Illamasqua blusher in Hussy

 

I've had this for a little while now, and I can safely say Illamasqua's blushes have fast become one of my favourite formulations and I've accumulated quite a few over the past few weeks! Having discount codes doesn't help this.. From the Illamasqua blushes I own, I find them to be very pigmented, wiping one finger across and it picks up so much colour it's unbelievable. I love the packaging aswell, shiny black plastic in a unique shape. Large piece of clear plastic on top so you can easily see which colour it is. It's quite big, but fits perfectly in your hand. It seems like you get lots of product due to the size, but it is 4.5g, which is 1.5g less than MAC, but almost the same price. This is £16.50, and MAC's blushers are currently £17.50. But if you want to switch it up, and love bright colours in your make-up bag, you should give Illamasqua a go.

On Illamasqua's website, they describe Hussy as a matte bright candy pink, which is a pretty accurate description! I haven't really used it as much as I should of been doing, but it does give me a china doll rosy glow, especially with highlighter thrown into the mix. Hussy is probably one of Illamasqua's more popular powder blushes, and I can see why. It's a bright pink which will suit all skin tones, and is a great way to inject some brightness into your beauty routine. If you're afraid of bright lips, give this a go, you can apply lightly for a fresh glow, or really build up for some woooow. A perfect summer colour, bright and pink, need I say any more?

I'm going to get around to posting more of Illamasqua's blushes as I'm so impressed with their formulas and I think they're really worth the money.

xo.

Forever 21 Beauty: Blushers (and dupe!)

I think the reason I purchased these was for the packaging of the box... Anyway, these are two blushes I bought from Forever 21 when I went to the Westfield in Stratford. I was browsing round the accessories area, (which is amazing by the way!) when I came across their beauty section. Now I haven't really heard of Forever 21 beauty anywhere, but I was still intrigued. I saw these boxes, with the cute heart print and had to pick one up. Luckily they had some testers, and when I swatched them I was seriously impressed. Really pigmented and not chalky at all. Not bad for £2.40 eh! There was only 2 colours there,  (I've checked the website and they're the only 2 on there as well) and I couldn't decide on which colour to get, so I had to get them both, OBVIOUSLY.

Now, the packaging of the blush itself is really boring, plain black plastic case but then the blush itself is quite small within the palette. It only has 2.8g of product compared to let's say, MAC which is 6g. But then again, the price is worlds apart! But the quality is not... It's the same size as a MAC blush, but has a flat lid, and the plastic is matte rather than a shiny black finish.

These don't have colour names, the box for the pink one says 'pink' and the coral one says 'blush' (?!) but the coral blush is a new favourite of mine, and I've been using it constantly over the past few weeks. It's a gorgeous coral with yellow toned shimmer, but gives me the most gorgeous natural looking flush considering the colour. It's also very similar to a beauty heavyweight, as my swatches will show you :) The pink is brighter in pan than swatched, but it's probably very comparable to other pink blushes around and I probably have similar in my collection. 

Left to Right: Pink, Blush 

Left to Right: Pink, Blush, NARS Orgasm

As you can see, the colour is pretty much the same as NARS Orgasm, it's a tiny less pink and has a lot less shimmer, but it's so similar! It's also very similar to Benefit Bella Bamba, just again a little less pink, and it is the same colour as MAC Fleet Fast that came out with the recent Hey, Sailor! collection, FF has a lot less shimmer, but it's not that noticeable when worn.

I should of really swatched all of them together so you could of seen, but because they're all so popular, lots of people will have one or more of the similar shades I've mentioned! I've been using the F21 blush, MAC Fleet Fast, and Benefit BB the most recently, this shade suits me down to the ground. I know that I can just whack this on and it'll look fine, natural and flattering. Which is great as I'm always running late! This kind of shade is flattering on so many skin tones, I'm as pale as a ghost and this puts some life into my cheeks! Another thing, blusher is my current obsession, so be prepared for plenty of blusher posts!

So if you're looking for a cheap blusher and/or a cheaper alternative to NARS, MAC, or Benefit, look no further! :) 

xo.

ps. Just want to apologise for the quality of the pictures, had camera trouble for a while now! Another reason for my lack of posts, but thank you to everyone who reads and comments, they seriously make me smile :)

Shop MAC Cremeblend blush - Florida

I just want to say straight away, that for some reason, when I upload the pictures onto here, the colour of the blush is a lot different, and I've tried saving it in different ways, but I have no idea whats going on! The colour is a lot more blue based - think MAC Pink Nouveau, that sort of shade. This picture here (from Temptalia) is pretty much right when I wear Florida on my lips.

I ordered this from Debenhams' website, getting 10% off and free delivery, can't complain! Once again, I thought the packaging of the blush was in the print from the collection but it was just a sleeve like the lipsticks. Anyway I'm sure I'll live! As soon as I opened the case I was in awe! Such a beautiful colour, and I love pink, seriously anything pink. If it was a pink toilet brush I'd want it, sad but true. I don't usually wear pink blushers as they just make me look flustered and hot! But like I said - as it was pink I had to have it. I first tried it on my lips, and oh wow it's like wearing a lipstick, I loved the colour. So creamy and yes extremely similar to Pink Nouveau which is one of my favourite lipsticks. So this is right up my street. When trying it on my cheeks, I did look a bit flustered unfortunately, but I think I was a little heavy handed. So I'll keep working with it, I'm going to make sure this baby doesn't go unloved!

This is a pink shade for everyone, I know mid to dark skin tones would look great sporting this. And I think pale skintones wise - definately blonde and blue eyed. Although when I tried it earlier I wasn't wearing my 'war paint' and as my skintone is uneven it might look a lot better when I'm wearing my foundation. Maybe I can make it look a bit doll like!

As with cremeblend blushes, natural oils like to seep out of the product, which is why there are usually droplets on the surface of the product. I hate it when this happens, it just reminds me of sweat for some reason haha gross! Fortunately mine wasn't like this yay, but when this does happen you can just use a clean finger and wipe over the top, or take a brush and just swirl around the palette and it should mix it all back together. Cremeblend blushes are definately very pigmented and creamy, and they last longer than powder blushers. I don't know the longevity of this particular blush as I haven't worn it all day yet, but they're are usually about 4-6 hours on average (approximately). This is also a repromote cremeblend, and will probably be repromoted again in the future.

If you're looking for a similar shade and this has sold out, try Illamasqua. I was looking on their website for similar shades and found 'Laid' and thought it looked pretty much the same, and then I googled for swatches as I don't actually own it, and I found this post, and look! They're really close! Yay :)

Out of curiosity, do you own any cream blushes by MAC and/or Illamasqua? Which do you prefer? I still need to buy a cream blusher by Illamasqua! Recommend me some shades :)

x

February Favourites

Can't believe it's March already, when you get old it flies by..! Sighhh. Anyway, these are the products I've used consistently throughout February, most are my daily make-up items now. Looking forward to seeing what new stuff March brings!

Face: 

MAC Matchmaster foundation 1.0 - Matches my skin colour perfectly, (FINALLY!) stays matte and lasts all day, my definate favourite foundation at the moment.

Sigma F82 - Perfect with my MSFN, and the F80 with my foundation, finally been converted to using brushes with my foundations.

Clarins Extra-Firming Day Cream - Leaves my skin soft and not oily, which is a problem I have with every single moisturiser. I actually got this in the post from some company, but there no letter or anything in :/ just a random sample! No more will squeeze out, so I've had to cut it and there's still plenty in there!

TheBalm Frat Boy Blush - The perfect combination of peach and pink, leaves a lovely dainty flush! 

Illamasqua Cream Pigment Hollow - The perfect contour colour for me, doesn't look orange, taken me so long to find the right shade! I love it, wouldn't be without it now.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer - Couldn't say enough good things about this, covers my bags, redness and any spots. This badboy is forever a keeper!

Eyes:

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly - Use this every single day without fail, with or without shadow. Love how creamy it is, just covers any uneven skin tone on my lids and around my eyes.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara - Really makes my lashes look black, I wouldn't say they make my lashes look really long or perfect, like falsies, but good enough. I got this for Christmas, and I'm starting to think it's drying out now - keeps making my lashes go clumpy and stick together, not separating them like before!

LOOK Long Last Liner Eye Brightener - Again, I use this every day without fail. Perks my eyes up instantly without them looking over the top like they do when using white eyeliner. My eyes don't look as red or as tired now. So glad I found this!

Lips: 

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Addis Ababa - Such a lovely texture on the lips, so soft and creamy. A lovely bright pink, would suit all skin tones. Wear time isn't so great, but I forgive it because I just adore it! Really makes lips look plump and just lovely :)

MAC Pink Nouveau - I've just had a sudden craving for bright pink lips recently, so if I haven't worn the NYX Lip cream, it'll be this or MAC Chatterbox or Speed Dial or something. This lipstick is a satin finish but I think it looks and feels pretty matte. Really creamy, as if I've put loose pigment on my lips! Great statement lips without being too OTT.

Other:

Soap & Glory The Daily Smoother Body Butter - I've got to say from what I've tried recently I haven't been impressed with S&G's venture into cosmetics, but their body & bath products I will forever love! Starting to use up this body butter, as I have tonnes, and it smells lovely and does the job!

Marc Jacobs Oh, Lola! Perfume - Such a gorgeous smell, I'm so in love! The perfect mix of floral and fruity. Perfect spring scent, so delicate and feminine. Plus I'm in love with the bottle design, fits perfectly in the palm of your hand, and it's just so pretty, I want to carry it everywhere haha. I have to say I'm disappointed that the scent really doesn't last long :( I aways have to spray LOADS of perfume and top up all day long, so people can literally smell me coming! And this just does not last :(

Morrocan Oil - Okay, I officially love it. My hair is shiny all time time, and feels so much softer after I use this. My hair's not in great condition anymore, but this is a great start.

And because I'm so clever, I forgot to photograph my nail choices! 

Nails Inc Porchester Square - Lovely creamy and fast drying, it's a grey that seems to lean different colours in different lights. Looks lovely under Rainbow Connection too.

Nicki Minaj for OPI Fly, Pink Friday, and Metallic 4 Life - Might just have to purchase these as full sizes. Fly is the nicest turquoise, I'm totally smitten with it at the moment. Pink friday is just so girly I love it, and Metallic 4 Life is an easy way to 'toughen' up an outfit ;) Sort of.

So those are my favourites! Looking forward to finding new stuff in March, got my eye on Real Technique brushes, MAC Shop lipsticks (coming soon eek!), Topshops Sister of the Moon collection, and Sleeks Blush by 3 - I tried the 'Lace' Palette out in Superdrug a few weeks ago, and I'm kicking myself that I didn't pick it up! Oh well, more shopping to do :)

What were your favourites this week? Leave your links!

x

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?

x

VIVO Baked Blush - Peaches and Cream

Once again I ended up in my local Tesco store yesterday. Which is never good for my purse. Constantly buying things that I don't actually need... So after browsing the clothes section, (there are a lot of nice chiffon blouses at the moment, I've picked up 3 now!) I headed to the next best section - cosmetics. I then found myself at the VIVO stand at the end of the aisle. Straightaway my attention was drawn to the baked blushes. There were 4 shades in total, I believe they were all more of a pink shade, so this shade caught my eye. It's a warm peach shade, with a small hint of pink, which completely warms up complexions. When swatching the product, it felt soft and smooth, and the colour pay-off was great. Very pigmented, with a light sheen. For a product that cost £4 the pigmentation is amazing!

For me, the packaging just doesn't really do it. I also have a lipstick from the range, and I really don't like the casing for it. Quite big and chunky, and the cheap metallic look, which also appears on the back of this blush. I do like the clear lid where you can see the product, because the blush itself is beautiful! I am quite besotted with it to be honest! I would really recommend trying out these blushes, if you love a blush that isn't matte, and will you give you a natural glow without looking like a disco ball(!) for £4 you really can't grumble. Check your local tesco when you're next shopping! Make-up and food? The way to most girls hearts!

Looking a bit trampy, and you can't really tell the colour on my cheeks, but hopefully you get the idea...?! I'll try and do a better picture.

Have you bought anything from VIVO yet? What do you think of supermarkets branching out into clothing and cosmetics? Any other high streets gems you could recommend?

x

MAC Shop MAC, Cook MAC Collection

MAC Shop MAC, Cook Mac (Shop Shop Shop, Cook Cook Cook)

"Try and Buy a delicious, delovely, delectable, divine, degorgeous, de-with-it, degroovy assortment of Eye Shadow x 4 in wearable brights perfect for Spring. Treat yourself to Lipstick in heavenly hues, mouthwateringly Kissable Lipcolour and Cremeblend Blush. This Spring, shop ‘til you drop with a tongue-in-cheek collection that elevates the everyday into the extraordinary. Whether it’s detergent or diamonds, produce or Prada, everyone loves to shop, shop, shop!"

Available in UK from March.

I've been reading about this collection online for a good few weeks now, but only now has Temptalia posted the official collection pictures, and there are full descriptions available. I love the look of this collection, and I'm particularly excited for the lipsticks, so I'm posting the pictures and the descriptions are available on Temptalia, as I think it's still not on everyones radar yet. 

"Ladle on an extra helping of foodie fun with an appetizing assortment of temptingly tasty Tendertones, nearly black Fluidlines, Studio Careblend/Pressed Powder, Opulash Mascara, two Brushes and nosh-worthy Nail Lacquers in fun, bright shades sure to satiate even the most discriminating gorgeous gourmands. Cook M∙A∙C has spring’s no-carb, no-calorie recipe for kooky, kitschy, kitchen kouture insavoury shades for Eyes, Lips and Nails."

Lipstick (Limited Edition)

Innocence, Beware! Light yellow pink (Cremesheen) (Repromote)

Watch Me Simmer Bright pink orange (Amplified)

Naughty Saute Bright pepto pink (Cremesheen)

Quick Sizzle Bright pink (Matte)

Dish It Up Berry pink (Lustre)

Runaway Red Rich red blue (Satin) (Repromote)


(I'm posting the lipstick descriptions as these are what I have my eye on!)

I like the look of this collection, the packaging and the bright colours, it's a great way to welcome Spring. But to be honest, the more I look at the pictures, the less interested I actually am in this collection. The packaging is bright blue, yellow and pink, yet all the items don't seem to compliment each other. You have lipsticks and kissable lipcolours that are all pretty much pinks, opposite red and turquoise nail polish and bright paint pots. I would never wear them together. The eye palettes are somewhere in the middle also. I just find this combination really weird, and I think it will be a case of people buying select items from the range and not looking to get a complete look. Although the cremeblend blushes look quite nice too, but once again they're different to the other products. Does anybody else feel this or is it just me being crazy?! 

It's a shame only the outside packaging has this design, as I think it would be really good on the actual cosmetic casing. But you can't win them all! I think the promotion pictures have a bit of a 50's housewife feel to them, but with an obvious modern twist, but I love it. Especially the 'pink' look on the model with pink dress, it looks great on her skin tone.

This range comes out next week in the USA, so there will be swatches available soon, so I'm looking forward to seeing them! There are a few more collections coming out over the next few months of course, and I know Beth Ditto has just been confirmed for one which could be quite interesting. I still need to get my hands on some of the Naturally collection that has just been released.

Do you like the looks of this collection? Interested in anything?

x