International Lipstick Day

Happy Lipstick Day! I pulled out when of my favourites today; Mac Diva. 

I know it's more of an Autumn shade, but weather in the UK has been rubbish, so it seemed appropriate. I love this one paired with a simple eye look, or liner and lashes for a night out. Mac Rebel is another vampy lipstick that I just adore.  Which lipstick did you wear today? Bloglovin' / Instagram

Fast Makeup After A Sleepless Night

As a mummy of two young children, I don't really get the greatest amount of sleep. I'm far more familiar with 5am than I'd like to be. However, last night was a particularly rough one due to my daughter having been poorly this week. She woke up at 2.30am and decided that mummy should be awake, too. As you can imagine, I wasn't feeling or looking too sparkly this morning.

I woke up like dis.

I really wanted quick makeup to make me feel and look brighter and more awake, and here's what I went for. It literally took me ten minutes. 

Products Used
Base Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream (Light-Medium) Bobbi Brown Corrector (Light Bisque) Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer (Fair Neutral) Soleil Tan de Chanel Brows Seventeen Brow Sculpting Pencil Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel Eyes Maybelline Colour Tattoo (On and On Bronze) Mac Eye Kohl (Teddy) 2True Wow! Mascara Cheeks Urban Decay Afterglow Blush (Obsessed) Lips  Rimmel Apocalips (Big Bang)

I certainly felt a lot more like myself afterwards! I love one wash eye shadows for days when I have limited time, or when I just don't feel like spending time blending shadows. I also love this Clinique CC cream for a quick base that adds a fresh glow to my skin, especially useful when it's feeling dull. As an alternative to the bright lip, I also like a glossy lip to make my face look more awake.  Which products do you reach for when you're feeling under the weather? Bloglovin' / Instagram

Unsung Beauty Heroes

We'll all have those products that we use all the time without really thinking about them, but we can't do without. I have certain things that I often buy back-ups of, in order to avoid running out of them, but I never really mention! So I thought I'd share some of those unsung heroes with you. You can see in the photo that these products are well loved.  

Mitchum Advanced Oxygen 48HR Powder Fresh Deodorant This is the best deodorant I've ever tried. One application lasts all day long, no matter how hot the weather is or what I'm doing. Awesome. 
Bobbi Brown Extra Eye Repair Cream I use this during my night time skincare routine and it has made a difference to my under eye area, My concealer applies better and creases less. It feels so soothing on my skin after a long day. The only drawback is the £44 price tag (mine was a gift). If you know of a cheaper alternative, please let me know, because I'll miss it when it's gone. 
Batiste Dry Shampoo I bet this is in almost everyone's beauty toolkit. It's still my favourite dry shampoo for really absorbing the oils in my hair on the day between washes. It is very powdery, but after brushing it through your hair, it really does a good job. It's really affordable, too! 
Mac Teddy Eye Kohl This is my favourite pencil eye liner of all time. It's a bronze shade that's really creamy, it doesn't tug the eye at all. It's just so easy to wear, less harsh than black and more flattering on me. You can see how much I use it, it's really small now and the writing has rubbed off. 
Barry M Sugar Plum Gelly Nail Polish I think this purple/pink colour is my all time favourite. It's so gorgeous. I wear this polish all the time, it's a great formula a and lasts well. You can't go wrong with Barry M.
Rimmel Lasting Finish Notting Hill Nude Lipstick I have the tiniest bit of this left, I've worn it so much. It's the perfect nude for my skin tone, and goes with most eye looks. I've heard rumours that this is discontinued, I hope that's not the case. It's a really affordable alternative to some of my Mac nudes. 
Bobbi Brown Corrector I use this every day without fail. It does a wonderful job of hiding my hideous dark circles, and doesn't dry out my under eyes. I currently have the shade Light Bisque. 
Rimmel Kate Moss Scandaleyes Eye Shadow Stick in Rose Gold Rose gold/ copper/ orange eye shadows are my favourite, they suit my blue eyes. I always use this shadow stick as a base under them, and it does not budge. When this one runs out, I'll definitely be getting another. I need to try more of the shades in this range. 

An honorary mention goes to my trusty Mac Brush Cleanser. I use this every day, and it works a treat.

What are your unsung heroes?
Bloglovin' / Instagram

Pink Champagne

I've only used the Anastasia Beverly Hills Shadow Couture palette once, and it's already a favourite. I can't believe how fast it sold out on the Cult Beauty site! The good news is that some of these shadows are in the permanent range, and can be purchased separately. The star of the show is the magnificent Pink Champagne. It is a metallic beige pink that applies beautifully, it's almost like a pressed pigment. The look I created with this shadow is one of my all time favourites. Morocco in the crease, Fudge in the inner and outer corner, and Pink Champagne all over the lid, with Soft Peach on the brow bone. 

Products used
Base Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream (Light-Medium) Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer (Fair Neutral) Soleil Tan de Chanel  Brows Seventeen Brow Sculpting Pencil  Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel Eyes Mac Paint Pot (Soft Ocre) ABH Shadow Couture Palette Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner (Black) 2True Wow! Mascara Mac Eye Pencil (Coffee) Cheeks Urban Decay Afterglow Blush (Obsessed) Nars Devotee Lips Mac Creme Cup I hope you like it! Bloglovin' / Instagram

Review: Anastasia Beverly Hills Shadow Couture World Traveler Palette

Although I adore eye shadow palettes, I don't go for all of the new releases. Now that I have a rather substantial collection, I consider what I already have, and what I feel I'm missing before taking the plunge. I'm a fan of Anastasia Beverly Hills as a brand, having loved the brow products for a long while now, but I'd never tried the eye shadows, despite hearing only good things about them. However, the Shadow Couture palette really caught my eye, and Cult Beauty made it possible.

Be still my beating heart.

The black and gold packaging is really sleek, and the palette comes with a really nice dual-ended brush. I feel like there are some colours in here that are quite unique in my collection, and I like the way they've been put together. There is a mixture of mattes, shimmers and straight up metallics, and you can easily create entire looks from this palette alone, without having to reach for anything else. Now for the swatches, all done without primer. 

Top row

Bottom row

This was one swipe in each shadow, and overall they are pigmented and creamy. There are a few standout shades, such as Pink Champagne, Intense Gaze, Metallic and Morocco. They are so smooth, and beautifully pigmented. Spoiled was slightly more sheer, but not at all bad. Noir is a really nice black, a true black rather than a grey/black. I'm really happy with them! In conclusion, I think this is a really lovely palette for any makeup lover. Twelve stunning ABH shadows and a brush for £24?! PLUS, I entered the discount code YOU15 on the Cult Beauty site and received 15% off with free shipping, bringing the total to £20.40. It's a steal. Not to mention, the amazing service! I ordered on Friday and received it on Saturday without selecting next day delivery! Winner. What do you think?  Bloglovin' / Instagram

Face of the Day

Here I am with today's makeup look! Light bronzey eyes with glowy skin, peach blush and peach lips. My favourite daytime highlighter lately has been Benefit Watt's Up! It's a really blendable cream consistency in a pretty champagne shade. So nice for Summer. Also, I haven't really been contouring, instead softly adding dimension to the face with the Chanel Universal Bronzer. I'm obsessed!

Products used
Base L'Oreal Infallible 24H Matte Foundation (Porcelain) Bobbi Brown Corrector (Light Bisque) Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer (Fair Neutral) Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder (52 Vanille) Soleil Tan de Chanel Brows Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade (Blonde) Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel Eyes Mac Cosmetics Soft Ocre Paint Pot Morphe Brushes Jaclyn Hill Favourites Palette Mac Cosmetics Eye Kohl (Teddy) 2True Wow! Mascara Cheeks  Milani Baked Blush (Luminoso) Benefit Watt's Up! Lips Mac Cosmetics Lip Pencil (Soar) Mac Cosmetics Sweet and Sour Lipstick Bloglovin' / Instagram

Drugstore Kylie Jenner Lipstick??

I know, I know. We're all sick of hearing about Kylie Jenner's lips and the colours she wears on them. Mac Whirl and Mac Soar became almost impossible to get your hands on for a while after Kylie mentioned that she uses them to achieve that 90's brown/ mauve pout. Beauty lovers everywhere set about looking for dupes or similar products to give them the same look, and I accidentally stumbled upon this one recently. And it's drugstore. 
Enter Rimmel London Lasting Finish Kate Moss Lipstick #45, from her new Nude Collection. 

I didn't take photos when it was brand new and pristine because I couldn't wait to try it!

It's a really wearable mauve shade that isn't too dissimilar from my natural lip colour. It's very creamy and initially has a sheen, but it dries to a comfortable matte. Not at all drying. These lipsticks smell like sweets! Much nicer than other Rimmel lipsticks I've tried before. I really like it.  The lipsticks in this collection are available now at Boots and Superdrug for £5.49. Have you tried any of the Rimmel Kate Moss Nude Collection lipsticks? What's your favourite shade? Bloglovin' / Instagram

Urban Decay Solstice

I'm a bit of a magpie when it comes to duo-chrome, so I've swatched the Urban Decay Moondust  Eyeshadow in the shade Solstice a few times since it was released. I finally picked it up and I'm so glad I did. Feast your eyes.   

Just look at it! I really couldn't capture it as beautiful as it is in real life. It catches the light, and really seems to transform. The texture is really creamy, and there doesn't seem to be any glitter fall out. There is a dupe in the new Mac Le Disko collection, a Dazzle Shadow called Boom Boom Room, although it's limited edition. I'm excited to play with this! I'll post a look using it soon.  Have you tried the Urban Decay Moondust shadows? What's your favourite shade? Bloglovin' / Instagram

Kendall Jenner Inspired Makeup

Yesterday I saw photos from the Atelier Versace show in Paris, and I was blown away. Everything about it was beautiful, particularly the makeup by the phenomenal Pat McGrath. Kendall Jenner wore a stunning olive green/gold eye look that totally inspired my makeup today. 

Photo credit: just-kendalll.tumblr.com

Excuse the resting bitch face.

Products used Base L'Oreal Infallible 24H Matte Foundation (Porcelain) Bobbi Brown Corrector (Light Bisque) Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer (Fair Neutral) Soleil Tan de Chanel Brows Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade (Blonde) Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel Eyes The Balm Shady Lady Palette (Jet Setting Jennifer and All About Alex) Mac Cosmetics Eye Kohl (Teddy) 2True Wow! Mascara Essence Gel Liner (Black Bean) Cheeks Nars Roman Holiday  Benefit Watt's Up!  Lips Mac Cosmetics Angel Lipstick I love this look, it's a far brighter green in real life than it looks in photos. So pretty for this time of year. Pat McGrath is a legend. Who is your favourite makeup artist? Bloglovin' / Instagram

Birthday Girl Makeup

I had the pleasure of doing a birthday makeup this morning, and I'm going to do a product breakdown for you now. I used quite a few drugstore/affordable products in this look, as well as some high end staples. The birthday girl asked for quite dramatic golden eyes with lashes, and she chose the pop of pink on her lips herself. So pretty for Summer.

Products used
Base Maybelline Baby Skin Primer L'Oreal Infallible 24H Matte Foundation (Porcelain) Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer (Fair Neutral) Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel MUA Pro-Base Prime and Conceal Powder Brows L'Oreal Brow Artist Genius Kit (Medium-Dark) Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel Cheeks Makeup Revolution Ultra Blush Palette (Hot Spice) Nars Laguna Nars Albatross Eyes Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner 2True Wow! Mascara Red Cherry Lashes (43) Lips Mac Cosmetics Viva Glam Miley Cyrus Bloglovin' / Instagram