Recently I have stepped out of my 'comfort zone' in terms of beauty products. I'm not one to try different things, I usually find a brand I like and stick to it, regardless of whether it actually does the job properly - call me old fashioned I know! But I've been watching and reading a lot of beauty reviews and thought I would give you a rundown of my favourite beauty products of late...


Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet liquid lipstick (Shade 08):
Liquid lipsticks have really caught on recently haven't they? I've wanted one for ages but they were always out of my price range or I didn't like the colours they came in, but then I spotted this in Boots one day and bought it, mainly out of interest and also because I had been searching for a dark red lipstick for ages.

Pros: Once on it's very light. I can hardly feel it which is a blessing to say it dries matte. I have so many lipsticks that make you hyper-aware that you've got lippy on because they dry quite heavy but this literally feels like a coat of lip gloss which makes it perfect for both evening and daytime wear. It's also a bonus because the colour doesn't run which is praise worthy in my book as every lipstick I own that is darker than skin tone runs at some point which is hella annoying!

This lipstick looks lovely on, and stays on throughout the evening

Cons: The smell is awful! It probably has something to do with the chemicals that make it dry matte but the smell is not pleasant. Granted, the smell only lingers for a little while, but for that time you're applying something that smells like melted plastic to your lips so you might want to breathe through your mouth for a bit. Also, I find that the colour is quite muted after one application. The first time I used it I was a bit disappointed that I had paid £8.99 for a deep red lipstick that went on almost pink. However, I have since learned that the colour intensifies on the second application so don't be put off when using!

Score: 7/10

L'oreal Superliner:
If you have seen my two previous make up posts (New Year and Birthday) then you will have noticed that I like my Barry M eyeliner. Recently, however I have been yearning for something with more precision and pigment to it, as my Barry M one was running out and came out almost grey rather than the solid black I wanted. This led me on a search of eyeliner, and me coming across the L'oreal eyeliner.



Pros: It's dark and I can get a very thin line from it which I love! After so long of dragging out my old eyeliner, to finally get one which doesn't run out half way through one eye is a blessing! I love how I can switch it up and do both thick and thin cat-eye with it as the brush is quite thin, allowing me to get a really close precision line.

Cons: After so long of using a pen-like eyeliner, to have one that you dip took me a little adjusting to. Remembering to keep dipping my brush back into the eyeliner was a bit frustrating at first, but it took me like a minute to remember to do it so it's not that bad! Also, the brush is quite soft which differs greatly from my Barry M liner meaning I couldn't press as hard on my eye which got frustrating after a bit as it felt like the brush was barely touching my eye.

Score: 8/10

Garnier Miscellar Water:
This has been everywhere lately and I have been wanting to try it for ages, and then I came across it in Boots for £1 today and had to buy it! To put it mildly, I was intrigued and wanted to see how it fared against my Clinique product which is quite similar.

Taking its rightful place on my sink...

Pros: I was shocked at how well it worked! The bottle says 'no rinsing' on it and it turned out to be true. My face felt fresh and clean, it literally took away all the day's grime and I felt as though I had just washed my face! The same can't be said for my Clinique one however which leaves a thin film of residue on my face, meaning I have to wash it. What I loved most about the Garnier water though was the moisture it left in my skin. Having sensitive and dry skin, taking my make-up off always leaves areas of my skin really dry, but that wasn't the case with this water as it didn't use any harsh chemicals to break down the make-up

Cons: Don't put too much of it on a cotton wool ball, I learned the hard way and had it running down my chin when I pressed it against my eye. A little goes a long way with this product. Also, take your lippy off the last otherwise you're gonna have lippy stains on your face when you're rubbing your make-up off!

Score: 9/10

Lush Oatifix and Love Lettuce face masks:
I always thought I was allergic to Lush (quelle horreur I know!) but when myself and my flatmate went into the Lush in town the lady told me that since I had last used Lush products, recipes have been changed and suited to sensitive skin so sat me down for a trial of a face mask. After much consultation, I agreed on the Oatifix face mask which hydrates dry skin and my flatmate chose the Love Lettuce mask which brightened and softened skin.

Oatifix:
Pros: This made my skin sooo soft! Unlike clay-based face masks, this didn't harden meaning that the uncomfortable, skin-stretching sensation wasn't there. I could sit and watch a T.V. programme without the constant reminder that I had a face mask on, which was lovely. Also, since it was 100% natural ingredients, I didn't have to worry about any chemicals harming my skin.

This mask looks and feels like porridge on your face, but it's worth it!

Cons: As the mask is made from predominantly oats, it has the consistency of porridge, and it feels like putting cold porridge on your face. Don't worry, the coldness wears off once your body heat warms the mask up, but for the first few seconds it feels kinda icky. Also, when you come to wash it off be warned that you're gonna have to wipe porridge goop off your face since this mask doesn't set. But it's worth it for smooth skin!

Score: 7/10

Love Lettuce:
My flatmate used this one, so I asked her for her pros and cons about the mask...
Pros: Her mask reduced redness and softened skin which she said it did really well. She liked how little residue was created when she was washing the mask off and she said she could really tell a difference when she had used it. Much like my mask, it was cold when applying, but I guess that's to be expected since the masks have to be kept in the fridge as they are made out of natural ingredients.



Cons: Her mask was a clay based mask which meant it dried to her skin. She said after a while it started to feel uncomfortable but not overly so, which I guess is a bonus!

Score: 8/10

So these are the things I have been loving at the moment, I hope you enjoyed reading this and look for more related posts in the future as I have a lot planned. If you have any suggestions and/or comments, then don't hesitate to comment on my Facebook Page.

Lottie :)

P.S. Sorry for being absent for a while, my university deadlines have been creeping up on me and I've been swamped with work, but don't worry, I have plenty of posts planned :)