2012 Product Highlights

Evening my lovelies!

Wow we're already almost a WEEK into 2013... That's flown by hasn't it! I've barely noticed the time passing due to being stuck in bed for half of the week with flu (and stuck at work for the other half - Booooo). So today i reckoned it was time to consider what products floated my boat the most in 2012. Now, i haven't covered all bases here... My tanning preferences haven't changed much and i'm switching up my skincare routine for 2013 because there wasn't much i was using last year that really dazzled me (expect a post this week on my new skincare routine). I'm also planning a separate post on lip products cos i couldn't pick just one or two for this post. 

Base

MAC Matchmaster Foundation: Shade 4

This one has carried over from 2011. Fact is, i ADORE this foundation and, although i switched it up a bit in 2012 with Illamasqua Skinbase (which i also love to death) and my drugstore backup, Max Faxtor Xperience, nothing really compares to it in my eyes. It gives medium, buildable coverage and is demi-matte so appeals to my combo skin. 

Cover FX Illuminating Setting Powder: Medium*

This was a late find for 2012 but i have been loving it and it works really well with the Matchmaster foundation. I was under the impression when i first got it that it might be a little on the shiny side for me, but that wasn't the case and it sets my foundation really well while giving a lovely glow to the face. It's also helped me conquer my fear of loose powders.

Murad Skin Perfecting Primer: Dewy Finish

This is, along with BeneFit PoreFessional, my favourite primer to date. It just makes for a great foundation base and my skin feels so smooth when i've used this product. I've still not yet been able to purchase the full size of this product but have done a great job of sourcing samples from beauty boxes, other bloggers and events. Don't get me wrong, the product fully lives up to the Murad pricetag, its just that i, for one, cannot afford it. Boo Hiss!!  

Cheeks

MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush: Sunbasque

I got this from a blogsale several months back and it has barely been off my face since! To me, this is a blush, bronzer and highlight all in one product. It's glowy, buildable and gorgeous for any time of the year. I couldn't live without it now! 

Illamasqua Cream Blush: Rude

I wanted this blush for a LONG time before i finally bought it. A lot of online swatches confused me slightly by making it look a LOT scarier than it really is and when i finally got to swatch it in the Illamasqua Beak Street store i knew it had to be mine. This is also a very versatile shade and can even be worn on the lips. 

Eyes

BeneFit Creaseless Cream Shadowliners

These are a must have product in my makeup bag and i have them in several shades. I probably use them every day. I love them for using as a base for other eyeshadows. I have a platinum shade that is great for this or any of the neutral, goldy shades such as RSVP (pictured) or Sippin'n'Dippin. My favourite use for them, however, is just to give a wash of colour and shimmer on the lid for every day wear. I literally just dab this on with my finger, apply my eyeliner and mascara, and that's my eye look. Simple, pretty and they last all day.

17 Peep Show Mascara

I bought this on recommendation from another blogger. I forget exactly who but i suspect it was Zara (because it usually is, she could sell me anything) and it love it! My natural lashes are quite thick but need a bit of lengthening and sculpting here and there and this mascara really delivers that without being clumpy or over-fibrous. I'll be repurchasing the hell out of this too because it's cheap as chips! 

Nails

Essie: Mint Candy Apple

2012 was the year that i REALLY rediscovered nail polish. For the last 4 years i was working a job that involved wire scourers and constantly having my hands in water and i'd begun to believe i'd never have pretty nails again. But since i moved to London they have bounced back! towards the end of 2012 i was enjoying experimenting with nail colours again. Mint Candy Apple has been a particular favourite of mine and i picked it up at Olympia Beauty, but i;m also loving Nails Inc at the moment and i hope to bring you a lot more nail posts in 2013

Haircare

Clynol Repair: Remedy*

This leave in conditioner makes my hair so soft! It's a repairing Keratin filler which you spray into wet hair and leave. My hair isn't in bad condition due to my policy of ONLY using semi permanent colours on my hair, but i have been ombre on several occasions in the last 12 months (and i'm ombre again now) and my hatred of bleach/lighteners makes me paranoid and want to protect my hair. And it does the job! My hair is so much more resilient now that i use this and i feel more confident that i can keep my ombre in good condition. 

Urban Therapy Twisted Sista: Different Strokes Serum

This is a total bargain! I've seen it for as little as £1 depending on where you buy it from. It contains Argan oil and Green Tea and makes my hair so smooth and manageable. It's one of the best serums i've ever used. Since i've been a student i've been unable to afford Moroccan oil and i honestly put it to you that this is a worthy replacement!! Try it and see! 

Skincare

Nip+Fab Dry Skin Fix Body Butter: Pistachio Sundae*

Possibly my favourite body butter of all time because it sinks in so quickly and smells like CAKE!! I love the packaging and i totally trust Nip+Fab (the same beauty brains behind Rodial Skincare) to do what's right for my skin. My big body bugbear is the rough skin on my upper arms and this softens them up a treat! 

St Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub

I have favoured this over the other scrubs i've tried recently. I feel like it thoroughly cleans my skin whilst moisturising at the same time and, as someone with combo skin, that is a big deal to me. It cleanses my oily bits, while looking after the not so oily bits. I love that the exfoliant particles in it are natural as well. I'm on my third bottle since i first tried some back in April. 

So those are the select few products that i feel i've enjoyed the most in the last 12months. I'm going to think on about my favourite lip products and perhaps put them all into a post later this week. I'm switching things up this year so expect updated skincare, haircare and tanning posts through the month of January as well. 

What products dazzled you in 2012?? Feel free to link me to your posts!! 

My Xmas Face!

Hello there lovelies!!

I hope everyone had a truly wonderful Christmas and that you're not all stuck indoors full of flu like i am this New Years' Eve!! Brunette Beauty Banter has been extremely quiet over the festive period because myself and the fur-babies have been away visiting family in Derbyshire and Yorkshire for the past 10 days. That does NOT, however, mean that nothing has been happening and i have a couple of festive posts to go up tonight to end 2012. I thought i'd start with my Xmas FOTD and show you what my festive product choices were...

Forget the face for a sec, the first thing you'll probably notice is that i'm back to ombre, having removed all traces of the pink/red that was in my hair. Nothing against redheads at all, and it was fun while it lasted, but its all too messy and time consuming for me. And that's that. On to ze face....

Base:

I've got no time for anything mattifying at Christmas. It's all about the festive glow (helped along by lashings of pink bubbly and Baileys later on). The foundation i opted for was Max Factor Xperience in shade 80 (Dark Gypsum). I really rate this foundation for giving great coverage without being thick, heavy and generally obstructive. It's the ONLY drugstore foundation that i go back to again and again. The powder i went for was my Cover FX Illuminating Powder in Medium*. I have been very impressed by this powder, after being initially worried that it would be shine-city. It isn't at all and just gives a lovely glow to the skin as well as setting my foundation in place. 

Cheeks:

Kept it simple with just one product this year and it was Sleek Powder Blush in Fenberry (which i believe was a LE last year in the Berry Collection). I find this to be the perfect winter hue and gives a gorgeous warm flush to the cheeks. This blush only really gets used at Christmas, but i enjoy it all the more for saving it. I had intended to use a highlight as well, but i conveniently forgot to take it with me. Silly girl. In the end i didn't actually miss it. 

Eyes: 

Does this Mally "In the Buff" Palette* remind you of anything?? I'm going to do a full review of this palette VERY soon so i'm not going to go into detail just yet. I chose this for Christmas because i wanted a nice, neutral eye that wasn't overly shimmery and this palette has a great range of matte and shimmer shades so i could find that perfect balance. 

Eyes Ctd: 

These are all staple products in my makeup bag now. I use them EVERY day. I'm sure most of us can vouch for the awesome-ness of the HD Brows palette, although i'm using it less at the moment as i have a full fringe and that means i can get away with being lazy with my brows. HA! 17 Peep Show Mascara is my current favourite and i will be repurchasing it once its gone. It gives a lovely, long lash without being overly fibrous. My current Gel liner is the Maybelline version, but i plan on branching out in the new year and experimenting with other brands. 

Lashes: 

I'm not a massive wearer of lashes, but i chose these Eylure Katy Perry lashes in Sweetie Pie* for Christmas day because they are so pretty, yet aren't too RAWR. It wasn't a party party kind of Christmas this year, more of a family gathering so i went for the subtle-yet-sweet option. 

Lips:

This Christmas face was all about the lips. I knew immediately that this year i HAD to have MAC Ruby Woo (Retro Matte) lipstick. The lipliner i got to go with it was MAC Cherry lip pencil. I always seem to want a bold lip at Christmas and i adore the colour of Ruby Woo. It's so flattering. My only grumble is that its a little drying on my lips, but a dash of Carmex underneath is all it needs. 

So those were my Festive product heroes. Once again, i hope everyone had a magical Christmas and wish you all the best for 2013. I will be ushering in the new year eating Domino's and watching DVDs in bed witha BIG mug of Lemsip (Rock'n'Roll)

What products made your Christmas this year?? What shades make you feel festive??

17 Supreme Shine Lipstick in 'Hot Stuff'

Good evening lovelies!!

So i've been trying really hard to experiment and branch out a little when it comes to lipstick. I adore nude lips and shades like MAC Shy Girl and Hue are my go-to lip choices for almost every occasion leaving the focus on my eye make up. However, since Christmas, i have been more and more interested in perfecting a bold lipstick look and have been researching into adding some brighter shades to my collection.

I've found that a great way to do this is down at my local Boots and Superdrug. I had some points on my Boots card this week and went in search of an affordable red lipstick to 'experiment' with. And i came up with this.....

17 Supreme Shine Lipstick in Hot Stuff

This lipstick is a gorgeous colour. It does appear a lot more red in the bullet than it appears when applied to the lips. Swatching revealed that this lipstick actually leans quite pink in natural light. The formula of this is much more pigmented than the Mirror Shine lipsticks from 17, which are almost like lip glosses, however the  lipstick still does not quite apply opaque. This isn't a problem for me though. It just means that i can build it up if i want a brighter look or just apply a quick wash of colour.

The shine really is lovely. The formula also feels lovely on the lips and is in no way drying. You wouldn't need a separate gloss with this range. My one grumble with this lipstick is that you do need to reapply it quite often, although with a budget brand drugstore lipstick i suppose you can't have it all. If this were a high end brand though, i'd be spitting feathers. 

Soooooo all in all I like this lipstick as a starting point for my bright lip mission. It's not long lasting but, for 17 prices, I think it delivers very well in terms of colour, formula and finish. My ultimate bright lipsticks that i'm working up to are MAC Impassioned, Girl About Town and Ruby Woo. At the moment there is really not much point in me shelling out for them though. I don't really go anywhere to justify a bright lipstick. I'm doing this experiment to satisfy my own curiosity. So cheaper alternatives like this really do have their place and are so useful for experimenting with new shades. MUA also do some wonderful lipstick shades and I plan to pick up a couple  in the next week or so. 

What are your favourite drugstore brands?? What brights are you loving lately??

What's in my SUMMER Make-Up Bag??

Hey guys!

A few of you have expressed on Twitter just lately that you LOVE to have a nosey in people's make-up bags! My main make-up bag would make for EPIC reading and take FOREVER to photograph but I thought, as it's now summer (apparently, ugh) I'd share with you the contents of my slightly smaller make-up bag (y'know, the one i carry in my handbag for touch ups and quick changes etc). 

Make-Up Bag £2,99 - Superdrug

The contents of this bag changes from time to time depending on what colours I'm into and what products I'm currently LOVING and what is easy and quick to use on the go. 

Looking at the photos i took, i do not currently have much high-end stuff going on in there, so it's gonna be a drugstore-fest of a post.... BUT there are some great buys out there and i sometimes prefer drugstore brands if it's something i'm gonna be using EVERYDAY. Then the high end products i DO have last longer and feel more special when i wear them. 

Face

One product. One application. LOVE IT!

For on the go Vie One Step Face-Base is a life saver! As you can see it is well-loved in my bag as it's gone PAST hitting pan! I'm waiting on my refill as i ordered it last week from the lovely Margaret from Vie at Home who visits my work every so often with her goodies. 

It's just a great product. Vie proudly states that they sell one of these every 2 MINUTES! It's basically a powder foundation. You can apply it with the sponge they supply with it or they also recommend applying using a kabuki brush. It covers well without feeling heavy and isn't cakey and it saves on me having to carry foundation AND powder around with me. Great for de-oiling the T-Zone quickly, which i have issues with during the day. Thumbs up there :)

So for blushes.... I did a post quite recently on my growing blush collection and stated there that I was reaching for 2 in particular over all the others. Well THESE are the 2. 

They are Sleek powder blush in Coral, and 17 powder blush in First Kiss.

Sleek Coral blush is just such a fab colour and is lovely and subtle (unless you build it for a bolder effect which is totally do-able). I just adore coral for summer. Looks great layered with bronzer.  

First Kiss is possibly my FAVOURITE blush at the moment. It's just the most perfect pink with a hint of a shimmer.... Sound familiar?? It should. That's because it's a FANTASTIC dupe for a certain NARS Orgasm which i know we all ADORE! 

(For swatches and more info on both these blushes please refer to my previous post which can be found right HERE!!)

My go-to bronzer is currently Bourjois Delice de Poudre (Chocolate) Bronzer which i bought as part of my haul from my lottery winnings the other week. I just LOVE this bronzer! It's a gorgeous colour, smells DIVINE and lasts FOREVER! I've used it almost every day since i bought it and i've barely even SCRATCHED the surface of it! I've been using it to contour as well as to apply to the areas where the sun would naturally hit. Works really well with my Coral blush. So LOVING that!

Eyes

For eyes I carry a couple of colours, but not many as i tend to stick to the same colours when at work or college. I bought this Sephora duo from Yu's (from Let's MakeYuUp) Blog Sale. And i REALLY love it! I'm particularly loving the peachy shade as it's so pretty but still very natural looking for every day. The other shade is great blended with the peach and still gives a very subtle colour for everyday wear. I've reached for this duo a few times lately so it was a total bargain. 

The other shadow in the bag at the moment is MUA pearl shadow in Shade no11. Again, a total BARGAIN at just £1. It's slightly darker than the Sephora shadows but it applies and blends really well for a lovely gold colour. Perfect to take you from day to night at short notice. 

For liner, i just have a faithful Bourjois Kohl and Contour eyeliner pencil in black. This has also been loved dearly since i had it and is steadily shrinking. 

The Mascara I have is Maybelline One by One Mascara. I love Maybelline mascaras as most of them just WORK for me. I know that some people don't rate them but everyone's eyelashes are different, right? I couldn't wait to get this when it came out and i even think i like it BETTER than The Falsies. The only Maybelline mascara I didn't like was The Colossal because it STANK! I don't know whether it was out of date when i bought it or what but.... YUK!

Lips

Ugh... Photo FAIL!

You should all recognise the first lip product i have... We all ran out to snag it last week as it was FREE with Glamour Mag. It's BeneFit PosieTint! 

I had to experiment a little with this because, although it doesn't show up on my cheeks AT ALL... If i apply it pretty heavily on my lips I just ADORE the colour! The mini freebie size is probably not going to last too long at this rate but i'm so glad i was able to discover it for such a great price (with the mag) because now i KNOW i would definitely like to purchase the full-size product when my mini wonder finally runs out on me. 

Next up is 17 Mirror Shine lipstick in Nudist Peach. What can i say about the colour other than that it is a great nude for every day. I doesn't deposit much colour on the lip at all (in fact it's almost like a gloss, but longer lasting) but what it does deposit of LOVELY. The shine is fantastic as well. 

Last up is the only item from the Sleek Mediterranean Collection to have made it into my every day bag. It's the Monte Carlo Pout Polish. Love this because it's a lip conditioner and contains Shea Butter and SPF15 as well as giving a hint of vibrant pink to the lips. 

Brushes

Brush-wise I picked up this little 17 brush set for a few pounds when they were doing 3 for 2 a little while ago. The brushes are nothing spectacular but it's a lovely little set and perfect for carrying around. You get a shadow brush, blush brush, lip brush, eye sponge, and eye/lip liner brush. They're not going to be eclipsing the MACs and Sigmas of this world any time soon.. but they do their job. 

Hope you enjoyed noseying in my bag. I know they're not high end products but they're lovely for summer and are really working for me as an everyday look for on the go. 

What are the first things you pop in your bag when you leave for the day? Any summer favourites emerging? Would love to hear your staples :)

Experiments in Blush

I never used to wear blushers. I very rarely had one in my make-up bag and if i did it was part of a free gift or a set that i had received as a gift. I've always automatically gone for bronzers over blushers and i've probably tried most of the more affordable brands of bronzers in my make-up buying past. 

Just lately, probably not long before i started this blog if i'm perfectly honest, I've had a growing interest in blushers. Not sure what changed really. I think it's been mostly to do with me being so ill and feeling washed out that I've had the desire for more colour on my face. Whatever the reason, I've suddenly gone from zero blushers in my bag to having 5!! And there is a burning desire for MORE!! 

Thought I'd do this post to tell you about my recent blush buys and which have worked for me and which have been pushed to the back of the pile. To be honest I haven't really bought one that i REALLY didn't like, for whatever reason, but there are definite favourites emerging.

 None of the blushes i own, bar one, are high end brands. All have been purchased from either Boots or Superdrug and have cost between £3-5. Once I am receiving treatment that works well enough for me to do more hours at work i hope to have a better budget with which to splurge on all the gorgeous things i read about and drool over in other's blogs and in magazines, but until then i am experimenting with what is available.

The first blush i bought was Barry M in shade no3 (Strawberry), which is a really nice shade that's not too pinky, not too peachy... in fact it's quite RED really but it seemed 'in-between' enough for a first purchase. It doesn't have any shimmer to it, which i quite like about it. I'm a Barry M FREAK so that was, naturally, the first place i was going to look as I've never had anything of theirs that i didn't like or LOVE.


Their blushers are quite a recent addition and, as you'd expect they are HIGHLY pigmented. The colours look intense in the pan and i thought maybe I'd been too ambitious for a first purchase. But it swatched nice and blends VERY well for a more subtle look (although you can layer it up as much as you dare) and I'm wearing it in my 'About Me' pic. I didn't like the brush it came with - It just seemed too small and flimsy and i like a big fat brush on my cheeks (if anyone can recommend a good brush I'd love to hear. The one i have is on it's last legs haha). I've used this one mainly for evening wear , which is why i haven't really reached for it often as nights out are rare at the moment.

BarryM Swatched... WHOA!!

Sleek Coral - Look who put their fingernail in it when they tried to open it 


 The next one i tried was a Sleek blush in Coral. I'd heard great things about Sleek blush from my good friend Natalie @ pixielashes.com and when I'd asked her about blush she had suggested these to me straight away. I can see why she did because they are GREAT for the price and some lovely colours and the packaging is very dinky and cute. Very well milled and easy to apply. Not as in your face in the pan as the Barry M and when i tried it for the first time i REALLY liked it. It's a much more subtle swatch too but, again you can build it up for a really pretty coral and it has a lovely sheen to it which you will see from the swatch. This has turned into a daytime staple for me and it is this one, along with one other that i reach for most often.

Sleek Swatched

 The next two were purchased together because the very lovely Adrienne of Adrienne Adores advised me so well. Well, actually she was consoling me more than anything because I was grieving for a NARS Orgasm i'd lost out on in a blog sale. She mentioned that she'd found some FANTASTIC 17 dupes: First Kiss for NARS Orgasm and First Flush for MAC Bite on an Apple. When i got into Boots i couldn't resist getting both. Unfortunately I do not (YET) own the real McCoy but you can see how they compare in Adrienne's post which can be found HERE!!

(L-R) Boots 17: First Kiss and First Flush

It is 17 First Kiss that is the other i have been reaching for most often, along with the Sleek. It is such a lovely pink with a  LITTLE hint of shimmer (but not too much, I'm not a massive shimmer freak if I'm honest). First Flush I have, like Barry M, been saving for evenings as it's much more intense pink. Both swatch REALLY well and are very soft and easy to apply as well as being long wearing (i didn't have to reapply through the day) They also blend like an absolute DREAM! I love love LOVE them! Not bad for £3.49 a piece from Boots!! I think these will be in my make-up bag for some time to come.

(L-R) First Kiss and First Flush swatches.

NARS Penny Lane

My ONLY disappointment just happens to be the ONLY high-end blush i own, which is NARS Penny Lane, which they describe as a 'Nude Pink'. I was excited to try this one as it's the first cream blush I've owned. Although I needn't have worried about the application (the texture is nice and it went on fine when i patted it on with my finger), the colour is almost INVISIBLE on me!! It's almost LIGHTER than the foundation i use. I have a pretty medium skin tone, certainly not dark but not pale at all, but I can imagine you having to have a pretty darn PALE skin for this to come up with any colour. Nude is one thing but non-existant is another. The only thing i have found it is useful for is as a base for First Kiss or other blush. It has a nice little sheen on it but that is the only effect it has on my skin AT ALL, no matter how much i build it up. When i swatched it just now for this post i did admire the little shimmer it had. Maybe i can use it to highlight rather than for colour. 

Penny Lane HEAVILY swatched.

So those are my 5 of the moment. I'm sure it won't stick at 5. I have my eye on a couple of ELF blushes as well as NARS Deep Throat, which is my ultimate blush LUST! I have reasoned with myself that, because I have First Kiss, it doesn't matter if i can't have Orgasm just yet so i am setting my sights FIRMLY on DT. Peach is a shade i do not have yet and this looks to be a gorgeous peachy pink and everyone seems to RAVE about it. I'm also keen to try more orangy, apricot or terracotta toned blushes. But there's plenty of time and blog space for that, isn't there. I don't HAVE to have them all NOW, do i?? Although it would be nice ;)

Apologies for my photography in this post. I'm still learning and today has been the most MISERABLE, gloomy day EVER. Just so happens that the sun JUST peered out.... TYPICAL!!

Are there any other MUST HAVE blushes that I should try? What did you think of Penny Lane? Let me know your thoughts...

xoxo