Only a few hours left!

I'd really love it if you would check out the things I have for sale at the minute, some really amazing bargains, including a massive lipstick bundle and a nail polish bundle!!

click here! to see the sale :)

<3

Beauty & Fashion Sale!

I've a few things for sale on ebay, including some amazing beauty bundles that you'd be silly to miss!

click here! for the sale! :)

January Wishlist~

There are so many things I currently have my eye on, I thought I'd compile a list to keep track of them all, makeup and clothing alike! 

Make-up first, and we have Revlon's new matte balm stains. I've had a look at the range, and if I'm honest, it's pretty underwhelming, except for the delightfully dark purple shade, Shameless. I just have to have it, and seeing as the range is being released this week, I think I'll be snatching it up pretty quickly! 

One snippet of beauty-news that pretty much made my Christmas was that MACs Heroine is being made permanent. Finally! Everytime Heroine gets released, it escapes my grasp, but not this time! I've read that it will be released in the UK around March, so I'll be biding my time until it does! Eee! 

Finally, I have my eyes on yet another purple lipstick, in the form of MACs most recent Punk Couture, from the synonymous collection. I'm unsure as to whether my local MAC counter are even selling this collection, but here's hoping! If I'm honest, I'd love to get my hands on Haute Couture as well, let's hope I can! :) 

As for clothing, there are so many things I have my eye on. I'm not sure why, perhaps with the popularity of American Horror Story Coven, or maybe the influence of the 90s, but recent trends have been rife with witchy, gothy, pagan-y styles, and it's suiting me perfectly! 

Top priority is me owning this delightful skirt from Motel Rocks, a nineties sun and moon print in a flattering skater skirt style, perfect! 

Another item I seen in a poster in River Island recently, a grrrl style donut tee, which I've been stalking their website ever since. I'm thinking it might be a summer release though, so I'll have to be patient! 

Finally, I'm on the lookout for a cardigan with a moon print on it. Random, I know! But I really really want one, hah :P

Urban Decay Smoked Palette Review

I recently realised that I took photos and swatches for a review of my UD Smoked Palette last a p r i l  and totally forgot to do the actual review! I know it's very late, but I didn't want to let the photos go to waste, so here we are! 

The design of the case is definitely my favourite of the UD palettes. My Eyeshadows are snug and secure in a cushioned, zip up case, and it has the added bonus of being absolutely gorgeous! Smooth black satin with an embossed title. 

Kinky is a creamy white shade that is pretty much identical to my skin tone! Pretty useless for me, and any other ghosties, but on darker skin would be a lovely non-shimmery highlighter (rare!) 

Freestyle is a warm, almost peachy cream shade, works very well as a base shade. 

Mushroom was, if I'm honest, the only reason I bought this palette. It's a cool metallic taupe, verging on pewter. Initially, it doesn't apply incredibly pigmented, but it's impressive when used with a damp brush. Mushroom is an ideal crease shade for when I'm wanting a metallic shade. (Can you tell I love it? :D)

Backdoor is a lovely medium-dark brown, leaning towards a warm tone. It works very well with both Mushroom and Barlust layered over it, or used as a crease shade for a brown smokey eye. 

Blackout is an incredibly pigmented true matte black. It is perfect for a smokey eye, or as a crease shade for colourful shades. Definitely one of the best shadows in the palette.

Barlust is a delightful Baroque bronze shade, and is wonderfully pigmented. Again, works lovely and adds a certain richness when layered over the likes of Backdoor, or any warm brown or bronze shade. 

Rockstar is a cool metallic purple shade, works really well teamed with a true, matte black (Blackout, for example), especially when used with a black crease. 

Evidence is a cool metallic blue, which I have not used, and likely will never use. It has nothing to do with the eyeshadow, which is very well pigmented, and UDs typical buttery texture, I just really don't like blue eyeshadow. Oh well!

Loaded is a metallic hunter green shade, which, similar to rockstar, works really well with Blackout. 

Asphalt is the final shadow in the palette. It is a cool pewter shade, (similar to Mushroom, minus the taupe) and is a very buildable shade, though application with a damp brush will give a very pigmented effect. 

L - R Foxy, Freestyle, Mushroom, Backdoor, Blackout

L-R Barlust, Rockstar, Evidence, Loaded, Asphalt.

The eyeshadows are Urban Decay's usual top quality, buttery texture and wonderful pigmentation (with the exception of a few of the metallic shades) and although I usually stick with my Naked palettes, I'm definitely glad I own Smoked (if only for Mushroom! hah)

In addition to ten eyeshadows, the palette comes with a travel sized primer potion, a full sized 24/7 eyeliner in 'perversion', which is the most pigmented and long lasting eyeliner I have ever used, and a lookbook, full of ideas and ways of using the products included. For £35 I think this is a pretty amazing deal! 

January Nails #three

I know I haven't been keeping up, but I've not been well, so I'll try and getstarted again :)

This evenings nail is my newest polish, Illamasqua's infamous Raindrops. And gosh, I know why it's so popular. It's beautiful! I can't stop staring at my nails! Lol. 

Anyway, I hope you are all having a lovely evening :) x 

January Nails

CI was sorting through my polishes last night and I was kind of ashamed of myself... I have a collection bordering on ridiculous quanities yet I only ever wear the same 4 or 5 polishes. 

So... I've picked out twenty polishes that I am going to work my way through this month... And then maybe I'll do the se next month! (Until at least I feel like I'm not neglecting my collection! Hah) 

So, starting this evening, I shall be posting regular NOTD photos. Tonight's offering is the lovely Vanilla Matte Nail Paint by Barry M. A beige-y stone colour, it is perfect for a cool wintery day in work. 

January Nails/2

So, my second NOTD is BarryM's Silver Foil Effect with a dash of China Glaze's Put A Bow On It on my accent nail! :)

MAC Snob Lipstick Review

As promised, here is my review of MACs Snob lipstick. My apologies for the lack of quality in the photos, I'm currently having to use my phone.

Anyway, Snob is a satin finish lipstick. It is highly pigmented but not staining, lasts an average length and unfortunately, is quite drying and similarly, looks rather dry on my lips. 

(Please note it looks a lot cooler in real life than in this photo, sorry!)

A cool toned, muted pink, with slight blue leanings, thus would probably suit cool skin tones. There is quite a difference between the colour it swatches on my hand and the colour on my lips, as it looks lighter and paler on my lips than on my hand. Regardless, it's a lovely everyday shade, perfect for work (so long as you use a lip balm underneath!) 

Crabtree & Evelyn

I received two presents from Crabtree & Evelyn this Christmas. Now, I'm not really into skincare, I rarely find anything that my skin actually agrees with and so I just stick to a few products from Lush. However, getting a few products from Crabtree & Evelyn gave me the opportunity to try out a few new products (and a brand I'd never even gave a second glance). 

I got the Tarocco Organge, Eucalyptus and Sage hand cream and a Wysteria giftset, which features a shower gel, a body cream and a little hand cream. As I said, I've never been really into skincare, and I do not care for hand or body creams. They seem like a nice idea, but they never seem to absorb properly and often feel quite greasy. 

However, these little treats have wholly changed my mind. They smell heavenly (esp the Orange one), they absorb really quickly, and leave me feeling soft, instead of greasy and yuck. I absolutely adore them! I'm so happy I was given these, as I would have never thought to try out their products. I think I'll definitely be popping in to my local store to see what else they have in store though! 

<3

New treats~

Hey! I thought I'd share a few things I've picked up recently, sort of as a sneak peak into what I'll be reviewing in the next few weeks! :) 

I treated myself to the Naked 3 palette when it came out (no regrets: prettiest palette ever <3), and got the Naked Basics palette as a Christmas present! I also got a Debenhams gift card for Christmas, and so I bought three things I've wanted for ever: Illamasqua's Raindrop and Jo'Mina nail polishes, and MACs Snob lipstick! Ahh I've not even taken them out of their packaging yet, I'm so excited to see them :D I'll be reviewing these (and maybe a few more things) in the coming weeks, so I hope you'll stay tuned :) 

<3

I'm Back!

Hello everyone! I'm sorry for the awfully long hiatus, but I'm back, and I'm gonna do my very best to stay back! I'll get some posts up in no time and hopefully you'll enjoy them! :)

<3

Purple lipsticks part two

As promised, here is the second part of my purple lipstick collection. In this post, I'll be talking about my deeper/darker purple shades. 

(from l-r) Miners Lip Colour (no shade/name on tube), Mac Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Goes and Goes, Mac Up The Amp, Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Va Va Violet, Lord & Berry Intensity Mauvette, Barry M Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint in 156, Vicious Violet.

Lord & Berry Intensity Lipstick in Mauvette

Mauvette is not necessarily a dark purple, more a muted blue toned mauve-pink colour. It is wonderfully creamy but it is very drying, and has little staying power. 

Mac Up The Amp

Up The Amp is a deep blue toned berry-purple , it is an amplified lipstick and thus is wonderfully creamy whilst maintaining an excellent pigmentation. It is long lasting (easily four hours +) and is quite staining as well. As with Mac lipsticks, it isn't at all drying, and is just over all a lovely lipstick. 

Mac Pro Longwear Lip Creme in Goes and Goes

Goes and Goes is a very dark blackberry/grape indigo. It is not the easiest colour to work with as it is very blue leaning, and extremely pigmented. It is incredibly longwearing (as its name would suggest) and would easily last all day, and surprisingly, despite this, it is not at all drying. Just another lovely lipstick from Mac!

Miners Lip Colour (purple shade)

I really wish that the name or shade number of this was on the case! Anyway, this lipstick is a lovely dark berry (like what you'd get if you squished blackberries) colour. Definitely one for the autumn/winter months! It's more wearable than Goes and Goes or Revlon's Va Va Violet, but it gives a lovely dark violet berry shade. It is very pigmented and thus tends to stain, which in turn means it is quite long lasting, and not at all drying. 

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Va Va Violet

Va Va Violet is a shade I picked up on a whim and in the 2 years I've had it, literally never worn. But it's a lovely colour (it is probably more suited to darker skin tones). It is a very dark violet that leans very close to black (perhaps a more user friendly alternative to black lipstick?) As with most revlon lipsticks, it has great pigmentation, and because it stains, I will assume it has good staying power.

Barry M Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint in Vicious Violet

Vicious Violet is a shade that leans closer to dark pink than purple, but there is still a definite note of violet in there. It applies lovely and has great staying power, and, as the name suggests, features a hint of moisture in there too!

(from L-R) Lord & Berry Mauvette, Mac Up The Amp, Mac Pro Goes and Goes, Barry M Vicious Violet, Miners 'Purple', Revlon Va Va Violet

I hope you enjoyed my collection post :) x

yet another haul post~

I am ridiculous, I bought plenty of makeupy treats last week, and yet today when I was about town, I just couldn't help myself! Oh dear, maybe I'll stop after this haul! (We all know I won't...)

Anyway, I got a few treats that I've been wanting for ages, Urban Decay's Smoked Palette, Gosh's infamous Holographic nail polish, and then I got L'oreal Feria's Extreme Platinum Power and Pastel Pink Panther, and a teal Miss Sporty polish!

I was on the search for the perfect teal nail polish that had a more blue than green tone and I just came across this in the most unlikely place! I've never really paid any attention to Miss Sporty, but this is such a lovely colour. Unfortunately, it doesn't say what shade it is on the bottle, and I can't remember, but I'm sure it's easy enough to find in store :)

(Miss Sporty nail polishes retail in Superdrug and Boots for £1.99)

Gosh's wonderful Holographic polish! I've wanted this forever, but I never got round to actually buying it, but I'm so happy I did! I don't think this picture gives it justice, but it is such a lovely polish, properly holographic (so cool :D). However, it is really quite streaky, even with 3 layers, so it might be an idea to layer it over a silvery polish to get a better coverage? Also, it dries to a semi-matte finish, which I was surprised at. Overall, the formula isn't the greatest, but it's forgivable considering how wonderful the actual colour is :)

(Gosh nail polishes retail in Superdrug for £4.99)

I bleach my naturally dark blonde hair, and I ususally use Jerome Russel, but I didn't feel like it gave me the lift I require (I like my hair to be white blonde as a clean slate to put pastel toned colour in!) and I noticed that L'oreal Feria's Extreme Platinum Power claims to lighten hair up to 8 levels, which, if true, would definitely bring my hair up to white, so hopefully it works! What I like about the colourant is that it comes with a purple toning conditioner, which bleach/blonde hair kits really lack. 

The Pastel Pink Panther toner is, well, a pastel pink toner! I can imagine it is just like a pink hair dye mixed down to a light pink, and I've heard good things about it, so I thought I'd check it up. Once I get round to trying these out, I'll try and show you the results! 

(L'oreal Feria colourants retail in Boots and Superdrug at £5.79)

Last, but definitely not least, is Urban Decay's Smoked Palette. I had wanted this palette for ages, for two reasons, UD's eyeshadow primer, and a beautiful eyeshadow; Mushroom. I've been admiring Mushroom for months, but it took me until today to actually buy the palette! Smoked has ten eyeshadows, five of which are exclusive to the palette, a travel sized eyeshadow primer, and a full sized 24/7 eye pencil in Perversion, pretty good for £35! 

(Urban Decay products retail in Debenhams!)

Haul and Reviews!

I swear, I only went in to boots to get cotton buds!! Of course, I couldn't help but notice that there is currently a 3-4-2 offer across all cosmetics, so of course, I had to indulge (twice over...)

I got two of Collections Cream Puffs in Cotton Candy (01) and Fairy Cakes (03). I'd wanted these for ages, as I wanted some more muted lip colours, but I rarely get along with Nude / muted lipsticks for some reason. On the tube, they are described as "Velvety soft, matt finish lip creme" (and also that they are a moisturising lip creme). I have since used both and can say that they are quite long lasting (3-4 hours), but not at all moisturising! The description of being velvety soft is accurate at the time of application, but after a few hours of wear, they become sort of sticky and horribly drying!  Another issue is that they are described as matte, but they have a slight shimmer or sheen to them, so they're a little off matte! 

Cotton Candy is a muted rose pink 

and Fairy Cakes is an orange-leaning coral.

Cremepuffs retail in Boots and Superdrug for about £2.99


Next in my haul was Barry M's Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint in Vicious Violet (156). Barry M's website claims that the Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint is "enriched with hydrating and lip nourishing Cocoa Butter for a soft and saturated finish" I have the Black Cherry (160) shade, and I definitely agree that the new lip paints are moisturising, but they also feel quite heavy after a few hours of wearing them. They are highly pigmented, definitely stain, and so last a very long time (over 6 hours at least!) They also have quite a shiny finish to them initially, but eventually dry to quite a matte finish (which is puzzling, as I would not associate matte finishes with moisturisation!) Overall, they are a nice addition to Barry M's already lovely selection of Lip Paints, and I'd definitely recommend checking them out! Vicious Violet is a deep, blue based berry shade, and feels a lot lighter than the Black Cherry shade, so if you don't have a colour like it, it's a definitely one to check out. (Barry M Lip Paints retail in Boots and Superdrug (and some Semi Chems) for £4.49!)

Next in my haul is a Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks blush in Pink Cloud. I never gave Natural Collection any attention until recently, when I discovered they held a modest collection of lovely pink based nude lipsticks (stay tuned for swatches and reviews!). I liked the look of this pinky-coral toned blush and thought I'd pick it up. The formula seems lovely, very smooth and not at all chalky.Natural Collections Blushed Cheeks range retails at £1.99 in Boots.

My final purchase from Boots was Barry M's Nail Paint in Cappuccino. In the bottle, Cappuccino looks like a browny-taupe colour, and it was one that I had my eye on for quite a while. On the nail, it looks different under different lights. Sometimes, it looks like a not-so-nice muddy brown colour, and in others, it looks like a gorgeous taupey-grey. Confusing! Barry M Nail Paints retail in Boots and Superdrug (and some Semi Chems) for £2.99 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains

I thought I'd share my opinion on Revlon's most recent (but not really that recent at all ><) lip product, the drugstore answer to Cliniques Chubby Sticks; the Just Bitten Balm Stain.

I own three shades, Crush, Honey and Darling, and I think they're all fantastic. They are the only lip product labelled as 'moisturising' that I have tried that I would consider to be actually moisturising and not just a tagline to entice buyers. The pigmentation is predictably inconsistent throughout the range as the darker shades are a lot stronger than the lighter shades, which apply quite sheer. Another thing about the balm stains (that I have heard many people complain about) is that they have a lovely minty smell, which I think is lovely. They leave a shiny, but not glossy sheen to the lips. The stains are light, not sticky and they complement rather than cover your lips natural colour, and so I feel they're really quite versatile! They also come in a range of 7 colours (I think there are a few more in the US though), from dark red to bright pink to light lilac so there's definitely a shade to suit everyone.

Crush is a dark red stain with a slight hint of brown. It has a tendency to apply relatively sheer, but can easily be built up to a strong base. Due to its colour, it stains very easily, and thus can last a good 4-5 hours.

Honey is a muted rose pink, which I think is a perfect everyday colour. It requires a few layers to get a good coverage, and it doesn't seem to last as long or stain as much as Crush (maybe 3-4 hours without eating)

Finally, my favourite (just because it's purple :3) is Darling. Darling is a blue based lilac-pink, which reminds me of Barry M's Palest Lavender and (from swatches alone) MACs Lavender Whip. Being the lightest of the three shades I own, it is predictably the least pigmented, leaves only the slightest stain, but still has a good life span of maybe 3-4 hours. 

Finally, swatches!

L-R

Darling, Honey and Crush

Revlon Balm Stains retail in Boots and Superdrug for £7.99

Have you tried the balm stains? What did you think of them? 

bloglovin!

So I just read that Google reader is ceasing to exist by the 1st July, so I thought I would move over to bloglovin :o

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5413501/?claim=anqdjyxwgt2">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick: Really Red & Pink Storm

Hi! :) I was in boots today, desperately searching for a perfect red lipstick, as I actually have none! (I have a formal to go to tomorrow and no other lipstick suits my dress than red.) I can't stand the colour red, and avoid it at all costs, but I was still surprised to find a lipstick hoarder like me to be lacking a red lipstick! Oh well. I found a perfect red in the form of Revlon's Really Red, and seeing as it was buy one get one half price, I couldn't resist buying a second lipstick hehe :3







Both Really Red and Pink Storm are Matte shades, and I find Revlon's matte shades to be a really lovely formula. Non drying, highly pigmented, long lasting and easy to apply! What more could you ask for? (Except maybe a wider range of shades...)
One niggle I have with this range of lipsticks, (one that is, admittey, completely benign) is that I really dislike the packaging. The black and gold/brass just don't mix well with me. As Revlon is quite a high end 'drugstore' brand, I feel they would look a lot nicer if they were silver or chrome instead of the brassy colour. (Though really, it doesn't matter at all. They're wonderful products)











Thanks for reading <3

Ps, sorry for the current low quality photos. I'm using a terrible camera at the moment :(

Cruelty Free Makeup for All!

So, as you might know, yesterday (11th March 2013) marked the day from which it is illegal to sell cosmetics that have been tested on animals in the European Union.

~ f i n a l l y ~

I have never felt comfortable using products I knew had been tested on animals, and up until now, I have done my best to stick with brands I know never test; Urban Decay, Barry M, and Revlon. However, I would see new releases from different brands and was always a little peeved that they were out of bounds. No Longer! I am looking forward to being able to try out new releases from brands such as Maybelline, L'oreal and Rimmel, as their products always look really lovely. 

Are you happy the bill has been passed? (how could you not be!) To celebrate, here's some fuzzy bunnies (who will no longer ever have the misfortune of being a poor make-up tester)