May Wishlist

Hi Ladies, Hope you're all doing okay today I thought I would share with you my May wishlist, with my payday coming at the end of the week there is quite a few things that I'm lusting after and most of them are pretty pricey! So anyway these are the things i'll pick up if by some miracle or another I turn into a millionaire over the next week or so, a girl can always dream aiy?!

Estee Lauder Double Wear

If you've read my blog for a while you will know that I am foundation crazy, like I literally have a problem and should probably go to some sort of foundation rehab. I most definitely buy at least one foundation a month and this month i'm dying to try the famous Estee Lauder Double Wear. After researching this within an inch of my life I've found that you either really love this foundation, to the point that you will never use another foundation ever again or you hate this foundation and would quite happily toss your bottle in the bin. I'm obviously hoping that I love it and end up using it for the next 20 years or so (this is real people!). From what I've heard this gives amazing coverage, so much so you don't need to use concealer and also lasts up to 18 hours!! That's crazy but a lot of people love this so much because once you put it on it doesn't budge until you decide to take it off. Either way I've heard about it for such a long time that I'm dying to try it. So if you've beat me and have already given it ago please leave me your thoughts/review links below so I can have a look. I'm a woman obsessed I tell ya!

Nars Blush

Ever since I bought and loved my Nars Laguna Bronzer I feel like I should leap into the pool of Nars products and pretty much try everything. I've decided to be restrained though and the next thing I'm really lusting over from Nars is a Nars Blusher. Every one of my favourite You Tube Guru's and favourite bloggers all have their favourite so I'm really intrigued and really want one in my life. To be honest I'm not much of a blusher girl but I'm thinking that maybe that's all down to the fact that I haven't found the perfect one yet so I'm so intrigued to try one out. So far I have no idea what shade I want (why do all the Nars blushers have the rudest names in the world by the way?!) so if you have any suggestions or ones you love let me know!

Mac Candy Yum Yum

I think i'm probably the last person on the whole entire planet who doesn't own this yet, all I've heard about these last few months is Candy Yum Yum and I think for Summer with a tan this will be absolutely amazing. If i'm honest I'm scared to death of Candy Yum Yum, it is the brightest and most fuschia pink shade ever and I tend to play it safe with my lip colours but i'm thinking this might be the push I need to brighten up my lips. Anyway although this scares me half to death I really want to try it, I love Mac Lipsticks you can't beat them in my opinion and this product is sooo hyped up I feel like it's my duty as a beauty blogger to give it ago.

Moroccan Oil

I feel like every product I'm mentioning in this wishlist are cult favorites among the beauty world and i'm just a little late to the party and this is another one. I've seen countless bloggers rave about this and class it as 'holy grail' status for their locks and therefore I'm pretty intrigued. I recently saw Zoe from Zoella give this a shout out in her April Favourites and it just made me want it all over again. My hairdresser has actually used this on my hair and I love it but I really haven't been able to justify the price tag, £30.00 just makes me want to cry, although apparently this stuff is meant to nourish your hair like no other.

Urban Decay Naked Palette

I love Urban Decay, if you've read my little old blog for a while you'll know that, I used the Naked 2 Palette all the time & also my Vice Palette and I just love the shadows so much. Recently though I've been lusting over the original Naked Palette, again everyone has this but me and I want to be able to create amazing eye shadow looks with it. Every tutorial I watch on You Tube everyone is always using this to create the perfect every day eye or the perfect smokey eye too so I just want to give this ago.

Bourjois Cream Blushes

Now this is one of the things on my wishlist that hasn't been out for ages and in fact I'm not sure they're even out yet but I've seen quite a few press releases on these Bourjois Cream Blushes and I think they look gorgeous. I think cream blushes are perfect for warmer months and are really natural and glowy and from what I've seen in terms of reviews and pictures of these blushers they look gorgeous. If i'm honest I think that high street brands don't really release very many blush type products and if you look at the stands in Boots you will see that the blush selection is seriously lacking so I'm glad Bourjois stepped up their game and I can't wait to try these.

Maybelline Vivid Lipsticks

The pigmentation of these lipsticks is just crazy, I love watching Alli from Makeup By Alli on You Tube and she's one of my favourite American Beauty Guru's, anyway she has been raving about these lipsticks for months and months and she's used a few of them in tutorials and I was just waiting for them to be released in the UK. They've been out for a few months here now and I'm kicking myself for not running and getting them sooner. I did swatch some in Boots actually and I was sooo impressed I was just feeling super duper poor that day and therefore didn't pick them up but they're on my wishlist to grab this month.

Soap and Glory - The Fab Facial Peel Pore Mask

Who would have thought it aiy?! A Soap and Glory product that I don't already own, this is their 'Fab Pore Mask' and I think it will be perfect for cleaning out those pores and really deep cleaning the skin. I've noticed my pores have started too look a little large on my nose and therefore I want a mask to sort it out, as S&G have never really let me down I headed to their website to have a look and set my sights on this one.

Thank you for reading again dolls and please leave me comments below telling me if you've tried any of these products and what you think about them and leave me links to posts too! I'm holding you all responsible if I buy any of this stuff and it's horrific and you haven't let me know ;)

Lots of love

Gem xxxx

March Favourites

Hi ladies, today I thought I would share with you my favourite products from the month of March, I found in March my base makeup pretty much stayed the same but I did make a few new additions in terms of the colour I applied to my make up and I also had a bit of a skincare shake up so I thought I would feature all of that in this post because I love doing favourites  I think it's a really good summary of what I've been loving this month.

Peaches & Clean - Soap and Glory

I won't ramble on about this too much because I've only just wrote a whole post about it on my blog here, this product for me was a slight disappointment at first and I thought I wouldn't really get the use out of it but I've found using it as a mask really works and it's an amazing treatment for my face when my skins feeling a bit blah, so for that purpose I love it and it's been really helping my skin this month.

Johnson's Face Care Hydrating 24 Hour Day Cream - SP15 - 

This bad boy needs some loving on my blog one day soon, I absolutely love this day cream so much, I cannot rave about it enough, it just refreshes my face every single morning, helps to keep my makeup on for longer and really nourishes my skin. To be honest I am absolutely rubbish at sticking to a proper skin care routinue but this has been a permanent feature on my face every day for well over a month and I actually look forward to using this, for some reason my skin laps this product up and loves it & it's cheap as chips too.

Mac Dazzleglass - Creme Glass - Demure

I have been reaching for more coral and nude lip colours this month just due to the fact that I wanted to kind of move away from my pink colours because I think nudes and peaches are much more Spring appropriate  I got a set of these creme sheen glasses for Christmas here and I haven't really given this much loving but I absolutely love it and I love how creamy it is, and it looks amazing with a smokey eye for night time wear too.

Make Up Academy Lipstick - Shade 7

I have also been using this this month because it's a really perfect shade for Spring, this is a perfect way for me too add a slightly more bright colour into my makeup regime, i'm so scared of wearing bright colours but because this is a really light peachy colour I just think it looks really nice especially combined with the Mac glass I spoke about above. You can have a closer look at this lipstick in all old post here.

Bourjois Bronzing Powder - 

I love this product, it's one of my favourite products ever and I just think it's the perfect bronzer for a whole range of different skin tones and people, I love that it works as a perfect contour colour but isn't 'too flat' which means you can use it to help fully bronze your face too. This product is amazing in my eyes and I would recommend it to every body. You can find the full review of this product - here.

Maybelline 'The Rocket' Mascara - 
I purchased this mascara a few months ago in Boots when it first came out and I've been loving it ever since. It lengthens and volumises and I find that it just really agrees with my lashes. It does have a plastic bristle which normally I am a bit iffy about but for some reason this just works for me and I really like reaching for it in the mornings. I love maybelline mascara's in general and I find the packaging and name of this product in particular is really adorable.

Barry M Nail Paints -

I really like Barry M as a brand and think they produce some of the best nail polishes around, for me I don't understand spending a huge amount on a nail colour when you can get some amazing ones on a budget, these don't chip and have an amazing opaque coverage and the shade range is pretty perfect too. I have chosen these two colours this month just because they're perfect colours for spring and I have been using the hot pink and pale blue on my toe nails throughout the month, they really are my two favourite nail varnish picks.

Make Up Academy - Undressed Palette

This is another cheap as chips product but one that I have a huge amount of loving for, the MUA Undressed Palette is meant to be a great dupe for the first Urban Decay Naked Palette, I own the second palette but always see so much attention and loving on the first palette which I now want soooo bad. I love the colours in this dupe, they're amazing and for me this palette has been all I have worn on my eyes for the whole month.

Anyway I hope you all enjoyed my favourites post and I will speak to you all really soon!

Lots of Love

Gem xxx

Products That I've Used Up..

Empties Post #1
Hi everyone, hope you've all had a lovely weekend and your Sunday has been nice and relaxing! I've been looking at a new car today so that's been fun! Anyway, I've never done an 'empties' post on my blog before so after collecting some finished products for a few months now I thought I would give it ago. I love reading other peoples empties posts, I think you can really get an honest opinion of how somebody liked a product if they've used it all up. I find it really hard to use products up too and to be honest I only full use something up if I enjoy reading it otherwise it just seems to lay unloved in my drawer. Anyway i'll get on to the actual post.

Skin, Body & Hair Care Empties
Soap and Glory Calm On Me - Bubble Bath - This is probably one of my most favorite products ever from S&G and I have tried a huge amount of them. I love it because it has a built in body lotion which means your baths double up as a creamy lather and your skin is left smooth and moisturized as well as you having a lovely sweet smelling body bath. I will definitely be repurchasing this especially as this bottle lasted me a good year with weekly use. Such a good product.

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Shine Mask - I love Aussie hair care, I discovered this product in December and I've been using it on my hair pretty much every wash since, the bad thing about this was the fact that I thought this was a normal conditioner not an actual hair mask, but regardless my hair has never felt softer, shinier or in better condition and the smell of this product is out of this world. I have never ever repurchased a hair product but I couldn't imagine my hair without using this, i'm in love & I would recommend this to everyone.

Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Scrub - This isn't the most glamorous product but I suffer with blemishes and problem skin and this is one of the only products I've found that sorts it out and sorts it out fast. This is basically a gel with beads which exfoliate the skin and also help to get rid of any spots, blemishes or black heads and help to reduce pore size. If you're looking for a quick fix for your skin then this is a really good one & it's pretty inexpensive too.

Hugo Deep Red Perfume - I love this perfume & i'm really sad to have got to the end of the bottle, I think it's always a sad moment when you finish a fragrance and this was definitely sad for me. I love the smell of this perfume, it smells really sweet and refreshing but it almost has quite a musky scent and smells quite grown up so is lovely to wear in the evenings. I would recommend you giving this a spray if you can find it it's smell amazing!


Face Wipes
Boots No.7 Beautiful Skin Wipes - These wipes were a huge disappointment to me, I've heard a lot of people rave about them & because they retail at £7.00 a pack I thought they must be really good. I had a voucher which only made them £2.00 but I don't think I'd even buy them at that price again, I found them hard to use, they didn't remove my makeup very well and I had to use 2 or 3 to make sure my face felt really clean. I didn't mind these that much but I wouldn't say that they were worth the price or were anything to rave about.

Johnson Face Care Wipes - These are my fav face wipes ever, I've already got another 2 packs at the ready, I don't know what it is about these but they just remove makeup like a dream, they smell really good, they're wet enough and can cope with getting rid of waterproof mascara and they help improve the condition of my skin and leave my skin feeling really moisturized too! If you're looking for any face wipes look no further than these! 


Foundations, Powders & Concealers 
Mac Mineralize Skin finish Natural - I love this powder, I actually did a review about it here! It's the best powder I've ever tried, it looks so natural but gives amazing coverage and really makes your makeup look much more expensive and professional. I want to repurchase this but I think i'll keep it for night time wear from now on just because I go through powders ridiculously quick that's why there's so many mentioned in this post haha!

Max-factor Powder - I really love this powder too, it comes in the nicest compact with a sponge and  a mirror, you can read more about this in a haul here, it's perfect for every day, it has amazing coverage, is great for touch up's and lasts all day. I'd really recommend this beauty.

Rimmel Matte Perfection Powder - This is also a great powder and cheap as chips, this is just a translucent mattifying powder and to be honest at first I really didn't understand the hype but this powder is actually amazing for oil control, especially if you have an oily t-zone you can just sweep this on with a big fluffy brush and it will take care of it instantly. It's also fab for setting your makeup in place. 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - If you've read my blog for a while it's probably no surprise to you that I have used up yet enough bottle of my trusty Rimmel Wake me up foundation, I love this stuff and will continue to repurchase it forever I think. I won't ramble too much about it because this bad boy has had a huge amount of coverage on my blog already but if you want to know a bit more about it feel free to read my full review here beware though it's a really old post & the picture quality is pretty awful.

Benefit Bo-ing Concealer - I find that I go through concealers pretty quickly and this one was no exception this is the Bo-ing Concealer by benefit, I didn't mind this the concealer and it did the job whilst I used it but I much prefer my Mac Studio Finish Concealer and therefore won't be picking this up again, I just felt like I needed a little bit more coverage personally, but if you don't have too troublesome skin or your dark circles aren't too bad then check this out because a lot of people love it.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer - Another concealer I've really liked is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer,  it's amazing and just great because it's only around a fiver, as you can see I like this concealer so much I've gone through 2 and I will buy more once I've used up the rest of my concealer, I just sometimes think this one can look a little cakey under my eye area & the mac one I use now looks a lot more natural because it's a lot creamier.

Mascara's
Maxfactor's False Lash Effect Mascara - I really like Maxfactor Mascara's and I used this one for quite a long time & really enjoyed using it, it really made my lashes look long and volumised and I think the brush on this mascara was pretty impressive. I'm not one to repurchase mascara's because i'm still on the hunt for the perfect one but this was is pretty good.

Maybelline Falsies Mascara - Again a really lovely mascara, I love the brush because it's so unique and is almost curled so this one of the only mascara's i've found that really holds a curl and makes my lashes look curly, thick and long, I love maybelline mascara's too and if i'm going to pick one up from Boots it's normally Maxfactor, L'oreal or Maybelline.

Hope you all enjoyed this post, let me know what products you've been using up & if you've tried any of the products I've mentioned & i'll speak to you all really soon! :) xxx

Mac Studio Finish Concealer NC15 Review

Mac Studio Finish Concealer £14.50 - Mac Website

Hi Ladies, hope you're all okay today's post is going to be about the Mac Studio Finish Concealer in NC15, I've been using this concealer for a good 3 months now and I love it. I find that concealers aren't really reviewed all that much on blogs though and when I was doing my research on this concealer before I got it I found that I couldn't find that much out about it so I thought i'd give my two sense for you all.
Firstly I really like Mac products but they are pretty pricey, in terms of this concealer though I find that it is pretty reasonable in terms of price, it only costs the same as a lipstick from Mac and in all fairness you will use this product everyday. You also get 7g of product and I think this is pretty good, I've had mine for 3 months and hardly made a dent in it and trust me I have a lot to conceal on this face haha! The product also has the added bonus of having SPF35 and is known as an industrial strength concealer meaning it not only covers blemishes ut also claims to cover tattoos and birthmarks.Other great facts about the product is the fact that it is water resistant, fragrence free and non blemish genic which is obviously good because you don't want to make your spots worse when applying this product.
Apparently it has vitamins A&E which are both anti-oxidants but in all honesty after 3 months of use I haven't really felt the benefits of them and it doesn't make me desire the product anymore. Other good things about this product is that it contains Silica which is good for absorbing skins oil and is really good for acne sufferers if it is applied in the right way. I would also say that it is really good for really bad dark circles as long as you blend it in a lot and make sure that you set it because otherwise you could experience some issues with the product caking.
With all the boring facts aside I really do like this concealer, I find that it gives really good coverage and is a really thick and creamy concealer. It really helps to cover my dark circles but I think the application of this product is key, you only need a little bit and you need to blend it in, I personally find that blending in my concealer with my ring finger means that the product is helped to warm up and absorb into the skin a lot easier. You do have to be careful with this product because it can easily end up looking cakey underneath the eye area especially and I would say that it definitely accentuates dry patches so I would say this is much more suited for more oily skin types. I love this product because of its staying power and coverage, this product will last all day n my face but I do find that if i'm having a watery eye day then the product doesn't stay so i'm not sure about Mac's claim that it is water resistant.
The product will last a really long time, i'd say I could get a good 6 months or more worth of use out of this product which is really good and I think the packaging is pretty good and feels sturdy although its kind of gross having to put your fingers in it everyday. Probably one of the best things about this particular product as with all mac products is the shade range with a huge amount of nc and nw shades to pick from. Also the Pixiwoo sisters are big fan of this product (what else do you need?!) & 70% of the people who reviewed it on make up alley said they would repurchase it!
So I think this product has well deserved love and I personally would really recommend it, I think it works really well and I will repurchase it as soon as it runs out because I can't imagine not using it now! What concealer do you use? Let me know and i'll speak to you all soon! xxx

February Wishlist

Feb Wishlist - Chanel Bronze Universal, Benefit 'Fine One One', Rimmel Apocalips, Real Techniques Eye Kit, Proactiv Solution, Mac Creme Cup & Rimmel BB Cream

 

Hi everyone, hope you're okay! Today I thought I'd do a February wish list, I have done a wish list post in ages and I personally really like reading them and it adds a bit of depth to my blog rather than having constant review posts. Anyway I'm not going to ramble for ages I'm just going to jump right in and get on with it.

1. Chanel Bronze Universal - I've wanted to try this product for such a long time, I've heard so many great things about it from lots of different bloggers and I have never actually tired any Chanel products so I think this would be a great way to dip my toes into the Chanel pond so to speak. I think the packaging of this product is really luxurious and it just looks lovely. I'm out of bronzer so I can probably justify picking this up but the price tag at £30.00 has always put me off, I think that's sooo expensive! It looks lovely though and apparently the 30ml contents lasts for absolutely ages seeming as it's a cream product and from my experience with cream blushes I would expect it to last a long time too. I have ready so many reviews on this product and I think it's the product that I want to pick up the most in the month of Feb.

2. Benefit Fine One One - This looks like a really cool product, it's a new release from Benefit and I have been seeing it on loads and loads of blog posts recently and it's really made me want to try it out. Sticking to the cream products this is basically a cream stick that contains a stripe of blusher, a stripe of bronzer and a highlight shade, this means you can just hold the product at the center of your cheek and in one quick swipe have your blusher, bronzer and highlighter done. I think it's such a cool idea and I think the reason I want to try it so much is the fact that it's so different to a lot of products on the market and I've not seen anything like it. I also think Benefit is such a cool brand and the packaging and idea behind this is really cool. This is a fairly expensive product at £23.00 but I think it would be good quality the only thing I would be worried about would be how messy it would get and I would be a little skeptical in case the shades mixed in together and I ended up without the definition of the 3 individual shades. 

3. Apocalips - I recently did a post on the new offering from Rimmel and I said that they weren't that ground breaking or different to be getting the huge and over top amount of hype that they have been served by the blogging community. That being said I do quite like them I just wish they didn't smell funny. I really want to try the shades Big Bang and Nude Eclipse to see how they are and I'm wanting to try those out this month.

4. Real Techniques Eye Collection - You may have seen on my blog this week that I have recently picked up a new Urban Decay eye shadow palette - the Glinda. But recently I've just been experimenting a lot with eye shadows, I want to pick up some eye shadow brushes that I can use with all my new palettes, I do have a few old ones from Elf but I know real techniques are good quality and a bargain for the price!

5. Pro Active Solution - 4 Piece Set - My skin has been playing up loads lately and I've heard that Pro Activ solution is one of the best ways to get your skin under control quickly and also improve it's quality. Also seeming as it is the new year I really wanted to start taking care of my skin more and I though a 4 Piece Skin care set would probably help me to do this. As much as I do want to try this though I'm a little bit sceptical, I've heard very contrasting reviews on this product, some people love it and swear by it and some people hate it and swear that you should stay away from it! So I don't really know.

 

6. Mac Crème Cup - I love Mac lipsticks, if you haven't heard me rave about it enough I got Mac Angel as a Christmas present and love it to absolute bits, I've used it every single day since and I don't seriously think I could live without it. Mac lipsticks are hands down the best I've ever tried and I really enjoy using them. I've heard crème cup is the same sort of colour as Angel but more of a creamy formula and without the frost finish so I would love to try it out.

 

7. Rimmel BB Cream - This is a new release from Rimmel and in all fairness it's a product that I haven't heard a whole lot about, I think this is why I am so fascinated by it, I really haven't bought into the whole 'BB' trend and think that the whole idea is a way for companies to just rebrand tinted moisturisers, I've never really found one I liked either but I'm quite keen to try this just because i'm a huge Rimmel Fan and they're a brand that never seem to get it wrong for me. This isn't a product that I've been lusting after but a product that I am curious about.

 

As a side note since I made this wish list I have added 2 more things to it haha, i'm so rubbish! I really want to try out the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette and also the Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette, both really interest me & intrigue me and I have been loving Urban Decay over the last few months so I would love to try their new releases!

 

Hope you enjoyed this post, let me know what's on your February wish list! Thanks for reading! :) xxx

 

January Favorites

Monthly Favorites - Angelica Nail Polish, Lancome Mascara, Juicy Couture Perfume, Elf blush and bronzing duo, Rimmel Wake me up foundation, Simple Cleanser, Topshop Innocence, Mac Angel, Naked 2 and Mac MSF natural.

Hi! Today I thought i'd share with you all my January Favorites, this is just a round up off all the products i've been loving in January. I can't believe January is over already! It doesn't seem like 5 minutes since Christmas - crazy times. Anyway before I get on with it I just wanted to say thank you for all the support this month, I hope my blog can continue with this success next month too.
First for my favorites this month is the gorgeous blue Angelica glitter nail polish, they are a nail varnish brand that sell their polishes at Primark for £2.50 or on their website, I won't ramble too much about it because you can read a whole post dedicated to it here but it's just a really gorgeous nail polish which gives pretty opaque coverage and is great quality for the small price tag.
Secondly we have the Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara, I reviewed this in the last post on my blog after falling in love with it when I received it for Christmas. It creates a huge amount of length and holds the curl of my lashes and really does make them look like 'hollywood lashes' which was the idea behind the ad campaign, you can read more information here.
The third thing I've been loving this month is the Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Perfume, (more information here) I recieved this as a gift at the very start of December for my birthday and i've been loving wearing it, it is a very strong scent and therefore a little bit goes a long way. I love that it's a sweet and strong perfume because that's my preference and the bottle is sooo cute too! It's just a really good perfume and it's become my signature scent!
The next thing I have been loving this month was a rediscovery, I have owned the Elf Blush and Bronzing Kit for well over 6 months and I found it in my blush drawer the other week when I was looking for something a bit different and I've really been enjoying it. It comes with a bronzer and a light pink blush with subtle shimmer running through it. I just really love it, both the bronzer and blush are really pigmented and blend well, and it's perfect for travelling because it's a duo in a good compact with a massive mirror so you can just chuck it in your bag if you like to top your makeup up through the day. Also this was a massive bargain, at the time I picked it up I think it was like £3.50? Which is pretty crazy for the quality, I've heard some people even compare this to the Nars Laguna & Orgasm blush and bronzing duo!
The next thing I've been loving this month and will probably love for many months in the future is the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation, I've been buying and using this foundation for over a year now and every time it runs out i don't even think about it but i just go and pick up a new one. I use it every single day and I actually don't think there is a better alternative on the high street in terms of a cheaper foundation, I even prefer this to higher end alternatives which is crazy considering you can pick this up for under £10.00, this product has had a huge amount of coverage on my blog and I can bet you're sick of hearing about it but if you want too you can find a full review here.
Simple Skincare has been the next thing I've been loving this month, my skin has become really sensitive recently which is strange because before I could pretty much slap anything on my face and it would work out fine for me. But anyway the savoir for my face over the last few months has been simple skin care, in particular the cleanser that helps remove my makeup every day as well as the toner. They are just brilliant products that do the job well and don't irritate, or sting or dry the skin out in anyway. I know that I've mentioned these on my blog before so I won't go into too much detail but there is more information here.
Next are two lipsticks, you may have seen me raving about Mac Angel here, when I say it is the best lipstick I've ever tried i'm really not lying, I really do love it so much, it's gorgeous and the perfect color for every single day, I received this for Christmas and you can see I've really used it, I don't actually think there's been a day this month where this hasn't been on my lips. Next is the Topshop Lipstick in Innocence, I've had this for a while and at first I just couldn't get on with it, but recently I've tried it again and it's so creamy and nice that I've been enjoying it, it's a similar sort of color to Angel just without the glaze formula and I like applying this on days where I need a bit of extra moisture on my lips, in all fairness I pretty much wear Innocence and Angel together as an everyday combination and I find it works really well.
The next product was probably hands down the most favorite products of my favorites this month, I loveeee it! It's the Naked 2 Palette by Urban Decay, I love Urban Decay and this and the Vice Palette have been my go to eyeshadow Palettes for the month. I love this one so much because it's so easy to wear, I can't believe after owning this for about 6 months I've only given it the time of day this month, it's amazing! I love it, it provides a really nice selection of neutral eye colors and I've been loving creating looks with it! It's seriously so good and i'll be popping up reviews of this and the Vice Palette over the next month for you.
Lastly is my beloved Mac MSF natural, I did a review on this not along ago and I would definitely say that it wins my award for my holy grail powder, it's perfect in every single way, gives you great coverage without making you look powdery, it doesn't make you look matte but holds your oil really well and is just such a natural powder that makes your skin glow! I love it, you can read more about it here here.
Anyway, I hope you liked this post, let me know the products you've been loving this month! xx

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

 

 

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Review

Mac Mineralise Skinfinish Natural (Shade - Medium) Mac website here - £21.00

Hi everyone, hope you're all well, today's review is going to be all about the Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium, which I think is actually my holy grail powder. This powder is a cult favourite in the blogging and you tube community (with a makeup alley rating of 4.2 and 72% of people saying that this is a product that they would repurchase) and in December I decided to bite the bullet and order it out of my birthday money & I am actually so pleased that I decided to pick this up. On the website Mac describes this powder as "A luxurious domed face powder with minerals, slowly baked to provide a dimensional yet natural-matte finish. Provides perfect low coverage. Use to set and fix foundation or as a touch-up throughout the day".

I would completely agree with what Mac says about this face powder, it's gorgeous, it's good for the skin because it's packed with minerals and the fact that it's a baked face product means that it really does add a dimension to the face. Mac is very famous for it's normal mineralize skin finishes which are highlighting products such as Soft and Gentle & Gold Deposit. This face powder kind of has a highlighting aspect at all, don't get me wrong it's not shiny or glittery but when you sweep this product over your face it differs to normal powders because it doesn't make you completely matte, it does keep shine at bay all day but it doesn't make your foundation and face look flat and one dimensional, it adds a luminosity and lets your foundation breathe through so that you look more normal. This powder doesn't have amazing coverage, I would definitely say that it's light to medium but that leaves it look really natural and you will never look 'powdery' no matter how much of this you pact on to your face.

Another positive of it having low coverage is the fact that it really lets your foundation be seen and doesn't mask it, a lot of people will buy a really expensive foundation with aluminising properties which will make your skin look really good and then just finish off the look by applying a heavy layer of normal powder that makes you look powdery, cakey, matte and also masks your foundation, I personally don't really see the point in that. Another great thing about this product is that you get 10g of product, normally I am always running out of powders, because I use a lot in the morning to try and get rid of shine and then use powder to top up my makeup and keep oil at bay during the day but I've been using this product for over a month and you can still see I have loads left, I think this is due to the fact that it's a doomed face powder.

In my opinion this powder is definitely worth the money that you pay simply because it's so different to other powders on the market and offers such amazing results. This powder is really finely milled and therefore is so soft on the face and doesn't go cakey. Although because it is so finely milled I find that it has a huge amount of fall out, not when it's on my face but when I swirl my powder brush in the product to buff it into my skin I find that it kind of goes everywhere a bit and you can see by the photo's that it's very fall outty and that can make the packaging very messy. Talking of the packaging I think Mac have done a good job, it feels nice and sturdy and houses the product really well, the only downfalls would be that their isn't a mirror and also no puff for touch up's during the day so you would have to carry a brush too which could be quite inconvenient. I would also like to mention that this is a very good product for oily skin and does help to control oil but also this is the perfect powder for people with dry skin, I have really dry skin underneath my eyes and also down my nose & this powder really doesn't cling to it, it really doesn't emphasize dry patches and just helps to really "finish" your makeup off and make it look much more professional.

I apply this powder with my Real techniques Powder Brush and it's the one powder that gives my skin that 'airbrushed' look that I've been trying to achieve for years. This powder also has the texture and feel of a translucent powder it makes your skin feel as soft and really covers up skin imperfections without making you look flat, powdered and matte. This is also one of the only powders that doesn't oxidise and also is a powder that doesn't start disappearing. I use this in shade medium even though i'm nc15 in mac foundations but their are a range of shades going from light to

dark so their is something for everyone. I really would recommend this powder, I love it, I know it's expensive but I really do think it's worth it and it's definitely my holy grail powder! ♥