Maybelline Color Tattoo VS Mac Paint Pot

Until a few months ago I was a bit of a makeup snob only buying mid to high end brands but recently Ive been impressed by several 'drugstore' brands which I guess is proof that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

Although the Maybelline Color Tattoo and Mac Paint Pot shades I have here (maybelline on and on bronze and MAC Nubile *limited edition*) are nothing alike in colour, they are very comparable in terms of wear and texture.

Both are cream shadows, the maybelline color tattoo is slightly more creamier than Mac but both are opaque. In terms of wear, these do not budge. I do wear these with a primer as my skin is quite oily but they both stay put without creasing. Both have glass pots with plastic lids but obviously there is a big price difference between the two.

MAC is £14.50 for 5g whereas Maybelline is £4.99 for around 4g. I love both of these products - the only real difference for me when it comes to purchasing is shades/finishes. Mac's permanent pots consist of neutral/more wearable shades and Maybelline have more brighter ones available but both brands are well worth a look!

Have you tried any of these items?

My Favourite Under Eye Concealer: Diorskin Nude

I don't consider myself a make up snob but when it comes to higher end cosmetics I am partial to a bit of Dior. Surprisingly as an under eye concealer, Diorskin nude is actually more affordable than it seems. Granted at £20.50 for 10ml its not cheap but considering the revlon colorstay eye concealer is £7.50 for 1ml then its pretty damn good!

I've had my tube for around 6 months and its without doubt the best under eye concealer I've used. Unlike the rest of my face, my under eye area tends to be quite dry. As diorskin is a moisturising lightweight concealer, it doesn't look cakey and it blends really well. Most importantly it covers the dark circles I've been blessed with leaving a natural looking effect. The only negative is it starts to fade by the end of the day so I tend to reapply around midday which isn't really too much of a problem.

little tip - I usually buy my higher end cosmetics from debenhams during the 10% off promos. Its free delivery for beautycard holders and they regularly have extra point promotions too! xo

Sale Buys: Laura Mercier


So I happened to be browsing online the other night when I came across the Space NK sale and spotted these two bargains - Laura Mercier sequin eye colour in brilliant rose and lip glace in platinum. Both were reduced from £18.50 to £2. An amazing saving!

I couldnt find any swatches of these online so I decided to take a gamble and purchase. To be honest I expected my order to be cancelled as I thought it must be a misprice but these landed on my doorstep this morning.

I've always found LM shadows to be hit and miss and on first impressions the eye colour isnt the greatest shadow in the world. Its very sheer and sparkly and will need to be applied over a base. I'm expecting lots of fallout but Ill give it a go and see if I can make it work somehow.

The LM lip glace on the other hand is gorgeous. Its a clear non sticky gloss with subtle gold shimmer which creates a plumping effect on the lips. I love the toffee scent  - very similar to the bare minerals buxom glosses.

Both of these are now oos but there are still one or two good bargains on the site. Delivery is £5.00 which is a bit steep but my order came quickly and with a few samples including an Acqua di palma fragrance which I now need in my life! xo





Etat Pur!

I mentioned Etat Pur in this post. Basically they are a french skincare company and after being highly impressed with the micellar cleanser, I went and purchased the Body Cleanser.
Your order arrives in a gift bag (top and second photo) and you get 3 free samples with your purchase. You get a choice of two samples (I choose the oil free and light moisturisers) and an extra sample of etat pur's choice - both times I have received a small bottle of the miceller cleansing water (third photo).
Not being a fan of heavily scented shower gels, I decided to try the body cleanser (£5.40 for 190ml) as I use shower gel daily so its important for me to use something that isn't going to dry my skin out.
The etat pur body cleanser is a clear gel in a pump bottle. The gel lathers up really well and the scent is pretty much undetectable. After using it, the first thing I noticed was how clean and soft my skin felt. Like Really soft.
If your a fan of scented shower products then this maybe not for you but for anyone with sensitive skin or is just looking for a product that will leave your skin really clean and smooth then I would really recommend it! xoxo

Black and White: An Outfit Post!

Shirt: primark

Skirt: ASOS

Tights: New Look

Ring: Ebay

Lipstick: Revlon lip butter strawberry shortcake

This is the first outfit post I've ever done which is a little scary. I like clothes but I try not to buy into too many trends. I love this shirt from Primark, I bought it a while ago but they always have nice shirts in primark. This one is see through so I had to put a camisole underneath as I dont want to scare my neighbours lol.
The skater skirt is from asos but primark also have similar skater skirts with a belt for half the price. I ended up buying three of them the other day oops! xoxo

Revlon Photoready Cream Blush and Kissable Balm Stain

The Revlon Photoready Cream Blush has recently been launched in the UK in two shades Pinched and Flushed (the US also have coral reef)
My mum bought Pinched for me. Pinched is a peach shade, quite creamy and very light. As its buildable, it adds a very natural flush of colour to the skin, although this shade would probably be too light for darker skin tones.
There is shimmer in this blush, luckily not the disco ball variety but subtle enough to wear everyday.
This is currently on offer for £5.99 at Boots and Superdrug. Its a nice blush for the price but I prefer MAC creme blushes if I'm being honest as they are more pigmented and have less slip making them easier to work with.

Revlon's Kissable balm stains are their version of chubby sticks. Once again I got sucked into the hype of things and purchased Rendezvous - an orange/red. I like the shade as I don't currently own any like this but in total honesty the formula is a let down.

On the lips it feels really dry and not as glossy as I expected. Its longlasting but I don't find it particularly comfortable to wear. The packaging is gimmicky, although the pencil feels soft to apply and their is a distinctable mint smell/taste which isn't very pleasant. 

Again this was on introductory offer for £5.99 and available in six shades (I think). The US have more shades which I never understand why?!But anyway I wont be purchasing any more of these as they are just not worth it.

Have you tried any of these?

Sale Buy: Zara Messenger Bag

I love sale shopping. Well I love shopping full stop but that feeling of getting a bargain is a real buzz. Sadly this bag wasn't so much of a steal but after spotting it on the Zara website I had to buy it.

This messenger bag has been featured on several blogs and I completely understand why. Its the perfect size for everyday use, whether for shopping or work and the rose gold metal detailing compliments the light grey material.

Originally priced £20 it was reduced to £16 on the zara website. As postage is £4 I didn't actually save any money but I'm not complaining. I think it looks pricier than it is and I love the shade of it as it makes a nice change from the black handbags I have.

I would love to Mulberry bag but I'll be sticking with my Zara one for now!

Have you made any sale purchases?

Amazing Nails!

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

I love nail art, however I dont have the patience or talent to do it myself. I love all these images. If I had to pick I would say my favourites are the london nail art and the underwater scene.

Have you attempted nail art or have any favourites?Let me know in the comments! xo

The bottom four images I found via pinterest. If you know who they belong to or if they belong to you let me know so I can give correct credit for them!

Inside June's LuxBox: Green People Eco Eye Trio

This full size Green People Eco Eye Trio was included in the recent LuxBox (along with four other products). For Me, this was the standout of the box as Ive always wanted to try organic cosmetics but been put off by the price.

The Eye Trio in Earth is formulated without parabens and other 'nasties' so its particularly suitable for people with sensitive skin or if you just generally want to avoid certain ingredients.

At first glance, the packaging is pretty basic (although it is natural plastic). There is a small sponge applicator included which is ok, personally I always toss these away and use my makeup brushes. There is also a small groove inside so its really easy to depot the shadow and put it into your own palette (like the Z palette).

Being totally honest the pigmentation of this trio isn't as good as other shadows I've used but its long wearing and I love the shades within this trio. The Eco eye trios are priced £18.40 which does seem a little steep 3g of product but organic ingredients are pricier which I can appreciate.

However I am really pleased that this was in Junes LuxBox as the value of this alone more than makes up for the price of the Box (£12.95 including P+P).

*Junes LuxBox also included First Aid Beauty Daily Face Cream 30ml, Murad Time Release acne Cleanser 30ml, Kelly Edwards Exfoliating Cream 15ml and Dawood and Tanner Tooth Cleanser full size*

Primark LookBook//Autumn Winter 2012 Part 2

I am absolutely loving these items from Primark A/W 2012. These should be in stores very soon if not already. I haven't been to Primark for a while but I think I need a visit Stat! xo

In case you missed it part 1 of the Primark Autumn Winter 2012 LookBook is here!

Boots 17 Favourites

Boots 17 is one of my favourite 'drugstore' brands. A few favourites of mine include the shine control pressed powder (top picture). I've been carrying this in my handbag a lot as its great for touch-ups. The oil control is really good and it doesn't look cakey either - aspects I look for in a powder since my skin is oily.

The Eyeshadow brush (top) is a great brush for £2. I use this just on the eyelid as its slightly too big for the crease. It isn't scratchy and washes really well. A good functional brush which is ideal if you're on a budget or just starting out with makeup.

The mirror shine on lipsticks are two of my most used lippies. The shades I have are beehive (pink) and Nudist peach (nude). These are extremely comfortable to wear and non drying. As they feel more like a balm texture, I don't find them particularly long lasting but for the price (£4.59) they are great value!

Have you tried the 17 range? xo

Ebay Find: Studded Shoes!

I've been looking for a pair of shoes like this for a while so when I spotted these babies on Ebay, I purchased instantly. They're basically the cheaper rip-off version of the Topshop Vectras but I mainly bought them for the stud detail on the front. I like that the studs are pointed without being too spikey (is that a word?!).

The only problem with these is that they pinch on the toes. I got a size 6 which is my usual size but I think a 7 would be too big so I'm gonna wear them around the house and hopefully they will stretch slightly.

You can find these on Ebay here - I didnt buy mine from here but these are cheaper than the ones I bought! I always find things cheaper after I buy them!sigh! xo

VIVO Peaches and Cream Baked Blush

VIVO is not a brand I've used in the past. Their products are stocked in Tesco but I've never seen them in my local store so I made my purchase online and picked up this pretty baked blusher.

I bought the shade Peaches and Cream which is a gorgeous peachy pink colour and its become the most used blush in my collection. There honestly isn't one negative thing to say about peaches and cream. Its highly pigmented, long wearing and adds a nice glow to the cheeks without looking frosty. The packaging is thick plastic, making it surprisingly sturdy. I'm actually shocked that it only costs £4 - an utter steal!

I would totally recommend giving this a try. Its also available in 3 other shades - rouge shimmer, cinnamon glow and rosy!

Have you tried any VIVO cosmetics? xo