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?

Mallzee 2.0 Fashion App Review

I'm pleased to say that I am now working for a fantastic company called Mallzee, as a brand ambassador. I applied for this position as I really believe this is a fantastic app for fashion-lovers. I wanted to share with you all just how impressive this app is and hopefully hear some feedback from you all about it. As you know by now, online shopping is one of my favourite past times but having to search through countless tabs to find a certain item can be a huge pain. If like me, you find yourself endlessly searching for the one perfect item of clothing for an event or just a staple day-wear piece; you will understand that this is no easy task. I first heard of Mallzee through university and on closer inspection found this to be the app I was waiting for. Mallzee combines all the well-known high-street stores with an easy-to-use search feature to make online shopping easier.

Signing up to the app is easy and straight-forward and it promises to never post on your Facebook wall, which is a plus nowadays. You can set your search preferences to cater to your individual taste,

select the brands you are interested in and filter the items based on garment, colour

and price. An interesting feature to this app is the ability to vote on items on clothing in a Tinder-style function.

If a item is just not to your taste, swipe thumbs down and the app will save this information and won't show this item again. If you love the item swipe left, this saves the item for later and then will make suggestions on other similar styles and piece. It is very intuitive and the more you use it the better it gets. If you are unsure about purchasing the item you can share via your social media channels with your friends for their opinion . The social side to this app is what sets this apart, having your friends with you in a dressing room is part of the fun and with this feature the dressing room is brought into your home.

A new feature is the style-feed, which creates a custom-list based on your personal tastes and occasions. Setting up feeds can make finding items for work, nights-out or a special occasion even easier. You set and control the feed based on brand, colour, type of garment and price point. From the information entered it will create a feed for you to browse for a personal stylist experience without the expense.

For me the best thing about this app is not missing price drops on clothing. You know that feeling when you've had your eye on a dress and it hit the sale without you knowing and oh wait its sold out. You never have to feel that despair again with the price drop feature. If you've swiped to save a item of interest it will ask you if you want to know when or if the price drops. AMAZING! 

So what are you waiting for? 

Download the app today, It's completely free!

Click Here : Apple App Store: Mallzee 

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?

Wednesday Write-up - Review: Vichy Normaderm Range

I feel like I am forever trying to find a skincare routine that helps control excess oil and spot prone skin, it's really tricky to get the balance right with oil prone skin. I want something to tackle problem areas but also moisturize my dry areas. Especially since the weather is improving, as my skin can get easily dried out using typical spot fighting agents such as tea-tree and witch-hazel.  I discovered Vichy in a previous glossybox, (Vichy Idealia Life Serum) it wasn't a brand I had really come across before. After completing the skin care analysis on the Vichy website , I discovered this Normaderm range.

The Normaderm range is specifically made to tackle six signs of blemish-prone skin. It is suitable for all skin types including sensitive and acne prone skin. It tackles blemishes, pores, shine, oily skin, marks and uneven complexions. It has Vichy thermal spa water, salicylic and glycolic acid as well as being soap-free. After reading about the various products, I wanted to test one item before splurging on the whole range. I wanted to test if it really did work and I was a little septical that it would completely dry my skin out. So I went with the purifying gel as my first purchase.


Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Purifying Gel

I have been using this everyday for the past few weeks and the change in my skin has been incredible. I have found I only need a very small amount of this product to cover my face and neck and it leaves my skin super soft and thoroughly clean. I noticed an improvement within days and wanted to try more products from this range. I couldn't believe I had finally found something that works well on my skin type.

Vichy Normaderm Purifying Pore-Tightening Lotion

After my skin began improving from the gel, I splashed out on a a few more products. My next product was the purifying pore-tightening lotion. The toner/lotion minimised my imperfections and tightened my pores. As with the gel, a little goes a long way making this slightly more affordable.  My skin is usually quite sensitive to toners but so far I've had no problem with this at all. It leaves your skin feeling clean and prepped for the next step without over-drying.

Vichy Normaderm Anti-Shine Anti-Humidity Fresh Hydrating Gel 

The fresh hydrating gel is amazing, after toning I use this to take away any shine before I apply my makeup. It left my skin moisturised and completely matte all day, even my tea zone! It also helped to keep my makeup in place throughout the day, even when it was really hot. I really like the feel of this gel, it is so light and refreshing, unlike heavy acne moisturisers.

Vichy Normaderm Night Chrono-Active Anti-Imperfection Care

The night moisturiser is much thicker than the hydrating gel but does a great job at combating redness and excess oil throughout the night. After using this for a few weeks, I have woken up each morning with a more balanced complexion and I have found it really hydrates my skin without causing excess shine.

Global anti-imperfection hydrating care

As with the hydrating gel this product is really amazing at mattifying your skin and I switch daily between the gel and this product. I would say the gel has an advantage as it feels lighter and fresher 

on my skin but this product fights spots and redness also. Both products have their pros, so I can't really decide which one is better for daily use. 

I would say that I have found whilst using this product that if you use too much of it, the cream rolls up into little white balls so it becomes a bit of a nightmare to put makeup over this. So I would personally prefer the gel because of this reason, especially if you are in a rush .

Overall, I have found this range does exactly as advertised; it fights oil/spots and helped improve my complexion and redness. The main thing I love about the range is that it doesn't leave your skin feeling dry as most acne ranges do. It doesn't make your skin feel stripped , tight or uncomfortable but instead leaves it feeling moisturised whilst providing a matte cover.  I would recommend this range if you suffer with  imperfections or oily skin, there are also other products from Normaderm range that I haven't tried out yet. 

One tiny con I would mention is that although this stuff is working amazingly on my skin the scent of the products is not the best. It isn't a overpowering strong smell but it just isn't what I would expect from a skincare range. With this being said though it is a tiny con and it wouldn't put me off buying this range again.

 Has anyone else tried this range? What did you think about it?