New to my MAC Palette | Coppering & Sumptuous Olive

Y'know, I am really enjoying this whole palette - building situation, and my DIY MAC collection is actually turning out to be a lot more adventurous than I had imagined.
I started off with fairly neutral shades, and have a nice selection of mattes, along with Star Violet and All That Glitters as beautiful lid shades.
However, one evening I got caught in a swatch- photo hole on Google, and I fell in love with these two shades; both a little more out there than my original selection. Copping and Sumptuous Olive are both beautifully pigmented and highly metallic, and I think are going to be so lovely for the summer months.
Coppering is a really warm burnt- orange copper with gold shimmer. It's very red-toned so may be quite tricky to wear, but I've given it a go a couple of times already and I think it's soo pretty.
Sumptuous Olive has really opened my eyes to the world of green eyeshadows; I just want loads more because this one is so beautiful. It's a yellow- toned olive- green with gold shimmer - really high- shine and would look beautiful on any eye colour.
So yeah, here are the new recruits, I'm v. excited about them. The only problem is, now I need a lovely warm, mid brown crease shade...

Thanks for reading :)
Lou

Starting my MAC palette

Hello!!


Long time no see! I put my absence down to a busy few weeks - Christmas, New Year and my birthday all fall within two weeks of each other, and getting back into the swing of work/gym/friends/life was spread out between them.
I can't say I've had the healthiest start to the year- tangent, but I'm really struggling to get to the gym, see my friends and loved ones, and finding time for my blog is something else to find time for at the weekends, as I don't see enough day light during the week to take photos.
Anywayy, tangent over.


So MAC. Yes. I was very lucky on my birthday when my lovely work colleagues gifted me a MAC Pro palette, insert, 3 shadows and a voucher to purchase my own. I know, I work with awesome people, and I've always dreamed (cringe) of my own customised MAC palette.

Needless to say, the 3 shadows I was gifted were absolutely perfect and definitely ones I would have picked myself - Swiss Chocolate, All That Glitters and Vanilla. I then used my voucher and a little of my own money to purchase 3 further shades. As I pretty much had my brown basics down, I went on a google-swatch fest to find the best purples. Without even visiting a store, I chose Haux, Star Violet and Blackberry. Luckily, the online swatches got it spot on and  they were exactly what I wanted.
I am so happy with how my palette is shaping up, and so excited to add to it little by little.

Here are some lovely swatches - you'll notice that Vanilla is missing but that's because it's the same colour as my skin so you basically can't see it anyway.


Thanks for reading :)

A Couple of Christmas Treats

Oh hi!
Happy New Yar ya'll, I hope you had a good one and a wonderful festive season.
This post is all about three lovely things I got my hands on over the Christmas period. My lovely (double lovely) boyfriend actually gifted these products to me, for which I am obviously super, super grateful.


Firstly, Charlotte Tilbury. Ah ma gaad, finally, I have my mitts on some luxurious CT eyeshadow. This is the Dolce Vita palette which I know is the most hyped around the blog/youtube world but I couldn't help it; these four shadows are just exactly what I want in a quad. I've only used it once so far (I think honestly I'm a little bit scared of using it) but you will definitely be hearing more about this in future posts.


Secondly, MAC Mehr lipstick. As you might know, MAC's Brave is my absolute go-to lip colour, and Mehr is definitely along the same lines: a mauvey, mid tone pink, but slightly darker, matte version of Brave. I love it.


Lastly, Benefit's Dandelion blush. I've had my eye on this one for a long while and I'm so glad I finally have this in my collection. Dandelion is perfect for pale gals like me - a light, shimmery pink which looks super natural and lovely on the cheeks.





So, yeah, just a little ramble about what I've got going on here, keep your eyes peeled for future reviews and looks using these three little gems :)
Thanks for reading!
Lou x

Easy eye look | Make up Revolution

Just a quick one today - to show you how I used this palette from Make up Revolution (Romantic Smoked) to do a really easy everyday look.


I started with the matte taupe in the middle of the palette, and applied it to my crease, with a wash of the third shimmery colour all over the lid - it's a really lovely almost - peach. I then added some of the bright white shimmer to the centre and inner corner of my lids and finished the look with the shimmery purple smudged along my lashline and pulled into a messy flick.


I have always really loved Make Up Revolution eyeshadows, I find that they wear really well and blend together nicely. This palette is a bit different with a few fun colours, but you can definitely use it to create such a simple look - just like this one.



If you haven't already, I would definitely recommend having a look at the shadow palettes from MuR - this one was only £4 and I've got so much use out of it!

Thanks for reading :)

Lou

Maybelline Colour Tattoo - Creme de Rose | Review & Swatches

I have been waiting so long for Maybelline to come out with this - a Colour Tattoo in a shade perfect for priming before eyeshadow.
This is shade Creme de Rose and it has quickly become an essential in my everyday make-up bag, as a great little product to apply before liner, shadow or mascara to create a blank canvas.
Here's a before and after and a cheeky swatcheroo -

It is a little bit pink- toned, and even though I have more yellow skin, it works fine just blended up to my crease. Basically, everything is great about it. I very occasionally get dry patches in the inner corners when I don't take a minute to blend it - and I do mean literally just a moment.

I would really recommend this to anyone, especially people looking for a quick one-step eye look for work/school - pop a bit of bronzer or shadow in the crease and you're good to go. Or, if you've always been curious about MAC Painterly paint pot, I expect this will do a very similar thing! If this is too light for your skin tone, I would recommend Creamy Beige which is a soft taupe and would be perfect if this is too light.

Thanks for reading ;)

Lou x

What's in my on-the-go make-up bag?

That girl curling her eyelashes on the train? Yep, that's me. I've mentioned before that I often find myself doing my make-up on my thirty five minute commute, and I know from personal experience that I'm normally one of a few ladies applying their blusher while whizzing through the English countryside.
I thought I'd share an everyday make-up bag for me- basically what I'm throwing in my bag after I've sorted out my base and my eyebrows before I leave the house.
Here's a sneak peak in order of how I do my face-

Mac Cinderella Palette
I might have mentioned before how happy I am that I bought this, and not the lipstick from the MAC Cinderella release back in Spring. It's just so handy! Definitely an everyday palette, I tend to use Quarry in the crease, Phloof on the lid and Satin Taupe on the outer edge and lower lash. It's also great to use the black shade, Stroke of Midnight, along the upper lashline like a smudgey liner.

Clinique Full Impact Mascara
This really is on it's last legs, but I'm struggling to find something to replace this mascara. It's separating, lengthening, and just generally a great all-rounder. No complaints here.

Clinique Cheek Pop in Melon Pop
I apply this with my H&M blush brush, which is great by the way- but I bought it yonks ago, and this is just a really nice colour to brighten up your face. These blushes are also quite sheer, which is great for on-the-go, as you don't end up elbowing the guy next to you while you're feverishly blending your blush into your cheeks. None of that, just peachy goodness.

Revlon Balm Stain in Honey
A classic. A soft, warm pink with great staying power and a natural sheen, perfect for the office.

Other Stuff
Although I've already sorted my base by the time I get on the train, I  always carry my Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair  with me to retouch during the day, as well as my Maybelline Fit Me powder in 120 Classic Ivory for that lunch-time shiny forehead fix.
Brush wise, I've got ma blush brush, as mentioned, and a great stippling brush from Wilkos which I love for powder. There's also my eyelash curler in there cause, y'know, nobody likes a droopy lash.

So yeah! I hope that was interesting, thanks for reading! :)

Lou xx

Stila ~ In the Garden Palette | Review

Hello, you look nice.

I think I've been a bit slow on the scene for this one, but I have to say I'm really glad I picked this palette up.

I think this is the perfect collecting for someone like me, who loves a neutral look, but wants a cheeky dabble in some colours now and again, and this palette has a dash of blue, green and purple thrown in around the standard neutrals,

I apologise for the horrible swatches, but the light really wasn't doing the colours any favours, you'll  just have to believe me that they are one-swipe swatches and a really smooth texture.

The only change I would make to this palette is add a deeper matte shade or two- the only two completely matte colours are Chinois and Nectar, which are too light to deepen the crease with.

Apart from that, this is a really nice all- round palette, with nice everyday shades (Chinois,Nectar, Breeze, Bark, Sage), and the brighter shades (Honey, Freesia, Rossette, Juniper) for when you feel a touch adventurous.

Overall, I would recommend- lovely texture, good lasting power and I really like the selection of shades in here.

Thanks for reading!

Lou x

Sunday Chat | Palette Lust List

Hey! I hope you've had a really good weekend.
What have I been up to? Well, it feels like my life only consists of tidying, unpacking and sorting these days, even though I moved in over two weeks ago now. I managed to get some blog photos done yesterday morning so I will have some content up over the next week, hooray! I hope you're excited; I'm excited.

Anyway, as usual with my Sunday posts, this is just going to be a chatty no-photo no-fuss ramble, basically. This time, it's about the palettes I'm lusting after right now.

1. Hourglass Holiday 2015 palette

Have you seen this? Holy shit, that's my Christmas list sorted. Everything Hourglass makes is so beautiful. I don't actually own anything of theirs, but it's hard not to trust the millions of reviews which say their products are absolutely top notch. So this palette looks like it has highlights, setting powders, blusher and bronzer. So basically everything. I read a blog post which said this palette would be $79... so £50? That seems a steal considering each powder is around £35. And you get six...? Surely not. If this is a US exclusive, I will cry.

2. Zoeva Cocoa Blends Palette 

This was buzzing around the blogosphere a few months back, and I haven't got over it quite yet. It  really does look amazing, I love the warm browns and the touch of pinky mauve- ness for the autumn season. Plus, it is somehow only £15- a really good deal if the product is as good as everyone is saying!

3, Charlotte Tilbury, The Vintage Vamp Quad

You hear a lot about CT's Dolce Vita, but personally, Vintage Vamp appeals to me a bit more. It's probably those beautiful deep maroons which look absolutely dreamy. I've been hunting for a good quad recently, as I find my collection is significantly lacking in anything between a single and a 16-pan whopper, and I have pondered on these many a time. The only snag is that they cost as much as a Naked Palette, and house significantly less shades. Still, it does look like total quad- perfection...

4. Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

Chocolate and make-up, my two favourite things, brought together in this beautiful array of eyeshadow goodness. Could it get any better? Basically, no, it can't. The colour selection is this palette is right up my alley, with some buttery mid-tone crease shades, bronzey browns, and hints of purple and red. Amazing. Is it my birthday yet?

So yeah, I hope you enjoyed this, and can sympathise a little with my palette obsession.
Thanks for reading!
Lou x

Brows | Back to Powder

Just when bold brows are phasing out, I get a real taste for them. Typical hey? Since my dark roots now take up about a third of my hair (I'm trying to pull it off as a grown-out-ombre look...it's not working), I can pretty much get away with a dark-ish brow.
My everyday brow preference is for the Soap and Glory Archery Pencil, paired with the L'Oreal Brow Plumper, both in blonde. I find both products quick and easy to use, and they don't budge all day, which is a definite plus.
But, when I have a bit of time for my face, I like to experiment with slightly bolder, better brows. Here I used the Naked2 Basics palette to really sculpt my brows out. Seriously, whatever colour your hair, this palette will have something in it for your brows, as well as being an amazing eyeshadow palette, obviously. I used a mixture of Frisk and Primal to match my shade, and I really like the results. Am I crazy?

3 New L'Oreal Products

Well, new to me. A good old Boots 3 for 2 deal on L'Oreal drew me in and made me make a cheeky purchase of a couple of single eyeshadows and one of their Colour Riche lipsticks.

The eyeshadows have had a fair amount of buzz around the blogosphere, and I can now see why. Whilst swatching in store, I had trouble picking two rather than ten. You can see from the crack in the right- hand shadow (Nude 201, Cafe Saint Germain), that these are buttery, buttery soft. In fact, I would say that half the pans on the shelf were at least cracked, if not completely crushed.

I'm not normally one to buy single shadows, but these swatched so well in store that I was totally convinced. The right hand shade is Cafe Saint Germain, as mentioned above, and the one on the left, more of a peachy, rose gold shade, is Lumiere 507 Pin Up Pink. I love them both, and I don't think this photo does the intense pigment justice. I hope these wear as well as they swatch!

The lipstick is part of the Colour Riche range too- Doutzen's Nude. It's a true, sheer baby pink, which is something I've been looking for recently. With nudes, I normally lean towards a more peach or purple base rather than straight- up pink, so I love this. It is very sheer, and so far I can say it doesn't stay on particularly long- but that's to be expected with such a creamy formula.

I'm excited about these new products and look forward to trying them out!
Thanks for reading!
Lou x

A Budget Base

I really love a good cream eyeshadow base, and when it comes in at £1.99, it's even more exciting. This is the Miss Sporty Glossy Shadow in 160 Peanut Butter, and I think it is amazing and you need to go buy it right now.

You can see here that the colour is a beautiful, high- gloss, almost wet- look mauvey browny pink? Would you say? This is such a versatile colour, and can be used as a base for a bronzey brown eye look, a pink look, a purple look, or a peach look. Pretty much all the looks I regularly do, and I love the glossy finish so it looks great by itself too. Powder eyeshadow miraculously blend into the cream seamlessly, without setting it first, and I haven't noticed any creasing once I've layered other products over the top.

I finished my eyes off with these products (as well as liner and mascara, obviously). I used Kiko shadows in 233, which is a beautiful cranberry/ purple satin shadow, and 220, which is a really shimmery golden peach. I used 233 in the crease and on the outer half, and then dusted 220, which is fairly sheer, over the inner part. I then used this cream eyeshadow pencil from Collection on my inner corners.

I really love this look, and especially the Miss Sporty eyeshadow pencil, which I think is amazing quality and a beautiful colour for the price.

Hope you enjoyed this!
Thanks for reading,
Lou x

Naked 1 and 2 Comparison | Swatches and Review

 We all know the drill, the Urban Decay Naked palettes are pigmented, buttery goodness with excellent lasting power. I've owned Naked 2 for almost a year now, and I had a tough time deciding which would be my next purchase. I decided on Naked One, mostly because I know there's a couple of really good, staple, warm brown mattes in there which I am definitely missing in my collection. On top of that, what's a dozen more shimmery browny/ gold shades?
Instead of just swatching Naked One, I thought I'd investigate a few of the similar shades between Naked One and Two, so we can see how many colours truly cross over between the two palettes.

First comparison: Naked One, Virgin and Naked Two, Bootycall.
On the surface of it, these two look very similar- shimmery champagne-y goodness. Up close, Virgin is a lot more pink-toned, whereas Bootycall takes on a more cool goldy- undertone. Very similar, but definitely with something between them.

Naked One, Sidecar and Naked Two, YDK
Probably my favourite shade(s) in the two palettes. Buttery, smooth, shimmery goodness, a brown with a hint of pinky/mauve. They are both very coppery, and I think the most colours similar between the two palettes. If you want something a hint more pink, Toasted in Naked One is just a more flushed version of these two.

Naked One, Hustle and Naked Two, Busted
Some lovely Satin- finish chocolate browns. Very similar, but you can definitely tell that the Naked Two offering is cooler toned and slightly darker.

Naked One, Smog and Naked Two, Snakebite.
In the pan, I was fooled into thinking that these are almost identical. Swatched, Smog is a lot more yellow, even khaki- toned than Snakebite, which is a cooler mid-toned shimmery brown.

Naked One, Buck and Naked Two, Tease
Only similar at a glance in the pan, when swatched these are completely different. Tease is definitely my most- used shade in Naked Two: a really perfect cool mauve matte. Buck is a mid- toned warm brown which is excellent when creating a brown smokey eye.

Naked One, Creep and Naked Two, Blackout
You would think both palettes has a nice, basic matte black. But infact, only Naked Two does. Creep is more of a charcoal grey with chunky glitter, which is pretty but defintely not up to the standard of the silky smooth, deep black of Blackout.

I think, for a make-up junkie, having both the Naked One and Two really provides the full range of browns, bronzes, nudes and coppers, meaning I don't think I'll ever need to ( although I will want to), buy another palette based around those shades. I love them both, and I'm already waiting for a time when I can buy the Naked Three...

Thanks for reading, I hope this was helpful!
Lou x

A Couple of Cheeky Kiko Purchases

As always on a Saturday, I found myself *accidentally* buying a couple of make- up bits on my lunchbreak at work. 

I wandered into Kiko, and these two beautiful vibrant shades fell into my hands.

Since I bought the 24- pan Kiko palette, I've become obsessed with picking up new shades and building up my collection. I have been so impressed with the quality of these shadows so far, there has only been one which is less than impressive- I go through my whole collection in my 'Kiko Palette' post which I did a few weeks ago.

These two shades are so vibrant and beautiful. I'm using my kiko palette to fill in the gaps in my eyeshadow collection, which is saturated with bronzes, browns and nudes. These are like Spring in an eyeshadow.

226 is the beautiful peachy pink, which I think would work amazingly well as a blush as well as an eyeshadow, especially because kiko eyeshadows come in such generous sizes.

252 is the muted lilac/purple. I am loving this colour so much at the moment, and I have nothing quite like it to create a bright, spring-y eye. Looking forward to giving that a go for sure.

As always, they are beautifully pigmented but silky smooth at the same time. When I create an eye look using these colours, I'll be sure to create a post on how they blended and wore- but knowing that the quality of my other eyeshadows is so good, I expect they will live up to others.

The lipstick is one of Kiko's smart lipsticks, and was on offer at 2.50, so I grabbed it. It's a pale peach: the kind of colour I LOVE this time of year. It's very sheer, a wash of colour with just the right amount of pigment to make it really pretty and wearable. Also- it smells like a MAC lipstick. I tried it on last night briefly and I couldn't get over how good it smells. It also leaves your lips feeling really nourished and plump. Definitely not a long-wearer, but one for the Summer months with a little more glossy- ness and the moisturising factor. (and the amazing price tag)

Thanks for reading!

Lou x

Collection Eyes Uncovered Nude Bronze Palette ~ Review and Swatches

I've already chatted about this palette a little bit on here, but I thought it deserved a separate post because it's so worth picking up. 

Let's just appreciate this amazing selection for a minute.

The only down side to this palette is that it's an entirely shimmery collection, so those of you who prefer your mattes might be disappointed. I love the shimmers, especially for the summer, its such a nice collection for a summer holiday!

These are one swipe swatches, so you can see how pigmented and shimmery they are. The light shade is really good, it just doesn't show up here because it's basically a creamy white...which is the colour of my skin.

My favourites are the second and fifth shades, which are very similar, but the second is a bit of a cooler tone whereas the fifth is warmer.

The only colour to not impress me so much is the golden shade, which is a little sheerer, but builds up really well.

This looks a lot lighter on camera than in person, but I basically did a wash of the palest colour, the golden in the centre and the fifth colour into the crease, just to create a soft daytime look. 

The shadows are so pigmented but easy to blend out so great to do both a day and a night look.

The shadows last really really well, each time I've worn them they make it through the entire day!

Overall, definitely pick this one up, it's such good value at £3.99 ( It was on offer at Boots for £2.99 the other week so I'm sure it will be again sometime), and the quality is amazing for the price.

This is the kind of palette I'd take away on holiday because of the cardboard packaging, and the lovely selection of shimmery bronzey shades. I will definitely be looking at the other two palettes...

Thanks for reading!

Lou x

The Weekend Edit ~ Travel Make-up Bag

 I find packing a travel make -up bag so much fun. I think I'm a bit weird, but I love challenging myself to cut it down to a small selection which offers me a wide range of options. So here's my latest edit, I'm at my parents' for Easter and the few days ahead will hold family gatherings, photo opportunities, and some trips out to see friends etc, so my make-up bag has to be quite versatile. I'll talk you through my picks so hopefully you'll get some ideas :)

Face

Three concealers I hear you say, well- let me justify it.

The Rimmel BB cream is a no-brainer, it's my absolute favourite at the moment. Light to medium coverage, brightening and flawless looking. Light enough for a casual day, but with a bit of neatly placed concealer, it can become a bit more flawless.

The Collection concealer is for blemishes which might rear their ugly head. Dotted onto bits-I-want-to-cover, this concealer is perfect for heavy coverage jobs. And everyone is bored to death hearing about this one, so I'll move on.

Maybelline Fit Me concealer is a strange one. It's looks darker than my skin tone but when blended in it's actually fine. I use the shade 15. I use this as an eyeshadow base to even out my pigmentation on my eyelids, as well as under my eyes to cover those dark circles.

The L'Oreal Touche Magique is for those days which I want a little extra summin-summin. Stripped over the top of the Maybelline under my eyes and down my cheeks a little, it can look really brightening, and on a really good under-eye day, I could just wack this on atop my BB cream for a really luminous face. Brill.

 Blush, Bronze and Highlight

Bronzing/ contour goes straight to my Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 01 Light Matte- perfect for both a chiselled cheekbone, and a sunkissed glow. 

Blush was a hard one, I wanted to take my MAC blush, but I've not been giving my other blushes much attention, so I've thrown in this Revolution blush in Love which is really really nice and fresh. It is matte but it lasts well and is a perfect Spring-pink.

For highlight, I gave the Mary Luminizer a break, and threw in this Technic Highlighter (available on Amazon) which is basically an amazing dupe for Benefit's High Beam, and a tenth of the price. I've had this for years, and it's perfect dabbed on the cheekbones or under the brows.

I chucked in my Rimmel Stay Matte powder in Translucent for shiny days.

Eyes

I feel like this is such a condensed choice, I am so proud of myself.

For my brows, I went for my Revolution Aqua Tint in Fair which I love, and it lasts really well, as well as my Natural Collection Clear Mascara for combing them through.

I have two cream eyeshadows which are great for bases, and for quick washes of colour. I went for Creamy Beige from Maybelline because it's matte, and everything else I'm bringing is shimmery so I wanted the option. The other is Petale de Glace ( i think) From Borjouis- the name has rubbed off but it's a really beautiiful dusty pink which looks so fresh and pretty. 

I'm loving this Collection Eyes Uncovered palette in Nude Bronze, it's got a really good selection of shades, and the quality is amazing for the price. Also the packaging is so travel-friendly.

Mascara was an easy one- Va Va Voom from 17, my go-to mascara. Same with eyeliner- the liquid pen from Collection is the best. I threw in a pencil black eyeliner just incase, it's the Rimmel Scandaleyes.

Lips

Stuff happening this week will mostly revolve around eating, so no bold lips are welcome. The Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle is a nice balmy dark pink, the Rimmel Kate Lipstick in 103 is a matte mid pink, and the Maybelline Colour sensational in Glorious Grapefruit is an orange-y gloss. All fresh and spring-y but not high maintenance. Oh, and some Lip Balm from the Body shop which is chocolate smelling. Yum.

Other bits

Just a couple of extras. Baby skin primer in case I feel a bit pore-y, my lash curler because its an essential, and Barry M Topcoat, Basecoat and Nail Hardener in case I need to get rid of my current colour and I can't deal with naked nails.

So that's everything! Hope you enjoyed it and found it useful :)

Thanks for reading!

Lou x