BLAME IT ON NARS! [Cheek Palette Review]

Hello everyone! Today’s review is of the new Blame it on NARS Cheek Palette (£45) which is a Selfridges exclusive in the UK. I don’t know how long it’ll be around, so I wanted to review it as soon as I had gathered my complete thoughts on it. It was quite an impulsive purchase I have to say, I was umming and ahhing about it, but in the end I was clearly sold!

Firstly let us admire the packaging, I love this new rectangular box design from NARS, though a little bulky, it is sturdy and less prone to foundation finger prints like regular NARS stuff. The beautiful paint design behind the text is certainly a sight for sore eyes. It’s what drew me to this right away, the strokes of coloured paint merging together with splatters here and there, a perfect artistic mess. For some reason it reminds me of the very essence of makeup, how you can be so creative, so free to express yourself through this art and how there really are no rules. A little deep for a makeup box? Maybe, but that’s how I feel when I look at it. I love it so much so that I almost bought the other two palettes (sets of three lip pencils) because they are just as beautiful...then I remembered my bank account was already mad at me and well that calmed me down pretty quick ._.

So anyways, on to the palette, we have four powders and a mini ITA brush, with a large mirror on the inside. Although it’s pretty bulky, I still find that it’s good for a weekend away because the large mirror means I can comfortably do my whole face makeup looking at this. The powder sizes are pretty generous, with the Casino bronzer having the most - 4.5g and the other three containing 4g of powder. A standard single NARS blusher contains 4.8g of powder and costs £23 each, so you really are getting a lot for your money - especially as the casino powder is just 0.3g less than a full size!

had to take another photo to show you accurate colours of the blush pans!

The palette contains a Highlight shade - Satellite of love which is a permanent in their line, Casino Bronzer which is one of the main reasons why I picked this up, because more often than not they add laguna in their cheeks palettes and I already have a couple! The two blushes are Day dream a matte peachy shade and New Attitude a previously limited edition, blue-toned pink. I will run through more in-depth descriptions of each shade a little later, now on to the mini Ita brush. I’ve been looking everywhere for a post which compared the full sized Ita, which costs £43 (far more than I would EVER be willing to pay for a brush) and the mini Ita. The best comparison I’ve found is here from which, as you can see there is a slight difference in length, the full sized one is a teeny bit longer and also less thick. I don’t think these make a huge difference in the effect the brush has overall, so the mini Ita brush has satisfied my craving for owning the full sized one, without dropping a lot of cash on ONE brush! It’s shed around 2 hairs but aside from that I have had no issues with it.

The powders:
Satellite of Love: This is the biggest disappointment for me in the whole palette and I wish they had included Albatross instead. It’s a warm toned highlight which deposits more glitter than actual... well highlight. I thought it was one of those shades which just swatch badly, but on the skin it looks just as meh. I don’t really know who this would look good on, perhaps much deeper skintones however it’ll take a lot of building up and with that will come a lot more glitter on the cheekbones. If you do pick this cheek palette don’t say I didn’t warn you D:

Casino Bronzer: I LOVE this bronzer, in fact I think NARS do some of the best bronzers on the whole market. I recently picked up the NARS Tahiti Laguna Bronzer and it’s gorgeous, gives a sunkissed look all over but it can also be used to contour with some building up. Casino is a good few shades deeper without being red or orange toned, like the other NARS bronzers making it look very natural. It blends effortlessly and though it is darker, I find it much quicker to get defined features, without any sort of muddiness whatsoever! It swatches a lot more orange than it appears on the skin,

Daydream: I love this shade, it’s probably my second favourite powder from the quad and it’ll look wonderful on all skintones. It was a shade included in the beautiful Guy Bourdin Holiday palette, which I didn’t pick up at the time so I’m pleased to have it in my collection. A matte peach with no shimmer or sparkle, meaning you can apply almost as much highlight as you like without it clashing with a shimmery blush and having the whole thing look like a disco ball on your cheeks! Peachy blushers are a dream on warm skintones and this one is no different!

New Attitude: This is a blue toned pink, which has a matte but not flat kinda finish like daydream. I was worried it wouldn't work well on my warm toned skin, but as always you shouldn’t judge a blush by what is in the pan! Although it’s very different from my normal favourites - deep throat and Torrid, it still looks lovely on the skin and the advantage of having it in a palette means you can mix it up if needs be. It’s beautifully pigmented, not powdery and blends like a dream as with the other two (we aren’t counting the highlighter glitter fest here). Overall a blush with the beautiful NARS quality I have come to love!

I think you should consider picking this palette up if you’ve not tried many NARS blushes, or the casino bronzer and also if you want to try the Ita brush. There really isn’t a huge amount of difference between the mini and full sized, both allow you to create a contour line and blend out the powder with ease, though don’t expect the bristles to be super soft. The firmness means you can create structure and I must say it’s perfect for adding a tiny bit of definition to the sides of the nose too, once you start you can’t stop trust me xD. It’s my first ever cheek palette from NARS and value wise I am pretty chuffed to have this in my collection!

What do you think of the Blame it on NARS cheek palette?

Overall Rating: 8.5

Pros: Good value for money, the powder sizes are very close to single powder sizes and the quality is just as good. It’s one of the first palettes they have made which doesn’t include Laguna, so I finally got to try casino without splashing out a large amount on the full size and the bronzer itself exceeded my expectations! The ITA brush is awesome, I never really considered purchasing the full size because of that hefty price tag attached to it, but this mini Ita is practically identical and does a great job, especially on the go. The blush shades are beautiful and versatile too, with the matte-but-not-flat finishes, ample pigmentation and at least 7-8 hour lasting time on the skin I couldn’t ask for more.

Cons: That dreadful highlight shade - glitter for days! It’s kind of what I would expect from a cheap brand for a couple of quid. Not my cuppa tea at all.

Repurchase? Well it’s L/E so I won’t be able to! But if this disappeared and I still could then yes I would repurchase it. Despite the disappointing highlight shade, I really think the other three + Ita make up for it.

 

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BLAME IT ON NARS! [Cheek Palette Review]

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Review | Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit

Barry M are my all time favourites when it comes to nail varnishes, but aside from those I’ve never really tried much of their makeup line. As the high-street is catching up with contouring craze (though I feel like Sleek were there way before anyone else) it’s exciting to try out what there is to offer at a budget price. The Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit costs £6.49 and just to give you a heads up I liked this so much that I bought one for each of my best-friends!

The size of the kit is great for traveling and for storage, it slots away neatly and isn’t annoyingly bulky. Cardboard packaging isn’t the most sturdy of course, but it does the job well enough and is super lightweight. It keeps shut with a sturdy magnetic fastening and on the inside of the lid they have included three detailed and useful illustrations on where to put each shade. This was actually the first contour kit I purchased aside from Sleek because I was happy with using individual bronzers to add definition (e.g Bahama Mama from The Balm review) and similarly individuals powders to highlight (Ben Nye Banana Powder Review and Mary-Lou from The Balm Review).

It contains 3 matte shades, one to highlight which is slightly yellow toned, one to bronze and add that natural sunkissed warmth and finally the slightly grey-toned contour to sculpt out your cheekbones. The highlight shade I assumed would be good for setting the under-eye but a couple of hours later I found that it just didn’t hold up half as well as my trusty Ben Nye banana powder or my Bourjois healthy balance one. So personally I’m not going to be using it to set liquid or cream concealer but it works pretty well to brighten up all the areas you use your regular highlighter, especially for a work day or a quick 5 minute makeup routine. I love that the bronzer doesn’t lean on the orange side of things but a light hand is necessary because it’s super pigmented and matte which means it can be easy to over-do it. Finally the contour shade is not the most defining I’ve ever come across but it certainly does the job. I love that it’s cool toned and will work for those with light skin to those with olive skin too.

The powders are beautifully soft and aptly pigmented, but they don’t come off as harsh on the skin. Price point these are the obvious choice for anyone new to contouring but the quality means its well worth purchasing for everyone. Contouring doesn’t have to be all fancy or take 500 steps, if you think about it when you apply a base you’re changing all your skin-colour to the same and losing the dimensions and contours of the face, so a bit of shadow here and there and highlight in the right places is to a certain extend necessary (especially if wearing a medium/full coverage base).

Final Verdict:

Product rating: 8 

Pros: It contains everything a beginner needs to start contouring, the powders are soft and pigmented yet very blendable, the packaging is lightweight, travel friendly and fastens shut with magnets making it secure. It’s super affordable and you get a decent amount of product in each pan, the shades could work for those with light to medium skintones and none of the colours are orange based which is brilliant! It contains detailed illustrations telling you where to put each powder and I think this is the perfect little kit for day-to-day slight definition and highlight.

Cons: On my skin it doesn’t last all day, I wouldn’t opt for this on a day where I want my makeup to last from A.M - Night.

Repurchase? As I’ve recently bought a high-end contour kit (keep your eyes out for the next few Thursdays it’ll be featured then) I don’t think I will be buying this again anytime soon but in a few years time, I wouldn’t rule it out! It’s a great kit for those first getting into contouring and for those who are looking for an affordable kit which does what it says on the tin.

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Review | Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit

Barry M are my all time favourites when it comes to nail varnishes, but aside from those I’ve never really tried much of their makeup line. As the high-street is catching up with contouring craze (though I feel like Sleek were there way before anyone else) it’s exciting to try out what there is to offer at a budget price. The Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit costs £6.49 and just to give you a heads up I liked this so much that I bought one for each of my best-friends!

Bronzing on a Budget | E.L.F Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream

Hey everybody, I hope you’re all well! I’m finally adding another post to one of my favourite series and today its focused on a cream bronzer and blusher duo. If you were to ask me to recommend you 5 products to pick up from E.L.F, this would be one of them. In the range there are at least two powder versions available, however both the bronzers contain shimmer and because of this I just wasn’t the biggest fan. This cream version however is in a whole new league of drugstore bronzers!

It is packaged in the standard, can get a little grubby, black plastic casing with a decent mirror inside. In my opinion its sturdy and super convenient for travelling. You get about 4g of blush and 4g of bronzer which is a really decent amount for the £3.95 price.

I find the shade of the bronzer so versatile, it would look great from fair to medium skintones as it can be applied very lightly or built up. It has a light orange undertone, but leans more on the neutral side which makes it great for really warming up the face.  A little bit goes a long way and it blends beautifully into the skin without looking blotchy or streaky. At the moment I’m trying out the Dior NudeSkin foundation which is a smidge too light for me. This and the bourjois bronzing primer both work equally well for warming up the face and the fact that it adds a really gorgeous natural warmth makes it so amazing.

I find the words ‘contouring’ a little bit deceptive, you can achieve a very light type of contour if you layer this up bit by bit, but too much and it may end up looking too orange.  Before I bought the L.A Girl Pro Concealers  this is what I used under powder contour, for a long lasting structured contour. However the LA girl concealers in beautiful bronze and toast are deeper and work better for contouring (read my review with swatches here). This bronze and blush duo could probably make a decent contour shade for light skin-tones, but mainly its wonderful for warming up the face without much effort at all!

The best way to apply this duo is using fingers in my opinion, its the easiest way to apply a small amount and not go overboard. By drawing small lines under the cheekbones, around the perimeters or the face and a little on the side of the nose and then blending out the bronzer with the E.L.F Small Duo-Fibre Brush the product is perfectly blended out. The colour of the blusher is perfect with the shade of bronzer, it is a medium coral tone, not too pink and not too orange which matches the bronzer beautifully. I love applying and blending the blush with the warmth of my fingers because that’s how it looks to most natural, and I can add a little more if I need too.

 

Bronzer Roundup!

Orange or Red?

Neutral to slightly orange.

Pigmented?

Yes very pigmented, but also super blendable as it is a cream product, so don’t worry if it comes on too strong at first!

Matte or Shimmer?

Matte, but again due to its consistency it isn’t flat looking. It doesn't dry down to a powder finish in my opinion, more of a satin finish which looks super natural and is one of the main reasons why I adore it.

Buy Again?

Yes I would buy it again! This bronzer is just wonderful, and works great for me to warm up my face with a light base. Definitely one to add to your list next time you’re having a E.L.F shop!

 

Other bronzers in the series;

E.L.F Warm Bronzer

Rimmel Natural Bronzer  021 sunlight

 

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Bronzing on a Budget | E.L.F Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream

Hey everybody, I hope you’re all well! I’m finally adding another post to one of my favourite series and today its focused on a cream bronzer and blusher duo. If you were to ask me to recommend you 5 products to pick up from E.L.F, this would be one of them. In the range there are at least two powder versions available, however both the bronzers contain shimmer and because of this I just wasn’t the biggest fan. This cream version however is in a whole new league of drugstore bronzers!

Review | Bourjois Délice de Poudre bronzing powder & highlighter

Hello everybody, I hope you’re all well. Today I am going to be reviewing Bourjois’s bronzer and highlighter duo, or the fancy term: Bourjois Délice de Poudre (£7.99) After using it for about 3 weeks straight I am well and truly ready to share it with all you lovely people! The drugstore are getting good at creating these 2-in-1 products, but I can’t think of many decent contour and highlight kits aside from Sleek’s, so this was already well anticipated since I saw the release!





This duo is packaged in the same way as Bourjois’s well known delice de poudre and featuring the same scent too - of delicious chocolate (how they actually get it to smell like choccy I have no idea, but I’m certainly not complaining.) I also love the magnetic clasp, so if you pop this in your makeup bag, not only are you continently saving space and getting 2 products in 1, but the powder is securely protected and won’t open up!



As you can see the bronzer itself is shaped in four cute chunks, very much like the original. On the right hand side is the illuminating highlighter, which is almost white and not very pigmented. On the left is the bronzer which I would describe as a fantastic contour shade for light-medium skintones. It isn’t orange in colour when applied moderately, but it's just cool enough to give the perception of a shadow on the cheeks, adding definition without going over board. Although you can see slight shimmers in the pan, this doesn’t translate onto the skin at all, so I would describe this as a matte subtle contour. I think it gives a lovely naturally tan appearance, however it can be built up for more of a contour. For skintones over NC35, I think you could have a hard time getting this to show up as a contour and so it would work better as a light bronze all over the face.


The highlight shade does appear quite stark and I did shy away from it at first. However bourjois are brilliant at getting the pigmentation of their bronzers to a very buildable state. Meaning that one swipe won’t have you left with streaks on your face! The highlight/illuminator does take more building up (which is a good thing for a subtle everyday look). Using this has introduced me to how stunning white/silver toned highlights can look when used subtly and perhaps when not so bronzed.

As mentioned in my September favourites this really surprised me, it doesn’t look like much when you first swatch it, but I found myself enjoying using this often as it gave a beautiful subtle contour without much effort at all.  In comparison to the Sleek contour kit, I would say this shade is in between the light and medium powder. It gets the balance between warmth and definition spot on so unlike the contour kits from Sleek, it’s extremely hard to over do it!
In my 3 contour categories, quick, natural and sculpt, I would classify this one in the quick contour. I mean it could be a natural one too, as it is subtle, but for me the speed at which I can add a tad of definition is what impresses me the most.
I’m terrible at doing swatches, but I found some gorgeous ones HERE.
 

Final Verdict:

Product rating: 7

Pros: The bronzer is matte and works as a great contour for light-medium skintones. The pigmentation of both illuminator and bronzer are buildable. It smells like chocolate and looks like it too! It’s hard to over-do and quick to apply a dash of definition on the cheekbones and along the perimeter of the face, so a great product for on the go! The magnetic closing and the sturdy cardboard make it even more travel friendly. Having two products in one is not only convenient but saves space and money ^_^ Also I should mention that you get a heft 16g of powder, which is a generous 8g of each ^_^

Cons: The bronzer shade is not fantastic for deeper skintones. The highlight/illuminator is a little TOO sheer for my liking, I have to do a lot of building up, and I would have liked a small mirror in here for travelling. These are pretty minor in comparison to the quality of the product. 

Repurchase? Yes I think I would, this has become a solid reliable product for me and I like how its so quick and easy to use. I wouldn’t rely on this for all over bronzing as I prefer something warmer, but for quick contouring...me likes!

What is your favourite contouring duo?

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Review | Bourjois Délice de Poudre bronzing powder & highlighter

Hello everybody, I hope you’re all well. Today I am going to be reviewing Bourjois’s bronzer and highlighter duo, or the fancy term: Bourjois Délice de Poudre (£7.99) After using it for about 3 weeks straight I am well and truly ready to share it with all you lovely people! The drugstore are getting good at creating these 2-in-1 products, but I can’t think of many decent contour and highlight kits aside from Sleek’s, so this was already well anticipated since I saw the release!

Contouring 3 Ways |Sculpting-out-ya-cheekbones Contouring

Hello! I hope you are all well! I have started my second year at uni, and aside from some extra transport issues, its been a fantastic day, quite glad to be back to a having a routing and just getting educated y’know? Anyway todays post is the final part of my contouring series. I hope you’ve enjoyed them so far!

Sculpting-out-ya-cheekbones Contouring (AKA: Heavy/I’ve made a effort/KIM K)

This is your full on contour, chiselled cheekbones to perfection type of contour. My favourite way to do this for a special occasion is to actually layer up with creams and powders. So I start a liquid contour and then set it with a darker powder.

HOW:

1. Starting with either the E.L.F Cream contour duo or the L.A Girl PRO Conceal concealer in beautiful bronze. I carefully apply my contour in the areas shown on your standard face chart. Of course every face shape is different, so it could take a little experimenting and trial and error to find the right ‘place’ to add the bronzer onto your face. Generally I feel for the bone area and apply the cream contour JUST under. I always add some cream contour to the jawline to disguise that double chin!
2. Then I take my e.l.f small stipple duo brush and gently buff and blend the contour out a little. At this point it will still look a little crazy but it’s alright, it’s all part of the process ^_^
3. Next taking a larger fluffy brush (95% of the time the trusty RT contour brush!) I gently tap it into a powder which isn’t a warm orange tone and go directly over the contour. Because the powder I use for a stronger contour is darker and more cool toned I never go heavy handed with this, again being gentle and taking your time add the powder. I always start at the top of the cheekbone and concentrate the most amount of contour powder at that point, blending downwards.
4. I then proceed to add blusher just over that contour line and blend the blush out upwards slightly. This adds colour to the cheeks, makes your face look more alive and slightly lessens the intensity of the contour. To me this makes the most flawless cheek and really gives the illusions that I don’t have chubby cheeks, instead I have cheekbones that could potentially slay. (am I getting carried away? ok I'm sorry but strong cheekbones change a girl!)

Nose Contouring?

With the nose its a tough one, honestly do not ever nose contour le nose in a hurry unless you’ve been doing it with plenty of practise, because nose contouring when gone wrong looks a lot worse than bad cheek contouring._. The best advice I can give it to literally youtube nose contouring and spend a decent amount of time observing how people do contour their noses because lets be honest, whilst there are probably 5 ‘face-shapes’ out there there are probably 10x the amount of different nose shapes and sizes.

I use and recommend:

The Balm Bahama Mama | £13.50: An amazing matte shade which is a cross between a dark brown and grey. It’s the first bronzer that I bought which has a real sculpting effect. It can look a little dark but applied precisely and blended out well and you can really achieve a fantastic shadow effect.

E.L.F Brow Kit in Medium | £3.95: You must be pretty confused if you haven’t read THIS post, but I’m sure you get the idea! This cool toned brown is literally the most wonderful sculpting contour I have ever discovered. It’s a tad lighter than Bahama Mama and so gives a shaped appearance with a little less effort.

Benefit Hoola Bronzer | £23.50: This is raved by beauty lovers all the time,  and there’s a great reason for it. It suits fair to medium skintones and can be built up with ease. I find that a little bit sculpts but I can also achieve a warmth from this matte shade too.

All three of these are wonderful sculpting powders and I love having them in my collection for when I want a stronger contour.

Which products do you turn to when you want a strong contour? I’d love to know!

Thanks for reading!

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Contouring 3 Ways |Sculpting-out-ya-cheekbones Contouring

Hello! I hope you are all well! I have started my second year at uni, and aside from some extra transport issues, its been a fantastic day, quite glad to be back to a having a routing and just getting educated y’know? Anyway todays post is the final part of my contouring series. I hope you’ve enjoyed them so far!

Bronzing on a Budget | E.L.F Warm Bronzer

The second bronzer in my series is one of my all time favourite makeup products of ALL TIME. Again when swatched in the pan it looks nothing like how it appears on the skin...I’m beginning to see a theme here...you shouldn’t judge a bronzer till you’ve applied it on your face! It is made up of four shades, a light brown and a cool dark brown, a highlight and a pink blush shade and on the back of the paper packaging it claims to ‘Create a healthy looking tan’ which I am pleased to report it does very well!

My skintone is around NC30-35 and this bronzer, although it is more of a sheen finish (not shimmery at all, but no where near matte) gives the most beautiful natural warmth to the face. The pigmentation of this product is just right, not overly pigmented nor so light that you have to keep putting the brush into the pan to get it to show on your skin. I find that I can get an even application with my large Real Techniques powder brush, and I love the fact that its not chalky!

Personally I wouldn’t use the brown shades for contouring due to the sheen finish (which helps make it look like a healthy glow!) but you could use the pink shade as a blush, and the yellow shade as a highlighter. Its a stunning illuminating almost brightening shade (due to the yellow tone) and looks beautiful on the bridge of the nose and the tops of the cheekbones. It also makes a nice change from the pink toned highlighters that you usually find in drugstore highlighters.

Longevity wise I find this lasts me a good 8 hours at least which is fantastic! I think my favourite thing about this bronzer is how naturally it warms up the face because of its stunning finish. It is easily built up, and if I am using a lighter shade of CC cream, I swirl my powder blush around the four shades, do the 3 motion on both cheeks and then brush a little over my forehead and nose too. When I’m in a rush I love using this as the only powder product of the day, as it works as a blush/bronzer in one.

When swatched on my hand I was surprised to find how different this looked compared to how it transfers on my cheeks! Not sure if that is because of the brush, or because I am using all four shades as once but whatever it is - it works a dream! Personally the only way I like to use this is with a large powder brush with medium density.

I think this bronzer is perfect for light-medium skintones with warm undertones, and you can buy the bronzer in cool and golden too depending on your skintone :)

Bronzer Roundup!

Orange or Red?

This is definitely not on the orange side because it adds such a warmth, I would say that its ever so slightly on the red side.

Pigmented?

Honestly this is the perfect amount of pigmentation provided you use a medium density brush. I love the fact that its impossible to get a streaky look.

Matte or Shimmer?

More of a sheen finish than anything, and it really gives that perfect holiday glow for me. If I'm looking peaky and pale this is the first thing I turn to, as it adds a gorgeous sunkissed glow to my skin.

Buy Again?

As soon as I hit pan on this, I am buying it again! For me this is the most beautiful all over the face bronzer I have tried that provides that healthy glow. I understand why people may prefer matte for the face, but I like to stick to cool toned mattes for contouring which gives a shadow look and warm toned slightly sheeny bronzers to add colour to the face.

Thanks for reading!

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Bronzing on a Budget | E.L.F Warm Bronzer

The second bronzer in my series is one of my all time favourite makeup products of ALL TIME. Again when swatched in the pan it looks nothing like how it appears on the skin...I’m beginning to see a theme here...you shouldn’t judge a bronzer till you’ve applied it on your face! It is made up of four shades, a light brown and a cool dark brown, a highlight and a pink blush shade and on the back of the paper packaging it claims to ‘Create a healthy looking tan’ which I am pleased to report it does very well!

Bronzing on a Budget | Rimmel Natural Bronzer 021 Sun Light

Hi ladies! Looking through my stash, I have accumulated....lets be honest here....a LOT of everything over the past year! But one part of my makeup wardrobe, that has been silently growing, almost unnoticed by me, has been my bronzer draw! I thought I’d start a mini series on my blog, called ‘bronzing on a budget’ because although I have now dabbled into high-end bronzers (and I love em!) I have so many good drugstore ones that I’d love to share with you all ^_^

 

I think I should start by addressing my skintone. I am quite pale normally and whenever it comes to picking a foundation shade I like to go one up. I just like the healthier, warmer skintone (plus it matches the colour of my hands better too!) Because I wear a hijab and my neck is covered I find it VERY easy to switch shades on the daily if I feel like it. However sometimes my bases are just too pale and I feel like I need some more warmth and life in my face; enter bronzers!   If you’ve never ventured near them because you’re scared of that orange look then perhaps I can help you find a bronzer and a brush (that’s just as important!) to suit you.

Bronzer is easy to over-do, and there are so many shades out there (because look at how many beautiful skintones exist too!) so it’s worth doing a bit of research before purchasing any bronzer in my opinion, highend or otherwise. The thing with blush is you can more or less make any shade work with your skintone, but bronzer can be a little easier to get wrong.

This is why I love the Rimmel Natural Bronzer. It was actually the FIRST ever face powder I bought back when I was 14 and although I forgot about it for a good few years, purchasing it again at 19 bought back good memories! The reason why I bought it at the time was because when I swatched all the cheaper drugstore powders they all looked way too chalky and pale for me, but this felt light-weight and I was interested in seeing if I could bronze too, despite not being white. (Oh Iqra how far you have come with your bronzer knowledge haha)

Its cased in your typical drugstore plasticness, and the sun design on it is a nice little touch. On the packaging it claims that it is a ‘waterproof bronzer’ with ‘SPF 15’ which is promising for the summer months!

If I had never tried this before, and then I swatched it in boots I wouldn’t have it in my possession. Because when swatched on my hand it appears quite orange which is what most people back away from! However when applied with a large fluffy brush (I quite like the ELF Complexion one) at the temples, along the cheekbones and around the jawline it effortlessly warms up the face without looks blotchy or like you’ve stuck your face in a bowl of wotsits.

Its very buildable and a little bit will give you a slight wamrth but you can add more for that real sunkissed look. I didn’t actually realise you could get different shades of this till I looked at the back! If I didn’t own so many bronzers already I would probably be temped to by 22 as well!

Anyway my favourite thing about this bronzer is how well it warms up your base if its too light for you because you have tanned a little! For £5.99 you can’t go wrong with this one. Personally I couldn’t contour with this and I think for those of you who are VERY fair it would look orangish, but if you are NC20-NC40ish I would recommend this as a lovely natural bronze. I could get away with using concealer over redness and darkcircles, and then this bronzer in the 3 motion and my skin would look super healthy and put together ^_^

If you’re looking for a bronzer which will give you a natural non-blotchy warmth to your skin, this could be the answer!

 

Bronzer Roundup!

Orange or Red?

slightly more on the orange spectrum.

Pigmented?

Pigmented enough that you can warm the face up a LITTLE with one sweep, but not over the top so your face looks blotchy and fake-tan-gone-wrong-ified.

Matte or Shimmer?

This sits on the matte/glowing look I would say, its not a flat matte and personally not a powder I would use for contouring due to its slight orange tones, but the glowyness is probably what gives the illusion of a sunkissed healthy look!

Buy Again?

Yes I would buy it again! It says what it does on the tin, gives a natural bronze and the price is brilliant value.

 

Do you own this? What do you think of it? ^_^

Thanks for reading!

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Bronzing on a Budget | Rimmel Natural Bronzer 021 Sun Light

Hi ladies! Looking through my stash, I have accumulated....lets be honest here....a LOT of everything over the past year! But one part of my makeup wardrobe, that has been silently growing, almost unnoticed by me, has been my bronzer draw! I thought I’d start a mini series on my blog, called ‘bronzing on a budget’ because although I have now dabbled into high-end bronzers (and I love em!) I have so many good drugstore ones that I’d love to share with you all ^_^

E.L.F Hits & Misses

Hello everybody! Now when it comes to makeup, e.l.f (eyes, lips, face.com) were the first drugstore brand that I saw talked about ALL over YouTube a couple of years ago and I became very intrigued! It seemed like a cheap but good quality makeup brand, perfect for beginners to makeup and students! I think some of their products are fantastic and fast forward to now, with a good few hauls later I want to share with you the products that ticked my boxes, and the ones that left me feeling disappointed.

I only ever buy e.l.f products during their 50% off sale, and when I do I always share it on instagram because there are some real bargains to be had! Generally each product from the studio line costs around £3.75, but with 50% off you can work out that you’re paying less than £2 for things that are worth more! I would just like to point out that some of these products that HAVE worked out well for me, but may not do so for you, and vica versa!

I’m going to mix this up, starting with a few HITS

 

1. E.L.F Make-up Mist and Set

I absolutely love this spray, and for a long time I had the MAC fix+ but kept using this one over MAC! Not only is it a refreshing mist to the face, it gets rid of any powdery-ness too. I don’t normally set my makeup with powder, but I always set my under-eyes with my favourite Ben Nye banana powder, and the mist and set helps to smooth it out. It also keeps my face looking dewy, and feeling refreshed. As for a ‘setting spray’ I wouldn’t quite label it as one as I don’t notice a significant lasting effect when I wear this, but the promising ingredients (green tea, cucumber, aloe and vitamins A,C &E) as well as the finishing effect of the spray make it worth using!

 

2. Matte Lip Colors

I have this in three shades; Rich Red, Coral and Natural. Firstly the packaging – easy and convenient for travelling with the twist up function so no need for a sharpener, and the matte black exterior makes it look sleek. I also like how the colours are at the end of the pencil, making it a bit easier to pick up the correct shade straight away! Now moving on to the product, these are in-between matte and cream, and blotting after application is important. The red shade is gorgeous, a true red in my eyes and I also like using this as a lipliner (and base) for other red shades. The coral shade is lovely for this time of the year, especially with a gloss on top and overall for under £2 these are a steal!

 

3. E.L.F Angled Eyeliner Brush

I have raved about this brush so many times, and that’s because I used it every single day when I became obsessed with gel liner! It’s still my favourite eye liner brush, and the angled element to it, gives you a lot of control with the liner and I like the length and thickness of the brush too. I own two of these, and always recommend people to pick one up during the sales!

 

4. ELF Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick

Possibly the worst lip product I have ever purchased in my life, the gloss stick in coco loco, this jumbo stick type lip product, is full of glitter. Yes – GLITTER. I understand a bit of shimmer, but when applied to the lips this just looks bizarre. It has a pink/coral undertone but the insane amount of glitter/shimmer makes it unwearable for me. I also purchased this in another shade, which I ended up throwing away, so clearly I wasn’t impressed with the product as a whole not just this shade. I only kept this pencil for THIS very post!

5. ELF Studio Blush – Tickled Pink

When I first purchased ELF products, the blushers were what I was most excited about. However now I’ve tried other drugstore blushers, I think there are better alternatives for a decent price - aside from Mellow Mauve (reviewed here). So on to this shade, although it would probably work ok for fairer skin tones, I find this chalky and seriously lacking pigmentation. To get a decent amount of colour, I have to layer this up so many times, and it doesn’t even last long! I’d highly recommend looking at the pink shades available from MUA if you’re wanting to try an affordable shade, which actually has pigmentation!

Hit AND a Miss??

6. The Contouring Blush and Bronzers

The contouring blush and bronzers are some of the most spoken about products from the ELF line, and frequently compared to NAR’S laguna and Orgasm blusher. I now own that NARS duo VERY EXCITING! But anyways have owned the original and the darker version for over a year and reached for them both less than 5 times. I think that if you can’t easily access Sleek, then these are worth a try if you’re looking for a drugstore contour and highlight shade. The original…does the job. However what always puts me off is the shimmer in the bronzer (as this is a big contouring no-no). It doesn’t transfer that much on the skin but I still much prefer a truly matte bronzer and if you can get your hands on Sleek, then just go for that its faultless in my eyes and lasts for ages. 

Moving on to some more HITS…

7. ELF Warm Bronzer

I first saw this on The BeautyCrush’s channel years ago, and I should have listened to Sammie from the start! This is probably my favourite drugstore bronzer for warming up the face. It consists of 4 shades, and the only way I use this is by swirling my Real Technique’s powder brush in the middle and then doing the ‘3’ shape on both sides of my face. The shades with the mixes of brown tones, the warmth of the pink and the glow of the yellow gives the most beautiful glow and warmth! It also has a decent sized mirror which is useful for travelling ^_^ By themselves the shades aren’t the most pigmented, but that’s what makes them blend together nicely!

 

8. Mineral Lipsticks

These are only £2.50 with the 50% off and they are also some of my favourite lipsticks. Comfortable, pigmented and they also have a decent lasting time on the lips too. I like the sleek packaging, and the range of colours too. I featured Runway pink in my spring lips favourite, I ADORE party pink which has a subtle golden tone to it in a very classy way. ‘Rosy Raisin’ is a brilliant nude shade for my skin tone! The brighter/darker colours are lovely too and honestly two good quality lipsticks for a fiver?? YES PLEASE!

 

9. ELF Flawless Concealer Brush

Finally, this is one of my favourite brushes ever. I love this for gently buffing in concealer around the nose and right on top of a blemish as it doesn’t disturb the base underneath, the head of the brush is super fluffy and soft and the size means it can blend in product in awkward places that a larger brush can miss!

 

These HITS are products which I reach for often and if all my stash went missing (I’m getting nervous just thinking about that!) I would definitely pick all of these up again! I don’t have as many misses as most people, because most of the time I do review everything I buy, but sometimes products just don’t work for everyone!

I hope this post has been helpful to anyone wondering what my ELF favourites are!

Let me know what your hits and misses are down below ^_^

 

Thanks for reading!

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E.L.F Hits & Misses

Hello everybody! Now when it comes to makeup, e.l.f (eyes, lips, face.com) were the first drugstore brand that I saw talked about ALL over YouTube a couple of years ago and I became very intrigued! It seemed like a cheap but good quality makeup brand, perfect for beginners to makeup and students! I think some of their products are fantastic and fast forward to now, with a good few hauls later I want to share with you the products that ticked my boxes, and the ones that left me feeling disappointed.