My Latest MAC Purchases

Hey guys! Sorry that I've been a little quiet on the blogging front recently but I have really been struggling both motivation and inspiration-wise lately. However, not to worry because I'm now back and ready to show you all the latest additions to my MAC Cosmetics collection. In the past, I was a lover of bright and bold lip colours but throughout the course of this year, I have been opting for nude shades over colourful ones almost every time! I'm not quite sure whats gotten into me but I am just really into more natural, understated hues right now. So, because I was using 'Velvet Teddy' to death, I thought that I would pick up another new nude shade to add to my ever-growing lipstick collection.

After a lot of swatching and trying on with an assistant in the store, I stumbled upon 'Faux' and instantly fell in love with it! Think of it as a much pinky and slightly paler version of 'Velvet Teddy.' What I love about this lipstick in particular is how well it compliments my eyes and my cool-toned complexion. This is also my first satin finish lipstick from MAC and it feels really creamy and moisturising compared to the matte finish of 'Velvet Teddy.' Of course, a creamier consistency is a much better choice to go with during winter too because it doesn't accentuate any dry patches or flakiness on your lips.

To go with the lipstick, the assistant also suggested purchasing a Pro Longwear lip pencil in the shade 'Cultured' to go with it. She applied both products on my lips to show me what the finished result would look like and I thought that it looked even more amazing than before. Even though in the swatch below the two products look quite different in colour, they go so well together and make my lips look plumper and thicker! As it is a pro product, the lip liner is super soft and glides on perfectly without any dragging or tugging at my lip line.

(Left: Faux Satin Lipstick - Right: Cultured Pro Longwear Lip Pencil)

Overall, I am really pleased with these new purchases and I have been wearing this lip combination almost every day because I just love it so much. I get so excited every time that I get to add another MAC product to my make-up collection and these two items were no exception! After testing them out for a few weeks now, I would highly recommend these shades as they are very wearable and comfortable on the lips. So, next time you are passing by a MAC store, why not pop in and give these products a go? You definitely won't regret it!

A Vampy High End & Drugstore Lip Combo

For a couple of weeks, I had been searching for the perfect vampy lipstick to wear as part of my Halloween costume and now... my search is over. Say hello the the most gorgeous dark purple lip combination from MAC and Barry M! I really wanted to find a matte lipstick for my night out because they are usually a lot more long-wearing and fuss free than a more more glossy and moisturising formula. In the past, I have used Rimmel's Moisture Renew Lipstick in the shade 'Dark Night Waterl-oops!' but I found that it was just too shiny - which meant that it would slide around, get on to my teeth and bleed outside of my lip line. Let's face it girls, that's never a good look!

So with the help of my good friend Chloe, who actually works for MAC, she helped me settle on the shade 'Smoked Purple' (£15.50) - which is described on their website as a deep eggplant purple shade. I love MAC's matte formulation as it is so comfortable to wear and not at all drying on the lips. Plus, it tends to stay in place pretty well even you are eating or drinking (and I will definitely be doing the latter on my night out!)

After buying the lipstick, I was really struggling to find a matching lip pencil to make sure that I could a get crisp and sharp line around the edge of my lips, seeing as it is such a dark colour. I didn't want to purchase a lip pencil from MAC seeing as I had already spent over £15 on a lipstick that isn't a wearable shade that I could wear everyday. After swatching what felt like hundreds of liners on my hand in Superdrug, I finally came across this super affordable one from Barry M. I'm not a big fan of the Barry M range at all (aside from their nail varnishes,) so I was pleasantly surprised when I found this gorgeous lip liner in the shade 'Plum' (£2.99.) I was expecting it to be really hard and drag the lips but it is actually a lot creamier than I expected. 

As you can see from the swatches above, these two products match almost perfectly! I am so happy that I found this incredible lip combo to wear as part of my costume. I am going as a super simple black cat but I am planning to add more interest to my outfit and overall look by really exaggerating my make-up! What do you think of my vampy lip duo? What are you going as for Halloween this year? Please let me know by popping a comment down below!

Rimmel's Kate Moss Nude Collection

Ever since I can remember, I have always been a bright lip kinda gal. However, this year, I have really found a love for nude hues on my lips too! I have discovered lots of great options from MAC's infamous 'Velvet Teddy to NARS' Audacious lipstick in 'Anita.' Now, I have yet another great shade to add to my ever-growing collection and that is one of the new Nude Collection lipsticks from Rimmel. The two Kate Moss collections previous to this latest release have been extremely popular due to their amazingly pigmented colours and gorgeously creamy formulas... and the new nude shades have definitely kept to these high standards!

There are six new products in the collection which all cost £5.49; five nude lipsticks and one clear lip conditioner. The idea is to apply the conditioner to your lips as a base coat for the shade that you follow up with, to keep them hydrated and to make for a smooth application. I decided that I wanted try one shade first to see how I liked it, so I opted for shade '45' which is a natural pinky-nude colour. It really suits my skin tone and colouring well as I am moderately fair (albeit, I do sometimes fake tan) with light blonde hair. 

I think that Rimmel have described this new collection perfectly, as they claim that there is a 'barely-there hue' for every skin tone. I without a doubt agree with that as this lipstick has just the right amount of pigmentation - it's neither too sheer nor too thick. It's definitely a wearable and natural daytime shade, although you can layer it up more if you would like to! Plus, I would also wear this shade in the evening too paired with a bold smokey eye. Just like the two Kate Moss collections in the past, the lipsticks are very creamy and comfortable to wear but that does mean that its not the most long-lasting formula ever. However, with that being said, it would probably be pretty easy to re-apply it on the go without any need for a mirror!

In terms of the performance of the clear conditioning lip balm, it does what it says on the tube really! It keeps your lips feeling nourished and it works as a good base for your nude shade to sit on top of. Still, one thing that I do like about this balm is that it contains an SPF of 15, which is great for the summer months and you could even wear it on its own if your going on holiday or are out in the sunshine a lot!

Overall, I think that this new collection is pretty great! It's affordable, the shades are extremely flattering and they are moisturising to boot. I would highly recommend that you go and pick one up for yourself but make sure that you figure out beforehand which of the 5 shades would work best for you! What is your favourite Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick? Have you tried this new collection yet? Please let know, as always, by leaving a comment down below!

Products That Make Me Feel More Confident

We all have those certain products in our stash that make us feel a lot more confident. I love to incorporate products into my beauty routine that make me feel well put together! Of course, it is very important to love yourself and your flaws underneath all of the cosmetics that we regularly layer onto our skin - but I am all about making myself feel prettier too! So today, I have decided to share with you the three products that I like to use when I feel like I need a little pick-me-up or if I just want to ooze confidence.

Fake tan
I'm sure that many of you would agree with me when I say that there's something about being bronzed and sunkissed that makes you feel so much better! I am still a beginner when it comes to self-tanning and so I usually opt for a lotion like Summer Body from Garnier. I love how it gives me a subtle tan without looking orange or streaky because as it is a lotion, it tends not to cling on to dry patches. Most people I know who use this product apply this using their fingers but I use a mitt for a beautifully even application!

Lipstick
I love a bold lip more than anything else! There's something about having a super colourful pout that makes me feel so much more confident...maybe it's because wearing a pillar-box red or a bright fuchsia is very daring! I also love long-lasting formulas such as the Rouge Edition Velvet range from Bourjois, as I feel even more confident when I know that my lip colour is locked in place and will not accidentally transfer onto my teeth or fade throughout the day.

Perfume
The last product that makes me feel confident is a good fragrance! A spritz of something nice will always uplift me and make me feel much more feminine. I have a few all time favourite perfumes in my collection including Rihanna's Reb'l Fleur, Marc Jacobs' Honey and this lovely scent from Vera Wang called Lovestruck Floral Rush. The light floral but fresh combination of passion flower and cashmere woods is perfect for everyday wear!

So, those are some of the products in my beauty stash that make me feel a lot more confident and comfortable in my own skin. Which products do you use to feel confident too? Please let me know by leaving a comment down below!

MAC Lipsticks To Add To My Collection

Being a drugstore girl at heart (begrudgingly because I don't have a huge budget,) I only have a few MAC lipsticks as, of course, they are rather pricey compared to the likes of Rimmel or Maybelline! However, I am really interested in adding to my collection in the next up and coming months. My birthday is on the 28th, so hopefully I'll get some extra money to spend rather soon! So far, I own three MAC lipsticks; Crosswires, Plumful and Velvet Teddy. When it comes to make-up, lip products are my ultimate weakness so in my eyes I can never have enough. I want my stash to just keep on growing!

Therefore, today, I wanted to share with you all of the MAC lipsticks that I am dying to add to my collection. Let's get started!

Ruby Woo - a matte vivid blue-red
Chatterbox - a bright red-pink
Sea Sheer - a grapefruit pink
Rebel - a midtonal cream plum
Show Orchid - a very hot pink
Midimauve - a rosy pearly mauve
Sweet & Sour - a soft peach cream
Candy Yum-Yum - a neon pink
Taupe - a muted reddish taupe brown

As you can see, I have got quite the wishlist! I'm hoping that I'll be able to get my hands on all of these shades over time, so then I can eventually do an updated blog post showing my selection! Which MAC lipsticks do you own? Which shades are you currently lusting after? I would love to hear your recommendations on what shades are worth the money, so please let me know by leaving your comment down below!

NEW IN! Urban Decay's Sheer Revolution Lipstick

The up and coming launch of Urban Decay's new Sheer Revolution lipstick is causing quite a stir in the beauty world at the moment. Everything about this product seems absolutely perfect; the packaging, the shade range and the price point. This lipstick is just a mere part of Urban Decay's new spring 2015 launch, however, as there are another four more new additions to this incredible brand. The other new products are the Naked Skin concealer, Naked Skin powder foundation, Moon Dust eyeshadows and the Mascara Resurrection. However, today I have decided to focus on what I think is the most exciting launch out of the five!

The new Sheer Revolution lipstick claims to be a sheer, yet still highly pigmented and shiny version of the classic Revolution lipstick that we all know and love. The product is described as being rich and creamy on the lips, as well as being deemed as buttery smooth upon application too! As far as the ingredients for the lipstick goes, it contains shea butter and jojoba, olive & babassu oils to keep your lips feeling really nourished. The formula also includes something called 'Maxi Lip,' which makes your pout look fuller and plumper!

As for the shade range, there are 10 different colours to choose from within the range. In my opinion, there is definitely a shade in there for everybody as there is a mixture of both neutral and bold colours. One of the main colours that caught my eye is 'Sheer Shame,' which looks like a gorgeous vivid purple shade. Another one of my favourites looking at the swatches below has got to be 'Sheer Streak.' I think that this coral shade will look stunning as we enter into spring and summer!

So far the new spring collection is only featured on the American Urban Decay website, so I'm not sure on what the price of the lipstick will be in the UK yet. Although, with that being said, the product is $22 which converts to about £15 (which is also the same price of the original Revolution lipstick.) So, I'm guessing that would be roughly what the price will be when it eventually hits the British shelves!

Overall, without actually being able to test out the product itself yet, I think that Sheer Revolution is going to be a huge hit judging by the description and the swatches f the product online! What do you guys think? Which shade has caught your attention? Let me know your opinion by leaving a comment below!

My Top 3 Autumn Lip Colours

Ever since I can remember, I have been a huge fan of bold lip colours. I really believe that a statement lip can really take your make-up look to the next level. My make-up always feels incomplete and bland unless I have a pop of colour on my pout! Now that we are now into autumn and winter, one of the most obvious and popular trends out there is berry lips. So today, I thought that I would share my top three favourite autumn lip colours with you all. I hope you enjoy! 

Rimmel Provocalips Lip Colour in Kiss Fatal - £6.99
First up is the newest addition to my lip product collection. I went out and bought this product on the very first day that it was released because I was really intrigued about the claims Rimmel were making. The whole Provocalips range claims to be kiss proof and transfer proof, which I completely agree with - this stuff does not budge! It's two steps of applying the colour and then the top coat is a genius idea and it really locks everything into place. 'Kiss Fatal' is a gorgeous purple/mauve shade with brown undertones and is even more intense than my swatch shows below! This is one of my favourite products to wear at the moment due to its unique shade and impressive longevity. You have to give it a try!

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Dark Night Waterl-oops! - £6.49
Next on my list is this stunning lipstick, again from Rimmel London. 'Dark Night Water-loops!' is a super dark and intense plum colour that is one step up from one of the most talked about Moisture Renew lipsticks, 'Sloane's Plum.' The formulation of this product is one of the other main reasons as to why I love it so much, it is so creamy and moistursing! In addition, this product will not make any dry or flaky patches look obvious, which can often happen when you opt for bold lips. I highly recommend 'Dark Night Water-loops!' to anyone who is a fan of rich and almost gothic looking shades, as this one certainly packs a punch!

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush - £7.99
Last but not least is the product that first got me into berry coloured lips, Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain. This beautiful lip crayon allows you to get the same effect of a statement lip whilst being a little bit sheerer than the lip stain and lipstick that I have mentioned above. 'Crush' is a great product for beginners who are just venturing out into the world of darker lip colours. It is a classic berry shade that suits every skin tone and is incredibly easy to apply! Another great factor to this product is that it is also a balm, which means that it is moistursing and does not dry out your lips in anyway. This crayon will always be a firm favourite of mine (I've already gotten through almost two,) so I highly recommend it to all of you as well!

(Shades from top to bottom: Kiss Fatal, Dark Night Water-loops!, Crush)

So, those are my top three favourite lip colours for autumn. Berry shades are bang on trend at this time every year and I absolutely love them! Which out of the three products above do you like the look of most? Have you used any of them before? What is your go to autumn lip colour? Please let me know by leaving a comment below!

Boots 3 For 2 | Bourjois and Maybelline

Hi guys. Today, whilst running a few errands in town, I found myself caving in once again to the infamous Boots 3 for 2 offer. After finding out that this deal was back on last week, I tried to resist but I have finally given in and bought myself some new beauty goodies! There are so many products that are currently on my wish list, so it was very hard for me to whittle it down to just three - I could have spent an absolute fortune! With that being said, I settled on two Bourjois products and one Maybelline product; so here is what I think of them so far!

Bourjois 1 Seconde Nail Polish in 06 Rose Cupcake - £5.99
First up is this really lovely nail polish from Bourjois. I have loved the 1 Seconde range for a long time now after having owned a few other colours in the past. Not only do these polishes dry relatively fast but they leave you with quite an opaque colour after just one coat as well, (although I still like to apply two!) Another great thing about this product is its flattened 'fan effect brush' which makes painting your nails a breeze, as you need just one swipe on each nail and you're done. Not only this but the gorgeous rosey pink colour is perfect for spring time too. Overall, I love this polish and I can see myself reaching for it a lot in the up and coming months!

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 10 Light - £5.99
Next, I was in dire need of a new concealer that was not brightening or highlighting, as of course you do not want to use those types of formulas on blemishes or things that you want to conceal. So, after hearing lots of great things about Maybelline's Fit Me Concealer, I decided to give it a go. I went for the shade 10 'Light' as opposed to 15 'Fair' because it was too pink-toned and my skin is more yellow-toned. After trying the product out on a few blemished earlier, I am a little undecided as to whether I like it or not. The consistency was not as creamy as I was expecting and although it was not difficult to blend, it looked quite obvious on the skin and clung to dry patches. However, I am determined to continue using it to see if I start to enjoy the product more.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in 02 Frambourjoise - £8.99
Last but not least is a product that has been creating a lot of buzz around the beauty blogging community lately and I must say, they definitely live up to expectation! The Rouge Edition Velvet Lipsticks are, in my opinion, amazing. The shade I opted for is Frambourjoise, a bright and vibrant berry pink which looks lovely on. The formulation is very lightweight and they feel very smooth and buttery the lips - aka not sticky at all! This lipstick does give a beautiful matte finish but when you first apply the product, it is glossy and it does take around 5 to 10 minutes to fully dry. So far, I have had this product on all day and it is very long wearing; it hasn't budged at all, even after I have eaten. I only have two minor problems with this product. Firstly, it is quite hard to get a precise line using the doe foot applicator. So, I think that I am going to buy a new lip liner soon to accompany it and make the application process easier. Secondly, when you initially apply the product, it has a slightly odd smell to it. However, it is not too offensive and it fades pretty quickly, so I can easily overlook this. I am in love with this product so far that I am already eyeing up which shade I want to buy next, I'm thinking either Hot Pepper or Pink Pong! 

So, those are the three products that I purchased as part of the Boots 3 for 2 offer today. I absolutely love the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick, I think I'm addicted after just half a day! Have you tried any of these products out before? What did you think of them? Please let me know by leaving a comment below. Thank you :)

My Monthly Favourites - October 2013

Hi guys! Surprisingly, even though I have been blogging for roughly seven months now, I have never partaken in the ever-so-popular 'monthly favourites' posts. However, this is all about to change! There are so many products I love to use that I have never mentioned on my blog and I thought that doing a monthly favourites post would enable me to include a lot more of these. Though, with this being said, sometimes I go through a phase where I do not incorporate anything new into my beauty regime and so I may skip a month or two from time to time if I have no products to talk about. Now, let's get on with talking about my favourite products that I have been using throughout October!

No7 Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser for Normal/Oily Skin - £9.00
As probably many of you beauty bloggers are aware, Boots more often than not have a deal on No7 skincare where by you get £5 off printed on a receipt when you buy any product in the entire store. So, I bit the bullet and decided to invest in a new cleanser. I have combination skin and get a fair few blemishes and so I wanted a product to control the oiliness of my skin. This product is great and I have been using it every day. It foams up nicely (hence the name of the product) and is gentle on my skin too. I have definitely noticed a difference in my skin as it is far less oily of late. I definitely recommend this product!

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Dark Knight Waterl-oops!- £6.49
Whilst preparing for a Halloween night out clubbing with my friend Sarah, we decided we wanted to buy a really dark lipstick to go with our outfits. We browsed every stand in Boots for the darkest lipstick we could find and eventually came across this amazing, rich purple colour from Rimmel. Although this product has been around for years now, Rimmel have recently altered the formula of this lipstick and have added many different shades into the collection. This lipstick has since been advertised so much and it definitely lives up to the hype! The end result gave us extremely dark, vampy-looking lips that were still really moisturised - which is just what we were after. The only bad thing I have to say about this product as that it tends to bleed out of the lip line after a while which can look a little messy.

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat - £9.00
I am pretty late in terms of jumping onto the Seche Vite bandwagon, which is surprising seeing as I have been a huge nail varnish junkie for as long as I can remember. However, now that I have just completed a intensive three day nail course (as mentioned in my 'The Next Chapter Of My Life' blog post,)  I decided that I has best invest in some higher quality products. Now that I will be working on clients, I wanted a top coat that makes a manicure last as long as possible for optimum results. So far, I am loving using this product as it extremely chip-resistant with a super glossy finish.

Eylure Katy Perry Eyelashes in Cool Kitty - £5.95
Seeing as my natural eyelashes are quite short and sparse, I love to wear fake ones on a night out to really make my eyes stand out. I really like the effect that these particular lashes give, as they fan out at the end into slight points at the end that look gorgeous when applied. The pair I used to use religiously before these were released are the Girls Aloud Nadine lashes, (also made by Eylure,) which are pretty much exactly the same but for some reason I prefer these ones by a mile. I would also recommend the 'Oh Honey' lashes from the Katy Perry Range if you are looking for a slightly more natural finish. (Disclaimer: I am aware that my photo does not show the lashes as mine were a little mangled and I had to throw them out. However, I have put a link above if you wanted to see what they actually look like!)

Nivea Vanilla & Macadamia Nut Lip Butter - £2.25
I am going to keep this review short and sweet as I have recently spoken about this product in my 'Boots 3 For 2 Lipcare' blog post. All I want to say about this product is that I am absolutely addicted to the scent, vanilla and macadamia but is such a great combination! I love slathering this product on before going to bed at night and waking up in the morning with lovely, soft lips as the formulation of this lip butter is really thick and creamy. This is a must-have, affordable product for any girls handbag for keeping your lips hydrated on the go! 

Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine Super Spray (500ml) - £18.25
Last but not least is this amazing hairspray from Paul Mitchell. For years now, both me and my Mum have been using this product to keep our styled hair in place all day long. This hairspray has an incredibly firm hold without making your hair feel crispy or hard, which the majority of lower-end hairsprays tend to do if you are not careful. As I have fine hair that is prone to dropping, this product is perfect for me as I curl my hair the majority of the time. Although this hairspray is pretty pricey, it lasts for absolutely ages and in my opinion, is definitely worth the money! 

I hope you have all enjoyed reading about my monthly favourites for October. I would love to know what your most-loved products have been this month, so please do not hesitate to leave a comment below :) 

My Top 5 Favourite Lipsticks

Hi guys! I have always been a big lover of lipstick and over the past few years, I have built up quite the collection. So, I thought it was only fitting that I wrote a blog post about my top five favourite lipsticks. I really think that lipstick can take your make-up to the next level and give your face that extra pop of colour. I have come across many people who think that wearing lipstick during the day can make you look a little overdone, however in my eyes - the brighter the better! So, with that in mind, let's just dive right straight in and begin.

Max Factor Colour Collection Lipstick in Rosewood - £6.99
I love this lipstick because it is a 'your lips but better' colour, which means it is really natural-looking and would no doubt suit a wide range of skin tones. This is definitely my go to lipstick on days where I want to achieve a more understated makeup look but still want to feel polished at the same time. 

Barry M Lip Paint in 156 - £4.49
This lipstick is a gorgeous, berry colour and will most likely be the colour I wear most during autumn and winter. It looks really vampy on the lips and is long-lasting without being drying on the lips. Barry M tend to focus more on their nail products (and undoubtedly so because they are amazing,) so their lip colours seem to be overlooked, however, this shade is fantastic.

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick in 12 - £5.49
This super bright orangey-red colour creates a very bold, statement lip and I adore it. The formulation is moderately long-lasting but I do find myself having to re-apply it a few times during the day to keep it's brightness up. The only bad thing I have to say about this lipstick is that it quite drying and so, it does not look too good on cracked, un-conditioned lips.

Avon Color Trend Kiss 'n' Go Lipstick in Lucky Kiss - £3.75
Whilst I was an Avon representative last year, I bought a few products myself and this lipstick is definitely my favourite purchase - and not just because it's friendly on the purse strings! On the lips, this product is a very deep red/burgandy shade with lots of flecks of glitter in it, which in my opinion makes it really unique. Although a little drying, I love wearing it and always get compliments on it!

Mac Cremesheen Lipstick in Crosswires - £15.00
Last but not least is this beautiful coral colour from MAC. I have had this lipstick for around two years now and it is one of my favourite products to wear during the summer months. I will probably not reach for this lipstick much during the colder months but it is still a firm favourite of mine. Surprisingly, I only own one MAC lipstick and the only qualm I have about it is that it really shows the cracks in my lips if they are a little dry.

Here are some swatches of the lipsticks which are in the same order as they have been mentioned above, going from left to right.

I hope that you have all enjoy reading about my top five favourite lipsticks. As always, I would love to know what your favourite lipstick are as I love reading fellow bloggers opinions of different products. So, please do not hesitate to leave a comment below because I love reading them. Thank you!