November Favourites

I don’t have many this month as I’ve been trying to curb my spending so I’ve been going through my collection and using a bit of everything. I decided this month that I don’t use my cream blushes enough. Actually I hardly ever use them so I decided I was going to use nothing but cream blush for the entire month. I only have four and do you know what? I’ve really been enjoying them! I don’t know why I didn’t use them more before. I have the Topshop Cream Blushes in Neon Rose and Pinch and Maybelline Dream Mouse Blushes in Dolly Pink and Peach Satin. Pinch gets a special mention as I’ve been using it as a blush and on my lips too! 

My Rimmel Moisture Renew lipsticks get a mention too. I’ve been finding lipstick a little hard to wear recently as the cold weather plays havoc with my skin leaving my lips dry and flaky. These live up to their name and really do leave my lips feeling hydrated. 

My new MAC palette is really my new favourite thing. I took out the divider and started depotting random shadows like a mad woman. There were a couple of casualties (my beloved NYX white frost *sob*) but I think I have the hang of it now. There are a load of MAC shadows, some NYX, No7, MUA and a Bourjois shadow in here. I bought magnets off eBay. It’s been so handy to have all these colours together. 

My favourite actual makeup acquisition of the month has definitely been my little MAC Blue Brown pigment from the Smoky Thrill seekers set. It is such a gorgeous colour (reddish brown but reflects teal in some lights). 

Marc Jacobs Lola is a perfume which will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s the perfume I wore on my wedding day! It’s a little heavier than what I would normally wear during the day in the warmer months but now with the seemingly perpetual darkness it feels just right. To me it’s feminine, classic and rich.

What have you been using a lot this month? Let me know in the comments! X

*I bought all of the above things myself*

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

Yes I know it's going to be a pain in the proverbial trying to get to work tomorrow but frankly I don't care. I love snow. It makes me feel like a kid again so I'm more than prepared to deal with the practical issues for the sake of a good muck about in the park. My husband and I went for a wander earlier and snapped a few photo's. The gorgeous building is my old uni by the way :-) Hope wherever you are you've had a fab weekend!

Sample Sunday: MAC Pro Long Wear Foundation

My mission to work my way through my box of samples continues with the latest foundation release from MAC. I was given this sample after explaining to the MUA that last time I’d been matched at MAC for a foundation I’d been given the Studio Fix powder in NC20 which had made me look that I had a severe liver problem. She gave me a sample of this in NW20 (apparently they only go down to 20 in the Pro Long Wear range) along with a sample of the Studio Fix Fluid in NW15. I was really hoping this colour would match me as I’ve been curious about this foundation since it came out. The little jar provided 3 days worth of product so I’ve been giving it a good trial run over the last few days. 

MAC say this is “A long-wear foundation that gives up to 15 hours of wear in any environmental condition. Lightweight and creamy, applies smoothly to provide sheer to medium coverage.  Even in hot and humid conditions, controls oil to keep skin fresh, natural and flawless. Provides everyday SPF protection.”

I would call it medium coverage but it is buildable. I added an extra layer on my cheeks with no caking today. The finish is really nice. It looks really natural. It sets to a satin finish so it doesn’t make me look oily though I always powder liquid foundation especially on my oily t-zone. It lasts a good four to five hours on me before I need to blot (which is very good going on my skin)but bear in mind that this is in the current weather. In warmer weather it wouldn’t last as long. 

The only thing I’m not sure off is the colour. The NW shade does seem to be better on me which is weird given how adamant the MUA was that either would do because I’m so neutral. In summer NW would be perfect but it’s maybe a fraction too dark right now. The MAC site shows NC15 so I have no idea why they don’t do an NW 15 too! 

Will I buy a full sie bottle? I’m quite tempted actually. I will wait until spring as I’m only going to get paler over the winter so this will end up being too dark. The online picture looks like it has a built in pump which wins it major brownie points. Over all I like it, I just wish they did it in NW15! x

LUSH Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Mask

I’m determined to get my 5 empty pots so I can get a free face mask, can you tell? I’ll be reviewing the other LUSH face masks in due course. This particular offering is aimed at soothing and clearing spotty, congested skin. Perfect then for tackling my monthly hormonal breakout (too much info?).

For your £4.95 you get 75g of pale purple paste. It smells of blueberry mixed with kaolin clay which is unsurprising given the ingredients (taken from the LUSH website);

"Calamine Powder, Talc, Irish Moss Gel (Chondrus crispus), Fresh Blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus), Glycerine, Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena), Chamomile Blue Oil (Matricaria chamomilla), Sweet Wild Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), *Limonene, Perfume, Colour 18050"

"Fresh blueberries are rich in beneficial antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to reduce inflammation and act as a mild antiseptic."

You slap in on and leave it for 5-10 minutes during which it dries like a traditional clay mask. After rinsing it off I do find my skin looks less congested but it feels slightly drier than normal so if you normally have dry skin you might want to be aware that it might make it drier. After the first use the huge angry spots on my chin were a fair bit calmer and less sore. After a few applications they had healed considerably. I’m not saying this is a miracle cure, it’s not, but I’m convinced it did help. 

 

Once again the main downside of these masks is the short use by date. If you have dry skin and no spots (lucky thing) this certainly isn’t for you but for oily/ combination skin with blemishes it’s rather nice. The problem for me is that I wouldn’t need this kind of mask all the time which means it’s only useful for me for one week of the month and the short sell by dates means it would go off by next month. This means I’ve been using it rather generously and often within the space of a week so my skin is feeling a little dry. Because of this I probably won’t buy this particular mask again. If you’ve used any of the LUSH face masks which do you recommend I try next?  x

*I bought this myself*

Models Own Tinted Lip Balms

The hunt for the perfect tinted lip balm continues and these are certainly a step in the right direction. These little glass jars contain 6g of product and cost £6. Models own is frequently on offer in Boots so keep your eyes peeled. I bought these two and got a lip gloss free. I have them in Blackberry (a deep berry red) and Fuchsia-full (hot pink). 

Blackberry has a yummy scent which reminds me of the cherry boiled sweets my grandparents always used to have in their car. The colour is pigmented enough to show up well but sheer enough to be flattering. It’s a very user friendly way of doing a berry lip. The faint shimmer in the pot doesn’t really show up on the lips at all, you just get a nice glossy finish. As a balm it does very well too and leaves my lips nicely moisturised. The staying power isn’t amazing but I find I can apply this one with my fingers as and when I need. I still use a mirror when applying though as otherwise it all goes horribly wrong. 

Fuchsia-full is just as hot pink on as it looks in the pot. You need to be careful when applying, I probably should use a lip brush with it but honestly that’s a bit of a faff for a lip balm. This one smells of the same cherry scent but not quite as strong. The colour lasts a bit longer that Blackberry and leaves a bit of a stain behind once the actual balm has worn off. 

Overall I think these are fab little lip balms. They give me enough colour without the problems than lipsticks are currently giving me due to my dry, flaky lips. Yes the little pot isn’t the most hygienic and if you have long nails it could get very messy but due to the pigmentation a lip brush is an option with these. Do I prefer these to the Sleek Pout Polishes? Both give great colour but I find these a little bit more moisturising. I also really prefer the scent of these but that’s down to personal preference. The Pout polish is a lot cheaper though at £3.99 for 10g of product and has SPF 15 which the Models Own doesn’t  x

*I bought these myself*

A little thank you (Closed)

*GIVE AWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Thank you to everyone who entered*

*Due to Christmas plans the giveaway will be open an extra day! It will close at 21pm GMT on 25th December (yes Christmas day!) There isn't long left so hurry :-)*

When I started blogging earlier this year I never imagined anyone would bother to read what I was rambling about. I hoped of course but never really expected it! Now this isn’t exactly a big fancy blog but all my readers are important to me and I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has ever read, subscribed or commented on my blog. I’ve met some amazing people, found some amazing blogs and generally had a fab time. Here is a little festive give away to show my appreciation! I wanted to get some sparkly bits and bobs and I also threw in a couple of winter must haves (hand cream and lip balm!)

There is a ltd edition no7 Mirror Ball Highlighter, a no7 mini polish set, Collection 2000 Glam Crystals glitter eyeliners in Rock Chick and Funk, Barry M Dusky Mauve polish (Chanel Dupe!), Vaseline Rosy Lips lip balm and Palmers Cocoa Butter hand cream. The rules are as follow;

·      *   Open internationally however please be aware if you leave outside the UK I will have to post it as cheap as possible so I will not be able to offer tracking.
*  * You must be at least 18 years of age.

·       *  Closes at 11pm on 25^th December. I’ll announce the results on Boxing Day.

·     *    Must be a follower of this blog (I will check).

·       *  For one entry (follow!) and leave a comment below telling me what makeup item you are hoping Santa brings you!

·      *   For another follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway.

·       *  For 2 more entries pop a link to this in your blog side bar. 

Good luck everyone xxx

*I bought all the above products myself*

NYX Angel Blush

The more products I try from NYX the more I fall in love. They are definitely in my top three favourite high street brands (the other two being Sleek and Barry M). I found this in an outlet centre in Warrington Bank Quay of all places and I think it cost about £6. For UK folks trying to get a hold of NYX I’ve ordered from Cherry Culture before and had good service. This is a powder blush in a soft pale pink shade. It isn’t overly cool toned though which suits me down to the ground and blue/ pink blushes don’t quite look right on me for some reason. Odd because blue/ pink lipsticks look fab. This is probably best for paler skin as I suspect it might look a little ashy on darker skin tones.

It’s a matte finish which I personally love. As with all the NYX powder products I’ve tried it is supremely soft to the touch and blends very well. In terms of pigmentation it has the best of both worlds, pigmented but not scarily so. It is difficult even for me to end up looking like a clown with this as it’s just so user friendly. Incidentally I find this a great colour to sweep over Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Dolly Pink. The combination wears like iron even on hot, sweaty summer days. 

I’m finding myself hankering after some of the cream NYX blushes next. Does anyone have any colour recommendations? X

*I bought this myself*

Clinique Blushing Blush in Cupid

Blushing Blush.... Silly name.  Thankfully it’s a rather lovely product which makes up for the daft repetition in the title. I picked this up on my honeymoon and I just realised I never got around to swatching it here! These blushes cost £18.50 so they ain’t cheap and you get 6g of product. I do love the boxes that Clinique products come in. Look at the pretty!

The actual packaging is nice to look at but not entirely practical. The bottom section is clear but the main section is mirror like metal. It’s a nightmare to keep it finger print free. You get a useless brush and a very handy mirror.

There is a faint shimmer in the pan but I don’t find that it really transfers to my cheeks which suits me down to the ground. It’s a gorgeous soft pink rose. Pigmentation certainly isn’t lacking but it’s not scarily vibrant like, for example, an Illamasqua blush. It blends like a dream and lasts all day. It certainly has the quality to match the price tag. 

The shade range in Phuket airport wasn’t huge but the other shades I spotted seemed a bit too frosty for me. If I found another in this semi matte/ satin finish I’d happily buy it x

*I bought this myself*

MAC A Tartan Tale Smoky Thrillseekers Pigment Set

Two quick things before I begin. Firstly speaking as a Scot the Tartan Tale collection was a disappointment. It was all a bit tourist shop tacky to me. Nonetheless the holiday pigment sets represent such good value for money I picked one up anyway. Secondly hats off to MAC’s customer service girls! I ordered this online and was quite upset when it arrived in the post with red glitter everywhere and shards of glass everywhere too. One of the pigments was destroyed during transit and pretty much destroyed everything else too. I rang customer services and they could not have been more helpful or apologetic. Within a week my replacement set was here. My point is that s**t happens and parcels will sometimes get ruined in the post. It’s how customer services deal with this that makes the difference between a disappointed customer and a really pleased customer. So thanks MAC!

Anyway in these sets you get four mini pigments and a mini reflects/ glitter. It costs £27.50 for 5 vials. They are smaller than normal pigments but I believe gram for gram you get a bit more for your money and It’s almost unheard of for someone to finish a full sized jar. In this set you have Jigs & Jive, Naked, Blue Brown, Dark Soul and Reflects Blackened Red Glitter. I know Blue Brown is permanent and I’m sure Naked is too. Jigs and Jives is definitely exclusive to the set though. Here they are swatched on bare skin. From top to bottom is Blue Brown, Naked, Reflects Blackened Red, Jigs and Jives and Dark Soul. 

Look at the gorgeousness of Blue Brown. It’s a warm red brown in some lights and a greenish teal in others. Like Club on performance enhancing drugs. Dark Soul is a lovely charcoal with silver flecks, Jigs and Jives is a lovely neutral taupe and naked is a pale cream highlight shade. I’ve been playing with them for a few days now and they go on smoothly and don’t fade or crease on me. Would I pay £15 for a full sized pigment? Maybe not. But if any of next year’s sets appeal to me colour wise I’ll definitely snap them up x

*I bought this myself*

Sample Sunday

I have been inspired by the gorgeous Anitacska over at Pleasureflush to tackle my growing pile of samples. It’s getting silly. There are more hidden under what you can see of this pile...

I just seem to accumulate them from magazines, counters etc. Then they sit there unloved. There are several foundations here, weeks worth of skin care, mascaras, bath products. Inspired by Anitacska’s ‘Project Skincare Samples’ I decided to have a look at that I actually have and to get my bum in gear and use them.

So here we have ‘Sample Sunday’ (catchy no?). Every Sunday I’ll fish out a sample of something, use it and say whether or not I’d purchase the full sized product on the basis of my experience with the sample. I’ll start off with one that I have actually been using for the last week. This is the Clinique Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream sample. 

As a hand cream it’s lovely. None greasy, easily absorbed and definitely moisturising. It claims to be fragrance free though and it just isn’t. To me it smells a bit like the Body Shop Hemp cream which I cannot stand. To me it’s the stench of a mouldy fruit bowel. Even a work colleague commented on the smell and not in a good way. You may of course find that is smells lovely or even doesn’t smell at all but for me it’s a no brainer. I won’t be buying this. If you’re interested though a full sized one costs £14.50 for 75ml x

Finished! November Edition

Few things are as gratifying to me as getting to the bottom of a product. It helps alleviate the guilt of having bought so much makeup. I’ve actually been very good lately and my spending has all but ceased. With the exception of one pigment set from the MAC Tartan Tale collection (does anyone want a post on that?), the newest Sleek Palettes (apparently there is ANOTHER coming out by the end of the month) some tinted lip balms and £1 glitter liners I haven’t bought anything in the last month. Oh... that’s actually quite a bit. Never mind. Anyway the following products have reached the end of their lives and are heading to the great makeup stash in the sky. Most of this stuff has been reviewed by me so check the tags for full reviews if you want.  Skin care first;

Simple Kind to Skin Vital Vitamin Night Cream – Some people complain that this is too basic and not rich enough for them but I find this to be perfect for my skin. I’m 23, I don’t need super heavy moisturisers but I do have the odd dry patch. This does the job beautifully and I have already started using my next tub. It’s £5.99 for 50ml but Simple’s stuff is always on offer in Boots or Superdrug. 

Estee Lauder Gentle Eye makeup Remover – I know some people love this but unfortunately for me it was a disaster. The skin under my eyes reacted really badly to the point of flaking and peeling. It stung my eyes too. Just goes to show what works for some won’t work for everyone. Thankfully I got this free as a gift with purchase but needless to say I wouldn’t buy it. 

Nivea Q10 Lip Effect lip balm – This is what appeared when I asked my husband to pick me up a ip balm at the supermarket. I think this is supposed to be an anti ageing lip balm... All I know is it tasted pretty awful and didn’t do a whole lot for my lips. As such it was relegated to the post of ‘bedside table lipbalm’ to be slapped on before bed. I wouldn’t bother buying it again. 

It’s been a bumper month for mascaras going off. I’ve noticed that all of these have the older style wire bristles and I’m sure this type goes bad faster than rubber wand. Here are all the makeup items I’ve finished recently;

17 Clear Definition Mascara – I used this for my brows. It still has plenty of product left but as you can see traces of foundation have turned it a delightful shade of murky brown. I liked this a lot but I won’t buy it again because (drum roll please)...... I have found an even cheaper clear mascara for my brows. Yes, cheaper than £4.69. Score. 

Lancôme Virtuose Mascara – As mascaras go this was nice enough but it wasn’t ‘oh my god this is amazing’. I’ve had cheaper, better mascaras. Like the 17 Wild Curls actually. At £20 a pop I certainly won’t be buying it again. 

17 Wild Curls Mascara – This was definitely a winner for me. For £6.29 you get some rather sexy packaging and a really nice mascara. It had started the flake off and smell a little funky though so I knew it had reached the end of its useful life. I’ll buy another one day but I have a tonne of mascaras to use up first. 

Estee Lauder Lash Primer Plus – This was a little sample that came in a gift set. It’s just a white base coat. I didn’t find this did much for me and I spend long enough doing my makeup in a morning, I don’t want to add yet another step in! If lash primers are your thing you might like this but I wouldn’t personally buy it again. 

Estee Lauder Projectionist High Definition Volume Mascara – Again this is a sample size. I actually really liked this. I have lots and lots of quite thick lashes so normally volumising mascaras end up giving me one great big eyelash all clumped together. This did a really nice job of separating my lashes whilst making them even thicker and more dramatic. At £18.50 I’d have to be feeling very flush to buy a full size tube but maybe one day I will treat myself to one.

Collection 2000 Illuminating Concealer - This was a decent undereye concealer but thepen applicator got properly disgusting towards the end. Washing it made it worse. I don't think I'll repurchase it though I do still like it as a concealer.

And finally my Maybelline Dream Creamy foundation has bitten the dust. I *think* this is the UK version of the US Smooth Mousse but correct me if I’m wrong. Now I don’t think this is a bad foundation. I can see that it would be perfect for someone with dry- normal skin who wanted a dewy finish and light-medium coverage. Why I bought it with my combination/ oily skin, preference for matte finishes and full coverage I will never know. It looked waxy and oily on me and lasted roughly half an hour on my super oily nose. I persevered and used it up but I won’t buy it again. 

What have you used up recently? Have you been trying to curb your makeup spending too? Let me know in the comment xx

*I bought all of the above items apart from the 17 Wild Curls Mascara which I was sent by 17*

BBLL time!

Emma shows the surprising amount of coverage offered by Laura Merciers Tinted Moisturiserover at BirdsDecorateBranches!

Whitney from Whitz World of Beauty tells the adventure of her Spa Day at Alexis K in Solana Beach, California!

Pink Diva's Beauty Spot has been busy trialling and testing new NIVEA skin care. Check out her honest product reviews on the products and share your thoughts on the brand.

Rachel discovers duochrome nails with the new Accessorize range over at at Queen of Turquoise.

Readers at Lipglossiping.com share their tried and tested tips for recreating the ultimate salon blow dry DIY style!

Beautywoome highlights the rebirth of the early '90s cream-mauve-plum nail.

Phyrra's Indie Spotlight for November is one to be thankful for! It's an exclusive interview with Tammy from Meow Cosmetics.

The Gloss Goss found love in the form of Chanel Extrait de Gloss and ended up going back for more.

Retrodiva has five steps for getting glowing skin just in time for the holidays.

Madame B Fatale talks about how she likes to get hair free for summer.

Join in the weekly This or That fun over at Audrey Dao - Confessions of a Beautyholic.

The Lip Print go pink crazy with Lush's Snow Fairy Christmas treats!

Blaq Vixen Beauty recently learned that the CoverGirl Queen Collection is getting an upgrade in the lipstick collection come January 2011.

Jellyminx reveals a brief history of her hair through some comical photos!

Krasey Beauty takes a look at some of the newest editions to the Ellis Faas cosmetics range, just in time for the holidays.

Do you love NARS Orgasm but hate the price? Katie at My Lips But Better has the scoop on a dupe!

Makeup Zombie has a Blush Showdown featuring the cult classic NARS "Orgasm" blush!

Sarah at IHeartCosmetics decides once and for all if Cloud Nine hair straighteners are better than GHD ones.

Did you miss Toronto IMATS 2010? Don't worry Jenn from Spiced Beauty has the full event coverage here.

Jeweled Thumb discovers a Chanel Paradoxal dupe that has arrived on American shores! 

Amy Antoinette has afternoon tea with Alexa Chung at the Lacoste Touch of Pink perfume launch.

Daily Polish finally conquers an 18 month lemming with Jessica's Birds of Paradise...possibly the most beautiful purple polish in existence? You decide!

***

theNotice gets a new "home" (okay, a new url...) and is celebrating with a flatiron giveaway!

Beauty Crazed not only shows you all of the Givenchy holiday fragrance sets, they are giving one away!

Make a Wish Smashbox's Perfect Pencils set on Prime Beauty--it may come true!

Revlon Precision Lash Adhesive

I’ll admit it. I’m rubbish at applying false eyelashes. I get there in the end but there is usually a bit of eye poking and swearing first. I once (many many years ago I might add) squeezed out too much glue and my top and bottom lashes... well ... you can guess what happened. I’m getting better with practice but I need all the help I can get. I spotted this at Asda and leapt on it as an alternative to the fiddly little tubes you normally get with false lashes. I’ve never tried the MAC lash glue (£8.50) but at £4.97 this is a cheaper option for me as I don’t wear falsies that often. 

Instead of a squeeze tube you get a thin wand which you can use to distribute a thin, neat line of glue on the lash band. The glue does dry clear. You do have to be careful as then glue does get all the way up that wand but it’s easy enough to keep things neat. Leave it for approx 20 seconds to go a bit tacky and then apply lashes. If you’re me this may take several  attempts. Once on they stay put for the duration of a decent night out although I did get caught in the rain once and got home with lashes on my cheeks... 

Incidentally the thin tip makes it perfect for gluing sparkles to your face if you’re into that kind of thing. I used it in my hallowed EOTD. I really do think this is a good buy. It’s lovely to have a reliable lash glue instead of relying on the free ones. I haven’t seen it anywhere apart from Asda so I suppose I’ll have to head back for more when I run out! X

*I bought this myself*