Revisiting my September Purchases;-

I've said it before and I'll say it again, first impressions mean nothing which is why I find it helpful to take a look at things I bought a few months ago and share my up-to-date thoughts. Back in September I picked up a few new bits from Revolution along with a mascara and of course an eyeshadow palette, you can view my first impressions here. Since we're in 2019 I thought I'd let you know if my thoughts have changed.

Revolution Conceal & Define Concealer in shade C1
First up is the Revolution Conceal and Define, I freaking love this stuff! I've nearly finished up my tube of this and I still think its great. Its high coverage, it does a really good job to cover up and brighten my undereyes. Its not enough coverage to cover blemishes, but I tend to prefer a pot concealer for that anyway. Its really easy to blend and doesn't cake up. I use this every day and its my favourite concealer that I've tried so far, I featured this in my 2018 Favourites post. I'll definitely be buying this again when my bottle runs out!


Revolution Baking Oil
My first ever face oil! Honestly I think this revolutionised my skincare routine. Since I started using a face oil my skin has looked softer and more plump and I rarely suffer from dry patches anymore! I mostly use oils at night because my skin is on the oily side, but I have also used this under matte foundations and it stops it from clinging to any dryness and from looking flat on the skin. I finished this bottle a couple of months ago and I'm using another oil from Revolution's skincare line and if I'm honest it does exactly the same as this, but if you want an oil that works on a budget this is only £6.00 and I recommend giving it a try.

Revolution Renaissance Flick
This is another product that ended up in my 2018 Favourites post. This eyeliner is super black, doesn't smudge or flake away. The nib is really thin so you can make a precise line. I think the curved shape of the pen is makes it really easy to hold, which is what sets this aside from other eyeliners in my opinion. I don't use liquid liner every time I do my makeup, but I've had this open for months now and it hasn't dried out at all!

Barry M Showtime Mascara
This was the second time I'd bought this mascara, but I can't see myself buying it again. I liked this at the time mostly because it's cruelty free and cheap. But since then I've tried much better and in comparison this one is pretty crap. It's black and makes my lashes a little longer and thicker, but not a lot. If you're looking for a good mascara on a budget try the ones from Essence, NYX or Revolution because they're all better than this. I would give this one a miss because its really nothing to write home about.

BH Cosmetics Take Me Back To Brazil 35 Color Pressed Pigment Palette
If you're looking for a rainbow palette, this one is so good. The shades are super bright, there are a lot more mattes than shimmers, but they perform really well and are really pigmented. I will say that you do get a lot of fall out, so its definitely best to do your eyes before your face with this palette.
During the summer I used this a bunch and did loads of really bright looks. I don't tend to use quite as bright colours during the colder months, but I have been reaching for some of the shades to use as transitions. I did a purple smokey eye on New Year's Eve and the lightest purple shade worked really well to blend out the look. I've also used the greens and the yellow will other looks.
There are two duo chrome white shades and a black, but I haven't used them at all so these shades I could live without, but I do love the rest of the shades. I know I'll be reaching for this loads when its warmer and I'd really love to do a 5 Looks 1 Palette post with this in the summer.

Follow me around;

Twitter - @girlaboutvill

Instagram - @girlaboutvillage

Finish 9 By New Year, Finale;-

So we're a little after New Year and I thought it was finally time to share the results of my end of year project pan. I've taken a couple of weeks break from panning to play around with the items in my collection and decide what I want to pan next. I'll be back with a new project very for the new year very soon. With no further ado here's my final progress.

 1 - Vaseline Lip Therapy Aloe Vera (Not Cruelty Free)

Unfortunately I just haven't managed to finish this one. I've made pretty steady progress in each update, but not quite enough to finish it up. I'm going to pop this one into my next project and hopefully finish this up during this year.

2- Smashbox Eyeshadow Primer (Cruelty Free)

My eyeshadow primer is another product that I haven't been able to finish. I think I only have a couple more uses left in this thing. I'm a little annoyed that I couldn't finish it up during my project, but I will be glad when its out of my collection and I can move onto the new primer I've bought.

3 - Revolution Fast Base Stick (Cruelty-Free)

One product I have finished since my last update is my Revolution Fast Base foundation stick. I found this really easy to use up to be honest. I'm not sure if it's because it's a stick or because its so creamy, but its not my favourite foundation and I'm glad to be whittling down my foundation collection to the ones I love most. Unfortunately I don't have a photo to show you as I took the photos for my 2018 Empties post and then threw all of the empty packaging away!

4 & 5 - Collection Contour Kit (Not Cruelty Free) 

What was I even thinking adding this collection duo to my project? There wasn't a chance in hell I was going to finish this. I've actually made decent progress with the highlighter, but that's only because what is left has become incredibly crumbly and chunks are falling out every time I go to use this. I would repress this to see if that helps, but I've never done it before and I'm not really that sad that this is going quickly because I have a few highlighters that are very similar to this. I think with the way this is going I will have finished this up in a few weeks time. I've made a little progress with my bronzer, but not nearly enough to come close to finishing it. I'm going to put this into another project this year and hopefully I'll be able to finish it by the end of 2018, which I think is more realistic.

6 - Stila Eyeliner in Starfish (Cruelty Free) 

Ok, I've made next to no progress on this eyeliner. I've accepted that I just don't like this. I wish I just threw this out rather than trying to force myself to use this. Since New Year's I've been using another eyeliner and I remember what I actually used to like about liner. I've rolled this all the way up and this is all that is left, but I'm not going to use it and this is going in the bin.

7 - Ted Baker Nude Lipstick (Not Cruelty Free) (Done)

8 - Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake (Not Cruelty Free)

Another product I haven't manage to finish is this lip butter, I have made a bit of progress. I mainly just need to flatten the lipstick so its diagonal like the packaging. I have used this quite a bit especially as my lips have been super dry and this lippy is really moisturising. I think Christmas is the main reason I didn't finish this I was wearing a lot of super warm looks and pairing them with a red lip. I do think this is more of a Spring shade, so I'm going to continue trying to finish this over the next couple of months.

9 - Essence Lip Liner in Wish Me A Rose (Cruelty Free)

I'd already given up on finishing this lip liner in my last update, but I only ended up needing to sharpen this once over the last month of my project. I think I bit off more than I could chew even thinking I'd get close to finishing this by the end of the project. I will probably put this in another project and trying to finish this in 2019.

I didn't finish as many things as I was hoping to, but I'm glad I made the effort to try and push a few things out of my collection. I will be thinking a little more about my next project to pick products I'm actually likely to finish.

Are you trying to pan anything at the moment?

<< Click here to see my intro

<< Click here to see my last update

Follow me around;

Twitter - @girlaboutvill

Instagram - @girlaboutvillage

18 Eyeshadows in 2018, FINALE;-

We've entered 2019 which means my yearlong eyeshadow panning project is finally over! I posted my intro for this project back in March of last year and its crazy to me that I'm only just rounding this up. I'd never tried to pan any eyeshadows before and I knew it would be a challenge, but I also knew I needed to get my eyeshadow palette collection under control. I had a habit of buying more than I had room for and more than could ever use and trying to use up these shadows has been a wake up call, because it takes so damn long to even use up one entire eyeshadow.

I said in my intro that every time I hit pan on a shadow I would put 50p in a jar and I'd put £1.00 in when I finished one, I've currently got £13.00 in that jar. I had wanted this to be my entire eyeshadow budget, so I wouldn't spend more than what I have in the jar on palettes... I mean that definitely didn't happen! I love experimenting with eyeshadow so I think I'll always be adding to or changing my eyeshadow collection. But I have only bought three palettes this year, which is so much less than in past years! I also used to have this habit of holding onto every eyeshadow palette I'd ever bought and this year I've been so much better at decluttering palettes. I've got rid of quite a few this year. I've realised through this challenge how long it takes to use up eyeshadow so I only want to keep what I really love. Its also effected what I buy, I definitely put a lot more thought into the palettes I buy, I always consider if I have anything similar and what it will add to my collection. So although I will be buying palettes in the future I want to continue using up what I have, decluttering what I have fallen out of love with and only buying things that bring something different to the table.

As for the money I've saved I've decided I want to put this towards single eyeshadows. I do want to increase the amount of singles I have so I can use this for filling gaps in my collection, rather than picking up a full palette when I really only want a couple of shades. I currently have two magnetic palettes, the NYX one and a Freedom one that currently holds blushes, I want to make room in these palettes before I bring on any singles so I'll have to continue to work through the shades I have. I also want to continue to save money when I finish up shadows so I can keep adding to my fund for single shadows.

I've decided to include my photos from last March so I can show how far I actually came in a year. I know I didn't meet my goals with all of the shades, but I think I accomplished a lot, here is my final update and finale.

Smashbox Mini Trio - all shades left (DONE)  

This little palette was surprisingly such a challenge. Last March I'd hit pan on both shades and I wanted to use them up. Both of these shadows were such a hard job to finish, but I did it! I actually had one more use of the dark brown shade after last month's update. I took a photo of this empty for my All The Makeup I've Used Up This Year post, but then I threw away the packaging before I took a picture for this post. Although its small I'm glad to have finished a whole palette!

Mac Quad - Shades 1(done), 2 & 3 

My aim for this palette was to finish the first shade and hit pan on the second and third and I did that! When I decided to put this palette in my project it was because I wasn't showing it a lot of love and I wanted to give it one last whirl before throwing what was left away, but I actually ended up really liking the shades. The taupe is tricky to work with, but pair it with a pink or purple in the crease and it makes a beautiful look. The pink shade is one of my favourite highlights for both the eyes and face, its super light and sheeny without chunky glitter.

I wanted to use the two shades a little more throughout December so I could come to a decision about what I would do with this palette once my project was over. You may notice a little change in this palette because I made up my mind. I decided I had similar enough shades to the taupe that I could live without it, but not without the pink shade, so I depotted it and replaced it with the light pink from my Freedom singles. I didn't love this pink as its not as pigmented as the Mac shadow and has a lot of glitter. The Mac shade isn't magnetic but it fits in my NYX palette that holds my singles, but it does rattle around a little. I'm going to be parting ways with the shades in this palette now.

Freedom single shadows - all shades 

My Freedom singles looked pretty much new in March of last year and I just wanted to hit pan on all of the shades. Out of the nine that were originally in the palette, I only managed to hit pan on three, which is honestly pretty crap. I wanted to include this palette because the shadows were getting lost in my collection so I feel like I did show them a lot more love. I also thought it would add variation to the looks I was able to create if I didn't just include neutral shades, but it was difficult to make looks that I felt comfortable wearing to work. I noticed with these shadows that it took around two months of wearing a shade most weekdays to hit pan, which is why the colours I didn't wear to work (the steel and purple shades) barely look used. I like to use my weekends to experiment with other palettes in my collection so that they didn't just collect dust while I did this challenge. I definitely think if I was to do a project like this again I would probably stick to more neutral shades, and mix them with colourful shades from other palettes.
I am happy that I managed to show this more love, it meant that I know which shades I like and which I don't, which is why I've got rid of the light pink shade. I tried in the last month to hit pan on the second red shade, but I didn't quite manage to. I'm thinking I may declutter this as both of the reds are pretty similar and I don't need two. I want to continue to use this palette, as I said I want to pick up some new singles and I want to make room in this palette to fit them in!

Sleek iDivine Eyeshadow Palette in Au Natural - Shades 1,3, 5 & 6

You may remember I initially included this Sleek palette but it only lasted from March to July. This was one of the first eyeshadow palettes I picked up when I started to get into makeup and I knew it was getting pretty old. I noticed when I was using the mattes that they either weren't performing the way they used to or I've discovered formulas that I like a lot more than this one. I then decided it was definitely for the best if I threw this away. I'm really glad I put this in the project though. I used to be a bit of a hoarder when it came to palettes and I never binned them. After putting this in the project it kind of turned on a switch in my head and I started a chain of decluttering. I thought keeping them all meant I'd have lots of variation in my collection, but the thing is a lot of my palettes were similar and there were a lot of dupes. Because of that there were a lot them that I wasn't using and were probably going bad just like this one, so I began throwing them out. In future I'll definitely be thinking a lot more carefully about whether a palette offers anything new before I pick it up and I also want to continue to declutter palettes I'm not using.

Revolution Iconic 2  Palette - Shades 1-5 

So back in September I replaced my Sleek palette with this Revolution palette, which I had a little more luck with. I put this palette in because its another one of my oldest palettes that I wasn't reaching for that often (at this point I can't even remember which of my palettes I was reaching for).  I just wanted to show it a little more love, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make noticeable progress.
 In three months I managed to completely finish up the cream shade which I'm really happy about. I also hit pan on the brown shade which is great. I also had really good fun playing with the other three shades. I have this tendency to reach for and buy really big palettes, but this showed me that I can make a lot of looks with my smaller palettes. I've rekindled some love for this palette and even though its very neutral I'm actually excited to keep wearing it.

All in all I only actually met my goal on 10 out of the 18 shadows, but I feel like I learned a lot more along the way. I've decided for the next year I won't be doing another palette panning challenge, I want to experiment with my other palettes and I don't want to restrict my use at the moment. For 2019 I'll be doing a year-long project pan and I think I'll include a couple of eyeshadows. I'm also going to be using one of my palettes a month and do more 5 Looks 1 Palette post like this one.

Do you have any panning projects for 2019?

<< Click here to read my introduction

< Click here to read my last update

Follow me around;

Twitter - @girlaboutvill

Instagram - @girlaboutvillage

My 2018 Favourites (All Cruelty Free);-

This post is definitely a little late but this year has definitely not been one of many Favourite's posts, I did a lot of panning and trying to finish up products but my most used is not actually a reflection of the ones I've loved most, so I really wanted to gather up everything I've loved most this year to share with you.
I wasn't sure whether to just include just things I bought this year, but in all honestly I don't think I've bought enough to share favourites in the majority of categories and there are also some things I've been loving and using that are not cruelty free. I don't want to use my blog to promote those items and brands that test on animals so I've left these out and hopefully by the end of next year I'll have some cruelty free alternatives to share with you.

Face
Primer - Bodyshop Instablur All In One Primer
My favourite primer for this year and probably the last four or five years is this one from the Bodyshop. Its a silicone primer that files pores, mattifies and prolongs the wear of my makeup. This does pretty much everything I need from a primer. I'm currently testing out a Barry M Primer stick and I really don't like it as much as this one!

Foundation - Revolution Conceal & Define Foundation
I keep meaning to review this foundation in full, but I still haven't gotten around to it. I didn't pick up this Revolution foundation until later in the year, but I still love it more than any of the others in my collection. This has buildable coverage, but isn't thick on the skin. It has a demi-matte finish making it look really natural on the skin  and its really long lasting. Add in the fact that there is a pretty extensive shade selection and its under £10.00 makes this is my favourite foundation that I've tried so far. If you haven't tried this and you're on the hunt for a new foundation I would definitely recommend giving this one a try.

Concealer - Revoltuion Conceal  Define Concealer
The matching concealer to my favourite foundation is also my favourite. This is a little thicker than most liquid concealers, but this packs a punch when it comes to coverage. There's a reason everybody has raved about this all year. It doesn't feel heavy on under the eyes and its easy to blend and does a great job to brighten the undereye area and conceal blemishes.

Powder - Bake & Finish Powder
Another Revolution hit is this loose powder. This mattifies the skin without looking in any way cakey because the powder is really finely milled. The pot is also huge so I'm glad I love it as its going to take me ages to refill it. I even prefer this over my Charlotte Tilbury Powder. My only gripe is that I wish the cap was larger to make it easier to dip my brush or sponge into!

Highlighter - MUA Undress Your Skin Hihglighter Powder
An oldy but a goody that I rediscovered in my collection this year is this MUA highlight. I've had this for flipping ages, but I fell in love with a pinky highlight this year so this is perfect. It has a beautiful pink sheen and is perfect for pale skin. It can really be built up for a really reflective look. If you still have this in your collection I would definitely recommend that you dig it out and start using it again.

Setting Spray - I <3 Revolution Fixing Spray Green Tea Scent
I've never really had a favourite fixing spray because I think most of them do the same, but I usually use the Revolution ones as they're really good for only £5.00. This one is in the scent green tea, but it just smells really fresh. The sprayer on this one is better than any other and gives a really even layer of product. Of course, it also helps to keep my makeup on for longer so I'll definitely be picking this one up over any other when I finish this bottle.

I actually don't have a favourite bronzer, blush or highlight for the year as a lot of these products in my collection that I reach for often aren't cruelty free. I've picked up a couple of cruelty free highlighters lately, but I haven't played with them enough to add them to my yearly favourites. Hopefully I'll be able to test out some cruelty free alternatives in 2019.

Eyes
Eyeshadow Primer - Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer
Another product that has been a long-standing favourite is my Smashbox eyeshadow primer. This stuff is a peachy colour so it helps to conceal veins on my lids. This keeps my eyeshadow on literally until I actually remove it. I've tested this at work, on night's out, at festivals and it is life-proof. My only issues with this is that it sometimes goes a little funny where my primer meets my foundation and its kinda pricey. I'm hoping to test a couple of other primers out this year, but at the moment my heart belongs to Smashbox.

Mascara - Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect
My favourite mascara of the year has to be the Essence Lash Princess. This stuff is fantastic, its super black lengthening and volumizing and so, so cheap! If you're passing your local Wilko don't overlook this because its so good.
An honourable mascara mention is the Revolution Mascara, also a really good affordable mascara, its a little more volumizing than the Essence one, but less lengthening. If you prefer long seperated lashes choose the Essence, but if you want thicker lashes the Revolution one is for you.

Eyeliner - Revolution Renaissance Flick
I don't actually wear eyeliner every day, but this one has been a stand out for me this year. I freaking love this stuff, the tip is super thin so you can create a precise line, its really black never flakes or smudges. The thing I love most about this is the shape, because its rounded it fits really nicely in my hand making my hand as steady as possible. I'm not saying it means I never fuck up my eyeliner, but it definitely helps.

Eyeshadow Palette - Revolution Iconic Division
Picking my favourite eyeshadow palette of the year was really tricky! I tend to buy a palette, be obsessed with it for a couple months and then move on to another. I've also been working on using up some eyeshadows in my 18 Eyeshadows in 2018 project, but I picked eyeshadows that I wasn't showing a lot of love to and I don't know if I'd have used them half as much if they weren't in my project.
One palette I bought this year is the Iconic Division, I bought this in Spring and absolutely loved it, then I actually went back to it in Autumn because the colour story is perfect for it. Not only did I go back to this palette but a lot of the shadows have now become staples. The orange is this palette is my absolute favourite, I have an entire orange palette but I'm debating decluttering it because this is the orange I reach for most. I also love the warm brown in this palette and I've used it so many times! I think the colour story is equally colourful and neutral and suitable for everyday. I will say that the shimmery shades are not my favourite and the mattes do require some building up, but overall I love this palette and its a staple in my collection.

Lips
Lipstick - Revolution x Soph Lipstick in Cake
My favourite lipstick this year is this Revolution and SophDoesNails Collab. This is the perfect browny-nude shade that is amazing for offsetting a colourful eye look. This a satin formula that moisturises the lips without being glossy, my favourite formula. Good choice Soph!

Liquid Lipstick - NYX Liquid Suede in Soft Spoken
My favourite liquid lipstick has to the NYX Liquid Suede. These are of course matte, but not at all drying on the lips. It lasts a really long time on the lips, so I also sometimes use this as a base for a glossy nude to prolong the wear. Soft Spoken is a warm, true brown, its again a shade that is subtle enough to offset a colourful eye, but also eye-catching.

Lip Liner - Essence Lip Liner in Soft Berry
My favourite lip liner of this year is my Essence lip liners, these are cheap and cruelty free. They apply really smooth with a matte finish to prolong the wear of your lip colour. I have these in a bunch of colours and I love them all. I think my favourite shade is the nude, but I've currently used it up and don't have it in my collection. My second favourite is this one in Soft Berry, which is a dark berry colour. It goes perfect with Autumnal berry shades and I also love using it underneath lighter lipsticks to darken up the colour.

Revolution Skin Target Under Eye Serum
I don't talk to much about skincare, but I have used a few stand-out products this year that I wanted to share. The first is from Revolution's skincare line, the under eye serum. This stuff feels like water so sinks into the skin really quickly without any residue. It works to moisturise the under eye area and actually works to brighten the undereye area and reduce puffiness. This is the first under eye treatment I've used that I actually notice the effects of.

Superdrug Naturally Radiant 2 in 1 Moisturiser and Serum
My favourite moisturiser of the year has to be this one from Superdrug because I've been through two bottles of this. I actually don't think this works wonders or will change and improve your skin in crazy ways, but I think this is great for everyday use and is great under makeup. I've definitely tried more pricey moisturisers that do exactly the same. I did a whole review of Superdrug skincare and you can read it here.

A skincare honourable mention has to go out to the Revolution Baking Oil. I had never tried any face oils before this year and it has massively changed my skin. I have combination skin, it gets oily but I can also suffer from dry patches. I mostly use a facial oil at night so that it doesn't make my makeup look oily throughout the day. Since starting to use one I have had literally no problems with dry skin at all and the texture of my skin just seems better than ever. I have used this a few times under more matte foundations and it completely stops it from clinging to any dry patches, but I do need to powder more around my T-zone. I've used the bottle I had of Revolution Baking Oil and I've moved onto another one from Revolution's skincare line, which I think pretty much does the same. A facial of some kind have definitely become a huge staple in my skincare routine.

I hope you had a great 2018 and I wish you an even better 2019!

Follow me around;

Twitter - @girlaboutvill

Instagram - @girlaboutvillage