PHP's Beloved Beauty Bits (December)

It's been a long time since my last BBB post. I attempted several times over the summer and time always got away from me and I vowed to do it the next month, then the next....and now it's a new year! So anyway, here we go with the products I've been loving during December.

First up is Lancome Teint Miracle foundation in 005 Beige Ivoire. You'll note I only have a tiny bit of this bottle left (breathing into a paper bag at the thought) and that's because once I started using it, I became obsessed and wore it every day all through summer and autumn. After being similarly obsessed with YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat, I decided to 'force' myself into trying something else from my stash and was so impressed with this, that like I said, I practically used it all up (until I panicked at the tiny amount left and reverted back to the YSL one). So why do I like it so much? Well the colour (the lightest) is a pretty decent match for my pale skin, it covers beautifully and I no longer need concealer on blemishes when I wear this (I apply it with my Pout Airbrush) and that's really saying something because my skin has been pretty horrific lately. I don't think it looks mask-like though and it lasts well throughout the day. It has a strong 'pearly sheen' in the bottle (which you can see in these pics) with the focus on luminosity and being a 'light creator', so I expected a super dewy product, but actually (and I don't know if this is down to me applying it with the brush), I don't find it shimmery but actually quite matte. It really does cheat at 'perfect' skin with redness, uneven skin tone and blemishes covered. It's a foundation that I'll certainly buy again because I can completely rely on it.

Next is a completely new product to me. I've actually had this Yves Saint Laurent 'Dessin Du Regard' Long Lasting Waterproof Eye Pencil (in Black Ink) for some time (I received it in a GWP) and was waiting to use it once I'd finished my regular Lancome one. I wish I'd started using this sooner though as it's absolutely fabulous! It's a soft, creamy formula rather than being 'pencil like' and so just glides on with absolutely no effort or dragging. I worried it would therefore be too 'slippy' and smudge onto my upper lids when I blinked, but so far I haven't experienced that, it seems to stay stuck exactly where it should. The colour is soooo intense, it is honestly the blackest liner I have ever seen and has an almost glossy like appearance. I've swatched it against other liners on my hand so you can see how much darker it is; however it's when it's applied to the eye that you can really see the intensity of it.

It provides an excellent base for my L'Oreal SuperLiner and has really revolutionised how that looks actually, it's like 'beauty-pages-from-a-magazine-perfect'! I've only tried it as a slick line, so can't comment on how well it smudges if you want a softer look, but it's extremely long-lasting and I've been completely converted and will be buying another once this is finished. Who knew an eye pencil could be so exciting?!

From a new product to a really old one; this Hard Candy 'Eye Candy' eyeshadow I've had for years. It was discontinued or at least in that form as it's now changed to a 'glitter eye cream', so you'll have to trawl eBay or discount cosmetics stores for it in it's powder form. This particular shade is Peppermint Patty, a slightly shimmery white. I use this constantly. I can't say it's even particularly pigmented or a great formula, but yet I always pick it to wear either as a highlighter/base or as a stand alone colour for a fresh-eyed look. If I need a white, this is the one I choose.  I tend to just apply it using my fingers (hence why it looks so worn out in the pan). I don't think I'll be heartbroken when it's finished, but it's certainly one of my more used eyeshadows.

Sticking with eye products and this was a sample sized mascara I'd received (I've actually got a couple now both from separate gwp's) and I'd used it once, wasn't too impressed, so forgot about it. I had a clear-out of old mascaras recently (my goodness, oh how I seem to accumulate tubes and tubes of mascara!) and thought I'd give this a second chance. It's Yves Saint Laurent Shocking Volume mascara and the brush isn't particularly skinny or massive. It's relatively bushy though and the bristles are quite irregular, so I feel my lashes are coated quite irregularly too, which I don't necessarily think is a bad thing. I think if you're looking for your lashes to be neat and of equal length and thickness then this probably isn't for you.

However, I'm getting on rather well with it and have worn it non-stop really for the past month or so, which speaks volumes. From the image below you can see that my lashes look much fuller. I find I can apply a decent coating without it clumping and like I said, it's not a precision mascara, but one that I'm enjoying using regardless of that.

Finally, it wouldn't have been Christmas without some sparkly nails would it? I actually painted my nails a couple of weeks before the big event and so by Christmas Day they weren't looking their best, but I've not been in a manicure type mood lately and so my nails got neglected for an entire month (they've all broken anyway). This polish lasted pretty well considering. It's Paul & Joe in 30 Pixie from their limited edition range (so snap it up before it goes) and the holographic style sparkles appealed to me. I expected it to be a beeatch to remove (it was easier than regular polish) and it applied like an absolute dream (although I'd probably apply a base colour beforehand next time just because I don't like the whites of my nails showing and it was evident in certain lights/angles).

I can honestly say it's the most impressed I've ever been with a nail polish. The quality of this is unbelievable.   The density and depth of the sparkles is astounding, it's truly multi-dimensional, you almost feel like it's 3D and you can fall into the deep sparkles. You know that holographic wrapping paper you get? It's exactly like that, in that there's the sparkles but also a flash of rainbow colours and it feels completely smooth and looks glossy, there's absolutely no 'glitter' to feel.  One coat gave decent coverage, but seeing as I wanted an intense glitter, I applied 2 coats.  It's without a doubt the best polish I have ever tried in terms of...well everything!  It applies well, lasts without chipping, is easy to remove and looks fabulous, there's nothing not to love.  ASOS currently have this in stock and reduced to a fabulous £6, but it is limited, so be quick (and if you use my link, I get a little commission, but this has nothing to do with how much I love this!).  I can guarantee you'll be impressed with this.  I'll definitely be looking into purchasing more colours in the range. Oh and it's a V pretty bottle and my photos taken quickly one night in the dark, do not do the nails justice.  

So that's it for another month!  I also would have liked to include the Oxy Seaweed balm and emergency spot gel, had I been able to get my hands on them! You may recall I reviewed the range a while back and my skin improved significantly during that time.  I've since been without batteries for the Clearlight and using only the gel and balm, my spots weren't dealt with as efficiently as when I was using all products.  Then I ran out of the balm and gel and have been relying solely on the Clearlight (and going through batteries at a ridiculous rate).  While it definitely does something, my spots are still taking some time to disappear and I can't find the range anywhere locally which is driving me nuts.  Every time I think I'm over a bout of spots, another lot come along, so I've been thankful for good makeup and that spot fixer tool on Photobucket (erm coolest thing ever)! Have you tried any of these things or do you fancy them now?