MAC Fresco Rose Paint Pot

After finally purchasing MACs Paint Pot in Painterly and loving it, I wanted to try out some other shades. I managed to win this brand new one on eBay for just under £10. I know it's unfair, as this came out with the Tartan Tale collection in 2010, but I did see another on eBay, and these do float around in blog sales aswell! Basically posting this, because I've gained 3 paint pots in a very short time, and am looking to expand my new little collection. 

Fresco Rose is a gorgeous shimmery pink, which leans warm. When I looked at swatches online, it looked cooler and more purpley, so a lot more blue based, so it was a bit of a surprise when I received it and swatched it. I love how creamy paint pots are, I was so surprised at the texture when I first tried them. I'm not sure what I was expecting, as they always looked so hard, I didn't get it! But the first word that definately comes to mind IS creamy. They glide on to eyelids with such ease whether you apply with a brush or your fingers. They can be used on their own as a shadow or as a base, which is what they're more commonly used for. 

You may of heard the names 'Painterly' and 'Bare Study' thrown around everywhere, these are 2 of the most popular shades MAC have to offer, and the other 2 I own. Painterly is a nude colour, and I sometimes use this just on its own with my eyeliner, as I find it just evens out colour and skin tone, or as a shadow primer. Bare Study is a shimmery cream colour, and can also be used on it's own or as a base. The shimmer in Bare Study can intensify a similar coloured eyeshadow placed on top if you want that extra punch with your eyes. I will post swatches and looks with them soon enough, but I can't recommend these two shades enough, as they're very 'safe' colours, and ideal if you are wondering what all the fuss is about!

Back to Fresco Rose, I've only worn it on it's own so far, but it would look so nice with a dusty rose shadow on top. A downside about some paint pots, is that when worn on their own, they tend to crease during the day, due to them being a cream formula, especially if you suffer from oily eyelids, (oy vey! :( ) but I put it up with that because other than that I can't fault them! I have read about them drying up around the 2 year mark, some sooner. As they come in a glass jar, you don't get the most airtight result you would hope for, but there are lots of tips online if you do have problems with this. I've just read that they should be stored upside down, (name label on top), as the moisture reaches the bottom or something, so I'm going to keep them stored like that now!

Excuse the next picture, I couldn't resist playing around with it before photographing!

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LOOK Beauty - Long-Last Liner

I'm happy to share with you one of my new make-up staples - LOOK Beauty's Long-Last Liner. I actually stupidly forgot to put it in the post of my daily make-up, don't know how I could forget it! I got this a few weeks ago, and I use it every single day. Basically, it's a liner you use along your waterline to help brighten your eyes. Something most girls learn in their teenage years to do with white eyeliner. But I find this is too much, and this is the liner I have been looking for for so long! Great for in a rush and even if you're not even wearing make-up it will make you look more awake straight away.

It's pretty much the same as MACs Chromagraphic pencil in NC15/NW20 which is discontinued. Except it's readily available and so so much cheaper! £6! SIX POUNDS! Sorry, but I feel like I've found my long lost sister or something. I finally have something to make my eyes look much bigger and brighter, and hide the awful redness! Even makes my eyes look whiter, all from one small product and one small line. Uh-maaazing. Think of it as a concealer for your eyes whoooo. Apart from all the UNDER-eye concealers you can buy..Ahem...

The liner comes with a smudge brush at the end, but I don't feel the need to use it, other people might want to, for using in the corner of your eye I guess? But this does come on the other liners available. This doesn't really have a shade name unlike the others, it just says 'Eye Brightener' and 'Shade 6' on the label. I find that this is really creamy and pigmented, it doesn't tug at my waterline, or get stuck in my lashes. It also doesn't irritate my eyes, whether it be along my waterline or in the corner of my eye. And it lives up to its name and lasts a longgg time, all day to be precise!

I can't recommend this product enough, a cheap and cheerful way to make you look bright eyed, what more could you want? This is my second purchase from LOOK Beauty, and so far I've been very impressed. I hope it keeps up when I'm next in Superdrug because I'm heading for you LOOK! 

Have you tried LOOK Beauty products? If so, what ones? 

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Sigma F82 & F84 Kabuki Brushes

Been meaning to post this review for aaages now, I'm utterly hopeless! Anyway, pretty much everybody will recognise these brushes, so I'll try not to blab on for very long! These two kabuki brushes are from the Sigmax collection. 

"The F82 Round Top Kabuki brush simplifies precise makeup application under the eyes and around the nose. This brush is also perfect for achieving flawless coverage using liquid and powder products. Made of Synthetic Sigmax HD filament." - Sigma Website

"The F84 Angled Top Kabuki brush is the perfect brush for precise, yet blended application of products on the cheeks. It seamlessly applies cream, powder and liquid products. Made of Synthetic Sigmax HD filament." - Sigma Website

I already owned the F80 Flat Top Kabuki, and I at the time I used it for my powder, which isn't it's main purpose. But I loved the brush, how soft it was, how the handle sat in my hand perfectly. So when I saw these two on the Sigma website for about £15 for the pair, (if I remember correctly) I knew I couldn't pass them up. 

I finally have the right brush for my powder - the F82. Works brilliantly hand in hand with my MAC MSFN, a perfect partnership! As it's a rounded top, it gets into curved areas on my face. It can also be used for liquid foundation, but I now use my F80 for that. 

The F84, I use for powder/cream blush. It's a multifunctional brush, and can be used for powder as well as highlighting and contouring. I personally find it's a bit big for contouring, and have my eye on the tapered F86 as that's perfect for countouring. I haven't actually used this for powder as of yet, so I must give it a go and see if it's any better than the round top F82. 

I love the look of these brushes, they look so professional yet are such good value for money. I've already washed them, and they're still as good as new, with no shedding. Has the usual silver writing on the black barrel. These brushes had synthetic 'Sigmax' fibres which makes them extremely soft, easy to clean, and perfect for applying make-up, especially minerals. And seeing as they're synthetic, they're suitable for vegans!

I would totally recommend these if you're looking for aid with applying foundations, you can purchase them on the Sigma website, but the cheapest shipping is about £8 approximately. These Sigmax brushes are about £10 each, or you could purchase the whole set of 4 for just over £35, not too shabby! They sometimes do free delivery and often do discount codes if you're considering using the website. Other websites sell these in the UK such as Love-makeup and eBay has a seller or two which sell them now. 

I now have my eyes on the Mrs Bunny vegan kit, they have the same fibres, and they're baby blue! So cute! Also, the Sigmax precision kit, which has brushes that basically mimic the fingers, great for concealer, eyeshadow, contouring etc. I really need to try out Real Techniques aswell, only ever hear good things!

What do you think about Sigma brushes? Can you recommend me a Real Techniques brush to try?

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It's here...

Finally! Viva Glam Nicki has turned up on my doorstep! Let out a little squeal when I opened up the packaging. I love new MAC lipsticks way too much... Viva Glam Gaga is one of my favourite MAC lippies ever, so I was hoping this would live up to that. MAC describe this Satin finish lipstick as bright yellow pink, and I would say they're not far off. From all the different swatches and pictures I've seen on other websites and blogs, I really wasn't sure how the colour truly leaned and how it would come out on myself. 

VGN is a Satin lipstick, a formula I only own two of, Rebel and Pink Nouveau. I really get on with Pink Nouveau, I find it creamy and non-drying, it feels like a Matte when you're putting it on, except it's obviously a bit shinier than a Matte. With VGN, it really highlights any dry skin on my lips, which was a straightaway no no! Anyway I persevered, and was a little disappointed with the colour. I don't know if it's me being so pale or not, but the colour was literally neon! Which is the sort of shade I would expect from Nicki Minaj, but not what I've seen on the web. I suppose at the end of the day, it's the luck of the draw! We all have different skin tones, and different colour lips, some more pigmented than others. But I was just expecting it to be a lot less in your face, due to the swatches I've seen. When I blot it down (a lot!) I do really like the colour, it takes the edge off. Recently I have been wearing a lot of bright pink lipsticks, all blue based though, so maybe I'll experiment and give it more of a go. Who knows, I may grow to love it.

I wouldn't say to not purchase this lipstick, as it looks gorgeous on lots of girls I've seen so far, especially those with a tan! Will look gorgeous in the summer, shame on me for not being able to tan... Suppose I'll have to whack the fake tan out!!

I love that all the money (except VAT) from purchasing the lipstick and Ricky's lip conditioner goes to MACs AIDS fund. All the more reason to buy make up! I'll post a lip swatch tomorrow, but for now I have a swatch on the back of my hand, I would say it is a little more pink in the flesh, the camera hasn't really picked it up as well as I would of hoped.

Have you ordered this lipstick yet? Do you like the looks of it? 

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NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - Addis Ababa

Another bright pink lip product for you! I got this from Adrienne's blog sale from one of my favourite blogs The Sunday Girl. She reviewed this also, but I love it so much, I had to put it on my blog! 

"Neither lipstick nor lip gloss—this is matte lip cream. A new kind of pout paint that goes on silky smooth and sets to a matte finish. Soft Matte Lip Cream is surprisingly durable and, unlike some matte 

lipstick formulas, also moisturizing. Available in 11 lip colors" - NYX Website.

This is a blue based vibrant pink, with a creamy matte finish. I'd say it's still not as vibrant as an actual lipstick, but it's still not far behind! The formula is matte, and so silky, it glides onto lips perfectly and feels so comfortable. It also isn't as drying as other matte lip creams I've tried from brands such as Collection 2000 and Bourjois. I am really in love with the colour aswell, it actually looks good on my ghost like complexion! It's going to be perfect for Summer and I can't wait! I have my eye on some other shades in the range, and at £5 I think I'm allowed ;)

You can purchase these from loads of places on the internet, including their UK website.

What do you think of the colour? Do you like lip creams or prefer lipsticks? 

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Katy Perry Eylure Lashes - Sweetie Pie

They're finally here! Got my hands on a pair of Katy Perrys lashes by Eylure. I did have my eyes on "Oh, Honey!" But when I picked them up, they looked SO fake and cheap, and were really messy! So I went for the next down, more natural - "Sweetie Pie" I think I was more swayed to the pink packaging to be honest! As I'm a sucker for anything pink, and cute packaging - a deadly combination. They come with the standard lash glue, instruction leaflet, and also a cute little sticker! They could of put in a Katy Perry sticker I suppose, but hey. I haven't tried these on yet, so I will post a picture with them on so you can see how they look. But I have a confession... I haven't actually ever worn false lashes before. I know, shock horror right?! They're always freaked me out a bit, the whole glue thing. I've bought a few pack before, but never gotten round to putting them on. So this time I'm going to actually use these! 

These cost £5.95 from Boots, and are available on the Boots website too. I went into Superdrug and they weren't in there, so I don't know if they're a Boots exclusive or not.

Are you interested in this collection? What do you think about it? This is the post I wrote about the collection information.

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What's in my make-up bag: Daily make-up

• MAC MSFN in Light: The best powder I have ever tried. Stays put all day long, perfect for my oily t-zone, and leaves my skin feeling smooth.

• Topshop Highlighter in Sunbeam: Golden yellow highlighter, really accentuates cheekbones, looks lovely underneath a blusher, plus it's only £9! Really soft and pigmented, wish Topshop would bring out more shades in this!
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• MAC Eyeshadow in Grand Entrance: Lovely neutral light gold shade. Perfect to just quickly put over the lids when I'm in a rush and want some sort of colour. Otherwise I'll turn to my Naked palette.
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• Philosophys The Present primer: Leaves a lovely finish, matte, and my cheeks always feel super soft. The smell isn't very nice, and the price tag is a little much, but it's a nice luxury. I do rotate my primers, other favourites include; The PoreFessional and Smashbox Photo Finish.
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• Illamasqua cream pigment in Hollow: I've finally found the perfect colour for contouring my unbelievably pale skin! 
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• MAC Matchmaster foundation in shade 1.0: Obviously the palest shade they do. It has a lovely matte finish, and matches my skin perfectly, which is a really hard to find! You can also build up the coverage from medium.
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• MAC Paint Point in Painterly: Nude colour paint pot. So unbelievably creamy. Can be used as a base or on it's own, and I usually just use it on it's own to smooth eyes and oily lids. Makes eyeliner pop a bit more.
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• MAC Satin blush in Fleur Power: My favourite MAC blush ever. Gives me the most amazing natural flush, especially with highlighter combined. Recommend it 100%
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• E.L.F Cream eyeliner in Black: Really good eyeliner, lasts all day long, and it's only £3.50! Sometimes smudges a bit underneath my waterline, but it's not that noticeable, and I can put up with that little negative for the price tag! The perfect brush to accompany is MAC 209.
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• Benefit They're Real! Mascara: The price is a bit off-putting, but makes my lashes really thick and black, and is perfect for going out. If I feel like a lighter mascara, I'll use MAC Haute & Naughty, No7 or Chanel Inimitable.
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• Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in shade Fair 01: Hands down - the BEST concealer I have EVER tried! Prefer it to my MAC, Bobbi Brown and Benefit! Brightens my eyes and covers spots perfectly all day long. Can't believe I waited so long to purchase this! And seeing as it's so purse friendly at just over £4 it's a total repurchase. Holy grail - there, I said it!

My make-up bag I got in the sale at ASOS, had a thing for tartan for a while now! As you can see, I do like to incorporate a lot of MAC products into my routine, and I'm not snobby for that, but I love my make-up and I find my skin awful to work with, so I would rather spend the extra money on products that actually work for me. For instance, it's really hard to find a foundation pale enough for me that doesn't have an orange tinge or oxidise. And one that puts up with my oily t-zone, and my nose which seems to HATE foundation! So I like to spend extra money on my primers and foundations to make me feel a bit better and more confident about my face and skin. I do love to find bargains in drugstores, and seeing as I spend most of my money on cosmetics, I do have a good range of make-up from drugstores to high end make-up, and I do like to mix it up, but these are my every day products at the moment which I know I can count on them working for me. 

I haven't put the brushes I use - So I use MAC 209 for eyeliner, Sigma F80 Kabuki for foundation, Sigma F82 for powder, E.L.F Angled blush brush for blusher, MAC 165 for highlighter, MAC 217 for blending, Urban Decay Shadow for eyeshadow/paint pot and I'm using No7 eyelash curlers at the moment. I haven't added any lip products, because I will always use a different colour every day. I always have my carmex and vaseline to hand, or my MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner. Some of my favourite lip products to use during the day are; MAC Lovelorn, Hue, Creme Cup, Please Me, LOOK Double Hit Lip in Rose Riot and Topshop Innocence. I also use MAC Fix+ every day to try and 'secure my face in place' all day! 

What are your daily staples? Do you think there's anything different I would like that you could recommend?

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OPI Original Nail Envy on BuyaPowa

Only 100 available! And they're going to go fast!! I've already purchased mine :) Can't believe how cheap it is! Thought I'd share the good news.

Also, until 8am tomorrow, Illamasqua are offering 20% off everything on their site to celebrate reaching 50k followers on facebook. Just use code 50KFANS. There's also FREE delivery! Don't you love it when this happens?! 

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Topshop Lipstick - All About Me

This lipstick has been available for a while, and I've had in my possession for a while also. One of Topshops more recent shades, All About Me, is a vibrant blue based pink, with a matte finish. Housed in Topshops typical simple illustrated white metal case, and it's signature sweet smelling scent, this is a colour not for the faint-hearted. 

I don't really have many bright pinks similar to this, my collection plays host to NARS Schiap, MAC Show Orchid, and Models Own Deep Fuschia (Pretty similar, just a bit brighter and more creamy). When trying these against All About Me, they are quite a bit more blue based. I do believe this is quite similar to MAC Girl About Town, but I don't own it, so I can't say for certain, it is definately close, just knowing from knowing the shade off of the top of my head. So if you're not sure about bright shades, but have your eye on Girl About Town, maybe give this a look? 

I now own 8 of Topshops lipsticks, shame I know.. And I do love their finish, all matte and not drying in the slightest. The box itself says matte finish moisturising lipstick, for me having the driest lips in the woooorld, I don't find it moisturising, just creamy and not drying. I also love the satisfying click I get when putting the lid on the case, sounds really sad! I've just had a thought - Because the case is metal, and whenever I hold it, it's always cold, so maybe it will be better in Summer? I could be totally wrong, but it's a thought! 

A definate downside about this lipstick, is the bad thing about Topshops packaging, with it being white, it gets dirty reeeeally easy. It always looks battered after being in your bag once or twice, and I hate it when products looks really used! It can get scratched aswell sometimes. Their packaging is like NARS, where fingerprints just seem to stick like glue, but it's only a small negative to buying it. I also find that this lipstick really stains my lips, which is always a bit annoying, but easily fixable. 

I don't really get away with bright lipsticks, but I seem to just get away with this shade. I think it is definately a bright pink that will suit all skin shades. Will be perfect for summer! Definately a festival colour, when you need to detract from untameable hair ;)! Seeing as I own a fair few of Topshops lipsticks, I obviously recommend them. If you don't like scented products, then steer away. To be fair, they have a smell which I can't put my finger on, a mix of sweets and rose?! (Help me here!) But if this shade isn't your cup of tea, definately try other shades in store, they have some gorgeous colours, and their lipsticks are only £8 which don't break the bank.

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Fearne Nail Polishes

Picked up these polishes the other day from Boots as they were on offer for 1/2 price. I had always looked at the colours and admired them, but always went for other nail polishes instead. But for £2.75 each I couldn't really say no. There wasn't that much choice left, and all the bottles had obviously been there for a while, as they were all a bit scratched or dirty, but I ended up going for the Lime Green and Mint Green. I don't usually ever wear lime greens, but this is a perfect colour, really creamy and more yellow based, I will definately wear this in the warmer weather, it just screams summer! The second colour I picked up was the Mint Green, which is very blue based, and I would say the colour is very similar to Tiffanys blue! I've got plenty this sort of shade, but it's always a favourite colour. For the picture above, I quickly applied one coat each, I think they've been sitting for a long time, and so they were quite streaky. But if I was to apply two coats they would definately even out. The bottle design is quite cute, simple, a little bit different, but I still think it was never attractive enough to make me purchase it when it was full price. They're still on offer on the Boots website here, and I assume if there's stock left, they'll still be in store.

What do you think of these colours? Do you have any of Fearnes cosmetics? What do you think of celebrities bringing out make up collections?

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Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit - Porcelain

Another purchase from BuyaPowa, not too happy with them at the moment, I've been waiting for ages for the Shu Uemura eyelash curlers and Naked 2 palette for ages, and now I've missed them both!! Anyway.. I've wanted to try the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit for a while now, as I always suffer with dark circles, and I've only ever heard good things about it. Obviously being as pale as milk, my shade is Porcelain, and luckily it was on buyapowa, for a lower price of £18.

It's housed in a small black plastic case, with a mirror inside, which is great for touch ups on the go. Very sleek looking case and it's the perfect size for travel.

When swiping the product, the product name is definately correct, as it is super creamy, buttery soft. Perfect for working under and around the eye. It comes with a pan of white/translucent powder, but for me, I didn't find it to be much of a use, and I just top with my MSFN anyway. This definately does a good job of concealing dark circles, but I found sometimes it would get caught in eye creases, and just highlight it more. You can also use it to cover spots which it does a good job of too. To be perfectly honest, I prefer my Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer, I've tried numerous concealers, and I think this is my favourite to date. For £4 it is amazing! I find it brightens my eyes aswell, so definately try that out when you're next in Superdrug or Boots. But back to the product in question... I think I will definately give this more use, and see if there are other ways to make it work for me, I've only tried it over foundation, so we shall see. I'm not too sure I would recommend you go out and buy this straightaway, unlike most people who always say how great this is. But I will keep working with it and keep an update.

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MAC Lip Swatches

This is most of my collection, I do have plenty of others I didn't get round to photographing. As you can see, lots of them didn't come out too great! They're pretty rubbish to be honest... I don't have the right lens at the moment, plus I did some at the wrong time of day, nice one! But I thought I'd post them anyway, and then try getting round to re-photographing them and adding the others. And when I actually sort myself out and make my blog a bit more functional, I'll add a link, and constantly update new purchases. Everyone loves a good old swatch, so hopefully when they're all decent they'll help somebody! I would love to do this for my nail polishes, but I have well over 200, and I think it would probably take me nearly a year to do it...! For reference, I'm basically a NC/W15 sometimes paler :( 

What MAC lipsticks are on your lists at the moment?

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