H&M Lipstick | Review

So if you haven't heard the buzz about H&M Beauty...where have you been?
My local store has recently started stocking what I assume is the whole line which is really impressive - everything from eyeshadow to lipstains, brushes, cream blushes and nail varnishes.

I've had a good swatchy swatch and spent a very fair amount of time mooching around the testers, striping them up my arm. In the end, the lipsticks intrigued me the most, and there were so many amazing colours. If they weren't eight pound a pop I would definitely have got a fair few -not that I'm complaining, but normally when a drugstore lipstick is up there in price it normally comes with a 3 for 2 deal (eg. L'Oreal), which persuades me to buy more.

Aaanyway, after much deliberation I went for this shade, Brunette Ambition, a straight up mauve-y brown, unlike anything I own, but still neutral enough to wear during the day.

Even those these are really creamy, they wear for a good amount of time and wear off gracefully rather than flaking or patching.

I would definitely recommend the H&M lipsticks, and I will for sure be having a look at the other shades.

Thanks for reading :)

Lou

Make-up tool storage

Being a brush enthusiast, storage is very important to me, and I love to browse Amazon looking for new pots and mugs... pretty much to give me an excuse to buy even more brushes.

At the moment I'm using these H&M handle-less mugs, one for face brushes, one for eye brushes. I would definitely recommend having a look at H&M homeware if you're after storage like this - I picked these up for a steal at £2 each I think. Or maybe they were £1...
Primark is another good place to look, they always have mugs and pots which could be handy for this sort of thing. TK Maxx too.

For my sponge, I use this little glass pot which is actually a candle holder but works really well to pop my sponge in. Also, because its glass, it gets pretty grubby fairly quickly, so it really encourages me to keep it clean.

So yeah, bit of a random post, buuuut...thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed :)

Lou xxx

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

Collection Lasting Colour Lipsticks

We all know how great the Lasting Perfection Concealer from Collection is- but what about their lipsticks? As it turns out, I have three, so I must like them enough to buy more, right?

From left to right I've got Scorned, Tea Rose and Sweet Tart.

I've had Sweet Tart the longest, hence why the bullet is all beaten up and gross, and I used to love this for a bright night-out lip back in the uni days. I haven't worn it so much recently, and I don't even know why- it's probably the melted shape of it that puts me off whenever I consider it.

Scorned was part of the Gothic Glam collection, which I'm not sure is still around, However, if it is, it's perfect for this time of year, especially for Halloween; a really deep dark aubergine purple.

The middle shade, Tea Rose, is a beautiful, wearable, warm pink which I bought most recently.
All three are creamy and pigmented, and I have to say I'm impressed with their lasting power. They aren't matte, so its not a stick-to-your-mouth job, but they definitely do a few hours nicely.
I'd recommend using a lip brush with these, especially the bright, bold shades as they can be messy to apply.

Overall, these are a steal at around £3 a pop, and a great formula to get a few more fun colours from, like Scorned and Sweet Tart. Check 'em out! :)


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

Sunday Chat | My face powder story

I have never been a huge face powder fan; I've had far too many horrific cake-face incidents as a teen to make me trust the stuff. But recently, especially since working in a hot office, I have realised that my skin can get a tad, erm, oily.
I love a bit of dewy-ness regardless of season, but what I mean by oily is a world away from a healthy glow, so, I started hunting for a powder.
One of my friends almost convinced me to buy one of the Hourglass powders over the summer. But, after wearing it for a few hours, I found that I wasn't as impressed as I had hoped to be for forty quid, so I gave that a pass.
For a while, I dabbled in Rimmel Stay Matte - a classic - which I found, repeatedly, was just way, way too heavy on my skin. I also have experience with the Soup&Glory One Heck of a Blot which is fairly good, but still quite matte.
It wasn't until I watched some random KatheleenLights video recently and she mentioned the Maybelline Fit Me, that I scooped this beauty out of my collection and started to use it again.
I don't know why I ever stopped using this powder, but I definitely owned it for around a year during Uni, and my compact was fairly busted, but this is hands-down the best powder I have used to date.
It isn't matte, it  definitely doesn't have sheen, it just looks how you want it to look - like your face.

If you're hunting for a new powder I would absolutely recommend giving this one a go- especially if you're on a budget. I haven't had enough experience dabbling with higher end powders, but when I do, I'll be sure to report back!

Thanks for reading :)
Lou xxx

The £1.50 brush you all need

You would never think to look in Primark for make-up brushes, would you? However, having previously had a lot of luck with a mini powder brush back in my teenage days, I took a chance with this £1.50 small flat-topped stippling brush and I'm actually really impressed with it.
To give you an idea of size, here is my face:

It's absolutely perfect for blending cream blushes, bronzers or highlighters, and is soft and wash-able at the same time.
I love it so much that I might have to buy (a few) more.

Thanks for reading!

Lou x