The truth according to Spacey - Makeup Setting Sprays

This is a start of a series of blogs about my thoughts on makeup and beauty:

I wanted to start with makeup fixing sprays, I have three that I currently use... one from the high street (Boots) and two from mid/high end brands.

So, what do I have?

I have MAC Fix+ (£13.50 for 100ml) and Urban Decays All nighter (£19.50 for 118ml) The Urban Decay now comes in different packaging like this below, but is the same size and price and also comes in a handy travel size which retails for £9 for 30ml.

The high street setting spray is... wait for it

Yes, ladies thats right, its Evian Brumisateur - not only is this refreshing in the summer, I carry it everywhere with me to keep cool and refreshed and to keep my pooches cool BUT its cheap and effective as a makeup setting spray.  This retails for approximately £6 at Boots but you can get water sprays from other brands in aerosols that will be just as effective.  I got mine in a larger Boots store but you might be able to get this in smaller ones to.

THE BENEFITS

• A makeup setting spray doesn't just set your makeup but the fine mist will also help make your makeup look more flawless, the moisture will in a simple way of putting things melt your makeup and make it fuse together, this makes it look more flawless and smoother.  
• A setting spray is also a great way to refresh your skin mid day and revive you, giving you back a glow that the day might have polished off.
• It will help your makeup stay longer, because it adds a layer of protection over the makeup to help it be more resistant to touching.  
• They smell nice
• They make my skin feel finished - cant really explain that, i just feel like my skin feels better if i add that little spray of liquid, maybe its just because its quite refreshing.

There are other setting sprays now available from the very affordable high street brands, such as MUA and Collection.  I havent tried these, but have heard good things about them.

WHAT DO I WANT IN A SETTING SPRAY

1. Essentially and most importantly I want it to make my makeup last longer.
2. I want it to smell nice, because I spray it on my face, it needs to have a nice fragrance to it, or none at all.

So heres a little review of the three I have:

Evian Brumisateur - This was my first outing with makeup setting sprays, it was affordable and multi use.  I always carry this in my bag on days out in hot weather because its a great way to keep cool for me, my family and my dogs.  Even though this is just water, it has the same sort of effect as a setting spray because it adds that very fine layer over your makeup, and also it 'melts' the makeup and as it dries adds just a little more protection from the day.

I no longer use this as my setting spray because I have others now, but I will always repurchase this just because its an absolute hot weather must have for me.

Urban Decay - All Nighter - I got this one on offer at ASOS.com.  I've had it over a year now and this was my first real setting spray.  I like the bottle and the smell, but must admit I love the new packaging better, its very clean looking.  This spray is amazing stuff, I wear it to go out on a night and have worn it to concerts - where it gets very hot and sweaty.  This spray is amazing, the only thing that wore off was my lipstick, the rest of my makeup including mascara, eyeliner and glitter all stayed completely put over night.  Yes, ladies I did the unthinkable I went to bed with a full face of slap on!  In my defence I was very tired, but theres no excuse really.  It was great to test the spray out this way though.  Its great stuff and mine is nearly all gone... I will definitely repurchase this.

MAC Fix+  - This is the most recent of my setting sprays.  I had heard a lot about this, and got it as a setting spray but also as i had heard it was great to use with loose pigments, which i do not get on with being clumsy and always end up with a face like the Joker with loose pigment everywhere!  So I got this, and first of all the packaging is lovely, its very simple and i like the safety feature on the lid, one twist and its locked in place and cant be pressed, great for your bag or traveling.  The next thing is the smell, I must admit I love the smell of this and its such a fine mist its so refreshing.  This is a finer mist than the Urban Decay, and I like that I dont feel quite so drenched lol.  

This has mixed reviews on youtube but here is why i love it so much, in heavy flash floods our yard always floods, one day i had been to work and on way home it started to rain really heavy, when we got home the yard was flooding.  So me being me, out i went in my work clothes and started bucketing out.  I was out there 45 minutes in often torrential rain and was soaked to the skin, with hair stuck to my scalp.  I came in expecting to also resemble a panda as I had quite a lot of eyeliner on and eyeshadow, and it hadnt budged at all.  No running, streaking, maybe a slight smudging at the corner of the eye, but other than that it was great.  My foundation was also fine.  From that day on I was a true fan and always praise how amazing this product is, and though its pricey you just need 1 or 2 sprays and it just lasts and lasts.

So, as you can see if you watch my videos and read my blog, I can write and write as much as i can talk and talk.....

Essentially some people say they dont need a spray, or that their makeup stays all day but I definitely feel, though the difference is not huge because makeup usually can behave itself all day, there is definitely a difference when I use a spray.  It also gives me confidence when using it.  I use MAC Fix+ every day and will continue to repurchase makeup sprays, they are definitely worth the money.  For a review on the MUA spray check out my lovely friend Nickys blog - THE BEAUTY UNZIPPED.  My favourite makeup brands are Urban Decay and MAC so I will stick with those, but if you use a different one and love it, please let me know in the comments below.

Live, Love, Laugh

And remember, the name of this blog is UNAPOLOGETIC.  I'm going to be honest with you always, you might not agree but its always best to hear every side of the story xx

WARNING - NON BEAUTY POST

Ok, so today I am going to do a short post and its not beauty related.... Don't worry though because over the next few days I will be doing a feature on makeup fixing sprays, and a first thoughts review of the new Revlon Naked foundation and powder.

Today, is about candles... yes, you read that right.  This is not about common house candles, or church candles, this is about the smelly variety of candles, not just your well known named brands such as Yankee but any fragranced candle.

First of all to make your candles go further you will need to invest in an oil burner, this one is something I found  online and is very pretty...

My oil burner is white with some detailing on it and cost approximately £3 from Sainsburys.  You can pick them up cheaper in places like B&M and any stores that sell candles and homewares.  

The next thing you need is.....

Some messy melted candles!  I just hate to see all that lovely smelling wax go to waste, particularly when this happens to my little yankee candles, they are too expensive to waste.  

What I do is wait till it all cools down then i break apart the wax into chunks and I store it in an empty coffee jar.  This is perfect because it has a lid, is clear so you can see whats in there, and they are a good shape and size and are free (well if you are a coffee drinker they are) Other things you could use are tupperware tubs, jam or marmalade jars etc.  Charity shops are a great place to find decorative little glass storage jars so you can always check those out.  I prefer the coffee jar as I can then put that into the pot with my tealights in the front room.

The wax that is left and is wasted in overspill on your candle plate, plate, etc still has that amazing smell infused in it, so why waste that?  You can simply light a tea light in your oil burner and add a few chunks to the top and once that melts down you get that amazing aroma.  Its good for quite a few uses before it starts to lose its smell, in fact I have some wax in mine that has been there a good couple of weeks and still smells amazing.  

Maybe this is me being super frugal, but I hate waste, and its such a shame to not enjoy the smell of our candles longer.  

To remove it from the burner when the smell is gone you want to wait till it has gone almost cold, and use a spoon to lever down the side and take it out, hopefully if its cooled through properly you should be able to get it out in several pieces without too much mess or residue left behind.  The timing of this takes practice but no matter because any residue left you can always just light the tealight, warm up the wax and remove with a baby wipe with no problems.

ALSO, if you use candles in jars, you are often left with a good bit in the bottom that you cannot burn as the wick burns out.  This wax still smells amazing and will be great in a burner, so just take a spoon, and tap at the wax to crack it into chunks and store it up. You could even use your empty candle jars as a cute place to store those chunks of wax.  Couldn't be more appropriate really. 

I also love to mix wax leftovers to create my own cocktail of smells, right now I have red velvet cupcake with sicilian lemon and ice cream - it smells amazing.

I hope this has been interesting, and always stay safe when using your candles, be careful of where you place them and remember that oil burners can get hot so I have mine on a coaster as its on a wood surface and I don't want to damage it.

Live, Love, Laugh

And remember, the name of this blog is UNAPOLOGETIC.  I'm going to be honest with you always.  You might not agree, but its good to hear every side of the story xx

MAC - Lucky in Love Pigment (Betty Collection/Archies Girls)

Sneaky photo peek of the MAC Archies Girls pigment from the Betty collection in LUCKY IN LOVE.

I don't normally like pigments because in all honesty I'm quite a clumsy person and the fallout scares me, but by applying this pigment to the brush then spraying with MAC Fix+ on it I can prevent any fallout and help set the pigment in place effectively.  

This is a lovely mint colour, which I am loving right now, anything with a hint of aqua about it and I am right there.  It has a gentle metallic sheen to it that is so pretty.

Please check out my previous post for a tutorial using this look, a video for this look will soon appear on my YOUTUBE channel to.

Live, Love, Laugh

And remember, the name of my blog is UNAPOLOGETIC, I'm going to be honest with you always, you might not agree but its always best to hear every side of the story xx 

MAC Archies Girls - Lucky in Love Tutorial

EXCLUSIVE TO MY BLOG

Here are some step by step photos on how I used the pigment LUCKY IN LOVE from the new MAC Archies Girls collection in a lovely minty smoked eye look.  Here is a picture of the completed look and a list of what I used:

  

   

  

URBAN DECAY Eyeshadow Pencil in SIN

URBAN DECAY Smoked Palette - Kinky, Mushroom, Backdoor and Asphalt

URBAN DECAY Naked Basics - Venus and Naked 2

MAC Archies pigment in Lucky in Love

BOURJOIS Volume, fast and perfect Mascara in Black

(MAC Fix + to set it all in place)

and featuring MAC Archies Girls lipstick in Betty Bright

 STEP ONE - Base Shadow

I apply Urban Decay eyeshadow pencil in SIN all over the lid, this is a lovely creamy base that is also a good product for the loose pigment to adhere to.

STEP TWO - Lucky in Love Pigment (Check out the next post for more pictures of the pigment packaging and a review)

Carefully dipping the brush into the pigment i tap off the extra and then spray the loaded brush with MAC Fix + to reduce fallout.

STEP THREE - Adding dimension to the crease

Taking NAKED 2 from the URBAN DECAY Naked Basics Palette I take a fluffy brush and blend this across the crease from outer eye most of the way across the eye.  This adds a little bit of depth into the crease area and is also great to blend the edge of the pigment.

STEP FOUR - Lets get smokey

Taking Mushroom by Urban Decay from the SMOKED palette, I use this to darken the outer edge of the crease, and use this to blend half way across the eye.  This adds some depth and drama and makes this a much smokier look.

STEP FIVE - More drama?!

For more drama I decided to add Asphalt by Urban Decay (SMOKED palette) into the outer eye crease just at the corner of the eye, and blended this out to soften it.  

This is now what the look looks like... time to add some colour to the lower and upper lash lines.

STEP SIX - Lashlines

Taking MUSHROOM by Urban Decay on this fine liner brush I take it along the lower lash line half way across the eye.

Then using BACKDOOR (also from the SMOKED palette by URBAN DECAY) I apply this to the upper lash line all the way across, then on the lower lash line from the inner eye corner to the centre where I blend it with MUSHROOM.

 STEP 7 - Blending and lightening

Taking KINKY from the Urban Decay SMOKED palette I apply this with a fluffy brush from just above the crease to the brow.

Then taking Venus from the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette I apply this as a highlight to the brow bone, this is a lovely soft gentle shimmer, but if you want something much more dramatic you could use VERVE from the NAKED 2 palette instead.

STEP SEVEN - Time for the lashes

I used my favourite rotating BOURJOIS mascara in black here, but fake lashes could really add a dramatic finish to this look to.

So after adding a spritz of MAC Fix+ to set all the shadows in place thats the eye look complete.

Time for a cheeky wink!

 BONUS

The perfect lip colour to finish off this look was MAC Archies Girls lipstick from the BETTY collection in BETTY BRIGHT.

Now thats neon coral

What gorgeous packaging

Watch out for a video tutorial of this look on my channel following my MAC Archies Girls Haul.  

Live, Love, Laugh

And remember, the name of this blog is UNAPOLOGETIC, I'm going to be honest with you always, you might not agree but its good to hear every side of the story xx

(Incidentally on my cheeks is THE BALM - FRAT BOY and MAC Highlighter in SPECTACLE from the DAME EDNA collection)

Now featured on my YOUTUBE channel - Mac Archies Haul as soon as I am well xx

Roger & Gallet Flashbox Review

So since receiving this box I have used everything inside it, 2 items less than others but I thought I would share with you my thoughts so far....

First I am going to start with my most used item, which is now sadly almost empty :  (

This is the foaming shower gel - Fleur d'Osmanthus Foaming Shower Gel

This presents as a thick clear gel that when rubbed on the skin turns into a lovely gentle lather that leaves the skin feeling so silky and soft. The smell is just gorgeous, its a comforting sort of smell that is not too overpowering. You feel cleansed but your skin feels soft, almost like it has been washed and moisturised at the same time. This is definitely an item I would repurchase. 

Next was the mini soap - Citron Perfumed Soap (25g sample) full size 100g £5.50

This soap is so pretty to look at, its simple and the round shape makes it easy to use - yes that sounds weird, but round soaps just seem to later up better in the hand, or maybe thats just me.

This is another gently fragranced item, the smell is gorgeous but its not overpowering.  At the end of the day soap is soap it cleans your skin, so there isnt that much to say about this to be honest, as they say it does what it says on the tin.  This cleans your skin!

My only complaint is that the lovely smell doesnt last on the skin too long, part of that is possibly because its such a gentle smell.  The bonus is that as I have sensitive skin that reacts to products like soap very easily, my skin did not react to this at all.  I wouldnt repurchase this as to me this is a pretty soap with a lovely smell but it didnt win me over in any way.  I will enjoy it till its gone but thats it for me with this.  

Next is the Fleur D’Osmanthus Moisturising Body Lotion (50ml sample) full size 200ml £12

This body lotion is from the same range as the foaming shower gel and shares the same amazing aroma, as with the rest of the range it smells amazing but isn't overpowering in any way, which is a good thing in some ways, but as the smell is so lovely its a bit of a shame in some ways because I would love it to linger a bit more than it did.  This lotion is incredibly light, it sinks right in and leaves no residue, infact its like you have nothing on your skin.  

Next was - Fleur D’Osmanthus Eau Fraiche (10ml sample) full size 100ml £32

Another product in the fleur d'osmanthus range, this is incredibly lightly fragranced and feels so light on the skin to, the smell is so pretty, this is another item I wish had a little more power behind it but I just love it. This is a very generous size sample and should last a while for me, not sure that I would buy this full size but I will see how I feel when I get to the end of the bottle. I will say this is a very unique smell that is just so soft and I just had to keep smelling my wrist again and again because it was just so lovely on the skin. 

The last item and the least used is the Huile Sublime Bois d’Orange (10ml sample) full size 100ml £24.50

I have only used this twice, but love the smell of this, this is from a different range from most of the items in this box, but I do love my citrus smells so was thrilled with this.  I have used this just on my hair at this stage, and it did feel lovely.  It didnt feel greasy, it sank into the hair and wasnt overpowering in fragrance.  I very much enjoyed this, but there a lot of oils out there right now, this cannot touch my L'Oreal Mythic Oil, it lacks in texture and fragrance.  And as lovely as it felt on the hair i dont think it felt like it was as moisturising or gave off as lovely an aroma, as other oils I currently use.  I will definitely use this all up, the smell alone is so pretty, but I wont repurchase this.

Overall, I have been loving using the items in this box, I love the smells and the textures and how they feel on my skin/hair.  I will definitely repurchase the foaming shower gel, and may think about the fragrance as well, but its the lack of fragrance that sometimes lets these items down, they smell so amazing, i just wish the smelled a little stronger.  

I am glad i got this box and had a try, and will definitely check out other items in their range in store, at Marks and Spencers.

Check out my video on my first thoughts on my channel on YOUTUBE:

Live, Love, Laugh

And remember, the name of this blog is UNAPOLOGETIC, I'm going to be honest with you always, you might not agree but its good to hear every side of the story xx