Easter Drugstore Haul and First Impressions

Hi everyone! So after seeing that Boots not only had a triple points offer on but their incredible 3 for 2 on all makeup brands, I managed to convince my mum to let me have my easter money a little bit early so I could splurge on the items I've been lusting after for a while!

So first up is the L'oreal True Match Foundation (Rose Ivory) which I've seen quite a few people mention as a dupe for the Georgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation which I can no way in a million years afford on my student budget so any sign of a drugstore dupe and I jumped right on the bandwagon! Overall I really like this foundation, it's medium but buildable coverage and matches my skin colour perfectly which is rare in a drugstore foundation for me. I usually go for a very heavy duty matte finish so this velvet/satin finish is new to me but I really like it and think it will transition into spring very well. It lasts pretty well on my very oily skin once I've given it a little powder and only really needs a slight touch up once throughout the day. I can already tell that once this has run out I'll be repurchasing as for £10 this is a steal!

Next is the Seventeen Wow! 3 Way Highlighter described as the 'ultimate skin pick me up' and I totally agree! It can be used underneath foundation, mixed with foundation or just buffed on top of the skin on the high points of the face. I've tried using all three methods and I love each one! I was worried about applying it mixed with or underneath my foundation incase I looked like a glitter ball (I get a bit scared of highlighter) but it's simply gorgeous. It gives you a lovely healthy glow and leaves your skin with a bit of a dewy look when applied with the L'oreal Foundation. 

The Max Factor Excess Shimmer Eyeshadow (Copper) was seen when I was binge watching Poppy (MeMyMouse1)'s videos and I knew as soon as I saw it (as I am a massive lover of eyeshadow bases) I needed it. It has a mousse-like formula which is different to the waxier texture of the Maybelline colour tattoo's but this is almost better as it blends so easily to just a slight wash of colour or you can build it up in layers to really give depth and definition. It is seriously amazing stuff and I can't wait to see what looks I can create using this.

I've never really been a blush girl, I own a few but they rarely get any use which is sad because now I have this Max Factor Creme Puff Blush (Seductive Pink) I am totally converted! Again, you've probably seen everyone saying that these are close to the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes so I thought it was time I tried a fresh blush for Spring. This is seriously amazing stuff, it gives a gorgeous flush of colour with a slight highlighting effect so I dust this all over my cheeky area so really gives a lovely glow and flush. So dreamy.

I saw the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara advertised on tv and since my current mascara L'oreal Volume Million Lashes is starting to go dry I thought I might as well pick a replacement up while the offer was on. At first I wasn't impressed with this mascara, the formula is quite wet so although it glides over your lashes smoothly without tugging, it also left those annoying black marks where the tips of my lashes has brushed against my eyelid, thus ruining my shadow. But after leaving it a few days after opening I like this a bit better.It gives definition and length without my lashes looking like spiders and I quite like the wand as it grabs all the lashes, even the tiny little ones which I struggle to get close enough to coat. All in all, it'll do the job although it doesn't give me the 'wow' factor.

Finally, the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick (So Hap'pink) is something which I've been meaning to try for quite a while but never got round to. But seriously, if you don't own one of these I insist you run to your nearest Boots and grab one because they are incredible. They glide on so smoothly and literally can only be described as velvet on my lips. It gives a beautiful colour which a velvety gloss which fades to leave the longest lasting stain I'm yet to try. Literally I wore this on a night out and it did not budge. I like the packaging and the applicator is the perfect size for my lips. I need to pick this up in every colour, well done Bourjois!

So that's it! Hope you've enjoyed reading, I think I'm going to do a Spring/Fresh makeup look and blog it here (which will no doubt feature many of these products since I love them so much!) so you have that to keep your eyes peeled for.

Current Skin Care Routine

Body Shop Silky Cleansing Oil (£10)
La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo [+] (£15.50)
Pixi Glow Tonic (£18)
Nivea Pure and Natural Moisturising Day Cream (£5.35)
Nivea Regenerating Night Cream (£4.07)

I've decided to roll back into blogging with an old school, go-to post... my current skin care routine. It's nothing fancy, a few products I've loved for months and months and a few budget buys which I'm trialing. 

So first up is my Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil from The Body Shop, which I use both to double cleanse at night and for my morning cleanse as it's such a brilliant all rounder. It's amazing at melting away any type of makeup whether it be full coverage foundation or waterproof mascara, but it's also lovely and fresh which is perfect for in the mornings. It leaves my skin feeling so soft and like it's had a big boost of moisture, just lovely. It's quite a 'watery' oil so a little goes a long way and I only use one pump of this stuff per cleanse. On my second nightly cleanse and my morning cleanse I really take the time to massage it into my skin for a good 3/4 minutes - any excuse for a little face massage! As you can see from the amount left, it's a firm favourite after repurchasing several times!

After cleansing in the morning I then sweep my face with my Pixi Glow Tonic which is a liquid exfoliant which remove any left over dirt and helps to 'tone, smooth and refine skins texture'. It's good for the price, this has lasted months and months and won't be empty soon! It does exactly what it says on the tin!

To treat my pesky spots and blemishes (which are apparently deciding to make an appearance recently, boooooo) I use the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo [+] which does a great job at reducing redness and clearing up my spots. Every blogger and their mum has talked about this so I don't think I need to go on!

Finally, my moisturisers. I had run out of my No. 7 creams and as I'm on a bit of a budget I went to Nivea to see if I could find something and I picked up the Pure and Natural Moisturising Day Cream and the Regenerating Night Cream. 

The day cream is nice, it's a gel/cream formula and sinks into my skin fairly quickly leaving it soft and feeling fresh. I won't lie, I absolutely hate the smell! I can't describe it but it isn't a nice fragrance but apart from that it does the job for a small price! The night cream is okay, it smells like most Nivea products and is a really thick cream so you only need a little for your whole face. It takes a while to sink in (like most night creams) but by the morning it leaves my skin so soft, although a tad greasy (but that's nothing a morning cleanse won't fix!). I have to say after reading reviews online I think this may be breaking me out like it has done for so many other people so I may have to trial and error and I'll keep you updated!

So there we are, I like my routine, it does the job but I definitely will be going back to my No.7 Normal/Combination Day and Night Moisturisers when I have a bit more moola as they work much better for me!

I also use two face masks which are the Superfacialist Tea Flower Clay Mask and the Sanctuary Spa 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask which are both fabulous. 

I hope you've enjoyed this post, I thought I'd ease myself back in gently to the world of blogging as I have recently found myself with lots of time now university is over for the year and extremely inspired by the blogging community!