Liquid Lipstick Loving

Hello everyone! 

It's been a little while since I did a beauty product review and there is a very simple explanation. In the summer I don't wear a lot of makeup, I prefer that more natural glowing look given by the sun itself. However, now that autumn is rapidly approaching expect beauty reviews, looks and how to's galore :-) 

I am always super picky when it comes to my lipsticks, so I have been waiting to find a really good high street liquid lipstick before I try it and then inevitably splurge on a high end product! Maybelline have very recently released a set of 6-8 (depending on which country you are in) matte liquid lipsticks. These are the Vivid Matte Liquids by ColorSensational, the official lipsticks of New York Fashion Week! 

Left to right: 45 Possessed Plum and 05 Nude Flush

I decided to go for two autumnal colours from the range, as I'm not quite feeling the bold red lips yet and the muted nudes are definitely more of a summer thing for me. I chose 45 Possessed Plum and 05 Nude Flush (yeah, I know I said I didn't want a nude, but this one is more pink). I actually found them very different, so I'm going to write about them individually. 

Nude Flush is actually not a true nude, it is very definitely a pink. I love the duskiness of this shade, given to it by the matte finish. It makes me think of late bloom roses. The texture is very creamy, and almost feels like a satin on the lips. It feels quite cooling as it dries, which sounds weird, but is actually quite nice! I found that Nude Flush took quite a while to dry onto the lips and doesn't have the best staying power. However, the lovely colour and the fabulous matte finish more than make up for it. 

Possessed Plum is just as creamy as Nude Flush, but dries in half the time. I'm not sure if that's the same for all the products, or if I have one weird one? The finish is lovely, not as dark as in the bottle, but it is quite buildable. You can apply it lightly for a light plum tone or build the colour for a deep berry look. I really love the matte finish, matte berry tones are so on trend for this autumn and I have been wearing this most days since I bought it. The colour fades slowly over a couple of hours if you are eating and drinking, but it does fade evenly so you can avoid that dreaded line around your lips you sometimes get with other lip products! 

Concerning the other colours, there is a range from a vivid orange, red, berries and different nudes and browns. They are all lovely colours and there really is something for everyone. If you want to try out the liquid lipstick formula without breaking the bank, check these out :-) They are £6.99 each! 

Have you tried these? Let me know your favourite liquid lipstick in the comments below! Also please show me some love, this is my 100th post and I can't quite believe it has got this far! Thank you for your continued support and kind comments :-)

xoxo

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Maybelline Makes a Move

Hello everyone! 

I’ve never really been a massive Maybelline fan, I don’t know why, I guess beyond the Dream Matte Mousse nothing really caught my eye. I thought this should be rectified, as so many of you swear by their products! 

Maybelline have had a few new releases over the last couple of months, with mixed reviews. The original Baby Lips products were a big hit, so expanding the range seemed like the obvious thing to do next. Maybelline have released some of these teeny weeny balm and cream blush combos. There are 4 colours, but if I’m honest you really don’t need them all. The differences are really really subtle! I’m not dissing the products, the balm is wonderful on the lips, it feels like a much pricier treatment and does have some serious staying power for moisture, but the pigmentation is low. As a blush I’m not too much of a fan, it doesn’t last well. However, in the summer it will really come into it’s own, it is the perfect easy application of blush and balm on the move, ideal for a touch up post swim or beach day! I have the 01 Innocent Peach shade, the smell of peaches is really lovely and refreshing. 

Another new release is their Dream Blender aimed at easing the application of Dream Matte Mousse. Because I like to be a rebel I use mine to apply concealer instead of foundation. Yeah it does look a bit weird, it kind of reminds me of a temple in it’s shape, however, I quite like the handle. With the traditional blenders your fingers actually touch what you will be using to smooth in your foundation, and you end up with it everywhere! This way your fingers stay nice and clean. The shape of this is ideal for concealer as it has such a fine point you can be super precise, especially when smoothing over those pesky dark under-eye circles! 

My final Maybelline product is a concealer. I feel like the Super Stay 24hour concealer is a  bit of a cult product and I’m late to jump on the bandwagon yet again. I haven’t ever really been one of those people who holds much faith in concealer…I always thought it was a bit of wishful thinking. I have always preferred balancing with green tones and well-placed highlighters. However, I do like the concealer for under my eyes, it does help make me look more awake and alert, but for spots I’m not too sure. In case you were wondering I went for shade 2 light. It can dry out and leave you flaky, so I think I’ll try a different one for spots next time! 

Anyone have any good concealer suggestions? Or if you would like me to review a particular product let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo 

Wacky Drugstore Haul

Hello everyone! 

Not too long ago I had to do some fancy dress, now I love fancy dress as much as the next girl, but this one was a bit of a challenge. I had to dress up as a musical theatre performer, my performing days were a while ago now so I lacked the necessary crazy colour makeup to create the look. Oh so sadly (she says extremely sarcastically) I needed to go shopping. 

I wanted to go for a blue, green and purple eye look so I hit the high street and headed to Boots. You can find some truly fab products out there for such a good price, so if you are a lover of bold looks then keep reading! 

I first went to Maybelline to pick up a kohl liner, I went for this pretty mint green waterproof liner in 37. I wanted to be able to create a bold line and build up a similar eyeshadow colour around it. I used the line for the crease and built up the eyeshadow on the outer two thirds of the lid, using a purple shimmer shade in the inner corner. The Linerefine liners glide on smoothly and the pigment is fantastic. The only downside is that it is a real pencil so needs sharpening to get a very fine line. 

It's so hard to photograph an eye pencil and make it look good! 

In an attempt to match the liner I went to Max Factor as they often have a wide range of eyeshadow colours available as singles. I ended up selecting two shimmer shades that I thought would blend well together to provide an ethereal, yet bold eye, I was aiming for Midsummer Night’s Dream type makeup. I chose 30 Turquoise Fury and 15 Vicious purple. Top tip: purple and green go surprisingly well together! Max Factor are known for their fab Colour X-pert Waterproof liquid eyeliners, I chose the 03 metallic lilac to draw on my bold cat eye flick. 

Finally I went to Rimmel in search of a product to give a pop of colour to my lower lash line. The Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer has a thin cream nib at one end and a small cushion at the other to blend the colour if you want a smudgy look. I went for the very bright 240 Aqua Sparkle to smudge into my lower lashes. I love the way you can glide on the liner and smudge straight away without needing to search for the right brush. The nib is the perfect size for a fine line, but could also be built into a thicker one for a different upper lid look. 

The final look was so bold, but very striking. I definitely looked like I’d just walked off the set of a fairy themed play! What’s your favourite bold look? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Making Me Blush

Hello everyone! 

With spring on the horizon it is time to start rocking that rosy glow. “How? Show me your blush wizardry!” I hear you all cry. So let’s go! 

Blush is very subjective, depending on your skin tone, hair colour and the look you are going for, you might want to try very different blushes. As I cannot change my appearance at will I can only really advise you on my tastes. I am very pale, with bright auburn hair to give you a rough idea. I’ll talk about powder blushes first and then move on to the cream blushes, so feel free to skip bits if you like!

For the daytime I like quite a delicate blush, I have been really loving the baby pinks recently, in case you hadn’t already noticed! My all time favourite will always be the Benefit Dandelion blush, it is so light, but so pigmented and really blends well. A total classic really. Another Benefit classic is the Coralista blush, the one I have is very very old, possibly even the first blush from my collection! Unfortunately they have since changed the formulation and it has a much more bronzy tone to it, it would go wonderfully if you have a nice tan, or with a bit of Hoola bronzer. The formulation I have is a very warm pinky-coral, with a terracotta undertone, I prefer this blush in the summer when I have a bit more colour or for an evening out when I would probably wear more makeup. 

Two recent additions to my collection, and probably many of yours too as they are relatively new, are from YSL and Too Faced. I wrote a full post about the YSL Gypsy Opale palette a while back, you can check that out here. This blush is a very light baby pink on the skin and has a gorgeous opalescent finish, if you like that ethereal lit from within look then this is the blush for you. It comes with all you need to finish off your face, with the purple and green sections for balancing and a pearly highlighter for your final touch. Sadly it is limited edition so I don’t know if you can get hold of it, if you can then it may be a little pricey! 

I have heard so many people rave about the Too Faced Sweetheart blushes, I couldn’t resist buying one. Available in multiple tones, they provide three different blushes in one super cute heart shaped palette to be used singularly or in combination. I went for Candy Glow and it is so pretty, I use it mainly for daytime as a light shimmer, but I can build the colour up for a night-time look. 

On to the cream blushes, I’m sorry to say I don’t have much experience with these having only two in my collection, but I will do my best. I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan as I don’t feel like the colour lasts as well throughout the day and does need multiple touch ups. This type of product would be good for if you were just popping out and wanted a light face of make-up or if you are having a beach or park day with friends. Who else can’t wait for picnic season to be back? 

Maybelline’s brand new Baby Lips balm and blush combos are a big hit with everyone already. I prefer them as a balm, but as a blush they do have a lovely shimmer finish. I have the 01 innocent peach shade, but to be honest there isn’t really much difference between the four shades so you really don’t need them all! My final product is another lips and cheeks duo product. It is the My Little Beauty lips and cheeks stick, providing a very matte finish, with a sunny, warm coral tone, with more orange pigment than pink. Perfect for the end of summer when you have a lovely glow from the sun! I prefer this one as a cheek colour than a lip balm, as it is quite drying. I also feel like I am too pale for this right now, so it will have to wait for better use later in the year. 

What is your favourite blush? If you would like me to walk you through a look incorporating one of these blushes, let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo