Pretty Things

I am moving house tomorrow so all of my make-up is sitting in box, as is my camera.  Boo.  I thought I'd do a quick post before my computer gets dismantled.  I'm hoping to have the internet installed at the new place by the end of next week but who knows...

On Wednesday I took a friend shopping for her first ever lipstick.  It was a success, she actually ended up buying the lipstick I wore on my wedding day.  A rather good choice :-)

I didn't have any money to spend but I did have some Boots Advantage Card points, yay for previous spending.  I got these 2 Models Own nail varnishes, my first from this brand.  And the pictures I found match so well in size don't they!?  They are both from the Beetlejuice collection.  All of the shades are beautiful and I think, when purse permits, I may get a few more of them.

Indian Ocean

Tropical Sun

 That was all I bought on Wednesday but I did find a few more things for my 'buy one day far off in the future' list.  I am truly becoming a magpie, all day I was drawn to glitter, whether it was in a form I would actually wear or not.

My sister bought a concealer from Bourjois so I was distracted by one of their intense Eyeshadows.  I stupidly did not look at the name of it and their own website is rubbish for telling the colours but thanks to your beautiful swatchers out there I've found it.  It's 03 sand rose.  If you want to see it in detail check out  this site.

Next, on to something I would probably never wear but is gorgeous all the same.  We went to MAC in Debenhams and straight away I was drawn to the Hey Sailor! 'To the beach' bronze body oil (what a mouthful) in Seaside.  I can't imagine a time where I would actually cover myself in shimmery oil apart from to maybe stare at myself.  I doubt I will buy it but I will probably go back just to rub it all over my hand again.

I am SO impressed with Topshop make-up.  All I've bought from there so far is a lipstick (Infrared) but I'm definitely being drawn to spend a lot more money there.  The cream blushes are just so creamy (d'uh).  I only have one cream blusher, an peachy Urban Decay one, and although it's not very vibrant by itself, it is great with a similar coloured powder over the top (like my Illamasqua Lover).  When I buy a more pink cream blush I'll definitely look to Topshop.
Topshop have a really good selection of nail varnishes, all £5-6 I believe.  Here's a few that I am desperate to see on my nails soon.  I think they speak for themselves.  I love teal, glitter and duo chrome finishes.  Swoon.

L-R Green Room, Jewel in the Crown, Marine Scene

L-R Adrenalin, Eclipse, Hidden Treasure, Mermaid

I was also rather attracted to their Cheek Stick in Prism.  It looks similar to a Nars Multiple (in maybe Cococabana or Luxor) and blended really well into the skin.  As with blushers, most of the ones I have are powder, so I may just have to try this so that I have all my bases covered.

Prism

Though a very new make-up range, they already have a lot of choice.  The prices are all slightly higher than most drugstore brands but a few pounds cheaper than MAC (and most people would say they are comparable in quality).


In other news, I have been given a rather fabulous gift of IKEA vouchers and so am finally able to buy a dressing table and somewhere proper to store my make-up.  Until know I've had most of it balancing precariously on the ends of bookshelves.
Straightaway I thought yes, I can finally get the MALM dressing table I've had my eye on.  However, it's £95 and would not allow me to get the storage unit I would like.

MALM dressing table

They have a desk, MICKE,  that is fairly similar although a bit longer and with 2 drawers instead of 1.  It has a hole in the corner for wires but that is easily covered up.  It is £59.99 and I'm debating whether to get it in all white or white with birch drawers.  What do you think?

I have a few storage options but that choice depends on which dresser I choose.  So exciting! I'm looking forwards to showing you it all once bought.

Next post from the new flat, hope I can do it soon!

My pick of bright lips

I'm really in to bright lips at the moment...perhaps because the weather is so miserable at the moment so I'm experiencing spring/summer via my lip colour.  Anyway, I'm loving it.

This lipstick is sooo exciting.  I've only just got it.  I'm not usually one to buy from the MAC collections but this colour screamed 'buy me now', and you can't ignore a talking lipstick! It is called Watch Me Simmer and is sold out in all of our local MAC shops so I had to order it.  I's a lot more orangey than I remembered it being in the shop but I am so happy with it.

Watch Me Simmer

Watch Me Simmer

This next one is Impassioned, one of MAC's best-sellers I believe.  This and Watch Me Simmer are the Amplified formula, so really strong long-lasting colour which tends to stain the lips........it was a mistake to photograph these 2 first; it took a while to get my lips back to neutral for the next colours.  I actually bought this one a few weeks ago when I wanted Watch Me Simmer was sold out in store.  I was craving a similar bright, this colour has more pink in it.  It stays on for a good few hours.

Impassioned

Impassioned

This beauty is from the L'oreal Riche blondes collection.  I love the colour but even better is the smell, exactly like parma violets.  Yum!  It's called Magnetic Coral.  Until recently I always avoided coral as I wasn't sure if suits me, however this one (and the Dating Coral from L'oreal Caresse) is not too orange and so looks quite good on pale ole' me.

Magnetic Coral

Magnetic Coral

 This colour is Aphrodite Scarlet, one of the amazing L'oreal Caresses (my choice over the lip butters any day).  Not quite sure why it's called scarlet, and it's more a red-pink.  I like it although I think it would look better on warm-toned skin.  It is very sheer so a good option for those a bit scared of bright colour.

On a side note, I had forgotten there were freckles on my lips until I saw these photos.  

Aphrodite Scarlet

Aphrodite Scarlet

Another L'oreal Caresse, this is Impulsive Fuchsia and is my current go-to colour.  It's a blue-toned pink, again sheer but with enough colour to stand out. I was wearing it yesterday and a male friend commented on how bright it was.  I was thinking "you should see some of my other colours!"

Impulsive Fuchsia

Impulsive Fuchsia

  This was my first Topshop make-up purchase.  It's called Infrared and is a very bright reddy-orange.  I'm not convinced it suits me but I don't care.  I love it.

Infrared

Infrared

I thought I would include a few lip glosses.  They don't look as bright on but when combined with lipstick or lip pencil they can be just as vibrant.

L-R Foxy Lady, Spiked Punch, Indulge

Both of these Benefit Ultrashine lipglosses came in the Ticket to Glossytown set which I got on sale at Debenhams for, I think, £13.  Foxy Lady is a warm pink with cooler glitter, good alone but amazing on top of a lipstick.

Foxy Lady

Spiked Punch is a coral colour.  It's one of those glosses that definitely looks a bit better once you've been wearing it a while.  I have quite a lot of lines in my lips; the gloss doesn't settle into them too much but does go a bit patchy. A really nice, summery colour though.

Spiked Punch

This is Illamasqua's Induge which I LOVE.  This photo does not do it justice.  The gloss is highlighter pink! It's a very thick gloss so I find that the best way to apply it is to dot it around the lips and then just smoosh your lips together a lot. 

Indulge

This gloss is a recent purchase.  It's part of the Bourjois 'smile enhancing' collection.  The glosses all have micro particles that are supposed to make your teeth look whiter, while the other end contains a clear gel which you put on your teeth.  I think you'd have to use the gel a lot to make any difference, I certainly haven't, but it is minty and I do enjoy that.  The colour is 05 Framboise Hollywood.  There was a lighter pink colour which I also liked, think it was called something Fraise.

Framboise Hollywood

Framboise Hollywood

 Last but not least is my choice in bright lip pencil.  To be honest, there isn't much choice.  I went around all of the drugstore brands in Boots and Superdrug looking for a bright pink pencil and didn't find a single one to satisfy me.  I bought this one, by NYX, on Amazon for about £3 (we don't have NYX in stores in the UK).  It is called Hot Pink and is exactly what I was after.  I find that my lips to tend to need a liner just because my natural lip line has been destroyed by years of cold sores; my edges are all a bit blurry.

Hot Pink

Hot Pink

Hope you've enjoyed that onslaught of colour.  What are your favourite brights? Which do you want to buy? The next bright lip colour I want to get is MAC's Girl About Town, I know the world and her dog has it but it is beautiful.  

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Just as an afterthought, if you're after some cheaper bright lipsticks I've quickly swatched two MUA colours to show you.  These can be found for £1 each in Superdrug.  They are quite glossy so do not stay on the lips that long but for that price you can afford to reapply as often as you like!

L-R shade 12 and shade 3

A Day of Bargains!

Long over-due post, yes I know.
On Tuesday I went into Cardiff, thinking maybe I'd get myself a little something as very soon I'll have no money (due to moving, increased bills yadda yadda).
I ended up having a rather good day, makeup-wise anyway.

I went to Debenhams to buy some Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation in RF 105. It's a pink-toned white, which I've been wanting for a while to mix in with my other foundations.  Usually I go for the palest in any foundation range (about NC15) but quite often it is still too dark, or too yellow.  I already had the Rich Liquid in 120 (one of the palest flesh-tones) so knew that it mixes quite well with other products and that it will last me an incredibly long time (a little goes a long way).  I usually use the Illamasqua highlighter brush or a damp sponge to apply.  It is notoriously tricky to blend, though when mixed into another product this is not a problem.
It retails at £21.50 but I count it as one of my bargains as I had enough points on my Debenhams Beauty Club Card to take £5 off.  Yay.  I love surprises like that.

105, 120 in natural light

105 and 120 mixed in natural light

mixed with flash

 On to bargain number 2.

I do love a bit of MUA, very good quality at the lowest of low prices.  In fact, I thought it couldn't possible get any cheaper.  I was wrong.  I've been browsing their online store recently and despite their very good online offers (there's always a buy ... get ... free) when I have a Superdrug as close as I do, it pains me to pay for delivery.  I'd been eyeing up the pearl eyeshadow in shade 6, a rather lovely aqua green colour.  The wonderful lady at the til spotted the colour in my hand and instead gave me a 3 eyeshadow set from the Christmas range....wait for it...reduced to 49p.  Three eyeshadows for 49p!!! The set contained pearl shadows in shades 5, 6 and 7.  Having played around with them a bit I would definitely use all 3.

Shades 5, 6 and 7

5, 6 and 7 with flash

5, 6 and 7 in natural light

 Are you ready for bargain 3? This is probably the one I'm the most excited about, I'm just writing them in the order that they occurred.  I'm really into NYX at the moment (great lip pencils) and had heard that they were sold in some House of Fraisers.  I went into the Cardiff one expectantly but alas, no NYX.  Somewhere in my brain was a memory that NYX palettes were spied in TK Maxx, so off I trotted.  No NYX there either but there was a different gem of a find.  A box set of 5 Lip Fusion inFATuation lip glosses.  Yeeha! I don't know that much about them other than Sam Schuerman loves them....and I rather love her so I was extremely excited when I spotted them.  I was only thinking the other day that I did not own a red lip gloss yet, and now I do.  These colours are all really beautiful.  They contain no shimmer, which is quite unusual for me, and they have a plumping effect.  They feel cool on the lip rather than burny like some plumping glosses, and unlike others the feeling lasts quite a lot time.  The gloss is quite thick so stays on for a few hours (without drinking etc.).

Oh yes, the important bit....they should have been something like £29.99, I got them for £6. Yay! I love you TK Maxx.

Aren't they so pretty!?

L-R La Lip Jolie, Big & Bare, Screen Siren, Full Frontal, Pucker Up

In the same order as above, in natural light

Bargain #4 was very unexpected.  I went into a Tesco Extra late at night looking for pomelos (boo, there aren't any around at the mo). My husband wanted a new hair brush so I, of course, wandered a few aisles over to the make up.  All of the main counters had their shutters pulled down so I was quite dismayed....until I spotted a little clearance basket.  Most of it was Tesco's own, so quite cheap to start with, but then I saw these little babies. There were 2 Bourjois 3D effect lip glosses, usually just over £7 each, reduced to £1.70. Hurray! I bought both colours.  As this is my first swatch-y post I thought I'd mix it up a little and so photographed these on my lips.  However, my auto-focus is broken in this lens which proves quite problematic when trying to take photos of yourself! Please excuse the blurriness.
#3 Rose idyllic is a pearlescent pale pink, not my usual colour at all but looks quite soft and girly.  I can get used to it.
#44 Cannelle unic (I think the label on the shelf called it unique beige or something like that) is a dark nude and very wearable. It's very natural looking, only a shade or 2 darker than my natural pigmentation.
The gloss isn't as thick as the inFatuation glosses, nor as opaque, so doesn't have the same staying power but is lovely all the same.

Rose idyllic

Cannelle unic

Rose idyllic, Cannelle unic in natural light

 I'm not going to be able to buy makeup for a while...unless there's an amazing change in circumstances, however I have a big backlog of blogs to create so it's all good!