The Ordinary Skincare & My Skin Chats

Hi my Loves,

How are you all? I hope you're all having a lovely week!

I'm sure many of you have heard me moaning and complaining about my skin the past few weeks - after Christmas it just decided to play absolute havoc on me. I've not had bad skin for years and I've managed to keep it under control so to see it becoming bad again was extremely difficult for me, especially seeing as I take very good care of my skin, I eat relatively okay and get enough sleep and I had not changed anything at all. 

It had taken me years to get my skin to a good place so when I say I was very upset about my skin playing me, I'm being very honest. It seems so silly to people who have good skin or are used to having good skin to hear people giving out about spots and bad skin, they can't seem to understand but it is extremely hard dealing with bad skin and it really affects your confidence. It got to a point there recently where I wouldn't even want to leave my house or even go near a mirror I was that conscious about it and this might sound dramatic to some people but this is how it makes me  feel.

I am not a person however that cries about things and doesn't try to fix them so I went on a mission to over haul my skin. 

It turned out I had a slight allergy to eggs in the end that was causing my bad skin (typical) so I'm glad I got to the bottom of it. I still decided to over haul my skincare as my current products weren't enough to shift the issues the allergy had left me with like blocked pores, sore under the skin lumps, milia like texture on my forehead and redness, YES I literally got it all.

I had stumbled across a skincare company called Deciem a while back and had been intrigued by their products, especially their line of skincare called The Ordinary. The Ordinary is a brand that provides its customer with great skincare products, including amazing 'wonder' ingredients that cost a fraction of the price in comparison to their competitors. As a skincare junkie, when I saw they stocked products like Hyaluronic Acid, Retinol and Vitamin C (Vitamin C that was packaged CORRECTLY to maintain its properties) that were all under €10, I honestly nearly died. I couldn't believe my eyes - I just couldn't understand how these amazing products were so cheap! Not one of their products was over €20 and these products had ingredients you would pay well over €40 each for!!

So naturally, I placed a substantial order because I just had to test it out for myself - because if these products worked like they should my skincare game would be changed forever.

I am going to individually review each product I bought as they each deserve their own post but I will list to you what I have bought and tried:

• Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2%
• Advanced Retinoid 2%
• Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
• "Buffet"
• Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%
• Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA

Each of these products is amazing, I cannot say enough good things. 

My skin is finally nearly back to looking like itself again and even better in some ways too which I am over the moon about. I cannot recommend that you guys check out this brand enough. They have regimen guides on their website that you can follow to create your own regimen or if you have an questions message either the company or me. You can completely over haul your entire skincare plan giving you top of the range ingredients and benefits with this brand for about €40(ish) for everything and if that isn't a bargain I don't know what is!

You can purchase The Ordinary from The Ordinary website, TRND Beauty or Beauty Bay so whatever is your preference you have tonnes of options.

Once I have my singular reviews up I will link them here on this post - I was just so excited I had to tell you guys about it now!

With Love from,

Rebekah x

Timeless Truth Sheet Masks review

Hi my Loves,

So I am on a bit of masking role at the moment. I have most of my other skin care down pat but I'm really hunting for holy grail status masks now. A few weeks ago I reviewed the L'Oreal clay masks for you all and I'll link that here if you guys want to check that out.

This week I have chosen to test out the Timeless Truth masks from beautybelle.ie. These masks were very kindly sent to me to try out based on my skin type & concerns - but AS ALWAYS my opinions are all my own and written because I love to share new finds with you guys, be them good OR bad.

I picked two masks from their range which I felt matched my skin well and these were the Timeless Truth 'Herbal Rejunvination Immortelle mask' (very fancy, I know) & then the Timeless Truth 'Bee Venom and Royal Jelly Miracle mask'. 

Basically, with this company they stock two different types (or categories if you will) of masks - Functionality Masks & Bio Cellulose Masks and they are all sheet masks.

• What makes the the functionality mask that bit different to your normal sheet mask is the cloth of the mask itself has beneficial extracts ground into dried powder and then impregnated into the face mask cloth - I know right? WOW!
• What makes the Bio Cellulose masks so special is that they are made with natural fibers that help to form an elastic 3D mask which will feel like a second layer of skin on the face and allow the ingredients to be absorbed.

The website in detail explains what each mask does so it's easy for you to decide what one is best for you. 

Another plus about this company is that you can buy their masks in single packet form or in packs of 5 once you know that you like your chosen one and the pack of 5 is at a discounted price.

Herbal Rejunvination Immortelle mask

(€5.67 for 1 mask OR €23.15 for 5)

This sheet mask is part of their Functionality category and claims to have a rich herbal infusion & Immortelle extract (this is a flower that grows in Mediterranean countries BTW that is used in many healing formulas) that will Nourish, Hydrate & stimulate the skin. This will lead to a reduction in fine lines, dryness & blemishes. It also claims to boost cellular activity leaving the face looking more toned, whilst the hydration will leave smoother skin.

That's a lot of claims right?

For me I can 100% vouch that it helped to clear dry patches and rid some stubborn blemishes (lingering from those L'Oreal masks) - my skin also felt lovely and hydrated which was amazing and something I always really struggle with is dehydrated skin (I'm bad with drinking water..).

The mask had a lovely fresh smell and not even a hint of a chemical smell, that's something that is VERY, VERY important to me. I honestly felt like this was a freshly prepared mask as opposed to being in a packet. The sheet itself was easy to apply and held on to the face well - it felt so nice I didn't want to take it off.

Bee Venom and Royal Jelly Miracle mask

(€9.15 for 1 mask OR €38.21 for 5)

This specific sheet mask is part of the more luxurious Bio Cellulose range hence the more expensive price point. The claims of this mask are to stimulate the production of collagen & elastin to help smooth, lift and tighten the skin. This mask is really aimed towards anti aging which I believe you're never too young to start investing in (it's called ANTI-aging for a reason - preventing is easier than fixing). Bee venom itself is called natures Botox (I'll bathe in that thanks) and Royal Jelly is known as the 'Elixir of Youth' (I'll bathe in this too). 

Okay, so sounds like a winning combo yes?

YES.

I used this mask before a night out and my skin literally looked amazing. It looked plump, smooth and felt beyond soft. My makeup also went on a dream.

This texture of this mask upon taking it out of the packet was a lot more fluid than the Immortelle mask - the Immortelle mask was more wet if you get whilst this had a more gel-like and rich consistency and this is the luxurious element of this mask.

I found this one a little more difficult to apply because of how fluid it was but it was nothing unmanageable just make sure you're near a sink applying it. It had the same fresh appeal as the Immortelle mask and no chemical smell.

Final thoughts

My final thoughts on these masks are that I loved them so much I will be purchasing some more myself and other variants. I know that the price of some of the masks in these collections are steeper than some that I've seen in boots etc. but the ingredient list speaks for itself. The ingredients in these masks make them worth every cent. I can't speak for everyone but I'm of the opinion that you have one face, so take care of it - spoil it - use good products and avoid harsh chemicals. If a mask works I will pay for it rather than wasting money on cheaper masks that do nothing, I am not about the life of putting bad things on my face and you shouldn't be either!

If you asked me to pick which of the two I liked the most, it's a very close call - but I would say the Bee Venom and Royal Jelly mask; I loved how luxurious this one felt and I loved that the results were so noticeable.

Have you guys got any products you would like me to review for you all? Is there something you are intrigued to know about and if it's worth the money? Leave me a comment below and I will definitely look into all suggestions!

Have a lovely weekend! <3

With Love from,

Rebekah x

My Ride or Die makeup products | Jaclyn Hill Tag - favourite products of all time!

Hello my loves,

The other night I was in bed watching Jaclyn Hill's newest YouTube video (If you don't know you Jaclyn Hill is I'll link her channel >> here !) and basically the video was all about her Ride or Die makeup products. I was so inspired when I watched it, I was like "OH MY GOOODDD I have to do a post on this tag"!

So I gave myself a week to properly think long and hard about my Ride or Die products - so basically makeup products that I could not live without; say if they discontinued them, I'd probably die or If I was going away on holidays I would definitely bring with me because I know that I can always rely on these products to be bomb.com, products I've repurchased a few times!

 I love makeup and I'm always trying out new products because I am a makeup junkie and I enjoy finding and testing new things - but even have my trusty reliable's that I return to and repurchase again and again.

After much deliberating, here are my Ride or Die makeup products:

(I'll try to chronological like face, eyes etc.)

This will be a long post, so get yourself some tea and snacks!<3

Primer:

L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Magic Blur Instant skin smoother finishing cream 

Now that is one LONG name - I just refer to this as my L'Oreal skin perfecter haha! This primer will smooth out any lines or pore that you have and give you a totally seamless and matte base. I use it on my t-zone area, chin and anywhere I have lines that need filling!

I wear this sometimes even on no makeup days to smooth out pores and my skin looks beyond flawless. Every time I forget to use this before my makeup I see a huge difference, I feel my makeup sits better and lasts long with this product. Plus it has added skincare benefits so it's an all round winner in my book!

Foundation:

Makeup Forever Ultra HD foundation

This was a hard on to pick, I'm not going to lie. But when I laid it out and thought about it, I kept coming back to this baby. This makeup has been created to make you look flawless on 4K television so if it can do that, it can sure as hell make you look amazing in your normal life and it does just that.

I always get compliments on my makeup when I wear this. It gives a gorgeous satin finish to the skin and it has bulidable coverage so can take you from day to night - which I adore. A little bit goes a long way too. I also adore their shade selection; there is a shade for everyone. Makeup forever work with undertones so you will get the foundation colour AND undertone colour that will match your skin perfect - it has never been so easy to find your perfect match.

Concealer:

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless complete coverage concealer

This was an easy one for me because I have gone through 3 bottles of this! I always struggle with finding good concealers because I have dry under eyes and everything basically creases for me - but not this concealer! It gives amazing coverage, enough to hide my serious eye darkness and veins - but it does not look heavy or cakey in the slightest - it just looks airbrushed. I also have an issue that a lot of chemist/drugstore concealer have pink undertones and that is just a massive no for my yellow - olive skin tone, so I really appreciate that they have a 'warm' shade selection in their concealers for use yellow skin tones!

My favourite tip is to blend my concealers out with a damp sponge for a flawless finish.

Setting Powder:

Coty Airspun Loose translucent powder

I was introduced to this by a gorgeous makeup artist (@merrydollx is her insta handle) when she did my makeup before and since that day I have never looked back. This is my holy grail powder, it is the only powder that doesn't cake on me and make me look like a mucky mess. If you have dry skin you will love this powder. I have other more expensive powders and they all just go creepy and disgusting under my eyes after an hour or cause my foundation to separate, this one never does that.

Blush:

Nars Orgasm blush

I feel like this is so clique but I don't care because this is my favourite blush by a mile. It's actually one of the only blushes I ever wear. It is the most stunning peachy pink with a gorgeous gold shimmer in it that just helps it melt into your skin and give you a really healthy glow, a glow that doesn't look clown pink or orange. I have seen brands do dupes of this blush but they don't seem to get the gold glitter part right, the dupes of this always end up going patchy or the glitter doesn't melt in naturally with the skin. This is a great every day blush and I feel it suits most skin tones. If you only ever buy one blush - this is my suggestion!

Bronzer:

Too faced chocolate Soleil bronzer

This was another easy one because this is the only bronzer that I have ever trued that has actually worked out for me. Until I purchased this bronzer, every single other one I tried either was way to orange or just went mucky on my skin; by the end of some days I would look like I'd fallen into muck, it really turned me off bronzers for a while to be honest. This bronzer however is everything that all those other bronzers are not - it smells like chocolate firstly, it's a gorgeous true toned brown - not a scrap of orange in sight and it blends out like a dream because the powder is so finely milled - I have NEVER gotten the mucky look form this bronzer. this bronzer also works great as a contour shade if you're in the market for a contour shade.

Highlight:

Mac Mineralize skinfinish in 'soft & gentle'

Another Holy grail for many people but that's because its so god damn good! It's a gorgeous peachy champagne shade and it is just so pigmented. It gives you a gorgeous glow without giving you chunks of glitter all over your face which is a massive winner in my books. It's also a natural enough shade for light to medium skin tones for it to actually look somewhat realistic (you can obviously amp this up at night by adding an extra layer). You could definitely be a happy woman with just this as your only highlighter - it is 100% my most used highlighter!

Brows:
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade (my shade is ebony)

I'm going to be honest, before Anastasia's Dipbrow came into my life, my brows were nothing special - I would actually describe them as disgraceful! Because I have such dark hair I always struggled to get a brown that was dark enough but didn't have red undertones. My eyebrows are just slightly off black but there is zero warmth to them so a warm brown eye brow pencil basically looked like I'd gone at mine with an eyeliner. It just looked awful! So after searching for ages I heard about this dipbrow and over 2 years later I have not looked back once. I use this every day I do my makeup in conjunction with Anastasia's duo ended brow brush #12 and that combination is what I owe my good brows to. This product is a holy grail status for me.

Mascara:

Too Faced Better than Sex mascara

This one was another easy one. I have never had a mascara do to my lashes what this mascara does. I know lots of mascaras claim to be false lash effect (and I sometimes wonder what false lashes these marketing people wear to be honest..) but this mascara actually makes you look like you have fake lashes on. I have had people numerous of times ask me am I wearing false lashes when I have this on. It thickens and lengthens while also separating (the latter to a lesser extent). The best way I can describe this mascara is like a push bra for your eyelashes - one of the extremely push up ones! I would be happy to leave the lashes and wear this on a night out, and that is a bold claim!

Eyeshadow palette:

Too Faced Chocolate bar palette

This was a tough category as I am a living breathing eyeshadow junkie. I am firmly under the impression that you can never have enough eyeshadow palettes and that no two brown shades are the same - I have fought with my own mother over that statement many a time!

This is a palette that will honestly suit everyone from a skin tone and eye colour point of view and will also suit both makeup artist and beginners - it's just universal. That is why it's my ride or die - you can create day looks and night looks entirely from this palette without having to dip into other palettes. This is a perfect palette to bring on holidays or weekends away as it will be all you need! The shadows blend like a dream and there is a nice variety of both matte and shimmer; also, it smells (and tastes - don't ask haha) like cocoa powder!

Eyeliner:

Inglot cosmetics AMC gel eyeliner #77

This is the blackest of the black eyeliners I have ever tried. It glides on smooth and lasts until I want to take it off - and honestly even after that sometimes it's that long lasting! It never smudges. This is what I will use to create my winged liner and I also use this in my waterline. I always use gel liner in my waterline as kohl pencils tend to just cry out of my eyes. This is makeup bag essential. 

Lipliner:

Huda Beauty lip contours ('Bombshell' is my ride or die!)

Pic source - www.allure.com

I thought I loved Mac lip liners with no competition, UNTIL, I picked up one of Huda's Lip contours and my god I was like 'eh Mac WHO??'. These pencils are 1 million times creamier and long lasting, with no dry crackly feeling - there is no comparison, these are the best lip liners I have ever used. Bombshell is my favourite shade and it is the perfect peachy shade. I wear it with most nude lipsticks but also by itself too. It's my go to every day colour. I promise you, you need these lip pencils in your life, they are worth every cent.

Liquid lipstick:

Lime Crime Velvetines Matte Liquid lipstick ('Bleached' is my Ride or Die)

Okay, this was up there with how hard I found to pick an eyeshadow palette - possibly even harder. I picked bleached by Lime Crime for a few reasons - Lime Crime debatably makes one of the best, if not THE best liquid lip formula. Their colours are not drying and they are totally pigmented, the colour selection is also beyond amazing; from nudes, to red, to gold, they have it all. Bleached is the most gorgeous peachy nude, perfect for everyday but also amazing with a smokey eye at night. I love to pair this with the Bombshell Huda Beauty liner. I could safely say I would be happy to wear this combo every day.

Phewwwww, see I told you all that would be a long one!

I hope you all enjoyed my Ride or Die round up - it was a big challenge for a makeup junkie like me!

I want to know what YOUR ride or die makeup products are! Once you've finished reading leave me some of your products in the comment section - I love reading people's all time, all star products!

With Love from,

Rebekah x

Five minute summer makeup look

Hello my loves,

I posted a picture on Instagram earlier today showing you my 5 minute look for when you needed to be ready 5 minutes ago! 

This is actually the story of my life; I do NOT do early mornings and I have a bad habit of over estimating the amount of time I have to get ready. I will lie in bed till the very last minute possible and then be in panic mode.

The products that I'm going to show you are all drugstore/chemist brands. (bar one product, but this isn't an essential part to the look to be honest so you can switch it up or leave it out, totally up to you!)

The aim of this look is to literally have it as fool proof as humanly possible - so you can basically do it half asleep - this was the most important thing to me!

Also in the summer with that clammy, humid weather I hate having thick makeup on because I feel like I am melting like a snow-cone the second I leave the house; I feel patchy and gross for the whole day then. So everything I am is using here is to keep the skin and face light, fresh and very natural - i.e. PEEERRFECT for summer!

Products

Primer: Makeup Revolution Aqua priming base (This is spray on primer and it feels so refreshing and cooling)

Foundation: Rimmel #InstaFlawless skin tint in light/medium (this is literally just a tint, it doesn't have any extra coverage to it, it will just even out your skin tone and give you a healthy finish. I wear this on its own and under foundations too)

Concealer: Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer (This has a lovely serum texture so it doesn't feel cakey at all but it covers very well. I use this anywhere I need coverage)

Mascara: Soap & Glory Thick & Fast collagen mascara (my favourite trick to make your lashes look longer is t curl them beforehand - I know it seems time consuming but it literally takes less than 30 seconds and it gives you a wide awake look)

Lips: Huda Beauty Lip contour in 'Bombshell' and Maybelline Color sensation vivid matte liquid lipstick in 'Nude frill' (If you wanted the Huda Beauty lip contour in this shade and missed out - the Maybelline liquid lipstick is an absolute identical shade!)

Setting Spray:  Maybelline Super stay 24 hour setting spray (My tip for this is shake the bottle before you spray this, otherwise it can come out in very odd blobs..)

I did not do my eyebrows as mine are not a necessity when I'm in a rush but if you need to do your eyebrows quickly; I would recommend the L'Oreal brow artist sculpt product. It will tidy your brows and give a thicker appearance. 

If you have oily skin you can dust your face lightly with some translucent powder and then spray with the setting spray to remove the powdery texture.

I hope this was helpful! If you try any of my looks or use any tips let me know, I love to know that I've helped some of you! <3

With Love from,

Rebekah x

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Too Faced 'Sweet Peach' eyeshadow palette (swatches included)♡

Hello my loves,

So if you follow me over on Instagram you would of seen that I got my Sweet Peach palette by Too Faced in the post yesterday, finallllllllly!

 Straight out I'm already totally obsessed - I didn't think it was possible to form such a strong love so quickly, but I have!!

For those not familiar with the Too faced 'Sweet Peach' palette here is what it looks like:

Beautiful right???

Also, if you are not familiar with Too faced brand itself, they are famed for bringing out palettes that smell like their moniker, (and taste, but we won't get into that haha!) so the peach palette literally smells like peaches - they also have chocolate bar palettes!

I know that this will be my go to summer palette for three main reasons; 

Firstly (maybe this isn't so important but..) because of the smell - peaches always remind me of spring and summer, fresh and sweet.

Secondly, the colour selection is just perfect for summer and spring - you have your peach shades in it, but also some beautiful warm bronze & taupe shades AND some gorgeous accent shades like purple and khaki.

Thirdly, this palette will be amazing for summer holidays - it's literally the only eyeshadow related item you would need to bring on holiday. It has a metal resistant case to keep the shadows safe and because of the variety of colours you can create tonnes of different eye looks.

(L-R: White peach, Nectar, Peaches'n' Cream, Georgia, Cobbler, Luscious)

(L-R: Caramelized, Candied Peach, Just Peachy, Puree, Bellini, Bless her heart)

(L-R: Summer Yum, Peach Pit, Tempting, Talk Derby to me, Delectable, Charmed I'm sure)

My favourite shades are Candied Peach and Just Peachy. I don't own any similar shades to these. 

I love that in this palette they included transitional/crease shades. This means that you really do only need this one palette to create tonnes of different looks. Some palettes (e.g. Urban Decay Vice collection palettes) sometimes don't include transition shades which mean you always need extra shadows with you, the palette itself is not enough.

This palette will be gorgeous on all eye colours, but if you have blue to green eyes, the colours in the palette will make your eyes pop!

This palette retails for €47/$49/£39 and is available from Debenhams in the UK and Ireland,Too Faced official website and ULTA, although it is out of stock on their own website and ULTA at the moment.

HOWEVER, Too faced's co-founder Jerrod Blandino has said that they will be doing everything they can to bring this palette back so keep your eyes pealed!!

I would highly recommend this palette, Too faced shadows are amazing quality; they are extremely creamy, pigmented yet blend-able. In my opinion this palette is worth every cent.

Trust me, your makeup collection needs it!!

With love from,

Rebekah x♡