Amaze In Style: primark

I'm finally back ! It took me some time but I managed to get my hands on a brand new computer charger, so fear not my friends, I'm back for good. And what better way to start the new year than with a beauty post?

Today I decided to show you what I grabbed for the most during the holidays, base wise. It's always a tough job to find something with great coverage that doesn't look cakey -- and doesn't enhance my dry patches, considering I have very dry skin. Thankfully, not only did I manage to track down some products that work really well for me, but that are also budget friendly for the most part.

Starting with foundation, I tend to reach for the Wet N Wild Coverall Cream Foundation in the shade Fair whenever I need more coverage, be it during a nasty breakout or a special occasion such as New Years Eve. It's surprisingly hydrating for such a full coverage foundation and I can definitely tell my skin feels so much more replenished after I take my makeup off. The coverage is buildable, although it's medium at the very least (I'm not so sure you can sheer this out to a light coverage, but you can try!) plus the finish is quite natural, not too dewy, not too matte. I like to apply it with my beauty sponge from Primark, because it doesn't sheer things out while blending everything into place.

If after that there's still some spots or dark circles showing through, I will either apply a second layer on those areas or reach for my trusted LA Girl Pro Concealer in the shade Porcelain. This particular shade is better for under the eyes, considering is a little bit lighter than my foundation, but I'm sure it works wonders on spots as well. I prefer to use my fingers to blend the product, since I find beauty sponges to fail miserably in blending everything out, while brushes take off some of the coverage power.

To set everything into place, I love Makeup Revolution's Pressed Powder in Translucent. It doesn't really offer any extra coverage, although I've noticed it does help lighten up foundations that are too dark on me (but it doesn't lighten the lights ones since they're a good match already). Although it's not the best longevity wise, it still manages to keep everything in place for a long time without caking up. I only have to retouch my nose area every couple of hours, but I'm oilier there than anywhere else, so it is to be expected. I quite like the sponge that comes with the powder, but I still reach for my Zoeva 107 Powder Polish brush every now and then to buff everything in.

I hope you enjoyed this post and if you want to see an in depth review of any of the products mentioned in this post, feel free to say so in the comments!

No comments

Hello everyone! As promised, I went shopping, which I think was long due. We're close to the end of sales here on Portugal too, so I got some things at ridiculous prices and I'm so happy with everything I got my hands on. I haven't had the chance to try out all of the things I bought, but I can assure you I'll be reviewing quite a lot of them, along with swatches.

So, due to my usual absent minded self, I totally forgot I had to photograph all the clothes I hauled a week ago, so this post is simply for all the beauty products I purchased. A part two, which will be a massive clothing haul, will be up on the blog sometime this week, I promise! Without further ado, here's everything I bought.

Moving into all the beauty stuff I got, first skin care. I've been hearing so many praises online about Garnier's Micellar Water that I had to buy one at the drugstore. It was 5,99€, which isn't a very high price for a 400ml bottle that promises to be a makeup remover, a cleanser and a toner all at once. I've only tried it once but I can already say I totally understand why it's raved about! Along with it, I decided to buy Garnier's 24 Hour Hydrating Day Cream for dry and sensitive skin. It was 5,99€, just like the micellar water, but this only comes with 50ml of product. True, from what I've seen, a little goes a long way with both these products, so I'm sure I'll be using them everyday for a long time.

Although not exactly part of the skin care section, I also bought a hand sanitiser from Primark. I've been looking for one for ages, but everywhere I seemed to go, it was sold out. I found this little gem near the cashier at Primark while my sister was shopping and I'm very glad I did! It's an essential for someone like me, who takes the tube every single day. It was only 1,99€ too, so it won't break the bank ~~you do have to get used to the dish washing product smell for a bit, but I'm not fussy with it~~.

Finally, but definitely not less important, we have makeup! I went to Kiko, which is quickly becoming one of my favourite brands of makeup, I got a ton of stuff. This was, hands down, the store where I blew most of my budget and I have no regrets whatsoever.

I bought Kiko's Full Coverage Concealer in the shade 01 for 7,50€. You can see the shade up there in the second picture. I have been needing a concealer for ages now ever since my last one hit pan and this sounds like the perfect one for me, since my dark circles are darker than this product's packaging, no matter how many hours of sleep I get. Fingers crossed that this is as good as it promises to be.

I also bought the Precision Make Up Blender for 6,90€. As you may know, I bought another one of their makeup sponges back in December and it sadly tore after a couple of uses. I think the problem might have been the shape of the sponge, so I decided to buy a different one this time, hoping it will apply my foundation as nicely as my previous one did.

After hearing Lily Pebbles praise Kiko's Universal Fit Foundation so much, I knew I had to buy one to see what made it so amazing. At 5,90€, it was definitely a bargain and it wasn't even on sale! It claims to be hydrating, which is great for my dry skin, and the shade I got, 05 'Light Beige', seems like a good match for my skin colour. I'm looking forward to try this out first thing today!

I purchased the Velvet Touch Creamy Stick Blush in the shade 07 'Natural Rose' for only 5,50€ (it was originally 7,90€). It's a lovely pink shade that, just like the name suggests, looks very natural when blended when I swatched it. You can see the colour in the second picture and although that it looks darker than that in person, that colour on the picture looks very close to the colour of the blush once applied and blended.

In case Kiko's makeup blender is a dud, I also bought their 107 Face Brush for 12,90€. I've been wanting a brush like this for a long time and for this price, I couldn't really say no, now could I? It's very dense and fluffy, hopefully it will apply my foundation like a dream.

I also bought the Smoky Look Eyeshadow Pencil in the shade 04 for just 2€. I can't find it anywhere on Kiko's website, so I assume it was on sale at the store because they discontinued it and I can somewhat see why. I haven't tried this yet, but as soon as I opened it, the eyeshadow came popping out of the pen like it wasn't even remotely attached to it. Since it was just 2€, I'm not very bothered by it, but it is a bit of a bummer. Then again, maybe I just grabbed a bad batch, since the one I swapped on my hand didn't do that. Who knows? I'm still going to give it a try though, since it is a very nice dark brown shade.

Finally, I bought two lipsticks. One of them, the Smart Lipstick in the shade 918 'Classic Rose', was only 3,90€. I already owned one of these in the shade 913 'Rosewood' and I loved it, plus I had my eyes on 'Classic Rose' for awhile now. I absolutely love it, it's a very natural MLBB pink shade with quite a good amount of pigmentation, but it's still a very creamy lipstick that doesn't dry out my already dry lips. Plus it has a lovely vanilla scent that I absolutely adore.

I also bought Kiko's Luscious Cream Creamy Lipstick in the shade 502 'Pink', for 6,90. This lipstick is a bit of a cooler pink than 'Classic Rose', plus it has a finish that reminds me a lot of Mac's creamsheen lipsticks. It's a lot more glossy than the Smart Lipsticks and it isn't nearly as pigmented as the Smart lipsticks. Still, it's a lovely natural shade that I'm sure a lot of people can pull out and it doesn't leave a sticky feeling once applied. The packaging of the Luscious Cream lipstick is also a lot more elaborate and its opening mechanism is a bit funny, but I appreciate the effort to make it look more expensive than it actually was.

You can see both shades on the second picture and again my camera has a funny way of capturing shades, because the shades there look a lot closer to the colour you get once you applied the lipstick, rather than the colour in person, which looks a lot darker and with brown tones, so don't be fooled by the colour of the lipstick at the store! Always swatch Kiko's lip products while you're there, because most times the colour you see isn't the one you'll get when you put it on. All in all, they're both lovely lipsticks that I plan on wearing all the time from now on!

And that's the end of my haul post! I hope you enjoyed learning about all I bought and if you want any swatches or reviews of any of the products, feel free to request it.

No comments

Hello everyone! Like I promised, I'm gonna show you all what I got for Christmas this year. It's not going to be a super long post and it will mostly consist of pictures, but do expect some reviews on some of the things I received, since they are amazing. Without further ado, let's get started!

Starting off with shirts, I only received two but they are my absolute favourite ones to wear at the moment. On the right, we have a grey graphic tee from Stradivarius. You can already predict how many selfies of that shirt will be posted on my Instagram. Next to it is a cropped sweater from H&M, a lot warmer than the Stradivarius tee. I can't quite explain which colour it is though, since my mum says it's grey and my sister thinks it's a very light lavender, while I think it's just a dirty white, so I guess that makes it very versatile! Overall, two of my favourites sweaters I own and they'll definitely be making tons of appearances on future OOTD's of mine.

Next we have jeans! Now, you all probably know how much I've been praying for high waisted jeans (proper high waisted jeans, not the ones that barely reach your belly button but Portuguese stores insist on calling high waisted). Thankfully, Portuguese stores are finally bringing them to the market and I had to snatch two pairs of them right away. These are from Bershka and they're extremely comfortable, not to mention flattering. They're a very snug fit and the colours are also beautiful. I had already bought a pair of black jeans identical to these back in September, if I'm not mistaken, so I was so happy to see its sisters joining my closet. Definitely going to be wearing these all the time!

I don't have words to express how much I'm in love with these boots from Tino González. They're a mix of different kind of boots I've been admiring for ages (chunky, chelsea, track sole) and I'm completely smitten by them. They're also very comfortable to walk in, even if they do have a big heel. Not the biggest I own, but still pretty challenging for some people. I have to admit, I've been reaching for these almost every time I have to get out of my house and I plan on wearing them a whole lot in the future.

How many times have I whined about needing a scarf? It took me lots of sore throats and bad coughs to finally invest in one to protect me in the colder months of the year, but I finally got it. Just in time too, since the temperatures here in Portugal are quickly dropping and I'm freezing 24/7. This snood, as the brand calls it, is from Bershka and the comfiest thing ever. The only con to this is that I have to wear my hair up in a ponytail or a bun, otherwise it won't look good over or under the snood, but I can live with that if it means I get to be all warm and cozy.

And of course, since I am going to be wearing my hair up a lot more now that I have that snood, I had to buy some scrunchies! Personally, I love scrunchies and I feel like they damage my coloured hair a lot less than regular elastics. These are from Primark and I got them in a pack of three. Sadly, the third one had a very crazy print I wasn't so crazy about, so I offered it to my sister, since crazy prints are much more her style. However, I have seen other packs of three scrunchies that are just as lovely as this one (one with a pink one, a black one, and a floral one, for example). For me, though, I preferred to keep things simple, so I went with the classic black and grey.

Since we're on the subject of hair, I had to buy a curling iron. Straightening it, especially since I have ombre hair right now, just wasn't doing it for me, so I decided to embrace the curls and make it work. I have to admit, this is a very cheap curling iron I got at the dollar store with some money I received for Christmas, so I didn't expect much, but it's actually pretty good! Albeit the fact I have burned myself a couple of times already, it creates beautiful curls that actually last. The only con is that it doesn't come with a heating regulator, but I didn't expect much from a dollar store curling iron.

Guess who did some Christmas shopping at Kiko? This brand is quickly becoming one of my favourites on the market, especially when all their products seem to be flawless! Since I was having a hard time applying my Healthy Mix foundation with my hands and my flat brush wasn't working so well either, I decided to give a beauty sponge a try. As far as I'm aware, the Beauty Blender isn't sold in Portugal, so I decided to get my hands on Kiko's Makeup Blender. It was quite cheap (certainly cheaper than a Beauty Blender) and after I applied my foundation today with this, I can swear it works wonders. In the picture, I had just finished washing it for the first time after applying my foundation and I actually managed to get all of the stains out of it, so it doesn't absorb that much product either. It's also a very decent size, even if it doesn't look like it when it's completely dry.

I also got my hands on one of their Smart Lipsticks, since I heard such great things about them. I got the shade 913 Rosewood (I meant to buy the shade 918 Classic Rose, but I got confused with the numbers). Even if this isn't the shade I was aiming to buy, I found that I may like this one even more. It's a gorgeous dark pink shade (although not that dark on the lips) that compliments my skin tone quite nicely. It's very creamy and it doesn't dry out my lips at all, which is a pretty big achievement considering how dry my lips get. It has a nice and natural finish, definitely not matte at first, though after half an hour it does look a lot more matte. I love this lipstick and its formula so much that I'm going to definitely buy some more shades in the future and possibly do a review on Kiko's Smart Lipsticks too, once I get enough shades.

Finally, this is the last thing I've received for Christmas -- Bourjois' Happy Light Base Serum (the Lumiére version). This has been on my wishlist for months now, like some of you may know from previous posts of mine, and I'm so happy I finally got my hands on it. I haven't been wearing it for long enough to have any opinions on it, but so far, so good. I'll definitely do a review on this gem in the future, so keep an eye out.

And that's the end of today's post! I hope you liked it and, as always, feel free to leave a comment, it'd warm my heart. I hope you have a great week, I love you, and I'll see you again on my next post!

No comments

Hi everyone! So I'm going to Optimus Alive next week (it's a music festival, like Coachella but less hippy, I guess), so I obviously needed something to wear, hence why I went shopping last night. I was on a tight budget though, since money does not grow on trees, but I managed to buy all that you see in the picture above for only 30 euros!

First off, I bought this lovely crop top. It's from Primark and it was only 3.50€. It's very cheap and very similar to American Apparel's Cotton Spandex Sleeveless Turtleneck Crop Top. I already tried it out and it's amazing, really comfortable, not too tight and not too loose either. Plus it was ridiculously cheap, so that's always a plus.

Next, I bought this high waisted skinny jeans from Bershka, for only 19.99€. Now, I don't own anything high waisted (besides a black skater skirt from H&M) because, until a little while ago, high waists weren't a trend in Portugal. Trends take a while to travel here and thank to God they finally came because I needed high waisted things in my life so bad, you have no idea. I love trend, plus as a tall girls with not so long legs, this is going to be a lifesaver. I tried on tons of high waisted pants and shorts, but these were the ones that spoke to me the most. The shorts were too tight and weren't that flattering on the rib cage area, because it made me have muffin tops, so I couldn't by those. Either that or they were far too tight and awkward looking on the crotch area, which was also a big no for me. But this pair fit just right: no muffin tops, no godforsaken camel toe, and they're just perfect, really. Plus a lot cheaper than the ones I saw in other stores.

I found this beauty at Primark for only 5€ and it's exactly what I needed for the festival. Big enough to put all the essentials I'll need for the day and small enough for me to carry around without my shoulder hurting by the end of the night. I really like the style and the color, plus I don't have anything like this in my closet yet, so I'm really happy about it.

Finally, I bought this more on a whim than anything else. I was at the register at Primark and I had 1.50€ left on my purse, and I looked over and saw this cute little chapstick for only 1.50€, so I decided to try it out since I just ran out of my Baby Lips (the one that tastes like lemon and has SPF in it) and I needed a replacement. I've tried this out quite a lot already and it's nice, it does feel like my lips are protected but I wouldn't say it's moisturising like the label says. I feel like it's the kind of lip balm you put on before applying lipgloss or lipstick, to make sure your lips are protected from the sun, especially now that it's Summer. The SPF 30 is what attracted me the most and since the price is so low, I'd probably buy it again, even if it's not moisturizing at all.

And that is all for today's post! I hope you guys liked it and if you did, you can always leave a coment either telling me your favorite item or if you're going to any music festivals this Summer like I am. I'll be getting a couple more things this week, mainly beauty stuff (since I will have around 15€ to spend), so expect another haul post very soon!

No comments

So yesterday I went shopping but I was on a really small budget and I wanted to get as much as I could out of my 20 € - so naturally, I went to Primark right away! And here's what I got:

I got this pair of mint sneakers for only 3 €, they're super cute and perfect for Spring :)

I needed some face wipes to take my makeup off at night since I ran out of my old ones (that were only 99 cents) and I found these wipes, that we're 1.50 € for two packages.

And finally I got this foundation brush! It was only 2 € and since I needed one (because I've never used a brush to apply foundation before, I just used my fingers) and I decided to see if I preferred this type of brush or the flat top ones. This one was so cheap that I decided it would let me see what kind of finish this kind of brushes give and, so far, I love it.

I've used it today and it blends really well, although I have to take some time to make sure it doesn't leave any lines. I also use the smaller brush for my concealer or just to give touches on places that are harder to reach with the big brush.

So, in total, I spent 6.50 € in Primark and I think it was money well spent. Since I still had 13.50 € left, I naturally went to my favourite drugstore makeup brand, Essence, that has the cheapest products here in Portugal, but still with some quality. Here's what I bought:

I bought the Essence Lash and Brow Gel Mascara and I'm only using it for my eyebrows to keep them nice and tidy after I fill them in. I don't remember for sure how much it was but I'm guessing 2.59 €.

Then I bought the Essence Maximum Definition Volume Mascara which is just... amazing. I'm seriously dumbfound at how good it makes my lashes look, they don't get any clumps at all, they get nice and long and I only need to use one coat to get a great effect! It's definitely something I'll start wearing everyday and it was only 3.79 €, I believe, so it's definitely a bargain and a must have!

I also bought the Essence Silky Touch Blush in shade 50 'Sweetheart', which is a gorgeous tanned pink colour that is perfect for everyday since it's so subtle and natural. I wore it today and I absolutely love it, plus it looks good in loads of skin tones, not to mention it was only 2.99 €, I think.

Finally, I bought the Essence Coverstick, in shade 01 'Matt Sand'. I should have bought the shade 06 'Matt Ivory' but sadly they didn't have it so I had to go with this. It's a concealer but in lipstick shape, which I actually prefer over liquid concealers. It's super easy to apply and it does a good job in covering up my blemishes (I used it today and it concealed most of them, except one that was really bad but it did help tone the redness of that one). I don't know if I'll use it much under my eyes considering it's the same tone as my skin and I usually like to use lighter shades to brighten up my eyes but I'll definitely make a good use of it! I'm not sure how much I payed for it but I'm guessing 2.59 €? I'm sure it wasn't over 3.99 €, so it's still a really nice concealer.

And that's the end of my haul! I hope you guys liked it and maybe you can even try some of these out yourself? Also, if you have any posts you'd like to see, please leave a comment down below suggesting it!

No comments

About me

Social Media

recent posts

Wishlist

Advertisers