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. 

Review: Bourjois Shine Edition Lipstick in "26 Beige Démocrachic"

So as you all know I'm such a daredevil when it comes to lip colours (hahaha yeah, right), so when I saw this lip colour, it had to be mine. 

I love nudes, seriously, if I had to wear nothing but nude lip colours for the rest of my life, I'd die happy. And this lipstick doesn't let me down in any way. 

It applies as a sheer, shimmery, brown-pink nude with a glossy, sparkly sheen . It wears smoothly and comfortably without any unpleasant side effects like being drying. It is very similar to the Revlon Lip Butters; light on the lips, feels moisturising and even good for wearing at cold temperatures like 2 degrees centigrade (I work in this temperature all year round). 

Any moisturising lipsticks/glosses/balms that you recommended for everyday that stand up to winter-like temps? 

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

Review: Maybelline Color Elixir Lip Lacquer in '725 Caramel Infused'

To be honest, I bought this at the same time as my other lip lacquer by Maybelline (two for £10), and after deciding it was almost a waste of money, I was wondering or not whether to blog about this, but I decided to try it out anyway... 

Like the other lip lacquer, it has the same cute packaging (I'm not a huge fan of packaging, but I comment on it in case others are), and the same light, candy scent that wears away quickly. In the tube, the colour has a brownish caramel appearance (hence the name), but when it's applied, it's a lovely, creamy pink-brown (yes, you know me, love my nude lips - so predictable, Xen, well done!). After the disappointment of 'Signature Scarlet', I was completely ready to throw down my weapons and admit defeat against the evils of the tyrannical lip lacquer...

But I was pleasantly surprised. The colour was lovely, medium-pigmentation, looked good with just one swipe of the pear-shaped wand (forgot to take a pic, please see previous blog) and the colour didn't settle into the creases in my lips, making me one happy girl indeed. It reminds me of a lipgloss version of MAC's lipstick 'Modesty', which has been one of my favourite nude lipsticks of this year. 

This little beauty has impressed me, and will be joining the ranks of my other nude lip colours, for sure. 

Any lip colours you like/suggest? Have you tried these lip lacquers? Let me know! 

Review: Maybelline Color Elixir Lip Lacquer in '505 Signature Scarlet'

Maybelline have come out with some seriously fab new beauty products, so I have been tempted to buy their products more than normal recently. 

These lip lacquers are in a really cool tube; the lacquer itself is in a smaller inner tube in the shape of a lipstick. 

As you can see it has a pear shaped applicator that holds a fair amount of product. 

This is what my lips look like with loads of this lip lacquer on. 

The Pro's: The colour is vibrant, bright and glossy. The texture is smooth and pliable without being sticky. There is a very light scent of candy, which wears off quickly, so it shouldn't be too bad for people that are 'scent-sitive'.

The Cons: The pigmentation of this lip lacquer is poor when applied in thin coats; I'm not a fan of washed-out looking red lips. The colour also settles into the lines of my lips, accentuating every line, giving my lips an almost wrinkly appearance. The colour moves around easily, especially when I press my lips together; I end up with a pale top lip and a really dark red bottom lip. 

My thoughts: I'm not as happy as I'd hoped I'd be, considering Maybelline's great new lines have been impressing me recently, but it's an alright lip lacquer. 3/5, two stars taken off for the lack lustre pigmentation and the way the colour shifts across my lips. 

Benefit Stay Don't Stray Primer

I love eyeshadow primers, my favourites being Urban Decay, Too Faced and MAC's paint pots (Painterly and Utterly Becoming), so I decided to get this two-in-one primer using my Birchbox points, so this beauty item was completely free. 

As you can see I got it in the shade Light/Medium, it comes in a nice large tube, with a doe foot applicator for precision primer-application. 

I like how the lid has "Stay" and the bottom of the tube says "Don't Stray". Cute. 

It says put three dots on the eyes (both on the lid and three under the eye) and blend, then apply eyeshadow (and concealer under the eyes). This dries down pretty fast, so once it's on your skin you have to work with it quickly. I put a fair amount of primer on my upper lid (I always do, I find it prevents creasing) but less on my undereye area, as I don't have trouble with my concealer moving or straying, especially once it's set with a powder.  

Picture taken at 4pm

I used MAC's Mineralism & Showstopper and Feather (from Little Mix loves All About The Eyes Palette) for the highlight. I used Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer and set with Bourjois Healthy Balance Unifying Powder to set it. 

Pictures taken at 3am

After eleven hours, my eyeshadow still looked pretty good. There was less eyeshadow in the crease, but it hadn't become so oily that a crease had formed, so thumbs up there. As for my concealer, that was still there, but as I've already stated, that's never been an issue, so I can't say with any certainty that it works. I think I'll stick with my MAC Paint Pots as a primer for the time being but this one would do for me in a pinch. 

Any eyeshadow primer suggestions? Love/hate? I'd love to hear xx

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.