acosmeticaffair

Pink of the Week: Catrice Welcome to RosyWood

This week on my nails I am wearing Catrice #780 Welcome to RosyWood which is a mauve pink colour that looks really polished and clean on the nails.

I applied my trusty Sally Hansen’s Base Coat, two coats of the Catrice polish and another Sally Hansen Top Coat. The colour is opaque and usually stays on for a good week. With the price being around €4 and 10ml of product you cannot really go wrong.

This particular shade is a little thicker than some others I’ve tried but still does not apply streaky.

What is your favourite colour nail polish during this time of year?

Empties #1 – Body, Face, Hair and Nail Products

Here is a look at some of my empty products from the past couple months.

Starting off is the Revlon ColorStay Foundation in 230 True Beige which is a little dark for me at this time of the year but which is a perfect shade during the Summer. I’ve loved this foundation for years now, mostly during warmer months due to its long-lasting properties. I actually have another bottle of this but in a lighter shade which fits me more in the autumn months.

Next is the Maybelline Flared Mascara, this is the non-waterproof version which I also love. I have used more than one tube of this but since I have bought the Waterproof version and at the moment I am using the Maybelline The Rocket Mascara which I find holds a curl really well. Maybelline is my favourite brand for mascaras and I always go back to them. I get mine from feelunique.com.

Another product which I’ve used up multiple containers of, is the Essence Nail Art Express Dry Drops. I’m not very handy with nail art but I find this really helps my nail polish to dry quickly and leaves a nice sheen on the nails. I’ve already repurchased this and plan to get more as soon as that runs out.

Another well-loved product but one which I find is a little overpriced for the amount you get is the Burt’s Bees Radiance Serum. This is an oil serum which you apply during the night and it is made from Royal Jelly which is made from bees. You only get 13ml in this little dropper for around €24 from feelunique.com, which is a little ridiculous but I have used multiple bottles of this.

Next is the Green People Firming Eye Gel which is a great product if like me you get horrendous dark circles and puffy eyes. It works amazingly well under makeup too. Do you have any HG products for puffy eyes? Please do recommend.

I have also finished my John Frieda Frizz Ease Shampoo, which I think I’ve used up a couple of these. However lately I have found that my hair feels a little dry and have switched up to a more moisturizing shampoo.

I also love the Vichy 48hr Anti-Perspirant Roll-On and I’ve gone through multiple bottles of these as I find them really gently for my sensitive skin. I get these from escentual.com.

Lastly I went through my Body Shop mini sized Almond Oil Conditioning Hand Wash which I had got given as part of a gift set.

Any products you’ve tried from this set of empties? Let me know if you like these kind of posts, as I love seeing what people use and what they loved or didn’t.

Going Nude On My Nails This Week

This week I’ve decided to go nude, just on my nails, no worries 🙂

I have chosen the Catrice 04 Apropos Coco which is from their Ultimate Nudes Collection as my nude colour. It does not give a full opaque coverage, but with two coats of this on the nails it gives adequate coverage for a French-Look.

This is the line-up of what I have used on my nails; starting off with a coat of the Essence Studio Nails 24/7 Nail Base, then two coats of the Apropos Coco Nail Polish, finishing off with the Essence Quick Dry Top Coat. I also like to use the Essence Nail Art Express Dry Drops to help the polish dry faster.

I got all of these items from the Health Plus on Campus Store at University, which I go into all the time and get sucked into trying products from their beauty stands. The Essence Products were all around 1 euro and the Catrice about 3 euros, which I think is really affordable!

Check out Essence and Catrice for great products, they have amazing quality at a great price!

Which is your favourite polish for going nude?

The Autumn Tag

This post is long overdue. Christina from Tina’s Beauty Scrapbook had tagged me to do the Autumn Tag weeks ago but I never got round to doing it, until now!

Favourite thing about Autumn?
Cooler weather, comfy clothes and cuddling to watch movies

Favourite drink?
At the moment loving just some Almond Milk from the fridge but as it gets colder I’ll be having some Cadbury Hot Chocolate for sure

Favourite scent/candle?
I love vanilla scent and wear the Body Shop Madagascan Vanilla Body Mist all year long but during this season I love Ginger scented products as well. Last Christmas Season, the Body Shop brought out a limited edition Ginger Sparkle Products and I am loving the Body Butter and the Hand Cream from this collection. As regards to candles I love burning Vanilla or some spicy scent during this time of the year and I cannot wait to try out the Yankee Candle Mandarin Cranberry or the Spiced Orange Candle.

Best Lipstick?
I am not very bold when it comes to lipsticks and prefer sticking with my nude lips at this time of the year instead of the dark bold berry lips. At the moment I am loving the Revlon Colorstay Lipstick in 035 Blush and the Catrice Ultimate Colour Lipstick in 190 The Nuder The Better.

Go-to moisturiser?
Surprisingly for someone who has Combination/Oily Skin I get some dry patches during this season, so I use a more intensive moisturiser during the night and a balancing, more matt one for during the day. I have been loving the Kiko Mat Fluid for during the day, which I have nearly used up unfortunately, and the Burt’s Bees Radiance Serum together with the Oilatum Natural Repair Cream for the night.

Go-to Colour for the Eyes?
I love having a dark brown eyeliner with a taupe colour all-over the lid.

Favourite Music to Listen to?
At the moment loving Avicii and Bastille.

Favourite Outfit to Wear?
Since in Malta it is still relatively warm, I usually wear Jeans and a T-Shirt with an open Cardigan thrown on if it gets slightly chilly, together with my flats of course.

Autumn Treat?
This year I’m loving Ginger Cake and I have yet to get my hands on Ginger-bread men which I love – are you seeing a trend here? 😀

Favourite Place to be?
On the bed, with laptop, my cat, Pepper, (and hubby maybe) watching TV Series, movies and reading beauty blogs.

I tag whoever wants to do this tag and I would love if you would leave your link down below as I love reading these type of posts.

Thanks for reading! Check A Cosmetic Affair on all Social Links!

Mini Brussels Beauty Haul

A couple weeks ago I went on a short trip to Brussels for some meetings and of course I had to squeeze in some shopping and I wanted to share what I got with you. When I go abroad I always try to go to shops and get brands which are not available in Malta and I must say I was lucky to find a couple brands I wouldn’t otherwise be able to get my hands on.

Firstly from Rituals I got two items. The Qi Chinese Mint & Yi Yi Ren Stress Relief Serum and the Lotus Flower & Moringa Extract Creamy Foam Cleanser. This is a luxury brand of cosmetics for home and body. A couple months ago I saw Fleur De Force talking about this brand and the body butters in particular and I decided to give them a go. I have just checked and you can now get this on feelunique.com.

Next I got the L’Occitane Dry Skin Hand Cream. This is just the small 30ml size, perfect to throw in your handbag and to use on the go.

I also got a couple earrings from a brand called I am. I first went into a shop for this brand in Paris so I was really excited to find out there was one in Brussels as well. I got plenty of small gifts for family and friends from here and of course I had to get two pairs for myself as well.

Last but definitely not least I got my hands on the Bourjois Bronzing Primer. This is a cream formula that is matte and has been compared to the infamous Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel by many. It is supposed to be more of a mousse-like texture that can be applied both underneath and over the foundation and is very subtle and build-able I’ll let you know if it lives up to its hype. You can also get it on asos.com now.

Have you tried any of these products? Which would you like to try?

Check out A Cosmetic Affair on Bloglovin’!

Summer Essentials: Waterproof Eyes

If you have oily eyelids then hot weather is your worst enemy! I propose going for Waterproof eyes, making use of long lasting waterproof items, that look great and perform for hours. Here are a few items that I have found last really well and look great.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance
To make sure your eye shadow lasts you have to make sure to lay a good primer base underneath any other make up. I love the infamous Too Faced Shadow Insurance. It is kind of a loose formula and I find it best to shake it well before every use.

Squeeze out a tiny amount and apply a thin layer on each eye lid. Next apply your favorite eye shadow or cream and it is guaranteed to last longer. However, as with all products, do not over apply as this will result in the opposite effect.

I got mine from Ebay.

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Liner and Stick
I have both the kohl liners and the chubby stick like product from Rimmel and I love both types. They are very long lasting and have amazing color payoff.

Use the nude colored one on the water line to brighten eyes and make them look bigger and less tired. Use the taupe one both on water line and all over the lid. Apply thinly on eye lid and blend quickly. Reapply for more intense color. Do not build up too much product or it might crease a little, but I find they usually last all day and look amazing with my dark brown eyes.

Lastly the bronze shade looks amazing on slightly tanned skin, all over the eyelid. Use alone or top up with a powder shadow if you prefer. Either way it lasts all day.

I got mine from feelunique.com.

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Tattle Tale
This shade looks great if you are feeling tired. It makes the eyes and your whole complexion look brighter, cheating everyone into thinking that you are well rested.

Tattle Tale is only slightly shimmery and can be used on its own or topped with a powder shadow. The Benefit Cream Shadows apply really nice and creamy and set into a sleek and dewy finish.

For a more in depth look at more Cream Eye shadows click Here.

You can get them on feelunique.com, they have re-packaged their products or look out for them on Ebay.

Maybelline The Falsies Waterproof Mascara
To complete any look, go for a waterproof mascara that gives you lots of volume. Maybelline The Falsies has been so far my favorite mascara. This mascara has a bristly curved wand that allows you to get all the lashes from the root. Use the curved on the inside side first to lift your lashes then use the other side to finish off the look.

Apply about three coats, depending on how much volume you want. The waterproof version does not budge all day. Remove with some kind of oil based eye make up remover.

I also get this from feelunique.com.

Thanks for reading! Check out A Cosmetic Affair on Bloglovin.

Face Base – What to Apply under your Foundation

The secret to gorgeous makeup is gorgeous skin! But if you don’t have the perfect skin that everyone craves, then here are a few simple steps to help you get a smoother application and longer-lasting makeup.

Clarins Pore Minimizing Serum

My skin is Combination/Oily and I have rather annoying pores round my nose, chin and forehead. This Serum is a miracle worker. It is described as a ‘lightweight serum, with purifying Alpine Willow Herb, instantly tightens, purifies and minimises enlarged pores, promoting a fresh, flawless complexion.’

I apply this right after my Toner and before putting my daily cream on, all over my face and it acts to mattify my skin and reduce the size of my pores. It creates a gorgeous base to layer on my makeup on. I get mine from Escentual.com.

Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner

For a cheaper alternative try the Bioderma Pore Refiner, which Lisa Eldridge has raved about so much. This is also a serum which refines the texture of skin and controls excessive oiliness. I usually apply this round my nose, on my chin and forehead and on the rest of my face I apply my daily moisturiser. For me it also acts to control oiliness on t-zone. I also get this at Escentual.com.

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

Now this one is a cult beauty product, that’s been around for ages and I’ve heard many Bloggers and Beauty You Tubers rave about it. I must say I was a little wary to try this product but I have fallen in love with it.

You can use this product as a primer. This means you apply your daily moisturiser and then apply a thin layer of this on your skin for a glowy (not oily) look and a smoother application. I find that in the Summer, since I use more long-lasting foundation, they can then to look a little too matte and fake. So applying this balm helps the foundation to go on smoother and you actually end up using less.

A warning, use only a small pea size amount or your face will end up looking greasy. Also tap it onto the skin and don’t rub it or else it will flake away. To be honest it took me a while to like this product until I found the correct way to use it.

This product also works great applied straight on the skin when you’re having a no-make up day. Tanned Summer skin looks tighter and brighter. I also get this from Escentual.com.

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer in 002

This is the cheapest of the lot but still works brilliantly. This is the one that has no colour to it unlike the original which I didn’t like at all. I wear it on top of moisturiser, beneath my foundation to balance my skin town and to give more staying power to my foundation.

Use a pea-size amount, all over the face, tap it in gently. Leaves skin prepped for your favourite foundation. I got mine from Ebay.