Monthly Favourites: August/September

Having recently started school this month, I have gone back to my usual routine of make-up and have also had a chance to have a play with some new products I have recently purchased. Some products have been more successful than others, but the ones I have been loving have been my holy grail for the past few weeks.

Face

After reading many reviews on this foundation, I was so excited to give it a go and it has definitely lived up to my expectations. Having only bought it a few weeks ago and had a good play with it, I have definitely fallen in love with this Rimmel foundation. It is super easy to apply and glides onto the skin to give a gooey finish that looks completely natural. I feels really natural and is not at all cakey on the skin. This foundation lasts a decent amount of time on the skin if you apply powder to set the foundation. For a cheaper option for a foundation, retailing at £6.99, I definitely recommend this for a light make-up look. Oh and I can't forget that it smells amazing, like cucumber which is a great refreshing scent for a good foundation.

Rimmel Match Perfection Light Perfecting Radiance Foundation with SPF 18 
Shade: 402 Bronze
Price: £6.99

Having never owned or tried a concealer stick, I was a little skeptical of using this Collection one. I must say that I am pleasantly surprised with the results it has given me. I like to use this concealer around my nose and on any blemishes I have. This concealer gives great coverage and hides the areas I need extra coverage really well. It is super easy to apply and I love it. One thing I do find with the concealer is that it doesn't apply very well over dry patches, so I recommend you use a more liquid concealer for this. 

Collection Cover Up Stick 
Shade: 14 Honey Beige
Price: £1.99




Cheeks

This blush has been one of my most recent purchases and I have to say that it has become my new favourite blush. I have been using it non-stop since I bought it and I have completely fallen in love with it. The shade is just perfect for the transition from summer to autumn. The blush is very easy to apply and blends in really well with the skin to produce a natural blushed cheek look. I think that the added shimmer really helps to bring out the cheeks and looks very flattering. 

MUA Blusher

Shade: Candyfloss

Price: £1.00

Hands down this has been the most impressive make-up product I have purchased in a long time. Although it is a high end product and is pretty pricey, it is definitely worth it. Before I purchased this, I had been searching for the perfect high street highlighter for a while, either the stores had no stock or I didn't like the product, I am so glad I found this highlighter. The finish is flawless and only a little product is needed to give a perfect look. Also the shade is the perfect one for a discrete but noticeable highlight along the cheekbones, bridge of the nose, cupids bow and chin. I highly recommend you purchase this if you are looking for the perfect highlighter.

M.A.C Mineralize Skinfinish

Shade: Soft and Gentle

Price: £22.00

Eyes

For me, I love a very neutral eye look, but recently, I have been trying to experiment with colours. I really enjoy using this pallette because although it is along the theme of pink, it is a very neutral version. I love wearing these eyeshadows to school as these shades have been designed for brown eyes. The pigmentation is great and there is just enough shimmer to make the eyeshadow noticeable  The creme highlighter is really smooth and really pigmented to make the eye look pop.

NYC IndividualEyes Pallette

Shade: 945 Midtown Mauve

Price: £2.49

As you can probably tell, I have been loving this creme eyeshadow for a long time. It is the perfect shade to go underneath a neutral eye and is also perfect for a quick eye look. The colour pigmentation is great, you only need a little to go a long way. It also has great lasting power, even with my extremely oily eyelids, it helps the eyeshadow stay for the majority of the day. I love it!

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr by EyeStudio

Shade: 65 Pink Gold

Price: £4.99

Lips

This lipstick has been the perfect colour for me for the transition from summer to autumn. I love how it is bright, but at the same time autumnal and dark. The formula of the MUA lipsticks is my favourite by far because they are so moisturising and glide onto the lips so easily. Also the pigmentation of this is amazing and it is perfect when paired with a neutral eye look and a neutral blush.

MUA Lipstick

Shade: 2

Price: £1.00


All Over

I was pretty skeptical of purchasing this product as I have never tried anything like it before. I had heard loads of reviews about the Urban Decay De Slick, but I had never understood the concept. I decided to try the cheaper version to get a sense of the product and I have been loving it! It is super refreshing and wakes me up in the mornings when getting ready for school. Also it smells of rasberries, which is my favourite scent of all time! This product is amazing because it definitely does what it says on the package and has great staying power for your makeup. I definitely recommend this mist for a night out, a school day or a day for work.

MUA Pro-Base Fixing Mist

Price: £5.00

I hope you have enjoyed reading my favourites for this month and have got some inspiration and tips on some new makeup that you may want to try out. :)

Tutorial: Cosmic Inspired Eye Make-Up Look.

To create this eye make-up look:

1. Remove any make-up you have on your eyes with a make-up remover on a cotton pad.
2. Take a eye primer and apply this evenly over the lid making sure you go right up to the brow bone. 
3. Next, take a bright green eye-shadow, either matte or with shimmer, and pack this onto the inner half of the lid with a flat shader brush. Build the colour to achieve a vibrant colour.
4. Then take a bright purple eye-shadow, either matte or with shimmer, and pack this onto the outer half of the lid with the other side of the flat shader brush. Again, build the colour to achieve a vibrant colour.
5. Using a clean blending brush, blend the green and purple eye-shadows together in the middle to remove the harsh join line.
6. Take a vibrant pink eye-shadow onto a crease brush and blend the colour into the crease to create a soft light pink colour. Make sure this colour is completely blended into both the green and purple colour because the pink is applied to bring the purple and green together.
7. Take a highlight colour and apply this to the brow bone and the tear-duct area.
8. Next, take either a liquid or gel liner, whichever you prefer, and apply only a thin line close to the lash line and don't include a wing as this would overpower the look.
9. On the water line, apply a light colour, e.g. brown for definition.
10. Lastly apply some mascara to the lashes. You can apply a pair of fake lashes to add some extra definition to the eyes.

Products used:

MUA Proffesional Eyes Primer

MUA Eyeshadow in Shade 5 (Pearl Finish)

http://www.muastore.co.uk/index.php/pearl-eyeshadow

Colourworks Quad - top left green eyeshadow (I used this because the MUA shadow in Shade 5 was not pigmented enough)

MUA Eyeshadow in Shade 18 (Matte Finish)
http://www.muastore.co.uk/index.php/matte-eyeshadow-shade-18

H&M Palette - second eyeshadow on the top row (Matte with a tiny amount of shimmer)

                       - second eyeshadow on the bottom row (shimmery finish)

Collection 2000 Lasting Colour Gel Liner in Black
http://www.collectioncosmetics.co.uk/eyes/eye-liner/lasting-colour-gel-eyeliner.aspx

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara in Black
http://www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Falsies-Mascara_1036266/

http://www.superdrug.com/the-new-maybelline-mascara-the-falsies/page/thefalsies

Bobbi Brown Creamy Eye Pencil in B10 Walnut

(I included the links to all of the products I used that I could find online, or that had a website because some products have either been discontinued or not available online)

Oh and you don't have to use the same products I have used, use any colours and products you like :) 

I hope this tutorial has been useful and hope you have fun re-creating this eye look! :)

Comparison: MUA (Makeup Academy) Professional Primer vs. Collection 2000 Primed & Ready Smoothing Make-up Primer.

As we all know, make-up primers are probably one of the most expensive item to buy on the make-up market. There are so many to choose from and from packaging we don't 100% know how they work, and when we do purchase one and are not happy with it, that's around £20.00 down the drain. As a high-street make-up junkie, I am always trying to find the essential products at the best price. 

A while ago, I came across the face primer by MUA which is probably my favourite high-street brand due to the amazing quality and prices. The primer cost me £4.00 which is pretty reasonable for a primer. I was really excited to have purchased this primer and expected great quality and value judging from my experiences with other MUA products. I have to say that this product has lived up to my expectations. The primer is hydrating to the skin and is very moisturising, considering I have very dry and sensitive skin. The formulation is creamy and very smoothing. However, I would have liked it to have a greater lasting power for make-up. As I only wear foundation on days out where I am exposed to the outside environment, I would have liked the primer to make my foundation last longer on my skin. All in all, I like this primer and would recommend it to people who are looking for a cheaper alternative to a regular face primer. 

MUA Primer

My most recent purchase of a primer was for the Collection 2000 Primed & Ready Smoothing Primer. This primer, compared to the MUA primer at £4.00, was priced at £5.99 which is again a reasonable price for a high-street primer. However, the product was only filled half way up the bottle (the product was sealed when I bought it). This was a little disappointing, however, with this primer, the positives definitely out way to negatives. I only need the tiniest bead of the primer to cover my face which means I know the primer is going to last me a long time. Compared to the MUA primer, this one isn't very hydrating to the skin but has a few moisturising qualities. I find that after I apply it, it feels very natural, as if I haven't applied anything. The primer smooths out my skin really well and keeps my foundation and other make-up in place for the whole day. I love this primer! I would highly recommend this primer to anyone who wants a reasonably priced primer that is long-lasting and smoothing to the skin for a flawless make-up finish.

Collection 2000 Primed & Ready Smoothing Make-up Primer

Out of the two primers, I would repurchase them both but if I had to choose one, I would say the Collection 2000 primer is a better option as it is the primer that 'does what it says on the tin'. I think that if you are looking for a primer that is hydrating and moisturising, the MUA primer is perfect, but if you want a smoothing and completely flawless finish with some hydrating features, the Collection 2000 primer is perfect for you.

Review: MUA (Makeup Academy) Intense Colour Eyeliners

Having only purchased this product a little while ago, I am extremely impressed with the quality, lasting power and price of the liners. Each of these eye-liners cost only £1... how cheap, but the pigmentation and quality is incredible. I have been completely obsessed with brightening up my eye make-up with these. Not only are they really easy to use, they create an incredible effect with only a few strokes.

From left to right: Royal Blue, Jade Jewel and Turquoise.

As you can see, I have chosen some bright blue and greens, however the colours are very wearable and work perfectly with a neutral eye to add a pop of colour. These eye-liners can also be blended out really easy to soften the harsh line. I think that the sharpener attached to the lid is really handy for travelling and is pretty convenient for everyday use as well.

How the eye-liners appear on my skin tone.

I think the price of each liner is just amazing, £1 for amazing quality is great and extremely affordable. Many eye-liners can get pretty expensive where the quality can be hit or miss. MUA is probably my favourite highstreet make-up brand with all their products being really great quality with amazing prices.

Review: Victoria Secret's Luminous Shadows

I know that this product is very old now and Victoria's Secret don't stock this in-store (you can still pick them up online), but I have been completely obsessed with these loose eye shadows lately. They have all of the features that I look for in my perfect eye shadow, pigmentation, sparkle, a variety of shades and easy use. However, the amount of product in each pot is very minimal, although you only need a small bit for every application, there could have been a bit more than 1g in the pot.

From left to right: Blutopia, Jetset, In the Mink and Gold School.

As you can see, the packaging of the shadows is perfect for them to fit in your make-up bag compared to the bulky pots that loose eye shadows usually come in. These eye shadows are super easy to apply, and don't worry, they are not fiddly like most loose shadows. The applicator allows for quick all over application and they are so easy blend out with a brush. 

How the shadows appear on my skin tone.

Probably the best thing about the shadows is their staying power. Having extremely oily eyelids myself, it can be quite hard to find a great eye shadow that lasts the whole day. I have definitely found it! The shadows don't crease and are very easy to remove with an eye make-up remover.