The Battle of the Budget Concealer

 TOP - 17 18hr Stay Time                                    BOTTOM - COLLECTION Lasting Perfection

Collection- Lasting Perfection Concealer (£4.19) So it seems everyone and their Grandmother has heard of this 'holy grail', 'best concealer ever'. I must admit, I did dive to Boots the first chance I got when this product was released and have used it almost every day since. I did however, always find the product slightly too orange for my skin tone, therefore instead of seamlessly covering up my blemishes, in certain lights it made them stand out more! The product comes in 4 shades: Fair (as shown above), Light, Medium and Deep. On saying that, it still was the best, long wearing, concealer I had tried. That is until I discovered this little beauty:

Seventeen - 18hr Stay Time Concealer. (£4.00) This is not available on the Boots website yet, however is available in stores. I had never really been drawn to any 17 products, however as I was browsing the shelves of the drug store, the little words 'Extra Fair' (as pictured above) caught my eye. Basically, the product is the exact same idea as the Lasting Perfection, only much cooler toned, and a MUCH better match for paler skin tones. I also find this product a little less cakey than the Collection version and it is transfer resistant. Although marketed as '18 hour stay time', it is more like 8, maximum coverage, then it starts the break down a little. However, 8 hours of full coverage concealer that isn't drying OR cakey? YES PLEASE.  

Overall, the SEVENTEEN concealer is the clear winner for me, never again will I be going back to the Collection concealer. Need one more push in 17's direction? The writing doesn't fade off the packaging!!

Online Clothing Picks

I love nothing more than coming in from work, slipping into my PJ's, grabbing a cup of coffee and surfing though websites and websites of clothes. I obviously don't place an order every time, but I do like a bit of online window shopping.

I've decided to put together a series of blog posts of my top picks from some of my favorite, lesser known, online clothing stores. Everyone has heard of Asos, Missguided and Boohoo, and yeah, their clothes are great and affordable, but I just like something new every now and then.

Hope you like this little series, and if you know of any smaller clothing stores please let me know :)

Shop One - Chicnova

1. Retro Black PU Leather Boot with Pin Buckle Belt £42.89
2. Retro Oversized High Waist Denim Shorts with Waistband £26.24
3. Mirror Cats Print T-shirt £16.00
4. Vintage Black Round Fold Over Lens Sunglasses £10.88
5. Body-con Skirt with Zig Zag Stripe Print £6.40
6. Leopard Print Round Flat Shoes with Rivets £135.06
7. Retro Sleeveless Tanks with National Wind printing £13.12

Banish Blemishes on a Budget.

1. Thursday Plantation Tea-Tree-Oil BOOTS (£4.99) Pure tea tree oil is a natural anti-fungal, germicidal and antiseptic. If your spot is bacterial, this baby will get to work right away. It can be used on all skin types, and not just for spots. This natural god-send has loads of uses, just do a google search and you'll never run out of reasons to stock this bottle in your cupboard.

2. Witch Blemish Stick - BOOTS (£2.89) Infused with natural witch hazel, this product promises to break down blemish-causing oils and combat bacteria. Dab the product when any signs of skin impurities bubble to the surface, and it gets to work right away! The handy size makes it great for throwing in your handbag for spot fighting on the go!

3. Cod Liver Oil - BOOTS (£2.99) A natural supplement, cod liver oil contains vitamins A and D. Another great multi-action product, not only does it help maintain healthy muscles and bones, but it also assists in clearing up skin from the inside, out.

4. La-Roche-Posay Effaclar-Duo - BOOTS (£13) The most expensive product on the list, however what beauty blog reader hasn't come across this before?! It promises to reduce the appearance of facial impurities whilst also unclogging and purifying pores. It contains Linoleic acid which eliminates the dead skin cells responsible for causing all sorts of skin nasties.

5. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER! All hell breaks loose on your face if you're dehydrated.

When it's cold outside..

When it's cold outside.. by mairix featuring a zip coat

Long sleeve shirt
sheinside.com

Zip coat
sheinside.com

Jack Wills fair isle socks
jackwills.com

Oasis legging
$23 - oasis-stores.com

Slip shoes
ebay.co.uk

Burberry zippered tote bag
$1,655 - farfetch.com

Brown shawl
chicnova.com

Glove
2020ave.com

Jane norman
$16 - janenorman.co.uk

Soap Glory body moisturizer
sephora.com

Disco Pants!

So I've been sprawling the net over the past few weeks, jotting down everything I want to get after Christmas. (It's a long list..) One of the biggest 'MUST HAVES' on this extensive list is a pair of Disco Pants. For those of you unfamiliar with this growing craze, they are basically high-waisted high-shine leggings, originally made by American Apparel however, at £74, they are a bit on the pricey side.

I had a look around and the best 'dupes' of the AA Disco Pants I could find were actually from Topshop, and are a very reasonable £30! One of the reasons I am so in love with these leggings is that it they are SO easy to dress for either a day about town shopping or a night out clubbing. Here's a wee example of my faves products to pair with Topshop's disco pants (all items from Topshop)

 

The only slight problems I have seen when reading the reviews of the Topshop Disco Pant is the 1. They are made on the large side. Many shoppers were saying they were actually buying the pants 2 sizes smaller than what they usually wear! However, as I am usually a size 6...There is no smaller size for me to order. DILEMMA! The second is that they just aren't as thick as the AA version, however for more than half the price, that doesn't bother me too much!

So I hope you all liked this wee post on my new found love for the disco pant! And fingers crossed I can find a decent pair in my size! (Might even be really cheeky and see if the AA version goes on sale on Boxing Day :p) If anyone has any other tips on how they like to style their disco pants, let me know in the comments below or drop me a wee photo and I'll try and make a collective post on all your ideas!

Chat to ya soon :) 

       - Mairii_x xox