Back... With MAC.

Please accept my mega apologies for not blogging in almost a month, this occured for a number of reasons..

I recently finished uni forever, and so what conceeded was a flurry of applying for jobs, celebrating, getting more hours at work, and celebrating some more. (Yes, with large amounts of alcohol, ahem.) And I suppose I can finally admit I simply lost inspiration, for a lot of things, and obviously blogging.

Anywhoo, I am going to be really good and get back to regular posts as I really have no excuse now, and I somehow seemed to manage it when writing my whopping dissertation at the same time..

When I finished uni I told myself I would treat myself to a MAC foundation and concealer, as I've always wanted to try and I'm a huge MAC fan anyway. Foundation and concealer have to be my favourite buys, as I'm always on the hunt to try different ones and I suppose I'm trying to find the perfect ones. Debenhams conveniently had 10% when I went in, on a positive side note. Watch out for these price events!

When I went into MAC, I already knew what I was wanting as I'd done a lot of research. Good job really, as they weren't really keen on chatting to me or helping me (but I'll save that for another post/rant).

For my skin (Prone to blemishes, oily/extremely combination) and the coverage I preferred (full and matt) I found myself buying Studio Fix Fluid foundation and Studio Finish Concealer. And I was matched (by myself..) to NC15, the lightest shade MAC offer, ghost-like if you will.

First, the concealer. My usual HG concealer is Maybelline 24 Hour concealer, simply because it covers absolutely anything and does infact last 24 hours. However, in this MAC offering I have found my new favourite. My skin isn't half as bad as it used to be when I was a teenager, but I am still left with a very uneven skin tone and the odd blemish/spot. It's a little more than I'd usually spend at £13.50, simply because I use so much of it so quickly, but I have to say I'll be sticking to this from now on. Some days I can even skip foundation and use only this. The big dent I have now created shows how much I love this concealer. Any other industrial strength concealer options people would like to share would be much appreciated!

The foundation I have mixed feelings about... The good points? It offers the best coverage I've ever had in a foundation which is what I love, and it applies like a dream, even and offers an almost airbrushed look. The bad points.. I like my foundation to last a whole day, as about 3/4pm I start looking a tad shiny, so staying power is important for me. At £19.50, this doesn't please me in that department unfortunately. After about 8 hours wear I can wipe a finger down my nose and it will come off (which for some people 8 hours is absolutely fine). However, I've previously been using Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour foundation, and I loved the way that it actually kept me matt for 25 hours. However, all in all I will let this foundation off because of the airbrushed look it creates, it just means going through a lot of powder and keeping this purely for my daytime foundation!

Another note I will make is that if you want the pump, you have to purchase it seperately at £3. Which I think is a little bit of MAC trying to get more money out of you as pouring out of the original bottle doesn't really work.

What have your MAC experiences been like for foundation and concealer? Do share, as I'd love to compare! (Ending with a rhyme, there are no end to my talents.)

Poundland Haul... Yes, you heard right!

Poundland has been a bit of a unexpected goldmine lately if you hit it at the right time! This is what I've picked up on two seperate trips in the last week:

Exciting, no?!

Herbal Essences clarifying shampoo is one of my favourite shampoos ever, as I have very thick long hair which needs a deep cleanse regularly to keep it bouncy. Normally around £1.70-£2.00 for this normally so a great chance to stock up.

Herbal Essences again, and this time an intensive hair mask. I've not seen the 'Breakage Defender' range in shops at all, so maybe this is why it's at Poundland? Not sure. But it smells suspiciously like their 'Hello Hydration' range and is an absolutely amazing conditioner, leaves my hair in amazing condition.

Now I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw these beauties! I'm a big fan of Rimmel but never tried their blushes before, so this was the perfect opportunity! In 'Summer Fever' (left) and 'Winter Glow' (right). They both give a lovely effect when all colours are blended together. The little brush is great also for when you're on the go and want to top up your blush. They're normally around £5.50 I think, so what a bargain!

I've never heard of Studio 35 before, but this looked like a great eyeliner brush. I often use eyeshadows as eyeliner so this is perfect as it's angled.

I've never had anything from Almay before, but I get through a ridiculous amount of pressed/loose powder as I love having a matte look so I thought this 'Pure Blends' natural matte finishing powder looked very interesting! The packaging in particular is very cute, and love the fact you get a free powder puff. Haven't tried it out yet so I'm not sure whether its as good as my staple powder, Rimmel's Stay Matte in translucent.

This might just be my favourite find! I've been using Collection 2000's Shimmer and Shade forever to highlight and contour my cheekbones/eyebrows/cupid's bow. I only need to use a little as they're quite pigmented so they last ages. So naturally, I was pleased to see it for £1!

Have you found any unbelievable beauty bargains in the strangest of places?

NOTD: Star Galaxy

Hey lovelies! My full apologies for the lack of posts lately, just finishing my final year at uni and the workload has been unreal! When it ends I shall return to full capacity, honest..

Thought I'd share a quick NOTD post as it was quite spontaneous and turned out better than I expected!

I've called them star galaxy nails because.. Well.. That's what they look like to me!

This was created using Barry M in 313 Dusty Mauve and over the top W7 (a blue glitter that doesn't seem to have a shade!)

What do you think?

Mini MUA Haul!

MUA had an incredible offer on their website this week, get a free 'Immaculate Collection' palette worth £8 with any order! Ive been wanting to try the Love Heart lip balms for a while now, so this was the perfect opportunity.

Anyway, it arrived this morning and looks great! Can't wait to try the eyeshadows, and the lip balms were used straight away as I couldn't resist the smell. 

I got 'Sweet Kiss' and 'Great Lips', and they're just delicious. Might have to just buy the rest of them now.. I can confirm they are highly addictive.

What do you think of MUA or the Love Heart collection?

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?