Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2018

I hate that we have this in the UK as we don't celebrate Thanksgiving BUT I also don't want you, dear reader, to miss out on some great deals that may really help with your Christmas shopping so here are my picks from the Black Friday/Cyber Monday Deals.

Blog Favourites

My readers are not commenters. Yes I'm talking about you. This is fine. I know you are there and frankly, I'm not a commenter either. But you do send messages and it is so nice to know what products I've recommended that you've bought and loved. I really appreciate this as I find the business of recommending things for people to spend their money on a bit worrying. I mean what if you hate it? Luckily that is yet to happen but I though it might be nice to give a mention to the products that I consistently get messages about. Those products that have made their way into readers routines and stayed there.

These are in no particular order except for the first one. When it comes to feedback the first one in this line-up is the one that I hear most about people loving and repurchasing. This isn't a competition but if it was then entry number 1 would be the winner - by far.

Holiday Makeup

This is a bit of a long one but having done a blog post on how to pack your wash bag (link below) I thought it might be useful to see what I took on holiday with me make-up wise. I know this is a lot more than some of you but for me this is travelling light!

I spend most of a pool holiday with no make-up on but when we go out I put a little on. I take a few things that I am trying out and the everything else either has to be running out, easy to replace or a mult-tasker.

As always if you haven't already then please subscribe to my channel.

All products are listed below - I've put an * next to ones mentioned or shown that aren't actually used in this video. If you see a product that you like you can always check out the directory on the blog (link below) to see a full review. If there isn't one and you'd like to see it then send me a message!

Blog product directory
How to Pack your Wash Bag

Em-J Brush roll (personal which I don't think she makes anymore)
The Makeup Armoury Canvas Pouch
Rosie for Autograph Cream Eye Shadow Stick (Sparkle & Magic shown)
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil (in Iced Mocha and Yoghurt)*
NYX HD Eye Shadow Base*
Accessorize Palette from years ago
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit
L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim
MAC Smoulder Eye Kohl*
Lancome Artliner*
Urban Decay Perversion mascara
Dr Jart Premium BB Cream*
Clarins Wrinkle Control SPF50*
Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation
Bobbi Brown Corrector in light bisque
Laura Mercier Caviar Eyeliner in Midnight*
Maybelline Better Skin Concealer
Kiko Velvet Touch Creamy Stick Blush in 02 Golden Peach
Daniel Sandler Waterbrush
NYX Wonder stick
Louise Young Blusher (in Mae and Dolly)
Cover FX Illuminating Setting Powder
Dior Rouge Baume in Lili
Louise Young Lip trio in Enigma*
MUD Lipstick in Lucky*
MAC lip pencil in Whirl
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Lip Pencil in 714
Ilia Tinted Lip Balm in Nobody's Baby

Brushes:
Real Techniques Blush Brush
Daniel Sandler Waterbrush
Eco Tools Define*
Real Techniques Contour Brush
Real Techniques Expert Face Brush
Louise Young LY16
Crown Brush BK38 Round Crease
Eco Microblending
Louise Young LY19
Laura Mercier Smokey Liner *
Eco Tools Angled Crease
Real Techniques Brow
Real Techniques Base shadow
Real Techniques shading brush
Eco Tools Spoolie
Louise Young LY16*
Bobbi Brown Lip Brush
Real Techniques Buffing Brush

May 2017 Empties

The latest batch of empties. It's weird how you get through a ton of the same sort of products at the same time. This month it seems to be a lot of mascara's and conditioners. Links to products below and to my blog reviews.

If you haven't already then please subscribe to my channel

PRODUCTS:

Cowshed Grumpy Cow Shampoo
Waitrose Bath Foam
Mane & Tail Conditioner
Kukui Oil Conditioner by Ogx
Dove Soft Feel Anti-persperant
Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation
Yves Rocher Total Radiance Treatment
Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara
Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara
NARS Audacious mascara
First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads

REVIEWS:
Cowshed Grumpy Cow Shampoo
Waitrose Bath Foam
Mane 'n Tail Conditioner
Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation
Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara  
Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara
First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads

March News

Photo from the Benefit UK website

So. I thought I'd start doing a sort of round-up post at the end of the month. I get a lot of emails from PR's about new trends and releases that, for whatever reason, never make it onto the blog but may be worth a mention here. There are also lots of new launches that I love the look of but, obviously can't buy everything. So they'll be listed here too. Let me know if it's useful/interesting.

New Releases

Benefit have released a new blusher, Gal'ifornia which looks beautiful and the Cheek Parade which is a lovely mix of some of their most famous bronzers and blushers and their new one Galifornia. This isn't cheap but all of these are wearable and would suit most skin types so if you are someone who loves a bit of blush this is a great treat. I know the Hula Light is a new shade but I'm not sure that both are necessary - my favourite (Sugarbomb) is not included.

Face of the Day - 9th March 2017

I love wearing a bright lip in the spring and recently found one of my all time favourites, Dangerous Retro Matte from MAC. This will be too dry for some but I love the fact that this is a very wearable colour that lasts all day - I only reapplied it once and that was with eating a millionaire's shortbread, having a coffee and eating lunch!

If you haven't already then please subscribe to my channel and check out the blog www.londonmakeupblog.com.

I've linked to all the products used below (some are affiliate links so if you don't feel comfortable using them then do google the products yourself). Below that are links to any full reviews, from me, of products featured.

Products Shown:
This Works In Transit Camera Close-up
Lola Eye Base
Louise Young Essential Eye Palette
Louise Young LY19 Brush
Soap & Glory Supercat Fat Eyeliner 
Lancome Artliner
Benefit Rollerlash mascara
Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation
Clinique Bottom Lash mascara
Clarins Instant Concealer
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush (Rose Glow)
Daniel Sandler Waterbrush
Maybelline Brow Drama (in Dark Blonde)
Rimmel Exaggerate lip liner (in discontinued Passionate)
MAC Retro Matte lipstick in Dangerous
Real Techniques Brushes
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit (which was a limited edition - you can buy the powders separately. I used Dim Light and Diffused Light Ambient Lighting Powders and Iridescent light highlighter).

Product Reviews:
My current morning skincare routine
Soap & Glory Supercat Fat Eyeliner
Lancome Artliner
MAC Retro Matte Lipsticks 
Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation 

Face of the Day - 20th October 2016

This is not only a look I've been wearing a lot recently but I've adapted it so it uses a lot of high street products and those more expensive ones that I know some people struggle to get the most out of. Hope it's useful.
Products Used:
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Yoghurt
NYX Prismatic Eyeshadow in Girl Talk
Rimmel Millionaire Eyeshadow
Houglass Ambient Lighting Edit
L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim
Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara
Maybelline Better Skin Concealer
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara
NYX Wonderstick 
Blistex Lip Brilliance

Product Reviews:
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils

Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself

Face of the Day - Make-up As Therapy - Friday Video

I was having a bad week, as you may be able to tell from my general mood. So rather than go to bed I decided to do my face with some of my favourite products. This is the result...

Airport Shopping

I like being in airports, despite hating to fly. I always have a long list of things I want to look at in Duty Free but this time I got a couple of old favourites and something I haven't ever seen before!

Face of the day - 2nd July 2016 - Friday Video

So this face of the day features something I do a variation of most days... then I beef it up for the evening and slap on loads of extra products that you don't need to do. If you want to know some less expensive alternatives to a product then leave me a comment and I'll let you know.

I start off cross with the post office and end up sleepy with prosecco but... you get the idea.


Delph Factor 50
Lola Eye Primer
Louise Young Essential Eye Palette
Urban Decay Naked Palette
Make Up For Ever Ink Liner
NARS Audacious Mascara 
Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation
Dior Lip Maximiser
Maybelline Better Skin Concealer
Recover Correct & Conceal Red
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
Daniel Sandler Water Colour Blush (Rose Glow)
Daniel Sandler Radiant Glow
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (Diffused Light)
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat (Pillow Talk)
Charlotte Tilbury Lip stick (Bitch Perfect)
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow

Benefit Hello Flawless

So my keenness to do a Quick Review of Hello Flawless by Benefit led me to believe that I had already reviewed it. I haven't and the more I use it or even when I just see it with all my other foundations the more I think I'm going to have to add it to the automatic re-buy list.

I have mentioned that I have very mixed feelings about Benefit. I'm sure it's something to do with their packaging, now I'm over 30 maybe it feels a bit young for me, but some of their products are amazing and they have had some (sadlynolongerwithus) gems in the past: Talk to the Tan and the old Erase Paste (not the new, yuk). I think maybe I subconsciously feel like nothing that great can come in such youthful packaging. I know I'm wrong but that's what I think must be my problem with Benefit.

Anyway, anyway, anyway every time I wear this foundation everyone comments on how great my skin looks. My skin is good, as in it's smooth, but I do have redness and discolouration in parts and so although I don't need a full-on coverage I do need buildable coverage for my red patches. I also really like having a foundation with SPF25 in it, unlike the usual 15 which often just isn't enough and therefore I'd rather add an SPF under my foundation. It also has PA+++ the highest UVA protection you can get (SPF protects against UVB).

Benefit The Porefessional - The Civilian Report

I am in constant battle with my nose pores. I’m sure no one else thinks they’re that massive but I feel like my face is a supermassiveblackhole of nose pores, just waiting to suck in all environmental foulness, getting ever bigger, till my face is nothing but one giant nose pore, scaring people and making them cry. 

This product is very smooth and light and, unlike some other pore minimisers and mattifiers I’ve tried doesn’t feel like it adds another layer of product to your face – my pet hate – and rather just kinds of disappears into the skin ether, taking a good percentage of nose pores with it. It improves the appearance of my pores without erasing them so entirely that I looked like a plastic-faced Hollywood wannabe, but with a slap of of tinted moisturiser on top even by the end of the day I’m not delivering any significant shine, and nor are my pores snapping hungrily at any passing person.  

Recommend. 

What You Need to Know - Benefit The Porefessional

• £24.50 
• 22ml
• Can be used under or over make-up to reduce the appearance of pores
• Oil-free
• Colourless
• Other products from Benefit: Bad Gal Lash, Hello Flawless Foundation, Benefit Speed Brow, 
• Available in the UK from Feel Unique, Benefit, Boots, Asos 

Face of the Day 12th April 2016 - Friday Video

This has been pretty much my go-to look since moving. It's quick and easy and really you can recreate it with any palette you have with similar colours.

 
Lola Eye Primer
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette
MAC Smoulder Eye Pencil
Louise Young Essential Eye Palette
Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara
Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation
Louise Young Concealer Trio in Medium
Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara
NYX Contour Stick in Light
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Rose Glow
Hourglass Ambient Light Edit
Louise Young Lip Trio in Enigma

Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation - Quick Review - Friday Video

I was sent this foundation to try out and wasn't expecting much from it, but I now use it most days when I want the coverage of a foundation but nothing too heavy. I'd say this is, as it says, a light to medium coverage, with a lovely natural finish.




Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation

Benefit's The POREfessional Instant Wipeout Masks - The Civilian Report

If something doesn't work on my skin or I get sent a sample that's wrong for my skintone I'll get someone else to test drive it for me. These posts will be posted as 'The Civilian Report', unless otherwise stated these are non-make-up artist friends of mine so their reviews are completely honest and without and background in the business. 

These masks are going to be way too much for my sensitive skin (which is on the mend) so I gave them to a couple of people to try and review for me. Thanks to Fifi for this one.

Whilst my pores have never been my biggest beauty hang-up, there are definitely days where they feel very prominent so I was interested to try these masks.  Now I love a bit of theatre with products, and this does not disappoint. Popping the plastic bubble and squishing the serum around the mask gave a real sense of that my pores were in for a treat. The mask itself isn’t flimsy, and sits nicely on the nose/cheeks. The serum has a light, cooling feeling and after 10 mins I gave the chin a quick swipe as well as smoothing over my nose and cheeks. 

My pores definitely looked smaller without my skin feeling tighter, and I noticed that my tinted moisturiser didn’t settle in the pores the way it sometimes does (although this may say more about my moisturiser than the pore mask). I would definitely use this again when I thought my pores were becoming a little too apparent.

What You Need to Know - The POREfessional Instant Wipeout Masks

• £20.50 or US$32
• Press the plastic button to make the serum go into the cotton mask. Remove the mask and put on the problem area. 
• Exfoliates and removes pore impurities
• Available in the UK from Feel Unique, John Lewis, Look Fantastic
• Available in the US from Benefit, Sephora, Ulta
  

Foundation Chat with Leila - Friday Video

Right this is the longest video ever. We will do better next time and try to be more concise. We do discuss 21 foundations here though so it may be worth just skipping ones that aren't of interest to you. I've listed what we talk about in order below. Please do leave a comment if you want further info and we will get back to you.

This is the first proper video we've done together and foundations is a HUGE topic - Leila wasn't feeling great hence why I do a lot of the talking. I also have two ill little boys so my time editing this has been punctuated with brow mopping and cuddling.



NARS Sheer Glow
Chanel Vitalumier Aqua
Chanel Vitalumier
MAC Face & Body
Estee Lauder Daywear
Estee Lauder Double wear
Estee Lauder EE Cream
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation
Bobbi Brown BBU Palette
Bobbi Brown BB Cream
MyFace MyMix Foundation
Benefit Hello Flawless
Chanel Pro Lumier
Dior Star Fluid
Laura Mercier Silk Creme
Hourglass Illusion Hyluaronic Skin Tint
Sisley Phyto Oil-free foundation
Babara Daly Face Lift
Chantecaille Just Skin
Dr Hauchka Day Tint
Daniel Sandler Invisible Radiance Foundation and Concealer

What's in my Make-up Bag - Friday Video

A rambley look at what's in my make-up bag...


Emma Lomax (make-up bags and other lovely things) - www.sexlomax.com
Dior Skinflash Radiance Pen
Benefit Rush Hour
Avon Supershock Gel Liner
Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Mascara (this is the link to the extra volume version)
L'Oreal Superliner
Max Factor Lip Liner (the brown and nude here looks similar to the discontinued one I have)
Lipcote
Clarins Loose Powder
Clarins Eau Dynamisante
Travalo
Real Techniques Mini Brush set
Elizabeth Arden 8hr Lip Protectant Stick
Blistex Lip Brilliance
Victoria Jackson
Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Bitch Perfect

Face of the Day 4th August 2015 - Friday Video

There's quite a lot of baby and drilling in this video but it'll show you a quick look I've been doing for the past couple of weeks when I have had meetings but haven't had that much time to do my face...



Nudestix Magnetic Eye Colour in Angel
Liz Earle Signature Eye Colour in Bronze
NYX The Curve Eyeliner
Benefit Roller Lash
Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara
Dr Hauschka Tinted Day Cream 
Chantecaille Just Skin
Maybelline Better Skin Concealer
NYX Wonder Stick
NYX Sunkissed Radiant Finish Powder
Sleek Makeup Luminous Pressed Powder

Automatic Re-Buys

I've been thinking about this post for a while and I think it's just going to have to be one that is ever expanding. But there are some things that I have spares of in reserve or re-buy as soon as they run out, automatically, without thinking about the things you usually think about when buying products - cost, reviews, necessity. As soon as they look a bit low I re-buy. Writing me has also made me realise there are certain products for which I have nothing on the re-buy list - for example mascaras. I really like a couple of mascaras but I'm still on the hunt for the perfect one so whatever I buy when I need to is usually a new one that I want to try out.

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm - if you have read this blog at all you'll know how much I love this product (see my full review here and my quick review video here)  This is the cleanser I use every evening unless I am trying other cleansers out and if they make my skin react then I go back to this and it sorts it out. If I've worn a ton of make-up this gets it all off. If I'm not wearing any this feels like a moisturising treat.

Pixi Glow Tonic - the toner that got me really back into toning (see my full review here). Slews away dead cells, brightens, moisturises and firms. If you are thinking about adding a toner to your skincare routine this is a great place to start.

Origins Make A Difference + -this is a moisturiser I come back to again and again (see my full review here). It just seems to suit my skin so well. And, bizarre as it sounds, it is totally buildable in that, if I'm feeling well-moisturised and its the morning and I'm going to be adding an SPF and some make-up then a really thin layer of this is great. If I need to slap it on to dry, or a bit irritated skin in the evening I can and it feels deeply moisturising and luxurious.

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula for Dry Skin - I have incredibly dry skin which can get itchy so I have tried a lot  of moisturisers. This is the one product I've found that keeps me feeling moisturised for the 24 or so hours between applications. And it's incredibly reasonably priced (see my quick review video here). Why try to find something high end when there is a fantastic product available on the high street?

Lavera Soft Eye Pencil - why they stopped putting a smudger on the end of this I'll never know but it's my second favourite soft liner pencil and, for me at the moment, easier for me to get hold of than my No 1,  Smoulder by MAC (they sell it in the shop next door). A truly soft eye pencil, vegan, non-irritating, truly black, goes on the waterline (see my full review here). What's not to like?

MAC Eye Kohl in Smoulder - always in my pro-kit and, ideally, always in my personal one too. For a '90s teen a smudgey black liner will never go out of fashion and this is the ultimate. Goes on the waterliner, properly black, long lasting and, for me, the perfect consistency.

Sleek Makeup Luminous Pressed Powder - another high street hero. Love that it will fix my make-up in place without taking away all the dewiness and radiance I spend time (and money) putting in. A must for those of us naturally prone to dullness.

Benefit Sugarbomb - a blusher I have been using for years and years (see my full review here). Its personal preference but the colours for me are perfect and, though it's expensive, it lasts for a long time. 

Avon Supershock Gel Liner - the best black waterproof liner you can get, as far as I know (see my full review here). Incredibly reasonably priced, goes onto and stays on, the waterline.

Real Techniques Shading Brush - a great eyeshadow brush. Good length bristles, easy to use and keep clean, synthetic and very well priced. I always have a couple of these in my personal brush collection. I wish they did the base shadow brush separately too, it's fantastic for blending.

Butter London Flawless Base Coat - loved it from first use and still love it now. (see my full review here). No yellowness, nice strong nails, nothing nasty in it, lovely base for your colour to go onto.

Japonesque Solid Brush Cleanser - smells great, easy to use, cleans brushes perfectly, no nasty chemicals (see my full review here and my quick review here).