Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick 'Celebrity Skin' review

I admit, I am pretty new to the Jeffrey Star bandwagon. I know, right? Shame on me! My little sister (mei mei, I love you but my wallet doesn't ;) haha) is the one that pointed me in his (infectiously brilliant) talented direction, and I have to say, once you go Jeffree Star, you ain't ever coming back... Without a makeup product with his delicious name printed on it.
My first ever purchase was this liquid lipstick, and girrrrrrrl, it was love at first swipe!

Look at this beautiful casing; so chunky, sturdy and darned cute! Normally I'm not one for packaging, but I have to say, this has got me all of a flutter.
The formulation is so smooth and light, then dries down to a matte, pink-toned brown nude that is just so gorgeous and flattering. Also, another wonderful plus is that this lipstick smells of a root beer float, which is delicious. For those that don't like scents, don't worry, the fragrance soon disappears. The formula is also gluten and paraben free, which is an absolute must for me. Anything that can be absorbed by my skin must not contain parabens!

Above is a close up of my lips. My lips are in no way symmetrical so please ignore that, but just look at the colour. I just love it! The colour wears really well, is not as drying as other long lasting lipstick formulas I have used and feels really comfortable on the lips.

Here is me from further away. Forgive how I look, it's been a while since I applied my makeup! I just love how neutral and wearable this colour is. It wears off a small amount through eating/drinking, but still holds up really well unless you eat oily foods, which will break down the formula quickly.
It removes easily with an oil based makeup remover ("Hello, Garnier, how are you today?"), so just keep that in mind should you ever buy one of this talented man's lipsticks.

Yes! Honey, I am loving this shade! I'm currently waiting as patiently as I can for another of his lipsticks 'Rich Blood' to arrive. I can't wait!

Hugs xx

Review: MUA Elysium Palette

I was in Superdrug, on a mission to buy cotton pads, when I stumbled across this little beauty on the MUA stand today:

An eyeshadow palette consisting of 10 eyeshadows and a double ended black eyeliner/pale pink highlighter pencil. This retails at just £6. Of course this made its way into my basket! 

Above is a picture of the back of the palette, with the names of the shadows. 

And a picture of the ingredients. As you can see, these shadows do contain parabens, so if you're tempted to buy these then please use a primer (paraben free if possible!) underneath to stop your body from absorbing them. 

I noticed that at least 6 of the colours bore a striking resemblance to 6 of the colours in the Naked 3 palette...

"Air" and "Cherub" look very similar to Naked 3's "Strange" and "Dust".

"Charm" is an amazing dupe for N3's "Limit".

"Refine" is also a great dupe for N3's "Nooner" (one of my fave matte crease/blending colours).

"Adore" is similar to N3's "Blackheart".

"Astral" is a very good dupe for N3's "Buzz".

The other four eyeshadows don't much resemble the Naked 3 palette, but I really love this palette as a cheap dupe. It has 5 metallic colours, four mattes and one black matte with red sparkle (Adore). 

Of course I had to try this palette out (sorry, swatches turned out crap on my phone so I deleted the pics), so I did this look for college today:

For this look I used Charm as a transition/blending colour, then Refine in the crease and lower lash line. I used Cherub on my eyelid, Adore in the outer third of my eyelid and on the outer third of my lower lash line, lined my upper lash line with the black eyeliner pencil and set it with some more Adore. I then used a highlighter around my inner eyes to bring light to this look, lined my waterline with black waterproof gel liner and curled my lashes and added plenty of mascara (around 3/4 coats) to pull the whole look together. 

My thoughts: I absolutely love this palette, it's a fantastic price, the colours are well pigmented (the metallic ones are super creamy and beautiful to wear), has some brilliant Naked 3 palette colour dupes and they apply and blend amazingly well. The only negative thing I can think of (other than the shadows containing parabens) is that the double ended pencil (the size it is now with the lids on both ends) fits perfectly in the palette, but once the pencil is sharpened, it'll be shorter and it won't be able to fit, so will fall out easier and perhaps even get lost. But! That's only a minor negative - I'm sure I can move the pencil to somewhere safer! I will definitely be using this palette a lot in the future and I recommend it to anyone on a budget or that doesn't want to fork out £37 for the Naked 3. 

Hugs x

Review: MAC Blush in Style

I've been lusting after this blush from MAC for over a month, but for some reason I've felt too guilty to buy it. So when I went into MAC the other day I bought their Prep + Prime setting powder and this at the same time, but I thought I'd do separate blogs on them. 

As you can see, Style is a Frost blush. It has a really plain peachy colour just sat in the pan, but when it's swatched on the skin, it's beautifully pigmented and leaves the skin with a golden-kissed shimmer. 

This blush is so pigmented, too much can be applied quite easily, so being light handed is key. It reminds me of Sleek blush 'Rose Gold', but this one suits my fake tan better - being peachy instead of pink-based. 

This will definitely be my go-to blush for the autumn and winter months - hell, probably for the foreseeable future - and I'm looking forward to using it in different makeup looks. Love it or hate it? Let me know x

MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder

I've been wanting to add this setting powder to my makeup collection for a good long while now, and now I have it... *Cue evil laughter*

So I wanted to do a first impression/review on this product.

This box is actually pretty cute, which is saying something because I'm not all that hot on packaging. 

The powder is white, but according to MAC, this powder will suit all skin colours once it's applied/blended in. 

Apparently this powder is good for oily skin, and has very positive reviews on the MAC website and also on Makeup Alley and across the web. I have combination oily skin so I had to try this out...

I applied my eye makeup and brows, then applied Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation and contoured with bronzer and let it set... 

Then I applied the setting powder in small amounts in small circular motions, concentrating on my nose and inner cheeks nearest my nose, where I'm definitely the oiliest. 

After I had applied it, my skin felt super smooth and my huge pores on my inner cheeks looked much smaller, and the pores on my nose looked smaller too. There was also no white powder showing on my skin either, so good news there.

The finish wasn't too matte either, so it looked more natural. Plus there is no build up of colour over my foundation, so my face stays cake-free - thumbs up. For a proper review, I didn't use any oil controlling primer under my foundation as I wanted to see how well the powder would control my oily skin.

I also thought I'd do a photography flash test too, to see if there was flashback. Let's check for "ghost face", using my iPhone's flash. 

I think I'm pretty safe from that, I reckon... But what about oil control? I applied the powder at around 3pm, then checked my face six hours later... 

Sorry for super creepy closeup! My nose and inner cheeks could definitely do with a little blot and maybe a little extra powder, but it didn't do too badly on my face. 

With an oil controlling primer, I don't doubt that this powder will keep the oil at bay for at least ten hours. 

Thoughts?: It's relatively expensive at £20.50 but a little goes a long way. Loose powder is not exactly travel friendly, so the pressed version is probably more desirable for those purposes. It makes my skin feel amazing after application, doesn't create "ghost face" or "cake face" and doesn't do a terrible job at keeping my oil at bay, so it's a good all-rounder. 

Good News!

So I've been cray cray busy recently. My shifts went from week nights to weekend days, and I spent the first week trying to readjust my sleeping pattern, so I was grouchy and miserable. But then I realised I had 4 days off a week... So I decided to bite the bullet and apply for a Beauty Therapy course in a local college and a different college around 6 miles away, even though the courses started around 2nd Sep. 

The first college invited me in with open arms, but said their fees for the year would be £1,672 - I had to refuse as I don't have that kind of moolah! 

I was turned down by the second college; their course was now full, but they'd keep me on hold if a space became available. Their course covered exactly the same things as the first college, but their fees were substantially lower, at around £816, which, in my job, part of the country and economy, this seemingly meagre sum of money was still far from my reach. I talked to my mother about it, and she said if I really wanted a future in beauty (definitely!) then she'd loan me the money. But because I'd been denied, I said no, it'd give me time to save up to pay for some of the course that started in January 2015. 

BUT! Just two days after being denied, I received a phone call from the second college, asking me to attend an interview; they'd decided to expand their classes and many more people - myself included - were asked to interview. 

I was ecstatic, overjoyed, nervous, and then frightened to death - I couldn't afford the course, just after saying no to my mum for her help! So I told her about the interview, and she gave me £750 to pay for my course when I attended and was accepted! 

So this is the makeup & nails I wore for my interview and for my first day at college (I was accepted & started the same day). Unfortunately it was "Facial day", so all my hard work was cleansed right off my face within minutes of being in class. I was also told to ditch my fake nails (I've been wearing fake nails solidly for around 4 years) until the course finishes next June. 

So... Yeah, now my nails look like this: 

Soooo not happy about this, but if this is the sacrifice I have to make, then so be it!  

On the two days I have off a week, I'll be studying and trying to catch up on the work that I've missed out on, and I'll also try really hard to blog as often as possible. So sorry if my blog lags a little bit - I'll try my best to keep you peeps up to date with my beauty bites! 

Catch you lovelies soon, this is part-time college girl, over and out! 

 

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette Swatches!

Yes, yes, oh God, yes!!! Ahem... I mean... So my Naked 3 palette turned up today and I wasn't excited in the slightest *cough, lie! cough*.

I've been wanting to get this palette since I first saw Kandee Johnson (amazing girl from YouTube, I adore her) show this palette last year. And now it's mine at last!!! Mwahahahahahaaaaaa!!!

I do apologise! And now for the rest of my blog...

So before I show you the shadows, I'll show you a neat little freebie that Urban Decay have kindly added for their buyers so that they can make the most of their eyeshadows... 

There's a booklet, and inside this booklet there are four - yes, four - samples of their famous eyeshadow primer. 

They're tucked handily in the sleeves in this booklet, with each different primer's name, colour and effect written on the package for your convenience.

I think that these are a brilliant way to advertise their own primers for anyone that hasn't tried them so they can make up their mind. I used to be a huge fan of UD e/s primer (original) but ended up using MAC Paint Pots. 

Anyway, swatch time! 

I am so excited to use this palette; the first eight colours are light enough for me to use on a regular basis (with Naked 2 I can only use the first five - the rest are too dark or too grey), the colours are beautiful, pigmented, creamy and a delight to use. I am very happy with this palette indeed! 

As for the primers, I won't be using the samples, I'll stick with my Paint Pots. I had a very bad experience with UD Sin (creased within an hour, no matter how I applied it) so I'm not tempted to use anything but the original, but I'm hoping my sister might take these off my hands... *hint hint, mei mei!* 

Do you like/hate the Naked Palettes? Got a palette you recommend? I'd love to know xx

My First Bridal Makeup Experience...

So this weekend has been so busy, I haven't had a chance to blog about makeup or beauty at all!

On Friday (22nd August) I went to my friend's wedding. The Bride's makeup artist said she couldn't do her makeup last minute due to timing, so she asked me to do it. I've never done Bridal makeup, and I had no time to practice on her for a trial run (she asked me on 21st in the evening when we were super busy doing last minute running around), so you can imagine I was under a lot of pressure to get it right first time. 

I can't even begin to tell you how nervous I was. To make things even harder, she'd gotten a spray tan done two days before the wedding, which means that none of her foundations were the right colour anymore. 

So I turned up armed with all of my foundations, half of my makeup stash and most of my eyeshadow and blending brushes, plus face & concealer brushes. 

Above is the makeup & palettes I used on the Bride. I ended up using my own foundation that I use every day (Estée Lauder Double Wear Light, Intensity 3.0) on her as it is light but super hard-wearing. 

I tell you, it was so stressful, trying to make a bride look perfect for her special day; my hands shook and I was sweating buckets. Plus, she blinked her eyes insessantly when I applied all of her eye makeup; doing her eyeliner and mascara was a real challenge.

Then to top it off, with only 40 minutes to go until she was due down the aisle, she suddenly asked me if it would be ok if I did her maid of honour's makeup too. I was shocked and dumbfounded, to say the least. Good makeup takes care and time to apply; 40 minutes was only enough for a hasty, half-done job! So I prayed for a miracle and rushed (carefully) through her maid of honour's makeup too, then I ran out of the house, ran to the car and sped to the church ahead of them. 

As it turns out I never even managed to get a close up of her (or her maid of honour's) face the entire day! But I'll show you some pics of the day... 

The last picture ^ is the bride and her MoH (plus her gorgeous flower girls, who were adorably cute).

Although doing bridal makeup for the first time was scary, it has only deepened my love for cosmetics and made me appreciate makeup and makeup artistry even more. I know that all I want to do is follow this path of beauty and cosmetics until the bitter end!  

Review: Maybelline Lasting Drama 36h Gel Liner Pen Black Shock

Wow. That is one long title right there! Any longer and it would have it's own postcode haha. Aaaanyway, on to my review... 

When we were purusing through the drugstore, it wasn't me that spotted this pen style gel liner, it was my hubby. I am a huge (and I really mean huge) fan of the Lasting Drama gel liner in the little pots that come with their own brush. Maybelline's gel liner lasts longer on my waterline than any other gel liner I've tried; for me it's a winner - so when my hubster pointed it out in store, I simply knew I had to have it. 

It has a screw on cap and a rubbery pen-like nib with a slanted hole. You have to twist the bottom of the pen around 20-30 times to get the gel up through the nib for the first time (I can't actually remember, I lost count after twisting it 3 clicks at a time for a short while). 

The gel that comes out is quite thick and very opaque. It also comes out thicker where the hole is widest, so it is hard to apply evenly... 

As seen above, it all splodged onto my hand as I dragged it across. I tried clicking the gel out of the nib, smearing it across the opening so it covered the edge a little more evenly, and then I applied it to my upper lash line. 

Above: my first attempt of a slight wing. It's not fantastically even but not bad for a first try. 

A touch of mascara... 

And lastly, adding it to my waterline (upper and lower) and adding Red Cherry lashes (number 43). Please excuse my face, I have swollen sinuses and I'm in a fair amount of pain, so I look a bit crap... But I just wanted to show the eyeliner from a distance! 

My thoughts: I like this gel liner, but I do find it quite strange to use. I think I prefer using the brush to apply the eyeliner as I have more control over how much I use, whereas the pen liner has a lot less control and there is more waste. 

The liner broke up on my waterline pretty quickly, but I think that's because my eyes are watering more than normal. 

To remove, just use an oil based makeup remover and a cotton pad. 

It comes off really easily with Garnier Simply Essentials Soothing 2 in 1 makeup remover, which is cheap at only £3 and the oil in it will dissolve the eyeliner quickly, which won't be unkind to your skin.