Back To M.A.C Program And My Lipstick Choice...

Hello and welcome back to my Blog. Ok, so you may have heard me say a few weeks ago that I was about to 'Back To M.A.C'. Well I did and I am SO happy with my choice.

If you don't know what 'Back To M.A.C is, I shall explain. Basically 'Back To M.A.C' is a recycling program put into place by M.A.C Cosmetics The deal is this, you return six of their primary packaging containers to them instore or you can post them, and then you can chose a lipstick for doing so. I only had three empties so I transferred the contents of my other three items into containers so I could go and get the lipstick I wanted!

Let me show you which lovely lipstick I chose...

I chose the stunning 'Diva' from their Matte range. I love matte lipsticks and this is an absolutely gorgeous intense reddish-burgundy, and a fairly unique shade with impeccable pigmentation and longevity. This screams Autumn and Winter so I had to get it. I have a ton of pinks, nudes and reds but not too many ''vamp'' shades. Diva may be the nicest dark red I have ever seen.

One light coat applied.

Darkened up a bit.

Applied on dry lips with no lip liner.

So, What do you think?

I absolutely LOVE this shade, it lasts on the lips for so long, in fact even longer than any other M.A.C lipstick I own! If you are looking for a lipstick for Autumn/Winter, I definitely recommend Diva.

Diva is available from M.A.C Cosmetics and costs £15.50.

What do you think? 

Have you ever taken part in the 'Back To M.A.C' Program?

What is your favourite lipstick for Autumn/Winter?

Please leave a comment below and let me know.

As always, thanks for stopping by.

Autumn Wish list : Coats

Hello again!  As today is officially the first day of Autumn, I have something new for you; my first ever wish list post. I absolutely love Autumn, everything about it. I adore the cool and crisp weather, the welcome appearance of changing surroundings. Stunning rust and orange coloured leaves grace countless trees. New make-up trends, paler skin, darker eyes and berry toned lips. And of course, Autumn fashion. Plentiful amounts of cosy knitwear, boots, accessories, bags, layering and lovely coats!

1. Warehouse Pink Fluffy Teddy £85.

2. River Island Dark Pink Oversized Coat £110.

3. H&M Dark Grey Marl Boucle Coat In Wool Blend £59.99.

4. New Look Dark Grey Jumpo Wool Mix Knitted High Neck Coat £40.

5. Warehouse Cream Stud Belted Mac £85.

I absolutely love all of these, I don't think I could pick just one! There is so much choice out there for AW14 and the high street is really coming up trumps.


Which coat do you like?

What have you got your eye on this Autumn?

Please leave a comment down below and let me know.

As always, thanks for stopping by.

Beauty: A D.I.Y London Fashion Week Inspired Highlight...

Hello and welcome back to my blog. I hope you are all well? 

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you'll know that London Fashion Week SS15 has just ended. I saw so many photos of stunning outfits and the events that took place. But it was the make-up that really caught my attention. In fact it was the beautiful glossy looking highlighting that was used on the models by the likes of Lisa Eldridge for Temperley.

Unfortunately, I cannot use any images from London Fashion Week as they are not allowed to be reused. You can however see them if you use good ole Google!

The focus was on creating a glossy glowing effect to the skin with minimal make-up elsewhere. This was not achieved with one product and definitely not with a powdered product. I doubt very much if the products used were affordable either.

So, I had a brainwave of how to recreate this on a budget but giving very similar results. I have to say, I am loving the results! Here's what I used...

Original Vaseline and MAC pigment in White.

Here are my reasons for choosing these two products; Vaseline on it's own may work for those of you that like a very subtle highlight to your face and the MAC pigment will give a well pigmented highlight but it won't be glossy. So, I decided to mix the two thus giving a pigmented, long lasting glossy effect to wherever a highlight is required.

 The products mixed together.

To get this look, firstly apply the Vaseline to the back of your hand and rub it in slightly in circular motions. Then take a tiny bit of the pigment onto your finger tip and rub that in with the Vaseline, again in circular motions.

When you achieve your desired consistency, take a flat make-up brush (like the one pictured) and pick up some of the product. Simply apply to your face wherever you'd like the highlight. For me it's above the cheekbones and on the temples. Also a tiny bit on the Cupid's bow and onto the nose.

And that's it! Affordable and simple. Of course, if you don't own M.A.C pigment in white you can use any light pigment or even a light eyeshadow or powdered highlight. Mixing it with the Vaseline will give you a more natural and dewy highlight and it will last all day, unlike a powder alone. Also, Vaseline is non-comedogenic so it will not clog pores and it traps in moisture, so besides looking dewy, your skin should become more dewy too!

I really hope you like my D.I.Y London Fashion Week inspired look. I am always happy to pass on tips to you guys and especially affordable ones because there are so many products out there and they can cost a heck of a lot. The products I used here are multi-purpose also. Vaseline has so many uses as do M.A.C pigments. I will definitely be using this method when I highlight from now on.

You can get Vaseline from all good chemists but I got mine from poundland! ;-)
M.A.C pigments are available from M.A.C Cosmetics

Are you going to try this?

Please let me know if you do and send me your pics!

 Let me know what products you will be using.

Please leave me a comment down below and let me know. I love hearing from you.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Sigma Dupes : Affordable Make-Up Brushes...

For a while now I have wanted to add some brushes to my collection. I have owned my current brushes for years and they are starting to look a bit worse for wear. I have a few MAC brushes, six Real Techniques brushes and the rest are from E.L.F or unbranded.

Sigma brushes are super popular amongst beauty enthusiasts, make-up artists, bloggers and you tubers right now and rightly so. Sigma brushes are fantastic but not affordable for everyone. 

So, imagine my delight when I found these Sigma dupes on eBay for £8.95!  This set looks like a fantastic dupe for the Sigma Sigmax Essential Kit 10 Brushes which cost $168! 

Here's what you get...

1. Flat Angled Kabuki - Blends foundation onto the hard to reach areas of the face. The angle fits all areas of the face seamlessly. 

2.  Flat Kabuki - Buffs liquid or cream products into flat areas of the face such as the forehead and cheeks.

3. Tapered Kabuki - Apply liquid or cream foundations onto harder to reach contours of the face. Great for under eye concealer too.

4. Angled Kabuki - Buff cream blush or bronzer into the skin.

5. Round Kabuki - Blend mineral products onto the skin.

1. Precision Flat Angled - Use for precise application of concealer anywhere on the face.

2. Precision Flat - Stipple concealer onto sun spots, blemishes and other small imperfections.

3. Precision Round - Apply eye shadow base or primer onto the eyelid.

4. Precision Angled - Apply product to areas such as the side of the nose and hollows of the cheeks.

5. Precision Tapered - Exact placement of concealer in harder to reach areas such as around the eyes, nose, chin and mouth.

This ten piece synthetic brush set costs just £8.95 with free postage. That's less than 90p per brush! They are from a U.K seller and I received them two days after clicking the 'Buy It Now' button. Wow! They came very well packaged with a black zipped pouch and they were all individually enclosed in a plastic covering.

They come in a variety of colours and you can choose a five piece set or ten piece set.

I am so impressed with these brushes, they are super soft and densely packed. They haven't shed a single hair and have made my foundation application so much easier! I use the flat angled kabuki to buff in liquid foundation and it takes much less time than any other brush I have used previously. That's a pretty impressive statement, right?!

I am yet to try all of the brushes but I can see they are all of consistently high quality and definitely on par with Sigma brushes. I cannot wait to use them.

I am sooo glad I bought these, they look pretty on my dresser, they do an amazing job and all ten cost half the price of ONE high end brush! I just wish the seller had a set of eye brushes too, I would be in there like a shot! 

If you are lusting after some Sigma, MAC, Real Techniques or Zooeva brushes and want fantastic high quality brushes but don't want to spend a lot, definitely check these out! They would make a great present for someone for Christmas or be a great starter kit for someone. Or, you could just treat yourself! 

You can buy these brushes here

What do you think?

Will you be purchasing these for yourself ? Or as a gift?

Please leave a comment and let me know.

As always, thanks for stopping by.

I Heart Slogan Explicit Content Palette Review...

I Heart Slogan Explicit Content Palette - I Heart Makeup 

Hello and welcome back to my blog. I have been shopping again (oops!) You see, those guys at Makeup Revolution keep releasing awesome products at really affordable prices and I just can't resist!

My latest purchase is this 36 piece eyeshadow palette from their sister line 'I Heart Makeup'. Entitled 'Explicit Content'. It is one of four slogan palettes they have available. 

The theme to the palette is the top row - Get Naked are the nude/wearable shades. Then the next rows down - Use Me Up have a mixture of neutral shades and darker shades. Then the bottom row - Be Explicit has the darker and smokier shades for your naughty side or night time. 

There are 30 shimmery/satin shades and six matte shades and they are ALL super pigmented. 

Here's a closer look...

There are a great mix of neutrals, brights, shimmers, mattes and dark shades in this palette. You could create so many looks with this. This is the reason I bought it. It's compact enough to take on a weekend away for example and create a subtle day look and then vamp it up at night!

I didn't expect these eyeshadows to be as pigmented and soft as they are. They are really smooth to the touch and have amazing colour payoff.

That is all four rows swatched DRY on DRY skin and NO primer (in natural light). Pretty amazing, huh?

And here's a close up of a few I will be wearing for Autumn...Just look at that pigmentation! :-0

I should also mention the packaging. As always with Makeup Revolution you get very sturdy packaging and a huge, high quality mirror - which is always appreciated!

The casing on this one is super cool. As you tilt it back and forth the holographic logo on the front changes colour and pattern. :-)

So, if you like the look the look of this palette (who wouldn't?) you can buy it from Makeup Revolution online or from Superdrug (many Superdrug stores now carry Makeup Revolution) and it costs just £7.99!! 

Will you be trying this?

Which I Heart Make-up products are you loving?

Please leave a comment down below and let me know.

As always, thanks for stopping by.

I Heart Chocolate Palette from I Heart Makeup...

'I Heart Chocolate' palette by I Heart Makeup (chocolate sold separately!)

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. I hope you are all doing well.

Those pesky guys over at Makeup Revolution have been releasing so many gorgeous products of late, I can't keep up. However this sweet lil palette didn't escape my attention. I am talking about the 'I Heart Chocolate' palette from their other cosmetic line 'I Heart Makeup'.

Look at it! Doesn't it look good enough to eat? Wait until you see inside...

There are sixteen named shades with a mixture of matte, satin and shimmer finishes.

If you are thinking you have seen this before or something similar, you are probably thinking of the Chocolate Bar Palette from Too Faced. Yes, it is VERY similar. The only differences being that this one from I Heart Makeup doesn't have a chocolate scent or a high price tag but I can totally live with that! 

All the shades in this palette are the same as the Too Faced palette but there are two on the top row in a different order. 

Ok, so far so good, right? But are they as good in quality as the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette? Well, I don't own the Too Faced palette but I have swatched it instore and looked at online reviews and tutorials so I feel I can say...yes, they are.

Top row swatched L-R dry on dry skin with no primer and in natural light.

Middle row swatched L-R dry on dry skin with no primer and in natural light.

Bottom Row swatched dry on dry skin with no primer and in natural light.

I am super impressed with the pigmentation and texture of ALL these shades. They feel really buttery and soft. The three most shimmery shades aren't quite as buttery but that doesn't matter as they are all equally pigmented. 

There are so many looks you could create with this. You have two highlighter shades (one matte and one satin), matte shades for your crease or lid and a great variety of colours for all over your lid. These shades are also perfect for the transition into Autumn and winter as there are browns, bronze shades and purples (especially great for green eyed girls).

That's not all. You get to carry all those lovely eyeshadows around in an eye catching, fun and sturdy chocolate packaged palette with is a fantastic large mirror for just £7.99! Yes, that's right. Less than the price of ONE high end eyeshadow. 

 I love this palette. It's great for putting in your bag or taking away with you. The looks you could create are endless.

I would highly recommend picking this up over the Too Faced one (which costs £45!) :-0

The I Heart Chocolate palette is available here from Makeup Revolution

Have you tried this palette yet?

Will you be picking up this sweet dupe?

Please leave a comment below and let me know.

Thanks for stopping by.