Long Lasting Summer Makeup with SEVENTEEN

Morning everyone! Today I thought I’d talk through a few SEVENTEEN products I think are perfect for creating a long lasting summer makeup look! Long lasting makeup is something I look for all year round but especially in the summer when it’s hot and my makeup has a tendency to melt or transfer!

SEVENTEEN Stay Time Foundation with SPF 25 in Soft Ivory*

First up is foundation and after hearing so much hype about this recently I just had to try it – a foundation that promises full cover and up to 25 hours wear has my name written all over it! I’m happy to say that this doesn’t disappoint! It’s quite a thick formulation so I like to use a damp Beauty Blender to make sure it spreads evenly over my face and the coverage is so good I don’t even feel the need to use a separate concealer for spots! Almost unheard of with me! I've been wearing this to work on really hot days and can’t get over how well it lasts on my oily skin, I do set it but find with other foundations they can separate round my nose very quickly, something that this doesn’t do, hurrah! From what I can tell, the shade range in this is very pale so if you are darker skinned you may struggle to find a match. I have the shade Soft Ivory which is perfect for me when I don’t have any fake tan on but I will be hoping my nearest Boots sorts out their testers soon so I can find a darker shade for when I tan!

SEVENTEEN Stay Time Pressed Powder in Fair

I’ve had this for a while now and am happy with how well it works to mattify my skin. The powder itself feels super smooth and has lasted me ages! I do wish it came in a translucent shade though, I have the shade Fair and it can look a little patchy if not careful, it could be my overzealous application of powder though!

SEVENTEEN Skin Wow! Concealer in Fair*

I’m so impressed with this and have become a little obsessed over the last few weeks! I used it every night on holiday as I didn’t sleep well so this faked a bright eyed look for me! When I first swatched it I didn’t think it would be brightening enough for under my eyes but how wrong I was! I usually do a triangle under my eyes and sometimes down my nose and on my cupids bow then go in with my Beauty Blender and love the effect it has! I usually just use concealers under my eyes but see much more of a difference with this! I love the packaging too, it’s so eye-catching but I suppose it will be hard to tell when it runs out!

SEVENTEEN Stay Time Foundation in Soft Ivory and Skin Wow Concealer in Fair swatch

SEVENTEEN Define and Conquer Contour Kit in Medium*

I love the packaging of this, it’s so NARS-esque! The product inside is brilliant too, the powders are so soft and easy to blend! The highlight shade is matte – perfect for setting under eyes and although the contour shade always looks very warm in my swatches, once it’s on my face it’s a really natural shade that I like to apply under my cheekbones and up towards my temples to give my skin a little extra colour!

SEVENTEEN Blush Powder in China Pink

This is probably the one product I don’t love the packaging of! It’s very ColourPop in that it’s a screw top but as it’s a powder formulation I don’t see why it can’t be a click and close, it would save more time! However, I am so impressed with the pigmentation it offers and how long lasting it is! It still looks as fresh at the end of the day as it did at the start! There is also a great shade range and best of all – it’s only £2.99!

SEVENTEEN Define and Conquer contour kit in Medium and Powder Blush in China Pink swatch

SEVENTEEN Powder and Blush Brush

This was a free gift with the powder and blush mentioned earlier which you might have seen in this haul (SEVENTEEN do great offers!) and it’s such an underrated product! It doesn’t necessarily make my makeup last any longer but its super soft and the perfect size for applying either blush or contour!

SEVENTEEN Brow’s That! Brow Kit

This was the first brow kit I think I got from the drugstore, and it’s still one of the best in my opinion! It contains a wax, brow powder and highlighter as well as a pencil and mini brush to define your brows. The brow shade is the perfect cool toned brown that works perfectly with my colouring and the highlight shade does have a shimmer to it but it’s really subtle! The wax is slightly tinted and helps to set the brows making them last all day!

SEVENTEEN Falsifeye HD! Mascara in Blackest Black*

To make my makeup extra-long lasting I would have picked a waterproof mascara because that’s what I usually go for but I love how lengthening and separating this is! It also doesn’t flake or wear off (unless I rub at my eyes but then whose doesn’t after that!). This wouldn’t be one for anyone who likes lots of drama from their mascara but if you are going for a natural look and want to look wide awake with lots of length, this is gorgeous and not clumpy at all!

SEVENTEEN Eye Shadow Mono in Brown

I am the first to admit that I am a bit of a snob when it comes to eye shadows and I usually go for higher end formulations but at £3.89 I had to check out SEVENTEEN’S range! I went for the shade Brown which is a gorgeous metallic - you guessed it - brown shade! It’s lovely and pigmented, applies easily and lasts all day (though I do use the NARS Smudgeproof primer)! Definitely worth a try!

SEVENTEEN Lip Crayon in Bold*

This is such a gorgeous bright coral perfect for summer! I find that it gives a nice shine but it’s not overly glossy so it’s more long-lasting than other lip crayons I’ve tried!

SEVENTEEN Mono Eyeshadow in Brown and Lip Crayon in Bold swatch

See my last posts featuring SEVENTEEN here and here! 

What’s your favourite SEVENTEEN product? Is there anything here you’d like to try?

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own.

Danielle xx

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Poolside Essentials

Hi everyone! I got back from my holiday last week so I thought now would be a perfect time to share my poolside essentials! These were the products I had by my side all week long for sunbathing and I couldn’t have done without them! If you want to see the makeup and skincare I took with me, have a look at my Instagram here!

Nivea Sun Caring Roll On SPF 30*

I got sent this and its SPF 50 version a few days before I left and it was so useful! At 50ml its really compact so perfect for throwing in your beach bag for touch ups throughout the day and I found myself reaching for it to make sure I was protected from the sun especially round areas where my bikini or flip flops touched my skin in case any cream I had applied in my apartment had sweated or rubbed off! When I saw the words “roll on” I thought it might be a little gimmicky but the roller ball is so smooth and applied the cream really evenly! The scent of this is summer in a bottle to me, Nivea mixed with SPF, you know you are on holiday! Anytime I got my mum or aunt to apply this to my back they commented on the scent too! The only thing I would say is that obviously if you are using the rollerball to apply directly to your body and anyone else wants to use it, it may be a little unhygienic! Kids versions are also available and it has UVA and UBV protection and is water resistant!

Nivea Sun are also in partnership with Cancer Research UK – you can see the ad here! They recently released research revealing the extent of 2000 members of the British publics’ confusion around sun protection which are quite interesting so I’ll dot a few throughout the post!  

Ladival SPF 30 Spray

I got this in the Latest In Beauty Glamour Summer Edit which came in handy and it was the perfect size for a week in the sun! I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with sun lotion in that I want one that stops me from getting burnt but that dries in quickly and doesn’t make me feel tacky. This delivered on one of these so I don’t want to be too negative as not burning is way more important than feeling greasy! It does however promise to be “non-greasy” yet I still felt sticky after application even when I stood by a fan blowing cool air over me! The spray is also a little messy so I tended to spray into my hand before applying! It does protect the skin very well though and I didn’t get burnt (didn’t get a tan either mind!) so if you don’t mind the tacky/sticky feeling it may be for you!

20% of adults surveyed have went out in strong sun in the UK without protecting their skin because they wanted to get a tan!

17% admitted being unsure if sunscreen expires and 3% firmly believe it doesn’t!

  

Eucerin Sun Face Mattifying Fluid SPF 50*(RRP £16)

I have been using this regularly for the past few months but I now have a whole new appreciation for it! Again, offering both UVA and UVB protection, it’s a runny yellow liquid that you have to shake well before use. I would apply this in the morning to my face and wipe any excess onto the tops of my ears. This is so lightweight and doesn’t feel greasy at all as well as being water resistant. It dries in quickly and I find this to be so mattifying on my skin while offering so much protection! While I am careful to keep my face out of the sun as much as possible as exposure can be bad for acne scarring sometimes it’s unavoidable and I didn’t get burnt once using this! I have a full review of this and other facial SPF’s from Eucerin here!

40% become burnt whilst gardening or doing DIY outside in the UK and 21% have been caught out whilst watching sport outside!

Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm Peach Sheer Tint with SPF 15

This is an old favourite of mine and I remember why I loved it so much now! It has a slant tip for easy application and the sheer colour gives a lovely tint to the lips! It also comes in a few other shades but Peach is definitely my favourite! I am a serial lip balm applier and this kept them nicely hydrated while I was sunbathing!

Beach Towel

Always need at least one of these to lie on! The sun loungers were so comfortable too; remember when they used to be hard plastic?

Hat

I booked pretty last minute to go on holiday and searched high and low for a hat before leaving but couldn’t find an affordable one anywhere! I resigned myself to borrowing my cousin’s, then a few days in I found a wide brimmed hat at one of the stall type shops for €6! Perfect for keeping my face in the shade while reading my book!

The Nivea and Cancer Research UK survey showed that 8% of respondents failed to wear a hat "because they don’t suit them”!

Sunglasses

These are just a pair from Miss Selfridge and they are ancient but I love them! They are quite similar to Ray Ban Wayfarers but much more affordable! I took these and a pair of aviators from River Island but I did spend some time in duty free eyeing up their Ray Ban counterparts!

iPod

I could not live without my iPod on holidays (or travelling to get to holidays for that matter!). Listening to music while sunbathing is so relaxing and I almost fell asleep a few times - dangerous! I probably listened to Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Catfish and the Bottlemen and The Last Shadow Puppets the most!

Book

I only read a few books on holiday and I wasn’t overly taken with either! Definitely do your research before taking one with you! I am in the middle of reading Me After You at home (again, not taken with it after loving Me Before You but it’s a hardback so I didn’t want to take it as its to heavy!)

Water

An absolute essential for me! I drink so much water through the day; I was constantly refilling this to keep myself hydrated! Sunbathing makes me sweat (nice) so drinking water is a necessity!

Beach bag (Primark £1.50)

I was running round like a headless chicken last week looking for a lightweight canvas bag big enough to fill with my essentials as well as my beach towel and had almost given up until I got to the tills at Primark and saw these! It’s exactly what I was looking for despite being so basic, I love the print and the handles mean I can carry it under my arm comfortably! I love it!

Cancer Research UK and Nivea Sun recommend taking the following steps to protect yourself in the sun:

C – cover up by wearing a hat, t-shirt and sunglasses

A – aim for the shade between 11am - 3pm

R – rub on sunscreen using plenty with at least SPF 15 and a 4 star UVA rating

E – enjoy! Have fun in the sun safely!

And this is the photo I wanted to use but I took it before I got my hat! #firstworldproblems

Have you been on holiday this year? What are your pool/beachside essentials?

Danielle xx

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Geeking out over Makeup: Updated Makeup Geek Palette

I think we all know by now that I am a huge fan of Makeup Geek shadows so when BeautyBay recently had 50% off, I couldn’t resist! I picked up some shades I had been meaning to for a while as well as some crowd favourites that people had recommended and I saw constantly popping up in other’s collections! My collection has grown considerably since my Makeup Geek Palette of Neutral Dreams post so this is a mixture of what I picked up in the sale and what I had picked up since that post!

I actually only put all the shadows in my extra-large palette for the purpose of this post, in reality I still have my small palette which I use day to day then a large palette which has the rest of the pans! The majority of my shadows are in the standard formula but I also have two foiled shadows in Starry Eyed and Mesmerised and one duo chrome shade in Steampunk. All the shadows are highly pigmented, easily blended and long-lasting, in the six months since I discovered them they have quickly become my favourite formulation! 

So onto the swatches! I’m never overly happy with swatch pictures I take and these don’t do the shadows enough justice but I hope someone finds them helpful!

Row 1: Vanilla Bean, Sand Dollar, Shimma Shimma, Starry Eyed, Peach Smoothie, Creme Brulee, Latte

Row 1

Vanilla Bean – light shimmer with beige undertone, I use this as a base or sometimes as a brow highlight (doesn’t really show up on the swatch as my skin is so pale!)

Sand Dollar – a matte light greyish shade, I use this as a base or near my inner corner to lighten before transitioning to a darker shade (again not showing up on my skin in the swatch!)

Shimma Shimma – a metallic champagne shade I used as an inner corner highlight

Starry Eyed – this is one of the foiled formulations and is described as a champagne shade too but obviously it has a lot more shimmer than Starry Eyed! I use this over the lid

Peach Smoothie – a matte peach beige I have been trying to embrace as a transition shade through the crease

Crème Brulee – a matte warm sand colour

Latte – a matte medium brown it looks a lot warmer on my eyelids than it does in the swatch

Row 2: Prom Night, Homecoming, Taupe Notch, Pretentious, Brownie Points, Friend Zone, Hipster

Row 2

Prom Night – a light purple grey shimmer though it always looks more bronze when I swatch it!

Homecoming – a medium brown shade with gold shimmer

Taupe Notch – a taupe shimmer

Pretentious – a bronzey gold metallic shade I like to wear all over the lid at night, swatches almost the same as Homecoming on me but looks different on the lid

Brownie Points – a cool milk chocolate matte, not as pigmented as some other matte shades I have

Friend Zone – a purple/grey/brown matte again not as pigmented as others

Hipster – slightly shimmery light taupe colour, I love this all over the lid, the shimmer is so subtle it’s gorgeous!

Row 3: Barcelona Beach, Frappe, Cocoa Bear, Wild West, Mocha, Mesmerised, Steampunk

Row 3

Barcelona Beach – medium brown cool toned matte, another one of my favourites!

Frappe – medium brown warm toned matte

Cocoa Bear – a matte red brown

Wild West – another red brown matte, I need to give these three more love!

Mocha – a deep matte brown, love this for the darkening my outer crease or as a liner

Mesmerised – another foiled formulation this is a medium brown with hints of purple, no fallout and it looks gorgeous on!

Steampunk – my only duo chrome finish, this is a dark copper shade that I haven’t had the chance to wear yet!

Row 4: Moondust, High Tea, Twilight, Unexpected, Vintage, Bedrock, Concrete Jungle

Row 4

Moondust – a silver taupe

High Tea – a greenish/grey/brown matte

Twilight – a mute purple shimmer

Unexpected – a matte purple taupe

Vintage – a purple mauve

Bedrock – a medium matte grey with brown undertones

Concrete Jungle – a deep matte grey

This entire row has been neglected by me! I used to wear grey shades all the time, Vintage and Unexpected always stood out to me whenever I saw them swatched and the other three will be great lid shades!

Row 5: Stealth, Taboo, Americano, Bada Bing, Peacock, Drama Queen, Corrupt

Row 5

Stealth – a medium slate grey matte with blue undertones

Taboo – a deep purple matte

Americano – a dark brown matte with burgundy undertones that I love for my outer crease

Bada Bing – a deep brown with flecks of gold, this works great as a liner

Peacock – this is my one out of my comfort zone shade and I haven’t worn it yet! It’s described as a matte deep teal blue

Drama Queen - a dark purple shimmer

Corrupt – a black almost matte with a bit of sparkle, this is super pigmented and one of the blacked shadows I have, it really gets into my upper lash line and defines it!

My favourite shadows are definitely Barcelona Beach, Mocha, Hipster, Shimma Shimma, Americano, Mesmerised, Bada Bing and Corrupt but all the shades are so smooth, pigmented and long-lasting!

I’m currently on holiday at the minute and will be back at the end of the week so I might be a bit quiet on the comments to then! I’ll probably do a few Instagram posts of what makeup and skincare I’ll be taking if you want to have a look there!

  

Do you love Makeup Geek just as much as me? What are your favourite shades?

Danielle xx

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A Working Week in Lipstick #1

 

I’ve seen posts like this crop up on a few blogs now so thought I’d join in and show you what lipstick I’ve been wearing to work this week! Changing my lipstick and blush is something I try and do consciously everyday as they are what I have most of in my makeup collection. I don’t tend to take lipstick with me for touch-ups so I look for something comfortable and that will last me until tea time then I will just apply whatever lip balm I have in my handbag throughout the day!

Monday

I went with my ColourPop Lippie Stix in Crunch today as I realised I hadn’t used it in far too long! I actually got put off this because I wore it to an interview I had last year and when I got back into my car I realised I had talked that much it had gathered in the middle of my lips! Not a good look! Happy to report this didn’t happen today and I’ve fallen back in love with the sheer but buildable bright coral colour it gives! See the haul this was included in here!

Tuesday

I used my Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani lipstick in Ex-Girlfriend over the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillowtalk for today. I’ve become a little obsessed with this lip liner since I got it, I absolutely love the colour! It comes up as a light dusty mauve on me and is so creamy and easy to fill my lips in with as it doesn’t drag at all. I went over the top with Ex-Girlfriend as I love the neutral colour and shine it gives to the lips! This was limited edition but Urban Decay have brought out Ex-Girlfriend as part of their new Vice lipstick collection though I’m not sure if it’s exactly the same shade!  

Wednesday

Revlon Ultra HD lipstick in Rose was my pick for today! The packaging of this range of lipsticks is a bit controversial as the bullet is very easily messed up if you hit the side of the lid putting it back in. I haven’t had any major disasters but I’m always careful with this one! The range seems to have a lot of very bright colours but this is the only shade I have and I really like it, it’s creamy, pigmented, feels moisturising and wears off evenly – exactly what I look for in a lipstick!

Swatches L-R: ColourPop Lippie Stix in Crunch, Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillowtalk, Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Ex-Girlfriend, Revlon Ultra HD lipstick in Rose

Thursday

I went with the Kevyn Aucoin Flesh Tone lip pencil in Medium today with NYX Soft Matte Lip in Stockholm over the top. I got the Kevyn Aucoin lip pencil as a deluxe free gift with a Beauty Bay order a few weeks ago and I love it! It’s so soft and pigmented despite being more of a traditional pencil and though the colour isn’t something I would have picked myself, it matches perfectly with the NYX Soft Matte lip. I am a lip balm addict so don’t wear matte lipsticks often but I love this formula! It dries quickly and evenly and feels so comfortable on the lips! I do find the lines on my lips become more pronounced when I have this on though the product doesn’t settle in them at all! When I got to work I did put a bit of clear balm over the top to inject a little moisture! This did make it a bit more susceptible to transfer but it’s a price I’m willing to pay!

Friday

I used my NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien today which I got in the Modern Minimalist box I splurged on recently! I love the formula of the satin lip pencils as they glide on so easily and Rikugien has a bit more sheen to it that the other shades I have but is a lovely rose colour that’s very ‘my lips but better’!

Swatches L-R:  Kevyn Aucoin Flesh Tone lip pencil in Medium, NYX Soft Matte Lip in Stockholm, NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien

I’m heading on holidays for a week on Thursday so might be a little behind on comments! Do you have any of these lipsticks? Let me know if there are any others I might like!

Danielle xx

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