Topshop Brighten Concealer

As part of my birthday present, I received a few new items of Topshop makeup, one of those being the Brighten concealer in the shade Moonlight.

This product claims to be a long-wearing concealer which flawlessly disguises dark circles, with an even and seamless finish, so obviously from the off this was going to be my kind of product!

The concealer comes in a pen form with a brush applicator, not unlike the YSL Touche Eclat and the thousands of other imitations which have since appeared on the market. I do find this quite handy, especially for use on the go, but as with all pen concealers I tend to find it a little bit awkward to dispense. The first time I used this, I had to twist it up several zillion times before any product began to emerge, but while some pens tend to suddenly, unexpectedly overflow in an instant, this one doesn't. However, I do find that some time is wasted having to twist and click it before every use, as it's a little bit backwards in coming forwards. I find that for me, the brush tip is not sufficient for blending alone, and I generally use either my Real Techniques setting brush (hey, never mind the name - it does the job), or pat it in with my fingertips.

Moonlight is a pale salmon pink colour, and I find this doubles up as a pretty highlighter on the inner corners of the eye and on top of the cheekbones, though personally I don't often use it for that purpose as I have several highlighting products to choose from.

Now, this does do a fairly good job of disguising dark circles, but it's not for those of you who need something heavy duty as it's quite light. I enjoy using it on those days where I'm looking reasonably ok upon waking, and want to perk up my eyes a bit and go for a nice natural, no make-up look. In terms of actual coverage though, I still swear by my Mac Pro Longwear concealer, as that's the only one I've come across that really ticks all the boxes when I'm looking tired and run-down.

Have you tried any Topshop makeup?

What are your favourite products?

xx

Review: Mac Pro Longwear Concealer

Hi everyone, I've been a bit absent on here for the past week or so due to illness, as I did mention in Monday's post. I had a nasty bout of the flu, which knocked me for six a bit, and it's only today that I've been feeling back to myself and have got the energy to get on here and get back to blogging. I'm glad to be back, as I do hate leaving this little corner unattended. Normal service shall now resume!

I often complain about the dark circles I have under my eyes, and while they are hardly a severe example they do tend to put a dampener on my day in the mornings. I've tried countless concealers and eye creams, and while I have now discovered the Elemental Herbology Eye Elixir, which has worked very well for me in terms of darkness and puffiness, I was still on the hunt for that perfect concealer. Previously, I had been using Benefit Erase Paste, which I did quite like for some while, but essentially I began to notice that it was sinking into and emphasising fine lines just beneath my lower lash-line, and let's be honest, nobody wants to have to contend with that in their twenties. I had often wondered if the level of coverage Erase Paste gave was all there was - it's quite a thick paste, but still I could see the darkness through it.

So, on a fairly recent trip to Mac, I thought I would ask for some advice, having never tried their range of concealers in the past.

I was recommended the Pro Longwear Concealer, which is designed especially for the under-eye area. It comes in a small glass tube with a pump dispenser on the top - something which I quite like as it seems far more hygeinic than dipping your fingers into a pot or jar. The only down-side on that score is that often, one pump is too much, so you can end up wasting a bit of product here and there.

I was surprised to be recommended the shade NC30, which is a shade darker than my NW25 skin (I'm still unsure whether I'm really supposed to be an NW or NC, as I'm yet to find the perfect shade for me in Mac products). Anyway, I have always been of the belief that it was wise to go for a lighter shade under the eyes, since you are trying to counteract the darkness. However, the assistant very kindly applied some of the product for me, and I was astonished to see how much better a job it did of concealing my dark circles. It seems to me that using a lighter shade under the eyes only serves to highlight the problem, and if you're not careful you can easily end up with reverse panda eyes. Saying that, some people seem to swear by this method, so as usual, I suppose it's down to personal preference.

The concealer itself is a liquid, not unlike the Pro Longwear foundation in consistency, and blends effortlessly into the skin when applied with my Real Techniques setting brush (maybe not its intended purpose, but it works for me!). I find  the lasting power to be really good, even more so when I dust a small amount of powder over the top to set it - after eight hours it still looks pretty good, but it does depend on whether or not I've been absent-mindedly rubbing my eyes throughout the day or not, which does happen on occasion!

Overall I'm really pleased with this concealer, and I don't think I've ever been able to say that about any of the others I've tried. I'm going to stick with it, as used in conjunction with the afore-mentioned Eye Elixir, I'm finally feeling better about my dark circles and don't have that moment of despair in the mornings any more.

The Pro Longwear Concealer comes in at £14.50 for 9ml, and is available from the Mac store here.

What are your favourite under-eye concealers and creams? Have you ever tried anything that worked really well for you?

xx

Desire of the Day #7: Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector

My regular readers will know that for the past couple of months, I have been suffering from frustrating dark circles under my eyes (if you don't then you can read about my struggle and my quest for a solution here and here). I don't know what's causing them, as I eat very healthily (other than when tempted by cake), drink absolute gallons of green tea and water, and get some exercise several times a week. I am also being sure to get enough sleep, and haven't  been going out or drinking either, as I am at a point where I fancy a break - you do eventually get a bit fed up with hangovers after many years of them! I now haven't had one since the end of March, and I must admit, it feels pretty good, although that's not to say I have become permanently teetotal - I'll still enjoy a good girls' night out from time to time.

Anyway, went off on a bit of a tangent there, but never mind - I do enjoy a bit of mindless chitchat about irrelevant things at times!

The point is, nothing I have endeavoured to find myself an amazing product that would combat my dark circles and mild morning puffiness, and I have to say, I've failed miserably. Or rather, the products I've tried have. Concealer doesn't cover them, and eye creams don't cut it.

Enter, Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector.

" NEW Even Better Eyes has the power to brighten the appearance of the entire eye area. Plumping hydration makes thin eye-area skin appear less transparent, and the cooling massage tip refreshes tired looking eyes. Optics instantly brighten all skins, fair to deep".

Now, I am not expecting miracles. I have tried a little sample pot of the Clinique Even Better Eyes cream, and I'm not sure that it had much of an effect. It's hard to tell really, as I find that the darkness and puffiness I experience beneath my eyes does tend to subside a little bit after a couple of hours of being awake awake anyway. However, I do really enjoy Clinique as a brand, and I am intrigued by the cooling massage tip. Add that to my desperation to find a solution that works for me, and I am all over this product.

Clinique Even Better Eyes is available for £28 (eeeek - bit off-putting!) from the Clinique website, which you can find here.

Do you have any fail-safe dark circle solutions? If so, PLEASE let me know in the comments below! I will be eternally grateful.

xx

Beauty SOS!

Why hello, and welcome to the first ever Beauty SOS post! This is the first in a series of posts which will go up on roughly the first Monday of each month from now on, and is a chance for me to call upon your great wealth of beauty knowledge in order to further my own beauty collection in an educated, informed fashion. It's also a chance for you all to do the same, and will hopefully become a little space each month for us to share our biggest and best beauty secrets.

Let me explain.

I am constantly on the look-out for fantastic new beauty products, and while I have tried and tested a great many in my time, there is always something or other that is missing from my collection. Whether that's because I haven't ever bought them, or I've bought the wrong one, didn't get on with a product for some reason or can't get hold of it any more, it all comes down to the same thing, and that is that there are some great big gaps in my collection that need to be filled. So, I thought, what better way to have my requirements met than to ask you lovely ladies for your words of wisdom. I can't think of anyone else more qualified to give them! Therefore, each month, I'll be asking for your recommendations on the specific types of products I'm after, and requesting your tips on various beauty related topics - as well as offering to do the same for you in return.

So, without further ado, here is the first installment!

1. DARK CIRCLES UNDER THE EYES.
 Help!!! I have recently, out of nowhere, started getting really dark circles under my eyes, and no matter what lengths I go to, nothing seems to have the strength to send them back to wherever they came from. I've tried various under-eye creams to treat the problem, as well as industrial-strength concealers such as my beloved Benefit Erase Paste in Shade 02 (which I had always thought was the best out there until now), and all to no avail. So if anyone thinks they know of something that could help with this, whether it be a treatment or a cover-up, or even a makeup strategy, then please, I beg of you, leave me the deets in the comments box below!

2. MATTE BRONZER
I'm on the look-out for a new matte bronzer, having smashed my lovely L'oreal Glam Bronze to smithereens on the bathroom floor. I loved it, and while I could buy a new one, I think it's time to take the opportunity to try something new. I don't want any shimmer, and it has to be a shade I can contour with, too - unless you happen to know of two amazing but separate products, which would also be of great assistance.

3. NEUTRAL MATTE EYESHADOWS
I adore my Urban Decay Naked palette, but it just doesn't have any matte shades, and I am finding myself , more and more recently, wanting to save my pretty shimmery shades for special occasions and nights out, and go for something a little bit more natural looking during the day. It's mainly because if I use the glitzy ones on a more regular basis then I feel that I look just the same when I want to get all dressed up and create a look that stands out.

4. BLOCKED PORES (NOSE).
This is one that has been the bane of my life for many years now. No matter what I do to try and rid myself of them, they are always back to how they were within an hour or two. They are not horribly noticeable or anything,  but it still really annoys me, as my nose feels slightly bumpy to touch, and when I apply my foundation, it tends to cling and emphasise them even more. I just hate them, basically.

So there you have it, the four things I ask of you for the month of July! Please do leave me a comment below if you can recommend any of the products I'm after, or have any related tips! I'd really appreciate your participation.
Also, please feel free to leave me your own requests, and I will do my best to help you with them and give you some suggestions.

What's in My Makeup Bag?

Benefit Erase Paste in no.2 (medium)

Mac Studio Fix Fluid SPF15 in shade NW30

L'oreal Glam Bronze powder in Blonde Harmony

L'oreal Glam Bronze Sun Radiance Trio in Blondes

Mac Mineralise Blush in Gleeful

L'oreal Volume Million Lashes in brown

Mac Mineralise Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle

Collection (formerly Collection 2000) Lasting Colour Lipstick in Sweet Tart (8)

No.7 Wild Volume Lipstick in Ruby Glow

I have splurged a bit on makeup recently as I was starting to run out of so many products. I'm also the sort of person that gets bored quite easily, so by the time I've finished a foundation, I'll be on the hunt for a new one. Sometimes I do end up going back to the originals, but I really enjoy experimenting in between!

I am really loving lip products at the moment, and have bought so many lipsticks in the last month! I think I've picked up around eleven, but the four I use the most are the two I have included here, along with Topshop Lips in Infrared and Mac Amplified Creme in Vegas Volt, both of which I have talked about in recent posts.

Also LOVING the Benefit Erase Paste concealer. It's ridiculously pricey for such a small pot, but I decided to give it a try after reading about it on Zoella. I suffer from dark circles under my eyes most mornings, but this little gem does exactly what it says on the pot! Well worth the £18.50 I paid for it......it could be a bit cheaper though, couldn't it!?

In other news, my man and I have decided to move house! Our apartment is huge, with three bedrooms and bathrooms, and we were really lucky to find it at such a low price, but unfortunately, the size of it means that it's a nightmare to keep clean! It's also quite old, so we've decided we want to move to a newer and smaller place and make it really nice and homely. Let the house hunting commence!

If you would like to see any reviews of the products currently gracing my makeup bag then please say so in the comments below!

What's in your makeup bag at the moment?