Illamasqua 'Ambition' - The perfect blush?

So on my birthday I went to what I've decided is now one of my favourite places, Illamasqua. Illamasqua is a brand that I've quickly grown to adore, for many reasons, and after my little makeover from the absolutely lovely Leeds girls I got majorly excited over quite a few products, and this power blush in particular.

 

 

 

'Ambition' is described by Illamasqua as a 'neutral, shimmer finish'. I'd be tempted to say its slightly more on the pinky-peach side than neutral, but it certainly has a shimmer finish. On Illamasqua's website the blush seems to look a bit more brown than it does in real life, so don't let that put you off.

 

 

The colour is absolutely beautiful, and applies like a dream. It's such a buildable blush that you can sweep a subtle glow over the apples, or opt for a more dramatic flush. Since I bought it I haven't put it down, it makes a great daytime blush and for nights out I apply just a little bit more. At £18 it's probably one of the more expensive blushers that I've purchased, but it's 100% worth the money. The incredible quality of Illamasqua's products doesn't go unnoticed.  

 

 

Pros

 

The colour lasts all day, it's definitely a long-wearing blush.

 

The shimmer element makes this a perfect daytime blush to add a subtle glow to any make-up look.

 

The pigmentation is great.

 

Cons

 

Unfortunately... there are none!

 

Summary

 

This is an amazing blush from Illamasqua that has fast become a staple in my make-up bag. It's versatile, long wearing and most importantly for any girl... it's shimmery! It's so easy to wear that it would suit most skin tones. A failsafe.

 

 

What's everyone's holy grail blush?

 

 

NOTD: Illamasqua Ruthless

So I thought to myself, it has been absolutely ages since I wore a classic pillarbox red. Illamasqua had the solution for me in 'Ruthless', sitting in the back of my collection of nail polishes, forgotten! I think this is a great classic anyway, but especially for the autumn months.

 

What's everyone's choice of nail colour for autumn?

Lord & Berry Black Wardrobe Smudgeproof Eyeliner

Major apologies, I haven't gotten lost! Just been a bit waylaid with moving and whole bunch of other excuses that just aren't really very good...

 

Anyway, I'll jump right in with a review of the Lord & Berry Black Wardrobe Smudgeproof Eyeliner in shade Mirror Black. I was looking for a new everyday eyeliner, and my requirements are always highly pigmented and more importantly, smudgproof and waterproof. Not that crying is a regular occurance for me, it's just that I like to feel.. prepared for anything, if you like! Having never tried any products from Lord & Berry before, I spyed this on ASOS and thought it looked pretty interesting.

 

 

"Black Wardrobe has the ultimate assortment of black liner pencils: because there is more than one way to wear black! All the shades of black you need to complete your look; matte, glossy, sparkly and violet-black. You can choose a different kind of black for each outfit!

For woman internationally, at any occasion, at any time of the day or night, black eye makeup is always in fashion, and Black Wardrobe has the products you need"

 

 

Pros

 

Lasts all day and night - definitely has ultimate staying power. Great for nights out. On my first use I applied first thing in the morning and it lasted through a day of work and a night out afterwards.

 

The pigmentation is amazing, as you can see above. One stroke gives you a bold, intense line.

 

Glides on really easily, yet doesn't feel wet or greasy.

 

Cons

 

It does go down fairly quickly and have found myself sharpening more than I would like. However, at £6.50 I don't mind so much.

 

Removing the eyeliner is a bit difficult, but this is bound to be the case due to the staying power.

 

Final Thoughts

 

This eyeliner will definitley last longer than you do! If you're not a fan of the bold look for daytime, then you'll love it for nighttime. This is an amazing product for the price, and I'll definitely be looking into discovering more Lord & Berry products.

 

 

Are there any eyeliners with epic staying power you've discovered?

 

x

 

 

 

NOTD: Candy Stripes

Quick NOTD post! Another bash at nail art. This was quite a lot easier than I expected it to be and also quick! Using W7 'Sunstone' as the base and Angelica Nail Colour in 'Be Mine' for the stripes!

My Secret Weapon

I don't make a secret of the fact that I used to suffer incredibly badly from acne in my early teens. Luckily, I've long grown out of it and only really get a nice little collection of spots/blemishes at a (certain) time of the month.

I've gone through loads of bottles, lotions and potions, naively trying to find a miracle cure to make them magically dissapear.

However, I then discovered The Body Shop's Tea Tree collection. Albeit a few years too late, but I had given up on anything Tea Tree as it had never really worked for me. Plus, having sensitive skins it did nothing to help that either. But, about a year ago I took a leap of faith and I'm so glad I did.

The whole Tea Tree range is absolutely amazing (especially the Skin Clearing Lotion) but this face mask is something that actually is somewhat of a miracle cure.

As a firm devotee to face masks, I like smother this all over my face and leave for up to two hours (a long time you might think, but this seems to work better the longer it's left on). And on removal, even newly formed spots have shrunk and the soreness has dissapeared. The older ones have been dried up almost completely and are much less visible.

Another bonus to this is that one tub lasts absolutely ages, and believe me, I smother it on thickly. And at around £5-£6 (can't find the exact price for some reason) it's definitely an affordable weapon.

What do you reach for the moment you see a breakout appearing? Any tips shared are greatly appreciated!

The Tiniest Attempt At Nail Art..

A kind of quick NOTD post.. Just a little attempt at tiger striped nails.

I don't do nail art too often as steady handed, I ain't. However, I think my next attempt will be the sponge effect that's been sweeping the nail art blogs!

Any other easy nail art ideas for someone who always makes a mess of things? :)

(I used Angelica polish in shade 84 Be Mine Models Own Nail Art Pen)

EOTD: Metallic Eye Tutorial featuring MUA's Immaculate Collection

A different kind of post today! Almost a tutorial, if you like. Featuring MUA's 'Immaculate Collection' palette, I created this metallic look!

The colours in this palette are absolutely stunning, and as someone who, as a rule, doesn't bother with eyeshadow looks, I am addicted to this look now thanks to the Immaculate Collection.

So this look is really easy. To start, I used Shade 12 (above) all over the lid.

Shade 22 (above) I used wet as an eyeliner, which you can wing out as much as you like.

And finally, Shade 18 (above) I used in the inner corners of the eye, blending into Shade 12 and also bringing out into the tear duct to widen the eyes.

Simple, eh? Quick and easy and makes your eyes look all dressed up!

What are your favourite quick eye looks?