MAC Wishlist ♥

MAC Wishlist by themaryfairy
[Can all be purchased at maccosmetics.co.uk or Debenhams ^^]

Can you believe I haven't bought anything from MAC yet?

Me neither. I mean I've bought MAC things for others as gifts (because I knew exactly what they wanted) but never for myself. So I decided to rectify that. And so here is my list!

1. Pro Longwear Concealer

I've heard a lot of good things about this concealer, read many a review raving about this, and have decided this is the one I want! I have a Bourjois concealer but it's just a tad too light for me, so I hardly ever use it. 

2. Fix+

I've been wanting to try this for a long time. At the end of the day, the makeup on my oily t zone tends to just disappear, so it will be nice to see if this prevents that from happening. Might get the smaller version first though, I hate getting something full size and regretting it later when it doesn't work for me!

3. Lipstick

A cremesheen one to be precise! Not quite sure which one I want yet, not many colours seem to go with my weird asian skin tone :/ or with my abnormally pigmented lips!

4. Blush

Everyone loves their blushes! And if I'm honest.. I love the look of them too! I already have an pinky/golden blush in the form of Sleeks Rose Gold blush, and as mentioned in a previous haul post I have Benefits Hervana - so I have a pinky one in that, so I might go for a darker blush with MAC! Any suggestions? (^__^)

5. Fluidline in Blacktrack

Once my Maybelline gel liner is finished (this may be a while) I want to try a different one, namely this one. Or should I get the Bobbi Brown one..? Ladies? Help? ^^

6. Mineralize Skin Finish

I'm running low on setting powder, and have heard many a good thing about this stuff! I got this for my sister and she loves it. Made me wish I got it for myself too from the way she went on about it :P

So what's on your MAC wishlist? Have you tried any of these? Do you recommend any of them? Let me know in the comments below! 

Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips (Original) Review

I'm one of those people who doesn't give into the hype. But I am also the type that is willing to give a go on things that tend to have mixed reviews - sometimes. Today's review is one that falls in line with the latter.. And that is the Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips.

Now I really do not like to give negative reviews, but this *is* my blog and if I want to talk about it I have every right to. Aaaaand to put it simply - these were a total disappointment.

Basically, I have been stuck in a bit of a skincare rut lately. I've been trying to get rid of these blackheads on my nose for AGES and nothing has worked. So after seeing these on a couple of blogs and seeing that it worked for some people, I decided to give it a try.

You get six strips in a pack, which if you ask me is too little for the amount you pay - £7.99! But because I was getting a little desperate in trying to get rid of the pesky buggers, I decided to buy them anyway.

Plus I liked the fact that they were hypo-allergenic - my skin has been a bit on the sensitive side lately, and I didn't want anything aggravating it any further.

I decided that the best time to use these would be when my pores would be the most open - after a hot shower/bath. I checked on other blogs that had reviewed these and they said they used it then too.

I tried one, aaaaaaand.. well.. it did nothing. It actually stuck to my nose and it irritated my skin. It didn't clear out any of my blackheads at all. My tip of my nose felt a little softer but that's about it.

Then I gave it another chance a few days later, thinking maybe it was because my nose hadn't been wet enough. Nope. It did the same thing, but there was a little less residue left on my nose than before. Still, my blackheads remained.

A few days later, I tried it again. Guess what? NOTHING HAPPENED. Same again the next time I tried it. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, or maybe I'm imagining my blackheads? LOL no, they're definitely there alright, I see them every day (>.>)

Three days after that, I tried it again. This time I took out one black head. ONE. Out of the.. okay I won't tell you how many I have but STILL. ONE?! REALLY?!

(-__________-)

So I got to my fifth one, and.. gosh do I even need to say it. I do? Okay. NOWT HAPPENED. I haven't even bothered trying the last one. I refuse to.

I've never bought something that does absolutely nothing to my skin. I've bought stuff that has made it worse yes, and definitely things that have made it better, but nothing like this. I'm really confused. All it did was hurt when I peeled it off (slowly or otherwise).

Sigh~ I really wanted to like this. I wanted it to work. Clearly this just wasn't for me, because it has worked for a couple of people (although clearly not all!).

You can get these from Boots for £7.99. Although I don't see why you would want to. I would definitely NOT recommend this.

Disclaimer: I bought this with my own money. Unfortunately. (>.>)

Modestly Stylish: Let's Try Some Colour Shall We?

Modestly Stylish: Let's Try Some Colour Shall We? by themaryfairy

Yellow Round Neck Broken Stripe Cable Sweater from SheInside.com - £21 / New Look Dark Green Studded Belt Jersey Maxi Skirt - £16.99 / Cowboy Ankle Bootie from Amazon - £19 / Debenhams Camel Big Stitch Cross Over Bag - £24.90 / Republic Crafted Aztec Shield Ring - £5 / ASOS Green Aztec Scarf - £4.50 / Yves Saint Laurent Faux Cils Shocking Volume Effect Mascara - £23.50 / OPI Live And Let Die - £15.95

Well HELLO THURR~ I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend. 

This past week I've been lamenting over the fact that I wear just too much blue/beige/black. So I decided that I will not buy anything blue from now on, and try to wear other colours instead. I'm getting a little sick of seeing a sea of navy everytime I look into my wardrobe, so I decided to put together a look with no blue in it at all.

You see the thing is, I really like these colours; I'm just too self concious to try wearing them. It's because I know I'll stick out like a sore thumb, because the colours are so bright lol. But I'm honestly hating getting dressed in the mornings nowadays because I just don't want to wear what I usually wear! 

Next time I go shopping, I'm going to buy clothes in these colours. Especially that skirt! LOVE that green! I have a plain mustard top already, so I will try to incorporate that into my usual attire, just to brighten up those dull days at the end of winter/the start of spring.

Have you been stuck in a style rut too? Made any changes to your wardrobe lately? Let me know in the comments below! (^__^)

Perks of Being A Student: Unidays Discounts!

I'm sure you've all heard of UniDays by now, right? For those who haven't it's basically a student discount site. You can get exclusive discounts (if you're a student) simply by signing up! I've been using it for a while now and I thought why not share the love and help you get in on too!

It's quick and easy to sign up - so if you're a student just click here to get on it, you won't regret it (^__^) Below are just a few of the awesome discounts they're running right now!

  

All amazing discounts don't you think? They also do discounts of Cath Kidston, Paperchase, Waterstones, Office, AX Paris, and loads more! Hope this post helped you save a little, I know it helped me ^^

January 2013 Favourites ♥

I know I know, I'm a couple of days late with this post. But better late than never eh?

1. Avon Anew pencil eyeliner - I've been feeling lazy lately, especially with my makeup. I forgot how easy it was to just whack on some eyeliner and run out the door. Top liner takes too much time and effort for my constant 9am starts, so I've been just tight-lining & doing my waterline in the mornings. It's a pretty good eyeliner, doesn't have too much staying power but it's fine for everyday. Actually a little sad it's nearing its end..

2. Nivea Hydro Care lipbalm - my lip saviour of the past couple of weeks. My lips have been incredibly dry, so I picked it up and now all is well. It's my holy grail lip balm, I'll always go back to it!

3. Provenzali Argan Oil Lipbalm - this was a gift from my dear friend Sarita over at A Hochpotch Hijabi in Italy. I find it doesn't really work well with my lips but my GOODNESS IT SMELLS AMAZING. I wish I had it in perfume form honestly, it is literally drool worthy. So instead I use it as a sort of solid perfume and rub it on my wrists. It has a lot of product in it too, so this will last me forever. Thanks Sarita! :oD

4. Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie - As I said earlier, I've been very lazy with my makeup, and my lips have been really dry too, so I stopped using my Benetint stain in case it dried it out any further and ended up reaching for this (if & when I had the time to). I would wear it when my lips needed a nice wash of colour without being full on. Plus on top of that it didn't make my lips any drier than they were & actually helped a bit!

5. Witch Stick - I rave about this all the time don't I? I won't go on about this, but I will instead just thank the good Lord that He helped me find this again. Full review here ♥

6. Bath and Body Works Fresh Picked Blackberries PocketBac - one of my best friends went to America a few months ago and bought me a truckload of stuff from there that you can't get from the UK (without paying an arm and a leg that is lol). She knows I love fruity flavours/scents and got me a few of these, and currently I am using this one and loving it. The smell is strong but not overpowering, and being a bit of a germaphobe, I always feel nice and clean and ready to eat my food after using this hehe ^^

7. Soap & Glory Hand Food Hand Cream - Oh my goodness. It's like the winter is out to get me this year. Even my poor hands are getting chapped and dry. This has definitely been my skin saviour this month. I can always count on Soap & Glory in a time of need! (^__^)

8. Batiste Dry Shampoo (Original) - Aaaaand as always I am late to the party. I went to London around mid December for a couple of days and bought the mini version of this to use because I didn't want to wash my hair while I was there - it takes forever and a day to dry (#longhairedgirlsproblems) - its worse when you wear a hijaab, it feels so odd with slightly damp hair under your hijaab (>.<)

 But yeah, this stuff is AMAZING! Seriously, Batiste where have you been all my life? Oh thats right, RIGHT UNDER MY NOSE (-_____-) LOL

Oh, and it also helped me during exam season when I would study late into the night and try not to waste time in the shower (am I the only one who gets stuck in there for like half an hour not wanting to get out?) - seriously every minute counts when it comes to revision for me, and skipping washing my hair for one extra day really helped a lot. Definitely going to repurchase this, again and again!

Whew! Didn't realise I had so many favourites this month! What have been your skin saviours this winter so far? Any recommendations?

Disclaimer: All products were bought with my own money unless stated otherwise. All opinions are my own. 

December & January Empties ♥

Have you ever had a time where loads of things seem to finished all at once? I had that these past two months. I felt quite accomplished looking at my box full of empties this month!

I've decided to separate them into different categories to make it flow a little. Also.. apologies for the terrible lighting and the quality of the pictures. Still finding it hard to find somewhere good to photograph my blog pics! So yeah anyhoo.. LEGGO!

[L-R]

Skincare

St Ives Elements Timeless Skin Daily Microdermabrasion Scrub - Erm.. I didn't actually finish this. It's just been lying around unused for months because it caused me to break out a bit so I thought I'd just bin it! Full review here.

Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser - a staple in my skincare routine. Have already got two backups for this!

Purity Conditioning Cleansing Lotion/Makeup Remover* - I loved this so much! I was so sad when it finished. I really stretched this .. I have a weird habit of not using things I love when I see I'm near to running out. I should really stop doing that. Definitely need to repurchase this. Clickety clack over here for the review~

Lush Dark Angels - I actually finished this ages ago and found the tub again in a random drawer. It worked well on my skin back when my skin was much oilier, but I won't be repurchasing this now, don't really need it!

Witch Stick x2 - Lol, do I even have to say it? Already stocked up on these babies! Click here for the full review on this amazing thing (^__^)

[L-R]

Makeup

Clinique High Lengths Mascara Sample - had this for ages. Tried it a couple of times when I first got it after swapping an old mascara for it at the Clinique counter. Didn't really like the wand, kept poking myself in the eye with it! Won't be repurchasing this.

Benefit Some Kind-a Gorgeous Foundation mini - matches my skin almost perfectly. Great for touch ups and popping into my bag - I already have another one!

Rimmel Clear Complexion Translucent Powder - Love this stuff, it is really good at mattifying my skin and setting my makeup. Won't be repurchasing this because I want to try something new :)

[Anticlockwise from left]

Body Care

Soap & Glory Flake Away body scrub - I mention this in all my empties, and is in my Five Favourites Friday: Soap & Glory post too. I always buy the small pot in case I get sick of it lol, but I never do. I am however going to try something new this time, so I won't repurchase this just yet! Although I do have another one open already.. heh.

Original Source Mint & Tea Tree shower gel mini - I bought this when I went away to London for a weekend so I wouldn't have to lug around my big one. Lav it. Won't be repurchasing the mini though, obviously! Full review here ^^

Botanicals Orange Blossom Body Balm* - Before I started using my Soap & Glory Hand Food Hand Cream, I used this (not just for my hands, but any dry patches on my body too). For the full review, click here :o) Won't be repurchasing because I already have too many body butters and a hand cream at the moment!

Oral-B 3D White Brilliance* - A sample I got in the post. It was only a small sample, so I don't think it really was enough to make a difference to my teeth. Might check it out if its on offer. :]

Dove Go Fresh Deodorant in Pomegranate - My favourite deodorant! Sure deodorants never seem to work with me, but Dove's do! Already repurchased this (^__^)

[L-R]

Hair Care

Batiste Dry Shampoo mini - LIFESAVER. Read my (upcoming!) January Favourites post to see why. Already repurchased in full size. It's become one of those things that I can't live without now. ♥

The Body Shop Coconut Beautifying Dry Oil - did the job. The smell was REALLY strong though, which put me off. I swear actual coconut oil doesn't smell that strong!? Won't be repurchasing this, purely because of the overpowering scent.

Candles & Fragrance
[L-R]

Yankee Candle in Cranberry Ice - My younger sister got this as one of my birthday gifts. I adore this scent, it's the perfect winter scent for me, someone who adores fruity scents. I was so sad when this finished. I would light this to cheer me up whilst winding down from a long night of revision. She got me some more so I won't be repurchasing this any time soon, because I want to try the other ones first! (^__^)

Avon Perfume: Wink - Remember what I said earlier about loving something, panicking about it finishing, and then leaving the last bit to make it last forever? Well I did that with this too.. and then it got discontinued! This was the scent of my teenage years.. fruity and girly and sweet all at the same time. I decided to use it up and move on. I felt like I've left a part of my younger self behind now. *totes not getting emotional*

Wooooooooooo. That was a long post lol! I can finally throw them away now *fist pump* Hope you're having a lovely week my dears!

*PR samples sent to me for consideration. The rest I bought with my own money. All views are my own, I promise. :o)

Face Mask Fridays: Montagne Jeunesse Passion Peel Off Facemask

Aloha my lovelies! Hope you've all had a fabulous week (^__^) Today I have a face mask from a brand I'm sure everyone has heard of, and that is Montagne Jeunesse. Am I the only one who can't say the name properly? Anyone? Okay just me then.. xD

As you can tell from the title, I shall be reviewing the Passion Peel Off Facemask.

Everyone loves their masks, so I thought why not? I'll give them a whirl too! They're only a quid or so, so I picked a few up to try. Claiming to be gluten free, nut derivative free and having no added parabens, it seems to be that they're trying to make it suitable for just about everyone on the planet.

'Gently peel away dead skin with our amazing Passion Peel Off deep cleansing masque. Our Pomegranate and Passion Flower formula cleans, purifies and protects leaving your skin feeling fresh and radiant.'

[source]

This masks ingredients include passion flower - rich in Potassium, and the vitamins C & A, is antibacterial, and has healing properties; and pomegranate - which has anti-aging benefits, antioxidants, vitamins A, C & E which protect  skin from free-radicals.

It also contains raspberry, grape and cranberry, all of which are also packed to the brim with antioxidants! The website says its suitable for normal to oily skin, and seeing as I have a combination of both, I decided to pick this one up out of the others ^^

When I opened this, the first thing that hit me was the smell.. oh it made me DROOL. I mean, you all know that I love fruity scents. I could definitely smell the pomegranate and cranberry.

Texture-wise, it had a gloopy-gel-like feel to it but it wasn't too hard to apply. When I saw it I was confused as to why it wasn't purple like the girls on the packagings mask. Why would you not show the real thing?! I found that really weird. I know it says on the packet that it'll vary due to it being natural ingredients and blah blah blah but the actual thing is quite different from the picture!

Anyway, I'd say the amount given was just enough for a full face, but that's about it.




Sigh. Here comes my least favourite part. When I put it on all over my face, my eyes started stinging like mad. Even though I had not put it anywhere near my eyes. It was so heavily scented that it stung my eyes. *flips table* I remember so looking forward to using it, and here it goes stinging my eyes.

The stinging diminished after a few minutes however, after it had started to dry. It made my face feel tight (which is what is supposed to happen) and I waited about 7/8 minutes before peeling it off.

Despite it only being a short time, it felt like ages, because well.. I wasn't really relaxing, what with my eyes stinging from the fumes and all that. Then I realised my face was stuck in this bored expression. LOL xD So I started to open my mouth and it started peeling off around the mouth. It felt so weird.I felt like a snake shedding its skin O.o Lmao I apologise for the terrible similes.

Aaaaaaanyhoo. When I peeled it off, it hurt :/ even though I was doing it slowly and trying to be gentle. My skin didn't feel too much different after using it either. I really will not be repurchasing this. I'm actually a little scared of using my other peel off masks of theirs now.. I don't want my eyes to sting again!! *sobs* (;_____;)

Yeah.. so that was a bit of a fail. Have you tried these masks? Did your eyes sting too?

Disclaimer: All products were bought with my own money unless stated otherwise. All opinions are my own. I promise ^^

Related Posts: Superdrug Hydrating Self Heating Mask, DIY Fruity Face Mask: Oily/Combination Skin, Sanctuary's 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask