Recent Beauty Buys

Over the last month or so, I seem to have accumulated a number of beauty products even though I had convinced myself that I wasn't going to buy anything unless it was absolutely necessary.  I just can't help myself.  I was aiming to structure this post in the same way I have previously done beauty hauls, with a miniature review on each product and any in-depth reviews will be linked as always! The first products are from makeup revolution which seems to have been the talk of the blogosphere as of late. The Ultra Blush and Contour Palette - Hot Spice had been the one thing that I was dying to get from this budget brand and its certainly safe to say that it didn't disappoint.  The only thing that lets this palette down is its lack of an actual contour shade, however, I am in love with the shades available along with the highlighter. It is such an easy to wear palette and the formula of these are brilliant for such a cheap product.  They are very buttery and highly pigmented so I recommend using a light hand!  There have been some days wear I have really dunked my brush into the pan and ended up resembling some sort of amazon warrior.  If this is the look you are going for, then be my guest but if not, be cautious when using these!  Another product I picked up from them is some of their 5 Baked Eyeshadows - Pure and Innocent.  I'm a sucker for anything baked so these immediately caught my attention.  At first, I wasn't a fan and found them quite glittery, but I have found a way to love the formula! I use my finger to pack it on to the lid and then do some hardcore blending, which I find reduces the amount of glitter left on the eye.  I don't mind a bit of glitter at this time of year, in fact I embrace a bit of festive sparkle! I also received my very first elf products a few weeks ago and they were also my very first PR sample which is quite exciting! I received the Elf Studio Pore Minimising Primer* and the Elf Studio Hydrating Face Primer*.  I am so impressed with the quality of these primers and my higher end primers seem to have taken a back seat lately.  I have a detailed review on the Pore Minimising Primer here and in this post I also mention the deals that elf currently have going on their website. I didn't really have high hopes for the hydrating one because I thought it would be an absolute nightmare on my oily skin and I have to admit it, I already hated it before I even tried it.  However, I forced myself to try it so I could give a fair review on it and I was pleasantly surprised.  I have noticed a difference in the longevity of my foundation and I love the overall finish that it gives my base.  I would definitely recommend these if you are looking for good quality and affordable priming products. I also purchased the much raved about, new Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation.  I won't ramble on too much because you have already heard me sing its praises many times before, if you want to see my full review of this product, it is linked here. I also had to repurchase my much loved Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer.  Again, you have heard the world and its mother rave about this millions of times before so I'm not going to bore you again but this is by far the best concealer I have ever used and no matter what I try, I always seem to find myself going back to this.  This is a definite staple in my makeup collection and when I'm without it, my face just doesn't look the same! I ran out of liquid eyeliner recently and I have been using the same one for nearly a year so I fancied a slight change.  I opted for the Collection Fast Stroke Eye Liner as I had heard Suzy - aka HelloOctober sing its praises.  I still haven't come to a solid conclusion on this product, sometimes I love it and sometimes I just want to throw it out of the window.  It has quite a strange kind of felt tip applicator and I think its going to take a bit of getting used to. In case you didn't know, I am a lip junkie and I'm not ashamed to admit it.  What kind of a beauty haul would this be if I didn't mention at least two lip products? With that being said, I purchased 4 which isn't shocking but it's still slightly excessive!  I have reviews up for pretty much all of these lip products apart from one! The reviews are as follows:- Maybelline Colour Drama Velvet Lip Pencil - Light it up, Rimmel Moisure Renew Lipstick - Heather Shimmer, and the Essence Lip Pencil - Satin Mauve which was mentioned in my October favourites.  The only product that leaves is the Tanya Burr Lipgloss in Chic.  I absolutely love Tanya Burr and I have been desperate to try some of her products, however I have never been able to see them in any of my local stores and I like to see the colours in the flesh before I buy them.  Tanya had mentioned that this one is one of her favourites and I have seen her wear it a lot so I opted for this colour as I actually don't own any nude lip glosses! I absolutely love this lipgloss and I have worn it every day since I bought it.  It is extremely pigmented and glossy and the formula is long lasting without being too sticky, which makes it perfect in the winter.  There is nothing worse than getting your hair blown and stuck to your lips and having hair in your mouth and sticky hair for the rest of the day.  This is going to be one of my favourite lip products for quite a while I think.  The last product is another product from Tanya Burr Cosmetics.  As you all probably know, she recently launched her lash collection, and with my new found love for fake lashes, I had to purchase some.  After a while of scouring through feel unique and considering all the different styles, I opted for something a little more different from what I would usually pick.  I decided on the Individual Eye Lashes which is a slight shock for someone with an extremely lazy and impatient personality.  I haven't yet had a chance to play with these so I will update you on this story as it unfolds.  I think I will probably have a go when I have plenty of time and I am in quite a relaxed mood because I think that will produce the best results. What products have you bought recently that you think I should try? Emily xx