Pay Day Haul!

January has been a long month for me.

However I was paid a day early so what better way to celebrate than a much deserved shopping binge :)

First stop MAC.

One item to tick off my ever growing want list was Gleam eyeshadow which i'm wearing today with Mulch in my crease. This also completes my six items to Back 2 MAC, once depotted of course.

I restrained myself in MAC so just picked up one last thing.

Saint Germain lipstick. Such a lovely barbie pink and ho doesn't love barbie?

Here is it applied on my lips:

My last stop of the night was Boots.

I picked up quite a few things, mainly lip products but i'll start with the non lip items.

I got the Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner set in Velvet Rope.

From left to right: Yeyo (metallic white), Stash (olive green with gold glitter), 1999 (plum with gold glitter), Bourbon (brown with gold glitter) and Zero (black)

I've yet to use these properly but from swatching them they go on smoothly and its quite hard to remove them.

Boots were doing a special offer on Maxfactor's False Lash Effect mascara (only £7.76) so I nabbed myself one. I already love their 2000 Calorie Mascara so i'm pleased to report that this is great too. The wand and packaging is identical to Cover Girls Lash Blast apart from the container being black.

For reference Lash Blast is on the left and False Lash Effect on the right.

I havent tried many products from the 17 collection except for their lipgloss and nail polish but I spotted a lip pencil and just had to have it.

It is their Perfect Pout lip liner in Fawn.

I really like this. Its a peachy nude. I'm going to test this as an all over colour with a layer of vaseline on top and see how it turns out. This was free as it was 3 for 2 on selected 17 items.

This post is to be continued...

Skincare Routine

These are the fundamentals of my everyday skincare routine.

To begin with I have dry skin so these items are what I find work for me.

In my earlier teenage years I suffered from oily/spot prone skin but thankfully thats cleared up since i've aged.

To remove my makeup at night I use your bog standard baby wipes. If it's good enough for a babys butt its good enough for my face.

Next step is my cleanser. I use Neutrogena's Visibly Clear 2 in 1 wash and mask. I only ever use this as a face wash because the clay mask will only make my skin feel tighter. (Picture not included because this item is in my bathroom).

To remove any leftover eye make I use L'oreal Dermo-Expertise gentle eye make-up remover. If i'm wearing heavy eye make-up or thick mascara which won't budge i'll use baby oil but this leaves my lids very oily which I hate.

For my toner I use Clean & Clear's deep cleansing lotion for sensitive skin. This helps prevent spots and the build up of oil and dirt.

Finally to moisturise my face i'm currently using MAC's Studio Moisture Cream. This smells amazing and feels really light. I was using an oil free moisturiser which i've been told is wrong because it will only dry out my skin even more.

This sums of the products I use on a daily basis.

Twice a week I will exfoliate using MAC's Microfine Refinisher. This is great at removing flaky skin but leaves my face looking red so I leave this step until bedtime allowing the redness to calm down.

If I ever feel a spot coming on I will coat it in Sudocrem (nappy rash treatment) and leave it over night. By morning its usually gone :)

At this point in my life I should probably invest in an anti-aging cream. In my opinion its never too soon to start so if you have any recommendations they would be most appreciated.

x

Lately...

i've been rediscovering my love for Urban Decay.

At the very back of my makeup unit, I stumbed upon two e/s palettes I got last christmas and probably haven't used since. They are both by Urban Decay and are the Skull Shadow Box and the Eyeshadow Ammo Shadow Box (the latter is the one I use most often).

My everyday eye consists of UD's Sin applied all over the lid and Smog in the crease. To define my eyes a bit more, I only apply my blacktrack fluid to the outer corners and creating a wing.


This is a very easy look and one I would wear to work regularly. To turn it into an evening look I apply more Smog and a some Oil Slick to deepen the crease.

Are there any other UD eyeshadows i'm missing out on?

MAC Springsheen Blush

I've been wearing this blush everyday for the past week. Its becoming a favourite of mine next to Well Dressed and Stark Naked.

I bought this based on a swatch I had seen online although it wasn't on display in the store so I didnt really know what to expect.

Honestly, the colour initially scared me.


It looks orange and quite stark against the black packaging but once applied its very sheer and is more coral not orange!

Its a sheertone shimmer and is described by MAC as being a light peach with gold pearl.

This would be amazing paired with a tan, definately a must have for when i'm on holiday.


Does anyone else really like this blush or is it just me?

X

All That Glitters + Mulch

Today I paired MAC's All That Glitters with Mulch, my new favourite :)

This was created in two easy steps:

1) All That Glitters applied over the lid
2) Mulch used in the crease and along the lower lashline

To complete this look I applied YSL Faux Cils and MAC powerpoint in Feline.

To add a bit more definition to the crease I added a little bit of carbon. Gives it more of a dramatic boost and turns any day time look into an evening look.

What do you like to pair together?

Foundation application using the MAC 109

This morning I used MAC's 109 brush to apply my Studio Fix Fluid.

I have talked about using this brush for my highlight but alot of people have been using this brush to apply their liquid foundation.

Now its my turn...

This is the finished look:

I assumed this method would take me forever, therefore I was shocked when I had applied my foundation in under 5 minutes. Applying foundation is a lengthy process for me :S

Everything you've heard about this brush (hopefully all good) is true. My skin to me looks airbrushed. For a brush so small it can cover everything in less time and with hardly any effort. Its really soft on my skin, something i'm not used to when using the 190. Another plus is that it doesn't absorb alot of product and throughout the application it had lost one hair.

I used a light hand with this brush and buffed the product in. I was very cautious not to be too rough in case it ruined the hairs. I often found myself swiping the brush in a downward motion instead of circular because thats what im used to.

This could be my new HG foundation brush. I'm amazed by the results :)

If anyone has this brush please try this.

X

Question: What's in my makeup bag?

Answer: Not alot!

I don't carry much makeup around with me because I hardly ever need to touch up.

Out of all the cosmetics I do have in my makeup bag the majority are lip related as this is my problem area.

I suffer really dry, chapped lips. No matter what I use nothing seems to help long term. I'm currently using a cream for cracked lips and cold sores which is in there along with my Chapstick in cherry (I have a thing about cherry based lip products, they smell so delicious). To touch up throughout the day I carry the lipstick im wearing that day. Today i'm wearing pretty please.

A must have in my makeup bag is my MSF Natural. This is just to matify any oily spots I might have during the day. I depotted my MSF from its orginal packaging into my Dame Edna container.

Check out RicoLovesMAC video for how to do this.

Now we get to the boring stuff which i'll just run through quickly. I have a compact mirror, hand sanitizer, tissues and a hair tie and clips for those bad hair days.

I'd be interested to know what's in your makeup bag.

X

Makeup Brushes

I was asked by Laura what makeup brushes I use so I thought i'd share with you all the ones I use on a daily basis.

They are mostly MAC Brushes, but the cheaper alternatives I have do the job just fine.

(excuse their dirtiness, Im lazy when it comes to cleaning them)

1) To apply my foundation I use the 190 brush. It doesnt leave my foundation streaky and doesnt apply it too sheerly. If I want light coverage i'l use the 187.

2) For concealer I use the 190 SE because it works on a bigger surface area. To apply concealer to my under eyes I use my fingers. I find it helps warm the product.

3) I know some people use the 266 for fluidline but I use it to shade in my eyebrushes because the brush hairs are quite big and in my opinion too big to apply liner with.

4) For my bronzer im using an ordinary powder brush. Some day i'll get the 134 to replace this along with NARS laguna bronzer.

5) I use the 129 for my blush. I love this brush, enough said.

6) I was talked into buying the 109 to apply the MSF's because they were sold out of the 181 and I haven't looked back. Its great at buffing in highlighters.

7) To contour I use the 168. Again this is a brush from a holiday collection. It has a small head compared to the standard 168 which is great as it fits nicely under my small cheekbones.

8) For shadow application I will either use the 239 or ELF's eyeshadow brush (pictured above) and for my crease I use the 217. Its great at applying colour and for blending. I own the 224 but it doesn't really work for me. Its quite big in comparison to my small lids.

What brushes do you use for foundation, eyeshadow etc?

NYX FOTD

All of this....

created this....

This is just your basic, neutral eye which I wore to work today using my new NYX trio from Cherry Culture.

I used MAC's soft ochre paint pot as my base and applied the lightest shade (barely there) all over my lid. I then applied the middle shade (champagne) to the outer half before applying the darker shade (root beer) to my crease. I used Maxfactor's 2000 calorie mascara followed by blacktrack fluid and voila a simple daytime look. Great for when your running late for work, which I usually am.

Onto the face and cheeks....

I used MAC's well dressed blush on my apples and Prestige's mineral powder in pure shimmer as my highlight. For an all over glow I used a bronzer from Bourjois which was recommended to me and which I love :)

Finally the lips...

Plain and simply Barry M lip paint in 101

Hope you enjoyed :)

Biosilk Silk Therapy

Where have you been all my life?

I'm having a really good hair day today and I think it may be down to this miracle product.

Used for the first time last night, I applied a small amount to my damp hair and worked it from my roots to ends and then combed it through for more accurate distribution. To finish I applied Chi Keratin Mist to my ends before blow drying.

My hair is super soft and less frizzy. The downside is that when I curled my hair the curls fell out, im guessing because of the softness of my hair?

On the upside i've noticed my hair has more texture and volume to it, something I haven't really experienced after straightening my hair usually falls limp.

There has been mixed reviews about this product. A lot of people had claimed it made their hair oily. As long as you don't apply too much to your hair I can't see it being a problem. A little bit definately goes a long way.

I won't be using Biosilk everytime I wash my hair because I dont want my hair to get use to it and over time become immune to its ingredients.

Biosilk has multiple uses. According to the packaging it can be applied to dry skin to add extra moisture and can also be used for pressing pigments as it doesnt irritate the eyes.

Overall i'm impressed with the results after one use. This has worked wonders on my unruly hair and I would recommend it to anyone.

Check out the results for yourself.

17 v China Glaze

Boots currently have a buy one get one free offer on selected 17 cosmentics.

I picked up their high gloss nail polish in Miami and a free fast finish polish in Ruby Dazzle.

This polish in my opinion is very similar to China Glaze's Ruby Pumps which is a play on Dororthy's shoes from the Wizard of Oz. Its the same ruby red in colour with flecks of glitter throughout, unfortunately the picture doesnt do it any justice.

Boots 17 polish retails at £2.63 so its a fraction of the price of what you would pay for a China Glaze polish.

For those who don't know what Ruby Pumps looks like, you can find a swatch here.

Here is another view of Ruby Dazzle:

This is two coats of polish with no top coat or base coat.

This applies smoothly but can be a bit sheer so i applied two coatings. Overall the colour is very pigmented considering it is a low end drugstore brand.

Are there any other hidden gems from the 17 range I should try?

What's in my purse?

I've choosen my work bag to do this post as it always has stuff in it and its used for the majority of my week.

Its just a basic black faux snakeskin bag from River Island.

Lets have a look inside shall we?

- i have my copy of Breaking Dawn (im almost half way through)

- my purse

- an umbrella because the weathers so unpredictable where im from

- my keys

- a notebook. Im forgetful so i always need to write things down.

- ipod touch (this gets me through my walk to work)

- my Blackberry Pearl. I love this phone and its pink. Bonus!

- a 2009 diary

- my makeup bag.

Nothing too exciting.

I always find everyone else's whats in my purse? post/video so much more interesting.

I might do a what's in my makeup bag in a separate post. Let me know what you think.

Pro Haul & Ebay

On Monday evening I got a nice suprise.

My Pro order had been delivered.

I only placed a small order.

For my eyeshadow palette I got deep truth, tempting and cranberry all of which I love.

I wanted icescape lipglass from the Chill collection but my MAC counter were sold out so I included this in my order. Its a baby pink with raspberry, pink pearl tones. Overall a gorgeous colour.

The item I was most excited to get was lip erase after reading a review on Yummy Mummy's blog. My lips are very pigmented. I eith use foundation or concealor to mute their colour but these products are very drying. I got the lip erase in dim. I'm not sure if this is the colour for me. It turns my lips almost brown i might order pale to see if that suits me any better.

From ebay I got a Victoria Secret beauty rush lipgloss in Cantaloopy. I ordered this after reading a post from Vanity Makeup. This is so lovely. It appears nude on me and has a pearlescent finish.

Lip erase paired with icescape

Lip erase paired with cantaloopy

I heart Bourjois

I found this little treasure on Ebay...

It is Bourjois' poudre illuminatrice aka highlighting powder.

This consists of highly concentrated doses of irridescent mother-of-pearl for a subtle, luminous finish. The product itself resembles a bar of chocolate with a hint of chocolate scent which I find doesnt last once applied.

I havent come across this product in any of the stores in the UK though I have seen the bronzer version in Superdrug and Boots.

Here I have paired the Bourjois highlighter with MAC's well dressed.

This product is amazing and cost me about £4. It just goes to show what bargains you can pick up on ebay when your not really looking.

Has anyone else tried this before? I'd love to here your opinions.

And the others....

From my previous post you may have noticed that I had omitted to mention other products in my picture.

I thought I would save them for another post.

Whilst shopping I visited my usual stores ie MAC and House of Fraser.

From MAC I got Well Dressed blush and another Prep & Prime Face Protect SPF 50 (this is my first MAC product which I have used up).

Well dressed is a really pretty dolly pink and reminds me a bit of Dame.

This purchase was encouraged by a post by Lollipop26 and after reading on Yummy Mummy's blog that it was being discontinued I had to have it.

From NARS I got the much talked about Sabrina lip treatment and Lola Lola e/s. I had planned to come away with a bag full of NARS but they were sold out of Angelika blush, Laguna bronzer and the holiday eye palette.

I've included a few swatches.

From left to right we have Well Dressed, Lola Lola and Sabrina.

Here is a picture of Sabrina on my lips

Expect another NARS post soon once the other items come back in stock.

X

First trip to Sally's

I finally made my way to my nearest Sally's today on a mission to get my hands on some Chi products which everyone has been praising.

To my disappointment there wasn't alot :(

I still managed to find some bargains whilst browsing the shelves.....


From Sally's I picked up 4 things:-

1) Chi Infra Treatment
2) Chi Keratin Mist
3) Biosilk Silk Therapy (very excited to try this)
4) Denman detangling comb

All these items were reduced to clear and in total I spent £16.71.

I really wanted to get Chi Silk Infusion but they were sold out. I have heard great things via YT about Biosilk and how it is similar to the Silk Infusion.

It is a lightweight, leave in replenishing and reconstructing treatment to repair, smooth and protect all hair types. Sounds pretty amazing!

Chi Infra Treatment is a thermal protective treatment which provides proper balance of moisture for silky, manageable hair.

Again there are great reviews of the Chi Keratin Mist so I couldn't miss out on not buying this.

I will give a proper review on these poducts after a few uses.

Another disappointment was the lack of nail polishes mainly China Glaze which are cheaper compared to OPI. I will have to resort to ebay for these but you can pick up some great deals especially from sellers who will combine shipping leaving me a happy shopper :)

If there are any other recommended hair products I should try please let me know.

I like Changes :)

I had a bit of time on my hands yesterday so I attempted to curl my hair.

The end results? I kinda like it :)

I can never find the time to experiment with my hair and have found myself stuck in a rut. I always play it safe, going the straight route.

The process took me about half an hour to do using my GHD's which i'm quite pleased about because my hair is pretty thick and I have alot of it.

After a nights sleep my curls where still in tact.

This has got to be better for my hair as I am constantly straightening it every morning.

For 2009 i'm going to try and make more of an effort with styling my hair. Slight changes like this make all the difference.

I'll leave you with a few more photos. I apologise before hand, I got a bit snap happy.

Happy 2009 everyone!

X