Beauty Review: Mac Amplified Creme Lipstick in Morange

I seem to have acquired a lot of Mac products recently, I've always been more of a Lime Crime or Illamasqua kinda gal but seeing all the posts about Mac had me wondering if I was missing out on something? I love bold lipstick, especially for a night out so I naturally gravitated towards Morange.

I prefer a matte finish but went with this one purely based on the colour alone, it is a blood orange/red which reminds me of Nars Heat-wave (but this leans more to a orange hue then red). I do really love the pigment in this and it looks great in the warmer months. The one down side I would say would be the finish, but hey that depends on your personal preference. 

Have you tried Morange?

The Pink Parcel Review : May 2015

Pink Parcel is a monthly subscription box designed to arrive just before your monthly cycle. This company has been around for a while but as I always get the monthly Birchbox, I was unsure about subscribing to this. The parcel contains your choice of sanitary products with a selection of beauty products and treats. They currently have an offer on at the moment where you can try a box for the discount price of £5.99! 

You just need to input your cycle dates to calculate when you would like to receive your box. My box contained a pouch marked 'for now' containing tampons that you can easily keep in your handbag and two separate boxes of tampons. The other box marked 'for you' contained the beauty and treats for a much needed pick me up! 

Aside from the sanitary products, I received the following:

Anatomicals Botanical Hydrating Rose Face Mask

Montezuma's Organic Milk Chocolate With Butterscotch

Flamingo Candle Tropical Coconut Milk & Honey Scent Melt

L'Occitane Essential Water

Fudge Kitchen Drinking Fudge

Richard Ward Clay Mineral Masque Treatment

I really loved the selection of products and they are really well-thought out! My favourite product has to be the Flamingo Candle Wax melt, it is highly scented and I would definitely purchase this again. Overall for £5.95 I am impressed with this box but if I had paid the full price of £9.99 I'm not sure I would feel the same way. I am however really excited to test out all the products, especially the drinking fudge! I think this is really good idea but for me the price would need to be a bit lower for me to be happy to order this every month.

Have you tried the Pink Parcel Box? What are your thoughts?

Charlotte 

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Beauty Review: NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder

Nars is a brand I have never really even considered buying before. I tend to stick with brands I know deliver from personal experience, but after browsing the Beauty Bazaar store in Liverpool I changed my mind. The range of foundation for pale skin is actually quite amazing and after purchasing the sheer glow foundation I was also recommended this product.

Nars Light Reflecting powder is for setting makeup and I was recommended this based on problems I have controlling excess oil on my t-zone. When I first saw it i'll admit I thought great another add on product I will never use. I have spent so much money on pre primer, primer, setting sprays and powders that I just decided to go back to basics. But this product is different, it actually works!

It is a translucent powder but looks white in the box that reflects light and keeps your makeup in place. It is not shiny and only acts as a setting product to be worn on top of your makeup. The first time I used it with my foundation I really noticed the difference at the end of the day. Usually by 9pm my makeup has mostly faded but with this powder it was still looking fresh. Other coloured powders tend to make my face look cakey and highlight my dry areas but so far I have had no problems like that with this.

I swatched the powder above, as you can see when heavily applied it looks white but once blended in it is completely translucent. It also softens the look of fine lines while fading the appearance of large pores. It feels very silky on the skin after application and only needs the odd touch up throughout the day. I use my Real technique brush for blending and it really is effortless.

Because its a pressed powder it does last for a long time, I use this product daily and after months of use I still have a lot left. This is a holy grail product especially for oil prone skin! With the summer months coming up I know how this will make a huge difference for my makeups staying power.

Do you use a setting powder? What do you think about Nars?


Charlotte
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My Top 4 Christmas Beauty Advent Calendars

I know it's only November but with the Christmas countdown just around the corner, there has been massive hype over beauty advent calendars. All with various price tags and lots of great products, why have chocolate when you can have a new beauty item everyday? 

I've compiled the following list of my top four, in terms of the products and the value for money per calendar window.

The Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar- RRP £149.00 

£5.95 Per Window 

This one has to be my absolute favourite, it's a great mix of different high-end brands such as Nars, Diptyque, Dermalogica, C.O.Bigelow and many more. The packaging is beautiful as expected from a company like Liberty, which is well known for it's prints. I think this stands out for me as it isn't just make-up; It also features skin-care, hair-care and even a candle but the price is high considering they are all travel sizes. If money was no issue I would splurge for this but for that price you could get a beauty subscription box every month for a year, so that seems like a better option. Although maybe not as exciting.

Benefit Candy Coloured Countdown-RRP £60 

£2.40 Per Window

I'm no stranger to the Benefit brand, I've loved it for many years but because I have sampled most of their products this for me just wouldn't be a good investment. Again, it's a great mix of all their top selling products and who wouldn't want a benefit treat every single day. The theme of the calendar is candy inspired and really cutesy in keeping with benefits usual branding. A great purchase if you want to try out all their products and the price isn't too expensive for the quality of samples in this.Ciate Mini Manor Nail Polish Advent Calendar - RRP £49.00 

£2.00 Per Window

Nail polish fanatic? This one is for you. Ciate is a great quality polish, I first sampled it in a Birchbox and was really impressed with the pigment and longevity of the polish. This is a collection of 24 mini polishes and a full size one for Christmas day. I think this is a great purchase as it will most likely last you a year until next Christmas; and it features 17 of its bestsellers. With such a variety in colours and a full-size product, I would be most likely to invest in this one out of all of the calendars.

The Body Shop Beauty Advent Calendar-RRP £50 

£2.00 Per Window

Nothing says Christmas quite like the body shop, I've got stacks of body butters from christmas' past and I am still hooked. Featuring everything from soaps and body butter to their new glazed apple and wild argan-oil range, with very generous sizes up to 60 ml.This is a lovely little calendar, good value and a diverse range of their products. 

Overall, the Ciate Mini Mani calendar is probably the one I would go for as I love nail polishes and the price is reasonable for what you get.There are many other beauty calendars such as Jo Malone, Tesco, Selfridges, No 7, Elemis and L'Occitane to check out .

Will you be purchasing a beauty calendar this year? What's your favourite?

Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Foundation - 1.1

Many pale girls will know the struggle to find the perfect foundation shade is real. I am always trying to get the balance between it actually matching my skin tone and not make me look like Casper. So after reading a lot of reviews on this foundation I thought it could have major potential. I visited a Smashbox counter at my local boots and after talking to the assistant, I quickly handed over my card and was so excited to test this out.

I went for the lightest shade which is 1.1 and I hoped so much that this was for me. After previously researching, I discovered that all Smashbox cosmetics are made specifically for oil prone skin so I thought I had hit the jackpot with this one. I had it tested on my skin-tone in the shop and it looked lovely and felt amazing, it isn't too thick and it has a medium coverage but it is buildable.

Unfortunately to my horror, when I looked in the mirror in natural lighting I noticed I had a very visible foundation line from my face to my neck. I've tried various blending and application techniques but unfortunately this shade is way too dark for me, I have listed below the pros and cons of this product because I actually really like it. I am so fussy when it comes to foundations but this one is really good, if you can find it your shade that is.

Pros:

1. It really is long lasting and it does stay on all day when used with the primer

2. It doesn't settle in creases, which is amazing!

3. Fragrance free, I don't really ever understand the need to add fragrance to makeup 

4. You don't need to apply much to achieve a medium, natural coverage

Cons:

1. The lightest shade is still very dark compared with other brands. The closest I've been to my actually shade is still Bobbi Brown in Porcelain

2. If you have any dry patches it will highlight these areas. It is formulated for oily skin, so I really wouldn't recommend this product if you don't struggle with this issue

3. It doesn't cover red blemishes. Which isn't really a huge problem but concealer is a must with this foundation

Overall, if this product released a much lighter shade I would repurchase it in a heartbeat. I love the staying power and I am really disappointed it doesn't match my skin tone at all. As you can see from the swatches it is relatively dark. I would say if you are thinking off buying this foundation make sure you have a great skincare routine, as with most mattifying foundations it will highlight any dry patches but for now the search is still on....

Have you tried this foundation? What did you think?

The Liebster Award

I had a little break from blogging but I'm back now and I'm kicking things off with a exciting post and news to share. I've been nominated twice for the Liebster award by two lovely girls, you can check out their blogs here : Just Kirsten and In Lindsays Shoes . I love reading other peoples post about the Liebster award and I'm very excited to participate, so thank you for the nominations.

Liebster Award Rules are as followed:

1. You have to link back to the person that nominated you.

2. You must create a post about the award and answer the questions set by the person who nominated you.

3. After completing the questions you must must nominate 11 new bloggers with under 200 followers and give them 11 questions of your choice.

4. You must let your nominees know that they have been nominated.

My first set of question are from Lindsey:

1. What are your favourite nail polishes this season?

I absolutely love Essie and Nails inc and I've mainly been wearing coral or light pastels shades. I find great nail inspiration on Pinterest and you can check out my nail art board here. I also been rocking nail caviar which creates interesting textures and is a little different from block colours.

2. What magazine or book are you currently reading?

I'm currently reading Coco Chanel The legend and the life by Justine Picardie. I'm obsessed with the life behind the brand of Chanel and love reading different accounts of her life. I would recommend this book and it has lots of lovely photographs from the past up to the present.

 3. What are your 3 favourite makeup brushes?

I have recently purchased a real techniques stippling brush and a expert face brush which I love. I think they are a bargain as the quality is really high. I also love my body shop blusher blush, I buy this every year and it has never let me down to date.

4. What is your favourite lip colour at the moment? 

This is a little tricky to answer as I like to mix and match different colours depending on what I'm wearing. The lip colour I have been reaching for most recently has been LimeCrime velvetines lip gloss in suedeberry. It is a coral gloss which dries to a matte finish and has amazing staying power.

5. What products do you use specifically for pamper nights?

I usually pull out the body shop seaweed ionic clay mask, Biore pore strips and Trevor sorbie beautifully straightened overnight repair treatment.

6. What are your two favourite hair products?

I love haircare products and have drawers full of the stuff. The things I tend to go back to are Tresemme argan oil salon sleek glossing spray and Bed Head Glaze Haze Serum.

7. If you could look like any celebrity who would you choose?

OH tough one! So many options, I would probably say Alexa Chung. Obvious choice I know but I love her style.

8. What makeup brand dominates your collection?

I would say I have a lot of Benefit products, I have loved the brand for years. The dandelion blush is my absolute daily essential.

9. Which Country would you most like to visit?

Japan, Japan, Japan JAPAN. I love everything about Japan and find the culture fascinating. I would love to go for a few weeks and experience it first hand.

10. What's your best bargain product?

Nivea Lip butter pots. They have saved my chapped lips many times and I love all the different scents.

11. If you were put on a stranded island and only got to pick one beauty product and one skincare product what would you pick?

I would probably pick a jar of coconut oil for its many uses (such as lip balm, hair conditioner and moisturiser) and a bottle of The Body Shops Seaweed scrub.

Thanks for the questions Lindsay, Now I have another set of questions from Kirsten.

1. What is your favourite thing about blogging so far?

I like sharing ideas and thoughts with others, its lovely to be part of such a nice online community and learning from other bloggers also.

2.If you could only wear makeup from one brand for the rest of time, what would it be?

OH this is another tough question, I would probably go with Bobbi Brown purely because it is the only brand that has a great selection of truly pale shades.

3.Bold eyes or a bold lip?

I would go for a bold lip over eyes, I love playing around with lip colours and have a big collection of various colours and I prefer and more natural eye.

4.What is your favourite era for makeup and fashion trends? 

For fashion trends it has to be the late 1940's, I'm obsessed with Dior's new look and find the history behind the movement fascinating. For beauty I really love the 20's flapper girl style, a simple black eyeliner lid and red lips is a look I would often go for.

5. If you had to give up buying makeup or clothes, which would it be?

I would probably give up buying clothes because you can always make them yourself. I wouldn't have a clue where to begin making my own makeup though.

6.What is your best beauty tip?

My best beauty tip is to apply a good primer and setting spray to make sure all your makeup stays in place and looks fresh.

7.How long did you wait before telling family and friends about your blog?

I told them straight away, its a passion I wanted to share and I wanted to get some feedback from everyone.

8.where do you hope your blog will take you in the future?

I'm not sure really, for now I just love being able to create post on topics that interest me and I am learning new things about blogging all the time.

9.What do you most love about yourself?

My best quality is my creativity, I love to see things from a different viewpoint and create something original.

10. What do you do if you lack inspiration?

I have an online list which I use to write ideas as they come to me. I would check there or maybe have a browse through Pinterest if I was really stuck. I find a lot of inspiring images there which helps me to think of new ideas for posts.

11.If you could get beauty advice from anyone in the world who would it be and why?

I would love to get advice from Mario Dedivanovic and learn how to contour and highlight like a pro.

My questions are:

1. What inspired you to start a blog?

2. If you could only pick one item of makeup to wear everyday, what would it be?

3. What is your skincare routine?

4. How would you describe your personal style?

5. What are your top 3 makeup items in your current collection?

6.  What is your favourite season of the year?

7. What makes you smile?

8. If you could meet anyone dead or alive, who would it be?

9. What is your favourite colour?

10. What is your favourite product under £5.00? 

11. If you could offer one piece of beauty advice, what would it be?

I nominate the following blog:

retroandthrift.co.uk

mydaisychaincloset.blogspot.co.uk

urbanbeautie.blogspot.co.uk

anastasiaamour.com

megsmakeupbag.com

Passion0527.blogspot.com

lapetiteluxe.blogspot.com

thatlauriegirl.blogspot.com

amore-beaute.com

girlwithlipstick.blogspot.co.uk

beautyinfinitum.com

Enjoy girls, Charlotte x

Birchbox June 2014 - Global Strikers

My Birchbox arrived really late this month! So I had a peak at what other bloggers received in their boxes, I was a little disappointed that I didn't receive a beauty blender but I'm hoping I will get one next month, Fingers crossed. This month's theme was based on the world cup and featured products from all around the globe. I products I scored this month are....

1. Silk + Honey Shea Butter Hair Mask (England)

£55.00 Full DIY set

One of the main reasons I love Birchbox is the discovery of new brands, I have never heard of silk + honey and I do love a good hair mask. This is a deeply nourishing mask and claims to protect and soften the hair while fortifying it's elasticity. I really like this product and it does improve the texture but I don't think I would purchase this in the future, even though it does work I think there are far better masks for a lower price. The smell isn't really for me either I prefer quite a strong scent for hair products and the scent of this mask is too subtle for my taste.

2. Yves Rocher Sheer Botanical Lipstick Coral Doux (France)

Introductory Price £9.00

A coral lipstick for this summer box was a great idea, you can never have too many lipsticks and this is my favourite item in this box. It is a sheer finish with added cherry oil to keep your lips moisturised in the summer. This is more of a daytime lipstick as the finish is very sheer but does provide a nice pop of colour and I would try this brand in the future.

3.Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre (France)

From 12.99 

This is a multi-use product advertises as a nourishing moisturiser, it can be used as a make-up remover, repairing face mask, after shave cream and a baby care product. I used it as a facial moisturiser before my primer and I really liked the light texture of this cream. It is a milky formula and left my skin feeling moisturised without causing excess oil or breakouts. I would recommend this product id you have sensitive or dry skin but for my skin type, I would only really use a product like this in the colder months.

4. Opi Nail Lacquer - The Brazil Collection (Brazil)

£11.95 Full-size

I love Opi Nail Lacquer, the nail varnishes have great coverage and are highly pigmented. One drawback is that this was a small size, which I was a little disappointed with. I wouldn't buy this colour but I will be investing in a few more Opi varnishes.

5. Naobay - Body Radiance Lotion (Spain)

£14.00 Full size

This lotion is very light with a heavy lemon scent, it is a fresh organic product with shea butter, olive and avocado oils. It left my skin soft and the scent is very appropriate for the warmer months in summer. I have gallons of body lotions to get through so I won't be purchasing this but I will look into this brand further to see what else they offer.

6. Birchbox Brazil-Inspired keyring

Not much to report on this item but it was a nice freebie that fitted in with the theme of the box. Overall I am quite happy with this box, after the initial disappointment of not receiving a beauty blender wore off, I did enjoy trialing the various products. I'm looking forward to July's box and I hope it doesn't take as long to arrive as this one did! 

What did you get in your Birchbox? What was your favourite item?

May Empties & Reviews

I love reading what all you bloggers use every month, so I thought I'd give it a go and hopefully provided some information about various products before you part with your money. Whilst doing this I discovered how much shower gel I actually use! Anyway I'll be doing a mini review on each product and if I would buy it again.

The products I got though this month are: 

1.Tigi Catwalk Honey & Oatmeal Shampoo & Conditioner 750ML

2. Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Purifying Gel 200ML

3. St Ives Apricot Scrub Blemish Fighting 150ML

4. Palmolive Pampering Touch Coconut Shower Gel 250ML

5. Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia 50ML

6. Nivea Creme Coconut Shower Gel 250ML

7. Lacura Moisturising Face Wash 150ML

8. Next Loves Luxury Chocolate Body Scrub 30ML

9. Radox Coconut Kiss Shower Cream 250ML

10. Nivea Free Time Shower Cream 250ML

11. Original Source Shea Butter And Honey Shower gel 250ML

12. Imperial Leather Invigorating Mango And Juicy Papaya 250ML

13. Batiste Cherry Dry Shampoo 200ML

14. Garnier Simply Essentials 2 In 1 Makeup Remover 200ML

15. Dove Go Fresh Pomegranate Deodorant 50ML

1.Tigi Catwalk Honey & Oatmeal Shampoo & Conditioner 750ML: This product is designed to be colour safe and helps to protect hair from heat damage. I have been using this set for five months, Yes FIVE MONTHS everyday and I think that makes this set exceptional value for money. Its a nourishing formula made with acacia honey, wheat protein and vitamin e and it is really moisturising. The smell is what first drew my towards this product, my hairdresser recommended this brand as I have dry ends from heat styling. In hindsight I picked the wrong product, I have quite oily roots and with prolonged use I feel this product only added to the oil. Which is a real shame because I do love the scent. This would be ideal for dry and damaged hair that isn't prone to oil. I wouldn't buy this product again but only because it doesn't suit my hair type, I really need to learn to check the advice on the bottle before the scent.

2. Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Purifying Gel 200ML: I recently wrote a review for the Vichy Normaderm line here, so I won't go into too much detail. This is a face wash that can be used daily for oil and acne prone skin. What I love about this gel is that it fights breakouts without drying the skin. A little pricey buy if used sparingly as advised can last a few weeks. I have already purchased this again and would recommend it if you have oily skin, as the results I've seen on my own skin have been pretty impressive.

3. St Ives Apricot Scrub Blemish Fighting 150ML: An apricot exfoliating scrub to help fight blemishes, blackheads and lift away oil. I have bought this product many times and I'm not sure why? As much as I like this product as a weekly exfoliation treat,  I haven't found it to help in anyway with blemishes. Maybe you need to use it everyday to see results but I find the beads in this product and little bit too big and worry about the damage it might do if used daily. I wouldn't be in a hurry to buy this again but might try using it three to four times a week to see if that does make a difference in the future.

4. Palmolive Pampering Touch Coconut Shower Gel 250ML:  Anything that has a coconut scent I will most likely be buying it. I am fan of soft scents and this shower gel delivers a fresh scent that leaves you feeling moisturised and clean. I would buy this again as the scent is lovely but not overpowering and for £1 I can't really complain.

5. Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia 50ML: I received this as a present last year, it is a really delicate floral scent and perfect for day wear. The fragrance contains notes of brown sugar, patchouli, frangipani, gardenia, pear and red berries. This without doubt a perfect spring perfume, a light subtle fragrance that is really soft and has berry overtones. I would buy this perfume again in the future but for now I am searching for the perfect vanilla based perfect for the summer.

6. Nivea Creme Coconut Shower Gel 250ML: A smelling scent to the palmolive shower gel and just as good. I would say this formula delivers a bigger hit of coconut but still quite mellow and it is slightly more nourishing. I will definitely but purchasing this again.

.

7. Lacura Moisturising Face Wash 150ML: When I think of skincare Aldi is usually not on the top of my list, but this face wash was a surprise. I picked it up whilst doing some food shopping and thought why not it's only cheap. It is 100% soap free and has no harsh chemicals, it's formula is made using pro-vitamin B5, vitamin E and Bisabolol. I used this daily and I must say this really improved my dry areas on my face, it is moisturising and mild and leaves skin feeling wonderfully soft. I would buy this again and I am going to investigate other Lacura products.

8. Next Loves Luxury Chocolate Body Scrub 30ML: This came as part of a beauty package I received at Christmas. It is chocolate scented which I love and the grains are relatively small which I prefer in an scrub. As much as I enjoyed the scent I don't think it made much of a difference in the texture or appearance of my skin. I wouldn't recommend this as it hasn't made any difference to my skin and I think there are better scrubs out there for similar price points.

9. Radox Coconut Kiss Shower Cream 250ML: I love all the Radox fresh shower gels and this is no exception, The scent (as you can tell by now) is one of my favourites coconut. It is exotic coconut and milk and is really refreshing and leaves the scent on your skin for a good few hours after shower. It isn't particularly moisturising but it doesn't claim to be and I would buy this again for the scent alone.

10. Nivea Free Time Shower Cream 250ML: Same formula as the creme coconut one but this scent is aloe vera and star fruit. A subtle scent with a hit of summer fruit and leaves skin moisturised and clean. It is stimulating and perfect for the summer months ahead, recommended.

11. Original Source Shea Butter And Honey Shower gel 250ML: Original Source have the nicest scents in their products. It has a natural scent and is extremely moisturising for dry skin. All for the bargain price of £1, I would buy this again.

12. Imperial Leather Invigorating Mango And Juicy Papaya 250ML: As with most Imperial Leather products it produces a great lather with very little product. A gorgeous summer fruity fragrance of Mango and Papaya. I think I've said all I can say on the topic of shower gel but I would buy this again.

13. Batiste Cherry Dry Shampoo 200ML: A dry shampoo is every girls best friend on busy days. As I have oil prone hair I am trying to wash my hair every other day as I hope this will calm down the oil production and this has been a brilliant help for the in between days. I've never really found a scent of dry shampoo that I actually like as I find them all chalky but this one isn't to bad. The product does what it says on the bottle and I would purchase it again but maybe try out a different scent.

14. Garnier Simply Essentials 2 In 1 Makeup Remover 200ML:  This is my third bottle of this product, it removes makeup even waterproof makeup without rubbing or irritating the skin. It is enriched with plant extract and pro-vitamin B and the formula contains no perfume or alcohol. This is ideal for all skin types and removes all makeup without a trace. It is two separate liquids in one bottle. makeup removing oil and cleansing water. It is a very oily formula but it does lift makeup with ease and I have never had any problems with breakouts or irritation from this. I will be buying this again as it really easy to take off makeup before bed.

15. Dove Go Fresh Pomegranate Deodorant 50ML: Anti-perspirant deodorant with a pomegranate and lemon verbena scent. It claims to last up to 48 hours and as with all dove products contains moisturising ingredients. I love the scent and it dry relatively quick for a roll on, I have bought this again as it does the job and has a subtle scent.

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think?

Mini Body Shop Haul - Summer Essentials

As mentioned in a previous post, the body shop have a great deal on at the moment that I had to take advantage of. If you spend £40 it would only cost £20, effectively making all of this half price. I had a splurge on some much needed items and I bought a paddle hairbrush, vitamin E eye cream, blender blush, seaweed pore perfect exfoliator, peppermint foot lotion, a bath lily and a cocoa butter body scrub. With summer coming up I wanted to get some essentials to revitalise my skin, I think scrubs are perfect to ensure my skin is in great condition for warmer days. I'll be reviewing some of these products soon. If there is something you would like reviewed soon, please let me know in the comments.

Do you have a summer skincare routine? What's on your essentials list?