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?

x

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.

x

Iris Apfel for MAC - Flamingo and Comparisons

Trying to get this lipstick was a bit of a nightmare.. I ordered it alongside Party Parrot from the Iris Apfel collection from MACs website. I did it the day it came out, alongside another lipstick from the Glitter & Ice collection. Anyway, they took my money and over a week later they sent me 'Such Flare!' the third lipstick I ordered, but no Iris Apfel ones! I was not happyyyyy. So I got straight onto customer services, and spoke to two different girls, (who were both really rude!) and they both told me that they had sold out and I wasn't going to be receiving them. Which I argued about saying I ordered it the day it came out, and they sold out a good few days after, so I should be entitled to my money's worth I gave MAC?! They were basically no help and said I'd get a refund and email about it, I received neither! So getting all panicky, (stupid really..) I rung again yesterday and spoke to a lovely man who told me they had all been dispatched in different parcels and I WOULD be receiving them! Sooo I finally got them yesterday, so happy, anyway let's move on...

"A colour collection inspired by a rare bird who has always been ahead of her time, Mrs. Iris Apfel. Subject of her own exhibit at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and larger-than-life star, Apfel boldly mixed flea market finds with haute couture decades before doing it was considered de rigueur. M·A·C presents Lipsticks, Beauty Powder and Eye Shadows with as much fabulous flair and joie de vivre as the woman who helped create it."


The lipsticks in the range are all very bright, and not for the faint hearted! They include 4 limited edition shades, and one from the permanent range.

From L to R;

• Flamingo (Lustre) - Light milky bright coral (Limited Edition)
• Morange (Amplified Creme) - Loudmouth orange (Permanent)
• Party Parrot (Matte) - Bright red-pink (Limited Edition)
• Pink Pigeon (Matte) - Bright cleanest pink (Limited Edition)
• Scarlet Ibis (Matte) - Bright orange-red (Limited Edition)

Flamingo Lipstick. It was only sold on the MAC website, unfortunately all the shades apart from Morange have now sold out. I know so many people are dying to get their hands on the lipsticks, but my only advice at the moment is to check blog sales, ebay, any forums with american bloggers, as they have it in their stores over there, and some will be happy to pick it up for you if you send them the money. Keep trying the website, and ringing up in case they have any returns, you never know!

I have a few lipsticks in my collection which I thought might be similar. It's not very helpful because a few are limited editions... But I don't really have many coral lipsticks to be honest anyway! I will have a lookout for more high street alternatives.

From L to R;

• MAC Flamingo (Lustre)
• MAC Costa Chic (Frost)
• MAC Cut A Caper (Lustre) - Limited Edition
• MAC Ever Hip (Cremesheen) - Limited Edition
• Topshop Ooh La La
• Sleek Pout Paint Milkshake

When I actually wear Flamingo, it is a lot more pink than in the tube, I don't think it's that recognisable comparing the tube to swatch to be honest. So any coral lipsticks are too orange/peach based. Costa Chic might be good if you blot it down. And it's not really a lipstick, but the Sleek pout paint in the shade Milkshake is quite close, but obviously it's a cream sort of finish. I think mixing the Sleek pout paints would be a good alternative to create the other bright colours in this collection. 

So there you go, I hope it helps a bit, probably not :( ! 

xoxo