New In from No7

 

  

If you’re a super long time reader, you’ll know I swear by No7 colour matching foundation (which you can read about here) and have recommended it to friends, family and anyone that’ll listen, so when No7 sent me their latest products to try out I was crazy excited!

I’ve been testing out these latest No7 recruits and hand on heart I love ALL of them!!

I’ll start with the latest contour and highlighting duo known as the beautifully defined contour kit. I’ve been using the highlighter every day since I got it. It gives a beautiful sheen to the skin that’s glowy without being sparkly on the skin which for me is perfect. There’s nothing worse in summer than seeing big sparkly cheeks in the sunshine! It’s also brilliant for my dark under eyes. Sweep this over after concealer and it really brightens your under eye area. I’ve had lots of comments on my eyes looking really bright and awake and how did I do it! The contour is also dreamy. There are no orange hues which is perfect for anyone with pale skin and gives a naturally defined look when applied. As for the packaging that mirror is the perfect size for on the go and travelling which is a huge plus.

The gel finish nail polishes claim to give "complete coverage in just one stroke" and I can vouch that they actually do. I'm now in a job where nail polish is a no no so I've had to kiss goodbye to my gel manis. Thankfully I can re-kindle that gel finish on a weekend with these beautiful colours which I believe are Ginger and Galaxy and think are perfect shades for the coming autumn. I've always loved No7 polishes but these gel polishes are a great new formulation and perfect for a quick one coat mani when you're in a rush or quite frankly don't have the patience for coats and coats of polish. 

Now onto eyeliner… I’ll admit I was a little sceptical about this as I’ve always been a liquid liner lover and used the same brand since I was 14! No7 have done it again though and made another amazing product which I don’t know how I survived without until now. Firstly gel eyeliner is so much easier to apply, being more precise and easy to build on. The new precision eyeliner brush has a silicone tip which helps the gel glide across your lid, making application a breeze. For once in my life my eyeliner is actually “on fleek” and really accentuates my eyes.

The other eyeliner is a liquid liner with a felt tip end (see top photo). Again this makes for easy application and the navy shade is a refreshing change from black. It’s great for a navy smoky eye or to accentuate blue eyes. I can see me wearing this a lot over autumn winter.

  

Onto lips - No7 Lovely Lips lip balm to be precise. I’ve found my all-time favourite shade of lip product ever known as Coral Blossom. This gorgeous shade looks quite strong from the bullet but when applied it’s a stunning sheer balm that gives a healthy, juicy pop of colour to the lips whilst keeping them moisturised and smooth. It's my go-to lip colour for summer, emphasising a tan and for everyday to pep up a natural make-up look.

I haven't used the shade  Deep Raspberry as much so far as I think this will be a great colour for autumn and winter, especially as it's vampy lip season. Instead of wearing a full on dark red in the day I can tone it down with this shade whilst still embracing the dark lip trend and of course maintaining my lips at the same time.

So that's my round up on what's new in from No7. As I said before I honestly love every single item from the new range and would recommend everyone trying them for yourselves! Not only is No7 affordable, it's good quality too and you really do get your monies worth.

Have you tried anything new in from No7?

Big Beauty Haul

So this haul is unintentionally large… but in my defence this is an accumulation over the past couple of months and I did go to America where shopping is a must!

Ted Baker Make-up bag

Yes I am aware I am late to the Ted Baker party with this but isn’t it lovely? This was a Christmas present form the hubby and is actually the wash bag but I’m using it as a roomy make-up bag for my dressing table as it’s just far too pretty not to be displayed. I love the rose gold bow detailing so much!

 

Bedhead Moisture Maniac Shampoo & Conditioner

I have a lot of friends who swear by bedhead products, particularly their shampoo and conditioners, claiming they really make a difference to the condition of their hair and I must admit I have been converted. This duo bring a lot of much needed moisture to my tresses, leaving it feeling nourished and a lot more manageable. The smell is also to DIE for, making the chore of hair washing much more enjoyable!

Toni & Guy flexible hold hairspray

As like all Toni & Guy products this hairspray has a distinctive lovely smell. The nozzle threw me a bit initially as it’s slightly different to a bog standard hairspray but it works well, giving you a gentle mist of hairspray to secure your style without it being weighted down. It also allows some movement to the hair giving a much more natural hold.

Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray

I’ve heard a lot of hype around Bumble & Bumble products so I thought I’d try one for myself and opted for the surf spray. This is great for adding texture to wet or dry hair and is great for a beachy look as the name would suggest. I love using this on a curly messy style, giving it a deconstructed undone look- perfect for hair that doesn’t look like you’ve tried too hard.

Anastacia Brow Wizz

Okay lets just take a moment to appreciate this amazing brand… My brows seriously have never looked so good! When I saw the stand in Sephora I had palpitations as I’ve heard so many good things about this brand and needless to say they are the tits. This brow pencil is great with its teeny tiny and precise end, which is great for small hair like strokes which is what you want from a brow pencil. The pencil consistency is also great as it’s not too soft and there’s no risk of over drawing your brows that way. It also has a handy little spooley on the other end to brush through your brows, leaving them looking naturally defined. I’m sure you all already know how great this product is but honestly I will never look back!

Sugar Lip Tint in Raspberry

I was instantly drawn to this product for the packaging. It’s so pretty! I didn’t realise it was a lip tint initially and has SPF 15 which is great. I’m using it more as a lipstick as the colour payoff is sheer but pigmented at the same time. It also smells amazing with a watermelon and sugar scent to it. They had so many other colours in Sephora but they were slightly on the pricey side otherwise I would have gotten more!

Sephora Crème Lip Stain- Rouge

For me this is the ultimate red lipstick or stain should I say. No longer will I have to worry about apply my lipstick badly as this product has a doe foot applicator which makes precision a breeze. This lip stain dries a beautiful matte colour and stays put for hours. I have happily gone out to eat and drink wearing this and it hasn’t budged. It’s the perfect low maintenance red lip.

Ben & Jerry’s Lip Balms

I think these must just be an American thing? Anyway I picked these up whilst in the states and they really do smell like the ice creams! The consistency is quite hard which I like as there’s no risk of smooshing (yup that’s a real word) your fingers in it and making a big mess. It also feels lovely on the lips even if it does make you pine for the ice cream…

No7 youthful eye serum & match perfect concealer

A beauty haul wouldn't be complete from me without a mention of No7. It's one of my favourite high street brands! After all the ranting and raving I've done about the colour matching foundation in this post I had to try the concealer out and it's awesome! Matched to my skin like the foundation, it is the perfect colour. I wouldn't recommend it for dry skin types as it is quite a dry formula but if however you're an oily skin type it is excellent. Very blendable and buildable and does the job. The eye serum came as a freebie and I'm loving it. Now I'm getting a bit older, (boo) I feel I need an eye cream and this serum is perfect for making the delicate under eye skin feel moisturised without being greasy. I'll definitely be purchasing a full size one! 

Sephora 16hr eye shadow- sweet champagne

Another wonderful Sephora product here which is ever so similar to the Maybelline colour tattoo eye shadows in that it’s a creamy consistency that sets. I love the champagne shade, it’s such a beautiful shimmery colour that looks great in the inner corner to brighten or as an all over touch of colour.

Sephora and O.P.I gel nail varnish- hot to trot

Sticking with Sephora I noticed they have teamed up with O.P.I and brought out their own line of gel nail polishes. The hot to trot shade is a vibrant pink colour and would be great for holiday season. It’s not the hardiest gel polish I’ve ever used but it does make It easier to remove. I also picked up another shade called I only shop vintage which was a beautiful shimmery gold colour but I’ve somehow lost it sine I moved. *sob*

Sensational gel polishes in: Coral sunset, jelly sherbert and cool breeze

My lovely friend Emma bought me these shades for my birthday and I am in love! The formula of sensational polishes ensures that they last a full two weeks and still look great! I have a review post here if you’re interested in doing a home gel manicure yourself! I love all these colours and think they are great shades for any time of year.

Tarte Lights, camera, flashes mascara

Again I was drawn to this product mainly for the packaging and also because of the hype from other beauty bloggers and youtubers. That packing though… And the mascara itself is great! It has two sides to the brush, side 1 and 2. Side 1 is dense smaller bristles which add thickness to the lashes and side 2 has longer bristles to add length. I love it! I just wish I’d bought the waterproof one as I’m a sucker for crying- eek!

Bobbi Brown Corrector

And finally I shall finish with this little beaut. My first Bobbi Brown purchase and a damn good one! I picked up the shade porcelain peach and it is great for correcting darkness under the eyes. My under eye circles have been banished by this amazing product! You don’t get a lot of product but a little bit goes a long way. It’s a dense product which really helps mask those under eye circles and I find it’s best applied with a brush and a bit of patting in with fingers. It’s very quickly become one of my top concealers!

So that’s the end of my haul! It’s a lot I know and there’s a few other bits on my video if you want to see more so click below:

It’s always good to have a little splurge and treat yourself! What products have bought recently?

AW14 Favourite Products

It's that time of year again where your summer make-up gets firmly pushed to the back of the drawer and the autumnal bits come out! Here are a few products I've been loving this season.

VO5 Smoothly does it Shampoo & Conditioner

I thought I'd try the VO5 hair range after a lot of hype about them and opted for the smoothly does it range as my hair is pretty curly and wild. I wondered if it'd help tame the mane and I can safely say it does a marvellous job. It smooths out the frizz and makes your locks much more manageable as well as soft and silky. It also smells great too!

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick 107

This was in last years autumn favourites and yet again its back in my make-up bag. You can't beat a berry or deep red colour when it comes to this time of year and this really is the perfect shade. It creates a beautiful vampy evening look or can be toned down by dabbing on a small amount with lip balm. It just screams autumn winter.

MUA Undress me too palette

I did a whole post on why I love this Urban Decay Naked dupe (here) and had kind of forgotten about it after getting my hands on the Naked 3 palette but it really is a gorgeous palette for autumn winter. A mix of shimmers and mattes, it's the perfect palette to create any type of look from day to night and it's super cheap too!

The Body Shop Coconut Lip Butter

After being seriously  NO anti lip balms for a long time (it's a long story) I've found myself drawn to this little beauty. It smells amazing as all The Body Shop scents do and really feels moisturising and soft on your lips. Great for the colder months.

No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation

Again I have done a huuuge review of this foundation (here) as I really do think No7 are in their element when it comes to colour matching and skin types for foundation. In winter matte foundations look better than a dewy finish and this is perfect for the job. My oily skin stays matte for hours and gives a great even base for your make-up. I really ought to get some more as you can see from the photo I'm almost out!!

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl eyeliner 005 nude

This is a new product in my make-up bag and a good one at that. If you're looking for a bright, wide eyed and awake look this really does the trick in the waterline and it's waterproof so it stays all day! A much more subtle shade than a white too which is much more flattering and natural.

So those are my favourites for this time of year, what are yours?

AW14 Nail Polish Picks

I don't know about you but when it gets to this time of year I like to change up my nail varnishes to more autumnal colours. Bye bye brights, hello vampy darks and glitter!

Barry M- Diamond Glitter

Champneys- Mocha

Champneys- Twilight

No7- Thunderstorm

Natural Collection- Black Cherry

I really love the Barry M Diamond glitter. I like shiny things so I am immediately drawn to it and think it's perfect over any of these shades for the upcoming party season and at £2.99 it's a bargain.  Both the Champneys colours are absolutely beautiful and at a moderate price of £5. The only thing that lets them down is I find they chip after a day or two of wear which is  such a shame but because the colours are so stunning I think I can let them off. As for the No7 polish in the shade thunderstorm- I love this. Priced at £6 it is long lasting with a brush that makes application so easy. It lasts a good amount of time and you can get away with just one coat! Now for the Natural Collection colour in black cherry... A lot of people give natural collection a bad rap but I think they're value for money. They're priced at £1.99 so cheap and cheerful and I've always found them to last well and dry super quick too. For me this shade is autumn in a bottle and I love it!

What are your nail polish picks for AW14? Check out the video below for more info and how I like to wear them.

Beauty review: No7 instant radiance concealer

It's not often I do reviews on my blog as unless I really love something I don't think it's worth you reading. That and I wouldn't know how to be enthusiastic about mediocre products!

On this occasion I'm reviewing the No7 instant radiance concealer because it is quite frankly the tits!! Recently I went to Boots to find a concealer specifically for my dark under eye circles which wind me up something chronic! I'd been using concealers which were far too heavy for my delicate under eye area and the effect was a tired cakey under eye- not the look I'm going for unless I want to look aged..

I was on a bit of a budget, with the wedding fast approaching and didn't want to waste my pennies on a product that wouldn't work so I headed to the trusty No7 counter and had a lovely lady try out this concealer on me and instant my mind was blown! My eyes were shouting "hello, I'm awake now!" The effect truly was instant! And for that I was sold. £13 isn't a cheap concealer but for use purely under my eyes and not requiring a lot of product to do the job, I saw it as an investment.

Concealer is on the left side (as you're looking at the photo). The right side is make-up free

The sales assistant advised me that you can apply it before your foundation and then again after application if up feel you need a bit of extra coverage. In these photos I have no other make up on to show you just how amazing it is. I'd feel confident to wear this with a touch of mascara and go out, it's that good. The consistency is so light and glides on with ease, only requiring a small amount to do an excellent job. It didn't crease and has great staying power. It's the perfect under eye concealer! It has light reflective particles which disperse dark areas leaving my dark eye area looking light and refreshed. I bought shade III as it's the darkest and matches best with my tan (although it doesn't match my hand I am aware!)

I really can't praise this product enough. No7 have really hit the nail on te head with this one and created an excellent product.

What are your favourite concealers to combat those pesky under we circles?

My Summer Beauty Favourites

MAC Bronzing Powder 

Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter 

No7 Instant Radiance Concealer

Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express Waterproof Mascara  

MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation 

No7 blusher 

No7 BB Lips

I don't usually do beauty favourites but I couldn't go without telling you all about these awesome products I've been loving over summer so far! There's a few No7 products in there and the products pretty much make up my current beauty routine day to day.

MAC Bronzing Powder

This bronzer is the perfect shade for my tanned skin and gives a really healthy glow. I've been applying this to the areas that the sun would hit i.e the top of my forehead, down my nose, chin and also to sculpt around my cheekbones, temples and onto my neck to match it to my face and body. It really helps to give dimension to my face.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation

The studio fix fluid foundation from MAC is oil free and mattifying to my oily skin which is great for longevity and staying power. I bought it in the shade NW25 which is pretty dark on my face but matches up to my body. I don't know why but my face is always a lot paler than my body and looks a bit bizarre! This shade matches well to my tanned skin tone and contains SPF 15 which is handy. 

Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter 

This has quickly become my go to lipstick and I'm almost out of it- nooo! In Peach Parfait it is the perfect summer shade with subtle gold shimmer running through it to give your lips glossy luscious appeal. It's also very buidable. I like to dab it on lightly for a day look or apply a couple of times for a highly pigmented glossy evening look. Think I'll be wearing this for my wedding squeeee! :-D

No7 Instant Radiance Concealer

I only picked this up last week but already it has become a firm favourite. I've been looking for an under eye concealer to cover my dark circles and this does exactly what it says on the tin by giving instant radiance! I'd previously been using collection lasting perfection concealer but found it to be too heavy and cakey under the eyes. This is a lighter consistency yet still pigmented and banishes those dark areas with ease whilst keeping my under eye area fresh and awake.

No7 Coral Flush Blusher

My mum actually bought this recently then decided it was the wrong colour so it landed in my lap and I am sooo glad! This colour is just perfect with a tan! It gives a warm coral  glow to your cheeks which comes through well with a dark tan whilst being subtle at the same time. A little bit goes a long way and gives a lovely healthy glow which I think is needed with a tan so you don't look mucky and brown. D'you know what I mean? Yeah.

Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express Waterproof Mascara 

I've been a bit dubious of waterproof mascaras in the past due to the formula never being as good as the non-waterproof version..until now.. The consistency of this mascara means it glides on with ease and adds amazing volume and length to your lashes. It gives a real open doe-eyed effect that really emphasis your eyes. And it is oh so water proof which means I shall definitely be wearing this on my wedding day as I'm pretty much destined to sob! Happy tears of course!

No7 BB Lips

I love this No7 BB lips formula in the shade "blink pink" which is such a cute name! It contains UV protection and SPF 15 so it's great to pop on for a day out in the sun and leaves your lips feeling nourished with a healthy pink glow. I need to get the full size one now I've tried the sample but it really is pretty! Kind of between a lip gloss and  lip butter and simply divine. 

I hope you've enjoyed this post, I just need to work on photographing beauty products as it's not my strong point! Any tips and tricks would be much appreciated ^_^. Don't forget to check out the video below!

Kat

xxx

Recent beauty purchases..

Morning lovelies! The sun is out yay!! Hoping it stays like this. So today I have a few beauty products to share with you..

I recently picked up this Rimmel London nail polish in peppermint. I adore this colour so much and thought it'd be a good dupe for the Essie colour? I love this colour for summer and it looks good on shorter nails as well. The brush is a "maxi brush" which to be honest I'm not keen on, I find it too big and can pick up too much polish on the brush. Other than that it's great. You can get away with one coat, it dries quickly and lasts well.

I then picked up this collection bronzer which is value for money and great for a summer glow. It has low level shimmer thankfully so your face doesn't twinkle too much in bright sunlight and when applying it it goes on sheer and is build able so no worry of an orange face situation!

Also from the collection range I picked up this blusher in the shade bashful. It's a lovely coraly pink colour which looks great with a tan and has some gold pigment in which compliments a sun kissed look. It's my go to blusher and I absolutely love it! It's quite pigmented so a little bit goes a long way.

I then picked up some loose powder from natural collection. At £1.99 you can't really go wrong! It's great for setting my makeup as I have oily skin and need powder and does what it says on the tin- bargain! 

And finally I picked up some more no7 foundation which I LOVE! Check out my post dedicated to this foundation to find out why! I had my colour match done again and have gone slightly darker from the sun so I'm now cool beige. As always it glides on flawlessly, has SPF 15 which is good for protecting my skin and is mattifying- great for my oily skin!

So that's all my beauty products of late. Hope you all have a great Father's Day and I'll post soon! (Honest!)

Kat

Xxx

Review | No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation

*photographs updated October 2015*- the old ones were horrid!

I have to review this product simply because in my opinion this is the best foundation I have ever used. Or atleast for my skin anyway! I heard about the new No7 colour matching service around the end of summer and was very much intruiged to see if it actually works. I went to the No7 counter in Boots for a consultation which is very quick and easy. They take off your foundation from your jaw line on each side of your face, place the little camera device doo dar thingy on your face in these areas and it takes lots of little images of your skin before determining the shade. My shade came out as "cool vanilla" which did surprise me as I'd never really thought my skin tone was cool but hey.

The assistant then asked what skin type I have which is very oily! The newly launched No7 foundation range caters for different skin types, so they meet different people's needs. She recommended the 'Beautifully Matte' foundation and applied it to my jaw line and I was blown away at how well it blended into my skin, especially between my neck and my face. No more worrying about foundation not blending between the two, horrah! I was sold there and then and purchased my first bottle at £12. Before that I'd bought cheap foundations generally from collection 2000 which I didn't think were bad and I was happy with the price which is around £5? So £12 to me seemed quite a bit more but it definitely lasts much much longer. I purchased my first bottle in October and didn't start my next bottle until February/ March? That's pretty good going in my book for a foundation to last that long seeing as I wear it practically everyday.

I think I pretty much love everything about this formulation. It glides well onto the skin and is easy to blend. I use fingers to apply it as I find sponges soak up the product thus meaning you run out quicker. The finish on the skin is lovely and matte but not cakey, with a dewy look to it. I do powder over the top due to the fact that my skin is so so oily but for people with less oily skin you could get away without powdering. It has a slight scent to it which I like but its not too fragrant and the foundation is buildable- a little bit goes a long way. I can use one pump for my entire face for an eveyrday light/medium coverage or one and half pumps for a fuller coverage and it has SPF 15 in it which I love, being conscious of sun exposure n'all. The only thing I will say which for me isn't the case is it does state on the bottle "up to 14 hours shine free complexion", but as I say I have terribly oily shiney skin so I'm not surpised. It does stay matte for a good few hours though before I have to powder again and does stay on my skin all day.

So yeah! That's my rave on this foundation. I totally love it and I can't see me using any other foundations now. Why would I want to when it does everything I need and is the perfect colour? I'll be heading back into Boots for another consultation in spring/ summer to get a match for my summer skin (if we get any sunshine mind). I'm yet to try out the concealer as thats pretty pricey and I'm quite happy with my cheap £1.99 collection 2000.

Have you tried the No7 match made service?

P.s... I thought this was pretty cool too