Wednesday 30 January 2013

Illamasqua Pure Pigments

For a long time now I've had my beady little eye on Illamasquas pure pigment in Beguiled. After seeing that they had a sale on this month I was having a little nosey whilst my debit card wept in my purse, and lo and behold Beguiled was in the sale! 

I automatically added it to my basket along with 2 other shades Berber and Zeitgeist. Here's what I thought of them...

 Firstly the packaging is amazing. A sturdy plastic casing with sleek black lid. It's not your conventional square/round product, it has a curved edge to it, typical of Illamasquas other products.  I love the packaging as it sets it aside from the rest of the products in my collection.

Each of the pigments are extremely soft and blendable, whilst being some of the most pigmented products I've ever come across. 
Beguiled is a hi shine pigment that has no base colour. It has iridescent pink and green sparkles that look lovely placed on the inner corner of the eye for a really subtle highlight, or added over the top of an eyeshadow for a glamorous look.
Berber is just beautiful.Its a bright brick red with gold flecks n that really catch the light. When this is blended , it does loose some of its metallic sparkle but this can easily be solved by adding a little at a time.
Zeitgeist is a black based pigment with the sparkle of Beguiled thrown in for good measure. At first this disappointed me as it wasn't very pigmented but after playing around with it, it's quickly become my smokey eye staple. 

Here are the swatches below:

No base/primer

On a white base (NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk)

Over a black base (NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Black Bean)

I really, really love these pigments and can't wait to add more of these to my collection. 
I bought these for £5.00 in the Illamasqua sale, unfortunately this is no longer running but these are available at full price for £15.50.

Do you have any of these pigments? What's your favourite shade?





Monday 28 January 2013

Shopping My Stash #2

After my first shopping the stash, you can read that here I have loved rediscovering some previously unloved items. I was quite successful last week so hopefully this week will be the same Here's what I picked out...


Sleek Blush by 3 in Pumpkin:
I really want to get out of my blusher rut and try something  little more vibrant as opposed to my everyday taupe coloured one.. The oranges and pinks in this palette will help to update my look.

MAC Pro Longwear concealer in NW20:
I haven't been getting much sleep lately so I need all the help I can get when it comes to covering up my dark circles. This is also great for covering blemishes so I'm really looking forward to using this again.

MUA Eye Trio in Chocolate Box:
I love nuetral everyday shades but have recently been using slightly darker toned nudes. These help bring a bit of warmth into my face and with lashings of black mascara creates a lovely effortless look.

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Knight:
This is my least used of the jumbo pencils but nonetheless is a beautiful shade. A gunmetal shade with flecks of gold shimmer in, this is perfect for use on the lower lash line when I'm having a lazy makeup day.

Illamasqua Lipstick in Blaze:
I'm loving wearing a bright lip at the minute and this is definitely bright. I personally think this is like the matte version of MAC's Morange. 

Have you shopped your stash? What have you been rediscovering?

Friday 25 January 2013

Dealing with Anxiety


Just a warning, this post is really really long as its a very personal one and has been written time and time again.

Today I'm sharing a very different post to ones that I will normally post, but I asked on Twitter if you would like to hear about my story dealing with anxiety and the response was a resounding yes so here it is. Without sounding like an X-Factor sob story, I have found it very difficult to pluck up the courage to write about this, but I think it's important to share issues like this.

As a child, I was happy and outgoing, always wanting to do something. I think most people think that anxiety starts, or is rooted within childhood. That's not always the case. I was never unhappy as a child, my upbringing was great and I can look back and see some of the most amazing memories I will ever have. No-one in my family ever really had any issues either, so I honestly can't say it's been passed down over a period of time, although this circumstance has changed for reasons which I will go into later.

Going into my teen years and starting high school was fine. In fact, at the ages of 11-12 I couldn't have asked for anything better. But everything started to change when I was around 14. Like most teenagers, I had many friends. I remember going to sleepovers and constantly thinking about going back to my own home  the next day. A few months down the line it would get to the point where I would start making excuses about not going to stay over at my friends on a friday night, I just wanted to be at my own home. My mum would ask if everything was OK and I would tell her everything was fine. I then started to feel nervous at home. I would panic throughout the day about going to sleep at night. Something inside of me just panicked me that I would be laid awake all night and would get no sleep. I would literally cry myself to sleep some nights in fear of getting no sleep. It got so bad that I would worry all day, even on a sunday about going to bed that night. My mum and dad were starting to worry, and at 14 it was not normal that someone would have to sit by my bed whilst I went to sleep. Then one day, when I had an appointment with my asthma specialist he uttered the words that I honestly used to dread, "is everything else ok?", I turned and looked at my mum and she just burst into tears, then I did to. I was referred to a Child Psychologist once a month for 12 months, who gave me some breathing exercises and some word of wisdom. Honestly, this helped so much and within a few months I was back to "Normal".

For a few years everything was fine and I never experienced any feelings of anxiety for a while. Then when I was 17, I received the news that my Grandma was suffering from an inoperable Brain Tumour, a month before my 18th Birthday in august, The stress of my family caring for her, and starting at university that same year took its toll on me and my anxiety started up again. When she passed away a week before Christmas in 2010 I was at the lowest I've ever been. Then my Dad started suffering with anxiety attacks and my worry for him, my worry for my studies, my feeling of loss amongst other things really had driven me into a deep sense of loneliness and worry.

Some days even now, I feel so alone, and nervous, when in reality I have nothing to feel lonely or nervous about. My problem is that I would rather keep things bottled up rather than talk about the way I'm feeling. I've never had suicidal thoughts, I've never not wanted to be here, and I've never wished my life was different. There are just some days where I feel like I cant handle a normal day. Some days I would rather sit and do nothing rather than have plans and be excited. That's just the way it is. There are times when I'm filled with such dread and guilt because I know that those closest to me have seen the way I am when I'm filled with anxiety, I go quiet, I look down, then I answer with just one word answers, then my eyes would fill up and I would start to cry, even if I had nothing to cry about. I have to say I'm pretty good though. My parents rarely see me having a "down day" simply because I no longer live with them, and when I'm around my friends you wouldn't think there was anything wrong. The only person who really experiences this with me is my  boyfriend Olly. As I live with him, he understands when I'm having a moment and knows exactly what to do.

If you yourself struggle with anxiety, or know someone that does then there are a few things that can help. Solutions are different for everyone so if something doesn't work for you, then don't worry there will be a solution out there for you. For me, a good cry always helps, but so does talking. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to say "it's ok" and you can feel more upbeat. For other's a physical solution such as a cuddle is a great help to them. People who struggle with anxiety don't always require "special attention", it's just a case of asking how they are, if they have any plans, tell them about your day etc, as long as someone keeps the morale up then there are positives all round.
Picture courtesy of weheartit.

Apologies for the really really long post, but I hope that this has helped some of you who feel like you might suffer from anxiety or know someone that does. Remember it's always best to go see a doctor to be diagnosed properly, it's always best to have a professional opinion first.  
Remember, no two people are the same, everyone reacts different to situations. You're all beautiful, inside and out. 

Thursday 24 January 2013

Look Beauty Double Hit Lip in Pink Punch

I've done it again, I've bought another lip product that I really didn't need. I just couldn't resist this one. I bought this in my Look Beauty Haul earlier on in the week and have been reaching for it most days since. 

The Double Hit Lip is a duo ended product that provides both a matte lipstick and a coordinating gloss, which allows you to change your look throughout the day. 
 Here's what Look Beauty say: 

Universally flattering and as tan enhancing as a white dress, these colour pop shades look amazing, whether gloriously glossy or not! All the trends covered - matte, glossy or combine the two.

Tip: Wear either the lipstick matte, or the gloss solo, but for an ultimate colour hit, layer gloss over lippy for strong vinyl colour block lips.
Pink Punk is a ridiculously bright neon blue-pink that really is a stand out colour in my lip collection. The lipstick itself is matte in formula, but unlike most other matte lipsticks this isn't drying on the lips. I didn't find that it clung to dry patches on my lips or made them look drier than they were. The gloss is amazing. I'm not a massive fan of gloss but this one I love. It's super glossy, super pigmented and super long lasting. Super. The blue undertones in this shade make my teeth look shades whiter, which is always a bonus. 

The gloss alone:

The lipstick alone:

The lipstick and gloss together:
The packing is simple yet effective. The clear bottom of the lipgloss allows me to see it clearly in my collection, whilst the fact that its double ended means that I don't have to take two different items out with me. For a very purse friendly £8.00 these are worth every single penny.

Available from selected Superdrug stores and Look Beauty website.

I really love this! I'll definitely be adding more to collection. 
Do you have this product? What's your favourite shade?

Tuesday 22 January 2013

Rimmel Apocalips

A few weeks ago, I heard about the upcoming launch of the Rimmel Apocalips collecction, and I knew that I wanted it to be mine! I have to admit that all eight shades stood out to me and picking the ones that I were going to buy proved harder than I thought. So now that I have some, here's what I thought about them...


The Apocolips are a glossy, liquid lipstick that packs a real punch in the pigmentation stakes. From the most basic of nudes, to the big, bright, bold and beautiful, they have a shade for everyone. They're not at all sticky, and are comfortable to wear on the lips. I do recommend wearing a balm under these as they do tend to cling to dry patches which is normal for products like this, but this only the case with the lighter/nuder colours.
Personally, I haven't fully tested the longevity of these yet, but I do have a feeling that they will last very well on the lips due to the amazing consistency and pigmentation. They do leave a semi-matte stain (very hard to remove after swatching) which should last for another few hours at least. 





The shades that I have are Luna, Celestial, Nova, and Big Bang and I have to say that of the four, Big Bang is definitely my favourite so far.

The packaging is beautiful. They're are no other words for it. From the graphic design of the lid to the clear ends which show the shade perfectly, they are just great. 

I am definitely going to add more of these simply because they are just so beautiful and I have convinced myself that I need all 8 shades in my life. At £5.99 each they really are worth every penny and will become a staple in your collection.

Which shades have you got your eyes on? 

Monday 21 January 2013

Look Beauty Blusher in Sculpt

In my haul from Look Beauty this week, I purchased this blusher. Did I really need another blusher? No. But  this is different to any other shade that I have in my collection, so it was justifiable.



The packaging of the blush is beyond cute. This is true for all of their products. The pale pink box has a very light, embossed pattern on it, along with the product name emblazoned on the front in white. This is typical of a drugstore product as your high end products tend to come in sleek packaging, but I think that this looks quite cute.


The casing of the blush is plain silver again with the name across the front which is pretty simple. It does feel rather sturdy although it is only a magnetic closing which makes me worried about taking it out with me.


The blush itself its a muted rose pink that has a leaning towards a taupe colour. I really dont have any blushes that are this sort of shade in my collection so it was quite new to me. On first application, I thought that this looked a little ashen, but in real light its a beautiful natural flush of colour that I fell instantly in love with. I found that this blush, also gave me a natural contour which wasn't too strong but was certainly noticeable. There is a tiny bit of shimmer included in this but it isn't too much so that your face looks like a glitterball. 
The formula is soft and pigmented. This means that it doesn't look too powdery on the skin, but instead just sinks into the skin giving that natural colour that every girl looks for.


I definitely want to add more of these blushes to my collection. If you have any of these, which shades would you recommend? Do you like these blushes?

Sunday 20 January 2013

Snow Day FOTD

I have to admit, I LOVE the snow. I love watching it fall to the ground, I love walking out in it, everything about it makes me really happy. I haven't done a FOTD for a while so I thought that I would show you what I had on my face on Friday, which has been the snowiest day so far...


On my face I had:
Nivea Daily Essentials Primer
Kiko 3D Uplifting Concealer in 02 Natural
MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW20
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium

Eyes:
Urban Decay Naked2 (Foxy, Suspect and YDK)
Rimmel Glamour Eyes Liquid Liner in Black
Benefit They're Real Mascara

Lips:
MAC Rebel 

I very rarely wear my hair down, simply because I have so much of it. But I did embrace my thick hair and simply applied Aussie Shine Serum and blow dried it downwards. This made it easier to wear my hat (New Look).

I hope that you've been enjoying the snow, and that it hasn't caused too much havoc for you.

Saturday 19 January 2013

Look Beauty Haul

I'm sure many of you will know that Look Beauty have a half price sale on at the minute, and like many others I got really giddy as I added a few items to my online basket. I often swatch products at the Look Beauty stand in Superdrug but very rarely buy anything so I thought that the half price sale would be a perfect opportunity to try something new.

Here's what I purchased:

Make Me Blush in Sculpt:
I don't really have any blusher that are a sort of taupe colour, so this is definitely welcome to my collection. Although it has a shimmer to it I'm hoping this will help to finish off my contouring look.

Holiday Glow in Ibiza:
I don't actually have many bronzers in my collection so this again is a welcome addition. The only other bronzer I do have is my beloved MAC Matte Bronze, so this shimmer bronzer is a world away from that. I'm hoping that I will like this enough to take this away with me later on in the year.

Fresh Cheeks Cream Blusher in Guava:
I'm a full blown love affair with cream blushers at the minute so couldn't resist adding another to my collection. This is a peachy/pink colour that looks as though it will give quite a dewy finish.

Double Hit Lip in Pink Punch:
I've looked at these in store and could never decide which colour to get so I just sort of played lucky dip and picked any of them. I haven't tested this out yet but I definitely know it's neon. Hopefully this will look ok when applied

Nail Polish in Petticoat:
I didn't really need another nude nail polish but I couldn't resist this little beauty. I really like the formula of these nail polish and judging by the ones that I already have in my collection, so I'm looking forward to using this.

So that was the little haul that I purchased, and I will definitely be doing individual reviews of each of these items. Did you purchase anything from Look Beauty's half price sale? What's your favourite product of their's? 

You can find Look Beauty here or in selected Superdrug stores.

Thursday 17 January 2013

Shopping my Stash #1

I'm always on the look out for new products to try, just like every other beauty blogger. I decided that I would give my bank balance a break and shop my stash instead. I found this really fun to do as it was nice to rediscover things that I haven't used in a while.

Here are the items that I picked from my collection...


MAC MSF in Light Year:
I bought this when it came out with the Heavenly Creatures and used it almost everyday for a while, but it has become unloved due to new products. It gives a lovely subtle glow when using the loghter colours or swirled together for a lovely neutral toned blush.

MUA Cream Blusher in Yummy: 
This was my first attempt at a cream blusher and I love it. I'm a little unsure as to why I  haven't used this in  while but I'm going to start using it again to give my skin a natural dewy finish.

NYX Jumbo eye pencil in Sparkle Nude:
This gives my eyes a lovely vase for a nude eye look, and is perfect for during the day time for an effortless bright eye look. I have only used it a few times so I'm determined to give it a bit more loving.

Soap and Glory Lid Stuff in What's Nude:
I have a thing for a nude eye, and this is one that I like to take out with due to its size. Since I bought the Naked2 Palette this has become a little redundant, which is a shame because it's a lovely palette.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Liner in nude:
I bought this promising that I would wear it everyday, but as usual I didn't give it the loving I promised. I like to just pop this on my lower waterline for that wide eyed look.. This will go perfect with the Soap and Glory Palette.

Kate Rimmel Matte Lipsticks in 101:
I like a bold lip, but I'm wearing more nude and simple colours lately as I think it looks a little better for the day. This blue toned pink will finish off any look nicely and is perfect for everyday use.

So that was my first shopping the stash, and I have to say that I really enjoyed looking through my collection and changing up the products I'm using on a daily basis. 

Have you shopped your stash? If you have, I'd love to see so link it below and I'll have a nosey :)

Tuesday 15 January 2013

Purple Smokey Eye

I've been loving wearing a nude eye lately as its so effortless but once in while I do love to switch it up a bit and wear a smokey eye. I was a bit fed up of wearing the traditional black smokey eye and wanted something a little bit more wearable, so I opted for a purple tinted one instead. 

For this look I used my Sephora pop up colour store, which you can read about here. The great thing about using this meant that I had everything I needed, excluding a few essentials, all in one place. I used a selection of purples and a couple of the eye top coats to create this look...

I've been loving wearing this look a lot more recently, as its not too over the top but still dramatic enough to grab attention to the eyes. This can easily be toned down, or made even more dramatic by just adding a touch more black to the look. It's entirely up to you.

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Sephora pop up makeup store (Review here)
Rimmel Glam Eyes liquid liner
Benefit They're Real mascara
Eylure false lashes

If you've done any makeup looks I'd love to see them, just link them below :)

Hope you like lovelies :)

Sunday 13 January 2013

MAC Apres Chic: Haute Altitude

I've been loving wearing a bolder lip this winter, along with pretty minimal makeup everywhere else I think a statement lip is perfect. But once in a while, I crave a nude lip, and so I welcomed this shade with open arms!

























From the Apres Chic collection, Haute Altitude is a mid toned, blue pink that looks perfect for an effortless everyday lip. Being an amplified finish, the pigmentation is amazing and is opaque in one coat. I find it gives a my lips but better sort of look, which I love.


As with all MAC Lipsticks, that packaging is sleek and one that I love whipping out of my handbag and applying. I won't ramble on too long about the packaging because it is the same on every MAC Lipstick. I've bee wearing this everyday since purchase and have had so many compliments on it, so it's definitely my new favourite.

Sorry about the picture here, my flash was a little bit too strong. The typical wear time for this is a good few hours. One thing I love about amplified finishes is the amount of time they last on the lips, they really are second to none. On the lips they don't cling to any dry patches which is an added bonus. 



Overall, I love the simpleness of this shade and I'm considering purchasing a few more items from the collection. Unfortunately, this is a limited edition shade and is currently out of stock on MAC's website, but some stores do still have a few left in stock.


Friday 11 January 2013

My MAC Lipstick Collection

My love for lipsticks is huge. I'm like a magpie as I'm just drawn to them. My biggest love though is for MAC Lipsticks. These beauties just keep finding their way into my makeup collection, and there's no denying that they are a big hit in the world of beauty bloggers. Here is my collection, in no way am I trying to show off how many I have, I'm hoping that this will help those who are looking for a new shade or to start their collection, add items to their list :) 

1: Creme Cup: A blue toned pale pink thats perfect for everyday wear. This was the first mac lipstick I purchased and I haven't regretted it. Creamsheen finish.
2:Cut a Caper (Limited Edition): I really wanted something from the Heavenly Creatures collection and I knew that this would be it. A soft coral colour that is lovely in the summer months to add a pop of colour to my look. Lustre finish.
3:Fanfare: A pink beige shade that is again perfect for everyday use. This is perfect for every skin tone so is a great all rounder. Creamsheen finish.
4:Haute Altitude (Limited Edition):  I purchased this last week from the Apres Chic collection. This was the 
only shade that stood out to me as I'm having full on love affair with nude shades at the minute. Amplified Creme Finish.
5: Impassioned: I don't have many pinks in my collection so I added this one. A bright fuchsia that isn't too over the top. Amplified Finish.
6: Lady Danger: Who doesn't love a classic red lip. I was stuck between this and Ruby Woo but eventually went for this one. Perfect for all skin tones. I've been wearing this pretty much everyday for the festive season. Matte finish.
7:Morange: Orange lipstick isn't something I saw myself wearing until I picked up this beauty. A true orange thats almost neon, this is definitely my summer must have. Amplified finish.
8: Rebel: This is my current favourite, a deep berry tone that looks lovely on all skin tones. This is definitely one of my MAC must haves! Satin finish.
9:Up The Amp: This is probably my least worn MAC lipstick but I do still love it. A blue toned purple that looks great on a night out for a pop of colour. Amplified finish.














































I hope that you all enjoyed having a peek into my MAC lipstick collection. I have no doubt that I'll be adding more and more. 
Whats your favourite MAC Lipstick? Do you have any recommendations?