Collective Beauty Haul

Hi Ladies, hope you're all doing okay! Today I thought I would share with you a beauty haul of some bits and bobs I've been buying lately. I've gone a bit crazy to be fair but I think a mix of Easter and all the amazing offers that are around in both Superdrug and Boots lately have kind of made me want too pick up some new beauty products. Plus every girl needs a splurge once in a while right? Anyway I haven't shared a great amount of haul posts with you guys just because I'm rubbish, as soon as I get home from buying something new I have to try it and then the photo's always look rubbish and it just isn't the same, I was pretty good this time though so thought it was definitely time to share. I'll be doing reviews on some of the products featured over the next few weeks too, so let me know if there's anything you want too see in a little bit more 

detail.

Revlon Lip Butters - here
Creme Brulee, Sugar Frosting, Cotton Candy & Sorbet

Firstly is some Revlon Lip Butters, I realise it was probably a little bit excessive to pick up four of these but I already love them. I was in Boots and I saw the Revlon stand and started swatching them, I remember last year when I first started blogging there was a massive hype around these lip products and every single blogger was talking about them but I never actually took the plunge and picked them up because to be honest it wasn't until the end of last year I really started wearing lipstick. Anyway I picked up the shades Creme Brulee and Cotton Candy, went home and tried them and fell soooo in love with them that I went back the next day and picked up Pink Frosting and Sorbet. These have a really nice formula, you can wear them pretty sheer on the lips or you can build them up, but they're so comfortable and moisturizing and they're perfect for wearing every day. I really like these and will definitely be picking up more of these, so look out for a post about these baby's sometime soon! 

Make up Academy (MUA) Brow Kit - here

The next thing I did was pop along to Superdrug to pick up a few MUA goodies, I love MUA as a brand, they're cheap and cheerful and have some really good quality products. Anyway I picked up there 'Pro Brow Ultimate Eyebrow Kit'. I love filling in my brows and up until now I've been using the Elf eyebrow kit but mines recently ran out and I wanted to try something new. This is a really cool product you get 3 different shades that you can mix together to create the perfect eyebrow colour and you also get a white, clear wax which you can use to set your brows in place. You also get a teeny, tiny pair of tweezers and little brush housed in this really sturdy plastic case so this was a winner for me. Only £3.50 too!

Make Up Academy - Undressed Palette - here

I know,  I know, I'm late to the party, I think every single blogger has owned this palette and gave their two cents on it but I actually hadn't tried this until recently. I actually bought this palette for my mum for Christmas as a little stocking filler and she was really enjoying using it and I kept stealing it because I think it's ah-maaaazing! This is apparently a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked Palette which I've wanted since I picked up Naked 2 and I just think all the shades in this are gorgeous & really compliment your eyes. Plus these shadows are lovely quality and really pigmented too so I thought it was time I picked up my own. This is a bargain at £4.00 too.

Maxfactor Lipstick in Lilac Wine (655)  - here

I love Maxfactor as a brand I think they're face products, powders and mascara's are definitely the best quality from the drugstore and I really enjoy trying out some of their products, I also love the classy gold packaging. Anyway I thought I'd try out a lipstick from the brand and the shade Lilac Wine is pretty perfect,  it's one of those lipsticks that looks like your lips but better, it's quite a rosy pink colour and has a bit of shimmer in it, but I think this will be really pretty on the lips. I love the big Max Factor X imprinted on the lipstick too. 

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Lychee 303 - here

I won't ramble on about this purchase too much, this is the Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Lychee, I pretty much had to pick up one of these Gelly Nail Paints by Barry M, they are soooo talked about in the beauty world right now and after seeing them featured on loads of blogs I had to pick one up. I thought i'd pick up Lychee because it's a lovely shade, this is perfect for everyday and just really neutral and nice and I don't actually own a shade like this. I really look forward to trying this one out and doing a nail of the day for you all.

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation - Ivory here

I bought this foundation a few weeks ago but thought I'd include it in this haul because it's a recent beauty buy all the less. I love this, this foundation is incredible and if you're on the market for a new drugstore foundation then I can already tell you that this one is one to watch. If you've read my blog for a while you will know I'm the biggest fan of Rimmel Wake Me Up but this one is a massive hit with me too, It's got the coverage of Wake Me Up but doesn't have all the glitter and is literally light as air on the skin, the colour match is a bit better for all you paler girls too. This is fab!

Max factor Facefinity Compact Foundation - 01 Porcelain here

I love this compact, if you read my last Boots haul you would have seen me rave about this product and tell you all that I love it. I have really oily skin so I like to use a powder to set my foundation. My favourite ones are from Mac but for a cheaper option I like to use the Max factor one, it's probably the best powder I have found on the high street (and I've tried a lot) and this gives a bit of coverage too which is always good. I was in two minds whether to pick this one up or repurchase the Rimmel Stay Matte but I find this one much better for touch up's and it's a better colour for me so I went for Max factor once again.

Max factor MasterPiece Colour Precision Eyeshadow - here

Coffee 3 & Pearl Beige 5

I haven't really tried a lot of liquid eye shadows but these ones from Max Factor are lovely because they're really creamy and not too watery. My lovely mum actually picked these two up but she said I could feature them in this haul because she knows I'm bound to steal them anyway haha! The lightest shade is Pearl Beige and it's a gorgeous champagne colour which will look lovely on the inner corner of the eye and the second shade is coffee, which is more of a deep chocolate brown. I think these will be really nice for a really simple eye look and they are sooo creamy and easy to apply. I just hope they last on the eyelids.

Paco Rabanne - Lady Million Eau De Parfum - 30ml - here

This perfume is probably my favourite thing in the world right now, I picked this up over the Easter Weekend after loving the smell for such a long time, my friend has this and we went out a few weeks ago and literally everyone was stopping and asking her what she was wearing (including me). I find it really hard to describe scents but this is a really strong perfume and it's a really classic and quite grown up scent. It's quite a floral scent and I think I like it so much because it's sweet enough for my tastes but is really mature and sensual too, I just love it. If you're in Boots or Debenhams give this a spray and you'll love it, I promise. The gold blingy bottle is pretty cool too.

Lacoste Eau De Lacoste - 50ml - here

This perfume wasn't actually one that I bought, I won this in a competition that I entered on Glamour Magazines website months and months and months ago and I actually forgot about it until I got an email from them saying I had won a competition, if I've completely honest I couldn't even remember what I entered for but I got this about 2 weeks ago now and I love it. I think this is their new fragrence for Spring and oh boy! It smells amazing, the bottle of this perfume really reminds me of a golf ball though, so that's a bit strange haha! Anyway this again is a very floral scent but it's a lot sweeter which I love, this reminds me of Spring and it's really fresh and clean smelling, I've worn it a few times and people keep telling me I smell fresh and really Spring like which I think is a pretty good thing, it lasts really long too.

Primark - Backcombing Brush - £1.00

I've been doing a bit of clothes shopping in Primark over the last week too so I will get a clothing haul up soon but I thought I would include this Primark Backcombing brush in this beauty haul, I saw Zoella feature a backcombing brush in one of her video's not too long ago and I thought it looked pretty cool. I have pretty flat hair and I think this brush just makes it really simple to give your hair some volume, I'm actually really enjoying using this brush and think it works pretty well, feels well made too & I love that it's pink! Plus it's an absolute bargain at just £1.00!! 

Anyway lovelies, this post has taken me what feels like a year to write so if you're still here & you made it this far then thanks for reading & let me know if you want me to do a post on any of these bits down below! Hopefully I can stay away from buying anything else for a little while, although I am really eyeing up the Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation at the mo! Eeeep, someone help me! Anyway I hope you all have a lovely Sunday & i'll speak to you all really soon! :)
Lots of Love,

Gem

xxxx

My Favourite Lipsticks

 

Primark Red, MUA Shade 13, MUA Shade 7, Kate Moss Lipstick Shade 101, L'Oreal 325  , Kate Moss Lipstick Shade 20, Topshop 'Innocence', MUA Shade 3, Mac Outrageously Fun, Kate Moss Shade 19, MUA Shade 4, Mac Angel, Kate Moss shade 1, Primark Pink.

 

Hi everyone, today's post is a bit pic heavy but I thought I would show you my favourite lipsticks, these are my most worn lipsticks and the ones that I find have a good formula, good colour pay off or are overall just a really nice shade. There are 14 lipsticks that i'm showing you, all different formula's and colours and price ranges going from £1.00 right up to £14.00. Until I joined the blogging community I wasn't a massive fan of lipsticks in all honesty, I found them really hard to apply and wear and they were oftent he step that I skipped when doing my makeup in the morning because I just thought it was more of a 'night-out' thing and I could potentially look too dressed up wearing a lipstick during the day. How wrong I was?! Now I think lipsticks are my favourite makeup product to buy and try out, I love them, they're are so many shades and some really compliment your skin tone and make your makeup look glamourous and put together, so for that I thank the blogging world. Anyway, i'm going to try not to ramble too much and just get on with the post, if you want any individual reviews of any of the lipsticks featured let me know, although i'll try to make sure that I add links to posts I've previously done on most of them.

 

The first lipstick I love is this bright red lipstick, I love the packaging, pink polka dots are really nice and this lipstick is really creamy, I actually picked this lipstick up from Primark and it's one of the lipsticks within their makeup range, it was only one pound and one and an impulse purchase at the till  but this began my love affair with red lipsticks, I felt that this let me try them out and they're quite good quality for the price, not as nice as the MUA one's but still pretty good, this is a very individual shade too, it looks very dark in the tube but when swatched it is actually quite bright.

 

The next lipstick that I love is the MUA lipstick in shade 13, this was also a pound & I love it, the MUA formula's are amazing, they can be built up or worn sheer and they are really creamy and moisturising on the lips. They have a strong vanilla type smell which i'm not a fan off but they wear amazingly on the lips, they're so cheap at a £1.00 piece, the packaging is sleek and cute and they're a great quality. This red lipstick has a strong coral undertone which makes it great if you want to go red but not for a bright red that can sometimes look overpowering. It's been featured in an individual review on my blog here.

 

The next lipstick is again a MUA lipstick (told you I love them) & this is in shade 7, this was my first corally lipstick and I actually quite like it, if you want to wear something that isn't pink or red and a lot more nude and simple on the lips then this is the perfect lipstick, it adds a sheer amount of coral without being an overpowering orange. Again has been featured in a blog post here.

 

The next lipstick that I love is the Kate Moss lipsticks from Rimmel London, they are amazing and you'll see several featured within this post because they're great quality and are a good price because you can pick them up at Boots. This is the shade 101, it is a gorgeous milky pink and probably one of my favourites, it's so wearable, creamy and easy to wear whatever makeup look you decide to go with & they last well too. This colour is one that would suit most skin tones and work for everyone. You can find a earlier review of this product on my blog here.

 

The next is this L'Oreal lipstick number 325, this is such a cool colour, it's a strong wash of colour and is almost vampy, it's a berry that comes out with purple undertones when swatched. It has a small amount of micro glitter which means that it is much more suitable for evening wear, I think this is quite a daring lipstick, so better for evenings overall.

The next lipstick is another one from the Kate Moss lipsticks for Rimmel, it's actually number 20 told you I was a massive fan, this is one of my fav's it is a bright hot pink, I just really like this because it's a really strong colour that's really out there and gives your face that perfect pop of colour that you need. You can read more here.

 

The next lipstick featured is from another favourite brand, I actually only own 1 Topshop lipstick (I know! Shock horror) it's not that I don't love it, because I really do, the formula is so impressive for the price and in all fairness they give the likes of Mac and high end brands a run for their money but there isn't a Topshop near by me so I have to order online which is a bit of a pain if all I want is a lipstick. This particular shade is Innocence, I really enjoy it, it's a nice milky pink, it's actually got quite a similar tone to Mac Angel which is my favourite lipstick of all time and it's one of those colours that is like your lips but better, the packaging is also gorgeous with Topshop lipsticks.

 

The next lipstick is again another love from the Makeup Academy or MUA range, this is another bright pink colour, it is shade 3 and I would say it's less brighter and a tad darker than the Kate Moss lipstick I own, but of a similar tone, I like it because MUA have a slightly sheerer and creamy formula that can be more wearable if you just want to add a slight bit of colour without going all out for the day but it can also be built up for a more opaque coverage. Individual review on my blog can be found here.

 

The next favourite lipstick could definitely be put in my top 3 favourite lipsticks of all time, I won't go into too much detail about it because I did a review only about a week ago here. But this is Outrageously Fun by Mac, it's a gorgeous Magenta pink that is literally just stunning, it's a crème sheen too and it's just lovely, really adds a pretty pop of colour! Fairly pricey but amazing!

 

Next is another Kate Moss Lipstick in shade 19, it's a nudey brown colour, this is a lipstick that either works some days or doesn't work other days and I find that if I put it on on the right day it is stunning and looks really simple but effortlessly beautiful. More information here.

 

The next lipstick you can see has had quite a lot of use, it's shade 4 by MUA it's a bright but light pink, it's not too pigmented, it's very sheer and just works as a quick wash of colour for everyday so it's just perfect.

 

Next is a lipstick that needs no description it's Mac Angel, it's my favourite lipstick in the whole entire world, its creamy, smells nice and is the most gorgeous pink in the world. I think i'll be repurchasing this lipstick forever, there's not been a day since I got it that I haven't worn it, I love it! Read more here.

 

The next is a bright, brick red from the Kate for Rimmel Collection (more info here), it's just a stand out colour in my favourite formula, it's great because it's very British and a classic "London" Colour and it just works, I like wearing this when I want a stand out red.

 

Last is another Primark, lipstick, this is just a light pink one, there's nothing really special about it but it does work for those days where you just want some colour and it's so cheap that it's nice to have in your collection.

 

Sorry for the massive post! Let me know what you're favourite colours are! xx

 

 

MUA lipsticks

Hi Dolls,

Today's post is all about some of the MUA lipsticks, a lot of you may know that i've really been rating MUA over the last few months. MUA or Make Up Academy as it is also known offers such great products for hardly any money. The 3 lipsticks that I picked up from Super drug were only £1.00 each which is ridiculous value and i'm a massive fan of them all. The reason I like these lipsticks so much are because they're incredibly creamy and I feel like they're really moisturising on my lips, I am a fan of lipsticks like this simply because in the winter months I want to wear lip products that have that extra moisturiser in them. They go on really easy to my lips and are really easy to work with but perhaps the best thing about them is how extremely pigmented they are, as with all lipsticks you can get a very sheer coverage with these lipsticks if you only use a tiny amount of products but with 2 whole swipes of this product you will get an amazing and opaque coverage on your lips which is really good. I wouldn't say these were the best lipsticks i've ever tried in my life, but in all honesty they have one of the best formula's i've ever tried. I think another great thing about these lipsticks is the fact that they have quite a huge colour range, this is good for me because in the past I would stick to just buying baby pink lip colours but because these lipsticks are so cheap, I mean £1.00 that is ridiculously cheap! I feel like I can go and pick up a more 'out there' shade and try it out, if i don't like it then I know not to go and buy a shade equivalent from a more expensive brand like Mac. But these are honestly the best lipsticks I think you can find to wear everyday. They have a slight smell to them but to be honest I don't think it's overpowering and I couldn't really tell you exactly what they smell like, kind of vanilla like I would say. Also they are the perfect size to just pop in your handbag because they're really quite compact and seeming as they were only a pound the packaging of these lip products is fairly good as well. Another thing I would say about MUA lipsticks is the fact that they aren't completely matte, they come out nearly opaque in terms of colour pay off but they seem to have a slight sheen to them, nothing too over the top but just enough that you don't need to wear lipgloss with these products. Lasting time is fairly good though a fair few hours before needing to reapply them which is good for a product of this price point. I picked up 3 shades this time that I went to the Make up Academy counter firstly I got shade 7, shade 13 and shade 3.

The first one I picked up was Shade 7, this comes out of the tube much stronger and on the lips it seems to be a light coral colour, it comes out on the lips with much stronger orange undertones which I really like. This would be the absolute perfect colour for summer, it is such a strong colour and has a slight sheen to it but I would say it is the most matte of the shades I tried.

The next shade I picked up was Shade 13, this is a bright bright bright red, it is creamy and probably one of the more sheer colours out of the lipsticks I brought, I would say that this is a more wearable red because it doesn't come out completely matte and again has the sheen that I was talking about. 

The last colour I picked up was Shade 3, I am absolutely obsessed with this lipstick, I really really love it. This is a gorgeous bright pink colour, it's quite in your face, it reminds me of Mac's girl about town lipstick it's very out there but it works perfectly for my skin tone and makes my whole face pop. It's one of those colours you can wear and you will look instantly more put together It again has a slight sheen to it but not lots of sheen, it doesn't have any glitter or anything in it. And i've pretty much been wearing this lipstick every single day since I got it. I LOVE it. 

(Shade 7, Shade 13, Shade 3)

 (Me wearing Shade 3 lipstick, swatches of shade 7 and shade 3 lipsticks)

Hope you enjoyed this post

Have you checked out any MUA lipsticks?

Lots of love

Gem xxx

October Fav's

Hi Guys,

Hope you're all okay, today I'm going to be showing you some of my favourite products from October, I can't believe we're in November!! Christmas and New Year will be here before we know it. Anyway i'm going to get into showing you my personal favourites this month, I feel like I experimented quite a bit this month with quite a few new products so it's been a lot easier to pick some of my favourites this time around.

The first thing which I have been loving this month is the Sleek I-divine palette which I have already done a review on here I brought this palette because I thought all of the shades would work really nicely throughout the autumn months and it had a nice selection of neutrals as well as a few colours. In all honestly theres only a few shades that I actually really like, I like the shade 'James Brown' which is second in from the left, the shade next to it which is called Shalamar and then the burgundy red colour which is underneath James Brown and that ones actually called Ojays. The rest of the palette has been quite neglected by me because I love using the 3 colours i've just talked about blended on top of my maybelline colour tattoo in on and on bronze because I think that helps the colours to really stand out and gives me a lovely neutral eye for the day but also allows me to create quite a smokey eye for the nighttime. 

The second thing i've been loving this month is the Autograph primer which you can buy from the Marks and Spencers beauty counter/area. I recently ran out of my beloved Rimmel Pro Primer (that was a seriously sad day) and i've been using this primer instead and it's actually fairly good, I love how it has radiance particles in it which helps to make my dull autumn skin look a little brighter and gives me a really nice glow whilst also keeping my foundation in place.

The next thing i've been lovely lately is the MUA lipstick in shade 3, oh my gosh, this lipstick is seriously gorgeous, I never really used to be overly fussed on lipsticks, I would buy some and wear a few but this lipstick has been constantly on my lips everyday since I brought it about 2 weeks ago, it is amazingly pigmented, the colour is gorgeous and just wakes up the whole face and it just really compliments my skin type. I really really reaaaaallly adore this product and it was only £1.00?! what's not to love?!

The next product i've been loving this month is the maybelline colour tattoo is on and on bronze, as I have already said i've been wearing it with the sleek palette and it is a perfect base and honestly keeps my eyeshadow on all day long, I have honestly not ever seen a product with the lasting power that this product does, it's actually quite hard to get it off! I have reviewed this product here if you would like to know a little more about it. 

Another product i've recently rediscovered and it has reunited our love affair all over again is the L'oreal Super Liner in Carbon Gloss, this is simply a liquid eyeliner but it is by far the easiest eye liner ever to use, it stays on all day and it actually does give a 'carbon gloss' finish. This is a favourite of loads and loads of beauty bloggers so i'll spare you the boring details but I really think this is the best liquid eyeliner you can get on the high street and it will last you forever and make it easy to get a really precise line. 

Another bargain product i've been loving this month is this bronzer by MUA, by the way I just want to say that I think MUA is such a good brand for the money, their products are so cheap but yet they are all of a really good quality, which is great because I think it's actually quite hard to find a brand like that these days. Anyway, this bronzer is perfect, it is great for contouring your cheek bones or just giving the whole face a bronzed glow, it's a massive beast of a bronzer and I think you get like 10g of product for £3.00?! Which is a fab deal, this bronzer has a tad bit of golden shimmer running through it as well but it's nothing major or noticeable at all and i've really been liking using this on my face recently.

The next product i've been loving I've recently spoke about in my favourite products by soap and glory haul - here this is the 'Clean on me' shower gel, and it's gorgeous, it smells nice, is soooo creamy and just makes your skin feel so soft and clean, it's such a nice shower gel and I could invest in it again and again.

Finally, the last product i've been loving this month is the Neutrogena Face Scrub in pink grapefruit, this again smells really lovely and really helps to refresh your skin on these cold and dull autumn mornings, it has small pink beads in it that just help to liven up your skin and it's super easy to use, you simply spread some of the product over your face and then wash it off with some warm water. I think this really helps to clean out my pores as well.

Anyway, I hope you liked reading my monthly favourites, 

What were you loving during october?

Lots of Love

Gem xxx

Monthly Favourites

Hi everyone,

Can’t believe its nearly October, I seriously think that this year has absolutely flown by, it doesn’t seem 2 minutes since I turned 18 last December and this year just seems to have been one big blur of partying haha. Anyway, today my post is going to simply be some monthly favourites, I quite like reading these on other blogs, probably because I’m really nosey but I like seeing products that people enjoy using. Actually before I get on to the post I just wanted to say sorry for being missing from my blog for the last week, if I’m honest I kind of had a bit of blogger writing block and couldn’t really think of anything worth posting about, I sometimes think that some bloggers blog for the sake of blogging and I want my blog posts to be quality over quantity, and secondly I’ve had a bit of a mad week, it seems to have gone so quick that I haven’t really had a second to sit down and write, but as I’m watching X - factor now and I’m not up to much I thought this would be the perfect time to buckle on down and do some writing (sorry for the massive ramble there!)

Anyway my monthly favourites this month are a fix of some new products that I’ve been trying out over the last few weeks and a few old staples that could probably feature in my monthly favourites for ever and ever.

1) Simple Rich Moisturiser 2) Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer 3) MUA pressed powder – shade 1 4) Simple soothing facial toner 5) Simple clarifying cleansing lotion 6) Bourjois Bronzer 7) Soap and Glory love at first blush blusher 8) Real Techniques Powder Brush  9) Natural Collection Mascara 10) Revlon Colourstay Foundation

Simple Skincare

The first 3 products I’m going to be talking about are these Simple products, this has changed my skincare routine completely and really cheaply as well, I recently picked up the Simple Rich Moisturiser, the Simple soothing facial toner and the Simple clarifying cleansing lotion as there was a deal in my local Tesco’s store that you could purchase any 3 simple products for £5.00! what a bargain, I decided to stick to what I know and buy products that allowed me to stick to my faithful cleanse, tone, moisturise steps. And wow, do these deliver. The problem I have with some skincare is that I actually feel it is too harsh for my skin, I feel that I’m buying a toner that is literally burning off the top layer of my skin and I don’t like it. Which is probably why I love simple products so much, they have the best ethics of any skincare brand I know, they want to be kind to the skin and they create products that are fragrance and cruelty free so that you’re skin just feels nicer and doesn’t get damaged by using these products, these are also fantastic products for anyone with sensitive skin. Firstly the cleansing lotion is great for making sure your skin is really clean and feels super nice, but I would say that if you’re looking for a product that is going to get rid of all your makeup then this is not really it, I love this product but I have to take my makeup off with a face wipe first and then just use this to deep down clean my face as I feel like it’s not the best at getting rid of tough eye makeup and I’d be using a lot of excess product. The next of the products is the soothing toner and I think this could possibly be my favourite, this product doesn’t dry out your skin or sting like any other toners I’ve ever tried it just cleans and refreshes the skin and I would definitely say it has soothing effects although I don’t know how or why I think this. The last of the Simple products is the rich moisturiser, it goes on to your face completely clear and dries really quickly but lasts such a long time, it claims on the box that it will keep your skin moisturised for up  to 12 hours and I don’t know if I’d agree with that but it definitely keeps my skin moisturised for much longer than other moisturisers I’ve tried and for the price I would say that all of these 3 products are a steal – even when they’re not on offer.

Rimmel Fix and Protect Pro Primer

I’ve spoke about this primer in my last blog post which you can see below so I’m not going to go into huge amounts of detail, but this is a fantastic high street primer, it mattes the skin and makes it smooth and really does work and keep your makeup on for a lot longer. Probably the best primer I’ve ever tried and a primer I will continue to repurchase for a very long time.

Bourjois Delice De Poudre Peaux Bronzer

The next product I’m going to be talking about is the Bourjois Bronzer, I can’t actually say enough good things about this, this could be in my monthly favorites forever, I absolutely adore it. I’ve had this exact same product for years, I think I brought it when I was in year 10?! To aid my foundation and make me look even more orange than I was haha, but I always loved how amazing this product was and I still use it today, it smells gorgeous, almost has a chocolately smell and it gives you such a nice bronzed glow but you never look over the top, it’s just a gentle sun kissed glow, it’s just such a beautiful product, it’s light but gives you just enough product to make a slight difference, it has an almost sheen to it which means that it makes your skin look absolutely divine. Ahhh I’m in love with it, this product is so affordable and is the best bronzer I’ve ever tried, in actual fact I haven’t really tried that many more because I don’t feel the need too. It’s ace and it’s lasted me literally for years with every day use, it’s actually lasted me a good 3 years?! What the hell! So affordable and so ace, I haven’t hit pan after all this time and I do love the sunkissed glow, perfect for all seasons and for all skin tones, it’s just great! Seriously all time favorite product right here.

Soap and Glory – Love at First Blush

This is a product that I’ve had for quite a while now, I’ve kind of had a love/hate relationship with it but now I’ve got used to it and found the best way to use it, it gets a massive thumbs up for me. This blusher has quite a lot of sheen to it, but the color is gorgeous, you have to swirl your brush in all of the colors and this then leaves you with a  pretty pink color that is just to die for, but when the color hits the light it has quite a lot of sheen to it and a tad too much shine for me, I have quite oily skin and large pores on my cheeks and too much of this product just seemed to exaggerate this but now I use this on good skin days or I use it to highlight the top of my cheekbones or use it over my bronzer and it works amazingly as that. I love how individual the colour is and how pretty this looks in the packaging.

Real Techniques Powder Brush

I also recently did a review on this powder brush about 2 posts ago so you can go and check that out below so I’m not going to go into massive amount of details but one of the best brushes I’ve ever used in my life. It’s big, it’s fluffy and it’s soooo soft, it’s ace, It really does work for me and I can’t imagine ever needing another powder brush after using this one. My only nig would be that it is slightly big for powder, but then again that’s probably what makes my powder look more natural and helps me get such a light dusting.

Natural Collection Lash Curl Mascara

This is another bargain find which is great for those people on a budget, I picked this mascara up on a whim a few months ago and I actually really enjoy it, I think the reason for this is simply due to the fact that it’s a really nice color, I picked it up in brown/black by accident and I love it! I have brown eyes and therefore this shade actually really suits them and brings them out, I like the fact that this holds a great curl within my lashes, lengthens them and is also quite a wet formula so therefore doesn’t ever get clumpy no matter how much I put on. Such a great product and for so cheap too.

MUA pressed powder

The next thing that I have been loving for quite a while now actually is the MUA pressed powder in shade one, I think this is such a great product, I’ve tried quite a few powders in my time some high end and some drug store and to be honest this is one of the best I’ve tried and it’s only £1.00?! crazy, the shade selection is quite rubbish though I think there’s only 3 or 4 shades but for the price what can you expect, I love this, it keeps my makeup in place but doesn’t go cakey and always looks super natural, the packaging is fairly good too and perfect for on the go touch up’s. Seriously ace product and so cheap it’s almost unbelievable!

Revlon Colorstay Foundation

This is another product I’ve had my up’s and down’s with, when I had quite clear skin when I first brought this foundation I really didn’t like it, it looked cakey and over the top and it didn’t make my skin look flawless at all, but now that my skins got drier as it’s colder outside and I’ve needed more coverage I actually really like this foundation, this is a foundation that really needs to be buffed into the skin so I find the Real Techniques Stippling Brush does a great job of blending this in and making it look less cakey. I love how this foundation covers blemishes when built up and also lasts a really long time. Great foundation for the winter months.

Hope you enjoyed this post, thanks for reading

What are your monthly favourites?

Lots of Love - Gem xxx

my love for MUA

Hi Everyone!

Another post today about some beauty products that I am loving. A lot of you would now have heard of MUA a beauty range that is super cheap, with products that range from £1.00 - £8.00, so a collection of really affordable products. Over the last few months I have literally fallen in love with MUA, before I tried them I kind of had already formed an opinion, I thought that MUA would just be a brand full of cheap products that would conform to the teen market and to makeup beginners, but boy was I wrong! I have definitely learned not to judge any brand by their appearance or price. MUA have some of the best quality cosmetics within their range that I have hand on hand ever tried, they are fighting their way fiercely throughout the British cosmetic market and they are doing a very good job of it. They now have collections collaborated with Alexander Burke and also the brand “Love Hearts” signalling their further success. They are based in Superdrug and also online and they have a huge fan base. Throughout the blogging world MUA are either known, loved and used or have never been heard of and in my opinion if people keep singing their praises then their sales will end up rocketing and they will probably take a huge proportion of the British Cosmetic Market, with some of this products actually rivalling the quality of some of the products that are on offer on the high street at sometimes double or triple the price. Therefore today’s post is really a RAVE of how much I actually love MUA, I normally go into Superdrug simply to get their products and I have actually got quite a collection going on.

The products that I have personally collected so far are as follows:
MUA Mosaic Blush (£2.50),
MUA Starry Eyes pallet (£4.00),
MUA Glitter Eyes Pallet (£4.00),
MUA Blush Shade 1 (£1.00),
MUA extreme felt tip liner (£1.00),
MUA Love Hearts Kiss Me balm (£2.00),
MUA Sugar Lips Balm (£2.00)

The first product I’m going to be talking about is the MUA Mosaic Blush, this is the pink version of the blush and I absolutely love it, I think this was one of the first products I ever tried from MUA and kind of where my love affair began in the first place the reason that I like this product is because it’s highly pigmented, I love the fact that it can work as a blush but also has enough shine and shimmer in it to also work as a highlighter. I really personally love pink blushes and I always go back to using pink blushes and this one just gives the cheeks such a healthy and lovely glow, and the fact that it has a sheen makes it extra special if you want to use it for nights out. Also I recently purchased the “Love at First Blush” by Soap and Glory and this product really is an exact dupe of the Soap and Glory blush, which was £11.00 compared to the £2.50 blush. The product is soft and easily blendable and just really works; this blush is actually a repurchase because I dropped my first one and was soooo upset to have lost it. Really one of the main stars of the MUA collection!

The next products that I have collected through my love of MUA is the two different eye shadow pallets, I have the starry nights pallet which is full of lots of silvers and shimmer so therefore it is great for a night out and then I have the glittery eyes pallet which can be used for nights out but can also be worn down for a nice natural day look.

Firstly the Starry Nights Pallet, this pallet has 8 shades as all of the MUA pallets do and all of the pallets actually cost £4.00, this pallet has a light lilac shade, a pink shade, a dark midnight blue shade, a silver copper shade, a navy blue, a dark black, a darker purple, a white highlighting shade, a light silver shimmery shade, a pale blue, another purple and another lilac shade. Some of the shades within this pallet are quite similar but they all have different dimensions that make them all unique. All of the shades within this pallet have got different amounts of shimmer in them which is why I would suggest that they are better for the night time. I do like this pallet quite a lot but I wish it maybe had some more matte shades so that I could find it easier to use within the day. The quality of this eyeshadow pallet is really really good though, all of the shades are pigmented and highly blendable which is the same for all of the different eyeshadows in all of the MUA pallets I have tried to far. So overall I really like this eyeshadow pallet, a great investment and for only £4.00 it’s a really good pallet to invest in, I think you just have to consider how much you would actually use it and whether you already have similar colours within your collection.

The next pallet is the Glitter Balls Pallet, I LOVE this pallet, definitely my favourite of the two pallets, this pallet has what the other pallet lacks, a huge amount of diversity, it has lots of different colours, a mix of brights and neutrals so you can build up a great eye for the evening or play your eyes down for the day time, which I personally love to do. The shades in this pallet run much differently, we have a black, a peachy pink, a dark ivy green, a bright blue, a mint green, a white highlighter, a shimmery pink, a gorgeous gold, a coppery brown, a darker warmer brown, a silver and a purple. So you can see that this pallet can be worn in lots of different ways, the colours are so pigmented and just gorgeous and I have used this pallet a lot since I got it, seriously LOVE IT, if you want to try a MUA pallet I would definitely recommend this one just because it has shades and colours for everyone and therefore it is really adaptable to the looks you want to create, absolute perfection.

The next thing I have from MUA is a blush, the blush I got is in shade 1 and it is simply a big blush, it has a slight shimmer in it but nothing that you can really see when it has been applied to the face, the blush seems quite powdery when you swatch it or put it in on your brush but once it is blended in it looks fantastic and it really gives my face a natural flush of colour which I’m really into at the moment. I actually want to get more of these blushes since I’ve tried this one because for £1.00 they really do perform and I haven’t actually heard anything bad about them. The only thing I would say is that the packaging is a bit flimsy but then again what can you expect?!

The next product I have is something really simple, I brought the MUA pen liner for £1.00, this is a good felt tip liner, not the best I’ve tried but for the price you can’t really go wrong, it works well, hasn’t dried out and has fairly good pigmentation. I don’t have a lot of things too say about this product overall but it’s a good product.

The next two things that I got from MUA were 2 lip balms from the MUA love hearts collection, the two lip balms I have are under the names “Kiss me” and “Sugar Lips”. “Kiss Me” is a bright red lip balm, which looks really nice on the lips because it doesn’t come out that bright and “Sugar Lips” is just a really light pink colour that looks like my lip colour but better, I really like both of these lip balms they are very moisturising and nice on the lips, they feel good, smell good and they look really nice on the lips, they are slightly more expensive then the normal lipsticks from MUA but I personally prefer these balms and they’ll last for ages.

Overall. I love MUA and all of the products i've tried!

You can purchase all of these products at SuperDrug or the MUA website where you can get a new immaculate pallet free until the end of September!

Thanks for reading
Lots of Love

Gem xxxx

Tag - 7 deadly sins

Hi Ladies,

Today I'm going to give this 7 deadly sins tag a whirl, the reason for me posting this tag is because I love reading them on everyone elses blogs, they give me a good insight into the persons blog i'm reading and they help me to relate to the writer as well, so I thought i'd give it ago. Especially as this one was simply a bit of fun. I've seen this particular tag mentioned on a few blogs and you tube video's recently so thought I may as well give it ago, so I hope you enjoy it a little.

1.GREED: What is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive?

The most inexpensive beauty product I own would be one of the MUA products, I have some lipsticks from their collection that cost £1.00 but are absolutely ace, everyone needs to give them a try, and I also have a £1.00 blush that I like, so definitely something from MUA, love that brand to death. My most expensive beauty product that I purchased for myself would probably have to be one of the Urban Decay pallets that I own, the Smoked Pallet took me back £35.00 which is quite a lot of money, (although I think it was worth every penny), if you think about it I could have brought 35 of the £1.00 range from MUA, so in this way it is quite expensive.

2.WRATH: What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? What product has been the hardest to get?

The beauty product that I have a love/hate relationship with would definitely be liquid and gel eyeliners, I love the way that they look when I have plenty of time to apply them and also am having a non shakey hand day, they look lovely and add such a massive pop to the eye. BUUUUT on early and hungover mornings they are an absolute nightmare, I hate the fact that for me they’re one of those products that is completely hit or miss, sometimes my liquid eyeliner will look dead on and other times it will look like a blurry, smudged mess and make my whole face look like an absolute disaster. The one beauty product that I would loooove to master.

  

I also have no idea what the hardest beauty product to get was, probably my Mac studio fix foundation, for some reason when I went to order it they didn’t have my shade (NC15) and they didn’t have NW15 either, plus there was no Mac counter anywhere near me where I could go and pick it up, so I had to settle for NC20, which is a completely crappy match for me. My shades back in stock now, so I’ll be picking that up soon as it’s right at the top of my wishlist.

3.GLUTTONY: What are your most delicious beauty products?

Hmm, I don’t really know what delicious means in terms of beauty products, I can’t say I’ve tried a lot of mine haha, probably my most favourite and lush product would be my Diesel Loverdose perfume, because it smells absolutely amazing, I could seriously spray this perfume around me all day and just live in a Loverdose dream. Mmm defo fav for life.

4.SLOTH: What beauty product do you neglect, due to laziness?

The one product that I neglect the most in terms of my beauty routine would probably be my primers, I have the Urban Decay primer potion, but when applying my eyeshadows I can never really be bothered to apply it first, it’s a nice base and makes the colour pop but I don’t think it makes a huge amount of difference. I also go through stages of wearing face primers, but again if I’m in a rush or can’t really be bothered there the first thing I drop from my makeup routine because to be honest I don’t find the results to be very good, even after trying a huge range of brands.

5.PRIDE: What beauty product gives you the most self confidence?

I think the one beauty product that makes the most difference to my face would probably be concealer, I know this might sound like quite an obvious choice, but I have the worst dark circles in the world, and I hate them. If I’m in a rush I will simply pop some moisturiser on the face, chuck some concealer on and then add some mascara to make my eyes pop and I feel fresh and ready to go. I think that therefore concealer and mascara give me the most self confidence. Concealer covers everything that I need it too and makes me feel more self confident about my skin and a light coat of mascara just opens my eyes, makes me look much more awake and together and that’s why they’re the products that give me the most pride.

6.LUST: What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?

Hmm, I’ve always found this question a hard one to answer, I obviously am attracted to a nice smile and gorgeous eyes but I think the attribute that attracts me the most to any person would be their personality, in a guy I look for someone who can make me laugh, can keep me smiling always and someone like a best friend, I want someone who I can tell my deepest secrets too and confide in, I want someone who will listen to my constant rambling without complaints because they just love me for me. I guess, I just want character, I want a good person, with a huge loving heart and those are the attributes that I look for in the opposite sex.

7.ENVY: What items would you most like to receive as a gift?

I can think of loads of products that I would like to receive as gifts, from really cheap beauty brands to super high end, I would love to receive some Nars products because they just look so beautiful, Mac as well or some benefit products. But if I’m completely honest anything which is beauty related would be a great gift for me and I’d love anything of the sort.

Thank you for reading, if you found it at all intresting give it a go yourself! I adore reading them :)
hope you enjoyed,

lots of love

Gem xxxx