Being Becca

Saturday, 28 June 2014

Rimmel BB Cream vs Rimmel BB Cream Matte

For my trip to America I really wanted a good BB cream, as I didn't want to be applying proper foundation everyday but I didn't want to be completely barefaced either!

The Rimmel BB creams looked interesting so I wanted to try them. In Superdrug I had a real dilemma of whether to go for the original version or the newer, matte version. I went for the original version in the end simply because it had a higher SPF (25, matte has 15). I picked the shade light as my face doesn't usually tan much abroad!

However when testing this product I quickly realised that it made me super shiny, which I hate! Dewy does not suit me. I then found a sample of the matte version in a magazine I bought, and upon trying realised it suited my skin much better and did not leave me looking nearly as shiny! So I went back and bought the matte one too..

The products' claim:

"I don’t wear foundation, but I want a flawless complexion with a healthy glow!

Better than a moisturizer, better than a foundation. It’s a skin-perfecting super makeup, developed specifically for women who won’t wear foundation. Creates the perfect 9-part regimen in one easy step: Primes, Moisturises, Minimises Pores, Conceals, Covers, Smoothes, Mattifies, Brightens and helps Protect."

In terms of application both products go on lovely. They are both very lightweight and make your skin feel soft, like a moisturiser. However I would not say the products do a good job of minimising pores or concealing. The product is not heavy enough to be a good concealer, and I don't think that's really what you want in a BB cream. A 9-part regimen in one step is really a lot to aim for and impossible in my opinion. The original BB cream does not mattify either, however the matte version does of course do a better job of this. In terms of longevity however I was impressed by how well the products lasted.

I would recommend the matte BB cream over the original, however this is all down to personal preference! Both are reasonably prices and you can buy them both online at Boots here.

NB: This post was scheduled before I went to America. I will currently be sunning it up and won't be back until mid September, so I apologise for any late replies to comments etc! I will get back to you when I can! x

Benefit Brow Zings Review

I've been wanting to try this Benefit's Brow Zings for a while, and the other day I wandered into Debenhams and they had 10% off all cosmetics, it was meant to be! Try not to judge the product too much by these pictures, this was the first time I had applied it and I'm much better at it now after a few attempts! I should have included a before photo too, as my eyebrows are appalling before they have been filled and this makes them look so much better.

The product comes with two brushes which are actually really good! I usually use my MAC 208 angled brush however these seem to do a good job! My only criticism is that they are a bit too soft. In terms of how the product works, you simply dip the brush into the wax half of the kit and then run it over the shadow part, this makes the product much darker than it looks in the pot (I thought it would be too light for me!) and the wax allows the product to stick well and tames your brows. I must say I think this product may have outshone my beloved Urban Decay Brow Box! However this look is much more high definition, I would probably still reach for my Brow Box when I wanted a more natural look. Or maybe I'm just overly brow conscious?!

The product comes in a really cute little box that is easily fits in your makeup bag, the mini instructions are very handy too!

I would definitely recommend this product, although practice definitely makes perfect here and don't go too overboard with it! Gently building up the product is key. If anyone would like a brow tutorial, let me know!

Benefit Brow Zings is available here at Debenhams.

Have any of you guys tried this product? What do you think?

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation Review

I have heard a lot of positive reviews about this foundation. Everyone claims it does what the bottle says and wakes up your skin, leaving a lovely, dewy finish. However I have to say me and this product do not get on. I must mention I have oily skin already, and I generally do not go for dewy products as this makes my skin much worse! But I wanted to try one again just to see if it was worth the hype...

As for the feel of the foundation and how it goes on, I can't fault that. It feels lovely and light and does not dry my skin out at all. It blends in flawlessly and provides a medium coverage. All seems to be well at first. I set the foundation with my MAC blot powder (which prevents any oily breakouts with my skin).

The picture above was taken when I had just applied my makeup. However, after 40 minutes I look completely different and I need to reapply powder. My face has become nearly reflective it's so shiny! God knows what it would look like without the powder?! Also this foundation will not withstand any contact with water, when I got rained on my face was so streaked, which does not happen with my trusty Revlon Colorstay (which also leaves my face nice and matte all day).

I think my main issue is with this foundation that my skin constantly looks dewy, and this product just takes that to the extreme and makes me look like an oily mess! At the moment I'm just using this product when I'm not doing much during the day and my makeup doesn't need to last long. If you want a long lasting foundation, I wouldn't reccomend this, it is not a great base for my blusher either, which doesn't tend to last long with this product. However if your skin is dry and doesn't tend to get oily, you may get on with this product much better than I have, and I would definitely give it a try as it does feel lovely on the skin.

Shade wise, I purchased 103 which is True Ivory, which is meant to be a pale shade however I still think it's a little dark and orangey for my skin. It is definitely an affordable foundation, priced at £8.99 in Boots.

Have you tried this foundation? Anyone else have the same problem as me?!

NB: This post was scheduled before I went to America. I will currently be sunning it up and won't be back until mid September, so I apologise for any late replies to comments etc! I will get back to you when I can! x

Elliot Rose Apothecary, Bakewell

So yesterday my mum and I went on our annual trip to Bakewell, and whilst there we stumbled across what I believe is my heaven! It's a little apothecary located in Portland Square. It's sort of like Lush, only cheaper and the smell was a lot more subtle! Inside was a mix of lovely things... Handmade soaps, shower gels, bath bombs, so many candles, little accessories and so many types of tea!! (Oh and thank you Mr Painter for ruining my shot!)

I love this sign! "Potions and possibilities" felt like I was in a shop in Diagon Alley! (Sorry for the poor quality phone photos, I didn't take my camera!)

Lots of lovely soaps, they look amazing and smell even better!

Sooo many candles!! I honestly was like a child in a sweet shop, I made it my mission to smell every single one.

These are so cute! The top rows are little sachets that you use in your bath, and they claim to have magical powers! They are such a good gift idea and they were so cheap too!

The most exciting part of the shop for me by far. The tea. Not only was there the widest range of herbal tea I've ever seen, but you could mix and match different types to create your own box! Which I did of course! So I picked 20 different ones which only cost £2.99. I cannot wait to try them all! They are by a brand called Pukka if anyone wants to research them.

Only part of their massive range of bath bombs, most of them look nice enough to eat!

The bath sachets I bought! I actually have a massive fear of spiders, going to try and convince myself that this will work! Great idea for gifts though.

All my teas! I get so excited about tea, I can't wait to go back and repurchase my favourites!

I went for the Mulled Pear and Spices candle, I started burning it today and it smells so good! I prefer the more spicy to sweet scents, you can keep them burning for longer without the smell getting overwhelming. Elliot Rose is their own brand too, I'm impressed.

For lunch we went to Lavender Tea Rooms, they have great ratings on trip advisor. I wish I had taken pictures of the decor because it was so quirky and unique! The only downside was they were playing love ballads the entire time we were there! Not in the mood for them right now! As you can see I had the smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel, so so yummy.

Hello duckies!

Hope you enjoyed my little Bakewell post! You can visit Elliot Rose online here where some of there products are available to order. I will definitely be making a trip there again soon!

Have any of you ever visited Bakewell? If so what is your favourite place there?

Where Have I Been?! Update and Personal Post!

I found this picture on the bottom of a Pukka tea box, how cute! And sums up my life at the moment I think.

So over May I literally didn't post a thing (oops!) very bad Becca!! However I decided to put my blog on the back burner for the month, as I was in my final month of uni so had a lot of deadlines and I was also working 30+ hours a week desperately trying to scrape money together for my trip, so life was hectic! I also had to juggle this with having my final uni nights out, packing up my flat, moving back to Nottingham and then sorting through what was an absolute ton of stuff! I've charity shopped/sold about 5 bin bags worth of stuff! And my storage is still full! I have also been preparing for America, which has included buying all the necessities, packing, sorting out all my documents, sorting out my ipod, etc... Since I got home I have also been frantically trying to catch up with all my friends before I go, and I've been doing some running too so I pretty much haven't had a spare minute!

I leave on Friday for America, for those of you who don't know, I'm going there for 3 months on a programme called Camp America. It involves working as a photographer at a summer camp in Wisconsin for 8 weeks and then I will be doing my own travelling for 30 days afterwards! I have booked two treks with a friend who I met through Camp America who is working at the same camp as me. Here is a list of the places the treks will be taking us:

Los Angeles
San Diego
Phoenix
The Grand Canyon
Las Vegas
Miami
Orlando
Panama City Beach
New Orleans
Memphis
Nashville
Appalachian Mountains
Washington DC
New York

The travelling part will be a mixture of hotels, hostels and camping. At the moment I'm really excited but the nervs are starting to set in! I've never been away from home for this long, but everyone keeps telling me how amazing it's going to be, and I've never been to America before, so that is making me feel better! However it hasn't all gone smoothly, my boyfriend of two years broke up with me a couple of days ago. He was initally fine with the trip as we already had a long distance relationship, however he changed his mind. I've got really mixed feelings about this, I essentially feel I'll be better off in the long run without him, he didn't treat me how he should have, but of course I am upset about it. But what better place to get over a break up than in America right?! Got to keep thinking positive and not dwell on the past!

I feel like I've had some massive emotional hauls all in the space of the last two weeks, I've finished uni so no longer a student, I quit my job in Sheffield and had to say goodbye to some amazing friends and now I've said goodbye to the man I loved for two years of my life, my mum hasn't been very well either and now I am off to America for 3 months. I think all things considered I'm coping pretty well?! Just hoping I don't have an emotional break down while I'm there!! I also must mention my friends have all been amazing, I couldn't ask for better people in my life.

I keep bombarding myself with all those cheesy quotes at the moment to stay positive haha. Look to the future and all that. At least my grades are looking good so far!

Anyway quite a personal post for me there, I don't normally share this much but I thought it was appropriate to explain a few things seeing as I haven't posted anything in so long, and I also like reading these types of posts myself. Also while I am gone I obviously won't be able to post, but I have actually pre-written a lot of reviews so will schedule them to post while I'm away, and when I'm back I will bombard you all with pictures from America! Be prepared! I also apologise now as I won't be able to reply to any comments etc. but I will get on top of it when I'm back! :) Really planning on taking this blog seriously now my studies are over! I have a lot planned for my little corner of the internet.

Let me know if any of you have done something similar or have visited America! I am particularly looking forward to seeing New Orleans (massive Originals and Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles fan!)

Here are a few pictures from the last month that sum it up!