I was always a little wary of the Micellar water trend as I was very worried they would really dry out my already incredibly dry skin. However when I saw this in Boots I was very drawn to it, especially as it was on offer at only £3.99. This is one of those products which you have to shake to mix the oil with the water, it does separate so quickly compared to the likes of the Lancôme makeup remover. This removes makeup so effectively making little work of heavy eye makeup, liquid lipsticks and waterproof mascara.
I've found that this is working so well with my dry skin, it feels very hydrating whilst making the skin feel nice and clean. It does leave an oily residue on the skin however for me that is not a problem as I always use another cleanser after using a makeup remover like this. It is a quite highly scented product so if your skin is sensitive to scents i'd say perhaps give this one a miss. In terms of other types of sensitivity I find that a lot of products can either break me out or flare up my eczema and this does neither so it's 100% a winner for me.
Overall I really love this and if you are looking for a easy makeup remover this is definitely a good one!
If you read my blog a couple of months ago you will know that I was obsessed with the Solstice palette which I reviewed Here I was in fact so obsessed with it that I decided to pick up the other shade.
This one is like the more toned down version of the solstice palette. It contains three cream highlights and a powder shade. The cream shades are beautifully subtle and look incredible on the skin. They give the face a beautiful luminous glow and are perfect paired with lots of bronzer. They are all quite gold toned so if you are a fan of a more pinky highlight this probably isn't the palette for you. Some cream highlighters can sometimes be a little bit coarse however these are beautifully smooth. The powder shade is beautifully finely milled and doesn't have any massive chunks of shimmer in it. This works really lovely over the cream shades but also on it's own.
I think my favourite shade has definitely got to the top right hand shade it has a little more pink tone to it making it a little warmer as opposed to the slightly cooler tones of the other two cream shades. Overall I think if the Solstice palette was a little too intense for this may be a better option. I really do like this one as it is perfect for the days when I want something a little more subtle.
To coincide with my makeup testing videos over on my channel I have decided to write blog posts to follow up my first impression and let you guys still know if my opinions are the same or if they have changed completely. If you do want to watch the video and see if my opinions are still the same I will leave it at the bottom of the post.
Skin Define Foundation in Ivory - £4.00
I think out of everything this was the product I was most disappointed in, it was incredibly orange and very low coverage. It would perhaps work for someone who has better skin as I definitely liked the finish however for me the coverage isn't quite enough and the shade is just far too orange toned. I found this lasted quite well and was quite light on my skin however it's not one I will reach for again.
Cover and conceal Liquid concealer in Ivory - £1.50
I was worried to try this as it is in the same shade as the foundation however something I've realised with a lot of budget brands is that the lightest concealer in the range is always at least 2 shades lighter than the foundation so it actually matches me really nicely. This is a nice creamy concealer with a good amount of coverage, it does settle slightly under the eyes however for £1.50 you really can't complain and it's definitely one I'd recommend to anyone on a budget or just getting into makeup.
Blush in Bonbon - £1.00
I've had a lot of these £1.00 blushes in my collection over the years and I have to say i'm always really impressed. They are a little chalky however they do pack a massive pigment punch so I can deal with that. The packaging on them is ridiculously flimsy and is definitely not made for being battered about in a makeup bag however other than that I really have no complaints. Bonbon is a really lovely peachy pink shade which is one of those good all round shades which works with any look.
Skin Define Hydro powder - £2.00
I was super intrigued by this as I have honestly never heard a powder be described as hydrating. I am so glad I picked this one up it's perfect for my dry skin working really beautifully to set without taking away any glowiness or making my skin look cakey. The one bad thing about this is that this is the only shade it comes in and even though it's fairly translucent it would definitely leave a white cast on darker skins as on me it did a brilliant job of toning down the orangeness of the foundation.
Skin define foundation, Cover and conceal, Blush in Bon bon, Skin define powder.
Brow Pencil in Brunette - £1.00
I full on hated this product, I'm talking like despised it. It literally made me look ridiculous. The pencil is very waxy and creamy meaning it just kind of did it's own thing and smudged wherever it wanted too. With it being so creamy it was impossible to work lightly with making the fact the colour was slightly too dark a massive problem. It gave me sharpie brows and I really wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Brow Define brow mascara in Deep - £2.00
I really liked this brow gel, it's one of the things that I've used since doing the video. It's a really good ashy brown colour which works really nicely to set the brows in place whilst adding just a slight hint of colour. The brush is quite large compared to the likes of Benefit Gimme brow however as I have super thick brows that doesn't bother me but it's something to note if your brows are a little thinner.
Pro Base eyeshadow primer - £2.50
I didn't dislike this one but I didn't love it either. I found it neutralised any discolouration on my lid really well and didn't make the shadows go on patchy however I'm not sure it actually did anything to increase the longevity of the colour on my lids. I still found that it creased however if your lids aren't super oily I can see this being a nice one.
Single shadows in Champagne and Bronze - £1.00 each
I really love the MUA single shades they are incredibly pigmented and creamy and are consistent throughout the range. I find a lot of super budget brands have some incredible and some disappointing whereas I have loved every MUA one I have tried. There is also a really lovely versatile shad range so I'd definitely recommend these for anyone!
Matte Liquid Liner - £2.00
If you watch the video you will see I'm not the best at liquid liner however I really fancied giving this one a go. I found it easier to work with than some of the liners I have tried. The brush is quite firm meaning it's a little easier to control. I also found it didn't flake which is something I often have a problem. They also do a glossy version of this and I'm definitely going to pick it up.
Volume Mascara - £2.00
This is definitely out of everything the product I was most impressed with. This mascara is so incredible for only £2. I don't usually go for volumising mascaras however this was all they had in stock o I just grabbed it and I'm so glad I did. This is not a volumising mascara however if you want length and curl this is definitely one to give a try. It makes my lashes look super long and actually helps them hold the curl. I am honestly so impressed with this one and would urge everyone to give it a try.
Eyeshadow in champagne, Eyeshadow in Bronze, Brow pencil, Brow gel, Eye base, Matte liner.
Lipstick in Shade 11 - £1.00
I had so many of these lipsticks in my collection when I first started getting into makeup however I haven't bought on for years so I really wasn't sure what to expect. This was a nice lipstick for the price I wouldn't go shouting about it however I would definitely reach for it again. The colour is a really pretty dark pinky nude and the formula is lovely and glossy. I'd definitely say if you want some cheap lipsticks give these a go as they are really nice.
Lip liner in Caramel Nougat - £1.00
I've used this one a couple of times and I have to say I do find it a little drying. It tends to drag on the lips as they aren't quite creamy enough. I feel like if you have really lovely plump perfect not at all dry lips this one might work for you however if you have dry lips I'd definitely give it a miss.
Lipstick in shade 11, Lip liner in Caramel nougat.
So that's it for todays post, I realty hope you enjoyed it and the video!
I can't believe that it has taken me this long to review this product, I spoke about the benefit brow range last week and it reminded me to get this product reviewed. The Smashbox brow tech matte pencil is not only the longest named brow pencil I own but also my favourite, the Benefit precisely my brow pencil coming in at a close second in both those category's.
What I love about this pencil is that the nib is so small, from pictures it is very similar the Anastasia brow wiz which I definitely need to get around to trying. The super thin nib means that it is very easy to get a super precise brow and it also makes it fab for drawing in little hairs in sparser areas.
The reason that this one just beats the Benefit on is the shade. It's just slightly cooler than the Benefit one meaning it matches my hair better. In terms of pigment this is just perfect it isn't so pigmented that you end up with sharpie brows however it's just pigmented enough that you only have to press lightly. This means you get much more control over how dark the brows are which I love. Texture wise it's that perfect mix of waxy and creamy meaning that it doesn't smudge all over the face but also meaning that it isn't really difficult to work with.
Overall if you're on the look out for a new brow pencil I would definitely recommend this one!
I've found that this is working so well with my dry skin, it feels very hydrating whilst making the skin feel nice and clean. It does leave an oily residue on the skin however for me that is not a problem as I always use another cleanser after using a makeup remover like this. It is a quite highly scented product so if your skin is sensitive to scents i'd say perhaps give this one a miss. In terms of other types of sensitivity I find that a lot of products can either break me out or flare up my eczema and this does neither so it's 100% a winner for me. 
