Autumn face featuring MAC, Too Faced, Illamasqua & more

Hi guys, long time no see right? I took a little blogging hiatus for a couple of weeks. Just finding it really difficult to blog at the moment! I just haven't been struck with inspiration by anything in a while. But lately the nice Autumn weather we are having has made me think more about my make up and what fits this season. Everything I used is pictured above, and I will list them for you too.

MAC Prep & Prime Skin Base Visage

Clarins Instant Smooth Line Correcting Concentrate

MAC Pro Longwear Foundation (NW15)

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer (NW15)

MAC Paint Pot (Painterly)

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette (shades Creme Brûlée, Haute Chocolate, Semi Sweet, White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate)

MAC Blacktrack gel eyeliner

Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes mascara

Maybelline Brow Drama

Illamasqua Cream Blush (shade Dixie)

MAC lipstick (Velvet Teddy)

I am really loving the MAC Pro Longwear foundation. I think it was the beginning of Spring when I got it, and I couldn't really wear it because my skin at the time was so dry, and it really emphasised any dry patches. Also at that time of year I would wear a bit of fake tan and NW15 was just way too pale. But I am finding that my skin is a lot better, and it is just the right shade for me for when I am rocking my au natural paler skin! 

Also the Pro Longwear concealer is just freakin' amazing, it covers absolutely everything and it isn't too heavy for wearing under your eyes. Though I will say the NW15 in this concealer is really very white, naturally concealers come up lighter than foundation shades but it's something to bear in mind if you were looking into buying this.

I whipped out Velvet Teddy lipstick again, even though I am not sure brown toned nudes suit me but I just adore the matte lipsticks from MAC, they are perfect and I think really great to wear at this time of year.

OK I won't bore you with more talk of the Chocolate Bar palette (aka the palette that changed my life!) but lately I have been loving creating just very simple looks with this, I went for a golden bronze look today and I really love how it turned out.

What make up are you wearing this autumn? 

*new* Clarins Joli Rouge lipsticks "Soft Plum" "Joli Rouge"

Recently I was sent 2 of the lovely new Clarins Joli Rouge lipsticks to try. As you all probably know I am a massive Clarins fan and I love their lip products, so I was excited to try out the new formulation of the Joli Rouge (have a look at one of the old Joli Rouge lipstick which I reviewed here )

First thing you will notice about the new formulation is that they are not as sheer as they used to be! Look at that gorgeous creamy colour. Also the packaging is a lot less heavy and chunky, a nice improvement!

Anyway, old vs. new comparisons aside, these lipsticks are really great. They are very soft and comfortable to wear. These lipsticks have a nice glossy finish, but they don't slip and slide on your lips either (I never wear lip liner and they wore perfectly on me).

According to Clarins these lipsticks can provide up to 6 hours of wear, and with their moisturising formula they are kind to your lips as well. Containing organic marsh samphire extract and mango oil (sounds fancy) and with Clarins signature red berry scent these lipsticks are an absolute pleasure to apply and wear.

Wearing "Soft Plum"

"Joli Rouge"

Of the 2 lipsticks I was sent, Soft Plum is my favourite! I have never worn such a dark lipstick before but I really love it, it actually is perfect for Autumn. Joli Rouge is a beautiful red (I call it a candy apple red) and isn't overbearing or garish. I don't normally wear reds for fear they clash with my hair but I really like this shade!

There are a whopping 25 shades available of these lipsticks so there definitely will be something there for everyone! They are £19.50 a pop but in my opinion they are definitely worth the money, I have been saying it for ages but Clarins really know how to do lip products! 

See any shades that you would like?

Autumn Weekend Makeup (and playing with new products)

 I love weekends because I have a lot more time to sit and do a proper face of makeup. During the week for work I only really wear foundation, mascara and blush. So it's nice to really play around, especially with eyeshadows!

Yesterday I treated myself to 2 new Clarins products - Extra Comfort Foundation and Blush Prodige (02 Soft Peach). I absolutely adore them both and thought they would be great products for Autumn and Winter especially.

So for the base I used Clarins Extra Comfort  (103 Ivory), I contoured a tiny bit with the Chanel Soleil de Tan, and used the Clarins blush on the apples of my cheeks. I also used a bit of Touche Eclat under my eyes.

For the eyes, I started by using the new Clarins Instant Light Eye Perfecting Base with my old reliable Naked palette eyeshadows of course! A flick of Lancome Grandiose mascara, and I brushed this Maybelline Brow Drama through my brows (I still don't know what to make of this product!)

And to finish off I used my favourite lip product from the summer which is the Clarins Lip Balm Crayon in Creamy Pink.

 I shall do a full review of both my new Clarins foundation and blush once I have used and worn them for a good couple of weeks, but so far so good I love them!

Six Products for Autumn!

I am so excited for Autumn, i can't even describe it. Without a doubt it is my favourite season, and I look forward to it every year! I have already re-jigged my wardrobe, and boots and chunky cardigans are already making an appearance. But it is natural that we shake up our beauty products too. Here are six things which will be a staple part of my beauty routine this Autumn!

Lancome La Vie est Belle Perfume - Gone are my summery, fruity perfumes. It is time for this classic beauty. This is the most gorgeous, elegant perfume. It is not something I associate with summer, for me it is the ultimate Autumn/Winter perfume. I try not to use it too much, as it is my "good" perfume but damn it smells so good!

Lancome Teint Idole Foundation - Over Summer I used CC Cream and tinted moisturiser a lot for my base. Lancome Teint Idole is my ultimate foundation, of course I used it over Summer too when I needed a bit more coverage. I really missed using it every day though! It's my holy grail foundation.

Urban Decay Naked Palette - To me, this is Autumn in a palette. Beautiful warm eyeshadows. There is nothing about this palette that I don't like. My favourite combination for Autumn is Half Baked all over the lid, which is a beautiful gold and Dark Horse in the crease and lower lid.

Cocoa Brown Gentle Bronze - I have to admit that I have got a little bit addicted to tanning over the last year. For the new season however I am trying to wean myself off it (it's amazing seeing my natural skin tone again!). Gentle Bronze is the most fabulous gradual tanner, EVER! It gives me a beautiful light colour, just a little bit of "glow" to take the edge off my pale skin.

Cocoa Brown Lovely Legs Spray - I have been reaching for this a lot lately as well! I am a bit of a lazy tanner, and quite often I only use Gentle Bronze on my top half. I whip out the Lovely Legs depending on what I am wearing that day. It is dead handy to apply to your legs and the tops of your feet if you are wearing pumps and have forgotten to tan your legs! It has great staying power too.

L'Occitane Hand Cream - I got this when I was on holiday in Paris and absolutely love it. I use it several times daily! I hate when my hands feel dry and tight and this is perfect to combat that. Plus I love that the tube is absolutely enormous! Hopefully it will last me a long long time! It has a beautiful scent too. It is a very luxurious thick cream but it absorbs well and does not feel greasy or sticky. Brilliant!

What products do you like to use in Autumn?

*new* Clarins "Ladylike" Autumn 2014 Collection!

Is anyone else as excited about Autumn as I am? It is my favourite season of the entire year! I was really taken aback by the sheer beauty of the new collection from Clarins - it just screams Autumn! Beautiful natural, earthy shades, perfect for the new season.

I am very lucky that the lovely folks at Clarins sent me a few pieces from the new collection to try, and trust me they are even more beautiful in real life.

First up, we have the Ombre Matte Cream-to-Powder Eyeshadows! Aren't they beautiful? I absolutely love cream eyeshadows, but I think the name is misleading here…. they are most definitely powder shadows but they are quite dense and the texture is so smooth, like a cream.

Swatches left to right: Nude Pink, Taupe, Earth

As you can see they are extremely pigmented! You could absolutely apply these to your eyes using just your fingers. I prefer to use a brush though. Nude Pink is a wonderful blending shade as it is almost exactly the colour of my skin tone. Taupe and Earth are absolutely beautiful, and I have been alternating wearing them each day, blending out the edges with Nude Pink!

 Earth

Taupe 

What I love about these shadows is how super easy they are to apply. I love the intensity of them, the beautiful colours and the elegant packaging. They would be great for travel as one shade worn alone looks stunning.

What disappointed me a little is how, after about an hour or two of wear they start creasing. I have tried a couple of different primers (even my trusty ArtDeco eyeshadow base) to no avail. I can only put it down to the sheer density of the powder. I really do love these eyeshadows but I do wish they had better longevity!

I was also sent the Instant Light Eye Perfecting Base! This is a very light yet creamy product. I guess it would be similar to Urban Decay primer but a bit more creamier. I loved how this applied, it really smoothed out over my eyelids and created almost a blank canvas. The actual colour of the base is a good all-around shade but it may be a little dark for super-pale folks. If you are applying eyeshadow over it then it won't be an issue.

The Instant Light Eye Perfecting Base couldn't stop the Ombre Mattes from creasing though..in fact I tried it out with other eyeshadows (Urban Decay and MAC) and it held them in place for a good 6 hours before I noticed creasing. I think the only primer which will serve all day and not crease up is the tacky, almost sticky kind. While I think that this is  a beautiful product, I don't think it is the best for prolonging the wear of eyeshadows. It's great for really smoothing the eyelids and it does have a brightening effect though. On my little or no makeup days I do apply this alone to make myself look a little more awake!

I think this collection is absolutely beautiful, though the products I have tried are not without their flaws. I am still playing around with them, it is a matter of trial and error on how best to wear them. I have especially been enjoying the eyeshadows, I am quite fond of my shimmery shadows so it has been a different experience for me playing around with mattes! I must say that I am converted! I love them for an Autumnal look.

The Clarins "Ladylike" Collection is available now!

Five Nail Polishes I can't wait to wear for Autumn/Winter

Ah glitters and dark colours. How I have missed you! It's time to ditch the bright colours and start wearing beauties like these! I wore these a lot last year, they were may favourite Autumn/Winter polishes. Here is a closer look...

Essence Breaking Dawn LE - Alice Had a Vision
The most gorgeous dark, purple, shimmery polish. I adore this one. I guess it is a black base with purple shimmer. It is fabulous. I am just raging I only bought one of these bottles at the time :(

 Essence Breaking Dawn LE - Jacob's Protection
Yes I loved this collection...despite not being a Twilight fan. Similar to the purple one, this is a black base with deep blue shimmer. One of the nicest and most unusual polishes I have ever seen.

 Essence Special Effect Topper - Glorious Aquarius
This was my all time favourite glitter polish, it looked amazing over any turquoise polish. Essence really are fabulous, aren't they? The only bad thing is trying to remove them! I switched all my glitters for bright neon plain polishes over the summer months, but I have to say I did miss a bit of sparkle!

 China Glaze - Champagne Kisses
This one was from China Glaze's 2012 holiday collection. I got this one to wear on Christmas day last year! I absolutely adored it, the only thing I didn't like was the gritty kind of texture, but I overlooked that because the shade was just so gorgeous.

China Glaze - Ruby Pumps
..I saved the best for last. I cannot even describe how much I love this one. Red polishes can of course be worn all year round, but this one I felt was a little too festive looking. I even love the name of this one, being a huge Wizard of Oz fan. I honestly could look at this one all day!


What are your favourite Autumn/Winter polishes?