The Balm Nude-Tudes Palette Review

I got this palette last week on the plane from duty free as it was £10 cheaper than usual. I have been loving it and thought it was worth doing a post about as I would definitely recommend it.

I have never tried anything from The Balm and I haven't heard much about this palette so I wasn't expecting great things... I know its wrong and just because a product isn't hyped about I shouldn't put off trying it but its just my way of thinking. Anyway, I tried this out straight away and I am so impressed. The formula of these shadows I prefer to MAC which are my go-to shadows. The colour pay-off is great, they are so pigmented however I would definitely recommend using a primer with these as thats the catch- the staying power isn't great without one. My palette came with a free mini primer and that works fine, as well as any other one you can get your hands on. 

Obviously this is a nudes palette as stated in the name but I think this is quite different to my other nude palettes. This contains a real mixture of colours from pinks to browns to reds to blacks - it's not your average nudes palette which I love as it means its great for a weekend away as you can get lots of different eye looks with this. 

Some of the colours aren't very visible in this photo on swatches but on the lid they are really pigmented. My favourite shades are Stand-offish, Sultry and Seductive. It's a mixure of mattes and sparkly shadows however I feel even some that aren't sparkly, have a kind of sheen to them so theres really only two or three mattes. Usually, I prefer mattes but this contains such wearable shades that I can look past that. 

This palette comes with a small double-sided brush, one side being angled and the other and angled fluffy brush, I personally prefer using my trusty MAC 217 but this is perfect for a quick and easy on the go makeup look.

The packaging is very sturdy with a magnet to prevent the palette from opening unintentionally. It also includes a big mirror, again perfect for travel. This palette sells at $36/£29.99 and is available online or in some stores. 

xoxo

The Balm Nude 'Tudes Palette - http://www.thebalm.com/nude-tude.html

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Worth The Hype? Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara

I'm sure you'll all have heard of this mascara someway, it has got a lot of hype recently and I wanted to try it. Being very picky with mascaras, I didn't have high hopes for this product but I was pleasantly surprised.

Usually, I like to wait for mascaras to dry out more so they're no so "wet" because I generally don't like the way they look but with this one, it still manages to give lots of length and volume without the clumpy look. 

The brush is curved which allows the mascara to give a real lift to your lashes, it's amazing how it lengthens them, I was so impressed. Naturally I have long lashes and I don't like them to look any longer as then they tend to have the spidery look but this one isn't like that, it's such a great mascara. 

The disadvantage may be that it smells a lot like paint- maybe that's just mine but it's really strong. I don't mind it because I like the smell of paint but others may disagree. This is my new favourite mascara costing just £5.99 it's super affordable and easy to get a hold of. I would 100% say this is worth the hype and definitely recommend you all to try it! 

I wanted a lashes before and after photo using this mascara but I'm so bad at taking those photos! Hopefully ill get a good one and include it in a makeup look soon. 

Xoxo

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Get Ready With Me: Beach Wedding

On Monday I went to a Beach Wedding and I thought I'd do this GRWM post to show you the makeup look and routine I followed. I do have to say I forgot all about it when I was getting ready so I apologise for some of these photos being make do like the one of my outfit and some are slightly out of focus. 

Firstly, I had a shower, I washed my face with the Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash in Pink Grapefruit, I don't like the scent and I'm not sure how I feel about the product itself yet. I then used the OGX Thick&Full Biotin & Collagen Shampoo which I love for adding volume. 

I then shaved and washed my body with the Olay Ultra Moisture Coconut Oasis body wash. This is so lovely to the skin because it has moisturiser in it. 

Before beginning my makeup, I moisturised using my L'Oreal Skin Perfection moisturiser and then proceeded to apply my Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream all over my face with my Real Techniques Buffing brush. For the beach, I wanted a much lighter foundation and this was perfect. 

I then concealed my dark circles and redness with my Maybelline Fit Me Concealer and used the MAC Pro-longwear to conceal blemishes. I used the Real Techniques Contour Brush to do this. 

I then set my concealer with the Rimmel Stay Matte powder and a Real Techniques setting brush. 

Moving onto the eyes, I primed them with the MAC Painterly Paint Pot and then blended MAC Mythology eyeshadow all over my lid which was a lovely shimmery pink. I then used my finger to pat on the MAC Soft and Gentle Mineralise Skinfinish in the centre of my lid and brow bone. I love using this as an eyeshadow in the centre of my lid. I used a MAC 217 brush to blend the eyeshadow.

I then went back to my skin and used the Maybelline Fit Me powder in Coconut to bronze up my face and did this with the Real Techniques Blush Brush.

I then applied MAC's Cremeblend Blush in Ladyblush to my cheeks with the Real Techniques Multi Task Brush and applied the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed over the top. I find layering a cream and powder blush can really help with the staying power which is just what I needed for a hot day on the beach.

I then highlighted my cheekbones and cupids bow with MAC's Soft & Gentle Mineralise Skinfinish. I used a Real Techniques brush for this but I'm not sure on the name.

Going back to the eyes, I used Bourjois' Volume Glamour Ultra Curl mascara which is my favourite. I applied lots of this to my top lashes and left the bottom ones bare. I then moved onto my eyebrows and used Anastasia Brow Wiz to naturally fill them in and Benefit's Gimme brow to set them.

As for lips, I used a Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait. 

I then decided I wanted a little more glow to my cheeks so I used the Wet N Wild Reserve Your Cabana "Bronzer" with a Real Techniques Setting Brush. 

Finally, I set my makeup with MAC's Fix+.

I then dried my hair and left it how it was. I used the Impulse Deodorant and The Body Shop Indian Night Jasmine perfume.

As for Jewellery, I wore my Michael Kors Watch, some feather coral earrings, two Pandora Rings and my Lokai Bracelet. 

Finally, this is my dress from Hollister.

xoxo

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MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation Review

A couple of weeks ago I purchased MAC's Studio Fix Fluid Foundation because I wanted another medium to heavy coverage foundation after my Rimmel Match Perfection had oxidised. I bought from MAC because I like their Face and Body foundation and had heard good things about this one too. 

Colour Range

I purchased the shade NC20 because I have the pro-longwear concealer in that colour and it matches my skin great. I fin that this foundation colour is slightly orange tinted so I have to make sure that I blend it properly so I don't have a foundation line but there are plenty of colours with different undertones to choose from and the staff at MAC are helpful when choosing a shade for the first time. I will leave a link to my "A Guide To MAC Foundation" here where I explain colours and other things. On the photos it looks very orange on my hand but my face is darker than my hand so it is a closer colour match than it appears in this post. 

Coverage & Finish

As far as coverage goes, this is medium coverage although it can easily be built to a heavy coverage, I just use one pump so it doesn't build as easily. I would say it has a matte finish when dried completely which I do like because it can give a more flawless finish with the matte and higher coverage. I would say that I don't like my makeup to look all feel thick and cakey and if you use too much of this or don't blend it enough then it can begin to look and feel like you are wearing a lot of makeup. That being said, if you use the right amount and blend properly then the feel isn't noticeable like some more water-based foundations such as the Face and Body. This foundation does also have an SPF15.

Skin Types

I think this would be better for people with combination to oily skin as it does dry matte. I have combination skin with dry patches on my nose and chin but recently my skin has been more normal and not oily or dry which I am loving but I think the foundation would cling to drier skin so it may not be suitable for that. 

Application

As far as application goes, I would apply this with a denser brush, I use Real Techniques Buffing Brush and it works well. The foundation brushes sold at MAC don't seem to me like they would be very easy to blend in the foundation but maybe I'm wrong. Let me know which brushes you use for this foundation. 

Price

The price is high at $27.00 plus the thing I don't like is that ontop of that, if you want to have a pump then you have to pay separate for it, another $10. So overall you could be paying up to $37.00 for this foundation which seems extremely pricey. I do think that it is a good foundation but I'm not sure whether it is worth $37.00 when I equally liked my Rimmel Match Perfection. 

What do you think to this foundation? 

xoxo

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My MAC Palettes & Guide to MAC Palette

I have two MAC Palettes. One is a pro palette (you fill yourself) and the other is a limited edition one that I got for Christmas in 2012.

As for Pro-Palettes, you can get a duo (x2), a quad (x4) and a 15 space palette. You then have the choice to either buy shadows and depot them yourself to put in your palette or buy pan shadows already depotted and ready for your palette.

It's taken me a while to fill my palette to this stage as I purchased it last Summer but with receiving eyeshadows at Christmas and on Birthdays, I have a few spaces left to fill but I couldn't wait to do this post and I've been getting a few comments about my palette in other posts so I figured I'd just do it anyway. 

This photo doesn't do the shadows justice because some of them look better in person but you can see the rough colours here. I'll leave a link to MAC's website below anyway for you to see more.  

I have mainly neutral shadows but some colours and quite a few purple toned ones because I love wearing purple to make the green in my hazel eyes pop. If you want to see what colours will make your eyes pop then I'll leave a link to that post here. 

Neutrals

As for Neutral shadows, I have Vanilla, this is a matte white shade perfecting for highlighting under the browbone. I also have Naked Lunch which is a shimmery, more pink toned highlight which I often like to put in the centre of my lid. I then have Wedge which is a matte, light brown, great for the crease, I love this shadow. I also have Woodwinked, one of MACs more popular shadows, a shimmery brown. I then have Amber Lights which is a very shimmery orange toned gold, I love wearing this one at Christmas with a red lip. 

Purples and Greys

I have quite a few purples. I have Nocturnelle which is a darker shimmery purple but I don't find this one to be too pigmented so it's not one of my favourites. I also have Satelite Dreams which is a much brighter purple which I think has blue undertones, my sister loves this shade. I also have more wearable purples such as Quarry which is perfect for a matte, subtle purple in the outer edge of the eye with a neutral look. I also have Blackberry which is slightly darker than Quarry and also matte. These two are my favourites and look great together. I then have Satin Taupe which is a shimmery grey/brown which I think has purple undertones. This is a more dramatic, smokey colour for me that I like to wear at night. 

Other Colours

As for other colours, I don't have many but I have Cranberry which is a shimmery, deep red, I love to wear this in the colder months leading up to Christmas. I also have Paradisco which is a shimmery pink colour, my sister used this for my Prom Makeup alongside some of her MAC shadows. This is a very wearable pink that looks great in the spring and summer. 

Now I thought I'd share the most popular MAC shadows with you so you can get a taste for what other shades people love...

• Woodwinked

• Amber Lights

• All That Glitters

• Satin Taupe 

• Copperplate

• Cork

• Nylon

• Knight Divine

• Naked Lunch

• Patina 

• Cranberry 

Then the Limited Edition Palette I have is called 'Stroke of Midnight/Warm'. This contains 5 shadows. 3 of which are limited edition colours and 2 are colours that are available in store at any time. The 3 limited edition colours are... Femme Fi (a light cream highlight shade) Socialite (a yellow/gold shade) and Midnight Hour (a dark brown/black shade). The other two are Amber Lights (an orange/gold) and Mulch (a brown) which you can buy all year round.

Xoxo

MAC - http://www.maccosmetics.com

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What's in my Travel Makeup Bag?

I have to be honest and say that I forgot about a post for today so in a rush I thought I'd share what I take in my travel makeup bag when I go away. This is fitting because today I'm going away to the coast for 4 nights and had to pack up my favourite bits to take with me. I always find it interesting to see what people take when they travel because it's almost an insight to their current favourite products. All products will be linked at the end of the post.

Firstly, I packed two foundations. I went for my Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream in Light Medium and MACs Studio Fix Fluid in NC20. The Studio Fix offers a high matter coverage and the BB cream is a lovely light dewy foundation. I like to chose two different coverages as well as two different shades incase I tan so that it still matches and I can get away with wearing NC20 when I'm tanned and not tanned.

Then I chose two concealers using the same concept as foundation- two different coverages and shades. I went for MACs pro-longwear in NC20 which has a high coverage and Maybellines Fit Me Concealer in Light.

I then chose a bronzer- Maybellines Fit Me Powder in Coconut and a blush, Tarte's Amazonian Clay blush in Exposed. I only take one bronzer and one blush because otherwise it takes space and all blushes and bronzers do the same thing really, just in different shades and these are my favourites. I didn't take a highlighter because I just use an eyeshadow if I want a glow. I also took my Translucent Rimmel Stay Matte Powder.

As for eyes, I took my Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette, my MAC Painterly Paint Pot, my Benefit RSVP cream eyeshadow and MAC pro palette which I will do a post about soon, I just have 3 more spaces to fill first. I also took a brown and purple eyeliner as well as two mascaras- Maybellines The Rocket and Tarte's Lights, Camera, Splashes - both waterproof. I also took Soap & Glory's Brow Archery in Brownie Points.

I then packed MAC's Fix+ and as far as lips go, I just took Revlons Tutti Frutti, Maybellines Baby Lips, the cherry one and MAC's Modesty Lipstick.

As far as brushes go, I packed quite a few because I had space. I won't run through them all. I also won't go through my mini shampoos, cleansers and skincare things because it's probably a little boring but those are the main makeup items I'm taking with me.

Xoxo

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MAC 217 Brush: Worth The Hype?

I've actually already done this post earlier this year but when looking for it to link in a recent tutorial, I realised that I've accidentally deleted it somewhere along the lines. I think that the MAC 217 is one of the most highly talked about products that a lot of people, including myself wonder at some point "Is it worth the hype?" I thought I'd redo the post, not exactly but thereabouts to let you know what I think and if it is worth the hype.

The MAC 217 Blending Brush is just that. A big fluffy brush for blending the shadows into the crease and on the lid. Many beauty gurus often talk about this brush and segregate it from other MAC brushes as being "holy grail".

I received one earlier in the year as began to use it immediately to find out for myself what all the fuss was about. My first impression was that it's alot bigger than I had previously imagined but when using it, it slotted perfectly into my crease to produce a great blended colour. This brush is quite long and fluffy which allows it to really work the colour onto the lid.

At a steep $24 it is definitely pricey for what it is considering you can get a bunch of good Real Techniques Brushes for the same price. Despite this flaw in price, I would say that this is a good brush to have in your kit but there are probably lots of dupes available out there.

Overall I would say this brush is worth the hype but that does not mean to say that I would buy it again as I do believe there will be similar brushes on the market for a fraction of the price. 

Xoxo 

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A Guide to MAC Lipsticks

When first buying a MAC lipstick, it can be very daunting. Being bombarded with questions when asking for help in store... Cremesheen? Lustre? Matte? Frost? Along with more, I decided today to explain what each finish actually is to hopefully make it easier for everybody when buying a lipstick from MAC and essentially, to create a guide to MAC lipsticks.

Cremesheen: This is my personal favourite MAC formula, it is very creamy and smooth to the lips. I like it because rather than being sticky or drying, it provides a moisturising texture that blends seemlessly into my lips for a lovely finish. Whilst only lasting for a couple of hours, it's easy enough to reapply. 

Popular Cremesheens include- Creme Cup, Shy Girl and my personal favourite, Modesty. 

Matte: I love the look of matte lipsticks but I find this formula very drying and difficult to blend into the lips. It is very long-lasting, the most durable of all the MAC formulas, lasting for approximately 6 hours. It provides a lovely matte finish but I'm not a fan due to the difficulty with blending it into my lips. I prefer a smooth moisturising formula despite preferring the finish of a matte lipstick.

Popular Mattes include- Velvet Teddy, Lady Danger, Candy Yum Yum and Russian Red. 

Lustre: This formula is very creamy and smooth to the lips which I love however it is quite a sheer finish, it can easily be built up but essentially, it appears as more of a tinted lip balm than a lipstick. They aren't super long-lasting and do require reappliance however you can get a couple of hours out of them. 

Popular Lustres include- Patisserie, Plink, Hug Me and my personal favourite Syrup.

Frost: This formula provides a very shimmery finish which can make them more unwearable and looking "frosty". These lipsticks last longer than lustres with a couple of hours duration before needing to reapply. They are a little glossy but not as much as Cremesheens or Lustre.

Popular Frosts include - Angel and Costa Chic. 

Glaze: This formula provides an even sheerer coverage than Lustre. It is quite glossy but also looks natural. Glaze lipsticks duration time is an obvious flaw, with them only lasting an hour or so. 

Popular Glazes include - Hue and Pervette. 

Cremesheen Pearl: This formula is a mix between Cremesheen and Frost. They are creamy and moisturising but with a little frosty undertone. 

Popular Cremesheen Pearls include - Coral Bliss and Pink Pearl Pop. 

Amplified Creme: This formula is very creamy and glossy but not quite as long-lasting as it could be. These lipsticks are very bright and "Amplified". 

Popular Amplified Cremes include - Vegas Volt and Girl about Town. 

Satin: This finish is quite matte but a much less drying formula. They provide the lips with a little sheen and last a long time, a good 5 hours. They are quite opaque but have a lovely finish. 

Popular Satins include - Rebel and Snob

Retro Matte: This formula is similar to the matte finish but much more drying on the lips. For that reason, I personally try to stay away from them because they aren't creamy or moisturising. It includes lovely colours but the extreme matte finish is very drying. 

Popular Retro Mattes include - Ruby Woo and Dangerous. 

These complete the standard MAC lipsticks! I hope this was helpful and makes buying MAC lipsticks a bit less daunting and hopefully enables you to buy the formula that you are looking for. 

Xoxo

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Worth The Hype? Benefit Hoola Bronzer

For Christmas this year, as part of a gift set I received Benefit's Hoola bronzer. Obviously this product is highly recommended by beauty gurus and I thought I'd do a "Worth The Hype?" to express whether I think it deserves the hype it gets.

This product is very highly pigmented. The colour is a matte, warm brown. Before this bronzer, I had loved NYC's Sunny bronzer which is a similar warm brown shade. The warmth of this bronzer makes it easy for it to suit most skin tones. My best friend also has this bronzer and I know she swears by it despite her being a much fairer skin tone than me. 

This can be used to contour and just for general bronzing of the face and it can be layered to look more heavy or lighter. I personally think you have to be careful because it is so pigmented so to avoid looking "muddy", I make sure that I tap excess product off of the brush before applying it to my face.

This product I have been told "lasts a lifetime". It contains 8g of product and retails at £23.50. I think it is worth the hype.

xoxo

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Nume Lustrum 5-in-1 Set

For Christmas, I received the Nume Lustrum 5-in-1 hair curlers set. It includes a glove as well as 5 different barrels to attach to the curlers. 

These curls below were both done by the medium barrel. I've taken a picture of both short and longer hair done with this medium barrel.

I 

These curls are done with the largest barrel so its more beachy waves than curls. 

Then these curls are with the smallest barrel.

Then there are these two other barrels. The bobbly barrel creates irregular curls and remind me of older Taylor Swift curls. There is also an inverted barrel for curls that are smaller at the bottom and bigger at the top. 

Overall, I love this kit and would definitely consider buying it. 

xoxo

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