NOTD: Mint Madness

I had yet to get into the swing of things pastel nails-wise. However when I saw this beauty in Primark (of all places!) on my recent trip to Manchester I was intrigued!

I had never heard of the brand before, Angelica, but at £2.50 each I thought why not give it a try? They had so many colours sorted into pastels, neons, glitters, and crackles - needless to say the stand looked a bit epic.

But, I limited myself to just one (being good!) and I invested in shade 84 'Be Mine'.

The consistency is beautiful, and two coats was more than satisfactory. Having only just applied I'm not sure what the staying power will be like, but I'll keep you updated..

Have you ever heard of Angelica? Have you tried any other shades?

MAC Verve - The perfect nude summer lipstick?

When it comes to lipsticks, I'm typically a coral/pink/red kind of girl. However, I fancied trying something different, and a nude coloured lipstick was just that. 'Verve' looked like a shade that I could wear with very little effort.

I have to admit that in this picture the shade does not look the same as in real life! Imagine it to be a bit more peachy and a bit less brown. This swatch is more true to shade:

This is a satin finish, and so it glides on like a dream and doesn't feel drying at all. It's just simply put, an easy to wear lipstick. I think it'll be perfect for long, sunny summer days and it'll go with any eye make-up look you're sporting. I feel like it just brightens up the whole face also, which is a nice bonus.

You can buy 'Verve' on the MAC site. I would highly reccomend this as a fail-safe summer shade!

Do you have a favourite nude summer lipstick?



Review: Illamasqua Welt

Illamasqua has forever fascinated me, think it's something to do with the whole stage make-up thing they have going on. Such strong looks and bold statements!

So I've been dying to test out one of their lipsticks for ages now, and so I chose my first (of many) shades, Welt.

Welt is a very deep magenta colour, and at first I wasn't sure but I wanted to try something different from my usual corals and peaches.

It went on like a dream, easy to apply would be an understatement! As soon as I put it on I could tell that this was going to have more staying power than I could ever imagine, it almost felt like I was putting paint on my lips. However despite this, it was in no way heavy. In fact, I'd say it feels like one of the most lightweight lipsticks I've ever had.

It's not a colour I'd wear every day as it's quite a bold statement colour. However, it's great for nights out because of the staying power also.

Overall, incredibly impressed and will definitely be creating a little Illamasqua lipstick collection!

Have you tried any Illamasqua lipsticks or other products? As impressed as me?

NOTD: Maybelline MNY

I've been eyeing these up for a while and decided to try one in the beautiful 342 Coral Pink colour.

The pictures not brilliant but it's basically a really peachy pink, very summery!

Great application, amazing colour and quick drying, a steal at £2.99! I have to say I'm really impressed and will be purchasing other colours!

FOTD: Spring Arabian Glow

Thought I would try my first FOTD as I did something a little different with my eyes today based on my new Smashbox eyeliner trio in Runaway featuring shimmering gold and pearl colours.

Eyes: lined on the top with the gold Smashbox shade, the pearl colour in the inner corners.
Rimmel Waterproof Eyeliner in Black
Bourjois Volume Clubbing Mascara in Black

Face: Bourjois Flower Perfection Foundation in Light Vanilla

Cheeks: Smashbox Wicked Lovely Blush in Charm
Collection 2000 Shimmer and Shade Highlighter (on cheekbones, nose and cupids bow)

Lips: Lancôme Juicy Tubes in Toffee R&B

(Apologies for the scary picture, was in a rush!)

Have you ever tried a shimmering Arabian glow look before? What do you use?

When chocolate and make up collide..

Being positively ghost-like and always having to go for the lightest shade of foundation.. It's safe to say bronzer has always scared the living daylights out of me.

Until I discovered this little beauty.

I read on another beauty blog (Leanne Woodfull's - check her out if you haven't already!) that Bourjois Paris Delice de Poudre (shade 51) was perfect for her pale skin, so I invested.

The first thing I noticed about it is the overwhelming smell of chocolate, oh wow.. I could have eaten it. But I didn't, I applied it! And the results were amazing! The colour is beautiful and does not at all make me resemble an orange. Officially hooked and ready for the bronzer season to begin!

Are you pale skinned? Do you use a particular bronzer?

Review: ELF - Its definitely Complexion Perfection!

Like everyone else I had been hearing good things about ELF for ages now, but not got round to actually trying. Honestly, this was mainly due to paying for postage, I'm very tight with that kind of thing I hate to say! So, when I got an email offering free delivery obviously I jumped at the chance!

I chose a few products from their studio range, a bit more expensive than the £1.50 bargains that ELF are so famous for, but totally worth it as I'll go on to explain. One product stood out to me and will without a shadow of a doubt become a staple in the make up bag!

Now, the first thought I saw Complexion Perfection face powder was - those are scary colours. But don't let it put you off if you're used to using transparent powder like me!

Simply: it's a miracle. It claims to:

Create a balanced and radiant complexion - yep.

Evens out skin tone and absorbs excess oil - certainly.

Brightens and neutralises skin - oh yes.

On application the powder can go on green/blue, but even it out with a powder puff or brush and the results are breathtaking. My first thoughts were how airbrushed it makes your skin look, who doesn't want that? The packaging is sleek black, very reminiscent of NARS and you even get a large mirror - a treat for packaging nerds like myself. All this for only £3.50, unbelievable. Its safe to say that Complexion Perfection has knocked my staple powder right out the make up bag!