MAC Lipstick Collection

I still remember the first ever MAC lipstick I bought, it was a few years ago and I bought Chatterbox after seeing Tanya Burr use it in a tutorial and since then, my collection has just grown and grown. I thought since I've filled up my lipstick holder, now would be the perfect time to post about my beloved collection of creamy, pink, vanilla-scented goodness!

What's in my MAC quad?

I will start by apologising for not blogging for nearly 6 weeks! But my life has been SO hectic with trying to balance 6th form, work, driving and my pathetic excuse for a social life. My friend Alice from t4intedbeauty.blogspot.com was in the same situation as me and she's inspired me to get out of my blogging rut, so make sure you go check out her blog! I'm sure you don't want to hear my rambling and excuses anymore, so let's crack on with the beauty talk! :)

(From L-R) Mystery, Retrospeck, Wookwinked, All That Glitters

Favourites #5

Hi guys! I've been trying soooo many new products recently as I got some for my birthday, Christmas, sales ect etc, so be expecting lots of favourites!

December Favourites

Hi everyone! It feels like I haven't done a favourite in ages, probably because I haven't :P but I've been trying out more new products and wearing a bit more makeup this month, so I have quite a few stand-out favourites to share with you!

White Tartan Scarf// Urban Outfitters

I've been at ikea today and I got some amazing makeup storage that is very similar to the Muji range so look out for a blog post on that soon! :) anyway, it was so rainy and windy so I wore my favourite scarf, this white tartan one from Urban Outfitters. It was £16 which I don't think is too expensive, especially for UO! I love the classic tartan print and I think these colours look really traditional and it's so long and soft. It isn't too thick either so you can avoid looking bulky.

Happy Light Foundation Shade 51// Bourjois

I was a bit skeptical to buy this foundation after reading mixed reviews online, but after seeing Anna from Viviannadoesmakeup do a blog post on it, I was sold. It costs £11.99, which is on the higher end of the drugstore price wise, but it's worth every penny. The amount of product you get in one pump is the perfect amount, not too much so you don't waste any. I would say it gives medium coverage, hiding any redness or blemishes without being cakey. It's one of the only foundations that lasts all day on my oily skin without becoming shiny or wearing off. You need to be careful when choosing a shade however, you only have the choice of 5 colours, and they're all pretty dark so if in doubt, go for 50 (the lightest shade). The finish is radiant but not shimmery like Rimmel's 'wake me up', I would say it had a satin look to it.

Soft and Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish Highlight// MAC

I have been itching to get this for months and months now but I could never justify spending more than £20 on a highlighter. I always seemed to think highlighter wasn't an essential product because it didn't make that much difference but I couldn't have been more wrong. I've worn this every day since Christmas and I've received so many compliments on my complexion (mainly from my grandma, but still..). It's such a large pan too so I know it's going to last me forever! I use the Real Techniques duo-fibre contour brush to apply this because it gives a light dusting so you don't end up looking like a disco ball because that isn't a good look ;)

Effaclar Duo// La Roche-Posay

I first saw this skin care product in one of Tanya Burr's videos and it sounded£ like the perfect treatment for my combination skin, claiming to reduce pores, moisterise and clear spots. However, I just couldn't seem to find it in Boots, probably because it's only available in the really big Boots, you know, the ones that have everything in them! But luckily, Santa (my lovely mother) managed to get their hands on some for me. I use this morning and night all over a freshly cleansed face and all I can say is wow! This is my absolute saviour now, I'm in love. It really does everything it says on the packet and if you're looking for something to clear up any skin problems, then this is definitely for you :)

Snob Lipstick// MAC

Another MAC product I have had my eye on for a while but for one reason or another, hadn't picked up yet. At £15, MAC lipsticks are at the lower end of expensive lipsticks but they're worth like £100! Ok maybe not that much, but they are the best lipsticks money can buy. They're smooth and creamy, they last all day, they come in a billion shades and finishes (matte, satin etc etc) and they smell like vanilla! What more could you want? ;) you can eat and drink whatever you want and you don't have to worry about your lipstick fading. Snob is a gorgeous cool toned baby pink and I love it on when I'm wearing fake tan.

What have been your favourite products this month?

Jess x

Christmas Haul

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a brilliant Christmas! I was so lucky this year and I got some amazing presents from all my family and friends. I won't show all my presents, not in a spoilt way, in a 'I don't want to bore you with 100 pairs of socks and pyjamas' way haha :P

I have spent all morning reading and watching other people's Christmas hauls, I just love seeing what people have got!

I feel so fortunate this year and I got some amazing makeup products I've been wanting for ages. Here are some of the MAC and Smashbox things I got.

MAC Mineralize skin finish soft and gentle// satin lipstick rebel// eyeshadow duo double feature 1// eyeshaow duo double feature 6// eyeshadow quad woodwinked and all that glitters// 

Smashbox jet set waterproof gel eyeliner deep purple

I got 2 Babyliss hair irons, the Wave Envy crimping wand and the Babyliss Boutique Soft Waves curling iron. I used the soft waves curler on Christmas Day and I really love it! I did my whole hair in about 7-8 minutes, which is pretty impressive because I have quite long, thick hair :) it's a really thick

barrel so the curls are loose and soft looking- really effortless! I haven't tried out the wave envy iron yet, but I might do a tutorial with some of the new hair products I got in the new year!

As some of you may know, I am a HUGE One Direction fan and my family know this, as you might be able to see from my lovely collection of 1D merchandise haha! I also got tickets to see them in May with my friend Alice from T4intedbeauty.blogspot.co.uk

I ran out of all my perfumes this year, so I was so pleased when I got a large selection of perfumes for Christmas! My favourite perfume range is the Fantasy line by Britney Spears, I got a large bottle of the original and a bottle of her Midnight Fantasy too! I also got this lovely set from Estée Lauder of 4 of their best selling perfumes, it includes Modern Muse, Sensuous Nude, Pleasure and Beautiful. They all smell completely different, so I will always have a choice of scent when I go out! My personal favourite is sensuous nude which is a lovely every day scent. 

 

My grandma bought be the Estée Lauder set last year, and all I can say is that it's just as good this year! The whole set comes in a classy navy pebbled bag with a matching gold purse. The whole set has a gold themed packaging. The 2 palettes contain eyeshadows and blushes. My favourite product from the set is probably the Sumptous Extreme mascara, my one from last year has just about dried up so I was so happy I got a new one this year! The brush is so thick and bristly so gives a lengthened and voluminous look.

Here are a few more cosmetic bits and bobs I got! My friend got me 6 Benefit ultra plush lip glosses which I adore! All the shades are so wearable and they last so long. I got yet another Body Shop body butter in Honeymania and it smells so sweet and rich. This moiterizer is unbeatable for the price of £13 as there are so many scents to choose from and they keep your skin soft for days on end! I got some Urban Fudge hair products; my favourite hair styling brand! My mum got me the Iced Coconut Cocktail Hairspray which keeps any hair style in place all day without making it crunchy, which is the worst! Plus it smells all fruity and coconutty :) I got another bottle of my favourite Sea Salt Texturizing Spray too, as per reccomendation of my role model, Lou Teasdale. My favourite range from Body Shop is Chocomania and I got a body wash which smells like melted chocolate mm!

2 of my favourite presents were some high end skin care products. I love my Origins zero oil cleanser so I was thrilled when I got the Origins Out of Trouble mask which I'm so excited to try out because my skin really starts playing up when I'm eating so many chocolates :P I finally got the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo that I saw on Tanya Burr's blog months ago and I'm so pleased I have finally got my hands on it. I tried it out last night and my skin feels so soft and nourished.

When it comes to scented products, I love anything sweet and rich smelling, so I was so lucky to get all of these body shop products. I am going to be smelling like a walking talking chocolate bar haha! I love my box sets and this year I got the complete collection of Gossip Girl. I know what I will be doing this holiday ;)

What did you guys get for Christmas this year?

Jess x

TAG Beauty Talk- my responses

Hi guys! I've been having a bit of a long hard night and didn't know what to post, I'm in the process of writing a huge advice article addressing lots of common, teenage problems so if you have any questions you want answered, don't hesitate to ask!:)

So a lot of you have been asking for my answers to the tag I created and I haven't actually publishedvmy answers yet! Obviously I made the questions with products in mind, so if you want to know all about the particular products that inspired this tag, them keep on reading! :)

What products have stood out to you this year?

Definitely the maybelline colour tattoos, especially in on and on bronze! I have ridiculously oily eyelids so it's a miracle if something even lasts half the day, but these babies have all day staying power! I have also loved the origins zero oil cleanser because it takes away the excess greasiness on my skin with out over drying it, plus I got it for a discounted price at the cosmetics company outlet store :)

Which makeup items would you recommend for young girls or people who are just getting in to beauty?

The MUA undress me too palette is lovely for beginners because it has a wide variety of neutral shades both on the warm and cool end of the spectrum and is only £4 or £5- bargain! I would also reccomend my favourite concealer, the rimmel wake me up does it's job like no other, not only does it brighten up the eye area, but it covers blemishes, not stick to them which is great for someone who perhaps doesn't quite need a full coverage foundation, but needs a bit of something to hide redness!

Favourite high street and high end beauty brand?

From the drugstore, it has to be either Maybelline or Bourjois! Rimmel do some great foundations but the Maybelliene eye products can't be beaten for the price, especially the falsies mascara! And bourjois have outstanding face products, I would happily reccomend any of their foundations and I am currently loving their happy light foundation, plus they have the best bronzing products around :) for a high end brand, it has to be MAC! I just think the quality of their eyeshadows and lipsticks is unbeatable and they are definitely worth the bigger price tag.

Most disappointing product you've tried?

It would have the be the benefit they're real mascara because I just couldn't get on with it :/ it no means was it a bad product, but it just receives so much hype in the beauty community and I don't think it's worth it, especially for the price being around £20.

A beauty item you use everyday?

My body shop Chocomania body butter or soap and glory sugar crush body wash. I love really sweet smelling scents and these two together creates the perfect combination! :) the reason I didn't pick a makeup item is because I kinda pick makeup based on my mood for the day so I don't reach for the same things all the time, plus I like to try lots of new products :)

What are you essentials for winter?

A good conditioner for your hair! I use Tresemme total moisture everyday and my hair hardly ever gets frizzy or dry! Also a good makeup remover because I tend to wear more makeup in the winter so it's important you cleanse your face thoroughly afterwards, I use garnier rose cleaning lotion which brings all my makeup right off and it's a milky texture so it adds an extra bit of moisture to my skin to prevent it from becoming too dry!

Your favourite product for a dramatic, party look?

A dark, matching lip and nail! I just love berry shades right now and my favourite combination is either Topshop lipstick called up or Revlon just bitten kissable balm stain crush on my lips paired with Essie Bahama mama on my nails (and if I'm feeling extra sparkly, I have an accent nail using barry m yellow topaz)

What's on your Christmas wish list? (beauty wise....)

Well this year I have asked Santa for half of the MAC store haha! So we will just have to see what he brings me....

I hope you liked my answers :) this is such a fun tag to do because it covers many different aspects of makeup.

I tag you all to answer! Check out the #TAGbeautytalk page to find out more details :)

Jess x

A Guide To Black Liner

When it comes to winter, one of my favorite makeup looks it black liner and lots of it! From the sophisticated flick to a smudged grunge look- I just love it. Depending on what look you're going for, it can be really hard to find the perfect product, so here is a run down of my favorite types of eyeliners.

(From left to right)

barry m liquid eyeliner// mac liquid eyeliner// Estée Lauder pencil liner// miss sporty wax crayon// barry m pencil liner// topshop kohl dust liner// maybelline gel liner// bobbi brown gel liner

For a thick, retro black eye I would recommend a liquid liner, because although they may be wet upon application, they quickly set to leave an opaque, precise line. I have found that the application of most liquid liners is the same- a pointy nip that is attached to the inside of the lid. It may take sometime to master using these, but practise makes perfect and you can achieve a really neat, thin line with these, or turn the brush on it's side to create a 60's inspired flick.

I would suggest trying MAC liquid liner for a long lasting product that doesn't crease, or for a drugstore alternative give the Barry M liquid liner a go!

For a smokey, smuged look I think pencils or waxy crayons are the way to go. Depending on the consistency of the liner, they can be quite a pain to apply to the top lid as they are dry so can drag along the lid but I find by using your index finger to pull out your eyelid slightly, they apply much easier. They are perfect for using in your tight line or water line for a touch of definition, or use them along your lash line and then blend them out for a smokey look.

I like the Estée Lauder pencil liner for a really intense black look because it's really creamy so glides on easily and is so pigmented! The Miss Sporty Waxy Crayon is perfect for people who like maintainer free makeup or are just starting out with eyeliner because it applied really easily and can give a lovely, simple liner look. Another product I have always been a fan of is the Barry M Pencil Liner because I find that they last all day without creasing and they come in so many shades other than black if you want to experiment with colour during the holiday season.

For a thick, grungey liner definitely try out the Topshop Kohl Dust Liner. I have never seen a liner like this before. In theory, it's just blackish grey dust that is densely packed in to a tube with a thick, spongey but tapered tip. The product itself can be extremely messy so I would suggest holding a bit of tissue under your eye before application. This liner gives a very thick slightly sparkly intense look but I think it is perfect for a party because it is so effortless!

For the perfect cat eye I always use my favourite type of eyeliner; gel! The best thing about gel liner is the fact that the look can be changed by simply using a different brush. They are a gel like texture (obviously) upon application and quickly set on your eye. You can achieve a simple, thin line for definition or can be build up for a more intense, bold line. The best thing about gel liner is they create a perfect flick and don't smudge or crease all day.

My favourite gel liners are the Maybelline Studio Effect Gel Liner and the Bobbi Brown Gel Liner. They are both great products because they don't crease on my extremely oily eyelids. The maybelline liner is slightly more liquid in texture, whereas the Bobbi Brown one is more dry so needs a bit more pressure upon application.

I really hoped this helped if you were struggling to decide which eyeliner is right for you! Feel free to ask any questions below.

Jess x