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!

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? 

Bia Beauty

It seems everything I write about on this blog always comes back to me having dry skin. But, I really needed some kind of gentle facial exfoliator, and I remembered about the fantastic brand made in Cork  Bia Beauty. I used a sample of their Orange & Grapefruit Facial Exfoliant & Cleanser a while ago and I remember I loved it because the little exfoliating beads were that fine, they were extremely gentle on the skin and yet they got the job done. So, I finally purchased the full size. I absolutely love the quirky jars that they come in.

The lovely people at Bia Beauty put in a sample of the Mellow Mandarin Moisturiser in my parcel so I was delighted to try that as well. I loved it so much I went back and ordered the full size of it too!

First of all let me talk about the scent of these products. I think some will love it, some will hate it. They just smell completely "natural" if you know what I mean? I just love the scent. You really feel like you are putting something really good on your skin.

I use the cleanser/exfoliator every other night to keep my skin as flake-free as possible! As I said before, the "grit" in this product is extremely fine and does not cause any irritation or redness on my sensitive skin. It contains castor and thistle oil, orange blossom water, orange & grapefruit essential oils, and jojoba grains. I just give it a good massage all over my face, focusing on the extremely dry areas and just rinse off. My skin has never been in better condition and I really mean that. My complexion is brighter and the jojoba grains are keeping the obvious dry texture of my skin at bay.

So to finish off my cleansing routine I slather on the Mellow Mandarin moisturiser! I know the Bia beauty slogan is "feed your skin", well i really feel that is what I am doing when I use this moisturiser. It feels really nourishing on the skin..I actually think I am addicted to it! It's suitable for all skin types, and it's a light enough moisturiser to use as a day cream too. It contains Mandarin essential oil, calendula water and sweet almond oil to keep skin hydrated and to balance the skin's sebum levels. I use it day and night and together with the cleanser/exfoliator they have made such a massive difference to the condition of my skin.

Also ordering from the Bia Beauty website has been really great, they are kind enough to include a little "bite size" sample of their products with my orders and a little handwritten note which honestly just makes my day when I open up the package. And also the service is super fast, my package is delivered to me in the north after about 2 days.

I am so so impressed with Bia Beauty and I am very eager to try out more of their products. I think I might try their eye cream next.

My Current Yankee Candle Collection

 I am a long time fan of Yankee Candles. Only recently though I treated myself to the black cat burner, and it has completely changed everything! The little wax tarts I feel have a much stronger scent than the jar candles and it's so easy to pick up loads of different ones and try lots of different scents. My sister got me the other burner for my birthday and I was delighted!

So the wax tarts I currently have are:

Home Sweet Home

Tarte Tatin

Pain au Raisin

Fireside Treats

Gingerbread Maple

Kilamanjaro Skies

Red Raspberry

Mango Peach Salsa

Cranberry Twist

Garden Sweet Pea

I also have about a third of last year's Halloween Candy Corn jar candle left. I absolutely love the design of this jar and I will definitely be keeping this. But I am not a huge lover of the Yankee Candle Halloween scents. Much prefer the Christmas ones by far! Also this Candy Corn one never burned right for me. It ends up with this massive flame and smoke coming out of it. But I do want to use it up so that I can clean out the jar and keep it (not sure what I'm going to do with it, but it looks pretty).

I am sure there are plenty of Yankee Candle fans out there! I want to know what all your favourite scents are, tell me in the comments!

*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?

My MAC lipstick collection so far

Hi! Since I have been raving about how much I have fallen in love with MAC lipsticks I thought I would give you a quick look at what shades I have in my collection (so far). 

From left to right - VEGAS VOLT - SYRUP - PEACH BLOSSOM - VELVET TEDDY - LADY DANGER

My most worn one is probably Syrup, I am absolutely obsessed with it and it goes well with everything. So I have been wearing that one a lot, however I must admit I do prefer the finish of the matte lipsticks or the amplified ones. 

My least worn ones are probably Velvet Teddy and Lady Danger. I only bought Velvet Teddy because of all the hype surrounding Kylie Jenner. It is just too brown for me and i don't think I suit this colour. Lady Danger is a fabulous colour but I don't often have the confidence to wear it. It does have a beautiful finish though.

Vegas Volt is a very fun colour to wear. Although it is bright I still feel very comfortable when I wear it. It has an amplified finish and it is so nice and creamy.

Peach Blossom is a great every day colour. It almost looks as though I have no lipstick on at all! I can only wear this one when I don't wear fake tan because it ends up being too pale. But it is a fantastic colour and so easy to wear. 

By the way I got this great lipstick holder on Amazon for a measly £2.00! The only problem is the little slots are too small to hold any other lipsticks that aren't as nice and compact as the MAC ones. Meaning that I want to buy more MAC lipsticks in order to fill it up!