Budget Beauty | Boots 17 Makeup | Extreme Extension Lengthening Mascara, Glow Is Everything CC Cream & Second Skin Enhancing Concealer review

When it comes to budget-friendly makeup, you can't beat a trip to Boots to see what's on offer. These days, it's easier than ever to choose cruelty-free and vegan cosmetics that won't break the bank. As I've been feeling nostalgic this month, I thought I'd try out some of the bestsellers from the popular 17 makeup range.

If you grew up as a young girl in England, you're probably quite familiar with the Boots 17 brand. Like many teenagers, some of my very first makeup purchases were from this range (if I remember correctly, it was a bright pink lipstick and a lilac single eyeshadow with lots of glitter), so it's been an interesting experience to pick up a couple of products to try out and see how they feel as a mid-30's millennial. The brand has had a much-hyped revival after being discontinued in 2018 and there are plenty of new treats to discover with everything costing £5 or under!

I've played it safe and chosen some everyday makeup staples to see how they compare to what I generally use on a day-to-day basis, which may help those who are seeking some cheaper alternatives due to the cost of living crisis. 

17 Extreme Extension Lengthening Mascara in Black (12ml, £4 or £3 with a Boots Advantage Card)

I'll have to admit that it's been a while since I've used a mascara that cost less than a fiver so I didn't have high expectations. 17 has a couple of different mascara formulas on offer and Extreme Extension sounded like the ideal one for me as I typically look for lots of length and definition. The packaging is very basic and quite chunky, but the rubberized flexible wand looked promising. 

First coat on and I really loved the results; it definitely adds noticeable length to my short lashes, defines them nicely, and has great pigmentation. The second coat, however, caused my lashes to stick and clump together so it didn't work for me as a buildable mascara. That said, for a one-coat, everyday mascara, it stays put for a good 8 hours and doesn't flake or smudge which is £4 well spent in my opinion!

17 Glow Is Everything CC Cream (30ml, £4)

Packaged in a cute squeezy tube, I'd seen the Glow Is Everything CC Cream raved about on various socials so this one was an obvious choice for me to try out. Having been pre-warned about the very limited shade range (this CC Cream is available in only four shades), I picked up the oddly named 003P which looked like a standard beige colour online and IRL this was a decent match for my light-medium skin tone. 

Upon squeezing a little of the product out, I noticed a slight chemical/plastic smell but it wasn't too off-putting so I grabbed a beauty blender sponge and cracked on. The light coverage looked surprisingly good with a subtle dewy/glowy finish and lasted well for 7-8 hours of wear. Again, this would be great for every day and those fresh 'no makeup makeup' looks. I did find that it oxidized later on in the day, turning a little orangey on my skin, but I felt that I could maybe get away with it when my complexion is a bit more tanned in the summer months. Not bad at all for the price point. 

17 Second Skin Enhancing Concealer (£2)

The most talked about product was the 17 Second Skin Enhancing Concealer which retails for the bargain price of just two pounds. Two quid! I couldn't believe my eyes! Into the basket it went, although straight off the bat, the shade range is again very limited with just ten colours on offer. 

001P looked like my best bet which is suitable for light-medium skin tones. The texture and consistency of this concealer is amazing. It blends so easily and definitely delivers a natural skin-like finish which feels velvety smooth! The coverage is also pretty decent; it won't fully conceal dark circles but with a corrector underneath, it achieves a lovely flawless effect that didn't crease into my fine lines and feels creamy and hydrating. I'd say this worked better for my under eyes than a blemish concealer. Like the CC Cream, it does oxidize a little throughout the day so I'd recommend picking a lighter shade. This is currently my best budget buy of the year so far!

Swatches: 17 Glow Is Everything CC Cream in 003P (top) and 17 Second Skin Enhancing Concealer in 001P (bottom)

17 Makeup Summary

Pros:

- Amazing value for money, everything is under £5

- Cruelty-free

- Everything is vegan-friendly

- Great for everyday wear

- Easy products to apply & blend

Cons:

- Very, very limited shade range

- CC and Concealer do oxidise

- Packaging does feel cheap & basic

- Products have a slight chemical/plastic scent

Have you revisited 17 Makeup as an adult?

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Cruelty-Free Makeup: Top 5 Best Natural Concealers

 

Concealers are an essential in many people's makeup bags, yet it can be notoriously difficult to find 'the one'. I've tested out a lot of concealers over the years and wanted to share a quick post on my current Top 5 Best Natural Concealers which are all from cruelty-free brands.

Finding Your Perfect Concealer

Finding your perfect concealer can be tricky and my main advice would be to opt for a format that you like as a starting point. Many concealers come in liquid tubes with an applicator wand or have a convenient twist-up mechanism which makes them quick and easy to apply (ideal if you're always in a rush in the morning!). Other concealers come in more solid set formats in a pot or jar, and quite a few from the green beauty world are loose mineral powders. Bear in mind your skin type as well, for example, drier skins will need more hydrating formulas that won't crease into fine lines, whilst oilier types usually require something lighter with a good setting powder to keep it in place.

Next, you want to choose your shade and I'd recommend finding out what your undertone is first to get the right match - this video is brilliant for explaining the differences between warm, neutral, and cool undertones and you'll find this info helpful when you're choosing foundation shades as well.

Why You Might Need More Than One Concealer

Whilst some concealers promise to conceal every single imperfection on your face, in my experience, it's rare to find one that truly does it all (though I have included one below!). When I'm applying makeup, I tend to want a lighter, more reflective concealer for banishing dark circles and a slightly thicker concealer for making blemishes disappear. You might also want to try using a salmony-pink coloured concealer as an undereye corrector and then apply a light reflective concealer over the top if you have particularly dark circles that you want to get rid of (again, more on this below).

My Top 5 Best Natural Concealers

1 - Mádara The Concealer* (4ml, £20, link)

Organic, cruelty-free, and vegan-friendly, Mádara's bestselling The Concealer is a multi-tasking superstar and by far the best natural concealer that I've ever tried for handling both dark circles and blemishes. The success of this concealer lies in its innovative perfecting and illuminating formula which is infused with Hyaluronic Acid and simply glides on beautifully, blending seamlessly for a 'my skin but better' finish. I'd say it's suitable for all skin types.

2 - The Organic Pharmacy Luminous Perfecting Concealer* (5ml, £19, link)

Best for dry and more mature skin types, The Organic Pharmacy Luminous Perfecting Concealer is an ultra-moisturising concealer so if you find your under eyes are very dry, this is the one for you. That said, it's not the most pigmented, but the Medium shade is the perfect salmony-pink colour to really help correct dark circles so I like to use this underneath my undereye concealer for the most flawless results. 

3 - Dr. Hauschka Light Reflecting Concealer* (2.5g, £18.25, link)

Many people have asked me on social if I know of a natural dupe to the infamous YSL Touche Eclat concealer and perhaps the most similar one that I've tried to match it is Dr. Hauschka's Light Reflecting Concealer. I particularly love their Transulent shade as it brightens and illuminates dark under eyes without looking cakey or creasing into fine lines. A lovely light, hydrating, silky feeling liquid concealer that's suitable for sensitive skin.

4 - Emani HD Corrective Concealer* (4g, £20, link)

For those who prefer a solid compact concealer, Emani HD Corrective Concealer offers a highly pigmented coverage and in my opinion, is best suited for covering up blemishes and marks. It has added Vitamin C and works incredibly well for uneven skin tones. Super easy to work with and blend, I'd say it's great for acne-prone and troublesome skin types the most.

5 - RMS Beauty Un Cover Up* (5.6g, £34, link)

I couldn't do a Top 5 Best Natural Concealers post and not feature this absolute gem from RMS Beauty. Their Un Cover Up is by far one of the most well loved products, and it's adored by A-list actresses, celebrity makeup artists and conscious beauty consumers alike. I've been using it for years and always have it in my stash. Best for blemishes and imperfections, this clever concealer is thick and creamy so you can really layer it on if desired for more coverage. Also doubles up as a foundation so you get more bang for your buck and it comes in the widest shade range.

Swatches - from top to bottom: Mádara The Concealer in 25, The Organic Pharmacy Luminious Perfecting Concealer in Medium, Dr. Hauschka Light Reflecting Concealer in 00 Translucent, Emani HD Corrective Concealer in Neutral and RMS Beauty Un Cover Up in 22.

What's your favourite natural concealer?

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Currently Loving: Summer Beauty Favourites from Bloomtown, RMS Beauty, John Masters Organics & The Organic Pharmacy

I think it's finally safe to say that Summer is perhaps here to stay now in the UK, so before the sun goes in and it starts raining, I thought I'd put together a little edit of some of my current Summer Beauty Favourites.

Bloomtown Glide-On Deodorant Bar in Lemongrass & Peppermint* (50g, £10, link)

If you're looking to make the switch to a natural deodorant, these Bloomtown Glide-On Deodorant Bars are a great place to start. I'm a huge fan of this lovely British brand and find that their natural deos are seriously underrated! With absolutely no aluminum, baking soda or parabens, they're ideal for sensitive skin to try out and currently come in two scents, a floral Lavender and Rose Geranium, and a fresh Lemongrass & Peppermint. I opted for the latter and love the uplifting fragrance! I found this worked well for for everyday wear and effectively kept the body odour at bay which is what you want a deodorant to do!

Just a heads up if you're new to these - natural deodorants are not antiperspirants so they won't stop you from sweating. Personally, I don't think it's a good idea to use antiperspirants all the time as blocking your natural perspiration function isn't healthy in my view, so be prepared for a bit of 'wetness' during the summer months or if you're exercising etc when using these.

RMS Beauty Back2Brow Brow Powder in Dark* (3.5g, £21, link)

I was looking for a new brow product and I always opt for a powder when the weather gets warmer because they seem to be able to stick around for a lot longer throughout the day. This Back2Brow Brow Powder from RMS Beauty is exactly what I was looking for. Within the compact square is a finely milled powder, rich in natural pigment and minerals that's super easy to blend and work with. It gives a good dimensional look to the brows which helps them to look instantly thicker and fuller, as well as much more natural, and the Dark shade suited me perfectly. A fabulous find!

John Masters Organics Hair Milk* (118ml, £29, link) & Lip Calm Pomegranate* (4g, £7, link)

Throughout the pandemic, I have to admit that I haven't been paying much attention to my hair thanks to WFH life, and it's been in some dire need of TLC. I've used this John Masters Organics Hair Milk in the past and felt it was time to step up to the full size as it's such a useful product to have in your beauty stash, plus it lasts forever! If you haven't heard of it before, it's basically a lightweight leave-in conditioner and styling treatment. Free from silicones, it's a good one to pick up if you have fine and very dry hair like mine as it won't weigh it down or make it look greasy, but it will deliver all the essential moisture that your hair needs to look its best. Perfect for adding shine and making your locks sleek and frizz-free.

Whilst I'm mentioning JMO, I thought I'd sneak in a cheeky shoutout for their brilliant Lip Calm Pomegranate which is a new release and based on their bestselling, original Lip Calm formula. I actually like this one more as I love the Pomegranate flavour which adds a fruity twist to their classic balm!

The Organic Pharmacy Luminous Perfecting Concealer in Medium* (5ml, £19, link)

The last product that I wanted to mention is the incredible Luminous Perfecting Concealer from The Organic Pharmacy. This Medium shade that you can see above is the perfect salmony pink colour for counteracting and brightening up dark circles. A really lovely hydrating formula that doesn't settle into those pesky fine lines and can be easily set matte with a light touch of banana powder. I'd definitely recommend this concealer more for the undereyes, rather than for concealing blemishes as it's not quite heavy duty enough to cover acne etc, so do bear that in mind, but it's OK for the odd spot here and there if you did want to double up.

What are your summer beauty favourites this year?

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UK Back To School Giveaway: Win an Oy! Skincare Set from Green People!

Award-winning organic skincare brand, Green People, are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year and to celebrate, they've given some of their most popular ranges a little makeover. One of the ranges is Oy! and I've got a set to give away to a lucky UK reader!

Green People's Oy! skincare range has been specially formulated for young skin that's going through puberty (the Oy! stands for 'Organic Young'), but it can also be used by anyone who is dealing with acne or has troublesome blemish-prone skin that needs a helping hand. 

It's great to see a range like this available because when I was a teenager, the only options that I had for skincare were way too harsh and left my skin looking worse than it was before! Thankfully, Green People's Oy! line works in harmony with young skin, not against it, and doesn't contain any of the most common irritants such as Alcohol, Petrochemicals, Silicones, Mineral Oil and SLS that are found in most mainstream anti-blemish products.

The Oy! range instead uses over 90% organic and natural active ingredients and contains anti-blemish actives such as Willow Bark (to fight spot forming bacteria and regulate oil production), Prebiotics (to support good skin bacteria and keep it healthy), Green Tea extract (helps to reduce inflammation and protect the skin from free radical damage) and Tea Tree extract (targets the bad skin bacteria that causes spots). 

Whilst my skin has calmed down considerably over the years, I do still suffer from the odd adult acne flare-up (especially when I'm stressed) and my general skin type is oily/combination, so blemishes still are a common occurrence for me. With that in mind, I was curious to try out the Oy! range for myself and I've found these products to be gentle but effective in the battle against spots. 

The range has a Clear Skin Foaming Wash, Clear Skin Cleansing Moisturiser, Clear Skin Purifying Serum, Clear Skin Blemish Concealer, and there's even a Deodorant in there to keep you smelling nice and fresh without the pore-clogging aluminum - yay! 

UK GIVEAWAY - WIN A SET!

Fancy trying all of these products out for yourself or want to win a set for your teen? Simply enter your details into the Rafflecopter below and one lucky UK reader will win the whole Green People Oy! range! Giveaway ends next week on 14th September 2017 where one winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter - good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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August Beauty Favourites

Can you believe that it's September tomorrow?! The time is flying by! Which is why I need to press pause for a moment and reflect on my August Beauty Favourites before another month rushes past. This favourites edit includes an awesome foundation and concealer, a frizzy hair fighter, a self-tanning facial product that won't make you look like Donald Trump, a fab new lip plumping gadget, and an incredible budget skin care dupe. Phew!

PMD Kiss Lip Plumping System* (£125, link)

If you like the look of fuller lips, but are way too squeamish to get anything as extreme as lip injections or fillers done, PMD's Kiss Lip Plumping System is the best alternative for those who are after a bigger pout without the needles. This clever, new-to-the-beauty-market gadget uses a 'pulsating vacuum' in conjunction with a topical serum (that's included), to plump up the lips in a painless and non-invasive way. To use it, you simply charge the PMD Kiss beforehand, apply the minty serum to clean and dry lips, choose the setting you want (there are two; a quick one and a longer one) and then place the device over your lips in sections. It's easy to do, doesn't hurt at all, takes less than 5 minutes and it's safe to use as often as you like.

I was sceptical about this at first because the device wasn't pulling on my lips as much as I thought it would be (you do feel some suction of course, but it's certainly not as strong as I imagined), but looking in the mirror afterwards, I did see a noticeable difference, especially with my thinner top lip. The results lasted for about 3-4 hours for me, and PMD say that with daily use, you can achieve longer lasting results.

It's not going to give you ridiculous Kylie Jenner style lips (cus we ALL know those are fake!), but it certainly helps to plump them up which is great if your lips are uneven or you have very thin lips to begin with. This device also helps to boost collagen production with long term use, as well as helping to smooth out lip lines, so it can be useful for older women who are want to get back some of the fullness that can be lost through ageing. It's certainly not cheap, but if you fancy a splurge, it's one of the best pain-free lip plumpers that I've tried so far.   

 Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic* (100ml, £5.99, link)

I've been a big fan of Superdrug's own brand skin care ranges for a long time now, mainly because they work incredibly well, are super affordable, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free. But they've really hit the ball straight out of the park with an amazing new dupe for one of my favourite skincare products, the infamous PIXI Glow Tonic. 

Superdrug's version contains the same magical ingredient of 5% Glycolic Acid that's in the PIXI Glow Tonic and also has extra natural botanical extracts in it to further boost the skin. It's a brilliant liquid exfoliating toner to add to your skincare routine if you don't already use one, or simply pick it up to try out and compare if you're a PIXI Glow fan. An absolute steal at just £5.99 and one of the best beauty bargains that I've come across all year.

Tropic Sun Drops Gradual Tanning Facial Serum* (30ml, £22, link)

Facial self-tanners can be really hit and miss and I've used my fair share of 'duds' over the years. The problem seems to lie in how they work as some can turn the skin too dark or with a hideous orange tone, and there are some that I've tried which don't give any colour to the skin at all! My go-to has always been James Read's Sleep Mask Tan, but this product from Tropic has been giving it a run for its money over the past month.

Tropic's Sun Drops look very scary and dark in the bottle, but they're designed to be added to your regular daily facial moisturiser for a streak-free and natural looking glow. As you're essentially mixing a gradual tanner pigment into your moisturiser, you can easily control how dark you want to go - add 2-3 drops for a light and subtle colour, whereas 4-6 drops will give you a more tanned and sunkissed glow. The colour will continue to develop over a couple of hours, and you can use more in the evening if you want a darker result. I've really been enjoying using this serum and it smells great!

Joan Collins First Base Foundation* (30ml, £25, link) & Fade To Perfect Concealer* (5ml, £17, link)

Joan Collins' makeup line continues to impress me after I fell in love with her gorgeous lipsticks earlier this year, so I've been keen to try out some more products from her brand. I decided to test out the First Base Foundation after seeing only positive reviews online and I love it! It comes packaged in a luxurious glass bottle with a gold coloured pump, and I have the shade Warm Medium which is a perfect match for my post-Summer skin tone right now. This foundation has a lightweight and silky feel to it, blends easily and offers light to medium coverage with a very natural looking finish. One pump is usually all I need for a nice and even base, and it does a great job of blurring imperfections and any fine lines, without clinging to dry areas.

To compliment the foundation, I tried the Fade To Perfect Concealer which is like a love child of YSL's Touche Eclat and NARS Creamy Concealer. It has the consistency and light reflecting power of the former, yet provides more coverage to help cover up dark circles. It goes on smoothly, stays put all day and doesn't settle into fine lines, plus the packaging feels really high-end and luxury.

Swell Ultimate Protect & Renew Serum* (50ml, £20, link)

As I've probably mentioned a million times, my hair is naturally very dry and frizzy, so I rely on a range of styling products to keep it in check. I've been particularly loving this Ultimate Protect & Renew Serum from Swell recently because it really helps to tame frizz during hot and humid weather. It's a lightweight serum that isn't sticky, and it doesn't weigh down my fine hair either (the whole Swell range is designed for fine hair so it's a good brand to look into if you have the same hair type). In addition to its frizz-taming abilities, it also protects hair from heat styling, adds shine and helps to keep dry hair hydrated for longer. This serum is 97% natural, free from silicones, cruelty-free and vegan-friendly too which is brilliant!

What are your beauty faves this month?

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Budget Beauty: GOSH SS17 Collection: Liquid Matte Lips, CCC Sticks, Eye Xpression Quad, Lumi Drops, Infinity Eyeliners & Giant Pro Liners- Review & Swatches

Happy Friday! The weekend is almost upon us, and if you're heading to the high street tomorrow, you might want to pop into Superdrug to get your hands on some of these shiny new makeup releases from GOSH's latest SS17 collection.

If you're after affordable, on-trend makeup, GOSH have got you covered. Their range is quite frankly enormous and they're always releasing exciting brand new products. I've raved about several of their products before, but I particularly love their Rebel Eyes Mascara (which was one of my favourite budget makeup finds of last year), and they do some wicked Forever Matt Eyeshadow Sticks, as well as a fab range of primers, lippies and eyeliners.

Their latest SS17 collection is inspired by Nordic/Danish beauty (the brand are based in Copenhagen) and the 'urban nature' landscape, mixing in earthy tones with stronger, empowering, rebellious brights. Like all of GOSH's previous collections, this one's also very trend based, so if you're looking to update your makeup look/bag for Spring, you're in the right place!

GOSH Liquid Matte Lips* (4ml, £8.99 each, link)

Matte lips are a trend that continues to reign over all other lip products at the moment, and like many, I've found myself adding more and more of these kinds of products to my makeup stash. Whilst I do enjoy a matte lip, I definitely favour formulas which are a lot less drying and GOSH have managed to do an excellent job with these as they're infused with 'LIPerfection' (an Eco-cert formula based on Mustard Sprouts to plump and hydrate the lips), plus they contain extracts of Dandelion which is known for being high in vitamins and antioxidants. 

The texture of these Liquid Matte Lips has an almost whipped-creme consistency to them, and they're highly pigmented so it only takes one or two swipes to get a smooth and even coat onto the lips. They don't dry down to a hard, dry matte finish, though, but I'd still say they're pretty matte overall and would be a good one to try if you don't like the intensely drying feel of other matte lip products. 

There are eight shades available and I received six of them to try out - all of which I've found to be long-lasting (around 6-7 hours on me), before fading evenly. My favourite shades for everyday are Nougat Fudge and Candyfloss, and Arabian Night is an amazing colour to opt for if you want a killer vampy dark lip for a night out!

GOSH Liquid Matte Lips swatches

GOSH Eye Xpression in 001 Back To Nature* (£8.99, link)

For a convenient compact eyeshadow quad to throw into your makeup bag or use for a neutral look every day, GOSH's new Eye Xpression in Back To Nature has everything you need for a fuss-free, easy look. These eyeshadows are super soft and silky, easy to blend and work with, and they have great pigmentation. The formula is perfume and paraben free, and each quad contains a shimmery highlight shade alongside three straight-up matte colours. In the SS17 collection, you'll find three new quads including this one.

This combination Back To Nature has a gorgeous pale pink with a golden shimmer, a light neutral brown with pink undertones, a classic medium taupe brown and a dark brown with a red undertone. All of the shades work well together, but if I find myself in a rush, I'll just sweep on that classic taupe shade all over the lid and I'm good to go! The only slight bugbear that I have with this quad (and the GOSH eyeshadow palettes in general) is that the eyeshadow pans are completely 'flat' within the plastic casing of the quad, so the outside edges of each pan can get quite messy with regular use.

GOSH Eye Xpression in 001 Back To Nature swatches

GOSH Lumi Drops in 010 Coral Blush* (15ml, £8.99, link)

GOSH's Lumi Drops are a really cool range of multi-purpose, illuminating liquid products that you can mix with your regular foundation or use on their own for a glowy highlight. Thanks to the popularity of these, GOSH have now released two new illuminating liquid blushers and they are surprisingly really easy to use. You only need a drop for each cheek and as you blend them, they sheer out into the prettiest, natural looking flush with a subtle, glowy shimmer. I have the shade Coral Blush which looks quite bright in the bottle, but once applied, it's actually very wearable and a great choice for Spring to give you an instantly fresh and awake look.

GOSH Lumi Drops in 010 Coral Blush swatches

GOSH Infinity Eye Liners in 001 Black and 006 Ash (1.2g, £6.99 each, link)

Eyeliners are something that GOSH do exceptionally well and I feel they are seriously underrated as I hardly ever see anyone talking about them! I'm sure that's set to change though with the launch of several new eyeliners, including these. The Infinity Eye Liners are wax-based, classic pencil liners that come with a smudger on the end for easy smoking out. They're long-lasting, smudge-proof, waterproof and can be used happily in the waterline (I find these are great for tight-lining with too).

There are six shades available and I've been enjoying playing with Black and Ash as both are creamy and smooth (no dragging here!), and richly pigmented. An absolute steal for only £6.99 and definitely some of the best affordable eyeliners out there. 

GOSH Giant Pro Double Liner* (£10.99, link) & GOSH Giant Pro Kajal* (£7.49, link)

If you like your liners to be big and chunky but with slim tapered tips, these two from GOSH will be right up your street. I have to admit that I didn't initially warm to these when I first saw them. The first thought that went through my mind was that they were just too big, but oddly enough, they're both comfortable and easy to hold.

The Giant Pro Double Liner is a makeup bag must-have as it boasts a liquid liner on one end and a kajal on the other. The tip of the liquid liner is nice and pointed so you can achieve a fine, sharp line easily, and the inky formula sets quickly, doesn't smudge and it's a strong, deep black. The kajal liner has a lovely smooth and creamy feel about it, and again it's highly pigmented and long-lasting. You can create a lot of different looks with this double liner and I love the 2-in-1 convenience of having a liquid liner to use on the top for a quick cat flick, and a kajal liner to use on the waterline for a smokey eye finish.

I was expecting the Giant Pro Kajal to be the same formula as the one in the Double Liner that I've just mentioned, but no, it's definitely different as it has a much richer and glossier finish. Again, this one's easy to work with, long-lasting, can be used on the waterline and delivers a strong black line for a bold look.   

New GOSH SS17 Eyeliner swatches

GOSH CCC Sticks* (4.4g, £9.99 each, link)

I imagine these multi-purpose CCC sticks will be one of the big sellers from this new collection, and they're pretty damn good. CCC stands for 'Contour, Cover, Conceal' which literally sums up what they do. The texture of these are really creamy and the crayon nature of the sticks makes them a doddle to apply. I'd highly recommend these for newbies to contouring as they give you a lot more control over where the product is going than a palette and a brush offers. Due to their creamy consistency, they're easy to blend and have a sort of 'soft focus' finish to them which gives a subtle blurring effect.

There are six shades currently available; two highlighting shades and four concealing and contouring colours to suit a range of different skin tones. I'm usually a 'Light Beige' in most foundation and concealer ranges (though sometimes a little lighter or darker depending on the time of the year), and I've been mostly using Light underneath my eyes to conceal dark circles, Medium to conceal any blemishes or marks, and Dark as a contour shade to give some definition to my cheekbones (Very Dark looks a bit too muddy on me, but may work in the summer when I'm more tanned). 

I've also been getting a lot of use out of the two highlighter shades as Vanilla is a great all-rounder for the inner corner of my eyes and on the top of my cheeks, whereas the Golden Highlighter looks good on my cheeks instead of using a blusher. Needless to say, I like these lot!

GOSH CCC Sticks swatches

The GOSH SS17 Collection is exclusively available at Superdrug, both instores nationwide and online via superdrug.com

What do you think of this collection?

Anything you'd like to pick up and try?

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Project Pan #2: 6 Months' Worth of Makeup Empties

Following on from my December Empties post the other day, here are the results of my second six-month Project Pan, featuring a whole host of makeup empties. This was a difficult challenge!

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Currently Loving: RMS Beauty Un Cover-Up & skin2skin Foundation Brush review

RMS Beauty are a classic example of how a luxury organic brand can be just as good (if not miles better) than its mainstream, high-end counterparts. 

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July Favourites

July was a particularly good month for new beauty discoveries, so here are my favourites of the bunch!

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The High-End Concealer Dream Team: Becca Ultimate Coverage Concealing Creme & Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer review

A good concealer can cleverly hide a multitude of sins and problems, which may be why they are often hard to come by. These two have entered into my life recently and they have quickly set the bar for all other concealers to follow.

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Makeup Review & Swatches: KIKO Sales Haul - Nail Lacquers, Lipsticks, Lipliners, Dark Circle Concealers, Cream Crush Eyeshadows + Bronzer!

KIKO have fast become one of the most popular budget beauty brands on the makeup scene with many high-performance products and dupes galore. They do some amazing 50-70% off sales, so during their most recent one, I decided to take advantage and picked up all of the above.

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Project Pan: 6 Months' Worth of Makeup Empties!

At the start of the year, I decided to embark on a Project Pan to see how many of my makeup products I could use up within 6 months. Here are the results!

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High-End Beauty: Charlotte Tilbury Mini Miracle Eye Wand & Magic Foundation - Review & Swatches

I'm very fickle when it comes to foundations and concealers as I go through phases of trying out a bunch of new ones, and then going back to rediscovering some old favourites. I've been using these two from Charlotte Tilbury for about three months on/off now, so I thought it was time I shared a review of them.

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November Favourites

November was another great month for discovering some new beauty favourites and there's a little bit of everything in this post, from makeup to skincare to haircare. Enjoy!

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November Empties / Products I've Used Up

Ready for another Empties post? Here are all of the products that I managed to use up this month, my final thoughts on them and whether I'll be repurchasing any again or not.

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The High-End Post: Claudia Louch Mousse Foundation in N4 Creamy Beige, Intense Lash Mascara in Black & Concealer Trio in C25 Warm Front - Review & Swatches

Earlier this year, I was introduced to Claudia Louch's High Definition Liquid Foundation which quickly became one of my absolute favourite high-def foundations. I now have three more of her high-end end makeup products gracing my vanity desk so it's time that I posted a review on them.

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June Empties: Products I've Used Up

Here are my June Empties!  Quite a good mix of products that I've managed to use up, so these are my final thoughts on them and whether I'll be repurchasing any again or not.

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