Favourites #1: Lips

I'm sure we all have a bit of a go to feel good look when it comes to makeup, something that you know will pep up either your mood or your makeup...or preferably both! For me over the past few months it has got to be the lip combo I am about to share with you.  It never fails to put a smile on my face (literally haha) and give me a little bit of confidence.

Please excuse the slight changes in the lighting of the photos in this post, I took some of them over time to try and show you the wear of the product and obviously that changes the amount and angle of the natural light...not a lot I can do about our position in the solar system! 

My weapons of choice are;

• MAC Lip Pencil in Beet
• MAC Lipstick in Impassioned (it's an Amplified Creme incase you were wondering)
• MAC Tinted Lipglass in Pink Lemonade

Without further ado, I give you my step by step application of my favourite fuchsia lips! 

1 - I have to prepare my lips somehow because despite my best efforts they are as dry as the Sahara and at times flakier than puff pastry! I use any old lip balm I've got to hand, and slap it on before I do the rest of my makeup, or about five to ten minutes before if I'm just changing my lip colour not the whole face! 

2 - Using Beet I first line the outside of my lips, making sure I get right into the corners.  Once I'm happy with the shape I use the lip pencil to fill in the majority of my lips.

3 - Then, using a lip brush (my favourite is by Illamasqua) I apply Impassioned lipstick all over the lips.  I sometimes leave it as it is, but if I fancy a bit of extra shine, or my lips are feeling particularly dry I'll add an extra step.  The formulation of this lipstick, especially over the lip pencil means it does have a tendency to feel quite tight and drying on my already parched pout! 

4 - To add that extra sheen and injection of moisture I slick on Pink Lemonade, which has got to be my favourite Lipglass by a mile, and then I'm good to go!! 

As you can see this lip finish looks quite different depending on the lighting...and I love it however it looks!!

The wear of this combination is incredible, you don't need to touch it up all day; and I mean all day.  After six hours of drinking numerous cups of tea, stuffing my face with lunch (and maybe a little millionaire shortbread) and chatting away it puts up a damn good fight and begins to fade (see photo below).  And the fade is something I love about this combo; it doesn't go patchy, it doesn't all vanish at once, but it slowly loses its intensity but at no point does the colour die completely.  After I'd taken the photo below I went to an exercise class and did a flipping hard work out, and even after all the sweating (there was a lot) and wiping my face with a towel (again - quite a bit) the colour remained and took a damn good scrubbing to remove in the shower.

So there you have it, my favourite lip to wear at the moment.  Full reviews of the individual products are to follow if you're interested.  

What is your go to 'feel good' lip combo? I'd love to know so I can try them out and see if they can become my new favourite too! 

I hope you're all well lovely ladies

xxx

Review: Sleek MakeUP Storm Palette

Behold my first sample of what Sleek MakeUP has to offer! 

I bought this palette ages ago from Superdrug for £6.49 which, for 12 eyeshadows has got to be a bit of a steal, but I've never got around to using it, or even swatching it - but the time has come to put it to the test! 

I've got to admit that I'm a bit phobic of eyeshadows that crease, or have a lot of fallout, and therefore I've become a little addicted to MAC eyeshadows; they are just so easy to work with, they are highly pigmented and they stay put, so I was a little apprehensive about this palette - you get 12 eyeshadows for half the price of one MAC eyeshadow so surely there has to be a quality compromise?

 Top swatches - natural lighting, Bottom swatches - with flash

To tell you the truth, I was shocked by the pigmentation of most of the shades in this Storm neutrals palette.  Of course there were a couple of exceptions - the matte shades were pretty powdery and lacking in any depth when swatched, which is a bit of a shame as these are really the staples to any good neutrals palette, and without them I worry how much use I would get. 

Matte colours aside, the pigmentation and texture of the shimmery/glittery shades was amazing, they feel really creamy and rich and the colour payoff is great.  I am really impressed with the range of colours as well, I think there is something there for everyone really. 

Despite my disappointment with the matte colours I decided to put them to the test this morning.  I applied my Urban Decay primer potion all over the lid, then I used the lightest matte shade all over the lid, up to the socket, and then the darker matte brown in a triangle on my outer corner (I finished up with Teddy eye pencil by MAC along my lash line and lashings of my favourite mascara L'Oreal Double Extension Beauty Tubes) to finish it off I popped a little bit of the champagney coloured shimmer in my inner corner to brighten my eyes a bit. I was pleasantly surprised by how well these applied and blended - I was expecting it to be a bit of a crumbly mess but it wasn't, and even more surprising is that 7 hours later it still looks ok! I don't know if this is due to using a primer or not, so maybe I will do a comparison another day.

All in all, for £6.49 I don't think you can go wrong.  Sure they're not high end quality, but neither is the price and they are certainly aren't BAD quality either. A thumbs up from me! 

x

Stars N' Rockets

The weather has been so foul recently, and all my friends are away, so I decided to spend my time practicing dramatic makeup - because who doesn't need this type of look to eat dinner and watch tv with their parents!?!

Oops I went to MAC.

After watching Amarixe do a tutorial with MAC Stars & Rockets, which you can see here, I knew I needed to get my hands on this gorgeous shade. It is just such a gorgeous shimmery pinky mauve with a slightly bluey silver sheen, and it is just so pretty.  I've included photos in natural sunlight and also with the flash on so you can see how the colour translates.

It most certainly lives up to its name! 

This particular trip to MAC also saw my first dip into the Pro Palette ocean, and boy oh boy was that probably a mistake because now all I want to do is fill it! 

Amerixe uses Cornflower pigment to add depth to Stars & Rockets, but I didn't fancy getting a pigment so I went for Freshwater instead, which I think will compliment it fantastically, and is just a beautiful stand alone colour anyway! 

The pigmentation of these eyeshadows really is incredible, this is the colour pay-off with just one sweep of my finger so you can only imagine how amazing it could look if you really packed it on to the lid. 

I wanted this in the pan so I could add it to my palette, but they didn't have it in stock so I had to go for it like this.  I should have waited but I just couldn't help myself! 

In natural daylight it looks so fresh! 

The next purchase was from the Reel Sexy collection, and it is the The Dynamic Duo 3.  On the left we have Pearled Earth which is a gorgeous shimmery grey which MAC describe as a 'dirty-toned purple', which has a hint of warmth which I really like.  I have also found it really morphs into different colours in certain lights which I think helps to make it a really wearable colour.  On the right is a limited edition colour, Teal, this is a matte colour which means it is the perfect partner to the frosty Pearled Earth. When I bought this duo the lovely makeup artist at MAC used Pearled Earth all over my lid and then ran a shot of Teal along my lower lash line, and it looked gorgeous and was so simple to do.  I can't wait to try them out properly! 

Swatcharoos in natural sunlight

I then picked up something that is essential for me, I have very unruly brows and thought it was about time I brought them in to line (literally) once and for all! I got the Clear Brow Set because I use a pencil or powder to add definition to my brows anyway so I don't need a coloured gel. 

And finally I picked up a short handled 129 Blush Brush, which I've been wanting for ages.  I went for the short handle mainly because it came in a re-sealable pouch that would make it ideal for traveling but in all honesty I wish I'd gone for the regular length handle because I never take brushes out and about with me and if I am going somewhere I take my brush roll with me anyway...I'm a moron I know! 

I'm sorry this is just a photo heavy post but I hope you can enjoy the visuals as much as I'll enjoy using the products. 

I'll do full reviews and show you how I'm wearing the colours and how I'm getting on with the products once I've given them a fair try! 

Have you got anything from the Reel Sexy collection? What is your favourite eyeshadow duo? 

xxx

NARS Cheery Popping Time : NARS Laguna

Firstly, please let me apologise for the quality of these photos, they were taken on my iPhone at night so they aren't the best (maybe I'll update them when I have a proper camera to hand but I just wanted to write this post!). 

A couple of months ago I popped my Nars cherry which seems a pretty momentous thing in the blogging world...and boy did it feel good! I thought I'd better go for Laguna as it has got to be one of the most talked about products out there.  I first heard about it when Millie Mackintosh from Made In Chelsea said this was her favourite bronzer and I thought I've got to have it (because who doesn't want to have her golden glow?!) but I put it off and put it off because I was happy with my Benefit Hoola and didn't NEED it.  Blogging has blown the entire concept of needing something out of the water however.  Whereas before I was so good and stuck to one product until it ran out, I now find myself conducting snatch and grab cosmetic shopping sprees here there and everywhere all in the name of blogging, and so seeing as every person in the beauty blogging world seems to own this bronzer I thought it was about time I joined the gang.

I love the packaging, but it does already look like I've had it about a year (which is typical of Nars). I am weary of the dreaded smash happening though because Tanya Burr (pixi2woo on YouTube) said hers smashed really easily so I am loath to use this as my 'on the go' bronzer incase it can't hack the travel! 

This product is so finely milled that it applies like an absolute dream and gives a really beautiful finish.  Having said that, I do find that when you sweep your brush over it you get a lot of powder flying everywhere which seems like such a waste of product! Is this because it is so finely milled? Whatever the reason I'm not a fan of it, it's like you can literally see your money going up in a golden smoke! 

I've decided to be a good girl and finish Hoola before I go on to using this as my everyday bronzer but I'm looking forward to enhancing my summer glow with this product! I usually like a matte bronzer but I am ready to embrace a bit of shimmer I think, and this is a nice introduction because it's not really shimmery it just gives an extra dimension! 


This isn't a cheap product, at £25 for 8g (cue choking fit) but this 8g really should last a long long time so hopefully it will be worth the investment, and 8g is the new weight of Benefit Hoola (the naughty people at Benefit made their boxed powders smaller) so really if you fancy a bit of golden shimmer in your bronzer it might be worth the extra couple of pounds.  I got mine at John Lewis so you can head to a NARS counter or pop online. 

Have you tried this bronzer? What are your thoughts on it? Which is your weapon of choice for sun kissed skin?

xxx

Naked Palette. Big Love.

In my manic rampage of beauty counters this week I purchased the Urban Decay Naked Palette.  I can't have spent longer than 30 seconds at the counter, I probably spend longer choosing a bunch of bananas (in fact I definitely spend longer choosing bananas because it's tricky to get the perfect bunch, but that's another story!). 

Other than on nights out (which are pretty rare these days) I'm quite unadventurous as far as my eye make up goes, usually I slick on some eyeliner (L'Oreal Super Liner in Carbon Gloss) and some mascara and I'm good to go but I really want to change this and I thought the Naked palette would be the perfect way to do this.  It provides a good range of neutrals (mostly shimmery ones but there are a couple of matte colours) and they are all there for you to choose from which I like as I hate rooting around in my make up bag because I always forget I have certain colours. 

Virgin is a really delicate slightly peachy vanilla.  These shadows are so finely milled that it feels like applying silk. This shade gives a subtle sheen as I think it makes for a beautiful highlight, base colour or works amazingly in the tear duct to really brighten the eyes.

Sin is a rich shimmery rose gold.  It's just a beautiful colour!! Worn alone I think this is the perfect subtle summer shimmer!  

Naked (sorry my fat finger is covering the name), is a simple matte base colour, it can be used to create a lovely base for other colours or to soften the insensity of other more vibrant colours (Stars N Rockets for example).

Sidecar is a warm toned pinky gold, and it's just beautiful.  End of. I've used this over the inner half of my eyes in the images at the bottom of this post. 

Buck is a warm tan colour, a soft brown if you will, and can be used to add definition in the crease for a sophisticated simply day look or to add definition and depth to basically any other shadow! 

Half Baked.  What a colour! This is just a beautiful gold with a slightly bronze tone running through it! Applied to the tear duct, this colour will just make your eyes look incredible! 

Smog is, as the name suggests, a bit of a dirty goldy with a bit of a rusty edge to it. Like the other true shimmers in this palette it is just so finely milled and highly pigmented, and the colour pay off is so full and luxurious.

Darkhorse has a really subdued shimmer to it that is only picked up in certain lights and it creates a pretty good seductive smouldering look (get my trying to be sexy!)

Toasted is a shimmery pinky brown.  I love it.  This is used in the middle of my eye in the look at the bottom of this post. 

Hustle is a purply brown, and is the third colour I used on my eyes in the photos featured at the end of this post! 

Creep is a deep grey shot through with silver glitter.  The colour can be used boldly to create the intense colour shown in the swatch above, or it can be blended right out to give quite a sheer coverage, and therefore it's really versatile. 

And last but not least, Gunmetal is a gorgeous pewter shimmer.

The photos below are of my first ever time using my Naked palette, and I'm pleased as punch! I used Tanya Burr's tutorial  which you can view here as my instruction, and obviously mine is nowhere near Tanya's (mainly because I screwed up my eyeliner big time) but I'm hoping with practice it'll improve! 

Products - Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion (comes with the palette) all over the lid

Using a 217 apply Sidecar to the inner half, right into the inner corner

On a 239 pack Toasted onto the centre section of the lid

On the other side of the 239 combine Toasted and Hustle and draw that out from the lash line to create the wing, then pack more Hustle in the outer corner to create depth

Then using the leftover product on the 239 draw the shadow under the eye.

Use a 217 or another fluffy brush to blend all the colours and soften the edges

I used Sin as a brow highlight

I then used L'Oreal Gel Intenza to line the water line, my upper lash line and to create a wing

Finally lashings of L'Oreal Telescopic mascara adds great definition

On my brows - No. 7 Perfect Brows pencil in Black

Products - Face

Benefit Erase Paste in Medium

Mac Pro Longwear in NW20 and NC25

Mac Studio Sculpt in NW25

Mac Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Truth & Light

Nars bronzer in Laguna

Mac blush in Plum Foolery

Benefit Highbeam to highlight

Lips

Clarins Joli Rouge Brilliant Perfect Shine lipstick in 06 Fig

If you have made it to the end of this blog post then thank you so much, and congratulations, it's a bit of a mammoth post!! 

The Urban Decay Naked palette is available here or at a zillion other places either on-line or at Urban Decay counters in Debenhams etc

What are your feelings on the Naked palette? What are your favourite looks to create using it? 

If you'd like me to provide links to the other products just ask in the comments and I will willingly do so :) 

As always the beautiful back drop to my product shots is by Gabrielle Vary, she makes incredible luxury knit-ware items which are available here. 

xxx