Milani Conceal and Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation and Concealer Review

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

I can’t believe that I haven’t been blogging again for few months now 😦 I had this post on my drafts for ages but never really got the chance to publish it but finally here it is. I will be sharing my thoughts on Milani Conceal and Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation and Concealer. I feel like Milani is not a brand that we are particularly aware of here in the UK. Therefore, initially I was sceptical about it and did not know what to expect but I ended up loving this foundation! I feel like it is one of the best that I own. I have been using it so much for the past few months and I tend to use this for work too as I am usually on the go and not bothered to do a complete make up look. If you are from the UK, you can purchase Milani products on their website or on beautybay.com.

Pros

Full and flawless coverage with a satin finish

Blends very creamy and feels light on the skin

Buildable and good for hiding blemishes

An excellent cheaper alternative to some high-end foundations

Stays on all day most especially if a primer has been applied before use

Affordable as it is a drugstore brand

Sleek packaging; glass bottle with a pump

Excellent for photography (no SPF)

Cons

Does not offer a wide colour choices especially for pale skin

Thick consistency and could possibly feel uncomfortable to use for some people

Can sometimes enhance pores and set to creases and fine lines

Tips

Set with a powder to avoid being oily after few hours of application

Make sure that the face is hydrated and moisturised

Prime the face for longer staying power

Verdict

For me Milani conceal and perfect foundation is a 4 out of 5. The main reason for this is because of the coverage it gives (medium to full) and its staying power. Obviously, it is not perfect and I still think that concealer is needed but I feel like it does much better than some of the drugstore foundations that I own. I have also mixed this with other products, for instance if I want to have a lighter coverage I would normally mix it with my moisturiser to give a very natural look. I also feel like it is easy to blend and the price is affordable. However, as mentioned the Milani brand is not as accessible for us here in the UK therefore picking shades online can be a problem. Overall, it is worth the price and I would recommend it.

Please comment below and let me know what your current favourite foundation is? I would love to know as I am continuously on a hunt for foundations that will work on my skin!

Lots of love from,

28Dec2017

NYX Haul + First impression

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

I have always been intrigued with NYX products even from before. Few years back, NYX was not readily available here in the UK as how it is now. It was so difficult to get hold of the brand as I am usually left with no option but to pay a ridiculous amount for shipping fee coming from the US. However, now is a different story as it is available in Boots, their own NYX store and online excluding the high amount of shipping fee.

Here is a little NYX cosmetics haul, I have picked up:

NYX tame and frame tinted brow pomade

NYX sculpt and highlight face duo

NYX color correcting powder in banana

NYX eyebrow pencils in dark brown and medium brown

NYX soft matte lip cream in Copenhagen

NYX born to glow liquid illuminator

NYX jumbo eye pencil in milk

NYX lingerie lipstick in teddy and ruffle trim

NYX lingerie in teddy and ruffle trim- I have been so obsessed with liquid lipstick lately. I’m sure you girls can relate. There are so many good ones out in the market and I just want them all! I’m so happy with these two shades that I picked up. I feel like they are the ones that I wanted as I was going for a warm rich brown and a nude shade that won’t wash me out. However, I must admit I did struggle to decide which ones to purchase as I feel like there are a lot of shades that are very similar. At some point when I swatched them, I couldn’t tell the difference between the three shades from far away (baby doll, lace detail and satin ribbon).

These are the swatches for the two shades I picked up, as you can see they are both gorgeous!

Color correcting powder- I love this one! I have used other banana powders like Ben Nye previously, which is much more expensive than this NYX one. Surprisingly, I feel like it works the same for me. I usually apply this to set my concealer and it does brighten up the eye area. Some people also use this to set their foundation.

Sculpt and highlight- I am liking this so far as it does a good job in contouring my face. I literally put the tiniest amount and it works perfectly well for me. I like the creamy texture of it and how easy it is to blend. The problem with the one I picked up is the highlighter does not match my skin tone. It is super light on my skin and I struggle to make it work. I am yet to find a way as to how I can use the lighter shade.

Liquid illuminator- I am not sure if I like this one just yet. The one I picked up has a pink tone to it. It is nice as it gives a luminous glow but the thing I’m unsure about is the shade. I usually tend to layer it with a powder highlighter just to tone down the pinkness. I have read reviews and people have mentioned that they love it and use it on its own. So perhaps it is just either my skin tone or personal preference on how I want my highlight to look like.

Eyebrow pencils- I love these and yes both shades! They are both repurchases as I have been using them for few years already. I feel like I am in between shades of the dark and medium brown but it is perfect when I combine them together. I love how it gives me a natural-looking brow.

Jumbo eye pencil- This eye pencil especially in shade milk has been raved about few years back within the beauty community. I have never tried it until now. It does a good job on making eyeshadows more vibrant and it can also be used for a little bit of highlighting in the inner corner of the eyes. However, I sometimes find that the product is not very blendable. It can pull and tug on the eyelid.

Soft matte lip cream- I believe the lipsticks from this collection were my first matte lip creams. I feel like this range started the hype for matte lipsticks. The shade I picked up recently is Copenhagen and I love it. It gives a perfect vampy vibe to any make up look.

Tinted brow pomade- This is my favourite one out of all my purchases. I have used it so much since I bought it. It is so easy to use and it glides onto the skin and eyebrow hairs. I usually combine this with the NYX eyebrow pencil.

I hope you enjoyed reading my first impression on the listed items above.

Comment below on what your favourite NYX products are. 🙂

Lots of love from,

31Aug2017

My Top 5 Concealers of all Time

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

I feel like concealer is one of the most important item to have in a makeup bag. I personally don’t just use it for under eyes and to conceal blemishes but I also use it as a primer for my eyeshadow. Sometimes, when I’m lazy or if I am restricted with what I can bring in my makeup bag I would use the concealer to clean up my eyebrows, to contour and to prime my lips.

Throughout the years, I have used so many different formulas and brands from drugstore to high end. I did love Dior Skin Nude concealer and Bobbi Brown creamy concealer for a long time. However, these five items that I’m about to mention are my ultimate faves.

Here are my top five in no particular order:

Maybelline Fit Me concealer

MAC Pro Longwear concealer

Maybelline Age Rewind concealer

MAC Select Cover Up concealer

Rimmel Match Perfection concealer

Let me first talk about the MAC ones: In regards to coverage both are fine for me depending on how I would want to use them. MAC Select Cover Up is a light to medium coverage. This is perfect when you do not have much to cover. It feels very light and not sticky when applied. On the other hand, MAC Pro Longwear offers a full coverage and will be perfect if you are going for an airbrushed make up look. Even though, the consistency is a bit thicker I find that it is still comfortable to wear and has a natural matte finish. In terms of packaging, I would choose the MAC Select Cover up tube, as you can make the most out of the product. I sometimes feel scared that the glass packaging of the MAC Pro Longwear might break. Both products can be pricey but literally a tiny amount is needed, so they should last for quite a while.

I have repurchased all these three drugstore concealers numerous times, most especially the two from Maybelline. They are my absolute favourite as of now. Al three products offer a very natural look and goes on smooth on the skin. They are buildable and can be full coverage but for me personally I do not like layering my concealer that much. I hate the thick heavy feeling and from personal experience they tend to crease more and settle into fine lines when layered. The amazing thing is they all retail for a very affordable price. I think these are such a bargain for the work that it does! I would highly recommend them.

What are your top concealer choices?

Please let me know by commenting down below.

Lots of love from,

4May2017

April favourites

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

Recently I have been staying away from my usual skincare. For the past few months I have been trying so many different products that my skin got so dry and sensitive at some point. Therefore, I decided to give my skin a break and go back to my old skincare routine. I have been using the Simple range for so many years, not only that the products are affordable but they work amazing too!

My faves out of the range are their micellar cleansing water and their light hydrating moisturiser. I have tried their night moisturiser and I must say that I did not enjoy using it. It felt very sticky and heavy on the skin but the light day to day moisturiser works perfect for me.

ELF daily brush cleaner– Honestly, I get so lazy when it comes to washing my make up brushes. This brush cleaner makes it easier for me to clean in between make up applications. It disinfects the brushes and makes it clean and fresh before use. However, I only use this for quick cleaning and I still do my usual routine for thorough cleaning.

ELF eyeshadow duo– I love these pretty sparkly shadows and I have been using it quite a lot recently. However, I must say that the staying power is not good by itself. Therefore, when I use this I always make sure that I apply an eyeshadow primer.

ELF HD powder– I have a few different brands of powder in my collection and one of my most affordable and my favourite one is the NYX banana powder. I have been alternating my NYX and this ELF powder. So far so good but I don’t think its amazing as I am unsure about the ‘soft focus’ effect. I usually use this to set my foundation.

Aesop remove– Honestly, I still have to give this product a go as I haven’t been using it long enough for me to be able to give my full comment. Initially, I didn’t like the product due to the thickness of the oil and the residue it leaves on the skin after use. I am aware that the oil is probably good for the skin but it is just a personal preference as I got used to micellar waters when it comes to taking off my make up. I decided to add it on my April fave as I have recently been liking it because of its ability to take off most of my stubborn mascara residues. I sometimes struggle to take off my Maybelline Hypercurl Mascara but when I use this it comes off straight away.

Philip B Katira Hair Masque– Love this stuff, it really does make my hair shiny and bouncy when I use it. All you have to do is rub a small amount of this hair masque into a towel-dried hair and comb through. I use it differently, sometimes I tend to leave it overnight but usually I only leave it for about 20-30 minutes.

Eyelashes– Love these lashes when I’m having a break with my all time fave Ardell demi wispies. However, this one looks glam unlike the demi wispies which are perfect for everyday use.

Tempura seaweed snack– I know this is not a beauty related item but I have been obsessed with this snack recently. I just had to add it on my my April faves!

What are the things that you are currently loving?

Lots of love from,

20Mar2017

Top beauty bargains costing under £5

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

I have been wanting to do this post for so long as I keep finding cheap stuff that I actually end up loving. I decided to only post the products that I use more often and narrowed my list down to few items.

The first product is an angled brow brush, as you can see I picked this one up from Primark for £1. Initially, when I bought it I thought that it wouldn’t last me long and I wasn’t sure how soft the brush end would be. However, I ended up loving this beauty tool. I use this everyday for my eyebrows. The brush is densed enough to use for pomades, eyebrow wax and powders. I also use the brush end to tame down the hairs in the beginning and end of process when doing my eyebrows. It’s only a pound and it lasts for so long, I have not seen it shred or anything and it has been washed so many times! This brush made me want to try primark’s other make up tool collections and see if they are just as good as this one.

This one is supposed to be a face massage tool. It it also from primark and I got it for £1.50. When I bought this, I wasn’t thinking to use it for that purpose. I use this to wash my brushes. I have other tools similar to this but I find that the bristles are too big for my small eye brushes. However, this one is perfect for cleaning them. I use this along with a make up remover soap.

I have also bought a deep cleaning facial wipes from primark for £1. The pack contains 50 wipes together and they are quite good too. Sometimes when I need to wash my brushes straight away I would use the deep cleansing wipes to clean it. Wet wipes are pretty much standard and can be used with a lot of stuff anyway. I usually throw one in my bag as it is perfect for when I’m on the go.

This one has to be my favourite from the list. I had doubts when buying it as I have never tried primark’s range of make up previously. This is the velvet matte lipstick crayon for £2.00. When I swatched the tester I just had to buy it as I liked the shade of brown and how opaque it was. It is creamy enough to glide on the lips and it dries matte. Honestly, it’s not long lasting as other matte lip crayons but it stays on for few hours. I believe this is still decent for the price.

Top tip: Avoid eating oily food like what I did in the photo below. This will make the lipstick stay longer. I was solely wearing the brown matte lipstick without lipliner on this photo.

Another favourite of mine form this list is the MUA undress your skin shimmer higlighter for £3.00. I got this from Superdrug. I loved it when I swatched it, you literally need a tiny amount to have the perfect glow. I have been using this for few months and I still can’t see the dent on the design. I just know this product will last long and that’s if I don’t misplace it lol.

I got this Maybelline mascara for about £3.00 as you can see I stocked up on it as this is what I use daily. I know some people say that it is not good to use waterproof make up everyday. However, I find that it works for me as I usually wear contact lenses and my eyes gets watery. I also have a straight Asian eyelashes, which needs something stronger to hold the curls. I usually use two coats of this by itself or on some days I use it alongside another brand of mascara (usually a more lengthening one).

These ones are Japanese goodies that costs around £2-3 each. My favourites out of the bunch are the eyebrow pencil and the magical eyeliner.

This Real Techniques miracle complexion sponge is something that I love using. I have repurchased this a couple of times as I am not willing to spend too much. I have heard so much good things about the beauty blender but I am currently still happy with this Real Techniques version. I have bought the twin pack previously and this costs £9.99 and the individual one is for £5.99. However, the reason why this is on the list as under £5 bargain is because I usually purchase the individual ones from Boots for £4.49. Boots does this price for it every now and then. Therefore, since I found out I only ever repurchase the individual for the price of £4.49. I still think this is a bargain as the sponge is quite amazing and it works perfect for me!

I hope you find it helpful and enjoyed reading this post.

What are your favourite beauty bargains?

Lots of love from,

17Sep2016

DeeWanderlust: Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

Posted in Travel: DeeWanderlust by denissesamantha

Another post on my DeeWanderlust series and this one is all about Las Casas. I very much enjoyed the experience I had here because I have always been fascinated with Filipino history. I was told by our tour guide that some of the houses were built way back from 18th-century. I believe that the houses from different parts of the Philippines were reconstructed ‘brick by brick, plank by plank’. I enjoyed looking around the mansions, wooden houses and stone buildings. The cobblestone streets definitely added drama into the place. It creates that feeling of re-living from the ancient times. The ambiance was lovely; seeing mountains, rice fields and a running river with matching beautiful houses in one place was truly amazing!

Location: Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, Brgy. Ibaba Bagac 2107, Philippines

I think having someone tour us around the place was worth it. We were told some stories behind the Casas and it literally took us back in time.

The view was breathtaking; mountains, river, cobblestone and ancestral homes.

The Hotel de Oriente is a premier luxury hotel located in Binondo, Manila. However, this has now re-opened at the Las Casas. The hotel was originally built in 1889 and it served as Philippines first premier luxury hotel.

I got to see the artistic and cultural elements not only of the ancestral homes but as well as its interiors. The paintings has got to be one of my favourite one. The photos below shows some of the paintings inside the houses:

How I wish I can have big paintings like this around my own mansion one day. It’s free to dream right? 🙂

I like the details of this particular house. It’s so cool!

Overall, I had so much fun. As I was entering the premises I read something along the lines of ‘pride in giving you a glimpse of the past, reliving the age old yet distinctive Filipino traditions’. This is exactly what happened, for few hours I got to relive the past and learnt so much about the Philippine heritage but in such a fun way.

Thank you for reading and taking interest in my adventures!

Lots of love from,

31Aug2016

DeeWanderlust: Baguio City, Philippines

Posted in Travel: DeeWanderlust by denissesamantha

Baguio City is the summer capital of the Philippines as it is one of the coolest places in the country.

Last time I was there was more than a decade ago. I was so sure that a lot of things has changed. Therefore, when I knew that I was visiting Baguio City I was so excited. I had so much plans; the places I wanted to go to, things I wanted to see and dishes I wanted to try. However, the problem was I did not have much time to stay in this city. I wasn’t able to stay as long as I had planned to but I did not let that get in the way. I still had so much fun even though it was only a short sweet visit!

Mines View Park is one of the oldest attraction in the city. The photos below shows the entrance of the park. There are no fees to enter the premises.

This is such an amazing photo of the Cordillera mountains.

I love the backdrop of this photo. This shows the lovely view of Benguet’s gold and copper mines as well as the Cordillera mountains.

I had the chance to dress up in full Cordillera regalia. As you can see on the photo below, I got to wear tapis, vest, necklace and a headdress. For men’s, they usually make them wear the bahag, and accessories such as necklace, shield and spear.

In addition, souvenirs were everywhere around this area. They offered different items such as knitted wears, woodwork and food. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to take photos of the souvenirs/market stalls. However, I can say that strawberries, ube jams, cashew, peanut brittle and lengua de gato are the most popular ones. They also have the usual souvenirs such as key rings, t-shirts, hoodies and many more.

I know. I know. I know. How pretty is this pink horse? As soon as I saw it, I just had to take a photo with the adorable pink horsey.

Where have you been recently for your holiday? Comment below and share your experience.

Lots of love from,

8May2016

April favourites

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

I can’t believe it’s already May and so far the weather has been lovely. I love it when the sun shines, it somehow makes me feel extra happy! My first week of this month has been amazing and I hope you enjoyed your first week too.

I love writing about my monthly favourites and I always feel excited when it’s that time to gather the products that I have been loving. I try my best to use different brands and varieties of products but sometimes I can’t let go of my staples.

Here are my April favourites:

MakeUp Revolution Ultra Professional Cover & Conceal Palette: Concealer is one of the main product in every make up kit. However, finding the right concealer has been such a long and continuos process for me. I have my very few concealers that I love but I always enjoy trying different brands from high end to drugstore. I decided to buy this one as it intrigued me. Make Up Revolution as a brand is very affordable and some of their products are amazing. I must admit when I first tried this palette I did not like it at all. I felt like the consistency was so weird. It feels too greasy and not more of a cream formula. I also found that it creases and sometimes does not give me the coverage that I desire. However, after few weeks I decided to give it another try but this time I made adjustments with the products that I use. I usually put eye cream on top of my moisturiser but with this I don’t. I also found that putting a primer is the best thing to use with it. It made it more blendable and buildable and it doesn’t crease as much. I noticed that it stays longer and covers so much better. Therefore, since finding the right way to use it I have been using it quite a lot last month. I also enjoy the varieties of colours that it offers. It is such a multipurpose paletter and you can always customise the colors by mixing them which is what I do.

MAC Lipstick in ‘Cyber’: I love dark lipstick and I always used to go for my MAC cyber. However, I haven’t been using it for a while as my collection for dark shades grew. I also wanted to try different brands and different hues of plums, browns and anything dark. Last month, I have been using this a lot and I love the vampy vibe it gives.

Face Masks- Snail Cell Illuminating Multi-step Treatment and Purederm Brightening Essence Mask: These masks are from Asia, which I got from my holiday. I love the effects it gives and how moisturising it leaves my face after using them. How I really wish I bought so much more than I did but hopefully I’ll be able to get hold of these soon! I have been using Purederm masks from before but it was my first time to try the two specific ones below and it made me fall in love with the brand even more.

Barry M Natural Glow Shadow and Blush Palette: I love this palette! I usually only use neutral colours for my eyeshadows and this palette is amazing for it. As you can see, it also has a blush which is really good considering how affordable it is.

Accessorize False Eye Lashes: My ultimate falsies fave are still the demi wispies but I don’t mind these ones. I like the effect it gives and it feels lightweight when I have them on. They are not too long but it is thick enough to give you an amazing lashes look.

Batiste Hair Dry Shampoo in fruit and cheeky cherry: This was included in my March favourites and I can’t help but mention it here too. I just adore the smell of it and how it gives me a big voluminous hair.

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in ‘Mulberry’: I love everything about this lipstick. As you can see, this mulberry shade looks so pretty. It is a very flattering shade and very moisturising on the lips. The packaging looks gorgeous as it looks very sleek and expensive than it actually is.

Benefit Blush and Bronzer in ‘Dallas’: This has been my go to blush/bronzer recently. I use it almost every day apart from weekends, which is when I usually go for a more pigmented one or either when I don’t wear make up at all. I really like how it doesn’t make me look cakey, it is very natural looking but with a very lovely glow. I don’t tend to usually use the brushed that comes with whatever products I by cos they tend to not work as well as the proper individually brushes but this one is an exception. The brush that comes with it is very soft and I feel like it is the perfect shape for this particular product!

What are your favourite products recently? Please comment down below as I would like to explore different products and hopefully I will also end up loving it as much as you do.

Lots of love from,

2May2016

The Body Shop Strawberry Prime Selection Set Review

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

I have been using Body Shop products for so many years and I usually end up loving their stuff, especially the skincare range. I usually like the fruit scents that they offer but the strawberry range has got to be my most favourite one! I’m not sure if I’m just being biased because strawberry is one of my favourite fruits ever (mango and strawberries are my faves). I also own some make up products from Body Shop, which are pretty decent but I think there are a lot of better products out in the market. However, Body Shop skincare has always been part of my routine.

The photo below is ‘The Body Shop Strawberry Prime Selection Set‘. Most of Body Shop’s boxes/gift sets can be purchased individually but they usually work out cheaper when bought together. In addition, they come in pretty boxes or pouches that I use for storage.

It retails for £28, which I think is amazing as you get five products in the box. It includes: strawberry shower gel, body butter, body polish, body mist and hand cream.

How I use it? I usually use the body polish in a circular motion to exfoliate, though I don’t use it everyday (currently using it alternatively with my other body scrubs). I like using the shower and the body butter onto my skin as they are moisturising and of course they smell so good. I use the Spritz Body Mist in different ways; I sometimes use it on the body or clothes but usually I will spray it around my room to make the whole room smells nice. I use the hand cream as normal but I also like to bring this in my bag. I transferred some of the hand cream in a travel container which will be more convenient for me to bring anywhere.

Would I recommend it? Yes, I would recommend it mainly because the products are actually good. I personally like the smell, I love how moisturing they are and I think that they are a good amount of product sizes. If you don’t like the strawberry smell, Body Shop offers a lot of other alternative scents. I’m pretty sure you’re bound to find a scent that you will love. In addition, you can always just buy the products individual if that’s what you prefer to do rather than buying them as a whole set.

What are your favourite Body Shop products? Do you have any other alternative that you can recommend?

Lots of love from,

9Feb2016

5 things to do in Budapest

Posted in Travel: DeeWanderlust by denissesamantha

Go to Fisherman’s Bastion (Halászbástya)

The architecture in this place is absolutely beautiful especially when you get to go on one of the tower’s terraces. The panoramic view from up above is stunning and very peaceful. You will be able to look down on the Danube, Margaret Island, Pest and the Gellért Hill.

Enjoy and relax in thermal baths and pool (Széchenyi)

There are a lot of thermal baths and pools in Budapest but from my own experience I can recommend the Széchenyi Thermal Bath. The pools in there has different variation of temperatures; the outdoor pools are 7 to 38 °C (81 to 100 °F) while the indoor pools are about 27 °C (81 °F). They also have saunas, steam rooms and massage services.

Try Geralto Rosa

I LOVE their ice cream and its creativity of the rose shape . I was literally going back to it everyday when I was in Budapest. Their ice cream was super tasty and there was a decent amount of flavour varieties. I visited a few times in a row and I got the same excellent quality of customer service. The place is located right next to St Stephen’s Basilica and here is their address: Szent Istvan ter 3, Budapest 1051, Hungary.

Visit the Great Market Hall (Nagyvásárcsarnok)

This place is also known as the Central Market Hall. On the ground floor you will be able to find fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and Hungarian specialities. However, my favourite part was the first floor as it had a lot of eateries that offers warm Hungarian foods. In addition, it was also the perfect place to shop for souvenirs as they are much cheaper than buying it from a souvenir shop. They had key rings, magnets, embroidery, lace, porcelain, crystal vases and so much more.

St. Stephen’s Basilica (Szent István-bazilika)

This basilica is included in one of the world’s top ten most photographed buildings. Once you stand right in front of it, you’ll definitely know why. The architecture is absolutely amazing! They do organ concerts for reasonable prices and it is also possible to go up the cupola and take in the overview of the whole Budapest. In addition, Stephen’s Square has a lot of cafe and restaurants around. Lots of love from,