My Holiday Beauty, Hair, Nails & Makeup Musts; Post 2

This is the second of my two posts showing you some of the beauty, hair, nails and makeup products I will be packing in my suitcase.

This second post will cover makeup, nails and perfume.

Fraulein, Concealer Palette

This is a little gem of a product, especially if your skin is prone to vast colour changes like mine. During the winter I'm quite a light olive and even with sun screen, I can change about 5 shades during the course of the summer, especially when I go on holiday. So this palette is perfect, as it covers a variety of skin shades, plus the must have pink, white, purple and yellow correction concealers. I wouldn't go away without it.

Maybelline, Dream Fresh BB Foundation, Medium

This is a relatively new product for me but I'm finding it gloriously light and definitely makes my skin feel radiant. I'm taking this away with me for those nights on the town, when I'll want to wear more than just a powder foundation but don't want anything too heavy. This also has an SPF of 30, which is great for helping protect your skin on holiday too.

Maybelline, Fit Me Pressed Powder, 220 Natural Beige

I wear two shades of pressed powder, one around the eyes and under the eyes and the second over the face. To minimise the size of my makeup bag however, on holiday I will probably just take this one, which is the darker of the two shades. This powder has a super light feel to it. It doesn't block my pores and it looks really natural.

Benefit, Bronzer, Hooola

I'm taking this sample size Hoola bronzer with me. I don't want to take the full size version, for risk of it getting knocked and breaking. This sample size will be perfect. I love Hoola as it's the only bronzer I know of that doesn't have orange tones in it, so it looks really natural.

Bourjois, Cream Blush, Rose Tender

I'm taking this blush, as it's really compact and unable to get damaged in transit. I also really love this colour, especially for holidays. It's really beautifully pink and girlie. I just love the packaging too. Super cute!

MUA, Undress Your Skin Shimmer Highlighter

This highlighter is perfect across the top of my cheekbones, contouring the shape of my face and gives it that extra shimmer. I'm looking forward to seeing what it looks like when my face has seen a little sun!

Barbara Daly, Eyeshadow, Tuffle

Although this is an eyeshadow, I actually use it for my eyebrows, so this is a must have wherever I go! I find the shade is almost perfect (I'm not sure there is a perfect shade) for my eyebrows. It's been kicking about in my makeup bag for a couple of years, so it's an old favourite.

H&M, Glitter Eyeshadow Palette

This is a really great palette to take on holiday and possibly just what it was created for! The pretty blues, pinks, golds and purple shadows are really beautiful on sun kissed skin and I can't wait to give it a try this year and try out some different looks!

Maybelline, Diamond Glow Eyeshadow Palette, Coral Drama

This is another favourite of mine at the moment. Again with the shimmery golds and bronzes, it looks great on sun kissed skin and is super sexy for sizzling summer nights! I can't wait to try this out this year. I really like the way it has a little tutorial on the back of the palette, on the best way to use all four shades too. Cute!

MUA, Undress Me Too Eyeshadow Palette

This is a lovely natural shade eye shadow palette and since buying it just a couple of months ago, I am starting to wear out a couple of the light shades. It's really natural and 'Naked' provides a lovely base to most other shades. I also love using 'Shy' in the corners of my eyes, to make them pop!

Ardell, Fashion Lashes, Demi Wispies

I always like to take a pair of false lashes on holiday, but more often than not, I come home without having used them. But, as always, I will be taking my favourite style with me; Demi Wispies. These are lovely and natural, just adding extra volume, without looking really obvious that you're wearing any!

Revlon, Precision Dark Lash Adhesive

Over the years I have tried various lash adhesives but this one is currently my favourite. With the white ones that dry to clear, you always seem to get the bit of glue that doesn't dry clear and you end up blobbing some eyeliner over the top to colour it in, which can end up looking clumpy. This adhesive in precision dark is black on application, so although it's a little harder to see where you've added it and where you haven't, you do end up with a much more professional finish.

MUA, Pro-Base Eye Primer

This eye primer is going to be a must on holiday, as it will help my eyeshadow to stay put! I haven't tried it in hot weather yet, so I will let you know how I get on!

Benefit, Eye Bright

This is great all year round for helping your eyes to pop, when a little inside the eye. With sun kissed skin, it's especially beautiful and I can't wait to use it.

Maybelline, The Falsies Volume Express Waterproof Mascara

This is a staple on holiday, as I'm one of those people who still likes to wear a little mascara around the pool, sorry! So a good waterproof one is essential and for me, this one is great. I also love the shape of the curved brush, as it helps to coat all the lashes.

Maybelline, Gentle Precision Eyeliner

This again is a staple, as you never know when you might need a touch of eyeliner, whether it's above the eye or inside the eye. This is my favourite eye liner at the moment. It's really soft and glides onto the skin, without dragging.

Benefit, They're Real Mascara

This was a little freebie I received with June's issue of Elle magazine and I'm in love! At the moment, I think as mascaras go, this is my favourite  I especially lover the bristled brush end, as this helps work the product onto even the tiniest of hairs. This is definitely going with me and probably in my hand luggage too, just in case!

MUA, Lipstick, Shade 3

This is a gorgeously pretty shade of pink and I love it. I'm especially looking forward to taking this with me for evening wear. It's so bright and colourful that it will liven up any outfit and what perfect place to wear something bright and cheerful, than on a sunny holiday!

Loreal, Rough Caresse Lipstick, Nude Ingenue 501

This Loreal lipstick is a really nice nudey/brown shade and lovely for everyday wear, so something I'll definitely be packing.

Stila, Lip Glaze, Kaleidoscope & Grapefruit

I'm going to take just two of my Stila lip glazes; Kaleidoscope is perfect for a holiday, with it's shimmery/peach tones and Grapefruit is a really flirty and girlie pink. These make my lips feel really nourished, so I expect I'll be wearing these a lot; even around the pool for that extra little bit of glam! Well, why not!

Quickies, Nail Varnish Removed Pads

Nail varnish remover pads are a must in any suitcase. I can't think of anything worse than a liquid acetone spilling over your maxi dresses and sandals. What a horrible way to start off your holiday! So these pads are super useful. There's 20 in this pack, and they're quite large, so it'll be more than enough.

I'm taking four nail polish colours with me:

Barry M, Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint, Greenberry 332

Loreal, Color Riche, Acid Watermelon 827

Maybelline, Color Show, Coral Craze 342

Barry M, Nail Paint, Shocking Pink 272

Barry M, Nail Art Pen, White

I'm also taking this really cute nail art pen, so that I can add the odd little design to my nails if I wish! Again, this might be a bit frivolous item to take, like the false lashes, but I'm taking it anyway!

Ralph Lauren, Romance

This is my favourite perfume of all time. I bought it for my wedding day and will always remind me of it! So, when I go on holiday or go out for special occasions, this is what I take/wear. So this is definitely coming with me, in my hand luggage!

Perfume Sample Wipes

Recently I have gained a load of lovely perfume wipes, which I'm going to take away with me this year. These two pictured are Givenchy, Very Irresistible and Givenchy, For Her. These are perfect for when you're out and about as they slip in your handbag and you actually get quite a lot of perfume from the one wipe. Sometimes I've slipped the wipe back into the packet after use, so I can use it again later in the day. I'm loving these, so will be sad when they run out!

So, that's about it! Obviously I haven't included shampoo etc, but these are a bit boring!!

Do you use any of these products? Are you going on holiday soon and thinking of trying any of these?

MUA £1 Lipsticks; Review & Swatches

MUA Lipsticks for just £1. Insane but true! I couldn't resist getting a couple shades when I was last in Superdrug and with 16 shades to choose from, I was spoilt for choice. 

I decided to go for shades 14, Bare and 3, which strangely has no name, as these were both gorgeously bright and summery.

I was really excited to try these out when I got them home, as for £1 I really hadn't lost anything if I didn't like them and knew that if I loved them, I'd be back to buy more! 

The consistency of the lipsticks are super creamy and highly pigmented, making just one swipe enough and leaving a punchy and intense look. 

As you can see the colours are striking and truly beautiful. They really have longevity too, which is super amazing for the price - amazing value!

I also really love the fact that the tops of the lids of these lipsticks are actually removable too, and there's more product inside, just in case you run out and need a top up! Perfect!

Have you tried any of the MUA £1 lipsticks? What did you think of them?

Check out my other MUA posts!

Bobbi Brown Mascara & Eyebrow Pencil Review & Swatches

I've recently got my hands on some new Bobbi Brown products, which I thought I'd share with you. I have the Waterproof & Lengthening Mascara in Black and two Eyebrow Pencils in no1 Black and no 3 Brown. 

I picked these up on eBay; the mascara for £8.99 and the eyebrow pencils for £4.95 each, which I thought was an absolutely steel for such good quality products. I've used both of these before but have ordered them through the Bobbi Brown site and paid £18 for the mascara and £15 each for the eyebrow pencils!

The mascara comes in the gorgeous black shiny packaging, to match all of Bobbi's other mascaras and has a lovely round, full brush. 

The brush is great for covering every lash and surprisingly for me, as all mascaras seem to smudge after a while, this one doesn't; which is why I've bought it time and time again.

The wand feels comfortable in the hand, it's not too thin and not too large and clumsy. The application of the product is really smooth too. I do find I need to add a couple of coats to get the desired lengthened look, but that's not a problem as I love applying makeup! 

The only small downside to this product is that sometimes the consistency can come out a little sticky and the lashes might clump together. I think this is likely to do with the waterproofing ingredients, enabling it to fix to the lashes. I've have found that this generally tends to happen on the first couple uses of a new bottle, but is easily fixed by combing the lashes through with a lash brush.

All in all, this is a great product and can be picked up for a fraction of the RRP, so a great buy.

The eyebrow pencils are something I've also bought before and I actually use them in two ways, sometimes for my eyebrows but sometimes as a kohl liner too. This means I can carry just one product in my handbag kit, instead of two!

The pencil and brush in one design is great, it saves bumbling around in your makeup kit for a separate brush.

I find the consistency of these pencils to be perfect for adding finishing touches to eyebrows, as the product isn't over pigmented, which is a good thing for an eyebrow pencil. There's nothing worse than adding pencil to your eyebrow and it applying dark and heavy and not how you intended! With these, you can apply little by little, until you get the desired look.

I also like using them as a kohl liner under the eye on occasions again, where I want a little colour or definition but don't want to use a standard kohl liner which are often more pigmented.

As you can see from above, I've used a couple of strokes of the pencil to get these heavier looks.

Do you think you'll try either the mascara or eyebrow pencils? Do you use any other Bobbi Brown products? If you do, I'd love to hear which ones and what you think of them? I'm always looking out for new goodies to buy!

Bourjois Paris Best Cream Blush: Review & Swatches

I've bought a new blusher and after a couple years of using GOSH Blush, I thought I'd try something new. The Cream Blush in 03 Rose Tender from Bourjois won me over when looking at the endless choice in Superdrug this week and I actually think it did that on the cute packaging alone!

I haven't actually used that many Bourjois products in the past, but the packaging of this little beauty is sure to convince me to buy more. 

This is the first time in 150 years that Bourjois have reinvented their iconic Little Round Pot Blush and it's simply gorgeous! The pink pot, the shiny pink lettering, the easy to open lid and the little pink gem on the lid edge; it's totally me! It feels like a really girlie, luxury product to handle.

So, how was this little bundle of joy when I applied it? Well, the colour for me is perfect. I went for 03; Rose Tender, which is 1 of 4 shades available at the moment. I'm sure there will be more at some point.

There is 02 Healthy Glow, 01 Nude Velvet, 04 Sweet Cherry and 03 Rose Tender. Each pot is coloured coordinated to the blush colour inside, which I think is a super cute touch and again, shows that thought has gone into this packaging. Which I love!

As you can see, the colour itself is perfectly matched to how it looks in the pot and the consistency is just how Bourjois promise. 

It's a cream-to-powder formula which has a velvety texture to it. It feels dreamy as you rub a little onto your fingers. I used my index and middle finder to dab some cream onto my cheek bones. 

It really does have that blendable, melting texture that is so talked about and I found it really easy to blend onto my cheeks and achieve a beautifully natural looking radiant glow. 

Included within the ingredients of this cute Little Pot is poppy extract for all day comfort, mango butter extract for a velvety smooth texture and apricot extract for a healthy glow. What a pot of fruity goodness!

For just £7.99 for 2.5g at Superdrug, I think it's a great buy. It's highly pigmented, so you won't need a lot to get the look you want to achieve; so I can see this pot lasting and lasting. And with 3 for 2 on Bourjois products at the moment, you can treat yourself to some other goodies whilst you're there. Fantastic!

Let me know if you've tried one of these 4 shades and what you think of it.

Step by Step Aqua Under Eye Makeup

When I opened my makeup box this morning, I had the urge to wear something other than my usual neutrals and wanted to share the look I came up with.

I've always been someone who predominantly uses eyeshadow on the eye lids as well under the eye but I've not tried it purely under the eye before. 

I created this really simple look, with just a couple of products, in just a few easy steps and I think this look would be perfect if you're new to under eye colour!

This look was created with four brushes, left to right below; 

1) GOSH Kabuki Brush
2) GOSH Foundation Brush
3) M&S Eyelid Crease Brush (part of a set)
4) GOSH Slanted Eye-liner Brush

Step 1: Applying the base

I first used Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid in Cameo over my whole face, using my GOSH Foundation Brush, making sure to only use a tiny amount on my eyelids. 

Step 2: Setting the base

I then dusted Maybelline FIT me! Pressed Powder in 125 Nude Beige, on top of the foundation, to set it in place, using my GOSH Kabuki Brush. I made sure to pay special attention to my T-Zone as this can tend to look a little shinier.

Step 3: Adding the eye base colour

Because the focus of this look is under the eye, I used Naked (top line, 1st on left) from my MUA Undress Me Too Palette and with my Eyelid Crease Brush coated the whole of my top lid and up to my eyebrow. This creates a lovely neutral, matt finish to the eye.

Step 4: Adding inner corner colour

I then added a little of Shy (top line, 3rd from the left), to the inner corners of my eyes, to help open them and create a brighter eyed look. This particular colour in this palette is really well pigmented and a little goes a long, long way!

Step 5: Adding under eye backdrop colour

I then took my trusty (as you can see!) Barbara Daly, Tesco eyeshadow in Truffle to draw a smudged line again with my Eyelid Crease Brush, under my bottom lashes. This was just a faint smudge of colour, as a backdrop to the aqua.

Step 6: Lining & brightening the eye

Using my GOSH Liquid Eye Liner Pen, I drew a thin line across the lid of each eye. I didn't take this out into a cat eye flick on this occasion, but it would look gorgeous that way too.

I also added Rimmel Soft Kohl Eye Liner Pencil in White inside of the eye. This really helps your eyes to 'pop' when adding bright colour shadows.

Step 7: Adding the aqua colour

The fun stuff! I then took my H&M Glitter Eyeshadow Palette and used the top row, 1st left aqua shade, with my GOSH Slanted Eye Liner Brush, to draw a line under my bottom lashes, on top of the already applied Truffle eyeshadow. I then used my Crease Brush to smudge the Truffle & aqua together a little, to create a merged line free colour.

Step 8: Mascara

To finish, I added my new favourite mascara, They're Real, from Benefit, to top and bottom lashes, ensuring good coverage and the look was complete!

This is a very simple way of wearing colour if you're not used to it and can be done in almost any colour shadow or liner. 

What do you think? Is it something you'll try?

Stila Cosmetics Lip Glaze Review & Swatches

I was so excited when the post arrived this morning. I've been lucky enough to get my hands on one of the Stila Lip Glaze Sets, for just £16. 

The set is actually worth £60, so it was something I had to grab quick and admittedly, I have had my eye on this for a little while. Stila refer to this particular set as the Winter Lip Glaze Set and is available on their website right now.

The beautiful purple box was wrapped in lovely pink tissue paper, with a little thank you card, making it feel extra special to open. I just love Stila lip glaze, so was so excited to open a box of eight!

The lip glaze wands are cutely clear, so that you can see all the lovely lip glaze and it's gorgeous colour inside. It's also super handy because you can see exactly how much you've got left, so you never run out!

There are eight gorgeous shades in this particular Lip Glaze Set; Kitten, Kaleidoscope, Apricot, Grapefruit, Fantasy, Starfruit, Dreamy and Believe. You can see that each colour has a really shiny finish and some have a lovely shimmer to them, making those particular colours feel super summery.

The release of the Glaze itself is done by twisting the bottom of the wand and slowly the Glaze is released into the soft brush. The brush itself is perfectly soft on your lips and long enough to get a lovely sweeping action as the Glaze is applied.

I really like each of the colours and they really are quite different to each other, which makes this set exceptional value, as you get so many looks.

My favourites I think are Grapefruit, Believe and Dreamy. Those three are a light pink, a much darker pink and a nude shade.

I'm really pleased with this set and am interested to see what the other sets are like. Have you tried any? Which are your favourites?