ALEX BOX INSPIRATION

I felt inspire by Illamasqua's ethos and their promo images for their products. I came up with this look, and yes it's a little scary but I enjoyed creating it! :)

LADY GAGA VIVA GLAM

Lured by the scribble in the packaging and the "limited edition" label I purchased the MAC Viva Glam Gaga lipstick and BOY am I glad I did. Already sold out on the MAC website, and going for about £20+ on ebay, this blue-toned pink is BEAUTIFUL!

I've not had much luck in the past with pale pink lipsticks but this goes on like a dream! Pleasantly surprised with the application and colour. Can be sheered out for a subtle look and piled on for a stronger look. I'm madly in love with this lustre finish lipstick and if you get the chance to buy it, GO FOR IT!

BIG HAIR & RED LIPS

At the moment I'm loving Revlons lipstick in "Really Red"

It has a slight orange undertone and brings out a nice glowing warmth in your skin, I urge you to go out and try it!

SLEEK GRAPHITE

After watching pixiwoo's tutorial on the Sleek Graphite palette, I felt inspired and had an urge to run to my local superdrug to pick it up! So here it is!

With flash

Without Flash

This is my first ever sleek palette, the colours are great staple colours to have and for the price the quality is amazing. ALSO Sleek DO NOT test on animals, so hurrah! No you don't need to feel guilty when buying cheap make-up!

Here are some swatches, hope this is helpful if you're thinking about purchasing this palette!!


(There is no base and these swatches are from a very light handed swipe) - all the colours are shimmery except the black which is matte.

With Flash
Without Flash

REVLON LIPSTICKS!

Sorry for the delay on this post!

If you follow me on youtube you will know that my recent haul video I purchased some Revlon Lipsticks. Few months on I'm still impressed with these babies and highly recommend any lipstick junkie to check them out!

The quality is superb and the lasting power is phenomenal. The colour range could be better, but that doesn't put me off!

Here are some swatches, and if you guys have any recommendations for other colours in their range hit me up!!

Without Flash

With Flash

(From left to right)

Revlon Matte - Really Red
Revlon Matte - Pink About You
Revlon Super Lustrous (Creme) - Kiss Me Coral
Revlon Super Lustrous (Creme) - Cherries in the Snow
Revlon Super Lustrous (Creme) - Va Va Violet

LEMON SODA

So I was doing my boring, smokey brown look and to I felt the urge to use my new GOSH eyeliners! So to 'jazz' up my make-up look I decided to add a hint of colour and create a fresh, young, playful look! Hope you enjoy!!

Products Used:

- UDPP (as a base, all over the lid and under the eye)
- Stila Eyeshadow (not sure of the name as it was a present, but a warm brown shade all over the lid)
- Dior eyeshadow (The light purple from the 'Diorstar' palette in the crease)
- Dior Eyeshadow (The darker colour from the 'Diorstar' palette all over the lid)
- GOSH Velvet touch Eyeliner in 'Truly Brown' (in the waterline)
- GOSH Velvet touch Eyeliner in 'Lemon Soda' (on the lower lash line)
- AVON 'Daring Curves' Mascara

GOSH - Darling

OK, so people who follow make-up vlogs and make-up gurus on youtube know the hype behind Gosh's famous lipstick in 'Darling'.

So as Gosh was on 3 for 2 I decided to pick this little lipstick up! Not being a fan of the Barry M 101, and failing to have success with other nude lipstick, I thought I would give this a go and maybe, just maybe I might have some luck with this formula and sheer colour.

Swatching the lipstick on the back of my hand I liked the texture, and the colour was quite neutral, sheer and not too over powering like the 101. Testing it on my lips however it was a whole different story. The same problem that I always have with nudes. The colour was much too lighter than my actual skin tone and made me look like a corpse. The consistency however was lovely and creamy, nourishing & moisturising, but the colour did nothing for me.

Now in the photos I'm about to show you, the colour doesn't look too bad, it looks quite pink, but in reality the colour is extremely pale, and almost white. The whole 'foundation over lips' look does not bode well with me.

Gosh Lipstick - Darling (Top Photo - with flash, Bottom Photo - without flash)

Anyone else have the same issue with this lipstick and nudes? Any suggestions on what colours would suit me?

I feel like I'm missing out and I would love to be able to wear pale pinks, and nudes but I have no such luck in this field :(

Let me know your thoughts & suggestions!!

GOSH HAUL

I have been on the hunt for a lime green eye liner for sometime now. 'Colour matters' eyeliner that came out with MAC's 'Make-up Art Cosmetics' collection caught my eye, however I also found a very good dupe by Gosh in 'Kamikaze.'

This eyeliner has been pretty much out of stock everywhere I have been, but today I finally found it! It was also on 3 for 2 so of course I decided to buy more than I initially anticipated. Here are some swatches & photos!!


Picture taken with no flash

So far from swatching the eyeliners, I'm loving the consistency. All of them are the 'Velvet Touch' eye liners except 'Kamikaze' which is in 'Let's Twist Eye Liner' form. The colours are pigmented and creamy and soft. Prices are very reasonable and the 3 for 2 offer just tempts you to keep coming back for me. So far, so good!!

ILLAMASQUA BLUSH - LOVER

Hello!! A few of you on youtube asked to see what this Illamasqua Blush looked like on when I showed you guys it in my haul video! The colour is "Lover" for those of you who don't follow me on youtube, and here is a photo of the blusher on!



It's quite a light blusher. That doesn't mean it's not pigmented but the colour is very buildable. It's a peachy looking colour in the pan but on it's got a slight orange undertone.

I think this blusher is great if you like the natural look however I much prefer their blush in "Harlot" and think that they have better colours to offer. However it's still a good colour to have in your collection for those days when you want a little lift to the face but don't want to look too 'done up.' Great formula and a pretty matte shade, but to me it's not "wow".

GREEN EYE MAKE-UP

Hello! Apologies for my absence on here, I have been uploading videos on my youtube, and if you guys want to check out my channel, just click here!

This is a look a did a few weeks ago but just got round to uploading the photos! Hope you guys like this look! List of what products I used can be found below.
:)

Products Used:

- UDPP (all over the lid)
- MAC eyeshadow in Mink & Sable (all over the lid)
- MAC eyeshadow in Sumptuous Olive (all over the lid, applied over Mink & Sable)
- MAC eyeshadow in Velvet Moss (on the outer corner and crease)
- MAC fluidline in Shade (on the upper lashline, & smudged into the crease)
- MAC Kohl power eye pencil in Mystery (on the waterline and lower lashline)
- Dior Show mascara

EYES

So today I decided to go for a dark grey/purple make up look. The quality of the photo is not the best but hopefully you will be able to see what I was trying to achieve with this look. The colours were not as dark as the photo appears but hopefully you can still get an idea of the colour combinations.

Products Used:

- UDPP (all over the eye area up to the brow bone)
- Unbranded dark grey (all over the lid - any dark grey will do, Knight Divine by MAC is a good one or something slightly darker)
- Cranberry MAC Eyeshadow (in the crease)
- Fig. 1 MAC Eyeshadow (in the outer corner and crease to add depth)
- Dior Show Mascara
- MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Mystery (lower lashline and waterline, smudged)

NARS - YACHIYO BRUSH

I'm very excited to write that I finally got my dirty mitts on the Yachiyo Brush by NARS!

I have been on the hunt for this brush for months now and it has been out of stock everywhere I go! I even tried online through various sites including NARS but have had no joy. Today I can finally say that the NARS Yachiyo Brush is in my collection!

I managed to find it in John Lewis in Brent Cross, and all I can say is "WOW!"

The NARS website describes the brush as;
"With its gently tapered spiral dome head, this goat hair brush is perfect for application of powder and color. Its multi-functional design is excellent for defining cheekbones, highlighting the complexion, as well as blending and diffusing color on or around the eye area. The handle of the Yachiyo brush is hand-spun with black wisteria to preserve its unique traditional character."

Now I have yet to try this out properly as I want to use it when I have no other blusher on my face so I am able to see the true application. However feeling how lovely and soft the brush is I don't think that it will dissappoint.I will post a review on it soon!

Here's some photos of my wonderful new brush, hope you enjoy!

NARS Yachiyo Brush

(Side View of the brush)

FOTD

This is what my face will look like today!

Most of the time when I wear eyeshadow it tends to get covered up by my glasses. So this is what my make up tends to look like most days. =]

Products Used:

Face:
- MAC Prep + Prime SPF50
- Studio Sculpt Foundation in NC40
- YSL Touche Eclat (Under the eyes, and around the lips)

Cheeks:
- Illamasqua Powder Blush in Spite (as a contour)
- YSL Creme De Blush in #3 - Silky Praline

Eyes:

- UDPP (all over the lid)
- MAC eyeshadow in Espresso (applied all over the lid and blended out)
- MAC eyeshadow in Cranberry (applied over Espresso eye shadow)
- MAC eyeshadow in Carbon (in the crease and outer corner)
- MAC fluidline in Diptown (smudged under the eye)
- Dior Iconic mascara

Lips:

- MAC lipstick in Pink Plaid
- Avon lipstick in Kiss of Pink (Lightly pressed ontop of Pink Plaid)

FOTD

So I woke up this morning very excited to use my new blusher, and so far it hasn't disappointed =] This is the look I have on my face for today, hope you enjoy!! (The flash bleached out some of the colour)

Products Used:

Face:
- Mac Prep + Prime SPF50
- Mac Select Tint SPF15 (NC40)
- YSL Touche Ecalt (Under the eyes and around the lips)

Cheeks:
- Illamasqua Blush Powder (in Spite, as contour)
- YSL Creme De Blush (in #3 - Silky Praline)

Eyes:
- UDPP
- Mac Fluidline (in Sweet Sage, all over the lid)
- Mac Fluidline (in Shade, on the outer corner and crease)
- Mac Fluideline (in Blacktrack, across the lashline)
- Dior Iconic Mascara

Lips:
- Rimmel London Lipstick (in Nude Delight)
- Pout Plump Lipgloss (colour has no name)

I will see how the YSL Blush lasts throughout the day and will use it for a few more weeks so I am able to give a better review, but so far I am very impressed and just adore the colour and formula!

YSL Creme De Blush

Another purchase! Today I got my dirty mitts on YSL Cream blusher in the colour '3' aka 'Silky Praline' on their website. Which is so accurate as it looks extremely edible and yummy =]

YSL Creme De Blush - #3, Silky Praline

As far as a I know this is limited edition and comes in 3 colours.
#1 - Velvety Peach
#2 - Powdery Rose
#3 - Silky Praline

Velvety Peach is very similar to Bobbi Brown's Calypso Coral, and I already own a few pink blushers, so I opted for #3. The texture for these blushers are super silky! I can't stress that enough. They're very pigmented and seem to just melt on my skin. I have yet to use this product on my face but will post a photo as soon as I do and will also be able to give a better review. However initial reactions are very positive. Nice packaging, small but good choice of colours, nice texture and consistency however a little pricey, but I have high hopes for this, so hopefully I won't regret paying so much for this product.

FOTD

So yesterday I was trawling through you tube looking at make up tutorials and after watching about 70 I felt inspired to come up with this look!!

Products Used:

Face:

-Mac Prep + Prime SPF50

-Studio Sculpt Foundation NC40 mixed with a small amount of Pout Foundation in the colour Light 02

-YSL Touche Eclat (Under the eyes, and around the lips to define and create a 'pout')

Cheeks:

-Illamasqua Powder Blush in Spite (as a contour)

-Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Calypso Coral

Eyes:

-UDPP

-Mac Espresso (through the crease and outer corner)

-Mac Carbon (in the outer corner)

-Mac Fluidline in Blacktrack (across the lashline and smudged in the outer corner)

-Pout Silver eyeshadow (in the inner corner and brow bone - the shadow came with a palette, and is now discontinued)

-Diorshow Mascara

Lips:

-Rimmel Nude Delight Lipstick

-Pout Gloss (again discontinued, has no name on the tube)

Illamasqua Blush

So today I headed over to my nearest Illamasqua counter and purchased my first ever Illamasqua product! Now I know I'm a little late on the Illamasqua band wagon, but none the less, here it is!

Illamasqua Powder Blush - Spite

When the lady at the Illamasqua counter put this on me I couldn't really see any difference. However despite this I still decided to go ahead and buy the product and try it out for myself. After seeing my skin under natural light, I was able to see a slight difference.

I found it hard to do a swatch of this product as it just doesn't seem to show on my hand. Now the lady said that a contour colour should be two shades darker than your natural skin tone, and I wear MAC NC40 (just so you can get an idea of the colour).

I have only used this product a few times since I purchased it, and I have to say the formula is fantastic, very soft, velvety texture, however I can't seem to get the application right. If I add a little I can hardly notice any difference and as I build the colour, my skin tends to look too muddy. Now I don't know if this just isn't the colour for me, or my application technique is wrong. I use a mac 168 and apply to the hollows of my cheeks. Any suggestions on better brushes or different techniques guys? I would be greatful for your comments and your thoughts on the Illamasqua range.