L'Oreal Perfect Clean Foaming Gentle Scrub

Is there anything more frustrating than having meticulously cleansed your face only to find when you use your toner the cotton pad is still covered with the remnants of your foundation? I may have found a solution...

This fruity little number (smells like mango to me) has small exfoliating beads. It’s gentle enough for me to use every day but those with super sensitive skin may want to try the other types. I think the pink bottle is for sensitive skin (don’t take my word for it). The face wash itself is pleasant enough and doesn’t dry my skin out. I really do think my skin has improved since using it!

However, nice though the face wash is the real star is that little rubber scrublet. You put the product on it then work round your face in circular motions. It’s super soft so you don’t feel like you’re sanding your face off and according to the manufacturer it is latex/ other nasties free. Not once after using this have I found any remnants of makeup left when I’ve used my toner. My face is squeaky clean every time! And I feel that as a result of this my skin looks less congested.

It costs £4.99 at Superdrug at the moment and personally I will be repurchasing xx

17 Mirror Shine On Lipsticks

One of the latest offerings from Boots 17 brand is these rather funky looking lippies. At only £4.49 they are a perfect budget treat for me. The website claims “Get ultra glam, slick colour that creates the illusion of fuller, luscious lips”. I picked up a couple of eyeshadow trios too but I’ll leave these for another day.

Here I have Nudist Peach and Belle. Now despite having a drawer full of gloss I have to confess I’m a lipstick girl at heart. As much as I love the look of gloss I HATE the feel of it on my lips. Unfortunately my super dry lips sometimes aren’t up to carrying off lipstick so gloss is my only option. These lipsticks are a solution to this problem. (Nudist Peach is top, Belle is underneath). You might be wondering why there is no swatch on Nudist Peach. This is because my darling sister stole it before I could photograph one. Charming.



Naked Peach is a gorgeous toffee coloured nude, Belle is a deeper pink. Both are incredibly sheer with a high gloss finish and a hint of colour. They look like a gloss on but feel like a lipstick. They are also very moisturising. The sheer finish means you can chuck these on without a mirror. If you want opaque colour these aren’t for you. However if you want something light and easy to wear, or an alternative to sticky lip glosses this is a winner.

I think these are a super easy and wearable option for summer. I’ll definitely be picking more of these up. What are your preferences, gloss or lippie? x

Barbara Daly Soufflé Eyeshadows at Tesco

I’d heard a few people talking about the Barbara Daly line of makeup available at Tesco. So last week whilst hunting for fans (damn you summer, it’s too hot to sleep!) I thought I’d have a quick look. They were running an offer in which you got this rather pretty looking blush free when you bought two products. The silver is just an overspray but there are three shades of pink running all the way through. I’m not sure I’m actually going to use this as it’s so pretty... sad I know.

I chose two soufflé (cream) eyeshadows in sea-foam (metallic olive green) and haze (dirty metallic purple). They are only £5 each however you only get 2.5g for your money. The best before label on them says to throw after 6 months but if you were to use them on a regular basis I think you’d probably get through the pot pretty quickly due to the light, airy texture. The texture is similar to Maybelline’s Dream Mousse Blushes only a little thicker and much more pigmented (obviously as it is an eyeshadow).

The quality isn’t amazing but they really are pretty. As the swatches show they aren’t terribly pigmented and you wouldn’t want to try to build them up to get a deeper colour. Like most cream shadows they are prone to creasing. I find they work best for me as bases. Used over UDPP in a thin layer with a dusting of powder shadow over the top they will last all day on me. They really to bring out the best in the shadows you use over the top and the rich shimmery finish translates through. It’s pretty easy to blend too though I would recommend using your fingers to apply as it doesn’t really adhere to brushes.

All in all I do like these. Used properly they give a lovely finish and I think the colours are gorgeous. Have you tried anything from the range? Is there anything you’d recommend/ avoid? xx

The Body Shop Divide and Multiply Mascara

I received a sample size of this eons ago in a Christmas set and finally cracked it open to give it a whirl. I’ve never tried The Body Shop mascaras before and I must say I’m impressed! I have it here in Black though there is a Brown version too.

Everybody wants something different from their mascara. Me? I want length, curl and importantly separation. I have lots and lots of short but very thick black lashes. The wrong (usually volumising) formula turns them into one big fat lash all stuck together. Mmmm... no thanks. The website describes this as “The ultimate one-step lengthening and separating mascara for sensational ultra long, dark, glossy lashes in seconds. Non-clumping” Sounds perfect!

I’m not convinced that the lengthening was that dramatic on me. However that funny shaped rubber wand with the comb-like bristles certainly did the trick when it came to separating my lashes! Not a clump in sight and I didn’t experience any flaking of any kind until the tube was nearing the end of its lifespan. Whilst it doesn’t make any claims about curling your lashes I found that the formula was light weight enough to not drag down my lashes after I’d used a curler.

Now this mascara is priced at £11 which makes it a little more expensive than most drugstore mascaras but nowhere near as expensive as most high end ones. For me I think it’s worth the money and I would be happy to repurchase in future. If you want volume and extreme length from a mascara this won’t be for you, in fact if you are looking for a dramatic look full stop it probably isn’t right for you. But if you want super defined lashes for an everyday look this does the job very well. xx

* The pic of me wearing this mascara turns out to be a bit rubbish and I can't go buy it an wear it now as I have eyelash extentions on (they are driving me muts by the way!). You'll just have to take my word for it that it looks good on me, sorry!*

MAC Eyeshadow Swatches – Humid and Gazette Grey

I put in a MAC order the other day for some concealer, as if I don’t have enough already, and these two just happened to fall in my basket. Humid is from the permanent line but happends to have been dolled up in green packaging for the To The Beach collection. Gazette Grey is Ltd edition for the Prep â Papier collection.

Humid is a gorgeous deep shimmery green. It’s super pigmented and blends wonderfully for me. Love it!


Excuse the fuzzy pic of Gazette Grey. I was trying to get a shot of the green and gold sparkles that infuse this grey/brown shadow. The shadow itself is quite a sheer wash of colour. Look up the colour on Temptalia for an amazing pic of just how stunning this looks in the pan. It doesn’t really translate onto the lid though. It’s a touch too sheer for me. I’m thinking of getting a hold of some of the NYX Jumbo eye pencils a. Because I’ve never tried them and b. There is a grey one which I think this might look fab over.


*All of the products in the above post were purchased by me and my reviews give my honest opinion. See my disclaimer page for more info*

Summer Series – Boots Soltan Sunscreen

Morticia here folks. Today I’d like to talk to you about actual sunscreen. Not SPF in makeup, the white stuff in the bottle that we should all be applying liberally. The Soltan brand stuff is often on buy one get one free at Boots. As it usually costs around £10 a bottle It’s worth stocking up when it is BOGO.

Today I’m specifically talking about the factor 50+ facial sunscreen. It’s a thick off white cream with a slight, pleasant fragrance. As it’s specifically designed for the face I’ve experienced no break outs or excess oiliness which I often to get if I have to use general sunscreen on my face. I don’t however use this just on its own. Oh no, this stuff is magic for saving foundations that are too dark for me.

It’s easy really. My Rimmel Stay Matte Mousse foundation turns me into Wotsit lady. So I put a little sunscreen on the back of my hand, use a paintbrush style foundation brush to mix the foundation with it and apply. Instant custom blended tinted moisturiser! This does need setting with a powder but it gives just enough coverage for me for summer whilst protecting my skin. Win! Because the sunscreen is so thick and light it lightens up the foundation to avoid looking like you’ve been Ronsealed. It takes 30 seconds to do and it means I don’t have to throw out a foundation that I paid good money for.

The only downside is it can fade off quite quickly if not kept in place with setting powder. Hope this comes in handy for someone! xx

*I would like to say that I got this idea from a youtube video but I can't for the life of me remember who's video it was! If it was yours please let me know so I can give you credit*

Topshop Cream Blushes

I know these are old news but I never got a chance to get to a branch with all the range. Having finally had a peek at the whole lot I’m left feeling kind of... meh. Don’t get me wrong. I’m pleasantly surprised with the prices (the clothes are extortionate these days) and I love the packaging. I’m not complaining, I’m just not blown away by it. The nail polishes are a little over priced I feel but some things, like the blushes I have here, are a bargain at only £6 for 4g of product.

Here I have Neon Rose (top) and Pinch (bottom). I don’t have anything like these in my collection! I love the fact that they have a mirror in the lid. They are cream blushes so the mirror combined with finger application makes them very portable. I think I’ll be applying with a MAC 188 though.
(Just realised these were the wrong way round before. Now they are correct. Sorry!)


Neon Rose is a bright pinky coral and Pinch is neon pink. Both require a light hand but blend well. I’m a little concerned that with the stunning weather we’ve been having here these will melt straight off my face so I’ll probably set them with some translucent powder at least for the summer months. There is a decent colour range and despite having heard some horror stories about the state of the makeup stands in some stores the Glasgow one was clean and well presented.

I wasn’t hugely impressed with the rest of the range despite loving these blushes. I could be wrong though (I often am). What in the range grabbed your attention? Am I missing out on anything? Tell me in the comments xxx

Illamasqua Sirens Palette

I’m a huge fan of the Illamasqua ethos. Makeup for your alter ego? Yes please. If your collection is getting pretty sizable and you are concerned other brands are offering you the same old stuff it’s worth a trip to Illamasqua to find things that are more than a little different. Ok enough gushing (no they didn’t send me it. I just like the brand). I popped into the Glasgow counter to buy Hussy blush the other day but they were out. I consoled myself with their Sirens eyeshadow palette. It’s not on the site anymore I don’t think but apparently a lot of counters still have stock so it’s worth checking.

For £29 you get four 1.5g shadows in their signature ‘pinched’ packaging. There is a good sized mirror. Clockwise from top left we have Morn, Luminescence, Fate and Spellbound. The two bronze/ neutral colours are shimmery and the blue/ teals are matte. The shimmery colours are easier to work with. The mattes require a good base but are still well pigmented. As a quad it’s unique in my collection and incredibly versatile. (My camera is washing them out for some reason. They are brighter and also my arm isn’t actually grey...)

The colours last well with no fading on me (I always use a primer mind). On a random note the girl at the counter (sorry can’t remember your name but thanks for being so helpful!) did apply the Hussy blush on me. I promptly passed out that night without taking my makeup off. Disgusting I know but bear with me. When I got up, 24 hours after the blush was applied, it was still there. As bright and vivid as it was when it was applied! I’m hoping some stock comes in soon!

On a random note, how many blushes to you folks think is too many? 10? 20? More? Is there such a thing as too much? xx

A lesson about eyeshadow primer

The other day I was engaged in a heated debate about the virtues of eye shadow primer. A friend of mine insists that it is a silly idea for silly people with too much money and time on their hands. I whole heartedly disagree. She reckons eye shadow is fine on its own. My oily eyelids and collection of cheap and cheerful shadows say otherwise. In the end I pulled out some Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion and one of the worst quality shadows I have (A matte purple MUA one). Behold:

Can you guess which swatch has the primer? One little tube of loveliness transforms a sad little pot of shadow which barely shows up and disappears on me within a couple of hours into a gorgeous vibrant purple that lasts all day. I win x

Beauty Blog Link Love

My first ever BBLL submission! I love this system. It's such a fab way to discover new blogs!

Over at theNotice, Rae talks about a new Burt's Bees lip balm... and how it reminds her of an old Lip Smacker!

Maggie shares this Foxy dupe of Too Faced's Sexpresso and Peachfuzz duo over at The Polka-Dotted Apple.

Kim Porter talks about a miracle moisturizer that's also a makeup primer, remover, and more!

Vesna from Beauty addict blog discovered one of her blushes is fake, so read this post to find out how to spot a fake Benefit Coralista!

Head over to Beautifully Glossy to discover a lip balm that GlossQueen thinks is an essential.

Glitter Geek is obsessed with everything sparkly, and she puts a glistening spin on the summer smoky eye.

Need some wedding makeup ideas? Check out Audrey Dao's wedding looks!

Pop over to melovemakeup for swatches and thoughts on the New Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks!

Get the only 10 tips you'll ever need for a fool-proof fake tan on beautywoome.com.

Champagne, French macarons and make up... Hellcandy spends an indulgent afternoon with Terry De Gunzburg, founder of By Terry.

Vex in the City takes a look at Mai Couture's Blush Papier - blush with a difference!

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed discovers the joy that is cream blushes!

Eyelining Obsession thinks you shouldn't have to spend a fortune on great eye brushes.

You can wear nudes too! Spiced Beauty shows off MAC Lovin' it Lipstick with lip swatches.

Jen from A Beauty Junkie in London has been feeling all posh whilst checking out Estee Lauder's new Pure Colour Shadow.

Retrodiva splurges a bit with Chanel's Coco Rouge and Red Shine Glossamer. Find out if she thinks it's worth it!

***

Want to win a $100 gift voucher for all your skincare needs. Head over to Yinnie's blog to check out the details!


Have a great weekend folks :-)

Glamour Freebies

Unless you’ve been living under a rock recently you’ll know that Glamour in the UK this month have been giving away full sized Bad Gal pencils, Eye Bright and It Stick. If you buy three mags to get all three you spend £6. That’s £45 of product for a fraction of the price!!!!


Of course I bought all three and I’m chuffed to bits about it. However I can’t help but wonder if Benefit have shot themselves in the foot a bit here. This isn’t the first time Glamour have done Benefit promotions. If the full size products are being given away for free so often (not like all the time but you get my drift) are they really worth the full price in the first place?



Regardless of their full price I’m pleased to have a chance to try these out. So far Bad Gal seems ok. It’s good but I have equally good pencils that cost the same. Eye Bright is a funny one. It’s much less stark than a white pencil for your inner corners which I like but I’m a bit worried it makes my eyes look red. The Is Stick it kind of the wrong colour for a concealer for me.

I need to play with these a bit more before giving a final verdict on whether or not I would repurchase at full price. Either way if you want to try these out for little to no money get thee to a newsagents! x

Lancôme The Pink Side of Me Lipstick

This lippie will always hold a place in my heart as it is the lipstick I wore on my wedding day! Is it the best formula in the world? Erm... no. Actually I find it quite drying. But it’s the perfect neutral ‘my lips but better’ pink on me.

The packaging looks gorgeous but feels surprisingly light weight. I was hoping for a more substantial weight to lend it more of a luxe feel but never mind. At £18.50 I won’t be buying any more colours in a hurry although I will buy more of this colour when I run out!

The wear is pretty good. It will last about 3 hours on me before needing reapplied which isn’t bad on me. And no it didn’t transfer onto hubbies face during ‘the kiss’.

So this is a pretty odd review. It’s my most precious lipstick but I wouldn’t urge others to run out and buy it. Hmm... x

Revlon Eye Brushes

Think you need to spend a fortune for decent natural bristled brushes? Nope. I got these for around £7 each and they are fab!

Here we have the all over shadow brush and the contour shadow brush. Both have very long black wooden handles (longer than any MAC brush I have) and natural bristles dyed black. Neither have shed on me or leached any dye despite repeated washing. The all over shadow brush is flat, fairly densely packed and perfect for packing colour all over the lid. I’d call it a medium size. I have a very small lid space and if this were any bigger it would be too big for me. As it is, it’s just right.

My favourite though is the contour brush. It’s tapered towards the end giving you greater precision in the crease and just dense enough to be good at depositing colour whilst fluffy enough to be great at blending. I use it daily and am seriously considering buying a backup! I have noticed that with washing the bristles have spread out a little but it is still perfectly useable.

All in all I would definitely recommend these. I’ve seen a few people singing the praises of the contour brush on Youtube and I count it amongst my favourite brushes. Win! x

NYC Translucent Loose Face Powder

It’s a rare day that I finish a makeup item. The makeup collection is growing so hitting pan doesn’t happen often. One of the few items I do use up on a regular basis is finishing powder. I use it several times a day (thank you oily nose) hence me picking up this little bargain for only £2.59 (Superdrug) during a particularly tight patch last month.


This is what it says on the tin. A translucent powder with which to set your makeup. It doesn’t do anything fancy, no HD pore wizardry here. I couldn’t tell you how it performs during my regular top ups throughout the day as the packaging is wholly unsuited to travel. The lid doesn’t screw on and the sifter is prone to letting a bit too much in if you shake it up. I only use it first thing in the morning and it keeps my makeup in place and shine free till lunch.

Would I repurchase? Well there are better powders out there. And I think I prefer a pressed powder to lose as it’s more portable. That being said if you’re on a budget this will do the job. It’s a no fuss, no frills option. And I like it. Ttfn x

Lacura Concealer

I have a vast collection of under eye concealers. Very few actually achieve what I want them to. They need to be opaque enough to cover my dark circles yet fluid enough to not crease up when I’m squinting at something due to my terrible eyesight. It is very hard to find both these things in one concealer!


I was intrigued by peoples rave reviews of this supposed ‘poor woman’s Touché Éclat’. At only £1.99 from Aldi I decided to give it a go. The Lacura range at Aldi has received high praise in the press with its anti ageing products flying off the shelves (my mother swears buy their moisturiser!). The packaging looks promising with its sleek metal casing and click-pen applicator lending it a deceptively expensive air.

The product itself is actually not bad at all. The formula is thick enough to cover my dark circles and the ‘luminating’ light reflecting particles certainly do brighten the area. My only niggle is that you get one coat and that is it. If you try to layer it at all your face will crack and cake up like you have never seen before. Stick to one coat and you will have a fairly decent concealer that certainly lasts a work day on me.

In other news..... I’m Married!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I got my degree results all in one weekend! (rather good actually!) Thank you to all who responded in my previous post. In the end I did change my name. It’s going to take a lot of getting used to but for the man who moved countries to be with me it’s a small price to pay for making him happy. Hope everyone had a fab weekend!I know I did! xxx

Life...

The universe and everything. Hi folks. I'm going to be a little slow replying to comments this week because I'm getting married on Saturday!!! I'm writing some posts to schedule though so you will be seeing those. Here is a question for you all though, I'd really appreciate your opinions.

I have always been adamant that I wouldn't change my name. In this day and age I don't see why I should. Changing your name was originally a sign of ownership, you were given to another man by your father and took his name to show you belonged to him. Obviously this is not the case for me but something about it jars with me.

On top of that I feel that my name is, well, my name. Mrs ****** is his mother. I've always said I'd consider it in future but as we aren't having kids I don't think it really matters. What matters is that we are married and love each other. End of.

Or it was until a couple of days ago. He says that he will support me whatever I decide but I know that really he would like me to. The only reasons that I would is a. because it would make him happy and b. it would make life easier at work as I work for the family business and I have to work twice as hard to get twice the recognition because of my surname.

Whenever I ask otherwise staunchly feminist women why they changed theirs they just say 'because it was just nice'. That isn't an argument. It's a cop out. I need a reason to do it. I'm more open to the idea than ever but 'because it's nice' isn't enough for me to back out on what I've believed for a very long time.

So ladies what are your views on this? If you're married did you change your name or not? Makeup related post coming soon I promise :-) xxx

Summer series – Clinique City Block SPF25

I’m not being a kill joy honest. Since I embraced the pale I’ve enjoyed summer a lot more. I just enjoy it from under a thick layer of factor 50+ sunscreen! Now that the sun is peeking out and the temperature is rising I thought it might be fun/ useful to do mini series of posts based on products I use with SPF in them.


During the incident of the patchwork face I also picked up Clinique City Block Sheer. The box proclaims it to be an “oil-free daily face protector”. Much like the Superbalanced Foundation it claims to absorb oil in oily bits and provide moisture to dry bits making makeup look better for longer. A ha, a primer then? Actually it works pretty well as a primer. Not as well as GOSH Velvet touch for me but pretty darn well nonetheless.

It has antioxidant properties and also specifies that it is safe for use around the eyes (I certainly haven’t experienced any problems). Importantly it has broad spectrum (UVA and UVB) sun protection at SPF25. There is apparently an SPF40 but it wasn’t available.

As you can see the cream is actually a thick beige colour. Whilst it blends away pretty much invisibly on my skin I can imagine it might give dark skin tones a bit of an ashy cast. Correct me if I’m wrong though! It is a very thick cream but it spreads well so your 40ml tube should last a fair while. I haven’t had any breakouts or anything whilst using this and to be honest this combined with the Clinique foundation is all the moisture my skin needs on these sweaty summer mornings.

I would repurchase this. In summer my skin cannot cope with moisturiser, sun protection, primer and foundation. I can wear this alone on a good day and my skin looks fine, not oily or shiny. The only thing I’m not keen on is the very slight biscuit smell. It goes very quickly but it reminds me of fake tan.... ew. At £15 I thought it was a little pricey until I saw that Boots own brand sunscreen wasn’t miles off that price either. I actually consider it very good value for money!

Stay safe in the sun folks :-) xxx

Revlon Tawny blush and Peach Petal Super Lustrous Lip Gloss

Revlon is one of my favourite drugstore brands. I have a growing collection of their lip glosses and I’m eyeing up their new colour burst lippies whenever I get the chance. So far I’ve only been bitterly disappointed with one product, Photo Ready Foundation. I have a feeling that another product is about to be added to the list of disappointments.

The Tawny blush is a gorgeous peach colour in the pan. The packaging is quite sturdy and the brush is surprisingly soft though too small to really be useful. Do you see it in the swatch? No. Neither can I. It may just be my skin tone but it has all the colour payoff of water. I hate seeing anything going to waste so I use it to set my Maybelline Dream Mouse Blush in Peach Satin (it does last a lot longer when I use Tawny Peach over it) but I wouldn’t repurchase this. Can anyone tell me if all their blushes are like this?

Thankfully Peach Petal restores my faith. I love packaging of these glosses and the doe foot applicator picks up just enough product but not too much (often a complaint with these types of applicators). It smells soft and sugary but not over powering. The colour payoff is medium, it slightly nudes out my very pigmented lips, but looks better on my layered over bright pink lip sticks to tone them down. Like all the other glosses I’ve tried from this range the formula is rich and creamy but never sticky.

Revlon certainly isn’t the cheapest of drugstore brands with the gloss costing £6.49 and the blush £7.49. They are almost always on offer though so I tend to buy when it’s on a buy 2 get 1 free at Boots.

ELF Studio Kabuki

You know when cats rub their face against things and purr? Yup. That’s a pretty accurate representation of what I do with this. And (shh don’t tell him I told you) what hubby-to-be does too when he doesn’t think I’m looking.

I have a fair few brushes and this is by far my favourite. It is £5 from ELF with synthetic bristles. Barginous and animal friendly! What I love about it is that no matter what powder I use it never, ever gives a chalky finish. I have a lot of finishing powders. Some of them are quite cheap and potentially cakey but this smoothes everything out to give a smooth matte finish. I use it daily with powder to set my foundation.

The only thing I would change is the density of the fibres. Though relatively dense it isn’t *quite* dense enough to successfully do things like blend out blush if I’ve over applied. That said maybe if it were more dense it wouldn’t give such a lovely powder finish. With that in mind I am on the hunt for a soft but denser kabuki style brush. Any recommendations are gratefully received!!

I love this brush and am going to be putting in an order soon for backups of this kabuki and the Studio Powder brush. In fact I’m considering filming a Youtube video on the Studio brush collection. Anyone interested in seeing that? xxx

Collection 2000 – Shimmer & Shade

These three lovely looking offerings from Collection 2000 cost around £3.99 each. Not bad really for something that looks so pretty in your collection! To my knowledge these are all of the available shades. From left to right we have 2. Golden & Gorgeous, 1. Pink Me Up and 3. Just Peachy. Yes I should have put them in order but I didn’t notice they were numbered till right now...

Anyhoo the flowers are not an overspray. You actually get 3 different colours running all the way through the palettes. They say on the back that they can be swept everywhere for ‘an all over glow’ or used as highlighters and they are pretty multipurpose. I wouldn’t use them all over though unless you want to look like you’ve escaped from the ceiling of a disco. Mmmm shiny. All of these, as the shimmer in the title suggests, are very shimmery.


Forgive the lack of swatches, I couldn’t get them right for love nor money. I’ll start with Just Peachy. This is, unfortunately, the chalkiest and least pigmented of the lot. I tend to use it all swirled together as a pink tinged highlight on my cheek bones. It is almost too difficult to see to bother with though. However even though it’s almost useless it does look lovely in the draw so I’m glad I have it (sad I know).

Pink me up is the one I use most often as a warm toned pink blush. Again it is shimmery so I tend to use it if the rest of my look is entirely matte just to stop everything looking too flat. It lasts pretty well on my skin and blends easily. The formula is much smoother and easier to work with than Just Peachy. If you’re going to get just one this would be my pick.

Finally we have Golden & Gorgeous. To me this is essentially a bronzer though I have used it a couple of times very lightly over my cheeks. I think if I were to use an actual bronzer on a regular basis I would prefer it to be matte which obviously this isn’t. I have actually used it as an eyeshadow with no ill effects and worked well (requires a good primer). The formula is similar to Pink me up though the background colour is a bit chalky.

I’m torn on this one because whilst I concede it is a case of style over substance I’m glad I own them anyway. I can’t help feeling that with the gorgeous design and clear cases I’ve bought three beautiful but fairly useless dressing table knick knacks(the exception being Pink me up of course). If you collect makeup these may appeal but if you are looking for functional items you can use every day I would buy one of the solo blushes from Collection 2000. I have one and it is excellent xxx

MAC Eye Shadow Swatches: Blanc Type, Wedge, Woodwinked, Corduroy

As promised here are the swatches of the “wedding shadows”. Do you know what? The girl chose well! I’ve been having a play with these and I love them. My favourites are Blanc Type and Woodwinked.

All four are good quality however some are more equal than others. Woodwinked (top left in palette) is sublime. It’s a gorgeous golden bronze which glides on like a cream. It is silk in eyeshadow form. It is also the only shimmery colour here.


My second favourite is Blanc Type (bottom right). It’s a matte beige cream but call me crazy (you wouldn’t be the first!) I think it has a pinkish undertone. That may just be my skin but I’m sure it’s there. This is also soft and goes on fairly opaque. I often find shadows in this colour family look a bit chalky and patchy, not so in this case. Fab!

Third is Wedge (bottom left). This is the colour of milky coffee and is again gorgeous. It’s still soft but not quite as soft as Blanc Type. It’s a gorgeous neutral.

The final, and only one of these I wouldn’t bother repurchasing, is Corduroy (top right). It’s a warm deep chocolate which looks gorgeous in the pan but for some reason patchy on my skin. It is by no means unworkable but I’ve just come to expect a higher standard from MAC. However it is a teeny little fly in an otherwise lovely jar of ointment.