The Perfect Nude Nail

When I realised I didn't own the perfect nude nail colour, I went on a hunt. Luckily, my favourite nail range, the Barry M quick dry, had a couple of nude selections  and it was 3 for 2 soo...

This is the first one I tried out of the three I bought yesterday and I feel like it can't get better than this, this is the perfect nudey- beigey- pink colour, and because it's my favourite quick-dry formula I love it even more. The shade name is Winning Streak - all of the quick dry range have racing- related names which is pretty cool. I use two coats to make sure it's super opaque, over the Iron-Mani base coat, also from Barry M, and under the Seche Vite top coat, which is life.

Basically this is a staple, nude polish for a bargain at £3? £4? Less if you're me and you never just get one. Love it, over and out.

Thanks for reading!

Lou x

MAC Angel



It took me absolutely forever to choose a new MAC lipstick the other week-  I was playing around with Angel and Snob for SO long, it got a little ridiculous, so I grabbed for Angel.

I have to say, I regret that choice. Although Snob is a matte formula, which I rarely wear, Angel is very hard to wear. It's a Frost finish, which means it is slightly iridescent, and for some reason it really  sinks into the lines in my lips and requires some serious exfoliation/ moisturising prep beforehand.

I haven't worn it much, and probably won't, as every time I do I'm disappointed. In the future I think I will stick to Satin finishes like my beloved Brave.

Over and out, thanks for reading :)

Lou 

2 Budget Gloss options

I am having a real lip gloss moment at the moment, which is inconvenient, because most of the world seems obsessed with the matte-est of matte lips. 

I just find gloss really easy to wack on and trust that it won't crack or crumble off in a really really unattractive way, which is my main fear with anything matte.

I also don't really have it in me to buy a high-end lipgloss (except the Clarins Lip Perfecters which are the bomb.com), so I set about finding a couple of bargain-ous highstreet options. These are the two I have been using over the last few weeks, both with a ridiculous price tag, so I thought Id share them with you.

First of all, this is the XXL nude (??) Lipgloss from Essence in the shade Soft Almond. This was something amazing like £1.90 from Wilko's, and I really like the formula, which is more wet gel rather than sticky? If ya know what I mean. Lovely stuff. Lasting power isn't great, but its lipgloss, what do you expect? It's not pigmented either, just adding a gloss of nude to the lips, really easy for every day. I personally think this a great find, and such a bargain. I do remember looking at the other colours and seeing a lot of glitter, so I'm not sure if I'll be going back for seconds, but it depends on the shades.

Lip Boss from Barry M. First of all, I think I love the name? I started off thinking it was a bit stupid, but I think I've warmed to the idea. I also think the packaging is really quite nice, its pretty solid and hefty. The colour looks neon- bright in the tube but it really isn't all that bad.

As you can see here, its more a wash of warm peach. Pretty inoffensive and pretty, probably more suited for summer but oh well. I remember this being £3.50, which is a pretty good deal. The downside to this product is the smell- which is something like really cheap oranges. I really hate it.

Between the two, I would say the Essence one is my favourite, colour and formula wise, and for the price you really cant complain.

Thanks for reading!

Lou x

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

First Impressions | L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Cream

A while ago, when I purchased the L'Oreal Infallible Foundation and Brow Plumper, it was 3 for 2- so I picked up this- the L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Cream in 'Light Skin Tone'.
It's been sitting in my drawer for a while, because...well mainly because I was a little bit scared of it.
The squeezy tube is very handy and sleek looking, but the product comes out a strange shade of grey/white. The idea is that it blends to match your skin tone once you rub it into your skin.

I tried the concept on my hand first...and I'm not sure about matching my skin tone, but at least it didn't stay white.

Here's my face with nothing but the BB cream on. First of all- application = Nightmare. Because it's white/clear until its spread onto your skin, you really can't see where you've been and where you haven't. Very annoying. I applied it with a buffing brush, and added more to my chin area to build up coverage- which it actually did pretty well.
The finish is so strange, and completely not what I expected. I would say it is a fairly natural finish, much more matte than I expected- but if it had actually been the right colour for me, it would just look like I had fairly even skin. So- obviously- the main problem is the colour. I'm going to have to bronze the heck out of my neck to make it match, because at the moment, my face is tangoed.

Overall- my first impression is that the application is easy and blendable, but flawed because of the nature of the product which doesn't allow you to see what you're doing. This colour, which was the lightest, is definitely too dark for me, and probably a lot of fairer skinned people. The coverage is a pretty solid medium- which is surprising for a 'nude bb cream'.
I'm not sure about this product, because of the colour, I don't think I'll be reaching for it that often- unless it wears amazingly. I'll keep you updated!

Thanks for reading!
Lou x

Revlon Matte Balms ~ Swatches and Review

Spring has sprung, and I've re-discovered some old favourites.

As matte lipsticks go, these are top notch.

They feel smooth and buttery, smell of peppermint, and last like a dream.

I have three shades, from left to right - Showy, Audacious and Elusive. 

Here's Showy- it really is a lot more 'showy' than it looks here. It's a bright flamingo pink which looks amazing in the summer. It's quite blue- based so it also makes your teeth look really white. Love this one, would look even more amazing on darker skin tones.

Here is Elusive, and I've applied it here on top of a lip balm so you can see that there are different ways to wear the colours. They all work great mixed with a little lip gloss or balm to make a sheerer finish, but still packing a punch of pigment. This is such a beautiful, wearable natural pink, very flattering and grown- up, definitely a good one to pick up to try out the formula and see if you like it.

This is Audacious- a straight- up orange lipstick. I love this, I think orange is so flattering on all skin tones. It packs an amazing punch of colour, and is definitely one to look at for the Summer months.

When it comes to wear time, I would say they last four or so hours without needing a touch up. If I wear one of these balms, I carry round a lip balm or gloss with me to add over the top as the colour fades or breaks up as the day goes on. 

I would also always say to make sure your lips are moisturised before you apply these.

I would definitely recommend these if you like a matte lip. The colour selection is amazing, I'm tempted to pick up a few more...

Thanks for reading!

Lou x