Kiss 'n' Make-up

New year, new giveaway and its pink!

2012-01-06T05:15:00.000-08:00

This post has been seriously delayed, i brought these on Saturday so i could post this giveaway on Sunday but I've been unable to find my camera.

So here is the giveaway;

Lush snow fairy 250g and MAC sheertone blush in Pink Swoon

Close up of Pink swoon, so you can see the colour better.
Its a slightly coral toned barbie pink, fitting in with snow fairy perfectly,
it gives a subtle pink flush but can be built up for a brighter pop of colour.

I don't have this colour in my collection, mainly because i've gotten into a blush rut colour wise, so i've not got swatches. Luckily Google has the answer, click here for swatches.

I don't know anyone who doesn't love Snow fairy, though i know it can be a bit sweet/strong for some.
Its an amazing Fruity/candy floss sort of smell.
Its pretty much all but sold out now, since its a seasonally stocked product.
So heres your chance to get your hands on some, or add another bottle the few you stock pilled (if you love this as much as me).

To enter you must be a GFC follower.
For additional entries;
Tweet about the giveaway and link to this post (+1 entry)

Link to this giveaway in your side bar (+1 entry)

Make a blog post or mention this in a blog post (+1 entry)

If you're under 16, get permission from a parent/guardian (since i'll be needing your address to post it). This is a UK (and Ireland) only giveaway, sorry to anyone international.

Giveaway ends in three weeks-ish - 31/01/12

Update

2011-12-22T07:26:00.000-08:00

I've been a lax blogger for months. Promise i'll be posting more after Christmas, including a giveaway to help clear away those post-holiday blues. I think eating too much and realizing just how much you spent around this time of year is a yearly reminder from the other months that we should pay more attention to them rather than just focusing on December.

I'm planning two giveaways, One New year giveaway and one blog- anniversary one, the latter starting as the first ends and running until the date of my first blog post.
I've got 37 followers now which i'm very happy with, if i reach 40 before one of the giveaways starts i'll be sure to add a few extra bits into which ever one it is.

Also on a final note Buyapower.com have quite a few MAC goodies going on co-buy soon as well as Benefits 'Watts up' highlighter. I love Buyapower, i've already opted into their currently running co-buy for MAC's Pink Swoon powder blush (its down to £11 at the minute, the 'Best Price' will be £10 when they reach something like 45 or 50 people who opt-in - plus £1 P&P so much cheaper than the £17 RRP).
Go check out their coming soon list
(Edit - NARS Orgasm blush has just been added to the coming soon list! As have Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick, Benefit Erase paste and Liz Earle products! Checking out their coming soon list is a total must right now!)

Now to make sure its not a picture less post, heres the look i plan to wear on Christmas day
(i'll do a FOTD when i do)

(image from google)

I've really been loving red lipstick recently.

A few EOTD's

2011-12-08T06:38:00.000-08:00

A few of the eye looks i've tried out recently.

Gold crease, bright sea-blue as a thick liner eye shadow
and MAC Half-Wild paint pot on my waterline. I think this is so pretty.

(opps slightly blurry)

Olive-silver all over the lid with a bronze waterline.
I've decided i dislike the bronze eyeliner, i'll be sticking with green, black and purple in future.

The same Olive-silver colour with MAC Half-Wild on my waterline, I love this one.

And to finish off, an edited close up of the last EOTD,

I'm back! and Rimmel lipstick swatches

2011-12-04T03:20:00.000-08:00

Long time no post, over a month in fact. My main reason for my lack of posts is that i've not actually brought much makeup, its shocking right?
I had my birthday which i got a few makeup bits for but mostly i think people gave up and gave me money, i am however waiting till the January sales to spend what i have left of it. I say what i have left because the first thing i did was buy a pair of dark purple converse and about an hour ago i placed an order with MAC (my first online MAC order) of their Make It Perfect Brush Kit/Mineralize.
I've wanted MACs Duo Fibre 187 brush for months but I never wanted to spend £32.50 on it and considering The Make it Perfect Mineralize Brush Kit is £39.50 and includes three other brushes (with a total value of probably £100, i can't find two of the brushes on the website) which makes it a bargain as far as i'm concerned. I've never 'invested'in higher end makeup brushes, usually i stick with the cheap Superdrug brand ones but I think I can be trusted to not loose these. Also How pretty are they??

Anyway, onto the Rimmel swatches!

Left; Rimmel Moisture Renew in Soft Coral '600'

Right; Lasting Finish in Coral in Gold '210'

With lighting different lighting you can see the difference in the colour better.

Coral in Gold is a rather bright Orange with a gold shimmer where as Soft Coral is slightly more glossy and has less of an orange colour with a more nude tone.

Coral in Gold was a present from my best friend and i brought Soft Coral in a three for 2 offer, along with the Lasting Finish 25 hour foundation and their Extra Super Lash Mascara

OPI Muppettes 'Designer... de Better'

2011-10-22T07:13:00.000-07:00

This is probably my second favorite of this set :)

One coat

Two or three coats, i can't remember if it was two or three.

The silver and bronze colored shimmer is wonderful :)

OPI Muppettes 'Excuse Moi!'

2011-10-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

I rarely buy nail varnishes, the last one I brought was also an OPI and that was in August, so today I decide to take a look at some varnish to see if I could find any new ones I like.

Left to right; Wocka Wocka, Excuse Moi!, Designer...de Better and Warm and Fozzie

I've decided to spread the swatches out over a few posts because when i tried to do them in one post it got very pic heavy.

One coat

Two coats

Three coats gives a lovely opaque covering.

This is a lovely colour and very pretty glitter, i like the mix of shimmer and bigger sparkles :)

Swatches - MAC Lipsticks

2011-10-19T06:08:00.000-07:00

I, for one, dislike having to look though multiple posts/pages to compare and find swatches of products. Which is why I thought a collective post of my MAC lipsticks would be good to compare, for people looking for the swatches and I so I don't have to keep swatching them to decide on a colour.

MAC Left to right; Cosmo, Modesty, See Sheer, Fashion City, Bare Again.

For on screen colour to real life colour this image is exactly the same,
but it depends on your screen settings.

The two on the right are Supreme Sheen lipsticks
but aside from being more creamier in texture there not too different.

I love MAC lipsticks but so far my stand out favorite is See Sheer, my first and most perfect MAC product, followed by Fashion city which is also lovely.

What are your favorite MAC lipsticks? I'm always looking for ideas :)

MAC inspired Halloween - 1

2011-10-15T08:19:00.000-07:00

Heres my first attempt at a MAC Halloween look chart thingy ever. I've decided to show it as a short tutorial.

I picked the slightly odd, doll look :)

Cover your lid in a white or very light coloured shadow then from the crease (going up as far as you like)

add your chosen shade of blue and blend the two together nicely in the crease.

I used Bourjois eyeshadow single in 08 on the lid and GOSH effect powder in Aquatic.

I didn't like the underneath eyelashes so decide to do dark blue eyeliner on my lash-line.

I used Urban decay Sabbath (The Black Palette), i also wet my brush and foiled it to intensify the blue.

Lightly outlining where you want your blush to go is so helpful in this look.

You can use lip/eyeliner, as i did.

Using one blush, or however many you like, you basically just have to colour in your outline and blend the colours upwards (fairly simple). If your guide is still visible then use a cotton bud to remove it.

I used Poisetint as the lower colour and MAC Something special cremebend as the top, i think it gives it a nice depth.

Next is lipstick, i'd chose a shade fairly similar to your blush just darker.

Then add some freckles where ever you like, i wouldn't make these too big or dark.

I used black eyeliner and thin eyeliner brush, but you could use lip or brow liner just in pencil form.

The Chart face has high eyebrows but i dislike high looking eyebrows on my self, you could consider adding them.

I also decided to leave out the false eyelashes the guide has, again you can add these. If you do decide to do the eyelashes I would apply the eyeshadow and do circles of your light lid colour underneath your eyes then apply the lower eyelashes to the edge of the circles.

I can't wait to try out some more complex Halloween makeup in the next few weeks or so :)

What are you guys being for Halloween?

MAC Halloween ideas

2011-10-15T03:08:00.000-07:00

Halloween is fast approaching and weather you do anything for Halloween or not the makeup is great fun to do and photograph.
So while i was looking up some ideas i thought i'd share the ones i like best from MAC, with some suggestions of the look they could be used for.

Vampire or Zombie?

I have no idea. Suggestions?

Doll or Lady Gaga?

Doll or oriental outfit? Suggestions?

Nefertiti, cleopatra or vampire?
You could even change the eyeliner slightly make make it for Catwoman.

I'll be trying out some of these looks later on today, posts to follow :)

Swatch - No7 Starshell lipstick

2011-10-12T04:18:00.000-07:00

Heres a quick swatch of a lipstick i'm currently loving.

No7 in shade Starshell (20)

Its a 'moisturedrench' lipstick, the first No7 makeup product i've tried and overall its not bad.
The colour lasts pretty well and its a lovely shimmery, creamy nude with a hint of subtle orange to it.

I think it would also make a decent shimmery cream blush, its got nice colour when blended out and its not at all oily but still not drying :)

What are your favorite No7 products?

EOTD with GOSH Azure

2011-10-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

As per a recent comment request here is my EOTD using GOSH Azure :)

I used GOSH Azure and MAC paint pot in Half-Wild.

Its official I am in love with Half-wild, it makes a beautiful eyeliner, crease and all lid-over colour.

I quite like the combination of blue and purple, i'm also loving pink and silver at the minute.

----
I'm giving my competition winner till Thursday morning (13/10/11) as i think 4-5 days is enough time to email an address, if i don't hear from her i'll email another entrant.

MAC swatches

2011-10-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

I've brought a couple of MAC items over the last week so here are some swatches :)

Left to right; Springsheen blush, Fashion City Sheen Supreme lipstick
and Half-Wild Paint Pot

I really love the blush and the paint pot but i'm still on the fence about the lipstick.

Half-wild is amazing. I was worried it might make me look slightly bruised but one of the lovely MAC girls in Reading applied it as eyeliner for me and it really does suit me :)

Fashion city is a lovely nude slightly apricot-orange colour.

Springsheen is such a lovely and popular colour. Its a great all-season colour.

Winner and apology.

2011-10-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

I'm soo sorry for the lack of posts in the last week, i've just been busy :(
I know i chose a fine time to put posts on hold, considering my giveaway ended a week ago, but sadly these things happen.

However i'm back and I have a winner to announce :)

And the winner is

Cornflakegirl

So my randomly picked winner is the lovely P aula. So I'll email her very shortly to tell her.

She commented with a couple pallet names and a couple of blusher names. I decided to let Superdrug decide which ones. I found the pallet closest to the top and the blusher closet to the bottom, both of the ones she picked. Which meant she gets;

The Bad Girl Pallete and the blush in 'Coral'

Thats all for this post but I'll have a MAC post up very shortly :)

My five favorite eyeshadows

2011-09-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

I've spent most of my day taking photographs, so for a break i decided to... take more photographs.
Don't you just love how i think?

Left to right; Benefit Flatter Me, Benefit Skinny Jeans,
Illamasqua Trollop, Gosh effect powder in 'Azure' and Barry M dazzle dust shade '89'.

I'm such a fan of shimmery eyeshadows, i don't have that many matte colours because they're just not something i lean towards.
I'm basically a magpie which is why i think i'm finding my current GCSE photography topic so easy, the topic is 'Metallic' which means my reaction to anything now is 'Must have the shiny!! Its for school!'.

I have no idea what to post about next, so i'm thinking an eyeshadow look but not sure.
Is there anything you, my lovely readers, want to see me review or an eyeshadow style you want to see?

Todays makeup - 16/09/11

2011-09-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

So here is my eyeshadow today :)

Illamasqua creme eyshadow 'Command', Accessorize eyeshadow in Iris
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Lust

Basically after covering my lid in Command, I gently patted on Iris then applied Lust to my waterline.

Simple, purple and rather pretty :)

My five favorite Skincare products

2011-09-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

No7 Radiance Boosting Hot cloth cleanser, Garnier Pure Anti-blackhead scrub,

Neutrogena 2in1 clay Wash+Mask, Liz Earle Instant Boost Tonic, Lush Tea Tree water toner.

Washes/scrubs.

Toners.

I love all of these, i can't recommend them enough.
I've reviewed all of them in the past (see links below) and i still love the just as much.

Heres a quick recap of what skin types they're best for;

No7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser (dry, dull and normal skin)

Garnier Pure Anti-blackhead Deep pore Scrub (oily, combination and normal skin)

Neutrogena 2in1 Wash+Mask (any skin type)

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic (any skin type but best for dry and combination)

Lush tea tree water (any but best for oily and combination)

Project 10 pan

2011-09-25T06:53:00.000-07:00

Heres my first project 10 pan post :)
I've tried this before but i choose the wrong products and gave up. This time, however, I started it this morning and i'm already half way there.
I started project 10 pan today before i've finished, or as good, as 5 items already.

Lee Stafford climate control shampoo, Maybelline Forever Strong Pro in crystal clear,

Maxfactor Miracle touch foundation, NYC Cheek Glow in 652 West side wine,
Simple Nourishing eye make-up remover cream.

I'll do a quick general review of them, i like them all but the foundation is a bit heavy and the cheek glow could be a bit more pigmented. Overall, all decent products.

The nail varnish has a bit in still but the brush doesn't reach the bottom and its got to the point that i have to screw and unscrew the top just to get any on it, therefore I class it as done because a top/base coat shouldn't take 15 minutes to apply.

The cheek glow has a tiny bit around the edge but its impractical to try and use it.

Other than that the others are all empty.

GOSH foundation primer, Rimmel Extra super lash mascara,

Accessorize eyeshadow in Iris, Maybelline Pure-foundation Mineral,
Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick in Asia.

All decent products. I rather love the primer and mascara, unfortunately for them I've got other products i really want to start paying proper attention to. Plus the mascara is almost 3 months old and i'll have to throw it out soon as its starting to get very thick.

The foundation powder is a bit dark for me now but there's not much left in it and i want to get it over and finished with.

I could wear a different lip product everyday for well over five weeks so i'd really like to finish this, as well as a few others, so i can wear the products i really love without guilt.
The eyeshadow is pretty but I've hit pan already and i have quite a few purples.

I want to finish these as soon as possible because very soon the MAC Posh Paradise collection will be out in the UK and i have my eye on so many of the lipsticks and Paint Pots that i'm looking for any thing that makes me feel less guilty for buying them. So finishing 10 products and buying 5 or 6 new ones doesn't seem too bad.

Having the kick start of 5 finished on the day I start it will mean i'll have this finished easy in one or two weeks.

Muahaha! Paint pot pretties, you shall soon be mine.

Review - MAC Pro longwear concealer

2011-09-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

My first MAC Pro product :)
I'm always on the lookout for a good concealer. I don't ask for much. Good coverage, long lasting, non-cakey and something that leaves skin looking naturally flawless. All of which are basic requirements for a good concealer, in my opinion anyway.
This concealer meets all of these, though personally i'd like it to be a bit thicker but for discoloration and dark undereyes its rather brilliant.

The faded pen from school, i write my days time table so i don't have to keep finding it in my bag.

I'm shade NW15, which is i think the second or third palest though i could be wrong. I just looked for the ones with 15 and after coming across this one first, i decided this was the right shade for me. Sadly, all the foundations i swatched, even the lighter ones seemed orange on me.

Its long lasting, not quite the 15 hours it claims but 8-10 maybe.

My main problem with this is the bottle its in. Its sleek, like all MAC containers, and made of glass. However, the glass is very thin and i'm very worried about it breaking. When I carry it around with me I keep in the little black cardboard box just to give it a little extra protection from breaking, this sadly means the packaging is looking rather scruffy after only a week or so.

Overall a great product and worth the £13.50. Its the same price as one of their lipsticks but it is more than i'd usually spend on a concealer, though i do think this one is actually worth it.

Makeup storage

2011-09-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

I like my makeup to be organize, I hate having to look for things or buying something new because i've lost something. In fact i think i tidy my makeup more than I tidy the rest of my things.

My makeup has outgrown its draw so its now looking for another place in my room. I like having it in the draw because it has a lock on it and having spent a fair amount on makeup I rather like knowing if it needed to be protected then it could be. Also good when nosy friends come over, you can stop them messing your precious lipsticks up :)

I'm definitely going to need more containers soon, so i've been Google-ing and thought i'd quickly share my findings/ideas.

Clear storage boxes in various sizes.

Convent sizes, stackable and being clear you can see whats in which box.

Littler storage boxes.

Great for super control freaks like me, you can group not only makeup types but by brand too.

I like these metal storage container styles.

I have two large ones of these at the moment, I like the various colours you can get them in.

Shoe boxes.

Most people have shoe boxes lurking somewhere and they're great for for holding all sized stuff.

You can even organize within the boxes, having different sections in boxes.

I think i'm going to be using a combination of little clear boxes and show boxes, i have some rather cool looking shoe boxes that will look good out on my desk/drawers.

Time to go organize :)

How do you have your makeup stored? I'm look for ideas.

Edit; I've moved all my eyeshadows into my hot pink Iron Fist shoebox, which is now full. Think i have too many eyeshadows.

Giveaway - 25 followers!!

2011-09-18T01:39:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and glanced at my followers only to see i have 25! Which means...

Giveaway time!!

I realized the other day, I could easily pick products to giveaway but that the chances are that some people might already have the products. So I've decided on a different method, i'm giving you the chance to pick what colours you want.

I've decided to do a Sleek giveway, since its such a well known brand.

(for example)

I'm giving away;

An eye shadow pallete of your choosing (except Me, Myself and Eye)

And either a blusher or lipstick of your choosing

To enter just comment below saying which Sleek pallete and blush or lipstick you'd like to win.

Onto the boring stuff now, the rules;

You must be a follower to enter, leave your user name in your comment too (i've just added Bloglovin' so now theres two ways to follow) and new followers are of course welcome to take part :)

If there is more than one of each product you'd like list them in your order of preference (this is actually easier for me cause it means I don't have to panic about finding one specific one).

Sorry but this is a UK only giveway, UK and Ireland of course :)

If you're under 16 ask a parent or guardians permission since i'll need your address, ironic coming from someone whose under 16 herself.

The giveaway ends on the 30th September at 5pm GMT

(Just a note anyone who enters will be discounted if their blog is completely about giveaways. A few reviews or swatches is all it takes to have your entry count, its not much girls.)

Extra entry's:

Follow on both GFC and Bloglovin' (+ 1)

Link to this giveaway in your sidebar (+ 1)

Blog about this giveaway (+ 2)

Thanks for following girls! Heres a link to the Sleek website, go pick out your choices

What you're still here? Go look at the website! Whats that, random google picture? Okay!

MAC Posh Paradise

2011-09-17T10:37:00.000-07:00

I just have to blog about how excited I am for this collection to hit the UK.

MAC Posh Paradise

All i can say is, why couldn't this collection come out after my brithday, when i'll have enough money for all the amazingly pretty paint pots!

I have my eye on the Delectable and Unknown Pleasures Mattene Lipsticks. As well as the Idyllic, hyperviolet, Nubile, Half-wild paint pots.

I'm so lusting after these right now.

My five favorite lipsticks

2011-09-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

I've been ill!.. Not the best start to a post but flu sucks and i feel the need to share the news of my germs with you all :)

Anyway, onto today's post.

In two months time it will be my birthday, two months and one day to be exact, so now is the time i'm going through my things looking for what i want to get or want to buy with birthday money (love birthday money). This gave me the idea to share my findings with you, findings being the results of my 'stock taking'.

Starting with lipsticks.

Left to right; MAC See Sheer, MAC Bareagain, FAMOUS Shade 2 'tres chic',

NYC 413 Rose Gold, Benefit Fruit Cocktail.

(they all look quite dry, but that's just because I have foundation swatched on the back of my hand)

FAMOUS Shade 2 Tres Chic and Benefit Fruit Cocktail.

These two looked similar so i swatched them together to show the difference.

I love these colours, they're so pretty :)

'Skinny Jeans' eyeshadow tutorial

2011-09-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

So here is todays experiment with Benefits Skinny Jeans and its also my first eyeshadow tutorial, i'm starting with a simple one for now.
I'm really loving Skinny jeans so far, its so pretty and wearable.

Let me start by saying this eyeshadow look, as it is, isn't for the faint hearted but it would easily be toned down.

Step one;

A thick line of Skinny Jeans along the top eyelashes.

Step two;

Cover the rest of the eyelid, paying careful attention to the crease,

with a dark green emerald colour.

Step three;

Apply the dark green underneath the lower lashes then finish with mascara.

I used the dark green shade, on the right, of Collection 2000's Colour intense trio in '8. Lemon Tropics'

I've had this trio since January but having brought it to just use in a set of images for my Photography GCSE its not really my taste, though i do use the green sometimes.

I don't mind buying makeup for use in my photography, as long as i like the colours and will actually use them properly at some point.

Benefit Skinny Jeans swatch.

2011-09-11T08:07:00.000-07:00

I'm in love with Benefits Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liners, this is my second one (since Flatter me impressed me so much). And I'll defiantly be pickup be picking up a few more around my birthday (and probably before then too).

Benefit Skinny Jeans; Heavily then lightly swatched.

Skinny Jeans is a grey colour with gold tones and shimmer to it. The gold, in my opinion, makes it a very wearable colour. I know some people have trouble wearing darker eyeshadow, but the shimmer reflects the light making it look a bit taupe-ish and almost slightly green. The shimmer colours don't show in the photo well.
The Benefit website describes it as 'pretty pewter' but i know pewter and it definitely is too gold/tauple/green for pewter but, that being said, if you like the colour of pewter then you'll like this.

Pewter TARDIS key

(cause i'm a geek and huge Dr Who fan and this came up when i google'd pewter)

I really cannot recommend these eyeshadows enough. Great staying power (even without a primer), pretty colours and so easy to apply.

Review - No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser

2011-09-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

Today i'm reviewing No7's Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser :)

I don't have my experience with hot cloth cleansers, i'm more of a face mask girl if I want a deeper clean.
However I really love this product. Its great for removing makeup, helping with dry/dull skin and leave your face feeling squeaky clean.

I really dislike the thin muslin cloth this comes with, i prefer to use my normal flannel.

It says its for use on dry areas but i use this all over my face, even though my skin tends to be oily.
I also like to put the hot flannel on my face for a minute before i apply this, just to open my pores a bit more, then put the flannel back in the hot(ish, not too hot) water to reheat it after apply this all over my face.

You get 200ml of product and trust me, this will last you months. I've used it a fair amount since i got it and you can see how much i've used.
One pump will get you enough to cover your face, i prefer two pumps for a thicker covering of it as it just feels that much nicer.

Overall a great product.
I brought this a few weeks ago with a £5 No7 voucher, so i paid £4 meaning this is usually £9 but if you wait a few weeks theres bound to be another set of No7 vouchers around.

Advice - Eyeliner plea

2011-09-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

I'm in search of a new gel eyeliner.

My Maybelline eyeliner gel is starting to dry out so in the next few weeks i'll be needed to pick up a new one.
However since this is really the only gel eyeliner i've ever tried i'm relying on you lovely ladies (and guys, i'm not fussy on this) for advice.

My question to you;

What brand gel eyeliner shall I get?

I'd really love you to post a comment on this, it would make it so much easier (and more reliable) than just picking up any old one.

Also, if you've posted or know of a review on your gel eyeliner of choice please include it in the comment.

And to finish off the post nicely, a google pic. Since i'm looking for your favorite eyeliners;

Unless its about eyeliners.

Brighton Haul - Other

2011-09-07T08:01:00.000-07:00

My final Brighton haul post, even though there's only three I think i'll rather miss them.

First up my Alien perfume :)

Thierry Mugler Alien - 30ml

I've wanted this for ages but it is pretty expensive (£50 for 30ml refillable bottle) but i finally picked this up in Brighton and i'm more in love in it than ever. Its a refillable bottle so i can find a (slightly) more reasonably priced refill for it (£50 for 60ml refill). Think I might pick up a refill for my birthday :)

My final purchase, my rather interesting dress.

Yup that's right, flamingos and skulls.

My lovely new Hell Bunny dress :)

Overall an amazing weekend and some great shopping, oddly I didn't buy as much as i thought i would.

So thats it for my Brighton posts. I might not be posting much for the next few weeks as schools a be mental for a while.

Brighton Haul - MAC

2011-09-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

Second part of my Brighton haul, my MAC purchases :)
I didn't get as much MAC as i thought i might but theres still a few, enough worth a full post anyway.

Muhahaha

Left to right; MAC Modesty, MAC Bare Again,

MAC Cremeblend blush in Something Special lighter then heavily swatched

And MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light Plus.

Modesty is a very reto brown colour, its quite pretty and rather lovely.

Bare Again is my only real neutral-nude colour and i think its probably going to be my main school lipstick.

I love this blush its just such a nice pink colour, but not too girlish or infantile either.
The MAC website says this is for setting or touching up foundation. Setting makeup was my main plan for this but it actually makes a nice light coverage foundation by itself, just wear primer and concealer underneath.

I've got probably one more Brighton Haul post left :)

What are your favourite MAC products? I'm looking for ideas lol

What to wear with blue eyeshadow

2011-09-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

Quick post.
So the lovely Paula commented on my blue eyeshadow post asking 'What you use blush and lip wise when wearing blue eye shadow?' which is a pretty good question, so i figured i'd answer in it a quick post :)

I basically follow the 'have a main focus' rule when it comes to make up, unless i'm going for something very very bold.
For example; bright eyes subtle lips and cheek (my usual combination)
So for bright blue eyeshadow a close match to my own lipcolour, with more pink to it, is what i normally go for.
Cue weird looking photos to demonstrate.

So this is my bright blue/sea green coloured eyeshadow look.

I paired it with a shimmer blush, Bourjois Lune D'or.

For a great bright blue eyeshadow look, without it being too over powering.

Then add nude lipstick, sheer gloss or a brown toned lipstick. I'd stay away from red with bright blue.

Heres a more navy, less bright, shimmery eyeshadow.

I like to wear it with a pink/coral blush for a nice healthy look, MAC Something Special.

As well as, for a focus point, bold lips. Like this bright red colour.

Really what you wear with blueshadow depends on the shade of blue and your own personal taste.

If you're not sure then I think playing about with your makeup is the best way to find out, plus its fun.

(Three posts in a day, record?)

Brighton Haul - samples

2011-09-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hey you lovely people. I've returned from my overnight trip to Brighton and the seaside :)
I scheduled my last two posts so i was sure i wouldn't miss a day without posting, since I try to post everyday even if i sometimes skip a few days.

Here is my first of possibly a few 'Brighton haul' posts and we're going to start with the butt load of free sample i ended up getting from Debenhams because my mother signed up for one of their cards.

Purfumes and guys eau de toliettes

Urban decay travel sizes/mini's

(how cute are they??)

Left to right; Stardust eyeshadow without then with the mini primer potion

Cooling lipgloss in Wallflower and 24/7 eyeliner pencil in Lust

and three rather messy swatches of their new liquid eyeliners, which trust me do not budge

(no matter how hard you try)!

I can't wait to try out the 'All nighter long-lasting makeup setting spray' it looks brilliant, which i'll be posting a review (along with one of the mascara) once i've used them a bit.

Blue eyeshadow

2011-09-04T05:19:00.000-07:00

I love blue eyeshadow, it does however make my blue-grey eyes look green (which is dislike) so i don't tend it wear it. That was until the other day i had on idea, what if i use a green shadow as a liner since green makes my eyes look much closer to their proper colour.

GOSH loose effect poweders in Aquatic (as liner) and Blue Dimond

This is why i don't use mascara on my bottom lashes

They end up almost as long as my top lashes (which freaks me out a little for some reason)

Review - Mark Hill De-frizz Shine Serum

2011-09-03T04:48:00.000-07:00

I've had this product for a while (months in fact) and its brilliant, I don't know why i've only just got around to reviewing it. In fact a few years ago I brought this, in its smaller size, and I loved it then as much as now.

Mark Hill De-frizz Shine Serum

The 'bigger' bottle is about an inch taller than the smaller size, you get 45ml of product and trust me it will last you ages. I used the other bottle three times a week for months and i lost it before it ran out.

Even I, with my annoying oily hair, can use this on my hair to add shine and help control frizz/curling.
I usually put a few pumps of it on my palm before rubbing my hands together (so it covers them) and working through my ends, usually before blow drying.

I love the pump, and the bottle in general. They're just such thick plastic, very sturdy and won't break.

It gives you glossy, but not oily or slimy hair.

This is an amazing effective product that i would really recommend to anyone with dry, fizzy, damaged, normal or even oily hair (with oily its best just on the ends).

I got this from Boots. The smaller (20ml) size is £3.99 and the larger size (which is listed there as 55ml but my bottle has 45ml on it) is £6.12.

Review - Liz Earle Instant Boost Tonic

2011-09-02T04:45:00.000-07:00

I know i'm a bit behind on the Liz Earle front but until a few weeks ago i hadn't seen the products in real life and I don't really have much confidence when it comes to buying products online from brands that are new to me.
So when i saw a Liz Earle section in John Lewis Southampton, i couldn't resist buying something and this seemed like a safe product to build my confidence in the brand.

'This heavenly floral-scented, non-drying toner refreshes, soothes and brightens your skin. Gentle and alcohol-free, it also adds a fine layer of moisture.'

I've seen so many people talk about this product but I still want to share my main thoughts on it.

The description is just so brilliantly correct, though i'm not a huge fan of the scent. It smells a bit like baby powder/baby wipes, just a bit weird.

It doesn't dry out skin and even with the 'fine layer of moisture' it doesn't make skin oily. Its gentle enough for even really sensitive skin.

I like the bottle (infact all their products have nice containers), its simple and a pretty colour.

Overall i really like this product. I've been using it about five times a week for three or four weeks and i'm about 1/5 of the way through the bottle. Definitely think i'm going to repurchase this :)

August favourites

2011-09-01T05:44:00.000-07:00

Illamasqua cream eyeshadow 'command',
MAC Lusture lipstick ' See Sheer', Maybelline Falsies Black Drama,

MUA Pro palette Dusk Til Dawn.

These are the products i'm using pretty much everyday.

I'm really loving my Dusk Til Dawn palette, its got a great mix of colours.

See Sheer is a perfect colour, its so pretty :)

My five minute face

2011-09-01T04:39:00.000-07:00

I know that most of my subscribers aren't school age but the school themed posts can still apply to everyone else. If you like neutral, subtle or toned down makeup then these sort of posts are for you.
Anyway, on with the post :)

Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer and foundation,

Rimmel Extra superlash mascara, Maxfactor Lipfinity lasting liptint in shade 4,

Benefit Creaseless cream shadow/liner in Flatter Me.

Maxfactor lasting liptint shade 4 and Benefit Flatter Me.

No real surprises in terms of the bourjois products. The Benefit cream is an obvious choice for all day lasting colour with out creasing or fading, perfect for a long day at school.

The Maxfactor liptint is quite a dark colour but as long as you don't apply too much then it looks great. For a darker colour go around the outline of your lips then basically colour them in. For a subtler colour outline your lips, then use the side to apply colour to your bottom lip then rub/blend to spread the colour so they match. You have about 20 seconds before the colour dries, perfect amount of time to blend.

School eyeshadow one + MAC dupe

2011-08-31T08:03:00.000-07:00

One thing is dislike about school is makeup restrictions and while my school only allows makeup in the higher years (9,10 and 11) they don't really care about hot much you have on of it, even if the rules state it should be 'subtle'. I like to ease into darker shadows, seeing which teachers stress about the makeup rules.

First off i'll start with my newly found MAC dupe.

Left; top right from MUA's Dusk Til Dawn Pro palette.

Right; MAC Pink Split mineralize duo.

I was picking out a pink colour earlier and couldn't decide between to two colours, i decided to swatch them togther and see which one i liked. Saw the MUA one was more pigmented, softer and overall nicer... Then i realised they were the exact same colour.

Not just both peach with gold tones but the exact shame colour. This is a dupe were i actually prefer the cheap (£4 for the pallete), highstreet version over the £15 High end product.

(opps no mascara, my bad!)

Heres my preferred look, revised and altered from last years. This is what my eyeshadow will look like for probably the first few weeks of school (with a little colour differences for variety).

Basically a champagne coloured shadow with a coloured, not too bright and not too dark, eyeliner on the upper lash line.
I used the top left colour from the Dusk til Dawn palette and Illamasqua cream eyeshadow in 'Command; (a dark purple) as a liner.

I think while i'm in Brighton saturday/sunday, i'll take a look in the MAC store there and pick up a nice pretty eyeliner to use in this look.

One thing i really dislike about my school is that your not allowed to wear nail varnish but they happily let girls look so orange they might as well have showered in fake tan and wrong coloured foundation, as well as their own body weight in bad hair exentions and too thick black eyeliner. They look like fake tanned wookies (my mothers term for them).

And for those of you who don't know this is a Wookie (from Star Wars);

Illamasqua swatches
MUA Starry Night swatches
MUA Dusk Til Dawn swatches

Review- Lee Stafford Matt Fat Powder

2011-08-31T03:38:00.000-07:00

Its almost time for school to start again (less than a week now) and i've started this years school product hunt a bit late. In boots yesterday I was a in a bit of a hurry, as the friend i was with was getting impatient, so i decided to take advantage of the Boots 3 for £12 on Lee Stafford offer.
Lee Stafford is a brand i love and have only ever really had good experiences with so little bottle looked promising.

And this was, regrettably a close up.

Yup, that's right. Dandruff effect

Maybe i applied too much or something because the powder its self is very fine and shouldn't really show up in my dark blonde/mid brown coloured hair.

I'll give this out another try and if i get a better result i'll update this and include a note at the end of a future post.

MAC Cosmo lipstick - Dupe!

2011-08-29T07:44:00.000-07:00

I was browsing the MAC counter as I so often do when I saw what I though was a rather pretty and slightly unique colour. I loved it right away unfortunately our love affair ended quickly, as most do, after a few minutes in fact. As soon as I saw it on myself I knew it looked familiar when I got home I had a quick look through my lipsticks and was confronted with a far too close for comfort dupe.

MAC Cosmo and Rimmel Asia

Which is the MAC?
Its the one on the right.

The one at the top is the MAC and luckily its creamier, more pigmented and a slightly warmer colour.
If it hadn't been any of these things, i'd probably be quite annoyed right now.

MAC - £13.50
Rimmel - £4.99
Decent lighting in shops - priceless.

Haul - 27+28/08/11

2011-08-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit of a lazy beauty blogger recently but since I have, of course, shopped this weekend heres a review of what i've brought.

Boots conditioning nail polish remover + Ruby and Millie angled eyeliner brush

This is my prefered polish remover, very good at what it does.

I've been looking for a decent eyeliner brush and this one caught my eye.

OPI Dulce De Leche

My first OPI nail lacquer, I don't own any other polishes in nude colours so i could justify the £10.50 I spent on this (its my most expensive polish by a long way). However if you're not up for spending that much Bourjois So laque nail enamel in 'Beige Glamour 27' looked to be a pretty close dupe, i noticed it Boots earlier.

MUA Dusk Til Dawn eyeshadow palette

I finally manged to track one of these down, i was rather proud of myself :)

Left to right; MUA eyeshadow mono Shade 25, Famous merged eyeshadow Shade 2

and Famous Lipstick shade 2 Tres Chic

Left; St Ives Apricot Scrub

Right; No7 Radiance Boosting Hot cloth cleanser

I got the little 99p travel size St Ives scrub to try out, after i saw a Facebook friend rave about it yesterday.

This is the first No7 product i've tried (makeup included), just a brand I've not paid much attention to. I had a £5 off No7 voucher so i only paid £4 for this, i've heard great things about this before. Its also a cheaper version of the Liz Earle Hot cloth cleanser.

MUA Starry Night palette swatches

My lipstick collection - update 2

2011-08-24T04:48:00.000-07:00

Since my lipstick collection posts seem to be some of my most popular, I'd post an update with swatches of them all.

Claires Accessories Black lipstick, Stargazer 102, Stargazer 112, stargazer 123,

Natural collection Moisture shine 'Rose Bud', Natural collection Moisture shine 'Rose petal'.

NYC Ultra Last, left to right;
413 Rose gold, 411 Snowcone, 419 English Rose, 409 Fragile Pink.

Laura Paige Dusky Rose 55, Maybelline Volume XL 140 Petal attraction,

Rimmel Lasting Finish 077 Asia, Rimmel Lasting Finish 206 Nude Pink,
MAC Lusture lipstick See Sheer.

Benefit Left to right; 'I do. I do. I do', Fruit cocktail,

Passionista, Liar lips, Hold It.

I think its always interesting to go through your makeup to see what you have, even more so if you have a large amount of products.

Todays haul - 20/08/11

2011-08-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

Superdrug blending brushes, MUA Starry Night Palette,

and two pairs of Topshop Moto 'Leigh' Super Soft Skinny Jeans.

Starry Night swatches.

I don't have Sigma (or any other type brand of brushes) because i'm incapable of keeping track of them, i'm constantly losing them. Superdrug brushes are cheap, at £2 each, good and I rather like them.

My first MUA palette :) I really want the Dusk til Dawn MUA palette but out of the 30 or so palettes (there are 5 different colour sets in total) that my local Superdrug had in stock, there wasn't a single Dusk til Dawn. But these are a (slightly) similar set of colours, both are a mix of grey and blue but Dusk til Dawn has browns instead of purples/pinks. These are £4 each, so suitable for any eyeshadow lover to buy and all the hype about them is totally right (you just have to find them first, their always sold out online and hard to find instore).

These jeans are perfect. Thats all I can actually say about them 'Super soft Skinny' sums it up, their soft and comfy. Rather pricey at £38 each but my mum saw them out and paid, so all is good in the worlds of Louisa's wardrobe and her purse. I had to say goodbye to my favourite jeans yesterday, they'd been wrecked and I miss them already.

Afternotes;
I found the Dusk Til Dawn palette, click here for swatches! :)

Evil evil jeans, awful stitching that fell apart. I so returned them and got a rather nice pair of River Island jeans which were £20 in the sale (half off and half what i paid for the Topshop jeans).

Benefit Flatter me swatch.

2011-08-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

So this is my first Benefit 'Creaseless Cream Shadow/liner', I know their not exactly a new product but I've been debating trying them for a while. I've been put off by the word 'Cream' since i usually find creams too oily and easily crease-able.

Benefit - Flatter Me.

Lightly then heavily swatched.

I am really liking this eyeshadow so far. Its long lasting, doesn't crease and its a very pretty colour.

I now have my eye on another few colours, i do however think my next eyeshadow purchases shall be the start of my first MAC Pro palette :)

Quick note

2011-08-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note.

I now have 24 followers, which i know to some people isn't impressive but i'm pretty proud right now.

Tomorrow i'm going to be picking up somethings for a 25 followers giveaway, which i will be posting when i reach 25... unless i'm just so giddy at the prospect of a 24 follower giveaway then i'll be posting it as soon as i get home.

Until then, theres some balloon cupcakes for you lovely people :)

Lush Solid Purfume -Cocktail

2011-08-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

Lush stores don't usually have the full selection of their perfumes in them but recently the full selection has been temporarily in some of their stores. Just by coincidence I was in their Kingston store when they had them and their Southampton store when they had them. In Kingston i was looking at 'Dear John' but decided not to get it, then in Southampton I fell in love with Cocktail.

Lush Cocktail

'An homage to classic French perfumery, achieved using large quantities of natural materials. The leading lady in this scent is ylang-ylang.'

The oils in this, as with all their solid perfumes, can make your skin really oily but the smell makes up for it.

Here's a quick list of the different smells in it;

Lavender Oil

Bergamot Oil

Jasmine Absolute

Rose Absolute

Ylang Ylang Absolute

Sandalwood Oil

For those of us who like simple descriptions and have no idea about note levels, etc. This smells, to me, like a combination of Musk and pepper and a hint of floral to it. The Ylang-Ylang and Sandalwood stand out most to me.

Its quite an adult smell, even so i quite like it.

Swatches - Illamasqua Eyeshadows

2011-08-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

I ordered these last Tuesday and received them the next day (on standard 2-4 day delivery), Really good delivery time on that order.

Illamasqua Cream Eyeshadows; Spark and Command.

Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow - Trollop

Trollop;

This was the colour i loved most on the website and in the pan, its such a pretty orange-peach colour. However the pigmentation in this leaves a lot to be desired. It creases quite easy without a primer, but other than creasing it does last quite well.

Command and Spark;

I love the pigmentation in these, the perfect amount. Again creasing is my problem with these, but its easily sorted with a primer to applying a power to eyelids first.
I was worried with command that the purple colour might make me look a bit 'bruised/blackeye-ish' but it really is a nice colour, not bruised at all.

These colours are matte looking, to me at least, and i really love them.
Their on in the Illamasqua sale for £5 each.

Taylor Swift Sparks Fly Video makeup

2011-08-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

I've watched this video a few times, its only been out a few days. But today was the first time i've paid proper attention to her make-up.

After spending a while trying to find the right moment to pause it, i realised her eyeshadow is rather amazing.

Taylor Swift - Sparks Fly

(stills)

Champagne coloured eyeshadow (or a mix of white and gold, my method) - tick

Black eyeliner - tick
Long, black eyelashes - tick

and since i don't wear or even own bright red lipstick, i used pink-red instead

Benefit Benetint and MAC See Sheer lipstick

I'm not much a false eyelash fan, this is the first time i've worn them in months.

(Btw I stuck to my no foundation or concealer rule. )

Foundation boycott

2011-08-14T03:19:00.000-07:00

I have come to a rash and unusual decision. For the next week, i'm going to wear no foundation at all. As well as little other make up, probably only lipstick in fact.

This is an attempt at getting my skin back into the condition i like it. My thought is that it will give my skin time to breath and balance itself out. Think skin detox.
So far the next week (sunday-sunday) get ready to see a lot of skincare, and maybe even a perfume review.

I'll let you know the skin outcome, since imperfection prone (very imperfection prone) skin is common and something every who has it wants to be rid of.

I've hidden away my foundations, tinted moisturizers (which i only have two of anyway), primers and all but one concealer.
Bye bye makeup, see you in a week.

And since i dislike picutreless posts, i think they look messy, heres a random google image.

Two coating nail paint

2011-08-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

While walking around Southampton today, some thing that i saw quite a bit of was really thin single coats of nail varnish.
I'm fairly sure this isn't meant to be a style, either way its rather annoying and in my opinion looks a bit daft.
How complex is it to do a second coat. You don't even have to let the first one dry fully, just enough to make a new layer.
I'm not the best nail painter but i do at least put in the effort to get an opaque colour.

Left - one coat

Right - two coats

(Barry M 306 Mint Green)

I took off my rather nice matte bright red to show the difference, even though we all know the difference a second coat makes.
People, take note. If you want a coloured nail polish, make it a fully opaque colour. It doesn't take that much more effort than one coat.

Todays makeup - 13/08/11

2011-08-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

Benefit Fruit Cocktail lipstick, Borjois Healty mix concealer, Maybelline Falsies,

GOSH primer, Borjois Healty Mix, GOSH Bohemien gypsy eyeshadow pallet,
Bourjois Rose De Jaspe blush, MAC Pink Split eyeshadow.

The dark grey from the Gosh pallet and the dark side of Pink Split.

Review - Lush Dark Angel

2011-08-12T06:22:00.000-07:00

I love Lush products. If i could only pick one skincare/haircare brand, i'd choose Lush.

Lush Dark Angels.

'Nutritious avocado oil softens your skin, glycerine keeps the moisture in and black sugar softly scrubs;
rhassoul mud is anti-microbial and cleanses deeply, while sandalwood and rosewood essential oils are soothing,
giving you a feeling of smooth, clean freshness that is difficult to beat.'

It lives up to the description perfectly. It softens, cleanses and gently scrubs. Though perfectly I would prefer it to be a bit more rough as a scrub.

This does what it says on the tub but I think there should be more of a warning with it. Its fairly clear when you look at this that the colour could cause problems. Here are my list of warnings;

Don't wear light clothes, anything other than bare skin and black is out.
Don't use light coloured flannels or towels.
Becareful to get it near any light coloured hair, for example if you have very blonde eyebrows.
White sinks.

All of these things will end up black.
But other than watching out for staining this is an amazing product and one i recommend.

First MAC lipstick

2011-08-10T02:49:00.000-07:00

MAC lipsticks, everyone seems to be obsessed with them but I could never understand the reasons. Until yesterday.
I was looking around the counter, seeing if i could find I liked when I came across this one.

Mac See Sheer.

(Lustre lipstick)

Its such a pretty blue based orange-red. Its got a beautiful shine to it, but not sticky or anything.

I really love this lipstick. It may have 'Sheer' in the name but its still nicely pigmented, subtle and perfect for day time wear. As well as being wonderfully long lasting.

Before when I've been looking for a highend lipstick I've always gone for Benefit ones but I think I might have been converted to MAC.

GOSH Matt topcoat

2011-08-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

I've been uninterested in Matt colours until now, they always looked a little bit dull to me. But today i decided to buy one, in a colourless one (so i could have any colour matt instead of just one).

GOSH; 600 Matt Effect Topcoat and 002 Misty Mauve

Its fair obvious that the nails on the left have the topcoat on and, for comparison, on the is the plain varnish.

I was more interested in seeing how this works than it being neat, so the purple isn't very neat.

NYC Ultra last lipwear - swatches 2

2011-08-09T02:41:00.000-07:00

I had plans to meet up with some friends in London today, which we had to cancel because of the rioting. I really miss my friends, haven't seen them in far too long, so i had to console myself with makeup (and junkfood).
I decided to go a buy a few more NYC lipsticks and then when i got home i placed another Illamasqua order (of a few eyeshadows i've been interested in for ages). I've not brought that much stuff recently, i was making sure i had plenty of London money but since i couldn't go i'm spending it.

419 English Rose and 411 Snowcone

(latest purchases)

Left to right; 409 Fragile Pink, 413 Rose gold,

419 English Rose and 411 Snowcone

(All the NYC lipsticks i own)

I really love these colours, their so pretty and long lasting. Over all on of the cheapest and best highstreet/drugstore brand lipsticks i've found.

Next time i go to a bigger store (boots or superdrug) I plan to pick up the mini eyeshadow pallet (type things) they have, which are designed for curtain eyecolours. I've seen them on a few blogs, i plan on getting the one for blue eyes and the one for bro wn eyes.

Love - Hate relationship.

2011-08-07T12:52:00.000-07:00

No, i'm not talking about a relationship with a guy. I'm talking about my skin.
This week my face has been seeking revenge, after the unfortunate Biore Ice Wash incident. I decide to just settle back into my previous routine and let it sort itself out but its looking like its not planning to improve its self.
Therefore i'm taking drastic action. I need to see the best improvement i've seen in months, and i need to see it in 38 hours.
I'm hoping for a miracle. But in the meantime, heres my emergency skincare routine.

Cleansing - Lush Dark angels, Garnier Pure 3 in 1 wash/scrub/mask

Toner; Lush Tea tree

Gels; Witch blemish gel, Clean&clear quick clear treatment gel

Moisturizer (not always used); Neutrogena Ultralight spot treatment moisturizer.

Witch blemish gel ingredients.

I know these might cause people some concern, with alcohol denat. being the second highest amount.
It does work well but is rather drying. So its only used occasionally.

(I'll be posting a full review of this soon, as well as one on Lush Dark Angels)

All these products work really well, i'd recommend them all.
The products i've already reviewed of these;
Neutrogena Ultralight moisturizer
Garnier Pure 3 in 1
Lush tea tree toner

Review - Illamasqua Matt Primer

2011-08-06T04:33:00.000-07:00

My first ever Illamasqua purchase. I brought it in the 30% off sale they had had for a few weeks (which has been replaced by by an even better sale, but this isn't in the sale again... i think), plus with the free delivery offer they had for the last few days of it.

The bottle looked a bit small but its the same amount of product as my other primers,

i think its just the odd shape that makes it look small.

(to show you the size, its the same as my phone.)

Left - unblended
Right - blended

I was worried at first, the white colour made me think i mightt end up even more pale than normal. But this primer blends effortlessly and after about 20 seconds it dries, leaving a smooth, soft primed surface.

It helps foundation last longer, and even blend into your skin easier.

I like to apply foundation and primer with my fingers because i dislike putting cold stuff on my face and my finger tips warm products up a little.

Over all i really ~~like~~ love this primer, it smells good too.

Musical inspiration - The Rasmus

2011-08-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

So heres my next lot of 'Music-spration' photos, we're getting a bit more rockish with these. Todays band are 'The Rasmus'... not heard of them? I don't blame you but listen to the last song and i'm fairly sure you will recognize them.

'Time to burn'

I'll admit this look is a bit different to the song.
But for some reason a light burgundy-grape colour seemed to fit it.

I used grape colours all over my top lid, then used a chunky glitter over the grape as well as under my lower eyelashes.

'Ten black roses'

This is my favorite of these three songs (plus one of the bands best) and most definitely my favorite look.

I used a pink based red colour (to represent the 'roses' aspect)
and did a thick crease/outer lid matte black colour.

'In the shadows'
A pretty style for an amazing song. You can be forgiven for not remembering the band, but everyone should know this song since its classic and their best known.

I used a deep grey silver on the lid, with a matte black in the crease.
Then for a bit of colour, since this song makes me smile, i used the wine coloured eyeliner on my waterline and around my inner eye.

The Rasmus are Finnish, i'm a huge lover of anything Finnish (they have the best rock bands).

I've got one (or two) more 'Music-spration' posts left and a few more photography ones.

Todays makeup

2011-08-05T03:49:00.000-07:00

Does what it says in the title :)

Left to right; Bourjois Healthy mix foundation, Rimmel Extra super lash mascara,
Urban decay 24/7 eyeliner pencil in Zero, Benefit Benetint mini, GOSH Bohemian gypsy eyeshadow pallet
and my latest purchase Illamasqua Matte primer (review soon)

Check out the Illamasqua sale, prices from as low as £5

Review - Biore Ice wash

2011-08-04T03:38:00.000-07:00

I've had my eye on this for a while, but was never too sure of this brand.

I'm not going to post a review of this, mainly because i've only used it three times and the results i've had means i'm not going to use it again.

This stuff is, as far as i'm concerned, evil.

The first time i used it it felt okay but made my skin a bit oily about 20 minutes later.

The second time i noticed a few blemishes starting to form, but ignored it.

The third time it was perfectly clear that this stuff was causing a breakout.

My skin went from reasonable to an irritated mess within three days. I'm not a happy bunny.
Think i'll be staying away from this brand in future.

I'll mention the retail, on the off chance anyone's willing to risk it, its RRP £6.49 but i paid £2.99 at TK Maxx.

Has anyone else tried this? Did you have the same results?

Review - Stila Tinted Moisturizer

2011-08-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

I've heard alot about Stila recently, so when i saw this in TK Maxx i was interested and brought it in the second lightest shade.

Stila SPF 30 Oil-free Sheer colour tinted moisturizer

(btw, how long a product name do you want?)

Top - semi blended

Bottom - unblended

Coverage wise, as the name 'sheer colour' would suggest, is very low. If you've got perfect skin, or want low coverage plus concealer, then this could really work for you. You could even mix it with some foundation to build up the coverage, or apply powder foundation lightly over it once this is dry (otherwise you risk being orange).

Its fairly long lasting, about as long as you could expect from a tinted moisturizer.

Oil-free however i'm not sure about, when i first used it the product had separated a bit and i ended up with my palm covered in oil. Even once i'd shaken it, it still had/has quite an oily texture. Though i have slightly oily skin anyway, so it could just be me.

You get 40ml of product, a decent amount. The RRP is £7.99 but i got it for £3.99 at TK Maxx.

My little Lush collection

2011-08-03T06:39:00.000-07:00

Heres Lush collection, not as big as some i've seen but i like to try different brands.

Back row; Big shampoo, Vanilla Dee-lite body lotion, Tea Tree toner (full and small size)

Front left to right; Dirty Toothy tabs, Sweetie pie shower jelly, Charity pot trial size,

Dark Angels facial scrub, unused 'sultana of soap' soap.

Click here for my review of the Big Shampoo.
Click here for my review of the 'Dirty' Toothy Tabs.

I'm looking for what to try next. Any Lush (or other brand) products you'd recommend?
Or even any of these anyone wants reviewed?

Tips - concealer

2011-08-02T07:02:00.000-07:00

Concealers are a must for anyone with blemish prone skin, dark eye circles or an uneven skintone. I have quite a few at any one time, while considering which i have the other day i had the idea to swatch and compare them.

Left to right; Rimmel Hide The Blemish Concealer in 001 Ivory, Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer in CIA,

Maybelline Superstay 24hour concealer in Light/Beige Clair 2, GOSH Touch up concealer in shade 1,

Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer in 51 Light radiance

Semi-blended.

Having different shades of concealer can be useful.

Here a few of my tips for concealer;

Using a yellow toned concealer on dark circles with help cover them more subtly, using a slightly lighter coloured one will create a brightening effect. I use the Urban Decay one or the Bourjois one.
Dab concealer on then tap into place, it gives a more precise application.
'Cleanse, moisturize, concealer then foundation' is the best order.
A long lasting concealer can make a good eyeshadow primer, dab a small amount all over your eyelid and allow to dry before applying eyeshadow. I like the Maybelline one for this, since its a bit dark for my face.
If you're only going to apply concealer, no foundation, consider using a brush to lightly apply powder to set it.

Review - Lush Big shampoo

2011-08-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

The only product I class as an 'investment'. Some people like to justify buying expensive products buy seeing them as 'investments' which i think is a bit of a lame reason. But when i think about how amazing this product is and how long it will last i think this is my one and only 'Investment' product. And you know what? Its not even that expensive. Its the same price as a decent drugstore/highstreet mascara or foundation.

'Sea salt shampoo for shine, softness and big endowments. This pot of oceanic goodness is 50% sea salt to give limp hair the volume it deserves, with seaweed infusion to soften hair and citrus juices for shine. After using Big, your hair will be bouncing back to life.'

£10.95 (of which my lovely mother gave me £10)

(looks a bit yucky, but its sea salt)

This stuff is wonderful and amazing. My mum came home one day with a sample pot of it, which i instantly ~~stole~~ 'borrowed' since i'd been hearing such wonderful things about this product.

I ~~stole~~ acquired the sample pot a few weeks ago and i honestly don't know why i waited until today to buy it.

Comparison of sample pot size.

The Lush sample pots are pretty generous size. I decided to put this in to show you how little of this you actually need to use, i've used half of the sample pot in about 3 hair washes (and i have mid-shoulder blade length hair). So this big pot will really last you a long time, don't be put off by the price.

You're hair is as important as your skin, bad or greasy hair will ruin even the nicest skin/makeup. So using the right products on your hair is just as important as using the right skincare. This is a brilliant haircare product for anyone with thin, limp, normal or greasy hair but might wanna stay away if your hairs quite dry or frizzy.

Ask the lovely people in Lush for a sample if you're unsure about this product, they don't bite and are (in my experience) always happy and helpful. I'm a Lush addict, I've been to *counts on fingers* 7 different stores (three of them i go into fairly often) of theirs now and their always the happiest shop assistants i've met.

Musical inspiration - Taylor swift

2011-07-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

As part of my inspiration series this is my first 'music-spriation' one and i'm going to start with Taylor Swift.
I've picked three songs of hers. The inspiration is either taken from the title, the lyrics or even how the overall song makes me feel when i listen to it.

All taken from her 'Speak Now' album.

'Sparks Fly'

I took the title and the lyrics for this one, going for firework sort of colours.

I used the GOSH Bohemian Gypsy eye-shadow palette for this look.
(For the eye-shadow in the video, published after i posted this, click here )

'Long Live'

Probably my favorite song on the album. I wanted it to be bright, bold and playful so my obvious colour choice was lilac (my favorite).

I used the Rose shimmer shine pencil by BYS and MUA shade 4.

'Back to December'

This is my favourite look and, regrettably, one of my least favorite songs on the album (just a bit depressing).

I went for a cold looking, silver and blue shiny look. To fit with the 'December' and *cough* depressing nature of the song.

I used the Silver shimmer shine pencil by BYS and GOSH Effect Powders in Steel and Blue Diamond.

I've got a few other bands and songs to do looks for.

If anyone wants tutorials for any of these then comment below and i'll be more than happy to make them.

Photography inspiration - nature (pic heavy)

2011-07-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know i'm photography obsessed. I love photographing pretty things but sometimes these photos can be great for colour and pattern inspiration.
So here are some of my favorite colour inspiration images.

(Yes, goats on a roof)

I really like these for helping me decide on an eye-shadow colour and things.
Plus their quite pretty to look at... to sound self-obsessed or anything, since i took all these.

Monthly favorites - July

2011-07-31T05:14:00.000-07:00

I like doing these sort of posts, they give me a chance to look back on what products I use and love more. Which helps me work out what new products I want to buy.

Left to right; Collection 2000 Cream puff in Fairy Cake, Rimmel Lasting Finish 206 Nude Pink
Bourjois Blush 74 Rose Ambre, NYC Rose Gold and GOSH 002 Misty Mauve Nail lacquer.

Left to right; 206 Nude pink, 413 Rose Gold and Fairy Cake lipcream

Bourjois blush - 74 Rose Ambre

The products I use that change most are lipsticks because I love the differences in colour and texture you can get. Even though i tend to stick with similar colours, i do branch out into different colours when i'm feeling adventurous.

I love lilac coloured things, their so pretty and this nail varnish is no exception.

I like a little variety with blushes, though i tend to stick to pink toned ones and stay away from more bronzer-ish ones.

Here are swatches of all my Bourjois blushes.

So those are my most used/liked products this month :)

Todays haul

2011-07-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

Did a nice bit of shopping this morning, and brought a few skincare things as well as Stila's Oil Free Tinted moisturizer.

Lush Dark Angels - £5.95

Biore Blemish fighting ice wash - RRP £6.49 (I paid £2.99 at TK Maxx)

Stila SPF 30 Tinted moisturizer - RRP £7.99 (I paid £3.99 at TK Maxx)

I'm loving some of the products TKMaxx have at the minute.

Reviews on all of these coming soon :)

Mac Pink Split mineralize eyeshadow

2011-07-29T05:20:00.000-07:00

I got this a while ago but didn't get round to posting about it. This morning after a broken computer scare, which i fixed (muhaha), i decided to swatch it today.

Mac Pink Split Mineralize eyeshadow duo

his eyeshadow isn't highly pigmented but the colours are still pretty and very shimmery. Their both golden tones, with the top being a golden taupe colour and the bottom being a golden peach.

Vo5 Heat Protect Styling Spray - Review

2011-07-28T00:55:00.000-07:00

Heat Protection for your hair, it works on the same principle that wearing oven gloves do... Heat = ouchie. Heat damage to your skin, its effects are obvious (and painful) quicker but prolonged use of heat styling can do just as much damage to your hair.
Which is why products like this are hair savers. They protect from heat caused split ends, hair breaking and all sort of other problems.

It smells rather nice. The sprayer dispenses the product really well, in a fine wide area covering mist.
I've had this about two weeks and i loved it from the first use. It also helps make my hair really soft and smooth :)

Since there's only so much i can say about this type of product i'm just going to let the results speak for themselves. Here are some photos to show you the product in action
I guess i'll have to show you my natural hair for comparison.

My natural brushed hair, which i took a few days ago (you see why i need to straighten it).

Todays before pic.

After.

Part of my fringe rest of my hair.

Try as i might, i couldn't get an even semi-decent photo of the back. So heres one my friend took the other day in M&M World, London.

This is about 15 hours after i straightened my hair

(excuse the recently non-brushed hair)

NOTD - Barry M Blue moon

2011-07-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

Barry M - Blue moon

NYC Ultra last lipwear - swatches

2011-07-27T03:32:00.000-07:00

I'm always on the look out for cute and unique lipstick colours. So when i popped into my local chemist to see if they had a particular Rimmel nail varnish i'm looking for, i was delighted to see they've got an N.Y.C display.

They had sold out of a few things and while they had lots of foundations and concealers still, one of my odd like quirks is not being able to buy foundation or concealer unless i'm currently wearing some (just because i feel a little bit like i'm getting judged).

Anyway, on to the lipstick swatches;

Left to right; 409 Fragile Pink, 413 Rose gold.

Let me start off by saying, i am in love with rose gold, its a perfect colour. I've been through my other lipsticks, making sure i have no dupes.

The closest i could find were Posietint (Benefit), far left, and Fruit Cocktail (benfit) on the top right.

409 is shimmery a bit more peach than Poisetint, i actually prefer 409.

Fruit Cocktail is almost the same, just more blue based. I think i'd have to swatch about 50 different similar looking products to find an exact match for Rose gold.

The only thing i dislike about these is the awkward square shape of the tubes.

I have a Facebook page

2011-07-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

Like it for updates, pics and news of my up coming mini-giveaway

Like it here

(cause it looks a little sad with no likes)

My favorite eyeliner

2011-07-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

I think there's an eyeliner conspiracy going on in bedroom. In the last week I've had both my favorite eyeliner pencil and my eyeliner brush stolen...well maybe no stolen but I can't find them.

So today I decided to buy another one of the eyeliner pencils, mainly because i'm going to London on Sunday and i refuse to go without eyeliner on.

Rimmel Exaggerate waterproof eyeliner - 261 Noir

Left to right; Urban decay 24/7 eye-pencil in Zero (two swipes)
and Rimmel Exaggerate (one swipe)

Exaggerate pencils last longer and better than the Urban Decay 24/7 ones, their also more waterproof.

Comparing the two price wise the Urban Decay one is £13.00 were as the Rimmel one is £3.99 so a definite saving there.

I got my 24/7 mini liner in my Black Palette and I hardly ever use it because i like the Rimmel liner much more.

NOTD - Barry M and GOSH

2011-07-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

Barry M 304 Mint Green and GOSH 002 Misty Mauve.

My rather messy nails :)

Makeup storage (pic heavy)

2011-07-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

I've posted about my makeup collection (as a whole and just sections of it) but today i thought i'd show you guys how i store my makeup and skincare products :)
About two months ago i brought cute vintage looking boxes.

Nail varnishes, most used lip balms and eyeliner

with MAC mineralize eyeshadows

Most used perfume and products, plus brushes

Skincare i dont use daily

Left box; Eyeshadows, eyeliners,

mascaras, lipsticks, lipglosses and eyeshadow pallets.

Right box; Purfumes, primers,

blushes, highlighters, concealers, foundations

Foundations i use often

Blushes and highlighters

Foundations/concealers i dont use often

Lipsticks

Makeup/hand wipes

GOSH eye product swatches

2011-07-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

In the last few days i've brought a couple of GOSH items (in the Superdrug sale) so i thought i'd show you the eyeshadow ones.

Love that violet! - waterproof eye shadow stick

002 Bohemian Gypsy - special eyeshadow collection (pallet).

I really love these products, the colours are long lasting and vivid. The shadow stick (top pic) is waterproof and wonderfully smudge proof.
Theres loads of GOSH products half price in Superdrug at the moment (both of these were about £3).

Bad makeup

2011-07-17T06:28:00.000-07:00

Theres few better feelings than seeing someone you really dislike wearing awful makeup, especially if you look pretty good at the time.

(random Google photo that amused me)

I may have had my freshly washed, still damp, hair pulled back into a pony tail and makeup that had survived a steam in the shower (including my rather nice bright purple eyeshadow) but at least i wasn't sporting greasy hair and awful cakey foundation.
I was very good and didn't laugh, i just ran home to giggle and drink chocolate milkshake. And got home just in time to miss the next lot of heavy rain :)

A rather good day in all and now i shall return to my English revision... *laughs again at the aweful makeup photo*

Mini haul :)

2011-07-16T04:55:00.000-07:00

I went out this morning to find a new shoulder bag. I went around three or four shops but couldn't find a bag i liked, i decided to go take a quick look in Superdrug to cheer myself up and i came across a rather nice little sale in the GOSH section :)
After finding the sale and buying three cute little products i went to New Look to see if they had any cute bags.
And look what i found!!

Butterfly across body bag - Newlook £9.99

How adorable is it? :)

Now for a a few pics of the other things i brought;

Gosh; Waterproof eye shadow stick in Love that violet!,
special edition 002 Misty Mauve nail lacquer, 'Touch up' concealer in shade 1.

All these GOSH products were 1/2 price and considering my purple addiction how could i resist?

I've also been looking at the nail lacquer for quite a while, but its so similar to the Barry M 'Berry Icecream' polish i have that i couldn't really justify buying it. After getting away from the horrible shop lights i can see that the GOSH one is slightly darker and richer in colour.

I'll do a makeup/nail of the day with these soon :)

For now i'd recommend heading straight over to your nearest Superdrug and seeing if any of their GOSH sale takes your fancy :)

My lipstick collection - update

2011-07-14T14:38:00.000-07:00

I currently look like a lipstick monster, most of my left is covered in various shades of lipstick.
This is an updated post on my lipstick collection. The original post of this, in April, is rather pathetic looking i only had 8 lipsticks at that time. I now have 15 of them, not a huge amount more but lipstick swatches are always useful to have to refer to.

Left to right; Random Black Claires lipstick, Stargazer 102,

Maybelline Volume XL '140' Petal attraction, Laura Page Dusky Rose 55,

Rimmel Nude Pink '206', Rimmel Aisa 077, Stargazer 112, Stargazer 123,

Natural Collection Rose Petal, Natural Collection Rose Bud.

Left to Right; Random Black Claires lipstick, Stargazer 102,

Maybelline Volume XL '140' Petal attraction, Laura Page Dusky Rose 55,

Rimmel Nude Pink '206', Rimmel Aisa 077, Stargazer 112.

Left to right; Stargazer 112, Stargazer 123,

Natural Collection Rose Petal, Natural Collection Rose Bud.

Benefit lipstick Swatches, left to right;

Hold It!, Liar Lips, Passionista, Fruit Cocktail, I do I do I do.

If anyone wants a review of any of these, comment below and i'll write one out :)

Skincare solutions - large pores

2011-07-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

A two weeks ago i noticed i was beginning to have a problem with this, i was investigating how well a foundation dried at the time. I began hunting through my skincare stash to find a solution to this. I decided on two products by the skincare range Simple, didn't pick them just because of the brand.

Simple; Triple action face wash and soothing facial toner.

I've reviewed the toner before, since I've had it for quite a while, but didn't mention it with regard to pores because i didn't have the problem to the time.

I love this combination and i've been using it daily (with the occasional clay mask) for almost two weeks.

The toner claims; 'Our Soothing Facial Toner is a perfect blend of active ingredients and chamomile goodness to keep your skin clarified and refreshed. Perfect for even sensitive skin.'

The facial wash claims; 'Natural antibacterial goodness to deeply cleanse, purify and tone. Removing hidden dirt and unclogging pores,'

The product claims/descriptions are completely accurate.

After a week i saw about a 40% reduction in pore size and this morning i noticed they were now about 30% of their original size. Clearly very effective products.

Their both great for any skin type, gentle enough to not harm skin but still work amazingly.

My two step blush application

2011-07-11T07:20:00.000-07:00

Blush when applied properly it can improve even the simplest make-up style but if you're a tiny bit too rushed or you use even a small amount too much, you end up looking like you've used nail polish on your cheeks instead of blusher.
When experimenting with my Bourjois blushes i've found an easy way to give your self a healthy looking glow without the whole 'Tried to use a cheek tint by just pouring the bottle onto my face' look.

Before

After

(I tried to get the angles the same but couldn't quite manage it)

Step one (pink);

Apply which ever blusher you want as your main colour along the top o your cheek bone. If you want to make your cheekbones more prominent (as do chose to) apply it only to the part of your cheek bone directly below your eyes and upwards alone the bone.- I used Bourjois 95 Rose De Jaspe.

Step two (champagne);

Next is the highlight colour, i'd use one with some shimmer, just brush it lightly along the cheek bone then (without putting more on the brush) blend the colours downwards to the bottom of the cheek bone. - I used Bourjois 35 Lune D'or.

Neutrogena Visibly clear - review.

2011-07-10T05:53:00.000-07:00

I've been using the 2 in 1 wash and mask for about 6 months and i've just started my second tube of it. This has prompted me to review the three products i have from the range.

Left to right; 2 in 1 wash/mask,

3 in 1 cleansing lotion and Ultra-light spot treatment moisturizer.

2 in 1 wash and mask;

'Quickly dissolves excess oil and helps eliminate spot causing bacteria.'

I love clay based facial products and this is a long standing HG (holy grail) favorite.

It gives you clearer skin after just a few uses and its great which ever way you choose to wear it.

It does sting a small amount, because it really does cleanse deep down in the skin, but after a few uses you get used to it.
I tend to use it two or three times a week as a mask and was a go to wash when ever i'm short on time.

Great for all skin types, even dry ones, because it balances out the skins oil while cleansing.

3 in 1 Daily cleansing lotion;

'Deeply cleanses, Reduces excess oil and shine and helps clear spots.'

This stuff is basically paint stripper and if you have any feeling in your face then you can't/shouldn't use it daily.

That being said there is a few simple ways you can turn this into a great prodcut suitable for daily use;

Dilute it with some cold boiled or mineral water
(boiling water then waiting for it to cool will sterilize it improving the mixtures effects)

Mix it with another much weaker toner

(such as the Simple soothing one or The lush Tea Tree toner)

Use a small amount of it specifically on spots or oily skin patches, instead of all over,
by applying it with a cotton bud, cotton pad or a cotton wool.

Its main fault is that its too strong for most peoples skin, every review i've seen on it has said the same as me. But once you get past that with one of the above methods, or only using it once or twice a week (if you don't mind the stinging) then it will really help your skins clarity.

Ultra-light spot treatment moisturizer;

'Skin is clearer, soft and healthy-looking'

I know that the idea of using a moisturizer on oily skin is lost on some people. But the idea is you replace the natural oil/moisture lost while cleansing with a better and improved type of moisture (which wont clog pores), so the skin doesn't need to produce as much. And you should do this a few times a week, if you have oily skin, for example after you use an exfoliating scrub/wash (which again, you should only do a few times a week).

This moisturizer is oil free, so no greasy residue, and enriched with green tea and cucumber. Great for oily, normal or combination skin.

I love this product and the matte effect it gives. Its my HG moisturizer and i doubt i'll bother buying another, i'll just repurchase this one and i don't tend to repurchase many skincare products (since most prodcuts have room for improvement). It also gives a rather nice glow to the skin, and if you chill it a bit first it improves the glow even more.

I have to say i think the 2 in 1 wash/mask and the Ultra-lighr spot free moisturiser are well worth taking a look at, their my definite favorite products of their kind.

Collection 2000 Cream puff

2011-07-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

I saw this yesterday in Charli's post about it in the 'Fairy Cake' shade and knew i had to have it.

Collection 2000 Cream puff lipcream in 'Fairy Cake 3'

(Really blurry pic, sorry.)

After going to Superdrug and swatching it i decided she had definitely chosen the best of all the colours (all four of them), so i brought it and headed to Primark to look for a new shoulder bag. About 20 minutes later it was pointed out to me that i'd managed to get some of the lip cream on top, right on my...chest. Awkward or what?
This meant this lipcream has to be really good, since it has possibly ruined one of my favorite tops.
On the bright side it meant i could get a chocolate brownie to cheer myself up :)

It doesn't really show it pics but its a bit dark for me if its just applied straight onto my lips.

With 'Whited out' lips (covering natural lip colour with concealer) before i appiled the lip cream.

Still fairly undecided about this, not sure if it was worth the death of my top. Though i do have an occasion in mind to wear this :)

NOTD - Barry M

2011-07-07T03:53:00.000-07:00

My first nail polish post :)
I was experimenting yesterday and came up with this idea.

Barry M Strawberry Icecream (309) and Blue Moon (317)

They look a bit messy but i drew the Blue Moon bit free hand (when i wear it properly i'll use sellotape or the proper manicure sticky's).

I love Barry M nail paints and i currently have 8 of them in various colours. They have a great colour selection, which allows me to embrace my love of vintage-ish colours.
I find they also tend to dry quicker than some other brands which advertise a 'quick drying time'. It only takes two (or sometimes even one) coats to get the same colour as the bottle.
At £2.99 each their affordable and you can buy loads for the same price as one from a high-end brand, i prefer them to some of the more expensive brands.

I'll post swatches/NOTD posts on my other colours of theirs :)

Maybe Baby...

2011-07-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

What a bad beauty blogger i've been, I haven't not posted in almost a week. Sorry about that! But i still have no idea what to post about!
The only cosmetic thing i've brought recently is a Benefit eau de toilette, which i got on a mini shopping trip to Oxford, so i think i'll post about that :)

I think this product is a perfect example of how good things can come in deceptively plain packaging. This little beauty was hiding at the base of their lipstick stand. I picked up the tester one and it was love at first sniff.

Blend: sparkling floral
Top Note: apricot and white ginger
Middle Note: fresh water blossoms of cyclamen, lychee and bergamot
Base Note: white musk, Himalayan poppy and warm peach

Its beautifully floral without being to feminine, thanks to the white musk and white ginger. I love anything with a hint of peach.
One spray gives you the scent for a few hours, since this is an eau de toilette not an eau de perfum (which last longer). Its a slightly shorter length than my hand, so a similar size to mascaras, not too big to carry around to reapply.

Its £19.50 for 50ml, I wasn't sure about buying it but i was going to by a 30ml eau de perfum for £14 a few days ago so i figured it wasn't that much more plus i got more product.

I'm fairly sure this has been discontinued, because it wasn't out with the other perfumes, and because its not on the UK Benefit site (its $32 on the USA site, though it doesn't ship internationally on perfumes). I'm sure theres a few lurking around various Benefit shops/counters, just as mine was.

The Falsies Volum' Express mascara- Review

2011-07-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, to celebrate the end of my work experience, I picked up Maybelline the Falsies Volum' Express mascara.
I've been hearing about Maybelline False eyelash effect mascaras for a while but never got round to buying it. Mainly because I have naturally quite long eyelashes, which means all I really look for is a really pigmented black that doesn't smudge. I also tend to dislike really 'hyped' up products 'cause they hardly ever live up to the hype.

I was looking for a little treat for myself in Superdrug when i came across this on offer for £6.16 (£2 off), since i'd been looking at this from time to time i decided i'd rather try it now and be disappointed than pay full price and be really disappointed.

No mascara (or make up at all, eeek!)

Falsies Volum' Express in Black Drama (on top lashes since i dont put mascara on my bottom ones)

I am in love with this mascara, so glad i decided to try it. Its not heavy on my lashes, it doesn't smudge and its the blackest black ever. My first thought when i saw the result was 'Holy cow why didn't I buy this sooner?!'. I've tried quite a few mascaras over the last few years but this has to be the best I've found.

Seriously the photos don't do this justice!

The pretty slightly curved wand.

Garnier Pure 3 in 1 - review

2011-06-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

For the last week i've been using The 'Garnier Pure 3 in 1 Wash + Scrub + Mask'. I'd had this for months and i'd used it a few random times since then but never really liked it, so it ended up in my skin/haircare box until i re-discovered it just over a week ago.
After finding it again, and seeing adverts on tv for it, I decided to set myself a challenge and use it and it alone for a week. I put away all my other facial washes and products leaving just this, my favorite toner and moisturizer out.

What it claims;

Enriched with Zinc, Pumice and White Clay.

Wash; Eliminates excess sebum

Scrub; Unclogs pores

Mask Evens skin tone

What I thought;
I love multi-use products and this as a clay based product had to be worth a try, not that i used it much at first.

I really like this as a wash and mask but I dislike it as a scrub (but i'm never much of a scrub fan).
Its a great product for use on oily skin but not so great if you have sensitive skin.

I've not seen much of a difference in my skin visibly, though it does feel softer.

Overall not an amazing product but could be worth checking it out, Boots have it for £2.60 at the moment so if you like these sort of products then definitely worth trying.

Todays makeup

2011-06-29T02:30:00.000-07:00

...Or what would be today's makeup if i weren't feeling ill.
I have a cold at the minute, which i'm just getting better from. Since i have nothing new to review and i'm feeling to 'meh' to put makeup on myself, i thought i'd show you guys my hypothetical makeup.

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation, Benefit Benetint, Bourjois Blush in 74 Rose Ambre,

Rimmel Extra super lash mascara, MAC Pink Split mineral eyeshadow duo.

These are some of my favourite products. I adore them all, especially Pink Split because i got it for £6.50 from a blogsale (blogsales are my latest addiction). I'm still not totally sure about Benetint but i'm slowly liking it more and more.

Natural collection swatches

2011-06-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

Recently i've been on the look out for two things, blusher and lipstick. This afternoon to celebrate finishing my first day of work experience i decided to treat myself to a few of each.
I did my usual walk around the whole makeup sections in Superdrug and Boots but somehow the only things that appealed to me were the cheap brand Natural Collection. Not a brand i've paid much attention to in the past but i thought i'd give them a go.

Since this brand is fairly new to me I wanted to show you guys some swatches, since i always swatch new products when i get home anyway.

Left to right; Moisture surge lipsticks - Rose bud, rose petal,

Blushed cheeks - Sweet cheeks and Peach Melba.

I think these colours are really quite pretty and a steal at £1.99 each.

Lush Toothy Tabs - Dirty.

2011-06-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

I've had these Lush Toothy Tabs for a while but the reviews on the Lush website have made me hesitant. They seem to be completely undecided on these. They've said they taste awful and soapy but some say they prefer them to their usual toothpaste tubes. Most seem to have not read the instructions of how to use them and tried to suck them like mints.

A few days ago I decided I wanted to review them and put my opinion of them across. While I've not really gone looking for reviews on this, apart from the ones on the Lush site, no reviews have come up on my dashboard and considering I've subscribed to about 55 beauty/fashion blogs (so i have lots of reviews to read) i think its odd I've not seen any.

I've used these four times now and I've already got a fully formed opinion of them.

'These innovative, revolutionary tooth cleansing tabs will clean your teeth and leave your mouth minty fresh.'

Their not really that minty but that's because they've not had a chemical mint taste/smell added to them, personally i'd rather have them slightly more minty but i'm just as happy with the lack of chemicals.

They foam an insane amount, its so amazing. I look'd like I had rabies when I used them first time.

They've actually already made my teeth look whiter, which I find impressive.

Like quite a few lush products its a bit of a learning curve when you first start using these. It feels really weird crunching your toothpaste and resisting the urge to swallow it. Its a bit like their 'Big' shampoo with which you

have to get used to rubbing sea salt into your scalp but once you're used to it, its completely worth it.

I think trying these out would be worth it, once you get over the slightly unusual feel they really are amazing.

Eyeshadow idea

2011-06-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

I'm going out to a gig tomorrow night (so excited) and I've been experimenting with how to do my make up. I've already decided on Benefits Liar Lips as a lipstick, a beautiful blue based red/brown colour. I'm also going to make sure i look quite pale as its a rock show and i think pale skin, red lips and dark eyeshadow are perfect with rock music.

My current idea;

(Sorry for the blurry pics, my camera wasn't cooperating tonight)

MAC Mineralize outspoken trio', Maybelline Lasting Drama gel liner in black and a Rimmel mascara.

I used three products to do this complete look, much less than usually do, though I cheated by using an eyeshadow trio.

First i used the burgundy colour all over the lid. Then i applied the eyeliner, followed by covering the lid in the purple.

Not bad me thinks.

Also not really beauty related but I Googled 'MAC Mineralize outspoken trio' to see if i'd spelt it right and I discovered that some of my pics were on the first page of results, along with my pics on quite a few of the other pages... Plus page 17 was made up entirely of my pics!

I'm seriously happy right now.

Top screen; 4th, 5th and the last photo on it.

Bottom screen; All mine!! *Muhahaha!*

Aussie conditioner comparision

2011-06-24T03:45:00.000-07:00

Today I've finally decided post a haircare review (my first one). Its about, as the title suggests, Aussie conditioners. I own three of them and i use them all alot.

There are eight conditioners in total by them, including two 3 Minute Miracle deep conditioners.

Anyone whos ever smelt an Aussie product will know the products all smell like their the hair care products of angels.

I think these products have 4 key points about them that make them stand out, so those are what i'll use to describe them. The main contributor to their smell and effects, how they actually work compared to the claims about them, my overall opinion of the product and what hair type they'd be best for.

Mega instant conditioner, for everyday conditioning.

Australian Kangaroo Paw Flower, its meant to make your hair softer without weighing down hair. It smells amazing, definitely my favorite scent of the three. Its floral and smells slightly over powering at first but it leaves your hair smelling perfect. It smells a bit like it should be perfume.

'No build up, no dull lifeless hair, no need to use anything else.
Its brilliant stuff that males your hair soft and shiny.'

It completely lives up to the claims about it. It made my hair noticeably softer from the first use.
Its a wonderful product, its all i really have to say about it.
It would be an ideal product for anyone looking for a daily use (or however often you wash your hair). Without it building up and weighing your hair down, regardless of your hair type. Even if you just want an occasional product for use on oily hair.

Miracle moist conditioner, 'for hair that'd dry/damaged/a bit unhappy'.

Queensland Macadamia Nut, for re-hydrating hair. This has a much more subtle smell to it than the Mega Instant, much more nutty and an undertone of musk. It could almost be a product for guys because of the lack of smell after your hairs dry.

'Re-hydrates your hair leaving it strong and healthy looking.'

Healthy, soft and shiny are the three words that describe the effects of this product.
Its a good product but not really suitable for people with slightly oily hair because you end up looking greasy not shiny. If my hairs feeling dry then I always reach for this product and its accompanying shampoo.
This is defiantly a product for anyone with dry hair, there's no denying that. But if you have oily hair then just applying it to the ends of your hair could still work for you.

3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor deep conditioner, for damaged hair.

Safflower seed oil, helps mend split ends and roughened cuticles. I dont really like how this smells in the tube, its so chemical-ish but once its been rinsed out of your hair it'll leave a nice light scent behind.

'It helps transform dry, damaged hair into manage able and shiny locks in three minutes.'

It really honestly does transform hair. Miracle is the prefect word for its abilities to rescue hair from even a desert dry state.
If you've got dry/damaged hair then this product with just one or two uses a week could remarkably improve your hair. I have oily hair and i use this once a week, keeping it away from my roots, it doesn't weigh it down but still manages to improve my damaged and split ends.
Best for dry hair but suitable for other hair types too.

Bourjois Healty mix concealer review

2011-06-23T03:11:00.000-07:00

About three weeks ago I brought Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation, after seeing about a dozen reviews raving about it, so when I saw the concealer version I couldn't resist getting it as part of a three for two offer.

I think i'll start the review with a quote from the Bourjois website.

'Bourjois new Healthy Mix fruit-therapy correcting concealer smoothes away dark circles and imperfections for a visibly rested and radiant look.'

Enriched with;

Apricot > radiance

Raspberry > micro-circulation

Melon > hydration

Left; A swipe and a gentle squeeze.

Right; Blended swatch, half the amount of product as on the left.

I really quite like this concealer, not quite as much as I like the foundation but pretty close.

Its oil free, a big positive in my opinion. Its also reasonably good on dry skin, it doesn't cake or anything. Wonderfully long lasting and it smells quite nice too. I agree with the website description but i'm not totally sure about the radiance claim.
Its quite effective on under eye circles which I have quite dark ones, in contrast to my pale skin tone. As well as effectively covering redness.
It has a nice texture, its slightly creamy.

My only negative point is that it only comes in three colours but if you can one at matches your skin tone then i'd recommend this. I wasn't sure about buying this myself as in store the testers looked a bit orange for me but i decided to risk it anyway and buy the lightest shade.

You get 10ml of product in this, were as you get 30ml in the foundation, so i can see this lasting quite a while.
It retails for £7.49, not the cheapest concealer but not expensive either.

Why not take a look at my review of the bourjois healty mix foundation ?

Accessorize eyeshadow swatches

2011-06-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post.
Here are some Accessorize swatches, as promised the other day.

Left to right; Illusion eyeshadow 21- Iris,
Icon eyeshadow 5 - Mermaid, Icon eyeshadow 4 - Platinum

Their really soft and pigmented. Their pretty long lasting and are really shimmery. I'm in love with the purple, its so cute.

You can get them from Superdrug instore or online i can only find this trio and other together for £4.99 or £4 per eyeshadow single. I got the trio for £1.99 in my local store so it could be worth checking to see if they have the same trio for the same price. You can also get them from the Accessorize website.

Top 5 blue eyeshadows

2011-06-20T04:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I posted a weekly favorites post which included a purple eyeshadow, it looked blue in the picture and I got a comment from someone about wanting to see a swatch of the 'blue'.
Today I thought i'd post swatches of my favorite blue eyeshadows, which was something I was planning on doing at some point anyway.

Left to right; Urban Decay Electric matt eyeshadow, Urban Decay Sabbath from The Black Palette,

Gosh - Cyanic, Aquatic, Blue Diamond.

Electric - A bright blue in the pan, with green-ish undertones. On the skin its a beautiful, vivid matte blue with a sea green hint to it.

Sabbath - I love my Black Palette but i dont get to use it as much as i'd like. This looks a navy shimmery blue in the pan but on the skin its more of a black with navy and silver shimmer to it.

Cyanic - The brightest blue I own, Its almost neon but subtly so. Its got a cyan and silver shimmer to it, with almost a hint of lilac in the shimmer.

Aquatic - A beautiful green blue shimmer colour which looks amazing when foiled.

Blue Diamond - A silver grey blue colour with gold in the shimmer. I adore this colour, its subtle and pretty.

Unfortunately I think the GOSH powders all all discontinued but they are all on ebay if you're interested in them.

Maxfactor Smooth Effect foundation

2011-06-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

I saw this while i was having a a quick look around Boots a couple of days ago. I'd not seen it in a shop before so i'm sure its a new product.
When I got home i had a little hunt around for reviews, to see what other people had thought, and i found an usually small amount of them. This makes me think its really quite new.

After buying Maxfactors Weightless foundation, which was absurdly greasy for an oil free product, i was hesitant to try this as it again claims that its oil free. But since i love their Miracle Touch solid to liquid foundation, i decided to risk it and buy this in my ever lasting hunt for the perfect foundation.

'Smooth Effect Foundation gives you a smooth base and an ideal canvas for the boldest and brightest colours.'

This foundation is less oily than their Weightless foundation (on my skin at least). It bends perfectly, with minimal effort and after a few minutes it dries fully and you can reapply for full coverage. Its a very 'my skin but better' product.
I have to admit I've noticed it sinking into my pores a bit, but all foundations to that to me so i'm fairly sure its just due to my oily skin. It lasted really quite well, 6 or so hours (which for me is pretty good).

Over all i think i'm going to be experimenting with this foundation quite a bit, since as with most products practice makes perfect.

Top; Blended

Bottom; Unblended

This strikes me as having slight yellow undertones. (This swatch was in the inside of my arm, so it looks slightly orange but it really is the perfect colour for me.)

If you happen to walk past a Maxfactor counter then keep an eye out for this. It could definitely be worth a look. Its current price is £7.99 but since most Maxfactor foundations are at least £9.99, this product will probably go up in price in a while. Also I've only seen it in a few colours so far, so I don't know how many shades there are.

Make-up I've used most this week.

2011-06-19T04:46:00.000-07:00

Today I thought i'd just share with you lovely people the my most used make-up of the last week or so.
I put the product I've used most of each kind i use on a daily basis (Foundation, cheek, lip, eye and other). I don't think i've not actually done a product of the week post before, this week seems like a perfectly good week to start.

Left to right; Lush Snow Fairy lip tint, Bourjois 03 Brun Cuivre blush, Accessorize Illusion eye shadow in 21-Iris, Maxfactor Smooth effect foundation.

I got Snow fairy in the Lush after-christmas sale. Its Beautiful pink colour, which i fell in love with the second i saw it. This is a christmas product and things by this scent are only available around that time of year.

I love Brun Cuivre, its definitely become my go to blush. Its a subtle peach shimmered bronze colour, pretty but not over powering.

I got Iris as part of a set of three, it was an absolute bargain at £1.99 for the set in Superdrug. Their amazingly smooth and pigmented. I'll be posting swatches soon.

I'm still experimenting with this foundation. I've taken to putting it on my t-zone, around my eyes and on my chin. As i said in my review its a 'my skin but better' sort of product.

High beam, over hyped or just an amazing product? I'd have to say, both. It gives me a lovely glow if i apply it correctly but it does make me look oily if i over/under apply or put it on an already slightly oily area.

Take a look at my swatches and reviews;
bourjois blush swatches.
benefit High Beam swatch.
accessorize eyeshadow swatches.
maxfactor-smooth-effect-foundation review.

Bourjois Blush swatches 2

2011-06-17T04:54:00.000-07:00

I was naughty today and brought two more Bourjois blushes. I know i brought a few the other week but there is a 3 for 2 offer in Superdrug, so i got two more of their blushes and their Healthy mix concealer (since i really like their Healthy mix foundation).

95 Rose De Jaspe and 74 Rose Ambre.

(My latest purchases.)

Left to right; 95 Rose De Jaspe, 74 Rose Ambre, 85 Sienne, 03 Brune Cuivre, 35 Lune D'or.

Rose de jaspe; A shimmery pink with a golden-peach undertone to it. This is one of my favs already and it reminds me a little bit or Nars Orgasm.

Rose Ambre; This is a matte blush with no shimmer at, good news for people who dislike the glitter ball effect. Its a peach terracotta sort of shade and its surprisingly easy to work with for a matte blush.

My favourites are Rose De Jaspe and Brun Cuivre, with Rose Ambre as a possiblity once I've used it a bit.

I think i'm offically all blusher'd out and i wont be buying any for at least a month because I've got a good selection of colours and it'll be ages before i get anywhere pan (even if i were only to use one for the next month).

See the link below for more details on the other blushes;

http://kissnmake-up.blogspot.com/2011/06/bourjois-blush-swatches.html

Simple Soothing Facial Toner - review/rave

2011-06-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

I brought this a week ago. I've used it everyday since, two days i used it twice, and i must say that i love this product! Its gentle, cleansing, refreshing and doesn't irritate my skin no matter how much i use it. I'd even go so far as to say this is a must try product, especially for anyone with sensitive skin.

(Couldn't find my camera today so i got this pic off Google.)

I think i'm going to use what the Simple website says about it, mainly because i totally agree with it.

'Our Soothing Facial Toner is a perfect blend of active ingredients and chamomile goodness to keep your skin clarified and refreshed. Perfect for even sensitive skin.'

VITAL VITAMIN PRO-VITAMIN B5 restores, softens and smoothes

SKIN LOVING NUTRIENTSCHAMOMILE gently softens and soothes
WITCH HAZEL helps tone and tighten pores
ALLANTOIN softens and protects

NO PERFUME, NO COLOURNO UNNECESSARY or HARSH CHEMICALS so it won't upset your skin
Dermatologically Tested and Approved

It makes my skin feel wonderful and its become a key part of my new and improved skin routine. I'd definitely recommend this product to any skin type. Its amazing on oily skin and hasn't given me any dry skin patches, like most products give me.

I really love this product, even more so since i got it on offer, i can't find a single thing wrong with it.
The only thing i might want improved is how it smells, but its perfume free so i'd rather that than an added chemical.

About me.

2011-06-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

I dont know how any of you (if any) will be interested in this but for anyone who is, here we go.

I've been blogging for a couple of months now and a day or two ago i reached 15 subs, which i'm quite proud of. I thought it was time I told you lovely people a bit about myself.
First I'll start with a random recent picture (the first time you guys see me properly).

Now some quick facts.

Basics

Name; Louisa Elizabeth

Age; 15

From; Hampshire, England

Beauty rated basics

Skin type; Oily

Skin tone; Pale

Eye colour; Blue-grey

Hair type; Oily

Hair colour; A golden-blonde, light brown shade

Favourites

Film; Tim Burton's Alice in wonderland

Tv show/s; The big bang theory, Dr Who, Black Books and Fawlty Towers

Music; Rock but I also love Taylor Swift

Book; Alice in wonderland

Food/s; Sushi, onion ring crisps, pizza

Drinks; Coffee, chocolate milk, peppermint tea

Clothing brand/s; David and Goliath, Iron Fist

Shop; Lush.

I've been considering how to describe myself and I honestly don't know how. I guess you'll just have to read my posts to find out.
So there we are, thats basically me.

P.s I brought a new Maxfactor foundation earlier today so i'll be posting a review of it in the day few days.

First Benetint blush attempt

2011-06-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

I've tried this as a lipstain and its quite good, so i thought this afternoon i'd have a quick play around with it as a blush.
First i experimented with amounts and bending. I found folding a cotton pad into a point then using the point to bend it after about 2 seconds of it being on the skin, worked best.

I decided to Create a slight flushed look and to share with you my FOTD (my first one and the first time you lovely people see me properly, i'm actually sort of nervous haha).

Benetint, Accessorize eye shadow, Rimmel '206' Nude Pink lasting finish.

Excuse the poor angle and the dry skin around my nose, i only meant to photograph the blush but the best photo of it had the rest of my face in. I'm also not wearing any concealer so you can clearly see all my freckles!

Does anyone have any tips on cheek tints to share?