October’s Beauty Bag 

My beauty bag this month is rather sad. Full of new products that have been absolutely, well, disappointing. I don’t like to waste too much time on the negatives but I was so disappointed that I wasted my money. I don’t want you to do the same so for that alone it’s worth telling you about them so you can avoid them!

Let’s get the worst out-of-the-way. This lipstick from the Penneys PS range in the shade It’s a date is absolute rubbish. There is no other way to describe it. I knew this colour was going to be a risk but from the colour on the packaging I thought it was going to be a purple berry colour, possibly a softer version of some darker shades out there. I was very very wrong. This colour can only be described as a purple-black which is not good. It feels disgusting on and looks disgusting on. I very rarely throw makeup out but this went straight in the bin.

It can only get better – yes? Well sort of. The next item I bought on the back of my love for another Penneys lipstick, the PS red matte lipstick crayon. You know how much I love the red version so I thought I would try out a different shade, this time a light almost nude pink. For anyone starting out with lipstick or for someone who doesn’t want to spend a lot of money, this is for you. For me, it is not matte enough and has nowhere near the staying power as the red. This one is staying but I don’t have a huge amount of love for it.

Next up is a range I was so excited about seeing in person and what a range it is. h&m beauty has a huge selection of shades and products and at such great prices. The first item I got my hands on is a soft kohl pencil in the shade black-purple. I have a sentimental attachment to kohl pencils. I can’t tell you how many black MAC pencils I went through when I was younger. But unlike my younger days, black kohl pencils are too harsh for me now (they probably were then too) so I usually opt for a brown shade and thought this colour would be a nice addition. Insert another sad face here. This product is not for me. The colour is lovely but the staying power is not great. I find it difficult to get a good colour pay off when applying it and once it’s on it doesn’t stick around long. Unlike the ridiculously bad lipstick, it won’t get thrown in the bin but I wouldn’t be buying another one.

Time to get to the good bits. First is another h&m product, this time an eyeshadow in the shade act your beige. Before I talk about the product itself I know gold seems to be everywhere these day but I think the gold and white package is lovely and sleek. On to the eyeshadow. It was perfect for what I wanted, close enough to my skin tone to look natural but enough shimmer to add a little pick me up. I find neutral shades are harder to test properly but so far so good. Easy to apply, easy to blend and it lasts well (I always use a primer). There is a little fall down when applying it but that shouldn’t put you off. For only €5.99 I will be going back for a darker shade to give it a really good test.

Time to finish with the best product this month. I was thrilled to see this works in transit camera close-up in November’s In Style magazine. I am always drawn to this works products but have never taken the plunge mostly due to the hefty price tag. I was delighted to sample this product and even more delighted with what I found. The product itself claims to be a three-in-one mask, moisturiser and primer and I would agree on two out of the three. I don’t really get a mask feel out of it but I would definitely say it’s a moisturiser and primer. It feels light on the skin but not so light that you think you are rubbing your money away. I did notice my makeup looked, better at the end of the day, not perfect but better than days I hadn’t used it. However, there is a downside but one that may only bother me. I hate lavender. Detest it actually and this smells of it. As much as I detest lavender, I have persisted as I only get the smell for a few seconds when apply it. Just shows you how much I like this product given my strong feelings on lavender! I would definitely purchase this and look at investing in other this works products.

xo