New Makeup Bits! | First Impressions

Hi everyone,

Happy hump day! I hope your week is going well so far, only 2 days left until the weekend, so we can’t complain too much. This week I’ve been playing around with some new makeup things that I got with my ‘product allowance’ at work and I thought it would be nice to share my first impressions on these things here on my blog. So just as a little disclaimer, I didn’t pay for these products, but of course the opinions I’m going to share with you are my own!

Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Foundation (£29.50)
This seems to be one of those foundations that you have to really learn how to work with. The first day I applied it, it looked pretty bad. It wasn’t sticking well to certain areas of my face, concealer was just taking it off, and it was starting to separate and look cakey just a couple hours after applying. However, the next day I applied with a brush (as usual) then went over it with a sponge to smooth it out a bit more. I paired it with a different concealer – the Maybelline Fit Me, and it worked much better. I also didn’t set my face this time. It lasted so much better and looked nicer for longer. It did gather around my nose after a while, but it was minimal and this isn’t super unusual for me. The coverage is medium, you can build it up too, but I can’t seem to achieve a FULL coverage with this. I definitely think this one takes some playing around with and figuring out. So I’m going to keep going with it.

BECCA Under Eye Brightening Corrector (£21)
I decided to choose this brightening corrector as one of my items because I have pretty bad dark circles under my eyes. It’s not through lack of sleep, unfortunately it’s just something I’ve always had. I’m still making my mind up on this one. It definitely does help to brighten the area, it reflects light beautifully. However, the formula of this is pretty thick and almost sticky. It seems to make my already quite prominent under eye creases a bit worse. If you don’t struggle with fine lines under the eyes and just want something to brighten, I think you’d enjoy this. I’m still going to continue to use it as I don’t hate it, and I may be able to get it to work for me.

Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Flawless Concealer (£24)
Double Wear foundation has been a firm fave of mine for so long now, so I couldn’t resist trying out the concealer to go with it. They claim this is a medium-buildable coverage which isn’t dry and won’t crease. So it sounds ideal for me. As with the foundation from this range, it is quite a thick consistency. I’ve found that I can get a medium coverage from this, and for me I’d like just a little more. I did think this would give more coverage due to the thickness, but I can get more from my trusty Collection Lasting Perfection. It is super creamy though, and not drying, so if you don’t need super full coverage I definitely think it would be a winner for you. I am enjoying it, I just wouldn’t spend £24 on it at the moment.

Fenty Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer in Shady Biz (£23)
This is one item that I am absolutely loving already. I went with the shade ‘Shady Biz’ which is the second lightest. I am pretty pale & I don’t like to look too dark since my foundation is light. There’s no need to worry with these though as the colour is so buildable. Dipping the brush in just a little will only give you a little colour payoff, but you can easily build it up with a couple more layers. I love bronzers like this as they don’t go on patchy or muddy even if you apply too much. This just gives me a nice warm bronzed look. The finish is a nice satin matte, ideal for me. I don’t think £23 is a bad price at all either as it will last me ages. I’ll definitely re-purchase this.

Nude By Nature Beach Glow Liquid Highlighter in Moonlight (£19) 
I’d never really heard much about this brand prior to starting my new job, but the products are all really natural and don’t contain any bad/harsh ingredients. I decided to try out this beautiful liquid highlighter, and I love it so much! I’ve been more into liquid highlighters lately – for example the L’oreal True Match liquid illuminator. I just dab a little bit onto my cheek bones and tap it in using my finger. I’ve found they work better that way than using a brush. This is a really shimmery/glowy highlighter and definitely not for you if you want something subtle. It lasts well on the skin too. I think this would be pretty on the eyes too, but I haven’t tried it like that yet!

Clinique Cheek Pop Blush Pop in Ginger Pop (£17)
Another product that I instantly love. The colour of this is so beautiful and I’ve been super into blush lately. You only need a little bit of this as it’s really pigmented. This is a nice new blush in my collection as my others are all quite dusty pinks and not as vibrant as this, so it’s nice to have the option of this one. It’s stunning for the summer months. The pattern on this is so pretty too – I don’t want to ruin it! Again, £17 is good value for this as it will last me so long.

BECCA Ultimate Lipstick in Truffle (£20)
I’m a big fan of pink lipsticks, bright, dusty, muted.. literally any! I chose the shade Truffle from Becca. The formula looked nice and creamy, and comfortable. It didn’t disappoint. I love the shade and it isn’t drying at all, but it still lasts well on the lips! I do have to re-apply after eating, but that’s not a problem for me! £20 is about average for a high end lipstick. Quite pricey, but lipsticks are my weakness.

NYX Slim Lip Liner in Peekaboo Neutral (£3.50)
I’ll be honest, I never use lip liner.. I just never thought I needed them. But after trying this, I think all that is going to change. I’ve been over-lining my lips ever so slightly and it’s made me feel so much better about my lips! This shade matches perfectly to the Becca lipstick too. The pencil is the perfect texture – not too creamy but also not super hard or difficult to use. I’m going to be picking up more shades of this

NYX Slim Eye & Eyebrow Pencil in Brown (£3)
I decided to pick up this basic brown eyeliner to make up my budget. I have a lot of black liners in my collection, but I don’t have a brown. This is a great liner, it’s not scratchy at all and easy to apply. This has made a nice addition to my makeup stash.

That’s all I got! If there’s anything you want me to review in more detail when I’ve tried them out more then let me know!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jazmin xx