Tuesday 31 August 2010

Mac Matte Bronzing Powder

Don't get me wrong - I do still love my Soleil Tan de Chanel - and very much so. I did however want to give MAC's Matte Bronzing Powder a go and guess what?...I'm loving it as well!!!
I purchased it about 3 weeks ago, all merry, excited and eager to try - you know how it is when your delivery arrives...The happiness didn't last long though as upon opening my bronzer I found it to be in pieces. After throwing a couple of swear words around and managing to calm myself down, I gave MAC's customer services a ring and they placed an order for a replacement which arrived on Monday morning (I had spoken to them on Friday) so pretty impressive.
Thank you MAC!

So why am I loving it soooo bloody much? Well firstly it's matte so perfect for contouring and giving a believable and natural looking sunkissed glow.
It's got a very silky texture that blends out easily and applies sheerly thus allowing you to build the colour gradually to your desired intensity.
It's great as an all over bronzer that achieves a natural looking tan and it makes me look like I've been on vacation in a very sunny place.
When used as a contour it adds dimension to the face and really brings out the facial features.

Due to its buildable texture, I find that it looks great on tanned skin as well as on a paler complexion. If I skip applying fake tan I simply use this bronzer and it gives a very believable and natural looking tanned appearance.

Here's a swatch of it on the left and a swatch of Chanel's cream bronzer on the right for comparison:
Left: Mac Matte Bronzing Powder, Right: Soleil Tan de Chanel

What are your favourite bronzers?

Wednesday 25 August 2010

No7 Colour Rebellion Eye Palette

The new Limited Edition Autumn Collection from No7 is currently available throughout Boots stores and comprises of an eye palette, two lipsticks, a mascara, smoky eye liner and a matte nail top coat.

I decided to purchase the Colour Rebellion eyeshadow palette as I'm a sucker for eyeshadows.
The palette comes in chic looking packaging with a snakeskin design on the top and a full-size mirror on the inside. The surface of each eyeshadow pan is also embossed with a snakeskin pattern.

The palette consists of 4 shades of eyeshadow: purple haze, red lead, indigo blue and chrome green. All the colours are very rich and bright with great pigmentation and colour payoff.
They can also be used either wet or dry and when used wet they are incredibly vivid and striking.
I'm really loving all the colours especially the purple and coppery shades which I've been wearing a lot of lately.

Have you tried anything from this collection?

Friday 20 August 2010

MAC Peaches Blush

Don't you just love peachy cheeks? Peach blush really manages to liven up a complexion and it's been my new obsession. In pursuit of the perfect peach I just had to try out MAC's Sheertone Blush in Peaches.
 Peaches is a true peach shade with a very smooth, blendable and matte texture.


I'd love to hear about your favourite peach blushers so please share!
I also have my eyes on Illamasqua's Lover blush - do any of you own Peaches and Lover? If yes then are they very similar?

Thursday 19 August 2010

Life Changing Products

OK so the title of this post is a little over dramatic but let's just stick with it for the time being.
As beauty bloggers we're all beauty product obsessed and if pressed for information regarding our favourite blush, foundation, shampoo, lippy...the list goes on and on...we probably wouldn't be able to pick one definitive product due to loving too many of them.
But among all those beauty finds of ours, we always come across a product or two that change our lives or should I say beauty routines for the better...a product that you'd never ever dream about changing for another and one that you just wouldn't be able to do without.

Here are three of mine:

My Braun Epilator
Yes, yes I know - epilators hurt! ... but be brave, prevail, persevere and you'll soon get used to the pain. The first time I used mine I did have tears in my eyes and I did grind my teeth but believe it or not these days I'm able to epilate my legs and armpits without even so much of a flinch. Not a week goes by (at times not even a day) when I don't declare my love for my epilator. Since using it for the first time, I have only had to use it for about a total of 10 minutes if not less, to epilate a couple of stray hairs here and there. Mind you, I did have to shave DAILY prior to getting an epilator so this little gem from Braun has been a godsend. I'll never ever have to resort back to the daily chore of shaving and I am currently a hair free zone all the time!

You can read my review of this epilator here.

My GHD's
This is another one of those beauty finds that's for keeps and once you've tried it you'll probably never want to experiment with any other brand again.
These REALLY do live up to the hype that surrounds them and are SENSATIONAL!!!
GHD's turn my unruly hair into a manageable wonder and if I want poker straight then these always excel at the job.

Here's the review.

My Pleasures
You're probably wondering why the heck a perfume has made my list of "life changing" products so let me explain. You see the thing is that I can't wear around 98% of perfumes out there as the very vast majority of them make me feel nauseous and trigger horrible migraines. Sometimes all it takes is a sniff to send me off into a migraine hell.
Then in 1995, Estee Lauder created Pleasures. I remember all too well seeing the ad for it in a glossy magazine. A magnificent field of flowers, the stunning Elizabeth Hurley and adorable Labrador puppies. Then I took a sniff and it was love at first sight:) Not only was it a scent I adored but also one that my senses could tolerate as it didn't bring on the dreaded migraine!
I've been using this one for years and it's for keeps. A soft, sheer and fresh floral scent that's uber feminine.

What beauty finds would you dare never to replace?

Friday 13 August 2010

Silky Soft & Buttery mattes

I am currently in love with Urban Decay's matte eyeshadows. To put it simply - UD's mattes are heaven for your eyelids!
These shadows do not fail to impress with their ultra silky soft, creamy and smooth texture that goes on like buttah and blends like a dream.
They seem to be very finely milled and pigment rich with excellent lasting power...and no chalkiness in sight!!!

The range of colours is a bit limited but great nonetheless with some pretty awesome earth tones.
Here are swatches of some of the colours that I own - applied without a primer:
Left to Right: ABC Gum (pale peach), Naked (buff nude), Illegal (smoky rose), Shakedown (taupe), Secret Service (medium brown)


Left to Right: Revolver (stone grey), Heist (dusty purple), Cult (eggplant), Purple Haze (bright purple)

Urban Decay's mattes are perfect for the sexiest and most drop dead gorgeous smokey eyes around!

Have you tired any of these mattes?

Tuesday 10 August 2010

Bubblegum Lips

The last thing I need is yet another lipstick. In fact, each and every time I purchase one I always promise myself that "this will be the last one - no more lipsticks"...
I do of course break this promise time and time again.
Lately I've had my eye on a shade from the Collection 2000 Lasting Colour Lipstick range and the shade that I wanted to test out is Orange Punch. Unfortunately my local chemist's didn't stock this shade and so instead of walking away I was intrigued by another colour from the range and so I bought it.

The shade is Bubblegum and it's a vibrant pink with a lilac undertone. What's great about these lipsticks is that they also contain an SPF of 15.
 This is the shade:
 and here's me wearing it:
 Although I do love this shade, I'm not quite sure as to whether or not I'm actually managing to pull it off and if it suits me...
So what do you guys think - is it a hit or a miss?

Friday 6 August 2010

July Favourites

This is my very first "certain-month-favourites" post - I'm not quite sure how good I'll be at keeping these up but we'll just have to wait and see...

So here's a couple of my most reached for products throughout July:

Loreal Voluminous Mascara
Mascara is one of those beauty products that I tend to use up before moving onto another one. Last time I used this one was ages ago but I have gone back to using it as it doesn't disappoint. Voluminous has been my daily companion for over the last two months and it's absolutely brilliant at giving maximum definition to the lashes. Although you could get away with only one coat, I'd say opt for two and if you're greedy like me then you can even squeeze in a third and a fourth for maximum effect...no need for falsies with this one.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Nude Lustre
I LOVE these glosses from Revlon!!! My make-up throughout July has been pretty low maintenance and this nude shade is just perfect for very quick looks as it suits all make-up looks and outfits. It has good staying power, hydrates the lips and makes them look super glossy...and lets not forget that it also contains an SPF 15.

E.L.F Studio Blush in Peachy Keen
Also a daily companion of mine - a very soft apricot/peach shade, perfect at providing a very subtle wash of colour for a natural day time make-up look.

LUSH Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter
I've been using this on my hands, nails, cuticles, feet, knees and elbows. Lemony Flutter has a very thick consistency so it's great at moisturising dry/rough areas. It smells very citrusy and should best be used at night time prior to going to bed as you'll not want to touch anything once this has been rubbed into your hands. This is surely going to be a favourite for many months to come.

Palmer's Olive Butter Formula Natural Bronze for the Face
I love Palmer's range of products as they're very hydrating and great quality. Natural Bronze for the face is a gradual tanning moisturiser with an SPF of 15 and is suitable for all skin types. It's made with certified organic extra virgin olive oil, white tea extract and honey. With daily use, it builds and maintains a healthy looking sun-kissed glow. Works great as a daily moisturiser due to the SPF and acts as a good base for make-up. I also like to use it at night time as it makes my skin look really radiant in the morning.

Did you discover any great products throughout July?