I can’t say that I own much MAC makeup (in fact I can probably count the amount on one hand), however the MAC products that I do own are steady favourites in my collection that I use/wear on a regular basis.
My friend was ever so kind to surprise me with these two products and as a lover of red lips and black liner I was excited to try them out.
I had already been given the heads up on this eyeliner and was told that it might be easiest to apply with a brush rather than directly using the tip of the pen. I decided to follow the advice I was given and brushed the liner onto my hand before using a thin angled liner brush to apply it.
I’m going to be completely honest and say that this gel liner is not for beginners. However if you feel confident when it comes to steadily applying liner and you’re looking for one that’s super long wearing, then you could be onto a winner with this one!
The consistency of the liner is quite thick, so I would suggest using a super thin brush for the application. Once on however, this stuff really does stay and I wish I’d realised this before brushing a load of it onto the top of my hand. It certainly wasn’t easy to wash off, that’s for sure but then it definitely gave me the confidence that my liner would not be budging off my eye lids for the duration of the evening. After applying the gel liner mid afternoon, it stayed on all night and stayed looking great.
I put this one straight to the test by going out for a meal the first time I wore it. The consistency of the Matte Liquid Lip Colour, is liquid on application but then dries on the lips and once it has dried, it really does stay put. As always when applying these types of wet to dry lip products, I prepped the lips with a small amount of lip balm prior to application, to prevent my lips completely drying out.
I have to say I’m pleased with the results of this one. Not only is the shade Feels So Grand a gorgeous vibrant red, which I love but it also survived two courses of an Italian meal. Just so you know what the Matte Liquid Lip Colour held up against, my first course was soup and after a mirror check it was still going strong. It only started to fade ever so slightly in the centre of my lips after my second course, which was a linguine dish and even then it was barely noticeable and only enough that a lipstick perfectionist would spot it.
I’m happy to say that I have found another two MAC makeup products that I’m sure will become firm favourites in my makeup collections and certainly ones that I’ll be relying on when I want my makeup to stay all day, or night!
Hello February and hello February Lookfantastic box! This month love is (supposedly) in the air with Valentine’s Day just around the corner and so this month’s Beauty Box has been appropriately themed with the box itself coming in a fabulous hot pink – I love it! This month’s box included an added surprise for me, as when I opened the box I found my face staring back at me on a money off voucher for Cloud Nine. This campaign has been out for several months now but I still keep finding advertisements from it popping up in the most random places. Anyway, on with the contents of this month’s box…
I really like body oils and massage oils and this Monuspa one is great. It smells really good and has that relaxing aromatherapy oil scent that instantly makes you want a good massage just from one whiff. It’s a great product if you want to treat your other half to a massage or even be treated yourself for that matter, or you can even had a few drops of it to your bath and enjoy a nice relaxing soak.
This body butter smells so delicious and it contains Vitamin E, so it’s super nourishing for your skin. I like how this body butter doesn’t feel too heavy yet it leaves my skin feeling smooth and soft, not forgetting smelling great!
Although these are two completely separate products, I decided to group them together just for the fact of them both being hair products and two things that I won’t use. For obvious reasons the KMS Color Vitality isn’t appropriate for me because I don’t have colour treated hair and the mini keyring brush (although super cute), is more likely to get lost in my afro than do any sort of job of detangling it. However I’m sure I’ll find a friend to give these to, who will love them both.
Hi Impact Brows Eyes And Brow Perfector Palette (coming soon)
It’s funny because there have been plenty of times in the past when I’ve used eyeshadows for my eyebrows and eyebrow products as eyeshadows, so it’s finally great to own a product that is actually intended for both. I’m certainly loving this palette. The constancy of the powders is great and they really stay on well.
I used the last three shades in the pallet for my eye makeup below; Shade 2 for my eyelids which I quickly blended with my finger, shade 3 for my brows and shade 4 to do my liner. The brush that comes in the palette is really good too and perfect for shading in the brows, or doing eye liner with. This one will definitely come in handy when taking trips away.
Before I even tried out this lip colour, I knew I was going to love it. Subtle dusky pinks are some of my favourite lip shades to wear and I can already tell that this one is probably going to become a new favourite. It glides on like a dream and stays on well yet feels comfortable on the lips. I just love, love, love this lipstick pencil! What do you think?
That’s the full round up of the #LFLOVES Beauty Box. Although there are two products in here that I won’t get use out of, that hasn’t put any damper on February’s Beauty Box for me because I actually love two of the products (the brow/eyeshadow palette & lip pencil) and have discovered two others that I really like as well. So I’m very happy with this month’s Beaut Box indeed!
Have you tried any of these products?
Samio x
Some of the items may have been sent to me for review purposes, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.
Today I’ve gone for a glowing look as I try out a few makeup products from B. At Superdrug.
B. Contour Kit in Medium
I’m pretty impressed with this contour kit. I have the shade medium which seems to suit my skin tone perfectly. I wasn’t sure about the highlight side at first but after giving it ago I actually love how fresh and dewy it makes my skin look. This is perfect for adding a really natural looking, everyday highlight without any glitter or too much shimmer.
B. Sculpted Blush Highlight Stick in Dark
This blush and highlight stick comes in a handy little size that is ideal for carrying around in your handbag.
As you can see from the swatch on my hand, the pigment of both the highlight and the blush is quite strong but I found that they do blend on the skin quite easily. I applied the blush to the apple of my cheeks using my fingers and added to my highlight with the highlight side of the stick. This highlighter is a lot stronger than the one in the contour kit so it’s great for adding that extra glow when you want to go all out.
B. Rich Intense Colour Lipstick
Last but not least is the lipstick and I’m tying out shade Suki which is a vibrant red. First impressions and I am loving this this lipstick. It’s a matte lipstick, yet it doesn’t feel drying on the lips. The colour comes out bold and so far I’ve had it on for a few hours and it still feels moisture rich. So far, so good.
The completed look…
I’m pretty pleased with these B. Products. I’d be keen to try out more of their makeup now after trying out these. I think these three products will be perfect for keeping in my handbag when I’m on the go, incase I quickly need to top up/glam up my makeup.
Have you tried the B. Makeup range?
Samio x
Some of the items may have been sent to me for review purposes, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.
Last Saturday I headed to intu Trafford Centre to meet up with my friend, Chloe, for a little pamper morning…
Usually if I’m going to the Trafford Centre, it’s to shop, or to eat (or most of the time, both), but I never previously thought of it as a place to go for beauty treatments until I was kindly invited along to try out some treatments with intu beauty.
The first stop was The Face Doctor. I’m no stranger to the Trafford Centre and would normally say I know my way around the place pretty well, however I was surprised that I had never spotted The Face Doctor before (probably because it’s discreetly tucked away at an end corner by John Lewis). I used the new intu app to help navigate our way there, which is crazy because I never thought I’d need an app to help me get around the Trafford Centre, seeing as I’ve been there a gazillion times but it was actually super handy and it saved us so much time.
The lovely Katy did both of our 15 minute facials and one after the other we were taken into one of the rooms at the back of the store, where we were able to lay down and relax away from the bustle of the shopping centre, whilst we each had our facials.
During the facial, Katy used a number of products which exfoliated and then hydrated my skin. Everything she used smelt amazing and left my skin feeling so soft. Afterwards Chloe and I both left The Face Doctor looking glowing with our skin feeling refreshed.
The 15 minute facial costs just £15, which I personally think is great value and after seeing the results I’ll definitely be going back again in the future. It would be the perfect way to relax after a busy shopping day.
I surprised myself yet again and had to check the intu app a second time, this time to help us navigate our way to the L’Occitane store.
I can’t actually believe that this was my first time stepping in the L’Occitane store, considering the fact that I’m slightly skincare obsessed. Although I’d heard of L’Occitane, I didn’t previously know anything about the brand, but Zandra and Jo from L’Occitane’s Trafford Centre store soon changed that. They were so friendly and enthusiastic about the brand and were able to tell us all about L’Occitane whilst introducing us to some of their favourite products. Chloe and I were both impressed with L’Occitane’s products and I’m sure that this isn’t a store I’ll be walking past without popping in, in future.
Chloe and I each had a hand massage which exfoliated and nourished our hands. It’s crazy how dry your hands can get during the winter period and although I always carry a hand cream round in my bag, the hand massage was just the extra TLC that my hands needed. I think I need a hand massage at L’Occitane every week!
With our skin and hands feeling feeling fabulous, we headed to the Bobbi Brown makeup counter in John Lewis to get our makeup done by makeup artist Pooja. Although I wasn’t completely new to Bobbi Brown, I wasn’t as familiar with their products as I am with some other brands and so it was great to have Pooja intoruce us to Bobbi Brown’s new products and tell us in depth what the brand was all about.
I went in the makeup chair first and although I’m used to getting my makeup done on a regular basis whilst modelling, it felt strange being asked what look I wanted (as on jobs it’s usually the client or makeup artist who decides). I knew I wanted a look that I could carry through to the night (as we were heading out for Chloe’s birthday that evening) and Pooja’s eye makeup was just perfect for that, so I asked her to recreate something similar on me.
Pooja did an amazing winged liner on me and I am obsessed with the sparkle eyeshadow in shade Cement that she used on my lower lids. I opted for a slightly subtler eye makeup look but chose a bold lip. I also thought it would be the perfect time to experiment with a different blusher than I usually go for and so she used the Pot Rouge in Chocolate Cherry, which is a gorgeous deep red colour.
Full list of products that Pooja used to create my look: To Prep The Skin: Treatment lotion (here), Intensive Skin Serum (here), Hydrating Eye Cream (here), SPF 15 Lip Balm (here). Corrector & Concealer: Corrector in light peach (here), Concealer in warm natural (here). Foundation: Foundation stick in warm natural 4.5 (here). Powder & Bronzer: Powder in soft honey (here), Bronzer in golden light (here). Blush: Pot Rouge in chocolat cherry (here), pink glow (here). Lip: lip Colour in crushed plum (here), Lip Pencil in rum raisin (here). Brows: Brow kit powder (here). Eyes: Long-Wear Eye Base in medium (here), All Over Shadow in bone (here), Lower Lid Shadow in Cement (here). Eye Liner: Gel in black (here). Mascara: Eye Opening Mascara (here).
Next it was Chloe’s turn for makeup and Pooja did the most gorgeous shimmering brown smokey eye on her. It was the perfect choice because it really complimented the colour of Chloe’s green eyes and made them look dazzling.
We both loved how Pooja did our makeup and I now want to fill my makeup collection with lots of gorgeous Bobbi Brown products. Although I refrained from going crazy this time, I couldn’t resist buying at least one product. I bought the the foundation which Pooja had used on me whilst creating my look, which was the Foundation Stick in shade warm natural 4.5. I absolutely love this foundation on my skin because it looks so natural and since using it at home, I’ve found it really quick and easy to apply and blend.
Each mini beauty treatment (and makeup) we had was amazing and what I love about them most is that they are the time of thing that you can easily fit into an hour if you wanted to or just do one or two to refresh after a busy shopping day – or in our case, prep for a night out.
Our day at intu Trafford Centre didn’t quite end there, as we finished off with a tasty three course lunch at Bill’s Restaurant (which can read about here).
I decided to document the day on film, which you can check out in my mini vlog here:
It’s generally around this time of the year when I like to take extra steps to give my skin some added glow. Pixi beauty do a whole range of glow enhancing products and as a brand I’d heard a lot about yet never previously got round to trying, when I was given the opportunity to pick out a selection of their products, I couldn’t wait to put them to the test… Pixi Nourishing Cleansing Balm
I was egar to try this Nourishing Cleansing Balm as I genrally like these types of products. This cleansing balm contains sweet almond oil, cocoa butter and shea butter (and like all the other products, is not tested on animals). It can be used both morning and night and I have found that it works great to melt away makeup. I actually really like using this cleansing balm both morning and night, as after wiping it off with a damp cloth, it leaves my skin feeling nourished and hydrated. It works as a great skin pick me up both first thing in the morning and in the evening after a long busy day.
I do love a good face mask and this one is no exception. As opposed to some mud masks which leave my skin feeling slightly dry afterwards, this one actually leaves my skin feeling hydrated. It also leaves my skin feeling and looking very fresh after using it. I only with that there was more in the tube… I can’t wait to give myself my next 15 minute facial with this one.
These Glow Peel Pads might just be my favourite out of this selection of Skintreats. The tub contains 60 pads which I think is great and I love how handy they are to use and take about if you were to be going away. They are perfect to use at night after cleansing and they have actually been leaving my skin looking brighter and more radiant, just as they claim. These aren’t a product I use every night, due to them being exfoliating and I don’t like to exfoliate my skin everyday. However, using these just a few times a week is enough to do the job and leave my skin looking glowing.
This stuff really does feel hydrating and milky on the skin. I’ll use it either morning or night and it instantly hydrates and soothes my skin. In the evening it’s the perfect follow on product to use after the Glow Peel Pads and after the serum has sunk into my skin it, leaves it feeling so soft and smooth.
This cleanser, unlike the cleansing balm, is slightly more exfoliating on the skin, although it still feels smooth when you rub it on. The 5% gycolic acid that it contains, helps to remove dead skin cells and give the skin instant radiance I find. It has a super fresh feeling on my skin which I love and it really does leave my skin feeling refreshed and looking brighter.
I love the fact that this Glowtion Day Dew contains a slight shimmer which leaves my skin looking glowing. It helps to nourish my skin and leaves it looking luminous at the same time. I personally like to wear this on no makeup days when I want that added glow yet stay makeup free.
I’ve wanted a product like this for quite some time and I’m happy to say that this Glow Mist lives up to my expectations. It helps to prep the skin before makeup and a few spits to the face anytime throughout the day, helps to give my skin an added glow that leaves my makeup looking and feeling refreshed. This is a new handbag favourite for me!
I’ve actually been loving the affects that the Pixi Beauty skincare products have been having on my skin. Glowing skin restored and I’m happy to say that I can give this brand a thumbs up for their skincare… I also got to try a few of the products from Pixi beauty’s makeup selection. I love how Pixi Beauty is all about restoring healthier skin and using makeup to compliment great skin without harming it.
I like using these products for creating a fresh daytime makeup look. The shades in the blush palette are perfect for added a youthful pop of colour to the cheeks and I feel that the coral and pinkish shades really help to enhance the skins glow. Just a little bit of blush to my cheeks makes a nice change to my usual subtle contour technique. I’ve fallen in love with these coral tones…
The mascara glides on like a dream and really helps to enhance my natural lashes and the liner has a super pointy tip, which makes it easy to use and ideal for creating a subtle day time winged liner. We can’t forget the lipstick which feels nourishing on the lips, not to mention how gorgeous the colour is. I don’t usually go for coral lipstick, what do you think?
Have you tried any products from Pixi Beauty?
You can get get 15% discount at Pixi by signing up to Wearisma here.
Samio x
This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Pixi Beauty and Wearisma. This does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information
I’d heard so much about affordable drug store brand NYX Cosmetics but never previously had chance to get hold of their lip products, due to the fact that they weren’t easy to get hold of in the UK…until now. I’m not quite sure if it’s something that’s happened in many Boots stores but I was so excited to find that Manchester city centre’s main Boots store would be finally stocking the brand. This was late last year now and since then I’ve spent many occasions browsing the wide and vivid makeup selection that the brand has to offer.
Being a bit of a lipstick, I naturally went straight towards the lipstick section (which is quite large by the way). I managed to restrain myself and just went for two of the NYX liquid suede cream lipsticks. I have to admit I was intrigued by the bright shades, like the vibrant purple but I decided to go for two of the more wearable shades.
I went for the shades Cherry Skies and Vintage.
The liquid suede cream lipsticks go on wet but then dry into a creamy consistency on the lips and although they aren’t a lip stain, they do have staying power once they are on. Application can be tricky with these as they are highly pigmented and start to dry quite quickly. I recommend applying a lip liner beforehand and also to make sure you don’t layer over the cream lipstick that you’ve already applied because otherwise it does start to feel caky and can start to look a bit uneven. Once the application is perfected however, these suede lip creams look great.
I love how affordable these cream lipsticks are and of course I love the gorgeous deep pigmented colours. I recently bought my friend the bright purple one (Amethyst) and now I think I want that one for myself too. I’m sure I’ll be adding more of these to my collection.
I’d been in need of some new makeup brushes for a while and so I was happy that one of my Christmas presents off my grandparents this year, was this selection of brushes and brush roll from The Vintage Cosmetic Company.
Although I’d heard of The Vintage Cosmetic Company before, it had never occurred to me that they might be a good brand to go to for makeup brushes.
I’ve currently been using these brushes each time I apply my makeup and I am loving them. The brush hairs are soft and each makeup brush helps me to apply my makeup with ease. I also really like the look of these brushes and the fact that they have the brush names printed on the handles.
I think it’s great that the brush roll is oil clothe because it means that it easily wipes clean if and when I do get any makeup on it. I also love the pretty floral print of the brush roll, which certainly has a vintage look.
I’m currently loving all of these brushes but my favourite three have to be the foundation brush, powder brush and blush brush.
It’s been a while since I last used a foundation brush (as I had been using mostly sponges for quite some time). This foundation brush helps my makeup to easily glide on and it is great for creating a flawless look. I’ve been using a small about of brush cleaner after each use, in order to keep the brush clean and so far it’s stayed really soft.
The powder and blush brushes are great at picking up just the right amount of product for a light and easy application. It’s been such a long time since I found a blush brush that I like as much as this one. It helps my blusher to glide on like a dream and I feel it’s perfect for adding just the right amount of blush.
Which brand of makeup brushes do you like to use? Have you tried any of the makeup brushes from The Vintage Cosmetic Company?
I’ve never really previously understood Eyelash primers. I’ve tried a few out in my time but always found I got bored and would go back to using mascara on its own.
The Estée Lauder Little Black Primer is somewhat different to the previous eyelash primers I’ve tried, due to the fact that it’s black (as opposed to white or clear) and that on appearance, this one looks very much like an actual mascara to me. What I’ve discovered from simply trying out the primer, is that its formula is significantly more light weight and thinner than that of a mascara and so it separates the lashes and ever so slightly lengthens them without making them thicker or giving the appearance that a mascara has been applied.
This eyelash primer can be used in one of three ways; Alone ‘to tint them silky black and natural’, as a primer before mascara to add extra length, or after your mascara ‘to set, with a water resistant finish’. I personally prefer to use it in ways one and two (and am actually yet to try it on top of mascara).
Depending what you want out of this primer will depend on how well it works for you. If you have naturally ‘good’ lashes that you maybe wish to tint, then it actually does work well on bare lashes as a way to colour them black without looking like you have mascara on. It’s perfect for those no makeup days and if you want to set your lashes after curling them without applying mascara, then this product will do the trick.
In terms of using this product as a primer, I’m actually quite impressed with the results. It certainly has the best results I have seen from using an eyelash primer, and it really does help to lengthen my lashes along with applying my mascara.
Below, the first image shows me wearing the Estée Lauder Little Black Primer and the second image shows me wearing it under my W3ll People Mascara.
I’m rather impressed with the results from using the Estée Lauder Little Black Primer to prime my lashes as I think the results are significantly noticeable, compared to when I don’t prime them. I love how I’m able to use this primer to lengthen my lashes to make them a lot longer without making them look thick and clumpy. I don’t use this eyelash primer everyday, but for when I want more noticeable, super long lashes then this is the product I now reach for to help me achieve those results.
Have you tried out the Little Black Primer?
You can shop the Estée Lauder Little Black Primer here.
Some of the items may have been sent to me for review purposes, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.
If there’s one time of the year when my skin needs extra TLC, it’s now. After the busy festive period my skin is left looking and feeling fatigued and the cold winter weather only makes matters worse. So now is the time when I really like to up my skincare regime and go into full hydration mode in order to help rejuvenate my skin.
I’ve mentioned this Eve Lom Morning time cleanser on more than one occasion now and it has fast become one of my favourite skincare products. As the name implies, it is a cleanser that you apply first thing in the morning. It really does help to wake up my skin in the morning and after rinsing it off, the cleansing oils leave my face feeling so soft as well as looking brighter and refreshed.
This eye cream, although geared more towards mature skin, also works wonders on fatigued skin too. It shows I lead a happy life because I’ve noticed my smile lines becoming more prominent as of late (even when I’m not smiling). It’s not that this is something I’m too bothered about, but I was surprised to see the plumping effect from this cream and that my smile lines appear reduced. It also feels so nice around the eyes and really helps to hydrate and awaken tired looking puffy eyes.
This Lancôme Génifique Crème Youth Activating Day Cream has a sort of gel to cream type feel when I apply it to my skin but it instantly works to help make it feel smooth and hydrated. I love the fact that it adds hydration to my skin and leaves it feeling moisturised without feeling oily. It works as a great base under makeup and leaves my skin feeling soft and plump.
Using the pipet, it’s easy to apply just a few drops of this products to the fingertips and then rub it into the face and neck. Overnight this stuff really does work well to help hydrate my skin and leave it feeling soft and looking rejuvenated. I feel that it helps to make my skin appear more radiant when it can often look quite dull around this time of year.
It’s fair to say that these products are working wonders at keeping my skin hydrated and radiant, which is just what it needs during the winter period.
What is your favourite product to help rehydrate and rejuvenate your skin around this time of year?
Samio x
You can shop the items in this post and more here.
Some of the items may have been sent to me for review purposes, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.
My night time skincare routine has significantly upped it’s game these past several months, with a lot of focus going on serums and overnight masks, but it’s been a while since I introduced a new night cream into my routine.
The Antipodes Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream not only sounds delicious (for the face not for consumption of course), but it’s also proven to have anti-ageing benefits, or as they put it, it’s ‘scientifically shown to stimulate synthesis of collagen production in human cells by up to 92%’ and it does all this whilst also being vegan friendly.
So what’s not to love about this product… Well, nothing actually. It’s very creamy and really does feel super nourishing on the skin. It comes in a cute little glass jar and has a sort of herbal smell which I personally really like.
As I very quickly discovered, only a small amount of the nourishing night cream is needed on each application, as it really is a very creamy product which spreads easily. I found that when applying too much of the cream, my skin was left feeling a little bit greasy. After mastering the application I realised I only need one to two pea sized amounts to cover my neck and face. I’ve found it’s just the right amount and it leaves my skin feeling instantly hydrated. The real magic however works over night as all the natural oils and goodness soak into the skin.
This Antipodes night cream really does leave my skin feeling plump, hydrated and just as it says, nourished.
For me this isn’t an every night cream but for when I need that extra creamy nourishing goodness for my skin, I immediately reach for this jar. This night cream is suitable for all types of skin but I’d definitely recommend it if you have particularly dry skin or if like me, you have combination skin that needs a little extra nourishment from time to time. I’m certainly a new fan of the Antipodes Nourishing Night Cream as it leaves my skin feeling amazing.
Some of the items may have been sent to me for review purposes, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.
