of the Naked palettes but let me know which one is your favourite. I'm thinking of investing in another soon! 

Xxx