Hi everyone, I thought I would do a Summer Beauty Haul as I’ve picked up quite a few bits over the last while so I thought a Summer Beauty Haul would be nice and a change from my usual content too.
Recently I went through my makeup and decluttered. I had quite a few products that didn’t work for me, or that I didn’t like etc. so having had a clear out I decided to treat myself to a few new bits.
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter
I finally ordered Charlotte Tilbury’s Flawless Filter. I had heard SO much about this and hadn’t heard or seen any bad reviews so I decided to order it from Cult Beauty. This is £30 pounds which I thought was expensive for a primer/highlighter but it’s so worth it.
It’s fabulous. It’s beautiful on it’s own, under foundation or over foundation. It gives such a stunning glow to my skin. I love pairing it with my NARS Sheer Glow foundation, the two of them together are magical.
I found it hard to decide on a colour for me but ended up going with three which I think is the perfect match for me. I’m not sallow skinned at all but I thought the shades one and two would be too light going by online swatches.
I’m glad I went for three now as it’s perfect for me.
NARS Sheer Glow Foundation
ASOS had a code for 20% off so I bought NARS Sheer Glow foundation in the shade Deauville which is a perfect match for me. I thought it might be slightly yellow toned but it’s not.
I paid around €26 for it. In Brown Thomas it retails for €43 so if you would like to purchase NARS products wait for a sale or promo code from ASOS because you will save a fortune.
This foundation is one I had been wanting to try but as I couldn’t get a sample I never bought it. €43 is a heck of a lot to pay for a foundation, never mind one you cannot try before buying.
When I spotted it on ASOS and realised the promo code could be used on it I jumped at the chance of finally getting it.
It’s a beautiful foundation and one I am very glad I have. The colour, coverage, finish, longevity, just everything about it ticks all the boxes for me.
NARS Radiant Longwear Foundation
I also ordered the Radiant Longwear Foundation which I am super excited to try given how much I adore Sheer Glow. I have high hopes for this one too as I haven’t read or seen many negative reviews about it.
One day while watching Andrea’s Instagram Stories she had a picture up from Cloud10 Beauty with a promo code that started with 50% off, then 30% and then 20% so I ordered a few bits.
Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow – Kitten Karma
I ordered the Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow in the shade Kitten Karma. I already had two of the Stila Glitter & Glow eyeshadows and had wanted Kitten Karma for a while so I finally ordered it.
To be honest, I am more than a little disappointed with it. It’s not nearly as good as the two others I have.
The consistency is watery and the glitter does not adhere to my eyelids at all. I don’t have this issue with the two others I have.
In the above photo I used three layers to get some opacity and even at that both Bronzed Bell and Rose Gold Retro are more opaque. It’s worth noting that consistency definitely varies between the shades.
I would like to try more from this range but the difference in quality and consistency between the shades is off putting.I would need to swatch them in store before buying anymore to be honest.
They are expensive at full price (€27, which is extortionate) so I only ever buy them when they’re on sale or there’s a discount code.
€27 is crazy expensive for what is essentially a liquid eye shadow with glitter particles.
Blank Canvas 12 Piece Face and Eye Set & F36 Round Cheek Brush
BCC make some of my favourite brushes so I was delighted to get this set at such a bargain. I’ve been using some of the brushes since I got it and love them. The twelve-piece set includes all of the following brushes:
- F02 Double Ended Painter Style Foundation Brush
- F03 Large Duo Fibre Stipple Brush
- F15 Small Tapered Brush
- F25 Large Powder Brush
- F20 Flat Top Buffer/Kabuki
- E26 Blending Brush
- E23 Short Pencil
- E24 Flat Shader Brush
- E25 Round Top Blending Brush
- E28 Ultra Fine Liner
- E30 Double Ended Brow/Spoolie
- L29 Lip Brush/Winged Eyeliner Brush
I’ve had the E24, E25 and E26 (among others) for about three or four years now. Despite regular use and washing they’ve held up really well and are still going strong.
They are such good quality brushes. The F36 I love for buffing in the Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter or another primer. It’s a fab little brush and one I think I may need to get another of.
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid
This product is one I’ve been trying to get my hands on for ages so I am thrilled to finally have it. I’ve been using it for around three weeks now and I am super impressed with it.
I stopped using any other serums and oils while using this and I have to say I am super impressed by how well this has worked for me.
I have quite dry skin so I am always on the hunt for products that can help add moisture and hydration back into my skin but without overloading it and this product does just that.
It’s super hydrating, my skin feels hydrated, nourished and plump every morning and it looks great too. I’m very lucky to have clear skin but sometimes it can appear flat and dull.
Debenhams had a sale, 15% off some cosmetics brands, so I bought three items.
I bought the Clarins Summer 2018 Collection Bronzer, which is beautiful. Can we take a minute to talk about the packaging? Isn’t it the cutest?! Pink Flamingos galore and not forgetting the Flamingo and palm trees embossed onto the pressed powder itself.
It is described as a bronzer and blusher, but for my skin it is most definitely a bronzer. A beautiful one at that.
This is a beautiful bronzer and it smells gorgeous too. It’s huge so it will last for ages. It is limited edition so if you want it, you need to be quick. You can purchase it here.
I purchased Estée Lauder’s Bronze Goddess llluminating Powder Gelée. I had been lusting after this since it first came out between it being super expensive and selling out as soon as it came into stock I didn’t get it.
It’s stunning. The packaging, the product, just everything about it screams luxury to me.
The packaging is stunningly beautiful. A gold compact with a bright turquoise clasp and a mirror. It is fabulous.
Not to mention the shine from the highlighter itself in the compact. It’s one of those products that when I first opened the compact I went “wow”, I could not get over how beautiful this is.
One thing to note is that the casing is plastic, not metal. When I first saw photos of this I assumed the casing was metal it was only when I received it that I realised this.
This is an expensive highlighter, it’s €49 which is very much on the higher end price-wise and for that price I think the casing could (should) be better quality and sturdier.
That said, the packaging isn’t overly flimsy but I do feel that it could be better quality.
This is also limited edition and I cannot seem to find it in stock anywhere in Ireland or the UK, however if I do come across it I will be sure to post on Twitter to let you know.
It is available on Nordstrom, however it cannot be shipped to Ireland so you would need to use a forwarding service to get it here
I also ordered the Bare Minerals Crystalline Glow palette. I saw Sinéad from The Beautiful Truth and Andrea from Your Beauty mention this on their Instagram Stories not long ago and thought it was gorgeous but it wasn’t something that stood out to me until a picture of it came up on my Instagram and I fell in love with it.
It’s beautiful, the bronzer reminds me of the luminous bronzers by Hourglass (which I haven’t tried) so I can’t say if this is in any way like them but looking at it in the palette it reminds me of them.
There was a free goody bag with various perfume samples and also a sample of the Too Faced Sweet Peach Lipgloss in Pure Peach. How cute is this little thing?!
Not only is it cute as can be but it also smells delicious. It’s my first time trying anything from the Peach collection and my god, I cannot get over the smell.
From Urban Decay I got ‘UD Pro’ Optical Blurring brush. It’s a dense brush that has a nice long thick handle that feels sturdy and stable.
A few days after placing that order I happened to be in Debenhams and while browsing the Urban Decay counter I noticed they had a sale stand with various products reduced, so naturally I picked up a few.
I got the Afterglow blush & highlighter palette. I had seen photos and swatches of this online but it never stood out to me until I saw it store.
This is gorgeous and contains two blushers, two bronzers and two highlighters. It’d be great for travelling or a night away because it has everything you need. For €21 it was a bargain.
I spotted this makeup dissolving spray and it intrigued me and as it was only €7 for 30ml I thought I’d give it a try. I’m curious as to how well it works and if it’s as good as it sounds.
I didn’t realise that Urban Decay did Naked dual eyeliners. So I was thrilled when I saw them and picked up two.
Finally, I picked up the 24/7 lip liner in the shade Wonderland. I thought this was a red shade but it’s more of a reddish pink. It’s a gorgeous colour and it’s very long wearing too.
This is my first time trying Urban Decay lip products and I am really impressed by it.
A few weeks ago, Smashbox had an offer on. If you spent £50 you got six free products, five full size and one mini. I had been wanting to try the Primer Oil as I had seen a photo on Karla K Artistry’s Instagram Stories and the glow on the models’ skin was unreal.
Karla said the glow was from the Primer Oil so immediately it went on my wish list and when I saw the offer I went ahead and got it along with the Camera Ready BB Water.
As you may know from previous posts I have been on the hunt for a BB cream for the summer months and I spotted the BB Water with SPF 30 on the Smashbox website and after reading some reviews I decided to go ahead and get it.
I got the shade Fair/Light which is perfect for me. I love the dropper applicator, it makes measuring out how much you need super easy so you don’t waste product or pour out too much.
I’ve been using these products since I got them and I love them, especially the BB Water. It’s lightweight with buildable coverage. It lasts for hours without breaking down, separating or going patchy and it doesn’t oxidise either.
It’s absolutely beautiful, although I prefer lighter coverage in the warmer months this product is one I will be wearing all year round not only because of how well it lasts but also because I can get light, medium or full coverage from it.
Vita Liberata Super Fine Skin Polish & Dr. Ceuticals Super Repair Hand Cream
I was browsing the beauty section of my local TK Maxx and came across these two items. Both were reduced to around €5 each so I picked them up. I’ve used the Vita Liberata Super Fine Skin Polish and found it okay.
For an exfoliator it’s very creamy, and while it’s fine for very gentle exfoliation, I don’t think it would be great for removing tan to be honest.
For a fiver it’s grand, although I wouldn’t rush out to buy it again. I think there are other scrubs out there are better and cost around the same.
The Dr. Ceuticals hand cream is lovely. It’s quite a thick cream so you only need a small amount if you use too much you will end up with greasy hands.
It’s very moisturising and leaves my hands feeling soft. I really like it and if I saw it in there again, I’d buy it. For a fiver you can’t go wrong to be honest.
PS….Bronze Metallic Cream Eye Shadows in Bronzed & Heatwave
I was browsing my local Penneys and spotted that they now have the Bronze collection in stock so I got their cream shadows in Heatwave and Bronzed.
Heatwave is like a metallic pink shade and bronzed it a typical bronze shade. I was delighted to have gotten these as I’ve been looking for them for a while now. I’d like to get a few more bits from their make up range in particular their illuminating drops.
PS….Bronze Self Tan Eraser
I picked up their Self Tan Eraser too. I had seen this all over Instagram. I’m dying to give it a go and see if it lives up to my expectations.
This was €4 which was really inexpensive especially if it’s good but if it’s not, no big deal.
PS….Blend & Cleanse
Finally, I picked up two of the Blend & Cleanse sponge cleaners. This stuff is awesome.
I use it on my beauty blenders and in a pinch, I will use it on my eye brushes too. It’s super cheap (€2.50) lasts ages and does an incredible job at removing make-up from my beauty blenders.
I wouldn’t go out and buy the official beauty blender cleaner purely because of how expensive it is and the fact that this is so great and a fraction of the price too.
Benefit BADGal Bang Mascara
There was a Benefit promotion to get a a mini of one of their mascaras if you brought in one of your own mascaras. I took advantage and picked up a mini BADGal Bang.
I’ve heard lots of good things about this mascara so I can’t wait see how it works for me. They’re Real is the only other Benefit mascara I’ve tried and I wasn’t a fan of it at all.
Benefit Porefessional Primer
The lady also gave me a decent sized sample of their Porefessional Primer too which I can’t wait to try. I did try this in the past and wasn’t a fan. However my skin wasn’t in the best shape back then. Now that my skin is in better condition I’m hoping this will work for me.
Catrice Prime & Fine Smoothing Refiner
Last but not least I finally managed to get my hands on this primer by Catrice. I have been trying to get it for ages but any time I have seen it in Penneys, the tubs have always been opened so when I was placing an order with Meaghers Pharmacy I was delighted to see they sold it online.
It was only €5.50 which is very inexpensive especially if it’s good and I’m hopeful it will be. Catrice make some amazing products at very reasonable prices.
Packaging wise this reminds me of the Studio Secrets Primer that L’Oréal used to do. It’s very, very similar, but a lot cheaper from what I remember.
I haven’t seen that L’Oréal primer anywhere in Ireland for a long time so I’m unsure if it’s still available here although I know it is available in the US.
That rounds up this wee haul. Thank you for reading & I hope you enjoyed this post. If you’ve tried any of these items let me know. I would love to hear what you think of them too.
Until next time, take care xx
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