MAC Mehr Lipstick

The latest addition to my MAC lipstick collection. I was on the hunt for a lipstick that would be neutral enough that I could wear every day, yet deep enough that it would give my lips definition. I must admit that I am falling out of love with glossy/balmy lips, and I am head over heels for a more matte finish.

I bought MAC Velvet Teddy some time ago, purely because everyone was raving about it since it is the lipstick Kylie Jenner uses. While I absolutely loved how creamy and how nice Velvet Teddy was, the colour was just not right for me and I don't think it suits me at all. I need something more pink. Cue, Mehr!

Isn't it beautiful? It is exactly the kind of lipstick that I wanted. MAC describe it as a "dirty blue pink" and while I'm not sure if I can see blue here, it definitely is quite a dusky looking pink shade.

For comparison here it is against Velvet Teddy, which looks very brown compared to Mehr! 

Anyway, I am really enjoying Mehr lipstick, it's great for everyday yet it is a rather striking colour. The matte finish is lovely but need to keep a lip balm close to hand!

*new* Cocoa Brown Instant Tan Bronzing Gels

I had a fantastic time last month at the Cocoa Brown Passion Persistance Pink event, when the latest Cocoa Brown products were revealed. I was so delighted, I really wanted Cocoa Brown to come out with an instant tan! And it's great that you have the option of matte or shimmer.

I wanted to give these bronzing gels a proper go before I wrote about them on here. Although it has to be said, I have only really put the matte one to the test. The shimmer one looks fabulous, and I imagine it will look phenomenal on legs during the summer months. So sadly I haven't had a chance to try that yet! This review is of my experience using the matte gel.

Check out that shimmer!

I used the new Cocoa Brown Pink Velvet tanning mitt to apply..which is absolutely amazing and I went online straight away to order another one as a backup. It is so soft and really nice to apply tan. It also washes really well. So I would definitely recommend checking out the mitt! 

So you can see the gorgeous bronzed glow it gives me in my before/after photo! 

The Bronzing Gel is really nice to apply. I can't even describe the texture of it! It is a true gel, it glides over your skin and you have quite a bit of "play time" with it if you are afraid of it looking streaky. Just keep blending it in until you get the look you desire. I do feel it is a little sticky for a minute or two after applying, but it does set and does not budge on me all day.

I used to use the Cocoa Brown Lovely Legs all over the summer when I couldn't be bothered fake tanning, it's just so handy to put on an instant tan as and when you need it. And it washes off so there is no maintenance involved! But I definitely think the matte Bronzing Gel has a much better, more natural looking colour than Lovely Legs and it is a lot more durable too, I got a lot more wear time out of the Bronzing Gel and it still looked perfect at the end of the day.

These Bronzing Gels are also water resistant so no need to worry if you get caught in the rain! I find they only really come off in the shower with plenty of shower gel.

The Bronzing Gels are £5.99 each and the Pink Velvet mitt is £4.50. My suggestion is to snap these up quickly! You need them in your life!

My first ever MAC lipstick!

I know, I know, where have I been! I have always been meaning to try MAC lipsticks but just never have. I don't live near a MAC counter and I have always found selecting a colour online rather intimidating, there are just so many to choose from! 

With all the hype surrounding the Kylie Jenner make up look I decided to take a chance and order online, and I chose "Velvet Teddy". It's not anything I would normally choose, for one thing it's matte, for another it's just not a colour I usually wear. But still, I went ahead and ordered it. I had a voucher to spend and guessed that it would be easier to pick a "me" colour next time I am at a counter. 

Well, it arrived and I was mighty impressed! The packaging is so small and neat. I didn't realise that MAC lipsticks smelled so nice either! The actual lipstick is a beautiful shade, it's more of a mauve toned nude I would say. It is exceptionally creamy for a matte lipstick so I needn't have worried about that aspect of it. It isn't drying on me at all. It applies really well and wears amazingly too. The only thing I am not sure about is if I actually suit a colour like this! Or maybe it's just because I am so used to seeing myself wearing peachy-pinky colours. 

Overall I am really impressed with this lipstick and am happy to have it in my collection. It's always good to try new things, right? I would love to know if there are any other "must have" MAC lipsticks that I should get! I have my eye on Peach Blossom! 

Angelica Cashmere Matte Nail Polish

Recently I was sent this gorgeous little package from Angelia Nail Colour! I have used their nail polishes in the past and am a huge fan (especially of their glitters!). These polishes are something different and completely out of my comfort zone. The Cashmere Matte collection is new from Angelica for Spring/Summer. Which in itself is unusual as the colours are more what I would associate with Autumn/Winter! They are matte polishes but they have shimmer in as well. Here is a closer look!

 "Merino"

 "Mohair"

 "Pashmina" 

 "Feather"

I think Pashmina is my personal favourite! I am so into neutrals right now and it is the perfect beige/taupe colour. I was not too fond of Feather, I know white polishes are all the rage right now but I just can't get on with them. All I can think of is when I was in primary school and everyone put Tipp-Ex on their nails! Mohair and Marino are such gorgeous colours but I think I will save them for Autumn/Winter. You can really see the shimmer in the darker colours.

These nail polishes applied exceptionally well and as with all Angelica polishes lasted a good few days on me without chipping. They really are fantastic for the price!

I like the colours in this collection a lot, I love how amazingly smooth they applied and the wear time was good. I just am not keen on the matte finish as I personally prefer shiny, glossy nail polishes. For me, Pashmina is the star of this collection!

Do you like the look of these polishes? They are priced at £2.75 each and are available from Primark/Penneys or you can order online at http://angelica-nails.myshopify.com

*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!

*new* YSL Baby Doll Kiss & Blush - review

Lately I have been kind of obsessed with cream blushes. I don't know why, I just love how they apply as opposed to powder blushes. Plus they are so easy to use while on the go!

This is the new offering from YSL - Baby Doll Kiss & Blush - a multi use product which is designed for use on the lips and cheeks. I was so excited to try these out - however, because I am quite prone to coldsores I would be reluctant to use this on both my lips and face.

The bottle is just a little taller than a standard nail polish bottle. The applicator looks like a doe foot applicator but you can see there is a "bead" in the centre, designed for comfortable use on both the lips and cheeks, and also disperses the perfect amount of product. It's really soft and flexible to use too.

On to the product. This is the shade 10 Nude Insolent. YSL describe the formula as "air whipped" and I agree. It is very soft and creamy, and feels very velvety. It has a lovely matte finish and when blended on your cheeks it feels so smooth and powdery.

I like to dab three little dots on the apples of my cheeks and pat it in. There is so much pigmentation but it blends out very nicely. I absolutely adore the finish of it, you could wear this every single day. Sometimes I dust a little of my Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick over it if I fancy a little bit more "glow".

This is how it looks when worn as a blush. I have tested it on my lips too (not using the applicator) and while it does feel very nice on, it looks just a little too matte for me. It feels incredibly soft and not drying at all, but still I prefer a glossy finish on my lips. I do love this shade "Nude Insolent" on my cheeks, but not on my lips! There are 12 shades available in these and there are lovely orange and pink shades which might look better on lips.

What I really love about this product is the packaging. It looks so adorable and is so convenient to use - also I think this would be a great blush to travel with if you were going on holiday. The formula absolutely surprised me. I love the soft velvety texture, it feels so luxurious.

Let me know what you think of this product!



**Product provided for review

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation

 I have probably mentioned this foundation before, and how brilliant I think it is, but I thought I'd dedicate a post to it anyway!
I haven't spent this much money on a foundation in a long time. I got a little sample of this at the Lancome counter in Debenhams, and from the very first time I put it on, I was really overwhelmed by how good it is. Up until trying this, I had been using quite thick foundations or "glowy" foundations so it was quite a change to use this matte foundation.

 The pump dispenser is absolutely brilliant, I have only been using about half a pump per application so I can imagine this foundation will last me a long time!

 I chose the shade 03, because I thought it matched my skin perfectly when I am wearing fake tan, but it is not too dark that I couldn't wear it when I am not tanned. It is available in 18 shades so you can be assured there will be a shade to suit you! I would say this is a medium coverage foundation.

Now, Lancome describe this as being an oil free, re-touch free, transfer-free, shine-free, 24 hour long wear foundation! Well I can definitely agree with all of those points. It is very long-wearing, and it is such a nice, lightweight foundation. I have used Estee Lauder Double Wear, but I think that Teint Idole is a much more comfortable foundation to wear.

I can only say that I am stunned by how good this foundation is, and how different I looked when I first put it on! I would definitely suggest going to your nearest Lancome counter and asking for a sample to try it first. You will probably end up loving it like me!