Perfectly Purple

I really enjoyed doing my pink post last week and this week it’s the turn of purple. My favourite colour although I don’t have much makeup that colour which I find odd so I’ll have to go purple-cosmetics-shopping! Anyway these are the purple products I do have.

Yves Rocher So Elixir Purple – So technically this doesn’t show up purple when it’s on but it is called purple and the bottle is purple. It also smells amazing. Full review  here.

MUA Nail Polish in Frozen Yoghurt – I love this cute purple colour! I only used it for the first time yesterday and fell in love so I will review it at a later date. It is a wonderful candy-purple shade and is perfect for these last few sunny days before we hit autumn, I’m going to make the most of it while I still can!

Purple Hair Chalk – So I can’t use this right now with my red hair as it’ll clash far too much but I love it none the less and if/when I go back to a suitable colour again I’ll definitely be using it again. I have 24 different colour chalks but this is my favourite. Review here. 

The Body Shop Eye Definer in Amethyst – This eye liner is great for adding a purple pop of colour to a natural look. I only reviewed it yesterday so I won’t go into too much detail.

The Body Shop Baked to last Eye Shadow duo in Amethyst – I have discovered ow that this is best used wet and I love the vibrant purple it produces that way. It looks stunning and is really easy to work with. Don;t think I’ll ever use it dry again!

Think next week will be Glorious Green so stay tuned for that!

The Body Shop – Colour Crush Lipstick Review (in Berry in Love 320)

I promise I’m nearly at the end of the reviews from my TBS haul! I’m building up my lipstick collection at the moment and as soon as I heard The Body Shop had launched a new one I had to give it a go!

I decided to go for a colour I didn’t already have so opted for Berry in Love which is a lovely deep pink shade with a touch of coral. It’s somewhere between a pink and red and it’s utterly perfect for every day wear. The colour comes out really well and I just can’t get a photo that does it justice. It is wonderfully pigmented and adds a touch of glamour to any look.

It also has a light rose scent which is very elegant and makes the task of applying the lipstick that bit more pleasant It’s also highly moisturising and leaves my lips feeling super soft and well cared for.

It lasts quite well for a lipstick that has a soft sheen finish, I usually find that the lipsticks that hydrate best last least, but this one lasts a good few hours and I don’t mind reapplying every so often.

I am definitely going to try some other colours so I’ll let you know if the others live up to this one!

Try it: RRP £10, The Body Shop

#SBBC – The Body Shop – Metallic Eye Definer Pencil in Glowing Amethyst Review

I’m loving coloured eye pencils at the moment and seeing as I bought an eye shadow this colour I decided to go all out and get the eye liner too. Unfortunately it is exactly the same colour as The Body Shop Baked to Last Amethyst eye shadow so it doesn’t show up with that. But, it looks lovely with neutral eyes to add a bit of colour instead.

It is a lovely soft eye pencil but the colour pay-off is minimal. You really have to build it up to get a suitable result. As much as I love TBS I’m finding recently that the colours are very subtle and I prefer my look to stand out if I am going with colours over a nude look.

It has a gorgeous shimmer to, which is beautiful and when built up enough would look fantastic for an evening look. It just takes time, patience and practice to get a good result, all things I don’t have a lot of.

It is however water-resistance and it has battled the rain for me, it is also dermatologist approved so it’s great for those of us who have sensitive eyes and skin.

I  think £8 for this is a bit steep considering it is very pale and they boast a fantastic colour pay-off in the description, which just hasn’t delivered. Maybe some of the other colours would be better, I don’t know but I’m reluctant to try another one. May try the Avon Glimmer Sticks instead.

I hope that you don’t mind that today’s SBBC post is a review, got lots to catch up on and I don’t always have time to do 2 posts a day. Today is one of those very busy days, I’m writing this on my lunch break and I have a volunteer role tonight too 🙂

The Body Shop Brow & Liner Kit Review

There seems to be a shortage of affordable eyebrow kits right now. Every time I saw one online to order it seemed to be out of stock. The MUA one has had brilliant write ups but is consistently not available. That’s when I came across The Body Shop’s one. This item is solely responsible for my recent TBS haul. If I was already ordering it I may as well make the most of it and order enough to get free shipping.

Prominent, bold and thicker eyebrows have been slowly making a comeback over the summer and are set to big for Autumn. Good eyebrows can change a whole look, make statement and frame your face. Eyebrows were never meant to be thin lines barely there.  If like most of us you followed the over plucked look in the last few years chances are your brows don’t have what it takes to meet this seasons trend. That’s where a good eyebrow kit comes in.

I usually use Brow Zings by Benefit but it’s pretty pricey for what it is and I’ve run out so I decided to find an affordable option and I’m thrilled with this little treasure.

Firstly, the packaging is lovely, if a pain in the butt to photograph, it looks glamourous and there is plenty of product included and a handy mirror and double ended brush. It also comes in a range of different shades so there really is one for everyone.

It’s really easy to use, you can use either end of the brush depending on what works best for you, largely this is decided by the size of your eyebrows and what size you want them to be. I think the smaller brush is meant to be used as the eyeliner but I find that brush easier to use when doing my eyebrows. You use the lighter shade in the middle and then the darker to create the arch and fill in the eyebrow.

This product works really well, it’s so versatile that you can create the perfect brow look for you, day or night. It also lasts really well. It’s a really thick powder, it tames the brows in a flash and maintains them throughout the day.

The darker colour can also be used to set eyeliner or even as an eyeliner which is an added bonus.

At just £10 it is a total bargain and The Body Shop often have offers on anyway so you can get it even cheaper.

What brow kit do you use?

#SBBC – What I Take When I Travel

Day 3 of the September blog-a-day challenge started with the exciting news that I now have 300 wonderful followers. I think I’ll do another giveaway at 500 followers. I’ve been blogging 10 and 1/2 weeks and I still can’t get pver the fact that people actually read what I write!

Anyway, into today’s post. I take so many things when I travel so I decided to just show 7 of them. I tend to over-pack and take everything including the kitchen sink, you just never know when you’re going to need that bright pink eye liner you bought when you were 13.

• The Body Shop All-in-One BB Cream is multi-purpose, I use it in place of my moisturiser and foundation in the morning saving my precious space in my bag and time for enjoying my time away.
• I always have a concealer with me, I’m currently using an MUA one and it’d be one I took travelling as it’s cheap and easily replaceable.
• Nail polish, I always take the nail polish I’m wearing seeing as I’m prone to chipping and I’m guaranteed to need to touch them up.
• They’re Real – this mascara literally goes everywhere with me, I may be busy travelling but that doesn’t mean I can let my lashes go!
• L’Occitane Hydration Cream – I always take a sample size moisturiser with me for night time skin-care. I take a full skin regime but this is the most important part for me as I get really dry skin.
• DKNY Be Delicious Perfume – This is my all-time favourite perfume and it holds a lot of memories from weekends away so I always refill and take along my sample size one whenever I travel.
• Lip Balm – The Figs and Rouge Lip Balm is a current favourite as it works really well but can also double up as a cheek tint,

There are literally so many more products I take but we’d be here all day! Hope you’re all having a good Tuesday!

The Body Shop Baked-to-Last Eye Shadow in Amethyst Review

This eye shadow by The Body shop in Amethyst has got to be one of the prettiest ones I own. Both purples are gorgeous, I tend to use the lighter one over the lid and the darker at the corner of my eye.

This eye shadow can be used wet or dry. Dry it doesn’t have the best colour pay off in the world, it’s quite subtle but then that’s nice for an every day look. I haven’t tried it wet yet as quite frankly it makes me a little nervous but I will give it a go soon, when I have no where to go in a hurry.

I used it over Benefit’s Stay Don’t Stray eye primer and that did improve the colour slightly but it honestly didn’t last 8 hours. Even my MUA palettes last 8 hours with a primer under so this was a bit disappointing. Again, though I think it’d last longer used wet. This isn’t the best photo, it doesn’t do the colours justice but you get the idea.

I found it quite difficult to build up the colour into a shade I was happy with but once I got there I was happy with it. They 2 shades blended into each other effortlessly which was fab.  I have heard that this shade is the weakest of them all so I think I may need to try a different shade. I’m definitely going to incorporate this into a smokey eye look as I think that’d look gorgeous, I’ll let you know how that goes!

Try it: £10, The Body Shop

August 2013 Heroes

How the heck did September get here?! This year has gone so fast it’s unreal and I’ve officially been married 6 months today 😀

I’ve tried so many products this month that it was really hard to decide which were actually my favourites but I’ve whittled it down to theses ones. August has been a fantastic month beauty wise and I could go on all day if I was to mention all my heroes  of this month.

Benefit Rockateur Blush

This has been my perfect blusher for the summer, it is rose gold so is the perfect blend between a bronze and flushed result for my fair skin. It has a beautiful shimmer to it and parties all day and night without slipping. This blusher is seriously hardcore and I’ve worn it nearly every day in August. You can see my full review here.

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Noir Perfume

This one only made it into August for the last week but it has landed itself straight into my favourites, originally I promised my self it was for special occasions due to the price, well going to work, the park and church is special right?! Full review here.

Anatomicals Spray Misty for Me

This face spritz has been a total heroine for me in the humid UK heat. It’s set my makeup into lasting all day, it’s cooled me down in our melting office and it’s done it all with some humour and an amazing smell. Full review here.

L’Occitane Hydration Creme 

I reviewed this a while back but rediscovered it about a week into August and fell in love with it even more than the first time. It leaves my skin with a gorgeous dewy glow fit for the summer. I also noticed a huge improvement to the quality of my skin. I couldn’t afford to invest int he full size this month as much as I wanted to, so my wonderful husband managed to get his hands on another sample for me, that’ll keep me going another few weeks!  Full review here.

MUA Undress Your Skin Flawless Primer

This primer has been used every single day since I bought it, it’s soft and velvety and provides an amazing base for a day’s makeup. It feels amazing and performs wonderfully. Full review here.

MUA Lipsticks

These are my favourite budget find of the month. At £1 each I still fully intend to get the whole collection. They last well and don’t dry out my lips. The colours are also lovely. Reviews here, Red, Nude.

I’m looking forward to seeing which products rock my world this month and I’ll be sure to let you know at the start of October!

 

Pretty in Pink

Happy Saturday!

So my brain has been bombarding with ideas to try out lately, the list is growing so fast I can’t keep up but this is what I love about blogging. As quick as you do one idea another springs to life. I’ve decided to do a series of colour themed posts on Saturday’s over the coming weeks. I am going to showcase my favourite products from each colour. Today is PINK.

I love pretty pink colours, I’m so girly yet for some reason I don’t own that many pink items, clothes or makeup. Sure, plenty of things have pink packaging but I don’t own that many with pink product but these are the favourites of what I do own.

Pink is so versatile, it look as natural o as out there as you want it to. Pale pinks are pretty and flirty whilst more vibrant pinks are playful and can me a luscious statement. Without further a do, here’s my best pinks.

Avon Speed Dry Nail Polish in ASAP Pink – I love the gorgeous shade of this nail polish, it’s like candyfloss. It’s super girly and summery.

M.A.C Powder Blush in Mocha – This is a dark pink, it’s warm tones and matte finish provide an elegant result and a deep flush. It;s one of my favourite blushers.

Avon Colour Trend Lipstick Pen/Crayon in Gone Pink – I love the shimmer on this product, I’ve nearly used it all up now but it’s really soft and easy to use and it’s a beautiful floral shade.

Rimmel Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner Definer in Eastend Snob – This is a grown up pink liner and works well under darker pink lipsticks and on its own. It is very moisturising and it twists up rather than needing sharpening. I’ll do a full review of this at some point.

Avon Colour Trend Lipstick in Amethyst – I usually equate amethyst to the purple colour group but this is most definitely a pink lipstick. It is highly pigmented and again it moisturises well too. It’s a dark pink, perfect for every day wear and a gorgeous Autumn shade.

Rimmel Colour Rush Eye Shadow in 030 Siren – This is a very vibrant pink, perfect for when you want to make a statement. It lasts well and is very pigmented.

What are your favourite pink products?

Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara Review

I received this sample of Bad Gal Lash Mascara when I purchased Rockateur weeks back. I’m so in love with They’re Real that it’s taken me this long to try it out.

Naturally, I am going to have to compare it to They’re Real, it’d be weird if I didn’t. (Pssst, links to reviews of Rockateur and They’re real are at the bottom of this post).

I don’t feel that this mascara is in the same height of heroism as They’re Real but then again it has been out much longer and Benefit have certainly progressed since then. That said, it is still a fantastic Mascara. It lasted well all day and had a more subtle and natural result than They’re Real.

It was quick to use and speedy to dry, brilliant for those mornings when you just can’t get out of bed and end up rushing around like headless chicken, yeah that’s me most mornings if I’m honest. It has a lovely big brush that coats every single lash in one small swoop.

It didn’t clump or smudge either, so by time I get to the school gates after my hectic morning, I look like the primed and organised mum I’m supposed to me, thank goodness for Benefit!

I’d still go for They’re Real above all else as I do like my lashes to REALLY stand out but this is a product that we be part of my handbag hero group while I have the sample size.

Try it: £17.50 http://www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk/

Rockateur – https://nakedbeautyblog.wordpress.com/2013/07/28/benefit-rockateur-cheek-powder-blush-review-and-launch/

They’re Real – https://nakedbeautyblog.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/reach-for-the-stars-benefit-theyre-real-mascara-review/

No7 Stay Perfect Metallic Eye Pencil Review

I’m a great lover of No7 products so naturally when I needed a new eye pencil I went straight to them. They’re a little more expensive than other highstreet brands but no where near as pricey as makeup counter brands yet their performance is outstanding.

I liked the look of this one as soon as I saw it, I got in ‘Blackest’ as I needed an everyday wear pencil and I tend to stick to black. It has a lovely glitter to it which is quite subtle when it is on but still adds a bit of glamour. It also has a very handy smudging brush at the end which is perfect for smokey eyes.

I am so impressed with this eye pencil. I used it yesterday and I got a bit tearful at church and was terrified it’d run down my face but true to it’s name it stayed perfect. I then watched a soppy film (Now is Good, if you haven’t seen it, do!) and I sobbed, literally sobbed but guess what? Stayed perfect!

It was also really easy to use and came out really well, it didn’t smudge unless I wanted it to and then it did that well too. It was really precise to use too which is great for me seeing as I’m so clumsy. It was also really soft, don’t you just hate those ones that scratch at your eyes?!

Here’s the results!

It was also a really reasonable price at just £6.50. Think I may have to get it in a couple of different colours! I am also going to award this one with the Naked Beauty Seal of Approval, well done No7, another stonking product!