£20 Makeup Challenge

Right, so I’m sat in a Wetherspoons typing up this post. I’ve just had my lunch & am waiting to go to a concert my husband is playing the Mozart Clarinet Concerto in. After this, we are going out to ASK for dinner with his family. So I’m sure you can understand my horror when we arrived (I didn’t have time to put my makeup on in the morning as Dan had an early rehearsal so packed my makeup to put on in the Ladies!) and I had forgotten my makeup bag!!!!!!! PANIC!!!!!!!!

Dan said that I would just have to rely on my natural beauty (aaww!!). I said that it sounded like a good opportunity to do the £20 makeup challenge! Now for those of you who don’t know, the £20 makeup challenge started life in America as the $20 makeup challenge. It became the £20 challenge because makeup is more expensive in the UK. The idea is that that you’ve lost your makeup bag, say when you went on holiday, & you only have £20 to find a whole face worth of makeup. So let’s see how I did…

Let’s get the excuses out of the way first – today is Sunday & I am not in an area where all the shops are open. Superdrug is open (yay!), Boots is not (boo!). I know that I would have been able to get a better deal on my products in Boots as they currently have a 3 for 2 offer across their entire makeup ranges, where as with Superdrug it is contained within specific brands (3 for 2 on all Maybelline for example). I was also unable to get specific items I wanted to. I will note these, with the amounts I would have saved as we go along. The Superdrug I had access to was small & carried the following ranges:

MUA - ingredients found on individual products (some under plastic wrapping - helpful!)

Rimmel - ingredients booklet available containing most products (not new releases)

Maybelline - some ingredients on products

Bourjois - some ingredients on products

Collection - no ingredients available

Maxfactor - no ingredients available

Barry M - no ingredients available

As none of the brands had a full list of ingredients, I had to rely on those available & products I already knew are safe for me to use from previous research. I was lucky enough to have a number of lip products, as well as my Urban Decay '24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil' in Zero & my MAC 129SH in my bag, so didn’t need to purchase these.

Ok, so lets make a start with the face products…

PRIMER - £0.00

I don’t find that I need to use a primer so missed this step out in order to keep the cost down.

FOUNDATION – £10.99

I have wanted to try the Bourjois 'Healthy Mix Serum' for such a long time but could not justify purchasing it with two foundations to use up (I only wear foundation for special occasions), two BB creams & a tinted moisturiser. So rather than going for a slightly cheaper option, I chose the Bourjois in No. 51. This didn't have a list of ingredients available but I already knew I was able to use it. I also felt, with my sensitive skin that this was the best option as I have had problems with Rimmel foundations in the past (Granted it was rather a long time ago!).

CONCEALER – £3.99 (saving of £3.50)

I wanted to purchase the concealer to match the foundation, the Bourjois 'Healthy Mix Concealer' (£7.49). However this was one of the products I was unable to purchase. I arrived at the till to be told I had picked up a tester & that there weren't any more... back to the drawing board. I ended up with the Collection 'Illuminating Touch Brightening Concealer' in the shade Natural, No. 2. This is much more yellow toned than shade No. 1 which is very pink based (not ideal for my under eye circles!).

POWDER - £0.00
I don't set my foundation as I have very dry skin so saved myself some money here.

For my eyes...

PRIMER/CREME SHADOW - £4.99

This is a step you might be able to skip, but my eyeshadow has a tendency to crease. I purchased the Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold. It holds eye shadow well & I can put it on as my lid colour, then define my crease & brow bone with powder eyeshadow. I do already own this product but use it a lot so felt it was justifiable. I am going to take one down & leave it with my capsule makeup collection at my parent's house.

EYESHADOW - £6.00
First I looked at the Rimmel trios (£6.49), which would give me both crease & brow shades. I then realised that the MUA Natural Too palette, which contains 12 colours I think, was on offer (£1.00 off) making it cheaper than a Rimmel trio. For £2.00 more I was able to get the new MUA 'The Artiste Collection' palette. This includes 6 marbled eyeshadows, 2 blushers, a bronzer & a highlighter - score!!!

EYELINER - £0.00
Urban Decay '24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil' in Zero

MASCARA - £7.99
I have never had a good experience with Maybelline mascaras. I tried a number of different types and found them all to flake badly. Having watched YouTube videos for 2 & 1/2 years now & hearing rave reviews from so many people, I decided to give the brand another try. After all, if I can reduce the cost of my mascara then great! I think I may have been unlucky that the time I tried Maybelline mascaras was when I was living in student accommodation. My room was WAY too hot to the point where it caused the wood of my oboe to expand & contract so much it cracked!!! Anyway, back to mascara. I decided on 'The Falsies Flared'. If you have read my post on the Diorshow 'New Look' mascara, you'll know I have very straight lashes & I like a good curl on them which can be difficult (or impossible) to achieve with some mascaras (If you want to read more about my thoughts on the 'New Look' mascara or my eyelashes & preferences, click here).

For my brows...

PENCIL - £0.00 (3 for 2 on Maybelline)
I looked at the Rimmel brow pencil as I know Khyla from Miss Budget Beauty (click here to visit her blog) really likes it. I chose my shade & then spotted the Maybelline 'Master Shape Brow Pencil' in Soft Brown. This was a better colour match for me, had a softer, waxier feeling so would apply more easily & was free in the 3 for 2 - score!!!

BROW GEL - £1.99 (additional 99p)
I usually use the MUA clear mascara to set my brows. There wasn't a space for it on the stand so I definitely didn't overlook it. My sister uses the Collection clear mascara for her brows. There weren't ingredients available for this but it was the only available option & I have a vague memory of using it a while ago so I purchased it. I wouldn't normally do this but needs must!

At this point it is worth noting that I should have got a free Collection product as they were on 3 for 2, but with trying to figure out a whole face of makeup out I missed this. The staff didn't point it out to me either (to be honest they seemed very indifferent!) so i missed out there!

For my lips...

LIPS - £0.00
I used my Urban Decay Lip Love in the shade Taunt

Tools...

EYELASH CURLERS - £3.49
The only mascara I can use without eyelash curlers is the Diorshow 'Iconic' mascara, so eyelash curlers are a MUST!!! I chose the QVS version.

EYESHADOW BRUSH - £1.99 (additional £1.99)
Unfortunately, the MUA 'The Artiste Collection' palette didn't say it came with applicators. If it had I wouldn't have, for the one day, purchased a brush! So I chose the Superdrug 'Blending Brush'. I think this is too stiff for a blending brush, but is good to pack colour onto the lid & apply a crease & brow highlight colour.

I found that I needed a pair of scissors to get into the packaging of the 'The Artiste Collection' palette, the eyelash curlers & the blending brush. I carry a pair of straight nail scissors with me for eyebrow touchups so didn't need to go back to Superdrug & purchase these.

So here's the finished look:

Apologies for the not ideal setting or photo quality, I had to rely on the lighting in the Ladies at Wetherspoons - not ideal I know!

In total I spent £41.43 - Eeeeek!!!!!!! I wanted to look my best for Dan's big day so purchased for this specific event.

If I did only have £20 available to me, I would leave out the:

Foundation (taking the total to £30.44)
Palette (£24.44)
Blending brush (£22.45)
Concealer (£18.46)

And purchase an MUA blusher for £1.00, making my total for:

Creme Eyeshadow
Eyeliner (in my handbag)
Mascara
Brow Pencil
Brow Gel
Lip Gloss (in my handbag)
Eyelash Curlers
Powder Brush (in my handbag)
Blusher

come to  £19.46!

To me this just goes to show how little £20 stretches, even at the drugstore/high street.

Tania x

Product of the Month - March

So it's time again for my product of the month, which this time around goes to the MAC #168 brush.

This brush is made of goat hair & cost £26. I bought it as a contour & blusher brush but have found that it also works well for applying a powder highlighter. The brush is easy to use, it picks up just the right amount of product & has a great shape for applying product to the face.

Contouring with NARS' Laguna bronzer

Blusher using the Urban Decay Flushed palette

Highlighting with the Urban Decay Flushed palette

                            

The MAC #168, although pricy, is definitely worth the investment as it is a good quality, versatile brush.

You can check out the rest of my monthly favourites on my YouTube channel here.

What was your favourite product of the month? Do you have any favourite brushes?

Tania x

Two New Additions To Our Family...

Hi Everyone,

Slightly different post today. I wanted to introduce you to the two new additions to our family...

Dan & I 'adopted' two cats yesterday. Freya & Mylo, a sister & brother duo. So as this is a beauty, fashion & lifestyle blog I thought I would tell you about them, being part of my life & all now!

Some of you may have seen pics of them on my instagram (taniad5786) already but if not here they are:

  Freya                                                                                                                Mylo

They have settled in really well. They arrived with all their things, which would have helped, but they did have the ordeal of an hours drive in the dark, which can't have been pleasant for them.

Last night was spent exploring the house. Mylo appears to be the least timid of the two, jumping on top of the book case & our glass cabinet! Freya went behind the TV & got herself stuck. She could have got out herself but was meowing in a distressed way so I intervened.

They seemed happy this morning, although wanted to go out (even though it was raining!). We are keeping them in for four weeks to get them used to their new environment. After that they are free to explore (but will probably avoid next door's dogs! lol). Dan has told me that when he got home from work they were both waiting for him! :) They have been purring & giving him cuddles while I'm writing this between my teaching jobs.

I can't wait to get home to see them again! It hardly seems real as I was never allowed pets as a child because of mine & my sister's allergies. 

Do you have any pets? Any tips for a first time owner? If you can't have pets, what would your ideal companion be?

Much love,

Tania x

Urban Decay's 'Oz the Great & Powerful' Glinda & Theodora Palettes

Huge apologies - this post has taken a long time coming.

I was so excited when I saw the 'online exclusive' banner for Urban Decay's 'Oz the Great & Powerful' Glinda & Theodora palettes on the Debenhams website. Although combined the two palettes cost £70, I decided to treat myself and order both.

Unfortunately both palettes arrived faulty - at least one pan from each palette was not seating properly, this is shown in the videos below (included in the accompanying YouTube video - http://youtu.be/cm0elS6g6j8).

Glinda Palette

Theodora Palette

It took three purchases to get a set of palettes that didn't have this problem. Both online orders had the same issues so I took a journey to my nearest Urban Decay counter (a train journey away) to exchange the faulty palettes. Unfortunately, since I received and tested my palettes, the top and bottom left pans of the Glinda palette and the top and bottom right hand pans of the Theodora palette have started to do the exact same thing so it'll be another trip to Debenhams!

As can be seen in the video clips above, the palettes both come in the same packaging as the new UD eyeshadow '6 pan palettes'. This allows you to take out and move/replace eyeshadows at will. I was rather pleased UD decided to use this method of packaging as opposed to their previous palettes. This is because I can see myself running out of some of my favourite shades from palettes like Naked2. I already have a (rather large) number of UD palettes and as a result, I have duplicates of some eyeshadows. But for those I don't, for example Pistol, it will be useful for me to be able to purchase a single shadow until I have used a significant amount of the palette in question to warrant repurchasing. Having these two 'pan palettes' will give me greater freedom for travel and organisation of my favourite shades without me having to purchase the '6 pan palette'. However, now that I have to take my fourth set of palettes back, I am wondering whether this is indeed a good method of packaging!

The palettes each come with six brand new removable eyeshadow pans (two of these are 'dual shades', so you are getting eight colours in a six pan format), a 24/7 glide on eye pencil, a character specific super-saturated high-gloss lip colour and a 'get the look' card, with step-by-step instructions on how to recreate the witches' looks.

left to right: Theodora & Glinda palettes

Theodora box

From top to bottom: Glinda 'get the look' card, super saturated

high-gloss lip colour in Glinda & Glinda palette

Eyeshadows top l-r: Tornado, Aura, Magic

Eyeshadows bottom l-r: Illusion, Oz, South

24/7 glide-on pencil in Rockstar

Super saturated high-gloss lip pencil in Glinda

Eyeshadows top l-r: Tornado, Aura, Magic

Eyeshadows bottom l-r: Illusion, Oz, South

Super saturated high-gloss lip pencil in Glinda

Top l-r: Tornado, Aura (top: violet iridescent, bottom rose iridescent), Magic

Bottom l-r: Illusion, Oz (top: shimmery golden, bottom: silvery blue), South

Far right: Super saturated high-gloss lip pencil in Glinda

24/7 glide-on pencil in Rockstar

So I decided I would have a go at recreating Glinda (played by Michelle Williams in the upcoming film) using the 'get the look' card included. I was pleasantly surprised as to how easy the instructions were follow. The only thing I would say is to read carefully - I misread the section referring to the 'dual shade' Aura and as a result used a mix of the two colours rather than just the violet iridescent section. I liked the use of all but one of the eyeshadows and was surprised I had the ability to create what I would have thought of as a more complex look. So here is my interpretation of Glinda:

Other products used: Garnier BB cream, Estee Lauder Disappear smoothing creme concealer in 02-light, UD eyeshadow primer potion (original) UD Naked Flushed palette, Clarins brow pencil in 01 Dark Brown, MUA clear mascara (for brows), L'Oreal Paris Super Liner in Black Crystals, Eyelure Naturalites Evening Wear false lashes in 107 & UD Big Fatty Mascara (for bottom lashes).


And now let's take a look at Theodora...

Theodora box

From top to bottom: Theodora 'get the look' card, super saturated

high-gloss lip colour in Theodora & Theodora palette

Eyeshadows top l-r: Broken, Beware, Bewitch

Eyeshadows bottom l-r: West, Spell (top: black with gold sparkles, bottom: yellow gold with sparkles), Jealous (top: moss green, bottom: light green)

24/7 glide on pencil in Zero

Super saturated high-gloss lip pencil in Theodora

Eyeshadows top l-r: Broken, Beware, Bewitch

Eyeshadows bottom l-r: West, Spell (top: black with gold sparkles, bottom: yellow gold with sparkles), Jealous (top: moss green, bottom: light green)

Super saturated high-gloss lip pencil in Theodora

Top l-r: Broken, Beware, Bewitch

Bottom l-r: West, Spell (top: black with gold sparkles, bottom: yellow gold with sparkles), Jealous (top: moss green, bottom: light green)

Far right: Suer saturated high-gloss lip shine in Theodora

24/7 glide-on eye pencil in Zero

I also wanted to recreate Theodora (Mila Kunis) for you, again using the 'get the look' card included with the palette. I was less impressed with this look. Of the eight possible shades only four were used, none of which being a 'dual shades' that UD makes a feature of on the back of the box. The thing that most impressed me about this look was the lip colour. I am not someone who wears bright/red lip colour but this really made me feel confident! I don't know what it was, the specific shade maybe or the ease of application for such a bold colour. I personally wouldn't wear it teamed with an eye look this bold, but that is my own preference. So here is my interpretation of Theodora: 

Other products used: As for Glinda palette

I love these palettes, but if you are planning on purchasing them I would suggest checking them out in person and keeping your receipt just incase you run in to any problems.

Are you a Glinda or Theodora girl? I'm a Glinda, with a touch of Theodora thrown in for good measure ;-)

I really hope you like this post and feel it has been worth the wait. Please do let me know if you have any questions about either of these two palettes or anything else for that matter in the comments below.

Tania x

Our 'Getting Together' Anniversary

Hi everyone!

It's been a while since my last post - the last week of term is always a busy one & then I went to visit my parents. But that's no excuse. With being away it has taken longer to get my Oz palette post written but it should be up shortly. So now to today's post.

February is the month of love. Couples are declaring their love for one another and get all smoochy, while singles are either bonding with other singles of the same sex or tearing up pictures of their exes. Retailers take advantage of this to the max. You can't move for cards, chocolates, balloons, jewellery and all sorts of other paraphernalia! Not that I'm cynical or anything! lol

My husband Dan and I don't celebrate Valentine's day. We 'got together' on 22nd February 2007. When it came to celebrating our first Valentine's day together we decided we would prefer to mark our 'getting together' anniversary. That way we would be able to eat out without having to book months in advance, pay extortionate prices and be sat in a room with so many people it is impossible to compete with the noise in order to talk to each other. Once again, please don't think I have anything against Valentine's day itself - it's the way i has been commercialised within an inch of it's life. A bit like Christmas really!

Originally we had planned to go to the cinema to see Les Miserables with Dan's Mum. Dan was teaching a private clarinet student in the evening and, unfortunately, there were no afternoon showings. In addition, I came home from my parents' full of germs and not wanting to spread them so we decided to re-plan our day.

So our anniversary has ended up consisting of a slow morning and afternoon with a takeaway Domino's (wheat-free for me), Dan's homemade scones and a Harry Potter fest - starting with The Philosopher's Stone.

Although we didn't go out, I wanted to make an effort with my appearance.

#OOTD

Black Long Sleeve T-shirt (Matalan)

Dark Denim 'Straight' Jeans (2 for £25; Dorothy Perkins)

Jumper (£18; Matalan)

Faux Pearl Necklace (£3.99; New Look)

'Heart" Ring (£35; Pandora)

 #FOTD

Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo in Light in Purple on lid

No. 7 Eyeshadow in Good Earth:

lightest colour on brow bone, middle colour in crease

GOSH Velvet Touch Eye Liner in White Pearl

L'Oreal Paris Super Liner (liquid liner) in Black Crystals

Dior Diorshow Lew Look Mascara in 090 (a black colour)

Clarins Brow Pencil in No. 1 Dark Brown

MUA Clear Mascara (used as brow gel)

Estee Lauder Dissapear Smoothing Creme Concealer in 02-Light

Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse BB Cream

MAC MSF Natural in Light Plus

Nars Bronzer in Laguna

MAC Powder Blusher in Peaches

MAC MSF in Soft & Gentle

Elizabeth Arden 8hr Lip Balm in Blush

So we have had a lovely day marking our 6 years spent together and here's to many many more.

Do you celebrate Valentine's Day or do you have an alternative like Dan and me? Let me know in the comment's below what you got up to this year, I'd love to know!

Tania x

Word of the Week

I was watching Pride & Prejudice late late last night on ITV and was unable to remember the plot (Kate Winslet in Sense & Sensibility kept coming in to my head!).  My husband Dan was explaining it to me but I kept getting confused as to who people were & what was going on (in fairness to me it was VERY late and we hadn't watched from the beginning).

Dan commented that it was a convoluted plot, which received the response "Oh right, thanks darling. But what does convoluted mean?" It turns out the meaning of 'convoluted' (con-vo-lu-ted) and Dan's use of the word are the same - a complex way of explaining an idea or concept!

So in order to better myself, I intend to adopt the word convoluted into my everyday language for the next week (in the style of Emma/Cher from Emma/Clueless).

Tania x