Monthly Favourites || March 2014

Hey Guys!

So apologies for not posting yesterday, I had to finish all of my art coursework, but one day late isn't the end of the world! So I thought I'd share my monthly favourites for March with you today, and I've been loving brighter shades, and it's definitely feeling warmer and more spring-like!

So the first thing I'm going to talk about isn't a beaut product, but is something that I think is essential all seasons, and that is candles! Burning various scented candles can really change your mood, and I've been absolutely loving fresh scents this month. 

I've particularly been loving my Yankee Candles in the scents Lemon Lavender and Sweet Apple. Their scents are quite obvious from the names, but I have been loving these because they are so fresh and clean smelling, perfect for spring. 

Next I think is quite an obvious one as I've raved about them not long ago in my most recent Avon Haul, and that's the Avon Gel Finish Nail Enamels.

I've been especially loving the more brighter shades, Limoncello, Orange Crush and Candy Apple. I won't ramble too much about these nail varnishes, but all you need to know is that they're such good quality for the price, and you need to try them out!

Next is my Mac Eyeshadow in the shade Satin Taupe which is a Frost formula.

The reason that I've included this is that I have actually been using it all of the time. It's such a great neutral brown/taupe shade that I've been using for really simple eye looks, just adding a bit to the crease or outer-v to create a bit of depth, but I think it's great for everyday looks.

Next is my e.l.f. Blush in the shade Peachy Keen. 

I've also been using this on a regular basis, as I feel that it gives a really nice neutral colour, which goes with practically every eye or lip look. This formula doesn't have the best staying power, however it has really good pigmentation, and for something like £4, you can't really complain. 

Next is my Real Techniques Buffing Brush, which I've been loving as a foundation brush. 

I tried it to apply my foundation a couple of weeks ago, and have used i everyday since. It applies the foundation so well and evenly, and buffs it into the skin really smoothly. It is a great brush for lots of thing really, especially powder products, and before I used it for setting powder, but at the moment, I've used it so much for foundation. 

Lastly is the Model Co Lipgloss in the shade Berry Pink.

I really love this lipgloss, as it has a really nice flavour/scent, and even though it can be quite sticky when you first apply it, it lasts really well, and for only £2 with Glamour magazine, I couldn't really resist getting them. 

So yeah these are my monthly favourites for March, hope you enjoyed it! :)

You Beauty Discovery Box || Limited Edition Benefit Beauty Box

Hey Guys!

So I had the day off school today because of the strikes, so was expecting just a normal day doing coursework. But earlier this my Limited Edition You Beauty Box arrived, and I've been looking forward to writing this all day really!

So I ordered this Limited Edition Benefit Beauty box from http://www.youbeautydiscovery.co.uk/, and basically you pay to receive a box a samples. The website normally offers a membership where you spend £6.95 a month and they send you luxury samples, but this is one of their limited edition boxes, where they collab with companies to get great samples, and on this occasion it's teamed with Benefit, and for only £14.95, you get 6 samples, which I think is a bargain!

I was so excited to see this collab, as I've wanted to try some of the new Benefit makeup, especially the Pore-fessional, since the whole brand is raved about so much, and I think that this is the perfect way to try them out without having to spend lots of money in one go. At first I was a bit surprised to see how small the box was, but it's really jam packed, and even though they aren't huge samples, you get quite a lot of each product to try it out! So yeah, here's what is inside.

This is the Triple Performing Face Emulsion which is a sheer oil-free facial lotion with SPF 15 in it. It says to apply it to a freshly cleansed face every morning, so it acts as a moisturiser. It comes in a super fancy glass bottle, so initially feels really expensive, and I really like the simplicity of the packaging. The lotion smells really nice and fresh, nothing too strong, and it's really soft and blends it really well. 

Next is the product that I was probably the most excited to get, and that's the Pore Fessional which is a pore minimising face primer. I think just about everyone has heard about this as it has so much hype in the beauty world, and although I may be a bit late on the bad wagon, I couldn't bring myself to part with like £19 in case I didn't like it. So I'm super excited to try this out, and will most probably do a review on it soon. 

Next is the They're Real Mascara, and this is another cult beauty product. Obviously the wand looks really big in the sample sized tube, but looks really good. It has quite large bristles all over it, but also bristles all over the end so that it's easy to get to those awkward lashes. I'm so excited to try this out (probably tomorrow at school!), and I just hope it has good staying power, and doesn't rub off during the day. 

Next is a tiny little bottle of the Benetint Rose-Tinted Lip & Cheek Stain, and this comes in a cute little box with instructions inside the lid. This product is liquid tint, that you put on your cheeks as blusher, or to colour your lips. The product comes with a tiny brush applicator, and I'm not sure how I'll apply this product to get an even coat, but I think trying with a brush is the best approach so I'll get back to you on that one!

Next is the It's Potent Eye Cream. This product looks very good for me because it says it is a brightening eye cream to fade dark circles, and I have dark circles, so what's to not make me want the try it out! It's in a little glass pot, basically the same as the facial emulsion, but is a bit thicker than it, so I think I'll start by trying it out at night. But this looks really good, and I think that if it's a decent product, I'll really consider buying the full size, since looking after your skin is so important. 

And lastly is a sample of the new Bigger Than BB Big Easy Multi-Balancing Complexion Perfector with SPF 35 and a liquid to powder formulation. This product is sure claiming a lot, but I don't know whether this sample will be too dark for me, since it is in the shade 03 Light/Medium. However, I'll still give it a go and see how it does, but this is the only one use sample. 

So yeah, I hope you have enjoyed this post, as I think Beauty Boxes are such a great way to try out new products!

Avon Party & Gel Nail Polish Launch / Avon's Arrived || Brochure 06

Hey Guys!

So I have a super exciting post for you today! I had an Avon Party yesterday to celebrate the launch of their new Gel Finish Nail Enamels, because obviously if they bring out anything to do with nails, I'm the first person in there! So yeah here are the new shades that I got.

Wine and Dine Me, Very Berry, Mauvelous, Sheer Love, Barely There and Mudslide. 

I'll just start by saying how good these nail varnishes are, really they are so good. For most of them you only need one coat, and they finish so shiny. They also last really well, and there is such a good range of colours. So the first ones are the more muted colours which are some of m favourite shades at the moment. Wine and Dine me is a beautiful deep red colour, perfect for winter really. Very Berry is a deep, berry pink shade and Mauvelous is a deep pink toned purple. Sheer Love is a really pale, pastel pink and Barely There is a gorgeous pink/brown nude. These two are the ones that need a second coat, but that's just because they colours are really light. And finally Mudslide is a really nice brown/taupe colour. I really love Barely There, and I've been wearing it all week. Also Mauvelous was a really popular shade, and I think it's the perfect colour for the transition between winter and spring,

Roses are Red, Candy Apple, Orange Crush and Limoncello.

These next four colours are really bright, vibrant colours, perfect for summer. Roses are Red is a bright true red colour, and Candy Apple is a more pink-toned red. At first I couldn't really tell the difference between these two in the bottle, but once you apply them Candy Apple is definitely more pink and a bit brighter. Orange Crush is a bright orange, slightly coral shade, and Limoncello is a bright yellow with a slight gold shimmer. I think my favourite out of these is Limoncello because it's so vivid and loud, and I just think it will look so good in the summer.

Shimmer and Sterling.

These two shades are super glam, Shimmer being a sparkly gold, and Sterling a shimmery, metallic silver. I especially love Sterling and I think it'd be great for nights out because it's so noticeable. 

Yeah so loaded with these new nail varnishes I hosted an Avon Party where I basically just displayed everything from Avon that I own!

I also wore only Avon Makeup Products and Perfume on the night:

CC Cream in the shade Ivory

Ideal Luminous Blush in the shade Soft Plum

True Colour Eyeshadow Quad in Stone Taupes (through brows and on eyes)

Avon Eyeshadow Primer

Supershock Mascara in Black

Supershock Eyeliner in Flash (bottom waterline)

Always on Point Eyeliner in Gunmetal Grey (top waterline and flick)

True Colour Lipstick in Red 2000

Femmer Eau de Parfum

So yeah I had a really good night, and it's a great thing to do with all your friends. The new nail varnishes are absolutely gorgeous, and I'm sure there will be a lot of talk in the future about them, from other bloggers but especially me!

Review & Swatches || New Mac Products #2

Hey guys!

So some really exciting news for you! My dad went out to Spain last week and brought me back a few surprise gifts from the MAC Duty Free Counter at the airport, so I'm super excited to show you my new products!

From left to right; Springsheen, Well Dressed, Satin Taupe and Woodwinked.

I'm very lucky because my dad brought me back two blushes and two eye shadows, and I quite honestly was beyond excited when he gave them to me! I've already got some of the MAC eye shadows, but I had never tried their powder blushes, and I got general shades that are very versatile, because I think the worst thing to do when you spend a bit more on a product, is initally get a really bright or out-there colour, because you'll wear it less often. If you get a colour that goes with lots of others, then you will wear it more often and get your moneys worth (?). I don't know if that's just me, but if I really like a brand, I'll probably go and buy more colours anyway!

So yeah first is the MAC Powder Blush in the shade Well Dressed, and the MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in the shade Springsheen.

First I'll talk about Springsheen which is one of the Sheertone Shimmer Blushes, so it has a shinier finish to it than the normal ones. Springsheen is a coral pink/red shade with a fine gold shimmer. It is really pigmented and adds such a gorgeous healthy, bronzed look to the cheeks. I think it will go so well with Expensive Pink eye shadow, because it has a similar type of shimmer through it. But overall this blush is so nice; it will look great with lots of different eye looks, and especially good with nude or pink lipsticks, and I think it will be perfect for summer. 

Then we have the powder blush in Well Dressed. I've heard Tanya Burr rave about this blush before, saying that it doesn't get enough credit, and I do agree. Well Dressed is a gorgeous pastel pink shade with an absolutely tiny iridescent shimmer, but you can hardly see it once you've applied it. It's a great natural blush, because it is a natural pink shade that isn't too pale, but it's lovely and subtle on the cheeks, just making them look healthy and flushed. I love this blush already as it goes with practically any makeup look, and I'd definitely recommend this as a first time MAC Blush, as it's worked so well for me. 

Next is the MAC Eyeshadow in the shades Woodwinked which is a Veluxe Pearl formula, and Satin Taupe which is a Frost formula. 

I absolutely love MAC Eye shadows, and I think that the Veluxe Pearl formula is my favourite, so I obviously had to get Woodwinked. It is the most beautiful dark gold shade that's so luxurious and glam. It's highly shimmery, but just makes such a great eye look, it's really pigmented and creamy, and lasts really well. I can't wait to wear it as a bold evening look with a red lip, or as a daytime summer eye look. I think this eye shadow is possibly one of my favourites really, I can't fault it. 

Next is the shade Satin Taupe, and I got this because one of my friends has it, and it's just such a good 'noticeable' day time eye shadow. It is a dark cool-tones brown shade with a light shimmer, but the best thing about this shade I think is that just blended out with a matte brown in the crease makes such a good, quick eye look. It also is gorgeous as the base of a smokey eye, and I think that I'll get a lot of use out of this. 

So yeah, I hope you enjoyed reading and let me know in the comments if you've tried any of these products before and what you think of them!

Review || Model Co with Glamour Magazine

Hey Guys!

So I was really excited to see that with this months Glamour Magazine, there was a free gift from Model Co. I remember from last year that they did a collab, and I got the fibre lash mascara which I loved, so when I saw this I thought I'd try some of the other products. 

So as you can see, you could buy Glamour Magazine for £2, and each time get a free gift from Model Co that were worth like £14 each! So obviously I couldn't just get one, but had to try out a few different things. Initially I bought one and read the magazine (which is also one of my favourites) and didn't try the product for a few days, but after that I realised how good they were. 

So the first ones I got were the Shine Ultra Lip Glosses in the shades Berry Pink (top) and Strip Tease (bottom).

They are both beautiful, sheer lipglosses. The top one in Berry Pink is a mid-tone pink/berry shade with a bit of gold and iridescent glitter through, and also smells like strawberries or raspberries. The second shade in Strip Tease is a light nude-pink shade with the same gold/iridescent shimmer, but this one smells like peaches and cream. They are both so luxurious and thick, and obviously taste really nice. They are quite sticky when you first apply it, but lasts really well, and they're great for topping up throughout the day. Also they have possibly the coolest feature for any beauty product, and that's a slim mirror down the side of the tube. So when you need to apply it, you don't need to go fishing for a mirror. Literally what more could you want?

Next, mainly to go with the lip glosses, I got the Illusion Nude Lip Liner.

This is just a really great quality, brown-nude lip liner. It's really soft, and only a little bit darker than your lips, so you can wear it under the lip glosses for definition without it being super noticeable. Another great feature is that it has a sharpener on the lid, so you can just resharpen it whenever. Obviously there is no container for the shavings, but it's just so hand and time saving to have it there.

So yeah, I've really loved this months Glamour especially with the great free gifts. You really get your moneys worth, and I'd suggest going to get one before they all sell out!

Review & Swatches || New MAC Products #1

Hey Guys!

So as you may have seen in my most recent beauty haul post, I treated myself to two new MAC products, and I thought that I'd review them today!

So first is the MAC Creemsheen Lipstick in the colour On Hold.

So I went into the MAC store knowing that I wanted a wearable red lipstick, and the woman recommended a few, but I swayed towards On Hold because it's a Creemsheen formula which means it's really hydrating and moisturising on the lips. On Hold is a slight off red colour, with pink/blue undertones, and a fine gold shimmer through it. Alone on the lips (well on me personally) it applies with a more pinky finish, but with red lip-liner, it is very red. It's quite a bright red, so will be great for spring and summer, and because of the variation in actual colour, it can go with loads of outfits. It has gold shimmer which gives it a slightly coral appearance, but that really compliments warm skin tones, and looks so nice and shiny. The lipstick lasts really well, and isn't drying at all, so overall I'm slightly in love with this lipstick!

Next is the MAC Eye Shadow in the beautiful shade Expensive Pink which is a Veluxe Pearl formula.

So as you can see this is a very glamorous pinky-coral shade with gold glitter running through, and I got this shade because I thought it would be perfect for glam spring/summer looks, since the gold and coral tones will look amazing on tanned skin. The actual shadow is not totally opaque, but you can easily build up the colour. I really like the formula as well since it's so soft and easy to apply. I think it's a great shadow to work with, because you can simply wear it on its own or you can use it as the base to a super-glam smokey eye!

Thanks for reading!