A £2 Dupe For Smashbox Primer Water?♥

Being blessed with oily skin makes base makeup tricky. I want to look flawless yet don't want to appear cakey nor shiny. Do I apply more powder to my nose and risk it being mega cakey so that the shine doesn't come through? Sigh, struggles of having oily skin, eh. I have tried numerous primers, some which help to keep my shine to a minimum for a short period of time but nothing that works right through the day. I have tried foundations which look perfect in the morning but crack around my nose by lunchtime. I have heard varying responses to the Smashbox Primer Water, mainly good, but I wasn't sure if the £20 price tag was worth it. Then, when I was in Primark, something caught my eye.

Primark's beauty range has really upped it's game lately. I've been buying a few things, and couldn't help but buy their primer water for the small price of £2 - a fraction of the price of the Smashbox one. Whilst buying, my initial thoughts were if it works, great! But if it doesn't, then I've only spent £2 as opposed to £20. Of course, my inner beauty blogger was shouting at me to "hurry up and put it to the test".. oops.

Oh my days, I can't even explain my love for it. I didn't really know what to expect for £2 but this little bottle has really taken me by surprise. I wouldn't say that there is any overpowering scent, if any at all. I apply my moisturiser, then roughly 3-4 sprays of this onto my face and my skin is prepped and ready for my foundation. Whenever I use this, I find that my base makeup looks air-brushed and flawless - perhaps it's due to the foundation, but I'm more lenient to believing that it's this primer. What I love most is that you don't end up with greasy fingers from applying the primer on to your face, and my skin actually absorbs this pretty quickly. Regardless, I always powder my face, paying particular attention to my t-zone, and I have found my foundation stays in tack for a good 4-5 hours. No complaints there then, eh?

For £2, I would 100% repuchase this because put it this way, it's an amazing bargain. As I have oily skin, I can only judge the water on oily skin types, however, I do feel that it possibly would work with dry/combination skin types also as it does feel quite hydrating.

So, when are you next going to Primark to pick up a primer water?

The Foundation and It's Friends You Need♥*

I've barely been wearing makeup lately, mainly because I've been trying to let my skin breathe as it's been breaking out a bit. That all changed after receiving a special parcel from Lancôme which I was utterly STUNNED by (they always make parcels look that little bit extra special). 

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation* - Lancôme know to send me the lightest shade and this always makes reviewing 10 times easier because I'm able to give a true reflection of the foundation. It says it's a comfortable foundation to wear and I can truthfully say that is is genuine as when I wear this, I often forget I'm wearing any foundation because it's so lightweight and doesn't clog my pores. I would say that the coverage is quite light coverage however would be buildable and wouldn't become cakey. The overall look appears flawless and personally, it's perfect to use on a daily basis.

I wasn't entirely sure how I would get on with the La Base Pro Hydra Glow Primer* simply because it's a brightening primer and I have oily skin, but nevertheless, I tried it out. It applies really smoothly which is always a good start, and I also noticed that a little goes a long way where this product is concerned. It classes itself as a hydrating primer, and I must give it to it - it certainly left my skin feeling silky soft. Overall, it's quite a good primer - my makeup lasted pretty well (I tried it when I popped to the shops for a few things and it even lasted when I went out for an Indian meal!) therefore would recommend.

All Foundation Brush* - when I saw how small the head of this brush was, I didn't think it'd buff in my foundation. How wrong could I be? It's quite dense, meaning that it buffs the foundation flawlessly into the skin. My favourite use for this brush has got to be for concealer under the eyes - it doesn't pull the skin therefore is gentle to use.

I highly recommend this trio because they work so well in conjunction with each other. The foundation comes with a diverse range of shade which is amazing! I would say that the primer isn't necessarily for one skin type as I could imagine it working well with dry skin too, and this is down to the hydrating element.

Have you tried this foundation?

*PR Samples

Blogging Habits You Will Have Picked Up♥

Three years ago I started up this little blog and since then, I've noticed some common trends. After a while, you begin picking up little blogging habits without even realising. When I began to think about it, I realise how many I've picked up over the years, many of which my fellow bloggers will be able to relate to.

You constantly take photos of pretty things - running a beauty blog in particular, you're constantly taking photos of beauty products. The more you blog, the more you become aware that you're attracted to taking photos of pretty objects. Why? Because they look good in photos. Trust me, I know I can't be the only one.

You own all the rose gold - gold, rose gold or anything shiny. You're like a turkey - instantly drawn towards a shiny object. Makeup packaging, makeup products - anything rose gold, you're sure to own it. After all, they do look amazing sitting in your collection, no arguments required.

The packaging always wins - perfume bottles are especially my weakness. Something with pretty packaging always draws me in - that's why limited edition is forever desirable. Take perfume bottles, for instance, there are no two bottles which are the same. Look at the beautiful, delicate designs each bottle has.

Candles are your best friends - blog photos require props, so what better than candles? Most are inexpensive, there are millions of different candles available and not to mention how good they smell whilst taking photos. Only problem is, they're too pretty to burn...

You have an excessive makeup collection - as well as writing a blog, you're most likely guaranteed to read blogs too. Therefore, you read reviews on products, fancy trying them out so add them to your collection, and it's a never ending cycle. Then, before you know it, you have a makeup collection the size of Boots or Superdrug. Happy days.

Of course, there are many more but these are the most common habits I've picked up in the past three years. And I'm sure there are plenty more to come in the forthcoming years..

Happy 3rd birthday blogsallbeautyy!

A Rather Ravishing Red♥

NYX have been hitting it off majorly in the UK with their lip butters since their launch. I'm yet to actually try one, however, whilst I was out shopping one day, something caught my eye. Let me introduce you to Collection's Velvet Kiss Lip Cream. 

In my opinion, the packaging appears very similar to the NYX butters. I chose the shade "Rosie 3" which is a ravishing red. I was expecting it to be darker as it appears dark in the tube, however, once applied, it's more on the bright side. It feels quite "wet" when applying, but it dries almost instantly. One thing I've noticed when applying is that it smells really good - rather sweet, but not too sickly. It doesn't actually feel drying either when it dries on the lips, and I love how it looks with numerous makeup looks.

Here's a quick snap of me wearing it (whilst in my jammas because that's what us bloggers do best) and as you can see, it's such an easy shade to wear, regardless of your skin tone!

For the low price tag of £2.99 (I got it on sale for £2.50, bargain), it's definitely worth a shot. There are other shades available, including light pinks and nudes, which I certainly want to invest in!

Have you ever tried this range?