New in at the drugstore - January

I don't know if I'm the only one, but I get more excited for new cheaper makeup releases than I am for high end ones. Probably because I know I can buy more things or maybe because I just love a bargain (thanks mum for that trait!). I just so happened to pop into town on my lunch break the other day and wandered in to Boots to pick up one thing and I ended up coming out with allsorts.

First up, new nail bits from Barry M. I always think Barry M do cheap nail polish so well, I especially love the Gelly Hi-Shine range. The colours are beautiful and they give such a glossy finish with great staying power. So when I spotted they had some new shades, I opted for an off-white cream colour called Cream Soda. I've always wanted an almost white nail polish, but this way it doesn't look as though I've covered my nails in Tipex. 

They were on an offer (2 for £6), so of course I had to buy something else! Recently I've been trying to grow my nails and strengthen them. However when they aren't painted I have a tendancy to bite or snap them. So the new Mani Mask range caught my eye, offering colour with a conditioning treatment built in. I picked up Birthday Suit a pinky nude colour.

Then on to Maybelline. I love new brow products. Even though they tend to be something I don't switch up very often, it's always nice to find something you like even better. I spotted this brow pencil in a chubby stick, then I saw the name and knew I had to buy it: Brow Drama Pomade Crayon. I thought it may be a cheaper and more accessible alternative to the Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade. The consistency seems lovely and really similar, but I think I may have to use it with a brush to get the same precision. When I've had a play around I may post a full comparison.

Now this may not be a very new product to Maybelline but the formulation was something that I have never spotted before. Maybelline Master Ink in Matte. In recent years I've used nothing but liquid eyeliner pencils, having had a terrible experience with a Bourjois Clubbing nibbed liquid eyeliner back in the day. But seeing Suzie from HelloOctober's perfect eyeliner in her videos made me really want to give it another chance and I thought Matte might be something a bit different.

Last but not least, a new foundation from Bourjois. Now Bourjois rank pretty high in the drugstore foundation category for me. I'd probably place them after Rimmel, as they just don't tend to have as much colour variety as some other brands. Just recently they released a new Matte foundation and even though everyone has been raving about it, I just knew that it would never work with my dry skin. Then I saw this one. A radiance and brightening promising formula. Seems more of a summer release with its SPF30, but I'm all for trying a new tinted moisturiser/BB cream now my skin is a bit clearer. So it went straight in to my basket!

Well that's all the things I've spotted and have picked up lately. Is there anything else I should try? Let me know in the comments.

Libi

xx

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New Things: October

So there's many advantages and disadvantages to working full time. But one advantage is spending more money on makeup. I mean, I don't need any more lipsticks, but do I buy them, of course I do. Most of my purchases are usually influenced by bloggers or youtubers and they go onto my little wish list for a while until eventually I give in and they come home with me!

First up is a lipstick (of course!) this is Mac All Fired Up from the Retro Matte range. This is a colour that I've wanted for about 2 years and always pick up and swatch in store. I've held off by thinking I didn't really need it, however when I got chance at a Back to Mac freebie it went straight in my basket. It's a beautiful combination of a bright pink and red, a good bold lip.

Also from Mac, a new brush for my collection. This is the Mac 266 Small Angle Brush. As you may have seen from my New York haul in March. All I've been using for my brows is the Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade and I've been using the same old thick cheap brush since I first started filling in my brows, so this was a sneeky little treat for myself. It has definitely improved the precision in which I apply product so hopefully no scouse brows in sight!

I've never seen so much hype about a concealer like I have for Urban Decay's Naked Skin. I've never really been fussy with my concealers as long as they cover. However, recently I've needed something to help brighten my under eyes. Due to my (desceivingly) pale skin tone, I've never really found anything to do this and help highlight my face. But this has completely done the trick, so much so I'm considering buying it in a slightly darker colour for the rest of my face.

Finally some cheeky Space Nk purchases. I'm not afraid to say going into store intimidates me slightly. The staff to customer ratio is a bit off and I always feel a little judged. So I tend to have an idea of what I want before I go in.

One of which was Emma Hardie's Amazing Face cleanser. I was stuck over this or the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel, but in the end this reigned triumphant for the fact it seemed to have a much creamier consistency for dry skin. This has been in my possession for just over a week and it is most definitely love. This has completely changed my skin for the better, it is no longer as dry and using it as a second cleanse has meant that my skin is much clearer!

The other purchase: one of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes in Dim Infusion. This is a beauty, cue the love heart eyes emoji! The colour is a beautiful coral with a lovely glow to it and no sparkle in sight. Due to it being a combination of a blush with one of the Ambient Lighting powders, it's ridiculously blendable and I love it that much that I may have made a cheeky order for the new Ambient Lighting Edit palette so I can try two more colours and one of the bronzers. What can I say Hourglass have just sucked me in.

Well then, I'm now a bit skint. At least I have lots of pretty things! Until next time..

Libi xx

A New York Sephora and Walgreens Haul

It's been a solid 2 months since I came back from The States. You get back from a holiday and quickly settle back into old routines as though you had never been away. I came back to university and got distracted, only to realise now during my exams I never posted a good old beauty haul.

Now there had been quite a list of things I wanted to purchase whilst in America and I knew the drugstores and Sephora would be my first port of call. After a few days of sightseeing and an evening in the big apple free, we decided some shopping was in order.

In Sephora I knew I had to head straight for the Anastasia Beverley Hills counter. Although many online stores in the UK do now stock the brand, it is still much cheaper in the US and I also had chance to see the shades in person. 

After hearing a lot about the Dipbrow Pomade I picked up the shade Chocolate which matches me exactly. I love the texture of this product and after using a powder for so long it's definitely different. Another thing from the brand I wanted was the Contour Kit in Light/Medium. This constantly sells out online and I picked it up for $40 as opposed to £40!

Other great finds include the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette which was also a bargain, a Beauty Blender and sat just next to the tills as though to entice me, a double ended mini BITE Beauty lipstick. These are so creamy and pigmented.

After leaving Sephora happy with my new buys, I headed to Walgreens picking up two Wet n Wild lipsticks for a combined price of $3 (around £1.90). These are so great for the money and I definitely wish I had picked up a couple more. I also bought an Essie nail polish in There's No Place Like Chrome, a colour I had never seen in the UK and the Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso which is not pictured.

Lastly I headed to MAC to see if I could pick up Velvet Teddy lipstick which is never in stock on the MAC website or at my local counter. To my surprise they had lots of them and after realising how much cheaper everything was compared to home I picked up a 15 pan palette and two shades to accompany it - All That Glitters and Amber Lights.

That just about rounds of all of my beauty buys from NYC. I'm still upset I couldn't get my hands on the Lorac Pro Palette whilst I was there, but there is always a next time. I'm sure I'll be back soon!

Libi
xx