My most-worn lipsticks

Happy Sunday! In this post, I'm going to be telling you about my most-worn lipsticks. Now, I'm a complete lip product nut - and especially so with lipsticks. I love them, and they're by far my favorite beauty product. I just think there's something so classic and old-school glam about taking out that little tube from your bag and touching up your lips. Since I work in an office 5 days a week, I can't wear anything too dramatic, but I do try and have my fun. :)

So my most-worn lipsticks (in no particular order) are:

L-R: 

Bourjois Sweet Kiss Lipstick in Rose séduisant, Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Rosewood, Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Spotlight Beige, Elle 18 Color Burst Lipstick in Roasty Red, Bourjois Lovely Brille Lipstick in Vanille du Soleil

Swatches follow in the same order below:

Now just a few little things about each one!

Bourjois Sweet Kiss Lipstick in Rose Séduisant

This is a gorgeous fuschia lipstick. The swatch really doesn't do enough justice to it. It's bold, saturated and is a such a statement colour - I love it! It's also surprinsingly lost-lasting and even when it does fade, it leaves a nice stain on your lips. Since it's such a bright colour, I wear it more like a stain where I apply a small amount and then blend it in. It retails are £7.99 at Boots, and you can check it out here.

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Rosewood

First off, how beautiful is the packaging? It just looks so luxurious and expensive - very classy. The colour is exactly what the name says it is - a muted kind of rose, with a certain understated warmth. It's great for a wide range of looks. And the staying power is AMAZING. Seriously. This lipstick lasts all day - even through meals and glasses of water. Beyond impressive. This one also retails for £7.99 at Boots - take a look here.

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Spotlight Beige
Sadly, this is a discontinued item. I got it off of eBay and I know I'm going to be on the hunt for it again  once this starts to shorten significantly. It is my perfect nude shade. The swatch makes it look a lot more peachy than it actually comes off on the lips. It doesn't leave me looking washed out or anything, and somehow makes the whole face glow. Love it!

Elle 18 Color Burst Lipstick in Roasty Red
Elle 18 is an inexpensive Indian cosmetics brand. I picked this up last year when I visited India and it cost less than Rs. 100 at the time, which is just a little over a pound. Bargain! This lipstick has a lip balm core with the coloured bit making up the rest. Because of this, it has a very moisturising feel on the lips. This colour is a very wearable red, and very buildable if you want some added drama. It's a lot more pigmented than the swatch indicates, as well. I got it from the Urban Touch website - which doesn't deliver internationally, I'm afraid. This colour also seems to be out of stock, which is a shame because I wanted to pick up another one when I go back to India next week! Oh, well.

Bourjois Lovely Brille lipstick in Vanille du Soleil
Apologies for putting another discontinued lipstick on here, but it really is one of my favorites! I got this off of eBay as well, and it is such a lovely berry colour. It's perfect for work because it has just enough colour to brighten up your look, but isn't over the top in the slightest. It also has a nifty mirror at the top of the lipstick cap! Not the most long-lasting of lipsticks, but then again, it never claimed to be long-wearing.

So there you have it - my top 5 most-worn lipsticks! Sorry for having 2 discontinued items on there and one that isn't the easiest to get, but I only wanted to include the ones I reach for most often and these are the ones! I might do a most-worn or favorite lip glosses post sometime in the future, so watch out for that!

Hope you all have a fantastic week. :) 

Liebster Award!

The lovely Kate at http://yakateyyak.blogspot.co.uk/ nominated me for the Liebster award! Thank you so much, Kate, the appreciation is definitely mutual!

The rules are:


1.     Each person tagged must post 11 things about themselves
2.     They must also answer the 11 questions the tagger has set for them
3.     They must create 11 more questions to ask bloggers they have decided to tag
4.     They must then choose 11 bloggers to tag with less than 200 followers
5.     These lucky bloggers must be told
6.     There are no tag backs

11 Random things about me:

1. There was a time about 5-6 years ago when I would wake up at 5:30am every year to catch the live Oscar broadcast. Because I lived in India, the time difference was not my friend, but I did it anyway!

2. I have tinnitus - which is a constant ringing in the years. I got it a couple of years ago as a result of some heavy medication, and it has stayed with me ever since. I've gotten a little better with dealing with it recently, though. Got a White noise app on my phone which really seems to help!

3. The one make-up item that I can never seem to have enough of is lip products. Whether it's gloss or lipsticks, I always seem to want more!

4. I have always loved animals an inordinate amount. If I could be a zoologist tomorrow, I totally would.

5. Sometimes, if I'm really bored, I visualize random things happening at that moment to entertain me. For instance, 'What would happen if a velociraptor walked in through that door right now? Where would I run? Is there someplace I could hide?' Stuff like that.

6. I can make this weird face where I push up the corners of my mouth and my cheeks go up higher as well. It looks completely ridiculous and I have no idea why I do it but it's fun and it makes people laugh, so there you go!

7. I love lentils and pulses and could easily eat those every day of the year with no complaints.

8. I have never smoked a cigarette in my life. True story.

9. I have lost count of the number of times that I have watched every single episode of Friends. I think I know more about that show that I know about myself.

10. I lust after designer handbags, but even if I could afford one, I think I'd probably be too scared to actually use it every day!

11. I talk to myself constantly.

Questions for me to answer from Kate:

1. What do you do to relax? I don't have any 'one' thing in particular that I do to relax. I like to watch some of my favorite tv shows or Youtube videos, talk to my friends back home, or just go for a walk. And read too, although I haven't been doing as much of that as I would like to, unfortunately.
2. What are your biggest fears? Losing the people I love
3. What are three things that are unique about you? I have some really random, really varied and sometimes contradictory interests, I am actually very quirky and kooky although I hide it very well and I have an imagination that refuses to rest. I know the last one isn't something that is unique by itself, but I believe that everyone's imagination is unique to them.
4. What TV show is your favourite and why? Oh my gosh, so many! LOST, Friends (of course), Game of Thrones, Vampire Diaries, Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy - I could go on and on.
5. What are your top three bands of all time? Bon Jovi, U2 and... Coldplay
6. What is your favourite thing to shop for? Bags, shoes, clothes, make-up - I'm sorry, was I just supposed to say one? :)
7. What does your natural hair look like? It's dark drown and slightly wavy.
8. What are three things you love about yourself? My ability to get on well with almost everyone, my persistence and my optimism
9. Why did you start blogging? I actually started many years ago on Livejournal. I just wanted a private diary really, since my mom had found my physical diary by accident and read it!
10. What is your favourite colour of nail polish? Midnight red. :)
11. Where do you see yourself in five years? That's a loaded question! I have an idea of where I'd like to be, but have had too much experience of things changing unexpectedly, so I'll just say - happy. :)

My questions for my lucky tagged bloggers to answer:

1. What are the top 3 places in the world you want to travel to?
2. What make-up item can you absolutely not do without?
3. How tall are you?
4. If you could do anything in the world for a living, what would it be?
5. What is the town/city you live in like?
6. Do you play any musical instruments? If so, what is it?
7. What is your all-time favorite movie?
8. If money wasn't an issue, what is one designer item you would love to own?
9. What is your favorite fragrance?
10. Do you have a pet? What is it?
11. What do you consider your best asset?

I nominate (in no particular order) the following incredible bloggers:

http://theressomethingaboutbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/
http://clairesmakeupspot.blogspot.co.uk/
http://spiderleglashes.blogspot.com.au/
http://themaibug.blogspot.co.uk/
http://fiona-lily.blogspot.co.uk/

I know that I was supposed to nominate 11, but I'm afraid I'm not aware of many new bloggers with follower counts below 200! If you have any recommendations, do let me know, and I will go check them out. Thank you! 

Update!

Hi everyone!

Sorry about the gap in posts! I've moved house this weekend and things have just been completely manic. I promise to get back into posting once things have calmed down a bit. :) I hope you are all doing well!

Review: Clean and Clear face wash and moisturiser

Hi everybody! In case you hadn't noticed, I've changed the name of my blog! I'm still going to be posting a lot of beauty-related things, but also want to post on fashion, lifestyle and food-related topics. So I thought I would make the title a lot more open-ended. :) The blog design still leaves a lot to be desired, but that will have to wait, because I have a lot going on at the moment and hardly any time!

Today's products are from the Clean & Clear range, and they are the Clean & Clear exfoliating daily wash and the Clean & Clear dual action moisturiser. They are something that I have been using every day for almost one year now.

Now, before I go into the review, just a little bit of information about my skin - because skin care is different for everyone, and if you have skin different from mine, this might not have the same results for you. I have combination skin - my cheeks are dry, and my forehead gets oily by the middle of the day. It's not sensitive skin in the sense that it gets red or irritated easily, but it does react to heavy products and I have to be careful about what I put on my face (even the dry areas) because I will get breakouts.

Onto the review!

Clean and Clear exfoliating daily wash
Before I started using this face wash, I was using the Boots witch hazel foaming cleaner. I would not recommend that one at all. In just a couple of weeks, my skin had dry patches - in the middle of summer! So when I found the Clean & Clear one, I figured I'd give it a shot because it seemed to be formulated for skin similar to mine but was still gentle enough for daily use. And having used it for a year now, I can safely say that  it has become my favorite. It not only does a great job of cleansing the skin, but it leaves skin feeling soft and fresh. It doesn't dry out my cheeks at all - despite using it twice a day. The little beads in it are not abrasive in the least, and it's nice to know that I'm exfoliating my skin just a little bit with every wash. Plus you only need a tiny amount, so the 150ml lasts forever! I just bought my second tube the other day, and I still have a little left in my first one.
My verdict: Definitely buy this is you have skin similar to mine. It's inexpensive, lasts a very long time, and most importantly, does everything that it promises.
Available for £3.20 at Boots

Clean and Clear dual action moisturiser
This is my all-time favorite moisturiser. Seriously. If they ever discontinue it, I will personally go down to the Johnson&Johnson offices and picket. I've had such a problem finding good moisturisers in the past. Either they've been too light, or too greasy. I've had so many break me out, and others didn't make any difference to my skin. This one, though, is everything I would want in a moisturiser.
It is an oil-free moisturiser with a light consistency, but it still moisturises the skin really, really well. It gets absorbed into the skin so fast, and it doesn't leave any sort of greasy shine or residue. It also has salicylic acid in it, which is meant to treat breakouts, so I have no problem putting it over them. 
It's one of the few products that I feel I can put a liberal amount on without fear of it looking like too much or causing any problems. I do have to do that in winter, because my skin like everyone else's gets drier then and needs more moisture. So this would not be the best moisturiser for dry skin, but for my kind of skin, it's fantastic. The only thing is that it leaves a 'tingly' sort of feeling when you first put it on. Personally, I find this to be quite refreshing and cooling, but it might catch you by surprise. It doesn't last though, so it really isn't a big deal.
In terms of quantity, you get 100ml of product in one tube! That is a lot, especially when you consider the fact that most moisturisers come in 50ml-80ml tubes or bottles.
My verdict: If you're looking for an oil-free moisturiser that has been formulated to work with acne-prone skin, look no further.
Available for £2.99 at Boots

I hope this was useful! I know I've been really gushy in this post, but I really do love these products. And when I find something that works well for me, I have to share it, because I know how frustrating it is to find a perfect fot for skin! Have a great weekend, everyone. :)

Recipe: Tortellini with peppers in a garlic sauce

Hi everyone! It's Saturday, and I thought I would make today's post a little different! I have a recipe for you. It's Totellini with peppers in a cheesy, garlic sauce. I made it a couple of weeks ago, and I was just making it up as I went along. It came out really well, and it was really quick and easy too, so just thought I would share!

 

You will need:

300 g Tortellini (either spinach or pepper)
2 red/green/yellow bell peppers
Garlic granules
Cheese sauce mix
Oregano flakes
Basil
Olive oil
Salt
Parmesan (optional)

Start off by cooking the tortellini according to the instructions on the pack - this usually involves boiling it for a certain amount of time. Now I used pepper-stuffed tortellini, but you can use spinach ones as well if you feel that the recipe will be too spicy for you!

While the tortellini is cooking, chop up the peppers. I was only able to get hold of red ones, but I recommend you get different colours - I'm all for making dishes as colourful as possible!
Heat up about a tablespoon of olive oil and add in the peppers. Cook them until they soften up. Add in a sprinkling of garlic granules as well.

For the cheese sauce - I used a powder mix that I got from my local grocery store. I prepared it by adding it to 140ml of milk and heating it up in a saucepan until it was the right consistency. I then added a sprinkling of garlic granules to it. Alternatively, you could use the readymade four-cheese sauce that's available in most places.

By this time, the tortellini will be done. Drain it and add to the olive oil and peppers and mix thoroughly. Turn off the heat and pour the cheese sauce over the whole thing. Sprinkle with oregano, basil and salt. Add on some parmesan if you want and you're done!

Hope this was useful! Let me know if you'd like to see more recipes on here. :) 

Review: Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer

Hi everyone!

Today's post is a review of the Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer (anyone else think make-up product names are getting too long these days?) I picked this up about 3 months ago, and have been using it about 3-4 times a week, so I've had a fair amount of time to test it out.

As you can tell from the pictures, it's an automatic black eyeliner pencil. One end is a twist-up pencil, and the other is a little smudge stick. Now I don't tend to my smudge my black eyeliner, so I've never used the smudge stick, and can't comment on that.

As for the actual eyeliner - it's a rich, creamy black. I tend to wear it on my waterline, and it lasts remarkably well through the day. Just to give you an idea - that's from 7:00am when I put it on to 5:30pm when I get home. On the occasions that I have worn it on my upper lash line, it doesn't budge much. It might fade a bit as the day wears on, but nothing too noticeable. 

Take a look at the pictures below for an idea about its staying power:

See how pigmented that is? I didn't even apply a lot of pressure while drawing that on.

This is when I rubbed that line vigorously. I got a slight bit of it transferred on my finger, but as you can see, it barely made a difference.

Bottom line is, I really like this eyeliner and will definitely be repurchasing. I think it's tricky buying an eyeliner for regular or daily use, because you want something with staying power, but at the same time, it should be something that's safe enough and doesn't irritate your eyes or anything of the sort. It should also not be too expensive, because you're going to be repurchasing it. This one ticks all the boxes for me. 

You can find it for £3.99 at Boots. It also comes in a whole bunch of pretty colours, so if you want a waterproof eyeliner in something besides black, you can still take a look. I know I will. :)

Cleansers and toners: Nivea and Garnier

I know it's been a while, but a lot has happened since November! I've moved cities for a new job - well I'm 6 months in so it isn't really 'new' anymore, but you know what I mean! I am keen on starting up Beauty Bunting again, though, so this me doing just that!

In this post, I'm going to be talking about my all-time favorite make-up removal products - Nivea Daily Essentials Cleansing Lotion and Garnier Fresh Essentials Refreshing Toner.

I've lost count of the number of times I've purchased these, so you're going to be getting a comprehensive review here!

Let's start off with Nivea Daily Essentials Refreshing Cleansing Lotion.

This is a cream cleanser that I use with cotton pads like the ones in the above picture. It's not too thick or too runny, which makes it perfect for removing face make-up. I also use it to remove eye make-up, which is does extremely well. I've used more 'water-like' specialist eye make-up removers in the past, and I have to say, I prefer this one to all of them. The creamy consistency doesn't feel harsh on the skin (nothing worse than tugging and pulling at the eye area!) and you don't need a whole lot of product to do the job. As far as fragrance goes - it's nothing fruity or floral, but pleasant enough. It smells more like a lotion than a cleanser, which I think is a good thing.

This cleanser really does take off everything; foundation, concealer, mascara, lipstick - you name it! The only flipside to it is that this isn't one of those cleansers you can use on its own. You need to wash it off afterwards, otherwise it might cause breakouts. I have fairly sensitive, combination skin, and found that if I didn't wash my face after using this, my skin felt kind of greasy. Maybe if you have dry skin, it'll be different for you - but I think on general principle, you need to wash your face at the end of the day anyway!

All in all, I think this is a fantastic, great value product. You get 200ml for less than £4.00. I wanted to link to it on the Boots website, but it isn't listed there for some reason! It should be available in the bigger Boots stores in the cleansers section though - I've never had a problem getting hold of it.

Now,  moving on to Step 2 - Garnier Fresh Essentials Refreshing Toner.

I use this toner after I have cleansed and washed my face. It's a wonderfully cooling toner, that leaves my skin feeling clean and fresh. It also catches any last traces of make-up that might still be lingering (eyeliner, I'm looking at you!)

According to the bottle, it's supposed to have grapefruit and Pro-Vitamin B5. I think it's the grapefruit that gives it its fresh scent which I really enjoy. I like to soak cotton pads with it and place them on my closed eyes. It doesn't irritate them at all, but actually makes for a very relaxing experience!

I was also impressed with the fact that this toner doesn't dry out my skin. Although I have combination skin, my cheeks can get pretty dry here in the UK, and I was apprehensive when I used this for the first time, but I've had no issues so far. I really recommend this product.

You can get it online on Feelunique for £4.03 but it's about 80p or so cheaper if you pop into your local Boots.

Hope this was useful, have a nice day!