So, this month Superdrug challenged us to ‘Get the look’ for under £10. Armed with supplies totalling £7.77 we got to work.

First up is Hot Looks fast dry nail polish in Lemon Soda at just £1.79

This is definitely a polish that needs two coats to cover up the streakiness but at just £1.79 it is still a bargain and a high fashion colour trend for 2012

Then we used Mua Pro Velvet Smooth Matte Foundation, £2

I found this foundation hard to apply and blend as it dragged the skin quite a lot.  I would recommend using a damp cosmetic sponge to make it easier. It definitely wouldn’t be suitable for more mature delicate skin but it did cover up quite well and the colour worked well with pale skin.

Using 2 True Eye shadow dazzle no.13 I swept the colour over the eyelids and up to the brow

I then also used the shimmery shadow in the corners of the eyes and as a liner for the lower lid. Superdrug sell the 2 True Eye shadow dazzles for just £1.99 and there are 15 bright shades to choose from.

Finally to complete the look we were given NYC false eyelashes, £1.99

Unfortunately my daughter and I, no matter how hard we tried, could not get these on properly. We did have a giggle though everytime the lashes ended up on her cheeks like little caterpillars. So, the lashes were not used which took the final total to just £5.79! Pretty amazing.

Being the lovely company they are they didn’t leave me bereft but sent me a bunch of make up to help me along.

The first goodie in my envelope was the MUA Matte Foundation in Shade 2 Honeycomb which went perfectly with my skin tone and ladies you may need to sit down when I tell you the price…£2!

The foundation went on well, gave very good coverage and a little of it went a long way. I always advise girls to stick to their tried and tested foundation as it is the one piece of make up I don’t like to mess with; one mistake and we get break out central. However the super duper cheap price and the good results from MUA means it’s worth giving it a try and finding out whether or not the foundation is for you.

Then for the eyes, I used a blue eye shadow from a pre existing palette I own. It’s nothing special and to be honest any other base colour would have done just as well. The thing that really set it apart was the 2 True Eyeshadow Dazzlers (£1.99) which I applied liberally to give me a sparkle-tastic effect on the lids.

I then popped on some NYC natural eyelashes (£1.99). I don’t like wearing the whole shebang when it comes to lashes and just cut a little portion of the lash and apply to the outer part of my eyelid. I find this gives a much more natural final look.

And then finally I applied the Collection 2000 Hot Looks Polish in Lemon Soda (£1.79) for a brilliant yellow nail look. The polish was rather hard to apply, a little bit streaky but after some patience and three or four coats later I was rewarded with a fab pop of colour.

And finally I finished off the lips with a bit of vaseline and a maroon lip liner I had in my bag; again any lip liner/ stick or gloss would have done.

And so there you have it, my high fashion look for the grand total of £7.77!

They have challenged us to use products adding up to under £10 to give our interpretation of this photo…

So much more colour than I would usually wear, but that is what I want to be better at in 2012, experimenting more with looks, trying out new things and discovering new favourite products. And what better way to experiment with products as affordable as these! For my look I have chosen to use three 2true products which are a very pocket friendly 3 products for £5, a Collection 2000 Hot look nail polish and a bargain-tastic MUA eye shadow and foundation.

The Collection 2000 nail polish in shade 45 Lemon Soda is not something I would ever normally wear, but I am so glad I tried it out! The formulation was superb, it was opaque for me in two coats, I loved the brush on it for even application and it dried incredibly quickly. As for the colour, I Loved it! It really brightens up my nails and puts a smile on my face in the dreary winter. I can’t wait to try out more of the bright colours in the range, For £1.79 it won’t break the bank!

The 2True 3 for a fiver range is great value, I have used lots of their products now,and am always impressed with how well they perform. When thinking of putting a look together for under £10, this is the perfect range to do it with. I chose to use the Eye Dazzle in shade 13 which had great pigmentation, a real shimmery lilac shade that made my eyes looked instantly brighter and fresh. I used the 2True Effortless eyeliner in Black to help enhance the winged look, the nib on the applicator helps create a really smooth line that lasts. The last 2True product I chose was the cheek and lip tint in shade 2 Blush Pink I used this to add a subtle, healthy glow to the cheeks and also to add a hint of natural colour to the lips. I have used this cheek tint for years and find it outperforms some far more expensive competitors, I just use my finger to apply and blend and it lasts all day.

Make Up Academy (MUA)  is another range I now use regularly, with  amazing products for only £1 it is not to be missed. I chose one of my favourite eye shadows from the range (no 9) to recreate the big winged look from the picture. Pulling my eye taught, I used a damp thin eyeliner brush to created the shape and then filled in the colour from there. I love this shade as it shines different colours in the light with puirple and bluish tones to it is really eye-catching. The newest MUA product to come in to my life is the Professional Matte Foundation in shade 2 Honeycomb which is what I used to create my base, for only £2 I was apprehensive to how this would perform but I was pleasantly surprised. It is rare to get any foundation for that price, never mind a nice velvety matte one that gives such a smooth looking base! I found I did need to move fast with it to blend it out as it has a very creamy texture, but it was worth it for the finished result. I love how it looked and it lasted all day.

So here it is all together- TA DA!

There are so many affordable products in Superdrug right now, that there was lots of choice for making up my £10, other things you could use to recreate this fab look is an amazing set of falsies like these NYC ones, costing only £1.99 these are wonderful value, show stopping volume and glamour, in a range of styles. I am USELESS at applying false lashes normally but these one are self adhesive which makes them so easy to apply. The other thing I almost used was one of these gorgeous BeautyUK glitter eyeliners, that paired with the falsies could make this a really gorgeous night-time eye, the glitter goes on easily, really pops and doesn’t flake, well worth the £1.50 you can pick up some of the shades for right now.

I hope there has been some inspiration in there for everyone, you could go for any colours/combinations you want- and because you can get your new year new look in store now for under £10, there is no excuse

Bx

Sarah-Jane Adams

If you’re looking for a whole new you with a new face of make up, then this is for you. You can get a fierce face of make-up for under £10! Everything considered.
Superdrug sent me the basics and challenged me to recreate this look…

The very first step was the nails. I used Collection 2000 Hot Looks, in number 45, Lemon Soda. Yellow nail polish is notoriously hard to apply. It’s generally quite chalky and no matter how many coats, will still have streaks. This took me three coats (which is one more than I usually go for!), but I love the finish. Not a streak in sight!

I started my face with the MUA Matte Foundation, needless to say a full review will be coming soon. But, you don’t even need concealer with this, which I never thought I’d be saying, but the coverage is that good! I just used my fingers to melt it into the skin.

Next up was the main feature, the eyes. The 2True products are great for make up on a budget as all the products are £2, with three for £5 year round.
I dabbed on the Eyeshadow Dazzler all over the lid and used sticky tape lined up with the edge of the eye for a defined wing. This colour really needs building up to get to the pigmentation in the pot, although it is a lot more vibrant in real life than on camera.
To deepen the edge of the wing I added the black from another 2True duo – featured here – along the edge and blended it out with a pencil brush. I recreated the look a second time and used the purple from the original Sleek palette (54p a shadow!) as well, which I think worked a lot better.

The last touch for the eyes was the falsies. I’ve become so obsessed with false lashes recently I was so glad to receive a couple of the NYC ones. I used the number 973 ones, with my own Eyelure glue, as it wasn’t included. I would never say I was a pro at putting on falsies, but I eventually get them down. No matter how hard I tried the inner corner of these just wouldn’t stay put! I usually go for something a bit thinner, so maybe it was the thickness that my eyes weren’t used to!

Last but not least I glossed my lips with the 2True Plumptuous Lip Gloss and ta da!

My look for less!

MUA Matte Foundation £2

2True Eyeshadow Dazzler £1.99

NYC Eyelashes £1.99

Sleek purple 54p (£6.49)

Collection 2000 Hot Looks Nail Polish £1.79

2True Plumptuous Lip Gloss £1.99

Total = £8.32!

And I can tell you right now they lived up to the promise.

The lashes I got came in a range of varying degrees of funkiness; the club queen lashes (£2.99) were made fit for a drag queen, the diamond diva lashes (£2.99)  guaranteed extra sparkle and the NY blues lashes (£2.99) combined length and drama although remaining rather more subtle compared to the former two.

As a general rule I like my false lashes to look very demure however during the Christmas party season it is great to go all out and when wearing these babies I knew I stood out from the crowd.

The lashes go on easily, the glue attaches them securely and there is no fear of them falling off half way through the night. They are good quality and I definitely recommend them; in fact in the new year I’ll probably stock up on the more natural looking ones which at £1.99 a pop are a real bargain!

Now onto the lip stains (£3.99) which were fab! Having tried lip stains before I was really a bit dubious about the need for them. However having tried these I’ve changed my mind; not only are they fun to use but they give a great colour.

Opening it up you discover a felt tip point so all you have to do is colour in your lips. The stain feels rather watery and takes a bit of getting used to after years of using thick sticky glosses. The product settles into the lips and gives a colour which seems almost part of your lip. I liked the effect so much that I have used the stain to replace my blush on more than one occasion as it gives the cheeks a very nice, natural looking flush. Another plus point is how long lasting it is, they promise 16 hours and you get pretty much that unless you decide to indulge in ice cream or a bout of vigorous kissing

As you can probably tell, I’m a fan and totally understand the buzz about NYC; quality products and reasonable prices….happy days!

The products are all available from the Superdrug website and are all very reasonably priced so very appropriate for this budget conscious time we live in.

The first thing I tried was the picture perfect foundation with SPF 20. The coverage was brilliant and gave a smooth finish. It comes in 35 ml and lasts until the end of the night. The only downside is that a lot of it tends to spill out when you try to tip some onto your hand. If there was a pump or even a smaller nozzle that would have been much better as it would cut down on product wastage.

Now I’ll move onto my volumizing mascara (£5.00) which comes in a leopard print case and is a treat for the eyes. The mascara is an all around good day time mascara and in my opinion it works more as a lengthening mascara. It makes a noticeable yet subtle difference which gives a really nice natural look to the lashes.

The icon eye shadow which I received in the colour silver dove (£4.00) was one of my favourites as the shadow is incredibly pigmented and gives off a really pretty sheen. The shadows are definitely one of the stand outs of the whole range.

The lip gloss (£4.00) too is also very pretty. I tried out the starlet shade and it is a sweet pink which gives a good colour. One of my pet peeves with lip glosses are that I find most don’t give the lips any amount of decent colour but not so in this case. The glosses also smell lovely, like candy, which is a nice bonus.

Now for something which was slightly disappointing is the green eye liner pencil (£3.00). Although it is as pretty as the other products the colour is just not intense enough and to get the shade I wanted, I needed to press hard. I’m Asian so perhaps the product would be better suited to a lighter skin tone but for me the colour did not show up as dark and as vibrant as I would generally like.

And finally, drum roll please, we come to my absolute favourite and that is the Bronzing block in Shade 1 (£7.00). This gem of a box contains a pink blush and a brown bronzer which you are supposed to mix with the brush and use to contour and add colour to your face and it does a sterling job. I cannot praise this highly enough and I would recommend that if you want to try any of the Accessorize products out you definitely give this one a go.

All in all this is one pleased Superdrug Insider!

Yes folks it’s just about that time of year again when we all need to start thinking about gifts for our loved ones as Christmas isn’t that far away. I am determined to be organised this year and not leave everything to the last minute. Don’t tell anyone but there may have been a few little purchases already! Anyway, Superdrug sent me a box of tricks from Studio London full of eyeshadows, blusher, mascara and lipgloss. This stylish box opens up to reveal it’s wonderful contents. The Pretty Natural gift set, is I have to say pretty natural! At first I thought the eyeshadows were a little pale but actually I am really pleased with the effect.

With added step by step instructions and tips you really can’t go wrong with the application. The colours are very natural, great for a lovely daytime look and with the double ended applicator also in the box you have no excuse to not achieve the perfect look. I was quite impressed and would be more than happy to receive this as a gift in my stocking. I think this makes an ideal present for those awkward teens and I am sure they would be thrilled to find this in their stocking on Christmas morning! At £6.99 you can’t really go wrong can you.

]]> http://blog.superdrug.com/get-natural-with-studio-london/feed/ 0 http://blog.superdrug.com/dare-to-get-the-diana-vickers-look/ http://blog.superdrug.com/dare-to-get-the-diana-vickers-look/#comments Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:12:49 +0000 sarahjaneadams http://blog.superdrug.com/?p=13547 She’s the new face of  the brand which got us all through our teens, Collection 2000, and to celebrate she’s adorning the cover of the new issue of DARE, so who better to look to for a makeup masterclass than X Factor prodigy Diana Vickers!  Take a look at my ideas for replicating her look below, and don’t forget to pick up your free copy of the mag in Superdrug stores.  Free.  Squeal!www.sarahjaneadams.com

Inside I found beautiful Maxfactor products and instructions on how to create a ‘colour bloom’ look.

Colour blocking is EVERYWHERE! It’s in all the high street shops and spans clothes, make-up and interior design. I love it and although it makes for a great summer look, I really think it could be fantastic for Autumn and Winter.

I started the look using Maxfactor’s Smoky Eye Effect in Blue Tempest (£5.99).

I used the lighter end to sweep across my eyelid and up towards my brow. I then used the darker, more pointed end around my eyes and in the outer corners. I’m not great at putting on blue eyeshadow and with my very blond hair (and being in my early 30′s with 3 children) I did want to tone down this look and create something for my age group which was useable.

It wasn’t hard to use at all and I have to say that I really loved this product. I found it easy to put on and blend and if like me, you’re not a natural with eye make-up, then this is the one for you. It’s great and the colours are beautiful. Also the colour builds up so there’s room for teensy mistakes (not that I made any of course!!)

Next up was the Maxfactor Liquid Effect Eyeliner in Black Fire to make my eyes ‘pop!’ I also found this product easy to use and it glided on really well. It’s in between a kohl and a liquid liner and looks brilliant.

I then finished off with the Maxfactor False Effect Fusion (£11.99) which aims to give up to 2x volume.

I really like this mascara and found it really lengthened my lashes. The wand is very fat and which is great for the top eyelashes but you do have to be careful on the bottom.

I’m a huge fan of blusher and use it everyday so I was happy to receive more.

Maxfactor’s Miracle Touch Creamy Blush is Soft Pink (£6.99) wasn’t as subtle as my normal blusher but blended nicely and gave a creamy look. It wouldn’t get dry and gave my cheeks a nice glow.

Finally to really make this look go with a ‘pop’ I used Maxfactor’s Colour Effect Mini Nail Polish in Bright Orange. (£3.99)
I have to admit that when I first saw this I thought there was no way I would wear it out. I put it on to create the look and it did grow on me….and grow….and grow and now I’m on my second go with it and wore it out to dinner last night (along with all the Maxfactor products). Despite the name, it’s a tough little varnish and doesn’t chip easily and it;s so portable that you could take it with you in your handbag for last minute repairs!

So Maxfactor Colour Bloom…I salute you, take my hat off to you and give you a whole hearted round of applause because this range looks good on, is well priced and anyone can create a dramatic look. My favourite point is that you can achieve this look quickly which is a must when you’re a Mum.

Thank you Superdrug and Maxfactor. Here’s some picture…let me know what you think!

Lots of Love,

Helen x x x x