Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette

While the beauty community and makeup lovers world wide are going bonkers for blinding highlight and creating new brow trends, I am over here in a corner thinking ‘I don’t like a REALLY blinding highlight, nor do I want braided brows or McDonalds brows’. But, here I am, still plodding along with my blog and just doing me. 

Superdrug recently had an offer on all Sleek products; spend £12 and get a free essentials box. Of course, I took advantage of that offer and ordered 2 Solstice palettes. 1 for me, and 1 for my September giveaway on my Facebook page. 

I had heard so many good reviews about the Solstice palette. Youtubers and Bloggers were raving about it. It always makes me slightly dubious when a Youtuber is recommending something. I question whether their recommendations are real or if they are being paid to say nice things. But that’s another story. I watch so many makeup tutorials on YT that are filled with Morphe brushes, my heart is telling me ‘I NEED THOSE BRUSHES IN MY LIFE. NOW!’ And my head is like ‘😑🤔’… 

Anyway… getting back to the point of this blog 😂

My Solstice palettes arrived and when I opened the box I was stunned by the packaging. It looks stunning 😍👌🏻 

It’s very lightweight and definitely a handbag friendly sized palette. 

Inside the palette there is 2 baked powder highlighters, 1 cream formula highlighter & a silky shimmer powder. 

I always apply my highlighter with my finger tip. It’s personal preference I suppose. I just feel like I have more control with my finger tips. I also don’t highlight the tops of my cheeks, again, personal preference. I just don’t like the way it looks on me. But, I do highlight my Cupid’s bow, brow bone, inner corners and the bridge of my nose. 

When I tried the palette for the first time I absolutely fell in love. It’s not often that you find a highlighter palette that is affordable and really good quality. 

The powders and cream highlighters apply beautifully, they blend perfectly and are SO pigmented for an affordable product. 

I am currently sat on my daughters bedroom floor writing this blog, waiting for her to fall asleep 😴 so I have done some swatches for you, but the lighting isn’t that great in her bedroom. But I think I managed to get a pretty good shot of the swatches of the palette. 

(Please excuse the tiny bruise on my arm ruining the 2nd swatch 😔) 

As you can see, the highlighters are really pigmented, even the cream which is the far left swatch. 

If you are in the market for a new highlighter, or even a highlighter palette with a mix of shades, then I definitely recommend the Solstice palette. 

Have you got the Solstice palette? What’s your thoughts on it? 

Thanks for reading

Jen xxx

October Favourites

Hey!

So another month in 2015 has passed us by! This year is absolutely flying by!

Here are my (late as always) monthly favourites:

So, I have raved about the Pound Shop Argain Oil Night Repair Serum so many times, but I really notice the difference in my skin when I have used this product. It makes my skin feel and look so much better. Plus, its only a quid! Such an amazing product, with an even better price tag!

Lets just take a moment and look at my Real Techniques Bold Metal Brushes….. My husband surprised me with these beauties a few weeks ago, and they are amazing brushes. I couldn’t fit the whole collection in the picture, but the brissles are so soft and they do all the blending work for you!

The Maybelline Instant Anti-Age concealer is fantastic! I uploaded a picture on to my instagram, and somebody commented “Great mummy concealer”, I could not agree more! My daughters usually brilliant sleeping pattern has gone out of the window (since the clocks were put back) and is now waking up at crazy times in the morning, so the dark circles under my eyes are really bad at the moment, but this concealer covers them straight up! Amazing concealer!!

I have mentioned the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation before, I stopped using it for a while, and now I have gone back to it. It blends out so easily, I would say this is a light to medium coverage, but builable if you need/want to.

Makeup Revolution is one of my favourite affordable brands, their palettes are amazing quality, infact all of their products are amazing quality, but this lip velour is something else! I have posted a picture on my Instagram with swatches, feel free to check it out. This particular shade is ‘Say Yes, Its What We Do Best’

My lips get so dry, especially with the crazy and unpredictable UK weather, but this lip velour is amazing and makes my lips feel hydrated and silky smooth.

What have you been loving this month?

What kind of posts would you like to see from me over the next few weeks? I am trying so hard to dedicate time to my blog, I have been neglecting it so much over the past few weeks (Sorry!)

Thank you for reading!

Love Jen x

September Favourites

Hello!

I am always so late at uploading my monthly favourites blog posts! Before I know it, its the end of the month and then I am racking my brain thinking about what I have been loving the past few weeks…

Here are my September Favourites:

Benefit They’re Real Push-Up Liner

w7 Brow Bar

L.A . Girl Pro Conceal

Collection Sheer Loose Powder

Avon Big & False Lash Mascara

I Heart Makeup No Shine Please foundation (shade NS04)

Benefit They’re Real Liner – I am SO rubbish at winged liner! When I say rubbish I mean absolutely tragic! Something always seems to go wrong, I blink at the wrong times, the wings aren’t even on both sides, one side can be perfect and the other side can look like my 1 year old daughter did it! But, this liner makes it so easy! I do cheat a little bit and put some scotch tape (celotape) under my lower lash lines to get the angle right, but it works a treat! It also stays put… sometimes this is a negative when I am trying to take it off at night and it isn’t budging. But overall this is a fantastic product.

w7 Brow Bar – This is such a great little brow palette! It has a light shade, light brown, dark brown and black, it also includes a small brush to apply. The great thing about these little brow palettes is that they can easily double up as eyeshadows! Fantastic value for money, I absolutely love w7 products!

L.A. Girl Concealer – This was purchased on a bit of a whim, I was browsing eBay, and saw these on sale in somebodys eBay store. I have read some really good reviews on them, so I got a concealer and a darker shade to contour. I haven’t tried the darker one yet, so I haven’t included it. However, the concealer is absolutely amazing! It covers my dark circles perfectly, it doesn’t leave me feeling cakey and doesnt feel heavy on the skin. Love Love Love it!

Collection Sheer loose Powder – I have been using this for some time now, and I dont think I have ever mentioned it in a post before. I love using this to set my under eye area, as without it my concealer will move all over the place.

Avon Big & False Lash Mascara – I am a complete mascara addict, I have a serious problem. But, I cant seem to stop buying new ones and trying them out. Again, I got this on a whim, having read some great reviews on Facebook about it I decided to give it a go myself. I have only used it a couple of times, but I am already in love! When I have used this mascara I have not needed to curl my lashes, the mascara does it all for you! It makes my lashes look thicker and longer, and I have not noticed any smudging throughout the day.

I Heart Makeup Foundation – I got this from Superdrug, I cant remember exactly how much it was, but it was super affordable. This is a great foundation! It has good coverage, it evens out my skin perfectly and covers blemishes well. It blends out really easy, and doesn’t leave my skin looking cakey.

What have you been loving this month?

Thank you for reading!

Love Jen xx

500 Instagram Followers!

Hey!

If you follow me on Instagram you will know that I mentioned on a post that once I reach 500 followers I will be doing a little Instagram giveaway.

Today I reached over 500 followers so a giveaway will be coming soon!

I am still deciding on what products to giveaway, feel free to give me some suggestions.

Head over to my Instagram page to stay up to date with my giveaway http://www.instagram.com/bargainmakeupblog

Love Jen xx

We Have A Winner…

 Hello again!

I had some amazing response from people hoping to win my giveaway! Thank you all for entering!

We have a winner….

TRACY MICHAEL YOU ARE THE LUCKY WINNER! CONGRATULATIONS!!

Tracy entered my giveaway via my facebook page www.facebook.com/bargainmakeupblog 

Once again, thank you all so much for entering my giveaway, please stay tuned for more giveaways in the future!

Love Jen

August Favourites

Hey!!

So I have been staring at a big pile of washing that needs folding and putting away for the past half an hour… Thinking to myself that I should really get it done… So to avoid it further, I am now writing a blog!

Here are my August Favourites:

From left to right we have: L’Oreal Glam Bronze in 00 Blond Sun, Maybelline Brow Drama in Medium Brown, Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 20, Benefit Roller Lash and L’Oreal Lip Cream in Protest Queen 103.

L’Oreal Glam Bronze – This matte bronzer is really really nice, I got it from Superdrug when they had a 3 for 2 offer on. It was a kind of spur of the moment purchase, so it wasnt something that I went out to buy. The packagine is nice and compact, it also comes with a brush which is handy. It looks like it has a bit of an orange undertone to it in the pan, but once it is applied it looks lovely. it is great for contouring!

Maybelline Brow Drama – I am not sure how many more times I can mention this product in my blogs!! I absolutely love this product though! My brows are so sparse, I still use a powder to fill in my brows and I use the brow drama on top – doing this sets my powder in to place and also adds dimension to my brows.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer – This is another product that I cannot stop talking about! Hands down the best drug store concealer I have tried! It blends out easily, gives me the perfect under eye highlight, while covering my dark circles. Amazing!!

Benefit Roller Lash – I was so late jumping on this band wagon, but I am so glad I did. Yes it is expensive, and more than double what I would usually pay for a mascara, but it makes my lashes look fuller, thicker and longer.

L’Oreal Lip Cream – I also got this from Superdrug on the 3 for 2 offer, I have been after a nudey pinky gloss for a while. i really struggle with lip gloss’s, My lips feel so dry all the time that gloss never lasts on me, or it will crack half way through the day. I thought I would give this a try and I absolutely love it! I have been wearing this non stop, it makes my lips feel hydrated, it lasts a really long time and doesn’t feel sticky either! Love Love Love!!!

So they are my August favourites! I also recently purchased a lip scrub from Lush to see if that helps with my dry cracked lips – so I will keep you updated on how I get on!

Have you tried any of these products? What have you been loving this month?

Thank you for reading!

Love Jen xx

W7 Bronze Queen – MOTD

 

Hey!! 

W7 cosmetics recently sent some products to me, and in the little bundle there was the Bronze Queen palette. I have had my eye on this palette for a while now, so I was so pleased when they sent it to me. 

   

I wanted to go with a natural look, so I used my favourite foundation and concealer at the moment, the Maybelline Fit me! Girls, if you have not tried this foundation and concealer please give it a go! I love mine! They work together so beautifully and blend super easily too! 

On my eyes I used the Bronze Queen palette, and I used my w7 Absolute Lashes mascara too! 

The gloss I used was the L’Oreal lip cream in the shade Protest Queen. 

What do you think? Have you tried any of the products I used? What products are you living at the moment? 

Don’t forget that there is still time to take part in my #BargainMakeupChallenge £15 price limit, any drugstore, any country, let’s see what you can get for your money!! 

I shopped online for my challenge, my products arrived yesterday and I love them all! I managed to get 11 products and a free makeup bag!! I will be doing a blog at the end of the month with links to other beauty bloggers challenge results! 

Thank you for reading 

Love Jen xx