My Recent Hauls

These are my purchases from the past few days and are mainly items that people have raved about but I had yet to try.



This is what I got:

1) Barry M Dazzle Dusts in Bronze and Tan
2) YSL faux cils mascara
3) Bobbi Brown creamy concealor in porcelain
4) MAC Eyeshadows in Plum Dressing and Wintersky
5) Dame Edna highlight powder in What a Dame

I've heard nothing but good things about YSL faux cils. I have only used this a few times. It separates my lashes but im not sure if it lengthens them. Im still on the lookout for the mascara that really does give the false lash effect however i'm very tempted to shell out the money and try Lilash.

The highlight powder from the Dame Edna collection was a big disappointment. The only good thing is has going for it is the packaging and even that isn't the best (the red spectacles is indeed a sticker). The powder is described as a "pale clean orangey peach" with a shimmery top layer. After a few swipes this top coat is gone leaving nothing more than a beauty powder which matches my skintone. Waste of £18? In my opinion yes!

For my under eye concealer I had been using MAC's select cover up which left my skin looking drier than usual and emphasised any lines that I have. So far the creamy concealer from Bobbi Brown seems like a good investment (£22.50 RRP). It brightens up my eye area and is almost moisturising. With select cover up I really had to work at blending it in especially at the inner corners of my eyes but with a few pats of the BB and it melts onto the skin leaving an even finish which can then be set with the powder it comes with.

I had initially passed on the Chill collection but after reading a post from the Yummy Mummy I rushed out to pick up Wintersky E/S along with Plum Dressing E/S. Wintersky is a lovely frosty pale pink which I use on the inner corners of my eyes to open them open as I have very hooded lids. I think I might try this as a cheek highlight as well.

This is my interpretation of the look she did using these colours:

These are the swatches up the eyeshadows and dazzle dusts...

From left to right we have wintersky, plum dressing, tan and bronze.

Happy new year everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful 2009.

x

Christmas Presents!

As you can probably tell Santa has been very good to me this year.

My boyfriend wasn't happy about spending so much money on makeup but its what makes me happy so he obliged.

In all I got:-

1) limited edition smokey eyes palette which I will talk more about

2) empty eyeshadow palette with shadows in Sable, Woodwinked, Mythology and All That Glitters

3) the face brush set

4) two brushes - the 224 and 181

5) two paintpots in Bare Study and Painterly

6) three lipsticks in Fabby, Blankety and Snob

My other gifts included a Guess watch (I heart masculine watches), shoes from office, a book by Bobbi Brown, a game for my DS (yes I am a big kid) and a Hollister hoody.

I love all my presents even including the usual suspects ie pyjama's and socks :)

My favourite present makeup wise has to be the smokey eyes palette. This was added to my christmas list after watching a video from lollipop26.

I attempted to recreate the look she did using this palette.

This is a simple look and very easy to do. If your still able to get this palette I recommend buying it. The colours in it are very wearable, even for daytime looks and as lollipop26 said its great for travel so I can cart it about in my makeup bag with my matching brush set.

I had a lovely christmas spent with my family, I hope you all had a good one aswell.

FOTD

I've just finished applying my makeup to go out tonight for dinner with the mr.

This is the look i've come up with using the Coastal Scents neutral palette.

Ta da.....

What I used:

Face:

MAC Prep & Prime SPF50

Studio Fix Fluid NC15

MAC MSF Natural in Light

MAC Stark Naked blush

Revlon bronzer to contour

Prestige mineral powder in Pure Shimmer as a highlight

Lips:

Vaseline rosy lips to prime them

Barry M Lip Paint in 101

MAC Sugarrimme Dazzleglass

Eyes:

1) Applied all over eyelid and on the inner corner.

2) Applied to the outer half of my lid.

3) This was used for my crease and also to the outer half of my lower lashline for extra definition..

4) This was also applied to my crease for that added depth followed by lashings of mascara. I used Maxfactor's 2000 Calorie.

And you have.....

Old but a favourite!

Whilst riffling through my blush drawer this morning I came upon two products which havent been used in a long while.

They deserve to be shown more love so I wore them today.

They are both by MAC and are limited edition :(

They are:
1) Emanuel Ungaro cream colour base in bourgainvillea
2) Emanuel Ungaro beauty powder in flower mist dew.

I don't know how I forgot about these beauties. Together they give a subtle rosey tint which is good for this winter especially seeing as my cheeks don't have a natural hue.

I played up my cheeks today and left my eyes bare, just a slick of fluidline and some mascara. I applied bourgainvillea as a base with the 187 (a little goes a long way) and set it with the beauty powder.

I will definately be using this combination more often. I try to get use out of all my products but then I find myself forgetting about others.

In the next few weeks I will be getting some new stuff from NARS. If you have any recommendations please leave a comment.

16 Random Facts!

I was tagged by BeautyForYou to do 16 random facts.

Here goes.....

1) I'm addicted to tea. I've tried drinking coffee but its just not the same.

2) I am a natural blonde turned bottle brunette (though I still have my blonde moments)

3) I really got into makeup about a year ago and my love for it has ever since been encouraged by You Tube and fellow bloggers.

4) I've been told im obessive compulsive. I'm a clean freak and everything in my room has a certain place so I know if anything has been moved. Weird I know :)

5) Im the youngest in my family. I have one older sister and we're nothing alike.

6) I've been in a relationship with my boyfriend coming up to 4 years in December.

7) I started my first job when I was 16. It was in retail and I hated it. The upside is that its where I met my boyfriend so it wasn't all bad.

8) My favourite colour is pink.

9) I have a 2 year old shih tzu called Jack and 2 guines pigs called Peanut and Cookie.

10) I can't shop by myself. I need to have someone to talk to.

11) I'm horrible at maths.

12) It took me alot of attempts (i'm not going to tell you how many) to pass my driving test. I now have a car which I never drive.

13) I'm very small, only 5ft 2.

14) I wore braces for 2 years whilst I was still at school.

15) Christmas is my favourite time of year.

16) I would be lost without my GHD's.

I am tagging:

DollyIsGlitter
EmzoxXx
Holly - The Yummy Mummy
Following The Fashion

Should your eyebrows match your hair colour?

I recently read that if your eyebrows match your exact hair colour, they have a tendancy to look fake.

How many of you agree with this statement?

My eyebrows are naturally blonde and I would often get them tinted to co-ordinate with my brown hair although the results don't last that long so instead i've been using a pencil or eyeshadow to fill them in.

I've recently gone a shade darker in my hair colour and my pencil in lingering no longer matches. Should I replace this with a deeper shade or just leave well alone for fear of looking fake?

Too Faced Kabuki Brush

Apart from the MAC 190 this brush is one of my favourites!

I picked this up about a week ago for around £18 from Boots and i'm so happy I got it :)

In appearance it looks similar to the MUFE kabuki brush (the bristles I mean, not the handle) and seeing as I can't get my hands on one of those this was a close second)

This brush consists of teddy bear hair bristles which are described to "grab and blend colour without any of the cruelty or hygiene problems associated with animal hair brushes".

I adore the pink portable applicator - what girl wouldn't? Thats probably not a good enough reason alone to buy this brush so its a plus that it actually does its job, leaving me a satisfied customer.

I use this to apply my MSF natural to set my foundation. When buffed with this brush I dont get that cakey look. The bristles are uber soft and in the time i've had I haven't experienced any shedding.

Overall in my opinion this is definately value you money.

Does anyone else have this brush? What are your views?

Top Lip Products!

It was hard to narrow my collection down but here they are:

These are in no particular order, they are just the lip products that I would reach for most often.

1) Carmex - I use this every morning and night to prime my lips. Its especially great for the winter months when my lips need extra TLC.

2) GOSH Darling - A great nude lipstick which is a must have for any collection IMO. This is always in my makeup bag. As well as being a very wearable nude it is also very moisturising (which i've mentioned in an earlier post).

3) C-Thru lipglass - Goes perfectly with any nude lipstick to add shine and it's not too sticky.

4) MAC Hue - This is my favorite MAC lipstick. I just love it :)

5) MAC Pure Rose - This is a great baby pink and looks gorgeous against tan skin. I regret only buying one of them when it came out but hopely it will be repromoted soon.

Hope you enjoyed this :)

Pink Platinum Highlight

Today for my cheek highlight I applied MAC's Pink Platinum Metal X cream shadow.

I found this product a bit dry and hard to work with. I just used my fingers to apply it to my cheekbones. This also helped to warm up the shadow to make it more creamy and easier to blend.

So far I am happy with the results. It has lasted all day and gives a very subtle sheen so I dont have to worry about looking like a disco ball. Best of all there is no fall out and you don't have to apply alot.

New Goodies :)

Yesterday I went shopping to Debenhams, a big department store in Belfast to check out MAC's Metal Urge collection and to pick up a few other things seeing as it was 10% off everything.

These offers make me happy :)

My mini haul includes pink platinum Metal X cream shadow, blacktrack fluidline, 209 and a GOSH lipstick.

After watching lollipop26's USA haul video I decided to get pink platinum purely to try it as a highlight. I'm yet to use this product. Lately i've been using the MSF's.

Blacktrack is my first fluidline. I've just applied this to my waterline and attempted a flick. So far i'm liking this but I will need to give it a proper review.

Before choosing a brush to use with this product I had asked those on Twitter which would be the best,especially for a beginner like me.

I decided on the 210 although you may notice this isn't what I returned home with :(

The MAC MA suggested I get the 266 but I already use this brush for my eyebrows as the tip is thicker so I asked for the 210.

This is where you should check your purchases before you leave the store.

I know it wasn't the brush I wanted but i'm still happy with it and I can't take it back now because its used. I think i'll pick up the 210 at the weekend just to compare the two.

Last but not least on to my favourite purchase....
I picked up a GOSH lipstick in Darling.

This is a very pretty nude. It reminds me of MAC Myth but I think this is more wearable and it feels very moisturising on my lips. For about £6 you can't beat it.

Are there any other GOSH products I should try?

First MAC Palette

As part of my christmas presents my wonderful boyfriend bought me my first ever MAC empty eyeshadow palatte and a few eyeshadow pans to fill it :)

I own quite a few eyeshadows from the MAC collections but hardly any from their permanent line.

I'm putting a stop to this now!

From now on I want to branch out and continue to build on my pitiful collection and complete all 15 slots.

My current shadows include: sable, all that glitters, mythology, woodwinked and modest tone.



Modest Tone isn't included in the above picture as the others were bought in pan form and it was still to be depotted, which I did by myself! Very proud :)

Sadly my palette has been taken away from me to be put with my other presents until christmas :(

In the mean time i'm open to any suggestions of other shadows I should invest in.

If you have any recommendations let me know :)

My New Love: L'oreal Voluminous

I bought this mascara a few weeks ago after watching a video from lollipop26.

When I first tried it I didnt like it so it was banished to my unwanted makeup stash. I had applied it on a sunday and initially there were no problems but when I used it on the monday it had smudged under my eyes by lunch time. Panda eyes = not an attractive look!

Most mascaras have this effect on me, I think it could just be the formulation. I've tried Bourjois, Maybelline, Urban Decay, Benefit and even Diorshow Blackout. I constantly find myself checking the mirror throughout the day and cleaning up any product that has run.

I thought I had found my HG in the form of Maxfactor 2000 Calorie mascara which works wonders for me. It doesnt clump and most importantly it doesn't smudge.

After reading more rave reviews about L'Oreal Voluminous I decided to give it another go....

So today I applied it again with no changes to my routine and I dont use a lash primer. Now 11 hours later my mascara is still in place. It hasnt smudged all day and my eyelashes still have a curl to them. It looks like my eyelashes have doubled in number because it has separated them so well.

However I am a bit baffled as to why all of a sudden it is working for me. I'm going to continue using it for the rest of the week to see if these results last and will keep you all posted.

Perfume Collection

So some may say that i'm a bit of a perfume addict but in my opinion you can never have enough perfume or anything in that matter :)

I've built my collection over the years and most have been received as gifts or bought from duty free and range from semi expensive to cheap e.g. Britney Spears Curious (I love this and want to try Fantasy).

From the back left we have Juicy Couture, Hugo Intense, Armani Diamonds, Vera Wang Princess, MAC MV3, Miss Dior Cherie, 212 and Britney Curious.

My favourite has to be Armani Diamonds. I always wear this for nights out. For me I think this scent lasts the longest so I dont need to apply alot. This was a birthday gift and is almost a year old and ive still got half a bottle left which says alot.

For daytime it varies between Hugo, Princess and Miss Dior Cherie. I'm trying to use up Hugo Intense so its been getting the most love lately.

What are your favourite fragrances?

Current Haircare Routine

On saturday I picked up some new shampoo and styling products in Boots. It was 3 for 2 on John Frieda products so I got a shampoo and conditioner and got a finishing creme for free :)

Im naturally blonde but i've have been dying my hair brown for the past 2 years so I need something to help maintain the colour and shine.

I was using Tresemme vitamin E & aloe colour revitalising shampoo but it was drying out my hair so it was definately time for a change.

This is what I bought.....

I've only been using this for the past week but so far im impressed with the results. My hair is super soft and SHINEY! In the morning I would spend about 15 minutes straightening the sections of my hair as its quite thick and curly but now I just run my ghd's quickly over my hair to achieve the same poker straight effect. It seem thats the shampoo maintains my style even whilst i sleep.

As for the rest of my haircare routine......

Once my hair is washed and towelled dried I apply Revlon frizz control smoothing balm and distribute it through my hair.

Before blow drying I use a heat defence spray. My choice is Tresemme heat defence smooth. I also apply this on sections of my hair before straightening it.

I usually dont apply any styling product until the morning when im leaving for work. Right now i'm using John Frieda's satin shine finishing creme which keeps my hair looking smooth.

For the days inbetween washes I use Tigi bed head after party for that just washed look.

Whats your haircare routine?

Quick update on mineral makeup

After wearing Earthnicity's mineral foundation all day yesterday without any issues, I woke up this morning with red blotches on my face and some sensitivity as well. I think this was a result of a bad reaction to some of their ingredients.

Needless to say I wont be trying mineral makeup for a while, instead i've reverted back to my reliable studio fix fluid.

I've heard good things about Chanel's Vitalumiere foundation and am thinking of giving it a go to see how it compares to MAC.

Whats your opinion on this product?

Earthnicity Mineral Makeup

So today I used my samples from Earthnicity that I purchased on Ebay. I've only ever tried mineral foundation by Everyday Minerals and that broke me out so needless to say I was a bit hesitant to give minerals another go.

For my 5 samples I got foundation in alabaster, a blush in petal and a blush in rose shimmer, a bronzer in sunkissed matte and finally an eyeshadow in nude shimmer. These samples came in sealed pouches but I transferred them into stackable sample jars (these were £2.15 from Boots).

I'm a girl who likes quite a lot of coverage when it come to foundation so as you would expect I felt a bit vulnerable whilst wearing the mineral foundation but I grew to like it throughout the day and the time I took to apply my foundation was halved.

From left to right we have: nude shimmer, sunkissed matte, petal and rose shimmer

The nude shimmer eyeshadow looked almost yellow on my skintone. I applied a lighter shadow from my Coastal Scents neutral palette to tone it down and make it more wearable.

Petal blush didnt show up on my skin. The Earthnicity website describes it as a shade which flatters most complexions, however this was not the case for me. It is shimmery so I can always use it as a highlighter.

Rose shimmer blush is the complete opposite to petal. It showed up very dark on my skin even though it is described as being sheer and has to be applied with a very light hand.

If anyone has any recommendations of other colours I should try please let me know.

MAC hue alternative?

As I was browsing the Rimmel section in Boots, I picked up a volume booster lipstick in foxy. It was only when I got it home and put it on that I noticed it was very comparable to MAC's Hue lipstick which is one of my faves.

Hue is on the left and Foxy is on the right:







There is no significant difference in these products, however when swatched Foxy appears slightly darker.



Again Hue is on the left and Foxy is on the right:

Both products are creamy on the lips although Hue does last that little bit longer.

Rimmel Volume Booster is enriched with collagen and hyaluronic spheres and claims to create up to 40% fuller looking lips. As for boosting my lips I couldn't see a difference though I could certainly feel the tingling sensation on my lips and there is a menthol taste to it.

I would not buy this product again for its lip plumping abilities but I might repurchase it as it is a cheaper alternative to MAC.

Have you any dupes for MAC Hue?

First entry!

After months of following blogs created by other people, I have been inspired to create my very own.

As the title box suggests I am interested in anything beauty and fashion related so expect to read about my latest shopping trips and my opinions on what i've purchased. As I become braver (i.e more experienced in makeup application) I will post FOTD's.

I've recently received some mineral makeup samples from Earthnicity as recommended by Pinksealight which I will be trying this weekend so expect a review soon.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Kerry

x