My Favourite Highlighters

 Soap & Glory 'Glow all Out' / Makeup Revolution 'Gold Lights' / theBalm 'Mary-Lou-Manizer' / MAC 'Soft & Gentle' / MAC 'Vanilla' Pigment / MAC Creme Colour Base 'Pearl' / NARS 'Albatross' / Illamasqua 'Furore' Pigment /

Here are a few (not really a few) highlighters I love to use. Some are more subtle than others such as the Soap & Glory 'Glow all Out' which is almost like a highlighter/blush combination, and others are a bit more extreme such as the Mary-Lou-Manizer, which is the most extreme highlighter I own. You could make any highlighter a bit more crazy and use a fixing spray on the brush you're using to apply it with, such as MAC Fix+ or for a cheaper alternative MUA now do a fixing spray which is pretty good.

If I want to go for something a bit in-between on the highlighter spectrum, I love to use NARS Albatross, which is a shimmery pearl shade with a hint of gold running through it, and if you want a cheaper 'dupe', then Makeup Revolution's 'Golden Lights' is very similar, it's slightly more golden than NARS Albatross though. For an all time classic MAC's Soft & Gentle just has to be included, it is probably my favourite highlighter as it can be worn both day and night and is just perfect in every way possible. It's a perfect highlighter if you're just getting into highlighting! Pigments can be gorgeous highlighters, and you don't need to use much product either, which is a bonus for your bank account. I love MAC Vanilla pigment which is great for highlighting the inner corners of my eyes to brighten them up a bit, if you want a more warmer highlighter then Illamasqua 'Furore' pigment is a gorgeous champagne perfect for all over the eyelids, inner corners and the cheekbones, it's pretty much an all-rounder!

Five Minute Makeup

I thought i'd do a snappy post about my quick makeup routine when i'm minutes away from running out the door! For my skin I keep it really simple, I don't want to spend 5 minutes buffing in liquid foundation, so I stick to powder foundations when i'm in a rush, with a bit of concealer underneath. Recently i've been using my MAC Studio Fix Powder in NC15 with MAC Studio Finish Concealer  underneath in NC15 to cover blemishes and my under eye circles. And voila! The skin is covered and powdered in two steps.

On the cheeks I like to use a blush that's going to add colour but also a bit of warmth so I don't have to use a separate bronzer, for this the Benefit Rockateur Blush is perfect! It's a rosey, mauve pink with hints of brown in it (think rose gold), making it the perfect blush to wear on it's own! 

For eyes, again I keep it simple with a creme eyeshadow, such as the Rimmel Scandaleyes Eye Paint in 'Rich Russet' which is a beautiful bronze shade, much like the Maybelline ColorTattoo in 'On and On Bronze' (which I also love). I then add a bit of depth to the eye by taking a deeper brown such as the No7 Single Eyeshadow in 'Truffle'. 

I recently purchased the new Maybelline Mascara which is just a spin off of their Colossal mascara, it just adds a nice amount of volume and length, but does get a bit clumpy so I may have to go back to the Falsies once i've finished this mascara up!

Finally for lips i've been layering two lipsticks, the Revlon Lipstick in 'Pink in the Afternoon' and the Revlon Lip Butter in 'Berry Smoothie', which creates a really pretty pink that's perfect for every day! Although if you wanted to make it easier you could just apply a bit of tinted lip balm and bam! You're done.

It's Prime Time

MAC Prep & Prime / MAC Paint Pot  / NARS Eyeshadow Primer / NYX Jumbo Pencil / L'Oreal Lumi Magique Primer

I thought i'd showcase with you some of my favourite primers/bases for the face and eyes, sometimes I won't use a primer before foundation, but I do always use an eyeshadow base/primer as it really does make a difference to how your eyeshadows last and prevents creasing. 

Firstly for the face i've been liking these two primers recently, the MAC Prep & Prime I just use around the centre of the face, which is where my foundation and concealer tends to wear off first. It's a really nice base and I do notice a difference in how long my foundation will last throughout the day. The L'Oreal Lumi Magique foundation primer I like to use on the high points of my face, especially on the cheekbones to add a nice glow to the skin. You can even mix it in with your liquid foundation to be all lovely and glowy all over! You can also use this as a subtle liquid highlighter as well which a nice bonus. 

For eye bases these are the three I always tend to pick up when I want something plain and basic that I can put any eyeshadow over the top. The NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow stick in 'Milk' is a cheaper alternative as an eyeshadow base, it's really creamy and blends like a dream, plus it really makes any eyeshadow pop! You can also use this to highlight your brow bone or use it on your waterline to make your eyes appear more 'awake', although it might look a little intense. If you want just a plain standard clear base with no pigment then NARS is the way to go, once you put eyeshadow over this it will not budge! It's amazing for anyone with oily eyelids too, as it really mattifys the lid and sets in place. Finally the eyeshadow base that everyone and their grandma loves, it's MAC's Painterly Paint Pot, and the crowd goes wild! This paint pot is as good as everyone says it is, whether you get it in Painterly or in Soft Ochre, the nude shades are just perfect for putting eyeshadow over the top or even leaving it on it's own with a bit of liner and mascara! 

A Few New Makeup Items

MAC: Carbon Eyeshadow,  Mont Black eyeshadow, Feline eyeliner, High Energy lipliner, Honeylove  matte lipstick, Tea Petal Creme Blush, Artifact Paint pot, Indianwood Paintpot.

Everything else: Urban Decay 24hr Pencil in 'West', Soap & Glory Lipstick in 'Pom Pom' & Kick Ass Concealer, Real Techniques Setting Brush, Nyx Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in 'Milk', Nyx Blush in 'Taupe', TheBalm Maryloumanizer, Illamasqua Velvet Creme Blush in 'Peaked'.

I've gone a bit makeup crazy recently, as always, and purchased quite a few bits to add to my vast collection!

Some things are completely new to my collection, and some are items I already have but in a different shade (such as the paint pots as I love them so much)!

You may see a few reviews on some of these items soon! 

Light & Bronzed

MAC Shroom eyeshadow w/ Cork in crease // Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation // NARS Laguna // Chanel Blush in 'Tumulte' // NARS 'Albatross' // Maybelline Babylips in 'Cherry' // Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless //

Recently as spring has finally sprung i've been liking lightweight makeup that's dewy, radiant and fresh. I've been reaching for the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation a lot more often now that's a bit milder, as it gives a nice amount of coverage but still looks like skin, not like you've slapped on some foundation (if that makes sense?). I've been using NARS Laguna Bronzer a lot more 'heavier' recently so I don't look so pale, and it gives a really nice natural tanned kinda look, I apply it with a Real Techniques Blush Brush and with circular motions blend it on the tops of the cheek bones and the temples (where the sun would naturally hit). Finishing off the cheeks I use my Chanel Blush to add a pop of colour, and NARS Albatross highlighter on the tops of the cheek bones.

For the eyes I blend a bit of the Bronzer into the crease with a Sigma E45 brush, and then follow up with Shroom by MAC with a 239 brush to pack on the colour over the main part of the lid. To complete the eye I add a bit of definition with Cork by MAC.

For lips you could do something more dramatic, but i've been liking keeping it really subtle and using a tinted lip balm, like the Maybelline Babylips, it gives a really nice amount of colour but is also really moisturising at the same time.

My MAC Lipstick Collection + Swatches

I thought i'd finally do a MAC lipstick collection, as it seems to of taken off quite rapidly in the past few months, considering I only bought my first ever MAC lipstick last July and at £15 a pop they're not cheap!

I have a range of Lustre, Creme Sheen. Amplified, Glaze and Matte finishes. Although my favourite finish is Lustre as I prefer a sheer lipstick as opposed to a really opaque lipstick, I am beginning to sway to the Matte side of lipsticks though with my recent purchase of Ruby Woo.

Hue (G) // Syrup (L) // Plumful (L) // Creme in Your Coffee (CS) // Capricious (L) // Crosswires (CS) // On Hold (CS) // Bric-o-la (A) // Lady Bug (L) // Ruby Woo (M) //

Video: Neutral Smokey Eye for Valentines Day!

Decided to do another video, yes another one. I don't know, I'm just really enjoying filming them in the morning and then editing them in the afternoon. Anyway today I decided to do a 'sultry' looking brown smokey look for Valentines day, whit whoo!

I went for really warm eyeshadows on the eye, with matte browns in the crease, I then used a gel eyeliner along the lash line and then smudged it to further smoke the look out!

I wanted the face makeup to be full coverage, cause when it comes to a smokey eye you want your skin to look perfected otherwise you can end up looking tired otherwise. I also wanted to go really simple on the cheeks with just a little bronzer to sculpt and warm up my complexion a bit and a hint of colour on the cheeks with the blush. Finally I went for a matte nude lip to tie the whole thing together!

My MAC Eyeshadow Palette

Here is my little baby! My MAC eyeshadow palette! All the shadows were hand picked by myself after a lot of research and a lot of money being handed over to MAC at the same time. I admit some of them look similar in shades but when you swatch it they look different. I love each eyeshadow and use them all fairly equally. The only one I haven't got any use out of yet has been 'Antiqued' as I only got it on Sunday and since then haven't tested it out! 

My Favourite Foundations

MAC Pro Longwear in NC15 // NARS Sheer Glow in Deauville // Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B10 // Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in Soft Ivory //

My Top 5 Blushes

// L to R: MAC Fleur Power, Chanel 70 Tumulte, Bobbi Brown Apricot, Dior Rosy Glow, NARS Dolce Vita //

My High End Lipstick Collection

Current makeup favourites

HUGE makeup haul

This wasn't all bought at once! It was all bought from October till now.

Haul: MAC

// Mineralize Skin Finish in 'Soft and Gentle' // £22

A beautiful highlighter,  I used it this morning over foundation on my cheekbones, brow bone and the inner corners of my eyes and it really made such a difference! I can see why people always say that this is one of the MAC cult items that you must have!

// MAC Quad - £6.50 // MAC 'Embark' & 'WoodWinked' - £20 //

I decided to purchase two more eyeshadows that i've wanted for quite a while, especially the shade 'WoodWinked' and I thought these would be two beautiful shades to add to my collection of MAC eyeshadows. Also they're great tones of brown for autumn! I will eventually fill up the two other spaces, maybe with 'Satin Taupe' & 'Naked Lunch'?

// MAC Paint Pot in 'Painterly' - £15 //

Again this is another 'cult' MAC item that everyone needs, and I must agree! Similar to the Maybelline ColorTattoo's it's a creme eyeshadow, but I mainly use it as an eyeshadow base/primer and from trying it this morning I must say it is a product that is definitely worth the money! It's so creamy and easy to apply and really makes your eyeshadows pop! I'll now be using this every day instead of my UD Primer Potion!

// MAC Lipstick in 'Syrup' (Lustre finish) - £15 //

This is a really lovely lipstick shade, it's one of those 'your lips but better' kind of shades and applies really smoothly on the lips. The shade is similar to MAC's 'Plumful' but a lot less 'plummy' with a bit of a mauve hint to it which makes it the perfect every day lipstick!

// MAC Lipstick in 'Bric-o-la' (Amplified Creme) - £15 //

From the looks of this photo it makes it look like a bright red shade like Ruby Woo or Russian Red, but in person it's no where near that red! It's more of a toned down red, and is a lot more wearable than the usual red lipsticks i've come across in the past. It's as the name suggests more of a 'brick' shade that's really flattering on pale skin and again, a perfect item for Autumn!

FOTD: #1

No7 Beautifully Matte foundation in shade 'Calico'// Maybelline ColorTattoo in 'On & On Bronze//  MAC eyeshadows: 'All That Glitters' 'Tempting' 'Cork' 'Brun'// L'Oreal Super Liner// MAC Pencil Eyeliner in 'Teddy"// Chanel Eye Kohl Pencil in Black// Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara // NARS 'Dolce Vita' Blush// MAC Lipstick in 'Plumful' // 

I'd thought i'd share my makeup for the day for this post, as i'm going out for dinner tonight as it's mine and Elliott's three year anniversary woohoo! I went for for simple face makeup and lips paired with strong eye makeup.

My Favourite Recent Makeup:

Oops long time no speak! A lot has happened in the past month with going on holiday and getting a job so i hadn't really had any time to blog anything unfortunately, but i am back!! It was my 19th birthday last weekend which was fabulous (even though i was working) and was lucky enough to get a Macbook Pro from my lovely boyfriend Elliott, although i am paying him back about £700 of it with wages etc.

Anyway recently i've been doing my makeup slightly differently, with more simple eye makeup and darker lips and i've been absolutely loving it!

I use the Bourjois healthy mix foundation & concealer to cover redness and imperfections and powder over with Rimmel Stay Matte as usual. Then i contour my cheeks with a bit of Sleek contour kit in shade medium and add a bit of colour with a Bourjois cream blush to the cheeks with a stippling brush. I then move onto the eyes and apply MAC's Cork all over the lid with the RT brush, and then blend in Tempting by MAC with the 217 brush in the outer corner of the eye and work it into the crease as well, and finally to add a bit more i finish off with Brun by MAC blended into the crease and lower lash line to make it a bit more 'smokey'. Next i apply a black Chanel kohl eyeliner in my top waterline (not the bottom as it makes my eyes look smaller) and also smudge it into the top lash line as well to create a bit of definition. Then top it off with a bit of mascara! (Maybelline Falsies)
For the lips i used Plumful by MAC which is a beautiful, well, plum shade, that looks great on just about anyone (so i've heard) and it's a great all year round kinda colour, it just about suits the summer but i think it's going to look even better in the Autumn and Winter!

Updated every day makeup routine

Foundation: Normally every day i use No7's Beautifully Matte foundation in the shade 'Calico' and apply it with a Real Techniques Expert Face brush, which gives a natural looking flawless finish to the skin. Somtimes i'll use the Revlon ColorStay foundation in 'Ivory' or the Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream in 'Pale' depending on what kind of finish and coverage i want.

Concealer: For concealing redness or those pesky spots i use the well known Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in 'Fair' and i pat/stipple the R.T Buffing brush on top to blend it in, but not smudge it off.

Under eye concealer: I use the same concealer and dot it under the eyes and blend out with R.T deluxe crease brush.

Powder: Yes, i use the Rimmel stay matte as it really is the best powder at such a low cost, i use the R.T contour brush to apply it round the centre of the face to get rid of shine and set the concealer.

Eyebrows: I brush through my brows with the spoolly (sp?) side of my No7 eyebrow pencil, and then lightly apply a dark brown matte eyeshadow (i'm using the dark brown from a Benefit palette) using an angled brush and with little strokes fill in my brows to make them less sparse but still looking natural, we don't want no scouse brow, am i right?

Priming/eyeshadow base: To start off the eyes i'll either apply a primer such as Urban Decay's Primer Potion (i'm using the one in the shade 'Sin') or the Maybelline ColorTattoo in 'On and On Bronze' which is perfect as a base to really amplify the eyeshadows used on top. 

Eyeshadow: Finally we've made it to eyeshadow! First i take MAC's 'All That Glitters' all over the lid with the RT base shadow brush to set the base, then with the same brush i apply 'Cork' on the outer half of the lid and blend. Then i take 'Tempting' on a MAC 217 brush and apply to the crease and blend out, and then take the same shadow on the E.L.F crease brush and apply to lower lash line. Next to highlight the inner corner of the eye and to brighten my eyes a bit more i take 'Virgin' from the Naked palette in a R.T Accent brush and apply around the inner corner area. Recently i've been loving using black eyeshadow as liner, so i next take the R.T Angled brush and line my top lash line, for a softer look than using liquid liner.

Mascara: Lastly for the eyes, i curl my lashes and apply the ever famous Maybelline 'The Falsies' mascara, and for the lower lashes i use No7's Extreme Length as the wand is the perfect size. If i want more added to the liner, i'll use the Collection Extreme 24 liner but only a really small amount.

Blush: For blush it varies day to day, if i use a cream blush i'll use the R.T Stippling brush, and if i use powder i use the R.T Blush brush. The few blushes i have are: Revlon Cream blush in 'Pinched', Dainty Doll powder blush in 'You Are My Sunshine', Natural Collection 'Sweet Cheeks', Sleek Contour kit 'medium', E.L.F 'Merry Berry'.

Lips: Again my the lip product i'll use will vary day to day, most of the time i go for a pinky-mauve shade that are more on the cool toned side rather than warm. A few that i have are: No7's 'Mulberry', Maxfactor 'Rosewood', Revlon 'Crush', Rimmel Apocalips 'Galaxy', Revlon 'Smoked Peach', Rimmel 'Vintage Pink'.

Sometimes if i want more precision with application i'll use a lip brush, or if i want more of a stain rather than a full on lip colour i'll apply a lip balm and then lightly apply lipstick on top and blend out with a lip brush.

a little spring/summer clothing/beauty haul! (H&M, Topshop, MAC)

weaved sandals - Topshop // chunky peep toe heels - H&M // suede flip flops - H&M // knitted vest - H&M // patterned 'ombre' trousers - H&M // MAC 217 brush - Revlon BB cream - Collection liquid eyeliner pen - Barry M gelly nail paint in 'Lychee' // 

Yesterday i finally went summer shopping (for holiday as well) and i kind of didn't go as overboard as i thought i would, but i bought a few things that i had been wanting for a while anyway. 

Firstly i purchased the Topshop sandals which i think will be so perfect for summer and for when i go on holiday, they can pretty much be paired with anything and it'll look great! I'm thinking they'll look good with rolled up jeans and a slouchy top for the last few weeks i have left at uni!

I also bought my evening shoes that i'll be wearing a lot on holiday, i was originally planning on getting some shoes from New Look but when i got there they didn't have any in my size! So i ran back to H&M and found these beauty's! I can imagine they'll go great with the two clothing items i bought, to dress up a semi-casual outfit. The heel is quite chunky so they're easier to walk in than you think especially with the added support of the platform as well, and the ankle strap supports my foot very nicely so hopefully i won't have any trip ups!

I managed to find some comfy looking flipflops, as planned from H&M, my previous material flipflops were also from H&M and they lasted me about 4 years so i'm hoping these will last me just as long.

I didn't really buy much in the way of clothing, as i already have A LOT of clothes that'll be suitable for spring/summer and also on holiday. I'm talking about the 7 pairs of shorts hidden in a drawer and the billions of t-shirts i already have stuffed in my wardrobe. So i only resorted in buying this cute almost 'knitted' style vest top that'll be great for casual days with shorts and sandals, or dressed up with a skirt and heels. And the smart looking light weight trousers that'll match well with the top, but can be dressed down with sandals and a baggy t-shirt. I think the 'ombre' edging is kind of surprising and give the trousers an interesting twist.

Lastly i bought a few makeup items, a BB cream to protect my face from the sun when i'm on holiday (which i'd reapply throughout the day) and with the added 'concealing' element adds a bit of coverage to my not so perfect skin! I also finally bought the MAC 217 brush which i've been wanting for absolutely ages, it's a really great brush for anything to do with eyeshadow: application, blending, crease etc. And i can't wait to start using it! I also wanted to try out the 'Gelly' nail polishes by Barry M and i thought this colour was a nice take on the 'nude shade' and it can pretty much match with anything which will be great for spring/summer when i'm feeling lazy. I wanted to finally try one of those felt tip liners as well, and i saw Collection had one that was only £2.99 so i thought that would be a good buy incase it turns out that i don't like it!

I also re-purchased Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer (as mine has almost run out) and Maybelline the Falsies Flared mascara to save in case it runs out before holiday!

Have you been doing any spring/summer shopping recently?