Once Loved Products

Today I'm talking products that I used to love but have since grown out of. Some of these are purchases I made a long time ago, for example the Revlon Lip Butter (the shade is Strawberry Shortcake). I adored this when I first bought it and slapped it on but looking back at it now I'm not such a fan. This is party due to the shade being just too barbie pink for me and it just slides around on my lips and doesn't look particularly flattering. Equally I've gone off the Maybelline Baby Lips now. What I loved about this was that I could quickly pop it on to finish off a look, it was low maintenance and moisturising. I've since bought the Max Factor Colour Intensifying Balm and much prefer it- a more even wash of colour and one hundred times more hydrating, so although it costs a little more it's definitely worth it.

Another oldie is the Bourjois Delice de Poudre bronzer. This was great when I bought it but now I find it just doesn't have enough colour payoff and I end up spending ages loading my brush up with product for it to make not much difference. I much prefer the highly pigmented Milani bronzer to get my skin glowing.

A couple of foundations now, with the L'Oreal True Match and the Max Factor 3 in 1. The main problem with both of these is the finish- I used to like a fairly matte finish to my make-up but now I go for glowing skin every time so both of these just don't have the finish required and I find they leave my skin looking a little bit flat and dull. The L'Oreal isn't a perfect match for my skin either, and I've started to notice the Max Factor clinging to dryness on my skin so these are both being pushed to the back of my stash.

Finally, let's talk about the Anastasia Brow Wiz. I used to rave about this product and use it every day, but my main problem with it was that it just wan't lasting long enough. The pencil would last me maybe 6 weeks, and for the price I decided it just wasn't worth it. I now use a pot of gel from Illamasqua but like to keep this just in case I'm having a lazy day and want a quick fix. I think it's a handy one to have in my collection because it has a spoolie brush and it's compact so I think I'll always keep one in stock, but it's not as loved as it once was.

Olivia Ellen XXX

MAC So Chaud // Shop the Stash

Here's a little old favourite that I've rediscovered lately. I've been enjoying whacking on a vibrant lip lately, particularly berry and red shades and So Chaud from MAC is one I haven't worn in a long time. I don't know what prompted me to put it on the other day but I'm very glad I did. It's a lovely orange-toned red with the classic MAC matte finish. Teamed with my natural everyday make-up it made me feel nice and summery (although the weather wasn't agreeing!) and so I'll hopefully now remember to keep using it as we move into summer.

Olivia Ellen XXX

Maybelline Super Stay Nails // Shop the Stash

Deciding which colour to paint my nails always takes a lot longer than it should considering I only keep the same colour for a few days at a time normally. I was struggling the other day so decided to raid my mom's collection to see if anything inspired me and I sure am glad that I did. I came across the shade Rose Poudre from Maybelline's Super Stay range. I have a shade from this range myself but this is even nicer. The brush is a really wide yet thin paddle meaning it fully covers the nail and makes application so easy. The formula is also great- it's quite liquidy which means you can get nice, thin, neat coats that dry pretty quickly. In terms of staying power, promising 7 days is a bit ambitious but they don't chip straight away like some brands. The colour itself is possibly my perfect nuce. It's more brown toned than peach which I think suits my skintone better, and while it's very pretty, it doesn't stand out too much so it works for all occasions. As it costs less than £5, you just can't go wrong!

Olivia Ellen XXX

Shop the Stash #2 // MUA Trio Eyeshadow

I hadn't used this in so long until recently when I found it at the bottom of a pile of mini palettes and eyeshadows. This trio is in the shade 'Innocence' and features three shades (obviously)- a bronzey gold colour which I use on the lid, a dark bronze which I blend through the crease and a champagne colour for a highlight. All three shades are shimmery and have really good pigmentation. As this cost around £3, the quality isn't perfect- there is some fallout and they don't necessarily last all day long but of course, you get what you pay for. I think that these shades really compliment my blue eyes and make it effortless to get a beautiful look. Unfortunately I can't find these online anymore- I don't know if they've been discontinued or if they're still available in store but I haven't had chance to go in and check yet.

Olivia Ellen XXX

Shop the Stash #1 // No7 Beautifully Matte Primer

Recently I've been rediscovering some old favourites when it comes to beauty products, so since I've never done a full review of this primer, I thought I'd share it with you today.

No7's Beautifully Matte Make-Up Base comes in at £10.50, which when I first bought it seemed a lot but on reflection it's definitely worth it. If you're after stunningly matte skin which lasts all day, this is definitely the product for you. It comes out a thick white cream so you need a fair amount if you want to cover your whole face, however I find just applying this to the areas where I tend to get shiny works well. It blends in easily and even without make-up, it leaves my skin completely matte. I don't tend to use this everyday, partly because of the price and partly because I don't need to, but if I've got a night out or a long day ahead of me where I want to look my best then I will use this. I normally go in with my Maybelline Baby Skin first to smooth out my pores, and then whack a bit of this on top. Because I use it sparingly it lasts a really long time- I must've had this over a year by now- so I would really recommend this, and I can see myself using this even more as we head into the summer months when my skin turns from normal to combination. 

Have you ever tried this or any other No7 primers?

Olivia Ellen XXX