mrsjennyws

I have been VERY bad this month and have ordered nearly all the items on my February Wishlist, plus about 1000 other things. Last week, after what seemed like a VERY long wait over the weekend, I finally picked up my Sleek MakeUP order from Superdrug.

I couldn't really get into the products once I got home mainly as the husband certainly does not approve of more makeup purchases. Since then I have kept meaning to take photos and swatches, but I can never get any light!! It's too dark before work, and how ever would I find the time in the morning? And it's dark by the time I get home, so finally this weekend I managed to get some natural light photos - although it was still a struggle, damn this British weather!

Following on from that moan, I apologise for the mish mash of pictures. I took some one evening under our bedroom lights and some in natural light and completed failed to check that I had everything I needed in natural light...so yeah...mixing it up.
Also problems with shiny packaging is that they act like a bloody mirror! So excuse the unintentional selfies (I already had to get rid of a great photo because I had a duck face in it).

Solstice Highlighting Palette : Precious Metals Highlighting Palette Rose Gold Blush

Solstice Highlighting Palette : Precious Metals Highlighting Palette Rose Gold Blush

The morning after I picked them up I cracked them open at my desk and got to properly lay my eyes on them! Since then I've swatched the highlights (oh my) and I've worn the blush.


Blush in Rose Gold
The packaging is very nice, it looks as you would expect from the brand - sleek. It's matte, black and good and sturdy, with a good sized mirror...although I was pretty hard to open it the first time, I even googled and found that other people had the same problem. On the other hand, plus points, it shouldn't pop open in my makeup bag! Once I finally got the darn thing open, I managed to get a peek inside. Now I'm not going to lie, I found the colour in the pan to be slightly terrifying, it looks VERY orange-y pink.

Sleek Blush in Rose Gold

 I've worn it, putting it on with the Real Techniques Blush Brush (I looooove this brush) and it goes on very sheer. It does take a little bit of building up to see and I couldn't get as much on as I usually would (PACK IT ON), but it left a gorgeous glowy flush on my cheeks which I loved.
I swatched it, it took a few swipes to build up to this intensity, but it's gorgeous.

Rose Gold Blush

Rose Gold Blush in natural light

So far I'm really happy with it, and for £4.49, who can argue! I will definitely be looking at buying some more of these.


Precious Metals Highlighting Palette
Starting with the packaging again, it certainly looks very pretty, a sort of shiny gunmetal colour, but it does smudge A LOT, mine is already covered in marks - I had to clean it to take photos. The palette isn't too bulky, good to cart around (as if I need to carry more makeup with me) and maybe not as study as the blush, but still pretty good. Much easier to open and it has a magnetic closure, fancy (I'm sure it's not really, but I'm a fan!)
When you open it, OH. MY. GOD. those highlighters sparkle up at you - they're calling my name!

Precious Metals Highlighting Palette

 Clockwise the shades are:
Platinum - cream highlight, this is quite pearlscent and it is just gorgeous!
Royal Gold - a very bright, shimmery gold
Renaissance Gold -very similar to Royal Gold in colour, but slightly more subtle in it's shimmer
Antique Bronze - the only powder of the palette, a warm bronze

Clockwise: Platinum, Royal Gold, Renaissance Gold, Antique Bronze

 I didn't think I'd like that this had so many cream formulas in it, but they are just SO creamy, I love them.

L-R: Platinum, Royal Gold, Renaissance Gold, Antique Bronze

Solstice Highlighting Palette
This one...the packaging is hot on trend being rose gold, a reason in itself to buy it, maybe it's more on the bronze side (but rose gold = bronze - no?), but so lovely either way you look at it. Like the Precious Metals it certainly attracts finger prints and smudges. And same packaging style, fairly study, good size, magnetic closure.
 Pop that bad boy open and that highlight!! I was put off this when I first saw it online, I mean what is that purple shade? But in reality it is just so gorgeous, the highlighters in the pans are just SO. DAMN. PRETTY.

Solstice Highlighting Palette

Clockwise the shades are:
Ecliptic – a warm pink colour, the only cream highlighter in the palette, I'm a little sad after how creamy the Precious Metals ones are
Hemisphere – THE PURPLE ONE, soz I can't get over that! This is one of the baked highlights, it really is a lovely colour, a light purple colours and I'm very keen to test this out!
Subsolar – a pale, slightly yellow shimmer powder
Equinox – a bronze-y, slightly orangy colour, another baked one

Clockwise: Ecliptic, Hemisphere, Subsolar, Equinox

 This palette definitely has some colours that I wouldn't have usually picked, but they are just so gorgoues that I couldn't resist. Looking forward to experimenting and worse comes to the worse, I've got an eyeshadow palette!

L-R: Ecliptic, Hemisphere, Subsolar, Equinox

I know I totally ignored that both palettes have a brush in them, but I HATE brushes that come with palettes, I never, ever use them.

So there you have it, I'm yet to wear the Highlighter Palettes, so I will get back to you on that.
Overall a definite success, I'm really, so happy that I had a naughty splurage and bought these.
Even if it's just cause they look so pretty.

Sleek MakeUP Highlighting Palettes in Solstice & Precious Metals

Sleek MakeUP Blush in Rose Gold

Another note, after having a bit of a swatch party (hello ALL my blushes) I feel like maybe I should just swatch makeup onto my hand each morning so I can look at how pretty it is throughout the day, ha.

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So I'll admit, up until the beginning of last year my skincare routine consisted of taking off my eyeliner and mascara with a face wipe and washing my face in the shower in the mornings. I always thought that as my skin is quite greasy that I shouldn't be using a moisturiser.

But once I started wearing more makeup and needing to get my skin wedding ready I realised that I needed to develop more of a skincare routine.

I have combination skin, probably more on the oily side as I don't get many dry patches, but in the winter I do find a few trouble areas cropping up. I tend to have quite large pores around my nose and it's blackhead heaven, I've never really seemed to shift them no matter what I've done.
I do get a few spots, usually reoccurring monthly, around my chin, between my brows and I have a recoccuring one that won't shift between my nose and my lip - it's a constant red mark that surfaces as a spot every now and then.
And finally, as a result of a burn, I have a raised patch of red skin on my forehead, that seems to become worse when I'm stressed and tired (pre-wedding it was an angry flare all of the time). It often seems to show up through foundation and can look a bit caked if I try to cover it more. Ideally I'd like to do something to make it less red and less 3D. (Also, just in case you wondered, you get a burn scar on your forehead when you make tempura and the oil explodes in your face - terrifying to say the least.)

Step 1: Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

I put this on a cotton pad and press it over my eye and hold it there for a few second and wipe off, then I hold it between my eyelashes (anyone know what I mean?) and do the same. Then the other eye. Then sometimes I'll do a fresh one and wipe it over my face.

I have very sensitive eyes and I find that a lot of eye makeup removers can make my eyes water and sting or leave them clogged with gunk if it's a thicker one. Once I was having my makeup done at the Benefit counter and the lady gave me something to take off the mascara I had on (I'm not sure what product it was) and my God, my eyes were streaming for the rest of the time I was there.

Touch wood, this hasn't made my eyes bad, so recommended if you have sensitive eyes.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Step 2: Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion

This is one of my favourites, I love that it has that tingly, almost burn-y feeling on my skin. If it does that, then something in my head tells me that it must be working! I use this on a cotton pad to get the rest of the makeup off my face. Obviously as it's a skin tingling one, keep it away from those sensitive peepers!

Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion

Step 3: Boots Essentials Cucumber Face Wipes

I usually find that I still have some makeup stuck on my lashes and waterline, so I use these to get in there and get that off and then give the rest of my face a once over.

Boots Essentials Cucumber Face Wipes

Step 4: Cleansing Pads

I've been using the Superdrug Deep Action Pore Cleansing Pads recently, although my husband decided that they didn't work and he's bought some other ones now, I think they might be Clearasil, but I'm still finishing off the Superdrug ones.

I like this as they're textured they feel like a good exfoliating scrub on your face. But this is probably the most likely step that I'd skip as I'm not sure if it's always needed.

Superdrug Deep Action Pore Cleansing Pads

Step 5: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

A pea sized blob (I probably use too much) all over my face.

So how many cleanses is that?

Face Wash

As previously mentioned, I wash my face in the shower (it's just easier that way) every morning. What I use does vary, but I do favour something that's quite a coarse exfoliating scrub or has charcoal or tea tree - or ideally all of the above. Sometimes I use more than one face wash per shower, excessive I know.

Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Charcoal Facial Scrub

Masks

I do love a mask! I currently have the Superdrug Witch Hazel Mud Mask, Superdrug Dear Sea Mud Mask and the Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Charcoal Face Mask. Maybe some others knocking around. And I've just worked my way through a tub of Lush Cosmetic Warrior (review here). I probably don't use these as much as I should, but I always get them in my hair, so I have to do it before I have a shower.

Superdrug Dead Sea Mud Mask Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Charcoal Face Mask, Superdrug Witch Hazel Mud Mask

I've come late to the party and have just spent some time reading up on the Pixi Glow Tonic and I've decided that I must have it.

Advice please?

My skin's been feeling a little greasy/tacky lately and I've been getting a few spots, so I'm open to mixing up my current skincare routine. I also wonder whether I should be using an eye cream or something similar. I'm not really up on this area!

Any ideas to help with the greasy skin and the burn scar?
Suggestions more than welcome!